Chapter 16
Anakin and Tahiri are about halfway down the hall, when the lights start to flicker. A voice issues from hidden speakers that line the hallway.
"Attention, the Imperial Palace is now under quarantine. All occupants are ordered to report to the nearest security station or exit."
They stop at the turbo lift, and press the call button. Anakin pulls Tahiri's hand away from her wound, and frowns at the three still-bleeding scratches. "We need to get to a med station first. Then see if we can find ourselves some clothes."
A playful light appears in her eyes. "You liked what I was wearing ten minutes ago."
"Ten minutes ago, we weren't being chased by thousands of those, those things."
The lift dings, and the two turn back towards it, as the doors open. Breathing a slight sigh of relief, they quickly board, and Anakin directs the lift to the floor with the nearest med station.
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Leia stands proud and tall in the palace's control room, she watches as the technicians and security control personnel give the evacuation orders. Finally, one of those pasty-faced technicians saunters over to her. Leia looks at the insignia on his chest and realize that he's the security chief for this section.
"Milady, we've given the evacuation order. Now what exactly is the infestation you are talking about?"
Leia sighs, already tired of talking with this man. "It is a type of animal, approximately one meter tall, with grey-green scales, and they are feral."
"Well, let's see wha-"
"Sir!"
Both Leia and the chief turn towards another man, who is looking at them with a frown. "We've just received a spike in the life form sensors"
Leia's heart sinks at the implications. "Where?"
The man turns to his console for a moment. "One of the pools in one of the Residential Wings."
"The Presidential Wing?"
The technician nods his heads. "Yes milady."
The chief walks over to the console. "It must be a malfunction, let's get a visual of that room."
Leia walks up behind them both, watching the monitor on that console, as the technician presses some buttons. Finally an image appears of a boiling pool, surrounding it are thousands upon thousands of the creatures, climbing and clambering over one another. Then as they watch, the door bangs open and they begin streaming out.
Leia turns towards the chief. "I trust your concerns are answered now Chief."
The chief, who has turned pale, slowly nods his head. "I'd better report this." Then he turns and wonders over to his station. Leia moves back towards the center of the room. Staring at the holographic representation of the palace.
"Can someone patch the life sensor readings into the hologram here?"
"Yes ma'am."
As she watches, the entire building turns into a mass of red dots. And she frowns. "And filter known species as blue, and unknown as red."
After a second, the image changes, with about half of the red dots turning blue, and the mass of red, remaining situated in the residential wing, slowly spreading. She pulls out her comlink, and punches in Jacen's code.
After a second his voice comes back. "This is Jacen."
"Jacen, they've multiplied in one of the pools. Where are you now?"
"Level 345-b Suite 110." Leia frowns as she turns back towards the hologram.
"The nearest of the creatures is about three floors above you right now. Find Jaina and Anakin and get to a security station."
"We're on our way."
"Explosion in hanger 16636x5."
Leia turns towards the technician, a cold heart settling in her stomach. That is the hanger where the Falcon is stored. "Do we have any emergency crews?"
"Power failure in Section 2231x3."
"Lose of water pressure in Section 2231x5."
Leia tunes out all the technicians as they call out problems with the building.
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Zekk helps Jaina's father up, and the three of them start towards the hallway. Jaina pulls out her comlink, and presses in the code for her mom. "Mom?"
A moment later, her mother's voice comes back. "Do you have Anakin?"
"No, we went to where Dad keeps the Falcon."
There is a pause for a second. "Is he all right?"
Jaina glances back at her father. "For the most part, we're taking him to one of the med-stations now."
"Comm me when you get there, so I can tell Jacen where you're at."
"Yes ma'am."
Jaina shuts of the comlink and turns back towards her father and Zekk. "Come on guys, we're going this way."
Jaina pushes open the door to the med station, and steps in, followed closely by Zekk and Han. As the door slides shut, she walks over to the meddroid and activates it. The GH-12 droid's eyes flicker to life emitting a blue glow, and it lifts up on repulsers, floating over to Han.
Its voice is masculine and designed to be soothing to human ears. "What is the nature of the medical emergency?"
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Jacen and Tenel Ka step off the turbolift, and slowly advance down the hallway, looking back and forth down the dimly light hallway. Jacen glances at Tenel Ka, noticing the frown carved on her face as she fingers her lightsaber.
"Is something wrong Tenel Ka?"
She glances at Jacen, her face hardening even more. "This is a fact."
Jacen stops and grasps her arm as she tries to continue past him.
"What is it? You've barely said two words to me since I got back from the university."
Tenel Ka spins around, breaking his grip on her arm. She takes a step closer to him, her stance aggressive. Jacen gulps, and hesitates, not sure what to do.
"Is this the time to have this conversation?"
Jacen nods. "Yes, now is the perfect time. What's wrong?"
Tenel Ka looks away, down the hall into the darkness. "Danni Quee."
"Danni? What about her?"
"Friend Jacen, do you love me?"
Jacen's mouth drop open, of all the possible things he expected to hear, that question was the lowest on his list. After a second, she spins away from him, anger flashing in her voice.
"That is what I thought."
He stands there staring at her retreating form, unable to process just what has happened. After a second, he starts after her, calling out her name.