Author's Note: It's finally here! The Rishi Moon mission and Nova and Fives meet for the first time since his time as a cadet astride a black dire-cat.

Warnings: Mentioning of mutilation of Clone bodies, Rishi eels are Nova's guard eels for the Ebon Hawk, Fives is a little shit, Nova comments on Rex's walk to the door. In this two part arc.

********

Rishi moon the one place that stood between Kamino and General Tuberculosis. The one place that Nova had come for solitude. The thirst always won, and even now she refused to drink the blood that would keep her sustained. She feared energy, for the urge to drink in the throes of passion were too great. So, Nova came to Rishi where she knew she would be as safe as possible...if anything be of help if it was called for.

Nova closed her eyes and submerged herself into deep meditation.

The Halls of The Mand'alor

Nova opened her eyes to see her buir waiting on her "Nova Vizsla, you stubborn ad of mine, starving yourself won't solve the problem," her buir scolded. 

Nova looked down at the ground "The urge is just too strong buir," 

His hand rested upon her shoulder "I know it is hard for you, but your mate is closer than you think."

Nova tilted her head blinking owlishly at her buir when a sweet scent caught her attention.

Leaving the Halls of The Mand'alor

Nova's eyes opened as she focused on finding the one with such a sweet scent. She remembered what Jester had told her when he had found Shimi. He had said at first he could smell sweet notes of blood, notes that spoke of warmth and love, then his darkening vision cleared when he laid eyes on her.

Jango was a newborn when it was in fact confirmed that even as Tal'graanola that Kaede was his Ka'ar chosen mate. He wasn't around long enough to have his vision darken. Nova force projected following the scent. It was a trooper, the number '5' in arabish on his temple. His head turned and his eyes met her projection. His eyes going wide "Nova?" he asked shocked.

She opened her eyes ending the force projection, good to know that using Force Projection wouldn't get her sight back, but her mate had known her.

*******

Fives blinked his eyes at where Nova just had vanished. She looked like hell the light in her eyes all but vanished. How did she get in the base let alone vanish the way she had? Fives shook his head and rejoined his brothers in the lookout room. Droid Bait was patrolling the outside landing platform. Hevy was currently, arm wrestling with Cutup complaining about nothing being on the scanners.

Just then battle droids, the new Commando droids by the look of them attacked. Droidbait didn't even have a chance, Sarge was dead all that was left was Echo, Cutup, Hevy, and himself. Using the vents they escaped into the tunnels as a familiar figure appeared before them "Follow me quickly, if we act fast we can retake the base." 

"General Vizsla, how long have you been here?" Hevy asked

​​​​​​"Long enough to know what you have been up to for the past day or so." she remarked, "I come to hibernate when my energy is to high, can't sleep with you loud mouths." 

There was a smirk on her face as he removed his helmet "You mean die," 

Her eyes held his gaze as the others looked at him shocked "Fives, what the kark vod?!" Echo hissed, "She's been around for a thousand years Echo, hunting Sith and Dark Jedi, think, she is the first Blood Chosen,"

His eyes never left hers, his heart constricted at the mere thought of her wanting to kill herself, she was their Mand'alor damn it! She sighed "Sadly Fives is correct," she said, "But right now this is an urgent matter one that takes precedence over what I feel at this time. They are making a run on Kamino, and Rishi base is the only thing standing between them and the vode on Kamino." 

"Why?" Hevy asked, "Why did you chose here of all places to die when we need you most." 

Nova sighed "A Tal'graanola if they consume the blood of sith and dark Jedi, over time we lose our ability to see color, then we are slowly driven insane, I have been fighting the inevitable since your buir Jango was 16," 

Sith hells, she was suffering for this long? Jango their buir was 44 and she had known him since he was a teenager?! Why didn't she say something about it? She turned away cocking her head to the side "Droidbait?" she asked.

Droidbait came around the corner his helmet off his eyes glowing gold he looked like death warmed over. He stumbled towards Nova "What is wrong with him?" Hevy asked

"That he's alive when he should be dead?" Echo said, "We all seen him take three to the chest."

"He's Tal'graanola now," Nova said.

**********

Nova supported Droidbait as they stopped by her ship to get some blood as Droidbait fed she noticed a craft land "The inspection team," Hevy said.

She knew those colors and patterns Rex and Kote! She snarled and grabbed her comlink "Rex, Cody. It's Nova do you copy?" 

No reply "Rex and Cody respond,"

:They have coms jammed Mistress: T3 informed her.

Oisk, this was just great "Mind the eels and follow me," she said.

Nova lead the squad out of the tunnels and around the formations as one of the eels came out and grabbed Cutup, the smell of his blood nearly sent her into a frenzy, but her mate's blood had a calming effect on her.

Droidbait looked at her if he was the first of Jango's sons to be chosen what's not to say there could have been more that the Kaminoans had killed? She gave Droidbait a nod and he turned to follow the eel as they came around the corner to have blasters pointed at them and a very pissed off Rex and Cody holding said blasters. 

She crossed her arms over her chest "Get those blasters out my damn face before I shove them up your shebs." she growled 

"Nova what the sithspit are you doing here?" Rex asked

"She can here to die apparently," her mate said.

She could smell the shock on the older vode, as well as the hurt. She wasn't proud of it "Well, talk about this later right now we need to stop whatever those droids are her to accomplish." she said.

Just as the words left her mouth a eel came out of one of the many holes and was making ready to attack them when two white plastoid clad figures latched on to it and wrestled it to the ground. As it fell Rex shot it in the eye causing the two newborn Tal'graanola to growl and hiss at Rex. Their eyes glowing gold through their t-shaped visors "What the kark?" Cody asked looking right at her 

"Don't look at me I didn't do it, blame the Mand'alor of old, more proof that you echos are Mandalorian than what the Republic and Kamino want make you believe." she said.

Rex looked at her "Droidbait was the first casualty when the Clankers attacked, Cutup got attacked by an eel not to long ago." one of the troopers by her mate said.

Rex and Cody turned to face them "Looks like we got a batch of shinies commander?" before turning back to the eel and sticking his hand where he shot the damn thing.

"Shinies?"

"Your armor hasn't seen battle hints no scuff marks or plasma burns," she explained

"Shiny and new just like you." Rex said walking over to the trooper and putting his eel blood covered hand over the trooper's chest plate, "I am Captian Rex you will address me as Captian or Sir," 

"And I'm Commander Cody your new boss," Cody said

"Your not our boss she is," Cutup and Droidbait said.

Cody gave the pair a deadpan look as the other three snorted "She's our boss also, we report to her before reporting to the Republic," Rex replied dryly

"You may also wanna delete that comment from your helmet, or the Republic may just put a bounty on my head," Nova said with a sigh

"Oh, it's off," Rex said with a smirk.

Cheeky ois'ika, that what Rex was...