"Father!" Luke spun from the table where he was eating dinner from a nearby diner. "We wondered where you two had gotten to."
Anakin's smile flickered. But the grim demeanor of the two had Luke instantly alert.
"Well, what's the bad news?" Leia frowned, arms folded and looking between them.
Anakin and Ahsoka glanced at each other as they stripped off their outer robes. "General Derricote is creating a bio weapon, right here on Coruscant."
"Right now?" Leia's eyes widened. Her arms unfolded, fists clenching in distress.
"Right now." Anakin confirmed. "We found the lab, labeled as a pharmaceutical office. They were taking captives in...none were human. It could be they mean to go with a divide and conquer philosophy. If they were forced off Coruscant, they would leave the Alliance with a bunch of sick, scared, non humans."
"So we have to stop that too." Han frowned. "I thought we had enough on our plate.""We could destroy the virus with a fire."
"Oh. Yes. Easy." Ahsoka said dryly. "Except for what to do about the test subjects."
"The sentient test subjects." Anakin said gloomily.
"Okay, so we need to break into an Imperial lab, evacuate the test subjects while keeping them quarantined, and destroy the virus." Luke said slowly.
"And retrieve the records." Anakin said slowly. "You may need them to treat the test subjects, if there isn't a cure or vaccine."
"And still deal with the Lusankya before the Rogues get here." Leia frowned.
Han turned to Anakin. "You outranked Isard."
"Yes. Your point?"
"Can you get access to Isard's codes? Maybe we could fake a transfer order for the test subjects?"
"If they check on it verbally, they'd be on to us. That could put them on alert." Anakin pointed out.
"What about forcing an evacuation?" Luke suggested. "Some sort of generator leak?"
"It would have to look natural..."
"Speeder accident!" Han suggested. "Plow right into the building."
"Need to be awfully careful." Ahsoka observed. "We want to kill the virus, not the subjects. And we sure don't want that virus to leak out."
"All right." Han said slowly. "I've got an idea...if you two have got the lay of the place."
Anakin and Ahsoka eyed him warily.
Anakin and Ahsoka strode through the galactic museum with Leia. She did not feel happy. Of course, none of them were happy to have to wear disguises.
"I can't believe we left the two of them to deal with that, alone."
"Three. Don't forget Artoo." Ahsoka pointed out.
"I know, we didn't have time to stick together. But..." Leia just shook her head.
"We've halved our man power." Anakin acknowledged. "And we definitely could've used Artoo."
"He can do that computer tunneling thing again if he has too, right?" Ahsoka asked.
"Yes. As long as it's connected to the planetary network. But it's not a hard line connection where we're going. If anyone catches on, they can disconnect."
Anakin casually led them into the largest wing of the museum. They would need to duck back into the closed off wing unnoticed. It was tucked behind this one. He stopped cold, shock emanating from him. "Oh no. What's this?"
Ahsoka and Leia came alongside. Their jaws dropped. Anakin's clamped shut, teeth grinding. His hands formed fists. The holographic Vader was giving a lecture on the Emperor's death, how in fact, the Jedi Luke Skywalker had murdered the Emperor, who had offered him clemency and Vader had given his life in his defense.
"Kind of the opposite of what that alert is saying, isn't it?" Ahsoka finally murmured. It was also ironic that Anakin looked like he wanted to Force choke Darth Vader.
Leia looked at Anakin who had a look of wide eyed horror. Finally his brow wrinkled and he growled. "I never sounded that sappy!"
"Well. Not about him, I'll bet. Maybe about Padme." Ahsoka murmured.
Anakin looked at her. "I never..."
"You may not say anything sappy in anyone's presence. You just feel kind of sappy in the Force."
Anakin's gaped at her, mouthing 'feel sappy?' Leia grabbed his arm and pulled him on toward their target area. They had to stop and listen to the holos and peruse the artifacts, or look suspicious. Finally with a careful Force induced sense of timing they had an instant when no-one was looking their way.
Ahsoka reached out with the Force, lightly nudging a pedestal of artifacts so they fell against the inner case security shields with a loud buzz. Guards and patrons turned to look. Anakin added to the show with a Force induced yank on the circuits of the Vader hologram. It flickered and sputtered out. Ahsoka gave a quick nudge of the holocams to keep them looking the other way as Anakin accessed the lock and they ducked back into the disused Jedi section of the museum.
The door shut behind them leaving them in darkness and silence. Leia sneezed. Dust motes whirled in the air. Pulling out a luma, Ahsoka looked around. "You were just dying to do that weren't you?"
"What?" Anakin inquired, innocently.
"Take out that hologram of Vader."
"Yes. I would've preferred something more spectacular, but I'm satisfied."
"I just hope no one is looking for you and finds it a bit too convenient." Leia pointed out.
"Unlikely." Anakin frowned uncertainly.
This whole wing of the museum was a mess. Anakin led them through the sad place, filled with broken statues and busts of Jedi knights, artifacts of campaigns, holograms that rose only to show static. A line of lightsabers lay in the display cases, almost invisible beneath a layer of dust.
Leia and Ahsoka both noted the lightsaber marks on some of the statues. Neither commented though Leia finally asked softly, "If the Emperor was a Sith, did he have a lightsaber too?"
Anakin nodded without looking back. "Most of the Jedi who went to arrest him found him very skilled at using it." He said sadly.
Ahsoka hopped over a fallen statue of an alien Jedi, glancing back with tear filled eyes. She touched Anakin's hand and gave it a squeeze. He gave her an appreciative glance. He could not share his guilt, it was his alone to bear, but they did share the grief. They had known these Jedi. His eyes fell on a familiar hilt, coated in dust. Halcyon's. A good friend, one who'd died in the War. He clenched his fist but resisted the urge to take it. If anyone checked back here, it would be conspicuous that the dust was disturbed.
Finally he opened an empty storage closet. Hitting a side switch, an interior door opened. They stepped through into a dead end and the room dropped straight down. It seemed to go for kilometers. Finally it opened to reveal a private mag lev line. They paused to study it.
"Everybody ready? It's a long, straight shot to the Lusankya." Anakin observed.
"Let's do it." Ahsoka said. "We've got a really big ship to sabotage."
Han finished reprogramming the battered droid they had made off with, as well as the speeder truck. A little sabotage of the speeder, a malfunction of the droid pilot, and it would crash straight into a main generator for the bio labs street, causing an apparent chain reaction that should cut power and cause a reversal in the labs vent system, blowing chemicals into the building. The chemicals would be courtesy of what was in the speeder truck.
Setting the droid in motion, he was gratified to see the whole street's lights wink out as it crashed the speeder and exploded. A plume of green and brown smoke billowed out, straight into the now exposed vent system by the generator. Sirens wailed. People in lab coats hurried out of the building's front entrance, emergency masks on.
From the sewer, a gloved and masked Luke hurried through a grate Artoo had opened. Then they went through the hatch. The door was a pressure door, and it resealed good and solid once he was through. Artoo plugged into the nearest console as a security droid buzzed in. It had no time to react before Luke's lightsaber streaked through it. He went through like an avenging angel, striking down droids left and right. He blinked when he was done, mildly disturbed. These droid's weren't all unlike Artoo or C-3PO. It was a shame for cutting them down for doing what they were programmed to do. But there were lives at stake and they might sound an alarm.
Hurrying down a corridor he could feel pain and suffering around him. "Not good, Artoo. Get that back door open."
The droid whistled and the back door slid open with a hiss. Han hurried in, masked. "Everything okay?"
"Hardly." Luke said.
Droids they had requisitioned and re-purposed followed Han in, along with a few more of Leia's friends. "Where are the victims?"
Luke was cringing in discomfort as he opened the cell doors. They were made of clear transparisteel with extra ray shields for security, not only to prevent the beings escaping. They held contaminants in too. The beings inside were obviously in pain and suffering. Multiple eyes looked at him. Groans were all around. A few didn't move, just lay still twitching in pain. Luke stepped aside as the droids helped load people onto stretchers. More than one reached for them, murmuring for help, for water, food, word of families.
"We'll do our best. We're here to help..." Luke said, feeling helpless.
Han was in the science area, placing charges gingerly.
"Don't just stand there kid, help me! This place gives me the creeps."
Leia's friends continued helping the wounded out. But not all were living to be moved. A few died even as they tried to move them. One literally started to disintegrate in decay before their eyes.
"Oh..." Luke groaned, backing away and hurrying to Han. He was going to be sick, first chance he got. "Hey Artoo, have you got it yet?"
The droid gave an affirmative beep. He rolled in, whistling and opened a cabinet.
"Hey! Hey are you sure that's safe?" Han demanded.
Artoo burbled an answer.
"Nearest thing they have to a cure is in there..." Luke said, carefully taking out a vial. They call the disease, The Krytos plague or virus or something."
"Well, grab the cure or-the almost cure-and the data files and lets blow out of here. Literally." Han was just as gloved and masked as the rest of them, but no-one wanted to take chances. This place was going up in a blaze. Hopefully it would be attributed, for a time, to a fire spread by the speeder crash through the vents. The smoke they were pouring in was flammable.
The two leaped out through the sewer, ignoring the back door for fear of drawing attention to the escapees. With Artoo sliding behind them, Han turned and fired at the vent nearest the door before slamming it shut. A slow hiss began behind them. It was a few moments before a massive explosion resounded.
"Let's hope that did it." Han said.
Artoo whirred worriedly.
"Yeah, Artoo, me too. Let's get that data and vial to the medics and see about catching up with the others."
Anakin, Leia and Ahsoka tumbled out of the mag car and entered another well appointed room. Anakin led the way to an elevator in the back. It was small, and fairly tight for all three of them. The elevator shot up and they all hesitated for an instant, feeling with the Force and listening. No sounds from within the Lusankya. Cautiously Anakin opened the hatch and climbed into what appeared to be private quarters. He strode out, glancing up and down a corridor every bit as standard as every other Imperial Super Star Destroyer. Then he ambled down the hall to the library.
"Where are all the people?"
"It's only got a token force. But given it's a Super Star Destroyer that's still a lot." Anakin said calmly. "I'd say engines, bridge, and the prison level. The prison level has the gravity reversed and is set up to look like it's underground. That way if anyone escapes..."
"They go the wrong way, assuming they are underground on a planet." Leia nodded grimly.
"Are we going to get the prisoners too?" Ahsoka asked.
"I think we have too much to do already. However if we miraculously have time, it would be nice." Anakin observed.
"Nice?" Leia said, staring incredulously at him. "I know what they do to prisoners." She fired at him. "Nice?"
"We know a lot more people will be hurt if we don't prevent take off. To say nothing of all the weapons," He countered.
"Maybe the prisoners could help?" Ahsoka pointed out.
Anakin shook his head. "Isard mixes the ones she's reprogrammed with the others. All it would take is one giving us away. And who says they won't just run and get an alarm sounded?"
"Even running they would distract them from us." Leia said, determined. "I say we try and get their help."
Anakin stared at her for a moment. Obi-Wan's voice echoing in his head. "You can't save everyone, Anakin." But oh how he had tried! It was ironic, sometimes, how Luke and now Leia sometimes echoed his earlier efforts and thoughts.
"You don't know what she's done to them, Leia...it's not just about breaking them with torture for information...it's literally twisting their minds, until they agree with her...or haven't the strength to resist."
"We have to give them the chance. You don't know that she's broken any of them! Do you?"
Anakin shook his head. "We could look it up..."
"There isn't time and you know it!" Her brown eyes met his. "This is my call."
He blinked hard and even Ahsoka looked stunned. Leia was pulling rank on him. His eyes held hers, in a staring contest. She had both hands on her hips.
Ahsoka swallowed slowly. "There are an awful lot of guns, to sabotage, Anakin. More than five thousand! Even with computer viruses to sabotage them and aiming at the main batteries..."
Anakin swallowed and nodded. The dangerous tingle he sensed when Leia had suggested it didn't go away. "This feels wrong. Dangerous." Actually, being an unsanctioned mission, there technically were no ranks. She couldn't really force him. But he didn't know how to refuse her.
"Well it feels right to me!" Leia said. "We're doing it."
Anakin sighed. "Let's start with the computer virus and deactivating the external alarms and internal coms. Then I'll hit the engines while you two go for the prisoners." He cocked a brow at Leia. "Acceptable?"
She nodded. "Agreed."
Back on their hideout world, the Alliance base was bustling with energy. Admiral Piett gave a weary sigh as he looked up from the information he'd been given. Wherever he was, the man he knew as Lord Vader had certainly been busy, digging up the Emperor's private files from the Clone Wars era. He wondered what he was doing. The message had come on an encoded databurst, and shared with him by Kenobi. It was a bit mind boggling that Vader would take the time to find this just to convince him. However, it was somewhat less likely he'd bother to make up so much detail. He signaled one of the guards. "I'd like to speak to General Kenobi please."
to be continued