12-29-2014, 10:26 PM
Like every man in the seat of power Sarah had ever known – this Lieutenant Colonel – Brandt contained the sort of smug self-righteous that came from experience. It seemed that regardless of location among the Stars, authority was given to those that could not just handle routine assignments, but to those that could bullshit (walk the walk and play a mean game of poker). A terrible term however, accurate all the same. Herman had this going for him in spades and if it had been anyone save for the Teenager before him, the act may have found some saving grace. Instead, it only met a cooled glare and an unwavering tilt of her head. She may have blinked once or twice in the moments that passed, but not a word parted from her lips. They remained still, while her gaze shifted examining everything on the desk, but lingering the most on his beverage of choice. At any other time, it may have brought the soft glimmer of a smile upon her face; it didn’t this time though: too many forgotten memories – too many sad ones.
The quiet at first took the room. In a sense, a stand-off occurred with neither position willing to relent and reveal their poised hand to the other side. Admittedly, the Ghost did not have nearly as many cards to play herself. She could feel every fiber of her being struggling against a collapsing under the overwhelming onslaught of stressors, pains, emotions and feelings running rampart in her mind. Every passing second wore down on her resistance, and soon she felt as though she would pass-out right-then and there; on the floor of some former glory-hound’s office. That would have been quite the first impression at least.
To any sane person the fear of embarrassment may have won the battle, right now she simply didn’t care. Her reply came not in words but the dull tremor that shook the desk, the walls with their swords and sifted through the entire space. It almost felt like desperation, and aggression in their purest forms. Then when it died down, nothing at all – as though it had never been. Kerrigan had hoped a display of power would shake the firm foundation she faced, but it had been her undoing while the last of what strength she had slipped from her grasp. At the height of her ‘tantrum’ she caught one surface thought echoing across the office: ‘what is it with redheads – always so rebellious.’ The truth was far less unsettling – and in fact far more childish: she was trying to keep herself awake.
“Oh,” the Colonel chuckled. “Oh, there is no need for such theatrics. I swear, girls are a stubborn lot – especially around your age if I do say. If I didn’t know better I’d say my daughter were in the room – thrashing about and making for my pieces as though to get her own way.” He sipped at his drink, gasped and stirred it once more. He sighed taking a deep breath while The Boy whom had been so enamored by the glistening steel upon the wall had turned at the commotion, and quickly fled to Sarah’s side even as it bled away into nothingness. “Is that the temper which so shook you, Oliver?” Simmons faced flushed red, he nodded reluctantly going over the events internally once more that had led his Company into a minor disgrace, but said nothing further in return. After all, it would be in the final formal report. No need to slow the process. “No matter – now I will have none of that – be civil girl or there shall be no respite for you this night.” Another swig burned down the parched throat. Half gone and he reached to refill the glass. It poured on for several seconds.
“Sarah,” the Ghost whispered resigned to her fate. “My name’s Sarah.”
At those few words the wicked smile bloomed again. It curled across Brandt’s face like a fresh wave coming to shore. At the precipice, it remained even as more poison was downed. There was a power in knowing someone’s name, and in this case it also meant he was this much closer to signing new Agents to the Empire. “There not so hard and I’ve been told that your companion doesn’t speak.” He eyed the Boy and decided that silence was enough of an answer. “Now then, your previous transgressions will be forgiven assuming you are willingly to pledge yourself to our cause.” A pause as the remaining contents vanished from his glass. He placed it on the desk. “Once you’re registered into the system, you’ll be tasked with completing a preliminary assignment. The nature of any future dealings will be determined by your overall performance.” He cleared his throat and opened a folder- a file that had been sitting on his desk since their arrival. He scanned it grinning all-the-while.
Simmons still observing knew that look all-too- well. At times his CO possessed a sadistic streak that his fellows did not much care for. However, sometimes the charges warranted such a reaction. At this, he slunk back into a corner, leaning against the wall and prepared for what he now thought would be a long debrief, followed potentially by a mission briefing. The newcomer Primes may barely be awake at this point, but that wouldn’t change the facts of their situation. One couldn’t speak, or so Oliver embellished, and the other, had practically murdered an Executive Officer of the Empire’s military. Neither was on the good side of his boss, and that little stunt whether it was meant to exert dominance or not, hardly helped matters. He shut his eyes and rubbed them with three fingers roughly. Although they shot open in surprise from the Teenager’s next remark.
“I’m sorry.” Sarah apologized, interceding before the proceedings could go any further. Shocked didn’t quite cover the sensation. This killer had just uttered two words he had not even considered to be a part of her vernacular. Simmons could only wonder what game she was playing at, and thankfully in those few passing seconds had no need to shield his mind. At this point, she actually wanted something for herself – a feeling she hadn’t dealt with in a very long time. What she wished for was so base that it overruled all of her training, her instincts and the memories which told her to never show weakness – that told her to never feel for those live she would take – and became all that she could think about. It consumed her and she didn’t pay the toll to maintain herself any longer.
Her age shone through, and in just one brief and brilliant instance, she was no longer an Assassin but a vulnerable teenaged girl. “Please, let us sleep first.” Her voice sounded so hollow that at first she didn’t realize it came from her at all. Never before had she actually felt defenseless. However, to those in the room with her, she felt naked and exposed in a way she didn’t desire to be again. She had even said please. Patches of red formed beneath her eyes and welled up on her cheeks as she blushed. In an instant she looked away stepping back and turning towards a wall. A shiver ran down her spine. This place is messing with my head. What the hell is happening to me? I just need rest. Then I’ll deal with this – with them and . . . the Boy. She shuddered in a vain attempt to compose herself. All for naught, fatigue had taken over the better part of hers senses.
Whether merely curious or concerned, the young man made an effort. He walked towards her and almost reached out before she suddenly turned back. He leapt back and way, staring once more into such vacant eyes could even dishearten those that didn’t know any better apparently. Her thoughts echoed into his mind. They resounded loudly as though she directed all of her attention unto him. That may have been true, but the link between their minds in this moment was completely unintentional. There were only vagrant feelings, vague and desperate crawling, seeping and creeping in her mind. This is supposed to be easy, Sarah found herself thinking. There’s an objective – I accomplish it. Damn it, why am I so tired? She wanted to cry out; she didn’t though – for the fear of being flayed alive with all her flaws known, kept her in check. Without realizing it she rose an arm and rubbed her eyes blinking afterwards.
The Lieutenant Colonel sighed in exasperation. Some brass. Threatening an entire Company and now making demands. At any rate, that was the way he saw it, and he was behind the big desk not them or his Captain. The decision he made here would be his to answer to later down the road. It may be better just to wash his hands of the entire affair. However, if she and the Boy – as odd as he is – could be turned, their influence could be significantly spread to the lower levels of the city. Primes that would be willing to get their hands dirty in the name of the Empire, and better yet without asking too many questions. He glanced back down at the file before him and thereafter shook his head.
“I suppose as a gesture of our good intent that can be managed.” His hands filtered down beneath the desk and he retrieved a small device, with the press of a button a holographic image formed encompassing the entirety of the wooden base. It stretched out in its blue hues and floated without a sound in stark contrast to the rest of the antiquity in the office. “There are several apartment complexes on the Second Tier made available for our friends – usually they require official paperwork to be filled, sealed, and signed - but given the circumstances, I would not except that of you.” Far more interested than he had been, Oliver crept closer to the map display. He shuffled it about and centered the locale on their location. Its nigh invisible screen flickered several times as it became three-dimensional. With a gesture Tier One rose up and in its place Tier Two rested. “Many of our associates stay here,” another hand gesture and the map zoomed in. “East Side Apartments . . .” he kept going on but Sarah had stopped paying attention. She slipped back a few steps and knelt down, then leaning against a wall she crossed her hands above her legs and waited patiently.
“You don’t mind,” she stated and the explanation went on. Don’t mind me boys - by all means - play with your toys. She briefly glanced over at her companion wondering what he would make of all this. Lightly she probed his mind trying to gauge his reactions to everything. He had difficulty understanding simple matters. The idea of a living space would be far beyond him she suspected. No matter, eventually the Imperial supervisors would grow tired of hearing themselves talk and have to move them to some manner of quarters.
The quiet at first took the room. In a sense, a stand-off occurred with neither position willing to relent and reveal their poised hand to the other side. Admittedly, the Ghost did not have nearly as many cards to play herself. She could feel every fiber of her being struggling against a collapsing under the overwhelming onslaught of stressors, pains, emotions and feelings running rampart in her mind. Every passing second wore down on her resistance, and soon she felt as though she would pass-out right-then and there; on the floor of some former glory-hound’s office. That would have been quite the first impression at least.
To any sane person the fear of embarrassment may have won the battle, right now she simply didn’t care. Her reply came not in words but the dull tremor that shook the desk, the walls with their swords and sifted through the entire space. It almost felt like desperation, and aggression in their purest forms. Then when it died down, nothing at all – as though it had never been. Kerrigan had hoped a display of power would shake the firm foundation she faced, but it had been her undoing while the last of what strength she had slipped from her grasp. At the height of her ‘tantrum’ she caught one surface thought echoing across the office: ‘what is it with redheads – always so rebellious.’ The truth was far less unsettling – and in fact far more childish: she was trying to keep herself awake.
“Oh,” the Colonel chuckled. “Oh, there is no need for such theatrics. I swear, girls are a stubborn lot – especially around your age if I do say. If I didn’t know better I’d say my daughter were in the room – thrashing about and making for my pieces as though to get her own way.” He sipped at his drink, gasped and stirred it once more. He sighed taking a deep breath while The Boy whom had been so enamored by the glistening steel upon the wall had turned at the commotion, and quickly fled to Sarah’s side even as it bled away into nothingness. “Is that the temper which so shook you, Oliver?” Simmons faced flushed red, he nodded reluctantly going over the events internally once more that had led his Company into a minor disgrace, but said nothing further in return. After all, it would be in the final formal report. No need to slow the process. “No matter – now I will have none of that – be civil girl or there shall be no respite for you this night.” Another swig burned down the parched throat. Half gone and he reached to refill the glass. It poured on for several seconds.
“Sarah,” the Ghost whispered resigned to her fate. “My name’s Sarah.”
At those few words the wicked smile bloomed again. It curled across Brandt’s face like a fresh wave coming to shore. At the precipice, it remained even as more poison was downed. There was a power in knowing someone’s name, and in this case it also meant he was this much closer to signing new Agents to the Empire. “There not so hard and I’ve been told that your companion doesn’t speak.” He eyed the Boy and decided that silence was enough of an answer. “Now then, your previous transgressions will be forgiven assuming you are willingly to pledge yourself to our cause.” A pause as the remaining contents vanished from his glass. He placed it on the desk. “Once you’re registered into the system, you’ll be tasked with completing a preliminary assignment. The nature of any future dealings will be determined by your overall performance.” He cleared his throat and opened a folder- a file that had been sitting on his desk since their arrival. He scanned it grinning all-the-while.
Simmons still observing knew that look all-too- well. At times his CO possessed a sadistic streak that his fellows did not much care for. However, sometimes the charges warranted such a reaction. At this, he slunk back into a corner, leaning against the wall and prepared for what he now thought would be a long debrief, followed potentially by a mission briefing. The newcomer Primes may barely be awake at this point, but that wouldn’t change the facts of their situation. One couldn’t speak, or so Oliver embellished, and the other, had practically murdered an Executive Officer of the Empire’s military. Neither was on the good side of his boss, and that little stunt whether it was meant to exert dominance or not, hardly helped matters. He shut his eyes and rubbed them with three fingers roughly. Although they shot open in surprise from the Teenager’s next remark.
“I’m sorry.” Sarah apologized, interceding before the proceedings could go any further. Shocked didn’t quite cover the sensation. This killer had just uttered two words he had not even considered to be a part of her vernacular. Simmons could only wonder what game she was playing at, and thankfully in those few passing seconds had no need to shield his mind. At this point, she actually wanted something for herself – a feeling she hadn’t dealt with in a very long time. What she wished for was so base that it overruled all of her training, her instincts and the memories which told her to never show weakness – that told her to never feel for those live she would take – and became all that she could think about. It consumed her and she didn’t pay the toll to maintain herself any longer.
Her age shone through, and in just one brief and brilliant instance, she was no longer an Assassin but a vulnerable teenaged girl. “Please, let us sleep first.” Her voice sounded so hollow that at first she didn’t realize it came from her at all. Never before had she actually felt defenseless. However, to those in the room with her, she felt naked and exposed in a way she didn’t desire to be again. She had even said please. Patches of red formed beneath her eyes and welled up on her cheeks as she blushed. In an instant she looked away stepping back and turning towards a wall. A shiver ran down her spine. This place is messing with my head. What the hell is happening to me? I just need rest. Then I’ll deal with this – with them and . . . the Boy. She shuddered in a vain attempt to compose herself. All for naught, fatigue had taken over the better part of hers senses.
Whether merely curious or concerned, the young man made an effort. He walked towards her and almost reached out before she suddenly turned back. He leapt back and way, staring once more into such vacant eyes could even dishearten those that didn’t know any better apparently. Her thoughts echoed into his mind. They resounded loudly as though she directed all of her attention unto him. That may have been true, but the link between their minds in this moment was completely unintentional. There were only vagrant feelings, vague and desperate crawling, seeping and creeping in her mind. This is supposed to be easy, Sarah found herself thinking. There’s an objective – I accomplish it. Damn it, why am I so tired? She wanted to cry out; she didn’t though – for the fear of being flayed alive with all her flaws known, kept her in check. Without realizing it she rose an arm and rubbed her eyes blinking afterwards.
The Lieutenant Colonel sighed in exasperation. Some brass. Threatening an entire Company and now making demands. At any rate, that was the way he saw it, and he was behind the big desk not them or his Captain. The decision he made here would be his to answer to later down the road. It may be better just to wash his hands of the entire affair. However, if she and the Boy – as odd as he is – could be turned, their influence could be significantly spread to the lower levels of the city. Primes that would be willing to get their hands dirty in the name of the Empire, and better yet without asking too many questions. He glanced back down at the file before him and thereafter shook his head.
“I suppose as a gesture of our good intent that can be managed.” His hands filtered down beneath the desk and he retrieved a small device, with the press of a button a holographic image formed encompassing the entirety of the wooden base. It stretched out in its blue hues and floated without a sound in stark contrast to the rest of the antiquity in the office. “There are several apartment complexes on the Second Tier made available for our friends – usually they require official paperwork to be filled, sealed, and signed - but given the circumstances, I would not except that of you.” Far more interested than he had been, Oliver crept closer to the map display. He shuffled it about and centered the locale on their location. Its nigh invisible screen flickered several times as it became three-dimensional. With a gesture Tier One rose up and in its place Tier Two rested. “Many of our associates stay here,” another hand gesture and the map zoomed in. “East Side Apartments . . .” he kept going on but Sarah had stopped paying attention. She slipped back a few steps and knelt down, then leaning against a wall she crossed her hands above her legs and waited patiently.
“You don’t mind,” she stated and the explanation went on. Don’t mind me boys - by all means - play with your toys. She briefly glanced over at her companion wondering what he would make of all this. Lightly she probed his mind trying to gauge his reactions to everything. He had difficulty understanding simple matters. The idea of a living space would be far beyond him she suspected. No matter, eventually the Imperial supervisors would grow tired of hearing themselves talk and have to move them to some manner of quarters.
![[Image: SarahKerrigan_sig199_zpswcfeq7fe.png]](http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad202/missfinefeather/SarahKerrigan_sig199_zpswcfeq7fe.png)