Chapter Forty Eight

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The silence of the darkened room was deafening as Dhadtoudi hung in the center of the room as if on display. The rope rubbed sore spots on her wrists and forearms as the joints felt as if they would slip out at any second. Fire seemed to burn throughout her nervous system, and her fingers pulsed with the ache of poor circulation.

The guards had retired for their evening meal, but they would be back soon. Her grey eyes searched the darkness and she was able to make our vague shapes and outlines, but nothing definitive.

Chill bumps covered her body as her bare skin was left exposed to the open air, still covered in the strange gel-like liquid from the healing tank. Bits of the substance had already dried in her hair and left it coated in a sticky, crusty mess.

Images of her brother's lobotomized body flashed through her mind but Dhadtoudi tried to ignore them. It certainly had not been the first time she'd seen a dead body before, and if she was being completely honest, she had done far worse to her own victims.

A low hissing sound reached her ears and an uncomfortable chill raced throughout her body. She recognized the sound but couldn't place its origin. Dhadtoudi held her breath and focused on the sound before slowly rotating her hips in order to spin her body around. As the hissing continued Dhadtoudi was able to see a brilliant shade of white surrounded by a blackness that was darker than the shadows themselves. Her blood ran cold in her veins and her stomach twisted into knots.

The creature let out a bone-chilling screech that was met with Dhadtoudi's own fearful yet defiant cry.
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The call echoed through the rest of the facility and inevitably reached the Yautja who peeled up instantaneously

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The call echoed through the rest of the facility and inevitably reached the Yautja who peeled up instantaneously. They looked at one another in disbelief before turning their focus to the newest addition to their spectators. "Well, it seems you're familiar with their top project." The woman chided as she sipped on a cup of bitter bean water, her dark locks finally dry from the rain.

T'ahrou let out a warning growl which she waved off with minimal concern. "Don't waste your breath, big boy. You can't touch me from in there." T'ahrou didn't revoke the warning but O'kaor stood to his full height and stepped to the transparent wall, his amber eyes baring down on the woman as she sipped her drink. "Is that supposed to impress me, Ghost? It's better than most humans, I'll give you that much."

"Where is Zaiyu?" She pursed her lips before averting her eyes from his stare and took another sip.

"He didn't survive...so they used his cadaver for scientific research."

O'kaor visibly tensed, and T'ahrou's growl became increasingly loud. "Why would you do that after all they've done for you?"

"I assure you that I had no part in his...procedure."

"Your word is as empty as your soul, Ooman." Her grey eyes widened slightly as her brow furrowed. "You have no honor, and now you stand no chance of survival."

"Do you plan to kill me?"

"No. But I will not help you when Dhadtoudi comes to 'collect dues owed'." The color fell from Brielle's face and O'kaor returned to his previous position against the wall.
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The telltale screech of the black mass quieted as it's body seemed to slam against something hard and metallic before it let loose another piercing shriek

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The telltale screech of the black mass quieted as it's body seemed to slam against something hard and metallic before it let loose another piercing shriek. A cage, she thought, they trapped it. How the hell did they catch it?

The door of the room opened behind her to reveal a beam of light from the corridor. Dhadtoudi glanced over her shoulder and saw the form of Brielle alongside an armed guard. The lights in the room flickered on to reveal the woman held a tray with a few small pieces of food. Brielle placed the items in the center of the room and walked back out without a single word.

Dhadtoudi spat towards the door as a vicious snarl escaped her lips. "Tarei'hasan!! You are nothing!!" Her eyes burned with the threat of angry tears, and Dhadtoudi began to struggle against her restraints. "You are NOTHING!!" She repeated the words like a mantra, her heart pounding in her chest as adrenaline flooded her system and rage bubbled in her chest. She let loose a blood-curdling scream that was answered by another shriek of the black creature in the cage.

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