Zelina ignored Poggle as he was loaded onto the gunship that would transport him to the cruiser he would be held in. Luminara had captured him amidst all of the chaos in the catacombs, though Zelina had been too focused on her current task to notice. Instead of watching the ugly bug, she turned her attention to Barriss Offee, Ashoka, and Mundi as they descended the ramp and made their way over to the group of Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Luminara that Zelina was standing in.

"I'm afraid we have a complication," Mundi said before anyone could speak. Zelina frowned.

"Well that was quick," she muttered.

"Don't we always?" Anakin added with a small smile.

"I just received a distress signal from our forces on Dantooine; Master Windu's defenses held, but at a great cost to his men," Mundi said gravely. "They need medical supplies immediately. We can obtain these supplies at the medical station near Ord Cestus."

"We're delivering Poggle to Coruscant, and Cestus is not exactly on the way," Anakin said firmly.

"The Republic must begin debriefing Poggle right away if we're to get useful intelligence from him," Luminara added, stepping forward.

"Master, I suggest we let our Padawans handle the supply mission," Anakin said with a smirk, clasping both Barriss and Ahsoka on the shoulders.

"Whatever needs to be done Master, I'm happy to help," Ahsoka said with a smile.

"As am I," Barriss said, stepping forward.

"I'll go with them," Zelina added, smiling slightly. "Someone's got to keep them in line and make sure they don't get into any trouble."

"Very well," Obi-Wan said. "Take a medical frigate. And after we've delivered Poggle to Coruscant, we'll rendezvous with you for the voyage to Dantooine."

While the others walked off, Anakin lingered, frowning at Zelina. "I was hoping we'd be able to spend some time together and talk."

Zelina cocked an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

Anakin sighed, shaking his head. "Not particularly, no. We just hardly see each other with this war."

Zelina smiled, clasping him on the shoulder. "I'll catch up with you after we rendezvous and on our way to Dantooine, how about that?"

Anakin sighed but nodded. "Fine then; after we rendezvous you better be ready for a long conversation."

Zelina grinned. "I expect it; we can swap conspiracy theories over why Obi-Wan has so many screws loose."

Anakin laughed. "I bet mine will be better than yours!"

Zelina rolled her eyes. "You are so cocky."

"But you still love me," he chuckled.

Zelina felt a painful twinge in her heart at his words, but shoved the feeling aside. "Always Ani," she said, trying to keep her voice light and playful instead of as serious as she wanted to be.

Sometimes life felt a little bit too much like she was walking on a tightrope.

*****************************************

Later that 'night'—or so it was on the frigate with the ship set to Coruscant time—Zelina couldn't rest. A strong sense of unease coated the frigate, and she couldn't help but feel like something was wrong...something was giving her chills.

Stretching out her senses to investigate the feeling, Zelina sensed unrest coming from Ahsoka in the room next to her. Barriss and Ahsoka were sharing a room while Zelina kept a room to herself on the trip. She frowned, sitting up in bed. Ahsoka's unease was only increasing as the seconds ticked by before suddenly Zelina heard the door to their room hiss open. With a sigh, Zelina grabbed her lightsaber off of the mattress where she had stashed it under her pillow, clipping it to her belt before she made her way out of the room. Ahsoka and Barriss were only a few paces in front of her, and she closed the distance easily.

"Where are you two headed?" she asked, clasping a hand on each of their shoulders.

Ahsoka peered up at her. "I couldn't sleep; it's too quiet. So we're grabbing something to eat."

Zelina smiled a little. "Midnight snacks; I can understand that. A glass of warm blue milk will put you back to sleep if you're trying to get yourself to sleep."

Ahsoka snickered. "I just can't rest, that's all...so why are you up?"

The smile slipped from Zelina's face. "I couldn't sleep either...it's just...a feeling, like something's wrong. I haven't decided yet. Maybe I'm just having the same problems you are; I'm too used to battle for a quiet medical frigate ride."

"Maybe," Ahsoka said, though now she had a frown on her face. Zelina couldn't help but share her moment of doubt.

What if something was wrong?

Choosing to simply stay wary, Zelina followed the two padawans to the cafeteria, the three of them chatting happily and easily.

"I was just thinking about what you said earlier, about enjoying the peace while it lasts," Ahsoka said to Barriss as she picked at her food. Zelina looked over at the young girl, listening with interest. Ahsoka and Zelina were sitting on one side of the table eating while Barriss ate on the side across from them.

"As a Jedi, I'm not sure I know how to do that," Ahsoka said with a shrug. Zelina frowned at her. That didn't sound good; at least it didn't to Zelina. The Jedi were defenders of the peace; being able to enjoy peace was something that should come easily in her mind.

"Master Windu has said we are keepers of the peace, not warriors," Barriss said pointedly to Ahsoka. "However, once the war is over, it will be our job to maintain the peace."

"Yes, but will we do so as keepers of the peace, or warriors?" Ahsoka asked. "And what's the difference?"

Barriss thought for a moment. "I don't have all the answers Ahsoka; like you I'm a learner. What does your master tell you?"

"Anakin?" Ahsoka asked, startled. Zelina simply watched the two curiously, wondering where this conversation was going to go. It was bound to get interesting now that Anakin's viewpoints were being brought to the table. "Oh, um, you might find some of his thoughts on the future...uh...a bit radical."

"It's Anakin; he's usually a radical person," Zelina said with a small smile. "His opinion tends to be the unconventional one."

"Really? Why?" Barriss asked the two curiously.

Ahsoka sighed. "Let's just say my master will always do what needs to be done," Ahsoka said, a final note in her voice that signaled the end to the conversation. "I'm not even sure I hope his time will agree with him," Ahsoka muttered like it was an afterthought.

Zelina sighed, setting down her fork. "Well...Anakin tends to be that way...he's experienced a few things that have caused him to be like that, and I understand that. If you knew him as well as I do, you'd understand why he is the way he is. He has his reasons. However, to answer your earlier question..." Zelina let her words hang in the air, allowing time for the padawans to turn their full attention to her and to clear her throat. "To me, the Jedi are meant to be peacekeepers, not warriors. However, considering our line of work, we need to be able to take up the position of a warrior in times like this. The hard part is keeping our identity as keepers of the peace even in times of war where we are tantamount to warriors."

Ahsoka frowned at the food on her plate. "I never thought of it like that before."

Zelina tapped her head. "I tend to think differently than a lot of people. Ask Anakin or Senator Amidala; I've had similar Jedi Code philosophy conversations with them."

Ahsoka chuckled a little. "I'll have to keep in mind to ask you the next time I have a philosophical question."

"Just don't come at me with a political question; I'm horrid at politics," Zelina chuckled.

After a few moments of silence the door slid open behind Barriss and the three Jedi turned to look at the two troopers standing in the doorway.

"Evening Ox, Edge; would you like to join us?" Ahsoka asked them.

Zelina, however, had tensed, a strong sense of danger washing over her through the Force. As the troopers simply stood in the doorway and stared creepily at them, Zelina put down her utensil, her hand twitching towards her lightsaber to feel the familiar sensation of her fingers closing over cool metal.

"Is...something wrong troopers?" Ahsoka asked, frowning at the trooper's lack of reactions.

The two suddenly stepped forward and opened fire, which triggered Zelina's immediate reaction. She launched to her feet, landing neatly on the table and deflecting the bolts away from the two padawans who hadn't been ready while purposely avoiding hitting the troopers. The next second the padawans were up as well, deflecting bolts as the three of them jumped back, turning the table over to create a defensive position.

What the kriff! Zelina's mind was screaming. There was a spike of unique and powerful fear at being attacked by their men that Zelina was feeling at the moment. The thought was so preposterous that her brain was rejecting what she was seeing.

"Troopers! Stand down!" Ahsoka ordered from their position behind the table.

"I don't think that they're going to listen to you Ahsoka," Zelina said cryptically as the blaster fire continued. The troopers appeared over the top of the table and all three of them acted at once. Zelina moved swiftly to cut their blaster's in half while Ahsoka hit one upside the head hard enough to knock him out and Barriss sent the two troopers flying into the wall. When neither of them moved, the three Jedi crept carefully towards the troopers.

The door opened once more and Zelina spun around, her lightsaber mere inches from the throat of one of the two troopers that entered the cafeteria.

It was Nex and some other trooper. Nex and Cruiser were on the frigate with them, though Zelina halfway wished it was Cruiser who showed up at this moment.

Ahsoka was holding her lightsaber at the throat of the other trooper. Nex stared at Zelina in shock. "What are you doing?" he asked her.

"Two clones just attacked us! What is going on?" Ahsoka shouted at them. Zelina put a calming hand on her shoulder, but didn't take her eyes off of the two troopers who shared a glance.

"Trap, do you know what happened to those troopers?" Barriss asked the other trooper. Zelina frowned at her use of the word clone—it was an insulting word to the men in Zelina's book—before she spoke as well.

"We just want answers," she said calmly, lowering her lightsaber slightly.

Slightly. She still felt something was wrong.

"Couldn't tell you Commanders; General. I'm just as confused as—"

"You're in charge of those men! Did you order them to kill us?" Barriss shouted at the trooper, cutting him off.

"Barriss," Zelina said sharply, casting a look her way. They had to keep a level head.

"No sir! I did not!" Trap said, sounding offended over the accusation.

"What's happening? Why would they do this?" Ahsoka asked, her voice hitting several different octaves.

"We don't know; we heard shots!" Nex said, glancing at Trap who nodded.

"Why should we believe you?" Barriss asked.

"Look; no guns," Trap said, bending over to set his gun down on the ground. Nex followed suit, and the padawans exchanged a look with Zelina before all three lightsabers were deactivated. Zelina kept hers in her hand just in case.

"These men wouldn't just attack us without reason," Barriss reasoned.

"My master had a clone betray them once; a traitor who was paid off by Ventress," Ahsoka said spitefully.

"I think too many people forget that these men are humans too; they're not machines or tools, they are living, breathing individuals," Zelina said calmly, raising an eyebrow as if to make a point about their continued usage of the word clone.

Barriss sighed and shook her head as she turned to the two unconscious men. "It can't be that simple...at least it didn't feel like that."

"Excuse me sir; we should make sure that we're still in control of the bridge," Trap said. Zelina frowned and looked at Nex.

"Have you seen Cruiser or any of the others? Do you know where they are?"

"No idea General," Nex said with a small grimace.

"I don't like this," Zelina murmured, staring at the men as Barriss activated her com.

"Bridge, this is Barriss; respond."

There was no reply.

"We need to get up there! We need to find out what's going on!" Ahsoka said firmly.

"But these two will be coming around any minute!" Barriss argued.

"I can watch them until you check on the bridge," Nex suddenly said. Zelina nodded in agreement.

"I agree. Come on you three, I have the feeling time is of the essence," Zelina said firmly, taking the lead on their way to the bridge, their group filing out of the door with a rapid pace.

*******************************************

They were just outside the corridor that would take them up to the bridge when the shields were suddenly activated, causing Zelina to stop mid-stride before she got caught in the shield.

"Someone doesn't want us going up there," Ahsoka said, stating the obvious.

"I'll attempt to override the controls," Barriss said, kneeling down by the control panel.

The hairs on the back of Zelina's neck stood on end, and she felt the same sense of danger as earlier. Her eyes narrowed and she spun around, knocking the blaster out of Trap's hand before he could take a shot at Ahsoka—a shot that would have killed the girl.

Trap lunged at her, his mouth opening wide and a guttural growling hiss escaping his throat—as well as an all too familiar worm Zelina had hoped she'd seen the last of in the catacombs beneath the Progate Temple.

"Oh, Force no!" she shouted, keeping Trap as far away from her as possible. While one hand was free, she shoved her lightsaber into position and ran the trooper through with her lightsaber with a simple click of a button. She shrieked when the worm wiggled against her face, free of its previous host and eager to try and possess her. "Get it off!" she shrieked, grabbing the worm and throwing it away from her. Ahsoka reached out and sliced it in half while it was still in mid-air.

Ahsoka blanched as she watched the worm wiggle in two pieces on the floor, shivering openly. "Uhg! What is that?"

"Let's call it a brain worm," Zelina panted, rubbing frantically at her face. The two turned to her with a surprised expression.

"You know what that thing is?" Ahsoka asked in surprise.

"Unfortunately, yes," Zelina said with a shiver. "While we were beneath the Progate Temple in pursuit of Luminara and Poggle, we came across undead Geonosians that were controlling dead Geonosians, creating an army of beings that couldn't be killed under the control of one single hive mind. The Queen was going to use one of the worms on Luminara to possess her per say, but we got away before she could. I was hoping I'd never have to see these things ever again!" she exclaimed.

"Possess? You mean they can control their minds?" Ahsoka asked. Zelina nodded vigorously.

"That might be why these troopers are attacking us; they're possessed by these worms. We've got a brain worm infestation, we can't get to the bridge, and we're essentially trapped. Anyone have any ideas?" Zelina asked, a slight tremble in her voice.

"We'll have to quarantine the ship," Ahsoka said. "Just in case there are still uninfected clones."

"We should contact Master Fisto too, and let him know about the situation" Barriss added.

Zelina nodded, staring at the two halves of the worm while fingering her com link, wishing that Anakin was there. "Let's move with haste; I don't really want to see more of these things than I have to."

They had hardly gone down three halls when a familiar and very unwelcome sound reached their ears. Zelina stiffened, hand flying to her lightsaber and staying firmly clasped around the hilt.

"That sound, it's—" Barriss said in surprise.

"Geonosian..." Ahsoka hissed, slinking forward in the direction of the strange clicking noise that made up the Geonosian language. They all crowded by the doorway, staying out of sight and watching as a plethora of troopers made their way forward in a very zombie-like manner, causing Zelina's skin to crawl. They were all headed in the same direction, and Zelina saw a very familiar trooper struggling to break free of two others.

"Cruiser!" she gasped, her eyes zoning in on her good friend as he struggled to get away in vain from the trooper that was approaching him with another familiar Geonosian item; a pod that had a wiggling worm protruding from it.

"We have to help him!" Ahsoka gasped, her eyes riveted to the scene in front of them. As much as Zelina agreed with her, she knew it was already too late. Moments after Ahsoka spoke, the worm launched itself at Cruiser's face and Cruiser made some rather disturbing noises that caused Zelina's stomach to turn.

"It's too late," Barriss said softly. Sure enough, Cruiser stopped fighting, one with the hive mind that had infected the ship. Zelina felt her connection with the Force give her a sharp warning, and she spun around in time to see a trooper coming at them in a running crouch, blaster blazing. The other two whipped around in equal alarm, all three collectively drawing their lightsabers to deflect the shots that was pushing them into the room with the infected troopers.

"Try not to kill any of them; remember they're being controlled!" Zelina said firmly, glancing behind her shoulder in worry as the troopers behind them mobilized at their appearance.

She was not liking their odds.

Ahsoka reached forward and shut the door to the hall they had just come from, and Zelina frowned. "I think I'd much rather take the lone infected trooper than a room full of them Ahsoka, just saying."

"I don't see you coming up with anything else!" Ahsoka snapped, turning around to face the troopers that were headed towards them, three worm-pods already picked out just for them. The three Jedi summoned the pods toward them and cut them clean in half, killing the worms inside and eliciting a collective cry of outrage from the infected troops. Behind them, the door opened once again, although now they were deflecting fire on both sides.

Doing her best to angle her lightsaber so deflected bolts would injure, not kill, Zelina was able to hold a few off along with Ahsoka and Barriss as they made a mad dash for cover behind a large stack of crates; Ahsoka had downed the trooper at the door, buying them some room for maneuvering.

"Come on! Let's go for the vent!" Ahsoka said, just loud enough so that Zelina and Barriss could hear her over the blaster fire.

"I couldn't agree more," Zelina said, hooking her lightsaber back to her belt and craning her neck up towards the vent up above them. "Ready?"

"Now!" Ahsoka said, and they all made a mad dash up the crates to reach the catwalk up above. Blaster fire nipped at their heels, and Zelina felt a burn on her ankle as a blaster bolt came a little too close for comfort, but the three kept moving, rushing through the shadows above on the catwalk before Barriss peeled away a grate from the vent for them to each crawl into the small space. Still, it was an escape, and that meant that Zelina wasn't going to complain.

The three jumped, closing the distance between them and the opening in the vent with ease and into the safety of the ventilation system. On their hands and knees, the three Jedi began to navigate their way through the ship, no one really in the lead. Considering their current situation, all of them were equals more than Knight and Padawans, and they all worked collaboratively instead of turning to one person for directions. Zelina was perfectly fine with that, as this was a situation that had her on edge and jumpy. These worm things freaked her out more than she cared to admit.

The three paused, watching silently from above as several troopers rushed by below them. Obviously the infected troopers were all looking for the Jedi, and considering how small of a ship this was, it shouldn't take them long.

"I'll go to the reactor room and disable the thrusters with Knight Du'ahn. Ahsoka, you head to the aft com system and send a warning to Master Fisto," Barriss said firmly. "We have to stop the ship from reaching the medical station."

"I don't know Barriss...I think we should stay together!" Ahsoka warned before Zelina could say anything. They were already crawling through the vents once more.

Zelina nodded in agreement. "It will be easier for the troopers to corner and capture us if we split up, and I don't think I have to tell you what could happen after that."

"I believe we should stay together as well; unfortunately that's not a luxury we have right now," Barriss said pointedly as they came to the intersection they would split up at. "One of us must succeed; if you need to, you'll do what must be done, I know it," Barriss said, looking each of them in the eyes. Zelina nodded curtly.

"You're right, and I couldn't have said it better myself."

Ahsoka wilted a little. "Yes, of course..."

Zelina put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. "Have faith young one," she said gently, sounding braver than she really felt. "I feel we all have far too many things the Force would have us do for us to fail."

Ahsoka looked up at Zelina, smiling slightly. "Thanks Zelina."

"Of course. Now hurry, we're pressed for time."

"May the Force be with you," Ahsoka said sincerely to the pair as they started down the long hall.

"And with you," Barriss and Zelina both chimed. With that, they both went their separate ways, determined to get their individual tasks done successfully.

***********************************

Cautiously, Barriss lifted the grate just outside of the room they needed to be in; there wasn't a vent that lead straight into the reactor room, so this was the best that the pair could do. Lightsabers in hand, they looked around cautiously, alert for any signs of infested soldiers. Barriss was the first to creep into the room, moving forward slowly and checking every corner.

There was a high pitch whine, and Zelina jumped back just in time as the electricity suddenly sparked to life, bolts winding out to latch onto and immobilize any unlucky being that got caught in their path.

Barriss was one of those unlucky beings.

"Barriss!" Zelina cried out, unable to help the Padawan without causing harm to herself. Her lightsaber fell out of her hands before the young girl fell to the ground. Zelina activated her lightsaber, fully aware that they were in immediate danger and that she was cornered.

"If there's one thing we clones know, it's how to stop a Jedi," came a troopers voice as he turned the corner; three more appeared down the hall in the reactor room, and the one who had spoken was flanked by two others out in the hall. Blasters, Zelina could tell, were not set to stun. One of the men stepped forward, two pods in hand.

"Oh, Force, no," Zelina said firmly, her eyes flashing as the instinct of survival kicked in.

There was no way she was going to end up a mindless zombie. With a low growl, Zelina focused her attention on the three that were blocking her escape, her violet blade humming ominously in the small space. She could do this, she knew she could...but she didn't know if she could get Barriss out of there too.

Barriss seemed to realize this as well. "Run," she whispered softly to Zelina.

Zelina tensed, locking gazes with the Padawan. Barriss stared firmly back, her mind made up. She knew that Zelina couldn't get her out of there too, and she could accept that.

Zelina didn't know if she could though.

"Run!" Barriss said, a little firmer. "Forget about me just run!"

Torn, Zelina force herself to charge the three that blocked her exit, immersing herself deep into the Force so that she might just pull this off. The three that were in the reactor room jumped Barriss, just as Zelina had expected, so she pushed herself to barrel into the other soldiers, who hissed in fury that she wasn't going to be taken so easily as she deflected their blaster shots with a well-practiced speed. She had practiced deflecting long and hard, wanting to be able to deflect any type of rapid fire that was thrown her way. Zelina shoved one into the wall, hooked her leg around another's knees and knocked his legs out from under him, and then flat out barreled into the other, knocking him to the floor underneath her.

The man let out a shriek, the worm protruding from his mouth like earlier and causing Zelina's skin to crawl. The one on her right was standing up, reaching for the ray shields, but Zelina couldn't afford to focus on him. She pushed herself up off of the man below her, kicking him hard in the head in the hopes of dazing him before spinning to lash out with her lightsaber and burn the hand of the trooper reaching for the ray shields. He managed to activate just enough to fully cut her off from Barriss before Zelina's action stopped him, but she dared not waste any more time there lest she lose her chance to escape. Gritting her teeth in determination, Zelina launched herself away from the troopers that were quickly recovering and sprinted into the hall. She could sense more approaching as she ran back to the vent that her and Barriss had entered the hall in.

"No!" she heard Barriss scream behind her.

She forced herself not to look back, jumping into the vent and using the Force to situate the grate back into place. It wasn't a moment too soon either, because as the grate settled into its appropriate place three troopers rounded the corner and rushed by where she had been standing moments ago. Swiftly, Zelina crawled away from the grate, mindlessly wandering through the vents as tears blurred her vision. She was trembling violently by the time she finally collapsed at one of the intersections with a sob.

She was scared out of her mind, and for once, she didn't care how that made her seem. She had come so close to becoming a mindless zombie, and even now it was still a possibility.

And poor Barriss...

Ahsoka!

Zelina reached for her com link, fumbling with it for a few moments before she finally managed to make a call to the aft com system; hopefully Ahsoka could respond.

"Hello?" came the immediate response.

"Ahsoka! You're all right," Zelina said in relief, her voice trembling as badly as she was.

"As much as I can be right now," she paused, and Zelina heard another voice on the other end, distant like it was coming from another communication instead of in the room with Ahsoka. It sounded like...Anakin? "What's wrong, are you all right?"

"No, no I'm not," Zelina said, her voice breaking. "They jumped us, they were waiting for us, Ahsoka; they got Barriss. They almost got me too," she said, her voice lowering to a whisper at the last part.

Ahsoka was silent for several beats, the news sinking in even as Zelina heard the other voice again, hurried and strained. Finally Ahsoka spoke. "Anakin is going to try and contact you; I just finished talking to him."

"Thank you Ahsoka," Zelina said quietly.

The link was cut off, but it didn't take long for a new call to blare through her com. She answered it as fast as her trembling fingers would allow, and she felt relief wash through her as she heard Anakin's voice.

"Zelina? Zelina are you all right?" came his worry-strained voice.

"No, not at all," Zelina said with a slightly hysterical and short laugh at the end. "Gah, Anakin, I know I'm a Jedi and everything but..." she bit her lip, not sure if she could speak what was on her mind.

"I'm going to interrogate Poggle and get some answers, I promise," Anakin said, a dark and determined edge in his voice Zelina recognized from Tatooine. She didn't say anything about it though; her mind was too focused on the thoughts of the zombie worms that were taking over the ship.

"Please hurry," she said desperately, her eyes darting from side to side. There was a heartbeat of silence before she managed to finally force herself to say it. "Anakin...I-I'm scared," she whispered into the com, praying that no one else was around him to hear.

"I know Zelina, I know," he said, his voice dripping with a compassion that served to sooth her nerves at least a little. "And I promise you that you're going to make it through this, all right? I'll make sure of it. When you get back, we can have a long talk and relax, just the two of us, all right? You won't have to worry about any of this, and you'll be safe."

"Thank you Anakin," she said softly. Once more, she wished he was physically there with her, but at the same time she didn't wish this nightmare upon him. "I—"

She cut off as movement registered in her peripherals, and horror seized her as she saw the thing that was slithering towards her. "Oh Force they set them loose in the vents!" she whispered in sharp alarm. "I've got to go! Hurry!"

"Zelina—!"

She cut the communication; she didn't have the luxury of keeping the communication up. Who knew how many of these things were crawling through the vents?

Zelina activated her lightsaber, slicing through the worm before it could get too close. The Force warned her of an incoming danger behind her, and she spun around just in time to cut a worm in half while it flew through mid-air, its remains landing in a heap in front of her.

Zelina pushed herself into an uncomfortable running crouch, convinced that she would face plant into the floor of the vent at some point. Still, she had to move quickly, and she needed the use of her hands. She kept her lightsaber ablaze, eyes alert and deeply immersed in the Force so that she could sense the worm threats ahead of time.

She could only hope that Anakin worked fast; he was their last hope.

*************************************

"This is Ahsoka; come in."

Zelina perked up when she heard the familiar voice ahead of her. Picking up her pace, she rushed around the corner, skidding to a halt when she heard the second familiar voice.

"Ahsoka, listen to me; the worms are affected by the cold!"

Zelina had to halt at the sound of Anakin's voice, but not completely because of his voice. A feeling rushed through her through the Force; it was dark and cold, and her throat constricted painfully, causing her to draw in a difficult and ragged gasp for air. An image of Anakin's face came into view in her mind's eye, but his face was drawn into a look of dark, determined fury, the dark side emanating from his person. His hand was stretched forward, his fingers curled into a choking gesture as strangled Geonosian clicking noises echoed around the room.

The image faded, and Zelina found herself leaning against the ventilation system walls for support, gathering in air as she found herself able to breathe again.

"Cold? That's how we stop them?" Ahsoka's voice came, but Zelina didn't allow herself to focus on the young girl's words. A warning screamed through the Force, and Zelina had to throw herself to the ground with a loud thud to avoid the worm that had flown at her from behind. It landed a few inches in front of her face.

Obviously it had startled Ahsoka. "Zelina? Oh my—"

The worm launched itself at Zelina, who reared back and cut it clean in half with her lightsaber, cutting a few strands of her hair short at the same time since the worm was so close to her face. She scrambled back to her feet, waving at Ahsoka to get up.

"Move!" she barked, her voice sharp and strained. She could sense more coming.

"Zelina, are you all right?" came Anakin's voice from the com. His tone was dripping with concern and compassion now.

"Wonderful," she said sarcastically.

"At least your humor is intact," she heard Anakin mutter.

Zelina turned to Ahsoka. "They definitely know we're up here now; those things have been tailing me this entire time. The vents aren't safe anymore."

"I'd rather take jumping worms in the vents then possessed clones and a possessed Barriss," Ahsoka said grimly.

"I'm not sure which I'd rather face yet," Zelina said quietly.

"You two, I know you're focused on what's going on there, but focus on me for a moment," came Anakin's slightly annoyed voice. "You need to rupture the coolant system!"

"The coolant system; got it," Ahsoka said into the com before she cut the connection. The two came to a stop by another grate, which Ahsoka promptly lifted from its position so they could drop down into the hall below. They wasted no time in sprinting down the halls, their senses tuned to their max to keep alert for troopers and worms, as well as the infected Barriss.

*****************************************

It didn't take long for Zelina to get cold. Being from a desert planet, she was used to the heat, and she actually preferred to be warm or hot then chilled or freezing. In fact, she vaguely recalled once she said she'd rather burn to death than freeze to death; that's how much she hated the cold.

The current, freezing temperatures inside the ship was reminding her of that fact at this very moment. Shivering violently, she walked through the now strangely empty halls beside Ahsoka, their eyes peering down every corner before they turned down a new hall, scanning each dark corner for possible worm threats. They were so close now, they couldn't possibly fail; Zelina wouldn't allow it.

She wanted to live long enough for Anakin to uphold his promise.

"There you are," came a sudden low, hissing voice, followed by the telltale activation of a lightsaber and the click of a blaster. "You can't hide from us!" Barriss hissed.

Zelina whipped around, freezing in place as she saw who stood beside Barriss.

Cruiser.

She spun back around, shoving Ahsoka forward towards the grate that had a blast of cold air coming out of it that Zelina might compare to Hoth, even if she'd never been to the planet. "Go, go!"

She didn't really feel like facing down her closest trooper friend right now.

With a grunt, they both jumped straight into the freezing air, pushing themselves forward even though their senses screamed at them in protest. They were safe from the two at the moment, but it wouldn't last for long.

"T-to the bri-idge," Zelina chattered. Her hands seemed to burn from the sensation of cool metal against her skin, but she forced herself to keep going.

"I-I know-w. W-we need t-to g-guide the sh-ship in," Ahsoka chattered back.

"I'll le-leave that to y-you. I'll k-k-keep g-gu-guard," Zelina said, her voice shaking just as bad as her limbs were now.

"D-d-deal."

They came to a stop and Ahsoka reached up, removing the grate above them. She shook as she set the grate aside, and she created more noise than they would have liked, but it couldn't be helped. Grunting, shivering, and mentally cursing the cold while simultaneously thanking the Force for it, the two lifted themselves up onto ground level. Ahsoka wasted no time in rushing towards the controls while Zelina stationed herself outside of the door, trembling from the cold.

It didn't take long for their pursuers to reappear. Zelina tensed when she saw Cruiser and Barriss turn the corner, activating her lightsaber at the same time as Barriss. The possessed Padawan charged Zelina, their lightsabers clashing violently as Zelina's lightsaber grazed the wall beside them, raining sparks down on them. She was forced to shove Barriss away and deflect a sudden barrage of blaster fire from Cruiser though, and shouted a warning towards Ahsoka even as Barriss slipped past her.

"Ahsoka, look out!" she cried. "Barriss—"

She was force to cut off as Cruiser decided to give up trying to shoot her, launching himself at her with a Geonosian hiss of fury. Zelina, caught off guard, fell to the floor with a grunt, her lightsaber rolling away.

There was a frightening screech just inches from her ear, and Zelina braced Cruiser as far away from her as she could, eyes widening marginally in fear as the worm stretched out of Cruiser's mouth and tickled her face. She jerked from the contact, pushing the man away from her with a gasp. Cruiser growled at her, his eyes trained on her with a possessed, murderous look.

"I'm not going to hurt you Cruiser," she said wearily, bracing herself for the attack that was going to inevitably come.

"You don't have a choice, Jedi," he hissed, his voice warped by the Geonosian worm that was controlling him. He lunged at her again, and Zelina sidestepped the attack, landing a quick blow on Cruiser's back; a blow that sent him to the ground. She retreated again, content with fighting him until the cold took its toll; anything but killing him.

She glanced behind her; the vent just behind her was streaming cold air, and her strength was waning, the cold taking its toll on her as well. She didn't know how much longer she'd be able to keep up this fight.

Cruiser pulled himself to his feet, a dangerous look in his eyes. "You're going to have to do better than that."

"I'm not even trying Cruiser, you know me well enough to know that," Zelina said, her voice as even as she could keep it. The man snarled at her and lunged once more, and Zelina forced herself to wait until the last moment before she sidestepped. He landed with a huff right over the vent that was spewing cold air and let out an ear shattering shriek, the worm appearing out of his mouth once more. Before she could lose her edge, Zelina grabbed the man and forced him down into the vent. Before he could rear back out, she set the grate back into place, backing away and collapsing against the wall. Cruiser's possessed shrieks continued.

"Sorry C-c-cruiser, but it...it's for your...y-y-your own...g-g-good..." Zelina whispered, her eyes drooping closed.

She could no longer fight off the exhaustion and cold that was seeping through her bones, and her trembling was probably now out of control. She didn't care now. In fact, she felt rather comfortable. She couldn't feel the cold anymore, but actually felt rather warm. She let herself drift, content with falling asleep. In fact, she was back on Naboo, lying in the grass with the warm sun beating down on her. Smiling peacefully, she turned her head to see Anakin lying next to her, his blue eyes sparkling mischievously as he rolled onto his side to look at her. Her smile grew as he leaned over her, pulling him close to her. He was so warm, and she felt safe in his arms. She snuggled closer to him with a content sigh, feeling his hand running through her hair and down her back. She could hear his heartbeat, her ear pressed against his chest in their embrace.

"You need to wake up," he suddenly said. His voice was like music over her ears, and she smiled at how silly his words sounded.

"I am awake silly," she laughed, nuzzling his chest.

"No you're not. Zelina, you need to wake up. I need you," Anakin continued. Zelina frowned. Why did he have to ruin the moment? They were perfectly happy right here, in each other's arms on Naboo.

Anakin pulled away from her and she made a noise of displeasure, tensing. No! She wanted back in his arms. He stared down at her, his blue eyes serious.

"Zelina, I need you right now. You need to go back," Anakin said firmly. He looked up, past her to someone else.

Frowning, Zelina turned her head around to see the young man walking towards them. He was dressed in all black, a lightsaber hanging from his waist. Like Anakin, he wore a glove over his right hand, though it was much simpler than Anakin's. What surprised her was the man's facial features. His dirty blonde hair matched Anakin's shade, though it was much better groomed, falling smooth and straight while Anakin's was starting to form unruly, messy waves. The young man's eyes were the exact same sharp blue shade as Anakin's, and he had the same chin, the same determined air, and the same powerful presence in the Force. Zelina turned, her mouth already open to ask Anakin who the young man was.

"Go with Luke; he'll lead you back," Anakin said gently, standing up.

His hand was clasped in hers, but he was slipping out of her grasp. She clung to his fingertips, staring at him pleadingly. "Don't go, please! Stay with me!"

"I haven't left," he said with a small smile before his fingers slipped out of her grasp. The moment he was no longer in contact with her, he vanished. Zelina sat up with a cry and the young man—Luke—crouched down beside her.

Where had she heard that name before...?

Luke offered her his hand with a small smile. "I'll take you back," he said gently, his voice compassionate and calm by nature it seemed. Hesitantly, Zelina took his proffered hand and Luke pulled her to her feet. She was unsteady, so he let her brace herself against him.

"Who are you? Why do I feel like I know you?" she asked him. Luke simply smiled.

"Ask him about Poggle. Ask him what he did; don't let him wiggle out of it. He needs to tell someone, and you're the one who will listen to him. You're the one who can help him."

He only served to confuse Zelina further. "What are you talking about? Who are you?"

"Ask him about Poggle."

Zelina tried to speak again, but her words were whisked away by the wind as she suddenly found herself falling. The colors around her bled into pure white before fading to gray, then pure black. She was falling faster now, the ground was coming up, she could feel it, she was going to hit the ground hard, she—

With a slight start, Zelina's eyes flew open as she lurched back into consciousness, her eyes looking around the room wildly. The worms, Cruiser, Barriss, Ahsoka! Why was she in a medical room and not in the ship?

A heavy weight on her arm, drew her attention, and she stilled.

Anakin was asleep at her side, a chair pulled up beside the bed so he could be right there. His head nested on top of his arms that were folded over one another, his breathing even as his chest fell slowly up and down in a steady rhythm.

He also was asleep on her arm, though at the moment she didn't really mind. She bit her lip, torn between waking him and letting him sleep. Who knew how long he'd been there?

It seemed fate made the decision for her, because Anakin stirred, his hand twitching and automatically curling around her fingers, which surprised her. She hadn't realized he'd been holding her hand...

His eyelids fluttered open, and she smiled at him. "It's about time you woke up sleepyhead," she croaked, wincing at how bad she sounded. She felt horrible too, like she'd been hit by a rail jet.

Anakin's eyes flew open and he suddenly bolted upright, his hand tightening around hers as he stared at her in surprise. "Zelina! You're awake!" he said in obvious relief. His eyes shone in concern as he took in every inch of her, probing her through the Force to figure out how she truly felt before she even had any chance to tell him she was better than she really was. "How are you feeling?" he asked her earnestly, leaning forward slightly and bracing himself with his free hand on her other side. She smiled slightly at him.

"Much better now...but I still feel like a pile of bantha poodoo," she said with a light snicker. Thankfully it coaxed a smile out of him as well.

"I've been so worried, you've been out far longer than the others and they said that because you're from Tatooine and your body isn't accustomed to the cold that you were in worse condition than most with severe hypothermia, and I wasn't sure if you were going to be all right or not, and—"

Zelina put up a hand to stop his rambling, the smile on her face gone. Gently, she put a hand on his cheek. "I'm fine now," she whispered, making sure he was looking her in the eyes. "Just breathe...I'm going to be all right."

Anakin studied her eyes for a moment, as if searching to see if she was telling the truth. He was apparently satisfied by whatever he found, so he nodded. "Did you have any dreams?" he suddenly asked.

Zelina was startled by the question, staring at him for a few moments before she answered. "Yes...why?"

Anakin nodded. "I did too. And you were mumbling in my sleep. You said my name a lot, and I also heard something about a Luke..."

At his words, Zelina blushed furiously, her hand dropping away from his face. "Oh...and what where yours about?"

It was his turn to blush and look away. "Nothing, nothing really."

That made her suspicious, but she didn't press the issue lest he press the issue with her. There was a beat of silence before Anakin spoke again. "Who's Luke?"

Was that jealously she heard in his voice?

Zelina shrugged. "I don't know...I feel like I've heard the name before but...I didn't recognize..." she trailed off, struck by a memory. "Wait...Luke was the name of the little boy in my vision. The one back in the hospital after Geonosis, do you remember?"

Anakin frowned. "Yeah, I remember. Are you telling me you had another one about the same boy?"

Zelina nodded avidly. "Yes! I recognize him now! I didn't at first because he was so much older! He was in his early twenties instead of like, seven or eight." She leaned back with a frown. "He must be important...I just wish I knew who he was. I asked him who he was, but he just told me to ask you..."

She stopped again, remembering two things at once; what Luke had told her to ask Anakin, and her brief vision of Anakin while she was still on the medical frigate.

Anakin eyed her wearily. "Ask me what? Who he is? I have no idea."

Zelina shook her head, her voice dropping several tones. "No...no he didn't tell me to ask that. Anakin...what happened with Poggle; what did you do?"

Anakin visibly tensed, freezing in place as a dark look flickered across his features. "Nothing," he said suddenly, his voice sharp.

Zelina raised her eyebrows in surprise at his tone. "You're tone says the opposite."

Anakin scowled, looking away. "It wasn't anything that you need to worry about; you should rest, you need it."

She didn't like how stiff his voice was as he spoke, or the fact that he wouldn't look her in the eyes. Painfully, she rose onto her elbows with a small grunt. Worry flickered over Anakin's face momentarily as he moved to help her, putting his free hand on her shoulder.

"Easy..." he murmured, his other hand still clenched firmly around hers.

Zelina looked up, fixing him with an intense stare. When she spoke, her voice was soft, but held just enough authority in it that he would know she was serious. "I already have a general idea because of a vision I had back on the frigate; I'm giving you a chance to be honest with me."

Anakin's lips thinned and his eyes flashed just a little, but Zelina could tell that the anger wasn't directed so much at her as it was at the topic. For a moment it looked like he wasn't going to respond, but Zelina waited patiently, her gaze never breaking from his. Finally, she saw the shift in his eyes from a hard edge to a soft one, and he exhaled soft and slow through his nostrils before he spoke.

"Poggle wasn't talking, so I made him talk," Anakin said, a note of venom in his voice. Zelina kept her patience, her gaze never leaving his.

"And how did you do that?" she asked him gently.

Anakin looked away. "I used a Force Choke on him. It was the only way he was going to talk."

Zelina winced, remembering her personal experience with being Force Choked by Dooku. She pushed the memory aside, studying Anakin instead to distract herself. He was tense, turned away from her, and looked like he was drawing into himself; he was expecting her to yell or scold him in some way. Frowning, she thought back to what Luke had said.

"He needs to tell someone, and you're the one who will listen to him. You're the one who can help him."

Carefully, Zelina stretched out her hand so that her fingers could curl into his hand better, causing him to jump slightly in surprise. He looked up at her, confusion in his eyes as she graced him with a small smile.

"I thought..." he started to say, but he trailed off when Zelina shook her head.

"I'm here to listen, not to scold," she told him gently, her eyes knowing. She wondered vaguely if she had ever seen him look so thankful in her life.

"Thank you," he said quietly before he launched into a brief story of his interrogation of Poggle. He had gone alone and dismissed the guards at Poggle's cell door so that no one would see what happened. Once inside, he had tried a Jedi Mind Trick on Poggle to get the Geonosian to talk before Poggle had informed him that Jedi Mind Tricks wouldn't work on Poggle. Anakin had lost his temper then, backhanding the Geonosian right out of his chair and onto the floor while stating he didn't need Mind Tricks to make Poggle talk. When Poggle didn't respond to the intimidation, Anakin had put him in the Force Choke, strangling the defenseless Geonosian until Poggle had given up the information about the brain worms that Anakin desired.

To say that Zelina was disturbed would be an understatement, especially with what Anakin told her next.

"When I put him in the Force Choke...it...it felt good; I felt powerful when he was at my mercy. Like I could do anything and no one could stop me. I enjoyed it," Anakin said, staring down at his hands before he looked up at her. "And I know I shouldn't."

For a moment, Zelina was at war with herself, processing what he said as he looked at her with a mixture of fear and hope; fear at what she would say and hope that he had done the right thing in telling her. Before the fear could develop into anger that she wasn't saying anything, Zelina reached out to put a hand on her cheek, smiling just a little at him.

"I'm glad that you did it; I can't deny that it saved our lives most likely. But let's not make a habit out of it seeing as that was a dark side power that you used. Dabbling in the dark side is dangerous, and we both know it."

Anakin's expression was pained. "I know, that's why I regret it, but at the same time I don't and—"

Zelina shook her head, squeezing the hand that was intertwined in hers and rubbing the side of his face reassuringly with her thumb. "It's in the past Anakin; there's not much you can do about it but resolve to do better. Still, we're both here now, and that's what matters; don't beat yourself up too much about this."

Anakin was silent for a moment before he slowly nodded. "You're right..."

Zelina sighed. "Don't ever be afraid to talk to me Ani...I'm here for you whenever you need me."

"I know."

"You better," she said, cracking a small smile. "Just like you better hold up your promise that we get to spend some friend to friend time together now that...zombie nightmare is over."

Anakin smiled just slightly. "I was hoping you'd forget."

"Were you? Where you really?" Zelina challenged him, coaxing more of a smile out of him. He chuckled lightly.

"I'll see what I can do."

Zelina smiled, leaning back on the bed with a small sigh. Anakin reached over and situated the blanket better over her with a gentle reverence she didn't think she'd ever live to see him treat her with. He smiled down at her as he pulled away.

"Get some rest Zee; you deserve it,"

She was already obliging, drifting peacefully back into the dream world that awaited. This time, however, there was no sign of the mysterious Luke to greet her.

*********************************************

Anakin watched Zelina drift off into sleep, waiting until her breathing was deep and even before he moved, standing up to stretch. Keeping his eyes on her, he studied the way she looked when she was asleep; peaceful and free of the worry lines he had noticed creeping up on her face despite her young age. She tended to look older than she really was, though with how she acted Anakin tended to forget she was three years younger than him. Especially in these moments when she shared with him advice that almost always helped. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

Smiling slightly, Anakin reached over and tucked some of the hair that had fallen into her face out of the way behind her ear. He knew it drove her crazy when her hair fell in her face; that was why she kept it up so much in buns, ponytails, braids, and any other hairdo that came to mind. He was fairly certain that she and Padme got together to conspire over and design new hairdos on a daily basis.

Sighing, Anakin sat back down beside her bed. After talking to her, he felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest, a weight that he hadn't known was there. He truly had enjoyed Poggle's fear, and the adrenaline from the moment still lingered in his system, especially when he thought of it, the giddy feeling coming back as well as a sense of shame. But she was right; he'd already made that choice and the best he could do was try to move on and do better.

Staring thoughtfully at Zelina's prone form, Anakin flexed his mechanical hand, listening to the quiet, soft whir of the mechanics working to perform the action.

He was glad she hadn't pressed the topic of his dream. He wasn't quite sure what to think about it. Even now his eyes drew away from the soft, peaceful features of her face to her lips specifically, his mind wandering back to the images that had floated before his eyes...

Anakin and Zelina were outside on the balcony, talking easily with wide smiles. They were both looking up at the stars, glancing back down at each other occasionally while the soft Naboo breeze blew their Padawan Braids gently to the side. They caught each other's gazes, holding each other's eyes as the air around crackled with electricity. He moved without really thinking, acting on instinct and what he felt in that moment more than anything else as he leaned in closer, closer...

He had waited for the call he knew would happen, Padme calling them for dinner and breaking the moment. But it hadn't come.

His lips connected with hers and she stiffened with anticipation, a small gasp slipping loose from her that sounded along the lines of ecstasy. When she didn't pull away like Padme had, he closed the distance between them easily, deepening the kiss as Zelina tipped her head back to allow him better access, her lips moving rhythmically to match the passionate pace of his own. Anakin braced his hands on either side of her waist where she was perched up on the balcony railing, leaning in as Zelina hesitantly raised her hands to trail up his chest before she linked her arms together behind his neck, pulling herself up towards him even as she pulled him further down towards her.

There was several long moments of just this silent kiss; no words were needed, so none were spoken. They could sense each other through the Force, the height of the emotions that hummed between them communicating that each of them felt like they were higher than the stars in the galaxy. Finally, hesitantly...slowly...Anakin pulled away, eyes still closed as he savored the ghost of her lips on his. Half of him screamed to lean back in and kiss her again, to go in for more, but the other said that it had been long enough for a first kiss. It was time to gauge her reaction.

He cracked his eyelids open, watching her wearily, afraid she would reject him like Padme had.

She sat there, eyes still closed herself as she savored the kiss he'd given her. She had a look of peace and joy on her face that caused Anakin's heart to flutter in his chest, skipping a few beats along the way. Finally, Zelina smiled, her eyes opening to reveal bright, jewel like eyes that sparkled in the moonlight in an unmatched beauty.

The scene faded away before Anakin could hear what she thought, and he was back to his normal state of being, shock radiating through him followed closely by guilt. Padme, Padme, remember Padme, he chanted to himself, trying to dispel the emotions that were lingering from the vivid vision.

There was a soft laugh behind him like tinkling bells, alerting him to the fact that he was not alone. He spun around, surprised, and was startled to see a strawberry blonde teenager behind him, gray/blue eyes sparkling with mischief. Anakin frowned, trying to figure out what the youth was laughing about.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The girl tried not to smile, cocking an elegant eyebrow in a way that reminded Anakin disturbingly of Obi-Wan. "Can't you guess?"

He opened his mouth to tell her that he didn't have the faintest idea who she was, but instead found himself saying, "Pria."

Where had that come from?

The girl—Pria—laughed. "Good! You got it right! Come on, I have something to show you," she said, hopping down from some invisible perch she'd been situated on.

"Wait! I don't know who you are; is there anymore to your name?" he asked as he followed her through the darkness.

"You know all you need to for now," Pria said with a sly smile, her eyes sparkling again. Anakin frowned, picking up his pace to keep up with her as the youth led him deeper into the darkness.

"Where are we going?" Anakin called ahead. Pria was darting forward at Jedi speed, and it was starting to annoy him.

"You'll see!" she called.

Anakin rolled his eyes, but came to an abrupt halt as he looked around, unable to see the girl anymore. He stared at his surroundings, startled. It was still dark, but this time it was the natural dark of night on a familiar planet Anakin had spent most of his stay on recovering. He pushed his way through the thick brush, his suspicions confirmed as he saw the familiar makeshift camp he had been in for a good chunk of his stay on this planet after the crash that nearly killed him. There was Rex, standing guard and pacing the perimeter. If he moved forward, he was sure he would be able to see Zelina and himself in the makeshift tent just behind the fire...

Suddenly he spotted Pria, her eyes sparkling as she gestured for him to come closer. Anakin frowned at the girl but obliged, coming closer so that he could see inside of the tent. He couldn't possibly imagine what she wanted to show him.

He stopped short when he saw Zelina awake in the tent, leaning over his unconscious form. He watched as she brushed some of the stray hair from his face before gently stroking his cheek. He could sense waves of fear coming off of her; fear that he would die. She sighed, her blue/green eyes filled with sorrow as she started to speak in soft, trembling tones.

"Why do you have to keep getting into these situations Ani...why do you have to keep being the hero?" she asked him softly, tracing his lips with her finger, his light breathing tickle her fingers. She smiled, chuckling weakly under her breath. "Then again...I guess asking you why you keep being the hero is like asking me why I still...even though you're with..."

She trailed off, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear and blinking back some stray tears as she stroked his cheek again. "I can't believe I never spoke up...I never told you the truth before it was too late...I should have...and if Padme hadn't come in when she had on my birthday...I'm pretty sure I would have at least known what it's like to kiss you..." she mumbled. She finally let her hand come to a stop, resting gently on his cheek. "Please don't die on me Anakin...I need you, more than you'll ever know because I never told you the truth...I never told you that—"

And that was when he'd been woken up by movement in the real world. Anakin stared at his friend as she lay peacefully in bed, trying to sort out his disjointed feelings about what he had seen. Had it been real? The first one hadn't been. It had definitely felt real, but it wasn't what had happened. Did that mean that the second one wasn't real either.

His mind wandered back to that night, back to the moments he had started to regain consciousness. He had felt lips on his, so soft and feather light, but so passionate they had to belong to Padme.

What if they didn't? What if that kiss had been very much real, and from someone else entirely?

Anakin shook his head to dispel the thoughts that ran circles in his head, sighing. He had to get up and tell Obi-Wan and Master Fisto that Zelina was all right; they had requested that he give them updates on her status if he was going to stick by her side.

He stood up, shoving the thoughts to the back of his mind. He was afraid what he would find if he pursued them, so it might be better if he just forgot about it entirely.

He couldn't wait to get back to his wife at home. It had been a long time since he'd last seen her, and he needed a break from the war.

He was pretty sure it was starting to drive him to insanity.