Earth Angel

Chapter Four

The cheers and frantic calls of the men were what woke Ella. Her eyes blinked open to see the Twilight landing just a few feet away. Before she'd even had time to rub the sleep from her eyes, the girl was up and running.

She nearly collapsed in relief when she caught sight of the Jedi carrying an air pump between them, but Obi Wan caught her.

"Do you, I-I-I mean, will it...? Will they be okay?" she stammered, frantic to save her friends.

Obi Wan smiled reassuringly. "Yes. It will all be fine now. We'll get them out."

She found that was exactly what she needed to hear and quickly pulled away, making a lane in the crowd for them to reach the air-port.

They plugged the pump into the building and turned it on, sending the cure into the building to purify it.

After receiving an alert that the air was now clean, they opened the doors and went inside.

Ella and Anakin were practically neck-to-neck as they raced towards the 'safe room'. The Jedi quickly opened the large door and walked inside.

Captain Rex was laying in a pile of his brothers, holding Echo and Fives tightly to his chest. Every inhale was labored and raspy. His face looked sickly even in the dim red light.

"G-Gen'ral," he slurred weakly. "'Lla."

Ella knelt in front of him and wrapped her arms around him, drawing his head to her shoulder. "It's okay. We're here now. You're going to be okay now."

Exhausted, he slumped against her shoulder. "Cure?"

"Yes. They got it."

He sighed in relief, but the breath triggered a bout of violent, wracking coughs. Blood dribbled down his chin as he panted, trying to just get his breathing back under control.

"Don't try to talk," she said. "Are the others alright?"

He shrugged. "Epsi... dead."

She glanced at the body of one of his brothers, covered in a thin blanket. Her heart panged dully in her chest. Epsi had been kind and thoughtful. She'd miss him.

"Anyone else?"

Again, he shrugged.

Obi Wan knelt by her side and murmured that he would help get the captain onto a stretcher. Rex was too weak to protest and leaned heavily on him as the ginger practically carried him to the stretcher, his legs were so trembly and weak.

Ella turned and began checking pulses. Her relief grew and grew as everyone she found was still alive. Only Epsi, it seemed, had lost his life to this brutal virus.

She tried to wake them. Some stirred. Others merely whined and succumbed again. Fives groaned and cursed when he came around, his eyes pained as they took her in blearily.

"El-la?"

"It's me," she soothed. "We've come to rescue you."

He groaned again. "Gimme outta 'ere!"

She grimaced in sympathy, "I know. I know. Trust me. You'll be out of here soon."

After he and Jesse and Hardcase were removed, Ella moved to Echo, who was now curled in on himself, a tiny ball.

How did he pull himself in so tightly? she wondered.

"Echo..." she whispered. "Echo, sweetheart. Please wake up."

A strangled whimper alerted her to his coming awareness. "Mmmnnn... go 'way! It 'uurts!"

She pulled him into her arms and weaved her fingers through his hair. "Come on, Echo. It's me. Ella."