33
Tycho leaned against the hatchway of the small, dimly lit medical bay. It was the same room that he had been in just a couple of days before when Hobbie had been the one in the bacta tank. Now another of his friends was floating in the pale green liquid.
With a deep breath, he pushed off the door jamb and entered the room, walking over to where a tall, well built man stood in half an Imperial uniform, with his jacket and undershirt missing and replaced by a hospital tunic. He was one of the few people in the quiet room. The techs were off to one side, reviewing data as it scrolled across a dozen screens. Ajene was asleep on one of the beds on the far side of the room. The glow of soft green light from the bacta tank gave her copper hair peculiar highlights.
Tycho returned his attention to the former Imperial Lieutenant, who was staring into the tank. Tycho wasn't sure, however, if he was really looking at Wedge. He looked to be deep in thought and seemed startled when he finally noticed Tycho. He nodded to him and returned his attention to the tank.
"I'm told you were wounded," Tycho said by way of starting a conversation. "How're you doing?"
"All right. They wanted to dunk me in a tank as well, but I refused. A couple of bacta bandages and some pain medication and I'm good as new."
Tycho smiled at the contemptuous tone in his voice. Doctors are always the worst patients.
"I don't think we've met," the man continued, finally turning to face Tycho. "I'm Tonar Heblon."
He held out his hand and Tycho gave it a firm shake. He noticed that Heblon had purposely chosen not to use his rank, so he followed suit. "Tycho Celchu."
Tycho held on to Heblon's hand a few moments longer than necessary, covering it with his other hand. "I wanted to thank you for taking care of Wedge. You took a huge risk for him. Not to mention a hit to the shoulder, I hear."
Tycho finally released Heblon's hand, and the older man shrugged. The movement was made a little awkward by his wound. "It was something I had to do. I'm just glad I was finally able to be of some use."
There was a minute or two of silence between them, the only sound in the room the bubbling of the bacta and the beeps of monitoring equipment.
"How long has he been in the tank?" Tycho eventually asked.
"About an hour and a half. He seems to be responding well to the treatment. The medics say that he should make a full recovery with no lasting physical side-effects, just some minor scarring."
"I'm glad to hear that," Tycho said as he approached the tank and laid a hand on it. He felt warmth bleed through the transparisteel and couldn't help but remember his own time spent bobbing in bacta. He guessed it was something that all pilots did at some point or another.
He looked at Wedge as he hung there, suspended in the neutral buoyancy of the bubbles. His face was all but obscured by the breathing apparatus and sensors that had been placed on his chest and arms to monitor his life signs. Tycho could see some of the wounds on his back as he twisted and turned in the currents. It was a grisly sight.
Tycho spun and returned his attention to Heblon. "I'll be heading out on a patrol with the squadron in ten minutes or so. A fleet should be arriving in another few hours, and then the Paladin and Provider will be heading out to Thyferra with Rogue Squadron and the Venture. Wedge's treatment will continue there, and then the squadron will escort him back to Coruscant."
"You want to know if I want to stay here or return with you to the New Republic."
"I suppose."
"It's been a long time since I've been able to make my own choices." Heblon walked slowly over to the tank, coming up to Tycho's right.
The Colonel winced. "I'm not sure how much of a choice you have in this situation. Intelligence will want to debrief you as soon as possible, especially with the Querulous still out there somewhere. But after that, I'm sure that the New Republic will welcome you. You'll be able to go anywhere you want. You could even practice medicine again."
"It's an idea that's been running through my mind with increasing frequency recently, ever since Wedge landed in my lap." He nodded to the man in the tank who had most likely changed Heblon's life forever. "He made me re-evaluate everything about myself and the life I was leading. Because of him I was challenged by choices that I never thought I'd have the chance to make."
"So you want to come with us, then?"
Heblon looked at the tank, then down at Tycho. "Yes."
Tycho smiled. "I'll inform command and have them make the necessary arrangements." He offered his hand to him again. "Looks like Wedge has given you a chance to start your life over again. Welcome to the New Republic."
Heblon nodded and smiled as Tycho released his hand. The Colonel then moved to leave, but he stopped and turned back towards Heblon just before reaching the door, and saw him touch the transparisteel of the tank. He could have sworn he heard Heblon say something towards Wedge in the tank. It sounded very much like "My turn to thank you, I guess."
Tycho shrugged and headed off at a jog towards the hangar bay where his X-wing awaited him.
Corran's X-wing streaked over the hull of the New Republic Star Destroyer Reliance. He inverted, his canopy facing the top of the ship, then headed down and under the V-shaped bow, completing a lazy loop. He evened out and headed back towards the Paladin.
He stifled a yawn with the back of his gloved hand, and his pointed his ship towards the hangar. The rest of Three Flight had already gone in ahead of him, but with such little space available, he had to wait his turn while his fellow Rogues wedged themselves into their allotted spaces.
It had been about seven hours since they had gotten Wedge off the planet. For the last five of those hours, Rogue Squadron had been flying patrol, occasionally hitting ground targets as Elscol and her group found pockets of resistance on the planet. Between that, the extended dogfight over the planet, and his Force-driven vision the previous evening, he felt as if he hadn't slept in weeks.
Now that the small New Republic fleet had arrived, it was time for the two Mon Calamari cruisers, as well as the Errant Venture, to head back to Thyferra. There, Wedge would continue his recovery and Rogue Squadron would get some well-earned downtime before heading back to Coruscant and their regular duties.
Nawara Ven's voice crackled through Corran's comm unit, startling him. "Rogue Nine, Control here. We're all waiting on you, Corran. When you're done with your fancy flying, can you get your ship back in here?" There was a tone of amusement in Nawara's voice, and Corran couldn't help but smile.
"Nine here. I'm making my approach now."
"Be careful Nine—pretty crowded in there."
"Thanks for the warning, Control. I'll keep my eyes open." At least I'll try.
Although there was much more space available in the Venture's hangar, Corran, Tycho, Hobbie, and Wes had insisted on staying on the Paladin, wanting to stay close to Wedge during the journey to Thyferra. Ajene, Mirax, and the Skate were also staying on board. I'd like to meet the nerf for brains who'd try to keep me from my wife!
The rest of the squadron, amidst some grumbling, was docking with the Venture, and they would all rendezvous on Thyferra once they reached it.
Corran's ship passed through the magcon field and he switched to repulsorlifts. Using his etheric rudder pedals, he maneuvered his X-wing towards a free space to the left of the Pulsar Skate, setting it down gently on the deck.
His canopy cracked and hissed as the pocket of atmosphere within his cockpit was released. He removed his helmet and gloves before attacking his stinging eyes with his fingers. Yup, I definitely gotta get some sleep.
As a tech approached with a ladder, he saw Mirax come running across the hangar, threading her way past machinery and under the S-foils of the three other X-wings. Just as he reached the bottom of the ladder, she reached his fighter. She ran into his arms, nearly knocking him over, and kissed him fiercely on the mouth. He kissed her back then took her hands in his. "How's Wedge doing?"
"Better." She stood at arm's length and looked at him. "You, however, look terrible."
"Thanks, sweetheart; I always look forward to your warm welcomes." He rubbed at his temples. He was getting a headache, perhaps in part because the same melody kept running through his mind, over and over again.
She slapped him across the belly, and his hands dropped to protect himself. "I mean you look tired. Let's get you to bed." She took one of his hands and led him across the hangar.
"That's all you ever think about. Getting me into bed," he said as he staggered along behind her.
Mirax gave him a crooked grin over her shoulder. "I was right all those years ago when we first met. All you flyboys ever think about is sex." They entered the corridor that led to the rest of the ship and she looked over at him. "What are you humming? It sounds familiar."
"I have this stupid tune stuck in my head and I can't get rid of it. It's been there off and on for the last day or so."
"I hate that."
"Me, too, most especially since I don't even know what song it is."
Reaching the quarters that had been assigned to them, Corran opened the door and followed Mirax in. He didn't even wait to take off his flightsuit, dropping face first onto the bed. He felt a slight vibration as she dropped down onto the bed beside him.
"Hum a bit of it."
He rolled onto his side and looked at her as she sat cross-legged on the bunk. "You've heard me sing. Are you really sure you want me to?"
"It sounded familiar. Maybe if I can figure out what it is, we can drive it from your thick skull."
"Worth a try, I guess." He hummed for a few seconds as Mirax listened. She looked deep in thought then recognition blossomed on her face.
"Now I know where I've heard it before. It's a Corellian lullaby."
"A lullaby?" Corran rolled his eyes. "Even my subconscious brain is telling me that it's time to sleep."
"You don't understand. That specific lullaby...Zena Antilles used to sing it to Wedge and I sometimes at bedtime when we were little kids."
Corran sat up. "Wedge's mom?" He thought for a moment, then groaned and fell back into his pillow. "Now I remember. When I sensed Wedge in my dream, he was thinking about his mother and she was singing that lullaby. That must be where I picked it up."
Mirax lay down beside Corran, laying her head on his chest. "Wedge misses his parents a lot. His thoughts usually turn to them when he's depressed. Or hurt."
"I know how he feels. When I was being held prisoner on the Lusankya, I thought a lot about my father—and about you."
She moved up towards him and kissed him. "I'll have to ensure that you always think of me." She reached past his shoulder and turned off the light.