Kyrimorut
It hit him just how much she meant to him, how much he had been denying it, continually bragging that there were too many females left in the galaxy for him to concentrate on just one.
His arrogance!
They finally broke through the undergrowth to the small clearing; she was lying near the tree, looking so tiny, blood oozing slowly out of a chest wound. It wasn't a clean shot. Not a professional then.
He was thankful for that as it gave her a chance but it was worrying. He put that to the back of his mind. He would sort that out later, getting her help was the priority.
She hadn't been that far from the house but they could have gone around in circles without Scout; L'leth was off the main paths.
He was the first to reach her and went into emergency medic mode, as he had been trained, until Jusik pushed him out of the way. Scout was just as determined.
"She's still with us."
"Hyperthermic—but that probably saved her. Slowed the blood loss."
Jusik laid his hands on her chest and closed his eyes
Jaing hovered.
"Just giving her a bit more help, ner vod. Stay calm!"
All Jaing could think of was how tiny and frail she looked at the moment, and pale, she was a lighter blue.
"Come on!" he urged her under his breath
"We need to get her into Bacta asap."
He stared at Scout; she'd been around the Commandos too much. He hadn't realised how much she'd changed from that scared little Jedi that walked off Ny's ship with Kina Ha.
She pushed him out of the way before securing the Bacta bandages and wrapping her in a thermal blanket. She stood back as Jaing bent to pick her up.
No one stopped him.
She felt so light in his arms. He pulled her closer; it would make no difference to L'leth but it made him feel better.
Now they had to get back quickly, he started jogging.
"Come on!" He whispered to her, "stay with me—Please."
He could do this he had to, he increased his speed. His superior strength and intellect meant nothing, if she wasn't here with him.
.
They had a reception committee when they reached Kyrimorut but she went straight into their small Medbay. Mij was prepped, ready and pacing at the door.
"What kept you?"
"We had to stop twice. Just to keep her going." Explained Jusik.
"Uthan's assisting! You up to help Scout?"
She nodded and rushed to get changed.
Jaing placed L'leth carefully on the operating table, gently stroking down tchun. She needed Mij's expertise, first, then the Bacta could continue the healing. He had to trust them, there was nothing more he could do and he hated the lack of control.
Uthan was there ready, giving Jaing a thin smile, as Kal pulled at his arm to get him out of the operating room. He yanked it back.
"You can't stay with her. You know that." His father was right next to him, speaking into his ear. Quiet. Authoritarian.
Just like on Kamino.
He did not move. He had never disobeyed his father before.
"Kom'ika! Ordo!" Kal shouted.
Jaing never took his eyes off her, as his brothers dragged him from the room.
Mij had already activated the anti bacterial stasis field and made the first incision, as he left. Kal stood watching; all this was purloined Republic medical equipment and they needed it. Kal knew Mij would do his best, he had to.
He looked at his son, now knowing how much the Twi'lek meant to him and there was still someone here who was a traitor to them all and it wasn't Ryssa, he was sure of that now.
First Etain, then Ryssa and now L'leth. He was beginning to think his family, his sons were cursed.
He rubbed his hand over his face and dropped into a seat. He was bone tired; in all his years on Kamino and in the GAR he had never been this tired. A hand rested on his shoulder, he reached for it.
Ny.
"Here, have this! Keep you going for a while." she handed him a full mug of caf. He could smell the added tihaar.
"Ordo and Kom'ika are looking after Jaing." She looked at the operating room, grimacing at it. "He'd finally told her how he feels. He wanted to marry her. She said yes. Let's hope."
His fingers encircled her hand. He needed something to keep him grounded now. This was almost as bad as Etain.
.
Two hours later, Jaing sat beside L'leth's tank watching her. The Bacta was doing its work on her Lekku and chest wound. Bard'ika, Mij and Scout had done their best but she was still in danger until the Bacta had finished. It had been a tricky operation. Another twenty four hours, Mij had said.
He heard the door open but he didn't look around.
"Laseema's sent you this." Besany placed a tray on his lap, a bowl full of hot, hearty soup. "And don't say you're not hungry. She expects every last drop to be eaten."
He nodded.
She looked at the Twi'lek suspended in the tank.
"She's a strong girl. She'll recover. Then we can have a party to celebrate your marriage. You have asked her haven't you?"
He nodded.
"Finally!" She declared. "I was calculating the odds with Ordo on how long it would take you."
She received no reaction,even though he knew she was trying to lighten the situation.
"I'll bring Casey in next time. Kom'rk's distracting him at the moment with home made fireworks."
Still no reaction.
If he had been listening he would have heard her sigh, before leaving.
He absentmindedly spooned the soup into his mouth.
Besany joined her husband; Ordo was waiting for her in the kitchen, nursing a Caf. He didn't want the soothing effects of a shig.
"How is she?"
"Mij says she's doing well considering what she's been through. Although he's not had much experience of Twi'lek anatomy recently."
"Jaing?"
"Not good. We can just be here for him. You should go and sit with him,"
"Do you think that would help?"
"It might."
"I'll go."
He kissed her on the cheek, and as he turned to leave —"Thank you."
"Why?"
"For just being you." He shook his head, for once he didn't know how to explain what he wanted to say.
She watched as her husband got up and walked with him to the med bay, retrieving the tray from Jaing. Ordo sat next to his brother. There was no talking. No touching. He just sat there with him, watching.
She smiled, her husband continued to amaze her. They all did, as far as she was concerned, they were all good men.
"How is she?" Jilka's voice broke her out of her thoughts.
"It's not good. She's strong but she'd been out there a long time and twi'leks come from a hot arid world. It's been a while since Mij operated on Twi'leks and the damage was rather severe. We're just hoping now."
"I never had much to do with her." Commented Jilka
"No, you didn't." Replied Besany, their relationship had never been the same since Jilka was arrested then broken out of prison and given no choice about where she ended up; a house on a planet in the back of beyond but she appeared to have accepted her current position.
Besany continued to hope she had and now she had Corr; that had happened quickly but she had always been like that, as opposed to herself who took her time with relationships. The few she had.
"It shows how dangerous it is here."
"The whole galaxy's dangerous." Besany replied, taking the remains of the cold soup from the tureen and putting it in one of the several conservators they had. It would be gone in the morning; someone will have been hungry during the night. All the clones were big eaters.
"Yes, I suppose so." Jilka turned and walked away.
Besany wasn't sure about her old friend now; they had only ever been workplace friends. If they hadn't worked together they would never have met. But now there was something about her. She shook the feeling off they were all second guessing what happened, hyperalert because of their exit from Coruscant and now the Empire. They weren't just deserters, they were traitors to the Empire. Besany knew there was no coming back from that, they would be on the run or looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives but she had chosen it.
She wanted to contact Ryssa; she ought to know about L'leth. Besany sighed, she missed their conversations in the coffee shops; it had kept her sane when she couldn't even tell Jilka. As far as she was concerned, what happened to L'leth proved Ryssa was not an Imperial spy but there was someone else.
.
Wookiee Gunner
The dry wind blew across Ryssa's face, as she sat up here in the fresh air, in the open space, after another nightmare last night.
Ryssa had woken up sweating, although the treatment had not been as harrowing these last few sessions as the first time, the sudden rush of memories gave her nightmares, or at best exceptionally vivid dreams. She now found that she spontaneously remembered some people and situations. But last night was bad.
The Empire.
The Chair.
Rampart.
It had also prompted other memories, and they were the problem. She could dismiss Rampart and the pain, that was over. She was out of their clutches, it was the other memories it brought up, from the Lodge; she had to think through those.
Tann's footsteps heralded her coming up behind Ryssa, she had offered to come up. She turned to see her still a few feet away, carefully picking her way across the rough ground.
The Twi'lek settled down next to her, knees bunched up, arms wrapped around them. Ryssa felt her shiver. It was chilly up here.
"I can see why you come up here. It's peaceful."
Ryssa smiled.
"Before I left, Den took me up one of the hills near the…..house. He said you could see for miles. I didn't believe him but you could. Just like here. It reminds me of that place, except there's no devastation here. No desert of glass made from years of war."
Tann sighed, then frowned.
"There were tall outcrops of rocks on Ryloth. My brother and I used to climb them and look out for the raiders, the slavers."
Ryssa frowned as she turned to look at the Twi'lek sitting calmly next to her.
"I didn't know you had a brother. Is he here?"
Tann shook her head.
"They took him. He was only eight. Stolen away in the night. My parents never recovered. They looked for him for years, right until the day they died. My father only lasted two weeks after my Mother. I always think it was that, how it affected them and that's how I joined Altis."
She shuddered, pulling back a sob.
"I thought if we were travelling I could look in more places. Always looking. Always hoping. Even now."
"I didn't realise. I'm sorry."
Tann sighed again, "It was a long time ago."
"I lost my Mother about three years ago. It was the one thing I could remember vividly." she paused, "It wasn't always an easy relationship."
"Your father?"
"Never knew him. She never even told me his name. Said it was better that way. Then, later, she said he was the only man she loved."
They sat in silence watching the wildlife; a variety of tiny creatures scratching a meagre existence here.
"Have you ever been to Ryloth?" Tann asked.
"No." Ryssa started to say, before turning it into a "Yes." As another memory flooded her mind—of Rampart on Ryloth.
"Go on." Tann looked interested.
"It was when I was with the Empire. They were mining something." Fragments came back to her, images. Not in any order and then names. It was clearer than anything before.
"There were clones there and some helped your people."
"Helped?" Asked Tann.
Ryssa smiled, "Yes! It's clearer now. The Senator. The Syndullas. The clones. And a machine. A machine to do with the clones." She frowned, "And that's important. And EmDee. He's important because he can help with the machine but I can't remember why."
She was speaking as the memories came through. They still felt jumbled but certain.
"Your droid?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"Jusik updated us. They still need to crack him and Maze filled us in with a few extra bits. And Coric."
"Coric…."
Ryssa frowned again.
"Is he a problem?"
"He's an old friend."
"More than a friend?" Tann prompted.
"Yes, so now it feels more complicated."
"From what you're saying of the memories, how they're returning, the treatment is almost over but you can stay a little longer if you want to. To let things settle. Talk them through, if you want."
"Yes. I'd like that, I don't want to rush, if there's something else, in here." she tapped the side of her head.
"Sounds good."
They sat quietly again, watching the wildlife.
.
Kashyyyk
"How much further?" Grumbled Sev. The humidity and heat was getting to him, despite how long he'd been here. His armour was no longer temperature controlled and the trooper's helmet banged against his hip.
What he would give for a fully functional set of Katarn armour and his HUD.
She stopped and examined a branch; Sev peered at it with her. His helmet hadn't been updated since just after he had been left behind, then they stopped the updates altogether and he couldn't access any of the republic frequencies. It was all he could do to keep it functioning as a stand alone item of kit. It scanned the leaf she was looking at but couldn't give him any recent info.
"This is a couple of days old but they've changed direction." She confirmed, "I have an idea, where they've been."
"Any idea where they're heading?"
"I think so but it's just a guess."
"Can we take a shortcut?"
"Not around here."
.
"They're moving as fast as us now. Must have a guide." She touched the flattened plants in the undergrowth.
Sev studied them.
"It's almost as if they're setting a trail for us to follow." He declared.
"I think they are."
She stroked one of the leaves.
"Are you up for a little hide 'n seek."
He frowned at her.
She rolled her eyes, "They hide and we seek."
Sev grinned, sure he would like this.
She climbed up the nearest tree, and held down a hand to him. He grabbed it and she helped to haul him up.
"Come on then!"
.
Imperial Interdictor
Caamas.
Squad Forty marched up the ramp in perfect synchronisation to their quarters, which was more than could be said about how they felt.
They had landed on a planet that the Empire had subjected to a full planetary bombardment. The planet's powerful and heavily guarded planetary shields had been infiltrated and lowered by Bothan agents, not Commandos. There was nothing for the Squad to do except try and round up any survivors who were trying to flee to other worlds including, and especially Alderaan.
Palpatine had a thing about these two worlds.
It felt like Geonosis again, sent to do the work but not what they were trained for. This time they were luckier, they had three years of experience to draw on, even though it felt like lifetime to Niner.
The Jedi Temple had been razed to the ground, not that there were any Jedi left. Not now. Rede and Darman had made sure of that.
Niner felt sick.
This wasn't soldiering. This wasn't what he was trained for. He knew he was by the book, it was what he was. The Nulls and Kal had both said so but somebody had to be.
They were heading back to Mandalore now.
He'd need to get rid of Rede somehow, talk with Darman, at least try and explain or convince him to desert. If he was nearer Kad he may consider it. They hadn't dealt with any other Jedi in months, only a few on Caamas.
His health readout showed his blood sugar was low. He needed to eat and hydrate but he didn't think he could stomach anything. Not like on Gaftikar.
They were in their quarters, if you could call them that. Jammed in with these new Stormtroopers, not clones, you could see that.
He dropped his pack and sat automatically. He leaned against the bulkhead. Images he didn't want to see again, flashing through his mind.
He thought of Fi.
Damaged beyond repair they had said, the Republic was ready to just throw him away but now he had a girl and was with Kal'buir on Mandalore.
The Empire were no better, they were already being replaced.
When they landed he was going to try and contact Ordo again. It had been quiet recently, they were waiting for Dar to make his mind up. For him to push Dar.
Dar wasn't up to being pushed.
I've had enough. Thought Niner.
"Sarge?" Rede interrupted his thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"When we get back to the Garrison there's some leads I want to follow up."
"Leads?" Niner stomach churned.
"Yeah. I think I know where we can start going after those Jedi."
"You do?" Niner's heart was pounding now. He half expected his suit to sound an alarm, the others to ask him what was wrong.
"It's a bit out of the way. Not like Keldabe."
"Where?"
"Enceri!"
Keep calm! Keep calm!
"I thought we'd discounted that place."
"I've had some more Intel."
"You've had some more intel?" Clarified Niner.
"Intel that you didn't think to share?" Darman butted in with the conversation now.
"I used my initiative and got the details directly from Intelligence. They've been keeping me updated; there's a mole somewhere but we don't know exactly where they're based but they want out."
"Mole? You mean double agent?"
"Yes! And they're with some Jedi and other traitors."
"Where?" Asked Niner, his heart pounding afresh. It could only be Kal and Jusik they were talking about and the others. The ones that came after. Niner felt he had missed something here. He had been so focused on Dar, he had missed Rede's devotion. Perhaps Kal could help with that, or else he had failed him again and failed Dar.
"They don't know exactly but the nearest they could pinpoint was Enceri."
"So that's where we go!" Dar declared, surprising Niner.
"Dar?" Niner replied, when he eventually switched to their private channel before he answered.
"Niner. It's time we went home."
Niner switched back to the squad channel.
"So who knows about this?"
"Nobody. It's just Intel so far."
"Okay we need to plan. We grew up with Mandalorians and we know how they think."
Niner's insides were twisting now.
"But we need to keep this away from Melusar and the Garrison or someone will blab and the Mandos will know. You can bet on that."
"Sarge?"
Rede didn't sound convinced.
"We need a plan."
And he needed to contact Ordo, update him. He'd left it too long.
.