No Matter Where You Are

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Thessa Kai"]



Judah had woken shortly before. Thessa had been laying against him, head on his shoulder. For the longest time he had been worried, his wife laying against him deadly still. He had been working on his cuffs with little success. Most of the others in the room seemed resigned to their fate or were passed out. It was extremely dark and he couldn't tell in one way or another.


Feeling the Galan stir on his shoulder, Judah turned his head.


"Take it easy. There isn't much to see in here anyways." A slight pause. "How're you feeling?"

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

A groan left the pair of aqua-lips. A grimace crossed her face. "Like a fool," she pulled her head slowly up from Judah's shoulder but her side remained against his. She was silent for a moment as her eyes adjusted to the dark and her ears picked up on the stirrings from others around them. She was just thankful she woke up with Judah. She wasn't sure what would've happened or how she would've reacted if alone...

"I can't believe I missed the one from behind. Judah I saw you and...," voice trailed off. "I'm sorry. How long have you been awake? Do you know where we are?"

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Thessa Kai"]


Judah didn't bother to raise his head. He had already tried that and it didn't seem to help any. It was dark and his ears were doing most of the work in the room. Something or someone shifted around in a corner as Thessa talked. Out of habit, he went to put an arm around her only to be reminded he was bound. As if the material cutting into his wrists wasn't reminder enough.


"I've been awake for a little while....not sure where we are."


"Belly of a transport. Stopped moving a bit ago." The rustling from the corner give their answer. It sounded like an older man. Of course they couldn't see to confirm or deny if it was. Then again, that morning they had seen a bunch of old men on Gala trying to earn a living along the beach.


"Thanks". Judah closed his eyes and went still, his head was pounding. Talking a little louder in the enclosed space only made it worse. "In a minute I'm going to get up and try to feel my away around. See if we can't get out. If not then we're being sold as slaves I assume. Much easier to make an escape in the open, such as a market."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

"At least they don't know who you are," she whispered back. "They would've asked for a ransom instead of selling you. We have to get out of here, Judah. Makai...," jaw set into a stubborn-line. She tried to think tactically like her friend Dells. Her friend probably would've just shot off some sarcastic-quip by now.

Just to make her feel better.

She nudged Judah's shoulder gently, betting his head hurt as much as hers' did right now. "I'll crawl to the right and meet you back in the middle on the other side of the room?"

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Thessa Kai"]


Although he didn't voice it to Thessa, a ransom might have been better. Maybe. It wouldn't have stopped their captors from requesting a ridiculous sum of credits and then simply killing him. He carefully shifted as Makai was brought into the picture. Judah had a will. Plans should he and/or Thessa die. A mountain of credits couldn't make up for the loss of parents though....


At all costs, he'd have to get Thessa out alive. It was the best hope for their son.


"Makai is perfectly fine. He'll be happy to see us in a couple of days..."


Before Judah could finish in agreement to exploring their current surroundings, the door to their dark hell opened. Intensely bright and blinding, the entryway was soon darkened by a hulking figure. Squinting, Judah could recognize the man as one he saw earlier, one with the group that nabbed him. He walked with purpose, silent. Unceremoniously the man grabbed Judah by the arm, dragging him out into the brilliant light.


The door shut. It was pitch black once more.

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

It took every ounce of self-control for her to keep from flinching as Judah was dragged away. She knew it was safer for Judah if they didn't know of her connection with him. If they knew anything they could always use it as leverage later.

She bit back a strangled cry as her love was taken away and she was plunged back into blackness. She counted a silent ten and gathered herself. With new resolve she began inching her way around the room, hands feeling along the floor and wall, looking for something - anything - she could use. She edged closer toward the door, crawling gingerly over other sprawled out bodies.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Thessa Kai"]




Eyes squinted against the blinding light, as they were already starting to become unaccustomed to brightness. His journey didn't last long, dragging him down to a room with several others. Judah couldn't make out the language but another in the room quickly scurried around and brought back a piece of flimsi, holding it to Judah's face for comparison. Lively talking in the language he didn't understand continued on. Suddenly, he was hauled into a chair and the captors switched to basic.


"Why were you on Gala? Humans don't go to Gala."


"I didn't get the memo" Really, he hadn't.


"Don't be funny. We know who you are. Delaying this will only cause more pain. We know you are in the top circles of a resistance movement. The one trying to cause uprising on Gala."


"Uprising on Gala? Seemed peaceful when I was there."


The last quip earned him some pain and soon Judah was spitting out some blood. His brain was trying to decide if it knew anything about a resistance movement. Honestly, there were so many in the 'verse that he rarely kept track. Maybe he should come out of his corporate bubble more often.


"You know the resistance is underground, don't play stupid! Now....do we hold you for ransom or sell you off....or do I just throw you out the airlock now?"