09-28-2014, 01:00 AM
Samus’s brain worked in overdrive, sketching out the skeleton of some kind of plan as she slowly approached the android. She called back to the Stormtroopers, moving her head just slightly and keeping her eyes locked on the target. “We’re taking him in. Don’t shoot.” She moved her head back and lowered her voice. “Co-operate with me. If you don’t … bad things will happen. Understand?”
The android nodded. Samus felt just the smallest bit of reassurance. She continued, keeping her voice at a murmur.
“The Empire are not a party you want to get on the bad side of. But I can’t guarantee that if you get taken in you’re not going to become part of some military experiment or a pawn in their game. So I’m doing the safest thing. Getting you out of here.”
‘Safe’ seemed like an oxymoron, considering what Samus had in mind. Often, however, the safest thing was what appeared – at surface level – to be the riskiest. It was a tough call, but her experiences of the day only cemented her conviction. Coruscant was no longer safe for her. The Empire couldn’t protect her. The city was rotten from top to bottom. Before she could do anything, she had to find somewhere safe. Somewhere she could build a nest. From there, she’d regroup, recover, and plan her next action.
Keep it loose, Samus reminded herself. That’s a long way from here and now. She glanced up at the sky, then to the augmented-reality controls hovering just above her arm cannon. With a single keytap, she signalled her ship.
“Handcuffs!” Samus barked. A stormtrooper had some ready, and threw them across to her. They looked sturdy – cylinders rather than rings. Built for Primes, no doubt. She nodded to Vitruvius. “Behind your back,” she said, gently but firmly. He looked dubious, but after only a moment he complied. Another good sign. She cuffed his hands behind his back and took him by the shoulder.
“I’m taking him in my ship,” Samus announced. There was a rumble of disagreement.
“This is our jurisdiction now, Aran,” said one blue-helmeted trooper, obviously more than your rank-and-file. “We’ll take it from here on out.”
Samus kept her voice level, devoid of emotion, or anything else that betrayed just how badly she was shitting herself. “I got this,” she reassured. “If he breaks out in my ship … he’s got a fight on his hands. And nobody dies.”
“He’s not breaking out of those cuffs,” said the blue helmet trooper, though the others didn’t look so sure.
“No, he’s not,” said Samus.
As they spoke, her ship descended from the skyline. The stormtroopers looked amongst each other. They had to make a quick decision. Samus knew what it would be. Fight a Prime or let them take a prisoner? It was no decision, but still, she let the leader speak before she moved. It wouldn’t do to blow cover so soon. She had to buy time.
“This is out of protocol,” said blue helmet. He sighed irritably, signalling his resignation. “Follow us exactly. Got it? We lead the way.”
“Got it.” Samus pushed her prisoner ahead of her, not roughly but not gently either. The side of her ship flipped up, revealing a ramp. She pushed Vitruvius up it and seated him in the ship’s barrier-prison. In this world, it probably wouldn’t do much good against anyone with real power. Still, it paid to keep up appearances. She closed the ship hatch and moved to the front seat.
Adam’s voice came through the intercom. “Are you sure this is a good idea, Samus?”
Samus grimaced. She was one hundred percent certain the ship wasn’t bugged. She’d gone to great lengths to make sure, and Adam could definitely handle anything on the firewall front. But still. “Just stay quiet, Adam,” she instructed, and turned on the ship’s drive. She looked around to the prisoner. “That goes for you too. Got any questions, speak to the AI.”
The android nodded. Samus felt just the smallest bit of reassurance. She continued, keeping her voice at a murmur.
“The Empire are not a party you want to get on the bad side of. But I can’t guarantee that if you get taken in you’re not going to become part of some military experiment or a pawn in their game. So I’m doing the safest thing. Getting you out of here.”
‘Safe’ seemed like an oxymoron, considering what Samus had in mind. Often, however, the safest thing was what appeared – at surface level – to be the riskiest. It was a tough call, but her experiences of the day only cemented her conviction. Coruscant was no longer safe for her. The Empire couldn’t protect her. The city was rotten from top to bottom. Before she could do anything, she had to find somewhere safe. Somewhere she could build a nest. From there, she’d regroup, recover, and plan her next action.
Keep it loose, Samus reminded herself. That’s a long way from here and now. She glanced up at the sky, then to the augmented-reality controls hovering just above her arm cannon. With a single keytap, she signalled her ship.
“Handcuffs!” Samus barked. A stormtrooper had some ready, and threw them across to her. They looked sturdy – cylinders rather than rings. Built for Primes, no doubt. She nodded to Vitruvius. “Behind your back,” she said, gently but firmly. He looked dubious, but after only a moment he complied. Another good sign. She cuffed his hands behind his back and took him by the shoulder.
“I’m taking him in my ship,” Samus announced. There was a rumble of disagreement.
“This is our jurisdiction now, Aran,” said one blue-helmeted trooper, obviously more than your rank-and-file. “We’ll take it from here on out.”
Samus kept her voice level, devoid of emotion, or anything else that betrayed just how badly she was shitting herself. “I got this,” she reassured. “If he breaks out in my ship … he’s got a fight on his hands. And nobody dies.”
“He’s not breaking out of those cuffs,” said the blue helmet trooper, though the others didn’t look so sure.
“No, he’s not,” said Samus.
As they spoke, her ship descended from the skyline. The stormtroopers looked amongst each other. They had to make a quick decision. Samus knew what it would be. Fight a Prime or let them take a prisoner? It was no decision, but still, she let the leader speak before she moved. It wouldn’t do to blow cover so soon. She had to buy time.
“This is out of protocol,” said blue helmet. He sighed irritably, signalling his resignation. “Follow us exactly. Got it? We lead the way.”
“Got it.” Samus pushed her prisoner ahead of her, not roughly but not gently either. The side of her ship flipped up, revealing a ramp. She pushed Vitruvius up it and seated him in the ship’s barrier-prison. In this world, it probably wouldn’t do much good against anyone with real power. Still, it paid to keep up appearances. She closed the ship hatch and moved to the front seat.
Adam’s voice came through the intercom. “Are you sure this is a good idea, Samus?”
Samus grimaced. She was one hundred percent certain the ship wasn’t bugged. She’d gone to great lengths to make sure, and Adam could definitely handle anything on the firewall front. But still. “Just stay quiet, Adam,” she instructed, and turned on the ship’s drive. She looked around to the prisoner. “That goes for you too. Got any questions, speak to the AI.”
![[Image: 0bwAI3j.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/0bwAI3j.jpg)