Returning to the corridor, Ianth felt her heart jump when she heard a low whooshing sound that seemed to come from the left. Sithspit. She knew that noise.
It was the sound the shields around the high-security ward made when someone entered it. Some of them had to shut down to let the person through.
The door shouldn't open to anyone without a pass, but everyone was always alerted when somebody did so beforehand. It was a precaution in case one of the Dark Jedi inside somehow came out of the stasis and escaped.
There had been no such warning this time, and she doubted anyone else had heard it. This end of the hospital was deserted except for the last of the rooms for Jedi in stasis and the high-security section, where nobody normally went alone.
It wasn't even guarded by a living being, just a high-tech security system and some sort of monitoring that the Jedi claimed to be doing.
Too panicked to think about calling security, she ran towards the high-security ward as fast as she was able.
She saw that the door had been left open, and crept in, not sure what she expected to find.
Dozens of stasis chambers as they had originally been found lined the room. The faces of the beings within remained emotionless.
Many were intimidating simply because of their appearance. Some showed strange tattoos, scars that ran in grotesque patterns, or sharp predatory fangs and claws on species that wouldn't have naturally possessed them.
In Dr. Ianth's opinion, though, these were the least frightening. The ones that truly chilled her blood were those who looked utterly ordinary in every way. She could have passed by them every day of her life, and never suspected any danger.
They were physically ordinary people, only different from herself because they had been given a connection to a mysterious energy field, and for some reason they'd made the wrong choices in using it. Sometimes only one wrong choice.
Hearing soft footfalls near the end of the room, she rushed toward the sound. She only stopped at the last minute, suddenly remembering that anyone who came to this place in secret was more than likely to be dangerous.
The other person did not even notice her presence, however. It was the teenaged Jedi she had just kicked out of what's-his-name's room. His eyes were fixed on one of the chambers, and he moved forward as if in a trance.
"No, you don't want to do that!" She wasn't sure what 'that' might be, but she knew of the occupant of that particular apparatus. Even being in the same room as him probably shortened one's life expectancy by several years.
Many of those who had been assigned to check up on him before it was realized that he must be a Dark Jedi had suffered from inexplicable headaches, exhaustion, and recurring nightmares. One had even sustained electrical burns somehow, which had been the reason for his being moved here. He still had not been identified.
The boy continued towards the stasis chamber, stopping before where it was laid on its shelf. He stared at the figure within, a human who appeared no older than he himself did.
The being in the chamber, whoever, he was, had long black hair that shone even in the dim blue light of this room. His skin was so pale it appeared to glow surreally.
Dr. Ianth remembered hearing him referred to as 'the vampire.' The unconscious figure certainly bore a certain resemblance to the traditional image of the legendary supernatural beings.
Yet he looked peaceful, serene. It was hard to imagine that such a creature could ever be dangerous.
Reaching out slowly, still appearing hypnotized, the brown-haired boy looked as though he were going to lay his hand on the transparisteel covering of the container.
"Don't," she whispered, a feeling of dread paralyzing her.
As the Jedi touched the surface, flickers of blue light appeared on it, twisting around and under his hand as if they sensed its presence. He snatched it back, hissing loudly and shaking it.
He seemed to become aware of Dr. Ianth's presence, then, turning around to look for his observer. She walked towards him cautiously, asking, "How did you get in here?"
"I have a pass."
She watched him, wondering how he had acquired a pass. As far as she knew, the only people authorized to be in this area were specially trained doctors and security, and a few high-ranking Jedi.
Obviously the Jedi was connected to the person in that container, but how?
"Do you know him?" She gestured at the stasis chamber.
"No. I never knew him." His expression seemed much older than it had earlier.
"All right. Let's go."
She knew he had been concealing something, but then she had noticed that Jedi tended to keep their pasts to themselves. Besides, he had a right to keep some secrets from an almost complete stranger. In spite of his being a somewhat difficult patient, Ianth had always sensed he was a good person. It was unlikely he would endanger anyone; he seemed like somebody who would take his duty to the welfare of others very seriously.
They left in silence, except for the echoing growl of the shields returning to full power.