Author's Notes: My real life is still on shaky ground, but we're surviving. Thanks again to everyone who has offered their support and kind words! It does help to know we're not the only ones in such tight corners in this economy.

As always, I continue to hope that I am doing justice to the spirit of Star Wars as well as the respective authors and characters from which I borrow. Again, I gratefully accept constructive criticism as a means to help me develop my skills further as a writer.

Disclaimer: I make no money, and I only write about what I enjoy. I own none of Karen Traviss' characters, and I hope she is not too upset that I have borrowed them to help tell the tale. Crimson Squad, the Tochin people, Gan Pohin, Moff Harkin, and anyone else I create are mine. Everything else belongs to George Lucas. All opening chapter quotes are my own design, unless otherwise specified.

Chapter 14

I finally got my freedom after ten years on that blasted, miserable Kaminoan hellhole, and they told me I only had about four months to live, and probably one month in relative comfort before they pumped me full of pain meds. All I wanted was to find my sister-in-law who was carrying my brother's child…a child that I don't even know was a son or a daughter, and these doctors insist that I probably would have died long before I even got close to finding them. So, now I'm confined to a bed, living out the last of my days as I watch the malignant cells eating me alive.
Excerpt from Gan Pohin's final message to Crimson, with instructions to be delivered to them only after he has passed away

Tochin Moon III
786 Days ABG

Arlesse pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, feeling a chill that had nothing to do with the cool spring afternoon. For the last few minutes, she had been unable to turn away from the unconscious form of Baron Erle Zech. She and Jas had joined the others not that long ago, and as soon as she saw Zech alive, she had wanted the blanket to wrap within. There was something comforting now about the thick, woven fibers and how they enveloped her back and shoulders. The fabric was a figurative set of arms to hold her safe and protected, something that she knew Jas could not do at the current moment.

Feeling her emotions for Jas building stronger once again, Arlesse realized now that it was more than just an impassioned kiss in their stolen moment. Something happened inside her when he pushed his blaster into her hands and gave her the brief instructions to defend herself, and it was because he gave her more freedom than anyone else had ever tried to before. She wasn't relying on guardians who told her what to do and not to do. She had the opportunity to think for herself and react with nothing but her own instincts, something she had never been able to explore before. Even with all her fright and panic, Jas trusted her and believed in her to do the right thing. He merely guided her instincts which direction to go. He had told her to shoot and run, and a simple directive like that she knew she could follow.

Eyes boring into the baron, Arlesse fought to push aside the fear she experienced when she thought about how he planned her kidnapping, setting it up with a cold-blooded mercenary. It hurt her even more to think that this man had tried to plot the death of her father and all who would remain loyal to the throne of Tochin.

Arlesse was aware of how Crimson practically sat on top of Zech with their weapons trained on him. Despite the man's unconscious state and his bound wrists, none of Crimson was taking the chance that Zech wouldn't try to harm her again.

Thinking back on her days in the palace, Arlesse had barely crossed paths with the baron, but whenever she had, he always seemed polite. He kept his distance from her, something it seemed many of the ranked nobles did, and she never thought anything of it. But now she was wondering if there had been anything peculiar about the way he held himself and she had just never noticed it before. She tried to replay memories of her encounters with Zech, but there was no Separatist Alliance then and his dealings seemed typical for a noble in the royal court.

The baron began stirring, and Arlesse felt her body tense suddenly.

"Udesii," Jas said softly from beside her and touched her shoulder gently. "It means to be calm."

Arlesse looked to his helmeted face, the blue visor the only indication of where she imagined his eyes were beneath that armor.

"If my brothers and I appear silent for long periods of time or are speaking Mando'a, we are not keeping you out of our discussions," he told her, "With an enemy in our midst…"

"I understand," Arlesse answered, cutting off his explanation as Zech had begun an attempt to sit up from the ground. She swallowed hard as she saw the man's dark eyes look around him, trying to clear the fog. She had experienced that feeling for herself when she had awakened on Hazar's ship disoriented and scared. She wondered if the baron would consider himself fortunate that he was not in the presence of the same crazed criminal who wreaked havoc on her emotions and killed for the disgusting joy it brought him.

"Udesii," Jas repeated softly, taking his hand from her shoulder. He knew that they couldn't reveal their attraction in front of an enemy, and it pained him to be distanced from Les'ika. The few moments they could share were always intense and joyful, but they were never long enough. He knew those moments couldn't be extended, but it didn't stop him from hoping that they could be together for longer than the time they had shared and if it would ever be possible to share more time with her. Unfortunately, he knew it all too well that once the endex was called, they would be forced apart permanently.

Arlesse took a heavy breath and instinctually grasped the edge of the blanket tighter in her hands. Zech's eyes were clear now, and he lifted his head off the ground taking in the Republic soldiers that surrounded him. He again attempted to sit up, only to find his hands were bound behind his back and his balance was awkward without being able to use his hands to keep level. He stumbled a couple times before righting himself enough to be considered sitting up on the ground.

Arlesse watched Zech's eyes rise slowly, and take in the Republic soldiers, the loyal guardians that Arlesse knew would protect her. When Zech's irises came to her, she felt a cold shudder crawl down her spine. It wasn't because she felt he would do anything to her, not with Crimson around to keep her safe. Instead she saw the regret in his eyes, the realization that everything he had planned and schemed had evaporated like the morning mist that was common in this wooded land.

"You're alive?" he asked her, full of confusion.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Dusty asked in reply, leveling his blaster at Zech, showing that he had no problem killing him in cold blood for his betrayal not only to the Republic but to Les'ika.

Seeming to ignore the soldier threatening him, Zech kept his eyes on Arlesse. "We saw the holos of Hazar's ship. There was no way anyone could have survived."

This time, Mouse answered. "Then, we're either miracle workers, or you're encountering a ghost. Your choice."

Arlesse watched as Zech's eyes studied her clothing, seeming to be concentrating his attention on her skirt where the most damage had settled. He stared at the frays on her skirt as well as the dirt and blood that had become ground into sections of the cloth.

"Please tell me that Hazar didn't touch you inappropriately," he said with a voice full of sadness and regret. "I was paying him more than adequately to just hold you safe."

"Hazar forced her to watch as he killed one of our men," Jas now said, the anger clear in his voice. "He didn't need to touch her."

"Udesii, vode," Gath warned, aware that his brothers were edging far too close to their concerns for Les'ika. They couldn't let on the fact that they actually did care for her. It would compromise her safety and theirs as well.

Zech looked amongst the four blue visors as though defending his actions. "Hazar came recommended by my Separatist allies. They told me he would handle the job as needed."

Dusty intervened once again before Arlesse could respond. "I take it scum like you don't bother with background checks before hiring crazed sadists?"

Bringing his eyes to Arlesse again, Zech shook his head. "You were only supposed to be a distraction for your father. I needed his head clouded so that the Separatists would be able to enter Tochin without hostility."

Arlesse thought of her father and the agony he must be experiencing, thinking that his only child had been taken from him, killed in a senseless act. She could imagine his distraught face and the heartache in his eyes. In his moments of solitude when he looked out one of the balconies, she would catch him with that faraway look, his inner world destroyed. She knew those were the memories of her mother he was living. She still couldn't understand what had happened that her mother had to leave and be free. Her father would never have denied her the simple freedom that she wanted most. Arlesse could see that he loved her far too much.

Realizing that she had let her thoughts wander too far from the current moment, Arlesse allowed her eyes to move about the armored men of Crimson Squad. They were not rejects, despite how they believed that they were. They were honorable and loyal men. Their bravery should not be ignored and now they were her personal protectors. Even Arlesse could see that their actions were more than just defense to the Republic. There was kindness in their eyes when they looked upon her, and in their short time together, they had invited her into their world. She doubted they would have shared so much of their lives with her or taught her words in their language if they hadn't developed the respect for each other that they had.

Even though she knew that she and Jas had to suppress their emotions while in Zech's presence, he had remained stationed near her, continuing to be her constant shadow, and as Arlesse glanced in his direction she willed the warmth in her chest to stay hidden. She knew it was against protocols and laws to be so fond of him; however, he had earned nothing but her respect, trust, and affections. He had somehow taught her that she had her own strength, but she just needed to learn how to be brave enough to feel it.

Taking a soft breath, Arlesse turned from Jas and brought her eyes back to Baron Erle. She allowed the strength deep inside her that Jas helped her discover to give her the courage she needed to sit up straight and face her enemy. "Your regrets will not earn my sympathy."

Zech studied the princess now, and his eyes lost their shield of regret. He looked at her with curiosity and pity, as though seeing ghost. "You sound just like her."

Arlesse felt the strength within her begin to crumble. She knew to whom Zech was comparing her, and there was something wrong in her mind about him having known her mother.

Zech caught the obvious reaction the princess had provided as her eyes widened in surprise at the subtle mention of her mother. He ignored the Republic soldiers and narrowed his focus solely to her. "Darian was a unique woman."

Arlesse felt her body instantly tense at the mention of her mother's name, and without realizing it, she instinctively and minutely flinched backwards. Jas sat up straighter, determined to buffer Les'ika from whatever kind of attack this baron dared to launch on her. Even if Zech meant to have a benevolent conversation about Les'ika's mother, Jas could see that it was tearing her up inside.

Gath and the others collectively prepared for the worst as they could see that the conversation had taken a turn none of them expected and that it had stuck a nerve with Les'ika.

Arlesse was aware of Jas beside her, and she took a breath to level her emotions. She was not alone right now. She had the good and decent men of Crimson surrounding her, their presence bringing her comfort.

Continuing to ignore the clone soldiers around them, Zech looked at the princess, taking notice to her tangled hair and her disarrayed clothing. He never expected she would have had the fortitude to survive any length of time out of her comforts in the palace. Apparently, this young princess had more surprises than anyone in the royal court could imagine. However, he had his own surprises for her, and he felt it was time to finally tell her things that he was certain had remained hidden from her in the sheltered and dream-like existence that Vollan allowed her to live within.

"Your father was helpless to Darian, smitten like a young boy in her presence. He knew their lives together were doomed from the start, but that didn't stop his pursuit. She had affections for another, and her plans to leave revolved around a man she met only a couple months before your father and she had finalized the plans for their marriage."

Arlesse closed her eyes and lowered her head. She had always believed that her mother simply wanted freedom, a chance to adventure and explore the galaxy. The letter Darian left for Arlesse never once mentioned anything about wanting to be with a man, a suitor who was not her father. Was her mother really as honest as her father always led her to believe she was? Had Arlesse's father lied to her about his involvement with her mother and that their relationship truly was only about the gain it would give him politically?

Zech paused only long enough for the princess to absorb the shock he threw at her. "The man who stole your mother had arrived abruptly on Tochin, his ship needing some repair or another. He stayed for a few days, spending an abundant amount of time with her. After they were together, Darian always looked flushed but…energized. There was a new spark in her eyes, a new light as though she had discovered something incredible."

Arlesse's eyes snapped open, and she felt a cold blade stab into her heart and shatter it. How could this man talk about her mother so…openly? Who was he to be witness to the dealings that took place with her mother years ago? She tried to think of something to say to Zech, but her emotions were running wild in anger, sadness, and resentment. No coherent thought could form in her mind, and she dared not speak when she was so flustered. It would only make her the foolish girl everyone believed she was.

Leaning forward now, Zech saw he had the princess' attention, and her sudden drawing of breath was evidence that her façade of strength had crumbled. She was far from carrying the dignity that her cousin Janelle held and even further from the woman that Darian was. "Your father knew your mother wanted to go with this man. He had no intentions to hold her back. Unfortunately, the disputes then began between the mining colony she ruled and the government he managed. Darian and Vollan knew they had to bring peace to the people again, and she agreed to postpone her leave. Some of us believe your father instigated the dispute so that he could have Darian, but that's just speculation, right?"

Arlesse felt the color drain from her face as the chill of Zech's words had seeped into her bones. Wounds she had fought for years to close had opened, new aches and pains filling in the empty voids she had built. She felt her throat growing tight and tried to swallow down the humiliation this man was bestowing on her for her parents' past.

Jas suddenly took Les'ika's hand in his, gently trying to urge her to walk away. He couldn't stand seeing her breaking apart, becoming once again the child he found in Hazar's prison cell.

Zech didn't bother waiting with the rest of the story. He continued speaking, no longer concerned if one of these clones decided to blast him into oblivion. The princess obviously had never been told the details of her parents' lives. It was just pathetic that it came down to someone who was practically a stranger to divulge the particulars to her. "A couple months after the negotiations were done and the colony had made a truce, Darian found out she was pregnant with you. As was her agreement with your father, he would have the heir he required for the throne and she could leave. However, what she didn't plan on was falling in love with you. She was suddenly torn between the man who would take her into the galaxy and give her freedom…or the innocent daughter, the child she bore out of a marriage of necessity. Darian had postponed her departure for nearly a year, desperately wanting to see you grow up, but she knew that if she was to be free from her royal obligations, she had to remove herself from your life before you grew too attached to her. Your father tried to win her over, but when you were about eleven months old, the battle had been lost. Darian left Tochin and with her absence, many of us mourned a woman who could never be replaced."

Arlesse found herself trembling with a range of emotions that shifted from one to the other so quickly, it left her dizzy and feeling ill. She felt blind and deaf, betrayed and broken. Her freshly-opened wounds were swallowing her whole. Suddenly, she felt the grip on her hand, the grasp that conveyed concern and strength…and trust, an undying trust that he had earned from her. She recognized the touch, and the warmth of the gloved fingers seemed to have awakened her from a nightmare she didn't realize she was within.

Blinking hard, she turned towards the gray-armored man.

"Udesii," he told her, pulling her hand gently, a silent signal for her to follow him.

Arlesse breathed in deeply, remembering the Mando'a word Jas explained to her earlier. She dared not look at the baron again for fear that she would release the explosion of emotions she wanted to purge. Instead, she concentrated on how Jas' large fingers encompassed her hand, and she stood from the ground, allowing him to lead her away from Zech.

As they walked deeper into the forest, Arlesse was numb to everything but Jas' touch. She wasn't even aware of the tears that silently lined her cheeks or the way the blanket fell from her shoulders and dragged on the ground behind her. She could only see her father's face, and the way he had always been honest with her. There was never a moment when she thought he had lied. Her father had told her that he shared a special relationship with her mother, and Arlesse always believed that Darian loved her father with the same enthusiasm that Vollan loved her. She never once thought that their marriage was nothing more than a political arrangement. The idea that her mother was…inspired by another man sickened her.

Jas saw on his HUD the sight of Les'ika behind him, and it hurt him to see her shattered to a betrayed child. Her tears were not mourning one of his comrades this time but a fantasy she believed was true for her entire life. She looked like a pathetic waif, one of the survivors left behind after the Separatists had destroyed a city. Her clothing was no longer in the splendor of a royal princess, and her wild curls had been without proper care for days, leaving them nothing but a thick mane about her. The blanket she depended on for comfort had fallen off her shoulders, becoming little more than a burden for her to carry.

Jas stopped walking and turned to face her. He took the blanket in his hands and set it onto the ground. Gently he helped her onto the blanket and took a seat beside her. Confirming that they were far enough away from Zech and the others, he opened the seal to his helmet and set it onto the ground next to him.

Taking her hand into his again, Jas spoke softly but with assurance. "Zech will say anything to give the Separatists a chance at your world. He's trying to break you by using your parents' relationship against you. You can't be sure he's even telling the truth."

Arlesse shook her head and wiped one of her cheeks with her sleeve. She glanced at Jas but turned away quickly and decided that the empty patch of dirt on the ground was easier to concentrate her thoughts on instead. "Zech didn't deserve to know my mother. He made her sound…"

Les'ika had paused for a long time and Jas decided to try and fill in the gap. He hoped she wouldn't find his choice of words insulting. "Disgraceful?"

Creasing her forehead at the word, Arlesse finally agreed. "Yes. But, that's not how Papa ever talked about her."

Jas sighed quietly, knowing he was in territory that was far too complicated from what he could ever comprehend. He had no parents to compare between Les'ika's parents and the typical behaviors of parents who were not of royal obligations. All he could do was offer what his gut told him. "Don't let Zech cloud your thoughts, Les'ika. You know your father better than anyone. Do you believe he ever lied to you about your mother?"

Arlesse lifted her eyes from the ground and absorbed herself in Jas' dark irises, seeing nothing but truth in them. It scared her sometimes how he could be so honest, his words nothing but clarity. She thought back to the conversations she had with her father and the multitude of questions she had often asked him. Her father never once shielded his eyes when he talked about her mother. He only spoke about her in high regard, seeming to be proud of her in some way that Arlesse never understood. She had asked her father once if her mother loved him and without faltering he had told her yes.

Silently, Arlesse curled into Jas' chest, leaning her head against the armor plating. She closed her eyes as Jas wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from Zech's words and the deception he tried to plant. She understood now that Jas was right. Arlesse knew her father, and she knew her mother loved him. It was the politics and the games of court that she hated, the very same things her father tried to protect her from experiencing, the very same tricks that Zech now tried to play with her.

"I could seal his mouth shut with bandages from the medkit," Jas whispered softly. "Of course, he might look like some horror holovid character that way."

Arlesse couldn't help the soft giggle that suddenly escaped her. She brought her face up from the armor to look into Jas' eyes. She saw how his dark irises were concerned only with her safety and well-being. Then, the mischievous glint of a boy passed in his eyes, contradicting the experienced soldier he portrayed. It was that boy who made her laugh she realized. He would do anything to make her happy, and it was like looking into a reflection of her own innocence at times.

The boy in Jas' irises submerged again almost as soon as he appeared, and in his place, the compassionate soldier now returned. His voice was soft, as though he was initiating some secret plan. "If I know my vode, Les'ika, they have already made it so that Zech can't talk again until he's in front of a Republic interrogator."

Arlesse saw that he meant his words very seriously. She didn't know exactly how Jas' brothers would silence the baron, but she knew that Crimson had always seemed to be able to find some way to do things without sabotaging their missions. It was hard not to listen to them discussing their shady past when they talked, and she was honestly glad to hear something other than politics or unimportant gossip while in their presence. In fact, she found she particularly enjoyed the stories of their missions and was always amazed by how they had sporadically skirted on the edge of insubordination.

Arlesse wondered if she would have been able to live with the decision of telling these soldiers that she didn't want Zech to be able to hurt her again, and she was glad that she didn't have to make that decision any longer. The last thing she wanted was to feel sympathy for Zech, especially not after everything he had done to her and tried to do to her father.

Jas' helmet suddenly pinged for his attention, and Gath's voice came across with concern, not bothering to hide his anxiety at Jas' sudden departure. "Jas, sitrep."

Jas reached over for his bucket but as he looked to Les'ika, he offered an apology in his eyes for not being able to share the helmet communications with her. "I'll tell him you're feeling better, and I'll see how they handled Zech."

Arlesse nodded as she watched Jas enclose his head in the helmet and become silent to her.

"Les'ika was pretty badly upset," Jas reported. "I've gotten her calmed down, but I think Zech will try more instigation."

"Dusty gave him a tranquilizer…with Mouse's help. As far as Les'ika is concerned, Zech's bruise is from falling onto the ground in the struggle," Gath reported.

Jas immediately understood the unspoken scenario that had taken place after he took Les'ika away from Zech's influence: Without any warning, Mouse decked the baron in the face and Dusty tranq'ed him while he was reeling from the blow.

Without pausing, Gath finished his observations. "I agree that Zech will try to get to her again. But, the good news is that Mouse managed to rip the communications out of Zech's speeder. He's been working on rewiring it and connecting it to a power source after you both left."

Jas was equally relieved and upset to hear the news about potential communications. He knew the sooner Mouse got it working the sooner the mission would come to an end. For as much as that would mean they would no longer be responsible for Zech, it also meant that his time with Les'ika had gone on a virtual timer that was counting down to the end of their…he paused mentally. Would what they were doing even be considered a relationship, or was courtship the right term?

"Are you okay?" Gath now asked.

Jas forced his thoughts back to the moment. What he shared with Les'ika didn't need to be labeled the way civilians did such things. He was just glad to have experienced the emotions they shared and was grateful that she had cared for him so openly. "I'm fine."

Gath's voice conveyed that he knew Jas was anything but fine. He was calm yet apologetic. "You were warned that when the endex is called, you were going to have to leave her."

"Don't worry, I will," Jas defended. After a moment, he added, "We'll be back soon."

Gath heard the communications shut down, and he sighed. He wasn't exactly frustrated with Jas – maybe disappointed with him or maybe happy for him. He couldn't tell which. None of the clones were ever supposed to bond with civilians, especially not romantically, and certainly not bond with any kind of royalty. Jas had obviously drowned himself in his newfound affections, these emotions that the Kaminoans had never planned on them experiencing. He was certain now that Crimson would had been reconditioned if those heartless scientists ever found out that any of their clone creations were trying to feel normal human sentiments.

Dusty put a hand on Gath's shoulder, his words coming through the helmet on the squad's private channel. "Jas isn't being malicious, and I know you're worried about him."

"She's a nice girl," Gath admitted. "Her kindness had done all of us some good, and I won't lie that I'll miss her, too. It's just that Jas will carry her heavier than the rest of us will. Maybe if she just wasn't, you know…royalty."

"Well if the rest of this world's royalty are more like this shabuir than Les'ika, this isn't the place I'd want to spend my retirement," Dusty said, taking his hand from his brother's shoulder.

Gath shifted his attention now over to the once-again unconscious Baron Erle. "Do you think what he said to her was true about her mother and father?"

Dusty looked over Zech and felt his own anger building inside at how the man had so easily tore Les'ika into shreds with just his words. He couldn't imagine the rage that Jas must have felt to see his girlfriend verbally beaten up. Suddenly, Dusty felt himself smirking. He'll have to jab the term "girlfriend" at Jas later and see what kind of reaction he can spark. Getting back to Gath's question, Dusty replied, "I think Zech's only regret is that he got caught as a traitor. He knows how to find the weakness that Les'ika carries, and it didn't matter if he said the truth to her or not. He knows how to get into her head."

"Before Zech awakens, gag him," Gath ordered now. "I'm not going to let him break that girl again."

"Then, I call dibs on it," Mouse answered, briefly looking up from his work on the communications parts around him.

Gath and Dusty would have sworn that Mouse's helmet was smiling in that twisted way of his when he was about to thoroughly enjoy something.

Gath briefly wondered just what they had gotten themselves into by growing so close to Les'ika and if any of them would ever be able to let her go.