The alarm echoed throughout the empty shuttle, reverberating through the air until it seemed to make their seats shake. In years to come, Mara would forget its exact pitch and tone, but would always remember the way it made her skin prickle and her heart plummet.

"They're hailing us."

She looked across at Bodhi. His hand hovered over the comms like he was afraid to answer. She was glad he was so hesitant, she wasn't sure if they should answer either. Mara looked out at the viewport beside her then stretched over the console, trying to see around to the other side of the shuttle, but with her limited view, she couldn't see another ship.

"Who is it?" She asked, sinking back into her seat.

Bodhi shook his head. "I don't know, these comms are ancient." Usually, they'd have at least a vague idea of what kind of ship was trying to contact theirs but this was Sotoo, on its last legs and wobbly legs at that. The comms were very rudimentary, a flashing light and the alarm let them know that they were being hailed but they couldn't tell where the ship was or whether they should be wary. He still couldn't see Alderaan and its neighbouring planets were many parsecs away, so it couldn't be orbiting security vessels. The other ship could be anyone from anywhere.

Mara knew Bodhi was waiting for her to make a decision. She was a captain, she was used to making these choices, and usually, it wouldn't scare her at all, but even though it was just the two of them and not a whole team of soldiers possibly at risk, Mara found herself overwhelmed with unease. The whole galaxy, all this empty space, and a ship had somehow happened upon theirs? She looked across at Bodhi and he looked back at her. He waited until she nodded to pick up the comm.

"This is Sotoo One, receiving transmission. Over." He stated the standard greeting as calmly as he could, trying hard not to let his voice wobble. There was a lump in his throat about the size of his fist, he kept swallowing but couldn't dislodge it. The voice that answered him crackled through the comms, buzzing and shrieking so harshly that even Mara flinched.

"This is the Montserrat, requesting emergency aid! Over!" It was a woman, she sounded frightened. Unlike Bodhi, she didn't try to hide her panic. Now they knew they weren't directly in any danger, his nerves began to settle a little but Bodhi caught himself before he began to relax completely. The other pilot would not sound so distressed, nor would they reach out for help, unless something terrible had happened.

"Montserrat, receiving you." Bodhi glanced at Mara and found her leaning close to him, straining to interpret the woman's words through the thick blanket of background noise from the comms. "Please state the conditions of the emergency. Over."

"We heard the distress signal! We tried to come sooner but Command wasn't sure!"

The pilot's words made Bodhi's skin crawl. Again, he looked at Mara to see what she made of it but despite her obvious trepidation, her face was a mask of calm, as composed as ever. She nodded when she saw him looking her way, indicating that they should press further. Bodhi's hand shook as he raised the comm to his mouth again, pushing his thumb against the transmitter.

"What distress signal? Over."

"Alderaan, it's gone!"

Mara stopped breathing. The world around her began to fade away to a dull hum. The stars blurred. The shuttle darkened. Even Bodhi shrank to just a silhouette in the corner of her vision. All she could hear was the frightened pilot's voice and the thudding of her own heart.

"What do you mean?" Bodhi forgot all about protocol and comms etiquette. He kept looking at Mara, so close to him now, but she was so still, her expression blank. The comms buzzed emptily. Bodhi could still hear the pilot but the connection was weak and her words barely penetrated through the white noise. To ease the anxiety wringing out his lungs, he twisted around in his seat and was finally able to spot another ship up ahead. It was far, far larger than Sotoo. He recognised the design, it was a passenger carrier from Caamas, one of Alderaan's neighbours. He pointed it out to Mara but she hardly registered that she'd heard him. At last, the scrambled syllables came together and terrible words filled the cockpit.

"A space station, the Empire's planet killer." Bodhi's heart suddenly felt impossibly heavy, he could feel it sinking down into his stomach. "It was here! The Death Star!"

He didn't have time to respond. Mara suddenly grabbed his hand, covering his thumb with hers to press the transmitter.

"What happened? What happened to Alderaan?" Mara knew the Death Star. She'd seen its power. How many council meetings had she watched over? How many times had she seen her Queen and her peers discuss the weapon, brave leaders suddenly so fearful? Her hand clutched Bodhi's, her fingertips chilled by the metal, the only thing rooting her to the moment. Then the other pilot spoke again, her anguish singeing her words.

"They destroyed the planet," the Caamarian woman said. "It's gone. Alderaan is gone."

Mara could remember very little of the time after that. One moment, all she could hear was the dull thrum of the comms and Bodhi calling her name, over and over again, but he sounded so far away, just a distant echo. Nothing felt real. The next moment, she felt herself stumbling down Sotoo's ramp. Her feet found soft ground, the air thick and damp so that she had to fight harder to breathe.

They were in a forest, that was all she could glean from her surroundings before she grabbed onto a tree a few paces from the clearing they'd landed in. Mara bent over the side of the tree and retched. Her head was swimming, her legs so weak she could hardly stand. This isn't real. This is another nightmare. This can't be real. Alderaan can't be gone. She could hear Bodhi calling her. His footsteps thumped against the mossy ground behind her, then she felt his hand on the small of her back. Mara pushed herself away from the tree, scraping the palm of her hand against its rough bark.

"Don't!" She threw out her arm, pushing Bodhi's hand away. "Don't touch me!" Surprised by her vehemence, Bodhi fell back a few steps, tripping on the uneven ground. He looked hurt but Mara brushed it away.

Bodhi could still feel the shape of her hand on his forearm, his skin tingling from the force of her action, not because it had been particularly hard but fear had made him uncomfortably aware of his senses, the sun just that bit too bright, the silence in the forest pressing against him. "Mara." Her name fell from his lips, just a whisper. He didn't know what to say. What could he say? Bodhi tried taking a step closer but Mara jabbed her finger at him, keeping him at a distance.

"Do not try to tell me that it's alright." Her voice rose so suddenly then it felt like she'd split the forest in two. Then Bodhi saw something that stopped his heart. She was crying. "Do not try to tell me that everything's going to be fine."

"I won't," Bodhi promised, resting a hand over his heart. "I won't."

Mara nodded, swaying slightly on unsteady legs. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, then brushed angrily at her eyes. She still wouldn't let any emotion slip, not even now. Bodhi wished he knew what to do. All he could think about was what his mother used to do whenever he tripped and scraped his knee, or the older boys chased him home from school.

He took a tentative step closer, slowly reaching out to her. "I..." He placed a hand on the top of her arm, feeling awful when Mara flinched away from the contact. "I'm so sorry." Bodhi carefully, slowly, gently wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so sorry, Mara." He moved slowly to give her every chance of moving away. But she didn't. Mara stayed stiff as he pulled her close, his hands flat against her back, but she didn't yell or fight or hit him. She let him hold her, and after a moment, Bodhi felt her shoulders sag, her body relaxing against his. Now that they were still, the early morning air settled over them but they hardly felt the cold. Mara rested her forehead against his shoulder, her arms hanging uselessly down at her sides. She was shaking.

Bodhi led her back inside, keeping an arm around her shoulders. They sat down on one of the benches in the hold, side by side, leaning against each other for support. It felt like hours before either of them spoke again. Bodhi looked down at the women beside him. She didn't look like a captain anymore, not even with her immaculate jacket and striking tattoo. The fire was gone from her eyes. She looked drawn and hollowed out and so, so tired. They were completely and utterly powerless.

Mara had realised it too. For the first time in her life, she didn't have a direction. She didn't have a plan or a goal. Everything. She'd lost everything. Her mother. The Queen and Bail. The people she went to school with. The people who worked in the Royal Palace. Everyone she'd ever spoken to. Everything she'd ever owned. All of it. Gone. Taken from her. Just like Leia.

"What do we do now?" She felt tears begin to brim again but this time, she let them fall. Bodhi wouldn't think less of her. Bodhi wouldn't mind.

"What do you want to do?"

That was a good question. Mara didn't want anything at that moment. She felt numb. Empty. She couldn't feel a thing. "This," she said, leaning back against the wall of Sotoo, then against him.

Bodhi could feel her warmth through his shirt, it made his cold skin smart. He nodded even though she wasn't looking at him but blankly staring at the opposite wall. "Then that's what we'll do." She didn't respond but he wasn't expecting her to. What would they do now? She was planetless. The idea was so enormous and terrifying that he could barely even begin to wrap his head around it. Losing the Holy City had been devastating, but a city could be rebuilt. Alderaan, all its history, its people, were gone.

He couldn't get Mara's face out of his head. The moment the Caamarian captain told them the awful news, she fell out of her seat, stumbling into the cargo hold where she began to beat the wall with her fists, screaming wildly. It was awful to think that that was the first real emotion Mara had shown him. Bodhi wanted to go to her but he had to land the ship. He located the nearest planet and set a course, forgetting to thank the other captain in his hurry. Now they were alone again, with no destination, no friends, and no idea what to do.

They stayed that way for hours, leaning against each other in the dark, without saying a word. Bodhi slipped in and out of sleep, just waiting for Mara to tell him what to do. But she didn't say anything. She barely moved. He thought she might drift off too but Mara just sat there, staring at the wall. The only indication he got that she was still awake was that at one point, she leaned a little closer and rested her head on his shoulder, reaching out for a comfort she'd never been given before. Bodhi thought about moving Mara to the bed, the metal bench was hard and uncomfortable and his back was starting to ache so surely hers was too. The blankets weren't that much more comfortable but it was something. In the end, he didn't have the heart to move her, so they stayed that way until night fell.

Bodhi didn't know this planet, he'd never been here before, but what little he knew about it worried him immensely. In his blind panic, he'd forgotten Aldraig IV's history of war and, worse, its current state. The Empire left the self-government of many planets intact, especially those that were either indifferent or supportive of the New Order. Less than 1/80th of all planets had had their governments altered. Planets that rebelled were deemed hostile and had governors appointed to them. Since the beginning of the Empire's rule, the planet Aldraig IV had been put under the control of Governor Talloryn due to its commercial value. Governor Talloryn had immediately instigated the deforestation of the planet to sell off the timber and, more beneficial to the Empire, to make room for the construction of AT-AT production lines.

Bodhi had visited such factories before, only to drop off deliveries, but the enormous structures were always heavily guarded. His landing had been pretty spectacular, they practically fell out of the sky. He doubted that anyone could've missed them. If they stayed here, it wouldn't be long before they were discovered. He had to go out and see how close they'd landed to the planet's military base and to find them something to eat and drink. Bodhi didn't know how he could possibly make Mara feel better, but he did know that good food and a warm bed might help to ease the pain just a little. He reached around himself so that he could gently pat Mara's arm with his free hand, the one she wasn't leaning on.

"Mar, I have to go find something for us to eat," he whispered, trying not to startle her. It was so quiet, both in the forest and inside Sotoo, that every word spoken above a murmur felt like a slap. Mara made a noise of protest when he tried to get up. He thought for a second that she might've been comfortable and didn't want him to move but then she grabbed onto his sleeve, her fingers digging into his arm.

"No, Bodhi, don't." Mara's eyes were wide and frightened. She could feel panic started to weave its way through the numb fog that engulfed her. She didn't want to be alone. Not now. She didn't want Bodhi to leave her sight. She couldn't lose anyone else. He gently unpicked her fingers from the cuff of his jacket, whispering reassurances under his breath the whole time.

"I won't be long." He took off his jacket. If he did run into any Imperial guards, he didn't want to be caught with the symbol of the Rebellion on his arm. He hesitated before laying it across Mara's knees to keep her warm. "Stay here." He tried to muster a smile but couldn't quite manage it. Her eyes were still wide but she didn't protest again. Bodhi left the shuttle, closing the door behind him.

Mara sat in the dark for what felt like hours. She bounced her heels, trying to keep herself warm, but the rain and mist outside seemed to cling to Sotoo, turning the shuttle into a refrigerator. As the evening drew closer, her breath began to curl through the air like smoke. Where was Bodhi? It was hard to measure how much time had passed but he should be back by now. What if something had happened to him? Mara rose to her feet slowly, not trusting her legs to hold her up just yet. She went to the door and stared at the keypad beside it, debating with herself for a few moments before she finally gave in to her curiosity and worry and opened the door. Mara stared out at the dark forest, feeling unease begin to trickle down her spine. Bodhi was nowhere to be seen.

She fought through the haze that surrounded her and the voice in her head telling her that she should stay there, stay quiet, stay unfeeling. She looked down at the jacket Bodhi had given her, clutched tightly between her fingers. The soft leather was worn and scarred, deep brown and edged with red and blue bars. Mara brushed her fingers over the Rebel Alliance emblem on the shoulder, then reached round to her own shoulder, faintly touching the tattoo that matched. It was a struggle to move, a battle to stay standing, but her friend might be in danger. Mara placed Bodhi's jacket on the bench then her own beside it and left the ship.

Bodhi was fairly certain that he was lost. His sense of direction had always been rather good, he'd be a terrible pilot if he couldn't follow his nose, but the forest was close and thick, and with the hazy grey fog, he could hardly see three paces ahead of him. He'd ventured out to see if he could spot the factories and was relieved to find that the smoke billowing from their towering chimneys was just a faint haze in the distance. No one knew they were here, no one would come looking for them.

It also meant that there was no proper food for miles but they ate well on Taanab and he'd stumbled upon a Binka tree a few clicks back. He collected as much of the yellow fruit as possible, knowing it was all they were going to have to eat before they found somewhere else to land. He'd lifted up the front of his shirt like a pouch and carried the fruit all the way through the forest, hoping he was heading in the right direction. At last, he thought he saw a twisting tree that he recognised and knew he must be close.

A rustle of leaves to his left made him stop. He froze, his foot hanging in mid-air. Bodhi turned his head, straining to listen for any other sign of movement. It was deadly silent in the forest, most of the wildlife had been driven out by the Imperial factories. He hadn't seen a bird or insect since they landed. He heard it again, a brushing in the leaves but to his right this time. Bodhi bent down and poured the fruit from his shirt as quietly as he could, just in case he needed to run.

"Hello?" He knew it was stupid but rather they knew he was here than he surprised them and got shot. He knew what he'd prefer. Bodhi turned on the spot, feeling the hairs on his arms begin to stand on end at a crack in the undergrowth, closer than before. "Please, please help me." The blunt whir of a blaster being armed made him spin around again. A figure emerged from the trees, a head taller than him, long-limbed with skin as grey as the fog. Bodhi's heart thrummed, his breathing suddenly growing shaky, but he dared not run. "Please." He tried to sound desperate so that they knew he wasn't a threat. "My wife and I need help, is there a town near here? Or a village?"

The tall creature said nothing. It just raised its blaster. Crunching behind him made Bodhi spin around to find several more figures emerging from the dark trees. They each carried an enormous blaster. One held a club tipped with jagged barbs. Another had a long, spear-like weapon that sparked at one end. They were Adarians, he could tell from their elongated skulls and lack of ears and noses. Their heads were covered in fine hairs sensitive to sound waves and their skin was underlaid by glands that allowed them to detect odours, which is probably how they were able to track him through the enormous forest. The Adarians had distensible throat pouches which they elongated to emit a loud, subsonic call so they could communicate over long distances, reaching over 20 kilometres. They'd probably been tracking him since he left the ship, communicating between themselves in a language he couldn't hear. Bodhi raised his hands above his head.

Mara trudged through the underbrush, pushing low branches out of her way. She wasn't a fantastic tracker, it had only been a small part of her training, but Bodhi had trampled so brazenly through the forest that even a blind man could follow his path. She pushed aside a branch about head height, her eyes on the ground following Bodhi's footprints in the soft earth. The thorny branch scratched her palm and she swore loudly, forgetting in her surprise that she might not be alone. Mara held her hand up to her face, watching the blood begin to bead then trickle from the cut.

"Brilliant," she muttered, looking around for something to wash away the blood, but she found nothing. Resigning herself to her situation, Mara wiped her hand on her dark trousers, wincing as her skin smarted. A snap made her head whip round. She heard voices, piercing and heavy, then numerous feet trampling through the undergrowth. Mara dove behind the nearest tree, holding her breath to keep as quiet as possible. The footsteps grew closer. Mara peered around the side of the tree and saw six figures hacking through the forest. They didn't seem to care how much noise they made which could only mean they had nothing to fear. Mara watched them walk past, her eyes immediately searching for any weapons they might be carrying which she found in abundance. Five creatures, tall and lithe, and in their midst, head bowed, was Bodhi.

The Adarians didn't hurt him much, just pushed him to his knees and held the awful barbed club to his back whilst his hands were bound. Then one grabbed Bodhi by the scruff of his neck like a dog and righted him again. He tried begging but they either couldn't understand him or just didn't care. They were slave traders, smugglers, probably bounty hunters too. He didn't know where they were leading him but he knew it was away from Sotoo, away from Mara. He thought about trying to call out to her to warn her but he didn't want to alert the Adarians of her whereabouts. So Bodhi kept quiet, his brain turning over and over as he tried to think of a way out of this unnervingly familiar situation.

The Adarians stopped abruptly, twisting their heads this way and that like they were trying to catch a scent. Or they'd heard something. One creature, who seemed to be the leader, barked an order and pointed into the trees beside them. The Adarian with the club went into the underbrush. Bodhi tried to see what he was looking for but suddenly the Adarian flew out of the bushes, landing hard on its back. The others all hissed warily, looking between each other and the trees. Then a figure emerged from the mist, spinning the Adarian's club between her fingers with all the swagger and confidence of someone who'd lost their princess and their planet and had nothing left to lose.

"Mara, don't!" Bodhi's warning fell on deaf ears.

Mara waited until another Adarian ran up to meet her, taking her time, then suddenly struck out with the long club, hitting the creature in the throat hard. It screeched and fell back a step which Mara used to her advantage, immediately descending upon the Adarian. With just three swift strikes with her stolen weapon, the creature lay on the forest floor. Obviously not wanting to waste any more time or soldiers, the leader of the smugglers raised one long arm and gave an order in Adarese.

Despite the difference in size between the woman and her assailants, it looked as if she was not in need of any outside assistance. It finally dawned on Bodhi, as he watched Mara fight, that he'd only seen a fraction of what she was capable of. Now Mara was heartbroken and furious and her ribs no longer held her back, she looked unstoppable. A twist and flip, and suddenly the brute who had tried to grab her arm found himself on the ground. When his companion rushed to assist him, he found himself on the wrong end of a ferocious assortment of kicks, punches, and blows delivered by the club that Mara wielded. In short order, both men found themselves prone and unconscious.

Mara was just turning around to deal with the two final Adarians when she felt a stab of excruciating pain between her shoulder blades. She could hear Bodhi yelling her name as she fell to her knees, panting as the last waves of electricity raced through her body and into the ground through her fingertips. The Adarian leader laughed as he passed the spear tipped with swirling blue energy between his hands, enjoying the sight of Mara shuddering in the dirt after such a show of bravado. She clawed her fingers into the mud, forcing herself to turn around and face the man who attacked her.

"I am Captain Verbanti of the Alderaanian Royal Guard, you will let us go this-"

"Pad'atwo!"

The Adarian smuggler raised the spear as if to shock her again. Mara knew that meant 'shut up' but she'd been through too much and come too far to be beaten now. "You have no idea who you're-"

"Actually, I know exactly who you are." The Adarian leader suddenly switched to Galactic Basic Standard. The language was tricky for the lipless species, his accent was so thick they could only just understand him. The Adarian gestured to one of his men and they stepped forward to pass him a datapad. He rapped his long fingers against the screen then smiled coldly. "Bodhi Rook." He rolled the name around in his mouth, taking his time with it just to make Bodhi uncomfortable. "You are a very wanted man."

A hologram of his own face shone from the datapad, oscillating back and forth. Beside it was his name, date of birth, and his worth. Realisation hit Bodhi like a punch to the gut.

"Please, don't." He didn't care what they did to him, beatings, torture, all of it paled in comparison to the pain of Mara finding out about him, of her looking at him differently. But the Adarian leader couldn't care less what he wanted.

"75,000 credits for one man?" He peered down at Bodhi as if to appraise him for himself. His pale eyes glinted in the dying light. "You must have been very bad."

"What are they talking about?"

Mara's voice was very low and very quiet. She knelt a pace or so behind him; Bodhi had to twist his head right around to see her. She looked drawn and tired, but the Adarian's words had set a fire behind her eyes. She was staring at his hologram. He wanted to tell her not to listen to them, to fight back and run to the ship, but he didn't get the chance.

"Wanted by the Empire... We have ourselves a runaway!" The Adarian knelt down in front of Bodhi, reaching out one hand to grip his chin. Bodhi grunted as the creature roughly turned his head to the left then the right. "A defected Imperial pilot," he said, then looked up at his crew and spoke in Adarese. The men laughed and Bodhi felt like sinking into the mud beneath him. The leader of the bounty hunters clicked his tongue thoughtfully then let him go. "You don't look that important to me."

Bodhi twisted around to look at Mara, his stomach already wringing into knots. To his dismay, she didn't look angry. Mara's face had collapsed into a look of complete and utter anguish. Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide and shining. This was far worse than anger, this was betrayal. "Mara-" He tried to explain but the bounty hunter stepped forward and kicked him hard in the stomach with such force that Bodhi doubled over, his face pressing into the mud.

"Put them on the transport." Bodhi couldn't breathe as they hauled him to his feet but even if he could've got the words out, they wouldn't have listened to him anyway. Adarians were a stubborn people. Once they'd made up their minds, it was almost impossible to change them. The binder they slapped onto Mara's wrists pinched her skin and every time she tried to wriggle her hands around behind her back to ease the pain, the guard shoved her and she stumbled. They led them through the trees until they reached another clearing where the Adarians had landed their transport, a long, thin cruiser for carrying prisoners.

The second Mara saw the ship, her instincts kicked in and she saw red. She would not be getting on that ship. She would be no one's prisoner. She jumped and swung her arms under her feet so that they were in front of her, then whirled around and struck her guard hard in the throat with the heavy metal case covering her hands. He stumbled back but before Mara could reach the next Adarian, she felt a sharp pain at the base of her neck and the world went dark.

When she next opened her eyes, the pale sky was gone and the towering trees and fresh air had been replaced by four grimy walls and a stench she couldn't have identified even if she wanted to. Mara groaned and closed her eyes again. She was tired of waking up in places she didn't know. She was tired of coming this close to drowning only to be pulled to the surface at the last moment. She wished the universe would just get it over with, and put her out of her misery.

"Mara?"

That voice, that voice which had once been her only source of comfort. Now it sent a burst of anger throughout her body, settling in her heart. It gave her the strength to open her eyes again. She was lying on the floor of a cell, just a thin layer of scattered straw lay between her and the ground. A faint, low rumbling sound filled her head, buzzing like a swarm of bees. Every muscle in her body ached from the Adarian's spark-tipped spear but she managed to sit up. The electricity that had shot through her was strong enough to knock her out cold but she could still remember what happened. She remembered everything.

Her vague, nebulous thoughts came together at last. She looked around and found Bodhi pressed against the bars that separated their cells. The gaps between the spokes were narrow, he could only just squeeze his arm through, but he was reaching out to her, his face pressed up against the bars, he was so close.

"Thank the Force, you're awake."

He looked over his shoulder, perhaps to make sure no one was listening in. She realised that the low hum she could hear was the layered voices of those occupying the other cells. Peering out of her tiny prison, Mara could see two rows of cells, each housing a frighteningly thuggish creature. One across the row from her saw her staring and bared its pointed teeth. They were criminals, or at least, people who'd done something bad enough to warrant a bounty on their heads. The hall stretched off into the distance and ended with an open door, through which she could see two Adarians chatting in their horrible, clicking language.

"We're on their base," Bodhi kept his voice low and hushed, the sound grating to her tired mind. "They don't have many guards but they-"

"Shut up," Mara whispered. Bodhi's anxious words lurched to a halt but not for long.

"What?" He frowned. "No, I'm-"

"Just shut up, Bodhi." Mara spoke quietly but her words cut through the air. Even the other prisoners seemed to stop their mindless chattering, suddenly interested in the two humans. Mara slowly got to her feet, leaning heavily on the cell door. It was only when she'd steadied herself that she met his gaze. "How could you hide something like this from me?"

Bodhi's face fell. He looked sad for a second, then his expression shifted and he moved away from the bars between their cells. "I didn't hide anything."

Mara scoffed, letting go of the door so that she could turn away from him. Bodhi bit his lip. He hadn't thought of it like that. It was so rare to meet someone who'd never heard of him, he couldn't help indulging in the anonymity. And after that, it seemed too late to tell her about his past. Then there was Mara's clear hatred of the Empire, she never would've trusted him if he told her. And, Bodhi supposed, it had been nice to pretend, just for a little while, that he was himself again, just Bodhi, not the pilot, or the defector, or the war hero. With a sigh, he pushed himself away from the bars.

"If I told you, you would've left me on Boz Pity. Don't even try to deny it."

Mara suddenly turned around, all that power and rage that had frightened him when they first met returning to her.

"You didn't think to mention that you worked for the enemy."

Bodhi scoffed. "Kriff, would you listen to yourself?"

"You didn't once think that that information might've been relevant."

"It wasn't. It isn't."

Mara stared at him. She was breathing heavily. The electricity had left scars and burns throughout her body, it hurt just to stand. Then her face crumpled, first into sadness then anger again.

"I trusted you."

If he hadn't been so irritated himself, Bodhi would've known to apologise then. But he had been threatened, shot at, and now captured by bounty hunters, and he was tired too. None of that left much room for rational thinking.

"You kidnapped me." He bit back.

"Oh, for-"

Mara rolled her eyes as if to say 'oh, not this again' and that only made Bodhi angrier. He stepped forward again, getting as close to her as he could. "Oh, and while we're on the subject, you seem to have forgotten, oh, great and powerful Mara Verbanti, Captain of the Right Royal Nightmare of Alderaan-"

"You shut your mouth." Mara spat out the words. She would not have her planet's name spoken in vain, not now, not ever. But Bodhi was too furious to care.

"I didn't ask to go on this idiotic tour of the outer rim. You forced me out here, you took me away from my friends."

"Please," Mara sneered. "You're a defected Empire drone, no one on that base is your friend."

Her vehemence surprised Bodhi. He was very much aware that many of the other prisoners had now stopped their conversations to eavesdrop on theirs. A brewing argument between two humans was the best entertainment they could get and those who understood Standard watched them with clear interest.

"Oh, like you'd know anything about friends." Hurt flashed in Mara's eyes. That was a low blow. But why should he have to be the civil one? Why should he have to tread on eggshells and Mara could say and do whatever she wanted? She'd bullied him from the moment they met, why shouldn't he tell her exactly what he thought of her. "You learn one thing about me and suddenly you know me. This is why I didn't tell you. If you weren't so blinded by your own prejudices-"

"Prejudices?"

"You would see that I've never hurt anyone. I did not steal your precious Princess Leia."

"No, but you aided the people who destroyed my home!"

"They destroyed mine too!" Bodhi's voice rose with frustration. He didn't understand how Mara could think she was the only person in the galaxy who'd lost things, that she was the only one who'd suffered.

"Oh, so that's what made you change your mind, is it?" Mara stepped forward slowly, her head tilted to the side in a way that Bodhi found aggravatingly condescending. "That's what finally gave you a conscience."

"You know nothing about me." He did not risk his life for the Rebellion so that people could still talk to him like he was nothing. He watched her step right up close to the barrier that separated them. Now there was no way she could hurt him, he felt a lot braver. She couldn't hold a stolen medcentre scalpel to his throat through the bars of a cell. "I have spent every waking moment trying to make up for it. I risked everything for the Rebellion! I could've died on Scarif!"

"Yeah, well things would be a lot better for me if you did!" Mara regretted it the moment the words left her mouth. Even the other prisoners seemed to fall silent, shocked by her spite. Bodhi's scowl softened then disappeared altogether. She watched his shoulders sink. He stared at her for a few moments before letting his gaze drop to somewhere near her middle then fall to the floor. Mara clenched her teeth, feeling the need to apologise sitting in her throat, but something stopped her, pride, ire, she wasn't sure. It didn't matter, the door to her cell rattled and she turned to find the two guards standing in the doorway.

"Tua. Ki-wawao."

One gestured for her to follow them. Mara eyed the electric staff in his left hand; she could still feel its sting reverberating through her muscles. She weighed her odds and came to a conclusion quickly. She did as she was told, much as it aggravated her to do so, and followed the Adarians down the row of cells.

Bodhi watched her walk away. Despite his aching heart and wounded pride, he prayed and prayed that Mara would look back. But she didn't. Bodhi shrank back into the corner of his cell, sinking to the grimy floor. He pulled his knees up to his chest, making himself as small as possible, hoping to fade into the shadows. Mara's words echoed through his head. Part of him wanted to be angry. How could she speak to him like that after all he'd done to help her? He'd done bad things, Bodhi knew that, but he'd tried to make up for it. He was still trying. He'd never stop trying to repay that debt.

But then there was the other part of him, the part of him that agreed to help Mara, the part of him that bought her food even when she said she wasn't hungry and bacta patches when she was determined to keep fighting. The part of him that cared for Mara. The part of him that knew she was only speaking out of a broken heart. The way she'd look at him on Taanab, so open and nervous... He was her first friend. And he let her down. Bodhi let his head sink down until his forehead rested on his propped up arms. All around him, the prisoners wailed and rattled their cages. He tried to get some sleep but thoughts of what the Adarians would do to him, and Mara's disappointed face kept him up all night.

With one guard walking in front of her and another bracketing the first behind her, Mara wouldn't have been able to get away easily even if she had the strength. They led her to another row of cells, just as dark and dismal as the first except in this section of their base, she was the only prisoner. Without a word, she was shown into the first cell.

Mara waited for them to shut the door behind her but the Adarians remained in the entryway. She watched them closely, her aching muscles tensed. Then one of the creatures stepped inside the cell and growled a command. Mara looked between the two guards but neither of them spoke Standard. The one closest to her seemed to grow frustrated. He reached out to her with both hands and Mara instinctively stepped back, raising her own hands, putting as much space between them as possible without backing herself into a corner.

A third guard joined them, another sparking spear raised. As the first Adarian forced her to her knees and the second stepped forward with a knife as long as her forearm, Mara felt a small sense of satisfaction to know they were frightened of her, even now. The Adarian holding her shoulders tightened his grip and the guard with the knife reached behind her head. Despite her fear, Mara felt an overwhelming peace. If this was it, she would soon be with her mother, Bail and Breha. She would be with them on Alderaan. But the Adarian only sharply tugged her hair from its messy bun.

"Kaná to'watō," he said, and although she has no way of knowing what he meant, his terrible voice sounded odd, as if he was trying to reassure her.

He raised the knife and Mara realised what they were going to do. These Adarians were bounty hunters and slave traders. Bodhi would be handed over to the Empire for a reward; she would be sold on to the highest bidder and to do that, they would need to erase her identity. Everyone knew Alderaanians were proud of their hair.

The guard by the door shuffled uneasily as if he anticipated her to put up a fight but despite every instinct telling her to run, Mara let the Adarian grab the ends of her hair and pull her head back. Mara didn't cry. She didn't even blink. Her only thoughts were of Leia, praying that she was safe, as her last connection to Alderaan was hacked away, falling to the ground at her feet.