Detention Centre

The scuffle abated, with Merrick pulling the clone off Cobban and him able to see his partner was unharmed.

"Cobban! Explain yourself!"

The woman behind the security field was not exactly terrified; she looked confused and scared but was holding it together. Her eyes were only on Mayday.

Merrick looked at the mountain of a man standing next to Cobban; he didn't like what he saw.

"I don't like you." The man said.

Merrick was about to reply, when Mayday asked, "Why?"

"I don't like officers."

"Not enough brain cells left to be one?" retorted Mayday, bracing himself for an attack.

Cobban put a hand on the angry red faced man mountain's arm, restraining him.

"Let's get this sorted." Interrupted Merrick, "Why is she restrained?"

"I determined she was a security risk. Sir. And probably a sleeper agent for the Empire."

"Based on what?"

"Her history."

"We know all about that. We could all be sleeper agents based on our histories." interrupted Donca.

"There are unexplained gaps."

"Gaps?"

"When she was supposedly fleeing the Empire, she disappeared. Ideal time to be trained. She denies it and refuses to tell me who helped her."

Merrick looked at the woman, "Can you explain where you were?"

"Yes I can but I won't. It's dangerous for the people involved if it gets out." She pointed at Cobban, "He says we have a leak that led to the TIE coming after us if that's so. Then it's especially dangerous if I reveal who helped me."

She crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair.

Mayday suppressed a smile, it was what he would do; he was proud of her. He winked at her.

"We are all on the same side here but I understand what you're saying."

"Do you? If it wasn't for those people I would probably be dead now." She thought of Gregor attacking the person who came after her, "This is the only way I can repay them. Protect them."

Cobban turned to Mayday and Donca.

"Do you know?"

"No." Replied Donca.

"No." Said Mayday, shaking his head, lying successfully. He had finally perfected that during his time with the Empire.

"I'll contact Draven." Merrick offered.

"Already done, sir." Cobban said.

"I'll contact him again, myself."

"Sir? I would like to check her to make sure she's okay. Alone." Asked Mayday.

"Yes." Merrick cut off Cobban before he could say no.

Mayday nodded and waited for them to leave. The man mountain didn't move.

"I said. Alone. You do know what that means?"

He moved forward and Mayday turned to face him fully; not exactly chest to chest that would never happen. He was almost twice Mayday's size and he was a good six inches taller.

He sneered before taking himself away, "This isn't over." He muttered.

"Didn't know we had anything going."

"You'll see." He threatened.

"Shabuir!" Mayday spat out.

The man knew it was an insult but couldn't work out exactly what it meant.

Mayday waited until the door finally closed and clicked locked. Then he removed the force shield.

Hela didn't move, instead he walked around and pulled her into his arms, "Are you okay?"

"Scared."

"It's okay to be scared but we'll sort it out." He dropped his forehead to hers and whispered, "Ke shev'la, retlini!" Then "Cyar'ika." Much louder. They couldn't miss hearing that, " Bic ni skana'din."

"Ni?"

"Nu draan!"

It wasn't very often that Mayday used Mando; Hela wasn't fluent in it. She could just about make out what he was saying. But if he was using it, it was for a reason and he was angry. She finally wrapped her arms around him.

They stood like that for several minutes.

"Fulcrum." He declared, "Could you tell Fulcrum?"

"I suppose so.

Just one name. Then they would have to be able to get someone to contact them. Someone who trusted them."

"We'll try."

He rested his chin on her shoulder. It was the only safe way they were going to do this.

If it didn't work he had another plan; you always need a plan B.

.

Their ten minutes together had not been enough, as he walked down the corridor, he saw Bil talking to Donca and Finor.

"She is not a mole. Hela is not traitor." He grunted some Ugnaught words that Mayday didn't understand. "Hela goes. I go."

Mayday smiled at that; he hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Turning to Mayday, he jabbed him in the chest, with his thick forefinger, "You save her. Like before. Bil help. With anything. No repairs until Hela free. Bil has spoken."

He stormed off grunting, as they watched his retreating form

"She'll tell Fulcrum. See if they can arrange for that person to vouch for her."

Donca looked at him; he knew who had helped her, she was sure of that but she wasn't going to put him in the same position as Hela by asking him.

"I'll put it to Merrick." She said.

.

The mountain put her in binders and they were tight, she winced when he clamped them shut and tried not to gag at his smell. He was sweating; he was always sweating but it wasn't a normal human perspiration smell. She turned away

He was smirking when she looked back at him. He was enjoying this.

"Don't want your boyfriend getting ideas do we?" He said, running a finger along her jaw, then jerked her chin up to look at him, "Although you might like it. Doesn't stop you getting on your knees, does it." He roughly pushed his thumb into her mouth. She bit down hard , tasting blood.

"Bitch!" He said, drawing his arm back; she backed away then spit it out on the floor, hitting his boot.

"Problem Gartee?" Asked Cobban, walking up to them after the bite.

"No sir. Nothing I can't handle."

Cobban turned to her, "You're pushing this as far as you can aren't you? Well it won't work. They won't be able to confirm what you say."

Hela didn't answer. It was a long shot she knew but it was the only one left to her.

Mayday came out of the small room, "They're ready and they'll do it, depending on the name, of course." He held the door open for her.

She walked in and the door was closed behind her; she turned to hear the lock click. All she could see now was a shimmering holoimage rising from the transmitter, in the middle of rhe small round table. No face, no body just some markings.

"You have a name for me?" the disguised voice asked.

"Yes."

"This line is secure, as is the room."

Mayday had been in here; she trusted him.

"The name is Riyo Chuchi."

"Ah. I understand. Thank you. I will let Commander Merrick know once I have an answer."

The holoimage faded, a few seconds later the door opened and Mayday entered.

"I have to take you back to the detention room."

"I know."

"I hate leaving you there."

"I'll be fine." She lied.

Mayday didn't reply, just held out his hand; she wrapped both hers around his. It was the only physical contact they were likely to have for some time.

.

Luckily Gartie wasn't on duty all the time; the other guards were businesslike and didn't talk much. Just —"Step away from the forcefield." When they brought her meals. She didn't wait for Gartie to say anything, just made sure she was already away from the forcefield when he came in.

Mayday visited when he could.

"Bil is still on strike."

"Tell him not to. He needs to work. The pilots need to be safe. There'll just be more for me to do when I get out."

"He doesn't listen to me."

"Donca then."

"She's not well again. They're trying to fit a better breathing tube for her."

"I hope she's alright."

"You should be more worried about yourself."

"What can they do? Put me in prison?"

"I was thinking more of what that mountain that stands outside could do."

"He's not here most of the time and there's the security cam."

"Yes." He agreed with her, not wanting to make her feel worse but a Security cam is usually only useful after the event.

He resolved to talk to Zak.

"You've gone quiet. Are you okay?"

"I miss you"

"Same here."

The door buzzed open.

"Your time's up." It was the other guard, sporting a blossoming bruise under his eye. He was normal, just doing his job. She could cope with that.

"Training accident." He said.

Why he felt the need to explain the bruise she wasn't sure. They pulled apart and Mayday was gone.

Alone again.

.

The door opened, it was Gartee. He had taken down the force field and was almost on her by the time she stood up and backed up against the wall.

"How are we today? Missing your boyfriend?" He smirked. "He's on a mission. Dangerous. May not come back."

She slid along the wall trying to put some distance between them. He wasn't as bad as Vos, you never knew with Vos exactly what he was going to do. That's why he was dangerous. Gartee telegraphed exactly what he was going to do so you could imagine it.

He towered above her, his arms caging her in; his smell was overwhelming and she tried not gag with the sickly smell hitting the back of her throat, she could taste it. His large face slowly neared hers and she closed her eyes bracing.

Then the door opened.

"Get out I'm busy! Or or you want the other side of your face to match."

"There's nothing wrong with my face." Zak's voice replied

Gartee backed off slowly and turned towards the voice.

Hela looked around Gartee and confirmed it was Zak; his hand had dropped to his blaster and rested on the top, just like Mayday did. Gartee saw that.

And the forcefield was down.

"You don't want to stick your nose into this."

"A bit late now wouldn't you say?"

"No. You can back away. Leave now."

Zak undid the clip on the top of his blaster and wrapped his fingers around it; never taking his eyes off his opponent. Hela had no doubt he would fire if pushed.

"Nah can't do that." He replied, his voice even and unhurried. He looked up at the security cam. It was still running.

Gartee looked up. He had thought it was turned off. He didn't know Zak.

"I need to talk to her. Check some schematics with her. Merrick agreed to it."

Gartee finally moved away.

Hela desperately wanted to take a deep breath; his odd smell still permeated the air.

Gartee watched them over his shoulder, as he walked towards the door, leaning over and muttering in Zak's ear. Zak didn't react but watched him as he left the room; Gartee petulantly flicked the forcefield back on as he left.

Zak redid the clip on his holster, he didn't normally walk around armed, no one did; they usually armed themselves just before a mission but Mayday ordered them to go armed after the first altercation with Gartee, "You okay?"

She nodded.

He flicked off the forcefield, "Now breathe. The smell has gone. Is it him?"

"Yes. I think he takes some growth or strength enhancing drugs."

"Yeah. Mayday mentioned it. He said he hoped he wasn't a clone. He couldn't deal with more than one of them."

She shuddered, hoping there was only one. "Some days he's more aggressive than others and the smell is stronger, like he's just had his fix."

"Did whoever's in charge agree to him?"

"Must have done."

Hela finally sat, "What did he say?"

"Nothing you need to know." Zak's face was as blank as Maydays could be.

"So these schematics?"

"Ah yes." He sat opposite and opened his datapad.

She stared at it, not seeing the schematics, but the room they were in.

"I'll change this." Zak offered. The security cam was no longer recording, "It'll keep 'em busy for a few minutes just so I can check in with you."

"Why aren't you with Mayday?"

"Just following his orders." He pointed to the screen, they would appear to be discussing something to anyone deciding to interrupt them.

"Mayday?"

"Of course. But he didn't need to ask. I would volunteer. You're family."

"Gartee—Be careful around him."

"I'm free to move around. You're stuck here."

"I appreciate you coming."

"I know you do. Now these schematics…."

The time with Zak passed all too quickly before he had to leave. It was the other guard that came to interrupt them.

She was given her last ration pack of the day, taken to the fresher and then she was behind the force field again.

She lay on the bench and tried to sleep.

.

"He's not been in today." She told Zak, when he came in the next day at a different time. He was watching her eat her midday ration pack. "Want some?" She pushed it towards him.

"Nah. Already ate."

She pushed the mush around the tray, then pushed it to one side.

"I'm not moving around much so I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat when you can. You don't know when the next meal will be."

"I do. 19:00"

Zak smiled. They had a routine here; he had monitored it.

"Bil wants us to look at this." He pulled up some images of the underneath of a Uwing hyperdrive control panel."

She peered at it, "It looks burnt out."

"Not been out of the hangar since it landed."

"Couldn't land like that. You would smell it burning."

"Bil thinks it's sabotage." He whispered.

"Was it cool when he saw it? No smell of burning nearby?"

"Nothing detected."

She zoomed in on the image, wanting to run her fingers over the damaged part to feel the damage; whether it sank in or was raised.

Zak flicked over the image, "Not easy to spot just some discolouration."

"Anything else on any of the other ships?"

"Nothing yet."

"It's an easy fix but it'll be out of commission for a day."

"If nobody checked and thought it looked odd, it just wouldn't get to hyperspace and would be a sitting Mynock up there."

"Exactly."

"Have we got any Cams set up yet?"

"Not there."

"Does Merrick know?"

"He's off base. Took an X Wing."

"Is this his ship?" She asked.

Zak nodded.

"Shit!"

.

"We don't know who we can trust." Zak reiterated to Donca and Finor.

"Cobban?" Asked Finor despite what he'd done to Hela.

"Not sure."

"That monster of his?"

"Not sure if he's got the brains for what they did."

"Looks can be deceiving. He's devious."

"We could talk to Dreis?" Suggested Donca, "He and Merrick go way back."

"I'll fetch him." Zak suggested.

"Don't tell him why, not yet. Just that without Merrick here, we'd like to talk to him."

"I'll try."

.

Garven Dreis had been around and this 'request' to speak to Donca had seemed a little odd, secretive. This Zak who delivered the message was armed with his blaster and he normally wouldn't have been. If it was anything to do with the woman in custody, he couldn't help. That decision was way above his pay grade; If he got regular pay of course. He received a nice little pension from his home world after following Merrick.

He watched the young man in front of him. This Zak must trust him if he let him follow behind him, ideal attack position. He wasn't naive; he'd been around a while but he was still a young man compared to himself.

The door opened as they reached it and were invited in. Donca, he had been introduced to her earlier, had her breathing tube in. Her partner stood next to her.

"How can I help you?"

"We have a problem."

"We?" He didn't like the sound of this.

"Either the whole base has a problem or just Merrick. It's difficult to know at the moment."

"Can you be a bit more direct about whatever problem we have."

"We think someone's sabotaged Merrick's U wing."

He leaned forward, "You have my full attention." And he meant it.

Once again Zak opened up his datapad and showed him the images.

Dreis leaned forward and studied them.

"Is that the hyperdrive control panel?"

"Yes."

"That's not a normal burnout is it?"

"No."

"Who did it?"

"Don't know. I found it."

"You?"

"I can find my way around some of the engines and with Bil and Hela not available. I thought I ought to get up to speed but I found this."

"Have you run it by the mechanics?"

"Yes. Both think it's suspicious. The U wing log shows it hasn't been used since it came here."

"Who normally flies it?"

"Merrick."

"Kriff! Any ideas?"

"Not Hela."

"She didn't have chance, even if she was a mole."

"You don't believe she is?"

"No! We have so many ex - imperials anyone could be a double agent but with her it was too obvious."

"Do you think she's been set up?"

"That or they're being let and thought she'd be easy pickings. Some people just need to get results. Whether they are the right ones is another matter."

"So what can we do about it?"

"I'll contact Antoc —Merrick and—"

"I thought he was out of reach?"

"He'll answer me."

Zac glanced at Donca who was smiling.

"Now we need to check all the U wings."

"It's going to be a long job without Hela."

"And more are expected."

"More?"

"This base is just the start. Looks like I have some work to do."

.

Alderaan - Museum of Antiquities.

The petite Pantoran stood and studied the facsimile of the Kilik Warrior. She considered it thoughtfully before moving onto the next one, which was enclosed in a transparisteel viewing enclosure.

She entered the enclosure.

It was fascinating.

She didn't turn when she heard the door open and close again.

"Kilik Twilight" a familiar voice explained, "It's an Alderaanian moss painting by Ob Khaddor. He invented the process."

"It's beautiful."

"It depicts the Killiks either turning away from the oncoming destruction of their species or turning to meet it and face their conqueror. We are unsure which now."

"Will that be us facing the Empire at some point?"

"Let's hope not but….." his voice tailed off.

"Yes."

"How are your — brothers?"

"Surviving."

"Good. Sometimes that's all we can do."

"What do you want?"

She was blunt; her time was precious. She knew she had to be patient but time was still not on their side. There were a lot of like minded people but getting them together was difficult and fraught with danger.

"I remember a singer from before—Hela Nim— her name. Beautiful voice. I understand she died, shuttle accident on Naboo."

"I know who you mean. Yes, a lovely voice. My brothers were fans."

"So I heard. Did she ever visit Pantora?"

She hesitated.

"I'm asking for a friend."

"A good friend?"

"Yes. They are a pivot point in my life."

The ex Senator from Pantora hesitated, as much as she trusted Organa and he had a lot to lose, especially now he had a daughter.

"It's part of a larger concern."

She hesitated again.

"I think she visited for a few weeks just before the crash on Naboo."

He stared at the art exhibit.

"The method of growing the moss for the image was revolutionary."

"Interesting."

They stood quietly contemplating the art work.

.

Dreis deactivated the Force field with Cobban watching from the door; walking over he put the holo emitter on the table and activated it.

A small blue flickering figure of Merrick tose from it

Hela watched closely, "You've been exonerated." Merrick's holoimage said, "You are to be released.

She slumped into the chair in relief.

.

A/N:

Mandoa

"Ke shev'la, retlini!" Stay silent just in case.

"Cyar'ika." Sweetheart

"Bic ni skana'din." This really pisses me off.

"Ni?" Me?

"Nu draan!" Never.