Please have mercy

Prayers

He had brought her back to his quarters – carried her to be precise as she was unable to walk due to the tranquilizer and blood loss – placing her softly on the bed. Everything felt warm and strange. It was on the other side that she had slept on previously, his side apparently, making her wonder if it was because he liked being close to the window or disliked having his back turned from the door. Regardless, he tucked her in and left, requested by a few admirals that had come to seek him out.

Her dreams were hazy, if they were dreams at all, she wasn't certain. Words, coming through a filtered voice, sentences that seemed wrong, things she didn't deserve but wanted to hear. Stars. There were so many stars outside. She should count them, just to make sure they were still there when she woke up.

I felt it . I need you. I can't do this alone. Don't leave me .

She slept until the drug wore off, losing an entire day, feeling groggy as she woke up, weakened by the events. Her nightgown had been changed, her skin had been cleaned and most of her wounds had been taken care of. She saw Numa asleep on the couch with a bucket of what she presumed to be water and her old bloodied dress and his cloak she had attempted to wash, a medical droid on stand-by near the door.

With the tip of her fingers, she traced the black line of the fake sealing skin down her arms, taking in the texture, fixated by the strange nature of the medical technology aboard. If this was accessible to many, they could help save many lives. Now was not the time for political planning, her head was still pounding making her wonder if she needed to get blood transfusions to make up for her loss before deciding it wasn't necessary.

The droid waddled up to her as it noticed her stirring, placing a cold circular finger on her chest, taking her heartbeat before scanning her, checking for abnormalities in her healing, and finding nothing major. It left with a metallic sound and beeping, waking Numa up.

Her handmaiden bolted from the couch, almost tripping on the bucket, profusely apologizing for having fallen asleep when she was meant to watch over her.

"I'm fine," she assured, "you should rest for the day".

"I was trying to get the blood out, but the wool got soaked and stained, I'm not sure I can," she explained, handing her the supreme leader's cloak, a few dark spots remaining.

"I don't think he will mind," she said, waving it off, he probably had other capes she could wear. She wanted to keep the cloak, it had been his, and now it was hers. The nightgown, on the other hand, she didn't wish to see. "Can you discard that later?"

"Yes, my lady," Numa nodded, bundling the dress in her hands, careful to hide the blood from the exterior. Walking around exposing blood on sleeping garments was a tradition on some planets, but she thought it would seem rather primitive on the Finalizer, and she doubted that the crew truly cared if she had been a real virgin. Plus, the soiled gown had nothing to do with a test of her purity.

"What would you like to wear today?" she asked.

"Something with sleeves," she suggested, knowing that what she had left untouched would suffice.

Numa left and came back with another dress, this one a deep shade of purple. The fabric was thick and covered her from the neck down, the full skirt grazed the ground with its many layers, the sleeves were wide and ended past her hands, the shoulders, protected by a cleverly draped cloth that modestly hid her upper body. There were buttons, in the back this time, and laces that gathered the fabric tighter around her waist, woven in an intricate pattern that would be impossible to undo without help or patience.