The next day goes by in a blur, much like most days doing the same thing over and over. Cal keeps his head down on the way home, he doesn't need any more surprises. He saw Shiribe earlier today, looking distracted and distant. He wonders if she'll stay on Bracca after their encounter. People like her rarely stay in one place too long, but there's also a danger that comes with always being the new face. A new face is always more suspicious and easier to blame. He can't decide what she is more likely to do. She wants to survive the same as he does.

The sun has already set by the time he steps off the train. He walks for a few minutes before reaching his apartment door. The artificial light from the keypad is a cold glare. He types in the passcode and walks in. The dull light of the room greets him.

It takes no time at all to pinpoint Shiribe sitting on his bed, her hands gripping the edge. He closes the door and takes a small step forward into the room. He waits for her to speak.

"I'm not sure why I'm here," she says. Cal removes his poncho and hangs it on a hook beside the door and above the cot.

"I didn't expect to see you," he says. He looks over her, her skin is dirty from the day's labor. He has a hard time discerning what is dirt and what are bruises. A new scratch has formed long along the outside of her left arm. He takes her arm and examines it. It reminds him of his own scars. He feels a tightness in his chest. Dropping her arm, he sets his jaw and backs away.

She watches him for a moment before dropping her gaze to the bottom of the refresher door. "You're the only one who shares the same life as me." She sighs and raises her eyes up to him. "I know you're not the only one. But you know my story and I know yours. You're the only person I can say that about. And.."

"It's a similar story," Cal finishes for her. He sits on the floor with his back to the wall. Less than a foot separates them.

She smiles sadly at him. "There's something about that, you know? I couldn't stop thinking about it." The circles under her eyes are darker than yesterday.

"I don't know," he tells her. "My secret has been very safe until now."

"So has mine. I should simply be afraid. And I am, but part of me also feels relief." She brushes a hand through her hair. "Does that not make sense to you?" she finally asks against his silent glare.

"I don't know," he tells her again. "I suppose I do feel some relief," he admits after a while. He takes a deep breath. "I have never spoken a word of that day," he tells her, his shoulders tense. His eyes glaze over and he looks off.

"What do you dream of?" she asks softly.

His voice is shaky and small when he speaks. "So many things. My master is always angry with me. I watch him die over and over." He pounds his fist on the metal floor. "If I was stronger. If I wasn't a coward…" His voice trails off.

"I hear my fathers voice," she starts. "He yells my name to get my attention, but I'm frozen. The bombs drop all around me. Bodies litter the streets. He forces me to run away. He knows I'm too weak to help. The ship is filled with dying people." She takes a break to wipe the wetness forming in her eyes. "My brother bleeds out in my arms. All I can smell is blood and smoke. A baby cries and I can't breathe. Then it's quiet, so quiet I panic. I scream, but no one can hear me…" Her fingers lace through her hair.

The tightness in Cal's chest sharpens until his throat burns. "Do you get any sleep?" he asks.

She nods her head and a sick smile forms on her lips. "I can't escape the dreams. I always sleep til morning." She leans back in the bed, her elbows locked behind her. "I assume you wake up sweating and breathing heavy?"

He nods in response.

"Most people do." She exhales in almost a laugh. "Have you been here since the order was given? You don't look like you know anything else."

"I have," he says. "My escape pod crashed on this planet. It's not hard to blend in here, everyone keeps to themself."

"I like that about this place," she says. "You're the only person who's looked at me suspiciously since I arrived. Everyone else just assumes I'm running from the same things as them." She pulls at a piece of thread unraveling from the bottom of her shirt. "It's helpful that most people are most interested in themselves. People notice a lot less than you think."

"Just like I doubt most people will notice me leaving your apartment so late at night." She stands up and moves towards the door. "I'll see you again?" she says like a question, her back facing him.

"Do I have a choice?" he asks with a snip to his voice.

She drops her hand from the door controls. "Yes," she says, her voice shallow and hesitant. She turns to look at him. His shoulders relax and he looks remorseful. "You have a choice," she reiterates.

"Then," he says, his eyes meeting hers. They match. They linger. "I want to see you again," he wonders if she hears the falter in his voice.

Her lips form a soft smile and she turns from him, her hand moving again to the controls. "Be safe," he says as the door slides open. "The Imps are everywhere." She nods as she walks away.

A few days pass without seeing her in his apartment. He starts to wonder if he'll speak to her again. She rides in the same train car as him, but gets off at a stop earlier than his.

The train comes to a long halt at the stop just before hers. He feels a tension rise around him. He looks to her across and a few seats over. Her eyes are wide and glossy. She grips the edge of the seat, her knuckles turning white. Everything slows down.

The train car is silent. Shiribe is holding her breath. Cal hears the loud bang of blaster fire behind him. In a rush, he turns to look out the window.

Five people kneel lined up on the dirt platform. A moment ago there were six. He can hear yelling but can't make out the words. The sound must be coming from one of the Stormtroopers because the only man who seems to be speaking has the familiar look of pleading, begging to no avail.

Four people kneel lined up on the dirt platform. The authoritarian yells louder. He can make out the word "Rebel."

Three people kneel lined up on the dirt platform. The train car is so quiet. Cal can hear the breathing of the man beside him. He's looking away, everyone is looking away. Cal tries to calm himself, shifting to face forward as the sound of a fourth shot moves through his body.

A fifth shot rings out. The yelling stops. He must have given up on his version of reason.

A sixth shot. It's so quiet they can hear the body fall to the ground with a soft thud. Shiribe flinches at that sound. Her grip keeps her grounded. She glues her eyes to the boots of the man in front of her.

The train starts to move again. The men around them seem to release a collective breath. Cal hadn't noticed that he had stopped breathing as well.

When the train stops again, Shiribe rises slowly. Cal notices the slightest shake to her knees. She starts to walk past him and he grabs her wrist lightly, not lifting his eyes to meet hers. She stops moving. He drops his head, his eyes trained to the space between their boots. He can hear her breathing, shaky and uneven. With a slight tug to her arm, she moves to sit beside him. She stumbles before landing in the seat.

They come to his stop quickly enough. The walk to his apartment is short. Cal opens the door and walks through, Shiribe is a step behind him. He sits on the bed and puts his face in his hands.

Shiribe takes a few steps forward and sinks directly to the ground, facing towards the kitchenette. She moves only to hug her legs and bury her face in her knees. They are silent for a long time. The darkness of the night sets in outside the window.

"My people," Cal finally lifts his head, her voice is just above a whisper. It's like she fears anyone else will hear. "My people fought until the very end. I fought until I had no one left to fight for, then I focused on survival above all else." Her forehead rests hard against her knees.

"I do everything I can not to think. When I relax, mainly when I sleep, the thoughts that come torment me. I try so hard to stay busy." Cal nods to himself, this is his life too.

"I live to work, sleep, eat," her voice raises slightly, he can hear disgust. "Work, sleep, eat. All I'm trying to do is survive the day." Angry shameful tears threaten to spill, but she refuses to let them. "Work. Sleep. Eat. Just get through today alive and worry about tomorrow if it comes. I hate this life. I hate them for making me live this life. And I hate myself for living it." Her lips are tight.

Cal reaches a hand out but pulls it back before touching her. She turns her head to look at him, her eyes soften.

"I had so many people I could trust. My parents, my brother, my aunt, even strangers at times. I fought alongside the clones.." she trails off. Cal thinks back to that time too. He could count many clones among his friends. That day, the betrayal scorched deep into every part of his flesh. Even now he can feel the same flayed noose knotted up into his chest.

"Shiri," he says through the lump in his throat.

"These past years I have lived… We have all lived with trust as this thing meant to hurt us. The bounties are too high and the consequences too much." She takes a breath and lifts her face up to look at him. "Your bounty is much higher than my own. And, you could have turned me in a thousand times over by now." He can see corpses lined up, hers among them. He would never do that to her, and he doesn't think she would do that to him.

"Does that mean you trust me?" he asks.

She shakes her head, "That's too strong a word."

"I agree," he says. He pauses for a moment, the silence hanging heavy in the air. "I agree completely."

She lets go of her legs and turns to put her back against the wall. She sits like this for a long time, her head hanging low and unsupported. She picks at the frayed edge of her belt. Cal tries not to think about the platform. He clenches his jaw and watches her hand picking at the belt instead. Somehow he is able to calm down by the time she stops.

She breathes out a heavy sigh and stands. His hand moves to grab her wrist, but he stops himself halfway.

"Be safe," she says as she reaches the door. "You should get some rest." Cal watches her leave.

Tonight he wakes screaming, his body covered in a cold sweat. He thinks about her, about how right now she's sleeping stuck in a nightmare. He wonders if she's dreaming of blaster fire and hollow voices too.