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<blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 4171097" data-attributes="member: 10079"><p><strong>Chapter 575: Diagnosis</strong></p><p></p><p>For a long, silent few moments, Marix simply let her hand rest gently on Loki’s familiar feeling hull. Hours earlier there had been metal plating in the exact spot her hand was resting. But now all of the metal, save for the two Jendari cannons under each wing, was gone. The hull looked better than it had when she and the Jedi, Corran Horn, had installed the metal plating as a makeshift patch on Loki, but it was obviously still raw. The colour of it where he had taken the strongest hits was a few shades lighter than the rest of him, making Loki look slightly patched rather than his usual single colour. And under her hand, it felt different, slightly softer than the rest.</p><p> </p><p>“It will take him some time to heal, my lady,” one of the Redstars said.</p><p> </p><p>Hand still idly resting on Loki, Marix turned to look over her shoulder. Six of the two dozen Redstars tending to Loki were gathered there, all the picture of serenity that the Redstars exemplified. Or rather, they were outwardly serene. Through the Force, Marix could feel their concern and even worry, though it seemed to be directed more towards her than their actual patient.</p><p> </p><p>With a slight nod in response to what had been said, Marix looked back to Loki and where her hand rested on his hull, asking softly, “How long is ‘some time’?”</p><p> </p><p>Her question, though simple, caused a slight reverberation in the Force in what Marix assumed was an indirect response by one of the Redstars. It was the one who’d spoken before, an Alraxian woman that looked to be about her own age, though was of slighter build and reminded Marix of some of her younger sisters. She also seemed to be the one voted on to do all the talking, as it was her calm voice that spoke up again, “I apologize, my lady, but I cannot say for sure. The injuries he sustained were quite severe, as you know, and, to be honest, it is truly amazing that he is alive at all. It would be best for Loki to remain here for as long as possible, until we can be absolutely sure that spaceflight will no longer be detrimental to his health.”</p><p> </p><p>Again, Marix allowed herself a nod. She didn’t like to hear it, but it made sense. The important thing was that Loki was going to live, just as she’d known all along. But his recovery sounded like it would take months, maybe longer. If there was one thing Marix needed, it was Loki right there with her. That was not, however, possible. He needed rest. Real rest, too, not what they usually counted as rest which usually involved jumping to hyperspace. But he was alive.</p><p> </p><p>Still...</p><p> </p><p>“Has he been unconscious since we arrived?” Marix asked, finally turning around to face the group of Redstars completely and letting her hand fall to her side.</p><p> </p><p>The young Redstar shook her head and then explained, “He was drifting in and out not long after you left. Before we did anything, we had to put him under again. It is likely that he will stay unconscious for at least another day while his own natural healing takes over. We will, of course, alert you the moment he regains consciousness. I expect he would like to know you are doing well just as you have worried about him.”</p><p> </p><p>But when the Redstar stopped speaking, Marix could feel there was something else in the air. Though not all Alraxians had any training, or even ability, in the Force, many Redstars at least had some basic potential. It seemed that this young woman did, in fact, have at least some slight strength in the Force, probably with a bent towards empathy like many healers. Since she’d returned to check on Loki, Marix had detected the very slightest probing in the Force directed at her, and now she could identify where it had been coming from. Still, there was an obvious question and, for some reason, it bothered her that she could not immediately identify the answer on her own.</p><p> </p><p>“What is it?” she finally asked, going for the direct approach as usual.</p><p> </p><p>A moment of tension passed through the Force but then immediately was gone. Instead, it was replaced with a question in response to Marix’s own question, “My lady, may I ask you if you plan to return to Alraxia or...?”</p><p> </p><p>Though the sentence trailed off, Marix knew what the other option was. Thinking about it for a moment, Marix answered truthfully, “That will depend on what we learn from the Yuuzhan Vong.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, yes...” the answer seemed to make all of the Redstars uncomfortable. And for good reason, they weren’t the kind to think about interrogation techniques that might be necessary, as it was there job to heal, not harm. Quickly, though, the Redstar added, “Word of your arrival reached your brother, my lady. When he learned of what happened to Loki, he sent Hermes to assist you in Loki’s stead. Obviously, it is not the same, but...”</p><p> </p><p>But Hermes had been Kyren’s closest compatriot through the years. But Hermes had served Jyren with the same dedication. But Hermes now did everything his power to protect Alyx. If there was one Kanyak, other than Loki, that could be said to be a part of the family, of course it was Hermes. He was, after all, Loki’s brother and would likely be just as worried for his safety as Marix was.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll make sure to thank Alyx,” Marix said quietly as she began to make her way out of the hangar and back to Rhinna and the Vong, “Do you have any idea when Hermes will arrive?”</p><p> </p><p>The Redstar did not follow, simply speaking to her as Marix walked by, “Within the hour, my lady. In fact, the Jendari envoy should arrive at about the same time. We will let you know as soon as they arrive.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” Marix said over her shoulder, took a few more steps then added, “Take care of Loki.”</p><p> </p><p>Without waiting for a response, she continued on. Rhinna would hopefully have made at least some progress with Qroal, and the Redstar had brought up a valid point. Marix needed to decide what was going to be done next. She desperately wanted to see the twins again, but refused to even send a message to wherever Navik had taken them for fear that she would be drawn away too soon again. Marix couldn’t bear to keep coming and going with barely seeing them at all. Better to keep them in her thoughts and not torture herself, or them, with fleeting moments every few weeks.</p><p> </p><p>It would all depend on the Vong. He obviously knew about the Alraxians already. There were a thousand possibilities as to what would have to be done next. The Vong threat to her people needed to be dealt with swiftly. If it was entirely internal, as she knew there were at least some Vong agents still somewhere hidden in the Empire, then Marix would have the help of the entire Empire to deal with it. But if there was another attack being readied, Marix would be on her own. The Mrrakesh border was, currently, well protected by the Jendari. There were not, however, enough ships to protect that border and fight off another Vong incursion at the Gateway, meaning Marix needed to learn of any such attack ahead of time and deal with it before it even arrived.</p><p> </p><p>And yet it was all just speculation. There was even the chance that Qroal would not break and they would gain no information at all. If that happened...well, Marix wasn’t sure what she would do if that were the case, but she seriously doubted that. Qroal definitely knew something and he’d already shown himself to be brave in short, stupid moments.</p><p> </p><p>Qroal would break.</p><p> </p><p>He would talk.</p><p> </p><p>Once he talked, once he broke, then Marix could decide on further action. Until then, she was left in a state that was horrible for her. Marix was left helpless.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ankh-Morpork Guard, post: 4171097, member: 10079"] [b]Chapter 575: Diagnosis[/b] For a long, silent few moments, Marix simply let her hand rest gently on Loki’s familiar feeling hull. Hours earlier there had been metal plating in the exact spot her hand was resting. But now all of the metal, save for the two Jendari cannons under each wing, was gone. The hull looked better than it had when she and the Jedi, Corran Horn, had installed the metal plating as a makeshift patch on Loki, but it was obviously still raw. The colour of it where he had taken the strongest hits was a few shades lighter than the rest of him, making Loki look slightly patched rather than his usual single colour. And under her hand, it felt different, slightly softer than the rest. “It will take him some time to heal, my lady,” one of the Redstars said. Hand still idly resting on Loki, Marix turned to look over her shoulder. Six of the two dozen Redstars tending to Loki were gathered there, all the picture of serenity that the Redstars exemplified. Or rather, they were outwardly serene. Through the Force, Marix could feel their concern and even worry, though it seemed to be directed more towards her than their actual patient. With a slight nod in response to what had been said, Marix looked back to Loki and where her hand rested on his hull, asking softly, “How long is ‘some time’?” Her question, though simple, caused a slight reverberation in the Force in what Marix assumed was an indirect response by one of the Redstars. It was the one who’d spoken before, an Alraxian woman that looked to be about her own age, though was of slighter build and reminded Marix of some of her younger sisters. She also seemed to be the one voted on to do all the talking, as it was her calm voice that spoke up again, “I apologize, my lady, but I cannot say for sure. The injuries he sustained were quite severe, as you know, and, to be honest, it is truly amazing that he is alive at all. It would be best for Loki to remain here for as long as possible, until we can be absolutely sure that spaceflight will no longer be detrimental to his health.” Again, Marix allowed herself a nod. She didn’t like to hear it, but it made sense. The important thing was that Loki was going to live, just as she’d known all along. But his recovery sounded like it would take months, maybe longer. If there was one thing Marix needed, it was Loki right there with her. That was not, however, possible. He needed rest. Real rest, too, not what they usually counted as rest which usually involved jumping to hyperspace. But he was alive. Still... “Has he been unconscious since we arrived?” Marix asked, finally turning around to face the group of Redstars completely and letting her hand fall to her side. The young Redstar shook her head and then explained, “He was drifting in and out not long after you left. Before we did anything, we had to put him under again. It is likely that he will stay unconscious for at least another day while his own natural healing takes over. We will, of course, alert you the moment he regains consciousness. I expect he would like to know you are doing well just as you have worried about him.” But when the Redstar stopped speaking, Marix could feel there was something else in the air. Though not all Alraxians had any training, or even ability, in the Force, many Redstars at least had some basic potential. It seemed that this young woman did, in fact, have at least some slight strength in the Force, probably with a bent towards empathy like many healers. Since she’d returned to check on Loki, Marix had detected the very slightest probing in the Force directed at her, and now she could identify where it had been coming from. Still, there was an obvious question and, for some reason, it bothered her that she could not immediately identify the answer on her own. “What is it?” she finally asked, going for the direct approach as usual. A moment of tension passed through the Force but then immediately was gone. Instead, it was replaced with a question in response to Marix’s own question, “My lady, may I ask you if you plan to return to Alraxia or...?” Though the sentence trailed off, Marix knew what the other option was. Thinking about it for a moment, Marix answered truthfully, “That will depend on what we learn from the Yuuzhan Vong.” “Ah, yes...” the answer seemed to make all of the Redstars uncomfortable. And for good reason, they weren’t the kind to think about interrogation techniques that might be necessary, as it was there job to heal, not harm. Quickly, though, the Redstar added, “Word of your arrival reached your brother, my lady. When he learned of what happened to Loki, he sent Hermes to assist you in Loki’s stead. Obviously, it is not the same, but...” But Hermes had been Kyren’s closest compatriot through the years. But Hermes had served Jyren with the same dedication. But Hermes now did everything his power to protect Alyx. If there was one Kanyak, other than Loki, that could be said to be a part of the family, of course it was Hermes. He was, after all, Loki’s brother and would likely be just as worried for his safety as Marix was. “I’ll make sure to thank Alyx,” Marix said quietly as she began to make her way out of the hangar and back to Rhinna and the Vong, “Do you have any idea when Hermes will arrive?” The Redstar did not follow, simply speaking to her as Marix walked by, “Within the hour, my lady. In fact, the Jendari envoy should arrive at about the same time. We will let you know as soon as they arrive.” “Thank you,” Marix said over her shoulder, took a few more steps then added, “Take care of Loki.” Without waiting for a response, she continued on. Rhinna would hopefully have made at least some progress with Qroal, and the Redstar had brought up a valid point. Marix needed to decide what was going to be done next. She desperately wanted to see the twins again, but refused to even send a message to wherever Navik had taken them for fear that she would be drawn away too soon again. Marix couldn’t bear to keep coming and going with barely seeing them at all. Better to keep them in her thoughts and not torture herself, or them, with fleeting moments every few weeks. It would all depend on the Vong. He obviously knew about the Alraxians already. There were a thousand possibilities as to what would have to be done next. The Vong threat to her people needed to be dealt with swiftly. If it was entirely internal, as she knew there were at least some Vong agents still somewhere hidden in the Empire, then Marix would have the help of the entire Empire to deal with it. But if there was another attack being readied, Marix would be on her own. The Mrrakesh border was, currently, well protected by the Jendari. There were not, however, enough ships to protect that border and fight off another Vong incursion at the Gateway, meaning Marix needed to learn of any such attack ahead of time and deal with it before it even arrived. And yet it was all just speculation. There was even the chance that Qroal would not break and they would gain no information at all. If that happened...well, Marix wasn’t sure what she would do if that were the case, but she seriously doubted that. Qroal definitely knew something and he’d already shown himself to be brave in short, stupid moments. Qroal would break. He would talk. Once he talked, once he broke, then Marix could decide on further action. Until then, she was left in a state that was horrible for her. Marix was left helpless. [/QUOTE]
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