[ 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

[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.

[revengeofthemordsith]

I would prefer my agiels.

[ They're hers and no one else's. But more than that . . . she doesn't want to regret having them land into someone else's hands. Someone who wouldn't know better. Cara can hurt easily and without mercy - but she owns up to it.

She doesn't like the idea of hurting someone by mistake. ]

But any others will do for now.

[outstandingbalance]

I'm not familiar with those but for the most part, weapons from home don't come with us here.

[She doesn't entirely contain a ruefulness at that. She'd have liked to have her gear come with her when she was abducted.

Which isn't even to start on how unhappy Tony is about it.]

[revengeofthemordsith]

The agiels are special. Only those who have been tortured by them can hold them. I do not want to be responsible for pain I did not intend to cause.

[outstandingbalance]

[A weapon that made its wielder its first victim. Natasha's too cynical to find anything poetic in that. It only confirms her suspicions about Cara.]

You won't have to worry about that. If they're not there, they're back where you came from. And strange as it sounds, you won't be gone there long enough for them to cause trouble.

[revengeofthemordsith]

[ She huffs, displeased. But that doesn't sound too bad. Richard can take care of himself. Besides, Zedd and Kahlan would still be there. ]

There seems to be no end to strange things I must accept.

[outstandingbalance]

Yeah, that sounds about right.

[There Seems to Be No End to Strange Things I Must Accept: A Novel About Drift Fleet.]

I can't say I understand it either, but I've seen the evidence for it. Whatever happens here, we're outside of the timelines where we come from.

[revengeofthemordsith]

[ Her lips curve, bemused. ]

I suppose there is freedom in that.

[outstandingbalance]

One less thing to worry about.

[revengeofthemordsith]

Thankfully, I'm not predisposed to worrying.

[outstandingbalance]

Then let's call it a concern.

[revengeofthemordsith]

[ She scrunches up her face. ]

If you must.