Jedi Voyage #6 - The Dark Ruse

Chapter Ten

  Yaddle looked around the tunnel with distaste. "Too much time underground, I have spent," she murmured lightly. "Glad I will be to see the sky again."
  Obi-Wan smiled at her humorous tone, but he knew there was truth behind Yaddle's words. He remembered the words from Anakin's vision: The One Below remains below. Yoda had interpreted it as a warning, and Obi-Wan agreed. Now Yaddle was belowground. What if the attack on the substation failed and something happened to Yaddle?
  "I can handle this," he told her. "You should go back."
  Yaddle shook her head at him. "Know what you are thinking, I do, Obi-Wan. Worried about your Padawan's vision, I am not. Think you that I should run away?"
  "That's not what I meant, Master Yaddle," Obi-Wan said respectfully. "I was just suggesting that –"
  "That run away I should," Yaddle interrupted. "Wasting time, we are."
  Obi-Wan had been corrected, and he accepted Yaddle's rebuke. If he had been in her position, he would not have retreated, either. He turned to Swanny. "Didn't you tell me that you can boost the grid from another source, but only if the central relay substation is destroyed?"
  "Right. Substation 32. That's my point," Swanny said impatiently. "You might recall that I told you if you blow up the relay equipment, the whole power grid might blow. And that's one sweet ka-boom. Kiss your lightsaber good-bye."
  Obi-Wan turned back to Yaddle. "If we hit substation 32, can your experts boost the grid right afterward? We can't give Striker a chance to hit back."
  "Find out, we will." Yaddle immediately got out her comlink.
  Swanny looked at Obi-Wan curiously. "I don't get it. How can two Jedi render an entire substation inoperable?"
  "Well, we'll need a hand," Obi-Wan said. "That's where you come in."
  "Me? You know I'd love to help, but I think you've seen my cowardice in action," Swanny said.
  "You won't have to go near the substation," Obi-Wan assured him.
  Yaddle got off the comlink and nodded. "Do it, they can. Yet crucial, timing is. Destroy the relay substation we must within the hour. Impatient, Feeana is. Need her we do to patrol the city. Trust us, the Mawan citizens must. If we promise them that control of the power grid and the backing of Feeana and her gang will hold the city, aboveground they will come." Yaddle paused. "An idea you have, Master Kenobi."
  It was a statement, not a question.
  "We can't blow it up," Obi-Wan said. "But we could drown it." He turned to Swanny. "Can you flood the substation from the wastewater pipes without getting inside the station? You said you know every pipe belowground."
  Swanny thought for a full minute while Obi-Wan tried not to show his impatience. "There's a small wash-up area in the substation for the workers," he said finally. "If I divert the wastewater from tank 102C and gush it through system A-9 with enough force, it could conceivably break through a pipe joint – the pipes going into substation 32 are part of the old system, so they're not in great shape – and then we'd have a pretty major flood in a matter of minutes. It would take me more than an hour to get there and figure out the circuits I need to use."
  "You have forty minutes," Obi-Wan said. "We'd better get started."

  Swanny had been right about the firepower. As Obi-Wan and Yaddle skirted the substation's perimeter, he could see two grenade mortars guarding the entrance. The operators sat on repulsorlift platforms, and the Jedi could see that the targeting computers were engaged. Attack droids stood in ready formation.
  "We could use a diversion," Obi-Wan murmured to Yaddle as they hid behind a utility box.
  "Accomplish this we must, if the Provisional Committee is going to be successful," Yaddle said. "The longer it takes, the more things can go wrong."
  "Look," Obi-Wan said, pointing at a stream of water underneath the double durasteel doors of the substation. "Swanny must have been effective. The flood has begun."
  Yaddle opened her comlink to signal the power grid team that Euraana had arranged to stand by.
  Up on their repulsorlift platforms, the guards didn't notice the water streaming out from underneath the crack in the durasteel doors. Their gazes continued to rest on the targeting computers that would show them attacking beings or airborne weapons.
  "When it gets deep enough to endanger the equipment, the alarm should sound," Obi-Wan murmured. "I'm betting the operators will leave their grenade mortars and let the droids guard the entrance. They'll call for reinforcements."
  "One problem, there is," Yaddle said. "Burst open, the doors might."
  "And that would release the flood into the tunnel." Obi-Wan nodded. "In which case, the equipment might keep functioning." He thought for a moment. "Can you use the Force to hold the doors?"
  Yaddle nodded.
  The water was now streaming down the tunnel and lapping at their boots. Because of the downward slope, it ran out from underneath the door. They could see that the water inside was rising, since the water was now leaking out of the seam between the double doors. The pressure of the water was causing the doors to vibrate from the strain.
  Obi-Wan felt the Force surround them as Yaddle gathered it around her. The doors and the water stopped moving. It began to collect around the wheels of the grenade mortars and the legs of the droids.
  They watched as the water deepened, held back by the Force. Soon it was lapping at the repulsorlift platforms, but the guards still did not notice, intent on their computers.
  Suddenly a light flashed red over the doors. The alarm began to beep insistently. The two operators sat up in their chairs and swiveled to check behind them. They saw the water.
  "What's going on?" one of them shouted.
  The other spoke into a comlink. "They're sending reinforcements. Just stay calm."
  "I am calm!" the second guard shouted. "I just can't swim!"
  The other guard began to enter a code into a handheld sensor.
  "They'd better boost the grid now," Obi-Wan said.
  Yaddle listened intently to the comlink.
  "Bypassed the station, they have," she told Obi-Wan. "Wait we must to see if the power surge will restore the grid...."
  Suddenly the attack droids snapped into formation, splashing in the water.
  "They must have engaged a life-form sensor sweep," Obi-Wan said.
  "A few minutes more, they need."
  "We just ran out of time." Obi-Wan activated his lightsaber. "Let's go."
  He charged out into the tunnel, moving quickly through the water and heading straight for the mortar operators. They saw the Jedi coming and scrambled to jump back on their mortar platforms. Yaddle released her hold on the doors, which burst open, releasing a wave of water. Obi-Wan was prepared, but the power of the water almost knocked him down. He reached out a hand, using the Force to push one guard off his feet. His head hit the durasteel doors and he slumped to the floor as the water flowed down the tunnel.
  Right behind Obi-Wan, Yaddle took out an attack droid with a flick of her lightsaber while she sent the other guard flying against the tunnel wall. The last guard took one look at the Jedi charging toward him with a lightsaber and took off, splashing down the tunnel.
  Attack droids cannot be intimidated, however. The line wheeled toward the Jedi. Obi-Wan had never fought beside Yaddle before. She was all grace and flowing movement, her lightsaber a blur, the Force growing and charging the air around them until Obi-Wan could feel it humming in him and around him. Charged with Yaddle's energy, he sliced through four droids with one swift blow. The blaster fire was heavy but he had no problem deflecting it. It felt easy and natural with the Force so strong. Yaddle took out ten droids in what seemed like no time and then buried her lightsaber in the two grenade mortars controls. Within minutes, all of the droids were sizzling in the puddles of water.
  "Reinforcements should be here soon," Obi-Wan said.
  "Feel them near, I can," Yaddle said. She listened to the comlink and then nodded. "Success," she said to Obi-Wan. "Up, the power grid is, and in our hands. The city of Naatan is lit once more. Go now to the Mawans, I must. Time to return to their homes, it is."
  Obi-Wan nodded. "I'll wait for the reinforcements. They'll most likely return to brief Striker."
  "As soon as I can return to help find Anakin I will," Yaddle said.
  Yaddle moved down the tunnel quickly, her robe swinging. Obi-Wan stepped back behind the utility box and waited. The tramp of running feet announced the arrival of the reinforcements.
  They took one look at the spreading water, the still-sizzling droid parts, and the absence of the guards. The superior officer activated his comlink and spoke into it. Then he signaled to the others.
  "Nothing we can do here," the officer said.
  "Aren't you going to search the tunnels?" another one asked.
  "Do I look crazy? Back to headquarters."
  They tramped off. After a moment, Obi-Wan emerged from behind the utility box and followed.