Adrift - PART IV
Anakin did not wish to think; he wanted to act.
Not caring one jot about the looks he was getting, Anakin strode inside one of the maintenance hangars of the Jedi Temple without his cloak, overtunic and boots. As it was the middle of the night, the hangar was mostly empty, but some workers were still hard at work repairing the Order's ships. At the rear of the huge space stood the old and battered freighter, whose secrets had frustratingly continued to elude Anakin – but no more. He would finally crack the code and uncover the places the ship had been to, and then he would be that much closer to a real answer to all of his problems.
Anakin entered the freighter's cockpit and crawled under the control panel, thoughts carefully blank. There was nothing or no one that he needed to think about – his world was the wires and the connections and the code. The language of the machine came easily to him: it was logical, understandable and clear. There were no contradictions, confusion or nonsense.
Time ceased to exist; place disappeared. There was only the machine and Anakin and the connection between them. The answer was in front of him; Anakin could see the path now. Without any conscious thought, his fingers made the right movements, chose the correct sequences. As the flight computer peeped and data started to flash on its screen, Anakin was absent-mindedly satisfied of his success. He was already scanning the information, looking the last place the ship had been to, before they had found it drifting in space, in the middle of nowhere.
There – Ord Radama.
-o-
Obi-Wan's eyes blinked open, taking in the dim cabin with one glance, the customary small light above the door revealing the outlines of the tiny room. Obi-Wan was instantly awake, moving from deep sleep into reality with the familiar routine of a soldier. With instincts honed on hundreds of battlefields, with the awareness of the Force, he knew immediately that something was wrong.
Getting up from the narrow bunk, Obi-Wan instinctively checked that his lightsaber was still secured to his belt. Glad that he hadn't bothered to undress as he had gone to sleep, not even to take off his boots, Obi-Wan was ready to investigate the alarm that rang in the Force, enveloping the silent ship with tremors of disquiet.
He had just opened the cabin door, when the floor under him shuddered and the walls groaned loudly; Obi-Wan managed to keep his balance by gripping the doorframe with both hands. The lights flickered madly and then went out, plunging the whole ship into darkness. In the quiet dark, Obi-Wan breathed deep, sharpened his mind and gathered the Force around him.
UU-I-UU-I-UU-I-UU-I – the ship's general alarm burst into an ear-splitting wail, and the emergency lights came on, casting a reddish tint over every surface, painting the space with a nightmarish hue. Obi-Wan hauled himself out of the cabin and into the still slightly shaking corridor, thoughts grim. The ship had taken a hit from an ion canon – they were being attacked.
Obi-Wan started to head towards the bridge running; he needed to assess the situation, to know what they were up against so he could formulate a plan. He was anxiously aware that he wasn't on a Star Destroyer but on a medical ship. The Refuge was lightly armed, having only one turbolaser battery and two point-defence laser canon batteries. He hoped that the more heavily armed escort ship would manage to put up a good fight and repel the attackers. The medical ship would not be able to assist in the fight – all its efforts would go into defending itself from more hits.
He passed by hurrying crewmen, who were dashing to their designated positions, looking grave but moderately calm. Obi-Wan knew better than to try stopping any of them to get answers – that would only hinder them in their duty and more than likely, they would not know anything more than he did. He had to get to the bridge. The ship shook again, this time with a long vibrating motion that seemed to bounce from wall to wall; the ship's shields had absorbed most of the explosion.
Relieved that at least the Refuge's shields were still functioning, Obi-Wan came to an abrupt stop in front of a porthole. He glanced quickly outside, hoping to see some sign of their attackers. The black space seemed eerily still and empty, its tranquillity a stark contrast to the hectic scene inside the ship, to the running personnel, the still blaring alarm and the red emergency lighting. Then a swarm of black shadows streaked past the porthole and Obi-Wan had the answer he had expected and dreaded. Vulture droids. They were under attack by the Separatists.
The Refuge shook and shuddered, and Obi-Wan almost lost his footing. He made towards the bridge with a steely determination, adjusting his balance as the ship continued to shake and vibrate. The shields had just absorbed several hits in quick succession, making the people inside the ship reel around like drunks. The general alarm suddenly ceased, leaving Obi-Wan's ears ringing. No doubt it had been switched off as its wail had changed from a necessary warning to a hindrance. Grateful that he could hear his own thoughts again, Obi-Wan started to discern the familiar heavy thuds from the general clamour of a ship under attack – the Refuge's canon batteries were hard at work.
Ducking inside a lift, Obi-Wan knew he was taking a risk. Getting stuck in a lift during an attack was a likely possibility, but he didn't have time to clamber up the emergency ladder that led to the bridge ten decks above his current position. Just as the doors of the lift were sliding close, a clone officer – a 2nd lieutenant by the markings on his uniform – lunged inside.
They looked at each other, acknowledging that they were both breaking the rule of a safe use of lifts during an emergency, and in a fraction of a second, Obi-Wan saw a flash of a rueful grin on the lieutenant's face, until it smoothed into a sombre expression. As the lift started to rise, the clone inclined his head respectfully.
"General."
"Lieutenant," Obi-Wan said. "What's the sitrep?"
"We're under attack by at least one Separatist frigate; it has launched Vulture droids." The soldier grimaced and continued, "Don't know anything more, sir. I'm just headed for my station."
Abruptly, the lift trembled violently, and Obi-Wan and the lieutenant slammed hard against the walls. But luck was on their side as the lift continued its ascent, although it screeched most alarmingly. Then it shuddered to a stop and the doors slid open to the command deck. Obi-Wan stepped quickly forward, eyes already taking in the scene; the crew on the bridge were urgently doing their jobs, but no one showed any signs of panic. Captain Esker was standing next to a command station, giving curt orders.
"Target the frigate on the left – the Vigil can't reach it with its turbolasers," Captain Esker ordered the gunners, and then turned towards the pilot's station. "Manoeuvre us out of the cross-fire, now." She looked bleak and Obi-Wan understood instantly why, when he looked outside the large viewport.
The Refuge was facing two Munificent-class star frigates and four Recusant-class destroyers, with at least a hundred Vulture droids swarming around them. Against a single MedStar frigate and its Pelta-class escort, the size of the Separatist fleet was a complete overkill.
Obi-Wan went to stand beside the Captain. He had no intention of taking command – that would have been not only improper but also unnecessary. Captain Esker knew her ship and her crew better than anyone; Obi-Wan's task was to help her in any way he could, so that as many people as possible could survive the sudden, overpowering Separatist attack.
"General Kenobi," the Captain said, voice gritty. She didn't take her eyes off the viewport. "They were waiting for us, when we dropped out of hyperspace."
One of the enemy frigates shot a volley of fire from its portside turbolaser battery straight at the Refuge's bridge; despite the shields, the Medical ship shuddered deeply and the computer screens flickered. "Concentrate power on the forward shields," Captain Esker commanded firmly.
"Hyperdrive?" Obi-Wan asked, not liking their odds against the Separatist fleet one bit. Their escort frigate was furiously trying to move itself into a better position, all the while firing at the destroyers that were battering it with continuous firepower. Obi-Wan gave the Vigil's brave crew a brief, thankful thought. The escort was up against an overwhelming adversary and was still managing to fight back.
Captain Esker shook her head, clearly frustrated. "Damaged. Even if we managed to manoeuvre ourselves out of this snare, we cannot jump safely into hyperspace."
There went that hope. Obi-Wan pursed his lips, thinking – and immediately dismissing – various different strategies. They would have to act soon; they were rapidly running out of options.
In the deadly, black vacuum of space, one of the destroyers started to slowly list; Obi-Wan watched with some satisfaction as explosions rocked the enemy ship, making the other Separatist ships scramble to clear enough space between them and the perishing destroyer.
"Kriffing yeah," someone exclaimed darkly, but otherwise the bridge stayed silent. For only a few seconds, a small smile graced the Captain's face, until her lips pulled into a thin line again. She, with everyone else on the bridge, knew that one successful hit would not be nearly enough to win the fight.
"Where do you want me?" Obi-Wan asked quietly.
For the first time, Captain Esker turned fully towards Obi-Wan, her gaze intense. "General, I need you to help evacuate the patients into escape pods, and when the time comes, I need you to immediately evacuate yourself."
Obi-Wan was already shaking his head. He would not abandon the ship and its crew, not if there was even a slightest chance that he could help save some of them.
"General," the Captain hissed, eyes dark with anger and fear. "I will not be the one that gets Obi-Wan Kenobi killed. The Republic's hero will not die on my ship."
A horrified gasp made them focus their attention back to the ongoing battle; the Vigil had taken a critical hit and was now breaking apart, its stern engulfed in a huge blaze. Everyone on the command deck looked silently as the dying ship made one last desperate sharp movement, ramming itself into the side of one of the enemy destroyers. Both ships exploded with enough force to shake the Refuge's bridge.
"That's it then," Captain Esker said tonelessly. She turned back towards Obi-Wan. "Please, General."
Obi-Wan gave her a sharp nod; he knew that arguing back would be futile, not to mention disrespectful. At his acquiescence, something hard left the Captain's expression and her eyes softened with relief. "Thank you," she said, heartfelt. "Good luck."
"May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan answered, knowing they would never meet again.
"Yes – with you also." Captain Esker smiled sadly and then turned back to direct the hopeless defence.
Obi-Wan wasted no time getting on the deck holding the main medical ward. The Refuge was shaking more violently with each hit, and more than once Obi-Wan was thrown against a wall or a floor. The medical frigate's shields were obviously failing, and he had a deep suspicion that the Separatists weren't interested in boarding the ship. For some reason, they seemed to seek the total destruction of the Refuge.
The medical ward was under a controlled chaos; droids and personnel were busy helping the patients, some of whom needed to be carried, towards the life pods, while the continuous enemy fire shaking the ship made them stumble and falter. The floors were strewn with medical instruments and supplies that had been thrown from shelves and tables, their antigrav fastenings having failed.
Most of the once occupied beds were already empty, and Obi-Wan spared a brief thought to be thankful that the medical ward hadn't been anywhere near full. If it had been, the catastrophe would have been complete, but now they had a chance to get every patient into the escape pods.
Directing the evacuation was Knight S´ghan, who was lifting a seriously injured clone trooper gently with the Force. Seeing Obi-Wan, the Jedi Knight nodded, and as their eyes met, an understanding passed between them in an instant: they were probably going to die or at least be taken captive, but as Jedi, they would do their utmost to better the odds, so others could have even the tiniest chance to live.
Obi-Wan took hold of a soldier, whose right arm had been amputated; no replacement limb had yet been attached and the sleeve of his long-sleeved hospital garb hung empty. An image of Anakin, after Dooku had severed his arm, flashed through Obi-Wan's mind, fast and painful. He pushed it aside, focusing on the clone, whose head was also swathed in bandages.
"Trooper, let's get you off this tin can," Obi-Wan said lightly, steering the clone towards the exit. The ship's designers had thoughtfully placed an escape pod station next to the medical ward, no doubt in case of just the type of situation they now found themselves in.
"I can wait sir," the trooper demurred, having trouble on staying his shaking feet.
"It's an order." Obi-Wan adjusted his hold and supported the clone's weight more fully against him, resolutely guiding them into the corridor.
Suddenly, the ship shook so violently that Obi-Wan's teeth rattled and he struggled to keep hold of the patient. The medical frigate made a horrifying noise of screeching metal and tearing steel; someone shouted in pain. Obi-Wan knew instantly that the ship's shields had finally failed.
"Oh no, that's not good," the clone trooper muttered. "Just my luck to die on a medical ship without even my boots on." The evacuation alarm started its loud, penetrating cry, a sign for everyone to abandon ship.
"Nobody is dying just yet." Obi-Wan grimaced, fighting to propel them forwards despite the corridor starting to tilt alarmingly sideways. "I have been in situations far worse than this –"
"Well, you're a Jedi," the clone said, grinning sharply. "Sir, you should just leave me here and go –"
"That is not going to happen, trooper, so I suggest you help me haul ass –" A monstrous wave of heat and force hit Obi-Wan, picking him up into a vortex of immense pressure, throwing him around – over – under – against – making him hurt. Sound and sight disappeared, leaving him in total darkness. Then he knew no more.
-o-
Light years away, Anakin Skywalker came to a sudden halt in the middle of a corridor. Those few residents of the Jedi Temple that happened to see it, stopped to watch him either in curiosity or concern. The Chosen One stood petrified, rooted to the spot, his face white as a sheet and eyes oddly unseeing.
The whole galaxy seemed to hold its breath – and then Anakin Skywalker blinked and shuddered violently, as if he had just woken from a horrifying nightmare, gasping, "Obi-Wan!"