<a class="link link--external" href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/67/ba/d6/67bad6b09e26897151727e29ffe811e3.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Thomyris “Riz” Heroux</a><br/>Location: Loading Bay<br/>Tagged: Donovan, Jin-Lai, Elaine.<br/><hr class="bbc-hr bbc-hr--3"/><br/>It was little comfort to hear Thomyris wasn’t the only one being hunted. It was not in the least bit helpful to trade off in such a fashion.<i>Oh, we got attacked on your behalf so it makes us even when we get attacked on ours.</i>If it could be up to her, no one ought to be attacked at all. She nodded to Donovan’s explanations, knowing he was more suited for such deicisions than a cargo-keener like herself. She was just about to turn on her heel to depart, having much to ponder over, when there was a loud crash, followed by Elaine popping out.<br/><br/>Now that was relieving. One less possible death on her conscious to worry about and she huffed in relief, smiling a little despite the redhead’s fierce.<b>“It’s a long story.”</b>She simply answered in a flat tone, not wanting to get into the specifics of her debt.<b>“But they mean business, the sort handled at the end of guns. Let's just try to get everyone safe back aboard, alright?”</b>She replied and soon after, that particular meeting was adjourned.<br/><br/><hr class="bbc-hr bbc-hr--3"/><br/><a class="link link--external" href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/67/ba/d6/67bad6b09e26897151727e29ffe811e3.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Thomyris “Riz” Heroux</a><br/>Location: Bridge<br/>Tagged: All.<br/><hr class="bbc-hr bbc-hr--3"/><br/>There was naught much to do in the downtime while waiting for the Captain to awake or others to check in. She didn’t know if they were still up for the consignment of potash they had arranged, wondering if the merchant was in on the ambush as well. He didn’t seem shifty to Thomyris though or Iona. Still, she ran the usual diagnostics and analysis of the cargo space, visualizing in her mind how to fit and store everything, when the summons to the Bridge was made. For a moment, further relief flooded her body. The Captain was awake, though no thanks to her, but at least it would give her a chance to make amends over what happened because of her.<br/><br/>Iona looked like she meant business when everyone filed in, Thomyris giving her a slight smile but getting no reaction in return, she dropped her gaze in a sullen demeanor, wondering if she was going to be publically berated for her skeletons, as Donovan put them. Then the video was played and Thomyris nearly baulked, her relief dissipating at once as icy cold fingers of fear seized her.<br/><br/>They had Mateo, under pain of a very cruel death.<br/><br/>And now they wanted Thomyris in exchange for him. Her eyes went wide with fright and her lips opened, quivering a little as she looked about her in the short moment that followed once the video ended. The silence hung thick and heavy and she could only whisper a faint<b>“No…”</b>when Iona looked to her and flatly sentenced her to be handed over, the cuffs flashing as they were tossed, not at all missed by Thomyris. She found it very hard to breathe all of a sudden, chest and shoulders rising in laborious panting even under her jumpsuit.<i>They can't be serious!</i>But they were, deathly so.<br/><br/>There was no chance to run and if she did, where could she go? She backed right into the bulkhead behind her with a<i>thud</i>, staring hopelessly at Iona, before Donovan came before her. She wanted to protest, to remind the Captain all that stuff she said about not dealing in cargo that<i>thinks</i>, including debt-slaves like her. But Iona had also made it clear that business and personal was separate. Her crew was at risk and possibly their next consignment. Even if she liked Thomyris, which she figured was all a lie at this point, Iona could not keep her over the others at risk. They needed to eat too. Thomyris shut her lips and stared with empty eyes towards the blue-skinned enforcer of the St. Anne.<br/><br/>She did not offer her arms to be cuffed, though they were taken and done so anyways. She immediately drew her arms to her chest, feeling small and unimportant now. She stood there, resolute yet limp, too petrified to move. She was being handed over, to be returned into a life of debt-ridden slavery, working away her debt on some harsh mining world, at the mercy of taskmasters and cruel guards.<i>Thomyris could already feel their hands drifting in on her.</i>Then Donovan spoke and Thomyris couldn’t help but give a morbid laugh, short and nearly similar to a choked cry of sorrow.<b>“Hurt me? Cause you’ve never done that before. Or aren’t doing that now regardless.”</b>She sneered bitterly, before turning to the side, facing away and not wanting to see any of these...these…<i>traitors</i>.<br/><br/><b>“I don’t care anymore. Do as you like.”</b>She murmured under her breath, closing her eyes and waiting for the<i>hands</i>to close in on her, to drag her off like a prisoner.<i>I’m sorry, father. But I won’t cry, not in front of these profiteers and villains.</i>At least she could go to her doom with some dignity.