Coricopat stumbled back at the force of the clash of their lightsabers before pressing forward, swinging his blade at Macavity again. He knew he was at a disadvantage if only because he was distracted by his concern for Misto and Victoria.

Fueled more on anger than anything, Macavity slashed his lightsaber up high, ignoring the other two completely then. Bringing his blade up to block the blow, Coricopat spared a glance for Mistoffelees, relieved to see that the other was still alive. His attention quickly returned to the fight at hand.

Considering the lava in his plan of attack, Macavity started pushing the other Jedi that way. Coricopat backed up, glancing over his shoulder and realized what Macavity was edging him toward. His grey eyes widened and he pressed for an offensive, hoping he could get them turned around enough to not end up burned alive.

Macavity let the Jedi turn them around, but aimed a kick for his chest while sweeping down with his blade.

Coricopat fell back, only just barely getting his own lightsaber up in time to prevent Macavity's from cleaving him in two. He scrambled to keep his balance, swearing under his breath.

For a moment Macavity almost drew back before swirling the blade toward Coricopat's head instead. "Not so much like old times, is it?"

"Why are you doing this? Mac, you don't want to do this..." He blocked the blade again, his mind flickering to Mistoffelees' vision and praying it wasn't going to come to pass.

"Don't I?" Macavity demanded.

"After all we've been through, all we've done? Mac, why?" Coricopat asked.

Meanwhile, Mistoffelees coughed, rolling onto his stomach, trying to reorient himself. Glancing up, he saw Coricopat and Macavity dueling and for a second couldn't breathe for an entirely different reason. He had to...but there was Vic, and for a moment he couldn't figure out which way to go.

Victoria moaned softly as her consciousness returned to her. She blinked her blue eyes, trying desperately to clear her vision and needing to make certain the baby was alright.

Crawling, Mistoffelees knelt beside her. "Vic?"

"M-Misto?"

"You're the one who came here, accusing me," Macavity said.

Cori blocked another blow from Mac's blade, "So you're going to try and kill me?"

Macavity fell silent, guilt and pain and anger twisting around and for a moment he couldn't tell which one was going to win out.

"Just hold on," Misto murmured. "There's a med pac in the..." he stopped, his awareness spreading out and sinking down. "The babies are fine," he murmured.

The queen breathed a soft sigh of relief at that, "Good..."

Coricopat took a step back, his guard not lower, but he wouldn't attack as long as Macavity wasn't.

Bringing his blade back up, the anger won out. "You really never understand," Macavity said, cutting low.

"I..." Mistoffelees frowned, looking down at her. He could feel the force beating around and wondered if he hit his head too hard, except that there was something wrong in Victoria's chest, even though the babies were fine.

Victoria drew a deep breath, looking up at Mistoffelees, "Wh-what is it?"

Swinging his blade down to counter the sweep, Cori jumped back, "Mac, please!"

"Please? You asking for something, Cor?" Macavity asked, pressing forward.

Cori stumbled backward, "Help me understand, Macavity. Don't do this."

"Why not? I've done everything else," Macavity replied, bitterly, forcing another stab.

"I don't, it..." Mistoffelees continued frowning, pressing a hand against the point he could feel the wrongness in. It seemed like it should be simple enough to fix if...

"Misto?"

"Hold on," Mistoffelees said. "I think I can fix this..." and it really was as simple as it looked, plucking at the wrongness and pulling it apart like a knot.

Victoria gasped as she felt things shift inside, her blue eyes widening as the pain that had been a near constant companion for the last several years dissipated.

Coricopat managed to dodge aside, narrowly avoiding the thrust, "Because there's still a chance for redemption."

"Is there?" Macavity demanded. "Think I'll ruin it if I kill you?"

"I think you'll have a hard time accepting it if you do."

"Add it to the list then," Macavity snapped, another kick going for Coricopat's stomach.

Coricopat stumbled back, feeling his foot slip and he fell, landing on his back. His lightsaber came up to block another blow from Mac as best he could in the position he found himself in.

"Vic?" Mistoffelees asked softly, voice unsure.

"It...What did you just do? I," Her hand went to her chest, "It doesn't hurt, Misto."

"I have no idea," he murmured, eyes snapping up finally, back to the battle and his throat going completely dry. Mistoffelees made a strangled sound, frozen again for a long moment at seeing exactly what happened in his dreams play out before him. He'd never actually seen one of his visions come true.

Coricopat tried to back up fast enough to get to his feet, but the combination of having to fend off Macavity's blade and the inability to prop himself up far enough was making that an almost insurmountable task.

Victoria sat up, her eyes widening at the sight, her voice catching on a single syllable, begging, "Mac!"

In an instant Mistoffelees' muscles unfroze and he was up and running, all but throwing the pair apart, untrained but knowing how to use the force enough to jerk objects around. "Stop it, both of you!"

Cori grimaced as he was jolted back again, but carefully got to his feet, shutting his lightsaber off, but keeping it out.

Victoria got to her feet, brushing herself off as she looked toward Macavity.

"Stop it," Mistoffelees repeated, standing with his body tilting to be between the pair, though his hands were on Coricopat, one over his heart as if reassuring himself it was still beating. "You saved the children," he said, softly but quickly as Macavity stood as well. "Vic's fine, Macavity, she's going to be okay, just stop, please."

The auburn haired man just stared at him for a long moment. "What?"

"She's going to be fine," Mistoffelees repeated.

Victoria made her cautious way over, "The pain's gone, Macavity. I'm alright. My-my chest doesn't hurt anymore."

Coricopat's brows rose at that, his gaze darting to Mac.

"How?" Macavity demanded.

"Untrained, crazy force potential, hit on the head, seems to have work brilliantly," Mistoffelees managed to get out, still folding himself against the other Jedi.

Coricopat carefully wrapped one of his arms around Mistoffelees to assure himself as much as the other that they were still intact.

"Mac, I'm alright. I'm healed...I'll have the doctors confirm it, but I haven't felt like this in years."

"I..." Macavity wavered a long moment.

"Please Mac," Mistoffelees said softly. "Just... calm down."

Victoria took a hesitant step toward him, "Please, Mac."

"What are you even asking of me?" he demanded, voice somewhat lost.

"Come back to Coruscant. Listen to us...stay with me? I...I don't know, all of those?" Victoria offered, voice strained.

"All of those?" Macavity asked weakly.

She nodded almost imperceptibly, "Please..."

"But," he wavered again, lightsaber still out.

"Please, Mac," Victoria repeated.

He hesitated again and finally nodded, though added. "I don't know what to do." Everything he'd done, he'd done to save Victoria. With her sickness gone, he only had personal loyalty to a Sith Lord keeping him going.

Coricopat finally spoke, though hesitantly, "Help us start to rebuild."

Mistoffelees' eyes moved from Coricopat back to Macavity. The other Jedi finally nodded again, finally putting his lightsaber away.

"We need to get back to Coruscant before more damage is done," Cori murmured.

"We... we," Macavity finally nodded.

Cor glanced toward where Macavity's ship was, "Are we taking both ships back?"

Mistoffelees and Macavity both looked at the fighter. "I have no real attachment to it," Macavity said finally, not wanting to let Vic out of his sight for the time being.

Victoria glanced toward the other craft, "Well, we'd better be going. Soon too."

o.o.o.

They were nearly back to Coruscant when Victoria cried out, her arm wrapping around her stomach as she drew a deep breath.

Macavity, who had been all but hovering next to her, leaned forward. "Vic?" he asked, worry clouding his expression. "What's going on?" Still piloting, Mistoffelees glanced back quickly. Coricopat glanced back, but let Macavity deal with it as he stayed in the co-pilot's seat.

She drew another deep breath and she managed a slight smile before doubling over again, "The baby's coming, Mac."

"What?" Macavity blinked, unable to really process that. "Now?"

Victoria nodded very slightly, looking toward the cockpit, "How far out of Coruscant are we?"

"Another half hour," Mistoffelees murmured, almost mentioning that there were two babies but seeing about coaxing more power out of the ship instead.

She leaned her head back, nodding slightly, "A-alright."

"Can you make it?" Macavity asked, already jittery.

The queen nodded again, reaching for his hand. He reached out, gripping her hand in his and trying to slip back into a meditative state. For the first time since he became a Jedi, he couldn't when he tried.

o.o.o.

They finally reached Coruscant, and touched down outside the hospital.

"Should we call anyone?" Mistoffelees asked, getting the ramp down. "Though, everlasting force, we shouldn't use our names should we?" He was clearly floundering.

Victoria shook her head, "N-no. You three have to go see to things. I can get myself checked in." She bit back another cry as another contraction hit.

"Like hell," Macavity shook his head. "We're getting you there."

"Mac, there's too much at risk. Go."

"But," he started to protest.

"J-just be sure to come back to me," she murmured.

He leaned down, kissing the top of her head quickly. "I'll do my hardest," he murmured.

"Take care." She managed to disembark and made her way into the hospital.

Coricopat finally spoke from where he'd been watching quietly, "We need to go by the penthouse."

Mistoffelees nodded. "Drive or fly?" he asked, fully intending to pilot the spacecraft to the penthouse if he needed to.

"Driving would be less obtrusive, but it means locating a speeder," Coricopat mused.

Mistoffelees nodded. "Any thoughts?"

"Speeder," Macavity said. "We need all the surprise we can get."

"Then we'll locate a speeder," Cori murmured.

Macavity nodded, Mistoffelees already moving down the ramp. "If I recall, some are usually parked a little over here. I think I could even manage to hack one if we had to."

Coricopat followed Mistoffelees, "Well, let's see if we can find one we don't need to do that with, hm?"

Grinning, though it was strained, Mistoffelees went over the speeders, finding one that finally was open enough to steal it. "Penthouse; and then what?" he asked both the Jedi.

"We find out what Master Yoda can tell us about dealing with the Chancellor, and then we try to solve this." Cori responded quietly.

"That's not a terribly solid plan," Mistoffelees murmured, already rising the speeder and heading that way. "But I suppose it'll have to do."

"It's all we have."

They pulled up to the penthouse a short time later.

Getting out first, Mistoffelees bounded up the few steps to the Penthouse, looking around for Jerrie or Pounce. Jerrie stepped out to stop him, but recognized him and breathed a sigh of relief. "Misto, thank goodness y' alright."

"I'm fine," he said, though a bit of lava ash was smudged on his clothes and his cheek. "What's the situation here?"

"Senator Pouncival has been talking with Master Jedi Yoda since 'e got 'ere. No one's been by lookin' for y' yet though, so that's good."

"Good," he said with a nod. "Where are they then?"

"They were in th' main room last I saw."

Nodding again, the Senator glanced back at the two Jedi, reaching out to squeeze Coricopat's hand before dropping it and stalking into the main room, full Senator persona on. Coricopat waited a moment before following Mistoffelees inside.

Pounce looked up as Misto entered, "Senator. Good to see you're alright."

"Yes," he said. "I'm perfectly alright. What's it looking like here?"

Yoda turned, eyes widening slightly as he saw Macavity slink in behind Coricopat.

"It's looking like for now the Chancellor thinks there's no further problem with the Jedi, as far as I can tell. There's going to be a lot of clean-up if this can be dealt with."

Coricopat glanced from Macavity to Yoda, but remained quiet.

"He thinks wrong then," Macavity murmured, shifting.

Mistoffelees glanced back at him and back to the other Senator. "Clean up can wait until after we deal with the tyrant currently in charge. He's a Sith Lord, we have proof of that, yes?"

Pounce shrugged slightly, "I wouldn't know that."

Coricopat glanced at Macavity for confirmation. "You have my word but I'm not sure how much good that might do," Macavity said.

"What about the film from his office?" Mistoffelees asked. "It is taped, isn't it? Might it not show his confrontation with the Jedi masters?"

Macavity shifted. "Possibly? If he hasn't wiped it already."

"Then we make sure before going in we're taping it too."

Coricopat looked a bit unsure of that, "Do we have time to set that up?"

"We have to. Otherwise it really looks like we are just assassins," Mistoffelees said.

Pounce nodded his agreement, "You'll need it to help convince the Senate after the fact."

"Exactly," Mistoffelees said. "I can see about getting it set up, I should be able to with little problem if I'm not interrupted. I'm probably not going to be much use in the actual fighting anyway."

Coricopat wasn't entirely sure he wanted Mistoffelees doing that without back-up, but finally nodded, "Very well."

Mistoffelees tilted his head slightly toward Coricopat, not needing to be able to feel his emotions through the force to figure out he was worrying. "Pounce," he said softly. "Can you back me up?"

Pouncival hesitated before nodding, "Yes, I can give you a hand with that."

"Thank you," he murmured and turned back to the Jedi. "That gives us some evidence to use to back up what we're actually doing. But that's not going to matter much unless we take him out."

"Well, we'll do our best." Coricopat responded, "And we have an asset he doesn't know about yet."

"What?" Yoda asked, still looking at Macavity.

"Macavity has come back from the slippery slope he was on."

"Good to have you back, it is," Yoda murmured.

"Mac," Mistoffelees started. "Can you get us in there?"

"I can try," he murmured.

"Then we'll give it a try." Coricopat nodded slightly.

Pouncival glanced around, "Well, we'd best do this if we're going to."

"Supplies?" Mistoffelees asked. "Do we need any?"

"Well, that depends on what you two need for getting the recording," Cori answered.

"I can get that together in a few minutes," Mistoffelees murmured, heading for the bedroom.

Pounce spoke before he reached it, "Go quietly, the younglings were asleep in there last I checked."

Mistoffelees blinked and smiled faintly. "Yes, of course. Just a moment."

Coricopat moved over, following him quietly. Glancing back at him, Mistoffelees pushed the bedroom door open. The Jedi followed him inside, glancing around smiling softly and briefly at the sight of the younglings sleeping.

"He saved them," Mistoffelees murmured. He glanced back again, itching to reach out for the other again, but picking his way quietly through the children for what he was looking for in his closet.

Cori nodded, "He did. If he hadn't I don't know what I would have done."

"He would probably have been gone too far to get back at that point," Mistoffelees murmured, and considered his walk in closet for a moment before gesturing Coricopat over.

The taller man made his careful way over, nodding again. "Are you alright, love?"

Mistoffelees nodded, and pulled Cori over, closing the door to the closet and clinging to him for a long moment. Coricopat's arms wrapped tightly around the Senator. He tilted his head down enough to press a kiss to the top of Misto's head, murmuring into his black hair, "I love you. We're going to do this. And we're going to make it."

The shorter nodded, and tilted his head back enough to kiss the other, slowly but firmly. "I love you," he murmured into it.

"And I you." Coricopat deepened the kiss, tenderly drawing the other nearer.

Making a small sound in the back of his throat, Mistoffelees remained in the kiss as he long as he could, until he figured the others would come searching for them if they stayed any longer. Coricopat drew back, running his hand gently down the side of Misto's face, "We'll make it."

"We will," Mistoffelees murmured. "When this is over we're going to be fine."

"We are. We'd best get back to the others."

Mistoffelees nodded, hefting what he'd been searching for over his shoulder and strolling back to the main room. "Sorry, my chambers aren't nearly as organized as I thought they were," he said smoothly.

Pounce's brow rose at that as Coricopat closed the door softly behind them. "Well, if we're set then?"

He nodded. "We are."

Apparently Mistoffelees is never one to pass up making out in a closet. Also, this is the point where we diverge the most from the Star Wars films, in case you missed that. Yanking Mac back by the scruff of his neck as hard as possible. It was a pain. Hope you're enjoying and remember, even as we're nearing the end of a story, reviews make the author's days just a little bit brighter!