Power of Consequence: A Thrawn Fanfiction

A Shock To the System

"For goodness sake. My permits, my permissions, everything is in order and law abiding. Why won't you let me go down there?" Mina raises her voice, she's frustrated, the Empire won't let her take aid to those who are suffering.
"Ambassador. You're simply not allowed there." The Officer stutters, his confidence gone.
"Tell me why and I won't involve the Imperial senate." She growls, leaning close to the officer.
"There's a group of rebels in there. They've been causing trouble for the local population and Imperials. They've started to get violent."
"Then I should be helping the local populace."
"It's dangerous Ambassador." He wrings his gloved hands, he's only just had this promotion.
"I know it is but still, my mission is to provide humanitarian aid. I was made aware of the possible danger in this relief effort."
"Ambassador, please I."
An explosion tears through the streets behind them and the Officer grabs Mina, flinging her to the ground.
Dizzy, her ears ringing and her body sore, she opens her eyes. The orange glow of fire now fills the horizon, smoke rising to join it. The officer is on the ground next to her, his breathing shallow from shock and injury.
"Nerf's sake." Getting up to her knees, she feels her world spinning but continues forward, "Officer. Can you hear me?"
"Ambassador." He whispers, his voice hoarse.
She grabs her bag and opens it quickly, putting on a pair of surgical gloves. Gently cleaning the area around the wound of the freely running blood, she speaks, her hands trembling slightly. "Right, I'm going to apply some.." She looks at the officer, "a bacta patch onto your wound. I have the tech here. Okay?" She opens the batch packet and applies it to the wound on his head.
She places a hand on his forehead, "It will be alright Officer." She smiles softly at him. His breathing has started to stabilise.
"Trooper, get this man somewhere safe." She shouts out at one of the troopers slowly coming to. Getting up onto her feet, she looks out to the flames and smoke. She can hear screaming. Taking a moment to psyche herself up, she grabs her bag and runs towards the flames.
"Ambassador! Wait!" A trooper shouts out.

Looking around, she sees the chaos caused by the explosion, darkness from the smoke, flames flickering on various buildings or bits on the streets, she can see people on the ground. People who have clearly passed away. She shouts out, "Can anyone hear me?? I'm here to help. Try and make some sound so I know where you are!"
She can hear groaning from the right side of her and stumbles over to the source of the sound. "Hello?"
"Over here!" Coughing, a young woman lies on the ground, her face ashen.
Mina drops to the side of her, looking at her leg, the bone pressing against the skin, it hasn't torn it yet but it is clearly broken. "There's only so much I can do. My first aid kit doesn't have things to deal with this big of an injury. Are you able to stand?"
"I don't know."
Mina nods, "Right, I'm going to strap your leg as well as I can." She clumsily grabs bandaging and looks around, finding a large stick. "I'm going to have to use this as a splint." Wrapping the bandage around the splint and leg, she winces when she hears the woman grit her teeth. It clearly hurts. "Let me help you up." She tries to get the woman onto her feet, "Come on. You can do it. Just don't put weight onto your leg." Supporting the woman, they walk slowly out of the smoke to a safer area. Stormtroopers stand by the edge of the flames, the stormtrooper commander extending his hand for the Ambassador. "Not me. This young woman needs attention."
The commander hesitates then signals for two troopers to come and get the woman and help her to somewhere safer.
"Commander. I'm going to go back in there, to try and find survivors. I would appreciate help in doing so." She wrings the bag strap nervously, looking back out into the smoke ridden passages.
"Ambassador, we are waiting for support."
"Well, I'm going back in there."
The commander grabs her arm, "Ambassador. I suggest you stay here."
"Commander. Let go of my arm now." Mina scowls at him, pulling her arm out of his grasp. "There could be some of your men in there." She turns around, "I'm going to see if they're alive."
The commander grumbles and follows her, speaking under his breath. "Idiot."
Walking into the scene again, they step over bodies and rubble. Mina glances at each one, feeling her heart sinking further. Her eyes sting with the smoke and ash, the air thick with debris.
"I suggest not looking at their bodies. It will make it easier." The commander directs, keeping his attention fixed on the area ahead of them.
Rubble moves to the left of them and the commander whips around, his blaster poised.
"Wait." Mina places a hand on the blaster, lowering it slightly, "It could be someone hurt." She carefully walks over but loses her footing, her ankle twisting underneath her. Hissing in pain, she gets back up with some effort.
"Are you injured Ambassador."
"I'm fine." She winces as she gingerly puts her foot down, walking forward to the pile of rubble they had heard move. "Hello?"
"H...here." A raspy voice struggles and Mina finds the source of the voice. A young child, barely visible under the rubble.
"Oh my force. Commander, come quickly. It's a child." Mina's voice trembles.
The commander steps over the rubble quickly and stands next to the Ambassador. His helmet hiding any expression. "There's not much you can do Ambassador."
Mina knows in her heart there isn't anything she can do, kneeling down by the child, she takes their small fragile hand. "I'm here."
A small smile on the child's face briefly gives her some hope. Feeling the hand go limp in her own, Mina struggles to hold in her emotions. Getting up, she swallows hard, blinking away the tears.
"There's only so much two of us can do Ambassador." The Commander slowly places a hand on her shoulder.
"We still have to try." Her voice breaks.
The commander watches her quietly then nods, "We can check a bit further but I think we should head back soon, leave the recovery to the designated teams."
After what feels like an eternity passes, they starts to head back, one trooper being helped by the commander. Mina keeps silent the entire journey, hobbling on her leg.

As they leave the bomb site, they notice a shuttle had been carrying troopers, most likely a rescue effort. Would they have done this if it hadn't been their own men in the firing line.
One troopers comes up to Mina and gestures for her to sit down. She sighs shakily, watching as the Commander hands over the injured trooper to the recovery units. As she's attended to by a medical droid, she looks out at the devastation left behind by the bombing and feels fat tears roll down her cheeks. Wiping them away quickly, she swallows the lump in her throat, there is no need to cry in front of the imperials. If she shows weakness in front of them, it would make it harder for her to do her duty without them questioning her. Standing up, she looks out at the devastation. Her eyes fixed on the flames, she doesn't hear the commander walking over.
"Ambassador. We need to take you home. This planet is no longer safe for you."
"I have to do something Commander. I can't leave these people without the support I came with."
"Ambassador, I must insist."
"I must insist too Commander. That officer protected me and I saw a child die in front of me. There are people who are injured, dying or dead. Families have been ripped apart and I am sure as hell not going to leave until I bring down my supplies."
The commander grumbles under his breath, "Fine. I don't know why you're putting yourself in danger."
"You're putting yourself in danger, so are your troops. I cannot idly stand by and allow those people to go without aid." She looks at him, "I appreciate your concern for my wellbeing, wether it stems from orders or not, but I won't leave until I offloaded my supplies." Turning her head away, she hobbles to her ship and after a few minutes, starts bringing down the supply crates. She glances to her right and spots the officer who had protected her, he's being cared for... good.
The commander stands in her way, his blaster in his hands. "Ambassador."
"Don't try and stop me." She points a finger at him.
He looks at her quietly, his expression and intentions hidden from her. "I'm not going to. We will unload the supplies, you can observe and direct us and after it's all done, we are taking you and the officer back."
A small appreciative smile sits on Mina's lips, "Thank you Commander." It's better than nothing.
"Don't thank me, I'm just doing this so we can get you off this planet and I can follow my orders." He promptly turns away and signals to his troopers to move.
Watching them quietly, she sits down. Her ankle is throbbing from pain, though she refused a bacta patch on her ankle. It would heal quickly so there was little point, at least in her mind. Soon, she has to give out guidance to where the supplies should be taken and that an emergency relief station should be set up. She can tell the troops aren't exactly sure how to take being ordered around by an Ambassador but they do as they are told.
Eventually, it is done and the commander comes over, "Let's go Ambassador."
Nodding, Mina gets up and hobbles to her ship. The commander standing behind her, "We've been instructed to give you an escort back, so you will fly your ship into The Ether's hanger and dock there."
"Excuse me?"
"Easier to keep track of you. We don't want you flying back. You will have your own quarters to sleep in on board."
"Great." She looks at him quietly, trying to garner a sense of his expressions and feelings. This is now how she expected this aid mission would go at all.

A/N: Thanks to all of those who have voted on this book and its chapters! If you want to leave any feedback or general appreciation for the story in the comments, that would be lovely! Your comments would mean a lot and would encourage me to put this out here, so do your votes! :)