Chapter: 23 The Cost of Salvation
"Note the unsung heroes who, like their people, seldom thought of themselves."
Pandemic on Rodia! The halkavirus has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives on the swamp planet. After receiving a distress call, the Republic arrived to aid in the relief effort. The Jedi Mattias, Yelena, Anna and Elsa were met with a harsh reality when a riot broke out during supplies distribution. Amidst the struggle, clone Commander Surge of the 213th was infected by the halkavirus. Initially going to check on him, Padawan Anna Dellian discovered that a thief had infiltrated their base. When she gave chase, she was surprised to discover that the perpetrator was none other than a fugitive from her past: the Bug...
With a steady blade and firm stance, Anna stared her opponent down. Months of other assignments pulled her back to her first mission on Coruscant, where she stood on a similar rooftop. She had been foolish and while her technique was the same, Anna was more determined than she'd ever been. The Bug flourished her saber and pointed its green hilt towards Anna's face. "Let's make this quick, Red." the Rodian taunted. "I've got places to be and I can't have you getting in my way."
Anna was done with banter and sprinted into attack position. The Bug easily frontflipped over Anna's swing, but didn't realize the Padawan was faking her out. With a smirk across her lips, Anna doubled back and slashed off a piece of the Bug's shoulder armor. The Bug staggered and Anna could only imagine the look of surprise beneath her helmet. She cracked her neck and pressed on with her offensive advance. The Bug parried her initial series of rapid strikes, but found herself getting overwhelmed. As Anna lunged closer and increased her intensity, the Rodian was astonished that she hadn't tired out yet. She ducked under a swipe from Anna's blade but endured a kick to the face.
Anna chuckled as the Bug shook off her daze. "It's been a hot minute, hasn't it?" the Padawan jeered. "My abilities have doubled...no...tripled since the last time we've met," she boasted.
"You don't even know my abilities Red," the Bug scoffed and took off her container. "I've been fighting with a crutch to protect this medical supplies."
"The ones you stole from us," Anna intoned.
The Bug ignored her comment and set the container down. She took a deep breath and steadied her lightsaber. "Don't blame me for what happens next. I gave you a chance to walk away."
Anna dismissed the Bug's words as the empty sounds of defeat. She unleashed a heavy strike and the Bug rose to meet it. Their blades clashed across the nightly air, sending green and blue sparks flaring through across the rooftop. When the Bug noticed some of the sparks sizzling in a nearby puddle, she kicked the water into Anna to disorient her. She then elbowed Anna back and attempted to slash across her torso. Anna spun away within seconds and countered with a jab. The Bug extended one of her gauntlets to Anna and a series of strobing flares spewed out. While Anna was blinded, the Bug punched her off the rooftop's edge.
As Anna shook herself free of the stinging in her eyes, she was immediately met with the collision of a lower rooftop. Her fall was broken by a mucky awning, of which she used as a net to catch the approaching Bug. It was karmic payback as Anna smacked the thick tarp over the Bug, but was forced to back away as her green lightsaber slashed through. The combatants stared each other down while quarantined civilians gasped from their windows.
"You wanna fight dirty?" Anna asserted, wishing she could rub her goggled eyes. "Sure thing!" The Padawan's Force-push was as untamed as she was and sent the Bug crashing into a wall. "How's that?" Anna panted.
The Bug slowly stood up and shook off her aches. To Anna's bewilderment, she deactivated her lightsaber. Suddenly, Anna thought back to how the last time the Bug appeared to surrender, it had been a trap. Before she could even contemplate what was about to happen, the Bug violently threw both hands forward. A tingling disturbance briefly reached Anna's senses. Her eyes widened as the mighty brunt of a Force push flung her across the rooftop. Anna braced herself as gravity had its cruel way with her and she smashed against a rickety chair. As Anna picked herself up from the debris and rubbed her sore hip, she came to terms with what had just struck her. The Bug closed in with curled fingers as the Force flowed through her. Thoughts of Ruger came to mind and she recalled a conversation Elsa had with Nelani.
"Nelani," she had cautiously inquired. "Do you know what happened to Master Chaki's lightsaber?"
"There was another," Nelani had answered nervously.
"Another...lightsaber?" Elsa asked.
"No," Nelani's replies were swift. "There was a person in this base with Ruger."
"It's okay," Elsa had reassured. "I'm with you."
"Beyond the battalions of Separatist droids, I would hear Ruger conversing with someone. I tried not to listen to much, because I feared my mind would crack. But from what I did hear, they argued over my master's lightsaber. I think he gave it to her."
"Her?" Elsa reiterated. "This mystery just gets weirder and weirder."
"Her," Anna remembered and leered at the Bug. She swallowed hard and realized she was dealing with another Force-sensitive non-Jedi. Not a Sith...but something else. "Who...are you?" Anna uttered.
Sirens blared as Elsa bolted upright. "By the Force," she blurted and shook off her grogginess. "What's going on?"
"Intruder alert!" a clone's voice boomed over the intercom. "Intruder alert!" Mattias rolled out of his sleeping bag while Yelena was already calling her weapon to her.
"Anna," Elsa immediately gasped. "Please tell me you've got nothing to do with this."
"Hurry," Yelena intoned. "Get your protective gear on and we can find out." The Jedi raced to equip their gloves, masks, and goggles before making for the door. Clones were scrambling to secure all corridors and access points while mouse droids zipped between their legs.
Still waking up, Elsa battled her muddled state and listened to the clones yelling around her. "Hallway two is clear!" one shouted.
"Mess hall is locked down!" another trooper hollered.
"Barracks secure, corporal." a third reported to Frost.
"Perform additional sweeps," Frost ordered and turned to meet the Jedi.
"Corporal," Mattias greeted. "What's our status?"
"Sentries reported a disturbance on the western wall," Frost explained. "They-"
"We got a man down over here!" a clone's voice echoed from the isolation corridor. Frost and the Jedi dashed towards the dimly lit hallway.
"Double check your gear," Frost intoned. "We've got the commander in quarantine down here." As they jogged down the hall, Elsa glanced at Surge through a thick frame of glass. His condition was only worsening as he exhaustedly looked towards the commotion. Yelena paused at the door adjacent to the containment chamber and found a gutted medical droid.
"All of its primary antibiotics and bacta supplements have been removed," Yelena reported.
"And the security alarm's been disabled without any sign of tampering," Mattias added. "Unless..." He pursed his lips upon realizing the severity of his claim. "Unless someone used the Force to override the panel."
"She couldn't have...would she?" Yelena wondered.
"Who?" Elsa blurted. "Anna? Why would my sister do this?"
The Jedi investigated a scorched hole in the wall where Frost was seeing to a dizzy clone. Elsa's heart sank at the sight while Mattias ran a finger across the sliced steel. "That's a pretty clean cut," he distastefully admitted.
"A lightsaber could easily produce this hole," Yelena deduced. "How many of those are just laying around?"
"Can we not assume this was my Padawan's doing?" Mattias nervously defended. "Please? Aren't there cameras on this level or something?"
"They were disabled too," Frost explained before returning to the trooper. "Sentry, what happened to you?"
The clone removed his helmet and wiped his sweaty face. "It all happened so quickly," he uttered. "I was keeping watch when this shadow struck me from behind. Before I could counter, I was already hit again. Everything else is a blur from that point. I'm sorry."
Yelena huffed. "Mattias, I'm sorry but that sounds like Ataru f-"
"I know it sounds like Ataru form!" Mattias snapped as Elsa gasped. "I'm the guy who taught her it. Until you can give me a reason why she'd do any of this, please stop accusing Anna."
"I agree with him, master." Elsa objected. "Anna is loyal to the Republic."
Yelena's glower deepened as she answered. "Perhaps too loyal." Elsa and Mattias exchanged skeptical glances as Yelena continued. "I'm not pointing fingers, Mattias. I'm merely trying to understand what happened based on the evidence I've been given."
"So what are you, a Jedi Sentinel now?" Mattias jeered.
Yelena remained calm and collected. "As a Consular, you know it's important for me to understand all sides. I'm asking you to see mine now. We were all going to bed, but Anna couldn't sleep. Your Padawan insisted on visiting Commander Surge, a man we now see has contracted HAL-1. We already know the commander is no stranger to insults. Elsa, is it proper to say you felt guilty because of his words?" Elsa nodded. "Anna was already consumed with guilt for not intervening sooner. She went to check on Surge and saw his worsening condition. Mattias, is it fair to say Anna trusts herself more than others to get the job done?" Mattias took a deep breath but reluctantly nodded. "I believe Anna is going beyond our mercy mission. This is no longer a relief effort, but an act of heroism for her. She's not a doctor, but she's gathering what medical supplies she can and setting off to try and find a cure. She knew we'd try and stop her, or in her eyes...do nothing. Being unable to live with someone dying on her watch, Anna's out there trying to change that fate."
Elsa and Mattias were left to ponder the bitter scenario. Neither wanted to believe that Anna could be in such an agonizing, hopeless mindset. They would hope she'd trust them more. While Mattias understood that Yelena was only trying to help, he desperately worked to prove her theory wrong. The women watched as he frantically turned on his comlink and awaited Anna's response. "Anna," Mattias called. "Please respond. Tell me you have nothing to do with this alert." After a long pause, Mattias called again. "Please just let me know you're safe. Say anything. Padawan!"
Elsa fidgeted with her braid and weighed the possible scenarios. What are you up to, Anna? she wondered and stared at the alarm panel. You're not one to make much use of the Force...or are you?
Anna made wild, frantic use of the Force to hurl sporadic bursts of energy at the Bug. Glass, bricks, and shredded tarps flung upward until the Bug countered with her own Force push. Debris crumbled across the rooftops and Anna's comlink clattered amongst it all.
"Please just let me know you're safe," Mattias' voice emanated from the device. "Say anything. Padawan!" The Bug stomped on her comlink until it was reduced to crunched metal and wiring.
"I shouldn't be all that surprised," the Bug admitted. "However, I didn't expect a trained Jedi's abilities to be near mine. I always thought I barely understood the Force. But then again, this is you I'm talking about."
Anna screamed and rushed at the Bug. She'd fallen directly into an emotional trap as her opponent ducked under her saber swing. Before Anna could strike again, the Bug kneed her in the stomach and elbowed her across the face. Her armored padding was hefty enough dislodge the buckles on Anna's mask and send it swiveling across the floor. Choosing whether to recover her mask or attack again, Anna opted for the latter. She battled through her soreness and jabbed her lightsaber towards the Bug. Her foe parried and with a swipe of her green saber, threw Anna off balance. Anna fell to her knees as the Bug snagged her wrist. With a mighty tug, she disarmed her of her saber and flourished it with her own.
Anna was at the Bug's mercy as she held the blue and green blades to her neck like scissors. In those quiet moments, Anna came to realize that the Bug was one dreadful swipe away from performing sai cha. For as bold as she typically appeared, Anna couldn't help but gulp at the thought.
"Sai cha," her master had once explained. "Is not a concept to be taken lightly. Many Jedi who've executed this Mark of Contact in combat are still haunted by it while others have to meditate for years to be free. Unlike cho mai where a hand gets mercifully amputated...it's safe to say no victim is walking away from a sad cha decapitation."
Anna listened to the ominous hum of each lightsaber as the plasma beams dipped closer. The sabers' heat caused sweat to trickle from her down her neck. All she could do was look up at her armored opponent and scoff through her injuries. If she was to face death, she wouldn't do so cowering or pleading. "How the tides have turned," the Bug hissed. "When I was as low as you were, you called me scum. Had your boyfriend not been there to intervene, I'm fully confident you would've killed me right then and there. Yet people like you get to be Jedi. Where's the fairness in that?"
"If you're trying to paint yourself as a hero," Anna said even with sabers to her neck. "It's not working. You're a murderer."
"The men and women I killed were criminals," said the Bug. "You saw the young kids they were trafficking. It was disgusting and they had to be stopped. You just got in the way."
"So I'm just next on your hit list too then?" Anna scoffed. "Cause I'll keep getting in your way after what you've started."
"What I've started?" the Bug snapped. "I am not a prisoner of my circumstances. Unlike you, I have control over myself. Unlike you, I have standards." She deactivated the lightsabers and twirled the hilts in her hands. "You may be a pest, but you're not worth killing. You're just as lost and blind as so many others. Angry at everything that doesn't go your way because you feel the stars are dealing you a bad hand. I pity you, Red. Now put your damn mask on before you catch the virus."
After sparing Anna, the Bug backflipped towards the first rooftop and recollected the stolen medical supplies. Flabbergasted and outraged, Anna rose with a huff. "Excuse me?" she started snapped and stomped towards the Bug. "Who the kriff do you think you-"
"Mask," the Bug nagged while securing her gear.
"Damn it," Anna grumbled and hurriedly recovered her mask. After it was equipped, she rigorously gave chase once more. "Get back here!" Anna roared.
The Bug casually bounced off an awning and slid down an archway. "Is this plated with durasteel?" she asked nonchalantly while examining Anna's saber hilt.
"Yes!" Anna barked and attempted a less graceful jump to the same archway. "And I'm not going to have it dura-stolen again!"
"Wow," the Bug derided. "That...was terrible. But it doesn't surprise me that you've let someone snag this off of you before."
Anna angrily pounced off a wall and landed directly in front of the Bug. "Know what happened to the Quarren who took my saber? I killed him myself." She noticed how the Bug's head tilted with curiosity and remembered Nelani's reference. "You knew Ruger, didn't you? You guys have like a non-Jedi Force-sensitive club or something?"
The Bug shrugged and continued on her way. "Or something," she muttered. "Look, Red. If you want your saber back, you're gonna have to catch me." She leapt to the isolated, locked down city streets.
Anna reached out with the Force, but wasn't adept enough to pull the Bug back to her. Kriff! she cursed. Where's Elsa when you need her? She reached for her comlink, but recalled its demise. Double kriff!
Anna launched herself down to the streets and pursued. "Yeah, I knew Ruger." the Bug admitted while ascending a stairwell. "His foresight was incredible. Enough for me to know there's no way you could've beaten him." Once at the top of the stairs, the Bug leapt to a balcony and pulled herself up.
"I so did beat him!" Anna defended while attempting to climb. "Okay so a shark ate him but I was-" Anna groaned as the Bug laughed.
"I rest my case," she said.
Anna leapt to the same balcony, but its railing snapped on impact. She was about to fall to the street level when the Bug caught her. "I told him not to get mixed up with the Separatists," the Bug confessed and pulled Anna to safety. "But at least I got a lightsaber out of it."
"The saber of a captured master," Anna snarled and shoved the Bug off of her. "I witnessed firsthand what your buddy did to two Jedi. He physically tortured one and psychologically shattered the other."
"Then he deserved the demise he received," the Bug answered sternly. "He wasn't like the rest of us."
"There's more of you thieves?" Anna asked. "I don't get you. You think your so-called buddy Ruger's a sleemo for hurting Jedi, but you're fine and dandy with getting a lightsaber out of it. Then you're here stealing from the Republic and thinking you can get away with my-" The Bug handed her weapon back. "-lightsaber?"
"There's a lot more going on than you could possibly comprehend," the Bug said. "And there's also more at stake on Rodia than you realize. It's certainly bigger than any fight we'd have. I'm not asking you to trust me, but if you want to make a difference and get some answers...you're gonna have to tag along." Anna watched as the Bug spread her arms and let herself fall off the roof. She plummeted freely until she landed in a hovering transport.
Anna glanced back at the Republic outpost in the distance and weighed her options. The transport's engine started revving up and she thought on her master's words. "Just when you think you've found your way, life will throw you onto a new path."
"I must be out of my mind!" Anna exclaimed and plunged feet first into the transport's shadowy pit. Once inside, the overhead entry sealed and a flickering power cell illuminated the room. Anna observed the Bug as she knocked on a wall connected to the driver's seat.
"Let's go!" she hollered.
"Not until you scan," a tremulous voice insisted.
"Oh for the love of," the Bug sighed and tinkered with a droid in the corner of the room. A blue, transparent beam flashed from its sensors and scoured over her. It then shifted towards Anna and repeated the scan until a green light emerged. "There," the Bug said. "We're clean, Glorp. Now punch it." The transport took off as the Bug sat down. She motioned for Anna to do the same and removed her helmet. Anna got to see the Rodian's rare, purple skin all over again. "This room's sanitized," she assured. "You can give your face a break from that mask."
"How do I know this isn't a trap?" Anna retorted.
"You don't," the Bug countered. "The same way I don't know if you've got a tracker leading the Republic after us."
"That's fair," Anna said. Damn. That actually would've been genius, she thought. Anna cautiously unbuckled her mask and breathed freely.
The Bug smirked at her. "There you go, Red."
"My real name's Anna."
"And mine's Jee," she quipped. "But The Bug strikes more fear in my foes. Nicknames are the way to go in this line of work."
"Ah yes," Anna huffed. "The work of killers and thieves."
Jee shook her head and scowled. "You still don't get it, Red. Not all of us Force-sensitives were lucky enough to get picked up by your Jedi Order. For some of us, a Jedi Seeker never made the discovery. For others, signs of our Force abilities didn't show up until we passed the age of Jedi initiation, and therefore couldn't be trained. Not everyone gets discovered."
"I never considered those scenarios," Anna admitted. "What happened to you?"
Jee's snout and antennae quivered in unison. "I showed promise as a child. My abilities were simple between hovering objects and sensing presences. I'm sure you can relate."
Anna grimaced and shrugged. "Uhh more or less."
"A seeker did find me many years ago," Jee explained. "He was to take me to the temple on Coruscant and my family was ecstatic. In case you couldn't tell, life on Rodia...let alone in the Outer Rim as a whole, is well...poodoo. My parents knew there wasn't a future for me here, so they gave me up. It hurt like hell back then, but I was still eager to become a Jedi."
"You can't be much older than me," Anna deduced. "I feel like I would've seen a purple Rodian around the temple."
"We never made it," Jee confessed. My seeker underestimated the Outer Rim's perils and his ship was attacked by pirates. I held out faith that his strength as a Jedi would be enough, but the pirates overwhelmed him. They didn't care if a child was present as they blasted him down. In his final moments, he passed his lightsaber to me." Jee chuckled cynically to herself as she recalled the memory. "All he could utter was, 'Become.' before he perished. It was like he still wanted to fulfill his duties as a seeker, although he had no idea what the future would hold for me. I suppose it's how you Jedi trust in the Force," Jee scoffed. "Well no amount of trust could prepare me as I fled to one of his escape pods. I crashed on Malastare and spent years walking the brink between corruption and justice. I had to fend for myself to survive my harsh reality, until I realized I could become my own symbol. Eventually I was traveling the stars, bringing vengeance and righteous fury upon criminals of all sorts."
Anna teemed with intrigue. "So that first lightsaber you dueled me with was never stolen?" Jee shook her head. "And your technique is unrecognizable because it's your own."
Jee nodded. "I've modified it of course, but many maneuvers incorporate styles I picked up from the Dugs on Malastare and my people on Rodia."
"Wow," Anna sighed as she thought back to the hatred she felt during their initial fight. "I feel like a horrible human being."
"Most hoo-mies are," Jee admitted. "But hey, learn from it and grow. You don't know someone until you've heard where they've come from. I didn't exactly explain myself back on Coruscant either."
"And there's more of you?" Anna inquired.
"We're growing in number," Jee replied. "We lack organization since everyone's so...rogue, but at least we have that in common. Even now I've separated from the group because I had to help Rodia. Ruger was one of my first friends, but he was more interested in credits than any unity I was seeking. The second Dooku peaked his interest, he was gone. I went to try and persuade him to help me on Rodia, but the most he'd do was give me a new lightsaber. This disease is destroying my people and something had to be done, so I left."
Anna was still coming to terms with it all as the transport landed. "So why steal from our outpost?" she asked.
"The Republic has medical supplies that's impossible to find on Rodia," Jee explained while re-equipping her helmet. "Aside from bacta, I needed raw alazhi and kavam." Anna buckled her mask on and followed Jee out of the transport. The compact vistas of Japur city had been replaced by wide, open fields. "We can't trust any government to find a cure, let alone our own," Jee said. "In the wrong hands, vaccines turn into leverages. Just like other vital resources or even hostages. There's a scientist I've been working with who's not going to let that happen."
A morbidly obese Rodian slid out of the driver's seat. "Good luck out there," he said.
"We'll be fine, Glorp." Jee answered. "Thanks for the ride and would you please put a mask on? If you're gonna be such a germaphobe, at least practice what you preach."
"But I barely leave my ship," Glorp insisted.
"And when you do, it's not just about you." Jee asserted. Glorp sighed and put on a mask while refueling. "Thanks, buddy." Anna peered across the swampy countryside and spotted a series of hovels. Downtrodden Rodians hobbled beside them and were surprised to see a human in their village. Anna heard a commotion emanating from behind a thick layer of reeds, but was ushered away by Jee. "You're gonna wanna stay away from there," she warned. "They're burying more dead, but they don't have the proper disposing methods this far from the city. Come this way."
As Anna followed Jee through the village, she heard heavy coughs coming from several homes. Rodians who were out on the streets pointed to Jee and whispered, "Don-hreeda." They repeated the phrase and it garnered some kind of respect for Jee as she approached a hut. The only gaze Anna was met with was one of suspicion. The occasional "hoo-mie" was uttered in passing but she tried not to let it get to her. For the first time in all of Anna's wanderings, she felt vastly outnumbered by another species. Even when she was on Manaan, she at least felt safe with other humans around her.
Jee entered the hut and told Anna to shut the door behind her. They were greeted by a shivering, elderly Rodian in a rocking chair. Her antennae were shriveled and her snout was droopy. Her bulbous eyes were faded by time itself as she blinked to clear them. "Don-hreeda," she spoke to Jee. The elder humbly bowed with open palms pressed across her chest.
Anna stood awkwardly as the Rodians conversed in their language. Rodian was such a fast-paced dialect which left Anna wondering where the ends of their sentences were. Anna gave up trying to understand until she noticed Jee start sulking. She grew frustrated with the elder who started to scoff. Only then did Anna notice the green droplets of blood starting to form around her eyes. One cough was enough to make Jee pull Anna away. She furiously unveiled a secret passage in the floorboards and beckoned the Padawan inside.
"What was that about?" Anna asked.
"Sometimes you can only control so much," Jee grumbled while climbing down a ladder. "Old Tesasa there keeps watch over our base for us. In turn, we promised to keep her safe. But she just couldn't stay inside like we told her. She just couldn't wear the damn mask as instructed." Anna could hear how livid, yet devastated Jee was. "A woman her age going through something like this? I wish she would've listened."
"I-" Anna stopped herself and contemplated what Mattias would say. She favored less words of sentiment over those she didn't understand and said, "I'm sorry, Jee. You did everything you could. I've got a clone back at base who's also infected."
"Then it sounds like we're both riding on a cure here," Jee said. "It makes more sense as to why you were so willing to jump into my transport. I feel like you trust yourself to get the job done sooner than your friends."
Anna sighed at the thought and inevitably nodded. "Maybe...we aren't so different," she considered. As they reached the shaft's lower level, Anna was surprised to find a makeshift laboratory. Whirring gears swiveled around her while bubbling tanks fizzled from the corners. Vibrant tubing pumped chemicals across the floor and into rusted datascreens for analysis. A glob of sludge dripped onto Anna's shoulder and she braced for the worst.
"It's just swamp gunk," Jee assured. This lab and the tunnels we traversed to get here pass between a series of underground aquifers. The area was once a hideout for gangsters before Dr. Klinn set up down here."
"What happened to the gangsters?" Anna inquired.
"Killed the ones I could and scared the rest off," Jee answered and gave her lightsaber a pat.
"I figured," Anna quipped.
"Well if it isn't Don-hreeda herself!" a woman hollered. An orange-skinned Rodian popped her head out from behind a datascreen. Dozens of readouts reflected off her deep blue eyes as she waved them over.
"Why do people keep calling you that?" Anna asked.
"Don't laugh," Jee intoned. "But it's Rodese for the Mysterious Avenger." Anna snickered as Jee huffed. "I told you not to laugh! It's what the locals call me, and I'll take it over The Bug any day."
"Nice to see you, Jee." the orange Rodian greeted. "Did you get what I need?" Jee set her container on the desk and watched the scientist marvel over it. "I knew you'd pull through!" She straightened her tan violet jacket upon noticing Anna and smiled. "Who's your hoo-mie friend?"
"Dr. Klinn, meet Anna." Jee said. "She's a real Jedi."
"An actual Jedi?" Klinn chuckled while rummaging through the medical container. "Maybe she can teach you something then, Jee!" Anna flashed a smug grin while Klinn examined the raw alazhi and kavam capsules. "Excellent! Come see what I've got so far. With these additions and my months of research, we may be close to a breakthrough."
"Don't even joke like that," Jee remarked.
"I don't joke," Klinn insisted and poured the kavam into a test tube. "Stand back, friends. I've been able to isolate a portion of the halkavirus in this container." A microscope displayed all of her work on an overhead screen as she cautiously mixed components. "Uhoh."
"What's uhoh?" Anna asked.
"The proteins aren't coping well," Klinn admitted. "Let's try this alazhi and see if I can stabilize the formula." Her bright eyes scoured the screen as the scarlet fluid floated about. Tiny cells bounced against the rest of her concoction as she anxiously rubbed her gloved hands together. "Come on, little guys." the doctor urged. "Fight!"
"You'd think she was watching a holodrama," Anna mumbled.
Outside of the village, Glorp had finally finished refueling his transport. He hauled himself back into the driver's seat and turned his headlights on. When he did so, his headlights revealed several thugs blocking the road. He gasped as a blaster pistol jabbed him in the temple. "Oona goota, Glorp?" a grizzly, one-eyed Rodian asked.
Glorp gulped and slowly raised his hands. "I'm...I'm not going anywhere." His heart sank as he heard the other gangsters pry open the back of his transport. One of them hollered to their leader and the gunman growled.
"Don-hreeda," the one-eyed gangster interrogated. "Kras ka Don-hreeda." He cocked his pistol and pressed it harder against his victim's head.
Glorp cowered further into his seat and relented. "Look, I'm just her driver, okay? She's in the village. Some spot she kept talking about."
The gang's leader withdrew his pistol and displayed his thanks. "Wknuto," he said gratefully and beckoned his men to follow him. The villagers fled into their homes as the gangsters trudged in. After Glorp's tip, they knew exactly where they were heading to. After all, Jee had kicked them out of their former hideout. The surviving gang members wouldn't let a pandemic stop their bloodlust as they surrounded the dilapidated hut.
Old Tesasa poked her head through one of the curtains and noticed the encroaching thugs. She hurriedly locked her door and limped to the bookshelf. She struggled to find the silent alarm amidst her trembling hands, dwindling eyesight, and fading memory. The elderly Rodian's heavy coughs prompted the gangsters to close in faster. They started to jingle the lock and smash windows as Tesasa triggered the silent alarm. Once it was activated, she hobbled to her bedroom, grabbed blankets to hide under, and shut herself in the closet. The gangsters broke in and their leader stormed towards a specific floorboard. They didn't bother with the rest of the hut and entered the secret passage.
"I don't believe it," Dr. Klinn uttered. Her snout wasn't visible through the mask, but her tears said it all.
"Doc?" Jee stammered. "Am I looking at what I think I'm looking at?"
Klinn nearly collapsed against her lab desk and started hyperventilating. Her nods were frantic while tears fled her eyes. Days of barely eating caught up with her dwindling strength, yet she still found a way to rejoice. She looked up at the bizarre fluid on her screen and threw a hand to it. "It's a cure for the halkavirus," she cheered.
"Holy kriff," Anna gasped.
"You mad scientist!" Jee laughed. "You actually did it! I knew I bet on the right fathier! As soon as we get sanitized, I'm giving you the biggest hug."
"This is a historical day for all of Rodia," Klinn declared. "But there's still much work to do. We've got to get this mass produced. It's going to take some time in this underground lab, but we have to start somewhere. We'll get a substantial amount to this village and work it out to Japur city. From there we can-" Klinn froze after seeing the strobing, crimson blips coming from her monitor. She'd been so caught up in her monumental discovery, that she hadn't noticed Tesasa's warning. "Ittu!" she cursed. "The silent alarm!" She hurriedly typed away at her datascreen and willed her outdated machinery to hurry.
"Don-hreeda!" a voice shouted from up the ladder. "Ta rylun te jacta!"
"Blast," Jee cursed. "It's the gangsters. This is what I get for not finishing them off."
"If a firefight erupts in here, we risk losing the vaccine." Klinn warned. "Duck out of sight and I'll try to buy some time." Jee and Anna crouched behind a crate while Klinn set the vaccine to stabilize. She rose from her seat just as the gangsters reached her level. They instantly raised their blasters to her as their leader sneered. His one eye twitched as he examined her peculiar setup. Klinn slowly brought her hands up in surrender and spoke in Rodese.
As they exchanged words, Jee translated for Anna. "She says she's just studying the virus, and that I'm not here. I don't think they're buying it."
"I count eight of these goons," Anna whispered. "We can take them."
"Wait for the vaccine," Jee insisted. She peeked from cover and observed its stability percentage. 75%
The gang leader rose his voice and flipped a table over. He order his men to fan out while he kept his pistol trained on Klinn. 82%
The doctor cautiously eyed her datascreen before advancing towards the leader. 88%
She tried reasoning with him, but was furiously shoved aside. He noticed she was protecting the lab's datascreen and started to approach it. 94%
He was about to observe the vaccine when Anna knocked on her crate. The sound caught his attention as he averted his gaze from screen. 96%
His antennae perked and he ordered one of his men to investigate. 98%
The leader turned back to the screen and read of the stabilizing vaccine. His eyes widened as a glowing vial stabilized and made its way out of processing. 100%
He started to reach for it when Klinn tackled him to the floor. The thug investigating the crate spun to help his leader, but a green beam shot through his chest. The Rodian choked on his final breaths and peered down at the bright plasma humming in his body. As he collapsed, Jee rose and flourished her lightsaber for battle. "Don-hreeda!" a gangster shouted as they opened fire. Having never really learned how to block laserfire, Jee slid for cover and tried to close in for attacks. On the other hand, Anna vaulted over the crates and deflected a shot back into a Rodian's arm. He fell over with a grunt and was met with a slash of blue plasma across his chest. Anna and Jee darted for their next nearest targets. The panicking gangsters fired at will before meeting their ends. Their frantic blasts scorched medical supplies and shattered datascreens.
Anna drove her lightsaber into a thug's torso and pinned him to the floor. Jee shot her grappling hook into a foe and pulled him in for a lethal slash. Dr. Klinn gasped as the vaccine rolled off her table. "No!" she shrieked and lunged for it. While Klinn caught it in time, the gang's leader threw himself on top of her as they wrestled for the vial.
"Ka vachi jac sove shuss!" he cackled and pried the medicine from her grip.
Her eyes widened and she desperately shook her head. "No!" she retaliated and punched him in the arm. He backhanded her to the floor again and bolted for the ladder. "Stop him!" Klinn called. "He's gonna sell the vaccine!"
"Not on my watch," Anna growled and lunged after the leader. A gangster tried to intervene, but she kicked him down. She cut off the one-eyed Rodian's escape, but this only made him hold the vial upside down. He hovered his hand over the lid and threatened to dump it. "Kriff," Anna muttered. The leader jabbed his hand towards Anna until she got the hint. "Alright! I'm backing off." Though she stepped away, she didn't stop blocking the ladder. Jee cut down the final henchman and turned her attention to the standoff. The leader kept mouthing off until Anna intervened. "What the heck is he saying?" she asked.
"He wants you to move away from the ladder or he'll dump the vaccine," Jee interpreted.
"He dumps it, he's dead." Anna intoned.
"Is that a risk we really want to take?" Klinn worried. "That's Rodia's only hope right there. The components I gathered over months of painstaking research would take forever to replace. That's time countless Rodians don't have."
The leader threw his hand onto the lid and squeezed. "Karabast," Anna cursed. She wished she trusted her Force abilities as much as her sister did. Elsa would've already snagged the vial from the gangster's scraggly hands.
"Gen menndo!" a gangster insulted and rose from the floor. It was the Rodian Anna had merely kicked who was now taking aim. He fired into Jee's shoulder armor and caught their attention. Anna and Jee turned to engage while Klinn sprinted for the leader. Anna deflected the gangster's desperate blasts while Jee advanced to finish him off. The leader started to ascend with the vaccine, but Klinn pulled him down by the ankles. She struggled to pry the vial from his hands as he staggered around. With a swift jab of her elbow, Klinn struck the leader in his snout and salvaged her creation. However, her victory was short-lived as the leader unholstered his pistol. All the doctor could do was cradle the vial she'd defended as he pulled the trigger.
"Doc!" Jee called as she and Anna ran to intercept. Two blasts went off into Klinn's torso and she collapsed against a counter. Though neither was the most attuned, Anna and Jee used a combined Force push to send the leader flying. He struck the back wall with fatal crunch and fired a stray shot on impulse. "Dr. Klinn!" Jee lamented and knelt beside her.
The scientist panted heavily, removed her mask, and extended a trembling hand. Two smoking blaster wounds sizzled from her body as she gasped for air. "I...created it," she spoke in a breathy tone. "Now...finish...it. Do it for...our people." Jee nervously accepted the vaccine and watched as Klinn crossed her arms. With open palms and fingers extending to her shoulders, she granted Jee a final salute of Rodian respect. "Go," whispered with her final breath.
Although Anna couldn't see Jee's face, she could hear a distinct sniffle beneath her helmet. This was soon blocked out by the sounds of water seeping in. Anna looked up to see where the leader's stray shot had landed. The powerful laser coupled with other blasts had destabilized the surrounding aquifer. A cave-in was imminent as Anna pulled Jee up. "Hey," the Padawan said. "We gotta go. Now!"
"Klinn," she lamented and peered down at the vial. "She-"
"Jee!" Anna snapped. "This whole place is gonna go! If we die in here, Dr. Klinn's sacrifice is for nothing!"
With a deep breath, Jee temporarily shook off her grief and rushed away with Anna. Swamp sludge poured through widening cracks until entire portions of the ceiling gave out. The underground aquifer flooded the laboratory as Anna and Jee climbed for their lives. The Jedi are always saying to trust the will of the Force, Anna thought while remembering a similar predicament on Manaan. Yeah, well I'm starting to think all the Force wants to do is drown me.
They were nearly to the surface when the tunnel around them started to collapse as well. Mud and sludge combined with heaping globs of moss to form massive obstacles. "Hang on, Red!" Jee called and fired her grappling hook. Anna snagged it as muck swirled around her. When she realized the rest of the aquifer was flooding up to them, she understood her choice.
"Go!" Anna ordered.
"I'm not leaving you too!" Jee countered.
"You have the vaccine! I'll meet you at the top."
"You better!" Jee said and instead used her grappling hook to climb up.
"Okay endurance training," Anna motivated herself. "Let's do this!" She dove through the muck and swam against its surging current. Her heart was racing as she kicked towards a set of climbable roots. Her arms held strong as she reached for one of the lower roots. Before she could start climbing, something caused the goop beneath her to bubble. "Now what?" she groaned as an elongated silhouette emerged. Bioluminescent strands of purple and green clashed across a gigantic slug's body. Its golden eyes and sharp antennae honed in on Anna before it opened its gaping maw. "What the hell is that?" she exclaimed to the universe. As the beast swam closer, she realized it was the same type of creature the Rodian toddler had a toy of. Only this 'Kwa-kwa' didn't look very friendly. Anna started climbing roots as the slug monster pursued. It inched up the muddy walls until its weight disheveled more of the foundation. "Oh come on!" Anna shouted as she fell back into the water. The current pushed her against a stone where swamp water gushed over her. Her fogged up, mud-stained goggles could barely make out the creature as it neared her face. She could feel its nauseating, warm breath come down on her as its toothless maw opened. Anna readied her lightsaber, but was surprised when the slug didn't advance. The oafish creature instead gave her a sniff and continued on its way. As the water levels became overwhelming, Anna found it increasingly difficult to breathe through the mask. She had no choice but to unbuckle and release the accumulating mud. As the slug dove back under, its tailed dipped up and Anna seized her opportunity. She scaled the creature's tail like a slippery ramp and barely threw herself out of the rising sinkhole. Dirt and debris fell where she'd climbed out of as portions of the hut were lost as well.
Soaked and covered in mud, Anna collapsed against the ground. Her eyes were still adjusting to vision without the goggles as she breathed the open air. A kindly, senile figure approached her and tossed over a blanket. Anna initially shuddered at the warm sensation but used the fabric to dry herself. "Oh...thanks lady." she mumbled in her daze and gently stood up. As she scrubbed her face of grime, she heard Jee calling from the distance.
"Tesasa!" she screeched.
"She's with me," Anna assured and started wiping her arms down.
"That's the point!" Jee warned. "Get away!" She blocked off Tesasa as the elder started coughing. Only then did Anna realize her mistake. It had all happened so quickly, she almost didn't catch it. She stared down at the blanket in her hands and threw it as if it were aflame. She scratched at her arms and her face tingled when she considered where the blanket had been.
"During your mission," Anna remembered Doctor Sionver Boll's words. "It is important that all of you beware of fomites when assisting the populace. These will be objects that are most likely to carry the infection."
"Right then," Jee said. "All we have to do is find a place to replicate this vaccine."
"Quit dreaming, Jedi." Surge's words haunted Anna. "There's no cure for this thing."
"Not yet," Anna had answered. "You just have to hang in there."
"Don't be so naive. This world will...tear you to pieces if you are. We trusted the greenies. We tried to do it their way. Look where that got us...got me."
"Hey!" Jee shouted to get Anna's attention. "Please tell me you didn't use that blanket." Anna didn't respond. "Red?"
Anna remained frozen on the ground. She clutched her knees and nervously rocked back and forth with wild eyes. Typically, Anna preferred to get the job done on her own. She felt other people slowed her down and that she'd have a better chance to prove herself without them. Now, she wanted nothing more than to be around her fellow Jedi. Her heart raced as she realized her only hope of survival meant giving up a cure for millions. Jee's fears were realized when Anna's throat became raspy. The halkavirus' symptoms were practically immediate as she loosed a brief, dry cough.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's note: Michael here! I hope you're enjoying "The Frozen Force." It's a pleasure to have you aboard and to celebrate both the Star Wars and Frozen fandoms. Tune in next Frozen Force Friday for the dramatic conclusion of this story arc. We are now seven chapters away from the end of Season 1! So brace yourselves. The adventure is still only beginning and Chapter: 25 will mark a start to the epic 5-part finale. May the Force be with you and long live imagination!