Shadows of Tomorrow

Chapter 11 - Into the Darkness

They don't have time for this. Anakin lands the ship back on the platform in Iego where he and Obi-Wan went to try and find a cure for the virus. Every time anyone tries to leave, a laser field is activated around the planet, and they need to find a way to get past it. But thanks to the vulture droids that are still on the planet from the time the Separatists were here, he has an idea.

Before he can say anything to Obi-Wan, a hologram flickers on. Ahsoka is leaning against Padme for support, barely managing to remain upright. Her skin is turning a deathly gray. Theseus stands on Padme's other side, leaning against the controls, and he looks in no better condition than Ahsoka, even over the blue-shaded hologram.

Anakin's blood runs cold. They're dying. If he and Obi-Wan can't get out of this mess soon, they'll get back too late. He'd fail his padawan and the boy he hardly got time to know. And Rex.

"Master, can you hear me?" Ahsoka asks weakly. She continues talking, but it's too quiet to make out the words.

"Artoo, amplify the signal," Anakin orders. The droid whistles, plugging itself into the wall and doing as instructed.

"... destroyed all the battle droids inside the compound, Master," she continues.

"Naboo is safe from further contamination," Padme adds, "I repeat, Naboo is safe. Promise me that no one will ever open this bunker."

With that the hologram promptly disappears. Padme is alright, but everyone else is dying. The virus kills in 48 hours, and it's already been a long time. Add in the rest of the fight to get off planet and hyperspace travel, and they'll barely make it. Anakin jumps out of his seat and sprints towards the door, struggling desperately to resist the urge to cry. He was too late with his mother. He can't let Ahsoka, Theseus, and Rex face the same fate.

"We'll borrow a power converter from Jaybo and reprogram it to feed our –" he begins to ramble.

"Slow down, Anakin," cuts in Obi-Wan.

"Slow down?!" he snaps, "You saw them, Master. They're dying!"

"A great leap forward often requires first taking two steps back," he insists.

"And sometimes all it requires is the will to jump," Anakin retorts. He's not going to waste a minute right now. Lives are depending on them.

***

Theseus leans against a crate, next to Ahsoka. They're seated back in the safe room, even if it's pointless by now. It's not going to help anything.

He's not sure if he'd be able to stand even if he tried anymore. But he does know that they're almost out of time. He feels so weak, and his temperature has risen to dangerously high levels. Even so, he clings to the belief his master will figure something out.

"I hope that their sacrifice brings us closer to peace," Padme says quietly as she attends to one of the clones, several of the others already having gone unconscious. Theseus is pretty sure they aren't going to make it. The only reason he's holding on is because he's a Jedi, he's certain of that. Jedi can tolerate far more than most people. He's surprised Rex is still conscious. It's probably only because he was wearing his helmet in the beginning, while the other clones had already taken off their own. It protected him for a short while.

Then again, he's not sure any of them are going to make it. "It will, Padme," Ahsoka finally speaks up, "You must believe that –" She trails off, collapsing into unconsciousness.

"Ahsoka!" Padme and Theseus cry in unison, as he hastily moves to catch her before she can hit the ground. Panic surges inside of him. Is it already too late? He can feel that she's still breathing right now, but for how long? He wraps his arms around Ahsoka's limp form, knowing that this might be the last time he ever does. They might die here, but at least it'll be together.