Star Wars - Episode I Adventures 002 - The Bartokk Assassins by Ryder Windham

Author:Ryder Windham
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 1999-09-30T23:00:00+00:00

There wasn’t any doubt in Obi-Wan’s mind that the bomb had been placed in the Headhunter by the Bartokks. Anyone else might have simply disabled the starship’s engine to prevent it from launching. Rigging the ship to blow up and kill anyone on board was more the Bartokks’ style.

Closing the transparisteel canopy had triggered the bomb’s timer. The beeping timer was also indicative of the Bartokks’ flair for booby traps. They didn’t just want their victims to be blown to pieces; they wanted them to know they were about to die.

Fortunately, Obi-Wan had studied bomb disposal on Coruscant and knew what to do. He located the trigger-wire that ran down from the timer in the canopy and traced it to the bomb’s location. It was directly under the seat. He reached down and let his fingers hover over the bomb, using the Force to trace the weapon’s subtle contours.

The bomb was a canister-shaped proton grenade, and Obi-Wan was familiar with the design. He pressed the twist plunger release and the grenade was instantly disarmed.

Obi-Wan removed the deactivated proton grenade from under his seat and gave it a quick study, then he secured it to his own weapons belt. He had a feeling the explosive device would come in handy later on, and he could hardly wait to return it to the Bartokks.

He activated the Headhunter’s repulsorlift. Dust kicked out from under the Headhunter as its engines fired, and Obi-Wan steered the fighter up and out of Docking Bay 28. He accelerated and zoomed away from Calamar. The Headhunter rocketed into the sky with great speed as Obi-Wan clenched his teeth and gripped the controls. Less than a minute later, the fighter had ascended through Esseles’ atmosphere and entered space.

Obi-Wan gazed outside the cockpit canopy and searched for the Bartokk freighter, but he only saw a field of stars. Even without a hyperdrive engine, the freighter was already well beyond visual range of Esseles.

Among Bama’s many modifications to the Headhunter was a powerful scan-mode sensor. Obi-Wan activated the unit and two distant blips appeared on the scanner grid. Uncertain of which blip represented the Bartokk freighter, the Padawan closed his eyes and reached out with the Force. From across space, he sensed a trail of fear leading directly to the nearest blip on the grid.

Obi-Wan was certain the trail was emanating from the young Talz hostage. Although he was reassured to know Bama’s son was still alive, it disturbed him to know the youth was in such a frightened state. Because of Obi-Wan’s upbringing among the Jedi, fear was not something he easily understood, but he felt sorry for Chup-Chup and was eager to rescue him from the Bartokks.

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and shook his head. “Perhaps some of Qui-Gon’s compassion has been rubbing off on me after all,” he muttered to himself.

He entered the nearest blip’s coordinates into the Headhunter’s nav computer and activated the drive system. The Headhunter’s speed increased so rapidly that he found himself suddenly pressed back into his seat.

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