Chapter 1: The Host

DATE: 5/06/45876

Jason Dean speaking.

This is log entry #1. As I said before, I am Jedi Knight Jason Dean of the Galactic Republic, and my current position is Standards Hospital, Coruscant. Ten o'clock at night. I don't have a camcorder or anything, so I'm using my old comlink. Hopefully, these logs can be turned into messages or transmissions if needed. If we don't return to Naboo alive, that is, you'll at least know what happened to us.

I can't sleep, and I'm on watch, so I thought I'd start these logs. Me and a small group of people have traveled back to Coruscant to try and find a cure for a deadly virus that has nearly wiped out the galaxy. The entire galaxy. Seems impossible, but it's happened. None of us is sure how…

Well. Maybe one of us.

Anakin Skywalker, my young friend, is here with us, along with his mentor, Obi-Wan. Maybe we could've avoided all this suffering and pain if we had just listened to him when he said he was having premonitions of an apocalypse. Maybe if I had listened, we could've stopped the virus from mutating and spreading. Maybe Coruscant wouldn't have been destroyed, as were all the other planets soon after. Only Naboo is unaffected now, and that's where the few survivors are staying, hoping that we'll return with a cure.

Coruscant is a dead wasteland now, inhabited only by my team and the infected mutants that were transformed into monsters by the virus. It's a horror film. A nightmare. And this is what we have to live in now.

Anakin thinks the virus has something to do with a ghost in his dreams, a demon named Death. If that's true, we're in way over our heads. And even if Death isn't involved, we're in enough trouble as it is.

If I told you the whole story in this one entry, we'd be here a very long time. And time is something I don't have right now, because I think we have company.

Yes, I can hear noises outside. The barriers are being compromised. "Anakin, guys, wake up! I can hear them! They're trying to break down the walls! Secure positions, now!"

I'll let you find out for yourself the story of Death, the virus, the Colony, and everything else that has transpired; but I'm gonna warn you now: not everyone has a happy ending.

"Holy Force, they've broken through! Shoot, shoot! Force-damn it, shoot them in the head! No…!"

/..:::SYSTEM MESSAGE:::TRANSMISSION FAILED:::SYSTEM FAILURE:::../

xXx DATE: 12/01/45875 (Six Months Earlier) xXx

"No!"

Gasping and panting, Anakin Skywalker sat up quickly, looking around with panicked eyes. He expected to find the terrified screams and the battered bodies that haunted his nightmares; but instead, his eyes only laid upon the quiet darkness of his bedroom, the moonlight shedding a soft glow through the window.

Finally deciding that his fear was only a result of a dream, the twenty-year-old Jedi Knight began to breathe easier, positioning himself on his bed so that he was leaning against the wall, legs crossed, eyes closed, trying to regain control of his spinning emotions. Quickly slipping into the comfort of the Force, he focused his sudden rush of adrenaline on simply breathing. In and out. In and out. He felt the tension slowly ebb away.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and gazed to his left. Across the room, behind a partially-drawn room divider (made of a black curtain), Ahsoka Tano was fast asleep, the small Togruta's steady breathing visible from the rise and fall of her sheets. Not wanting to disturb her, he slipped on his light black sleep shirt before pulling on his boots and tiptoeing out of the apartment he shared with her.

It was one o'clock in the morning, and the Jedi Temple was still and silent, everyone either asleep or in quiet meditation. Instinctively, Anakin found himself roaming the vast Room of a Thousand Fountains, wandering through the gardens before finally sitting on the border of a small white fountain, listening to the steady trickling of water and trying to quiet his screaming mind.

"Anakin, is that you?"

Startled, the Knight spun around to see the bleary-eyed expression of his own Master, staring at him with concern. "You shouldn't be up at this hour," Obi-Wan Kenobi continued, walking over and taking a seat near his former Padawan. "What's on your mind, young one?"

"Nothing. I'm fine, just couldn't sleep." Not a full lie there… well, maybe. Anakin turned away, not looking the older man in the eye.

It was enough of a sign for Obi-Wan to push further. "Anakin, what is it? I can sense something is bothering you."

"It was just a nightmare," he finally admitted, staring at the floor. "Nothing for you to worry about."

Obi-Wan grimaced, remembering clearly years ago, when a certain Padawan had occasionally come screaming or crying to his bed because of similar nightmares. He quickly pushed the bleak memories away, and tried offering his not-apprentice-but-now-partner a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you're right. Do you want to talk about it?" He was pretty sure what the answer would be, but asked anyway.

Just as he thought, Anakin shook his head. "No. It's fine – I'm already forgetting about it."

It was another lie, and both of them knew it.

It wasn't that he wanted to deceive his old Master, just that he didn't want to drag him into problems he was sure he could handle himself. So instead of adding more to the lie or denying anything, Anakin merely stared at the fountain ahead, focusing on watching the cool water trickle down the stone stairs before becoming a soothing whirlpool at the bottom…

He was brought back to reality by the sensation of Obi-Wan's firm but gentle palm being laid on his shoulder, the Master squeezing it gently. "I'm sure these will pass in time," he said in that low, comforting tone that Anakin was so familiar with.

Anakin clearly remembered when he had been a small child, curled up in Obi-Wan's arms, a stranger among the rest of the Jedi Order. He wasn't too fond of those memories – not because of Obi-Wan being so caring, but because it made him feel ashamed and childish. He was twenty now, an adult. He didn't need Obi-Wan to hold him as he cried; but it was still nice to know the other man cared. "Thanks for that," he whispered, returning Obi-Wan's smile.

Obi-Wan pat him on the back, knowing clearly about Anakin's pride. A pat and a few soothing words were all he could offer the young man without stinging his dignity. "Why don't you head back to bed, okay?" As if to back up this suggestion, the Jedi muffled a yawn, smothering it with his palm.

Anakin nodded silently, getting to his feet reluctantly, the memory of the nightmare still lingering in his mind. Obi-Wan noticed his hesitation, and after thinking for a moment, offered, "Would you like to come into my apartment for a while? I could use the company."

It wasn't Obi-Wan suggesting Anakin was weak, or in need of being held like a child – simply Obi-Wan being a friend, and after considering the idea, Anakin gave in with a weary sigh. "Yeah, sure. Thanks." Quickly, he also added, "I wouldn't want to wake Ahsoka by going back to my own dorm anyway."

The two partners made their way back to Kenobi's apartment, the same one Anakin had shared with him before becoming a Knight and receiving his own apprentice. He hadn't been here in quite some time he realized as Obi-Wan punched in the entry code and stepped aside to allow Anakin through first.

The décor of the room had "Obi-Wan" written all over it. Neat and tidy, with books lined on shelves and one or two houseplants adding a splash of color to the dull gray walls. Anakin compared the orderliness to his own messy apartment, and smirked. "This place hasn't changed at all, do you know that?"

"If you mean it's still as clean as it was the day you moved out, then I'm proud to say yes, it hasn't changed. In fact, your bedroom is still there. You're welcome to stay the night if you'd like."

Anakin had the nagging suspicion this was his mentor's plan all along, and chuckled. "I told you the nightmare's gone already, Master. I'm fine." Great. Another lie.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, not to be fooled. "If you say so. The invitation still stands." He yawned again, and rose both arms above his head, stretching. "I'm going to bed. Stay, don't stay, but I'm tired." He didn't wait for a reply – simply walked to his own bedroom, stepped inside, and shut the door.

It wasn't rude of him – Anakin and he were close enough so that they could act as casual as they wanted around each other. In fact, if a stranger saw the two and didn't know they were Jedi, they could've assumed the two were brothers, they were certainly bonded close enough to be related.

But there were some things Anakin just couldn't share with his friend, no matter how strong their bond was. For one, the details of his nightmare, because he couldn't even fully understand what it was about. He remembered a scream, and then a blazing fire which burned hundreds of terrified faces. More screams, and then the appearance of a woman, pure white skin, cracked, with eyes three times to small, crying tears of blood. She was a demon, her name was Death, and she would taunt him, sing a crooked parody, mock him. "You can't stop me," she would say. "I'm coming, and there's nothing anyone can do. Not even the Chosen One…"

Anakin shook his head, a shiver running up his spine. Maybe I will stay the night. Just this once. Shaking his head slowly to himself, he entered his old bedroom and locked the door.

xXx (Several Hours Later) xXx

"Master! Master, wake up! Master!"

Anakin opened his eyes, stifling a groan as the female voice continued shouting from the outside his bedroom. That same person was banging bloody murder on the door, and continued to do so until he finally stumbled out of bed and opened it to find his Padawan staring at him, wide-eyed.

"Ahsoka, what are you doing?" He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, trying to get his body fully awake.

"Master Obi-Wan sent me to wake you. There's an emergency involving the Senate," Ahsoka explained quickly. "We have to meet him there now."

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure. C'mon, he's waiting!"

As Anakin followed his sixteen-year-old apprentice through the halls of the Temple and towards the hangar, his mind buzzed with possible scenarios of the before-mentioned emergency. "Ahsoka, don't you know anything? What happened?"

"Someone psychopath I think," Ahsoka replied as they burst into the Temple hangar. "I'm not sure – we're just supposed to get there as fast as possible. Master Kenobi commed me and told me to wake you up. You were in his apartment?"

As they jumped into the first speeder they could find, Anakin felt his cheeks flare up. "Um… yeah. We were up pretty late talking, and then he suggested I just stay there so I don't wake you up." He shut up completely about his nightmare.

If she was judging him, she sure didn't show it. Instead, she tossed him the key, which she found in the glove's compartment. "Okay, then. Fly, Skyguy!"

Anakin already had the engines running, and in seconds their speeder was out of the hangar and flying through the air lanes of Coruscant towards the nearby Senate building. He pressured his apprentice for more information, but Ahsoka was truly as in the dark as he was.

When they finally found a place to park the speeder, there were over a dozen police transports outside the Senate building, along with two speeders Anakin recognized as Obi-Wan's and the other belonging to Mace Windu.

The Knight and his Togruta Padawan met up with the two other Jedi on the outside landing pad. "What's going on?" was the first thing out of Anakin's mouth as he looked around, totally confused.

"There seems to be an insane mental patient within," Obi-Wan replied quickly, rubbing furiously at his beard. "Someone suffering from dementia, or perhaps an escaped patient. We have men checking for any missing person's reports now."

"Is he holding any hostages?" Anakin's felt his chest flutter as he asked that question, his mind immediately wandering to the image of a particular senator he had in mind.

"Luckily, no. We think we've got everyone out," dark-skinned Mace Windu replied, solemn as always. "It's getting him out that's the problem."

Knowing everyone was safe, including the 'particular senator', Anakin managed a shaky smirk in the direction of his partner. "Has the Negotiator tried negotiating yet?"

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes; the sardonic display just another sign of how worrisome the situation was. It wasn't a battle, it wasn't in the middle of a warzone; but it was something. The ringing in the Force told everyone so. "Of course, Anakin, we've tried everything. We're going to have to force him out of there."

"Ah, and you called me because I'm so good at forcing people into submission?"

"No." Obi-Wan's voice grew more severe and firmer. "I need you to be serious, Anakin. Something strange is going on – I can sense it. I have a bad feeling about this situation. That is why I summoned you, not to joke around."

That shut his former apprentice up.

This time, it was Ahsoka who spoke. "We'll do whatever we can, Masters," she said firmly, tossing her Master a look that read Look how much more cooperative I can be, before going back to looking at Kenobi. "What do you need us to do?"

"You two and Kenobi are going to go inside," Mace answered grimly. "We'll send you in with a squad of troopers. Hopefully, you can subdue him without any real violence. He's armed and dangerous – we believe he may have several explosives attached to him. That's why the police called the Jedi – they aren't prepared for terrorist attacks like this out of the blue. I'll be waiting out here with reinforcements. Just comm if something happens."

Obi-Wan pointed to an awaiting dozen clone troopers that stood at attention to their right. "Captain Marks is going in with us, along with his men."

Anakin nodded, all serious now. "Okay then. What are we waiting for?"

The clones directly behind them, the three Jedi cautiously approached the large doors that led into the massive building. All the entrances and exits had been sealed closed, but now several police droids deactivated the ray shields for them to go through.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Anakin whispered, just loud enough so that his partner could hear him, who was standing by his side.

Obi-Wan nodded. "I didn't want to snap at you; but I am worried about this situation here. Remember that this man is armed and very dangerous."

"We've handled worse situations. Like Sith, for instance."

"Either way, be careful. You too, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan raised his voice so that the Togruta Padawan could hear the last addition.

Ahsoka responded with a sharp nod. "Of course, Master."

/Ray shields lowered./ one police droid told them, pointing to the closest entry point. /Good luck./

Captain Marks entered first, using a special device to sweep for any booby-traps or explosives. Finding none, the Jedi trailed in after him, their lightsabers already activate.

"Be wary," Obi-Wan murmured, scanning the area and honing into his excellent tracking skills for any sign of their target. "Remember that we are trying to catch this man alive if possible. More than likely he's an escaped mental patient and not in his right mind."

"Don't worry, General," one clone replied. "We know what to do."

Anakin matched his mentor's strides so that they were walking side-by-side, with Ahsoka and the clones behind him. "Any idea where he could be hiding?" he asked quietly. The Senate building was huge, with numerous hiding places.

"I… I'm trying to sense him through the Force, but I can't seem to be able to," Obi-Wan said. "It's curious – it's as if he didn't have a signature at all."

"That's impossible."

"I know but still… you try. Perhaps you can find something I'm missing."

Obediently, Anakin honed into his special connection with the Force, using the unique bond he had with the living energy ever since he was born. To his chagrin, he too couldn't sense the target. "Okay, that isstrange."

Obi-Wan nodded grimly, and then held his right hand in the air, motioning for them all to stop moving and wait a moment. That's when the others heard it – the faint sound of running footsteps above them. "He's on the next floor," Obi-Wan whispered, pointing up.

"Ahsoka and I will take the stairs ahead, and you can take the clones down the hall, and use the stairwell over there. We'll trap him," Anakin suggested, his voice just as low as his partner's.

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement, and Anakin led his Padawan ahead while the rest of the group doubled back, retracing their steps.

"I can't sense him, Master," Ahsoka commented as Anakin opened the metal doors leading to the staircase. "It's so strange. He's here, but…"

"I know, Snips," Anakin told her, leading them up the steps one at a time. "Something is wrong here, but we have to stay focused. Remember, do not engage him recklessly. He's dangerous."

"You don't have to worry about me, Master."

They reached the door that led into the second floor, and Anakin gripped his lightsaber tighter, tensing clearly as he slowly pushed it open.

It was completely dark except for the deep red glow given off from the emergency lights. Anakin stepped into the hall first, making sure to stay ahead of Ahsoka in a protective manner. They could clearly hear footsteps coming from up ahead, and the team slowly and cautiously began to move forward, being as quiet as humanly possible.

"Master," Ahsoka whispered, not speaking out loud but using the Force to communicate. She wasn't too experienced in this form of transfer but found it safer than making any noise. "Master, I have a really bad feeling about this."

"Don't worry, Snips," he answered her, also using Force communication. "It'll be okay."

There was a crashing noise from one of the rooms to the left, and Anakin stopped, holding out his arm and making Ahsoka pause as well. "He's in the left room all the way down the hall. Stay here."

Immediately, Ahsoka shot him a look to kill. "There is no way I'm doing that, Master."

"I need you to make sure he doesn't run out here and get away, Snips."

"I'm going with you."

There wasn't time to argue, and Ahsoka could be just as stubborn as he was sometimes. So reluctantly he motioned for her to follow him, and the two approached the door, where the sounds of heavy pacing and harsh breathing could be heard clearly now.

Just before they reached the doorway Anakin honed into the Force, but instead of entering his training bond with Ahsoka, he contacted his old Master. "Obi-Wan, we've found him on the second floor, last door to the left."

Obi-Wan's voice came only seconds later. "Anakin, wait for me. Do not approach him, do you understand?"

"Too late, Master."

It was too late, because just as Obi-Wan's order came through, Anakin and Ahsoka stepped into the room.

The man they were tracking looked like a living nightmare. A walking corpse. Covered from head to toe in black grime and dry blood. His hair was a tangled web, and his eyes were unfocused and glazed over. He seemed to be mid-aged, but it was hard to tell because of the layer of filth that covered him.

Worse. There were several bombs strapped around his waist.

"Holy Force," Ahsoka breathed, gaping at him.

The man looked up at the Jedi and backed up against the far wall, a look of pure insanity plastered to his face. "Get away, Jedi!" he screamed. "Get away from here! Go! Run while you still can!"

Anakin could hear Obi-Wan's voice once again fill his mind. "Anakin, we're trapped on the stairwell! The door is rigged with explosives, and we highly believe our target has more. Do not engage him! Anakin, do you understand?"

Instead of acknowledging his partner's order, Anakin turned his attention to the target. "Sir, we're here to help you," he said slowly, taking a cautious step forward. "I don't want to hurt you. No one is going to hurt you if you…"

"You can't help me! No one can! Don't you see? I'm a host! I'm the host! I'm her host!"

Host? "Sir, I don't understand, but if you'll calm down…"

"Get away!" he cried out again, violently shaking his head. "She's already tainted me. I'm already a host! She's spreading it, spreading it everywhere! Everyone will be hosts! Everyone!"

"Master…" For the first time, Ahsoka's voice held a hint of fear.

The man put a hand on the belt holding the rigged explosives. "Everyone will be hosts! Everyone! Everyone!"

The warning in the Force slammed the two Jedi, and Anakin spun around, shoving Ahsoka to the side. "Run! Run, Ahsoka!"

Both of them broke into a sprint just as the man pressed the detonator, the bombs exploded, and everything went up in flames.