Mistaken Identity Chapter 76 - Adrift

(AN: A long chapter for you boys, about 10k. This is just an intro chapter to this arc. Gonna work on the rest of the chapters soon. Hope you enjoy.)

(Jaden)

(Vaylin)

(Aubrie)

(Master Fay)

(Scout)

(Zule)

*Stars shinin' bright above you*

*Night breezes seem to whisper, I love you*

*Birds singin' in the sycamore tree*

*Dream a little dream of me*

"Do you have any sevens?" Scout asked, her eyes scanning her cards with a mischievous glint.

"Go Fish," Aubrie replied with a smirk.

"Damn," Scout muttered, fishing a card.

"Got any threes?" Vaylin chimed in, leaning forward.

"Go fish," Jaden said casually.

"Sevens," Zule declared, eyeing the group.

"Go fish," Fay responded softly.

"This game is stupid," Zule grumbled, tossing her cards down in frustration.

"Just because you're losing," Scout teased, sticking out her tongue playfully.

"Why are we even playing such a game?" Zule asked, crossing her arms.

Jaden shrugged. "Aubrie found it on the database of that satellite we scavenged."

"Did she also find this marvelous contraption there?" Fay asked, gesturing toward the odd device with its flaring horn and rotating platter.

Aubrie nodded. "I believe it is called a phonograph. They had the specifications in their database, as well as a number of so-called records. I was able to replicate them using the ship's fabricator before we were attacked. They work through various gears and require no power at all."

"Wow, that's quite amazing," Vaylin said, her voice laced with genuine wonder.

"I do admit I am quite partial to the music," Fay added with a serene smile.

"This game is still stupid," Zule commented dryly.

"Well, what else should we do?" Scout said, gesturing around the darkened interior of their vessel—the once-active systems now silent, the ship floating adrift through the unknown regions, its power core offline.

"Play Sabbacc?" she suggested with a grin.

"No."

"No."

"No."

"No."

"No."

All five of them chorused in unison.

"You're way too competitive," Jaden said, chuckling.

Zule crossed her arms tighter and leaned back against the bulkhead, her expression sour.

"We shouldn't have to wait too much longer," Jaden commented. "SD8 is working on backup power, so we should be able to tell where we are soon."

"Ugh, I can't believe this happened to us," Scout pouted, slumping in her seat.

"Who was to know that Space Grazers were still here?" Vaylin remarked. "They're supposed to be extinct."

"The galaxy truly is amazing," Fay said with a gentle smile.

"They still shouldn't have been able to knock us out of warp like that," Jaden said, a hint of annoyance creeping into his tone.

"At least the ship didn't break apart," Aubrie said enthusiastically, trying to lighten the mood.

"Woo," Zule drawled unenthusiastically.

"How long is life support going to last?" Scout asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Jaden shrugged. "Probably a few days longer."

"If I'm going to die, I do not wish to play this asinine game any longer," Zule declared, throwing her cards down in a scatter.

"Buzzkill," Scout said, flicking a card at her that bounced off Zule's forehead.

Zule's eyes narrowed into a fierce glare, her brows furrowing like storm clouds, lips pressing into a thin line as she fixed Scout with a stare that could melt durasteel, promising retribution.

"Well, if it's between this and hearing Aubrie and Zule's activities with Jaden, I say we play," Scout quipped, making both women flush a deep crimson while Jaden let out a low chuckle.

"I, for one, do not mind," Fay said innocently, her eyes twinkling.

However, before anyone could comment further, red emergency lights flickered to life overhead, bathing the room in a red light, accompanied by the low hum of the backup generators kicking in. Jaden smiled. "SD8 got emergency power on. I guess we aren't dying yet." He rose to his feet.

"Scout, head to engineering, start working on engines. Give me thrusters, anything."

"Aye aye," Scout said, saluting mockingly before darting off.

"Aubrie, Zule, start working on deflectors."

"Fay, you're with me. We need to get the sensors working."

"Vaylin, you're on snack duty."

Vaylin huffed. "I hate snack duty." But she got up nonetheless, heading toward the galley.

Jaden strode down the narrow corridor toward the cockpit, the red lights casting long shadows on the walls. As he entered, SD8 stood there rigidly, its towering frame silhouetted against the starfield visible through the viewport. "Good job on fixing the power, buddy," Jaden said, clapping a hand on the droid's metallic shoulder.

"Thank you, Master. I hope you enjoyed your game while I did all the work," SD8 replied in a flat voice.

"Next time, you can play," Jaden said, tapping SD8 again.

SD8 looked quite different than he had previously—no longer the compact droid that would cling to Jaden's back. Now, he was a towering humanoid, standing nearly 6.5 feet in height, rebuilt with various scavenged technology from the unknown regions. And needless to say, Jaden wouldn't doubt he was the most advanced droid in the known galaxy. "Alright, SD, why don't you head down and give Scout a hand with the engines."

"Affirmative, Master..." Jaden didn't know why, but despite the robotic monotone voice, SD8 still somehow managed to sound sarcastic as he lumbered out.

Jaden settled into the pilot's chair, Fay sliding into the co-pilot's seat beside him. Together, they pried open access panels, rerouting flickering power lines and calibrating fried circuits. In short order, the sensor array hummed back to life, screens flickering with incoming data. Jaden smiled. "Alright, let's see where we are."

The scans showed they were in an uncharted planetary system, orbiting a bright G-type star with five worlds in tow—rocky, barren orbs of gas and ice, none showing signs of atmosphere or life that could sustain them. No habitable planets in sight.

"Unfortunate," Fay commented softly, her brow creasing.

Then the sensors beeped insistently. "Wait a minute," Jaden said, leaning forward. "I'm detecting a large vessel close to one of the planets, minimal power signatures, life support barely online. It seems to be adrift, just like us."

"Life signs?" Fay asked, her voice hopeful.

"Inconclusive," Jaden replied, frowning at the readings.

"Perhaps we can help each other," Fay suggested.

Jaden nodded. "The security systems seem to be down, so we can remotely open the hangar."

He keyed the comms. "Scout, how's it looking down there?"

"Engines aren't looking so good," she replied, her voice crackling with static. "I can give you thrusters, though."

"Good enough," Jaden said, gripping the controls. He fired the thrusters in short bursts, nudging their ship toward the distant vessel. As they closed in, the sight left them awed. As they closed in, the vessel came into full view—a capital ship over two kilometers long. Its frame was linear and rigid, with a tapered bow and a wide, flat stern. The main hull extended in a wedge-like shape, with multiple levels of armor plating layered over structural struts. Along the dorsal spine ran a segmented command superstructure with recessed viewports and arrayed sensor fins. The surface was marked by evenly spaced weapon batteries, including turbolaser mounts and point-defense cannons, all housed in rotating fixtures embedded into the hull. Long lateral ridges extended outward near the midsection, each one containing docking clamps and airlock systems.

The ventral side housed a main hangar bay with retractable blast doors, supported by secondary bays spaced evenly along the underside. Engine nacelles—six in total—were fixed at the stern in two rows, with heat dispersal fins and thrust vectoring ports lining their casings.

"Do you recognize the model?" Jaden asked Fay.

Fay nodded slowly, her eyes widening. "I believe it is a Chiss Ascendancy ship."

Jaden raised a brow. "Chiss Ascendancy..." He had one of their ships in his hangar. But that was just a small scout ship, barely bigger than a speeder, this ship was bigger than a Venator.

With a few commands, Jaden transmitted the override signal, watching as the massive hangar doors on the Chiss vessel groaned open in the vacuum, revealing a large bay dimly lit by failing emergency strobes. He guided their ship inside with a few thruster adjustments, the landing struts touching down with a soft thud that echoed through the empty space. The hangar sealed behind them, and a faint hiss suggested atmosphere was cycling in.

Jaden powered down the controls, exchanging a glance with Fay. "Let's see what we've got here."

Jaden rose from the pilot's seat, stretching his back with a satisfied grunt, just as Vaylin entered the cockpit balancing a tray laden with an assortment of ration bars, dried fruits, and hastily assembled protein packs.

"Taking those to go," Jaden said, snatching a couple of bars from the tray with a quick grin before turning toward the exit ramp leading down to the hangar.

"Wait, what? Where are we?" Vaylin blurted, her eyes widening in confusion as she glanced out the viewport at the unfamiliar hanger bay surrounding their ship.

"Thank you, Vaylin," Fay said graciously, reaching over to pluck a small handful of the food.

Vaylin huffed, setting the tray down with a clatter, her arms crossing in mild annoyance.

Jaden didn't wait for the others, striding down the dimly lit corridor that led to the hangar deck. The air in the Chiss ship felt cooler, almost sterile. He reached the hangar first, the vast space stretching out before him. By the time the rest of the crew caught up—Aubrie, Zule, Fay, Scout, Vaylin, and SD8 trailing in a loose group—Jaden was already standing at the base of their ship's ramp, arms folded as he surveyed the empty expanse.

"Alright, listen up," Jaden said. "We've landed inside a Chiss Ascendancy vessel. It's adrift, power minimal, life support on fumes. Sensors picked it up near one of the planets in this system. Could be our ticket out of this mess if we play it right."

The group exchanged glances, a mix of curiosity and wariness rippling through them.

"What's a Chiss Ascendancy ship doing out here?" Aubrie asked, her brow furrowing as she adjusted her toolkit on her belt.

"How big is it? Any idea on crew complement?" Zule added.

"Are we sure it's safe? No automated defenses or traps?" Scout chimed in, peering into the hanger.

Jaden held up a hand, shaking his head. "I don't have answers for most of that. Scans were inconclusive beyond the basics. But here's the plan: Scout and SD8, you two stay here and work on fixing our ship. Get those engines purring again, or at least give us enough juice to limp out if things go south."

Scout nodded eagerly, while SD8 simply inclined its head in affirmation.

"Aubrie and I will scout ahead, look for any survivors and see if we can lend a hand."

"Zule and Fay, you're on scavenging duty. Grab anything useful from this ship: parts, supplies, tech we can repurpose. Don't strip it bare, but prioritize what we need."

"Won't they be angry if we steal?" Scout asked.

Jaden shrugged. "We can compensate them if there are survivors. But I'd rather not waste time—this ship is huge, could take days to comb through properly. Priorities first."

"Can't you and Fay sense if there're survivors?" Vaylin asked as she joined the group, munching on one of the snacks she'd brought.

Jaden and Fay exchanged a glance, their expressions shifting to something uneasy; Jaden's jaw tightening slightly, and Fay's serene features clouding with subtle discomfort.

"We can sense... people," Jaden said slowly, choosing his words with care. "But they don't seem right. I'm not sure how else to put it—it's like they're people, but also not. Could be interference from something."

Scout shivered slightly, rubbing her arms. "I felt something strange too when we were approaching—like a weird tingle in the back of my mind. But my senses aren't as attuned as yours or Fay's; it's probably nothing."

"It doesn't matter," Jaden said firmly, cutting off further speculation. "Let's get this done and then get out of here." He grabbed a compact backpack from a nearby locker, loading it with a medkit, a multi-tool, and a sidearm for good measure, slinging it over his shoulder. Aubrie did the same, falling in step beside him as they ventured out into the Chiss ship.

Zule and Fay followed soon after, disappearing down a side corridor, their silhouettes vanishing into the blue-tinged shadows.

"Guess it's just us three," Scout said enthusiastically to SD8 and Vaylin, clapping her hands together with forced cheer. "Engine party! Who's ready to get greasy?"

"Definitely not," Vaylin said flatly, already turning to walk away without a second glance.

"Where are you going?" Scout asked, her voice tinged with surprise. "Jaden wants us to fix the engine."

Vaylin glanced back over her shoulder. "Since when can I fix an engine?" she replied dryly, not bothering to stop.

Scout tilted her head, conceding the point with a shrug. "Fair enough. I guess it's just us, buddy," she said to SD8, giving his arm a light slap.

SD8 pivoted silently and headed back into the ship.

Scout sighed, muttering to herself as she followed him in. "Figures. I miss Velea."

Meanwhile, Vaylin stepped out of the hangar bay, her expression shifting the moment she was alone. She headed down the corridor in the opposite direction from the others. The ship's passages were a maze of metal walls, dimly lit by strips of emergency lighting that hummed faintly overhead. She moved through them with ease, turning corners and descending short ramps, the air growing cooler and carrying a faint metallic scent as she delved deeper into the vessel's interior. Conduits ran along the ceilings, occasionally sparking with residual energy, but she paid them no mind.

After navigating several sections, she reached a set of sealed doors, their access panel glowing red with a lockdown symbol. She tried the manual override, pressing the controls firmly, but they remained shut, a soft beep denying entry.

She tutted in mild irritation, stepping back slightly. With a casual wave of her hand, she summoned the Force, and the doors bent inwards, almost flying out of the doorway. Inside, she encountered several dead Chiss bodies scattered across the floor, their blue-skinned forms slumped in various poses, uniforms marred by wounds and dark bloodstains and grey sludge.

Vaylin's face twisted in disgust, her eyes narrowing at the sight. "Ugh, what a mess," she muttered under her breath, the smell of death wrinkling her nose. She extended a hand lazily, using the Force to push the bodies aside in a simple sweep, clearing a path as they rolled or slid out of her way with minimal effort. She stepped forward into the medical bay, the space now unobstructed.

Hopefully they would have what she needed.

...

Jaden and Aubrie crept through the dark guts of the Chiss ship, their torches lighting up the dark corridors. The air carried a sour stink that clawed at their throats—old blood and something rotten underneath. Something was profoundly wrong here, all of them felt it, but Jaden and Fay did more than most. There was something wrong with this place, and Jaden wanted to get out before he found out.

"This doesn't add up," Jaden whispered, his light hitting another dead Chiss slumped against a panel. "Outside, the ship's fine. But in here..."

Aubrie swallowed hard, her light shaking as it swept over the body. No wounds, just pale skin stretched tight over bones. "Poison? Plasma leak? Or... something worse?"

They pushed on, the dark seeming to thicken, closing in like a trap. Distant drips echoed further inside, but what was exactly dripping? Hard to tell. Aubrie's grip tightened on her torch; she swore she saw something move further ahead. But her senses told her that they were alone.

"We should hit the engine room," Jaden said. More bodies littered the hall ahead, twisted on the floor like broken dolls. "Get some power going. Light this ship up, make it easier to search for anyone left."

Aubrie nodded quick, her stomach knotting. "Yeah. Yeah, let's do that."

They poked into rooms as they went, doors hissing open to reveal more horror. Crew bunks empty but for corpses hunched over, faces frozen in pain. A mess hall with half-eaten food, bodies sprawled like they'd choked mid-bite. Deeper in, it got worse—bodies hollowed out, skin sagging like empty sacks, their insides scooped clean.

Aubrie froze by one, bile rising. "Force... what did this?" she breathed, voice cracking. The emptiness inside those shells whispered of something, but she didn't know what.

Jaden eyed it, with a grim face. "The ships logs might tell us. But we need power first."

The tension coiled tighter, the ship feeling like a tomb sealing shut. Aubrie stopped dead, head snapping up—she heard it. A soft scrape, like nails dragging on metal, faint from the vents. Her breath caught; she reached out with the Force, probing the murk. Nothing. "Jaden, what can you sense?" she asked, whispering, pressing close.

He scratched his chin, eyes narrowing into the black. "Life and death... both here at once. Like they exist in the same place."

"How's that even possible?" Her pulse hammered.

"Not sure," he said, tense. "Can't trust our senses right now. Best bet's getting that power on."

She nodded, fear twisting deeper. "Agreed." But as they moved, the shadows felt closer.

...

Zule and Fay moved together through the corridors of the Chiss ship. Zule walked slightly ahead, her eyes shifting from one wall to the next, checking for anything useful—loose panels, storage compartments, maintenance kits, or old gear that hadn't been locked away, her hands hovered near her belt, ready to reach for her tools if she spotted something worth grabbing.

Fay walked a step behind. Her hands stayed by her sides. She wasn't tense—not compared to Zule anyway. Every few minutes, she glanced down a side corridor or paused to check a door. "We should head to the cargo hold," she said after a short pause. "That's where we'll find the most supplies. Crates of parts, weapons, maybe even medical gear or fuel cells."

Zule gave her a sideways look. "And how exactly are we supposed to carry that much? We don't have a lift cart. I'm not dragging it back by hand."

Fay didn't flinch. "Jaden's probably close to restoring power. If he does, we can use internal lifts. Or carts, if they're still operational."

Zule didn't answer, but she didn't argue either. They reached a bulkhead and turned, leaving the main corridor behind. The side path narrowed as they moved deeper into the ship's lower levels. Eventually, they reached a maintenance hatch. Zule climbed through first, pulling herself into the duct. Fay followed close behind.

The service duct was narrow. They had to crouch at first, then crawl. The metal floor was rough under their hands. Dust clung to the corners. The walls were lined with small pipes and bundles of cable, some of them secured with brackets, others loose. Every few meters, a small light pulsed overhead,. Occasionally, one of the pipes hissed faintly. They kept moving, inch by inch. After a while, they reached the end of the passage. Zule pressed her hand against a latch, then pushed the access panel open. They stepped out into the cargo hold.

It was large. The ceiling was high, and the room stretched in every direction. Crates were stacked in rows, some sealed tight, others left half-open. A few had been broken apart. Others were covered in dust. They split up. Zule walked along the nearest row of containers, checking labels, then forcing one open with jer cybernetic hand. Inside were energy cells—some dented, some intact. She checked a few, then moved to the next stack. Fay crossed to another row, opening cases and sorting through their contents. She found tools, replacement parts, backup coils, and handheld scanners. She laid them out in a neat row and started checking their condition.

Then her torch passed over something near the far wall.

Bodies. Six or seven. All Chiss. They were slumped together in a corner, arms and legs tangled, uniforms stiff. None had weapons drawn. They hadn't tried to fight. Fay stood still for a long moment, just watching them. She didn't speak.

Her shoulders dropped slightly.

"So much death," she said sadly.

She turned away after that and went back to the crates, one hand reaching for the next lid. Her movements were slower than before, but steady. She picked up each tool, checked it, set it aside. One crate at a time. As they worked, Fay glanced over at Zule, who was focused on a container of circuits.

"Zule," Fay said abruptly, breaking the silence.

"What?" Zule replied, not looking up at first.

"It has been a while since one of our sessions."

Zule stiffened instantly, her body going rigid like a coiled spring, hands freezing mid-motion on the crate's edge.

Fay smiled softly, though there was a knowing edge to it. "The sessions are not mandatory, Zule. You need only tell me if you do not wish to continue them."

Zule's throat worked visibly, words catching as she struggled to find her voice. Finally, she managed, "I don't enjoy the sessions."

"I understand that," Fay said gently.

Zule stopped what she was doing entirely, setting down a tool with a clatter. "It has been five months since the Gala and since Darth Nihilus was incarnated. Since Velea died." Her voice cracked on the name. "I see everyone... be happy and be normal... and I just don't understand how they could not feel the same way I do."

Fay smiled sadly at her.

"Jaden most of all," Zule continued, her words tumbling out now. "I don't understand how he can be so normal."

Fay stepped closer. "Jaden struggled a lot with Velea's death, more than you might realize. But he soon saw that clinging to that pain, that grief, would only lead to his own destruction. Love is a powerful force, Zule, but it's important to know when to let that love go—otherwise, it twists into mere obsession, eating away at you from the inside."

Fay reached out, touching Zule's shoulder lightly. "Mourn Velea, remember her fondly, but don't hold onto anger for her sake. Collan Eislo is dead; he won't feel your rage. It only poisons you."

"I know that!" Zule snapped, her eyes flashing with raw emotion, pulling away slightly. "I just... I don't want to let go."

Fay nodded, her understanding deep and patient. "It will be a difficult journey, Zule. Even Jaden continues some of his sessions with me, when the shadows creep back in. I hope you will as well."

"Maybe..." Zule muttered, trailing off as she turned back to scavenging, her movements jerky but purposeful.

At that moment, the power surged on, lights flickering to life overhead, bathing the hold in a hsrsh glow. But it was drowned out almost immediately by a deafening alarm— a wailing siren that pierced the air. Red emergency lights started to flash alongside it.

Zule clapped her hands over her ears, shouting over the noise. "What the hell is this?"

Fay's face tightened. "It sounds like the quarantine alarm!"

"Let's get this stuff back to the ship," Fay said urgently, grabbing a crate. Zule nodded sharply, hoisting her own load, the two of them hurrying toward the grav carts as the alarm blared on.

...

Jaden and Aubrie finally reached the engine room after a long walk through the lower corridors and a crawl through the service ducts. The halls on the engine deck had been narrow, with low ceilings and sharp corners that made it hard to see far ahead. Their torchlights showed only short patches of the way forward at a time. Which only seemed to make Aubrie more jumpy. The door to the engine room took a few seconds to respond. When it opened, it did so slowly, releasing a faint burst of stale air. The room inside was dark except for a few small lights on the consoles—red, orange, and blinking slowly. The room still had power, just very little of it.

The engine room itself was large. There were rows of consoles along the walls, each one built into the surface and locked into place. The screens were dim. Most of them were dark, but a few still had power and showed simple readouts or standby symbols. Thick cables ran across the ceiling and down the walls. Some hung loosely, while others were held up by metal clamps. A few of the clamps were missing or broken. There were panels removed from some of the machines. One had been taken off and placed flat against the floor, and a coil of wire was half-pulled from its casing and left out.

The floor was not clean. There were tools lying around—spanners, screwdrivers, a small case of fasteners. A portable light unit had been set up near the back wall but was turned off. Nothing looked damaged. There were no signs of burns, no exposed fuel lines, no melted parts, no cracks or scorches. The machines were dusty in places, and some of the labels had faded, but everything important looked like it had been left in working condition.

Aubrie stepped inside first. She kept her light aimed at the control stations and moved slowly, checking each console as she passed. "This place hasn't been attacked," she said. "There's no damage."

Jaden followed behind her. He stayed quiet for a moment, looking around. The equipment had not been shut down during a fight. There was no panic in the way the tools were left. No broken equipment. Whoever was here last had done maintenance or adjustments, then left without finishing the job. The power was still running through the backup systems. The engine core itself was idle but stable.

Aubrie's posture was rigid, her shoulders hunched as she swept her torch around, eyes darting to every corner. Jaden noticed it immediately, she was as feeling nervous and uneasy; this was the same girl who spent months in an active war zone. "What's wrong?" he asked, stepping closer.

She hesitated, glancing at him with a forced half-smile. "Just... a bad feeling."

Jaden nodded slowly, his own senses prickling with that same unease. "I feel it too. But there's nothing to worry about we won't be here too long." He forced a grin, trying to lighten the mood, and in a sudden move, he scooped her up by the waist, lifting her effortlessly onto one of the wide consoles. Her legs dangled over the edge, the metal pressing against her thighs through her clothes.

Aubrie's eyes widened, a huge blush flooding her cheeks as she steadied herself with her hands on his shoulders. "Jaden! What are you doing?" she stammered, her voice a mix of shock and embarrassment, heat rising to her face.

He leaned in, his grin turning mischievous, hands resting on her hips. "You need to relax, Aubrie. Just for a minute."

"This isn't the time to relax," she protested, though her blush deepened, her body betraying her with a subtle shift toward him. "We have to fix the ship, look for survivors... this is crazy."

"Mhmm," Jaden murmured, before closing the distance and kissing her deeply. His lips claimed hers, tongue slipping in to tangle with hers. Aubrie melted into him almost immediately, her resistance crumbling as she kissed back, her hands sliding up to his neck. But then she pulled away, breathless, her cheeks flaming. "We... we should do this back in our room," she whispered, avoiding his gaze.

Jaden didn't let her escape, kissing her again, slower this time, before trailing his lips down to her neck. He nipped gently at the sensitive skin there, his breath hot against her ear. "Do you not find this exciting?" he whispered.

She did, force, she did. The thrill of it, the naughtiness of fooling around in this forbidden, eerie place, ignited something in her. Her core grew warmer than usual, a slick heat building between her thighs, making her squirm slightly on the console. "I... yeah," she admitted softly, her resolve shattering.

With that, Aubrie let Jaden do whatever he wanted, her body yielding as he worked it. He knelt briefly to tug off her boots, the leather thudding to the floor, then hooked his fingers into her trousers, sliding them down her legs along with her underwear in one smooth motion. The cool air of the engine room kissed her bare skin, making her gasp, her blush spreading down her neck as she sat exposed on the console, her legs parting instinctively.

Jaden stood again, and quickly shoved his own trousers down just enough to free his hard length.

Aubrie gasped sharply as he positioned himself and slipped inside her, the sudden fullness stretching her, her wet heat enveloping him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer, her face a deep crimson as she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. He began to move, thrusting slow and deep at first, their bodies rattling the console creaking faintly under them.

"This is so wrong," Aubrie said breathlessly between kisses, her voice hitching as he hit a sensitive spot. "We need to get the power running... look for survivors..."

"That can wait," Jaden growled, picking up the pace, thrusting harder, his hands gripping her hips to pull her into each stroke. The slick sounds of their joining echoed in the quiet room, her moans spilling out—soft at first, then building to desperate gasps as pleasure coiled tight in her belly.

Aubrie clung to him, her nails digging into his shoulders, her body arching as the tension snapped. She orgasmed cutely, a series of whimpered cries escaping her lips—"Oh, Jaden... ah!"—her face scrunching in adorable bliss, legs trembling around him as she hugged him tight, burying her face in his neck. Not long after, Jaden followed, groaning l as he flooded her hole with his cum, hot pulses filling her deeply, their bodies locked together in the aftershocks.

He drew back slowly, slipping out of her with a wet sound, a trail of their mixed release trickling down her thigh. He pulled his trousers up, securing them with a satisfied sigh. Aubrie, still perched on the console, hit his shoulder lightly, her blush lingering as she tried to compose herself. "We should've waited," she scolded, though a small smile tugged at her lips.

Jaden smiled back, unrepentant. "How many chances do you get to do this?" he replied, winking. She hit him again, playfully, shaking her head as she hopped down to retrieve her clothes. Jaden shifted his focus to the engines after they got dressed and composed themselves, his mind snapping back to the task at hand as he moved toward the main control panel in the center of the room. The massive console hummed under his touch as he pried it open with a quick twist of a tool from his belt, revealing a nest of circuits and switches that flickered weakly.

"Power's still trickling through," he muttered, more to himself than Aubrie, his eyes narrowing as he adjusted the settings.

He activated the backup power with a few flips of the auxiliary relays, and watched as secondary lights blinked on across the board and a long beeping noise built up from the dormant systems, bringing a trickle of energy online that illuminated the panel fully and allowed him to dive into the core commands.

"There we go..." he said under his breath. He thenn got to work on bringing the engines themselves online, his fingers movingg over the holographic interface as he rerouted power flows and initiated startup sequences.

Aubrie looked around. "Everything's powering up. How long until we're at full capacity?"

"Few more minutes, maybe," Jaden said, keeping his focus on the screen. "Depends on how stubborn this thing gets."

He glanced over at Aubrie, who was still a bit flushed from their earlier moment, and gave her some instructions to help him with other parts, "Check the coolant levels on the secondary manifolds and recalibrate the fuel injectors on the port side console. We'll need to sync them before the primary systems kick in or we risk a surge."

As he scrolled through the data streams, Jaden frowned suddenly, his brow furrowing deep as he spotted something weird buried in the engineering logs. Wait a second... what the hell?"

Aubrie sensed something was wrong. She stepped closer, concern etching her face. "What is it?"

Jaden replied, "The engines were shut down manually. There's nothing wrong with them—no system failures, no damage reports." He pointed to the log. "The captain used his command codes. Full override. Locked the system out completely."

"Why would he do that?" Aubrie asked, leaning over his shoulder to peer at the screen.

"I'm not sure," Jaden said, shaking his head slowly. "Could've been a mutiny. I don't know. Something made him shut everything down, like he didn't want the ship going anywhere."

"Can you bypass it?"

Jaden shot her a quick grin. "Who do you think you're talking to?"

He cracked his knuckles and dove back into the code, his fingers blurring over the keys. Jaden then bypassed the lockout with a clever hack that spoofed the captain's codes using a backdoor algorithm he improvised on the spot, unlocking the restrictions one by one until the systems relented.

"Come on... almost there... got it."

He activated the engines with a final command. Main power surged online, flooding the room with full light and sending vibrations through the floor as overhead lights snapped on one by one. Then an alarm blared suddenly, loud enough that both Jaden and Aubrie were disoriented by it and had to cover their ears. "What the hell—?" he shouted over the sound.

Aubrie looked around quickly. "What is that?!"

"No idea," Jaden said, leaning back into the panel to investigate. "Let me check the logs—" He scrolled fast, eyes flicking across the screen.

"It's the quarantine alarm. Auto-triggered when I brought the main power back online." A sudden chill crept over him. Something about it felt wrong. He overrode the alarm, silencing the wail, but noticed the red lights still flashed across the room.

"That's not good..."

Just then, Scout and Fay came through on the comms in his earpiece, voices crackling with urgency.

"Jaden, what the hell was that?" Scout ssked.

"We heard the alarm," Fay added. "Everything alright down there?"

"The ship's under quarantine," Jaden answered. "That's what the system says. I haven't found the reason yet, but it explains the lack of power."

There was a pause before Scout replied. "That can't be good."

"We should pull out," Zule said through the comms. "We've got enough already."

"Hold on," Jaden said. "We still need warp capability. Scout, how's the warp core looking?"

"Not great," she replied, sighing. "But I think I can patch the relays and stabilize the generators. We'll need replacement parts though."

"We're en route," Zule cut in. "Fay and I found some spares. We're heading to the hanger bay now."

"Good," Jaden said. "Get the warp core ready. I don't want to stay on this ship longer than we have to."

"Agreed," they both said together, and the line went quiet.

Jaden turned off the comms with a tap, then looked at Aubrie, who was still staring at the flashing lights. "We're heading back to the ship."

"Yeah," she said, nodding quickly. "Let's move." But before they could take more than a step, a loud crash echoed from the corridor outside. The sound of tearing metal followed, like something breaking through the walls. The floor vibrated slightly.

"What was that?" Aubrie whispered.

Then they heard footsteps.

"...Run?" Aubrie asked, already backing toward the exit.

"Yeah," Jaden said. "Now!"

...

Meanwhile, on the lower decks of the starship, Zule and Fay pushed a grav cart that carried salvaged spare parts through the corridors. The overhead lights functioned, which provided illumination, but the red flashes from the emergency strobes occurred at intervals, and these flashes contributed to Zule's sense of unease.

Zule glanced around, the feelings not going away. Fay, who remained attuned to the emotions around her, detected Zule's discomfort through the Force. She placed her hand on Zule's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay," Fay said reassuringly, even though she harbored her own doubts. "We'll get these parts back to the shuttle, and then we'll leave this place soon. Everything's going to be fine."

However, as Fay uttered these words, she questioned their truth because the Force conveyed warnings to her, ones that she didn't quite understand. Something existed here that deviated from normal, something that felt wrong.

Zule nodded. "We need to get out of here fast," she muttered. "The turbo lift should work now that power has returned, we can use it to reach the hangar deck and load the parts."

They increased their pace after that, and they guided the cart forward through the corridors until they arrived at a T-junction. One end of the corridor led toward the turbo lift banks, while the other end extended into darkness that the red flashes interrupted only occasionally. A surge of alarm then passed through Fay via the Force, this warning felt stronger than before, which prompted her to direct her gaze toward the dark end of the corridor. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to discern what lay there.

Zule sensed the disturbance as well, and it caused her to draw her lightsaber from her belt in a single motion. The blue blade ignited with a snap-hiss. "What is that?" she whispered to Fay.

Fay shook her head, while she continued to strain her vision. "I'm not sure." Initially, they observed nothing, it seemed to just be an empty space. Then, as the flashes occurred, shapes started to appear. Figures emerged from the shadows, Dozens of them, possibly more. They didn't move they just stood there. More of them starting to pile until it looked packed.

Zule's temper rose at the sight, she stepped forward and she raised her voice. "Hey! If you don't back off and leave us alone, you're gonna regret it! I swear, I'll cut through every last one of you!"

Fay, who concentrated on the Force's guidance, delved deeper into the sensation, whatever these people were they weren't alive, they weren't normal, yet they stood there in front of her. Every instinct in her body told her to run, and that wasn't even including the force—which was practically screaming at her. Her eyes widened, and she seized Zule's arm. "No! Zule, we need to run. Right now!"

Zule paused briefly, but Fay had already climbed onto the grav cart, and she pulled Zule up alongside her. Fay adjusted the cart's throttle to its maximum setting, which caused the repulsors to produce a high-pitched whine as the cart moved forward at full speed. She extended her influence through the Force, and she directed their path with telekinetic adjustments that navigated around corners and maintained stability.

The figures started to run at them from behind, their footsteps created a loud noise that sounded like they were a horde. And despite the speed of the cart they still managed to keep up. "Who the kriff are they?" Zule yelled.

"I don't know!" Fay shouted in reply, and she divided her attention between controlling the cart and talking to Zule. "But there's something wrong with them—twisted, corrupted. I know we can't beat them alone!"

Zule looked over her shoulder, and she activated the blaster that her prosthetic arm contained. "What do you mean? They don't even have weapons!"

"I'm not sure," Fay admitted. "But there's something about them thats... dangerous."

The corridors passed by as they traveled at high speed on the grav cart, and the engines emitted sounds of strain, they wouldn't last for long at such a speed. The horde followed without pause, and it formed into a mass of bodies that surged after them climbing over each other and being thrown forward. All to get closer to them.

Zule turned her body, and she discharged shots from her arm blaster that struck the leading figures. However, the figures did not collapse, they continued their advance despite the impacts. "They're not dropping!" Zule exclaimed, and she fired additional rounds that filled the air with the scent of burnt glesh.

The turbo lift doors appeared ahead, and Fay brought the cart to a stop before they jumped off. Zule pressed the call button repeatedly, and the indicator activated, but the lift ascended from lower levels at a rate that seemed insufficient.

"It's not gonna make it in time!" Zule said with panic in her tone, and she retreated toward the doors with her lightsaber active as the horde approached from the previous turn.

"Be patient," Fay encouraged, maintaining her composure. "It'll be fine."

The situation got worse as the leading figures extended their reach, and their fingers aimed toward the pair while their expressions conveyed intent. Zule swung her blade at the nearest one wnd severed a limb, but the action only delayed the advance slightly. Fay used the Force to repel a group of them, which gained a few moments.

Luckily  the doors opened, and they entered the lift before Fay activated the close mechanism as contact occurred on the outer surface. The doors secured themselves, and the horde collided with them, which produced thuds and bangs that resonated through the structure. Then, the noise ceased as the turbo lift began its ascent to the hangar bay.

Zule positioned herself against the wall, she breathed heavily, it felt like her chest was going to explode.

Fay remained in place. She felt equally as disturbed as Xule did, as she had managed to get a good look at the people who attacked them. It was the crew, the crew that should be dead. It disturbed her in a way she hadn't felt in decades.

As the turbo lift reached the hangar bay, Fay activated her commlink and attempted to contact Jaden and Aubrie, she needed to warn them about the threat that had emerged from below. If it happened to them it's possible it's happening all over the ship.  "Jaden, Aubrie, do you read me? We ran into what's left of the crew... They're not normal. Something's wrong with them. They attacked us." No response came from the other end,  only static that crackled through the speaker.

"Dammit," she muttered, lowering the device slightly.

Zule tried her own commlink next, and she repeated the call.  "Jaden, this is Zule. You need to fall back. Now. Something's in the lower decks, and it's hostile. Get out of there and meet us at the hangar." Yet the silence persisted, which indicated that either interference blocked the signal or something had occurred to prevent them from answering.

Fay glanced at her. "Still nothing?"

Zule shook her head. "Nothing but static."

Fay exhaled slowly. "Either comms are down... or they can't answer."

Zule paced inside the cramped lift, as tension bled into every movement. "We shouldn't have let them go alone," she said sharply. "You saw what's down there, one of us needs to go after them. If anything happens—"

Fay reached out, her hand closing gently around Zule's arm, stopping her mid-step. "We don't have time to split up," she said firmly. "Scout needs those parts now. If the engines aren't repaired soon, we're all stuck here."

Zule didn't answer right away. Her jaw tightened, her eyes still fixed on the closed lift doors as if she could will them to open faster. Fay's voice softened. "Jaden can handle himself. He's trained for this. And he's not alone, Aubrie's with him. Trust them to get through it."

A long pause followed before Zule gave a slow nod, though the stiffness in her shoulders didn't ease. She reached down and adjusted her grip on the lightsaber clipped to her belt. When the lift doors finally slid open, the two of them moved together, guiding the grav cart across the hangar deck. Their ship stood near the far wall. From the left, another figure appeared. Vaylin, emerging from a side corridor with a large crate balanced against her hip. She adjusted its weight as she closed the distance between them.

"What's that?" Zule asked, as a frown formed on her face while she eyed the crate's contents that protruded slightly from the top.

Vaylin set the crate down near the shuttle's entrance, and smiled in response. "I went to the medical bay and collected some of the equipment," she said. "I thought it could help us."

Fay acknowledged the gesture with a nod.  "That was very kind of you, Vaylin," Fay replied. "However we need to get these parts aboard the ship now, the crew... something is wrong with them and they've turned hostile. We need to leave as fast as possible."

At that moment, Scout appeared at the top of the shuttle ramp, stepping down as she wiped her hands on a rag tucked into her belt. "Took you long enough," she said, giving the group a brief look before heading straight for the grav cart. She didn't wait for an explanation. Kneeling beside the load, she began checking the parts Zule and Fay had brought, lifting each component and inspecting them. Her eyes scanned for damage, wear, or mismatched pieces. After a few moments of inspection, she set aside the components that didn't meet her standards and gathered the rest into her arms.

"These will work," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

Without another word, she turned and disappeared back inside the ship and got to work on fixing the engine.

The repairs had begun.

...

Back on the engineering deck of the starship, Jaden and Aubrie exited the engine room like they had a droid battalion at their back m. Jaden moved straight to the nearby wall panel and tapped in a manual code, forcing the bulkhead to seal behind them. The door slid shut with a deep clank, cutting off the presence they'd both sensed moments earlier. He exhaled sharply as the locks engaged. "That wasn't just the sound of the engines," he said. "Something was in there with us."

Aubrie nodded as she kept her saber hilt in hand. "I felt it too, just behind us, just out of view."

"Yeah," Jaden muttered, already leading the way down the corridor. "We'll call it a mystery for someone else to solve."

As they moved at a jog toward the hangar bay, the halls remained dimly lit and eerily silent. Then footsteps which were not their own sounded out. Ahead and to the left. They both stopped. A moment later, several figures came into view through the flickering emergency lights. They were crew members... or they looked like crew members. Same uniforms, same features, same insignias on the shoulders. For half a second, Jaden and Aubrie stared in silence. Their minds struggled to catch up with what they were seeing. "They're supposed to be dead," Aubrie whispered. "I remember passing him."

"I know," Jaden said, eyes narrowing.

But these crew members were strange.Their heads twitched with each step, their limbs were stiff and awkward, their faces blank, pale. As the group approached, Jaden raised a hand slowly, trying to signal them. "Hey! Hold up. Are you—?"

The first crewman let out a sudden, wet grunt and broke into a sprint. Then the rest followed.

Jaden's lightsaber snapped to life with a sharp crack-hiss. "Not friendly!" he shouted, and stepped forward in the same breath, cutting clean through the lead attacker's shoulder and down through the torso. The body fell hard, but the others didn't stop. Aubrie ignited her blade and intercepted two more. The group swarmed with no coordination. They just seemed to want to overrun both of them with sheer numbers.

"They're not thinking," Aubrie shouted as she swept low and took out another attacker's legs. "They're not even trying to defend themselves."

"They must not be alive," Jaden speculated. "Or if they are, something else is driving them."

They worked in tandem, each one covering the others blind spot and making up for any mistakes. But then something new happened. From the fallen bodies, thick gray sludge began to seep out, not like blood, but in long, moving strands. The substance slithered across the floor, flowing toward them like it had eyes of its own.

"Jaden!" Aubrie pointed down. "That sludge, it's moving!"

Jaden reacted fast, raising a hand and pushing out with the Force. The first wave of sludge lifted and hurled backward against the wall, splattering across panels. For a moment, it looked like that would be enough. But seconds later, the strands pulled back together and began creeping forward again, undeterred.

"This stuff is alive... it must be what's moving the bodies," he said in a grim tone.

"Then we need to move. Now." Aubrie didn't wait. She turned down the nearest hall, and Jaden fell in beside her. The path back to the hangar wasn't easy. More of the altered crew emerged from branching corridors. The further they moved, the worse it got. Whole groups now, shambling at first, then sprinting with sudden, explosive speed. Jaden's lightsaber flashed and twisted as he cut through another wave.

Though with every death the sludge emerged from the bodies and tried to reach them. It reached across the deck in streaks, searching for weak spots. At one point, a strand flicked up and grazed his boot, but he leapt back just in time. "It's going for gaps in the armor," he said tightly. "I think it's trying to get inside us."

"Like a parasite?" Aubrie asked, parrying a strike from a snarling crewman.

Jaden nodded grimly. "Don't let it touch you."

She adjusted her stance and lifted her free hand, forming a tight Force shield around her body. "No contact. Got it."

They pressed forward, reaching a long corridor that fed into the hangar lifts. Behind them, the noise escalated, they were pouring down the hallway now like a wave, both the slime and the crew. Aubrie turned to glance back and winced. "They're close. Really close."

"Then we close the door," Jaden said as he cracked his neck.

"What door!?" Aubrie said in a panic.

Jaden paused mid-run and slammed both palms against the wall, focusing his will. The Force surged. The entire hallway started to bend inwards before the metal snapped and the entire corridor collapsed. "That'll buy us some time," he said, pulling Aubrie into the lift chamber. They dove inside. Jaden slammed the panel. The lift hummed and jolted upward. Both of them relaxed slightly as they managed to get away, whatever this parasite was... it was dangerous and they couldn't risk.

"That was close,” Jaden breathed heavily.

Aubrie only nodded. Both of them were shell shocked by what they just saw. Both of them were seasoned warriors and faced dozens of battles, but none of that prepared them for seeing dead men chase them.

“At least we got away,” Jaden said as he stood up and the elevator came to a halt. Though when the doors opened he couldn’t help but wonder why he had to go and open his big fat mouth.

The hangar was under assault. More of the altered crew were flooding through the far entrances, and in the center of it all, Fay, Zule, and Vaylin held the line. Fay was mid-swing, her lightsaber catching a lunging attacker across the side and spinning into the next with slash that bisected them. Zule stood beside her, her prosthetic arm extended and rapid-firing shots into clusters of targets while she decapitated one of them with her saber. Vaylin had a blaster rifle and was shooting at them from the ramp, though her aim wasn’t good.

"Get into the ship quickly!" Fay shouted as she spotted Jaden and Aubrie. "We need to leave now!"

Without hesitation, Jaden and Aubrie charged into the open space, cutting a path with their lightsabers. The altered crew converged around them in a mad scramble. Both Fay and Jaden nodded, before they moved together and threw their hands up unleashing a devastating Force Push that sent them back and gave them the time they needed to get onto the ship.

"Scout, start the engines!" Jaden shouted as he reached the base of the ramp.

Already in the cockpit, Scout's voice crackled through the comms. "On it!"

Jaden and Aubrie sprinted up just as the floor trembled under the ship's engines. Fay, Zule, and Vaylin followed close behind. As the last of them cleared the threshold, the ship shuddered and the ramp sealed shut behind them with a final hiss.

The shuttle lifted off the deck. Through the small rear window, they could see the remaining crew swarm toward the rising vessel, shrieking with rage, but it was too late. The ship peeled away from the hangar and shot into space. Inside no one spoke at first. They stood where they were, breathing hard, eyes scanning the interior as if half-expecting something to have made it inside with them.

"We made it," Fay said quietly, lowering her weapon.

Jaden didn't respond. He kept his eyes on the shrinking shape of the starship behind them through the viewport. Its flickering lights disappeared one by one into the dark.

"Whatever that was..." Aubrie murmured. "It seems the captain knew of it and shut down the engines, and activated the quarantine procedures. "

Zule glanced at Jaden. "You think it's a disease?"

“I think we were lucky to get out when we did,” Jaden said.

Vaylin stepped forward. "Let's just hope it stays sealed in that ship."

Jaden turned on his comms. “Scout do we have weapons?” He asked.

“Negative, we barely have engines, we need to get to a drydock,” she replied through the comms.

“Kriff…” Jaden cursed to himself.

“Jaden I know you’ve been avoiding it but I believe it’s time we returned back to known space…” Fay said softly as she put a hand on his shoulder.

Jaden sighed. “I know, I know I was just hoping to avoid it a bit longer, I’ve been having fun out here with you guys.”

The girls smiled at him.

“Apart from the time we landed on that planet with the black hole at its centre,” Aubrie said.

“Well… yeah apart from that,” Jaden replied.

“And the time we found that sun station and nearly got caught in a supernova,” Vaylin added.

“That wasn’t too bad…” Jaden murmured.

“That time a star weird nearly killed all of us,” Zule said, crossing her arms.

“We lived?” Jaden said sheepishly.

“The time where we got knocked out of warp by a star grazer and had to land in a ship that was filled with a parasitic crew that tried to infect us…” Scout said through the comms.

“Okay I get it! Scout set a course for Coruscant, maximum warp.”

“Aye aye Captain!”

(AN: So a bit of an introduction chapter to this arc. We are now in the clone wars tv show era. Well by tv show I mean the clone wars movie. That’s what we are starting with though I’ll probably change some stuff as you know how much I hate following canon. Don’t worry though I always include cool moments from canon or I try and make them better. Anyway hope you enjoyed it.)