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Obi-Wan's comlink signaled, and he grabbed it. It was Tyro. The reception was poor, and the corn line crackled.
"Obi-Wan, I must meet with you. Where are you?"
"In the water tu
"Listen to me. I've dug back, looking for links. And I stumbled on something. Something… much more… terrible."
Even through the poor co
"What? No…" The comlink crackled again."… can't talk about it over a comlink. We must meet. This involves the highest level… great evil…"
"I know, Tyro!" Obi-Wan hissed into the comlink, exasperated. "Sano Sauro!"
". only you can truly understand…" Tyro said through the static.
"Tyro? I can't pick up what you're saying! I'll get back to you as soon as I can." Obi-Wan shut off the transmission. He saw a schematic blueprint on the side of the tu
The blueprint was fashioned by raised laser lines that responded to touch. When Obi-Wan touched one part of the blueprint, it lit up in far more detail.
Just like the blueprint at the factory on Falleen.
They had used the same system to map the tu
Obi-Wan touched the area he was standing in. The tu
He didn't recognize the design. It was different from the one on Falleen. But that didn't mean that another quadrant wouldn't match. If he found the quadrant that they'd built on Falleen, he'd know which way Zan Arbor and Omega were going.
Which meant he would have to flash through each quadrant of the Senate water system until he found the one that matched. Obi-Wan sca
There were five hundred and seventy-two separately designated quadrants to the system. It would take too long for him to stand here and try to match them.
Obi-Wan studied the tu
He closed his eyes, remembering the tu
In his mind, he saw the tu
Vents.
The Senate water tu
The tu
Obi-Wan bent forward and accessed the grid again. He saw on the menu that the air and water tu
He pressed the key for the air tu
It was the same grid.
Obi-Wan realized then what he should have realized on Falleen. Zan Arbor had attempted to transmit the Zone through water to a large population. She had failed.
TRACK A EXPERIMENT VOIDED.
TRACK B EXPERIMENT BEGUN.
Track A had been transmission through water. It had failed. Four deaths were the result.
Track B had been transmission through air. Obi-Wan's conclusions thudded through his brain with sickening logic.
Zan Arbor and Omega knew he was expecting them to attack through water.
They had wanted the Senate water tu
It was their way in. And while the water tu
He studied the blueprint again, then whipped out his comlink as he ran. He could not get through. He was too deep in the system now.
He ran along the tu
He remembered the blueprint perfectly. If he took a left turn, then a right, he would arrive in the main air tu
He ran down the tu
A speeder bike.
He took the next turn and saw them. Zan Arbor and Omega, traveling at low speed through the tu
He accessed the Force and leaped, throwing himself through the air, straight at the speeder.
Chapter Nineteen
Obi-Wan hit the end of the vehicle and grabbed on to the edge of the backseat. The speeder lurched with the impact and collided with the wall in a shower of sparks.
In the pilot seat, Granta Omega took a backward glance and saw him. A look of rage transfixed his features into a snarling mask.
"Grants, watch out!" Zan Arbor screamed.
The tu
Zan Arbor took out a blaster. Obi-Wan activated his lightsaber while she lifted it to aim. He swung, deflecting fire, but it was hard to hold on with one hand and he knew he wouldn't be able to do it for long.
"Faster!" she shouted to Omega. With the other hand, she took another blaster out of her belt. "Just drive!"
To his surprise, she did not aim the second blaster at him. Omega piloted the speeder bike closer to the walls of the tu
At the vent.
Obi-Wan realized she wasn't holding an ordinary blaster. It was likely packed with pellets. She was going to shoot into the vent. And right about now, if he remembered the blueprints correctly, they were on a direct line to the main Senate chamber.
"Get closer!" Zan Arbor screamed. She half-stood, half-crouched on the seat, lining up her shot, ignoring Obi-Wan for now. She would only get one chance at the vent.
But Obi-Wan was well aware that Omega had two problems: He had to get close enough for Zan Arbor to shoot, but he had to keep Obi-Wan off balance enough to prevent him from reaching Zan Arbor.