Everything Changes.

[chellemrys]

Cassidy wasn't paying attention to his side, having never been taught to watch his comrades. The shot of betrayal flew at him, and stole his gun from his grip. The plasma containers in the pistol exploded, making Cas recoil in shock to avoid the splash of plasma that ate skin at the touch. Before he could turn to see where the shot came from, a another connected with his hand. The appendage exploded, a spray of blood shooting across the floor as his palm shredded and melted on impact.


Cas had taken pain tolerance seminars. But nothing can prepare a creature from losing an entire limb in an instant. He screamed, his eyes flying open, keeling over. Instinctively he threw up his arm to catch himself; the stub connected instead, maroon sharply streaked the gray concrete. His mouth joined his eyes, flying open to gasp and screech without end.


He balled up behind the crate, the sting of tears muddling the flashes of plasma bolt whizzing over his head. Cas sat up with a hand woven into his hair, tugging at the dark tufts with a guttural growl, chanting comforts to himself, counting out patterns of breathing. He began searching for his gun again, until a chilling scene chased away all his thoughts: Adrian. Jumping to his feet to run to him through the hail of bullets. Through the blood pounding in his ears, a muffled 'Cas!' echoed. Cas opened his dry mouth screaming a desperate warning for Adrian to get down. Begging his drahy to get under cover again. But Adrian moved forward blind to danger, panic making the doctor oblivious to danger. The assassins were undoubtedly sighting in their pistols...


Cas leapt to his feet, a rush of adrenaline injected his actions. He dove in front of the rapidly approaching Adrian, taking both arms and trying to shove his lover down. Managing only to get him right below his head before his torso connected with the side of Adrian's head with a sharp jerk.


The Lieutenant's head lurched forward, a yelp falling from his hanging lips. His body tensed over Adrian's, trembling. Frozen, his gaze fell to his belly. A tiny spot of crimson began to form there, growing spreading across the cloth. While his arms were ones of a statue, suspended out over Adrian's red head, buckled. He stumbled from side to side, falling into Adrian, clutching aimlessly at the other with his good hand. Instead his hands weakly toppled over his love's shoulders, sliding uselessly off as he collapsed and slid to the floor with a dead-weighted thud.

 

[Laine]

The smack against the ground caused the stunned engineer to throw the weapon, and it went skidding along the ground, coming to a slow near Ahnna’s feet. The Private’s face turned in confusion, and she jolted as she looked across at her fellow comrades. Adrian, screaming and bringing himself out from behind cover as he rushed to his injured lover’s side. Aiber and Dane, squabbling like children as they fought each other, and Aiber’s greasy hand flew to Dane’s throat and attempted to strangle him. The enemy, slowly advancing, continued to open fire on the group, and burned dark smears collected on the walls and floor around them, making it impossible to try and travel between them.


She turned to her Captain, who suddenly leaned forwards, towards Dane and Aiber, her gun focused on the spot just above the crate they were hiding behind. As Aiber’s greasy blond fronds remerged from the top of the crate, Lydia’s hands squeezed around the trigger, far quicker than any of the assassins. Her plasma bullet sent a splatter of blood and bone flying towards the wall of the warehouse as the engineer’s head collapsed from the impact, followed by a loud, stunned cry from the Private whom his body fell onto.


Lydia pressed her back to the crate, breathing steadily. She watched as Cassidy fell heavily, almost in unison with Aiber, slumping behind another crate onto the hard floor. Her hands tightened around her gun, a started gasp leaving her lips, before she turned back towards the enemy, peeking out from cover and gunning down two assassins in a row. Her teeth were gritted, at once succumbing to a deep rage, an anger that she hadn’t felt since she was a recruit. Muscles agonisingly tense, she continued to plough through any that dared to snap out of cover for even a brief second.


Ade stared, stunned as his lover’s body slid from his open arms and onto the ground. He watched the dark skin start to convulse as Cassidy desperately sucked in air, the tattered, bloody folds of his right hand leaving bright crimson smears on the dark grey floor. The enemy fire continued to ripple around the crate they were crouching behind, whizzing past his auburn curls in an attempt to get a lucky shot on the idiot that had raced out in front of them. The doctor lurched forward, fighting painful nausea and terror as he turned Cas’ body over, cradling the other in his arm as his eyes scanned over to the wound in his abdomen. Adrian started tearing thin strips off the other’s shirt, even thought he knew it was pointless; there was no ambulance coming, no trauma center prepped and standing by – hell, he didn’t even have a first-aid kit. He bundled the material up with his good hand, pressing it into the bloody abdominal cavity as he breathed sobs. “You stupid – stupid idiot-“

 

[chellemrys]

Cas blinked, trying to focus through the pain. As he breathed, trying to speak, his voice trembled, "Ade- Ade-" He gasped, squeezing his eyes shut as red alert lights flashed in his mind. He clutched at his stomach with his good hand, hardly able to form words through his labored breathing. As he touched the strip of cloth, all he felt was slick, wet and warm blood squishing and sliding under his hand. The cloth had already soaked through, being no good. "New- new strip." They only had so much material to work with, and Cas began to realize how hopeless it was to even try to stop the bleeding. His back was ripped open too, from being shot in the back originally. He could feel the puddle forming beneath his back too, warming his back against the chilly concrete.


Cas lifted his hand off the wound, staring down at the crimson that completely covered his hand and wrist, as though it had been painted. It shone in the moonlight flooding in through the high windows, reflecting the red tone even against his dark skin. "Mrhm-" Cas dropped the hand, pulling his brows down and squinting at the injury. You're done. Cas let his hand leave the wound, relieving pressure off it to instead to grab at Adrian's shirt, "Oh my- my God-" Cas only managed to utter, blinking as he tried to focus, "I don't know- W-What to do-" Gasping between words, the Lieutenant grimaced, shaking his head. His mind flew to how it felt to die, and what was waiting, and he didn't have to blink after that because his eyes flew open wide, staring at the ceiling. He gripped at Adrian's shirt tighter, "Please not again."


Ahnna spotted from the corner of her vision Cassidy drop onto Adrian, and stopped shooting, eyes wide and focused on the scene of the Lieutenant writhing on the ground, taken down. She ducked down behind the crate, looking over at Lydia and Dane. And then recounting the amount of agents on the other side. One... Four... Eight... Ten? Ten left? There was no chance for them without Cas. Forget Dane, technically they only had two people against the other side now: Lyd and herself.


The scene before her, of Cas writhing on the ground in a pool of his own blood tugged at her heartstrings. She ran her hands through her hair, pressed against the crate. They needed to leave. They were all going to die. Wasn't that good enough a reason to break a rule? Looking around at these people, she had grown somewhat fond of them. Despite who they were to her. They were just innocent people, really.





She began clacking on her hopper, and Lyd looked over from her place in confusion, noticing she was not shooting anymore. "Ahnna-" She hissed, leaning back out to shoot a couple shots in the enemy's direction, "Ahnna it's no use!"

 

[Laine]

“What you’re – what we’re gonna do is –” Ade stuttered, panicked mind still searching for some kind of solution. He felt the other’s good hand ease off the wound, giving up and instead curling around his shirt in search of a final comfort. Lydia’s voice rang out, as if echoing the Lieutenant’s thoughts. It’s no use.


Ade held him tightly, left arm looped around the other’s dripping back and holding him to lean against his chest as more convulsions rippled through him. “You’re – y-you’re not leaving me again, Cas,” He sputtered. He lifted his hand from the other’s stomach, wiping it on his shirt before clasping it around Cas remaining good hand. He looked wistfully at the hopper, pressing buttons on the blood soaked device in vain. “A-zaa. Why didn’t y-you ever tell me how to use this – fucking –thing?” He mumbled, hand shaking as he continued to press. The beeping sound that came from it made the other’s eyes flutter over to his, and Ade smiled back weakly, shaking Cassidy gently as he blinked back tears. “I should – send us to that place you’re always talking about. The one w-with the ocean, hm? Or maybe just…back to the apartment…? Our nice, warm apartment...?”


The Agent – for once – ignored her Captain, continuing to dial on her hopper as Lydia scowled at her from afar. As soon as the order went through, Ahnna backed against the wall, a determined look in her eye as she placed one hand against the crate, withdrawing her weapon and holding Dane’s gun in her hand. She waited for a brief ceasefire, taking a deep breath as she simultaneously threw the gun up, into the air, and pushed back against the wall. She achieved the desired affect, and most of the assassins shot at the moving object that sprung up, while the others riddled the crate that slid across the floor with plasma bullets. Ahnna barrel-rolled the last few feet, crashing into Dane. The gun came back down, however, as a mess of shattered pieces and plasma fluid, raining down on the Private Agents and instantly attacking their flesh.


Ignoring the burning pain on her neck and shoulder, Ahnna recovered quickly, touching a stunned and pained Dane’s hopper to her own. It immediately started to glow blue as it received the orders, and there was another break of fire as the assassin’s voice came out from behind their own barricade. “Control, they’re going to hop again, repeat, the suspects are hopping forward, to the 51st century…!”


“Ahnna, that isn’t going to work!” Lydia screamed from behind her cover, mouth agape is disbelief. “Do you have a deathwish?!” Ahnna’s eyes were focused determinedly on the couple to her side, however, and she handed Dane her own gun, directing him to point it at a light fixed to the roof, and fire as she directed.


“If you don’t have one, Captain, I suggest you get those co-ordinates from Dane in less than twenty seconds!” The Private yelled back in a stressed voice, standing on one knee. She readied herself as if she was about to start a race, eyes pinned on the Agent lying on the ground and his partner, both looking paler than she had ever seen them. One...two...

 

[chellemrys]

Cas opened one of his clenched eyes, peeking at Adrian as he lifted his hand off the wound, and the blood began to flow freely again out of the hole ripped through him. Adrian took his hand, beginning to mumble about the green ocean or the apartment. He always went on about how that ocean was the most beautiful place in the universe to him, but he couldn't decide which would be more beautiful at the moment: Laying on the hot beach, watching green waves under a diamond sky, or eating pizza under the covers of Adrian's cushy mattress, blankets to his nose and sunk deep down into the pillows and warmth of his drahy's body.


Looking down at the device, Cas frowned, only sighing instead of moving to help. His breathing was shallow and raspy, his eyes moving between focusing on Adrian and moving around the room unfocused, like he was following something flying with a kooky smile. He giggled, "You know- it was fun. At least we had fun." His grip on Adrian's hand loosened, eyes flying to Adrian's nose, brows lifted over an unfocused gaze.


"DANE, NOW!" The light above exploded, and Ahnna raced onto the scene, bolts following her movements, barely missing her. She ducked down and took Cas' wrist from Adrian's hand, connecting their hoppers. She patted him on the shoulder, and he tried to look down at the hopper, but weakly dropped his shaking arm when she let go. "C-Coordinates?" He asked, trying to lift his head to see where she was sending them.


"RA= 12h 56.7m, Dec= +21° 41´." Cas' mouth fell open, and Ahnna ignored his immediate wail in objection, turning to look over at Lydia, who was just discovering the next hop after she connected Dane. Lydia looked up at Ahnna with huge eyes, shaking her head, confused. "We have to go where they can't! Now!" She could hear the fast approaching footsteps of the enemy, after they all had stopped shooting. Lydia stared back, hesitantly nodding. Anything could happen over there, for better or for worse. But here was a definite death wish. She slapped a cuff on Adrian, determined this would work. She removed her jacket, and shoved it on top of Cas' stomach. "Ade- hold this on. Very, very tight. Wormhole could just... Make this worse if not."





Ahnna looked around, all of them were staring at her in bewilderment, and shaking. Dane opened his mouth, "Ahnna- but we can't-" Ahnna only shook her head, smacking her hopper, causing them all to be swept up into time and space.

 

[Laine]

Adrian bit his lip as he pressed the jacket against his lover’s wound, shaken by the fact that he no longer cried out in pain from the wound. Cas’ fading consciousness and delirium were telltale signs that he was already too far-gone for there to be much hope of saving him, and Ade bleakly followed Ahnna’s orders. He pressed his own body against Cassidy’s to make sure the jacket would not budge, and he pursed his lips slightly, kissing the top of the other’s forehead. “Mhmm…At least you’re n-not alone this time – love…” He breathed, his words barely audible over the approaching footsteps and the rest of the Agents screeching. Ade cared not where they were going, or what time period – or even whether they were being followed. The bright-blue light swallowed them in an instant, pushing them with unbearable force through light years and millennia.


----


“-Fifty-six point 7 marks decimal, plus twenty-” The man read from the hopper readout with a sterile, robotic voice, plugging the numbers into their own wormhole machine, while the next line of assassins readied themselves. “Standby-” The machine behind them began to glow a bright blue, and the radio controller chuckled into his microphone, “This looks like the last one, boys. They’re flagging. You’ll easily neutralise them, when you touch down on-“ He paused to read the destination off the screen, and his eyes widened as he checked the readout twice. His hands suddenly pounded on keys, shutting off the machine and any possibility of them getting sucked into the large wormhole they had created. He gasped in effort, yelling into his microphone and causing the assassins to scatter away from the docking pad, “-Shit! Abort, abort, abort! Do not pursue Time Agents, repeat, do not pursue…!”


----


“Up! Up! Up!” Ahnna’s voice screeched near Adrian’s ear as she attempted to heave him to his feet. The daze he felt was unlike any other he had felt before, having travelled far into the future and deep into space, all in one jump. His vision was swimming, and it took him a few moments to realise he still had the other clutched in his arms, a dead weight as he tried to heave himself up. They were in a wide tunnel, made entirely out of concrete, with bright-white lights strewn from the floor and ceiling. He blinked in the light, and then looked back at his lover, pale-faced and dumbfounded. Cassidy’s breathing came shallow and quietly. Eventually his eyes snapped open, however he was miles away from where he really was, dark irises bathed in white light as they stared off.


“Come on, Ade!” Ahnna yelped with urgency, tugging him once again to his feet. The doctor let out a tiny cry of pain as Cas’ weight distributed on his weak, sore hand, and he shifted his arms underneath the other’s heavy body, struggling to carry him in his nauseated state. Lydia and Dane were looking all around them, almost as disorientated and confused.


“Ah – Ahnna, Cassidy - he’s not - ”Adrian choked, his tormented sobs echoing around them. He shook his head disparingly at the Private, who was already jogging away, to a fingerprint-operated door at the far end of the tunnel. Any moment now, he was sure the U.G.G. would emerge, and the doctor would have to make a choice – either drop his partner and run, or stay with him and perish. He shook violently, lips trembling as he sobbed, “- Ahnna, I can’t leave him here – ”

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy looked dead when they landed, head lolling around and eyes rolling up, dizzy. He no longer could lift his arm to clutch at Adrian's shirt, laying limp instead beneath the other's weight. Unmoving as Adrian and Ahnna lifted his heavy body, dragging him towards a side corridor.


"Unnnhg..." Cas groaned, grimacing. His lids lay open, watching nothing but a spot a million miles away.


Ahnna urged Adrian to keep going, as he grew more and more confused at each passing second. Ahnna ignored him, letting Cas go and running to a panel on the wall. "Put him on the gurney. Now!" Adrian's look of confusion and desperate stare made her scream at him, "Now, for Helmi's sakes!" Adrian scrambled to pull Cas up on the gurney, struggling to lift his unresponsive lover. He managed to, and Ahnna finalized the command, rapidly clacking buttons that spat high blips and bloops as Lydia and Dane rushed in, staring as Lydia rapidly began asking questions, suspicious tones filling all words.


Ahnna backed away from the wall, turning to look over her shoulder as a glass pod rose up and encased the gurney, Adrian jumping away in shock as it enclosed Cas. Ahnna ran over to the pod, pushing the gurney towards an opening slot in the wall. Sweating, praying this worked. She stared down at pale Cas, almost slipping in her rush on the maroon streaks that made the white floor below slick.


She slammed the pod into the wall, and Cas disappeared completely, the panel shutting. Only her quick breathing and Adrian's unsure sobs and questions filled the room. The rush over, now the wait.


Aliens clad in black burst into the room, toting heavy assault rifles and shields. "Get on the ground! Repeat, get on the ground!" They screamed in a language foreign to all ears save Ahnna's. She grabbed Adrian's shoulder, forcing the man down as she got down on her knees, hands raised. Peeking over her should towards the spot on the wall to see the readings. Stabilizing. A success. She grinned and elbowed Adrian, joy overcoming her seriousness.

 

[Laine]

The panel on the wall looked like nothing but gibberish to the doctor, and his face twisted in confusion as Ahnna lowered her body to the floor, hands falling to rest behind her head. Ade stayed on his knees, staring down at the white-haired woman in despair. “Ahnna, what have you done with him?!” Adrian yelped, his whole body shaking, “I’m going to-”


“I won’t tell you again!” An alien screamed, advancing forward slightly and scraping his shield against the floor in threat. Ade dropped against the floor, still looking over his shoulder at the wall his lover had slid into, not knowing that he had already been revived. His face crumpled in anxiety as he stared back at Ahnna.


The Private agent rolled her eyes, sensing the impatience and unease amongst her native officers as the Earthling fussed. “Ade – Ade, he’s going to fine, really. Just – just shut up and breathe, okay?” She ordered, her kerschnaille quiet and indistinct as he murmured to him. At her side, Dane froze, eyes widening at her authoritative tone. For someone who was usually so quiet and timid, she suddenly acted with such power and presence, her muscles relaxed. Worse off, she seemed to understand this completely unknown, alien language that they were screaming in, which Lydia also picked up on.


One of the armed officers stepped forward, rifle still in hand as he stepped over Lydia. He crouched down, snapping a pair of cuffs over her hands. He frowned at the device around her wrist, and hissed, “Time-travellers?!” indignantly at the Captain. Ahnna bit her lip, knowing it was better to stay quiet, until she got a chance to explain herself. Providing they let the tiny broken rule of returning from a mission prematurely with armed accomplices slide, she figured she and her companions would be safe. At least, safer than they had been. The officer snarled, drawing a knife from his belt and sliding it under the strap, pulling stiffly upwards until the hopper was free from Lydia’s wrist. The Captain stayed sedate, narrowing her eyes as she attempted to judge the situation.


All of them were cuffed – even Ahnna – and had their hoppers confiscated. The devices were delicately set aside, as if they might randomly explode, and the prisoners were forced to stand. The officers took it in turns to pat each of them down, confiscating the hidden weapons from Lydia and Ahnna, and snarling in suspicion at the more harmless, unarmed Ade and Dane. They stood out, both being covered in blood, looking panicked and terrified, and so they were separated from Lydia and Ahnna, whom were being marched through a separate door, to a high-security prison facility. The doctor and other Private were both shoved harshly through another door in the side of the room. “Oh my god – Cassidy - ”Ade began to sob and his voice echoed through the narrow passageway as he began to resist, and the officer took no time in drawing a stun gun, and pointing it at the back of the doctor’s neck.


The remaining black-clad aliens raised their heads and their guns in alarm as the four left, and a continuous beep sound rang out from a panel on the side of the wall.

 

[chellemrys]

****


A day later, the three -Adrian, Lydia, and Dane- were dragged from their cells, bags over heads. Led down a long corridor and loaded into a van together, told to be silent. All cuffed, being carted off to an unknown location. A multitude of guards, about two for each one, stayed near them, armed down to their laces, afraid that these highly trained prisoners may overpower only a few guards. They needed to be careful about these ones, for sure. They knew that.


The prisoners were dragged from the car, and were forced to hurry blindly, led by the tight grips of the Shialan guards, until the bags were torn off to reveal a spacious, dome that was warmly lit. All wood and polished. A court room, plainly. A panel of leaders sat at the head of the room, raised far above all others. Their old comrade Ahnna sitting at a stand, waiting in apprehension.


The three were led to their secured seats, a platoon of guards placed around the room, guns trained and ready to defend their leaders. One banged on the desk with a rap rap rap, calling silence to the room. Strangely enough, no photographers or reporters were present. Obviously this was a very low key, private trial. "We will now resume the proceedings: Captain Ahnna Malkov, these are the band of Time Agents you worked with when the U.G.G. turned on the agency. You plead for mercy to be shown on these agents of the enemy, based on the fact that our enemy has turned against them, and they wish to seek asylum?" A screen in front of the row of seats translated for them, Kershnaille zipping across the screen.


Lydia was leaned forward in her seat, eyes trained on the words, narrowed and focused. Her shoulders were drawn and tense, hunched over as she looked between the panel of leaders, her Private, and the translation. As time went on, she became less and less confused. Captain Ahnna Malkov. Private Malkov was a double agent for the G.A.A.





A leader cleared his throat, interrupting the other. A different race from the Shialan one, who looked human. This humanoid was pointy eared, fully blue and scaled. Hair drawn back in a tight, light blue bun. "Excussse me-" His tongue flicked out, looking directly at Ahnna, "We have been provided sssufficient evidence to the take down of the Agency, basssed off the injured man you arrived with, and the lack of databasesss available to hack. But what I am not convinced of isss... Their loyalty to usss. You sseee... They could be usseful in many other wayss than what you proposse, Captain."

 

[Laine]

Ahnna briefly met the serpent’s gaze in respect, pushing away the implication of violent torture in order to extract information – especially from the likes of Adrian and Dane. She took a moment to choose her words carefully, before she addressed the court. “There are other ways, Councillor Zhu, you are quite right. But there is a vast difference between possibility and appropriateness. It is possible for us to starve our workers and force them to double their productive output. Is it appropriate to? I say not, sir. I believe the same idea can be applied to the situation we see before us.”


The three accused sat on their benches, each with a different expression. Lydia’s face was serious and focused as she continued to mentally scan the room, identifying the various species represented, before finally shifting back to Ahnna. Her back was stiff with tension as the group of leaders began to talk amongst themselves, digesting the other Captain’s words. Dane simply looked dumbstruck, unable to contain his shock as he re-read the record again and again, looking back at Ahnna in disbelief. A Captain? For a rival governing body?!


Adrian’s tired eyes glazed over the Kerschnaille words in front of him, although he didn’t appear to be taking them in. His arm twitched behind him as he instinctively reached up to tug a hand through his thick, greasy hair. The doctor’s brow furrowed into a deep frown, and he breathed a quiet sigh as the another leader demanded order again with his gavel.


“To answer your question, Councillor; by definition, in seeking asylum, they are swearing their lifetime devotion to our cause, and their utmost loyalty to all and any authoritative body within it.” Ahnna said, her determined eyes once again meeting with the serpent’s. Her voice suddenly turned cold, and she had to try hard to erase any reluctance from her words, “Put simply, these Agents have no choice but to be loyal to us. If they stepped out of our jurisdiction, their native government would annihilate them almost instantaneously. Regardless of the outcome of this trail, they will always be at our mercy. The only manner in which this would stop being so – would be if the U.G.G. ceased to exist. Which, I think you can agree, is a goal common to our own.”


The scaled leader frowned at her response, and another several others wrinkled their faces, not convinced. “Perhaps one of these Agents –“ One Councillor said, looking at the three with a certain disgust, “ – will testify their loyalty to us. Or better still – entertain for us, their possible use within the G.A.A.”

 

[chellemrys]

Lydia read the words on the screen in scrutiny, face screwed up in uncertainty. She looked around the room at the eyes seemed to fall on the agents solely, before looking up to Captain Malkov with lifted brows. Ahnna smiled, "I'm sure one of them would be happy to. How about... Captain Lydia Andler."


The Captain hesitantly stood as she was motioned to, understanding from the words on the screen she was to... Explain their use. She grimaced, trying to fight the uncertainty from appearing on her face. Clearing her throat to buy time, she closed her eyes for a brief moment, re-opening them with determined confidence, born anew. This was their only option for survival. Their only chance. This was why Ahnna had brought them here, and it made sense. Still feeling torn about feel grateful or not had just left her unsure. Instinct told her to run away from the enemy, to fight. But logic told her Ahnna actually cared for them, bringing them here. She could have solely fled, but she dragged them along.


"Ahem." Lydia stood tall, "I apologize to the leaders before me, but I cannot speak Shialan, only Kershnaille." The screen was turned around by a secretary looking creature, who scurried away after. Lydia grounded herself to the floor, looking tall and confident, puffing out her chest and sucking in her stomach. "We are trained agents, capable of almost any athletic achievement, selected from a large pool of applicants as the ones who performed the best, and were the most intelligent. We have a wide range of skills, and advanced combat training. Almost all of us have medic experience, and experience as leaders and strategists. You are looking at the overcoming survivors of a base-wide U.G.G. assault that intended to wipe out the entire crew. Who survived weeks on the run, outsmarting an entire branch of government." Lydia gulped, some looked unimpressed somehow. "All our skills and knowledge would be yours; we have been betrayed, and so we must reevaluate whose side to be loyal towards, and what government would actually appreciate us." She chose her words carefully, trying not to sound as though the only reason why she spoke was to impress them for survival.


Ahnna nodded along, looking between her leaders and Lydia as the Captain went on, explaining their high skill levels and knowledge. "If we had these rebels on our side, we would not have to torture them for information. It would be free knowledge." Ahnna added, as the panel looked over Lydia, scrutinizing her words.

 

[Laine]

“Mercenariessss,” The serpentine creature spoke up again, a bump on it’s head raised where an eyebrow would’ve been, if it had facial hair. “In my experiancce, give nothing, for free.” Several of the other representatives nodded in agreement. The G.A.A. was a prominent force against the U.G.G., but it also represented some of the poorest planets from certain galaxies. They trained native children to be Agents from a young age, thus cutting down costs of recruitment and reducing the chances of their investments being lost from inexperience or people quitting. Ahnna’s hands clenched underneath the table in apprehension, sensing she may be losing the favour of the court if money was to come into question.


“Do not be mistaken,” Ahnna said, cutting in before Lydia had a chance to speak, “As Captain Andler stated, any information they relinquish will be, for free. And – if they were to gain asylum, they will be paid to use their skills for missions, as any Agent here is. But for a far lower wage than what they are accustomed to. They will live a life without luxury, affording the bare minimum of what is needed for them to survive, and little else. And they will have to pay their medical bills, as normal citizens would. This, I suggest, is a fair price for lifetime protection against the U.G.G., and benefits both parties.” The secretary turned the screen back as the Captain spoke, quickly translating her statement.


Dane’s face fell at the suggestion, imagining his life as Ahnna described it. Constantly having to undertake life-threatening missions which lasted weeks, months at a time, for basic pay that barely kept him sustained. And if he were to get injured, he would only be adding to his debt. Several members of the court saw his face fall at this shocking revelation, and seemed pleased by it. Ahnna cast a fleeting sidewards gaze at the three, hoping they understood the alternatives – torture, and execution - and didn’t object.


A tawny-furred humanoid cleared his throat as the chatter in the court grew again. His eyes squinted as he crackled a kind of smile, and he purred to the accused, “Thank you. We will break for an hour or so to discuss terms of any possible employment. When you return, each of you will be interviewed separately, before the final decision on your asylum status will be made. You will be escorted a waiting room while this court is adjourned.”


----


The dull-grey, windowless room was deadly silent as the three were led in and forcefully made to sit facing each other at different couches, their hands still bound in front of them. The usual procession of guards with assault-rifles followed them in, posting themselves at the four corners of the room, with two at either side of the prisoners. In front of them, there was water and some kind of fruit sitting at the centre of a small table, however the guard raised his gun in silent threat as Dane reached forward to take something, and he leaned back, looking down and biting his lip.


“What the – Helmi – even was that…?” Dane murmured softly in Kerschnaille, after a few minutes. The guard looked at him again in suspicion at the foreign language – the language of their enemy - but did nothing to stop him. “Ahnna, pleading for our lives, as some kind of…double agent?! And – and we don’t get a say in any of this?” He stared at the ground, huffing in stress. He half expected a reply from Lydia or Adrian, but none came, and his questions hung in the air tensely. Lydia stared out in deep thought, looking as collected as ever. The doctor’s face was still gaunt and blank, still reeling from the death of his lover to truly take in anything that was going on. His shaking pale fingers gently stroked the ink on his left hand, emerald eyes staring miles away.


There was muffled voices outside, and suddenly a humanoid appeared, donning a starch-white lab coat and a clip board. The guards stood to attention, Lydia and Dane looking up in confusion – it had barely been ten minutes since they had been let out. “Decterrr Aderiyaan Maysoon.” The creature said, looking expectantly at the three. The doctor didn’t respond, and Lydia cleared her throat, raising her eyes to Adrian. “Ade.” She whispered, and he raised his eyes. The Captain looked at him with concern as he was led out, knowing that he was barely in a state to talk, let alone be interviewed on his reasons for seeking asylum.


Two of the dark guards stood behind Ade, pointing him down a corridor, which to his confusion was away from the courtroom. They went through a door, and then around another corner, only to see Ahnna standing at another door, accompanied by two more guards. She blinked a subtle smile to Adrian as he approached, and she translated for the creature in the lab-coat as he spoke. “You have been requested in Medical Bay 4.”

 

[chellemrys]

Ahnna followed in with a grin, understanding Adrian had no idea what was waiting. It certainly would make it more interesting, the mystery. So she pushed him in, stayed close behind. As Adrian entered the door, Cas peeked up from a bowl of messy pasta-like Shialan cuisine, trying to shovel food into his mouth with one hand, the other raised above him, chained to the metal frame of the bed. The blankets of the bed were pulled up to his face, and he was half sitting up, sauce dripping down his chin. The agent stiffened at the sight of his drahy, dropping his fork, "Adrian!" He called through a mouthful of food.


The Lieutenant had been bed-ridden for days, unsure of the status of his drahy. He couldn't understand this language, the only language these doctors seemed to speak. So they would talk to him and Cas would blink back in confusion, or just dismiss them with a smile. Although still aware he was a prisoner, based off the high-security cuff and guard that stayed on him at all times.

 

[Laine]

Adrian’s entire body stiffened as he caught sight of the dark skin and darker hair contrasting against white sheets. He froze in place, breath catching in his chest as Ahnna and the guards piled up in the corridor behind him. The doctor jolted as the other’s voice echoed around the whitewash walls, the Lieutenant’s face a mess of orange sauce and with lips curled into a surprised grin. Adrian just looked back in utter disbelief, blinking softly at the other.


Wary of the guards behind them, Ahnna took hold of one of Ade’s elbows and nudged him gently into the room. His eyes remained fixated on his lover as he turned his head slightly towards Ahnna, mouth hanging agape, “…but...but-”


“-I told you he would be fine.” Ahnna said, looking slightly confused. He lifted a hand to cover his mouth, the rest of his body seemingly paralysed by shock. “What – did you…?” Ahnna murmured, cocking an eyebrow as the thought suddenly occurred to her. She had hoped seeing his lover would’ve been a pleasant surprise after spending the morning in a prison cell, however only now did she realise what a surprise it had been. The last few days he had spent unable to sleep or eat, too consumed by grief to process or care what was happening around him. And now, out of the blue, he saw his lover, seemingly brought back from the dead, sitting in front of him and shovelling his food like nothing had happened. “…Oh.”


“Oh my god-” Adrian stammered, his strained words emerging in English. Moments later his feet moved, and he dashed towards the other. Ade almost collapsed on the Lieutenant, burying his face in Cassidy’s shoulder and clamping his pale, freckled arms around him. Tears of stress and elation began to form as he tightly gripped the other, stiffly nuzzling his neck and squeezing him tightly, as if the warmth of the other’s dark skin wasn’t enough. Stifled, heartfelt sobs started to echo around the room shamelessly, and the doctor clung onto his confused lover, even as Ahnna cleared her throat. “I can’t believe it-“ He stammered, finally pulling away and staring at Cas’ face with a weak smile, “-C-Cassidy...I can’t believe you're-”

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy kept grinning at the other, taking the edge of his blanket and wiping at his dirty face as Adrian approached. "Hey-" Adrian bulled into Cas, burying his face into his shoulder, beginning to sob and shake into him.


Cas tried to lean back, or move his arm to comfort Adrian, or just something- but Adrian had his free arm pinned, his other trapped by the cuffs. The Lieutenant just stiffened, looking around in confusion, unmoving. "Uhm- Ade? You okay?" He hadn't realized no one had told Adrian he was alright; Adrian had spent the last several days trapped in a cell, weeping over his drahy, whom he falsely assumed was deceased.


"I was wondering when they were going to actually bring you here- I've been awake for a whole day now." He tugged at the cuff, "Chained-" He obnoxiously rattled the metal, "-to this fucking bed. My arm hurts something awful-" He was interrupted by a breath catching squeeze, cut off by a lack of air. He coughed, squirming, "Ade-" He choked, grimacing.

 

[Laine]

Ade wiped hand to his teary face, releasing one of his lover’s shoulders, “But – but you’re…alright, aren’t you?” He murmured, looking the other up and down. He knew the future technology was capable of amazing things. But Cas’ face looked paler than usual, and he was struggling to hold himself up under Adrian’s weight. The G.A.A.’s technology was advanced, sure – but it wasn’t as sophisticated as the Time Agency’s, and the days of operations and stabilisation had left Cassidy weak. Ade eased off his lover, leaning back as Cas sucked in air appreciatively. Instead he reached for the other’s free hand and clung to it, still shaking in excitement. Ade pressed his lips to it, a weak smile gracing his lips, “You have no idea how scared I was-“


Ahnna cleared her throat behind them, cutting them off. She shuffled forward, feeling the gaze of the officers scrutinising her. “Sorry – it’s just, you’re actually here to…discuss the proceedings with your drahy, ahead of the interview.” Her voice had switched to the firm, official voice she’d used in court. She nodded at Ade, whom nodded back, before looking at Cas. “There’s a limited amount of time before you’re due back. Sorry.”


Adrian sighed, lowering their clapsed hands, “Ah – we, er – uh…right…” Ade mumbled to Cas, struggling to set his mind straight. And what are the proceedings, exactly…? He hadn’t paid attention all morning, and he bit his lip as the Lieutenant looked at him expectantly. “I er…I think we’re…seeking…asylum…?” He looked back at Ahnna, who seemed appauled at his explanation. Ade cleared his throat, fiddling with Cas’ ring finger. “-I know, I know – we’re seeking asylum, a-and you said…they’ll pay us? For doing missions…?”


Ahnna rolled her eyes, “Helmi, Adrian. You have to testify for both of you why exactly you want to stay here, otherwise you could both be exiled – or executed.” She approached the two, pleadingly looking at the doctor, “Look, I know you’ve had a rough time, but please, take this seriously. You will tell them – you are an Agent, of the same training as Cassidy, who specialises in medicinal care from past centuries. You are highly skilled at what you do and frequently carry out on-the-field opera…Adrian, are you listening to me?” She hissed, her voice strained as she watched the doctor’s eyes drift down to their clasped hands on his lap.


“…What the hell?” Ade murmured, turning Cas’ hand around. Unlike him, there was no tattoo on the back of Cas’ palm, although the tiny planet on the inside of his wrist was still there. And just above it, there was a line, a band of slightly lighter skin, which stretched up the entire limb, giving the illusion that someone elses’ hand had simply been sewn on. Ade’s own fingers went limp, and he cocked a brow up to Cassidy, “Why is there…Where is your...?”

 

[chellemrys]

Cas' eyes snapped to Ahnna, looked the comrade up and down, Ahnna speaking all official, like she was in charge. He had a very fuzzy memory of what had actually happened days before, and he was not sure of why or how they ended up in Shiala. After jumping in front of Adrian, the Lieutenant remembered his vision going in and out, being extremely cold and faint. They had carried him, and it felt like he was rocking mid-air, completely numb. Then nothing. Adrian had left him, and the world went dark.


Cas grabbed at Adrian's sleeve, "Private-" He enunciated, not realizing his mistake because of his absence, "What is going on? Why are we here?" He hissed, leaning up. Stopped by the cuffs. He glanced over at Adrian briefly, not exactly concerned about his skin color and tattoo in this moment. Adrian's confusion wasn't a matter of life and death. "And... Why did they treat me?" That must have been the most confusing part of all this, as the agent stared around. He didn't realize that Ahnna was a double-agent; he hadn't been awake for her saving them all. Cas searched for Lydia, and Dane. Everything needed to be explained to him still; he didn't understand why they chose to come here. They were in a viper pit, on the verge of being dragged out of safety into a dungeon to be tortured.

 

[Laine]

Ahnna gritted her teeth, “Adrian we need-” She was interrupted as Cassidy grabbed at her sleeve, dropping the doctor’s hand and looking up at her in desperation. She recoiled briefly, and the guards raised their weapons, hissing a quiet threat at the two foreigners. Ahnna shook her head, murmuring ‘stand down’ in their native language, to which they gently lowered them again, remaining tense incase the Time Agent made the same mistake twice.


Ahnna took Cas’ hand briefly, before pulling it from her sleeve with a sigh, and laying it to rest on the bed in front of her. “I am a Captain, here, Cassidy. I transported you to planet Shiala.” She said, “And you two, and Lydia and Dane, for the time being – are my prisoners. They treated you because I am in the process of convincing them that you will be of use to the G.A.A.’s governing body. Which brings me back to-” Her head snapped back to Adrian, trying to stifle the Lieutenant’s confusion due to the limited time they had.


“-Adrian has to testify for you and his drahy, that your lives are at risk from the U.G.G., and you are fully willing to co-operate with any demands they have for you as asylum-seekers. Right now they’re discussing terms of your employment – if you are allowed in – as you have skills which qualify you as a government Agent.” Ahnna swept back a front of white hair, and the tiny beads of sweat that had begun to form at her forehead from the stress. She was purposely making the process sound simpler than it was – instead of celebrating coming home and resting after her tough mission, she had been running around nonstop in order to get her Time Agent companions processed. To save them, from what the G.A.A. would do if they sought asylum on their own.


Adrian bit at his nails, still staring at Cassidy’s discoloured hand. He wasn’t sure how to feel about it – his lover was alive, at least, and for that reason he was overjoyed. But their binding tattoo had been destroyed, replaced with some alien limb that didn’t seem to fit with the rest of him. He blinked at he noticed Ahnna was staring at him again, willing him to concentrate. He twisted his face, folding his arm as he leaned back against the chair. One thing bothered him, as he looked again at his mortally-wounded drahy. “But – do we have to work as Agents? Didn’t Ansh- didn’t that snake guy say that we were…useful in some other way?”

 

[chellemrys]

The Lieutenant stiffened when all the guards around the room shifted together, apparently ready to put a hole in his head over grabbing Private Malkov's sleeve... Slowly he loosened his grip, eyes scanning the room without moving his head. Listening to Ahnna, who quickly revealed...


"You're a Captain of the G.A.A.?!" Cas whispered frantically, eyes snapping back to Ahnna in shock. He had hypothesized this was Lydia's idea, or that they had been given some opportunity he wasn't awake for, like G.A.A. Agents appearing to help. Now that the truth was being pieced together for him, the wispy haired agent narrowed dubious eyes on Ahnna, naturally withdrawing trust from her. She had 'saved' them. But she had brought them to the most dangerous place in the universe, and Cas was aware of the consequences if they didn't impress the enemy-


Adrian's distracted demeanor caught his eye, as Ahnna explained his drahy needed to stand for them both. "Useful in other ways?" He repeated, narrowing his eyes at Adrian. He snatched his drahy by the shirt front, dragging his down so they were nose to nose, shaking him to startle the other. "Jesus Christ- you listen to me very carefully, or we are going to die. Both of us, if you say the wrong thing."


He would ask if he could speak instead, but it would look suspicious if a trained agent, Adrian, couldn't speak. Bringing in instead a man who was just released from intensive care. "Ade-" Cas gripped the shirt collar tight, so it was so tight that it pressed against his skin. If he held it tight he could choke Adrian. "You need to listen to what she-" Distrustful black eyes flickered to Ahnna, who stood to his side, "says. We both are Time Agents. You need to say you are a medic for the field. It's your specialization You are a Private, okay? I am a Lieutenant, my specialization was in combat. I've undergone several modules, including sharp shooting. Keep the focus off you, you hear me?" Cas was incredibly worried; although they were bound, this was a different state. Right now they were seemingly recognizing them as one entity, but if they didn't feel like employing Adrian, they potentially could call their partnership null and void, separating them as they like.


Cas gripped Adrian tighter, switching abruptly to English, "Don't you dare ask about being useful in other ways. All he means is torture, medical experiments, cloning- anything but asylum. You can't seem afraid of missions." He looked over to a puzzled Ahnna, who had narrowed her eyes at the language swap, wondering what he was saying. Cas finished up, still in English warning with a fake smile, "Do not trust anyone. Listen to their every word and think before you speak."

 

[Laine]

Adrian shuddered as the Lieutenant finished, eyes squeezed half-shut in confusion and fear. Torture? Is what I have to do really that important?! The doctor recoiled from the hand grabbing at him, making the other draw him only closer.He exhaled harshly in stress, muttering in in English also, “I – I…But Cassidy – I can’t – what if they find out I’m not an Agent?!” he said behind gritted teeth. It was only now that he realised that throughout the trail, they had all been referred to – even Adrian – as Agents of the Andromeda Time Agency. It was something that Ahnna had done early-on in the trial, to ensure she had the government’s attention. Of course knowing that Adrian was nothing of the sort.


“What if they asked me how the Agency works? – or how to use a hopper? Damnit, I don’t even have a hopper-! Cassidy- I don’t know anything-” He whimpered, starting to panic. Half an hour earlier, he couldn’t have cared less about the trail, or what happened after. But now, fully aware of the dangers involved in slipping up, a deep fear began to rise in his chest. They could torture me, and Cassidy, kill us both, or worse- He gripped onto the other’s pale hand, squeezing it hard, “-why aren’t you doing this?!”


Ahnna stood a few steps back, still eyeing the couple suspiciously. What they perhaps failed to notice was that her career was on the line also, and she was sticking her neck out for these comrades, whom she had barely known for a few weeks. She cleared her throat, folding her arms in irritation. “I would appreciate it if you could include me in this conversation. I know this is sudden, but I can help. I’m on your side, really.” She met Cas’ dark eyes as she spoke.

 

[chellemrys]

Cas grimaced, "Oh, believe me- I wish I was the one speaking for both of us." He muttered, scoffing. He tugged at the cuff with a raise of the brows. "It probably wouldn't matter- the only reason why I am not speaking is because of this... If I wasn't handcuffed to a bed, Ade, you would be speaking for yourself anyway. Alone." They probably wouldn't have gotten to talk if that was the case, and that would have been even scarier in a way. "Distract them-"


Ahnna interrupted, and Cas' dark eyes flitted to meet hers in scrutiny. Every instinct he had, his training, his upbringing- they all screamed to distrust Ahnna. Member of the G.A.A. Captain even. A highly trains double agent. People say the enemy of your enemy is your friend; Cas wasn't quite sure though. So far the enemy of the U.G.G. didn't seem so friendly. A mere order kept them away from a horrific fate; a trial's results ruling their fate hung in the balance still. Ahnna sounded geuine, but he had been in some puzzling situations before, foes looking like friends. He had yet to decide which she was. "-I'm just trying to calm him down in something he can actually understand." Cas snapped, turning back to Adrian.


"It's lucky that you get to talk about me, okay? It's luck. Talk about yourself first, okay? You lie, lie, lie, about your expertise. Then you tell then the truth about what I am, and you distract then with me. I would tell you to pull the one entity card, that I refuse to perform duties without you, but we are talking about a whole different government system? It's- it's like the North Korea of your time. Who knows what rules they have." Cas repeated what Adrian needed to say about himself, the terminology and the training terms. The ranks and the basic knowledge. In kershnaille, because he knew he could have a tough time translating.


The guards at the door began looking restless, as though visiting time was over. Cas swore, stress running high. A list of reminders fell from his mouth: Be calm. Specialization in old world medical treatment on the field. Name? Private Aderiyaaan Masoon. From planet Acadia. Met Lieutenant Cassidy Petar. Distract with drahy's credentials.

 

[Laine]

By the time Cas was done, Adrian was the oppositeof the calm, composed Private he was supposed to be resembling. He bit his nails furiously as he tried to make mental notes of everything his lover was saying, gripping his free hand in anguish. Meanwhile, a frustrated Ahnna leaned over, whispering to one of the guards, narrowing her eyes as they discussed some loosely-related matter in the native language. As they spoke, Ahnna made a hand motion to the couple, mouthing the words ‘wrap it up’ as the guard pressed a button to open the door behind him.


Ade flicked his eyes back to Cassidy. He was shaking, a feeling of nausea rising in his stomach as he sensed what was coming next. The doctor glanced down at the pale hand holding his, resolving that if he messed up he wouldn’t have a drahy to come back to at all, no matter what pieces he’d been patched up with. He reluctantly squeezed the limb, before leaning over to kiss the Lieutenant, pressing his forehead against the other’s. “I – I’ll try.” He murmured, voice quivering a little.


----


He returned to the waiting room minutes later, face gaunt and looking as nervous as ever. Ahnna had remained in the medical bay, reassuring Ade that she would be there in the trail, to try and patch up his testimony if anything went wrong. But something about her face made her sound less confident than her voice did, as if she was telling a half-truth. Adrian was surprised to see that Lydia was missing from the room – clearly the councillors had been eager to start the interviews. The doctor jolted as he saw red coming from the only other prisoner in the room.


“-What happened to you?!” Adrian murmured, his voice squeaky and strained. Dane had his teeth gritted, pressing a wad of tissues against his head.


“They threw something at my fucking head. To, er, ‘test my reflexes’.” The Private growled. He lifted the tissues, revealing a small spot of broken skin and blood seeping from it. He rolled his tired eyes, grimacing at the guards, who were looking at him suspiciously. “Who does that during a court case? Galactic Association of Uncivilised Assholes-”


“What…? So…so – that means they already did your interview?!” The doctor said, biting his lip. He waited for a grim nod from Dane, before stammering nervously, “How did it go...? W-what…kind of questions did they ask…?”


Dane paused, looking frustrated – it obviously hadn’t gone well. “Just…basic stuff. Training completed, weapons knowledge. Planet of origin, conditions required for ranking. Whether or not I actually wanted to be here.” His voice was bitter, and he sighed from stress. “It didn’t take long. I thought it was going pretty well – until they decided to stage an assault on my cranium.” He looked up at Ade was escorted back over to the couch, noting his nervous demeanour. “Where’d you go, anyway?”

 

[chellemrys]

Before Adrian could answer, Lydia was brought into the room, freshly cuffed and frazzled looking. She sat with a huff, shaking her hair out of her eyes. She looked up at the two, who were staring at her wide-eyed in shock at her disheveled appearance. She shrugged, "They wanted to see my... Defense and strategy skills, as a Captain. One on one with their "most talented" guard." Pausing and shifting into a more comfortable position, crossing her legs. The two held their breath for results, and she grinned, "I knocked him out cold. With my foot."


A guard entered, roughly grabbing Adrian - as though he was intentionally trying to frazzle the doctor's nerves more. They led the ginger into the court room once again, taking him to where Ahnna had been sitting originally. They pushed him into the box, facing the panel of leaders raised far above the stand. The center man cleared his throat, leaning forward, looking down his nose with spectacles balancing on the bulbous tip. "Name?" A translator barked the words in kershnaille, and Adrian answered with a quavery voice. "Mm... Rank?" The process continued, not giving Adrian time to get the focus off himself. Just quickfire questions, simple statements required. After just a minute of this, as though they were expecting those answers, a man snapped his fingers, and a projected hologram shot up in front of Adrian, an incredibly life-life naked body of a Poolahian creature.


"You're on the field, and they come to you with injuries here, here - and here. They are unable to breathe properly. Tell me how to save them." On the hologram, red dots depicting injuries appeared. The flesh of the poolah melted away, revealing the internal organs - a bright greenish-yellow color, much like mucus. Unlike a human, there were no lungs apparent. The skeletal system looked humanoid, but vital organs in humans were not there. Or they were at least different shapes. All the leaders stared down at Adrian, patiently waiting for a doctor's quick explanation and savior-like actions.


*****


In the medical ward, Cas stared intently at Ahnna after she failed to leave with Adrian. Cas pursed his lips, "Do you?" Curiosity drew him in. "Just- how much influence do you have?" Cas didn't suspect too much, otherwise he wouldn't be cuffed to a hospital bed, surrounded by ten guards with assault rifles.


Ahnna looked around at the guards, barking an order in Shialan. Cas looked around in surprise as they all hesitantly turned around, looking confused themselves. All their backs were turned, leaving the two somewhat alone. Apparently a high enough rank to order around soldiers. Ahnna leaned forward, a hand sliding up Cas' chest slowly, trailing up to his neck. His eyes flickered back to the blonde, eyes blinking open wide. He tensed, drawing back into the pillows. She just continued, hand sliding up to his cheek.


"Ahnna- I'm bound. You know tha-" She put a finger on his lips, hushing him.


"Bound to such an incapable, whiny freckle of a man. How can you prefer him over the idea of us?" Cas glared, eyes averting her gaze. He couldn't upset her; he shouldn't otherwise there could be negative consequences. He was physically limited, as well as socially now. "Come on, Cassidy-" She pleaded, leaning in closer. His lack of response, and slight puff of his chest made her glare back, hands clenching in frustration. "Don't leave me in a bad mood, hun, when I get to go into that court room and testify for dear drahy's life-"


Cas' eyes snapped to her gaze, "You wouldn't dare-" She had been glaring, irritated, but she was met with an intense defiance, a passionate fire burning in his eyes, that hid a plead behind it. Her glare dissipated, and she sounded much softer, eyes melting.


"Just - why not?" Ahnna went back to simple seduction, forgetting threats. She truly adored Cassidy, and although she envied Adrian, she couldn't bring herself to hurt the Lieutenant. A second hand traced his ear, flowing up to his messy pile of black hair. She sat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward to run both hands over her dream lover's chest, massaging the agent, tickling their noses together as he stiffly averted his gaze, unmoving and unresponsive.

 

[Laine]

The doctor sat with a straight back, eyes facing forward, as if somehow posturing like a confident Agent would make him one. Throwing things? One-on-ones with guards?! His mind raced and his fingers shook under the table, and he desperately hoped there was no-one that could pick up on it. All the councillors present seemed official, serious, and worst of all – attentive. The serpentine one looked on from a corner, a sneer caught in his face as he looked down at the doctor.


Adrian jumped back with a shock at the hologram, making the guards at his side jump also. He missed the first part of the instructions, and he stared at the red dots on the creature blankly. The green eyes stared wide, the doctor visably squirming in his seat as the room fell deadly silent.


“Well…well…” He stammered, looking up and down the body. The resemblance to a human was minimal – it may as well have been a dog or a bird. He swept a hand through his auburn hair, stalling desperately as he tried to pinpoint some kind of organ function. “I need to know…is – is this…a high…gravity or a low-gravity…situation?”


The centre man cocked a brow, his expression otherwise indiscernible. Ade mumbled as he looked up, sucking in air to remove the shake from his voice, “It…it affects…the pressure of the air. So…that would change how the…creature breathes normally.” He made all of what he said on the spot, trying to entrench some kind of medical knowledge from the depths of his mind.


The centre man’s expression still didn’t falter. He purposely leaned forward, peering over his spectacles at the doctor. “High.” He said sharply, and Ade nodded, putting a hand to his mouth as he pretended to think. Which he soon realised was a mistake, knowing he’d claimed he was a field doctor, who was supposed to instantly save lives.


“Right, right, I see.” Ade said, trying to sound as official as possible. He motioned over the top portion of the creature’s body, pointing to a water-filled sac in it’s ribcage. “The injury here…would probably be most…severe, because of it’s location, then.” He jumped again as the hologram shifted with his hands, and he spent a few seconds trying to move it back desperately. “You would – uh – raise it’s head, to prevent any fluid gathering around the…chest cavity.” He mumbled, dispensing as general advice as he could possibly muster. “Apply pressure to any bleeding wounds, to prevent – bleeding out…and…and...”

 

[chellemrys]

Ahnna looked around, making sure the guards still were turned, "Hey- I have to go soon... They're expecting me..." She reluctantly whispered, looking Cassidy over with her eyes, just as dark as his. "Cas?" His black ones met hers, lips twisted up in somewhat disgust, nausea hitting him and making him fight a scowl. Trying to keep a straight face as she moved around in front of him, a sweet perfume wafting off her jawline that smelled like peaches from Adrian's home world.


The Captain waited, pursing her lips and looking towards the door. Cas lifted a single brow, smirking and huffing in laughter, awkwardly leaning in to brush his lips against her own. She hungrily pressed back, Cas squeezing his dark eyes shut, tense and attempting not to naturally recoil. He sucked in a sharp breath, forehead wrinkled as time passed gruelingly slow. She opened her mouth against his, and tried to muscle her way in closer. His eyes flew open, looking around the white room in shock, and at the close image of her eyes and nose. He eventually opened his own slightly, letting her slip in closer as she gently wove her hands into his black hair, tangling her fingers in the thick mat. Cas let his eyes slide shut again, waiting until she was satisfied and done with him.


Afterwards she smiled, wiping at a spot of drool on his chin, and pacing out of the room, looking over her shoulder the entire way, batting her lashes as she called for her soldiers to follow...


***


The snake-like, teal skinned counselor smirked at Adrian's jittery, jumbling of words. Mashing terms together, botching up his explanation. They had the answers in front of them, and he had only hit one point: the common sense one... Applying pressure to the wounds. He seemed to know nothing about the poohlah body system. "You... Certainly are kidding with usssh." The serpentine man chuckled, interrupting Adrian. He pointed at the doctor, no longer addressing him. Instead speaking to his comrades, the translator had stopped. They all laughed, shaking their heads.


The center leader waved Adrian off, shaking his head. "Enough of you. We... Well- er. There is no need to test you further." Adrian lacked one thing the others all had: Confidence and certainty. They doubted he even was an agent, and they were right to. "Tell us... About this drahy you have." The leaders seemed partially amused by Adrian's frantic replies, that were obviously fear-stricken and uncertain. Improvised planning, from a terrible actor. Now they were more interested in the other half of this entity.


 
Laine:


Adrian draw a hand through his hair, huffing and cringing as he heard chuckles throughout the audience. His eyes were wide as he stared onto another point on the hologram, biting his lip. “…No, wait,” He murmured, about to say something else. But it was too late; the image slid away into nothingness, revealing the row of aliens staring back at him behind the screen. Many of their faces were curled into amused smiles. Ade recoiled his hands, clasping them in front of him to avoid making the violent shivering more obvious. His knees wobbled, and the nausea began to rise in his chest again.


“-Please, I know the answer-“ He murmured, frustrated sobs forming in his voice as the centre leader gestured with his hand. ‘Oh helmi – we’re both going to die. I messed this up – I messed up so bad.’ His thoughts begged him to turn around and run out, somehow dodging the many guards and then figuring a way out off the alien planet. Of course, that was an option even /less/ likely of a good outcome than this one, he stared bleakly ahead, muttering his drahy’s name and position timidly.


“Mhmm…” The centre leader said. He addressed the rest of his fellow councellors, “-This is the young human Captain Malkov had installed in medical bay 4. He was mortally wounded, and is currently incapacitated – despite the good doctor’s best efforts.” He said, once again making a set of crude smiles ripple across the audience. Adrian squirmed under the alien comment, sighing as he remembered Cas’ advice. ‘Think before you speak. Impress with drahy’s credentials’.


“-Yes. Lieutenant Cassidy Petar.” Adrian said again, purposely trying to make his voice a little louder. “24 years of age, with 7 years’ experience in the Time Agency. From the same unit as Captain Lydia Andler. He – he specialises in combat. And h-has taken several training modules, such as sharp shooting, stealth, torture resistance…” He mentally went through his head everything Cas had told him, not just in the brief moments they shared together in the medical bay, but also everything he’d shamelessly bragged about during the last 2 years. Skills of course, which Ade had seen for himself, and so could confidently testify to. “He’s naturally driven to undertake missions in quick succession. Even if they’re…unexpected.” Adrian squirmed again as the leaders watched him silently. He looked up to see Ahnna entering from a side door, quietly moving into place on the gallery.


chellemrys:


The serpentine leader pursed his scaled lips, flicking a tongue out to smell the air. A few looked impressed, scratching some notes on a pad in front of them on the table, glancing up at Adrian every few seconds as he listed credentials. “Unlike Captain Andler, he sseems to have more experience, asssh in yearssh, in the field.” He commented, noting how Lydia was a Captain, but was a strategist and a leader who sat on board the Andromeda base for years. Cassidy was a Lieutenant with more mission experience, despite their same date of enlistment.


The snake was the most aggressive of the panel, leaning forward in scrutiny. “We have tesssted all of the agentss except the Lieutenant.” He crossed his arms, mildly irritated by the fact he couldn’t have that show. “You ssaid he was a sharp ssshooter?” The panel turned towards each other, beginning to discuss in private. Soon the center man emerged from the huddle, “Bring us the Lieutenant, wheel him down here.”


Within minutes Cas was through the door, cuffed to a wheelchair now, and looking extremely confused and a complete mess. A hospital gown was on, although they had given him some clean sweatpants. His old clothes had been ripped up and ruined by the heavy amount of blood from his previous injuries, so he moved in light, airy cotton in his chair, eyes travelling up and down the panel, to Adrian and Ahnna, and all over the scene. They had just dragged him out of bed, and brought him here. He was supposed to be moving minimally, and resting. Instead they dragged his behind to be tested, as though his survival and credentials weren’t evidence enough. They must have just liked a good show…


Orders began being barked in the Shialan language, Adrian being grabbed out of his seat and brought to a chair in the far end of the room. They placed Cas by the doorway, the complete opposite end of the courtroom. In a wheelchair too, sitting below Adrian’s height. A bright blue shield rose from the floor, a hologram structure. A force field. Cas’ dark eyes followed its movement, the ripples of the shield’s waves buzzing and illuminating the room. “Lieutenant- we were told you are a sssharp ssshooter? We want proof of everyone’ssh credentials and training, ssoo, if you would, we want a demonsstration.” A guard approached Adrian, ordering him to sit extremely still. A top his head they placed a very narrow vegetable, resembling a pickle. But bright purple, of course. A vegetable Cas had often brought home to bake with.


Cas stiffened in his chair, eyes connecting with Adrian’s as they placed the item on his head. The agent bit his lip, a tiny smile rising to his lips. To the side, Ahnna seemed particularly excited, bouncing in place practically with an eager twitch of her lips. Handing gas a standard plasma pistol, the guard backed away. All weapons were snapped up, trained on the Lieutenant. They hadn’t uncuffed him either. He tugged at the chain on the metal bar, but the panel only stared at him. Unsympathetic.


Grumbling, he felt the weight of the gun in his weak arm. A guard kept reminding Adrian to sit still, just so the item would remain on his head. Cas’ eyes rose to remind Adrian to stay still so he didn’t accidentally kill him. The Lieutenant flexed his weak arm, that had been shot twice in the past few days. It had gone through a lot - muscles being torn, his hand being blown off and replaced, and the muscle needed to rebuild strength overall. But they still expected him to lift this gun steadily with one hand. A confident smile rose to his lips - reassurance as he raised the gun, hunching down and closing one eye. “Adrian - do not move.” He mouthed, hand visibly shaking in weakness. He stuck out the tip of his tongue, biting it in concentration. It was a long shot; Adrian was a complete courtroom away, at least twenty yards away. His narrowed eye searched for his target, trying not to burn a hole through Adrian’s scalp at the same time. The vegetable was lying almost flat on his head, making the task even more demanding.


Cassidy grinned, locking his arm and fighting to keep it steady. Adrian looked ready to melt in his chair, get up screaming and run away. The Lieutenant began mouthing a countdown: ‘One… Tw-” Before he even finished the word, he shot; the fruit atop Adrian’s head exploded, splattering into the wall behind him. Burning a hole through the woodwork. Raising the gun, the Lieutenant shot the lights above them out without glancing up, the entire room going dark. He shoved his wheelchair forward, riding it and ducking as the guards began shooting at where he previously had been. Cas swung around, shooting a beverage /and/ a pen out of the secretary’s hand, who screeched and jumped up, arms waving. After he dropped weapon, ducked down still, with arms raised. Hearing the gun drop, the guards immediately sprung on Cas, twisting his hurt arm around behind his back and holding him down in the chair, making his eyes squeeze shut, feet kicking off back and forth, trying not the scream at the awful biting pain in his mangled arm.


Laine:


Minutes later, the door to the waiting room swung open. A total of three guards dragged Ade back in, restoring the cuffs around his wrists and slamming him down on the couch. The two others in the room looked at him in shock; his chin and nose were bloody, he was shaking all other, and remnants of an alien vegetable were dripping off his hair, onto his forehead. The usually overly-clean doctor didn’t seem to mind this, however, and merely leaned forward on his seat, clasping both shaking hands against his face as if he were hiding.


Lydia bit her lip, eyeing the guards beside him. They looked extremely tense, on high-alert after seeing what their prisoner’s drahy was capable of. “Ade…” She murmured tentatively, “What happened…?”Adrian stayed in the same spot, letting out a groan as he drew his hands slowly over his face. His green eyes stayed staring blankly into space.


“We’re dead.” He groaned, a shiver passing through his body as he said it. “Me and Cas are so…so dead.”


----


The lead councillor straightened his hair out, letting out a sigh of relief as the crazed alien was finally sedated and wheeled away. By this time, the backup lights had flickered on, revealing the rest of the courtroom. No-one appeared to be injured, although the secretary creature looked about ready to pass out. The representatives chattered busily, hungry for a verdict. There was a tap tap tap as the lead councillor called for order.


“Right.” He said, regaining his composure and lowering his head to read from the list. “Before we discuss the final decision, we are to hear from our own Captain Ahnna Malkov, of Shiala. She recommended these…Agents for asylum,” A small chuckle rolled through the courtroom, and several of the less-shocked leaders smirked in agreement. The leader nodded to the white-haired Agent sat across from them in the docks, “-You will give your testimony to their suitability of G.A.A. citizenship. If you will.”


She rose from her seat, still shaking from the excitement of Cas’ performance. Her entire face was flushed red, although not from embarrassment as the leaders would guess. There was a vigour to her voice as she spoke. “I believe they are /all/ suitable for asylum, sir.”


The leader adjusted his glasses, moving his eyes slowly to look at the light with a large bullethole in it, before back to her. She nodded in recognition of his point, “Lieutenant Petar was merely trying to prove a point, sir. His shooting skills are unparalleled. I have been training since I was seven and I know for a fact I could not confidently make that shot, nor attempt to shoot an even smaller object from further away, in the dark.”


“Yesss.” The scaled leader curled his tongue, “You would not…becausssse you are not that ssstupid, not that recklessss.” His yellow eyes were narrowed in accusation. The Captain did not bat an eyelid.


“Nevertheless. I was inspired, sir. We simply cannot let talent and bravery like that go to waste. It would be a greater crime to deny him citizenship, at this stage.” Her chest swelled with pride, eyes bright – as if she was speaking about /her own/ drahy. “I have watched him, as his comrade. And to ensure the utmost safety for both parties, I would like to offer myself, and continue to watch him, to be his mentor, and have him work underneath me.” There was a curl of her lips – still warm and tingling from their meeting earlier- as she finally brought the suggestion forward. Ahnna had to suppress a further smile as another leader across the room posed another question.


“But…what about the drahy?”


chellemrys:


Before Ahnna got the chance to speak, a woman who had been quiet spoke up, interrupting the agent. “Perhaps… We use that drahy as incentive.” They all turned to look at her, some nodding already. “If we wanted to keep him in line, surely keeping that young man under our watch, in our clutches, would make the Lieutenant behave. Then we could employ him.”


All the leaders turned this logic over in their minds, thinking it sound. “Look at the skill, the dexterity he showed. And it certainly was brave to take that chance. He obviously wanted to impress us all; he obviously wants to be a part of this organization… What do you think, Captain Malkov?”


A nervous smile spread over her face, and she laughed weakly, “Yes… Yes- that surely would work.” The only a couple members of the panel grumbled, unsure still of letting the enemy join their ranks.


“That “Doctor” Aderiyaan Masoon…” Many of the attendees snickered at the title, shaking their heads. “He is a ransom to one of the agents. If we find weak spots of these agents, we can control them. And if they betray us, it will be too easy to annihilate them, seeing as they have no where else to go. I say we give them apartments. There we can watch them, and control them. If they misbehave we can cut off their earnings, or shut off utilities. Make them swear allegiance, and then we watch and wait.”


She finished her point, and they all looked around the room. Ahnna’s face was burning, thinking of Adrian getting to live under a government fund, with Cas as his legal drahy on /this/ planet too. “We will take a vote.” The center man said, clicking on a panel in front of him. “All in favor of granting asylum, if these agents swear allegiance to the G.A.A., enter your agreement. If not…”


Soon the three captives were being led back into the courtroom, lined up for the decision and possible sentencing.


chellemrys:


The doctor looked bleak as he sat back at his court-room chair, his legs shaking under the table and his eyes worn and tired. He briefly looked around the room, worried that the Lieutenant was absent – unbeknownst to him, Cassidy had been taken back to the medical bay, handcuffed by both hands to the wheelchair after being heavily sedated. Dane and Lydia sat beside Adrian, with the former looking slightly agitated and the latter looking cool and poised as ever. Ahnna sat in the docks, looking down at Ade with an almost angry expression. He wondered what had gone on during the deliberation to warrant such a look, but before he could guess, the centre man stood. This time the courtroom fell silent of it’s own accord.


“I will now read the results of the deliberation and testing of these asylum-seeking Agents, whom are refugees of our oppressors, the U.G.G. They have each pleaded their case, and will be subject to whatever fate this court has decided upon, effective immediately.” The centre man paused, his eyes scanning the room until he fell upon Adrian. “Before we begin, I will note that for the purpose of this ruling, Private Aderiyaan Masoon and his drahy Lieutenant Cassidy Petar will be treated as separate entities, as the court has decided on different terms for-”


“-Y-you can’t do that…!” Adrian blurted without thought. Despite his voice not being loud, the centre man stopped as the translation appeared on the screen. He peered at the auburn-haired doctor through his glasses, his face a deep frown. The young man began to panic as the thought of them being separated because of his mistakes suddenly became all the more real. The guards reacted to the interruption too, shifting forward and raising the barrels of their guns slightly.


“The binding ceremony is not often practiced within this jurisdiction.” The centre man said bluntly, leaning back again. “We had no legal obligation to acknowledge it when we allowed you visitation, and we have no legal obligation to acknowledge it now. When the Lieutenant regains consciousness he will be re-read these verdicts, under the same conditions you are under now. Now, if you could abstain from interrupting, Private-”


The doctor huffed indignantly, sitting back on his chair. His facial expression was a combination of fear and frustration, and he avoided eye contact with either Lydia, Ahnna or Dane as the leader began to read out the final verdicts. Begging that it was at least Cassidy who was being allowed in – otherwise he would never forgive himself.


 
"First- for Lieutenant Cassidy Petar and Captain Lydia Andler. They are being considered together based off their caliber of performance." The speaker paused, reading over the decision in his head. "The panel rules they shall be granted asylum, and will take an oath today to achieve citizenship. They both will be employed as specialized agents of the G.A.A., and will relinquish any knowledge of the U.G.G. our government desires upon entry. Failure to meet these terms will result in a denial of asylum."


Suddenly he turned towards the other two. Lydia watched the others from the corner of her eyes, before squeezing them shut at the beginning of the announcement, "Privates Dane Cohl and Aderiyaan Masoon..." A brief pause, a catch of breath in Dane's throat as he sat straight like an arrow, eyes huge, "The panel has decided to deny both of you asylum, on the basis that there is no foreseeable use for either of you in the the government. Your status with the G.A.A. is... Pending."


With that the paper was sat on the desk; people began to get up and leave. Guards rushed forward, snatching both Adrian and Dane by the shoulders, tearing the two from their seats. Lydia was left alone, unmoving and stiff, unsure and afraid she couldn't help her comrades. She had her eyes squeezed shut as Dane began screaming at the panel, being dragged away and through the door, where the sound quickly died. Out of the safety of a pending asylum or citizen status, a number of things could happen to those two: Torture, expulsion, or maybe even execution because they had seen the inside of the G.A.A. - a black hole to all who existed outside it.


"Please wake and retrieve the Lieutenant."