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Dust kicked up as another gunship landed, clones immediately making their way inside and taking off to the cruisers hovering above the planet. Plo Koon watched over his men as they boarded, some of them coughing at the clouds of dust. He turned to see General Skywalker and Commander Tano approaching him, Anakin waving away the dust, coughing lightly.
“Koh-to-yah, Skywalker, Little ‘Soka.”
“Koh-to-yah, Master Plo.” Ahsoka replied.
“Good to see you made it, Master Plo. I’d say things went down pretty well here today.”
“Indeed, young Skywalker, we suffered minimal casualties. I hope things went well on your end.”
Anakin nudged Ahsoka playfully who elbowed him back, “Ah, you know us. Things got a little crazy out there, but we made it through. Minimal losses on our part, too.”
“That is good to hear.”
“General.” Commander Wolffe made his way to the group, giving Anakin and Ahsoka a nod before addressing his General. “Just loading up the last few transports, sir. We should get going.”
Plo nodded, “Thank you, Commander.” He addressed the other Jedi once more, “I shall see you again, soon. Apologies for the abrupt exit.”
Anakin nodded and Ahsoka waved goodbye. Plo waved back and followed Wolffe to a gunship. He took hold of a handle as the ship took off, glancing over at Wolffe as he cleared his throat.
“Are you alright, Wolffe?”
“I’m fine, sir. A lot of dust on this planet. I’ll be glad to return to the ship.”
Plo nodded, “Indeed.”
Soon enough, the gunship shuddered to a stop and the doors opened to the hangar of the Hand of Justice.
“Go get cleaned up and make sure the wounded get to the medbay.”
“Yes, sir.” Said the clones as they took off in different directions.
Plo made his way through the ship, checking in on his boys as he went. He grew concerned as he noticed more than a few had lingering coughs now that they were off the planet. He supposed he wouldn’t know how bad the dust was himself, due to his mask, and many of the men had taken off their helmets once the fighting was over.
After cleaning up himself, he made his way to the medbay. When the door opened, he was pleasantly surprised to find it busy but not overwhelmed. Many of the wounded seemed to be stable, many already plotting their escape.
He approached Sinker who he found laying on one of the beds, a large bacta patch on his leg. He smiled as Plo approached.
“General.”
“Koh-to-yah, Sinker. How is the leg?”
Sinker patted his leg. “What, this? Ah, just a flesh wound, sir. I’ll be fighting fit before you know it.”
Plo patted the Sergeant’s shoulder, “That is good to hear.”
He noticed the medic making his rounds nearby and said bye to Sinker before approaching him.
“How is everyone?”
Bruise glanced up at him and cleared his throat, “Nothing we can’t handle, General. Today went well, we shouldn’t lose any more here. There are a couple we’ll need to keep a close eye on for a few days, but nothing needing a tank.” He finished speaking in a bit of a rush before he coughed again. Plo’s brow knitted with concern.
“Are you alright, Bruise?”
“Yes, sir. Just the dust from the planet. Really gets stuck and just irritates the throat, you know?”
“Of course.”
Plo spoke with the medic until he was called away to another patient, apologising before stepping away to work. Plo did one last round of the medbay before leaving.
He walked down the halls deep in thought when he spotted Comet standing there. He had a hand to the wall as he hunched over, coughing. Plo hurried over to support him, holding his arm to keep him steady as his body shuddered with wheezing coughs.
When the fit ended and Comet stood there catching his breath, Plo’s concern only grew at the slight wheeze at the tail end of every breath.
He stepped back when Comet straightened and gave him a sheepish smile, “Thanks, General. Sorry about that.”
“Are you well, Comet? I have noticed a persistent cough among the men ever since we left the planet.”
Comet let out another small cough. “Well, I’m no medic, sir. I’d blame the dust, but I don’t think it’s just that. Except clones can’t get sick, sir. We’re not supposed to, anyway.”
“Perhaps if this is an illness, it is not one the Kaminoans knew to protect you from.”
“Maybe, sir. All I know is my chest hurts. Don’t know if its-” He was cut off by another fit, hunching over against the wall once again. Plo was quick to steady him once more, standing with him until the fit passed. He frowned as he noticed Comet’s skin was becoming warm to the touch.
“I believe it is best that we get you to the medbay.”
“Yes, sir.” Comet wheezed, letting Plo guide him through the halls. They had to stop once more as another fit wracked Comet’s body, but they made it to the medbay.
Plo’s heart sunk when he entered the medbay to hear more bouts of harsh coughing. The medbay was starting to get full. Beds that were empty when he first visited were beginning to fill with clones groaning and wheezing between coughing fits. Plo lowered Comet onto an empty bed and waved Bruise over.
“Not another one.” Bruise muttered as he checked Comet over.
“Any idea what is causing this, Bruise?”
The medic shook his head as he prepped an oxygen mask and sat it next to Comet’s bed. “No idea, sir. Medscanners are bringing up an unknown virus, but it’s nothing we’ve ever seen before. All I know is that at this rate, it’s going to take down most if not all of the ship.”
“Perhaps it is caused by something from the planet’s surface. Most of the sick seem to be men who were deployed and got back recently.”
Bruise cleared his throat, “That seems most likely, sir. We need to figure out what this is and what to do about it. At this rate, we’ll be overwhelmed within the hour. I’d suggest quarantining those showing symptoms so we can have at least some men keeping the ship running. We also need to figure out where to put the sick, the medbay is already almost full. And we need to figure out what this is and how to cure it. At the rate the boys are deteriorating, I don’t think we have long before we start dropping.”
Plo considered this. “We should begin using the medical droids to assist you and your medic team. Your team also needs to take precautions against catching this virus. I will speak with Wolffe, but I believe we can quarantine this section of the ship and use the nearby bunk rooms as temporary medbays. We will consider expanding it further should the need arise. I will also contact the Resolute.”
Bruise nodded and took off as another trooper arrived at the medbay. Plo swiftly left the medbay once more. He raised Wolffe on his comm, but was met with no answer. Concerned, he continued down the hall, telling troopers to evacuate the quarantine zone and asking where the Commander was. The troopers didn’t know, but agreed to spread word of the quarantine. Soon, the speakers of the ship were announcing the new orders.
Plo made his way to Wolffe’s bunk room. He was concerned at the Commander’s absence and lack of communication. He was neglecting his usual post-mission rounds, checking on the men and meeting with Plo and the other commanding officers.
Plo knocked on the door to the bunk and waited a moment for a response before letting himself in. The room was dark, but he quickly spotted Wolffe slumped at his desk, still in his armour, his helmet sitting on the desk beside him. Plo’s brow furrowed at the sound of wheezing breaths, occasionally hitching with a small cough.
Plo placed a hand on Wolffe’s head, feeling the warmth he had felt building up in Comet, then moved it to his shoulder and gently shook.
“Wolffe, you need to wake up, son.”
Wolffe’s face scrunched and he slowly blinked awake, lifting his head and looking blearily up at Plo.
“Buir.” Coughs quickly swallowed the word and Plo held him steady as his body shuddered. The fit seemed to go on forever, Wolffe beginning to dry heave as it went on. Plo remained a steady presence and soon the fit passed. Wolffe slumped into Plo, exhausted and catching his breath.
“Easy, ad’ika. Just catch your breath, it’s alright.” Plo rubbed his back. He considered taking him to the medbay, but it would be overcrowded by now. Instead, he commed Bruise, telling him to send a medic or medical droid to the Commander’s bunk then shifted his attention back to his ailing son.
Wolffe had closed his eyes but wasn’t asleep as he leaned against Plo. His chest heaved wheezing breaths, and he seemed content to stay there. A little reluctantly, Plo pushed him to sit up, hands on his shoulders. Wolffe blinked up at him at the movement.
“Let’s get you to bed. It’ll be more comfortable than sleeping here.” Plo spoke softly. “Someone will be here soon to check you over.”
Wolffe looked over at the bunk as his chest seized with a few silent coughs and nodded.
Plo helped him stand, shuffling him over to sit on the edge of the bunk. Plo held him upright as he swayed a little. “We should get your armour off, its dirty and surely not comfortable.”
Wolffe grumbled but his hands moved to get his chestplate off. Plo helped him and soon he was settled down on the bunk, Plo pulling the blanket up to his waist, not wanting him to overheat under it as his temperature rose. The Commander’s eyes were already drooping closed when a medical droid entered the room. Plo let it take over. He watched it work for a moment before leaving the room.
He made his way to the bridge, comming Boost to meet him there. Boost had been left on the ship due to an injury. He was well enough to be out of the medbay but still had a few days of recovery before he could properly return to the field.
“What is it, sir?” Boost greeted as he entered the bridge and approached the General.
“It appears an unknown virus has infected many of the men planetside. There have already been steps made to contain and treat it, however we need to establish an official quarantine. I will need you to remain here to oversee it as I investigate.”
“What about the Commander, sir?”
“Commander Wolffe is unfortunately among the sick and is being tended to.”
Boost nodded. “Anything in particular to look out for, sir?”
“It appears to be primarily respiratory, coughing is one of the first symptoms, followed by wheezing breaths and a fever. If anyone presents with these symptoms, they are to be immediately brought to the quarantine zone, which due to the widespread nature of the virus, includes the medbay and entire surrounding wing of the ship.”
“Yes, sir.” Boost thought for a moment. “Uh, General, you were planetside that whole time. Why aren’t you sick?”
Plo though for a moment. Boost was correct, he was planetside, but he felt completely fine. “I am unsure.” The pair looked down as Plo’s comm began beeping. “It appears Little ‘Soka has some news. Excuse me, Sergeant.” Boost nodded and left to oversee the quarantine.
“Greetings, Little ‘Soka. I hope you are faring better than we appear to be.” Plo greeted Ahsoka’s hologram.
“Not you guys too!” Ahsoka exclaimed. “The men over here have been getting sick, really sick. We’ve had to put a quarantine in place for half the ship. First it was just coughing, and we thought it was just the dust, then some of the boys started complaining about a sore chest and difficulty breathing. Even Anakin is sick! Only the boys left on the ship seem alright for now.”
“This is deeply concerning. We have experienced the same issue here. Our medics have identified an unknown virus we believe to originate from the planet, but it is not familiar to us. We have no means of properly treating or curing it. How are you faring, little one?”
“I’m fine, Master. Not even a tickle in my throat.” Ahsoka glanced to someone outside of the hologram. “What is it, Kix? Alright, I’ll tell Master Plo.” Ahsoka sighed looked addressed Plo once again. She seemed to hesitate.
“What did he say, little one?”
“He said since there’s no known cure we either have to wait here and hope for the best, or head back planetside to find something to help. We can’t risk this spreading even more.”
Plo nodded, “Our medics estimate that the virus will quickly become fatal at the rate it is developing. I believe our best bet will be for you and I to return planetside and find a cure as soon as possible.”
“I was afraid of that.” Ahsoka sighed and shook her head. “Alright, Master, I’ll take a ship down and meet you at our last rendezvous.”
“I will see you there, Ahsoka.” Plo shut off the comm and prepared to leave.
Plo held a hand in front of his face as Ahsoka’s ship kicked up dust. As soon as it touched the ground, the young padawan was leaping out of the ship to meet him.
“So, what’s the plan, Master?”
Plo pulled up a map of the surrounding area, pointing to it as he spoke. “We are here. Our scouts reported a town nearby over here. That seems like the best place to start.”
Ahsoka nodded and turned eagerly to go, “Alright then, let’s go.”
Plo followed as she led the way. The planet was sparse and populated by small towns of locals. From what he learned of the planet, it seemed they survived by trading the valuable minerals mined there. The people were a short, stout people, with flat noses and eyes with second eyelids to protect them from dust storms.
He was drawn from his thoughts by the worry and fear radiating from Ahsoka, though he didn’t need the force to read that from her frown and fidgeting hands.
“What is wrong, Little ‘Soka?”
“I’m just worried, Master. What if we don’t find anything? Or what if we do but we’re not fast enough?”
“We will find what we need, Ahsoka, we must trust in that. The men can look after themselves until then.”
“I know. I just don’t want to lose anyone. Today went so well. They fought so well and I would hate for a cough to take them down after everything.”
“Then let us make sure that doesn’t happen.” Ahsoka nodded and Plo put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I believe we have made it.”
She looked forward again to see what he had spotted. A small town sat with a rocky cliff face to one side. Small, buildings sat close together, dust coating everything in a fine layer.
The town seemed pleasant enough as they entered it. Locals watched them pass by curiously before getting on with their day. They heard a couple of whispers of “Jedi,” as a few spotted their lightsabers, but it seemed more excited and curious than hostile and suspicious.
Plo approached a man standing outside a building. “Greetings, we are seeking a medical facility or the closest you have to one.”
The man eyed him for a moment before spotting his lightsabers and looking back up at his face. “Yeah, just down that way, you’ll see the sign. Pretti should have you sorted.”
Plo bowed his head slightly, “Thank you.”
Ahsoka stayed close to his side as they continued through the town.
“These people are real nice to Jedi.” Ahsoka muttered.
“Indeed, they did call for Republic aid.”
“Yeah, but even then, we usually have some issue with the locals.”
“While there are, unfortunately, many planets like that, there are also many who have a long standing history with the Jedi Order. Many have strong connections to the Force, and many others have a history of helping and being helped by the Jedi, and they maintain that even now with the war. I often find solace in them as proof that we are still helping and making a difference despite the difficulties of the war. I would encourage you to do the same.”
“Huh, I guess we just keep ending up on planets with a little more complicated alliances.”
“Such is the way of war, Little ‘Soka. There is not much to bring us to such planets as this, unless an invasion such as the one stopped today were to occur.”
Ahsoka took a moment to consider this before looking up at him again. “Could you show me some of these planets, Master? Later, when we’re done here, obviously. I’d like to see for myself, that’s all.”
Plo smiled gently at her. “Of course, Little ‘Soka. I have some maps you can look at back at the Temple. Perhaps once the war is over, I could even take you to some.”
It would do the padawan some good to see more places like that. She had seen too much danger and destruction and mistrust in her time as a Jedi. Seeing the other side of all the conflict, the good that the Jedi can do, and have done, in the galaxy would help her greatly.
Ahsoka thanked him as they approached the town’s med centre. It was a small, plain building, differentiated only by the sign out front. Plo led the way inside.
Inside the building was quiet. A few staff moved about the space, mostly chatting and organising equipment and paperwork. One looked up at they entered.
“Hello, how can we help?”
“We were told to speak to Pretti. We have a problem and hope you can help.”
The woman approached with a concerned look as she scanned them both over. “That’s me, what can I help with?
Ahsoka spoke up beside him. “Not us doctor. We’re Jedi, we were leading the defence of the planet against the Separatists. Unfortunately, many of our men have gotten sick since the battle ended and we were hoping you could help. We have no idea what is causing it or how to help them.”
Pretti nodded, her brow furrowed. “What are the symptoms and when did they start.”
Plo explained the sudden outbreak among the men of both battalions. The doctor nodded as he spoke.
“And what species are the ill?”
Ahsoka blinked, “Uh, human, why?”
“Apologies, we don’t see many clones around here, so I had to ask. I’m afraid I know what is afflicting your men. It’s a virus we thought was dead, or at the very least dormant.” The doctor shook her head with a heavy sigh. “I’m sure you’ve noticed the lack of humans and other similar species here. That’s not because of any prejudice, its just simply not safe for them here. If we knew the clone army were human, we would have warned you, I am sorry for that.”
“Why is it not safe?” Plo prompted.
“There is a virus originating from this planet. It is mostly harmless to most species, but humans were quickly found to be very susceptible. We’re not entirely sure why that is, it’s been a long time since many humans have visited the planet long enough for us to learn, and we do not wish for them to. All we know is that the virus acts faster and more intensely in humans than any other species. It is often fatal if untreated. As long as they stay away or limit their visit to an hour maximum with protection, they should be fine. But you were here for days.”
“Is there any way you have to treat it? We currently have quarantine protocols active on our ships, however we need a way to treat them properly.”
“Unfortunately, we only keep emergency cures around, certainly not enough for that many people. It is difficult to find and we don’t often need it here.”
“But at least tell us you know where to get more.” Ahsoka cut in.
“Of course. And for two Jedi, it should not be a problem.” The doctor shuffled around and pulled out a datapad and a small bottle. Inside the bottle were some small yellow fruits. She pulled up a map on the datapad. “These berries contain the cure. The berry itself is highly toxic, but the seed inside carries the cure. They are located in a few places nearby. The safest is a few days away, here.” She pointed at the map as she spoke. “But the fastest, and surely the one you want, is here. It is an oasis fed by a small river running from a nearby cave system. It should be easy to find the berries there. But I must warn you of the Guardian. It is the reason the people of this town do not go there.”
Ahsoka crossed her arms. “What is this Guardian?”
“I have never been there myself, and few enough return to even talk about it, let alone give a clear description. But none of them were Jedi. With two of you, I believe you can make it.”
Plo met Ahsoka’s determined gaze. “We had better set off then.”
They made their way back through the dust, the wind kicking it up as the day turned into afternoon. The trip there was meant to take an hour at most. They should make it there and back before nightfall. They both carried sealed canisters on their backs to store the berries they found.
Ahsoka’s anxious energy radiated strongly through the force, Plo meeting it with a wave of calm. Ahsoka looked up at him with a sheepish, thankful smile.
Soon, they approached a green oasis surrounding a pond fed by a small river. Trees shaded the almost perfect circle of lush undergrowth. Ahsoka paused with a small frown at the edge of the oasis.
“I don’t think plants are supposed to act like this.” She gestured to the circle where the oasis suddenly started, a clear line between the oasis and dry dust. Not a single blade of grass crossed the line.
Plo hummed thoughtfully. “I agree. Keep your guard up.”
They slowly entered the oasis, the air instantly cooling as soon as they crossed the line. They circled around opposite sides as they searched. Plo was about halfway around when he spotted the small yellow berries. Quickly scanning the area, he slung the canister off his back and began gathering as many as possible. Across the pond, he heard Ahsoka’s triumphant cry.
He had just about filled the canister when he paused. Something flickered at the edge of his awareness and he felt something watching him. He carefully gathered the last of the berries and stood, scanning the area.
“How goes the search, Little ‘Soka?”
He heard rustling over on Ahsoka’s side of the oasis. “Almost done, Master! If you had as much luck as I have, we should-” She was cut off by a shrieking cry. Plo barely had time to turn around before something slammed bodily into him, knocking him to the ground. He rolled with the fall, rising to his feet to see the attacker.
It was a large creature, about the size of a loth wolf. Its feathered hide camouflaged well with the shadows of the trees and he caught glimpses of wings as it moves its front legs. Its long tail whipped through the underbrush as it snarled at him. He went to reach for his lightsaber, but paused. As the creature circled, he felt fear and something else through the Force.
“Master Plo!” He heard Ahsoka cry out from behind him, followed by the hiss of lightsabers igniting. The creature snarled and launched itself at him again. This time, he was ready. He leapt to the side, keeping a cluster of trees between himself and the creature. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw flashes of green, and he risked a glance over to see Ahsoka facing another of the creatures.
The creature facing him took advantage of this momentary distraction to strike again. Plo leapt out of the way again, but not before claws connected with his arm. He cried out, but kept moving.
“Ahsoka, we need to leave!”
“Right behind you, Master!” Ahsoka called, flipping away from the creature stalking her. Unfortunately, Plo realised that the creatures were herding them away from each other, separating them.
He drew his lightsaber and cut a tree, letting it fall towards the creature. It let out a shriek as it leapt away, quickly circling back around. He took the opportunity to start heading in Ahsoka’s direction. As the creature fled and moved, he realised how close to the edge of the oasis it had drawn him. He also realised that the creature itself never left the oasis, even if it would have given it a better angle to attack him from.
He sheathed his lightsaber once more and began moving towards the edge again, as it had been guiding him to before. He reached out through the Force to the creature. This time, he felt the fear, but also protectiveness. It didn’t want them dead, it wanted them out, and Plo was happy to oblige.
“Ahsoka, stand down and get out of the oasis.” He called over, not looking away from his creature.
“What? But, Master!”
“They don’t want to fight us, they want us to leave. Put your lightsabers away and back out of the oasis, carefully.”
He heard her lightsabers hiss off and the sounds of fighting quieted as the creatures realised they were leaving. Soon, his feet were kicking up dust once more, the creature watching from the edge of the oasis. Ahsoka rushed around from the other side to meet him, full canister still secure on her back. He put a hand on her shoulder as they walked away together.
“How did you know that would work, Master?”
“I could feel their fear and then the fierce protectiveness they had of the place. I sensed no aggression other than the need for us to leave. As far as they were concerned, we were invading their home. It seems the locals were correct to call them Guardian.”
“I see, Master Obi-Wan is usually the one to catch things like that. I’ve been meaning to ask him more about it, but we haven’t seen each other in a while.”
Plo chuckled warmly. “Yes, I am familiar with Kenobi’s affinity for these things. I have yet to see him face a creature he has had to fight.”
Ahsoka laughed at that. “Anakin says its fine as long as he doesn’t take them home. I don’t think Cody would appreciate turning half their cruiser into a zoo.”
“No, I don’t believe he would.”
They made it back to the town and handed the berries over to the doctors to process into the cure. Ahsoka paced anxiously as they waited. Plo took the opportunity to tell Boost they were heading back soon, letting a doctor apply bacta to his arm as he spoke.
Within the hour, they were on their way back to their ships, each carrying bags full of cures. They bid each other farewell and good luck before returning to their respective cruisers. Plo was met by Boost in the hangar.
“How are the men, Boost?”
Boost ran a hand over his hair. “Not great, sir. Its gotten so bad that many of the boys can’t breathe. They’ve had to be put on oxygen. Only one clone medic is still working, the rest is all medical droids. About two thirds of the men are sick and we’ve had to expand the quarantine zone accordingly.”
“I see, thank you, Boost. I have got the cure here. We will distribute these immediately.” He began walking through the ship, Boost following him closely.
“I’ve never seen anything hit the boys this bad before, General. This isn’t meant to be a problem for us. Let alone so many.”
“I know, son. I’m sorry this has happened. We will be more careful in the future, I will not let this happen again.”
Boost nodded with a small smile, slowing down as they reached the quarantine zone. “I know, Buir.”
Plo patted him on the shoulder before entering the quarantine. He handed the cures off to a medical droid to distribute then walked slowly through the halls. He stopped by every room. His heart broke at the sight of so many of his boys sick, the sounds of wheezing breaths and hacking coughs filling the corridors. He saw more than a few with oxygen masks, and many more sweat soaked with fevers. He made sure to brush each of them with a wave of calm and comfort through the Force.
He saw Sinker with his patched leg struggling to catch his breath as a coughing fit wracked his body. He saw Bruise still watching over his brothers from a bed as he struggled to hold back wheezing coughs, cheeks flush with fever. He saw Comet, shallow breaths fogging the mask on his face. He saw each of them relax as he passed, a few noticing him, the others simply reacting to the soothing wave of the Force.
Eventually, he made his way to the Commander’s bunkroom. The door was left open and he walked right in. Commander Wolffe’s breaths wheezed under the mask, face tight with discomfort and fever. His chest seized with breathless coughs and he groaned as they agitated his surely aching chest.
He sent the same wave of calm and comfort he sent the rest of the men, watching as Wolffe settled with a sigh as it washed over him. He stayed until a medical droid entered to administer the cure. He kept him steady as he protested the discomfort of the needle, then helped him settle down again. He rested a hand on his shoulder, then left to finish his rounds.