The next work shift had them working together. Amira yawned and joined him in the ICU for patient rounds. He glanced at her with concern. "You look like you went ten rounds with a rancor."

She shook her head miserably. "I can't sleep and admin wanted a shift change. Rather than move your shift I told them to move mine and now I am completely messed up."

"I would have changed my shift; you didn't need to do that."

"I know, but I just got here and I thought it would be easier for me to make the change." She peered over his shoulder and studied the patient roster he was holding. "So what have we got today?"

He glanced around the room and indicated to each patient. "We've got one burn patient ready to be taken off a medically induced coma. He'll need careful monitoring and two others who are scheduled to have their pain meds decreased pending examinations, a couple amputees and a head trauma. Where would you like to start?"

"I'll take the medically induced coma."

"Good choice. Meet up for lunch?"

She nodded as she walked toward her first patient. "Sure, you buy."

The FX droid was already recording the patient's vitals. Amira began a basic examination asking questions as she went. "What percentage of his body was burned?"

The droid responded. "89.43 percent."

"How did he sustain these injuries?"

"His fighter crash-landed into a hangar bay; the craft caught fire before he could eject."

She cringed inwardly. "How long ago was the new skin grafted?"

"Three days, fourteen hours and twenty-two minutes."

"Thank you Fixit, that was very precise." The droid finished and sped off to the next patient.

She reviewed the vitals that the droid had just recorded and decided he was stable enough to begin reducing the drugs that kept him in a coma. As she decreased the dosage she spoke to him. It was a habit she had whether or not they might be able to hear her, she talked to every patient. "In medical school they teach us that burns over this much of the body are usually fatal, but with the technology of cloning comes the ability to grow spare organs and even new skin that are exact biological matches to every single soldier.

She recorded the new dosage into the data terminal and left orders for subsequent shifts. "What that means for you soldier, is that you are going to live."

The first part of the shift went by quickly as she went from patient to patient. It felt good to be thinking about something other than her true reason for being aboard the Mercy. She finished the last of her data entry and felt a presence behind her. "You ready for some lunch?"

Trimorri laughed. "Now how did you know it was me?"

"Droids don't breathe nor do they wear cologne."

"True, meet you in the cafeteria?"

"I'll be right there."

He was already seated with a tray full of food when she walked in. As soon as she joined him he was asking questions. "How'd it go with the burn patient?"

"Good, he's stable. Not conscious yet, but he should be by the end of the shift. I didn't want to bring him out too quickly."

He nodded. "Good thinking, the stress can sometimes be to much." he took a bite of fod and changed the subject. "Are you still not speaking to your brother or the General?"

She shook her head. "No, it's only been 24 hours; I'm going to be mad much longer than that."

"You might consider that they were right. You seem to have had a couple close calls lately."

"I don't want to be treated differently. I want to be where I can help our people the most and that isn't going to happen up here."

Trimorri's attention was drawn away from her when the same woman that left his quarters the other morning walked by. Amira noticed they looked at each other, but neither showed the slightest hint of emotion. "Your friend doesn't say hello?"

What?" He turned his attention back to her.

She gestured toward the woman. "You said she was a friend; she hardly acknowledged you."

He pushed his tray away and stood up. "You're being jealous again and it's irritating. I'll see you later. I have something I have to do before I go back to work."

The woman had exited the cafeteria without taking anything to eat or drink and now Trimorri was leaving too. Amira was more than a little suspicious and decided to follow him.

Once in the corridor she had to hang back quite a distance to keep from being seen. Trimorri's pace was quick and she almost lost sight of him. When he rounded a corner she waited several seconds before she followed. As she came around the corner he was gone.

Slowly she moved forward hoping to find him, but stopped near a briefing room just as the door was latching shut. Something told her he had gone in that room. She entered the room right next door. As she looked around she realized she had actually entered the audio visual support area for the briefing room.

Quickly she scanned the control board. There were several switches, she pushed the one that said video and the small monitor lit up she almost forgot to breathe when the image of Trimorii and the mystery women filled the screen. They seemed to be arguing, but there was no sound. She looked for another switch and found the one marked audio and took a deep breath before pushing it.

Amira stood frozen in complete disbelief as the woman's voice filled the tiny room she was in. "You've given us absolutely nothing since she came on board."

Trimorri responded angrily. "Haven't I given you enough? Every time I do what you ask, more of my people get hurt. You promised this would not come to Alderaan if I cooperated!"

She jabbed a finger at him. "You are in no position to complain. Senator Organa's sister is a distraction that needs to be dealt with."

The taste of the bile rising in her throat was nothing compared to the utter devastation ranging inside her heart. It was true, the General was right, Trimorri was a traitor. Alone in the room she could let the tears fall unseen as the argument continued.

"Amira is not to be harmed. That stunt with the attack on the field hospital almost ended my cooperation."

The woman laughed. "Don't be stupid, you are bought and paid for and you will cooperate lest you really want something bad to happen to the Senator's little sister."

She stepped closer to him and caressed the side of his face. "Now go and get me something useful that I can pass to my superiors. Perhaps you can convince your lady doctor to chat with her brother and give up some goodies."

He slapped her hand away. "She is not on speaking terms with the Senator, and I will not involve her in this."

She glided away heading for the door. "My, but you are loyal to her aren't you. Well for her sake she'd better make nice with the Senator so you can earn your pay."

After the woman left Trinmorri stood alone in the room. He flopped into the nearest chair and dropped his head into his hands. As Amira watched him, something became very clear. However he became involved in espionage, he certainly regretted it now and he had no way out. Despite what he had done she pitied him and knew she had to find a way to help him.

Thanks to all the reviewers, you guys keep me going.