Lips sealed shut (GIR)

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The first thing that Candy realized was the throbbing in her head, why did her head hurt so much? She tried to remember why was she there, better question was where was she. She was on a cold hard floor she knew that much, but why. What was the last thing she remembered? Walking down a hall maybe? She didn't know for sure, the throbbing in her head making it absolutely impossible to think.

Candy looked up from the cold gray floor to find she was surrounded by either cold dark walls or bars. It took several minutes for the situation to sink in fully, drowsiness making her mind clouded and slow. She pushed herself into a sitting position before moving her hand to her head. She felt the crustiness of dried blood. A wave of anger flared in her gut, not only at whoever had captured her, but at herself for allowing herself to be captured, she had been getting too careless, she wasn't the only pirate and she was on many wanted lists. She was a hunted woman, she knew better than to get reckless.

A shiver ran down her spine, the air was a bit cold on the ship. She wondered where she was, and what who ever had captured her wanted. Had she been captured by a bounty hunter, or maybe another pirate? She couldn't know, of course there were other people who could have captured her but by the looks of her surroundings it was one of the two.

"Hey!?" She called out before moving to her feet slowly. She was a bit woozy and unstable on her feet.

[GIR]

The 'cell' the pirate found herself in was little more than a sparsely-furnished airlock that had been modified to include running water, a small tub, a toilet, a dumbwaiter for food delivery, and to prevent it from being operated from the inside.  One of the more notable features was the fact that every piece of furniture, including the heavy steel frame that held the threadbare mattress that had been provided for its occupant to sleep on in place, had been securely bolted and/or welded to the floor and walls. A small ventilation shaft, too small for a human to slip through, even if one could remove the grate over it (not to mention it featured several foot-thick airtight doors which automatically sealed if any solid matter was detected in the shaft, if the outer door to the airlock was opened, or if Drake felt like suffocating the unfortunate occupant.), was the source of the cold air, sourced from a separate atmosphere generator. Aside from the steel sink, tub faucet (one temp only. Ice cold, unless Drake felt like turning on the water heater for that cell's tank.), and toilet, the only button that actually worked was the intercom that allowed those outside the cell to hear those inside, not that the fact that the inner doors had been replaced with a transparent material of, oddly (magically) enough, similar strength really made it necessary, given that the guards Drake had chosen could read lips and never took their eyes off the prisoner (figuratively speaking).

Two guards stood watch over Drake's new 'guest', one male, one female, both of a rather odd variant of human that had been engineered on Linaris to enhance their magic. While most of the features of the two were fairly 'normal', each boasted two rather disturbing traits: scales protecting their torsos and extremities, and a forehead that extended to their cheeks. Two glowing symbols marked the spots where the 'standard' vanilla variant of human had eyes. The male's glowed blood red and had a complex design meant to mimic the appearance of human eyes, while the female's glowed steel gray and were in the simple, more functional image of a simple tribal mark, something fierce, yet simple and practical. The male guard's style of dress made no effort to hide the scales of his torso and arms, and consisted of a pair of black combat boots, a bloodstained, torn, and bullet-hole-riddled flight suit with the top half off and the sleeves tied about his waist, and an assault rifle slung across his back. The female was armed only with a combat knife, and dressed in a stealth suit of the type normally only worn by special forces outfits, to the inclusion of a pair of enhanced-vision goggles raised just below her hairline (which was right where one would expect a human's hairline to be). Both stared at the prisoner, alert for any movements that were against the rules. The woman stepped up to the cell as soon as she saw the prisoner was awake. As she pressed the button on the intercom, her partner pressed a button on his communicator. "Sit back down, prisoner. You don't have permission to stand.", the female guard ordered, her tone that of someone used to being disobeyed, and eager to mete out the punishment for disobedience.

"Captain, this is James reporting. Our prisoner just woke up. Judging by her brain activity and vitals, she's a little dazed, but otherwise fine. Would you like to question her now?", the male guard reported, using his ability to read the flow of magic and glean information from it to determine the prisoner's health. When he wasn't standing guard, the male doubled as one of the ship's medics. Or, at least, one of the members of the crew with medical training.

"Leave her there. I'd like to make sure she knows what she's up against before taking her to interrogation.", Drake responded, already on his way down after having seen camera footage that had already told him what his guard had just now mentioned, with the exception of the health information.

"Yes sir.", James acknowledged before resuming his bored 'man watching a sleeping animal in a cage' impression.

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"Bitch, I am in a cell, what does it matter if I stand or not. Plus, who the hell are you anyway?" Candy started, taking a few steps towards the glass, the anger in her gut rising. Sometimes she really wished she had been born a mage, of course she wouldn't have wanted to be born in Edanth if she had been one. She wished she could blast whoever in hell the bitch was in front of her. She acted like she had a broom up her bum, she needed to relax and get laid once in a while, it might help her with her issues.

Candy looked at the woman, studying her like a predator study its prey, and if anything went her way, this woman would end up prey.

Finally Candy turned from looking at the woman and walked to the small tub, not to bathe but to get a sip of water. She was rather parched. Her mouth felt like cotton and it was rather annoying. So she turned on the water, the water was absolutely freezing, which was good for the drink, but extremely bad for bathing. She had a mental note to herself to try to barter out hot water when whoever had captured her decided to show up and demand whatever they wanted from her. She laughed as images passed through her mind of a few things that wouldn't have to be demanded from her, a few things she would do on her own accord for hot water and maybe a few other luxuries for her to enjoy, like a better mattress.

She hoped that whoever was in charge would go for some fun in bargain for the things she wanted, of course most people in her trade and those like it kept enough easy woman around that their needs got satisfied. Of course, one could get bored of the same old thing, and when it came to fun in the bed, few could match her abilities.

[GIR]

"It matters because I call the shots here, not you.", the female guard snapped, pressing the button to seal the vent, "And, if you don't want to die a slow death of suffocation, you'll do as I command. Now sit your ass back down. I'd wager you've got maybe ten minutes of oxygen in that little cell of yours. As for who I am, all you need to know is that I'm your worst fucking nightmare.". The stare of the prisoner was met with one of her own.

"I guess you don't like breathing. Well, you'll learn soon enough.", the female guard mocked as she watched the prisoner take a drink from the tub, of all things. Well, she'd seen stranger, "Like the cold water? You're gonna love bathing in it, assuming you live long enough, way you're acting.".

"Thank you, kid. I'll take it from here.", Drake growled as he strode up to the cell, "As your lovely guard just informed you, the air to your cell can be cut off at any time. As for the cell itself, I'd like to direct your attention to the wall at the back of the cell. As you can see, it happens to be an airlock. At the push of a button, I or one of your guards can send you flying out the back into space.", he informed the woman, then paused to let the information sink in.

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Candy walked towards the glass as the woman cut off the air. She kept her breathing slow, not panicked. She would bust out if it came down to it. She wasn't one to die without a fight.
What did the woman want with her, why had she been captured? She wasn't too afraid, not many people would go through the trouble of capturing someone to just kill them.

When the man walked in Candy put her hands on her hips, looking over her shoulder at the doors.
"I obviously know have something, or know something that you want, so if you send me to my death you won't get it. How bad do you want this information?" She asked, crossing her arms and sitting down in the middle of the room.

[GIR]

"Not badly enough to keep you alive if you get to be too much trouble, if that's what you were thinking.", Drake retorted. It was a standard trick of captives: Remind the captor of their value to try to worm their way out into running the place. It was also a trick that didn't work on Drake. "Let me make this very clear. You've got something I would have to go to quite a bit more trouble to obtain otherwise, but, that said, if you don't want to play ball, that trouble starts to look like a smaller and smaller price to pay until, eventually, you become expendable. The one thing you will remember about this place and your situation is that you are never irreplaceable.", he explained, his tone making it clear that he wasn't bluffing in the slightest, "That said, I'm a reasonable man, when I feel like it. Why don't you name a price, and we'll pare it down to a more... agreeable number. Unless, of course, you prefer to play hard-to-get with your information, in which case, I've got a few fun games we can play to break the ice.". The word 'games' couldn't possibly have sounded more sinister than it did in the tone he used. It was his typical answer to the tactic, a way of making it perfectly clear that the only way the prisoner was getting out alive was by giving Drake what he wanted.

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Candy sighed, looking up as she thought.
"Well I am not a hard woman to please," she paused, a smirk on her face, "Outside of the bedroom."
She moved her eyes to her captor, looking him over shamelessly.
"May I first know what information you seek before I start making demands? I like to know how valuable I am so I know what I can get away with asking for," leaning back on her hands, extending her legs forward and crossing them, getting pretty comfortable.

[GIR]

Drake laughed. The woman had blade, if nothing else. "Very well. Word is, you were able to intercept sensitive military information from the Aedolian government. Ship movements, tactics, even a few schematics of their newer vessels, that were sent to forces near the contested worlds. The information wasn't on your ship's computers, near as my AI's could tell, nor were they on your person, so that leaves three options: A), you've hidden them somewhere, B) you have them committed to memory, or C) the information I got was bad. Considering the fact that I check my sources, I'd have to say it's one of the first two.", he explained, "So, what's your opening bid?".

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Candy laughed.
"I thought I had killed everyone who had found that out," She spoke seeming greatly amused.
"May I know your name, it is hard to speak with someone when you don't know their name, it is down right improper. My name, as you probably already know, is Candy," She said.

There was something wicked behind her grin. She was surely plotting someones death or torture, probably those who had leaked the information.

"I committed the information to memory," She pointed to her temple, "It is all up here, the best place to hide anything."

[GIR]

"Drake Morgan. It's good to see someone in a cell who actually has manners.", Drake responded, "As to killing everyone who knew, you seem to have missed a few people.", he remarked offhand, as if commenting on the weather. The grin told the pirate captain that the captive was plotting something, but it mattered little while she was in a cell. Between the Linarian Adept guards, and the psychic inhibitor in his arm, there was little the Mordecai could do to anyone right now. She had no advantages left to her.

"Indeed it is. Now, I believe I told you to make your starting offer?", Drake responded, short and to the point.

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"Well, to be treated like a guest on your ship instead of a prisoner would be nice I am sure you will have a psychic inhibitor somewhere around, but I know that would never happen. It would be nice to have time outside of this cell, hmm, maybe having dinner with you, you could interrogate me gently and we could both eat and have a decent conversation," She started batting her eyelashes at him.

[GIR]

[Psst, the inhibitor is hidden in his prosthetic arm. She wouldn't be able to see it.]

"No sale. Unless, of course, chains are the latest fashion.". Did she honestly think he'd fall for the old 'bat the eyelashes' trick? Why did they always seem to think they were the ones who invented it? "Maybe you might earn it for good behavior, but, then again, you'll probably be on your way out by then.", he added with a smirk. "Care to try again?".

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(Opps, I'll fix that then)

"Why? If you don't mind me asking, I love hearing peoples logic behind not letting me have dinner with you. Do you fear that I might somehow overwhelm you?" She asked, her head turning to the side a bit as she looked at him, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"Well, hot water to bathe in would be nice, and being able to walk around my cell as I wish would be greatly appreciated," She started, biting her lip slightly as she thought some more.

[GIR]

"No, but it would still be stupid to give you the chance. Besides, everyone worth anything knows that rule number one for holding captives is to never let them out of their cell for frivolous things. Haven't you ever seen a holovid before?", Drake responded, his tone a little on the 'how did you not know that' side, "Every good-guys-versus-pirates film that has the captain let the captives out for dinner has said captives use some trick or another to try to take over the ship. Naturally, that makes dinner with the captive something we competent pirates avoid on principle. Not that you're a good guy.", he explained.

"Done and done, once you give me the information.", Drake replied, "And I'll even throw in a ride back to your ship, provided you promise not to do something stupid like shoot at us as soon as you're back in it.", he added, with a silent, <Drugged enough to sleep for a week, that is. Can't take a chance on you being untrustworthy, after all.>. "This is all contingent on your information being the real deal, and, more importantly, accurate, of course.", he said aloud, stating the obvious.

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"Have you not heard that holovids are not real, plus, why would I try to take over your ship. I have no problem sharing the information, there are enough ships for both of us to attack. It has nothing to do with any of my ships defenses or secrets," She said with a bit of a shrug.
"Hell, we could run into each other on better terms sometime, wouldn't want to ruin the chance to make connections because you never know when you can use connections," She said with a bit of a yawn. She looked over at what she was suppose to sleep on and frowned, it was right down disgusting.

"Did you ever turn the air back on?" She asked
"I'm starting to get a bit light headed?" She added, letting her head lean back slightly.

[GIR]

"You'd be surprised how many people tried when the guy I killed to get this job was in charge. You and I may know it's crap, but that doesn't mean the general public know it, so they do the stupid thing. Sometimes, they're good enough to make a mess in the process.", Drake replied simply, "As for the rest, we're both pirates. This isn't exactly a trade for honest folks. Give me a reason to trust you, though, and I might consider making those connections. Can't say I'm impressed that you got yourself captured, but you do have a fine ship.".

"Right. Thought I was forgetting something.", Drake somewhat sarcastically replied, "You've been more or less cooperative since I showed up, so enjoy your air.", he said, this time without sarcasm, as he punched in the code to re-open the vent. As soon as he'd done so, "I'll be having that information now, if you please.". A press of a button on his terminal alerted the bridge crew to start running long-range sensors, "Start with the current positions of any cargo ships.".

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"I have no reason to attack you, plus, with the information I ran across I learned about the plans on cracking down on pirates, never know when you can use another pirate friend to save your ass in a hard spot," She said as she started to take slow deep breathes, "If I wanted you and your ship captured I would leave out that information, information you didn't know I had."


She looked up, "Well you have a ship that is stationed at the coordinates of 46782, 573, and... 6783," She recalled looking up at the ceiling before returning her eyes back to his form, winking. Go ahead and check it to make sure I am not lying.

[GIR]

"You woke up in a cell after being knocked out, only to have your air cut off by a guard who insists on you following her every order. Said cell won't even have hot water until I'm satisfied with the information you're going to give me. You may or may not see it as a viable option, but you've got plenty of reason to attack.", Drake countered. ot that he necessarily thought she was going to, but still... One could never be too cautious around a fellow thief, what with there being no honor among them. The remark about leaving out information went unanswered.

"Coordinates are sharp, Captain. No escort, either. They must be really brave, really stupid, or setting up an ambush.", came the response from Drake's terminal, the voice belonging to the guy he'd left on sensor duty.

"That's one. Out of several.", Drake noted, his tone implying that she should continue.

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"But it wasn't really any harm done, now if you would have broken my nose, or actually injured me, then there would be a reason, plus you could always make it up to me, or course as I said, it is harder to please me in bed," She said letting out a full bellied laugh.

"Hmm. There is another cargo ship, this one with one small escort, coordinates are.... 2218, 1408, hmm, ummm, 6478," She took a deep breath, enjoying the oxygen in her cell some more.
"There is another unguarded cargo ship at 324, 7002, 1211, oh wait, that isn't the coordinate of the ship that is the coordinate of the small moon it is orbiting," She said as her stomach growled.

[GIR]

Drake laughed at that one. "I've met plenty of men and women who've killed for far less, teravaküünis.", he responded, "Though I'll have to turn down the invitation to your bed. I don't mix business and pleasure.".

"Yeah? So what's Alice, then?", James piped up, grinning.

"The exception to the rule.". The captain's tone suggested that further questioning would be bad for the guard's health.

"Coordinates are sharp. Both sets. That moon looks like it's been recently vandalized, though.", came the reply, "Not to question your orders, Captain, but is this gonna go on all night? It's gettin' to be mess time.

"No. What did you mean by 'vandalized'?", Drake answered, a note of curiosity in his voice.

"What else do you call it when someone rams a cargo ship into a moon?".

"Suicide. Go grab a bite to eat. We'll finish this up after dinner., Drake ordered, "And have them send down some of that aujahu we lifted from that Alliance frigate. I think our guest's earned a decent meal. Same for me, except in sandwich form. Go easy on the fılla fo̱tiá this time. I like to taste the meat the sauce is served with.", he added. "You do like meat, right?", he asked Candy. Never could be sure, with so many vegans running about. Ever since the Human-Draconian War, there had been cults who saw the Draconians as wrathful deities. Deities who, apparently, laid sole claim to the right to eat meat. It made little sense to Drake, but, then again, when your civilisation goes from being conquerors of the galaxy to getting curb-stomped by a military not even a tenth of its size, it was inevitable that some would turn to worship as a way to appease the other side. There were no atheists in a foxhole, or so the saying went.