Chapter 15
The Lowest Circle
Solitary confinement was a two-tiered chamber, with cells similar to those in the regular cellblocks except for a lack of windows. The block continued on to the right, while a stairwell in the corner led up onto the second floor. The walkway on the first floor was a small, recessed stretch of tan flooring with raised walkways along the cell entrances, while similar walkways provided access to the second-floor cells. As in the regular cellblocks, the cell doors were all open. Obi-Wan and Siri walked down the narrow stretch of flooring, eyes and batons raised for any threats.
This is solitary confinement…I don't even want to think about the kinds of beings that came out of these cells. If we run into them, they won't go down without a fight.
"Obi-Wan?"
"What?"
"I can sense something around that corner. There's something very dangerous in here with us."
"More droids?"
"I don't know, it just feels…malevolent. I can feel anger and hatred emanating from it."
So it's not a droid, then. But what is it?
The Padawans rounded the corner, and a voice from the upper level confirmed their suspicions.
"What the…it's you! The Jedi!"
The voice came from a large Aqualish, standing on a catwalk between the two sides of the upper level. He held a heavy blaster pistol in his right hand, and on either side of him stood at least a dozen inmates of various species, armed with everything from homemade knives to electrobatons to blasters of various kinds.
"Who are you?"
"Captain Nio Gwerto, and this," he said, gesturing to the inmates around him, "is my loyal crew. I saw you two on the security monitors, thought I'd get my boys and greet you. After what your kind did to me, it only seemed fitting."
"Our kind?"
"You Jedi. It was Jedi like you that sent me to this place. And now, you share it with me. You can't imagine how many nights I've sat awake, envisioning this day. The day when I would break out of this trap, and take my revenge on you infernal warlocks. And, right as I'm on my way out, who should show up but two Jedi, dressed like lambs for the slaughter. Welcome to the lowest circle of Hell, Jedi. Enjoy it while you can. This miserable place will be the last thing you see."
Gwerto and his crew trained their blasters on the Padawans. Obi-Wan and Siri dashed under the catwalk as blaster fire landed right on their heels. The Padawans cleared the catwalk and turned to the right, towards a set of blast doors leading out of D Block. They sprinted for the doors as Gwerto's booming voice echoed through the block. "Come on, boys! Let's kill these Jedi!" A primal, terrifying roar of approval and the crush of feet running for the stairs followed.
Obi-Wan, they're coming after us!
Just run! Keep running! Don't stop, and don't look back!
The Padawans ran through the opening blast doors into a small room, with a single, small security door on its left. They opened the door and ran out onto a walkway, strung out over a chasm, with another security door on the opposite side, marked "MINE ENTRANCE."
That's our way out! We've finally found it!
Small lights set into the sides of the walkway provided light for any crossing it, and small, enclosed awnings stood at intervals along its length. To their right, more walkways identical to theirs stretched across the chasm. Then, the two Padawans noticed several inmates standing on the nearest walkway, blaster rifles in their hands.
They haven't noticed us yet. Let's cross this walkway before…
"You hear something? I thought I heard footsteps on the left-hand catwalk."
"I didn't hear nothin'."
"Wait…"
The inmate turned his head to the Padawans, pointing and shouting to his fellows.
"Hey, over there! We've got company!"
The other inmates turned to the Padawans.
"Blast 'em!"
The Padawans were already sprinting for the nearest awning as the inmates raised their rifles. Blaster fire hit the catwalk floor behind them as they ducked behind the awning's protective sides.
Great. We've got inmates shooting at us, and an angry mob behind us. We need to get off this catwalk, now! And with the way things are going, these riot batons won't cut it.
"Siri?"
"Yes?"
"Let's get rid of these riot batons. Lightsabers only from here on out."
"But…we should avoid unnecessary inmate fatalities. It's the Jedi way…"
"You heard that pirate back there, Siri. We're facing him now, and he won't stop until our heads are hanging from his belt. I think the time to treat this lightly is past."
She paused for a moment, and then turned to Obi-Wan, unhooking the riot baton's power pack from her belt.
"Alright, then."
"We'll still avoid confrontations with inmates, though. Fatalities or not, there are too many for us to defeat. And our job is to find that junction box, not to put down the riot by ourselves."
"Fair enough. Let's at least throw the batons off the walkway, so the inmates won't have them."
"Agreed."
Obi-Wan unhooked his baton's power pack from his belt, taking the weapon in his hands.
"All right, Siri. On the count of three, we throw these batons into the chasm, ignite our lightsabers, and sprint to the door at the end of the walkway. There aren't that many inmates on the opposite catwalk, so we should be able to deflect any further blaster fire. Sound like a plan?"
"Do we have a better option?"
That's her way of saying "yes."
"Three…"
The Padawans cleared their minds and focused, preparing for the deadly dash ahead.
"Two…"
They grasped their lightsabers, continuing to hold the batons in their left hands.
"One."
Obi-Wan and Siri cast the batons and their power packs into the abyss below, the weapons disappearing into the darkness. They ignited their lightsabers and, without a word to each other, began sprinting towards the door at the opposite end of the catwalk. Obi-Wan heard blaster fire from the opposite catwalk, raising his lightsaber against the stream of bolts coming his way. Without looking back, he deflected the fire, the Force guiding his hands. He kept his grip on his lightsaber as it jerked under the impact of the bolts. Looking back, he saw Siri right behind him, deflecting more fire aimed at her. The Padawans stopped at the security door, Obi-Wan producing the Warden's card to open it. They continued to deflect the inmates' fire back at them, Obi-Wan reflecting a bolt back into an inmate's stomach. He fell to the catwalk with a howl of pain as another inmate dragged him behind one of the awnings. As Obi-Wan ran the Warden's card through the reader, he saw Siri reflect a bolt back at another inmate. The bolt struck the inmate in the hip, and he stumbled off of the catwalk, clutching the wound. He fell screaming into the chasm as the remaining inmates ran behind the awning to avoid any further losses. The door finally opened, and the Padawans dashed through it, a blaster bolt hitting the doorframe as a final parting gesture. More blaster bolts hit the door as it slid closed. The Padawans deactivated their lightsabers and caught their breath. They now stood inside a dark, rocky tunnel, the only light coming from small overhead lights bolted to the jagged ceiling.
"Okay…where to now, Kenobi?"
"We…we'll keep going. This is the entrance to the labor mines. Remember what Barabbas told us, Siri: this is the last stop before the maintenance areas."
"Last stop…right. Finally."
She's right. We've made it this far, despite the odds. Let's find that junction box and finish this.
Obi-Wan and Siri continued down the rocky tunnel, the dim overhead lights barely illuminating their path. The cave twisted and turned, abandoned mining equipment sometimes visible against the walls.
So these are indeed the labor mines. Now, we just need to find a way into the maintenance areas. With the way these tunnels are, though, we could wander around for days before finding that entrance. If we ever found it at all. Unless…
"Something on your mind, Obi-Wan?"
Ugh…she's nothing if not perceptive.
"Just wondering where that entrance is. These tunnels are a maze, and we have no maps or other aids to point us in the right direction. And with those pirates behind us, we need to find that entrance quickly."
"Why not call Sergeant Crabby? He might know something."
I was about to do that, Siri.
Obi-Wan grabbed his commlink and pushed the talk button.
"Sergeant Barabbas. Sergeant Barabbas, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi. Can you hear me? Over."
"Kenobi, this is Barabbas. You're a bit garbled, but I can hear you. Good to hear your voice again. We hadn't heard from you since you encountered those RC-ADs. Are you all right? Where's Siri? Over."
"We're both fine, Sergeant. We're in the labor mines right now, looking for the entrance into the maintenance level. Over."
"So, that explains the interference. Glad to hear you evaded those droids. I'm with your Masters right now, and a whole bunch of my officers. We're inside the prison now, making our way towards you. Over."
"Weren't you planning on clearing the cellhouse? Over."
"No, Obi-Wan. It's too well fortified. Our plan is to have you and Siri reroute power to the security systems, and then trap the inmates in the cellhouse. They're not prepared for a siege, so after a while most of them will call it quits and return to their cells. Once that happens, we can move in and mop up any diehards. We're only in here to extract you two after you're done rerouting the power. Over."
"Understood, Sergeant. Can you guide us to the maintenance levels from where we are? Over."
"Obi-Wan, I don't know where you are. We don't have cameras in the mines. Over."
"I understand. Is there any way you can locate us? Over."
"Well, we have probe droids. Over."
"Probe droids? Over."
"Instead of cameras or guards, we have probe droids to keep an eye on inmates in the labor mines. They're equipped with cameras and electric arc casters in case inmates on work details try to escape. I can get a hold of Droid Control and get them to send one of the probe droids down to you. Once that droid arrives, I can tell Droid Control to send it down to Maintenance. All you'll need to do then is follow that droid until you reach Maintenance. Keep in mind that the probe droids have an IFF system identical to the RC-ADs. I'll have Droid Control disable the arc casters so the droid doesn't zap you the minute it sees you. Over."
"That would be greatly appreciated, Sergeant. Over."
"Then it's settled. I'll contact Droid Control right now. Over."
"How will they find us, Sergeant? Over."
"We have a lot of droids in those tunnels, Obi-Wan. I'll tell Droid Control to monitor the camera feeds and give me a shout once they see you and Siri on them. Just keep moving and the droids will find you. Over."
"Understood, Sergeant. We'll contact you once we encounter one of your droids. Over."
"Got it, Obi-Wan. I'll await your call. Out."
Obi-Wan holstered his commlink and turned to Siri.
"Well, you heard him, Siri. We'll just keep walking until we see a probe droid."
"And if we run into more inmates?"
"We'll figure that out when we get there."
The Padawans continued through the labor mines, their eyes straining against the harsh dark grey of the asteroid's crust.
These tunnels keep on going, and we have no idea where that droid is. Gwerto's somewhere in here too, looking for us. Who will we encounter first?
"Obi-Wan, stop. I can hear something."
The Padawans stopped, listening for any movement. Sure enough, a subtle humming noise emanated from the tunnel ahead, behind a curve in the path. They held their ground, tension building in them as they gripped their lightsabers and the humming grew louder.
Who is it, the droid or the pirate?
The source of the noise soon came around the corner. It was a small, dark green, clamshell-shaped droid, hovering in the air. It had a single large photoreceptor at its front and a long antenna protruding from its top, with the eight-pointed Republic crest painted on its dorsal section. Underneath the photoreceptor, a set of long prongs jutted out like fangs from the droid's belly. That's the arc caster. The droid turned to face the Padawans, chirping mechanically as it looked over them. Obi-Wan drew his commlink.
"Sergeant Barabbas, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi. We've found your droid. Over."
"Kenobi, this is Barabbas. Droid Control just told me as much. Over."
"Understood, Barabbas. Tell them to send your droid down to Maintenance. Over."
"Will do, Obi-Wan. Just follow him down the tunnels, and he'll take both of you to Maintenance and then to the junction box. Once you're inside the power control room, call me. Over."
"Understood, Sergeant. Out."
Obi-Wan holstered his commlink, eyeing the droid as it continued to stare at the Padawans.
"I guess that's our cue, Obie."
Several seconds later, the droid turned and headed down the tunnel, with Obi-Wan and Siri right behind it.
Captain Gwerto and his crew continued down the endless mining tunnels, casting their flashlights onto every dark corner of the rock as they moved. Vrossk stood near his Captain at the head of the mob, a blaster rifle in his hands.
"Where'd they go, Skipper?"
"We'll find out, Vrossk. We just keep going, and we'll run into them sooner or later."
"Then what?"
"Then, we take our revenge. Kill them, slowly and painfully. Once we're done with them, we head straight for the landing pad. With the job our boys did on the generator, the security systems won't have enough power to keep us out. Once we get there, we take a ship and get off this rock."
"Sounds like a plan, Skipper."
That's right, run, Jedi. Run! We'll find you. Hiding in the tunnels won't save you. Nor will hiding in Maintenance. By the time we're done with you, you'll beg for death.
The droid led Obi-Wan and Siri down yet another bend in the tunnel, after minutes upon minutes of endless twists and turns in the caves. However, on the other side of this bend there was finally hope. Behind the bend, at the end of another stretch of charcoal-grey rock, was a small, eerily unassuming security door under a dim light. This is the place. Maintenance is right behind that door.
The Padawans followed the droid to the door, and before Obi-Wan could place the Warden's card in the reader, the door swung open. The droid must have opened it with some kind of signal. Obi-Wan and Siri stepped into a bright, white corridor, light flooding into their eyes after the long trip down the dark mining tunnels. They grunted and squinted against the sudden assault on their eyes, barely noticing the droid continuing through the corridor and around a corner. As their eyes adjusted to the light, the Padawans got their first glimpses of the place they had spent so long trying to get to. The Maintenance level was a maze of bright lights and stark white corridors pockmarked by various doors with name plaques next to them, most of these bearing some sort of mechanical function followed by "Room." They followed the droid around several more corners until it stopped by a door, a plaque visible above the door's card reader. Obi-Wan, his eyes somewhat adjusted to the light, read the plaque aloud.
"It says…Emergency Power Control Room. This is it!"
He placed the keycard into the reader, and with a beep of acknowledgment, the door slid open. The Emergency Power Control Room, in contrast to the hallway leading into it, was dimly lit with drab concrete walls, only accented by control consoles and various wires along its floor and walls. A large grey box was bolted into the wall, wires running into it. That's it. That's the box we've come so far for.
Obi-Wan eagerly grabbed his commlink.
"Sergeant Barabbas, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi. We are in the Emergency Power Control Room and ready to reroute the power. I can see the junction box you mentioned right in front of me. Tell us what to do here. Over."
"Kenobi, this is Barabbas. Good job, both of you. One of you, get on that box. The other, take this commlink."
Obi-Wan handed the commlink to Siri.
"Siri, take this. I'll get on that box."
Siri grabbed the commlink as Obi-Wan went over to the box.
"Sergeant, this is Siri Tachi. Go ahead. Over."
"Siri, there's a control console just to the right of the junction box, with a readout marked 'Power Levels.' Find that and get back to me. Tell Obi-Wan not to touch anything until I say so. Over."
"Understood, Sergeant. Over."
Siri walked over to the closest console to the junction box. Sure enough, its screen read 'Power Levels' over a series of readouts with the names of various subsystems on them, yellow-colored bars next to them. Ominously, a bar at the very bottom was marked "Capacity," currently yellow.
"Sergeant, I'm at the console. What am I looking at? Over."
"You're looking at power allocation levels. Each of the subsystems you see on the screen uses electricity to function. Obviously, some systems use more of it than others at any given point. Normally, we can run everything at very high levels, with the powerful main generator we use. However, that one's offline, and the emergency generator has far less capacity. Because of that, we have that room you're now in to allocate power in situations like this. We can keep everything running at adequate levels, but the security systems won't run as well as they should to contain a riot of this scale. To get the security systems to that level, we'll need to divert power from other systems to the security system. Obviously, there are certain functions, such as life support, that we can't divert power from. That's why we have that junction box, to allow our techs to divert power as needed. However, especially with the limited capacity of the emergency generator, we need to keep an eye on allocation so we don't overload the generator. With the main generator gone, it's our only source of electricity now."
"What happens if you overload the generator?"
"The entire electrical system shuts down. Lights, life support, security, the droid control computer…it all goes kaput. And then this place turns into a dead rock, floating in space."
Siri shuddered at the grim warning. So that's why that "Capacity" bar is there.
"So, the 'Capacity' readout…"
"Exactly. It should be yellow now. If it goes into red, you're in trouble. If it stays there too long, you're dead."
"Okay. So what are we supposed to do, then?"
"Obi-Wan will divert power using that junction box. The switches are labeled, so he'll be able to tell which one affects which subsystem. You'll have to relay information to him as you see it on the console. Your goal is to get the 'Security' bar into green. Get it as high as you can get it without endangering any of the vital functions, such as life support or lighting, or overloading the system."
"Got it. Is there anything else I need to know?"
"No, there isn't. I'm confident you two can handle this on your own. Call me once you've gotten the security systems back to full power. Out."
Having heard the conversation, Obi-Wan was already taking in the power controls before him. As Barabbas had told him, a number of switches lined the inside of the box, all with various subsystem labels. The switches moved freely, allowing any level of power to be allocated to any system. In the upper corner, a warning label read: "WARNING: For emergency use only. Improper use of these controls can cause catastrophic electrical failure. These controls are not to be operated except by properly trained and authorized personnel. Monitor power allocation console when using."
I guess it's time to break the rules.
"Siri?"
"Yes?"
"I'm working the switches now. Keep an eye on that screen and let me know what the readouts show. If the capacity hits red, let me know immediately."
"Got it."
Obi-Wan grasped the switch labeled "Lighting" and began turning it down, the lights dimming as he did this.
"Hey! The Sergeant said not to touch the…"
"He said 'endanger', not 'touch', Siri."
"So?"
"The guards all have flashlights and other night-fighting equipment, Siri. The inmates don't. I won't shut the lights completely off; I'll just dim them a bit."
"Fair enough. If Sergeant Crabby asks us, it was your idea, not mine."
"I'll take that chance."
Obi-Wan slowly raised the switch labeled "Security Systems" until he heard Siri shout from her position at the console. The beep of a warning alarm emanated from the console.
"Obie! It's red! It's red! Stop!"
Obi-Wan quickly pulled the switch in the opposite direction, until he heard the emergency alarm stop.
"It's yellow, it's yellow. Stop there."
That's not much more power at all. Looks like I'll need to reduce power from more systems.
Obi-Wan looked through the switches until he found one labeled "Water Treatment/Plumbing" and turned it down slowly. He then pushed the "Security Systems" switch forward until he heard the alarm. He pulled it back until the alarm stopped, and then walked over to Siri at the console.
"How's Security?"
"Still in the yellow. No more than two more systems, though, and I think we can get it to full power."
Obi-Wan returned to the box, quickly finding the "Kitchen Equipment" switch. He turned it off completely, and then pushed the Security switch until he heard the alarm yet again. Again he pulled back the switch until the alarm ceased, and again he grabbed another switch, this one labeled "Air Conditioning." He lowered it ever so slightly, and then pushed the Security Systems switch forward. Even as he felt it hit the end of its track, there was no alarm.
"And that does it. Security Systems are at full power, and the generator is still in the yellow. Nice work."
"You as well. Hand me the commlink, Siri."
"With pleasure."
Obi-Wan grabbed his commlink and pressed the talk button, a grin of triumph on his face.
"Sergeant Barabbas, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi. The security systems are at full power. Over."
"Kenobi, this is Barabbas. Excellent job, both of you. I'll let the Warden know, and we can engage our secondary security measures. Any inmates that are still in the cellhouse will be trapped in there in a few minutes. You just saved many, many lives. Over."
"Sergeant, what should we do now? Are our Masters with you? Over."
"Affirmative, Kenobi. Your Masters are with me right now, along with a few dozen of my officers. We're coming down to your level through the labor mines. Get out of that room and into the mines, we'll come and find you. Over."
"Shouldn't we stay here, Sergeant? Over."
"Negative. Our probe droids show a whole mess of inmates headed your way, and Droid Control just told me there are two RC-ADs in your area. Over."
"Sergeant, those inmates: are they led by an Aqualish and a Trandoshan? Over."
"How did you know that, Kenobi? Over."
"Siri and I met them in D Block, right after we escaped those droids of yours. Over."
"All the more reason to get the hell out of there, then. From what our droids' cameras could show us, those inmates were armed to the teeth. And I don't need to remind either of you how dangerous the RC-ADs are. I'll say this one more time. Get out of that room, and get to the mines. Over."
"We'll leave, Sergeant. We'll talk again in person once you meet up with us. Out."
Obi-Wan holstered his commlink and turned to Siri.
"Well, you heard him. Our only hope is to get out of here and head for the mines."
"How are we supposed to know where Gwerto or the droids are? In the confines of those hallways, if we round a corner and see either of them…"
"We'll get out of here, Siri. We've made it this far, and we're not dying on this rock. We have each other, and the Force. Now let's go."