Chapter 31 - Brain Invaders

DISCLAIMER: We (unfortunately) do not own Star Wars. :P

Author's Note: Thank you, loldelegate! :)

~ Amina Gila

"Still no sign of Poggle?" Ahsoka inquires. After finishing up the most major part of the battle – and finally getting a brief time to rest and recover – they came back to help the clones finish searching the surface for the Separatist leader.

"None, sir," the clone confirms, and she sighs. "We have clone squadrons spread out all over the area, but nothing yet."

Ahsoka frowns. They don't have time for this. "I'll join them," she decides, finally.

"I'm sure the clones will be able to handle it," Obi-Wan objects, approaching her.

She shrugs. "He has too much information. We cannot let him get away."

"Very well," he concedes grudgingly, "But we will have to finish the rest of the strategic planning without you."

"I'm sure you can handle it," she snips, turning and heading away. She takes a speeder of her own, heading to where the clones last reported signs of Poggle. It's easy to get lost in this terrain, but she knows what she's doing. She has experience with desert planets, after all.

The first thing that instantly catches her attention is a droid lying in the sand. Further away, there's a munitions container. A trail. She found one. It fills her with satisfaction, and she increases the speed of her bike now that she knows she's on the right path before pushing a button on her comm. "It appears Poggle is headed for the Progate Temple," she reports.

"That doesn't make sense," Obi-Wan objects, "Nothing could have survived there."

"Perhaps the bugs are stupider than we thought," Ahsoka offers. And she'll catch him unprepared. Although there must be some reason he's going out there. A secret hideout, perhaps? She'll have to be cautious.

"Ahsoka, I'm tracking a sandstorm headed your way," Anakin objects, appearing on the hologram next to his master.

A sandstorm? That's... not good, but she can't stop now. "I'll find a way," Ahsoka promises determinedly. "Poggle is out in the open, and I won't risk him escaping."

"You could get lost too," Obi-Wan warns. Always with that attitude?

"I grew up in sandstorms," she reminds, "I know what I'm doing." She ends the call at that before they can start arguing about something so stupid, then turns her focus back to the path.

The wind is picking up, sand whipping around her, but she pulls her googles down over her eyes, ignoring it as it stings against her montrals and lekku, continuing to press forwards.

Finally, she reaches the Temple, hurrying inside and drawing in a deep breath of air that's finally not full of sand. At least not completely; she can still taste and feel it in the air, but it's not as overwhelming as it was outside.

"There's no sign of him here," a clone reports as they scan the main room.

She frowns, glancing around. There's something... moving. It's near though she can't see it. "He probably went into the catacombs. I'll contact Obi-Wan."

But how will they catch him if he went down there? The networks go on endlessly and trying to track him would be... impossible. No, they have to find a way, somehow. Even if they have to search through every twist and turn in those tunnels.

Something suddenly moves out of the corner of her eye, and Ahsoka whips around right as one of those bugs comes flying straight for her head. She whips out her lightsaber, slashing through it except... It just keeps flying? More of them are suddenly swarming out around them. Clones open fire but the blaster shots aren't affecting them. They fire back, and the clones collapse to the ground, dead.

For the first time, a flare of fear settles in her as they swarm around her, forcing her into a corner. One of them knocks her lightsabers from her hand, and they catch onto her, yanking her off her feet, dragging her through the opening in the floor by her limbs.

Ow.

She squirms around in the bugs' grip anyway, though has no real hope of breaking it. There are too many, and she doesn't know what to do.

The tunnels are totally dark, though she can still see a little thanks to her night vision. Not that it matters when she can't escape, and this is not good. What do they want with her? Why haven't they killed her? They clearly want something from her, and she can't deny her fear. She's heard what has happened to Jedi the Separatists capture, but never has Ahsoka faced a situation where it could happen to her.

The bugs finally fly through an opening, into a much larger open room. An enormous bug sits at the front of the room, and there's Poggle!

The bugs click in their language, and the ones holding her drag her over to the wall above the throne, changing her in place.

She squirms around, trying in vain to free herself. This was definitely not how she was planning the day to go. But how are those bugs even alive?! It's like they're zombies or something! That should be impossible.

She needs to find a way to escape, but –

"Ahsoka? Where are you?" Obi-Wan's voice suddenly crackles over her comm.

Oh no. Of course they followed her, and there's no way they'll be able to fight off these bugs. "Zombies here!" she yells, "Don't follow me – "

One of the bugs flies forward, yanking away the comm and crushing it.

So much for that.

**w**

"Ahsoka?" Obi-Wan asks, urgently, but there's no reply, and then her comm signal promptly dies.

"The signal was coming from right ahead," Anakin observes, a prickle of fear running through him. "And what does she mean 'zombies'?"

"I suppose we will find out," he says, unhappily, as they round another corner.

Anakin can sense life far too close, but he doesn't see anything. He can hear the sound of hundreds of wings beating – like insects – and... they round another corner, to see into a large room, and –

"What's that?" Anakin hisses.

"The Queen we were looking for," Obi-Wan replies,

"How will we get to Ahsoka?" Anakin whispers.

"They're keeping her alive for a reason," he points out, "The Queen must want something."

"You're going to... talk to her?"

"Yes," he agrees.

"I'll be ready when things go downhill," he quips. Anakin pauses a moment, considering. "Light would blind them, right? Maybe the clones can use their lights to confuse them when the time is right."

"Yes," Obi-Wan agrees, stepping forwards into the room.

"Didn't I tell you not to come here?" Ahsoka calls down to them.

"You really thought we'd just leave you?" Anakin shoots back, motioning for the clones to get into position around the room.

Obi-Wan steps closer, stopping in front of the Queen. "You are the creatures that attacked Genosis!" the queen snarls, "Why have you come before me?"

Of course, the conversation goes exactly as Anakin expected.

Obi-Wan only makes the queen angrier and angrier as they politely threaten each other.

"I control you!" she raves, angrily, "I had but one Jedi before, but now I have three. Watch as my child enters your friend, and once inside, her mind becomes my mind, her thoughts, my thoughts." That's how all the bugs here seem connected?

Anakin's eyes widen as one of the bugs steps forwards, pulling out a long green worm, and setting it on Ahsoka's head. She jerks around, trying in vain to shake it off.

This is not good.

"When, Master?" Anakin asks, anxiously. What are they waiting for? Haven't they seen enough?

"No, it would be interesting to see how it works," Obi-Wan objects.

"What?!"

"I'd prefer not to, thanks," Ahsoka snaps.

"The more we know about how it works, the better," his master insists. How can he be so casual when Ahsoka could be about to be mind-controlled, and they don't even know if they can undo it?

"Maybe you can try it on another test subject," Ahsoka snaps.

"Now!" Obi-Wan orders, finally,and the clones instantly turn on their helmet lights. The bugs shriek as it blinds them.

Anakin throws up a hand, yanking the worm off Ahsoka and slashing through it with his lightsaber, letting the pieces fall to the ground.

"I was just going to say we should keep it alive to study it!" Obi-Wan complains.

What is wrong with him?!

Anakin stomps on one of the pieces for good measure. "Study the bottom of my boot if it makes you feel better!" he yells back.

All out chaos breaks out after that as the bugs start shooting. Anakin holds his ground against them as Obi-Wan jumps across the room, cutting Ahsoka free, and then grabbing Poggle, snapping cuffs over his wrists and dragging him after them as they race out the entrance, the bugs almost literally pouring after them.

Anakin hasn't heard this many wings beating in his life, and he hopes he never does again.

They run as fast as they can, shooting out the supports of the building as soon as they're close to the exit. He can only be grateful that this nightmare is buried with the main holdout of the Geonosians.

**w**

Geonosis still isn't fully secured, but when they hear word that Windu, who's on Dantooine, needs medical supplies, Obi-Wan offers to go along with Anakin. Ahsoka and Mundi should be able to handle the cleanup on Geonosis, as well as getting Poggle to Coruscant.

They're in hyperspace now, and it's the first time either of them have had a chance to rest in a while. Obi-Wan silently watches Anakin's still form as he sleeps peacefully on the other side of the darkened room they're sharing on the cruiser.

It was never like this when he was raising Ahsoka. They had their own quarters, and they were together strictly for training. For Anakin, it's... different. Unless they're at the Temple, they usually stay with each other, whether sleeping side by side on the battlefield, or occasionally staying in the same quarters on a cruiser. They live together, for all intents and purposes.

And... maybe that's part of what's formed such a deep bond between them. (One deeper than he knows it ought to be.) He cared about Ahsoka, but she was just a padawan. Sometimes, he's not sure he can say the same about Anakin. Everything is quiet now, with nothing but the sound of Anakin's even breathing, and he finally closes his eyes, letting himself drift off to sleep. It will do him no good to think about this further.

Obi-Wan doesn't know what woke him first – the sudden danger and tension humming in the Force, the sound of the door to their cabin on the ship opening, or Anakin abruptly climbing out of bed, expression wary.

Several clones stand in the doorway. One of them is holding something in his hand, and –

A much too familiar green worm is slithering out of it, and then he promptly notices the other one on the floor, coming right towards them.

How did they here?! Weren't they all left behind, buried, on Geonosis?

Anakin springs into motion first, yanking away the... egg? with the Force, and cutting it in half as it falls to the floor, before he stomps on the worm crawling towards them.

The clones instantly raise their blasters, shooting. They're being mind-controlled, and that means there's no way to tell them to stop. How far has this spread?!

Obi-Wan ignites his blade instantly, deflecting the shots back at them. The first is hit in the shoulder, and Anakin throws him into the wall with the Force, knocking him unconscious. The second dodges the deflected shots, and then promptly lunges right at him. Obi-Wan doesn't have a chance to shove him back with the Force. He reacts on instinct, plunging the blade through his chest.

"Did you really have to do that, Master?" Anakin asks, looking almost sick as he stares at the body on the floor.

What? It's not as if he wanted to, but they need to hurry and evaluate the situation. "He wouldn't have stopped," Obi-Wan replies, "Come. We need to determine how widespread this is."

He hurries past the clones, out into the hallway. There's no one immediately in sight, but he can hear movement close by. "We should call the bridge," he decides, pushing a button on his comm, and trying, except no one answers.

This does not look good. The ship is infested, and they don't even know how to stop them. "We'll have to get up there and assess the situation ourselves," he decides.

Anakin nods, and they head off, keeping out of sight as occasional clones pass in the halls. Are they all being mind-controlled? Or just some of them? Is there any way they can warn the ones who aren't?

Obi-Wan hears a sudden noise around the corner, and he ducks back against the wall. From around the corner, he can make out noises – the Geonosian language. The clones are talking like them too now? Oh wonderful. He knows he can trust Anakin – his Padawan's Force signature is clear and free of any signs of influence – but all of his men are suspect. They don't have time to deal with something of this magnitude. If only they knew more about the worms; they don't have any idea how to counteract them, and now really isn't the best time to experiment.

They peer around the corner into the barracks to see two clones holding back another. Cody. A third clone is holding a wriggling worm and trying to let it crawl onto Cody's body and up his nose. Obi-Wan shudders; he can't help it. Anakin inhales sharply next to him, reaching out his hand. The worm flies into the air, hitting the wall before falling to the floor many feet away. The clones begin turning, angered, but Anakin doesn't stop, expression dark and intent as he throws them backwards, tugging Cody free with the Force.

He pulls the commander from the barracks, slamming the door shut behind him and sealing it by destroying controls with his lightsaber. It won't hold them off for long, but it'll be enough to allow them to escape. The Force sings a warning, and Obi-Wan whirls, igniting his lightsaber in time to deflect a blaster bolt that would otherwise have gone through his unprotected back.

Waxer is standing there, gaze vacant as he shoots at them. Anakin throws him backwards with the Force, and he slams into the wall, falling to the floor, stunned.

"We should get into the ventilation shaft," remarks Obi-Wan, looking upwards. "We don't have much time, and we need a strategic retreat."

"I agree, Master."

Obi-Wan watches with a hint of pride as Anakin removes the grate with the Force and leaps inside. He uses the Force with an ease and familiarity that many Jedi Masters don't have. It's truly awe inspiring, and Obi-Wan helps Cody into the shaft, before following him, closing the grate behind them. Hopefully, the clones won't be able to find them up here.

"Cody, do you know how those mind control parasites got on board the ship?" Obi-Wan questions. That information won't really help them at the moment, but it might tell them how to avoid repeats in the future.

"No, sir," the clone answers. "I was in the barracks when the others suddenly attacked me."

Obi-Wan grimaces. "Don't worry. We'll figure this out," he assures him. They have to. They don't have the luxury of not figuring out what to do.

**w**

They crawl as quietly as possible through the ventilation system, and Anakin hastily goes completely still, ducking back as several clones pass by under a vent beneath them. "We have to find a way to stop them," he whispers.

"This is why I wanted to study them," Obi-Wan grumbles.

When would they even have had time for that?! He keeps any objections to himself. Besides, his master has a point – it would be good if they knew how to destroy those things.

"There must be some way to destroy them," Cody agrees, "Perhaps something opposing the climate they live in?"

Anakin perks up instantly. "Good idea, Cody." That would mean...

"They live underground," Obi-Wan points out, "But bright light does not appear to be affecting them. Even if it did, that won't work when they're inside everyone."

Anakin suppresses a shudder. This is so much worse than most things he's seen throughout the war. "Geonosis is also hot. Maybe cold would affect them?"

"It would have to be very cold," Obi-Wan muses, "But it might work."

"If we ruptured the coolant system, it would freeze the ship," Cody speaks up. And them, but they'll be out of hyperspace soon enough.

"We must warn Master Fisto that the ship is infected," Obi-Wan declares.

"We'll have to get up to the bridge to do that," Anakin points out.

"We will have to split up," Obi-Wan decides, "Anakin, Cody, you can rupture the coolant system. I'll take the bridge and contact Master Fisto. Meet me back there when you're done. We can seal it off and wait for landing."

Anakin does not like the idea of splitting up, but Obi-Wan should be able to handle it. Hopefully. This is worse than so many of the tight situations he's been in before because it was never the clones he had to fight. Even if they're being mind-controlled, they still know how he fights. They know how to deal with Jedi, and Anakin doesn't want to hurt any of them if he can help it. If he fails, and he and Cody get infected – or if Obi-Wan was, but he can't imagine that – it would be... disastrous. They cannot afford failure.

If they don't find a way to stop this nightmare before it reaches the medical station, it could spread. Anakin doesn't want to think about the amount of chaos that would cause the galaxy and Republic. There would be no question who would win the war were things to reach that point.

Anakin nods determinedly, before turning and crawling away the opposite direction, towards where he can get to the coolant ducts, Cody close behind. They go as fast and silently as possible, pausing occasionally so none of the clones hear them moving around.

"We'll have to get out of the vents here," Anakin observes, stopping above a grate. His heart pounds as he lifts the grate, looking back and forth in the hall below him. It's tense in the same way all battles are, but this is different.

Coast clear.

He silently jumps down and Cody lands easily behind him, darting forward. They hastily press back against the wall at a sudden noise from around the corner. A group of clones pass by, and everything quiets again, but Anakin can't shake the feeling that someone is still close.

"They're gone," Cody whispers, finally stepping forwards, and Anakin darts after. He pushes the door to their destination open, running into the large room.

"Stay on guard," Anakin instructs Cody. He nods, positioning himself by the door as Anakin sprints across the room, hands flying over the controls.

This better work. It's their last chance. Maybe their only chance. Otherwise, the Star Destroyer will reach the medical station and the worms will spread, and... the only way to stop them otherwise is to destroy the ship itself, and Anakin has absolutely no desire to do that. He doesn't even want to think about it.

He yanks down on a few levers, and ducts in the ceiling hiss as a rush of icy air pours into the room. Alarms on the controls start beeping.

"We can't go back into the vents. It will be colder up there," Cody warns grimly.

Right. "We'll have to go through the halls, then," Anakin decides, as they dart back into the hall again only to come face to face with several waiting clones.

Anakin reacts barely in time as a worm lands on his shoulder, crawling up his face. Ew. He rips it off, throwing it to the floor, right as one of the clones jumps him. He struggles to throw him off, eyes widening in alarm as the others try to pin Cody down. Elbowing the one fighting him hard, he lunges forwards, stomping on the worm on the ground, squashing it. Hopefully, they don't have any other extra worms with them.

The other clone tackles him from behind again before he can stop him, and they both fall to the floor. The clone moves before he can get up, wrapping his arm around his neck, strangling him.

The air is freezing already, and they don't have time for this. He struggles to throw him off, finally knocking him to the ground, slamming him over the head.

Jumping to his feet, Anakin struggles to catch his breath – the freezing air makes it harder – before he throws the clones on Cody back into the wall with the Force, knocking them out.

Cody stumbles shakily to his feet, and they bolt.

The halls are growing steadily colder; the air is clouded so it's hard to see, but he forces himself to keep moving. They haven't quite reached the bridge when Cody collapses.

"Cody!" Anakin calls urgently, half-panicked, crouching next to him. His hand and feet feel numb already, and he hardly has the energy to keep moving, but he can't go unconscious right out here. It's cold enough that there's a risk of everyone freezing to death, but he's too cold to be scared of that right now. But logically, he knows the safest option for anyone is if they stay as warm as they can snuggled with each other.

He grabs Cody's arm, groaning quietly as he drags him into the bridge – which definitely would hurt him, but he doesn't have the strength to do anything more and at least this way he won't risk freezing to death. Please don't let the whole crew die because of this.

"A-Anakin." Anakin can hear the relief in his voice. His master is seated on the floor, positioned the furthest away from the vents pouring out cold air as he can get – which isn't very far, but still.

"You s-s-ent the m-message?" Anakin asks, and he nods.

He pulls Cody across the room, over to Obi-Wan. He moves closer, ignoring the awkwardness of it, and climbs into his lap.

"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan yelps.

"'s cold," Anakin whines, not bothering to attempt saying more than that. He doubts he could even if he tried. He twists slideways, snuggling himself up against his master and wrapping his arms around him.

Obi-Wan seems... hesitant at first, but he returns it with surprising fierceness. Maybe, Anakin thinks, his master cares for him as much as Anakin does for him. Maybe. It occurs to Anakin suddenly, that if they did die here, he's not sure how bad it would be – at least they'd be together, and he's too tired to be horrified at how casually he thinks of it.

"You're warm," Obi-Wan tells him, faintly amused.

Anakin makes a sound that he hopes is as grumpy as he feels about that. Everyone tells him that, and it's so not fair because Obi-Wan isn't and Anakin has to freeze for both of them now.

He's so, so tired, and Anakin suspects that's because his body is shutting down, preparing to slide into some sort of status state until it can return to normal. That's usually what happens, but he's tempted to fight it anyway. Just to stay here, in this moment, a little bit longer. He wants to remember this, wants to engrave it into his mind forever.

Obi-Wan shifts the slightest bit, so he's pressing his cheek to Anakin's forehead.

He wants them to stay like this longer. Maybe forever. He craves more, for the feel of home and family he's been lacking since he last saw his mother. Obi-Wan reminds him of her sometimes. It's in a strange and very different way, but it's similar, and maybe the difference is that Obi-Wan can protect him, unlike his mother.

Exhaustion threatens to pull him under, but he forces himself to stay conscious just a little bit longer, to ingrain his mind the feel of this, of his master holding him like this, because even if – when? he's too cold to care which anymore – they get out of this, he never wants to forget it.

Obi-Wan is his... father, in so many ways, and Anakin's definitely thought that before, but he doesn't remember consciously putting that label to him. Or maybe he did and he's just too tired to remember.

It's the last thing he registers before everything fades away.

**w**

When Obi-Wan opens his eyes again, he's in a medbay. The memories of what happened come rushing back instantly, and he pushes himself up, scanning the room. Anakin is lying on the bed next to him, still sleeping, but the sight of him alright is beyond relieving.

They'd been so close to dying, and... Obi-Wan can't forget those last moments when he was holding Anakin. He knew he felt towards him far more deeply than he should, but this was... It forced him to confront it in a way he never had before, in a way he doesn't think he can go back to denying.

It's not the Jedi way and he knows it. He shouldn't be so attached to Anakin, but he undeniably is. He's more than just a student, and he couldn't well call them "brothers" either. They're much too far apart for that. It's... something different, closer. He doesn't quite know what to label it, or maybe it's that he doesn't want to.

He shakes the thoughts aside – or tries to – as he throws another glance around the medbay. Anakin is okay, and he should find out what happened with everyone else. Poggle is probably back to Coruscant by now, and... Yes, he has much to attend to right now.

It feels like something changed between him and Anakin. He's not sure if it's good or bad – that remains to be seen.

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