“No,” Jyn said staunchly. He crossed his arms and wore a closed expression, unreceptive to the unreasonable request being made.
“You can’t just leave him there alone,” Reya persisted. This was the third time she’d approached Jyn to have access to the ship in order to spend some time with Adrian. Thus far, she’d stayed well enough away, leaving Adrian in the hands of the Elders knowing that there was nothing she could do to help. Now that they were done with him and some time had passed, Reya figured that Adrian might appreciate the company.
Jyn, however, was of a different mind. He wanted all contact with Adrian minimized. After spending so much time around him, he was wary of Adrian’s ability to subvert his authority. Adrian’s ideas were like a rot, eroding the discipline his team once had with their suggestions. The words he spoke were pervasive, influencing the others slowly but surely. Jyn couldn’t risk anything happening with the Elders present.
Frustrated by his constant refusal for something so basic, Reya left in a huff, deciding to find a different avenue to get what she wanted. She came across Rann patrolling outside the house and moved towards her. Walking around the porch, she asked the same question she’d asked Jyn.
“Could I go up onto the bridge and spend some time talking with Adrian? He must be going stir-crazy in there, trapped in that room,” Reya asked hesitantly. It had been nearly two days since he’d been confined. Two days where his only contact was hours of questioning.
Rann paused her patrol and considered the idea. “Sure,” she said. “I see nothing wrong with that. It’s not like you’re going to sabotage anything on the ship and you know how to operate the systems on your own. Just don’t get any funny ideas like freeing him. He’s being guarded by Beor.”
Reya’s face lit up. “Thank you, Rann!” she said joyously. “I’ll be careful on the ship. I’m only going to talk to him, nothing more,” Reya promised. “Can I go now?” She looked around, ensuring that Jyn hadn’t overheard. Preferably, he would never find out about her going onboard, but that was but a pipe dream and she knew it. Reya simply needed permission from someone else and enough time before he did find out and come get her.
“Feel free to go whenever. I’m sure Adrian will appreciate the company.” Reya was off like a shot before Rann even finished her sentence. “Someone’s eager,” Rann said in an amused tone, returning to her patrol. She pinged Beor to let him know what Reya was up to.
Reya raced onboard the ship, hoping that she wasn’t seen by Jyn. She quickly made her way through the white-painted metal halls to the bridge, her footsteps resounding loudly in the empty ship. Sitting in Tassie’s usual spot, she called up a communication’s channel with Adrian’s cell. A little bit of dedicated typing later and a video feed of Adrian displayed itself before her.
Adrian sat on the floor, slumped listlessly against the wall looking haggard. It was as if he hadn’t slept at all since she last saw him. Knowing that Adrian was still waiting on his sleeping pills, she guessed that was the case. A pang shot through Reya’s heart at the injustice of it all.
After greeting Adrian through the communications channel, she waited patiently for the several seconds it took for him to raise his head and reply. His voice sounded tired, confirming in her mind her previous theory. The conversation remained centered on lighthearted topics. Reya took the time to describe her day and the events going on outside and back in the house. She voiced her complaints about the situation, causing a ghost of a smile to flicker across Adrian’s features.
Adrian did more listening than talking, happy to hear Reya’s voice and let her carry the conversation. There was very little he could contribute with how static his life had become. He filled her in on his discussion with the Elders, figuring that she deserved to know. Reya had been skirting around the topic for some time, never fully broaching it, in case Adrian didn’t want to speak about it.
The Elders had refused to enlighten anybody on the contents of their discussion with Adrian, leaving them all in the dark. Reya was surprised by how in-depth the questions had been once Adrian told her the specifics.
“How have you been sleeping?” Reya finally asked. Adrian’s hesitation told her all she needed to know about the answer to her question.
“Barely,” Adrian admitted.
“Is it the nightmares?”
“It’s more than that. The space I’m in feels too small. I feel trapped, you know? I guess that’s because I am trapped. It’s like the walls are closing in on me. I know it doesn’t make much sense. You’d think I’d be use to this by now.”
Reya’s expression softened. “For what it’s worth, I want you out. I miss spending time with you, and I think it’s unfair that you’re locked up. Jyn didn’t even want me here to begin with. He still doesn’t, actually.”
“Did you sneak onboard?”
“No, I asked Rann. She had no problem with me being here.”
Adrian chuckled when he heard that, the corners of his mouth turning upwards ever so slightly. “I’m sure he’s going to be pleased when he catches you.”
“He can get over himself,” she said. Truthfully, Reya wasn’t sure how Jyn would react when he found out that she’d gone around him. She hoped that Rann wouldn’t get into too much trouble for allowing her onboard. She shelved the problem for later.
The pair continued to speak, but Reya could tell that Adrian wasn’t fully into it like he normally was. There was a certain lethargy to his words and actions which concerned her. She didn’t quite know how to explain it, but Adrian was acting off. She would have to discuss with Kell further to see what they should do about it. Maybe he would vouch for Adrian’s release if it was for medical purposes.
For now, the pair contented themselves with being in each other’s presence. Though separated they were, the walls between them slowly melted away as they continued to speak.
----------------------------------------
“It’s been hours. Has anybody seen Reya?” Jyn asked. He hadn’t noted her absence until just now and upon further thought, didn’t recall seeing her for quite some time. He had his suspicions about where she was but wanted somebody to confirm them before he jumped the gun.
“She’s probably still with Adrian,” Rann remarked offhandedly from where she sat at the kitchen table, browsing on her data slate. She’d been patrolling for hours and had decided to take a short break before resuming her work. None of the others had said anything so far, so she didn’t see any issue in taking some time off.
Jyn’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean she’s with Adrian?” His voice held a dangerous edge. “I already told her not that she wasn’t allowed to see him.”
Rann shrugged. “She asked me if she could go visit and I said yes. I trust her not to make a mess of things.”
“Dammit, Rann,” Jyn swore. “She knew she wasn’t supposed to be onboard the ship. She’s no longer military. She’s not allowed to go on the ship. Why didn’t you check in with me first?”
“Because I didn’t think it was a matter worth bothering you for. She made a reasonable request and I granted it. I had no idea that you’d already denied her. This is Reya we’re talking about. Are you telling me that you don’t trust her?”
Jyn pulled up short. “It’s not that I don’t trust her. It’s that I don’t trust Adrian. Who knows what he’s going to poison her mind with.”
“Are you for real? They spend plenty of time together on a daily basis. How is this any different?”
“It just is,” Jyn said, frustrated.
Orryn walked over from where she was sitting on the couch, excusing herself from her conversation with Cirrus. “Am I to understand that Miss Ayala is close with Adrian?” she asked. Jyn whirled around to face her and saluted. Orryn dismissed him casually. “No need for any of that,” she waved.
“She is,” Rann said slowly. “I guess you could say that they’ve grown close since they’ve known each other.” Jyn muttered something unintelligible under his breath. Rann shot him a look before returning her attention to Orryn.
“Would she happen to know more about him than we do?” Cirrus asked, making her way over and joining the conversation.
Rann shrugged. “Probably, although I don’t know if it would be of any help. Knowing his favourite colour isn’t exactly important information.”
“Do they speak about their time spent at the facility with each other?” Cirrus asked. Rann hesitated and Cirrus jumped on it. “So she’s in a position to know details that he’s been withholding from us.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Rann warned. “Adrian is very tight-lipped about his time there, even with Reya.”
Cirrus tsked.
“Perhaps she may be able to help us learn the more mundane things about Adrian,” Orryn offered.
The door opened and Reya stepped through. Four sets of eyes fell on her, looking at her intently. Her confusion turned into wariness when their gazes didn’t turn away. “What’s wrong?” she asked nervously. Jyn’s displeased expression didn’t inspire much confidence that everything was alright. Reya guessed that this was about her being on the ship when she wasn’t supposed to.
“It’s nothing, dear,” Orryn said, hoping to broach the topic delicately. After her time spent on the Tribunal, she had developed a softer touch when discussing difficult topics. It had served her well throughout the decades she’d been in office for.
Cirrus had no such compunctions and went straight to the point, not bothering to dance around the subject. “You’re close with Adrian, right?” she asked point blank. Orryn shook her head. This was not going to end well if this was how they started. Reya looked at the Elder with suspicion. She’d heard about their conversation with Adrian in great detail and hadn’t been impressed with their questions.
“I guess you could say that,” Reya replied carefully.
“Great,” Cirrus clapped. “There’s something we’d like for you to do.” Orryn shot Cirrus a warning glare, which was entirely ignored. “We’d like for you to tell us the details he’s been omitting. Possibly more, if you can get him to talk.”
“No,” Reya said bluntly, appalled at the thought. She was the only real friend that Adrian had here. He would be devastated if ever he thought that she was using him like the others. Disgusted that the suggestion had even come up, Reya thought fast for a good reason to refuse a request directly from the Tribunal. “I no longer work for the military,” she said. “You can’t make me do anything since I’m technically a civilian.”
“That didn’t seem to bother you when you went aboard the ship alone and tampered with the systems, now did it?” Cirrus pressed.
Reya’s eyes narrowed. “I had permission. I’m not going to act as a spy and that’s final.”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“What if I said,” Cirrus intoned, “that I could get you reinstated back into the military.”
Reya’s jaw dropped. “Are you bribing me with my old job? I was medically discharged, there’s no way you can overturn that.” She doubted that it was as simple as Cirrus made it out to be.
With her nightmares worsening, Reya wondered if medical hadn’t been right to have her dismissed. Jyn was right. She was damaged. There was no way she could function to standard required to remain with her unit.
Having her old job back meant getting her spot back on her team, her family. While that was something she wanted, her team was already assigned to protect her so she saw them all the time. Accepting the offer would put her back under the control of the Tribunal, who could just order her to spy on Adrian even though she refused now. No, she thought. It was better to remain a civilian. That way, she couldn’t be ordered to turn on Adrian.
“We’re the Tribunal, of course we can overturn it.”
“Even the decision you all made to have me removed in the first place?” Reya challenged. Cirrus stayed quiet, for she knew that undoing a unanimous Tribunal vote would be difficult, even for her. “I thought so. I refuse to be a part of whatever game it is that you’re playing. Leave Adrian alone. He doesn’t deserve to be played with like that.”
“You could help us all, as a society. We’re not going to keep locking him up or leaving him in a cell.” Reya raised a brow. Cirrus continued anyway. “If we knew what happened to him, we could advance our science leaps and bounds. But first we need to know where to look. We’re not asking to cut him open to learn his secrets, that would be barbaric. We’d rather he tells us himself.”
“And what of him when he does?” Reya pressed. “What happens to him once you’ve used him up and wrung him to dry? Have you got plans for when his existence will be revealed? Or will you just leave him to the wolves as they clamour around him, tearing him apart?” She stood tall and looked Cirrus in the eyes.
Orryn stepped in before Cirrus could respond and answered smoothly “Of course we’ll take care of him.” Cirrus shot her an annoyed look, but let her continue to speak. “It’s only natural that we compensate him for his help.”
“Tell me, how?” Reya demanded. “What can you possibly give him for his help? What will you do to him if he doesn’t give you what you want? What happens when the world learns of his existence? He can’t stay here in this house forever, that would be cruel. Have you thought about what he might want?” Reya said.
The Elders had no answers and were taken aback by Reya’s pointed questions. Reya saw now why Adrian had been so fearful that night at the fire. The Tribunal would not let the matter drop until they got what they wanted. Adrian was trapped between a rock and a hard place. His opinion mattered. This was Reya’s chance to make that happen.
“You have nothing, don’t you?” Reya continued her tirade. “You want information out of him that’s going to be difficult to relive, not to mention the consequences of you learning. He has no reassurance about what happens to him. So I’ll tell you what. I’ll go speak to Adrian. In return, when you ask him what he wants, consider it. I absolutely refuse to be party to what you’re asking me to do. If you’re going to ask him, do so directly and see what you’re doing to him. And then ask yourself whether you’re going to listen or not. But by the gods, don’t play mind games with him. He deserves better than that.”
Jyn’s look soured and he opened his mouth to speak. Rann silenced him with a strong glare and he closed it. “I admit, we haven’t thought that far ahead,” Orryn admitted. “We’re only asking him to talk about himself a little bit more. Does that really warrant all of this?” she motioned with her hand.
A heavy weight settled behind Reya’s eyes. “Yes,” she said. “I remember what it was like when I had to retell my story fully after being freed. Ask General Nessah how I was by the end of it. That’s what you’re asking Adrian to go through. I suspect that whatever he has to say on the subject will read like a horror story. What will you do with that information?”
“We’ll use it to advance our science,” Cirrus reiterated.
“You’re inevitably going to want to run tests on him after he tells you. Look me in the eye and tell me the thought hasn’t crossed your mind. That you have no desire to learn more about what they did to him.”
Neither Elder met her gaze.
Cirrus huffed and crossed her arms. “We’re already providing so much for him. I think the least he can do is help us out a bit.”
“If by providing you mean trapping him in a cell and not feeding him enough then yes, you’re doing an excellent job. I’m sure he’s most pleased by the accommodations.”
“What are you getting at?” Cirrus said. “We’re feeding him plenty. He gets one ration bar a day. That’s enough to feed an active soldier, let alone somebody who’s sedentary.”
“I take it you weren’t told, then, that Adrian requires more food than a normal person?”
“What do you mean?”
“We don’t know if it’s a result of the experiments or just him, but he literally eats for two, sometimes three people.”
Orryn look appalled. “You mean to tell me we’ve been starving him?” she said.
“Not for very long, but yes, you have.”
“I’m the one that ordered for there to be only one ration bar. I hadn’t realized he needed more,” Orryn breathed. “He’s really not going to want to cooperate with us now.”
“Of course not. You’re treating him like an animal. It’s taking a toll on him. He wasn’t doing too well when I spoke to him. I’m actually on my way to go speak with Kell. Adrian needs to be freed. Keeping him locked up isn’t good for his health.”
“What do you want us to do about it?” Cirrus asked. “He was locked up for a reason.”
“You can start by feeding him enough food. I don’t know who was in charge of handling Adrian’s food, but they really dropped the ball there.”
Orryn glanced at Jyn, who was responsible for Adrian. Reya narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “I had my orders,” he said defensively. “Besides, it’s only been a day. It hasn’t even been that long.”
“It’s been almost two! You could have spoken up about it!” Reya practically shouted. “You knew about this. I can’t believe you chose not to say anything.”
“It’s not that bad. I’m sure he’s getting by just fine on just one ration bar.”
“Just how much do you hate Adrian that you willingly chose to starve him?” Orryn and Cirrus watched the exchange, choosing to observe before weighing in further. Rann grew worried as the atmosphere tensed. “You’ve even convinced everyone that he’s dangerous and that he needs to be locked up.”
“That isn’t about me. You know full well why Adrian needs to be kept separate from the others.”
“And it’s killing him!” Reya blew up. “Have you seen him since dumping him there? He’s really not doing well, Jyn.”
Jyn scoffed. “It’s just for a few days. He spent gods knows how long locked up in a cell, I’m sure he can handle a few more days in another one.”
“Are you for real?” Reya was stunned. “I’ve had enough. I’m going to find Kell. We’ll see what he has to say about this.” She turned to face the Elders. “He needs to be freed. What you’re doing is just cruel.” Reya left the group standing there and headed towards the med bay on the ship.
Cirrus and Orryn looked at each other. “It can’t possibly be that bad,” Cirrus said.
“We’ll see what the doctor has to say about the situation. I still can’t get over the fact that we’re starving him. Why didn’t you say anything?” Orryn asked Jyn.
“I thought he would be fine with one ration bar. It’s supposed to feed a soldier for an entire day,” Jyn replied. Rann shot him a withering look, promising to speak about this matter later in private. “All he needs is a few more and he’ll be fine. I think Reya is overreacting about the whole thing. We’re not doing anything wrong. Our precautions are necessary.”
Cirrus and Orryn lapsed into a heated discussion on what to do about Adrian, moving into the living room to sit on the couches. Reya had raised some good points that they hadn’t been expecting, and they needed to work out a plan of action. Rann left the house and continued her patrol while Jyn was left standing alone in the kitchen.
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“He hasn’t moved in two hours,” Kell noted clinically. He was watching the holoscreen on the bridge at Reya’s request. She’d asked him to take a look at Adrian and he obliged. After several hours, Reya had returned to ask for his thoughts on the matter. Neither of them had expected the assessment to last as long as it did.
“He has nowhere to go,” Reya pointed out sadly, looking at Adrian’s still form on the floor of his cell. “Isn’t it normal that he’s not moving?”
“Reya, I don’t mean that he’s barely budged. I mean that he literally has not moved, apart from breathing. He’s catatonic. I’m going to keep watching to make sure that nothing happens. He had a panic attack just before he stopped moving, which may be linked.”
“Could we try speaking to him to get him to move?”
“I want to see this play out before trying that. I’ll interfere if it gets dangerous.”
“Why not snap him out of it now?”
“Because I’d like to have an idea of how severe it gets. Already, it’s not looking good. This might be more serious than we first thought.”
“I’ll leave you alone then so you can keep working,” Reya said reluctantly. She wanted to remain present, but didn’t want to interfere with Kell’s work. Casting one last glance at Adrian, she left Kell alone to his devices.
It was several more hours before Kell emerged. He gathered the Elders and Nessah together so that he could discuss his findings with them. Seated at the kitchen table, Kell gave his opinion. “We need to let Adrian out.”
“Why? He’s dangerous,” Cirrus said. “We can’t afford taking any risks with so few guards here to protect us. How is he different than any other prisoner that we’ve ever taken?”
“Our actions are nothing short of torture,” Kell said bluntly. “I’ve started treating Adrian for his trauma, so I know about some of his symptoms. What we’re doing to him right now is really messing with him mentally. He needs to be let out.” He did not mince his words, telling the Elders exactly how he felt about the situation. “He hasn’t done anything wrong, yet we’re treating him so poorly.”
“It’s only for a few days while we’re here,” Orryn said. “Is it really that bad?”
“He’s been having panic attacks and remains catatonic for hours afterwards. Being trapped again in a cell after what he went through must be bringing back unpleasant memories.”
“I don’t want him out,” Cirrus said staunchly. “We can observe him from afar just fine. If he wants out that bad, he can give us what we want.”
“I don’t know,” Orryn countered. “Maybe we should listen to the medical expert. It might help us get him to speak more about his time in the facility.”
“If what we’re doing to him is so bad then we already burned that bridge a long time ago,” Cirrus replied. “We’re not going to build trust by letting him out.”
“It could be the start of a working relationship,” Nessah pointed out. “If we show that we’re willing to work with him and be trusted, maybe he’ll be willing to talk with us.”
“We could use his freedom as a bartering chip to have him translate the video for us, rather than have him ask for something ridiculous,” Cirrus said.
“I think we should free him first then ask for his help,” Orryn said. “If we’re lucky, he won’t ask for anything else.”
“Because that’s what’s going to happen,” Cirrus snorted. “I’m telling you, he’s going to ask for something unreasonable. I’d rather give him something cheap that means a lot to him than give him something truly exorbitant for what amounts to a translation of a video that’s only a few minutes long.”
“I’m sure it won’t be that bad,” Orryn said.
“Then you’re deluding yourself.”
Kell coughed from across the table, interrupting the conversation. “I’ve given my opinion. If the situation deteriorates further, I will let him out, regardless of your orders.”
“You’d dare overturn orders from us?” Cirrus asked, insulted. Soldiers were supposed to listen, not question. Their orders were law. To disobey was to risk serious consequences.
“Health is my domain. In such cases, my orders are the priority. He can stay as a patient at the med bay if it would make you feel better, but I will not stand down and not treat my patient.”
“He’s not even a part of your team. When did he become your patient?”
“The moment he came to me asking for help.” There was steel behind Kell’s eyes and iron in his voice. He fearlessly stared down his superior and got his point across. “Let him out and guard him if need be. I’ll leave you to discuss how best you’d like to proceed.” Kell left the table.
“If he’s that serious about it, then we should let him out,” Orryn said.
“I, for one, would like to see what the doctor’s talking about before coming to a decision,” Nessah said. “I propose that we go onto the ship and take a look.” The others agreed and soon they found themselves staring at Adrian’s prone form on the holoscreen.
After several minutes, Cirrus asked, “Why isn’t he doing anything?”
“The doctor said that he was catatonic for long periods of time. I don’t think he’s going to move anytime soon,” Orryn said. They continued watching for a little while longer, but still, Adrian didn’t move, which worried Orryn. “He should be tapping a foot or shaking his leg. He should be doing something.”
Nessah continued to study him before giving her opinion. “I think we should let him out,” she said finally. “We can confine him to his room and keep guards posted on him at all times.”
“Where’s he going to sleep? All of the rooms are full,” Cirrus pointed out unhappily. “You’re not suggesting he share with somebody, are you? That puts him close to a weapon.”
“Guards could be placed on rotation throughout the night and they can swap beds during their shifts,” Nessah said. “I’m sure the soldiers can bunk in with one another while we’re here. That way nobody actually sleeps with him.”
“Who’s in his room now?” Orryn asked.
“Reya is, I think,” Nessah replied.
“Why not have the two of them sleep together?” Orryn proposed. “Neither one of them has access to a weapon.”
“Are you seriously suggesting that?” Cirrus asked, baffled.
Orryn shrugged. “Why not? It solves our problems. They’re quite close from what I’ve heard.”
“I don’t think they’re that close,” Cirrus said.
“We can always ask their opinion on the matter.”
“What about having Reya bunk with Tassie, and leaving Adrian the room to himself?” Nessah suggested. The others paused and considered the idea.
“That works too, although I’m not sure how much sleep Reya would get if Tassie has to move around for night shifts,” Orryn said. “We can always ask which option they prefer.”
“You’re making it sound like we’re letting him out,” Cirrus said. “I still don’t want him out.”
“In this case, it’s two against one. Majority wins here,” Orryn said. “Besides, I’d like to actually speak with him in person. Doing so through a holoscreen isn’t the same.”
“Fine,” Cirrus said. “Let’s hope we don’t regret our decision.”
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Adrian lay on the floor of his cell as he’d been doing for many hours, unaware of the discussions taking place for his freedom. He blinked and considered shifting to a more comfortable position but didn’t have the will to move. Where he lay didn’t matter. He was still trapped. Adrian’s eyes remained open but he wasn’t seeing what was in front of him. In his mind’s eye, all he saw was an operating table.