Alliances (Star Wars: Thrawn, #2)(64)
“Not likely,” Anakin said. “Not with most of the Separatist army being droids. Though if there’s some exotic food they can sell for quick money, that might be worth all this trouble. The war’s bleeding the Separatists as dry as it is the Republic.”
“Perhaps,” Thrawn said, sounding doubtful. “Regardless, I believe that cargo is the key.”
“Right,” Anakin said. “Any other insights you’d like to share?”
“I believe this eastern section of the factory is the main center of interest,” Thrawn said. “There’s also activity in the northern section, though to a lesser degree. The southern section holds human workers, most likely locals, possibly slaves, while the western section appears to be unused.”
Belatedly, Anakin realized he was staring at the dividing wall between them. “Okay, you’re going to have to explain that one,” he said.
“My eyes see slightly more into the infrared than yours,” the Chiss said. “The major heat sources are in the eastern and southern sections, with some lesser amounts in the northern.”
“So machinery and personnel in those areas,” Anakin said, nodding.
“Correct,” Thrawn said. “The droids all came from the doors in the northern and southern ends of the eastern section, which again supports this area as the most prominent. I also note that the windows in the northern and eastern sections have been permanently sealed with thick slabs of ceramic, indicating the areas they most wish to defend from attack or surveillance. The windows on the western and southern sections are still open.”
“Where they don’t care as much about being seen,” Anakin said. “How do you figure they’re using slave labor?”
“Isn’t that a reasonable assumption from Separatist patterns?” Thrawn asked. “But I also note that the edges of the corridors we traveled along were less clean than the center. Either the laborers are slaves, who do only the minimum work required, or else they are locals, whom Duke Solha wishes to rush quickly through their jobs lest they see something he wishes to keep hidden.”
“And the fact that these cells are also in the eastern wing implies that this is where they can keep the best eye on us,” Anakin said.
“Indeed,” Thrawn said. “Though the design of these spaces suggests they were originally storage compartments and not cells. That may make escape easier.”
“It may,” Anakin said. “So now we at least know where to begin our investigation once we’re out of here. And after we find Padmé.”
“Yes.” Thrawn paused. “Remember what I said about victory being the most important goal.”
“Yes,” Anakin said. Yes, he remembered. He remembered very well.
But that didn’t mean he’d ever agreed.
The first day, as Padmé had expected, was the hardest.
She spent the whole day in the unfinished boat’s cabin, moving around as little as possible, listening to the occasional sound of vulture droids flying in the distance, listening for the rhythmic clanking that would indicate battle droids on patrol along the dry riverbank or swishing through the bushes and grasses surrounding it.
Fortunately, the vultures never came close. She heard no sign of battle droids at all.
The boat itself proved to be more of a problem. The metal of the deck slowly heated up in the sunlight, and by midafternoon the temperature had become oppressive. Still, the additional heat carried its own hidden benefit, making it less likely that any of the vulture droids would pick up her infrared signature.
Though it was hard to think that positively when her clothing was plastered to her body with sweat.
LebJau had promised to come back that evening with food and bedding. But she knew better than to rely on promises from strangers, and so rationed herself to one meal bar and a liter of water for the day.
She was feeling hungry and more than a little dehydrated when, to her relief and mild surprise, LebJau slipped back aboard the boat two hours after sunset with a thin bedroll, some dried meat, bread, and vegetable paste, and four liters of water.
He also brought the news, equally welcome, that the metalheads didn’t seem to have noticed her presence.
Still, he was skittish enough about that possibility that he didn’t stay long. But before he left he promised that he would return the next night with more food and water, and assured her that Grubs would be heading into town the next day to send out her messages.
Padmé spent the second day sitting beside one or the other of the cabin’s rough-edged portholes, waiting for droid patrols to make an appearance so that she could start mapping out their routine. But none came within her sight. During the afternoon she switched to looking up, watching for vulture droids. She spotted a few, but not enough for her to work out any pattern.
At first that bothered her. Separatists were usually better than this at local security. Maybe the operation was smaller than Duja had thought.
And that thought really bothered her. For Duja to give her life for an important discovery was one thing. To give it for something minor that would hardly affect the overall war effort was something else.
Still, LebJau had said there used to be more people here, and Cimy had suggested that the bulk of the earlier work had been research and development for whatever they were doing. The fact that this had been a major facility, coupled with the fact that they hadn’t simply shut it down and left, suggested that Cimy had been right.