The Resolute drifted into orbit above Coruscant, the ever-busy planet glinting like a bright jewel amidst the blackness of space. Anakin felt an overwhelming sense of urgency as the docking bay doors opened. They had retrieved the data drive, escaped the Separatists, and endured a crash landing on an unforgiving moon—but none of that mattered if they couldn't decrypt the data.
Ahsoka's life depended on it.
Once safely docked, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and the Twi'lek scientist disembarked quickly, data drive clutched tightly in Anakin's hands. The trio made their way to the secure data vault within the Jedi Temple, followed by Fives and a few clone troopers who stood on guard, watchful as always.
Inside the vault, the air was heavy with anticipation. The dim lighting did nothing to ease Anakin's racing mind as they approached the decryption terminal, a sophisticated device designed to crack even the most secure codes. The Twi'lek scientist, Professor Na'ra Solas, moved to the terminal with an air of determination. Her hands trembled slightly as she took the data drive from Anakin.
"This will work," she assured them, more to herself than anyone else.
"Let's hope so," Obi-Wan said softly, his hand resting on Anakin's shoulder as if to calm him. "We're running out of time."
Anakin nodded but said nothing. He couldn't afford to entertain doubt. As Na'ra inserted the drive into the terminal, a series of bright lights blinked to life, and the screen filled with scrolling lines of code.
Professor Solas frowned. "This encryption... it's like nothing I've ever seen before."
Obi-Wan furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"
She typed rapidly, adjusting settings and reconfiguring the terminal's algorithms. "The Separatists must have used a multi-layered algorithm, but it's not just a traditional cipher. There's an additional layer here—something... biological."
"Biological?" Anakin echoed, his frustration mounting. "What does that mean?"
Professor Solas' expression grew more concerned. "I think it means that the data is linked to a specific individual—likely one of the scientists. The decryption won't proceed without recognizing their biometric signature."
Anakin's heart sank. "You're saying we can't decode this unless we have the person who encrypted it?"
"That's right," Solas confirmed grimly. "Or at least... a part of them."
Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged a worried glance. "The lab we destroyed," Obi-Wan murmured, piecing it together. "It was a failsafe. If anyone tried to steal the data, they'd need the one who created the encryption to unlock it."
"And they're probably dead," Anakin added, his voice filled with a quiet anger.
Before anyone could speak, the terminal beeped loudly, and the screen flickered ominously. Na'ra Solas tried to stop the sudden influx of warnings, but it was too late.
The terminal screen went black for a second, and then it returned with a single flashing word:
CORRUPTION DETECTED.
"What in the galaxy...?" Solas muttered.
The screen exploded into a cascade of red data. The drive was becoming unreadable at an alarming rate. "It's some kind of self-destructing algorithm!" Solas gasped, frantically attempting to halt the degradation. "It's erasing itself!"
"No!" Anakin snapped, rushing forward, his gloved hands moving over the controls. "We can't lose it now. There has to be something—some way to stop it!"
YOU ARE READING
The Tiny Commander
FanfictionDuring a siege of a separatist planet, the seppies unleash a new weapon on Ahsoka and her troops. The Clones manage to duck and cover in time, but of course Ahsoka was the only one who managed to get hit and a new adventure ensues
