Chapter Seventy Nine
Kallie's hysterical giggles resounded around the walker; Rex was playing Pat – a - cake with her but she was really watching her ba'vodu Gregor making gurning faces at her from behind her buir. Ana wanted to laugh but then suddenly emotional, as she watched them, she swallowed hard and with Kallie's giggles ringing in her head, she walked away from the scene after imprinting it on her memory. The supplies needed putting away; the amount she had brought with her should keep them going for weeks, depending on how many visitors they have from the Alliance. Plus there were those two parcels from Rhoxie and Rhia; she was fascinated by them now and needed to ask Gregor or Wolffe about the twins. When the sisters had jokingly asked her if Rex had any brothers she had told them about Wolffe and Gregor. Sighing she set to work on the store room.
A short time later, with everything moved to the store room, she was about to sort it. She wanted to give Rex and Kallie as much time together, as possible, and with Wolffe and Gregor, as they adored her just as much. Ana was always amazed by the clones, by their capacity to …love. That was it. They love their family.
The store room needed organising, so it was easy to pick up what they needed quickly, without thinking. Ana found the monotony relaxing, not having to think too deeply, then her comlink pinged.
"Maya!" She exclaimed, seeing the holo of her adopted daughter; "I'll get Rex, he'll be so happy to see you. He's getting better everyday."
"No! We haven't got time, l'm going on a mission in a few minutes just wanted to check in with you. It's a bit tense around here, someone from Intelligence is checking everyone out. There's been more leaks."
"You were right then—l'm sorry, I didn't believe you."
"They're also checking any Imperial defectors, which is long overdue if you ask me and Kallus has been with them for hours."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm fine…just look after each other and that sister of mine. See you soon."
The holo disappeared, Ana was relieved she had managed to speak to her, having not seen her for months, and was hoping she would continue to be safe, as safe as any spec forces trooper could be. Rex, Gregor and Wolffe would be upset though, not being able to talk to her. She was considering all this when she heard something. A clu—unk of landing feet, from a craft as it settled on the platform; they weren't expecting anyone. No one from Rebel Command had commed them.
As her edginess returned and she checked her blaster, wearing it nearly all the time now, Rex had insisted. Her family were here and she would not let anyone hurt them.
New muffled voices filtered through the walls but she couldn't decipher who was speaking; it wasn't the clones, she was sure of that. She turned the lock; seamlessly it slipped off, thankfully Gregor had oiled it after she complained of it sticking. Stepping carefully, heel to toe, along the small corridor with her back to the wall; she unclipped the holster holding her blaster.
With her back to the door leading to the Ops area, she pushed it slowly and gently open, peering through the crack, trying to see who was there. Her hand tightened on the blaster, as the only thing she could see was an Imperial Torture droid, just like the images she had seen in the database. Just like the one that Kanan had told her tortured Rex.
"Fek." She muttered to herself, "The Empire." She needed more fire power; there must be a number of them; the clones weren't fighting but the Kallie was there. Backing away from the door she retired equally slowly and silently and made her way back to their room. They had kept some of the private rooms on the outside, it was taking her away from Ops and she still couldn't decipher how many people were there. Unwrapping the Verpine from its storage box, she prepped it ready and headed back to the Ops Room.
Breathing out she fired; the kick back was harder as she was tense. But there was satisfying clunk as the Torture Droid was thrown and hit the far wall, followed by the hissing of sparks. She stepped out after realising there was only two Imperials. One of whom was pointing a blaster at her but the clones had done nothing.
"Cy'are, put the Verp down; it's not what you think."
"Rex?" She kept her eyes on the female with the blaster, "Are you all okay?"
"Yes. Now please put the slug thrower down. This is Caern Adan, from Rebel Command."
She still didn't lower it.
"Rebel Command?"
"Yes. It's the debrief."
Still she pointed it.
"So, who exactly are you, and what is that?" Ana pointed at the Torture Droid, which was now sporting a dent on the top of it's dome but the hissing had stopped and it seemed only semi functional. She stared at the slim humanoid standing next to where the Droid had been and found her gaze drawn to the two Antennae that protruded from the top of his head, swaying slightly, as prairie grass in a breeze.
"That's Ito and I'm Caern Adan. Rebel Alliance Intelligence."
Rex was looking at her with a half smile on his face, whereas, Gregor and Wolffe looked shocked. They had never really seen her when she was in full protection mode, protecting her family. She still amazed Rex sometimes, that she was just like a ferocious female Taun Taun and he was proud of her.
"Why are you here?"
"To debrief Rex."
"To interrogate him?"
"No debrief him." Caern's voice was calm
"What about that?" She gestured with the barrel of her verpine towards the incapacitated droid.
"Ito? He helps."
"You mean tortures."
"He's been reprogrammed, to advise and counsel, not torture."
"Hum!"
"This is Kairos; she understands, as well, how the Empire treats people." The female standing next to him, nodded in acknowledgement and lowered her blaster at his instigation.
Ignoring Ana, to address Rex, Caern turned and said, "I've been where you have Captain Rex, and escaped, so I know exactly what is going through your head."
Gregor was nursing Kallie now, who looked at her Mother with wide eyes and Rex headed towards the galley, "Caf anyone?"
Ana finally lowered the Verpine, locked it and leaned it against the wall, letting out a deep breath. She was, she admitted to herself totally confused at how blasé Rex was about all this situation.
.
The table was a little overcrowded as everyone sat with freshly brewed Caf listening to Caern tell his story. Ana stood back.
"So they held you for twenty seven months and you still don't know why?" Ana clarified.
"Yes and no."
Ana blew on her Caf, there was nothing she could say to that.
"How did you manage to survive that long?"
Caern just smiled.
Some might say he was enigmatic; Ana found him irritating.
"So….. there is a mole in Rebel Command; I'm here about that."
"It's not Kallus, is it?"
Caern looked at her strangely "Why would you think it was him?"
"He was Imperial. And he was with you for hours."
"Someone's been talking."
"So?"
"No, he's been cleared."
Ana was relieved about that; he had recently earned her respect and trust, plus he was Zeb's friend.
"But it is someone you know and they involved you. We don't know exactly why, but they targeted you."
"Me?" She suddenly felt cold, 'me' also meant her family. They couldn't target her and not affect her family. What happened with ….Cody….., she could barely even think his name illustrated that.
"We know you had nothing to do with any leaks." His antennae waved around, mesmerising her. "We knew about you helping Garrera." Ana blushed. "Mon Mothma wasn't happy about that but it served our purposes in another way."
He watched her; the droid had some how repaired itself and hovered around her.
"Also the Mandalorians, whilst not directly involved in the fight have proved….. useful to us in other ways. You helped." She saw Gregor shuffle in his seat but with a defiant look on his face.
"You still haven't said who it is."
"Dr Niemens."
Ana felt her knees go wobbly and dropped on a spare chair.
"Sasha?"
.
Rex whispered something to Gregor and quickly followed Ana; he had never seen her move so fast after Caern had made his full revelation. Rex secretly thought he enjoyed being dramatic. The door to the landing pad had just closed as he got there. He pushed it open. Hot desert wind, blew over him, causing his eyes to water; blinking fast, he cleared them and squinted at Ana, her elbows leaning on the railings. He followed her line of sight; she was looking to the mountains. To the Homestead.
"Ana?"
Her head dropped down over the edge.
He had been where she was.
The Chancellor's betrayal.
It made you question who you were.
Placing his hand in the middle of her shoulders, he just wanted to pull her to him, to take away all those feelings that he knew were eating away at her. He knew her now; she would question herself.
"Was I that naïve?"
"No. She had us all fooled, including Sato."
"But she trained me. What if everything she did, everything she trained me on was wrong. That I'm doing more harm than good…."
"Hey, the other medics have seen you work. They would have said something. You treated me. Besides that would have been too obvious for her. Too easy to trace back to her."
He saw her breathe out slowly in relief.
"C'm, here." Pulling her to him he, held her close, head under his chin; she fit there just right.. "You have been there for me so many times now. I cannot imagine my life without you. You wait for me. Now I'm here for you. Tell me what you want to do."
"See her."
.
The droids were intimidating, even with Rex there; she was scanned, physically searched and her ID checked three times. She had never been to a Rebel prison ship before and had never even thought they had them. Never thought about it full stop. The only other prisoner she had known was Fenn Rau and he had just been kept on the base; she had had to give him medical checks on a regular basis but she supposed he wasn't really an Imperial. She walked forward to the ray shield and sat on the chair. Rex had stayed back but he was there hovering in the background, or rather leaning on the wall, arms crossed looking disinterested. She knew better. He had been against this.
Behind the ray shield, Dr Niemens was in binders, she had not been hurt but when they told Ana who had been the leak she couldn't believe it and had asked, no demanded to see her.
Now she had her wish and didn't know what to do. She had so many questions at first but they evaporated from her mind to just one.
"Why?"
The look on Sasha's face was pure disdain.
"Because you were there."
"I thought you were my friend?"
"You don't have friends in the Empire, just people who prove useful to you."
"You played me?"
"Right from day one." She chortled; that hurt more than the words; "You were so naive."
"I was only a cleaner; what could you gain from me?"
"A cleaner, who followed her heart, for a clone who was said to be a great commander. Someone who the Rebels had recruited and were using to great effect. It was a chance and I took it; the chance that you could be useful."
"I still don't understand."
"You were ripe for manipulation, to cause personal problems among the rebels; disruption in any way. Another means. Another finger in the pie. Cleaners go everywhere."
"But you were a Rebel, you were here before me."
"A plant, and there had already been some leaks. One of my associates had been careless and been found out. By me actually. So why do you think Syndulla interrogated you and you couldn't leave immediately. All recruits have to be checked out now." She sighed. "It's more inconvenient for us now."
This was an arrogant Dr Niemens she had never seen; the woman was truly an exceptional actress.
"You passed your test. With the help of the Clones."
"You turned in one of your ….own." Ana didn't actually know what to call them and still couldn't process how emotionless she was.
"The last straw was when you married, actually married the flesh droid and had that…. abomination; I could cope with you having sex with it after all, we all have needs, I understand that but to marry and reproduce, that was a step too far. That was when I had to act."
Ana lunged at her, bounced off the ray shield onto the floor. Her anger had taken over. Rex was there in an instant to pick her up.
"Leave it. She's not worth it."
"She was going to destroy my family." Ana struggled to get away from him. Her anger still burned all she could think about was physically hurting the thing in front of her. "Take the shield down."
"You know I can't."
Ana glared at the Imperial Agent, who was smiling, infuriatingly self satisfied.
"It was all worth it. Even now the Empire is taking action against Lothal helped by information I provided."
Ana slumped back against Rex, her anger spent; the droid guards had entered and were now
Taking her away.
"For the Empire." She declared defiantly.
.
The Rebel Prisoner transport ship was on full alert; it normally didn't even stop for May Day transmissions. There weren't many rebel prison ships but this was heading to the highest security one and now, somehow, it had been pulled out of hyperspace to answer a May Day but the only ship there was a small, Mandalorian Kom'rk class troop ship. It docked, having all the correct codes. The two rebels transporting the prisoners despatched the droids and watched on the security cams. A lone Mandalorian in gold armour entered through the air lock, deactivated the droids, no gun fire, nothing, just pointed something at them and their heads slumped. He or she headed for the prisoners.
The Rebel pilot hit the May Day button..
The prisoners banged and jeered as the gold armoured figure walked along past all the cells to the end one.
They stopped.
The woman inside was sitting quietly and finally looked up.
"Ah. At last." She put the flimzi magazine she was reading, aside and stood up, ready to leave.
They blasted the security camera, extinguished the ray shield and then turned to the Imperial.
"Well, what are we waiting for?"
They pulled off the helmet.
"A'den Skirata. So pleased to make your acquaintance."
The Imperial stared, dragging a memory of wanted men to the surface, the gasped. "You. We destroyed your world. You're dead."
"Mando'ad drastic digu. Your Emperor may have made me disposable but I'm not dead and my brothers aren't. Ana wasn't disposable either."
The Imperials eyes opened wide, she was rooted to the spot, her feet clay. She had expected rescue not execution. The first hit her in the stomach, a slug thrower. She knew it was deliberate to cause pain.
"I can pay you, the Empire can pay you." She knew, she was grasping at straws, as he shook his head.
"Ni Davaab!"
She didn't understand— "Execution." He translated for her, she needed to understand.
"Skira par Ana."
He saw, as soon as she heard the name she understood. Seeing that, he pulled the trigger and turned knowing she was dead. He pulled on his helmet and headed swiftly to the airlock; just before he left he reactivated the droid guards, he wasn't that enamoured of the Rebels that he was going to do all their dirty work for them.
Settling back in his pilot seat, as his craft, it pulled away from the prison transport, he activated his Com. "Prudii, yes, fine. I'm on my way back, I need a new paint job." He listened to his brother, "No not the ship, my Beskar. Gold's not my colour. It's just for special occasions." He laughed at his brothers reply. It had been a good days work.
A/N.
Mando'ad drastic digu. - A Mandalorian never forgets
Ni davaab ner. - I'm executing you
Skira par Ana. – revenge for Ana.
Hope the Mandoa is okay. The three from Rebel Intelligence are characters from Alphabet Squadron. Thank you all for continuing to read.
Sued
