DISCLAIMER:I only own my OC's every other character is owned by Disney, Lucas and everyone else who has ever written anything for Star Wars. This is for entertainment only. My own and anyone who cares to read it.

CHAPTER THIRTY

The desert stretched out on its golden path to the horizon, her father's old macrobinoculors magnified the landscape but there was no sign, nothing.

They were overdue. Rex was late.

He had held her, promised her, that he would be careful, but there was something in the way he said it. It had made her feel uneasy.

Worried, as there had been no contact, she checked the datapad for details of how to contact him, to make sure he was ok. That they were all ok. She cursed herself for not thinking of this earlier but on scrolling through the device data, there was nothing, no evidence of Rex and his brothers. Rex had deleted it all, all trace gone.

That should have told her something but she refused to believe it.

She checked again.

Nothing, it was as if he had never existed.

"Fuck you Rex!" The datapad hit the wall and smashed.

"Shit!"

She hid the pieces.

Roba and Nuna needed feeding; she still had work to do. She filled the trough with the slops and they surged to it, knowing enough not to go before she had done that. They had grown well, no illnesses and put on all the necessary amount of muscle and fat; they could go into town soon, to sell on. Rex had been here when they were born, extended the pen and made a new stronger gate for them.

Finally her knees gave way and she was sobbing; hands in the mud, tears dripping and mixing with the sodden ground, until she could cry no more.

It was the realisation that he never intended to return.

The building work was halted and she was talking to people who weren't there, again. It didn't feel good, she reverted back to where she was when she found Rex; he hadn't known it but he had saved her from herself, given her a reason for being.

Rex had shown her that she had a choice. She could revert, or move on.

She didn't revert but went instead to Essie and Tula, to family, to move on.

.

Her last batch of biscuits were removed from the oven; a cake and some fruit bread were already set aside to take into town for Tula and Essie, to thank them for listening to her berate Rex, when she had had one too many brandy's. When she ranted at him until she could rant no more.

She made a Caf, it smelt good; sipping it while checked the Holonews. Sometimes the small things in life helped.

"On your knees, hands on your head, now!" when she wasn't quick enough she was pushed to her knees. Her caf was upended on her top.

It went quiet.

The entry happened in seconds, the door flew open, six Stormtroopers rushed in, and surrounded her in one synchronised action that she couldn't avoid; She was out numbered.

She stared at the flour sprinkled floor.

Another person entered; twisting her head up slightly, she could just see them. An black uniformed officer, with highly polished boots, they stopped a few inches from her head. She daren't move.

It seemed an age before he ordered the Stormtrooper to lift her up; he did so and clasped binders roughly on her wrists. He pulled her by them, ensuring they dug into her.

"Search the property."

The Stormtroopers made her watch while her house was ransacked, yanking her from room to room. When she tried to protest the Sargeant backhanded her with a gauntlet covered hand. She tasted the blood from her split lip.

The officer said nothing.

"Nothing Sir, only men's clothing. The only indication that anyone other than the suspect has been here. This was in a drawer but its clean." He handed the broken datapad to his superior.

"Ana Sant." His accent was that clipped basic most Imperials spoke, condescending. "We have information that you harboured a fugitive from the Empire. A clone...a Captain Rex."

She looked at him, taking in his image but hope sprang up inside her.

He couldn't come back.

"Do you have anything to say?" he asked again.

"Yes, what's your name and how do I spell it. I want to get it right when I complain about you."

He smiled and nodded towards one of the troopers. A fist flew out and hit her in the stomach. Ana doubled over, winded, unable to breathe. She landed awkwardly, and couldn't cry out, as her face hit the floor. The Stormtroopers pulled her back up roughly and pushed her back into the seat.

"I don't want to hurt you but I will." The Officer paced around her. "I have a job to do and I am very good at it."

Another nod, another fist, her ribs took the brunt this time.

Falling to the side, her head hit the floor again, with a sickening crunch.

Nausea rose up.

She didn't, couldn't, wouldn't, answer.

Pulled up and pushed into the seat again. Shooting pains punctured her lungs on each breath, and her head pounded; she tried shallower breaths and dropped her head to stop the pain and the urge to vomit oncreased.

Imperial black filled her vision again and stood, arms on his hips. His right foot tapped impatiently, as he explained. "I need information from you. I know that you had an older man living here with you for several months. I want to know where he went."

Ana looked up at him, from under her brows burning his features into her memory; blond hair, mutton chop beard, hazel eyes, handsome but with an impeccable imperial accent and smug demeanour.

She hated him.

Her glob of spit hit one of his highly polished boots, expressing exactly what she thought of him. He moved his foot to one side, simultaneously striking her with the back of his hand. Pain exploded in her cheek and she could feel her face swelling, as the pain dulled.

"Do not test my patience, Rebel, I want answers." He was in her face. "Perhaps you prefer the troopers." He moved away nodding at the troopers as he did so. They moved forward, lifted her up and holding her arms, one of them took several punches to her stomach. The only reaction she had was to vomit over them. They let her fall and one stood on her leg, just hard enough to sprain her ankle. She lay there, wondering what Rex could possibly have done, that they wanted him so much. He said they hadn't been anywhere near him in years.

Imperial black came back into view and nodded at the troopers again. They roughly lifted her back onto the chair; there was nowhere that didn't hurt on her body.

He leaned into her, "We know you had a man living with you that matched the description of the known traitor, CT7567, formerly Captain Rex of the Grand Army of the Republic. He disappeared after the Siege of Mandalore and instead of obeying his orders to kill the traitorous Jedi, like thousands of his comrades, he collaborated and has now joined the Rebels." He paused, "Now where is he?"

Sighing, she replied, "The only person who has been here was a man called Nik, he told me he was a retired soldier; he earned his keep by doing repairs."

"Your ex-husband said you were….. intimate with him." His distaste laced his words.

She barked a short laugh, "my ex-husband….had issues with me; he didn't want the divorce. He'd say anything to get back at me."

The officer looked at her closely, "Were you?"

"He tried and that was when he got his marching orders; he was old. I'm not that desperate." She hoped the partial lie would suffice; she suddenly remembered the holo that Essie had taken. What had she done with it?

"Did he say where he was going?"

"Back to his brothers." She paused to look at him."I have no idea where that was."

The officer paced up and down in front of her, arms behind his back. The bruising was coming out now and she was beginning to shake, as the shock took over. He turned to look at her again.

"My name is Kallus of the Imperial Security Bureau." He turned to leave, beckoning the troopers to come with him.

"We've wasted enough time here." He headed out of the house and waited for the remainder of the troopers, to return.

The salute was sharp and crisp, "There's no trace of any clone, sir. There's been recent repairs and upgrades but nothing to indicate who's done them."

He dismissed them to the speeders, and took one last look around, one was missing, "Where's the Sergeant?" The remaining squad members looked at the house door.

.

Ana pulled herself up and leant back against the wall, it gave her some respite from the pains but she could still only manage shallow breaths. She sat getting her breath, when she realised the Sergeant was still in the room.

He had removed his utility belt; His bucket was next, she couldn't stop the little gasp that left her as he revealed a face that was very familiar with those brown eyes. He was like Rex, apart from the scars that ran down his left cheek from eye to mouth, and bisected it. He knelt down, leaning into her face, he said.

"I don't believe you; I've seen the vid."

Another piece of armour came off. "My mate was in a walker they took down, he didn't survive."

He pulled her down by the legs. Scrabbling against the floor, Ana desperately tried to get a foothold to get away from him but was hampered by her injured ankle and he was too strong. She managed to squirm away from him once but he pulled her back and pinned her on the floor. The pain from her ribs was making it difficult to breathe and she couldn't get a purchase to push anywhere.

"Please don't." She begged.

He sneered at her request.

"I saw what you did with him; it was popular viewing in the Barracks and now I get the star."

Ana had closed her eyes.

She wasn't here; this wasn't happening to her.

Ana was vaguely aware that the door opened but didn't hope, there were only his fellow Stormtroopers outside and she had the idea that this wasn't the first time he had done this.

Sergeant." Ordered the officer, "leave her alone." He waited for the Sergeant to obey. "We have work to do." The Trooper made no movement.

"Spoils of War, Sir."

"Not on my watch, now get up or the next order you'll obey will be as a private."

Ana felt the weight of the man lift from her and the pain in her ribs subside; she saw a hand come towards her as if to help her up, she shook her head, it retreated.

"My apologies ma'am." The Officer looked as if he was going to say something more but then he turned abruptly and left, closing the door behind him.

.

How long she lay there, She didn't know, the tears had long dried.

Oh Rex, what have you done?

Then, voices, far away, soft then louder, coming nearer.

"Stang! Who did this?"

"I said we should have come as soon as she was late."

"Do you think it was the Imps?"

"Why?"

"Rex?"

"Kriff."

"If this is anything to do with him. I have a promise to keep."

"Shhh. Let's get her cleaned up and in bed."

Essie and Tula.

Thank the Gods.

.

Opening her eyes was painful but she forced herself to do it; she could only see out of the left one. She didn't know how long she had been there, if it was dawn or dusk and didn't particularly care, as she eased herself out of bed she decided, she was going to have a shower.

She needed to feel clean, again.

As the hot water ran over her, it eased some of the aches but the pain was still there, especially around the ribs; several appeared to be broken. She couldn't bear to rub herself, it hurt too much. She managed to partially dry herself, dressed and shuffled to the kitchen to surprise Essie and Tula cleaning up the mess that had been left. Tula was with her, in an instant.

"You shouldn't be up, you should have shouted for us, we'd have helped."

Ana shook her head in reply and took the mug of tea thrust in her hand by Essie, then sank into the chair.

"They were after him, I assume."

Ana nodded "But I didn't tell them anything and at least I know there's a reason he didn't come back."

She took some small sips of tea; it was scalding hot and bitter to taste. It distracted her for a second.

"And what else does it tell you?" Essie asked the question she didn't want to answer.

Ana glared at her.

She persisted. "Ana, you have to face facts. He left you. He.."

"No." That came out more forceful than she had imagined she could be at this time. "There's a good reason. The Empire's after him, so that's why he can't come back. It was always a possibility."

Essie opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it and Ana shuffled out of the kitchen door. It was dusk, the light was dropping even faster now and she knew it would soon be dark. She hugged the mug, as stifling the sobs caused even more pain to her ribs. She knew exactly what Essie meant even if she didn't want to admit it.