Essie hummed as she heated the ration pack. She'd have to do one for each of them, her stomach was rumbling already demanding extra food and Maze would be hungry, as always, although he wasn't as bad as he used to be, after having the cure. Nat could never understand how he managed to put that amount of food away.

"I miss you, Dad." She whispered.

She pulled out two more all day breakfasts ready to heat up. They were Maze's favourites, but he'd complain about these, they had sausages made from vegetables and not Roba. She found a spoon, looked at it, deciding it was probably the safest, and a bottle of water, then walked the few steps to the door for the other quarters.

.

The clone lay quietly, he could hear someone humming now and the sonic was on. So they had split up. With any luck he would get only one of them but which one. Hopefully the female. There was something wrong with her, he'd heard the voice asking her. He must have been delusional though because he thought it sounded like a clone, just like him but that wasn't likely was it?

Then he heard a ping. Sounded like a nanowave to heat ration packs. He may be old but his hearing was just as good as when he was younger.

He closed his eyes, concentrating on stopping his shakes.

He just had to wait now.

A few seconds later, he heard the door shuck and smelt food. His stomach rumbled despite himself.

"Hey! You awake?"

He kept his eyes closed; he wasn't really sure who these people were now. The last thing he remembered was the fight and being stunned. And now he was on a strange ship shackled to a bunk, and by the sound of it, in hyperspace.

Empire? - no.

Bounty Hunters? - maybe but why?

He groaned, pretending to wake slowly, to give himself time.

"Oh good. I've brought you some water and food. Only a ration pack but they're not too bad."

He blinked, keeping up the pretence. It was the woman who gave him the credits.

What does she want with me? And more importantly where is the other one?

"How are you feeling?"

"Rough!" He answered although it hurt his throat and was barely audible.

"Water first?" She asked.

He nodded.

She trickled some water into his mouth.

He looked at the binders, the back at her.

"One!" She said undoing the right one.

He stretched out his fingers and rotated his wrist, trying to get the blood flowing freely again. Even though the binders weren't particularly tight, they still restricted some of the flow. He watched, as she offered him the bottle.

His hand circled it; it was chilled. It had been a while since he had chilled water fresh or otherwise. He took another swallow, it felt as beautiful as the first, silky smooth as ran down his throat.

"Tell me when you want the ration pack."

He nodded, concentrating on drinking.

"Where are we?" he whispered.

"Somewhere in hyperspace." She smiled as she said that, "I don't actually know."

"Where are we going?"

"Home." She turned to get the ration pack, there was not much space in the small room and she was short; he saw his chance. He twisted over, hit her on the head with the bottle and collapsed on top of her. It wasn't smart nor easy. She didn't crumple, even with him on top of her.

"I don't want to hurt you. I just need the keys to the binders."

"No!" Essie refused, playing for time.

"Just no?"

"Yes—no!"

The clone was confused now, if he squeezed harder he could kill her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A voice sounding just like his spoke, just next to his ear. He hadn't heard him.

He released the woman slightly; as soon as he did she twisted and he felt a blaster in his ribs. He sighed, he didn't have the fight in him to do more, not now.

Maze jabbed the hypo in his neck and they watched, as his eyes flickered shut.

"Well that's sorted that!" Declared Maze.

.

They came out of the last hyperspace jump, immediately in front of the planet. Maze piloted them down as Essie spoke to the 'ground crew'.

"Hi Essie. How are you?"

"Hi Callista, and I'm fine. Is everything okay down there?"

"Yeah, we've got them settled and some are ready to be sent elsewhere. I'll fill you in better once you land."

"We have a passenger…." She didn't know whether to say this or not. "He's a clone."

"Everyone's welcome, you know that. Scout and Mereel have left."

"I'll let Maze know. Who's taking them further then?"

"Quin."

"Oh."

"We'll see you soon." Callista said before cutting the link.

"Strap in!" Shouted Maze back to her.

She checked the clone and he was still unconscious and shackled again, so she strapped herself in ready for landing.

Maze swung the craft around, landing perfectly as he insisted he always did. They had a little landing area marked out now. They had been here a few years and the smaller craft used it more. The Wookiee Gunner was being worked on at the moment; it had to be kept flightworthy at all times.

Essie unstrapped the harness and braced herself. They had to explain the clone to someone who was here and he may not be entirely happy about it.

"So are we leaving him in here for the moment?" asked Maze, "he's secure and safe."

"Yes. We'll get one of the healers to look at him and wake him up."

"What did Callista say?"

"She'll update us when we land."

Her husband tilted his head to one side, "It was a long conversation to say just that."

"Well. You know Callista. Why say one word when five will do."

"Hmm!" He knew Callista, and he knew his wife. He kept quiet. He would find out soon enough.

He followed his wife down the ramp and saw why she was so circumspect. He rubbed his shoulder, remembering.

Essie walked towards the ex-Jedi heading towards them, specks of grey, littered his long black hair but his clan tattoos were still visible.

"Essie, good to see you." A grin spread across his face, as he pulled her to him."Good job there but it'll be the last one from that planet, I fear."

He looked over her shoulder.

"Maze!" He nodded.

"Vos!" Maze bristled as he replied. "Why will it be the last one?"

"The Path from there is compromised, as is Jabiim."

"Jabiim?" Essie echoed.

"Yes. Our sources tell me the Empire locked them down and attacked the rebel facility there, destroying it."

"How many lost?" Maze asked.

"A lot but some escaped. And we have these." Vos looked at them both."Thanks to you two, or should I say three." He looked at Essie's stomach. "Congratulations!"

He turned to Maze, holding out his hand, "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye."

"Master of the understatement Vos." Maze growled, remembering being thrown to the wall with a Force push when they first met. Vos was not fond of the clones at that point.

"But what you did on Daiyu was above and beyond." He pushed his hand to Maze's forearm, and Maze looked at him before reciprocating and they clasped forearms. Maze had never been overtly Mando but it was still ingrained in him, in fact Essie thought he was getting worse as he got older.

Essie cleared her throat, "We brought someone else back."

"Another youngling?"

"Not exactly."

She saw Maze smirk, out of the corner of her eye.

"I don't think he's dangerous but Maze disagrees. He's on the ship."

"But there's something else?"

"Yes. He's a clone. May be 501st."

Vos features hardened.

"I know what they did but there is something about him."

"And the chip? What if it's still active?" He turned to Maze, "And you let her bring him here?" he accused him.

"It was my idea. So leave him out of it."

Maze leaned back against their ship, smiling at the thought of Vos going against his wife.

And he thinks I'm a stubborn chakaar.

Essie crossed her arms. "Everybody deserves a chance."

Vos mirrored her.

Maze uncrossed his.

"What if he doesn't take it?"

"He will. I can feel it."

Maze arched a brow.

"Does he know where we are?" Asked Vos.

"No! Of course he doesn't. He was stunned when we boarded and is sedated now."

"He's shackled to the bunk as well." Added Maze.

"All heart aren't you!" Vos said sarcastically.

"Just being careful."

Essie glared at him. "We need a healer to check him over and revive him."

"I want to be there."

"Okay." Essie agreed reluctantly, turning, then turning back, "You know just because you were trained as a child, in the Temple, doesn't make you any better than us." and she stormed off.

Maze glared at him for good measure and followed his wife.

.

The three squirmed inside the small quarters and pushed up to the bunk. Essie removed the sheet.

"He hasn't had a shower yet." She warned.

Vos looked at the armour with the familiar blue stripes down it. He hadn't seen what had happened at the temple but had felt it.

He looked at the clone; he had aged faster than Maze but he heard about the de ageing cure he went through. And logically he knows that they were as much the victims as the Jedi were.

Dooku was complicit in it and he and Ventress failed to stop it. He still missed her and Aayla. They were all victims but he had recently sensed others in the Force, ones he had thought were lost like Obi Wan. Now he needed to see what happened in the temple.

He touched the soldier's vambrace and he was there.

Essie and Maze watched, "Is he okay?" Maze asked, as he pulled his wife closer.

"I think so."

They kept watch over the silent Jedi.

.

Vos has psychometry through the Force. He can touch objects and see things from them.