Search For Lost Jedi Read online

  Turning to the winged Noro Zak, Qui-Gon continued, "Noro, You'll fly to

  Trinkatta, scouting for signs of any unusual activity. Traveling by speeder,

  Vel, Obi-Wan, and I will meet you there."

  Wyeoking into the cruiser's comm unit to the pilot, Qui-Gon Jinn

  commanded,

  "Take us down."

  Twenty minutes later; Qui-Gon, Val, and Obi-Wan's landspeeder zoomed away

  from the Radiant VII. Flying low over a dirt road, Vel Ardux guided the

  landspeeder at high speed toward the starship factory.

  Trinkatta Starships was a huge complex; covering nearly two square

  kilometers. Surrounded by a high stone barricade the complex contained two

  karge structures: an observation towed used to monitor incoming and outgoing

  starships, and a mammoth factory. The factory's upper levels appeared to be

  composed of plastaid with arched transparisteel windows, but the old

  foundation indictated the original building had undergone extensive

  renovation. Adorning the factory's roof, three tell chimneys pumped dark blue

  smoke into the sky. Obi-Wan coughed, then cleared his throat.

  "That foul smoke," he gasped, nodding toward the chimneys. "I doubt

  T'rinkatta Starships meets environmental regulations!"

  Studying the high barricade that surrounded the factory Vel Ardox noted,

  "It looks like they don't encourage visitors either."

  Slowing the vehicle to hovering stop near the wall, Vel Ardox gazed up,

  searching for Noro. Her sharp eyes quickly found the flying figure. Noro

  glided high over the factory, carefully avoiding the rising toxic clouds that

  billowed from. the three chimneys. Angling his wings, Noro swooped down in a

  spiraling descent toward the other Jedi. Seconds later, his taloned feet

  touched down on the ground beside the landspeeder;

  "A long time ago, this factory must have been a fortress," Noro declared

  as Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Yel climbed out of the landspeeder. Pointing to the

  observation tower, Noro continued, "Trinkatta's spaceport lies between that

  tower and the factory. I saw some repulsorlift vehicles and an old freighter

  parked in the spaceport, but there wasn't any. sign of the droid starfighters.

  "

  " "They might be within the factory," Qui-Gon paused. "Does the wall

  surround the entire factory?"

  "Yes;" Noro answered. "And on the other side of wall there's a wide moat.

  A bridge crosses the moat from a security checkpoint".

  "Show us the way to the checkpoint Noro, Qui-Gon requested. Noro guided

  the others around. the barricade to a large stone booth. Beyond the booth, a

  massive metal door separated the Jedi from the bridge to the starship factory.

  Two tall security droids stepped out. - from the checkpoint booth. Approaching

  the Jedi, the droid's heavy metal feet clanked against the smooth walkway. One

  droid raised a hand, signaling a halt.

  "What is your business with Trinkatta?" the droid asked as its barrel-

  shaped head scanned the four figures.

  "We're looking for a friend of ours Qui-Gon answered "She was supposed to

  meet us here. She's a building inspector." The droid shook its head, which

  creaked with each turn at the neck.

  "No building. inspectors here. Only droids. You all must leave now. We're

  closing off the chimneys. The factory is about to be fumigated."

  "Fumigated'?" Qui-Gon asked. "But if there are only droids inside, what

  are you trying to exterminate?"

  "Vermin," the other droid answered quickly.

  "Now you must leave..."

  "Look!" Obi-Wan called out.

  Following his gaze, the other Jedi saw that the factory's three tall

  chimneys were no longer releasing toxic clouds into the air. Seconds later,

  the high transparisteel windows went dark as smoke began filling the factory.

  Qui-Gon Jinn closed his eyes in meditation. Upon opening his eyes, he stated,

  "I sense Adi Gallia is within this complex... and she may be. injured. We

  have to rescue her before she's consumed by the smoke!" Fixing his gaze on the

  droids, Qui-Gon commanded, "You must let us enter the factory immediately."

  The nearest security droid's photoreceptors turned red.

  "Instructions received from. central droid control," the droid uttered as

  it took a step backward. "Trespassers must be terminated".

  Without further warning, both droids reached for their blaster pistols.

  Obi-Wan's hand darted for his lightsaber; but Vel Ardox moved faster. Her

  lightsaber blazed and lashed out in a sweeping flash, cutting down both droids

  before they could fire their blasters. The droids crashed to the ground.

  "Security droids are supposed to arrest trespassers!" Vel exclaimed.

  "Someone reprogrammed these units to kill.

  But who would...?"

  Obi-Wan began but was interrupted by the bursting wail of a loud siren.

  "The other droids must know we're here!" Noro ted; "One of us should stay

  here and distract them while the rest of us find a way into the factory. We

  have to stop that smoke or open those chimneys!".

  "If we can reach the central droid control room,", Vel Ardox added, "we

  should be able to override the system and deactivate all the droids!"

  "Adi Gallia is our first priority!" Qui-Gon declared as he drew his

  lightsaber. "The factory is filling with toxic fumes! We have to find Adi and

  get her now!"

  After quickly surveying the Trinkatta Starships checkpoint area, Qui-Gon

  Jinn turned to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Vel Ardox, and Noro Zak.

  "Here's the. plan," Qui-Gon Jinn told them. "I'll withdraw the security

  droids to the checkpoint and distract them while you three try to find another

  way into the factory. We'll have a better chance of finding Adi Gallia. by

  splitting up and searching different areas of the complex."

  "Shall we maintain communication?" Noro asked.

  "If. the factory droids are monitoring the frequencies; they might

  intercept our messages;". Qui-Gon pointed out. "Use your comlink only if you

  need help or have located Adi Gallia. Go now. And may the Force be with you."

  Obi-Wan and Vel ran off while Noro took to the air, leaving Qui-Gon alone

  at the checkpoint. Stepping over the fallen security droids, Qui-Gon

  approached the giant sliding door. He heard the sound of clicking gears as the

  door began to slide up into the high wall. As the door rose, Qui-Gon could see

  the wide bridge that crossed the meat and led to the starship factory.

  Suddenly, six security droids emerged from the factory and lurched forward

  onto the bridge. Seeing Qui-Gon, the droids raised their blaster arms. Moving

  faster than the droids photoreceptors could follow, Qui-Gon activated his

  lightsaber and surged forward. Swinging the lethal blade with deadly accuracy,

  the Jedi Master cut down the six security droids within seconds. The droids

  crashed to the surface of the bridge with a clanging racket.

  That should draw the attention of the other security droids, Qui-Gon

  thought to himself, hoping it would allow his friends to find another way into

  the starship factory. Qui-Gon stepped over the metal bodies of the fallen

  droids, passing through the smoke that rose from their fried remains. As he

  began to cross to - ward the starship factory,
Qui-Gon glanced below the

  bridge. Suspended ten meters over a deep, water filled moat, the bridge was

  bracketed by low guardrails.

  Switching on his comlink, Qui-Gon whispered, "I'm on the bridge that

  leads to the entrance. Are you inside the factory yet?"

  "Not yet, Master!" Obi-Wan replied. "We ran into some more droids.

  Getting in will be more difficult than we realized.

  " Switching off his comlink, Qui-Gon was halfway across the bridge when a

  bright

  glint from above drew his attention. Three stories up, on a rooftop that

  supported an elevated water tower, Qui-Gon caught sight of eight security

  droids running into position. Suddenly, the menacing droids raised their

  blaster rifles and fired from above.

  Qui-Gon's lightsaber came up fast, striking at the oncoming energy bolts.

  He batted them back to the elevated water tower above the droids, striking the

  tower's base in rapid succession. As the droids continued firing, the water

  tower ruptured from the repeated battery and exploded over their heads,

  knocking them from the roof. Thousands of liters of water plummeted-in a

  devastating cascade, carrying the droids to the bridge below. Despite the fact

  he'd targeted the water tower, Qui-Gon Jinn was surprised by the magnitude of

  the resulting blast and turned off his lightsaber's power. In an effort to

  avoid. being swept away by the torrential burst or crushed by the tumbling

  droids, Qui-Gon jumped. over the: guardrail and dived into the moat below.

  After knifing into the water, Qui-Gon arched back to the surface. for sir. As

  he broke the surface, he was nearly struck by an energy bolt.. Two droids had

  survived the fall to the bridge, and both were determined to kill the human

  invader. Taking a quick deep breath, the Jedi Master dropped underwater and

  swam directly under the bridge, staying out of range of the droid's blaster

  fire. Swimming to the foundation of the starship:factory, he saw what appeared

  to be the opening of an underwater tunnel. Qui-Gon hoped it might be an

  entrance to the factory. He reached for his util belt and retrieved his

  breather. After placing the device over his face, he was soon breathing

  easily. He propelled himself forward into the dark tunnel..

  Seconds later, Qui-Gon was engulfed by pitch-black darkness. The Jedi

  Master. concentrated on the interior of the cave, using the Force to let him

  sense the rough, rocky walls. Absent of fear, he swam forward. Soon, the

  tunnel narrowed, making it difficult to swim. Reaching out with his hands and

  feet, Qui-Gon could barely manage to crawl through the underwater access. He

  felt along the walls of the tunnel, trying to grab hold, but the stone walls

  were covered with an oily muck; He could not find a handhold; Something slimy

  bumped against Qui-Gon's leg. In the-next instant, his left ankle was caught

  in a tight grip. Qui-Gon had company.

  Chapter 3

  Reaching to his lower leg, Qui-Gon touched a thick tentacle coiled around

  his foot. Snaking out through a hole in the tunnel wall, the tentacle tugged

  in ankle, drawing him into the gap. Some broken stones from the foundation lay

  below the hole. Despite the creature's attack, Qui-Gon did not react with

  violence. It was in his nature to be empathetic to all life-forms. When he had

  been a Padawan, his tendency for kindness had often confounded his own Master.

  In the underwater tunnel, Qui-Gon found himself wondering, If I lived quietly

  e' in, a hole somewhere, how would I like it if some large organism came

  crashing through my home?

  Suddenly, the tentacle relaxed its grip and vanished into the gap in the

  tunnel wall. To Qui-Gon's amazement, he heard a soft, alien voice echo in his

  mind, responding to his own thoughts: I apologize for attacking you, strange

  creature. I mistook you. for a large fish. You are welcome to swim these

  waters, But be careful of the current.

  Behind his breather, Qui-Gon Jinn. smiled.

  Thank you.

  Leaving the creature behind, - Qui-Gon swam on through the underwater

  tunnel. As he propelled himself through the darkness, his thoughts turned to

  Adi Gallia. Because she had rescued him some time ago, Qui-Gon believed he

  owed his life to her. But he also knew it was not the time to contemplate the

  past. The Jedi Master cleared his mind and swam faster. A. steady, mechanical

  thumping sound grew louder as he moved forward. He paused to listen to the

  sound, and realized that although he'd stopped swimming, he was still moving

  at a steady pace through the tunnel; Caught in its powerful current, he was

  being dragged deeper into the darkness. Qui-Gon wished he had paid more

  attention to the tentacled creature's warning. The mechanical thumping became

  increasingly louder. Battling the current, he extended his arms and legs,

  trying to brace himself within the tunnel; Unable to get a grip on the smooth,

  slick tunnel, he was dragged onward. In an explosive surge, Qui-Gon was

  launched out of the tunnel in s concentrated waterfall, spilling him into a

  wide circular silo.

  Tumbling through the air and falling water, he splashed down into a deep

  pool at the base of the silo. The thumping sound was nearly deafening, echoing

  off the silo walls in thunderous booms. Like a gigantic drain; the water

  churned and swirled around-Qui-Gon, dragging him below the surface.

  Underwater, he realized the cause of the horrendous noise; At the base of the

  silo, a giant hydraulic propeller spun rapidly, drawing the water down and

  circulating it in the factory's moat. Qui-Gon knew the great propeller would

  slice him to ribbons unless he could escape the silo; Struggling against the

  downward flow, Qui-Gon; broke the surface of the pool. Pounded by water

  falling from above, he swam for the silo wall. The inner silo appeared to be

  lined with thick layer of ferrocrete, a mixture of concrete and steel-like

  materials bonded at the molecular level. Like the tunnel, the slick walls

  allowed no purchase. Looking up to the top of the silo, Qui-Gon saw a

  maintenance hatch.

  The hatch was illuminated by several greenish-yellow glow rods that

  dangled from a narrow beam. Qui-Gon considered throwing his compact grappling

  hook to the glow rods, but with both arms busy keeping him abovewater, he knew

  it would be a difficult effort. He also knew his breather's air supply was

  nearly exhausted. Another possibility occurred to him, Saving his energy, Qui-

  Gon let himself be pulled beneath the surface. As he drew closer to the

  propeller, he concentrated on the spinning blades, visualizing them bending

  and twisting as they rotated. A loud cracking sound followed, then the

  propeller wobbled in its fixed setting. Using the Force, Qui-Gon! had turned

  the machine's power against itself. The result was an underwater explosion

  that shook the interior of the silo and shattered the propeller. Large bits of

  shredded metal sailed past Qui-Gon in a rush of bubbles as he broke for the

  surface With the propeller's destruction, the steady thumping sound ended and

  the water level began to rise. As the rising water carried him to the top of

  the silo, Qui-Gon quickly reached the hatc
h. Grabbing the wheel-shaped opening

  mechanism, he turned hard; The rusted wheel crumbled in his hands as the water

  continued to rise. He was trapped!

  Qui-Gon tried concentrating on the hatch's unseen inner tock mechanism,

  but he found it difficult to remain calm. The rising water would soon be over

  his head. The Jedi Master's hand reached for his light - saber, tore it from

  his belt clip, and activated the blade. With a single, circular swing, he

  drove the lightsaber deep through the metal hatch. Then he deactivated the

  lightsaber and threw his weight hard against the center of the hatch, pushing

  it through its damaged frame. As the battered hatch crashed onto the floor of

  the next chamber, Qui - Gon leaped headfirst through the hole. A loud crunch

  sounded from his belt as he landed within a dry chamber. He had accidentally

  crushed his own comlink. Qui-Gon quickly rose to his feet and lifted the

  hatch's wreckage. He jammed the cut metal back in the hole just as water began

  to spill into the chamber. With the hatch sealed, Qui-Gon removed his breather

  and inspected his new surroundings. He stood in a large subterranean chamber.

  Dimly illuminated by glow rods, the stone-wailed room smelled of dust and

  decay. In the center of the chamber, three tall pillars rose from the stone

  floor to the brick ceiling.

  "Unnnnn," a voice moaned from behind one pillar.

  Running around the column, Qui-Gon found a semiconscious alien lying on

  the floor. A small yellow-scaled reptilian creature with a pronounced beak,

  the alien was clothed in a one tunic. His left foot was chained to the pillar

  and his right arm was missing below the elbow joint.

  "Are you okay?" Qui-Gon asked as he checked the alien's pulse. In this

  close proximity, Qui-Gon could tell that the alien's right arm had only

  recently been removed.

  "Oh, I'm just fine," the alien groaned, "except that the droids cut off