@galacticblast : cont.
𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐈𝐍’𝐓 𝐀 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑; could never pretend to be. Could never pretend to know their real fight, their struggles —— hell, he’d been a 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓’𝐕𝐄 that for longer’n he cares to remember. But he’s rogue now, has been for years —— and though his ties with Johnson are loose at best, he’s made clear what side he’s been on since Eros.
The frigate’s hauled to low thrust under the assault, environ kicked on so there’s oxygen but they’re floating at about a quarter g; enough to be comfortable for those born in low gravity, but god, even after so many years he feelings fuckin’ sluggish. ❝ No shit. They got two interests, and both of them are saving their own hides. ❞
The sealant hisses, does its job, and he grits his teeth as another shudder echoes through the floor of the ship. It does little to settle his nerves, because this fight’s gonna end up bloody and he knows all too well what’s waiting somewhere on this ship.
She gets up, though, and it’s with a brow-wrinkled look of concern for his part that he doesn’t mask entirely, but he lets his attention turn down the hall; the broken detonator is plucked up off the floor with a curse, and stuffed aside in a pouch for later.
He’s moving, then, though; a little gaggle of civilians rounds a corridor in a rush, and he steps out, catching a frightened man by the arm; there’s a hushed argument, and he ushers them into a foyer that directs back to the evacuation ship; his gaze lingers after them for a moment, a tight swallow there. ❝ Mi sasa, ❞ he mutters —— I know —— half under his breath, a tight sound in his throat, some kind of —— resignation? There’s gonna be casualties, and he can’t save them all, but there’s a worse fate if what’s on this ship gets out.
His jaw sets, and he juts his chin, gesturing her on. He spent a hell of a long time in the UNN; he knows Martian ships well enough. ❝ This is a Corvette class. Should be a hallway up to the cargo bay ahead. Then through engineering, storage, then the reactor. They’ll have most their guards there if they’re smart. Be ready. ❞
