Knud left the operating slab and pulled the curtain close around it. He looked exhausted and frustrated, a state those that knew him never wanted him to be in. He headed straight for Jesper who was talking quietly with Freja who had left the fallback position at the storage basement.

"Jesper, I am going to have a very hard time doing what you ask unless you can find me a blood donor quickly. She may not have any external injuries, but her insides are a right mess. Eirik really went all out on her. Find me a donor or I can't save your patient." He said before turning around and hurrying back to the operating area.

Jesper moved to get up, but Freja stopped him. "He said to ask, not command," She said with a half-smile as she got up and walked towards Trasti and Las'Tai. They were working as a team, manning one of the heavy weapons. Trasti had taken to the soldier life like a fish to water. Gone was the timid communications worker, though he still served that role on Eirik's ship outside of combat.

Freja came up to the 2 of them while they were sharing a ration pack, the 2 of them having grown close friends on the ship. Not that anyone was surprised, they were the only 2 Kloxna on the ship, so it was natural that they sought each other's company.

"Las'Tai, Knud asks a favor." Freja said as soon as she was within earshot.

Trasti and Las'Tai looked up at Freja and Las'Tai replied "What does he need?"

"He needs your blood, Las'Tai," Freja explained.

__________________

She slowly woke up. The expected pain in her tail was there, as always, but it felt... Different, somehow. Not as intruding or stinging as it usually was. She felt weak, weaker than she had ever been before. The thrashing she had received in return for the grievous wound she had inflicted had been worse than anything she had experienced in her long life as a warrior.

She could still feel the blunt impacts on her body, breaking her bones and ruining her body. Her leg, which the savage brute had crushed with his body as he fell over, was still there and it did not hurt as expected. She had expected the unbearable pain of a ruined leg, not the dull, throbbing pain of a healing wound.

She tried speaking but all that escaped her lips was a low groan. A moment later a shadow loomed over her, she felt a prick in her arm and her eyelids grew heavy as the pain faded.

______________

Eirik slowly opened his eyes, his mind foggy and his body completely drained. He remembered beating on Tai'Tanu with his spear before passing out. Now, he was laying on a steel slab, still wearing his armor. He tried sitting up but felt too weak to do so. He moved his arms to help himself sit up, but he couldn't feel his left arm. Was it sedated?

He looked over and the memory flashed through his mind the lightning as he saw the bandaged stump. He lost his arm from the elbow down.

He had no idea how long he lay there, staring in horror as he moved the stump around, unwilling to comprehend the simple fact.

"Finally awake boy." Knud's voice cut through Eirik's stupor and he looked up at the doctor. "You look like a lost child, Eirik. Why the glum face??" He continued.

Eirik moved his head towards his left arm but stopped before he could see it. "...My arm..." Eirik said in a quiet voice.

"It's not that bad Eirik. You know we can give you a cybernetic improvement. So what is the issue?" Knud asked. He already knew, but for Eirik's mental state, he had to work the man through it. He also wondered if the Eirik remembered...

"...It wouldn't be mine anymore. A cybernetic arm may be an improvement Knud. But it would not be mine. It would be...Foreign. Unnatural. It just wouldn't be the same." Eirik shook his head as he spoke, trying to clear the last of the anesthesia from his system.

"You know, Eirik, there IS another option here," Knud said in a casual tone.

"What? Remain a cripple? I'd rather die!" Eirik spat in disgust. "Cripples do not fight on the frontline!"

"Remember a while ago, I asked permission to begin research on an old project from the 21st century? Turns about, that with modern technology I can completely regrow your arm in around 3 months. Of course, you will need extensive rehabilitation treatment for your muscles and plenty of exercises before you would be back to your old self. I estimate around 6-9 months of physical therapy should do the trick." Knud told him in a slow patient manner, making sure Eirik understood every word.

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"However," He continued, "You would be the first human subject to ever receive the treatment. All my knowledge is theoretical and only has small-scale experimentation on test animals to back it up. You need to know this, Eirik. I truly have no idea what is going to happen if we start this. But you need to make a choice now. It's the only reason I pulled you out of the medical coma. If we wait any longer, it will be too late to start treatment."

"Do it!" Eirik said without hesitation, "Do it, Knud. If there is even a chance to get my arm back, I am sure the gods will tip the odds in my favor!"

"Very well. Sleep well Eirik. You are going to have to speak to someone when you wake up again." Knud said as he pressed a button next to the slab 3 times

"What?" Eirik said, but he felt his eyelids grow heavy seconds later. Fighting the sleep with all his power, he failed quickly and went back to sleep.

________________

She woke up again and felt more awake than last time. She still couldn't move, and she realized she was restrained to the surface she was laying on. "Why am I tied up?" She tried demanding an answer, but it came out as a weak question.

"Finally awake. You have no idea how much trouble we went through to keep you alive." A voice called out to her left side.

She snapped her head towards the voice and immediately regretted it as her vision began swimming and her head felt heavy. A moment later her vision cleared and she laid her eyes on the doctor of Eirik's ship. He was currently rummaging through a big cabinet, its contents out of her sight.

"Why am I tied up?!" She demanded, her voice had regained a little of its strength. "And why am I here? What do you want from me?"

"You are tied up for my safety. Even in your weakened state, it's a precaution I would not be without." Knud said. "As for why you are here, I have no idea. You were brought to me by the head of security with an order to keep you alive. So that's what I did. You will have to ask him once he decides to visit you. Now, would you like to go back to sleep or remain awake while you wait?" Knud replied, hoping the answer would satisfy his patient.

"Awake." She stated before laying back, trying to figure out precisely what kind of situation she was in.

_________________________

Las'Tai was back at the machinegun nest, staring at the card game she was playing with Trasti. since the bets were made with the food from their rations, she would normally be as competitive as he was being right now. But she had her mind on other things. She wondered how her actions would be received. A warrior that was mortally wounded on the battlefield was usually left to die an honorable death. It was not strictly taboo to save someone from death on the battlefield, but if they were wounded as a result of a great battle, it would be received with mixed feelings.

"It's no use brooding, Las'Tai," Trasti said as he won another hand and happily claimed another pack of beef jerky from the betting pile, "you did what you felt was right at the moment. You cannot change it now."

"I know," Las'Tai said as she dealt the next hand. "I just wonder and fear what it will bring in the future."

They continued playing in silence, Las'Tai trying to force her mind back on the game.

____________________:

Jesper entered the field hospital and saw Knud sitting in a chair near the ventilation, smoking a cigarette. "Well?" He asked Knud.

"Awake and speaking. If you stress her out too much, we are going to have issues, Jesper." Knud said with a dangerous undertone in his voice.

"I know the drill" Jesper said as he moved toward the curtained-off area.

_______________

Someone entered her little area and she recognized him after a moment. "The bastard's attack dog." She said loud enough for him to hear. "Why am I here?!" She demanded.

"Because I am going to trade you for this planet. And your people will accept. Because that is what I want you to command them to do." Jesper said, the certainty of knowing things would go his way clear in his voice.

"And what makes you think I would agree to that?" She said defiantly. They could always retake the planet, but she wanted to know how this Terran worked.

"If you refuse, you are worthless to me and will be killed as soon as you say the words," Jesper stated, his right hand caressing the handle of a long blade on his hip.

She was silent for a long moment before she answered him. "Anything else?" She was practically sulking as she spoke, the strain of uttering the words almost causing her physical pain. She had never submitted before.

"You will sit across from Eirik and have a conversation. That is my demand." Jesper was smiling gleefully as he said it.

"WHY?!?!!" She demanded angrily.

"Because," Jesper's smile grew maniacal. "I know it is the single worst form of torture I could force upon you. Being so close, but unable to attack. To be forced to have a peaceful conversation. And because I know he would appreciate the Irony of my actions, once the initial anger wears off. I suspect he will be as angry as you. But I want to see his face when he finds out. It's going to be priceless!!" He said, chuckling at the thought.

Even her, who did not know him beyond this conversation, knew that chuckling and laughter was not something this individual did often, nor was it a good thing when it did.

"That... Is deeply disturbing." She managed to say.

"I know!! That is what makes it so fun!" He was smiling ear to ear in a way that scared her. This Terran was mentally disturbed.

"Give it a few hours, he will be ready. Do you accept or not? Exchange yourself for the planet?? Or death." He said, his hand resting on the hand of the blade.

"I accept," She said after what felt like hours. She felt the tears of shame burning in her eyes. Was this how defeat felt?