Breckin glanced over a Simpson, lying naked beside him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Why did you do that?"

Simpson propped herself up on one elbow. "Because I like you, Lance. You're cute, and you're a nice guy when people give you the chance."

He arched his eyebrow at her. "You think I'm cute?"

She smiled broadly. "Definitely."

Breckin had to smile back at her. No one had ever told him that before. He did not even care that she had gotten his last name wrong earlier in the night.

"We should get dressed. It looks like the party's over," Simpson replied, glancing at the video screen. She reached for her uniform.

"Already?" Breckin sat up, and reached for his pants. "I would have thought..." he let the sentence trail off, standing up.

Simpson pulled Breckin close to her, and kissed him. "Don't tell anyone about us, alright, Lance?"

Us. What does she mean? "Not if you don't want me to," he agreed stupidly.

Simpson kissed him again, then left him staring after her. Breckin shook his head. "I just had sex on the floor of the Bridge." He blinked a couple of times. "Interesting."


* * *


"Mornin', Morty," Lou greeted him with a smile.

"Mornin', Mi," Park grinned.

She rolled her eyes at him, and fell in step as they made their way to the Bridge.

"Lou, Park, you're late," Lindsey stated as they entered.

"Sorry, Cap. I slept in. She was just tardy."

Lou punched Park in the back of his shoulder as he went up to his station.

"Hello," Jenkens nodded at her. Breckin signed off, then left without a word. "Sleep well?"

"Shut up, Jenkens. That's not even remotely funny."

"You left with Park last night, you return with Park this morning. There's a question in these raised eyebrows."

"You started that damned rumour, didn't you?" she exploded. The look in his eyes told her the answer. "You son of a bitch!"

"Oh, calm down, Lou."

She glared at him, so blinded by her anger that she couldn't think of anything to say.

"Is there a problem over here?" Lindsey asked them.

Lou turned to her station, still unable to form words.

"Nah. We're good," Jenkens shrugged, pleasantly smiling up at his Captain.

Lindsey raised an eyebrow, then moved over to McDougall and the engineering post.

"I can't believe you did that," Lou shook her head.

"I can't believe you're so naïve that you didn't think someone would get the impression that-"

"Just drop it," she ordered.

"Look, Lou, I'm-"

"Drop it."

The ship jerked suddenly, and Park was thrown over his station. He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, breathing deeply.

"Park, are you alright?" Lindsey stood over him.

He raised his arm, pointing at the ceiling. "That bulb's burnt out."

"Yeah," Lindsey threw a look at the row of light indicated. "I'll get someone right on that."

The ship lurched again, sending Lindsey toppling over Park.

"Captain, we've lost our forward thrusters!" McDougall exclaimed. "We're dead in space."

"Red alert. Shields up!" Lindsey yelled orders at his crew, as he righted himself. He looked down at Park, who was still in a daze. "And get Nordat up here now."

"No, no," Park got up. "I'm okay." He leaned on the nearest inanimate object, which proceeded to slide out from under him, and he found himself back on the floor. He got up quickly, straightened his uniform, then replied, "I am okay."

"Then take your station, and prove it," the Captain growled. The Angel shook, and he had to grasp the railing to keep from losing his balance. "What the hell is shooting at us?"

Lou threw her hands up in the air. "My station's dead."

"Should I still get Nordat up?" Jenkens asked.

Lindsey threw a look at Park. "ASAP!"

"Who's a sap? I'm not a sap!" Park protested.

The Captain ignored him. "What keeps blasting us?" he yelled.

"Whatever it is, I can't find it on the scope," Jenkens muttered.

"You know what that means, people. McDougall, get us out of here!"

"The Empire has cloaking devices," Lou shook her head, talking to herself.

Jareena? The word was a question in her head.

"Maul?" Lou breathed incredulously.

"Huh?" She looked over at Jenkens. "What did you just say?"

Lou blinked at her crewmate. "I said...um...damn it all."

"That's not what it sounded like to me," he argued.

"Well that's what-"

Jareena.

Lou looked around the bridge frantically, getting up from her station.

"What's wrong, Lou?" Jenkens put his hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

Jareena, I know you can hear me.

"Who are you?" she yelled at the air.

You know who I am.

"Mi," Park approached her slowly.

"Leave me alone!" Lou yelled, pushing Park away.

"Jenkens-" Lindsey started to tell him to call up Breckin.

"Already done, Sir," Jenkens nodded.

"Lou, maybe you should go back to your quarters," Lindsey suggested gently, following her to the viewscreen.

I am here.

She put her hand up against the plexiglass. "Where?"

"Come on, Mi. I think we both need a break," Park put his hand on her shoulder.

Breckin and Nordat stepped onto the bridge and took up their positions.

"This station is dead," Breckin grumbled, smacking the side of the monitor.

"Yeah," Jenkens whispered to him. "We know."

Breckin glared at him. "So then what am I needed for?"

"Fix it, Breckson. You're here to fix it."

"It's Breckin," he muttered, but Jenkens did not hear it.

Park nudged Lou gently. "Hey, what are you staring at?"

"I-" Lou turned to look at him. "Stars. Just the stars."

Park's eyebrows went up in confusion, and he did not hide it well. "There are a lot of stars, Mi."

"Lou, you are relieved from duty for the time being," Lindsey told her firmly, though he regretted having to say it.

She met his gaze. "If that's what you feel is best."

Although she was looking at him and talking to him, Lindsey could not shake that Lou seemed to be lightyears away. "I do."

Lou nodded, and turned back to the window.

"Come on, Mi," Park took her by the hand, leading her off the bridge.


* * *


"It was him, Morty," Lou said. "I know it was."

"You still haven't told me who 'he' is," Park folded his arms across his chest. He had been worried about her before, and that was why he had stayed with her in her quarters. He had been uncertain as to whether she would stay in them or not. Lou seemed to be herself again, though.

Lou scrutinized Park from where she sat in a a beanbag chair on the floor. "I don't think I should tell you that," she replied carefully. That statement would hurt his feelings, but she did not want to lie to him.

"Oh," he lowered his eyes, his disappointment showing in his face.

"I'm sorry, Morty. I just-I dunno. It was a long time ago, and I'm a different person now," she smiled mirthlessly. "I've been trying so hard not to mix my past with my present because I'm so afraid of my future," she looked down at the floor.

"We're all afraid of our futures," then he added, "or lack thereof. You can't worry about it. Just take each day in stride."

"Thanks, Morty, I appreciate that you're trying to help, but..."

"You don't have to tell me about him if you don't want to. I won't push."

Lou stared at him again, trying to reach a decision. She was tired of carrying secrets. She trusted Park to keep his mouth shut, if she did tell him about Darth Maul. "Okay," she got up from the beanbag chair. "But it doesn't leave this room. Got it, Morty? This is just between us, no one else can know."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Big secret, hush hush. No problem." Visibly, his mood had brightened.

"This is probably a bad idea, but," she took the sketch of Darth Maul out of the drawer, and brought it over to show Park. "That's him."

"Whoa, Mi, this is Darth Maul," he took the drawing from her. "You know that he's dead, right?"

"I thought he was dead. But it was his voice inside my head, I know it was. He was calling to me."

"But that Jedi Knight sliced him in two. Everyone knows that."

"Maybe-" she cut herself off. "Nevermind."

"Maybe...he didn't cut him in half? Mi-"

"I know. That's why I said nevermind. But how else do you explain it?"

Park thought about it for a minute, before a wide grin corrupted his pensive expression. "Maybe his ghost is haunting you," he said in a deep, ghastly voice.

"Very funny, Morty."

"Hey, you asked how else I could explain it," he shrugged, handing her back the picture of the Sith Lord. "So how did you meet tall, tattooed and horny?"

Lou shot Park a death glare, then realized from the innocent expression on his face that he had not meant it like that. "In a bar."

"Oh?" Park's expression was turing devious.

Lou rolled her eyes at him. "Alright, Morty, you know too much already. This is where the lesson in my past ends."

"Aw, c'mon, Mi," Park pouted. When he saw that she would not be swayed, he gave up with a shrug. "Okay, okay. I probably should go. Maybe I'm needed on the Bridge."

"Right," Lou nodded. "Tell Lindsey that I'm not-"

"Crazy? No problem."

"That's not what I was going to use."

"Yeah, I know."

Lou arched her eyebrow at Park's back as he left her quarters.

Jareena.

The doors slid shut, and Lou was alone in her quarters.

You're dead, Maul, you've been dead for over three years. Lou thought, not expecting a reply.

That's what you have been led to believe.

Lou jumped in surprise, looking wildly around the room.

Do not be afraid. There was a pause. I will not harm you.

"You already have." When there was no response, she blurted, "Why have you contacted me now? Why not three damned years ago? Why at all, Maul?" Lou was yelling.

There was no answer to her questions.

"Dammit, where are you, Maul?"

Nothing.


* * *


"Alright," Breckin told Simpson. "I found it," he grinned like a schoolboy at her, a small black computer disk in his hand.

"See, I told you you knew where it was," Simpson smiled back, wrapping a sheet around her naked body. She reached for the disk, but Breckin pulled his hand back. "Lance," she whined.

"There is very sensitive stuffs on this disk, Cor," he replied seriously.

"Stuffs, hey?" she teased him.

"Yes, stuffs. Maybe I shouldn't-"

"Oh, come on, Sweetie. No one'll know. I won't tell if you won't."

"Promise?"

Simpson kissed him passionately, and Breckin surrendered the disk.