Kira had done her best to wait patiently, given that she had absolutely no clue what was going on.

And wasn't that the understatement of the year? She had been lost ever since she'd woken up in a cell, light years away from Earth. Of course, she hadn't realized that she had been removed from the planet back then. No, she just thought that she'd been dragged to one of the heathen cities, as the Colonists liked to call them.

That's what the Elders had always threatened would happen to children who wandered too far from the settlement. Kira had thought it was stuff made up to frighten children into behaving, something that anyone with half a brain would realize was false if they gave it a moment's thought. After all, she had been in and out of the woods surrounding the settlement ever since she'd been very young and she'd never seen even a hint of an alien before.

Staring at the bars, she had wondered if she had been wrong and that there really were aliens who kidnapped children and dragged them over to heathen cities to convert them to a lifestyle that would wreck the planet before the next generation could even peaceably pass to their graves.

That thought had only been further confirmed when a being of clearly alien origin made their way to her cell. She had tried pleading with them but they had spoken a language entirely unlike her own. She hadn't realized that she had been taken far away until she and a handful of others had been dragged off one spaceship under a bright purple sky. However, she'd only seen a brief glimpse of it before she'd been roughly herded into another ship and passed off.

The rumble that she had thought was some sort of machine to cool or warm the building containing the cells had quickly been proven to be the ship lifting off.

The whole exchange had happened once more since those initial days, but she had been long past curiosity and speaking at that point, staring dully at the ground as she was transferred, not a whisper of sound escaping her lips. She didn't even know if anyone else had been transferred with her.

She had been given her own cell once it became abundantly clear that the rest were too frightened or too aggressive to be placed in with her. She supposed it had been a blessing, but she hadn't realized how much she had missed contact with another sentient being until these two had been put in her cell. She had anticipated that they would hurt her just the same as all the rest had.

She hadn't expected them to coddle her, of all things.

She had been on her own since she was ten years old, she was more than capable of taking care of herself. Still, it had been nice to be cared for, to be treated like a person worthy of respect and communication. Sure, she didn't necessarily need them to tend her wounds, feed her, or teach her sign language. But at the same time, neither did she not want it.

Still, no matter the case, she wouldn't let these two defend her. She might not be much to look at and she didn't have a clue what was going on only that it was something big. After all, she had never heard that ear-splitting siren or seen the red emergency lights. But she had managed to survive alone for months against opponents that were larger and much more crazed than her cellmates.

She wasn't going to risk harm coming to those who had only offered her good.

They had shielded her from view with their bodies and she had permitted them to do so. After all, they probably thought that they were protecting her but it was better not to reveal one's ace card too early in the game. She had flinched when the guard had flown by and crashed into the wall.

It wasn't that she minded that particular guard getting smashed, he was well known amongst the prisoners for being exceedingly brutal to those under his 'care'. But he was also tough as nails, so it was alarming that he'd been put out of commission so easily. A moment later, a hulking form appeared from down the corridor and she crouched slightly behind Zashi, enough so that she was hidden behind him but could see over his shoulder.

This alien was huge!! They were carrying a freaking war hammer, of all things. Feeling slightly hysterical, she wondered how on Earth she was supposed to take down something of that size.

To her surprise, her cellmates relaxed at the appearance of the new alien. Someone they knew then? Was it possible that they were someone important and people had come to rescue them? Stranger things had happened. A smaller, green-haired female alien joined the larger one, looking irritated.

Shouta and Zashi started talking with the pair and she suddenly, desperately wished that she knew whatever language they were speaking. She had given up trying to learn the language days ago, when everything directed at her had the undertone of swearing and foul language. But right now, she was regretting not being a little more tenacious.

She winced when she heard the alien across the way break in. They had always been wary of her, but after the incident, she had seen the look in their eyes shift to fear and hate. They loathed her and would do anything they could to bring her down. She resisted the urge to curl her hands into fists, she couldn't afford to be seen as a threat, even if the others started looking at her in horror.

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There had to be some sort of translator they could use, there was no way that all these different people spoke the same language. It had been an accident, she hadn't meant for it to happen. It didn't bring the person back but intent had to matter at least a little, shouldn't it?

She expected Shouta and Zashi to be horrified, so she nearly jumped a foot when they spat furious words. It took her a moment to work up the courage to meet their eyes but she was shocked to find that they weren't looking at her at all. In fact, they seemed to be defending her to the person in the other cell. That couldn't be right, surely they realized what a monster they were caged with now?

After a minute, the four of them seemed to ignore the alien in the cell opposite them, turning to talk amongst themselves. The biggest one seemed to be trying to make themselves look smaller, although she couldn't figure out why. Did that mean that the threat was over? Cause if there were still slavers running about, they wouldn't be trying to appear less threatening. Although, when a person was that big and carrying a war hammer like it was a toy, most sane people would choose not to tangle with them.

After several moments, they all ended up falling silent, as if they didn't know what to do next. It didn't seem like a standoff, but the pair in the cage did seem determined to protect her for some reason that she couldn't even begin to fathom.

Maybe if she showed them that she wasn't aggressive, they'd be willing to let them out of the cell? It was worth a shot, anyway.

Taking a deep breath and praying that she wasn't making the world's biggest mistake, she took a step forward so that she wasn't hidden behind Zashi, holding out her hands in what she hoped was a universal gesture for 'I have no weapons, I am not a threat, I seek to be at peace with you'.

There was a couple of sharp inhales and she froze, hoping that this didn't backfire on her.

This was their only chance to get out of here.

X

Sho'ta had tried to keep a baseline on the kit's emotions through scent during the conversation, but it was hard to pick up anything with her unfamiliar scent. He could tell that she was concerned and nervous, but those were normal emotions to feel during something like this.

However, her emotions were nearly drowned out by the strong scents of relief and irritation from Ryou and Ka'ya. It also didn't help that Z'shi was flooding the cell with protective anger, especially with the idiot in the cell across the way had spoken. It was a good thing that Sho'ta had decided not to share anything with them, they were clearly the kind of coward who sold anyone and everyone out to save their own skin.

They were obviously worried that they would be released into the same group as the Terran and clearly thought they would be her first target. As if he and Z'shi hadn't been in the same cell with her for rotations without getting even a scratch from her. He hated idiots.

Still, the kit had been content to follow their lead and had obediently stayed out of sight, something he was desperately grateful for. He didn't need her lashing out in defense of them and making the whole situation even more tense.

So, he wasn't expecting her to suddenly straighten and step around Z'shi so they could all see her clearly. She was holding her hands out, palm up, in what appeared to be a pleading gesture, while trying to make herself look as small and nonthreatening as possible.

It was almost funny, the two most dangerous beings were both trying to make themselves look like they were the least dangerous.

Or, at least he would find it funny if his kit wasn't standing exposed, her chin tilted up so that her green and blue bruising were on display for all to see. Even though her gaze was steady, soft and pleading, her hands were shaking ever-so-slightly and he could tell how scared she was.

It was all he could do not to sweep her back behind him and growl threateningly at his friends. But they had to see her and acknowledge that she was just a kit so that they could all get out of the cell and get this black hole of a mission finally over with.

Ka'ya went pale while Ryou growled, causing Z'shi's wings to fluff further, clearly ready to protect the kit to his last breath.

Ryou forced out, the words almost unintelligible through the growl. "Who dared harm a pup?"

Feeling his irritation and anger redirect, he inclined his head toward the cell across the way. "The one who that one keeps blathering about. The kit is unable to speak because of her wounds, we have taught her a few signs, but we don't know if her vocals have been permanently damaged or not. So we haven't heard the story from her."

He sighed, the bruising staring at him accusingly, his ears drooping a little in frustration. "Best we can tell, it was justified self-defense. The first thing she did after we were placed in her cell was to secure a mutual non-aggression truce. I don't think she's aggressive or violent, so I don't think she intended to kill the Cresica. I think it was a freak accident."

Z'shi hissed impatiently, interrupting them. "This is all fine and well. But as you can clearly see, the chick is no threat to anyone. After all, if she were violent, all the noise and fighting would've definitely brought it out. But I would like to get her to the medics sometime this cycle so we can make sure that she isn't actively dying on us. Please and thank you!"

Ka'ya jolted as if she had been pinched. "Of course, we'll let you out right away. How is the sapling even conscious with a wound like that? How is she even still breathing? That poor flower bud, how dreadful. What sort of monsters could do this to a youngling?"

As she rambled, she fumbled at her belt for the set of skeleton keys that all Peacekeepers carried, her hands shaking. Ryou reached and gently covered her hands with one of his larger ones. "Deep breaths. I doubt that Sho'ta and Z'shi would be so calm if she were about to die. Still, swiftness is the best course of action for this."

He looked over and met his and Z'shi's eyes. "We brought the best healers assigned to our division. Since they've already been taking care of the other Terran pups, they'll have a good baseline for them when we get there. Just a few clicks and she'll be tended with the very best care, I swear."

Sho'ta gave a jerky nod. He would hold Ryou to that.