Paneau: capital city of Dalon
Dalon Medical Center
2.5 APC

"I can't believe you're making this out to be his fault!"

Becoming angrier as Rech continued to seem confused, Elena crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for his response.

"I'm trying to stress to him the danger he's been in, and the reality of his situation. He doesn't seem to understand the fact that he is still at risk for a number of health complications. If he had taken that spice --"

"He didn't! You're blaming him --"

"Elena," Rech interrupted her forcefully, "listen. He said he was up most of last night, the night after you two return from a week on Bespin. Why?"

"Because he had a nightmare that woke him up! I felt the terror that it caused him, Rech. It was real."

Rech looked even less convinced. "Do you know what this kind of spice does, what its effects are?"

Infuriated and refusing to answer him, she looked away and ignored the Royal Guards who had turned their attention to them, but Rech continued anyway.

"It induces nightmare-like hallucinations because of its - because of its ability to heighten senses -- Elena, look at me," he paused, turning her back to face him. "I don't want to believe this any more than you do, but think about it. You came back from Bespin, where spice is readily available, and this form is known for the feeling of enhanced senses it gives its consumers. He hasn't felt pain for a year and a half, so it's understandable why he'd want to try it...to feel something again."

Pulling Rech's hands off her shoulders, she stepped back from him, hardly keeping her frustration out of her voice. "That is absurd! You know he wouldn't do that! Are you even listening to what you're saying? This is Koril you're talking about, not some regular citizen patient at this med center!"

Before Rech could answer, his expression neutralized as he straightened his posture, looking at someone behind Elena. She gave him a long, hard look before she turned, surprised to see King Verojec approaching them with his Scepter Guard beside him. The young king had a puzzled look on his face, having heard some of their argument, but as he glanced behind the two into Koril's room, he became concerned instead.

"What's going on? Is Koril alright?"

Quickly following his gaze, she scanned over the monitors around Koril to make sure his condition hadn't changed. Though she no longer saw Kaydee in the room, Swip and Leikam remained at his side, and he looked just as she had left him. After flashing a brief glare at Rech, she returned to Jec.

"He's a little weak, but so far he seems to be okay. He remembered everything that happened this morning."

Jec nodded carefully after a moment, picking up on the tension between her and Rech as he looked at them both. Silence hung over the group for a few fleeting seconds, but Jec turned to Elena more directly, his voice somewhat softer.

"I'd like to speak with you, please, Elena."

Without even looking to Rech, Elena nodded and began to step toward a small private room in the hallway, but Rech stopped her before she got far, lightly gripping her arm. Though she wanted to ignore him, she turned, not expecting to meet his repentant gaze.

"I'm sorry," he told her quietly but sincerely, and she could feel his genuine regret. The longer she studied his eyes, the more her anger subsided, but she sighed, not completely accepting it.

"I don't need your apology," she answered flatly as she glanced into Koril's room. "He does."

Again not waiting for Rech's response, Elena resumed her stride into the small room across the way, stepping inside with Jec and two of his Scepter Guards. As the door closed behind them, she sat opposite the king at a narrow table, avoiding his gaze until he spoke.

"Do you know what happened to Koril yet?"

Though hesitant to explain to him, she released a shaky breath as she nodded. "At some point this morning, he was drugged with spice. It sped up his heart so fast that it...it tired and gave out. Major Jax and I tried to resuscitate him, but Rech had to restart his heart with the Force. He woke up a few minutes ago and was talking well, so hopefully he hasn't suffered any long-term damage."

The expression on Jec's face was grim. "Spice?"

Again, Elena nodded. "He most likely ingested it, and he said the only thing he had this morning was a glass of water at the Mazari Hangar. Major Jax and his Elite Guard are already on their way to investigate."

Jec turned to his Scepter Guard beside him whom Elena recognized as a Jax. "Tirion, send reinforcements to the hangar if Major Jax doesn't have them there already. I want it secured immediately." Tirion nodded and bowed before he stepped outside the room to relay the order, but Elena looked back to Jec as he stared at the table in front of him in brief thought. As he raised his gaze to meet hers, she could see the worry in his voice reflected in his eyes.

"I wanted to talk to you because I was concerned about how closely this...event follows that confrontation at the concert reception last night."

Embarrassed and upset at the memory of what Brylie had said to her, Elena looked away with flushing cheeks, but the more she thought about it, the more she understood Jec's train of thought. She mulled over what she remembered carefully, wondering if maybe she had missed something, any slip or falter in Brylie's movements...

"No, it was just words...vile words...but she didn't touch him. He didn't have anything to eat or drink at the reception, either; he was too distracted." After a moment, she looked down, adding, "...we both were."

Jec looked remorseful. "She was nothing but kind and gracious to me all night. I didn't hear what she said to you, but I saw your reaction." He paused, softening his voice. "I'm sorry. Do you think she's involved in this?"

Elena sighed, feeling the weight of uncertainty and fear heavy upon her shoulders. "I don't know. I don't know what's going on, or why."

Jec again thought for a moment. "Do you trust his Edgepoints?"

She nodded immdediately. "With my life."

"Then I'll have the rest of them report here, and they'll be his personal guards while he's recovering. I'll also increase security around this entire complex, so this won't happen again."

Though nodding to express her appreciation of the gesture, she hardly felt relieved. Of course she trusted the Edgepoints implicitly, but it was a lieutenant in Koril's own Royal Navy who had nearly killed him, leaving her apprehensive about an increase in guard presence. Was Lt. Macek working alone? How could anyone be certain she or someone else wouldn't try again while Koril was even more vulnerable and stationary? Getting frustrated with the lack of information and her ineffectual position, she crossed her arms over her chest, releasing a short breath.

Jec interpreted her agitation for something else, though, having heard a portion of her heated discussion with Rech earlier. "Rech thinks Koril took the spice intentionally?"

She stared at the floor. "He was out of line."

"That angle still has to be investigated, Elena."

Surprised, she looked back up at Jec in disbelief. His expression hadn't changed, and he continued, undaunted by her reaction.

"You know and I know that it's not in Koril's character to have taken it, but we have to be thorough and follow the law. The Manor will have to be searched and the staff will be interviewed, but I'll make sure it's done with...care."

Again nodding to appreciate his offer, she sighed, unsettled by the whole ordeal. It was a strange feeling, knowing that Paneau's investigative officers would be going through her home, and she had no control over it. Ever since she and Koril had returned from their honeymoon, nothing had been under control, it seemed...

"It'll be okay, Elena," Jec reassured her quietly as he stood. "We'll figure this out."

She, too, stood and bowed to him as he left with his Scepter Guard, but she remained in place for a few minutes to gather herself in the small room, preparing herself for whatever came next. For some reason, she felt that this was only the beginning of a long fight, though against what or who, she didn't know. Jec said he would bring the Edgepoints to guard Koril, so she could at least feel somewhat confident that he'd be safe from a direct assault, but what if someone tried to poison him indirectly again? Even weaker now after barely surviving the potent spice, he wouldn't make it through another round...

As she stepped back into the hall after some time had passed, she glanced into Koril's room across the way, but she was surprised to see no one inside with him. Two Elite Guards were still standing watch outside the door, but she didn't even see Rech or the Edgepoints anywhere nearby, either. Concerned, she began to step toward the room when Swip and Leikam swept up beside her with haste.

"M'lady, you need to come with us, quickly," Swip demanded quietly but intensely as both he and Leikam gripped her arms and briskly walked with her down the hall. Though she initially complied, she was confused and was beginning to become worried.

"Why? What's going on?"

Though she looked at them both, neither would meet her gaze or answer her as they shuffled her through the vacant corridors. Irked by their silence, she decided to be demanding, too.

Stopping and wrenching her arms free of their grasps, she gave them each a harsh look as they turned to her. "You will tell me why you're hurrying me away!"

Swip and Leikam exchanged uneasy looks, but still neither gave in, agitating her further.

"Tell me what's going on! What has changed?"

"Their orders," came a familiar voice from an adjacent hall. Turning to look, Elena saw Deilia Rys'tihn, Koril's twin sister and Ghost Heir, standing in a shadowed portion of the corridor. Cool and collected as always, she held Elena's confused gaze with a determined one of her own. "Orders I gave them."

Glancing back at the two Egdepoints to see the looks of concession on their faces, Elena returned to Deilia, disguising her surprise as best she could. "You shouldn't be here."

As one of the two Rys'tihn Ghost Heirs, Deilia was a fail-safe, a backup to protect the Rys'tihn Royal Family from being eliminated completely. She also operated as a stealthy intelligence agent who knew everything going on around her Known Heirs, as well as around Paneau and the galaxy as a whole. She had dozens of covert operatives under her command to enact security precautions or to interact with the Known Heirs directly in her stead, so why was she risking herself by being in the med center, seemingly alone, after a near fatal attack on her twin brother?

"I know," Deilia acknowledged softly, her words heavy with burden. "But I have a job to do. Come, we have to leave."

It took Elena a few moments to register what Deilia meant. "What? I have to leave? Why?"

Deilia remained stoic. "It's not safe."

"What's not? This med center? Then we'll go back to the Manor."

Deilia merely shook her head. "We have to go, now."

Still unsure about the reason for their urgency, Elena continued to protest, leveling a challenging gaze at Deilia. "Koril...Koril almost died this morning. I am not leaving him."

Though she began to seem sympathetic as her expression softened, again Deilia shook her head. "You have to." Quickly quieting Elena's subsequent objection, Deilia held up her hand, her eyes almost saddened with regret. "I'm sorry, but your choice is forfeit right now. Do I have to explain why?"

As Deilia glanced down at Elena's waist, she felt her breath freeze in her chest as she realized what Deilia was concerned about. Stunned, she could barely force her voice to work. "No." No, Deilia didn't need to explain why, just how she knew when Elena herself had only discovered that she was pregnant the night before. She had just told Koril, and he hadn't reacted as enthusiastically as she would have thought. Seeming uncharacteristically scared, he had been adamant that they withhold the news, even from their closest friends, but had he informed his sister anyway?

Deilia continued quietly. "The Edgepoints will never leave his side, and I've increased the number of agents involved."

Having heard the same from King Verojec a few minutes earlier, it hardly pacified her. "Who did this?"

With a reluctant sigh, Deilia was hesitant to answer. "...I don't know."

"You don't know," Elena snapped, suddenly angry again, "or you won't tell me?"

Deilia had lied to her before on a matter of the Royal Families, and though she understood the reason for her deceit, she still found it hard to trust Deilia when she was dealing with her face to face. The Tyro Ghost Heir was always acting in the best interest of the Rys'tihns, Elena knew, but she rarely agreed with Deilia's methods. Elena watched her closely as she answered, looking for any hint of a bluff...

"We had no warning at all," Deilia began carefully, and seeing fear flash briefly in her eyes, Elena believed her. "If we had, we would have stopped it. That's why this is such a serious situation, Elena. You and Derek must be kept safe.

"I know you don't like it," she continued delicately, "but this is the only option we have until we find out why Koril was attacked."

Though her anger was subsiding, it was quickly being replaced by reluctance and fear. There was nothing she hated more than running and hiding, but if Deilia didn't even know who or what they were up against, she needed to protect Derek and her next child any way she could. Resigning to the plan, she sighed sadly as she looked to her side at Swip, meeting his sympathetic gaze as he tried to give her a supportive smile.

"They'll be coming with us," Deilia added quietly, and though it was somewhat comforting, Elena still needed to know...

"Where are we going?"

Deilia's voice was even softer. "Home."

Elena blinked in disbelief. "...anyone could find out where I'm from --"

"It's isolated," Deilia countered quickly, "it's remote. We would know well ahead of time if someone was heading our way." But Elena shook her head.

"I don't want to get my parents caught up in this. They don't need to put themselves at risk!"

"Too late, they've already agreed. They understand the situation, and they want to help." Stepping closer to her for the first time, Deilia turned and extended her hand behind her down the hallway, inviting Elena toward the med center's landing pad just outside. "Kaydee is waiting with Derek in our transport."

Beginning to feel overwhelmed from the rapid changes, Elena released a shaky breath as she eventually followed Deilia's direction and continued out of the building, feeling Swip's gentle hand on her shoulder and hearing Leikam and Deilia close behind.

Though he hadn't intended to fall asleep, Koril immediately wished he hadn't woken up. He had yet to open his eyes, but he felt like his head was spinning, and the heavy blankets laying on top of him, intended to keep him warm as he recovered, were only making it worse. He hadn't felt so sick in years, and he was surprised that he felt as awful as he did without the ability to feel pain. Nausea was one thing, but what he felt all over his body didn't hurt but was intensely uncomfortable, as though his skin was burning...without the burn.

"Sir?" came Commander Cal Jax's concerned voice beside him, but remaining focused on remedying his discomfort, Koril ignored him as he began shifting the blankets off himself.

"Koril? Are you alright?"

"No," Koril managed in between labored breaths as Rech and Cal helped him remove the blankets. Desperate to stop his dizziness, he kept his eyes closed as he brought a hand to his forehead. "I feel...terrible..."

"It's probably related to the medication I gave you. Try to relax."

"Medication?" Feeling a cool rag being placed across his forehead as someone tugged his hand away, Koril carefully opened his eyes to see Rech checking an IV line in his arm. "Medication for what?"

Rech seemed hesitant. "I was hoping it would ward off your withdrawal."

Blinking, Koril could barely speak in his shock. "Withdrawal? After...after one exposure??"

Rech nodded, releasing a slow breath as he lowered Koril's arm back down to the bed. "I told you, that spice was potent. I've kept you sleeping for two days to let the worst of it pass."

Disturbed that he had been out of it for so long, he began to prop himself up in bed and tossed the cold cloth aside, forcing the grogginess from his mind as the adrenalin subdued his sickness. "Two days... What have I missed?"

Cal spoke up from the door. "Major Jax is here to talk to you."

Though still fighting latent dizziness, he nodded and looked expectantly toward the two Jaxes approaching him, situating himself upright on his bed despite Rech's apparent disapproval. Sitting up worsened his nausea momentarily, but thankful to no longer be feeling the strange burning sensation all over, he took in a few deep breaths to settle his stomach. "Major...have you made any progress on the investigation?"

Major Jax nodded and stood beside him, watching him carefully as he swung his legs over the side of the bed to face him. Before Jax could answer, though, Koril swayed briefly, stopping him.

"Sir--"

"I'm fine," Koril returned quickly, holding his hand up to quiet the major's concern as he focused on controlling his breathing. "Your report, Major?"

Reluctant but used to Koril's diversions, Jax nodded again, remaining close. "We found your glass in your office at the hangar. It had...very minute traces of that spice in it, Sir. We would have missed it if we hadn't been intent on finding it."

Koril furrowed his brows. "So...it wasn't in my drink?"

"It was," Jax nodded. "But that was the only source we could find. Are you sure you didn't have anything else?"

Thinking back, Koril nodded, too, and sighed, looking down with frustration. "As sure as I can be." Most of that morning was nothing but a foggy memory anymore, overshadowed by his nightmare that had prevented him from getting much sleep, and by the thought that someone had intentionally poisoned him. Having a heart that refused to beat for more than five minutes didn't help, either, and still unsettled by it, he could hardly focus on much else. After a few more deep breaths that relaxed him, he looked up at Jax again. "Did you find Lt. Macek?"

The look on Jax's face was hard to interpret as he nodded hesitantly.

"Have you interrogated her yet?"

Jax swallowed, almost afraid to answer. "We can't, Sir...she's dead. Spice overdose, the same kind that was in your system. We found her at her home yesterday."

Dumbfounded, Koril struggled to come up with a question. "...was it intentional?"

"We don't know yet. We haven't found any evidence that she ever possessed the spice in the first place. All of her friends and family that we've interviewed have remained adamant that she wasn't a user, and that she never had been."

Looking to the floor again, Koril lowered his voice. "The Maceks have been in the Royal Navy for years. Officers, a few pilots... They're a good family."

"But that spice had to come from somewhere, Sir," Jax added quietly. Meeting his gaze once more, Koril agreed.

"Do you have any other leads?"

"I'm afraid not, Sir. We can't find any record of her moving a large sum of credits to buy the spice, nor can we find any evidence that she had contacted any known dealers or traveled to meet any recently. All her communications and movements up to six months ago were all related to either her post with the Navy or to her family in Kirodai. They're convinced that she was framed for poisoning you and then murdered, but we haven't found anything to prove either way yet."

"Keep on it," Koril ordered, making his voice as strong as he could. "I want to know what happened to her, and why. Maybe it's tied to why I was targeted." Jax nodded, but Koril wasn't finished. "I also want to know more about this spice - who runs it, where it comes from, and why it's here. Paneau's been clean of spice for centuries, and I want to keep it that way."

"Yes, High Commander," Jax answered obediently and left with a quick bow, taking with him his Elite Guard who had been stationed outside the room. As Koril brought a hand to his forehead to calm his returning dizziness, Rech stepped up beside him and put a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"You need to rest, Koril. Your body's been through a lot these past few days."

Though wanting to leave the confines of the med center room, Koril sighed as he complied and laid back down, watching Rech look over the monitors around him. "How much longer is the spice going to affect me?"

"Well, it's clear of your system now, and the residual effects should be subsiding. Are you feeling any better?"

Koril took in another deep breath, settling into the bed. "I still feel sick, but...yeah, it's getting better."

Nodding, Rech turned to look behind him, silently scanning the hallway for a moment. "Koril," he began carefully, "...where's Elena? I haven't seen her since she and I...talked the other day. I know I upset her, but...she hasn't been back here at all."

Avoiding Rech's gaze, Koril closed his eyes and released a shaky sigh. "Hopefully, she's somewhere...safe." Though he didn't want to explain, he anticipated Rech's questions, anyway. "She's...pregnant, Rech. I can't... I didn't want her here...in someone's target sights." His voice shook as he continued. "I...I couldn't even protect myself."

"...are you cold?"

Surprised by the sudden change in Rech's tone, Koril looked up to see his friend's concerned expression. "No..." It wasn't until Rech placed his hand on his shoulder that he realized his entire body was shaking, and it was rapidly intensifying.

"Another side effect. Just relax, I'll..."

But Rech's voice became muffled and faded away as Koril fell under a quick and heavy slumber before he could react.