[sylvanSpider]

Shaldag wasn't wrong. They did win. They won more than they should have – claiming two so soon from their already small number. The entire situation felt like an uphill battle. Two separate nations confirmed to be after them, half because of the princess and half because of the terrorist. What could they do but run? What kind of retaliation could possibly be done? That...that thing...she never saw its body. With its abilities, there was no telling if it was actually dead or not – and even if it wasn't, they still had that female Edensian working with Daoweian assassins to finish the job.

It's hopeless...

“What could we have done to retaliate?” she whispered, half to herself and half to the Ogrunu. “We're going to continue to lose until we can fight back. All that...All that we can do now is run.” She bowed her head, choking back tears though she couldn't say what it was that brought the lump to her throat, Toka or the losing battle. And now she didn't even have pain to distract her. Just the sight of her ruined friend willingly disintegrating remnants of his former personality for the sake of vengeance.

Shaldag's moodshift was as if a switch had been flipped. His mechanical arm shot up, his hand covering most of her throat and when Ashi thought it was over for her, his fingers stopped working. She closed her eyes, swallowing. Her blame deflection worked. He now realized what she'd known all along – that all of this was her fault. Had she never run away, she'd be unhappily married, forever forced into a beautiful silence, always seen and never heard. But Toka would still be alive, happily existing maybe sitting on Shaldag's shoulder without any knowledge that there was an unhappy Queen on the other side of the galaxy.

The doctors were quick to act and soon Shaldag was laying back ready to receive his changes.

“I...I don't. I trust that you will do as good of a job with him as you did with me,” Ashi murmured, nodding and not bothering to stop the rivers flowing down her cheeks. “There is no talking anything out of him when he has his mind set on something. Right now that something is vengeance. I'm sure he'll have it, one way or another.”

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In the hallway, Ashi leaned against the wall and slid down, burying her face in her hands. She'd thought of a million plans to maybe escape long enough to call on potential allies. She'd made plenty of political allies during her tenure as Princess of Daowei who were now tentative allies with her father following her “death.” That much she'd be able to gather without looking at the Holosites. She could count on Duonis, certainly, and there was always Iluna. They would gladly turn from her father in favor of the soon to be known living princess. If they could flee to a planet that worked as home base, hide for just a little bit – just long enough for Ashi to show that she was alive - they could pay the Edensians back.

If she didn't die by Shaldag's hands first.

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Atrix's contentment was noticed by the doctor who said nothing but gave a small smirk. He truly was an expert in his field and he was glad for the place to be able to practice. This was one of his easier jobs, but the fact remained that they always came in displeased and left satisfied. His own limbs always remained in tact. The doctor believed her, too. Whenever a female Terskix came in with their mate, their mate invariably obeyed their orders. One look at Mendez confirmed that this was no exception.

He wore a hurt look on his face, having just had her hand ripped from his own and he stuck out his lip defiantly, “Cara mia, I never meant to make you look weak. I just wanted you to be as comfortable as you can, and I imagine cracked chitin isn't comfortable, si?” He blinked, his body moving without his volition. It was honestly a feeling he should have been well adjusted to at this point; his being moved at the whim of his mate as common as it was. The expression of alarm was quickly replaced with one of pleasure accompanied by a doofy lopsided smile as she scratched his scalp. He loved that and she knew he did.

He did, however, straighten his posture when the doctor asked him to, took a deep breathe when the doctor asked him to, and exhaled when the doctor asked him to. “You're not full human, are you? I take it the other half is Edensian? It would account for the slow heartbeat.”

“Si, si, half-Edensian, half human,” he said nodding.

“Perfect, then he's looking all good – but if you want him to see someone who specializes in not Terskix, you may. I won't be offended. But from my standpoint, he's got a few bruises....but from what I've seen from the others on your ship...bruises aren't anything,” the doctor said, looking up slightly at Atrix, almost disregarding Mendez. It was the way he imagined Atrix would like it. “You both are free to go and,” he said, handing Atrix a business card, “If you have any more problems with your chitin, ping me alright?”