Summary: There's more than one reason for urgency in this situation.

Urgency: Part 2

A stormtrooper with a medical insignia appeared from one moment to the next and he even broke protocol, tearing his helmet off and tossing it aside as he rushed forwards to do his job with another trooper at his side. The first one dropped to his knees, ducking under the Prince and tearing into a medical bag that he'd brought with him. He was an old clone, Wedge realized distantly - grizzled and aging, with white hair and lines on his face.

The other trooper wasn't a clone and he was younger too. He didn't wear a medical insignia on his armor but he had a commlink in hand and wore a pale, frightened expression on his face.

"It went right through his liver - " the medic said, pressing a fistful of gauze up against the wound. Blood pooled over his hand, dripping onto the ground below and the Prince made an awful, choked cry of pain, squirming uselessly as if to try and get away.

"Sir, the Emperor - " the other stormtrooper said at the same time, his tone panicked. "He is insisting you take his call -"

"- and he's going to bleed out before I can help him."

"- he won't wait!"

"Damn the Emperor!" Vader snapped at the second trooper. It struck Wedge then... that everyone present was scared of this call. Vader, the Prince, the troopers. Even before the Prince had been shot... there had been an air of uneasiness that he hadn't quite picked up on. Strange, that he could recognize it now. Stranger that such powerful people would be so afraid of someone they were loyal to. "This is more important. You two - hold him. Upright, do not let him fall! Kix, get out of the way."

Both men snapped to attention and quickly grabbed the Imperial Prince by the biceps, one standing on each side of him. The Prince's knees buckled once again and he surely would have fallen without their help. Vader released him only once they had him securely.

The Prince watched him with a frightened sort of knowingness, blood still leaking onto the ground in a puddle in front of him.

In one quick motion, Lord Vader drew his blade and ignited it before stepping forward and immediately thrusting it into his son's side. The Prince screamed an awful cry of utter agony, the likes of which Wedge had never heard before and hoped to never hear again. His back arched and then his body seemed to twitch and became unnervingly still as Vader held the blade in for several awful seconds. Wedge felt frozen, stunned and horrified. It seemed like a lifetime before he pulled it back again. Then he turned it off and threw it away from him - one of the Imperial troops quickly picked it up - and then he caught the Prince in his arms once again, guiding him to the ground.

"Luke," Vader said quickly. "Luke, look at me, son. Look at me, breathe."

The Prince sobbed, dropping his chin against his chest until Vader forced him to look up again. "I - I, I can't." he choked out. "Dad - h-help me,"

"Luke," Vader said again, forcing sternness into his tone that seemed half hearted at best. "Suck it up. It's just pain and pain will make you strong. You need to be strong. Show no weakness. I will protect you but you must not fail me in this. Do you understand?"

And to Wedge's surprise, the Prince actually nodded. "...I got your back."

A/N Just one more part! Thanks for following along! :D