Answers to reviews:
Arch-Angel-Writer: Well, that explains a lot.
Guest02957: You'll have to wait and find out.
Arbiter3670: Well, I hope to show that kind of strength in a good way.
DuckBoi: Oh, it did.
Spectacular Webhead 11: Thanks.
SpringTrapLordYT: That's one way to put it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I only own the OC Jayden Shan/Darth Khan.
Sitting in the pilot chair on the Rogue Shadow, Jayden was in a meeting with a hologram of his Master.
"Morseerian scientists have been working on a special bioweapon for use against the Republic's Clone troopers. So far it's been a rather tight-lipped secret, known only by its title of 'Project Dreadwind'. Rumors say it was based on a viral agent found on Odacer-Faustin, but none of us know for certain." Dooku was explaining. "With the location of Merj such a closely-guarded secret among the Morseerians, we were not concerned about it until this morning when it was reported that the Separatist laboratory on Merj was raided."
"Hmm, the Republic's doing?" Jayden asked, his arms crossed.
"That is correct. An Arquitens-class light cruiser, carrying a team of Clone commandos, raided the facility and made off with a hefty sample of the Dreadwind virus. It must be recovered immediately to prevent the Republic from understanding its full potential and creating countermeasures." Dooku informed him. "if you are unable to recover it, destroy every trace of it so that the Republic can't make their own to use against us."
"Understood, Master. Where is this stuff?" Jayden asked.
"We've received reports from some agents that the cruiser, called the Bravado, has been sighted in the Drackmar System. You may want to hurry, Apprentice, we've also received reports of a Republic force attacking the planet Drackmar." Dooku explained. Jayden nodded, understanding and sharing Dooku's feeling that these two incidents were somehow connected.
"It shall be done, my Master." Jayden said. Dooku nodded and ended the communication as Jayden put in the coordinates and initiated the jump to Hyperspace.
Arriving in the Drackmar system out of hyperspace, Jayden flew the Rogue Shadow towards the location of the Arquitens-class cruiser. He activated his Starfighter's stealth mode as he got closer to the cruiser. Jayden then checked all Republic channels, but got no chatter coming from the ship. Nothing. Not even a whisper.
That was… suspicious but it was also good. As long as they were quiet, they weren't sending a message for reinforcements if they discover him. His scanners also announced the ship was moving at a very low speed, not nearly as fast as it could go or should go, considering it was running away from Separatist space. His thermal scans then indicated the cruisers engines were running at low power.
How odd. With such a valuable cargo one would think they would make all possible haste back to Republic space, even if there was a military force close by.
Flying to the starboard side of the ship, Jayden broadcasted the shutdown signal as he neared the docking ring. With careful precision, he aligned his craft with the entrance and locked them into place.
Stepping inside, Jayden discovered that the lights were off in the entry, leaving the room a dark, cold, empty space that seemed uncharacteristic of a Republic vessel.
Interior lights off, engines running low… something seemed off about this ship.
For one, it was way too quiet for a Republic ship.
There should be Clones walking around, chatting, stuff going to places, all the usual sounds that come with being on a cruiser. Jayden looked around, narrowing his eyes behind his mask, before he started moving deeper into the ship. The echo of his boots clicking against the metal floor resounded in the empty hall, adding to the cold and unnerving feeling that something was wrong with this place.
Jayden grabbed his red Lightsaber but didn't activate it as he came to the next corridor, finding the lights on. He slowly checked his corners and found the room empty.
But it was the amount of blood splattered everywhere that caught his attention. It was on the walls, the floor, even on the ceiling. There was even a blood trail leading out of the room and down the hallway.
Something's not right here. Jayden thought as he started following the trail until his boot stood on something that made a wet sound, causing him to look down and nearly gag in surprise at the sight.
Guts, innards, bits of flesh, blood, all over the floor.
The blood trail continued, leading around the corner at the intersection ahead. Jayden slowly knelt, looking over the pile of fleshy organ pieces. Judging from the sight, the smell and how wet the blood was, they had been torn out of their victim only recently.
What could have done this? Jayden thought to himself, gripping his Lightsaber tightly.
A ravenous munching sound could be heard coming from around the corner, like something was enjoying a feast. Choosing to investigate, Jayden stood up and crept down the hall, following the trail of smeared blood. As he prepared to round the corner, and the sound of eating grew louder, Jayden steadied himself and took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever lay ahead.
He took one wide step around the corner, back straight. The sight that greeted him was so unnatural it unnerved him.
A Clone trooper was tearing into the corpse of an officer, its hands rummaging around in the chest cavity. Blood splashed on the ground and the body jerked as innards were torn free and flesh was consumed, quickly shoveled into the Clone's mouth.
What... the... kriff? Jayden thought with wide eyes behind his mask. Never before has he seen such a thing in his life. But this did lead Jayden to realize the cause for the blood, guts and flesh he saw earlier. He took a step forward, his boot making a soft thud.
The feasting Clone suddenly froze, its hands still buried in the body before it. It seemed to have heard him, indicating it was not an entirely ravenous creature, only determined to eat. Jayden tensed up as the Clone turned towards him, allowing him a good look at it. Part of its helmet had been shorn off, revealing discoloured green skin that had been torn in places, exposing raw bone and muscle along its jaw. Its mouth and teeth could also be seen, all of it blood-red with crimson excess dripping down its chin. It was then that Jayden realized the majority of the Clone's legs had been ripped away, revealing dangling flaps of discoloured green flesh surrounding shafts of raw bone. While his upper legs and feet were still encased in white armor, nothing but leg bone connected them.
Jayden activated his Lightsaber, which caused the creature to let out an ear piercing shriek as it started to run towards him, half-stumbling on its barely-there legs as it displayed surprising amounts of speed considering its condition. Jayden reared back and swung his Lightsaber…
Drackmar Airspace…
Standing on the bridge of the Resolute, Anakin was pleased with their progress so far.
Republic forces had arrived suddenly and without warning, engaging Separatist naval forces immediately. With the blockade effectively dismantled, Obi-Wan Kenobi took charge of both the 501st and the 212th in leading them down to the surface against the ground forces. Anakin would've preferred to have been on the ground too. However, instead of leading his men down on the surface, he was forced to stay behind and wait for the Bravado to arrive, if only to maneuver his forces into a protective formation so the cruiser could make a clean getaway. The three Jedi involved in this mission were well aware of the Bravado's sudden collection of a Separatist bioweapon and that this assault on Drackmar was merely to provide the ship and its crew an escape corridor.
But the Bravado had yet to arrive.
Growing impatient, Anakin was really struggling to stay put on the bridge. With Obi-Wan on the ground and Ahsoka cleaning up the remaining naval units, Anakin was feeling left out.
"I'm getting real antsy just looking at nothing, Admiral." He griped to Yularen.
"Might I recommend checking in with the Bravado, sir?" The Admiral recommended.
"Can't. They're supposed to maintain radio silence until they come in contact with us. So far they've only been able to chat with Coruscant." Anakin explained. "I hate waiting games."
"Don't we all, General?" Yularen replied. Suddenly, an incoming communication captured both their attentions.
"About time." Anakin muttered as he switched on the holodisplay and an image of Mace Windu shimmered into clarity. "Master Windu, how can I help?" Anakin greeted him. The reply was instant… and odd.
"Anakin, we need you to check on the Bravado." Mace informed him. Anakin raised an eyebrow.
"But I thought they were supposed to maintain radio silence." He replied.
"They've been silent for too long. They were supposed to check in some time ago, but they never have." The Jedi Councillor explained.
"Sounds like the Separatists found them." Anakin grimly mused, crossing his arms.
"Maybe so. But we won't know until we check them out." Mace added. "We've sent you their final broadcast transmission along their coordinates. Extrapolate their current location and then send someone to scout them out." He commanded.
"Will do." Anakin nodded before ending the communication. "Admiral, have someone decipher this stuff ASAP." He ordered Yularen.
"Right away, sir."
"I'm gonna have Ahsoka fly out and do a quick recon." Anakin determined, switching his comms back on. "Snips, you read me?"
"Loud and clear, Master." Came the reply.
"Up for a little trip? I need you to check on a set of coordinates for us." Anakin told her.
"Any idea what I'm looking for?" Ahsoka wondered.
"An Arquitens-class light cruiser called the Bravado. Might be derelict, might be under attack, we're not sure. We need you to find out their condition." Anakin explained. One of the navigational crew gave him a thumbs-up, indicating they had an idea where the ship might be. "Head on back to the Resolute and grab a shuttle. We'll get you set up with the coordinates."
"Copy that, Master."
Some time later…
Fortunately for Ahsoka, the Bravado was fairly easy to track down.
The suggested coordinates turned out to be relatively accurate to where the Bravado actually was and Ahsoka soon had the cruiser in her sights.
However, after several attempts to hail them, she received no response.
This was the first worrisome sign. The second was that the ship was not running at full power. After conversing with Anakin, Ahsoka planned to dock with the ship and investigate from the inside. Having switched out her interceptor for a Eta-class shuttle, she could dock with the ship and climb aboard if need be.
And right now, she needed to.
In actuality, she was glad to be getting away from any heated action for a bit. Prior to Drackmar, Ahsoka and Anakin had just wrapped up another campaign and had just returned to Coruscant when the call came in that they needed to be part of a distraction. Although reluctant to go, especially after having just finished with another war zone, Anakin agreed to join in. Ahsoka, however, went along reluctantly. She hadn't had a chance to do any self-maintenance and, after a particular incident beforehand, this left her slightly disadvantaged in the clothes department. However, she refused to let Anakin know and decided to just act normal, hopefully throwing off any suspicions.
She'd been confined to a starfighter and the interior of a ship for the past while, which was fine by her. Hopefully this little recon would be just as straightforward.
Docking with the larger ship, Ahsoka climbed aboard and stepped into an empty corridor. She glanced back and forth, hearing and seeing no one.
"Hello?" She called, looking about for some sign of life. She started to wander, starting down a random hall as she continued to search for the crew. Time passed as she explored wherever she could, venturing down random directions as she tried to find someone who could tell her what was going on. "This is so weird." She muttered. "You'd think I'd at least hear someone…" As a social-centric species, Ahsoka was starting to get restless being all alone. Togruta's needed interaction of some kind and couldn't stand to be alone for prolonged periods of time. This solitude was starting to wear on her, building up antsy feelings within her. She needed to find someone… then again, maybe the lack of crew should worry her.
This was starting to remind her of one of the ghost ships Anakin told stories about. The ships that were found adrift without a crew, rendered a mystery forever.
But then, as she turned a corner and travelled down another corridor, she heard something.
It was a series of sounds, each one different from the last. There were little scrit-scratches of something being raked across the durasteel wall, briefly reminding Ahsoka of the scattering noises small clawed creatures made when they started running. There was also the odd groan or grumble, sounding primal and beastial, and the scuffle of multiple feet shuffling down the hallway before her, coming from around the corner. It sounded like it belonged to a group of… something. She crept a little closer, hoping to discern who or what was on this ship. Shadows were cast on the opposite wall, thanks to a single, flickering light in the same hall, growing in size as the shuffling crowd grew closer.
But before Ahsoka could get any closer, or be seen by the horde, a pair of strong arms reached out, grabbed her and pulled her into the storage closet they'd come from.
Suddenly finding herself in a semi-dark room, a hand around her mouth and her back pressed against someone else, Ahsoka was more than a little freaked out.
"MPH! Mm mmm!" Her cries were muffled by the large hand over her mouth.
"Shh. You'll alert them." The familiar disguised voice of Darth Khan, or Jayden as she knew his real name, said in a quiet, yet sharp tone. She heeded Jayden's advice and stayed quiet as the sound of shuffling footsteps moved past the door, along with some scattered grunts and growls. Craning her neck so she could see through one of the slits in the door, her eyes widened as she realized who was walking by outside.
It was a group of Clone troopers. Only they didn't look right. In fact, they looked downright… horrifiying.
They shuffled by on half-existent limbs, staggering and crawling past the locker looking more dead than alive. Their armor torn and bodies swollen, begetting the appearance of bloated corpses. Bone and innards protruded from various tears and holes in their sullen gray skin. Ahsoka released a muffled gasp of horror as she tried to piece together what happened to those poor Clones. She'd never seen anything like this before and if Jayden was hiding from them, this must be a really bad situation…
Wait. Why was Jayden here to begin with? Did he have something to do with this?
Her mind began to slowly form a suggestion she quickly accepted, now believing that this was a Separatist experiment gone wrong. She turned her head a little and showed Jayden a questioning, withering glare.
Sensing her shift and emotions, Jayden glanced down at her glare and put two and two together. "I had nothing to do with this, I was just as stunned as you are."
His answer not enough to convince her, Ahsoka chose to say nothing more until they were in the clear. Their gazes returned to the shuffling horde, watching the undead Clones move on in utter silence. When the last of the cluster was out of sight and no further sound could be heard, Jayden released his hand from around Ahsoka's mouth. Breathing deeply, Ahsoka whirled about as best she could in the closed space to confront the Sith Apprentice.
"What are you doing here?" Ahsoka hissed quietly.
"I was about to ask you the same thing." Jayden huffed at her. "This must be a very closed-lipped secret. I suppose you were sent to check in on this ship's crew?"
"Yeah." Ahsoka nodded before looking at where the cluster of undead Clones had shuffled off to. "What happened here?"
"Project Dreadwind." Jayden said with disgust in his voice. He never saw the benefit of biological weapons. Things could easily go wrong in making it and it backfires on those creating it. "It's an experimental bioweapon Separatists scientists were working on, meant to deal with masses of Clones. It appears this ship's crew got their hands on a sample of it and… this happened. I despise bioweapons, they can easily backfire."
"Please don't tell me you're to recover it." Ahsoka said with dread. If the Separatists made more of this and used it against the Republic… it's game over from there as they'll become what these undead Clones are.
Jayden sighed. "Either recover it to preevnt it from getting into Republic hands or destroy it to prevent the Republic from producing a countermeasure. I'm going to destroy every trace of it."
Honestly, a bioweapon that has turned Clones into undead, flesh-eating monsters? What's next, a giant battle station that can destroy planets?
"What did this virus do to them?" Ahsoka asked, still wanting to know more.
"Killed them and reanimated them into what you just saw, and they desire flesh. Like cannibals. Cause of infection is most likely through biting. One of them tried to take a bite out of me but I killed it before it could do so." Jayden said.
"Well, can't we help them? Cure them?" Ahsoka asked hopefully but her hopes were dashed at the shake of his head.
"There is no cure. And those men… aren't men anymore. They're dead, but they walk. The walking dead." He sighed. "And this is a ship of seven-hundred and fifty people, plus any additional passengers. No doubt all that were on this ship have been turned. I've been hiding since my encounter with one, avoiding a large horde that was nearby."
"So if we move, make any noise, encounter them at all, we're in trouble." Ahsoka said. Jayden nodded. "Sithspit."
"Tell me about it." He agreed. He looked at her. "Alright, you've done whatever you came here to do. Now get lost. I've got work to do."
Ahsoka frowned at his blunt words. "Excuse me?" She raised a brow marking, hands on her hips with a stern tern in her voice.
Jayden rolled his eyes behind his mask. "I don't have time to deal with you on top of carnivorous, flesh-eating Clones. You'll just get in my way."
"Get in your way? Hey!" Ahsoka grabbed his arm and whirled him around as he took a step away to leave. She lowered her tone a little when she realized she may have spoken a bit louder. "In case you've forgotten, this is a Republic cruiser. These are Clones. That makes this fall under my jurisdiction, and I would rather see this whole place not fall into Separatist hands."
Jayden scoffed. "You think I'm here to claim a sample of Deadwind and weaponise it for my cause. For the Sith to gain the power of turning people into what these Clones have become? Stop living whatever biased fantasies you've grown up with, Ahsoka. Not even the Sith would go to such lengths, for we couldn't control such abominations."
"Forgive me if I don't take your word for it!" Ahsoka shot back.
"Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?" Jayden muttered, wishing he could palm his face but realized his mask would be in the way. "I will not repeat myself, Jedi. Get off this ship, stay out of my way. I am going to ensure this isn't left for the Republic to get their hands on and use it against it. It is better off destroyed and left in no one's hand and... there's one right behind me, isn't there?"
"Look out!" Ahsoka shot forward, Lightsaber igniting just as the zombie Clone lunged at Jayden from an open vent in the ceiling, with the Lightsaber cutting it's head off easily. Jayden watched the body fall to the floor, stunned that Ahsoka saved his life... again. Why would she save his life? He was a Sith. Her natural enemy. First, she stopped him from becoming possessed by Geonosian worms, now she saved him from being bitten by a zombie.
Why?
Jayden turned his head to regard Ahsoka as she deactivated her Lightsaber and faced him with a firm expression. "That would've caught some attention, so we need to move and make a plan of action." She stepped closer to him, glaring into his expressionless mask's visor. "Like it or not, we need to work together. I know these ships better than you, so I have an advantage that can help us both. We both want this ship destroyed along with the cause for this, so our goals align just as they did with the Geonosian worm can you put your pride and hate for Jedi aside once again, and help us survive this, or are you wanting to have another tango?"
Silence filled the hallway, aside from faint shuffling from the zombies along with the unnatural sounds they made, no doubt attracted by the sound of Ahsoka's Lightsaber activating. Jayden looked around, contemplating, then finally looked at Ahsoka and sighed.
"Very well." He nodded.
Ahsoka smiled, pleased. "Good boy." She knew he shot her a glare for that. "Now, I suppose we're looking for something that contains a deadly virus, a cannister most likely. Things like that would be stored in the cargo boy, which is at the bow of the ship."
"Then that's where we go." Jayden said, looking down the hallway. "We just have to bypass dead, flesh-eating Clones along the way."
"Is there a better way?"
" Well, either we try to fight our way through halls filled with the undead, which is a bad idea in every sense… " Jayden trailed off, looking to the roofing above them, "Or we see if we can't do this quietly and move through the ceiling air ducts. "
"I vote air ducts. I've seen enough of these… undead troopers for one day. They make my skin crawl." Ahsoka decided, shuddering a little at the thought of seeing those walking corpses again.
"Then let's go."
Carefully stepping out into the hall, Jayden first ensured the area was clear before he motioned for Ahsoka to follow him. The two crept down the hall as quietly as they could, both of them with one of their Lightsabers in hand just in case. The air was thick with the stench of death and decay, no doubt wafting through the halls as the dead roamed the ship.
"Twice you have saved my life." Jayden suddenly said, startling Ahsoka as she thought there would be nothing silence between them despite their agreement to work together. "You, a Jedi in training, saved me, a Sith, your natural enemy. the first was from the worms, the second was from a zombie. Why? Far as I know Jedi despise Sith and have no qualms seeing our end through any means."
"You underestimate a Jedi's compassion." Ahsoka remarked, rolling her eyes. However, Jayden scoffed.
"Compassion? Jedi? That's such a lie." He shook his head. Ahsoka stopped and shot him a withering glare.
"Want to repeat that?" She growled, baring her teeth at him.
Jayden turned and looked her straight in the eye. "Jedi having compassion is such a lie and excuse for them to make themselves look good or the so-called 'peacekeepers of the Galaxy' that they claim to be."
"The Jedi are peacekeepers." Ahsoka argued, refusing to let him insult her beliefs and fellow Jedi.
"Yet here they are, fighting in a war, causing the opposite side to develop something like Project Deadwind and causing this mess in the first place." Jayden retorted with a small gesture to the state of the ship around them. "If the Jedi were the 'peacekeepers' they were, they would've prevented the separatist movement from being born and yet did nothing as thousands of systems left the Republic."
Ahsoka was livid and shoved him against the wall, making him grunt. "How dare you?!" She hissed at him, much to his amusement. "The Jedi have protected the Galaxy for thousands of years, stopping the old Sith Empire, ensuring the Galaxy isn't destroyed or crumbles to ruin. We are peacekeepers, the good guys, we protect the innocent-"
"If that were true, then why did the Jedi once commit genocide?" Jayden snapped, silencing Ahsoka who stared at him with wide eyes. "Of course from your biased point of view, the Jedi did good, but it was still a slaughter of thousands. Men, women, and children slaughtered just because they were Sith."
"The Jedi..." Ahsoka swallowed a lump in her throat. "The Jedi had no choice-"
"There is always a choice, the Jedi just took the easy way." Jayden scoffed. "If anything goes against them and their precious Code, they seek to have it destroyed or ensure it can't bother them again. How many children were stolen from their parents by the Jedi, growing up without knowing them, complete strangers when they finally meet? All because of the Jedi's belief in detaching from emotions makes you stronger."
"Like the Sith are any better." Ahsoka snapped back, her eyes glistening with unshed tears at how his words cut deep into her being, at her core. "You destroy worlds, you kill thousands of innocents and seek to enslave everyone in the Galaxy! Is it any wonder how the Jedi saw the Sith as a threat?"
"Yet, the difference between the Jedi and the Sith is that the Sith do not hide behind blank expressions and close off our emotions. Strength gives us our power." Jayden retorted.
"You think you know everything, don't you, Jayden? But you're wrong! The Jedi-!" Ahsoka started but Jayden shoved her arms off and stepped forward menacingly.
"What did you just call me?" He asked in a low whisper, filled with menace and Ahsoka realized she had used his real name and felt the Dark Side flare within him. "What. Did. You. Just. Call. Me?"
"I... I called you Jayden." Ahsoka said, taking a step back. "I... we know who you are. Jayden Shan, son of Jarik and Amara Shan, who were former Jedi. We know. We know that you are Revan's descendant."
Jayden stared at her silently for a few minutes, and she saw his hands were clenched into fight fists. She could sense his anger radiating like a whirlwind, like his very presence in the force. The Dark Side radiated from him as well. After a few seconds, he unclenched his hands and reached up to take his mask off, pushing his hood down and revealing his face to her.
"So you know." He said quietly.
Ahsoka nodded. "We found a spot of blood on Florrum after the incident with Aurra Sing and Boba Fett. We had it taken to the lab, to figure out who you were."
Jayden shook his head. "This doesn't change anything." he turned to leave but Ahsoka stopped him.
"It means something!" She pressed. "You're parents were Jedi, yet you hate the Jedi. Why? What happened to you to make you hate us so much? To despise the Republic? There's Light in you, Jayden, but you-"
"Enough!" He cut in sternly, glaring at her, and she noticed his dark blue eyes faintly changing to a yellow-red. She took an instinctive step back, hand coiled around her Lightsaber. He stared at her before he inhaled deeply then exhaled, opening his eyes to reveal his eyes still dark blue. "You may have saved my life twice, know my name, my family, but that does not give you any right to know anything more about me. Now shut up and let's move, or I'll leave you to be food for these abominations."
He put his mask back on and walked away. throwing his hood up. Ahsoka sighed, but through the Force she sensed that he didn't really mean his words, he was most likely lashing out from having his identify discovered and his parents brought up, a reminder of whatever their fate was.
There was nothing but silence between them as they walked, with Jayden making sure there was some space between him and Ahsoka. The Togruta sighed and decided to let him be, knowing she had hit a sore spot for him. The reveal of her knowing his real name and his family hit him hard, as he most likely wanted to keep that hidden and now the Jedi have found out about it.
It was then that Jayden spotted a grate above them. With the Force, he carefully removed it and jumped up, grunting as he climbed in. He turned and offered a hand for Ahsoka, which she took and he pulled her up but in doing so they fell back with grunts.
"Sorry." Ahsoka apologized, shaking her head as she sat up.
"It's fine, but can you..." He trailed off as he saw Ahsoka's position on his body, straddling him. He jerked his hips, silently finishing his question. Ahsoka's cheeks heated up in embarrassment and she quickly crawled off his body, allowing him to turn to be on all fours while shaking off the feeling he got from her sitting on him like that. "Let's go."
Time ticked on as the two slowly worked their way through the ventilation shaft, partially out of a desire to maintain total silence so to not alert any of the zombies. The endless stretch of gray air duct paneling growing monotonous with each passing second.
They were suddenly halted when an unnatural cry resounded through the vents, coming from somewhere below them. Jayden and Ahsoka stopped and he looked back at her before both of them reached out through the Force to try and sense the presence and location of whatever had cried out. Then, off in the distance from somewhere else aboard the cruiser, another voice echoed the cry, almost as if it were in response.
"What was that?!" Ahsoka wondered, fear starting to get the better of her.
"I think... I think it's some kind of communication between them." Jayden said slowly, not completely sure if that was the case but it was starting to look that way. Were these things adapting and evolving quickly to have communication in their undead state? Was the virus responsible for it?
"Please tell me they're not." Ahsoka said worriedly.
"I'm not 100% sure, but it looks that way." Jayden said, then started moving forwards and Ahsoka followed.
The two kept crawling until they discovered the duct suddenly ended. They were in the mess hall and the passage before them had been completely torn out, the vents ripped away and lying on the floor. Jayden pinned the blame on the walking corpses congregating around the bloody room below. He quickly deduced there had been a number of Clones in here when the disease broke out, given the copious pools of blood on the walls and floor of the room and the half-eaten ration meals on a few of the tables.
The place looked like a warzone... after he'd been through it.
His thoughts returned to the task at hand. They could no longer continue this way, not without drawing the attention of the Clones.
"Look, I'm sorry about earlier-" Ahsoka started but Jayden sharply shushed her.
"No talk. We don't want to attract attention from them. They are hypersensitive to sounds." He said and kept moving. Ahsoka rolled her eyes at him but said nothing more as she followed.
Sure enough, only a few feet behind them, the vents turned up, running vertically towards the upper levels.
"Here! We can go up a level and then keep going." She announced. Jayden looked over his shoulder to spot her discovery, nodding in agreement.
"Seems good to me. You go first." Jayden said. Ahsoka took the initiative, feeling rather desperate to get away from the zombies, and started climbing up the shaft. Jayden took one last look around, making sure there wasn't any zombies in the air ducts with them, and then started climbing after Ahsoka.
After a few more minutes, which felt like hours, of crawling through the ducts, they had arrived at their destination: the cargo hold.
"We're close." Jayden quietly announced. "Just another few feet."
"That'll put us right overtop of the hold." Ahsoka guessed, realizing Wraith wanted to avoid having to opening any doors for fear of alerting the hordes of creatures still aboard this ship. "But... what if we run into more of those undead Clones?" She wondered, not knowing if she had the stomach or the willpower to actually fight those horrid things.
"We fight, or we hide and wait until they pass as long as they don't notice us." Jayden said, then saw her worried look and sighed as his cold exterior that he had kept presenting to her since she mentioned his name melted just a fraction. "Just stay close to me and I'll take care of it. Suppose I do owe you for saving me twice."
Ahsoka couldn't help the small smile that formed. "Getting soft on me now?"
"Not even close." Jayden scoffed with annoyance at her assuming that, but she just giggled.
They kept crawling for a few more seconds, Ahsoka's hearing picking up what sounded like grunts and growls from the room below. Her montrals provided her with a kind of echolocation, which enhanced her hearing capabilities far beyond that of any being with simple ears, and made it practically impossible for anything or anyone to get the drop on her.
And yet there had been more than one occasion where Jayden had snuck up on her.
An open grate in the floor ahead of them revealed their way inside. Ahsoka reached it first, and peered through to the room below... her worst fears confirmed.
The cargo hold was full of zombified Clone troopers. While it wasn't necessarily enough to constitute a massive horde, but there was certainly a crowd of them. And there was certainly enough to pose a problem.
"Great. Now how are we going to get past all of those things?" She wondered, gazing at the zombies below them.
"I'll take care of it." Jayden said, taking his Lightsabers off his belt. Ahsoka nodded and crawled to the opposite side of the grate before she turned and used the Force to open it. Jayden gave her a quick nod before dropping through to the room below.
He activated his red and purple Lightsabers and slashed a undead in half, which caught the attention of the rest of them. Shrieks filled the air as Jayden assumed a stance before he began slicing and slashing through any that lunged at him, moving quickly to avoid being surrounded or overwhelmed. Jayden sent the red Lightsaber flying in a Saber throw, letting him use his free hand to blast several undead with Force lightning before he caught the Lightsaber when it came back.
Soon enough, he thinned the crowd and finished the last one off by severing it's body into pieces. Silence reigned, save for the humming of his Lightsabers which he soon turned off and hooked to his belt. He looked up at Ahsoka and gave her a nod, letting her know it was clear. The Padawan suddenly appeared as she lept from the duct over to one of the crates in the room.
"I'd prefer not to land on a pile of corpses, if it's all the same to you." She replied, crouching on top of the crate. Jayden shrugged and just stepped over the bodies, walking over to a broken canister with a blackish liquid oozing from its cracked shell lying on the floor.
"And here's the reason for this damn mess." Jayden said, crouching down but not touching the cannister. He won't risk himself by touching it and get infected. Finding some ground that wasn't covered with blood or corpses, Ahsoka hopped over and landed next to Jayden. She peered over his shoulder at the black puddle of semi-fluid liquid spread across the ground, her eyes full of curiosity and intrigue.
"Is this... it?" She wondered.
"it is. This is why I despise bioweapons, especially after the Blue Shadow Virus." Jayden muttered to himself, scowling at recalling that incident. Bioweapons did more harm than good in wars. He paused for a few moments, thinking, then nodded. "We need to destroy this ship. A weapon like this cannot be used by either of our forces."
Ahsoka nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm sure the Jedi Council would instruct the same if we discovered it."
"Or order it to be weaponised once the Senate finds out." Jayden retorted, earning a look from the Padawan but he remained steadfast about his opinion. "Regardless of our opinions, it'll not be used by the Separatists or the Republic. Agreed?"
"Agreed." Ahsoka nodded, then paused and began to think. It didn't take long for a plan to pop into her mind. "The engine room. If we blow the engines, or start a chain reaction with the main generator, then the whole ship will go up in flames." She noted.
"Then that's where we're going."
Back to crawling through the ventilation shafts, Jayden took point with Ahsoka right behind him. They'd have to travel all the way back through the ship, virtually from bow to stern, in order to reach the engines.
"Think the whole ship heard the sound of the ones in the docking bay?" Ahsoka asked, worried that they'd have to deal with that.
"Probably." Jayden said.
The trekked on for several minutes, doing their best to not alert the hordes of undead below them. Periodically, a Clone or a series of Clones started shrieking and screaming, seemingly at random. Then, moments later, an echoing noise could be heard from somewhere within the ship, coming from another zombie.
Jayden was growing convinced it was a means of communication between them.
The unnerving sounds were cause enough to compel Ahsoka and Jayden to keep pushing forward and to remain silent. They passed through halls and climbed levels in order to avoid destroyed sections that emptied out into rooms full of the undead. The smell was really starting to get to Ahsoka, the pungent aroma of death and decay growing stronger with each passing second.
To take her mind off it, Ahsoka blurted out. "So why do you hate the Jedi?"
Jayden stopped and looked back at her over his shoulder. "Seriously?"
"I want to know." Ahsoka pressed. "And... take my mind off this situation. You don't have to tell me everything, I just... want to know why you despise the Jedi so much and believe they are not peacekeepers."
Jayden stared at her for several moments, weighing her words and contemplating whether it's worth telling her. However, he sighed and shifted so he can prop his knees up and lean against the vent wall, with Ahsoka doing the same on the other side. He reached up and took off his mask, pushing his hood back.
"You know my real name, know my parents, my lineage." He stated more than asked. "You know that my parents were Jedi. All I've been told by them is that they were Jedi once but their relationship was not viewed kindly by the others and so they left the Order. I was too young to understand, but was naturally curious when I started displaying my powers and they began to teach me. I was four when they told me, that they were Jedi, who were keepers of the peace, compassionate, yet detached from emotions. I didn't understand why, and all they told me was that they believed it to be a strength yet they are compelled to be compassionate to those they are protecting. They didn't train me with intentions to become a Jedi, just to make sure I could defend myself if we were ever found."
"What happened to them?" Ahsoka asked softly.
Jayden looked down at the floor, then looked at his mask and stared at the visor as it looked back at him. "I was still four years old when we were attacked. A dark, robed figure wielding a Lightsaber. I had been still in a half-asleep state, but I remember seeing a red double-bladed Lightsaber. My father took on the attacker while my mother scrambled to get me as far away as possible... because the attacker was there for me. I never saw my father again after he told us to run, and when the assassin caught up to us, my mother hid me to face him... and I watched as she was murdered before my very eyes."
Ahsoka gasped, a hand going to her mouth. She couldn't imagine what impact such things could've had on the mind of a child that young, witnessing the death of his own mother.
Jayden's hand clenched into a tight fist. "I screamed for my mother when she died, and ran as the attacker chased me. I lost him in the village we stayed on the outskirts of, and once I was sure he was gone I came out of hiding. I ran back home... and found it burned to the ground, and my parents laying dead. It was maybe days, or perhaps a week, when Dooku found me after I had an outburst that he felt in the Force. He found me, took me, raised and trained me in the ways of the Force. And as I grew up, I blamed the Jedi for not being there to save my parents."
"They couldn't have known-" Ahsoka started.
"The killer was a Sith assassin, Ahsoka." Jayden growled. "The Sith were supposed to be extinct, or so the Jedi thought, but that is no excuse. They are keepers of the peace, and yet they weren't there to save my parents. As I grew older, I read and studied past Jedi and Sith histories straight to the days of the Old Republic, and my anger for the Jedi only grew as I saw what they were capable of. How they take children from their parents who have no choice in the matter."
"They do have a choice." Ahsoka rebuffed.
"Do they?" Jayden shot back. "Did you have a choice? No, you were too young to even have that. Children growing up without knowing their parents... I cannot fathom such a thing. And the Jedi only pick those they sense. How many did they simply brush aside for not showing signs of wielding the Force, yet would do so later? How many were left behind... so that the Jedi could play God?"
Ahsoka remained silent, having no words to rebuff or argue with and lowered her eyes to the ground.
"Now you know why I hate the Jedi." Jayden said strongly. "They forbid love, attachments, and because of this my parents had to leave the Order they grew up with, and had no help from any friends they might've still had when they were murdered. And when I was older and became my Master's Apprentice, I vowed that no other would suffer that fate as I did. No child would be taken from their parents at such a young age. I fight for the Separatists... to ensure protection for the innocent from the grasp of the Jedi and its corrupt Republic. Debate with me all you want, but that is my opinion, that is my view on the state of things. And as this war progresses, the Jedi are slowly starting to become the Senate's attack dogs, focusing more on defending the politicians than they do the innocents of the Galaxy."
"You're not the only one who fights to protect the innocent." Ahsoka said quietly, her soul struck deep at his words, his goal, that he is defending innocents from what he believes to be tyranny by the Jedi. "You fight to help people, and hide it behind merciless acts. I fight to help and don't hide it. I'm a Jedi, I'm supposed to give aid to those who need it. I... I struggle at times, with forgoing emotions as we are taught. Every time we save someone, I am happy and relieved, like when my Master and I rescued Force-sensitive children from Cad Bane. The joy on the children's faces... it brought me a warmth that I will always cherish feeling, to see that innocence not be robbed, yet I am conflicted because of us being taught to be mindful of our thoughts and emotions. Sometimes... sometimes I feel like I'm alone in this, that I can't speak to anyone because they would tell me to let go of what I'm feeling. Even my Master, yet he can be brazen and reckless at times."
Jayden snorted in amusement at that, and Ahsoka's lips twitched into a small smile before a small giggle escaped her.
"It's... admirable to hear those words." Jayden said quietly, sensing the truth in her through the Force. He didn't know how, but Ahsoka just felt like an open book to him and he felt the same to her. "Had you been any other Jedi fully committed to the Code, and duty of a Jedi, you would've killed me a long time ago. Yet here we are, working together for the second time after events brought us together to be allies. I went from seeing you as another Jedi puppet when I saw you on Teth, and slowly you became a challenge I enjoyed to fight, one I was developing mutual respect for. And now... now I see a girl struggling between her duty as a Jedi and natural feelings that she is born with, struggling to center herself and is almost lost because she is hesitant to go to those who would tell her to detach from her feelings."
"You should be some therapist." Ahsoka snorted, making Jayden chuckle a little.
"It's not a crime to feel and express emotion, Ahsoka. We are born with them, we aren't emotionless machines like the Jedi would have you become because they believe it is a strength." Jayden said. "Strength is found in the support of those who are allies and friends. Strength is found in determination to see one's goal accomplished. Your Clone troopers take strength in each other to see them through their battles. To make yourself emotionless... you might as well be a droid."
Silence reigned between them as Jayden stared at Ahsoka, who looked at the ground, his words ringing through her mind and striking deep into her very being. However, Jayden soon looked away and around before nudging Ahsoka with his knee, making her look up.
"Time to get moving." He said, offering her a small smile. She returned the smile and nodded as he put his mask back on and moved forward.
But then, Jayden stopped. He could've sworn he felt the bottom of the vent buckle and bend beneath his hands, in a fashion so unnatural that it had to indicate a weak point. Something that, if ignored, might cause them some serious problems.
"What is it?" Ahsoka asked, wondering why he stopped.
"Did you feel something?" He asked over his shoulder, curious if Ahsoka had felt a similar sensation.
"No..." She hesitantly answered. Jayden slowly started moving again until he heard the sound of stressed metal buckling and bending. It was close, very close.
"Do you hear that?" He asked, stopping again.
"What?" Ahsoka wondered, glancing around and thinking he had heard a zombie coming after them.
Without warning, the material beneath them gave way, coming undone and collapsing forward. Jayden was pitched out of the vents and onto the ground with Ahsoka tumbling out and landing atop him moments later. The two groaned at the sudden and unceremonious drop, both of them having to shake off such a hard impact, Ahsoka finding hers especially hard as she had landed on top of Jayden's body. They had been deposited in the middle of an empty hallway, the vents giving way and falling apart under their combined weight.
"Oh... that hurt." Jayden groaned, wishing to sit up but remained pinned to the ground beneath Ahsoka's body. His cheeks heated up as he realized Ahsoka was on top of him and it was setting off a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach, one he wasn't sure whether he liked or disliked.
"Sorry!" Ahsoka blushed upon realizing her position and got to her feet. She offered him a hand, momentarily surprising him, but he took it and got to his feet anyway.
Suddenly, the floor before them burst open and shattered, torn asunder by gray, bloodied hands. Undead Clones started to claw their way out, screaming and shrieking as they did, announcing their unsettling presence with equally unsettling noises. Their helmets torn open, their sickly yellowed teeth and exposed jaws hanging wide as they uttered noises no living thing could ever replicate.
Jayden grabbed both of his Lightsabers and activated them. "Run! Go! Go! Go!" Jayden shouted, taking off alongside an equally fearful Ahsoka. The young Togruta's eyes were wide with fear, her mind barely able to comprehend this maddening reality and wishing it wasn't so. They sprinted down the corridor as quickly as they could, trying to leave the howling cries of the undead behind them and put enough distance between themselves and the growing horde that could be considered safe.
Tow more undead Clones came around a corner, and they looked far worse, more bone and less flesh but still able to move. Marius easily decapitated them without stopping.
They rounded the corner, passing the falling corpses and kept on sprinting, desperate to leave the nightmarish situation behind them.
"We've gotta get out of here!" Ahsoka cried.
"We need to hide! Throw them off our trail!" Jayden said. Ahsoka could see no other corridors around, their only exit being the door in front of them at the end of the hall.
"Up ahead! It's the only way!"
"We'll have to get it open first." Jayden noted. He suddenly stopped in his tracks. "You go, I'll hold them off!" He instructed, turning around to face the oncoming horde. Ahsoka stopped short as well, hearing his ridiculous response.
"Alone?!" She cried. Jayden turned to her, almost as if he were smirking as he replied,
"I'll be fine. Now go!"
With that assurance in mind, Ahsoka ran to the door and started working on the activation panel. The horde came barrelling around the corner, a tidal wave of bodies crawling over each other in their strained attempt to reach what they hoped would be a meal.
Jayden twirled his Lightsabers and held them in reverse, entering a duel-wielding stance. He threw his Lightsabers in a double Saber throw, cutting through the undead easily. He caught his weapons and then commanded the Force to rip chunks out of the wall, panels, and crush the undead hard until there was nothing but splattered remains. He did what he could to slow them down or at least thin the horde, but they just kept coming!
"I've got it!" She called. Jayden saw the door open slightly, revealing a narrow, horiztonal opening. They could escape but the zombies couldn't follow.
How wise of her.
"Come on!" Ahsoka lept through the opening without hesitation, rolling to her feet on the other side. Jayden gripped his Lightsabers, breaking into a sprint with the horde hot on his tail. he lept and made it through the door, landing in a roll and got to his feet, Ahsoka helping him up. He could still see the horde drawing closer, rushing the door.
"Force push them together, give it everything you've got." Jayden said and Ahsoka nodded before they used the Force and unleashed a powerful Force puhs. Together, it was so strong it send the undead flying further down and making them tumble all over each other. "Seal the door."
Ahsoka nodded and moved to the panel on this side as Jayden glanced around the circular room they were in. This must be some central command room. Jayden walked over to several terminals, to see if they can connect to the main generator from here. That may give them the chance to overheat it and blow it up, blowing the ship up in the process. He glanced over at Ahsoka and noticed a distant look on her face as she walked over to him.
"You okay?" He asked.
She nodded a little. "it's just… I-I've never seen anything like this before. it's like… something out of nightmares."
Jayden hesitated, then placed a hand on her shoulder, a silent sign of reassurance and even support. He understood she was being open and even a little vulnerable with him, talking about thoughts and feelings that she would normally have to suppress around other Jedi.
Maybe that's why he thought her better than the Jedi. She wasn't like the rest of them, no matter what.
His grip on her shoulder tightened a little, silently telling her she had someone to rely upon in this moment; him. Even if he was her enemy, the two were working together to get off this ship of horrors and survive to see another day. If she can rely upon him, he can rely upon her. He wasn't sure how it happened, but a level of trust had formed between them, minor as it may be, but things between them had greatly changed from them simply wanting the other dead.
Jayden reached up and took off his mask, sighing. "To be honest... I'm scared as well." He admitted quietly, making Ahsoka look at him in shock to hear that confession. "These things... I've never met anything like them before. The fact that one bite from them can turn you into them is a horrifying thing to imagine, especially going about as one of them."
Ahsoka smiled, seeing he was trying to make her feel better by admitting his own fears. She put a hand on his exposed arm and Jayden's skin tingled from the warmth he felt, glancing down then looking up into Ahsoka's blue eyes. "Glad to know I'm not the only one who's scared." She said.
Jayden chuckled a little and the two stood there, staring into each other's eyes. Huh... Jayden never realized just how pretty her eyes were...
And Ahsoka never realized just how handsome Jayden was...
Suddenly realizing what was going on, Ahsoka took her hand back and looked away while Jayden cleared his throst, cheeks reddening in embarrassment as that funny feeling from before came back. "A-Anyway, we should get to work on setting this ship to blow, then we make for the landing bay where the Rogue Shadow is."
"R-Right." Ahsoka nodded, ignoring the fluttering feeling in her stomach.
The Rogue Shadow flew away from the Bravado as it exploded thanks to the efforts of Jayden and Ahsoka, who had quickly ran for where Jayden's ship was and took off. Marius promised to drop Ahsoka off at a place she can contact the Republic. It was the least he can do for her helping him, though they knew they'd have to go back to being enemies when they see each other on the battlefield. Jayden put in the auto-pilot before he got out of the seat and sat down next to Ahsoka at the wall.
"What a day." Ahsoka muttered.
"Tell me about it." He muttered, having taken off his mask and set it on the console. "So... welcome to my ship."
"It's impressive and big." Ahsoka commented, looking around. "Looks like it's designed for at least fifteen people to be onboard."
"It's designed after the old Sith Intercepters from the Old Republic. My ship is 100 meters in length, 88 meters in width and 33 meters in height/depth. Of course, it is heavily modified, but has been a base of operations for me more than once. You've got the large communications room with a holoprojector, as well as cabins for the ship's crew and a conference room. As well as a training room where I can meditate and train with a training droid. Originally, Sith Intercepters were built to be piloted by more than one person, but mine has been modified to be piloted by just one, though I can have a co-pilot, though I have no need of one."
"Well... it's very impressive." Ahsoka commented.
There was silence between them for a few seconds as they sat there, their minds going back to the horror they faced on the Bravado. Jayden glanced at Ahsoka, taking in her features, though noticed some dirt and splotches of blood on her body.
"Why don't you go take a shower?" Jayden offered making Ahsoka look at him. "You can go freshen up and by the time you're finished, we'll be where you'll be getting off."
Ahsoka smiled. "I'd like that. Thank you... though could you show me the way? You know this ship better than I."
Jayden chuckled and stood with Ahsoka. "Sure."
As they walked, Ahsoka looked at him. "You know we'll have to go back to being enemies, right?"
"I know." Jayden nodded, a part of him hating that but he shoved it aside. They had their duties, but something had changed between them. And as much as he didn't want to admit it, Ahsoka had grown on him. She was a stubborn Togruta, yet she was brave in the face of danger, confident, determined to see her goals accomplished and people saved. Her fierceness in battle was honestly quitr attractive-
Woah, where did that come from? Jayden thought with a blush before his eyes widened in realisation as the funny feeling returned. He may be a fifteen year old, but he does know what this kind of thing is. He had experienced a similar, though different, feeling when on Ryloth and saw several of the Twi'lek slaves in revealing clothing, his eyes had roamed their skin and taken in their slender bodies. He knew he was attracted to women, that wasn't in question, but Ahsoka... Oh Force...
He had a crush on Ahsoka...
And that's it for this chapter everyone. Jayden has come to realize he's infatuated with Ahsoka, and there seems to be a friendly line between them, though they know they are enemies in the war and have to remain as such. But I hope I did this chapter right in setting up the infatuation, showing Jayden display his vulnerabilities, including sharing details of his past ti Ahsoka, why he hates the Jedi and why he sees her as different from the rest of them.
Trying to show common footing for them to make the relationship more believable and realistic.
