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Lynn kept to Javok's trail as the man fled like a rat into the countryside with yellow leaves swaying like a golden sea above their heads. Every now and again, Javok would slow his speed and look for anyone following him, but Lynn was already well out of sight before his eyes could hope to land on her.
Arden hummed to herself, wondering just what her prey was up to. She wanted to see if she could learn anything more about his mission or who he was working for, but if he had a getaway vehicle, she'd have to strike fast to avoid letting him escape.
She found what she had already learned amusing. With knowledge of the future, these fools had been tempted beyond reasonable sense to try to make their own mark on the galaxy. It was almost admirable if it wasn't so foolish. To draw the attention of beings like Vader and Plagueis was to invite fates worse than death.
There were more than a few days she was grateful Vader hadn't just allowed his fellow Sith Lord to vivisect her when they had come to awaken her. She was sure that if it was up to Plagueis, she would have woken up on some lab table as the Muun experimented upon and revived her until his interest in her had run out. Better an assassin serving under Vader's command than a lab rat under Plagueis's scalpel.
Her musing was ended as she saw Javok descend a hill and out of her sight. She hurried forward and saw that the hill had a small cave and she was standing above the mouth of it, the foliage and hill hiding it well. She crouched down and steadied herself to peek her head into the cave.
It wasn't deep, just a small pocket in the earth. Within were two speeders, some supplies, and a mobile communication system.
"Sir, sir, are you receiving me?" Javok spoke into the device.
It flickered on, but no person was shown. Only a vaguely male voice could be heard. "What is it? Why are you contacting me now?" the voice asked suspiciously.
"Sir, the plan has been discovered. The rest are dead," Javok informed gravely.
Instead of growing angry, the voice seemed to almost expect this. "Let me guess, it was the Jedi?"
"Them too, Sir. But an agent of Vader came as well," Javok informed gravely.
"Oh? I did not expect him to take an interest in the Albingi Plight," the man said, less troubled than Javok by far. "Very well, I suppose I will have to use alternative ways to advance the plan."
"But, Sir, we have not managed to fully spread the Blight to the second continent. With only one infected, the Albingi can still hold out," Javok pointed out.
"Ah, yes, you wouldn't know. I took the liberty of sending some more agents while the Jedi were ensuring the relief shipment of Alberries got to Albingi unmolested. They have seen to the blight's spread."
Javok sighed in relief. "Then perhaps this isn't a failure."
"Perhaps," the voice said levelly. "Is your exit plan still viable?"
"Yes, I can be off-planet within the hour," Javok answered, his heart starting to calm down.
"Good. Make haste. After all, we never fully tested the effects of the blight's second phase on humans," the man warned in his own form of jovialness.
"Yes, Sir," Javok answered as the communications ended. He turned and quickly gathered some supplies before hopping onto a speeder.
He briefly looked at the spare speeder and debated destroying it.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, like he was being watched. His eyes turned sharply to the entrance without moving his head…no one there.
Perhaps it was best if he left it. If it exploded, it could just draw attention to this location, and he did not need more attention.
With that, he took off on his speeder.
Completely ignorant of Lynn standing in the back of the cave, watching him leave with a tracker she attached to the back of the vehicle.
"Funny. I would have killed him right now if he had blown up the other one," she mused.
"I thought for sure you would have," the male's voice came from the communication hologram, flickering back on.
Lynn hummed in interest. "You knew I was here?"
"I suspected. I know those strong in the Force tend to be very persistent with their prey," the man answered idly.
"So, what should I call you?" Arden asked idly of the blank hologram.
"Oh, nothing in particular," the voice said in amusement. "I wonder if Javok and his associates were ever going to tell me about their connection to Darth Vader."
Lynn was now very surprised and interested. "You knew?"
"I know if people with their skills are trying to lay low, it is because someone is hunting them. So, when Javok mentioned Vader just now, I assumed their past had finally caught up with them," he explained in disappointment. "It is a shame to lose such assets. If they had told me, perhaps I could have better secured a safe escape for them all."
"There is no such thing as a safe escape from turning against Vader," Lynn warned gravely.
"In any case, might I hope that Vader's interest in this matter ends with the death of those four?" the man asked professionally.
"You may hope, and you may be disappointed," Arden mused flippantly.
"And I don't suppose I can buy your services?" the voice asked expectantly.
"You suppose correctly," Lynn said airily as she glanced around the cave. "So, what is the plan, exactly? Genocide? Extortion?
"I'm rather flexible. There is more than one beneficial outcome to this. The extinction of the Albingi would not be ideal, but I can work with it if I must," he answered with disturbing casualness.
"How ruthless of you," Lynn said idly. "You might have made a powerful Dark Sider."
"Sadly, this almighty Force of yours did not bless me with its attention, so I try not to give it much of mine," he answered dismissively. "You should know that even if Vader wanted to stop this, it is far too late."
"Careful. Dark Siders tend to accept challenges like that just to prove their own power over the situation," Lynn warned playfully as she turned to leave. "Also, you should know you're rather obvious, trying to delay me from going after Javok. But I've given him enough head start to not be noticed trailing him."
"As I said, it would be a shame to lose such assets," the voice answered wryly. "Farewell, Madam Assassin. I sincerely wish that we never meet in person."
Lynn watched as the device deactivated. "A wise wish."
With that, she went to the second speeder and took off after her prey once more.
Meanwhile
"Anakin, Magister," Qui-Gon addressed through a communicator. "Has there been any incident?"
"If you mean attempts on my person or research, the answer is no, Master Jedi," Damask answered. "Your Padawan took over observing something for me while I answered."
"Did you catch any of them, Master?" Anakin called from out of view.
Qui-Gon hummed. "Three of the four are dead, the final one managed to make his escape by an old evacuation point. The Chancellor is deploying patrols and putting word out to the rest of the planet, but I fear this one will slip away with the head start he has managed."
Plagueis stroked his chin in thought. "The concern is, was this merely an escape attempt, or does our surviving conspirator still hope to salvage the situation?"
"We are currently searching for any more information we can find in this room, but I have my doubts. Has there been any good news on your end?" Qui-Gon questioned aloud.
"Hold that thought for a moment," Damask requested as he stepped away, moving towards the table Anakin sat on while observing the three containers that had small Alberry plants. "I saw you waving me over, young Skywalker. What is it?"
Anakin pointed to the middle one," The blight makes the leaves turn white," Anakin remarked as he stared closely. "Am I imagining it, Sir, or is the white part growing smaller in this one?"
Damask smiled, but Plagueis scowled. Now this was interesting. "Well, well, it looks like my hunch was right," Damask said, hiding his internal reaction perfectly.
He motioned for Anakin to follow him back to the hologram of Qui-Gon, who waited with patient interest. "Good news, I hope?" Qui-Gon asked.
Plagueis allowed himself a small smile. "It would appear that this blight was spliced with another to create the deadly effect of using the obvious cure. This one is native to a few planets in the Outer Rim of the Trans-Hydian Borderlands."
Qui-Gon looked troubled. Anakin was concerned as he didn't know why, but Plagueis knew very well what the Jedi Master was thinking. After all, Plagueis was thinking it too.
"It is an older strain which, while more deadly, is easier to cure," Plagueis relayed gracefully. " I will have to study for the side effects, but I can perhaps put an end to this disaster, if there are no more surprises."
"I will try to ensure there are none. When you feel confident enough, please share your findings with the High Counselor," Qui-Gon said before looking at his Padawan. "Anakin, remain with him for now. And don't mention this to anyone yet."
"Yes, Master," Anakin answered, waiting for the hologram to end before turning to Damask. "How bad do you think the side effects will be?"
"At worst? The people of this planet will have to exterminate and remove the infected plants and harvest new ones," Plagueis answered. A costly endeavor, but a minor inconvenience compared to the alternatives. His mind drifted back to the origin of this other half of the blight.
The Outer Rim of the Trans-Hydian Borderlands. That was what a person like Hego Damask would call that region. But to anyone learned in the Force, who knew the history of the Sith? Their minds would go instantly to Sith Space; Korriban and the other old worlds that had been held by the ancient empire.
This second disease was something Plagueis knew very well. It was the descendant of some biological weapon that Sith scientists had created long ago. It had mutated into a weaker strain to survive, but someone had gotten hold of a less diluted strain…less, but not entirely pure. If it had been the original, Plagueis had doubts even he could offer any hope for this planet and these people.
But...
He couldn't quite shake the sense that this was a deliberate action. There were plenty of diseases that could do something similar. He felt deep suspicion in his bones that he hadn't felt in years. Was it possible that using a disease created by the Sith was a way of addressing this masterwork of biological engineering to Darth Plagueis himself?
If so...
He barely hid a spike of anger and alarm that ran through him. He watched Anakin discreetly to make sure he didn't notice.
Was he being played? Was this someone's way of identifying his public identity? Or just a way to get his attention? If so, they certainly had it now.
Perhaps he'd trade a favor to Vader for helping him deal with this.
Could he do it on his own? Certainly.
But sometimes, a Sith just had to indulge in what the common masses might call "overkill."
Meanwhile
Javok felt himself growing more and more tense as he closed in on his destination. Realistically, the sooner he got there, the better the odds of his survival. But being realistic had no place with anything involving Vader. Death was on his heels, and he couldn't afford to lower his guard until he was far away from this planet.
He reached the ruins of what had been a small settlement once upon a time, but had long since been abandoned for some forgotten reason. It was a very simple and rustic place, homes built alongside trees instead of in a clearing. Or perhaps they had simply regrown as nature reclaimed this place.
He dismounted the speeder and pulled out his blaster, keeping it at the ready. There shouldn't be anyone here, but one never knew when vagabonds or wild beasts might try to make such a place into a home.
Javok made his way to the largest building. It looked like a colosseum from the outside, but was in fact a small landing area for ships. It was only big enough for one small ship to come at a time, which was all he needed. His comrades had procured an old ship that had been part of an auction that didn't ask too many questions as long as the credits were good.
He made his way into the docking area and wrinkled his nose. By the smell of feces, something had definitely been living here at some point. He came up to his ship and saw that there was an open panel and a note stuck into it.
"Siphoned some fuel to get to town. If not abandoned, sorry," Javok read off the messy handwriting. He snorted as he checked the fuel port. "At least they were polite and didn't scrap the entire ship."
Finding everything seemed to be in order, he pulled out a remote that triggered the ship to lower the retractable ramp.
Something loud clattered to the side, and Javok turned quickly to point his blaster at the sound. He paused when he saw it was just a group of local animals running out of the area, no doubt spooked by the noise from the ship.
Taking a calming breath, he lowered his weapon and shook his head. With a small smile, he headed up the ramp.
He didn't even reach the top before someone dropped from above, swinging forward to slam her feet into Javok's chest. The agent went flying onto his back, the wind firmly knocked out of him. He wildly and quickly grabbed for his blaster but found it was ripped out of his reach and sent flying by an unseen power.
Javok glared bitterly up as Arden Lynn stood on the ramp. "You couldn't just kill me and be done with it, huh?"
"Vader wants his traitors to know a bit of despair before they meet their end," Lynn mused.
Javok snarled, but only for a second before it turned into a smirk. "Well, at least that went off right."
Lynn raised an eyebrow before realizing he wasn't looking at her, but above and beyond her. She glanced at the sky and saw it, a small object that was flying just within the atmosphere. "Your new master has a battleship."
Javok chuckled painfully as he stood up. "A crude, makeshift one. But we hired enough pirates that nothing this planet can do will bring it down before its job is complete."
Lynn paused before looking at Javok, who was holding a blaster pistol aimed at her. She paid it no mind. "So, care to tell me the plan before I kill you?"
Javok shrugged. "Short story? If you try the obvious cure with the blight, it triggers a deadly second phase of the plague that would cause a chain reaction that spreads to all the berry plants nearby. If the Albingi didn't do that to themselves? That ship up there is carrying enough of the stuff in gas form to do the job."
"It is always wise to have a backup," Lynn mused, flippantly. This planet's fate was of no concern to her. The virus was in Plagueis's hands, Javok's life was in hers.
Javok's finger tensed on the trigger, as did Lynn's leg muscles.
Then, Lynn inhaled sharply as she felt a very unexpected presence.
And Javok did not fire. Instead, his skin turned deathly pale as he looked up again.
Lynn already knew what had caught his eye.
She looked up and saw it.
Several Star Destroyers had come out of hyperspace just outside the planet's atmosphere. They were like small darts in the sky.
Especially compared to the Executor.
Adren had heard of Vader's flagship, but to see it was another thing altogether. It was like an enormous blade cutting through the sky.
"...He's here."
Lynn looked back to see Javok trembling, his voice like that of a frightened child. He backed away. Not from her, but from the reality he was facing
"Vader is here," Javok whispered again in terror.
His eyes went back to Lynn.
Then to his pistol.
Lynn felt his choice before he even moved.
Javok pulled the trigger, the blaster against his temple.
His corpse hit the ground, still reeking of fear within the Force.
Lynn looked dispassionately down at the body. He would have rather died than face Vader's wrath. "A wise choice."
She looked back up with a curious look. "Now what brought you all the way out here, Vader?" she wondered out loud.