Ahsoka sighed as Barriss settled the dropship back into Charon Station's docking bay. Wordlessly, RC-709 stood and opened the inner airlock door. Kaeden was still alive, at least, and she slowly got to her feet. She turned to Ahsoka, her eyes questioning. "Ahsoka… why'd you save me down there?"
Ahsoka sighed again, asking herself the same question. She reached deep down into her mind, shrugging off the fatigue and dark whispers caused by the events down on the surface and her argument with Crespi, trying to find the answer. To find the reason she acted as she did, even if it wasn't As she recentered herself, it came to her easily.
"Because I believe there's still a way to save your life," Ahsoka said. "There's always a chance. The medbay has to have something that will work."
Kaeden smiled sadly. "I doubt it. I don't know if my… condition can be fixed." She turned to RC-709. "If… when it starts, end it, please. I don't want to feel it coming out."
RC-709 sent a quick glance at Ahsoka, then nodded slowly. "Sure, Doctor."
Kaeden nodded back, then turned to face the airlock. "The last alien won't kill me," she said. "It knows what I'm carrying. It won't jeopardize the future of its species."
With that, the airlock door opened with a hiss and Kaeden marched confidently out back into the derelict ruins of Charon Station. No fear of the shadows. No hint of hesitation in her stride. She didn't even flinch at the shudder of the station as it slowly tore itself apart.
Ahsoka didn't think she had ever seen someone so brave.
Metal groaned as Dr. Larte strode purposefully out into the empty vestibule. RC-709 followed a few steps behind her, blaster up and ready for the two occasions he'd need to use it. Nothing sprang out at them from the shadows, but it did not fill RC-709 with any relief.
Tano and the others had said there was an alien on the loose up here as well. It could very well be stalking them at this very moment, waiting for the opening to strike.
"Doctor," he said quietly, attempting to make as little noise as possible. "What's the quickest way to that communication's blister?"
Only one thing in the entire galaxy mattered to RC-709. The last man of his squad was alone and in danger somewhere on this space station. All that mattered to RC-709 was the life of stormtrooper Brennan Kowalski. His own life or death meant nothing anymore, it was liberating in a way. None of the emotional baggage, the regrets of the past, to slow him down.
He now understood his role in the galaxy. He was bred for one thing: to fight and kill. Not much different from a droid actually. In the grand scheme of things he was no different than a droid. Every clone had been instilled from the start with the knowledge that they were each a piece of the Republic military, equally as important as the clone next to them. Which meant they were equally as unimportant as the next. Each clone was as unimportant as each droid they destroyed.
But Kowalski was not a clone, none of his squad had been. They had made him feel human again for some time, it was the least RC-709 could do to save him. Kowalski had purpose left in his life, RC-709 didn't. But if he could use what he was bred for to do something good for once, then perhaps maybe RC-709 could die in peace.
Dr. Larte pointed at a hallway leading out of the vestibule. "Down that corridor through Hold 4 would be the fastest route. Medbay's just on the other side of the comm station"
"Then that's the way we'll go," RC-709 said, walking towards the corridor entrance.
"Shouldn't someone stay with the ship?" Offee asked. "In case the alien cuts us off from escape, or if the station breaks apart and prevents us from doubling back?"
She looked at him, seeking tactical input. RC-709 shrugged. "It'd be smart to secure our escape route. But who will stay?"
Offee shook her head. "I don't think I can either. Kaeden might need my help if we manage to make it to the medbay."
"I'm not leaving Kaeden's side," Ahsoka said, the fire in her eyes just daring RC-709 to contradict her.
"I can't stay either. My squad needs me."
Offee turned to Hooper the engineer. "Can you even fly that thing?"
"Not very well," Hooper admitted, "but well enough to keep from crashing, at least."
Larte nodded to Hooper. "Keep your com open and the airlock closed. We'll call if we need you."
"Sure thing, Doc. Good luck," Hoop said with a somber look on his face. He turned back to enter the shuttle.
RC-709 noticed Tano reach a hand to her temple, her eyes screwed shut in frustration. Suddenly they snapped open and she spun towards Hooper. "Watch out!"
The sleek, black shape of the alien shot out of an air vent, aiming straight for Hooper. The engineer got a single scream out before there was the wet thud of chitinous endoskeleton hitting meat. There was a gurgle, and crimson blood sprayed over the wall from Hooper's neck.
The alien withdrew its steel tongue and turned to face the rest. RC-709 stepped forward, blaster locked on target. "Run! Go," he shouted at the others. While Offee still had her blaster, RC-709 was their best fighter and they knew it, all pulling back behind him into the corridor opening. As he opened fire, the creature threw Hooper's nearly decapitated corpse at him, knocking RC-709 off balance and causing his shots to go wide.
The alien lunged and RC-709 fell back, feeling the steel of biomechanical claws tear through the body glove on his leg. He grit his teeth against the pain as warm blood soaked into the form-fitting body glove and raised his blaster again, only to see Dr. Larte standing between himself and the alien.
The alien stopped, but RC-709 couldn't get a clear shot off. It seemed to sniff at Larte, and RC-709 realized what she was doing. She was shielding him with her body, putting complete trust into the belief that the alien wouldn't kill one carrying one of their own.
The alien snarled as RC-709 was dragged backwards into the corridor. Dr. Larte slowly backed up, never keeping her eyes off the creature. It matched her, step for step. As she made it through the doorway of the corridor, Tano slammed the emergency lever. The alien shrieked and charged as the pressure bulkhead slammed down. A loud clang reverberated through the narrow corridor as the alien slammed into it. It pounded the bulkhead momentarily, and then they heard the sound of it leaping up into the vents.
Larte immediately whirled and crouched next to RC-709, inspecting his wound. "Leave it," he said. "We need to move now."
It must've been something in his voice, because Larte did not argue, even though her eyes showed that she disagreed. Instead, she offered him a hand to help him up.
"Let's find that comm station."
Inside the comm station, Kowalski fought for his life. The facehugger… as Massey called it, had launched itself towards him. Bringing his knees in to his chest, Kowalski brought his feet into the facehugger's trajectory. It's legs wrapped around his armored boots momentarily, then released as it realized it had not struck him in the face.
Kowalski kicked out, sending the creature flying into the opposite wall. It slammed down, momentarily stunned, but quickly righted itself and turned back to him. Kowalski pulled out the small plasma torch he had and ignited it. The facehugger shrank back from the flame, scuttling away into the shadows behind some debris.
Massey's taunting voice came from behind him. "Now now Bren, that isn't fair to the little bug."
"Kriff off!" Kowalski's curse was met with nothing but laughter. He tuned it out, keeping his senses on high alert in the small room. A faint scuttling came from his left and he let loose with the plasma torch.
Nothing.
The scuttling came again. It was circling him.
Blasterfire erupted near them, down in the hold Kowalski had encountered the alien. Both Massey and Kowalski instinctively flinched towards the sounds.
The facehugger sprang out of the shadows.
Kowalski whirled towards it and attempted to get it with the plasma torch, but it slammed into him before he could bring the weapon to bear. The plasma torch flew from his hands as he fell on his back and the facehugger landed on his chest. It crawled up his battered armor, and Kowalski grabbed it with both hands as Massey gave a triumphant laugh.
It was deceptively powerful for its size, struggling mightily against the stormtrooper's muscles. The tail lashed out, wrapping itself around his neck in an attempt to choke him. Slowly it dragged itself up his torso closer to his face.
A fleshy tube emerged from a slit in its center, snaking between his forearms. He felt it squirm across his neck and chin, moist and disgusting.
The revulsion gave him strength, and he stopped the facehugger's crawl up his body. The tail around his neck tightened, choking him and almost making him lose his grip.
Blasterfire erupted again, extremely close this time. Shouts accompanied it. He could not identify who it was, his vision began to blur and swim as the facehugger cut off his oxygen.
Images flashed before his eyes. The one he focused on was the day he cherished the most. The day his older sister had finally managed to open her deep space salvage business. Lysa had been so happy, and he had been so proud of her.
He knew he had to survive. Lysa had taken their parent's deaths hard, but she had persevered through it with his help. If he died, he knew she would be absolutely devastated.
Brennan Kowalski would not put her through that pain. All he needed to do was hold on.
They had made it into Hold 4 before the alien struck again. It targeted RC-709 this time, as if it knew that he was injured and the slowest out of the remaining four. Barriss had used the Force to snatch him away from it over to Kaeden, who had made it to the exit, leaving Ahsoka staring down the alien in his place. She was unarmed, but no Jedi, even a former Jedi, was ever defenseless.
The alien dodged the occasional blasterfire coming from Barriss and RC-709. The agility of the creature was astonishing as it scampered around on four limbs. Ahsoka baited it with herself, seeing as they seemed to target Force users. There were a couple crates scattered here and there that Ahsoka threw at it, but they did virtually no damage to the creature.
As she studied the creature, Ahsoka realized that something had changed about it, specifically the head. It had elongated and looked as if a crest was growing.
It's evolving! She realized with a hiss. It was starting to grow into another Queen somehow!
The alien grinned at her with needle sharp teeth. Suddenly she felt a massive pressure on her mind, a mental blow which staggered her and knocked her to her knees. Images were forced before her eyes. Hatred. War. Death. Extinction. Images of the past forced into her brain by… by the alien.
The demon towered over her, steel teeth clacking and drool falling from its hideous maw. Death incarnate, the gaping black hole of the void about to consume her.
In that moment, Ahsoka Tano knew true fear.
Barriss had also been staggered by the hideous psychic attack of the alien, but she managed to shrug it off. It had been directed at Ahsoka, and she bore the brunt of the mental assault. Barriss came back to her senses as Kaeden sprang forward, once again throwing herself between the alien and its prey.
But this time her gambit did not work. The alien swatted her aside with a clawed hand, backhanding Kaeden across the face and sending her flying.
Her gambit did buy one thing though, time. Barriss remembered that Hold 4 had been used to process the loads brought up from the thorillide mine down on Tartarus. The industrial vats around them contained xenoboric acid and the floor had been specially reinforced to contain any acid spills.
Barriss summoned the Force to her, grasping the supports on one of the vats and crushing it. The alien swung its head at her in aggravation. She prepared herself for its mental assault. Knowing it was coming, her mental shields held under the psychic assault.
The vat of acid toppled as Ahsoka rolled to the side. Xenoboric acid spilled out of the downed vat, running along the floor as it did. The wave slammed into the alien's legs and it screeched in pain as it lept backwards out of the flow.
The mental barrage ended immediately and Barriss saw the damage she had caused it. One of its legs had been melted away and it quickly retreated into the vents on three limbs. Barriss ran over to Ahsoka and Kaeden, helping them up off the ground. "What was that?" Ahsoka asked weakly, still shaken by the alien's unexpected attack. Blood streamed from Kaeden's nose. It had likely been broken by the savage claws of the creature.
"Don't talk!" Barriss said. "Breathe as little as you can and run!"
RC-709 sealed the Hold behind them as the left the acid to slowly eat through the machinery in the room. As they ran up a flight of stairs, Barriss and Ahsoka locked eyes, not comprehending what had occurred down there. Barriss had noticed that the alien had begun to morph somehow into a queen. How that was possible, she did not know. Was it possible that the queen aliens had some sort of psychic ability?
RC-709 reached the top of the stairwell first and Barriss felt a rush of anger immediately surge through him. He opened fire with his blaster at someone, who Barriss saw was the rogue stormtrooper Massey. Massey fired back, and Barriss joined the fray with her blaster as well.
Massey retreated, taking a blaster shot to the thigh from RC-709. Barriss looked inside the room Massey had been standing outside of and her eyes widened. Thrashing about on the floor was Kowalski. He struggled against one of the alien spider crabs, and he was losing.
Summoning the Force, Ahsoka blasted the door open. RC-709, Ahsoka, and Barriss all ran in to help the stormtrooper. Ahsoka grabbed the creature's tail, slowly uncoiling it from Kowalski's neck. RC-709 grabbed the creature's spider-like legs and pulled it away from Kowalski's face. "Offee!" He yelled. "Get ready to blast it in the corner!"
"Ready!" Barriss yelled back as Ahsoka finally got the tail free of Kowalski's neck. The stormtrooper gasped, reaching up to his neck as he gasped and coughed.
"Now!" Ahsoka and RC-709 threw the alien parasite into a corner of the room. All Barriss had to do was point and shoot. Two red blaster bolts tore through its small body. It squealed and curled in on itself as it died.
"We…" Kowalski gasped in a scratchy voice. "Need to… stop him. He… has one more"
RC-709 knelt next to the last member of his squad. "You okay, son?"
Kowalski squeezed his eyes shut and gave a violent shake of the head. "I'm good. Let's go."
Barriss handed him her blaster. He was the better shot after all and his was nowhere to be found. Kaeden stood in the doorway, looking out where Massey had gone. "He's headed for the medbay. It's the only airlock left."
"He must be meeting someone there," Kowalski rasped. He began after Massey, taking point. "He has to be stopped. That specimen he has can't be allowed to escape."
As they began to move off in the direction of the medbay, there was the sound of something banging around in the ventilation ducts. One of the grates covering a vent in the ceiling was forced out, falling to the ground with a clang. Following it, silhouetted in the red emergency lighting, was the alien.
It crouched on all three of its remaining limbs and snarled and screeched at the survivors. The eyeless head swiveled to a stop dead center on Ahsoka. The maturing queen once again unleashed its psychic attack, but both Barriss and Ahsoka knew it was coming and stood firm.
Ahsoka ripped panels from the walls and brought them together to create a shield to hold the maturing queen at bay. She yelled as she slowly backed up, the maturing queen denting the makeshift barrier. "Go!"
Massey stumbled into the medbay, clutching his thigh as he beelined for the airlock. One of the dangerous cargo he was transporting was lost and ruined. Whether or not the facehugger infected Kowalski was irrelevant now because of that old damned clone he called 'Captain'. In his current state, Massey would never be able to take them all out by himself.
The facehugger he had would still net him a nice sum, but not as much as the specimen that would come forth from Kowalski would.
He checked his datapad as he paused next to the airlock. He had arrived earlier than expected with the unwelcome appearance of the others. The drone ship was still approaching and would dock at the airlock in a matter of minutes. Kriff it all he didn't have that long before the others caught up!
He'd have to barricade the door and hope it held.
Massey went to put his duffel bag on a counter when it lightened suddenly. The other alien egg had opened and fallen out of a melted tear in the bag.
Massey froze. The facehugger was loose!
He set his blaster to stun as he scanned the room. He looked under the medical beds and in the nooks and crannies he could see.
What he didn't see was the facehugger scuttle up onto a piece of medical equipment to his left. It coiled its tail and sprang out to accomplish its solitary goal in life.
Massey saw it coming in the corner of his eye. He whirled quickly, snapping off a shot at it. The stun blast missed, but the facehugger did not.
Its tail wrapped itself around his neck as Massey flailed backwards. Legs wrapped around his face and Massey was inundated by darkness.
And so the endgame begins. There's probably only one chapter left plus the epilogue for Shadows of Doubt.
I decided to try something new on the fly in this chapter in regards to the aliens. Let me know what you guys think of it, and who you think will survive and who will fall!
Next chapter: The end of Charon Station comes. With the last alien chasing the survivors, a leap of faith is the only thing left that can save them.
