A'den watched the chaos descend.

Besany was berating Jilka as only she could do, face in her face, without actually coming to blows. Ordo was inches behind her but he knew his brother was only there as back up. L'leth's accent was practically unintelligible, as she was also giving Jilka a piece of her mind, Jaing was backing her up, his hand on her shoulder. Prudii was just watching, as Kom'rk stood very close to Scout. Vau shook his head and left the room.

He understood what Jilka was getting at; what Shysa had said about the leaks but he didn't believe it was Ryssa. That would be too easy, too convenient. He should be angry by the accusation, should be defending his wife but he was tired and all he wanted was her back. They could sort out all this Osik later. She would not want this arguing.

"Ryssa wouldn't want this." He said and was ignored. He looked at Kal'buir and saw the slight nod.

"Enough!" He bellowed, "She would not want this arguing. And I just want her to recover."

The room went silent, heads turned, for a few seconds.

Kal gave another nod.

L'leth ran out of the room looking flushed, with Jaing in hot pursuit. A'den closed his eyes, he hadn't wanted to upset her.

Ordo moved next to him, "Okay show's over." He reiterated.

"Sorry, A'den." Besany joined her husband.

"It's alright Bes'ika. She just needs time and help. We'll get to the bottom of it."

"If you need me let me know."

Her hand rested on his arm, as he nodded his reply. He looked around for Jilka, she and Corr had disappeared; he had not meant to insult anyone but just wanted the bickering to stop.

Ryssa didn't need this.

Buir didn't need this.

.

L'leth had shot out of the karyai, her face a deeper blue than normal, Jaing followed immediately behind. He caught her by the arm and pulled her around.

"Hey, hey slow down."

Her chest heaving, she pointed inside, "She doesn't know Ryssa. How dare she. How dare that… that… chakaar say those things. Ryssa would never do anything like that."

Jaing smiled at her use of chakaar.

"I know. A'den knows."

"Jaing, she helped me. She didn't have to but she did, Casey and I could be dead if she hadn't, so no Coruscanti bitch is going to tell me Ryssa works for that Fekking Empire." Her accent had become more pronounced the longer she ranted.

"You finished?"

She frowned.

"A'den will take care of her and we will help."

"I want to see her, help her remember. I know she can."

"We will. We all will."

"Except her.." She pointed back into the house.

"Except her." He agreed.

"Don't humour me. I mean it. I don't trust her."

Jaing stopped smiling, "I'm not humouring you. But our actions led her to being framed for treason, and then she was kidnapped and brought here…."

"That still doesn't give her the right to say those things." She interrupted, her accent thick again.

"You're right."

She looked at him sideways.

"No. I'm not humouring you. I'm agreeing with you and we'll see A'den about you visiting Ryssa. She's still got to see Bard'ika. They're going to try some force healing."

"Good. Thank the maker someone's doing something."

"L'leth..?"

"Yes? "

Jaing hesitated, "How's Casey?"

"He's great."

"Good. Ryssa might like to see him when she's a little better."

"Ooh. Good idea. And I need to get back there now."

"I'll walk you."

"I'd like that."

He had never been this reticent with a female before and the more he saw of L'leth the more he liked.

Shab!

.

The two men told her were they were former Jedi. Ryssa understood now, the Jedi as a formal group no longer existed and even General Kenobi was dead. She felt sad about that, he had helped her, she remembered that part but nothing after that.

"We'll start some treatment tomorrow." The ex Jedi called Bardan had said

"What kind of treatment?"

"Force healing."

"Force healing?"

"I manipulate particles with the Force. So what I'll do is try and find what's blocking your memories. If the Force caused it. Then it should be able to cure it."

"Okay." She readily agreed, currently feeling adrift in the fog of her own brain. She kept trying to remember. Going over and over the final moments hoping something would trigger something later.

There were so many thoughts in her head but then what felt like a great void in her mind. She remembered her mother, her childhood, a few snippets of the man she thought was her father, her student years and friends then, and of course Yan but nothing more recent. She wondered where Suu was, she would have been able to help her.

"Okay. It can't hurt."

The two men looked at each other.

"I'll send Scout in."

She sat waiting for the girl called Scout, after they left, the door opened and sure enough it was her. She felt more at ease with the young girl.

"Su'cuy. I brought you those clothes." she put a folded pile of clothes beside, " I hope they fit. I put the others for washing and found these in the pocket."

She held out a gold necklace, ring and clone ID tag.

Ryssa picked them up, recognising only one item, "The necklace was my mothers, she always wore it. But the ring. I have no idea whose it is or this tag."

"I assumed it was yours. It was threaded onto the necklace to be worn. It looks like a wedding ring and I supposed A'den gave it you when you were married."

"Married?"

"Yes. He's your husband didn't he say?"

"No. We've not talked."

"There's an inscription inside, in Mandoa. Your name's in the old script. And then there's your tattoo."

She looked at her forearm; she had wondered about that, and inside the ring.

"His name?"

"Looks like it. Try it on."

Ryssa slipped it on her third finger, left hand, as her Mother's people did. It was where she always wore her other one but she had thrown that out a couple of years ago. This one fit perfectly.

"Not many Mandos have something like that."

"I married him and can't remember it, or him?" She pulled the ring off. "And I've never had a tattoo before. Never wanted one."

"Kom'rk tells me A'den has got your name tattooed over his heart."

"His heart?"

"Huh—Huh. Just here." Scout pointed to her chest, "Apparently it's the only one he has."

"The only one, no others?"

Scout shook her head, "So Kom'rk says."

"Who's Kom'rk?"

"He's another Null, his brother. A'den is part of a batch of six clones — Nulls. The first. Kom'rk explained it all to me. Kal Skirata brought them up as his sons."

Ryssa shook her head, it was confusing.

"I need to see him."

"Get dressed first then and I'll get him."

.

"She wants to see you."

A'den looked up from the datapad he was holding—hers.

"Has she remembered anything?" He sounded hopeful.

Scout shook her head, "Sorry, no." she looked down at her feet.

"I told her you were married."

"What?" A'den snapped, he hadn't meant to but had wanted to tell her himself.

"I didn't mean to, it just came out. I found her necklace, ring and an ID tag." Scout stopped.

"So I told her about you two and the tattoos. It was then she wanted to see you."

Someone had been talking, his bet was on Kom'rk; he hoped it hadn't been too much.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry. She has to know."

"I didn't tell her about what happened inside and I don't believe it's a convenient memory loss. I may not be strong in the force but I can tell when someone is lying and she isn't. And she's scared, very scared."

He rose and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Scout." Then headed to his wife.

.

"You never said we were married."

"It wasn't the right time."

Ryssa looked at him, circling him, wary; the few clones she had seen before all looked younger and smaller than him but there was something about him and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It's was a memory, one you know is there but can't quite grasp and recall. It always floats just out of her reach.

"Scout says this is your name and you have mine." She held out her forearm.

A'den pulled open his shirt, revealing the tattoo. She lifted her arm. Scout was right.

Ryssa pulled the necklace and ring out of her pocket, "Why did I wear it around my neck?"

A'den felt as if he was being interrogated, he was, "You said you didn't want to catch it on anything or lose it if you were stabilising someone and it slipped off. So you put it on your mother's chain, one of the last things she gave you."

"Hmm." Ryssa accepted that it sounded just like something she would say and she hadnt told him about the chain earlier.

"And this?" She held out the ID tag.

He lifted the clone ID tag, "I think that's Tod's tag. "

"Tod?"

"A clone medic you were close to, worked with."

"Is he here? Can he help me?"

"He died."

"Oh." She felt incredibly sad, at his death and that she could not remember him.

"I have your datapad. We thought there may be something on it. To help you remember."

He held it out to her.

"That's not mine."

"Are you sure?"

She looked at it, "No." She couldn't be sure. She couldn't be sure of anything anymore.

He handed it to her. "Open it, see."

Ryssa automatically put her full hand print on it and then lifted it to her right eye for a retinal scan. Her normal unlocking procedure. It opened, with the Imperial Seal. She looked at him.

"Ignore that. Go on. See what's in there." He prompted.

She scrolled through the files, a frown knitting her brows, not recognising most of them.

A'den remembered it as something she did when trying to work something out. He was still hoping something in there would prompt her memories. He could see when her eyes stopped moving, she'd found something.

"My holos." She murmured, then paused. She tapped the screen and the files came up. She opened them. Early holos appeared of her and her mother, and a droid. A younger Suu was in them as well.

"I haven't looked at these in years." Sitting back down, her face looking peaceful for the first time since she woke up. More and more images were displayed, getting closer and closer to the current time. Then one of Yan popped up. "Kriff! I thought I deleted all of her."

"She's dead. You divorced her before that though."

"I did. Finally." She watched his reaction, "Was it because of you?"

He nodded. She looked back down. "Finally gone." She deleted that image and went to the next one. Her mouth dropped open when she saw it.

"I didn't know you kept that." A'den exclaimed, it was the two of them, in the Jazz Club the first time. "The first time we went out." He added.

She studied it closely; the face, his face. It was his, he had laughter lines, even then. She glanced up and then back, he had grey flecks in his hair now.

"I can see it's you…..but I don't remember."

"Don't try and force it." He put his hand on hers, in comfort, she tensed and pulled it away, to flick through more images. More clones, not him.

"These men?"

"I don't know them all but that looks like The Treatment Room, where you worked until you transferred to a Medical Centre then a ship."

"Stop. Stop. It's all too much." She put the datapad to one side

"Okay. You need to talk to Coric, that's him. And L'leth."

"Not now. I'm tired, my head hurts and I'd like a shower." she replied. "I can still smell Bacta. And are these really my clothes?"

"No, I think they're Scout's, I can get you some fresh ones." He held his hand out for the datapad, "leave it unlocked, perhaps Jaing can get some info from it and ….."

"Jaing?" She asked.

"My brother, good with tech. Then we'll send someone to retrieve your droid."

"I don't have a droid."

"Coric said you did."

"Coric?" She looked even more confused.

"Tomorrow."

She nodded, more than willing to leave this. She had never had a headache anywhere near as bad as this, that she could remember, and she didn't want anybody poking and prodding at her any more today. She'd had enough of that and some more to look forward to tomorrow with the Jedi. She would have preferred General Kenobi, she could remember him.

A'den put his hand at her back and gently propelled her into the house; she saw people she didn't know watching them but they kept away. They went down a corridor and through to a large bedroom, it wasn't a room she had ever seen before but she would have been surprised if she had; she had never been to Mandalore before, that she could remember, she thought.

"Ours." Explained A'den. "You've never seen it before." It was sparsely furnished but with sturdy furniture and the largest bed she had ever seen.

A'den went over to one of the chest of drawers and opened the top one drawer. "All yours" he said. "they should fit." She went over, opening each drawer, carefully moving the folded clothes apart, there was plenty, all in her size and the styles she liked. She looked at him.

"I hope I got the correct ones for you. We couldn't bring much with us. We had to leave in a hurry." Her breath hitched, he had bought all this for her. She pulled out some undergarments, a top and trousers, warm looking and started towards the refresher.

"Ryssa?" She turned and looked at him, saying nothing. "It's ok. It'll wait, go get your shower."

It was stupid but every time she turned to look at him, he expected to see the recognition in her eyes and the smile that normally followed, then the kiss when she reached him. Although now, he would be just as happy to be having a raging argument with her, anything was better than this.

Ryssa turned on the shower; she looked in mirror for the first time and was shocked at her appearance. She looked older, her face thinner; she wondered when her hair had gone so starkly white and when had she cut it, or had someone done that to her. She definitely used to have long hair she remembered that; she had to braid it. She ran her hand through her hair; it still felt alien.

The shower was warming up; she opened one of the cabinets for some toiletries. It was all carefully laid out. Some unperfumed on the left and then on the right were all the different types she used. It had been stocked with all her favourites; it had to be him, no one else would have known all her favourites, as she was looking at the array of bottles, her throat tightened up. He had bought everything she could possibly want or need.

This man, this husband who I don't remember, did all this for me.

The steam was rising, so she stepped into the shower and relaxed. It felt so good, too good she relaxed, her control broke and tears flowed; she so wanted to remember but couldn't. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't then she heard the old fashioned door click open.

"You okay? Did I get the correct ones?" He opened the shower door and saw the red eyes, realised she had been crying. He grabbed a towel, switched the water off and pulled her out wrapping the towel around her. He moved them slowly to the bed and sat them both down, keeping his arms around her shoulders. She tensed again, like a block of wood.

"Kuur. Come on you're safe now, it's over."

She pushed him away.

"I still don't remember you." She snapped. "Just stop."her hands were shaking and she was shivering.

He backed away, hands raised, "Okay, okay. Get yourself dry, I'll get you some food and a drink.

.

A'den retreated to the kitchen; Laseema had anticipated the need for food and drink and prepared a tray for them, including flasks of hot Shig and Caf. They hadn't put anything to heat water or prepare food in any of the rooms; it shouldn't be needed. But Ryssa was struggling with all the new faces. He realised it would take time.

A'tin strolled in, bouncing Kad on his hip. The little lad was smiling until he saw A'den and went silent. He put out his arms to him. A'den went to take him and received a big hug, his small arms stretching around his neck, holding him tightly.

"He must sense how you feel." Commented Laseema.

"Elek." A'den ruffled his hair like he normally did, "Vor entye, Kad'ika. I have to look after Ryssa now."

The little boy looked at him seriously, as if understanding everything he said and pulled away; A'den placed him on the floor and he ran towards his grandfather and then ran away again. He was playing his favourite chasing game.

"How's it going?" Kal asked, watching Kad hide behind a chair.

"Not good."

"Nothing yet?"

"No. She barely lets me near her."

"Bard'ika is seeing her tomorrow, hopefully then there should be some improvement. patience."

"Elek Buir."

A'den had hoped he and Ryssa could try again to have children but that would have to be put on hold; she had to be well, fully well first. He gave Laseema a tiny smile before taking the tray with him back to the room. He backed in with the tray and turned to see her sitting on the bed in the silk wrap he had purchased for her. She was stroking the sleeve.

"I've got some soup, bread, fruit and drinks. Mij said you were a little undernourished. Do you think you could eat something."

She nodded. "Thank you. Before. I snapped. I'm sorry. This must be difficult for you too. I…"

"Don't worry. You just need to get better."

"I thought I heard a child, it's not ours…."

"No. It's my brother's."

"Jaing?"

"No Darman but he's not here… yet."

"Another. So many names. Who is his wife?"

"She died. When we were escaping."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Poor baby."

They ate and drank in silence.

.

The sun had gone down by the time they finished.

"You said this was your bedroom."

"Ours I said but I'll be bunking in with Kom'rk for the time being." He anticipated the question, it would have been the equivalent of sleeping with a stranger. Not unheard of but these were different circumstances.

"If you need anything I'll be next door."

"Thanks"

"I mean it. Anything. Just knock."