{{ absolved - chapter 04
-- FOUNTAIN PALACE -- MEDICAL BAY / HAPES
Her skin felt cold and it sent a shudder up Jacen’s spine as he laid his palm over her neck. The medical bay around him was empty, the medics in their quarters. They would be automatically woken up if there was any change for the worse in the Queen Mother’s vitals – but for now they stayed the same.
Slow. Bleak. Almost nonexistent.
Jacen Solo sunk himself into the seat Gadell had vacated earlier, his hand drifting from her neck and down her body as he moved. His fingers danced over her stomach, the plain white gown that covered her crinkling under his touch. He leaned forward, letting his elbow rest on the edge of the bed, his arm still stretched out and his hand still resting on her stomach.
“I should’ve been here…”
His words came out in a weak croak and his eyes were red and dry as he forced them shut against the sheets. He breathed in the clean scent of them, shifting his head slightly so his eyes could lock on her peaceful visage. It hurt him to see her like this. All he could manage to think about was how everything would’ve been different if he had been here – the meeting in the gardens might have been at a different time, or he could’ve been helping to guard it, he could have sensed whoever did this before they managed to pull the trigger. With a raspy sigh, he turned his head back down towards the sheets and closed his eyes, practicing a calming technique he had learned from his Uncle.
“Oh, Tenel Ka…”
Jacen recognized that voice – he had heard the bay doors slide open and people approach while he had his face buried in the white linen of the bed. Struggling to pull his head upwards, he saw Tahiri Veila standing on the other side of the bed. She was staring down to Tenel Ka, her green eyes wide with fright and her hair forming a messy golden halo on her head.
Zekk stepped up behind her and peered over her shoulder, his brow furrowing and his arm instantly snaking around Tahiri to grab Tenel Ka’s limp hand. He squeezed her fingers in his, swallowing a mouthful of dry air. Tahiri moved her own hand to Tenel Ka’s hair as the three Jedi regarded the Queen Mother warily, Gadell watching them from a distance.
Minutes passed before any of them spoke up and it was Zekk who broke the silence, his voice almost a whisper.
“Gadell?”
Snapping out of a trance, the Admiral looked to him. “Hm?”
“Master Skywalker wanted us to contact him when we arrived on Hapes. It is alright if we used one of the Palace--”
“Oh, of course. You know where the communication rooms are.”
“Thanks.” Zekk nudged Tahiri in the side.
She picked up on his train of thought, figuring that Gadell would probably want to speak to Jacen alone for a bit. “Yeah, can we grab a cup of caf from the kitchens too?”
“Definitely. Tell them I sent you.” Gadell shot a weak smile to them as they waved and retreated out of the medical bay, leaving Gadell with Jacen.
Vessau approached the bed, occupying the spot the others had been in moments before. He grabbed a stool from the next bed over and pulled it up to the bedside, seating himself. His eyes drifted around the chamber; from the rows of equipment, to the line of beds and amenities surrounding them -- the holoscreens, the chairs. The first thing his eyes met that wasn’t a blinding shade of white was Jacen Solo; the man’s gaze still locked on the woman in the bed between them.
Tilting his head slightly, Gadell spoke quietly, the sterile silence cracking once more.
“Isn’t this the exact bed you were in when Tenel Ka introduced us to each other?”
Jacen’s eyes finally moved from her, traveling downwards before slowly pulling themselves back up to Gadell’s, a shadow of his lopsided grin seizing his lips. “Kind of.” Shaking his head slightly, he added, “Although, that wasn’t really you.”
They shared a feeble chuckle and then shifted their gazes back to the Queen Mother. One of them had almost forced her into marrying him, poisoned her and was going to turn all of her power over to her grandmother – all while poisoned himself. And the other had know her for over half his life and never stopped feeling guilty for every single way he had ever wronged her, including accidentally cutting her arm off, ignoring her out of paranoia and almost violating her in one of the worst ways possible.
The two men’s eyes met again after a few moments, both of them feeling helpless and drained.
“She’s going to be alright,” Gadell whispered.
Jacen nodded and turned his head, shutting his eyes against the sudden threat of tears.
They sat in silence for an undetermined amount of time, both staring at the Queen Mother and shifting restlessly in their chairs, hoping she might wake up. Jacen finally mustered up the strength to murmur something.
“Who did this?”
“We’re not sure. But Tahiri and Zekk said they’d help me find out.”
“What about me?”
“We figured you might want to spend your time with Tenel Ka instead.”
Jacen was about to open his mouth to protest, to say he wanted to help find whoever did this and give them the justice they deserved for it, but he knew he would much rather stay by Tenel Ka’s side, whether she was awake or not. He felt if he left her again, something even worse could happen. “Yeah…” It was all he could manage to say.
“Maybe you should get some sleep. I’ll go have the guest quarters set up for you and--”
“I can’t leave here. What if something happens? What if her vitals get worse and--”
“Jacen,” Gadell said, a bit sternly. “The medics are right next door in their chambers. If her vitals get any worse or if anything starts looking bad – the equipment is hooked up to alarms in there. They’ll all be woken up and they’ll rush in here to help her. And I think they have more experience in this kind of thing than you.”
As much as he hated to admit it, Jacen knew the Admiral was right and he told himself this in his head as he watched the Hapan stand and stretch. “True.”
“So, come on. You can come back in the morning.” Gadell waited for Jacen to stand and round the bed, his eyes darting back to Tenel Ka every few moments. He placed his palm on the man’s shoulder and began to herd him out of the medical bay. He called out instructions to the room before pressing the panel by the door. “Lights. Twenty percent.”
The blinding white of the room instantly dimmed to a very low level, where only the shapes of objects could be made out – and possibly recognized if one’s eyes were adjusted well enough. Jacen’s heart jumped as he turned around again, not being able to make out anything of Tenel Ka except the looming shape of her bed. Stumbling out of the bay, Gadell on his heels, they both stopped as the Admiral locked the door behind him, pressing a series of numbers on the panel.
Gadell wanted to go back in, and he knew Jacen wanted to go back in. But he knew it wasn’t healthy for them to be spending every minute at her bedside, waiting. And he knew if Tenel Ka were awake, or able to see them, she would think they were wasting their time. With a weak smile at the thought, he turned to Jacen and motioned up the hallway, in the direction of the guest quarters.
As they walked, side-by-side, Gadell with his hands clasped behind his back and Jacen with his hands locked against the back of his neck, elbows jutting out to the sides, the Admiral moved his eyes up the hallway then turned his head to look at his companion. “What do you say we get a drink?”
“Huh?”
“I have a feeling that while we should be sleeping, neither of us is going to be able to. And I’m not sure Tenel Ka would want us hovering at her bedside.” He noted the wide-eyed expression of wonder on Jacen’s face. “I can run down to the kitchens and get some Hapan Ale or something.”
“You’re not gonna poison it or anything, right? I mean, I’ve had a bad record when it comes to that kind of stuff.”
Gadell snorted, stifling a laugh. “Only if you want me to.”
“Fine with me,” Jacen stopped at the door to the hall of guest quarters, watching Gadell turn and retreat down the corridor to the kitchens, passing Tahiri and Zekk on the way. Approaching them, he figured he would help them bring their stuff to the chambers they would be staying in on their visit to Hapes.
-- FOUNTAIN PALACE -- GUEST QUARTERS / HAPES
“You’re cheating, you kriff!”
“Oh yeah, like you’re playing fair, Mr. Look At Me With My Force Powers.” Gadell lulled to the side, his head resting against the leg of the desk in the guest quarters.
An empty bottle of Hapan Ale sat between them and a newly opened one was clutched in the gloved hand of Gadell Vessau, his other hand bare, the glove thrown across the room after some stupid bet they had made earlier. A small, clear glass was out ahead of them, a few standard feet away on the floor and there were a couple silver beads of different sizes in it and many more scattered around it. They had been in a nice bowl on the desk, as a decoration, and were now being used in the Admiral and the General’s little game.
“Your turn.”
“I just went.”
“Suck it up and play, Solo. It’s your turn.”
Grumbling, Jacen slammed his hand down on the pile of beads in between them, picking up an oblong one. He wobbly managed to aim it and then threw it, and it sailed high, all the way past the glass and onto the bed beyond it.
“Nice shot, Jaaaaacen.”
Solo grunted, pulling his knees in close to his chin. There was a buzzing in his head, and it seemed to be getting louder. He watched Gadell take a turn, his eyes heavy-lidded and watery, and managed to clap weakly as Gadell made one land across the room, nowhere near the cup. “Aw man, that was great!”
“Thank you kindly, sir.” The Admiral’s words were a bit slurred as he leaned back against the wall, tilting his head up. There was some sort of thought swimming around his mind, something about how he hadn’t meant for them to drink this much, but he quickly dismissed it and picked up a bead, throwing it at Jacen. “Go for it.”
The bead hit Jacen in the temple and he moved his hand up to swat at it, a few seconds after the fact, and slapping himself in the side of the head instead. He groaned at his error and seemed to crumble sideways, sprawling out on the ground on his stomach.
Gadell managed to laugh at him, almost hiccupping in the process, planting his bare hand on the carpeted ground to steady himself. Moments later, after he quieted himself down, he heard a noise coming from Jacen. It couldn’t be snoring, right?
He kicked the other man’s side, the snore turning into a jumble of words. “I gonna have the snake n’ name him Guzzles, mom. Pleeeeeeeeeeeease.”
Stifling another drunken laugh, Vessau reached over and smacked Jacen’s head, waking him up.
“Wha?” He turned his head to Gadell, one eye closed and one about half open.
The Admiral just looked at him, face scrunched up like an ewok with a sour candy in its mouth.
Jacen reached out and grabbed the bottle from beside Gadell, lifting his head up to take an awkward swig sideways before setting it back down and turning his head back over. He heard the sound of beads being thrown towards the glass seconds later. Solo managed to open his eyes all the way for a moment, and they noticed something out of place in the view ahead of him. Sideways, from his place on the ground, he could see the door was manually slid open just a crack. And he could make out a foot, a tan leg, white and a smattering of rust.
“Hey! Wanna party?” Gadell called out from behind him, most likely noticing the crack in the door as well.
The shape opened the door completely and walked into the room, shutting it behind them.
The two men swore it was the Queen Mother.
“Whoa, I have never had a drinky vision before. Like it’s the Force and the alcohol working together!” Gadell watched the shape move over to the bed and set itself down on the cushy covers. Jacen just watched in awe, with his jaw hanging open.
The shape actually was the Queen Mother, and she had instantly picked up on what was happening while watching them through the crack in the door, wandering in and seating herself on the bed for a few minutes of amusement.
“Yes,” she said, as softly and ethereally as she could manage. “I am… manifesting myself in your minds all the way from the medical bay.”
“Wow…” Jacen’s eyes widened as he clambered to a sitting position beside Gadell. He grabbed a handful of beads and held them out to her. “We got you presents!”
“Oh…” Blinking, Tenel Ka held out her right hand and took the beads from him, nodding slowly. “Thanks.”
She got a chance to look around the room at that point. The curtains were wide open and the lights from the city below, in the valley, were seeping in. They had a few of the small lamps on here and there as well. She noticed Gadell’s glove over by the wall under the windows and the beads scattered everywhere. Looking down to the glass in between her and the boys, she figured that the few that had made in had made it there before the two had even begun to drink. Once her eyes finally landed on them, she had to force herself to keep her lips from upturning.
Gadell was clutching at the desk leg, the gloveless fingers of one hand wrapped around it tight and his hair was mussed and sticking out every which way like the mane of some wild animal. His eyes were big and the calmest shade of blue, except now with red veins snaking everywhere and bags under them. The jacket of his uniform was half undone, letting the usually clean undershirt show through. It had alcohol stains on it now though, as did parts of his pants, which were clothed on the legs that were stretched out in front of him. She also noted that one of his boots was half off and there was a bead poking out of a tangled lock of hair near his right ear.
Jacen on the other hand, was almost more amusing to her, if that was possible. He was staring at her with eyes just as wide as Gadell’s, brandy-brown and bloodshot, with his legs crossed and his hands in his lap. He was leaning forward like a little kid waiting for the end of a suspenseful story, brown hair hanging in his face. The top layers of his Jedi robes were piled up in a corner to his right leaving him in a tan short-sleeved shirt and matching pants. His boots were neatly by the door and his lightsaber seemed to be hanging from a light fixture on the ceiling above them.
“So…” Tenel Ka started, crossing her legs at the ankles, her toes digging into the carpet. She placed her closed right hand, which was still filled with beads, on her knees in front of her and shifted in the medical gown. “What are you two doing?”
“We’re waiting for you to wake up!” Gadell cried, waving his gloved hand around in the air.
“Yeah,” Jacen nodded quickly, then motioned to the bottle beside him. “Want a drink while you wait with us?”
“I… I do not think I should do that, seeing as how I am in a medical bed and recovering and uh… sleeping and all.”
“Ooooooh yeah, that makes sense.” Gadell joined in with Jacen’s nodding, which the General was still doing beside him, both of their heads bobbing up and down in sync.
Tenel Ka’s cheeks puffed out as she slowly sighed out the air meant for a laugh.
“We’ll just drink for you then!”
They were still nodding, Jacen finally noticing that Gadell was doing the same thing he was. “Stop copying me.”
“I’m not copying you, why would I--”
At that point, Jacen grabbed Gadell’s jacket and pushed him backwards, both men suddenly fighting with each other, and both too wobbly to get any hard hits in. Tenel Ka watched them for a few moments, grabbing at each other’s hair and growling nonsense while they rolled around on the floor kicking air and punching nothing.
She rushed out of the room when their heads were turned; finally letting out the laugh she had been attempting to hold in since she had entered the guest quarters. It was only a short burst of chuckles, and it made her stomach sore to let the laughs escape, but after everything that had happened that day, it felt good to have some kind of release. Turning back in the direction of the medical bay, Tenel Ka shuffled off, her feet padding along the carpet.
Back in the room, the boys had stopped. Jacen was sitting on Gadell’s stomach with his palms planted over the Admiral’s face and Gadell had his mismatching hands in Jacen’s hair, about ready to pull it out by the roots. They had frozen because they had just noticed they were alone.
“She’s gone!” Gadell exclaimed.
“Creepy…”
“Get off me.” The Admiral pushed Jacen off of him and sat up, peering around the room for a few moments. Where did she go? What kind of vision was that?
And then there was that noise again. Snoring.
Smacking the back of Jacen’s head one more time, Gadell shakily got to his feet and grabbed the almost empty bottle beside Jacen, nursing it in his arms as he left and ambled down the halls to his own quarters.
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