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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 2922240" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 374: Alive AgainIt wasn’t long before the battle was over. Whether it really deserved to be called a battle or not was still debatable, but such little technicalities mattered little to any of the people aboard the Araddon or the other ships that made it out. The fleet had only lost its two gunships, but it was enough of a hit to drop morale down to a dangerous low...and knowing that they were abandoning Agamar’s defense fleet that had been on the other side of the Vong cruiser-analogs didn’t do that morale any good, either. The planet was likely lost...and Ithor...well...no one knew what had happened there, yet, but even the Admiral feared a similar fate for the peaceful world.    Surprisingly, though, the starfighter squadrons had faired well. Despite being outnumbered and, truthfully, outgunned, very few pilots had actually been lost. The worst came with pilots that had managed to eject but were not able to be recovered before the jump to hyperspace was forced on the fleet. The ones left behind were worse than the ones shot down. But there was one retrieved...one pilot brought back to the Araddon before the jump.    The story itself had spread like wildfire the second it had happened, with the commanders and other officers just trying to keep the comm channels silent so that orders could actually be heard. A strange looking, civilian transport had jumped into the system, gone straight into the deadliest point in the battle to extract a single pilot just as waves of Coralskippers tore apart the gunships next to them. The two remaining X-Wing pilots escorted the transport back to the fleet, taking down at least eight skips in the process...and then, despite the cries of a few of the commanders in the fleet, the rest of the starfighters turned to intercept, ensuring the survival of the transport and the two pilots who’d protected it nearly the entire way back to the fleet from the dead zone in between the New Republic and Vong forces.    It was the one thing that kept so many from simply giving up right then and there. All of the starfighter pilots in the fleet could say they saved their friends, even if they didn’t know anyone in Zephyr Squadron beyond their call signs. It meant that the mess had been quite active since the jump to hyperspace, and surprisingly happy...as everyone was doing their best to allow the one moment to overshadow the hundreds of other bad ones.    And in one of the smaller medical wards aboard the Araddon, Jyren opened his eyes. Dizziness was all that he currently felt, and as this settled, his eyes made out two distinct shapes that quickly became people. The first was Tobias...except human...which, honestly, wasn’t a huge difference. He was just a little shorter than ‘normal’, and thinner, but his jet-black hair was just like Marix’s while his eyes and even the shape of his face gave Jyren the distinct feeling of looking into some strange mirror. And next to Toby, who, Jyren noted, was actually wearing one of his old jackets, was Rulae Nok. The Duros was in rather casual dress, but there was still the rank insignia on his shoulder that showed he was obviously comfortable in some sort of uniform most all of the time.    A broad smile appeared on Tobias’ features, “Alive again.”    Jyren blinked a few times, ignored the headache, and mumbled, “...again?”    Duros did not have the ability to roll their eyes as they had no pupils insides their large, teardrop shaped red eyes...but somehow, the way the Rulae narrowed them gave a similar enough effect, “You think we’re just standing here because we know exactly when you’re going to wake up? This is the third time so far...of course, you didn’t speak the other two. How do you feel?”    “Like I’ve been shot,” Jyren answered, resisting the urge to attempt to sit up.The smile on Toby’s face became a grin, “You were.”    Rulae glanced to the young human then back to Jyren, “Your starfighter was.”    Jyren didn’t exactly need to be told that. In fact, he’d only made his comment due to the usual sarcasm he found himself using around Marix. Apparently, it didn’t work with others...even Toby. Which then brought up the most obvious question, “What in the Force are you doing here, Toby?”    When the kid bit his lip and looked past Jyren, it was obvious the answer wasn’t exactly going to be either simple or to Jyren’s liking. It also didn’t help that Rulae was the one to answer the question, “I believe it’s a long story...and it is not the time for that, Captain.”    The use of rank had a way of bringing a few things back into perspective. It also gave Jyren the hint. Knowing he was aboard the Araddon, Jyren turned to Rulae and asked, “Can you have Tobias taken to my quarters?”    “I was about to suggest that,” the Duros nodded to a pair of guards who stood at attention, obviously ready to escort the young man.    “Hey! Wait—“    Tobias didn’t get far into his argument before Jyren cut him off, “Later, Toby. Right now...I think there are some things I have to take care of. I’ll catch up with you as soon as I can. I promise.”    The two pale blue eyes stared at Jyren for a long moment before Tobias sighed and nodded, then turned and fell into step next to the two guards.    When they were gone, Rulae had a seat next to Jyren’s bed and then gave him a very careful look before finally saying, “I know more about humans that you like to give me credit for. I know how old you are. I know how old that boy is. I know that there is no way in any hell that he could possibly be your son unless you fathered him before you joined the Zephyrs the first time.”    That got only silence.    Jyren managed to hold the careful look he was being given as his mind raced. Sometimes he really wished that his old friend wasn’t so damned intelligent. Jyren hadn’t even considered this would be a problem before, as he’d never assumed that Tobias would be anywhere near him while he was with the Zephyrs. Obviously, that would have made things too easy. But now he was stuck...and if Rulae continued to pick at things like this he might find out a few other things that Marix would definitely not want anyone else to know. Jyren didn’t exactly either, but, at the same time, didn’t feel right to be deceiving someone he trusted like this.    And yet, Jyren simply said, “He is my son.”    “He is at least sixteen standard years old, Jyren,” Rulae said very slowly, “There is no way that is possible and you know it.”    Damn that kid! It sure didn’t help that Tobias looked so much like Jyren when they were both human...in fact, it just made things more difficult! He really could pass as his son...yet, for someone that knew him, it was obvious that couldn’t be true. Fine.    A sigh escaped Jyren and he just shook his head, trying to ignore the pounding headache, “He’s my son, Rulae.”    For a moment, the blue-skinned Duros simply seemed to consider this. His thin lips didn’t seem to move when he spoke, “Adopted.”    “It doesn’t matter,” those words, Jyren truly did mean. It didn’t matter. And, suddenly feeling quite angry that he felt like he was defending that point, Jyren asked the question that had been tugging at his skull since he’d regained consciousness, “Rulae...where is she?”    For once, Jyren was glad his old friend wasn’t a fool. Rulae stood up again, obviously getting ready to leave and deal with...whatever he was going to be dealing with, and then said, “She’s being interrogated. I’ll have her brought here once they’re done. After that...I expect you to join the rest of us for debriefing in two hours.”    And then Rulae was gone.    Jyren couldn’t help a smile. He had to feel sorry for those interrogators.</blockquote>

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