When the chaos of hyperspace resolved itself into a star-scape, Sci headed through the massive traffic surrounding Coruscant to the New Republic Military spacelanes. The other occupants were in the command centre, watching the intricate pattern of controlled chaos as they wove their own way through.
Sylvana swallowed hard and stepped back, inexplicable, complete fear gripping her heart in its cold icy fingers. Her breath quickened as her eyes widened in quick-rising panic.
"We're going to crash," she whispered as she stepped back, running into her brother. She spun and looked up at him, her fear penetrating. "We... we can't... we... we won't land, we'll die!" She turned and tried to pull Sci from the controls, "Turn back, Sci... turn back! Don't try to land, we're gonna crash!" Her voice was filled with intense fear.
Ever so calmly, he turned to look at her. "Sylvana, calm down. I've flown the Gaia countless times, and not once have we collided with anything."
Unfortunately, his reasonable tone could not break through her haze of panic. "No no, we're going to crash, you have to turn around... or... or... put me in an escape pod and leave me out here..." she looked around at the others with wild panic, her eyes wide and barely seeing, a cold sweat breaking out on her face. "I can't go down there, you can't try to land, we'll crash, and we'll be stuck there forever, and we'll never be able to go back home!" she fairly screamed out.
She turned to Arrek, who took her by the shoulders and shook her, "Calm down, Sis! We're not going to crash, there's nothing wrong, and we'll get back to Terra just fine," he told her calmly.
She shook her head, looking as though she were only a small child. Though he tried to hold her still, she shook uncontrollably. "No no, Arrek, we can't go there, I changed my mind, we're going to crash, we have to--"
Arrek had reached down and, with a blinding quickness, pulled Sci's blaster from its holster while setting it to stun. As she babbled on in her blind panic, he shot her, and she silently slumped against him.
Without a word, Arrek handed the blaster to an amazed Emily, picked up his sister, and brought her back to the bunks. He strapped her in so she wouldn't fall out as they manoeuvred their way to the landing bay, then returned to the rest.
Bethany looked at him in shock, and Emily looked away from him in disgust. Sci didn't look back, but he spoke, breaking the silence. "You didn't have to stun her."
"Yes, I did. Trust me, it was either that, or knock her unconscious, and at least the stunning won't leave a bump on the back of her head for her to complain about later."
"Why the hell did you do that?!" Emily finally spoke up.
"What made her panic like that?" Bethany asked quietly.
With a sigh, Arrek sat down. "When I was a baby, and Syl was still a kid, our family was in a horrible plane wreck, or at least that's what I've always been told. Apparently the fear brought on by that stayed with my sister. She'd fly occasionally, but Dad would always have to sedate her before the plane landed, or she'd flip out. I forgot, I guess we both did, and it's been a while since we've flown, else I would have made her sedate herself before we popped out of hyperspace. But. . ." he paused, sighing heavily once again, "it's never been, even remotely, this bad before. Stunning her was the first thing that came to mind, it was all I could think to do," he finished quietly.
"We'll get some sedatives while we're here, Arrek, so you don't have to do it again when we go home," Sci told him.
He passed a hand over his eyes as he slumped back in his chair, emotionally spent. "Thanks."