Fic: Under Covers (2/3)
Title: Under Covers
Fandom: Star Wars
Rating: T
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama
Summary: Sometimes, only revenge keeps you alive. OCs, and the question of the man behind the monster. Among others.
A/N: Second part. Hope people enjoy it :)
( Under Covers 1/3 )
“You know your positions?” Everyone looked at her. Zhane, with his face full of scars. Young Ari, who had come to the team after… the mess, but had always been loyal to the mission. Gun, with his warbles twitching in anticipation. And Ikra, a fire of hate and passion burning in his amber eyes and rippling his fur. All of them nodded. She nodded as well. “Fine. Now, go change and ready the equipment. The car will be here 0730. That’s when everything starts. We’ve got half an hour from now.”
She started for the ‘fresher, but Zhane took hold of her elbow. “Sam… you sure this is the right moment? I’ve… got a bad feeling about this.” For a moment, their gazes locked.
Then she just said, “We already established that you’re no Jedi…”
“Tell me just one situation where my gut feelings hadn’t been accurate.” She rolled her eyes. They’d had this argument before. Hundreds of times before. Sure, Zhane’s “hunches” had helped them from time to time. But she just knew it. They had worked for this one chance. She told him so.
“Sam Alric… if we weren’t friends for Force knows how long, I would quit right now. Something doesn’t feel right, and if we mess this up, three years of hard work will go down the drain.” Somehow she had the distinct feeling that he meant it differently from her. But she didn’t want to argue with him. Not now. And if she was lucky, she would never again argue with him. Or never again argue with anyone. Only they didn’t know that yet.
“You’ve got your orders, Agent Bertrin. You know what to do.” Disappointment passed over his eyes, and it hurt. She was surprised, like every time she actually felt something else than bottomless emptiness.
“Yes, Ma’am.” The all-business tone in his voice cut even deeper than the disappointed look. Zhane Bertrin had been her friend now for… what seemed like an eternity. They had their rows, but never before had she pulled rank on him, much less to get out of an inconvenient argument. On everyone else, yes, but not on Zhane.
Finally she went to the ‘fresher. She undressed and let the sonic waves roll over her body. Deep inside her, something like regret stirred. Regret that she still hadn’t told Zhane that she didn’t plan to survive the mission. And that she wasn’t about to, either. But he wouldn’t understand. Even though he’d been there, he wouldn’t understand. He’d try to talk her out of it, and they would quarrel, and maybe even do something as foolish as to try and save her with giving his own life.
She switched the ‘fresher off, and leaned on the tiled wall closing her eyes. Force, she needed to make things right with Zhane before everything went off. She couldn’t leave like this, with an unresolved quarrel. Unresolved quarrels led to bitterness, and Zhane didn’t need even more of that in his heart. After putting on her best gown - a composition of finest night blue und emerald Lashaa silk, remnant of different times - she hurried out of the ‘fresher to find Zhane.
The burly man sat in his room, going through his equipment one last time, checking everything. She took a breath. “Zhane?”
He didn’t look up, just said, “What, Commander?”
She took another breath. “I… Zhane, if you think the mission is going to get awry, you’ve got my permission to step on the brakes. Don’t wait for my affirmative, just get yourself and the boys out of trouble.” Now he did look up. He was silent, and she thought she actually caught him staring.
She half-waited for him to ask why she excluded herself, but instead he settled with a gruff, “Well, well, who would have thought that Commander Sam Alric is a woman after all.” She sat down beside him on the bed, careful as not to wrinkle the delicate silk too much and gave him a slight shove.
“Come on, as if you haven’t seen me in a dress before.” He shrugged.
“Not since… five years or something, anyway.” He looked at her and set down the piece of communication equipment he’d been checking. “You know… with all the silk hanging down on you and the colour in your face one could think the Colonel a lucky man.”
She turned away. She didn’t want to speak about that man now. She just wanted to make sure that things between Zhane and her were right again, and talking about Colonel Sievers was not the way to ensure that. “Zhane… it’s only a dress. It’s only a mission. Let’s not jump to strange conclusions, right.”
For a moment he was silent, in his usual thoughtful silence. Then, he slowly said, “Fine. Just keep him talking until we have everything ready.” She nodded. Everything was right again. They were talking about the mission like equals. Everything would go as planned. Everything would be okay. Well, sort of, anyway.
“Sure.” The door bell chimed. They looked at each other, touching shoulders one last time, and then she was out of the room, hurrying to get her shoes and get into the car. It was only when the driver started the car that she realized that she hadn’t told Zhane or any of the others good bye.
~*~
TBC in Chapter 3
Fandom: Star Wars
Rating: T
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama
Summary: Sometimes, only revenge keeps you alive. OCs, and the question of the man behind the monster. Among others.
A/N: Second part. Hope people enjoy it :)
( Under Covers 1/3 )
“You know your positions?” Everyone looked at her. Zhane, with his face full of scars. Young Ari, who had come to the team after… the mess, but had always been loyal to the mission. Gun, with his warbles twitching in anticipation. And Ikra, a fire of hate and passion burning in his amber eyes and rippling his fur. All of them nodded. She nodded as well. “Fine. Now, go change and ready the equipment. The car will be here 0730. That’s when everything starts. We’ve got half an hour from now.”
She started for the ‘fresher, but Zhane took hold of her elbow. “Sam… you sure this is the right moment? I’ve… got a bad feeling about this.” For a moment, their gazes locked.
Then she just said, “We already established that you’re no Jedi…”
“Tell me just one situation where my gut feelings hadn’t been accurate.” She rolled her eyes. They’d had this argument before. Hundreds of times before. Sure, Zhane’s “hunches” had helped them from time to time. But she just knew it. They had worked for this one chance. She told him so.
“Sam Alric… if we weren’t friends for Force knows how long, I would quit right now. Something doesn’t feel right, and if we mess this up, three years of hard work will go down the drain.” Somehow she had the distinct feeling that he meant it differently from her. But she didn’t want to argue with him. Not now. And if she was lucky, she would never again argue with him. Or never again argue with anyone. Only they didn’t know that yet.
“You’ve got your orders, Agent Bertrin. You know what to do.” Disappointment passed over his eyes, and it hurt. She was surprised, like every time she actually felt something else than bottomless emptiness.
“Yes, Ma’am.” The all-business tone in his voice cut even deeper than the disappointed look. Zhane Bertrin had been her friend now for… what seemed like an eternity. They had their rows, but never before had she pulled rank on him, much less to get out of an inconvenient argument. On everyone else, yes, but not on Zhane.
Finally she went to the ‘fresher. She undressed and let the sonic waves roll over her body. Deep inside her, something like regret stirred. Regret that she still hadn’t told Zhane that she didn’t plan to survive the mission. And that she wasn’t about to, either. But he wouldn’t understand. Even though he’d been there, he wouldn’t understand. He’d try to talk her out of it, and they would quarrel, and maybe even do something as foolish as to try and save her with giving his own life.
She switched the ‘fresher off, and leaned on the tiled wall closing her eyes. Force, she needed to make things right with Zhane before everything went off. She couldn’t leave like this, with an unresolved quarrel. Unresolved quarrels led to bitterness, and Zhane didn’t need even more of that in his heart. After putting on her best gown - a composition of finest night blue und emerald Lashaa silk, remnant of different times - she hurried out of the ‘fresher to find Zhane.
The burly man sat in his room, going through his equipment one last time, checking everything. She took a breath. “Zhane?”
He didn’t look up, just said, “What, Commander?”
She took another breath. “I… Zhane, if you think the mission is going to get awry, you’ve got my permission to step on the brakes. Don’t wait for my affirmative, just get yourself and the boys out of trouble.” Now he did look up. He was silent, and she thought she actually caught him staring.
She half-waited for him to ask why she excluded herself, but instead he settled with a gruff, “Well, well, who would have thought that Commander Sam Alric is a woman after all.” She sat down beside him on the bed, careful as not to wrinkle the delicate silk too much and gave him a slight shove.
“Come on, as if you haven’t seen me in a dress before.” He shrugged.
“Not since… five years or something, anyway.” He looked at her and set down the piece of communication equipment he’d been checking. “You know… with all the silk hanging down on you and the colour in your face one could think the Colonel a lucky man.”
She turned away. She didn’t want to speak about that man now. She just wanted to make sure that things between Zhane and her were right again, and talking about Colonel Sievers was not the way to ensure that. “Zhane… it’s only a dress. It’s only a mission. Let’s not jump to strange conclusions, right.”
For a moment he was silent, in his usual thoughtful silence. Then, he slowly said, “Fine. Just keep him talking until we have everything ready.” She nodded. Everything was right again. They were talking about the mission like equals. Everything would go as planned. Everything would be okay. Well, sort of, anyway.
“Sure.” The door bell chimed. They looked at each other, touching shoulders one last time, and then she was out of the room, hurrying to get her shoes and get into the car. It was only when the driver started the car that she realized that she hadn’t told Zhane or any of the others good bye.
~*~
TBC in Chapter 3