The tunnels were short distance away. The Jedi hurried along with the younglings in custody, determined to carry them to safety.
"Just around this corner!" yelled Obi-Wan. Ahsoka was hot on his heels, followed by Anakin then Aayla.
But as Obi-Wan rounded the corner, he was hit with the same sensation he had felt before. And what he saw before him confirmed a great danger. The supposedly small ancient opening to the tunnels was in reality huge and recently constructed. A set of colossal, shiny steel doors loomed before the group of surprised Jedi.
Suddenly, blaster fire erupted from the direction which they came. The Jedi were able to parry the bolts but were now trapped between an advancing platoon of battle droids and the massive doors. Unexpectedly, the doors slowly began to open with a loud clank and a hydraulic hiss. Obi-Wan and Anakin's foreboding came to fruition.
Inside the doors were droids upon droids upon droids. Droids in every stage of design and construction. Everything from molten metal being poured to completed battle droids hanging ready to be shipped. Koriba's mysterious Separatist presence finally reared its ugly head in the form of the largest droid factory any of the Jedi had ever seen. The old mine shafts had been excavated and the shell of the mountain was now housing mechanical production lines that would produce hundreds of thousands of battle droids and super battle droids for the Separatist cause.
Obi-Wan's stomach twisted and he held the princess under his arm more tightly. How could the Jedi not have sensed this? With all their aptitude for espionage, how did the Bothans overlook this? It matters not, whispered the Force. You must get them out of here.
"Keep moving!" Exclaimed Obi-Wan to the group. He ran deeper into the factory, navigating them around vats of liquid steel and blocking blaster bolts with his lightsaber.
The others followed until finally they reached a retaining wall in rear or the facility. Each of the Jedi looked around desperately and brainstormed for ideas.
All this machinery and chemical and fumes, with hope of humanoid factory slaves to work nearby, thought Anakin, there must be a …
"Up in the corner!" he shouted "An exhaust vent!"
The other three Jedi cast their glances upward to the vent that provided their only chance of escape. It looked as though they could use the abundant conveyor belts and scaffolding to climb and bound their way up to it.
And so they went, under fire, leaping and swinging and blocking blaster bolts all the way.
When they were about half way up, Obi-Wan reached out with his senses to take stock of his companions and their charges. They were doing well. It was just…
Anakin, your arm! Obi-Wan felt a surge of guilt as he remembered that Anakin had no use of his right arm but had to swing and jump and climb with the child all the same. He sensed that Anakin felt unbalanced, and sent him powerful energy surges through the force to help center his friend.
Anakin accepted the help eagerly. He felt disoriented, but he pressed on determinedly.
It was then that the booming voice of a deadly foe was broadcasted throughout the factory for all to hear.
"Welcome! Welcome to my new factory!" sputtered the voice of General Grievous from a control location unbeknownst to the Jedi. "You didn't think escape was going to be that simple did you?"
"Actually we did" shouted Obi-Wan dryly in reply. "Show yourself, Grievous. I'm sure we can work something out."
Grievous laughed darkly. "Ah, The Negotiator! I think not. The time for trades and cessions has passed. I have one proposition only. Run and run quickly you Jedi fools, so that I can test my new weapons!"
Abruptly, the broadcast ended and a violent explosion boomed against the face of the wall they were climbing, taking out chunks of scaffolding that they had just utilized.
"Come on!" shouted Obi-Wan to the Jedi, as he continued to lead them upwards. The enemy's fire intensified.
Explosions and broken scaffolding rained down upon the ascending Jedi and yet they climbed higher. As they went, an entire arsenal of prototypal and upgraded Separatist weapons was launched at them. This barrage included clusters of bomblets, canisters of burning acid, long metal spears laced with amperes of electric current, and new higher calibers of conventional blaster fire in an array of colors.
One canister of highly caustic acid whizzed toward Aayla but she somersaulted sideways to avoid a direct hit. The acid splattered on her neck and back as she shielded the prince she was carrying. She cried out in pain, but didn't falter.
Three spears hissed past Ahsoka so close that she had felt the warmth of the voltage that flowed within them.
Anakin was frustrated, unstable and exhausted. He left arm was quickly growing tired and sweat was rolling off of him in sheets. But as ever, the little princess clung on with her steely grip and even whispered him words of encouragement as he went. Was she truly whispering to him? Or was he imagining it? His train of thought was interrupted when a bomb came flying at him. He turned his body squarely toward the bomb in order to shield his charge and sliced into it with his lightsaber as it approached. The tiny lethal bomblets and shrapnel that erupted from it struck him deeply in many places. But it was not enough to stop him.
Finally the exhaust vent came into view along with the ambient light of the rising suns beyond the wall of the mountain. But as the four Jedi were nearing the last ledge, it was shelled and fell heavily to the factory floor below. The gap between the ledge on which the Jedi stood and the vent that led to their freedom was now substantial. Even if they were well-rested and not carrying hostages, the hurdle would be a challenge.
As he contemplated the leap, a conclusive revelation came to Obi-Wan through the Force. It sang to him of his duty to protect the others. This is it, he thought. This is where I must not falter. He made up his mind and rallied the others.
"Ahsoka!" called Obi-Wan "Give the Prince to me, make the jump, run ahead and ready the shuttle!"
Ahsoka hesitated and looked to Anakin.
"Do as your told, Padawan!" shouted Anakin through the heavy fire. "Fire up the shuttle and bring her down easy!"
Reluctantly Ahsoka surrendered her Prince to the embrace of Master Kenobi. Then she gathered the Force around her, she ran, she jumped…
Anakin held his breath as his young Padawan soared through the air. He raised his arm and gave her a generous push within the Force. Aayla and Obi-Wan did the same and Ahsoka soared in a long arc, landing lightly on the highest platform, looking back toward her Master with delight and then disappearing beyond the vent.
"Aayla! You're next!" shouted Obi-Wan. "Anakin and I will assist you and then we need you to pull!"
Not immediately understanding what Obi-Wan had meant, Aayla's Force presence swelled and she ran with her youngling and leaped…
Obi-Wan and Anakin Force-pushed her and she made it to the landing as well. She hurried the Prince to the vent and pushed him out before she quickly returned to the ledge. Looking down toward her companions beneath her, she squared her stance and found her center.
Anakin and Obi-Wan's strength was almost depleted. They had already overexerted themselves and were becoming more drained by the second. Anakin, who was gritting his teeth against the pain in his arm and deep wounds, was barely able to stand. Obi-Wan had faith in him nonetheless.
"Anakin! Go!" shouted Obi-Wan knowing that Anakin needed to get out of here now. He was on the verge of collapse and would need the Force power of Obi-Wan below him and Aayla above him to make the jump.
"Who put you in charge Obi-Wan!" shouted Anakin in rebuttal. "I can push you if you jump before me!"
"Respect your elders, my Padawan! Go!" Obi-Wan shouted in return.
Anakin had a bad feeling about this. He cast a disdainful look at his best friend before he gathered his remaining and sparse control of the Force. Then he too ran and leaped…
Above him, Aayla was yanking on him with every bit of strength in the Force that she could muster. Below, Obi-Wan was pushing on him, so fiercely determined and deep in concentration that he didn't notice the blaster bolt that struck the inside of his left thigh.
At long last, Anakin and his youngling landed safely on the platform, collapsing roughly into Aayla's outstretched arms. She steadied him in a rough hug. The princess adroitly slid off of his back then leaped through the vent and out of sight to find Ahsoka and her brother.
As Obi-Wan emerged from his deep concentration he gasped and staggered under the pain of the blaster hole in his left thigh. He tried to quell it but couldn't spare the energy. I just have to be in range, thought Obi-Wan,
"Obi-Wan! Come on!" shouted Aayla and Anakin from above.
Obi-Wan knew that Anakin would be upset with the events about to unfold. Upset, but alive and on his way to safety. Obi-Wan took comfort in this knowledge as he ran, his thigh screaming in pain, and leapt off the edge. He soared higher and higher until the apex of his trajectory came and went. He could feel the desperate efforts of Anakin and Aayla Force-pulling him toward them, but they were already drained from all the other feats of the day. Obi-Wan was falling short.