Blindsided

[Judah Dashiell]

Rothana - Edging Outside of CIS territory @[member="Daxton Bane"]

The Siren's Song set down near an old military base, used throughout galactic history by various groups. The most recent use by a military sheltered during the Gulag Virus or so the rumors said. Snow and ice pelted the sleek ship, wind causing the vessel to shake just slightly. Judah stood near the hatch, pulling thick winter gear over his thermal underwear. Pulling a cap over his messy curls as the ramp went down on the vessel, the young salvager turned to a little R2 unit.

Yet it was not Sparky. Judah had left the droid to watch over Thessa. A slightly unstable droid called Shaker.

"I'll be back shortly. Keep the Siren powered up and running. Don't need any of the lines freezing."

An affirmative beep reached his ears as Judah picked up a small tool box and exited, making sure the ramp closed behind him. Trudging and sometimes sliding across the frozen wasteland, he entered the calmer, slightly warmer base. Long abandoned, snow entered through the broken openings. Checking his blaster and grabbing the flashlight out of his box, he continued along the wasteland. Judah was searching for salvage -- a far cry from his mining operations on the balmy and tropical Ceto. KRDS still needed to be ran after all. Rothana had been slightly out of his way but hopefully worth it.

So he continued down the darkened corridors while the snow and ice storm raged outside, headed in the logical direction of where a treasure trove of droids may lie.

 

[Daxton Bane]

From out of the frozen wasteland they came, descending like a pack of silent wolves dressed in snow white camo armor. Their presence masked from electronic and visual detection by the Sith Lord in their midst.

Daxton had set up this trap for his errant mermaid, but it seems a different fly walked into his web. No matter, every little bug has its purpose. With quick and quiet efficiency his commandos stormed the ship and disabled the droid before it even knew what hit it. Slapping a restraining bolt on the hapless droid, Daxton made sure its recording capabilities weren't damaged in the slightest.

Satisfied, with their prize, the team sat down in wait for the target to return to the ship, totally unaware of the nasty surprise waiting inside and outside the ship turned trap.


@[member="Judah Dashiell"]

 

[Judah Dashiell]

@[member="Daxton Bane"]

Trudging through the cold,abandoned facility, Judah came upon what he needed : several old and powered down EG-6 power droids. Pricey on the market the droids were one of the items KDRS had trouble making. If Judah could strip down the reliable droid, copy and tweak it would be beneficial to his newly formed mining company. Buying things he could make back on Kesh annoyed him. Getting a good grip on the little droid, Judah half-hauled, half-drug the hunk of metal and circuits back to the Siren's Song.

Keying the code for the ramp, Judah came in backwards, pulling the droid up with him. Snow and ice swirled in as he dropped the droid and shut the ramp. Shivering, he took the cap off his head and headed for his and @[member="Thessa Kai"] 's cabin.

Which was blocked well before by a corridor full of beings. Pirates or so he suspected. His hand went to his blaster, pulling the weapon out from its holster.

"I'm just too partial to the Siren to give her away to pirates. Other arrangements can be made"

 

[Thessa Kai]

Undisclosed Location

@[member="Judah Dashiell"], @[member="Daxton Bane"]

Skin sparkled with an ethereal glow as she stepped out of the sapphire, pool waters. Scale-speckled skin began to transform as the air brushed against her form, gills receding back to lungs. Sparky, her trusty R2 unit warbled at her side. She swore the little astromech was keeping a closer eye on her than usual. Part of her wondered if Judah had reprogrammed it into high-level babysitter mode.

Grabbing a towel, she wrapped it around her hips and slid into a chair, wet driftwood strands of hair resting on her shoulders as she critically eyed the glass of kelp juice Sparky brought. "You sure you don't wanna bring me something else to drink? Something with alcohol?" The droid gave a short beep. "Fine. I'll just have to find where Judah hid the stuff." This time there were a series of negative tones.

Sighing, a smirk pulled at the corners of aqua-lips as she rested her head back, finding a rare moment of peace, unknowing of the horrors Judah was about to face.

 

[Daxton Bane]

The weapon had barely cleared the holster when unseen hands seized his wrist and neck in a bone crushing grip. With the ease of a toy being thrown by an ill mannered child, the young man was slammed forcefully into the hull of his ship. The force of the impact was so strong it was capable of driving the wind of his lungs and leaving a lingering image of stars at the edge of his vision.

None of the troops clad in snow white armor said a word as this took place. They watched with impassive eyes dead to the young man's plight. The space was silent save for the ringing echoes from him slamming several times into metal hull, then he could hear it. The metallic wheeze of filtered breathing combined with the heavy tread of armored boots on the metal floor, heralding the arrival of the dread leader of the group.

A large man dressed in all white ceramic armor appeared holding a piece of cloth in his hand. The other fist was clenched as it controlled the unseen bands that held him in a vise like grip. The visored helm was an inch from young man's face when a metallic voice filled with youth and arrogance said, "She was here. Tell me where I can find a certain blue haired errant pet of mine and I will let you live. Tell me where Thessa Kai is."



@Judah Dashiell @[member="Thessa Kai"]

 

[Judah Dashiell]

@[member="Daxton Bane"] @[member="Thessa Kai"]

Coughing after the impact, all he could think was the pirate thing didn't go over so well. Judah was praying for pirates now. Sharp pains ran through his skull - an instant headache caused by the force of the throw. If he wasn't pinned to the durasteel plating Judah suspected there may well be a dent in his prized vessel if he turned to look. Cold leaked in from the frozen wasteland and seeped into the plating, into his back, causing a slight shiver despite the layers of clothing he still wore.

Eyes struggled to focus on the fabric, to find the significance. Like an old engine starting it dawned on him it was one of Thessa's shirts. While the pair had spent less time together on the Siren and more time at the beach house, a great deal of personal items lingered in the cabins. Brows furrowed at the words errant pet. It bothered him more than the unruly treatment. Thessa was no pet. Judah had been drawn like a magnet to her brash, unbreakable spirit. Neither able to be tamed or controlled.

"Go ahead and kill me. You're not finding her."

 

[Daxton Bane]

Laughing with malicious amusement in his voice, he warned the young man. "Don't be so eager to throw your life away for my pet. Although I see she sank her hooks in you rather good. Did she tell you the things she begged me to do to her? I bet your skin would crawl if she did. She isn't normal you see. None of my pets ever are. But then again, she needs to be taught a lesson and you my dear friend are exactly what I need." Turning to his silent companions, he said, "Seize him and prepare him for the operation."

White gauntleted hands grabbed Judah with the crushing unbreakable grip no matter how hard he struggled. His weapons were taken a way and he was lifted bodily back into the back, where they strapped him down on a ice covered workstation. Daxton entered, followed by the droid they captured and installed a restraining bolt.

"Observe, this droid we found on your ship has been retasked to be my herald to our errant little girl. Before I would begin I would turn on its recording function so that the message would be loud and clear. Although I do doubt she would bother to come save you, you never really know now right?"

From his belt, he drew a simple flat bladed knife that bore on visible edge, the tip was curved making it appear to have no practical purpose. With a casual gesture of his free hand, the man was stripped of his clothes until he was lying, shivering and naked before the Sith.

Turning the recorder on, his mirrored face plate gleamed in the soft light, "Hello my dear Thessa. I was so hoping to find your perky little behind but alas I only found this rat instead. I never would have expected you to be satisfied with beings with so little endowment but then again perhaps its just shrinkage due to the cold. Suffice to say I have your little soldier boy right here, and I am going to have a little fun with him. By the time you get this message, he would probably have less than a few hours to live, depending on how careful I am with this blade, so better hurry my dear."

Stepping behind Judah, he drew the blade across the chest, drawing a thin line of blood before inserting the blade like a master and began to separate the flesh from his muscles as they recorded it. Hours later, all the flesh that was left was from the neck up, leaving him like one of the drawings that medical droids used to study the human muscular system. The screams of agony had gone on for hours, serving as entertaining music for the depraved Sith.

Taking his grisly trophy, he instructed his team to put the droid back on the ship and set the autopilot to go its previous coordinates. Once their it would activate the emergency frequency.

Patting the sweat stained head of man he had tortured, he said, "You have been such a good patient, I will extend to you one small mercy." Holding a red pill he explained, "This is Fortunican Cyanide, if the pain is too much or she doesn't show, you can crush it and your misery would end rather fast and painless. You have been such a great help. Now open up for your reward."

Forcing the man's jaw open, he placed the pill on the man's back molar, before stepping back and gleefully saying, "Well my job is done here. The next move is Thessa's."

Taking his grisly trophy and carefully wrapping it away in a null enthropy capsule, he and the rest of his team marched out of the base to disappear once more into the white wilderness, like marauding blood thirsty ghosts. The Sith was eager to get back to his laboratory to play with his new acquisition.

@Judah Dashiell @Thessa Kai

 

[Judah Dashiell]

@[member="Thessa Kai"] - @[member="Daxton Bane"]

After hours upon hours of torture, he was exhausted.Every time he passed out, the Sith brought him right back. The torture was more for the blue-haired mermaid than himself. Now he lay shivering, looking like a skinless man with pale flesh-colored underwear and an odd looking head and neck. Pressing sweat-soaked curls to the extremely cold durasteel, Judah let the cyanide pill roll around his mouth, moving it from the back molar.

During the recording he had made it clear to Thessa - if thats even where the recording went - not to come. His life wasn't worth the risk, Bane had to be nearby. Truly he was in between a rock and a hard place. Shaker had a restraining bolt and the droid wasn't incredibly bright to begin with. The power droid on board was even less intelligent. Neither would be able to fill a role like Sparky could - pilot the Siren's Song to a safe harbor.

Even if Thessa left at the start of the torture its a long several hour flight from her location.

Spitting the pill out but keeping it nearby just in case, Judah experimentally moved his skinless fingers against the durasteel. Pain shot through like a searing hot knife. Exposed nerves that were already facing the cold and harsh conditions protested further. Dark-blue eyes watered at the pain and he rested his head back down on the decking.

Won't be trying that again soon....

 

[Thessa Kai]

[SIZE=10pt]@[member="Judah Dashiell"], @[member="Daxton Bane"][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Finishing her second glass of kelp juice, she stretched out on the chair. Sparky lost it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]BeebbeepbeebbeepBEEPBOOPBOOPBOOPBEEEEEEEEEPbeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepbee-[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Rocking and turning violently, the astromech wheeled away from the pool area and back inside. The Galan shot up, concerned gaze following the droid that was practically Dashiell-Kai Junior. Cinching the towel tightly around her hips, footsteps padded after the droid as it disappeared. It took her awhile to find it again, as it wheeled away from the control panel, a bemoaned sound coming from its circuit board as it finally stilled, droid-gaze staring at Thessa.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Iced-azure gaze scoured the little droid, wondering if Judah tinkered with it again and its mental circuit board finally broke. “Sparky, what is i---?” The question never escaped aqua-lips as the droid flipped on a transmission it picked up from Judah’s stranded astromech. It took her a moment to realize what she was seeing, and it took her a moment longer to see who she was seeing. The horror crept over her face, threatening to consumer her very being, mixed with such a deep hatred, her fists began to tremble as she clenched them, without even knowing it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Daxton Bane.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Her stomach lurched.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Judah.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She could easily break apart, collapse on the floor and whimper – but she couldn’t do that. Not to Judah. Not now. Not to herself. Once again, she had to be strong.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Sparky, unlock the doors to my bird,” the droid gave a quiet warble. “Right now!” The droid shook its domed-head and spattered off a series of messages. “I don’t care if you just sent a medical team and back-up to Judah’s location. I want to be there! I have to be there!” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Sparky shook its domed head again.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Please.” Yes, Thessa Kai was begging an astromech. There was another twist in its domed-head. Sinking down next to the droid, she watched the live feed as Sparky hacked into one of the ship’s screens. Face was deathly pale as she watched. If there was one twinge of comfort, it came from knowing that Sparky was good. The droid would call the closest aide unit. With Judah’s tinkering, they had plenty of money to get the best of the best. Still, she had no idea if it would be enough, or if they would get to her salvager in time.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She remained rigid, unmoving, as she watched the screen, thinking of all the ways she would kill Daxton Bane.[/SIZE]

 

[Daxton Bane]

He could have waited in ambush for his mermaid to arrive. But then she would be probably too scared to come by her lonesome. No, Daxton preferred to stack the deck in his favor, so he and his team withdrew to their own ship. The cold didn't bother him one bit, it hardly even registered in his consciousness. His companions were similarly unaffected as well, after all what was cold to a droid.

As soon as the team was assembled in the hull, he had them power down as he took the grisly trophy into his mobile lab. Lovingly spreading out the still wet pelt, he began to salt it down to preserve the flesh for the long trip home. Pressing the comms feature on the side of his laboratory table, he began to dictate notes as soft music began to play over hidden speakers. "B0B0, set a course for Roon, all due speed. Then have my apprentices prepare lab 603, we have new materials to play with." Caressing the skin slowly, he made note of any blemishes and marks. The skinning knife was rather good, the dermis was unbroken and the nerve endings still all viable. Now what could he do with this new material. Scrapping lightly so as not to bruise the skin, he took cell samples so that if necessary he could make clone specimens for later experimentation, then engaged the null field again before heading for the cockpit.

"Operation Skin Walker.....yes such a lovely name." He mumbled to himself as he left the cold sterile laboratory....

@Judah Dashiell @Thessa Kai

 

[Judah Dashiell]

@[member="Thessa Kai"] , @[member="Daxton Bane"]

It was hard to think of positive thoughts with a cyanide pill staring a person in the face. It only brought the realization of the situation. Not one to necessary think in constant negatives, Judah had yet to see a positive or a way out. Shaker was out of commission. He was out of commission physically. If he could get to the controls and hail someone it would be a vast improvement. A fighting chance. Right now taking his life was looking like a viable and serious option. His only real regret about the option would there would be no note. No final declarations of love, no inside jokes, no explanations for his actions.

What choice do I really have?

Trying to steel himself to find the courage to stick that pill back into his mouth and actually crush it, hissing sounded down the halls. The ramp.

Back to finish the job?

It wasn't the sadistic Sith though. A crew of medical personnel, bringing a rush of frozen tundra with him to cause him to shake even more violently. Someone could be heard vomiting in the back, medical droids moving in. Being flipped onto a stretcher, pain shot through him once again, more excruciating than before. Darkness started to cloud his vision, sounds becoming very faint. Just before he passed out Judah saw a blinking red light from one of the security sensors. Sparky.

 

[Thessa Kai]

@[member="Daxton Bane"] @[member="Judah Dashiell"]

The medical team transported what was left of the salvager to a top-notch and top-guarded medical facility. With Sparky's permission, the Galan finally escaped the undisclosed location only to arrive at a second undisclosed location. The R2-unit beeped and booped at her side, head whirring frantically. Unlike the droid, the Galan felt...numb. It took all her strength to keep her terror in-check. Each shaky-breath she took, the beast threatened to take over and drown the mermaid.

After a few days, they finally let her inside his room. He had been transferred from the bacta tank to a bed....finally. Pulling up a chair, she sat by his side as they administered the tests. They were keeping a tight eye on the salvager after the reconstructive surgeries and skin graphs. She never left his side through those next several days, except when Sparky nudged her to get some food.

Slipping her fingers into his newly skinned digits, she held his hand lightly, head falling forward to rest on the edge of his bed next to his shoulder.

Judah - Judah - Judah

 

[Judah Dashiell]

@[member="Thessa Kai"] , @[member="Daxton Bane"]

The dreams and nightmares were horrible. Having been kept comatose for the bacta treatments and rounds of surgery, Judah hadn't been awake more than a scant few minutes at a time. Each time was hazy and confusing. There was no telling where he was or who he had managed to fall in with. So when he had finally woke it was as if he was crawling out of a long, dark tunnel. Groggily his eyes blinked at the dim light, taking in the ceiling tiles.

It was quiet. Machines beeping and the soft breathing of someone next to him.

Struggling for a better look, Judah caught sight of blue streaked hair. Thessa. Who else would it be? Taking her hand, he kissed the back of it, hoping the mermaid would stay asleep. He needed a moment to collect himself anyways. His entire being felt groggy and disconnected, drug induced. It scared him a little. Too much of a reminder of how he felt after the nanodroids had left his body.

 

[Thessa Kai]

[SIZE=10pt]@[member="Judah Dashiell"][/SIZE]


[SIZE=10pt]Groggy-eyes finally lifted open. Senses became alert and she jolted to an upright position, frantic gaze scouring Judah. Her hand never left his. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10pt]"Judah."[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10pt]There was so much meaning behind his whispered name. So much love, fear of losing him, and deep hatred for the enemy behind all this. "I'm so sorry." Fingers gently lifted to brush against the side of his face. "I'm so sorry," she kept murmuring it like a broken record. She couldn't help it. "You can't be with me anymore. I-I can't stand you being hurt like this because of me."[/SIZE]

 

[Judah Dashiell]

@[member="Thessa Kai"]

So that really did happen.

Until the mermaid spoke, Judah might have thought the experience was a nightmare while he was unconscious. He went through the pain, the terror, the screaming and anger. The very thought sent his blood running cold. He had been the whipping boy for an evil experiment in psychology, one that had worked. The torture wasn't for himself, no in the slightest. It was for Thessa.

"Don't apologize." His voice was rough from the lack of use. How long had he been out of commission? "Although your solution is a bit extreme. What would Sparky think? Alternating weekends and holidays with me. Staying over every summer. The droid needs a stable environment."

Judah squeezed her hand. He had to be the one to set the tone, to be the rock the mermaid needed now.

"He did this more to you than me. I was just the...instrument, so to speak." Judah pulled himself closer to the mermaid, looking into those endless summer blue eyes. "I'm not letting you go without a fight. Certainly not because your tormentor wants me out of the picture either. So you're going to have to try much harder to get rid of me."

 

[Thessa Kai]

"You know me extremely well, don't you?" A weak smile pulled at aqua-lips. In the moments when it counted, he always seemed to say the right things. She rested her forehead against his for a moment, closing her eyes.

"I like how you get Sparky for Holidays and the summer. I don't think so, sweetheart." Fingertips brushed through his scruffy hairline. The man needed a haircut. And then it hit her, all the little things she had grown accustomed to with Judah, all the things she couldn't live without. "It's selfish for me to keep you," pulling back so she could look into his eyes, a sad smile drifted across her face. "But I can't stand the thought of being without you."

She guessed near-death experiences were times for cheesy-romantic confessions. In a way, she could almost thank Daxton Bane for this rare, vulnerable, and honest moment. The bastard.

Finally, she asked the obviously question. "How are you feeling?"

 

[Judah Dashiell]

@[member="Thessa Kai"]

"Alternating holidays" Judah gently reminded her. Kissing her temple lightly, it was time to move away from the subject. Something he preferred not to dwell on even if it did bring a romantically cheesy confession from the mermaid. Next time he would prefer such a confession without having much of his skin flayed from his body. Yet he would do it all over again to spare her the same fate.

"I'm.... a little confused. Hazy." Running a hand through his unruly curls, Judah sighed. "More than ready to go home and lay low for a few days."

Looking around the space, it was very unfamiliar. Not that he spent any time in hospitals as of late. Something just seemed off in his opinion. Didn't seem like a normal and average medical center.

"Think you could find me some clothes so we can get out of here? Unless you like this cold, sterile room more than our home."

 

[Thessa Kai]

Her fingertips ruffled through Judah's curls one last time before a more business-like look crossed her features. "I'm glad things are hazy for you," voice strained slightly as she remembered every detail Sparky caught from Judah's not-as-cool astromech. Standing, she squeezed his hand gently. "Right, clothes. Although, you know I'd prefer you in the nude."

The Galan gave a quick wink. Hopefully it wasn't a joke over the line, considering what Judah just went through. But even with his skin graphs and healings, she loved her man. Disappearing, she returned a moment later with a pair of Judah's usual attire. She put them on the bed before heading back out the door to let him change. He might need a moment to himself. she paused in the doorway.

"And sweetheart, you should know better. I'd rather be anywhere as long as it was with you."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

@[member="Thessa Kai"]

"I can walk around nude but the nurses might not be able to help themselves"

He couldn't help but to joke back. Although a slight frown crossed his features as Thessa backed out of the door. Judah waited and experimentally let his legs hang over the stiff hospital bed, looking down at the pale skin. Do I look that terrible now?She probably can't stand to look. Feet finally touching the cold floor, he could take in what had truly been done to him. The skin grafting up his legs towards his hips was a slightly different shade than his own - what little was left of his own. The scar he had received during the nanodroid uprising was half-missing, no longer extending above his waistband.

After taking what seemed like an eternity to get dressed, Judah emerged to find Thessa still waiting outside the door. Already he felt tired, drained and sore but determined not to spend any more time in the tank.

"Lets go home. Did you come in the Siren? May not be a good choice right now...Unless the Siren has been lost."

 

[Thessa Kai]

@[member="Judah Dashiell"]

"I did some in it, but Judah, I promise we're safe." She was at his side, immediately, hand wrapped gently around his waste as she offered herself for him to lean on. "I used some of your money to..umm...hire the best of the best. These are top-notch physicians and military slash security folks. They've assured our safety and they have a cloaking device we can use on the ship to get back home.

Maybe she would mention the cost to him later, after he had fully recovered. But what was she supposed to do?! Of course she would spend anything she had to get him back safely.

"You ready?" Sparky beeped expectantly at her side.