Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I only own the OC Jayden Shan/Darth Khan.
he Republic continued to sweep every inch of the compound, securing every detail and piece of evidence they could. What they failed to do, however, was properly investigate the resident storage rooms in the lower levels.
Within such a room, Jayden hid behind huge crates, crouched low and a holoprojecter in hand. Displayed was the image of his Master, who Jayden had sent everything he had learned here to him. The Count was silent, thinking, contemplating.
"Doctor Vindi's exuberance is… unfortunate. I had hoped he was sane enough to deliver as I requested. But it would appear that there was not enough sanity left to keep his passion at bay." He determined, speaking slowly and methodically. Jayden had seen him speak in such a way before, his words carefully chosen but spoken with pure confidence. "Has the Republic found the laboratory?"
"Yes, Master."
"Salvage a sample of this Blue Shadow Virus if possible, then make haste and leave it behind. Whatever you do, make sure it is contained and does not contaminate the planet. The last thing we need to have happen is a revelation of our intentions to the enemy by pure accident."
"Understood, my Master."
LEP-86C8's only hope was to go completely undetected by the Republic and move as quickly as possible.
That pesky Senator had absconded with the single bomb Vindi had entrusted him with, the final sample of Blue Shadow Virus not readily available for the Republic to confiscate. Fortunately for him, however, he was tricky and unpredictable. Padme had the bomb, yes, but only the shell. The deadly virus was now cradled in its servos.
Using size and dark corners to his advantage, 86C8 moved carefully through the halls of the occupied lab. He had avoided most of the raid and even after his discovery, no one cared about him. Only the bomb and sample he'd been guarding. And now, using the constant chime of the lab's yellow-alert alarms to mask his presence, the LEP droid carefully snuck up on a pair of Clone troopers guarding the bomb depot.
"How could droids have gotten ahold of the virus containers?" One of them asked.
"I dunno. But I don't wanna be around if they set it off." The other responded. LEP paid them little heed, hellbent on fulfilling the final order Doctor Vindi had programmed into him. In case the lab was ever attacked or the Doctor's position compromised, 86C8 was duty-bound to ensure the virologists legacy would not be forgotten and that his passion would be shared across the planet.
"We've already taken the virus containers out of these bombs." A Clone commented.
"We'll just have to check them again." The other said.
Toddling into the room and sneaking over to the bomb racks, LEP-86C8 slotted the virus vial into a bomb and primed the detonation sequence. The immediate countdown beeps quickly snagged the attention of the troopers.
"Hey! You! Get away from there!" They cried, rushing towards them. 86C8 fixed them with a plain, emotionless look from his photoreceptors as he simply pressed the detonation trigger.
The explosion that followed destroyed 86C8 and killed the two Clones in the room. It blew the bomb room to pieces and the shockwave that followed tore the access door to pieces, sending it clattering across the floor. The rush of gaseous blue material that filled the room afterwards flooded the halls in seconds, racing through every corridor in the lab as the Blue Shadow Virus was unleashed.
The rumble could be felt across a great distance, Ahsoka and her men steadying themselves amid the aftershock as the yellow-alert alarms turned red.
"What was that?!" She exclaimed. Rex quickly checked a nearby control panel.
"Virus leak!" He gasped, doing his best to sound collected and orderly despite the peril facing them all. "We have to get to the safe room, come on!" His orders were quick and decisive, neither Ahsoka nor Torrent Company retorting in anyway. They bolted down the hall, picking up speed as they ran for their lives, the ominous blue cloud of virus rapidly closing in behind them. Doors began automatically sealing shut as they ran past. If they didn't hurry, the safe room would automatically seal before they got there, trapping them in the corridor with the cloud of virus.
A red light at the end of the hall signalled their destination. But it was dwindling quickly, the double-doors moving to seal it off. "Hurry! The doors are closing!" Rex cried.
"There's no chance we'll make it!" Jesse exclaimed.
"Don't worry!" Ahsoka called out, holding her position as she reached out with the Force. Grasping the twin panels with telekinetic strength, she held them apart. "Get inside, Captain!" She ordered and Rex and the men wasted no time, currying to clamber through. The cloud of vrisu was growing ever closer, the Clones on the inside attempted to hold the panels open long enough for Ahsoka to spring through. Their strength paled in comparison to her Force powers, however.
"Hurry!" Rex shouted. With a Force-assisted leap, Ahsoka sprang through the narrow opening and both doors clamped shut behind her, sealing them in before the wall of blue cloud struck the outside. The Clones nearest heard a rush of air as the virus roared on to fill up the rest of the halls.
"Nice moves, little 'un." Rex complimented as Ahsoka panted for breath and wiped sweat from her brow.
"I… haven't moved that fast… since I was chased by an Akul… during my Meh'a Maijet." She remarked between gulps of air.
"I'll… assume that's a Togruta thing." The Captain responded. His words made Ahsoka chuckle.
"They really need to update your databanks." She teased. Her commlink chirped and she quickly answered it.
"Ahsoka, what is going on down there?!" Anakin wondered from the other end.
"The droids released the virus, but we managed to seal the lab." She explained.
"And Padme?" He asked, sounding worried.
"Haven't heard from her since the bomb." Ahsoka confessed. Now she was worried too. In the mad scramble to reach the safe room, she'd forgotten all about Padme, Jar Jar and the other Clones. Her comm crackled, another voice patching through.
"Anakin? Anakin, can you hear me?" It was Padme and Ahsoka whispered her thanks to the Force.
"Padme! I'm here, are you alright?"
"Yes, for the time being." The Senator replied. "Jar Jar and I were in a safety chamber when the alarm went off. We're wearing protective suits." In the background, Ahsoka could faintly hear the Gungan panicking, as he was often known to do.
"The virus is loose but Ahsoka has sealed off the entire facility." Anakin answered.
"But… any remaining droids will try to break out." That gave the Togruta pause, she hadn't considered what the droids might do. In fact, she'd forgotten about the possibility of any being left in the lab. "I'll do what I can to stop them. I cannot let that virus escape and ravage my home." Padme vowed.
"Be careful." Anakin replied. The link cut out and Ahsoka lowered her arm.
"Well… suppose we need a new plan now." Rex mused. Ahsoka nodded. She sniffed the air, freezing in place. Something about it seemed off, there was a vague… sweetness in it. Her brow furrowed. She sniffed again, inhaling deeper to allow every inch of her olfactory system to experience this oddity. The air was indeed vaguely sweet, but also sickly so. Something was off, something in this room wasn't right but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Trooper," she called out, looking at the nearest Clone to her (which happened to be Fives), "use one of those terminals to double-check this room. I wanna make sure we're completely safe for the time being." She didn't want to worry them about her discovery. Maybe it was just some ill-maintained equipment that was leaking somewhere. Could be anything minor, really.
Fives did as asked, using the nearest terminal to check the safe room's precautions. The report that came back in seconds had him genuinely frightened.
"No no no no!" He exclaimed, pounding the terminal. Ahsoka sensed the change in his signature, from calm and relaxed to purely frightened. "Some of the virus got in here!" He revealed, turning to Rex and Ahsoka. "We didn't close the door fast enough!" The grave reality set in. Ahsoka paled.
Oh no… I held the door open too long! I-I tried to save Rex and the boys… but instead I-I've doomed us all…
"We may be dead men, but we can still stop those droids." Rex grimly determined.
"Don't worry Rexster," Ahsoka proffered, as much a boost for him as for herself, "Skyguy will find a cure for this virus. He won't give up on us. We're not dead yet." Her optimistic attitude would, hopefully, be infectious.
If Teth taught me anything, it's that Skyguy will save everyone he can when he can. He didn't like leave Rex and the boys alone, he wouldn't come right back and fought off the droids with them if we didn't have to get Stinky back to his dad.
"Is anyone out there? Can anyone hear me on this frequency?" The crackle of her commlink drew Ahsoka's attention to the sound of Padme's voice.
"Senator Amidala, this is Ahsoka Tano. I'm with Captain Rex and Torrent Company. We got trapped in the safe room. End of Complex 'B'." She reported.
"We'll be right there. Are you contaminated?" Padme asked. Before Ahsoka could respond, Jesse and Hardcase started coughing. It sounded rough and throaty, unlike a mild 'dry mouth' cough. Clearly the virus, whatever little amount had gotten in here with them, was already beginning to take a toll. That had her worried. Ahsoka hadn't started coughing yet, but if the Clones were then she wouldn't be far off.
"I'm afraid so…" She replied.
Making it to Hatch One, Jayden contemplated whether or not he's been infected by the virus if it's been made airborne but his mask should protect him, although he wasn't sure about his exposed skin like his arms, if it can travel into the arms... that's not how viruses works but who knows what that insane doctor had done to prefer the virus into an airborne. He was just glad Dooku had supplied him with something that would give him immunity to viruses for a short while.
Coming up on Hatch One, Jayden found a company of battle droids trying to exit the facility. "Someone bring in the cutting tools! The darn safety locks are jammed and none of our access programs are working." The resident commander ordered. "Stupid lockdown protocols…"
"Droids!" Jayden shouted.
"Wah!" One of the droids exclaimed as it turned, nearly falling over in surprise.
"You idiot..." The commander droid shook it's head before snapping to attention, "Sir! We are planning to make an exist out of the facility."
"That will be unnecessary, commander." Jayden said, confusing the droid. "Count Dooku wants you all to make sure he lab is sealed and that the virus doesn't escape."
"That's not what Doctor Vindi said…" The lieutenant trailed off, only to shrug as Jayden's gaze turned to him.
"Oh well, Count Dooku definitely outranks Doctor Vindi." The commander cut in.
"Yeah, he's not a Count. He's just a doctor." The lieutenant agreed after a moment.
"We'll pass the orders on, but you better find the base commander. He can send an all-frequency broadcast and stop all the other droids. We saw him taking a squad to Hatch Two." The commander informed Jayden. With a nod of understanding, the young Sith turned and started moving. He had to make sure the other two hatches were clear before he did anything about finding a good sample of Blue Shadow to take with him.
But that's when he had a troubling thought. How the hell was he supposed to get out of here without releasing the virus…?
With the southern-most hatch secured, the Republic task forced moved to deal with the rest of the droids. Clearly there were some who were more than willing to put up a fight. A pair of destroyers rolling down the hall took up attack positions as they popped their high-calibre repeating cannons as well as their deflector shields. Their programming was very primal and animalistic, they would attack anything within their territory and leave no survivors.
The Clones and Padme laid down covering fire as Ahsoka sprinted ahead, her head low as she booked it across the expanse of hall between her and the droidekas. Using the Force to improve her agility, speed and flexibility, the Togruta girl vaulted off the floor and off the walls as she landed atop a droideka and promptly jammed her lightsaber through the ray-shield, killing it as her blade melted its central processor. "Mesa help!" Jar Jar cried out with a pistol in hand.
"Jar Jar! No!" Padme cried out, grabbing him and throwing him to the floor as a barrage from the other droideka sailed through the air where he'd once been standing. Ahsoka quickly dispatched the other droideka only to discover Padme downed and possibly shot.
"Senator!" She cried out, jogging over. Rolling over, Padme sat up and gave her head a shake. But something seemed off. She could hear something… a rushing hiss…
"Senator! You're suit's been compromised." Rex pointed out and Padme realized one of the helmet's air hoses had been torn loose, allowing the virus-contaminated air to flood the protective confines of her helmet. Loosing a pained gasp at the realization, Padme's hopes sank as Ahsoka knelt beside her, worry written across her face.
And there was plenty to worry about. From Padme's view and anyone else who looked at her, Ahsoka was showing clear symptoms of infection. Normally bright orange skin was now darkening in a sickly pallor, veins darkening and becoming very visible as more and more of the virus filled her system. Dark, heavy rings surrounded her normally bright eyes.
Poor young thing. She looks like a wreck. It's a miracle she's still going as hard as she is.
"I'm so sorry." Ahsoka whispered as Padme removed her now useless helmet.
"Don't blame yourself." She responded reassuringly. "These things tend to happen in a warzone."
There were less droids at Hatch Two as Jayden was learning, but they certainly had better equipment than Hatch One. "How're you doing up there?" The commander inquired.
"Almost through!" The one above wielding a laser cutter responded.
"Good! Sooner we're out the be-wha?" The commander stopped, titling his head as he eyed Jayden approaching. "There you are! Was wondering where you went during the fighting. You're not infected are you?"
"No." Jayden answered.
"Well, good. Give us a hand, will you? We're almost through the hatch locks."
"Actually, you have new orders." Jayden revealed, causing the droid to pause.
Then he banged on the stairs with one servo. "Get down here OM-9! New orders!"
"Hold on? What new orders?" The other replied.
"Just stop cutting and get down here. We've received new orders from Count Dooku!"
"What? Count Dooku…?"
"There they are!" Jayden whirled at the sound of the familiar feminine voice and spied Ahsoka arriving from the opposite hall, with a retinue of Clones and the politicians behind her. Without another word, the Togruta ignited her Lightsaber and sprinted towards them, quickly slicing the droid commander in two as Jayden backstepped out of her range. Reaching out with the Force, Ahsoka pulled down the droid from the top of the ladder and cut him to pieces as he fell, bits of metal raining down around her.
With the droids dispatched, she turned on Jayden, who strode slowly towards her. "Don't even think about it, you… you big…" Her words trailed off, slurring, and Jayden's mask ran a scan of her body before the results show... infection. Ahsoka was infected with the Blue Shadow Virus.
Ahsoka groaned and leaned forward, falling right into Jayden who caught her on instinct.
"You've been infected, haven't you?" Jayden asked grimly.
"What... what was your first guess?" Ahsoka responded sarcastically, making Jayden chuckle. Even when infected by a deadly virus, Ahsoka's attitude never ceased to end. He held her to her feet, steadying her. "I-I'm alright." She stammered, giving her head a shake. The Republic rushed over, Padme at the forefront and looking very concerned.
"The virus will spread through you the quickest, given you are the youngest aside from myself." Jayden remarked.
"Oh... oh yeah... how old are you, touch guy?" Ahsoka asked weakly as she leaned on him, trying to steady herself as her hands gripped Jayden's shoulders to keep herself on her feet. Jayden felt... awkward. he had never been in this situation before where he had a girl so close and pressed against him, and it was causing... something in his body but he ignored it to focus on the task at hand.
"...Fourteen." Jayden admitted after a moment of thinking about it, whether or not to tell her.
"Huh... same age as me." Ahsoka said, then groaned as her vision blurred, waning in and out of coherence and delirium. She could hear the groaning of the Clones behind her, pushing to stand a little longer and press on with their objective, knowing it could very well be their last. "Why... why don't you just... kill us now? We're vulnerable..."
Jayden stared at her. Why doesn't he just kill them? They were weak, easy prey, not much of a fight left in them thanks to the virus. He could easily take them down with a few swings of his Lightsaber, and the Republic would be rid of some key allies but... he found himself not wanting that. There was no honor in killing them this way. A Sith he may be, but Jayden wasn't as evil and inhumane as previous Sith Lords in the history of the Sith Order.
And he found himself... concerned for Ahsoka, but he chalked it up to him only wanting to kill her while she was full strength and engaging him in a fight, not because a virus had weakened her. There was no challenge in killing a weak opponent, no point in ending a rivalry when one rival is at their weakest because of some stupid virus.
"Stay here." He suddenly ordered, leaning Ahsoka on the wall before he jogged off to look for something that could help.
"Where's he going?" Rex wondered, getting shrugs from the others.
Later…
"Master… can you hear me?… destroyed… all the battle droids… inside the compound, Master. Naboo is safe from further contamination. I repeat… Naboo is safe."
"Promise me that no one will ever open this bunker. Good-bye Anakin…"
Padme and Ahsoka were convinced that would be the last transmission they would ever send. The pain and strained agony on Anakin's face was unbearable to witness, but so was the tightness in their chests and the ache that wracked their lungs with each cough. With all the droids dealt with, they and the Clones settled in for what they believed to be the inevitable. They all knew Anakin was attempting to wrest a cure from Doctor Vindi, but it seemed doubtful that one would surface before the 48 hour duration of the virus expired… and them along with it.
All they could do now was try to make their passing a little bit easier.
The hours ticked by and the symptoms grew worse. Fever, rough coughing, the worst of the bunch were coughing up blood, many a Clone's hand smeared red. Padme did what she could as they hunkered down in the safe room, using a broken pipe to wet cloths and pat down the trooper's skins, who all looked as horrid as she did. They struggled to stand, many of them sitting up against crates and walls or lying down to try and rest. Ahsoka, for how ravaged she was, kept moving from trooper to trooper. She was bound by a duty to these men, even though she herself need to stop and rest and try to alleviate her own suffering.
This is what good Commanders do. I'm a good Commander. I'll show them what I can do… even if this is the end.
"I wish there was more I could do." She bemoaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose as another woozy sensation came over her. She leaned over and braced herself against a countertop. Her montrals were throbbing, everything ached, her chest hurt and she was convinced her throat was raw from all the coughing she was doing.
"It's what we all wish, Commander." Kix, Torrent company's resident medic, softly offered. He was also fighting the virus, but he was still trying to administer whatever medical aid he could to the worst of his brothers. Ahsoka turned, bracing herself, taking a moment to simply pause.
She heard footsteps, and blinked as Khan emerged from the darkness while carrying a bundle in each hand, something he did not have at their last encounter.
Everyone stopped, looking up to the sound of his footsteps and watching in mixed surprise and fear as Jayden entered the room, walking right up to Ahsoka. "He picks now to come back?" Jesse asked before nearly hacking up a lung in another violent coughing fit. Rex analyzed the situation from his position, helmet off and wondering.
"What's he got in his hands, Commander?" He asked. Jayden knelt down before her and slowly unrolled the two objects, revealing them to be a pair of bandoliers. Slotted in their housings were, not ammunition or weapons of any kind, but numerous pneumatic injectors filled with a glowing green substance. Ahsoka stooped down for a closer look and her blue eyes widened in surprise.
"They're… health stims." She realized.
"Yes." Jayden said, tossing one over to Rex. He barely caught it, but he held it tightly in both hands, treating it like the galaxy's most valuable treasure.
"It's not cure, but… it might stave it off for a bit." He said slowly. He quickly passed it over to Kix who confirmed the validity of the device.
"Yeah… Yeah, ward off the symptoms a tad." He agreed. He jabbed it into his brother's neck and spent the entire contents on him. The trooper coughed and the effects were by no means immediate, but he knew it might help.
Padme knelt along with Ahsoka, pulling out more stims along with Jayden. "There's plenty to go around. Two… maybe even three apiece." She stated after a brief count.
"Let's get them to the men." Ahsoka urged, taking several handfuls and passing one batch over to Rex as they began running the stims to ever Clone who needed it. Padme joined her, moving from trooper to trooper as they began a first dose of health stims.
"I never would've expected such a… humanitarian gesture from him." The Senator whispered quietly to the Togrutan, casting a glance back at Khan. Ahsoka followed her gaze, watching the enemy Sith Apprentice line up all the stims on the floor as he emptied the bandoliers.
"To be honest… neither would I." She confessed.
They made their rounds, ensuring the men were looked after. Those who received a first dose were marked for a second. Some of the troopers, unfortunately, were unable to take them. Rex knelt by one helmeted trooper, giving him a shake to get him awake and ready for an injection. But the trooper never stirred, merely rocking limply back and forth with his motions. Checking his pulse, Rex realized the grim truth and sadly set down his stims, reaching instead for a tarp to cover his fallen brother.
"What a waste…" Padme shook her head, speaking softly and sadly as she mourned the senseless loss of life.
"With all… due respect, Senator," Rex slowly replied, pausing to cough, "it's what we were born to do."
"I hope that their sacrifice brings us closer to peace." Padme responded.
"It… It will, Padme…" Ahsoka replied between ragged coughs. She paused, bracing herself against a table. "You must… believe…" Her words trailed off, falling short as she collapsed.
"Ahsoka!" Padme cried as she and Rex rushed to her side. The Captain gingerly rolled her body over, picking her up off the ground as he checked for a pulse. To his relief, there was one.
"She's unconscious!" He stated.
"If she's in a coma then she's worse off than the rest of us." Kix said, using what knowledge he had gleaned from his brothers on the stages and forms the virus took. "Death will be next."
"She's so young… her body isn't tempered to handle it like ours are." Padme realized.
"It knocked her out to devote more resources to fighting the virus." Kix grimly determined. "It… It's trying desperately to keep her alive."
"Move." Jayden ordered coldly as he came over, sending come Clones a glare when they tried to persist in getting in his way. He was already angry enough as it is the more he stared at Ahsoka, her weakening condition. Seeing the young Togruta in Rex's arms sparked something within him. All their clashes, all their back-and-forth battlefield banter… she was his rival. She wanted to be the end of him just like he wished to be the same for her. This Togruta, this… teenager… child… she didn't deserve this. His fury burned towards Vindi. He would not be her end.
Not if he had anything to say about it.
Crouching to his knees, Jayden withdrew the immuno-booster Dooku had given him and primed the injector. "What's that?" Padme asked.
"Something to boost her immunity for a short while. It might not be a cure... but it'll keep her alive until she can get the cure." Jayden replied while quickly and concisely preparing the injector. He acted with haste, well before Rex could do anything, and promptly injected the greyish liquid into Ahsoka's neck. If it was designed to ensure his immune system could handle any virus for an extended time with no ill-effects, then sure it would do two… maybe threefold for Ahsoka.
They waited with baited breath. Watching. Hoping.
The effects were almost immediate. The darkened skin and veins around her neck began to brighten, the virus retreating as her immune system suddenly surged with a second wind of effort. It wouldn't purge the virus from her body, but it would prevent it from killing her. Then Ahsoka coughed again, eyes flying open only to partly close as she was restored to consciousness. Jayden knelt down beside her, checking her over as his mask's HUD performed a peripheral scan. She was awake at the very least, but he had to wonder how she was feeling. Of everyone here, she was the one he was determined to keep alive.
"Easy, Commander. We almost lost you." Rex proffered, propping her up in a more comfortable position. Ahsoka wheezed, placing a hand to her head.
"What… What happened?"
"You passed out on us. Fortunately… Khan here happened to have a little something on hand that brought you back around." Rex explained between coughs. Taking that in stride, Ahsoka looked up at Jayden, his expressionless visor staring back.
"You had the perfect chance to let me die and never have to deal with me again… and you didn't take it." She whispered softly, trying to avoid coughing. He nodded. Ahsoka cracked a weak grin. "You're a weird Sith."
Jayden snorted. "Maybe. But nobody and nothing gets to kill you but me."
Ahsoka gave a weak chuckle. "I'm flattered."
"Hopefully it helps… I'm just worried that it won't be enough." Jayden looked up, eyeing Padme as the Senator coughed and continued. "It's a temporary fix. So long as she's breathing the virus in, she'll survive only so long as that immuno-booster lasts. Then she'll pass out again." That was a grim truth no one was ready to face. Ahsoka was just fourteen, so young and they hated to see her afflicted like this. Jayden took the Senator's comments in stride, realizing the truth in her words. So long as she's breathing the virus in.
A thought came to him, but he paused, wondering if he should go through with it. But a glance at Ahsoka... made him do so. He pushed his hood down, reached up and gripped the mask covering his whole head. To everyone's surprise, they watched as it unsealed and lifted off his head, revealing short black hair, white human skin, and dark brown eyes on a perfectly normal human face.
Darth Khan looked... nothing like they expected.
He was young. The same age as Ahsoka, as he himself confirmed.
Wasting no time, Jayden took the mask apart so that it looked like it's original version of just covering the face... since Ahsoka's headtails would make it difficult for the entire mask to cover her head. However, long as her face was covered and the in-built respirator did it's work, she'd be fine. So, he placed the mask over her face and the respirator soon started doing it's work.
Ahsoka inhaled slowly, the sound magnified and synthesized thanks to the respirator's properties. She closed her eyes and exhaled.
"Fresh air…" She whispered. Jayden leaned back. He opened his mouth slightly as he breathed in, tasting the air. It was sickly sweet, almost thick in a way as if he could chew it. He knew he was now breathing the Blue Shadow Virus in with each inhale and with every exhale it worked through his bodily systems. He was as kriffed as they were.
"Are you alright, Commander?" Rex asked.
"I'm… alive. Feel better now, though." Ahsoka confessed. Her eyes never left Jayden as she spoke, the Sith able to hear the shock still in her voice. "Why?"
"Like I said..." Jayden said, and Ahsoka's eyes widened as she heard the real voice of Darth Khan. No longer appearing as the terrifying monster he's made himself out to be by killing Clones and Jedi, he was young a young teenager like her, thrust into war and on the opposite side. But... he was unlike what she thought of Sith, what she knew about Sith. They were heartless, cruel, remorseless, without mercy. They kill everything in their path...
But Khan didn't.
He had the chance to kill her, to kill them, and he isn't taking it. Instead, he's going out of his way to help her and her friends and... she can sense concern from him? Concern for her?
Who knew a Sith could actually feel concern... Ahsoka thought, slowly realizing that Khan may not be everything she believed him to be just because he's a Sith Lord.
"Nobody kills you but me." Jayden finished, drawing Ahsoka's attention back to him. "I won't let a virus take that chance away from me."
Underneath the mask, Ahsoka couldn't help but smirk. "Whatever you say..."
Another agonizing hour later, and that hope manifested in the most relieving of ways.
Anakin and Obi-Wan had been busy. Following a lead from Captain Typho, they sought out the Reeksa Root native to the planet Iego. It had been diffcult to find a sample and they couldn't imagine how long Typho had to have been buried in archives for, trying to find what the Republic had used to nullify the Candorian Plague in the first place. But they had succeeded and returned in the nick of time, using a root sample to synthesize a cure for the Blue Shadow Virus. They returned with fresh Clone troopers and a small army of medical droids ready to administer the cure.
When they got ready to received the sick, their surprise was incredibly visible when a unmasked Darth Khan was the first one out. He carried Ahsoka in his arms, his own mask around her face, revealing that he too had been infected by the virus. It was story that both Jedi were incredibly quizzical about, but were more than willing to wait to hear as Jayden laid Ahsoka on a hover gurney, retrieved his mask, put it on, and went back into the lab to bring more survivors out. He carried the worst of them, the rest helping each other out arm in arm as they continued to try and put one foot in front of the other.
It was an uncharacteristic display of goodwill between a Sith and his enemies. But there was something wholesome about it, something so welcome after such a nearly-fatal brush.
The cure was administered and the survivors were slowly carted to waiting LAATs, the Royal Palace of Naboo having prepared proper medical facilities to receive them back in Theed. Anakin stayed by Padme's side as close as he could, for as long as he could. "I spoke the medical droid. He expects you to make a full recovery."
"Even though I couldn't see you, I never lost faith in you." She tiredly remarked with a soft smile. "None of us did." Anakin smiled back.
"That's good to hear, because there were a few moments where we weren't so sure of ourselves." He quipped.
"Well, you did make it. And, by the way… your Padawan was brilliant." She added. "I trust I'll see you soon, General Skywalker?" She queried, slipping her hand into his. Anakin nodded.
"Of course… my lady." He replied. Stepping back as her gurney was loaded into the transport, he paused and awaited for Ahsoka to stop next to him. "You did a fantastic job today, Snips." He complimented. She was still pale and showing the signs of the viral infection (they all were) but the brightness about her seemed to be coming back.
"All thanks to your training, Master." She replied with as big a smile as she could manage. "I confess… I had a little help towards the end." She added. Anakin turned around, spying the 'help' in question. Khan was seated on a crate, flanked by a pair of Clones. He seemed tired after his bout with the virus, content to sit around as the Republic worked. It was odd behavior from him, but so far that was the word of the day concerning this.
"What's his deal?" Anakin wondered aloud.
"I… I don't really know." Ahsoka managed to say. "Maybe… Maybe sometimes it just takes a bad situation to bring out even the best in people." She suggested after a moment. Anakin looked to her and smirked.
"Sounds like something I taught you." He mused.
"I just made that up." Ahsoka protested.
"Nope, I taught you that. I deserve most of the credit for that one." Anakin continued and she rolled her eyes.
"You also taught me you don't mean everything you say." She added and Anakin couldn't help but grin at hearing her snarky sarcasm.
Obi-Wan, meanwhile, helped the clumsy Jar Jar out of his hazmat suit, allowing the Gungan to be free and not trip over his pants. "I heard you were quite brave fending off the battle droids, Jar Jar." He mused.
"Really? Mesa?" He wondered in disbelief.
"Senator Amidala suggested we offer you training to help hone your skills with a blaster." Obi-Wan added. Jar Jar's eyes brightened excitedly.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Oh boy! Imma gonna be trained!" He whooped, hopping around in celebration.
"I am not training him." Rex grumbled from a nearby gurney. He was hauled off with the rest and the standing Jedi were left to watch the two LAATs take flight, leaving their swamps behind to the tune of their characteristic droning.
"Now that that's done… what about him?" Anakin wondered as he and Obi-Wan looked to Jayden.
"If the others are any indication, he should be pretty docile. Worn out from its effects." His bearded friend replied. "More than enough time to get him into a cell and shipped back to Coruscant. But we should get him cured, he is the only carrier of the virus right now."
Taking the injector in agreement, the pair strode over to Jayden as the Clones stood stiffly at attention.
"Hasn't said a word, sirs. Let alone moved a muscle." One reported.
"Thank you, lieutenant." Anakin replied. "Alright, here's the deal." He said aloud, causing Jayden to tilt his head upwards towards them. "We don't want the virus spreading. That's the only reason we're giving you this." Anakin explained, holding out the pneumatic injector. "This is the cure, it'll purge the virus from your system. After that, consider yourself under arrest. You're going back to Coruscant. To prison."
Jayden stared at it for a moment before he sighed and nodded. "Guess one good deed wasn't enough to let me off, huh?"
"While helping our allies, Clones and fellow Jedi is something of a surprise, especially from a Sith, we can't ignore that you fight for the Sith and the Separatists." Obi-Wan pointed out as Jayden took the injector and injected himself with the cure, groaning as it did it's work in destroying any of the virus in his system.
"Unpleasant." Jayden remarked before he stood up and faced Anakin and Obi-Wan. "You know I'm not going to go easy, right?"
"Figured." Anakin said and reached to apprehend him, when Jayden unleashed a Force repulse that sent the two Jedi and the Clones off their feet, just as the Rogue Shadow flew overhead and it's ramp opened, allowing jayden to Force jump onto it and enter his ship which soon shot off towards the planet's atmosphere while the Jedi were left picking themselves up.
Jayden sat in the pilot chair, groaning. What a mission this has been...
And that's it for this chapter and the end of the Blue Shadow Virus arc. However, this is the last of the season 1 episodes I'll cover. Next chapter jumps us into the first episode of season 2.
