Chapter: 24 The Next Right Thing

"In the darkest night, light your own fire."

Tragedy amidst a breakthrough! A glimmer of hope shines amidst the darkness of Rodia's pandemic, but at what cost? Padawan Anna Dellian teamed up with Jee, a fugitive known notoriously as the Bug...to discover a cure. With the aid of Rodian doctor Klinn, a vaccine for the deadly halkavirus was developed. But victory was short-lived when local gangsters attacked and murdered Klinn. Anna and Jee escaped with the vaccine, but the Padawan was infected in the process. With her time running out and her only hope resting in a vial meant for millions, Anna descends into despair...

One doesn't realize how truly horrendous a cough can be until it finally strikes in full fury. Amidst a village of sick Rodians, one human was infected among them. She rested in the grassy outskirts and succumbed to her heavy, dry coughs. Each raspy hack seemed more painful than its predecessor as Anna Dellian tried to make sense of it all. On bended knee and shattered hopes, her eyes reddened from the sensation. Whether it was through the Force or her own paranoia, Anna could feel the infection eating away at her. Her ravaged throat was a consistent reminder of the halkavirus leeching within and shredding at her immune system. In those moments of painful despair, Anna's next thoughts were those of anger. Her anxious denial about contracting the virus was made pointless by the confirmation of its rapid symptoms. Instead, she turned to berating herself for taking off her mask. She despised her blatant stupidity to have accepted an infected blanket while dizzy. That old, well-intentioned Rodian had doomed her to the same fate and was probably too senile to realize...or the virus had already started infecting her brain.

Anna's anguish manifested into a drive for self preservation. Her overwhelming suffering opened the emotional gateway for another aspect of the Force to enter. The insidious pull of the Dark Side of which Anna had merely been playing with, now arrived as second nature. It gained strength from each of her painful coughs and poisoned her thoughts. Anna felt her connection to the darkness grow as its will called her to save herself by any means. She slowly glanced over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes.

Jee was grievously approaching in full armor and offered a device. "I was able to get you a comlink," she said. "It's Glorp's...and it's the least he could offer after ratting us out!"

"I was scared! They had blasters!" Glorp could be heard hollering from afar.

As Jee continued to offer the comlink, Anna's focus was elsewhere. Her eyes were seething with wrath and focused instead on Jee's utility belt. I can get it, Anna told herself. The vaccine is right there. Her eyes darted up to Jee and then back to her belt. I'll have to be quick, but it's my only hope. This planet can rot for all I care. There's a whole galaxy out there that I won't be able to impact if I'm dead. Anna's hand started to discreetly slide towards her lightsaber. Just do it. Lunge up, and take the vaccine. The Rodian will get in your way, so just kill her. KILL HER. PLUNGE YOUR LIGHTSABER INTO HER HEART AND-

"NO!" Anna suddenly screeched. She screamed until her throat went raw and endured another coughing fit. Realizing the murderous voice in her head wasn't her own, she rejected it by throwing her lightsaber across the grass. Jee watched as Anna descended into hysterical madness and knelt beside her. Tears streamed across the Padawan's face as she ripped chunks of grass from the soil and flung them in multiple directions. When it wasn't enough, Anna collapsed face first and punched at the ground. "Not like this!" she roared before her voice dropped to a whisper. "There's still so much I haven't done...so much I haven't seen. People barely know who I am. I don't even-" Anna tightly shut her eyes in an effort to block out the grim reality closing in on her. "It can't end like this. I-...I don't know what to do."

"Anna," Jee said. Getting called by her real name got Anna's attention as Jee continued. "I'm so sorry...about all of this."

"I'm sensing a but," Anna murmured.

"But, we cannot give up."

"Forgive me if I don't share your optimism," Anna replied despondently. "You have a life to look forward to. I've seen dark before, but not like this. The potential cure rests in your hands, but taking that dose would kill me in a completely different way. I'd be robbing millions of a vaccine that who knows how long it would take another expert to find. I couldn't live with that kind of guilt, Jee. I couldn't call myself a Jedi." Anna buried her teary face in her hands. "But if we ride this out, where would we even go? There's no clear path that avoids government corruption and how long it could take to get more of a vaccine out there. Even now, my mortal clock is ticking." Anna angrily slammed her fist in the dirt. "We-...I lost. There's no future left for me."

There was a long pause as Anna hung her head in shame. "Are you kriffing kidding me?" Jee scoffed.

Anna peered up through her despair with furrowed brows. "That's my line," she jeered.

"Well I'm stealing it," Jee intoned. "Just like I almost stole your lightsaber. Red, this situation is awful...but you're talking like the halkavirus already killed you. I don't have all the answers, but here's what I thought I knew. I believed you were the biggest thorn in my side this galaxy had to offer. When I ran into you at your base, my first thought was 'Of course she's here.' and my second was 'Kriff, she's here.' I can't think of another Padawan that would defy her own Jedi Order to sneak out of the temple and continue to potentially pursue a known killer. The same one who'd singlehandedly take on a horde of trafficking Slitters in an alleyway. You did that, Anna. And to a degree, I started to believe there was a caliber of tenacity to the Jedi that was unseen anywhere else. We need that caliber now because I'm not quitting on you." Jee stomped over to a thicker part of the marsh and bent back the reeds. She then aggressively pointed towards an array of hastily buried mounds. "The dead don't have any other chances, Red. You're still breathing, so don't you dare call it quits until the final gasp leaves your body. Show me and show the rest of my suffering planet what it truly means to be a Jedi."

Anna thought on her words and struggled to fend off her cough. Jee watched as the Padawan slowly rose from the ground and wiped the mud from her knees. "No one will say I didn't go out swinging," she asserted.

Jee nodded and said, "Sometimes you can't see the future and that's okay. In those moments, all you can do is the next right thing."

Anna stretched out her hand to the marsh in front of her. She fought through her raspiness and poor senses to summon what she'd rejected. Amidst the muck and bubbling goop, the glint of a hilt could be seen shifting around. Anna pursed her lips and twitched her fingers as she focused intently on her weapon. The soil shifted until her lightsaber rocketed out from beneath it. The weapon struck her hand with an empowering thud as Anna gasped. She'd never reached out with the Force in such an intimate way on her own. While she felt drained through the process, she focused on the blade and ignited it. The blue plasma's proud hum brought her solace before she deactivated and holstered the weapon.

A faint smile found its way across Anna's lips. "You know," she said. "I used to think having any sort of strong connection to the Force was impossible. If you would've asked me to find and call my weapon in the darkness of some swamp a year ago, I would've laughed at you. Yet here I am..." Anna chuckled through her cough. "Maybe to be a Jedi means to accomplish the impossible, no matter the odds. We'll take our first steps from here with this vaccine." The vigor in her voice returned as she planned ahead. "We'll make our next move depending on what's thrown at us. We will do the next right thing, we will chase the impossible...and if I go down in the name of it all...so be it!"

"Spoken like a true warrior," Jee admired. "We're on the clock here and there will be no second chances. I don't suppose you know any scientists that could replicate this thing, do you?"

Anna's brow raised as she paced about in thought. She picked up speed until an idea crossed her mind. "Wait!" she exclaimed only to cough. "Dr. Boll!"

"Of course!" Jee feigned excitement. "You want to tell me who that is, Red?"

"She's a Republic scientist," Anna explained. "While we were preparing to come here, she provided a briefing on the halkavirus. For the most part, she sounded like she knew her stuff and I'd trust her before you get the governments involved."

"Okay," Jee nervously concurred. "How do we find her?"

Anna thought back to the briefing and snapped a finger. "Her holo-readout mentioned Malastare. While my master was searching for potential assignments, one of the conflicts he'd discovered was an invasion on that planet."

"If this doctor is there," Jee figured. "Malastare is a quick hyperspace jump away from Rodia. We can hope to find her, but that's a lot of risk."

"This whole thing is a risk," Anna blurted. "Do you have a ship nearby?"

"That's the thing about being a vigilante," Jee replied. "It doesn't pay. When I fly, I typically stow away on ships or steal them. This time it was the former."

"Then we'll need to do that again," Anna asserted. "Because if I go back to Japur, they're just going to quarantine me and take matters into their own hands. I knowhow they work."

"What about your master?" Jee asked. "Surely there have to be some people you can trust."

Anna bit her lip. "Oh I do trust them. But I also trust that they'll do everything they feel is right to protect me. This will clash with what the Republic's interests are and if their Venator gets placed under quarantine, it's not a chance I'm willing to take."

Jee shook her head. "I'm with you on this one, Red, but you really do carry too much of the burden on your own."

"Yeah well..." Anna huffed. "When you're the one with the fatal illness, we'll see how you act."

Jee had no rebuttal and activated her comlink. "Glorp, do you read?"

"Ittu!" her driver cursed in astonishment. "You're alive? Look, whatever those sleemos said isn't true. I only cracked because he had a blaster to my head! I swear I'd never-"

"Shut your snout, Glorp." Jee snapped. "Time is against us. Put your mask on and bring the transport down to the marshy outskirts. We're gonna need a lift to Onteba Spaceport.

Elsa had so often been taught that the Force was her kindred ally. She struggled to quell her rising frustrations when her attempts to connect with it were rendered futile. She softly paced in a quiet section of the walled-off outpost and listened within. With eyes closed and slowed breaths, Elsa searched her feelings for any hints regarding her sister. Elsa considered how she'd sensed Anna's location on Manaan and how any piece of evidence could aid her efforts. But the noise around Elsa was all the more distracting. The base's interior was teeming with scrambling clones while its exterior echoed with the sounds of Rodian protestors. Elsa delved deeper into the Force and willed for it to be her guide. She thought about her sister and what exactly Anna meant to her. She tried to envision the state Anna might be in or what she could've been feeling. No matter how Elsa tried to sense her sister, she instead picked up a tumultuous wave of grief. It crashed over her in depressive clusters, yet still she endured. As Elsa continued to use her senses, she felt an overwhelming sense of loss and sadness. A tear rolled down her cheek as visions of the dead appeared in her mind's eye. She saw countless masses of faceless Rodians suffering across the land and started hyperventilating. Their prayers and curses all echoed into her subconcious as if they were calling for her to help.

"No," Elsa whimpered. "I'm sorry," she pleaded as if they could hear her. "I'm so sorry!"

Unable to see Anna and overcome with pain, Elsa freed herself from her meditative state. Her master wasn't far away when she noticed Elsa wiping her tears. "Padawan?" Yelena worried.

"I can't see her, master." Elsa lamented. "I can't see anything except this...agony."

"You must remember that the Living Force surrounds and binds all things together, Elsa." Yelena explained. "Rodia is enduring more pain than any planet you have ever been to. When you tap into the Force, you open up the path to feel all of it. This is especially for someone as attuned as you are."

"I thought we were supposed to make things right," Elsa said. "But it feels like they've only gotten worse. The rationing was a disaster, our commander's infected, there's more local unrest, and I can't even trust the Force to find my sister. Maybe coming here was a mistake."

"You wouldn't be the first Jedi to regret taking an assignment," Yelena said. "But look at it this way. If we didn't, who would? You'll never be fully ready for something and you must keep the faith that you are making a difference. We must be strong, Elsa. Most of all for Mattias, right now."

Elsa nodded and recalled just how hard Anna's master was taking things. Riddled with anxiety, Mattias projected his anguish by having Frost and his clones scour the city for Anna. His actions only made the Rodians of Japur more restless and made them feel the Republic's presence was more of an occupation. The roar of speeder bikes attracted Elsa and Yelena to the main gateway. While Mattias and several clones rode in from one sector, Frost and his troops approached from the adjacent side. Some of the bikes were scraped up from debris protestors had thrown at them.

"We searched all of the lower districts, sir." Frost reported. "There's no sign of her."

Mattias scowled and clenched his bike's handle bars. "The sun's just coming up," he said. "We can do another sweep and-"

"Mattias," Yelena interjected.

"We can do another sweep!" Mattias raised his voice.

"Look around you!" Yelena matched his intensity. "Your searches are doing more harm than good here. Do you want another full scale riot on your hands? Because that's where we're headed if you don't stop and think."

Mattias angrily vaulted off his bike and stormed back into the outpost. He furiously pressed down on his comlink and called for Anna again. He was ready to rip off his vambrace when there wasn't an answer yet again, but found Elsa and Yelena watching him. "I have to go search again," he insisted. "Anna's still out there, all alone and I-"

"We can't lose you too," Yelena intoned.

"She's not lost," Mattias retaliated.

Yelena firmly gripped her old friend's shoulders. "Mattias, she is lost, but that doesn't mean we won't find her. We can't let our emotions cloud our duty as Jedi. Think about Scarif, and how our Padawans made their way back to us."

"But this is different," Elsa said. Yelena glared at her Padawan as she continued. "Scarif didn't have a pandemic, plus Anna and I were separated on accident. We still don't know why Anna left."

"Elsa," Yelena muttered through gritted teeth. "You're not helping here. We need to stay together and adhere to what we were assigned to do."

Elsa chose to question her master once more and asked, "What would you do if I was gone instead of Anna? Blueblossoms have to look out for each other, right?"

Yelena huffed and thought for a moment. "I would trust you'd never do that, and therefore have no reason to answer this question."

Elsa sighed and thought, Wow...She might as well have just said nothing. No justification could support her unwillingness to answer the question. It made Elsa reconsider where her master stood while Mattias worked to steady himself. "The Dark Side is strong amidst this chaos and confusion," he said. "I feel the rising dissent festering among Rodians across quarantined Japur. So much death and there's not even a war here. Our galaxy is so busy clashing over so many political ideals that it's blind to true suffering. But when all the cards are down, we're all still mortal. It just takes one pandemic to throw a planet out of balance."

"We've got trouble!" Frost exclaimed and rushed over.

"Anna?" Mattias immediately asked.

The clone shook his head. "Civilians have swarmed the Japur Court of Leadership," he said. "They're demanding that Governor Pril Stada 'answers for her crimes' against the city. Now things have gotten violent, but Admiral Taka says our troops are only here for the relief effort."

"As Jedi, we cannot stand by while the peace is threatened." Yelena answered. "We must do what we can to preserve it."

"You two go," Mattias said. "Since you truly have clearance and I don't, I'm going to continue my search for Anna."

"Mattias," Yelena scolded. "You don't know where she is. We know where the governor is and she needs your help. I need your help. For all we know, Anna could be at this gathering." Mattias considered her logic and agreed to join.

"I'm coming too," Frost declared. "You can trust me not to fan the flames out there. Plus, it can't hurt to have an extra tactician."

"Let's mount up, then." Mattias obliged. "If there's a chance Anna's at the Court of Leadership, I want to be there by yesterday."

As Elsa sat atop her speeder bike, she gently eased into its acceleration. The engine screeched as she picked up speed and leaned into the bars. She felt queasy on her first sharp turn from the outpost and focused on the path ahead. While Yelena and Mattias sped ahead, she noticed Frost decelerating to stay beside her. The gesture prompted a thought to cross her mind as she called, "Hey! You didn't just volunteer to come because I was going, right?"

Frost's helmeted head shook rapidly while he tried to stay occupied with the road. "Of course not!" he defended quite brashly. "The protection of the Jedi should always be important."

"And...I'm a Jedi," Elsa quipped.

Realizing he'd trapped himself, Frost relented. "Look, if the reports I received are correct...it's sheer pandemonium at the Court of Leadership. It's not safe for a Padawan to-..." Frost stopped himself. "I worried that you might be-..." He frustratedly knocked on his helmet as if searching for the right words.

"Frost," Elsa said calmly with a smile. "I appreciate you looking out for me, but just remember that I'm quite capable too. My abilities are growing each day just as yours are, and I'm not the same Padawan you met on Hoth. How about we watch each other's backs out there, okay?"

"You got it," Frost complied.

"So which building is the Court of Leadership?" Elsa asked.

Frost pointed over his handlebars as they rounded a corner. "See that cloud of black smoke? Yeah, it's the one on fire."

Jee and Anna found it difficult to steady themselves when Glorp kept panicking from the driver's seat. "They're gonna scan her," he blabbed. "They'll check her temperature just like the droid I've got in the back and you're gonna be sunk. The government has Onteba and the other surrounding spaceports under lockdown. This is bad. This worse than bad! It's...badder! That's...a word right?"

"Will you shut it, Glorp?" Jee snapped and slammed on the divider. "Just drop us off at the port and we'll figure it out from there." Irritated from hearing the droid scanning Anna as positive, Jee forcefully switched it off.

Anna rested her head against the back of her seat and groaned. She could feel a fever coming on as she coughed profusely. "She's coughing into her arm, right?" Glorp interrogated. "It's gonna be a nightmare to sanitize my carrier after-"

Jee slammed him into silence again and checked on Anna. She could see a thick layer of sweat forming on the Padawan's forehead while she continuously sniffled. "How are you holding up?" Jee asked.

"Fine," Anna powered through. "The less I think about it, the more it's just kind of there." Her bold words were overshadowed by a whooping cough that brought aches to her chest.

After securing the vaccine vial in her vambrace, Jee offered a black bandana to Anna. "It's not as sturdy as a mask, but it's the most I can provide right now."

"I'm no stranger to winging it," Anna croaked. Her voice sounded strained and her throat was scratchy. The transport came to a halt as she tied the bandana around her face.

"This is it, ladies." Glorp said. "Last chance to reconsider going offworld while infected."

Anna leered but Jee raised an assuring hand to handle it. "We got it, Glorp." she said. "Thanks for the ride and please, keep your snout shut."

"You saved my family from those gangsters so now we're even," Glorp insisted. "Off you go."

"What a nice fella," Anna mumbled as she and Jee exited. They landed on a mossy hill overlooking the spaceport and surveyed prospective ships. "I take it he didn't know about the vaccine," Anna added.

"Of course not," Jee quipped. "If he sold out our location after merely being held at gunpoint, imagine what that sleemo would do if he found out we had a cure on our hands. Never reveal all your cards, Red. Even when you have nothing to lose, it'll still come back to bite you. I don't even trust him knowing you're infected, but your symptoms made that inevitable. We need to get offworld ASAP." She took a knee and used her helmet's rangefinder to get a closer look at the viewport. While she did so, Anna lamented the fact that because of her...Jee could not remove her helmet since they'd reunited. The Rodian's armor appeared awfully constricting and Anna couldn't imagine there was much breathing room within.

"There," Jee said. "A Starspeeder 1000." The sleek craft was being moved via repulsorlift to a storage bay.

Anna squinted through her reddened eyes to get a glimpse at their prospective ship. When it neared, she saw it was a reddish-brown model with a distinct insignia on its nose. "Star Tours?" Anna read. "Hijacking a commercial ship filled with civilians. That's your plan?"

"Gimme more credit, Red." Jee said. "With the virus plaguing our planet, you can imagine that Rodia's not the number one tourist destination right now. All of those Starspeeders are grounded until further notice. If I can hotwire one, we've got our ticket out of here."

Anna and Jee slid down from the hill as the rising sun reddened the grass. It wasn't even humid yet, but Anna's increasing fever was taking its toll. When they neared the spaceport's entrance, she rolled up her sleeves and discovered how sweaty her forearms were. A massive, raucous line of patrons had formed outside where officials were trying to quell them. One officer announced rules in Rodese so Jee translated for Anna.

"They're checking temperatures and other symptoms," she said. Sure enough, scanning droids far superior to Glorp's were positioned in front of the spaceport. "A lot of Rodians are ticked that they can't leave the planet, but what did they expect amidst a deadly virus?"

"I'm already drawing enough attention being one of the only humans out here," Anna muttered. "Let's take a detour." She motioned towards the nearby wall and the duo crept behind it. Once out of sight, Jee fired her grappling hook up to one of the ends and secured it. She detached the wire so Anna could ascend with it as well. As they cautiously scaled the wall, the duo dropped into a blacked out docking bay. A ray of sunlight peeked in from the same cracked hatch they'd slid down from.

"Do you see one of those ships anywhere?" Anna queried.

"Not yet," Jee said. "Split up across the docking bay and meet back in the center."

Anna agreed and snuck her way through the shadows. It was difficult for her to keep her balance as she accounted for her rising fever. When she wiped her forehead, her sleeve became doused with sweat. "I just need a second," she spoke breathily to herself and leaned against a fuel canister. As she recuperated, she glanced at the same craft she'd observed outside. The docking bay's darkness kept the Starspeeder 1000 shrouded, but Anna could faintly make out the Star Tours emblem. "Jee," she whispered sharply. "Jee! I found it." She crept towards the ship and observed its apparently automated doors. Kriff, Anna thought. With the ship powered down, we're gonna have to find another way to break in without rendering it useless for flight. Where the heck is Jee?

Anna suddenly felt the muzzle of a blaster pistol poke her in the back. She was going to assume it was Jee playing a cruel joke, but a male Rodian's stern voice changed everything. As a spaceport agent, this Rodian was fluent in multiple languages and took a chance with Galactic Basic. "Hands up," he ordered.

"Easy now," Anna uttered.

The Rodian didn't take any chances and cocked his blaster. "Turn around slowly," he ordered. "No sudden movements."

"Sir," Anna said while trying to formulate a plan. "I really need this ship."

"You and everyone else. I'd love to leave too, but rules are in place for a reason, ma'am." As Anna turned, the Rodian noticed her iconic braid, robes, and weapon. "Are you...a Jedi?" When Anna nodded, she hoped to gain his favor. What she didn't count on was a severe coughing fit coming on as a result. She pursed her lips and twitched in an effort to hold back the coughs. "You alright?" the agent asked, more so as a formality. He'd been trained to recognize halkavirus symptoms and was already looking over Anna's face.

The Padawan confirmed his suspicions with his squinting eyes and shook her head. "It's not what it looks like," she pleaded. Her inevitable cough proved otherwise and the agent activated his comlink.

"This is Snaso," he called in. "We've got another one down in docking bay-" In that instant, Jee jumped him from behind and gripped him in a headlock. "Help!" was all he could screech before she forced his comlink off.

"You're the agent for this docking bay, yes?" Jee interrogated and the choking Rodian nodded. "Give us the access card to this starspeeder."

Snaso shook his head and grunted, "I can't let you maniacs take the virus offworld."

Impatient, Jee shoved her hilt into his neck and kept her finger hovering on the activation switch. "The card or your life!" she yelled.

"You'll have to kill me," he said.

"Fine," Jee snarled and prepared to ignite.

"No!" Anna snapped.

"One life in the place of millions, Red." Jee said. "We can't slip up now." The docking bay doors started to open, so Jee and Anna ducked. Before Snaso could scream, Jee bashed him over the head with the butt of her hilt. "There," she scoffed. "Happy?" She plucked a ring of keycards off his belt and tossed it to Anna. "Let's hope one of those works."

Several spaceport agents entered with their blasters primed as they scoured the area. While Jee hid Snaso's groaning body, Anna tried her luck at the keycards. Her heart sank as each multi-colored card failed its swipe. "Come on," Anna willed the device. "Please!"

"Try the one that looks the same color," Jee insisted while stuffing Snaso in a crate.

"Good idea," Anna replied and swiped. "Kriff!" Still nothing."

"Snaso!" An agent hollered from across the bay. "Ota wot ja?"

Snaso was about to wearily answer when Jee slammed the crate's lid on his head. "We're running out of time, Red." she warned.

Anna exasperatedly swiped another card and was relieved when a soothing, quintuple chime emitted from the ship. "Got it!" Anna whispered sharply. The agents headed to investigate the chimes while Anna and Jee slipped into the starspeeder.

The luxurious craft's interior was comprised of several passenger rows and a small, piloting deck. The wide viewport would give passengers and the pilot a brilliant view of the cosmos, Anna just wished the circumstances were better. She ducked into one of the cushioned seats and couldn't imagine what someone had to pay for a flight. Jee slid under the pilot's dashboard and went to work on the controls.

"You ever fly a ship before?" she asked Anna.

The Padawan winced while coughing. "I steered for a bit and made the jump to lightspeed. Does that count?"

Jee's huff was enough of a response as she powered the ship back on. Air cooling systems and overhead lights activated across the starspeeder's pristine cabin. The engines roared as the agents braced themselves. "Hang on!" Jee exclaimed and gripped the controls. "Powering deflector shields." The agents' minuscule blastershots easily bounced off the starspeeder's hull as Jee rocketed out of the docking bay. Anna gripped her seat when Jee daringly went for a ninety degree ascension to the stars above. "How does this pilot not need a seat?" Jee yelled as her legs dangled at gravity's mercy. Agents and onlookers pointed to their ship as it spiraled through and disappeared into the clouds.

Anna let herself relax as the ship leveled out in space. "I thought you were never gonna steady us," Anna groaned.

"I...didn't?" Jee questioned. Both she and Anna sprung up when the quiet of space was replaced by a raucous whirring. Gears spun and and three, clawed limbs stretched towards the dashboard. A pair of blue photoreceptors flashed atop a spherical, yellow speaker. With a cylindrical body and swiveling head, the droid closed in to defend its controls.

"Security breach!" it wailed in a high-pitched voice. "Protocol breach. Everything breach!" Jee activated her lightsaber on impulse and the droid remained steadfast. "Star Tours Flight 7095 is unauthorized to depart from Rodia as the planet is under quarantined lockdown! My Starspeeder 1000 cannot in any circumstances be spacebound. This is to help contain the halkavirus or HAL-1." Anna's cough worsened and the droid looked like it would combust. "My updated sensory database indicates this thief is demonstrating symptoms of the halkavirus! We must turn back for Rodia now! Initiating manual override."

"How was I supposed to know these ships were piloted by droids?" Jee growled when Anna glared at her. "Do you think I can afford a ride in one of these? I'll just cut it down and try to hotwire the ship again."

"Wait," Anna insisted and threw herself between the two. Realizing the droid was connected to the ship and unwilling to risk stranding them in space, Anna thought of another solution. As much as it pained her to do so, she tried to consider what Elsa would do. She remembered how her sister treated droids like living beings and how much effort she put into that little porg creation of hers. With a deep breath, Anna looked at the pilot droid as she would another person.

As she approached the pilot, she remembered how Elsa once referred to a battle droid by its designated number. She glanced at the droid's operating marker and read it aloud. "RX-30." It's head cautiously swiveled towards her. "I'm Anna."

"I am returning to Rodia for your safety, Anna." RX-30 said. "The ship will be sanitized and I will have to be disassembled for internal cleaning."

"You could take us back," Anna replied. "Or you could do the right thing. Jee, show him."

Jee craned her neck. "You're kidding right-"

"Show him," Anna asserted and Jee reluctantly obliged.

"I hope you know what you're doing," the Rodian murmured as she revealed the vial she'd been stashing.

RX-30 eased up on the controls and examined the container. "I am not a medical droid," he said. "But these components are a peculiar mixture. What is it?"

"A cure," Anna coughed. "For exactly what I'm carrying."

"Impossible," the droid calculated. "No halkavirus vaccine has been reported in-"

"Because this is the only one!" Anna intoned. "My name is Anna Dellian." She held up her saber hilt to the droid's photoreceptors. "-of the Jedi Order. I came to Rodia on a mercy mission and clearly got way more than I bargained for. I serve the Republic that I'm sure you've taken countless flights across. The scientist who created this vaccine gave her life so that we can try and save her planet. If you take us back, that hope will die with her. It'll die with me." Anna's cough worsened and the droid released the controls. "This isn't about containing the virus, it's about putting a stop to it. Please, before this planet loses anyone else. I know you've been programmed to do follow orders, but my sister told me that droids are alive. Can you prove her right and think for yourself?"

RX-30 paused in contemplation. His head swerved between the planet in his viewport and the void of space. He analyzed the vial again and observed Anna's ailing face. Something seemed to snap within his processors as he twitched momentarily. His clawed limbs alternated between steering to or away from Rodia. Suddenly, he let go of the dashboard and threw up a limb to salute. "Star Tours Captain RX-30 of Flight 7095, reporting for duty!"

"Holy kriff," Jee uttered. "You actually did it."

Anna rejoiced and hid her face as tears fled her bloodshot eyes. "What's our destination?" RX-30 asked.

"We need to get to Malastare as soon as possible," Anna explained. "We must find Republic scientist Dr. Sionver Boll."

"Malastare?" RX-30 realized while punching coordinates. "That's only a hyperlane away."

"I should probably mention there's currently a conflict there." Anna added.

RX-30 seemed unfazed. "This is Star Tours, ma'am. We fly through anything. Now buckle up, cause it's time for lightspeed to Malastare!" Jee and Anna found their seats while RX-30 launched them into hyperspace.

Japur's Court of Leadership was in flames as a frenzied crowd stormed in. Windows were shattered as Rodians hurled ransacked furniture outside. It was a full scale riot by the time Elsa, Frost, Yelena, and Mattias arrived. "We'll work crowd control!" Mattias shouted. "Elsa, Frost...find the governor!"

Mattias and Yelena accelerated towards the entrance. The roar of their speeder bikes caught the crowd's attention as both Jedi sprung from their seats. The unmanned bikes swerved to a halt while Mattias and Yelena sailed through the air. They landed at the edifice's steps and began Force-pushing rioters back. "It's the Jedi!" A Rodian yelled while picking up his fellow citizen.

While some of the instigators dispersed, others clashed with Rodians trying to quell the unrest. The sight juxtaposed the peaceful protesters from their riotous counterparts. While the masters protected the entryway, Frost didn't notice a Rodian rushing him from behind. The rioter pulled him off his bike and threw him to the ground. "Frost!" Elsa gasped until another Rodian grabbed her arm. "Let go!" she exclaimed, not wanting to hurt the man. She despised how her free hand instinctually wanted to activate her lightsaber. Elsa recognized the impulse as one of fear and rejected it. Instead, she retaliated with an open palm and Force-pushed her assailant into a heap of debris. Without wasting a moment, Elsa vaulted over the bikes and slid to Frost. By the time she got to him, he had swiftly fired a stun blast into his attacker's chest. "You alright?" Elsa asked and offered a hand.

"Ask me again when all of this is over," Frost murmured. As Elsa lifted him up, they heard a Rodian wailing from the upper floor.

Elsa recognized him as one of Governor Stada's aides. "Jedi!" he begged. "Help us!" His head turned towards unseen forces before he had to flee.

"I've got an idea," Frost suggested and took aim with his rifle. He fired an ascension cable to the second level and tapped his shoulder. "Hop on!" With a deep breath, Elsa wrapped her arms and legs around Frost as he set his cable to climb. Their rise was slow and daunting as flames spewed from the wall beside them. Elsa used what focus she could find through the Force to keep the fire at bay. "Almost...there," Frost grunted while bearing their combined weight against the rifle. Once the muzzle clicked against the balcony, he gave the Padawan a nod. "Go for it!"

Elsa cautiously climbed over his shoulders and made it to the second level. She went to reach for him, but the balcony crumbled when she did so. "No!" Elsa shrieked and threw down her hands. She caught the clone with the Force as he scrambled to keep his helmet on. Come on, Elsa willed to herself and remembered her master's teachings.

"Don't let distractions cloud your senses. Let them pass through as any noise would," Yelena had said.

She let the crackling flames and collapsing debris fade around her as she gave Frost her full attention. She concentrated on lifting each of his limbs over the ledge until he was finally standing beside her. Only then could she find it in herself to breathe again.

"Thank you," Frost panted. "That was...a close one."

"It always is," Elsa admitted before urging them to press on. The duo ran through decimated hallways where paintings had been defaced. Entire halls dedicated to Stada's work had been overturned and charred.

"Please, no!" they heard the aide from before plead. Frost and Elsa rounded the corridor to see a pair of rioters about to throw him out the window.

Frost aimed at the assailants and ordered, "Drop him!" The perpetrators shrugged and proceeded to gain momentum. "Not my best choice of words," Frost realized and stunned both Rodians.

The aide struck the carpet with a thud and nervously crawled into a corner. Elsa knelt beside him and placed a calming hand on his knee. "No one's going to hurt you anymore," she assured. "What happened?"

"It started as a protest against Governor Stada," the aide whimpered. "It was peaceful! But then others showed up inciting violence. These rioters overwhelmed the protesters...they stormed in and...and-" The aide broke down into tears as the trauma claimed him. Being protected by her mask, goggles, and gloves, Elsa soothed him with a gentle embrace. "But the governor...they want her," the aide panicked. "She's barricaded on the floor above me. I tried to buy time but-"

Elsa glared at the staircase before her and knew her mission. "Frost," she intoned. "Get this man out of here."

"What about you?" he asked.

"I'm going for the governor," Elsa said while rushing for the stairs.

"But-"

"That's an order, corporal!" Elsa shouted from afar. Frost huffed while hoisting the aide into his arms. She dashed to the next level and found the doors to Stada's chamber had been breached by some makeshift explosives. Flames spread across the halls and consumed the curtains around Elsa. Being light on her feet and quick with her Force pushes, Elsa weaved through the inferno and reached the office.

She tripped on a broken board upon entering and landed beside a dead aide. She didn't have time to process any grief over the man's body. Elsa could only gasp at the sizzling blaster wound in his chest and turn towards a commotion. Two rioters flanked their pale green leader, the same Rodian who'd led the march on the rationing, as she backhanded Governor Stada to the floor. "Please," Stada groveled. "Have mercy."

"Mercy?" Ledai scoffed. "Have you shown any?" She raised a leg to kick her when Elsa's voice rose above all.

"Leave her alone!" The Jedi ordered.

Ledai turned with narrowed eyes and hissed. "Of course. I should've expected the Republic to defend the only people who can fill its pockets."

"This isn't about that," Elsa retorted. "Your planet is suffering, and these actions will do nothing to end it."

"All your empty words," Ledai groaned while keeping Stada pinned. "All the pointless rhetoric. The pathetic promises and for what? All to get us here. I see through your lies, Jedi. And frankly, they're insufferable." Ledai jabbed one of her suction-cupped fingers at Elsa. "Take her!"

The rioters at her sides drew their blasters and opened fire. Elsa dove away from their lasers and hurriedly ignited her saber. With a rapid swipe of her blade, she deflected their blasts as they attempted to rush her. Their close proximity meant any ricocheting lasers would likely hit them. What would Anna do? Elsa thought. In an effort to avoid a stray laser striking her foes, Elsa went on the offensive. Her heart raced as she delved into her weaker form, but tried to focus on what she'd learned from her sister.

"Remember, sis." Anna had taught her on the beach on Scarif. "If someone's got a blaster, nine times out of ten they're gonna freak out if you come at them with a saber. You can't get intimidated, so push through that fear."

Surely enough, the unprepared Rodians yelped when Elsa pushed forward. They stopped shooting altogether as Elsa's saber swung dangerously close to their faces. Elsa smirked and recalled a Niman maneuver Anna had taught her. Keep the blade low, Elsa instructed herself. Now swipe across! With a swift slash, Elsa bisected both of her attacker's weapons and they staggered back. As they braced for worse, both were surprised to find themselves hovering over the ground.

"What the?" one of them gasped as Elsa Force-pulled them towards the window.

"Master," Elsa called on her comlink. "Are you still below the entrance?"

"Yes?" Yelena questioned. "Why?"

"Look up, I've got two rioters incoming for you and Mattias."

"Wait, what?" Mattias wondered as Elsa released the Rodians. "Oh...OH." Mattias and Yelena used the Force to catch both foes and land them safely. They didn't get far before Frost shot them both with stun blasts.

I wish you could've seen that, sis, Elsa thought. She admired her humane work from the window and turned to take a punch from Ledai. Despite all of her adventures, the Padawan had never actually been struck in the face before. The blow came as a complete surprise as she struck the ravaged carpet. Her cheek throbbed and she thanked the Force that her mask was still on. Elsa shook off her pain and reached for her fallen saber just as Ledai threw herself on top of her. She unsheathed a knife and brought it sailing down. Elsa snatched Ledai's wrist to keep the blade back and used her other hand to Force-push her off.

As Ledai crashed against the floor, Elsa used the Force to call her lightsaber back. "Do it," Ledai urged. "Kill me." Elsa pitied the Rodian and shook her head. "Come on!" Ledai suddenly roared. Her rage turned into sorrow as her snout shriveled. She grabbed Elsa's forearm and pressed the weapon to her neck. "Please...end it." Only when she started coughing did Elsa realize why Ledai wasn't wearing a mask. Green blood fled her eyes like her body was weeping for nonexistent help.

"How long have you been infected?" Elsa asked.

"Little over a day," she coughed. "Had my first seizure in the middle of the night. The big one just has to hit me. I'm not ready for it, Jedi. I'd rather die by your blade or in these flames before I succumb to this sickness."

Elsa forcefully reclaimed her wrist and glanced at Governor Stada. "So you chose to make others suffer with you? That's it?"

Ledai shook her head as a disturbing smirk crept onto her snout. "You know, this building was once my home. I served on Governor Stada's council. When the outbreak first occured, I pushed for tighter security measures. I fought for the underprivileged districts to be given a fair chance!" Ledai wheezed and glared at Stada. "And what did that woman do? She focused on her own pockets while this virus spread."

Stada desperately shook her head in denial. "That's not true! I cared about-"

"Oh you cared!" Ledai growled. "You cared about those closest to you. Those in your inner circle were given a heads up about the halkavirus weeks before the public knew. I was there, Pril. You're enforcers told me to keep my mouth shut so I couldn't go public. That's why I stepped down and became a voice of the people." Her antennae drooped with her growing fatigue. "I took my side and now I'd rather die with it than live your privileged lie. You can tell the Galactic Senate the truth and they'd still carry on with business as usual." She looked up at Elsa with her last ounce of strength. "This is our future, Jedi. Such is true for all governments, and only on the brink of death do I see it. I thought this assault would be a last hurrah for retribution, but maybe it was so you and I could have this conversation." Elsa's brows furrowed as she listened intently to Ledai's words. "You're young and as bold as they come. Bold enough to stand against...yet spare me. Don't be the blind fool I was, Jedi. Cause this can and will happen again on another planet. Question everything, even your precious Jedi Order." Elsa looked down on Ledai with sorrow in her heart. The Rodian gasped as Elsa lifted her into the air with the Force. "Wait...what are you doing? Leave me! I'm going to die anyway. Let me!"

"I'm sorry," Elsa said while also lifting Stada. "I can't allow that."

"Weren't you listening to a word I said?" Ledai scolded through her coughs. "Question everything! Don't exclude that Jedi Code of yours!"

"I was listening and this isn't about the Jedi way," Elsa assured. "It's simply about my belief that we all have value. Your time isn't up yet, Ledai. You still have a purpose." Elsa activated her comlink again. "Master Yelena, Master Mattias...I've got some more friends heading your way."

Anna treaded through a freezing sea of lava. The sunny sky was raining as she happily screamed at melting snow. The rocks before her cracked and formed into the face of a man she'd come to feel for. "Hans," the inner voices of her mind echoed all around this surreal conundrum.

"Red!" Jee shouted and nudged Anna free from her bizarre fever dream. Anna gasped as thick globs of sweat splattered from her lips and dripped down her temple. Her eyes listed towards Jee, who's image was a blur to the Padawan. Sounds seemed to muffle and mesh together behind an irksome ringing in Anna's ears. "Hey," Jee spoke again. "Stay with me. I let you rest during the flight, but maybe that was a bad idea."

Anna shook off her daze and felt her own forehead. "I feel like...I'm on fire," she whispered. A heavy cough forced Anna forward as nausea took hold. She got to experience what Elsa probably felt like as her sickness increased with the ship's motions.

"Emesis bags are located under your seat," RX-30 spieled while flying. Jee hurriedly grabbed one and shoved it into Anna's hands. The Padawan dry heaved into it while Jee cautiously rubbed her back. The Padawan's already pale skin became even whiter. Jee could feel Anna's body shivering with chills against her hand. To get a better idea of Anna's condition, she glanced over at Anna's face. She was relieved not to see any blood emerging from her eyes, nose, or mouth.

"What are you doing?" Anna mumbled when she caught Jee looking.

"Nothing," Jee assured.

"You're a horrible liar," Anna forced a chuckle which quickly became a cough.

"Alrighty," RX-30 announced and glimpsed the forested planet in his viewport. "We've made it to Malastare. Scanning for Republic bases." The droid's words were overshadowed by the prominent sounds of a deadly space battle. Anna peered up to see Republic Venators clashing with Separatist Dreadnoughts over Malastare. Starfighters swarmed out from both sides and blasted each other to scrap. "Taking evasive action!" RX-30 exclaimed and boosted the ship's engines. The starspeeder swirled amidst the battle as Y-wings and V-19's fired on vulture droids. Only under such stressful maneuvers did Anna finally give in to her nausea.

A stray laser struck the starspeeder, but its shields held strong. Suddenly, a holomessage showing a mustachioed official appeared on the dashboard. "This Admiral Yularen of the Galactic Republic," he said. "Star Tours, what are you doing here?"

"We-" was all RX-30 could say before an energy torpedo struck the starspeeder's engines. Communications and stabilizers were disabled as the pilot tried to maintain altitude. "Hold on!" While the ship plummeted, RX-30 used its laser cannons to blast away any pursuing vulture droids. Once they were gone, he diverted all his focus to an emergency landing. The starspeeder shook and spiraled through Malastare's atmosphere. The darkness of space was soon replaced by the barren wasteland of a tired warzone. "Engaging emergency buckles!" RX-30 declared. An extra set of seatbelts emerged for Jee and Anna to strap themselves in. "Pull on those yellow straps!" They buckled themselves down and braced for the imminent impact. The starspeeder struck the terrain with a thunderous boom and send rubble flying. It tumbled into a nearby fissure and only stopped when it got wedged into the rocks.

When Anna opened her eyes, she peered through the smoke and examined the wreckage. She fought through her aches to unbuckle and listened to the ominous grinding of metal on stone outside the cabin. Jee came to while a malfunctioning monitor flickered on beside them. An automated, singsongy voice said, "Thank you for flying Star Tours. Buh-bye!" before the screen gave out.

Anna noticed a twitching, sparking head in the refuse and crawled towards it. "RX-30?" she worried.

"We-w-We made it," the broken pilot said. His speaker strobed while loose wires spewed from it. "Isssss the cure s-s-s-safe?"

Jee checked and nodded to Anna. "It is," the Padawan assured. "And it's all thanks to you, buddy."

Anna watched as RX-30's last working limb pulled a datachip from the dashboard. "G-g-got coordinates. Repub...bubub..lllllllic base. T-t-take." RX-30 dropped the chip into Anna's weary palms before he completely shut down.

"We'll make this right," Anna coughed through her tears and pat the fallen droid's head. As she did so, she started to better understand why Elsa grew so connected to machines. If other droids were anything like RX-30, they were alive.

Jee sparked up her lightsaber and cut a hole in the roof. "We can't let his or Klinn's sacrifice be in vain. Come on." More debris collapsed and blocked Anna from reaching Jee.

"I'll just caught my own way out and meet you at the top," Anna said. She tiredly grabbed her saber and started cutting away.

Unbeknownst to either of them, the crash site was being monitored by a Separatist probe droid. Its surveilled holo images were soon observed by a scout droid miles away. "Sir," the B1 unit called to a tactical droid in command. "You might want to see this."

The stocky, tactical droid stomped over to the monitor. It leaned towards the images of two lightsaber wielders. "This is an intriguing turn of events," the droid calculated in a deep, brooding tone. "It appears the Republic has sent Jedi reinforcements behind enemy lines."

"Two more Jedi?" the B1 fretted. "What are we gonna do?"

The tactical droid was unfazed by its inferior model. "These Jedi are fools if they think they can spy on our base. The crash puts them at a disadvantage." It pointed at a commando droid standing at attention. "Take a squad of B2's and destroy them." The tactical droid's laugh was cold and monotonous as its orders were initiated.

Anna and Jee pulled themselves out of the starspeeder and leapt to safer ground. "You're gonna need new armor with how many germs have been on it," Anna coughed as she inserted the chip in Jee's vambrace. It took a moment to compute, but a holomap projected and displayed coordinates to the nearby Republic base.

"It'll be a bit of a hike," Jee admitted. "But we can make it by this planet's sundown if we hurry."

Not knowing whether or not she'd survive another night, Anna simply nodded. There was a brief flash in the corner of Anna's eye. She thought it was her fever playing tricks on her until Jee shoved her to the ground. An explosive projectile blasted the terrain beside them and produced a rippling shockwave. The sound was deafening to Anna's already ailing ears as Jee helped her up. "Red?" Jee called. "You with me? Red!" Another blast sent Jee flying across the ground. Anna rolled over and looked through the billowing smoke. She saw a line of thick silhouttes standing across the gaping fissure. More missiles launched from their arms as Jee recovered and dragged Anna to safety. "Damn super battle droids!" A third wrist rocket zoomed overhead.

Anna tried to run for herself, but extreme exhaustion brought her to her knees. Jee didn't realize Anna had fallen behind, and by the time she glanced back...a commando droid was already closing in. "Red!" she warned. "Behind you!"

Anna's eyes were twitchy and bright pink. She slowly turned amidst the madness to see the same type of droid she'd fought on Kamino. The sleek commando took aim, but Jee threw her lightsaber at it. While it wasn't the best throw, it was enough to bisect the droid. Still bent on accomplishing its deadly mission, the commando's upper half crawled towards Anna. She ignited her lightsaber only to realize she was starting to see double. The dizzying image of the approaching droid danced around her as she haphazardly stabbed the ground. Having missed entirely, she was unable to stop the commando from climbing up her robes and seizing her neck. Her already raspy throat worsened in the droid's steel grip. Before it could tighten further, Jee launched her grappling hook into the droid's head. As if the hook's impalement wasn't overkill enough, she yanked the cord back to take the droid's head with it. Anna wheezed for air as Jee tried to pull her away.

"I'm gonna get us out of here!" the Rodian shouted betwixt the explosions.

"We're not gonna make it on foot," Anna grievously admitted.

Jee glanced at the defeated commando as an idea formed within. "No...but that clanker had to get here somehow. Wait here and I'll be right back." Jee sparked up her saber and vaulted over the rubble. While some super battle droids kept launching wrist rockets, others switched to their laserfire. Jee wildly batted away what she could while other lasers struck her armor. One of the blasts scorched her hip and she collapsed with a grunt. As she looked up, she spotted the commando droid's abandoned speeder bike.

Anna rested her head against the rocks and stared up at the greying skies. As her body continued to burn and give up on her, all she could do was pray for rain. She got the next best thing in the form of a speeder bike as Jee hovered next to her. "I told you I'd be back!" she exclaimed. The Rodian rushed to haul Anna onto the pillion and then maximized the throttle. The rush of air against Anna's face brought as much comfort as the dwindling sounds of enemy battle droids. She rested her head against Jee's back and sniffled. "I'm sorry. I'm losing feeling in my neck...my hands."

"Just relax," Jee intoned. "Do what you have to do, but don't you dare shut down on me. Got it? Stay alive, Red! I'm not quitting on you, so you can't quit on me."

In those moments, Anna's past came back to haunt her like a vicious reaper. She remembered mocking Tori and Surk for their facial features when they were children. She thought about how she'd called the Selkath "trained fishes" or how at one point, she would've easily killed Jee had Hans not intervened. Now, she owed her continued survival to the benevolent will of a Rodian. Even the cure they were both betting on came from an alien. Anna sniffled...not from her sickness...but from a deeply-rooted regret that had been brought to light. For so long she had dwelled in her own ignorance towards other species in a vast galaxy she barely knew about. If she ever had a chance at seeing another sunrise, she had to be better. Tears rolled down her freckled cheeks until another coughing fit took hold.

Anna had started slipping back into slumber when she felt Jee shifting. "No...that can't be right," the Rodian mumbled. "Ittu," she cursed. "It is."

Anna looked over her partner's shoulder and saw a massive, jagged fortress of sorts. "What the kriff is that?" Anna panted.

"I've seen these structures before," Jee answered. "It's a Dug imperial palace. The Doges, or leaders of the Dug Council, govern from them. This one matches with RX-30's coordinates, so I'm willing to bet the Republic's set up an outpost there."

"Sure enough," Anna murmured and pointed towards a series of stationed gunships.

"After everything," Jee sighed. "I really hope this Dr. Boll is still here. What are we gonna do if she's not?"

"The next right thing," Anna spoke confidently through her terminal illness...as they rode towards a Republic base...on an enemy speeder bike.

Thinking on all of her past actions as the skies blackened above her, Anna gave Jee's shoulder a tap. "Hey," she whispered. "It's time."

"What are talking about, Red?"

"Let me go in alone," Anna asserted. "All we're riding on now is that anyone will listen to us. You're a known fugitive, and after everything you've been through...you don't deserve to be disbelieved."

"Don't go playing the hero on me," Jee snapped. "You can barely walk."

"Think about what I said," Anna insisted as Jee realized she was right. The Rodian brought the bike to a halt and looked into Anna's eyes scarlet eyes. When Anna went to wipe them, she realized her sleeve had a daunting droplet of blood on it. "This is a one way trip. Give me the vial...please."

Jee shook her head with grief and handed Anna the vaccine. "I'm sorry...Anna. I wasn't fast enough."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Anna whispered. "I'll be seeing you." The Padawan was astonished when Jee crossed her arms to respectfully salute in Rodian tradition. Anna returned the gesture to the best of her abilities. "Hey Jee," she said before hobbling off. "Don't feel so bad about missing a shot at the Jedi Order. There's a lot of rules in it that make life harder to understand."

Anna set off towards the palace. Her legs trembled and her lip quivered from her sickness. With each passing step, she felt herself growing weaker. The stationed gunships and stacked crates swayed in her blurred vision while she followed the sounds of clone troopers. Two of the armored soldiers were helping a Dug move equipment when they noticed Anna. "What the hell?" one of the clones uttered.

"Boll," Anna croaked while swaying. "I need to see Dr. Sionver Boll."

"Who are you?" the clone asked and closed in.

Before he could take another step, the second clone pulled him back. "Woah there, shinie." this clone captain warned. Anna could faintly make out the blue accents on his armor and kama. "Look at her eyes."

"There's not much time," Anna panted and reached for her hilt. "I'm a Jedi-"

"Stay right where you are," the captain ordered and called in on his comlink. "Generals, we've got a situation down here. I think that virus on Rodia might've gotten offworld."

"Sit tight, Rex," a young man replied. "We're on our way."

The Dug hopped over to her and examined her state. "If she's sick, she must be contained. Stun her!"

"Don't touch me," Anna intoned. "I have a vaccine."

"Everyone just wait," Captain Rex commanded.

"Every moment we wait, what she has can be spreading through the air!" the Dug snarled. "Do you care not for our people?"

"I have a vaccine!" Anna roared with whatever voice she could still raise. Doing so caused her to break into a coughing episode.

Driven into hysteria, the Dug motioned for the others of his species to help subdue Anna. "Get away!" Anna blindly pushed the Dugs back with the Force. The clamor of toppling crates and yelling clones only quickened the Jedi generals' paces.

"What's going on here?" Anakin Skywalker shouted over the chaos. His tone combined with Master Mace Windu's presence commanded the utmost authority. Anakin's eyes narrowed on Anna as she dropped to her knees. "She looks...familiar," he said.

Mace quickly recognized her from when she was put on trial. "Padawan Dellian?"

"Dellian," Anakin recalled. "She has a sister...Elsa!"

"This is the younger sibling, Anna." Mace said. "The only question is, what's she doing out here?"

"She's not looking well," Anakin deduced as Rex approached him.

"General," the captain said. "She's asking for Dr. Boll." Anakin gave the clone a nod to contact her and advanced.

Mace stepped in front of the aggravated Dugs and raised a hand. "We'll take it from here," he assured.

Anakin cautiously approached the Padawan as she shivered on the ground. "Anna?" he said calmly with open palms. "I'm a friend of your sister, Elsa. You've got to trust me when I say I just want to help you."

"I don't have much time..." Anna wheezed and placed the unique vial on the floor. "I'm infected and so is this casing. But its contents...hold the cure to the halkavirus from Rodia. Dr. Klinn of Rodia gave her life to create this and now the Republic's Dr. Boll is our only hope. Please..." Anna's heart started racing and her breaths hastened. "Save them. Save them all." Anna thought a cough was coming on, but instead dizziness claimed her. Blood trickled from her nose and eyes as she collapsed into a series of rapid convulsions.

"She's seizing!" Rex shouted. "We need a medic over here!"

The ensuing moments were a blur to Anna. People became distorted shapes all scrambling on the dusty terrain around her. Time was non-existent and the silhouettes of hovering droids loomed over her. One of them snagged the vaccine from her hand, and she could only hope it would be used wisely. Before she knew it, the rocky surface of Malastare had been replaced by a medbay's plasteel surface. Blinding lights flashed across Anna's eyes and a ventilator was pressed to her face. Monitors beeped wildly as quarantined medical droids rushed to stabilize her condition. As Anna lay fighting for her life on an operating table, she stared into the overhanging light. She lost herself in its soothing glow and almost felt like she'd left her body. She was smiling...even though she wasn't. Lost but found...alive but somewhere else. All Anna knew for certain, was that she'd done the right thing.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for tuning in to another dramatic installment of "The Frozen Force." I greatly appreciate all of your kindness and support on this adventure. It's a thrill to entertain you each week. On the next Frozen Force Friday, brace yourself as we take our first steps into chapter one of the five-part season finale! May the Force be with you and Long Live Imagination!