"Almost there," Ahsoka muttered, reconnecting the damaged console connections.
After a few more tense moments, the monitor flickered to life and displayed a familiar clone trooper.
"Medical Ship TB-73, this is Captain Rex. Please respond."
"Rex, it's Ahsoka," she breathed with relief. "I'm so glad to hear your voice."
"Likewise, Commander."
"I have someone here who wants to speak with you," Rex said, stepping aside to reveal Anakin on the screen.
"Ahsoka, what's your status? Are you and the others safe?"
"Well, not exactly," Ahsoka admitted immediately.
Meanwhile, Barriss was walking through one of the ship's corridors with several infected clone companions. Her eyes were narrowed and slightly unfocused, showing the telltale signs of parasitic control. She paused momentarily, hearing something moving softly in the ventilation system above her head.
Back in the communications center, Ahsoka had brought Anakin up to speed on their dire situation, and her master was now providing crucial instructions.
"Keep your comm channel open," he ordered. "I'm going to interrogate Poggle—he might have answers. Find Barriss and Peter, then wait for my signal."
As Ahsoka prepared to leave, she turned around and saw—
"Barriss, you're back! Did you manage to disable the hyperdrive?"
Barriss said nothing, just stared at Ahsoka with an unnervingly blank expression.
"Barriss... what's wrong with you?"
"Ahsoka!"
Peter suddenly dropped down from the ventilation system.
"Get away from—"
Barriss raised her hand toward a nearby transparisteel panel, shattering it with the Force and sending deadly shards flying toward Ahsoka.
"Barriss!" Ahsoka cried out. "Please, we're your friends!"
The mind-controlled Barriss ignited her lightsaber and lunged at Ahsoka, who barely managed to activate her own weapon in time to deflect the lethal strike.
"Barriss! This isn't you," Ahsoka pleaded desperately. "It's the brain worm controlling you."
Ahsoka received no response. She used a Force push to knock Barriss backward and ran from the communications center toward the ship's stern.
Barriss quickly recovered and gave chase, mechanically attempting to kill her former friend. However, she noticed Peter preparing to intervene from her peripheral vision.
As Peter prepared to make his move, the Mirialan Jedi did something that froze both him and Ahsoka in absolute terror.
The possessed Padawan gave them both a sinister smile while raising her azure lightsaber blade to her own throat.
"Attack me, and she dies," Barriss spoke in a hollow, emotionless voice that chilled both of her friends to the bone.
Seeing her opportunity, the mind-controlled Barriss unleashed a burst of Force energy that sent them both crashing to the deck in agony.
The Mirialan Jedi lunged at Peter, recognizing him as the greater physical threat. Opening her mouth, a brain worm began to emerge, its target's eyes widening in horror as he struggled to break free from her grip.
"Sorry, Barriss. You're a really nice girl, but I'd prefer to kiss you after at least a second date. French kissing comes maybe third or fourth," Peter quipped nervously.
"Peter!" Ahsoka yelled.
"I'm sorry I use humor to cope with my crippling fear of parasitic worms!" Peter shouted back, pushing Barriss away as gently as possible.
"Come on," Ahsoka helped him to his feet. "We have to move!"
"But what about Barriss..."
"You saw what those parasites can do," Ahsoka said with painful regret. "If we fight her directly, we risk the brain worm killing her to prevent capture."
Peter gritted his teeth in frustration, glanced back at Barriss who was already getting back to her feet, and reluctantly fled with Ahsoka.
Meanwhile, a certain Jedi Knight was consulting with experts on Geonosian physiology and mind control techniques to help the trapped Padawans and young hero.
Walking down the corridors of the Resolute, Anakin made his way toward the detention level.
He wasn't alone—Steve walked right beside him.
Upon arriving, Anakin dismissed the clone guards and entered the cell, with Steve standing watch at the entrance.
"Are you going to answer my questions?" Anakin asked impatiently, raising his hand as if preparing to use the Force. Steve frowned at the gesture.
Poggle spoke in his native clicking language, prompting the protocol droid in the cell to translate: "Your feeble Jedi mind tricks will not work on Geonosians. The other Jedi have already discovered this."
Anakin lowered his arms and turned away, clenching his fists. He spoke with forced calm: "Mind tricks?" Suddenly, he spun around and punched Poggle in the face, sending the Geonosian crashing to the cell floor. "I don't need mind tricks to make you talk."
The protocol droid translated Poggle's defiant response: "I will never speak, Jedi—"
The Geonosian suddenly clutched at his throat, gasping for air as Anakin began Force-choking him. "We'll see about that, Poggle."
"Anakin," Steve called out firmly, causing the Jedi to look toward the Avenger. Cap shook his head disapprovingly.
After a tense moment, Anakin released Poggle, and Steve stepped forward to face the Geonosian himself.
"Tell us what we need to know," Cap said in a dangerously calm voice.
Poggle let out a series of clicks and coughs, which the protocol droid dutifully translated:
"If you believe such crude displays of force will compel me to speak, then you are even more foolish than I initially thought."
Steve sighed and glanced at Anakin. The Jedi Knight stepped back as Steve silently motioned for him to move behind him.
Anakin stood back with his arms crossed as the super soldier gripped his shield tightly.
In one swift motion, Cap brought his vibranium shield down on the metal table between him and Poggle, completely destroying it. The Geonosian Separatist barely had time to register this shocking display of strength before being slammed against the wall by the impact.
As Poggle fell to the ground, his entire body trembled from the ringing in his ears caused by vibranium striking metal.
Steve stared down at him with cold intensity.
"We can do this one of two ways, Poggle," Steve said sternly. "Either you tell us what we need to know and help us save those kids and clone troopers, or Anakin and I take turns working you over. Your choice."
Anakin was genuinely surprised by Steve's sudden shift in demeanor. He hadn't known that someone as controlled and principled as Steve Rogers had such a ruthless side.
But right now, he didn't care about anything except finding a way to save his Padawan, Peter, and the infected clones. Finally, Poggle provided the answers they desperately needed.
Meanwhile, Peter and Ahsoka continued fleeing from their possessed friend, with more infected clones joining the pursuit.
They were forced to use hit-and-run tactics, knocking out or webbing clones when possible, but Barriss proved to be their most persistent and dangerous pursuer.
"This way, Peter," Ahsoka called as Peter finished cocooning another clone in webbing.
As Barriss and more clones rounded the corner after them, the two heroes found themselves in the next corridor. Peter grabbed a web grenade from his belt and threw it behind them, creating a massive web barrier that blocked their pursuers' advance. The clones all became entangled in the sticky trap, while Barriss had to step back and temporarily lost sight of her targets.
Anakin and Steve returned to the Resolute's command center to rejoin the other Avengers and Jedi.
"I've reestablished contact with Ahsoka," Anakin announced.
"What's their current situation?" Obi-Wan asked with concern.
"Geonosian brain parasites have infected the clone crew."
"How did they get aboard the ship?" Obi-Wan asked with growing horror.
"According to Poggle, after our assault on the Queen's temple, the parasites needed new hosts," Steve explained grimly.
Several of the other Jedi exchanged troubled glances, and Luminara voiced their collective concern: "You both interrogated Poggle?"
"Yes, we questioned Poggle," Anakin said defensively. "There wasn't time to consult with everyone else."
Master Mundi asked the obvious follow-up question: "How did you convince him to cooperate?"
"Look, what matters is that he told us how to stop these brain parasites," Steve deflected.
He and the other Avengers exchanged meaningful looks. Natasha, Sam, and Rhodes knew there was more to this story, but they also understood there were more pressing concerns at the moment.
After establishing contact with Ahsoka's wrist communicator, they soon heard her voice: "This is Ahsoka."
"Ahsoka, listen carefully," Anakin said urgently. "The parasites are vulnerable to extreme cold."
"Cold? How do we use that against them?"
"Rupture the ship's coolant system," he instructed, but received no immediate response. "Did you copy that? Rupture the coolant system!"
"Coolant system. Understood."
The transmission ended.
Back aboard TB-73, Ahsoka and Peter had to carefully navigate through ventilation shafts and corridors to reach the ship's environmental controls. This proved extremely challenging with both clones and a Padawan under Geonosian parasitic control hunting them relentlessly.
The two eventually reached their destination. Peter stood guard at the entrance while Ahsoka worked at the control panel. After several tense minutes of manipulating the systems, Ahsoka pulled the primary override switch, releasing coolant throughout the ship's ventilation network.
"What happens now?" Peter asked.
"Now we just hope this actually works," Ahsoka said anxiously.
The temperature throughout the entire ship began dropping rapidly, and the possessed clones suddenly stopped their coordinated movements, looking around in apparent confusion as the parasites' control began to weaken.