Coruscant
Banarecc Covert Compound
5.7 APC

Koril couldn't find the words to answer her, not entirely sure who was standing before him. She held a heavy blanket wrapped tightly around herself, but it couldn't hide how frail her body had become. Her hair, previously long and sandy blond, was instead harshly cropped short, haphazardly spiked and no longer feminine. It was its dyed jet black color, though, that made her features look even more pale and gaunt, her eyes sunken and weary. It had been more than two long years since he had seen her, meeting her for the last time just before she was exiled, but he hadn't expected to see such a dramatic change in her.

Purposely ignoring his shock at her condition, Deilia was still more interested in what he had just said. "Who was it? Who took her, Koril?"

He could only just breathe enough to speak. "The Kel Dor."

Visibly disturbed, Deilia looked to the floor, her trembling becoming more apparent as she silently stood in place. Ceyelle quickly swept up beside her, bracing her around her shoulders to move her to a nearby couch. "You should still be resting, Deilia."

But she worried little for herself. "We were wrong," she whispered to the agent, her voice shaking with trepidation. Ceyelle, however, answered her in a hard tone that spoke volumes more than her words.

"We...were cut out."

Coming to the realization herself, Deilia relented and gave in to Ceyelle's demands, slowly lowering herself down onto the couch. Her shoulders sagged with the weight of what she had just learned, and though Koril wasn't sure what exactly their ignorance of the incident meant, he needed to know more.

Seeming to already know his request before he spoke it aloud, Ceyelle held Koril's gaze for a long moment, silently communicating her regret for having lied to him just moments earlier. He forgave her, though, with a gentle squeeze of her shoulder as she passed by him to leave with Ri; she had harbored Deilia when she desperately needed aid, and she had protected her, even from her prying brother, until Deilia herself had intervened. For that, he could be nothing but grateful. But why had Deilia still needed the protection in the first place?

Carefully sitting beside her, he studied her alarmingly thin facial features as she remained focused on the floor, waiting a few moments before quietly speaking again. "Deilia...I need to find Milowi."

She almost seemed startled by his presence beside her, but she recovered as she nodded. "I still have her distress code," she answered with confidence, but Koril wasn't expecting her to shake her head. "But I can't give it to you."

A slap in the face would have been more kind. "What! You have the best way of tracking her, finding her, and you won't let me use it?"

She expected his reaction, answering him quickly. "Milowi is...a good agent. She was my best. I know how she thinks, because it's the same way I would. If she knows that her captor is that Kel Dor...then she will not activate her signal."

Not comprehending her logic, he furrowed his brows. "She doesn't want us to rescue her?"

"Koril, this man is dangerous. He chose to attack one of your close officers at his home, and Milowi would have fought him hard. Her first assessment of him would be that since he failed his first attempt, he's going to use her as leverage, or at the very least, as a trap to lure you and your forces right to him. She won't risk that. Any call for help from her is going to be a setup."

Defeated, Koril could hardly think. "So...we just leave her to her fate. Whatever the Kel Dor is going to do to her, we just let it happen." Getting no confirmation from her, but no denial, either, Koril shook his head. "You know I can't do that."

"Koril - "

"There has to be another way we can find her!"

Though briefly stumped, Deilia thought for a few moments, humoring his demand. Surely she could come up with something; anything would be better than nothing...

"Like I said," Deilia continued, inspired by a sudden idea, "she would have fought him hard. He would have learned very quickly just how difficult and resourceful of a captive she would be. If I had to keep her as my prisoner, I'd be forced to put her in something she wouldn't have any chance of disabling, something that would completely incapacitate her." She seemed suddenly hesitant to speak, as if mentioning it would confirm her fears. "A containment field," she finally continued, "would be the most secure way to hold her. But with that much assurance comes a possible clue for us: wherever he's holding her, there will be a significant spike in energy usage. Find an unauthorized power drain or an unusually placed power source, and you might find her there."

At least he wasn't leaving empty-handed, but he couldn't help feeling disappointed that he wouldn't be able to hunt Milowi and the Kel Dor more directly. Deilia's suggestion was already more than what they had before, so he hadn't necessarily wasted the trip. As anxious as he was to alter the search for his missing covert agent, he remained at Deilia's side, worried about her health as he looked her over with concern. It didn't take her long to pick up on his thoughts.

"I'm okay, Koril," she buffered before he could say anything. "I'm getting better. Slowly, but at least I have enough strength to walk around."

"Why are you so weak?"

She sighed, as though ashamed to admit it. "That infection...really took hold of me. Even with Ceyelle taking care of me, it's been...rough. I've been recovering ever since."

Koril blinked. "That was more than three months ago, Deilia. Why didn't you tell me? I could've sent Nasu or Raval to treat you..."

But Deilia only shook her head. "Koril...it's hard enough that I've stayed here for so long. Ceyelle took a huge chance on me, and I couldn't let anyone else know, especially you, for that reason." Suddenly self-conscious, she brought a hand up to her short hair, absently pulling at a few strands that weren't nearly as long as she wanted. "I've done what I can to...disguise myself, to hold off any backlash as long as possible...but it'll come, I know."

Returning her gaze to her brother, she set her jaw determinedly. "I can take it. I don't want you to worry about me, okay? You have enough to demand your attention already...like your pregnant wife."

Though he was no longer surprised by what his Ghost Heirs knew of his personal life, it was still odd to hear it from someone else, even his sister. He and Elena hadn't told many people out of respect for Rech and Mand's delicate situation, but they also had just been handling so many other issues that it hadn't exactly been announced. Deilia seemed to interpret his solemn expression as something else entirely.

"...is she doing okay?"

Reluctant, his voice caught in his throat several times before he was able to respond. "I think so... We...we haven't seen much of each other. She took the children to the Retreat after the attack at the medical center, and I...well, I've stayed away."

Deilia hardly breathed, concerned. "Koril..."

"I don't want to hurt her," he confessed, staring intently at the floor between his feet, "or the baby, or any of my children...or my friends. I don't trust myself yet."

"Is that why you brought Ri with you?"

Taken aback by the thought he hadn't even considered, he briefly met Deilia's sympathetic gaze without words. None were necessary, really, but as he looked across the room at the young girl he had asked to accompany him on his journey, he wondered what his true motivation had been. His decision to make the trip to the city-planet had been a knee-jerk reaction; the only thing he consciously knew as he prepared to leave was that he couldn't bring any of his closest friends with him.

Rech certainly wasn't going to leave Mand's side, much less even talk to him. He wouldn't allow either of the Jedi Masters, who were helping him to keep Mand stable, to leave, either. Though they were safe at the Retreat, Elena wouldn't let the children out of her sight. Major Jax's recovery from his head injury was questionable. His protocol droid Kaydee, though normally endearing, would've driven him even further into despair with her incessant chatting for two days. Ri was his only remaining choice, but she was also his only safe choice.

"Maybe," he answered quietly, recalling the conversation he'd had with Ri just before landing on Coruscant. Other than Master Kanomin, Ri had been the only friend to verbally confirm her faith in him since his breakdown. At the same time, he knew Mand had been training her rigorously for a few years now; had that unconsciously factored into his decision, as well? Had he just assumed that the girl could...handle him, if it came down to it?

"I'm sorry."

Her apology surprised him. "For what?"

"For my part in adding to your stress. When I sent Garran to you, I didn't know you had so much going on already. There's just not a lot I can do for him in my position, so...I wanted him to be...safe."

Koril nodded gently, although curious about the sudden change in subject. "He is. A little warning would've been nice...but we got it figured out. We're taking care of him."

Smiling genuinely for the first time, Deilia relaxed for a moment, obviously relieved to hear of Garran's safe arrival on Paneau. Her expression fell, though, as she continued to study Koril's. Instead of being relieved, he remained frustrated; he and Elena wouldn't have had to worry about taking care of Garran if Deilia had been allowed to return...

"Tell me what I need to do to bring you home. You belong on Paneau, and you did nothing deserving of being stripped of your duties. Tell me who I need to convince of that."

No longer able to look him in the eye, Deilia returned her gaze to Ceyelle and Ri who were still conversing quietly on the opposite end of the room. She struggled to speak for a long silent moment, her trembling well evident once she could finally form words. "Koril, there's a reason Ceyelle has been helping me as much as she has, especially when she could face discipline for it... Ri isn't just talking to a Banarecc covert agent...she's talking to her aunt, her father's older sister." She paused briefly to still her shaking, though to no avail. "Ceyelle was born Veomiin Banarecc, and she was the Banarecc Master Heir when she was exiled thirteen years ago. Thirteen years... I've only been gone for two. I don't think there's any way I'll be able to go home... Not for a long time."

Koril clenched his jaw. "You know I don't accept that."

"You don't have a choice. You have to."

Suddenly weary with the physical and emotional drain of their discussion, Deilia swayed briefly beside him, but he was quick to wrap his arm around her back and steady her against him. She rested her head on his shoulder, grateful for his support, but he only held her more tightly, understanding for the first time just how weak she truly was.

"Deilia," Ceyelle addressed her with concern as she approached, "you need to lay down. You've done too much today."

Either Deilia was too worn out to answer, or she knew she didn't have any basis on which to argue; either way, she remained silent, and Koril knew she wouldn't be able to stay awake or even upright for much longer. He nodded to Ceyelle, taking charge of his sister's care as he'd never done before.

"Come on," he gently urged her as he carefully stood with her. "I'll get you back to bed."

Though sluggish and still silent, Deilia slowly walked with him to her room, relying more and more on his hold with each step. He was nearly supporting her entire weight by the time they reached the bed. She was at least able to ease herself down onto it without much trouble, and even with the heavy blanket still wrapped around her, she continued to shiver. Koril grabbed a second blanket nearby and draped it over her, ensuring her comfort as best he could as he sat at her side. Her eyes remained closed, but she smiled her gratitude as she warmed and her shaking subsided.

"I never thought that it would be so exhausting...to be so exhausted all the time."

It was a phenomenon Koril had become all too familiar with as he recovered from the devastating Huxnel virus several years ago. "I know exactly what you mean."

Immediately, Deilia's smile faded and she met his gaze in slight fear, as if she hadn't considered the obvious similarity with his past experience. He had fought for his life for months, and his recovery had been twice that long. Not intending to have made her feel guilty, though, he offered her a small smile of his own. "It'll get better. Not as quickly as you want it to, but...just be patient."

She nodded after a moment to accept his advice, but her expression hadn't lightened much, if at all. Something still worried her, and though she hesitated, she finally spoke again, her voice slightly more weak and hoarse. "Don't...don't tell Garran about my...condition. I don't want him to worry about me, especially after the way he lost his mother..."

He agreed as he stood from her side, and after kissing her at her temple, he gently brushed his hand through her hair. "I'll tell him you said hi." He turned to leave her to rest, but before he got far, she stopped him.

"And Koril..."

Looking back to her, he was surprised to meet her stern, grim gaze.

"Don't come back here again, looking for me... I won't be here."

Though not altogether surprised by her demand, he still couldn't accept it... "Then how will I find you when I need you?"

Her answer was expected, as well. "You won't."

Severely disappointed but knowing he was unable to challenge her, he nodded weakly and left, silently returning to the Celestia with Ri close in tow.

Paneau: capital city of Dalon
Dalon Medical Center
5.9 APC - two months later

Briefly disoriented as she was awakened from a light sleep, Elena immediately studied the vital signs and status monitors above Major Jax's bed from her chair beside him. They all read normal, at least, as normal as they had been since he'd been treated, so it wasn't an alarm that had roused her. Jax remained in a coma of sorts, a deep, restorative sleep that Master Rylka had placed him under to allow his brain to heal on its own, and he showed no signs of trying to wake from it. So what was it that had woken her?

Looking to the room's entrance, she smiled as Swip quietly stepped up to her, the first she had seen of him for a few weeks. "Swip," she greeted him fondly, shifting herself in her chair to face him properly. Swip nodded and gave her a taut smile in return.

"M'lady," he answered her softly, sounding tired but concerned about her. "I came to see how you were doing."

After checking on Major Jax a second time, Elena stood from her seat, having to maneuver herself somewhat awkwardly with her enlarging stomach. Always sensitive to her needs, Swip was quick to supportively take her hand and help her to her feet, and it broadened her smile.

"I'm just fine, Swip," she assured him as she lifted herself up onto her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you." Sensing a lingering heaviness to his mood, she allowed her smile to fade as she continued. "Any new leads on the Kel Dor?"

Swip shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not, m'lady."

Saddened as well, she looked back to the sleeping Major and released a soft sigh. "I was hoping we'd have at least something good to tell him when he wakes up, but...I guess it'll just have to be good enough that we won't have to tell him the worst."

"Do you think he'll wake up soon?"

She nodded. "I think so. His vitals have been getting stronger with each of Master Rylka's healing sessions, and I can sense his improvement, too. It's been slow, but...steady. Maybe in the next few days."

"I know Tavyna's anxious to see him."

"I've had a hard enough time remaining patient all this time," she confessed softly, her heart heavy with sympathy. "I can't imagine what it must be like for her, being without her parents for so long... She's only a few months younger than Dirani. It's hard to not think...that maybe this should've happened to us, instead of to the Jaxes."

Discouraged by her poor spirits, Swip gently gripped her shoulders, meeting her gaze squarely. "M'lady, no one is deserving of this. It's not your fault, it's not anyone's fault. The Jaxes are strong, you know that. And Tavyna is just like her parents...she'll be okay."

She agreed with a small smile, thankful for his calming wisdom once more. They had shared several similar exchanges over the years, reassuring each other in times of need, and his compassion was always so comforting. She had begun to thank him aloud when a subtle movement at the extreme periphery of her vision caught her attention. She had almost ignored it, but as she looked to Major Jax, she saw his eyes slowly lifting open.

Back at his side in an instant, she carefully took hold of his right hand as she searched his half-open eyes. "Major?"

Even in his weak lucidity, he didn't seem startled by the sudden presence of visitors beside him, worrying her greatly. He did eventually meet her gaze, though, and despite the time it took for his eyes to focus, he seemed to relax as he recognized her.

"M'lady..."

His voice sounded as rough and weak as she would've expected after two months, but just relieved to see him awake and alert, she smiled warmly at him. "How are you feeling?"

His breathing was slow and deliberate, as though he had to make a conscious effort for each breath. The monitors around him hadn't made a sound, though, so he was at least remaining stable. When he finally spoke again, she could hear the pain in his voice, and it twisted her stomach into knots.

"Head...splitting..."

Gently placing her hand across his forehead, she did what she could to ease his aching with the Force. His eyes closed with her touch, and once the grimace on his face subsided, she pressed further. "Do you remember what happened?"

After thinking for a moment, he had begun to shake his head, but his headache quickly halted his movement, and he had to speak. "No..."

"You're in the Dalon Medical Center," she explained quietly, though hesitant to go into much detail. "You were attacked at your home, and your head injury was very serious. You've been recovering for a while."

She paused briefly, allowing him the chance to process what she had told him. At first he showed little reaction, but as the seconds wore on, his brows furrowed in concern. "Home... Tavyna?"

"She's just fine, she's safe. She wasn't hurt."

Though he was laying down and hadn't moved much at all since waking up, his relief was still well evident as tension left his entire body through his breath. She felt him squeeze her hand in gratitude, but as he looked up at his other visitor, his eyes widened slightly in confusion, seeing Swip standing beside him opposite Elena. He had expected to see his wife.

Returning his gaze to her, he barely had the strength to speak. "...Milowi?"

Tightening her hand around his, she struggled to find the words herself. "The man who attacked you, the Kel Dor...he took her. But we're doing everything we can to find her, I promise. We haven't stopped looking."

Understandably, Jax froze in shock, sending his monitors into a frenzy. Desperate to calm him, she stroked his cheek, again calling on the Force to aid him.

"Major, try to relax... We have every reason to believe she's still alive. We will find her."

Her efforts paid off somewhat as he continued to breathe slowly, but his trembling quickly evolved into something far more troubling. His left arm, previously laying limply at his side, had begun to roll back and forth involuntarily, akin to a convulsive tremor. She had seen it before in a survivor of the neurotoxin attack that had killed Veon Banarecc more than three years ago, and the thought that he had suffered the same neurological damage stole her own breath. If it hadn't been for Master Rylka's timely intervention, placing Major Jax under a regenerative sleep once more, Elena might not have even been able to help stabilize him at all.