Paneau Sector: Redemption
3.2 APC

Rech watched with intense anxiety as a small Paneau shuttle landed within the Redemption's huge hangar, not noticing how much it was dwarfed by even the other ships surrounding it. He had no idea Paneau owned such a large capital ship, but shoving down his curiosity for the moment, he followed the team of medics who had waited until the shuttle lowered its ramp to move toward it. They hadn't told him what the agents had found on the spicers' asteroid, if anything at all, but he knew Mand had to be in the shuttle. She was weak, he could tell, so he was on hand to help her and jumpstart her treatment.

Brief chaos ensued as the two teams mixed and dispersed among two repulsor beds they were bringing down the ramp. Their two evacuees were wrapped tightly in heavy blankets while also covered in wires and monitors, and with breath masks covering their faces, Rech couldn't identify them until he forced his way through the crowd to walk alongside them...and even then, he wasn't sure who he was looking at.

"...both severely hypoxic and hypothermic, don't know for how long. She's stable, but he's extremely critical. Is that bacta tank ready and waiting for us?"

Rech only briefly heard the medics' chatter, instead focusing on the woman he was briskly walking beside on the way to the Redemption's medical bay. He hardly recognized her... She was pale and gaunt, and her hair looked terrible, badly bleached of its normal dark brown and looked like it hadn't been combed in weeks. This was his Mand? And who was the other person they had rescued who was faring far worse than she?

He quickly surveyed her with the Force for any grievous injuries, but found none; she was incredibly weak, though, weaker than he had felt previously. He could hardly feel that she was alive, but the medics considered her to be 'stable'? As they all crammed onto the large turbolift, Rech got a closer look at the other patient...and he only stared in disbelief down at Horatio Sheridan, looking as dirty as and even more roughed up than she did.

No one, not even Koril had been able to tell him what Mand had been doing for seven months, other than that she had intended to stop the spice deaths and rid the sector of the dealer who was supplying it. So how had she ended up on that asteroid, nearly frozen and suffocated to death with Horatio, of all people, at her side?

"Sir? Mr. Natiyr?"

Shaken from his stupor as the turbolift came to a halt on the medical level, he turned to the medic beside him who had addressed him.

"She's going straight into a bacta tank so it can slowly raise her body temperature," the medic informed him, albeit needlessly. Rech nodded and followed her bed as the other medics began to take her away, but the first medic stopped him, halting the others, as well.

"We need your help with him, Sir."

Somehow resisting the urge to continue on into the medical bay with Mand, Rech slowly turned back to the medic, only lightly hiding his contempt for Horatio as he brushed Mand's cheek with his hand. "She's my wife."

The medic looked reluctant but determined, nodding slowly. "I know, Sir," she continued carefully. "She will respond well to her treatment. But he has massive internal injuries that a bacta tank alone won't be able to treat in time. He needs your attention right now."

Did she even know what she was asking him to do? Who she was asking him to help? Horatio had hurt and humiliated and betrayed Mand so many times in the past, and not only her, but Koril, too-

Rech...

Hearing Mand's voice reaching out to him, he immediately returned to her, leaning over her and gently stroking her forehead as he searched her eyes that had only slightly opened. He had felt her weak, ailing call through the Force the day before, and he was able to lead the search team through the dangerous asteroid field to her location. As their gazes met for the first time in months, though, a strange, bitter sadness filled him instead of elation...

Please, she pleaded faintly in his mind, help him...for me.

He felt his stomach turn to ice as he realized what she was asking of him, as well, and he didn't want to believe it. Had she been working with Horatio all this time? Had she become attached to her former partner again? Managing to subdue all the fear and pain he felt welling up within him, he released a trembling breath as he shook his head at her, responding to her in the same manner as he struggled to keep the darkness out of his mind.

No. Not for you... For the sake of saving a life, if the Force wills it.

Her eyes slowly closed as she stilled once more, though out of relief or lack of energy, he couldn't tell. And at the moment, he didn't want to know, either; it would only distract him further, and if he was going to put his skills to the test, he couldn't allow any errant thoughts to break his concentration. Taking another moment to clear his mind completely, he slowly turned from her and stepped over to Horatio's side, ignoring his identity as long as possible while he began to draw on the Force to heal the mercenary.

Paneau: capital city of Dalon
Dalon Medical Center

Fighting a returning headache, Elena sat back in her seat with an exasperated sigh, though she tried to keep her frustration at bay, if only for Koril's sake. She hadn't left his side since they had brought him to the med center after he had collapsed in the Manor, but even during her "precautionary" exile on Hoth, she knew more about what was going on then than she knew about what all had just happened in her own home just hours earlier.

Koril hadn't yet regained consciousness, but no one could tell her why he was even out in the first place. He hadn't been wounded in the confrontation with Brylie, his heart was still strong and functioning properly, and the doctors had run test after test but couldn't find anything wrong. It was as though he were simply sleeping, though nothing, not even her soft calls through the Force could wake him. She continued trying, though, reaching deeper and deeper into his mind to get some kind of response. She couldn't feel his presence at all...as if he wasn't there anymore. His body was alive and well, but where was his...spirit?

The room was too quiet for her, allowing her mind to wander and worry even more. Her mother Sirema and brother Jeric were taking care of Derek and Dirani elsewhere within the complex, and she knew they were well protected with most, if not all, of the Edgepoint Squadron guarding them, but she was still anxious, which was absurd. The threat to them and to Koril had died with Brylie, hadn't it? Without knowing if the spicers were gone or not, though, she held onto a waning fear that her children were still in danger of being fatally poisoned with the vile drug...

Interrupting her thoughts, the door to Koril's room opened as Admiral Sokol stepped through with a solemn expression, followed closely by several Royal Guards. Elena didn't even allow him the chance to speak before he made it to her side.

"Admiral, any word from the Redemption?"

Sokol calmly shook his head. "Not yet, M'lady. They're still in the asteroid field, and there's too much interference for them to get a message out until they leave it."

She turned her head from the Admiral, looking back down at Koril as she bit her lower lip in anxiety. Rech was aboard the Redemption, but while he was probably helping Mand, he wasn't there on Paneau to figure out what was wrong with Koril, since neither she nor anyone else could. She gripped Koril's hand tightly, still watching his face carefully for any sign of movement.

"...and the High Commander?"

Sokol's voice was quiet but obviously concerned, making it harder for her to answer. She swallowed a dry lump in her throat. "No change." She had begun to ask Sokol another question when her head began to pound mercilessly, stopping her words. Closing her eyes and bringing a hand to her head, she gave a soft groan, and Sokol was quick to pick up on her distress, gently gripping her shoulder.

"M'lady?"

She used the Force to quickly get a handle on her pain, dulling it if only briefly as she looked up at Sokol. "Just a headache."

The Admiral looked sympathetic. "Yes, I heard about your crash on Hoth. Are you sure you're alright?"

Though she probably needed further treatment, she nodded to ease Sokol's concern, and she looked at him expectantly, reading a hesitant expression on his face. He remained reluctant to speak for a few moments, but after releasing a light sigh and dropping his hand from her, he nodded.

"We've discovered how Ms. Herrell was able to gain access to the Manor."

Both terrified to know yet deeply curious, she waited.

"She was smuggled onto the grounds in one of those guard transports that arrived at the Manor the same time you did. Ensign Crowel helped her aboard before it left the Mazari Hangar, and he was the one who brought Derek from his playroom to her in the hangar. Ms. Herrell then used Derek's Crest to enter the tunnel underneath the hangar, where she encountered and...injured your Tyro."

The thought that not even the Rys'tihn Ghost Heir had been safe from Brylie's vengeance haunted her and made her shudder briefly. Brylie had been so close to taking Deilia, Koril, and Derek away from her, all within the span of minutes, but why? The officers who had been present had tried to explain the woman's motivations to her, but nothing seemed very clear. She'd have to wait for Koril's input to really make sense of it, if he would just wake up...

With a beep from his comlink calling him back to his duties, Sokol hesitated a moment as he pulled it off his belt, preparing to answer it. He glanced at Koril once more before returning to her, speaking softly again. "I will contact you the minute we hear from the Redemption, you have my word."

Elena nodded. "Thank you, Admiral."

Sokol quietly answered his comlink as he left, his guards following closely behind him, and she was again alone in the room at Koril's side, left to her thoughts once more. She turned to face him entirely as she squeezed his hand, watching his chest rise and fall in slow, steady intervals. With her free hand, she lightly brushed her fingers through his hair as she closed her eyes and again tried to reach him in the Force, searching for his presence...

But he was drastically different. She couldn't even process the change that she felt fast enough before he took in a short, shallow breath, followed closely by a faster, deeper, more urgent one that woke him suddenly and completely. His eyes were unfocused but wide with fear as though he had been awakened out of a nightmare, breathing heavily and worsening with each passing second.

"Deilia!"

Desperate to calm him, Elena stood and leaned over him, stroking his face and speaking soothingly. "Koril! Koril, it's okay-"

His anxiety only increased, though, as he began to prop himself up, not registering her touch or even her presence. She gently pressed his shoulders back down onto the bed, but he resisted her efforts with surprising strength.

"No, Koril, you need to rest-"

"I have to sit up," he stated with fervent determination, and though she reluctantly allowed him to, she kept her hands on his shoulders to steady him. Once completely seated upright, he leaned forward, as she had expected, but she felt her breath freeze in her chest as he brought his hands up to his head, holding it as though in agony...

"Are you in pain?"

He breathed only in choked spurts, but he didn't answer. Had he not heard her?

"Koril?"

He was trembling in her hold, and just as she was about to call for one of the doctors, he finally spoke. "So much...noise..."

But she was still baffled. "Koril, there's no noise..."

...unless...

Feeling her panic give way to realization, she placed her hand against his cheek with her sudden inspiration and turned his face up to her, closing her eyes as she called on the Force to calm his racing mind, soothing it from its hyperactive state. Gradually, his frantic breathing eased as he relaxed, and she could feel the tension leaving him the longer she concentrated. Satisfied that she had helped him sufficiently, she looked at him, meeting his eyes that, while more focused than before, were still anxious in confusion. He returned his arms to his side, and though he remained sitting up, he looked a bit weaker, worrying her.

"You...you didn't hear...any of that?"

But just relieved that he was awake again, she sat on the bed beside him, shaking her head briefly as she studied his gaze. "No," she began softly. "Your mind was...opened to the Force, a lot more than what you're used to. It was like a sensory overload. You don't know how to control it yet, but I can teach you."

The concept seemed to be so foreign to him; he almost looked like she had spoken to him in Huttese. He was at least becoming more lucid as the moments passed and his memories came back to him, but he was still intent on processing what he had just experienced.

"Does that...happen to you?"

She again shook her head, but still with her hand on his cheek, she lightly brushed her thumb over his parted lips, hoping to keep him calm. "No, but I can imagine how it must have felt." She had heard of instances where Force-sensitives had been similarly overwhelmed by their senses, particularly after spending an extended period of time under the Force-nullifying influence of ysalimirs, or more drastically, feeling the aftermath of the destruction of Alderaan. But neither of those circumstances applied, so what had brought on Koril's episode?

"Where's Deilia?"

Though glad that he was seemingly recovering well, she was again afraid to answer him. "I don't know," she confessed, keeping her voice soft. "The other Heirs took her a while ago."

Surprising her, he didn't look overly bothered by the news, as though he somehow knew that his twin sister was still alive. Elena had no way of knowing, but concerned that he was still fragile, she didn't press the issue.

He was apparently still catching up with everything he could recall. "What about Derek?"

"He's fine. He's safe with my family and the Edgepoints. The sedative's worn off, no lasting effects."

Koril hardly blinked. "And Major Jax?"

Another difficult answer. "I'm not sure. I've stayed here with you this whole time."

Still carefully considering everything, he looked away from her in thought for a few moments. When his eyes became distant again, however, she gently turned his face back to her, searching his gaze as she spoke slowly.

"Koril...what did you do, back at the Manor? You collapsed just after I got to you, and you had been out ever since. Your body was fine, but...it was like you weren't here anymore. I couldn't find you."

The look on his face was almost...blank, but she knew he understood what she was asking. He just didn't seem to have an answer for her, at least, one that made sense to him.

"...she died in my arms. I...I couldn't let her go." He shook his head absently, his voice trembling and sounding even more far off. "I don't know what I did... I just knew I had to do something." As he looked back up at her, he suddenly looked lost, but she already knew what he was going to ask before he spoke. "How would I know...for sure...if she were gone? How would I feel?"

Feeling her own heart wrenching in sympathy for his , she could hardly find her voice, having to describe the pain she'd felt so many times recently... "Like...a part of you is suddenly gone. Like there's a...heavy, yet empty void in your heart and in your mind where she used to be... Even though your skills haven't been fully developed...I think you'd know."

Thoughtful for a long, tense moment, he met her gaze again, still expressionless. "I don't feel any of that. Everything's so...numb..."

Unsure if it was good or bad, or even if perhaps she had caused it, she pulled him into a tight embrace, trying to comfort him through the Force, as well. He held her back just as tightly, and though his shaking was subsiding, he remained silent, and so did she, allowing him to work through his feelings on his own. He released her after a few minutes, and as she sat back and looked into his eyes again, she was surprised to see determination on his face.

"I want to see Major Jax."

She nodded hesitantly. "The doctors should check you fi-"

"No, now," he demanded, already pulling the light sheet off his lower body. "I'm fine. I need to know that at least one person didn't die because of me."

Briefly stunned but swayed by his voice that trembled again with emotion, she released a long breath and nodded, glancing back at the two Royal Guards standing outside the room. She motioned for one of them to come inside, and as he swiftly entered and bowed to them, she addressed him quietly.

"Do you know of Major Jax's condition?"

The guard looked briefly repentant. "No, M'lady, but I do know where his room is, down a few levels. I can take you to him."

Elena nodded, and after helping Koril to his feet, she stood with him, ready to brace him if he wavered. He remained steady, though, and despite no longer being dressed in his formal uniform, the light hospital clothing didn't seem to bother him. She held his arm tightly, locking his fingers with hers as they followed the guard through the med center, though Koril remained silent. She expected he would be, his turmoil only made worse by the scrutiny he perceived from the others around him, but she continued to share the tranquility of the Force with him, hoping to keep his heightened senses in check.

Once they stepped onto the turbolift, he squeezed her hand briefly as he looked down at her, meeting her gaze with his appreciation evident only in his eyes. She gave him a tired smile, but it faded quickly as she realized just how tired she actually was, resting her head lightly on his shoulder. It hardly seemed possible that little more than four standard days had passed since their disastrous crash on Hoth, since Koril had helped her deliver Dirani, and they'd only just returned to Paneau ten hours earlier. It was already well into the night in Dalon, so thankfully the medical center wasn't nearly as busy as it had been during the day, affording them the chance to move about mostly undetected. As the turbolift opened for their floor, Koril leaned over her slightly and kissed her on the top of her head, gently squeezing her hand again before they followed the guard through the hall.

It wasn't long before the guard stopped in front of Major Jax's room, and Koril and Elena both looked inside intently. The room was dim, but they could still see Jax, sleeping comfortably in an angled bed that nearly had him sitting straight up. His left upper chest was covered in heavy bandages, but as far as Elena could tell, he was breathing normally without any signs of distress, and without any help, making her smile.

"See?" she asked at a whisper, looking up at Koril. "He's fine. Once Rech gets back, he will make any remaining trace of that bolt disappear."

But Koril looked more confused than relieved, and unsure why, she followed his line of sight back into the room. Elena hadn't noticed before, but in the darkness, a woman with long brown hair sat in a chair at Jax's right side, her back to the window as she looked on the sleeping major. The woman's face couldn't be seen from the window, leaving her identity a mystery, and just as Elena was beginning to suggest they return to Koril's room, Jax stirred, slowly waking up as the woman grasped his hand.

Seeing only his companion at his side, Jax quickly shed his sleepiness and replaced it with concern as he looked at her, conversing with her briefly. Despite the apparent seriousness of their discussion, his worry eventually waned as he instead looked tired once more, still not even noticing his visitors at his window. As Jax began to close his eyes again, Koril took the opportunity, quietly stepping into the room despite Elena's hesitance.

"High Commander," Jax greeted him with a hoarse voice as he tried to sit up straighter in his bed, a bit surprised but relieved to see him. "M'lady," he smiled weakly at Elena as she followed, pleased to see her, as well. Standing at Jax's left side with Koril, Elena could finally see the other woman's face, and she didn't expect to meet Milowi Jax's smiling gaze.

"You both know Milowi," Jax began as he looked between the three, and they all nodded. Milowi had been a covert agent in the employ of the Rys'tihn Ghost Heirs, protecting the Rys'tihns while disguised as a kitchen hand in the Manor. After her identity was revealed following a security breach, she had been reassigned elsewhere, though their paths had crossed a few times since. Most notably, she had been instrumental in piecing together the mystery of the deadly Huxnel drones' invisibility more than a year and a half prior, helping to end the conflict in their favor with minimal loss.

Jax seemed to subtly beam with pride, though, as he continued. "But what you probably don't know...is that she is my wife."

Blushing slightly, Milowi shook her head at him though she was still smiling, and she slowly stood from her seat, revealing her very pregnant stomach.

"Easy, easy," Jax warned with care, watching her every move anxiously. Elena's smile only broadened, though, reminded of Koril's persistent concern for her during her own pregnancies. No wonder Koril and Jax worked together so well, she thought with a laugh.

Still holding Milowi's hand, Jax looked back at the Rys'tihns. "We don't tell many people...because of the nature of our jobs."

"Because you're extremely paranoid, Aurin," Milowi added, teasing him with a grin.

Koril was even smiling a little, too. "It comes standard with our training, Milowi."

Jax gave a short laugh. "Training never prepared me for this, though," he said as he lightly placed his hand on her stomach. "Next month."

"Then you've got plenty of time to get back on your feet and continue pampering her," Elena offered innocently, and Milowi agreed.

But still curious, Koril continued on another subject. "How are you feeling, Major?"

Jax looked tired as he answered. "I'm alright, Sir. Breathing still...stings on every draw, but it's getting better. Only problem that hasn't resolved yet is my arm."

As Jax brought attention to his left arm at his side, Elena realized that she hadn't seen him move it yet at all...

"Nerve damage," Jax continued with a hint of frustration. "I can't feel it, can't move it... The doctor said the next bacta treatment should start repairing the connections, though."

"We'll send Rech Natiyr straight to you once he gets back, Major."

Elena's offer lightened Jax's mood. "I'd appreciate that, M'lady. I could get back to the Manor sooner that way."

"You'll do no such thing."

Taken aback, Jax looked up at Koril in confusion. "...Sir?"

"You are going to take the time to heal properly, Major. That's also an order."

Jax almost looked panicked, genuinely unsettled by Koril's mandate. "Sir...this is the longest I've ever been on medical leave."

Glancing at the chrono on the wall behind Milowi, Koril arched an eyebrow. "You've been here for nine hours."

Still seeming nervous, Jax nodded, making Koril sigh. "Major...I'll allow you to confer with your replacement of choice, but I don't want to see you back at the Manor for at least three months." Halting Jax's further protests, Koril shook his head and continued strongly. "I want you to have this time with your family. I've missed enough of mine, but I am not going to let that happen to you if I can help it."

Though it took him a full minute, Jax finally resigned, albeit reluctantly, nodding as he released a shaky breath. He seemed so lost, and Elena knew he'd have the same problem Koril did when removed from duty against his will; he wouldn't know what to do with himself, either. Jax seemed to calm, though, as Milowi leaned over him and kissed him at his temple, and as he looked back up at Koril, he nodded.

"Thank you, Sir."

Koril nodded, too. "You've earned it, Major."

As Elena left with Koril after their goodbyes, still holding his hand tightly while they walked down the same hallway toward the turbolift, she couldn't restrain her broad smile, though she debated staying silent or not. The guard ahead of them was dutifully leading them back to Koril's room, and the med center's halls were still minimally populated, but it surprised her when Koril spoke up softly instead, having seen her smile.

"Yes, I'm very much aware of my own hypocrisy, thank you."

She laughed quietly, appreciating his dry humor that had returned. "I wasn't going to say anything."

As they stepped onto the turbolift and waited for its doors to close, Koril looked down at her with a perceptive eye.

"Liar."