Whumptober 2021: Day 1 - Bound
Whumptober’s finally heeeeeeere and it’s time for some canon content!
CW: prisoner of war, slapping, mild blood
Titan Guard tag list: @nightly-whump, @whumped-cream, @whipper-whumper, @ghostcomit, @yet-another-heathen @why-not-whump-it (let me know if you’d like to be added!)
He thought the ropes were a little excessive.
Of course, his captors might have thought it more than necessary based on the amount of trouble Lulan had been giving them. It took being outnumbered four to one and a small explosion before he finally fell to their strength. Even then, he never gave them a moment’s rest since getting captured. The handcuffs on his wrists grew tighter the more he struggled against them.
The ropes around his arms and torso were just annoying, even if it somehow made them feel safe. In any case, he wasn’t planning on making it easy for them.
“Hey, watch it!” Lulan growled as they gripped his shoulders painfully and pushed him forward towards a set of closed doors. The doors hissed as they opened, the bridge of the Dicio Council’s flagship in full view. Lulan’s jaw tightened as they shoved him towards the commander’s seat, knowing well who was waiting for him there.
“Admiral, we encountered this Pax Rebel on a scouting mission on the alien planet,” one of the Diçian’s leading him said as she and the other pushed him down to his knees in front of the commander’s seat, “He’s already severely injured one corpsman before we managed to subdue and restrain him.”
Lulan felt his nerves creeping under his skin as the ship’s commander turned and set her eyes on him. There was an instinct to keep his eyes down, to avoid fanning the flames of anger he knew was coming for him in time. But then again, not every instinct needed to be followed.
He kept his head high as he locked eyes with Admiral Jentari’s look of mild amusement. He already knew that this was making her day, capturing another Pax Rebel after managing months of hiding and silence. Lulan had loathed every minute of it, the will to fight back itching at him every moment of every day. He’d gotten his fill of that today, perhaps a little too much.
“Welcome aboard the Maverick, Captain Quioph,” Jentari said as she stood from her seat. “I sincerely hope that you think all the trouble you caused today worth it. I certainly don’t appreciate having one of my soldiers hospitalized.”
“Honestly, it has been so far,” Lulan smirked with a toothy grin. He tested against the strength of his bonds, growing uncomfortably tight. “I’m just disappointed I didn’t have time to take out more of your lackeys before now.”
“And here I thought your General placed diplomacy over conflict and violence.”
“Only for those who really deserve it.”
His arms fidgeted against the cuffs and ropes as Jentari stepped closer. His teeth gritted behind his forced smile. It wavered slightly as she leaned down and gripped his chin, raising his head until he barely remained on his knees.
“You and the rest of General Shorvakon’s meddlers have dragged this game on long enough. Most of your Guard division is dead, and the rest of you hiding like cowards, yet you keep fighting. And for what?”
Lulan wished he could punch her square in the jaw. His shoulders shifted as he tried to pull away from her grip. “Believe me, we think it’s still a hell of a lot better than living under the Council’s rule.”
“You’ll have to come up with a better reason than that.”
Lulan growled from deep in his throat. He had to maintain the façade, had to keep this up and keep her distracted as long as possible. The longer he kept her focus on him meant that she wouldn’t look for the others. They would be safe, hidden away until they could find a way back home. Or simply survive.
“I’m giving you one last chance to tell me where the other Pax Rebels are on this planet, before this gets ugly,” she said as her nails dug into his skin, “I will not be this nice if I have to ask again.”
Lulan groaned, feeling beads of blood slowly run down his chin to the floor. He let out a harsh chuckle. “Yeah, right. Like I’m gonna tell you one fucking thing, you Diçian kharra.”
The satisfaction in his word still lingered after Jentari released him and slapped the back of her hand across his cheek. He fell to the floor on his side, the cuffs digging into the flesh of his wrists and threatening to bring forth more blood. Angry murmurs from the other Diçian officers echoed around him. That was worth it too, he thought to himself. If he was going to suffer by their hands, then he was going to make the most out of being their greatest inconvenience.
“Take him down to the detention block,” Jentari turned to one of the other officers, “Tonár, I believe you will take the greatest pleasure in conducting his interrogation. Drag out any information on the Rebels’ whereabouts. And… have some fun with it.”
Lulan growled under his breath as his weight pulled against the ropes, lifting him to his feet as he was led off the bridge. His cheek still stung, and he kept the same smile on his face even as he felt his courage waver. He would keep up the defiance, the strength, as long as he possibly could. Even so, he chuckled to himself sadly.
Looks like the gang’s gonna have to learn to live without me.
