The Original Author would like to say thanks to everyone that is giving this story a shot. The Drunken Angry Ferrets just whistle and look askance. The OA is hurting a few brain cells going 'should he, shouldn't he, should he..' the DAF's just roll their eyes and ask when the next bottle of Captain Morgan is forthcoming – we only get paid for typing and adding witty comments to the intro they remind the OA. The OA hands them a 750 of Cap and resumes banging head against nearest wall.

Recovered from the journal of Kal Skirata

At some point you have to let your children go forth and make their own way in the galaxy. But knowing that doesn't make it any easier.

Kal pushed Uthan aside and leaned over Mereel. His son looked only slightly better than death warmed over – he was near comatose, sweating, and convulsing. Skirata pressed his forehead to Mereel's willing him to recover, for whatever it was worth. Uthan made the mistake of placing an arm on his back, he turned and grabbed it. He laid into the doctor, "If anything happens to Mereel your memories of imprisonment on Coruscant will become a pleasant one! What the shab did you do to him?"

Uthan read the look on his face more than than words he was speaking and paled. She stuttered a bit and finally replied, "I told you this was only experimental. Doctor Gilamar cleared it, and you okayed it, now we have to monitor the patient to determine the efficacy of the treatment."

The detached, antiseptic clinical speak only angered Kal further. He tightened his grip on Qail's arm to the point that it would inevitably leave bruises on her arm, "You fix this and you fix this now!" Uthan didn't respond, simply stared at him wide-eyed. Suddenly he was hit in the chest and driven back. The force of the push caused him to loose his breath and release Uthan. Mij pushed him back til Kal's back hit the wall and he was held there, an arm pressed against his neck.

"Ner vod, we knew there were risks going in" Gilamar paused and emphasized each additional word "you – are - not - helping." Gil paused and released the pressure against Kal's neck slightly, "we need to monitor Mereel and we can do that better without you getting in our way."

Skirata felt himself growing angrier, but it was all for naught. He glanced Scout making a slight motion with her hand and then he found himself being shoved out of the lab by Mij. Kal turned sharply to push his way back through the door that entered to Qail's lab, but then it slammed closed as quickly as it had opened. He slammed his fists against the door repeatedly, but it remained stubbornly shut. Kal bent over and placed his hands on his knees and attempted to take a few calming breaths. This was the stuff of his nightmares, one of his son's dying by some plan he had put in place, and with him not even there. After a few minutes he stood upright again and ran his hands through his hair and began pacing back and forth outside the lab.

Only a few minutes had passed when Bard'ika ran up to him. Kal thought Bardan might embrace him, but he pulled up short of Skirata and paused, "Mereel?" was all he said.

Kal exhaled and nodded.