Coruscant stretched out below Rain, a familiar sight, and yet a dreaded one. She hadn't been expecting to come back here, well, ever. To think that she was back on the planet where she'd spent most of her life among liars and hypocrites was unnerving. But to remember that she was now also on the same planet as Mira was both thrilling and terrifying in the same instant.

I could practically go visit her if I wanted, she thought daringly, That is, if I wanted to get caught.

Which she didn't. She was here for a reason, after all.

When Dooku had given her her first assignment, she had been so excited. This was her final test, the ultimate chance to prove herself. Dooku must have trusted her a lot more than he let on to have willingly sent her to Coruscant.

Or he's found some way to keep an eye on me while I'm here.

Rain had even gone so far as to search her ship for any unknown devices but had found nothing.

Maybe I'm just paranoid. Or he's more creative than I thought.

Rain assignment had been to eliminate her given target, a bounty hunter who had crossed the Separatists in the past. After receiving a description and a point in the right direction, she had set out with unwavering determination. She had found the target without too much trouble. The only problem was he had been arrested before she could get to him.

Talk about bad timing. And worse luck.

Now she was tasked with infiltrating the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center.

Never thought I'd want to sneak into a prison. First time for everything, I guess.

Rain landed her ship in a quiet area before approaching the prison. She rooted out the most laxly guarded entrance and headed in.

My old Jedi garb might have come in handy in a situation like this, Rain thought gloomily, Oh well.

She waved a greeting at the two clones posted at the door, "Hello! Could either of you fine gentlemen tell me what a lady has to do to get inside a nasty prison?"

"How about some identification?" the trooper on the left answered gruffly.

"That seems reasonable," Rain replied pleasantly, reaching for her lightsabers.

She whipped them out, leaping forward and decapitating the clone in a single swipe. His corpse had hardly touched the ground when Rain rounded on the other, reaching through the force and seizing ahold of his mind. He froze, his blaster half raised.

"You will dispose of this trooper's remains and tell your superiors he was never here," she said slowly, careful to keep her concentration, "And you will forget about me."

The clone was silent for a moment, then repeated his instructions in confirmation before setting to work.

"Wait!" Rain said, a thought occurring to her, "I want that clone's armor."

She shed her cloak and lightsabers, wondering briefly what to do with them. The cloak wasn't terribly important, but she couldn't leave her lightsabers behind. As she donned the clone armor, she realized she could fit them inside her boots. It wasn't exactly comfortable but it would have to do. She gave her cloak to the guard and told him to dispose of it along with the body. As she slid on the helmet, she had to force down her disgust at the thought that she was wearing her kill's armor like a trophy. For a moment, she felt almost sick to her stomach.

How pathetic is this? she thought, I'm an assassin who can't kill without feeling sorry for her victims. Maybe I can get through this with minimum casualties.

She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, then she entered the prison, pondering what to do first.

It would probably help if I knew my way around.

But she didn't, so her best bet was to wander around until she could get a general idea of what was where, and if even one clone spoke to her, the game would be up. She wasn't exactly the best voice actor out there, and if any clone found reason to be suspicious of her or ask her too many questions, she was done.

That's a comforting thought.

But it didn't matter how impossible the task was. She wasn't turning back. She was going to see this through to the end.

So that's how it began. Rain let her feet take her wherever they would, avoiding more populated areas as much as she could. Over the course of the day, she discovered a monitoring station, a morgue, an infirmary, a panopticon, and the separate mess halls and workout areas for the male and female prisoners. She also found a supply of prison uniforms and made a mental note of where to find them in case she ever needed them in future. She also learned one thing very quickly. Her task was literally impossible. During her visit to the panopticon, she realized that the cells were under constant watch. The same applied to the mess halls and workout areas. Any public area was crawling with clones at all times. But there was one upside. With so many people in one place, something was bound to go wrong. All she needed was the smallest opening, one moment when the guards' backs were turned, a split second when no one was looking. She needed a diversion. So she thought of a way to create one. The first thing she did was find her way back to the quiet room where she'd discovered the uniforms and discarded her own clothes, hiding them away carefully. She grabbed one uniform and tore it into strips, wrapping one long piece tightly around her chest and then tying up her hair. She grabbed one of the uniforms and put it on before donning the clone armor again.

She headed back to the mess hall where the men dined and watched the guards circling the overlooking balcony. The mess hall was designed much like a panopticon with the tables arranged in a circle and six clones in pairs of two standing in the center of the room. Rain approached the nearest trooper on the balcony and took control of his mind, instructing him to go down and start a fight with one of the prisoners. Within minutes, he had done so, snatching a startled prisoner from his seat and screaming hysterically into his face. Every eye turned in the direction of the racket and two clones ran forward to break it up. That was Rain's opportunity. She vaulted over the balcony rail and crawled under the counter beneath the food dispensers. She stripped off her clone armor as hastily as she could before shoving it under a nearby table while heads were still turned. She knew she didn't have long. Even in prison uniform, there was one thing that gave her away, and that was her long hair. Nearly all the men in the prison were shaved, which meant that even with her hair tied up, she would still stick out like a sore thumb. Her eyes scanned the room, coming to rest on her target. Reaching out a hand, she tapped into the force, lifting one of the forks at the table where he sat and aiming it at his throat.

As the hesitant voice at the back of her mind started to whisper its doubts, she had to remind herself, This is just another lowlife. No one's going to miss him.

She took a deep breath to steady her pounding heart, then she let the fork fly.

In that split second, her target rose from his seat and the fork briefly sliced into the fabric of his uniform before glancing off his arm and clattering on the floor. He turned his head for a moment before shrugging and walking away. Rain slowly let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, her heart beating a mile a minute.

Calm down, Rain, she silently chided herself, Finish the job and it'll all be over. You can get out of this place, and hopefully you'll never have to do another stealth mission.

The scuffle had died down somewhat and people were beginning to lose interest. Rain's window would only be open for a few more seconds. She extended her hand once more, lifting the fork off the floor for a second attempt.

Then someone screamed, "Hey, look! A flying fork!"

Rain panicked, dropping the fork and searching for cover.

Why do all these bloody tables have to be so crowded? she thought.

Finally her gaze came to rest on a table occupied by only two people, but instead of racing toward it, she stayed where she was, frozen in shock. Of the two at the table, she recognized one quite clearly.

It was Cad Bane.

This couldn't be any worse.

Last time she'd seen him she had held a blaster to his throat and then proceeded to kick him in the face. There was a good chance he wouldn't recognize her, since her face had been mostly covered at the time, but all the same, she had no interest in going anywhere near him. Then again, they were technically no longer enemies. Bane had worked for the Separatists in the past. Maybe he could help her.

Help me? For free? Yeah right.

Still, he was the only one she really knew at all, and she figured it was safer to tread on more familiar ground in this case. Not to mention, Bane was sitting at the only decent hiding place in the hall.

Rain took a step forward, then another, and another. As she walked, she tried to recall everything she'd read in Bane's file. It was easier to remember someone you'd read about if you'd met them in person.

I probably read about half the people in this room, only I can't recall.

Rain kept up a steady pace, knowing that if she ran she'd be noticed in seconds.

The guards won't be occupied for much longer, she thought worriedly, lengthening her stride slightly while casting frequent glances over at the clones.

Her destination neared.

Think, Rain! Focus on that file!

She remembered those records well. They had always been so descript. Bane's file had recounted everything from his rise to infamy to his most recent strike against the Jedi, the break into the Jedi Temple.

I wish I had been there. Maybe I would've finally gotten a look inside that stupid holocron vault.

It had been the first successful break-in in the history of the Temple. That alone said the bounty hunter was exceptional.

I've already seen his work firsthand when he broke into the Senate building. Somehow he found a way to get himself and his whole crew past the guards, and he had the sense to cut the power so he could have total control of the building and everyone in it. Everything he does is well thought out. In other words, he always comes prepared, always has a plan.

Rain's heart was hammering in her chest. The table was only a few feet away.

Then Bane looked up, and his red orbs settled on her.

In a flash, Rain dropped to the floor and slid herself under the table, tucking herself into the space between the feet of the two inmates.

"It would seem we have some company," Bane's tablemate, a Phindian, remarked calmly, "Female company, no less. That's a rarity in this place."

"Yeah," Bane agreed, "It would almost make you wonder how she got in here."

"I walked in," Rain said, cautiously poking her head out from under the table and looking up at the Duros, "Are the guards looking?"

"They're always looking, sweetie," Bane answered unhelpfully, "What's your name?"

He doesn't...he doesn't recognize me. Rain stared at him in disbelief. Yes! YES! Hallelujah for sexy masks! I always wondered why he never took it off. Guess he wasn't smart enough to think of THAT. So if he doesn't remember me, chances are he'll be more willing to help me. But what do I tell him? He knows my real name. Stupid me! Why did I tell him that anyway? I suppose I could give him my last name but that won't be a very satisfying answer.

"It's..." She hesitated. "Confidential."

Bane looked sceptical, "Oh really?"

"A woman with secrets, I see," the Phindian said, "I'm curious to know what you did to land you here."

"Oh, no, you misunderstand," Rain said quickly, "I wasn't arrested. I walked in. I'm a Sith assassin on a covert operation."

The Phindian's eyes widened in surprise and Rain wondered if maybe she shouldn't have shared that information.

Whoever this guy is, he seems well enough acquainted with Bane. It's possible that they worked together or ARE working together. Or he could be a client. Either way, he'd have to be Separatist or at the very least sympathetic to the Separatists. It should be safe enough; if anything it might make them more trusting of me to let them know I'm Separatist.

"An assassin?" Bane spoke up, "And who was it you were failing to kill?"

"Just a guy," Rain muttered, frowning, "I'm kind of new to this."

"It would seem that's why you're hiding under our table," Bane said without even looking at her, "Maybe if you'd cut your hair you wouldn't stick out so much."

Rain felt a sudden spark of annoyance.

Honestly, what was I expecting? The only other time I met this guy, he almost blew me up!

"How about I just cut to the chase?" Rain proposed, "You've worked with Dooku in the past, yes?"

"You know me?"

"Who hasn't heard of Cad Bane, the most efficient bounty hunter in the galaxy since Jango Fett?"

Was that too much? It felt like a bit much.

"How would you feel about lending a helping hand to Dooku's apprentice?" Rain asked.

"I'm afraid I'm not interested, sweetie," Bane said dismissively.

What?! Is it because... She glanced over her shoulder at the Phindian. Either Bane just doesn't like me, which, to be honest, wouldn't be too surprising, or he's preoccupied with something else. Bane has been paid to break people out of this place in the past, so it's quite possible the Phindian is in fact his employer.

"Whatever you're planning," Rain said, "I can help you. We could trade favors."

"I don't deal in favors, pet."

"You should really consider it sometime," Rain said dryly.

"I'm rather wary of assassins who won't share their name or the name of their target, and who claim to be Separatist and yet offer no proof," Bane said coolly.

"Proof?" Rain's brow furrowed. "What kind of proof could I offer?"

"It's obvious that you have none," Bane said, narrowing his eyes at her, "So maybe it's about time you took your business elsewhere. Besides," he added with a sly smile, "A lady like yourself shouldn't be in here."

Before Rain could react, the bounty hunter turned his head and called for the guard. She met Bane's gaze, her eyes wide with horror.

"Don't worry, little lady, I'm sure you'll be fine," he assured her, getting up and drawing her out from under the table by her forearm.

You said that before, and you were lying then.

Keeping a grip on her arm, Bane reached up with his free hand and pulled loose the ribbon of cloth in her hair.

"On second thought, I think I'm glad you didn't cut your hair," Cad smirked, "It frames your pretty face so nicely."

Is he making fun of me?

Bane was running his fingers through her hair when he stopped suddenly, his smile vanishing and his eyes widening fractionally.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked abruptly.

Oh no.

"Hey!"

Rain felt almost relieved as the clone guard stepped up.

"You're not supposed to be here!" the guard snapped at her, waving his electrostaff threateningly, "What's your number? How did you get here?"

Rain gave him an icy look, "It's not my fault you make mistakes."

"You'd better watch yourself, miss. Now come with me. We'll be having a lot of questions for you."

Rain followed the clone quietly out of the mess hall, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

Well that went badly.

As she and her escort got closer and closer to their destination, the corridors they passed through became less and less populated, until they were utterly empty. Rain took the opportunity, slamming the guard up against the wall with a flick of her hand and knocking him unconscious.

As he slumped to the floor, his weapon slipping from his grip, Rain muttered, "Thanks for the armor."

Would you look at that? I was fine after all.

She decided to lay low for a while and wait for the excitement she had caused to die down before trying again. Three days past with her snatching sleep wherever she could. During that time, the prison received a new arrival, a bounty hunter by the name of Rako Hardeen. He was imprisoned for killing a Jedi, but not just any Jedi. His victim had been none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi. Rain had been surprised by this new information but she wasn't quite sure how to react. Most of the time, he had just been another Jedi to her. But he had saved her life once. Even worse, he had died by a sniper shot.

What a way to die, Rain thought sadly, There's no dignity in it. You can't see it coming, so you never have a chance.

Hardeen seemingly didn't get along with the other prisoners. On his first day, he stabbed a Karkarodon in the hand with a fork, and although Rain had hoped it would escalate further, it never did.

However, it didn't take long for Hardeen to make another enemy. Rain was watching from the balcony, acting in the role of clone guard when a small dark-haired boy approached the bounty hunter and started shouting accusations.

A child challenging an adult? This isn't going to be much of a fight, Rain thought glumly, I didn't even realize they kept children in this place. Seems harsh.

When the kid refused to back down, Hardeen grabbed him and twisted his arm behind his back, effectively ending the scuffle. Rain sighed as two clones ran forward in an effort to separate the inmates.

Then a Trandoshan stepped forward, grabbing the two clones and smashing their heads together. The troopers dropped like sacks of flour, and the Trandoshan faced off with Hardeen. Rain felt a spark of anticipation. More clones circled around the Trandoshan, jabbing at him with their electrostaffs. The Trandoshan flung the soldiers around like they were dolls, and as his defiance grew so did the unrest in the room. Within seconds, the mess hall had erupted into a full blown riot. The remaining guards were tackled and robbed of their weapons. An alarm blared in Rain's ears and she dropped as one of the inmates fired a stun blast at her.

I'm going to get shot in this getup!

She yanked off her helmet and started tearing off the rest of the armor. She was still clad in prison uniform underneath. Reaching into her boots, she pulled out her lightsabers, revelling in the feel of having them in her hands again.

It's been too long.

Rain scanned the roiling crowd beneath her, searching for her target.

Come on! Where are you?

She spotted him, and in a flash she was off the balcony among the prisoners, dodging hurtling bodies and flying fists. She came up behind the target and activated her lightsabers. The target turned at the noise, and for a split second they were staring right into each other's eyes.

The guy seemed pretty average. He was human, looked to be middle aged, and had a heavy build. His brown eyes were flooded with fear.

I don't know him, Rain thought, It doesn't affect me. It doesn't mean anything.

"Who the hell are you?!" the inmate demanded.

Rain said nothing, just closed her eyes and swung.

Next thing she knew, he was dead at her feet. Her mission was finally complete.

She tucked her lightsabers back into her boots. The doors to the mess hall were flung open as reinforcements arrived. The inmates mowed the troopers down effortlessly and flooded into the halls. Rain looked down at her uniform.

I think I want my own clothes.

She soon had her wish fulfilled and proceeded to discard the prison uniform. She wouldn't be needing it anymore. She'd be walking out of there, never to return.

The fastest and easiest way out is probably through the morgue, Rain thought.

So that's where she went. The halls were quiet as ever, possibly even quieter. Rain reached the door for the morgue and waved her hand over the panel next to it. The door opened and she went in. Three chute cases were built into the wall for transporting bodies to the cremation center. She lifted the lid of the case on the far right and as she saw Bane staring up at her, she screamed. Bane sat up quickly and grabbed her by her hair, clamping a hand over her mouth.

"Shut up!" he snarled.

Rain pried his hand away.

"I thought you were dead!" she hissed.

"Although I'm touched that you would be so horrified at the idea of my death, I'd rather not get caught over it, so if you'd—"

"Right, right," Rain cut in, "Move over then."

"What? You're not getting in here with me."

"Yes, I—"

Rain stopped as the sound of voices caught her attention. Bane turned toward the sound.

"Come on!" Rain whispered urgently, "You said you didn't want to get caught."

Bane bared his teeth in frustration.

"Get in," he ordered.

Rain climbed in and stretched out flat against the cool metal of the case. Bane closed the lid and darkness enveloped them. Rain heard the door to the morgue slide open, followed by the sound of footsteps and someone muttering something about needing more room. Suddenly the case tipped up, signalling that they had entered the chute. Rain instinctively threw out a hand to steady herself, but when her fingers brushed against Bane she quickly withdrew them. She felt Cad tense beside her, and she unthinkingly followed suit. As they reached the end of the chute and snapped back into a horizontal position, Rain heard voices again.

"Looks like a few of them are showing vital signs."

"I'll check."

Oh dear. I feel like someone should have thought of this.

The lid opened, and for a split second she was staring into the shocked face of a clone. Then she reached through the force, lifting him and hurling him against the opposite wall. The other two cases flew open, revealing Bane's Phindian tablemate and Hardeen.

I was wondering where the Phindian went. But what's Hardeen doing here?

The Phindian pounced on the clone that had just been thrown across the room, and Rain turned on the three remaining. The trooper closest to the control panel lobbed the nearest thing on hand at her and she sent it right back into his face. Bane was already on his feet and used that moment to snatch the clone's firearm and shoot him dead. Hardeen tackled another guard and Rain rounded on the last remaining one. She extended a hand and he rose into the air, his throat constricting. The clone struggled and kicked fiercely and Rain could feel the perspiration beginning to run down her face as she watched him.

Stop struggling!

The color rapidly drained from the clone's face and his desperate flailing began to wane. Rain slammed him up against the wall and let him drop, taking a moment afterward to calm her racing heartbeat.

That should keep him out long enough for us to escape, she thought, looking at the surrounding carnage, These poor men. They always seem to get killed just for doing their jobs. It was what they were made for, I suppose.

An alarm rang out abruptly and she whirled to see Hardeen and Bane staring down at another fresh corpse.

"What's the matter with you?" Bane hissed at Hardeen.

"My blaster jammed," Hardeen said, and the firearm in his hand clattered to the floor.

Bane raced for the door.

"Let's go!" he shouted over his shoulder.

The Phindian stopped pummelling the corpse of the clone he was leaning over and fell in behind Hardeen. Rain wondered for a split second if it would be wise to follow them.

It would be easier to ride on their coattails, she thought.

She pursued them out the door and down the hall. Bane forged the way, shooting anyone who came at him. They reached a loading bay with only three guards standing watch. Bane dispatched them quickly before heading for a docked police speeder. He had it running in seconds. The Phindian climbed in next to him and Rain flung herself into the backseat with Hardeen, turning to watch through the back window as the prison was quickly lost in the distance.

I am not going to miss that place.

She turned to Hardeen and gave an awkward, half-hearted wave.

"Hi. I don't think we've met personally," she said, offering a hand in greeting, "My name is Callyn. First name is confidential."

Hardeen didn't take her hand.

"I'm glad to see you're in a more sharing mood, Miss Callyn," the Phindian spoke up, not bothering to turn his head to look at her.

"Well, you know, I figured this trip would be a little more difficult if none of you knew my name."

"That I can agree with. I am Moralo Eval. The one sitting next to you is Rako Hardeen, and you of course know Bane."

Rako leaned forward in his seat, an expression of incredulity on his face, "Wait. You two know each other?" He glanced from Rain to Cad and back again. "How? What are you to him? Or should I be afraid to ask?"

Rain drew back in her seat slightly, "Uh, I think you've got the wrong impression. Bane and I only met briefly in the Detention Centre. I'm an assassin, and my target happened to be a prisoner there."

"Sorry, I just saw a pretty girl and was surprised you knew each other at all," Hardeen said with an impish smile.

"What exactly is so surprising to you, Hardeen?" Bane demanded, sounding not at all amused.

Well, this got awkward fast.

"Okay," Rain interjected, "Now that the introductions are over, can I ask where we're headed?"

"To find a ship, and that'll be where we part, sweetie."

"Wait, what? But we're in the same speeder, heading in the same direction. We escaped together, so why don't we leave together?" Rain protested.

"As tempting as that is, darling," Bane said, "I'm afraid you're just too distracting to keep around."

There's no way I'm going back for my ship, not when I left it so close to the prison. Heck, I don't even want to look at that prison ever again! I swear, Dooku must've known this would happen and he just wanted to make my life difficult!

"I could help you," Rain persisted.

Do I even know what I'm getting myself into by saying that?

"Your enthusiasm is appreciated, Miss Callyn," Eval said, "It's a shame I won't be able to put your fine skills to use but it would seem the decision is final. You'll have to convince Bane if you want to come along."

Convince him of what? That I won't be too 'distracting'? As if he thinks he can get away with using my pretty face as an excuse to completely ignore my combative capabilities! He doesn't seriously think I'm going to fall for that, does he? That can't be the real reason why he doesn't want me around. Ugh, I wish knew what he was thinking in that stupidly smart brain of his! What are they up to? How am I supposed to gain their trust? Oh, why did I have to leave my communicator in my ship? I could clear this up with one quick call to the Count.

A docking bay was fast approaching on their right side and Bane slowed so he could pull the speeder up beside it. An unattended freighter was sitting there, its platform lowered, looking like an invitation. Cad climbed out of the speeder and the rest of them followed suit.

"As soon as we're off Coruscant, we're safe," Bane said.

Rain came to a halt, lost in thought as she contemplated what to do. She almost didn't notice when Bane stopped in front of her, but as he raised a hand she instinctively stepped back. Bane didn't seem to notice because her reaction didn't even give him pause. His thumb brushed her cheek, his hand guiding her head back until she was looking up at him.

"Don't look so sad, little lady," Bane smiled, "Maybe if you're lucky, we'll meet again."

"Ha! Unlikely," Rain said, stepping back out of his reach, "Though you could always change your mind about not bringing me along. Or you could just leave me here and I can play damsel in distress."

"Don't play that card with me, sweetie. Did you really think guilt-tripping would work on me?"

Rain frowned, "Well, I tried my best."

The smug light in Bane's eyes died, replaced by something like suspicion.

"What did you say?"

Rain looked confused, "What?"

Bane was prevented from repeating the question by the sound of Eval impatiently clearing his throat. Cad took the hint.

"Farewell, little lady," he bade, turning his back and boarding the ship with Moralo and Hardeen.

Rain didn't say anything in response, just watched as the threesome disappeared from view.

What are they up to? Why do they not want me involved?

Rain heaved a sigh.

This is a stupid idea.

She darted forward as the platform started to rise, leaping up and catching the edge of it before swinging herself up. Rolling down the smooth surface of the platform, she landed in a heap onboard.

"Ow," she muttered, pushing herself onto her feet.

It'd probably be a good idea if I made myself scarce until we're well off Coruscant.

She glanced over at the well leading up to the bridge and then over at the cargo modules on her left. That's the direction she went, heading to the furthest module in the back and tucking herself into a corner to wait.