Chapter Nine: Lines Crossed

As Layna walked with Vega in the slaver camp, She couldn't help but slow her pace, taking everything in as she looked around her surroundings. The last memory she had of this place, were mostly from the stories that her mother and father had told her. Then after that, it was fighting with James, and now this moment.

Layna couldn't help but stop at one of the buildings. Memorized by it, she gently placed her hand on it's cool metal. Her eyes began to examine it as though she was trying to remember what was, and James couldn't help but take notice as she brushed away some of the overgrowth to reveal the numbers that were faded printed on the container.

"You know this place?"

He asked as he walked up to her.

Layna didn't even look over at him as she answered, "Number 0675."

Taking a moment, She finally looked at Vega who was now examining the building in wonder. She didn't continue until he looked down at her.

"This is where we began. People confined in containers just waiting in anticipation to find out what the masters were going to do with them. Some would leave this world, to never return. While others… Would be taken out, and shot in the back of the head like a rabid animal for being too weak."

Laughing a bit, she could hear her mother's voice as she said:

"What did they expect from people who have been half starved and didn't have enough room to run?"

Smiling to herself, she let her mothers voice linger for a moment before continuing.

"This was my mother's container. She wore it's numbers proudly on the back of her neck."

As Vega looked at the container, he began to look around at the others noticing how small they were. Leaning towards Layna a bit he wondered;

"How many people lived in a container?"

"Fifteen to twenty people."

His eyes grew as his mouth just read "Whoa."

"That's a lot of people to fit in a small space Angelito."

"My mother never said it was easy."

James took a deep breath as he looked at the container shaking his head. He then looked after Layna to notice the number 0675 tattooed on the back of her neck. It got him thinking as he looked back at the container.

"How do your people work... exactly?"

When Layna turned to look at him, he noticed how she looked at him. It was a look of suspicion. Like he was trying to get intel on her and not in the best possible way.

"I mean from how you talk this," he begins gesturing to the containers, " Seems like a memory your mother had but, the number of the container is on the back of your neck. If you didn't grow up here then why the number?"

He watched as she began to seem uncomfortable. Her hand went straight to her neck to cover the tattoo as soon as he mentioned it.

"It's a reminder of my mother, and in a way I think it gives me her strength. This is where she had to survive. With little to nothing to eat. No room to do anything let alone breathe. The only way to survive was with strength."

James looked at her for a moment, examining her posture, and the way she couldn't even make eye contact with him. She was lying. Even the way she spoke about it; It was in a tone that made it seem like she was trying to convince herself of the lie more so than trying to convince him.

"Right." Taking a deep breathe, James Looked around the area carefully before stepping forward to Layna as he looked down at her, and began to whisper, "Listen, it's just you and me here, Layna. You don't have to lie to me. In fact, I'm kind of hurt that you would. I've been nothing but open and honest with you. So for you to distrust me with something as little as your tattoo? It's beginning to raise some flags."

As James towered over Layna, she still hadn't looked up at him as her hand still laid on her tattoo; Almost as though she was ashamed of it. The expression on her face showed fear, something he wasn't used to seeing her wearing, and it made him start to feel bad about how he was handling the situation.

Stepping forward to her like he did was more of an intimidation factor. Something used when dealing with a captive you're trying to get answers out of. He must have done it out of instinct, because that wasn't something he wanted to project. His tone was even one of warning. As though if she didn't tell him the truth something bad was going to happen.

Regretting on how he was handling himself, and how he was treating her, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The sudden physical contact made Layna look up at him for a brief moment before she looked down in thought.

"Um…" She began as her hand slowly fell down from her neck, "It's a brand." She admitted before looking back up at James.

"It's a way for the elders of my people to differentiate the defectives from the pure-bloods. Container 0675 bloodline carries defective DNA. Which comes from my mother. So when my defect appeared I was branded and marked eligible to breed… Like my mother."

James couldn't help but look at her with a bit of confusion as he tried to wrap his mind around what she was telling him. It even made him take a step back and look at her with an "Are you serious?" Expression.

"I don't care what your elders say. You SHOULD wear that number with pride like your mother did. THIS is part of you. THIS is part of who you are, and for them to try and make it something to be ashamed of? Ooo..."

Without him knowing, the anger that he felt was being projected onto Layna as though he was angry at her for letting them do this to her. He didn't realize it until she spoke up.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you angry."

"I'm not angry at you. It's Just-"

He said through a calming breath before closing his eyes.

Vega rubbed the top of his head as he scratched the back of his neck as so many scenarios were running through his mind; Which brought up more questions than answers.

"What exactly is your defect? Because I'm not seeing it."

It seemed like the easiest question to not only ask but, one that would help him the most in continuing his inquiry. The way Layna smiled at him however, let him know that it seemed that his question was taken as him being kind rather than serious.

"I know you're not blind, James."

"Blind enough apparently." He retorted which made Layna sigh.

"My defect are my eyes. They aren't the same."

Her gaze fell as she turned and began to walk away from Vega who quickly followed in toe.

"Where I come from you would be considered a pure-blood. You're big, you're strong, your teeth are straight. You're… Perfect."

Usually James would take this opportunity to boast his already big ego but, even he knew he wasn't perfect. Far from it actually.

"That may be the case for your people but, you ask anyone from my crew and they would be quick to tell you other wise."

Layna looked at James oddly like she couldn't believe that. To her he was everything her people hoped to be, strives to be. If he wasn't perfect to his people then she could only imagine what they would think of her. She almost didn't want to ask him, but her curiosity of their differences couldn't be extinguished.

"And what would they think of me?"

James shrugged with a breath,

"They would probably think you're smart, resourceful, skillful in hand to hand combat," he says as he bumps her in the shoulder,"And what your people would consider a defect would be something my people would consider to be Exotic. Unique. In fact, the only thing they wouldn't like about you are your manners."

"My… Manners?"

"Oh yeah." he said with a chuckling grin..

"Manners are really important where I come from. Especially hospitality."

Layna couldn't help but roll her eyes and chuckle, having a feeling she already knew where he was trying to go with this.

"You're suppose to stop over, introduce yourself, and perhaps have a homemade pie with you. You're not supposed to be sneaking around in the night waiting to say hello with your fists. And stealing? -"

Before he could continue Layna turned in front of him and covered his mouth with her petite hand.

"I get it, but not every neighbor moves in with armored men and guns at the ready. You can't fault us for being cautious. Besides, my hospitality is how I met you so it couldn't be that bad, right?

Lowering her hand from Vega's mouth revealing a smile, she couldn't help but lower her head slightly as she looked over her shoulder. In the distance she could hear some unusual rustling. Rustling that James didn't even notice as he continued on with their conversation as though she may have been hiding flushed cheeks instead of hearing noises through the brush..

" Oh, I don't fault you. Nor do I regret it, but I know you have to report back and tell them whatever you know about us. I would think by now you would have a good handle on our situation, and know we're not hostile. The fact that your people haven't even introduced themselves to me or anyone else for that matter makes me start to worry. Makes me wonder if your people are trying to plan something."

Layna looked back up at James.

"You're not hostile. I don't know about the others… I have to go," she whispered, "Someone is watching us."

As she went to leave, Vega grabbed Layna's arm quick to get her attention. At this moment he didn't care who was watching.

"My people crashed here, Layna. We didn't have a choice. Your people could help us, but from what you told me about your people, I don't know. It makes me want to be cautious, and I want you to be careful, because I think there might be more going on there than you think or even know."

When she ripped her arm away from his grasp, he saw the angered expression on her face, and internally he was already cursing himself for it.

"I'll see what I can do."

As she walked away from him, he wanted to reach out, say he was sorry, and let her know that he wasn't trying to turn her against her people it's just that something was off. Pure-bloods. Defects. No matter how many ways he looked at it, it just read as some sort of slave breeding ground, and if that was the case then it was no wonder why they were being so cautious. Alliance presence on a slaver planet? It wasn't something they would want to roll out the red carpet for. Besides, it wasn't like he was hitting any home runs today. So he thought it best to keep his mouth shut before he strikes out.

Going through the woods, Layna couldn't help but trample and break every stick, branch, and trig that she came in contact with. She wasn't sure why exactly she was mad at Vega, but she was, and perhaps that's partially why she was angry. On one hand she could sympathize with him. His people crashed here, it wasn't like they were sent here for anything which was a relief, and something she looked forward to telling the elders. What got her attention was how he was trying to say that her people were up to something.

There was nothing wrong with them being cautious. For all they knew they could have been sent by the old masters to try and retake what they lost. She, nor the elders have accused them of being anything. Now it was like James was trying to get her to question her people, their believes, and how they live.

Frustratingly shaking her head, Layna turns and begins to head the same way she had come from until she comes to a man dressed in a brown cloak taking cover behind a large tree. When he goes to peek around it, she quickly presses her head against the back of his head. The mere force causes the man's face to bounce off the trunk of the tree, and turn in agony to face her.

Layna doesn't waste anytime as she grabs the man by the collar, and slams his back against the tree. Before she could say a word, her grip begins to loosen as she begins to recognize him. From his brown curly hair all the way down to his scrawny legs.

"Caleb? "

She was very confused on why he was there watching her, and instantly she begins to feel guilty for taking some of her anger out on him. He was shaking with fear.

"Why are you watching me?"

She asked in a soft tone as Caleb raised his arms towards his battered face to try and cover up.

"Samus sent me! Pl-Please don't hit me."

Caleb was quick to answer as he curled up against the bark of the tree. Almost as though he was trying to become it himself in fright as soon as Layna let him go. In doing so, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder and wonder if Samus didn't send other people to look after her.

"Samus sent you?"

Looking back at Caleb curiously, she tried to look in his hazel eyes for any indications that would tell her if he was lying.

"But why?"

"He didn't say why. He just said to keep an eye on you just in case. I didn't ask any questions. I just followed orders. Don't… Please don't tell him you caught me. If… If I fail at this… You know what will happen. Just… Please Layna. I'm begging you."

Taking a deep breathe, Layna thought about her options. Caleb was a clutz, and he screwed up everything, but she didn't want him to be discarded.

Giving him a hand up, Layna smoothed out the wrinkles her clutched hands had created in his shirt.

"You were never here."

Smiling at him, Caleb seemed really relieved as he fell forward to embrace her in a hug.

"Thanks Layna. You… You won't regret this. I promise."

When Caleb went to leave, Layna called out to him which caused him to quickly turn around, and trip backwards over a root. At the sound of impact, Layna couldn't help but close her eyes and tense up her shoulders in sympathy.

"Ah… You might want to tell Samus you fell when trying to keep up with me. It will explain… Well you know."

As Caleb stumbled back up to his feet, he waved back at Layna. A gesture of thanks as he disappeared through the brush leaving Layna to sigh deeply, and begin to think about what James had told her. Her people had a different way of doing things, but that didn't make them bad people did it? She didn't view James and his people as bad people. It's hard to come out and judge someone or even a group of someones that you don't even know.

That's probably what angered her the most with James. He was willing to put a label on her people before getting to know them, or maybe it was because a part of her suspiciously believed that he was right. There was more going on than what she wanted to believe.