driftfleet | [ not that kind of sith ]

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ A deadly spark appears in her eyes. ]

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

[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.

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.

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.]

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.

[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.

[ 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.

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.

[ Her lips curve, bemused. ]

I suppose there is freedom in that.

One less thing to worry about.

Thankfully, I'm not predisposed to worrying.

Then let's call it a concern.

[ She scrunches up her face. ]

If you must.

You don't have those either?

Mord'Sith don't have weaknesses like concern or worries.

[Natasha tactfully doesn't point out that Cara's concern over her weapons contradicts hat statement. Instead, she shrugs. She's willing to lose an argument over semantics.]

It rolls off the tongue easier than lower priorities to triage.

[ Shhhh. ]

That can apply to anything.

If you want it to.

[It's okay, it's okay. Natasha is convinced Cara is really quite fierce.

But also concerned.]

As long as I get to decide, I don't mind all that much.

Fan of control?

Who isn't?

[ Control is an overwhelming aspect of the Mord'Sith. Ironically, they tend to have little of it when the Lord Ralh is concerned but Cara has gotten over that hurdle. She serves Richard because she wants to, not due to some instilled obligation. ]