"Obi-Wan!"

Please...

"...the Jedi Council and Galactic Senate will be of no help to us here."

Help them!

"No...it can't be..."

Not for the galaxy...

"Don't listen to him, Obi!"

For their sakes.

"You can kill me, but you will never destroy me..."

And for mine.

"Satine!"

You must hurry, I beg you!

"Remember, my dear Obi-Wan...I loved you always. I always will..."

Help them...

"Obi-Wan!"

On opposite ends of the Temple, Zelina and Anakin woke from the same dream, Anakin frozen in shock, Zelina weeping for the agony she'd witnessed.

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

"You don't look so good...did you get any sleep?"

Zelina looked up from her breakfast to gaze at Anakin from across the cafeteria table, shaking her head. "No, I didn't...though you don't look much better."

Anakin shook his head. "Bad dream. You?"

"Same," Zelina said, looking disconcerted. "Something's not right...something feels incredibly dark in the Force...I'm worried about Obi-Wan..."

Anakin stilled, staring at her as if he felt sick. "Don't tell me you dreamt about him too."

Zelina say back, staring at him with wide eyes of her own. "Satine?" She ventured to ask, a slight tremble to her voice.

Anakin nodded. "Maul, too."

Zelina paled, shaking her head. "It must have been a vision...I suspected, because of Luke, but you having the vision too..."

"You saw Luke?" Anakin asked, looking puzzled. Zelina frowned.

"Yeah, I saw Luke. Why, did you see anyone?"

"Pria...for the first time in a long time..." Anakin said thoughtfully. He leaned across the table holding her gaze. "What did Luke say to you?"

"He begged me to help them, not for the galaxy, but for their sakes and his. What about Pria?"

"She said the same thing."

Zelina sighed. "Then I guess we'll receive no clues to the future—more distant future—from this vision. Pair of visions I should say. But still...Obi-Wan and Satine..."

"I know," Anakin said grimly. "But we did make a promise, even before these visions. We have to help them, and we will."

"We just have to figure out when—our visions have no clue as to when this all happens."

"Then we'll keep an eye on Obi-Wan. That way when he goes to Mandalore, we'll know."

"So long as we don't end up doing more harm than good," Zelina murmured. Anakin outstretched a hand, placing it gently over hers.

"Honestly, I don't think it could get much worse. And if both Pria and Luke have appeared to tell us to fix this, then surely we can do something."

"Yeah...surely..."

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

Their first clue came through the Force.

Zelina had been deep in meditation when she felt the first stirrings of darkness—at least more than was already in the galaxy—and had promptly contacted Anakin to tell him what she'd felt. Since they had been waiting for something to happen, he was in her quarters in no time, pacing somewhat restlessly while Zelina tried to muscle past his anxiety to get back to meditating.

"Anakin, you're not helping, I can't focus if you're so agitated," Zelina reprimanded him gently.

"I'm sorry, Zelina, I just...I'm worried."

"I know...it's understandable, I'm worried too. But we won't know what's going on until we focus and keep track of Obi-Wan and the Force in general."

Anakin sighed, moving over to her window to stand in front of it, hands clasped behind his back. "I know, I'm sorry...forgive me for letting my worry get the better of me."

Zelina inclined her head, but otherwise made no acknowledgement of his statement, settling down and returning to the eddies of the Force. Once she felt she was far enough into her meditative state, Zelina sought out Obi-Wan, noting that he was currently making his ways through the hall of the Temple towards the main war room.

"I think he's going to meet with someone in the war room...I wonder..."

"Maybe they've received Satine's distress call," Anakin replied, grimacing as he pondered what they could do to help the pair. Obviously it would help if Anakin gave them a better ship...

"He's in there now..." Zelina said softly. "The only other people in the room are Master Mundi and Master Yoda...he's curious, but also worried...they're both grim and expectant...Anakin, I think this is—"

A noticeable spike in the Force from Obi-Wan confirmed her suspicion before she could even finish speaking her thought out loud, and she opened her eyes to look up at Anakin in fear. "Ani, it has to be...this has to be it."

Anakin turned from his spot at the window, coming to a standstill in front of her and offering her his hand. "Well then, we better go find him and make sure he doesn't try to go alone."

Zelina nodded. "Should we meet him outside of the war room or at his chambers?"

"His chambers, probably—that way we don't draw Yoda's or Mundi's attention."

Zelina nodded, keeping her attention on Obi-Wan as they made their way through the halls towards Obi-Wan's chambers, which luckily wasn't that far from Zelina's room. She leaned against one side of the door, Anakin standing at the other like they were guarding the room beyond. Closing her eyes, Zelina kept her focus on Obi-Wan.

"He's worried...afraid...frustrated even," Zelina murmured, watching the emotions rise and fall within Obi-Wan through the Force.

"I can see why—it's Satine, and the Republic has already deemed any issue other than the Separatists and the Clone War not worth it's time. The Jedi really don't have any jurisdiction in this matter."

"Not at the current moment," Zelina murmured. "Perhaps, seeing the issues within, we'll be able to change that. From the way the vision made the state of the planet seem, I'd say this is a matter that requires Republic intervention. Still, we won't be able to do anything without proof.

Suddenly, Zelina straightened. "He's coming. Brace yourself, this should be an interesting conversation."

Anakin nodded, and the pair waited until Obi-Wan rounded the corner, looking upset and lost in thought, as well as tense. When he saw Zelina and Anakin waiting by his chambers looking like guards, his expression morphed into that of surprise. "Zelina...Anakin...what are you doing here."

"We sensed your distress...we want to make sure you're all right," Zelina said softly.

"We both know it takes something serious to upset you like that, Master," Anakin added, stepping aside to let Obi-Wan enter his home.

Obi-Wan only nodded, silently entering but leaving the door open so the other two could as well. They stepped inside, shutting the door behind them before coming to stand in front of Obi-Wan. Zelina decided to risk tipping her hand slightly.

"It's Satine, isn't it," Zelina stated quietly. Obi-Wan glanced at her, then nodded.

"Mandalore has been taken by the crime families with Almec acting as their puppet. The Jedi can do nothing, and considering it's an internal affair, the Senate will not move to help them, leaving Satine to become a martyr and Mandalore to fall into chaos," Obi-Wan said grimly, his eyes showing the worry that pulsed through his Force Presence.

"Then we'll make this an independent act to rescue. If she asked for your help, you can go to handle a personal matter. And if you ask for our help, so can we. It will be nothing more than helping a friend, and no one will be able to argue otherwise," Zelina offered. Anakin nodded.

"If Satine's the one in danger than we'll go with you to help. You'll need all the help you can get if...something goes wrong," Anakin said quietly.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, it's probably best if I go alone—"

"No!" Anakin and Zelina said in unison, causing Obi-Wan's eyebrows to raise before Zelina cleared her throat. "No...you're going to need help, Obi-Wan. At least let us come just in case. Satine is my friend too, and none of us can pilot a ship as well as Anakin can—that will come in handy if we need a quick escape."

Obi-Wan sighed. "I don't want to get you involved with this too—and I'm perfectly capable of carrying out a rescue mission myself."

"We know you're capable, but we want to help. And even if you refuse to help us, we'll just come anyway in our own ship," Zelina said with a nonchalant shrug. "Right now it's just an offer of help, but if you say no then you'll end up with unwanted help."

"Oh, really?" Obi-Wan mused, a small flicker of amusement shining in his eyes before it died away. "All right then...you can come, but only if I end up needing the help, all right? It will be easier for just me to get into the prison and get Satine than a group of three people—that would require more planning than we may have time to do."

Zelina nodded. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go rescue your Duchess, Obi-Wan."

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

"Anakin, I thought you said this ship was fixed?" Zelina asked in annoyance as they flew into Mandalore's atmosphere.

"I thought she was fine," Anakin replied sheepishly, though she caught the strained look in his eyes. He'd tried to make the ship as flyable as possible on such short notice to decrease the chance of something terrible from happening, but apparently he'd missed some things.

At least that was what the trail of black smoke from the engine, clanking throughout the ship, and steam in the cockpit suggested.

"This is the last time we use one of your ships, Anakin," Zelina chided him.

"Well, it was the only one we could take that didn't scream Republic," Anakin replied somewhat tartly. "Are you ready Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked, turning to the man who wore a pale yellow and white set of old Mandalore armor. Obi-Wan nodded.

"Keep the ship ready to take off for when I get Satine here. We may have to leave as soon as possible and do what we can for Mandalore once Satine is safe on Coruscant."

"I agree—we'll do our best to fix the ship as much as possible too," Zelina commented, donning a crewman's outfit just in case she needed to work outside of the ship. "Good luck, Obi-Wan...and be careful," Zelina said sincerely.

Obi-Wan smiled. "When am I not?" he asked before he disappeared.

No sooner had he managed to get past the stuttering landing ramp—Zelina would have to fix that and clean up the oil and fluid leaking all over the bars—did a small fire start on the controls, causing Anakin to curse.

"You better fix that," Zelina said with a smile. "I'll go take care of the landing ramp...once Obi-Wan's done of course."

"...he told me it was perfectly fine," Zelina distantly heard Obi-Wan say moments before a loud clang resounded up the landing ramp. "Terribly sorry about that..."

"Do you have a landing permit?" came another voice.

Poodoo, we forgot about it. I guess that's where Obi-Wan got the current Mandalorian armor, Zelina mused.

"Um...I think I left it in the ship...come with me and I'll get it," came Obi-Wan's voice again, and Zelina leaned in the cockpit, a small smile on her face as the two came up the ramp.

"Forget the permit again, Boss?" she drawled theatrically to keep up the act until the guard was all the way up the ramp.

"As a matter of fact..." Obi-Wan started to say before he suddenly grabbed the guard's head and slammed it hard enough against the wall to knock him out. "It just arrived."

"Here, trade me with the armor so I can go out and fix this ship inconspicuously. I don't have a permit either," Zelina said with a smirk, causing Obi-Wan to roll his eyes as he threw her his yellow gear one by one and started to don the guard's armor. As he stood, Zelina let out a low whistle. "Looking good, Obi-Wan. You'll definitely impress Satine," Zelina said with a wink, fixing the helmet on her head.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Make sure that landing ramp is fixed by the time I get back," he replied instead, already descending the stairs.

"I will, don't worry," Zelina said with a smirk, coming down behind him so it looked like all the paperwork had been dealt with. Obi-Wan put the helmet on halfway down the ramp, continuing on while Zelina inspected the landing ramp, watching Obi-Wan out of the corner of her eyes.

Be careful, Obi-Wan...and good luck. We'll save her this time, I promise, Zelina said to herself.

Thankfully, the landing ramp was an easy fix, though Zelina made sure to wipe all of the oil and liquids off of the bars just in case, not wanting to have any unwelcome issues as they tried to make this plan work better. As soon as she was done with the fix, she hurried up the ramp to change back into her regular Jedi clothes.

"How are the cockpit controls coming along?" Zelina asked Anakin once she was done.

"Wonderful," Anakin said grumpily. "She'll fly, but she's going to be temperamental."

"As temperamental as she would be if you weren't here?"

"Not that temperamental. I will say, it's weird just being the getaway driver."

"Well, you are the best pilot, and we're going to need that. I'll give them ground cover, you just get us out of here as fast as possible."

"All right..." Anakin muttered, and Zelina made her way back to the ramp, sitting at the way top and waiting patiently for the inevitable.

Satine and Obi-Wan would make it out alive. Satine would not die on her watch! Especially since Luke had pled with her not to let the woman die.

No...Satine would live, no matter what Zelina had to do to make sure that would happen.

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

The sound of a speeder bike swinging to a rough halt snapped Zelina to her senses, especially when it was quickly followed by blaster fire.

"Get ready!" Zelina called to Anakin, snapping to her feet and racing down the landing ramp to see Obi-Wan and Satine rushing towards the ship, Obi-Wan laying down cover fire. Zelina rushed passed Obi-Wan, standing firmly in front of him and Satine.

"Get back to the ship, I'll cover you," Zelina shouted, igniting her lightsabers. Obi-Wan didn't argue, hurrying back to Satine and helping her get up the ramp without getting shot while Zelina deflected the blaster bolts away from them. They kept the landing ramp down for her sake, and she heard the ship whir as it started to rise into the air.

But a skiff was coming, and although she could feel the intensity of their gaze saying get on board the ship, she knew she couldn't yet.

No...if she got on board now they would all be dead.

The guns of the ship started to fire back at the guards, but Zelina was waiting for a specific moment, urging Anakin to rise higher into the ground and fly further back, to clear the landing pad. She'd make it if she had to, but right now he needed to be clear.

Zelina's heartbeat picked up to an erratic pace when Maul and Savage were on the skiff that had just come to a smooth stop, fear creeping into her stomach. Any moment now...she had to be ready...

Two missiles shot into the air, and without any thought Zelina deactivated her lightsabers, hooking them onto her belt in the same fluid motion as she raised her hands high in the air, using the Force to grab the projectiles that had locked onto Anakin's ship.

"No..." she grunted, though the effort to hold the weapons at bay was far greater than she had anticipated. "Not...this time...not...while I'm...here..."

Sweat broke out along her hairline and the missiles jerked, creeping forward towards the hovering ship. Zelina ground her teeth, her entire focus on the missiles as the attention of the guards, Savage, and Maul shifted to her. Blaster fire soared towards her, and somebody actually scored a hit on her shoulder, causing her to lose a little more ground with the missiles.

A familiar comfort washed over her, and she felt a welcome presence join her, putting his hands over hers. "Together," Luke said quietly in her ear, and Zelina breathed deeply as a way to calm herself down.

"Thank you...for helping me..." Zelina murmured.

"Oh, this isn't me...it's all you. I'm just helping you tap into your potential," Luke admitted, and Zelina just knew he had to be smiling.

Eyes glinting in determination, Zelina secured her hold on the missiles with Luke's assistance, dragging them back away from the ship and towards the guards, a few of which backed away. However, Maul and Savage were coming forward, snarling at her....

With a great deal of effort, Zelina dragged her hands down to cross each other in an X, and the missiles were dragged back to the landing platform, exploding in between her and the guards. She snapped her arms up to block the worst of the blast, but she was still sent sailing backwards, skidding painfully along the ground.

It's not over, get up, Zelina told herself fiercely, dragging herself to her feet. Maul was still coming towards her, a vicious snarl on his face, but Zelina held firm.

She would not let him take Satine! Not this time...

To Zelina's horror, Maul grabbed the ship in a powerful Force Grip, starting to drag it back to the landing pad. "Shoot it down!" he demanded with a bellow. Zelina grit her teeth, standing with her feet planted firmly apart. To her surprise, Luke was still there, and he came even with her, mirroring her stance.

"What are you prepared to do?" Luke asked softly.

Zelina fixated her gaze on Maul, gaze firm. "Fight."

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

Up in the cockpit, Anakin looked down at Zelina, standing her ground against Maul without her lightsabers. "What's she doing! We need to get out of here!" he said, voice slightly panicked. They were waiting on her, the missiles had been fired, they were clear if they could just shake free of Maul's grip—

Anakin's gaze caught a flicker of something. If it hadn't happened again, he would have thought he was imagining it. He thought...he thought perhaps he was seeing someone beside her...someone in black...blond hair...

Is that...

"Luke?" Anakin whispered in shock.

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

Two more missiles went off and from behind Maul, Savage charged her, lightsaber snapping to life. Zelina didn't flinch. With Luke at her side, Zelina called on the Force from deep within herself, gathering her hands to herself before she shoved outwards and clapped them together with an emotion-packed cry, Luke mirroring her movements beside her. A powerful shockwave burst forwards from her, colliding with the missiles and exploding them midair, sending Savage sailing backwards through the air like the guards, and breaking Maul's concentration as he had to tear his attention away from his Force Grip to return the shockwave as a way to repulse it's effects. When the two collided there was quite the explosion, and Zelina was blasted off of her feet, as was Maul. Zelina hit a piece of machinery with a crunch, the breath leaving her entirely from the impact.

She couldn't breathe...

Luke appeared beside her, crouching down. "Come on, please, stand up! They won't leave, they have to go or none of you will make it out of here!"

Zelina cast her dazed gaze back to the ship, feeling the worry and fear and even awe from those inside the ship. Then, knowing that Anakin would have a meltdown at what she was about to do, Zelina forced the landing ramp closed through the Force and shoved the ship far away from the landing pad as a clear sign to go.

"No!" she could practically hear Anakin shout as the ship lurched forward towards her, but Zelina denied him, shoving the ship back a second and then third time as Maul rose to his feet and approached her. Zelina dragged herself up also, Luke slowly rising beside her, standing with her as she most likely looked her death in the face.

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

"No! We can't leave her!" Anakin roared when Zelina shoved the ship back for the second time. Obi-Wan looked like he wanted to reprimand his apprentice and say they had to go, seemed like he knew they had to, but he didn't want to say it—he couldn't say it.

There was a laugh...the sound of tinkling bells...and Anakin's head whipped around frantically to seek out the sound even as the ship was shoved back a third time even further. He saw a flickering, nimble figure racing across the landing pad, climbing up the side of one of the walls...and up there...in the darkness...

A few figures garbed in regular blue Deathwatch gear without the red pain that seemed to mark Maul's men were watching to see how the fight would go. Pria came to a graceful stop by the one in the middle with the red hair, giving him a comforting smile, one that almost—almost—gave him a sense of peace.

It was the flicker of Luke's figure beside Zelina that gave him some comfort.

Trust her, he could have sworn he heard Pria say.

"Okay..." he whispered softly, shocking Obi-Wan and even Satine. "Okay...I'll trust you...but don't you dare die on me Zelina!" Anakin said fervently, and against his better judgement Anakin turned from the landing pad and shot into the sky.

Even he could feel Maul's fury behind them, and he feared for Zelina.

"Satine..." Anakin said slowly. "You said you had a sister...and you mentioned reinforcements. Zelina is going to need that help..."

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

"Stay with me," Zelina whispered, a slight tremble to her voice. She felt blood welling in her throat, and she feared that the hit she'd taken earlier from the shockwaves had done some serious, internal damage.

"I'm not going anywhere," Luke promised, coming shoulder to shoulder with her as she called her lightsabers back into her hands, igniting the blades as Maul and Savage descended upon her.

"I will not let an insignificant child such as you destroy what I have built!" Maul roared, his blade swiftly slamming against her raised violet lightsaber.

"It's too late for that," Zelina grunted, shoving Maul away to give herself more leeway as Savage leapt forward to join the fray, his new, metal arm backhanding Zelina and sending her flying from the force, slamming into a stack of crates. Zelina let out a cry, forcing herself to her feet and spitting out a glob of blood.

Oh yeah, she was seriously injured from the shockwave earlier, and this fight wasn't going to help at all.

"You are wounded," Maul observed in a hiss. "Resistance is futile, and sooner or later, you will die, child."

Zelina straightened, panting as she held her lightsabers at the ready, Luke beside her once more. "Then I choose to die fighting."

"I won't give you that honor," Maul snarled, and this time he and Savage leapt forward together. Zelina held them at bay with her lightsabers, pushing back as they bore down on her, gaining strength from Luke's quiet, lent support. It was the best he could do—it wasn't like he could appear and fight them as well, as much as that would be appreciated.

Zelina growled low in her throat, pushing herself up and throwing them off of her with what she still had of her strength. Calling on the Force, Zelina started to throw the crates on the landing pad at them, though she knew she was quickly tiring, and couldn't keep the fight up much longer...her strength was failing, the injuries coming...

In her weakened state, Zelina couldn't anticipate the crate that suddenly reversed course and slammed into her, sending her sailing into the crates yet again, though this time she hit her head hard, a shock ripping through her body. This time, she didn't get up. She simply lay there, feeling blood drip from her lips while something warm matted the back of her head.

"M...please...et up...ou hav...et up...on't...ive up..." she distantly heard Luke pleading with her, and her vision cleared slightly as she peered blearily up at Luke, who was crouched before her with concern and even fear in his face, his comforting hand on her shoulder...

Dark shadows loomed behind him, threatening and deadly to her even in her hazy mind. One of the shadows reached forward and grabbed her by the hair, raising her up to meet his ocher eyes.

"I'm not going to kill you..." the eyes hissed to her through the gathering darkness. "Either you die in the cell, or I will kill you myself when Kenobi comes back for you, child. You may serve a purpose to me yet. Either way, you'll die, and Kenobi will suffer, and either way...I will get my hands on his Duchess."

His words, though clearer than Luke's, made no sense to her. What did make sense was what she saw—Maul handing her off to Savage and the large Zabrak tossing her onto the back of the skiff like she was a bag. Not that she gave much in the way of resistance...

Savage and Maul went a different way while guards got onto Zelina's skiff, ignoring her like she was dirt on their boots. So she ignored them. Besides...Luke was still here, keeping his promise.

Except...he wasn't the older Luke she expected to see. Instead, it was a young boy Luke that stared down at her with wide, innocent eyes for a few seconds before he suddenly lay down beside her, curling up to her side. Zelina sighed, enjoying the comfort he brought.

Thank you...for not leaving...

"I said I'd stay. I meant it."

I'm going to die...aren't I?

Luke shook his head, burrowing a little deeper into her arms. "No, it's not your time."

But I feel so weak...faint...

Luke clutched tighter to her, taking a sharp, fearful breath. "Don't give up on me now! I'm here, I'm staying, and I need you to stay too—please, you promised!"

Zelina sighed wearily. All right...so long as you stay, I'll stay too...

There was noise from far away in a distant tunnel, noise that caused her eardrums to throb. She squeezed her eyes shut, wanting the noise to go away. Luke...can you make it stop?

Luke shook his head. "No, I can't, but it's all right. Help's come. You just need to get up one more time...one more time, please."

I don't think I can...

"If you don't then you'll die!"

Luke...I can't...

"Please! You have to stand, just long enough to get to the ship. I ask nothing more of you beyond that other than that you live."

Zelina let heavy lids open, staring not at Luke's face to her surprise, but the face of someone with grey/blue eyes and vivid red hair. It was a woman, and she was saying...something...

"...stand..."

Zelina blinked, trying to focus on her voice.

"Can you...stand?" The woman asked. Zelina met her gaze, too lethargic to answer her, though she held out her arm, the child Luke attached to her side and lending her a little more strength. The woman grasped Zelina's arm in a strong, firm grip, hauling Zelina up and draping Zelina's arm around her shoulders to support her as Zelina weaved dangerously.

"We don't have much time, we must go now!" the woman said urgently, spinning Zelina around and attaching a jetpack to her back. "Are you well enough to operate one of these? Do you know how?"

"I...I can figure it out, yes," Zelina murmured, taking in her surroundings. She was at the prison...the guards were lying dead or unconscious around her...and she was now accompanied by five people counting the woman who were dressed in traditional blue Deathwatch armor. "Who are you? Why...are you helping me?"

"Bo Katan. I'm here to rescue you, and that's all you need to know for now. Quickly, we've wasted too much time trying to get you conscious!"

Zelina nodded, bracing herself while the woman returned Zelina's lightsabers to her hips. She'd been so out of it she hadn't realized the weapons had been taken from her.

"Let's go," Bo Katan said sharply, and two of the five took off as Zelina's lead. Zelina took a deep breath, depending heavily on Luke's lent strength to kick off the ground and activate the jetpack, starting off dangerously shaky before she managed to speed up and follow after the two in front, the other three close behind.

They sailed through the air in record time, though everything felt slow and lethargic to Zelina, and eventually they gained a tail along with two or three more Deathwatch members to cover them. Bo Katan and Zelina pushed forwards while three of their guard hung back to deal with the small squad tailing them, eyes on the large tunnel and door that would lead to the landing pad. There were two guards there, but Bo Katan quickly dispatched them with two precise shots, leaving Zelina relieved that she only had to focus on landing, which was rough for her and left her leaning against the wall, coughing blood while the Deathwatch members held off their tail. Zelina worked to get her breathing under control, unhooking her lightsabers and turning back to the fray to deflect the stray bolts flying inside. The door still wasn't open and—knowing that they needed to get out of this corner—Zelina turned back to the sparking doors while the three remaining Deathwatch members fought off the three remaining Mandalorians under Maul's control. Someone fired a missile, and Zelina recoiled from the small but still painful shockwave, leaning against the wall beside the door controls.

"Try this," Luke offered, adult once more as he appeared at her side, pointing out the keys for her to press. Zelina let out a breath of relief when the door opened, but what was on the other side...it broke her heart.

"This isn't Mandalore...this is a war zone," Zelina said mournfully. Before her the sky couldn't even be seen the black and brown smoke was so thick, fires raged, blaster bolts so common in the air they may as well have been moving lights meant to be integrated into the landscape. The entire landing pad was blue on red, Mandalorians fighting in the air and on the ground, with fist and gun, explosions rocking the landing pad.

"Oh Satine...I'm glad you can't see what Maul's done to your Mandalore now..." Zelina whispered to herself.

Bo Katan appeared at her side. "Maul must really want you dead."

Zelina shook her head. "No, not me...not really. Killing me might be a small side pleasure, but what he wants is Obi-Wan to suffer—that's why he targeted Satine...why he didn't kill me immediately. He was probably hoping I'd last long enough for Obi-Wan to come back and try to rescue me so he could kill me then."

She weaved dangerously, Luke steadying her. "Just a little longer," Luke murmured. "You're almost there."

"Are you all right?" Bo Katan asked worriedly.

"No...but I can make it to the ship," Zelina managed to force out.

"I'll send one of my men with you—just to make sure you get there in one piece," Bo Katan stated, pushing her forward and into the fray. Zelina didn't complain—she knew they had to go through the battle zone to get to the ship that would take her far away.

But she was weakening rapidly, garnishing concern from everyone around her including Luke, who kept close by for support, though even that was starting to not be enough. And she knew why.

Darkness. There was more than just Maul and Savage here now. Something truly evil had arrived; but what, she did not know. All she knew was that so much suffocating darkness and the turmoil in the Force, the death around her...it was weakening her as she tried to hold to the light for strength.

"Come on, we're almost there!" Bo Katan shouted keeping her covered with both blasters firing rapidly. Zelina stumbled back, noticing a ship flying swiftly towards them and a Deathwatch member flying into the lowering landing ramp before the ship even touched down. They both had to pause and duck as another Deathwatch ship was shot down, but she didn't panic, she kept her eyes on the landing ramp right there in front of her.

Freedom.

If she could survive long enough.

"Go back to your Republic and tell them what has happened," Bo Katan told Zelina as soon as she reached the ramp. Zelina grabbed one of the poles, leaning heavily upon it for support as the world tilted and weaved dangerously.

"That will lead...to the Republic invading Mandalore," Zelina returned, all of Satine's work to keep the Republic out of Mandalore's affairs and Mandalore out of the Republic's clutches at the forefront of her mind.

"Yes, and Maul will die! But Mandalore will survive...we always survive..."

The way she said it...the dignified way she held herself as she turned to meet Zelina's gaze. "Now go!"

Zelina was about to do so, but she paused, trying a shot in the dark. "Your Satine's sister, aren't you?"

Bo Katan didn't say anything, though she paused momentarily in her firing. Zelina took that as a yes.

"If I make it back...I'll make sure she stays safe," Zelina replied softly. Without waiting for a reply, and knowing she had to move now or never, Zelina pulled her way up the landing ramp, feeling it close behind her. Zelina thudded against the wall, grunting in pain and hardly even realizing she was tipping over until she hit the ground. She could feel the ship taking off, knew her Deathwatch guard was at her side, but...she wasn't really there...

"Hold on...just hold on, you'll make it," Luke was promising her, holding her hand firmly in his and running his fingers through her hair in a tender, soothing gesture. "You're going to be fine...I'm not going anywhere."

Zelina nodded, trusting that he would keep her safe before she gave herself over to darkness and knew no more.

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

"Have you heard anything from your sister?"

They were all gathered in Padmé's office, Satine, Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan, worn out and deeply worried for the youngest missing member of their group.

Zelina.

Satine, who was standing by the window, shook her head. "Nothing new. Bo Katan said they got her safely on a ship out of there, but she was in dire condition when she did. And there's been no contact with the ship."

Anakin shook his head, threading his fingers through his hair. "I shouldn't have left her. I don't care if we didn't have a choice, if she didn't give us one, I shouldn't have left her."

He felt like he was going to be sick.

"She knew what she was doing. She knew exactly what she had to do to get us out of there safely," Obi-Wan said softly.

"But if she's dead—"

"We don't know that," Padmé cut in quickly. "Just because the ship hasn't made contact yet doesn't mean she's dead."

Anakin shook his head, standing up. "Dead or not, this is still my fault!"

"Anakin, we all knew that we had to get out of there, and that someone needed to hold Maul off. If not for her, we'd probably all be dead right now," Obi-Wan said softly.

Before Anakin could argue, Satine's comm unit she'd used to contact Bo Katan to rescue Zelina went off, immediately claiming everyone's attention.

"Satine," she responded shortly, as the person on the other end could only be one of two people.

"Duchess, we've arrived at Coruscant. The Jedi is in dire condition, and won't last much longer on the ship. Where should we land?" came a curt male voice on the other end. Everyone paled, but Obi-Wan responded.

"The Jedi Temple—we'll meet you there. If they ask for a clearance code say Master Kenobi has given you permission to land," Obi-Wan said clearly. Anakin and Padmé were already moving to the door, Satine and Obi-Wan right behind them.

They arrived at the main Temple Hanger the same time as the Mandalorian ship. Anakin searched desperately for Zelina's presence and was alarmed to find he could hardly sense her, so far gone was she. Obi-Wan thought to call for a healer, though the healer had yet to arrive. The group stood together and watched with dread as the landing ramp lowered, and two Deathwatch members came down the ramp, the one in the back carrying the limp and bloody form of Zelina Du'ahn.

Anakin's heart leapt into his throat and he surged forward, taking Zelina from the Deathwatch member. "She's still alive...somehow," the man said gruffly. Anakin shifted Zelina in his arms so her head rested in the crook of his arm, uncaring if it got blood on him. Her clothes were in tatters from the fire and blasts she'd been around, and so Anakin happened to see her mother's necklace showing. Anakin turned to Padmé, as his hands were full.

"Can you please get her necklace so no one tries to take it?" Anakin asked quietly, seeing the healers finally enter the room. Padmé did as he asked, the necklace soon safely tucked up her sleeve. Satine stepped up to the Deathwatch members to give thanks and dismiss them, Obi-Wan agreed to handle the Council backlash that would come from this particular act of independence from the Jedi Order, Padmé prepared to bring the state of Mandalore to the Senate in case Satine chose to pursue that path, and Anakin...Anakin stayed with Zelina the entire time.

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

Everything hurt when Zelina felt some sense return to her, and she meant it when she said everything. It was enough to put Zelina in excruciating agony, and she wondered how anyone could bare such pain...

But someone took her hand, pulling her up out of her darkness, freeing her from the pain. The darkness gave way to light, but it wasn't a light that hurt her in her weakened state. Instead she found herself lying upon a soft cloud of grass, staring up at a clear blue sky, a warm breeze causing the grass to sway to and fro.

Sitting up, Zelina looked over to see the young adult Luke beside her—not the one garbed in all black, but the one in white, the one that seemed to still hold his innocence. "Luke...what are we doing here?"

"Waiting out the storm," he responded gently. "You're not done healing, so we're going to stay here until you really are ready to go back."

"Oh..." she said softly. "Is Satine...?"

"Satine is fine. She's in talks with her sister about what they're going to do about Mandalore."

"And...Obi-Wan?"

"Obi-Wan's helping her. He's already smoothed things over with the Council and they're putting together a fleet to go to Mandalore. And before you ask, Anakin is...holding up. He's hardly left your side," Luke assured her. Zelina sighed, lying back down.

"Good...then everything is fine for now...at least when it comes to Satine."

"For now," Luke agreed. "Right now, your only job is to rest."

"Luke..."

"Yes?"

"Why have you shown up so much recently? I mean...this is a lot even for you," Zelina admitted. Luke wasn't fazed.

"Maul came...you needed more help than ever," Luke replied gently. Zelina nodded, taking that to heart before another question occurred to her.

"Am I done for now?" Zelina asked. "With all this...intervening with fate you have me doing?"

Luke smiled at her. "For a little while, yes. You still have some time before you'll need to step up to the plate again."

"Okay...I can cope with that," Zelina murmured, settling down once more. Luke scooted close beside her, laying a comforting hand upon her head.

"Go ahead and rest...the worst will be over once you wake. The worst at present, anyway."

Zelina nodded, slipping off into a deep slumber at his words. He'd look after her...Luke was always looking after her.

Always.

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

"Hey...sleepyhead...wake up."

Anakin stirred slightly from his usual post at Zelina's side, but didn't wake up. He'd hardly slept recently, so whoever it was could wait.

"Come on, Ani...don't make me poke you..."

Something about the voice registered in Anakin's mind and he sat up sharply, suddenly at full attention as his gaze riveted on an awake Zelina.

"Zee," Anakin breathed in relief, gathering her up in a tight hug before she could even finish giving him a sincere smile. Zelina huffed, weakly returning the hug.

"Okay...big guy...fragile...careful," she grunted, and Anakin carefully released her, setting her back down...

And promptly launched into a fierce tirade.

"Don't you ever—ever—do that again, Zelina Du'ahn, or I will never let you out of your Temple Quarters again! I will find a way to keep you in there!" Anakin said passionately. "I thought you'd died—you nearly had! How dare you make us leave you behind!"

Zelina sighed, leaning against the pillows. "Anakin, I'm not having this argument with you again, especially not right now. Don't you think we've had it enough?" she said wearily. "You or me does something recklessly heroic and when all is said and done the other chews the hero out relentlessly for said act, even though what they did was necessary, required, or what had to be done."

Zelina looked at him. "I did what I had to, and I wasn't alone."

Anakin deflated, sitting back in the chair after her speech, though her last words had caused his eyes to spark with interest. "I know...I saw him. Briefly, from behind...but I saw him."

"You saw Luke too?" Zelina asked in excitement.

"Yes and no. Like I said, it was brief and from behind, not to mention far away...but yeah...I saw him."

Zelina smiled, relaxing once again. "I'm glad you got to see him."

Anakin nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore—extremely sore. How long was I out?"

"Long enough...you had several bacta treatments, not to mention the surgeries and support systems...they said it was a miracle you made it even with the Force."

Zelina shook her head. "Nah...it just wasn't my time. Luke said so himself," she sighed.

"I guess we should be glad Satine is safe, as are you—that's what matters."

"How is Satine?" Zelina asked in concern.

"Not that great. Her planet descended into chaos, Maul disappeared...it's war torn, and fighting is necessary now to keep the peace."

Zelina nodded. "I know...I saw how bad it was on that landing pad while we were escaping. To see her work destroyed just like that...it's heartbreaking. After this the people won't want to revert back to being pacifists, not after how quickly and easily the planet was overcome," Zelina said sadly. "Where is she staying?"

Anakin hesitated. "That...actually hasn't been decided yet."

Zelina arched an eyebrow. "All this time and you haven't decided where the poor woman is going to stay?"

"Well, it is a matter that hasn't been as important as others," came a new voice, and Zelina perked up as Satine, the speaker, and Obi-Wan appeared from around the corner.

"Zelina...it is good to see you awake again. I am forever indebted to you for what you did for me," Satine said sincerely, placing her hand over one of Zelina's hands. Zelina squeezed her hand in return, smiling warmly at her.

"Of course, Satine—you're a dear friend of mine. I'd do anything to help you," Zelina said with a nod. "And if you still need somewhere to stay, you can always stay with me—it'd be nice to have the company," Zelina said with a small wink.

Satine laughed softly. "I'll be sure to consider your offer," she said graciously.

"Well...we can tell you're still tired, so we won't bother you much longer," Obi-Wan said gently.

Zelina chuckled. "Or everything else you have to talk about is tiring and you know should wait for another time."

"Well...that too," Obi-Wan said with a smile. Anakin stood from his seat, going over to Zelina and giving her a much gentler hug. To her surprise, he pressed something into her palm.

"Padmé took care of it while you were out," he murmured, voice going back to normal when he pulled away. "Get some sleep, Zelina, you need it."

Zelina clutched the distinct shape of her necklace in her hand, grateful that Anakin had taken care of it. She hadn't even noticed it was gone yet—he'd spared her a panic attack.

Satine squeezed her hand. "Thank you again, Zelina. I'll see you again when you're feeling better," she said, rising gracefully to leave the room. Obi-Wan was right behind her, but Zelina stopped him.

"Obi-Wan..." she called, rousing Obi-Wan's curiosity as he turned to face her.

"What you did back there was...impressive, Zelina. Reckless...but impressive nonetheless. I'm glad you convinced me to let you and Anakin come," Obi-Wan said, inclining his head.

Zelina nodded, thinking over her words carefully and wetting her lips before she managed to speak. "Obi-Wan...that day could have gone...much differently. I know it could have. Anakin and I had the same vision of what could have happened." Zelina looked up to meet his shocked gaze, her expression deadly serious. "Obi-Wan, code or not, you cherish Satine, okay? I know...because of the Code...it can't be...but there is nothing wrong with loving her. I personally believe you deserve that happiness. Don't waste what you two have, all right? It's a gift, not a sin or curse...don't forget that."

Obi-Wan looked like there were many things he'd like to say, but none of them would make it past the thought process. Zelina gave him a small smile, settling back down. "They're probably waiting on you—you should probably catch up. I'll just stay here and take my nap."

Obi-Wan gave a slightly stiff nod, remaining in the doorway for a few seconds. "You're special, Zelina. In every good way possible," Obi-Wan said, and with that, he was gone.