*Sigh*... A short yet important, rather depressing chapter ahead...

Chapter 22~Submission

"Don't! Please! No more! I'll never do it again I swear I---"

"Stop that! You saw this coming!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Stop! Please!"

"Learn reverence and I will consider it!!"

"What do you want from me!?"

"Give me respect! I am tired of your lack of it!"

"You don't deserve it! I'm sick of seeing your revolting face! Let me go!!...............................

Athela was only remotely aware of her surroundings as she came to. She remembered yelling something at General Grievous, then losing consciousness. She moaned; everything hurt. She raised a weak hand to her head, and brought it away covered in blood. Looking around without sitting up, she knew she was in her room, but not in her corner. It took her only a second to realize that someone had just dumped her on the floor, right inside the door, bleeding and comatose. Athela tried to get up, but only managed to prop herself up on one arm before pain overtook her and she fell back to the cold floor. She wasn't sure, but from the numbness, one of her legs was broken; and she had a concussion beyond a shadow of a doubt. She felt like someone was still pounding on her skull, over and over.

Despite her pain, she blocked it out, as she had been taught, when training back on her homeworld, and stood---supporting herself on her good leg.

Athela then came to a decision. Through all the agony, misfortune and blood, she knew she had to go make things right before the whole issue got worse. She would just continue to be hurt unless she did something about it anyway, so it could only help her chances...maybe put her on Grievous's good side for once...? Who am I kidding...after all he's done to me...

She began to limp along, not putting much pressure on her injured leg, but having little choice otherwise.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Grievous was unhappy.

And when the general was in such a state, he made sure everyone else went away miserable as well---a small token of his appreciation.

So when he heard the doors sliding open, he went over all viable ways of verbal affliction he could invoke for the unlucky individual who dared disturb him when he was trying to rest. It wasn't the fact that he had just been overly abusive towards the Kaleesh woman, nor was it some sort of mental conflict that he had. It was simply a bad day for the cyborg general. He looked towards the entrance and his eyes opened fully, widening. There, standing at the head of his residence, was her.

She was barely able to hold herself up, and stumbled up to the stairs. He just observed without a word, not sympathetic over the damage he had caused whatsoever. It was pitiful really, watching such a strong willed woman sink to one knee, her other leg bent awkwardly, before she could get down the first step. It seemed as though for one, quick moment, Grievous considered helping her, but that would have been too contradictory to what he had just done, so he didn't. He would never admit it, but as he viewed this struggle, he actually felt something. Empathy perhaps? No. That couldn't be it...

He continued to watch her, until she was able to get to her feet, and stagger down the rest of the stairs, right up to him. She appeared to give up, and crumpled to the floor, practically face down before him. Grievous tilted his head, unsure of what she was doing.

The next action on her part astounded him.

Weakly, she elevated a hand skyward in his direction, breathing strenuous, and raised two fingers. Capable only of doing this, she said in a voice very unlike her own, "You...caused such damage...You have justified...my respect..."

Perplexed, Grievous found himself nodding in agreement to this. A strange feeling began to come over him, and in a nearly overcome voice, he said, "Why have you done this?"

"It is the least...I could do...for---"

That was all she got in before she fell motionless.

Grievous was at a loss. He merely sat there, as stiff as a board, with his head cocked to the side. He blinked. What just happened...? But then, he came back to reality. There on the floor in front of him, lay Athela, face down and unconscious. Should he have been more of a compassionate person, he would have offered to help her before she lost consciousness. He wasn't.

Craning his neck out slightly, he confirmed that her one leg must be critically broken by the way it was twisted around misshapenly. He eyed her a moment before standing, covering the distance between them in a few steps, and picking her up...