Chapter 12
The Infiltration
The air in the security station on Level 1 hung heavy with the ozone smell of blaster fire, with countless holes in the walls to attest to the ferocity of the battle that had just ended within its walls. Guards and inmates lay dead and dying on the room's various walkways, the chief guard slumped over the control console in the center of the room. The first to die when Gwerto and his crew entered the room, his commlink now rested in the hands of the Aqualish pirate captain, who stood next to his corpse as he gave orders to his crew around the room.
"Everyone make sure the room is secure. I'll get the cells open and give the screws some more trouble. Search the room for any survivors. If you find any, kill 'em."
Gwerto turned his attention to the console, pushing the dead guard off of it. I'll never forget the look of surprise on his face when I busted in here. Just one second and five pounds of trigger pressure later, and he was hung over this console with his heart blown out.
The pirate captain began opening the various cells on Level 1, activating the security camera feed as he did this. On the screen, the cell doors suddenly opened, and the inmates rushed out, to be met with blaster fire from the guards in the control rooms overlooking the blocks. Gwerto didn't care what happened to them. His only concern was for his own men, and as far as he was concerned they were well on their way to escape. That should cover my escape, at least. Next stop, the armory. We've been killing guards left and right and getting whatever they were armed with, but we need more firepower. Gwerto pulled up the Level 1 schematics on the screen, quickly locating the armory. He motioned Vrossk to his side. "Vrossk?"
"Skipper?"
"You and the boys hold down the fort here. I'll take a few of us to the armory and get us more firepower. Anybody comes in here, you kill 'em. Got it?"
"Got it, Skipper."
The guards have been helpless against us so far. By the time they get real opposition down here, we'll be so heavily armed and the cellhouse so enveloped in chaos that it won't matter. Today is the day.
Obi-Wan and Siri stepped off the elevator into a drab, tan-painted corridor. The cave near the clearing had led to a doorway, beyond which there was an elevator leading down into the prison itself. What lay beyond this hallway at the bottom of the shaft was anybody's guess. The Padawans cautiously advanced down the hallway, listening for footsteps or any other signs of danger. The hallway snaked on for roughly a minute, until it ended at a large door with a card reader mounted next to it. Obi-Wan inserted the card, and the door opened to reveal a large storage room. It was roughly three stories tall, and the walls and floor were lined with crates, barrels, and other items stacked on top of each other, in some places almost to the ceiling. The ceiling itself was nothing more than the asteroid's jagged rock, with pillars holding it up and support beams running between the pillars. Roughly three meters above, walkways lined the edges of the room and ran through its center. Charcoal grey security doors lined the walls, both on ground level and on the walkways. "This must be one of those upper-level storage spaces that Sergeant Barabbas mentioned." "So, where do we go from here, Obi-Wan?"
"We find an elevator, or some other way into the cellblocks. Remember what he said about the maintenance areas. We'll have to keep going down until we hit the maintenance level, where those power controls are."
"And if we run into inmates?"
"Stay out of sight. We can't afford a fight, and I don't want to kill any inmates unless I have no choice."
"Me neither."
Suddenly, one of the security doors on the walkway opened, and the Padawans instinctively ignited their lightsabers. We might not have a choice, Siri. Guards came out, aiming their blasters at the Padawans. One of them shouted down to the Padawans, "You're Jedi?" Obi-Wan responded. "We are. Where did you come from?" "There's a security room behind this door. Get in here fast, before any inmates show up."
The Padawans deactivated their lightsabers and dashed towards the walkway, Force jumping onto it. The guards looked on in awe at the display. "Something wrong?" "No, we've just never seen anybody use the Force before. Hell, you two still look wet behind the ears. I would have thought that if the Jedi wanted to help us here, they would have sent…"
"Someone more experienced?"
Siri. Leave it to her to say something like that.
The guard nervously shrugged. Siri continued.
"Well, we're all you have. Are there any inmates up here?"
"Not yet. But they might turn up any second. So get in this room before they do."
The Padawans ducked into the guardroom, and the door quickly closed behind them. The room consisted of two areas on either side, each laden with control consoles, monitors, and a large weapons locker on the wall. Across from the door that Obi-Wan and Siri had just entered from, there was another, identical door, leading into some unknown area. A senior guard stood at one of the consoles, eyeing the two Padawans with a mixture of relief, annoyance, and suspicion. I'll ask the guards about where that other door leads. Provided Siri doesn't ask first. "You're safe in here, Jedi. What are you doing down here?"
"We need to get down to the maintenance levels. How do we get there?"
The senior guard chuckled at Obi-Wan.
"Well, you're got quite the hike before you get there, kid. Only way down there is through the labor mines. Only way down there is through the cellblocks. Only way down there is though that door." The senior guard pointed to the unknown door. "There's a hallway there, with an elevator that'll take you down to the cellblocks. But the inmates have free run of the place down there. Even up here, we're leaving that door sealed. Never know when they might try to come up here."
"We need to get through that door. Can you get us through?"
"I told you, it's suicide. Even for a Jedi."
"Then you can take it up with the Warden, and Sergeant Barabbas."
"Barabbas? He sent you here?"
Reluctantly.
"Yes. With the Warden's blessing."
Before the senior guard could respond, his commlink crackled to life. Obi-Wan, remembering what had happened during the sparring session earlier, quickly reached out to Siri through their Force bond.
Let's listen in, Siri. With Barabbas' commlink, we can listen in on the guard radio feed.
Okay, Obi-Wan. Get it out.
Obi-Wan pulled out the commlink, and the two Padawans came in close to one another, their faces tantalizingly close as they listened in together. Obi-Wan pushed his feelings down as he and Siri listened in on the guards' predicament. On the other end, loud banging and smashing noises could be heard in the background, and the guard's voice was fraught with terror. "Calling all posts, calling all posts, this is the Level 1 Armory. We've got inmates loose and attempting to break into the armory. Requesting response team immediately! I say again, we have inmate attempting to breach the armory! Requesting response team immediately! Over!"
The senior guard responded without hesitation. "Level 1 Armory, this is Guard Post Gamma-One-One. We hear you. Hang on. We've got two Jedi with us. They'll be on their way soon, over."
"Gamma-One-One, this is Level 1 Armory. Did you just say Jedi? Say again, over."
"Confirmed Jedi, Armory. Two of them. Over."
"Tell them…tell them to get here now! They're armed to the teeth and they're trying to smash the door down! Over!"
"Calm down, Armory. I'll have them headed your way momentarily. Over."
On the other end, a crash was heard, and the shouts of inmates grew louder. They've broken in.
"They're…they're inside! They're inside the armory! Get the Jedi down here…AHHHHH! Don't kill me! Please, don't!"
The guard continued to beg for his life as the roar of the inmates grew. A guttural, menacing laugh was heard, followed by a terrified, animalistic shriek. An ugly crunching noise punctuated the guard's final moments, and then the link went dead. Obi-Wan slowly holstered the commlink, trying not to think about what he had just heard. He turned to Siri, and saw she was trembling, clearly shaken by the experience. He brushed his hand against hers, and she quietly took it. The senior guard, also clearly disturbed by what had transpired, looked over the Padawans for a moment and then spoke, quietly.
"Well, now they have the armory. Are you two sure you want to go through with this?"
Obi-Wan gathered himself, released Siri's hand, and stepped forward, looking the guard in the eyes. "We're going to the maintenance area. Get that door open."
Siri stepped up beside him, looking as resolute as she ever had. Obi-Wan heard her through their Force bond.
I'm with you all the way, Obie.
The senior guard hesitated for a moment, and then broke the silence.
"Well, if you're dead set on going down there, I insist you bring some tools."
"Tools?"
"Here, let me show you."
The guard stepped over to the weapons locker, and produced a keycard.
"You'll need two things: protection, and less-lethal weapons. We've got both in here."
The guard opened the locker, revealing a series of racks containing blaster rifles, light repeating blasters, blast armor, and large electrobatons, each with a separate power pack attached to it by wires.
"Take a vest, both of you."
Siri responded, incredulous at the suggestion.
"But…we're Jedi. We don't wear armor. We can't move freely with it…"
The guard grabbed an armored vest and thrust it into Siri's hands.
"Don't mess with me on this. It might save your life."
Siri took the vest, clearly annoyed even as she put it on. The guard handed another vest to Obi-Wan, who donned it as the guard grabbed two of the electrobatons and handed them to the Padawans. The batons were extremely large, almost the size of an ignited lightsaber. "What you have here are riot batons. They're a step above your average, portable stun baton. As you can see, they're pretty damn big, and they use a lot of juice, enough to require an external power pack. You can clip the pack onto your belt there," said the senior guard as he pointed to Obi-Wan's waist belt.
"How powerful are these weapons?"
"That's why you have the external power pack. These babies are strong enough to knock out pretty much any sentient being with a single, solid hit. They'll be out for a few hours after that. As long as you don't shock 'em for too long, it's not lethal. They can easily kill if the target has heart issues, but that's not common. As you can see, though, they're bulky. Because of that, we normally don't use them. We keep 'em in the lockers, in case of…extreme situations."
"Like this one."
"Precisely."
"What about the armor?"
"It's fairly strong stuff, for what it is. It'll stop pistol fire from all but the closest of distances. Rifle fire will go through it like it's butter. And with the armory under inmate control…"
"We'll be careful. Is there anything else you need to add?"
"Just watch your backs. Both of you. The minute you walk out that door, anything goes."
"We understand. You said we could get into the maintenance areas via the labor mines. How do we get there?"
"Go through the cellblocks, and look for cave entrances. Eventually, you'll find doors marked 'MINE ENTRANCE'. Once you're in the mines, keep descending. You'll find various doorways in the lowest levels that lead onto the maintenance level. Once you're in a hallway with white walls, you'll know you're there."
"Alright. Thanks."
"Good luck, Jedi."
The senior guard walked to the door controls, and threw a switch. The door to the elevator opened, revealing another tan-painted hallway. The Padawans walked through the door, and as soon as they cleared it they heard the door close behind them. The hallway before them was eerily silent, the lights dim with the meager supply of emergency power.
"The elevator is probably at the end of this corridor. Let's go, Siri."
The hallway curved to the left, curving again to the right up a slope. The corridor curved again to the right, with a door at the other end.
"I think that's our way down, Obi-Wan."
The Padawans cautiously advanced down the hallway, batons raised. They walked through the door and into another room, with the elevator doors across from them. The Padawans stopped short of the door and turned to each other, looking into each other's eyes.
"You ready for this?"
"You heard me back there, Kenobi. I'm with you all the way."
Obi-Wan turned to the elevator, pressing the down button. The elevator rumbled to life, its growl growing louder and louder until it reached the door, and turned to a mechanical squeal. The Padawans raised their batons as the door opened to an empty elevator. They entered, and Obi-Wan scanned the elevator controls. He located the button marked "CELLBLOCK LEVEL 1" and pressed it, and the elevator sprung to life. Slowly, it descended the shaft, a long tunnel of stark asteroid crust only made artificial by the shaft's supporting beams and the dim lights bolted into the rock. Finally, the elevator slowed and then ground to a halt, a door opening at the bottom. The Padawans stepped out into a room similar to that from which they had entered, with a ramp leading to a raised platform and a door marked "LEVEL 1 CELLBLOCK." The Padawans glanced at each other for a moment, and then ascended the ramp to the door. Obi-Wan ran the Warden's card through the reader, and the door slid open. Ahead of the Padawans, a metal walkway stretched out through a tunnel of asteroid crust, with lights bolted to the walls at intervals on either end. They started down the walkway, batons at the ready. Obi-Wan turned to look at the edge of the walkway, and realized that the edge was a sheer drop into darkness. Better not fall off. The walkway rose ahead, and then ended in a blast door. Suddenly, Obi-Wan and Siri's Force bond lit up. Obi-Wan…
I sense it too.
The Padawans dashed for the door as they heard blaster fire above them. Obi-Wan looked back and saw a turret bolted into the ceiling, firing at them. Blaster bolts tore into the floor as the blast doors opened before the Padawans. Obi-Wan and Siri cleared the doors, running for the sides of the room to get out of the line of fire. The turret fired a few more errant shots as the doors closed.
What happened? We're on their side!
The automated systems must not know, Siri. This isn't the kind of place Jedi usually come to.
Those damn…Obi-Wan? Where are we?
Obi-Wan quickly focused on the here and now, his Master's words coming into his head. Never lose sight of the here and now, young Padawan. He and Siri were in a large, two-tiered room. On the other end of the room was a set of blast doors identical to the ones they had just entered from. On the upper level, there were openings into what looked like a control room of some sort. At the other end, along the edges of the walls, were two security doors, one on each end. Ominously, on each level there were a series of small rooms along the walls, with transparisteel windows and a small cot, sink, and toilet in each. A small ventilation duct sat at the very back, and a small, brown door led into each of them.
Cells. This is the cellblock.
Obi-Wan, all the doors are open. Which means…
Exactly. We're in the badlands now.