Synopsis: Ahsoka, Vaessa, Barriss and Emeryx board a ship harbouring a band of infected Clones; the young Padawans must stop the infested ship from docking.
Victory on Geonosis!
After a massive assault, the Republic has finally recaptured the Separatist planet and shut down its droid factories of doom.
An investigation by Luminara Unduli led to the discovery of Queen Karina the Great, whose hive-mind could reanimate dead Geonosian soldiers.
During the destruction of the Queen's temple, the Jedi apprehended her advisor Poggle the Lesser, and now prepare to deliver the villain to Coruscant for trial...
Me, Ahsoka, Barriss and Emeryx walked off the shuttle towards our masters as Poggle was escorted onto it.
"I'm afraid we have a complication," Master Mundi told us.
"Don't we always?" my own master asked.
"I've just received a distress signal from our forces on Dantooine," Master Mundi informed us. "Master Windu's defences held, but at a great cost to his men. They need medical supplies immediately. We can obtain these supplies at the medical station near Ord Cestus."
"We're delivering Poggle to Coruscant, and Cestus is not exactly on the way," Anakin reminded us.
"The Republic must begin debriefing Poggle right away if we're to get useful intelligence from him," Master Unduli added.
"Master, I suggest we let our padawans handle the supply mission," Anakin replied, placing a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder.
"Whatever needs to be done, Master," Ahsoka said. "I'm happy to help."
"As am I," Barriss said.
"You know I always am," I added.
"Same," said Emeryx, smiling.
"Very well," my master replied. "Take a medical frigate. And after we've delivered Poggle to Coruscant, we'll rendezvous with you for the voyage to Dantooine."
We climbed into another shuttle and flew away. "We are ready to make our jump, Master Fisto," I said through my comlink.
"Good," Master Fisto replied. "I look forward to your arrival." We shot into hyperspace.
…
Ahsoka shook me awake. "What?" I hissed.
"Can't sleep," Ahsoka whispered back. "It's too quiet. It's a big change from all the fighting the last few days."
"You know, most people like quiet for sleep," I said annoyedly.
"Yeah well, I don't," she replied. "Let's go eat." We crept out to the cafeteria, careful not to wake Barriss.
We sat down with our food. "What is it?" I asked.
"What?" Ahsoka asked.
"You're quiet, which is weird because you're never quiet," I replied. "What's on your mind?"
"I was just thinking about the war," she replied uneasily.
I frowned. "What about the war?" I asked.
"It's just everyone keeps on talking about peace," Ahsoka replied. "My master, your master, Senator Amidala... even Barriss."
"What about peace?" I asked.
"It's just... we're jedi. Soldiers. What can be peaceful for us?" she asked.
I frowned. "We were raised to be peacekeepers, remember?" I replied. "Once the war is over, we'll be the ones to maintain the peace."
"Yes, but will we do so as keepers of the peace or warriors?" she asked. "And what's the difference?"
I frowned. What was the difference between a peacekeeper and a warrior? "What does Anakin think?"
"My master?" Ahsoka said in surprise. I nodded. "Oh, um, you might find some of his thoughts on the future, uh, a bit radical."
I smiled. That sounded like Anakin. "How so?" I asked.
"Let's just say my master will always do what needs to be done," she explained. "I'm not even sure how peacetime will agree with him."
"Good evening, Ox, Edge," I said as a pair of clones came in. "Would you like to join us?"
They looked at us blankly. "Is something wrong?" Ahsoka asked.
To our shock, they began to fire. We drew our lightsabers to block them. "Stand down!" I ordered.
We took cover behind a table. We force threw them into a wall, knocking them out.
Havoc and Trap came into the room. We pointed our lightsabers at them. "What are you doing?" Havoc asked.
"Two clones just attacked us," Ahsoka explained. "What's going on?"
"Trap, do you know what happened to those troopers?" I asked.
"Couldn't tell you, Commander. I'm just as confused as-"
"You're in charge of them," I said. "Did you order them to kill us?"
"No, sir," he replied. "I did not."
"What's happening?" Ahsoka asked. "Why would they do this?"
"We don't know," Havoc answered. "We heard shots."
"Why should we believe you?" I asked.
"Look, no guns," Trap said as he and Havoc put their weapons of the floor.
Ahsoka deactivated her lightsaber. I lowered mine but didn't deactivate it. "These men wouldn't just attack us for no reason," I said uncertainly.
"My Master had a clone betray them once," Ahsoka told us. "A traitor who was paid off by Ventress."
"It can't be that simple," I replied. "At least, it didn't seem like it was."
"Excuse me, sir," Trap said. "We should make sure that we're still in control of the bridge."
"Bridge, this is Commander Orin," I said into my comlink. "Respond."
"We need to get up there," Ahsoka said. "We need to find out what's going on."
"But Emeryx and Barriss," I reminded her. "We need to see if they're okay."
"Good point," Ahsoka replied.
"We'll let Havoc and Trap check on the bridge while we go check on Emeryx and Barriss," I said.
"Let's go," Ahsoka said. "You take Emeryx, I take Barriss?"
I nodded. The four of us split up.
I'd never been in the male commanders' quarters before. Why would I have been? It was pretty similar to the female's, except more rooms - obviously, as clones were male. I came up to what looked like Emeryx's room. I opened the door to find that it was the same size as ours - not fair, there are three of us sleeping in ours - and Emeryx was asleep in the lone bed.
I shook him. "Emeryx?" I asked.
His eyes jutted open. I frowned. Something was not right. He looked at me blankly and stood up. Weirdly.
"Emeryx?" I asked slowly. "Are you ok?"
He swung his lightsaber at me. I ducked, kicking him in the chest. "Emeryx?" I cried, shocked. He didn't reply. He just resumed his attack.
I managed to keep him distracted long enough to climb into the vent. I dropped down inside our room where Ahsoka and Barriss were. "Vaer!" Ahsoka said.
"Soka," I replied. "Barriss, are you -"
"I'm fine," Barriss replied. "Where's Emeryx?"
"Infected," I said.
Ahsoka frowned. "Infected?"
I nodded. "He attacked me. It was like he was possessed."
Barriss frowned. "Possessed?"
I nodded.
"That's odd," she said. "Do you think that's what happened to those troopers?"
I nodded. "Seems like it."
"Have you heard from the bridge?" Ahsoka asked.
I shook my head. "No, you?"
They shook their heads. "We'd better get up there," I decided. "If this really is some sort of plague, then Havoc and Trap might well have been infected."
…
Ray shields were engaged as soon as we got near the bridge. "Someone doesn't want us going up there," Ahsoka deduced.
"I'll attempt to override the controls," Barriss said.
I felt a familiar presence. I turned around to see Ahsoka blocking a lightsaber from killing her. A lightsaber wielded by another togruta. "Emeryx!" I yelled.
He picked up an odd green worm and threw it at Barriss. I force pushed him into a supply room, knocking him out, and locked the door. "Get this thing off me!" Barriss cried as the worm slithered about her body.
"Ugh, what is that?" Ahsoka asked in disgust.
"Looks like some sort of parasite," I replied, cutting it off her. "It must be controlling their actions!"
"Mind control," Ahsoka said, deactivating her lightsaber. "Well, that explains a lot."
"Trap was our friend," Barriss said. "He would never have tried to kill us."
"How did these things get on board in the first place?" Ahsoka asked.
"They must have infected the clones while they were on Geonosis," I said.
"We'll have to quarantine the ship," Barriss told us.
"We should also contact Master Fisto and let him know about the situation," Ahsoka said.
"Let's go," I said. We ran off.
…
There was an odd sound coming from the cargo hold. "That sound, it's..."
"Geonosian," Ahsoka breathed.
The infected clones were releasing another worm into the cargo hold. "We have to help him," Ahsoka said.
"It's too late," I told her. "Let's go for the vent." We force jumped into the vents.
"I'll go to the reactor room and disable the thrusters," Barriss said. "You two head for the aft comm-center and send a warning to Master Fisto. We have to stop the ship from reaching the medical station."
"I don't know, Barriss," Ahsoka said uneasily. "I think we should stay together."
"I do too," I reassured her. "But unfortunately, that's not exactly a luxury we have right now."
"One of us must succeed, Ahsoka," Barriss said. "If you need to, you'll do what must be done. I know it."
"Yes, of course," Ahsoka answered.
"We'll see you soon," I told Barriss. "May the force be with you."
"May the force be with you," she replied. And we went our separate ways.
…
We found our way to the comm station and contacted Master Fisto. "As long as these things are on board, we can't dock at the medical station," I told him.
"You must bring the ship in," he pressed. "The only way we can stop these parasites is to analyse them."
"You don't understand how terrible these things are," Ahsoka said worriedly. "What if they get loose?"
"We will take precautions," Master Fisto countered.
"I have a bad feeling about this," I said. "But we'll obey our orders." We shut off the hologram.
…
"Almost got it..." Ahsoka said. The hologram sparked to life. "Cargo ship TB-73, this is clone Captain Rex," Rex said. "Please respond."
"Rex, this is Ahsoka and Vaessa," Ahsoka replied. "Boy, am I glad to hear your voice."
"Likewise, sir," Rex answered. "I've got someone here who wants to speak with you."
"Ahsoka, Vaessa, what's going on?" Anakin asked. "Are you okay?"
"Well, not exactly," she replied uneasily. And we filled him in on everything that had happened.
"Make sure you have a wrist com," Anakin told us. "Keep it on. I'm going to interrogate Poggle. He might have some answers. Find Barriss and wait for my signal."
The door slid open behind us. Barriss walked in. "Barriss!" I said, relieved. "Did it work?"
She didn't answer.
"Barriss, what's wrong?" Ahsoka asked.
Barriss activated her lightsaber and lunged at us. We ignited our own to block her. "We're your friends!" I said. "Snap out of it!"
"Barriss!" Ahsoka cried. "It's not you, it's the creatures. Fight them!"
We fought her. Ahsoka managed to force throw her away, allowing us to escape through a vent.
Ahsoka contacted her master. "This is Ahsoka," she said. "Come in!"
"Ahsoka, listen to me," Anakin's voice came from the comlink. "The worms are affected by the cold."
"Cold?" I asked in surprise. "That's how we can stop them?"
"Rupture the coolant system," Anakin ordered. "Did you hear me? Rupture the coolant system."
"The coolant system," Ahsoka replied. "Got it." The hologram shut off.
We made our way to where the coolant system was. We ruptured it, releasing cool air into the ship.
…
Barriss and Emeryx entered the room. "There you are," Barriss hissed.
"You can't hide from us," Emeryx continued.
We climbed back into the vent, heading towards the bridge. "The bridge, at last," Ahsoka said happily.
"We're coming in very fast," I commented, frowning.
"This is Commander Orin of the 212th," I said. "Can you hear me?"
"I'm shutting down the engines," Ahsoka told me. "I'll try to reverse the-"
There was the sound of lightsabers hitting another. To my horror, I turned around to see Barriss and Emeryx locked in combat with Ahsoka. "Contact Master Fisto!" she yelled. "I'll keep them busy!"
I turned to continue the transmission. "We're in dire need of help," I continued. "Is anyone there?"
"Padawan Orin?" Master Fisto's voice came through the engine. "What's wrong?"
"Barriss is infected," I explained. "We can't hold her off for long, we have to dock."
"We'll prepare troops to handle them," he answered. I drove the ship into the ready hangar and turned around to check on Ahsoka, Emeryx and Barriss. Barriss and Emeryx were asleep and Ahsoka was slightly awake.
"The w-w-worms are g-g-gone, V-v-vaer," she said, teeth chattering.
I smiled. "Thanks to you," I replied. Master Fisto came into the ship.
"The ship is s-s-secure, m-m-master," I said.
"We'll handle things from here," he replied. "You did well."
"Th-th-thank you, b-b-but it w-w-was all S-s-soka, Master."
He smiled at the sleeping padawan. "Indeed."
…
I was there when Ahsoka woke up. "Vaer?" she said sleepily.
"Soka," I said. "You're awake."
Ahsoka nodded. "Can I ask you something?"
I nodded. "Vaer, on the ship, Barriss was gone, and she wanted me to kill her. She told me-"
"But you couldn't do it," I finished.
"No," she said sadly. "No, I couldn't. But should I have? I mean, it worked out now, but if we had failed, if the ship docked and the worms spread, and..."
"Ahsoka, it's your - our - duty to save as many lives as we can. Barriss knew we could save lots if the worms were destroyed, which she thought meant destroying her too. But you did the right thing. You knew the freezing cold would kill the worms. You did your duty. You saved the most lives you could, in the best way you could." I smiled, looking over at Barriss. "I'm sure she would agree that you made the right choice."
Ahsoka smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess she would."
