| abstract | - Chancellor Eddicus paced back and forth across the small hospital room. He kept his eyes fixed to the floor with each step he took, not wanting to look upon the woman in the bed. Each step progressively built up tension in the aging man, only to be released with a large sigh each time he pivoted to the other direction. The sound of his footsteps was a regular metronomic pulse, providing a strong counterpoint to the beeping of the heart and breath monitor on the wall above the bed. It was an eerily familiar scene for Chancellor Eddicus. Albeit nearly ten years removed from the personal tragedy of his wife's death, his mind continued to harken back to those feelings and emotions. Twice in the preceding ten minutes he had glanced at the bed and seen his wife lying there, even though she was long deceased. The pain of that loss had suddenly reworked itself back to the fore in his mind. Each step began to once again overwhelm the stoic former-general. Instead of turning yet another time, Eddicus marched over to a reclining chair next to the bed and sat. He looked upon his daughter, asleep but alive. After watching his wife die while sitting beside her, this was a scene that he never desired to see. It troubled him, for he believed that no parent should outlive their child—especially with it being only days before the young woman's twenty-seventh birthday. Unlike the situation nearly ten years earlier, however, the prognosis for Alta's recovery was positive. She had sustained many bruises and a few cuts on her abdomen, a fractured right forearm, and a fractured pelvis. All of these were easily healed with some rest, careful management, and bacta. The most profound injuries were to her legs, a set of circumstances that invariably had the potential to upset Alta. Chancellor Eddicus had fared relatively well in the aftermath of the blast. He had been in the refresher when the explosion occurred. As the floors above and below much of his office collapsed, the refresher area somehow remained largely intact. The dense plumbing that went from ground floor upward appeared to have held together that portion of the building to a degree. The floor beneath Eddicus, who was sitting on the pottiary, dropped a few feet onto the level below, causing the man to fall and hit his head. Aside from a large cut, the chancellor was safe. Nothing else collapsed and first responders arrived almost immediately after the blast happened. It was not possible to say the same for the Probitas pro populus hallway, however. The three floors above it, which were largely PPP and Slice–Trans-Perlemian offices, collapsed onto it. Mentally fatigued from the ordeal, the chancellor put his head back and closed his eyes. His mind remained vacant of active thought for a moment as the perpetual sound of the beeping marked the passing of the time. Finally, a few passing thoughts drifted through his mind. He still had yet to have heard the status of Senators Fraajic and Valorum. He inevitably needed to determine if they were alive. Had they been injured and survived, they would have been transferred to this hospital. As soon as Alta awoke, the chancellor resolved, he would wander over to the nurse's station and inquire. Small moanings caught the attention of Chancellor Eddicus. In the bed, there was a small stirring. Eddicus leaned over and gazed upon his daughter, expecting to see her awake. A flush-faced seventeen-year-old softly opened her eyes. A look of terror filled her face as she became aware of her surroundings. In one swift gesture, the girl grabbed the Chancellor's arm with her left hand. Her eyes pierced the depths of his soul. "Daddy, don't leave me," the girl cried. "Stay with me like we stayed with Mommy." Suddenly, the sound of something hitting the tile floor alerted the chancellor and he popped up out of the seat. He had drifted into a light sleep for a few moments, imagining his daughter as she had been upon his wife's passing. He immediately remembered the moments in the blue speeder as they were about to leave the hospital. A former military commander, he was trying to show no emotion whatsoever. Alta, however, was overcome with grief. She had clasped his hand and begged him to never leave her. It was a moment of true fear for the then-teenager. Now, all these years later, he was wishing that she would not leave him. "I'm not leaving you, Alta," the chancellor whispered as he sat back in the chair. Attempting to regain composure, he leaned forward and placed his forehead on the edge of the mattress near his daughter's right forearm. "Just don't leave me. Don't leave me." "Dad," a small whisper said. Chancellor Eddicus quickly picked up his head and gazed upon his daughter, who had begun to open her eyes and was assessing the room. "What happened?" Alta asked. "Where are we?" "You're safe," Anwis said with a small smile. "We're at Fort Zhell Hospital." "The blast… at the Senate Building… the others…" the young woman stammered. It was apparent that the normally well-conceived thoughts that Alta spoke were failing to coalesce in her mind. "We'll find out very shortly," the chancellor stated. "I was waiting for you to wake up before I tracked anyone down. I've been getting reports on my datapad. Everyone's been brought here if they were injured." "What happened to me?" she continued with a nod. "What did the doctor say?" "Well," he answered, pausing to buy some time in order to figure out how to best break the news. "It looks like you're going to heal. You had some bumps and bruises, a small fracture on your right arm, a small pelvis fracture that was so small it almost didn't show up on the scans, but…" "But what?" Alta said, suddenly looking down at her legs. An expression of horror washed across her face. "Your legs were crushed," Anwis Eddicus replied. He glanced at sheet on the bed, which because of its draping clearly marked the stubs that only extended a little less than a half meter from his daughter's waist. "They had to amputate both of them just above the knees." Under the sheet, Alta attempted to move both legs slightly, but they never moved. She stared at them in disbelief. For nearly five minutes, she used her free left hand to make small motions with them and prodded them. Then, she took the sheet and hastily ripped it off the bed, exposing the truncated limbs. Alta's posture sank as she pressed herself backwards against the bed. A deed sigh later, she simply bobbed her head from side to side in disbelief as she stared at her altered anatomy. "Did I lose my left foot at the building?" the Taanabi senator asked, wiping her eyes as they grew puffy. "No," her father remarked flatly. "They actually amputated them both here. They claimed it was the only way to save your life because of the injuries, infection, and blood loss." Alta just sighed and nodded, her mouth wrenched with disgust. "You'll be fine," the chancellor affirmed. "We'll get through this together. And, with today's technology, we can very quickly find some positive solutions that—" "No," Alta interrupted, her visage changing to sternness. "No. If this is my lot in life, then this is how it will be. We both know that I can't do any prosthetics anyway." "Regardless, you need to get better first. We're going to get you better before we even think about doing anything anyway," he replied. "I suppose you never thought you'd need to take care of your daughter like this, though," she quietly speculated. "I mean, seriously… look at me. I'm stuck!" "I promised you, Alta," Anwis reminded. "I promised you almost ten years ago that I wouldn't ever leave you. I plan on fulfilling that promise." Alta smiled at the comment from her father and leaned in his direction. He moved a little closer and she kissed him on the balding portion of his forehead. She was still on the verge of crying, but he knew that all of this would take time. "What of the other senators?" she asked, shifting her body position back to where it had been. Even as much as she loved her father, it was obvious she needed a few minutes alone. "Why don't you go check real quickly? I can wait a couple of moments." "Are you sure?" the chancellor queried. "Yes, go," Alta responded. "I'll be fine." "Okay," he stated with a sense of resignation. "I'll be right back." The elder Eddicus stood and planted a kiss on his daughter's forehead before turning and exiting the room. He marched calmly down the sterile hallway to the nurse's station, about a hundred paces from his daughter's room. Perhaps a few minutes alone would be positive for his daughter, he thought. "Chancellor, how may I help you?" one of the Human nurses said in between stamping documents. "What senators have been brought in from the blast?" he asked, leaning against the green-speckled countertop. "I'm specifically looking for Senators Fraajic, Valorum, and Merian. Any word on them?" The nurse scanned for a moment before answering, "I have a Valorum in operating right now, and there's a couple of Merians on the list. That's all I've got." "Their rooms?" the chancellor furthered. "Senator Valorum's a few doors down from your daughter," a voice came from further down the hallway. Chancellor Eddicus turned to see Pelmar Aiden stomping his way down the corridor, his long grey hair flapping against the top of his decrepit brown overcoat. He had wondered when the GIN Director would arrive, since he had been contacted a little over an hour ago with a request to meet and discuss what was known in the case. "I asked downstairs," the GIN Director said with a wry smile when he arrived at the counter. "However, I've got nothing on Senator Fraajic. He may not have even been pulled out yet. Senator Valorum's office was on the edge of the blast zone, so that's probably why they got to him so quickly. Is your daughter up for joining the meeting?" "Senator Mithrel Merian is in room 190-2A4, your excellency," the nurse interjected. "That's right down this hallway a little more and then to the left, but I can tell you that he's in no state for visitors right now. Give him a few hours." "Thank you," the chancellor said to the nurse, nodding in respect. "Is my daughter transportable? Can she go with me into the lobby to sit for a few minutes?" "I'm not sure," the nurse answered. "I'd doubt it, but I can have someone check." "That would be excellent," he replied. The nurse stood and walked over to a female Devaronian doctor, who was leaning against a pillar and scanning over a datapad. The Devaronian set the datapad down and retrieved another from the shelf. After a few moments, she walked directly down the hallway and into Alta's room. The Chancellor did not feel that involving his daughter was necessarily a wise move, even though Director Aiden had suggested it. Even so, he did not feel that it would be right to exclude her entirely considering that she had already been brought into the circle of knowledge regarding this case. Hoping that Alta would decline, Eddicus gestured with his head to follow, and the GIN Director accompanied him into the hospital room. "As long as she's still and in the hoverchair, I suppose I could make an exception," the Devaronian said, checking the pelvis area with a portable scanning device. "I can't see the fracture with this, but it doesn't mean that it still isn't there. Just to be safe, I'll have the nurses put her in the chair." The chancellor nodded as the doctor departed the room abruptly. He then turned to his daughter, and she looked longingly up at him. "With Director Aiden here, I assume we're not having just a casual visit," Alta said with a heavy sigh. "So, where are we going to have this meeting?" "Who said you're invited?" the chancellor sweetly chipped. "I think the best medicine for you is to rest." "Absolutely not," she remarked with a defiant tone. The woman attempted to prop herself up with her left arm, but it was apparent that she had failed to gain the desired posture. "I guess she's still kicking," Director Aiden said, drawing a sudden stare from both the chancellor and senator. Chancellor Eddicus glared at the GIN Director as he finally noticed Alta's physical state. "My apologies," he replied sheepishly. "I was not aware." "I'm not sure it's entirely wise for you to be going," the chancellor stated. "You've got a lot on your mind already." "I can handle it; I'm a big girl," Alta snipped, obviously trying to affirm her desire and diligence. "Plus, I'd rather be with you. Leaving me alone in here is not going to help. So, where are we going and when?" "There's a secure conference room on the 145th floor of the complex," Pelmar Aiden answered with a shrug. "My agent should begin briefing us within the next few minutes." The chancellor nodded in resignation as a crew of three nurses marched dutifully into the room and walked between the GIN Director and the chancellor, the final one pushing a cheap-looking hoverchair. One of the nurses braced her arms under Alta's right armpit and back, another positioned herself under the buttocks, and the final nurse, who had four arms, used two to circle around the waist and two to position the left side and back. With a simultaneous grunt, the three hoisted the senator and very slowly set her gently in the hoverchair. The IV line was rearranged and the bag placed on a pole that extended upward from behind the right shoulder. One of the nurses stepped into the hallway and returned a moment later with a front-covering robe, which she handed to the senator to cover the flimsy, sheet-like gown that almost revealed a little too much flesh on her chest. "Make certain she's not going to do anything strenuous emotionally or physically," the four-armed nurse said while walking out of the room. "Yeah, right," Alta quipped, donning the animal fur-like robe. "This whole ordeal is stressful enough." The chancellor threw up his hands in resignation and grabbed that back of the hoverchair. Director Aiden made a sweeping move with his hands, abdicating his position in line to the chancellor and his daughter. The trio moved out into the hallway, Alta Eddicus grabbing her hair and brushing it back into something more organized with her hands. "Father, I don't think I'll ever get used to this," she said. "Don't worry, Alta," the chancellor replied as they continued through the corridor. For nearly three minutes they dutifully progressed in silence until they reached the lift. Alta pressed the button from the chair with her left hand and glanced up at her father. A few tears had collected on the young woman's face. The chancellor's heart was wrenched with compassion, and he gently placed his hands on her shoulders. With a loving touch, he slowly kneaded the shoulder blades until the door to the lift opened. Once inside, the three took the lift to the 145th floor and progressed to a security checkpoint. "Attention," one of the guards shouted. "At ease," the chancellor said, continuing his gait forward. "Where's the conference room for us?" "Just ahead, sir," the same guard shouted. "Follow me." Chancellor Eddicus pushed the hoverchair forward behind the guard as he led around a winding hallway to a large metallic door. A moment later, the guard handed a few security cards to the chancellor. "There's only five of these right now, sir," the guard stated. "You can give them to anyone you need so that they can come and go as they please. Should anything happen in here, Senator Eddicus's doctor—a Devaronian, I believe—has access to help her out. We have everything else in here secure." "Thank you, captain," the elder Eddicus replied with a salute, dismissing the guard. He then swiped a card along the door-mounted scanner. It let out a small beep, and the door whisked open. "Very efficient, Pelmar. You arranged this awfully fast." "I had more than an hour stuck in traffic trying to get here," the GIN Director remarked, taking the lead and walking into the room first. "There weren't many Forces members to spare with the incident, but I told them you were in need of the protection." "This is probably the most secure facility on all of Coruscant, you know," he replied. "I'm not taking any chances right now," Aiden answered back. The conference room was a large octagon that was similar in overall area to what the Chancellor's Office had been before the explosion. A large table with five chairs on each side and one at the end occupied one half of the room, while the remainder of the space had softer fabric chairs and matching couches. The entire room had dark maroon carpet to accompany the silvery, metallic walls. One of the eight walls was graced with a commboard for holoconferencing. The empty spot at the head of the table was directly in front of the board. In the center of the table was a holographic projector. The wall directly to the right of the commboard was the lone window, a triply-reinforced transparent compound that the chancellor had seen be used on newer starships to replace transparisteel. "Let's get ahold of this agent and find out what she knows," the chancellor said, pushing his daughter toward the table. He pulled one of the wire-frame chairs away from the large piece of furniture and moved the hoverchair closer. "Sorry, Alta, I forgot to ask; I just assumed. Where do you want to sit?" "This is fine," she replied softly. "I'm sending the hailing signal now," the GIN Director stated. "We'll probably hear from her soon." "She better have something good," the chancellor chided. "Oh, she will," Aiden replied. "That's something I can guarantee." Chancellor Eddicus took up a position in one of the wire-frame seats to the left of his daughter. She took her hand and clasped his, holding it tightly while still staring ahead and out the window and into the darkness of the Coruscant nighttime sky. "Normally I'd be watching some rerun of Being Arisa and getting ready for bed right now," Alta commented. "Instead, I'm sitting in a hoverchair, with no legs, and waiting for a holoconference to start. If only the biggest concern in the whole universe was whether Arisa was going to get back together with Qral. If only…" Anwis Eddicus maneuvered his right arm out of his daughter's hold and placed it across her shoulders, gently tipping her toward him. She let out a series of deep sighs. "I just realized that I'm going to have to learn how to do everything all over again," she added. "Everything from using the refresher to getting things in my office… it's all going to be different." "That's why we're in this together," the chancellor said. "We'll do what we've always done: figure it out together and make it work." "Good thing Mom never saw me this way," Alta sighed. "She'd really be beside herself." Anwis Eddicus slowly closed his eyes. He was able to clearly picture his wife, just as she had been. "By the way, thank you," his daughter interrupted. "I'll have time to mourn. I'm glad that you're still allowing me to have one part of my life that feels normal." The chancellor smiled and nodded quietly. At that moment, a message appeared in text on the commboard: Arriving at Denon now. Will contact in a couple of minutes. Secure location determined. "What's your agent doing at Denon?" the elder Eddicus asked, suddenly confused. "She was on Eriadu," Pelmar Aiden replied, moving toward the table. "When I recalled her, she left there and was in transit when all this happened. We agreed to get to a secure location so that nothing could be intercepted or distorted through the glitches of communicating in hyperspace. Denon was the easiest stop for her to make while en route." Eddicus gave a quick sarcastic rolling of the eyes, assuming that Agent Delwynn was positioning herself to arrest Hazar Tordana. Then again, if the Czerka Arms executive was even partially responsible for the state of his daughter, the chancellor thought, then the man needed to be held accountable.
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