[ not that kind of sith ]

[revengeofthemordsith]

Who: Cara + You
Broadcast: Video
Action: SS First Breath
When: Now!

[ She felt stiff. The surface on which she lay on was too smooth, too even. She groans, stretching her eyes and gazing at her surroundings, her cat-like eyes sharp and wary. This was not the Midlands. With a graceful leap, she lands on her feet in a careful crouch, reading for her weapons –

. . . Her agiels. Gone. She straightens, a scowl marring her face. Without caring who heard her, she speaks, her voice cold and deadly. ]

I don’t know how you managed to touch my agiels, considering they pay you back in pain tenfold. But if you are foolish enough to take them, I assume you are foolish enough to test my patience.

I’ll warn you though. Do not test it for long or I’ll pay it back, inch by inch. Now. . .

[ She surveys the bridge. She knows she’s being watched, even though she can’t tell how. Honed battle instincts whisper to her that this is a strange situation and there’s little she can do about it . . . for now.

In the most deadpan of voices. ]

Why is everything metal and why was it necessary? Did someone murder every architect? Because I would for this . . . lazy work.

Comments

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha wouldn't have blamed her if she was skeptical. She has plenty of reasons to be.]

Because they don't show their faces around here, I imagine. [There's a little wryness in her own voice as she responds.]

And we don't have much of anywhere else to go. We can't exactly get home from here.

[revengeofthemordsith]

Invisible cowardly enemies. I suppose they needed something to protect themselves.

[ Her disgust is palpable. ]

Where do these ships intend to take us?

[outstandingbalance]

Different worlds. Different people. [She shakes her head.] The Atroma don't show up in any of them. They just watch.

[revengeofthemordsith]

Voyeuristic as well. It speaks of high quality.

[ But frustrating if she cannot take care of them. ]

What do they expect to see that is so . . . fascinating?

[outstandingbalance]

Incredibly voyeuristic.

[That seems to be the one thing everyone agrees on.]

As for what they're interested in... who know? I hear some people end up with more money after they do things that the audience enjoys though.

[revengeofthemordsith]

[ She scrunches up her face. ]

Tears and dramatics. People enjoy watching weakness in others. It makes them feel better about themselves.

[outstandingbalance]

Probably. [Natasha hasn't heard of it, but she wouldn't be surprised.] Romance, sex. Probably violence.

[revengeofthemordsith]

Perhaps they should have chosen a brothel to view.

[ Though Cara could probably fill those objectives with ease. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha shrugs.]

But then you miss out on the drama. It's also possible that the Atroma have arranged larger narratives, but that's still to be determined.

[revengeofthemordsith]

I never understood drama. Though people apparently express it in useless ways. Like grief or regret.

Who has time for that?

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha almost snorts at that, but she's not ready to show that much of a reaction. Not with a trained killer she's just met.]

A lot of people, in my experience.

[If the other woman wants more of an explanation than that, is she ever talking to the wrong person.]

I'm Natasha, by the way.

[revengeofthemordsith]

Cara.

[ A beat, because Cara seems to have realized something. ] Thank you for answering my questions. I . . . appreciate it.

[outstandingbalance]

I'd say it's nice to meet you, but under the circumstances...

[They're all prisoners here, whether or not it's a traditional prison. Seemed weird to welcome people to the panopticon.]

You're welcome. [Natasha normally wouldn't be quite so formal, but Cara made her thank you as such a conscious decision, it seemed reasonable to answer in kind.] I know what the wake up can be like.

[revengeofthemordsith]

I always found that to be a strange thing to say. Stranger even now since you are not physically . . . here.

It is disorienting, but I shall adapt.

[outstandingbalance]

It's polite. And most people like thinking that they're not a bother.

[A slight smile finds its way to Natasha's lips.]

But worrying about that probably isn't something you have a lot of time for either.

[revengeofthemordsith]

It is meaningless statements that have no truth in them that make people a bother.

[ Cut them some slack, Cara. ]

I do not worry.

[outstandingbalance]

No, I think that was implied.

[revengeofthemordsith]

[ She crosses her arms. ]

What do people do on these ships anyway?

[outstandingbalance]

[A half shrug, head tilting to one side.]

For the most part, whatever they want. We get jobs when we get our augments, but how much those need to be done... The ships fly themselves, and we're along for the ride.

[revengeofthemordsith]

So not only do they want entertainment, they're too lazy to engineer it themselves.

What is this augment?

[outstandingbalance]

I wouldn't say that. Whether or not they're engineering excitement is a lot more speculative.

[Too much to hope she'd already know about the augment.]

The augment is a piece of tech that the Atroma implant in the people they kidnap. They do all sorts of things, including giving us skills to do our assigned job, letting everyone speak the same language, and occasionally malfunctioning and messing with our heads.

[revengeofthemordsith]

[ Cara frowns. So long as her other skills remains intact, having additional skills doesn't bother her. Something in her head though . . . She'd be surprised it would work. It speaks of magic and magic always went awry when a Mord'Sith was involved. ]

So we are meant to entertain and take care of these bloated ships?

[outstandingbalance]

They mostly take care of themselves, but it's something to do.

[At least, that's how it's seemed so far to Natasha. The devices recently discovered on the ships had given people something to do that wouldn't have been done without them, but that seems somehow superfluous to the day to day running of the ships.]

If you think about it, you'll probably come up with some information you didn't have before. How to pilot, communication systems, weapon systems. There are a few options.

[revengeofthemordsith]

[ A deadly spark appears in her eyes. ]

So there are weapons available here. Good. I prefer to be armed.

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha does believe that.]

There are. You can get other weapons from the worlds we stop at too, if there's nothing on board that's to your liking.