Battered and Bruised, but Not Broken

[Juwiela Melec]

Obligatory awesome music

There were few times in her life when Juwiela could remember ever truly hating any individual. In her mind, time was better spent on more productive things, instead of focusing on one person whom you happened to dislike for this or that reason. It was too trivial a thing that was often the cause of the disagreement in the first place, and there was good chance you would both forget about it the next day. This was true for most scenarios with most people, and it was a philosophy she had lived by for as long as she could remember. That was, of course, before she'd been captured by the Red Ravens on Makeb and subsequently abruptly interrogated before being escorted to another, similar facility. Now there was one that she could truthfully say she despised, and that person was [member="Cryax Bane"]. Cold and calculating, that had been her first impression, but she could sense emotional undertones as motivation for his actions as well.

None of that really mattered, in the grand scheme of things, because she was still cuffed hand and foot to a table in another interrogation room with the same Force suppression collar still around her neck, rendering her nearly blind and preventing her from wielding the Force for any other reason than to keep her sight at least partially functional. That had become a familiar predicament, within the past few days. It was, all told, better than spending her time in a cell. At least here the space was bigger, or so she could feel. This would be the only courtesy shown to her, something she knew perfectly well. To them she was an enemy just as much they were hers. Had the tables been turned, any Raven prisoner would most likely be undergoing the same treatment.

Of course, she couldn't entirely complain. They hadn't executed her yet, that was always a plus. None of her food had been poisoned either, which was something she'd been halfway expecting since she'd arrived on the planet, its name, unbeknownst to her, Via. All things considered she'd been treated fairly humanely, except for the interrogation methods used by her primary Chiss warden.

It was he she awaited now, sitting perfectly still at the table, mouth set. Her hand had been cleaned and bandaged, much to her surprise. It seemed they didn't want her dying just yet, which meant she was still at least somewhat useful. That could be exploited, later. For now she would simply wait, all the while wishing that none of this had ever transpired in the first place. It wouldn't do any good, of course, but it was something to occupy her mind, other than wondering what, if anything, could have been done to prevent her capture.

No, thinking like that wouldn't do any good. She would need all of her wits about her for what was to come. Whether he liked it or not, she would still fight. Until the end, she would fight.

 

[Cryax Bane]

On his way to Via, Cryax Bane had alot of time to brood about the death of Lysle Rigger at the hands of rebel insurgents on Makeb, and by the time he got to the Via Spaceport, the Chiss was livid. By the time he arrived at the secure facility where the an unnamed rebel pilot was being held for interrogation, Cryax's rage had risen to a boiling point. Although the rebels' motivations were likely purely political, for Cryax, the attack on Makeb and the assassination hit too close to home. The actions of the Rebels cut deeper than the torture scars that marred his chest. This was personal.

The interrogation room door opened with a hiss, and Cryax stepped inside. His Miralukan prisoner had been cuffed by her wrists and ankles and a Force suppression collar slapped on her neck. As he had requested, her wounds from his knife attack on her back on Makeb were cleaned and dressed and she had been given a ration to eat and water to drink. The last thing he needed was for his soon-to-be informant to pass out from hunger, thirst or blood loss. He saw her body stiffen at his arrival and it made a smile creep up on his face. His breaths were quick, his anger palatable.

The Chiss got right to the point, his tone calm but seething. "I hope you enjoyed your meal and your medical attention, my little terrorist, because it's the last time you'll be getting either until you start giving me some information." He took a seat opposite her at the table and clunked his boots up on it casually. "Now I'm not an unreasonable man. In fact, I'm willing to forgive and forget if you give me useful information." Cryax paused and unsheathed his hunting knife for dramatic effect, then continued. "If you're unwilling, then we can do this several ways. Maybe we can play a little game where I give you a few different options and you can pick one. I'm collaborative that way."

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

The corners of her mouth tightened as she heard him sit down across from her, acting as if this was just another social hour, which it most likely was, for him. This far into things he was still displaying the same nonchalant, almost carefree attitude about it all, though she could sense undertones of malice in his voice that hadn't quite been present previously. It wasn't like they'd been the best of friends back on Makeb, but there was something different about his tone. Most likely it could be chalked up to the death of one of his apparently close friends at the hands of the Rebels. Of course, she couldn't make herself care all that much, as it was a victory in her book. The fact that she was the scapegoat for his rage was just an unfortunate casualty, but one she could handle, as long as no other Alliance members were harmed.

Her voice was quiet and surprisingly calm for one that was completely at the mercy of another. "I already told you part of what you wanted to know. Whether you'll believe me or not is your choice, but it's true regardless. However hard it might be to believe, I am one of the leaders of the attack on Makeb." There was a moment of silence in which she weighed her options before continuing. "The pilots can't lead themselves. I might be young, but that doesn't mean I'm not skilled. If you'll remember, the only reason your pilots were able to get a hit is because you were nice enough to disable the shields and weapons beforehand. Believe me, if that hadn't happened first we wouldn't be sitting here." Piloting was one skill of hers that she took great pride in, having been doing so since she was old enough to see over the dash of her parents' ship. There was a reason she'd been promoted to Rogue Leader at such a young age, whether he could see it or not.

"Like I said before, I'll tell you anything about me that you want to know. So start with the questions, but don't keep me waiting, Bane." Still she spoke with the same even tone, a voice that told of both discipline and her own level-headedness. Though her military training in the Alliance hadn't been of the most professional grade, she'd learned well enough what came with calling the title of Rebel her own, one of them being the risk of being captured in combat and held prisoner just like this. That wasn't to say her words were recited by any means, but they were carefully thought out in the time that she'd been given alone on the trip to this new planet.

The fact that he'd drawn his knife again didn't go unnoticed, but she acted as if it did, for the time being. It would do no good to worry about what he was capable of and would most likely do to her. Losing her confidence now would only end badly for both herself and the Alliance, the latter of which she was more concerned about. So she showed no other sign of noticing the weapon other than an almost imperceptible twitch of the fingers of her bandaged hand.

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

The Miraluka woman would hear him rising from his seat only to viciously backhand her just like he’d done on Makeb. “I give the orders around here, girl, not you.” Then Cryax grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked back her head, sticking the sharp point of his Nightbrother hunting knife into the soft skin of her throat right above the Force collar. Not enough to bleed a vein, but deeply enough to painfully prick the skin and draw a thin rivulet of blood.

“I think that you’ll be interested to know that the Red Ravens have ID’ed one of your ilk and found her to be quite the public figure. Oh, what we’re going to do with [member="Geneviève Lasedri"] when we get our hands around her neck. She murdered a good friend of mine. A man who believed in me when others didn’t…” His voice cracking with frustration, Cryax couldn't even finish his sentence. A deep vendetta had been spawned and he would show no mercy once she was delivered to him.

After a moment in which he calmed his breath, the Chiss continued. “Not to worry, little one. You’re not as useless to us as you might think. I could still use information about the name of your organization and the names of your other members.” Letting her hair fall from his grip, Cryax returned to the seat across from her.

He flicked on the comm in his Datalogger and barked an order. “Bring in the serum,” ordered the Chiss with an emotionless tone in his voice. Turning back towards his captive he sneered, “If there's any confusion, this is where you start talking. I know you might be too stupid to understand this, but I'm through playing games with you, girl.”

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

So he'd managed not only to identify the leader of the Alliance, but understood her to be a public face. That would eventually lead to the conclusion that she was high up in the ranks as well. That was the last thing any of them needed, having their faces spread across the galaxy for all the wrong reasons. Anonymity was something they'd all taken for granted before, but with the capture of two of them and a supposed bounty out on a third, that would change quickly. "If you haven't figured out who we are by now, then it's you who's stupid, not me." Juwiela had figured that his first guess would be the Rebel Alliance, as it was for most others when they found their planets suddenly under attack by supposed freedom fighters. Apparently Cryax wasn't as smart as he seemed.

Able to feel the warm trickle of blood down her throat she fell silent for a moment, understanding now more than ever that she would have to play her cards carefully. She was, however, beginning to lose her patience with his threats, and so decided to reveal a piece of information that she'd been waiting to give up until later. "You want information? I'm Juwiela Melec, pilot and leader of Rogue Squadron. I'm nineteen years old, and I've been flying for as long as I can remember. That should be enough to get you started." Anything that concerned the Alliance directly she wouldn't give up so easily, but she was willing to sacrifice herself if it meant keeping the rest of them safe.

"If you think there won't be retaliation for any of this, then you're sadly mistaken. Once the others figure out that you've captured two of us, the streets will run red." Just as his threats weren't idle, nor were hers. However much he might not have liked to admit it, Cryax knew just as well as she did that there would be bounties and further attacks on Red Raven controlled planets. The Rebel Alliance was hard-pressed for members as it was, and losing two of their own was a blow she knew was felt. Soon enough the Ravens would know what it means to make an enemy of those just as ruthless.

"What happens after you're done with me, then? Just another execution? I expected more from you."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

“Juwiela Melec,” Cryax repeated, filing her name away in his brain, two words that he wouldn’t soon forget. “What to do with you when I’m done? That all depends on you, Juwiela. If you’d like to be executed, I can certainly arrange for you to meet your Maker. But like I said, the more information you give me, the more lenient I’ll be. You just may be able to escape with a few, uh, minor scratches.” She couldn’t see it, but his face cracked into a wide malicious grin.

He turned his head towards his medical team who had arrived with a large syringe and a tourniquet. “Jab her,” he commanded. She would feel her arm being viciously grabbed with rubber gloved hands, the tourniquet slapping around her flesh, and the needle sinking in.

“What my cohorts are administering is a chemical called, OV600. When it detects the symptoms of lying it will cause your whole body to break out in an excruciating skin rash. I figure since one of your primary senses is touch, that you will feel this pain on a whole new level, Juwiela." The Chiss grinned and allowed himself a smug chuckle as he waited for the drug to take effect. “I will soon begin asking you questions. Choose your answers well, nahtehe'oten'i, or you will know what retaliation feels like.”

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

The chemical burned from the injection site and continued to do so as it spread through her veins. It wasn't a hot kind of fire, but one as cold as ice, sluicing through her body and spreading quickly. This was a variable she hadn't expected, and one that would add a new dynamic to the situation. Essentially, she would be at her own mercy, something that had an unsettling effect on her. But if Cryax thought it would cause her to put up less of a resistance, he was mistaken. Their very name, the Rebels, indicated that they were ones to fight until the end. And she was hardly an exception, however young she was. If anything it only emboldened her to put up more of a struggle.

The fact that he had a medical team on hand meant that he would have methods of keeping her alert and awake even through the most severe of inflictions, which didn't bode well for Juwiela in the least. It also meant that serums such as this wouldn't be in short supply. She was perfectly aware, as was he, that Cryax had the means to tear her down and break her both mentally and physically however quickly or slowly he wanted to. At first she hadn't pinned him as much of a sadist, but it seemed she'd been wrong on that count and many more.

"What I'd like," She spoke through the pain even as it faded, clenching and unclenching her hands, "Is for you to drop dead. Does that sound like a feasible option, Cryax?" Speaking to him in such a manner while he still had allies in the room wasn't a spectacularly wise choice, but she'd learned back on Makeb not to give any quarter when it came to a person such as the Chiss that sat across from her. He was a dangerous enemy, but so was she, even if he didn't quite know it yet.

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax didn't answer Juwiela right away. She wouldn't be able to see it, but Cryax's body had seized up, his eyes rolling back in his head, his neck bent back at an odd angle, his head thrown back. Dredge was sending him a message via mind link with the Yorik-Kul. He stayed that way for a moment and then returned to normal with a long sigh. The Red Raven medical team rushed to his side to make sure he wasn't having some kind of epileptic fit and he waved them away testily, muttering a few curses in Cheuhn. Then he spoke, with a gloating tone in his voice.

"I just got a message from an ally. Apparently a little Rebel Alliance birdie has told me exactly who you scumbags are. Look at how easy that was. You could learn a thing or two from him."

Cryax gave out a sharp laugh. "But I can't let all of this wonderful OV600 go to waste, can I? That would be such a shame. So I will ask you some questions. Who else works with you and Genevieve Lasedri. Start naming names, girl. And name them correctly, or else your skin will start splitting."

"And if you clam up." He stuck the knife in the table with a thunk. "I think that says it all."

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

Her only response to his questions was a stubborn silence, and she kept her mouth set in a straight line, her gaze straight ahead. Part of her was morbidly curious to see just how far he would go if she refused to answer his questions and simply said nothing. It was a simple response to a question she had the answer to but refused to admit, and the way she would remain until forced to do otherwise. His nonchalant, nearly emotionless response coupled with a tone of cold amusement to anything she had to say was unsettling, but if there was one thing she wouldn't do it would be letting him know just how much she was really shaken by it.

It surprised her that another of the Rebels, presumably Corruck, had given up just who they worked for so easily, but she supposed that information wasn't so sensitive after all, as it would only take some simple digging coupled with the true name of the Benefactor to reveal just whose employ they were in. Still, she didn't like the fact that Cryax was getting the answers he wanted with no real difficulty on his part. "You say that like you're surprised about who we are. I told you before, it was an obvious thing."

Though she knew full well his threats weren't idle, betrayal still wasn't in her best interests. Instead she was silent for a long moment, focusing simply on her breathing to center herself and hopefully allow her to remain calm in the face of what she knew was about to happen. Her silence wouldn't be taken kindly, something she was perfectly aware of. But she knew that it would be the last thing any of the Rebels wanted, her giving up so easily. "Do I need to say it again? Go kark yourself."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax let out a sharp sigh that told the Miraluka he was fast losing his patience. "Your little catchphrase is getting old, tocen. As much as you seem to like it, I really wish you had some new material. Also I didn't hear an answer to my question. You know what that means." She would hear footsteps that told her he was drawing near. Hot breath grazed her skin, its gusts quickening with anger. The crime boss stood like that for a few minutes, as still as a snake, waiting to increase her tension and fear. Then after a while, he reached out and snatched her right wrist, holding her hand down on the table. With his own fingers inserted between hers, he spread her fingers widely on the table and lifted the knife high in the air, bringing it down with a sickening chop. She would hear the sound of her pinky finger rolling across the table, only to be retrieved by the medical team which promptly placed it on ice.

Then Cryax drew back and smiled, kicking her chair roughly so that she knew he was still standing beside her.

"Feeling tongue-tied? Fine. For every name you give me, you can keep a finger. If you're nice and truthful you may even get those fingers back. Give me a name. NOW."

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

Overwhelmed with pain for a long few minutes, her initial response to the feeling of the blade cutting cleanly through flesh, muscle and bone was a short cry of pain that was quickly silenced by her gritting her teeth and riding out the wave as well as she could muster, her left uninjured hand clenched tightly into a fist. While Juwiela worked through slowly silencing the screaming of her nerve endings another part of her mind was attempting to come up with a response that would answer his question while not entirely being a lie, but she eventually gave up on the idea altogether. Her own pain wasn't a concern. It was secondary compared to the bigger picture and what else was on the line if she talked.

Keeping her limbs or even her life wasn't at the top of her list either. Whether she lived or died, the Alliance would fight on. Cryax wouldn't be seeing the end of them so easily. "You might as well just kill me. There's really only the three of us, and even if there was more, I wouldn't be telling you the first thing about any of them. Go ahead and take all of my fingers, take my hand if you feel like it. I still won't tell you a fething thing." Her voice was quiet, determined, laced with pain that she was showing only through her clenched fist and a slight twitch of her facial muscles.

"Did you not hear me the first five times? Go. Kark. Yourself." Had she been physically sighted she would be glaring at him, but as it was all she could do was look straight ahead, trying and failing to shake off the feeling of unease that his close proximity brought her.

"If you wanted me to talk, then you shouldn't waste your time. I don't parley with scum like you, Bane."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

A smug grin crossed his face as Cryax stood back and watched Juwiela suffer. The crime boss had never been the sadistic type, but lately his emotional state was a dangerous mix of paranoia, despair, and hatred, built up inside him like a boil that needed lancing. Letting it out felt so good it almost scared him. Almost. He had to keep his eyes on the prize. Getting information about the group that sparked a wave of massive destruction on Makeb that ended up with so many more dead than the Chiss would ever want. He clenched his fists and thought about those civilians hanging on crosses on the Talaos City streets. This woman sitting before him. She was just as responsible as he. Then he realized something. She had been in the interrogation room when Dredge landed. She had no karking idea what went down before he gave the evacuation measures.

Juwiela would soon feel a painful hot itching all over her skin when she mentioned there only being three of the rebels. The chemicals in the serum picked up her body's stress reaction to telling a lie and acted accordingly. Cryax smiled as he saw her skin break out in hives. He would let the rebel pilot enjoy the new sensations she was feeling as he told her a little story.

"Juwiela, as disappointed as I am that you won't give up your friends, they aren't as noble as you think. Do you know what happened on the streets of Makeb after we apprehended you? Your little riots got the attention of the wrong person and half of the city was slaughtered." As he continued, Cryax moved closer to her until his face was a mere inch away from hers. "People were strung up on nooses hanging from streetlights and fething crucified. Your rebels caused that!" The last part Cryax screamed in her face.

"I'm going to let that story sink in a bit, and then I'm going to take another finger. Want to give up your friends yet? I'm fairly certain that they'd give you up. Look at how easy we got information from your pal. A name Juwiela. Tell me another name."

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

A grimace flashed across her face at the feeling of the chemical taking hold, but she remained decidedly quiet. There was no way she would give him the satisfaction of seeing her in pain. Not again. It might be the last mistake she would ever make, but she would remain defiant until the end. There was a simple reason the Rebel Alliance had survived this long in the galaxy: because people were always willing to fight for their freedom and what they believed in. Whether it involved a great amount of risk or not, which it certainly did, they would push on with no hesitation. That was the true beauty of a revolution, and it seemed to be something that Cryax missed.

Involuntarily starting at the sudden shouting directly in front of her face she still didn't speak, the nails of her left hand digging into her palm, that self-inflicted pain helping to keep her grounded. Juwiela could feel a pool of blood spreading beneath her injured hand from her missing finger, and a part of her was vaguely surprised that the wound hadn't been cauterized yet. If they wanted information, allowing her to pass out from blood loss would only be a mercy in all aspects. The cloying darkness would be welcoming, compared to having to spend another minute in the interrogation room. She might have been a soldier, but even they had limits, and she was a young one at that.

Her jaw clenched, but still she said nothing. There was no way she would claim full responsibility for what happened on the streets of Makeb after her capture. If there was one thing she'd learned in her time with the Alliance, it was that most every conflict had multiple causes, and that not one singular individual could be to blame. The same went for this, however much Cryax wanted to turn a blind eye. "We didn't cause anything. The riots may have been the fault of the Alliance, but your people only rallied because they were tired of being oppressed. Did you ever think of that? It's just as much your fault as mine, Bane. I won't let us shoulder all the blame."

There was a moment's pause as she gathered her thoughts. "There will always be more revolutions like what happened on Makeb. The people will keep fighting until the problem is solved. And that problem right now is you and your Ravens. There's a reason they took to the streets with us, instead of helping you. They were tired. Tired of being persecuted, tired of living at your mercy and tired of trying to survive in a world it seemed didn't want them. We represented hope and a chance at freedom. That's why the Rebel Alliance has survived up until this day. As long as that fire still burns in the hearts of the people, we will live on. And nothing you can do will stop that."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Once the rebel pilot was finished with her speech, Cryax wordlessly strode to her again, his hand snapping out to grab her right wrist. With a grunt, the Chiss quickly lopped off another finger, this time the ring finger on her right hand. His medical team sprang into action and started wrapping her hand so that she didn't bleed out.

His own blue hands were red and slick with her blood. With a smirk the Chiss crime boss reached one hand out and gently brushed it against Juwiela's cheek, wiping her own blood on her face. "Red's a good color for you," He said softly.

"Nice soapbox speech, Juwiela. Moving, really." Cryax said, looking down at her as he wiped another swash of blood on the other cheek. "Unfortunately your sentiments are misplaced. The Red Ravens aren't tyrants or dictators. We're fething criminals. Sure we skim off the top, but we actually provide protection to our people. Hell, those Isotope 5 miners thanked us when we got them out from under those big slug thumbs. We never persecuted them. In fact, we were just beginning to provide housing and health care for them, which was more than they ever got under Hutt rule." That last part wasn't fully true, but Juwiela didn't need to know that. There were indeed plans in place to make things better for Makeb, but unfortunately the Ravens had a raging Rakghoul plague on Teth that was currently commandeering all of their attention in terms of a costly reconstruction effort.

Cryax sighed. He could see that getting information from the woman was going to be a wasted effort, especially given her dogged dedication to her futile cause. The Chiss crime boss was losing his patience with taking fingers. "Come get the prisoner," he barked into his comlink. Then he turned to Juwiela addressing her with a sneering tone, "I know you're going to miss me, Juwiela, but I think it's time you spent a little alone time in your cell. Give me a ring if you feel talkative."

She would hear footsteps stomping out of the interrogation room and then the sounds of Red Raven guards entering. The rebel pilot would then be escorted to a cold cell with nothing but an uncomfortable metal cot and a filthy toilet, and there she would be left overnight.

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

By this time Juwiela had become almost numb to the pain of losing a finger, so when he separated another she merely hissed quietly in pain but otherwise didn’t cry out, exhaling in what could be called relief when the medical team began closing and wrapping where her fingers used to be. That was a small mercy, and the only one she could ask for at this point. And he hadn’t moved on to any bigger targets than her fingers, which was really the only benefit of everything. Cybernetics weren’t in short supply in case he was feeling more generous with the removal the next day and decided not to restore her fingers to her.

It didn’t surprise her, not really, that he smeared her own blood on her face, and the only sign of her disgust was a faint tic of the muscles in her jaw. This was a different kind of warfare, the psychological kind. And she wouldn’t be giving in so easily. “I really thought it was more of a fitting color for you. It’s your blood that will spill for this.” Her voice was stronger than it had been, more certain, full of a touch more malice than it was before. When she escaped, and she would continue to use the word when, she would be sure that the Ravens knew what it meant to capture two members of the Rebel Alliance. This was something she wouldn’t soon forget.

Without warning the cuffs that held her wrists and ankles down were disengaged, the muzzle of a blaster pressed between her shoulder blades before she could get any ideas. In the next moment they began walking, leaving her hands free, though the cold sensation of a weapon at her back was enough to dissuade her from attempting any method of escape. There would be time for those thoughts later, when she was left alone with just her own thoughts to accompany her until, inevitably, she was brought back into the interrogation room or another similar venue for much of the same treatment.

Once she was certain that she’d been left alone, the first thing that she did was explore her cell more by touch rather than her own sight, finding that the dimensions were fairly even, the quarters small. That meant less places where surprises could come from, which was all well and good in her mind. The second thing she did was assess just what facilities she’d been left with, which was nothing but the basics, a bed and a latrine. That had been expected as well. Finally, after a moment of standing silently near the middle of the small room, she realized just how exhausted she had become after all that had transpired. And once she laid down on the bed she fell into some state of sleep.

Of course, that only lasted up until what she guessed to be the early hours of the morning, when she was wrested back to consciousness by nothing but her own thoughts. Very well, now she would have to find some way to occupy her time until she was sent for again. Slowly standing she crossed to the middle of the room and slowly lowered herself into a sitting position, cross-legged with her hands in her lap. Breathing deeply she exhaled slowly, measuredly, drawing on the Force all that she could with the collar still clasped around her neck. Moments passed, and eventually she heard footsteps approaching her cell. Pushing herself to her feet she crossed to the entrance, calling out to the guard, "Tell Cryax I'm ready to talk."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Making preparations to leave via on his Galaxy One, Cryax hadn't been expecting the call on his commlink in the morning, and he had to admit, he was surprised and suspicious. The fact that the rebel pilot had a change of heart so soon after making such a stubborn display the day before raised his hackles. It was possible that now that her adrenaline had worn off, she'd come to her senses, but the whole thing stunk of some kind of ruse. Plus, the Chiss's infochants had started to gather more names, like the one of a rebel named [member="Solan Charr"], who he had promptly put a bounty on. Still, Bane returned to Juwiela's holding location just in case there was any useful information he could glean. Flanked by his henchmen, the door to the facility opened with a hiss, as Cryax strolled in and took a place in front of the ionic force field that separated the two of them, and kept her from escaping.

His captive was sitting cross-legged on the floor, and although she couldn't see him, he could see from her movements that she heard him and was paying attention. "I heard you wanted to talk. So talk." Cryax said, his mood sour, his lips tight. "You have about five minutes to tell me something useful before I walk away and leave you here to rot."

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

Not speaking right away, Juwiela quickly calculated the odds of the situation, finding them overwhelmingly stacked against her. That was nothing new, and she was used to being the underdog, especially given the position of the Rebel Alliance in the galaxy compared to the larger sects of freedom fighters. This was just another gamble she was taking that had the potential to blow up in her face both literally and figuratively. But without taking the risk she would never know the result, and at this point all there was left to do was try. She knew perfectly well that if Cryax saw even a hint of her attempting to trick him he would leave without looking back. So treading carefully would be a necessity.

Raising her head slightly she regarded him as if physically sighted. “If you want the Rebels, then give me a commlink.” No further explanation, no trying to persuade him to do as she wished, just that one simple statement. The chances of him going along with it right away were slim to none, but she wasn’t in the mood to negotiate any more than she already had, or gamble with the lives of her friends further than she had. Her still sore left hand, with its bloodstained bandages, was testament to what would happen if she pushed him too far. Her right hand was still bandaged from where he’d sunk the knife through the middle, but that pain had faded to nothing more than a dull ache if she bumped it.

“And if I’m no longer useful to you , then I'd much rather not live out the rest of my days in a cell. So if you won’t give me a commlink, at least be kind enough to finish what you started. I’m not in the mood to play games anymore either.”

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

"You want a commlink? That's adorable," the Chiss mocked, then he started chuckling. Soon what was a light chuckle turned into a belly laugh, which led Cryax to gasp for air as he laughed his ass off. "Honestly," he exclaimed, wiping tears away in between giggles. "What could possibly make me give you a commlink? Even encrypted, the call would be a mainline to our position here, and the next thing you know I'd be dealing with all of your little flyboys and girls here on this planet, too. No karking dice, girl."

"Now I hate to sound like a broken Holo, but I might consider giving you a bit more leniency if you start giving me information. And I don't want names anymore, darling. My infochants are taking care of that. What I do want to know is what the Rebel Alliance's next move is. For example what planet of ours are you going to hit next? Or should I just close my eyes and point to a Holomap of Wildspace."

Finally Cryax narrowed his gleaming red eyes. He wasn't laughing anymore. "I thought I told you that I give the orders around here, girl. Or maybe you want to spend a little more time in yesterday's playroom until you show me some respect."

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

A shake of her head. "I don't know what our next move is. Things were silent, until the strike on Makeb. And even if I did know, I wouldn't be telling you, Bane." That was the truth. Juwiela might have been Rogue Leader, but even she wasn't aware of what the Rebels were planning until said strategies were instigated. It had been the same with their most recent uprising, although she'd been afforded more of an idea of their plan of attack beforehand. In comparison to most other groups that called the galaxy home the Rebel Alliance was marginally less unstructured, but more tightly knit in want of that. And those bonds weren't so easily broken, however much Cryax wanted her to simply give in without complaint.

"If you feel it's necessary to do so, then go right ahead. I already told you, I couldn't care less what happens to me. You've already taken my freedom, so there isn't much else you could do that hasn't already been done. Except for maybe killing me and getting all of this over with, but that would be too easy for you." Her frustration with his toying with her was beginning to rise, though her voice was surprisingly level despite all of it. Anyone else may have already broken, but there was a reason the Alliance had managed to escape the sight of the galaxy for so long: they refused to betray each other.

There was a brief moment of silence. "They won't attack unless I order it. You can listen to the entire conversation to ensure that. The pilots wouldn't strike without a direct order from either myself or our leader. Unlike you Ravens, we have a more organized military." That last comment might have been uncalled for, but she wouldn't let herself be cowed by his attitude nor his threats. She wanted to show him that she was just as capable of making her own. At the slightest hint of alarm from her, should she actually manage to retrieve a commlink and communicate with the Rebels, it would only be mere hours, if that, before another attack rained down on Cryax's head. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, it was something he likely wanted to avoid. Unfortunately for him, she didn't share the same sentiments.

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax gave Juwiela another eyeroll. The easily-agitated Chiss couldn't let himself be too concerned about her comments when she was sitting helpless in a cell. He still didn't even understand why the Rebels attacked the Red Ravens in the first place. Shouldn't they be chasing after the tyrants and dictators of the galaxy? He was just a Chiss from the criminal underworld who liked to make money, and sure he broke a galactic law every now and then or took over a planet, but he was no despot. Asking more questions along these lines would just spark another annoyingly sanctimonious speech so he kept his mouth shut. These karking rebels got under his skin.

He let out a long, harried sigh, reaching the edge of his patience with her games. She was out of her mind if she thought he'd let her near a Raven commlink, so he gave her another suggestion. "If you really want to send a message to your leader, I will let you send a message via Holo. Not a call, mind you. I will film you. You say whatever it is you need to say, and then I will make sure it gets passed along."

He jabbed a blue-skinned finger at her. "I think that's pretty fething generous of me. So take it or leave it, Juwiela." Cryax flashed the young pilot a look that said that he wouldn't be bargaining with her anymore about the subject, and waited for her response with a tight lipped smirk.

[member="Juwiela Melec"]