Doctor's Orders

New Angle

The house was unguarded.

There was no gate, physical or force shield. The landing port was littered with ships, dotting the red dirt below you like flies on rotting fruit.

Voras had company.

The purple banners adorned the mansion's pillars out front, the former garden twisted black twigs upon the ground. Dead garden meant, fear me. Purple banners meant, party.

Stars, this plan sucked.

You walked up the steps at the grand doorway, but you had never felt so small. You never wanted to come back here.

You reached the doorway and turned left, following the long stone pathway to a spiral staircase down a rockface the house was built upon. You hurried down, your fingers dusting the railway. It led to the back entrance - the servants' entrance and quarters.

You didn't have to duck under any window, dying leaves covering the side of the house, the side that didn't have to stay up to date with appearances.

The back door wasn't even locked.

You just slipped right in, closing it softly behind you, hearing footsteps from the kitchen.

You got down low in the small mud room, pressing yourself against the wall next to the door, hovering your hand over your blaster.

An old maid walked by, wiping her trembling hands on a white cloth.

"Atalia?"

The maid startled, dropping her cloth, gazing up with fear in her eyes. She froze when she saw you step out of the doorway.

"Oh, my..." Atalia took a shaky breath, reaching up to cup your face. She looked just like she did back then, with a few more grey hairs, a few more wrinkles, and darker shadows under her eyes. You smiled at her softly, rubbing her wrist with your thumb. She traced your cheeks with her thumbs, wonder in her eyes like you were a dream.

Atalia suddenly turned rigid and hard, pushing you away. "You cannot be here."

"I have to," You held up your hands as she backed away from you. "Atalia -"

"He will kill you!" Atalia hissed, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I cannot watch him kill another child of mine, I won't!"

"He won't," You promised, holding out your hands, palms facing the ceiling. Atalia glanced between your face and your hands before slowly sliding her palms against yours. "I'm only here for Pelu."

Atalia paled. "He has guests, they are torturing her and celebrating it over dinner. You cannot go in there, please ."

"Atalia, I'm a doctor, she needs me," You twisted your arm to show her your Republic symbol on your jacket and the cross underneath it in red. "I'm here with a team. I will be fine."

Atalia shook her head. "He's worse than you were as children, you don't understand, he will -"

"So am I," You promised her, squeezing her palms. "Please, I know what I'm doing. All I'm here for is Pelu. I will get in and out. But I can't do that if you're here."

Atalia's jaw tensed. "I will not leave you here with him."

"You have to," You rub circles into the back of her hands. "I cannot do what I need to and know you're in danger."

"But -"

You pulled a pouch from your belt. "This is enough to get you off this planet, and to start a new life anywhere you want," You pressed the credits into Atalia's hand. "You have done so much for me. Let me help you escape as I did."