Chapter Text
The troopers let out a sigh of relief as the last group of droids was dispatched. At least now there was no threat of droids trying to spread the virus outside of the lab, they only had to worry about the people inside.
Denal was one of the first to remove his helmet and sit down in the now compromised “safe room”. His chest was tightening uncomfortable and the pressure of his armor wasn’t helping.
The Commander caught his eye as soon as she was done talking to the Senator, and she was crouched at his side in a flash. Ahsoka had concern written on her face, although it was marred by clear exhaustion. “How you holding up Denal?”
He coughed, clearing his throat with some difficulty. “Been better, Commander… I’ll be honest I’m not feeling too hot… this virus is no joke.”
Ahsoka nodded, resting her hand on his shoulder as she stood to her full height. “I’ll be right back, yell if something happens before I’m back,” she gave his shoulder a pat before moving to the next clone who appeared to be having some trouble.
Denal started to laugh but began coughing midway through. “I’ll be here-“
He watched the young commander bop from trooper to trooper; grasping shoulders, helping others sit, talking to each man with intense earnest. At one point she left the room entirely, and returned with several rags and a water bottles from who knows where within the lab. She handed some to Rex, Kix, and the Senator, and then made her way back to Denal.
Ahsoka sat down next to him, handing him the water bottle. “Told you I’d be back.”
“I didn’t doubt you.” he drank the water down in gulps, flinching as the water rinsed down some bile that had rose up when he last coughed.
She watched in concern. “How are you feeling?”
“Well, like I said… I’ve been better-“
“No Denal, I mean what are you feeling. What are your symptoms, what is your pain like, walk me through what you’re going through.” He wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen his young Commander so serious in a request. Usually she was fast movements and quick quips, a poster child for the effectiveness of child soldiers everywhere. Since they’d been exposed to the virus it was almost like she’d matured a lifetime within a span of minutes.
He sighed, “It’s hard to breath. My chest is tight and it burns to exhale. There’s a throbbing…sort of stinging in my feet, and I’m starting to get light headed. Trust me when I say I am thoroughly miserable.” he paused for a moment before asking, “How are you holding up?”
“Not as bad as I’d thought I’d be..” she took a swig from the water bottle, and he wasn’t quite sure when she’d taken it back. “I think moving around helps, at least it’s helping me notice it less. It’s good for me to be preoccupied, I’m not good with waiting.”
“I could have told you that. My first suggestion would have been to have you doing laps. You’re like the Shinies, too young to sit around for long.” Denal sighed, hissing slightly at the pain is caused him. “It’s dismal in here Commander. Tell me something happy, you’ve always got a smile to share and I could use that right about now.”
Ahsoka looked slightly taken aback, but nodded. She sat in thought for a moment, seemingly running through what to say before finally she spoke, “On Shili, when I was a child I used to think that every night when the sun was setting over the plains that they were catching fire because it was the brightest thing I’ve ever seen. The sunsets on Shili are the brightest red imaginable as the get to the horizon, and it looks like everything is on fire and then suddenly it’s night. So, for years as a child I was afraid that if I wasn’t awake for the sunset to watch it, that we’d all just catch on fire…”
In her pause, Denal took the water back. “What about the sunrises?”
“They’re not nearly as overwhelming as sunsets. Shili sunsets are oranges and fiery reds, but sunrises are soft. They start out deep purple, but you have to be up early, before night’s even really done to see that…” Ahsoka coughed, wincing slightly as she paused to collect herself. “Then, then it’s these pale pinks and yellows into the daytime.”
Rex looked over, shooting them a concerned glance which Ahsoka appeased with shake of her head and a smile.
“It sounds beautiful.” Denal wheezed as he spoke, closing his eyes and slumping further into the wall behind him. “Do you miss it there?” Ahsoka looked at him in concern, reaching over to dab some of the sweat from his face with the rag only for him to swat her hand away. “Stop fussing, you’re worse than Kix.”
“Oh no, Kix is so much worse, he’s just mother-henning the shinnies. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t stress himself into a panic attack… But no, I don’t miss it much… I was young when I left, I’ve spent most of my life away and I’ve been able to go back for important rights of passage so I’m still connected to parts of my culture.” she paused glancing over to check on Denal. And while he looked awful because of the virus, all blue veins and bruising, he looked peaceful.
Ahsoka smiled and continued, “As awful as this war is, I like being able to travel and see the galaxy… I like being able to get know all of you guys… I don’t know what I’d be doing otherwise, stuck in the temple all the time…” She hunched forward as a violent coughing fit wracked her frame.
Denal cracked an eye open and glanced at her, raising a brow. “You alright there?” she nodded in response, wheezing as she tried catch her breath. “Good, because you’re making this tolerable..being trapped in here like this. Speaking of, any word from the General?”
“No, no word from Anakin or Master Obi-Wan…hopefully they’ve got that root and figured out how to get in here without releasing the virus…otherwise this conveniently underground lab may just become a grave…” She sighed, leaning back and mimicking his position, leaning back against the wall.
“Don’t get like that, you make this cheerier when you’re spreading your sunshine and not being a realist…if I wanted to wallow and make this worse I’d invite the gungan over.”
“Sorry, the situation just sort of set in all at once.” admitted Ahsoka. “We’ve been in some pretty bad situations but this is looking pretty bleak…”
“I’m not hearing that Shili-Sunshine Commander.”
Ahsoka flinched, “Right sorry, so what else do you want to hear about, I don’t know if I can tell you about any more sunrises… I’ve never been poetic…”
When Denal only coughed in response Ahsoka perked up and leaned over to check on him. “Denal, how’re you doing?”
He shook his hood, still coughing. At this point Denal was leaned forward, his head between his knees, hacking a viscous mix of blood and bile onto the floor. As he finally overcame the attack, gaining his breath with shaky breath he slumped into Ahsoka, his head onto her shoulder.
“Talk to me Denal, how are you feeling?” she dabbed his forehead with the rag, her brow furrowing as he didn’t respond to either her words or actions. “Denal, you wanna drink some water for me?”
As she asked this Ahsoka brought her hand up to to lightly pat his face. When there was no response she pressed two fingers too his neck, feeling that there was still a heartbeat so he had just passed out.
“Kix!” Ahsoka called out, panic rising into her voice. “Denal’s doing really bad over here-“
As Ahsoka waited for their medic to get over to them, she held onto the trooper on her shoulder and willed Anakin and Obi-Wan to hurry because things were looking bleak.