He's half-conscious when they haul him up to his knees, his arms imprisoned by the guards on either side of him. Bits and pieces of their conversation hangs over him like a fog as he desperately tries to orient himself.

"…working for the Appeasers…"

"…heard the whole…"

"…recorder in that helmet…"

"You're right," says a woman's voice, low and full of regret. "We can't let him leave."

Boba raises his head, and his visor picks her up on a facescan ID immediately. "Executing a prisoner," he sneers. "Not very senatorial of you."

Senator Riyo Chuchi gazes back him, her pale blue skin almost gray in the dim lighting of the corridor. "Pantora has become a different place since the Empire. I've had to learn a few new skills."

"Like treason?" It's probably not the smartest thing to say, but his head is still swimming from the stun blast and he just needs a little more time.

She's carrying a small blaster pistol in her hand, and it begins to hum as it charges. Her throat convulses, but her hands are steady. She doesn't want to do it. But she will.

"Wait," he says. "That won't penetrate my helmet. Unless you want me to die slowly."

"Remove his helmet," she addresses it to her guards, but Boba shakes his head.

"I'll have to do it."

She looks at him for a moment, and her golden eyes narrow. She points her blaster at his head, and then slowly lowers it until it the barrel is aimed at the unprotected space between his breastplate and his belt. An easy gut shot, and a slow, painful death. "Release his arms."

She's not taking any chances. He can respect that. He'll just have to make this work. Carefully he raises his hands and releases the lock on his helmet. Maybe he can get to the smoke grenade hidden in his knee-plate if he can trigger it unnoticed. He sets his helmet in front of his right knee before he raises his head.

"You're a clone," she says, a touch of breathlessness in her voice. She's surprised, but there's something else there. Maybe something he can use.

"I'm a soldier. In the Grand Army of the Repub-Empire." He makes his voice shake, just a little.

"Kriff." She mutters, looking down at her blaster. "One of your brothers used to serve as my escort on Coruscant. He said his name was 'Handsome.' He was probably joking, but that's what I called him."

It's a connection he needs, but it still makes his stomach roll. "I'm not him."

"I know. You are handsome, though. And so was he." Her chest rises and falls sharply, as if she's holding in a sigh. "More importantly, he was a good man. He deserved a better life than he was given…and so do you."

She definitely slept with her clone escort. Can he use that? "I'm…Gab," he offers, looking up into her golden eyes. "People say I talk too much."

A small smile curls the corners of her mouth. "I'm not your enemy, Gab."

"Senator," one of her guards says in an urgent tone.

Her eyes drop to her weapon, and she releases the charge. Silence replaces the hum, filling the dark corridor. "Get up," she tells him. "Come with me."

He rises on unsteady feet, his balance still off. "Leave your helmet," she commands, and Boba has to resist the urge to look at her. Is this a test? Gab the clonetrooper probably wouldn't care. He obeys, watching from the corner of his eye as one of her guards collects it.

He'll get it back. He just needs a little more time.