Paneau: capital city of Dalon
Dalon Medical Center
5.5 APC

With no less than six Royal Guards escorting them through the med center halls, Koril was silently grateful that his son Derek remained quiet at his side. He held the four-year-old boy's hand tightly, perhaps tighter than usual because of stress, but already seeming to understand the weighty situation, Derek didn't protest. It had only been a few precious hours since the terrible disaster at the Dalon Provincial Academy, and along with many others, Dirani was still being treated for her extensive wounds. Fearing an attack on the Royal Families, both Koril and Elena wanted to keep Derek nearby in the vast medical complex, but they couldn't allow him to witness all the intense treatment sessions his little sister was going through.

And as Koril stopped with Derek just outside Mand's room, he wasn't entirely sure the boy would be better off there instead of with his parents.

The room's door swept aside gently without Koril's prompting, but as he suspected, Rech was standing just opposite him in the doorway, his daughter Cordira close beside him, too. He had seen Koril approaching and anticipated his arrival.

Anxious to hear, Rech hardly hesitated. "How's Dirani doing?"

Though he should've known, he wasn't entirely prepared for it. Images of his sweet little girl flashed through his mind, of her tiny body suspended in a bacta tank, of the succession of surgeries she had endured to repair her many shattered bones... He had to shake his head to clear it before it became too much. "She's...mending," he answered blankly, struggling to keep his voice strong. "Master Kanomin is keeping her recovery on track."

Hard as it was to speak, Koril's pain seemed to be even more difficult for Rech to hear. The Jedi could barely talk, either. "Koril, I...I'm..."

Koril shook his head, feeling the weight of the guilt in Rech's voice. "It's okay, Rech. We understand," he reassured him, and he meant it. Koril could see that Rech wanted nothing more than to help the injured children, especially Dirani and Tavyna Jax, but he couldn't risk leaving his wife's side while she remained so fragile. Koril hadn't wanted to leave his family himself, either, but he had the investigation to manage. "Are you sure it's alright that Derek stays here?"

Rech nodded. "Yes, of course. Whatever I can do to help."

Turning to Derek beside him, Koril knelt down to his eye level, lightly placing his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"Alright, you and Cordira can play here, but you have to be very quiet, got it?" Getting a nod from him, Koril continued. "And you do what Rech tells you to do. Whatever he says, you listen to him, understand me?"

"Yes, Daddy."

Derek's simple innocence and obedience was almost enough to make Koril stay...but the responsibilities of the High Commander remained his priority when his children were safe. He leaned over Derek and gently kissed the top of his head, and rocking back onto his heels to look into the boy's enchanting green eyes once more, he softened his voice.

"I love you."

Suddenly scared for some reason, Derek threw his arms around his father's neck, holding onto him tightly on the brink of tears. "Don't leave!"

Though he had hoped to leave without any problems, his stomach wrenched into an icy knot with Derek's plea. He hugged the boy for a moment to comfort him, but pulling him back to look at him again, he brushed his hand through Derek's hair. "I have to, Derek... I have to help those other children who...got hurt like Dirani did, okay?" Not entirely comprehending, Derek remained sad, and Koril wasn't sure why until he realized...the last time someone had said goodbye to him in such a manner, his mother had left him for two years.

"I'm not leaving Paneau," he continued quietly, closely watching Derek's expression as it lightened with his promise. "I'm not even leaving the city. I'll be back to get you later tonight, alright?"

Sniffling though he hadn't shed any tears, Derek eventually nodded. "Okay."

Koril feigned a small smile for Derek's sake, kissing him again at his temple. "Be good," he told his son as he stood from him. Before he could even ask her to, Cordira quietly stepped up to Derek's side and took his hand, bringing him inside without another word. Rech and Koril watched as the two disappeared around the corner into a dimmed area of the room, and thankful that they remained silent, Koril released a tense breath. He began to turn to leave, but Rech spoke up again, stopping him.

"Their instructor said Cordira saved their lives."

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

Rech glanced into the room briefly, but returning to Koril, his shoulders sagged with stress. "Their class was on their way outside through the main entrance, but just before they got there, Cordira...threw a fit of some kind. She stopped them all, and...because of her, the door was still closed when the ship crashed against it. If it had been open...there would have been a lot more casualties." He paused a moment, seemingly mustering the strength to finish. "...I think Mand warned her."

Though he had initially furrowed his brows in confusion, it was quickly turning into disbelief and even anger as he glanced into the room at Mand's inert form. She had been in a self-induced coma-like state for over a month, but she anticipated the attack and only bothered to warn her daughter? What about Dirani's class of seventeen, fourteen of which, including their three instructors, were dead? The children had all been under the age of three, and all but one had died instantly in the concussive blast. Where was their warning? Where was Dirani's protection that would have saved her from dozens of awful wounds? His frustration was quickly clouding his mind, and knowing he couldn't walk into Tavyna Jax's room with such dark thoughts, he took in a slow breath as he looked back to Rech.

"Let me know if Derek's any trouble."

Though a bit perplexed by Koril's swift shift in topic, Rech nodded, and Koril left before he could ask about it.

Thankful that Dirani had finally tired herself out after crying for what felt like an hour, Elena rested her head on the bed just beside her daughter, her face mere inches from the girl's as she slept. The last bacta treatment session had been nothing short of traumatic for Dirani, as she had woken up for the first time since the disaster while suspended in the tank. Emerging from unconsciousness in such a state would have been disorienting and stressful for anyone, let alone for a two-and-a-half-year-old girl who had never before been hurt so grievously in her life. Almost all of Dirani's wounds had been mended by surgeries and by Master Kanomin's healing hand, and the bacta was supposed to finish treating her superficial cuts and bruises; though the session had been cut short by her fit, she looked serene and peaceful, all evidence of her proximity to the blast erased. Elena gently stroked her fine white hair as she looked over her sleeping face, sadly wondering who would dare harm so many children...

The door to the room opened behind her, and instantly the smell of warm, spiced food filled the air. None of them had eaten since arriving at the med center that morning, and Swip had just returned from the cafeteria downstairs with an armful of meals. Standing just inside the door, Leikam helped him place all the trays on a table to free his hands, and checking to make sure Dirani remained asleep, Elena stood to lend her aid, as well.

"I got as much of an assortment as I could," Swip whispered, glancing behind Elena at Dirani on the bed. "I wasn't sure what her favorite food was this week."

Surprised that he knew of Dirani's recently developed picky eating habits, Elena smiled appreciatively as she looked over the food, nodding. "This will be fine. Thank you, Swip." She picked up a round green fruit for herself and bit into it, savoring its sweet juices that satiated her hunger she had ignored for so long. Still standing beside Swip, Leikam eyed the food with obvious desire, though he made no move to take any. Elena laughed lightly. "Eat, you two."

With her permission, Leikam wasted little time in picking up a plate of roasted meat with a smile. "Thank you, m'lady." He sat in the far corner of the room at a small table, already swallowing large bites without realizing that his partner hadn't moved at all. Swip had a distant, thoughtful look on his face, his gaze still fixed on Dirani as she slept soundly. Elena couldn't quite tell what was bothering him so, and as he continued to stare without noticing that she was focused on him, she had to speak up.

"Swip?"

Blinking as he snapped out of his daze, he looked to her intently. "M'lady?" She could still see that he wasn't quite himself, despite his best efforts to revert his attention to her.

"Are you alright?"

He swallowed and nodded after a moment, seemingly reluctant to explain. "I just...have a lot on my mind." He returned his gaze to Dirani, looking both distraught and relieved at the same time. "I'm glad she's doing better."

Had his mood been so sullen all day? She had been so entirely focused on Dirani, she hadn't noticed much else. Without looking, she couldn't even number how many Royal Guards stood outside the room protecting them, so now with Dirani pacified for the moment, she was beginning to realize just how much of a toll the disaster had taken on her friends. No longer interested in the fruit in her hand, she stepped closer to Swip to speak to him more privately, but she had only taken in a breath to begin when the door opened behind them.

Wearing his formal uniform with his hat tucked under his arm, Cal Jax, Commander of the Edgepoint Squadron, stepped inside with a solemn expression. Immediately, Leikam and Swip stood at attention, but assuming Jax was there for her, Elena approached him quietly.

"M'lady," Jax greeted her softly as he bowed. She nodded to him as he righted himself, and though she waited for his message, he instead turned his attention to Swip behind her. "Lieutenant..."

Confused, Elena glanced back at Swip who looked equally as perplexed. Without another word, Jax turned his head slightly to the side, inviting a young woman into the room from behind him. She had long, platinum blond hair, but she wore no uniform or formal identifying attire, only plain clothing, and Elena had never seen her before. Looking back to Swip as the color drained from his face, though, she knew something was terribly wrong.

Swip could hardly speak. "...Miina?" The woman's expression faltered the longer they gazed at each other, communicating what Swip already seemed to know. "...is...is she...?"

The woman nodded, breaking down even further as she shook with tears she fought to contain. "She...put up a good fight..."

Feeling as though she had suddenly walked in on a very personal, private exchange, Elena stepped back to give them space as Jax did the same. Swip was close to tears himself as he embraced the sobbing woman, leaving Elena to look to the commander for answers.

"...Cal?"

Stepping up closely beside her, he kept his voice low and somber. "That's Miina Wip, his oldest sister. Their sister between them, Cotaal...she was one of the instructors for your daughter's class." He looked down, finding it difficult to say aloud. "She...died a few minutes ago."

Stunned, Elena felt an icy pain tear through her chest as she looked back at her friend suffering through a horrible loss. "Cotaal...was his...I didn't..."

Jax nodded, understanding her partial sentences. "She married about a year before she began teaching. Her students only knew her as Mrs. Del, short for Delesdemier. Her mother-in-law died in the blast, too...instantly. Cotaal was a bit further from the impact, and she shielded a few of the children from more serious injuries by taking them herself..."

Hardly able to withhold her own tears, Elena's voice shook instead. "Then she is a hero..."

Looking down, Jax nodded again. "Yes, m'lady." He hesitated a moment more before he tugged at the edges of his uniform jacket, absentmindedly tending to nonexistent wrinkles as he stood erect to leave. "I'll have a replacement for him sent to you within the hour."

She accepted his offer with a short nod, and she watched as Cal returned to the doorway, putting a hand on Swip's shoulder to walk out with him. The lieutenant left his sister's embrace and took a moment to compose himself before turning to Elena once more. His eyes were red and bereaved, as she would've expected, but he resolutely stood in place, as if determined to stay.

"M'lady," he managed weakly, adopting a more formal, attentive stance. "Your safety is...my priority..."

Stepping up to him, she shook her head as she released a trembling breath. "Saross...go. Your family needs you right now, much more than I do."

He struggled to keep his expression neutral, and she could tell he was desperately mustering the strength to protest. She knew the Edgepoints were especially loyal to the Royal Families, and most especially to the Rys'tihns for Koril's past service with them...but such close family bonds were far more important; the five younger Wip boys should have both their oldest brother and their oldest sister with them at such a sorrowful time. Before he could speak, she lightly placed her hand against his cheek, her voice softened even more by sympathy. "Saross...that's an order. Go."

With her touch, he closed his eyes and furrowed his brows to halt his reaction, unwilling to bear his emotions to her. He took in and released a series of short breaths, steeling his nerves before finally deciding to heed her order with a nod. "Yes, m'lady."

His blond hair covered most of his face as he hung his head, turning to leave with Miina and Commander Jax without another word. As much as she knew she was defeating him by forcing him to leave his sworn duty, she knew she'd never forgive herself if she didn't.

As Koril stepped up to Tavyna Jax's room in the medical center, he was surprised to see that the lighting wasn't dimmed much inside, if at all, even though the tiny girl lay sound asleep on her bed. Milowi Jax, the girl's mother, sat with weary, sagging posture in a chair at the foot of the bed, while her father, Major Aurin Jax, reclined in a rather uncomfortable-looking chair just beside the bed. He had a light blanket draped over him, and even with his head resting against Tavyna's bed, Koril could see the bruises and slashes still fresh on his face that, while cleaned, had only been minimally treated. Koril knew the feeling well. If he had been injured in the same manner, he wouldn't have wasted a single second on himself, instead remaining beside his wounded little girl as much as possible.

Heaving a worry-laden sigh, he nodded to his guard escort beside him to remain watch outside as he went in. They swiftly took up posts beside the room's door, but the motion caught Milowi's attention before he even stepped all the way into the room. She looked almost relieved to see him, and even though he gave her a small, kind smile in return, she looked back to her husband and called to him softly. "Aurin... Aurin?"

Slightly startled out of a light slumber, the major blinked sleepily as he focused on Milowi's face hovering over him for a moment. Remembering where he was, his eyes snapped to attention suddenly, and he quickly turned his attention to Tavyna beside him; Milowi calmed him only just before he stood from his chair. "She's okay, Aurin. She's still asleep."

He checked the monitors around her head to be sure, but once he relaxed and returned his tired eyes to Milowi, she had to nod her head toward Koril for the dazed major to recognize his presence in the room. This time, Koril was the one keeping Jax in his seat.

Noticeably surprised, Jax struggled to untangle himself from the blanket laying atop him as he moved to stand. "High Commander..."

But Koril held up a hand to halt him, keeping his voice quiet but firm. "As you were, Major. You don't have to get up for me." Waiting until Jax settled back into his chair before he continued, he looked over Tavyna briefly. "How is she doing?"

Jax flinched slightly at the question, still finding it difficult to accept her...condition. "They're keeping her...sedated, so her body has the chance to adjust as much as possible...reduce the trauma of transition..." His voice shook as he continued, unable to meet Koril's gaze. "They're not sure how long it'll...last...since she's so young. She'll have to be...refitted...every few weeks, possibly for years..."

Without intending to, Koril looked to Tavyna and traced the outline of her tiny frame under her blankets to her left foot that he knew was now artificial. The girl had amazingly been spared more serious injuries in the blast, but losing her foot would prove extremely difficult for her in the long run. Jax was already aware, and it weighed heavily on him, even though his quick action, applying a crude tourniquet around her leg to slow the bleeding just minutes after the disaster, had probably saved her life. Koril could only hope that he'd be able to act that swiftly were he ever in the same situation.

"Whatever she needs, for however long she needs...she will get it, Major. You have my word."

Finally looking back up at Koril, Jax nodded weakly. "Thank you, Sir." He sat forward with an odd flutter in one eye, but his voice had at least strengthened somewhat. "I was going to -"

Cutting off his words, an intense pain gripped him, forcing his eyes tightly closed in a serious grimace. He brought a hand to his forehead, but he froze in place, even holding his breath, deeply concerning Koril and Milowi.

"Aurin?" Milowi tried to garner a response from him, stepping over to him and gingerly placing her hand at the base of his neck. "Aurin, Love, breathe!"

With her persuasion, he eventually exhaled, taking in sharper breaths to endure the pain as the moments wore on. She didn't seem entirely surprised by his struggle, but Koril knew how dangerously close Jax had been to the initial blast...surely he hadn't foregone help entirely?

"Major...have you been treated?"

Milowi gave Koril an overtly disappointed look. "With a bacta cloth."

Jax was eager to defend himself, though. "I don't need a tank. It wouldn't help me, anyway."

"You at least need to let the Healers see to you, even for just a -"

"No," he bit back almost angrily. "They need to stay with the children. It's just a headache. I'll manage."

Recognizing Jax's frustration that he himself had so often wielded in similar circumstances, Koril knew he needed to get the major's mind back on taking action. "I didn't mean to impose, but I won't bother you for much longer. I just wanted to ask you some questions, Major."

Relaxing as his headache seemed to ease, Jax sighed sadly. "I already told the investigators everything I saw...which wasn't much."

"We're having a hard time identifying the type of ship, even from its remains. Can you think of anything that would give us a clue? A starting point?"

Jax shook his head. "I only turned to see it for maybe a half second before it crashed. I couldn't process much of anything...not even the instinct to dive out of the way..."

Though wary of pushing him too far, they needed answers... "There has to be something that stood out to you: the shape of the cockpit, the slope of the engines, something..."

"I wish there was, Sir," Jax answered, his anger rising again, "but I've run it over and over and over in my mind, and all I can see is the nose of that ship almost on top of me. And if I could see through it, or around it, or behind it, I'd -"

His words cut off again, but his eyes were locked wide open in realization...he had remembered something.

"...Major?"

He looked like he didn't believe his own memory. "The engines...they were too quiet...because they were already on fire. There was a trail of smoke behind it before it crashed. That's why I didn't hear it until it was so close... It wasn't aiming for us...it was just going down."

Koril furrowed his brows. "None of the other witnesses reported seeing smoke behind it."

Jax thought a moment. "It wasn't very thick. The crash's explosion would've engulfed it before anyone noticed, erased it from the sky." Sensing Koril's next question, Jax rebutted preemptively. "I'm sure I saw the trail. I was too focused on the ship itself before, but I see it very clearly now."

As they all contemplated the new evidence in silence, Milowi was the first to speak up. "So, this...this was just...an accident?"

Koril couldn't bring himself to answer her definitively. Even if it was, it would still be little consolation to a two-year-old girl who would face certain hardships for the rest of her life, and it wouldn't comfort the families whose lives had been forever changed with the loss of a loved one, no matter how old. Still, Jax's revelation would have an interesting effect on the investigation if it proves true. Taking in a slow breath, Koril looked to them both with as much confidence as he could muster.

"We'll figure this out. In the mean time...take care, and let Tavy know she can see Dirani whenever she wants."

Milowi and Jax nodded, exchanging reluctant glances with each other. As Koril turned to leave, he knew where he'd be going, and it wasn't back to his investigating officers. The more he thought about it, the more his blood boiled, and he was going to get answers.