As Mand finally woke up, the first thing she noticed was her nonexistent leg pain. Lithess had repaired it well, leaving her with only lingering soreness on her back where Prophet's claws had dug into her. She could still hear the subtle hum of the shuttle's engines maneuvering through a complex maze of towering spires that covered Coruscant, but she had no idea how long she had been out. As she opened her eyes, she met Elena's concerned gaze, and intent on easing her friend's anxiety, Mand gave her a small smile.

"We're not far from the med center," Elena began gently, her eyes still genuinely worried. "How are you feeling?"

Still smiling, Mand nodded, slowly bringing a hand to her head. "I think I'm okay." Surprised at the hoarseness of her voice, she tried vainly to rub away a headache, but glancing up to the cockpit at both Lithess and Wes at the controls, her expression fell. "We made a clean escape? No pursuing fighters?"

Elena nodded cautiously, watching her closely. Mand again relaxed, releasing a long breath in relief as she lowered her hand. She hoped she had seen the last of Tzymo, and of Horatio, but she had a sneaking suspicion that neither was finished with her yet...

"Mand," Elena got her attention once more, "what happened?"

At that, Mand closed her eyes, hesitant to tell her everything. Deciding a short explanation would suffice for the time being, she sighed and looked up at her friend sadly.

"A man named Tzymo had me taken to his lab so he could ask me about the experiments... He gave me some kind of drug that forced my memories to surface, and I think I told him everything I could remember."

"Did that animal attack you, too, in that alley?"

Mand blinked, encouraging Elena to continue. "I took a few Edgepoints with me to retrace your steps after you left the medical center. It met us there and injured one of my pilots... I didn't get a chance to check on him before we left for Tzymo Labs."

Dismayed, Mand remained silent, afraid to tell Elena that she had left with Horatio and Prophet so willingly. She was surprised Elena hadn't yet asked about seeing Horatio beside her on the platform as she fought Prophet, but she faintly hoped it wouldn't come up. She'd just as soon forget her encounter with him altogether, except for what he had said about her family. Could she believe him, trust him to be telling the truth? Or was he just buying time for himself in the future if she did come across him again? Surely he had just said something, anything, to make her have second thoughts, but how curious could she afford to be? Either way, he was already winning the battle - her thoughts were distracted and conflicted over him.

"Mand?"

Looking back up to her friend, Mand tried to correct her expression, but Elena had already seen it and seemed to think her health was suffering again. Elena worriedly tucked her hand under Mand's head, but Mand quickly waved away her concern. Before she could explain, the shuttle's engines protested with a loud whine, straining as it lowered to a landing platform below. Looking out the viewport, Mand could see the medical center's towers just beside them, and a gentle thud echoed through the cabin as the shuttle set down. Though Elena began to protest, Mand sat up, wincing only slightly as the scratches down her back pulled and refused to stretch with her movement.

"We'll have you looked at when we get inside, okay?"

But Mand shook her head again, standing without Elena's help. "I'm fine. You need to find your pilot."

About to protest once more, Elena glanced to the cockpit where Lithess and Wes were standing from the controls. Though Lithess said nothing, she sighed sadly, seeming to resign reluctantly to Mand's stubbornness. She nodded and wrapped a tight grip around Mand's arm, slowly leading her out of the shuttle with the other two trailing closely behind.

Mand was able to walk comfortably on her leg without even limping, but hoping to put Elena at ease, she didn't turn down her aid. A tense silence hung between them, made more awkward by the Jedi Master and his apprentice following behind them. It only took them a few minutes to get into the med center, and only a few minutes more to make it up to the floor Koril's room was on.

As they approached his door, though, both Mand and Elena looked at each other with alarm after finding no guards posted outside, or anyone else around, for that matter. Fighting a sense of panic, they both rushed inside. Mand heard Elena's belt click as she tugged her lightsaber from it, but they immediately met a dense crowd gathered around Koril's bed. They were all outfitted in fine Royal Navy uniforms, Mand noted, and their faces were solemn as they turned to her and Elena.

Mand's breath froze in her chest as they wordlessly stepped back from Koril's bed; based on their expressions, she expected to see him taking his last breath...but he was propped up in his bed, nearly seated erect and looking better than she had yet seen him. His skin finally had a normal color to it, and his expression was as concerned as theirs, if not more confused. As he looked back toward his pilots, though, they moved further, revealing another younger one seated beside him. Elena's grip dropped from Mand's arm immediately, and she nearly broke into a run to meet him.

"Swip!! You're okay!"

Swip smiled broadly, slowly standing from his seat to face her. "Yes, m'lady," he said brightly, "all thanks to you."

Elena looked him over with relief, returning his smile. "And I owe you thanks, as well." She hugged him gently, but as she pulled back, she raised up on her tiptoes and gave him a happy kiss on his cheek. Swip blushed, glancing nervously at Koril, but it was the other Edgepoints who gave him a hard time for it.

"I gotta start getting hurt in the line of duty more," said an even younger pilot in the middle of the group. Another beside him laughed heartily with the rest.

"You'd only get that kind of action, Emp, if you were the last man standing."

"More than you get on a regular basis, Mal!"

Again the group laughed, and though she didn't know them, Mand had to laugh, too. The tallest of the pilots stepped up behind Swip, looking expectantly at Elena.

"What about me?"

Elena smiled and hugged him, as well. "You, too, Tiny." Uncomfortably tall for her, she had to tug him down by his neck to her level, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

"Get your own Jedi, boys."

Koril even sounded stronger as he brought back all focus to himself. Still grinning, the Edgepoints bowed to him and stepped back, respectfully giving their High Commander and his fiancée their space. Mand hung back, too, watching them interact wistfully.

Elena sat on the edge of the bed, tightly holding Koril's hand as she ran her other hand through his hair and rested it at the base of his neck. They both gazed at each other for a few moments, and Elena finally spoke, albeit softly.

"You look great."

Koril nodded, his voice hardly louder than hers. "I feel good. Master Rylka did a lot for me." His smile broadened as he continued, nearly leaving Elena breathless. "Dr. Onalo said I can go home today."

The look on Elena's face shifted from a warm smile to disbelief, but as Koril held her gaze and nodded, she smiled again and pulled him into a tight hug. He laughed and hugged her back as best he could, and as Elena sat back from him still beaming, one of the Edgepoints with a Commander rank badge on his shoulder stepped forward.

"Swip's good to go, too, m'lady. We were simply waiting for you to return."

Behind the other Edgepoints, a familiar coo from Derek caught Elena's attention, and after giving Koril a quick but earnest kiss, she stood and walked over to the group, parting the crowd to get to his nannies.

Mand smiled as she watched Elena cradling her son, though she immediately thought longingly of her own daughter she hadn't seen for months. She had left Cordira behind on Paneau with caretakers at the Rys'tihn Manor when she, Elena, and Rech left in search of Koril, and that had been more than five months ago. Cordira had turned a year old in that time...but Mand wasn't there to see it. The girl could have taken her first steps, said her first words, but Mand had missed it all. With her thoughts, her smile faded, but as Koril caught her gaze and smiled warmly at her, she cleared her mind and returned the smile, stepping up to his side.

"I'm glad you're okay," he began kindly. "Elena was very worried about you."

Mand shrugged and laughed shortly. "Well, I guess I'm just lucky that she acts more with her heart than with her head. She always comes to my rescue at the perfect time, however dumb it was of her to do it."

He nodded, looking over at her as she conversed with the nannies and rocked Derek in her arms. "Swip was just telling me the same thing." Returning to Mand, though, the smile had faded from his face, replaced by concern she hadn't seen since before his abduction.

"That...thing, that monster... Did...did you...?"

Understanding his question, Mand nodded solemnly. "We won't see it ever again." His shoulders sagged as he released a long breath in relief, glancing once again over at Elena, his son, and his Edgepoints. A quiet moment hung between them, but hoping to keep his mood elevated, Mand moved on. "Ready to get out of here?"

With his gaze still locked on Elena, he nodded, but suddenly his expression set in determination as he looked to Mand and quieted his voice.

"Give me a hand."

Confused, Mand watched him carefully as she extended an open palm to him, which he took immediately. "What for?" But her question was quickly answered as he tugged his bed sheet off his legs and pulled on her hand to sit himself up. Alarmed, Mand gripped his shoulder with her other hand. "Koril! It wasn't a challenge..."

"Shh," he quieted her as he slowly moved his legs over the edge of the bed. "I want to surprise Elena." After glancing back at the group behind him, he finally met Mand's gaze as he situated himself with both of his bare feet hovering just inches over the floor. She still gripped his hand and his shoulder, wary of his sudden movement, but he smiled confidently. "Master Rylka gave me a substantial boost of energy before she left. It should last me a few hours, and I was hoping it would be enough to get me out of here..."

"Koril," Mand continued to warn worriedly, "you shouldn't push yourself. You don't have anything to prove to anyone."

But again he smiled, shifting his hold to her upper arm as he concentrated and made a focused effort to stand. Though she feared the consequences for her involvement in it, she steadied him as best she could, nervously glancing toward Elena on the other side of the room. Despite not having used most of his muscles since being infected by the Huxnel months ago, Koril continued to surprise Mand as he stood. Though she could feel him shaking, he remained steady, even as he slowly turned with her to face Elena...

Keeping an arm wrapped around his back to support him, Mand was saddened to find his once sturdy frame so emaciated and frail. She could feel his weak body under his light shirt and jacket that had at one time fit him well, but engulfed him as he stood. By all accounts, he shouldn't have survived so long under the virus's influence; it was designed to destroy its victims, driving them mad with constant pain, but it seemed the Force had some other fate in store for him. Mand could think of nothing else that could have sustained him and kept him alive just long enough to allow him to recover. He would never be the same, she knew, just as she wouldn't after her own ordeal, but he was already well on his way to mending what was left of his fractured mind. And as Elena turned to see him standing with Mand's aid, Mand's hope in the survival of her friends' relationship was renewed.

At first Elena looked alarmed and almost angry at him for exerting himself so, but as she stepped over to them, leaving Derek with his nannies, her eyes glistened over and several tears fell from them. The Edgepoints approached, too, with brightened expressions, keeping close behind Elena as she wavered with emotion. As Elena stood in front of them, Mand stepped aside slightly, allowing Elena to reach a shaky hand up to his face, her eyes luminous and ecstatic. She stood up on her toes and kissed him sweetly, then looked at him with a serene smile, keeping her voice quiet but intense.

"Let's go home."

Koril smiled and nodded, looking to his Edgepoints with excitement, too. They took over Mand's position beside him, pulling his arms over their shoulders to support him as they turned him back around. Mand stepped over beside Elena, putting a hand on her shoulder as they both watched Koril being helped to his bed. Elena smiled at her, but quickly returned to the Edgepoints, finding her voice.

"Commander Jax," she addressed one of the pilots, demanding his attention, "please ready the Celestia for our departure at once. I want Swip and Leikam on board with us, and the rest of you will escort us back to Paneau."

"Yes, m'lady, High Commander," Jax answered immediately, and though he bowed and left with a pair of his pilots, the rest remained at Koril's side as he sat on his bed, refusing to lay back down as they waited. Beside Mand, Elena smiled and shook her head at him, but as Dr. Onalo returned, entering the room with a few nurses, Elena squeezed Mand's arm and left to talk with the doctor.

Making sure everyone was situated aboard the Celestia, Elena sighed and finally gave the signal for departure to Leikam seated up in the cockpit. She had said goodbye to Master Lithess and his apprentice Wes before loading the ship, thanking them for their help in rescuing Mand. It had been Lithess who had recognized the logo Elena had seen on the shuttle leaving the alley she and the Edgepoints had been attacked in, and without his quick action, Elena might not have made it to Mand in time. Lithess would give a report to the Jedi about what had happened at Tzymo Labs after they left, but he wasn't sure how much he could work in about Mand's phenomenal performance. The stoic Jedi Master seemed to have taken on both Elena and Mand as unofficial apprentices, just as Master Noor had. Elena briefly wondered if Noor had asked it of his long-time friend, but she appreciated it either way. Losing both Tascit and Noor so close together had been hard on all of them, so finding another friend among Jedi Masters helped to ease the strain of their loss.

As the Celestia lifted off from the Coruscant med center, Elena made a few passes about the cabin, checking on its occupants. Mand sat on a bench against the wall cradling Derek, giving his nannies Kollie and Raen a break from their duties. Brent Jax and his daughter Pallas sat beside them, watching and playing with the baby, too, making Elena smile. Veon Banarecc and Swip were casually conversing in the luxury yacht's central dining area; Kaydee stood beside them and offered her input occasionally, more often interrupting the two, but they carried on without worry. And further on into the main hold, Veon's daughter Ri clung to her aunt's purple-paneled astromech Eewon, cheerfully talking to him as she would a good friend, though she understood nothing of what he whistled back. Everyone seemed comfortable and happy, and after one last check of Leikam at the ship's controls and the Edgepoints in escort formation around them as they made the jump to hyperspace, she retired to the main bedroom where Koril had been made comfortable for the long trip.

Paneau's Consul Odovil Neludu had sent with them a pair of nurses, both Paneau natives, to tend to him as they traveled. As Elena entered, they smiled kindly and bowed to her, making a few final adjustments to his IVs and monitors. They bowed again as they left, leaving her to speak with him privately, as she hadn't been able to since his rescue. Glad to finally get the chance to be alone with him, she smiled as she looked on him, finally comfortable in his own bed, albeit a secondary one. He had walked out of the med center with help from his Edgepoints, making it all the way to his ship he had inherited from his family. But concerned with getting everyone on board and making certain they were well prepared to leave, she hadn't seen him since he had been brought in, and she wasn't surprised to find him sleeping.

She smiled as she carefully sat on the bed beside him, not even disturbing him until she lightly caressed his cheek. He slowly roused, looking up at her with tired eyes, but he smiled weakly back at her, sluggishly bringing his hand up to hold hers. After moving so well earlier, his sudden slowness worried her.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked him quietly. His response was delayed, concerning her even more.

"Energy's gone," he was hardly able to whisper, but his small smile hadn't yet faded. Bringing her other hand over, she furrowed her brows as she lightly pressed her fingers to his neck, checking his pulse. The screens beside him were quiet as they monitored his heart rate, but she still wasn't comfortable.

"You did too much today. Your heart's slowed."

Without moving much, he squeezed her hand. "But you always speed it up."

Still with her hand at his neck, she brought it up to the side of his face as she smiled again, glad his fatigue hadn't tainted his mood. The longer she held his gaze, though, the more his expression fell, as though something were bothering him. She ran her hand through his hair, watching his eyes closely as she kept her voice soft. "What is it?"

Again his hand tightened around hers, but he hesitated to answer, remaining silent for several moments.

"Are you still going to marry me?"

A little relieved, she laughed lightly, playing with his hair at his forehead. "What kind of a question is that?"

He didn't even pause. "I don't want you to."

It took Elena a few full seconds for her to register what he had said, and she still didn't believe him. Her hand shook as she felt her own heart slow to almost nothing. "...what?"

His breathing slowed, too, as did his words. "I don't want you to marry me...for what I was...only to resent me later for what I've become."

Breathless in shock, Elena could hardly think. He still wasn't convinced that he was redeemable, and she was running out of arguments to change his mind. How could he believe he was doomed to serious, unavoidable changes in his life? But the more she thought about it, the more she thought of...

"Koril," she began softly, still holding his hand, "I knew Mand years before her kidnapping, and I watched her recover after her rescue. It was never easy for her or for us, and I know she'll be the first to tell you that she sill struggles with the thought that she's changed, but...she is different, just not in the way she thinks she is." She paused, allowing a small smile to form. "She's still undyingly loyal to her friends and her family, and she's still stubborn and impulsive as ever. She may doubt herself more, she may second guess the choices she makes, but where it matters, in her relationships with us and her character we expect from her...she is still the same Mand we knew before."

Though she tried to fight it, her eyes blurred with tears. "I know it'll take time for you to believe me, but I know you're still the same Koril." Her smile broadened, forcing a few tears to fall. "You wouldn't have walked out of that med center today if you weren't." Taking in a shaky breath to calm herself, she clasped Koril's hand with both of hers, looking earnestly into his eyes. "You're going to be okay, Koril, I've no doubt. So to answer your question...yes, I am still going to marry you. I'm not going anywhere."

A small, tired smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes closed slowly in visible relief. She could tell his spirits were lifted, and as he continued, she leaned closer over him, holding his hand against her heart.

"Then I want to be able to stand beside you," he breathed, opening his eyes to meet hers. "But I don't want to make you wait...longer than you already have."

She sighed lightly, tucking her black hair behind her ear with her free hand. "Well, it has been more than five months," she said with a somber voice, but as she kissed him softly, she smiled, pulling back to meet his eyes once more. "I might be able to wait a few more."

Again he smiled, though it didn't last long as his exhaustion once again caught up with him. She watched his slow, rhythmic breathing for a few moments before she turned herself carefully beside him, curling up at his side on their bed. Her own tiredness was beginning to pull her under, too, and after making sure he was comfortable as she lay beside him, she allowed herself to fall asleep, still holding his hand tightly against her.