Chapter Text
She was on the run.
Some outer-rim planet that the Empire wouldn't come looking for her. Skuril, a place where the Empire hadn't spread their disease yet. Somewhere she could provide her services to feed herself and help others. To save lives. That's what she was meant to do. That's what she dedicated 15 years of her life towards. Not to what the Empire was building. Before the corrupt takeover, she worked on several different star-cruisers as one of the top doctors who collaborated with the Jedi and clones. She was one of many that were recruited but her mind was different. Out in the field, in the surgical room or practising general medicine, she was better than any clone or droid a lab cold produce. During what would be her final days with the Republic now Empire, she witnessed the change of the system first hand.
How quickly protocols changed, in the hospitals and military. Even her attire at work had changed, how they functioned as a group. All of it was different to how it use to be, but it made sense, the war was over and the Republic needed a fresh start. Till everything started to feel wrong. Suspected Jedi were killed in the streets. Padawan's murdered. Clones that disagreed with the Empire's rules and how they were treated were either thrown away for good or gone the next day. It became clear who won.
She even saw it with her own eyes.
One day, returning from work, she witnessed a back alley murder of the citizens of Coruscant. A young Padawan fighting against the clone troopers, defending a family who had protected her. They got the upper hand and gunned them all down. Padawan and the family. Kids. She never agreed with their murders in the first place but misguidedly put her faith in the Empire and the Emperor's hands. How foolish that turned out to be. She informed her boss of what happened and asked him if he could do something about it. He denied her for days till she finally got him to cave and start asking questions to their supervisors, saying he would be the one to report it and cover for her. Then he went missing a couple days later. At first she tried to resign, presenting herself as normal as she could. But there was always an excuse. The Empire needs you. She was too valuable. Unless assigned a different role, the role she had would remain.
During those weeks. She never felt peace. So she did what she knew would be the only option.
She ran away.
Knowingly, the Empire would see it as a desertion. Leaving her designated post, her team and job, to run. At the time she wasn't a hundred percent sure if they would even come looking for her till the Imperial troopers was at her door. On a couple planets after her escape she was found out by Imperial troopers. Chasing her through the markets of Saluecami till she out ran them. Waiting almost a week in the forest till they gave up. Sneaking back into her home to collect her things and leave discreetly, well as discreet as she could be. Eventually she hopped to another planet who discovered who she was. during her stay, she was informed that many of the townspeople, political figures and even bounty hunters had heard of her. With that her connections grew. Making it easier to slip in and out with no trouble. With the bounty hunters and traders she had come to know through mending them, she would stay on the planet for as long as she could before leaving with them. Helping her change her name over and over again. Changing her chain code.
Only doing so because of her uncertain fate to the Empire.
Her vast connections helped her for months till she had settled on Skuril. Skruil was a fishing planet. An ocean connecting with a large mangrove forest through an wide estuary into river bends rushing through the forests. The trails of the estuary raging through the main town, connecting the people to the ocean and river for their trade. Docks connecting markets, stalls and community centres. The houses are stable and floating over the river banks and sandy beaches. Ports with hundreds of boats that lead into the great blue while bridges of timber connect to each house and the other areas of Skuril. She lived in a local village that wasn't far from the city’s centre, where all the markets, shipping ports and community centres resided. It was quiet and easy to drive her boat to the city and back.
Her home was a fairly large house. Gifted by the people after she displayed her talents in an unfortunate sickness that had spread. Their own healers at the time did not have the needed medical advancements to deal with such diseases so she ended up taking over as head doctor or medical adviser. On the bottom floor was her clinic, built with older medical equipment and thankfully more modern medical supplies. The upper area was her real home. Her kitchen, bathroom, sectioned off by a door, and her bedroom. With a balcony to overlook the river bend that led to town.
~~~
Many of her days on Skuril consisted of what she expected to do on Coruscant or during the war. Broken bones, deep cuts, gashes and lacerations, minor infections and some illnesses. Wearing casual linen pants and shirts, tying them off to fit her to reduce their bagginess, as well as choosing her own colour pallet which usually consisted of green, white and cream. Aside form her boots of course, which were plain brown. In the lower level of her home she only had three patients but many had come through to keep them company or to simply hang on her porch. Many of the older members of the community would also come in for check ups and an update in medicines, or to simply steal her tea and drink it all on her porch. Either way many gathered for her services or not. It was a peaceful existence and one she hoped to hold for a long time. She attended to her patient's leg, unfortunately spraining it when chasing her grandchildren around. Wrapping up the bandage and checking her work she looked at the woman with a smile.
“Stay off of it for the next four weeks. Plenty of rest and come see me in about two weeks. It’ll be better for it to heal if you're off your feet. Not chasing the little lemurs around.”
“Oh.” she sighed gratefully, tapping the doctor's shoulder at the joke, a frail smile on her face. “Thank you Ky’la”
“No problem, Nii-fer” she returned the smile, tenfold stronger. Becoming more accustomed to the fake name she was given. Nii-fer was one of the most welcoming members of Skriul when she first arrived. She welcomed Ky’la into her home and gave her shelter and food till she had her own place. Sadly the old woman never knew when to stop.
She gently pushed herself away and walked over to the next patient. As she moved, brushing part of her rusty hair out of her pale face, voices stemmed loudly from the dock leading to river bend, huddled into a group around a boat. Each of them gasping, holding a hand over their mouth or looking around nervously. She frowned and curiosity got the better of her. She quickly checked over her patient and relieved them, quickly walking to the group, still gathering outside her house.
“What's going on?” she announced.
A woman looked around nervously. “Mandalorian's were sighted near the shipping ports”
“Rumours they are looking for an individual on their list” a man added.
She raised her brows. “Bounty hunters?”
He nodded feverishly. “Yes”
She gave the group a comforting smile. “If we stay out of their way, they will stay out of our-”
Ky’la words were cut short at the sounds of a boat rushing over the water. Her eyes moved from the people to the river watching the boat make its approach. Mandalorian's at the helm. Many of the on-lookers gasoed and left in their boats or ran back to their houses over the wooden Docks. Some of them opted to hide in the house with the other patients, hiding behind walls or behind each other. Ky’la stood at the last step of the porch waiting for the boat to pull in. Slowly coming to a halt, the boat pulled to her dock, there were four Mandalorian’s, one woman and three men. One of the men was being carried out of the boat by the other two. The woman was the first to leave the boat. Stepping out and walking towards the porch steps. Ky’la watched them closely. The Mandalorian woman pulled her helmet off and tucked it against her hip. Her short blue hair and narrow eyes locking onto Ky'la's. She looked Ky’la up and down.
“You the doctor here?”
“I am” Ky’la stood tall but answered politely. Her patients and fellow community members huddling in the walls of her home. “Is there something you need?”
The Mandalorian's gaze pulled back to her. Turning back. “One of our comrades are hurt.”
Ky’la looked at the seemingly unconscious Mandalorian, being held by his fellow brothers. His head deliriously lifting every few seconds. “What’s his condition?”
“He took a hit to his shoulder.” the woman explained. “It's minor but he could use the assistance. We were told you were the healer."
Ky’la narrowed her eyes “Is that the only reason you are here?”
The woman was taken back. “What other reason could there be?”
“Rumours were spreading about you being bounty hunters”. Ky’la spoke, her stance and voice strong. “is that true?”
Aggravated, she ticked her head. “In a way”
“If there is someone you're looking for. They have a sanctuary here. Neutral ground. No one can be taken under my care” she commanded. The Mandalorian woman glared at her, trying to intimidate her but it didn’t work. “If you want my help you will abide by that”
The woman continued to narrow her eyes at her but they eventually shifted from intimidation to acceptance. “Very well”
Ky’la relaxed, moving herself out of the way “Bring him in. First bed on the right.”
~~~
She patched the Mandalorian with too many complaints for her liking. Low on anaesthetic and waiting on the next shipment she had to do the procedure with the man awake. His comrades argued and held their hands over their blasters, threatening her and making her patients wary. She held her composure. She had seen this behaviour before too many times. From bounty hunters or drunkards in different planets, sectors and rims. This was all too familiar to her. Too repetitive. She warned them, telling them to look at how much anesthetic she had and to weigh their options. They complied, less than willingly but they complied. During her treatment they asked her various questions. How she worked. What did and didn’t do. Cybernetic replacements. She frowned but answered them all to the best of her abilities. Once he was bandaged up and more lucid, they gave their thanks, credits and left. Not waiting around a second longer. Ky’la watched as they left waiting for them to take a different turn or to simply drop their friend home and come back and wait for their prize but they didn’t. They were gone as quickly as the mist they had created. She continued her day and waited to hear the news of the Mandalorian's capturing someone near town or in someone's home. But she didn’t. But she didn't see a ship leave so they were still on world. Eventually her roster got too big to ignore so she ignored them and all the thoughts they brought.
The soft patter of rain came through as she closed in the night. packing away her equipment and turning the lamp on her porch on, just in case someone came in with a last minute emergency. Thankfully no one needed to stay in the clinic overnight so she would be able to get a night's rest if no one came. She moved upstairs and slid her balcony door open, listening to the rain as it hit the boards of her house and against the water. Feeling peace as she cooked her dinner, sitting on her small table and chair once it was cooked. It was reaching towards the point of midnight and the rain continued. No one had knocked and no one had screamed her name. So she would switch the light on the porch off. Not that it would change anything if someone had come with a sudden injury but it would complete her routine. Closing her balcony door and turning off the lights in her kitchen and headed down stairs. Approaching the end of the stairs a figure stood at the door. The lamp's small warm light creates its shadow. Her heart stopped in a fright for a moment before she continued down stairs. It wasn't someone she recognised. He was dressed in a black cloak, the window blowing it over his body as the weather raged behind him. She stared at the man. His head slowly moved towards hers.
Her warning signs started going off. But she pushed them down to fright or surprise. Who was she, a doctor who saved the lives of criminals, one to judge a man who had an ominous cloak on. She walked over to the door carefully, staring him down. She couldn't see his face very well. The lamp lighting barely his two toned chin.
“You are the doctor?” he spoke, still hiding his face “Kayla?”
“Kai- lah-” she sounded, her eyes nearly squinting at him to see him. “But yes I am the doctor. How can I help?”
He looked down. She followed his gaze and looked at his legs. Watching his hand gesture to them “I was told you can help with cybernetic replacements” she tilted her head back and forth seeing his weight held primarily over one leg. The small circuits and wires sparking. He chuckled lightly. “My leg… it’s not what it use to be”
“What’s the problem?”
“Misfire with my blaster. Ended up firing through my knee”
Misfire? Again? And a robotic appendage? Her suspicion grew but she didn’t push. “That's an easy fix” she smiled, turning for him to enter. “you um… you can take the hood off”
He didn’t speak for a moment. “I prefer it on”
She looked at him as he entered, her polite smile leaving as his back turned to her. Looking him up and down. Moving her hand to gesture to a bed. “Sure. You can sit on the first bed”
He nodded and placed himself on the bed. Sitting himself with enough room to hold his injured leg on the bed, his knee in the air, and the rest of himself placed off to the side. She watched him over her shoulder. There was something about him that made her feel off. As she went for her robotic anatomical kit her eyes flicked to the surgical kit. She asked him if there was any other requirement to his injury, if there was something she could do with the rest of his leg if needed. Using her question to unpack the kit. He quickly described that the lower half of him was all cybernetic appendages so there was no need. She nodded and left the kit out, moving towards him. Pulling a lamp over his knee she observed the damage, with the light shining down, she couldn't see his face unless she was out of the lamp's light. There was carbon scoring on the sides of his metallic knee cap, nothing major but the circuits were exposed, sparking up with every twitch he made. Pulling the knee back and forth, it was an easy fix really. She’d realign the circuits again and solder them into place, finally replacing the cap. Explaining this to him she got started. Grabbing her goggles and getting started. She worked on the circuits as quickly, trying to relieve him of any pain he was feeling. He winced a little, small groans coming out. She stopped for a moment before continuing. The entire time, she felt his eyes on him. Most of the time the patients didn’t look at her or the procedure. The entire time he was looking at her. It was off putting.
“You're quite proficient," he finally spoke. His words coming out with a groan.
She gave him a short smile. “Thank you”
“Where did you practice?” he questioned. She didn't look at him as she shrugged.
“Here and there. I studied far from here but my practice comes from experience. And picking up cybernetic reconstruction is easy" she sighed. Moving herself to swap her solder to a connector, realigning his circuits.
“Easy? Most people take years to master such skills”
“Really? It only took me a month” she replied, a small smile on her face. He left out a light chuckle. Her eyes looked towards him "I didn't catch your name.”
He waited. Like he was thinking it over “... Kerlac”
“Nice to meet you, Kerlac” she moved in with her tweezers and solder. Wincing “sorry. This part always gets… tricky”
His hood moved as he nodded. she returned it and got to work, clipping his circuits, or nerves and placing them back to where they were originally. soldering them back into place. He groaned and gripped the sides of the bed. her eyes flicked from her work to the sides of the bed. She pulled at each 'nerve' and soldered it back into place. with the final one she was finished and pulled away. He let out a small huff of relief, the pain ending. She moved behind herself again and grabbed the new cap, clicking it into place, soldering parts of it on. she moved away and looked to him. the light still blocking his face.
“Thank you” he sighed. She nodded. Packing away her tools quickly and moving away from him. Zipping to the other side of the room as he continued to talk to her. “What is the payment for a doctor like yourself?”
“70" she answered shortly again.
“That is… cheap”
“People around here don't get much till the season comes through. Right now we are reaching the start of the season. I change my prices depending on that” she explained. Turning to him. He walked from the bed to the windows, watching the rain continue to fall, his hands secure behind his back. She frowned as she looked at his two toned skin. Red and Black. There was something familiar about him. She couldn’t put her finger on it though. He tilted his head towards her but he didn't face her. The alarm bells ringing in her head again.
“You are kinder than i thought you’d be”
She scrunched her face up. “What does that mean?”
“The stories I've heard from the folk.” he explained. “You seem more… hideous in their descriptions”
“Glad to know what they are saying about me” she deadpanned. Her eyes flicking to the surgical equipment she hadn’t packed away just yet. Stopping as he turned closer to her.
“But it is not only that” he continued. “it is… you”
She looked from the equipment, specifically the scalpel to him. “I beg your pardon”
“As an ex-Republic medical officer. I imagined you differently”
The way he said it, it was almost too casual that she felt like she misheard him. She had to have misheard him. That's when he looked at her. To see what expression she would make. For a moment it was panic. Pure and complete panic. Thousands of questions flew into her mind all at once. Who was he? How did he know her? Was he an imp? A bounty hunter finally ready to collect the ransom or credits the Empire might pay for her? For a moment all of those questions were on full display. Her eyes widened and her chest tight, her mouth open to respond but nothing came out. She quickly put her mask back on as he turned, his yellow eyes boring into hers as he waited for her answer. His expression lit but the lamp and the moon's light that poured through the clouds.
“I think you have me confused, Kerlac.” her voice coming out in a whisper. Not convincing in the slightest
“Trust me my lady i don’t”
“You do.” she told him firmly. Her eyes not moving off of him. “I acquired my skills from an outer-rim school. Gaining my experience along that way. I have no affiliation to the Republic”
He chuckled. “You are a good Miss… Ky’la” her name pouring out of his mouth as he approached her, moving from one part of the window to the next. His hands still behind his back “but I can see through you, more importantly I know your story. Bouncing from planet to planet. Helping everyone who comes across your door. It's intriguing"
“You’re confused-”
“it seems you don’t remember my name, but I know yours” his voice slightly raised. His tone shifted from even to a hint of anger. She frowned at his accusation, holding her eyes over his before shifting from them to the rest of his face. The patterns on his skin, outlined in red and black. And what looked like horns peaked through his hood. His yellow eyes. That's when it clicked. She was on one of the relief teams that was sent to Florrum, helping Hondo Ohnaka and his crew as a favour from Obi-Wan Kenobi. While walking past the general's tent, she caught a brief glimpse of the assailants. Two Zabrak's, one red, one yellow. Both murdering the pirates in their wake and more. She also remembers his name.
“Darth Maul”
“I no longer go by that title but it seems you do know me” he sounded pleased. His eyes flicked to hers. Her panic had come back, her chest was rising up and down over and over again. Watching her eyes they darted over his. Her expression conveying what her mind was. He's alive. He looked her up and down “You seem to be confused”
“You’re dead… at the very least thought to have been” her voice coming out shaky. Once again shifting ever so slightly to the scalpel, he watched as he moved back to the window.
“Exaggerations” His eyes fixed on the rain again. She took her chance, moving quicker to the scalpel “do not reach for that.” his voice cutting through as a warning. both stern and threatening, his head tilting towards her but not looking at her. Her hand hovered near it. “I certainly rather not end your life when i could employ you”
She swallowed the lump growing in her through. Trying to ignore the tightness in her chest and rapid heartbeat as she held her wide and focused eyes on him. Neither of them moved, but she was the only one that didn't breathe. She discarded his warning and chose her own foolish attempt at protecting herself, grabbing the scalpel. He moved faster than she did, his hand pulling out of his cloak and curling. Suddenly, a pull grabbed at her wrist then wrapped around her body and sent her flying towards him. His hand met her throat as she put her against the wall. Her shoes barely grazed the ground as he choked her. In his quick movements, the hood had fallen off. His tattooed face and horns revealed. His yellow eyes piercing her grey ones. She thought the hologram of him was terrifying. This was much worse. Seeing the creases of the tattoos and the anger in his face, all in person. It was a different type of feeling. She moved one hand to his wrist and the other to his neck. His anger ticked over as she pressed a scalpel towards him.
“Take my warnings with caution dear Ky’la” he growled. “Drop. It.”
Her lip curled at him. Her breath shortened as she tried to breathe through his grasp. But she didn’t drop it. His face turned at her defiance. He squeezed harder, forcing her throat to close up. She choked and let it go, grabbing his wrist and squeezing that instead, trying to pushing it off of her. Once she dropped it, he held her for a moment longer before releasing his grip on her, letting her fall to the ground as she gasped and heaved. Moving out of the way to let her fall, kicking the scalpel away from her. Her throat burned as she breathed, slowly looking back up with venom. He looked indifferent, returning his hands behind his back. He stepped away from her as she pushed herself up, her eyes still holding the same venom as she panted.
“You said… you… know me?”
“After my brother brought me back, I conducted research into the Republic. You were briefly on General Kenobi's medical team. Your achievements were quite impressive” he complimented her but it still sounded like a threat. Not looking at her as he explained himself. She moved herself off the floor and held her back against the wall. Watching him closely. “Even more impressive you saved some of the people in the wake of my… advances”
“Advances?” she scoffed “That's what you’d call it? Hurting and murdering innocents?!"
He shrugged. “Yes”
She thought back to his previous statement, before he threw her against the wall “Is that why you wanted to employ me because of my connection to the general?"
“No.” he denied “His time will come. I am in need of your services”
She thought it over again. None of his reasoning makes much sense. “Why me?”
He faced her again. His gaze made her freeze up. It seemed indifferent but there was something else there. Something unreadable. “You have eluded the Empire for the last few years. There was no record of your real identity till I rediscovered it a few months ago. Then the whispers of bounty hunters and ruffians throughout the galaxy of your services… intrigued me” he turned to her now, stepping towards her. She instinctively stepped back, forgetting that the wall was there. She looked back before looking back at him. Towering over her. She looked at him. Everything about this interaction was… weird. At first he waited patiently at the door for her to service him. Then he threatened her and choked her against the wall. Now he was informing her of all his reasons to find her. All of which he explained in a calm voice, something she thought he wasn’t capable of. To be fair his patience was another thing she was shocked by. From the stories she heard he was an impatient and violent man. Violent she could see. But this… was all bizarre. But through all his talking, all his reasoning. She still didn’t understand.
“Why?”
“You’ve already asked that,” he said, too polite for her liking.
“And you haven’t given me a good reason,” she argued.
“Trust me my lady, I can give you a few” he responded. She narrowed her eyes at him waiting. “I have Mandalorian healers but they are limited. I am in need of someone who is trained further than they are. You have been. You have also proved your skills to my men and myself. Though not what i hoped for it is something i am thankful for”
She frowned. “Your thankful for your own men getting shot?”
“Benefits of an unfortunate situation” his candour made her scoff again. The callous manner towards his own people was more than concerning. If the sirens were already going off in her head there would be now. She looked away from him, trying to control her shaky hands as she thought his words over. The consequences and outcomes of whether she complied or not.
Her eyes drifted back to his. “If I say no?”
His jaw ticked at her constant questioning. Holding himself back. “How well have you hidden yourself from the oppressors? Burring your old self so deep that they cannot find you anymore. How many identities have you gone through that you don’t even remember your real name.” Her eyes widened. He clicked his tongue. “I’d hate to imagine that getting ruined for you” her expression shifted to fear, his implications giving her the imagination she needed. Fabricated images of the people of Skruil dead at the Empire's feet, or worse. His feet. Looking down as she imagined the horrors either one could bring as he continued speaking. “Tell me Lady Ky’la… do you care for these people?” she looked at him with pleading eyes. His eyes didn't shift at her attempt. “Do you wish them to die by my hand… or the Empires?”
She blinked “Are you saying you’ll sell me out? Just to get me to go with you?!”
“To have you on my team my lady. You do not know the lengths i will go” his words held such conviction. It was almost as terrifying as his hand on her throat earlier. He started to get more agitated “why are you desperate to stay? It will only be a matter of time before the Empire finds where you are. When they do, these people will perish anyways. Either be by the Empires hand or mine-”
“Threaten these people again and I will cut off my hands” she snapped. He was taken back by her response. She snarled “What would you have then?”
He laughed. “Sacrificing your own body to divert me? That's commendable”
“What’s commendable is that you think violence will make me comply quicker. It would only make me more difficult.”
“You already are difficult my dear, but not a very good at hiding your compliance as you think you are.”
She flinched. He was reading her too well. Whether it was the force or not he was reading her page by page. She shrunk back down, while he still stood tall over her. His eyes burned holes into her head, another intimidation tactic to get her to change or sway her mind and thoughts. But it didn't. She kept thinking over and over again different ways to get him to leave or even to kill him. Maybe she could go for the scalpel again? Try her might there. Run for the door quick enough and scream for the people? No he would just kill them or anyone that tried. She could try and outwit him but that would be a 50/50 chance and right now it was 70/30. Maybe… her eyes flicked to his saber, glaring at it. She had seen it over and over again from different Jedi and Padawans. It wouldn’t be hard to turn on. Her hands balled into fists as she gathered her nerves. His hands shifted now hovering over the blade. Her eyes moved from the blade to him, his eyes warning her not to try it. She grew hopeless. Any scenario, any chance, any plan, it would all fail and she knew it. She bit her cheek, her pride of not wanting to admit defeat or submission grew stronger. She moved her eyes to him, her words quiet and shaky, her hands balled into a tight fist.
“I’ll go with you” he grew pleased, backing away from her and opening his mouth, but she cut him off with her mind moving quick. “but you will accept my terms first then I will accept whatever yours”
He blinked “There are no terms to be made. This isn’t a choice, it is a decision.”
“You're right. It's a decision. One to make a suitable deal to benefit us both” she challenged.
He held back a snarl. His hands crossed over himself. “What is it you want?”
“Time”
He scoffed “You are not in a position to bargain for time-"
“And you are not in a position to deny me” she challenged him again., her hands still balls and her nails digging through her skin as she held herself together. “You want me to go with you? Fine. Give me time to train someone”
He stared at her. She looked over his expression, still unreadable. Was he thinking it over or planning on killing her. She truly didn’t know still he opened his mouth. “4 months”
She released a breath. He can be reasoned with. “8”
He blinked, his lip curling. “5”
“7” she countered again.
He narrowed his eyes “5.”
“7” she repeated.
“6 and not a month more” his voice was low. Another warning.
She scowled at him. Wanting to argue again but she knew better. She didn't want his hand on her throat to be the final thing she felt. “Okay… What are your terms?”
“You stay as my doctor till I say otherwise. And I let these… people live”
His casual manner made her sick. But she nodded “okay”
He returned it, pulling his hood over himself again and pulled at the door. Her eyes followed him. He turned towards her "I'll retrieve you in six months, Doctor.”
With that he was gone, his cloak following him quickly. In his departure she was frozen in place, the wall holding her up for about 30 seconds before her feet gave out. Slipping on the floor and sending her crashing down. She felt the pain as she fell but she did not acknowledge it, she couldn't. Her mind was spinning and her heart hadn’t stopped pounding in her ears. She just submitted herself to a dark lord and she only had 6 months to find and train someone to take her place in this village… tears welled in her eyes. She curled into herself, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. ignoring her now bloody hands staining her shirt. Softly she cried.
'What am I going to do?'