Paneau: remote Naeron Mountains
Rys'tihn Retreat
5.9 APC

Already finding the children busy with crafts and other morning activities in the main playroom, Yhren Natiyr smiled brightly as she joined her niece at a small, short table. The girl was quiet and reserved, as she had been since Yhren had arrived more than two months ago, but she at least gave her aunt a tiny, familiar smile before returning to a drawing she had very nearly completed already.

"Good morning, Sweetie," Yhren greeted her fondly with a light kiss on the top of her head. "What a beautiful picture! Where did you learn to draw so well?"

Intent on finishing a few final details with bright blue paint around an abstract figure of a person, Cordira answered without looking up. "Garran taught me."

Though Yhren was quite certain he couldn't have heard Cordira from the opposite end of the room, Garran met her gaze the instant she looked over to him. He was helping the two Rys'tihn children with their messy but fun projects at another table, but he paused just long enough to smile kindly at her, and she found herself smiling back warmly. Just as she had paid special attention to Cordira during her lengthy stay at the Rys'tihn Retreat, Garran had kept Derek and Dirani entertained, distracted, even, while their parents were also absent daily. As she had learned quickly, Derek and Cordira were staunchly inseparable, making Yhren realize just how much time she had spent with Garran, too, and how she had come to enjoy his friendly company. As their gazes lingered a long moment, she found herself suddenly self-conscious with a curious warming sensation in her cheeks. She quickly returned her attention to Cordira to feed her denial, looking over the girl's drawing with a discerning eye.

"So who did you draw?"

Suddenly reluctant to answer, Cordira looked up at her and studied Yhren's face for a moment, as if determining if she could be trusted. She made her decision and shrugged a bit, beginning to sound somewhat elusive. "It's my friend."

"Your friend? Derek, or someone you know at school?"

"No," she answered quietly, returning her brush to the paint jar. "She visits me and talks to me at night...when I'm sad that I haven't seen my mommy."

Her interest piqued, Yhren moved closer to the girl and affectionately stroked her fire-red hair. "That is very nice of her. What does she talk to you about?"

"Things," she continued vaguely, and though Yhren expected her to close up completely, she added with quiet excitement, "and she teaches me like a Jedi."

Ah, just as she suspected: Cordira had imagined herself a replacement for her mother who had been so deathly ill for months. Though she thought it sad, at least Cordira had found a way to cope that kept her happy. "And what's her name?"

Cordira shrugged uninterestedly. "I don't know. She doesn't tell me. But she says she knows me, and Mommy and Daddy, and Elena and Koril... She's very nice, and very pretty, and - "

"Daddy!"

Yhren turned to look as Dirani squealed shrilly, taking off at an elated sprint from her seat into the outstretched arms of her father who had just entered the room with Elena beside him. It was the first time Yhren had seen Koril since her arrival, and though she understood the reason for his distance, she could tell the children had suffered the most for it. Derek quickly followed after his sister, just as excited to see his mother, as well. They had inadvertently left Garran at their table alone, but only glad to see the two children so happy, he stood and stepped over to join Yhren and Cordira. It was another guest that walked up behind him, though, that fluttered her heart unexpectedly as she swiftly got to her feet.

"Ms. Natiyr," Lieutenant Saross Wip addressed her with a warm smile, then nodded to Garran as he turned around to him. "Mr. Bolc. Good morning."

"Lieutenant," Yhren returned the smile, looking over his fine formal uniform. Though she had hardly spent more than a few hours with him, most of which had been during her escort from the Dalon Main Spaceport to the med center when she had first arrived, she was already quite taken by the charming, handsome pilot. Over the weeks, she had seen how often the lieutenant had accompanied Elena in Koril's absence, indicative of their deep trust in him. Intensely curious about him, she had begun to ask him a question when she noticed, from across the room, just how extremely fatigued Elena seemed to be, even with both of her children in her presence. It worried her deeply, turning her smile into concern instead. "Is Elena alright?"

Briefly glancing back at the Rys'tihns, Lt. Wip nodded, releasing a slow breath as he explained. "Yes, she's okay, they just...had a very long night. Major Jax woke from his coma earlier in the evening, but he still has some healing to do. He showed some kind of tremor in his hand, and her emotions took over. She had worked with some of the survivors of the neurotoxin attack at the Banarecc Estate a few years ago; they had suffered...similar effects, and I think it really scared her. I brought her to the Manor since she was so upset, and although it took a while, the High Commander was able to calm her. She should be fine, now that he will be home for some time."

"Will the major recover?"

"I think so," Lt. Wip answered Garran. "He seemed to have a decent grasp on his surroundings. He couldn't remember what had happened to him, but he asked about his wife and daughter, and he...reacted when we told him about Milowi."

Yhren sighed sadly. "The poor man... Has she been found?"

"Not yet."

Garran looked sad, too. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Lt. Wip shook his head. "Their daughter is being taken care of by the major's brother, and the Royal Forces are still searching for traces of the Kel Dor here on Paneau. There's not much else to do."

Stealing another quick glance at Garran, Yhren was a little surprised to see how genuinely regretful he was that he could offer no aid. How strange, she thought, as he had practically become the Rys'tihn children's personal nanny, leaving him little time for anything else. And surely he hadn't known the major or his family for very long, either, yet he wanted so desperately to help?

Another visitor stepped into the room, an older man Yhren had seen several times before but never met. He wore a simpler, more casual uniform than Lt. Wip's, a plain crimson tunic atop deep purple pants just like the rest of the Retreat staff, but it was his intense expression that most earned Yhren's attention. The man moved quickly to speak with Elena and Koril, and spotting an odd look on Lt. Wip's face, Yhren decided to inquire.

"Who is that?"

"Witt Larkan. He's the staff coordinator here at the Retreat," he answered quietly. His voice was even softer as he continued sadly. "It doesn't look like he has good news..."

Yhren thought the same as a cold, sinking feeling settled into the pit of her stomach. He could have been bringing them a report on any number of concerns they had; Koril was the High Commander of Paneau's Royal Forces, after all, and maybe it didn't even have to do with them in the first place. Her hopes were mercilessly crushed, though, the instant Elena looked over to her with tears forming in her already weary eyes, and Yhren only expected the worst.

Frozen in place, she watched breathlessly as the Rys'tihns and Larkan silently crossed the room toward her. It wasn't until she felt Lt. Wip's sturdy but gentle grip on one arm and his other steadying her around her shoulders that she realized how much she was shaking and swaying as she stood. No one spoke until she did.

"...Mand?"

Larkan drew in a slow breath. "She's...not doing well. Your brother's requested you."

It was what she had feared since discovering Mand in her self-induced hibernation trance in the med center. Though she had been steadily wasting away, sacrificing her own health to support her growing twins, Yhren had begun to believe that maybe, just maybe, she'd survive...

"I'll go with you, Yhren," Elena offered, her voice weak. Somehow able to leave her state of shock, Yhren shook her head as she unintentionally looked down at Elena's round stomach.

"No, Elena..."

But Elena was quick to wave off her concern, steeling her resolve with a hard swallow. "It's okay." She turned to Koril beside her and kissed him on the cheek, smoothing Dirani's hair as Koril held her in his arms.

"I'll stay with the children," Koril confirmed, gently hugging Derek against his leg.

Still standing behind Yhren, keeping her upright, Lt. Wip spoke up softly. "I'll take you there, m'lady."

Elena nodded and swept up to Yhren's other side, carefully supporting her, too, as the three made their way to the hangar downstairs.

Paneau: capital city of Dalon
Dalon Medical Center

Though she wasn't sure where her energy was coming from, Elena led the other two down the hall to Mand's room, nearly sprinting by the time she reached it. She stopped immediately, though, as Master Kanomin met her just outside the door, her expression worn and somber as it had been for weeks. But seeing that the room she had just left was completely empty behind her, Elena gripped Master Kanomin's arm hard, barely able to speak in her shock.

"Master - "

"She's been moved downstairs," Master Kanomin answered her unasked question, though not quickly enough to stay her anxiety. "She's in the critical care ward now. It's closer to the surgical suites." Looking between the concerned three, she released a long, weary breath. "Come on, I'll take you down there."

Returning her attention to Yhren as they followed Master Kanomin through the medical center, Elena wasn't sure how much more pale her friend's face could become. Swip was still steadying her around her shoulders, and without his gentle guidance, she might not have moved from her place at all. If Rech was in as poor a condition as she expected with his wife and twin daughters in possible jeopardy, could Yhren comfort her brother, or would she be too lost in her own despair?

The silence of their trek through the halls wore on her with each step, forcing her mind to fill the void with errant thoughts she had tried to suppress. Would Rech even allow her into the room, as furious as he had remained with Koril after their altercation months ago? As much as it killed her to know that her husband had so grievously injured Mand and maybe even the twins, she also knew just how much progress Koril had made in the interim. His mind was clearer than ever, thanks to Master Kanomin's careful instruction, and he was no longer plagued by overwhelming "voices" and clouded judgment. But Rech wouldn't even allow Koril the chance to apologize, so would his grudge extend to her, as well?

Arriving at the smaller vestibule in front of Mand's main room, Elena couldn't even see her inside it with all the nurses and doctors swarming around her bed. It was a familiar scene Elena had witnessed before when Koril's health had similarly crashed, and the same fear she had experienced then returned just as severely, mercilessly twisting her stomach into sharp, painful knots. Every few moments, Elena caught glimpses of bright red, the hue of Master Rylka's Lethan Twi'lek skin. So at least one healer had remained with Mand, and Master Kanomin had gone back into the room after bringing them there, but...where was Rech?

As if hearing her silent question, Rech backpedaled out of the room into the small foyer, holding his head in his hands with a wild, lost look on his face. Though she had seen first-hand how desolate he had become after Mand's kidnapping and four-year-long disappearance when they were teens...he now stood there in the most disturbed state Elena had ever seen. She was terrified for him.

"Rech?"

Only focused on her brother, Yhren had stepped in front of him to distract him from the chaos inside the room, but his reaction to her presence, bordering on rage, nearly forced Elena to intervene.

"What are you doing here!"

But graceful under fire as usual, Yhren only looked on Rech with compassion, her voice firm yet gentle at the same time. "They said you asked for me...so here I am."

As if only just remembering his request in his despair, his anger began to fade. The longer he held her gaze, though, the more visibly upset he became. His breathing quickened to nearly uncontrollable gasps intermingled with sobs, and it wasn't until Yhren reached up and held his face in her hands that he finally broke down, overwrought with emotion and severe fatigue. He struggled to form coherent words.

"She won't...she won't let me...take the girls," he managed, becoming weaker by the moment. "She wants...two weeks, another two weeks...but...but she won't last one."

Rech's anguish was so hard for Elena to hear, knowing that neither she nor Yhren could do much to comfort him. As his knees buckled underneath him in his grief, Yhren was at least able to guide him to a bench against the wall to sit on, kneeling in front of him as she held tightly to his hands.

"Her heart is failing," he continued breathlessly, exhaustion taking over, "and the rest of her organs...are shutting down. I can't...I can't do this... I can't..."

Stepping up to Rech's side, Elena gripped his shoulder, gently supporting his upper body as he wavered. "Surely the twins are developed enough... Couldn't they survive?"

He shook his head, even more distraught. "The doctor's don't think their lungs are ready yet. They want more time, too, but...she won't last." Returning his gaze to his sister, he pleaded desperately, his voice weak and shaking. "What do I do? What am I supposed to do?"

Yhren only gripped his hands more earnestly, releasing a shaky breath herself. "I can't tell you that, Rech...but whatever you decide, I am here for you."

It wasn't what he wanted to hear. He pulled his hands from hers and brought one to his forehead, beginning to hyperventilate in his distress. Though she wasn't sure if it would work, an idea came to Elena that seemed to be the only option they had left. He was weak and frail enough, she just might have the right amount of power over him...

With her hand still on his shoulder, she channeled the Force to him, cautiously exerting her will on him while at the same time trying to calm him. "Rech, you should lie down..."

Completely surprising her, he complied without any protest, lowering himself down on his back onto the bench. His breathing even slowed as she maintained her hold on him, continuing to feed him comforting Force energy to ease his racing mind. As he took in a long, deep breath, his eyes closed heavily...and Yhren shot her a challenging look, having figured it out.

"Why are you doing that to him!"

After making sure that he was comfortably asleep, she released him, sighing sadly. "He needs the rest, Yhren. He won't get it any other way."

Though she looked as though she would rebut, she relented after a moment, understanding that Elena was right. She looked back to her brother with sympathy, brushing her fingers through his hair as she watched his silent slumber.

"His birthday is in three days."

The realization hit Elena hard. Not only was it Rech's birthday, but it was Cordira's, as well. Even harder to fathom was the fact that it would also mark the sixth anniversary of the Dalon Palace collapse, the darkest day in Paneau's history...

"And," Yhren continued hesitantly, "...my mother will arrive tomorrow. She still doesn't know."

The look in Yhren's eyes wasn't hard to interpret. She felt guilty that she hadn't informed her mother, Untra Natiyr, about Mand's condition, but, just like her brother...she couldn't bring herself to.

"I'll talk to her," Elena offered softly, much to Yhren's relief.

His constant, pounding headache made it nearly impossible for Major Aurin Jax to get any sleep. He had no idea how many days it had been since he'd woken from his coma; they'd all felt the same to him, filled with nothing but pain and depression. Except for waking up to Elena and Swip at his side the first time, he hadn't had many visitors other than medical staff since. No one could tell him if his wife Milowi had been found, or if they even knew if she was still alive. He had yet to see his daughter Tavyna, but no one would bring her to him, even for just a short visit. His numerous requests to leave the hospital continued to fall on deaf ears, leaving him alone to worry and wonder and agonize...

As his eyes began to water with escalating pain, his eyelids closed heavily despite knowing that sleep would continue to elude him. He instead tried to lose himself in memories: his daughter's gleeful, infectious giggling as she tried to escape his tickling, her enthusiastic, whole-body hugs, his wife's radiant, beautiful smile beside him every morning for more than twelve years...but his mind quickly wandered. What would he do if Milowi was never found? What if they found her, but they were too late to save her? Paralyzing fear gripped him in an icy hold, tightening his chest so forcefully he no longer noticed his headache. He opened his eyes as he took in a gasping breath - and saw Ri Banarecc standing patiently beside him.

Briefly unsure if he were still dreaming, he exhaled slowly, waiting to see if she remained in place. She smiled kindly at him to put him at ease, but he struggled to find his voice just the same. "Princess."

"Hello, Major," she greeted him formally. "I'm sorry I woke you."

He managed to shake his head a little, dismissing her apology as unnecessary. If she was bringing news... "Have they found my wife?"

Her lengthy silence gave him the answer he expected, but as he looked away defeated, he was certain he'd misheard her.

"I think we may have."

His lungs no longer worked. Surely he was still dreaming. "...what? Where!"

"A remote, abandoned factory near the Naeron Mountains. The High Commander has organized a small extraction team to rescue her."

"An extraction team," he repeated in breathless disbelief. "They think she's still alive?"

With a cautiously hopeful smile, Ri slowly nodded.

Reeling from the report, a thousand questions rushed through his mind. He couldn't focus on one long enough to speak, prompting Ri to continue instead.

"Major...I'm part of that team. And I want you to be there with us."

Nothing had pained him more than not being able, or not being allowed, rather, to participate in the search for his own wife once he felt that he could. Now that he was being invited, he wouldn't let anything stop him, not even the nurses in the hall who were eying his skyrocketing heart rate. Swallowing hard to calm his nerves, he nodded.

"Just tell me what I need to do, Princess."

"Well, first," she answered lightly, "you shouldn't address me as Princess any longer. I haven't been one for months." Though he wasn't sure what she meant, she continued before he could ask. "And second, just prove to me you're well enough to go. The staff doesn't think you're ready, but I do."

Without hesitation, he removed the sheet that had been covering his legs and stood unassisted, and though he wore nothing more than a standard hospital shirt and pants, he didn't care. Satisfied with his unwavering state, Ri nodded and handed him a duffel bag containing his Elite Guard uniform.

"We're leaving in an hour. I'll come back for you."

Thankfully she left before she could see him steady himself against his bed he'd just left, but he hadn't felt more energized since he'd woken up.