Bid Against the Thunder || ONC 2020

Chapter 3 - Don't Save Me

Before she ignited the blade, he caught her hand and isolated her thumb from the switch. "Lady Vannre!" Her eyelids were red and swollen as if she had cried herself to fitful sleep. "We've landed aboard the Invictus. On approach, I was informed that we were expected."

She snatched her hand from him and sat up. "Lord Jyaard does not like to be kept waiting."

"Yes, ma'am." He offered his hand to her as a courtesy, but she refused it. Disregarding his attempts of courtesy, she retreated to the central staircase leading to the lower cargo bay.

Tabraile followed down the narrow stairwell. RK-O9 rolled in circles at her feet, excitedly beeping. Vannre ignored the droid and proceeded to the aft of the ship as Tabraile triggered the control panel to lower the ramp to the docking bay floor. The beveled door shifted beneath his feet, or so it seemed, as a wave of vertigo came over him. He stumbled a step before catching himself on the shuttle's interior bulkhead.

Lady Vannre glanced over her shoulder at him. For a moment her face showed a hint of remorse before the intense ferocity in her eyes returned. She turned away and continued down the ramp with RK-O9 at her side.

"Welcome home, Lady Vannre," an Imperial officer greeted, leading a trio of stormtroopers. "Lord Jyaard has been anticipating your arrival."

"Lieutenant Samr," Vannre said. "I am eager to present him with my Dantooine report."

"I trust your mission was a success?"

Vannre turned to Tabraile, who lingered in the shuttle access hatch, still struggling to regain his bearing. "My pilot was injured on Dantooine. Take him to the medical bay and have him seen to immediately."

Tabraile waved his hand dismissively. "Lady Vannre, I'm fine."

"He appears quite able to find his own way," Samr said. "I am under strict orders from Lord Jyaard to escort you—"

"You will see my pilot to the sick bay," Lady Vannre said evenly.

Samr's body went stiff and then he relaxed. "I will see your pilot to the sick bay.

"And you will see to it that he is properly cared for."

"I will see to it that he is properly cared for."

"If he doesn't comply," Vannre said, glaring at Tabraile, "shoot him."

Cocking his head to the side, Samr placed a hand over his hold-out blaster. "If he doesn't comply, I will shoot him."

With the annoyed angst of an aristocrat, Vannre stared at the officer and then made her way out of the docking area through an access corridor behind the shuttle's berth.

Samr bowed to her. "You there!" He snapped his fingers at the stormtroopers. "Go ahead to the sick bay and alert the surgeon we have an incoming injury." The officer turned to Tabraile with an ingratiating grin. "Captain Tabraile, please follow me. This way."

                                                                                    ~ ~ ~

The 2-1B medical droid directed a beam of light into Tabraile's left eye. Gritting his teeth, Tabraile tried not to look away as instructed while the surgeon scanned the readout on the droid's torso.

"Analysis," the doctor asked.

"Captain Tabraile is in excellent physical condition, though it should be noted his reflexes are diminished. Clear indications of a moderate concussion sustained by blunt-force trauma to the frontal lobe. Further analysis is needed to ascertain if diminished function will adversely affect performance."