Obi-wan and Ahsoka stood ready as the doors to their ship gave way to the docking corridor beyond that spiraled lazily towards the core of the station. The place looked well on its last leg. It wasn't just the dying lights that struggled to keep the hallway lit that told of such, flickering in their prolonged death that would no doubt be drawn out for several more standard months. He could taste it in the stale air that curdled on the back of his tongue, feel it in the eerie stillness and empty welcome as they were greeted only by the sound of their own footsteps and the groaning of ancient machinery that whined low in unsettling ambiance.
They pressed on, grime scratching into the metal hall beneath their boots as they walked. The silence fell heavier on Obi-wan's shoulders as something else came to meet them- a sickly sweet smell flooding his nostrils making his lip curling with involuntary revulsion.
It was awfully familiar, something he hadn't thought of since he left the lowest levels of Coruscant. It was the sort of thing he knew would stick with him forever, lingering in the back of his mind, waiting to be recalled in some moment such as this. That life seemed so far away, yet not far at all- lurking in the alleys and shadows.
The temple and its stark halls, its Jedi and their ceremoniously plain robes with their rigidly cold rules pulled him in, as if he had never left. As if he were still one of them. A Padawan had been left carelessly under his tutelage, as if he had never failed the first time. As if he had anything left to actually give.
"Master, what is that smell?" Ahsoka asked, holding a hand to her nose to stave off the bite as the putrid aroma thickened in the air.
Obi-wan felt a fist clench around his gut, and he knew Ahsoka felt his hesitation, the darkness that surrounded it, the self doubt that preceded it.
"I'm not entirely sure," Obi-wan answered, censoring himself to an extent. His feelings told him this mission was doomed from the start, his senses told him the stink was that of rotting flesh. But one could never be sure, and the last thing he needed was a panicked Padawan, which would certainly bring ruin to both of them.
"Where is everyone?" Ahsoka asked again, her questions quickly becoming incessant.
"Your guess is as good as mine, young one." Obi-wan returned, his eyes trained sharply on the crest of the hall as it spiraled inwards still, every hair standing on end. "But if you spent half as much energy observing as you do asking questions, you might actually learn something."
Obi-wan felt a thrum of acquiescence pass through their bond as Ahsoka went silent. Obediently she pulled her focus in kind. As they got closer to the main hold the lights struggled even more to stay alive, and an even greater number of them had already died entirely.
Is it too late to go back yet, Master? Ahsoka asked silently, her small voice sounding inside his skull.
Her voice nearly startled him. It stood to reason she would have learned how to communicate in such a way with her late Master. The last voice he heard inside his head was Anakins, and however embarrassingly childish, Obi-wan realized he had thoughtlessly and unofficially reserved that mode of communication for Anakin alone. Sharing that with anyone else felt too invasive. It was just another mark of proof that he was far from ready to train anyone.
Ahsoka shot him a sorry glance, sensing the breach of expectation, that shouldn't have been a breach to begin with. Obi-wan grumbled at himself silently, pushing his ridiculous emotions to the back of his mind.
Stay focused and everything will be fine. Obi-wan returned with a look of reassurance that should have been more genuine.
If you say so Master. Ahsoka replied, a grim look on her face.
Finally they met with a set of doors that led to the interior of the station, seemingly locked from the inside. The lights flickered, waxed and waned as he examined the glowing keypad, punching in a few different standard combinations to try and gain access. With no luck, he began to scan the hall for a sufficiently sized ventilation duct to utilize instead.
Impatient, Ahsoka quickly thumbed on her lightsaber and slashed the locking mechanism through, sending sparks of bright white-orange flying everywhere, temporarily blinding the both of them.
"Ahsoka!" Obi-wan snapped.
"You wanted it open, didn't you?" She replied, keying her saber off and stowing it away on her belt with a smug expression. "Problem solved."
"Did you ever stop to think that perhaps announcing our presence wasn't the best idea?" Obi-wan hissed, implications of the separatist ship not far off from the station pressing across their bond.
Ahsoka's face turned apologetic quickly, her eyes wide and worried as they looked into the main space beyond, seeing it empty as well. The smell was less pervasive here, or perhaps they were getting used to the stink. Either way its presence couldn't mean anything good. And that along with the ominous emptiness of the place settled uneasily in his stomach.
Satisfied that they had gone unnoticed, Ahsoka's expression lightened a fraction before it turned serious again. "Where is everyone?" She asked in a whisper.
Obi-wan let the question go unanswered as they stepped past the doors into the main space. Immediately he noticed the primary lighting was out, replaced by the dim orange emergency lighting that glowed softly from the corners of the ceiling and floor, suggesting lockdown protocols were in effect.
Obi-wan reached out, sensing for any life nearby. He sensed there were some people left on the station, he could see them like pinpricks of light in an ocean of darkness. But there was something else there with them, and it pushed back at him as he reached out, sending a cold chill up his spine.
It was dark, void of life, yet somehow, not dead. And it was massive- growing. Learning, yet not sentient. Not yet. But he could feel it reaching, stealing, consuming everything it could. He had never felt something like this in his entire life- not quite like this. There was only one thing that even came close… and that was one thing he never allowed himself to think about. It was better that way.
"We're going to do a sweep of the station, then we're going to leave." Obi-wan said quietly. "I sense a few others on board, but not many," he added grimly. He wondered if their contact was among one of the few left alive, but doubted it.
"What do you think happened?" Ahsoka asked innocently.
Obi-wan's insides hardened. A cascade of terrible thoughts swelled through his mind. "The others must have left, or died. Judging from the smell of this place… i'm thinking the latter."
Ahsoka looked around, a shade more fearful than before. "Remember what I said. Focus on the moment." Obi-wan reminded her. She nodded dutifully. "Follow me." Obi-wan commanded, she nodded again.
Treading quietly, Obi-wan began scanning over the various retail and food booths that were left abandoned near the sides of the space, rotting fruit and expensive trinkets lying waywardly throughout. Many of the halls and rooms were sealed off with their blast doors locked down tight. Obi-wan had the sense to leave them as such.
"Why do you think the separatists are here?" Ahsoka asked, as they were nearly half way through searching the main hold's market space. "There aren't any droids here, not even one."
"Not that we've sceen." Obi-wan corrected. "There are a lot of locked doors in this place."
"And you want to search through them all?" Ahsoka asked hesitantly.
"Not quite." Obi-wan replied. "But our orders are to find the contact. Hopefully, they're still alive. If not, they might have intel on their person."
"And you think that's how this is all going to go down?" Ahsoka asked, doubt in her voice.
"What do you think?" Obi-wan asked openly, scanning over the next booth, holding his nose as he found a pile of rotting bantha meat, at least three days untouched.
"That's not what my gut is telling me." Ahsoka said warily.
"And what is your gut telling you?" Obi-wan asked in a teaching voice.
"That this place is bad news, and that something bad is going to happen." Ahsoka responded.
Obi-wan nodded, turning away from the rancid meat to inspect the next stand. "I feel the same."
The truth was he hoped that the foreboding was related to some event that had already come to pass, that whatever swept through the station, taking most of its residents in its wake was the terrible thing he felt. He knew better. He could feel that thing, nearly prodding at his own presence now, just as he had reached out and sensed it to start. It made his skin cringe and his stomach weak. He knew whatever it was, it wasn't over. And it was still hungry, searching for things to consume. He felt it behind every locked door, cold and waiting.
"If we split up we can work faster." Ashoka said in suggestion. "I'm going to work from the other end of the market, we can meet in the middle."
Obi-wan nodded sternly. "Be careful, and pay attention," he reminded her. Ahsoka nodded back at him, her youthful face pinched tight between her brows.
She was taking things seriously. It was a good sign, one of growing maturity. Had they been tasked with this mission a month ago he doubted she would have taken the weight of the assignment to heart. But a lot could change in the span of a month. Entire worlds could fall in mere seconds, afterall. Nightmares could come to life in even less.
One thing that became apparent as he searched over the abandoned remains of the market, was that things went awry rather quickly. Credits, raw gems and exotic spices that he knew were rare and coveted still lie open for the taking. Not even scavengers or common thieves had enough time, or nerve, to stake a claim on the ripe pickings.
He moved on and on, seeing the same theme throughout until a sound broke his concentration, coming from the back corner of the market. Something had been carelessly dropped or kicked. It sounded like a woven basket, scuttering across the floor. Obi-wan told Ahsoka to be careful, to stay quiet and remain alert. This was no time for making careless mistakes.
Ahsoka! Obi-wan reprimanded sharply across their bond.
"It wasn't me, Master," Ahsoka whispered almost inaudibly from behind, startling him.
He felt a cold rush sweep across him, prickling on his skin. Obi-wan tried to swallow the fear that gripped his core, and resented the fact that he was supposed to put on a show of fearlessness. There was no emotion, afterall, only peace, according to the code. But that was fake, he knew. There was fear. And passion, and anger, and hopelessness. Peace was the thing everyone chased after, but he wondered if anyone ever truly found it. At a time he thought he had. Of course even then he supposed he was simply in denial.
Another rasping sound came from the far corner of the market, this time not as loud. Obi-wan started in it's direction, taking his unlit saber in hand as a precaution. Ahsoka followed at a slight distance only a few steps behind.
His eyes pierced the dimly lit space in search of the threat, seeing nothing. He forced his breathing steady when his chest wanted to freeze. It wasn't typical for him to be so quick to give in to fear, not that he was a stranger to it at all. But the shadows played tricks on his mind, pulling his own worst fears from the darkened corners where he kept them tucked away. He was haunted by memories of a dark place, with dark things and dark intent, and the horrid things that transpired there.
He needed to compose himself, he needed to stay calm. He was transparent and he knew it. The last thing he needed was Ahsoka to emulate his poor example. His fear was getting the better of him, because he couldn't keep his mind on the moment. Because he kept on seeing hollowed out sinuous creatures lingering on the edges of his vision, waiting to strike out.
And what were the separatists doing on this edge of space? Why was the station in lockdown? Why did the stink of rotting flesh fill the air, and where was everyone?
Obi-wan's mind spun, reeling through questions that would have been obvious if he took a moment to collect himself. He knew that, too. But he couldn't stop because the monsters never did, he couldn't let his guard down for a single moment. He couldn't let anything happen, wouldn't let anything happen.
Another scuffling sound echoed from the darkness, behind a vendor's booth.
He knew where everyone was.
Dead. They were all dead, save for the few still alive he sensed earlier. They were all dead and everything happened too quickly for anyone to do anything about it. How long till the rest of them blinked out, too?
The unknown threat loomed over him, taunting him with its ambiguity and lethality, reminding him of how little it took to break his own will. And he realized, he was afraid of himself far more than whatever waited for them, vaguely conscious and rife with darkness. But his hair still stood on end, his muscles wound and taut, ready to strike.
The sudden rapping of bare feet against the metal floor sounded out, headed towards him in an unsteady gait from the booth he cased slowly towards. He saw a figure now, small and gaunt, fleshed out still but barely. His heart caught in his throat as he ignited his saber, ready to swing and slice the thing in two. Then his muscles froze, terror paralyzing him.
The figure pulled a ragged gasp before lurching forwards, throwing its small arms around his waist. Small sobbs began to sound from the being- child- that trembled as it clung to him. Obi-wan disengaged his saber, quickly and shakily clipping it to his belt.
Terror still struck through him, fearful of what his own hands were capable of, as the small, fragile creature hung onto him for dear life.
"What's a little one like you doing out here all alone?" Ahsoka asked softly, kneeling down and putting a hand on the child's shoulder.
Obi-wan's heart still pounded in his ears, hoping his Padawan hadn't noticed the unforgivable lapse in judgement. Stick-thin arms still gripped him hard, the small face leaking tears onto his clothes. The child couldn't have been older than nine or ten years old. Because he couldn't stay objective, he might have killed an innocent youngling. His stomach sourered, twisting in his gut.
"Mmm… my mom," the child let out between cries. "Help her, please."
Obi-wan knelt down to face the youngling, seeing the two miniature lekku fall down her shoulders. The girl's face was sunken, she probably hadn't eaten in over a week.
"We'll help, just show us the way." Obi-wan said gently. Tearfully the girl nodded, taking fists to wipe the beading moisture from her eyes. Firmly the girl gripped Obi-wan's hand and pulled him down into a corridor beyond the market. The hall was poorly lit just like the rest of the place, once bright glowing signs deadened in the ominous orange glow.
"How long have you been here all alone?" Ahsoka asked softly.
The child didn't answer, only proceeding to pull harder on Obi-wan's hand, the peaks of her green knuckles turning white. The hallway snaked downwards in a slight but significant decline. Signs for bars and cheap inns lined the empty place, all with their blast doors cinched tight. Trash littered the ground, and now Obi-wan thought he could make out traces of blood scattered on the floor.
"Master," Ahsoka whispered, her eyes wide with fear, trained on the wall ahead of them. Smears of blackened blood and bits of tissue hung there, an unforgettable mural of violence and death.
Where are all the bodies? Ahsoka asked, saving the youngling's ears from the question. Not that it was saving her from much, if she lived to see any of the horrors that must have unfolded.
Obi-wan shook his head. I'm not sure I want to know.
Still not a single droid in sight Ahsoka remarked, a serious pensive look on her face.
Whatever did this, didn't use blasters Obi-wan nodded in agreement. No- it used claws and teeth. As he thought about it, he hadn't seen a single blaster mark since they entered the station.
Finally reaching their destination, the youngling tugged Obi-wan in the direction of what looked like a small lounge. Worn red chaises and battered tables stood scattered throughout the space with a raised stage in the center. Lines of white powder and pills adorned the table tops, drinks in cheap disposable cups left haphazardly among them. Ahsoka's eyes widened with surprise, sadness palpable in her aura.
The young girl took them to the back hall where what looked like dorm rooms lined either side, their doors staggered every few feet. Towards the back the girl stopped and let go of Obi-wan's hand. The door they stood before looked tattered, scratches and chunks taken out of it both old and new. The child took hold of the silver knob and twisted, forcing the door open. It took a little effort with the hinges barely holding the thing up.
"Mom, I'm home," the girl said quietly. "I brought help."
The small room didn't have emergency lighting, but instead it was illuminated with several snap-lights, probably fished from countless emergency aid packs. The blusih-white light cast a limited glow over their surroundings. Obi-wan could see the room was empty aside from a mattress at the center where a Twi'lek woman lie, strewn across it in sweat stained clothes. The child climbed next to her, shaking her shoulder, rousing her to some level of consciousness.
"Mom, I'm back," the girl said again. "It's going to be okay, they're going to help us."
Obi-wan knelt by the woman's side as she strained to keep her eyes open, squinting with effort to look at him. Her skin might have been blue, but between her sickness and the dull light she looked, gray. She struggled to pull enough breath to speak, but she was conscious.
"Is it true?" The woman asked, pain in her voice.
"We will do everything we can to help." Obi-wan vowed. "But we need to know what happened here."
"A… plague." The woman gasped out. "It all happened so fast. They said they would send help."
"They?" Obi-wan asked.
"The Confederacy. They were here when it started. They promised to bring medicine, food, water…" The woman trailed off. "They put the station in lockdown and left. They abandoned us."
Obi-wan looked at Ahsoka, who knelt attentively at his side. "First it was just the sickness, it took half of us. Then the monsters…" She said, her eyes pulled tight with fear. "I was trying to gather food for Merrith and I when one of them got me." She said, putting a hand on her abdomen, wincing.
"May I have a look?" Obi-wan asked. The woman nodded. Gently he pulled up at the worn edge of her shirt, revealing dark gouges in her flesh, seeping wet, dark red. In the light it almost looked black, but he couldn't quite tell.
Ahsoka gasped. "We might be able to help you, but you'll have to come with us. We can get both of you out of here." Obi-wan said quietly.
"We'll never make it." The woman said. "I don't even know how you made it this far."
"Take Merrith and get her out of here,' she begged. "Please."
Obi-wan felt the woman's life fading fast. She probably didn't have even an hour left, and forcing her into their ship would be more torture than mercy. He nodded sadly. "Alright."
"Alright?" Ahsoka said critically. "We can't just leave her here."
Obi-wan turned to her, his eyes stern. "Use your senses, Padawan." She won't make it out of here. She's dying, and there's nothing we can do to change that.
Ahsoka looked at him sharply before her expression saddened. "Yes Master."
The woman closed her eyes, relief settling over her face. "Thank...you…" She breathed. "Go with them now, Merrith. Be a good girl."
"No, I'm staying with you." Merrith said obstinately, curling up into her mother's arms. "I'm not leaving."
"I'll be right behind you. I just want to rest a bit first." The woman said, her eyes glossed over. "I'm very tired."
The girl started to cry, huddling into her mother's shoulder. "There there now, don't cry. I'm always with you, every time you think of me." She said smoothly, consolingly, running a hand over the girls forehead. "Now go with the nice people and help them get their ship ready. I'll be there."
Tearfully the girl nodded, rising back to her feet hesitantly, wiping at her eyes. "Okay."
"There's my good girl." The woman sighed, closing her eyes.
"Alright, time to get going." Obi-wan said, taking Merrith's hand. He looked back at the Twi'lek woman, giving her a solemn nod of understanding. Take care of her, the woman mouthed silently. Obi-wan nodded again, a promise in his eyes, one that he vowed to keep.
"We can't just leave the others. We have to save them, too." Ahsoka said softly. "You said you sensed them before."
Obi-wan reached out again, his heart sinking to his stomach. Gingerly he shook his head. "I don't feel anyone else anymore. I think... we're all that's left."
Ahsoka returned him with a worried look, before she set her eyes front again. The three of them made their way back down the hall, through the lounge and out into the corridor in silence, orange lights still dimly burning. The smell barely registered anymore. When he breathed in deeply enough he could still taste it, but tried not to.
"Master," Ahsoka whispered, staring at the gore streaked wall as they tread past it again, all three of them tip toeing as silently as they could. The monsters she talked about. They did this.
Obi-wan tensed as he walked up the ascending ramp, keeping his eye trained on the crest of the hall. The claw marks on that woman's belly, the proof of violence in the bloodied walls and floor. But where were the bodies?
And the Separatists? Why would they be watching the station from a distance after promising help? Why would they offer help at all? They only ever offered to lend a hand if there was something they wanted, and right now they wanted to watch and wait, for whatever reason. In it all, the growing darkness surrounded everything.
Watch over the girl, if anything happens we meet at the ship, understand? Obi-wan told Ahsoka through their bond as they slowly made their way out into the vacant market space at the heart of the station.
Yes Master.
Now stay close, and keep your eyes open.
Ahsoka nodded, taking her saber in hand as a precaution. Obi-wan did the same. Merrith looked between them with wide eyes, but stayed silent. The market looked untouched since they had crossed it last. After all that was not even half an hour before. They passed through again without incident. Obi-wan was almost afraid to count themselves lucky, there was still space between their ship and their current location, afterall.
Passing through the door that led to the auto-docks, the orange glow gave way to the dim flickering lights that lined the hallway. Obi-wan glanced back to see Ahsoka and the youngling in steady tow only a few paces behind. Now he could see Merrith's green skin, shaded ashy and pale no doubt for the malnutrition she was suffering, compounded by the fact she was long due for a bath.
Obi-wan turned straight ahead again, clipping his saber to his belt. He almost allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief, but something told him he hadn't earned it yet. Instead he put one foot in front of the other, forcing himself to go on when every bit of him screamed against it. His stomach clenched and writhed, his breath caught in his chest. Just a few more steps, just around one more bend, then they would see the dock. Then he could breathe.
"We're here," Ahsoka said happily. "We made it."
Obi-wan turned to look at her and the youngling, cold hands wringing his heart. Behind them not ten paces away was a swaying figure, stumbling staggered steps towards them, dragging a trail of black inky blood from its shredded feet. It's face was sunken, but its eyes were still whole, sneering at him through a broken jaw and missing teeth.
Monster, Obi-wan warned, pulling his saber to hand. His feet were still planted firmly in place, guarding the door to the ship. Ahsoka's eyes went wide as she took Merrith's hand and slowly, steadily made their way to the door, not daring to look behind them.
Obi-wan watched the beast as the girls scurried past him, into the ship. His eyes were glued on it's unnatural features, seeing with horror, claws sprouting where its hands should have been. For a second he thought he could hear it, whispering in his head, a spark of dark joy lighting in its empty eyes for what it found there.
It was massive, dark, growing even still- more than the sum of its parts. This beast was just a drop in an ocean, he felt it reaching out. And the face twisted, changed, sprouting blue eyes where there had been black. An auburn beard, disheveled hair and dusty tunics flecked with blood. Those blue eyes were dark and brooding even still, empty yet full of wicked things. He saw a beast even worse than the one before, standing before him now, staring into hell's mirror.
A dark sadistic grin took hold as the monster sauntered closer, faster, graceful in step. An arm reached up, waving forward, a call for reinforcements. A gut wrenching siren scream cut through the air as the floor rumbled, a sea of dark corpses cresting the hall at both ends, stumbling and writhing, running at him. Hive mind. One unified, singular consciousness.
Master! Ahsoka cried, ripping his focus away, spurring him to action. Quickly he sprinted to the ship's door, flying through it as fast as he could and locking it behind him. Not a second later a sea of bodies slammed against the blast door, cries and high pitched whines piercing through.
Obi-wan looked around frantically, seeing Merrith huddled in a corner, her head buried in her arms. Ahsoka stood at the ready, waiting for orders.
"Get her belted in, i'm getting us out of here." Obi-wan ordered, rushing to the helm. Ahsoka obediently listened, springing to action. Quickly engaging the engines he tried to disengage the auto-dock, with no success.
Lockdown procedures, he thought bitterly. Kind enough to let them in, but damned to the seven hells if you wanted to leave. He could still hear the endless sea of flesh pelting at the emergency doors, the soulless screeching and screaming.
Obi-wan keyed on his com and hailed the temple, hoping the Separatists hadn't counted on needing to block coms.
"This is Obi-wan Kenobi, in need of immediate assistance at these coordinates. Koda station is down, and there is a Separatist presence here. Send evac immediately." He said, quickly sending off the message before he sent out a distress signal. Doing that would catch notice, but so would jettisoning an escape pod.
Only seconds after the transmission, Obi-wan saw the silver glimmer of hyena bombers take flight in the distance, gliding away from the cruiser and towards them. Not a moment to waste, Obi-wan rushed to the central hold where Ahsoka had managed to strap in the tearful youngling.
"Change of plans." Obi-wan said hastily, dryly. "Get in the escape pods."
"There's only one!" Ahsoka exclaimed.
"Alright, change of plans. Get to the escape pod." Obi-wan said, unbelting the youngling and ushering both girls to the other end of the ship.
"I don't like your plan." Ahsoka said stubbornly.
"Me either." Obi-wan replied, pulling the hatch open to the small two-man escape pod. It would be a tight fit, but they would have to make due. "But I do find it preferable to dying."
Glancing out the viewport he could see the hyena bombers circling closer now, launching a strafe of missiles aimed for the central hold of the station. They didn't just want them dead, they wanted the entire station destroyed. They were hiding something, and Obi-wan didn't need to guess to know what it was.
The first bombardment sent a shockwave through the station, sending the girls tumbling into the escape pod head first. Obi-wan held onto the pod's door, waiting, watching. It was better to wait till the last second, to hide their exit among the debris. Of course it made their escape riskier, and they took the chance of shrapnel puncturing their small cabin, but it was a risk they had to take. If they were noticed, they would be killed long before help arrived.
Another wave of bombers cycled through, this time landing blows closer to where the ship was docked. Obi-wan could smell the sulfur tinged ozone waft in the air, delicate and ominous.
Jumping into the pod Obi-wan slammed the door and wrenched it shut, hand hovering over the jettison switch. Just a few more seconds, he thought.
Another wave of missiles fell, at least one of them grazing the ship, rocking the pod violently. His hand slammed against the switch hard and then the repulsors kicked in, shoving them away from the ship with massive force.
It took him a second to realize there were only two belts in the pod, and thankfully Ahsoka had been smart enough to cinch both herself and the youngling down. The force of launch had knocked him to the floor, but he positioned himself well enough to avoid being jarred any further. It was a small cabin, after all.
In the distance he saw another wave of bombers attack the station, balls of fiery orange and bright white exploding and imploding in the vacuum of space beyond. Merrith starred out of the hold, tears running down her face, the bottom of a sob in her throat. Obi-wan felt grief surround her. It was terrible to be helpless, watching someone suffer, with no way to help. So many things in life were that way.
Ahsoka unbelted and went to her, holding the youngling in her arms as she cried. Obi-wan sat there and simply felt numb. With the station destroyed they drifted in the rubble, as the hyena bombers flew back to nest. There was no sign that they were noticed, and that did provide him some relief. He was confident his message got through, and the brief distress signal would push for urgent relief, or so he hoped.
Obi-wan finally, allowed himself to close his eyes and breathe.
