:: Chapter Three ::

Malavai Quinn and Darth Ravage already awaited at the docks when Eliza swam up holding an unconscious Theron within her arms. They helped his lifeless body up first and as soon as Eliza herself made it out of the water, she crouched down at Theron's side. While Malavai used his handheld to scan Theron's body for further injuries, Eliza gently tipped his chin up and began chest compressions before giving him mouth to mouth.

"Come on Theron… please…" she whispered, out of breath and working hard to suppress her own growing panic.

Everything else faded to the background, it had to. She tried not to think about who he was, about how much he meant to her. She tried not to feel all the emotions which now tightened around her heart or the heavy fatigue of her own body. For a split second something inside of her pointed out he could die right here and now in her arms but she forced that thought from her mind as well. Suddenly it hadn't been almost four years since she last saw him but mere hours and all she'd felt for him then raged just as fiercely now.

Her lips, salted either by the ocean or her tears, perhaps even both, pressed onto Theron's once more in an effort to resuscitate him. The minutes she spent trying to revive him felt like hours. Long, dragging and painful hours but at last he gasped. His eyelids fluttered and he began coughing furiously, causing Eliza to sigh out with relief.

Theron blinked a few times. His vision was blurry and the little he could see had him believing he was staring into a roaring fire. The fierce sun behind Eliza made her ruby red hair appear to be ablaze and for a moment Theron panicked until her clear blue eyes came into focus. Until he recognized the one face he could never forget.

"Eliza…" he murmured faintly and a part of him wondered if he was perhaps still out of it. If she was no more than a dream, a hallucination, a figment of his imagination right before death would take him.

"I'm here, hi…"

It was truly her he realized and Theron reached out with his fingers to touch her smile, to wipe the tears from her face but he struggled. He rolled half onto his side instead, turning away from her and coughed furiously once more while Malavai crouched down next to him.

"Easy Agent Shan, you've sustained severe injuries."

"Will he make it?" Eliza asked quietly, her eyes still on Theron. She caressed a hand along the side of his face and feeling the warmth of her touch, Theron placed his hand over hers.

His pain dissipated in the presence of her smile. The cold which crept through his body and clung to his bones, he could not feel while staring up into her eyes. So often over the course of the past four years he'd tried to imagine what it would be like to see her again. What he'd say and what he'd do. Theron tried to open his mouth again, to push out those words lingering in his throat but he couldn't and no sooner than he'd tried, his eyes rolled in the back of his head and his body convulsed. His eyelashes fluttered and he passed out, succumbing to his injuries.

"Only if we get him to the medbay right now! Time is of the essence! My Lord?" Malavai spoke hurriedly and glanced at the man behind him who didn't need further instruction.

Together, Malavai and Ravage lifted Theron onto the hover-stretcher and brought him inside. Eliza followed not letting go of Theron for even a second, not until she was forced to. They reached the medbay and Malavai turned to her.

"Take the fastest shuttle to Raider's Cove and get Dr. Keans. He needs surgery, I can't do that alone."

"S-surgery?" for the first time she tore her eyes away from Theron and looked up at her uncle "How bad is it?"

"Rib fractures, a pneumothorax, a fractured kneecap in his right leg and that's only what my initial scans showed. Please, hurry."

By the time he'd spoken those last few words, Eliza was already on her way to the hangar adjacent to their home. She made the trip to Raider's Cove in record time and returned with Dr. Keans 45 minutes later. Malavai had prepped Theron for surgery already in the meantime and both professionals immediately got to work.

"Is he…" a timid voice whispered as Nyssa, supported by Me'ghan, joined Eliza on the observation deck overlooking the surgical room.

Tears lingered in the woman's eyes and her swollen bottom lip quivered. She placed a bandaged hand up against the glass and stared down at her husband on the operating table. Eliza frowned, a moment of confusion setting in but then she remembered. In all her worry over Theron, her shock at seeing him again and the circumstances surrounding the situation she'd completely forgotten about Nyssa—about the woman who'd begged her to save her husband.

'His wife…' Eliza realised and her eyes caught the plain wedding band on the woman's other hand 'Theron's wife…'

"They're doing what they can. I promise you he is in the best of hands." Me'ghan reassured the shaken brunette and sat her down next to Eliza before excusing herself.

"Thank you…" Nyssa nodded and then turned to Eliza "And you. You saved him from the wreckage, saved his life, thank you. I don't know what would have happened if…"

Nyssa let out a deep sob and leaned into Eliza who without thought wrapped an arm around her "You can't think about that now. He's alive and receiving the best medical care he could possibly get."

The words that left her lips were genuine and true but her voice was void of any emotion. Inside she'd gone numb, blocked out her feelings as everything of the day now became too much to bear. She sat in silence comforting Nyssa, functioning on instinct and automatic responses rather emotion.

Hours passed as Malavai and Dr. Keans operated on Theron. The two women up in the gallery sat barely exchanging a word and yet holding onto one another for support while Me'ghan and Lord Cytharat occupied the two little girls keeping them distracted with books, toys and games. Neither of the toddlers understood what was going on but they sensed the somber mood hanging in the air. Ravage paced his office and cast the occasional glance at the security monitors which had the operating room on display.

"This is not what I had in mind when I suggested to Beniko she send you here Agent Shan but perhaps…" he mused to himself and narrowed his eyes on the monitor "perhaps not all is lost though you had better pull through and survive."

By the time evening fell and the sun set over Rishi, Malavai and Dr. Keans finally emerged from the operating room. Theron's many injuries had been dressed and he now hovered lifelessly within a kolto tank. Eliza supported Nyssa under her arm while the two made it down the stairs to meet with the surgeon.

"He is stable for now." Dr. Keans assured after he shared Theron's medical chart with both women and went over the procedures "I will remain here throughout the night in case of emergency but he is out of any immediate danger. He does have a long road of recovery ahead of him."

"Meaning?" Eliza flipped through the chart and then looked over her shoulder at the kolto tank.

"I'm keeping him in the tank for the next three days at least. Afterwards he will likely need to spend a couple of hours each day submerged in kolto for a period of a week. Then we will begin rehabilitation."

"Can I…" Nyssa let out a deep sigh, playing with the wedding ring on her finger "stay, with him?"

"Of course. I'll have a bed made up for you in his room so you can remain at his side." Malavai promised and understood Nyssa's needs all too well. Were it Me'ghan in Theron's situation, he'd want the same.

Eliza gave a weak smile and rubbed Nyssa's back "Why don't you go inside and we will get you settled in shortly?"

"Thank you, all of you."

Dr. Keans excused himself as well—he needed further supplies from the medcenter back in Raider's Cove but promised to return swiftly. Malavai gently closed the door to Theron's room and then drew his niece into his arms. She rested somewhat stiffly in his embrace and his soothing caress along her arms did little to relax her.

"Eliza are you—"

"I'm fine."

He sighed "No, you're not."

Eliza shrugged and grimaced. She withdrew from his arms "Thank you for saving his life. I need to get some fresh air."

Though every part of him had wanted to stop her, Malavai knew better than that by now. She needed time to herself, the privacy to break down and give way to all those things she kept bottled up inside so he let her go and Eliza rushed outside into the warm evening air.

A single tear rolled down her cheek and she stood watching the now mostly sunken shuttle from a distance—a section of one of the wings still floated a mere few meters from the wreckage. Seconds later she dropped the bathrobe she'd worn and jumped the railings, diving back into the ocean. It was too soon to let her walls down and instead Eliza decided to scavenge the wreckage and see if she could retrieve any personal luggage Theron and Nyssa had brought.

It would be of little comfort to the couple, she imagined but it was the least she could do as a supportive friend. If Theron was still a friend. Eliza frowned to herself upon that thought.

'He got married and never even said…'

In truth, they'd barely spoken over the past four years. Eliza had briefed him when Arcann and Thexan first assaulted Korriban and once again when she and Lord Scourge left to meet with Darth Marr in Wild Space. After her return to Dromund Kaas she'd been in no state of mind to speak with anyone though Theron had left her a voice recording expressing his care and sympathies—Eliza hadn't been able to listen to it then or respond.

Over time they'd simply drifted apart. Not for a lack of caring but the war with the Eternal Empire and their ever changing personal lives came to drown out their friendship. Weekly calls became the occasional voicemail and unanswered emails began piling up. Eliza would read his messages but before she could reply, Cyara would need her for something or Lana would chime in with a mission report and she'd wind up forgetting. Eventually forgetting lead to complete radio silence save for Lana's small mentions of him during briefings.

Yet none of it meant her feelings for him had ever changed. She still loved him, still carried his name carved upon her heart. No, all time and distance had done was make it easier to pretend, to push him to the back of her mind and convince herself of the one thing they'd agreed on so long ago—just friends.

Immense melancholy fell over Eliza and at last her emotions welled up again. She retrieved the watertight locker she'd found in the sunken hull of the shuttle and used the Force to push it up and forward while she swam back to the surface. The locker levitated onto the docks and Eliza pushed herself up out of the water to sit down on the very edge of the worn wooden structure.

Heavy and hot tears finally began pouring down her cheeks and she buried her face within her hands. She wasn't even entirely sure what brought them on but they were here now and suddenly she couldn't stop. The last memory she had of her own husband surfaced and blended with the sight of Theron, unconscious and drowning in the pilot's seat. Her heart ached fiercely and the memory haunted her until it changed again. Theron's face transformed into Lord Scourge's and now it was him who sat broken and lifeless buried beneath the ocean's waves, trapped within the shuttle that would become his tomb.

Her choked up sobs drowned out the sound of footsteps approaching and then an arm wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her in. She let herself sink into the embrace and felt warm lips press against her forehead.

"You saved him Eliza. He'll be back on his feet in no time."

She peered up into Ravage's eyes, uncertainty and fear written all over her face "How can you be so sure?"

Ravage gave her a wry smile and his best attempt at providing comfort and reassurance "He's SIS isn't he? Those bastards tend to survive everything you throw at them and Shan is no exception. He faced off against two Dark Council members, the Emperor, Revan and lived to tell. A simple shuttle crash won't be the thing that does him in."

They were odd words to console her and yet they proved effective. A small chuckle escaped Eliza and she nodded "True… he's been through worse."

"Have faith and not just in him but in Major Quinn and Dr. Keans as well." Ravage pulled her closer and ran a hand through her wet locks "Now why don't you go have a shower and a warm meal? You'll need your strength if you're going to help him through this."

For a second she smiled but then her frown returned again too and Eliza sighed "No… he doesn't need my help now. He has his… wife, to look after him." a hint of bitterness lingered in her voice and the second she became aware of her own sudden jealousy, she hung her head down in shame.

"Then do it for yourself." Ravage pretended he'd not heard the tone in her voice and got back to his feet, pulling Eliza up with him at the same time "Let me draw you a bath and I'll have Lilah cook your favourite."

"I…" she'd allowed herself to remain within his embrace and the offer was tempting. Comfort, care, the possibility of some affection was exactly what she craved right now but something within begged her to recall the fight she'd had with Ravage earlier that day "No that's alright. I'll have a quick shower but then I should probably check in on Cyara, and Theron and Nyssa… I can't stomach the idea of food right now."

She glanced over her shoulder at the locker she'd retrieved "Can you get this inside for me?"

"Yeah, of course…" he watched her turn away from his presence and drag her feet back inside.

Eliza never saw but despite her rejection of his offer, Ravage smiled. He'd noticed the jealousy within her voice and her crestfallen demeanor. He'd picked up on her urge to throw herself back into his arms and it provided him hope. An unexpected confrontation with the only other man she'd ever loved, and his wife, served as a powerful reminder of how alone she truly was—how empty and unfilling her love life was now and Ravage knew. The day would come where her resolve would break and regardless of the vow he'd made earlier that day, he would be waiting.


"You're Eliza, right?"

Eliza was occupied taking readings of the machines which kept Theron comatose and on life support when Nyssa walked in. By the looks of it she too had enjoyed a brief shower and the brunette sat down upon the cot set out for her within Theron's room.

"Yeah… I suppose we never got around to proper introductions earlier. Nyssa was it? The nurse he met years ago at Coruscant Medical?"

"Not a nurse anymore. I'm more like fugitive these days but yes, I was then when we first met…" Nyssa dotingly glanced at her husband within the kolto tank "Feels like a lifetime ago."

Gentle steady beeps denoting Theron's heartbeat came from the monitors and Eliza took a step back in favor of Nyssa "Fugitive?"

"For the past three years I've used my position at the medical center to aid the less fortunate and the rebels. Medicine and supplies would mysteriously disappear and end up in the hands of those brave enough to fight the Eternal Empire…" Nyssa half smiled and a devious glint lingered in her eyes "Until I got caught."

"They fired me, attempted to arrest me and branded me a criminal and traitor to the Republic. Lana's call was fortunate timing."

"She encouraged you to join us here?" Eliza leaned back against the wall, her eyes still on Theron.

"She did and we needed little encouragement. Theron's been aching to get his hands dirty, to serve the cause and to leave the Republic behind. My job was the only thing that kept us on Coruscant."

"How long have you been married?" she had to know even if a part of her didn't want to.

"Almost a year…" Nyssa finally tore her focus away from her husband and shifted her attention towards Eliza "He wanted to tell you, you know?"

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmm. Many times I caught him sat in his office, staring off into the distance while playing with his comm-device. Flipping it open, shutting it off again. Or he'd be typing away on his datapad before deleting it all."

"Could have just been SIS business occupying his mind." Eliza shrugged.

"Funny. That's the exact excuse he'd give me but I knew better." Nyssa sighed "You never truly left him."

A sense of unease settled within Eliza at the peculiar conversation. She didn't understand why Nyssa was telling her these things or where she was going with it and it made her feel awkward.

"I'm sorry, I'm making you uncomfortable." thankfully Nyssa noticed and a kind smile brightened her face "All I mean to say is… he never forgot about you. I know over the past few years you've barely spoken but you must know he hasn't stopped caring. You're still his dearest friend, next to Jonas."

"Thank you… I did wonder but then again I've not been too great at keeping in touch either…" Eliza relaxed some and Nyssa patted the spot next to her on the cot.

She pulled Theron's datapad from the luggage Eliza had retrieved "Here, look," Nyssa activated the device "he still has the holograph you sent of you and your daughter after she was born."

"I should get him a new one," Eliza took the datapad and her heart warmed when she noticed the image was actually part of his screensaver, along with a holograph of Jonas and Charlie and one of Nyssa "she's grown much since then."

"He said she's the spitting image of her father, save for the twinkle in her eyes and her smile. That's all you."

Eliza chuckled through the sorrow that gripped her heart upon mention of Lord Scourge "True. Scourge wasn't much of a smiler."

"We heard what happened," Nyssa placed a hand upon Eliza's shoulder, a well intended gesture of comfort "I'm sorry for your loss."

"I haven't lost…" Eliza began but stopped herself. The hope she perhaps naively clung to wasn't something she was willing to share with Nyssa—she didn't know her well enough, not yet.

"Thank you." she offered up instead.

Nyssa nodded sympathetically "Theron wanted to go and see you immediately, we were already on our way to the spaceport but Saresh put the planet on lockdown when the Senate received word of the events in Wild Space. No one in or out."

"It was much the same for us. I'd wanted to return with reinforcements but Acina grounded all remaining fleets and forces." Eliza handed the datapad back to Nyssa and turned her gaze back to Theron "It's good you're both here now."

"I'm glad we came as well, just wish our arrival had run a little smoother…"

"What happened out there anyways? Theron's not a bad pilot. Was it a malfunction or—"

"Pirates." Nyssa began to explain "As we came down over the planet we were hailed by… The Black… something or other. Demanded we dock with their vessel and hand over our cargo. Naturally Theron refused, blocked their frequency and flew on. They started firing on us."

"The Black Hoods." Eliza gritted her teeth and balled a fist "I should have known…"

"He out maneuvered them for a while and we almost reached the island when a second vessel appeared out of nowhere and shot us down. Theron attempted a water landing, thought we could make it but…"

Eliza placed a hand over Nyssa's "Don't worry, they'll pay for this."