Chapter 11

Jailbreak

The Jedi Masters and Reego stared each other down through their glasses of water. Reego had asked for a drink earlier, and the guards had obliged. The Jedi had followed suit. Reego's story didn't give much to go on: he had no idea who hired him to kill Master Leet, only that Ni'Pa had relayed orders from someone else: that someone else was clearly the one that placed the hit. Qui-Gon had been saving his question about Nurkkis for later, when Reego was worn out from prolonged questioning. He might be reluctant to betray an old comrade. That is, unless, his guard is down. I'll wait for the right moment.

"So, I'm telling you, I don't know who placed the hit! All I know is that Ni'Pa didn't place it!"

The Jedi paused for a moment, and then Qui-Gon struck.

"Does the name 'Raton Nurkkis' mean anything to you?"

The Gran's face lit up at the mention of Nurkkis.

I've struck gold. Time to keep digging.

"Raton? You know him?"

"We heard the two of you worked together, in the Outer Rim. Some sort of mercenary group?"

"You mean the Legion?"

"Yes. Tell us about it."

"Well, it was Raton's outfit. He was quite the charismatic one. Had a natural way of making men follow him. And damned if he wasn't a great fighter."

His connection to the Force probably helped. The way most mercenaries are, he could easily manipulate them into following him.

"Always in the front, always putting his neck on the line for us. We would have marched into Hell on his orders. Every man jack of us."

The Gran beamed with pride as he spoke of his old commander, and even as the events at the Museum gala flooded into his mind, Qui-Gon couldn't help but respect Nurkkis for inspiring such loyalty and goodwill in his subordinates.

"We went on for years, the terror of countless systems. Made lots of credits. Then, one day, Nurkkis came to us and said something about a permanent contract. I think he was trying to straighten us out, make us all respectable. He said we would be running security for some mining corporation. We could follow him, or go our separate ways. A lot of our guys stayed with Raton, but there were a few of us that didn't. Like me."

LMC! It must have been Lok'ayy! So that's how he ended up on Coruscant!

"Do you remember what the name of this mining corporation was?"

"Hmm…L-something or other…some Bothan-run outfit. I remember it started with an L, that's all."

"Lok'ayy Mining Corporation?"

"Yeah! That's it! Lok'ayy Mining Corporation. We'd done some jobs for them before, security and all that, but I didn't think Raton wanted to go all in with them. Until he did, of course."

The Gran paused, suddenly realizing the point of this questioning.

"Wait a minute…you're not saying Raton's involved in all this, are you?"

"No. Just asking."

"I can smell trouble where I see it, Jedi. You think he ordered the hit, don't you?"

Before Qui-Gon or Adi could respond, a senior guard rushed into the room, clearly shaken by something.

"Warden Booda? Sir?"

"What is it?"

"Sir…you'd…you'd better come see this, sir."

"What's the problem?"

The guard nervously looked around the room, registering that the Jedi, the Warden, and Reego would all take on his problems once he opened his mouth.

"We've got a disturbance in the mess hall on Level 1."

Warden Booda sighed annoyedly at the guard, and then turned to the Jedi.

"My apologies, Jedi. I'll be right back."

The Warden rose and followed the guard out, leaving the Jedi, Barabbas, and Reego wondering what kind of mess had gotten the Warden's attention.

Beneath the cellblocks, a vast network of maintenance rooms and hallways ran through Oovo IV's rocky innards, containing much of the vital machinery needed to run the prison and keep its inmates secure. Normally, only Ugnaught mechanics and maintenance droids ever saw this side of the prison. Now, a group of inmates, members of Gwerto's crew, had slipped away from a work detail and into this labyrinth via the tunnels leading from the prison's labor mines. At any other time, this action would have brought guards down upon them immediately, but the riot upstairs had drawn the rest of the prison's attention, as Gwerto had planned. The probe droids would notice the missing inmates, but it would be a long time before the guards could mount a response. Most beings would lose their way in the maintenance corridors, but these inmates had months of studying the floorplans to guide them. They did not care what each door led to: their focus was solely on one room, its location drilled into their minds by constant reminders from their Captain and endless hours of study and preparation. The lead inmate, a fellow Aqualish specifically picked for the job, had the key to the crew's entire plan sticking out of his pocket. In his pocket was a homemade bomb, made using materials scrounged from around the prison by conspirators on various work details. The bomb had been passed around amongst the most trusted members of Gwerto's crew to avoid detection, and it had been hidden in every possible corner of the prison depending on its current guardian. The plan had worked: the guards were completely unaware of its existence, and it had not prematurely detonated in one of its hiding spots. Now, on the planned day of the escape, it would be put to use. In the Aqualish crewman's other pocket sat the detonator mechanism, kept separate for safety's sake. The inmates kept their eyes on the map, counting off the paces between turns that Gwerto had ensured they memorized. Finally, they arrived at their designated location. The Aqualish crewman looked up, and saw the sign he had come for: "GENERATOR ROOM," in large, bold letters.

"This is it, boys. Let's get in there."

A crewman equipped with a large iron bar pried open the door. The room was large but dimly lit, the roar of the prison's main power generator drowning out all other sounds. Multi-tiered access gangways ran along the generator's length, allowing repair and maintenance work on any part of the generator. The room's only other occupant was an Ugnaught technician at work near the entrance, now frozen in shock at the sight of his unexpected visitors. He had but a few seconds to ponder his fate before a Klantoonian crewman picked him up, pinned him against a wall, and tore out his throat. The Ugnaught heaved, unable to draw breath, and then fell limp as the Klantoonian dropped him, his tiny body hitting the floor with a thud. The Aqualish leader was already ascending the nearby ladder, searching for a suitable spot to plant his bomb. He found what looked like a vulnerable area, and began attaching the crude explosive device to the generator. Once the device was secure, the Aqualish pulled the detonator from his pocket, ready to insert it into the bomb. Once that had been done, he would activate the bomb with a crude electrical switch on the detonator mechanism. The electrical impulse would be delayed (at least if this crude setup worked), allowing the escapees to vacate the room. Once out, they would wait on the maintenance floor until Gwerto and some fellow escapees arrived to take them up to the surface.

Planned meticulously and executed flawlessly…that's our Captain's work, for sure.

The Aqualish signaled the rest of his comrades to leave the room, in case the detonator did not work as planned and the bomb detonated prematurely. I knew what I signed up for. The Captain trusts me with his life. I must trust him with mine. Once the last of the team had left the room, the Aqualish inserted the detonator and tripped the switch. His finger never had time to leave the switch as the bomb detonated.

Obi-Wan sat in his chair, his nose buried in Legal Precedent of the Galactic Republic, Volume I. Not surprisingly, Volume I was just one of an entire bookshelf of this series. Much to his surprise, some of what he was reading was quite interesting.

Never knew legal matters could be so fascinating. I guess the Warden's bookshelf isn't as boring as I thought it would be.

He stole occasional glances at Siri, who was curled up on her couch reading The Hutts: The Story of the Galaxy's Most Dangerous Gangsters. She looked up for occasional glances at him, smiling when their gazes met. The door to the Warden's office opened, and the two Padawans looked up to see Sergeant Barabbas entering. "You two doing alright?" "We're fine, Sergeant."

"Let me know if you need anything. If you're hungry, there's a café down the hall to the right."

"Thanks."

"No problem." Barabbas walked back into the Warden's office as Obi-Wan turned to Siri. "See? He's not so crabby after all."

"He's still Sergeant Crabby to me."

"Crabby or not, I think we should go grab something to eat. We don't have much else to do otherwise."

"Agreed."

The Padawans stood up and walked to the door, when the lights suddenly went out, covering the room in darkness. Obi-Wan heard Siri gasp and felt her grabbing his arm, hanging on to him. He instinctively put his arm around her to reassure her. With his other, he called his lightsaber to his hand with the Force and ignited it. In a matter of seconds, Siri's magenta blade also cut through the darkness, illuminating the room. Obi-Wan turned to Siri, as she scanned the room for any sudden movement. Her face looked calm enough, but Obi-Wan could see the fear in her eyes. She turned her head and spoke to him, her voice quivering. "Obie…what was that?"

"Maybe…maybe the Warden forgot to pay the electric bill."

Even as he said this, Obi-Wan could feel the forced humor in his voice. He chuckled nervously, but Siri didn't react.

"This is a maximum-security prison, Obi-Wan. If the power just goes out like that, it's not an accident."

"An escape attempt?"

"What else can it be?"

Sensing her distress rise, Obi-Wan turned his entire body towards Siri, looking her in the eyes and speaking as reassuringly as he could, trying to keep the worry out of his own voice.

"Siri, listen to me. I'm here, the Masters are here, and we've got the best prison security in the galaxy on our side. The security tower that we're in now is the most secure area of the prison. Nothing is going to happen. If problems arise, we'll deal with them promptly."

Siri looked into his eyes for a moment more and then slowly regained her composure, closing her eyes and breathing deeply as she released her distress into the Force.

"Okay. What should we do now?"

"We contact the Masters. Something tells me our trip here hasn't even begun yet."

The Masters were speaking with Reego, Warden Booda having just reentered the room and assured them that the disturbance on Level 1 was nothing to worry about, when the lights went out. They immediately jumped out of their seats and ignited their lightsabers, the Force guiding their blades to Reego's throat. Sergeant Barabbas quickly drew his pistol, aiming it at Reego's chest. The guards behind Reego also drew their blasters and activated their laser sights, the red dots right on the back of Reego's head. Barabbas shouted, "Someone get a light on him! Someone get a light on him! Now!" The Gran jumped back from the lightsaber blades, his hands raised in terror and panic in his voice. "Ah! Ah! Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'm not doing anything! My hands are up! My hands are up!"

The guards behind Reego switched on their blaster-mounted flashlights, illuminating the room alongside the lightsaber blades. Then, Adi saw something out of her peripheral vision, coming up from behind the desk.

"Qui-Gon!"

The two Jedi turned their lightsabers towards the figure rising from the desk, illuminating the face of Fenn Booda. The warden gave a yelp of terror and jumped backwards, crashing into his now-empty chair and knocking it over with a loud crash. He stood up sheepishly, and Qui-Gon could see the slightest disapproval on Adi's face.

For someone as reserved and polite as she is, that's quite a display of cowardice to warrant such an expression.

The door to the Warden's office suddenly flew open, and the two Padawans rushed into the room, their lightsabers ignited. "We heard the crash, Master. What happened?" "Everything's under control, Obi-Wan. The Warden fell out of his chair."

Sergeant Barabbas was already holding his commlink in his left hand, his right still training his blaster on Reego. "Calling all posts, calling all posts, this is Barabbas. We've just suffered a power outage. All stations report in immediately. I say again, we've just suffered a power outage. All stations report in immediately." The various guard posts responded, one after the other. Then, Level 1 reported in.

"This is Level 1, reporting power outage and ongoing riot on our level. The inmates have armed themselves and are killing guards on sight. They are making their way towards the armory as we speak."

Warden Booda suddenly shouted in panic. "Emergency power…get the emergency power online! NOW!"

"One moment, sir."

Barabbas turned back to his commlink.

"This is Barabbas. To anyone hearing this, engage emergency power now. Warden's orders. I say again, this is a direct order from the Warden. Engage emergency power now."

Barabbas turned to the Jedi.

"We're not out of the woods yet, Jedi. The emergency power will give us lighting and some of the security systems, but it won't power up enough of the security to keep the inmates totally contained."

"Is there a way to get full power to the security systems, Sergeant?"

"Not by design, Master Gallia."

"By design?"

"Well, we could reroute power to the security systems."

"Why not do that, then?"

"We can't do it from here, Master Jedi. We'd need to go into the lowest level of the prison, where the maintenance rooms are. Then, we'd need to find the emergency power room. There are a series of switches in there that can be used to reroute power to various systems, including the security systems. But, with this outage and an ongoing riot, I give us no more than ten minutes before the inmates have control of the cellblocks and labor mines. And to get to the maintenance levels, we'd have to go straight through those areas."

"Can you send guards down there?"

"They wouldn't last more than a few minutes. Not with something this big."

"What other options are there, then?"

"Well…there is one. You."

"Me?"

"You Jedi, I mean. If you could get down to the lower levels, you could reroute the power. But it's still a dangerous trek, even for your kind. And we might need your help putting down the riot."

Qui-Gon suddenly interjected.

"Then send in the Padawans."

"Qui-Gon! Do you realize what you're suggesting?"

"She's right, Master Jedi. Those kids of yours will be mixing it up with the worst scum in the galaxy, on their turf! I can't let you do that!"

"I can."

Warden Booda now stood erect at his desk, the earlier signs of his cowardice having vanished.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Send in the Padawans, Barabbas."

"Sir…"

"Warden Booda, you have not consulted with me on this matter…"

"Master Gallia, I'm sure Sergeant Barabbas has informed you that inside an institution of the Correctional Authority, the officers of that institution, uniformed or otherwise, have jurisdiction."

"I am a member of the Jedi Council…"

"With all due respect, Master Gallia, I am the duly appointed warden of a Galactic Republic Penitentiary, and this is my prison, not the Jedi Council's. Your Jedi Council has no more authority here than a swoop gang."

For the first time in her life, Siri could sense anger in her Master. Adi seethed in fury for several seconds, before releasing it into the Force at a disturbingly slow pace.

"Very well, Warden."

Even Qui-Gon seemed worried at the prospect of sending the Padawans into the middle of a prison riot: Obi-Wan saw a hint of regret on his Master's face for even suggesting it.

"It's settled, then. Sergeant Barabbas, you get the Padawans as close as you can get them to the cellblocks. Masters, you stay here with Reego and myself. Sergeant, once you're done, rally as many guards as you can. Full combat gear. Use of heavy weapons and deadly force against inmates is authorized. That goes for you Jedi as well, including the Padawans. Once the guards are ready, the Masters will accompany them and help to restore order. Sergeant Barabbas will be in overall command. Any questions? No? Good. Sergeant, take my access card. The Padawans need it more than I do."

Right as the Warden finished, some of the lights came back on. Barabbas immediately took charge.

"That's our cue. Padawans, with me. Masters, if you want to say anything before they leave, now is the time."

The Masters walked to their Padawans, ready to send them off. "Obi-Wan. Be careful. You're going into a giant cage with the worst criminals in the galaxy locked in there with you. Remember your abilities, and trust in the Force."

"I will, Master."

"Siri. Be careful, my child. This is unlike anything you've done before."

"I will, Master. The Force will be my guide."

"May it be your shield as well."

The Padawans followed Barabbas out of the office, into the parlor and out into the hallway, the sound of the closing doors punctuating the moment.

"Qui-Gon…"

"I know, Adi. They've developed into capable young adults, though. The Force will see them to safety."

Qui-Gon put his hand on Adi's shoulder to reassure her, as he sensed her releasing her anxiety into the Force.

"I can only hope you're right, Qui-Gon."

"You two want to stop by the café? If you want a last meal, now's the time to take it."

"I think we're okay, Sergeant," Obi-Wan answered weakly.

"If you say so. Come on, let's get to the hangar."

The Padawans followed Sergeant Barabbas to the hangar. The once-quiet hangar was now filled with guards in flight suits, speaking with the maintenance droids next to the strange blue ships. The Consular-class cruiser the Jedi had arrived on still sat in the hangar, its crew probably wondering what all the fuss was about.

"So, where are we going?"

"You heard the Warden, miss. I'm supposed to get the two of you as close to the cellblock as I can."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"We'll take one of the ships here in the hangar. I'll fill you in on the way."

Barabbas waved to one of the pilots.

"You! Pilot!"

"Sergeant Barabbas! What is it?"

"Got two Jedi with me."

"Jedi? What are they doing here?"

"No time to explain. Right now, they're helping us deal with the riot. I need you to fly them as close to the cellblocks as you can. Once they've been dropped off, get me back here."

"Will do, Sergeant. Come on aboard while I finish preflighting her."

A ramp extended up into the ship, a doorway in the middle of it. The Padawans followed Barabbas aboard. The doorway led down a short corridor into a cockpit, with a small cot behind the pilot's seat. Incredibly, the window faced up at the ceiling of the hangar. So, the ship lands on her back, thought Obi-Wan.

"Passenger seats are right here. Strap yourselves in, Jedi."

The Padawans heard footsteps coming up the ramp as they climbed into their seats, and the pilot soon climbed into his position in the cockpit, throwing a switch. The ramp closed, and the interior lights went off. The pilot quickly donned his headset and began speaking with the prison's ATC tower.

"Tower, Firespray 5. Request start up."

"Firespray 5, Tower. Cleared to start up. Notify when ready."

"Roger that, Tower."

The pilot began flipping switches, and the ship hummed to life as various lights and screens lit up. After flipping a number of switches and manipulating the controls, the pilot again spoke.

"Tower, Firespray 5. Request takeoff."

"Firespray 5, Tower. Negative, Firespray 2 is currently taking off. Hold for takeoff clearance."

"Roger that, Tower."

With a sigh of frustration, the pilot turned to his newfound charges.

"Well, hurry up and wait, Jedi."

"I've never seen a ship like this before. What is she?"

"She's a Kuat Systems Engineering Firespray-31-class patrol ship, miss. She's one of only six in existence. And all of them are right here in this hangar. Class 3 hyperdrive, twin blaster cannons and concussion missile launchers. We usually use them to patrol the asteroid field around the prison, but they're also equipped with holding cells in case we find any escapees on the surface."

"So, how do you plan to get us into the prison in this monstrosity? Fly through the wall?"

"Remember what the Sergeant said, miss. We're dropping you and your friend close to the prison, not inside it. There are a number of large clearings on the surface of the asteroid, right next to tunnels and other entrances into the prison itself. I'll set down there and drop you two off. Get out quickly, though. I don't want to hang around any longer than I have to."

"Got it."

The pilot's headset crackled to life.

"Firespray 5, Tower. You are cleared for takeoff."

"Roger, Tower."

The Firespray lurched upwards, and then the black ceiling of the bay gave way to the lights of the main hangar as the ship slid out of her bay. After a few moments, the ship tiled upwards, and the opening of the hangar stretched out before the canopy. The pilot slowly moved the throttle forward, and the ship sped out of it towards the vista of asteroids and stars outside. After leaving the hangar, the pilot banked left, and the vista of the stars gave way to the surface of Oovo IV itself. Barabbas broke the silence in the cockpit, speaking to the Padawans.

"Alright. You two look old enough that I can be straight with you. And to be straight with you, if it was up to me you wouldn't be going anywhere outside of the security tower. But, the Warden makes the rules, not me. A few pointers are in order before you step off into this high-rent hell. Firstly, I'll warn you right now. These are hardened criminals. Whatever the Jedi taught you about 'negotiating' and violence as a last resort, forget about it. These animals would rather gut you than reason with you. And, Miss Siri, they haven't seen a woman in years. I trust you understand what I mean by that." Siri didn't show any reaction outwardly, but Obi-Wan felt a brief pang of fear in her.

"BOTH of you must be ready to meet aggression with aggression. Playing footsie with these criminals will get you killed. Or worse. Secondly, remember that the interior of the prison can be difficult to navigate for those unfamiliar with it. The upper levels are mostly storage areas and administrative spaces. Traditionally, it's guard country, but given the current set of circumstances, don't count on that. Below that are the cellblocks, and below that the labor mines. Expect both of those areas to be swarming with inmates, likely armed by now. There'll be no guards to help you on those levels, so proceed with caution. The lowest levels are the maintenance areas, where the junction box you're looking for is. Normally, not even guards go down there. We usually only have Ugnaught mechanics and maintenance droids on that level. Stay in touch with me via commlink, and I'll tell you where you need to go. Call me when you reach the junction box as well: you'll need help to know what to do without frying yourself or completely shutting down the electrical system."

"How do we get into those maintenance areas, then?"

"The labor mines, Mr. Obi-Wan. There are a number of tunnel branches in the mines that lead into the maintenance areas."

"Should we expect resistance in the maintenance areas?"

"Possibly. The only way the inmates could have disabled the power supply like you saw in the security tower was by getting into the maintenance areas and tampering with the main power generator. So expect at least a token inmate presence there. Here's a spare commlink, so we can talk to each other. Finally, here's the Warden's access card. It opens every single door in the prison, so don't lose it, and don't let the inmates get their hands on it."

The pilot finally spoke as Barabbas handed the card and commlink to Obi-Wan.

"Jedi! We're approaching the landing site. Get ready to hop out."

Barabbas turned to his charges.

"Well, this is your stop. Stay safe, both of you. Call me on my commlink if you need anything. I'll contact you if the situation changes."

The Firespray tilted onto her back, and the Padawans felt the ship touch down on the asteroid's surface. Here we go. "We're down! Jedi, get those harnesses off and get off my ship!"

"Good luck, Jedi."

Obi-Wan registered Barabbas' encouragement as he threw off the seat harness. Across from him, Siri did the same. The two Padawans headed for the doorway as the interior lights turned on and the doorway opened, revealing the ship's ramp deployed onto the asteroid's surface. The Padawans rushed out the doorway and down the ramp, feeling the rocky surface under their feet. They turned to see the ramp retracting, and the Firespray lifting off and flying into the distance. They stood in the clearing for a moment, the only sounds being the eerie, gentle whistling of air across the asteroid's surface. Above them, the sky was the same vista from the security tower. The neighboring asteroids danced through the sky, against a backdrop of stars. In the tower it was breathtaking, even romantic. Now, on the cold, hostile surface of the asteroid itself, it was foreboding and ominous, the whistling of the wind only adding to the uncomfortable atmosphere. "Siri, let's get out of here. The inmates might have spotted us landing." "Go where? I don't see any ways out of here…wait! Up there!"

She pointed to an opening in the rock on the wall of the clearing, high above the two Padawans. They walked to the edge of the opening, and then Force jumped into it. Ahead of them, a dark tunnel stretched out into the rock. "Well, guess we're going down the creepy dark tunnel, Obi-Wan. You want me to go first?"

"No, I'll do it."

"Such a gentleman, Kenobi."

"I thought that meant ladies first. Unless you're too afraid."

The two stood there for a moment, before Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber and started down the tunnel, with Siri behind him.

"Something on your mind, Siri?"

"Nothing."

"Doesn't feel like nothing. I can sense disappointment in you."

"Just…when the lights went out, the first thing I did was latch onto your arm like a frightened little girl. I'm better than that, Obi-Wan. I should know better…"

"It was unexpected, Siri. It happens to the best of us. Besides, it was just between you and me. I won't tell anyone."

"Good. Because if you let anyone else know, I'll break that arm."

Now that's the Siri I'm used to.