Agents of The Clone Wars (Book 1): The Clairvoyant Conspiracy

Nothing Personal

"I mean sir. Why isn't Agent May with us if we need to work those we trust?" Simmons repeated with more respect towards Coulson's rank

"He's right Simmons. We can worry about Ward later. The priority is to save Skye and prevent Agent Garrett from torturing her to open the encrypted files on the hard drive. If Garrett gets that info Dooku will be able to end the Clone Wars and the Seperatist would take over." Fitz insisted

"No Simmons is right. May should be here. Regardless of her lying to me in the past she's my right hand. My partner. For now we do the best we can to get Skye out. I have a plan but without May it's going to be risky. Do you guys trust me?" Coulson asked

FitzSimmons nodded.

"Good. Here's the plan."

****

Ward and Skye stared at each other and the silence between them was intense. Garrett and Mike had left them alone and Ward struggled to find the words to explain that he was a triple Agent for Shield and a fake Hydra and Seperatist loyalist.

"Skye I can explain everything." Ward insisted

"Liar! Murderer!" Skye screamed

Skye reached out with her free hand and struck Ward in the face. Ward groaned in pain as he struggled to restrain Skye from attacking him again.

"You need to stop. It's over. You can't win." Ward insisted grabbing Skye's arm

Skye headbutted Ward in the face and his nose started to bleed. He tightened the handcuffs on her to the pole they were attached to. He left the room to enter the nearby medical bay to retrieve a towel to wipe the blood off his face.
Ward shook his head at Skye's outburst.

"All this time after everything we've been through...why? How could you betray us? Betray me?" Skye demanded

"I was on a mission. Under Agent Hand's orders. If I didn't take on this mission the Seperatist were going to win. It wasn't personal." Ward replied with no emotion

"It wasn't personal! Are you insane! We were together and you are going to look me in the face and say it wasn't personal. Oh my galaxy I actually slept with you. Ugh! It wasn't personal! You actually believe that mudscuffing hyperspit!" Skye yelled

"Skye calm down. There's a way out of this situation." Ward said calmly attempting to reassure Skye

"Please I don't want to hear another lie from a freaking nazi! You totally look like a Hitler youth type. I should have known." Skye complained

Ward was startled and protested Skye's accusation.

"What are you talking about? I'm not a Nazi."

"Yes you are. It's in the first page of the Shield handbook. It says Hydra founded by the Red Skull who was a follower of Hitler a big fat Nazi! I'm not surprised you're happy innocent Twi'lek's are getting bombed by Seperatist droids right now."

"No. Skye listen. I'm not a Seperatist or Hydra. I'm a spy. That's it. Agent Hand gave me a mission help Garrett win this battle so that the Separatist and Hydra lose the Clone Wars. Do you know how many sacrifices I've had to make to ensure that would happen! Do you know what I'm risking right now. AD-3 is saying Garrett isn't listening to our conversation but he could be and both of us could be killed. Dooming the entire nation of Ryloth/Algeria to oblivion."

"You think after all the lying that you've done I'm just going to believe you. Even if what you say is true, you still killed Triplett, Agent Keonig and who knows how many other Shield Agents that were fighting Hydra and figured out what you were doing. As soon I decrypt that data pad were you just going to shoot me. Prove to Garrett that you are a good little Hydra soldier that can be trusted for the sake of the mission!" Skye accused

"No. When I said I loved you that was true. My feelings for you are real. I'm doing this for you." Ward insisted

"Was me getting shot by Quinn a part of your little mission?" Skye asked

"I didn't know that was going to happen. That was all Garrett. It's why I lost control and shot Quinn. I would never hurt you."

"You know what you're right Ward. I wouldn't like the real you."

"Someday you'll understand Skye." Ward said reaching out his hand to touch Skye's face

Skye shrunk away disgusted and said, "No I won't. I will never ever let you have what you want!"

Skye turned her back to Ward and looked away from him. Ward struggled to find the words to win Skye over to his side of things.

"Well that was a waste of time. Don't worry lovebirds. I watched your lovely reunion through a security camera with no sound. Even without sound it's obvious I overestimated Ward's ability to charm you. I won't be the bad cop Skye instead I'll have your old friend Mike play the role of bad cop. Dooku wants that information you encrypted and after I allowed Hand to sell him out to pirates he's not in a good mood." Garrett said over a loudspeaker

Ward returned to his previous post leaning on the door. Mike strode in and hit Ward with a tranquilizer dart. Ward shocked by the chemical in the dart dropped to his knees and started gasping for breath.

"I hit Ward with a neurotoxin that prevents him from breathing. He'll die a slow and painful death unless you decrypt the information on the chemical used to heal you in your data pad." Mike explained

"Good. He deserves it. He's a liar and a murderer. I'm not giving Garett what he wants." Skye replied glaring at Ward

Ward grabbed his chest desperately trying to breath and whispering Skye please in desperation.

"Even though he did lie and murdered innocents to try to win the Clone Wars for the Republic; aren't you doing the same thing as him by letting Ward die? That's not you Skye, at least the Skye I first met. Unless you changed." Mike Peterson questioned

Skye slumped to her knees and in frustration said, "Fine. Give him the antidote. The decryption key is Nevada Bravo Tango Tango 3439856172."

Mike Peterson shot another tranquilizer dart at Ward and Ward inhaled heavily and exhaled as his breathing slowly returned to normal.

"Thanks Skye. Now Mike will take this datapad to your old pal Raina and she'll make things better. She's gonna help me end the Clone Wars." Agent Garrett said over the loudspeaker

"You won't get away with this! As long as Coulson is out there he will stop you. And I'll be there to help him every step of the way if you don't kill me."

"Skye please-" Ward began

"I don't want to hear another word from you." Skye spat at Ward

"Unlike Ward you actually got some spunk kid. But as a part of my agreement with Dooku, I won't kill you. You'll be spending time with him instead." Agent Garrett gloated

Before Skye could respond the lights went out and someone grabbed her from behind.