Cad Bane was not in this business to seek vengeance, though sometimes - like now - he wondered if that were true. After ordering Todo to put as much distance as possible between them and Ambria, he settled into the chair at the helm and took stock of his present situation. No Jedi Master means no payout, was his first thought. But, as I recall, I don't have a specific time frame, so that is possible to rectify. Unless, of course, the Jedi decide to put a price on my head. That particular thought was unsettling, but not unexpected. He watched as the stars slid past them, frowning.

It was stupid of me, he realized. Stupid to think that I took this job for the credits. It was revenge all along. I'm getting sloppy. His brain still felt scrambled and he put a hand to his head, trying to concentrate, though all that he could hear was the Jedi's wry tone as she asked him for another cigarra. 'I need a distraction.' Then the whole thing had gone to shit. He still didn't really understand how the clone had beaten him. If they're giving lightsabers to the cannon fodder, there's no hope for any of us.

The realization of her words finally dawned on him, though it was a moment before he reacted, giving a light chuckle that caused the little droid to look at him in surprise.

"Sir? Are you alright?"

I need to step back and regroup, he thought with a curt nod. I can still pull this off, I just need a little time. Next time, it will go better. Next time, I won't make the same mistakes. He looked at Todo. "Where's my datapad? I need to check that grocery list from our last client." Moments later he was scanning the list of Jedi Masters, his mind running through potential targets as objectively as he was able and trying to ignore the part of his mind that whispered revenge.


Though he appeared to be unharmed, Stonewall had slipped into unconsciousness after the Jedi had finished; they had arranged him beside Milo so that he would be comfortable while they rested as well, seated on the edge of a nearby boulder and waiting for Anakin to arrive. They sat beside one another, not touching, watching the beginnings of the Ambrian sunset. After what could have been hours or minutes, Kali looked at Obi-Wan.

"Tell me I did the right thing."

He did not answer for several long minutes, his eyes fixed on some distant point on the horizon. Finally he nodded, slowly. "It was what he wanted."

A shiver passed through her. "I feel like...like I've lost something. A friend," she added at his look. "A dear friend. I hope it didn't cause him any real damage." She put her hand on Obi-Wan's knee. "Did I ever thank you?"

He was silent for a moment before he spoke; his tone neutral. "Like I said, I don't blame him for feeling the way he did; not after what has happened between the two of you. As for your feelings for him, well..." he paused. "You said once that love and the Force are the same thing, and I never really understood. But I think I do now. Especially after catching a glimpse of his thoughts, of the memories that you shared."

Her face flamed. "I didn't think about that part."

Silence.

She cleared her throat and continued. "I really don't deserve you, Ben. I'm not sure I could have been as...understanding as you have been. I'm sorry for everything." Still he said nothing, so she sighed and lifted her hand. So I've lost you, too.

"No, Kali," he replied after a moment, taking her right hand in his. "You can't dissuade me so easily." He gave her a tired smile. "It was unexpected, but not as painful as it might have been. You see, I really did think it was just lust, on his part and yours too, clouding his mind and making him think that he loved you. But he did." Obi-Wan's laughter was quiet. "He really did love you. I feel like a fool for not realizing it...I suppose it didn't occur to me that the clones were capable of it. Though, I admit," he added. "I was not without my doubts as to your final choice."

"You thought I'd choose him, over you?"

A breeze picked up and tilted his auburn hair towards her as his eyes lowered. "For a moment, I did wonder. Perhaps I'm not as strong as I would like to think." They sat in silence for a moment before she shook her head, her eyes blinking rapidly.

"It was always you, Ben," she whispered, putting her other hand over his. "Always. But I'm sorry I made you doubt it."

"Well, that is good to hear," he said, his voice light, though she could see the genuine relief in his eyes. As if on impulse, he leaned forward and kissed her, his wide grin causing her heart to skip a beat when they parted.

"So..." she paused, her brow furrowed. "You aren't upset with me? You aren't angry?"

"Lest you forget, my love, I am a Jedi. Compassion is our ultimate goal, after all." His face became more serious and he took her other hand in his. "How many times have I almost lost you? I can't keep track anymore."

"Don't be so dramatic, Ben."

"It's the truth," he replied. "Kalinda, we have a...history of loss, of regret. You know, I meant what I said on Basrah: I don't want to waste any more time with you. Especially now." He didn't say, with the war on, because they both already knew. His grip on hers tightened. "Kali, I'm almost forty years old and the only place in the entire galaxy that I truly call home is wherever you are." There were tears on her cheeks in earnest now, which he swiped away as he smiled at her. "My greatest frustration; my greatest joy."

She shook her head. "Remind me never to underestimate you, Ben."

His kiss was immediate, filled with happiness and a renewed sense of hope. "My love, I'll make sure of it."


Stonewall was awake before he opened his eyes, assessing the sounds and smells around him to ensure that he was not in any danger; sometimes by holding still you could trick an enemy into thinking that you were dead, giving yourself precious seconds to regroup and get your bearings. He was lying on something hard and solid, his head pillowed beneath something soft and vaguely familiar; he could smell dust and heat and the metallic thickness of a ship-a Republic ship. Not in a hostile situation then, he thought. No clanker would take the time to make a meat-can comfortable.

Starting with his feet and ankles, he began to run through a mental checklist of his physical condition, ensuring that he was unharmed before he made the decision to rise. As far as he could tell he was uninjured, though his muscles were tight as if he'd been through a lot of physical exertion recently. Legs are a little sore, back too; head's throbbing pretty bad.

Suddenly the wind shifted and he heard voices about ten meters away, a man's and a woman's, both of which were familiar in the same way as the soft thing beneath his head. His eyelids cracked open and he turned to look below him at the pile of brown fabric. A blanket? No, a robe. He sat up slowly, letting the blood in his veins distribute itself through his body at an even pace so he wouldn't grow lightheaded. The voices were still there, though he couldn't see the speakers and for the first time since he had awoken, he wondered what had happened. He cast his mind back, trying to recall, but was met with a blank wall. That's not good, he thought. Might have a concussion.

One of his brothers lay beside him; a quick assessment confirmed that the younger clone was alive, though his condition was pretty bad. However, the fact that his wounds were dressed and he too, had a makeshift pillow beneath his head reassured Stonewall that they were not in enemy territory.

Stonewall wearing his armor and his helmet was on the ground next to him, which he replaced if only to give himself a measure of familiarity as he was fairly certain he was not in any danger at the moment. His legs were a little shaky as he stepped out of the transport and made his way to the source of the voices.

They were seated on a nearby boulder, their backs to him, each of them dressed in a style of clothing-a pale, rough spun tunic- that he recognized in an instant. Jedi, he thought with a sigh of relief. Generals. Maybe they'll tell me what happened. At the very least he needed to check in and get his next assignment. He stepped forward, noting how the female Jedi seemed to stiffen while the other-the man- turned to him.

His face was familiar, though it took Stonewall a second to recall his name. "General Kenobi," he said, standing at attention. "CC-3077 requesting permission to speak, sir."

The general nodded. "Go ahead, Commander."

The title gave him pause, as he couldn't quite recall the circumstances of his promotion, but he pushed forward regardless. "I...I'm afraid I don't remember your last orders, sir. In fact, there's a good bit I don't remember; I think I may have a concussion. Have you seen the medic around?"

"We were trapped on Ambria, by the bounty hunter, Cad Bane," the general said after a moment. "You and Milo there are the only members of your squad who survived the encounter."

Stonewall assimilated the information without emotion, nodding. "What happened to the bounty hunter?"

The general sighed and shook his head. "Escaped. We're waiting on General Skywalker, who should be here any moment." He glanced at his companion, who had remained silent thus far. "General Halcyon?"

She turned and looked at Stonewall and he noted with some surprise that her eyes were red-rimmed and her cheeks were wet. Her dark hair was unbound and lifted by the wind as she studied him, though for what reason he couldn't have said. Finally, she slipped off of the boulder and approached him; he could see the bandage around her right leg.

"General Halcyon, you're wounded," he said. "You should rest." What? Why in the blazes would I say that to her?

Ignoring his words, she came to stand before him, her dark eyes fixed on his. "How do you feel, Stone?"

Stone? It took him a moment before he remembered his nickname. "Fine, General. Well...sore," he amended. "But able to carry out my duties." His back straightened under her gaze.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

He frowned as he cast his mind back. "I...I'm not certain. There are a few...blank spots, for lack of a better word." He put a hand to his helmet. "Perhaps it's worse than I thought."

Nodding, she glanced at their feet before looking up at him again. "Well, we should be off of this place soon, Stone. We'll get you checked out." She looked back at General Kenobi and Stonewall got the impression that they were doing that strange Jedi trait of speaking without words. He took a moment to study her. There was something oddly familiar about her, something that went beyond what he should have known; elusive, it slipped from his grasp and left him bewildered.

Suddenly, his hand brushed against something beneath his kama. Confused, he glanced at each of the Jedi, both of whom had their sabers clipped to their belts. Stonewall held out the lightsaber to her. "General, this was in my kit. I'm not certain where it came from, but do you think you could please give it back to the Jedi it belongs to? That kind of weapon doesn't belong with a clone."

She didn't move for moment, which confused him. Finally she nodded and took the hilt from his hand. "Thank you, Stone. I'll see that it gets returned." Just then, they heard General Kenobi's comm unit beep, the image of General Skywalker appearing a moment later.

"You guys ready to go? We're nearly there."