Republic MedCentre.

Hela blinked, opening her eyes and tried to lift her head from the pillow; the nausea hit her immediately and she was grateful for the bowl pushed under her chin, as she retched into it.

Zur handed her some water.

"How bad?" She finally croaked.

"Concussion. Broken ankle and soft tissue, ligament damage. They've operated. They need to put you in Bacta but were waiting until you regained consciousness, just to be safe."

"Oh great."

"Phila has taken over and will probably be in it to the end now. She's doing well. But she's not you." He hastened to add.

She groaned and closed her eyes again.

"Cara and Lilli came to see you but…."

"Oh."

"They'll check you over then get you into Bacta asap."

"What's that on your datapad?" She had spied her picture.

"The usual gossip mongers."

"About me?"

"You don't want to see."

She held her hand out.

He sighed as he handed it over.

Her eyes flicked across the screen— rumours of drugs and drink.

"Where the fuck did all that come from?" She asked, frowning.

"Not sure, although someone may have seen you take the stim."

"That's not against the law."

"They wouldn't know that."

Hela looked at the author but didn't recognise the name, "Who is this person?"

"Up and coming journalist, sort of, vying for Jymii's spot by the looks of it."

"Ms Nim?" The med droid enquired, "It is time for you to go in the Bacta tank.

Hela grimaced, she hated the thought of that.

.

Hela blinked, it didn't feel as if she'd been in twenty four hours, her knees hit the floor; she coughed up Bacta as the breathing tube was pulled out. But the room was dark with only emergency lighting.

"Hela! Wake up! Wake up!"

"Wha….."

"The power is off. There's been some explosions."

At the word explosion she woke up, "Where?"

"Power plant. This place has no power now, even the emergency generators have been tampered with. Karking Seppies."

Zur handed her a robe, "You don't have time to get dressed."

He opened the door, as she pulled it on then some shoes.

"Everybody is being evacuated. You're safer in the Apartment, that area's not affected. Come on, we're going."

She stared at him, as if seeing him for the first time. He was the constant in her life, always there for her. She had resisted the suggestion of having a PA at the time, it seemed frivolous but the Chancellor had persisted, saying she needed someone and that became apparent during her first season. The Chief had submitted a list of names, who had been vetted. She liked him immediately, he wasn't obsequious with her; he told her how it was.

"Come on hurry up!"

She shuffled to the door and grabbed a stick, the pain from her ankle still troubling her.

.

Hela's

The sky lanes were back to being filled with sky cars streaming past; she leaned against the transparisteel windows watching them.

She was alone tonight.

Zur had gone out, she wasn't sure where.

There were no rehearsals.

The show had finished and her ankle wasn't healing.

Mayday didn't trust her.

That thought hurt the most.

The door to the Apartment opened, she continued staring out, "Back already?"

"I thought it had been months."

"Baylan?" She turned to face him; she didn't have the energy or will to argue with him now.

"I told you I would always be here when you need me."

She turned back to look outside, leaning on the window for support.

He looked her up and down, "I'm not a trained healer but I can help."

"You can?"

He reached her, "A little."

"Thank you."

He pulled her to him, enveloping her in his arms but it was not like it used to be, this was just comforting, "Let's see what we can do for that ankle."

"On the settee, not the bed." She insisted.

"You don't trust me?"

"No! Or myself."

"You're honest. I'll give you that."

"Some would say not."

"Oh! That sounds like something you need to tell me about."

"I thought you were helping my ankle."

"I will."

He helped her to the settee.

"I really need to sort that door code."

"Won't stop me!"

"Great." She muttered under her breath, lifting her ankle slowly and resting it on his knee, "I must be mad."

"You trust me now?"

"Only with my ankle."

Baylan laughed loudly; it had been a long, long time since she had heard that. He had changed and become harder over the years— no not harder but different. He rested his hands on her ankle. She felt the comforting warmth flow through it, the tension released from it; it was so relaxing, she lay back and closed her eyes.

Baylan watched as she drifted into sleep, then he concentrated on her ankle.

.

Zur backed into the apartment, and as soon as he turned around, he knew he should stop doing that.

"What the fuck? Have you got a foot fetish?" He asked sarcastically, seeing the Jedi massaging her foot on his knee.

Baylan just looked at him, that odd expression on his face. Zur saw she was asleep and was thankful for that and didn't wait for a reply, before he took the food to the kitchen.

"There isn't enough for all of us." He shouted, "I didn't know I was feeding three." He was not going to make him feel at home. He was bad news as far as Zur was concerned. Zur's com pinged. He knew who was ringing and declined the call. It pinged again, a message.

"Great! That's all I need."

Baylan ignored him and continued to try and repair her ankle; he was no expert but he had done what he could. It should heal on its own but would still take a few weeks before she was fully mobile with no pain. There would be no internal scar tissue.

.

Coruscant

Lower Levels

Zur reluctantly left her with the Jedi, as he had been summoned, immediately and it wasn't a meeting he could refuse, as much as he wanted to, as much as he would prefer to be with Anoon or even Hela and the Jedi because that was his job, he told himself yet again, although really Hela was his family but he couldn't admit that to himself.

His handler was sitting in the corner of the Caf House, viewing the whole place from that position. Although Zur would not be particularly happy about drinking anything here, from what he could see most people weren't drinking, although it was difficult to know exactly what they were doing behind the privacy shields.

He dropped down into the seat opposite and she activated the privacy shield for their own table.

"We really must stop meeting like this." He said sarcastically.

She raised an eyebrow and took a drink of the extra strong caf in front of her, wincing at the bitter taste.

"Ms Nim has been rather busy recently. Some of her activities have raised red flags. Our employers are getting a little worried."

"And?" He snapped.

"Less of the attitude, or I can get you transferred to data input, or worse."

"And waste all that training, time and effort it took for me to get to know her. She wouldn't want to lose me."

He didn't want to lose her and now he was pushing it but he didn't care.

"Update!" She demanded taking another drink of the caf

Zur watched her for a few seconds, wondering how she could even smell the vile stuff, then he started, "The Tonight Show was a ruse to help a friend. It was all an act. There's nothing going on between her and the singer."

His handler nodded, accepting that.

"This Jymii Crane, she was getting a bit too close, asking questions about the Chancellor. I must admit Ms Nim handled it well, giving nothing away but then there's also this other one."

She pushed her datapad in front of him. He studied the image of the Nautolan closely.

"She's the one spreading the drug rumours?" He asked, making an educated guess.

"We've traced it to her. She did try and cover her tracks but she wasn't good enough. Are the rumours true?"

"No! I spend nearly the whole day, every day with her. I would know."

His handler watched him closely, but he could sense, smell her fear of those above her demanding answers. They were far more dangerous to her than he was.

"If they were, we should have been told about it immediately, so treatment could be arranged. She's too close to the Chancellor for anything like that."

"They saw her take a stim shot to get through the show. She was having a bad day. Stims aren't illegal." He defended her.

"Rumours stick."

"Why was she having a bad day?"

"Nerves. She couldn't sleep and was tired. Stims are easier to control than sleep medication."

Zur took another glance at the datapad before pushing it back, "Don't know her. Is she a wannabe, after Crane's spot?"

"Looks like it. She also spends a lot of time at that Clone bar, talking to the Clones. Could be trying to get GAR Intel. Wondered if you had been there at the same time. We know how fond Ms Nim is of clones."

"Never seen her."

He looked more closely at his handler, she looked more tired than usual, haggard, older. She had lost weight. Looked like the job didn't agree with her; he took some satisfaction in that but she would still be dangerous if pushed.

"I can do some digging." He offered.

"You do that."

He sniffed the caf shot in front of him. He wasn't going to risk it.

"I'll get back to you on that."

"This Jedi." She asked.

"Which one?"

"Skoll! We want to know more about the relationship. Has it restarted?"

"Not that I know of."

"Let us know if it's rekindled."

She took another sip of the Caf.

He left his cup on the table untouched.

.

Hela's

Zur tentatively opened the door, the lights were dimmed.

"Lights— daylight!" He said automatically.

"Did you have to do that?" Skoll's deep voice appeared from nowhere but Zur could smell him.

"Yes! Why?" He knew he sounded like a petulant youngling but this man just pressed all his buttons, one by one.

"I'm meditating, or was. You have disturbed that and not just from the light."

"That's what you call it now."

"Yes. Hela's asleep."

"I call it trying to worm your way back into her affections, for whatever reason you have."

Skoll sighed.

"You don't know her as well as you think. I will always be in her affections and you can't change that. I'm part of her history and yes to my shame I hurt her but I would still help her in any way I can. It's what I was trained to do."

Zur snorted in disbelief.

"I know I can't influence you with the Force—"

"Better not fucking try."

"So I can only tell you."

Zur glared at him, not wanting another discussion, he'd had enough with his handler.

Skoll stared at him, "The meeting you've just had. Scared you, no not you, you're scared for Hela. Am I right?"

"I said before keep the fuck out of my head."

"You're broadcasting."

Zur rolled his eyes, "So sorry I'm angry." sarcasm dripped from his words.

"We both want the best for her. So I suggest a truce."

Zur stared at the Jedi looking for any trace of a lie; he found none.

"Yeah, okay. Jedi are supposed to be peacekeepers."

"Good!"

Baylan finally rose from his knees.

"But if she wants to have sex, I'm not going to deny her." He said and turned walking away.

Zur seethed.

.

Hela lay back and watched Baylan manipulate her ankle; he was twisting it in every direction but it didn't hurt. Not when he touched it, or her.

She still had regrets about him and Mayday.

He looked up at her, "Are you okay?"

"Yes. It doesn't hurt at all now. But when I walk on it, it's still painful."

"It's your body weight plus gravity."

"Are you saying I'm fat."

"No! And it wouldn't matter to me. You're you. That's all that matters."

"Not for some people."

"Ignore them."

He manipulated her ankle again; his touch gentle for such a large man. She watched him as she slowly undid the buttons on her top and let it fall open.

Baylan sensed the change in her mood, loud and clear and looked up at her, as she lay there bare chested.

"Are you sure?"

Hela nodded, she needed someone and he was safer than anywhere else she could go and not be seen.

"If we do this I won't leave the Order. That's not an option anymore."

"I know."

He kissed along the inside of her leg from her ankle, until he reached her thighs and then hooked his finger around the shorts she was wearing, pulling them slowly down. She shuffled out of them. He looked between her legs.

"That's different. Have you been neglecting yourself?"

"No one to do it for."

"I don't mind." He said as he pulled his under tunic over his head and his trousers down. Within seconds he was naked.

"You know for a Jedi, your clothes let you get naked very quickly."

"And what does that mean?"

"Perhaps the Jedi didn't always shun attachment, as a matter of course."

"You know they didn't." He said as he leaned over her, emphasising their difference in stature. He stroked a finger down her face until he reached her mouth, she sucked his finger in, wrapping her tongue around it.

"You are incorrigible!" He smiled before pulling her into a kiss and feeling her legs wrap around him.

Pulling away from her, kissed his way down her neck to the bare chest, where he sucked a nipple into his mouth, Hela gasped and arched up to him, as the sensations built up in her. He moved slowly down her body and reached out to her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers.

His mind brushed hers, sensing she wanted to forget for a few minutes. Baylan could always accommodate that. He was no Yoda, no Mace Windu, more like Skywalker but not so brazen in his attachments.

Hela felt his warm breath as he travelled down her body, the stubble on his face scratching her, teasing her until he reached the insides of her thighs.

Then his tongue struck fire.

She arched again. Pushing herself into him further, then he pushed her firmly back into the bed.

Stay still! A voice in her head said. She complied.

Hela threw one arm behind her, bracing herself against the wall, the other hand meshed in his hair as his tongue weaved its magic between her legs.

She needed this feeling of wild abandon, of leaving this place behind with all its memories, just feeling the intensity of her orgasm.

Baylan crawled back up her body, smiled at her sense of peace for a few seconds and kissed her again.

"Turn over!" He instructed her. She twisted around and he pulled her up by the hips.

Pressing her hand against the wall she braced herself as he thrust in hard, his large hand finding her breasts and squeezing. She gasped on each thrust until the sensations started to overwhelm her and she cried out as another orgasm hit her. She hung on, unable to do much more, then his thrusts became erratic as he finally came. He steadied himself before he leaned over her, getting his breath.

.

Outer Rim

"Where the Kriff, did they come from?" Shouted Tank as he and Mayday made a strategic withdrawal from the ridge where they had been observing the Seppie 'Fulfilment Hub,' as the locals had described it.

"Karking droid factory!" Mayday shouted back, as he turned to try and return some fire, but they looked to be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers.

"Whose idea was this two ARCs against the Hub?" Asked Tank as he ejected the power pack of one blaster and fired the other simultaneously, then jammed another power pack in and did it again for his other blaster. Never missing a beat firing.

"Yours?" Offered Mayday, firing at the lead Commando droid.

Tank was up to full firing capacity again, "Didn't think that would work."

Mayday leaned back against a rock, reloading his Deece, "Rex's little trick?"

"Yeah!"

"Good job. I might've had to thump him if I lost my best LT 'cos of something he suggested."

"Now, now. It's not like I'm asking for a transfer."

"You wouldn't get it. You're RR through and through and have the tat to prove it."

"Sir yes sir."

Tank bobbed up.

"Shit there's more coming!"

"Wings is on his way."

"Better be quick! My blaster's overheated." Mayday caught the one Tank lobbed over to him and returned fire.

.

"How much longer?" Demanded Veetch, he tightened his grip on the hand holds, it was turbulent.

"Two minutes."

"Make it quicker."

The gunship banked then swooped down, speeding along only metres from the ground.

"Decs! Start firing as soon as you see their receptors. We'll only get one chance at this."

"Sir, yes sir."

Veetch heard the whine of the guns as they charged up, "Good lad!" He muttered to himself.

"Plug?"

"Ready sir."

"Approaching now!"

The guns started blasting and wings swept the LAATi around for maximum carnage, then Veetch opened the doors.

"Kriff!"

"I'm putting us between them and the Clankers sir."

Plug and Veetch leapt as the LAATi hovered, taking some fire from the droids

Veetch threw Tank a blaster, his own were discarded, as he provided cover fire. Plug was down there, a quick check then he pulled Mayday toward the LAATi. And lent one arm. A fully armoured ARC was heavy and Plug was new to Battlefield medicine, which included retrieval.

By the time they had dragged him into the LAATi and airborne, Plug had his chest plate off and undersuit spread open; he was frantically giving anti coag, pain relief and a stim, while they were still moving.

"How the Fek did this happen?" Demanded Veetch, "The Intel was that it was just some sort of Hub."

"Not CloneInt!" Responded Tank, "There were Commando Droids. A large number must be a factory, or massive distribution centre."

"I'll let them know."

"Make sure it gets to SOB. I trust them to do a better job."

"You and me both."

"Sir?" Plug interrupted, "He held up Maydays chest plate and Pauldron." To emphasise the hole, he pushed his finger straight through both. Although ARC Trooper armour was lighter, it offered more protection than standard, which was why they had gone on the recon mission; that and the fact Mayday was restless.

"Never seen this before, sir!"

"Kriff!" Cursed Tank. "We were lucky."

"If wasn't luck. If it wasn't for the pauldron, it could have gone straight through his chest."

The clones stared at the ARC armour with the realisation there was a new blaster at play.