Next chapter is the epilogue.

Tw: Language, violence, angst, more BETRAYAL, kidnapping, death.

Wolffe's forehead wrinkled as he frowned at Friendly. "What are you saying?"

Friendly looked up at him with eyes he could barely keep open. "Crease. Empire. Go!"

Wolffe helped him sit up a little more. "I think you got knocked on the head a little too hard. You're not making any sense."

"Crease is part of the Empire!" Friendly exclaimed. "Go!"

Wolffe turned on his heel and started sprinting. He needed to get to Karina before Crease did. His chest felt like it had been ripped open. He had trusted Crease. 

He burst into her office, blaster at the ready. A sob was torn from his throat at what he saw.

They were gone.

Karina and Parja were gone.

Wolffe wanted to throw the desk through the window, but he refrained from such a violent act. Instead, he stormed back to the forces he had been training. He raised his voice and shouted, "Which of you is the queen's bodyguard?"

Someone in the back hesitantly raised a hand, and Wolffe beckoned him closer.

"You're her bodyguard?" Wolffe questioned, fury radiating off him.

"Y-yes, sir."

Wolffe arched an eyebrow. "Then where the fuck is she?"

He swallowed and slowly blinked. "In her office, sir. I was told she didn't need a bodyguard while she finished some filing."

Wolffe cocked his head, crossing his arms. "You must be an idiot. Your entire job is to watch her at all times. She was just kidnapped because you wanted a little break."

"Sorry, sir."

Wolffe shook his head. "Get out of my sight." He cleared his throat before saying, "The Empire has taken your queen because of that moron over there!"

People started yelling profanities at the bodyguard, showing their displeasure at him. They had liked Karina. She was way better than her parents at ruling.

"And the Empire also took the princess."

The shouting got louder.

Wolff shave a satisfied grin before turning on his heel and stalking away. The other clones in the group hurried to his side, glancing at each other worriedly.

"Wolffe?" Warthog hesitantly said. "You okay?"

"I'll be a lot better when they're back," Wolffe responded, not bothering to slow his pace.

"Where are you going?" Flare questioned. 

"Someone convinced Crease to join the Empire. It could've have been the Kaminoans, since they  were avoiding the Empire. It couldn't have been any of you, since your chips never activated, due to never hearing the command," Wolffe reasoned.

"Maybe Crease heard it somewhere?" Sunshine suggested, frowning slightly. "He likes to go for walks through the market by himself."

Wolffe shook his head. "I think I have an idea of who did it. Because who would be trusted enough that the bodyguard who accept being dismissed?"

"You?" Boost warily said.

Wolffe scowled. "No." 

"A council member!" Comet gasped.

"Arnold!" Moon realized. "He must've broken out of prison!"

"Not quite." Wolffe still was practically sprinting to the council's meeting room. "No one at the palace would follow his orders since he was publicly arrested."

"Then... who was it?" Adult asked.

Wolffe stepped into the council's meeting room, blaster raised. 

Wiggle's eyes widened and he muttered, "No way."

Mary held up a blaster of her own, pointing it at Wolffe's face. "Not another step."

"Why not?" Wolffe held his hand up, keeping the others from attacking Mary.

"Because only I know where Parja is." Mary lifted her chin. "Karina is with Crease, on their way to the Empire, while Parja was left with me as a bargaining chip."

Wolffe's jaw ticked. "I don't have the patience for this. You either tell me where my daughter is, or I'll peel your chest cavity open and hang you in the dining hall."

"He's bluffing, right?" Sunshine whispered.

Warthog smirked. "She'll have to find out."

A bead of sweat formed on Mary's forehead. "I- I didn't have a choice! The Empire took my son!"

Wolffe didn't like this. He knew he would feel guilty about hurting an innocent woman whose hand had been forced. "Then where's Karina? If I can find her, I can find your son."

Mary's hands shook. "She's... She's being taken to a Star Destroyer. She's to be interrogated by someone named Tarkin, I believe."

Wolffe's blood turned to ice. He'd heard the rumours about Tarkin. "Where is she at this very moment?"

"Being taken to a space port. There's a ship waiting for them there." Mary's legs gave out from under her and she collapsed. "Please... Please just save my son."

Wolffe turned his gaze from her. "Arrest her. Karina will deal with her when she returns."

When. Not if.

Karina's eyes fluttered open, and when the bright light of the sun hit her eyes, she groaned. She shielded her face with her arm and swallowed down the metallic taste of blood.

"You're awake." 

Upon hearing a voice that was most definitely not Wolffe's, she slowly sat up, clutching at her pounding head. She looked over her shoulder, spotting the three people she did not want to see at that moment.

Crease, Benedict, and Arnold were standing off to the side, with only Benedict looking in her direction.

"Wha-" Karina coughed. "What are you doing, Crease? You're meant for so much more than this."

"What? A domestic life?" Crease smiled eerily. "Unlike Wolffe, I'm not meant for that. My training actually stuck. I pushed myself harder than anyone else to prove to the Kaminoans I wasn't useless, and it paid off. Now even the Empire wants me."

"Crease," Karina choked out, "you don't have to do this. The Empire is using you!"

Her shoulder felt odd.

"But they need me. You don't. You could've gotten rid of me at any time." Crease's expression was solemn. "Like we abandoned Sunshine. Like we left Sinker."

"You had no choice for Sunshine!" Karina's head felt light. "And Sinker made his choice. We can't blame him for choosing to save his brother. Wolffe will always hate himself for it, but Sinker chose it."

She glanced down to see blood pooling from a gaping wound in her shoulder. Spots immediately dancing before her eyes, and she forced herself to look away.

"I can't be discarded. I won't let it happen." Crease shuddered. "So I have no choice. The Empire won't get rid of me as long as I stay loyal."

"Enough." Arnold clicked his tongue. "It's time. The ship is ready."

Karina was pulled or her feet by Benedict and was dragged over to the ship. Blood droplets left a path behind her.

"Please," she murmured to Crease.

He chewed the inside of his cheek and refused to make eye contact.

Benedict deposited her not-so-gently and wiped his hands on his pants. "We mustn't take long. The admiral is waiting."

Benedict crouched and ran his thumb along Karina's lips. "It's not too late to marry me."

Karina gathered enough saliva on her tongue to spit it onto his face. "I'd rather marry the admiral and his ugly face."

Benedict wiped his face off, glowering at her. "I'll be sure to pass the message along."

"If she's going to marry anyone, it'll be me," Wolffe interrupted, announcing his presence. He paused before adding, "Or the men in her books. Even I would marry them."

"Wolffe!" Karina exclaimed.

Crease shot up to his feet, narrowing his eyes. "Stay back, or you'll never see your daughter again."

Wolffe smirked. "She's back at home, being cuddled by her uncles."

Karina let out a sigh of relief. Now that that was taken care of, she could close her eyes and-

"Mesh'la," Wolffe sharply said. "Stay awake."

Benedict sneered. "It's over, clone! We have her, and there's three of us! You're outnumbered!"

Wolffe shot him in the head, rolling his eyes. "You were saying?"

Arnold fell to his knees. "They made me do it! Please! I didn't want to!"

Wolffe shook his head. "It's there's anything I hate more than a traitor, it's a coward."

"Take that!" Arnold suddenly shouted and whipped out a blaster. He pulled the trigger and smiled victoriously.

Wolffe shot first.

Arnold crumpled to the floor next to Benedict.

Karina was so cold. Her eyelids were so heavy.

"Crease," Wolff warned. "This is your last chance."

Crease bit his lip before setting his jaw. "Fine." He kicked Karina off the ramp before jumping to the pilot's seat as Wolffe knelt by her side after she landed on the ground.

"Stay awake," Wolffe quietly pleaded as he cradled her face in his hands. He heard the ship fly away, but his attention was solely on his beloved.

Karina let her eyes slide shut.