Four caught One as Cain flung him into the vault, hands bound behind his back and blood running down one side of his face, almost stumbling into one of the shelving units and eased him down onto the lowest shelf. "You ok?" Four asked gruffly.

One grunted a response, breathing heavily.

"Where's Five?" Six asked worriedly.

One took a shaky breath, his face pale. "Away," he said numbly. "and I don't think for anything good."

Three took a step forward in spite of himself. "Why do you say that? Why did they take her in the first place?"

Four grabbed Five's knife and cut the plastic ties on One's wrists. Rubbing the sore limbs, he said finally, "They are under the impression I have a secret stash of weapons, bars and other valuables hidden on some planet or moon and wanted their location. I told them I didn't, and -" he waved at his face - "They did this."

"Wait, wait," Three held up his hand. "You have a secret stash and you haven't shared with the rest of us?" He demanded. "What the hell are you-"

"No!" One snapped impatiently. "Not me, the real Jace Corso! They think I'm him."

Three eyed him suspiciously, but let the matter drop. "So what does Five have to do with this?"

One swallowed hard. "They... Wexler, he was going to use her, torture her in front of me, thinking if he hurt her enough, I'd give up the location." He looked up at the other men in the vault, who all stared speechlessly at him. He continued, "At first, Wexler was just threatening to tear her finger off with a pliers, starting with the small ones..." One trailed off, bile in the back of his throat.

"Just? At first?!" Six demanded. "What the hell else did they threaten? What did they do?"

Hands clenched into fists in One's lap. "They said maybe instead they'd have some fun. They started... touching her. Her face, her hair, her neck-"

He was interrupted by Six's exclamation, Three swearing, and Four punching a mostly empty container above his head, sending it loudly crashing into the back wall. "They are dead,'' Four swore firmly. ''All of them.''

"Not if I get there first," Six growled, his dark eyes snapping.

''Get in line, boys." Ordered Three. They all stared at him. He threw his hands in the air. "Alright, so the kid's grown on me. Happy?"

One snorted despite himself. So Five has managed to work her magic even on the bastard. Good for her. "Before they could... go any further they got called up to the bridge, something was wrong, but when they came back, they took her with them. I didn't see her after that. I only hope she remains useful to them in regards to the ship until we can break out of here and take care of the matter."

Six crossed his arms. "Damn straight."

Four was frowning as he leaned against the shelving unit. "Why didn't you just tell them you're not the real Jace Corso? I'm assuming you made copies of that DNA scan. That should be proof enough for them to stop."

"I was going to." said One. "I told Five as much. She told me not to."

"What?" demanded Six. "Why?"

"Because she didn't want me to end up useless like her to them." One gave a small chuckle. "She was trying to protect me, even as I was going to protect her. But even if I had... they might've just killed us anyway. Or me, at any rate. I don't think they would have been as kind to her."

"She's a strong little warrior," Four murmured. "I hope she is able to remain so."

"Well I say the sooner we can get out of here, the better!" Three declared. "Rescue our little warrior, take back the ship, and kill these sons of bitches. And the more they've hurt her, the slower they die."

One nodded in agreement, but all he could picture was Five's tear-stained face as the animals wearing human bodies touched her, the firmness in her voice as she told him to remain silent when the came back, and the fear in her eyes as they ripped her away from his sight.

They had to get to her, and soon. Before their Light - as he had sometimes thought of her - was dimmed or put out completely. He had seen the look in her eyes when they had touched her. Whether she remembered it or not, it wasn't the first time someone had done so. He just prayed he - all of them - could make damn well sure it was the last time.