Some time ago...
(after the events of Unhinged)


She had been gone for months. In the time that the Mando'ade of Onderon had been following her as their Mand'alor, they had grown used to her absences. Lilaena was not stupid; she knew that each time she left they wondered if she would be back. Bretak always stepped in to lead when she was gone, and had never betrayed her. He knew how powerful she was, and was strong enough himself to push back any one who might wish to assume the mantle of Mand'alor.

As she made her way back into her home she passed by her honor guard, hastily reassembled during the sparring match with her apprentice. No matter how many times she'd insisted she didn't need a guard, they persisted in being there, everywhere she went. Bretak had finally informed her that 'guard' was a poor term, these were to be her vod, her brothers and sisters of the clan. A Mandalore usually brought up his own closest allies to be his right hand men and women, but she had come with no one.

Choruk, Hel, Jeng, and Obed were those Bretak had chosen to fill the position, and they were outside her door, standing casually as if they had nothing better to do than to babysit her when she was in the camp. Lilaena paused in her doorway, making eye contact with Hel.

"See that I am not disturbed,"
she said in accented mando'a, trying to keep the exhaustion out of her voice. Lilaena pushed through into the first room, intending to make it into the bedchamber, but a surge of pain from her side sent her falling into a chair.

She sucked in a breath, trying to pull her bloodied shirt away from her side to inspect the wound. Her arms were trembling with exhaustion and not cooperating. If Grime decided to follow her now... but no, he was in worse shape than she was.

Lilaena bit her lip as she worked the cloth from where it was sticking to the old bandage, but she couldn't see it where it was high on her side. She got shakily to her feet, focusing just on walking to where a piece of mirrored glass was hung on the wall. Her foot caught the leg of the second chair, sending it clattering backward to the ground, but she ignored it, leaning with one hand on the wall as she tried to twist so she could see the bandage without exacerbating the injury too much.

Behind her she heard the door open, and the Force told her it was one of her honor guard. Not a threat. A flash of irritation rose up - they seemed to do whatever they wanted, no matter what she asked them. She straightened up and let her shirt drop, but didn't turn around.

"If you are going to stare, you might as well come help me."