The girl shuddered as the commander's hand left her shoulder, and became too preoccupied with the water offered her to pay attention to the hushed conversation across the room. A droid helped her up enough to drink, putting the cup to her lips. She drank thirstily, but the water was withdrawn after only a few swallows. The droid looked at her impassively as it laid her head back down, and then it turned away and walked off.

The doctor returned, fussing about with another IV, sliding the needle under the skin of her arm and taping it down. She felt so weak, and not safe at all, no matter what the commander had said. Her hands clenched and unclenched as she studied the ceiling above her. She knew relatively little about the Black Dragon Empire, other than what sectors they governed, and the type of ships they employed and their weaknesses. She'd begun training as a TIE pilot before she'd been shunted off to ...

Whatever was in the second IV was working, because her eyes drooped closed and her breathing deepened. Her thoughts muddled as she tried to focus on the blurry shapes at the end of her bed, but her eyes refused to stay open, and soon she was sleeping.