Chapter Text
Hi'a'shi, of course, loves his bonded. Since the day he first set eyes on the Era’suur, he knew he stood no chance. Though gruff in nature, he was- and still is- one of the most loving, thoughtful, and caring people Hi'a'shi knows. So, when Sho'a asked Hi'a'shi if he wanted to accompany him on a short demonstration patrol with his class, with the students separated into groups of five, of course he said yes.
The first three groups were easy, the short patrols coming and going with no issues or accidents. Which, quite frankly, should have been the first sign that something would go wrong eventually. Five students of varying species, trapped in a single ship for a quarter cycle? That always leads to some kind of disaster. It doesn’t seem like a long time for seasoned agents, like Hi'a'shi and Sho'a, but, with a group of younglings, even a half quarter cycle can be an eternity.
Hi'a'shi exhales heavily, pushing himself up from his haunches. He glances around the cell that has become their home for at least a half moon revolution, the melancholy that has been haunting him ever since they were captured descending upon him as he looks at his Bonded once more. When the pirates finally managed to board, Sho'a was both the first and most aggressive attacker. He did his best to defend the students, but, in the end, he paid for it.
The patrol demo was going smoothly at first, no different from any of the other groups. There was a little tension between Bak'go and To'roki, but that was all. Then, in the blink of an eye, they were surrounded by a small fleet of pirates. Four ships normally wouldn’t cause much of an issue for Hi'a'shi and Sho'a, but, with a group of younglings, their first priority was to get the students to safety. Fighting was not an ideal solution when something could go wrong, however small the likelihood. But the pirates’ ships were small and fast, and, in their large, clunky, basic demo ship, they stood no chance. When one of the pirate ships managed to land a hit on one of their thrusters, they couldn’t even move, let alone escape or fight.
Left with few options, when their ship was drawn in and connected to the docking bay, he and his Bonded pushed the students back and prepared for a fight. A fight that, though unfortunate, was fairly quick. One of the pirates struck Sho'a with their electrified whip after barely a click, taking Sho'a out of the fight, and Hi'a'shi was no match all alone. Not without risking deafening his Bonded and his students with his species’ scream.
Hi'a'shi walks forward, his talons click-clack ing on the floor as he steps closer to his Bonded. The injury finally scabbed over a few rotations ago, but it certainly isn’t healed yet. A long gash runs down Sho'a’s side, created by the sharp, arrow-like barb at the end of the whip. It wasn’t deep enough to be fatal, but paired with the electricity, it’s no surprise that Sho'a went down quickly.
An annoyed voice breaks Hi'a'shi out of his thoughts, drawing his attention to his left, toward the corner of the cell. “So… how the fuck are we going to get out of here?” Bak'go asks from where he leans against the bars in the corner.
To'roki, blandly, replies before Hi'a'shi can. “You’ve already asked that, about 15 times by my count, and the answer has yet to change.”
“I strongly suggest we do not aggravate our teammates! Please refrain from antagonizing him, To'roki! And Bak'go, please refrain from foul language!” Iida pushes his way into the conversation, standing up from where he was sitting on the floor, his pincers clicking a few times in annoyance.
“Who’s antagonizing? I’m simply stating a fact.”
“I’m gonna ‘state’ my claws through your face, Icyhot!”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Settle down!” Sho'a snaps, barely raising his head to fix the three students with a glare.
A quiet mumble broke the silence. “Made total sense to me.”
“Kam'nari!” Sho'a’s head twisted, his glare finding its way to Kam'nari, who squeaks and hides behind Iida’s legs.
“Can we not do this right now? We’ve gone almost the whole rotation without any fights, and I’m tired of hearing you three bicker. Just wait a few more clicks for lights out and go to sleep,” Ur'aka says, her head dropping to lay on her raised knees.
Hi'a'shi watches, amused, before finally taking a breath to express his agreement. “Ur'aka’s right, guys-”
A sudden shush cuts him off, his eyes flicking down to offer his Bonded a questioning tilt of his head. Sho'a meets his eyes, disguised concern barely visible on his face. “I hear people coming this way.”
Hi'a'shi turns to the hallway, peering through the bars to try to get a glimpse of who, or what, is approaching. He takes a step back when he finally picks up on the noise that first alerted Sho'a to the newcomers. A dragging sound gets louder as they get closer, with several pairs of footsteps thumping against the metal floor, confirming the presence of many guards. Hi'a'shi shares an uneasy look with Sho'a, then they turn to look at the students. “Gather in the corner, all of you,” Sho'a commands, his stern voice leaving no room for objections. The students, without hesitation - for the most part, Hi'a'shi does not acknowledge Bak'go’s frustrated grumbling - do as Sho'a asks.
It isn’t long before the group comes into view, causing Hi'a'shi’s eyes to widen at the sheer amount of guards that travel with what seems to be a single prisoner. Leading the group is an Oriri’vry, the same species as Ur'aka and the most common of the sentient races. Behind her are the two dragging the prisoner, one of them a large, stocky Firierodu, the other a Njilu. More than the others, the two heavy-lifters drew his attention. It wasn’t uncommon to see a Njilu on a crew, but due to their inability to make the sounds needed to speak common, they tended to keep to themselves. Most didn’t like to lug around translators on their necks, and their long, bulky bodies, paired with stumpy legs, didn’t make them ideal for maneuvering the usually tight quarters of a ship. However, Njilus were strong and fierce, ideal for a crew dealing with potentially dangerous captives. The Firierodu was nothing out of the ordinary, but his presence set Hi'a'shi on edge. Firierdus’ hard plates were nearly impervious to most weapons. If they felt the need to send a Firierdu with whatever they were bringing, it had to be something that could deal some serious damage.
Hi'a'shi tried to stand taller, wanting to see what species their new company would be, but his view was still blocked. He huffed, pulling his eyes from them and eyeing the second Oriri’vry at the back of the group, walking next to an Elerack, the same species as Kam'nari. Common on pirate ships like this one, with their electricity output acting as an easy shut down of any attempts to escape or fight back.
Without acknowledging Hi'a'shi, Sho'a, or the students, the front Oriri’vry opens the cell next to theirs, stepping back to allow the Firierodu to toss the newcomer in. The Njilu quickly slams the door shut once the Firierodu steps back, the auto-locking mechanism clicking into place immediately.
The two Oriri’vry rush out as soon as the door is locked, a communication pad in the first one’s hand.
A series of hissing and clicking suddenly sound out, followed by a robotic voice translating into Common. “I can’t believe they brought that thing here,” the Njilu - or well, technically their translator - says as the three remaining pirates turn to the door, slowly following after the Oriri’vry.
“Tell me about it,” The Elerack grumbles. “I’ve been hired for many crews and I’ve been all over, but never has one of those crews tried something so bold.”
“Personally, I thought they would be bigger and not so,” the Firierodu pauses as if looking for the words. “Fleshy.”
“It looks so docile, I would have thought it was a prey species if not for the front set eyes. Maybe their reputation has been blown out of proportion after all…” the robotic voice of the translator fades as the door to the cell block closes behind the group.
No one moves for several seconds, uncertainty rippling through the group. Finally, Bak'go breaks the silence. “The fuck did they just bring in here?” Hi'a'shi half expects Iida to reprimand him for his language, but only silence meets his ears.
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t seem like that big of a threat.” Kam'nari responds after a moment. “It doesn’t even have claws or anything, from what I can see. They mentioned front set eyes, but that’s the only thing pointing toward the idea that it’s not a prey species.”
“Don’t make hasty judgments. We went over this in class, Kam'nari. We never rule out a threat for looks alone,” Sho'a says, narrowing his eyes, having never taken them off of the creature.
Hi'a'shi nods, agreeing, then takes a breath and steps forward. “I’ll get closer to check it out, everyone stay back just in case.” Sho'a finally tears his eyes away to make eye contact with Hi'a'shi, inclining his head and taking a few steps back.
Hi'a'shi steels himself, facing toward the bars separating them from the newly occupied cell. The figure is laying on its back from where it was thrown into the cell, its face turned away so Hi'a'shi can’t see what it looks like. It has some type of thick green fur growing from the top of its head, but no visible fur anywhere else. Its lower body is covered in a thick, tough-looking cloth, similar to the pants that Ur'aka, Bak'go, and To'roki wear. Its upper body is covered in a softer black garment with another pale purple cloth underneath.
Hi'a'shi creeps closer to the bars, trying to get a better look at the finer details. Kam'nari is right, it doesn’t have any claws beyond what look like short, thin, clear shells on the tips of its fingers. Some of the clear shells are jagged and red, though they don’t look sharp, and much too short to do any damage. He tries to see if its back legs have any claws, but they are covered in another thick, sturdy garment that reaches up about halfway to the backwards knee joint. He frowns. Why would this creature want to cover its feet? Wouldn’t that make it hard to run or even walk?
He stands up taller, trying to see the creature’s face. Maybe it has fangs of some kind? His eyes land on the creature’s features, inspecting them. Something about it is familiar, but he can’t place exactly where he has seen its species before. Its mouth is open slightly, revealing, for the majority, flat teeth. He tilts his head, confused by the combination of teeth types. A grinder and a meat eater, likely, but it doesn’t look like it could do much damage with a bite. Not many species are omnivores, with Firierodu being one of the few. Another detail that is rather confusing are the front set eyes. They aren’t a combination or some kind of in between, they are fully front facing. Not designed for watching for threats, and what could it use to fight off the threats on its planet?
He can’t think of any planets that have entirely docile species, there is always an apex predator of some kind. Maybe it’s a new planet? Which would mean this is a species on the more newly discovered side. The pirates were so nervous, possibly because of a lack of information? Or maybe-
Hi'a'shi stumbles back, a gasp falling from his lips. This… is very bad.
“Hi'a'shi? What’s wrong?” Sho'a called out from behind him, disguised worry drifting in his voice. “What is it?”
Hi'a'shi backs up another step, not wanting to turn away from the Deathworlder in front of him. “It’s a Terran Deathworlder.” His voice leaves him quieter than he expected, and he swallows, unused to speaking at such a low volume. But it doesn’t matter how quiet he is, Sho'a’s ears are amazing, and he’s sure to hear anyways.
“It can’t be, all the way out here? What’s a Terran doing so far from its home world?”
“Maybe it’s not far from its home world. Or, perhaps it wasn’t far when it was picked up. We don’t know where the pirates have been, maybe we went to them .”
“Hah? What the fuck is a Terran?” Bak'go demands, drawing the attention of the two teachers.
“It’s…” Sho'a paused, allowing himself to collect his thoughts. “They were invited to the PAC Corps just a few decades ago, when they started improving their space travel technology. They were making giant leaps so fast, they caught the attention of the Council. They were worried that if they didn’t make contact first, the Terrans would become violent.”
“Violent? What made them think that would be their first reaction?” Ur'aka cut in, worry evident in her features.
“Well, they didn’t attack any sentient species, if that’s what you are worried about. It’s more about their history and their world,” Hi'a'shi starts to explain. “They’re Deathworlders for the typical reasons: war, a deadly environment, unusual planet conditions.”
“So, like my home planet? Don’t see what’s so fuckin’ special about that.” Bak'go grumbles.
“ Except ,” Sho’a shoots Bak’go an unimpressed look. “On their planet, it’s all scaled up to the point that the council voted it a 9 on the Deathworld Scale.” Sho'a growls back, clearly annoyed at Bak'go’s dismissal of such a dangerous species. Bak’go’s reaction is as explosive as his species tend to be.
“They’re a fucking what!?”
“I don’t understand, is that a bad thing?” Kam'nari says, their electric stream sparking brightly for a moment. “Bak’go’s a Deathworlder too, so what’s the difference?”
“Bull shit ! My planet has the highest score on the scale, there’s no way that flesh bag scored higher!”
“That is not a good thing, Bak’go,” Iida calls loudly, almost completely drowning out To’roki when he responds bluntly with, “It isn’t the highest possible score, it’s just the highest existing score.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Bak’go growls angrily.
Hi’a’shi watches Kam'nari look between himself and Bak’go in confusion, accepting that he’s going to have to explain it a little bit more; preferably before Bak’go tries to start a fist fight. “The scale technically goes up to ten, but there’s only ever been one documented sentient species that reached further than a six on the scale. They’re extremely endangered now because the wars between their species ended up destroying both their homeworld and, subsequently, a large chunk of the race at once. The fact that Terrans have been classified as a nine and the planet is still thriving - or at the very least habitable - is, frankly, a miracle.”
“Terrans have evolved and developed inventions to combat their environment and the non-sentient species that live on their planet.” Sho’a opens his muzzle to continue with the impromptu - and probably illegal, if the council has anything to say about it - Species Lesson, but sudden movement from the Terran stops him from getting another word out.
Without warning, the Terran sits up, its eyes opening sharply, pointed towards the back bars. The group freezes, everyone turning to watch as Sho'a and Hi'a'shi shift back to their defensive positions guarding the students. The Terran shuts its eyes, lifting its hands to rub at its eyes. Hi'a'shi and Sho'a are tense as they watch the Terran open its eyes again, slowly standing up on its hind legs. Right- bipedal. He remembers that from the report.
Hi'a'shi’s feathers fluff up as the Terran looks around and spots them before quickly retreating to the other side of the cell. Its eyes squint until they’re narrow slits, skipping around the group, looking at each of them one by one, and Hi'a'shi tenses under its gaze. He feels scrutinized, stripped bare, as if the Terran is peeling them apart with its eyes alone.
It sinks back down to the floor, remaining focused on the group, never breaking its gaze. It seems to be making itself smaller. It was almost laughable, so unbelievable that Hi'a'shi wondered if it was some kind of bait it used to lull prey into a false sense of safety on its home planet. It keeps looking behind Hi'a'shi, at the students, and Hi'a'shi lets out a loud and threatening squawk, not loud enough to hurt his Bonded or his students’ ears, but enough to draw the Terran’s attention to himself instead.
Hi'a'shi steps forward, putting himself in front of the students and flaring his wings out as far as he can. He meets the Terran’s eyes, making sure to show no fear. He can’t show any kind of weakness that the Deathworlder might be able to latch on to, to exploit.
He tenses, preparing for the worst, when the Terran opens its mouth. It speaks , and not only does it demonstrate the ability to use a complex language structure, it speaks in Common .
“No fight! No fight!” The Terran says, its accent so thick that the words are nearly indecipherable. It’s like a slower and thicker version of the way Kiri'ima speaks, but the basic sounds are, shockingly, nearly identical.
Hi'a'shi’s wings lower in astonishment at the words, and after a moment of hesitation, he responds. “You don’t want to fight us?” Hi'a'shi asks, unsure of himself. Could this be a fluke? It seems strange that a Deathworlder is asking for peace.
His response only seems to worry the Deathworder further, and sounds shoot from its mouth, rapid-fire and most certainly not any of the known languages, loud enough that it makes Hi'a'shi cringe in sympathy for his Bonded. Again, strangely, its language reminds him of Kiri'ima’s, but there are no words or phrases that are actually recognizable, at least not to Hi'a'shi.
Just as suddenly as it started, the Deathworlder cuts itself off, switching to Common. “No want fight,” it says, quieter than when it spoke its own language, and now Hi'a'shi can’t deny the fact that a Deathworlder is asking for a truce. “No want fight.” The repeated phrase breaks his train of thought, and he inspects the Terran.
“No fight,” he echoes, returning the sentiment in words he now knows the Terran understands. Its knowledge of Common is limited, but the message comes across clearly. Hi'a'shi lowers his wings and steps back, causing the Terran to let out a huge breath of air, similar to the huffing sounds that Hi'a'shi’s own species makes. Hi'a'shi extends his wing to Sho'a, urging him to back away towards the kids. They were being offered an easy, peaceful resolution to the almost-altercation, and Hi'a'shi was not going to let anyone lose them the opportunity.
Sho'a goes reluctantly, his paws padding softly on the floor in complement to the clicking of Hi'a'shi’s claws. Hi'a'shi settles into a seated position, but none of the kids or his Bonded do the same. He waits a few moments, and, when everyone still refuses to move, he hisses, “This isn’t a contest, everyone sit down right now. We are being offered an easy way out of this, so take it .”
Hi'a'shi’s eyes glide over the group, making sure to make eye contact with each of them for a moment. He intends to leave no room for argument or resistance; they can’t afford to pick a fight right now, not without more information. The students slowly take a seat, all still huddled into the corner, until the only one left standing is Sho'a.
Hi'a'shi watches his Bonded for a few seconds, but his impatience and anxiety win out. “Sit your ass on the floor, Az'awa Sho'a, or so help me…” He makes sure to keep his voice calm, not wanting to alarm the Terran, but he knows he has gotten his point across when Sho'a begrudgingly bends his legs, resting his head on his crossed paws. If it weren’t for his thrashing tails, Sho'a might look relaxed and comfortable.
He glances at the Deathworlder nervously, unsure what its reaction would be to Sho'a’s constant subconscious display of aggression. Luckily, their group effort seems to pay off, and it lays down with closed eyes, not asleep, if Hi'a'shi is not imagining the slight twitching every time any one of them moves. For a few ticks, the room is tense, the silence roaring in his ears.
Finally, someone speaks up. “I told you so, it’s no big deal,” Kam'nari says, sounding smug. “It didn’t even show one sign of aggression.”
“Are you a fucking moron?” Bak'go snaps, an aggressive smirk spreading across his face. “They don’t call it a Deathworlder for shits and giggles!”
“Well,” To'roki says blandly. “You would certainly be the expert among us.”
“The fuck did you just say to me?” Bak'go rounds on To'roki, his voice raised.
“It’s not like it’s meant to be a secret.” To'roki crosses his arms, his eyes rolling. “You’re the one always bragging about being some kind of big shot warrior.”
Bak'go growls, and Hi'a'shi shoots Sho'a a sympathetic look when he hears the long, suffering sigh.
“That’s because Charian Deathworlders are -”
“Settle down, both of you. I’m not going to tell you again,” Sho'a demands, his tails flicking sharply in the air. “Though it pains me to admit, Bak'go is right. Not just anything gets the title of a ‘Deathworld,’ and I’m not keen on finding out how this species survives on one.”
Bak'go shoots To'roki a smug look, who only tilts his head, his face blank. Hi'a'shi will never be able to read that kid, he’s worse than Sho'a was when they were in UA together. “See? I told you-”
“Can we not argue right now?” Ur'aka cuts off Bak'go’s remark, exasperated. “I’m tired and we don’t know what situation we’re in right now. So can we just - can we just go to sleep now?” She sounds, well, done. It’s a feeling Hi'a'shi is more than familiar with.
“Ur'aka makes a good point, the lights should go out soon. Why don’t we all call it early and just wait for the night cycle?” Hi'a'shi adds, his feathers rustling. He settles in close to his Bonded, tucking his legs under himself and pressing the wing closest to Sho'a gently against his fur. They aren’t supposed to let the students know they’re Bonded, let alone the pirates. No telling how they could use their connection as a weapon against them for whatever they have planned. But these students have known for several rotations now, and they aren’t quite obvious enough for the pirates to pick up on anything.
Thankfully, the students go quiet without much push back. They must have been more tired than they let on. Surprisingly, Bak'go is the first one to lay down on the metal, crossing his arms over his chest and staring up at the ceiling. One by one, the others follow, until they have all made themselves comfortable, or, as comfortable as they can be.
A few clicks later, the lights shut off for the star cycle, but it isn’t as relaxing as Hi'a'shi was hoping it would be. As soon as the room plunges into darkness, sudden movement from the Terran’s cell has all of them tensing. It sits up sharply, its head twisting from side to side swiftly. Hi'a'shi is surprised it hasn’t gotten whiplash with its rapid scanning. Finally, after a few more ticks, it stops, turning towards them. Hi'a'shi freezes, and he can feel his Bonded’s muscles flexing beside him. The two strips of green fur on its face shift lower before the Terran lays back down, this time facing the opposite way, and makes itself smaller, bringing its legs up to what Hi'a'shi assumes is its torso.
It takes a few ticks for his Bonded to relax again, but when he does, Hi'a'shi releases a quiet huff of air as he prepares for another night behind bars.