Middle-Ground

I don't own star wars.

My eyes flickered open… and I was back in my room. A gentle purr rumbled in my ears as I rested my head between Nike's breasts. Both of us dozing as I tried to sit up but found her arms wrapped around me. But that wasn't all. Dressed in a threadbare T-shirt and only underwear was Killa lying down on my arm and snoring slightly. I closed my eyes for a minute, trying to remember what had happened.

…Xalbaia had operated on my leg, I had known that before she had Nike knock me out with the anesthetic that she had brought. I don't remember much after that… I think I vaguely recall X-E hauling in a bacta tank with Rattletrap… but not much after that. I looked down to look at my leg. I expected stitches and a hideous scar… like dad's comet scar on his leg. But surprisingly it was just a small circular scar tissue mark, you could barely tell that I had been stabbed there days ago. The Doctor does very good work…

Nike purred softly, rubbing her furry cheek against mine, "Mmmn…" she mumbled as I fidgeted in her grip. Killa shifted herself, rubbing her rear against my good thigh as she snuggled against me. I honestly never thought Killa could, or would, snuggle. I could not help but smile. I mean, it wasn't like I hated waking up between two breathtakingly beautiful women.

Nike suddenly shifted, letting go of me and rolling onto her back, her breasts waving slightly beneath her nightie as she mumbled softly. Well, that was one. Killa, literally, on the other hand seemed much more comfortable. I don't know why I was trying to get up I probably couldn't move on my leg anyway. I closed my eyes, trying to think of other things. At the very least try to get back to sleep. I rolled onto my side, draping an arm over Killa's waist as she hummed contentedly as I held her. Smiling adorably as I took in her scent. Willing myself to go back to sleep as her muscled, but soft, body rubbed against mine.

'Firemane…'

My eyes immediately opened as a chill went down my spine. I would swear on Onara's grave that I just heard a spooky hissing whisper… but I really didn't want to. Suddenly holding the most dangerous woman I know even closer appealed to me. Like a safety blanket that could strangle people in her sleep.

'Firemane…'

…Nope! I closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind of the creepy whispers as I rubbed my face against KIlla's soft scarred lekku. She giggled in her sleep, snuggling up even further next to me as Nike wrapped her arm around the both of us, purring contentedly as I immediately calmed down. There was just something about her purr that soothed my soul.

It was silent for a long time as I kept my eyes closed, trying to sleep.

'Rooooooooooolaaaaannnnd'

I immediately sat out no longer carrying about waking Killa and Nike as they moaned and blinked blearily awake.

"Wha-Roland?" Nike rubbed her eyes as Killa growled, sitting up herself. "Oh, Good." Nike yawned broadly, "You're awake."

"Do you two HEAR that?" I hissed, looking around angrily trying to find the source. "Please tell me you do." I said darting my head side to side as I tried to listen.

"Roland, I don't hear anything." Nike frowned, wrapping her arms around me and pulling my head to her chest as she cooed sleepily, "Go back to sleep you need rest…" she mumbled, trying to lie me back down as Killa seemed more intent on listening to the dark room.

'Roland.' Came the whisper and I mumbled nervously.

"There it is again." I said looking at them both as Killa stepped off the bed, unjumbling her underwear from her rear as she walked around the room.

"I don't hear anything." She said firmly, but not in an antagonizing way. That's what's great about Killa, she was far to cautious to just let something go, she would at least hear you out. She then however came to my belt and its pouches before opening it and pulling out the triangular holocron.

…It was glowing with a flickering red light.

Killa scowled at it as if it offended her before putting it back into the pouch and, taking it with her, heading towards the door. Opening it wide and walking out. I waited, but no sound came. No creepy voice or hissing whisper. It must have been the holocron… I guess I can hear it because I'm technically force sensitive.

…Great. That's just what I needed, an ancient sith horror device driving me slowly insane.

"Do you hear anything now?" Nike asked, still holding me to her breasts as a low purring rumbled through her chest.

"…Just the good things." I replied with a smile as she chuckled, my arms wrapping around her waist as Killa returned. Shutting the door and climbing back onto the bed, abruptly lying against me as we all returned to the bed.

"I gave it to Newt." Killa said abruptly, "She'll think of something."

"She's still here?" I replied a little surprised, I'd figured she'd be long gone by now.

"Yes. Along with the doctor, Circe, and Mirai. Luckily your father was fond of sleeping with multiple women we have plenty of room everyone… in a manner of speaking"

"…I need to talk to Newt." I said, shifting of the bed and gingerly stepping on my leg, a sharp twinge surged up into my waist, I dropped back onto the bed reflexively, it was a dull aching pain but I got back up and cringing I limped to the door. Killa grabbed me and supported me.

"Roland come back to bed Newt isn't going anywhere." Nike mumbled, but she too stepped off the bed and walked near me as Killa helped me down the stairs.

Xalbaia and Newt were in the kitchen, the pouch with the holocron was left on the counter as Xalbaia in her lab coat sipped tea and Newt in her usual spy suit was… making pancakes apparently. At 3 o'clock at night. "Newt. We need to talk about that thing." I said.

Newt frowned, flipped a pancake onto a plate before pouring batter onto the skillet. "…I know. But you need rest…"

"I'll rest when Dad's cured." Xalbaia sighed loudly and they shared a look. But she put her tea on the table and looked at me, almost like a caring aunt. Kavilla to be more specific. Killa helped me to sit in the chair as I looked between them. "This…" I said, prodding the pouch. "Is going to get it for us. We just need to trade it."

Newt sighed again, "…There is no way that's going to work." She finished another pancake and flipped it skillfully onto the plate on top of the other one. "She has no incentive to give us what we want for what she wants." She poured the rest of the batter and began to cook, eying me again. "…Start slow. Tell me everything from what Chant told you to when we got here. I need more than 'this will save Aiden'." She added, flipping the pancake onto the plate and pouring an absurd amount of syrup onto it.

…So I did, Nike and Killa tried to sit through most of it but Nike returned to the room after giving me a kiss goodnight, seeing as I was marginally okay. Killa, being my 'ride' as it were. Stretched distractingly and lay down on the couch in the living room, dozing slightly as I explained everything…

Xalbaia had been uncharacteristically quiet. Newt, after eating two of her pancakes (easily the size of the pan she cooked them in, so they were bigger than my head.) pushed the last one to Xalbaia who prodded it dismally with a fork but began to eat. "…So she needs you, or Yura for this transference…" she said closing her eyes, seemingly in thought.

"…Seems like we need to narrow our options a bit." Xalbaia noted, "If she needs one or the other lets get her to focus on one." I blinked at both of them as they shared a look again, then they turned to me.

"…Sounds to me like Roland needs to die." Newt said surprisingly cold. unsurprisingly my blood did the same thing.

"…What?" I noted nervously as Xalbaia sighed.

"Seriously? You did that on purpose." Newt gave a mischievous smile. "A Cipher agent saying that would get anyone to wet themselves." She looked to me. "She means. You mother is sick. She needs the cure as much as Aiden. So. if Malisis wants to use the transference she needs a HEALTHY Yura."

…I'm not exactly the smartest guy in the family but even I figured it out pretty quick.

"So if she thinks I'm dead she has no other choice than to cure mom…" I said as Newt and Xalbaia nodded.

"And since less than a handful of people know where your mother actually being stored, the ball's in our field." Newt stood up, rubbing her chin in thought. "She's probably getting nervous about Scream not showing back up as well… are you sure nobody other than that dead bounty hunter was with him?"

"As far as I know." I replied as Newt nodded.

She stood still for a moment and began walking towards the living room. "I need to borrow your bounty hunter." She noted, and strangely began unzipping her suit revealing her cleavage.

"…Wait, which one?" I asked curiously as she passed an awaken Killa (who I think woke up at the idea of being needed for a job) and Newt silently went up the stairs. I limped to the doorframe watching her vanish into the second floor.

"Mmn-hey what the- Ow!" a modestly dressed Seis was pushed down the stairs carrying the thundercrack rifle she had taken to using. "Stop pushing! I'm going!" she yawned wildly, "Hey Roland…" she mumbled with a lazy yawn, as Newt and Seis made their way to the front door.

"We're going to try and find Scream's ship. It's highly likely its still there. THAT is our connection to Malisis."

"Why do I have to go!?" Seis grumbled, yawning, "I need my beauty sleep!"

"You're already pretty gorgeous." I said almost mechanically, four pairs of eyes from beautiful women glanced at me. Newt's ruby eyes rolled exasperatedly as Seis grinned. I blinked stupidly, realizing what I said.

"…Just like his bloody father." Newt grumbled, grabbing a cheerier-looking Seis and slamming the front door closed behind them.

"…Well. That's all fine and well. Killa." Xalbaia said firmly, as Killa sat up and stretched distractingly again. "Doctor's orders. Take him to bed and KEEP him there. Don't let him walk on his leg. And nothing strenuous. I mean it." Killa, nodded firmly and like we had entered a three-legged race lifted me up the stairs and took me back to my room. Nike, not having gone back to sleep yet, lied like a lazy cat on the sheets, her red eyes focused on me as Killa lifted me onto the bed, lying me on my back.

"So… did you get all of it out of your system? No more creepy voices?"

"Newt has taken the Holocron and has gone to try and contact Malisis." Killa noted firmly, lying her head on my shoulder and closing her eyes. "The doctor said no strenuous activity." She added lazily, rubbing her lekku on my skin as Nike frowned.

"…Why are you in our bed?" she asked and a bright green eye opened and lingered on a rather sour looking Nike.

"With the addition of Circe, Mirai, Xalbaia and Newt. The guest rooms are thoroughly occupied. I am merely being efficient and doubling up."

"…You could sleep on the ship." Nike noted accurately as she purred softly, rubbing her soft furry body against my other side.

"But a bed on firm ground is much more comfortable. And I enjoy using Roland as a pillow, he is equally as comfortable." She added as I blushed, unable to add anything into this conversation. "Honestly Nike, I can see why you enjoy sharing his bed so much."

Nike frowned, but her beautiful face rubbed gently against my cheek. "Still though I am already keeping him company. And this bed is crowded with two people…"

"And yet Roland is not complaining." Killa replied, and suddenly I found myself resisting strenuous activity as the two beautiful women tried to fuse themselves to my skin.

"Can we just… please go back to sleep?" I asked.

"You can sleep in this Parent's room." Nike replied, with a look that said 'she had a good idea'.

I flinched at that suggestion, "I wouldn't recommend that. Do you have any idea what Dad did to my moms in there? Let's just… deal with it." They blinked at me, then each other, before almost simultaneously, the two kissed my cheeks, before we all lay comfortably in bed. Quietly dozing and slipping off to sleep. I honestly don't know how Dad handled four women. And two of them were A SIS and cipher agent…

…I hope Newt knows what she's doing… but dad did say to listen to her. I closed my eyes, and the image of my father in his decrepit state formed before my eyes… to think that orbiting above the plant right now was the cloaked station. We were so close… Dad, Mom, Mama… we are so close…

My lips twitched slightly, unable to hold back the slight feeling of joy I felt… I felt that Dad was going to be fine…

Bonus

We found the ship… Seis was a surprisingly good tracker, hotwiring our way in we quickly found the coms… I took a deep breath, and as Seis scavenged the vessel for… whatever she wanted to look for.

I made the call… it had barely connected when the holo-image of Darth Malisis appeared… we stared at each other in a very… very long silence. Both of us silently willing each other to speak first… when she finally did.

"I take it Scream is dead then?" she said rolling her eyes, almost looking bored. "…It seems his reputation was quite overrated."

I was silent for a very long time. I had to sell it. I wished I had Seis slap me, get some watery eyes going. But I'll make do. "Roland is dead." I said firmly, and she stiffed.

…I'll give this to her. She looked legitimately disappointed, and hurt, at the news. "…How?" she said coolly, and I snorted, annoyed that she even asked.

"Scream killed him. Roland killed Scream, but Roland died from his wounds. Lightsaber injuries tend to do that." Malisis looked furious, her hands clutching tightly behind her back.

"…Why are you telling me this?..." she said bitterly as I held up the holocron, it flickered with ominous red light and her eyes glued to it.

"…Because now. The only way you get what you want is in this. And the only way to use it? Is if Yura is cured…" Malisis was silent, but I could practically see her mind whirling in her crazy lekku head. "You could say no. And not cure your only living relative, then I chuck this into a black hole."

Malisis closed her eyes, seemingly trying to block out all sound… then they slowly opened and she glared at me. "…How do you want to do this?"

"…Middle-ground… Babayaga. You make the arrangements. We'll arrive with Yura, and you'll give us the formula so our doctor can synthesize a cure… if it's fake? You'll kill Yura. If it works? I'll give you the device."

Malisis glared darkly at me. "…Why don't I just kill you and take my daughter?"

I smirked, "…You'd really risk pissing off Babayaga? I heard she has more than a few Sith acquaintances herself." I then scowled at her, "Think about it. I'll give you three days."

"Or… and I have a retort…" suddenly I felt my neck tighten as I tried to suck in air, gagging, coughing, spluttering as she slowly held out a hand. Force choking me like a common trooper! "I STRANGLE you and search that pretty blue corpse…" Thinking quickly, I flipped her off, pointing at the off button with it. She let me breathe and scowled at me. "…Let me think about it."

"Think quickly." I said, rubbing my neck and turning off the com, and sucking in a steady breath, rubbing my neck, then my head… I was going to have to get Yura from Hoth. Make arrangements with Babayaga to make sure nothing shifty happened. Contact Tolara and maybe Kavilla…"

"Dibs on the ship!" Seis shouted from somewhere deep in the hold, "My Moms are going to be so jealous!"

I'll ignore the Varli for now…I'll take Roland with me. He'd love to see Yura… I wonder if he's as sensitive to the cold as his father was…

End of Bonus