Fortunately I see my views number still going up or I'd be worried about the lack of reviews. Holiday weekend gave me some extra time to type and I managed to get this done.
Chapter 27
Knowing that her friend wasn't going to wake up very soon, Starfire took the time to meditate some more. Since she had gone to the VELANC'R it was one of the things that she missed. That and watching the sunrise and set with her two best friends. What surprised her was that she didn't realize how much she enjoyed both watching the beginning and ending of each day, and meditating. After the events of the last few days, Starfire realized that she needed to relax. Her inability to slow her thoughts down and look at the situation critically was more than enough proof of that to her. She shuddered to think what her instructors would have thought seeing her like that.
"A racing, distracted mind means a slow weapon or hand." they had drilled into her time and time again. Her first taste of what they meant came when the Gordanians made their ultimatum. She had decided not to break her routine and went to her swordsmanship practice with Kim'r, and for the first time, the older warrior gave her a drubbing that she bitterly remembered to this day.
It took Starfire a moment, but she realized that Raven's taking a deeper breath had pulled her from the light trance she had reached. Just as she floated down to the chair in the room Raven moaned softly.
"Mmmm, ugh. Starfire?" she asked weakly her voice muffled by the oxygen mask that covered her nose and mouth. "Why are you here and not with Robin?"
"The doctors say that he will not wake up for a couple more hours, and there is something I wish to discuss with you before I face him, Shalay'fa."
Raven used the time it took for her to raise the head of her bed to a sitting position to try to figure out what was going on between her two friends. Starfire's use of the phrase 'face him', together with her addressing her as Shalay'fa told her that something was amiss between the two, and she couldn't think of what it was. During the rescue, and fire fighting that had gone on, she could feel Robin's pride in how Starfire was handling things, and she didn't know of anything that would have changed that.
"What is it?" she asked, then listened as Starfire explained about the last events at the burning building, and what happened when she asked Robin for his forgiveness for not rescuing them before the civilians. "And he said no?"
"Right as he was drifting back into unconsciousness."
Starfire, the semi-conscious mind is tricky. He may have been trying to say something more, or may not have even understood the question."
"Do you blame me for putting off rescuing you, or for being the cause of your injuries?"
"Not at all. You acted as you saw fit, and in keeping with what we have trained for. Although hitting Cyborg with a star bolt was a little much."
Starfire blushed to the roots of her hair. "His grip is most strong, it was the only way I could think of to get him to let go of me. Besides, it was not a full powered one." She paused for a few moment, thinking things over. "I thank you, Shalay'fa, your thoughts on this have made me feel much better. Now if you will excuse me, I promised Beast Boy that I would notify him upon your awakening."
"Why would you promise him that?"
Starfire's eyes glittered as she giggled softly. "Because he was almost faster than I was to go to rescue you after the explosion. He morphed into a hawk, and Cyborg barely got hold of his legs as he tried to fly up to you."
"He did that?"
Starfire nodded, "The pain in his voice, thinking you were possibly dead, matched the pain in mine thinking the same for Robin." She was silent for a moment, gauging Raven's reaction then added, "Shalay'fa I know you say you do not care much for him, except for friendship, but I believe his feelings for you may run deeper and stronger."
Having said that, Starfire recognized the look on her friend's face and decided to let the matter drop, and she left the room to let Cyborg and Beast Boy know she was awake.
Two days later, Starfire was back on the roof alone with her thoughts when Raven appeared beside her. "This isn't really dealing with it, you know."
Starfire glanced over at her, and sighed. "I know, but I am not sure if I want to know what his response will be."
"Star, you owe it to him to at least let him know what's bothering you.
Meanwhile, down in Robin's room Cyborg and Robin were discussing Starfire.
"Why is she avoiding me Cy? I know she's been here, but every time I wake up I'm either alone or you're here."
"Okay if she's only here when you're asleep, how do you know she's been here?"
"Strawberries. Star uses a strawberry scented shampoo, and soap and the scent, while not overpowering, lingers. And before you ask Doctor Benson uses an orange scented shampoo, and Nurse Ramsey uses a melon scented one like Beast Boy's."
"She's confused Rob, and for that matter so am I. Her decision to bring the three civilians to safety first then go back for you and Rae was the right one to make, but why won't you forgive her for making it?"
"Huh?"
"When you woke up for a few moments you asked Star if all the people had been rescued, and she told you that they were then asked you to forgive her for getting them first, and you said no."
Robin rubbed at his forehead his face a study in confusion. "Cy I don't remember that conversation at all, and if I did, I would have said something like that there was nothing to forgive. Cy, I've got to see her. Well, in a manner of speaking. She's obviously avoiding me because she thinks I'm going to blame her for this," he said, touching the bandages over his eyes."
"Okay Rob I get your point, but do you realize that the only thing you've got on right now is one of those lace up the back hospital gowns?"
Robin sat there blushing as his legs hung over the side of the bed. "Then get me my clothes and let me get dressed."
"What's going on here?" Dr. Benson demanded when she came in to find Robin completely dressed with Cyborg tying his boots.
"I'm going to see Starfire, or at least go to where she is. The only injury I have is to my eyes, so I see no reason why I can't move around."
Linda sighed then nodded, and Cyborg resumed tying.. "Alright, and I'm only agreeing because I know that you will go even if I don't. Another thing working in your favor is that there is someone with her if you run into a problem.
"So Cy, where is she?" Robin asked taking out a bo staff, and extending it to use as a cane.
"If we were at the Tower where would she be?"
Robin smiled, "The roof."
Starfire was on the roof, but despite what Linda thought, she was alone. "Sher'l I thought I told you that I did not wish to be disturbed." she said when she heard the creak of the hinges to the stairway door.
Robin took his hand off Cyborg's arm and took a step forward. "Not even by me?" He smiled when he heard Star's surprised and happy gasp.
"Robin! It is good to see you relatively well."
"Yeah, well these will come off in two weeks and I'll be good as new."
"So Doctor Kingman believes, but is not certain," Star said as she watched Robin walk over to her, his feet somehow knowing when to step up over the cables and such that ran across the roof. All except one which caught his toe and tripped him. Fortunately, he was close enough to her that she was able to catch him.
He kept his hand on her shoulder as he steadied himself then drew her into a hug. "Oh that feels good," he whispered into her ear as he felt her arms encircle him. "Kori, I'm so sorry about the misunderstanding that's kept you away from me for the last two days."
"Misunder. . . .then you do not blame me for what happened?"
Robin sighed as his fingers traced over her cheek. "How can I blame you for making the right decision, the same one I would have made in that situation? My love I am so proud of how you handled things."
"Thank you, but all I did was what we trained to do."
"But you've never trained to be the one in charge, and, as I knew you would, you filled the role with a natural grace and confidence."
Star smiled as she hugged him again, then felt him stiffen in the embrace. "What is it?"
"We're not alone," Robin replied as he stepped away from her, his bo staff raised defensively as he turned in the direction of an air conditioning unit "Who's there!" he called, then heard Starfire's gasp.
"It is Teranc'r," she whispered to him.
"I am here under the rules of parlay, ruthasha. Your weapon dishonors me."
With an effort, Robin lowered his staff, and returned it to use as a cane to sweep the area before him for obstacles. "It's hard to dishonor someone like you." he muttered.
"What is it you wish to say?"
"I will admit Koriand'r that is one thing I do admire about you. Your directness. I am here to ask for your unconditional abdication from the throne, otherwise I can not be responsible for events that will occur."
"You do not seriously think that I will agree, do you?"
"No, Koriand'r, I expect that you will not," he replied with a touch of admiration in his voice. "To be honest, you have turned out to be more of an adversary that I had expected. On another subject taking the boy and putting him in hiding may be working for the moment, but I will track him down and bring him back to the fleet."
"You will not harm him!" Sher'l's voice shouted from by the doorway.
"Sherana, no!" Starfire called. "He is protected by the rules of parlay."
Robin heard Starfire sigh softly as he heard Sher'l power down her star bolts. "Have you said what you came here to say?"
"All but this, ruthasha. As I said, Koriand'r had proved to be more of an adversary that we thought, but you have gone beyond anything we may have imagined. We will not make that mistake again."
"He is gone," Starfire said, letting Robin know, even though she had an idea that he already knew.
"Star, do you think you could visit me while I'm awake, so I have more than the scent of your shampoo to tell me you've been there?" He smiled when he felt her hand take his and they headed back to his room.
"And just where have you been?" Nurse Ramsey demanded when Robin walked into his room.
Stopping, he slid his arm around Starfire's waist, and turned toward that source of the voice. "On the roof, talking to Starfire, with Doctor Benson's permission."
"I wish she had left a note," she muttered, then turned to Starfire. "Now I have at least part of an idea what you went through the other day," she said as she helped Robin back to sit on his bed and started taking his pulse and respirations.
Robin knew that his questioning look had been correctly directed when Starfire spoke. "In keeping with hospital rules she removed your medallion, and crystal, giving me quite the fright, I am not ashamed to admit."
Robin reached out his hand to give Starfire a sympathetic squeeze, and when he realized just where his hand had made contact with her, he quickly lowered it to her waist. "Sorry," he whispered. "I can just imagine what you felt, or more correctly didn't feel."
"You have no idea, my love," Star whispered in his hear then kissed him on the cheek. "For several terrifying minutes I feared that you had died. As I told friend Cyborg, and Doctor Linda, I had not realized just how much feeling our bond has grown to mean to me."
"And me as well, my love, the last two days I've been thinking that you had taken some lessons from Raven, but she denied it, so I figured you were using what mind focusing techniques you learned on Tamaran to keep yourself focused on anything but me so I couldn't use the link to find out what was wrong. I was beginning to think that you didn't want to see me with these." he said, touching his bandages.
He felt the mattress on his right compress as Star sat beside him, her arm going around his shoulders. "It will take more than simple blindness to drive me from you gentha'fa, even if it turns out not to be temporary." Star was slightly surprised to feel Robin shudder slightly at that comment. Had she not been holding him close, she wouldn't have felt it that sensation was so slight, but she had, and she knew that deep down, Robin realized that at the end of the two weeks he may not have his sight back.
"Well I'm glad that the two of you are now talking again," Linda said as she came into the room. "Robin, how would you like to spend the rest of your recovery time at Titan Tower?" She almost laughed as Robin's face lit up almost like Starfire's did when she heard his voice.
"Are you serious? That would be great."
"Does he not need the attention of a doctor?"
"I have it on good authority that he will be well looked after," Linda said, as Sher'l came out from behind her.
"Sher'l, what have you been telling Doctor Benson?"
"Nothing untrue, Highness. Just that I am sure that between the two of us he will not overwork himself or leave the Tower."
Starfire smiled fondly at Sher'l and nodded her head in agreement. "Yes Sherana I do believe that we will be up to that challenge. Oh and do not think this will be an easy task. Robin is not one to simply lay around the Tower doing nothing. He will try to sneak past us and either find a way to do research on the computer or train."
That had been two days ago, and true to Starfire's predictions Robin was now standing in one of the less used training rooms, standing in the middle of a circle of five heavy bags, his bo staff at the ready. A nudge of a button at his feet started the bags swinging slightly and he stood still for a moment, concentrating, then swung his staff and was gratified to hear the thwack of it hitting one of the bags. After about five minutes a buzzer sounded, and the bags slowly stopped swinging.
"Shalocfa! What in X'Hal's name do you think you are doing!" Sher'l demanded. "The Princess has everyone turning the Tower upside down looking for you!"
She watched as Robin turned toward her, smiling as he collapsed his staff, and walked over to her. "Sherana, lies do not become you. At this moment Koriand'r is in her room, taking a shower. You are just concerned that she would discover that I had gotten past you and was here."
"I'm very glad that you find this so amusing, but the Princess has tasked me with making sure that you do not overtire yourself, and to find you here doing what you were is not . . . .why are you laughing?"
Robin knelt on his right knee and motioned Sher'l over to him. After a moment he reached out and put his hand on her shoulder then gave her a hug. "I'm sorry Sher'l, I promise that the next time I come her, I will invite you," he told her, then his head snapped up, and he quickly stood, gently pushing her behind him. Once he had done that he drew his staff again and extended it. "Who's there?" he asked, taking a defensive stance.
The newcomer stood just inside the doorway, about three feet from Robin, her brown eyes glowing with admiration and pride. Seeing Robin's bandaged eyes looking directly at her was unnerving, and she smiled when she realized that he had pushed Sher'l behind him to protect her.
"I said, who's there, answer me." Robin said then without a word of warning he lunged forward, smiling in satisfaction when he felt his staff strike home.
"X'Hal, Robin, I surrender! How did you do that?"
"Kim'r!" Robin cried happily, dropping his guard, and collapsing his staff again. "Where did I hit you?"
"Left forearm guard, but only just, or you would have gotten the left side of my head." she replied, and noticed Robin's satisfied nod. "I ask again, how did you do that?"
"Some of the training I've had taught me that my eyes can be deceived, and not to trust them, also being able to fight in complete darkness gives me an advantage, all the more so now."
"How good can you be, unable to see?"
"Care to find out?" Robin asked, tossing a staff to her, aiming it so it went straight at her face.
"I shall use none of my powers, Shalocfa."
"Thank you. Sher'l go over to the bench by the door please." Taking a deep breath he brought his staff to the ready position. "Shall we?"
"Indeed," Kim'r replied, taking a defensive stance. "Who. . ." she began, but cut off as she suddenly found herself on the defensive. She was amazed not at the power of Robin's strikes, but at the accuracy and speed. 'Let us see how he does at defense.' she thought to herself and swung her staff at him, to find the blow blocked. After letting Robin get the first series of blows in Kim'r went on the offensive, but found that although Robin was able to drive her back with his attack, she could not return the favor as Robn stood his ground, and parried everything she threw at him.
She winced inwardly as she threw one more blow and over extended her follow through. How Robin knew it, she didn't know, but the impact of his staff just above the back of her knees threw her onto her back, and she found the end of his staff touching her throat. "Pe rochena, shovaka."
Stepping straight back Robin collapsed his staff and returned it to it's place on his belt. That done, he stepped back forward and offered his hand to help Kim'r up. Thinking to surprise him she grabbed his hand and pulled her legs sweeping to knock his from under him.
That's not quite how it worked. Robin went with the pull on his hand and went into a forward roll, twisting his body as he rolled flat on the floor, rising quickly he slapped at the inside of Kim'r's elbow and put her in a hammer lock. "Va shu rochena roka, Shovaka? Do you surrender now Warrior?"
"Covatchu! Enough!" Starfire shouted from the doorway. "X'Hal Robin I expected you to come here to train, but not this, not so soon after your release from the hospital. What of your promise to me to relax?"
"He is not entirely to blame, Highness," Kim'r said, knowing to address her properly when she was this angry. "I was curious as to how well he could fight without his ability to see, and he was most instructive," she added, shaking her arm to ease the wrenched joints. "But you are correct he has worked enough for today."
This time she took Robin's help and regained her feet. "Let this be a lesson to you, young one," she said to Sher'l, "even with an obvious advantage, never underestimate your opponent." She draped her arm over Robin's shoulders, chuckling softly. "Even the most experienced of us need reminding of that from time to time. Robin, how about a glass of xanefa?"
"You have some?" Starfire asked, and the tone told Robin that it was either rare or much prized.
"Two bottles, so I guess I can include the two of you as well." as they walked down the hall, she looked at Robin again and shook her head. "Shalocfa, you never cease to amaze me."
"I got that same impression from Teranc'r the other day," Robin said, then related the events on the hospital roof, and he was surprised at the growl he heard from the older warrior.
"I apologize that he is still loose among the fleet, but he has an extensive network of those sympathetic to him and with their help, he has been able to evade capture." Robin heard the sound of a door sliding open, and they entered the room. "Ah good, you are here Titan Cyborg. Koriand'r, you and Robin have a seat, while I get the xanefa."
"It is a beverage made from the juice of several fruits on Tamaran," Starfire explained. "It is supposed to be non-alcoholic, but the combination of the juices has an odd effect if too much is ingested at one time. Also, this far from Tamaran it is very hard to get."
Robin heard the clinking of glasses then the soft pop of a cork being withdrawn from a bottle. A moment later a glass was placed in his hand. "To Emperor Galfore." Kim'r said as a toast, and he, Starfire and Sher'l echoed her, then he tentatively sipped the liquid.
He immediately recognized the cranberry like tang of zorka berries, but the others he had no idea of, but the overall flavor was delicious. After taking a good swallow, he balanced the glass on his knee. "Kim'r do you know if Devon'r has had any meeting with Galfore since the VELANCE'R reached orbit?"
Kim'r nodded, then realized that Robn couldn't see it. "Yes several times in fact. I have been there each time."
"Has there been any further news of Blackfire?"
"Komand'r? What news would there be of her?"
"Her location for one thing," Starfire said.
"You mean there has been no mention of her to Galfore by Devon'r since he briefed us?"
"No, none. Why would there be?"
The room was silent for a moment, and Robin took another sip of his juice as he thought. "What do you know of how this war started?"
"Several Salvainian ships vanished on their supply runs, and Kor'mel sent us a declaration of war because of that."
"Did any video accompany the declaration?"
"Not that Galfore or I have been shown"
"Cy, can you bring it up on the screen in here?"
"Sure thing, gimmie a sec." Robin heard Cyborg tapping on some keys. "Easy as pie seeing as we're in Operations.
The room fell silent again as the video played itself out, and it stretched further as Kim'r worked through her amazement at what she saw. "X'Hal, no wonder Kor'mel is so certain that we are responsible. Robin, what does this have to do with Komand'r?"
"The color of the star bolts on the video. They're purple, which, according to Devon'r, are rare among your people. The Titans happen to know first hand that Blackfire's are purple."
"And according to Devon'r she was last seen in the Zendiri system not long before the ships started vanishing. I know I am not in the Intelligence Division, but that is too much of a coincidence."
"I agree," Kim'r said her mind racing furiously at the implications she now had before her. "There is a chance that Devon'r has passed this on to Galfore, but I am very uncomfortable with the fact that this has been kept from me." She was silent for a moment. "Highness, when could you be back aboard the flagship?"
"That would depend. Robin's bandages are not due to be removed for another week, and it is not a certain thing that he will be able to see when they are."
Kim'r nodded her understanding. "Robin has a communicator that connects directly with me. Contact me as soon as you know how his eyes are, and plan on returning to the VELANCE'R as soon as possible after that, even blind he will still be able to protect you." She drained her glass, then looked at Cyborg. "I know that I can trust them with information like this, and after working with you in trying to uncover who attacked Koriand'r I feel I can trust you as well."
"I am no threat Commander, I have no desire to have any contact with Teranc'r at all."
"I would take your word of honor on this, Sher'l."
"She has already given it to me, Kim'r"
"Very well then, until you return to the flagship, be always alert, and do nothing reckless. I will ferry down the ships for your guard, Robin." she said, then the meeting broke up.