:: Chapter Thirty ::

"Shouldn't Eliza be here for this?" asked Jonas while he and Theron loaded the coffin aboard Kendra's vessel.

Together, Kendra and Aric would fly the coffin to the nearest drop off point and from there, send it to the Empire before making a small supply run to restock the base on Odessen.

"Nah, she wants nothing more to do with this," Theron said.

"So why not burn him or dump him out back? It's not like the bastard deserves a funeral."

"It's not for him," he began to explain.

"Cyara adored her 'uncle Markus' and for her sake, Eliza wove the story that he was killed in action, here, fighting Arcann's Knights. Can't really tell a three-year-old the truth, yanno? Besides, this way it avoids a potential fall out with that great uncle of his or anyone else still loyal to him."

"Makes sense. How is she? Relieved?"

A single shrug rolled along Theron's shoulders. "I think so. She's been a little quiet since yesterday but I think she's just processing."

They fastened a cargo net around the coffin and sauntered back down the ramp to prepare Charlie's modified Phantom next—Eliza had finally made plans to visit Zakuul and find Doc.

"And the kiss, have you asked her about it yet?"

"No, and I'm not going to. It wasn't anything romantic, just something she needed to do her way."

Jonas eyed him curiously, having heard the slight wavering of his voice. "But?"

"Something Ravage said during their previous confrontation… about knowing how her dark side hungers, understanding it, which is something I don't," Theron admitted with a pained look in his eyes.

"She has to find a way to harmonize with her darkness now and I don't know how to help or support her in that. And what if that dark side is what drew her to a man like Ravage, or Vowrawn, or perhaps even Scourge, even while she was still Jedi?"

It was clear that despite his support and understanding, there were a few things he did feel troubled over. Mostly in the sense he'd begun to wonder whether he'd be enough in what she needed from a partner. Someone to understand both the dark and light within her and as much as he did embrace both aspects of who she was, he didn't fully comprehend what she experienced.

"You don't give yourself enough credit. Do you remember her rage the other day and how you were the one to calm her down, bring her back from her desire to kill?" Jonas reminded him and rationalized.

"Now perhaps you don't understand the full scope of things, maybe guys like you and I never will but you were there for her when she needed you most."

The ramp to board the Eonar lowered and the two of them began a round of inspections before getting Charlie's vessel ready.

"Yeah," sighed Theron and he hung back against the armrest of the co-pilot's seat, "but what if next time, I can't be? Whatever happened in the woods, Marr and Satele were able to bring her back but what could I do in a situation like that?"

"Talk to her. Ask. Whichever she can explain, I'm sure she would. Or speak with Cytharat or Praven when they return."

"That easy huh?" Theron gave half a smile.

A big grin was all he got in return while Jonas was forced to keep mute otherwise, hearing a set of footsteps approaching fast followed by the light chatter of Eliza and Charlie.

"Are we ready to pay a visit to Zakuul?" Eliza threw a duffel bag down and snuck her arms around Theron's waist. "Hi."

"Hey." He welcomed her lips. "All good to go here. I've already entered the coordinates into the system."

"And the plan?" asked Charlie while she smirked and playfully chased Jonas out of her pilot's seat.

"Chatter among her fan club, which we've been monitoring, says Firebrand has something big planned. I don't know the details but according to the teens keeping tabs on her, she's in Undercity right now so that's where we'll start and hopefully pick up a trail," explained Theron.

"Teens?"

"Bored kids who look up to her and enjoy her antics," Jonas said. "Apparently your old partner is quite popular on Zakuul."

Charlie rolled her eyes and groaned while engaging the Eonar for take off, "Of course she is."

It wasn't too difficult making it past patrols to land Charlie's ship near the heart of Zakuul, not at this time of day when the streets were buzzing with activity. Shoppers flying in and out in their private vessels, overpriced merchants and hungry buyers littering the city while day-drinkers made their way from one bar to the other before the enforced curfew would send them home.

"So, Nathema huh?" asked Charlie while she brought the Eonar in for a landing. "Isn't that planet lost?"

"It still exists, just not on any of our maps," Eliza explained and huffed slightly trying to wrestle herself into her disguise.

Jonas glanced up at the both of them and frowned. "Then how does that help?"

"Because at least now, we can focus all our attention on one thing—finding Nathema. We do that, we find Scourge."

"Right, and how will you find a planet that isn't on any map?"

"I've pulled Lana off recruitment and reassigned her to locate Nathema. We have some old charts, pieces of physical galaxy maps from millennia past, I'm having her compare those to our current maps."

Eliza strapped a pair of clunky boots around her calves. "Should be a simple 'find the missing piece', perhaps that is something she can do right."

Charlie snorted. "You went too easy on her. If I'd fucked up like that while working for Intelligence, I'd have been demoted to the cleaning crew and that's a best-case scenario. Luckily, I'm not that stupid."

"The SIS would have put her on desk duty for a couple of weeks or worse," said Jonas and he smirked at Theron who groaned in response.

"Analytics." He shook his head.

"Well, this isn't the SIS or Intelligence and while she's entirely unfit for Intelligence work, she does have decent organizational skills. She got the entire base up and running, we just need to keep her away from recruitment," Eliza reasoned before she slipped her helmet on.

"How do I look?"

All three of them took to stare at the Zakuulan Knight before them, the helmet half crooked on her head for being too big and Jonas commented with blunt honesty.

"Absolutely ridiculous." He smirked.

Eliza pouted inside her disguise. "Do I really have to wear this?"

"Yes babe, you do," said Theron with a sympathetic smile, "As much as I love your fiery locks, you kinda stick out like a sore thumb and we have to assume most people know your face by now."

"Bah."

The foursome deplaned and soon found themselves turning the corridors to navigate the maze of Zakuul's Undercity. Things weren't quite as high society down here as they were a few levels up the Spire. Graffitied walls, flickering lights, the odd clique of street hustlers who quickly blended into the shadows the second they laid eyes on Eliza in her Knight's armor.

"I know this is meant to help me look less conspicuous but we're just chasing everyone off now," she muttered.

"Doesn't matter," said Theron while he checked his datapad, "another message came through—Firebrand was just spotted near Power Junction 754, which is right around the corner. We're close."

A barely audible groan escaped Charlie as they turned into the next alley and came face to face with the woman they were hunting. "Too close…"

The short, and somewhat scrawny, Rattataki woman took only a second to size up the group before immediately drawing her blaster and both Jonas and Charlie were quick to follow.

"Whoa, easy!" Eliza called out and jumped in between, "There's no need, yet."

Her actions caused Firebrand, Kaliyo, to screw her face up in surprise.

"You're no Knight," she observed and then glanced at Charlie, "Long time no see."

"Not nearly long enough… How've you been, Kaliyo?"

"Getting by." Kaliyo indicated at both Theron and Jonas. "What's with the false Knight and those two?"

"We've got some business to discuss with you, privately," said Charlie.

"Can't. Still have a couple more explosives to plant so, toodles."

After quickly scouring the area to make sure no one was keeping an eye, Eliza removed her helmet and held her hand up. "Wait, please!

"We didn't come here to start anything. I'm looking for an old friend of mine."

The petite Rattataki took a step closer, inspecting her curiously and then laughed. "You're the Outlander!"

"Yeah, I kind of am," Eliza confirmed, embracing the moniker Arcann had given her.

"Guess you're looking for Doc, huh? He hasn't shut up about you ever since the broadcasts but you know, you're a tricky mark to pin down so it's not like we could go out and find you."

"We are. Is he here, did he come with you?"

"Nah. He's either stinking up my apartment or in a bar enjoying a few drinks too many."

Kaliyo sucked her teeth and considered quietly, keeping a narrowed eye on Charlie. "Tell you what—you three wait here and keep watch while the Outlander helps me plant these last two bombs. Then after, I'll take ya'll to my place.

"It's nearing curfew, even if he's out he won't be gone for much longer. Sound fair?"

Theron and Eliza exchanged a quick glance, the latter shrugging her shoulders. What could possibly go wrong?

"Fine, and maybe along the way you can tell me more about what Doc's been up to," she decided.

"That's easy—drinking and scheming to free his wife from Arcann's little prison or wherever he's keeping her," Kaliyo started and the two went on their way to the next power junction.

Altogether, it took them almost two hours to finish setting up Kaliyo's explosives. Skytroopers, either patrolling or having caught word of Kaliyo's plans, seemed to pour in from every corner and alley no matter which route they took and Eliza had racked up quite the body count by the time they finally made it to the Rattataki's apartment.

"Doc! Visitors!" Kaliyo called out the second they stepped inside, "Your old Jedi pal and some other guys!"

No response came and Kaliyo indicated at one of the bedrooms. "Try in there," she told Eliza.

The room itself was dark with the curtains drawn and the lights smashed. Empty bottles of beer rolled across the floor when Eliza accidentally kicked one out of the way and a big pile of sheets, covering a sleeping man, lay in a heap next to the bed.

She crouched down to his level and inched the bundled bed covers aside to expose his face. "Doc?"

"Hmph." His hand slapped hers away.

"Doc!"

He mumbled and groaned, not even making an effort to open his eyes, "Piss off, you'll get your rent tomorrow."

Unimpressed, Eliza yanked all the bed covers away in one fell swoop. "Archiban Frodrick Kimble!"

His eyes sprung wide open at the use of his full name and now he recognized the voice. "Karkin' hell Arielle…"

He rose up immediately, too fast and was forced to sit back down on the edge of his bed when he dizzied. He stared in pure shock, rubbing his eyes to make sure they weren't deceiving him and for a second questioning just how much he'd drank before passing out but when Eliza sat down by him and took his hand, he understood she was real.

"How… when… what… Hell."

She chuckled and wrapped her arms around his fragile state. "I've missed you, Doc."

"You're actually here, I don't believe it… How'd you find me?"

"One of the survivors you helped on Asylum tipped me off so we had people look for you. A refugee recognized you from seeing you around these parts with Kaliyo so, here I am."

The scruff of his growing beard pricked her palms when she cupped his face and teased some sweaty locks from his forehead, fighting off the overwhelming alcohol scent hitting her nostrils when he sighed.

"He has her, Kira, in his stupid vault," Doc muttered with a rueful look in his eyes, "I never shoulda listened to her and left, now that bastard has my wife."

His words of regret instantly reminded Eliza of why she'd come to find him, the biggest reason and while flashing him a solemn smile, she considered how she could possibly begin telling him the news that would utterly crush his heart.

"Doc…" she began and clutched his hand a second time, tighter, "I found her, about a month ago. We—"

"You did?!" Hope sprang to his darkened and tired eyes. "Is she with you? Where?"

"She's… no, babe, she didn't make it."

There was little point dragging it out, making him suffer while trying to find the right words so Eliza, as she held him, told of the intended rescue mission to free Kira. Of how they'd found her frozen in carbonite, what Vitiate had done and how Kira had technically passed away many years ago already following her confrontation with the Sith Emperor and his son.

Painful minutes crawled by as she shared one heart-shattering detail after another, reducing the otherwise high spirited and playful man to tears. Allowing for silence to fill the space in between his sobs and all she could do was hold him, try and soothe him, sympathize with the loss he suffered until at last, he could breathe again.

"She saved a lot of lives that day," said Eliza while rubbing his back.

"That won't bring her back."

"No, but they honor who she was. Selfless, strong, compassionate. Always fighting for those who needed her help, for those who couldn't fight for themselves."

He nodded solemnly, torn between anger, despair, and honoring his wife. Trying to fend off his urge to cause such a scene it would bring Arcann himself down to the lower parts of Zakuul so he could confront him.

"Where is she now?" he asked.

"We brought her back to our base and gave her a Jedi funeral. I'd like to take you there."

"To visit her… grave?"

Eliza swallowed hard. "Yeah… Doc, I am so sorry. I wanted you to be there, we just had no clue then of how and where to find you."

Another tear trickled down his cheek. "We were trying to have kids, you know? But, built up scar tissue from injuries she suffered as a kid made it hard.

"Just before we reached Marr's flagship, we'd agreed to look into adoption instead once we got back to Coruscant. She loved the idea of giving an orphaned child the love and care she missed out on growing up…"

A deep sigh escaped the broken man and he reached into the drawer of his nightstand to retrieve his datapad, to show her holo-images of his and Kira's wedding. "I'm glad you were with her in the end… we never stopped missing you, Eliza."

"Mm. I got the message you both recorded for me on my wedding day… I'm so sorry I didn't do a better job of staying in touch. Will you come back with me?"

"Yeah. I have no reason to stay here now. Kaliyo and I don't get along too well but, it was a place to crash at. Now I just want to be where my wife is, tell her all those things I still need to say."

He pulled away and stood up, rubbing the sleep and stinging tears from his eyes. "Just let me freshen up and grab a few things."

"Sure. I'll be right outside waiting."

Miserably, Eliza hugged herself into Theron's arms the second she made it back to the living and kitchen area and she blew out a heavy exhale while next to her, Kaliyo and Charlie engaged in a fierce argument.

"Have you completely lost your mind?!" Charlie spat, "You can't just blow up half of Zakuul because you've decided the people here live too much of a cushy life!"

"Sure I can, the bombs are already in place. She helped." Kaliyo pointed a finger at Eliza and flashed a smug grin.

Eliza frowned. "You said it would only disrupt their systems for a few hours, disable the droids and security. You never said anything about hurting anyone."

"Uhh, why do you think I need the droids and security disabled?"

"We're not letting you do this," Jonas cut in, "those people have done you no wrong."

"Are you kidding me? All of Zakuul has done us wrong for years ever since this stupid war began! Let them suffer as we have!" Kaliyo spat.

Theron shook his head. "They're not responsible for this."

"No, they're not," Charlie concurred and she scoffed, "but Kaliyo doesn't care about any of that. She just likes to delight in the chaos and misery of others so she can feel better about her own pathetic existence!

"Isn't that so?" She snatched the remote detonator from Kaliyo's hands and crushed it under her boot. "But not today!"

"Well I'll be damned, look who finally grew a pair," Kaliyo sneered with a smirk. "Fine, whatever, I've got plenty more tricks up my sleeve. Unless you plan on staying here to keep an eye on me?"

Charlie cast a quick glance at Eliza, receiving a smile for her response and then, without further warning, fired a tranquilizer dart straight into the Rattataki's neck.

"Nope," she shrugged while Kaliyo sank to her knees and passed out, "we'll just bring you with us and lock you away."