by Джуд Уотсон
Obi-Wan and Siri took off, flying in formation.
"I've received a distress call from the planet's surface," General Solomahal said, giving them the coordinates. "It's out where the survival systems for the planet are based — the water conduits, the fuel tanks, the fusion generators. Watch your flank — the fleet is planning to turn at eighty degrees."
Obi-Wan and Siri executed a diving turn to avoid the fleet. Obi-Wan could hear the chatter of the pilots on the comm. Anakin was flying brilliantly, taking chances that the pilots could not quite believe and inspiring them to try similar feats.
By the end of the Clone Wars, he'll be a legend, Obi-Wan thought.
The air around the ship suddenly lit up. Obi-Wan felt the thud of cannonfire.
"On your left!" Siri shouted.
He turned and went into a screaming dive. Siri followed.
"Two starfighters have been ordered to break off and follow you," General Solomahal barked. "They are ordered to shoot you down." He quickly told Obi-Wan and Siri the angle of attack.
They were able to turn at the last minute and surprise their attackers. Laser cannonfire boomed, and the ships went into spiraling, smoking ruin.
Obi-Wan and Siri peeled off and continued toward their goal. From this angle, they were far enough away to get a clear look at the battle.
His heart sank. He believed in Anakin. He believed in the strength and will of the Republic pilots. But he knew the exact time it would take for the rest of the Republic fleet to arrive. The battle was already lost.
His heart heavy, he contacted General Solomahal. "General, I suggest you give the codebreaker to your best pilot and get it off the spaceport now. We have to risk it. We can't have the codebreaker fall into Separatist hands."
"Are you insane, General Kenobi?" The general's voice boomed out. "That's our only hedge against disaster!"
"I agree with Commander Kenobi," Siri said. "It's vital that the codebreaker remain safe. We can see clearly from up here. Ultimately, we cannot win this battle. I also suggest that you stand by to evacuate the base. We need to save as many Republic soldiers and ships as we can."
"It's a little early for surrender."
"I agree. There are still blows that can be struck. But it's inevitable," Obi-Wan said. "We need to cut our losses."
"You are too cautious, Commander Kenobi. I think we can win this."
"Commander, we can see things better up here," Siri said.
"I have a monitor here, too, Commander Tachi. And I don't have time for this argument. Save your Senator and your scientist and come back to fight."
Cannonfire blasted, and the controls shook in Obi-Wan's hands. He and Siri had blundered into the center of a battle between Republic starships and an attack ship they were peppering with fire and trying to disable. Obi-Wan saw cannonfire rip into his hull. Smoke poured from Siri's fighter. Quickly, they zoomed up and around the battle. When they were through the worst of the fire, they returned to their course and dived down to the planet's surface.
Obi-Wan heard his comm unit crackling. He must have sustained some damage to the circuitry when the ship was hit.
They saw the escape pod resting in an industrial area. Padme had guided it to a safe landing between gigantic fuel tanks. Obi-Wan let out a low whistle as he landed gingerly next to her. It must have taken nerves of steel to navigate between those tanks. Escape pods weren't known for their maneuverability.
Siri landed close by and they hurried over to Padme, who was holding a blaster rifle casually at her side. Her clone trooper escort must have landed elsewhere, but the pod had had enough room for Taly to join her.
"Happy to see you," she said, though her face betrayed her. She was disappointed, too. She'd been hoping for something, Obi-Wan thought. The answer sprang instantly to mind. Anakin.
"Anakin is in command of the air battle at the moment," he told her.
She smiled briefly. "How close is the Republic fleet?"
"Still hours away," Siri said.
"Even a codebreaker can't save this battle, can it?" Taly guessed shrewdly.
Obi-Wan decided not to answer the question. No matter what his doubts, he wouldn't want to voice them except to the commanding general.
But Padme, too, was too shrewd not to see. She glanced up at the sky. "We should get the codebreaker off planet."
"Let's escort you and Taly to safety first," Siri said. "I think one of us should pilot you out of here."
"We can return to the command post," Padme suggested.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "Not safe. We'll have to get you through enemy lines and to the nearest safe port." But which of them would do it? He looked over at Siri. They both wanted to stay to fight the battle, but she knew that it would be harder for him to leave his Padawan.
He felt the dark side surge then, a warning so clear he heard it like a shout. A starfighter was streaking toward them. Obi-Wan recognized the red-and-silver starfighter of Magus. He was surrounded by five droid tri-fighters.
"Take cover!" Obi-Wan yelled.
The laser cannons tore up the ground as they scattered. "We can't hide behind fuel tanks," Siri said. "That's madness. We'll get blown up."
Magus came in for another assault. The fire hit the fuel tank, and it exploded in a whoosh that sent them flying through the air. The air was like a flaming wall that hit Obi-Wan like an obstacle. He felt himself falling, and it was like falling through pure fire.
They landed, bruised and shaken, but unhurt. Magus and the tri-fighters zoomed out and turned, heading for another strike.
"I think it's time we got out of here," Obi-Wan said.
Chapter 32
Siri and Padme were closest to Siri's ship. They began to run through the thick black smoke and burning fires. Obi-Wan grabbed Taly and hustled him toward his own ship.
This time Magus bypassed Siri and Padme, coming straight for Taly.
Obi-Wan noticed that a worker had left his servotool kit close by. He reached out a hand — a fusioncutter flew through the air toward him. It was a large one with a big tank, built for special jobs. He grabbed it and timed his response. At the last possible second, he activated the fusioncutter and flung it directly into the spilled fuel. The fuel ignited and the flame shot up just as Magus dived to strafe them again.
Magus had to climb to avoid the fire, and the smoke was good cover. Obi-Wan and Taly leaped into the ARC 170 starfighter and took off after Siri.
"He's after you," Obi-Wan said.
"No kidding," Taly answered.
Siri flew closer and made a gesture, her hand at her throat. Obi-Wan did the same.
"What does that mean?"
"Our comm units are out," Obi-Wan said. "They were damaged. We're on our own."
"More good news."
Siri signaled. Obi-Wan nodded.
"You two speak the same language without even talking," Taly said. "Not much has changed. What's the plan?"
"We're going to try to get the two of you out of harm's way, then return for the end of the battle," Obi-Wan said.
"The end of the battle? Considering that you're going to lose, that doesn't sound like such a wise idea."
"I can't leave my Padawan. Hang on."
They zoomed upward. But Magus was on their tail with his five fighters, keeping up a steady barrage of firepower. The starship shook. Siri dived under Magus and shot, clipping him just a fraction. He zoomed off.
They played cat-and-mouse games. Every time they got ahead, he found them. Siri destroyed one of the trifighters, and Obi-Wan scored a direct hit on another. Then, working in tandem, they squeezed two between them and blasted them into space debris.
Magus must have contacted the Separatist fleet for help, for two large attack missiles suddenly peeled off from the battle above and began to descend.
"This doesn't look good," Taly said.
No. It wasn't good.
Obi-Wan raced his craft toward Siri. When he was in her sightline, he indicated with his chin what he th
ought they should do. She nodded. He felt the connection surge between them. This was more than the Force. It was part of the Force, but it was part of them, part of the understanding that flashed between them so freely now. All barriers down, they had locked onto each other's every thought now.
They were over the deep trenches of the electrical conduits, where power flowed from the two gigantic fusion furnaces that supplied the energy to the spaceport. Siri dipped into the trench, and Obi-Wan followed. At least they were in a place where the large attack missiles could not follow. And if they were lucky, they could escape Magus in the maze.
The battle was lost. Anakin could see that. As much as he believed in his abilities, as much as he believed in the pilots around him, he could see that they were meeting an overwhelming force, and according to General Solomahal, Republic reinforcements were still an hour away.
At first he'd felt hopeful. The information the general was able to give the pilots gave them an edge they were able to exploit. They had taken down one starfighter after another and had managed to cripple a landing ship. But they could not fight this huge fleet.
He had lost track of Obi-Wan and Siri. But at least Padme was safe.
"… status report," came over the comm. "Report in, Leader One."
His comm unit sounded fuzzy. Another thing going wrong. "Five more starfighters down, "Anakin said. "I'm trying to slow down the second landing ship. None of our ships lost on this end."
"Two of our defense starfighters down, plus the three civilian ships and the Republic cruiser…"
The interference made the words come in and out.
"What?" Anakin barked. "What Republic cruiser?" "Senator Amidala… Under fire… Distress…" "Repeat," Anakin said desperately. "Repeat. Survivors?" "No survivors…"
Anakin felt the galaxy collapse. He could not see or think or feel.
"Jedi went in search… Possible… escape pod sighting…"
Anakin went into a dive that nearly plastered him to the ceiling. He would find her. She would be alive. She had to be.
Obi-Wan wished that Anakin were flying this ship. He needed Anakin's nerves, his split-second timing, his instinctive knowledge of exactly how far to push a craft.
The attack ships hovered overhead. The last of the droid tri-fighters had crashed into a wall and flamed out.
But Magus was on their tails, keeping up steady fire. The trench was narrow, and opened wider and narrowed again.
Huge pipes and conduits presented barriers that had to be snaked around or dived under.
Up ahead, Siri suddenly slowed her speed. He shot ahead but she didn't follow. She flew up, almost to the edge of the trench.
Siri, what are you doing? Whatever it is, Obi-Wan thought with a sudden, sharp pain, don't do it!
"Siri, don't do it," Padme said. "There's still a chance — "
"This is our chance. Can you hold it steady?" Padme nodded.
"When I tell you to cut back, cut back."
"You'll fall — "
Siri grinned. "No, I won't. I'll jump."
"No — "
But Siri was already opening the hatch and climbing out. This was a model that had room for an astromech droid, if the pilot wanted. The space was empty. She felt the wind whip through her hair. She saw Obi-Wan's ship in the near distance. No doubt he was wondering what she was up to.
She knew this was crazy, but it just might work.
Magus dove through the last of a series of pipes. She could see the exact moment when he realized she'd cut her speed. He cut his, too, to avoid running into her. He didn't want to get ahead of her. That would make him vulnerable to her fire.
"Cut your speed!" Siri yelled, and she felt the ship slow and come close to stopping.
Magus shot underneath and slowed again, not wanting to get ahead of the Jedi ship. Summoning the Force, Siri leaped.
The starfighters had slowed, but they were still moving. Jumping from one to another was not easy. To say the least. Siri used the Force to slow her perception of time. She had never felt so in tune with it. She felt her body turning, but it was turning just as she wanted it to, not propelled by the speed of her descent or the turbulent air, but moving exactly so.
She hit the ship. Her knees buckled and her hands slapped against the top of the hull. The fall had knocked the wind out of her and for a moment all she could do was try to hold on. She clamped a cable from her belt to the ship.
He still didn't know she was there. She was light enough and he was moving fast enough, firing at Padme now, who had immediately increased speed. He did not hear or feel her.
Time to let him know he had an extra passenger.
She activated her lightsaber and began to cut through the top of the starfighter.
It lurched violently to the left.
Siri grimaced as she held on with one hand. Magus knew she was here.
Obi-Wan realized too late that this trench was a dead end. He should have taken one of the branches, but he was distracted at the sight of Siri on top of a starfighter. She had to be crazy. What she was doing was impossible. But she was doing it.
He would have to pull up in a few short minutes. The attack cruisers were waiting to blow him out of the sky. He would have to double back somehow. There was barely enough room to maneuver, let alone turn around.
Behind him, Magus was flying erratically, zooming from one edge of the trench to the other, trying to knock Siri off. Obi-Wan couldn't believe how she was managing to continue to cut through the ship's shell as she was slammed repeatedly against the metal.
He had to do something.
"Any ideas?" Taly asked.
"Yes. Hang on," Obi-Wan said as he flipped the ship upside down.
It was a maneuver he'd seen Anakin do, fly backward and upside down. Though I wouldn't recommend it, Anakin had said with a grin.
Obi-Wan headed straight for Magus. Padme zoomed out of his way, then up out of the trench for a moment. Evading fire, she managed to zoom past Magus and start back along the trench, marking time. Good move, Padme.
Obi-Wan did some quick calculations. His fingers flew on the weapons-system control board. It was hard to fly at the same time.
"What are you doing?" Taly asked.
"Disarming a concussion missile by half."
"Let me do it." Taly worked over the keyboard, fingers flying. "Done."
Obi-Wan slowed his speed. He didn't want to get too close — he had to be far enough away, past the top end of the missile's range, so that he didn't severely damage the ship. All he needed was shock waves. That, and Siri's command of the Force to know what was coming before Magus did.
He fired. The concussion missile flew and exploded.
The shock wave jolted Siri, but she recovered quickly.
Magus went flying. Obi-Wan saw him bounce out of the seat. At that instant, Siri dropped through the hole she had created.
The ship was careening crazily now. Siri was fighting for control. Obi-Wan reversed again. He thought he saw a dark shape move across the cockpit.
"They're fighting," Taly said.
The ship listed to one side. It spun out of control and clipped a gigantic pipe. Smoke began to pour out of the exhausts.
"The hydraulics are failing," Taly said anxiously.
Obi-Wan began to follow the route of the dying ship. He pushed the engines, but he watched in horror as the ship crashed into the trench. Sparks as big as fireballs flew in the air as it bounced against one wall, then another, then smashed into the side and stopped. Something flew out of the hole on the top, bounced and lay still. Magus.
Obi-Wan screamed down to the trench bottom. He activated the cockpit cover and leaped out. Magus was unmoving but he wasn't dead. Obi-Wan scrambled on top of the cruiser and dropped inside.
Was it now, or was it twenty years ago?
She lay on the floor of the cockpit in a crashed ship. Her blond head was pillowed in her arms.
He landed on his knees by her side.
He tou
ched her hair. He could not bear to touch the pulse on her neck. He could not bear not to feel life there. "Siri."
"Blasterfire." She groaned as she turned slightly so she could look up at him. "Magus."
Obi-Wan glanced out of the cockpit window where Padme now stood, holding the rifle at the unconscious Magus. She was taking no chances. Taly stood next to her, a blaster in his hand, also pointed at Magus. Obi-Wan could see something working in Taly's face, a temptation to fire. He had, at his feet, the being who had killed his parents.