The stormtrooper was dead before he could even think about moving again. Bodhi grabbed his blaster from the ground and fired several shots right into his chest, making the Imperial trooper stagger back until he hit the ground with a dull thud. The silence that followed was suffocating. Bodhi turned, fighting through the overwhelming nausea that crept up his throat, to find Mara hadn't moved. She'd fallen on her side, her arms and legs sprawled, her olive skin now pale.

The blaster fell from his grip, he barely noticed its dull 'clunk' as it hit the ground. Bodhi wanted to rush to her side, to make sure that she was alright, to grab her shoulder and tell her that they had to keep going. But he felt too weak to move. He could only stare at her, his whirring mind now vacant of all meaningful thought apart from the horrifying realisation that the woman he cared about was gone. At last, he felt able to move.

"Mara?" Her name was heavy on his tongue. Bodhi bent down and gently brushed his fingertips against her arm, almost afraid to touch her. When she didn't stir, Bodhi settled onto his knees and carefully pulled back her shoulder until she lay flat against the cold ground. "Mara, please." Her eyes stayed closed. "No no no no..." Bodhi's heart constricted, his gut twisting until he could hardly breathe. "Mara, come on. We've got to go," he whispered, gently shaking her shoulders. He prayed and prayed, begging her to open her eyes, to smile at him, to tease him and to call him 'flyboy' one more time. But she didn't move. She looked so small. Mara was the most powerful person he'd ever met, to see her so still and so quiet was unnatural. "Mara. Please."

He didn't care if more troopers found him, he didn't care if they got him too, he didn't care about anything other than her. Bodhi rested his left hand on her cheek. He wanted to feel her, feel the warmth of her, but her skin was cold against his palm. "Please." His other hand found hers, carefully weaving his metal fingers between hers. All he could think about was the night before, how peaceful it had been the first time he held her hand, how they'd stood together and watched the stars grow brighter. This couldn't be it, this couldn't be how it ended.

He squeezed her hand, urging her to look at him, but Mara still didn't move. Bodhi couldn't hold back his choked sob any longer. Breathing was a struggle, every heartbeat agony. She couldn't be gone. Not Mara. "Please don't leave me." Bodhi slowly bent forward and rested his forehead against hers, begging and begging her to wake up. He'd lost so much, he never thought he'd lose her too.

"Hey!"

Bodhi almost jumped out of his skin at the sudden shout. Another stormtrooper stood in the mouth of the tunnel, his blaster raised and pointed at him.

"Hands in the air!" His voice rumbled like thunder through his heavy mask.

Bodhi stared at the weapon in the trooper's hand, his lips parting as he let out a shaky breath. He didn't want to let go of Mara's hand. He didn't want to leave her here in this dark place.

"Please," he murmured, tactfully raising his free hand above his head. "I know you don't want to do this." The stormtrooper ignored him and stepped closer. Bodhi stiffened, the urge to protect Mara far stronger than his fear. He could sense the stormtrooper studying him but he didn't care. Bodhi's imploring gaze never wavered and his hand never left Mara's. The trooper ordered him to get to his feet, gesturing with the barrel of his blaster. Bodhi hesitated but the Imperial stepped even closer and he heard the blaster switch from stun to kill. Bodhi looked down at Mara. Steeling his nerves like he knew she would want him to do, he carefully rested her hand on her chest and got to his feet.

The stormtrooper forced him to walk ahead, ordering him to place his hands on the back of his head. As he was led back into the tunnel, Bodhi risked a glance over his shoulder. He wanted one last look, a small part of him clinging to the hope that Mara might still be alive. But her eyes were closed, her mouth set in a grim line. The stormtrooper jabbed the nose of his blaster between Bodhi's shoulder blades, making him stumble and look forward again.

As the dark tunnel enveloped him, Bodhi thought only of Mara. Tears stung his eyes but he blinked them away. She wouldn't want him to give up, but he couldn't erase the image of her sprawled across the cold, stone ground from his mind. Sadness blurred the edges of his memory, dulling his senses. Perhaps if he hadn't been so upset, he would've noticed her shallow breaths brushing his skin as he leaned over her.

"What should we do with him?"

The cold, metallic voice of the stormtrooper brought Bodhi back from his thoughts. There was another trooper, they must be some of the last left in the temple. Just his luck that he managed to run into them. Where were the Rebels? Cursing under his breath, Bodhi remembered that they'd gone on ahead and were probably several stories above his head. He was alone.

"I don't care," said the other stormtrooper. Unlike the first, he didn't have a weapon and his once impeccably clean armour was scratched and scorched. Perhaps the Rebels had got to him after all. "I just wanna get out of here."

Bodhi and the stormtrooper that had captured him both watched in surprise as the other trooper left in a hurry, eager to find the exit before the Rebel forces swept through again. Hope ignited in his chest. The fight was almost over, the Rebels were winning, perhaps they'd let him go. Bodhi turned to face the Imperial soldier behind him.

"Please. My friend. I can't leave her th-" The stormtrooper suddenly lashed out and swept him off his feet. Bodhi's back hit the floor so hard that it winded him. He let out a groan, closing his eyes as the stormtrooper loomed over him.

Mara felt only unspeakable pain. She couldn't move, couldn't open her eyes. Everything was so dark. All she could hear was the pounding of her own heart. She'd fought so hard for so long, at last, her body and her mind were done. Her planet was dead, her people gone, and Leia was far, far away from here. Everything she'd ever known had been taken from her. I can't go on. I can't go on. I can't go on.

Mara suddenly saw a rush of colour. A stream of images floated behind her eyes. Maybe she was dying. She didn't feel like she was but she'd been wrong before. Mara saw the stark white ceiling of her bedroom, then the royal blue walls of Leia's nursery, flecked with silver paint to look like the stars. She saw Leia, just a tiny baby, cradled in her arms. She saw her mother's hand on her shoulder, congratulating her on her hard work. She saw Bail handing her a gift on her sixteenth birthday. She saw Breha tucking a sweet into her hand, just their little secret. She saw the princess on the day of her crowning ceremony, when she officially took a seat in the royal household.

Then there was nothing for a moment, just a dark gap in her subconscious, an absence of happy memories, then suddenly, all she could see was Bodhi. Mara saw him sleeping beside her. She saw the starlight reflected in his eyes. She saw him laughing because of something she said. She saw him stumbling through compliments on Onderon. She saw his worried face as he tried to take away her pain. She saw him smiling. She felt him holding her tight. She heard him call her name.

Mara forced herself to open her eyes. That wasn't a memory. It was real. It was happening. The ceiling above her blurred into obscurity but she forced herself to concentrate. She couldn't let herself slip away again. Mara turned her head, gritting her teeth with the effort. She heard it again, she heard Bodhi calling her name. He sounded so frightened. Mara turned onto her side, managing to hook her arms underneath her and push up.

"Come on, Mara," she told herself, repeating the words over and over again as she struggled to her feet. Bodhi needs you. Bodhi needs you.

The stormtrooper drew his gun. Bodhi felt dizzy, he couldn't see straight, but he could just make out the Imperial soldier and the unmistakable shape of a blaster just inches from his face. Bodhi closed his eyes. He'd lost everything, his home, his family, now Mara. What was there left? If this was life, endless losses and heartbreak, he didn't want it. He thought of Mara's smile. He thought of his mother and his little sister. He thought of home. He remembered Chirrut's affirmation, how it used to whisper like a soft breeze from the temples of Jedha City. He could practically taste the words, they were burned into his very bones.

"The Force is with me and I am with the Force," Bodhi whispered, pushing away the sound of the stormtrooper's blaster whirring to life. "And I fear nothing, for all is as the Force wills it." He squeezed his eyes shut, just waiting for the explosive sound that had taken Mara from him and then the awful impact... But it never came. He heard a blunt thud but didn't dare open his eyes, not yet. Then he heard the stormtrooper cry out and looked up just in time to see him fall to the ground beside him. Bodhi stared into the terrifying black and white mask, waiting for him to get up, but he didn't move.

"Kriff, that was close, eh?"

Bodhi would never forget the way his heart jumped at the sound of that voice, his favourite voice. He lifted his head from the ground and stared at the woman standing over him, a wide grin on her face despite the gravity of the situation.

"Mara?" Bodhi could feel his laboured breathing slowly returning to normal. She was here. She was safe. She was smiling. She was alive. Mara dropped her stolen Imperial blaster with a clatter and crouched down beside him. He almost didn't believe she was real but then her hand found his shoulder, squeezing gently, reassuringly.

"Are you alright?"

Her voice was rough and taut, she seemed to be in pain. As Bodhi carefully sat up, Mara's hand smoothed across his shoulder, down the length of his arm to rest near his elbow. Her fingers pressed into his skin, letting him know she was here and that he was safe. He glanced down and saw that her other hand was pressed against the side of her stomach where the blast had hit her. The wound would be cauterised but there was no doubt that the burn left on her skin would be raw and excruciatingly painful.

"Mara." He didn't mean to whisper but Bodhi still couldn't quite believe that she was really here.

Her name fell from his lips with such adoration that Mara felt her face start to heat up. He was so close, she could practically see the dazed fog clearing from his eyes.

"I thought you were..."

She squeezed his arm again, her smile strained but genuine. "You kidding? It's gonna take more than one lucky stormtrooper to stop me." Mara hadn't dared to look at her injury yet, she didn't feel nearly brave enough. Thankfully the stormtrooper had been standing at some distance when he hit her, otherwise she was sure his blaster would've burned a hole straight through her. The superficial burn it had left on her skin could be fixed but they wouldn't be back at the base for hours yet and the pain was almost blinding. But Mara had been trained for this. She did not spend all those years struggling through test after test to be beaten by one stormtrooper.

She helped Bodhi to his feet, keeping hold of his hand whilst he found his balance. Mara winced at the strain it put on her raw skin. She thought she hid it well but of course, Bodhi noticed immediately. His hand rose to inspect her injury but Mara gently brushed him away, quietly telling him that she'd be fine. Bodhi held her gaze for a moment, he knew she was lying but he didn't challenge her. His dark eyes practically glowed in the low light. Mara wished she could look away. She saw his jaw tense then his gaze dropped to their entwined hands. He thought he'd lost her.

Wary of her burnt skin, Bodhi gently pulled Mara against him, wrapping his arms around her middle and holding her tight. Mara still wasn't used to this much physical contact, she was stiff as a board at first, but then she felt his hand rest against the middle of her back, his thumb smoothing across her spine, and almost burst into tears. She wasn't used to affection of any kind but that didn't mean she hadn't longed for it all her life.

Mara allowed herself to relax into him, her body against Bodhi's. She rested her forehead against his shoulder, then, overwhelmed by the foreign emotions careening through her, she turned her head and buried her face into the crook of Bodhi's neck, breathing him in. She'd never been so close to him, to anyone. Bodhi was happily surprised, his heart beating so hard he was sure Mara must've been able to feel it too.

"Thank you for, you know, not dying," he murmured. There was so much that he wanted to say to her but the adrenaline had retreated and his courage with it. He felt her chest rise and fall against his as she laughed. Mara moved away but she didn't go far. Her hands stayed on the small of his back, her dark eyes full of concern. Her furrowed brow told him that she was quickly giving him a once-over, making sure that he was unharmed. Bodhi couldn't remember the last time someone had cared about him so much. She was so close that he could reach forward and kiss her. Bodhi swallowed uncomfortably, embarrassed that the thought had even crossed his mind.

"No problem," Mara said quietly. She hadn't expected to find his hands on her waist so comforting, he was making it hard to concentrate. The way he looked at her, so soft and open and kind. She tried to recall if he'd ever looked at anyone else this way, wondering if it was another social cue she had yet to learn, or if perhaps she was just reading too much into. No, Mara realised, it's just for you. Suddenly, the reality of the situation hit her like cold water. "Come on," said Mara, giving him a weak smile as she stepped away and out of his arms. She picked up his jacket, she had to drop it while she dealt with the stormtrooper. "I think this is yours."

She threw it to him and Bodhi caught it in one hand, unable to hide his elation. In all the commotion, he'd forgotten he'd taken it off to distract the Imperial officer. His Rebel jacket meant a lot to him, it made him feel like a part of something, and it seemed to be his lucky charm. He still hadn't thanked the pilot who gave it to him. Bodhi made a promise to himself that if they got out of this in one piece, he would find Shara Bey and shake her hand.

They made their way up to the next floor and the next but couldn't find the rest of their team. Determined to still be of use despite being left behind, Mara and Bodhi retraced their steps and found their way down to the ground floor of the temple. Now that the drills and diggers had stopped, the building was eerily quiet. They waited for a few moments, straining to hear any sign of their comrades, but the silence was thick and taut. It made Mara's skin prickle. Then, at last, a shout echoed down through the temple. Mara and Bodhi shrank back under the cover of the nearest tunnel but stretched their necks out, searching the walkways above their heads for any signs of life.

A laserbolt cut through the air and hit the wall, narrowly missing Mara's head. Bodhi immediately pulled her back away from the mouth of the tunnel. Despite her protests, he made sure that Mara was stood safely behind him before he leaned out again. He couldn't risk losing her again. Bodhi looked up just in time to see a figure stumble out of one of the tunnels on the next level. It was too dark to see who it was but as they were being chased by several stormtroopers, it was fair to assume it was a Rebel.

The figure ran so fast down the hundreds of steps, Bodhi was sure they'd trip, but then they suddenly turned and jumped right over the side of the walkway. They were only a few feet off the ground so they landed well, went over on their shoulder, and rolled to their feet before turning on the spot and drawing two blasters, firing at the stormtroopers who were still running down the stairs. The figure ran in their direction and Bodhi was able to see their face in the light that billowed down from the very top of the temple.

"Rej?" He turned at the sound of his name, saw them taking cover in the tunnel, and changed direction. Avoiding the lasers that fell down on him like rain, Rejnian crossed the temple floor and met them in the tunnel.

"Hey, guys. How's it going? You having fun yet?"

He was a little out of breath but seemed relatively unharmed. In fact, Rejnian seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. He had a huge grin on his face as he took out more of the stormtroopers running across the upper levels. The thrill of the fight, the adrenaline, the excitement, it was all part of the reason Rejnian volunteered in the first place.

"Where's Thess?" Mara asked, drawing her own blaster and picking off a few stormtroopers who were running at them from the tunnel directly opposite theirs. The skin on the right side of her stomach was red and blistering, she couldn't move without aggravating it. Mara fought through the pain, gritting her teeth and biting back an agonised scream.

"Lovely to see you too," Rej said, passing Bodhi one of his blasters so that they were all armed. A man suddenly dropped down from the level above theirs, landing right in front of them. Mara swore and raised her blaster but Bodhi put a hand on her arm. It was Thess. Unlike Rejnian, he looked a little worse for wear. As he hunkered down with them in the mouth of the tunnel, they saw that he pressed his hand against his other arm, just above the elbow. A stormtrooper had clipped him whilst he tried to protect his team working to retrieve their stolen weapons. Like Mara, Thess hadn't had a chance to check it over yet but he was determined to keep going. The pain was starting to subside and anyway, there were far more pressing matters to attend to.

"There's more stormtroopers on their way," Thess said bitterly. They'd deeply underestimated how many Imperial soldiers had been sent to patrol the temple. Though there hadn't been any exterior attacks and their forces outside the temple remained intact, deep in the tunnels, they'd already lost a few Rebels to enemy fire. It was hard not to let the guilt eat away at him.

"We need to get out of here," Mara said, already looking around for an exit. The Alderaanian Guard were a defensive force, their main goal to protect the Royal Family and get them to safety. Her first instincts were to find a route away from the fighting, to keep her companions safe, but Bodhi wanted to see this through to the end. He hadn't been able to save his city, he hadn't been able to help his friends on Scarif, he'd be damned if he ran from the fight now they were so close to victory.

"No. We can do this, we just have to think." Bodhi looked around at their bleak surroundings. They had to find a way out of this mess that would also give the Rebels a chance to destroy the Imperials' work before they colonised the whole planet and drained it of all its resources. Something clicked in his brain and Bodhi suddenly remembered the unstable cargo they'd brought with them. "Do you still have those detonators?"

Thess grinned. "I like the way you think, Rook." The communicator on his wrist buzzed and they heard Diana's voice ring out. The temple's thick walls weakened the signal but they could just about pick out their second-in-command's message.

"We've got control of the main computer, no one's getting in or out if we don't want them to."

"Nice work, Diana," Thess replied. The light behind his eyes had returned. They had a plan. The tide was turning in their favour. Maybe they'd get out of this in one piece after all. "We'll set the explosives, Captain you-"

"Round up the rest of the Imperials," Mara said, returning his smile.

Without another word, they parted ways. Thess headed deeper into the temple to find his soldiers and get to work, while Mara, Bodhi and Rej took a deep breath and ran across the open floor of the temple, making their way towards the stairs. It was a ridiculous plan but it was the only one they had, eradicate the temple of the last stormtroopers and try not to get killed.

They reached the stairwell and rocketed up it so fast that if they faltered once, they would've tripped and fallen. They stopped on the first flat walkway, trying to get their bearings. They weren't sure whether to delve deeper into the temple or just work their way up the seemingly endless staircases in its hollow centre. Bodhi pointed the way and they prepared to run again but there was a sudden, furious shout behind them.

They turned and saw a group of fifteen or so stormtroopers running at them from the opposite side of the temple, all armed to the teeth. Bodhi saw Mara straighten up, preparing to fight, and suddenly felt his fear vanish. Perhaps it was simply the adrenaline, or maybe it was the knowledge that he had his friends beside him, but Bodhi felt strong enough to take on a whole army.

"'It's just a few stormtroopers' he said. 'What's the worst that can happen?' he said." Mara shot Bodhi a look as she shook out her arms, warming herself up for another fight.

Bodhi rolled his eyes. Of course she would remember that. Beside him, Rejnian began to laugh.

"You sure you ain't married?"

Bodhi was about to retort when a bolt hit the floor just a few inches from his feet. There was no time for discussion. They ran to meet their attackers head-on, using the narrow walkways to their advantage. The stormtroopers' boxy armour meant they weren't able to travel quickly across the winding staircases and their centre of gravity was off. Despite the tricky terrain, Mara didn't slow down.

While Bodhi and Rejnian slid to a halt to perfect their aim, she collided with the nearest trooper, knocking his blaster from his hands. He was so stunned that she was able to kick his weapon to the side and swing her elbow up to the weak point in the neck of his armour. She swiftly kicked the next stormtrooper who ran at her, the force behind her movement so strong that he stumbled and fell over the side of the walkway.

Meanwhile, Rejnian raised his blaster and picked off any stormtroopers that got too close to Mara. He had the better aim out of the two of them and Bodhi was terrified of accidentally hitting Mara, so he focused his attention on the stragglers, only just ducking out the way in time when they fired back. Mara caught a soldier's arm as it rose to hit her and twisted it behind his back, then span around, striking her elbow against the dark material between the segmented armour that covered his groin.

Suddenly, a thick arm wrapped around her neck and she was yanked off her feet. The man held her tight but Mara was able to wriggle an arm free and grabbed her blaster. She raised it above her head, right next to his ear, and fired. The stormtrooper yelped and dropped her so that she was able to disarm him and shove him straight over the side of the staircase. She straightened out her beloved jacket with an indignant huff before hurrying forward to meet the next soldier.

Bodhi and Rejnian hurried to catch up with her, the former abandoning his blaster for the moment in favour of his fists. Bodhi was useless with a weapon but all those years at the races had taught him how to judge speed and drag, how to gamble and gamble well, and more importantly, how to get out of a fight when others weren't so good and wanted their money back. A stormtrooper ran at him and Bodhi waited until the last second before ducking under his swing and hitting him back twice as hard. The tough Imperial armour stung his fist but the adrenaline coursing through him meant he hardly noticed.

Bodhi turned and found Mara standing right behind him. She too had spun around, her fists raised, thinking he was a stormtrooper. When she saw it was him, her face immediately relaxed. They were very close, both their chests heaving. Against his better judgement, Bodhi let his gaze drop to her lips. He didn't know if it was the adrenaline or the fact that he'd almost lost her, but he was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to kiss her and kiss her until they were both breathless. He moved closer and Mara felt her heart stumble, wondering what he would do, when a sudden shout from further up the walkway made them both come to their senses.

"Little help?"

It was Rej, valiantly facing six or so stormtroopers on his own. Mara and Bodhi looked back at each other.

"We should-"

"Yeah."

They ran to help Rejnian. Bodhi wrapped his arm around a trooper's neck and held tight, his free hand scrabbling for the communicator at his neck. When he found it, he slipped the medcentre scalpel from his boot and brought it down hard against the communicator. It fizzed and crackled, sending up a small shower of sparks. Bodhi immediately let go, getting out of the way as a pulse of electricity shot through the stormtrooper, making him fall to the floor where he shuddered and convulsed.

"Where were you keeping that?"

Bodhi looked up to find Mara staring at him. A series of complicated emotions flashed across her face, she wasn't sure whether she was more impressed or surprised by his actions. More importantly, Mara found herself suddenly, unprecedentedly attracted to Bodhi, an extremely novel feeling and more than a little bit distracting. Bodhi grinned, only making the feeling worse.

"You're not the only one with tricks up their sleeve, Captain," he said, spinning the scalpel between his fingers and sending her a cheeky wink. Mara found herself smiling back before she remembered what they were supposed to be doing and grabbed a stormtrooper in a headlock. A thought akin to 'that's my girl' crossed Bodhi's mind before he turned to free Rej from the midst of a small army of stormtroopers.

Once he had his breath back, he turned and spotted more stormtroopers heading straight for Mara, who was fighting valiantly with two Imperials at the same time on the next platform. Bodhi hurried up the stairs and grabbed the nearest trooper's neck, pulling him back away from Mara. He twisted and slammed the stormtrooper into the wall hard. He didn't get back up. Mara didn't have the time or the breath to thank him. They were winning. They were almost safe. Just a few more stormtroopers and they could go home.

One trooper swung his fist at her and Mara ducked under it with ease, sweeping her leg around and knocking him to the floor. Bodhi jumped back to stay out of the way but accidentally stepped into the path of another stormtrooper. He swung his gun out wildly and managed to catch the side of his head. Bodhi's teeth clunked and his vision went blurry for a second. He staggered back, his instincts kicking in, but the Imperial swung for him again. Bodhi tried to duck but he tripped on the craggy floor. He fell, arms windmilling, right over the side of the walkway.

"Bodhi!" Mara flung herself forward and just managed to grab onto his ankle, but he dragged her over the side with him. Panic shot through her as the temple floor rose up to meet them, then suddenly, her body jerked so hard that all the air was pushed from her lungs. The jolt made Bodhi swing around. With a strangled cry, he hit the face of the rock hard. His body slumped, his eyes rolling back to white. Mara could only hold onto him tight, feeling utterly powerless as he slipped into unconsciousness. Her left leg stung, her joints straining, but they weren't falling anymore.

"It's alright, Captain! I got you!"

Mara twisted around and looked up to find Rej staining to keep his grip. He braced himself against the rock, leaning back as far as he could go to counteract their weight, his hands wrapped tight around her ankle. Mara let out a relieved sob when he grinned down at her, tightening her grip on Bodhi's ankle to make sure she wouldn't let go. He pulled her back over the edge then helped her haul Bodhi up after her.

They carefully laid him out on the ground. While Rejnian picked off the last few stormtroopers, Mara leaned over Bodhi, patting his cheek. She called his name again and again, but he was out cold. Fear that Bodhi might be seriously hurt threatened to take hold of her but Mara pushed it aside. Stay calm, remember your training. She carefully turned his head from side to side, checking for bleeding or bruising around his ears, of which she found none. There was thankfully no superficial damage to his skull either but it might be a good while before he came round. Mara had to hold back her relieved laugh, not wanting to alert any nearby soldiers of their position. She let her hands rest on either side of Bodhi's face, her thumbs smoothing across his skin.

"You kriffing idiot," she murmured, just loud enough so that only they could hear it. "What am I going to do with you?" Mara was sure that he knew she was perfectly capable of looking after herself, he didn't need to keep trying to protect her. Then again, she supposed, Bodhi probably didn't care about that, he'd always try and help her. How many times had he put himself in danger for her sake? The list was endless. Mara sighed and fondly shook her head. She wished he'd open his eyes and give her that smile that told her everything was going to be alright, but Bodhi didn't stir

"How is he?" Rej asked as he kneeled down beside her.

Embarrassed, Mara drew back her hands. She cleared her throat, worried that her words would come out strained. "He'll be fine."

Overlapping voice below made her look up. Mara peered over the side of the walkway and saw a group of ten or so Rebels gathered down on the temple floor. A few carried a stretcher between them, others leaned against each other for support. The injured were being sent back to base, the fight was almost over. Mara passed their spare blaster to Rej then began to tug at Bodhi's arm. "Come on, we have to get him somewhere safe." They needed to get out of there and fast, Bodhi looked fine but he needed proper medical attention. Mara would feel much better knowing he was safe in Itzpalo's medcentre.

They quickly decided that Rejnian should take the lead, he'd seen more of the temple and knew its layout, leaving Mara to carry Bodhi. It took her a few moments to pull him upright but with Rej's help, she managed to bend down and let Bodhi fall over her shoulder. When she was sure he was secure, she straightened up, straining under his weight. Bodhi was heavier than he looked. Rej saw her pained expression and asked if she was alright, offering to carry Bodhi if it was too much, but Mara quickly turned him down. It was her fault he was out here, it was her fault that he'd got hurt, and Bodhi had taken care of her so many times, she thought it was time she returned the favour.

Blasters raised, Rej guided them through gloomy tunnels, heading steadily downward towards the temple floor. He kept to the smaller, deeper passageways that no group of stormtroopers would be able to fit through. Rej hoped he was going in the right direction. He wasn't scared of these twisting, ancient tunnels, he wasn't scared of Imperial soldiers, but he was terrified to find out what Mara would do to him if they got lost, especially now that Bodhi's well-being was at stake.

At last, they reached the ground floor and joined the tail end of a group of Rebels heading towards the exit. They all looked exhausted. The fight was bigger than they were expecting but they had all seen more than their fair share of war. Still, it was a sombre sight to see them all trudging through the main entrance of the temple and out into the weak sunlight.

It had started to rain, just a light shower, but the cool water felt heavenly against Mara's skin. The sun was already beginning to set, casting dark shadows across the ground. The thick jungle looked even more foreboding than usual. Mara spotted a transporter, hefted Bodhi up higher onto her shoulder so that she wouldn't drop him, and began to make her way over. There were already a few Rebels seated inside. They all looked shaken but proud of what they'd accomplished. The risk had been worth it and now the Empire was just that little bit weaker. Taking one stronghold back from the Imperials would hardly make the history books, they all knew that, but they'd helped the Sarkans reclaim their planet, that was more than enough reward for them.

The moment Mara neared the transporter, three Rebels rushed forward to help her. They asked what happened as they carefully lifted Bodhi from her shoulder, then if she was alright. Mara was so surprised, she wasn't sure if she managed to answer their questions properly. The way these people looked after each other, she'd never seen anything like it. Mara had been raised to think that no one would help her, that she had to fend for herself because to rely on others was a sign of weakness, and not an advantage. Once again, she was glad Helenia had been proved wrong.

The Rebels carefully took Bodhi from her and for some reason still unknown to her, Mara's heart swelled the way it always did they were separated. She had to bite her lip to stop herself reaching out for him as they settled Bodhi inside the transporter, laying him across the seats. A hand reached out and held onto his shoulder, keeping him steady. It was Deffan. He too looked a little battered and bruised but he was still smiling. Mara gave him a grateful smile in response. She was surprised to see Diana sat just a few seats down from him. Her eyes were closed, her face spattered with dirt. If Diana was here, was Thess on his own?

Mara looked back over her shoulder at the temple entrance. She didn't care about the Rebellion, this wasn't her fight, these weren't her people, but Thess and his troops had welcomed them with open arms, gave them food and a bed, and made Bodhi feel welcome for the first time in years. She owed them. She couldn't let Thess do this alone. Mara turned to Rejnian.

"Are you going with them?" she asked, wondering if he'd want to go back to base now that the fight was over.

Rejnian shook his head. "No, I'll stay. Someone's gotta help Thess with the detonators."

Mara began to smile. Rej made out that he was uncaring, that the mission was just a bit of fun for him and that he couldn't wait for it all to be over. But here he was, volunteering to go back into the fight when the ride home was at his fingertips.

Rejnian rolled his eyes when he saw her expression. "You coming or going, darlin'?"

Mara's smile faded. She looked back at Bodhi, still lying unconscious in the back of the transporter. She didn't want to leave him, but she knew he'd want to keep fighting if he could, Bodhi would want to help. Mara stepped closer to the transporter so that she could lean inside. She took Bodhi's hand and squeezed it tight, silently telling him that she'd be back, then looked up at Deffan.

"Look after him for me," she said quietly. Deffan looked like he wanted to question her but then seemed to change his mind. With a small nod, he showed that he understood what she was going to do and promised to keep Bodhi safe. Mara smiled gratefully, the weight on her shoulders feeling a little lighter now that she knew Bodhi was in good hands. He would be angry with her when he woke up, he'd say she was ridiculous for putting herself back in the line of fire, but it was just something that Mara had to do. She paused for a moment, taking one last look at Bodhi before she said goodbye to Deffan and made her way back into the temple. Bodhi would've wanted to see the mission through to the end. Now that he couldn't, Mara would do it for him.

They stopped to get their bearings, the temple was enormous and difficult to navigate, too many wrong turns and they could get lost. It was only when they heard shouting that they were able to find their way, following the familiar voices through the dark, winding tunnels. Still keeping to back passages in case of any last patrolling stormtroopers, Rejnian led Mara down to the ground floor where they found Thess and two other Rebels desperately trying to set up the detonators around the pit the Imperials had dug. To take out the Empire's computer systems, they would send an electrical pulse through the whole temple, erasing any data they might've collected while on Sarka and also disrupting any transmissions being sent back to nearby Imperial ships. The detonators would also force the mines dug into the heart of this sacred temple to collapse, burying the Empire's machines and the treasured Sarkan nova rubies under miles of dirt.

When Thess spotted them, he grinned and waved them over. Before he could greet them properly, a laserbolt cut through the air and landed not far from his feet. The last remaining stormtroopers were up on the higher walkways, a final, desperate attempt to protect their superiors' work and to take out a few Rebels while they were at it. From their lofty positions, it would be like shooting fish in a barrel. While Rejnian ducked and ran to help his teammates set up the explosives, Mara drew her blaster and helped Thess with their attackers, taking cover behind an abandoned digger.

"Captain! Glad you could make it," Thess said, looking extraordinarily cheery for someone in his situation. He straightened up and fired three shots, all of which hit their targets, then sank back down behind the digger. He looked around worriedly when he saw that they were one short. "Where's Bodhi?"

"Safe. He's gone with the others." Mara felt a sudden twinge of warmth towards Thess when she saw his expression relax into relief. Behind them, Rejnian and the others were laying out the final explosives. Mara was a little suspicious of how naturally he seemed to handle the equipment but there wasn't time to ask questions. A few Imperials swept in from the side tunnels but they dealt with them in a matter of moments. "After this, I'm retiring," Thess muttered as a laserbolt shot past his head.

"After this, I'm gonna get a job that pays." They heard Rejnian scoff behind them. Before Thess could even begin to respond, they heard a shrill whirring sound and knew before Rej could warn them that it was time to run. They flew towards the exit, arms pumping, their hearts pounding hard against their ribs. Mara felt an almost unbearable pain in her side as her burnt skin stretched but she didn't slow. They tumbled out of the wide temple doorway just as the detonators finished their countdown.

The blast was enormous, causing ripples to run through the ground like an earthquake. One moment, Mara was hurrying towards the last remaining transporter and the next, she was lying in the mud. She groaned and rolled over onto her back, staring up at the dark grey sky. Rain spattered her face, drenching her clothes in just a few seconds, but the cool water helped to clear her head. Suddenly, everything was very still.

She drew in a breath and inhaled a cloud of dust. As she coughed and spluttered, Mara tried to sit up but her side screamed in pain. She groaned, closing her eyes again for a moment whilst she pushed away the dizziness. Then she heard someone laughing. Mara cracked her eyes open and turned her head to find Rejnian also flat on his back, just a few meters from where she lay. He too was covered in mud and dust and completely soaked from the heavy rain, but he was laughing like he was the happiest man on the planet. It was over. They'd won. Movement above her made Mara look up. Thess stood over her, his hand outstretched.

"Let's go home."