Galactic Calendar 259872/ 2000 [ Sol Year 4387/ Day 155 of 365. Sol standard year]

Days after of Crash landing/ 4

Uninhabited Island / Clearing of Escape Capsule # 405

Galactic Standard Time / After 1020

Dalila

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As Jesse looked at the hibernation prison, Dalila licked her lips. She hadn’t said that she had once thrown someone into one. But that being had been a cannibal, so there was that. But she knew from her own experience, that they shouldn’t have that there. That meant that this was a lot more complicated than they knew.

And everything that Dalila knew was telling her that this was going to be bad. The problem was that those Hunts were against Guild rules. If the wrong guild master knew, she'd be fired! And she was on the Hunt of her career, the one everyone wanted. So for now, she'd stay silent and hope that things worked out.

“Well, yeah. But can we even wake them up?” Zevortro asked, worry in his voice.

“There's a code here! Maybe it's the way to open this thing?” Bryke called out, hope in his voice.

Dalila eyed Jessie as everyone walked over to Bryke. At least he wasn’t looking at her, nobody was.

“So do you have an idea how this works at all?” Duncan asked Jessie who only nodded.

“Yeah, a bit. I broke someone out of one of these once,” Jessie said with a sigh.

Dalila looked at him in horror. The idea that he had done what no one had, was beyond amazing.

“So where’s this Sleeping Prison you’re talking about?” Zevortro asked.

Dalila felt her blood freeze as Jessie looked at the others. There was no way that he had been able to see what that horror was. The way that it hid was one of the things people feared about it! But then Jessie started to speak.

“It’s a place that the criminal organizations, pirate fleets, and rebel groups use as a neutral prison. Everyone that’s there was on their bad side once. And that was all that was needed. People who are sent there are paid for by the group. A lump sum of monthly payments. Plus the prisoners can be ‘given back’ if their ‘owner’ wants them. All in all, one of the horrors of the Dark Side of the Federation,” Jessie said bluntly.

Duncan twitched, looking more angry the more he heard. “And the Federation lets that monstrosity exist why? No, you wouldn’t know.”

“They can’t find it. The rumor is that it’s a decommissioned warship. I’ve never seen it so it could be anything,” Vivian said with a somber tone. “And the fact that the few times I saw guards from there, they weren’t normal.”

“Wait. Wait. You’ve seen people who work from this prison ship?” Zevortro asked shock in his voice.

“All the time when you go around any Outlaw Port you see some of them. They have branches on most of them. Can’t miss ‘em!” VIVIAN said with a shrug.

Dalila almost nodded, remembering how they had picked up her prisoner. Those people had been silent, talked through distorted voices, and covered completely. “Yeah, like the palace guards on Royalist plants. They just stand outside, and let anyone come in. They never take off their armor. No one knows what race they are. And they never socialize.”

“Not very sociable really. They never leave their buildings, they always stay there. Loners to the core,” Jessie said as he nodded.

“Wait, you all go to Rogue Ports!? But those are full of criminals, pirates, and outlaws!” Zevortro exclaimed in shock.

At the looks she was getting, Vivian only shrugged. “What? Rebel ports are the best places to get Intel. The number of times I finished a Hunt because of data from there.”

“Okay. Later. But can we even open this thing?” Terra asked as she rubbed the glass to see inside. Then she frowned and looked around,

“Good question. I mean, why are they in there?” Bryke asked. When everyone looked at him, Bryke looked a little worried. “There's no chance they did something that even criminals are against? Any at all?”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Kinda big chance,” Jessie said as he looked around, catching Dalila’s eye.

“Yeah. Even Criminals have laws. Not many but there are crimes that even those who are outlaws won’t accept. Every Rogue Port has a judge, and if people try to bribe them? Briber dies. Slowly,” Dalila said as she looked away.

Terra looked at them and then she shook her head, scowling. “Okay, but I have a question about them. Will their clothing still work? Would the freeze have done anything to them?”

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Jessie

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Jessie scowls a little as he remembers the rescue he led years ago. “Unless they're made from something special, no. The freeze makes most clothing so brittle.”

Terra only crossed her arms and looked at Jessie who rubbed the back of his head. He could see where she was coming from, but they had bigger concerns. They had no idea who or what was in there! They needed to move fast, and with everything else they had to do.

“Then have someone go get a jumpsuit. And maybe we should make a few little barriers around this before we do anything?” Duncan asked as he looked around.

“Sir, are you saying that this is a prison?” Leonator’s voice from behind.

Jessie joined the others and looked at him and Qiana walking over, both of them looking worried.

“Yeah, and we still need to go down there soon!” Terra said as she looked towards the

“Then I’ll help. You all get ready to go down. Me and Miss Qiana can handle this,” Leonator offered with a small smile.

“You!? Come on! You’re a civilian! I could take you out!” Zevortro said with a laugh.

Leonator only looked at him and smiled. “Want to prove it?”

“Fine, this is fun!” Zevortro said as he moved towards Leonator.

“Hold on!” Duncan snarled and almost took a step forward when Jessie grabbed his shoulder. But as Duncan turned to look at him, Jessie kept his eyes on Leonator.

Jessie didn’t say anything, all he did was look at Leonator.

“No chief, let it happen,” Leonator said sternly.

Zevortro charged and threw a right punch at Leonator who met it with his right. For a second nothing happened as the two knuckles pressed against the other.

Then Leonator moved backwards and threw his left arm at Zevortro’s head. Zevortro blocked it with his left and then Leonator’s right open-hand shot for Zevortro’s face. Zevortro caught with his open fist and then the two started to struggle with each other.

“Okay, you’re stronger than you look. Got any training?” Zevortro grunted as he threw his left hand at Leonator.

Leonator only smirked and caught Zevortro’s left hand with his own. “A few years. Nothing special.”

“Yeah, but to handle the Rouge types, you need more! O show me if you can fight!” Zevortro said with a savage grin.

Jessie felt his eyes widen as they all watched the battle in awe. He had never thought much about Leonator. The man was a former politician, so how was he fighting so well? No matter how much he tried to deny it, there was something about Leonator that was familiar. The way he had asked for the fight and how he was fighting.

“Come on man! You can do it!” Bryke screamed to Jessie’s left.

Jessie looked at the contest and he almost grinned. As he watched, Leonator dodged to the left and threw a left cross that hit Zevortro’s left cheek. The glow sent Zevortro flying into the air and to the edge of the null gravity field.

“How’d he fly so far!?” Terra exclaimed, shock in her voice.

“The Null Gravity Field! He must be using it to his advantage!” Vivian said, awe in her voice.

“What the nova!?” Zevortro bellowed in shock and then he hit the edge of the field, just floating there.

Jessie felt his mouth drop as he looked from Zevortro to Leonator and then back again.

“Still think I can’t fight?” Leonator asked with a smirk on his face.

Zevortro got back to the ground and looked at Leonator, this time smiling wider. “Okay, this is going to be fun. On more round!”

Leonator looked at him for a moment before he started to laugh. “Fine by me! I haven’t had a good brawl in a while! Here we go!”

Leonator and Zevortro ran at each other, and they started to trade blows, but each one was blocked by the other.

“Who knew bio-boy could fight?” Da3 asked a laugh in her voice.

Jessie nodded and then he felt something on his neck. He looked around and saw every one of the deckhands were watching, some of them coming towards the container. He grabbed Duncan‘s shoulder again, and when Duncan turned, Jessie gestured at the others.

One look shared between them was enough for Duncan to understand. He nodded and moved towards them. “Keep moving! I want five of you over here now! Once the fight is done, bring all the remains of the containers here!”

Jessie nodded and turned to look at the fight. Leonator moved backwards, letting Zevortro follow. Zevortro threw a few more punches but nothing connected. Finally, Zevortro roared and shot out with both his fists.

Leonator smirked and grabbed both of Zevortro’s fists, smirking. “Time to fly high and fast!”

“What?! No!” Zevortro exclaimed. Then Leonator moved backwards, pulling Zevortro with him. Before Zevortro could recover, Leonator started to spin around, pulling Zevortro into the air. After a few turns, Leonator threw Zevortro upwards, using the null gravity field to his advantage again.

“Somebody get him down! And I’ll be here too. So we continue as planned!” Duncan said as he crossed his arms, a grin on his face.

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Blorspi

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It was all Blorspi could do to keep from gasping in shock. He had rarely if ever seen such a feat of strength. Even with their strange Power to negate the force that pulled things to it. When the one who had watched them appeared, he thought he was weak. But that one was so strong.! But Blorspi had to wonder just why that one was watching them, there was something that was bothering him. If that one was just strong, why was he trying to listen in on him and Recor? He would have no problem just killing them so why?

“The guard is strong elder. We can’t escape by overpowering him, can we?” Recor asked fear and shame in his voice.

Blorspi’s eye snapped to his younger tribe-mate. Recor looked like he was seeming to lose hope. That was the worst thing that they needed. In cases like this, his father had told him that morale was their strongest Power. He had to do something, anything to keep the youngster in the fight! “Do not start losing hope on me Recor! We can move mountains if we but try! So keep the fight going, even in your mind!”

“But we can’t move! What can we do elder?” Recor asked horror in his voice.

Blorspi looked at his tribe mate, wondering how he would be able to keep the kid’s morale and hope up. And despite everything that he wanted to say, he understood what Recor was saying.

“It’s only been one night. We still have hope! Don’t you dare give up now!” Blorspi snarled and tried to look around. There had to be something that they could do, and there must be! He was not letting the Chief have his way! There was nothing that would cause him to roll over and die!

Blorspi tried to move, he kicked and punched but nothing happened. Like the last time he had tried, nothing happened. But then he threw another punch and he laughed.

“Elder?” Recor asked, worry in his voice.

Blorspi laughed and shook his head. ”The Force that holds us down! It was negated! We can move and train without limits!”

“What?!” Recor asked shock in his voice.

Blorspi looked on as Recor started to do a battle practice, one that only the strongest could do. An endless dance of their training practice might keep their spirits up, but would it have any effect? But then he remembered that his father had been fighting when he Awakened. Could training up here give them the push they needed?