The Taken
The Taken
This story was written in response to this post. I hope you enjoy :)
Nihijb had always been scared and alone. But nothing quite scared her as much as the rumours whispered in passing every now and again. It’d started to be more frequent lately.
Humans. Deathworlders. Sentient life from the most dangerous, least habitable corner of the galaxy. Beings that liked to take the ones who no one kept an eye one. The outcasts and lonely were abducted by them. Every time one of them saw someone they could take without a protective being willing to take them on for this person’s sake, they would do just that.
People were not sure what happened to the Taken. They did not return to talk about it, and everyone only whispered about it - but everyone knew it was happening. No matter the planet, no matter the race, no one without strong backing was safe.
Nihijb was not safe either. She was right there, the perfect victim. That was why she was listening more closely to the speculations.
The Taken were probably forced to work for the humans. They might become test subjects or food - though humans apparently had officially claimed they would not condone such behaviour from anyone, that they would start a war to end that kind of thing.
Many suspected that the Taken were trained. Made into soldiers. A gigantic, brainwashed, interspecial army ready at the fingertips of those humans. But the human ambassadors emphasised that there was no army.
Nihijb shuddered at the thought that she might end up like that. That was the worst thing other children had taunted her with: That they hoped she would be taken and vanish as part of that gruesome mystery forever.
It was cold the night it happened. Cold and dark. Darker, actually, than her home planet with its midnight sun usually was. The clouds must have been rather thick.
The human was hurrying by the ally Nihijb was sitting in, her breath held anxiously to try and go unnoticed. The human, tall and clothed in a garment Nihijb recognised as a dress fluttering in the nightly winds, froze regardless. And as she could feel both her hearts to speed up in terror, she wondered whether this human’s ears were keen enough to hear it. She had heard they had creepily keen senses.
The human approached slowly, strangely enough keeping a polite, reassuring distance from the terrified Ne’av. They even sat down in a way Nihijb was sure they could not stand up from quickly.
Or maybe they just knew it looked like that and they were trying to lower her guard. Might be that, too.
The human flashed their teeth, and Nihijb nearly fainted. Before she could stutter out an apology for whatever offence she could have committed, they spoke with their strange, flown voice that sounded like the whispers of the winds: “Hi there, little one. What are you doing here all alone? Do you need help finding home?”
Nihijb had heard a rumor that humans could hear when one lied. So lying was futile. But if she spoke truthfully, she would be revealing herself as the perfect victim she was.
“I… I don’t want to leave this place.” That was not a good answer. But the winds had the words echoing through the ally, and she knew she could not take them back.
Yet the human did not answer to the defiance an unresponsiveness she’d shown them, looking around the ally instead. “It’s a nice ally. Seems… comfy? It’s warmer than right outside it, at least. And it’s clean… somewhat.”
Nihijb had not expected them to agree with her. She had expected many things, but none of them had been so… positive? Approachable?
"Say, little one, this… isn't where you live. Right?"
The weird windy voice was soft, compassionate. Nihijb did not know how to feel about that. But for now, she decided to answer truthfully since that ought to be better than angering the beast in front of her: "I just… Don't want to go back there."
The human's face-fur did something funny. Their eyebrows, was it? Since when was fur supposed to move around your face? Was it sentient? Nihijb hoped not, that'd be beyond terrifying.
"That's not good… What made you not wanna go back?"
Nihijb shuddered, pressing against the hard wall behind her and lowering her eyes sadly. She did not want to say it, didn't want herself to admit it out loud. As if that'd make a difference. She knew it didn't, and she knew she should not defy a human, but…
No. Defiance was let go once before, surely that must've been the worse decision. "I am" - Nihijb sighed - "hated. By the gods. The missing limb I was born without is proof of that. That's why they… I don't… I promise I wasn't… But…"
Somehow the human must have understood her absolute gibberish response that Nihijb herself didn't fully know the meaning of. At least the human… summed? Hummed? Something like that. A response, maybe in their home world language.
"So they abuse you at home. Because you were born missing an arm and are considered hated by your gods now?"
Nihijb nodded, sadness sounding inside her heart like the ever present rustling of the leaves on the fertile ground. The human pressed their lips together, and she was not sure what it meant, but that was the moment the fear installed by the rumours came back with a vengeance. There was only one direction this could go, and it was not a good one.
"You can say no if you don't want to."
A sentence Nihijb had not expected to be directer at her ever, much less by a human. But one that reassured her nevertheless. A lot.
"But I would like to offer you a way out of this life." They reached forward, their claw stopping a decent distance away from Nihijb, talons turned to face towards the earth. Showing their wrist. A strangely pacifistic gesture to come from a deathworlder.
"Come with me? I have a lot of blue-ra- uh… movies we can watch. There's a few other kids like you staying with me, too. I know goind with a stranger isn't ideal. And I'm no therapist or educationalist, but I oughta be able to do better than those people. I promise you can go any time you want, so…"
Nihijb was not sure what it was. Maybe the way the human sounded so nervous. Or the safe distance they had kept the entire time. Or their compassionate gaze. But as she contemplated the deathworlder before her, who'd been the first one to talk to her like an actual person, she suddenly couldn't help but feel that they were right. Maybe the brainwashing had begun already, but she somehow believed this human that her life would be better with the deathworlder than her homeworlders.
Nihijb ended up taking the human's hand.
On the ship, she found about seven other people waiting for the human. A blind ocheraha and an ocheraha she could not see anything wrong with that looked very similar to the first one. A kjek'kr covered in scars. A sethuzu without any glowing marks. A rorrlchra with purple feathers. An adult hehehit making weird motions with his hands with a questioning look on his face. And another human, this one with red fur on their head and clothed in what appeared like one of those "suits"?
"This child will stay with us for now. Everyone, please be nice to her." The human in a dress turned to Nihijb, bearing their teeth a bit again. "Welcome to the Neverland - Fahijet chose the ship's name based on her favorite movie." The hehehit grew red, so Nihijb supposed that was Fahijet.
The other human let out a sigh, though, statling Nihijb. "Honey, we have to stop adopting homeless alien children now." Their green eyes took in Nihijb and suddenly the human made a chocked sound. "… Right after this one. Hello, my precious little friend. I'm sure my big idiot of a wife forgot to do the introductions, so allow me to do it! Welcome to the family, princess."
"I am not a princess?" That was all Nihijb could answer, because… Wow. Just, wow.
"Well, to me you are. You're my little princess now, so that's that." The human bared their teeth too, and Nihijb suspected it was actually some kind of friendly gesture.
For some reason, it felt as though she would not regret her choice.
A very happy week later, she asked Fahijet why the humans were not simply revealing the truth about the Taken. She answered with her hands - hand speech, that was what it was, she was mute - that the humans said it was too bothersome. "But I think they do it to protect us. The rorrolchra and many others wouldn't let people like Ruirem, people like us go otherwise."
Nihijb had lost count of the how many-th time it was that she started crying since entering the Neverland with her new mom. But not once had those tears been sad.
Nihijb didn't have to be scared nor alone anymore.
More Posts from Painted-daisy-l0l and Others
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Keep the Jedi Out of It
With input from @atagotiak (Tia), @gelpenss (Gel), and @thisarenotarealblog (Doc).
Standard initial premise: Clones take over the Republic after Fox kills Palpatine.
Fun AU Twist: in order to keep people from trying to fuck over the Jedi, and also as a backup because they trust the Jedi to at least try to save them after the initial hubbub goes down, and also as a bit of a vindication for those who don’t like their Jedi… the clones arrest all the Jedi and just keep them in the brigs etc. until they figure out how to break the news to the galaxy that Palpatine was a bigger problem than previously anticipated.
“Why did the Jedi not stop you?” “Great question! We arrested them.” “…all of them?” “Yes.” “On what grounds?” “On ‘they would have stopped us from killing the Chancellor’ grounds.”
“The Jedi couldn’t stop you from arresting them?” “We just kind of told them ‘here, hold this’ and then put the force cuffs on. It was really easy, actually, they trust us way too much, it’s kinda scary. A few of them passed out without the Force to keep them awake and the medics got pissed they hadn’t been sleeping.” “…you’re saying you did this for their own good?” “No, we did it so we could kill the Chancellor.”
Keep reading
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Hello, I am from (Rafah) in the refugee camp. I have left my parents at home, my younger siblings have been relying on me for their education, due to the family being economically poor, I took the responsibility of going to do domestic work. in 2017 in the (Gaza) Strip. In the family I was working for, everything was destroyed after riots broke out, the house was bombed, and unexpected deaths occurred frequently. And that's when we ran to Rafah. I am facing the challenge of leaving there (Rafah) because my mother is sick, she has 3C colon cancer, and my father has type 2 diabetes. I am their biggest support, the cost of leaving (Rafah) is $5000 and those it's too much money, I can't afford it right now. Please, I am at your feet, I am asking for your help so I can get home. Thank you🙏 DONATE AND SHARE
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212TH ONE-SHOT
@metalhusbands :one of the clones gets stuck in a vent - chaos insues
As you wish!!!!
(got the idea from @212th-chaos and @obiwanshusband tooka chaos)
---------
"What do you mean it's IN the vent?!?!" Cody practically yelled, throwing his arms up in exaggeration.
Waxer bowed his head, hiding his hands behind his back. "I didn't realize the vent cover was off so it sprinted towards it, I tried to grab it and it bit me and disappeared…"
Cody pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out a drawn-out sigh. "There's a tooka loose in the ven- wait did you say it bit you?"
Waxer shrugged, still hiding his hands. "It's not that bad, sir."
Cody gave him an unbelieving glare. "Nice try. Med bay. Now," He pointed down the hall. "I'll go find someone to help find the damned thing."
Waxer nodded, heading towards the medbay as Cody started towards the barracks.
As the Commander got closer, he could hear laughing and yelling coming from beyond the door to the barracks. He wasn't sure what he expected to see beyond the door but he definitely didn't expect what he did find.
"Commander!" Boil shot up from where he was crouched on the floor. Next to him, someone was sticking halfway out of a vent, their waist up hidden inside. Boil looked from Cody to whoever was in the vent, back to Cody.
Cody crossed his arms, trying his best to refrain from laughing. "What the hell happened?"
Around Boil, other troopers were failing to control their laughter. "Well, sir," Boil started, barely containing his own laughter, "Waxer lost a tooka in the vent and Wooley saw it and tried to grab it and well…" he motioned to the pair of legs, "he got stuck."
Cody couldn't stop the amused chuckle as Wooley started to kicked his legs.
"Will you stop karking laughing and get me the kriff out?!?" Wooley's muffled yell only caused the boys to keel over laughing once more.
"I'm assuming pulling him out didn't work, then?" Cody asked, leaning against the door frame.
"We tried," Longshot piped up. "But his squeaking as we tried to pull him out-" he fell into a fit of giggles.
"So what you're saying is you bunch of di'kuts were all laughing too hard to pull him out?" Cody asked, his amused smirk never leaving his face.
"No, yeah. That about sums it up sir," Trapper put in between wheeze.
Cody was more laughing at his troopers trying their best to say things in a professional manner all while doubled over wheezing than Wooley screaming profanities through the vent.
"So," Cody made his way over, lightly kicking Wooley's leg. "How bout you lot get him out of the vent so we can find the missing tooka before it bites someone else?"
"I like that plan!" Wooley called out, kicking his legs again, accidentally hitting Cody in the process.
Unfortunately for Wooley, that just sent them all laughing again. Crys, who hadn't said a word since Cody arrived, was now struggling to breath, curled into a ball on the floor.
"What the kriff did I miss?"
Cody turned to see Waxer now standing in the open doorway, a bandage wrapped neatly around his hand.
Cody leaned his back against the wall, sparing a glance at Wooley. "Seems your tooka caused a bit of chaos in your absence."
Waxer chuckled to himself before walking over to Wooley, grabbing his leg and yanking hard. Wooley slid free from the vent and Waxer landed on his ass, wincing as his bandaged hand hit the floor.
Wooley rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling before getting up and launching himself at Boil who practically screamed. Wooley wrestled his vod to the floor. "This is for not getting me out, you karking di'kut!" He yelled as he put Boil in a headlock.
No one came to Boil's rescue and he squirmed to attempt to free himself.
Cody didn't move from his spot against the wall, content to watch the chaos unfold.
Wooley released Boil and latched himself to Longshot who started screaming at Crys to help him. Crys was of no help, still fighting to catch his breath.
Waxer stood up, stopping beside his Commander and his vode rolled around on the floor. "Should we-?"
"Nah," Cody interrupted. "They'll figure it out,"
Cody's attention was quickly drawn back to the vent as a soft meow was heard. Beside his foot the tabby tooka, also watching the chaos it had unknowingly caused.
"There's the little shit!" Wooley's voice called out.
"GET IT!"
WE GET AN ANSWER FOR WHY THE JEDI ONLY USE LIGHTSABERS INSTEAD OF KYBER BOMBS OR BLASTERS BECAUSE THEY’RE HERE TO BE MORE POWERFUL THEY’RE HERE TO STAND UP AGAINST THE DARK THEY DELIBERATELY CHOSE A WEAPON THAT TAKES CONTROL AND INTENTION TO WIELD BECAUSE THAT’S THE JEDI’S WHOLE PURPOSE YOU DON’T JUST BLAST AWAY AT YOUR OPPONENT YOU CHOOSE YOUR MOVES CAREFULLY, YOU FOLLOW THE FLOW OF THE FORCE, YOU TRAIN FOR A LIFETIME FOR THE MOMENT THAT YOU FIGHT AGAINST SOMEONE THAT THEY ARE SHOWING, AGAIN AND AGAIN, THEY DO NOT WANT TO RULE OVER OTHERS, THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE THE MOST POWERFUL FORCE IN THE GALAXY THEY COULD BE THAT BUT THEY DON’T BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE PROTECTORS, NOT CONQUERORS AND I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS EXPLANATION IT’S SO JEDI BUT ALSO IT’S LIKE “YEAH WE THOUGHT OF THAT AND DIDN’T WANT TO BE THAT KIND OF PEOPLE, SO WE STAY WITH THE LIGHTSABER BECAUSE IT MEANS EVERYTHING OF WHO WE ARE”.
For some reason, I wonder what aliens think of sky diving, I like to think like this (H is human) (A is alien)
A: human... I did some research, and I have a question
H: Sure, ask away
A: What is "sky diving"
H: Oh, it's a sport where we get in a plane, fly very high... And jump
A:YOU WHAT!?!
H: We jump, but don't worry, we can land safely
A: oh thank god... So, you use some kind of gravitation device? Or use some technological device to land slowly?
H: Uhhh, not exactly....
A: .... Human... What exactly do you use....
H: ...
A: Human, what... Exactly... Do you use?
H: a backpack with a bunch of fabric... Sometimes silk....
A: ...
H: ...
A: YOU USE CLOTHING, TO STOP YOUR FALL, AFTER JUMPING OFF SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET UP!?
H: Yeah, but it's a different kind of fabric you know...
A: ... Okay, but what do you do if the fabric breaks, or if it gets tangled
H: ... Enjoy the view?
A: ... I still don't know why you aren't extinct
Humans are deathworlders prompt:
Humans have been known as a terrifying, strong species that can kill and eat almost anything.
Others across the galaxy tell their children that humans are dangerous, using their concept as a sort of boogeyman.
The problem is, many of the alien children think that humans are SUPER COOL and AWESOME, (kind of like how many human children view dinosaurs but smaller) and they would do anything to meet one up close
Boil, while the 212 is relaxing: Sir, if you don't mind me asking, how are you so good at all this war stuff? I thought the Jedi were peacekeepers?
Obi Wan: Oh, I suppose no one ever told you about Melida/Daan, then. Well, when I was younger....
*Thirty traumatizing minutes later
Obi Wan: And that's how I was part of a rebellion and sold into slavery at 13!
All the troopers, in horrified silence:
Wooley, raising his hand: Sir?
Obi Wan: Yes, Wooley?
Wooley, teary eyed: Permission to hug?
Obi Wan, concerned: Of course, are you alrigh-
Obi Wan, buried under several hundred troopers: Little help
Cody: Sorry sir, you're staying here for forever.
Boil: And then a little longer
Honeymoon AU Masterpost
Info posts:
Basic gist of the au
Eclipse twins
Eclipse twins extra: powers
Break up
Comics:
Reencounter
Peach Coffee (family shenanigans)
Separation Anxiety
Destiny
Restless
Extra art:
More awful coffee + trauma
Awful parents
Shopping date: p1 p2
Greetings
Dance under the stars
Early morning
God's Special Boy
Petnames
Beach time
Asks:
Blanket thief
Laundry
Flowers
Braids
Worst Cook
Gifts
Parenting 101
Lbd situation
Petnames p2
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