Alone Together (IC)

Stubbs and Wiremu couldn't see a thing. Hearing was dulled as well. Whatever had been put over their heads was doing its best to null their senses. The shaking and rocking of movement continued for some time before stopping abruptly. A heavy metal door opened and the Chindit and Bastard felt themselves pulled up out of their sitting position and thrust back onto their own two feet. They walked for some time. The muffled opening and closing of doors came and went as they moved. The air became thicker, warmer. Eventually a final door opened and they were forced to sit.

Time ticked on. It was unclear just how much had passed given the disorientation of the head covering. Any attempt at speaking was met with no response. Could their voices not escape? Claustrophobia set in, causing an anxious sweat from those who feared the closed off space. Loneliness. Despair. Fear. Exhaustion. Were these their memories or the work of the head cover? Did it matter if they felt real?

Just as your inner thoughts were becoming too much to bear, the masks were pulled off and the world was revealed...

...Brightness. Light shining down from ceiling orbs. It was impossibly bright given the pitch black you had just come from. As your eyes adjust, you can make out a few things. You were in a room, sitting on a metal bench. Your hands were in front of you now, locked into a table to restrict your movement. When they were placed from behind your back to in front of you, you cannot recall.

There is another figure seated across from you. As your eyes come into focus, you can see her confident face. Sat on the table is an arbiter's helmet.

Spoiler:

She says nothing as she waits for you to come to your senses.

Wiremu let the arbites do their work, and made sure to not offer any resistance.

Damn kids...

But he couldnt complain too much. That was him when he was younger. Running around with a bunch of kids causing trouble.

God his nana whipped him good when she found out.

At least this time, he wasnt completely in the wrong...not that the arbites would care...

He sighs and closes his eyes and waits.

****

After waiting...and waiting...and waiting, the hood was finally pulled off and although the light was bright and painful, it still brought relief from the suffocating darkness.

He blinks and squints his eyes, trying to adjust to the light. As the face slowly comes into focus.

"Oh shiiiiiiit. You are pretty as fu.....oh..."

He suddenly remembers where he is and stammers and blushes.

"...oh Sir...uhh Ma'am uhh sorry..."

He closes his mouth and attempts to salute, his hand stopping well short, being caught by the restraints.

He finally takes a breath, rests his hands on the table, and waits.

Stubbs be beginnin' ta spiral out. The damn hood or whateva be happenin' was gettin' to 'im. He been in tha shit befo...but dis was a bit much...considerin' dey jus' been out attacked by kids and the like. Shit tho, dey be in it now. Sweat be formin' round him...beads droppin' down his taunt muscles, makin' him slick wit tha fear. Fear of nah bein' able ta get back...fear of nah bein' able to get it done.

Fear of nah' gettin' ta avenge her.

Barb.

Her sweet silky fighuh be comin' inta focus...almos' like she be really der. Really swayin' back and furth to come on ova ta tha big man. It be mesmerizin' as feth. And tha big man, smilin' at her, hopin' dis be real. Hopin' she back and dis all been a fethin' nightmare. Hopin' she be comin' ta make it all right.

Den tha hood rips off.

+++++

Squintin' in tha bright light...tha big man les hisself get back to it. No time fuh fairytalin'...

"Shiiii, and it be jus' gettin' good too."

He be listenin' to tha stammerin' o' ol smoke grenade next ta 'im.

"Yo, calm yo ass down. Dey least be wantin' ta talk first."

She says nothing. She stares at them, both of them. Somehow she is able to look between them, through them, but her head never moves.

And she doesn't utter a word.

The big man be wrong befuh. Dey sit in the stillness-like all quiet and shit fuh a few minutes, befuh Stubbs be thinkin' dey be needin' ta talk first.

"Uhhh...pardon me ma'm, but do you gots any questions fuh us?"

She opened her eyes at Stubbs' question.

She had just been staring at you, hadn't she? Perhaps your brains were still reeling from the hoods, but her eyes definitely just opened. They must have been closed then.

"I am Special Arbitrator Anderson. You were brought here for," she pulled out a dataslate and began scrolling. "Disorderly conduct, attacks on multiple minors, mayhem, and unleashing toxic fumes within a sealed environment. Quite a number given you haven't been on Port Wander but a scant hour and a half, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by Guardsmen on leave. That is what you are right - Astra Militarum? If you don't mind my asking, which regiment do you serve with?"

Wiremu looked up at the charges.

"Special Arbiter, ma'am, we didnt attack nobody! Those little shits came at us. WE was just going about looking for our friend...yeah i did let off the smoke grenade...but i did that to try get some attention scare the little punks away!"

He stops talking and takes another breath.

"Ah...sorry ma'am....214th Indira Chindits assigned to House Aldor on The Hudson..."

Stubbs be feelin' it he be guessin', cause damn if she didn't be openin' her eyes jus' now...

He be waitin' befuh tha otha one done talkin', takin' a big 'ol sigh first.

"I mean, shoot, yeah, them rascals be tryin' ta start up a lil' fightin'. They be actin' too big fuh thuh britches tho, if you know wha I be sayin'. I thought I be teachin' dem a lesson like. Oh, and uh, yeah, Formerly of the 666th Penal Rejuhment, or uh, tha Bastards, but now bein' part of da Hudson."

Special Arbitrator Anderson regarded Wiremu as he gave his passionate reply. She waited until he and Stubbs had both finished before giving her reply. Her tone remained level, even friendly.

"'Anybody.' You didn't attack anybody, otherwise it is a double-negative and your words imply that you did, in fact attack someone. And that would only serve to hurt your case. Thus, you 'did not attack anybody.' 214th Chindits. Your regiment sounds familiar, but I cannot place them. Surely they must have taught you how to defend yourself against children without resorting to grenades of any sort, yes? Regardless, I do appreciate your confession of guilt. That will look favorably on you."

She then focuses on Stubbs. "Ah, so you are both in the employ of the frigate Hudson current docked with the station. And a former penal trooper no less. So, you are on leave then? Wonderful."

She waits patiently for responses.

Spoiler:

Stubbs thought he be knowin' tha type. Arbitrator...damn well fine and propuh like. Always makin' shuh to be correctin' people when deys been speakin' a lil wrong. Course, deyd been givin' up on him, not knowin' how da feth ta be fixin' his speech patturns. In any case...deys wasn't be in da shit jus' yet. Nah, deys already be gone if deys in tha shit. Already in a pen.

"Yes'um, we been set ta be on leave down hur and it be our first time out. Guess we been a bit jumpy cause 'o all da fightin' we been doin' presently. Jus' tha otha week we been havin' a hoard of dem green ones bearin' down on us...and feth me, we somehow got out of it. Apologies nah be gettin' us far...but sorry we be causin' a ruckus out in ya port."

"You've been battling Orks?I have never had the opportunity to see one in person. The reckless part of me is envious of your experience, but the logical part knows that it was most assuredly horrific and brutal in the extreme."

Emotion translated loudly in her brow and facial features. Empathy, sympathy, sadness.

She looked squarely in Stubbs' eyes as she spoke, ignoring Wiremu for the time being as he was completely silent.

"If you are able, I would like to hear of your experiences with the Ork."

Wiremu nervously looks down at the admonishment, firmly reminded of one of his teachers from his early school days.

She used to always pick him out because he wasnt as smart as the other kids. He was fast and small, and was shit hot at machines!...but she never saw that. If you didnt score well in the tests then you were a failure....

Mumbling slightly under his breath, he replies to the Arbitrator.

"...Yeah...I didnt attack "anybody". My koro always taught me not to pick on those weaker than me..."

His hand instinctively drops to where his patu usually hangs...

"...Bunch of kids is still a bunch of kids and i wasnt about to hit them...if i did you would still have arrested me for assault or some bullshit..."

"Quite so." The special Arbitrator looked momentarily displeased that she wouldn't hear anymore about Orks.

Oh well. We cannot always get what we want.

"Your prospects aren't looking good. Lashings and heavy fines which, I assume, would have to be paid by your benefactor who might rightly want to save his money and leave you here to work it off."

She interlaced her fingers and set them on the table.

"There is another way. Would that suit either of you?"

Wiremu sighs.

Typical

"That depends ma'am...what is the other way?"

He gave a sideways glance at Stubbs, slightly worried at his silence...

Stubbs began to be speakin' up on account of hisself bein' too silent like.

"'Pologies mam', shoulda been speakin' up befuh my counterpart hur. The Orks be damn fine fightuhs. Ruthless-like, merciless hulks that damn well go ta meet there gods than surrender. Course you can go fuh tha head. Kill da leader and ya kill tha lot of dem. Infightin' and such."

He sighs a bit before continuin'.

"We was in the shit wit dem fuh a while. Til we used some good 'ol fashioned Imperium stompin' in on them."

He perks up at the opportunity presented.

"Shoot, whatcha be thinkin' fuh us ta do?"

She looked at Wiremu with a raised eyebrow. "Oh. It depends? Is that so? Well, if you enjoy your prospects and want to roll those dice, be my guest. I believe the minimum lashings for any infraction starts at 15."

She smiled with genuine sadness at Stubbs. "I am truly sorry we cannot finish your story. Perhaps another time."

She stood and made her way to the door.

Wiremu replied, his chin held slightly higher.

"On whether or not what you have us do is legal or not. I will take the lashes and keep my integrity. I know how you types are miss. Always using people cos they don't have a choice. You may sneer and look down on me for that, but i dont give shit. Do what you want. You people always do anyways."

He looks away and stares at the wall, thinking of his Whanae back home.

Special Arbitrator Anders stopped at the door and looked back at Wiremu with a hard set face, but in her eyes was sadness.

"I am sorry you don't see that what comes next is of your own doing. I gave you a chance, but you would rather 'take the lashes and keep your integrity,' right? I will give you what you want."

She turned to Stubbs and just shook her head. He was clearly the reasonable one, but they would suffer together.

+++

The hoods went back on. There was movement, but it was impossible to follow. When the hoods came off, Stubbs and Wiremu were bound to two steel poles so that they were hugging them. There shirts were off and they could only turn their heads enough to see one another.

The room they were in was built specifically for this purpose. Aside from the servitor holding the electro-whip, no one else was in the room.

An androgynous voice came over the vox. "Begin. One."

The hits were simultaneous. Hard lashes made of grox hide firmly wrapped around a central electro-wire snapped expertly against the soldiers' backs. The initial pain was horrendous, but the lingering jolts of fried nerve endings added an extra something that both would recall for years after.

Stubbs, bigger and much more muscular than Wiremu, took them in stride. They hurt. They hurt badly. But he grit his teeth and soaked it in. The Chindit was not nearly used to such abuse. The first round of lashings left him breathless and sagging on the pole. Both men were sweaty from the enduring, but Wiremu looked pale.

As the count hit "seven" his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out.

"Stop. 15 lashes counted and recorded. For the Emperor."

Boots echoed into the small room. A faint voice was heard by Stubbs. "Get the medic in here and see that they are fed."

The boots echoed out the door. In a few moments someone was tending to the wounds. Stubbs breathed easily once more as the bag went on and his world went dark.


+++


The meal was spartan. Nutrient paste in a bowl with recycled water and some random contents from a field ration kit. Needless to say, the two were well acquainted, that is when Wiremu finally came to some hours later.

The room was much the same, but now your hands were no longer clasped to the table allowing you to eat.

There was not much else to do but wait.

Wiremu had fought hard to stay awake and not cry out but this had quickly wilted away as the whips had bit into his flesh.

When he had awoken his back felt a fire and he had nearly passed out again.

He heard noise in the room and turned to see Stubbs, and at the same time nearly threw up from the pain of the action.

Weakly he spoke to the big man.

"...sorry..."

Stubbs felt the pain coursin' thru his back, but damn if anybudy been lookin' dey wouldn'ta be knowin' any difference. Wuddn't the first time Stubbs had been lashed and it damn well wuddn't be tha last time. He eats tha meal slowly like, crunchin' down on anythang that damn well be crunchy. He be lookin' ova at Wiremu, still knocked out frum all ta excitement. He sighs, waitin' for him ta wake up.

+++++

He be hearin' tha small voice frum beside him, a swellin' of anger bubblin' up inside.

"Ya kno...shit man. We cudda jus' been doin' tha thang fuh huh. I mean shoot, now we's prolly gonna be doin' it anyway...all dem cops be twisted and such. Feth me, we jus' had ta be goin' and gettin' whipped too. Feth...dis might be ya furst time wit tha law...but shit man, don't be gon embarassin' yoself like that..."

He gets back to tha food, waitin' fuh what was next.

Some time after dinner, Special Arbitrator Anderson paid the two another visit. Their hands were still uncuffed, but she didn't seem to care as she walked in and sat across from them.

"Let me begin by apologizing. That was unfortunate, and I had hoped to avoid it altogether. I didn't offer you a chance at redemption simply to torture you like this was some sick game. But actions have consequences, gentlemen."

Her eyes had not lost an ounce of empathy as they bored into each man's soul respectively.

"Offer is still on the table, so to speak."

Stubbs be lookin' up from his meager meal and shruggin' his shoulduhs.

"See boy, I be tellin' ya tha we already be under tha thumb. Othuwise we already be out dis place."

He be lookin' ova at the arby.

"Ain't I right?"

Wiremu had barely moved or touched his food, his back was that awash with fire.

He had laughed bitterly at Stubb's description of cops, and immediately regretted it, the brief moment of movement sending lightning across his back.

As he had waited for the pain to subside, she had returned.

In his mind, he scoffed at her "apology", but said nothing. It wasn't just him in this. He couldn't cause Stubbs any more grief.

So he said nothing and waited.

She nodded. "You are quite right. If there is one thing about me you should never doubt, it is my integrity. I will not lie to you; I may not tell you everything you would like to know, but I will not lie."

She kept her hands in her lap, big eyes moving from one man to the other. "I won't press the question anymore and will simply assume you do not want to take this to trial and exacerbate the situation. There is a situation that requires expendable, yet able, bodies. Your arrest has matched the parameters I need to remedy this situation."

She keeps eye contact and gauges your responses.

Stubbs be lookin' ova at Wiremu then back at tha arbites, shruggin' his shouldahs and givin' a big ol sigh.

"Aight, Wiremu, my man, we bes' jus' be gettin' to it and seein' bout dis. No more time wastin'. Les get it dun and get on wit it."

He looks off into space fuh a bit.

"Aight, whatchu wan us ta do?"

Wiremu nodded to Stubbs as he turned to look at him.

He had nearly spat a reply when she had mentioned "integrity". It was all about what they wanted not what him and Stubbs did.

He turned back to Anderson and met her gaze.

"Ma'am"

Special Arbitrator Anderson nodded in recognition.

"What does the name 'Petra' mean to either of you?"

Wiremu thought for a moment but nothing seemed to come to mind.

"Nothing."

She took the bigger Bastard's silence as a refusal to answer.

"No?" She pulled a thin dataslate from her coat and clicked a few buttons before sliding it across the table. On it was a pict image of 7th squad outside of the club where they lost Rook. All of them were accounted for, including Stubbs and Wiremu which Anderson had zoomed in on.

"The club you are standing outside of here, shortly before the enforcers arrested you belongs to none other than Petra himself. This was taken only a short time ago, after your arrest..."

She takes the dataslate back and cycles through a couple images. When Wiremu gets it back, he sees none other than Bazin, Newt, and the Ratlings leaving the establishment with a pink-haired, deadly looking woman in a rebreather.

"This is one of Petra's hired guns - goes by the name Numa. And those are your squad mates, boys."

She was very interested in how the two would respond.

Wiremu looked at the images. There was obviously a lot of stuff going on they were unaware of...

"I was not aware who owned the club. I am also not aware what went on inside. We were sent to find one of the squad who had disappeared."

He gestures gingerly to Stubbs.

He also was careful not to lie, but wasnt sure how much he should say.

Special Arbitrator Anderson nodded, seemingly pleased with the responses.

"Why were you headed into that club to begin with?"

Spoiler:

Wiremu waits for Stubbs to reply, not wanting to say the wrong thing.

Stubbs didn't be seein' the point in lyin' or at least tryin' to do so. He waddn't a damn bit good wit words and shit if Wiremu wus eitha. I mean shoot, he was damn glad the man waited fuh him to speak up, lest he put them furtha in tha shit.

"We be thinkin' it be a good place to find what wes was lookin' fuh. You got dem wanted postahs all round town and we ain't exactly priests o' nuthin. I mean shoot, I suppose we could be gettin' sum reward. What wus the guys name? I mean he all ova tha place, got the face in mind, but the name escapes me."

Stubbs waits for Wiremu to add anythang before continuin'

"See, we got sum R&R time, but we barely used ta tha shit no mo. Ain't eva had it befuh. So wes decidin' ta kill two birds. Relax and shit yeah, maybe find tha criminal and see what he be worth."

(OOC: So it's kind of a lie, but I tried to work in some truth that we were there for our target. Sorry forgot his name. I rolled deceive in case it was needed cause I wasn't sure if this response would need a roll. Got something like 7 DoF I think cause I would need a natural 1.

https://orokos.com/roll/717193 )

Wiremu felt relieved when Stubbs spoke up, and followed his words.

"Oh....Tan? Than? Thando? ...Something "T"...."

Anderson's eyes narrow for the first time as Stubbs speaks. They move to Wiremu as he speaks.

Nik:

She smiled. "R&R and Collecting random bounties. That sounds like quite a weekend. So you had intelligence that he was in Petra's club then?"

Spoiler:

Stubbs be tryin' ta think back to tha whole fethin' reason they been goin' ta tha Gammorah place in tha first place. Feth' Artur be sayin' they hadn't be havin' no good ideas, so the weird show be a good place ta be startin'. He didn't wanna be pissin' her off or nothin' but he had to be damn careful wit his words...and feth if that be hard for the big man.

"Who the feth is Petra? All we be seein' is signs all up everywhere, and the like fuh this Gammorah place. I mean some show dey be puttin' on, so we jus' be thinkin', why they hell not? We got us some time, we be hungry and shit, enjoy tha show and feth who knows maybe we cud be findin' sum mo info bout tha pretty boy on tha wanted postahs."

She nods. "OK. OK." She places her gloved hands on the table palms down and looks into both of your eyes, nodding. Then she takes a deep, even breath.

"Petra is a piece of human trash, not worth the recycled air he breathes. But, we cannot arrest someone for being scum alone. Given the pull he has in the form of money flow, he isn't easy to get to - not even for the Arbitrators. This is where you come in. Seeing as he has entrusted your comrades enough to go off with one of his best people, you lot have the best chances of getting a face-to-face with him. You're going to get him alone - or isolated enough at least - for us to come in and take him down."

She leaned back in her chair.

"In other words, Petra is your ticket out of here."

Stubbs be noddin' as she talkin' and thinkin' bout how da Cappin' be sayin' they need tha Thran guy, or whatever his name be. Petra be of no import, so shoot, it be their only way out tha situation and feth them people dat be higher up, thinkin' dey betta than othas. Feth them right out to tha warp.

"Aight, I mean what else we be able ta do, backed up against a wall and the like. Shit, les do it, Wiremu. We got nuthin betta ta do."

Wiremu didnt mention how they were going to do this, when they were 2 members of whole squad but he nodded.

"Yeah, what he said..."

"Excellent. If you are finished with your meals, I would like to get started as soon as possible. Take a moment to gather yourselves and we will reconvene in fifteen minutes."

She stood and left without another word.

+++

In fifteen minutes, there is a clank as the door opens. Two arbitrators in full riot gear step in and flank the door. A third then enters and escorts you out of the room. He stays in front of you while the two remain behind. This time your heads aren't covered by the awful, stifling sensory dampening hoods.

The facility is spartan, as one might expect. This was a long block of holding cells. You pass through a security checkpoint and enter a decent sized office. In one corner behind armaglass sits another arbitrator, but not in full kit. Some words are shared and before long you are signing for your belongings that you had on you when apprehended. Finally you are led out of the facility into a small courtyard where Special Arbitrator Anderson is waiting.

"Here, take these." She hands you each micro-bead. "Should we get separated we will need to stay in touch; these will become nearly invisible when you place them in your ear. I will travel with you as far as is safe. Should you think of running, remember that you are on a space station that, as it concerns you, I am in charge of. We are on lockdown. Nothing is leaving without my say-so. Though, I trust you will do a good job. Grunts are always resourceful. Any questions before we move out?"

Stubbs scratched his head a bit and be lookin' at the Special Arby with a sidelong glance. He waddn't tha best fuh espionage and the like, but shoot, he knew dey didn't be havin' no otha choice.

"So we jus' gotta get close to tha guy? Then you all be comin' in hard?"

"Close won't be enough. We cannot lawfully enter his premises without proof of wrongdoing." She emphasized the legality of the situation with slight disgust in her voice.

Spoiler:

"You will need to get him outside of his club - by any means necessary."

Without anymore forthcoming questions, she nods and beckons the duo forward.

"We are going to drive in an unmarked vehicle to an area a few clicks outside of Petra's area of influence. Once there, you will exit and keep in communication via the microbead."

You climb into a nondescript vehicle that looked like any maintenance unit you have ever seen. Although, given your background, perhaps you had never seen anything like it ever before until arriving at this strange place.

Inside are four more arbitrators, completely decked out in combat gear, weapons stowed above their heads in racks.

"Remember that we need Petra alone - or as close to it as possible - or a lawful reason to enter the club. Good luck, soldiers." Special Arbitrator Anderson smiled her genuine smile and tapped on her ear. Just like that, you were back on the streets of Port Wander again. More specifically, you were in an alley that led to the main thoroughfare you remember led you to Petra's club. No one was around given the curfew, and refuse littered the streets near your feet.

Stubbs be thinkin' that it be a damn hard thang they got demselves into, but hell, they'd been thru worse and worse thangs and come out on top. They be aight, I mean shoot can't they just' be sayin' sumthin' bout...well shoot, the big man didn't know what he be sayin' ta get a boss out his club, and feth durin' curfew...but shit man dey try ta think o' summin'.

He be steppin' out da vehicle and lookin' ova at Wiremu.

"So whatchu thinkin'? How we gon' go about dis?"

As Stubbs asks the question, his eye is drawn to something metal on the ground that sparkles gently in the light. Upon closer inspection, he sees that its a key.

Spoiler:

Wiremu hadnt bothered thinking about the legality of anything on this station. The arbites did what they wanted anyways. His mind had wandered back to driving the open road, exploring new areas and enjoying the open road.

As they had been hustled out of the van and left standing there, Wiremu let out a frustrating yell.

"FUUUUUUCK!"

"Fuck this fucking bullshit! This was one of the reasons i signed up! To get away from the bullshit they pull! Fuck!"

As he calmed down, he took a deep breath, wincing slightly at his raw back.

"Sorry about everything Stubbs. Im not good in these kinda situations..."

He sighed.

"We could start a fight inside? Gives the shit fucks an excuse to go? Light a fire and get everybody out? Shit do we tell the others what happened? Fuuuuuck all of this man...."

Stubbs be raisin' his hands up to calm tha motha fucka down. Waddn't no time ta be gettin' all fethin' worked up and shit.

"Hold up, hold up, hold up. Calm yoself down, I mean yeah shit, I be betta in deez situations, but feth ain't nobody good in 'em. And look at this shit right here..."

He be bendin' down and pickin' up tha key.

"Oooooeee, lookie hur. I think we just' may be gettin' sum o' that luck back."

Spoiler:

While 7th's veteran heavy weapons expert calmed down the new Chindit, both needed to figure out what to do next.