Part 38 (1/2)

They pushed themselves into a jog and followed the s.h.i.+eld perimeter to Generator Seven. For the first time in days, Obi-Wan looked at the droids on its other side. Thirty of them in this section, steadily blasting away. He felt a hot rage rise.

Anakin glanced at him. ”I know. ” Then he peered through the s.h.i.+eld and past the droids. ”I can't see her, Obi-Wan. Or feel her. Are you sure Master Damsin's...”

”Quite sure. Stand by the generator. ”

156.

”Yes, Master, ” Anakin murmured, and did as he was told.

Centering himself, Obi-Wan pulled his lightsaber from the inside pocket of his filthy, tattered s.h.i.+rt and ignited the blade. Clean blue light sliced through the bombardment's red glow.

Taria? Here.

He felt her energy burst through the Force, heard Anakin's swiftly indrawn breath as he felt it, too. And then there was a chatter of mechanical alarm and battle droids were flying pell-mell into the air. Force-pushed like so many unwanted dolls.

Now, Obi-Wan! Now!

”Now, Anakin, ” he said, and braced himself, lightsaber lifted.

Anakin cut the generator. First came a whining growl; then a section of plasma barrier collapsed. The scattered droids regrouped and opened fire.

”Obi-Wan!” said Anakin. ”Let me...”

”No, ” he said, knocking blaster bolts aside to left and right. ”Stand by that s.h.i.+eld!”

He felt Taria Force-sprinting toward him, but he still couldn't see her. She must've been way behind the lines. Another eruption of droids. She was pus.h.i.+ng and sprinting, the crazy woman.

Hurry, Taria, hurry. I can't hold them much longer.

His lightsaber felt so heavy. He'd used up nearly all his strength in the sick house, poured it into the bodies of the men and women and children he didn't want to die. Vision smearing, he heard Anakin curse, felt a sting of pain in him.

”It's nothing, it only singed me! Obi-Wan...”

”I know, I know, ” he gasped, struggling to stay on his feet, fighting to deflect the barrage of laser bolts. ”She's nearly here- nearly...”

Then he saw her, stumbling out of her Force sprint into ordinary running, all her strength used up, just like him. Full of desperate intensity, just like him. Taria, who shouldn't be here... and somehow was.

As she crossed the s.h.i.+eld perimeter a blaster bolt caught her high in the back. She cried out and went down hard, skidding face-first across the dirt and gra.s.s.

”Taria!” He dropped his lightsaber and lunged for her. ”Anakin, get the s.h.i.+eld up!”

But Anakin didn't need telling. Generator Seven was already humming back to life, a fresh flow of plasma particles resealing them inside the village. Then at the last moment a cloud of mosquito droids slipped through the swiftly closing gap and descended on them in a swarm.

”I've got them!” shouted Anakin. ”You look after Taria!”

On his knees beside her, Obi-Wan watched as Anakin s.n.a.t.c.hed up his dropped lightsaber with one hand and ignited his own weapon with the other. The twelve mosquitoes attacked- and within heartbeats he'd slashed them all to sc.r.a.p metal.

Obi-Wan turned back to Taria, so still on the cold, hard ground-and his relief surrendered to a raw and shocking grief.

No, no, not like this. It's too soon. Taria- ”Hold on, ” he begged her. ”I'm with you. Don't go. ”

He felt Anakin close behind him. ”Obi-Wan, is she...”

His fingers were pressed to the pulse in her throat. He felt her blood, moving. Felt his eyes sting. ”No. She's alive. ”

157.

Groaning, Taria half rolled over. ”Don't worry, ” she wheezed. ”You can't get rid of me that easily. The bodysuit's a present from Senator Organa. Experimental. New energy- dispersal fabric. I'm a little singed, hut not perforated. ” Another groan. ”Help me sit up. ”

Obi-Wan slid his arm beneath her and lifted. When she was upright she let out a long sigh, then smiled at him. ”Why, h.e.l.lo there, handsome. What's a nice boy like you doing on a backworld like this?”

Pent-up rage and terror exploded through him. ”Taria...”

”Don't shout at me, I'm slightly wounded, ” she said, then smiled past him at Anakin. ”Greetings, Master Skywalker. Or can I call you Skyguy?”

Anakin dropped to one knee, still holding both deactivated lightsabers. ”Call me anything you like, Master Damsin, provided you tell us what's going on. ”

The air boomed and echoed as the thwarted droids emptied their blasters against the plasma barrier. Eyebrows raised, Taria stared at them.

”Tell me that s.h.i.+eld's going to hold, first. ”

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin. ”It'll hold. ” He took back his lightsaber and tucked it into his s.h.i.+rt. ”Taria, please. What are you doing here?”

”The very short version?” She winced, easing her right shoulder. ”Durd's compound's destroyed. His stockpiles of bioweapon are gone with it, blown to smithereens. ”

”What about Durd?” said Anakin.

”The barve's still in one piece, ” she said. ”He wasn't there. ”

Anakin's disappointment was palpable. ”Then where is he? And where's his pet scientist Doctor Fhernan?”

Obi-Wan tried to check the blaster-hit in Taria's back, but she pushed his hand away, impatient. ”Durd's somewhere on Lanteeb. As for Bant'ena Fhernan-I'm sorry. She's dead. ”

”Dead?” Anakin stared at her. ”You blew her up with the compound?”

Taria's face was full of sorrow. ”No, she blew herself up. Anakin, all she cared about was making sure you and Obi-Wan were safe.

And-she wanted to make amends. ”

Obi-Wan exchanged glances with Anakin, then sighed. ”So, you left the explosives with her and came after us? Taria...”

”It was her choice, Obi-Wan. I honored it. ”

Of course you did. Taking her hand, he checked the thready pulse in her wrist. ”We'll talk about it later. What else is...”

”There are more droids on the way, ” Taria said grimly. ”With a lot of ammunition. My guess is they're right behind me. ”