Upon Vestia: Chapter Twenty-Five

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Starr shrugged and looked out the window again. "I don't know. I just want things to be normal."

"This is the carrier ship Red Heart does anyone read?" A familiar male voice cracked over the open intercoms. The voice itself was distressed, struggling to keep the tiring mantra going as Marcus repeated the cry for help between doing it best to keep the ship in one piece and his companion alive. He check on the clamy form, grimacing at the head wound that finally stopped bleeding. He could smell they were still alive, barely but stubborn clung to the threads of life. He paused to think, remembering far to well how they got to this point, his hand mindlessly clinging the pendant that hung from his neck, the picture of his family snuggly place there. All he wamted was to go home, but the colonies were cut off. All access gone as war raged in that region. With the family in hiding clash for power has erupted over their now unclaimed land. He went back the coms, ignoring the pangs of hunger while repeating the cries for help once more.

(Timeskipping a couple days into open space. I don't think we had anything else to do on the beach planet)

MAY 14, 2790

Vestia picked up the distress call. She didn't recognize the voice, but it sounded like the speaker might be in trouble. Oh dear.
"This is cruise liner Hildegard, reading you loud and clear. What is your status?" Vestia asked warily. The last time they'd helped someone in space, all her passengers had ended up in another universe. So, uh, so was going to be cautious.

Marcus sighed in deep relief, replying back through the static. "Our ship was attacked by raiders, the ship is on it last legs. Life support is failing and my companion is injured, our medical equipment is out. Please let us board." He purse his lips, hoping this ship would help.

Okay, that sounded bad. Vestia considered their options briefly, and decided to notify some of her crew. Hmm.
She notified Starr, Kay, Matt, and Asher. "We're picking up a distress signal, guys. Apparently the ship's life support is failing, and the caller's crewmate is injured. Any opinions on how we should handle this?"

~~
To the other ship Vestia asked, "May I know your name and species?"

Matt hesitated. "They aren't a god right?" He asked Vestia.

---

Kay frowned deeply. He remembered oh too well what happened last time they helped someone, but his medic instinct screamed that they HAD to do something. He chewed his lip and looked to Asher for support here.

Marcus paused, torn before speak. "Marcus... Species Arran. My companion is a Hybrid Arran, there name..." he stopped, taking a shaky breath. This could be sealing their fate. "Their name is Amari."

"We should help" Starr said gently. She got up, making sure her egg was safely in the incubator and making a protective shield over it before leaving the room.

Matt wheeled toward the medical room.

Vestia hesitated. Marcus. That name was familiar. She checked the species, and made a noise of distaste. "It's Marcus, from Matthew's crew, and someone whose name I don't recognize. They're not gods," she told all the people she had contacted.

~~
Asher frowned and looked at Kay. "We have to help. We should be careful though, we can't trust them blindly. Not after what Matthew did."

"Matthew? as in evil slaver asshole Matthew?" Matt's eyes narrowed and he stopped wheeling. Fuck those guys. "Let them freeze out there." He spat.

--

Kay wasn't quite as brutal as his brother was. He nodded slowly. [Get them in, get them medical care but don't give them free run of the ship till we figure out what we're dealing with?] He suggested.

Marcus shifted at the dead silence, fear stabbing at his heart. "Please, I beg you. My wounds are minimal but my friend is not."

Starr made it to the med bay and looked at the others there "We should let them in, even if only to the next station."

Kay nodded.

Matt entered the medical room. "You can't be seriously thinking about helping these guys! they're slavers!"

[We don't know why they're out here, maybe they decided to stop being awful?] Kay suggested. He didn't entirely look like he believed that though.

Matt stared at his brother. "Seriously? What part of SLAVERS are you not comprehending. Last time we tried to help those pricks they whined and moaned and made out like we were terrible for NOT throwing them out an airlock. Which for the record, we should have done."

Kay stood up and went over to put a hand on his angry brother's shoulder. Matt please...

Matt huffed. "Fine, but it'll be on your heads if it turns out to be some sort of trick."

Kay nodded solemly. [We have to help, if we don't, it makes us no better than them.]

"Well it's not Matthew out there," Vestia told Matt, "But yeah, one of his crew for sure. We'll be very careful here. This could well be a trap."

Asher nodded grimly.

"We should send some able-bodied people down to bring them in," Vestia said. "Starr, can you or Helen help?"

~~
"We'll help you," Vestia told Marcus after a moment. "If you'll consent to wear anti-magic cuffs and be confined for the duration of your stay. You will be treated humanely, but not given the freedom to roam the ship."

"I understand, though I'll be truthful neither of us can cast magic. It not within our species genetic mapping." Marcus remarked, "Thiugh I do recommend restraints for my friend, neither of us have feed in over two weeks, while I can control it I don't think they will be able to in this state." Marcus knew he had to comply.

Kay gathered first aid supplies. [We'll need to get first aid to them, sooner rather than later.] He looked to Starr, he trusted her to keep him safe from any attack.

Matt folded his arms and looked pissed off.

Starr nodded and headed for the dock, calling Helen to join her "Vestia, can you call Sawna as well, please"

"You check them and handle first aid, and have Vestia tell me what medical help they need, and meanwhile I'll get things ready here?" Asher asked Kay.

"Marcus says his friend may not be able to restrain himself from trying to drink blood," Vestia said.

"Maybe I should go and you stay here?" Asher said.

~~
Vestia called Sawna.

~~
"All right, can you get your ship into our shuttle bay, or do we need to bring you in?" Vestia asked Marcus.

Kay went with Starr, glancing back at Asher and nodding. He should stay here and keep Matt calm, if that was actually possible. And hey, he could run right?

"I recommend grappling my ship, I don't know if controls are working." Marcus said, relief in his voice.

Sawna listened to Vestia then headed to meet with Starr and Helen

Asher sighed. Kay going near vampire-like creatures who weren't fully in control of themselves. Great idea. Oh well, he trusted Starr and Helen to keep Kay safe.
He looked to Matt, "It's not Matthew, just keep reminding yourself of that. And we're being careful."

~~
"All right, bringing you in."
Vestia opened the shuttle bay and used her tractor beam to pull the ship in, closing the bay and re-pressurizing once it was in.

Matt still looked angry. "Don't give a shit which of them it is, they all willingly worked for that piece of shit didn't they?" He muttered.

Kay shot Asher a reassuring look. Hey, maybe the blood drinker would sense his infection and it would work as a repellent? Starr was pretty good at bubbling people too. It would be fine... honest.
Yeah he was a bit worried but he was better able to offer first aid than Asher in his current condition

When it was safe, Starr, Helen and Sawna went in to get to the ship so they could get in it and help them.

Marcus would carefully scoop his ally up, they were wrapped in blankets to keep warmth. The Arran went to his docking door and pressed it opened standing there calmly as his legs shooked from weakness. He didn't know what to expect, but he had to have faith things will be okay.

Kay went with the others, hanging back while Starr, Helen and Sawna assessed the situation.

Asher tried to smile at Kay as Kay left. Yeah, he got why Kay was objectively better for this than he was, but ugh. He didn't like this. He looked back at Matt, "That's true, but it's our job as medics to help the wounded. Even if we hate it, we have to try and save lives. If they attack us, we fight back. If they laid a trap for us, we do what must be done to defeat them. But people who need help should be helped."