Jyn twitched sporadically in his hospital bed. The nurses were gone, off to tend to patients that actively needed their care. They’d already done all they could for Jyn since his return and admittance to the military hospital. Unfortunate though it may be, the staff was so overworked with all of the war casualties that they hardly had the ti to spare for a comatose patient. And on the orders of High Command, Jyn wasn’t to be disturbed by his teammates until he awoke.
Jyn’s eyes snapped open with a start. They darted wildly from one object to the next as he frantically took in his surroundings. His arms and legs refused to listen to him as he tried to sit up, spasming instead of aiding him in his goal.
His mind was a fragnted ss. He couldn’t understand his current situation, but one mory shone like the sun, blinding him from the others. It was of a pain so pure it was etched into his very soul — a part of him in a way he never thought possible until that mont. What rational part of his mind remained scread at him with all its might to avoid looking to closely at it.
But he could not think of anything else, so consuming was even the re echo of what he’d suffered.
Vile tendrils of agony word their way throughout his very being and all at once, it ca flooding back to him. The mont he shoved Adrian out of the way to save him. An impact in his side that sohow punctured through his body armour. Sothing piercing his flesh before all he knew was an all-consuming pain so great he knew of no word to properly describe it.
Phantom pain lingered, leaving Jyn no way of knowing if it was truly over. All he knew was that it had been too much. Even the mory of it was too much.
Tears welled in his eyes and spilled over, flowing freely down his cheeks as he was forced to relive that terrible mont with crystal-clear clarity. Jyn tried to hold back a sob but it slipped out anyway. He needed a release. Sothing, anything, that could express even fraction of what he’d felt.
Once it started, it didn’t stop. Jyn broke down, heedless of any dignity he had. A tiny, hardly audible hiccup turned into a wail of misery so heart-wrenching even the cold, stone walls of his hospital room pitied him.
More of the mission ca back to him with each cry. Each step and every decision that led to him getting shot was sothing he would never forget either. Jyn’s fractured mind slowly pieced itself back together, held together by the barest of threads. It buckled under the strain of his experience. His thoughts were disjointed, but eventually he pieced enough together to have a rough tiline of events.
That was all his mind permitted him to rember as it placed a block on the rest of what had happened in the hopes of forgetting the orange chemical. Jyn shook violently as he sobbed freely into his hands. He lost track of ti entirely, his mind elsewhere.
Nothing would ever be the sa again.
He would never be the sa again.
***
Kell had known the mont Jyn had woken up, since he was being carefully monitored. Elder Orryn had inford him of their findings in that every survivor of the orange chemical found a permanent solution to rid themselves of their suffering.
Given how short-staffed the hospital was in the wake of the war, Kell was lucky that he was on break the mont Jyn had regained consciousness. When the alert had gone off on his data slate, Kell had wasted no ti in activating the feed recording Jyn.
Kell’s heart tore at the awful wails of his Captain. He’d known that whatever the orange chemical did must have been excruciatingly painful, but never in his entire career had he seen such a breakdown. Though he wanted to rush to his friend’s side, Kell had his orders.
Using his data slate, he sent a report to General Nessah that Jyn was awake. Rann would be the one to speak with the General regarding their next orders now that Jyn could be discharged soon. Kell guessed they would be moving out of the hospital now that Reya had recovered and Jyn was awake.
He just didn’t know where to.
Nowhere was safe. The war had shown them that. Cities had been razed in the wake of the gru’ul’s destruction and there were many active warzones where they had a foothold on the planet. Kell chewed his lip, unsure what the future would hold for his team.
***
“War General Nessah,” Rann saluted. She was currently standing in front of Nessah’s desk in her office. The summons hadn’t co as a surprise, as since their return to Verilia the team had been idle. As second in command of the team, it fell on her to deal directly with High Command now that Jyn was unable to. “How may I serve?” she asked. Rann took a seat after Nessah gestured for her to sit.
“Your Captain is awake,” Nessah said without fanfare. She had no energy for niceties. The constant strategy etings with the Tribunal in addition to directing their ground fleet had left her utterly exhausted. There was always an ergency that needed her attention. She actually relished in the rare mont she had to give non-urgent orders to a soldier.
Rann’s brows shot up in surprise. “So soon?” she asked. “We’ve only been back a day. The doctors said they didn’t know when he would wake up.”
“It would appear as though your Captain has decided that now is an appropriate ti,” Nessah said. “Given that your team is down two mbers, including your Captain, it’s been decided by the Tribunal that you will be given a non-combat mission.”
“You want to sideline us during the most important war in our history?” Rann asked, baffled. “We may be down two people, but surely there are other teams who need to have their mbers reallocated after suffering casualties. Why would you prevent us from fighting with the rest of the army?”
“Your team has been involved since the beginning of the events that led us to the war,” Nessah explained patiently. “The other soldiers have already been reassigned. While I’m sure we could find two people to fill the empty slots in your team, the Tribunal would rather you return to protecting Reya and Adrian. In light of their decision, they’ve decided that your team is to return to the safe house to carry out this task.”
“What if the gru’ul co back for Adrian?” Rann asked. “How are we supposed to protect them if we’re not on a base?”
“High Command has reason to believe that the gru’ul will not attempt to abduct Adrian once more at this point in ti,” Nessah said. “If Adrian gets abducted again, we won’t be able to rescue him like we just did.”
“All the more reason to stay where we can best protect him,” Rann replied.
“No,” Nessah said firmly. “We cannot afford to have another military base wiped out at this point in ti. You will protect Reya and Adrian in a secluded location where the fallout of another gru’ul abduction won’t interrupt our plans.”
“You’re sending us to die,” Rann balked. There was no way the team would be able to defend Reya and Adrian if another attack happened. She doubted that this ti the gru’ul would be willing to let them live, especially in the aftermath of their previous mission to save Adrian.
“I’m sending you to relative safety,” Nessah replied, her voice hard. “Nowhere is truly safe anymore, but the safe house is secluded enough that the gru’ul shouldn’t have any reason to go there. Being far away in the Kaldros mountains should provide what little extra safety you can get.”
“We’ll die if they attack us!” Rann stamred.
“High Command is reasonably certain they won’t,” Nessah replied, “which is why they’ve chosen this option. Now that that’s settled,” she continued, unwilling to give Rann another chance to protest, “you are also to aid your Captain in his recovery.”
Rann’s expression turned grim, her earlier protest forgotten. “How is he?” she asked. “I presu he’ll be taken off-duty while he recovers. How long until he’s fine?”
Nessah’s looked softened considerably. “He’ll never be fine again,” she said sadly. Despite the annoyance Jyn had caused her, Nessah truly pitied him for having been subjected to the orange chemical. “Jyn is going to be honorably discharged once he’s well enough to function.”
“You’re firing him!?” Rann said incredulously. “After all he did for you, you’re sweeping him under the rug?” She was incensed at the callous disregard for her Captain’s future after what must have surely been a horrendous experience.
“It will be for his own good,” Nessah. “The Tribunal believes he will never be fit for combat again. We will ensure his stipend will provide more than enough for him to live in comfort for the rest of his days. Perhaps in the future he will want to work a job again, but it won’t be truly necessary.”
“I see,” Rann replied quietly. “Is his condition truly so terrible?” she asked.
“Yes,” Nessah said gravely. “Your doctor will brief you on the ship about how to handle your Captain’s ntal health during his convalescence. You are to leave as soon as you have enough supplies to last several months at the safe house. You’re dismissed, Vice-Captain. Go to your Captain, and you will understand what I an.”
Rann saluted her War General and left her office hastily, worried about her friend’s state.
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