Clone Wars: Underground - Chapter 19

 

In the mid-levels of the city, night came earlier. Ellia examined the plants with grow lights trained on them in Hiso’s greenhouse. Maaka shifted on his feet uncomfortably. Hiso and Cet were busy with the evening Café-goers, so they were effectively alone. He had been agonizing over how to tell her his difficult truth.  

“Elli.” He began. It didn’t help when she turned to give him complete attention, but he continued. “You gave me my life and told me to do with it what I felt was right. At the time, I was angry. I knew your face, and I blamed you. I promise I had no Idea the things that happened to me weren’t your fault.” 

“What’s wrong, Maaka?” Ellia asked. She could tell he was having trouble getting to the point.  

“I want to give it back. I want to protect you. That is how I choose to spend my second life. I’ll make up for the life you gave me and…” He swallowed. “..and for what I did to Tip.” 

“What do you mean, Maaka?” Her voice betrayed her alarm. It was me. I gave the director your research.” He spat out, disgusted with himself. 

 She couldn’t look him in the eye. 

“It was stupid.” He added. 

“It’s okay, Maaka.” She whispered. How many months had it been since he died? It didn’t matter, thinking about him always brought tears. 

“If I thought any harm-” 

“There was no way you could know. But I should go.” She stood to leave. She had to get out of there before she broke down. She wouldn’t cry in front of someone else.  

Maaka watched her. He had seen her do it before. She did it again when she didn’t want to talk that first week when he was still with everyone underground in the Temple District. Then again when she first told him about the tally she wore. She always ran away the moment she got uncomfortable. He recognized her reactions because it was the same thing he did when he ran from the hard things in life. He ran from them, usually to the bar. Not Ellia. She always went home. She went to carry her pain alone. He reached out to her. 

“Wait, Elli. Don’t go.” 

“Sorry, Maaka.  I can’t – ”  

“It’s easier alone isn’t it?” He said, cutting her off hard. “That’s how I lived the last few months of my life. The problem is you forget how to share a burden. I learned from my squad. I shared everything with my squad mates, my brothers. We practiced together, we fought together, we were there for each other. They all died. I had to go on alone. You have to shoulder everything yourself when you’re alone. Your pain, your fears. I can’t imagine anything worse than truly being alone.” 

Ellia felt hot tears filling her eyes. She tried to keep them from falling, but it was inevitable. The pain she’d been forcing down for months came bubbling to the surface. The memories of being arrested and tortured by Moff Tarkin. Tarkin’s pleasure at killing Tiptoe. Tip falling lifeless to the ground. How she screamed louder than all the torture had made her scream. She had the knowledge and ability to save him but was powerless to do so. Then, seeing the anger in Fives eyes when she refused to go with them. Seeing Brenni take everyone away. She’d chosen to stay. She wanted to face everything alone. She didn’t want anyone to see her pain.  

She sobbed when Maaka put his arms around her. 

“Come inside.” Maaka didn’t cry when his brothers died, but he knew the pain Ellia was feeling. He didn’t know how to help, but it was past mealtime. He took her upstairs into the apartment. Ellia watched as he rounded the counter into the kitchen in search of a meal. She tried to help, but her motioned her away and told her to sit at the table. So, she watched as he rummaged through the prepared meals and found something to heat up. He brought her a glass with water and went back to fetch the food. Finally, he sat down across from her. It was just pre-prepared meals, but it had done its job, she was smiling a little through her tear-streaked face. 

“Thank you, Maaka.” Ellia looked hungrily at her food. 

“Don’t thank me. I’m the guilty one. I know I have a lot to make up for.” He replied.  

“Tarkin killed Tiptoe. Not you.” 

“I still meant what I said. I’m no replacement for him, but I will protect you.” 

“Maaka. You don’t have to do that. You don’t have to be a replacement for anyone. There’s no one like you.” 

“You must be crazy. Have you met my brothers?” He cracked a half-grin. Ellia couldn’t help but laugh at the joke. He was changing, or maybe returning to the person he used to be before he lost his memories.  

“Eat your meal.” She retorted and he didn’t need told twice. He was always hungry. The others had been too. Ellia remembered the men she had spent a few short weeks with underground. They ate more in one meal than she did in a day. Now she found herself watching Maaka. He had set her straight, held her when it hurt, then cheered her up. She wondered if all clones lived every moment of their lives without any downtime. They all seemed to. Was it because they knew their time was shorter than most? 

Ellia’s com went off. A close-up of Director Gresh appeared in tiny blue holo-form. 

He choked as he tried to speak.  

“Doctor Tian. I’m poisoned. It was Tarkin.” He rasped and blinked several times trying to stay awake. “The research.”  

Ellia froze at the sight of the paranoid director closing his eyes. He stopped responding to her questions. 

“Turn it off.” Maaka ordered. “Before someone tracks the signal.” “What do I do?”   

You can’t go back to your apartment.” 

Ellia’s comm beeped again and they both stopped, fully focused on the comm device.  

“Elli? It’s Finley.”  

“Finley?”

“You’re in trouble, the big kind. We’ve been ordered to take you alive.” 

“What?”

“Listen.” Finley hushed her. “There’s a large transport scheduled to leave from 

Galactic Commons Spaceport in one hour. Can you get there?” Ellia looked up to Maaka. He nodded. 

 “I’ll have others with me.” 

“That’s fine ma’am. What’s your location?” 

“Meet us at Sector Forty. Mid-ground Market.” Maaka answered. He wasn’t about to tell anyone where Hiso and Cet lived, but their lives were on the line now too. Ellia’s whereabouts could be tracked to their apartment though any number of video surveillance records. They would have to come as well. Ellia knew it was more lives that she was putting in danger.  

Hiso took the news with a calm natural to his species. 

“I had a feeling something like this was possible. I accepted that when I opened my door to you, Maaka. The dead clone.” Hiso assured him. He told Cet to get his bag and they were ready to go. 

 

Thire received orders from Commander Mardin. The Senate Guard often helped fill in with numbers when needed. Doctor Tian was not to leave Galactic City. She was to be taken alive and delivered to Mardin. He was new at his position, but confident in the abilities of his men. He gave the order, and they were on their way to the spaceport. They didn’t know which transport she was headed for, so he’d post a trooper at each one. They were close enough to call for support if needed. He sent another squad to cut her off in route. If he could get her before she got to the spaceport, all the better. 

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