My Best Intentions

[Eddak Manod]

[member="Lady Kay"]​

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtzrLpxM298[/youtube]​

"W-wha-" Eddak woke up from a haze, he had been unconscious for what seemed like hours. Or days? He had no way to tell time, and his mind wasn't in any shape to think clearly. He heard a buzzing, no... it was something else... it was... "What?!" He opened his eyes to a dim red light blinking slowly; it was an alarm. An Escape Pod alarm. He tried to take a breath, but it felt like he was choking, barely able to gasp. There was almost no air to breathe. "Fething..." he wheezed, rolling over. He had slammed against the wall of the small escape pod; his head was in pain and he was laying on the floor. He grunted, slowly crawling to the control panel, or what was left of it. With squinted eyes, he stared at the panel. The holomonitor was shot, all he had to go on was some status colors. It didn't look good. The pod was already shot up and charred, as if it was used in a sick game of wack-a-mole, with turbolasers. "The fuel.... gah," he coughed, reaching up to wipe his mouth, seeing a familiar liquid fall from it and go across his arm. "Shut up," he whispered, closing his eyes as his head pulsed. The thought ran through his mind, even though he didn't want to think about it; his last breath. "No..... shut up," he raised a shaking fist to slam into the control panel, but it had little force. The alarm still buzzed, and the light continued to blink. "I said... shut, up!" He reached for his blaster and shakingly shot the control panel. The lights flickered as the alarm shut off like a dying droid. The Escape Pod began to shake as Eddak turned around and laid back, against the control panel. The Escape Pod was about to exit hyperspace and the Pod didn't have any inertial dampeners, at least, any functional ones. He remembered he jerry rigged a few when he was floating about in the Big Empty, but he doubt it would work, especially after he shot up the control mechanism.

The Pod roared as if it was about to tear itself apart, shooting out of hyperspace and flinging components off around it. As it exited, debris flew around it and forward. Either this debris was part of the Pod itself, or pieces of ships from an old battle. Eddak flew against the viewscreen and tumbled. It hurt, but it seemed the last spark of life for those inertial dampeners lessened his fall. He still fell. Eddak had lost the care and will, he only jumped in this Pod so his enemy didn't get what he wanted, but he was ready to die. He started to drift off, until he took one more peak. The gravity failed and the power flickered, slowly making Eddak drift from the viewscreen. But his eyes slowly opened as he saw a bright light. He saw a sun, and prepared to smile, at least he wasn't in the cold, dark space anymore. But he caught something in the corner of his eye, and he opened them again. He had drifted to the back of the Pod before he realized... he saw a planet. He saw.... a Space Station, Ships! No... he saw... Commenor!

His body slowly and gently spun in the Pod as Eddak tensed up, smirking in pain. "Ya can't just let me die... can y-cuh," he started to tear up, coughing up more blood. His hand reached down to grab at his side which was soaked in that familiar liquid and pain. He reached to the wall with his other hand and pushed off, getting to the control panel that he shot up before. The Pod wasn't receiving any transmissions... or it couldn't. Outside, the Pod looked like a trash heap, cobbled together parts of different ship components, components that shouldn't be used the way they were. Maybe the transmitter was shot, broken, or missing altogether. It was hard to tell. "Hey," he mashed the transmitter button, trying to get a signal out. "This is... cuh, this-" he coughed again, more and more. Barely able to get a word out, the strangling of the air choked his lungs, and made him cough up blood all over the console. "Lady Kay!"

BzzzZZzT - Ady Kay.... Comme-- bzzzZZzzzTT TT SCCHHHHhhhh..... Com- zz Lady Kay, it's Eddak! I... bzzzZZttt SCH Need Help.....I can't zzzzZZZttttCHHHHHH​

The Escape Pods power went out. The Escape Pod was still flying and hadn't quite slowed down after exiting hyperspace, it was on a direct collision course for Commenor. When the lights went out, Eddak looked up and forward, staring at the planet. The Escape Pod had forced a hyperspace entry at an unknown speed. But, its speed was dangerous. At this speed and momentum, its weight was as great as a Star Destroyer or more. Eddak held onto the broken console as he floated, removing his arm from his side to break open a panel underneath, he reached for a valve and started twisting it. The thrusters of the Pod spurted for a moment, unloading their pressure, but just as quick as they started, they stopped. "Hah. Yeah. I bet the air brakes will work to-cuh, feth!" He was traveling at an intense speed, reaching the planet in mere minutes, being pulled by his momentum.

 

[Kay-Larr]

The patrol units in orbit outside of Commenor caught sight of the escape pod as soon as it dropped out of hyperspace. The darn thing looked like it had seen better days. But it was an escape pod afterall. People didn't tend to use those for joyrides. So there was a very bad reason for this one in particular to be in the state that it was in.

~We gotta slow that thing down. If someone is in there--~

The transmission of [member="Eddak Manod"] came through then. Or rather partly.

~Looks like there's your answer.~

~Yeah. The pod's not gonna last much longer~

The patrol units kept pace alongside the pod as it started to enter the atmosphere. ~I'm going to move in on it's belly and use my own thrusters to slow it down.~

~Copy that. Might not work, but give it a go and see.~

One of the fighters hit his throttle to gain a bit more speed. He then brought his fighter right underneath the pod's belly, watching through the canopy for the pod to sit in top. Once they made contact, he brought the nose up a little and pulled both his flaps and thrusters to try to slow it down. But it didn't work. The canopy of the fighter started to crack, forcing the pilot to drop his fighter's nose and pull away.

Meanwhile....

Eddak's transmission came through to Kay's console in her office. She was working away with her tea nearby. Her brows furrowed as what seemed to be the voice of her dead friend was calling to her. The panic in the broken connection told her that it was no joke.

She quickly started to patch a message through. ~Eddak? Is that you? What's going on? Where are you?!~

 

[Eddak Manod]

[member="Lady Kay"]


Eddak could see the fighters forming up on the sides of the Escape pod. The Pod was going far too fast and he knew they could be ripped apart. For them, it would have been easier to blast him out of the sky, "No, no, no!" He shook his head, banging on the wall of the Pod. It was too late, the fighter already moved in to try and grab onto the pod. Thankfully the fighter broke off before it took any serious damage. As the Pod slowly started entering the atmosphere, it started to shake. With no inertial dampeners, Eddak felt everything and he had no seatbelt to keep him down. He had terrorized the inside of the Pod to make it lighter, and then he threw on starship parts. Some of those parts he jerry rigged he didn't connect properly.

~Edd..? Is t....ou? Wh........ on? Where .... you?!~

The shaking of the pod was rocking the console, lighting it up. A board must be bent or cracked, or a wire was disconnected, and the rocking was piecing it together. Eddaks eyes lit up as he was leaning against the console. He was surprised, but out of breath. The Pods oxygen supply was already thin, he was starting to breathe his own carbon dioxide. It didn't help that he exited the pod to jerry rig all the parts together without a proper airlock or space suit. "Lady Kay...." he reached into his pocket with his good arm and pulled out a commlink. He went to the lower facing of the console and tore off a panel protecting the electrical components and tried to connect his commlink to the communications system. With hope in his heart, he tried to speak onto the comm. The pod was passing the clouds now. "Lady Kay? Lady Kay can you hear me? I'm sorry. I swear, I did.... everything I did, I did with my best intentions, for you. I'm sorry."

The weak communication reached Lady Kay and the rest of the Commenor Defense Fleets. But it was so weak, it sounded like Eddak was far away, and the transmission cutting in and out didn't help. He was trying to use the communication system to boost the power of the Commlink. "Lady .... .... .... can you hear..... I'm sorry. I swear, I .... .... everything I did, ... .... my best intentions, for you. ... sorry."

He laid against the control panel,l hitting his head against it. He didn't even know if his message got through, and he could barely hear any response back. He raised his head to look at the planet below to see Commenor. Boy had he missed it. By now, loose parts of the pod started to fall off. One of the parts combusted slightly and pushed the Pod, turning its viewport in a different direction. Eddak had to grab onto the control panel to stabilize himself, but he saw something.... something that raised his hopes. He thought he was going to crash and burn, creating a crater in the planet, but he saw Commenors ocean. "Commenor you wonderful planet, you," While the Planet certainly didn't need Lady Kays help to make it more green and full of life, her care for its beauty made the ocean just large enough that Eddak may have a chance. But he had to act quick, he didn't have anymore time left. Now that there was gravity, Eddak realized how hard it was going to walk with an injured body in an escape pod about to plummet into the ground.

He positioned himself to sit up and pushed off with his good leg, throwing himself at the hatch door. He pulled the emergency lever and it flew open. The fighters could see the hatch fly off, and they had a glimpse of Eddak. If they reported it, they could note that Eddak looked like he was beaten, shot, and struggling to stand. Looked like he was a bloody pulp before he went out of sight. Eddak didn't wave, he was going to fast to jump and had too little time for pleasantries. At least he had some air now. He climbed against the wall, back to the control panel and reached down to where the valve was before. Next to it were the levers to the emergency air brakes, but he only wanted one of them. He pulled one, but nothing happened. He coughed again. Damn, must of been already broken. He slowly pulled on another and the front part of the pod started tilting before the air brake snapped off and the pod jostled. "Well, I don't want the lever adjacent to that one, mm," he cleared his throat, mumbling to himself. He pulled a different lever, and the right side of the pod started to turn. He eased back on the lever until the entire pod had turned around. The air pressure was pushing into the pod and creating something of a parachute.... if that parachute was a brick, which was why it didn't make much of a difference. But that wasn't Eddaks plan.

By now the Fighters were confused, and didn't know what was going on. However, any high ranking soldier or crewman would understand what he was doing. He was repositioning that massive starship engine on the rear. Before the power cut out, there should still have been a little fuel left in it. The only problem was he couldn't start the engines.... but he could ignite them. The fighters suddenly saw an explosion and the engines fired, but they sputtered. The balance of the engines was off and the Pod twirled. It slowed, but turned. Either way, Eddaks time had run out; The engines had enough thrust to slow the pod down and change its course. It crashed into the ocean. It seemed that it held together, as it floated back up, but it was slowly sinking.

 

[Kay-Larr]

~Eddak? What's going on? Where are you? I'll send help!~

Of course she had no idea of where to send it through. All that she could do was sit there.

Sit there and wait.

Meanwhile....

The escort fighters watched as the escape pod dove through the atmosphere, keeping themselves at a safe distance. Fortunately there was the ocean beneath them instead of one of the cities or mountains. So if there was someone or something trapped inside...

The hatch blew off. The pod turned and engines roared for a brief moment of time. But little else happened. Sure the thing slowed down, but it wasn't at the speed to make for a soft landing.

And then it hit the water, creating a circular tidal wave in it's wake. The escort fighters hovered overtop. Once it was cleared, Charlie brought his down. He opened the canopy of his fighter, the wind caused by his engines creating waves and rocking the escape pod. He lowered a rope ladder and shouted over the edge.

"Hey! Grab hold and I'll pull you up! Grab hold before you sink!" He REALLY didn't want to go swimming today.

[member="Eddak Manod"]

 

[Eddak Manod]

[member="Lady Kay"]


It was a miracle, the foolish bastard. Eddak had been able to squeeze just enough juice into the inertial dampeners for a split second to break his fall, so he didn't break himself. Although, he didn't survive unscathed at all, no. He destroyed one of his arms and his leg was in pieces, he would need extensive, serious surgery. And because of the accident, he still may not ever walk right. It didn't help, either, that it was his good leg that was shot. Water splashed him as he hit the ocean and he held his breath as the pod shook him around and he started to float. Once it came back to the surface, he gasped for breath. Still, in pain, his cries were muffled by him hitting the pod wall and then a rush of water covering him up. He got over the pain soon enough as his bitterness and adrenaline started to work him over. Even though he had just crashed into water, he felt safe. With it being Commenor, he felt safe, happy to think this might be his grave, even if it was a watery one. But he heard a voice. Through the ringing in his ears, the pain shooting into his brain, and the water sloshing everywhere, he heard something. "Grab Hold!" he heard. He looked up with his undamaged eye and through the turned hatch he could see a rope ladder. If Eddak wasn't about to fething cry, he'd smile. His last ditch effort; he slowly swam with his good arm, towards the hatch. When the water rushed in, he'd float to the top and out through the hatch. He waved to the Fighter, ushering him to get down and move closer. The fighter pilot could tell that Eddak wasn't trying to stand up or jump, which indicated he probably had an injury. Once the rope was close enough, Eddak grabbed onto that rope and he didn't let go. However, somewhere between the Fighters destination and him grabbing the rope ladder, Eddak had passed out from the pain, looking almost dead. "Kay..." he whispered, as his eyes drifted and his head hung low.

 

[Kay-Larr]

The pilot moved his fighter closer to [member="Eddak Manod"] and was overjoyed that he didn't have to go swimming. Now it was just a matter of getting the man to hospital as quick as he could.


Some time later....


Kay had been informed of just who was taken into hospital and where. But of course she couldn't be there right away. There was no point. Eddak was unconcious. Whatever venture this was, it had literally cost him an arm and a leg. The last she knew, he had been murdered. So surely he had a LOT of explaining to do.

She sat quietly in his private room at the hospital, going over some paperwork on her datapad. Kay was informed that Eddak was conscious briefly in the night. Maybe today he'll wake up more. She sipped her tea from the comfort of a cozy chair in the corner. There was much going on and quite frankly, she enjoyed the quietness.

 

[Eddak Manod]

[member="Lady Kay"]

After Eddak was unconscious, he felt no pain. He was even unconscious through the surgery. Maybe he knew he'd lose some body parts, smart fool. Or, maybe his body was so beaten and bruised it had just reached its limits. Queen Kay was notified of Eddaks condition. When he was brought in, it was something the doctors had never seen before. He had bodily damage all over. Punctured lung, multiple stab wounds, broken ribs, his skull even had damage and that's not including his limbs. He hadn't been out for long, his body needed to heal but he would not stay passed out. He was too stubborn. His eyes slowly opened to the sound of beeps, and to the smell of cleaning products. He slowly looked around, a quiet, empty roo- no, was that? "L... Lady Kay?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

The voice was quiet. And given that the room was quiet, his voice was easily heard.

Kay looked up from her datapad, where her eyes confirmed what she had heard. [member="Eddak Manod"] was awake. Though for how long, she wasn't sure.

She set down her datapad and tea, then got to her feet and walked over to him, positioning herself so that hd didn't have to move much to look at her. "Yes, it's me.
You're in hospital in Chasin City. So don't worry. You're safe." Not entirely in one piece, but at least he was safe. For the moment anyways. It was obvious that people were after him and it was probably the same people that had 'killed' him before.

"Did you want anything?
A drink? Something to eat?"

 

[Eddak Manod]

[member="Lady Kay"]

"Chasin Ci- ty?" he whispered. Chasin City, on Commenor? Damn, he really did make it here. The odds of his random hyper jump leading him towards the Commenor Sector, and the fuel running out just from the planet... It was more than a miracle. It was more than a coincidence. He shook, his head, trying to sit up. His back ached, his torso felt like someone shoved a blender in it. He went to reach to hold his chest as he coughed, but his arm wasn't there. He looked down, and with his other hand, touched his chest. It was bandaged up like a mummified corpse"No, I'm fine. Lady Kay I..." he sighed, leaning back. He was so stubborn he had been so blind to his well being, his people, and those he cared about. "I didn't think I'd get to..." he calmed down, lowering his voice and taking a breath. He was used to being authoritative and speaking loud so people heard him, but he didn't have to yell here. "I didn't think I'd get to tell you... I'm sorry. I wanted you to know everything I did was of my best intentions." He had time to talk now. Although some would argue he would have time later, that now he needed to rest, he would disagree outright. "The cloning project, I was starting so I could defend my people and help you in the war... It was to replace my people being put into harms way, but we had to cancel it. There were... Gah," he winced from the pain, trying to breathe, "other priorities. I made a clone, of myself, and had a fake attacker kill the clone. I went into hiding. I was... Trying to find him, your husband, Veiere. Someone had to stop him. But, the more I dug, the deeper I got. I mean, I found trouble, trouble I wasn't expecting." He took a deep breath, finally feeling it was over. He stared blank at the wall, " There was... A big fight, I managed to kick their ass," he grinned, but then that grin went away. "They kicked mine, too. I survived by the skin of my teeth, the rest of their people probably think I'm dead. I was in the void; space. From parts of destroyed ships I latched onto a barely working pod, and forced a random jump. I should have hit a planet; like Commenor. But fate took the fuel away. But please, Lady Kay... I didn't do it for evil or gain!" He grabbed her shirt, pleading. "Please forgive me... I was doing it for you. I didn't plan on killing Veiere... But I was doing my best for the good of Commenor."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Despite her efforts at standing in a good position for him, [member="Eddak Manod"] was still determined to move while he spoke. And of course it hurt him. But some people had to learn the hard way.

Kay listened to him quietly, hearing his story as it progressed from clones and to her husband. A fake attacker? To free him to go after [member="Veiere Arenais"] ? Well he certainly paid the price for that, though she was certain that it wasn't Veiere's doing.

"I didn't ask for anyone to go after Veiere. I had him exiled as punishment. I was never in any danger. I wish that you had come to me first...So many think that you are dead. How are you going to handle that?"

Although it was probably too much for him to think about right now. Eddak had lots to recover from, both physically and mentally. "We'll talk about this later...Right now you need to rest."

 

[Eddak Manod]

[member="Lady Kay"]

"No," Eddak insisted. He felt the here and now was the easiest at any time so people could get on with their lives. "Lady Kay, that life is over. I can't go back. I've dug myself a hole and now I have to live in it. Please, do not tell anyone I am alive. You have to make sure no one speaks of this. It could destabilize Galderra, half the people may go into anarchy against the new government. We can't," he coughed a few times, taking another breath, "we can;t put our foot down and say this is how it has to be that I just magically come back and I'm the King again. And we can't incite riots. If it's found out I'm still alive, the people I screwed with might come for me, and I can't risk putting Commenor in any kind of danger. I'll stay here, with you. But I can't be Eddak Anymore..... you have to erase my name from the hospital records. You have to make the fighter pilots and the doctors and nurses forget me. Knowing my name may put them at risk. You have to understand, Lady Kay, I can't go back.... I can't.... go back."

Eddak looked like he was about to cry, choking up as it got harder to breathe. The death of Eddak Manod that was reported to the galaxy, was not the death of Eddak Manod. Eddak would die in this bed. He would not die in battle. He would not be dying to save people. He would be taking a cowards way out, and going into hiding. It didn't matter how stubborn he was, how prideful he was, nor how strong. Eddak would be giving it all up; his friends, his lovers, his home, everything he built with his own two hands. It would be gone. It would be over. He would have a new name, new face, the galaxy would not know of him or his feats. Eddak was dead.

"Lady Kay..." he reached out for Kays hand with his only arm, releasing his chest. If he reached it, he would clasp it tight. If he could not, he would clench his fist in determination. "I sign my life over to you. I will be your soldier. Your Admiral. Your Commander. You may use me as you see best. But I can not have my old life. This is thanks for saving me, and the miracle that laid me down in Commenor Waters, and did not bury me in its dirt. I swear to you, a life debt.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Oh boy was [member="Eddak Manod"] stubborn. But then again, she was too. Kay just stood there quietly as he spoke, raising a brow as she tried to imagine just who he had screwed over and why.

Her brows then furrowed with concern as he requested that she not tell anyone that he was alive. Erase the records? Well, that was something that she could do. However, some of his reasoning was sound. The rest....

Eddak gripped her hand then, holding it tight as he swore his life in service to her. "How are you going to hide your face?
Wear a mask? Or...?" Of course not everyone knew who he was. So there was some comfort in that. Although what she was supposed to call him now, she wasn't sure.

 

[Eddak Manod]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Eddak smiled at Queen Kays question. He lied back and softly released her hand, closing his eyes as he slightly rested. Eddak had not rested since he was a young man, having so much weight on his shoulders throughout the majority of his life. Too much, for a boy. Too much, for an old man like him. "Eddak is dead. Along with his body, so should his sweet, handsome face should be buried. He died on Galderra, by an unknown assassin." He opened his eyes for a moment, giving Kay a stern look, "promise me, records of today... you'll have them erased? Don't tell [member="Darben Skirae"], don't tell [member=Jairdain], and don't tell [member="Ailred Vruumond"]. This is the way it has to be. I'll have the hospital here change my name and face, and I'll meet you the morning I'm all better. Now I'll rest.... I'm sorry. Did you have any questions for me, Lady Kay? Anything you've thought about since I've been gone?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay clasped her hands in front of her once her hand was released. [member="Eddak Manod"] seemed adamant about starting anew. And given what he had just gone through, she wasn't about to deny him that chance.

"I promise. I won't tell anyone." And she meant it, of course. Kay had plenty of her own secrets. She wasn't about to go off and tell people about the secrets of others. That'd be stupid as she wanted to keep the trust of others, not lose it.

"I don't have any questions at the moment, no. I've had a lot going on, so there's been very little time to focus on anything for long. But rest up. I'll hear back from you soon, I imagine." She walked over to the chair and picked up her datapad. Glancing over her shoulder at him, she then left his room and headed down the corridor. What a strange and surprising situation. Kay had some work to do.