Gehenna's Gate

[Zenya]

Teth 10:24 AM​

It was hot. So unbelievably hot. Lanna didn't mind the heat so much as the humidity. She had grown up on Tatooine, with people that had to farm moisture for their own survival. Meanwhile, Teth was a hellhole of humidity. And it wouldn't be half bad if she weren't locked away. She was stuck in prison. Not just any prison, but one on the edge of the galaxy. She had been pondering her grand escape. Once she was off the planet, she was home free. But it was a matter of actualy... getting off the planet. Getting into a ship, and flying. She cringed at the thought of flying. Piloting was never her strong suit. Especially when it came to flying through the canopy of jungle madness above her.

She silently lied on the top bunk of a metal posted bed, bolted to the floor. On her back, the mattress was filled with a strange leaf like material. Around her were stone gray walls, and on the ceiling, were etched messages from passed prisoners. She was alone in the cell that was meant for two people. There was another person in the cell with her, but after getting much too close for comfort, she settled the issue right away.

Other prisoners could be heard yelling, talking loudly, or causing some sort of racket. Which made sense. Above each individual cell was a pretty sad excuse for a cooling system. Blades span around behind a grate that was screwed into the stone. It was also small. So if you were able to manage removing the grate, the opening would be much too small to crawl into. The piece of junk technology only blew a minor breeze. At least it was better than nothing. That morning, she had already finished eating breakfast, which was served on a metal tray, at 9:30. They would then retrieve the tray at 10:00, and at 10:30 the inmates were released to go to rec. The Rec area was a large clearing of half grass, half concrete. It was outside, and they went in the morning/mid day when the weather was at it's coolest. After mid day, their second round of rec was spent on the inside of the stone walls, with the weak cooling system. It was a process she had become extremely familiar with in her passed few days of being there.

There was a metal tap on the bars to her cell, and she looked up, to a male correctional officer with handcuffs ready. They didn't use stun cuffs unless there was fear of possible unsafety. And Lanna had no physical discrepancies with the officers, so there were no stun cuffs for her. Sliding off the top bunk, she turned around and held her wrists through a slot in the cell bars, for him to clip then on, and escort her to the rec field. They had each cell marked as to who went to rec, and who did not.

"You, officer, live to piss prisoners off by being so rough with those handcuffs, dont'cha?" She hissed, moving her head to the side so it would crack. She had almost mastered the character of an inmate. Of course he simply tightened them until they bit into her skin, then continued to roughly pull her out of the cell and escort her down to the rec field. There would be a load of fresh new inmates that morning, and she was highly curious to see who would be stepping off the ship.

@Prudence

 

[Prudence]

This was one big bloody mistake. Kalan had heard from Lanna that she was heading to the eastern fringes of the Galaxy, and like the paranoid bastard he was, he'd kept tabs on her. Several days prior she'd fallen off the radar, and he'd been, thus far, unable to make contact with her. So like any overconfident romantic idiot he'd run off after her, pushing his nose somewhere that it had no business being, trying to make sure that she was alright. That blunder left him now, shackled, and sitting on the cold wet and grimy floor of a cargo hauler, bound for manda knows where. He struggled against the cuffs, feeling the cold durasteel biting into his wrists, likely leaving sores for days. All around him were dozens of other prisoners, some looking more fit in a prison than others, bound equally and seated on the floor. He could see a cargo container a good distance away from him that seemed to have their belongings shoved into it, and amongst the various items crammed within he could make out his grey helmet, glinting in the dim light.

"Bloody hell, are any of you going to tell me where the fek we're going?"

A nearby guard, a true brute looking man in crude armor, shoved a stun baton into Kalan's chest, causing him to writhe in pain on the floor, "Right then... I'll just shut up." Kalan muttered under his breath and pinched his eyes shut. Time seemed to move excruciatingly slow after that, but eventually he found himself shaken back to the present moment as the ship lurched into a docking position with wherever it was he was going. The boarding ramp lowered, and slowly they were all herded towards the newfound bright light. He had been redressed in a blue jumpsuit, which seemed to be standard for this prison, and had been given a used pair of boots. He could feel the ramp bowing beneath his feet as the dozens of them descended, flanked by guards bearing cheap blaster rifles and hungry gazes. Lovely. Fekking lovely.

As Kalan reached the interior of what appeared to be a prison, several of them were pulled aside by the guards and ushered towards an outdoor area, with a floor of permacrete that seemed to have been cracked away by time and inmates and allowed grass to take over half of its space. It was bordered by several layers of chain fencing, with razor wire atop it, leaving Kalan with few ideas how to escape there. One of the guards grunted out "It's rec time for you lot. Then you'll be taken to your cells."

"Oh how generous of you." Kalan quipped back, and stepped into the outdoor rec yard as the guard finished unfastening his shackles. He shook his hands a bit, exaggerating the chafing the binders had done, and then he spotted her. The raven haired young woman in the same jumpsuit as him. "Oh there you are, you bloody idiot. Nice job, getting yourself fekking locked up. Great situation you've gotten us into this time." His eyes narrowed in annoyance as he moved towards her, and then his expression softened a bit and he wrapped his arms around her, whispering into her ear, "I'm glad you're alive, love."

 

[Zenya]

The woman had been locked behind another fence, and her cuffs were removed. Then, she stepped out onto the rec field where she would walk slowly around the perimeter of the fence. She didn't talk to other inmates, because her patience was thin, and showing any element of "disrespect" could get you killed in such a place. So she kept to herself, and only socialized when she was approached. Being one of the few females in such a place, was a challenge on its own. And going about your business without adequate protection of some sort, would not last a viable amount of time. Whether that protection came from one person who you would make a mutual exchange with, or a gang. And she was not planning to turn to either option. At least, she would extend her free time as much as she could, before the social expiration date caught up with her.

Other prisoners crowded around the fence to see the shuttle of new bodies to add to their masses. Others didn't really care. Lanna simply watched from a distance. She could barely see over the crowd, because of her lack of height. Keeping her senses alert, and her focus on all of the people around her, she always had her guard up. It seemed like the moment you got too comfortable, was when something terrible happened.

A familiar voice called out to her. She turned to face a man, now calling her a bloody idiot. She would have snapped back, but instead a smile lit up behind her eyes.

"Kalan." He hugged her, and she paused, then raised her arms to hug him back."It's nice to see you."

There were eyes on them. Well, actually, there were eyes on everybody, especially the pack of new residents. And Lanna was obviously very friendly with one of them, which drew a lot of attention.

She pulled away, looking at him from arm's length. "How did you get here?" Her voice was low, as she looked him in the eyes. "We need to get out of here... soon."

She moved back from him, catching the sharp glance of a correctional officer, and they walked together. "You can probably get into my cell. We need to make sure that happens. After rec, we go to our cells for an hour and thirty minutes. During that time, the doctor comes around and does daily physical stuff. Nothing serious unless you've got serious issues. Then you would go to her actual office. The correctional officers also come around and do rounds." She let out a sigh. "Besides that. How's everything going for you? I doubt the ride here was very enjoyable."

@Prudence

 

[Prudence]

Kalan was relieved to note that she was more or less unharmed, and felt as she slowly returned his embrace. After a moment she pulled away and asked him a question that made him scoff. "How did I get here?! HOW did I get here?! I came bloody following you. How did you get here?!"

He noted that she was looking around, catching the glances of several of the other inmates and the correctional officer, and he realized that he may need to lower his voice some. His mind was already on it, trying to plan how it was that he would plan to escape this facility as he looked over the fences with their razor wire, and the thick stone walls of the facility. "I'd definitely rather spend my time in your cell than bucko the serial killer in my own cell." Kalan was exaggerating, as he didn't actually know who cellmate was, but the sentiment was all the same. He began walking with her so that they wouldn't attract too much attention just standing there.

"I'm sure we can figure something out. This seems like a fairly poor prison, security protocols aren't too tight, and the facilities aren't perfect..." He was already thinking about that medical office, "Especially if we use the prison doc." He stopped for a moment, looking over to her, "How long exactly have you been in this prison?"

 

[Zenya]

"I came here blindfolded, in the back of a dank metal transport. It was less than enjoyable. I think I've been here four days. Which is absolute hell without any-" She Paused. "Substance."

He went on to mention that sharing a cell with the woman would have been much more appreciated than whatever the alternative could have been. Lanna cracked a smile, then they began to walk with him, around the parameter of the prison. "It is a poor prison. Poor in security, and..." She looked off across the courtyard, and flinched. A correctional officer's fist just connected with the side of a prisoner's face. A few moments later, the prisoner was dogpiled, and beat. "Poor in practice." A loud yell resounded at the sudden presence of some sort of electric prod.

"I have yet to get on any of the guard's really bad side. Then again, it helps being a woman. They also know I have an attitude problem, but I can not say that part is really acting, right there."

For a moment, she stopped walking, and turned to face him. Her hands were in her pockets, and her eyes scanning the courtyard for a moment. Then, she slipped one out, and turned her palm a bit so he could see. Meanwhile, she casually glanced over his shoulder, eyebrow raised as if she were merely bored. Inside her palm was a little black bag, tied off with a stretchy ribbon. Spice.

"Now. If I'm caught with this, I'm basically dead. There will be no getting caught. You shouldn't have a problem with that. Trading it, is the tricky part. We have to be safe about it. And unless you want to shove it up your ass, I suggest we get this done before rec lets out."

Skipping around, she jutted her attention towards a man working out with some equipment off to the South side of the courtyard. "He wants it. And in exchange, we get Naltrexone."

@Prudence

 

[Prudence]

Kalan listened in growing dismay as Lanna described the situation they were in, and the efforts that she'd take ns ofar. Rather than how he would've handled the situation - laying low and getting out quickly, she'd already made sure the guards knew she had an attitude problem. Though, from what he could tell, she was tracking the prison's habits, and that could be good. Kalan would begin to practice such methods as well, his paranoid meticulous nature perfectly suited for their predicament. He was scanning the walls, looking for weak spots or lapses in the fence, when he noticed her hand jutting out towards him in a subtle manner. He'd been in the business of intelligence long enough to understand when someone was trying to discretely pass him something, and so he snatched the bag from her in a fluid motion and slid it up his sleeve, but not before taking a quick glance at it.

His eyes widened a bit as he concealed the item, and glared at Lanna. "You've been here four bloody days and you're already dealing spice in here?!" His voice was passionate, but quiet - insuring that none of the others could hear them. "Lanna what in the hell do we need naltrexone for?!" He raised a finger, shaking his head, "Nevermind.. just... tell me later."

He stepped away from her, his eyes pinched in annoyance and his head shaking. Bloody Lanna, getting me involved in this already... He was annoyed at the situation, and annoyed that when all he wanted was to lay low, he was already dealing spice to manda knows who. Kalan approached the machine, scratching the back of his head as he spoke, "So erm. I was told that you were in the market for... this." he straightened his left hand, allowing the pouch to fall into his palm, and he discreetly passed it to the man. In exchange Kalan got a grunt, and an orange pill bottle was passed back to him. He was certain that someone had seen the exchange, but a cursory glance revealed that no one was scrutinizing him. Kalan shook his head at the luck of the situation and returned to Lanna's side, not yet handing her the pills, "Now tell me, what the hell do we need naltrexone for? Lanna I knew you were using, but are you bloody addicted?"

 

[Zenya]

"Well of course I'm dealing spice. Did you have a better idea?" She scoffed, raising an almost playful eyebrow. "That's how you make money in places like these." He went on to ask when she could possibly need naltrexone for, but lifted a finger to silence her before she could tell him. The answer would have made him laugh.

He received the orange pill bottle with ease, and reproached her once again. While he did so, the woman placed her hands behind her head and whistled, looking aloof, and almost taunting the guards. It was such a display of secrecy, she could not possibly be hiding anything. At least, that was the way she liked to think of it. Smiling at one of the guards who seemed aggravated and suspicious of her, she gave him a wink, then turned back to Kalan.

"Addicted to spice? Of course not!" She looked over him, his hands, and the hem of his jacket. He placed it somewhere. If he trusted her, he would give it to her. "It's for the alcohol. I'm getting slight headaches and stuff. It's not bad though." She said is with a foggy gaze, as if denying it were growing ever more difficult. "Anyway, naltrexone just helps with the withdrawal symptoms. But if you take a lot... you get sick. Which can take us to the doctor. One of us." Judging by the look of the facility around them, she was not expecting it to be difficult to fool the doctor. "The question is, who's going to start popping these pills every day like candy?"

There was clang of a huge overhead bell, which resounded to inform the inmates that it was time to get back to their cells.

"Either hide it or give it to me."

@Prudence

 

[Prudence]

Kalan's eyes rolled upwards, displaying his annoyance with Lanna's smart quip back to his inquiry. No, apparently she wasn't addicted to spice, just bloody alcohol. He ground his teeth together, the muscles along his jaw bulging as he did so. He shook his head, looking down towards the cracked pavement as he lowered his voice "Bloody hell Lanna, you're not a junkie, just a bloody alcoholic." He could tell from the haze that seemed to hang over her expression, and the difference in her personality. She was trying to be tough, but she was suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Before he could respond she followed up her admission with a comment about overdosing on it to ensure that one of them got into the medical ward. His eyes widened some as he took her in, the insanity of her plan nearly causing him to have a stroke. "You're not fekking overdosing on naltrexone just to get into the infirmary..." He knew it was a decent idea to get into a less secured area of the prison, but he couldn't bring himself to okay her using herself as the one to overdose.

The overhead bell rang, indicating that it was time for them to leave the rec yard. Kalan growled under his breath and straightened his arm, the pill bottle sliding into his palm. He discreetly slid it into her hand before taking a step back, "You take care of yourself. I swear to Manda if you overdose on those and die I will break down the gates of hell and barge in just to kick your stubborn ass." He took a few steps back and began to fall into line to leave the exercise yard. Guards were amassing at the gate and letting each of them through one by one, to be re-cuffed and escorted to their cells. Finally it came to be Kalan's turn and a barbaric Herglic slapped some stun cuffs on him, and began to prod him down a hall. Prisoners leered at him, some even slamming cups and plates against their bars as the pair marched down the hall.

Finally they reached a corner cell with two bunks, but no current occupants. Kalan looked back at the Herglic, arching an eyebrow "Assuming this is my stop?" He was answered with a massive hand smacking him in the back, sending him stumbling in. The gargantuan stooped over and removed Kalan's cuffs with a jerk, causing him to take a shock while they were removed. "Fuuuu-" he groaned, cutting himself off with another grinding of his teeth, and then with the slam of his cell door he was alone once again.