Essie had made several attempts to persuade Jac to have the 'cure' but to no avail and she found it upsetting more than she anticipated. She sat at what passed for a dressing table, brushing her hair; she never had it as long as it was now. She debated on leaving it long as she brushed.

"Are you feeling okay?" Maze asked, taking the brush from her and continuing to brush her hair. Years ago when they first met she would never have imagined him doing that, the uptight clone Captain interested in Politics barely able to say anything to her. She would also never have imagined living on a planet on the edge of wild space, in a community of mixed ex-Jedi and non Force users, giving aid to anyone who needed them.

He stopped brushing and pushed his fingers into her hair, massaging her scalp.

"Relax!" He instructed.

She dropped her shoulders.

"Better!" He said.

"Hmmm." She finally answered, as her shoulders relaxed further, his fingers finally working their magic. He moved to her shoulders.

"Cred for them?"

"Huh?" She murmured, still lost in her thoughts.

"I said, a cred for your thoughts. You're far away."

"Jac!"

"Ah! His decision."

"Can't you persuade him."

"He's twenty-four, old enough to know what he wants."

"That's not funny." She retorted, moving the brush from the edge of the table putting it away, as she shrugged his hands from her shoulders and got up from the table heading towards the bed.

"It wasn't meant to be." He replied, following her.

She glared at him and undid her robe.

"You know what I mean. He shouldn't hold himself accountable for what someone else forced him to do." She continued, throwing back the bed clothes before lying down.

"And he has a choice now. One he didn't have before."

He joined her. His hand slid over her, coming to rested on her stomach, on the small hard part.

"Am I welcome?" He whispered.

She didn't answer.

"Is your back painful?"

"No. It's not painful and yes you are welcome—always."

His leg moved over her, pinning her down, as he kissed her and his hand moved underneath her nightdress to cup her breast, squeezing gently.

"You're eager tonight!"

"Someone has to be. I'm leaving tomorrow."

Essie squirmed around to face him. Nearly twelve years and she still could not get enough of him.

"I do love you, you know."

Maze pulled away, "But you're tired." He stopped what he was doing.

"No! I was just thinking, and that was very pleasant what you were just doing, don't stop."

"Pleasant? Pfft!"

He moved his hand back and felt the exhale of breath on his neck, as she started kissing him. He grabbed her backside and twisted them both over so she was on top. She pulled her nightdress off.

"Is this okay for your back?" asked Maze before he was too far gone.

"Apparently I have to try and keep it supple." She ground down on him for emphasis.

He let out a small grunt,

"Too much?" She asked.

He shook his head concentrating on her breasts, squeezing and punching the nipples before taking one in his mouth and lazily sucking. His hand stroked firmly down her back, resting on her back side before squeezing one cheek.

"My back is fine." She whispered into his ear, trying to keep a lid on the arousal that was already building, just from his touch and the feelings she could sense from him. "Is yours?" She could always tap into his competitive streak.

He grunted, as he rolled them both over, "I'll show you." He lifted one leg over his shoulder pushing the other to one side. Her head dropped back, eyes closed, mouth half open, as he immersed himself in her.

.

"How's the Captain?" Jac got the question in before she could say anything.

"I miss him already."

He smiled, as he looked at the pile of wood at his feet; he'd heard them last night.

"He left today with Jusik but you knew that. Why do you keep calling him Captain?"

"Habit!"

He picked up one of the pieces of wood that lay in the pile and examined it. Holding it in front of him, with one eye closed he checked it's straightness.

"You're still using your stick. You should be trying to walk more without it." He observed. "Are you doing your physical therapy?"

"Yes! Are you going to have the 'cure'?"

"Ah. Always the same question."

"And I'll keep asking."

"Maze always said you could be awkward."

She narrowed her eyes but didn't respond.

"What are you doing?" She asked instead.

"Making a bench for you. I noticed you liked to come here, so I thought I'd make you something to sit on rather than that boulder. It looks uncomfortable and it won't help your back, which needs to be fully repaired by the time you give birth."

"Oh!" She was surprised at his reply but ignored part of it, "Can you do carpentry?"

"I picked up a few tricks when I was first decommissioned."

"Okay. I'll leave you to it."

She turned before he could see the tears rolling down her cheeks; being pregnant always made her more emotional. She was already missing Maze and now Jac, or rather Jab because that's who he really was, was being kind to her and that made it worse.

.

Maze stood waiting for Vos and the healers coming down the ramp. He had a favour to ask of Vos and he wasn't sure how the request would be received, from either party concerned.

He waited, as they fully disembarked, Vos being the last.

He pulled Maze into a hug, squeezing him hard and slapping him on the back; anyone else Maze would have thumped, hard, but Vos got away with it because, well Vos was Vos.

"You need to relax!" Vos said.

"And you need to watch who you do that to." growled Maze.

They walked towards the cluster of buildings, where Maze had made a home. It may not look like much to outsiders but it housed everything he needed and everyone who meant anything to him.

"How are they…..?" Both men asked at the same time. They stopped walking.

"You first." Vos nodded to Maze.

"The boys are well and Essie is getting there. The pregnancy is fine."

"Good. We healed all our young ones and some of the older ones and passed on some healing practices. It was a good trip."

He looked at Maze, hands on hips. "Now what else do you want to ask me?"

"Jac. He doesn't want to have the 'cure' and it's upsetting Essie."

Ah! The main reason.

"Has he said why?"

"Essie says it's because he thinks he doesn't deserve it because of what he did in the Temple." he paused, "I saw some 501st around the Senate District. They nearly got Essie and they shot their own. There was no reasoning with them. They were no more than droids."

Vos felt it took a lot for Maze to say that; they were in effect his brothers although he would deny it. Essie had indicated it had been difficult around that time for both of them. She had never gone into detail and he had never asked, being too engrossed in his own problems at that time.

"I wondered if there was something you could do…. to persuade him."

"As it's you Maze," he slung an arm over the clone's shoulder, "I'll talk to him.".

.

"Jac!"

"Sir!"

The clone stood to attention.

"Jac, we're not in the army now. I'm not a Sir. It's Quin, Vos if you must." He sensed apprehension from the clone, who looked like Maze's older brother.

"The cure…"

"I don't deserve it sir…Vos."

"Why?"

"I killed….in the Temple."

"Let me see." Vos held out his hand.

Jac put his hands behind his back. "I'd rather not relive it."

"Isn't that what you're doing anyway?"

The clone shuffled in front of him, whilst Vos put his hand out further.

"Are you messing with my head? I've had enough of that."

"No! I can do but you need to do this of your own volition."

Jac shuffled before his hand came out.

"Both!" Said Vos.

The other came out Vos held both tightly, as he sank into the Force, searching for the memories. He didn't normally do this with living beings.

Then, he was there back, in the clone wars. A younger Captain Maze. All the clones were younger. He had not realised at the time just how young they really were.

Jac was treating people.

He pushed in further.

Jac was painting blue on his armour surrounded by other clones clapping his back. Coruscant was being attacked, the sky was full of ships falling to the ground. Then Vos heard it. He nearly pulled away.

"Execute Order 66."

They were marching to the Temple, obeying Orders. Obeying a Jedi who was not part of the coup. Skywalker?

Vos had heard rumours. He concentrated again.

Jac was firing, automatically but he didn't want to. He couldn't understand why he was still firing and why he couldn't stop himself. Then he saw the younglings. Jac felt bile rise up. They were younglings and they couldn't be part of the coup.

Then Vos heard it, in Jac's head, the voice. Over and over again.

"Kill the Jedi! Kill the Jedi! Kill the Jedi!"

Vos pulled out of the Force and released Jac's hands.

Jac was looking straight at him, tears streaming down his face.

"Why couldn't I stop firing?" He asked.

.

Del and Kai sat next to Jac's bed as Mel inserted the very long needle into his thigh bone. They had offered, or rather insisted that they be there to help him. Kai was already fascinated by anything medical and when Jac finally agreed to have the anti-aging cure, he wanted to be with him.

He wanted to have his uncle around for a long time.

"Although the amended gene is carried by a virus, Dr Uthan calculated that the introduction of it into the bone marrow was the most effective method of administering it, with the least side effects." Mel explained.

She pushed the plunger in slowly. Jac winced, it was a pain he had never experienced before.

"Although from her notes and anecdotal evidence, there are some challenging side effects," she paused, "Some people may call it 'man' flu."

She carefully withdrew the needle.

"There's four more applications over the next two weeks."

"That's okay we'll look after him." Kai reminded her.