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Chapter 14
They kept close to the cliff walls and boulders for as long as they could. Then they purposefully walked the short distance to the cave entrance. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan checked for sca
They slipped into the darkness of the cave entrance with relief.
Immediately to the right was a pen where gravsleds and small speeders were kept. There was a bin filled with tech jackets. Qui-Gon signaled to the others, and they each do
Feeling a little less exposed, they proceeded farther into the cave.
Glow rods set high in the walls gave faint illumination. They could see that the small opening to the cave was deceptive. As they moved deeper into it, the space widened and extended far in the distance.
"It goes out under the water," Qui-Gon said in a low tone. "This is bigger than it appears."
Ahead a few Absolutes in the same tech jackets came walking toward them. Qui-Gon gave them an impersonal nod of greeting. They nodded back and continued walking.
Eritha let out a shaky breath. "Whew."
"It appears that there are enough Absolutes working here that not everyone knows one another," Qui-Gon murmured. "Good. Obi-Wan, look for any high-security devices on the tu
Obi-Wan could feel his Master's tension. They were so close now. He reached out to the Force to help him with his perceptions. Nothing could go wrong now. If they were captured, it would mean a delay that could cost Tahl her life.
They paused by a tu
They walked on, passing other beings who either nodded or walked quickly, focused on their business. Eritha kept her face turned away in case she was recognized despite her disguise. Obi-Wan noted a security sensor bank near an offshoot tu
"Let's try it," Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan studied the offshoot tu
Qui-Gon studied the sensors and the retinal scan carefully. "They mounted it too low," he said. "I think if we use cable launchers, we can swing over the sensors without tripping them. They probably didn't have time to perfect the system. Look at the drill marks around the sensors.
This was done recently."
"Since Balog brought Tahl here?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Maybe." Qui-Gon turned to Eritha. "You must stay here, Eritha. Alert us with the silent alarm on your comlink if there's trouble. We'll be back as soon as we can. If a patrol comes, walk away as though you have a destination, then circle back. If you hear an alarm sound, hide. It does not necessarily mean that Obi-Wan and I have been captured. Turn on your homing device on your comlink and we'll find you."
Eritha nodded. "I'll be all right."
Obi-Wan saw that Qui-Gon didn't like to leave her, but they had no choice. He watched as his Master aimed carefully, sending his cable launcher high into the air to bite into the ceiling of the offshoot tu
He activated the launcher and it carried him high above. His head almost bumped the ceiling of the cave, but he cleared the sensors and landed on the other side.
Obi-Wan hoped he would have the same graceful skill. He followed Qui- Gon's lead, holding his breath until his own cable launcher was secure.
Then he activated the launch mode. It pulled him up quickly, and he scraped against the rough ceiling. He was over the range of the sensors, and was pulled into the tu
They hurried down the tu
"What now? If Tahl is in there, someone could be with her."
Qui-Gon closed his eyes. "I don't feel her," he said in a low voice.
"But we need to find out why this tu
He activated his lightsaber and cut through the durasteel, making an opening big enough for them to walk through. Qui-Gon ducked inside the room, and Obi-Wan quickly followed.
They were in a storage area filled with bins and crates. There was no sign of Tahl or of the sensory deprivation device she had been imprisoned in. Instead, the room was filled with explosives. Crate after crate was labeled, showing that there were extremely powerful devices within.
"This must be what they stole from the Rock Workers," Obi-Wan said.
"And some bought on the black market, as well," Qui-Gon added. "Look.
This is Mota's mark. They have enough explosives here to level the city."
Obi-Wan looked worriedly at his Master. "What does this mean?"
"That they are prepared to take over with violence, if they must,"
Qui-Gon said. "But why the change in plan? As far as we knew, the Absolutes were working to gain power through infiltration and deceit."
Qui-Gon gave a last swift look around. "Let's go, Padawan. There's nothing here to lead us to Tahl. And I don't like leaving Eritha back there alone."
Not to mention that they had left a gaping hole in a security door, Obi-Wan thought. As soon as that was discovered, the complex would go on alert.
They ran back down the tu
They didn't need to compare notes. They both knew what they had felt.
Something had gone wrong.
They melted back against the wall of the tu
Qui-Gon put his hand on Obi-Wan's arm to prevent him from moving.
"We can't," he murmured. "As soon as they see us, they'll sound an alarm. Whoever is holding Tahl will know the cave has been invaded. We can't risk it. Let's see how Eritha deals with this."