Corellia: 19 BBY
"Mythos"
Nakoa Sen

Late the next afternoon, Nakoa and Oni finally returned to the Mythos. Oni had touched up the paint on her armor and Ketei had gifted her two new shoulder plates. She seemed to be in a much better mood now.

"Where are we going next?" Oni asked.

"We're going to Kashyyyk. Ketei heard rumors that the Empire is moving in on the Wookiees and taking many of them prisoner."

"We're looking for possible foundlings, then? I didn't know Wookiees could be foundlings."

Nakoa shrugged and boarded the Mythos. "I don't see why they couldn't be. Many of ours now are Rodians and Zabraks."

"I know. It just seems odd to have a Wookiee Mandalorian."

"We won't turn our backs on those who need us."

"I know. We have to take her home first." Oni entered the ship's lounge area and pointed to Les. She was slumped over the holotable, asleep. "Hey, wake up." Oni slammed a fist against the table.

Les bolted upright. "Oh, it's you two." She rubbed her red rimmed eyes tiredly.

"Do you know where you want to go?" Oni asked.

"Hm?"

"What planet are we taking you to?" Oni repeated, already sounding frustrated. Nakoa bit his lip and shook his head but she ignored him. "We've hauled you around long enough. It's time for you to move on."

Les rubbed her forehead. "I don't know. I've been thinking about it and doing some research, but I haven't decided on anything."

"Why not?"

"I can't go to any planets within the Core or the Mid Rim. I'm not going anywhere with an Imperial occupancy or with a history in the Clone Wars."

"That's leaving your Outer Rim options very limited." Oni switched on a star chart. "You might just have to make do. What about Utapau?"

Les shook her head. "There won't be work for me there."

"Onderon, Sullust, Malastare?" Les dropped her forehead into her hands and shook her head again. "Naboo? Geonosis? Felucia? Cato Neimoidia, Ryloth, Stygeon Prime..." Oni fell silent, waiting for an answer. Lesia didn't give her one. "What about Mygeeto?"

Lesia's head jerked up. "I am not going to Mygeeto."

"Fine. Why don't you go back to Tatooine, then? I'm sure you can make a living there, one way or another," Oni spat.

"Oni, that's enough," Nakoa warned.

"Better yet, just go back to Hondo. Maybe next time, he'll trade you out for a protocol droid or Death Sticks."

Les narrowed her eyes, her cheeks flushing with anger. "Why don't you try living like that? I was a slave for one day and I couldn't handle it! Do you know how it feels to have your only ally trade you for four measly containers of spice? I thought I could trust Hondo a little bit, but he just used me as a bargaining chip."

"Oh, I'm so sorry that you were thrown into the real world where pirates and gangsters are bad guys and naive little girls get left behind," Oni sneered. "Wake up. I don't know who you think you are, but the galaxy doesn't revolve around you. Some of us have actually had hard lives."

"Oh, believe me, I know." Les clenched her hands into fists. Nakoa could still see them shaking.

"You know, I think I've figured you out," Oni said.

"Really?"

"You seem to have such an obsessive fear about the war. Let me guess why." Nakoa moved towards Oni, but she kept speaking. "Who did you lose in the war, little girl? Was it your parents? Your siblings? I have a theory of my own. I think you had a clone of your own. What happened to him, hm?"

Lesia's anger faded almost immediately. That familiar haunted expression filled her gaze, accompanied by tears. Les leaped to her feet and shoved Oni away. "You have no idea," Les shouted, before running from the room.

Oni sniffed and faced Nakoa. He gritted his teeth angrily. "Go get the navicomputer online."

"What?"

"You heard me. That was uncalled for. I'm half tempted to throw you off my ship," Nakoa growled. "You do not say things like that to people. I don't care how much you dislike her."

"Oh, please. As if you wouldn't say things like that to Tarek Vizsla."

"I would have every right to say that to Tarek, because he slaughtered my people. You have no right to say that to Lesia just because you feel threatened by her. Back off, Oni. I won't say it again." Nakoa brushed past her, then paused. "I'm telling her that she can stay with us if she wants to."

"What? Absolutely not."

"We don't turn our backs on those who need us," Nakoa repeated. He didn't wait for Oni to reply. He left the room and headed to Lesia's cabin.

Corellia: 19 BBY
"Mythos"
Lesia Mirri

She pressed her back up against the wall and buried her face in her arms. Les tried to draw in deep, measured breaths, but they kept coming in short gasps. A few more tears spilled down her cheeks. She wiped them away, only for them to be replaced.

The Force churned around her, bringing with it a deluge of memories. Her many years as a youngling, the scrutiny of her peers, the day she finally became a padawan...

She saw glimpses of her many deeds. Some were good, others, not so much. She was training with her master. Droids crumbled beneath her blade. She was laughing, surrounded by the clones who had become her friends. She was hidden behind a gunship, alone with Cole.

The door hissed open but Les couldn't bring herself to lift her head. "Go away."

"It's my ship. I don't have to," Nakoa replied. He crossed the room and joined her on the floor.

"It's my room for now."

"I'm sorry about Oni."

Les just shook her head. "I knew she would act like that. I could tell when I met her."

"That doesn't excuse her behavior."

"It's funny. I would've thought you'd be the gruff intimidating one, but it's actually Oni."

"Most people think that." Nakoa drew his vibroblade and began rubbing the smooth metal with a finger. "Those things Oni said to you are the same things she says to herself, honestly. She has no idea that I know this, but she can't sleep at night. When she does, she tends to be vocal. I've heard her say terrible things and I think it has to do with whatever happened to her before she joined the Clan."

"I know how that feels," Lesia admitted.

"So do I." She glanced at him. He had stopped rubbing the vibroblade, but was still gazing at it. "The problem is, I can't remember what happened exactly. I made myself forget. Sometimes I'll have nightmares about it, but parts of it are still blurred away." He shook his head and sheathed the blade. "I choose not to dwell on it, so I don't talk about it very much."

"I try not to think about my past either," Les replied. "Lately, it's been coming back regardless."

"What happened on Mygeeto?" She fell still as the memory took hold. Les tried to push it away, but the Force gripped her mind and dragged her back.

"They'll be back any minute now," Lesia panted, crouching down by her troops.

"How many waves do you think there'll be?" Raptor asked.

She shook her head, uncertain. "There could be thousands of them left to come. My master and Commander Bacara will protect the main command center and push forward up on that catwalk." She pointed up and lifted her gaze, momentarily blinded by snow and soot. "We will do the same right here."

The clones nodded and broke away. They began to divide themselves as usual. Les scanned the crowd and spotted two clones returning. She'd sent them out as scouts a few hours before. She joined them quickly and waited for their report.

"They're on the move," Levi said. "There's twenty waves upfront and several more incoming."

"Good work." Les rested a hand on his shoulder for a moment. Levi headed off and she turned to Cole. "Do you have anything to add?"

"No, Commander. It's just as he said."

"Good." She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards a few supply crates. They ducked out of sight. "You'll stay by me as long as you can, right?"

Cole nodded as she removed his helmet. "I always do." He kissed her briefly, then hugged her. "Just don't get lost in the snow." She smiled at the familiar words and handed his helmet back to him.

Minutes past before the droids were on them. Blaster fire erupted in hues of blue and red. Lesia's lightsaber was nothing more than a flash of light as she sliced through the droids. On the catwalk above, she could occasionally see her master. The fighting carried on for what seemed like hours.

All at once, the droids turned and started running. "Push them back!" Les ordered. They charged after the droids, blasters firing. She froze as pain stabbed through her chest. Les deactivated her lightsaber. "Master..." she whispered. A thousand deaths hit her like a maglev. Their spirits disappeared from the Force, leaving cold empty voids behind.

Clicking blasters drew her from her thoughts. The clones had surrounded her and were taking aim. Somewhere during the battle, Cole had lost his helmet. His blue eyes were hard and unyielding. Lesia vaulted over them and took off running. She leaped again just as they opened fire.

She screamed in pain, the blast bolts making contact with her ankles. Les hit the ground, tainting the snow with her blood. She crawled towards the edge of the catwalk and stared down. She would never survive that fall, unless...

"But I've never tried it before," Les whispered to herself. She looked back and saw the clones incoming. There was no time to debate. They blasted at her again. She whipped her lightsaber up and deflected the shots. Les scrambled closer to the edge.

Cole raised his blaster and fired. She flared a palm towards the blast, squeezing her eyes shut. There was a muffled thud and she cracked her eyes open. Horror washed over her. Cole's blue eyes were now vacant, with a gaping hole burned through his forehead.

"Lesia." Blue eyes were replaced by amber brown ones. Les blinked again and her vision cleared. Nakoa knelt in front of her, holding her by the shoulders. Tears dripped down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. Are you all right?"

She closed her eyes and nodded. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" She nodded again. "Les." She lifted her gaze. For half a second, Lesia recalled the amber brown eyes she had just seen and wondered if they were his. She pushed away her confusion. "You don't have to leave if you don't want to. Like I told Oni, as long as you're here, you're a part of our team."

"Are you sure?" She asked, her mouth dry. "Oni won't like that."

"Oni will get used to it."

Lesia nodded after a moment. "I'd like to stay."

"Then get some rest. We have a job on Kashyyyk." Nakoa swiped a thumb across her cheek, brushing some tears away. She stiffened as his touch lingered for a moment. He drew away and left quickly.

Les drew in a deep breath and released it. Somehow, she felt a bit of relief. Her mind didn't feel as burdened as it had before. She picked herself up off the floor and laid down on her bunk. Her sleep was blissfully dreamless.