"What?!" AJ yelled out loud.
"Shhh!" Nick hissed. "My brother's sleeping!" Aaron moaned softly in Nick's arms.
"Alex, please calm down." Howie's voice filtered though the air vent.
"You're-" Brian's voice faltered an awe.
"Yes I am Brian. If the Royals find out then we are in more danger then before." Howie replied.
"Who's my father?!" AJ demanded.
"Alex, please for all our sakes please calm down. Your father was a great man. His name was Seaco. Where we came from those were our actual names. Over time, people were given 'common names' and 'Royal names.' You father never cared to get a common name. I myself never had one until I met you." Howie explained. AJ visibly relaxed as he thought over everything that had happened. He felt nauseated at the thought that everything was at a grander scale then it was before.
AJ looked at Nick who cradled Aaron's fragile body in his arms. The young boy's pale skin and blond hair pallor made him look like a ghost. He coughed violently and his entire frail body shook. Nick whipped the blood from his brother's mouth. Everyone knew that he didn't have much time and they had to get to Hungta quickly.
Leiwa, flanked by two guards, briskly entered the holding cell. She scanned the small room. Her eyes settled on Aarca. The small boy was in a feverish sleep and his brother held him protectively. She noticed AJ out of the corner of her eye. "Alemc! Who was the one to shoot Lila? I'm assuming it was you."
AJ glared at the woman. "Not me, ask Mr. 'I have a plan' over there!" AJ shot back.
"I'm not taking any of your shit Alemc and you're in any position to challenge my authority!" Leiwa snapped.
"What if I don't see your authority?" AJ sneered. "What if I see it as something superficial?!"
"Do you realize how close you are for me ordering your execution?!" Leiwa challenged. AJ stared her down but didn't respond. Leiwa's eyes drifted back to the young boy. Sympathy tugged at her heart. She tried to push her emotion back but found herself unable to do so. "How bad is he?" Leiwa surprised herself with the statement. She realized that since she had first seen the boy he had been in his brother's arms an he had looked deathly ill.
Nick looked up in surprise. He studied the woman's face for a minute. "Not good." His voice was hollow. The sadness was in too thick for anyone not to notice.
Her next sentence surprised her more then her pervious statement. "Want me have the doctors look at him to see if there is anything they could do?"
AJ snorted, "Why would you care?"
Leiwa shot him a look that would have brought a jedi to his knees. "Despite your beliefs, I DO have a heart. Although I imprison people I don't intend to kill them! UNLESS they are sentenced to execution, which is where you're headed!"
Nick looked hopeful. He knew the doctors couldn't do much, but he hoped that they could keep his brother alive until they could get to the power. "Please?" Nick was desperate. He slowly stood up and walked over to Leiwa. Nick gave his brother a hug and gingerly handed him to the woman before him.
Leiwa had seen Nick before. Even as she held him captive, he had a sense of willfulness about him and a cocky attitude. Now she saw grief and helplessness. "I'll see what the doctors can do." She gently hugged the boy and exited the cell leaving Nick staring after her as the door closed.