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."

His eyes opened fully, and he gasped, a look of awe on his face. "You're 'n angel."

She smiled sweetly, unsure of how to reply.

Echo reached one of his trembling hands to her face and caressed her hair gently but clumsily. "Soooo pretty!"

Ella giggled at this. "Ok. I think the virus has gone to your head now. Let's get you into this stretcher right here. Hm? Sound better?"

He nodded sleepily and yawned, blinking in a way that was really very cute.

Using all her strength, she lifted him beneath the arms and dragged him into a stretcher. Glancing around, she saw that the last survivors were being cared for, and Epsi's body was being looked after. Satisfied with this, she pressed the button that would levitate the stretcher, and pushed her friend out of the awful place that had nearly become his tomb.

"Ella?" he called, a hint of fear in his voice. "You still there?"

She nodded and ruffled his hair. "I'm right here. I'm gonna get you out of here."

He moaned, "Don't leave me. Please don't."

She paused and took his hand, removing the glove and rested their palms together, fingers interlocking. His hand pulled at her weakly. "I won't leave you, Echo. Not ever. I promise."

She turned a corner and smiled.

"You might wanna close your eyes Echo. We're going outside and it's pretty bright out here," she warned.

And then they were out in the sunshine. The young man practically mewled in pleasure at the kiss of warmth against his face.

"Feels nice?" she asked delightedly.

"Mmmhmm. So gooood."

She giggled softly.

"Sweet laugh. Like... like rain and rivers."

Delirious Echo is the most adorable thing I've ever witnessed in my entire life.

Ella pushed him onto a transport and tucked herself beside him.

"Is Fives 'kay?"

"Yes. He's okay."

He sighed carefully. "Rex? J'sse? Har'case?"

"They're all okay. So are Ahsoka and Padme. Senator Binks was never exposed to it. Epsi died. I think he was the only one."

Echo pouted, "'e was a good kid."

She nodded.

The ship wobbled a little as it took off. Ella staggered and lunged for the metal bars.

Being that she was at least five inches shorter than the clones, she found that once she had grabbed the bar, she couldn't touch the ground. And so she swung back and forth in the turbulence.

The boys around her chuckled discreetly... ish. Some didn't even bother trying to hide their amusement.

"Need some help, Ella?" Kix asked laughingly.

She stuck her tongue out at them, "Come on. You all wish you could have this much fun on takeoffs."

That caused everyone to laugh heartily.

Finally they reached the Resolute. Masks were distributed as they stepped off and placed over the infected men's faces. They gulped the inhalant greedily, their lungs opening more with every breath.

The last man had just made it inside the medbay when Denal began to gag. Kix tore his mask off and held a trash can beneath his chin while he heaved. A mixture of dark phlegm, blood, and a slimy bluish substance was purged from his body. It sounded painful, but when he fell back, panting and exhausted, his airway was clear and it was easy to see that he felt much better.

Not long after, every patient went through the same ordeal. Sometimes it took more than one try, but eventually, they were all resting on the softer beds, their lungs clear and the burning pain receding.

As promised, Ella stayed by Echo's side. For a day and a half he burned with fever, and she was there, wiping his forehead, neck, chest, arms with a cool cloth. She'd hold his hand and talk to him when his sleep was disturbed by illusions.

•~§~•

Finally, as the sun rose on the third morning, his deep brown eyes peeled open. The first thing he saw was Ella's sleeping face, her hazelnut curls draped over her shoulder and back. Her head was rested on her folded arms, one hand clasping his loosely.

"She stayed with you all the time," Fives rasped from where he lay in a bed to his left. "She had to look after the others too, of course, but when she was done, she'd always come back to you."

Echo carefully extracted his hand from hers, not wanting to disturb her sleep. "How long have I been out?"

Fives shrugged, taking a drink of some sort of tea. "I'm not sure. I only just woke a few hours ago." He took another sip, then continued, his voice clearer. "The captain and commander are still out. They lasted till the end, or so Chopper tells me. The Naboo Senator, Amidala, she went back to Theed and healed up real quick I think because she had the suit on most of the time; she only got infected halfway through, and was by far the least dangerous case."

Echo nodded, then smiled as Ella began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she gasped, taking him in.

"Echo!" she exclaimed in a whisper, then launched herself at him, embracing him.

He nestled into her warmth and sighed contentedly. "I'm here."

She pulled back with a sunny smile across her lips. "I'm so glad! I was worried about you."

"You were?" His heart leapt.

She nodded, "Yes. Very."

Echo flushed pink, then cleared his throat. He still felt the slightest bit hoarse.

"Oh!" She jumped to her feet. "I'll get you some tea. It helps with the throat. I'll be right back!" Then she turned and streaked off like a beam of sunshine to fetch him the helpful beverage.

"I think she likes you, vod," Fives encouraged.

Echo looked at him with the biggest, goofiest, sappiest grin his brother had ever seen.

"I think I like her too."