Yehveshi Minor

[Dizzy]

Dizzy didn't know what to say when he said to call him Valtros or... Dad. She didn't know how to react to that. Things weren't that serious between her and Kyle, they hadn't known each other for that long and with how he was currently treating her... Dizzy didn't know how he even felt about her now.

 

"Ok S... Valtros."

 

It was hard for her to not call him 'Sir'. All of her life she'd had to refer to everyone that way except for her fellow slaves. She got a beating if she didn't. Even as she said his name, she felt like wincing away from him, though swallowed, trying to overcome the irrational fear that he'd lift his hand to strike her.

 

When he started talking about his past, Dizzy found it easier to relax again, becoming enthralled with the story he told. She found it interesting about the Valtrosian tradition. She had never been violated, which for her had been very lucky. That was what the pirates had been intending before she had escaped the first time. She was to be led to the Pirate Boss's chambers like a lamb to a slaughterhouse. No escape. Only she did escape.

 

The relationship she shared with Kyle hadn't been consumated. Dizzy was only very new to any form of a relationship with a male, the emotions all confusing to her. Especially how he seemed to have shut her out now. She brought her attention back to what Valtros was saying again, listening as he said that the knowledge was kept secret, that Kyle's mother didn't want to be known as his wife or that Kyle was his son. Her curiosity was spiked and she leant forward in eagerness to hear more.

 

This was interrupted by the announcement of being prepped for landing. Dizzy was abit disappointed that she would have to wait to hear more about Kyle's past. She hid it well though, replying softly when asked,

 

"A bit tired I guess Si... I'm sorry... Valtross..."

 

She still felt uneasy calling him that, but would feel even stranger refering to him as 'Dad' when she didn't even know if she was in a relationship with his son anymore from his actions. Dizzy didn't know if she should see about being moved into another room, not knowing how Kyle would react to her now. He had seemed so cold towards her.

 

Fatigue was creeping up on her from the ordeal, though she was still feeling on edge, very uneasy about everything. Dizzy still blamed herself that the Pirates found where they were, even if she didn't know how they had found her. She had been the reason danger had come here.

[Kail]

Valtros chuckled, "Not quite, my dear. It's just that Deborma seemed quite urgent when we last spoke. It was, in fact, the reason I had come to the plex in the first place. He required your presense at once. Both you and Kyle would have accompanied me, but since he decided to get an attitude I guess he will miss out."

 

Landing softly on the ground, Valtros rose and hid his face once again with his helmet. Helping Disra up, Valtros lead her out of the shuttle and towards Deborma's residence. Nestled in the side of a mountain overlooking a deep valley of light brown rock, it had a definitely elegant but natural feel to it, probably due to its golden brown brick construction and its location. Marching the extended landing pad walkway until they reached a door, Valtros knocked three times. A few moments later, Deborma slowly openned the double doors.

 

"Valtros. I'm glad you could make it. I see you've brought the young lady with you as well. Most splended. Come. Both of you. Please come in."

 

Inside, the house continued its cave like, carved out of the mountain look with candles used for most of the lighting. It had a warm, inviting atmosphere about it. Leading them into the living room, Deborma invited them to have a seat on one of the three couchs they had before them. Arranged in a U shape, they were all relatively close to one another, but still provided plenty of room as they all huddled around a cingular coffee table. Accompanied by the fireplace in the background, a covered candle that hunge from the ceiling provided the room with ample lighting. Grabbing a tray of tea and a teapot, the old man slowly made his way to join the company, setting the tray on the coffee table.

 

"Feel free to help yourselves," the man motion as he took a sip.

 

Removing his helmet and setting it on the table, Valtros took a cup, "Why thank you. But Deborma, really. Surely you didn't have me hurry to find her and bring her all this way for a cup of tea."

 

The old man laughed, "How perceptive of you. I always told your father you were the bright one of the lot."

 

Valtros grinned back, shaking his head a little as he leaned back to take another sip of tea, "But really. Why did you summon Mrs. Disra?"

 

Deborma turned serious, leaning in a little to stare into Disra's eyes.

 

Sitting on the couch across from her, Deborma questioned, "Have you ever heard of the name, Tandra? Tandra Qwinn?"

[Dizzy]

Dizzy looked back at Valtros, a smile curling up the corners of her lips as he chuckled. She listened to his comment, recalling that she and Kyle were supposed to see Deborma the following day.

 

"He said something about meeting with him tomorrow."

 

She remained quiet at the mention of Kyle not coming along because of his attitude, instead walking beside Valtros as they walked up the door. She smiled up at Deborma, moving inside along with the other two. She sat down in the comfortable seat, not worrying about the cup of tea just yet for want of knowing why the hurry to see her. With the question, she looked rather puzzled.

 

"Kyle gave me a datapad with some information on it, though that name doesn't seem familiar to me."

[Kail]

Deborma paused for a second or two, "It is what I expected then. This will be... interesting."

 

Valtros frowned, "What will be interesting? Come on, old man. Stop talking in riddles, why don't ya!"

 

Deborma grinned wrily, "The teapot calling the kettle black now is he, old man?"

 

"I'm not as old as dirt quite yet, old man. Maybe then I'll do like you and build a house right into the mountain. I'm sure you're right at home with the rest of the dirt here."

 

Deborma chuckled, "Now now. I see you're tongue has sharpened with age. Too bad your mind hasn't."

 

Valtros tried not to laugh as he found himself choking on his tea. Setting his tea down, he coughed a little more before pointing towards the young lady.

 

"You were saying," his weak voice spurted out.

 

"Are you sure you are ok there, Valtros? Sounds like something went down the wrong pipe."

 

"Yes, I'll be fine. I've lived far too long and fought far too many battles to be killed by a cup of tea. So what is this about Tandra Qwinn?"

 

Deborma turn to Valtros almost surprised to say it, "She's her mother."

[Dizzy]

Dizzy just sat there watching the interaction between the two men, not sure how she should react... if she should laugh or what at their comments towards each other. She knew it was friendly banta of old friends. What she wasn't expecting, was the last comment Deborma said...

 

"She's her mother."

 

Dizzy shook her head. This had to be some kind of a joke. She'd had enough troubles with the Pirates this night to be told something as outrageous as this.

 

"I'm sorry... Deborma. My mother is dead. My whole family is dead. They were killed by the Pirates when I was six years old. I don't even know where I come from."

[Kail]

Valtros nodded in agreement as he resumed enjoying his tea. Then, suddenly he spit it out, coughing again. Setting the tea down a final time, he resolved not to have anymore until everything was cleared up. He was tired of choking on it.

 

Valtros slapped the side of his forehead with his palm, "Wait. It all makes sense now. That's where I've heard that name before! Deborma tell me it's not true. Tell me you're jocking!"

 

"I had my doubts about it, too. I had an independent group on Kamino do the same DNA tests. The results match, Jamez."

 

"But that means that..."

 

"Yes..." Deborma replied shaking his head up and down.

 

"And that would mean..."

 

"Yup."

 

"But then you're saying..."

 

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

 

Valtros fell silent for a few seconds overwhelmed by the revelation.

 

"Well have you at least told her parents?"

 

"Yes, in fact, they should be joining us soon," Deborma replied calmly.

 

Valtros just stared at the wall, eyes wide, lost in thought, and the shock of everything. It was hard to believe that what Deborma was saying was true. This was too huge. It was too much of a long shot. Still, he knew Deborma wouldn't lie about something like this. He was stunned.

 

Turning his attention to the girl, Deborma tried to explain, "I know you must have a lot of questions for me right now. I'll do my best to answer them all. Truth be told, though, you are Tandra Qwinn's daughter, heiress to the Qwinn house. There is no mistaking it. The DNA is a perfect match. You are..."

[Dizzy]

Dizzy just sat there in a state of disbelief and shock. This couldn't be true. They had to be having a joke with her... a cruel joke to be sure but a joke nevertheless. Her wide brown eyes went from one to the other, not understanding at all what was going on.

 

What was it about DNA tests? She couldn't say anything, her throat closing over as she withdrew inwards with her thoughts. All of her life she believed she had lost her family on that foresaken planet she couldn't even remember and now... now they were saying that she had parents... here. Dizzy really didn't know what to believe.

 

Her eyes went back towards Deborma as he began to speak to her again. They had widened further still, not believing any of what had been said. She just couldn't comprehend it.

 

"How... How can I be? If... if I am... then why? Why was I led to believe that someone else was my family? Why didn't anyone come looking for me when the Pirates took me? Who was it that I grew up with before the attack?"

 

Dizzy was beginning to get hysterical, her voice though, while trembling was still soft as if having to force the sound out. If the latest Pirate attack hadn't been enough... now she had to try and understand this.

 

"My whole life has been a lie... who... who am I if I'm not Disra K'lar?"

 

Her face paled as she was bombarded by thoughts that threatened to overwhelm her further. Who was she?

[Kail]

"They did, Rose. We did. You were never found. We assumed you were either dead or kidnapped. We did make a search for you, but we never got any leads. Even in Kyle's case, we searched for years and only found him because we got lucky. Your parents never gave up on the search for you, but we had to assume the worst. We had to assume you were dead. That's why this is truly amazing! The Gods have favored us. Valtros has returned one of our lost children to the fold. It is truly a miracle!"

 

Deborma suddenly grinned warmly, "I remember when you were just a baby. You were such a beautiful child. I always told Tandra you would grow up to be the spitting imagine of her. I guess I was right after all."

[Dizzy]

"Who where those people I thought were my family?"

 

The name that he used didn't sink in. She was too much in shock that her past beliefs were not reality. That who she thought she had been, she wasn't. When Deborma looked warmly upon her, she was still very much in a state where she didn't know how to react. So many emotions went through her. The sister she knew, while they'd had the same hair colouring, she had never looked like any of her 'family'. Now she knew why, but still didn't understand any of it. It just wouldn't make any sense to her. Why did he say she looked like her... Mother. She hadn't met this Tandra he was talking about.

 

"If... if all this is true. Why was I sent away?"

[Kail]

"One question at a time, Rose."

 

"She won't respond to that, Deborma. You know that."

 

"Valtros, please. She might as well get used to it now. But as I was saying, the family you were with was in fact the K'lars. They were Valtrosian citizens who had moved to one of our colonies on Zaddja. They were close family friends of the Qwinn house and Lady Tandra. You were sent away as a very very young child to live with them. Your parents didn't want to, of course, but it was for your own protection. It's actually a long story, but it all began..."

 

Valtros leaned forward, placing his elbows on his thighs and clasping his hands together as he cut in, "I'll take this one. Basically, my dear, there was a minor rebellion that was stirred up about 20 years ago. In the end, it was actually show to be an outside plot for foreigners to gain control of the government. However, at the time it gained much popular support. It was for various reasons, but that doesn't matter. What does is that the Qwinn family, because it was lead by a woman, suffered the most acts of aggression. In fact, shortly as the heiress, you, were born, there were two attempts on your life. The council meet and we finally talked Lady Tandra into moving you to stay with the K'lars on Zaddja. It seemed like a good choice, too, because I had a child there and we went there once every five years plus I occasionally took vacations there. She could join me and get a chance to see you and no one would know your real identity except the K'lars themselves... with me so far?"

[Dizzy]

Dizzy shook her head again as he called her Rose... she wan't Rose, her name was Disra. She was grateful when Valtros broke in saying that she wouldn't answer to it. That name was so unfamiliar to her. So the K'lar's were real. Their family was real. At least that was something. She didn't know if she agreed with having been sent away, not to know her true family... I guess something else Kyle and I have in common then... we were both sent away...

 

It hadn't sunk in what they were refering to. All this talk about Lady Tandra. Diz had no thoughts at all about being her heiress or what that actually meant. When Valtros began to speak of it, Dizzy didn't know how to feel. Shock was making her feel numb... as numb as she had been when she had originally been taken by the Pirates. This was so huge, so overwhelming that all she could do was sit there like a rabbit caught in the spotlight of a hunter. She was Lady Tandra's heiress... what did that mean? She had to bring herself to look at Valtros, her eyes showing signs of moisture building up though at this point refrained as she struggled to hold back the storm of emotions that was threatening to spill from her.

 

She couldn't speak at the moment, all she could do was nod slowly that she thought she followed it. No one else had known that she wasn't a true daughter of the K'lar's. Only Lady Tandra, her father... whoever he was... and Valtros.

[Kail]

Valtros suddenly rose from the couch, taking hold of Disra's hand and lifting her to her feet. Wrapping one of his arms around her and taking his helmet in the other, Valtros turned to leave.

 

"What now, Valtros?"

 

"We're leaving."

 

Bewildered, Deborma replied, "What?! You can't just leave. We haven't even finished the whole story. And...and... her parents are on the way? What am I suppose to tell them?"

 

"I don't really care what you tell them. Say she was tired and needed some rest. Either way, we are leaving."

 

Without another word as Deborma's silent outstretched armed begged for their return, Valtros guided Disra down the hall and out of the building. Journeying across the walkway to his shuttle, he lead Disra inside and motioned for the pilot to take off.

 

"The Gallos Tetri Grove, please."

 

Within seconds the booster ignited as the old man Deborma peered out the door just in time to see the shuttle leave.

 

"Boy, those Kails, I swear..."

 

Now that they that they were in the air, Valtros turned to Disra, "I'm sorry. I'm sure this is way too much to take in all at once. Sometimes us old men forget what it would feel like to be in your shoes. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here. What do you say to a little fresh air?"

[Dizzy]

Dizzy was entering that phase she had gone into so long ago. Again she was six years old, her whole life changing in the blink of an eye. She was withdrawing into herself and as she did so, she controlled the moisture that threatened to spill. In its place was a mask of neutrality. She got to her feet when Valtros lifted her up, mechanically moving now. She didn't say a word, concentrating only on having one foot move infront of the other so that she didn't fall flat on her face. For one that was so graceful as a dancer, right at this moment all of her movements were wooden.

 

She hardly heard the argument going on over their leaving Deborma's house before her... parents... arrived. Left foot move... right foot follow... Within her mind Dizzy thought only on that so that she wouldn't have to think about anything else.

 

By the time they reached the shuttle, moving into the air, Dizzy wasn't capable of talking. She was caught up in thoughts of anything else but what had happened, what she had been told in the old man's house. She stared straight ahead, not looking at anything, not hearing anything... Breath in... hold it a moment... breath out... breath in... hold it... breath out... breath in... Over and over the same things repeated within her mind as she went into somewhat of a medatative state, though to her it was an escape from everything around her, wrapping herself up in something where she couldn't feel the pain of what had been said to her... how her early life had not been anything like what she had believed...

[Kail]

Valtros was silent as the shuttle continued on course. It was almost an awkard silence. Valtros, however, didn't mind. He had a lot on his mind as well at this moment.

 

Within a few minutes, the pilot alerted them he was coming in for a landing. Setting the vessel down softly, Valtros used the time to stare out the window. It was more beautiful than he last remembered it. The small grove surrounded by bushes, was currently arrayed with a wide variety of colorful flowers. It would seem they had just come into bloom. Adding a cornucopia of vividly striking cherry reds, crimsons, baby blues, hot pinks, sunshine yellows, and violet purples to the already lush greenery, the flowers completed the peaceful and calming effect this grove was so well known for. Looking a bit further into the distance, Valtros grinned. There it was. Establishing itself in the center of the grove eons ago, the Jaiswood Tree still stood high above all else as the lone tree of the garden.

 

After getting momentarily caught up in the view, however, Valtros snapped back into the situation at hand. Slowly rising to his feet, Valtros moved towards the exit. Standing in the door way, he outstretched his arm.

 

"Come on. Take my hand. I have something to show you."

[Dizzy]

Dizzy's thoughts were just on what she made herself think of. How to breath, how to go through her dancers movements and routines, things she knew by heart, things she knew to be her life. Wherever she was, she would always know how to dance. Every move, every graceful turn, every pivot. It was the only thing that Dizzy was familiar with now.

 

When the shuttle landed and was shut off, Dizzy hadn't moved a muscle. For a moment she had thought herself locked back up in the Pirates clutches. She'd been in shuttles before, only in the underworld of Coruscant though when they had taken her from one club to another. They had always been closed in though. What she saw now were windows. She didn't dare look out of them though. When Valtros held his hand out for her to take, her own trembled as she stood, hesitantly placing it into his. Deep inside, she knew she could trust Valtros. Dizzy didn't know why she felt that way, though she did.

 

She couldn't for the life of her, recall what Tandra was supposed to look like. Surely she would have at least met her? If she was as good a friend to the K'lar's as she was now led to believe... would she have visited her own daughter? What did she look like anyway?

 

A choked sound came out of her as she tried to speak, the words only just coherant...

 

"Did... did she ever visit me? I don't even know what she looks like? I don't know who this woman is that is supposed to be my mother..."

[Kail]

Leading her outside the shuttle, Valtros took a deep breath as the warm afternoon sun shone down on the two. As he lead Disra through the grove, he remained quiet until she herself spoke.

 

Listening to her words, Valtros smiled, "Who? You're mother? Yes, she did from time to time. You must understand that she couldn't do so often. Otherwise, it would have defeated the whole purpose of hiding you away. She usually accompanied me. I had various business meetings and political events to attend to on Zaddja from time to time. They were my way of checking in on my son. When we would concoct the right excuse, your mother joined me. Still, he had to be careful. We didn't want to raise too much suspicion. Of course, when she couldn't I often took the chance to visit the family and see how you were doing."

 

Valtros chuckled to himself, "Didn't want your mother bugging me about it everytime until my next visit if I didn't!"

[Dizzy]

"I don't remember her... at all. I can't even picture what she would look like"

 

Dizzy was still struggling to control her reactions. She was still finding it hard to comprehend that she had a family that was still alive and not dead. She began to look around the grove at all the beautiful and fragrant flowers there. She breathed in deeply of their scent, trying to relax and come to terms with everything.

 

A thought came to her, one that she didn't want to be true. Diz didn't want to believe that her captors of all those years knew who she was all that time... they had made a big deal of 'keeping her pure until the right moment'... to which she had escaped before it could happen... but still...

 

"The Pirates... you don't suppose they know who I am? Even if I don't? They... they were going to... they made a big thing of... "

 

She didn't want to say what they were going to do to her... figuring that Valtros would figure out what it was they were going to do to her.

[Kail]

Valtros lead Disra to the center tree where they could take advantage of the shade and sit in the soft green grass. When Disra asked the question back the pirates knowledge, Valtros sighed.

 

"Rather unfortunately, they did. That's why this all happened." He sighed deeply once again. "You see, we aren't exactly sure how they found out, but the resistance cell did. We had them pinned against the wall. They knew that any day it could all be over. In a daring attempt to gain leverage, they hired a group of pirates to kidnap several key figures and collect hostages in general. Zaddja was one of the planets attacked. They wanted you and I believe they also wanted my son. There was also a few others they took. Some children didn't even have any strategic value. I think they just given a number to grab to give them resistance more leverage. Either way, if you were to look at the pirate strike as day one, by day three the final resistance cell was crushed and the leader was captured. I swift trial that took place in the following days exposed him for what he really was and he was executed."

 

Again, Valtros sighed, this time closing his eyes as he leaned his head against the tree.

 

His voice weakened as he continued, "What we didn't know was the attack that had taken place just days before his capture. The pirates did, though. As soon as they realized they would receive their payment, they salvaged what they could and unloaded the people they had taken prisoner for as much as they could. The whole time we didn't know, though."

 

His voice grew yet weaker as he continued, "The first thing the pirates did was take out the planets communications and set up a jamming device. Zaddja was a peaceful world. It was a colony. They had no enemies. There was no reason to attack them. We didn't even find out until a month later when one of our analysists decoded a collection of data communications that took place about a week before final blow to the resistance. When we learned of the attack, I immediately lead our armada to the system... but the pirates were long gone..."

 

Valtros started to become choked up as he relived the day of their arrival, "I remember...setting down. It had been over a month since the attack, but still some buildings smuldered. Chared houses. The ground covered in ashes and debri. The house. Our house. Jewel's house. Burned. Burned to the...ground...the ground. Only some of the foundation left standing. ...We... searched it. And we found... we found her parents... or what was left of them... still seated at the kitchen table... killed as they were eating a meal..."

 

Valtros had to pause. As his eyes began to water up uncontrollably, Valtros hid his face with his helmet. Men weren't suppose to cry. Finally, he continued.

 

"Jewel wasn't there, though. They lived on the outskirts of town. We moved into town. The market was littered with bodies... most of them we couldn't identify... I... I..."

 

Valtros tired to clear his throat as he choked, "I... saw something... on a body... a body...," Valtros pouted a little, "a body I couldn't even visually identify. It was..."

 

Valtros started shaking, accompanied by rapid breathing, "the promise bracelet... the one... I gave to..."

 

Valtros couldn't finished. His heart hurt. He was feeling lightheaded. Grabbing at his chest, Valtros tried to slow his breathing. Leaning forward, his back leaving the support of the tree, Valtros grimaced. His breathing sounded unnatural and sparadic. He started coughing.

[Dizzy]

"Kyle's mother..."

 

Dizzy had been listening quietly as he spoke. It was all beginning to make sense now. Some snippets she'd heard from those that had bought her. It had been another pirate cell that was connected to these ones. No wonder they kept her close to their leaders. Her head went down as tears now trickled down her face. She never let emotions show in front of others, yet she had in front of both Kyle and Valtros now.

 

As he began to choke, Dizzy became concerned, for a moment forgetting her own troubles as she tried to help the older man somehow to overcome the coughing fit. She didn't even know who to call for help... there was the pilot... but was it grief or was it his health.

 

"I'll get help..."

 

She rose to her feet, looking to see if he would give a signal to go get help or not to... she didn't want to make a mistake...

[Kail]

Suddenly, Valtros gasped as he rolled over limp, still holding his chest. In the distance, another shuttle was landing. It was Deborma. He knew all too well that Valtros would take Disra here. He had known him since a baby, after all. He could read him like a book most of the time.

 

As the shuttle set down next to Valtros's kicking up some dusty in the process, The ramp came down and Deborma stepped out. He was going to talk some sense into the two of them...

[Dizzy]

Dizzy was getting herself into a panicked state. When he fell over limp, she moved to cradle his head in her lap, yelling out towards the shuttles for anyone to hear,

 

"HELP!!! SOMEONE HELP US!!"

 

She saw Deborma, she screamed at him to help. Looking back at Valtros she figured that as he was clutching his heart that he was having a heart attack... How to I help?? What do I do?? She had seen, in the slave quarters, occasionally one of the older slaves might take ill from the treatment they received. She had seen them lay them flat on the ground, to which she now did for Valtros. Then she had seen them measure out so that they were above the heart. In her mind she saw what they had done and now repeated it.

 

By the time that Deborma got to them, she was in the first stages of performing CPR although she wasn't certain what it was she was doing... only that it might help him... she hoped...

[Kail]

Hearing Disra's screams from a distance, Deborma soon picked up his pace and motioned for his pilot to accompany him. Realizing that something was wrong, Valtros's pilot also left his ship and hurried to catch up with the other two. Deborma ran as quickly as his old legs could take him. Of course, his almost dress like cloak didn't make it any easier, but he managed to make it to them in a reasonable time.

 

Approaching Disra, he could see that she was attempting to perform CPR. She wasn't doing it exactly right, but he figured it was the thought that counts. Plus, something was better than nothing.

 

Immediately Deborma questioned, "What happened? What's wrong? What's going on?"

 

As Deborma spoke, he moved gently placed his hand on Disra's, letting her know to move aside so he could check Valtros's vitals.

 

Turning to his pilot Deborma spoke hurriedly, "I have an emergency vitals kit in the back compartment of my shuttle. Run over there and fetch it for me! Hurry!"

 

The panicked young man nodded. He stumbled, nearly falling on his face, as he turned to make a dash for the shuttle. Any true Valtrosian citizen would die for Valtros. The last thing that young man wanted was his failure to respond quickly enough to be the reason Valtros didn't live.

 

Meanwhile, Deborma addressed the other pilot, "Go radio the palace. Tell them Valtros has suffered a heart attack and needs immediate medical treatment. We need a team over here and need to get him to a facility immediately! As soon as you are finished, please return and report back to me."

 

Everything had happened so fast. It had been many years since Deborma had formally retired from practicing medicine, however, in the heat of the moment it felt like he had never left. He may have been a little more feeble than he used to be, but his mind was still sharp. Momentarily turning his attention back to Disra, he realized he hadn't given her any time to respond.

 

Again he questioned, "How did this happen?" hoping to gain some insight into what might have caused this so suddenly.

[Dizzy]

Dizzy stood back, her hands washing in front of her, now turning white with the pressure she exerted as she watched them with Valtros. Her whole complexion had gone pale as she held back her emotions. She was worried that she what she'd been doing was wrong and that she'd done more harm than good... but she couldn't just do nothing...

 

When Deborma had questioned her, she didn't have a chance to answer, instead just following instructions to stand back and let him check on Valtros. By the time he asked her once more, she was a little calmer than she had been previously, watching someone that actually knew what they were doing.

 

"We were just talking... he ... was telling me more about what you'd started to tell me... then... then he... he just..."

 

Her hands indicated towards him first, Dizzy struggling to control herself once more. The young girl not having had a chance to comprehend anything about what had been happening in the last few hours.

[Kail]

"Damn it, old man. You picked one hell of a time to pull a stunt like this one us!"

 

Deborma continued to perform CPR. During his compressions he continued the conversation.

 

"So that was it? Can you think of any reason this would happen? I don't see why he would just kill over..."

 

The young man returned out of breath with the equipment. Deborma looked over the equipment and cursed.

 

"It isn't going to help me to inject him with something if his heart isn't pumping. Go back to the ship. There should be another set of devices in there. They should have two small pads. Bring that to me. Hurry!"

 

The young man nearly fainted at the remark. Stumbling to run once again, this time falling to his knees. Quickly getting up, he made a mad dash to the vessel.

 

As he left, the other pilot approached, "Sir, They've been contacted. A team is on-route. They said the ETA is 4 minutes."

 

"Good. Thank you. Thank Valtros someone is on top of things! I just hope they hurry," Deborma replied before breathing into Valtros's lungs once again.

[Dizzy]

She watched as Deborma performed CPR, taking note of how he did it, concentrating on that so that she wouldn't break down into a blubbering mess.

 

"He... was talking about Kyle's mother... then he..."

 

Dizzy didn't know if she should have said that, though maybe it was the reason why. If he had loved Kyle's mother as much as she had the impression he did...

 

"Will he... will he be alright?"

[Kail]

Deborma got a chill when she mentioned it, "Dear Valtros! Not the day... was he?..."

 

Deborma fell silent as he continued to administer CPR. As the young pilot came running towards them in the distance a ship appeared overhead and landed no more than 30 feet from the group.

 

Thinking over Disra's question trying to put it as nicely as possible, he replied, "We can only hope for the best."

 

The medical crew rushed over with a hover stretcher in tow. Loading him on the stretcher, they quickly removed all his armor so they could reach his bare chest. They began to give him voltage treatment as they lead the stretcher back to the craft's doors.

 

Nearby, the young man was on his knees crying uncontrollably. He couldn't help but feel that if Valtros died now it was all his fault.

 

The crew leader stayed behind to talk with Deborma.

 

"So what's the status? What are we looking at?"

 

"He's in cardiac arrest. I was unable to reestablish a heart beat and he still isn't breathing. I've done what little I can with the limited resources I had. Now it's up to you, doctor."

 

"We'll do our best," the man replied as he darted towards the ship and boarded the aft hatch before it closed.

 

Coughing up dust, the ship lifted straight up into the air before blasting forward. Standing beside Disra, Deborma turned to her.

 

"Rose. I'm sorry. I'm sure you've had enough for one day without all this. Valtros's pilot can take you home. I'm going to go to the hospital. We can discuss everything more later."

 

Deborma turned to leave.

[Dizzy]

Dizzy watched as Valtros was carried away on the stretcher. She was having a hard time controlling her emotions now, feeling more than ever that her own circumstances had brought on this heart attack that Valtros had. It was all her fault. All of it. If Deborma hadn't revealed Dizzy's past... he wouldn't have been talking about it... he wouldn't have been talking about the day that Kyle got taken... which apparantly was the same day as she had been taken too.

 

Diz turned away from the dust that was stirred up by the craft as it lifted off, only turning back as Deborma spoke to her again.

 

"Thats not my name..."

 

The words came out without her meaning to say them. She still didn't believe all that had been said. This day had just gone from bad to worse.

 

"I'm ... sorry. I'll go back now. I'll leave. This is all my fault. I have to go... I'm bad luck. None of this should have happened..."

 

She turned towards the shuttle that she had come to the grove on with Valtros, feeling very much like it was all her fault that everything had happened. The pirates coming here, Valtros's heart attack... everything...

[Kail]

Turning his attention to the young man, Deborma yelled, "Get up, boy! Pull yourself together... for Valtros' sake!"

 

His crying was making Deborma uneasy. He was trying his best to stay clear-headed in all of this and the kid wasn't helping. Pulling him up by the arm, the two returned to Deborma's shuttle while Disra returned to Valtros's.

 

The two shuttle lifted off almost simultaneously, although their destinations were different.

 

Several minutes, later Disra found herself on one of the palace landing pads. She was immediately meet by several people, including Kyle, Titus, and her parents. There was a definite panic in Kyle's eyes.

 

Running up to her, Kyle was the first to meet and speak to her, "What happened? Is he alright? I heard you were there, too. Is he going to be ok? Oh Valtros... is he going to be ok? Please tell me he's going to be ok..."

[Dizzy]

That Kyle was the first to her when the shuttle landed comforted her somewhat but she didn't have any answer for him, at least nothing that she could be sure about...

 

"I... don't know... Deborma said he... had a heart attack... they've... gone to the hospital..."

 

Her eyes went to the woman standing off to the side, Dizzy's pale face blanching further as she looked at an older version of herself. She took a step backwards, finding that she had backed up against the shuttle as she stared past Kyle...

 

"It was all true... wasn't it? ... "

 

Her voice was only just heard as it was taken by a choking sound as she tried to swallow her emotions back and remain neutral. All these people here and she had to fight not to lose control again. She was shaking badly as she stared past him at the woman she couldn't believe was her mother...

[Kail]

Kail suddenly fell into the background as Dizzy stepped back and her parents stepped forward. He gave her a puzzled look as she asked if everything was true. He didn't know what was going on.

 

So his father had really suffered a heart attack. He didn't know what to think or what to do. He couldn't believe it. Neither could Titus.

 

Meanwhile, Tandra hugged her long lost daughter as tears poured from her eyes. She squeezed her tight, not wanting to ever let go as her husband moved to join the two for a group hug.

 

"We've missed you so much, honey," she whispered into her ear. "We love you so much. I'm so so sorry about all of this. We'll never leave you again... ever..."

 

While their happy reunion unfolded, Kail's tragic revelation was just setting in. Motioning to his brother, Kyle moved towards the ship.

 

"We need to go see Dad. We got to know if he's alright. Let's go."

 

Entering the ship while the other group continued to talked, Kyle took his seat and buckled in. Titus, however, leaned out the doorway to glance at Dizzy.

 

"Hey, Disra. I'm sorry to break up whatever you all are up to and all but we're going to see Dad. You wanna come along? You can bring your friends."