Stone walked towards Maze, he turned to face him. They had exchanged no more than the few words that was needed since he came to the cafe. He braced himself.

"Stone?"

Stone looked towards the door; he wasn't sure how much Maze knew. The rumour mill had been working overtime on his love life but it had all changed recently.

"Why don't you go and talk to her?"

"I'm not sure she wants to talk to me."

"You know her better than I do."

Maze gave him that Alpha glare.

"We need some plans, any ideas? What did you score on your last sniper tests?" Stone was taking command.

"99.8 - last week. I can get hold of a Verp, if we need it. How was yours?"

"99.6 – so that's decided, if we need a sniper thats you."

"Agreed. You have the logistics and the contacts in Corrie."

Stone nodded. "The Massifs and the handlers are already out."

"Any come back on the requests. She's not exactly high profile."

"No but Senator Skeenah is already putting pressure out there and Representative Chuchi added her weight. She's well liked and respected."

"And the kidnapper is a Separatist."

Stone nodded. "Do you think she's calmed down?"

"No."

Stone took a step forward, Maze put an arm out to stop him, no words were spoken and he headed after Essie; when he reached her, she was leaning against the prep table, head down. He raised his hand to touch her shoulder.

"Don't!" She snapped.

"Essie. We're all here to help."

He ignored her retort and put his hand reassuringly, he hoped, on her shoulder.

"How? I have no idea where he is likely to be."

"Stone has got the security cams searching for him, since before you left detention. CSF are out looking, they owe us. And the Massifs are out."

"He has? CSF? But Coruscant's huge." She sounded lost, defeated.

"What about your Aunt?"

"It's the first time I've ever seen her. I don't even know why she's here."

"She followed Perrive from Jabiim but didn't realise what he was going to do. Until she spoke to Nat."

"Nat knows her?"

Everything that she thought she knew about her family was disappearing before her eyes.

"We all want to help." He squeezed her shoulder. "We'll find him. I promise."

As soon as he said that, he knew it was promise he shouldn't have made. He was trying to be optimistic but the man had disappeared into Coruscant with Del. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack, even with the technology they had at their disposal. He supposed it would be better for her to hate him for failing to find the young lad rather than herself for failing to protect him. He stood closer, almost touching her. She never replied.

"Maze! We have something!" Stone's voice sounded hopeful.

They rushed through to the other room. Everyone was gathered around a table with Essie's comlink in the middle.

"Your com rang and Nat answered it but the man rang off. It showed an Unknown code."

Stone was quickly onto his com giving instructions, he switched off. "If it is him and he comes back on we'll trace him."

Essie watched the female Jedi sitting at the table drinking caf. She did look like her mother, only older and Essie only had holoimages of her parents. She didn't wear the nondescript cloak that she had seen many Jedi wear; she was dressed in what looked like a business suit, like the one that she herself used to wear. She could be a Lawyer, Administrator, anything; except for the lightsaber hanging at her side and the fact that Essie could feel her. Sense her being. It was difficult to explain to anyone else; like being in two different worlds at the same time. The feeling was stronger than any other time she had been near a Jedi. It was intense. More so than when she first saw General Zey or the others in the Club.

Was that because she was family?

General Zey and her Aunt had arranged for Maze to be here. But how and why she had gone to Zey and not to the Council or whoever, she didn't say.

What was she to him?

I can't afford to be distracted. I need to deal with this later.

Stone and Maze monitored their coms, as they sat waiting for this potential, possibly non existent call, her Aunt sat down next to her.

Stone's hand went to his hemet— he was receiving updates.

"It was him on the com." Janyne confirmed.

"How?….. Oh yes, the Force."

Essie stared at the comlink, willing it to ring.

"You know things, sense things don't you?" Her Aunt pressed her. "It's the Force. You're sensitive to it but you know that don't you."

Essie tried to ignore her. She knew she was being rude but she didn't care.

"By your age, most people, if they haven't been trained, have lost whatever abilities they have. Or worked them into their life, so that it's not noticeable. You're different."

Janyne waited for an answer or comment in vain. She could not blame her.

"You haven't, which means you've been using it the same way all your life and it's noticeable, to other force users. It's like you're shouting—I'm force sensitive."

Essie's head whipped around.

"I don't think this is the best time for a metaphysical discussion on the Force."

"A demonstration then." She held out her hand.

Her aunt's hand was surprisingly calloused, as she took her own hand.

"Think of your son, picture him. Close your eyes if it helps."

"Can't you trace him?" Essie asked, unsure why she hadn't considered that option before.

"I'm not close to him and Coruscant's big with lots of other beings. This may not even work." She squeezed Essie's hand tighter "but you may be able to feel how he is."

Essie closed her eyes, letting her Aunt hold her hand; she drifted unable to explain what the experience was like to anyone else.

She could still sense the other people in the room; General Zey and her Aunt the most. They were both worried for Del.

And Maze, she could sense Maze, well she thought it was him. An underlying irritability and impatience and then…..she pulled away from him. It was as if she had tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around to look at her.

She tried to relax further and thought about Del.

She could feel him.

Cold. Wet. Worried. What had he done wrong? Wanting her. His foot hurt. Where he kicked the man, who kept asking him to call him Dad.

"There!" She heard Janyne say. "You've got him!"

The feeling evaporated immediately and Essie opened her eyes, they filled up.

"He's alive!"

"You felt him as well?" Essie asked, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Yes. He's alive, unarmed but frightened cold and he wants you."

Essie nodded and wiped under her eyes.

"We'll get him." Janyne squeezed her hand

The comlink buzzed. She jumped up, reaching over to answer; Stone stopped her. "Keep him on as long as possible."

She nodded, sniffling and picked up that com, activating the reply.

"Essie Devro here."

"Finally, Essie! It's good to hear your voice again." He sounded happy, enthusiastic even.

Keep him talking, Stone indicated.

"My son's missing. You have him!"

"Our son!"

"My son. You did not want him!" she couldn't help herself, it all came out.

"He's a clever little chap isn't he?" He replied ignoring her comment.

"Is he okay? Can I talk to him…please?" she slowed down

"Next time!"

"What?"

"I'll call again — soon —be ready."

The com went dead.

Essie stared at it.

Maze looked at Stone, who shook his head.

"Not long enough."

Essie pushed the chair back and rushed outside. She needed some fresh air.

.

She was facing the wall, forehead leaning against it, when Maze got there.

"I always said if you needed me…" his hand rested on her shoulder.

"I couldn't not after…. It just didn't seem right."

"After what?"

"Nothing. It's just….it just didn't seem right."

"Essie, it's me. You can tell me." He stood right behind her, hand on her shoulder.

She shook her head, "I'd better go back."

She returned inside.

He had an idea, what she meant. He'd heard the rumours. You couldn't keep clones from gossiping and a great number of them knew the cafe.

He'd cross that bridge after they extracted Del.

And he had to work with Stone for her sake.

.

It was over an hour before he called back.

She was a wreck.

"Essie?"

Pause!

Stone sat opposite with his hand raised, she followed his instructions; they were timing it to the second.

His hand went down.

"I'm here."

"I have your son, he wants to talk."

Pause!

"Can I see him?"

Maze gave her a thumbs up.

"Oh no. Not yet. But here he is."

"Mammy!"

Del called her that.

Pause!

"Del? It's Mum here. Are you okay?"

"I'm cold. I want you. Come and fetch me."

"I will darling. Grandpa is here. He wants to talk to you."

Nat stood behind her. "Hey, young 'un."

"No. Just you!" Giddean voice was back and there was scuffling in the background and voices, she couldn't quite make out.

"I'll call back in five hours with information."

The comlink cut off.

"No!" Essie slammed her fists on the table.

Stone shook his head, "Still not long enough. We got near—a district but it would still be too much to search. And if we start, he'll know. There will be normal patrols and we can update them to be on the look out but I don't want to spook him."

Sol's com rang, startling everyone.

"Tualin Oola…Senator. Yes she's here." Sol passed it over to Essie. "It's Senator Skeenah."

"Den?"

"How are you holding up?"

"Not good."

"Rik sends his best and my thoughts are with you. If there's anything else we can do let me know."

"Thanks." She sounded curt but it was the best she could do. The Senator seemed to sense this.

"Can you pass me over to Commander Stone."

The Commander walked away with the com, Maze watched him.

Sol made yet more caf.

"We're not opening tomorrow, not until Del is back."

Essie stormed out, unable to cope with the room; Nat went to follow then changed his mind.

"Maze. Can you be with her?"

Maze looked at Zey, he was deep in conversation with Janyne. He nodded and followed her out of the door.

The little courtyard was a small oasis of tranquility, with potted plants everywhere; Sol had been busy.

She was sitting with her head in her hands; he couldn't see her face it was totally covered. He was unsure what to do, never really seeing her like this before; this was worse than when he left.

"Essie?"

She turned away from him, face still covered.

He pulled up a chair and sat next to her; hesitantly he put his arm on her shoulder. He let it rest there when she didn't shrug it off.

"Essie, we'll find…."

"What if you don't." she whispered.

He opened his mouth and closed it again but pulled her hands away. She had been crying.

"What if I never see him again. Never feel his hands, see his face, hear his voice….."

"Essie….I don't know what to say, I…"

"I couldn't…."

"We will get him back. I promise you if it's the last thing I do." Maze said, as he saw the little toy clone in her hand; Del had several. He staged fights with droids, and they always won.

If he couldn't get him back. He would ensure the coward who took him and anyone who helped did not survive.

He held her closer, tighter.

.

The call came through on time. If he thought that he could catch them on the hop then he wasn't used to dealing with clones. With Essie working for a Senator even though he was only a minor one, this was a priority. It was seen as yet another attack on the Senate

"Essie?"

"Yes."

"I have the coordinates for the meeting. You'll be reunited with your son within the hour."

"Can I talk to him?"

"Not this time!"

"But.."

"I want everything to be business as usual, you open the cafe as normal."

"Why?"

"No indication that anything is wrong."

"Okay." She left as long as possible between the questions and answers

"I want you to come alone. No one else. No clones, no CSF. Understand?"

"Why?"

"Not yet!"

They could hear him breathing into the microphone.

"I'm sending the time and a code for the next transmission. When you receive that there will be another time and another set of coordinates. I want you there—alone. No CSF and no clones. Clones don't exactly like my family."

The thought did cross Maze's mind that if they caught him alive, he could give him to Skirata or better still Vau and the Strill.

The time and code came through.

They still couldn't trace the place; he'd moved.

He wasn't going to give them much time to prepare but they had several plans already in place; they just needed to adjust them.

But Maze wasn't intending to take him alive, whatever happened and nobody could change his mind on that. He blinked on an icon on his HUD, to contact procurement.

Maze walked to and fro, his hand on his helmet; Stone could see he was on his com to someone. Finally he finished and walked over.

"Stone, I want to take him down. Promise me I'll get the chance."

Stone nodded.

.

The place came through; it gave them very little time to prepare.

"Everybody knows what they need to do?"

Stone had taken charge; the urban environment was his area of expertise, although Zey and Janyne, were equally experienced but not in hostage retrieval

.

Janyne gently touched Essie by the biceps, nudging her with the Force to be calm. It was working a little, but she didn't need to be too calm.

"Arli and I will be nearby. He won't know. We can blend in." Essie worried now she never thought of Zey, given his size, as being able to blend in.

"Nat and Sol are staying here. He would recognise them." She added.

Essie nodded; she recognised the feeling of the adrenaline starting to build even more.

Stone and Maze were focused on conversations in their helmets, until as one they removed them, to change into their civilian armour and hidden coms.

The time came to leave.

Sol and Nat hugged her.

Nat turned to the others and said, "Bring our little boy home."

.

Maze repositioned himself, moving centimetres for the shot; he didn't like what he saw. Perrive was too near the edge, holding Del too close to him, with one arm and now he was drawing Essie nearer; his other hand held out towards her. He was talking to her.

Maze couldn't quite see what he was saying, to lip read, his mouth was obscured by Essie.

What the Fek is she doing?

"She's too Fekking close." He heard Stone's voice in his ear.

I know.

"She knows what we want to do, just trust her." He replied, as he watched the scene play out before him.

.

Essie walked towards Perrive, wondering why he had demanded that she come to him alone, here and wanting nothing else.

"You're fascinating, you know that don't you?"

She frowned. What the hell is he talking about?

"No!"

"Oh I think you do. I didn't realise it at the time but then it all fell into place, after the Count explained. When we met him, he explained all about the Force, how it manifested, how it worked and how the Jedi weren't the only people to have it, despite them attempting to monopolise it. That was when I realised. You knew things, felt things, guessed things you shouldn't have been able to."

He paused, gauging her reaction, if he was right, this was someone they could use, someone they could give to Dooku. He would then have the power his family had always craved. The boy would be the key to getting her to do what they wanted.

"You're Force sensitive." He continued.

She blinked.

He saw from her reaction, he was right.

"What exactly do you want?" She asked desperately, trying to stay calm.

"My son needs to be checked — his midichlorians."

"He's my son." She almost screamed the words. "You have no claim on him!"

"My DNA would say otherwise if you choose to argue."

She blinked at him, "You wouldn't dare. You're a Seperatist, the courts…."

"Try me! There are bigger things happening in the galaxy, not just this war. That is just a part of it, a means to an end."

He pulled Del closer to him.

"I could recant, swap sides again. The wronged father kept away from his son. Denied his rights."

She watched him, he believed this.

"There's another way."

"What?"

"You could both come with me, be trained properly — the Count…."

"The Count is a traitor…" She shook her head.

He held out his hand to her, wanting her to come nearer.

"I never thought you would take Palpatine's side. There's someone stronger and infinitely more powerful than him but he needs people like you. People who can use the Force."

She watched his hand come closer towards her, reaching out. Del was watching her, she hoped he'd stay calm, they were near the edge, too near.

"We could be good together, powerful."

He took a step back, he was against the railing now.

Essie stepped forward, needing to get to her son. She held her arms out towards him. She knew Maze was waiting, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

I trust you. She thought. Hoping he knew that.

She moved slowly towards Perrive.

.

"Unidentified speeders upper left and right quadrants!" Stone voice came through Maze's com.

"See 'em!" he replied.

"CSF say unregistered. Probably get away transport. We've got the covered. Have you got a shot yet?" Stone enquired again.

"Not yet." Muttered Maze, his sight was lined up, he was breathing slowly.

"I've got men on them now."

Essie, just get to him, get hold of Del and duck. Give me the shot. I just need you to duck.

.

Essie lunged down at her son and grabbed him; a shot rang out. She pulled him around and away, pushing him from the barrier.

It all happened so fast, until she couldn't move with her son, as she pushed him away, with her left hand, that Perrive had clasped a binder on her; she was now attached to him.

Her breath was knocked out of her, as she was suddenly pulled back towards the barrier. She dug her feet in and wrapped her free arm around the railing. She looked over the edge, he was swinging there; gravity pulling her with him.

Into oblivion.

The pain burned in her shoulder; it had always been weaker since the stabbing despite her training.

"Del! Run to Maze! Run! I'll be there soon."

Her son's big eyes blinked at her; he took a step towards her.

"No! Run to Maze! He's there! Look!"

She tried to point at him. He was racing toward them.

She tried pulling Perrive back up but the gravity and his weight was against her.

.

Maze looked in astonishment as the hand came out and grabbed Essie's arm, just as he released the shot. She slid towards the barrier coming to halt, as Del stood there looking confused.

"No!" He roared, slinging the Verpine onto his back and clambering down from his perch, sliding the last twenty metres down the vertical ladder he hit the ground running and raced towards her. Stone was doing the same. He wasn't sure where Zey and Janyne were now.

I'm not going to be bloody fast enough!

Del was running towards him.

.

Essie heard the creaking of the railing, it was old, rusting, sounding as if it were in agony. She leaned away trying to reduce pressure on the railing and her shoulder, to give her more time. Her heart was pounding, she saw Maze charging towards her and Del running to him.

Then she heard the voice.

Let go!

Let go, we're here!

No, rather she felt the voice in her head.

Del wasn't looking at her, he was running to Maze.

The railing creaked and cracked further; she lurched backwards.

She didn't need to make that choice any more.

She closed her eyes, another crack and she let gravity take over.

Maze saw her go over the edge, she closed her eyes and seemed to just give in; he skidded to a halt and scooped the boy up, turning him away from the railing, making sure he did not see his Mother fall. The boy clung to his neck.

Maze held him tighter.

He hadn't been fast enough.