Magdalane rushed back into the room where Miriah was still holding a sleeping Devin. "Something's happened, Felix is hurt," she said, pulling on her shoes. "I'm going to the Senate Hall."
"Wait, Mags, what are you saying?" Miriah questioned. "Corso just talked to me on the relay, he seemed fine. Hold on," she said, standing to go to her now frantic sister. When they were standing together, Miriah clicked her relay. "Cor, sugar, what's going on there?"
They waited a minute with nothing but slight static, then they heard Corso's whisper. "We were fired upon. Dirtbags are gone now, but just assessing the injured." There was a pause, then "Felix took a bolt to the shoulder, medics have a kolto pack on him now, we're heading back as soon as he's good to move."
Miriah swallowed a sob, trying to be strong for Mags. "Okay, love. Be careful." She turned to her Jedi sister and led her to the sofa. "Felix took a blaster bolt to the shoulder, but Corso said he's almost ready to move out, and they're coming back here. Let's get ready for debriefing, Mags. I'm sure it's not serious if they're moving already." Mags nodded, her tears shining in her eyes, and took Devin from her sister.
"Don't carry him around, Mir, he's too heavy in your condition. I'm putting him in his bed, and I'll bring the monitor to you." She started toward the back of the apartment, and turned to Miriah. "I want to be back home before next week. Deal?" She smiled slightly at Miriah's nod, taking the sleeping boy to his bed. Miriah immediately went to the kitchen, her refuge, and started the caffa machine. When she'd plated some things for them to nibble on, she gathered some basic med supplies and heard the elevator. Magdalane had just returned to the area when apartment door opened.
"Felix!" Mags exclaimed, and ran to her wounded husband, her force aura already growing, the light hard to look at in its intensity. Miriah looked at the others, grabbing her mother's hand and going on tiptoe to kiss Corso's cheek, then moving to Maura with a hug, and when she got to Aric she stopped.
"Aric, sit here, there's glass all over you, you're bleeding." He sat without a word, and Maura began to unbutton his dress coat, the tiny shards tinkling against the tile floor. Maura held his hands in hers as Miriah teased the tiny slivers out of his ears and head.
"So," Magdalane said, her aura still fading from healing Felix, "what happened in that ballroom?"
Aric spoke, maintaining his stillness as Miriah worked on him. "We had just sat down to eat when the doors at our end of the room flew open. The six were scattered around the room, but there wasn't anything unusual until then. There were four with blaster rifles, one with an assault cannon. Military grade, if not issued. No fatalities, minimal casualties, and when the smoke cleared, all of the six were gone." He continued to stare blankly at his wife, stunned at the suddenness of the attack and so very thankful she was unhurt. "Garza put the entire spaceport on lockdown, but you know they're so far underground by now that we'll never see them." Miriah had tweezed all the visible shards out and was applying kolto gel to Aric's head.
"Felix took that bolt for me," Sarai said suddenly. "I was in the path, too shocked to move, my Jedi training forgotten. Felix grabbed me, put himself between me and the gunmen, and got us both behind the table." She turned to her son in law. "Thank you, Felix. I owe you."
"You owe me nothing, Mom. I'm just glad we're here, safe and whole." He accepted her grateful hug, noticing that she seemed tired.
"Well, since you didn't get dinner, let me put something together for us," Miriah said, and immediately was bombarded by the protests of the group. Maura's voice finally came through the others.
"Miriah, after the week you've had, please, just let us take care of you for a bit. I know it's hard for you, but it makes us feel better. You too, Maggie. " She kissed Aric's cheek and stood, only to be pulled down again.
"Let's just order something. We all need a break," Aric said, his eyes finally coming to life in his tired face. "Personally, I'm ready to see this mission done and over. Anyone else?" Every adult in the room raised their hand high above their head, and that was enough to break the tension. Aric stood and pulled open the drawer with the takeout menus, tossing them on the table. "I'm going to change, you guys decide. I'm good with whatever's hot and plentiful." Maura led him, wanting to be more comfortable as well. When they entered their room, Maura turned to face her husband, finding him right behind her waiting for her attention. He caught her in a hard hug.
"So very, very glad that we're back here," he whispered in her hair, feeling her nod against his shoulder. "I'm going to agree with Miriah on this, we need to be back on Dantooine."
Maura gently pulled back from Aric and sighed, "I agree, too. Let's see what we can do about that tomorrow. Tonight, lets change and go eat with everyone, and later I can kiss those wounds for you." She smiled at him, and he leaned in to kiss her.
"Promise?" he asked, and grinned when she nodded.
Miriah was still sitting with Corso, taking comfort in his arm around her shoulders, when she heard Devin start to whimper through the monitor. She was rising to go to him when Magdalane's voice stopped her.
"Wait, Mir," she said, her aura flaring again. Miriah sat again, watching her sister. "There," Mags said, "that should help some. I just used our link to tell him you were here and safe, and wanted him to rest. Hopefully that will help you both."
Corso had been quiet since they'd returned, and now Miriah turned to him. "What are you puzzling over, sugar?" she asked.
"Why take them there? Why not do it while they were arriving, or even yesterday? Why wait until they were in a public place? And if the people who took them know who it is they want, why take all six? Are they all involved somehow?" He sighed, and laid his head on the back of the couch.
"All of the above, I'm thinking,"Aric replied, leading Maura over to the group. "Actually, I think taking them from the dinner was intentional, it was a message. Now, as to who took them, the message can differ. If it was Republic troops, which seems highly unlikely, the message could be 'you can't bring this crap onto our turf' kind of thing. If it was part of some Imperial cell, it could be 'even in your silly social settings, we can do what we want.' I think it's significant that no one was killed or even seriously injured." He sat and pulled Maura into his lap, where she giggled at his impulsiveness.
Felix slowly nodded, thinking. "I believe you're right, Aric. It was a show of force, for someone." He absently rubbed his thumb along Mag's hand. "But who?"
"I'm at the point I don't even care anymore. It seems like years since we've been on the ranch, and I'm ready to go home." Miriah put her head on Corso's shoulder, and he kissed her forehead. Their food arrived and they ate, laughing and chatting. It was only after they'd cleared away the debris that Felix sat up straight, getting the attention of the group.
"Has anyone seen Garza since all this? I mean, we were told the spaceport was on lockdown, but not by her. Has anyone actually put eyes on her?" He looked around at the shaking heads, and focused on Sarai. "Mom, did you talk to her at the event?"
"No," the tiny Jedi replied. "I saw her when we were going in, but didn't see her after that. She was talking to the security force there." She walked over to the glass doors to the balcony, looking out at the city. "I wonder if she was behind it?"
Aric was thinking along those same lines, and pulled out his holo. His call to the general went to her message service, and he disconnected without leaving one. "Mom, you know her better than any of us. Would she do this? Make a public spectacle in order to send a message?"
"She might," Sarai responded. "She was in love with Jurin, and they damaged and then killed him. She's been here several times when all I could feel from her was despair and anger. She just might have done this." She walked over and sat with Miriah. "She feels terribly guilty, too, about your ship and the fact that you had to make an emergency escape while pregnant and trying to get Jurin some help."
The group was quiet while they contemplated this latest twist. Finally, Corso stood, and held his hand out to Miriah. "Ready for some rest, darlin'?" he asked her, and she nodded and took his hand to stand. They made their way to their room, and when they were inside, Miriah launched herself into her husband's arms.
"So glad you're okay, sugar. I hate this place, being in this position. Even if we have to go commercially, I'm ready to get home," she told him, hiccupping a little from holding in tears.
"Shh sweetheart, I know. I'm ready, too," he told her, rocking her against him, her nearness and scent and warmth all serving to stir his blood. He knew she was tired, and wouldn't ask for anything she wasn't up to, but instead of indulging himself, he gently put her on the bed and backed up. Her expression told him she was disappointed but he was more concerned about her and the baby than himself. "Don't give me that look, darlin'. You barely rested last night." Her luminous silver eyes never left his, and he could feel his resolve weakening when he heard the door chime.
Sarai was still up and answered the door to General Garza. "Hello, my friend," Sarai told the other woman, whose weary face gave nothing away.
"Gather the others, Sarai. We all need to talk," she said, her eyes downcast and sad. Sarai went to the hallway, knocking on doors and getting everyone back out into the common room. Garza waited until they were settled, Magdalane with Ian in her arms.
"First, we have the six people who knew about your flight home in custody. Yes, it was us that did that, and I'm so sorry that you were injured, Felix." She saw the former soldier nod at her, and continued. "I wanted to make a public spectacle of them, hoping to flush any others out. I daresay we've encountered a cell, one that's been around for a while." She sat heavily, her emotions clear on her face. "They killed Gregor, they endangered you all. No more," she said, the anger in her voice resonating.
"So now we have these people, have any others been identified or has there been any attempt to free them?" Aric asked. He was watching Garza closely, concerned about her but also not entirely trusting. "I would guess that their whereabouts have been 'leaked', right?"
"There's been no attempt to contact them so far, but we'll keep tabs on that. What I'd like to ask of you all is that you give me forty-eight hours before you go back to Dantooine. That's all, I promise." She looked at the Advantages group, that she so depended on for military ops planning, and felt their reluctance. She couldn't blame them, after the past few weeks. She felt relief flood her when she saw Aric's slight nod, and then Corso's agreeing nod. "Thank you, all. I will keep in touch, but I must go." Sarai walked with her to the door, and hugged her friend.
"Stay strong, Helena. Let me know if you need my help," the Jedi told the general.
The rest of the group silently made their way back to their rooms, thoughtful about what Garza had revealed. Aric pulled Maura to him once they'd gotten in bed, but couldn't turn off his thoughts. Maura noticed, and finally asked him.
"Sweetheart, there's nothing to think over. Let her take care of it, and relax," she told him, kissing his jawline. He shifted to stroke her hip, her responding hum further distracting him.
"I know, honey, I should. I meant what I wrote to you from aboard the rescue ship. I want to show you more often that I love you, and I always will," he told her. Her grin told him he'd answered correctly, and he covered her mouth with his, feeling her response. So very lucky, he thought.
Felix was bending over the cradle, checking on Ian, while Magdalane watched her men together. "I hate that you got injured, love," she told him, "I should have been there."
"No, you were where you were supposed to be, with the children. It was nothing, collateral damage at most. Besides, I was slow, unprepared. Been out of things for a bit and let my guard down. That won't happen again," he told her, straightening and crossing the room to where she sat on the bed. He took her in his arms, reassuring her that he was fine, that her force healing had him in good shape. Mags snuggled there, grateful that his injury was minimal and that her family was intact.
Miriah left Corso in the kitchen, gathering up a snack, and he found her soaking in the tub, her long hair piled on her head, up to her neck in the fragrant water. He sat on the floor beside her, just to be near her. She opened one eye and smiled at him. "Glad you're back here, sugar," she whispered.
"Me, too," he said softly, leaning over to kiss her nose. "I don't want to talk about Garza or the Imps, or this mission."
"No talking. I didn't have talking in mind, either, sugar." She slowly rose from the steaming water and, water dripping from her body, reached for him. He readily went to her, not minding being wet because he knew it would only be seconds until her skin was on his, her mouth on his. Kissing her, he reached up and let her long hair fall around her shoulders, halfway down her back, the heavy silk brushing against his now bare chest as she peeled the rest of his clothing away.
Sarai sat in the now darkened living room, feeling all the emotions in the apartment. Silent tears streaked down her face as she thought of Helena losing a love, and wondered to herself why she'd never even thought of another since Ian's death so many years ago. She tried to take comfort in the knowledge that her daughters were well loved, but she still felt the emptiness. She was still meditating when the rest of the family fell asleep. Even sleeping, I can feel Miriah, she thought, and for the first time that evening, smiled.