Author's Note: This chapter takes place directly following The Mandalorian: Chapter 13: The Jedi.
Ahsoka Tano had completed her mission after many dismal days and dark nights spent in the cover of Corvus's barren forest. With the unexpected aid of a Mandalorian, she had breached the city Calodan's walls and defeated the cruel magistrate Morgan Elsbeth.
Morgan Elsbeth had confessed all she knew of Grand Admiral Thrawn as the blade of Ahsoka's lightsaber buzzed threateningly close to her throat. Elsbeth had told of a clandestine Imperial base on Naboo that the Chiss Grand Admiral had been frequenting. As Ahsoka powered up her T-6 shuttle to depart Corvus, her mind drifted back to her days as a padawan. Ahsoka recalled the Separatist laboratory located beneath Naboo's forest. She knew exactly where to go.
As Ahsoka reached for her shuttle's navicomputer, a fervor for finding Thrawn and bringing him to justice burned within her. The thought struck her that finding Thrawn would also lead to learning the fate of Ezra Bridger.
The face of a close friend— Sabine Wren— popped into Ahsoka's mind. Sabine and Ezra had had a close relationship. For years since the purrgil had pulled him into hyperspace aboard Thrawn's Star Destroyer, Sabine had remained on Lothal, living out of the comms tower that he had called home, holding vigil for him. Outwardly, like any Mandalorian, she appeared tough, strong, and brave. She presented herself as impenetrable as her armor, the beskar she wore a metaphor. Inwardly, she had been devastated, alone on the top of that tower for years, waiting for when, or if Ezra Bridger would return.
Ahsoka typed in the coordinates for Lothal and jumped to hyperspace.
Sabine Wren slumped over the railing of her comms tower abode as she watched over Lothal's Capital City. The Empire had long been abolished on Lothal and peace had prospered the planet. For Sabine, though, blessed placidity had long faded into dreadful monotony.
The engines of spacecraft roared and a shadow passed overhead. an X-wing escort flanked Ahsoka's shuttle, breaking the bored routine that had become Sabine's daily life. Playful loth-wolves gave chase and loth-cats sprang out of the way as Sabine raced across the grassy plain on her speeder bike. Soon, she stood before the mural depicting her and her found family— the crew of the Ghost. Sabine longed to see Ezra again as she brushed her fingers against his face painted onto the cold stone. A shadow darkened the mural. A shrouded Ahsoka stood waiting. Her shuttle idled a short distance away.
"I've been searching for a lead and I've found one." Ahsoka reported as she and Sabine boarded the ship. "A magistrate that worked under Thrawn said he frequents a base on Naboo."
"Naboo?" Sabine questioned. "I thought they'd be in the Unknown Regions."
Ahsoka cautioned as she piloted her ship out of Lothal's atmosphere, "Naboo isn't as peaceful as it seems. The Emperor was from there, and years ago during the Clone Wars there was an underground Separatist lab on Naboo. I have a feeling that the lab might be in use again."
In the heart of Naboo's capital city Theed, Chef Aclik Karanlik prepared for dinner service in the kitchen of his prestigious Flora Gardens restaurant . A feeling, a fear, a fury—the dark side of the Force, called him away from his kitchen. Aclik Karanlik stepped out onto the grand patio of his restaurant and looked to the sky as a Jedi shuttle zoomed overhead.
Aclik raced to the basement of his restaurant. There, a secret doorway led to a tunnel. Aclik looked over his shoulder to be sure he was alone. Stealthily he sneaked into the tunnel. He sprinted the length of the passageway to his lair— what used to be a Separatist lab.
The lab concealed a menagerie of Imperial projects that he was in charge of. Aclik rushed to conceal the evidence. The Jedi was coming. He could feel it. The sensitive materials in his lab were too much to hide in one trip. He would have to return.
In Naboo's forest, Ahsoka and Sabine inspected the sun-speckled ground.
"I found a hatch!" Sabine announced. She uncovered the durasteel door. Ahsoka ignited her lightsaber and melted through the metal.
The women descended the long, vertical shaft into the lab. Sabine deactivated her jetpack and switched on the headlamp on her helmet as she touched down on the floor. Metal manacles dangled from the ceiling. In the middle of the room, an operating table lay beneath darkened surgical lights. They had dropped into some sort of torture chamber.
Ahsoka shuddered at mere memories of this place where she had once encountered the weaponized Blue Shadow Virus. Now this facility seemed to be incubating another sinister plot.
"This place gives me the creeps!" Sabine whispered.
"Come on, we've got the rest of the lab to investigate." Ahsoka said.
Sabine switched off her headlamp and relied on her helmet's night vision to lead the way down the lab's dark corridors.
"Up ahead, looks like a storage room." Sabine said as Ahsoka followed close behind.
Ahsoka illuminated the room in the white glow of her lightsaber. Stacks of crates towered from the floor too the ceiling. Ahsoka waved her lightsaber over a label on one of the crates. The crate was emblazoned with the emblem of the Empire and the origin of the shipment: the Imperial Academy on Carida.
"This job just got a whole lot bigger." Ahsoka warned.
"One thing at a time." Sabine urged, "Let's find Thrawn first."
As Sabine turned to leave the storage room, footsteps pattered down a far off corridor. The facility's lights flickered on. Ahsoka raised her lightsaber. She stepped into the hallway, ready to fight. A dark clad figure poised at the end of the hallway. The menacing glow of a red lightsaber flourished from the hilt in his hands.
In an instant, the figure rushed towards them, ready to strike. He charged, the tip of his lightsaber pointed at Ahsoka's chest. Ahsoka force pushed her attacker causing him to careen back through the corridor.
Aclik leapt over Ahsoka and landed in front of Sabine. He unleashed a torrent of Force lightning on her. Ahsoka rushed to rescue her friend. She struck at Aclik with her lightsaber. The attack drew Aclik's attention back to Ahsoka.
As Aclik engaged in a fierce duel with Ahsoka, Sabine aimed the launcher on her vambrace and fired. The Mandalorian's miniature missile struck Aclik in the shoulder. Pain ripped through his arm. The defeated Aclik Karanlik retreated and vanished around a corner at the end of the long corridor.
Aclik paced in the shadows of his restaurant's basement as his holocomm blinked.
A hooded hologram appeared from the disk Aclik clutched. "Is there a problem, Aclik?" The voice crackled.
"Jedi." Aclik panted. "A Jedi and a Mandalorian breached the lab. I didn't get to secure everything."
"Were Grand Admiral Thrawn's clone plans compromised?" The harsh voice interrogated.
"No."
The hooded figure clasped his hands in front of him and uttered a long, grating "Good." He paused. "Then what did the intruders have access to?"
"I'm... not sure, Lord Sidious."
Sidious raised his arm and curled his hand into a fist. Aclik clawed at his throat as the Sith Lord Force choked him through the hologram.
"Eliminate them!" Sidious demanded as he released Aclik, throwing him to the floor.
Ahsoka and Sabine continued to search the corridors and chambers of the subterranean lab.
Ahsoka huffed in frustration, "Where is he?"
"That didn't look like Thrawn." Sabine stated.
"It wasn't Thrawn," Ahsoka replied grimly. "But whoever it was, he's very strong in the dark side of the Force. I can sense him. He's still here on Naboo."
Sabine grew impatient, "We've been down here a while and the only lead we've found is the crates from Carida. I say we go to Carida."
Before leaving Naboo, Ahsoka and Sabine walked through the capital city Theed. As they strolled down the starlit street, Ahsoka pulled her cloak closer.
"You cold?" Sabine scoffed.
"It's the dark side." Ahsoka replied. "I sense it but I can't tell where it's coming from. The dark side is clouding my judgment."
Sabine stopped with a gasp of wonderment as she beheld the famed eatery before her. "The Flora Gardens restaurant! I heard about this place. Renowned across the Galaxy. Wanna eat? Might have a clearer head if you do."
Ahsoka didn't answer. She closed her eyes and attempted to focus on the Force, to determine the dark side foreboding's source, but she could not.
"I guess." Ahsoka shrugged. She followed her Mandalorian friend into the Flora Gardens Restaurant.
Aclik Karanlik stood behind the range, masterfully preparing dinner service. His craft took his mind off of Darth Sidious's anger.
The compelling of the dark side again broke his concentration. It drew him to the dining room door. Aclik peered out of the door's porthole to spot Sabine and Ahsoka seated in his dining room. Aclik Karanlik suppressed a sly grin as the burden of Sidious's command suddenly became manageable.
He prepared their meals. Before passing it off to the waitstaff, he pulled a small vial from a drawer and sprinkled its contents over the food. Aclik watched the meals be presented to Ahsoka and Sabine. He had accomplished Lord Sidious's directive.
Sabine savored her gourmet meal with delight, but despite the fine fare in front of her, Ahsoka had lost her appetite. The disturbance in the Force had grown so strong that Ahsoka couldn't bring herself to eat or drink. She tried to focus. She tried to find from where this evil emanated, but she couldn't think.
Sabine had finished her supper and the waitress had taken Ahsoka's untouched plate away. Sabine and Ahsoka walked out into the night.
Troubled by the dark presence but unable to ascertain its source, Ahsoka sighed, "I'm ready to get out of here. You?"
"You know what..." Sabine paused. "...I'm kind of tired. Maybe we can get a room at an inn for the night."
"Haar'chak!" Sabine cursed in Mando'a. She sat on the edge of the inn's antique bed, removed her helmet, and rubbed her temples.
"Are you alright?" Ahsoka asked.
"I have a headache." Sabine admitted. "It's probably stress. I just need sleep."
Ahsoka lay awake in her bed, gazing across the room at Sabine. It wasn't like her to be stressed or tired.
Well, she's basically been doing nothing on Lothal the past few years, maybe she's not used to this much adventure.
In the dead of night, the clatter of beskar on the 'fresher floor startled Ahsoka awake. Ahsoka ran to Sabine. Sabine crouched on the floor, coughing, clutching her chest and stomach.
"Ahsoka..." Sabine panted, "Everything hurts. I'm dizzy." She held her stomach and retched.
Ahsoka placed her hands on Sabine's heaving shoulders. Through the Force she felt the pathological process sickening her friend. Sabine had been poisoned.
Ahsoka halted the Force heal at this sinister discovery. Someone was seeking to do them harm. She could not drain her life Force to heal, for she had to be ready to protect.
"What is it." Sabine demanded. "I felt the Force. Why did you stop?"
Ahsoka saw the fear in Sabine's eyes. She hesitated to tell Sabine the truth- that someone was trying to kill them- that poison was destroying her body.
"If it's bad I want to know." Sabine implored.
Ahsoka handed Sabine her helmet and helped her up from the floor. "Right now let's just get you to the healer's clinic."
In the dead of night an eerie silence filled the streets of Theed. Ahsoka shuddered as she shepherded Sabine into the darkness. The ominous feeling was only made worse by the lurking threat— someone was trying to kill them, and Sabine would die should she not receive care soon.
The healer's clinic remained yet a distance away. Sabine walked slower. She staggered and reeled. Ahsoka steadied her with a firm arm around her waist.
"Sabine, we have to keep going."
Sabine tried to take another step, but she faltered. "I can't." Sabine slurred, "I can't feel... my arms and legs."
Sabine swayed and went limp. Ahsoka caught her before she hit the ground. Ahsoka gripped her close to her chest and sprinted the rest of the way to the healer's clinic.
"What happened?" The healer demanded as Ahsoka arrived carrying her sick friend.
"She was poisoned." Ahsoka replied.
The healer showed Ahsoka to a medbay. Ahsoka laid Sabine down on the gurney and held her hand as she waited for the healer.
"We're getting you help." She assured. "You're safe now."
Sabine's back arched and her limbs shook in a fit of convulsions.
"Healer! She's seizing!" Ahsoka shouted.
The healer hurried back with a syringe of sedative. She jabbed it into Sabine's arm. Sabine's muscles slackened as the seizure stopped.
The healer removed Sabine's helmet and watched closely.
"She's not breathing."
The healer said pensively. She sealed a life support mask to Sabine's healer waved a medscan device over Sabine and frowned at the results. She turned to Ahsoka.
"The poison is causing extensive damage. There is no antidote. If she lives, it will be a long recovery. Only time will tell if she survives."