Chapter Text
Trimidan; a trading port on the outskirts of Al’Agar, home of the Yautja.
Jessie
There comes a time in life when you sit there and think ‘wow, shit really can’t get any worse’. But then suddenly it does. And you’re left sitting there, pondering as to what spirit, conjurer of fate or deity in the heavens hates you so much that you deserved this. Today is one of those days. In fact, this week, no, this month entirely is one of those moments.
From the frying pan and into the fire, as they say. And trust me, no other words could have rung truer for me.
What happened? I often ask myself. And honestly, I don’t know how to even begin to process it all. One minute I’d been walking home from my dead-end job as a waitress at a shitty burger bar at the edge of town. The night had been dark but the street lights had kept me protected, or so I had thought. And you often see these kinds of scenes in the movies. You know... alien abductions. Where the hero beholds a flash of light and maybe a huge beam shines down from the sky at him as he gets sucked up into a spinning saucer-shaped spaceship. ‘We come in peace’ etc. Only that hadn’t happened to me. There had been no sixth sense of impending doom or warning. I had been glancing down at the glowing screen of my phone, trying to decide on what fast food to order for dinner, and then… nothing. Only blackness. Done. Finito.
And now, here I was, in a cage and living the newest version of hell I could ever imagine. It’s been a few days already and I’m barely keeping myself together, fighting against the urge to delve into pure hysterics.
I stare around at the bustling chaos of my surroundings with numb disbelief. I’m in that mental space where I’m certain this is all just a crappy dream, waiting to wake up. Either that or my mind was playing tricks on me. It had to be. Because no one back on Earth would believe this.
I think the word ‘Earth’ because I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I wasn’t home anymore. This new world was bizarre and unnatural to me. Everything was too bright, too colourful, too metal and strange. I felt like I’d been dragged onto a dodgy set of Star Wars. The creatures that wander past my cage are peculiar and varied, making me stare with part wonder and disgust. Aliens...
Actual. Fucking. Aliens.
Yep, I was seriously losing my mind.
I take in all the beings nearby, scanning each one with a certain kind of morbid curiosity, unable to help myself. Some are gangly and reed-thin, tall and lizard-like. Others appear more akin to trolls or goblins from a fairy-tale story for children. Oblivious to me, they wander about the marketplace, speaking in languages that I had never heard before. The tables nearby are laden with a wild variety of items, some of which I have no idea as to what they are. Some look like devices and tools, clumps of steel that gleam in the burning sun overhead. The smell of cooking meats made me peek towards a firepit at the centre of the area. A poor part-cremated creature turns on the spit there, reminding me more of a rotting dead body than anything remotely edible.
I shift closer and lean against the bars, weary and stressed beyond belief. Through the billowing steam and mass of bodies, I stare, dissociative and trying to keep the panic threatening to consume me at bay.
No. I couldn’t draw attention to myself again. I’d learnt my lesson from last time. Days ago, upon returning to consciousness, I had gone into a full-blown ‘what the fuck is happening’ mode. I had kicked and screamed, only to have one of the ratty dog-like creatures come forward on two legs. Upon opening my cage, he’d barked foreign words at me, zapping at me with the rod he kept strapped to his grey-furred hip. Time and again, he’d lost his patience with me and his beatings had been downright brutal, enough to render me into a near blackout.
Keep quiet. Act dumb. That was the motto. Stay alive.
I sigh, my body aching. I lift a hand to my face, feeling the chilled metal of the muzzle there; a gift from my new keeper for daring to bite him in my frantic bid for freedom. It sits tight about my jaw, covering my mouth and nose, making it stuffy and hard to breathe in. It was surprisingly heavy too.
Luckily for me, they hadn’t removed my clothes, which consisted mostly of my work uniform; a dark pair of trousers and a matching purposefully tight-fitting black t-shirt with the company's logo on the back. The design shows a giant yellow smiley emoji and the words ‘have a nice day’ underneath it. Oh, the irony.
Oddly though, the alien freaks had taken my shoes, along with my bag and other personal belongings. Even more depressing was the fact I’d woken up hairless.
Ugh.
I sweep a palm over my now cleanly shaved head just to remind myself once again, that yes, it was gone. Instead of my stylish ear-length bleached locks, there is only velvety stubble. Why they had removed my hair, I don’t know. Nothing was making sense to me at this point. I wasn’t a vain person but I felt like they’d violated me in some way. I had loved my hair.
An abrupt cold breeze rips across me and I shiver, curling into myself for warmth. Even with the sun blaring overhead there was a certain unpleasant chill in the air. Unnatural. One instant the temperature was too hot here, almost unbearable, and then it was suddenly too cold. My nipples bead as I rub at my arms, desperately wishing I had a coat to wear.
“Christ, I wish the weather here would make up its god damned mind,” I growl miserably to myself, my teeth chattering together.
Trembling, I eye the other cages, peering at the random beasts and creatures within each one. Some of them are human, some of them not. I look across the space directly from me and notice one of the aliens is like a cross between a colourfully winged butterfly and a toad. Weird. Way too weird.
My gaze slips further along and I make eye contact with another fellow human captive. Like me, her head is clean shaved and her blue eyes are large with obvious fear. Barely clothed, I can see she looks young, perhaps no older than her mid-twenties. Her complexion is pretty and youthful, save for the collection of darkened bruises across her cheeks. More litter her bared arms and legs; a clear indication that, like me, she’d been beaten. And probably more than once.
Afraid, she scoots away into the shadows of her container, turning away as though afraid our tiny silent connection would somehow bring her keepers' wrath down upon her again. I store her face to memory, feeling a surge of pity for her. Whoever she was, clearly fate hadn’t been kind to her. I can tell she’s been here a very long time.
I shiver again and that familiar clawing of dread rakes itself down my spine. I rotate a little to glance at the cage next to mine. It’s empty, which only makes my fear grow tenfold because yesterday it hadn’t been. Yesterday it had been occupied by two other humans; a man and a young woman who had been my only saving grace since I’d first found myself involved in this massive heap of a shit-show.
John, the man had called himself. In great detail, and with an eerie calmness, he’d explained his situation to me. He’d been participating in some test flights for the British Royal Air force when he had been taken, like me, out of nowhere and unexpectedly. The woman, Dawn, was a delicate and weepy little thing. Through tears, she’d sobbed her story of how she’d been in a clothing store, trying on some items in a dressing room when the blackness had come for her.
Their tales had chilled me to the bone. I could still remember John’s icy eyes that had missed nothing and took in everything around him with a fixed intensity. Despite having Dawn in constant hysterics at his side, he’d managed to keep us all on a level; the logical leader of our party.
“There’s no way back. Oh, what are we going to do?” Dawn had all but wailed, her full lips quivering in distress. She’s a famous social media influencer, or so she says. “We’re gonna die!”
I’d rolled my eyes, annoyed by her whining. I mean, sure, we were all scared, but the girl had been carrying on for a good few hours and it was starting to give me a headache.
“We need to find a phone, I need to call my boyfriend! Oh, he’s going to be so worried!” She turns to me. “Do you have one?”
I give her an incredulous look and crook a brow tiredly.
“Hellooo?” She’d snapped at my silence. “Hey! Are you deaf? I said, do you have a--”
“Yo, dumbass,” I’d finally thrown back with all the coldness of a snowstorm. “I don’t know if you realise but we’ve been kidnapped. We’re not on a vacation, this isn’t Disneyland…” I’d sighed. “And besides, even if I did have one, I doubt you’d be able to use it here.”
She’d huffed. “There must be someone who will help us get out of here.” Her eyes had skimmed across the crowd of aliens. Hopeful.
I’d shaken my head. “Nobody is going to help us. All the other humans are caged too.”
“How can you sit there so calmly? You’re not trying to escape! All you’ve done is sit and stare at the wall! You’ve been nothing but unpleasant and mean and--” She’d continued to throw other whiny comments my way, but I’d switched off at that point. I was so done. With her. With everything.
“Are you finished?” I’d muttered dryly after a time, leaning back against the bars lazily.
“You know what, fuck you!” She’d screamed at me and John suddenly had slid forward, holding out an arm as if to create a barrier between us. Which was absurd, as I wasn’t in the same cage as them, she couldn’t get to me anyway.
“Ok, that’s enough! Break it up!”
Dawn, still in grouch, had glared at me and then retreated in silence to a corner.
I recall John had flashed me a pointed look, obviously annoyed at my response to his new buddy. What could I say? It was what it was. I was barely clinging to my apathy, using it as a shield to hide my growing terror.
“Fighting isn’t going to solve anything,” he’d said, peering about warily as a few inhuman heads and eyes had turned our way at the commotion.
And he had been right. The last thing I’d wanted was for one of our keepers to come along and give me another thrashing.
I shudder and peek towards the tallest of our captives, focussing on the one I now called ‘dog-breath’; which, when in close proximity, made his nickname pretty self-explanatory. He appeared to be the leader of the gang keeping us, and he certainly knew how to make his commands clear. With greyish fur all over his body and a long pointed snout to match, he reminds me of a werewolf. His punches were never pulled and he had a cruel streak in him that told me he enjoyed inflicting pain on others. When I’d tried to make a dash for it previously, he’d almost broken my arm in the process.
Keep quiet. Keep smart. Stay alive. I chant it over and over to myself.
“We’ll find a way out of here,” I remember John saying to us with determination, and his words felt more untrue now than they ever did before. The notion of it seemed almost impossible.
In my mind, an image comes. Of John reaching out to stroke a hand down his cellmate's back in comfort, trying to soothe her. At the time I’d followed the gesture, feeling a tiny shard of envy. After all, I couldn’t remember the last time someone had been nice to me or even tried to offer me reassurance.
In such a short amount of time, I’d bonded to them, lead by the belief that what John had said about us surviving might be possible. I’d wanted to hope, regardless of the doubt I’d felt and how slim the possibility was.
Only now they were gone...
I blink, returning to staring bleakly into the now-empty cage beside mine. John and Dawn had been taken in the middle of the night and dragged away to only god knows where. They had fought their captors hard, whilst I could have only sat there and watched, unable to help them.
I yawn, trying to ignore the aching void in my chest. The loneliness. I sniff loudly as my eyes begin to sting with tears.
No. No, I would not cry. Not ever. It’s been years since I’d felt the need to and I wouldn’t be starting now. I wouldn’t be weak.
Having been passed from foster home to foster home as a teen, I’d been forced to learn to be resilient against life. If there was one lesson I learnt most of all, it was that it was every man for himself. No matter how bad things would get, nobody would be coming to save you. I had to remain strong.
I clench my fists tight, my nails sinking in deep, providing me with a dull pain that kept me in my logical mind and not my emotional one. I swallow thickly against the lump in my throat refusing to wallow in self-pity. I stare at my hands for a beat, eyeing the mass of ink and designs trailing up the length of my forearm from my wrist. This one is of a flower; a thorned rose with a swirl of faded leaves around it. One of many.
My tattoos were a form of expression I’d never been allowed as a kid. People often saw me, with all my piercings and ink, and assumed I was something unpleasant or a thug. But what did they know? Never judge a book by its cover, so they say. Each piece of art that covered my flesh had been carefully chosen and I’d had plans to get more. They resembled what I was as a person; a creative and carefree soul, perhaps also chaotic in nature. A bit of a mess, but strong-willed.
Yes, I nod to myself. I would get through this. I would find a way out of here. I had to.
Within the hour, my weird canine yet somewhat humanoid captors make their rounds about the endless collection of cages. My door opens with a creak and they throw down a plate of something horrible within my reach; food I assumed.
I refuse to touch it, opting instead to glaring at the beast who’d brought it to me. The creature snarls back, flashing wolfish long teeth before lumbering aside, leaving me alone with my sombre thoughts once again.
Not too far away, they drag out a small but stick-thin being that was all green and reminded me of a stick insect. The enormous thing chitters as they suddenly surround it, beating at it with their spiked batons. The poor thing slumps to a heap, silent and defeated, yet still twitching and alive. I see that their leader, ‘dog-breath’, has led the attack and snorts down at its crumpled form with pleasure. The others join him, slapping at each other's shoulders and sneering with glee.
Fucking assholes. Oh, how I hated them.
I say nothing and keep my head down. Reluctant, I turn away and refuse to give them any further focus.
Keep quiet. Stay smart.
Amazingly, I manage to rest for a while, dozing in and out of sleep. I sense the odd being draw near to stare at me with curiosity. It’s only when I start shifting into a comfier position, to ease the ache in my tail bone, that I notice a commotion happening within the wandering crowd.
I open my eyes, blinking. The throng of aliens scatter, becoming disturbed, making noises of distress. The other captives do the same, pacing restlessly, some of them whining as if in fear of something that I could not yet see. Even dog-breath is looking anxious. He stands by his stall, gazing out into the distance, fixated on someone approaching. I notice his hand slyly reaching for the blaster at his side and instantly a ripple of unease trickles across my nape.
I lean forward, at first seeing nothing. But then, like Moses through the red sea, the masses start to part, revealing the figure now slowly making its way towards our location.
All draws still and quiet. There is not a single creature who does not step aside to bid the newcomer entry. I can sense their wariness like one can feel the gathering of a storm upon the air, as if amidst the presence of something dangerous.
And soon enough I begin to realise why...
The male is alone and strides forward with confidence, disinterested in the thickening fear of the others around him. I hear a word being whispered from my fellow inmates and it holds no meaning to me, but I store it to memory anyway.
Yoot-jah. Or something of that ilk. Whatever it means.
Good god, the dude was huge. He easily towered over everyone else like a mountain; a giant amongst peasants. His body is thick with muscle upon muscle. His skin is dark and sleek like that of blackened leather. Although he stands on two legs like a human, he certainly isn’t one. Clad in heavy gleaming armour, he bears the presence of someone of importance. Intrigued, I take him in further, noting that his massive hands are tipped with inky sharp claws. His feet… Hot damn, are they webbed? I blink, uncertain if what I’m seeing is real.
Weapons of all kinds are strapped to his broad thighs and back. A single canon-like gun sits above one of his shoulders and a large doming helmet covers his face from view.
As if the devil himself is amongst them, people disperse and keep their distance. And I can’t say I blame them. This brute is downright terrifying.
Scary, and yet… interesting…
The male pauses before my new master and an array of clicking follow. He speaks to him in a strange language. The wild collection of trills and clacks mean nothing to me but they obviously mean something to dog-breath as the fur down his back begins to stand on end and shiver. The larger alien crosses his massive arms in displeasure and my keeper holds up his clawed hands in a beseeching manner, trying to reason with him.
The newcomer is having none of it and in a desperate bid, dog-breath rushes for a nearby container. He rips it open in haste and drags out an unsuspecting prisoner. The eight-legged thing is small and squirms in his hold, multiple eyes bulging with terror. Its shrieks are nigh on deafening.
Dog-breath holds it out in offering but the other male shows only disinterest and shakes his head in an obvious gesture of no.
Panicked, my owner throws the beast back into its den before gesturing to some of the others, including me. He’s trying to barter with this unknown warrior, and so desperately that it was as if he feared death would be upon him should he fail to please.
The entire area is frozen as many pause to watch the exchange, the tension thick.
Finally then, and ever so slowly, the giant male lifts his clawed hands and carefully removes his helmet, placing it onto the table between them with a thud. I all but try and squeeze through the bars to get a proper look at his face, and…
Holy fuck… What is he?
His features are horrid. Indescribable even. His mouth – or rather what I assume is his mouth – is like an upside-down crab. His jaws are mobile and flare wide in a snarl. The fleshy insides are pink and lined with tiny and deadly teeth. Outer tusks wriggle in agitation and I take in the burning brightness of his deadly yellow eyes. His skull is large, heavier at the top with an array of iridescent mottled shades running down towards his neck. His hair is similar to that of dreadlocks on Earth, only more tubular, as though made of something synthetic. The blackened mass sways as he refuses again, a low growl coming from his throat. He’s clearly getting pissed off and it’s making everyone else nervous.
Dog-breath whirls and his focus lands on me. He points and I literally feel the world around me whirl.
Oh, hell no.
I have no time to think. Suddenly he’s right before my cage, charging forward with determination. The cage door rips open and I start to thrash and kick out in an attempt to keep him away.
“No! Get the fuck away from me! Stay back!”
I almost dislocate my knee trying to shove at him but he’s too big and too strong. His meaty paw grabs my neck and I’m all but hurled to my feet. My upper spine cracks, jarred.
I shriek behind my muzzle, dearly wishing it wasn’t there so I could bite him. With frightening ease, he drags me towards the waiting stranger and within seconds I am hurled under his hulking shadow.
No! This can’t be happening… It cannot!
I’m on the verge of a panic attack. My heart is pounding. My arm is nearly being pulled from its socket as my keeper holds me into place, trapped. My frantic breaths hiss through the metal surrounding my face.
With little else to do, I lift my head, up and up, meeting the molten eyes of the one who would soon become my doom.
This is it, my last remaining thoughts echo to me, shaking me to the core.
I’m going to die.
Kreva POV
For how much longer must he suffer this fool's ignorance? How long?
Kreva’s patience had already been waning thin before coming here. And now this. Three of this cretin’s finest and strongest Daku hounds had been promised him this day, only they were nowhere to be seen. Once again this male dared to lie to him. He had been tricked. Had he learnt nothing from his previous dealing with his kind? Such a fool!
A low growl rumbles through him and he glares at the Wolvyn whom they called Brekominus. Too many times this one had made the error of delaying their requests, denying them what was owed. No more. He would no longer stand for this disrespect. Twice this had happened, and twice they had been more than lenient with him. Enough was enough.
As though sensing his very thoughts, the merchant cowers, lifting his paws in a gesture of submission. “I beseech to you, you must give me more time. They are not ready yet. Without the closeness of their mother, they will not survive. You know this!” His rasping whine shifts into hopefulness, his ashen snout twitching. “I can allow you to take them within a season? Only then will they be suitable for your needs, oh great hunter.” He lowers into a slight bow in reverence.
Kreva stares at him, unmoved, crossing his powerful arms. The armour about his chest creaks, straining with his irritation. “Spare me your pointless flattery. I want them now, as promised.”
“But you cannot!”
“We made a deal, did we not?” Kreva snarls at Breko, becoming more angered with each breath. The beast was all but shuddering with his fear. And if fear is what was needed to bring the hound to heel, then Kreva would take full advantage of it. Reaching up, he removes his helmet, letting the other male see the fury in his eyes. “You lied to me.” It was not a question but a firm statement of truth.
“No, no!” Breko scrambles to answer, “I—I would not dare to… I…”
Kreva snaps his jaws, earning him a yelp in return. Grekt, how he hated coming to this place. All here feared his kind. Of all the places he had journeyed far and wide to, this was by far his least favourite. With some of the neighbouring planets to his homeland falling into apocalyptic collapse, it left little options as to whom to gather some few necessary supplies from. His people were mostly self-sufficient, although there were some benefits of trading with these wretched creatures.
This fool, Brekominus, should be grateful that such peace treaties currently existed between their peoples. If not, he would not be standing so unscathed as he was now. Alas, this mercy Kreva offered him was a necessary burden he had no choice but to give. Begrudgingly, he had to admit that he needed the Wolvyn. There were not many willing to openly exchange with a Yautja, especially not one so low in rank as Kreva, himself, was.
Many kept their distance, and wisely so. Despite being in his prime, Kreva had not yet participated in any of the ceremonial hunts his people often took part in. Unlike his kin, such things were of no interest to him. Instead, he had turned his focus towards the provisioning and designing of bio weaponry and technologies. Where others favoured bloodshed and brawn, he sought only knowledge; his skills unmatched. And yet still, they called him Runig… A male without true purpose or honour.
Nej, no, he would not fail in this task. He could not. To return with nothing would be a show of weakness, one that he could ill afford.
Brekominus whirls away and in a maddened rush goes to a nearby cell containing one of his numerous wild beasts. He drags it out and holds it aloft in offering. Unmoved, Kreva denies him. Daku hounds were what was promised to him; the best and the finest. He would not be softened with such a lowly alternative. He had no need for a Deshan. Most of the pets being kept here were either too insignificant or sickly, and many would not last to see another turn of a season. Such pitiful things.
The Wolvyn does not relent. Ignoring Kreva’s disdain, he heads for another cage and starts to drag its occupant from its sanctuary. The thing is feral, thrashing and striving to survive the hold of its captor. Its cries are muffled by the metal contraption about its alien face.
Curiosity piqued, Kreva inhales and upon the breeze, a scent comes to him then. Scented and light, it takes residence at the back of his mind. Familiar.
Female… This one is a female.
Kreva rotates as they approach. The slender thing is pushed before his gaze. Helpless, it trembles and Kreva tilts his head, taking in its form from crown to clawless toe.
It was a hooman.
Its skull is smooth and free of a mane. Its limbs and skin are sleek and soft, defenceless against the elements, and marked by darkened patches that spoke of its vulnerability to damage. Crystalline eyes slice at him over the edges of the cage mounted around its jaw. Though it shudders and reeks of fear, there is a fire within them that momentarily stills him. Kreva can all but feels her hatred and desperation with that mere and single look. This female, though little she was, had dangerous eyes.
The eyes of a warrior.
As he openly gazes at her, she does not look away from his face. She cannot, for her captors keep her in place. Her spirit, however, calls to him, reminding him of someone closer to home…
Stepping forward, he watches as she starts to squirm again, unable to break free. Interesting black designs cover her arms and trail up to one side of her narrow neck. The markings of her tribe, perhaps? Silver beads and hoops line the rounded shells of her ears, gleaming in the light of the sun.
Yes, so very much the same… So alike...
Her scent weaves around his senses, strong and eerily alluring. As though sensing an oncoming threat, the little female juts her chin, facing her demons fearlessly. She is small, barely coming to the centre of his sternum. So small that it makes something within him stir and become restless.
“Will you take it?” Breko breaks through his wanderings, drawing his attention back to him. “She is yours, for free, if only you would allow me more time to provide the hounds for you. ‘Tis a fair compensation for my misgivings, no?”
Unblinking, Kreva scowls at him. No hunter within their sane mind would take this reckless hooman as a pet. It was too fierce, too untamed.
He drops his gaze to the female again, regarding her closely. Untamed, yes, but also brave. With a monstrous owner at her back and a Yautja hunter before her, she had courage, for certain. This one would die with her dignity and pride intact. And die here, she would. For it would only be a matter of days before that spirit in her would be beaten down and crushed forever.
That tiny shred of admiration for her blooms further. The more he stares at her, the more he feels the strings of fate tugging at his breast.
He was meant to have found this one. She would be theirs.
An unusual Deshan, indeed... Their new pet.
He snorts to himself. Perhaps the idea did not sound so bad after all.
Before he can stop himself, Kreva nods and even Breko is surprised by his reply.
“I accept.”
Shackles clang as they are placed firmly around the female's neck and wrists. Dawning realisation slips across her unique and pale face.; her future sealed. With a shout, she restarts her fighting in earnest, battling with all her might as Brekominus pins her to the ground, trying to force her into submissive stillness. A single strike is all it takes and she slumps into an unconscious heap.
“Enough…” Kreva steps forward and the Wolvyn staggers away, expecting his wrath.
He lowers, reaching for the hooman and hefting her up into his arms. So light. So fragile.
“One season, no less…” Kreva snaps to Breko a final time, throwing him a pointed and darkened look. “And if you have any sense, you will not keep me waiting again…” He leaves the threat hanging there with meaning.
Breko bows, refusing to meet Kreva’s eyes. Cowardly, as always. “Indeed. Of course.”
With nothing more to say, Kreva begins to walk away, taking his new charge along with him. Already a plan is forming in his mind, edged with a shiver of excitement for what was to come.
Yes. Some training and discipline would need to be in order, but first, he had to speak with Gar’ran and hope that he did not lose all reason and try to kill the little female. Would he accept her?
Only time could truly say. He would soon find out.