Devin stared into the darkness. He knew his father was not in danger, but he wanted him inside the house, warm and resting in his bed. He sighed. How was he going to be able to explain that he was staying on Dantooine? That the Republic didn’t exist anymore? He reached out with the force and satisfied himself that Calypso was asleep, and a smile creeped over his face. She’s so much like Mom, he thought, strong willed but usually right, with just the right amount of sass. It must bring back memories for Dad, he thought. I sure wish he’d come in.

Logan and Elara had taken the guest house, and were settled in. “Did you call your mom, let her know we arrived?” he asked.

Elara sat next to him and handed him a steaming mug. “Caffa, strong and black. I have a feeling you will need it. Yes, she said to give her love to the family.” Her mother had once been the Havoc Squad medic when Uncle Aric and Aunt Maura were in. Logan had met his future bride at the Academy, but had only been dating her for about a year now. She never met Mom, he thought. They fell silent then, Logan sipping his caffa. “I’m going back out there,” he said, and Elara only nodded, knowing that he was worried about his father.

Devin met him on the path, and silently they walked up the hill for the second time that day. Corso lay near the stone, exhaustion having overtaken him. “I can lift him if you’ll steady him,” Devin said in a soft voice. Logan nodded and Devin’s force aura flared, lifting his dad and floating him down to the house. Once they reached the deck, they guided him to his room. When they’d taken off his boots and left him to sleep, they sat together at the work table in the large kitchen.

“It’s almost too hard to be in this room,” Logan said, blinking rapidly.

“I know,” Devin agreed. “I expect Mom to pull out those huge bags of cookies.” The memory made them both smile wistfully. “So, what are you going to do now, Lo? I hear the last squadrons have been dismantled.”

Logan nodded. “That’s why we came here. I want to be here, on the ranch. I think Mom would want us here, and I think Dad needs us. Elara and I want to be married here, and if you want the guest house, I’ll buy some land nearby and build. But I, I mean we, are staying.” He took a deep breath, wondering how this might play out, but was surprised when Devin just grinned at him.

“You were always meant to be here, it was always your favorite place,” Devin chuckled.

“What about you? I know the Jedi will always stand, but not as we knew them.” Logan saw the fatigue in his brother’s face.

“I am staying here as well. I can work with the temple here, to try and maintain at least some semblance of our Order. As I understand things, Dantooine and Tatooine are considered allied planets, along with a few smaller worlds. I know Dad’s still raking in the creds on the livestock, so no worries there.” He looked around the house that he could see, noting that not much had changed in the past few years. “I’ll stay in this house. I want to make sure Dad is eating. He looks like he’s aged so much since I saw him last.” Logan nodded his agreement.

“Nana says he spends a lot of time when Calypso is in school out in the fields, and comes in when she comes home, but the nights are pretty tough for him.” Logan had to struggle to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat. “I miss her, Dev, like I’d miss breathing. It hurts, still after all this time, it physically hurts.” Devin hugged his brother and felt the tears the younger man had been valiantly holding in, and felt his own eyes sting. They were sitting there, arms around each other, when they heard Calypso scream.

Devin ran down the hallway, Logan on his heels, but Corso got to the young girl first. “S’ok, sweetie, I know. Shhh, it’s okay, I’m here.” After a few minutes, Calypso was quiet and sleeping again, but Corso had just noticed his sons. He motioned for them to follow him out, and they went into the family room, Corso stretching out in the recliner, the boys choosing chairs close to him. “I’m guessing that I have you two to thank for waking up in a soft bed,” he said, his smile genuine.

Devin nodded. “Dad, we have a lot to talk about, but I know you’re tired. Don’t you want to try to sleep a little more? I’ll listen for Calypso.” Corso shook his head.

“She’s feeling my stress, and you’ve both been traveling all day. Go, rest. We’ll talk tomorrow,” he told them. Logan rose and hugged his dad, unwilling to let go.

“Love you, Dad,” he said.

“Love you too, son. See you in the morning. I’ll cook breakfast.” Logan smiled and left, feeling a little better than when he’d gone in.

Devin watched his father’s face. He’d always known when his dad was slipping into the dark thoughts he’d had years ago, and he could see again the longing to be with his mom. “Dad, I’m here. Not going anywhere.”

Corso took his oldest son’s hand in his, and the force glimmered over them both. Corso’s eyes slowly shut, and Devin was able to relax, his hand still in his father’s, rough against youth.

Corso slept deeper than he had been able to manage in a long time. He dreamed of Miriah, of the long ebony fall of hair down her back, her unusual silver eyes, and it was so vivid he could almost touch her. He startled awake, and sat back, the reality crashing in on him. He was trying to pull himself together when he heard her voice in his head, something he hadn’t heard in so long he almost jumped out of his chair. You know I’m always with you, sugar. I’m your heart. You told me that once, long ago. I’m still there. Corso looked over at Devin but the only one who would have been able to put that thought in his head was sleeping deeply. Corso shook his head, but settled back in his chair, hoping to hear her again.

Aric had sent Maura to bed much earlier, but he was still trying to figure out what to do next. With Colin’s unit deactivated, he was coming home next week. Calleigh was a doctor now, and working on Carrick Station. It was still operational, but with the Republic gone, he feared for her safety and had sent her a message to come home, too. He was still waiting to hear from her. Maura had worried about them all, and Coleen had done her best to keep her mother’s spirits up. Aric was worried about his old friend, too. Corso looked about ready to drop, he thought. I miss Spitfire too, and I know Maura mourns her daily. He shook his furry head, almost totally grey now. I don’t think I would be able to get past it either, if I lost Maura, he decided. He looked one more time out of the kitchen window, at the new dwelling he and Felix had started a couple of weeks ago, for Colin.

Magdalane was restless, the force signatures of her family troubling. The worry wasn’t a new one, but it seemed closer tonight, she thought. Devin James Riggs, she thought, and smiled. He was safe here, as long as the forces who had decimated the Empire and the Republic were not aware of him. She was glad he was with his father. Corso has been through enough, she thought. Ian would be home soon, she figured, even though he hadn’t told her anything. Wherever Devin is, Ian is not far behind, she mused. Michi was with her husband in the little house they’d bought closer to town, and was happy. She finally crawled into bed, Felix pulling her close, and slept.

Corso woke to the sounds of his family in the kitchen. He rose and made his way to the shower, remembering Miriah’s voice in his head last night. They’d been trying to protect their home and Devin when he was only a toddler, and she hadn’t understood his overprotectiveness. He’d told her then she was his heart, he was only protecting his heart. The memory made him smile. Miriah was always gorgeous, but mad? She was stunning when she was mad. He chuckled to himself, it had been a long time since he’d been able to think of her and not collapse under the grief. The hot shower eased his sore muscles, and though he always felt tired these days, he at least felt better than yesterday. Having the boys near did help, he admitted to himself. He went into the kitchen and was greeted by the kids, Calypso done with school for a few months.

Devin smiled at his father, and breathed a little easier. His dad looked like his dad today, as he hugged his daughter and clapped Logan’s shoulder. Logan introduced him to Elara, and Corso smiled, ignoring her outstretched hand to hug her gently. Calypso was happy, with her brothers home, and her dad seeming more normal than usual today. They sat down and ate, and though Corso ate little, he was at least there with them. Aric and Maura came in, and more food was passed around. When they could eat no more, Calypso and Maura cleaned up as Aric, Corso, Devin and Logan made their way to the back deck.

“So, boys, what’s the plan?” Aric asked. It felt good to be with them, and to see Corso engaged with life today, he thought.

“I am moving here, Uncle Aric. Ian will be here soon as well. We’ll work at the temple here, to try and salvage what we can of the Order, until our forces can be gathered again.” Devin looked different without the heavy robe he usually wore, but even casually dressed, his lightsaber was on his belt. “Things are not good out there. There are random attacks, and no one can say if they’re simply looters or organized troops. Out here, away from the core worlds, each planet has formed its own militia, its own government. We’ll be ready for whatever develops, but I know without a doubt my place is here.”

Logan agreed. “With the Republic military in chaos, my unit was disbanded. Elara’s enlistment was up, and we saw it as a sign to come back to where we could start a life. Dad said when we wanted to come home, we always had a place.” Corso nodded, encouraging his son to continue. “Colin is on his way, too, we saw him on Coruscant, or what’s left of Coruscant.” Aric nodded, he would be glad to have the family back on the same planet. “What will you do, now that you aren’t planning military operations?” Logan asked.

Aric laughed. “We’re fine. We’ve banked so many credits over the years, we don’t have any worries. Corso, you too, right?” Corso nodded, even before he’d lost Miriah they had more than they’d ever spend, and the ranch continued to thrive. “We’ll help out here. Felix and I started building a house for Colin, and we’re trying to get Calleigh home, too.”

“Dr. Jorgan,” Maura said, joining them. “She likes to hear that.” They laughed, and Corso realized that he hadn’t felt this strong in five years. Calypso followed her aunt outside and suddenly it hit him, hard. Her eyes, Corso thought, so much like Miriah’s. She reminds me, every single day, of her mom. His emotions warred inside, the promise of hope against the longing for his wife. Most days, the longing won. Maybe today, he thought, the hope will.

Magdalane pulled her small speeder up to her mother’s cottage, her eyes enjoying the feast of colorful flowers that surrounded it. She’d gone to see Michi and brought some fresh vegetables that she knew Sarai would enjoy. She felt the waves of a deep meditation and almost left again, but decided to put the bags on her mother’s kitchen counter. She’ll know I brought them, Mags figured. As she turned to leave the house, she felt her mother call to her, and joined Sarai in her darkened family room.

Thank you, dear, Sarai told her through the force. Come, join me. I’ve felt….something, but now I can’t find it again.

What did you feel, Mom? Magdalane was curious, her mother rarely wanted company when she was deep in the force.

I’m not sure if it was a residual memory, or wishful thinking, or just plain imagination. Just.. see if you can feel anything, anyone, with me. They knelt, knees almost touching, and their combined force aura flared brightly. Magdalane was immediately relaxed, the force always took her stress away. The warmth and the company made her thoughts settle and she opened herself up to the power. She was immediately aware of her family and what they were doing, where they were. Felix and Aric and Corso working on Colin’s house. Maura and Coleen with Elara, in Miriah’s kitchen. She expanded her focus and was visualizing the space around the planet itself when something flared, only for a moment, in her consciousness. She lost it and settled her mind to see if she could coax it forward again, to no avail. After almost an hour of searching, she pulled out of the trance, seeing that her mother was already out and waiting for her.

“So am I finally senile?” Sarai asked, stretching her aching legs.

“No, there was something, very quickly gone. What do you think it was?” Mags asked. Her mother seemed agitated, she thought, and her thoughts went to her youngest sister. “You think it was Miriah, don’t you?” Mags was incredulous. “Mom, it couldn’t have been. She’s gone. You know that, and to get anyone’s hopes up would be cruel.”

Sarai snapped her head around to glare at her daughter. “I do know that, which is why I wanted you to see what you thought. Like I said, it could just be a memory.” Magdalane thought about it and realized that it most likely was just that, but she also realized that this anniversary, this week, would cause some unusual things.

“Mom, I’m sorry. Even though she’s been gone a long time, there is something more final about a five year mark.” She rose and put her arms around Sarai. “My stars, I miss her every single day. And as much as I’d love to think that she’s still out there, somewhere, I know in my heart that if she were, she’d be back here already.”

Sarai nodded, and Magdalane felt the tears she’d been holding back. “If I could just bring her back, just for one day, for Corso…” She didn’t finish the thought. They had all worried about him for a long time, and she had hope that having the boys back on the planet would begin to bring him out of the deep depression he’d been in for so long. That first year, he almost willed himself to die, just to be with her, she thought.

Sarai patted her arm. “We’d best put this nonsense away. Devin will sense it, probably already has, and Corso just can’t take any more disappointment.” Magdalane agreed, and Sarai watched as her oldest left, her heart aching for her family.

Aric and Corso saw Maura drive up from the ranch house to see how the construction was going. “Hey guys, brought some cold drinks for you.” Aric pulled her to him for a soft kiss and took the cold water bottle with his other hand.

“Excellent,” he told her, tossing another bottle to his brother in law. “It’s gotten a bit hot out here. We’ve got the roof finished, though, and power and water done. It’s almost ready for you do your decorating thing,” he told her, watching as Corso sipped at his water. “Cor, you need to drink all of that and one more, you worry me when you don’t take care of yourself.” Maura watched the two under her lashes. Aric treats him as a brother, and Corso feels the same, she thought.

“I will,” Corso assured them. “I can’t wait to see Colin. And what do you think of Elara? Never thought her mother would let her go military, but they seem happy, right?”

“They do,” Maura said. “I was just down there helping cook, and she is so much like our Elara. Logan is thoroughly smitten, too.” Corso smiled, Miriah would be so happy to see her sons settled. The pain was dull and achy around his heart. It never went away, but some days, like today, it hid until it could get in a sneak attack. He stood, took the empty bottle to the recycle bin, and grabbed another.

“Did you want to keep going, Aric? Or wait until tomorrow for the interior walls?” he asked.

“Let’s stop here. I think a shower and a quick nap are in order,” the Cathar said, with a wink for his wife. Corso stood to pick up around the site and put tools away, and waved as he left. Aric watched him for a moment, his arm around Maura. “It was a good day, until he thought about Miriah right there at the end.”

Maura sighed, she knew he was having a tough week, and her heart went out to him. “They say time heals these wounds, but I honestly am not sure he will ever be free.” They walked to their house, over the small rise, each wondering how they’d go on without the other, and hoping they never had to know.

Corso walked onto the deck and stopped cold. The notes of the music that Miriah always loved to listen to while she was cooking wafted from the house, each note hitting him like a stone. He was instantly transported to the memory of holding her in his arms, dancing around the kitchen, her lithe form graceful. He closed his eyes and stood still, barely breathing.

Logan was talking to Elara, Devin sitting next to the fireplace, when he saw his father on the deck. He looked at Devin, who’d felt the emotional shift, and out again. Tears streamed down the weathered, scarred skin of his father’s face. Elara saw what they were looking at, and turned to Logan, ashen faced. “What?” she asked, her hand over her mouth.

“It’s the music,” Devin explained. “They danced all the time here, I’d forgotten about it since it seemed so natural here.” He was about to go out to his dad when Calypso rounded the corner of the house. She saw that her father was upset and walked to him, taking his rough hand in her own small one. They exchanged a few words, and she led him into the house. Corso bypassed the kitchen, where the music had been muted, and went to his room.

Calypso joined her brothers in the kitchen. “What did you say to him?” Devin asked.

Calypso shrugged. “I just told him we were all here, and we loved him.” She took a cookie off the nearby tray. “Wow, Elara, these are amazing.”

Elara blushed. “I used the recipe here in the drawer,” she said, pulling a book from a side drawer.

“I had no idea that she ever wrote any of these down,” Logan said, his eyes wide with wonder.

“She had started that when Calypso was a baby,” Corso said. “I didn’t know how much she’d gotten done, but by the looks of that book, more than I thought.” His voice was subdued when he turned to Elara. “Thank you, for knowing that we have to move through things. It’s been long enough to go without music,” he told her. “Music was Miriah’s blood, she loved all kinds. I loved dancing with her to anything she wanted to listen to. She played music for the boys all the time.” Logan nodded, and Devin smiled, remembering all the times Miriah would use music to set the mood, making even rainy days more fun. Elara gave a wavering smile, and sat beside Logan.

“Now,” Corso said, “what can I do to help here?” They all pitched in and shortly food was on the work table, their favorite place to eat. The conversation was light, and Logan and Elara shared stories of their missions. Devin got their attention when he asked about the wedding.

“I need to go into town and ask the magistrate about officiating,” Logan told them, holding Elara’s hand. “If it’s okay, Dad, I’d like to get married here.”

“Of course it’s okay, son, but I have a better idea. After dinner, take a ride to your Nana’s house and see her gardens. If you still want it here, you’re more than welcome, but I’d think all her flowers might be a prettier setting.” They nodded agreement, and left shortly. Devin and Calypso worked to clean the kitchen.

Devin saw that Calypso looked sad. “Cal, what’s up? How are things around here, when it’s just you and Dad?”

“It’s fine, I guess. He helps me with school stuff, I go help in the barns some on the weekends. We watch the holo, but I think he just has it on. He spends a lot of time not talking, and I’ve gotten used to it, but I miss him, you know, the old Dad.” He nodded, he had figured Corso was basically a shadow of himself. “I miss Mama, too, Dev. I do, I just feel like everything stood still since that day.” The last part she whispered, ashamed that she felt a little angry and a lot sad. Devin knew the emotions she was going through.

When the ship had been found, Devin was angry. So angry! He had destroyed rocks, torn down things in his sparse room on Tython, a feat for which Shan had never taken him to task. He’d disappeared, raging in the desert on Tatooine. After a month, he’d sat in a cave on Alderaan, venturing out only to sip water and relieve himself, his self-imposed punishment for not having seen what was to happen in the force. He’d raged and railed, called upon Revan himself for an explanation. After a year of denial, he’d accepted that the force now had another spirit and tried to move forward. When he’d again shown up on Tython, he’d been taken in to the infirmary and treated. While he was there, Grandmaster Satele Shan had visited, late one evening. Her words of wisdom touched him, and he used them to get through every single day since. Shan had told him that Miriah was part of the force, a very smart, funny, part that worked hard, played hard, and loved with all she was. She would always be with him.

He’d tried, so many times, to find her in the force, just to feel her presence one more time, to no avail. Every so often, he tried again. He’d felt his aunt and grandmother attempting to do just that earlier today. He sighed and patted Calypso’s shoulder. “She wouldn’t want you to stop living, Cal. Just know that Dad is coping the best he can. Logan and I are going to be here now, so we can maybe help him, give him something else to think about.” She nodded, and went to her room to read.

After some time in the porch swing, where Devin joined him for a bit, Corso went into his bedroom. He sat heavily on the bed, tired, but not knowing if he’d be able to sleep or not. He put on sleep clothes and tried to get comfortable. He was lying on his side, looking at the flimsy on the nightstand of them together, taken on the day of Akaavi’s wedding. Miriah wore a white, beaded gown, her hair put up and her smile bright. He stood just behind her, his arms around her waist, his head resting on her shoulder. Oh, Mir, he thought. If I’d had any idea that last day would be THE last day, I’d have let every beast on the ranch run free and been with you on that ship. He sighed, feeling the siren call of sleep to ease his heart. He felt his eyes closing. Soon he was dreaming, her body close to his, his hands buried in her hair, his lips on hers, feeling the electricity that always coursed through him at her touch. Somewhere in his mind, he knew this was a dream. He begged her not to go, to stay with him and let him be with her wherever she was.

She smiled, sadness in her eyes. She kissed his nose, and whispered, and he didn’t catch what she said. He watched as she faded and disappeared, and woke in a sweat, shaking. He got up, knowing sleep was done for him, and resumed his place in the swing. He thought through the dream, his arms aching for her. What was it that she’d said, just before she disappeared? He tried and tried to remember, to figure it out.

Just before dawn, it finally came to his tired mind. Even though it was a dream, Miriah had left him a message. He just wasn’t sure if it was his own need or if it was a wish, but the one word she said gave him a hope he hadn’t had for a long time.

“Soon” she whispered before she’d left. Soon. He sighed, and stood to get ready for another day.

The wedding was held at twilight in Sarai’s garden, the heady scents of the flowers adding to the ambiance of the event. Logan had smiled so hard his cheeks hurt, and Elara’s mother had cried. It had been a week since they’d landed, and already their life was coming together.

Corso watched as his son danced with his bride, and he felt tense, angry. Why, he thought. Why did Miriah have to miss this? She always wanted the kids to just be themselves, and be happy. Why didn’t I do more to try to bring her killer to justice? He became more agitated as he paced at the edge of the garden flagstones.

Devin felt his emotions, knew what was so clearly in his mind by the look on his face, and stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Dad, we did search, we did try. You did everything you could to find Mom. Now, you have to let her go.”

Corso snatched his arm away, his nostrils flaring with anger. His voice was a deep growl. “I didn’t make anyone pay for taking her away! And if I live to be a thousand years old, I’ll never let go of her, not ever!” He moved away, hoping that Logan hadn’t noticed. He glanced back over his shoulder to see his youngest son holding his new wife close, the family cheering and clapping for them. Immediately the anger left him, and was replaced by defeat. He made his way to Logan and hugged them both, telling Logan how proud he was of him, and that he already had his work schedule set at the ranch. That statement made them all laugh, and Corso faded away, to the chairs on the back of the house. Sometimes, he thought, I can be a complete ***. Aric approached him with a glass, and handed him the strong smelling whiskey.

“Thought this might help some,” he told his friend. “I know the memories must be catching up to you today.” Corso nodded, and sipped his drink.

“I think I’m finally losing my mind,” Corso admitted to Aric. Aric sat silently for a minute before replying.

“I think I’d have already gone mad if I had been in your place.” They sat there for the better part of an hour, watching the family celebrate. Felix brought a bottle, refilled their glasses, and joined the two in the cluster of chairs.

“To family,” Felix said, and they touched glasses before drinking. “Let’s go get some food, before this alcohol takes over.” Aric and Felix stood, but Corso remained seated.

“You guys go ahead, I’m not hungry,” Corso said, even though he hadn’t eaten since the evening before. It was a form of control, he’d read, when so much was out of his control. He shrugged, not really caring about himself.

“But Logan and Elara will notice, Cor,” Felix said, and held out his hand. When he pulled the tall Mantellian up from his sitting position, he wrapped his arms around him in a hug. “Come on. Whether we want it to or not, life does keep marching on.” Aric and Felix on either side, Corso approached the large spread of food that Sarai had made. He put a few things on his plate, and Calypso danced up to him. When he wasn’t looking, she added to his plate, and when he sat down to eat, he had far more food than he wanted.

“You are getting thin again, Dad,” Calypso chastised. “We’ll have to go clothes shopping if you lose any more.” That got them laughing again, and Corso even smiled. His distaste for shopping was well known. He looked around the group, and knew without a doubt that his family loved him. He hated that it wasn’t enough to quench the longing in his soul.

Morning brought another day, another full schedule on the ranch. Logan and Elara had gone to the inn in town last night, and were going to spend a few days on the beach several towns over. He looked out over the property, the gently rolling green hills dotted with ronto and bantha. He stretched his arms over his head, feeling the creaking of his joints, and walked slowly to the second barn, ready for the work to numb his mind and tire his body. He worked silently, alone with the animals, who demanded nothing more than food and water. When he was finished for the day, he saw that the sun was low in the sky, and rubbed his face. At least when I’m alone, he thought, I can’t hurt anyone else with my anger or sadness. He trudged to the house, a good ten minute walk, his feet heavy.

Devin had spent his day with Calypso, learning about the sister who had grown up while he was off being a Jedi. She was a delight, he thought. He saw things that she said and did that reminded him of his mother, and they made him grin. They’d talked about how things had been, and moved into favorite memories. “My favorite memory is of Mom lying with me at night, before I’d go to sleep. She’d tell me stories of when she was a smuggler, and flying the Stardancer.” Devin was taken back in time with that one statement, to the days he remembered her lying on the floor between his and Logan’s bed, talking about how she’d made her living before meeting their dad, and some even after.

“She could tell the best stories,” Devin said, his voice wistful.

“How much was real and how much did she make up to entertain us?” Calypso asked. Devin laughed out loud.

“Believe it or not, most of what she told you about is in the Republic history books, if there are any left after the attack on Coruscant. Mom and Dad both were genuine heroes.” They were both silent, the news of the pillaging of the Republic homeworld was devastating. They made plans to cook, and enjoyed each other’s company. By sunset, Devin was looking forward to seeing his father.

“Dad, Devin and I made dinner,” Calypso said as Corso shut the door behind him, her eyes shining. He hugged her and kissed her forehead.

“Let me go clean up, sweetie. I’ll be right there,” he told her. He could tell from the scents that she had attempted one of Miriah’s recipes. It’s been a good day, he thought. Now, if I can just stay positive through dinner. He showered and they met at the table, the food good and conversation warm. After they’d all cleaned up, they went out to the porch, their favorite meeting spot. It was only after Calypso had gone to bed that Devin approached the subject he’d been thinking on since that morning.

“Dad, have you been having any hallucinations or any vivid dreams?” he asked.

Corso blushed, he was reluctant to talk about any of the dreams or voices, afraid he’d be admitting his loose grip on sanity. He looked across the yard at the hill where Miriah’s marker stood in the moonlight. “Some,” he finally admitted.

“More recently or years ago?”

“I don’t know, both, I guess. Why?”

Devin stood and looked out over the railing. “I want to try, once more, to get some answers. I know it’s a long shot, but I want you to find some happiness, Dad. Mom would want you to be happy.”

“Happiness? Do you mean that you think I should date, replace your mother?” Corso laughed, but there was no humor in it. “There’s no possible way. There were women who showed up here, a year or so after, not sure if they came on their own or someone sent them here,” he said, shaking his head. “I never felt anything. Not even friendship. Not going to happen, son.” He pushed the swing with his foot. “How can I give my heart again when I don’t have it? It died with her, Devin. I love you kids, but no one will ever replace Miriah.” They fell silent, both thinking, before Devin’s voice sliced though Corso’s thoughts.

“I need you, Dad,” Devin said, his voice catching on his words. “I need the solid, loving family that we’ve always had. It’s what fuels me. I always had confidence in everything I did, because the love I knew I had in you guys was my rock.” He finally turned scared eyes to his father. “I’ve failed you all, because I didn’t see what was coming. It’s my fault, and now I feel guilty, every single day.” He sat beside his father on the swing. “I am so proud of Logan, he’s done what he was meant to do. Calypso is going to be amazing. I feel like I’ve failed, and I feel adrift without the Order. Without a purpose.“

Corso put his arm around the broad shoulders of his grown son. “Dev, you did nothing wrong. We couldn’t have known what was going to happen, not even a Jedi would have known. If a Jedi could have seen it, shouldn’t Mags or Sarai have known?” He rubbed his son’s back, as he had when the boy was an infant. “I know change is hard, son, believe me, I know. I will always be here for you, Dev.”

“No, you won’t, not if you don’t take care of yourself,” Devin cried. “I might have failed Mom, but I will not lose you, Dad.” They sat there, hugging, for several minutes before they sat back.

“If you’ll remind me when you see me drifting into the abyss,” Corso said, “then I’ll do whatever I can to come out of it. You have always been your mother’s champion, Dev, even when you were just a baby. She would hate to think that you felt responsible, I know that much. We are all here to help you, son. I know that your mission has changed, too.”

“I’m sorry to dump all this on you, Dad, but we all need you. Please, let me help you regain your strength and maybe things will be better. One more search, that’s all I ask.” Corso nodded, and they stood to go back inside.

Once Corso was in bed, he again stared at the photo on the bedside table. Miriah, he said to himself, I just don’t know what to do. My inability to move on is hurting the kids. Tell me, how do I move on from this? I think I’m doing better, and then I fall back. I cannot let you go, it’s not within me to do that. He was lying there with his eyes closed, when a warm sensation wrapped over him. He felt his body relax, and within a few seconds he was asleep.

Devin glimmered in the moonlight, his force aura fading around him. He fell to his knees then, and entered a trance. Just once more, he thought, as he searched beyond himself, beyond the planet even. When he was exhausted, he toppled over on his side, and slept on the floor. His dreams were filled with his mother, and tears leaked down his face.

Corso stood under the blasting cold water, embarrassed. Of all the so-called side effects of being a widower, the phenomenon of waking after a very vivid dream of his wife- and the ensuing physical changes that those memories brought on- was just downright painful, both physically and mentally. Not to mention the fact that my force sensitive son is in the house, and probably not used to blocking anyone since he’s been gone so long, he thought, sighing. He leaned against the wall, and tried to keep his thoughts away from the images that danced behind his eyelids, the ghost of her lips on his skin, the memory of her throaty laugh echoing in his ears. At least I didn’t dream of finding her body, he mused, again. He made his way through the house after dressing, heading to the barn. Instead, he stopped on the deck. Devin wants to do one more search, he remembered, and sat on a deck chair. He knew his ranch hands could more than handle the work, and for the first time in a long time, he wanted to be here with his family. Devin found him there when he woke, gazing out over the purple streaks of sunrise.

Devin had watched his father for a few moments before joining him outside. He’d known his father was embarrassed about something. Rather than make it worse, he chose to ignore the emotions of the morning and brought a fresh cup of caffa for them both. “Morning, Dad,” he said, his tone light. Corso nodded his thanks to his son and took the steaming mug.

“I love this part of the day,” Corso said. “Before promise and hope fade into the blaze of the noonday sun.” They sat in companionable silence, enjoying the quiet and the caffa. Their reverie was broken by the sound of a speeder. Devin raised his eyebrows.

“Aunt Mags,” he said, rising to his six foot height and stretching, his body feeling the night he’d just spent sleeping on the floor. He and his father moved to the front of the house and helped Magdalane off the small speeder. She hugged them both, and led them up to the porch.

“Devin, I have a concern,“she said. Devin nodded and waited for her to continue. “You are safe here, on Dantooine, as long as you don’t reveal yourself. I would caution you about your force use.” She saw the worry on Corso’s face. “I think everything is fine, but I know you’ve searched for Miriah, because Sarai and I did as well. I just think we’d all be better off if we stay inconspicuous and off anyone’s radar.” Devin pondered on this while Corso went to get Magdalane a mug of caffa. He handed her the beverage, waiting for Devin to speak.

“I understand, and I hadn’t thought of it,” Devin admitted. “Dad, is the equipment at Advantages still operational?”

“Sure is, son. I still keep the systems up for them, so I know everything works as it should.”

“Can we go get Uncle Aric to meet us there? Maybe we can use your computers to search,” Devin said, hope evident in his eyes. He knew Aric would do anything they asked of him.

Corso nodded. “As soon as Calypso is awake, we’ll round Aric up.”

“Aunt Mags, want to stay and help? You might see something we don’t,” Devin asked, seeing the surprise in her eyes. “I’ve missed being around other Jedi, more than I ever thought I would.” Mags smiled at her nephew and agreed to stay, pulling her holo out of her pocket to call Felix.

Felix listened to his wife, and agreed it was a valid option. He grabbed the other speeder and joined them. When Calypso appeared, half asleep, on the porch, they let her know what was going on. She waved them off, rubbing her eyes. She knew they had to do this, and she was afraid to get her hopes up of any positive results. She’d stay in the background, at least for now.

They met Aric at the office, and Devin was astonished to see that it had been closed down for some time, everything coated with a thin layer of dust. He hesitated to say anything, and ended up just keeping quiet. There was enough change lately to deal with. Aric booted his workstation and pulled up a file. “This is what we did right after the ship was found,” he told Devin, the somberness of the work reflected in his tone. “Not much there, I’m afraid. I always felt like, I don’t know, like I failed you all. I was so shaken by the idea of Spitfire not being on board, I know I made some mistakes in the search. When I wanted to dig deeper, I saw how much it hurt you, Corso.” He turned worried eyes to his brother in law. “I really, really don’t want to ever hurt you, any of you.” He stood and let Devin sit to review the file, and went to the small kitchen to put a pot of caffa on. Corso joined him there.

“I just want you to know, Aric, how much I appreciate your concern. I wouldn’t be here at all without you pulling me out of the worst of the depression.” Corso took the offered cup and sat with Aric.

“It’s never been the same here, without her,” Aric said. “Maura doesn’t even come here anymore. The last time she was here, she went into Miriah’s office and saw the pictures of the kids, the personal items she kept on her desk.” He nodded in the general direction of Miriah’s office. “She just fell apart, and she hasn’t set foot in here since.” He looked out at where Mags, Felix and Devin read. “I miss her, too.”

Corso was struggling to keep the darkness away, and Devin looked up, trying to find him. When he did, he went to his father and put his hand on his shoulder. “I want to start some searches here, is that okay? I mean, I know you all worked on Republic secrets, and I don’t want to compromise that.”

Aric laughed, but with little humor. “As I know it, the Republic is no more. Can’t compromise something that has ceased to exist.” He was still a little confused about how that had all occurred, and with the demise of their information sources, he had no way to monitor the news feeds. All the ones that were still operational were useless.

Devin started several key word and date searches, but he knew it would take some time. He settled back and was chatting with his aunt and uncle, but kept an eye on his dad. When almost an hour had passed, they decided to leave the computers to their work. On the way back to the ranch house, Devin had an idea and swerved his speeder to the left.

Corso saw his son peel away and bit back a groan. The hangar. He’s going to the Dreamweaver, Corso thought. Dammit! He followed, and saw as Aric and Felix followed as well. When they stopped outside the huge structure, Corso put his hand on his son’s arm.

“Wait, Dev. I haven’t…. I mean… I don’t,” he stammered.

“It’s okay, Dad,” Devin replied, his tone reassuring. “I know it’s been here for a while. I just want to see if I can feel anything.” Corso swallowed hard and finally nodded.

Devin keyed in the code to unlock the hanger and watched the doors slowly open. When they stepped inside, father and son had to stop and stare. Before them was the Dreamweaver, but she was far from rusted and dormant. In front of them was Miriah’s beloved ship, shining and clean, looking ready to lift skyward. “How,” Corso asked, unable to look away.

Felix stepped to Corso’s side. “I did it,” he said quietly. “I never went inside, but I did the best I could to keep it in working order, and looking like Miriah would want it to look.” Corso looked at Felix for a moment, overcome with gratitude.

“I never even thought of it,” he said. “Thank you, Felix. It means a lot to me that you would undertake this. I know it couldn't have been easy.” They watched as Devin and Magdalane walked around the huge freighter, stopping at intervals to touch the cool exterior of the hull. When they’d made two complete trips around, they stopped at the rest of the group.

“I’m sorry,” Devin said, with a sigh. “I just can’t feel anything. I have to go inside.”

“NO,” Corso shouted, and hung his head. “I’m sorry, I can’t be here for that.” He turned abruptly on his heel and stalked to his speeder, the others watching him with a mixture of pity and sorrow. Devin once again keyed in the security code and watched as the ramp slowly lowered. He gathered himself and slowly made his way up to the entrance, and stopped there. Putting his hand on the door, he tried to feel any residual energy. When nothing surfaced, he touched the switch and the door opened with a faint hiss.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimness, but Devin saw that the interior of the ship was indeed the site of a battle. The lounge area bore scorch marks and dents, the walls blackened in areas. He took a breath and let his mind go. Instantly he was bombarded with images, rapidly changing and chaotic. Magdalane felt the force ripple and rushed to his side, but only watched as her nephew absorbed all that he could from their surroundings. Devin cried out and fell to his knees, holding his head, and Mags knelt beside him.

“You saw things,” she said, hesitantly. Devin nodded but couldn’t speak for a moment. They stood, and Devin walked back down the ramp, trying to sort through the images.

“It will take me some time to get through it all,” he said, and sat at the end of the ramp. He had seen his mother as clearly as if she’d been standing beside him, her silver eyes wide with fear and then narrowing with determination, her blaster in one hand and her shotgun in the other. “She was overpowered,” he whispered. “But you know Mom, she’d never just surrender.” Felix patted his back.

“Take your time, Dev. What puzzles me is why you didn’t feel all this five years ago, when it happened,” Felix observed.

“Force images remain but in the immediate aftermath of finding the ship and….everything… it could just be that his focus is more attuned than it was then,” Magdalane explained.

“We should go check on Dad,” Devin decided, and started to close up the ship and hangar. Felix assisted him, and they made their way to the ranch house.

Corso hit the house and didn’t slow until he’d grabbed the bottle of Corellian whiskey from the kitchen. He took it into his room and sat on the floor, between the bed and the wall, and drank deeply. He’d avoided alcohol five years ago, because he was afraid he’d never stop. Today, he knew it didn’t matter. The memories were always with him, but with the addition of the whiskey, they assaulted him, and he continued to drink. When the sobbing started, he slumped to the floor, the empty bottle forgotten, immersed in his misery until he finally slept.

Devin knew his dad had checked out, but could find no fault with it. They’d opened long buried reminders, and he’d known his dad would have a hard time with it all. The images, he thought. I saw her fighting, saw the hits she took. Bodies on the floor of the ones who’d boarded the ship, at least two dead there. He went through the images, again and again, searching, but for what? He stayed in his room, his mind going through what he’d seen frame by frame.

Calypso knocked softly on Devin’s door. When he didn’t answer, she peeked in and saw that he was covered in blinding light and had no idea she was even there. She left him and made herself some food, watched the holo for a bit, and went to bed, never knowing what anyone found. Wasn’t the first time I’ve been left to fend for myself, she thought, probably not the last either.

Devin emerged around midnight, more calm than he’d felt in a very long time. He was rummaging in the cooler when he felt his dad approach. Corso took some things out and motioned for Devin to sit. As the omelets were being made, Devin attempted to speak, but Corso shushed him. When they sat together to eat, Corso finally spoke. “I know you have something you want to tell me, but Dev, I don’t know how much I can take.” Devin continued to eat for a minute.

“But what if it’s not something bad?”

“Did you see her escape? Or find her on some remote planet?” When Devin shook his head negatively, Corso said, “Then how can it not be bad?” They ate in silence, and when they’d finished, Devin followed his father out to the swing. After a long silence, Corso sighed heavily. “Okay, what is it, Dev?”

Devin sat beside his father. “I saw it, Dad. The fight. I saw the boarding party, and I saw Mom fighting for all she was worth.” Corso sat there, unable to comment.

“I saw it all, from beginning to finish. I’ve gone back over and over it. There’s only one thing I didn’t see.” Devin paused to make sure he had his father’s full attention. “I never saw her die, Dad.”

Corso sat numb, unable to speak. He turned the thought around and around in his head, but still couldn’t really process it. If Miriah didn’t die, then where is she? He scrubbed his face with his hands and smelled the whiskey he’d spilled when his shaking hand had missed pouring it into his glass. His head ached and the omelet he’d forced down swam in his suddenly uneasy stomach. Where is she? He finally took a deep breath. “Ok, Dev. What next? ’Cause you know if she were at all able, she would have at least made contact by now.” He saw a little of the hope fade from his son’s eyes and cursed inwardly. “I mean, what would have made her not be able to let anyone know what was going on, what had happened to her?”

Devin paced the porch, but didn’t seem upset. “I always thought that maybe she had somehow gotten out, even five years ago I felt that she was still, for lack of a better explanation, out there.” He turned and walked back toward his dad. “There are other explanations. Like a kidnapping,” he said.

Corso thought about it. “But if someone wanted a ransom, they would have contacted me, right?” He shook his head. “I just don’t know what to think of it yet, son.”

“She wouldn’t have been able to contact us if she were being held somewhere,” Devin said quietly. The thought of his vibrant mother being in a cell made him physically ill, but it was better than her being dead.

Corso thought on that, and slowly nodded. “Okay, Devin. I see where you’re going with this. Tomorrow we search prisoner databases and stored Imp files.”

“Why wait?” Devin said. “You have access to the computers at the office.” He started toward the speeders before he realized his father was still sitting, and turned to see his tired face.

“Because we left Calypso all day, and that couldn’t have been pleasant for her. We need to make sure she’s included or at least occupied, and not by herself.”

Devin sighed. He knew his father was right, but it would be hard to sleep at this point for him. He saw that his father was fighting to stay awake, and sat beside him. “Go rest, Dad. I’ll be in shortly.”

“Set the security when you do,” Corso told him, and he nodded.

Corso lay on the bed, his mind whirling. Is she alive, somewhere, being tortured or starved? He swallowed hard, thinking of his beloved suffering. I’m not sure what’s worse, he thought. He sighed and turned on his side, pulling Miriah’s pillow against his chest. I just want to know, he realized. One way or another. If he concentrated, he could smell her scent still on the pillow, and he buried his face in it, finally surrendering to sleep.

Whiskey fueled dreams hit Corso hard. He could see her walking down the speeder path to the house, her jacket off and her long, ebony hair tossed around by the wind. He was so happy, and ran toward her, only to see as she neared the scars and open wounds all over her body, and the accusing look in her eyes. That one finally startled him awake, and he sat on the side of the bed, his elbows on his knees and his hands in his hair, shaking all over. What if I could have found her, but didn’t, and she’s spent the last years enduring void knows what, he thought. Even though he’d only slept a handful of hours, he got up and went into the family room. He turned on the holo, lowered the sound, and stretched out in the recliner.

The dream returned the moment he closed his eyes. This time, he ran to her, calling her name. Miriah stopped in the path and waited for him, but when he wrapped his arms around her, she dissolved into dust, and in the dream he fell to his knees, shouting her name. He woke with that shout, and saw Sarai standing before him, concern in her eyes.

“Son, please tell me how to help,” she said, her voice soft. “I felt the force rippling around this house, and had to make sure you all were alright. I’m glad I came now.” She sat near him, and her force aura gently caressed them both. Corso felt his mind relax and his body start to feel heavy, and as he fell again into sleep he heard Sarai’s voice. “Miriah loved you, Corso. Hold onto that,” she said.

Sarai went into the kitchen, her daughter’s favorite room in the house, and sat at the worktable. It would be hours before Calypso was awake, but Sarai knew that her granddaughter was confused and uneasy about all this searching for Miriah. Devin felt his grandmother and joined her.

“I’m sorry this is causing everyone pain,” he told her, his voice soft. “I just feel that until we have some answers, Dad will never be able to get past the grief.” Sarai patted his hand and nodded.

“We all need that closure, Devin. Even if it reveals painful information, it couldn’t be worse than we’ve all carried in our minds for the last five years. Go, sleep. You’ll need energy for the rest of this,” she told him. Devin rose and hugged his grandmother, and went to the family room to sleep, wanting to be near his father. Sarai took her usual guest room, and knew that they would rest for a bit.

Devin lay on the sofa, remembering his mother. Mom always knew how to help me do anything, he thought. She would stay with me at night when I couldn’t sleep, and just rub my back. She always made me do things the normal way, not with the force, so that I would know how. He looked over at his father. She loved us all, and she showed us that every day. I took for granted that she’d always be here with me. I will find her, he silently vowed, before closing his eyes. I will.

Corso and Devin made their way to the Advantages office after having breakfast with Calypso and Sarai. The young girl loved being with her grandmother, and they’d made plans to go shopping this afternoon. Corso had been quiet all morning, the reality that he might know soon what had happened to Miriah hitting him. When they reached the office, they found Aric and Felix already there, reading through search results. After greeting the men, Aric held up a sheaf of papers. “There’s a lot of items here that mention Miriah’s name, but nothing recent.”

Corso nodded. “Devin says that maybe we should be checking prison records, or even Hutt transactions for slaves.” He almost choked on those words, and saw Aric’s eyes widen as he took them in. Felix looked shocked as well.

“I never considered it,” Felix said softly. “I should have. Miriah would have been a prize trophy for some of the criminal underworld.” He turned immediately to the nearest computer and started entering strings of text, in hopes that something would show up.

“Who else would have had a reason to take her?” Aric asked.

“The only thing I can tell you is that she didn’t go willingly, and that she took a few of her attackers out before she just ….disappears out of the frame,” Devin said. When Aric and Felix threw him puzzled looks, he explained how he’d seen the fighting, and how at the end of the vision, Miriah had just disappeared. They both had to sit back and think about what Devin had said.

“Well, then, we have to find Spitfire,” Aric said, his voice quiet but sure. “Corso, I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I need you to tell me what you know of the time they found the ship.”

Corso thought for a moment, trying to be exact. “I was in the home office, working, when Calypso came in and said that someone was talking to C2, someone with a blaster. I jumped up and sent her to her room, and went to the door. One of the deputies from town had gotten a holo transmission from a Republic military ship. It was troopers who found the Dreamweaver, and traced the ship’s registry. There was no one on board the ship, and the deputy wanted to know if I wanted it towed here.” He stood and walked to the window.

“She’d picked up Logan on Courscant, right? And they went to Ord Mantell?” Devin asked. Corso nodded.

“I was in the middle of calving season, and it seemed like a short hop. Calypso would have to miss school, so I told Mir that I’d just stay home with her and see her in a few days.” He sat heavily, leaning his head on his hands. “I should have just let someone else handle the ranch. I should have been with her.”

“So Calypso would end up an orphan, again?” Aric asked. “Man, you didn’t even know it at the time, but you did the right thing.”

“I know, Calypso didn’t need to lose both of us, but maybe if I’d been with her, it wouldn’t have happened.” He turned to Felix. “Start on Coruscant, or what’s left of it now, and see if you can find the docking records there. It’s a starting point, anyway.” Felix nodded and turned to a second terminal.

“It’s going to take some time to search,” Felix said. “Most of the databases are fractured at best, at least on the core worlds.”

Devin stood. “Dad, I want to go back to the Dreamweaver. I need you to go with me, and Aunt Mags and Nana, too.”

Corso looked at his son, but couldn’t speak. He’d avoided the ship, the hangar, everything to do with flying since it had been stowed five years ago, until yesterday. He was trying to form a protest when Devin’s face burst into a huge grin.

“Ian is here, too. Excellent, let’s all meet down at the hangar in about an hour. Aunt Maura, too,” he said, looking at his uncle, who nodded.

The entire family met at the hangar, and Corso saw that Logan and Elara had joined them as well. He moved to hug his youngest son, who looked unsure at the whole gathering. “I know, it’s not what you expected, but Dev has felt things here, and he wanted to come back, with those who loved Mom, to see if it would boost any more visions.” Logan nodded reluctantly, and held Elara’s hand.

Maura strode up to her nephew. “Devin, I brought a scanner. Maybe we can analyze the residue on the ship, see if anything is unusual. Maybe we’ll see something that will give us a clue to where the attackers came from.” She put her arm around Devin’s shoulder and squeezed.

“Thanks, Aunt Maura. That’s a really good idea,” he told her.

They silently made their way up the ramp, and as before, Devin paused to put his hand on the door. Please, he said to himself, let me find something, anything. He keyed the code and the door slid open.

Corso was at the rear of the group, his mouth dry and his heart beating erratically. He’d refused to go inside before, but he knew he’d have to now. When they were all aboard, the automatic lighting brightened the damage and Sarai gasped.

Devin turned to them all. “Please, everyone, link hands. No matter what, don’t let go. Close your eyes, it might be bright in here.” When they were all set, Devin opened his mind to the force. Again, the images rushed at him, but they were basically the same as before. When they ended, he was again on his knees, but was supported by the family. Corso helped him up and sat him on the lounge sofa. He looked at his father, saw the naked hope in his eyes, and shook his head. “Nothing more than I saw before,” he said. Corso rubbed his shoulder.

“It’s okay, son. Maybe that’s all there is. We can still keep looking.” Devin saw his aunt get the scanner out of her bag and make a quick circle around the room. She nodded at them and one by one, they left the freighter.

Maura took the scanner to the ranch house. “Corso, can I use the computer in your office?” she asked.

“Of course,” he replied, hugging Calypso. “Let’s get some things together and cook outside for everyone,” he told his daughter, who smiled. They got to work, Sarai with them, and everyone pitched in something. Ian and Devin got the fire ready, Magdalane and Elara got the table set, and they’d almost forgotten about Maura until she ran outside, getting everyone’s attention.

“Everything I scanned was normal stuff. Plasma, singed hair, residue from the furniture. There’s one thing that doesn’t fit,” she said. “I found something that has no business being on a freighter.” They family looked at her in anticipation. “The scanner picked up minute traces of tibanna gas.”

Aric is the only one who recognized the compound, and his eyes grew wide as he processed the information. He said only one word, but it changed Corso’s world. “Carbonite.”

Corso felt numb, and if it hadn't been for Felix pulling a chair out for him, he'd have fallen. “What are you saying? That Miriah is frozen somewhere?”

Maura walked to him and hugged her brother in law. “I think that she was encased in carbonite to be taken off the ship. Now, what happened after that, I have no clue. But I do believe she was alive when she left the Dreamweaver.”

Devin felt a release of the knot in his soul, one that had been clenched for five years. I knew there was something, he thought. He felt a cautious hope filter through the group, and met Corso's eyes. Yes, he thought, there it is, the thing that's made Dad so different. Hope. He looked for Calypso and found her at Sarai's side. She grinned at him, and he saw that as much as she'd been hiding in her indifference, she was excited that there was at least a possibility.

Food had almost been forgotten in their news, but when they did sit down to eat, Corso found he was actually famished. The feeling around the large outdoor table was one of determination, and they all felt a renewed purpose. When Corso fell into his bed, he was asleep immediately, a dreamless, restful sleep that he'd needed for years.

Aric pulled Maura closer to him and stroked her hair. “I'm so glad I married a smart woman,” he told her. “That's the most relaxed I've seen the Riggs family in a very long time, and it's all because you were brilliant to take that scanner with you today.” He kissed her forehead, and felt her sigh. “What? It's good news, hon.”

“I know, but we still haven't found her,” Maura replied, afraid to get too hopeful. “It could be a long time before we figure out where she might be.”

“We will find her, love, I promise you that. Colin will be here tomorrow, and Calleigh promised she'd be here soon to visit. We have to figure out how to get her to stay here. Still,” he said, settling her head on his shoulder, “we will start looking. And force help whoever is behind it, when we do find her.” He felt his wife relax against him, and looked forward to having all his children home. Home, he thought. By this time tomorrow all of our extended family will be here. Everyone except Miriah.

Devin couldn't stop his mind from trying to find his mother. Sarai had stayed at the ranch house, and he could feel his grandmother thinking about it, too. If Mom had any enemies still, they had to be Imperial, he thought. He tried to remember the last missions Miriah had flown for the Republic, and he was almost sure that she'd been on Ziost just before it had been destroyed. He remembered that she'd been on the orbital station, Dad at her side, when they'd learned of the destruction. Since then, she'd been mostly working with the military planning, even though the war had started to wane. At least, before the Eternal Empire folks, he thought. We need to search the last records of her mission plans, he decided, before fatigue took over and he finally rested.

Morning saw the Riggs men refreshed and ready to search. Devin and Corso made pancakes, and roused Calypso. Even the sleepy girl had a broad smile when she joined them. After they ate, Corso and Devin met Aric and Felix at the office. “What was the last thing Mom was working on here?” Devin asked his uncle. Aric turned to Miriah's office but stopped at the entrance.

“I haven't been in here since she went missing,” he said quietly, Corso beside him.

“Me either,” Corso said, “but I know her passwords, so let's see what's on her to-do list.” He pulled out the chair and sat, his fingers poised over the keyboard. The thought that Miriah had been the last person to touch anything in here made it feel special, somehow. He logged into the terminal and brought up a listing of files by date. “It looks like the last thing in here was a search and rescue on Ziost.” He turned to see Aric's thoughtful face.

“I remember that an agent worked on that project, can't remember his name, but he was in big trouble before the destruction. Something to do with him having a secret force army, or something like that. I really didn't think much of it at the time.” Aric looked over Corso's shoulder. “Nothing that would lead to someone taking her off her own ship.” They both looked up as Felix entered, and noted the grim look on his face.

“I don't see any other instances of abandoned, adrift spaceships,” he said. “I can't find any past enemies, the databases are just too damaged. In looking at our own files, she did nothing but rescue work that last year.” Felix sighed. “I need ideas, guys. Where to look next?” Devin joined them and they could see his force aura at work.

“The Empire uses a lot of carbonite, the main source of it is in their control, on Bespin,” Devin said, thinking out loud. “I didn't feel any outright animosity, although when she was taken she wasn't surprised, just mad.” The other men looked at the Jedi then. “I felt it,” he said, shrugging.

“Was it someone she knew?” Corso asked.

“Not sure,” Devin said. “But I think she'd at least seen them before. She wasn't talking, she was too busy shooting.” Aric laughed.

“I'm quite sure that Miriah didn't go easily,” he said, and caught the slight smile on Corso's face. Thank the stars, he seems more himself today than I've seen in a long while, he thought. “Let's break, I want to pick Maura's brain a bit.” They all agreed and Aric went to his house, a two minute drive on the speeder. When he arrived, Maura was walking across the yard, her arms full of linens, on her way to Colin's house. It wasn't finished completely, but it would do while the inside work was done. She stopped as he drove up and waited for him to walk over to her. He took part of the stack in her arms and followed her to the new dwelling. “I wanted to get your ideas on something,” he told her, putting the towels in the sparking refresher.

Maura grinned at her mate. “Yes, you're still handsome, even if you have some…okay, a lot.. of gray,” she told him, squealing when he threw water on her. “What did you guys find today,” she asked, suddenly sober.

“Not a lot,” Aric admitted. “What was Miriah doing, other than being with the kids and the few missions we had then?”

Maura sat down on the rough step and thought. “She and Calypso were cooking together, and she spent a lot of time with Mom. She never mentioned anything offworld to me.” She pulled her hair back from her face. “She was really just enjoying being a mom. She talked about the boys and what they were doing and how fast Calypso was growing. She wrote letters to all the kids, to Michi and Ian and the twins, pretty much every week. Just before she left to get Logan, she talked to me about his sniper school and how proud she was even though she missed him being on the ranch.” She stood and looped her arm through Aric's. “She was just Miriah. Nothing different than that.” They both turned when they heard a speeder approaching, and went to meet their son as he returned home.

Devin took some food to one of the barns for his brother and Logan gratefully sat beside him in the cool shade to eat. Devin told Logan what they were looking for, and saw Logan's eyes light up. “When we were on Coruscant, and I was loading my gear, I saw a blonde woman staring at Mom. I said something to her about it, but she was so teared up with the graduation and all she didn't really take notice.” He stood and paced. “Do you think she had something to do with it?”

“I don't know, but it's something to check,” Devin said. “For the first time in five years I feel like we're actually doing something to get her back, though.” Logan agreed and went back to work, feeling lighter than he could remember.

Devin took his nugget of knowledge back to the house, where Felix, Magdalane and Corso sat with Sarai. When he told them what Logan had remembered, Felix hopped on a speeder to the office, eager to search for other ships that were docked on Coruscant when the Dreamweaver was there. Corso watched his daughter as she talked animatedly with her brother. She's missed them both, but not as much as she's missed her mother, he thought.

Sarai was quiet, but when she stood to go outside to her speeder, Corso followed her. “Mom, is everything okay?” he asked.

Sarai turned to him with a smile. “I think I have some photos of Logan's graduation that Miriah sent me. I'm going home to see if I can put my hands on them. Maybe the same woman is in them, and we can use facial recognition to find out who she is. It may be nothing more than someone who admired her, but we need to know.” Corso hugged the tiny woman, and wished her well. When he returned to the kitchen, the kids were playing a game, and he heard Calypso giggle. He made his way back to his office, and pulled up the holomail he'd gotten from Miriah when she was on Coruscant. His heart stuttered when he saw her, standing beside Logan, at the Senate Plaza walkway. He zoomed in on the crowd around them, but didn't see anyone who had blonde hair. He scrolled through the other images, looking at the background, and finally at the last one, he saw a blonde woman. He thought she looked familiar, but puzzled several minutes over the image without knowing who she was.

Devin found his dad in the office, and Corso beckoned him around the desk. “Look, see that one? I wonder if that's who Logan is talking about?” Devin spent a few seconds looking at the woman, and stood.

“I'm going to get him, right now. If that's her, then we have our first lead,” he said, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. Corso wanted to be excited too, but he felt like he'd forgotten how. Instead he went to find his daughter and tell her what they'd been working on.

Calypso immediately grinned. She'd been devastated when her mother had gone missing, but she was so young. It wasn't until later that she'd realized what the emptiness meant, and that she'd never be able to snuggle with Miriah, to giggle and talk and dream with her again. By then, Corso had been at rock bottom, and the only one Calypso would talk to about her feelings was her grandmother. Today, she thought, might be the start of getting Mom back. Just the thought of it warmed her to her toes.

Devin found Logan hard at work. He'd thrown himself into the ranch life, and didn't even notice his brother at first. When he did, he took the small towel out of his pocket and wiped his sweaty face. “Dev, twice in one day? What's up?”

“Dad found a photo, from your graduation, and there's a blond woman in it. C'mon, come see if it's the person you remembered.”

Logan stood still for a moment, aware of the movement around him and what this discovery might mean. He started toward the house on foot, but Devin pulled up to him with a speeder, and stopped to let him climb on. They drove faster than they should have, but Devin couldn't help himself. When they cleared the deck, Logan stopped to take off his filthy boots and followed Devin into the office. Corso met them there, and pulled up the image.

“What do you think, Lo? Is that her?” Corso asked.

Logan carefully studied the image, looked away and then back at the image before he slowly nodded. “Yes, that's the woman I asked Mom about.” He turned confused eyes to his dad. “What does it mean, though? Mom never said who she was, or even if she knew her.”

“It might mean nothing,” Corso admitted, “but it's a starting point.” He printed the image and took it out to the kitchen. “I can't place her at all,” he told them. “But I called the others, we'll figure out if anyone knows her, then we can search.”

By late afternoon, they'd all strained their memories and still couldn't place the woman in the photo, but even Aric agreed she looked vaguely familiar. Elara had joined the family and met the cousins, and they were having caffa when Colin jumped up, jarring the mugs as the table caught his hip.

“I know her! We were on Yavin 4, working with an Imp unit against the Revanites. She was some high level Sith. I don't know her name, but that's definitely her!”

Aric and Felix shared a look, and turned to Corso. “So the biggest question here, is why a Sith was on Coruscant, and what was her interest in my wife?”

They'd spent the evening running facial recognition searches, but so far hadn't found anything. Colin had sent a message to a colleague, asking if he'd known the Sith's name, but there was no response yet. Corso fell into bed, his fatigue a weight making him unable to move. He'd checked on Calypso before he'd showered, and saw that she was resting well. Even as tired as he was, Corso was having difficulty calming his mind enough to sleep. He knew that face, he just couldn't remember the name, he thought. He started thinking about the ranch, hoping his mind would solve the riddle in the background. He felt his body start to relax and just as he edged into sleep, it came to him. Beniko! Her name is Beniko, Lara or Lana or something like that. He jumped out of bed and grabbed his datapad, shooting off a message to Aric and Felix. He moved quickly into the hallway and nearly ran over Devin, who'd felt the force shift.

“You remembered something,” Devin stated, his eyes full of excitement even though he kept his voice low. Corso told him the name, and Devin recalled hearing her being spoken of on Tython. He nodded, and they went into the kitchen. “We need to get this out, right now,” Devin exclaimed.

Corso grinned at his son. “Already did. I sent a message to Aric and Felix when I remembered it, and Aric already answered. He'll be here any minute.” They heard heavy boots on the back deck and Aric ducked his head in, a huge smile on his face.

“Let's get this party started,” he said, and pulled out his datapad. “I know the main stores of information are destroyed, but let's see what we can pull up.” All three of them worked steadily, and after an hour Corso stood to make cafa, his day catching up to him. He reached to take mugs out of the cabinet and heard a chime. He turned around so fast he dropped one of the mugs, but didn't even feel the shards when he stepped on them, hurrying to see what Aric had found.

“Got it!” the Cathar shouted, then covered his mouth, afraid he'd woken Calypso. “She is, or was, the Empire's Minister of Intelligence, and served under Darth Marr.” He glanced around the table and saw that Corso was bleeding all over the floor, and pointed to his friend's foot. Devin's force aura flared briefly and the cuts were healed, Corso never even noticing.

“I still have no idea why she was watching Miriah,” Corso said, his brow furrowed. “Any idea how we can contact her?”

Devin said he had a few contacts that might be able to get a message to her, and that he would try to holo them in the morning. The cafa forgotten, they moved into the family room, where they got comfortable to rest. Even though it was early morning already, they knew that as soon as it was a decent hour they would all be working frantically to find Lana Beniko.

Devin woke with a disturbance in the force, and sat up, rubbing his face before he realized what had woken him. “Dad, she's near,” he said, shaking Corso's shoulder. Before his dad could fully wake up, there was a knock on the door.

“I'll get it,” Aric growled, already moving toward the door. When he opened it, he was face to face with the town's deputy. “Good morning, Deputy Hines,” Aric said, opening the door wider to invite the man in.

“Mr. Riggs, we had an unusual night in town,” Deptuty Hines said. “There's a lady with a very strange looking ship and an even stranger accent who wants to talk with you. I told her, the Riggs had had enough bad luck, but she insists.” He adjusted the wide belt that held his blasters and met Corso's eyes. “If you want me to get rid of her, I'll be glad to do that. Otherwise, she asked that you meet her in the spaceport. She doesn't have clearance for anything else, and I sure ain't gonna let some Imperial run around here without a care in the galaxy.”

“Is this her?” Corso asked, showing the deputy the photo of Lana Beniko. The portly man lifted his hat and absently scratched his balding head.

“Yep, that's her all right,” he replied. “Your call. I'll let her stay in the spaceport until sundown, then she'll have to go.” Corso thanked the man and turned a confused expression to his family when the door had shut again.

“Okay, not sure about anyone else but I'm a little spooked by this. We just figured out who she was, and now she shows up?” Corso walked into the kitchen and swept up his mess from earlier, deep in thought. Devin followed his dad.

“She is Sith, Dad. It's possible that she felt the searches we did, especially if she were waiting for them.” Corso looked at his son with thoughtful eyes, and nodded. It was the best explanation he could see. “We have to go. I'll see if Nana can come stay with Calypso.” Corso nodded again, not trusting his voice. So many things I want to know, he thought, and when he finished dressing he grabbed Torchy, checking the charge and plasma. If this woman took Miriah, and she doesn't have a way to get her back, she won't be leaving this planet alive, he vowed.

Aric was determined that they would get answers. He had sent Maura a message, and wasn't surprised at all when she came through the back door, weapons in hand. “What are we waiting for?” she asked.

“Sarai is on the way here to stay with Calypso,” Aric explained, and took the blaster she handed him. “No cannons?” he asked her, grinning.

“*Smart ***,” she told him, lightly punching his arm before leaning in for a kiss. When Sarai arrived, they were all waiting outside, speeders ready. Corso had explained what was going on, and Sarai hugged them all before she let them go, watching the speeders until she could no longer see them.

The ride into town was uneventful, and so routine that Corso blinked when they approached the main square. He'd been so deep in thought that he wasn't sure how he got there. They turned toward the spaceport and stopped outside. Devin approached his dad then. “We need info, but we don't know that she did anything at all. We just talk, agreed?” He saw the others nod, and turned for the port. Aric took Maura's arm in his, and Corso brought up the rear.

When they were at the assigned dock, Devin turned to his father. “Dad, you go first. She wanted to see you.” Corso approached the ship and hit the chime. Seconds later, the hatch hissed open and they had their first look at Lana Beniko.

“Thank you,” she said, “for seeing me. I promise it will be well worth your while. Please, come aboard.” Corso and the others followed her into the ship, a sleek vessel of unknown origin. Corso had never seen anything like it.

“Why are you here, why now?” Aric asked, breaking the silence.

“I know you all are searching for someone. I came to help,” Lana said, sitting. When they were all seated, she continued. “Six years ago, I worked with Captain Riggs. She was an ally, if not a friend, and we worked well together. After the destruction on Ziost, we lost touch.” She motioned to the service droid, who set a silver tray with a teapot and cups on the low table before them. She paused to pour a cup and offer it to Corso, who shook his head. “This was, of course, before Valkorian,” she continued in her clipped accent. “Marr had named me Minister of Intelligence, but there was very little to administrate. Even early on, the fighting on the Outer Rim took most of our resources, which had been pretty decimated after Yavin 4.”

Corso was getting agitated. He knew she was getting to a point, but he was more interested in Miriah than an assessment of Imperial battles. During the conversation, he'd noticed Devin practically hiding in the robe he'd pulled on before entering the spaceport. Before he had a chance to say anything, Lana continued her story. “I know you are Corso Riggs, the husband of Captain Miriah Chantalle Riggs, but I'm afraid I do not know the others here.”

“I'm Aric Jorgan, and this is my wife Maura, Miriah's sister,” Aric said. “This is Devin Riggs, Miriah's son,” he said sweeping his arm toward his nephew. Lana's eyes grew wide as Devin removed the hood from his face, and the blinding light of the force surrounded the group. She knelt before him.

“I have heard stories, but I wasn't sure if they were true,” she said haltingly. She'd been told of a powerful force user, but had no idea he was Miriah's son. “I am very honored to meet such a great Jedi.”

Devin looked at his dad, confused. When Lana again was seated, she took up her story. “I had been trying to find Miriah for some time when I learned she was on Coruscant. I followed her when she left, under stealth of course-- if she'd known I was there, she'd have shot me down without asking questions.” Corso nodded, he'd figured Miriah had no idea she was being tailed.

“Why?” Devin asked. “Why would you go to such lengths to find a freighter captain that you'd worked with at one time?”

“I had a vision,” Lana replied. “I knew Valkorian would extend his quest for domination to our galaxy. In the vision that I had, Captain Riggs was the one. The only one. The Outlander, who would find a way to save the galaxy after the Empire and Republic had fallen.” While she spoke, her voice became softer and softer, whispering the last words. Corso had strained to hear them, and was even more confused by them.

“So, you followed her. Did you speak to her on Ord Mantell?” he asked.

“No, I'm afraid I didn't get the opportunity to land on that planet.” Aric figured as much, since the spaceport was tied to a Republic fort.

“It was you,” Devin said, his voice deceptively calm. “You boarded the Dreamweaver. You didn't even ask, you just burst in, blasters ready. I saw it all, and now I know what was missing. You.” He stood, and Corso heard her quick gasp.

“I had to take her. She had to be safe! Valkorian would know there was one out there who would best him,” she wailed, her composure shot. She looked frantically at the others around her, but saw only shock in their faces.

“Let me understand. You took Miriah off her ship, and let her entire family think that she was dead. For years now, they've suffered. And you're trying to tell us that it was for the good of the galaxy?” Aric's voice was a low growl, and Lana flinched.

“Why should we believe this story?” Maura asked. “And what has happened to my sister?”

“She is still encased,” Lana said. “She is safe.” Faster than anyone knew he could move, Corso was behind Lana, his arm around her throat. She gulped when Corso shoved Torchy under her chin.

“Please tell me why I shouldn't kill you right here, right now. You've taken a mother away from her children, a daughter from her mother, and a wife from her husband. Tell me, please, why you should be spared now?” The high pitched whine of the blaster echoed in the sparsely furnished ship, but Corso didn't waver. Lana shifted her eyes only, but met Corso's.

“Because I'm the only one who can take you to get her.”

Corso's hand was steady as he held the squealing blaster. “Devin, is she telling the truth?” he asked his son, who was calmly watching.

“She is, Dad. She knows exactly where Mom is,” Devin replied. He felt the rage building inside, but had complete control. “You can let her go, and I'll keep an eye on her.”

Corso slowly lowered the blaster and pushed Lana away from him. “Let's go,” he said, motioning to Lana, Torchy still in his hand.

“Cor, we need to hold up a minute here,” Aric said. “We need to get provisions and let the others know what's going on.” He stood slowly, waiting for Corso to look at him.

“Go, do whatever you have to do, but I'm leaving right now, we've already wasted five years!” Corso turned pleading eyes to his friend finally, and Aric saw the slight madness there. Aric sighed to himself, he knew Corso had been driven to a breaking point but was still, somewhere in there, a family man.

“At least call your daughter,” Aric said, and that seemed to reach Corso. He pulled out his personal holo and talked to Sarai and Calypso, telling them only that they needed to make a trip. Sarai, of course, felt the message that Corso was really sending, but kept up the ruse with her granddaughter. While he was talking, Aric pulled Maura close enough to whisper to her. “Are we good to go here? Do you want to go back home?”

“There's no way I'm letting you two go get my sister without me,” Maura told him. He kissed her and turned a grinning face to Corso, who was just putting his holo back into his pocket.

“Okay, then, we can go,” Aric said, and he could see the relief flow over Corso's face. “But first, we need to get some more details.” He sat again and motioned for Lana to as well. “So, why? Why is it that you would risk coming here? Telling Corso what you did five years ago?”

Lana had the grace to look embarrassed. “I should have come back and told you when it happened, but my duties to the Empire prevented me from doing so.” She sighed and looked at her hands, clasped in her lap. “It was not one of my better decisions. I just knew of no other way to get the captain to a safe location, one that would never be disclosed because no one knew it existed. At least, that was the case five years ago.” She poured more tea and sipped before resuming. “I took Miriah to a deserted Hutt storage center. I thought it was an excellent spot, until I learned a couple of years ago that it was now a droid controlled detention center.” She looked at Aric then. “She is well guarded, but the guards have no idea who she is.”

“It's time,” Devin said. “Mom is needed. That's why she's here now, because we need to get Mom out safely, so that they can work against Valkorian.” Lana nodded at the Jedi's words. Aric mulled the story around in his head, then sent a brilliant smile across the table.

“Okay, I'm up to speed. We can go now.” Lana followed Corso up to the bridge. The controls were much more sophisticated that those of the freighter, and Corso felt helpless. He turned to Lana.

“I am going to have to trust that you aren't taking us to be killed or imprisoned. But know that I am watching, and more importantly, that my son is watching every move you make.” He saw Lana hesitate, and when she reached for the comms to request launch clearance, her hand shook. Corso settled into the left seat, Torchy across his lap.

Maura took Devin aside. “Sweetie, I need to let you know some things. When we realized what had happened to your mom, I did some research on hibernation sickness.” Devin gave his aunt his full attention. “There is a risk that she won't survive reanimation, if indeed she is still in the carbonite. She's always been so small, it's hard to know how she might react. And there are some side effects. Your father,” and here she hesitated, “doesn't need to know all this right now. In his mind, all he wants is her back. He hasn't considered that she might not be the same Miriah that was taken five years ago.” Devin nodded, he'd figured there would be some drawbacks to the extended freezing, but knew it was better to have his mother back even if she might not survive.

“Whatever we face, we'll get through it, Aunt Maura. Thank you for coming with us, I know that Colin just got back and you want to spend time with him.”

Maura hugged her nephew. “Nothing, Devin, nothing is more important than possibly seeing my sister again.” She brushed the tear that escaped quickly, hoping no one saw it.

By the time they'd reached orbit, Lana seemed to have settled. “We'll be in hyperspace for a couple of days,” she told Corso, her voice soft. “I have sleeping areas for everyone.” When Corso didn't respond, she looked over at him. His haggard face, now going on two days with little sleep, was expressionless, but she could see the torment in his eyes. There were so many emotions in such a small space, Lana was having trouble sorting them to their owners, but Corso's rang true, loud and clear. Longing was his overriding feeling, and she could tell it wasn't a new feeling for him. His soul longed for his wife, and it intensified the guilt Lana felt. “I'm sorry,” she said, glancing at the man beside her. He seemed to have not heard her, and gave no reaction. Lana sighed, she knew it would take more than words to ease her debt.

Devin thought on Maura's words about hibernation sickness. Maybe we should have brought Aunt Mags, he worried. I can try but force healing isn't something I know a great deal about. He could feel Lana's force aura but it wasn't totally dark. He thought she might have some redeeming qualities even if she was Sith. But, he reminded himself, we wouldn't have lost Mom if she hadn't taken her. That thought hardened his resolve to treat Lana as an enemy until she'd proven otherwise. He settled in a spot that allowed him to see both Lana and his dad and the rest of the ship.

Aric was in the armory, examining the available weaponry, when Maura found him. “We're going to need something heavier than blasters, if this facility is the normal Imp detention camp,” he said, handing Maura a small assault cannon. “This should fit you pretty well.” Maura grinned, and hefted the weapon to her shoulder.

“I should have thought to at least put armor in a bag before we left,” she said, checking the plasma bolt feeder.

“There are a few pieces here that look brand new,” Aric told her. “Nothing that will fit either me or Corso. Here, try this.” He handed her a piece of molded durasteel, made for a female, and nodded when she made it work. They went through the rest of the available gear, but found nothing else usable. When they're reorganized it and left out the weapons they'd chosen, they returned to where Devin sat. “Dev, you have your saber?” Aric asked.

“Always,” his nephew replied. “I had a feeling we would be going somewhere else today than just town, but the feeling wasn't strong enough to be sure.” He stood and stretched. “We need to set up watches, so we'll be rested when we get there, wherever 'there' is.” He looked at the bridge, and saw that his dad had slumped in the left chair. “Dad is sleeping, As long as we're in hyperspace, there's not much to do but ride. I'll go talk to Beniko.”

Lana turned at Devin's approach. “We'll be all set in the hyperlane in a just a few minutes,” she told the young Jedi. “I assume you want to set up a watch rotation?”

Devin just stood there, silently observing. Finally, he nodded. “I can feel that you are not deceiving us, but I also think there might be more resistance to our presence than you've let on.” He leaned against the bulkhead. “Just what kind of hell are we going into?”

Lana paused and turned to look at him. “The facility holds a number of carbonite encased subjects,” she said, her accent softened as well as her voice. “I know where the captain is, but there is no identification other than a vault number. There are droids there, but as far as I know, no sentient beings.” She stood after engaging the hyperdrive and looked over at Corso. “This poor man needs to rest, but I fear he won't be able to move if we leave him here to sleep.”

“I'll take care of it, just tell me where to let him bunk,” Devin said, gently putting a hand on his dad's shoulder. Corso jumped and blinked several times, rubbing his tired eyes, before he realized where he was. “Come, Dad, and get some rest. You'll have watch in six hours.” Corso nodded mutely, his brain had been on overload and was screaming for slumber. He handed Torchy over to his son, and followed Devin out to the crew area, falling into a bunk.

“Watch her,” Corso whispered to his son, getting an affirmative head shake as his answer, before closing his eyes. Miriah, my love, I'm on the way, he thought. Corso felt a warmth envelope him, but he wasn't sure if it was force or hope that wrapped him. He decided that he was fine with either, and drifted back into sleep.

Aric had made assignments for watch, one person at a time except for Lana, and they wandered off into the bunks. Devin checked out the galley and found it fully stocked, before joining Lana again on the bridge. They sat in silence for a long while, and Devin realized that Lana was used to being alone. He wasn't sure how to take this Sith, with her conscience weighing her down and her strong sense of right and wrong. Finally, he asked her about her vision.

She considered him for a moment. “I knew that neither the Empire nor the Republic had the vast resources to deal with another threat. I was in a meditation room in the Citadel, trying to look for an answer, when I first saw the one who would be instrumental against Valkorian. I knew I'd seen her on Ziost, and when I looked further, I knew she had to be kept safe, until the time was right. If he'd seen, and he would have, then all would be lost.” She looked down at her entwined fingers, nervously clenching and unclenching. “If there had been another option, another way to keep her presence hidden, I would have welcomed it.” Devin was shocked by the tears that stung his eyes. He'd long ago willed away emotion, but here, with the prospect of seeing his mother again, it seemed his feelings were close to the surface these days. He turned his head to gain control and when he looked back, Lana had gone into the galley and he was left alone to think.

Maura had just finished checking the supplies in the med bay when Lana appeared in the doorway. “She's been frozen longer than I have experience with,” the Sith admitted. “Still, I was assured that she would survive. Her recovery might take longer than usual, but I'm sure we can deal with the immediate issues long enough to get her back to Dantooine.” Maura's hands stilled from the reorganization of kolto packs.

“What I read was temporary blindness, nausea, chills and extreme fatigue. That was in a study of carbonite subjects frozen for less than six months. We're talking years here. I think we have to be prepared for anything.” She resumed putting the drawer in order, and didn't look up when Lana sighed heavily.

“I wish there had been another way. I only recently learned that she had adopted a daughter. There was nothing in our records about that.” Lana sat down near the door. “I am a healer as well, together we can help her.” Maura could feel Lana's sincerity even without being force sensitive, and agreed.

Aric found Devin on the bridge. “We're all set, Dev. Weapons, some armor. It's going to be dicey with the heavy droid presence, but we'll get her back.” He sat in the pilot's char. “It feels good to finally be doing something, you know?” Devin grinned at his uncle, knowing Aric was never truly idle. They stared into the stars streaming past, and waited. Devin could feel every heartbeat, and knew they were bringing him closer to having his mother back than he'd been in five years.

Corso sat on the bridge, two days into their journey. He'd learned they were headed to Ryloth, and that Aric had found some weapons on the ship, but not much more than that. He'd seen Lana treat them as colleagues, but he still didn't trust her. His mind had wandered into darkness a few times, but the prospect of seeing Miriah again, even frozen in carbonite, was keeping him going. The plan was to take a shuttle down to the surface, bypassing the orbital station. The shuttle was ready, and they were only waiting until they were close enough to take off.

The Zakuul armies had ravaged the planet years ago, but many of the structures remained intact. There were small clusters of inhabitants there, but they were far away from the main city, where the detention facility was located. Aric and Maura had poured over the plans for the prison, and had mapped out the likely guard posts. Lana had confirmed that the facility still had power. When the proximity sensor notified them of their destination, they filed into the shuttle. Three days, and there had been very little conversation. They'd slept and ate, mostly in silence. Devin was last to enter the shuttle and as he closed the airlock, he grinned. Corso saw his son's face and couldn't help but smile back. They felt the lurch of the shuttle as it launched and settled back for the short ride down.

Lana had accepted that until Miriah was with them, the rest would remain aloof. She even understood it. As she felt through the force, they were still unsure about her, about getting the captain back, and even how they were going to pull this whole thing off. The depth of Corso's grief had been evident, and it had pierced her heart. She would be devoted to helping this family recover, if they'd let her. Devin was a puzzle to her, using both light and dark side force equally, never letting her get too close. Even sleeping, his force aura would push her back. She had the distinct feeling that, if he so chose, he would crush her like a bug and she would be helpless. Therefore, keeping on his good side was a priority for her. She piloted the shuttle down, and landed as agreed a short distance from the city.

“Let's move,” Aric said. “We have an hour or so of travel before we get to the detention center.” They pulled their packs on, made their weapons ready, and moved steadily toward the deserted buildings. Aric noted the absence of life, no creatures stirred under their feet nor flew overhead. That means there's no resources, he thought. He worried, and had been worried since they'd left Dantooine, about Miriah, and how she might be once they'd rescued her. Maura and he had talked about it in quiet whispers in their bunk, and he wasn't sure what they'd find. He hoped that the center still had power, and that they'd be able to get Spitfire back to the ship safely. He was bringing up the rear of the group, his eyes roaming their surroundings for trouble. They were approaching the wall around the city now, and he saw that Maura needed a short rest. They stopped and gathered, sitting and sipping water. “From what I remember here, we go in and right, along the wall until the west gate, then past it for three more buildings, right?” He looked at Lana, and she confirmed what he'd said.

“Dev, can you feel any life forces?” Corso asked.

“Nothing, not even any vermin,” Devin said.

“If we meet groups of droids, like we assume we will, we stick together and take each group as they come,” Aric said, getting agreement all around. “Lana, you lead here, we'll be right behind you.”

“Agreed,” she said, picking up her pack. They entered the city and skirted the wall, making quick progress, until Lana stopped abruptly. “Droid ahead,” she told them, and they saw a two droid patrol walking slowly toward the center of the block. “We can wait them out,” she suggested, and crouched to rest for a moment. When they started moving again, they were close to the west gate. Once past it, they had to stop several more times for patrols, the droids moving at a leisurely pace. Finally, they could see the door of the detention facility. Four droids were standing in place, their mechanical heads moving slowly in a sweeping motion.

“Everyone ready?” Aric asked, looking at the group. Devin and Lana both had lightsaber hilts in their hands, ready to activate them. Maura pulled the autocannon off her shoulder and they could hear it respond. Corso had Torchy already charged up. “Remember, let the cannons go first.” Aric and Maura both braced themselves in a wide stance and started firing. The chatter of the big guns drowned out the sound of the lightsabers, but the pure white light of Devin's could be seen as he used the force to leap to the group, slashing the two droids relentlessly. When shiny metal parts covered the ground, they stopped to listen, trying to see of there had been any transmission from the groups they'd fought, calling reinforcements. All was quiet, and Corso stopped to close his eyes. He was so close, he thought, so very close to getting her back. He felt a little dizzy with the emotions flowing through him and the others waited for him to gather himself.

Devin felt the urgency in his dad, and reached out to him with calming force about the same time that Lana did. “Dad, I know, but we have a lot to do before we can see her. You okay with it?” Devin asked.

Corso nodded in response, and realized his hand shook as he put Torchy by his side. He could wait, he thought. He followed Aric into the darkened building and they immediately ran into another group of droids. Much as before, they decimated the group and waited, again hearing nothing. As they ventured deeper into the facility they met and took out small groups of droids, never having much difficulty with any of them. As they neared the lowest level, the groups became more sparse, and Lana rushed ahead to a vault marked only with a symbol.

“Here,” Lana said, anticipation clear in her tone. She put in a code, but instead of opening, the door remained stubbornly shut. She put the code in again, and again, but the door refused to open. “I...I don't what's wrong here,” she said.

“Stand back,” Aric said, and leveled his cannon at the door. When the smoke cleared and they rushed into the room, they found nothing. No stasis holder, no computer. Nothing. “Are you sure this is the right vault?” Lana nodded, her face pale and drawn. Corso whirled on Lana with Torchy pointed and ready.

“Lady, I don't know what kind of game you're running, but...” He stopped when Devin put his hand on the blaster.

“She didn't know that Mom had been moved.” Corso put the blaster down by his side, but his gaze never left the Sith. “If you're absolutely sure this is the right place,” and Lana nodded again, “then we need to see if we can slice into a terminal and find out where she might be.” They made their way back up the now empty hallway and spotted a small room to the side where the glow of a computer terminal was the only light in the room.

Corso's fingers flew over the keys. Please, tell me where she is, he chanted silently. Query after query came up blank, and, frustrated, Corso slammed his hand on the machine. “Nothing, this thing knows nothing about anything!” He rubbed his face, his hand throbbing. “What do we do now, Lana? Where is she? Does Valkorian already have her?” he shouted.

Lana backed up as far as she could, feeling the wall bite into her back. “The only suggestion I have is to see where these droids are going. She's still in stasis, I can feel that,” she said, looking at Devin, who agreed with her. He could feel the tiniest spark of his mother and had held that close to his heart. As they made their way back to the entrance, Maura took Corso's hand, and was almost brought to tears at the anguish on her brother in law's face.

Corso knew he couldn't hide the disappointment he felt, and was struggling to stay optimistic. How would they ever find her on this forsaken world, he wondered. He trudged on, but his mind was only on Miriah. He almost tripped on the step, but Aric reached out to steady him and Corso realized he had zoned out. They were outside, and it was getting dusk. “We have two options,” Aric told them. “We can wait until dawn, or we can keep moving. I think we're safe to travel after dark, since I haven't seen one living thing since we arrived.”

“I agree,” Devin said, “and now we have a trail.” He pointed to the distance, seeing several droids with repulsor sleds traveling toward the facility. They started out with renewed purpose, and even Corso had some hope again. As the darkness grew, they saw a glow in the distance. Aric made them stop an hour into their journey for water and to get their bearings. He took out a set of macrobinoculars to scan the distance.

“I can't see where they're going, but we are definitely going in the same direction,” he told them, opening a ration bar. “Ugh! I see these haven't improved over the years.” He threw one to Corso. “C'mon, man. Gotta keep your strength up.” Corso took the bar but didn't open it.

“What do we do if she's not been moved, Aric? What if she's not wherever we're going?” Corso's voice was quiet but the others heard his anxiety.

“Dad, we can only take things as they come. She's somewhere, and we'll find her.” Devin stood and hefted his pack, ready to move. The others stood, and Maura hugged Corso. They set off again, and they found the coolness of the night gave them a little more energy. The closer they got to their destination, the more droids they saw, moving in pairs and groups. Devin finally could stand it no longer, and used force speed to take him to the edge of what seemed like a cliff. The glow they'd seen was brighter, and when he reached the edge all he could do was stop and stare.

A half hour later, when the rest of the group arrived, they were stunned into silence. The glow they'd seen from a distance was a huge fire, and they could see piles of carbonite freezing chambers in a circle around the central pyre. Corso fell to his knees, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Finally, Lana voiced her theory. “The facility must be on the decommissioning list. So the droids were clearing it out.” She blew out a breath. “Now we just need to find her. Let's each take a pile of these,” she said, moving toward the closest one.

“Wait,” Aric said. “We'll need to get out of here as soon as we locate her. Lana, can you go back to the shuttle and bring it here? That way, we can get her and go, and not have to fight all night.”

“I'll bring it to the far edge of the clearing, over there,” she pointed. “You find her, and I'll be here shortly.” She smiled at Aric. “Thanks for thinking of it.” She set off at a run, at a different but more direct angle than they'd taken to get there, and hoped she could make better time, using the force for speed and sight.

Devin closed his eyes and his force aura grew, the light surpassing that of the fire, the force touching each of the eleven piles of carbonite chambers. Finally it receded, and Devin's face lit up. “There!” he said, and took off toward the discarded prisoners. He and Aric worked as a pair, as did Corso and Maura. They lifted each large framed prisoner, inspected them and then gently placed them in a pile. As they worked, Devin came up with a plan. “We can't just leave them for the droids to destroy,” he told Aric.

“We also can't free them all,” Aric said. “We have no way to rescue them.”

“Maybe we can just destroy the droids, and see if there's a way to send someone for them?”

Aric thought about that as they lifted the next prisoner. “Are you sure that the galaxy isn't better off with them here?”

“What if we hadn't been in time? Would you have wanted Mom to die like this?” Aric grew silent at that. He was about to answer when they heard Corso shout.

“Here! She's here!” They rushed over and with all four of them, they lifted the carbonite chamber up and started toward the meeting point. They made it with only a few seconds to spare before the next group of droids guided their loaded sleds into the clearing.

Lana guided the shuttle into the appointed spot and immediately saw the group, the carbonite chamber standing with them. Corso's joy was almost palpable, even inside the small vessel. Thank the stars, she thought, and lowered the ramp for the party to board.

Magdalane and Felix had been staying at the ranch house with Sarai and Calypso since everyone else had left, and had taken turns being in range of the holo. Magdalane's soul link with Devin had told her they were making progress, but now she couldn't feel him as clearly. She knew distance was an issue, and she hoped they were all safe. More than anything else, she hoped they'd found Miriah. She knew in her heart that to go to these extremes and not find her would be the final disappointment for Corso. She knew better than anyone else how far gone he'd been, and how little he'd recovered. Mags paced around the family room, the others asleep. She could tell there was something happening, and she called on the force for patience.

Devin looked up at the approaching shuttle, and turned to Maura. “There's not enough room in the shuttle for the chamber. We need to take her out,” he shouted over the roar of the engines. Maura's eyes widened but she nodded her head and pulled Corso so that she could speak in his ear.

“We need to get her out of this,” she said. “Be ready to catch her, we have to do this faster than is recommended.” She started pushing buttons on the side of the frame just as the droids began to fire.

“Dammit,” Aric shouted, and turned, cannon already whirring. “Hurry, Maura. We don't have much time here!” He mowed down another pair, and Devin took Maura's cannon, turning it on another group. A round hit the carbonite chamber, and it exploded in a million shards of razor sharp rock. When Miriah toppled from the now fluid chamber, Corso caught her in his arms and held her close.

“Go! Go!” Aric shouted, as he continued to fire volleys into the droids. When the group was moving up the ramp of the hovering shuttle, he backed into it as well. When he felt the shuttle lift, he and Devin wrestled the ramp closed.

Corso was holding his wife, and he could hardly contain his joy. His eyes shone brightly, but there was concern there as well. “Maura, what do we do? She's so cold!” Maura pulled out lightweight blankets that she'd stored on the shuttle and wrapped them around her sister's motionless body.

“That process should have taken an hour or so, and we didn't have much choice, but now we have to do some work. The first thing will be to get her warmed up, not much we can really do until we get to the ship.”

Lana glanced over her shoulder, seeing the wrapped form of her ally. “We'll be docking with the ship in about twenty minutes.” She faced forward again, and willed the shuttle to move faster. She had seen instances where a carbonite chamber burst, and was anxious to get Miriah somewhere she could check her out.

Devin knelt beside Corso and put his hands on his mother's shoulders. “I want to try to use the force to warm her but I'm afraid I might do more damage,” he said quietly. Just touching her, seeing her long ebony hair as it trailed over his dad's arm, settled something deep in his soul, and he felt whole again. He looked up at the unshed tears in his dad's eyes. “We've got her, Dad.”

“I know, son, and I'm so thankful right now,” Corso said. “Now we have to get her better.” Devin spent the rest of the journey sitting at his father's feet, his hand on his mother's arm.

Aric sat with Maura, but winced when she lay her head on his shoulder. “Aric, you're bleeding,” Maura said, grabbing her pack. She pulled the cortosis weave shirt over his head, and heard him hiss in pain when she had to lift his injured arm. “Here, let me see,” she told him, putting icy cold kolto gel into the plasma burn. Devin turned and saw that his uncle was hurt, and put his other hand on Aric's knee.

“Thank you, both of you, we couldn't have managed this without you,” Devin told them. “Is it bad?” he asked his aunt.

“Nah,” Aric said. “Just a little plasma.”

“He heals quickly,” Maura said, putting enough pressure on the wound that Aric grunted. “All done,” she told him with a quick kiss.

Lana told them they were approaching the ship, and they got ready to go through the airlock. When Corso cleared the door, he ran to the medbay, trying not to jostle his very still wife. He put her gently on the table and looked up to see Maura, Lana right behind her. Maura hit a button and a screen above the bed glowed to life, covered in numbers and readings. Both women studied the display for a few seconds before Maura spoke. “She's still very cold, and I don't want do anything until her core temperature is higher.” Lana agreed and turned to a supply locker.

“I'm going to try heating these,” she said, and force light covered her. She handed the blankets to Maura, who took the ones they'd used in the shuttle off and replaced them with the warmed ones. Maura saw Corso sitting on the other side of the bed, his helplessness written clearly on his face.

“It's going to take some time, Cor. I can't even tell you how much at this point. We have some obstacles to get through before we know for sure if we can even revive her.” His face fell further at her words, but he nodded. “Go, get something to eat. Get comfortable.”

Corso heard his sister in law's words, but he didn't move. “I've waited five years to see her again. I'm not going anywhere.” He pulled the chair closer to the bed, and watched the displays eagerly. Maura told him what the numbers were, but he didn't really hear her. His heart was watching the face he'd loved and missed for so long, feeling the uncertain emotions of having her and not having her, at least not yet. When Maura finished speaking, he turned to her. “So when her temperature comes back up to, say being outside on Hoth, you'll know more?” Maura sighed.

“Cor, right now her brain is being preserved by the cold. Her cells require less oxygen and other things when she's this cold. The key is warm her up gradually. Right now, she's not breathing and her heart is barely beating. What we want to happen is that when she warms, her autonomic nervous system will kick in and she'll start breathing on her own. If that doesn't happen, then we have to work fast.” Corso could hear the worry in her voice, and it seeped into his consciousness as well.

He sighed. “So we wait. I'll be here, right here, so if you need to go do something, go ahead. As long as I can see her, I'm happy. For now, at least. I'd think we might want to get the wet clothing off, though.” Maura nodded, and together they cut off the wet, cracked leather and soggy cloth. Miriah's skin was still a horrid shade of gray, and now that her clothing was gone, they could see bruises and marks. Corso's eyes narrowed as he saw the result of his beautiful wife fighting for her life. Maura knew that if Lana were in the room, she'd have to answer some tough questions, but for now, Corso was silent. They wrapped Miriah up again and settled back to wait.

Devin peeked into the medbay, anxious to see how his mother was doing. He saw his dad, and knew Corso saw only Miriah. He looked at his aunt and raised an eyebrow. Maura only shook her head and let out a sigh. He sank down on the floor at the door, reclining his head on the door frame. In minutes, he was asleep, and the sight of it made Corso smile. “I remember when he was just a little guy, he always wanted Miriah when he was tired and sleepy.” He turned his gaze to his wife, and then to the display. “This reminds me of when she was almost due with Dev. Stuck in the Carrick Station hospital. Stars, sometimes it seems like yesterday, and sometimes I think it's so long ago.” He stretched and yawned. “She's warming,” he said to Maura.

“She is,” Maura replied, standing to run a scanner over Miriah. “In ten more degrees, we'll see if she will breathe.” They replaced the blankets with warm ones that Lana brought in, and all three sat to watch the numbers, Corso bouncing his knee in anticipation. The quiet and the long day had them all drifting in thought, and suddenly Corso jumped up.

“She's warm enough but she's not breathing!” he shouted, and ran to Miriah's head. He put his cheek to her mouth and nose, and felt nothing. “Help!” he said, looking at Maura.

Maura pushed him aside and pinched Miriah's nose closed, then took a deep breath, blowing it into her sister's lungs. She did this twice, then straightened. When Miriah didn't take a breath, she repeated the maneuver. Still, Miriah didn't respond, and the alarms of the monitoring system started to blare in the now-small room. After the third attempt, Maura turned anxious eyes to Lana, but before she could say anything, Miriah gasped, arched up on the bed, and took a breath. Maura immediately turned her on her side, and Miriah emptied what had been in her stomach when she'd been frozen, along with a sizable amount of carbonite.

Maura eased Miriah back onto her back and inclined the exam bed a few inches. Devin had woken with Corso's shout, and watched as his mother's skin lost some of the dull gray color and her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. “I'm going to put this oxygen mask on her, try to make sure that she's getting enough air.”

“Her heart rate is picking up,” Lana said, and they could all hear the relief in her voice. Corso had grabbed Miriah's hand, and glanced at the two medics.

“What happens now? Will she wake up?” he asked.

“Now is the real waiting game,” Maura told him gently. “Physically she is holding her own, but this is far from over. It's possible that she will never wake up, Corso. We just don't know right now.”

“She will,” he said, a confidence in his tone. “I know she will.” He pulled his chair right up to the bed and picked at the carbonite shards in her hair. “I won't give up.”

“Let's take shifts with her,” Lana said to Maura, her voice tired but hopeful. “I'll stay and wake you up in a few hours.” Maura nodded, and proceeded to clean up the debris around the bed. Devin watched them, offered to help, and when they refused, went to the other side of the bed from his dad. He took Miriah's other hand in his. Mom, he thought, it's so good to see your face. He looked over at Corso.

“Dad, you can't let yourself get run down. I'll stay with her, go get some rest.” He saw Corso blink back tears before he spoke.

“Dev, I appreciate you so much. I know you're worried, but son, I have to be right here. It's been an eternity since I've been able to hold Mom's hand. Right now, that's sustaining me.” He reached over Miriah's tiny body and ruffled his son's dark hair. “Even if she doesn't wake up, I'm so glad I have the opportunity to see her.” Devin saw the determination in Corso's eyes and settled in to spend time with his mother.

Maura crawled into the bunk with Aric and he pulled her close. “How are things going?” he murmured.

“She's breathing on her own, at least. That's one hurdle.” She gently touched his injured arm. “What about you?”

“Just a scratch,” he said, tucking her head under his chin. “I'm guessing you're doing shifts with Lana?” She nodded. “Corso is still beside her?” Again, Maura nodded. “Get some rest, hon. I'll get up when you do.” He felt her relax against him, and thought about the family in the medbay. Maybe, he mused, Miriah will be awake tomorrow. He knew it wasn't likely, from what Maura had told him days ago, but it was a hopeful thought, and he slept a little easier than he had in a long while.

Corso laid his head on the side of the bed, his hand still gently holding Miriah's He was tired, but it felt like his eyes couldn't get enough of seeing her. Mir, he thought, I don't know if you'll ever wake up or even if you'll know who I am when you do, but I will be here, beside you, for the rest of my life. He looked over at his son, who had succumbed to sleep again, but still held on to his mom's hand. We will all be right here, waiting for you. He closed his tired eyes, but maintained his contact with her, his soul at peace.