Lana was waiting when they landed in the main hangar bay on Odessen, her face serious. She watched as they filed out of the shuttle, Arcann exiting last. Theron gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek, and she hugged Miriah. "Everything okay?" she asked, close to Miriah's ear.

"So far," Miriah murmured, then turned to face Arcann. "Welcome to Odessen. I'm not sure how to really..."

"Trust me? After all, I have tried to kill you. Multiple times." Arcann looked down before meeting Miriah's gaze. "I know I have to earn your trust. I will do that. But first, can I see my mother?" Miriah took a deep breath but before she could speak, Lana stepped up.

"Of course," she said. "I'll take you." They walked away just as Caly and Sarai came toward them, Caly's mouth hanging open.

"That's him? The one who's been..."

Miriah interrupted her. "It's okay, Caly. He's changed since being freed from his father's mind control." Calypso hugged her mother, then her father.

"If you say so, Mom," she said. "Keep the droids with you, though. I just want to make sure." Miriah laughed as she swept her hand down her daughter's long hair.

"I will," she assured them, feeling Corso's hand on her back. "It's late, let's eat and start again tomorrow." She saw nods all around, and they walked to the mess hall in silence. Corso and Aric went to gather food while the others sat, and Aric took the moment to talk to his friend.

"I don't like it," he said, and Corso didn't need to ask what he was talking about. "Vaylin on the loose again, her homicidal brother here. It's a recipe for disaster!" He banged another dish on the tray. "Why are we doing this? What does he have to gain by joining us?"

"Calm down, Aric. I trust Mir, and if she's okay with him, then I have to be. I'll have Dev feel him out, though. Already sent him a message, so he'll check things out. He was saved by his mother. I think he feels a loyalty to her, and she to us. Maybe that's the link." He shrugged. "I saw him battle his sister, trying to get her to let him help her. If she had, he might have gone with her, but he made the choice on his own."

Aric growled low in his throat. "I'm watching him, rest assured. I'll keep eyes on him at all times." He turned and saw Miriah and Maura laughing and talking. "I won't put them in danger."

"We'll both keep our eyes open then," Corso replied, getting a curt nod from Aric.

Lana watched Arcann as he approached the bed where his mother lay, unmoving and barely breathing. He sank to his knees and took one of her hands in his, bowing his head. She started to leave him, but he spoke. "Has she been like since.. since.."

"Yes," Lana replied. "She's perfectly healthy, but she hasn't woken since the healing."

"I can't feel her at all. In the force. Even when I hated her, I could always feel her. Hate, that's not the right word. When I didn't know any better. That's more accurate." He stood and turned to leave. "I have a lot to make up for."

"She believed in you. She risked the Commander's trust to find you and take you to safety," Lana commented as they walked to the elevator.

"I will make her proud of me again," he said, and when they exited the elevator, Lana offered to show him the mess hall. "I am not hungry, but I am tired. I haven't fully recovered."

Lana nodded. "Let me show you your living space, then." She escorted him to a small apartment over the courtyard and left him, then made her way to the mess hall. There she saw the family, and also saw that Miriah was fading fast. Before she could make her way to them, Theron pulled her to him.

"Corso's got her, love. She's fine. Come, let's go up to the roof." They made their way out after Lana glanced over her shoulder at the group, and once on the roof, sat in the grass. Theron handed her a drink and a plate of food, and she smiled gratefully at him.

"You are always surprising me," she told him, taking a bite.

"You need looking after, and I'm just the man for the job," he told her, a silly expression on his face that had her grinning back. "Besides, you've had a long day, too." They ate in companionable silence, and when finished, gathered their things. When they fell into bed together, Lana snuggled to him, asleep almost instantly. Theron pressed a kiss to her hair and closed his eyes. He still wasn't convinced about Arcann, but it was hard to be worried when he held his heart in his arms. He kissed her again, content.

Miriah leaned against her husband, his solid warmth making her sleepy. When he noticed her eyes were closing, he put his arm around her. "Let's wrap it up, gang," he said, and they saw Miriah's head jerk up, her eyes blinking, and they laughed.

Miriah giggled. "Sorry, I'm feeling the last couple of days," she apologized, and when Corso stood and pulled her up, he hugged her to him before leading her to the secured area and their apartment. When they were under the covers, Corso held her close and she raised her face to kiss his chin.

"Still ticked at me?" he asked.

"No, sugar. I know you were as stressed as I was," she replied, resting her head on his shoulder. They lay silent for a few moments before Corso spoke again.

"Promise me that you'll always have the HK units with you? Even in the secured area?"

Miriah yawned and nodded. "I will, I have since this detail thing started. Why?"

"Just...because."

"Arcann?"

"Mostly, but also because we don't know where his sister is."

"Hmm. Makes sense." She yawned again and Corso used the arm around her to gently stroke her back, seeing her eyes droop and close. He lay there a long time, tired but unable to force the thoughts from his mind, the ones that wondered how safe she was and whether Arcann planned to try and hurt her again.

Aric and Maura were having a similar conversation. "No, really. I stayed with the shuttle and Mags, and we saw the same thing you did on the holo," he told her.

"And what about on the trip back?" she asked, and felt Aric shrug.

"He and Mags talked a little, but it was mostly silent."

"Well, at least Mir isn't upset at Corso anymore," Maura said. "It's getting colder, isn't it?" Aric pulled her into his body, spooning her against him, his warmth infusing her.

"Let's just keep our guard up, okay? You're with her more than I am, but I'll try to stay closer too."

"Do you think Arcann means to try something? In the middle of people who love and support Miriah?" she asked, and felt him kiss her ear.

"I don't know. I'm positive I don't want to give him the opportunity." He exhaled against her neck and she sighed, loving being in his arms.

Corso gave up on sleep very early, and by the time Miriah was awake, he'd cooked breakfast. She came into the kitchen, stretching, and put her arms around him. "Smells wonderful in here," she murmured, kissing his neck when he bent to her.

"Sit, eat," he told her, and before she could get settled, their door chime sounded. Devin came striding into the room, grabbing a mug of caffa before sitting with his parents.

"So, I saw Arcann at breakfast," he started.

"How late did I sleep?" Miriah asked, looking at her datapad for the time, surprised to see it was still quite early.

"What did you feel, Dev?" Corso was watching his son intently.

"I felt no deception from him, and I talked to Aunt Mags, she didn't either on the shuttle back," he replied. "He does feel an overwhelming guilt when he thinks of his mother, and sadness when he thinks of his sister, but I don't think he's the same man I fought on Asylum." Devin sipped his caffa, and sighed in pleasure. "Why can't the mess hall make caffa this good," he wondered out loud.

"This is Aric's special blend," Corso explained, "and I'm glad you were able to check him out. Did he know?"

"Well, he knows who I am, but I didn't try to link with him or anything," Devin explained. They ate and talked while Miriah went to shower and get ready for her day. When they all left the apartment, the HK units took up their guard positions around her as she made her way to the medcenter. None of them were surprised when Arcann was sitting beside his mother's bed. He brought his head up as they approached.

"I'm glad you're here," he said. "I've been thinking. My sister won't allow you to have this control over her for long. She's already planning a way to rid herself of it."

"How would that go?" Miriah asked.

"Father sent her to his home world for the conditioning, I believe she might go back there to reverse it," he answered, then sighed. "I don't know for sure, but it sounds right."

"His home world? Where?" Corso asked.

"I don't know the name of the planet," Arcann said.

"I do," Lana said, joining them. "Vitate wiped his home world of all of his fellow Sith, very long ago, creating a force void on the planet. I'm not sure what it was called before, but now it's called Nathema." Arcann nodded.

"I remember that name now. He told Thexan and me about it, said the void created there would either open Vaylin's mind up to conditioning, or drive her mad. I think it did both." They watched the monitors above Senya's head in silence. Finally, Miriah spoke.

"We need to go there, if you believe that's where she's going next," she said. "And especially if she's determined to have the conditioning reversed." She glanced at Corso, who had tightened his grip on her hand, but he only nodded at her.

"We all go," Lana said. "If you have to confront her there, we are all with you." Her tone was firm and showed her resolve. "I'll go ready things, we can launch when you're ready, Commander." She turned on her heel and quick stepped out of the medcenter.

"I'll go find the family, see who's in," Corso volunteered, and with a quick kiss, left her with Arcann. As Corso left, Arcann noticed the two HK units move closer to the petite woman, leaving no doubt they were on guard.

"If Vaylin breaks the hold on her mind, she will be a formidable enemy," he said. "I will fight with you." Miriah nodded at him.

"I'll let you know the launch time," she said, then turned to leave. Before she could, however, he spoke again.

"I'm sorry," he said, and she could hear the sincerity in his voice. She didn't turn, but nodded her head and continued to walk to the elevators, the HK's on full alert. At the top, Calypso met her, just getting out of school.

"Mom, you guys are leaving? Again?" she asked.

"Afraid so, sweetie. Hopefully, this all ends soon," Miriah replied. Behind Caly, she saw Lana striding toward them. "What are things looking like?"

Lana read her datapad for a moment. "Very early morning, just after midnight, is the soonest we can be airborne," she answered.

"Then I'm cooking tonight. Invite everyone, Caly. Lana, can you send a message to Arcann?" At her nod, she continued. "I'll see you all at seven." Caly put her arm around her mother's shoulders and they walked to the apartment to prepare.

Arcann looked around at the people laughing, talking, and enjoying being in the same space, and realized that this was what a real family looked like. He'd barely eaten, he'd been so busy answering questions and being introduced to everyone. He could see the strength that Miriah drew from her family, and was also very impressed by Devin, who seemed to see right into his head. All in all, he thought, they will defeat Vaylin and take the throne. He was good with that, he concluded. Very good.