There was a saying where if you felt pain then that meant you were not dead. Amid the pain that drummed in her nerves and muscles she felt something hard and cold beneath her, at least Nathrrya thought it was beneath her. Maybe it was behind her? She didn't know. She groaned as she raised an arm up to her face and rubbed at her forehead. There were other sounds and movement around her that she was only partially aware of, but her mind went to only one thing.
"Tara? Where are you? Are you okay?" Nathrrya knew the younger woman was near - she had coughed - so she tried to inch her way towards her friend.
"I'm here… spast! Nat, I can't see!"
Tara felt herself fall and she had been on her hands and knees. When she opened her eyes she was met with a dim, shadowy vision of her surroundings but her head was pounding and her ears were ringing. She felt sick and regretted allowing herself to just fall onto her side as she was about ready to vomit. Slowly she groped around the ground to find Nathrrya and eventually she touched her friend's hand.
"Both of you are experiencing hibernation sickness," a deep male voice said above them. Both girls stiffened, doing their best to awaken their senses but they were still under the effects of their condition. "You have both been frozen in carbonite for an unknown period of time. Your sight and normal functions should return in a couple of hours."
Tara and Nathrrya frowned and moved closer to one another, more for the sake of security rather than in fear. The male's voice didn't sound like he came from Zakuul and neither did it sound like it was Republic. There was an ounce of Imperial to the sound of his voice, but it was slight.
"Who might you be?" Nathrrya asked, her guard up as much as she could have it. She heard the man chuckle amusingly.
"Oh, goodness! Where are my manners? I am Doctor Malavai Lokin, Chief Medical Officer of the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimera. Welcome aboard!"
"What…? I've never heard of a Star Destroyer." Tara's confusion was evident on her features even though she nor Nathrrya could see it. It was heard.
"I wasn't aware that the navy had any new classes of warship," Nathrrya said.
"We don't know how long we've been frozen," Tara said, only loud enough for Nathrrya to hear.
"Yeah… that's what worries me." Nathrrya was able to see some shapes among the darkness and slowly she made her way to her feet. She wobbled but gained her composure and helped Tara to her feet. Both girls were still very weak so they held onto each other for stability.
The sound of an opening door and boots on metal greeted their ears. "I am Grand Admiral Thrawn," a commanding voice stated upon entrance. "Your worry is well founded."
"Yeah, no shit," Tara spit. Nathrrya gripped Tara's arm with a warning which quieted the younger woman.
The Grand Admiral studied the two women thoughtfully before continuing, allowing the statement to slide considering the circumstances. "My forces discovered your carbonite blocks in the remains of what looked to be a prison that was located along the Unknown Regions of wild space. The research department are amid their investigation and analysis of the carbonite you were recovered from."
Both women frowned at the news but little by little the effects were wearing away. They still held onto one another regardless. Nathrrya puzzled at the sound of the Grand Admiral's accent as she felt she'd heard it somewhere before.
"Aren't you a Chiss, sir?" she asked. "I recall your accent as it sounds vaguely familiar."
Grand Admiral Thrawn regarded the red head and nodded his head slowly, impressed. "That's most intriguing. You were able to deduce my species by merely listening to my accent? Rather incredible, if I may say."
"Hardly," Tara spoke up. "The Chiss Ascendancy and Sith Empire have been allies for many years. Surely you'd know that, Grand Admiral."
He watched them carefully and glanced over at Dr. Lokin. Very interesting… "You said Sith Empire… may we know who you are?"
"I am Lord Nathrrya Therin, heir to House Palatine and Sith Master. This is K'natara Synge. She's… my apprentice."
All things considered, Tara would have argued this point. But since she couldn't see and was extremely weak, she felt in no position to correct what her friend was saying and only nodded affirmation at the words spoken.
"You're both fully trained Sith?" Dr. Lokin mused aloud. "This just gets curiouser and curiouser. Grand Admiral, sir, considering they are still weak with hibernation sickness and are most likely in need of medical attention, I would like to request to hold off on any other questioning until they are more settled. It's only fair to them and it would beneficial for us. They may cooperate more with us if they were comfortable."
"I second that," Tara said.
Grand Admiral Thrawn considered the request and looked between the three before him. He would rather complete it now and get his report put together sooner rather than later, but sometimes the Doctor wasn't a complete quack. Truthfully, the girls looked dreadful and they didn't seem to be dangerous beyond the fact that he had two potentially dangerous Sith on his hands. They can't be worse than Vader, he thought to himself.
"Very well. Dr. Lokin, you may see to their needs. Get them any medical attention they may require. I'll have some fresh clothes provided and I'll despatch the mess hall to have some food prepared and brought to the medical bay. But, I will have additional security to hand and they are to be under surveillance at all times, do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir." Dr. Lokin turned to the girls as the doors opened and some of his medical staff brought gurneys into the room. Carefully Nathrrya and Tara were guided to the beds and wheeled out of the room they were in and taken to the medical bay.
Several hours later, after bathing, food and much needed rest, Nathrrya and Tara had both recovered enough of their strength and composure that they felt human again. While their vision was still blurry from the after effects of the carbonite imprisonment they were able to distinguish their surroundings and read with relative ease. Dr. Lokin and his staff came in and out of the medical room - which was under close watch by the soldiers outside - to check on their vitals and see that both women were stable.
"This is really weird, Nat," Tara said after the door closed again. "The Chiss didn't even seem to know who you are when you announced your name and title. Palatine is the most well-known house in the Sith Empire and considering your mother is the governor of Axxila I'm surprised no one has stated they would contact her." She lifted the shoulder of the shirt she wore again. "Spast, this is worse than the Jedi robes. At least they fit me."
Nathrrya contemplated the sequence of events from when they first woke up. Tara made a point about the Grand Admiral not seeming to recognize her, and this was a strange occurrence. It led her to believe that something else was going on but the key point that needed to be discovered was exactly how long they were imprisoned.
"I don't know about you, Nat, but I have a daughter and a husband to find out if they are okay or not."
"I'm the same way, Tara. I don't want to think about the tizzy your father is most likely in."
Nathrrya was going to say something else but the doors opened again and this time Grand Admiral Thrawn entered with Dr. Lokin close behind. The look on the Chiss' face seemed puzzled and grave, and the look was not lost on either Sith woman. Nathrrya turned to face the two men and Tara decided to remain sitting on the cot that was there. She was still battling the sleeve that kept falling down her slender shoulder.
"There is no easy way to tell you this, so I'll just say it." The Grand Admiral took a breath as he looked at both women. "If the report from the archaeological team is correct, and I have little doubt that it's not, then the dating on the carbonite blocks trace back several millennia. You two have been entombed for at least four thousand years."
The silence following the announcement was deafening while Nathrrya and Tara processed the information. They struggled with it, both women looking back and forth between the Grand Admiral, the doctor and each other.
"Nat…"
"That's impossible!" Nathrrya's head began to spin and she had to put pressure on her temples to relax the confusion. "Four thousand years in carbonite?"
"We should be dead!" Tara blurted, her eyes wide. "We should be dead! How are we not dead?"
"Tara, calm down!" Nathrrya turned her attention back to the Chiss, her eyes determined, her face solid. She wasn't having a good time of this and neither was Tara and for good reason. If that was true, then…
"Tara, what do you sense?" Nathrrya looked over at her friend and caught her glance. Tara wasn't sure what Nathrrya was asking until it dawned on her. The younger woman closed her eyes, her back straightened up as he sat and her breathing smoothed out. Her face soon turned into a frown.
"Darkness," she finally said. "Overwhelming darkness." She opened her eyes and stood up to take place beside the red head. "Nat, the Force is completely out of balance. What the spast happened to cause this?"
Nathrrya studied her friend's eyes for a moment. "I think the Living Force kept us alive for something. It's the only explanation."
"But, that's not how the Force works," Tara countered. "Why would it do that?"
Grand Admiral Thrawn listened to their conversation intently. "I must inform the Galactic Emperor of your existence. He most likely already knows of your awakening." After a moment his com beeped and incoming message. "Yes, Captain?"
"I apologize for the interruption, Sir, but the Emperor is live on Holocom. He wants a status report on the investigation into the disturbance he felt." Captain Pellaeon's voice came cracked through the com but it was easy to hear.
"Yes, tell him I'll be there shortly with news that may actually put him in a good mood for once. Don't tell him I said that."
"Yes, Sir." Pallaeon cut the connection.
Thrawn returned his attention to the two women and bowed to them out of courtesy, rather than respect. "I'm sorry to leave in such a hurry but the Emperor isn't someone you keep waiting." He looked towards Dr. Lokin. "Take good care of them. I'm keeping everything in place for security but if they need anything, please provide. I'd suspect that once I give him the news the Emperor will want to send Lord Vader to collect our guests to take them to the Imperial Centre." He turned and left the Doctor with the girls.
"What the spast kind of name is that?" Tara asked appalled. The doctor chuckled in amusement.
"I'm inclined to agree with you, but that's the designation of Coruscant now."
"Wait, Coruscant?" Nathrrya shook her head in disbelief. "No way, that's… but that's the capital planet of the Republic!"
"Oh dear…" Dr. Lokin wasn't sure what else to say or do. On the request of the red head he left them alone in the med bay.
Nathrrya was pacing while Tara just sat in stunned silence. What the kriff happened in the time that they were asleep?