Barryk could hear the hovertanks closing in the as they returned to the Arcapus. Kren punched in the security codes as Barryk kept a watchful eye for an ambush, and the boarding ramp came down quickly. Draven ducked and charged up the ramp, Barryk hot on his heals.
"It looked like half their TIES fighters were down for repairs." Kren told Barryk as he made his way to the tiny medial bay near the cockpit. To his growing relief his eyesight had returned, though his head throbbed like an open wound. Barryk nodded, knowing there was nothing more he could do for Rehn except get her off the planet safely. Kren was a capable field medic, but Barryk was still loathed to leave her. Leaping into the pilot's seat, he strapped in and fired up the engines without a pre-flight check. The Arcapus's engines fired to life with a roar and the repulsors raised the ship as the landing gear came up. The ship leapt forward as it rose above the trees as the TIEs from the garrison closed in.
*****
Rehn was more than content to just stay in her semi conscious state, until something pressed into her chest. The white-hot flare of pain tore a ragged scream from her throat, though it was hoarse and quiet. She had used what was left of her strength to help Barryk fight Rage, and she could barely summon the power to flail. Her mismatched eyes opened, and found herself staring into an unfamiliar face who blinked at her in surprise. The big stallion looked down at her, his hand coming up to catch her fist as she struck at him weakly.
"It's ok." He soothed, putting her wrist to the bed gently. "You're safe now. Just lie still, you're hurt."
"Don't…" she could hardly breath and her voice was little more than a whisper though it was defiantly a threat. "Don't touch me." Rehn looked down at herself and realize, in horror, that her shirt had been remove. She panicked, trying to get up while Kren tried to hold her down. "Rehn, please…." Kren tried to reason with her, though he wished she were stable enough to sedate as her spur clipped his thigh. "Rehn, you've got a hole in your chest and internal injuries. If you don't let me help you, you will die." Tears of anger, frustration and pain welled in her eyes as the glared at him and her eyes narrowed. Draven's fur prickled as the air around him became dense, and he steeled himself for the Force push that sent him into the wall. The concentration needed to perform the push drained what little power she'd had in reserve and her legs collapses as she tried to get off the bunk. Kren caught her and placed her gently on the bed, feeling his heart ache as her muscles trembled in exhaustion and pain. She lay still and semi conscious, trying to breath as tears ran down her golden cheeks. Draven examined the wound carefully, biting his lip as he saw how deeply Drakahn's sabre had burned into her left lung. He gently applied a bacta patch to seal the wound above her breast, and felt her skin crawl in revulsion at his touch. His jaw clenched, unable to imagine what Drakahn had put her through. Rehn's breathing became slightly less laboured, and he gave her a shot of mild painkiller before covering her with a warm blanket.
"You don't have to be afraid anymore, kid." He reached out to stroke her cheek comfortingly, but she pulled her face away, her eyes large and frightened. Kren pulled his hand back. He began to pack up the medical gear and tend to his minor wounds at the same time. Rehn was in bad shape, though he hadn't needed a medical scanner to tell him that, but at least he didn't have to worry about her attacking him at the moment. Draven gave a sigh and pealed the rest of his armour from his body, leaving him in sweat soaked camo fatigues and wiped the blood from his hands on a white, sterile towel. You're lucky she got you first, you bastard. Kren's cursed the dead enforcer with terms so vile he would have not uttered them allowed even in the presence of his Team Six buddies. 'Cause whatever she did to you would have been a picnic on Alderaan compared to what I would have done. The big Infiltrator felt the deck shiver slightly beneath his feet as the ship slid into hyperspace, and while he felt a great weight come off his shoulders, he was also suspicious. There had been two star destroyers orbiting the planet, and he had expected to be blow into constituent atoms during their escape, but from what he could tell, the ship had not even been harassed by TIEs. The door to the small med-bay opened and Barryk stepped in, forcing Kren to hug the wall.
"Want me to take a look at those ribs?" he offered, but Gade shook his head.
"How is she?" his voice was obviously worried as he looked at the monitoring equipment. Kren looked at him and shook his head minutely, putting a hand to his adopted brother's shoulder.
"Not good." he replied softly. Rehn seemed to have lost consciousness and her respiration was still poor. Draven reached over and put an oxygen mask over her muzzle to help her breath. "That hole in her chest goes right through her lung and back, but that's not the worst of it. She's got some deep bruising to her liver and spleen, and she's got some internal bleeding, but there's nothing I can do about it other than try to keep her comfortable. I can only try to keep her stable till we get back to the fleet. But…" Kren looked away, his head drooping "if we can't get her into a bacta tank soon, she isn't going to make it." Barryk nodded stoically at his words. He didn't need to ask about her mental state, even unconscious, her fear, hate and guilt could be felt through the Force. Though he was worried about her physical state, he knew her body would be easier to mend than her mind.
"Why don't you get cleaned up and get some rest." Barryk clapped Kren on the shoulder. "I'll stay with her." The younger soldier nodded and squeezed by Barryk to get to the door.
"Don't beat yourself up over this, Barryk." Kren said over his shoulder, pausing in the door. "You did what you thought was right."
Gade knelt by the bunk and took Rehn's limp hand in his, kissing the skinned knuckles and placing it against his forehead as his eyes squeezed shut. He wanted to touch her with the Force, but did not want to risk a mental backlash.
"I'm so sorry." He whispered, his deep voice nearly cracking in emotional pain. "I didn't know what else to do. I only pray you can forgive me in time." Tears flowed down his cheeks, only wishing she were able to respond. "Please…don't leave me."
Kren showered, redressed his wounds made his way back to the med-bay. He was used to going long periods without sleep and knowing Barryk was emotionally exhausted, wanted him to rest. He found Rehn still out, on her back on the bunk, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to breath, and Barryk sitting beside her, holding her unresponsive hand.
"Go and get cleaned up, Barryk." Kren put a hand on his shoulder "There's nothing you can do for her right now."
"I should stay with her…"
"Barryk, you're sweaty, you're covered in blood, you're hurt and you stink." Draven replied dryly. Gade looked down at himself, and realized for the first time that his clothing was splattered with browning patches of drying blood, some of it his own. Silently, he nodded and left the small room, looking back at Rehn before stepping through the door.
****
Kren sat in the warm chair and checked her pulse, his fingers at her throat. The filly's skin shivered and she groaned heavily. Her breathing had worsened and her heart rate was slowly but steadily dropping. Draven checked his watch and let out a pent up breath – they only had a few more minutes before reversion to realspace, and then Rehn would get the medical care she desperately needed. Mismatched eyes slowly opened, and she stirred slightly. Gade's head turned lethargically towards Kren, her expression incredibly tired looking.
"Who are you…" she was barely able to manage the words, and her eyes were unfocused. Everything about her spoke of a soldier who knew she was dying, and took comfort in the though, knowing it would end her suffering. Kren had seen the look many times before, but never on a face so young.
"Captain Kren Draven, Alliance Special Forces." She obviously didn't recognize him, though he hadn't expected her too. When she had been born, he and Barryk had already been in the Tay'axia Clan's elite Legion for 3 years. He had been too busy fighting off the Lakeeta and the Empire to visit his adopted parents very often, and while he had never forgotten her, she had been much to young to remember him. "Hang on Rehn, we're just a few minutes from the Fleet."
"Barryk…...?" her voice trailed of and her eyelids fluttered slightly.
"He's driving." He held her hand "Did you want to talk to him?" By the way she flattened her ears and turned her head away, he guessed 'no'.
"Thirsty….."
"I know you are kid, but I can't give you anything orally or pump anymore IV fluids into you. Just hang on a little longer, ok?" Kren was greatly relieved as he felt the ship convert to realspace, until Rehn gave a sudden hacking cough the shook her body, and the clear plastoid oxygen mask was abruptly sprayed with a thick, blue-purple mist. She tried to roll onto her side, and Kren rolled her towards him. as he pulled off the mask.
"Oh shit.. Hand on Rehn, we're almost there." He pleaded with her. Something was haemorrhaging and he couldn't stop the bleeding, he didn't have the equipment or the training. He slapped the com panel on the wall. "Barryk, get us to the Fleet's medical frigate. Now!"
"What's wrong?" Gade's voice was desperate with worry.
"Red line the damn engines if you have to." Kren tried to stop Rehn's body from convulsing from the coughing that racked her body, as blood ran in a slow flow from her nostrils and mouth. Draven heard the engines roar, though the sound was almost lost to Rehn's hacking gasps, and felt the ship leap forward.
*****
Barryk paced the corridor outside the surgery ward aboard the Alliance Medical Frigate Bright Hope. Kren sat on the deck, his knees to his chest, resting his chin on them. Neither had said a word in hours. Rehn had stopped breathing when they had boarded the ship, and the waiting medical personnel had been trying to revive her as they rushed her to the OR. After what seemed like an eternity, to Barryk at least, the chief medical officer came through the doors.
"Well?"
"She's lost a lot of blood. The internal injuries she sustained were bad, and a vein in her damaged lung began to haemorrhage. We stopped the bleeding and repaired the artery. She'll be in the tank for three or four days." he said, his voice matter-of-fact but sympathetic.
"Can I see her?" Barryk asked, his throat tight.
"They're putting her in the tank as we speak. She's out right now, under heavy sedation. She started to fight when she first came out of surgery, so we thought it would be best to keep her under." Kren got to his feet and put his arm around his friend's shoulders.
"Come on, buddy. Let's grab some coffee." he said steering Barryk away. He looked back over his shoulder "Thanks Doc." The surgeon nodded and returned to the ward.
They were not allowed to stay aboard the Hope and had to transfer their ship to the fleet flag, a MonCal starcruiser called United Front. They had just landed and were coming down the ramp when a Mon Cal ensign ran up to them.
"Major, you are to report to Ops wardroom 3."
"Right now?" Barryk asked, slightly irritable. The ensign gave him an apologetic look.
"Yesterday, sir."
The ship was large enough that is took Barryk and Kren ten minutes to find Ops w3. They strode through the door and stopped in their tracks as though they had hit a brick wall. Kren gave a snort of surprise. General Airen Craken leaned back against the battered old desk that dominated the room, his eyes cold and glowering in their direction. Barryk felt his stomach turn cold.
"Welcome back, gentlemen." Those where his words, though there was not hint of welcome in them. Both Thalcein snapped to rigid attention, ready for a royal ass-chewing.
"Imagine my surprise when, while with fleet on a totally different set of affairs, I happen to wind up on the one ship in the galaxy you two deserters show up on." He said shaking his head at the coincidence. Neither Thalcein spoke, or looked at him, their eyes boring into the wall behind him.
"You." Craken said, getting to his feet and pointing his finger at the much taller Barryk "You desert. Then you have the nerve to ask for classified intelligence to attack a target that has be considered too heavily fortified, albeit with little strategic value at the moment, to bother with." Craken then pointed his finger at Kren accusingly.
"And you Captain." the man's eyes narrowed "You desert, steal a starship and hack into the Alliances SpecForce computer database to download classified material. I am seriously not impressed with you. I trusted you and you betrayed that trust. I do not like to be betrayed." He stepped away from them and back to the desk, sitting heavily in the chair behind it. He looked at them for a long moment before speaking again. "I want a full report of your actions on my desk by 0230. Debriefing will be at 0700."
Barryk blinked. He had expected much worse, not that having your Commanding Officer yell at you and question your loyalty to the cause wasn't bad enough. Kren was as surprised as Barryk.
"Yes, sir." they barked in unison.
"How is Rehn doing, Barryk?" Craken asked, looking up form his data pad. Gone was the fire and brimstone, replaced by genuine concern.
"Physically she'll be ok. Mentally? She's been through a lot in the last 4 weeks. She's going to need time."
Craken nodded. He didn't want to ask, but he had to "Do you think they broke her?" Barryk knew the question was coming. Craken had to think of the secrecy and safety of the Alliance.
"She wasn't able to speak when I got to her." Barryk replied, and Craken looked into his steel gray eyes a long moment. Gade could see the pain and regret in the General's eyes, though he otherwise hid it well.
"Very well. Dismissed." The two Thalcein turned to go "Good work, gentlemen." Barryk and Kren looked over their shoulders and nodded thanks, then retreated through the door.