Essie realised just how much she was missing Maze when she came out of the shower and started to say something to him, but of course he wasn't there, wasn't sitting there on the edge of the bed looking at her expectantly, wasn't waiting to pull her to him, wrapping her in his large arms before pulling her down onto the bed with him.

She sat down on the bed and looked at the space he normally occupied; he'd been gone for a month or so now and for the first time in a long, long time, she wanted to be away from here. She couldn't wait to see him again, maybe the time has come; maybe she was ready to move on.

The feelings suddenly came to her, as she pulled her boots — fear and determination, in equal measure; it struck her so hard, she nearly tumbled forward and had to grab onto the bed to steady herself.

"Maze?" She shouted and ran outside. She looked around— nothing. Something told her to look up but again—nothing. Then Jusik appeared looking equally as worried.

"You felt it too?" He asked.

"Yes—Maze and Arli."

"I felt something more from Zey." He confirmed, ""Must be how closely linked we are, or were."

"I thought they were already here but now I get the feeling they're coming here." She added, frowning because it was giving her a pounding headache, "But there's a problem."

"Definitely a problem." Confirmed Jusik, as he gazed into the distance, unfocused.

Scout came rushing over from the Medbay, "What's happening?" she asked, "I could feel you two in there but it's not you is it?" She looked at them, "Is it Maze and Zey?"

Essie nodded trying to concentrate when she was being bombarded with all these feelings.

"Well, this isn't good." Commented Kom'rk, coming from the house. "Three Force users standing in a circle. What's happening? Are we under attack?" He looked up, still there was nothing.

"Who's under attack?" Asked Ordo, his hand automatically resting on his blaster, as he scrutinised all the Force users looking perplexed and his brother watching the sky.

"Something is wrong with Maze and Zey but we can't decipher what." Said Jusik, "I can feel them getting nearer."

Prudii poked his head around the door of their designated Ops room. "No time to gaze at the sky. Message from Maze. They're coming in hot. I'm tracking them. He's aiming for the Badlands. Can't trust his ship to land safely near here." He disappeared just as quickly back inside.

Kom'rk and Ordo turned as one, and ran towards the speeders.

"I'm coming," shouted Essie as she followed them, Jusik was not far behind them and Fi appeared with a med bag, a few moments later.

"If they're injured we need to treat them asap. Mij and Scout are getting ready."

Essie's stomach lurched; they hadn't come this far just for him to get killed in a crash. He was still alive, she could feel him.

Kom'rk turned and stopped her as they reached the speeders, "Are you sure you want to be there? A crash! It may not be pretty."

"I don't care. I have to be there. For both of them. I wouldn't be here, or Del. If it wasn't for both of them. So yes. I have to be there for them."

She jammed her helmet on with such force he was surprised it didn't hurt her.

"Okay." He held out a hand to pull her up, satisfied he wasn't going to change her mind and arguing would lose them valuable travelling time.

They sped through the undergrowth heading for what they called the Badlands, the area that butted up the woodland joining Kal's land; the area had been devastated in the wars and was not fit to grow anything yet. It had not yet recovered fully but there was the beginning of some flora colonising parts of it with scrubland appearing in patches.

"Jaing and Prudii are tracking them and extrapolating a landing zone, as best they can." Kom'rk advised her, "But it's not easy. Looks like they have control problems. So far they've avoided ATC and the Imps, with our help."

"Control problems?" Essie asked, worried.

"Yes. It looks like it won't be a controlled landing as much as limiting the damage as you hit the ground type."

"Not helping." she muttered.

"Sorry. Thought I'd prepare you."

She was pushed to one side as they took a corner with no loss of speed. She just tried to concentrate on the feelings she was still getting through the force. If she had them, she knew they were still alive.

Finally the undergrowth cleared and they pulled out into the Badlands, the desert leftover from the Mandalorian wars and swerved to a halt; Ordo, Fi and Jusik were already there and he was using his binocs.

Essie searched the sky and then the horizon; he could be coming in low. All she saw was desert with a heat haze.

Kom'rk held his head to one side.

"They're coming in hot. Should be breaking cloud cover in 3…2…1

The ship shot through the clouds, swerving from side to side, smoke pouring from the engines, as it got closer she saw scorch marks on various parts of the fuselage.

Essie held her breath as the ship lost height but she couldn't see that it was slowing, even though it seemed to take forever before the thrusters finally fired and it banked around and headed downwards.

"He's going too fast." She whispered, unable to take her eyes off it.

A screech of ripping durasteel rang through the air as the ship gouged a long wide ditch in the ground before grinding to halt.

Kom'rk set off the speeder towards the smoking ship, before they reached it the hatch blew out; Ordo and Jusik reached them first, just as he pulled over.

"Maze!" She shouted jumping out before he had switched the engines off and rushed towards the ship.

"Kom'rk! Keep her away." A clone voice shouted before it disappeared into the hatch. She couldn't tell who it was.

"Copy that."

A few steps and he had reached her, grabbing her by the waist and swinging her back around facing away, feet dangling.

"What the …..let me go!" She shrieked.

He held on harder.

"Let Fi and Jusik work. You'll just get in the way."

Another speeder pulled up and Mij jumped out; he glanced at her before racing up the ramp of the craft.

He held on tighter as Essie struggled. "Promise me you won't go in. We wait here until they say."

"Yes."

He let her down but she still clung to his arm.

After what seemed to be an eternity, they came out of the ship, both men unconscious and being carried to the speeders.

Essie pulled against Kom'rk's hold until Fi nodded and she ran over, pulling her helmet off as she ran. It was the smell that hit her first, burning flesh. There were Bacta patches over both of them and they both had oxygen masks.

"They're both alive. Now, let's go!"

She wanted to go with him but there was no room; Komrk oulled her back to their speeder, pushed her in and accelerated after the others.

She sat in panicked silence with Kom'rk as they followed them, then suddenly the other speeder stopped.

"Kom'rk? What's happening? Why….."

Komrk tillted his head.

"Jusik's had to intervene."

They sat waiting for what felt like an eternity.

Essie couldn't help herself; she clenched her jaw but the tears still rolled down.

The speeder in front moved off.

"Why aren't we moving?"

"If he's conscious he wouldn't want to see that." Kom'rk stared straight ahead

She sniffed hard and wiped her eyes, "Sorry."

"No need to be."

They shot forward.

.

They rushed into Medbay but she still had not seen Maze or Zey up close and then the door closed behind the group and she was left waiting until the door opened behind her.

"Mammy! Mammy! Is Buir okay?" Del ran towards her, she swept him up despite his increasing height and weight.

"He will be." She said, giving herself hope as well, tucking Del into her and taking comfort from his small arms around her neck and his legs wrapped around her body. hHe snuggled into her.

"He's been crying." Besany explained.

"Thank you for looking after him. It happened so fast. Are you okay? With all this ….excitement."

"Yes. I'm feeling better than I have in a few months. Ordo and Kal and all the brothers have been pampering me."

"Good." She murmured in reply, not really taking note of what Besany said.

"Here's some Caf." Besany nudged her arm.

"Sorry." Said Essie, realising she was now sitting and Del was next to her.

"You sort of zoned out, so I've brought you some caf and food. Del's eating his sandwich now. He's better being with you. I don't think I could get him to leave your side even if I tried."

"I'm sorry. I hadn't realised you'd gone."

"That's okay." Besany sat next to her. "We're all here for you all."

All Essie could do at the moment was nod her head, then the door to the treatment room was flung open, only its hinges stopped it from hitting the wall.

"Jusik needs you!" Fi demanded.

"Me?"

"Yes now!"

She feared the worst and looked at Besany, who interpreted the unspoken request and held onto Del.

"I won't be long." She assured him, kissing him before leaving.

Fi dragged her to Zey's side; she looked around frantically for Maze

"Will you talk some sense into him?" Jusik asked.

She looked down at Zey; he looked dead, barely breathing through the oxygen mask.

"Mij is finishing up with Maze." Jusik explained. "He'll be okay but he'll have to go into Bacta for a while. Master Zey here, is being stubborn. He's refusing my help. Says it's dangerous and drains me. But you can help me."

Zey's eyes flickered open, sensing someone new was nearby.

Essie was torn, Zey meant a lot to Maze and he had saved them both on Bracca.

"If we join together, both our energies would be enough to get through his block and help him heal."

She hesitated.

"He needs it. I don't think he has the strength to come back from this. He'd been helping keep Maze alive on the ship, despite his own injuries."

That was all she needed.

"Arli. Just let Bardan help a little bit."

"No! I've taken too much." His voice was barely above a whisper, he looked worse than they did when they were on the run and he had come back from that.

"Arli-" she took his hand, "just let him get you started." At that moment, Bardan grabbed her other hand and put his other hand on Zey's head.

The Jedi Master struggled a bit, "You shouldn't — "but he finally lost that struggle and lapsed into unconsciousness again.

Essie felt her energy draining and realised now exactly what Bardan was doing; she looked at him; he was concentrating. She tried to make this as easy as possible for him and relaxed into it.

.

Essie could not determine how long they had stood like that but Bardan finally released her hand. She felt her knees go weak and she staggered back.

"Got you!" Said Fi as he steadied her, "Here! Drink this!" He led her to sit down and handed her a beaker. She took large gulps, her mouth dry, as if all the moisture had been sucked out of it; eventually she stopped and sipped. It was sickly sweet.

"All of it!" He instructed, he had not lost his ability to be a bossy medic.

"Besany is looking after Del. He went very quiet when you were helping Bard'ika. And Maze is in the Tank."

"Thank you."

"Any time. Now. I assume you want to see them both?"

She nodded before finally draining the beaker. She felt as if she could sleep for a month.

They were still in the separate rooms; Arli in the first, laid out on a bed looking peaceful and with colour in his face now. His chest was rising and lowering steadily with each breath. Bardan stood next to him and checked him.

"He's going to be fine now. He's in a Jedi healing trance. He just needs time."

Essie turned to Bardan, "Good. Why did he refuse to let you help him?"

"I don't really know, he didn't make much sense. But you helped as well. I'll take you through to Maze. Just to warn you. It looks worse than it is."

Essie braced herself, as she followed him through the doors.

Maze hung there, enveloped by the blue liquid that was healing him. He had a breathing mask, she followed the tubes, past the Republic Roundel on the equipment to the oxygen tank. It had something else attached.

Bardan watched her eyes.

"He suffered smoke inhalation, so, with the oxygen there's a Bacta infusion. Mij can explain the medical side better than me but Zey had already started healing that, before they landed. I don't know how Maze even managed to bring them down without crashing or dying in the attempt."

"They are both better together." She said, still watching him, "Can he hear me?"

"No but he wakes occasionally when the meds wear off and before we set up another one, so if you're here then he will see you. So I've been told by some clones."

She put her hand to the glass.

"Is there anything you need?"

"Del and caf!"

"I'll get it and him." He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, before he left the room.

She leaned on the glass and closed her eyes trying to concentrate.

"Maze!" She whispered.

She slowed her breathing, "Maze, I'm here. I'm not leaving." She concentrated again and felt something but couldn't really explain it. She opened her eyes and he was looking straight at her.

"I love you!" She mouthed.

He blinked twice in quick succession, then stared at her. One more long blink followed quickly by a short one. He stared at her again then three long blinks, looking at her again before his eyes closed.

She smiled, certain he had used Dadita to say, 'I no'. Satisfied, she sat on the chairs next to the tank and leaned her head against the glass waiting for Del.

.

As she watched him hanging in the Bacta tank, there were so many blaster wounds and burns, and she knew each one intimately now. Watching each day to check that they had reduced in size. And they did. Mij had done well.

Arli was still just lying there in his healing trance; she had checked him earlier and could see no change. She was unsure how long he would be like that but she would keep checking on him.

She stood up and stretched, she had been sitting for so long now her backside had actually gone numb in parts. She tried doing a few squats but her muscles were still stiff. She bent over and stretched down to the floor instead.

"We'll that's a sight for sore eyes!" Kom'rk's voice heralded his entrance.

She stood back up.

"I thought you were bringing Del?"

"He's with A'den learning some moves."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"It keeps him occupied. He comes to see Maze but there's not a lot he can do."

"Are you saying I'm neglecting him?" She bristled with indignation at the thought.

"Not exactly. But he needs you as well as Maze and Maze isn't going anywhere."

"You're right."

"So lunch with your son and then some time with him. You can bring him in here for a little while but food first."

She turned to look at Maze, his eyes were closed. She touched the glass, it was the nearest she could get to him.

.

"Read the next line. Sound it out." Essie and Del sat reading a small book that Alina had found and sent to him. Essie preferred these to the datapad. Old habits die hard.

Mij stood at the door watching them, this had been their routine for the last few days; he disnt want to interrupt but it was time for Maze to come out. Finally she looked up.

"He's a good little reader." Mij commented.

"Yes. He's a good boy but then I'm biassed." She had never really had a great deal to do with Mij.

"Have you got children?" She asked, knowing he had been married once and was now involved with the scientist.

"No. Tani was murdered before we got around to that."

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't know she was….." her voice tailed off.

"I wasn't born Mandalorian but fell in love with her and married into the clans. I know the name of the hu'tuun who killed her and one day I'll find him. And then I'll show him exactly what it means to make an enemy of a Mandalorian with anatomical expertise and a scalpel."

Essie didn't know what to say but she did know he had killed someone in Keldabe, so she was sure he would get his man but then—"I owe you for Maze, so if you need help finding him…"

"I may take you up on that. Now let's get Maze out. Do you want to help?"

"Of course."

"Put this on unless you really like the smell of Bacta."

She took the gown he handed her.

.

"How is he?" She asked, as Maze sat staring at Zey lying on the bed, much like she had done earlier but now he had no oxygen mask. She finally had a shower and Del was asleep. His routine had been totally disturbed.

"He'll be okay. Scout says he's still in his Jedi healing trance but she can sense him and he still needs to heal."

Her knuckles brushed his, just a fraction, by accident, as they were both watching Zey, he was breathing better now. Whatever he was doing for himself was working.

She just wanted to be here for him, for Zey. Those weeks on the run had been bad and she didn't think she or Del would have got through it without both of them.

"He stood in front of me, Ess. In front of me." Maze voice was strained. "He took a blaster bolt that was meant for me. It was worse than Mimban. There were just too many."

She put her hand to rest on his arm.

His hand covered hers, in appreciation.

"Come and get something to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"You need to keep your strength up. You won't be of any use to him if you're ill. And Mij says there's nothing he can do, it's up to Zey now until this takes its course."

She could feel whatever he was doing herself, a sort of tingling feeling, when ventured near him. She began to wonder if she would ever be able to do that but she would need to be trained, "Sometimes it just takes time." She continued, putting that thought out of her mind for the moment.

"Yes." His eyes never moved from Zey. "But why did he do it? I'm here to protect him, the Jedi, like I always did."

"Zey wouldn't agree with that any more. You're partners now."

"He hadn't told himself then."

She looked at the older Jedi again; he continued to look deathly pale.

"Come and have something to eat. Mij or Scout will fetch you if there's any change in his condition and there's always Jusik. He can help."

"Okay." He said, seeming to agree but she still had to drag him away and they walked slowly over to the main house; he leant against her, using a cane for support. They had to stop three times, for him to catch his breath; she could still hear the underlying wheeze in his breathing. It was what Mij was most worried about. Sometimes he still woke up coughing, struggling to get his breath. She didn't like to say it to him but she felt just as worried about him. She had never seen him like this.

"Arligan has said if he's ever really bad that Jusik should leave him."

"What?" She swung around at his words.

"He says the healing drains Jusik too much. It takes his life Force and it will make him old before his time. It's because he wasn't trained in it."

"Bardan would never stand for that."

They stopped. He needed to rest.

"Arligan has set up a message to play to him. If it ever gets to that. He was adamant."

She squeezed Maze's arm even more, as they stood waiting for him to catch his breath, before moving on, remembering what she and Bardan did

.