"Thank you for coming, Master. I'm sorry to have to bother you with this."

The Zabrak, dressed in his specially tailored robes rather than Mandalorian armor, bowed as he rubbed at the back of his neck. It was a small one, because he knew how his Master would cringe, but it was still respectful.

"Ay, ay, you're fine," Ruka said as he flapped a hand, indeed minorly cringing. While he had learned to *tolerate* a great deal of bowing and respect and such during his two terms and three years as Proconsul, they were alone enough for the moment. At least, not being paid too much mind.

Everyone was too busy. The base buzzed with activity, more than it had seen since the last military training scramble here. He'd overseen or approved one not long before his and Qyreia's firing.

It seemed so far away now.

The Mirialan descended the ramp of his ship, boots ghosting over the ground of Arconae Primus. He joined Bril as they strode through the base, intent on a specific mission: missing researchers and tracks.

Ruka *wasn't* much of a tracker. By far. The Clan had much better. But he didn't need a buddy system, and he was good at rescuing people.

Or at least, Bril said he was. Cora did. Friends, family. The occasional rescuee themselves, the therapist would remind him to consider.

"It's strange," remarked the Mirialan, his scarred face partially obscured by the golden cowl wrapped over his head, which he relied on to at least make his glasses less obvious. He trusted few people to see him like this, not because he felt weaker, *no, ay, okay,* but because they lived in an environment where the visual reminder of the Master's new handicap was actually a target to pick at. "Y'know, a couple years ago, I went camping here. Me and Qy. It was a...a break."

"Oh?" Bril asked lightly. The Zabrak hadn't had a lot of interaction with the Zeltron former Consul, but even depressing his highly accurate senses, he could always *feel* the adoration, longing, lonelieness, and melancholy that the Mirialan felt whenever he thought of the woman.

It was love, continuing.

"Camping? I didn't think you liked the outdoors much besides sitting up in your trees, Master."

"I don't." Ruka's tone turned wry. "But she did, and I'd never been, and it was something to do. And we needed it. Needed to get away and fix our kriff after Atolli..."

Something else Bril had only heard of, never experienced. He could, he knew, if he went there, if he touched the stones where it had all happened, but he didn't need to, and based on his Masters' pain, both Ruka's and Cora's, he never wanted to.

They arrived at the perimeter, passed a few checks, and were through into the grassland with its nearby forestry. The base had carved out an ostensible area around it. The jungles waited, and Bril lead Ruka to where they'd found what were perhaps animal tracks. Guards stood at attention, keeping the area clean and also watching for any signs.

"I've been having dreams," Ruka started, after the examined it together, and he looked to the dark furl of green weald. "I found something, in the woods somewhere."

"...Master," the Aedile cautioned, gripping the Mirialan's arm. The buddy system was his idea, and he stood by it, having had to learn to hold himself back, to balance wanting to be in the field and leading from the front with staying separated and in command. The fact that Ruka was going alone was, arguably, *just fine.* He was that powerful. But still-- "You don't have to go alone."

Ruka turned and looked at him with those misted, milky violet eyes that had sacrificed so much. He grinned a bit, then passed Bril his glasses and touched the saber on his belt. The crystal Cora had given him as a Padawan was held in it, the story they'd told Bril once.

"I'm not alone, *kvjecomi,* never, not anymore. I'll be back, ay? And I'll bring them back. All of them."

The Zabrak could do nothing but believe it. Fully and truly.

"I'll be waiting for you," he bid farewell, bowing his head. "May the Force be with you, Master."

Ruka's smile didn't reach his eyes.

"And also with you."

Then he leapt, and disappeared into the dark.