Warning for mushy scene at the end

She woke up in a familiar room, remembering a silent trip through the plains and the desert. But after the events of that morning she had needed to sleep. Leaving her quarters at the hideout bunker, she joined the people talking in muffled tones in the medical bay. It wasn't equipped enough for extensive surgery but sufficed for blaster wounds and quick physical scanning.

There was the doctor Mij Gilamar, Ori and Runa gathered around the medical table where sat someone she didn't expect to see alive and conscious. Alive was an overstatement.

"...We've aborted our joint operation with your clan," said Runa. "They've gathered everything they needed to handle the situation themselves."

Ithan, sitting in his blood-stained clothing, looked up at her with concern then his eyes widened as he saw Aresu come in. So, he remembered her?

"Did they clearly say that they no longer needed me?" he asked.

"I don't know, it was Bardan who negotiated your release."

The android didn't seem as relieved as he ought to appear, almost looking disappointed. Aresu wanted to talk to him privately again, knowing that this change of plans was interfering with his intentions to leave the planet.

Ori turned to look at her, gesturing to follow him in the hallway. Once out of earshot from the medical room he took a deep breath, holding his Stormtrooper helmet under his left arm.

"Listen. Whatever you heard, and whatever you may have believed we don't blame you for talking. You thought you were doing the right thing and that's what matters here."

She didn't need to hear his lessons, she knew what she did.

"How is he even here?"

"We convinced Tenja that if Ithan needed to be anywhere it should be under my watch, and certainly not back with his clan. She extracted the data from his memory chip and gave it back to us... without erasing anything from it."

"That's good, then."

"He will have to stay here until I come up with a plan to liberate him from Death Watch and Imperial custody." He put a gloved hand on her shoulder with caution. "Are you alright keeping an eye on him in the mean time?"

"Sure, whatever." She gave a furtive look backwards to see what they were doing to Ithan. "Are we going to help him escape, too?"

"That's not my decision," he answered her, unconvinced that her question was serious. "Technically he doesn't belong to anyone and we may need him around eventually."

Mij Gilamar walked out followed by Runa. The older doctor let out a sigh, ruffling his sandy grey hair that almost matched his gold-colored armor.

"All I have to say is that you're all going to be very rich if you decide to sell it."

"Him," rectified Runa. "It's not just a droid with a price tag, it's a synthetic human."

"I would be very interested in exploring the depths of his intellect," mused the scientist. "That kind of technology could benefit us in so many ways..."

Ori cleared his throat, losing patience.

"I'm sure the Redd clan had the same idea."

"Let's not get ourselves carried away," Runa said with a nod. "They will want to retrieve him eventually."

Aresu needed to interfere in their little brainstorming session.

"Unless we can prove that he no longer wants to be part of their clan, and for that we have to know how self-aware he really is."

She turned her attention to Gilamar who smiled back at her enthusiastically.

"I will bring the Nulls up to speed, they'll know how to plug into his electronic psyche."

Walking them out to the speeder hangar, she waved goodbye to the Stormtrooper who had to get the Empire off their backs, the Mandalorian foster mother on her way to pick up Bardan from Enceri, and the combat medic with a new mission to study their latest guest.

Aresu walked in on Ithan trying to clean his bloodied and torn-up shirt in the medical sink, his injured back showing a nasty T-shaped scar all along his spine.

"We need to get you cleaned up," she said, feeling like she was talking to a child. "Come on, I'll show you the sanitaries."

Without a word he followed her, averting his eyes every time she studied his face, as he knew the sight of him covered in dried blood was upsetting her. But she was angry at the fact that she had to take care of Ithan. When he uncovered himself completely to get in the shower she would have wanted Ori, or even Gilamar to be there instead. She hurriedly picked up the bloodied clothes and her eyes lingered, curious, to see how accurately the android was made. Telling herself that she had to check if he didn't have other injuries she needed to know about, his very realistic – yet, synthetically perfect – attributes made her feel confused. He even had some pubic hair. He caught her watching as the trails of red liquid ran down his skin, twirling into the shower drain.

"I'm sorry," she shyly said, scrambling out towards the laundry room.

She let the washing device spin and sat in front of it for a while, unable to erase the scene from her mind. Did she have to cook for him? Would he need to use the refreshers like everyone else? Did he feel as awkward as she did when she saw him naked? Was he... entirely functional?

She cursed her inability to sense his presence, more importantly his intentions. After setting an assortment of clean male clothing for him outside the showers, she made a checklist of the rations, anything they were close to running out of, as an excuse to get out of the bunker. She couldn't think of staying all day confined with a droid – a self-aware one at that – that had just been through a traumatic experience. She got to her comlink in her room and attempted to contact the only person who could answer her questions.

"Dad," she called, aware that her avoidance of mando'a was going to shock more than one in the clan. "Ithan is here."

There was latency or maybe she had given the impression that something was wrong.

"I know, Aresu."

She sighed, more out of tiredness than relief. "What am I supposed to do here?" she asked. "Are we stealing him away from the Redds?"

"They no longer want him in their clan," said Bardan. "Tenja finally figured out that he wasn't an object."

"She still acted like he was her son."

"Are you worried to be alone with him, ad'ika?"

"A little bit." Looking over her shoulder, checking if there was anyone outside her door she'd kept open. She tried to imagine the soothing presence of her foster parent, with his ability to understand and sense everything she felt. "He hasn't done or said anything to me yet. Can you come over?"

"I'm with Kal right now, but I'll try... The good news is that without an assault planned against Imperial assets we'll be left alone. The Redds are still going to do something about the factory, though."

"But Dad... They're mando, and who else wears mando armor? The Empire doesn't care about clan names."

She heard cautious, soft footsteps in the hallway. Leaning forward, she saw him peering in to see her. Bardan's voice murmured bitterly.

"Maybe Mandalore is no longer safe for us. We should consider leaving camp while it's still possible and nothing is tying us down."

The expression on Ithan's face shifted from glum to hopeful as he heard the words coming from her handset.

"I'll think about it."

There was a pause, and she looked back at the android with apprehension.

"Be safe, Aresu."

"Bye Dad. You too."

She put her comlink away and stood up, if only to pressure Ithan to stay away from her quarters.

"What is it?" she asked, locking the door behind her.

"I wanted to thank you for your hospitality," he politely replied, his eyes shifting hesitantly from her eyes to her hands. "You were speaking about leaving the planet. Does that happen often?"

"Not really." She made her way to the kitchen area, started the kettle to warm up some tea. "Do you have a destination in mind?"

So that was how it was going to be, she thought. Investigating his plans, if he had any, and analyzing whether or not he would become harmful to her.

"From as far away from the Empire as I can," he replied, sitting at the bar. "Like all matters of safety I would rather you not know where I'm headed exactly. You have yourself to look after."

The hissing of the boiling water pot was the only sound for a moment. She grabbed the box of powdered tea and two cups.

"Can you drink this?"

Brow furrowed he examined the contained before nodding.

"You must think that I have no need for sustenance which is true," he commented as she prepared the beverages. "My battery cells replenish during downtime, when I go to sleep, and I recycle my fluids once every two months if I haven't absorbed any liquids during that period."

Aresu listened but did not care to retain the information he gave her. There was no way she would have to take care of him for over two months. She served the tea and added sweetener to her cup.

"What are you going to do now without a clan?"

"What anyone else would do in my situation. Survive, stay low. Always be on the move."

It used to be her motto, only until three years ago when Bardan and Runa found her in the slums of Taris. She had grown used to that lifestyle because of the freedom, the absence of directives and not having to depend on anyone. That was the past, however...

"Did you like having a family here? Or was it just people who helped you get what you wanted?"

Tasting the warm tea, he put his cup down and looked right at her.

"I had a family when I was first... activated. My parents, even if their real son had died long ago. They treated me like I was no different, they fully accepted me and refused to look at my imperfections. I was their son."

"Being adopted into a Mandalorian clan is no different," she said, suddenly involved in the discussion. "They take you in, help you grow strong and let you be whoever you want to be. When Bardan found me he could have tried to turn me into a Jedi, or to repress all of my abilities... Instead, he let me choose my own path."

His defying glare told her that things went otherwise for him.

"Why do you not call your father buir?"

"I don't like following traditions," she replied.

"Fair enough." He turned his head to observe the place around them. "And this is your home?"

No, it wasn't by far. Aresu's home was aboard Runa's ship, on Ord Mantell with her grand-parents or in Bardan's old house which was destroyed, years ago.

"I stay here to guard the armory," she finally said. "This is not where I live. I hide here."

Unable to contain her emotions, she tightly folded her arms against her breasts, emptied her cup and put it into the washer.

"Have I upset you?" he asked, an air of genuine concern on his spotless face.

"It's not your fault," she answered.

He sank down his tea and climbed down from his chair, walked near her to wash his cup. Being near him gave her a strange feeling of danger, having to rely on her sight, her sense of smell and touch to locate him. She had ignored those instincts for too long and now it was hard to reconcile with them.

"I hope you're allowed to come and go from this place as you please," he said, drying his hands with the nearest towel. "There are many safe havens on Mandalore, especially for younger people."

"Well, I wouldn't know about them," she said angrily. "I'd rather stay here if going out means hiding who I am or having to explain to everyone why my home planet no longer exists."

He froze, clenched and unclenched a fist as he looked down at her. Aresu bit her lips, having no idea what he was going to do next, she felt her heart beating faster.

"I'm really sorry," he told her. "Do you have friends who visit, or other family members?"

"It's just the clan, sometimes Ori but he's more like a babysitter."

There was no way she would tell him how lonely she felt, how desperately in need of company she was sometimes. She would keep him at arms length, away from her misery, if he was a living and breathing person. And she almost got fooled. Aresu looked him in the eye and took a deep breath.

"I don't have any friends," she said, feeling relieved as she spoke, letting her eyes tear up. "It's just me down here and sometimes I wish I could just deactivate between visits... Sometimes, I wish I didn't exist at all."

Whatever worked like empathy made Ithan step forward to hold her in his arms, where she let herself go and sobbed freely.

He's not human, she told herself, he's not human. He's a machine.

A breathing, talking, warm and understanding machine. She looked up at his face and met a reassuring smile. His hands touched her face, wiping tears from under her eyes.

"This is not the path you chose," he told her, his voice almost a whisper. "You don't have to stay where you don't want to be."

He was close, too close. Aresu had never been in such a tight embrace with anyone in her life. Did he know how he made her feel? She didn't want to push him away and it was nothing like her. It was nice not to feel scared or threatened... or alone. Tentatively, she caressed his face, discovering that his skin was even softer than hers, and he smiled again. Aresu moved away from the counter and reached for his face, parting her lips slightly.

They were just about to touch when a door hiss interrupted the moment. She gasped, almost kicked out of a trance, and used her hands to rapidly dry her face. Ithan, instantly calm and earnest in attitude, walked out of the kitchen to see who had entered. It was Bardan, Runa followed.

"We bought food," he said before looking up. "Hey."

He stopped, removed his helmet and gave them both a long, suspicious look. Aresu panicked, he knew something almost happened. She was still shaking.

"What's going on?" Runa asked, herself getting a hint of the situation.

"We were just talking about you," said Ithan. "I shared my intentions of leaving the planet, and how we could all leave together."

Bardan, lowering his brow, directed his attention on Aresu.

"It's an important question, I have to admit." He looked at Runa then turned to Ithan. "Can I consult my wife about this first?"

They picked up the bags of groceries and moved to the kitchen. Ithan stayed in the lobby area, right next to the speeder hangar. Unable to move and confused, Aresu watched Bardan and Runa as they began talking in hushed tones. It lasted for minutes.

"Are you okay?" Ithan asked, stepping closer.

"They never leave me out of their conversations," she thought out loud, looking in their direction as if she knew exactly what they were consulting about. "They're upset and tired."

He let out a drawn out sigh. Then he smiled.

"Maybe it's not all bad. Have faith."

Runa returned to them, her eyes riveted on Ithan, but she looked optimistic.

"Come on, we're gonna make dinner. Ithan, are you any good with an oven?"

The dinner was actually enjoyable, Aresu couldn't tell the last time she had smiled, laughed or shared anything around a table. Bardan actually made no mention of the day's past events, only saying that Ori would have to make up for lost time with his garrison. Ithan had helped making nut-bread and the uj cake for dessert. They had brought icy blue milk from the market which Aresu had only had a few times before. Near the end, Bardan expressed his intentions to study Ithan from a metaphysical standpoint, explaining that if an object showed intent, compassion and freewill, it had a place in the Force. They went on talking about that philosophy while Runa began doing the washing up with Aresu.

"We should do this more often," she said, clearing the dishes. "If you decide to stay, this would be your home... Or you could leave and find another place."

"Is that what you and Bardan have been talking about?"

Her foster mother looked in the distance in front of her, running hot water on the plates.

"We were talking about you. I know you may resent us for having you cooped up for so long, but you know that it was for the best."

"That's why I never complained." So far.

"Even though you're only seventeen," Runa smiled sadly, "sometimes you're wiser than I am. I really regret not having been there more often for you."

Feeling her face decomposing, Aresu extended her arms and hugged her, and was hugged in return.

"Don't say that," she told Runa. "I'll be fine."

"You know..." Runa hesitated, looking back towards the table where the men were talking. "If Ithan wasn't synthetic I would have immediately adopted him. He would make a charming young man."

Aresu pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and carefully picked her words.

"What if he didn't have to be different?" she suggested. "What if he was exactly what he was created to be, but instead of being born biologically, he was engineered... Kind of like the Republic clone troopers. Then, we wouldn't have to treat him with special care, or make things seem awkward."

Runa looked back at her, suspicious.

"Was there something going on right before we arrived?"

Blushing, there was nothing Aresu could say or deny. She crossed her arms and bit her lips, which was way more body language than she'd liked to express.

"We were talking," she answered. "He's a really good listener."

"It's alright," Runa told her, smiling kindly. "You need a friend. Might as well make it a man who won't ever be a victim of his hormones or greed... You get the idea."

Shocked to hear such openness in the conversation surrounding her love life, Aresu didn't dare to continue talking. The evening ended slowly with Runa and Bardan retreating to the hangar, saying they had to take care of business with Mij Gilamar. But Aresu understood now that they left her alone on purpose. Because, somehow, they had figured out that she would want it this time.

She took a while to make up her mind about the ways to finish her talk with Ithan. He was sitting on the couch, playing around with a handheld data pad, scrolling through text and diagrams like it was his job.

"The dinner went well," she opened, feeling silly already.

"Yes, it did." He turned off his device and stood to look at her. "I'm glad I was able to bond with your family."

"Yeah, about that... I think they intend for you to stick around."

"I suspected as much," he nodded. "But do you share their opinion? After all, if I'm not assigned any tasks I would end up spending most of my time with you."

Embarrassed at her uncontrolled smile, she ran a nervous hand through her hair.

"Well, it's going to be weird... Me being a Force-sensitive, you a beskar worker fugitive. I don't know."

He chuckled at her humor and there wasn't a trace left of all the pain and agony he had experienced that morning. Remembering his ordeal, she had to arrange a space for him to rest.

"Do you need to go to sleep? I can fix up a room for you real quick."

"I can actually sit here, if that's alright." He motioned at the couch.

She hated the idea of him sitting straight up like a mannequin, not awake but not asleep either. If anyone were to step inside and find him there it would create such a fuss.

"I'd rather you sit where I can keep an eye on you."

Perplexed, he followed her where she showed him his sleeping spot. Not really thinking and not planning too long in advance, Aresu led him to her room, directing him to a seat next to her bed.

"Of course, if it doesn't qualify for you then you can go wherever you want."

He brought his hands up in apology.

"No, no. It's perfect." He turned towards her and tried to express contained happiness, which looked like a sad attempt at flattery. "I'm sorry... I know it may seem uncomfortable to have me around, so I am not used to sharing close quarters with people."

Worried that she might appear too trusting with him, as opposed to her paranoid attitude with most people, she shrugged and rolled her eyes away.

"Do you ever pretend to be human?" she risked asking. She sat down on the edge of her bed and he took his seat in front of her. "Like when you eat with us. Did you ever... sleep with someone?"

His eyes widened for a second, and he looked down in shame. It took so long for him to muster a reply that she changed her mind and decided to switch to another subject.

"Things happened once," he said. "I was scared to disobey and was too naïve to understand the situation."

When Tenja and her men had pinned him down to cut his back open he had barely struggled to defend himself. Aresu frowned at the memory. Perhaps it was in his programming to endure what humans did to him, as long as it wouldn't destroy him completely... She thought about what he looked like, beneath the clothes and how someone with a twisted mind would want to use him.

"I won't let anyone else harm you," she said, feeling guilty. "I had no idea that you felt so much."

He smiled but his face was still generally sad.

"I wish I could erase part of my memory, something that can only be done from an external command, or physical extraction. The bad memories will stay active, unless I change them with better versions of the same experience."

"That's pretty much how the human brain works," she agreed. "It took me years to stop thinking about my homeless life."

And it was still tough work to get out of her loneliness. When she got her boots off to get to bed she couldn't stand having to lay there by herself.

"Would you like to lay beside me for a while?" she asked him, studying his reaction more than her own fears. "Only if you want to."

It did seem weird that he would sit over there. She snuggled against his side as soon as he got on the mattress, letting her guard down as if none of it would matter in the morning. Face-to-face, he kissed her, and she lost all control. At first surprised by the tastelessness of his lips, Aresu found herself attempting to respond with a strange intensity. Why was she giving in so quickly? Was he not going to be with her from now on?

His shirt was in the way of her discovering his strong body, so she got rid of it, mindful of the scars in his back. His warmth and the sound of his artificial yet loud heartbeat made her head spin but she kept her lips joined to his. Ithan was on top of her now, softly caressing her and she shuddered uncontrollably, raising her body temperature. Why was she wearing clothes and why did they take so long to remove?

She was sweating, panting with anticipation and her own smell got her confused, because he had none. But she felt happy and safe with Ithan, even though every one of his moves triggered a mix of fear and excitement. This went on for a while and she got tired, calming herself down with slow breathing. She laid naked beneath him as he stared at her, taking it all in as if she was a piece of artwork. Aresu smiled and touched his abdomen, her dark-skinned fingers running down his muscles until they met his trousers. Did he know how much she wanted it to happen?

He kissed her again with a passion she'd never suspected, feeling him in places she'd never let anyone close to. Taris was so far away now, she was no longer fourteen and he was her friend. She bit her lips, looking at the erect organ she'd first seen in the bathroom and she shifted under him so he could get the best angle into her, breathing out slowly. She looked up at him, seeing the face of a man and not a machine. His look was concerned but at peace.

For what seemed like hours she let him explore her, becoming more and more at ease with both their bodies as they adjusted over time. She saw herself as another person, someone with no insecurities whatsoever, lying back and enjoying the experience. Sometimes, she made the effort to be aware of what was hidden under the layers of skin, flesh and blood, and it only fed into her excitement. There was never a question of being unsafe, or unreasonable, even when it got messier than she wished. His mention of replenishing fluids took all of its meaning then. Eventually her fantasy ended when he stopped to rest. Exhausted, she caught her breath in his arms while he seemed to switch to an idle phase. Aresu kissed him on the neck and he opened his eyes.

"You should sleep," he said, still holding her hand against his chest.

"I could, but I wanted to know how you felt."

His lips stretched to a satisfied smile as he looked up to the permacrete ceiling.

"Good," he simply answered. "What about you?"

She didn't feel any different as a person, but she did find that she was more comfortable in her own skin.

"I'm alright," she said, then added with a sleepy voice, "I don't want you to phase out on me."

The idea of sleeping against an inert body, a mass of metal, wires, fake flesh and blood, almost made her sick. She needed to hear his pulse, feel his warmth and hear his breath at all times.

"Then I'll wait for you to fall asleep first," he whispered.