Chapter 41: Traitor?

"So, what’s next?"

Three dark figures hovered near the ceiling. We were still clad in those suits with protective "buckets" for heads. How do stormtroopers even walk in these things?

The heavy armor, while slightly restrictive, was sturdy enough to withstand several direct hits. The helmets, beyond their life-support functions for underwater operations and shielding against flash grenades, were equipped with internal comlinks. Thanks to them, we could coordinate without any fear of being overheard.

Practice had already proven the point. Several squads of droids had marched directly beneath us, and not a single one had looked up.

We needed a way to contact our "dear informant." The local jammers were suppressing everything except internal short-range comms. Kamma gave a phlegmatic shrug. "We don't have another choice anyway."

"Boys, I suggest we split up for a while," Tifa chimed in. "I don’t know about you, but I’ll find it easier to move if the ballast swims separately."

"You won't believe it, darling, but I feel the same way."

"Meet back here in an hour, then."

With a mutual nod, we dropped silently to the floor and vanished in different directions.

I don’t know about the others, but what bothered me most was the total absence of cameras along our route. It wasn't that they were disabled, they simply weren't there.

It was foolish. How could the most vital Separatist factory have no decent security, no surveillance, nothing? What did that mean? Either it was hidden so well that we’d be fending off invisible enemies any second... or it simply wasn't here, which made no sense.

Hearing approaching footsteps, I leapt soundlessly and braced myself against the ceiling. A small procession rounded the corner. A Geonosian led the way, muttering something in his clicking dialect, followed by several commando droids in that familiar, textured armor.

Now that was interesting. BX-series "toys" wouldn't be escorting just anyone. And that meant? Exactly, he had to have internal clearance.

The procession marched directly under me, moving quickly toward the interior of the level. I had no choice but to shadow them, sticking to the darkness.

Twice, squads of B1s passed us, but their loud metallic clanking gave me plenty of warning to hide.

We wandered for about ten minutes. At one point, I nearly lost them; while letting a guard patrol pass, I lingered too long, and the Geonosian managed to turn two corners. Fortunately, I knew how to move fast and silent.

The tail led me to a spacious room filled with monitors, sensors, schematics, and Hutt-knows-what else.

I took a risk, slipping through the closing doors just seconds after them. It paid off; I was now nearly invisible among the high ceiling supports. I wondered, do they design these rafters specifically to be convenient for infiltrators?

The "bug" stopped at a table and waited. As it turned out, he was waiting for his colleagues. Several Neimoidians, humans, and a representative of a species I didn't recognize gathered around.

"Well then, today’s emergency meeting is regarding..."

After five minutes, I stopped tracking the conversation. It was a deluge of technical data, dry bureaucratic jargon, and serial numbers for obscure spare parts. Stripping away the fluff, the takeaway was simple: plenty of droids, plenty of parts, everything is fine.

Then they moved on to shifting forces from one defensive perimeter to another. My attempts to make sense of the strategic shifts failed, but I did my best to memorize as much as possible.

"And the final item on the agenda. Hadiss, I understand that following your people's traditions, you wish to maintain additional escape routes. But do you not think your catacombs might lead an enemy army straight to us?"

An indecipherable mix of clicks and chattering from the bug served as the reply.

"Yes, I know only we have the map and only the initiated can navigate them. But I believe the Emperor is ready to expend tens of thousands of soldiers to destroy this factory. If they discover the passage..."

An obviously indignant tirade from the Geonosian cut the speaker off.

"No, no, of course. We aren't going to collapse the tunnels. I’m simply suggesting it might make sense to station sentries there, or at least some alarms?"

This continued for a few more minutes until the meeting finally adjourned.

Muttering what I assumed were unpleasantries about his colleagues, the bug exited the room with his escort.

Slipping out after him, I broke away in the opposite direction. For a second, I felt a violent urge to slaughter them all. With his passcode, I could learn almost everything, especially those secret catacombs beneath the factory. If there was a way out of this hellhole, why not take it?

But after a moment’s reflection, I backed off. It was a short-term gain. I wouldn't be able to hide from the Empire forever, not unless I fled into Hutt Space. But how would I find that bastard then? He was the only reason I was still here.

Earning the rank of a full Inquisitor sounded enticing. With that level of clearance, finding that piece of filth wouldn't be difficult. Then, I could stage some drama, a ship explosion, and disappear to live out my life in peace.

But to do that, I had to finish this mission. Time was running out. If I didn't show up at the rendezvous, the Force only knew what my partners would decide. Better to arrive empty-handed than not at all.

******

We gathered almost simultaneously. This time, Tifa spoke first.

"I had success. I think it’ll be easier to show you than to explain."

Pulling out her comlink, she pressed a button, and a familiar raspy voice crackled from the speaker:

"Find lift 3-46. It will take you directly to the station core. I can't transmit the route, so listen carefully. From your entry point, run straight to the large chamber, then take a left and go to the end. Simple. I’ve already intercepted control of all surveillance cameras in your sector, but you’re short on time. Move."

"Well? Shall we?"

Without waiting for us, she hopped down and bolted down the corridor.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

I couldn't see my friend’s face, but I felt the blatant concern in his voice. The worst part was that my own anxiety was spiking as we neared the objective.

"Maybe we should try to reach the center ourselves or find an alternative way to destroy it?"

"How? Our options are limited."

We must have been talking too loudly, because Tifa slowed down to match our pace.

"Boys, we don't have time for this. The factory is literally crawling with droids, and their numbers are growing by the minute. Let's stick to the plan."

"I hate to admit it, but she’s likely right. Move out."

During the entire sprint, we didn't encounter a single droid patrol. It was strange, beyond strange. A facility like this should have constant security, but it was as if they were intentionally ignoring us.

It was going too smoothly. I was certain we’d have to fight our way through. A cold hand gripped my chest, making my eyes frantically scan for threats. Something was definitely wrong.

Yet, no one barred our way all the way to the lift. Maybe our ally really was shielding us, but the Force whispered of danger, hidden for now, but intensifying with every heartbeat.

Finally, the turbolift shafts appeared before us. Kamma, reaching the panel first, swore under his breath.

"It needs a passkey. I’ll have to slice it. Watch the perimeter; I need time."

"What about the Force?"

"It still takes time. The mechanism is too complex, bloody paranoiacs. We lack the experience for this, and we can’t leave a trace. Just keep watch."

Hiding in the shadows, we guarded our comrade’s work. From his direction came quiet beeps, crackles, and curses hissed through gritted teeth.

The process dragged on. It felt like we’d been standing there for an eternity. Knowing my friend's skills, this was taking far too long.

My strained hearing caught a distant but steadily growing, rhythmic clanking. I was certain I’d never mistake that sound for anything else as long as I lived.

"Kamma, time’s up. We have company."

"Then fix the problem. I need a few more minutes. Distracting me isn't helping."

"Tifa, is your side clear?"

"Yeah, peace and quiet... wait. Now I hear something too. Hurry up, gorgeous, I don’t want to kick the bucket here."

My gaze darted around, searching for anything that could help. The approaching sound of footsteps accelerated the process tenfold. If the droids spotted us, they’d raise the alarm. That meant a total lockdown, jammed lifts, and a failed mission.

We couldn't let that happen. Finally, I noticed a panel on the wall.

"Tifa, seal the doors, every one you can reach. Let them think it’s a malfunction, or at least keep them from knowing who’s inside. It’ll buy us time."

Dropping her bag of explosives, the girl sprinted down the hallway without a word.

Filling my body with the Force, I accelerated to the limit of my capabilities. Before I even reached the turn, I knew the enemy was already behind it. A second’s hesitation would mean discovery and a station-wide alarm. There was no choice.

Spinning around, I leaped back with all my might. Contorting in mid-air, I slammed the button with the Force. The mechanical doors hissed shut, nearly crushing my feet.

Smashing the control panel to lock it, I ran back, repeating the action with every door I passed. This would buy us a few minutes.

Exactly seven steel bulkheads now separated us from the enemy.

"Kamma, status?!"

"Almost there... just a bit more."

The hands of an imaginary clock seemed to spin out of control. Even through several sealed doors, I thought I could hear the sound of metal being cut.

Tifa returned almost exactly as the panel chirped with a welcome green light.

The lift cabin slid open, inviting us into its depths.

"Come on! We're out of time!"

A second later, we were plunging downward, toward the heart of the factory.

I couldn't tell how deep the shaft was, but we descended for several minutes. The sense of danger spiked again. What was waiting for us? A trap? Highly likely, but we had no choice. You can't jump off a submarine.

All I could do was grip the hilt of my lightsaber tighter.

Cold sweat rolled down my back, making me nervously clench and unclench my fists. With every movement, a faint, metallic clink came from the bag of explosives.

The speaker in my helmet chirped, and my friend’s voice filled my ear.

"You feel it too?"

"Yes."

"Something’s wrong. We need another plan. Better yet, we should get as far away from here as possible. I still have plans for this life."

"Hah, so you aren't loyal to the Empire anymore. I knew you’d shaken the suggestion too. Any ideas?"

"Try to hijack a ship?"

"We won’t break through the blockade."

"Get lost on the planet?"

"How do we get off the station?"

"Then I don't know."

"Neither do I. The situation looks hopeless. Only way is forward. Though... I overheard an interesting conversation. There are Geonosian catacombs under the station. No map, but if things go south, we could try them. Plus, there are no droids."

"Not an option. They’re too labyrinthine. We could wander there for a month and still not find an exit. Plus, I’m not sure they’re entirely unguarded."

The lift jerked and stopped. Then, it slowly began to move upward.

"What happened?"

"Looks like they overrode the controls. They finally wised up. We have to jump."

"Agreed."

"What do you mean 'jump'? I don't understand, I'm not doing it! Let's just go up; there's probably no serious threat to our lives there."

"Right. They’ll be waiting with flowers, an orchestra, and the keys to the factory."

"I'm not doing it, and that’s final!"

"Shut up, Tifa. Kamma, do we cut here?"

With two blades, we carved a hole in the floor.

"Get your grapples ready."

Saying this, Kamma leaped into the black, meter-wide void.

"I won't do it! I don't want to! I'm staying here!"

"Come on, we have to stay together..."

At such close range, I couldn't have reacted to the threat in time even if I wanted to.

A non-lethal but forceful shove of the Force made me stumble forward. But there was no floor beneath my feet, and I began to plummet.

Thankfully, the fall was short. My grapple held my weight securely, and the lift shaft was cluttered with pipes, wires, and other debris that helped me find a foothold on the wall.

It took me a moment to calm my racing heart. What the hell was that? Though the question was rhetorical. Pieces of the puzzle were starting to click into place.

The stagnant air made it hard to breathe, even through the helmet filters, and from below, I could feel rhythmic pulses of heat. What kind of inferno was down there?

"You okay?!"

"Yeah, brother... alive, whole, an eagle."

"What’s an eagle?"

"A bird. Proud and resilient. What now?"

"Do we have a choice? We crawl down. By the way, where’s our Twi'lek?"

"The girl turned out to be not as loyal as you and I. Looks like she’s either on her own now or, more likely, working for the Separatists."

"Strange. How did they get to her? She was under the same conditions we were. It means someone else is behind her. But who?"

"That’s not what matters right now. What matters is what we do. If she’s in league with the droids, we’re in the karking abyss. A big, deep one. We definitely can’t go back up."

"I don't like any of this. Maybe the catacombs really are the better bet?"

"Not an option."

For a few minutes, we hung there, staring blankly at the wall and lost in thought. The situation felt terminal.

"You know, maybe the best bet is to rig the reactor anyway. If push comes to shove, we can try to blackmail the local brass with the station’s safety. Or we really do crawl into the tunnels. Force be my witness, I don't want to do that. But there seem to be no other ways."

"You think they aren't waiting for us there already?"

"Of course it’s a trap, but we’ll have better odds that way than any other. We just need to break through to the core. Even if there are a few hundred droids, we can push through."

We began a slow descent. It wasn't difficult, except for the mounting heat. My forehead was slick with sweat, and the helmet lining felt unpleasantly damp against my skin.

"Listen, how do we pull back from the reactor? We’ll need to watch it constantly so they don't diffuse the charges."

"Fair point, but I think the local leadership will make some concessions. You and I have nothing left to lose anyway. We could hunker down here for a month and use the Force to fuse the charges into the casing."

"And how do we detonate?"

"What do you think remote detonators were made for? Actually, we should tune our toys."

He busied himself with the intricacies of programming his bracer.

"True, though why the complexity? Isn't there a specialized device for that?"

"You can never have too much insurance. There, I’ve set mine. Let me see yours."

A couple of minutes, and it was done.

"Excellent. Now... concentrate. First, we need to survive until the moment we need to leave. Now—"

A horrific screeching from above cut him off. Snapping my head up, I saw the lift capsule plummeting toward us at terrifying speed.

Without a word, we both thrust our hands upward, straining to halt its descent. It was grueling. The mass of metal, having gained significant momentum, ground to a halt just meters above us.

I channeled all the fear surging through me into a crushing grip, trying to wedge the lift into the shaft walls.

After a few minutes of Force manipulation, it was securely jammed.

"Phew... keep descending."

"I don't like any of this."

Me neither. But our options had just dwindled even further. Up was impossible. Only down... or the catacombs.

"I feel like we're walking right into a trap."

"Yeah. And our 'friend' was in on it."

"Agreed. But who could have known?"

"Whatever. There’s always a chance. Let's move."