A/N - the outline for this story has been around for years. Thank you for all for following and reading.

Reviews are always welcome.

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A'den heard the scream and so did Kom'rk; they both sat upright, awake. Disturbed nights were not unheard of in the house but this scream was new. A'den pulled on his sleep pants.

"Go. Check on her, make sure she's okay." Kom'rk nudged him

He padded along the corridor, avoiding some splashes of strill drool that Vau had missed; they were back and although Mird didn't normally come down this corridor, it had obviously been investigating the newcomer. He pushed open the door slowly not wishing to startle her further, depending on what happened.

She sat bolt upright, arms pushed to the side; eyes staring blankly ahead.

He took a step inside, "Ryssa?" She blinked rapidly.

"What…"

"You screamed." He switched the lights on dim.

The bed clothes were tangled around her, her sleep clothes stuck to her from the perspiration. It looked like a bad one.

"Let's get you dry and fresh clothes. Then a drink." He didn't ask if she remembered any of it, he knew from experience you often didn't. If she wanted to say anything he would just be here.

He held his hand out. She looked at it for several seconds before taking it.

One baby step taken. She didn't flinch away from him.

But she was shaking.

"Do want a quick shower?"

She nodded.

"I'll get you some clothes then we get a hot drink okay?"

"Thanks." Even her voice was shaky.

.

She was dry and warm when he led her to the kitchen; it was warmer in the middle of the house and there was someone already up. He heard the clatter of mugs and water being drawn.

Kom'rk.

"Shig okay, vod'ika?" He addressed Ryssa, who stared at him. "I'm Kom'rk, you've never met me before. And don't believe anything my brother tells you about me."

A'den saw a little smile lift her lips.

"Nightmare?" He continued.

She nodded.

They sat on one of the large sofas in the seating area, in front of an open fire. Ryssa tucked her legs to the side. She really did look tiny.

"Want to talk about it?"

"I can't remember it."

"That's normal." Chipped in Kom'rk, he looked at his brother. "A lot of us have them. Drink up."

Kom'rk chatted away, as if nothing was wrong, as if this was normal; he even got a few more smiles out of her. Finally the light of the dawn broke through the small windows and the remainder of the house's inhabitant's started to rise and drift towards the kitchen. Ryssa watched each new person carefully, trying to remember them. Some, like Jaing introduced themselves, others just nodded.

He was thankful no one pressured her.

The kitchen was filling up, getting noisy and he could feel her tensing up, as she sat next him.

"Too much?"

"Yes."

She was speaking normally now.

"Do you want to go back?"

"I need to go to med bay. For treatment with ….Jusik."

"Okay, I'll take you."

Kal walked in one door, as they headed out of the other. He sat next to Kom'rk.

"Everything okay?"

"She had a nightmare, couldn't remember anything but it was bad. She was fine sitting here until more and more people came in. I think the number of strangers overwhelmed her."

"Any more memories?"

"No."

Kal took a sip of the caf pushed into his hand by Besany.

"What Jilka said..." Kom'rk started.

"I don't know son. I don't want to think like that but she was with them a long time. We didn't know about the chips. Then these Inquisitors and they know there are Force users on Mandalore—Zey. Kriff knows what else the shabuir'e have up their sleeves."

He took a long drink of his caf.

"They're not going to leave us alone are they Buir?"

"Doesn't look like it. We'll just have to be better than them."

"You thinking of something."

"We need that droid."

.

"Just the droid?" Maze questioned Kal. He had never been afraid of him. The Sergeant nodded.

"Coric says that it was with her all the nearly all the time. Might be able to find out more about the chips plus some other Intel we could use."

Maze nodded.

"He said it was always in the Medbay with her. It was able to access a lot of the Imperial databases and it set up privacy screens when she worked on some of the clones. But it was severely damaged when they escaped. Ryssa wouldn't leave it behind. He had the feeling it was from way back and had been repurposed or something."

Kal was thinking, if it had imperial Intel. It might tell him where Darman and Niner were likely to be. He still needed to get his boys home and it would give them more intel on the Empire.

"So, You've got me for company Captain." Jaing beamed at Maze, only to be met with a scowl. "I'll be having a tinker with it, see if I can get it up and running before we return. And Coric here's going to show us around."

"How's Hil?" Asked Maze.

"Struggling to get full movement back in his arm and panicking about that chip in his head. Keeps thinking he's losing his mind. Which is why we need to get that thing." Coric provided the update.

"Why? Could it do something to the chips?" Maze asked.

"Ryssa explained that the chips were implanted, when we were embryos and removal was problematic without certain equipment but their influence appeared to fade over time. The Kaminoans could, with the aid of specific machines increase the chip's potency. Apparently the droid reversed the machine they had been given to do that. Ryssa had been surreptitiously attempted to reverse the potency of the chips on the clones she met." Coric went on to explain.

"Kandosii!" Exclaimed Jaing.

"Mij and the Jedi have checked for my chip, it's there but is being absorbed into my body. She treated me."

Jaing shook his head in admiration.

"It's why we had to get out, they were on to her. Word was someone from Mandalore grassed her up. The machine's still there."

"We need to keep that part quiet for the time being, ner vod. Understand?"

Coric nodded. Perhaps, they had someone in mind.

.

Ryssa lay on the couch counting backwards from three hundred just as the Jedi had said— two-nine-nine, two-nine-eight, two-nine-seven….she started drifting.

"Okay — open your eyes."

She pushed open her eyes immediately; she did not remembered them closing.

"Do you want to sit up?"

"Yes."

"A drink?"

"Please."

Bardan passed her the beaker of water.

"I can't see anything I can repair, not like force healing. I've taken advice, thinking this may happen and I want to try and get you into Force assisted meditative states, where you are so relaxed, we can work to retrieve your memories."

"What if that doesn't work?"

"There are other things we can try but let's see how this goes first."

"Now?"

"No— tomorrow. Same time."

She nodded, he looked tired, as if what he was doing was taking a lot of energy.

Now she didn't know what to do. She had no role here, didn't know anybody, so she headed to one place she did know, their small Medical Centre.

Ryssa looked at the building, it was makeshift at best. There were other outbuildings but they seemed to be non medical. She pushed the door open, now this was familiar.

.

A'den had missed her so much, it was like having his right arm cut off. He wanted to hold her, but needed to be patient. She'd been through so much, working for the Empire, all the time she was being monitored. She and Coric had escaped saving her life, Coric had honoured the vow he had asked the three Clone troopers to keep years ago. He felt a little uneasy about that now, as Kix had disappeared, Tod had died, saving her and Coric had been injured but it worked. She was alive, back with him and he could look after her now.

He was sifting through some of the mounds of data that the clan was collecting, for anything that could be passed safely onto the Mandalor; this alliance had already paid off, as far as A'den was concerned, as Shysa had let them know about Ryssa and Coric. This data sifting took his mind off his other problems. He couldn't spend his life pacing outside Medbay while Bard'ika worked on helping her remember.

He stretched out his back, he needed a break, he also needed to get some more information from Maze; they were looking at using the hunting lodge in some way, as another place to hide if need be, or a decoy. It was remote, well hidden but needed upgrading; it was something he could work on with Rav and her boys, who were becoming adept at construction.

He had plenty to do but no deadline or blasters pointing at him and there was only one thing to make his life any better and that was Ryssa getting her memory back, so they could get on with their lives. He had every confidence in Bard'ika, look at what he had done for Fi.

First he would take that break and see Maze, the Captain was alright.

.

Zey was leaning over the fence observing the family of roba that would be giving Kyrimorut its meat over the next few months. Watching the Robas grubbing around for food was in its way soothing; Maze joined him, the pen seemed to attract a lot of the inhabitants of Kyrimorut. Zey could feel his disquiet, his indecision.

The pair were good friends, a friendship forged in war, subsequent escape from Coruscant and their time on the run. They worked together for three years, as Clone and Jedi and had been good colleagues, and now Zey owed his life to Maze in more ways than one, but Maze would say the same. Both had purpose back in their lives and that was in part due to Skirata, which surprised them. They took on hunts or 'missions' as they both preferred that term, with a specific end in sight, to right a wrong. Zey had been most vocal in that requirement, whether they were paid at the end, that didn't matter.

The last one where they found A'den's wife had come with its own complications, which Zey sensed Maze wished to talk about.

"You should leave it alone." He advised his friend, still watching the Roba.

"Do you always know what I'm going to do?" Replied Maze.

"No. I had no idea on Coruscant that you weren't going to shoot me, right until the last moment."

Maze smiled.

"But this, we...you should leave it be." Zey continued.

"He needs to know." Countered Maze.

Zey turned to face him and fixed him with a piercing stare. "Know what? We don't know anything."

Maze snorted, "They'd obviously been sharing the same bed."

"We don't know that and even if they did, we don't know why or what they did." Zey had a bad feeling about this.

Maze let out a derisory 'phutt'. "He should know, so he can decide what to do." Maze had this need now, to ensure people had all the facts in front of them and the need was winning on this one, this was what he needed after the War, where everyone had been kept in the dark about the Clones true purpose. He considered this for a while, then continued. "Zey, even I don't think you are so naive as to believe, that the mark on his shoulder was a bruise."

Zey was looking at the roba again, when he said "I still think….." and stopped, turned and looked past Maze. Maze turned in that direction.

Osik!

A'den was standing there, anger radiating off him.

.

A few minutes earlier.

A'den rose and stretched, yes, he definitely needed to get away from the console and datapad, he stretched his back out; he also needed to upgrade his workout regime, again. Not being in action, with any number of people who could cook amazing food, and doing just that, with no more ration bars, was having its own consequences. The thaw had started but it was still cold and freezing at nights, but this day, with a wintry pale sunlight bathing Kyrimorut, it was beautiful and he could take time to appreciate it now, and he did. He just stood at the door looking around and listening; he remembered Ryssa had once said something about the stars being beautiful and he had rounded on her but now he understood what she had meant about natural beauty. She would love all this. He would take her out.

"Put the wood in the hole, Den'ika, you're causing a draught." Kal'buir shouted.

He sniggered as he closed the door and stepped out. The cold took his breath for a moment and he watched the wisps of moisture from his exhaled breath, floating away in undulating shapes, then he set off looking for Maze, he thought he could hear his and Zey's voices near the roba pen, so he headed there.

He approached and they were deep in conversation; when he got nearer, his exceptional hearing picked up what they were saying and it's content made him stop.

"How much did you hear, Ner vod?"

"Enough." He ground out, and moved next to Maze, nose to nose. "I'd appreciate it, if you'd not say anything." He turned on his heel, heading for the medical room.

"Wait!" Maze exclaimed and set off after him, catching up, he pulled him around by the shoulder, expecting a smack around the face for his trouble; that was what he got last time when he tangled with an angry Null.

"Yes?" Demanded A'den.

"We don't know for sure what happened, I just wanted you to know what we saw."

"I heard." A'den ground out and pulled away.

Maze stood watching, shaking his head.

"What are you going to do?"

A'den forced down his initial anger.

"I don't know but this amnesia..."

"It's real." butted in Zey. "I felt that monsters force signature. The things it has done on behalf of the Empire. They have to be stopped."

"Thank you Zey, I think I needed to hear that especially now, with some people…"

"We heard." Zey answered. The other woman's accusation replayed in his head.

"So you can't ask her."

"No. But I can talk to Coric." he stalked off.

"I hate it when Zey's right." Maze muttered to himself, as he followed the Null, worried what he would do.

Hil was back in the tank for half a day; Mij had operated and Coric was checking on him. He had not been to see Ryssa yet. She was ensconced with A'den but Scout and Mij had filled him in with some details and by the sound of it she wouldn't even recognise him. He was more use here, watching after Hil. He had not realised when he fired, who it was.

He checked the readouts; it was going well but then there was the Chip. He was having problems dealing with that. It needed to come out and they don't appear to have med droids here who could do it.

He heard the door open.

"Ryssa!" He rushed to greet her. She backed away, frowning at him.

"Have I met you before?" She checked every time now.

"Coric."

A flicker of recognition crossed her face at his name but that was all. She opened her datapad.

"A'den tells me I worked with you."

"Yes, on Corrie."

"I'm sorry, I can't remember but I have a holo of you and some other clones. Can you tell me about them and what we did. It might help."

"You don't remember anything?"

She shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry. It might come back. We're trying something but I can't remember anything recent, well over the past three and a half years really. Some battle with Grievous and even he's dead now."

"Let's sit." He said guiding her to the table; she brought up the holos and with them a host of memories from the 501st for him.

Coric took a deep breath, most of the brothers in that holo were dead; others disappeared or like Hil, Stormtroopers. He pointed them out to her, their names, what they were like. She listened intently.

A'den walked in, they were sitting together looking at the holos, the one of the 501st was displayed. He wasn't going to interrupt this from the look on Coric's face

"A'den." Ryssa acknowledged him.

He didn't move.

"We were just going through these holos but it's not helping."

"How did it go with Bard'ika?"

She shook her head. "We're trying something different tomorrow."

"Would you like to go for a walk? Clear your head?"

"Yes. I'd like that."

"Go get a coat, I'll join you in a few minutes." his voice like an order.

He watched her, as she left the med centre.

"We need to talk."

Coric had expected this but much sooner.

"I've just heard Maze and Zey describe how they found you."

Coric braced himself; he was nearly as large as the Null now.

"Did you sleep with her?" A'den asked, there was an underlying hint of menace in his voice. Coric was as still as a statue.

He repeated the question, "Did you?"

"Yes."

The Null went silent and stared at him. "My only concern at the moment is getting her well and her memory back. Nothing interferes with that."

"Mine too. But I'd like to see her, to help." He squared up to the other Commando, watching as he considered this.

"Agreed."

His reply surprised Coric. But we're talking about a Null Clone here. This reasonableness could change in a nano second.

"Okay."

"We'll finish this later." A'den turned abruptly and was gone.

"Yes, we will," said Coric to the room, not fazed at all.

.

The hunting lodge looked just the same from the outside, although inside was different. Coric looked around. He couldn't remember it being this bad when they left. There was no smell either. He was expecting a smell. He walked up to Jaing, who he was finding it easy to get along with but then he wasn't in love with his wife. The Null stood with his hands on his hips looking at a dark patch.

"Well that explains the lack of smell. No body."

Maze walked up, "That's where we left it. No reason to mess about burying it, we had two seriously injured people to look after. That." He pointed to the dark patch of dried blood, "it was in two pieces."

"Hmm. Where's the droid?" Jaing was back to business.

"Down here." Coric led them to a door, "When we couldn't restart it, we hid it in the escape tunnel."

Jaing raised an eyebrow.

"We couldn't use it. Everything happened too fast."

He opened the door, still unlocked. They headed down, the lights still automatically turning on as they passed, until they reached the door at the end.

"It's behind there."

They opened the door, Coric held his breath, he fully expected it to be gone, but there it was sitting there. Just as he left it, including blaster scorch.

They dragged it back up to the main room and Jaing examined it.

"Nothing to be done here. Looks like I'll have to dismantle and rebuild. Anything else you need from here Coric?"

He shook his head.