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“Then we’ll hope to be released before lunch,” Obi-Wan said.

Thal K’sar was slumped in a corner, his long-fingered hands cuffed in front of him. Slender even for a Bith, he was well dressed and seemingly unharmed. Obi-Wan recalled that he had been arrested only the previous day.

K’sar glanced up, but didn’t return Obi-Wan’s nod of greeting.

“Some fix,” Anakin said loudly when the cell sealed. “Good job back there.”

Obi-Wan played along. “You didn’t help matters any by flooring that security guard.”

“Ah, she had it coming.”

Anakin ambled over to where K’sar was huddled.

“What landed you in here?” he asked.

Though surprised to hear his own language spoken by a human, K’sar kept silent. When Anakin made a second attempt, the Bith said in Basic, “It’s none of your concern. Please leave me alone.”

Anakin shrugged and joined Obi-Wan on the far side of the room.

“Patience,” Obi-Wan said quietly.

Backs pressed to the filthy wall, the two of them sank down onto their haunches.

Less than a standard hour had passed when they heard voices in the corridor. The door grated open, revealing Travale and two Aqualish security officers. Without a word, the aliens standing to either side of Travale grabbed him by the arms and hurled him headlong into the cell.

Obi-Wan caught him before he hit the floor.

“Another unexpected development?”

Travale was cuffed, and rattled. “My cover’s blown,” he said quietly. “Don’t know how, or by whom.”

Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan. “No coincidence.”

“Someone is onto us.” Obi-Wan left it at that.

“Now what?”

“Where you able to arrange anything?” Obi-Wan asked Travale.

He nodded. “Power failure. Brief, but more than enough time for you to get out of here.”

“Us,” Anakin amended. “You’re coming along.”

“I appreciate that.” He frowned in uncertainty. “Hope I wasn’t wrong in figuring that you two will be able open the door … manually, I mean.”

“We can open the door,” Obi-Wan assured him.

“How long before the power fails?” Anakin asked.

“An hour from now.” Travale glanced at K’sar. “What about him?”

Anakin stood up and crossed the room. “I know you’re not interested in small talk, but we think we may have a way out of here. Does that interest you?”

The Bith’s lidless black eyes grew considerably larger. “Yes. Yes! Thank you.”

“Just be ready.”

“Take the tunnel to the left of the guard station,” Travale was telling Obi-Wan when Anakin returned. “Keep taking lefts until you reach a stairway, then follow that to the docking level.”

“You’re going a different way?” Anakin said.

“Someone has to deactivate the tractor beam, or your ship’s not leaving. Two levels below this one there’s a power coupling station. I know just enough to disable it temporarily.”

“You’re not going alone,” Obi-Wan said.

Anakin grinned at him. “I believe it’s your turn …”

Obi-Wan didn’t argue. “That means K’sar goes with you. Don’t allow him out of your sight, Anakin.”

Travale nodded toward the cell block corridor. “We’ll still have the guards to deal with.”

“Don’t worry about them,” Anakin said.

Spreading his hands, he snapped the cuffs from his wrists. Obi-Wan did the same, then snapped Travale’s open.

Travale smiled broadly. “I love a good plan.”

Anakin and Obi-Wan were standing by the door when the cell’s grime-encrusted illuminator faltered and died. Obi-Wan shoved his hands sideways through the air, and the door retracted.

Travale shook his head in wonderment. “It never ceases to amaze me.”

Anakin swung to K’sar. “Now! Hurry!”

The four of them moved into the unlit hall.

“Emergency power should come on shortly,” Travale said.

Ahead of them they could hear the five guards toggling switches on the console and speaking in excited voices. Anakin wasn’t halfway to the anteroom when one of the guards appeared at the end of the narrow corridor. The Aqualish’s huge eyes allowed him to see in the dark, but not as well as the Bith, nor as well as the Jedi. Before the guard could realize what was happening, his