Essie's Apartment Block.
Maze changed into his fatigues; it was now his go to uniform for walking around Coruscant like many other clones. He had never seen so many brothers wandering around, not since Kamino. The citizens didn't all look entirely happy with it and he had a feeling neither were the Guard. They would be the ones dealing with any fallout from this, soldiers on downtime could be predictably unpredictable but all the ones he saw were exceptionally well behaved. Perhaps they had been warned.
He walked through the front of Essie's building, the key pad had been removed and he nodded to the newly installed Droid Concierge.
"Good Evening Mr Devro." It intoned.
"Good evening Jan."
Whoever designed it must have had a sense of humour to name it JAN1T0r. But he prickled at being called Mr Devro, although Essie insisted that's what it wanted before it would let him in.
She had an odd look on her face when she told him. He had his suspicions it was a joke. He would find out.
He used the Turbo lift, and walked straight in after entering the passcode; he heard Essie's voice from the dining area.
"Del, you need to eat."
The boy was sitting at the table, arms crossed looking exactly like Essie, when she was annoyed.
"Maze." He held his arms out. He had suddenly started talking a little, odd words. Almost as if he had done it to irritate his Mother. Maze ruffled his hair. He placed a kiss on her cheek, his arm going around her waist.
"Can I try?"
"Please. He's not had anything all day."
"Perhaps he's just not hungry."
"Surely not from last night when he last ate."
"You worry too much. He looks perfectly healthy and happy." Which was more than he could say about his own childhood. He saw the look on her face, perhaps he had overstepped the mark by saying that, the boundaries had blurred over the last few weeks.
"Let me try. You go and have a shower." She was still in her work clothes and looked tired. If she was saying Del needed to eat. He needed to eat. "Go!"
He waited until she had gone into the bedroom and closed the door.
"Del." The little boy looked at him with Essie's eyes, "Time for dinner." He picked up a spoon full of vegetables and headed to the boy with it.
"Veg. S'green. Yuk!"
Maze had to stop himself laughing at the face he pulled.
"Yes they are green. But green is good."
The little boy looked at him seriously.
"No." He slammed his spoon down. Bits of green vegetable flew up and hit Maze in the face. Del giggled. Maze wiped it off his face and licked his fingers.
"Mmm!" He lied, he liked his food a little spicier.
Del considered him, head cocked on one side. Then shook his head.
He needed to get creative and flicked some of the vegetables on Del's cheek. The boy looked affronted; then grinned and giggled, and scraped it off his face into his mouth.
"Mmm!" He said.
Maze wanted to laugh again, as the little boy sounded like him. But at last he was eating, albeit messily. Just then Essie came back into the room freshly showered and looked at the little boy sitting there with an empty plate in front of him and a face covered in mashed green vegetables. She looked at him.
His face was in a similar state, he shrugged.
She popped a kiss on the top of the little boys head, "Good boy."
"I'll let you do the potty training when it's time." Then pulled the young boy from his high chair. They were going to the gym, where Del was going to be spoilt by the attention from Nat, Sol and any females there.
He was unsure exactly what potty training was, he needed to look it up. It sounded like a threat. But he could train people. He trained the farmers on Qiilura. He was flattered she trusted him with her son and he liked the little lad.
.
It was Ladies Self Defence class night; he was able to walk around the gym but some were still more wary than others around him. They mostly just tolerated him but he was okay with that, he was here for Essie and to a lesser extent Del. They hadn't started yet and were standing around chatting. He smiled. Not too many teeth.
He walked around with Del on his shoulders; the youngster was giggling, he liked to hear the lad laugh, he had not heard young ones laugh much and Nat and Sol both gave their approval. He could see it in their faces.
He heard raised voices, from the front door; he looked around for Essie, but couldn't see her. The class hadn't even started but the ladies had backed away to the sides of the room, away from the noise. He walked quickly to the back where Sol was waiting.
"What's happening?" she asked, concerned at the noise and raised voices coming from the entrance.
"Not sure. I'll check." He bent down for her to take Del. "Keep him safe. If you need to go, go."
"You don't need to tell me." She hugged the child who realised something was happening.
He strode to the front entrance, where the noise was increasing. A female was screaming but it wasn't Essie. That wasn't her style. He saw it was a Pantoran, tiny in comparison to the human male who was holding her roughly by the arm. Nat had got two on the floor, one out cold, his foot on the other, pushing down on his chest.
He couldn't understand why Essie was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, until he saw a blade protruding from her upper chest, she was pale, obviously in pain but she had done the right thing by leaving it in. There were several bruises blooming across her chin.
He felt the anger rise in him.
He looked at the human.
"Did you do that?"
"She got in the way. I've only come for this fucking bitch."
"Watch your language!"
"What? Are you real?"
"I don't think Freyu wants to go with you. Do you Freyu?" She shook her head, despite the man's hold on her. He yanked back on her arm.
"He's supposed to be in prison, for his last attack on her." Nat exclaimed, eyes still on the one on the floor. Maze had seen the woman's scar, it wasn't old, still pink and healing.
"Got out didn't I, fucking stupid clones. That bomb at the energy plant. So I came back for her. Got plans for her. Ain't I love?" He pulled her closer. "You were coming weren't you until that fucking cunt got in the way."
Maze ground his teeth. He swore himself, but he hated that particular word, especially when it was used in that way.
Essie watched Freyu's face; the Pantoran was scared now. She had come so far and even normally said hello to Maze before she scuttled away from him. Essie waited for the explosion from Maze, she could feel his fury.
"Did you do that?" He pointed to Essie.
"'Course. She just wouldn't go down."
"Freyu!" Essie shouted.
Freyu responded, using some of the moves they'd done in class, ducking down; Maze acted, hitting him, then pinching the nerves in the hand around Freyu's arm. He yelled and let go, she dropped to Essie's side, helping her up and away.
Freyu had guts.
The man fell onto the walkway but he wasn't down yet. He was a hard man, surviving the Coruscant penal system, so he wasn't going to be a pushover. He stood up and squared off against Maze.
"Come on then clone." He beckoned to him, "Oh yes. I know. I saw enough of 'em in prison, even took a few out in the escape with this. He produced a shiv, prison made by the looks of it. Maze didn't reply. He wasn't going to waste his breath on him.
"Going to avenge your, what do you call them, the other fucking tube spawn, brothers. Yes brothers. I heard one screaming like a stuck Roba, when we broke out."
He beckoned to Maze again. There was a small crowd gathering around them. Maze assessed the situation. The man thought he wasn't going to go after him because he had a knife; he hadn't taken much notice of the brothers in prison and Fox would be after him, if he had anything to do the death of even one of them.
He opened his com, "Jab! I need you at these coordinates asap."
He listened for a few seconds, "Don't argue — civilian down. Knife wound. Full med kit. If you want more of those pastries get here now."
The line went dead.
Maze and the man circled one another.
Finally the man's patience snapped and he lunged, his arm extended with his shiv. Maze jumped backwards; the shiv nicked him. But he had the man's reach now; he had extended to his full arms length and almost lost his balance.
They circled again.
"Thought you clones were all about fighting. Best fucking soldiers in the galaxy." He moved around, a sneer on his face, "that's not what I'm seeing. I'm seeing a coward. A yellow streak down your back."
They circled again, Maze ignored the taunts; he jabbed to the man's face and connected to his nose, the man's head jerked back. His nose bloodied and pushed to one side.
Maze knew from experience, that would hurt. But the man shook his head and still came forward.
Maze swept round, taking his leg from under him. The man rolled over and back up, jabbing at him again. Another nick. This man was used to fighting; Maze had not done any recently yet Jango had taught them how to fight dirty and to use anything and everything.
Circling him again, Maze had swept around then he lunged, shouldering the man into the wall, his fists connected with the soft underbelly, one — two— three times then the kidney area. Maze expected there to be more muscle. But the man was still strong, thick arms wrapped around him squeezing tight, rib crushing, lifting him and it was working. He brought his head back and using all his neck muscles, hit him. A Keldabe Kiss — Skirata would be proud of him. His forehead crushed more facial bones, and again, until the arms released him and he dropped back to the floor.
The man would have no face left soon.
There was a thud behind him. Nat was having problems but he had to accept he could deal with them. Then he heard them, the sirens, a larty and so did the man. He made one last push.
"Not going back!" Brought his head up, connected with Mazes's chin even though he was just moving it out of the way, and pushed away.
Maze shook his head, to clear the fuzziness, luckily he had a strong jaw and turned to the onlookers. They pointed down the alley, he took off and the man had a small head start but Maze knew this area now and he had made a mistake. Maze slowed down as he turned into the final alley — a dead end.
He saw him, scrambling against the wall desperately trying to get a foot hold; reaching up he pulled him down. He was still fighting though and tried to throw a punch. Maze dodged it easily and his fist, connected one last time with the man's face and he dropped.
Looking down at him, Maze had to make a decision. Jango told them to always make sure their opponents were dead; he was in full fight mode now. He brought his booted foot up to knee height and stomped.
He hated the noise that made.
The alley was quiet, except for Maze's hard breathing.
He pushed him with his toe—no response. Maze knelt beside him, feeling for a pulse—none.
Three minutes from start to finish.
.
He walked back around to the gym and went to check on Essie; Del was very quiet, Sol was walking up and down with him. Nat had roped the two others to a down pipe on the wall. Freyu sat with Essie who was looking pale.
"He won't bother you again." He said to Freyu but didn't ask what he did to her.
"You're hurt." Essie said, from the chair she was now slumped on; looking even paler than before.
"I'm hurt? That's rich." He knelt next to her. "I've sent for Jab."
"So I get to finally meet him. The infamous Jab."
"Sol might have to send him more bloody pastries."
"He deserves it, if he looks after you." Wincing as she tried to move, "The man?" she asked.
"Gone." She didn't ask where or how, because of the look on his face
"So who was so important Captain?" a different clone voice interrupted.
"Jab?" Essie asked.
"The one and only Ma'am. Ooh, that looks nasty." He knelt next to her pushing Maze out of the way. "Make room Cap. Let me see!"
.
Maze paced, while Jab worked on Essie. He wanted to look to check that it wasn't too serious but Jab was one of the best.
"Captain, a word." He recognised another clone voice, one whose accent had been softened from his time on Coruscant, and his dealings with the Coruscanti, unlike his own. A member of the Guard. He turned.
Stone.
"Yes Commander." he straightened but didn't come to full attention
"Care to tell me what happened here."
"I'd love to, Sir."
.
"So you're a friend of Maze?" Asked Essie, before sucking in a painful breath, as the clone medic scanned her wound; the knife was still protruding, still bleeding slowly; it burned deep inside her and she tried not to look at it.
Jab had an audience but he didn't care. He had a patient, a natborn. He hadn't treated any of those and was interested in how different they were, behaviourally speaking. This was a female too. He checked the readings; it was deep but hadn't hit any arteries, although there were some major nerves nearby. He would have to be careful around those.
Jab injected a painkiller, then a decent amount of coagulant around the wound. He watched as she took shallow breaths.
"Not exactly friends. But I could ask the same of you Ma'am."
"I'm Essie. And yes, we are friends."
He arched his brow unsure exactly what to think of that.
"Can you keep still please? This may hurt."
"I trust you."
He pressed down, then pulled the knife out and replaced it immediately with a Bacta patch and bandage. Essie winced as he did so but then the pain subsided. He scanned the area just to confirm.
"There you are, Essie. The dressings will need to be changed daily, unless you've got access to a tank."
"Tank?" She asked.
"Bacta tank. You could have a day in one and it would heal quicker but these bandages are good."
"I'll stick with the bandages."
"Can you change them?"
"Yes. I'll manage
"You'll need to keep it strapped up for a few weeks." He knew that natborns healed at different rates to clones and even between themselves depending on how healthy they were. This one looked really healthy with a strong musculature. But he was curious now, if she was with Maze, he may have to have words with him, again.
"So how did it happen?"
"A man attacked one of my ladies, so I intervened and he got past my defences."
He wasn't sure what she meant by 'my ladies', it sounded rather disreputable from what he'd seen on the Holonet.
"Not Maze?"
"Oh no. He helped. He went to sort him out."
"Ah!"
That's why the Guard were here. Jab knew what the euphemism for 'Sort Out' meant. So there would be a body somewhere.
"Thank you Jab."
"Pleasure Ma'am….Essie."
He watched as she leaned back, eyes closing. Now there was that Pantoran who had some nasty bruises blooming on her arms, while he was here…..
.
Maze and Commander Stone stood in the alley, looking at the body lying there.
"Nasty things these unsecured walkways." Commented Stone, as he walked around the body examining it visually, before scanning. He bent down, turned over an arm and scanned the code there, one part that was not too damaged. He couldn't do facial recognition.
"Definitely one of the escapees, together with the other two. All of them fucking nasty prices of work."
He let the arm drop back down a look of distaste on his face, "According to the prison grapevine they ran one of the floors inside. Nothing we could do most of the time, unless someone squealed and they didn't mostly, if they wanted to survive."
"Hmm!" Maze almost said no comment.
Stone tapped on his datapad.
"So. They came to get his ex- girlfriend, who he'd beaten up in the past. When the proprietor and an Instructor intervened, because she didn't want to go with him. The Instructor was stabbed but the Proprietor, the Twi'lek, apprehended the other two. Then you gave chase. Is that what happened?"
"That's correct." Maze answered.
Stone nodded, as he completed the report on his datapad.
"Fox'll be happy. We lost several brothers in the breakout."
Maze nodded; they didn't deserve to die like that whatever you thought of them.
"Thanks ner vod. The report will be fine. How's….." he looked at his datapad, "Ms Devro?"
"Got a medic looking at her."
"Good. Thank you Captain. Hope she's recovers soon. l'll need to talk to her." He closed his datapad. "Never had any trouble around here before. But given what they're doing here, I could schedule in some patrols, so they're never very faraway."
"Thank you. I'm sure they'll appreciate it."
Stone nodded and beckoned to some of the Guards. Maze watched as the other attackers were pushed into the gunship to be taken back to the prison.
He would be loathe to admit it but he enjoyed taking down scum. He rolled his shoulders. Better see Jab now and Essie.
.
"Captain." Maze was greeted by Jab, as he returned to the training room in the gym.
"How is she?"
"Should heal well." He paused, "It would be quicker if she was in a tank but she's doesn't want that." He leant forward, conspiratorially, "although I could arrange it. The tanks are empty most days."
"I'll talk to her but if she's said no, she can be stubborn."
And I'd have to clear it with Zey, he thought.
"Yes Captain." Jab paused, he had a suggestion and he wasn't sure how it would go down but Essie was his patient now, "I can always do a home visit, just like the civvy doctors."
"Would you?"
"Of course sir. She's my patient. But the main thing is resting it."
"I can make sure she does that, if I have to tie her down."
"I'm sure she'd appreciate that sir."
Maze looked at him with an arched brow and Jab realised he'd implied something there but was unsure what, even though he was ninety-nine percent sure this female was why Captain Maze wanted his health details.
"Help with resting the arm I mean, sir." He squirmed, because that seemed to confirm he had said something incorrect.
"I'm sure that's what you mean, Jab." Maze retorted, he liked seeing Jab squirm a little, it made a change.
"Stone needs to talk to you."
"I thought he would. Is he coming now."
"A couple of minutes."
"Will you stay?"
"Of course. You up to it?"
"Better now than later."
Stone appeared at the door, "Ms Devro?"
"Yes?"
"I need to take a statement."
"Yes. Fine."
He walked towards her recognising the librarian from months ago.
"So, in your own words please …"
"Oh. Okay. I was in this training room, when I heard Freyu scream, so I ran with Nat to the front door. There were three men, one pulling at Freyu, the others sort of standing guard. Nat tackled the two of them, while I tried to stop him getting Freyu. There was a lot of shouting and he was dragging Freyu, so I jabbed at his elbow."
She watched Stone.
"To try and make him let her go." She explained further. "Then he pulled out the knife and he was going to stab her. I tried to stop him. The next thing. It was in me."
She started to shake, and shivered, and wanted to cry.
"That's enough Commander, she's going into shock!" Jab pushed in front of Maze and Stone, kneeling next to Essie.
.
"You sure you're okay?" Maze asked as she sat on the sofa, arm strapped up and caf in the other hand, only half full because she was still shaking.
"Yes fine. Those are very efficient painkillers."
"Yes. Jab's good at jabbing. Nat's going to bring Del around tomorrow, so you can get some sleep tonight."
"Are you going?"
"No, I'll be here all night."
"Good. I don't want to be alone."
"You won't be."
"I don't think I could cope with being alone."
"I'm not going anywhere." Maze reiterated.
Essie's face crumpled, as large tears ran down her cheeks.
"I don't know why I'm crying." she sniffled.
"Hey come here," his arm wrapped around her shoulder, warm, comforting, safe, "it's just shock. You'll be okay." he pulled her closer.
"I think, I'm just going to …sit…. here….for a …while." her eyelids drooped.
Maze caught the remains of the caf before she spilt it. They were strong painkillers.
.
A/N: reviews are always welcome.