Clone Wars/Republic Commando Never Wanna Go Back Home

Miya stared at the gore in front of her. Bodies lay every where she looked, all looking at her with huge glassy eyes. Piercing her, accusing her, killing her with their stares. She could have saved at least one of them if she hadn't just passed them on by just a few minutes ago. But whimpering caught her ears before they could scream anymore at her and she looked up off the ground. A crested Kaminoan had a girl backed up to the wall with a small syringe in it's hand barley filled with black liquid. All three Kaminiis in the room were looking at her, but the girl's scared eyes were planted on the lethal concoction. Miya saw white, whiter than anything that the whole station was made up of, then red. Bright blood red when she realized that she wasn't breathing, couldn't breathe at the scene before her. All the bodies in different positions and not a drop of blood in the pristine place. Just pale white bodies littered like trash all over the floor...

Miya woke up screaming.

She scratched at her face trying to get those unwanted, unwelcome, but true images out. Oh, she wished she just take a hammer and bash them out. She tried calming herself down as she nails scratched down from her eyes slowly to her collar bone

"Aaaah," a low groan came after she had stopped and the images were gone. Her silver eyes snapped open, and she looked around. No one was there. Miya stopped looking and crawled to the edge of her bed. Vision, her pod sister, sat on the floor with her head in her hands moaning.

"Vision? Vision? Vod'ika," Miya asked jumping out of bed to pry her hand away," Are ya alright? Come on, tell your schwester." The girl looked at her with a look that was somehow both pained and amused.

"You greeted me with a Keldabe kiss, schwester," she said dryly. Miya realized that her head was hurting and that Vision had a red mark across most of her forehead.

"Sorry, schwester! I didn' mean ta," she said.

"I know, I know," she said and grabbed the hand Miya offered, climbed her to her feet, and gave her a concerned look," You dreamed your accident again...didn't you." Miya sighed and put her hand to her forehead.

"Not much...only liddle," she mumbled, looking for her clothes and chains. Vision sighed.

"It's done," she said, opening her deep blue eyes, watching her sympathetically," There was nothing more you could do."

"I walked by that room,"Miya said pulling on her shirt and pants," as I heard the thuds. I didn't think it was anything and continued on."

"Because you thought we were playing rough again," Vision said firmly," I would have thought the same if I were in your clothes."

"But I should've stopped ya like I always did," Miya argued clipping one of her chains on harshly as she looked for the others, painfully obvious that she was avoiding looking into Vision's eyes.

"If I hadn't stopped by that second time...," she trailed off her eyes growing cold like silver coins in her head

"I would be dead," Vision finished, coming up behind her and placing a sympathetic hand on her shoulder," I am here and not ashes like my other, schwesters. Does that count for something?" The last part was said with a twinge of humor. Miya smiled and and clipped her last chain across her chest. She turned to Vision and grasped her hand the Mandalorian way.

"Every single day your here it counts, vode," she said warmly," Vode An

Vision smiled," Vode An."

http://www.fanfiction.net/~moondoe

Note from author:

Star Wars: The Clone Wars belong to LucasFilms Ltd and company

Miya, Vision, Dove, and Marishka are mine.

(Hallway of the warship Justice)

"MIIIYAAAAA"

Vision and Miya turned at the sing-song voice, and their faces lit up with smiles. A tiny girl was skipping happily towards them, dodging the troopers carefully at her speed and adeptly. She was dressed in a puffy black skirt, a tight but flattering black corset over a black keyhole shirt, and...no shoes. She waved at them happily, only a few skips away now.

"Dove! Darling, su'cuy! When did you get back," Vision asked. Dove stopped in front of both girls bare feet in a pirouette, and her arms little ways from her sides, hands arching up. Though her feet were at a complete stop, her body continued to move in slow, graceful movements giving her the look of someone in need of therapy to most. To the two females in front of her though, it was the look of her need to keep moving. She grinned crookedly at them, only one side of her mouth curling very far back in it. Putting her hands behind her back, she stooped low, still watching them through a short curtain of black green hair.

"An hour ago. I heard screaming in the back and knew it was mon capitan," she said. Her matching eyes flickered to Miya," Are you...alright, mon capitan?"

"Bonjour et su'cuy mi amor. Oui, I'm fine...how was yo missi'n," she asked. A shrug. She was letting her slid.

"As good as any of our missions," she replied grinning.

"Who went as your...partner distraction," Miya asked. Slowly, Dove's grin went away as she shifted from side to side not looking at them but behind her at the wall.

"Dove," Miya questioned again. Dove still wouldn't look at her. But she did look to Vision. Vision closed her eyes very slowly pulling in a deep breathe, before opening them just as slowly. Her eyes had turned into dark glass orbs in her sockets. She looked back deeply into Dove's eyes, head lowering so they would be eye level. Dove straightened and stiffened in her posture, her movements stopping altogether. Deep blue, slender streaks swirled out of the glass eyes, slipping into Dove's. They swirled around in there for a while, gathering up memories of what was seen through Dove's eyes on her mission. When the streaks exited out of Dove they came out green and entered the glass orbs of Vision's skull. Her eyes shut tightly for a while as the memories shifted through her mind. When they finally snapped open, they were back to their normal dark blue hue. Vision's arms opened and she pulled the smaller girl into her arms, cradling her head into her neck.

"I'm sorry, m'love," she mumbled against her hair," I won't tell." Dove nodded gratefully, her small mouth trembling violently and eyes troubled when she pulled away.

"Luckily, I wasn't with him long," she said. Vision nodded and smiled. Miya's brows were raised as she watched the two. She wouldn't bother trying to get Vision to tell. She'd never get her mouth open to talk about it again.

"Come, come. Marishka is probably in the training room. She's missed her pod sister being away for so long," she said, trying to get back into the conversation. The smile reentered Dove's face as she took both Vision's and Miya's arms and started charging through the troopers towards the training room harboring her only living pod sister.

(Training Room)

A figure in the training room sat silently in the dark as it concentrated on sounds in and out of the room.

Heartbeats.

Three of them

Coming this way

Fast

It's head snapped to the door as the heartbeats were practically pounding against it. It lunged to a metal beam and silently crawled up it to nestle safely and out of sight up above the doorway.

(Outside Training Room)

When the trio entered the training room, however...it was empty. And dark. Dove peaked in and tried to look around. She broke away from the other two to take a few huge steps into the room.

"MIIIIISSHHKaaaaaa," she called loudly. A small echo answered her back.

"It Doooooove," she called again. Still the room remained silent not wanting to give up its hostage trapped in the dark. Dove took a few more steps in and looked around again. Metal clumps lay around at her feet, proving that someone was in here recently. She looked up and around at the rafters, overlooking the slight bump at the top of the doorway though looking at it for a very long while.

(Above Doorway)

Adrenaline pumped through the figures chest, making it ache and her body go cold. It lay low to the metal beams harboring it from the female. The intruders heart was beating faster and faster, and the figure could hear the rushing blood in those fragile glass veins in the bag of flesh.

Sharp white fangs glinted briefly in the dark as the figure prepared to attack.

(Below Doorway)

"Ish'ika?...This isn't funny," Dove said meekly. She did NOT like the dark like her sister did. She tolerated it...but didn't revel in it. She turned to look in the corners of the room, where Marishka was more than likely hiding.

(Above Doorway)

Finally, the figure stood and lunged as the female dropped her guard.

Dove screamed as a huge weight tackled her and started scratching at her from behind. She wrestled around with the burden before throwing it to the ground and straddled its waist, fists raised for a fight.

"Don't do anything, Dove," Vision said, smirking in amusement," Lights on." Bright white lights turned on blinding all for a moment. When they could see, they saw who it was pinned beneath Dove. Two fangs gleamed in up at Dove as Marishka grinned up at her vod'ika. Deep chuckles spilled from her throat as she saw the look in her sister's eyes as her hands went limp. Marishka felt her fangs retract as her body realized there was no threat. She held up her arms and made clawing motions at Dove with her hands. Dove realized that the scratching was Marishka trying to tickle her and she huffed in indignation. Marishka's laughter, though, made her turn her eyes back to her. Her dusty red hair fell in ringlets over her face and down her stomach as she laughed, making her such a sight that Dove started laughing as well. They got up, brushed themselves down, then clasped hands Mandalorian style.

"Su'cuy, vode," Marishka said, waving to her other two sisters leaning in the doorway. Both smiled at her...and her choice of clothing for her of type training. A long white almost see through dress thats color built as it went lower, with a plunging neckline. It was very thin as well. Pearls twisted around her arms, making up for the lack of sleeves. Six eyebrows rose as they all looked at the red head. She just grinned back unabashed. Miya finally shook her head and chuckled.

"Mishka...dawg...you're terrible."

Hey There Delilah by Plain White Ts

[b][b]Irene by Toby Mac

Barbie Girl by Aqua[/b][/b]

Commander Ponds, the Zeltron race, & Star Wars: Clone Wars belong to LucasFilms Ltd and company

All the girls are mine


"So, baby gal, where'd yo boots go," Miya asked, nudging Dove's feet from underneath the table. Her fork stopped halfway to her mouth as she found herself once again under the scrutiny of her sisters.

"Uhhhh...I kind of...sort of...lost them," she said, grinning crookedly again.

"Kinda sort of lost dem...how," Miya dug.

"My last mission got a little sticky aaaand it involved my boots taking off some clanker heads as I escaped," she said, then frowned," Those were my favorite boots as well." The table fell silent at her words before Miya grinned, reached across the table, and tussled her hair.

"Dat's my gal! Use everythin' ya got," she said proudly. Dove grinned at the praise and continued eating.

"And you," Vision said turning to Marishka," What's with the fancy getup."

"Its from my last mission as well. I had to go undercover and have a man take me as his mistress. He did , unfortunately," she explained. Marishka had, in Miya's opinion, a voice that made her mind thinking of rivers. Light, breathy but not...overly so. It was just nice on the ears, a gentle trickle. She could listen to her talk for days. Like that'd ever happen. A lot of her sisters, Marishka included, didn't talk much. Said girl rolled her eyes.

"Didn't want me going around without any sparklies...tried to lather me with them to show me off when we went out. But I just took the simplest thing he had," she continued, rolling her eyes. She didn't like jewels. Well, too many at least. Give her a ring or just a necklace and she was satisfied,"Also gave me this dress. I'm hoping that if I wear it in training, it'll fall apart very quickly."

"Why not just burn it," Dove asked, waving to a few troopers behind them. Marishka's look darkened.

"None of the mongrels will give me any other clothes to wear...said they liked this one too much,"she growled," Chakaare."

"I'm sure Buir will 'ave a nice long talk with dem when she 'ears about it," Miya grumbled, scooping her food into her mouth," I'll tell 'er when I go to 'er room."

"Buir," this time Vision's fork stopped halfway up,"Buir's here?"

"Uh HUH. Arrived last night. Brought Persephone with her," Dove added.

"Oh...so we'll have a mission soon," Vision said, resuming her eating.

"Just 'cause Seph's wid 'er don' mean we gonna get a missi'n," Miya said. All three girls stared at their Captain with raised brows. Miya shrugged again and went back to eating.

"IO-216, 531, 351, 878, and 111 report to hanger 32," a voice echoed through the ship some time later as they finished up their meals. All four stared at the ceiling dumbly for a while before three sets transferred to Miya's face.

"Alright...so I'm wrong sometimes," she said, throwing back her drink and leaving with Marishka.

(Hanger 32)

"Boombox! Vod," Miya yelled when they entered. Marishka migrated toward the stage where their buir was. The moon faced girl wheeled around wildly and caught her eye. A grin split her face and a click issued from her throat.

"Hey there Delilah,

What's it like in New York city?

I'm a thousand miles away

But girl tonight you look so pretty

Yes you do!"

"Aw, thank ya darlin'. Nothin' much...few missi'ns 'ere and der," Miya said and looked around with a frown," Where's Irene." Boombox shrugged and turned around. :CLICK: A new song came on, louder and echoed through the base:

"Hush little baby,

Don't you cry,

Daddies going to sing you a lullaby,

Everything's going to be alright

:CLICK:

Blessed she,

Irene,

Who seeks my faith"

"M' OVER HERE, BOOMBOX," a voice yelled behind them. Irene ran over bouncing around to avoid objects and vod. Her pink hair followed her movements, but her eyes were roving around she stopped quickly. Both girls stared when she slowed down in front of them.

"I'm a barbie girl,

In the barbie wooorld,

Life in plastic,

It's fantastic!"

Miya howled as Irene eyed Boombox who was grinnin' like a cat who just got a mouthful of cream.

"Zeltron? Really, vod," Miya asked when she calmed. Irene just blew a piece of hair out of her face and grinned. Miya's shoulder were still shaking when she turned...only to stop when she came face to face with another sister right up in her face.

Speaking of cats. She was a head taller than the rest of her sisters even without standing on the balls of her feet. Long white hair, zig zagging with tiger stripes from the end of her hair all the way up to the bangs that shadowed her eyes, hung to her waist. Dark purple eyes regarded them with mischievous intent and she suddenly slapped both hands on Miya's shoulders. Short fur shot out of her skin and flattened down like it, giving her new quickly changing body a slender look. Hands and feet turned to paws, nails into short deadly claws, and teeth grew. Once fully turned, a large pink tongue rolled out and licked Miya's from neck to the top of her head. She stepped back quickly after the third lick, away from both paws and tongue.

"Ugh, Kit-Kat! I missed ya as well but...uuuugh," she groaned and tried to wipe the spit off. Chuffs of laughter came from the beast before it transformed again into Kit-Kat's humanoid form who continued the laughter. She pulled Miya into a one armed hug before letting go, flashing a grin, then taking off. Probably to find Marishka. Their buir was leaning against a fighter, surveying them and letting them have some time to greet the sisters they haven't seen in a while. Buir was a cream furred Devaronian female who wore heavy combat boots where her green camouflage pants were tucked into, and black one shoulder tank top covered her torso. She had taken on the Mandalorian role quite proudly, and tried to pass it on to her girls who she adopted. Kept her first name, though changing her last to they-didn't-know-what. So they called her buir or General Ru'more.. She was shoulder with the part and smiling fondly as she watched over these few kitlings, her ad'ike, as they relaxed for a bit and caught up with each other. But their sisters weren't the only ones they wanted to see. Miya slid up behind her and gripped her shoulder. Ru'more reached back and ruffled her hair. Irene darted up to the stage exuberantly, kissed her on her nose, and quickly nestled back into the group. She grinned at her when she turned back around to face her. Ru'more smiled and gave her a wink in return. After a few moments had passed, she pushed herself away from the fighter and strode forward.

"Su'cuy, ad'ike," she said for them to hear.

"Su'cuy, Buir," chorused through the hanger.

"Mat," Miya said cheekily when it was quiet. Ru'more glanced back at her, eyebrows raised and mouth twisted in amusement. She walked backwards to Miya and pulled her into a playful headlock, making the girls laugh at their struggling sister. When they got quiet, besides Miya's grunts, she began to brief them.

"We have received word, that there will be a meeting between Separatist's forces. No one except the heads of the forces is allowed inside the meeting, however,"she said with a ferocious grin,"The aruetyce made one vital mistake that gives us a pretty big opening...where you few will come in is that there's a ball to cover this meeting up. After the meeting they are sure to talk amongst themselves about the info as any di'kut with a boastful mind would," She looked around at the faces who were bored, exasperated, and some just looked like they wanted to hurl. She started walking back and forth between them, making Miya walk with her.

"Udesii ad'ike," she said sympathetically," It's not for another two months or so. So you can relax." A lot did.

"I'm just giving you a heads up and to give you some info on who might be there." Five holos were behind her and she handed them out first. The picture that came up had Nute Gunray's large mug on it.

(45 minutes later, outside the hanger)

Marishka and Miya left together, but didn't have to go far when they found Vision and Dove leaning on the wall beside the door. Both were talking quietly to each other, but their heads popped up when they heard them coming towards them.

"Have fun," Vision asked.

"Oh yeah," Miya said shaking her head," We get to go to a ball with seppie aruetiise and, as whipping on the cake, most will be eyeing us as if we're meat for the barbeque!"

"Well, a nice long round of bashing clankers for practice should make you feel better," Vision said amused," Come on Dove. Marishka."

"Nope," Dove said, popping out the P," I needs ta go see someone." She took off skipping down the hall towards the Bridge leaving two confused sisters behind.

(Bridge of Justice)

"Ponds," Dove called as she poked her head into the bridge. Commander Ponds turned to face her as soon as he heard her and smiled tiredly.

"Hello, Dove," he said. She walked into the room and stood beside him looking over his shoulder.

"Wacha doin',"she asked. A few clones glanced their way and smiled, used to the girl being around their Commander a lot. She'd get annoying sometimes, but a quick firm word would make her generally back done. Most of the time though she was great source of entertainment after a long day to them all, Commander included.

"Checking out the world below us in case it becomes our next battlefield," he said, distracted. Dove stared at him, then looked to the table, then slowly brought her eyes back up to him. She studied his face hard, her eyes narrowing as she looked for any signs of for his behavior. It betrayed the telltale signs of rings underneath his eyes and the slight redness in them that told her he'd been awake for quite a while and needed sleep. Dove's lids lowered and her eyes flickered to the other troopers, but none were looking their way anymore. So, she ducked under Ponds legs, pushed him away from the table gently with her hip when she came up, and got between him and the table. He raised his eyebrow at her as she sat on the edge and stared at him pointedly.

"Something on your mind," he asked. Placing her arms on her legs, her look melted to hurt puppy eyes and lowered her head to her arms.

"Yes," she said quietly," You never came to say hello to me when you got back." His brow raised higher and he gestured to the door. She hopped off the ledge and followed him as he went through the door. As soon as the it closed, all clones on the bridge exchanged glances.

(Outside of Bridge)

Ponds smiled at her fully and stepped close to her when the door shut.

"I'm sorry," he said as he leaned down and kissed her. Dove's face warmed as they touched. Her hands ran over his smooth shaven cheeks to pull him a little closer, but Ponds released her a second later, not letting her have time to savor it.

"Will that satisfy you until I'm done," Ponds said mock formal. Dove played along by sighing.

"I guess it'll be," she took a breath and looked at him with sparkling eyes, still able to taste him on her tongue," ...adequate." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself close. His arms came around her automatically and he rested his head on hers. His eyes fluttered as he tried to keep his eyes opened but he just felt that now was the perfect time to fall asleep.

"I missed you," Dove murmured. Ponds placed a hand on her head and grasped at some of her locks.

"I've missed you, too," he said kissing her hair.

"You need to sleep," she stated, feeling the drop in his breathing and hearing his words start to slur.

"I'll come join you later," he mumbled, still fighting himself not to fall asleep on her. She looked up at him with narrowed eyes.

"If you're not with me, in bed, in an hour...I'll drag you out of there myself," she said seriously. Ponds chuckled and kissed her temple.

"I don't doubt it...one hour," he agreed. Dove relinquished her hold on him, smiled sweetly, and started walking away.

"See ya 'round, soldier boy."

Ponds's lips twitched as he watched her until she disappeared around the corner. When the he went back and opened the door to the bridge, four of his men fell through the door at his feet while all the others scrambled back into their seats. He stared down at all four until they got the hint and they, too, ran to their seats. But no one went back to work. They all just stared silently at their Commander...their brother. The silence that dominated the room spoke what was unspoken:

We won't tell[strike]

Blues in the Night by

Star Wars: Clone Wars universe belongs to LucasFilms Ltd

Everyone's mine
XXXXX

Miya sighed in agitation. Two months had passed quicker than she thought and before she knew it, she was stuffed into a showy dress and whisked away with a Separatist aruetii to the ball on the planet Cato Neimoidia. Of course it wasn't done just like that. There had been weeks of preparation: getting on the aruetii's good side (aka bed), shown proper graces, tutored to perfect her accent, and told how to hold the right conversations with the aruetii, ect, ect, blah, blah, blah. She didn't care. It was all the same with all her missions. Get in the person's bed, get info or prove he's guilty of his war crime etc, try not to get found out and killed by them, and get out. Not much of a life.

The ball was well done. The place was beautiful and set for comfort. The singer was about to arrive to entertain, so people were sort of huddled around the stage. All talking stopped when she finally did and Miya looked up. It was Boombox.

She stepped on the stage in total confidence. Her starlight dress clung to her like a second skin and showed off her very well developed curves. Wolf whistles rang out immediately from the single men there. Boombox smiled and winked, not at them, but at her sisters. The joke with them was that none of their targets, when they went on missions, knew about Boombox not being able to actually talk. They all laughed later at all the complements she got about whatever artist she decided to synch to. Miya returned her wink and Boombox grinned knowingly. Her throat clicked, and she started to "sing" to a slow sensuous old song:

"My momma done tol' me,

When I was in pigtails,

My momma once tol' me,

Oooohwoooo!"

She started to act shy here:

"A man's gonna sweet-talk and,

Give you the big eye

But when the sweet-talkin's done

A man is a two face...!"

Her hand went to her forehead, then down to her cheek, and finally over her heart for the next lines:

"A worrisome thing"

Who'll leave ya to sing

The bluuuues in the night!"

Her hands went above her head, her hips swung slowly, and she slid downwards for the next line

"Now the rains a-fallin!

He-ear the traiiin a-callin "Whooeee"

My momma once told me..."

Men crowded the stage to get closer and started calling out remarks, almost drowning her voice out. Miya shook her head at the display and looked away. She needed to keep her mind on the mission. But she couldn't do that when seeing her sister being harassed by a bunch of drunks! She knew that was harsh and that they couldn't be drunk this early in the ball, but dances like these always put her on edge made her grumpy, and not really think straight. Luckily she was a wonderful actress and no one was the wiser to her moods, not even to her vode. Those who were in the briefing were dispersed amongst the guest, picking up different info here and there, and charming them as they went. Vision came along as well, seeing as she her powers would come in handy. Miya hated taking her on missions like this but even she admitted to the fact she's be invaluable. But that wasn;t on her mind right now. What was really setting Miya on edge and worrying her was that there was no sigh of Marishka. She hadn't arrived yet and almost everyone was here.

A warm weight on her arm had her look around. But instead of seeing a vod's familiar face, her "date" started steering her towards a knot of people and, her heart sunk when she realized that it was an all men group.

"This is the young woman I told you about, Vera Wella," he said gesturing to her. Miya bowed respectfully and turned into the woman that had been introduced.

"Wonderful to meet you, sers," she said, smiling. All the men eyed her hungrily. She felt very naked right then with her dress. Then again, she'd feel naked with the dress anywhere. It had no back and barley any torso. It covered her perfectly from the waist down but it diamond her belly with two thick ropes of material, covered her breasts as it diamond up to her neck, and tied in the back. She was introduced to each member of the group who all took turns kissing her hand.

"A pleasure to meet you darling," a familiar smooth voice said to her and kissed her hand last. Miya's jaw tightened as his lips brushed her hand. He was a Republic officer under cover. HE was the reason why she and her vode were too scared to get away from the Republic and one of the main reasons why they wanted to LEAVE. She refused to look at him, even for this mission.

"The pleasure is all mine...ser," she said, taking her hand away rather quickly," If you'll excuse me, I need to freshen up."

"Ah, yes. Always need to keep your face pretty," he said cooly. Miya's fist clenched. She knew him good enough to know the ending to those words. But still she didn't look at him. She turned and walked away from the group.

"Beautiful little jewel, Kanvas," a Chandrillian senator.

"Yes, isn't she? HaHA! I'll be the talk when the others see that little darling on my arm," Kanvas said.

"I cannot say that I agree. She is like a jewel. Men fight over her to brag that they have her on their arm. But when they're around her long enough," that hated voice said,"...they find that she's wasn't worth it." Miya felt her face turn red at his words both with humiliation and anger. Was he TRYING to blow her mission? Just so that he can tell her she wasn't worth anything? It's not like he didn't try or have enough time to do it anywhere else! The warm weight settled on her arm again and she turned with a very stretched grin, thinking her Senator had come to reel her back to the group. However, it was Irene who had her in a grip this time. She smiled knowingly and laughed when Miya let out a sigh of relief and traded her fake smile for a genuine one.

"Hello, Miss Vella," she said grinning even wider," How are you this evening."

"I am very well, Miss Neilra. A pleasure to see you again, darling," Miya said squeezing her arm. Irene smiled at her smugly. She had changed her look into a light purple twi'lek with a dress of bright yellow silk. But what caught Miya's eye was that it was made out of Shell Spider silk. She glanced up at Irene and frowned.

"My...sweetheart...is very cautious. He wanted me and the others to wear this to be safe just in case something happens. Stays very close to us as well," she answered. She had come with a man who was known to bring more than one girl to balls. It was very easy for her to get on his good side.

"That's actually...nice of him," Miya blinked. Irene look at her in amusement.

"Isn't it? What I find amusing is that he loves to always be in the middle of our circle," she said. Now Miya's eyebrows plummeted and her frown turned to a dark scowl. Any coward who used others as shields were as low as dirt in her opinion. But he'd reach up and he still wouldn't be able touch dirt if he used one of HER sisters as part of his shield. She opened her mouth, ready to go on a quiet full rant, but was cut off when something caught her eye. Irene saw her change and followed her eye. Nute Gunray had finally arrived.

On his arm, was their missing vod

Her hair was done up in a high ponytail, but low enough that the end of her long coils lightly brushed between her shoulder blades. A flavescent colored dress stitched with gold and made of Killik silk graced her figure. It came into a choke hold around her neck, was backless behind her, and left her arms bare. Standing at her normal height, she gave off an aura of nobility and had more than one person glancing her way. She was clutching Gunray's arm as he walked around and introduced her to many of the guests. Both girls had halted in their walk and stared opened mouthed at their gutsy vod.

"No...way," Miya breathed. Irene seemed to have stopped breathing altogether.

"Well, good evening ladies," a smarmy voice said, tearing their eyes away from their sister. A Neimoidian was eyeing both of them like sweet treats. They both recognized him as one of Gunray's close attendants who usually trailed after him very closely.

"Good evening, ser," Irene said flirtatiously, adopting a high pitched breathless voice.

"What are such...exquisite ladies such as yourselves doing by yourself," he inquired, his eyes not staying on their faces, but darting around their chests. Miya thought she saw his tongue dart out for a second.

"We are not alone, ser," she answered, pleasantly, " My friend came with Senator Seer'aska. I came with Senator Kanvas."

"Well, where are they now," he asked looking around, hopefully,"It's not nice to leave such precious gems all alone."

"They went to get us some drinks," she said," They'll be back in a few minutes."

"Ah,"he said, and bowed to them but still held that lecherous smirk on his face,"So sorry. I shall leave you fine ladies to your companions when they come back." He walked off, but kept in a corner where he could keep watching them.

"This is why," Miya said, turning her back to him to face Irene with hard eyes, smile still in place," I hate our lives! I feel like a piece of meat being offered to...to a bunch of STRILLS!" Irene shuddered at the image of a strill eating, and didn't want to imagine a who bunch of them eating. With a huff, Miya turned to do what she originally said she would do. However, some one holy didn't like her. She was stopped and pushed into a corner. It was a different Neimoidian this time...but not any prettier than the last.

"I," he slured," Didn have mush couraehge for zis fore. You'z zooo prety...I didn stand a chance but nooow..." He got closer to her, his breathe sickly sweet of wine. She was stuck. If she tried to break away he might go on a drunken yelling spree and make the ball end early, and they wouldn't be able to get any more info. She couldn't kill him and get it over with, that'd just put attention on her. And if she let him do what he wanted, she shuddered at the thought, she would lose favor with Kanvas.

But she was saved from making any decision when someone went with her option B. Once second, his mouth was about to descent to hers and then... a sharp metal object sliced through his neck like butter and his head left his shoulders. His body stood there for a few seconds still holding her before the legs lost their strength and collapsed in a heap on top of the head. Blood started to gush and pool around the body, and Miya stepped quickly to avoid it. She followed the moving blade and watched as it turned into a hand, and her rescuer stepped into the light.

"Hannah," Miya breathed with relief. Hannah didn't react to her. Instead, she frowned as she stepped up to the Neimoidian's head and nudged it with her foot. Miya was surprised she didn't see her as she was coming down the hall. It was hard for Hannah to hide with her very platinum colored hair.

"Hmph, hu'tuune," she murmured. Her pupil less orange eyes flicked over to Miya

"Are you alright, vod," she asked in a cultured voice. Miya nodded numbly and Hannah grinned at her.

"I just love it when there's a di'kut who's di'kulta enough to try and touch any of you," she said staring at the blood dripping down her fingers," It gives ME something fun to do." She flicked the blood off with a grunt of disgust. She glanced back at Miya, who had lost every thought in her head about how to move her body. Finally, enough sense came back to her for her to hold out her arm to her.

"Not here...not now," Hannah scolded," Someone could come around the corner and see."

"I don't care," Miya said stubbornly," I haven't seen you in two years. TWO YEARS! "M in a dress walkin' around like a piece of steak at a dog show to keep a shabla government from tankin' without a whisper of thanks! I think I've earned the right to properly greet my vod when I want." Hannah gazed at her for long while, blinking and unreadable.

"Yes," she finally said, clasping their hands together," I suppose you are...su'cuy vod'ika."

"Su'cuy vod," Miya said with a grin. Hannah wasn't a pod sister...but she was as close to one as Miya had. She loved all her vode very much...there was just something special with Hannah.

"Go back to the party...we need all the info we can get and our sisters can't be in the same place twice," Hannah joked, making a shooing motion. Miya complied, knowing that the body and the blood stains would be gone before anyone went over that way. She walked back over to Kanvas, but Marishka grabbed her arm before she could touch him.

"Time to report to buir," she said quietly then said in a louder voice to Kanvas," Me and Miss Wella will be outside for a walk. I think I drank too much and I need some air. She promised me we'd catch up before the night ended." Kanvas nodded his consent...but it looked more like a bob of his head since his eyes were glued to Marishka's very ample bosom. When they reached outside Miya rolled her eyes.

"You'd think they'd be at least a little suspicious when so many of the women know each other," she said.

"We're only five people, Miya...out of hundreds. It's not that unusual," Marishka said, patting her hand.

"Well, kitlings," Ru'more asked as Miya, Vision, and Marishka trooped in," Anybody we need to worry about?" They were in a building just across the street from the ballroom, that way they could return to the party quickly and slip back in seamlessly. Everyone turned to look at the one girl who could show her. She walked up to her buir and leaned in close. Vision's eyes closed and opened just as before but instead of streaks shooting out, HER memories played out in her glass eyes, coming right up to the surface for her buir to see. Ru'more peered closely at all the people. Faces appeared close up so she didn't have to look to closely, though some were murkier than others. She suddenly stood up straight and nodded satisfied.

"Well, now we have at least some of our senators who support the seppies. Good work, ad'ike," she said fondly messing up Vision's hair, tickling Marishka underneath her chin, and slapping Miya on her back.

"You will have to de-brief me when this is over. Now, however,...go get some rest while I go save your other vode. That's an order and it's part of your mission. You kitlings deserve it," she said as she walked away. They obeyed and left immediately, thoughts on some good long rest. However one sister stayed way longer when everyone else, even the party guests, were gone.

Marishka stood up straight, staring up at the high ceiling. It was actually a huge window to show the sky. She had never been so high up in the sky, and she was only in it to fight a battle. It looked so beautiful, now that she was actually getting a good look at it. Her eyes shuddered shut as the sunset sunlight broke through the clouds and crept across her face, warming her a little, like a veil. Her hair gleamed, like every tress was made of dark amber and her skin glowed attractively in its light. What would it be like to fly with it always on her back? To always feel beautiful underneath it? To fly in gentle breezes whenever she pleased? Whenever SHE wanted not when someone told her to. Her wings unfolded, depending on the silks of her dress to form their structures, slowly and unconsciously as the thoughts flooded her. They flapped in a soft pounding beat and slowly lifted her off of the ground. She hovered there for a little while, still simply staring up at the sky. Could she really do it? Could it be so easy to just break the glass and fly? Hope gleamed in her eyes as her wings held her up and suddenly, she started shooting up towards the ceiling. Higher and higher and higher until she could smell the wind swirling around outside. Her hands reached for the glass, intending to shoot through it if possible, when she heard the two most horrible words in her own language.

"Shairn kreek," a male voice echoed out into the room, engulfed her with it so it pounded in her head and snuffed out her candle of hope. Marishka felt her body freeze in mid-flight, her fingertips just centimeters away from freedom. Her heart beat slowly overtook the echo in the room.

Thump...Thump...Thump

A cold feeling came over her heart. A small twinge in the middle like a pinprick at first, before growing to go over her whole heart like a hand had clenched around it. She gasped and grasped her chest. Burning, acid pain shot through her body, building up quickly, locking it up. She was falling now, farther from that beautiful freedom that called to her so sweetly. Her wings turned back to silks and swirled around her obscuring her vision and brought her back to the pain eating in her body. A loud voice was was weighing heavily in her head, screaming to surrender, building in pressure as if boulders were being added onto her head one after another. Surrender to him and what he wanted, then all the pain will go away. She landed on her side with a solid THWAP! That brief pain was nothing compared to the monster twisting in her now. Scratching and destroying her inside out, tearing at her insides with violent flames. Her heart was growing cold, cold as the flames were hot, soon burning her heart as well. The voice in her head was at work as too, trying to pry its fingers into her mind, that felt more like merciless volts, and rip it open to make her more vulnerable to surrender. She curled into a ball and screamed, trying to reach anyone to help her. Her scream bounced off the walls and down the halls of the building, passing by many but reached one ear. Ru'more's head whipped around and she flew off to follow the scream.

"No one will help you," a male's voice said as he sat next to Marishka's curled form,"To everyone here besides those other projects...your nothing. Nothing but a monster...who has no reason to live...but to do...whatever...its master...wants." A hand reached out and brushed her curls away from her face, ignoring her crying sobs and her arches as she literally was destroyed from the inside out.

"Once your of no more use, I will take you away from your sisters and toss you into a small room on Kamino. There I, and I alone, will press a button that will light the room on fire. And you. Will. Die," he said, not caring that it was adding to her pain," Alone. With no one to help you or rescue you. I will deal with your sisters to make them stay as far away from you and your room as they can." Her hands went to her head and she arched, screaming for her dear life as she begged for the pain to stop. The man stood up...and kicked her head with his booted heel.

"Never do it again, little demon," he snarled as he kicked her over again," If you do, I will know and I will make your fate come faster...DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" He seized her ponytail and yanked her head up to him. She could barley get a whimper past her lips, the pain unbearable and all that was consuming her mind. He shook her violently, until something of an affirmative left her. He let her ponytail go and she landed hard on her cheek, unable to move. Her eyes rolled up into their sockets as her body went into spasms and she slowly lost consciousness.

"KAINEN," a voice roared. His looked over to the doorway, not concerned. Ru'more had arrived finally.

And she was pissed.

Her face was murderous as she took in the scene of her ad'ike laying on the floor, obviously in pain, and Kainen Costul stooping over her. Her eyes widened, her pupils almost gone, when she realized what was happening.

The Leash

The demagolka had her under the Leash

She rushed over to her and turned Marishka over so that she was facing upwards. But Marishka couldn't see or hear her. All she could see was black and all she could hear was screams for her surrender. But she did feel when a cool hand glided over her sweat soaked forehead and spoke the Release.

"Teska," a mere murmur, but instant blessed results. Tears poured down past baby features as the pain left her body. The world around Marishka and came into sharp focus and a beloved face that hovered above her was watching her with sympathy.

"Buir," she whimpered, her arms wrapping around her neck to pull her up into her neck," Buir."

"You need to teach your little monster that its life is chained to its work," the man said, cold voiced,"It does not need to be let loose in the streets where it'll wreck havoc on innocents." Rumor'e tossed her head up to glare at the retreating back of the demagolka that filled all her children with fear.

"One day, ad'ike," she promised the unconscious girl, eyes narrowing and flashing while her voice lowered to a hiss," One day I will take my knife and separate his head from his body."

This is where my wonderfully talented co author comes in with her guys. The men and General Lunar belong to her while all the girls are mine.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars belongs to LucasFilms Ltd.

FEEDBACK VERY APPRECIATED


Ben had never seen anything quite like this

Ok, he had seen a lot of weird stuff in his life; you couldn't be the medic of the 666th and not see some weird stuff. But this was beyond anything he'd experienced medically. Other than the bruises slowly forming on her left cheek, there wasn't a scratch on her.

And yet he'd never seen anyone with so much damage done.

Of course the circumstances that had brought the girl to his medical ward were almost as bizarre as the injuries (or lack there of) themselves.

General Lunar, and a Devaronian woman he did not recognize, had brought the girl to the medical ward. Aurora had said nothing about who she was or what had happened. She had merely asked him to do what he could and that she and General Ru'more, the woman with her he presumed, would be on the bridge if he needed them. Ben had nodded saying nothing of the fact that this was the first time he had not been given a name, or pre-diagnosis on a patient. And he said nothing of the fact that Aurora seemed to be holding something back. She always told them everything about a mission. What made this any different?

Aurora had said to do what he could for her. But what could he do if there was nothing wrong with her? Surly she couldn't mean-

Ben shook his head. Not to a complete stranger, not with the way he felt about it.

Ben had discovered at an early age that he himself was highly talented in what the general described as 'force healing'. But ever since that discovery he had only used said talents in the most dire emergencies. It felt strange, almost invasive to enter someone else body with ones mind and to alter what was already there. He hated doing it, even to his closest brothers. The general knew that and she respected it. She would never ask him to do something like that to a complete stranger.

The medic sighed and continued his examination of the woman before him.

He was in the middle of removing blood to test for any kind of poison or sedative when he heard the slow beeping of her heart monitor spike quickly.

His eyes shot up and he found himself staring into a wide set of shining green irises.

Within seconds he found himself pined to the ground by ghostly white hands, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and Ben forced himself to focus in on the source of pain. His eyes widened.

The girl had sunk a set of sharp upper canines into his shoulder.

How did she get through the zillo skin? The thought, however, was not as important as the ones running around screaming in the front of his brain. The ones telling him he was loosing blood fast, he could feel it rushing through his veins leaving his body at an alarmingly high rate, his heart beat faster trying to accommodate for the loss but it was no good.

He raised his right arm slightly, he knew fighting back would be useless, she had a good hold on him and he needed to conserve all the energy he could. He raised his hand just enough to smack the COM unit on his wrist against the ground, activating the emergency beacon. Black spots began clouding his vision and Ben had to force himself to breath evenly.

He must have blacked out because when he came to someone was screaming bloody murder in his ear.

Ben forced himself to sit up, immediately recognizing the feeling of fatigue that accompanied blood loss. He felt someone grip his shoulder tightly and looked up to see Barricade, gun in hand staring down at him with a look of genuine concern in his eyes, though the rest of his face was set in a dead scowl. Ben glanced forward and saw the woman who had attacked him lying on the floor, a welt the shape of a pistol butt on her forehead. Ben managed to pull himself to his feat staggering slightly from weakness.

"Breath", He thought, forcing himself to tack a long deep breath and let it out slowly. He staggered over to the woman, and with sloppy hands checked her vital signs.

Ignoring Barricades rather audible protests to the contrary Ben mustered his strength and lifted the woman (with great difficulty) back onto the bed. He was aware his Lieutenant was yelling at him, but it was as if the world had been put on mute. He slowly reattached the IV cord that had been pulled from the woman's arm. Carefully hooking her back up to the heart monitor and checking her heart rate. Normal.

Only then did the medic let himself collapse back against the countertop of his medical station.

"Deep breathes," he reminded himself taking air in and letting it out slowly. Sound had faded back in by now.

"-What in the 7 frozen hells of Hoth are you thinking?"

Ben winced slightly at the lieutenant's lack of volume control. The medic turned around so he was facing the counter reaching up to one of the compartments with shacking hands and pulling out a liquid rations bag and a bottle of pills. He swallowed two of the blue capsules before tarring open the rations bag with his teeth and gulping down the liquid nutrients greedily.

Barricade grabbed his shoulder in anger causing the medic to wince slightly at the force of the grab.

"You did hear me right? I'm not just talking to myself?" The anger was evident in his voice, but Ben knew him well enough to know that the anger was not directed at him.

"She is injured and she should not be left on the floor." His voice was quite, calm and emotionless as ever. He gently removed Barricades hand from his shoulder and walked, with only a slight stumble, over to the sink. He carefully removed his medical vest and then the long sleeve zillo leather shirt beneath it. He examined his bare shoulder carefully.

"Odd." He mumbled softly. "No puncture wound to speak off."

Barricade was staring at him face tinted red from anger.

"Ben, she kriffin attacked you! She drank your blood for Jango's sakes!" Ben became painstakingly aware of the gun still in Barricades hand, when he gestured to the woman lying on the bed with it.

"Lieutenant... I'm going to have to respectfully request you place your blaster on the table."

Barricade gave him a low growl, but slammed the blaster down on the counter, hard.

"She phwoarin' bit you!" With the blaster gone the lieutenant's scarred knuckles curled themselves into angry fists.

"As have half of 'forest' squad." Barricade must have missed the medic's attempt at humor.

"Just keep her kriffin sedated!" the lieutenant threw his hands into the air in exasperation. "Or better yet let me take her to the brig!"

Ben shook his head slowly, calmly; the smallest frown set on his lips. "Removing her from the medical ward without an accurate diagnosis could be potentially hazardous." His voice was quite, respectful, as always.

Barricade growled quietly, grabbed his blaster, and took up a guard's stance at the door. His reasoning was layered with anger. "The last thing I need is to loose the best medic in the GAR to some blood sucker."

Ben blinked slightly blind-sided by the compliment. He sighed and turned his attention back to the woman in the bed. He slowly set to tending the new lump on her foreheadly.

XXXXX

General Aurora Lunar was many things, and fiercely protective of her men was most certainly one of them. General Ru'more eyed the woman attentively

She was quite clearly Mandalorian by birth. Light blond hair, pale skin, and high cheek bones were a signature to what was today known as 'the Mandalorian natives'.

One good mark in her book

However, she thought darkly, it was yet to be seen if the girl deserved to be called a true Mandalorian. She was a jetii after all, and many of the their teachings contradicted with those of the Mandalorians. Especially of their way to fight.

Two bad marks

Ru'more watched Lunar converse with her second in command, a tattoo covered clone trooper with long green hair. She didn't even flinch at his coloring. She had a lot weirder children than him. It hurt her to even think it...but it was true. Aurora stiffened suddenly. Ru'more could literally feel the icy glare sent her way and immediately knew that Marishka had woken up. Lunar was in front of her in seconds. Typical Jetii.

However, when she felt a blaster jab her temple, she shifted her thinking. Maybe not so typical…

"That girl of yours attacked Ben." Aurora growled, a deep guttural sound from the back of her throat that reminded Ru'more of some feral animal.

Certainly not typical. The woman had getts'e. But still not enough to be told of her kitlings...yet. Rum'more's eyes narrowed dangerously but she said nothing. The soft click of a blaster safety being removed registered in her ear. She lifted her chin, very slowly...very imperiously, meeting Aurora's piecing gaze with a look that said 'go ahead and try it'.

"You wanna explain that?" Lunar didn't waver.

Neither did Ru'more

The women stood there, staring one and other down, for what felt like an eternity. Finally, Aurora gave in and with a scowl she lowered her blaster clicking the safety back on and holstering it in one smooth practiced motion. She turned on her heals quickly and headed for the bridge blast door.

"Come on Paint." Aurora called over her shoulder the captain immediately followed her. "Were going to the medical bay."

XXXXX

Marishka woke up and noticed one thing.

She was hungry, and needed to feed.

She pulled herself into a sitting position and immediately held her hands up, hissing. The light was bright and confusing her, hurting her eyes, making them water. She stopped and lowered them, however, when she heard a familiar pounding in her ears.

Heartbeats

A very fast beating one, almost angry as it pounded against the owner's ribs, and a slow calm one. She shut her eyes and focused on the calm one. Fast heartbeats were difficult to feed from, the vibrations made her teeth ache. Calmly beating ones were perfect. Her eyes flashed open; unconsciously reaching her clawed hand out to pull the prey towards her...

"Hold it, blood sucker," a voice growled in her ear. She stopped and looked over her shoulder. She was so intent on the calmly beating heart, she hadn't noticed that angry heart had started to get closer and beat faster. Now she saw that it was a trooper. He had pulled out his gun and was holding it with sturdy, experienced hands to her temple. A kill shot. She froze for a second. All her mind recognized was the gun in his hand...

Pointed at her.

She snarled at him, her fangs coming out and her claws unsheathing, as she tried to make herself bigger. His gun clicked, making her get ready to pounce...

"Stop," the voice was calm, quite, but still seemed to hold concern. The gun didn't waver from its position, but Marishka whipped her head around. A trooper was watching her. He had beautiful white, hair that looked good with his tan skin, with a single red streak amongst the locks. But what caught Marishka's eye were the blue eyes staring at her.

Everything in his expression was passive but there was something unmistakable in those eyes. He was nervous, maybe even scared... but more than anything he was curious.

"Lieutenant, I must ask you to please lower your gun," the white haired trooper said softly, not taking his eyes away from her. She stared back, just as curiously. The armed trooper, however, wasn't curious, at all.

"Ben," The man's hard brown eyes did leave her for a second," She was going to attack you AGAIN!"

Again? Marishka stiffened slightly. Her head dipped a little at the thought that she attacked him in a frenzy.

"A misunderstanding, I'm sure." The man, who had been identified as Ben, gave a small smile. His voice was calm, kind yet not cloying like some.

The trooper with the gun snorted. "You don't DRINK SOMEONES BLOOD because of a kriffin misunderstanding!"

Ben winced slightly one hand going unconsciously to his shoulder before he caught himself. He forced another one of those ghosting, almost none existent smiles.

"I need to feed…" Marishka growled slightly at the still unnamed trooper, her eyes flickering over to him. She watched his face harden once again, fresh anger boiling to the surface. How could one man be so angry?

Ben's eyes sparked slightly with realization and he turned on his heals, entering on of his medical compartments above the counter and grabbing something off the shelf.

"Would this be a sufficient substitute?" he offered her a clear plastic bag filled with thick scarlet red liquid.

Marishka shook her head. "Has to be fresh."

Ben nodded thoughtfully, returning the blood sack to its place in the cabinet and when he closed the cabinet door Marishka noticed it was labeled 'transfusions'.

"Lieutenant Barricade." Ben glanced at the other man passively. "Would you please find the general for me? I wish to speak with her and would rather not leave the med bay unattended."

The man identified as Barricade glanced at Ben, before returning his steady glare to Marishka. She returned the glare

"If she makes one false move-"

"You'll be the first to hear about it." Ben's voice was quieter but not so much so he was incoherent.

Barricade nodded to Ben before turning his attention to Marishka.

"Watch your step blood sucker, you're lucky." Barricade sneered and holstered his weapon," If it'd have been ME...I would have shot you." Marishka's shoulder's flexed at the threat and growled loudly.

"Ne shab'run'ii," she snarled. Barricade continued to glare at her before turning and exiting the med bay.

The minute he was gone, Ben was moving. He shrugged off his medical vest and quickly pulled his zillo skin shirt up and over his head. Hands trembling slightly, the medic took a seat on the bed next to Marishka.

"Quick, before he gets back."

Marishka tilted her head at him in question, but she still didn't relax. "Why-"

"I took the hippocratic oath to heal people. And from what I've seen this is the only way you'll recover fully." He swallowed and closed his eyes. "Hurry. Barricade will be back soon and he'll kick my shebs if he finds out I let you do this."

Marishka eyed him warily, thinking that maybe it was some kind of a joke or a trap to have a reason to shoot her. Maybe the other one hadn't gone. Maybe he was standing right outside. But when she listened, there was only the one heartbeat that was right in front of her that was close to the med bay. The trooper's voice was also as soft and emotionless as before. Her look softened and she reached out. She took his face in one of her hands, turned it towards her, and nuzzled it gently with her own.

"Thank you," she murmured. Her other hand took his shoulder and made it so the curve in his collarbone dipped.

Her fangs lengthened and she gently sunk them into his offered shoulder.

XXXXX

Not true

Not true

Not true

NOT TRUE

It can't be

Everything passed by in a blur for Dove. Ponds was always aware of what happened to her and her sisters. She knew he knew something bad when he had kissed her. He was hesitant and distracted. He wouldn't answer when she first asked. He just brushed a piece of her hair out of her face and kissed her again. She had to ask a few more times before he sighed and told her.

Not Marishka

Not her pod sister

"Tell me it isn't true," Dove gasped as she burst through the door. It was a room just for her and her sister's either when the mongrels didn't want them around or when they didn't want to be around the mongrels. All eyes turned to her and the room froze. Dove looked around to all of her sister, but none of them met her eyes. She spotted Miya, who didn't turn when she met hers. Her legs shook as she stepped closer to her her hands opened in a pleading gesture.

"Miya...vod...please," she begged. But Miya's look told her before she took a breath.

"I wish I could, Dove," she said sympathetically," But I even saw 'im...almost blew my missi'n telling the men I was nothin' special." Dove's eyes squeezed shut as tears threatened to fall. Marishka always got the worst of Kainen.

"Don't cry!...(click)...so don't cry..(click) It's ok. It's alright," Boombox sang. She was surprised when Dove whirled around to her, eyes flaring mad.

"No, its NOT," she screamed,"He always abuses her when he sees her! ALWAYS! Physically, mentally, or with that shabla Leash! Just so people will see the worst of her that she can't control after his abuse! I'm SICK of it! That's my pod sister he's hurting!"

"Dove, calm DOWN," a thickly accented voice said sternly. Dove whirled around to face the sister. Her hair was deep purple and gelled into spike's on top of her head, deep blue eyes were staring at her like hard rocks.

"I have to agree with Soul, Dove," Miya said crossing her arms,"Marishka may not be our pod sister, but we don't love her any less than you. We're worried as well."

"Annabelle will have her up and scaring you soon," Soul softened and smiled at Dove. She knew what it was like to worry about her pod siblings. She was lucky she had any to worry ABOUT.

"She's not with Annabelle," Vision informed them," Our ship couldn't get there in time."

"Then where the kriff is she," Miya asked surprised.

"She's on the Requiem...General Lunar's ship. Their medic is taking care of Marishka."

Dove gasped, making her sister's stare at her. Her eyes were wide with realization and fear. She met their eyes while single shaking finger pointed out the door.

"Guys," she asked with a trembling voice," If...if HE used the Leash on her...won't she... wake up...in a frenzy?" All movement stopped for a single heartbeat...

And seconds later, the room emptied as all the girls stampeded out of the room.

XXXXX

In the 7, almost 8, months he'd been serving with her, Captain Paint had become quite adept at telling when General Lunar was upset.

She was down right pissed at the moment.

Of course he was pretty pissed himself. They had both made promises to protect their men from any and all threats to their lives.

And this most certainly qualified as a threat.

For one, they knew almost nothing about the mission they were currently assigned to. For another, their medic had just been attacked by a woman he was trying to help. A woman they would most likely be working with on this 'mystery mission'.

The sight of Lieutenant Barricade walking purposefully in their direction only served to piss both himself and the general off even more.

"Barricade...where's Ben?" Paint glared intensely at the Lieutenant who returned the look with equal strength. Ben was actually one of the few people in the unit who acknowledged rank. Rank really only served to present the chain of command in a battlefield or other hostile situation, it was useless anywhere else, at least in Paint opinion.

"Med bay." Barricade growled out, he seemed just as mad at himself as he was with the current situation.

"Osik, you left him alone with her?"

Aurora was unusually silent and Paint glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

Her eyes were closed, brow scrunched together in concentration. Suddenly her eyes shot open a deep scowl set on her face.

"Ben! I'm going to kill you!" and with that she took off down the hall, light saber blazing.

"Head to the bridge Barricade!" Paint shouted over his shoulder as he took off after her. Stupid Jedi powers, no consideration for anyone else. He drew a thick metal cylinder from his belt and with the press of a button it extended a full sized quarterstaff. The Captain always had preferred close combat.

XXXXX

The med bay was silent as Marishka fed. Warm, sweet blood pooled into her mouth cushioned by soft muscle. She slowly swallowed the liquid strength, despite her wanting to just start feeding at high speed. But she didn't want to go into a frenzy and scare him. She was surprised that he was letting her feed from him at all. The medic had only shifted a few times to get comfortable. She was grateful since most people who let her feed would wiggle around. They said it felt weird to feel her fangs inside of them.

Marishka looked up with a start when a fierce looking Mandalorian woman charged into the med bay with a blazing aqua colored light saber. A clone trooper with tattoo's covering his face and hands followed directly behind her, a metal quarterstaff in hand.

Marishka jumped away from the medic, her back arching and teeth bearing automatically in reaction. Blood dribbled down off of her fangs and down her chin. Her mind screamed that she was right that the medic's kindness was a trap.

"General!" Ben's voice, though still calm was startled, he quickly began pulling his zillo skin shirt back on. "Our guest was just helping me apply antibiotics to some injuries I received on our mission to-"

"Save the story for Ryloth Ben." The Mandalorian woman glared at him steadily. "You and I are going to have a 'chat'." She glanced at the tattoo-covered clone. "Paint, you watch her." She jabbed her chin in Marishka's direction.

"Sure 'rora." Paint nodded quickly and sent a wary glance in Marishka's direction. Marishka watched Ben follow the Jedi out of the med bay, an unreadable expression on his face. She glanced at the clone left in the room with her. He glared at her and spun his quarterstaff on his fingers absently. She shifted to bring her knees up under her arms and lower her head. She hated this ship. It was just like all the others. People glaring at her because of how she was made, how she needed to survive. But what hurt worst was that these were clones...just like her and her vode. She sighed and thought of some other questions to get her mind off of that little fact. What was this ship?

And where were her vode and buir?

XXXXX

"Do I even want to know Ben?" General Lunar folded her arms over her chest, giving the medic a look that would have stopped the entire droid army in its tracks.

"Ma'am, I was instructed to do what I could and-"

"Osik, Ben! That doesn't mean let her bite you!" the Jedi threw her hand in the air in exasperation, "Kriff, did it even occur to you that she might be DANGEROUS?"

The medic was silent.

"You had another reason didn't you." Aurora seemed to have just come to the realization. She glared at him. "Talk."

"Ma'am." Ben glanced at his boots. "The first time she bit me...I could FEEL my heart beating. I was aware of EVERY individual blood cell in my veins I KNEW blood was leaving my body fast." His voice dropped to a whisper, shame. "I wanted to help her yes but… I also wanted to see if it would happen again." He looked her in the eyes, his soft voice sure. " You said my abilities could only work on others, but in that moment I could look inside MYSELF." He shook his head. "I except any punishment you give me."

Aurora stared at him for a long time. Finally a smirk set on her face. " I knew it." she grinned wider.

"Knew what, ma'am?" Ben looked at her in surprise.

"I knew no one could be THAT perfect." She smirked again.

"Ma'am?"

Aurora shook her head again face once again becoming stern, "2 weeks on KP duty Ben." She eyed him evenly. "I don't want you taking risks like that from now on understood?"

"Yes Ma'am." Ben nodded quickly.

"And don't call me ma'am." Lunar's eyes held an almost playful glint now and Ben couldn't help but wonder how anyone could change emotions so quickly. Maybe it was a girl thing, "I work for a living."

Ru'more stared after the woman as she and her captain walked away. As soon as they was out of sight and hearing, she whipped out her comlink and contacted her captain.

"Miya? Mi'ika," Ru'more said quietly. Static answered her for a bit. She waited.

"Buir," Miya finally answered," Where are ya? Are ya with Mishka? What happened?"

"Udesii, ad'ike," Ru'more said,"Marishka is fine."

"Buir, you need ta check on 'er! She could wake...," Miya grunted and Dove's voice overtook hers.

"Marishka could wake up in a frenzy," she wailed. Ru'more sighed.

"It's too late for that, kitling," she said. Dove sucked in a breath and dead silence took over their end...

Then all dar'yam broke loose.

"Let us come aboard," Dove yelled.

"Check on de person she got ta," Miya yelled over her.

"She's not in the brig, is she," Vision asked.

"Did you EXPLAIN to the general about Marishka," a new voice said.

"Su'cuy, Soul," Ru'more said, effectively ending the chaos with her nonchalant attitude.

"Su'cuy, mat," she said back.

"No to everything. No I won't attempt to check on the guy because I believe the jetii won't let me," she said. Miya snorted at that.

"No, Mar'ike is NOT in the brig," a combined relieved sigh met that statement.

"No, you are not coming on board," she said.

"BUIR," they all groaned. Ru'more chuckled.

"And no...I'm not telling the jetii about….that," she growled out. A tense silence met this.

"You're going to have to tell her sometime, buir," Vision warned. Ru'more grunted.

"Well, I'd like to put that off for as long as possible...I don't trust easy," she said and her tone softened," Especially when it comes to all of you."

Aurora came back onto the bridge to see that Ru'more was speaking in low tones into her comlink. However, when she saw that Lunar was back, she put it up before she could hear a word.

"Another of my girls is going to take on the mission," was all she told her, not turning to face her.

"This one had better not be a blood sucker as well," Lunar growled at Ru'more. That made the Devaronian immediately whirl around to Lunar, teeth bared, back arched, and her face fierce.

"SHE IS NOT A BLOOD SUCKER, ARUETII," she snarled back. Blood sucker. That's always what her poor kitling was called when people found out about...this," HER NAME IS MARISHKA!"

"Oh?" Lunar stood firm not even wincing at the older woman's anger, her blue/gray eyes hard. "I suppose that would have been good to know, wouldn't it?" her eyes narrowed on Ru'more anger dripping from her words. "You KNEW this would happen...didn't you?"

Ru'more was silent, but continued to stare back, eyes hard.

"You KNEW and you chose not to warn us. You CHOSE to leave us in darkness and because of that one of MY MEN suffered!" Lunar shock her head. "And you call ME the traitor." Aurora's eyes scanned the other woman as if trying to decide if she could get away with attaching her. They where about the same size it would be a fare fight. Her men certainly wouldn't stop her.

"Of course I knew! I also knew what you would do to her if I told you! You jetii always say you're different from the mongrels but you're NOT," she snarled," As soon as you heard what she needed to do to survive, you would isolate her! You would call her a demon blood sucker! My kitling doesn't need anymore shame about what she is than what she has!" Ru'more seem to grow taller and her eyes glowered at Lunar.

"My ad'ike have had enough prodding and torture about what they are! Just so you can all see their bad sides to judge on how useful they'll be in this kriffin war! Everyone thinks THEY'RE monsters? The REAL monsters are you jetii," she jabbed a finger at Lunar," You keep my ad'ike enslaved. You, aruetii, can walk away whenever you please. Not my kitlings. They have to stay, and be treated like sluts because that's what you jetii wanted them to be to gather intel!"

"You think you're SO right don't you?" Aurora's eyes had narrowed to the point of them being little more than slit. Her fists clenched hard and the two clones working the bridge computers looked up when several metal chairs near the woman began shacking.

"You think my life's been all sun and rain and Jedi SHACK OSIK?" The Mandalorian looked as if she would implode on the spot.

"You can go ahead thinking I'm a bitch, I probably am! You can say the Jedi are wrong. WE ARE!"

The chairs shook more violently and one of the deck officers had to duck when a data disk went flying across the room. Her volume rose even higher.

"I don't give a dar'yam what kind of osik she's been through! That is not a good excuse for her to tack advantage of Ben like that!"

"Marishka doesn't take advantage," Ru'more shouted," You try asking to feed after slowly being killed!"

"That's no excuse! You have no kriffin IDEA how mentally vulnerable Ben is? He'll do anything to please! You know he probably wouldn't even have a kriffin NAME if his brothers hadn't given him one!"

Another data disk flew across the room.

"If she needed to feed she should have feed off of YOU! I would have even volunteered!"

A small spider web of cracks began forming on one of the monitors.

"But no, not only does she attack him but she took complete and utter advantage of the man who's already been through who knows what kind of dar'yam at the hands of the Kaminii and that HU'TUUNE training sergeant Darbo!"

"YOU THINK HE WAS BAD?" Ru'more screamed," YOU TRY TALKING TO KAINEN! SEE HOW THAT DEMEAGOKLA HAS TREATED MY KITLINGS SINCE THEY WERE BORN!"

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"

The monitor screen caved in with the screeching cry of bending metal and breaking glass.

"AND WHAT ABOUT YOU, HUH? BIG TOUGH GENRAL PROBABLY JUST IN IT FOR THE MONEY!"

Aurora felt a stinging pain in her head as sharp clawed hands clamped around her head and she was thrown to the wall. She glared up at Ru'more. The Devaronian's fur was puffed up, the skin that poked through was ashen, and daggers pierced through her eyes.

"DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT I'D TAKE MONEY FOR MY KITLINGS LIVES, YOU ARUETII JETII! I WILL NEVER TAKE THE FILTHY BLOOD MONEY YOU KRIFFIN JETIISE OFFER!"

There was a near silent click as two different blaster safety's were removed. Ru'more turned to see that the clone deck officers had moved in, both with weapons trailing on her.

"You all right Aurora?" one of the clones, a trooper with steal gray hair and eyes to match, asked.

"I'm fine Info." Lunar stood glaring all the harder at Ru'more. "You look me in the eye." She growled out at the Devaronian. "And you tell me you NEVER took money in exchange for your services."

Ru'more straightened to her full height and glared down at the woman, hard and unwavering, as a deep growl rumbled in her chest and tore slowly through her throat:

"I. Never. Took. Your. Blood. Money."

"I find that hard to believe." it was the other clone speaking now, the one with tussled half blond half red hair.

"Quite, Shambles." The clone who had been identified as Info hissed at his brother.

"Mutter?" a new female voice asked shakily. Ru'more's eyes un-slitted with a gasp and she whirled around to look past the two clones. The image of certain death melted instantly into the look of a scared mother. A deep blue twi'lek standing stock still with a very confused look splashed across her face, had entered the room.

"Irene," she breathed and moved past the clones with her arms held wide," Meine liebling." Irene took her hug and looked at the scene over her mother's shoulder with wide eye.

"Who's the beauty?" the red and blond haired clone smirked.

"Shut up Shambles." Info growled lowly, catching the deadly glare Ru'more was sending in his younger brothers direction. "I think there's enough tension in the room."

"Yes sir." Shambles grumbled under his breath.

Irene pulled back and asked," I-is everything...alright, buir." Ru'more smiled and ruffled her headtails.

"Ja, ad'ike," she replied," Just a slight disagreement." Irene's brow raised as she looked to the broken computers, cracks all in the floors, the slight blood on one wall, and both General's flushed faces. Ru'more turned towards Aurora and held out her arm to her, her eyes cold.

"Irene, this is General Lunar...some of her men will be helping with our assignment," she said. Irene smiled sweetly and walked halfway to the trio and held out her arm.

"Su'cuy gar," she said.

"Su'cuy." Shambles clasped her arm the mando'an way before tacking a step back and giving a VERY extravagant bow. "If I may say you are perhaps one of the most beaut- ow!" Shambles rubbed the back of his now sore head, glaring at Info who had smacked him. "You ruin all my fun."

"That's my job." Info made a bow of his own, mocking his younger brothers antics. "My young pupil."

Shambles scowled. "Just because-"

"No fighting boys." Aurora stood, wincing only slightly and reaching around to the back of her now throbbing head, she brought her hand back in front of her face, blood, it didn't mater. "That's mine and Ru'more's job remember? If your doing it to we're all gonna die."

Irene giggled quietly," Sorry to disappoint you, meine Herr." She herself did her own bow with one hand up in the air behind her bent back, the other a C shape in front of her, and one foot forward. Large bumps appeared on her and started to shift underneath her skin. Her headtails slicked back into her head and her features began to change. When she came up from her bow, a girl with short hair that curled around her cheeks and flared out, green eyes, and a rounded face was staring back at them shyly," Not my real self." Both Info and Aurora exchanged looks of slight surprise. Shambles only smirked.

"By the stars I have seen god and she is a woman- ow!" Shambles once again set to glaring at Info who now had his hand behind his back fawning innocence. Ru'more rolled her eyes, but a slight twitch in the lower corner of her mouth betrayed her to her kitling.

"Alright, enough flirting...we need to go about our mission," she said. She turned to Lunar, not with cold eyes as before but tolerant.

"Since Marishka is indisposed, Irene here is going to take over her position with Gunray," she said," She's the best one for obvious reasons." Irene smiled again and the goosebumps returned, leaving a copy of Marishka in their wake this time. Aurora nodded.

"And you need my boys for back up." she smiled smugly, clearly proud of her men. "What did you have in mind?"

The Devaronian turned a stern eye to her,"Two men, this is a LOW KEY mission. Just enough to cover Irene but not to many. We can't risk detection."

Aurora nodded a small smile appearing on her face as she pulled out her COM and activated it.

"I think I know just the men for the job."

Ne shab'run'ii = Don't mess with me
Mutter (German) = Mother

Hunter didn't like this idea. Never before had he been assigned to a mission without Blood. And even together they had never done anything quite like this.

The tracker took a deep breath, taking in all of the scents of the city, learning them, memorizing them.

'A b5 and a b6 speeder… a zeltron couple around the corner… a female twilek walking a nexu pup around the corner.'

Hunter took another deep breath closing his eyes, he could, just faintly, pick up on Shadow's sent. But the masked trooper had disappeared easily, blending into the dark corners of the street and vanishing completely. 'Lucky chaakar didn't even need a disguise.' Hunter, on the other hand, found himself dressed up in one of Pick's suits and his long brown ponytail had been died black to give him a more sophisticated air. His rare yellow/green eyes remained hidden behind a set of black shades.

His hand went to his unconsciously patted his pocket where the transmitter Irene was wearing had been stuffed. Ru'more had tried to get him to put it in his ear, but Hunter had explained that he could here it just fine from his pocket.

'And still it's to loud.' Hunter had to remind himself that not everyone could hear as well as he could. Just like not everyone could understand how he identified people by smell, rather than by face.

Hunter forced him to focus on the voices transmitting through the small devise.

XXXXX

"Where have you been," was the first thing that Gunray shouted to Irene when she walked through the door.

"I'm sorry, ser," Irene said nervously, trying her hardest not to trip over her words and swallow her fear," My friend had invited me over to catch up on old times..."

"BAH," Gunray interupted," More like you went over to have a overnight fling with him."

"Ser," Irene cried, shocked," I did no..."

"I KNEW that you would be a little whore when I saw you! You are so beautiful, how can you NOT be," he said advancing to her. Irene trembled and stepped back away from him. Oh, boy. She had just walked through the door and already she had messed up the mission

"DO NOT TRY TO HIDE FROM YOUR PUNISHMENT," he roared and his hand slapped her across the face. Irene's eyes shut as she turned her head away as Gunray's hand slapped her again. And again. And again. Finally he stepped away and eyed her on the floor.

"I love you too much to hurt you anymore," he said quietly," Get up." Irene rose up as ordered.

"More like he doesn't want to ruin my pretty face," she thought vehemently as her eyes met his.

"I didn't say you could look at me," he hissed. She quickly lowered her eyes and bit her lip to keep from crying. Marishka wold never let him do this to her. She was strong and would show Gunray who was in charge. He was probably only doing this because he thought she was weak. She had heard about him from the Generals. He was a slimy hu'tuune who ran from any battle and would sacrifice his allies to save his own worthless skin.

"I'm sorry, ser," she mumbled. Gunray sniffed.

"Sorry will not make up for this humiliation," he said, and a nasty gleam came into his eyes as he leered at her," To start, you can show me all that you and your "friend talked" about while you were over there." Irene stiffened.

"M-maybe another time," she said. This was NOT good. She didn't know HALF the things that Marishka did! She was higher up than her in those things. If she did go with Gunray...she would mark it as the shortest mission ever...if she lived past it. Either he'd be disappointed and throw her out of his sights and end the mission or else Mishka had already slept with him and he'd know she was a fake and have her killed as a spy," I want to have a bath first!" Gunray stopped and stared at her.

"Yes...maybe so," Gunray said, obviously disappointed," Go get cleaned. I don't want to smell him on you for my turn." He turned away from her and Irene edged slowly into the bathroom and shut the door. Her heart was beating against her ribcage so hard, it was hurting. She wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to will the goosebumps on her away...

Again, this was bad.

XXXXX

Hunter's arms were folded across his chest, his fingernails digging hard into his own arm.

"I'd like to put an arrow through that worthless SOB's head…' Hunter's thoughts were cut off when a distinct odder hit his nostrils.

The human body gave off different chemical reactions in the brain to accompany each emotion. What most people didn't know was that these chemicals each had a distinctive SCENT. And Hunter had just picked up on a very drastic change in Shadow's brain chemistry.

He was pissed off.

Then Hunter realized something even worse. Not only was Shadow angry he was moving farther AWAY. Hunter froze, letting his nose tell him where Shadow was going. A distinct feeling of dread settled into his stomach when he lost the scent behind a closed door…

INSIDE the apartment.

"Kriff." Hunter swore and pulled his COM unit out of his pocket. "General's we have a problem."

XXXXX

"Osik," Lunar hissed. Ru'more glanced at her sharply.

"What's wrong? Is Irene alright," she asked.

"Yes…" Aurora sighed. "How important did you say this mission was again?"

"Information on the Separatist's new weapon could give us a small advantage in the war but if Irene needs help-"

"Oh believe me she's not the one who's going to need help." The Jedi shook her head before activating her COM unit once again. "Paint? The missions slagged. We got a code blue."

The COM link crackled before the captain's voice answered her. "Shadow?"

"Ya." Aurora nodded, despite the fact that he couldn't see her.

XXXXX

Irene looked to the ceiling as she took in silent, deep, slow breaths as she mentally prepared herself to face Gunray again. But it was useless. She was shaking in her own skin.

"K-kriff," she thought to herself, giving a hollowed laugh," I'm scared." She froze at the sound of something being slammed into the wall outside of the bathroom. She listened closely to hear any more movements or noises to indicate another body going somewhere. But there was nothing else. Nervously, she pushed open the bathroom door, and peered out into the living room. She gasped.

Gunray was lying on the floor, blood leaking from a wound on his head, his chest was moving up and down in shallow breaths. He was alive, but clearly unconscious.

"H-hello?" Irene tried to steal her voice but everything was so confusing, as far as she could see there was no one here but herself, the now unconscious Gunray, and the furniture. Her eyes fixed on one of the chairs when she could have sworn she saw the shadow move. "Hello?" she gasped when the chairs shadow shot forward, heading directly towards her. Years of training kicked in and all her fear of Gunray vanished. Immediately, she whipped out the small blaster from her sleeve and shot at the oncoming thing. She flipped backwards back into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, quickly to not let it in. She couldn't hold onto her concentration anymore with all this going on and she slowly lost her sister's face. She then kicked her wet towel to block the bottom of the doorway, got on one knee aiming at the door...and waited.

XXXXX

"What's going on," Ru'more said as she eyed both woman and man in front of her. She knew the mission was slagged, but she didn't know if Aurora's man had slagged it, Irene slagged it, or if something just unexpected happened. She had a bad feeling it was Irene. Marishka had way more experience than Irene in this field. Irene was more of a recon girl and wasn't use to...Marishka's field.

The Jedi and her Captain exchanged a look that seemed to speak volumes.

Finally Paint nodded. "Shadow's gone rouge."

Ru'more's eyes narrowed. "Explain. NOW."

Aurora glanced at her second giving him a silent nod of approval. The Captain sighed.

"Some stuff happened back on Kamino when Shadow was 8." He hesitated.

"What kind of STUFF." Ru'more asked. She had a bad feeling in her gut about what was going to be said. She knew that kind of look they were giving.

It was one she used when she thought about a certain kitling of hers.

"The kind of stuff that Gunray thought he was gonna get." Lunar snarled a look that was mirrored by her Captain.

"It's the reason he was moved to extended conditioning with the rest of us." Paint nodded somberly.

"What does this have to do with anything?" Ru'more glanced between the two, heart pounding as she glanced between the two of them.

"Isn't it obvious? He's trying to do what no one ever did for him." There was a strange look on Aurora's face; anger directed not at any of them but at someone light-years away on Kamino. "He's trying to help her."

XXXXX

Irene's breath was coming rapidly now and she watched intensely as the handle on the door slowly began to turn.

She opened fire on the black inhuman shadow that slide into the room, but the blaster shots past through it harmlessly, instead leaving holes in the bathroom wall. The shadow lunged at her and she dodged. She continued to fire on the thing, but she might as well have been trying to hit air.

Irene backed up to the window, trying to figure out if she could survive the jump to the ground from this floor.

The choice was taken out of her hands when the thing lunged at her sending them both flying out the window and down to the ally way bellow.

Through the adrenalin coursing in her veins and nearly blinding her judgment, Irene became aware of the fact that her body seemed to be disappearing into blackness and before she knew it she was completely consumed by a darkness the likes of which she had never known. Through the fear that had now set itself into her mind Irene realized something.

'I'm not dead… I didn't hit the ground.'

XXXXX

Both captain and general stared hard at the woman in front of them as her eyes glazed over and most of her emotions were once again hidden behind a mask. However, before her mask slammed shut, one emotion stood out clearly on her face...

Agonizing recognition.

XXXXX

Irene twisted violently in the darkness, trying to find anything to help her get out. Whenever she tried to reach out to touch something, her hand would just find more darkness and nothing to hold onto. She couldn't shoot since she had dropped her gun when the thing knocked her out the window.

"Well," she thought wryly," This is better than Gunray..." But she didn't know WHERE she was going and that was what was frightening.

"Is...someone here," she finally called out timidly

And just like that the darkness surrounding her melted away.

She was now standing in an empty apartment room, much lower class than Gunray's, and very clearly abandoned, long shadows crept from the corners of the room and a quick glance out the window told her the sun would go down soon.

Her eyes focused on the man standing in front of her.

Decked head to toe in black, literally none of him could be seen. Even his eyes were covered by a set of thick black goggles. He athletic looking, clone height, and clone width. He held out his hand to her. A gesture of piece.

XXXXX

Hunter's eyes scanned the apartment with clinical precision. Lingering only for a moment on Gunray's still unconscious body.

"Shadow really did a number on him…"

"Any sign of them Hunter?"- The general's voice crackled over his COM system.

"Nothing visual." He replied calmly taking another good sniff of the air. "But Shadows sent is all over this place, there's also signs of a struggle in the bathroom. It looks like they went out the window."

"Can you track him?"- Her voice was business like but still concerned.

"Is Yoda a Jedi?" Hunter's ears perked up slightly when a car alarm went off across town, but he relaxed instantly when he realized it was nothing.

"Keep us posted. Aurora out."-

Hunter tucked away his COM unit and took another long whiff of the air. Shadow was hard to track, his ability to morph his form into his own namesake would have made him impossible to follow had Hunter not known him so well. But the Tracker knew all of his brother scents like most people knew their parents faces. He could follow any of them anywhere.

The tracker left the apartment following his nose eastward on the quite boulevard.

XXXXX

Irene pressed herself up against the wall, away from the outstretched hand. She might not have a lot of experience in the field, but she heard enough stories about "Wolves in sheep clothing". She didn't know if it applied here

"You should be grateful to people who save your worthless skin."

Mechanically she walked past the outstretched hand and with trembling arms, wrapped herself around the man's neck.

He stiffened in surprised taking a step back and cocking his head to the side in question. The fabric of his mask crinkled in what could only have been a smile. His gloved hand reached up and rapt himself on the chest.

"Shadow." His voice was gravely and barley a whisper making it painfully obvious that this was the first time in a long time that he'd used it. He gestured to the room around them.

"Safe." He then set himself up at the door in guards stance hands placed professionally behind his back.

"Protect." The fabric crinkle of a smile remained set in place.

XXXXX

Ru'more felt a little more relaxed that he'd protect her kitling... but not much," SHOULD be able? What happens if he DOESN'T?"

The Captain laughed humorlessly. "I'd be more worried about Hunter than anyone else." Paint shook his head. "But I'm sure it'll be fine this… isn't the first time it's happened... Hunter knows how to handle the situation."

Then, the Devaronian mentally chuckled at the thought of Irene with a mystery man...and knew that the inevitable would happen.

XXXXX

Irene stared at the man in confusion. He said protect her. Why would he protect her? What had SHE done to need protection? No, scratch that. Why would anyone waste their time TO protect her?

The man in question was standing at a perfectly still parade rest. Nothing on him showed: no skin, no hair poking out, no little twitches...

She had always been curious, even as a baby...the Kaminii had never been able to get it out of her system.

She respected his privacy and didn't even try to take his mask. Her hands reached cautiously to gently trace his face. As they traced, an image of his face appeared in her mind. His jaw was strong and squared, as was his chin. But his skin was uneven in places, and not naturally either. Scars…

Her hands went upwards to trace both of his cheeks, feeling to see the scars and soft spots of skin. They came back down to trace his lips even gentler than the rest.

A face appeared in her mind clearly before she finished.

A face she had seen on the bridge of the Requiem. And in many other places before that. A face that made a slow smile appear on her face and her body start to relax.

A trooper.

XXXXX

Shadow steeled himself not to flinch away from her touch. The initial fear of being seen reverberated deep in his consciousness. There was a reason he wore a mask.

'Your mine trooper… women don't like scars…' He shook his head quietly, causing the girl to pull her hand back, a look of concern on her delicate features. 'Women don't like scars…'

As always he was grateful for his mask.

Irene stared at the man concerned. His figure was radiating discomfort and she felt herself shrink. She felt shy. She wasn't thinking that he would not like her to know anything about him. She bit her lip as guilt spread through her. Maybe her curiosity wasn't a good thing. Maybe...she could fix his discomfort? Her concern melted away like winter snow as a summer smile took up her face. Once again, her hands reached out slowly, this time to go behind his head and bring their foreheads together. She nuzzled them together and whispered softly:

"I'm sorry...thank you...for saving me."

Shadow felt as if someone had shoved cotton down his throat. He didn't talk much; he considered it a fairly useless practice. But even he had to admit there were times when words should be spoken. Now was one of those times, yet they wouldn't form for him.

"Women don't like scars…' he closed his eyes behind the safety of his goggles, swallowing in an attempt to regain control of his throat. In the end he simply nodded.

XXXXX

The scent was getting stronger.

Hunter inhaled deeply, taking in the much fresher scent of his brother's being. He looked up at the abandon's apartment in front of him, shrouded in shade by the setting sun.

Shadow's paradise.

The tracker re-activated his COM. "General I think I got something."

XXXXX

Irene didn't have super incredible hearing like a superhero, but she had good enough hearing to hear the words "got something" from outside the apartment. Without letting go, she turned her head to the window and listened intently. Soft footsteps but no more words. She grabbed onto the man's clothing and instinctively blended into them. Shadow started, grabbing on to where he knew she was, and shoved her behind his back. He took a fighting stance in front of the door. A few seconds passed.

"Shadow, it's Hunter." A clones voice spoke through the closed door. "Open up brother. I'm here to help you."

'Help?' Shadow's eyes narrowed behind his goggles.

"I'll help you feel good trooper…" Help was not a good thing.

The door inched open slowly and Shadow took several steps back keeping the girl behind him.

"Come on Shadow we're brothers." It WAS Hunter, not a lie, not a trick. Shadow didn't relax. "I'm not going to hurt you, brother." His eyes were earnest.

'This wont hurt a bit son…' Shadow's eyes narrowed further and the shade, which had grown in the corners of the room with the setting of the sun, began to twist dangerously to his will.

"Where is she, brother?" Hunter's yellow /green eyes stared at him intensely. Shadow took another step back. "Brother if you want to help her, come back to the ship with us. You can't stay here forever."

Shadow shook his head firmly; the shade crept closer to Hunter. The tracker seemed to either not notice or was choosing to ignore it. Both where dangerous moves.

XXXXX

Ru'more was nervous: pacing, tapping her fingers against her temple, staring intensely at the wall while her fingers drummed wildly on whatever she had a death grip on were very good indicators of this. On the inside, her mind was in chaos. That was her kitling that was most likely scared and/or curious with a stranger she didn't know. And that was soon to double when the other one found them. She didn't really know how Irene would act to the scenario seeing as she had never been in it and it was making Ru'more more and more antsy.

Fianlly she snapped.

She walked over, grabbed a hold of Lunar's wrist and punched her COM.

"Lemme talk to my kitling...NOW," she growled.

XXXXX

Irene jumped when she heard her buir's voice come from the new man's COM.

"Buir," she asked so surprised she lost her camouflage," Mutter?"

"Su'cuy, Irene," her mother purred," How are things on you end, ad'ika?" Irene's eyes went back and forth between both men, then back down to the COM before chuckling dryly.

"New," was all she said.

"Irene," she said," This is Hunter...he's here to get you home. I'm guessing Shadow is near you?"

"Ja," she said, glancing up at said man.

"Shadow, this is General Ru'more speaking...please let me have my kitling back. Her vode will miss her if you keep her there forever. You can follow her around if you want to make sure she'll be fine...but please let her come back," her mother's voice begged. Irene stared, herself starting to get scared. Her mother never begged.

Never.

Shadow stiffened slightly. 'Buir? Vode?' his eyes darted black and fourth between Hunter and the girl. Her pretty eyes where looking at him now, afraid… of him?

Shadow let his hands drop to his sides. He hung his head in surrender.

Hunter stepped forward, his hands a safe distance from his body to show he had no intention of grabbing a weapon. He reached out slowly and put a hand on Shadow's shoulder.

"You ok, brother" he asked, his eyes looking at him concerned. He knew Shadow better than most, but even he knew very little about the man. Shadow nodded quietly.

The tracker lifted his COM to his lips", We're coming out general."

"Hawk is on his way." it was Aurora's voice that answered this time, "He should touch down right outside the building."

Irene hesitantly stepped away from Shadow, but still kept a firm hand on his front. She reached out with her free one to pull Hunter's arm up and bring his COM up with it.

"Mutter? Is everything alright," she asked," Why are you scared."

"Scared," Ru'more asked.

"You're begging, buir," Irene replied her voice starting to tremble," You never beg."

"Kitling...ad'ika," she said softly," I was scared for YOU. I didn't know where you were and I didn't know if you were alright!" Irene stared at the COM and felt her eyes sting and her lips tremble. She was scared for her. Her. She had begged for her.

"Mutter...why," she whimpered to her embarrassment," I...know this isn't the best time to ask but...why for me? I made this mission go bust because I couldn't face Gunray like Marishka, I always get you and my sisters into trouble with my curiosity...I'm not as strong as them..." She trailed off as her voice started to crack.

Ru'more's grip on the COM made her knuckles turn white. Damn him. Damn that evil man for doing this. Irene always had the "flight" part installed into her because of him. Him and his sick ways to have fun. Her paternal instincts were struggling with her to not snap at poor Irene. To scream at her that she wasn't worthless like she was thinking, even though she didn't say it it was clear in her words where her thoughts were. She was just as precious to her as everyone of her kitlings were. But Ru'more felt her anger deflate from her as she thought of Irene in an apartment with two strangers, a mission that just went bust, and who knew what else had gone on.

"Oh, kitling," she said, her shoulders shaking and her voice mimicking Irene's," This was your first time in Marishka's field...don't beat yourself up. You're not used to people like Gunray...though I hope you never will. I want to keep even Marishka away from them. You know I love you just as much as your vode. "

Irene's shoulders shook violently and tears started pouring down her face, no matter how much she tried to hold them in check. Both her hands lost their grips as she sunk to the floor and let the tears flow. She felt someone's arms wrap around her protectively and she looked up through blurry eyes at Shadow.

"Safe." His gravely voice was flat and bottom lining. And his gloved hand moved to rub small circles on her back. Irene wasn't sure what he meant, but she laid her head on his shoulder and continued to cry.

Hunter stood near by, shocked not only by Irene's tears but by his brothers actions as well. Shadow never said a word to strangers… he barley even talked to his closest of brothers. The trackers ears perked up at the distinct sound of there transport drawing near.

5 minutes later the single pilot carrier ship touched down on the wide streets outside the building.

XXXXX

"Irene," Ru'more said, breathing easing as soon as her ad'ike walked in," Meine liebling."

She ran up to the group and immediately embraced her. She looked terrible. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying, her face was pale, but she had a familiar look in her eyes that made Ru'more know that she was overall alright.

"Buir," Irene mumbled and wiggled in her grip. Irene liked hugs from her buir, but she didn't like them to be too long. In front of her sister's it was fine...people she didn't really know, not so much.

"Where's Shadow?" Ru'more asked, looking around with a frown after releasing her.

Irene chuckled dryly and glanced down at her own shadow. It shifted going from flat to a 3 dimensional cloud of shade and then solidifying into the form of a black clad man. He looked at her for a second, head tilted to the side before offering her his hand. Ru'more immediately clasped hands with the man and pulled him in close and tight.

"Thank you for helping my little kit," she said gruffly. But there was true thanks in her words. Shadow tilted his head to the side for a moment before the fabric of his mask crinkled up into what could only have been a broad grin. He nodded. Before tilting his head nervously in his own General's direction.

Aurora sighed. "I'll let it go this time but-" she took a deep breath. "Try not to pull anything else for at least a week ok?"

Shadow nodded vigorously, the hidden smile broadening.

A low grumble sounding from the doorway made everyone turn and stare.

A large white tiger was standing in the open doorway, its tail slowly swishing from side to side. Its eye went from Lunar, to Paint, to Ru'more...and finally settled on Irene. It lowered itself to the ground and wiggled its hindquarters. Irene turned to run, but the cat lunged at her as she got away about three paces.

"AAAH," Irene yelled as it got her. It grabbed her head in between its teeth gently and pulled her into a corner where Irene found herself, once again, trapped in someone's arms. Well...paws this time.

"KIT-KAT," she yelped as she tried to struggle away," HOW?" Kit-Kat didn't answer. Instead, to Irene's embarrassment, she began to diligently lick her clean. Her rough warm tongue dragged across her face as the huge cat washed away all her tear trails and dirt on her from the apartment, while calming deep purrs erupted from the cat's throat. It was a soothing after all the mess that had gone on, and it soon had Irene almost purring herself.

"Kit-Kat," she said, growing embarrassed when she remembered all the attention it was getting," Stooop. There are people here who don't KNOW you." The cat stopped in mid lick and turned her head to eye all the strangers. At their looks, the cat chuffed loudly and got up from her position. It stood up on its back paws and was soon morphing, shifting to leave an amused Kit-Kat in its wake.

"Kit-Kat," Ru'more said, eyebrow raised up high. Kit-Kat shook her head and flipped most of her hair out of her eyes while rolling her shoulders back.

"Su'cuy buir," she said as her shoulders popped. She clasped hands with her and turned her attention back to all the strangers on deck and grinned.

"Hi, how ya doin'," she said casually.

"How many of them are there…" Captain Paint grumbled under his breath, earning him an elbow in the ribs from his general.

Kit-Kat turned her eyes to Paint and pointed at her own face," How many in MY category oooor how many vode of ours in all?"

Paint shook his head, "Just forget it," He lowered his voice to a grumble. "like I didn't get a big enough head ache from forest squad running around and pulling that..."

He was once again elbowed in the ribs by his general.

"Me thinks the captain duth talk to much." Aurora growled in his ear. Kit-Kat ignored the exchange between the two and her eye wondered over to Shadow.

"Ireeeeene," she sang, a devilish look coming into her eyes," You got yourself a cyar'ika," she exclaimed and clapped her hands together and laughed in delight,"Wait till Miya hears, chiki sita!"

"No no no, Kit-Kat," Irene said smiling and shaking her head," This is my friend, Shadow." She turned and smiled up at Shadow and held up a hand to Kit-Kat.

"Shadow, this is one of my sisters...Kit-Kat," she said

"Pleasure to meet ya," Kit-Kat purred, her grin widening at the masked man, not at all uncomfortable at not being able to see his face.

Shadow's shoulders rolled back and a gravely laugh ran from his throat, clearly more practiced than his actual words but obviously underused. He reached out and griped Kit-kat's arm the Mando'an way his mask pulled up so far by his grin that a small flash of pale skin because visible on his neck. He reached up instinctively and pulled the mask back down but he continued to smile.

"Aaah," Kit-Kat said with a wide grin of her own," Very pretty laugh, mi amore." She glanced at Irene.

"You sure he's not your cyar'ika, mi amore," she asked and winked at Shadow," it would be such a waste to let him go." She then turned her full attention back to him with a curious look.

"Was that a scar, mi amore," she asked,"I've got some too! But there all small. This one's my biggest." And with that, she unabashedly lifted up her shirt and turned her side to him. Just underneath her breast was a scar that looked no bigger than a wallet. At first glance it was just a scar...but on closer inspection they saw that it was actually a crudely shaped crossed out heart. Ru'more glared at the scar while Irene stared at it uncomfortably.

The fabric trace of a smile vanished from Shadow's face. He took a startled step back one hand going to his neck as if by covering the now hidden area he could some how erase the memory of it from her mind. Irene looked at him with big eyes and took a step towards him.

"Shadow? Mein freund? What's wrong," she asked concerned," It...its nothing to worry about...it's just a scar." He shook his head back and forth vigorously. Kit-Kat lowered her shirt and stared at him with a glazed look in her eyes. She turned raised eyebrows to Ru'more who kept her eyes on Shadow. All eyes where on Shadow now, General Lunar looking at him with concern and Captain Paint showed weary recognition.

Shadow turned and ran, disappearing underneath the wing's of a star fighter and his entire being fading into the shade below. Irene stared after him.

"He...doesn't like his scars...does he," she asked Lunar, not turning around.

"No." Aurora shook her head, eyes sad,"He doesn't."

She clenched her jaw hard. "Damn those chakaars wherever they are."

Suddenly, Irene lowered her eyes and her cheeks puffed out. Her buir and vod's eyes burned into the back of her neck, but she paid them no mind. She ran out after him and proceeded to call his name and look at every shadow she passed.

Everyone stared after HER for a long while before Ru'more murmured to Kit-Kat," Ad'ika...make sure she doesn't get into trouble." Kit nodded.

"Oui, buir," she said and walked briskly out after her little sister leaving the two Generals and captain to watch her until she went farther than they could see.

XXXXX

They'd seen it. Kriff they'd seen it!

It wasn't so much the Captain he was worried about. He and the other clones of the 666th had seen his ugly face many times on Kamino. The general also had once glimpsed his face and had simply stated with a shrug that she'd seen worse.

It was Irene and her family he was worried about.

Irene had seemed nice. She deserved better than the hand life had dealt her. He would have like to have been friends with her. But Shadow was sure any chance of that was out the window now.

'Woman don't like scars…'

But there was her sister. Kit-kat confused him. She had showed them that mark, almost as if she were proud of it…. the very concept made his head spin.

'Ugly trooper, be grateful I didn't kill you…' Shadow sighed sadly cradling his now spinning head in his hands. He let himself relax slightly in the safety of darkness.

"Night is safe, blackness meant no one could see you."

XXXXX

"Shadow," Irene asked as she peered underneath the last table in the mess hall. She sighed when no flicker of movement happened. She had searched anywhere she could think of that he could be: dark corners, under table, dark rooms, hallways ANYWHERE to try and find the trooper. Her eyes harden as thoughts entered her mind. No one would be THAT ashamed of scars unless they were drilled into their brain by someone. She shuddered to think that there might be another Kainen...or if it was Kainen himself that inflicted the damage. If he did...well she'll have to help him overcome Kainen's brainwashing.

"Shadow," she called out again," Mein freund? Please come out! Nothings wrong with having a few scars!"

A trooper sitting a few tables away from her looked up from his food, chewing his lower lip in thought for a moment before he opened his mouth.

"Lowest level of the ship, storage room B3, don't turn the lights on he'll hide and you'll probably never find him." His eyes shot down focusing back on his food as if he hadn't said anything at all.

Irene blinked in surprise. "Thank you…?"

"Names Ledge." The trooper kept his eyes on his food. "And you didn't here it from me."

Irene nodded and ran from the room.

A lot of people seemed to believe that Lieutenant Barricade had anger problems.

Barricade's battle worn hands ghosted over his blaster, taking it apart and reassembling it over and over and over with the skill that only came from repeated practice.

The captain had spoken to him on more than one occasion about his 'anger'. But Barricade still failed to see what they meant. Sure he got mad but he had a right. With everyone and everything in the whole kriffin galaxy acting like chaakars why WOULDN'T he be angry? It was guys like Ben, who NEVER got angry, that Barricade worried about. If they didn't assert themselves they would get stepped on… and squished.… like insignificant bugs…..

The Lieutenant shook his head. He had learned long ago not to let people push him around. And he'd be damned if he let his brothers get stepped on.

So ya, he didn't like the little bloodsucker sitting in front of him, talking to Ben.

Barricade never liked users. (He'd met his fair share of them in his short life. They were bad news.) And he didn't want this… chaakar taking advantage of the fact that his little brother didn't know how to stand up for himself.

"Even back on Kamino, he just let himself get walked on…' Barricade would never understand Ben, or his borderline pacifist methods. But one thing was for sure, is that bloodsucker so much as breathed wrong in the medic's general direction… Barricade would shoot her.

XXXXX

The so called bloodsucker...had similar thoughts. She kept both eyes close on both men.

She didn't trust the one with the blaster for obvious reasons

She kind of trusted the medic but was a little edgy because of the Mando'a woman's...entrance.

The medic kept on asking her different questions, questions that were making her even more edgy. Questions that she wasn't very keen on answering. But she knew he was just doing his job. She found she was distracting herself with his pretty hair. It was so white and pretty, it almost reminded her of one of her sister's soft white hair. For one reason or another, it was making her relax slightly and answer his questions a little more easily when she thought of it like that. She was keeping her hands in between her knees, though, so that she wasn't tempted to pet it like she was used to doing with her sister.

She had a feeling she'd get a blaster bolt through her hand before she could touch him.

Her eyes flickered for the umpteenth time to the blaster in the man's hands. He kept disassembling it and reassembling it. A trick. An intimidation technique that was used to say he knew how to use thee blaster and he wasn't scared to. Marishka was used to. She was long since used to it, she didn't even flinch.

The ward was too quiet so she began rocking back and forth on the table and a song came to her head and made her start to hum. Then she began to sing under her breath:

"Wherever you go,

Whatever you do...

I will be right here waiting for you..."

Her eyes shut as the emotions assaulted her and a small smile graced her lips.

"Whatever it takes,

Or how my heart breaks,

I will be right here

Waiting for you..."

Barricade glared harder at the girl. What was she doing? Probably a distraction to keep them occupied from the inevitable attack. Ben, unfortunately, didn't share his insight.

"Where'd you learn that song," he asked, tilting his head slightly.

Curiosity killed the nexu...

But the bloodsucker didn't answer

XXXXX

She kept her eyes closed as she savored the tune on her tongue. It was like warm, melted, rich chocolate to her. Addicting and she wanted more. It was the only thing to help her remember. The face, the eyes, the smile, the voice...everything. Instead of the song being a bitter reminder, it was a sweet memory that she kept playing over and over. It didn't matter where she was nor did it matter who gave her strange looks. It was HER memory to savor, not theirs. HER memory to keep close to her and cherish until the day she fell from the sky.

A question interrupted her.

Her eyes snapped opened and she stared at the medic as she tried to process what he asked.

"My sister, Skye...she taught me it," she answered quietly. Ben nodded smiling, he gestured to himself and the armed clone staring at them intently.

"We never sang much aside from Mando'an drinking songs."

Marishka found it hard to imagine the mild mannered medic raising a beer and taking part in the screaming match she knew those songs usually included.

The medic chuckled softly. "Though the only one of us who could ever carry a tune was Rhythm."

He studied her for a moment with soft eyes, "Sorry." He shook his head turning back to examine some piece of medical equipment. "I shouldn't have interrupted you."

"No...it's alright...no one outside of us ever bothered to ask before," she paused, her head tilted slightly,"It's sweet." She took a breath and continued:

"I wonder how we can survive

But in the end

If I'm with you

I'll take the chance!

Wherever you go,

Whatever you do,

I will be right here

Waiting for you.

Whatever it takes,

Or how my heart breaks

I will be right here

Waiting for you!"

Barricade watched with mild disgust as Ben blushed lightly at the complement. The medic didn't have a lot of experience with females aside from General Lunar, but come on, couldn't he see she was playing him?

Before Barricade could get to far in his mental tirade the door to the med bay slide open and a trooper stepped in, bald, with the detailed image of a mountains peak, etched into the back of his scull with tattoo ink.

"Ledge?" Ben looked up in mild surprise, though it was not shone in his voice. He tilted his head to the side in slight concern. "Your head isn't bothering you again is it?"

Ledge shook his head, rolling his eyes. "That stopped mouths ago, it was no big deal."

"Having continual headache's every day for 2 months after a concussion is actually quite worrisome." Ben informed him patiently.

Ledge rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say doc," he instead turned to the lieutenant. "Barricade's needed in the gym. I'm supposed to relive him of guard duty." There was a bemused look on the troopers face.

Barricade grunted, standing from his seat and sending one last weary glare in the bloodsucker's direction. He leaned in close to Ledge.

"Watch her," he hissed. "She's a tricky one."

Ledge grinned smugly. "Whatever you say brother."

Barricade glared at him before turning and exiting the med bay.

XXXXX

Marishka stopped singing and stared at the new trooper. Her eyes grew to the size of two small platers at the tattoo on the back of the new trooper's, Ledge's, head. It was BEAUTIFUL! She had never seen the mountains before, but she had heard plenty of what they looked like. She crouched on the bed she was on and strained to get a better look at the tat, looking for all like a baby nexu who had just spotted a new toy filled with nexu nip-nip. Ledge chuckled clearly catching her look and turning around to give her a better view of the tattoo.

"Like it?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yes."

He laughed again. "Got it on my first mission to 'Fest'. It's a mountainous world, beautiful really." A found smile crossed his lips. "Guess you could say I fell in love with the view."

Ben shook his head. "I remember that mission." He smiled calmly. "It was the reason for that concussion of yours."

Ledge rolled his eyes. "It was worth it." he smirked. Marishka leapt lightly onto a computer head, not easy to do with her long dress but she did it as graceful as a doe, to get closer to the trooper. She curved down so that she was a bit closer to him, but out of a possible close range weapon.

"What were they like," she whispered, her wide green eyes riveted to his face," The mountains...what were they like?" She couldn't keep out the longing out of her voice and her face showed sadness that made her look that much more beautiful. Her eyes were glazed over as she thought about the mountains. But she knew she'd never be able to see them as a free woman. She had come to accept that harsh truth a long time ago. But that didn't stop her from dreaming.

He smiled, a far away look coming into his eyes. "Standing on the peak of the mountain. You can look out and see nothing but peak after peak, a dash of green here, purple there." He sighed closing his eyes, cherishing the memory for all it was worth.

"Standing on the edge of a cliff side with the force of gravity trying to suck you down, the pushing you away... it almost feel's like flying." His smile widened.

"My brothers think I'm crazy for it. They thought it was to cold to enjoy anything, well except Freeze, he loved the place as much as I did, though to be honest I think he just liked the snow." Ledge shook his head, opening his eyes to look at her. She was standing up straight now, her head tilted upwards towards the ceiling,...and her eyes were shut while she tried to visualize the images he was describing. The sadness in her face was replaced with a bittersweet look.

Her eyes opened and teardrops came down freely

"I...I've always dreamed...," her voice was barley a whisper of awe and her hands grasped her chest as if she was hurt,"...of flying in the mountains." Teardrops clung to her eyelashes and gleamed like jewels as they left the shadow of her lashes on her cheek. Her eyes closed again as she tried to keep the emotions locked in her chest, just to savor them a bit longer as they made her heart squeeze pleasantly. Ledge smiled sadly, reaching out to carefully brush a tear off of her cheek. Marishka didn't stop him.

"I'm sure you could some day." He tilted his head to the side. "Ryloth has beautiful mountings, Naboo also..." he sighed. "Hundreds of planets to choose from."

Ben for his part had busied himself taking stock of medical supplies. Allowing the two a peaceful moment.

XXXXX

Miya stepped up to the door of the hijacked empty transport ship and looked around. The hanger here was nearly empty, except for a few people milling around.

"Come on, dawgs," she said, jumping off onto the deck," Ru'buir shouldn' be too far if dis ship is like ours." Another sister stepped off behind her.

She was called the humanized form of winter and no one doubted it. Snowdrop was a pale blue girl with a long braid of snow white hair that covered her neck and shoulders in her favorite style (the braid was wrapped around her neck and shoulders). When her foot touched down onto the deck, a big spot of ice formed underneath her toes. She glanced down at the spot and frowned.

"I hope no one slips," she murmured.

"The ship is room temperature, Snowdrop," Vision said behind her," No one will slip on the ice." Snowdrop turned her eyes to Vision.

"It's the water when it melts that I'm worried about," she said. Dove trotted out after Vision and looked anxiously around the hanger.

"I hope no one stops us," she said worriedly.

"I hope we don't get LOST," Soul said, glancing at Miya who glared.

(10 minutes later)

"We...are...LOST, Miya," Soul said irritably. She scratched her spiky head a few times before glaring up at her vod's back," Just ask where the bridge is!"

"I ain't askin' no one here," Miya growled back. Vision, Dove, and Boombox were glancing between the two worriedly. However, Snowdrop had a different plan. She walked calmly up to both girls, turned Miya around, and bashed their heads together. Both girls fell over with loud groans of pain. She looked behind her to Boombox and nodded to her. Boombox nodded back. She looked around for a second before spotting someone with their back turned towards them. Shyly, she crept up behind the man and played:

"Hey hey hey

All the way

DJ, let it play,

Can you hear me?

Hey hey hey

All the way

DJ

Can you hear me?"

The man looked around for a second before turning around to Boombox. He had bright colored red hair that poked out from a backwards cap on his head and a tuff of it on his chin. His grin revealed a golden tooth, which went with the gangster look he had going with the baggy pants and tight shirt.

"Hey der, dawg," he said casually," Wacha need?" Boombox was happy that she found someone willing to help on the first try.

"Tell me baby!"

:CLICK:

"I only wanna be with..."

:CLICK:

"Hey, soul sister!"

The clone tilted his head to the side, his eyebrows coming together in thought. "Aurora aint got no sista's… You's talkin' 'bout dat freaky Devaronian lady?"

The girls stiffened slightly.

:Click:

"My mamma's still my biggest fan…"

He frowned. "Oh, sorry dawg, but dat chick needs ta learn some manners. If ya know what I'm sayin'."

Miya's eye twitched as she gently pushed Boombox out of the guy's way and replaced herself in his line of vision.

"How 'bout you learn some manners yoself, dawg," she said coldly," 'N not badmouth our buir in fron' of us."

The clone held up his hands defensively. "All I'm sayin' is dat she shouldn' be goin' 'round acting like some self reechoes sheb hole."

His eyes narrowed and he looked down at her. "An maybe it' do her good not ta go attackin' someone on der own ship."

Soul immediately locked Miya's hands above her head and Snowdrop rotated into her spot as Soul dragged her away so she couldn't tear the man to pieces.

"Would that happen to be because Marishka went into a frenzy," she asked mildly, her clear eyes showing nothing. Dove poked her head around Snowdrop's side and looked up at the man with huge hopeful eyes.

"Da kriffed up bloodsucker who attacked Ben?" His eyes narrowed and he shook his head with a scowl. "Come on I can understand maybe sockin' 'im or something but sinkin' her teeth into 'is neck? There's no reason for dat!"

Snowdrop shut her eyes very slowly and Vision immediately took a hold of Dove around the waist just as she lunged for the man. The once cute happy face was twisted into a look of unbridled fury as she tried to twist her way out of Vision's grip. Miya was no better. She was fighting hard with Soul so that she could kill the aruetii that DARE call her sister a bloodsucker. Boombox was looking at the man in both horror and sorrow and a click went in her throat:

"You, you

You are

You you

You are...!"

:CLICK:

"...one of us!"

Miya stopped twisting and glared hard into the man's face before she realized that he WAS one of them. A clone trooper of Jango Fett, but still a clone.

"KRIFFIN ARUETII," she exploded,"YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE! KAMINII TREATIN' US LIKE EXPERIMENTS! WELL YOU'RE LOOKIN' AT DEIR FAILURES...!" Soul managed to get an arm around Miya's mouth before she screamed anymore. Snowdrop opened her eyes and stared hard into the trooper's eyes.

"Marishka needed to feed," she said calmly, though the ice spot around her feet grew to accommodate everyone in its width," She was made to be part of a race that was both feared because of their cruel ways and admired by their beauty by humans. That race was mixed with another race that was very powerful and needed the blood of others to survive. She went into a frenzy because she was very low on energy and couldn't think straight."

"Dat would have been helpful to know don't cha think?" his eyes where set in a hard look. "It wouldn' 'ave been a problem if someone 'ad bothered ta WARN us."

He glared openly at them. "She coulda killed ma brothah."

He turned to look at Miya an unreadable expression on his face. "Failures hu?" He spun on his heals removing his baseball cap and pulling his loose red hair up to reveal a round puncture wound just below his hair line.

"You's aint da only ones." He pulled his hat back on turning to look at them, arms folded across his chest. Vision looked miserable and it wasn't just because of Dove acting like a hellcat.

"Buir is...a liiiiittle tight lipped about blurting us out. Once a crew finds out," she said and Snowdrop snapped her fingers,"Instant trouble."

"Herdings are the worst," Miya grumbled as Soul slowly let her go. She adjusted her chains and glanced back up at the man," You too, huh?" She held out her wrists and revealed two identical little holes but with cracks around the edges and the veins there instead of blue were neon green.

"Which was it... healing or wind," she asked doleful.

He laughed dryly. "I don' even know."

He shook his head. "All I know's is now, I can do dis." He removed his cap from his head tossing it up into the air and flicking his finger upward. The hat shot up suddenly smacking against the ceiling and falling back down into his waiting hands. "I made sure da Kaminii didn' know 'bout dat."

Dove finally managed to wiggle out of Vision's arms and marched up to the trooper.

"You have my sister," she said firmly, trying her hardest not to lose her temper, and crossed her arms over her chest, "Where is she?"

"My guess?" he raised an eyebrow. "Med bay, though not to long if Barricade gets 'is way."

His come link suddenly cackled, several curse word followed by someone yelling.

"I'm gonna get you for this, you kriffin albino snowman!"

The trooper lifted the COM to his lips. "Wrong frequency, yo. Do I wanna know dawg?"

"Freeze left one of his shabla ice patch's next to my fighter and its rusting it out!"

Snowdrop shifted uncomfortably and slowly turned to Vision.

"Not going to do anything, huh," she said sarcastically Vision blinked.

"Dun worry, Snowdrop," Miya said. Boombox nodded.

"Yeah, we'll have Dove help whoever it is fix it...right Dove," Soul said.

Dove, however, was suddenly gone.

All girls stared at the spot she was just at.

"Dove," Miya whipped around to look down the halls. but they were just filled with male clones,"DOVE?!"

"She couldn't have gone far," Vision reasoned as she, too, looked around.

"Well, we're going to have to find her soon or we will NEVER get off this ship!"

"She's bound to be looking for Mishka....try to find her around as you search,"Miya said,"Vision, take that way! Snowdrop, Northeast. Soul, you'll go South. Boombox'll go East. I'll go north. Go go go!"

And before Brandon could stop them, they were all running off in different directions calling out for their sister to come back.

The red headed clone stood there for a moment before activating his COM link. "Aurora, we got a liddle problem."

"Osik what NOW?"

XXXXX

Marishka suddenly stiffened, and her head tilted towards the door.

"Dove," she asked.

Ledge looked at her for a moment blinking in confusion. "Who's that?"

XXXXX

"Shadow," Irene called out weakly as she pushed opened the door. It was dead dark in the room and it made her uneasy, this would be a perfect place to be attacked. But she swallowed her fear and slowly entered the room. Boxes were stacked in the far corner but other than that the room was empty. She squinted waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Shadow stiffened. 'How did she find me?' He'd kill that rat that gave away his hiding place. Oh well, this was his playing field. At least he could make the rules.

Silently the masked trooper began moving toward her location, keeping a safe distance away so she would not realize his presence.

"Shadow," she called again," Mein freund?" She sat down in the middle of the room.

"General Lunar told me you don't like your scars," she said quietly," Did... did someone... did someone make you think there was something wrong with them?"

Shadow didn't move a muscle he contemplated his situation. A part of him said she had a right to know…

But everything else was screaming at him to get the dary'am out of there."Women don't like scars…"

There came a point in every man's life when there was just to much to hold in anymore, he knew he could never talk to his brothers, they didn't need the guilt. He couldn't talk to his general, he didn't want her pity. But a stranger? Aside from her name Shadow didn't know much at all about Irene, and she knew next to nothing about him. He'd probably never see her again anyway. She wouldn't want to see him again after she knew…

Shadow took a seat in front of her, producing a flat round metal flash light from his belt and lying it on the ground between them, he turned it on and the light shown over both of them. Not enough to destroy the beautiful darkness surrounding them, but enough so that she could see him.

"Perhaps it would have been easier in the dark…"

"Shadow?" Irene seemed slightly startled by the sudden appearance of the light, but she quickly recovered.

He nodded, taking a deep breath. "Here it goes…" swallowed hard.

"They make me hers." His voice was even more of a whisper than before, as if speaking was forbidden.

XXXXX

Irene blinked. Her? Her? A female did this? Not Kainen? So there was another demeagolka out there.

It made her want to cry. Not just about another demeagokla out in the world...but the victim. Shadow was very talented with his power was very nice, from what she knew of him. and...he saved her. He didn't know her...but he saved her.

"There's nothing wrong with scars," she said, lifting up her head and put a hand on her neck," I don't know if you can see... but I've gotten scars on my job, too." A large ring was around her neck where it looked like a rope had been with a thin line in the middle of it.

He shook his head a dry humorless almost scary laugh come from his throat. "Not as bad."

Irene bit her lip. Right then, she felt very very naive and intrusive...and guilty.

"If this is too much for you...," she said quietly," I'll leave you alone." Even though every thought in her skull screamed that he'd need to talk to SOMEONE.

Shadow sighed holding his head on one hand. "She didn't want to share…" he shook his head. "Women… don't like scars." The fabric of his mask twisted into a scowl. "Ugly."

He said nothing for a long time. Irene didn't know what to say. She couldn't say "That's not true" since a lot of women really didn't like scars, but that didn't mean that ALL of them were repulsed by them. The silence stretched so long in the room that Irene was about to stand to leave him alone when he did something she had not expected.

He reached up with one hand and tore his mask off of his head, goggles and all.

Irene bit back a gasp.

The damage was… extensive. Carved into his face was the outline of the Mandalorian Vizsla clan symbol. Within the infamous Death Watch symbol were many seemingly randomly placed X's and other random markings. A perfectly round burn scar marked his left cheekbone with a mythasourus scull smack dab in the center, as if someone had branded the trooper... like an animal. His neck also had many randomly placed jagged cuts, which seemed to be the work of a viro-blade, they extended below the collar of Shadows shirt, and it made Irene's blood run cold to think that the scar's continued below where she could see. Shadow's skin was ghostly pale as a result of his constant coverage, a feature that caused his scares to be clearly defined, and not at all pretty.

Her eyes darted all over his face, drinking in all the damage as she felt a familiar emotion bloom in her chest.

Fear

The scars...they were everywhere. Not a single piece of smooth skin was showing on the trooper. It scared her for unknown reasons and made her stomach start to turn.

But when her eyes looked up into his, she felt ashamed.

It was drilled into his skull that women didn't like scars and here she was proving it. She was proving his worst nightmare.

"Don't leave," she said hoarsely, scared that he'd see the fear in her eyes and do just that. She crawled up closer to him and reached out a hand. It trembled slightly this time when she reached out to trace his face, and her fingertips stopped short for a few seconds. They first touched the mythasourus scar on his cheek, the fingers cupping his jaw and her thumb gently brushed the design. Her other hand joined in the roaming as she traced all of the scars that she could see.

The more scars she traced, the heavier her heart became.

She wanted to say something...anything. Everything. But everything sounded so pitiful in her mind to ease him of all this pain. So she just did what she was good at. She leaned up and kissed him, right on the mythosourus, before she reached out again to pull his head under her chin. She held him tight in her grip and began to cry. She cried for everything: Shadow, her sisters, his brothers, her brothers, their parents, all their lives, and all the cruelty in the universe.

XXXXX

Shadow just sat there, unable to think or move or even breath.

She didn't run

He had expected disgust

She didn't run

Or morbid fascination

She didn't run

But most of all he had expected hatred, loathing for what he was.

SHE DIDN'T RUN!

She had touched him, held him, with a closeness he thought he could never again feel. She CRIED… Shadow swallowed the lump threatening to form in his throat.

… but she hadn't run.

Irene pulled back and sniffled. She put the heel of her hand on her cheek to wipe away the tears and tried to bring back her breath.

"I-I-I'm sorry," she said, her voice cracked and weak," I-I d-didn't mean to get you wet." She looked up at him again and bit her lip. She pulled him so that their foreheads touched and she kissed his other cheek this time.

Shadow didn't move, didn't speak. The last time he'd been touched like that it had not been so gentle, and it had not stopped there.

"I want to say something," she murmured,"...Anything... but I just don't know..." Now her shame was complete. She was babbling. She didn't want to say something that'll make him run away.

Shadow said nothing; he reached out and ran a gloved hand over the back of her hair, rubbing his thumb against her cheek, her smooth, undamaged cheek. He looked at her, her eyes, her lips... and he fought back a sudden overwhelming urge to kiss her.

He wanted to protect her, keep her safe. Looking at her now… he couldn't help but think that she deserved so much more than what the kaminii had given her.

XXXXX

Ru'more felt a twitch start up in the corner of her eye as she asked softly," Did...he say...that Boombox was here?"

"Sorry I have no idea who that is." Aurora's reply was layered with sarcasm.

"Boombox...the one who sounds like a radio...if she is here like your man says," Ru'more said, leaning back and rubbing her temple," Then I have a feeling that we're going to get another guest on this ship very soon."

Aurora groaned, looking up at the ceiling. "You really got it out for me don't you? PHWOAR YOU!"

Ru'more stared at her for a moment. "Who… are you talking to?"

"The force kriff it!" Lunar gave her a look.

'Jetii…'

XXXXX

Boombox ran along the corridors without so much as a sneeze at being talked about. She had way too much on her mind as she tried to think where the Med Bay would be.

Dove was mad and she was searching for Marishka. That was the perfect recipe for disaster...especially after her pod sister being called a bloodsucker for the thousandth time. And by one of them!

The girls had always felt that the boy clones and themselves were together, seeing as they were on the same boat.

Boombox stopped still in the hallway when she realized that she had just gone almost all the way back to the hanger. She stomped her foot in anger and her voice box screamed:

"Where'd you go?

I miss you so..."

:CLICK:

"IF SHE EVER LEAVES THIS HOUSE AGAIN

I'M GONNA TIE HER TO THE BED

AND SET THIS HOUSE ON FIRE!"

No one answered, but there was action.

A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and slammed her back into a very hard object. She lunged forward to escape, but the person's hold was tight like metal. Boombox struggled around with the person for a bit before twisting her head around to glare up at...

Boombox's mouth fell open as she stared at her assailant in shock. The arms around her lost their grip just enough for her to turn around to fully face them. She tried to think of something to say. All the songs in the universe she could play...but all she could get her voice box to sing was:

"Don't be mad at meeeeeEEE!

Don't be mad at meeeeeEEE!"

XXXXX

Aurora's COM crackled for what felt like the thousandth time today. -"General? This is Falcon. We've got two unidentified ships in the hanger bay."

Lunar's eye twitched slightly, and she placed her head in her hands. "Force if this is your sick and twisted way of helping master getting back at me for the gungan incident…" she mumbled almost to herself.

XXXXX

Dove was just a streak as she raced down all the halls of the Requiem. She had to find her sister...

What did that man mean "If Barricade had his way"?

That...upset her. It was just like all the other ships when they found out about Marishka's...condition. But she had to admit, they were taken by surprise since their buir didn't like to had out holos about it. For any of them.

A splash of red out of the corner Dove's eye had her put on her brakes and nearly faceplant in the hallway. She rushed back to look into the room...

But only found a man with a part red rat tail in it. He blinked at her, a blank look of shock on his features, as if he'd never seen a girl before. Dove huffed in agitation and continued her search.

She didn't get far.

The man came out of the room and planted a hand right on top of her head to keep her from leaving.

"And where do you think your going?" he looked down at her with a scowl set on his face. "Your not supposed to be here."

"How do YOU know I'm not supposed to be here?" she looked up at him defiantly, she didn't have time for this, she needed to find her sister!

The man snorted. "Lunar already COM'd us about the AUTHORIZED females that were boarding. Your not one of them."

"I'm here for my vod," she said," Which way to medical." The man raised an eyebrow at her and folded his arms.

"What makes you think I'm going to let you wonder the ship...you could be a seppie spy," he said, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Then come with me," she said irritably," Or have someone escort me...just get me to medical to see my vod before she gets herded."

"First, I have no idea what that means," He continued to glare at her. "And second-" he was cut off by a voice… well actually two voices.

"Hawk!"

Dove turned to see that to other troopers had exited the room she blinked momentarily surprised. They where carbon copy's of one and other, one with white hair and a black strip, the other with black hair and a white strip there tattoo's mirrored each other as well, one with a helix on his left the other a jagged line on his right. Even there postures perfectly mimicked on and other. Of course her surprise didn't last long. She had to find Marishka.

"Who's the-" the white haired one began.

"-Lady?" The other finished.

The man who had been identified as Hawk groaned, before a mischievous look came into his eyes. "She's an unexpected arrival." He turned to look at them. "And YOU TWO are going to tack her to the med bay." With that he turned to leave, "if you need me, I'll be on the bridge discussing this with the generals."

"Ok!" the troopers spook in unison turning to look at Dove. "Hello!"

"He's Zigzag." The black haired one said pointing to his brother.

"He's Swish." Zigzag continued pointing to the black haired man.

"At your service." They spoke in unison grinning broadly.

Dove felt her irritation and anger melt away as the two talked. Her crooked grin twisted her lips and a deep chuckle left her.

"Su'cuy gar, mi amores," she said, grin never leaving," I'm Dove...could you take me to the med bay?"

"Sure." They chimed grinning.

"We don't get-" Zigzag began.

"-Many visitors." Swish finished.

"Right this way." They turned leading her down a hallway she would have otherwise ran right past.

"So what-" Zigzag began.

"-Brings you aboard-" Swish continued.

"-The Requiem?" Zigzag picked up.

"My vod... she had an accident and was brought here, then she woke up and went into a frenzy and attacked someone, your General went nuts because our buir is too kriffin tight lipped to WARN anyone about us because people like to herd us when they find out, they got into a fight, our OTHER vod who took my first vod's place went missing because your vod saved her and now she's missing again, me and some other sisters hijacked a transport to get here and someone called my first vod a bloodsucker, and NOW we're worried that my first vod might get herded by someone named Barricade so we're here to make sure that doesn't happen." She took a deep breath when she finished and grinned sheepishly at both of them," It's...kind of chaotic and I'm not in my best mood."

The two men were silent for a moment; they looked at each other and Dove could help but feel as though some conversation was going on without her hearing it. Finally Zigzag spoke.

"Barricade wouldn't-" Zigz started, Dove couldn't help but notice he always went first.

"-Really do that-" Swish continued, setting them into a pattern.

"-He's just-"

"-Worried about Ben-"

"-Like the rest of us. He's just -"

"-Got an INTERESTING way-"

"-Of dealing with people." They shook their heads and Dove was amazed to see that even that they did in perfect tangent.

"Here we are." The said together coming to a closed door with a sign above it labeled. 'medical'. Joy squeezed Dove's heart and she began pounding on the door

"MARISHKAAAAAAA," she yelled.

XXXXX

Everyone jerked around to stare at the door and an unfamilar yet familiar voice screamed outside of it.

"DOVE," Marishka yelled back and stumbled to the door. When it came open, she leapt onto her sister with such momentum, they both crashed into the wall leaving a crack where they landed. Neither girl cared. They had silly smiles stretching their faces as they got up and clasped hands firmly leaving their knuckles white.

"Su'cuy, vod," Dove said

"Su'cuy," Marishka answered. Both girls laughed and slapped each other on the back. Marishka turned to face the two men, who were watching them curiously. "This is my sister Dove."

Ledge grinned, "Nice to meet ya."

"Ma'am." Ben nodded respectfully.

XXXXX

"Give me your COM." Ru'more folded her arms across her chest and glared at the jedii before her.

"What am I today a personal messaging servos?" Aurora glared at her but held out her COM.

XXXXX

"Ben, here," he said, but it wasn't his General's voice that came out of his COM.

"DOVE," Ru'more's voice growled. Dove grinned at the COM and waved.

"Su'cuy, buir," she said happily, oblivious to her mother's tone.

"Care to explain WHY you and the others came aboard the Requiem when I told you to STAY PUT on the Justice," Ru'more asked. Dove blinked and tapped her cheek for a bit.

"NOPE," she said in the same happy voice, popping her p and grabbing her sister's hands. Ledge held back a laugh.

"So how are you doing buir?" Dove asked sweetly.

"Despite having Irene, Kit-Kat, and Marishka to worry about...and now all of you... I'm doing fine," she said,"And guess what ELSE, kitling!"

"What," Dove asked, gently swinging her amused sister's hands from side to side.

"You brought Boombox," she said quietly.

"Yes...and," Dove asked tilting her head at the COM.

"Boombox plus not on Justice plus a long period of time equals WHAT, kitling," she asked exasperated. Boombox not on the Justice for a long period of time, soooo?

"Everyone knows that we've gone...they just don't know WHERE," Dove said.

"Dove, ad'ika," Ru'more said and Dove could tell she had shut her eyes very very slowly," Who was suppose to come onboard the Justice today...someone whose VERY close to Boombox and hasn't seen her in a few months?"

A few months...

A cold bucket of ice water just dropped onto Dove's mind as she remembered. Her smile slipping off of her face and Marishka's arms stopped swinging.

And he didn't know...

Oh, kriff.

"A very worried and very unhappy Gaelen," she whispered.

"Who's Gaelen?" Ledge asked.

"Should I prep the medical equipment just in case?" Ben's voice was as calm and quite as ever.

XXXXX

As soon as the words left the comlink, a clone marched onto the bridge with Boombox upside down underneath his arm. She wasn't a small girl, average height and wasn't that easy to carry, but the man did it as if she was just an empty box. He looked like any other clone except he had silver lining the sides of his temples and a huge X mark over his throat. The skin around the X was frayed as if the skin was burned first, then marked. He stopped at attention in front of Ru'more and glared at the comlink on Lunar's arm.

"Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear," Ru'more thought wryly as she dropped the comlink and held out her arm," Su'cuy, Gaelen."

The clone's eyes snapped back to his General's and held out his free hand and clasped hers with a nod. Ru'more raised an eyebrow at the upside down girl under his arm. She smiled sheepishly and gave a weak wave.

"You say yes,

I say no,

You say stop,

But I say go go GO!

You say goodbye

But I say hello!

Hello, hello-!"

Gaelen fixed a stern eye on the girl and the song was replaced:

"These words are my own,

From my heart flow..."

:CLICK:

"And I'm sorry if I left you in the rain..."

:CLICK:

"I love you,

I love you,

I love yoooou!"

The clone's eyes softened at her songs and gently placed her on her feet. When she was righted, he laid his head on top of hers and crossed his arms in front of her.

General Lunar looked the man up and down for a moment. "And what does he do?"

"You don't have to have special powers to be a reject," Ru'more stated. Boombox's look turned sad as she reached behind her and gently touched the X that marked Gaelen's throat. Gaelen's eyes shut and his Adam's apple shied away from underneath her fingertips. Captain Paint who had been watching silently for a long time, grinned, extending his hand out to Gaelen.

"It'll be nice to have another force dud brother hanging around."

Gaelen's brow rose, but the corner of his lips turned upwards into a smirk. He still kept one arm around Boombox, but he straightened up and grasped Paint's hand, Mando'a style.

Aurora rolled her eyes. "How many times have I told you not to refer to yourself as a 'force dud'?"

"How many tattoo's do I have?" he asked, countering her impossible question with his own.

"Sheb hole." She rolled her eyes playfully. Boombox's eyebrow was also raised an eyebrow at Gaelen and she shook her head at him.

"And I SWEAR!

You're just like a pill!

'stead of making me BETTER,

You keep making me ill!"

Gaelen grinned widely then, turned her around, picked up her chin, and nuzzled their foreheads together.

Lunar and Paint's eyebrows creased as they stared at the two.

"Are they GAH," Lunar said as Ru'more's booted heel slammed down onto her toes. She whipped around towards the Devaronian and glared darkly at her.

"What...the kriff...was that for," she growled. Ru'more jerked her head away from the two. Lunar still glared, but moved away with her.

"Don't say anything about it," Ru'more said quietly.

"And why pray tell?" Aurora asked.

Ru'more stared at her blankly, causing the jedi to huff.

"Fine."

Boombox finally put her hand over Gaelen's face playfully and forced him away. But he doged her hand and set his chin back up onto her head. Boombox snorted before turning to Ru'more and singing:

"Where'd you go?

I missed you so...

:CLICK:

"Blessed she,

Irene,

Who seeks my faith!"

Aurora's face softened a fraction. "She went looking for Shadow after he ran off." She tilted her head to the side. "Lower level storage room I assume." Boombox turned and ran out from underneath Gaelen's chin, making the clone stumble before chasing after her out of the room.

"SHUT UP AND LET ME GO!

THIS HURTS I TOLD YOU SO!"

He came back in like the first time. But this time, he sat down on the floor with Boombox in his lap and set his head down hard on hers. Boombox glared at the floor.

"I hate myself for loving yoou"

Gaelen just rolled his eyes and shook his head. Boombox glared for a couple of more minutes before her head jumped up and she grinned very widely.

"HEY LITTLE GIRL,

WITH THE PRESSURE OF THE WORLD

ON YOUR SHOULDERS,

DON'T SAY THAT IT'S OVER-"

The whole Irene song boomed from her voice box with such a volume, the floor started to tremble underneath everyone's boots. Ru'more grabbed her ears and bit her lip to keep herself from screaming while Gaelen still clung to her stubbornly while clenching his teeth tightly and his eyes squeezed shut. Both Jedi and captain covered their ears cursing loudly in a mixture of Mando'an and English

XXXXX

Down in the storage room, Irene blinked and looked up at the ceiling as her song came through it and sung at a normal volume. Shadow looked up as well, surprised. He back at her, tilting his head to the side in question. He quickly reached out to grab his mask, pulling it on in one smooth motion.

Irene still stared up at the ceiling in confusion, even when she realized what was happening.

"Boombox," she said," What's she doing here?" She turned around, went to the door to open it but stopped and looked back to make sure that Shadow was comfortable with her opening the door. Even though he had showed her his face, she was pretty sure it was a very rare and uncomfortable thing that he did even around his brothers. She wouldn't be rash with throwing away that careful present of trust he gave her. When she saw his mask was all the way in place, she opened the door and looked around the hallway.

"Boombox," she called. No one answered and the music didn't get any closer. Irene looked up to the vibrating ceiling and frowned.

"She must be higher up...and playing really loudly," she said. She looked around before realizing she had come down on autopilot.

"Which way did I come from."

A hand on her shoulder made her look over into Shadow's covered face. He gestured down the right way and then did the hand signal for "up and out"

"Come on," she said, gently tugging on his arm in the direction," Come meet Boombox!"

Shadow hesitated before slipping in behind her, disappearing into the faint shadow beneath her feet.

XXXXX

Irene gasped and covered her ears when she stepped onto the Bridge. The music was EAR-SPLITTING. She looked up to see her vod sitting cross legged in, surprises never stop coming, her protector's lap. He was suffering the worst, seeing as he was right with her in the blast of music. The other on the bridge weren't so far behind though. Irene stumbled over to where she was at least in Boombox's peripheral vision.

"BOOMBOX," she screamed over the noise," BOOMBOOOOOX!"

Boombox grinned when she saw her and started bouncing in Gaelen's lap as her music switched to something softer, making everyone sigh in relief.

"Hey baby,

Hey baby,

Hey!

Girls say,

Girls say,

Hey baby,

Hey baby,

Hey!"

"BOOMBOX," Ru'more barked, making the girl look up at her buir with huge eyes.

"THAT," she said," was a VERY childish thing to do! You don't scream so loud you nearly bust someone's eardrum! What was that about"

"I'm so sorry for your pain,

I'm so sorry for your tears...

:CLICK:

I missed yoooouuuu

:CLICK:

Irene, I carried you

When you was too weak to walk"

General Lunar tilted her head to the side.

"What'd she say?" she shook her head. "I know her lips are moving but I think I might be DEAF."

Paint rolled his eyes. "Your in a mood."

"Not today Paint…" Aurora sighed. A comlink started going off and Lunar screamed.

"NO! NO MORE COMLINK! I'VE HAD ENOUGH CHAOS FOR ONE DAY," she said grabbing at her comlink before she realized...it wasn't her this time. It was Ru'more's. She clicked it on, and an image of a girl appeared. She had short hair that was braided into a waterfall braid and clothes that looked like a tank top and a pair of shorts.

"Su'cuy, buir," the girl said saluting crisply and unsmiling.

"Su'cuy, ad'ike," Ru'more said,"What's wrong?"

"Ashputel got herded again," she said, brisk and cold," Rapunzel and Aithne just found her suspended by cable wires in a supply closet. She's banged up pretty bad and we need you back here...she's calling for you."

All from the Justice froze. Ru'more stared at her comlink wide eyed and her breathing stopped. Gaelen's eyes rolled up into his head and Boombox looked like she'd been shot.

"Oh nooooo," Irene moaned and grabbed at her hair.

Aurora's eyes were slightly narrowed at the description but she still had to ask.

"What does she mean, 'herded'?"

Irene took a deep breath," Herded is when a person or a group of people gang up on one of us, cut off all our hair, beat us to a pulp, and leave us hanging somewhere for our vode to find." Her hand unconsciously went to her throat where the rope scar was," Sometimes...we don't find them for days. It's a warning that's usually used by female spies, actual citizens of the Republic, to tell us that we're not needed."

Irene's shadow shifted slightly and Shadow materialized behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing to offer comfort.

Aurora's eyes narrowed to slits, "Osik, what kind of galaxy are we LIVING in?" she looked up. "If there is a light side, it must not give a dar'yam."

Ru'more snorted in agreement and turned back to the girl," We'll be there soon, Fidala."

The connection closed and she said gruffly to her people," Get ready to leave...ALL of us."

She turned to Lunar," Can you try and contact some of your men to help us look for the others...we'll be out of your hair soon if you do."

Aurora glared at her for a moment before lifting her COM to her lips and making the call.

Irene reached back and gently gripped Shadow's hand in gratitude before walking out the door along with Gaelen and Boombox to search for their vode. Shadow watched her go, tilted his head down, and sighed. Paint seemed to have caught the action, accustomed to having to read the man's body language.

"There'll be other girls." He gave his brother a playful smirk.

Shadow's head tilted down lower and to the side. A glare. Paint laughed.

XXXXX

Soul strolled down the hallway she was on, not even bothering to run around in crazy circles anymore. Dove must've found their vod by now, sooo...whatever. She had walked down to the mess hall, but no one was their so she left...then again, there was almost no one in any of the rooms she had entered.

Where was everyone?

She sighed and scrubbed her spikes again and bitterly thought that she could be swimming right now...but nooooo. She had to be dragged by Miya and the others onboard the transport, Fidala's not going to like that they hadn't asked her, and onto this ship where she was now and again...lost. She didn't even know WHY she walked onto the ship when Miya asked her to.

Oh yeah, Marishka in trouble.

Soul decided to stop debating with herself and start looking for both girls again.

She was too caught up looking around the ship for them, she didn't notice a clone trooper with brown hair hanging in his eyes dropping out of an air vent. He was covered in thin bits of mud and muck here and there (he had failed to shower after there last trip planet side). The trooper quickly examined the girl walking a few yards in front of him. She hadn't realized his presence yet. Or if she had she was pretending she didn't. He frowned as he watched her continue on without a care in the world. He made to follow her, but it was ruined pretty quickly and effectively. His COM came to life and, before he could silence it, the girl stopped abruptly. She turned her head to look at him, a deep frown bending her lips, with an air of absolute unconcern. She raised an eyebrow slowly and she looked down to his wrist where Aurora's voice crackled over the COM.

"Keep your eyes open for any unauthorized female passengers. They are to be escorted to the bridge as soon as possible. Thanks boys."

Rat looked up at the girl. Yep, defiantly unauthorized.

She still looked unconcerned as her eyes met his at the same time, and a smile that didn't reach her eyes replaced her frown.

"You look like you could use a bath, trooper."

A soft moaning sound, coming from above him, of metal bending started immediately after her words as pipes bent at the sudden started bending and the man looked upwards to the ceiling. A soft drizzling sound started and water droplets fell onto the trooper's face. Water had started dripping out all the cracks in the ceiling and started to fill the hallway

XXXXX

"You just had to say it like that," Ru'more said out from under her hand.

"And what have I done wrong NOW, O great and all knowing queen of Mandalore?" Aurora glared at her. This was getting old fast.

A glowing eye followed the words out from underneath the hand and fixed on Lunar's face.

XXXXX

Soul eyed the man, who was now hip deep in water. She wasn't going to hurt him...just slow him down or better yet stop him completely so that she could collect her sisters and leave. Marishka had already made a mess when she attacked a someone. Plus, this guy really could use a bath by the looks of him. She kept her eyes on him as she slowly sank beneath the water...and dissolved before his eyes.

XXXXX

Rat fought down the growing panic in his throat. 'Kriff not again.'

This was Kamino all over again, he watched the woman disappear before his eyes, sinking into the water.

'Current's not here to save you this time trooper.' Rat closed his eyes tightly, screaming for help both mentally and physically.

And hoping to God someone heard him.

XXXXX

"No, not of Mandalore...but of my kitlings like you are the all knowing queen of your troops," Ru'more said slowly,"THINK. How do you think your men, and my ad'ika if they hear, are going to take that message?"

Aurora didn't say anything. Her eyes had narrowed to slits and started glassing over slightly. She snapped back to attention with a start.

"RAT!" and with speed only a Jedi could have she was gone from the room. Ru'more watched her go and her eye twitched.

"Kriffen tight lipped jetii," she grumbled.

XXXXX

Soul jerked around and stared wide eyed at the trooper as he screamed and flailed around in the water. She'd never seen a trooper who couldn't swim! She clawed at the water as she quickly swam over to him, still invisible, and wrapped herself around him. Soul took his jerking head and smashed her lips onto his, hard. She breathed into him, and his lungs filled with oxygen. She breathed slowly and easily forcing him to breathe with her as she took the breath from his lungs when she breathed in and then returned it as she breathed out, waiting patiently for him to calm.

But the man didn't calm down.

He fought harder against the invisible force, her invisible body.

Soul forced herself to cling to him harder, but she was soon losing her grip. She didn't know what to do, and her calm was breaking. She had never been in this kind of situation before. She was trying to help him breath, but all he did was fight against her! That was usually the only reason why people were scared of water right? Because they couldn't breath? Because they could slowly feel the life being squeezed out of their lungs. In panic, Soul condensed the water to become a thick wall in the hallway, and pushed him back away from her so he fell flat on his back on the other side of the wall where the ground kissed of back his head. The man coughed and hacked up water while on his hands and knees before getting up and turning around to face the wall of water, his breathing ragged. He looked at the water in wide-eyed terror, seemingly unable to move from where he stood.

Soul blinked at him slowly; peering up at his face in curiosity as if the longer she looked the more likely she'd find the answer to WHY he couldn't swim. She knew none of her sisters liked the water as much as she did...but they KNEW how to swim. She reached her hand out from the water and gently touched his throat and slid it up to his lips. The man's eyes widened as he felt water pool into his mouth and slid past his lips to form a sphere in the girl's hand.

Soul brought the orb into the wall and released it. It floated completely intact for a couple of seconds before breaking in half and joining the rest. She watched it, then turned back to the man. She felt BAD now. Well, guilty is a better word for it. The trooper just watched her opening his mouth as if to say something before closing it again, swallowing hard.

"Rat!"

The trooper tore his gaze away from the water and was nearly knocked to the ground as a blonde Mandalorian came out of nowhere grabbing him into a protective hug, completely ignoring the fact that he was soaking wet.

"Kriff Rat, you ok?" she pulled back searching his body up and down for any damage. Soul watched with her shoulders up to her ears as she dissolved from their sight and floated to the ceiling.

"Buir's going to kill me," she thought. It sent a shiver of fear and anguish down her spine at the thought of disappointing her buir. The blonde woman completed her search for any injury on the trooper...before turning her eyes to the wall still intact in the hall. She glared solidly at it before turning back to look at the clone trooper she had called Rat.

"What happened?"

The man swallowed hard, eyes glued to the wall of water in front of him. "There was a girl… were did she go?"

XXXXX

Soul shriveled against the ceiling. She didn't want to get anymore involved in this than she already was. This woman had to be General Lunar, and if she was right...there was going to be another cat-fight between buir and this other General.

XXXXX

The Mando'an frowned in confusion before an even deeper scowl crossed her face she lifted her COM unit to her lips and spoke into it, voice tight.

"Ru'more if you don't get your SHEBS down here in the next 5 minutes I'm calling my pyro-technician."

"No need to use your comlink, jetii," she said from behind Lunar," I'm right here."

The blond turned to face her a murderous expression on her face. "I don't care WHAT you do, just do it and get the DAR'YAM off my ship."

"Soul," she said to the water, completely ignoring the fuming female, walking around all three sides. Her accent had change to sounding more like she had ben sucking on lemons for a while," Моя любовь (my love)?"

Nothing happened for a long while. The water just stood there calm and unchanging and Lunar started to lose her patience while Rat looked on uneasy. Ru'more just blinked at it patiently. Then, the water started turning as if something was moving inside of it, disturbing it yet nothing was in it. It swirled around pale white foam began to form letters:

Да, Мать? (Yes, mother?)

"Что случилось здесь... (What happened here)," she asked. The previous letters broke apart and nothing was written for a while and for a second it seemed...scared? Then it wrote frantically:

Я сожалею! Я не подразумевал для! Я только хотел замедлить его от того, чтобы брать меня! (I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I just wanted to slow him down from taking me!)

"Soul," Ru'more said firmly,"Что...случилось...здесь?"

The water suddenly broke from the wall and soaked the hallway and all their boots. Soul stood trembling in front of them with wide eyes that hadn't cleared of water and she took off running down the hall. Ru'more started after her, but stopped and turned back to Lunar.

"Alright, but YOU stay away from US while I gather my kitlings. I'll handle it if someone calls, not you. These are MY kitlings...stay away," she hissed and ran off after her purple haired ad'ika.

Aurora glared after her murderously.

"I swear." She said turning to Rat. "if ANYTHING else bad happens because of that stubborn shabuir…"

XXXXX

"I forgot...I forgot...I FORGOOOT," Dove groaned as she scrubbed her hair, not unlike Soul," HOW could I forget."

Marishka wrapped her arms around Dove's shoulders and smiled adoringly," Because I went into a frenzy that made YOU go into a panic soooo...you didn't think.

"But this is GAELEN and BOOMBOX, we're talking about," she wailed, giving her a significant look.

"Yes, but," Marishka soothed," People can forget the most important things when they go into a panic because all they can think about is what's making them panic."

Dove still had her frown in place and looked around. They had both said goodbye to Ledge and Ben to go back and find the others as well as their buir. But it seemed that they would be found first.

"Marishka! Dove," someone called and all turned to see Irene. Marishka's smile got even wider and she released Dove to spread her arms to Irene.

"Irene! Guten tag, schwester! Su'cuy," she said. Irene smiled at the familiar language and tackle hugged her. Marishka laughed and ruffled her hair. Her grin widened.

"So, how was the life of a Diva for you," she asked

"Short...and not so sweet," she said.

"Mmm, didn't think it would be," Marishka said, wrapping her up," I'm sorry, vod'ika."

Irene patted her back and broke away with a smile.

"Hated it," she said," But I made a new friend from it sooooo...I'm happy."

"Ahhh," Marishka said slyly," Charmed someone on the job, did you?"

"Noooo," Irene giggled, batting her hand at Marishka playfully and her smile turned warm," His name's Shadow...he hides his face underneath a mask because he doesn't like his scars but..." She stopped. She didn't want to say too much. She didn't want them to treat Shadow differently and it might make him uncomfortable if he knew they knew. She didn't know where he was right now but he might be close.

XXXXX

Shadow frowned from where he was hiding in the dark shade beneath the medical cabinets, pushing down the small pang of betrayal that hit his heart. He'd hoped she wouldn't tell anyone. Though he couldn't really be mad.

'Not like you told her not to…' he shook his head and continued to watch them from his hiding space. The Captain had dismissed him, saying he could 'go do what you always do when we can't kriffin find you.' So he had made himself comfortable doing what he loved most.

Spying.

And it WAS more interesting when it was on people he didn't already know like the back of his hand

XXXXX

Dove and Marishka looked at each other then to Irene and prompted," Buuuuuut?"

"He...he showed me. I don't know why but he showed me his face," she said quietly, deciding she could at least tell them that and her smile returned," I feel so happy he did."

The older girls smiled warmly in response to their vod'ika's. It was rare when Irene felt comfortable with men, since their jobs usually had her seeing the worst sides of them.

XXXXX

Shadow's frown deepened, he had REALLY hoped she would tell anyone about THAT part. And a small voice in the back of his mind said that showing her at all was a mistake.

The voice was quickly squashed.

But what was this they kept saying about charming? It must not mean the same thing as what he was familiar with. Shadow was confident he would know if he was 'charmed'.

XXXXX

Irene groaned and rubbed her temples while her cheeks took on a soft pink hue," First Kit-Kat, now you two...I DID NOT CHARM HIM!"

"Yes you did," the two older girls chorused.

Her blush grew to cover the tips of her ears and she wailed," I did NOT!"

Dove grabbed her into a gentle headlock and said," If I knew how great your charm was, I'd have you become a Pop-Star!"

Irene went still and her eyes grew huge in her sockets, she wiggled a little harder," No no no no no nooo! If it has ANYTHING to do with men, leave me OUT! I am perfectly happy as an Extra!"

"Aww," Dove groaned," You don't want to be a Pop-Star like your kandosii vod?"

"I'm a Diva," Marishka teased, making Dove glare at her playfully. Irene shook her head at her sisters before going back to trying at getting Dove's shabla strong arm OFF OF HER!

"I couldn't face Gunray so the mission hit rock bottom! I'm better at blending in and listening than getting up close and personal since I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CHARM OR FLIRT. So, the life of an Extra is the life for me."

"Well, Kainen's a lot worse than Gunray...and you face him alot," Marishka said kindly. Suddenly, Irene stopped struggling and pulled Dove's arm closer to her as her eyes flashed with fear at the mention of him. But her eyes quickly turned sad as Kainen reminded her of Marishka, that reminded her of the Bridge, that reminded her of their poor vod that just got herded!

"What's wrong, mi amore," Dove asked and let her out of the headlock.

"...Ashputel got herded again," she said quietly. The same effect happened here as on the bridge, the same sense of dread filled the hallway. Both girls stared at her for a beat, trying to comprehend the sudden info. Dove buried her face in her hands and Marishka got a sickly color to her skin and look to her face when it finally got through.

"She's going to have permanent bruises if this keeps up," Dove murmured. Irene nodded.

"Mutter says we need to leave. Ashputel wants her close," she said.

"Who wouldn't want her close," Dove grumbled and glared at the floor. Irene shrugged.

"Well, I think they found her pretty quickly after it happened so that's a plus," she said cheerfully.

"Yeah...I'm sorry we couldn't find YOU sooner when you got herded, Irene," Dove said seriously, staring at the scar around Irene's neck. Irene brushed it and managed to smile weakly at her.

"It wasn't your fault...I even have to admit it was pretty smart to hide me in the cooling unit room. No one goes in there," she said grinning, but knew her attempt at lighting the mood failed at the looks she was given.

XXXXX

Shadow's frown deepened to a full out scowl. The mission had been a failure because HE chose to intervene. It had absolutely nothing to do with Irene, and for some reason it bothered him deeply that she thought it did.

And then there was the herding.

The very prospect made him sick to his stomach; to think that someone had DARED do such a thing to Irene… she was so nice, there was no possible way she deserved that. It made him want to hunt down the shabuir who did it and tear their hearts from their chests. After leaving them in 'the darkness' for a good long while.

'The darkness' was what most people he had taken 'shadow traveling' called the inky black world they were plunged into with the act. A few MONTHS in the darkness followed by having there internal organs stuffed down there throats… somehow it didn't seem like quite enough.

And who was this Kainen? Shadow already hated him whoever he was.

The whole thing made him want to scrap the 'spying mission' he was on and try to comfort the girl. But he stayed where he was. Not because he thought she wouldn't like being spied on (the thought didn't even cross his mind) but because he thought maybe she would give some NAMES of the shabuirs who had DARED 'herd' her.

XXXXX

"Uhhhmmm...Ok," Irene said, taking her sisters hands and pulling," We need to go find the others so we can leeeeaaaave."

"How can you WANT to leave," Dove asked," As soon as we get back on that ship, we'll all be targeted for herding again. Apparently, no one knows WHAT herdings are on this ship. That's paradise for me right there!"

"I know," Irene said quietly," I don't like it either but...our vode are on there. I don't think they'd like getting used to a new ship. The Justice is our home." Dove eyed Irene miserably, but knew she was right. They had all been on the Justice since Ru'buir had spirited them away from Kamino. It as their first place of freedom, until the mongrels and mongrel bitches had come aboard. It was still home...it was just an unhappy home.

XXXXX

Shadow watched intensely from his hiding spot. So the chaakars were aboard the Justice? A plan began forming in his mind. One that would not make the General happy...

But somehow that mattered less than it should have.

XXXXX

Captain Rex had heard plenty about General Ru'more. But none of it made sense. Very easy to anger. Cold as ice. Firm with her troops. Very loose with her command. It made his head hurt just thinking about it, but that's what rumors did to your head when you hear about them. But one thing was absolutely sure: All clones said that she was a decent being.

Well, at least he'd get a chance to see for himself.

Their ship had come under very extensive damage, and the Devaronian General's ship was the closest one to them.

"Justice, come in. This is Captain Rex of the Resolute. We're coming aboard for repairs," he said to the crackling screen.

"Justice to Resolute, you are clear to aboard," a, surprisingly, female voice said after a while. He wasn't the only one surprised. Clones on the deck glanced at the screen, the only indication of their shock. It was rare when they got to hear a female voice.

"Copy that, Justice. Resolute out," Rex said without sounding too surprised. He stood frowning in thought at the screen as the Justice slowly got bigger.

XXXXX

A woman with with long golden locks braided into smaller separate braids stood crossed armed before the ship. She watched as they all decended and saluted the General and Commander as they came within a few paces of her.

"General Skywalker...Commander Tano," she said. Rex noticed that she pronounced General as "Zhenerale" and Commander as "Co-mmandor" in an accent he couldn't quite place.

"Welcome aboard the Justice. Our General is not onboard right now...but she will be back soon," she said. General Skywalker frowned at her.

"Where is General Ru'more," he inquired

"She is onboard General Lunar's ship, the Requiem. One of our troopers ran into some problems on the job and was hurt pretty bad. The General and trooper were picked up in their ship to give medical treatment," the woman replied evenly. She didn't even blink at the Jedi's frown and just watched him through cautiously blank eyes. Both Jedi's nodded at her explanation and left together for the bridge, not needing to ask her where. The woman watched them go until the door closed behind them, leaving them both alone in the hanger with the hustle and bustle of troopers and intelligence officers. She turned back round to him and gave him a once over.

"Captain Rex," she said, not asked, stated. When he nodded, she struck out her hand.

"Captain Je'karta of the 828th," she said as Rex gripped it, Mando'a style. He recognized her name as the word for "vengeful" in the language. He studied her more thoroughly, now that he was up close.

A very faint scar ran from her hairline to her eyes, which were a dark silver. Storm clouds. On the other side, a scar ran from just above her eye then curved around it and stopped a little ways down under it. A small group of little scars clustered at her jawline on her right side while two slash marks stood out proudly on her throat. And finally, from what he could see, two scars kissed both corners of her mouth in straight lines like the ones on her throat.

Her eyebrow had raised up the handshake, but her eyes sparked with approval to his knowledge like lightning bolts in those grey clouds.
XXXXX

Snowdrop blinked very slowly whenever she was confused. And right now...her blinking so slow, a snail could cross the floor before her eyes closed. She was on top of two troopers while Soul was on her back and their buir was standing over the pile. Before this whole mess, Snowdrop was walking around trying to find both the med bay and Dove. The two troopers had stopped her and tried to explain to her something about an escort. She had turned around to comply, they stepped forward, only to slip on the unknowing sheet of ice that had formed underneath her feet. And next thing she knew, she had been casted forward as Soul collided with her back when she had turned to check on them and apologize, slamming her on top of the poor troopers. Buir had arrived close on her heels and stopped when she came upon the whole scene. The two troopers beneath her groaned in protest and Snowdrop quickly got off of them giving the two room to stand. One was pale with white hair and red eyes, the other was almost the exact opposite: tanner than most troopers and with long red, orange, and yellow hair spilling off his head.

"Owww, my head," the paler of the two complained as he grasped his head," Now I know how the rest of you feel."

The opposite smirked at him, cradling his temple with the palm of his hand," Welcome to the real world, brother. It's about time you joined the humans!"

Pale one glared at him and stuck out his tongue childishly, making Ru'more raise her eyebrows at them in amusement. They were so much like her own kitlings, it was hard for her to fight the urge to collect them as easily as she did for the beautiful little girls she'd find wanting a way out of their cruel life.

Snowdrop was staring hard at both troopers, and blinked at them. She then turned to her buir and said," You found them?"

Ru'more nodded and said in a gruff voice," Yes and we're leaving NOW. I just got word that Ashputel's been herded again."

Snowdrop, like her visage implied, was never one to get hot under the collar...but this did it just fine. Hot anger slipped into her words like burning oil," This is the fourth time this month, buir."

"I know ad'ika...which is why I want to get back to the Justice and find out WHY she's being singled out so much."

Snowdrop turned back to the men," First, you said you were escorting me somewhere, yes?"

"Ah yes!" the tanned trooper stepped forward a wining grin on his face. "Ya see, General Aurora gave orders that all unauthorized female passengers are to be escorted to the bridge."

"Why?"

The trooper shrugged. "Probably got something to do with that chick who attacked Ben."

He scowled slightly; flicking the lighter he had in his hand on and off, "What I'd do if I caught her trying it again."

The flame of the lighter flared up dangerously scorching over the mans fingers, he didn't even flinch, and when the flame fell back to normal size his hand was undamaged.

The pale trooper nodded in agreement. "I'd put new meaning to the words flash freeze." He breathed out slowly, his breath a visible cloud, as if the hall's were much colder than they actually were

Snowdrop's eyes widened considerably and her head fell to the side. The room's temperature suddenly dropped so that everyone's breath was suddenly showing up in the air, but more visible than what the pale trooper's was.

"I'll...NEVER...let you do that," her eyes grew to diamonds and her teeth gritted at them,"to my sister."

Soul's shoulder had flexed back as she, too, glared at the troopers. Ru'more gave a loud sigh and rubbed her temple.

"My poor kitling," she thought," Is anyone but your vod going to truly know you?"

The tanned clone shivered against the cold, his teeth chattering uncontrollable. His arms coming up to rap around his chest to try and preserve warmth. Clearly he didn't handle the cold well.

The red-eyed man was completely unaffected. He stepped up to Snowdrop the tips of his pale ears bluing slightly and his breath cracking like ice every time he breathed out a thick cloud of oxygen and vapor.

"Your SISTER should watch who she mess's with." He growled his red eyes slightly misty and his hands bluing, frost forming in his palms. "And so should you, hon." He flashed her a mischievous almost creepy smile that showed teeth even whiter than his complexion.

Snowdrop's voice matched his," You and I have the same powers, chaakare. You can't affect me...I can't affect you."

"We don't have time for this, Drop'ika...I need to see how badly Ashputel was beaten from her herding," Ru'more said coming between the two before turning to the pale one," We'll escort ourselves after we find the others."

Immediately, the room's temp came back up and both girls followed after their buir as she swept past the two troopers.

The pale trooper called after them. "Either way, hon, I'm still bigger than you!"

His brother shivered once again obviously thankful for the change in temperature. he flicked his lighter on, watching as the flame rose and fell with each breath he took. Their COM links beeped in unison and the two troopers listened intently as there General informed them of the latest incident.

Kriff! Poor Rat...

"We're going after them right, Freeze?" the tanned trooper tilted his head in the others direction already knowing the answer.

"What do you think Heat?" the pale trooper glared after the women.

"I think I better tell Zero I can't force him to go clubbing with me tonight." Heat smirked, a plan forming in his mind. "The KP'll be worth it. This is OUR ship."

"And no one mess's with the 666th and gets away with it." Freeze smirked and the two men followed after the 3 woman.

With no good intentions to speak of.

XXXXX

"Buir, these are clones...just like us! Can't we at le," Soul started.

'NO," Ru'more said loudly as she whirled around to her kitlings," The more people who know, the more herdings will happen, the more you will get hurt."

She drew a deep breath and let it out," Put it this way, kitlings...they've already don't like Marishka and they don't bother to find out why she went into a frenzy."

"Because YOU DIDN'T TELL THEM WHAT WOULD HAPPEN," Snowdrop said," Anyone would freak out if someone starts feeding off of them because they lost all that blood because of that demagolka."

"They've already called your sister a bloodsucker and apparently one of them wants to hurt her. It's just like all the other aruetii ships...just with other clones."

Soul's throat closed tightly and she squeezed her eyes shut. She'd always thought there was camaraderie among them and the men clones...now she just felt like a freak among clones.

"Who wants to hurt Marishka," Snowdrop asked surprised.

"I don't know," she said," But I don't want to stick around to find out. Too many accidents are happening...it won't be long until a herding. No more distraction...no more wasting time. Get your vode and we're going back to the Justice."

"Yes buir," they both said and immediately split to find them.

XXXXX

"Kriff, this chick's insane." Heat whispered peering around the corner. "And what in the dar'yam is a herding anyway?"

Freeze shrugged, "Don't know, don't care. I'll be DAMNED if another one of these 'accidents' happens."

The pale trooper cracked his knuckles, clearly not believe for a second that two attacks (and one cat fight) could be chalked up to 'accidents'.

"Should we go with plan X, R, or W?" Heat smirked looking at his brother.

"None." Freeze said immediately, shaking his head. "Special circumstances call for special revenge." The pale trooper leaned in closer to his brother whispering the plan he had in mind.

A broad toothy grin spread across Heat's face. "Remind me again why we don't work together more often?"

Freeze shrugged. "Something about flash floods, I kind of tuned captain out when he started lecturing us last time."

XXXXX

Irene, Dove, and Marishka had surprisingly found Miya without any incident and were waiting on the bridge for the others to arrive. Boombox and Gaelen were there as well. They had found Vision hopelessly lost and embarrassed in the mess hall, too scared to talk to two near identical troopers who Dove had explained, when Vision told them, were Zigzag and Swish. All they were waiting for now was their buir, Soul, Kit-Kat, and Snowdrop and they would be good to go. Irene was looking around with a sad look on her face. Dove and Marishka had a feeling it was becasue she wouldn't be able to say goodbye to her newly made mysterious friend. That was Irene all over...and it worried them. She'd stall a long time until she'd had to be dragged into the ship to say goodbye.

XXXXX

Heat peered around the corner of the hall he had rigged. Grinning proudly at his handy work. One of the girls, the spiky haired one more specifically, was walking down the hall.

"Right were I want her," he thought and raised his lighter up to be ready. He watched the girl set her feet on his trick tile and failed miserably at picking her foot up again.

Got to love enhanced gravity plating. Heat flicked his lighter on with a satisfying click. He wasn't going to hurt her, just scare her enough so she realized what she had put Rat through. Heat's fingers danced over the flame and the fire shot up and out crawling along the walls of the hall, surrounding the female. The trooper grinned, his eyes sparkling dangerously at the sight of the flames. So pretty…

XXXXX

Soul stared wordlessly at the flames crawling all around her. She didn't say anything but a familiar feeling filled her and the ceiling groaned in protest.

"I'm being targeted," she thought to herself looking around," Someone's trying to herd me."

Water, once again, began to fill the hall. It swirled around her, rushing to put out the flames.

XXXXX

From his hiding spot Heat frowned slightly, he wasn't exactly a fan of water. (It always put out his beautiful flames.) But this wasn't about him, it was about Rat and Ben and at this point, who knew else. Aaaand there was no harm in a little revenge.

Fresh flames shot out, dancing over the surface of the water, far enough away from the girl for her not to get burned but close enough for it to scare her plenty. The pyro-technician laughed his heart leaping with the flames.

XXXXX

It would be so easy to pull him in. Just pull him in and let him stay there until she could get away.

'No...no no no no no no no," she though as the image of the flailing trooper came to the surface of her mind. She had never even thought about something like that happening, event to her targets. Her targets, a lot of the time, she had to scare and yes kill, but NEVER a trooper. What if this one were others like that trooper? No, not again. She'll never do that again on this ship. She was trapped here. But she could protect herself.

Two spheres formed a little ways away from the wall of water, protecting it as shields.

XXXXX

Heat frowned slightly at the shields but ignored them, instead he manipulated the flames in front of him, the burned higher forming the faces of every terrifying being he could think of.

"This will teach her," he thought fiercely," not to mess with our vod!"

XXXXX

Soul watched all the images forming in the flames. The first one was a man square jawed, bull faced, and intimidating, somewhere between a wequayan and a human, the next a woman somthing closs to rodian with long hair and sinister dark eyes, Kaminoans... Many many Kaminoans. A Twi'lek man, a Devorian, monsters, torture devices, operating rooms, training facilitys...

Soul's eyes widened at the operating table and her mouth opened wide to let out a scream that broke through the water.

"NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," she screamed loudly, her eyes glued to it and she scrambled backwards against her wall," KAAAIIIIIINEN!"

The water sloshed around violently as she tossed and turned, trying to figure out what was up and down to try and get away.

"I DON"T WANT TO DIE," she screamed loudly," HEEEEELLLP! KAINEN!"

Her eyes were bugging out of her skull at this point.

"DON'T LET HIM CUT ME OPEN AGAIN," she howled to anyone who could hear.

XXXXX

The flames died slightly a confused look spreading over the troopers face. How did she know about the operating room? It was a child's memory, a place of fear and pain. The place where his love of fire was born.

The flames burned hotter tinting blue and even white.

Fire, beautiful, glorious, CLEANSING fire.

The small part of Heats mind that remembered where he was, what he was doing, kept the flames safely away from the screaming girl. The rest of him was devoted entirely to the fire. But a loud roar behind Heat broke his concentration. He whipped around to find a tigress, a REAL tigress, showing off her teeth to him. She circled around him, her eyes glaring hotly at him as she completed the circle to get to the spheres. She walked over to them and try to walk through. But as soon as she got into it, a small tornado formed and twirled her around like a doll before spitting her out to crash into the wall. The tigress growled loudly and backed up far from him. From there, she charged past him and once again into the sphere. She past right through it easily.

XXXXX

Kit-Kat transformed into her humanoid version as soon as she got past Soul's defense and gently touched the wall. So, boy clones DID know what a herding was. Well, this wasn't really a herding but it was close enough.

THAT...made pissed her off. Better it be mongrels bitches and not their own kind

"Soul...mi amore? Come here. We're leaving," she said firmly. The water in the wall sloshed around and Kit-Kat held out her arms. Two arms made completely out of water broke through the wall and wrapped around her neck and clung to her. When she stepped back, a whole person made of the same substance was clinging to her like a scared little girl. As she was pulled out, the wall was absorbed into her body and disappeared while the two sphere's shifted to follow their movements. Heat could see clear through her body, through her head as they both walked away from him after once last glare from the white and black haired sister.

"It's my fault," Soul whispered to her sister as she was carried to the hanger.

"No, it wasn't," Kit-Kat said firmly.

"I only wanted to slow him down," she whimpered. Kit-Kat glanced at her.

"I only wanted to slow him down to get time to find our vod...I didn't know he couldn't swim...I tried to help him breath," she said in a cracked voice. Kit-Kat frowned in sympathy and stroked her head. It rippled around her finger where she touched.

"You couldn't have known, mi amore," she said and hoisted her up more.

XXXXX

Heat smirked slightly at the glare sent his way, his mind no longer concerned with revenge or either of the girls. He grinned crazily at the fire licking its way up the walls and through the hallways, evaporating the water with a delicious hiss. He should probably put it out…

But not right now, his eyes glinted with pleasure as he watched the flames.

XXXXX

A stone faced Kit-Kat entered with Soul clutched around her like a backwards Koala baby. Kit Kat marched up and glared at Lunar. Gone was the playful woman Lunar had first met. Now she was faced with a humanized, enraged tigress.

"You," the tigress said quietly," are a wonderful actress, aruetii."

"Excuse me," Aurora looked at her evenly, surprised.

"You DO know what herdings are! One of your men tried to herd Soul," she hissed venomously. Irene's head jerked up and she immediately ran over to grab Soul out of Kit-Kat's arms and check her for signs of any wounds. Kit-Kat didn't react when the weight was taken. She kept her eyes on Lunar. Miya and Marishka now eyed the General warily. Vision crossed the room to bend down to Soul's eyes to get the truth.

"You pretended not to know what herdings were! Were you trying to get us to lower our guard," she didn't even wait for an answer she turned to her vode,"Buir was right, this is just another aruetii ship. We're leaving as soon as she comes back."

"Liar," Lunar hissed between her teeth her eyes flashing dangerously. "They would NEVER-" but her words were cut off by her captain.

The tattooed man lunged forward tackling Kit Kat to the ground with a look of unbridled fury on his face.

"LIAR, ARUETII," he pulled back just enough to deliver several well placed punch's to the woman,"HOW DARE YOU CHAAKAR? YOU DONT KNOW WHAT THE KRIFF YOUR TALKING ABOUT!"

A look of pure hatred shone in his eyes.

"YOU COME ON OUR SHIP! YOU ATTACK BEN, YOU BRING BACK SHADOW'S WORST OF MEMORIES, YOU NEARLY DROWN RAT, AND YOU DARE ACUSE MY MEN OF ATTACKING YOU?"

Kit-Kat grabbed the Captain by the collar and threw him off of her, her look matching his as she pointed to the hallway.

"If I'm lying then why the HELL did someone set the hall Soul was in on fire," she yelled at him," They put images into the flames! How the dar'yam do you know about Kainen and that kriffen torture room! Soul wanted to find our vod and wanted to slow him down not drown him. How was I suppose to know he didn't like scars?"

Kit-Kat's thoughts were spewing out at random.

Not a good sign.

The captain growled fiercely at her, jumping to his feet and lunging once again in her direction. He was stopped by Shambles and Info who, even between them, were struggling to hold the man back.

"Enough of this," Vision said as she pulled back from Soul and headed over to Marishka," Time she knew."

Marishka bent down eye-level to Vision, no hesitation, and allowed the blue swirls to enter her eyes. When they went back into Vision's skull, Vision kept her eyes closed tight, walked over to Lunar, gently took hold of her shoulders and opened her eyes. The whole scene played out about the attack and what was seen through Marishka's eyes all the way up to when Lunar herself barged into Ben's medical ward.

XXXXX

Snowdrop was getting a bad feeling. She didn't like the creeping feeling she was getting in her back. It was her body telling her that she was being watched. She had a feeling she knew who...the question was why.

Bruised ego underneath an uncaring smile?

Revenge?

Or was this a herding?

"He can try," Snowdrop thought without missing a step," But he will fail."

Bring it on

XXXXX

Aurora cursed reaching up to rub her eyes, the mando'an suddenly looking exhausted and much older than she was. "Someone remind me to have another talk with Barricade about his people skills."

Paint had stopped thrashing, but neither Info nor Shambles had let him go. All three men stared at there general in confusion.

Aurora looked at the woman in front of her. "Kriff why weren't we told sooner?" she groaned rubbing her temples in frustration. "Someone could have been KILLED."

Her head suddenly snapped up so fast they all heard it pop, "You said FIRE?"

Kit Kat nodded and the Jedi cursed loudly once again, lifting her COM to her lips. "Somebody get the fire equipment, we got a live one somewhere in quad 9."

She paused a moment her voice softening a fraction. "And someone escort Heat to the medical bay."

Vision was still in front of the general. Her smile was sympathetic and her voice was gentle.

"Buir's overprotective. She's scared more herdings will happen if more people know."

She fixed Lunar with an unblinking stare

"Do you blame her...you didn't even try to find what was wrong with Marishka. The fault does stand with buir for not telling...but also you for not trying to see," she said her eyes flickering over to the flame haired woman, playing with her vod'ika.

Lunar sighed again glaring weakly at the other woman. "You don't seem to fully understand the position I'm in."

She took another deep breath, rubbing her temples in agitation. "I'm sorry for what you and your vod go through."

She shook her head. "But these men are my first and foremost priority. And in most cases reasons are less important than facts."

"I know," Vision said, her smile melting into humor," Your just like our buir: Stubborn if you don't mind me saying, passionate like when she has her moments apparently you bring those out quite nicely, and I'm sure you deny it but you have a very large heart and put your ad'ika first."

XXXXX

Freeze watched her from his hiding spot in the ventilations shaft above her head. He couldn't say (with COMPLETE confidence) that his plan would work. But the girl was probably right in saying he couldn't affect her. The pale trooper couldn't help but wonder if her experience had been similar to his.

He'd been a reject from the moment he emerged from his growth tank. An albino clone? The force truly was a cruel mistress. He could still remember his first trip to the Kaminii's 'cold room'…

He had adapted to survive.

Freeze smiled mischievously reaching out and placing a pale hand on top of the water pip in front of him.

Frost quickly formed beneath his hand the metal turning blue and brittle.

He carefully and silently moved the air grate out of the way and looked down, a few more feet…

Freeze slammed his fist into the pip breaking the now unthinkably brittle metal with ease. Water quickly began gushing out dropping directly onto the girl's head.

He wasn't sure how well his plan would work. But if she froze everything she stepped on so easily…

And even if it didn't go quite as he planed, no one liked getting wet.

XXXXX

The water didn't even touch her.

Snowdrop sighed a long sigh. He was joking, right? He was just like her. So he should know what happened when water met ice. As soon as it came within an inch of her being, it halted in its path. A crackling noise started and ice overtook the water up into the vent it had come out of.

Snowdrop came to a halt and slowly turned her head upwards to the vent.

"You know, you're not the only one who came up with the water dumping scheme."

She left him there in the vent as she continued on to find her vod.

XXXXX

"Yeah...that pretty much sums it up." Captain Paint received a playful glare from his general followed by a smack in the back of the head.

"Its impossible for me to see YOU as an ad'ika captain." She smirked. "A little more like an annoying cousin."

XXXXX

She left him there in the vent.

SHE left HIM in the vent

Freeze scowled lowly. Ok she was good… and her average body temperature was quite clearly a lot lower than his.

'Damn it.'

Now this was just painful…. Freeze activated his COM whispering quietly into it.

"Daemon, its Freeze, remember that time I helped you with-"

"What do you want trooper," the Sergeant's familiar voice crackled over the COM.

Freeze licked his lips nervously. "I'm in the ventilation shaft above hall B23 I need to fix a PROBLEM."

The line was silent for a moment before the sergeant's voice came again instructing him on what to do.

"I owe you one." Freeze grinned in spite of himself.

"Yes you do."

And with that the line went dead.

Freeze put away his COM before crawling a few more feet ahead in the ventilation shaft. Carefully he pried up a loose piece of lining on the vent wall revealing a palm sized number panel.

The sergeant did good work… When he wasn't trying to make someone's life a living dar'yam.

No sooner had he punched in the last number of the code he was given than a woman's shriek of surprise filled the hall way.

Freeze dropped out of the ventilation shaft running over to the newly existent hole in the floor.

He peered down into the dark tunnel the girl had disappeared in. He smirked, unconcerned. Its not like Daemon filled the thing with poisonous snakes or anything… that he knew of. As Freeze walked away, he didn't notice the pale fingers of frost creep up from the hole, grab the edges, and harden into thin sheets of ice.

I am SO sorry about the repeat. I didn't notice until today so the edited chapter above will be long as an apology! Things below are for the songs a few chapters back:

The guys (besides Gaelen) and General Lunar belong to AL0LT0

The girls, Gaelen, and General Ru'more belong to me

Star Wars: The Clone Wars belong to LucasFilms and Company

Wherever You Go by Bryan Adams

Can You Hear Me by Enrique Iglesias

Tell Me Baby by Red Hot Chili Peppers

I Only Want To Be With You by Hootie and the Blowfish

Who Am I by Jessica Andrews

Womanizer by Britney Spears

Where'd You Go by Fort Knox

Love the Way You Lie by Rhianna ft Eminem

Don't Be Mad at Me by Waka Flocka Flame

Hello, Goodbye by the Beetles

These Words by Natasha Bedingfield

I'm Sorry by Rising Neptune

Just Like a Pill by Pink

Irene by Toby Mac

I Hate Myself for Loving You by Joan Jett

Shut Up and Let Me Go by Ting Tings

Hey Baby by No Doubt

Far Away by Nickleback

I'm Sorry by Tommy Reeve

"Snowdrop! Snowdrop! Come in, kitling!"

Ru'more wiggled the COM on her arm wildly and tapped it with more force than what's called gently. Lunar had called her a little earlier and told her all but Snowdrop were on the bridge.

That...was unusual

Snowdrop prided herself with being neat and on time. She was never late for what she hated and she was neat in both meanings of the word in and out of her work.

Ru'more felt her stomach sink. If Soul had almost been herded like Kit-Kat said...what if someone had been successful with Snowdrop?

"Come on ad'ika," she moaned quietly," If another bad thing happens, I'm going to lose it!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Ben let out a low; long sigh as he watched the man sitting in his medical bay.

Heat had his lighter turned on and was staring, unblinkingly, into the flame. Ben sighed again; this was not his area of expertise. Usually when something like this happened the man's best brother would handle it. Barricade had Totem, Hawk had Falcon, Heat had Zero… but Zero was off ship, on a classified mission that not even Heat was allowed to know about. Ben himself only knew for the obvious reasons.

Always inform your medical staff.

The medic let out another long sigh taking a tentative seat next to his brother.

"Mind if I join you?"

No movement, no response not even a blink.

"Heat…" Ben reached out slowly, carefully taking the lighter from his brother's hand and flicking it off.

The man snapped to attention glaring dangerously at his brother. After a few moments of tense silence Heat moved his glare to the floor.

"I lost control again didn't I."

It wasn't a question, more of a statement of fact.

"I just wanted to scare her. I thought I could… I didn't think I'd…" Heat ran his over his face, his fingers pulling through his shoulder length hair. Ben was silent, listening, one hand placed absently on his brothers knee to offer comfort. "We just wanted to teach 'em a lesson."

Ben looked at him for a moment, his soft blue eyes staring intently into Heat caramel brown ones.

"Who else brother?"

XXXXXXXXXX

As Marishka played around with Dove, waiting for their buir to come. She found herself thinking back to Ledge and Ben. Probably the only clones who didn't resent her for her and how she was...after the shock wore off.

(Flashback)

As Dove got acquainted with Ledge and Ben, Marishka tried to ignore her head. It was pounding not too pleasantly since she hadn't got enough blood. It was starting to get to her. All the heartbeats in the room weren't helping either.

Thump...

Thump...

Thump...

Thump...

Thump...

She kept her jaw clenched tight and was looking anywhere but to the closes sources of food. She didn't need to have history repeat itself with her attacking one of the men. Dove would be okay, since she was used to being fed from, but she might not be the one closes to her. And that one heart was the one that she wanted to go after so badly. She was also breathing out of her mouth so that she couldn't smell their scents either and lose it. The next best thing to taste for Marishka...was smell.

A large hand was placed on her shoulder and Marishka fought down the urge to pounce on them. "You all right?" it was a clones voice to hard and to load to be Ben's. Ledge. "You're looking a bit sick."

"Nooooo," Marishka mentally groaned in her head. Not Ledge. But it was too late. When Marishka needed to feed, her instincts would immediately lock onto one prey and she couldn't be shaken from them once she was locked. Marishka's teeth started to chatter in her skull and her jaw ached with the fangs wanting to come out. She gritted her teeth hard to try and stop them, but she was slowly realizing that she had stopped breathing through her mouth and now through her nose. His scent. She could smell him. He smelled of granite stone dust and cold water.

Marishka crouched down and hissed quietly.

Ledge didn't move, looking down at her with uncertainty and the teeniest hint of fear in his amber eyes.

Dove glanced to Marishka at Ledge's words and then did a double take, blanching.

"Ledge," she said quietly," Don't do freak out...but show her your shoulder slowly."

Ledge shot her a glance as if asking if she was completely insane but he did as he was told. He slowly rotated his body so that his shoulder was facing Marishka.

Ben watched from where he stood next to Dove, his blue eyes passive and alert while his hands slowly began searching the medical cabinet.

Marishka's pupils disappeared as he offered his shoulder. Her eyes searched wildly for the small dip near it. When she did, she jumped him, knocking him to the ground. Her fingers tore at his armor and pulled off the top of his glove suit. Her fangs lengthened and she swooped down, ready to feel the sweet rush of blood in her mouth...

But Dove was on her before she could. She grabbed Marishka firmly by her neck before she could bite him. Marishka froze, her whole body locking up and she blinked looking around, trying to see who had her.

"Slowly," Dove said slowly," You want him to keep the blood. And gently."

Marishka made small whimpering sounds of protest. But when she saw that Dove wasn't going to let her eat, she nodded. Dove let go of her and stood beside Ledge to make sure she would. Marishka breathed rapidly for a while, looking between Ben and Dove warily before turning back to Ledge.

He just looked at her his eyes showing fear that didn't exist anywhere else on his body. Only his eyes betrayed him.

She shrunk back a little, but soon leaned down so that she was completely draped over him. She brushed her fangs over the area gently to warn him first. Then her eyes shut and she slowly sunk her teeth into him.

"Just, don't move too much and think of things that calm you down," Dove whispered to Ledge as she kept her eye on her feeding sister

Ledge took several shaky breaths and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Kriff, kriff, kriff, kriff." Well Barricade was right… she is a tricky one.

'What do I do?' Ledge considered fighting back but decided against it. she had a good hold on him it'd be pointless.

'What did she say about staying calm,' Ledge took a few deep breaths trying to bring the mental images from Fest back to the front of his mind. His breathing slowed slightly but not by much. Ledge cracked his eye open and looked to Ben. The medic was pulling things from a storage compartment, among them several pill bottles and a liquid ration sack.

When Marishka had finally drunk to her fill, she pulled away and scrambled back from Ledge with a sob lodged in her throat. Blood was again dripping off of her chin and staining her dress. She needed privacy. Her wings stretched out and wrapped around her, though they did little good. The material of her dress was so thin, the membranes were stretched thin as well. She couldn't see them exactly, but she could see their shadows and vise versa. She tried not to cry. She felt like an animal. Another person she can chalk on her list of scaring off. She had seen his eyes. Seen how they looked at her. She knew what was running through his head.

Ben was on Ledge in an instant, checking his pulse and heart rate. He handed his brother the liquid ration pack but Dove shook her head.

"You wont need that."

Marishka slowly started to rock back and forth inside of her wings, trying to think of a way to get the dar'yam out of this medical bay without having to look at either Ben or Ledge.

Ledge stood walking cautiously over to her and taking one knee next to her, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and concern.

"Are you… are you ok?"

She didn't say anything, but her rocking stopped. Then one of her wings lifted just enough so Ledge could see an eye, filled with some unknown fear.

Ledge forced a smile though his own eyes clearly still held his own small undercurrent off fear, "Come on now, what are you nervous about? I'm not gonna hurt ya."

He forced a chuckle. "No way in the 7 frozen hells of Hoth is Ben's gonna hurt ya."

Marishka could still see it. The fear. The fear of her glazing his eyes like honey over a comb. The hole quickly closed so she didn't have to see it anymore and she continued to rock.

Ledge blinked but didn't move from his spot next to her.

"You're scared of her," Dove stated from above him.

The trooper looked up at her, his eyes now guilty. His head dipped down but not before she caught the look.

"She can see it," Dove said," She's had too many dealings with people who are scared of her to come out when you have that look in your eye."

Ledge blinked for a moment before turning back to Marishka smacking his hand against the ground, causing everyone to jump in surprise.

"Come on now don't mind me!" Ledge smirked. "I just don't get much of a chance around girls is all."

He smiled. "Your beauty is nerve racking."'

Ben watched his brother, it was a bluff, not a completely lie but still a bluff. He knew Ledge well enough to know it was a bluff but he doubted the girls knew that. Ledge was an accomplished actor, a lot of his training having focused on counter interrogation during his earlier years on Kamino. With the right amount of effort he could probably have convinced them he was part nexu.

But instead of looking curious or smiling a the complement to her sister, Dove stared at Ledge, mouth opened in horror. Out of all the things to do...fierfek, that was the worst.

Marishka stared at the shadow beside her in shock. First he went from fear to this.

Oh, no

No

No

No

"Come here, sweetheart," a voice crooned in her head and a loathed figure swam in her head, a single hand outstretched and an angelic smile on his soft lips,"Come here, darling. What are you doing in this room? Come here, don't be shy! I won't hurt you. How can I hurt such a beautiful angel?"

Marishka tightened everything around her. When he had said those words just those few years ago, Marishka had been scared with no one around to comfort her. She was alone in a room with no windows and a locked door. She had thought she was going to be terminated, really terminated since Kit-Kat wasn't there. HE had entered the room, apologizing saying that he had the wrong number

When she had turned around, his eyes had widened in wonder and a gasp left his lips. He stared at her for a long while before beckoning her over to him with those words.

Like a fool, she had believed him

But when she came close, his smile turned to a sneer and his eyes became mean like the flip side of a coin. He had grabbed her by her neck and forced her to do things she didn't want to do. Her buir had found her against the wall crying, not wanting to be touched.

Never again.

Never again would she be the one to fall for pretty petty words.

Not then

Not in the future

And certainly not now

"Ledge." Ben whispered calmly he saw the horror in Doves eyes, and the way Marishka froze behind her wings. "Back up slowly and say you're sorry."

He wasn't exactly sure what was wrong but apologizing always helped right?

"Why?" Ledge looked up at Ben, his brow furrowed in confusion. He didn't look at Dove, didn't see the horror on her face. "What'd I do?"

"You just made her start reliving," Dove rasped," the worst day of her life."

She got on her hands and knees next to Ledge and gently touched the membranes,"Mishka? Mar'ika? Let me in."

When the wings didn't open up, Dove took a hold of where the two ends met. She forced them open, and she crawled over to her sister.

"NO," Marishka screamed and struggled when her sister's arms wrapped around her," NO! DON'T TOUCH ME!"

She cried as Dove held on and started to rocked her back and forth, shushing her. Her attempts at making Dove release her grew weak as she broke down and cried on her shoulder.

"Don't let him get mmeeee...don't make me go baaack," she choked on her cries.

"Never, ner vod," Dove promised as she stroke her hair," Never."

Ledge felt BAD now. He stared at the red head in front of him. She was terrified.

How was it possibly for him to become the bad guy so kriffin fast?

'Really screwed this one up royally didn't you, trooper?'

Dove knew how Ledge would be feeling, but she wanted to hold onto her sister for a little bit longer. She needed comfort, and not of the male kind. She rocked and rocked and rocked her until her sobs were almost completely stopped before turning to Ledge.

"It's not you she's scared of now," Dove assured him," Just...someone from the bad days."

She took his hand and pulled him over to Marishka, peeled her off gently, and handed her off to him.

Ledge looked down at the girl. She seemed so fragile, weighed nothing in his arms. They didn't even flex when she was dropped into them.

That worried him. He forced a chuckle.

"Don't they ever feed you," he smiled, trying his best to be reassuring.

Marishka wiggled slightly as the new set of arms held her. The scent that had made her so ravenous once again filled her and she took a deep breath. His scent was so soothing, she was surprised it didn't make her calm down in her near-frenzied state. The clean crisp smell of water was the one that she recognized immediately. The other one, the one she couldn't recognize, smelt of the earth but no earth that she was familiar with.

"The mountains," she suddenly realized," He smells like the mountains."

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry," she mumbled into his neck.

"Hay, don't worry about it." Ledge smiled lightly at her. "Not your fault."

Marishka just snuggled closer.

(End flashback)

XXXXXXXXXX

"Kriff kriff kriff kriff," Ru'more panted as she scrambled around, heart beating, eyes wild, and sweating like a pig.

No Snowdrop

No Snowdrop

No Snowdrop

No Snowdrop

Where is she?

She looked around the different hallways and swallowed hard. They all looked the same! Didn't she already come this way!

She tried to control her voice to not let her hysterical state show as she punched in Lunar's COM number," General, is Snowdrop on the bridge now?

"No," Lunar's voice crackled over the COM, "She's not with you? Hang on, I have another COM coming in I'll get back to you in a second."

The COM went silent for a few moments before Aurora's voice returned once again. "We have a problem."

"Yes yes. Of course we would! Every other shabla thing HAS gone wrong today! What's one more thing to add to the fire," Ru'more ranted, leaning against the wall," Well out with it! Better on a fast knife than a slow stretch."

"Ironic that you say fire…" Aurora mumbled, not seeming to think Ru'more heard her.

As quickly as she could Lunar explain the situation, finishing with, "… We can only assume that both Freeze and Snowdrop are in the same general area."

Silence. Complete utter silence was heard on Ru'more's side of the COM.

"Do a scan of the ship...look for extreme cold. That'll be Snowdrop," she finally answered.

"Alright." The COM cut off leaving Ru'more alone to wait.

XXXXXXXXXX

Lunar lowered her COM and turned to face to two clone deck officers next to her. "Scan the ship for any extreme cold area's."

The two clones nodded and ran swiftly back to their monitors. Within minutes, Info was calling her over to his screen.

Aurora bent over his shoulder, eyes scanning the monitor screen quickly before straitening. She punched in Ru'more's number and lifting her COM to her lips.

"2nd level ventilation center. I'm sending you the coordinates now."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Alright. That's it."

Miya got up from her position and stretched upwards.

"I'm gonna go find buir and 'elp 'er look for our vod," she said. Everyone stared at her blankly.

"We can't leave the hanger, Miya," Vison said.

"Yea, well, I ain't gonna stay 'ere 'n do nothin' while out vod may be in trouble," she said gruffly as she finished stretching.

"But every time we split," Dove said," we either get into trouble or we have to start looking for each other again."

"I know...which is why all of you are stayin'," Miya said as she sauntered out the door before anyone could protest. However, someone followed her. Miya scowled at her sister as she waltzed up to her and then switched to match up with her pace. Miya snorted and they both continued towards the bridge where General Lunar was. They almost got there without any trouble...

But one of the doors they needed to get through was being blocked.

The battle hardened and scared face of the trooper glared down at them. He planted himself in front of them folding his muscular arms across his broad chest.

"And who are YOU supposed to be?" the man glared down at them with annoyed, angry brown eyes as if they were simply a couple of annoying bugs that wouldn't stop buzzing around where they didn't belong.

"Hello ser," Vision said politely, ignoring his hard glare," I'm Vision and this is Miya, my vod. Might I ask your name?

"I'm Lieutenant Barricade." He answered his eyes hardening, if that was even possible

"You're Barricade, dawg," Miya growled getting up close to him and mimicking his stance," Whazzis I hear ya tryin' ta put my vod in lockup?"

He glared at her all the harder turning to face Miya head on, making her realize just how big he was. The lieutenant clearly had a lot more muscle on him than most clones. It would have been intimidating, if either woman was the type to get intimidated.

"And who's your 'VOD'?" He sneered at her. "That little shabla blood sucker who attacked Ben?" He lowered his head so he was eye level with her, growling with anger that she hadn't known anyone capable of. Well....maybe Disturbia but she wasn't sure.

Miya's lip curled away from her teeth in a snarl as she answered," Yes the shabla bloodsucker, you di'kulta kriffen chaakare."

Barricade growled at her with a hate filled glare that could have stopped the entire droid army in it's tracks.

Vision quickly planted herself in between the two and glared pointedly at her sister," Miyaaaa."

She turned to Barricade and spread her fingers," I''m sorry about them both. Marishka didn't mean any harm. It's really mostly our buir's fault for not warning you about what Marishka would do when she woke up, so you weren't properly prepared and your anger is understandable."

"Kriff right we should have been informed!" he snapped. "And I'll be DAMNED if you expect me to believe that little bloodsucker 'didn't mean any harm'."

His scared up knuckles were curled into tight fists.

"You don't know anything about Marishka, aruetii," Miya hissed from over Vision's arm," Don't go judging her because of buir's bad choice!"

Vision grabbed her sister into a tight headlock, one armed, with her arm going around her mouth and stopped her from saying anything that would make Barricade madder than what he already was. Miya struggled wildly in her vod's grip, but Vision was stronger than she looked and acted. She barley shifted as if Miya wasn't even moving.

"Marishka had an accident happen on her mission that made her weak," Vision explained," She lost blood and it made her distorted when she woke up. In her mind, she was still there where she was hurt and went to attack who hurt her and retrieve what was taken from her. She didn't know she was moved or that your brother was treating her with no ill intent."

"WELL THAN SHE SHOULD HAVE PAYED ATTENTION!" Barricade roared throwing his hands up in the air. "EVEN A BLIND MAN COULD SEE BEN'D NEVER HURT ANYONE!"

His voice lowered, but the growl came back,"I know an abuser when I see one.

Vision still didn't lose her calm

Miya did

She grabbed Vision's shoulders, flipped her up, and set her on the floor hard enough that she'd let go of her. Then, she got right up in Barricade's face, completely unafraid as she yelled at him.

"SHE'S NO ABUSER, ARUETII! SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHO BEN WAS! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? DO YOU KNOW IMMEDIATELY WHO I AM BECAUSE YOU SEE ME? WHO THE FIERFEK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, CHAAKARE? OBVIOUSLY SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T THINK BEFORE THEY ACT!"

"I KNOW ENOUGH," the trooper suddenly seemed 'a lot' bigger, "I KNOW YOU'RE A KRIFFED UP SHABUIR WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE DAR'YAM SHE'S BLABERING ON ABOUT!" He shoved her, causing Miya to stumble backwards a few steps and nearly loose her balance. He was strong, a lot stronger than any normal clone.

"SHE KNOCKED HIM DOWN AND TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT HE DOSEN'T KNOW HOW TO 'KRIFFIN' STAND UP FOR HIMSELF!"

Miya jumped him almost immediately. She took a hold of his head and smashed him down to the ground.

She was mad. No, scratch that. She was blind with rage. All she could feel was the frustration and anger swelling up her being at this aruetii.

Marishka didn't know

Marishka couldn't think

Marishka couldn't see

Marishka was vulnerable after being under the Leash. She hated feeling vulnerable, no matter what the circumstances. She'd lash out, scared that she was at the same place at the same time every time she came back.

This aruetii thought she'd know his brother as soon as she woke up? That she'd immediately love him on sight? No. None of them would. Not to anyone. The world had been a cruel and punishing master ever since they were babies. It made them like they were and put them in the universe so that it could have fun with them. But they had grown.

Miya unclipped two of her chains and whipped them around the aruetii's neck.

They had grown smarter. They had grown stronger. They had grown to survive.

She pulled. She pulled and pulled and pulled. Pulled for poor Marishka and pulled to let all of the burning anger out.

XXXXXXXXXX

Barricade gasped his hands going instinctively to his throat, blindly trying to pull the chains off of his neck. He should have reached out, should have grabbed the chains and broken them, or pulled them from the girls hands. But he couldn't think.

All he could think about was the chain around his neck.

Squeezing the life from his lungs.

AGAIN.

The lieutenant tried to stomp out the growing panic in his chest, but the chains tightened around his throat and for everything, Barricade was feeling more and more like a helpless child.

With his training sergeant leaning over him.

Pulling TIGHTER as he explained EXACTLY why Barricade was the most worthless piece of genetic garbage in the galaxy.

But even that hadn't been as bad.

As when his commander,

His BROTHER,

Had done the same.

Barricade wanted to scream, to curse, to kill her for making him so weak. He wasn't weak!

XXXXXXXXXX

Vison was paralyzed as she watched the chains tighten around the man's throat, digging into the flesh and turning the skin raw red. The face on her sister was a scary one, but not an unfamiliar one.

"He doesn't know either," she screamed in her mind," He's protecting his brother!"

Just like Miya was protecting Marishka

Just like she was killing a man to protect Marishka

"I need do do something," Vision thought as her gaze darted around the room. She couldn't think. Her eyes kept landing on the chains around his reddening neck.

He was gasping desperately for air. Scraping wildly at the chains around his neck, trying to get a hold on them. His angry brown eyes held something that didn't fit the man at all.

Fear.

No one needed to die

No one should die

Too much pain

Too much pain

Vision jumped. But instead of attacking Barricade, she grabbed Miya's head, and touched the weak points on her neck. Her sister gasped completely freezing up, her chains still wrapped tightly around Barricade's neck. Her eyes shuddered close and she fell down onto her side.

Barricade felt the pressure stop and he gasped for air, his fingers managing to dig beneath the chain and he squeezed it in his large hand.

The chain broke clean in half.

The lieutenant took several long breaths a long stream of expletives leaving his mouth every time he exhaled; his hand went to his throat and came away bloodied.

Another scare to add to the collection.

He spit, blood mixed with saliva hitting the floor next to Miya.

"Bitch." He swore, it was all he could do, because despite the Lieutenants tough exterior, despite all of his anger, his rage, his strength. He was still paralyzed with fear.

Vision felt sick as she reached down to take the chains off of his neck. Her breathing became loud and her hands went up to cover her ears and she fell flat. Curling into a ball, she rocked herself back and forth as the image of her sister's fury stayed etched into her mind. At the chains tightening around the man's neck.

She locked the face away

She locked everything away

But she couldn't lock the voice away

You can't save anyone

"Not true, not true, not true, not true."

Barricade stared at her. What in the 7 frozen hell's of Hoth?

You can't even be yourself around people

"I'm me, I'm me, I'm me, I'm me," she said over the voice, but it just grew louder and louder

You can't protect them.

"Not true, not true, not true, not true, not true, not true," she chanted, fighting to keep her voice from cracking.

XXXXXXXXXX

Barricade considered getting up and leaving but even he wasn't that cold. And the way she was talking… she reminded him of some of his brothers. When they had lain in their beds on Kamino tossing and turning, fighting off the nightmares that threatened there very sanity.

Her head suddenly bounced up, and her eyes trapped Barricade's. Images swirled up from their depths and showed him everything she knew from her childhood to the very spot they were in. It was chaotic. Images frizzed and zoomed inside his head disappearing in seconds, but leaving his head buzzing with images and sounds.

Barricade was no stranger to pain.

The scares that decorated his face were testament to that.

He had hurt. Ever since he was a hatchling he had hurt. First at the hands of his training sergeant, then his own commander, and then had come the aching pain of reconditioning, the scare tactics, the sensory deprivation, having to just sit there and WATCH as some of the men around him gave in, became the drones the long necks wanted. Seeing those men who remained battered and broken.

But she knew hurt too.

She had seen her sisters die. She'd seen them torn apart, drowned, frozen to death, watched their lifeless bodies being cut down from ropes. She'd faced extermination. Her entire kriffen BATTALION had been exterminated. If the other girl hadn't saved her…

And then there was the man, Kainen.

Barricade hated him; he hated him with the killer passion he usually reserved ONLY for the kaminii and his own private demons.

He hated him for what he was, for what he had done. He had taken children, LITTLE. BABY. GIRLS., And put them through the kind of torture only a few unfortunate brothers had known.

And then there was what the girls where made to do when they were older.

KRIFF.

For a moment in time, Barricade forgot his own hurt, the bruises he had hid, the excuses he had made. He forgot the hurt of his brothers, if only for a moment. In that second he knew only her pain, her past.

She had been young.

She had been naive.

She had had hopes

She knew pain.

She knew death.

She knew torture, of both varieties.

And for a fraction of an instant, HE knew only HER.

But the moment ended when Vision's eyes suddenly became blank, cutting off her power and reverting the pigment in her irises back to their natural dark blue but with no life in them. With a low groan, she slumped against the wall and moved no more.

Barricade ran to where she lay, completely ignoring the blood that still trickled freely down his throat, staining his shirt color dark red.

It would have been shocking to him how much he suddenly worried about the woman. Had he not been so worried in the first place.

'Kriff it! Kriff it! Kriff it! What was Ben always going on about? PULSE!' Barricade placed his fingers to the side of the girls throat waiting.

Another low groan met Barricade's ear. Miya was coming around. She held the back of her head, teeth gritted in pain.

Barricade sent a solid glare at the woman but not even close to what he felt like giving her. He was too focused on the girl in front of her.

'Where the dar'yam is that kriffin pulse?' Barricade wanted to hit something. 'Damn those Kaminii and their lack of medical programs!'

"What's wrong with Vision," she asked, irrked. She craned her head around, looking for her sister.

"I don't phwoarin know!" Barricade snaped at her sending her a ferocious glare. Miya's sights landed on her sister's slumped form and she stared.

"Vision," she asked crawling over to her and shaking her gently," Vision? Mein schwester!"

She gently peeled back an eyelid and stared into the blank sockets, before screaming" FIERFEK!"

Her gaze cut to Barricade,"Do ya 'ave anyone that can make 'er forget this?"

Barricade had his COM link out the second the words left her mouth. "Tock get your shebs down here!"

-" I'm a little occupied at the-"-

"I SAID GET YOUR SHEBS DOWN HERE!"

The sound of running feet filled the COM unit.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Fiiiieeerrfek," Ru'more cursed as she peered down into the dark whole. The sides were completely iced and a huge hunk of it was lodged in it.

Snowdrop had frozen herself

She was claustrophobic. Not in normal rooms, or dark rooms, or in a crowded room. But really narrowed rooms.

"Lunar," she asked her COM," Do you have a psychic?"

The COM crackled for a moment before answering. "Emotions, thoughts or hallucinations?"

"Thoughts."

The COM was silent for several minutes before Ru'more received her answer. "Shrapnel will be there in a couple of minutes, PLEASE be gentle with him."

XXXXXXXXXX

Tock arrive in record time, his chest heaving, his clothes wet, and little bits of soap clinging to his dark brown hair.

The trooper dropped to his knees next to Vision giving Miya a clear view of the clock face tattooed over his features. The tip of his nose acting as a center, the longer arm of the clock stretching up between his eyes to point at the 12 the shorter hand crossing his left cheek bone to point at the 9.

"What do you need that's more important than my hygiene?" the trooper glanced at his lieutenant. "Osik what happened to your throat?"

Barricade sent him a deadly glare and pointed to Vision. "Make her forget."

"You're going to have to be more specif-"

"The last half hour! Kriff, just do it!"

Tock didn't need any more prompting, with a sigh he leaned down over the girl so his eyes where mere inch's from hers. A soft glow surrounding first his eyes, then hers, then his again.

She still didn't move.

Miya battered Barricade's fingers away gently and replaced his with hers. She growled and scooted over so that she was beside her sister.

"Nuh uh, ya ain't goin' no wheres," she said and placed both hands over Vision's chest. She stayed there for only a few seconds, but when she moved away, a slight flicker of a pulse started up beneath Barricade's fingertips.

"Osik finally!" the lieutenant smacked his fist against the ground triumphantly

Miya grabbed her vod's arm, and pulled her close protectively.

"And if that's all." Tock said, standing. "I'll be returning to my shower."

XXXXXXXXXX

Ru'more didn't realize the significance of what Lunar had said until the trooper was standing in front of her.

Shrapnel was pale, concerning skinny with a set of big black eyes that were almost unnerving in their innocence. His black hair looked as though it had been cut by a five year old with safety scissors. His voice was soft, child like, his movement where slow couscous yet curious. A long, thin scar ran over the mans left temple, disappearing beneath his choppy hairline.

Brain damage.

"Hiiiii" the boy/trooper smiled at her shyly. He tilted his head to the side, looking a bit nervous about the stranger. "You want help?"

Ru'more stared at them man, completely enthralled and she felt her mind melting.

Poor little shabuir

"Su'cuy, kitling," she murmured warmly. Everything in her was fighting off pulling the man close to her and squeezing him in a hug. Or stealing him and making him safe. The troopers were boys in men's skins...

But this one was showing it.

He smiled shyly back at her. He was clutching something in his hand and after looking at it for a moment Ru'more realized it was a toy, a little wooden soldier in cloth armor and her need to hug him intensified.

"Miss. Aurora said you needed help." Shrapnel looked down at the toy in his hand, as if to reassure himself it was still there, "I'm good at help. Yep, yep, yep."

He swayed slightly rocking back and forth on his heals. "It's good to help. I don't get to do it enough," He tilted his head to the side, "Miss. Aurora said I had to talk to somebody?"

Ru'more nearly choked on her words when she saw the little doll," Yes. I really need help."

She pointed down into the vent as she explained,"One of my ad'ika froze herself because she's claustrophobic. Could you talk her into unfreezing herself and coming out so we can leave?"

Shrapnel nodded eagerly hurrying over to the hole in the floor and taking a seat, cross legged, next to it. He held the toy soldier to his chest closing his eyes.

'Hello?' he called out silently. 'Hello?'

A cold whisper of fingertips touch his mind, acknowledging that someone heard him and was listening. The feeling spread to his whole body, scrutinizing him. This was someone who was used to psychics and knew how to see who they were talking to. When they got a good look at him, the presence didn't warm any but it did feel a little less...hostile. The cold suddenly shifted from his head to concentrated more towards the hand holding the toy, questioning, almost numbing it.

He shivered nervously but a smile spread across his face. 'His names Jek, he's a soldier, but only a little one, so I have to protect him.'

He tilted his head to the side humming tunelessly to himself for a moment before resuming the mental talk, 'My names Shrapnel, but you can call me Shrap. My friends call me Shrap.'

He bit his lip nervously. 'Your mama wants you to come out now.'

The feeling of coldness sheltered a small flicker of fear for a brief moment and a small crack of...of...something...showed through. But the coldness quickly shut the door and filled him up again.

"No," a voice whispered stubbornly.

'But don't you want to see your mama?' Shrapnel bit his lip uncertainly, a little more fear slipping into his mind.

'I wish I had a mama, it must be nice…' he sighed. 'Miss. Aurora try's her best but she's to young.'

He smiled suddenly. 'You wanna talk to your mama? I can do that!'

XXXXXXXXXX

"Osik will someone explain what just happened?"

It wasn't so much a question as more of a demand. Barricade rarely ASKED and this didn't change that. Vision's eyes cleared and she gazed up at both of them dizzily.

"That's..what I want to know," she groaned," I...my... my head."

"Don't overdo yourself. You fainted again," Miya warned, cradling Vision's head with one hand and gestured to Barricade with the other,"The trooper here called for help."

"Again," Vision murmured," That's better than usual. What was it this time?"

"Power. Held it too long," Miya said simply.

Vison nodded in acceptance and then her eyes turned to Barricade and a weak smile came to her.

"Sorry for the trouble, trooper," she apologized.

"Thats lieutenant to you," Barricade glared at Miya, but anyone who knew him knew that it wasn't out of anger. He was trying to cover up his confusion.

"What happened to your neck?" Vision was looking at the still bleeding cut surrounding his throat.

Miya's head popped up to stare at him her eyes pleading.

"Training accident," Barricade growled, "One of the rope hurdles in the gym broke and I got tangled up in it. I was on my way to the infirmary."

Barricade stood and began walking away down the hall, sending a warning glare at Miya that seemed to say "tell anyone I did that and I'll kill you on the spot."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The coldness eased up quite a bit, but didn't completely go away. Shrapnel smiled brighter, hopeful.

"Nooooo," it moaned, though,"I don't want to unfreeze myself."

His lips bent in a frown. "But if you don't you wont get out… wouldn't it be better to come out? Like if I get scared in the dark, I turn on a light. Why would you stay down there longer if you don't want to be?"

That something came back.

A crack of heat in the coldness, as if something lay beyond the barrier of ice.

"I can't get up," the voice trembled," I don't want to go down...buir...where's my buir...I want my buir!"

That scared him.

'No, be brave,' he mentally scolded himself, 'Like you where before the hurt! Be brave!'

Shrapnel stood quickly, turning to get Ru'more. But she was already there.

The warmth of Ru'more's presence sunk through the ice into the crack, pulling it open. Motherly feeling-pure, strong, unshakeable motherly love-curled around the warmth to protect it, like it was a babe.

But the ice still surrounded it.

"Stand back, kitling," Ru'more said gently, the warmth stroked him across the cheek and nudged him behind her,"Snowdrop doesn't like to open up to strangers...she won't as long as you can see."

Shrapnel nodded, stepping back a few feet and covering his eyes with his hands. Like a little kid playing hide and go seek. The little toy soldier tucked close under his arm.

"Don't let me fall, buir," the voice whimpered.

"I won't, kitling," she promised, in a final tone. A determined tone, one that told anyone that she was serious. But in an instant, her voice turned soft.

"Come up kitling," she said quietly," We need to leave. We're going back to the Justice."

The warmth flickered as if scared and the ice moved in to fill the brief gaps, making it smaller.

"Come on up, ad'ika," Ru'more urged gently," We can go home when you come up."

A soft cracking noise, something slowly breaking, came to their ears when she said that.

Ru'more jumped up and peered down into the hole.

"Do you need rope, ad'ika," she called down.

"No buir...thank you," Snowdrop called back.

Snowdrop pulled herself up, digging her nails into the ice and climbing up. Her eyes stared at Shrapnel and he could see conflicting emotions. Not an abundance, just two: Happiness and cool composition.

Fire and ice

Ru'more clasped hands with her and grasped her up into a hug before turning to Shrapnel as well. She hesitated for a moment before pulling Shrapnel into a firm hug.

"Thanks for helping us, kitling," she murmured into his hair. She kissed his temple, smiled warmly at him, before turning and leaving with her child.

Shrapnel beamed after them, lifting the little toy soldier a bit and looking down at it, "See, Jek? I did good."

The boys and General Lunar belong to the generous and talented AL0LT0

The girls and Gaelen belong to me

Everything Star Wars: The Clone Wars related belong to LucasFilms Ltd.

Molly Malone by the Dubliners




They finally left. Quietly, surprisingly. No more accidents happened as they loaded onto the ship. One thing had happened, but that was only a confrontation.

Snowdrop was entering the ship she and the others had come in when something stopped her in her tracks. A familiar sound had started coming towards her, from behind. A soft creaking sound. The soft creaking of ice coming together. She turned around frowning and looked around. It wasn't the ice at her feet, that came together silently. She'd know if it was her, she'd get a tugging feeling. No, it wasn't her power. Something caught Snowdrop's eye and her gaze went to the floor, she watched carefully as a thin line of ice crawled towards her. It crept up to her slowly, going through the ring of ice around her, she could see it since it was lighter than hers, until it reached her boot. Her eyes followed the trail to its source.

A pale hand pressed against the ground.

Snowdrop's eyes shot up and a set of red eyes caught hers.

It was the albino trooper.

He smirked blowing her a mock kiss and winking. But the trail didn't stop at him so her eyes didn't linger on him. They went up a little farther and she saw the words etched thinly in ice across the wall:

See ya later, Snow Queen

XXXXXXXXXXX

Ru'more was leaning against the opened door of her ship, watching with sympathy. Irene was still looking around as if she was lost looking more and more dejected as the minutes ticked by. The Devaronian finally sighed and walked down the ramp to her.

"Come on, ad'ika," she said, placing a hand on her shoulder,"It's time to go."

But she shook her head, still staring at the shadows to see if any acted wierdly or moved on their own. Trying to see ANY indicator that Shadow was here so she could say goodbye. Ru'more sighed again silently.

"No choice," she thought. She picked Irene up, flung her over her shoulders, and walked onto the ship. Irene didn't fight her. She never fought her buir. She just kept looking until the door closed in her face.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Snowdrop stared at the man with an eyebrow raised. A slow trail of ice, darker than his, wound around his trail and stretched upwards towards him, a large round sphere formed on the end of it. Slowly, little triangles peeled away and stood upwards until an ice rose fully bloomed before his eyes

A white eyebrow rose up as he examined the rose. He knew that was no easy feat to pull off… he'd never been the best with making things himself. They always turned out much cruder than this… maybe it was a female thing. He glanced up in time to see the door to the ship close. As soon as the ship jumped to hyperspace, the petals all fell from the rose and plummeted to the floor. But instead of shattering, it covered the floor in soft white snow. It didn't stay long, melting quickly to form two words:

Smart sheb

Freeze chuckled leaning back up against the wall. She was a different taste.

That was for sure.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The Justice loomed over them, menacingly to anyone else. Home to the people inside of the three littler ships.

"Justice this is the Zeltron Fury and the nexu kit has found the nip nip," Ru'more said.

"Zeltron Fury, you are clear for landing" a woma's heavily accented voice said,"Velcome back, buir. Over and out."

"Justice, this is Omwati Talent and the birds 'ave come on 'ome," Miya said next.

"Hello, Miya," the voice said with a sigh. Miya laughed at the woman's tone,"You are cleared for landing."

"Firefly here Justice and...uh...I love you,"Dove said sheepishly. She had taken a ride with Boombox and Gaelen since neither could say their password to be cleared.

"...Really, Dove," Miya groaned, shaking her head,"Hang tight. You're 'bout ta be blasted."

The silence from the Justice was very ominous.

"No no no! I remember,"Dove said happily,"The dancer has danced the last dance."

A snort answered,"Clear for landing, Dove. Next time, remember you're linez. Pleaze. I don't vant to be ze one who blaztz you. Pondz vould never forgive me."

The three ships docked smoothly into the hanger of the Justice. The General came down the ramp rather quickly and waited until her ad'ika were down, too.

"Come on," she grumbled,"I'll check on Ash'ika real quick, then go to the bridge, and be back later to actually spend time with her."

"Can't, sorry buir," Kit-Kat said, shaking her head,"Got to go see the dogs. I'll check on her later."

She slipped into her tigress form and trotted out of the doors before anyone could say anything. Ru'more frowned deeply, but shrugged and turned to the others.

"Anyone else need to leave," she asked. Negatives were said and they all headed towards Medical.

They passed by one of the gyms on the ship, used for practicing Combat and escape maneuvers. A small group of girls lounged about, watching the one who was up, but with sharp eyes to pick up on anything that they might not know. Loud, beating music was playing and the girls jumped in tune to it to time perfectly.

"Ah, go say a quick hello. I'll see you at Medical," Ru'more said and kept walking,"Some of those girls you haven't seen in a while. Ashputel will understand."

They shifted around still, feeling guilty. They wanted to go see Ashputel right away. But some of these sisters...well no one really knew when they'd be put on another mission. Finally, they all edged into the gym. Irene stopped abruptly when she entered and her eyes narrowed. Her line of sight was on the girl who was going up, a girl wrapped in a leopard print sarong that tied around her neck. Obstacles were placed in her way, intended for her to jump over, some higher than the girl herself. But she breezed through them easily, almost taking no time to get over them. Her movements were liquid graceful as she ran across the gym. Irene smirked and leaned over the railings to the room just as the girl jumped up into a 360.

"HUNTRESS,"she yelled playfully," STOP STEALING MY CLOTHES!"

The music stopped immediately and all eyes turned to them. Huntress finished off the 360, unaffected by the loud yell. As soon as she landed she turned to the rails and her face spilt into a wide grin. She pointed to them.

"THEY'RE BAAAAACK," she crowed. The small group broke out into a run and swarmed over the rails to get to the rescue party and before they knew it, they were all surrounded by hugs, kisses, and questions.

"Where did ya'll go?"

"Was Mami mad?"

"Are you ok, Marishka?"

"Did Buir REALLY get in a fight?"

"Did she win?"

"What were the brothers like?"

"Did someone try to herd you?"

"Where's buir?"

"When did YOU get here, Snowdrop?"

"LISTEN UP!"

Fidala pushed past the group of surrounding girls, her booming voice still echoing through the hanger. Everyone immediately was quiet.

Her eyes roved over the party that was on the Requiem and she said to the others," It's been a long day for them. Let them rest."

"No," Miya said, stepping up and grasping Fidala's arm in greeting as the others went away, reluctantly,"We're goin' ta go see Ashputel first."

"Ngh,"Fidala grunted,"Annabelle's taking care of her in the med room. Not allowed out for some months so her ribs can heal."

"Bacta,"Miya winced. Fidala nodded. Miya sighed and rubbed her face with both hands.

"'Ow bad was she," she asked.

"Pretty banged up. Three broken ribs, one wrist and both ankles broken, lots of bruising."

Miya shut her eyes slowly,"So...somewhat nicer than da last one."

"Not by much," Fidala said,"Next time, Annabelle's going to make her stay in medical for the rest of her life."

Miya chuckled and slapped her on the back,"See ya 'round, Fidala."

"Blunt as always," Fidala smirked," Welcome back vod."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Ru'more stared up at the tank, the eery blue glow coming out of it both soothing and eery at the same time. Ashputel was knocked out inside. Tuffs of short hair still clung to her head, but other than that it had all been shaved off. There was discoloration all over her body from what Ru'more could see and she couldn't see if there were any breaks (which she took for a good sign).

"She's 'ealin' quite nicely, buir," the medical officer said. Unlike Miya, Annabelle had a Scottish brogue in her words. She was skinnier than most of her vod, but strength hid beneath it. She needed it to be able to lift soldiers and carry them from the battlefield when they couldn't.

"Don' ye even think about it," Annabelle said loudly. Irene came into view, a sheepish look on her cute little face at the raised eyebrow that Annabelle was giving her with one hand on her hip.

"Ye should know I can see ye even when yer 'idin', lassie," she said, reaching out to tousle her hair. Irene grinned.

"It was worth a tryyyy," she said.

"No...no it wasn',"Annabelle said and turned away. Irene peered around her to look into the tank, the happy expression banished from her face and replaced with a forlorn one. Ru'more didn't look away from the tank during all the chit chatter.

"I have time," she thought to herself,"Who knows...it might help."

She quietly started to hum a few notes of a song, clearing her throat so they wouldn't be rough, and started to quietly sing.

"In Dublin's Fair City

Where the girls are so pretty

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone

As she wheel'd her wheel barrow

Through streets broad and narrow

Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!"

Ashputel twitched and slowly started to come out of her fetal position, looking for all like a newborn baby kitten with her eyes shut tight. Ru'more felt her heart ram her ribs and excitement bubble up in head rolled on her neck, and her shoulders relaxed and arched backwards. Her eyes opened up slowly, then widened. The girl spun around in the thick liquid, looking around at her surroundings in fear. Ru'more kept the song quiet, though she wanted to raise the volume to let Ashputel know immediately who was there. Annabelle joined in, though she didn't look up from her work.

"Alive, alive o! Alive, alive o!

Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!

She was a fishmonger

But sure 'twas no wonder

For so were her father and mother before

And they each wheel'd their barrow

Through streets broad and narrow

Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!"

The girl in the tank's eyes finally landed on Ru'more. Her buir. She swam up to the tank and pressed her palm firmly up against the glass. Ru'more didn't need a jetii to feel her relief.

"Alive, alive o!, alive, alive o

Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!

She died of a fever

And no one could save her

And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone

But her ghost wheels her barrow

Through streets broad and narrow

Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!"

Ru'more's smile widened as the song died on her lips. She put her palm to the glass as well and matched their palms up.

"Su'cuy Ash'ika. Buir's here."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Kit-Kat padded down the hall and headed straight into the wolves den. Literally.

Five of their vode were in Kit-Kat's category, meaning that they could change their forms into animals, but they were not from her batch, they couldn't change into tigresses. Unlike her, they changed into wolves. Dierdre was Alpha of the pack and, besides buir, was the only one who could tell the rest what to do. Before she left, Kit-Kat had asked Dierdre to protect something very precious and was going there to collect it back.

"Dog," she greeted as she changed back into her human form. The wolf in front of her growled before shifting to human form. Smaller than normal, and smaller than her wolf size, Deirdre was plainer than all the beauties on the ship. Her hair was a little wild around her face and her face held nothing special in looks. Her only feature worth noticing were her eyes. Deeper than Vision's by far, they appeared almost black in their hue.

Her pack laid on cliffs that went all over the room that accommodated their specific environment. While Kit-Kat's pack stayed in a room made out to be a tropical jungle, the wolf pack were in an environment of snowy paradise. Fixed icicles glistened on the ceiling and the pack all laid on snowy cliffs and real snow crunched underneath Kit-Kat's paws. A beautiful shimmering pale blue lake was in the corner of the room.

"Cat," was the answering reply. Both hesitated to clasp hands, but they did try. Immediately, they both let go and barred their teeth at each other. The pack just watched from their ledges. They were used to it and knew they didn't mean each other harm.

"Didja keep them all safe," she asked, looking around.

"Safe as a mole underground," Deirdre said, smirking,"Ladies, time to let the little ones go home."

The whole pack whimpered and laid low on their ledges.

Deirdre's look turned to bored annoyance and she turned and placed her hands on her hips and gave a good long glare to all of them," Ladies...give them back."

Another whimper, somewhat more scared than regretful this time. But then, one of the wolves dipped down low and came back up with something clamped firmly in it's teeth.

It was a baby tiger cub. Identical to Kit-Kat in coloring, but not design. Kit-Kat purred loudly as the pack member came down with the cub and set it gently on the floor. The cub yawned, revealing pointed baby teeth to the world before looking around. It fell back against the wolf's legs as if to go to sleep, but the wolf nudged it away then nudged it to its feet. The cub gave a pitiful meow before looking around and spotting Kit-Kat. It let out a happily sound to her and began tottering over to the bigger tigress. When it was at her paws, the little cub yawned up at her and purred. Kit-Kat chuffed at it and leaned down to give it a bath. Soon all the wolves came down from the cliffs, bearing a tiger cub in their mouths (one had two) until Kit-Kat's ankles were surrounded by six little cubs.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Irene stayed quiet throughout the entire song. She didn't know where to jump in, but she felt guilty about not doing so. She was contented to just listen to her mutter sing. The subtle accents that up that unique voice made Irene smile. It soothed her many time and now was no exception. She was delighted when her sister responded as well and was pleased with the reaction time to finding she was safe. Waking in a bacta tank was usually not a good sign and was scary for many men and women clones. Ru'more was happy as well, if her voice was anything to judge on.

"I'll come back soon...I have to go see Aithne," she told the girl. She nodded and floated away from the glass. With a nod to her other two ad'ika, she was gone.

Irene soon slipped out of the room as well, though going a different direction than her buir. Ashputel was happy to hear others were coming to see her. and Irene felt the same way for giving her the news. She hated leaving soon, but she had practice soon and she couldn't be late.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Annabelle waited moments upon moments, not saying a word and not looking away form her work though she knew something odd had just happened.

The shadow had stayed, though the girl herself had left.

"Ye shoulda known it was useless tryin' ta 'ide from me," she finally said,"Ye should already know about tha with my little dove's example."

The shadow shifted slightly before coming upwards and forming into a solid man who stared at her through dark goggles.

"So," the medic said, turning to Shadow and pinned him with her eye," Little Irene has a shadow tailen' 'er."

Shadow just stood there in shock. How did she see him? No one could ever see him ! No one… he swallowed.

"Let me put it simply fer ya,"she said crossing her arms," Ye hurt her, I break ya. Any questions?"

Shadow shook his head rapidly, he'd never… and how could he?

"I love my little Irene. Not the brightest bulb in the box but... she's a dove,"she said and her lids lowered and her accent got rougher," And dove's are very hard ta find because they're so much fragile ta break. Trust me...that little dove is cracked...but she's far from broken."

She leaned in closer to Shadow.

"I want it to stay that way."

Shadow nodded, tilting his head to the side in confusion. She was blind… he could tell by the mist that veiled her eyes. And he was silent… years of training and self-teaching ensured that. So how-

"I can see yer colors...," she said tilting her head to the side," Why are ye so frustrated? Worried...curious...ye know it's dangerous bein' confused on a possibly hostile ship?

The last she said in jest. He stared at her, blinking. She laughed a deep laugh at him and grinned widely.

"Manage ta shock ye even more, huh, laddie," she said teasingly. She tapped her chest.

"Yer green here...so yer truly frustrated about som'n."

Next, she indicated the whole outline of her body.

"Yer gold'n 'round 'ere, meaning yer shocked."

She tapped her temple with a sly grin.

"Deep orange 'nd pink 'ere because what's mostly in yer mind is 'ow I can tell all this when I am clearly blind."

Shadow nodded slowly. She was a telepath… on some degree anyway. And he was familiar with those… hard to fool but not impossible. He considered asking her what those colors meant but decided against it. No use wasting words on a question he already knew the answer to.

"Any questions on anyone or anythin' on this ship befer ye go galavantin' off," she asked, leaning her hip against the table. Shadow hesitated a moment, unsure as to whether or not he really wanted to talk to her. (He'd been doing a lot of that lately… and he didn't like it.)

'For Irene.'

Quietly the black clad trooper asked her for the names of the herders who had hurt Irene. Annabelle smiled sadly.

"I can only help ye for one of them, laddie," she said quietly," But ye could ask Vision. She was there when Irene was 'erded and she can do better than tell ye...she can show ye."

Shadow nodded somberly. He remembered seeing Vision... or he thought he did, one way to find out.

The trooper slipped back into the darkness without a word.

XXXXXXXXXXX

A group of girls stood outside of the locker room, whispering amongst themselves. Anyone would've thought it was just women gossiping, but if they had seen the white coated camera...they'd know these particular women were up to no good. They stopped talking and looked to the door they were in front of. One of them produced a small vial and stepped through the door. The others hesitated a long while before finally following her in.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Irene sighed happily as the warm water rushed over her. She loved warm showers. No no...adored them. The sound of a door opening didn't faze her in the least, and she was kind of slow to notice that after a while none of the other showers turned on. She wrapped her towel around her tightly

She froze when she saw the two women standing side by side with the door behind them. She looked around and realized that a few other women were checking all the other stalls. Mongrels.

Uh oh.

And one of the girls really stood out to her. She didn't want a run in with her

Too late.

She had glanced over and saw Irene peeking out. She started to head over towards Irene's spot, a smile forming across her lips as she got closer.

"Well well, girls! Look who we have here," She said stopping in front of Irene, her smile never wavering," It's the little slut."

A chorus of giggles went through the posse as all but the two.

Irene's eyes darted all over the place to find all the exits.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Vision was in her room preparing for a training session when Shadow arrived at her door....in a manner of speaking. She wasn't fazed when he appeared from the shadows of her room, but her posture did go defensive. But when she got a good look at her visitor, her eyebrows went high, before they came plummeting down.

"You're from General Lunar's ship...does she know you're here," she asked. At his head shake, she sighed.

"Then we'll be getting a call from her soon," she said. Shadow shrugged. His General would be mad, but it probably wouldn't last long. The trooper looked at Vision for a long moment before sighing deeply and (once again) opening his mouth to speak.

"What happened to Irene...before," he asked. His voice had become a little less raspy with the use it was getting… he didn't like it. Vision eyed him. The only reason he would come to HER specifically for information on that was so...

"It's not a pretty picture to see," she murmured to him quietly.

The trooper just stared at her, an aura of hard unmoving determination radiating so strongly from his being that ANYONE could have felt it.

Vision shook her head and sighed. But when she opened her eyes, they were clear dark crystal glass and the memory came up to the surface.

It started in a hallway where a soft pounding sound could be heard. The image swung from side to side as Vision looked around to try and locate its source. She stopped and held still when she heard something else.

"Get her back here," a person hissed

"I can't! She's trying to get away," someone else said. A loud screeching noise accompanied this.

"Of course she's going to try and get away, you idiot," the first one said. The pounding got louder as Vision got closer to the voices. When she peeked around the corner, she saw a group of girls huddled around something with a...a...

A leopard print piece of cloth.

All that was seen of Irene was her little heels pounding on the floor. A gasp left Vision.

"IRENE," she screamed and the picture zoomed forward as she ran over to help her sister. The girls holding Irene down turned to face Vision, startled.

"It's another one! Hold it," someone ordered. Two of the girls broke away and lunged at Vision and the scene dropped to the floor, but switched over to the ceiling so fast it almost didn't happen. A pair of blue eyes and silver eyes glared down at her as Vision fought them, pushing one away and punching the other one. But Vision wasn't that strong so they were able to get her under control.

"We'll get to her after this one," the same commanding voice sneered," Where's the damn rope?"

"I've got it," some else said triumphantly. Vision's eye bounced back upwards to the group and Shadow saw two girls making a noose with the rope.

Irene was shown next.

All her brown hair had been cut, but it was her. The same sweet small features were locked in a look of absolute terror while her big eyes were even bigger with fear. She was held down by four girls but she was still struggling wildly enough to cause trouble. Her fingernails were broken and bleeding, telling that it was her who made the screeching noise and probably had done it a few time before Vision had heard it.

"We can't hold her down! She's wiggling too much," a dark blonde girl wailed.

"Then go ahead and beat her," the annoyed commanding voice said. Immediately, three blows knocked on Irene's head. Another girl went further to grab her by the throat and shake her hard, not caring that her head was also being banged against the floor as she did so. Irene jerked away and sunk her teeth into the hand, making the girl pull back with a yelp. A horrible crunch sounded and Irene released the girl as she let out a scream of pain.

"You weren't suppose to break anything yet, idiot," leader shrieked. A girl with short black hair came into view holding a noose and put it tightly around Irene's neck. Irene chocked and wiggled around but stopped suddenly. A trickle of blood darkened the rope.

"Like it," leader asked smugly," I worked a small ring blade into it."

She jerked the noose back and forth violently and Irene's screams were almost drowned out by their laughter. Vision lunged forward, hands outstretched for her vod'ika, but the black hair saw it and the scene dropped to the floor again as Vision did. But a line of blood worked its way into her line of sight and the scene bounced up. The noose was now completely dark with Irene's blood while tears were streaking down her face and her eyes were planted firmly on the ceiling. Her mouth was in a firm line so she wouldn't cry out or scream anymore since it was what the girls wanted.

"Time to let this little slut be hung out to dry," the leader said maliciously. With that, two weights were placed on Irene's heels and she was dragged away from sight, the rope still tightly around her neck and Irene struggling to get it off.

The scene swam black for a bit before it changed to include Miya and a large silver colored wolf with its nose to the floor.

"You're sure they didn't say where they were going," Miya asked, looking back to Vision. She didn't say anything, but the image bobbed and Miya's look turned sympathetic.

"It's not your fault, vod," she said quietly.

"I could've done better," Vision shot back. Miya opened her mouth to reply when the wolf suddenly perked up its ears and stayed in one spot, sniffing. Both girls watched it intensely when it started going crazy and shot off. The girls scrambled to follow and they came to a door just in time to see the wolf transform into another vod, who seized the handle on the door and flung it open. They all rushed in and looked around. The place was dark and cold, seeing as Vision's breath was now showing in the image every few seconds.

It was the cooling unit

And it held Irene.

The rope had grown crusty with her blood all over it, an immediate sign that she had been there for quite a while, and was joined by more ropes on her hands and feet. Dark bruises mottled her face and her fingers were purple and swollen. Most of her weight rested on the ropes around her wrists, but she was leaning into the rope with the blade in it since the ropes on her feet were place a little ways back.

Vision watched completely unmoving as Miya and the unknown girl worked to get Irene loose. Miya caught her when she fell and held her bridal style. When she past by, Vision could see that Irene's ankles were also swollen and colored as were her toes.

The two girls who first held Vision swam into view.

"Jamie and Sammy," she told.

Two blondes and a brunette came up, too.

"Natalie, Jewel, and Sarah."

And finally the leader

"Kayla," Vision said with a hint of anger.

Shadow stood stock-still, unbridled furry seeping from every corner of his heart. How dare they?

HOW DARE THEY?

Before Vision was entirely sure what had happened, the man had disappeared completely, leaving not a trace.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Irene's back slowly met with cool stone of the shower's walls. She recognized the head girl and she felt her blood run cold.

"Jamie," she said," I see you broke away from Kayla."

The silver eyed girl glared at Irene for using her name, her hand clenching tightly around a small vial in her hand," Kayla was an idiot with the right ideas."

The posse surrounding her shifted closer with wide sickly sweet smiles.

"What was her "right" idea," Irene asked, wishing she could...oh wait, she could blend into the wall.

"You clones," she sneered," You think you're so beautiful and that you can just take our jobs? You're all just freaks of nature. We know how to seduce men. Why should YOU take our jobs when you aren't even human?"

"Last time I checked, aruetii," Irene said dangerously, her hand curling and blending with her surroundings," You were only in it for the pretty accessories."

She quickly disappeared from sight and slid between the girl's legs and ran for the door.

"No you don't, bitch," Jamie shrieked and was immediately splashing the deep blue liquid around from the vial in her hand. Irene tried to dodge, but it still smacked her across her body and made her somewhat visible.

"No," she mentally screamed to herself as she dived into one of the showers and turned on the water. The water blasted her and turned her cold.

But the color didn't go away.

"I know what you can do, freak," Jamie said at the entrance of the stall, her expression one of smug triumph," I came prepared."

Her look darkened as her posse surrounded her again.

"Now hold still."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Murder.

Murder was exactly what was on Shadow's mind. He wanted to kill, to tear every one of those women to bloodied pieces.

Blood makes the grass grow kill, kill, kill.

He couldn't remember which of his brothers he'd heard say those words but they had never seemed so accurate. All his life he'd known pain. The hurt going back to before he could even remember. Shadow had lied to his captain, among others. It didn't START when he was biologically 8.

With all that hurt came anger. And with all that anger came the bitter desire for revenge.

Shadow wanted revenge. But not for himself, he'd gotten over that, he'd survived. It didn't… it didn't MATTER what had happened to him anymore.

But how DARE anyone hurt Irene. She deserved justice. She was innocent, she was kind, she CARED. What could she possibly have done to deserve that?

NOTHING.

He would make them hurt, he wanted them to BEG for mercy.

Not that mercy would ever be given.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Now hold still." It was the last thing said before the lights went out, plunging the entire room into darkness.

Someone screamed behind Jamie and she turned quickly. No sooner was she facing the source of the scream that another one sounded, a different voice this time.

"Who's there?"

Another scream answered her. Irene was also looking around wildly, not wanting to move away from the wall. The girl's screams echoed off of the walls and intensified, scaring the osik out of her, paralyzing her against it. What was happening?

Jamie's voice turned back to her.

"What did you do, you little slut," she shrieked in a panicky voice. Her footsteps charged towards her but stopped abruptly. A form had appeared in front of her. Clad in complete black.

Irene's blue splashed mouth hung open as she stared and stared... and stared.

It...couldn't be

Shadow couldn't be here, he was on the Requiem.

Safe

This man was mad. Irene didn't need to see his face to feel the anger burning off of him. It filled the room and Irene felt like she was being crushed. She couldn't see Jamie anymore, the man completely obscured her view. The lights came back on leaving both women momentarily blinded, but soon Irene got a better view of the man while Jamie suddenly noticed him. His hand reached up to his mask and tore it off and Irene could see the back of his head. It was completely scarred.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jamie looked up and found herself paralyzed with fear.

In front of her stood a man. Tall, broad shouldered and clad in black. Jamie's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she stared up into the man's face.

The man's indescribably ugly, scare riddled, nausea inducing face.

Jamie opened her mouth to scream in fear but her vision was consumed by blackness. Empty soul consuming blackness. She reached out to touch the wall.

Nothing.

The floor.

NOTHING.

She opened her mouth to scream.

But NOTHING came out.

"I hope you liked it," a raspy spine chilling voice filled the void seeming to come from everywhere at once, "My face is that last thing you're ever gonna see."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Irene stood still with her hand up to her lips, staring at Shadow with wide eyes.

"Sha...Sha...Sha...Sha," she couldn't even say his name she was so surprised

"W-was that liquid...poisoned," she asked rubbing her head, then held up her arms quickly," Not that I don't like you being here...but...you were...there...how...here...are you here?"

Her hands reached out and took a hold of his face, looking for something that would tell her this was really Shadow and not the liquid being poisoned or something else. She really wouldn't be a surprise that someone made something to do something bad like this Shadow suddenly tearing himself apart or suddenly catching on fire or suddenly start gagging on water pouring out of his mouth and drown him...the possibilities were endless. Everyone, mongrel and non, were INTELLIGENCE officers after all.

"Stowaway," he said, a small smile spread across his scared lips, "Lousy security."

Was he teasing her?

Shadow bent to the ground picking up the mask, which had been discarded. He slipping it back onto his face without another word. Irene still stared, this time with remorse. Now that she knew what his face looked like, she couldn't help but feel it felt a little degrading to him that he wore a mask to cover something that he thought was so bad. She didn't think it was so bad, and probably neither would her sisters. Irene held onto her towel around her closer as she suddenly took a good look around the room. They were both alone. No Jamie, no posse, nothing. She rubbed the back of her neck, let out a small chuckle, and looked back up at Shadow with grateful eyes.

"This is the second time you've saved me," she said reaching up to kiss his clothed cheek," Thank you, mein freund."

The fabric of Shadow's mask crinkled up into a broad smile. He reached down and gave her a quick hug, not to tightly so she could pull away if she wanted to, and let her go. Irene was caught off guard, but she nearly whimpered when she felt Shadow's heat leave her so quickly. He didn't really seem like someone who liked to hug people, so she once again found herself feeling flattered at his relaxation around her and, even though it was brief, she was happy to soak up the little piece of affection.

Shadow's mask continued to display that signature cloth crinkle grin.

Irene blinked then smiled a knowing smile," Your General doesn't know you're here, huh?"

Shadow shrugged tilting his head to the side and smiling all the broader. Irene chuckled and looked to the floor for a beat.

"You're not going to get in trouble are you," she asked," I'd feel terrible that you risked this and not have a good reason."

Shadow gave another shrug one shouldered this time, as if brushing off the question. It was unimportant.

"Just lemme get dressed and I'll give you a tour, huh," she offered as she walked away to reclaim her sarong that was hanging on a door stall. She paused when she grabbed it a frowned slightly before turning back to Shadow, eyes curious.

"Where ARE Jamie and her posse?

Shadow frowned slightly at the mention of them. He sighed stretching on hand out to the dark corner behind the shower stall. The shadows there expanded, darkening to an inky, empty black. Shadow turned back to Irene and snapped his finger. He hoped she understood. He'd been talking so much lately… he wasn't exactly keen on doing it much more. Besides how do you explain that you locked people in an empty soul consuming darkness and not sound like a psychopath?

Irene's mouth formed a silent O as she realized where they were. She bit her lip feeling guilty at the flash of pleasure that went through her. Jamie and pretty much all the other mongrel bitches on the ship had been nothing but trouble for her and her sisters, trying to make their lives miserable. They were succeeding with that but it didn't seem to be enough for them. They tried to find the most humiliating ways to hurt them as well: pouring water on them when they wore something white, tore their clothes if their rooms weren't locked, just ugly things that made them all very alert while on the ship, making them even better at their jobs, and making the circle start all over again.

But now they were all on extreme high alert since the new set of clones arrived.

Shadow placed a large gloved hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly in comfort.

"Now, what," she said with a smile as she finished tying her sarong,"was sooo important that you had to sneak aboard a ship filled with evil bitches and cranky girls with power?"

Shadow grinned once again and held out his hand, pointing his index finger at Irene. His answer was simple, worth the words. At least for him.

"You."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Roll call was very important on the Requiem.

With so many different personalities, habits, quirks, and of course 'special abilities' without it, it could have been a couple days before men were reported missing.

Captain Paint was almost done with his nightly roll call. He and Aurora took turns on the duty, with the lieutenants occasionally taking the task. And it would seem that his 'problem child' wasn't answering… again.

"Shadow. This is Paint, report." The captain was answered by static he scowled. This was the fifth time he'd tried the trooper's COM number. He switched the frequency, instead trying to hail Shadows sergeant.

"Goblin, this is Paint, is Shadow there?"

The line crackled for a moment before the answer came.

"No sir, he's not in his bunk, I was just about to COM you."

"Kriff it all…' Paint punched his COM changing it to the general frequency. "'rora we got a problem."

The reply came almost immediately.

"Phwoar my life."

XXXXXXXXXXX

She stared at his pointed finger and felt a soft warmth squeeze in her chest as a shy smile broke across her face. Her? He'd come onto this ship...for her?

"Awww, Shadow...," she said and wrapped her arms around his chest and squeezed him gently. No one, other than her sisters and buir, had done that for her, go somewhere they didn't know about with her. But she had to admit she was curious as to why. Why he seemed to be following her around and why he opened up so quickly to her. She had a feeling it was because of the scars. She looked up at him and reached up to stroke his black clad cheek.

She was also curious as to who could've given those scars to someone so sweet.

"Really...thank you," she said as she let go and twirled a piece of her hair around her finger," I...don't know how much you heard but...Jamie doesn't really like me."

Shadow nodded looking down at her with his head tilted to the side. The fabric of his mask twisted into an unreadable expression. Her head tilted opposite of his.

"What's wrong, mein freund," she asked, blinking up at him with big eyes.

Shadow shook his head. "She's a shabuir."

He gestured with his hand trying to find the right words to convey his feelings. this was why he didn't like talking so much was always lost. "Unimportant. Not worth the words."

XXXXXXXXXXX

A woman sitting in the chair on deck was slumped against the panel, looking for all like a statue. Everyone on deck was tactfully ignoring her slumped state and none dared to approach her.

Lt. Aithne was many things. Cool headed, patient, even tolerant of irrational things.

But heap on too many things onto her and, like anyone, she'll crack. She hated cracking. It made her feel weak, and weakness was not allowed.

"Keep Zkyvalker's men zafe and happy, make sure buir and vode are zafe (ztrangle vode unauthorized to leave Juztize) make sure Ashputel iz vell (even though Annabelle vill be offended vith the thought she'z not doing a good job), talk to Dominika about HOW vode left the Juztize (without her going to hyztericz), talk to mongrelz who hurt Ashputel (not going to get far there)..."

The buzz of the monitor in front of her picking up a signal set Aithne's thoughts back on track. She answered it quickly, speaking up so the computers mic-system could pick up her voice. Even though she wanted to burst into her wuestions, she went with procedure and went professional,"You are zpeaking to Lieutenant Aithne. May I-"

"RU'MORE!"