(Callie)
Taniya simply gaped up at Callie, speechless. Callie was holding some gauze over Keyla's shoulder wound, her hands coated in the pirate's blood. Not just that, but Callie was sending small tendrils of the art into the wound, her power like thin, mostly transparent wires boring into the wound.
Keyla screamed in pain, despite the dampening effects of morphine as Callie jostled the bullet with her power. With a gush of blood, the bullet seemed to pop itself out of the wound.
"Callie? Whats going on?" Taniya asked hesitantly, still holding the undulating positive energy in her palm. Taniya looked pale, not just from being stunned several times, but from watching Callie mercilessly pull out the 5mm bullet. The wound was from Taniyas art infused rounds, so it needed special attention to extract.
"I'm helping keep this pirate alive, obviously."Callie said, applying pressure to the freshly bleeding wound.
"Why are you helping pirates?" Taniya asked, in Zrixian glancing to the other three pirates in the room with them. The orb of violent power in Taniyas' palm sparked as she lost concentration for a moment as she lost focus, noting the rifles pointed at her.
"Dismiss that orb of energy. You don't want to blow up yourself."Callie drawled calmly. Taniyas' eyes widen as she noticed the ball of energy growing highly unstable in her palm. Frantically, Taniya focused, and the energy turned into a sparkling green haze before dissipating.
Next to Taniya, two hungover and pissed off pirates moved to restrain their prisoner. They looked weary of getting too close, but their rifles were aimed at her chest, ready to stun her into unconsciousness.
"Leave her alone. I will handle the prisoner!" Callie order in Tallaxian. The two pirates glared balefully are their prisoner but followed orders. Even so, they moved to cut off Taniyas' escape, their rifles clutched in white knuckled grips.
Taniyas' confusion quickly changed, and she gave Callie a challenging glare. "Wait, why are these pirates following your orders?" Taniya asked, clearly understanding Tallaxian. Callie, with the help of a scanner, noticed a tiny metal fragment inside Kayla's wound, and once again used thin strands of power to remove the shard.
Keyla screamed and thrashed from the pain, but Callie knelt on her gut to keep her down. Callie placed the scanner to the side, finally diverting some of her attention back to Taniya.
From the look of it, Taniya was struggling to stay upright, much less run. She looked exhausted, and her hair was in a mess from Rendal's rough treatment. "They are following my orders because they are my crew."Callie said unhelpfully in Zrixian.
Her friend's expression went from angry, to confused, back to angry and then finished on fatigue. "Why are they your crew?" Taniya asked, seeming resigned. Callie shrugged as though taking over a pirate ship was nothing of note.
"Well, they were not doing anything important, so I commandeered their assistance."Callie said. Taniya swayed, and with a sigh of resignation, she sat down, plopping on her but like a sack of potatoes. Callie raised an eyebrow at Taniyas' look. "I should have known you would do something like this. You are like a trouble magnet!" Taniya said with a weary sigh.
Callie smiled at her friend, unable to stop her excitement."You are just as bad. Isn't this the second time you have been kidnapped in two months?" Callie asked jovially. Taniya winced at that. "Well, this time I wasn't captured by assassins, but pirates."Taniya said with a pout. Callie nodded, a look of pride crossing her face momentarily.
"It took these pirates five days of light training before we raided your cargo ship. And with that they actually caught you."Callie said. Taniya gave Callie a disapproving look.
"I almost feel a little bad for the pirates. Your training regime is brutal..... More importantly, why are you robbing Zrixian cargo ships?" Taniya asked, scrunching her brows in confusion. Callie glanced around the docking bay. She doubted the three pirates in the room spoke any Zrixian, but some of them may have the software in their soft suits that could translate for them.
With that in mind, Callie gave a half truth, knowing Shimmer might be listening over the speakers of the docking bay. "I needed Lagnars to afford some upgrades and repairs for this ship."Callie said. She glanced at the pirates around her and then back at Taniya. Her friend caught the gesture and nodded her head.
Taniya watched Callie perform triage on the dying Keyla. Despite the dying pirate, Taniya was not one to back down in the face of Callie's antics. She clearly wanted answers.
"Soo? How did you convince these pirates to follow your orders?" Taniya asked, glancing at the two pirates on bodyguard duty for affirmation. Callie shrugged helplessly. And the three pirates stared blankly at Taniya, ignoring her question.
"Would you believe me if I told you that i asked them nicely to follow my orders?" Callie asked amusedly. Milo, the pirate watching over the Dazed Bertram, coughed."Bullshit."
Taniya smirked at that mumbled curse and rolled her eyes, glancing at the three pirates in the room. They all winced at Callie's comment, mumbling too low to hear. Taniya gave Callie a knowing look.
"How many of them did you maime or kill?" Taniya asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't give me that look, T. They are filthy pirates. Death is what they would get from any military in the galaxy. Even the Zrixian empire imposes the death penalty for piracy."Callie said in defence. Milo, the pirate watching over Bertram, grimaced at Callie's words, telling her he understood at least some of what they said.
Taniya sighed audibly, glancing at Callie's wounded patient. "Why do you care about this one? Is she your friend or something?" Taniya asked, giving Keyla a dubious glance.
Callie shook her head. "No, she is not a friend, but she is a member of my crew, and therefore is under my protection."Callie said calmly.
Taniya scowled as Callie said that. "Are you even capable of having friends?" Taniya asked softly. Callie's stomach clenched at that, but she didn't want to reveal any sensitive information with so many people listening in.
"Just stay there T we will talk later."Callie said, ignoring the question and focusing back on Kayla's wound.
Taniya's follow-up questions were momentarily ignored as Rendal rushed back into the room like a runaway wolf, holding a heavy medical bag in his jaws. He slid to a stop, panting for breath, and placed the bag next to Callie and immediately turned his ire back towards Taniya. "Rendal, put pressure on the wound while I get some energy gel."Callie order.
The Tallax pirate glared bloody murder at Taniya, but did as ordered. Keyla was already pale as a sheet from blood loss and was definitely in shock as she bled profusely. Rendal placed one heavy paw over the blood-soaked gauze, applying his formidable weight. Callie reached into the new bag, and after several seconds, she found what she needed.
She retrieved the plunger filled with energy gel, and despite her hand shaking, she injected Keyla in the shoulder, depressing the plunger. Keyla shudder from the injection, and groaned as the energy gel did its thing.
There was a major downside to the energy gel. It had amazing healing qualities. And Morphine was a drug that suppressed the body's pain responses. In fact, morphine was technically a poison. The energy gel didn't discriminate and saw the morphine as a foreign invader, purging it as a poison.
And that was why Keyla had to endure the escalating pain of the bullet wound and the stitches. Callie took a needle and thread from the bag and stitched the bullet wound shut. As always, the stitching looked sloppy because of Callie's shaking hands, but it didn't need to be pretty. Bullets caused immense tissue, bone, and muscle damage.
The stitches would help the gel do its job and seal the wound quicker. Keyla might only need a week to be back in training if she got another dose of the energy gel in a few days. Callie wrapped the wound tightly and stood, returning the supplies back to her new medical bag.
"Let Keyla rest. She will need a few days to recover. Until then, give her lots of water and food. She needs to recover the blood she lost."Callie said. "What about Bertram?" Rendal asked, his gaze frantic. Callie retrieved a plastic encased capsule from the stolen medical bag and forced Bertram to eat it, making him chew thoroughly. There were only five of the expensive pills in the bag for immergences, but she used one anyway.
The pill would reduce swelling and and flood the body with positive energy, encouraging his body to heal the internal damage. It wasn't a cure all. Like all things, the pill had drawbacks, like making the patient exhausted, or for extreme cases they would be bedridden for days after. If the head wound was actually too bad, like bleeding in the brain, the pill should save him. She mostly gave Bertram the pill to ease the look of outrage on Randal's face.
"Rendal, can you take these two to their quarters? I will be by later to check on their wounds again."Callie asked. Rendal nodded, and gesture the other three pirates in the room to help him. That left Callie and Taniya alone in the docking bay together.
Callie walked over to Taniya and crouched in front of her. Despite her better judgment, Callie offered a blood coated hand. Taniya raised an eyebrow at the gesture, but took Callie's bloody hand, anyway. It was a display of trust that Callie would normally never show.
In this case, she needed to show Taniya that she was her friend. But Taniya, like usual, pulled Callie into an embrace when she got to her feet. Callie Laughed softly. "I have blood on me. You are going to ruin your jacket."Callie said, smiling as Taniya hugged her fiercely..
"What? Is the big bad assassin afraid of a little blood on her clothes?" Taniya asked, speaking softly into Callie's shoulder. Callie snorted, but laughed softly. "Lets go to my room, then we can talk."Callie said, releasing Taniya and gesturing her to follow.
They walked through the ship towards the aft engineering section. Callie dismantled a trap on her door and then unlocked it with her password.. Taniya enter first, and paused, raising an eyebrow at the sparse quarters. Callie followed in behind Taniya, shutting the door behind her.
"Wow, you are by far the worst pirate captain I have ever seen. All you have in your room is a thin mattress and a sheet?" Taniya said, amusedly. Callie snorted. "What? Did you expect me to have the heads of my enemies mounted on the walls, and a hat with a skull and bones?" Callie asked jovially.
Taniya laughed, shaking her head and swaying as she winced in pain, clutching her ribs. Callie put out a hand to steady the young woman, allowing Taniya to lean on her shoulder for support.
A shimmering green barrier sprung to life around them, expanding to fill the small room. Like always, Taniya's barriers were constructed with skill and speed. Despite Taniya's obvious exhaustion, she was still skilled at sound barriers.
"So did Dustin tell you?" Callie asked hesitantly, filling the silence. She knew it was a touchy subject with T, and she didn't want to make it worse. Even so, it was like tickertape. You need to just get it over with and tear it off instead of prolonging the pain. And judging by Taniyas' reaction when she met Peyton, she was expecting the young woman to be furious, or terrified.
The fact that Taniya was trying to act like her normal joking self was a good sign, but Callie couldn't tell if that was an act. Taniya folded her arms, furrowing her brows at Callie. "Yes, Dustin told me who you are...."Taniya said dryly, her brows furrowed.
Callie froze at that frosty reply, wondering if Taniya was about to start yelling at her? She most certainly didn't expect Taniya to give her another fierce hug.. "Thank you Callie!" Taniya said, hoarsely.
Callie patted Taniyas back softly in what she thought might be a consoling gesture. She was still weary of Taniya reaching for her knife or gun, but Callie thought that was unlikely. The young woman was trembling, clearly distressed, but she was hugging Callie tightly.
Unsure how to approach this sort of thing, Callie changed the subject for now.
"So, what brings you out here? Did your mother send your to hunt me down and kill me?" Callie asked, only half joking.
Taniya tensed and backed away, looking up into Callie's intelligent eyes. Taniya's face was a mask of anger. "No, but she did put out a kill order on you. Even after you killed that monster Villus. I can't believe mom would do that to you after all you did for us."Taniya said, her eyes glinting angrily.
Callie gave Taniya a concerned glance. "T, I did a lot of bad things. I killed over a dozen of your navy and even a high-ranking member of the Devali. Veronica has every reason for her actions."Callie replied calmly.
Taniya turned her fiery glare on Callie. " Don't say that! You tried to help us in the end. That should count for something, shouldn't it?" Taniya asked stubbornly.
Callie shook her head sorrowfully. Taniya was oddly naïve for a lifetime member of the Devali. Callie reached out and placed a hand on Taniyas' shoulder, staring into her bright hazel eyes.
"Normally I wouldn't say this, but you are my friend. Taniya, I was led to believe that the Zrixian empire was the enemy. I believed it. In fact, even now I have my doubts. Despite all the evidence, I still don't see your empire as an ally. Even if I decided to change sides, your mother and country would never see me as an ally. There is far too much history and resentment between us. I have killed, lied, and betrayed your people. Worse, I did it to you and Dustin. I gave you and Dustin every reason to hate and despise me. Your mother is simply trying to clean up a loose end."Callie said softly..
"You were lied to. It was your teacher's fault. That monster, Villus, it was his fault that you betrayed us."Taniya said fervently. Callie shook her head sadly..
"There is no excuse for my actions. At the time, I didn't understand everything that was going on, but even still that is no excuse."Callie said.
"We could go back to the empire. If you help us with the war, then Veronica would have to accept you back?" Taniya stated. Callie smile at that. "Perhaps, but more likely I would be arrested, and imprisoned or executed for my crimes."Callie reply calmly.
A fire filled Taniya's bright hazel eyes, and she stare up at Callie with determination. "I think we can do it. What if we used your pirate ship to help in the war? If you get famous enough while fighting the Slax, then mother couldn't reject your usefulness?" Taniya said hopefully.
"What is this we? And that is a very lofty goal. The Slax has a powerful navy. They have numerous planets and a massive fleet. This one pirate ship couldn't do much against them."Callie said.
Taniya perked up at Callie's questions. "That is because you don't have the information that I have. I have decided I am coming with you. If we work together, we will give the Slax a bloody nose and convince mom to let you come back into the empire."Taniya said excitedly. Callie raised her hand, halting the young woman's exited tirade.
"Taniya, don't make that choice so hastily. I am a Fugative, and now a pirate. If you join me, then there may never be a chance of turning back."Callie said haltingly. She had no desire to tangle with the Slax military directly. Her initial plans were to do some light raiding after stealing some more ships. Taniya seemed to have a more thoughtful plan, to have said raiding effect the slax and not random targets.
"Think about it, Callie. We can raid the Slax gain crowns for your little pirate crew and gain the favour of the Zrixian empire in the process."Taniya said.. Callie cocked her head, pondering on Taniya's proposal.
"I will consider your proposition. For now, I want to prepare and get the Grack arka up to peak readiness. In the meantime, you need to decide if you want to stay aboard my pirate ship. We will be docking in five days for repairs and upgrades. If you want to leave, then I can find you a ride out on another ship."Callie said hesitantly.
Taniya folder her arms, rooting herself stubbornly in place. "There is no way that I am missing out on this. If you are going to do raids on the Slax, I want to join."Taniya said fervently.
"Its like I said. I haven't decided if I even want to mess with the Slax."Callie replies. "If you cause enough trouble with the Slax, who knows? Mother might even send Dustin out here to find out who is causing all the problems."Taniya said with a grin.
Callie blinked, but she couldn't help a smile crossing her face at that prospect. She could see it now, Dustin's expression, if he discovered she was a pirate. Sometimes she forgot just how sly Taniya was. But before all that, Callie needed to say something while she had the chance. She needed to clear the air between them.
"T, before you were captured, my comrades told me about their mission. Your capture and torture were partly my fault. If I told Dustin about the mission, you would have never been tortured."Callie said softly. Taniya grimaced at her confession, but her expression never changed..
"That may have happened, but you save me from that horrible fate. Even if you were somehow involved, you went out of your way to help me, even when you didn't need to."Taniya replied.
Callie's heart raced, and her stomach clenched. Taniya clearly didn't believe her. Or worse, Taniya didn't want to believe her words. Taniyas usually jovial expression soured." I still can't believe my mother put out a kill order on you?" Taniya asked, changing the subject to something less muddled.
"I suspected she would. Your mother is pragmatic like that."Callie said calmly.
"How are you so calm about that? You will be hunted relentlessly. Mother may hire one of the hallowed! "Taniya said angrily.
Callie sighed, noting Taniyas' shoulders shaking in fury. "It's not preferable, but I will survive. Even if your mother hires one of those lunatic assassins, I will prevail."Callie said. She wasn't certain about her statement, but she made a note to maintain vigilance.
Taniya bit her lip and nodded, clearly displeased but not wanting to push the point. "What is the plan now?"
"The supplies should be loaded within an hour, then we will go into hiding. Shimmer knows of a shipyard run by unscrupulous aliens. They will look the other way and repair the ship for enough lagnars. It's a hub of pirate activity and corruption. I want to establish a better foothold amongst the underworld."Callie said, her heart racing in excitement.
Taniya perked up, looking excited and nervous in equal measure. "Are you sure that is a good idea?" Taniya asked hesitantly. Callie grinned."Where is that confident young woman from a few minutes ago?" Callie asked.