Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 13

Jupiter smiled as the man left her platform, relieved to have a moment of peace. "Any news?" she murmured.

"Nothing yet Your Majesty," Stinger answered just as quietly. "Searching the ship will take time if he is not in the brig."

The waiting was killing her!

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Diomika slipped around the corner, the small team with her moving into the corridor, weapons drawn. They had managed to avoid the crew so far but that wouldn't last. She nodded and Gemma moved to the control panel, bypassing the security to force the door open. The main infirmary was empty but they moved to clear the adjoining rooms, finding one locked. Gemma went to work on it while the rest of them readied themselves. As the door opened they moved in, weapons aimed, to find several medical staff standing around an occupied bed, all of them starting at the appearance of the ex-Aegis group. "Step away, now," she ordered and they hesitated but moved away.

Her own medic stepped forward towards the bed, and quickly checked the monitors, hissing in horror. He flicked some switches and removed the injector from his arm. "It's Wise," Liam confirmed.

Diomika nodded and turned to the medics. "By order of Queen Jupiter, this ship and crew are to be seized." That had them staring at her in shock and she smirked. "Did you think you could kidnap a head of security without consequences?"

"But we didn't!" one of the men, an avian Splice, denied.

"Your Lord did and he too will be facing consequences." She then turned back to Liam. "Can he be moved?"

"He's been given Thiozle," Liam told her and the whole crew turned to glare at the medical personnel.

"That is a restricted drug by order of the Aegis, we shall be informing them of this infraction." She grimaced as she received a message from Percadium. "We need to move." She contacted her Majesties ship to inform them they had found Wise, what he had been dosed with, and to move in to ensure Micus' ship could not leave. Gemma moved in to help Liam disconnect Wise from the equipment. As the helmet was removed they could hear the faint whimpers coming from him, see the glassy dark eyes, his head lolling on the bed.

Gryphh stepped up and as carefully as possible, the massive splice lifted Wise from the bed, earning another whimper. They retreated to their own ship as quickly as possible, leaving the others aboard to ensure the ships defences were deactivated before retreating themselves, they didn't want to get into any fights with the crew. As soon as they were back onboard she contacted Stinger to inform him they had Wise and what had been done to him.

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Stinger accepted the message, heart plummeting at the news. He took a deep breath and then leant in to let her Majesty know.

Jupiter nodded and then used the screen to issue a summons to Lord Micus. They had prepped her on what to do but he thought he knew the girl well enough now to pick up she was nervous behind the façade of Royal distance. He had only said Caine had ben drugged, not by what or what it had done to him, she needed to be calm when dealing with Micus and not leave in a rush to be at Caine's side.

The man docked and approached, bowing low. "It is an honour to be in your presence once again my Queen," he greeted and Jupiter stared at him.

"Odd words from a thief," she offered and Micus straightened.

"Your Majesty?"

"You took something that belongs to me," she answered and Stinger knew how much she hated using that terminology but as far as the Galaxy was concerned, they were her property.

He had to give it to Micus, he was keeping his cool well. "I do not understand Your Majesty."

Stinger couldn't see the expression on Jupiter's face but it must have been good from the way Micus paled.

"Caine Wise, my joint Head of Security. Did you think I would not find out?"

"Your Majesty…"

"Your family position and wealth is thanks to the Abrasax family and yet you would risk it all to take something from the Abrasax Queen."

Stinger stiffened when the man's hands balled into fists, seeing Kiza shift closer. He'd ensured his daughter was well trained, she could and would defend their Queen. Then again, Jupiter was not defenceless herself.

"It's a defective splice Majesty! It killed my brother and should have been put down then."

"That is not your decision. I have seen the reports, your brother was in a restricted area. There is no evidence that Caine Wise's actions were not self-defence or even to stop him from sabotaging the ship, killing all aboard. Wise should never have been convicted the way he was when so much evidence was missing. He was taken while investigating an attack on myself, should I presume you were behind that to draw him out? You have lost considerable wealth with Balem's death."

Micus was deathly pale now, eyes darting around furtively. The rest of her Majesty's guard had moved in, cutting Micus off from his own.

Jupiter nodded and they moved forward to take hold of Micus. "Your pointless revenge will finish stripping your House of any wealth and status it once had. Your ship has already been confiscated and Mr Wise retrieved."

Micus laughed bitterly. "I hope you enjoy what's left of him, Your Majesty," he sneered before being led away.

"Stinger…what did he mean?" she asked and he winced.

"It would be best to speak of this elsewhere," he offered and she looked at him.

"Then get us out of here."

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Jupiter stopped briefly to strip out of her finery and exchange it for the comfortable pants and shirt she had worn when she had come to space the first time. Stinger hadn't changed when she emerged. "What did he do to Caine?" she was trembling in fear and rage.

"Have you heard of a drug called Thiozle?" he asked gently and she frowned, searching her memories, before shaking her head. "It is a banned drug, except under the most extreme circumstances. It works on the nervous system, causing extreme pain."

"Okay…" while that sounded horrendous there had to be more to it.

Stinger shifted uncomfortably. "Kiza likened it to something from an Earth book, Harry…"

"Potter?"

"That's it, something about a torture curse," he shrugged slightly and she swallowed hard.

"Stinger, that caused insanity if held too long. Two of the characters were driven insane, pretty much catatonic, and there was no cure or treatment."

"Yeah. The drug is also addictive which means we can't just stop giving it to him, the dosage has to be slowly lowered. Even crueller is cutting off all other sensory input that the person could use to help them focus past the pain, such a device was in use. Captain Tsing reported he is unconscious at the moment."

"Tell me there's something more we can do!" she pleaded even as she headed toward the infirmary.

"There is one treatment beyond weaning him off and praying his mind is somewhat intact," he offered slowly.

"What is it?" she stared at him, never slowly her pace.

"A full genetic recode and use of high grade RegeneX," he finally admitted softly.

She felt sick. She still had the massive stores of the stuff that were part of her inheritance. She hadn't touched it but she also hadn't destroyed it.

"No Entitled would ever authorise such treatment for a Splice."

"Stinger…." That hurt, didn't Stinger know how much they all meant to her? She stopped walking and turned to face him, tears in her eyes. "I don't care about that; don't you understand that?" she whispered and his expression softened.

"Jupiter," he whispered her name and she threw herself into his arms, clinging as tears finally fell, feeling his arms slowly coming up to hug her.

"I hate that stuff but…but I can't…"

"He would never ask it of you," he promised and she pulled back.

"I know. I want to stop the whole industry, it isn't right. But what right do I have to make you all suffer by cutting you off from it? When Seraphi had so much stored?" she continued walking to the infirmary, entering to find a hive of activity around a single bed. She stepped up and looked down at Caine, watching his muscles jump and twitch beneath his skin, the sweat plastering his hair down. "Doctor?"

"I am sorry Your Majesty, they had him on such a strong dosage that weaning him off it will take years, his mind will not last."

She reached out to stroke his cheek and his eyes fluttered open, surprising everyone. "Caine?" she whispered, remembering Stinger's words on sensory deprivation and not wanting to be too loud. He whimpered in pain, eyes unfocused, teeth grinding as he tried not to scream. "It's alright, you're safe now," she stroked the overheated skin and she felt him press into her touch. She looked up at the medical staff. "Stinger told me about the treatment, do it," she ordered.

"Your Majesty?"

"Give him whatever treatment is needed," she told them.

"As you command." They moved around, preparing the equipment.

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He didn't hurt…the pain was gone…would it come back? He didn't want it to come back.

"Caine? Can you hear me?" a voice? But he was alone…always alone… "Please wake up." He felt something...touch. It didn't hurt and he shifted to get more. "That's it, I'm here. You're going to be alright."

Ever so slowly he opened his eyes before closing them as he was blinded. He tried again, blinking rapidly, and a figure appeared above him, ever so slowly coming into focus. He knew her…. "Ju…." He rasped and then something cool was pressed to his lips.

"Caine," she whispered as she helped him drink.

"Jupiter," he whispered. She had found him. She smiled at him tears in her eyes and he slowly lifted his hand to touch her face, she was real. "How? Where?"

"Back on Estruna," she told him, and he felt her fingers running through his hair, his body relaxing at the familiar motion and lack of pain. "Do you know who had you?" she asked and he frowned in confusion. "It's alright, they said your memory of what happened might be hazy at best due to the trauma."

He felt so confused, someone had taken him? But Jupiter had come for him, no one had ever come for him before her. "How long?" he asked, shifting carefully, taking stock of his body and it took a few minutes to realise he had been through a recode. How? He knew Jupiter was against RegeneX. "Jupiter?"

"You went missing while searching for who was behind the attempted assassination, do you remember that?"

He thought about it and then nodded. "Vaguely."

"You were trapped and outgunned, Percadium and Dai'ki managed to track you to that point but there was no trail after that. Kalique even helped the search, she said that anyone targeting a head of security is bad news. You were taken by Lord Micus, First Primary of House Tyrus. It was his younger brother that you apparently killed," she explained softly.

He tried to sit up and she gently helped him recline against pillows, letting him see they were in her…their room. He reached for her hand and she took it, he could see and smell her exhaustion and relief. "Jupiter, what did he do to me? I know what a recode feels like."

She took a shaky breath, squeezing his hand. "He…do you know of a drug called Thiozle?"

He blanched, that explained the pain….the lack of memory, why he kept expecting everything to hurt…and why she had agreed to the Recode, it was the only 'cure'.

"Caine?"

"You hate the industry but you used it…for me." He wasn't worth it.

She smiled softly and then leant in to kiss him ever so gently. "You're worth it," she whispered, as if she knew what he was thinking. "I have all of Seraphi's stockpile. Those people are already dead, no one can bring them back. Maybe…using it to keep you, all of you, safe and healthy means they died for a reason. I want to stop the Harvesting but I know it won't happen immediately and that there will need to be research into alternatives."

He knew how much she hated the Harvests, the whole industry, yet she was willing to use what was already made to save him. he knew the lingering weakness was in his head, that his body was back to peak condition, yet he was exhausted when normally a Recode left him overflowing with energy.

"Get some sleep, Caine. I'll be here," she promised and he believed her.

"Micus?" he asked, shifting back down.

"Stinger and Kalique are working together on showing him why you don't anger the Abrasax by targeting what is theirs."

Huh, that was unexpected. He sighed as her hand moved back to his hair, letting sleep pull him under.

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Jupiter watched Caine sleep, relieved that he had finally woken. There had been the chance of permanently damaged memories, even faculties, but he seemed fine, if tired. She was glad he didn't really remember what had happened, he'd had enough pain in his life already. Part of her wanted to shoot Micus herself but it was best to leave it to the experts. Kalique would know how to keep there from being any chance of legal repercussions for them. Her memories on those kinds of laws were rather spotty at best.

As long as Micus received a proper punishment then it was fine, she needed to stay with Caine.

TBC…

Sorry for the long wait.