AN - Periodical reminder about hoorayimuseful dot tumblr dot com (fuck you ff-net not allowing linking) where you'll find updates, renders and other associated fic-chicanery. Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
"Fucking finally," Fang complained to nobody in particular, just voicing her grievances aloud. "We're coming up on the jump gate for Vallis Media in about twenty minutes, make sure you're on the bridge by the time we hit the gate."
Lightning walked briskly into the room and took her seat that had been assigned to her. She had been reading in her quarters when the alert came up. On one hand she knew that she should shut up about being impatient, when a voyage from one country to another centuries ago used to take months by sea and now they could cover the expanse of the galaxy in that time. But then again, that still didn't stop her from being impatient and wanting to get to her home sooner.
A blip on the radar appeared, drawing the lieutenant from her thoughts. The icon flashed red with a ring around it, sounding a series of high pitched beeps before the mercenary muted it with a sigh. Lightning frowned at the screen and the brunette's reaction to it.
"Fang, that was a distress beacon."
"Like I care? It's probably a trap and we've got places to be, unless you and your bank balance have forgotten that." The merc retorted, not interested in the slightest at the concept of getting involved. Lightning glared and stood, placing one hand down on the control panel and grabbing the brunette's wrist with the other to stop her from accelerating away. Fang growled in frustration at the lieutenant's stubbornness. "Lightning, for fuck's sake. This isn't like Cocoon space where you can swoop in and save the day. This is Pulsian space. People fall victim to the whims of the universe every day. We don't have a militia fleet to back us up if there's a whole squadron of pirates."
"That's bullshit and you know it," Lightning retorted, angry at Fang's response. She may be a mercenary now, but she was a GC officer. Surely somewhere beneath that armoured chest plate she wore beat the heart of someone who gave a damn. "Please. If it's a trap we'll handle it. If not and we leave, any innocent deaths will be on your conscious. Are you prepared for that?"
A tense silence descended in the cockpit while the two women squared each other off, Lightning unwavering in her resolve. Finally, Fang cracked, with a loud frustrated sigh. "Fuck me running, you're a hard bird to argue with. Bloody idealistic stubborn woman…" She muttered, turning the ship around to head back towards the beacon's location. Hitting the warp drive, the ship lurched forward at an incredible pace, their destination zooming up before them in mere seconds. As Fang decelerated, they came upon a small trading vessel that was under attack by pirates and Lightning only just managed to suppress the knowing, smug grin.
"Yeah alright alright, you win this round. Now how about you put your money where that damned mouth of yours is and get onto the weapons with 'Nille." The merc growled, a little annoyed that the pinkette's instincts were accurate. Lightning gave a mock salute and ran down the bridge, jumping into one of the turret control seats and firing up the weapon charges.
A few of the pirate vessels began to turn toward the Ragnarok, and Fang's face lit up. "We've been spotted. Time to cut loose!" she said with a grin, opening fire from her own controls. Turret missiles blasted forth from the front of the ship, slamming into one of the small fighters and sending it careening into a nearby asteroid. The larger ships began to fire at their craft, with Fang at the helm manoeuvring through the field to get to the small trading vessel. She hailed the ship with a private frequency and turned to the other two behind her.
"Gonna bring her up to hit these arseholes, broadside, got it? Load up the leech mines and send out the welcome mat ok 'Nille?"
"Rrrright!" the redhead replied with a giggle, punching in coordinates in her control panel. Lightning shook her head in amusement, nothing seemed to faze that girl.
"Better not be lookin' to make this a slow death today pirates, it's been a long couple of weeks and I'm lookin' forward to the rest." A weary voice came over the comms.
"What? No mate, we're here to rescue you, ya daft idiot. I'm gonna shield you from the fire while I bring the ship around and open the cargo doors. You got enough skill to fly your arse in without destroying either of us in the process?"
There was a sound from the other end, somewhere between a derisive snort and a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I can do that. Reckon I know a thing or two about flying." He drawled down the line, sounding mildly offended.
"Time for snark later, mate. Lightning, if you could do the honours?" Fang called out, and the pinkette couldn't help the smile. She opened fire with the disruptor turrets, disabling the shields of at least three of the fighters, allowing a few clean shots at the hulls with the laser. It sliced through the side of one ship, and cut the end off another.
Vanille let off some leech mines and clapped with glee as they deployed and immediately began to seek out their targets. The two worked in tandem as Fang brought the vessel around and opened the door to the cargo bay. The trader expertly dashed into the hold and landed, allowing the brunette to shut the doors and warp out of there before she sustained any damage to the ship.
The ship's shields had taken a beating and they'd now need to be repaired at the nearest station before they continued through the jump gate. Fang growled in annoyance at the delay, though considering they got out unharmed and saved a life she supposed she could be a little happier about things. With a sigh she stood up out of her chair and made her way to the cargo hold, not particularly caring if she was followed but the other two fell into diligent step behind her.
The trader was exiting his ship as they arrived, cursing and gesturing angrily at the smoke coming off his hull. He turned as the brunette approached and bowed slightly. "Apologize for dropping in on you all uninvited like, but I thank you to the stars and back for pulling me out of the fire there."
Lightning cast a glance at Fang who, to her credit, kept her thoughts on the matter locker down with a smile and an extension of her hand. "No trouble at all, sir. Just glad we were in the neighbourhood to assist." She replied as he shook her hand. The dark man smiled and rubbed his chin with his free fingers.
"Call me Sazh. Sir just makes me feel too damn old. I was headed out to the Leviath station when I got ambushed. Good for nothin' mercs who'd rather leave you for dead... So who are you ladies anyway?"
Fang gave him a quirk of her eyebrow and folded her arms. "Just a couple of good for nothin' mercs..." She drawled, enjoying him suddenly step back and prepare to back peddle. "And a GC lieutenant. Name's Fang, this is my sister Vanille and this is the Lieutenant, Lightning."
He shook their hands enthusiastically and then slumped his shoulders when he turned back to survey the damage. "Dammit. Why they always gotta attack when I'm within half a day's trip to the station…" He muttered to himself. Lightning stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, exhaling softly at the words she knew were about to spill from her mouth.
"We'll get you to the station safely, get you docked and that way you're at least in a safe haven while the ship is repaired." The lieutenant said calmly, the very pointed clearing of a throat behind her not dissuading her from focusing on the trader for the moment as he gave out grateful thanks.
"Lieutenant, a word, if I may? In fact, I require several." Fang's voice hissed in her ear and Lightning was hauled out of the cargo bay by the back of her collar. She was pushed up against the wall in the nearby hallway once the door had shut behind them. "Would you like to explain your line of thought in just directing my ship wherever your whims take you? I agreed to your little personal delivery mission, I did not sign up for the bleeding heart brigade." The brunette seethed angrily.
Lightning gave no ground, getting right back in the mercenary's face. "You may think that the Guardian Corps have given up out here… And… And maybe you're right." She conceded, her eyes darting away from the fury in the jade irises in front of her. Steeling her resolve, she poured just as much determination into her own gaze and faced the fire of the captain. "But I haven't. I won't just give up and allow people to be left to the wastes of these territories because they chose to try to forge a life for themselves. If you have such a problem with my bleeding heart then just add it to my tab!"
Fang studied the lieutenant's face, reminded of her own fortitude when she joined the GC, what felt like a lifetime ago. Her steeled resolve to come out to Pulsian space and do what the Corps wouldn't. Her anger deflated in the wake of Lightning's words and she closed her eyes with a forceful exhale. She couldn't fault the ideology after all. A part of her mind was warmed by her resilience, and it gave another layer of intrigue to this fiery pinkette.
"All right, all right. I've gotta pick up some supplies anyway and the shield needs repairing." She relented with a sigh, her heart picking up a few paces at the way the Lieutenant's eyes softened and the tiniest of smiles appeared at her victory. Fang turned to walk back to the bridge, but not before Lightning's voice made her pause in her steps.
"You can't tell me it didn't feel good to save a life today."
The mercenary merely gave a short harrumph and kept walking.
They spent some time at the mining station, getting necessary repairs to the shields and replenishing supplies. The run beyond the Haerii cluster would be fraught with danger, so it didn't hurt to be prepared. Fang was leaning on the railing near the docking bay, eyeing off her ship while deep in thought.
They had saved a life today, after all. At the expense of at least fifteen other pirates from a local gang. She doubted that would go unnoticed, and hailed a worker to install another turret on the starboard side. Once the money had been transferred the workers got to it, diligently manoeuvring the machines to weld the latest laser upgrades to the hull. She watched them work, always a protective eye on her pride and joy, and the workers all knew that one wrong move or shoddy workmanship would inspire her full wrath. A wayward glance spied the trader leaning up against the wall a bit further down, his expression solemn and eyes downcast. Whatever he'd been given in regards to news of his ship, Fang gathered the outcome wasn't good. She wandered over to him with a lazy wave, catching his attention.
"Hey, captain. Wanted to thank you again for pullin' my ass out of danger earlier." Sazh said, his voice tight with exhaustion. The brunette tilted her head and leant against the wall to the side of him.
"If you're so thankful why do you sound ready to swallow plasma? Prognosis not great on the vessel?"
The trader shook his head, sighing heavily. "Pretty much. The whole thing is shot to ribbons. No shields, no warp drive, I am one hundred percent screwed. I'll never make it out to Ahriman in one piece, let alone by the deadline."
Fang perked up at the planet name and she raised an eyebrow. "Ahriman, you say? Isn't that in the Bodhum system?" She asked, a nod confirming her suspicions. A broad smile crossed her face and she looked back at her ship. Maybe there were ways to get her baby working more efficiently with a larger crew after all, even if it meant she had to collect them along the way. "Tell you what, I'm already on my way to New Bodhum, how about you stash your gear with us, and then we'll drop you off on the way."
Sazh's eyes lit up and he pushed off the wall. "Y-you mean it? You'd do that?"
"Sure, I need a bit of help running a ship as large as Ragnarok anyway. With just the three of us it makes it difficult. The more the merrier, as it were."
The trader didn't even bother with the professionalism and threw his arms around the mercenary, lifting her off the ground in a massive hug. He laughed warmly and let her down when she began to struggle.
"All right all right, no need to get all sentimental on me now, old man." Fang replied, clapping him on the back. "Your vessel in the cargo bay will slow us down though, so you might make some credits taking it to salvage if you can't afford the parking fees while you're gone."
Sazh gave her a smile and gestured towards his ship. "I'm an old miner from these parts, reckon I can find a deal one way or another. When are you due out? I'll start moving my stuff over right away."
Fang gave him a dismissive wave and shook her head. "Couple of hours, but take as long as you need." She replied, watching him run off and hail down some workers to help him shift the cargo. The mercenary sighed and put a hand on her hip, suppressing the smile on her face. She turned to head towards the bar and yelped when she spied the lieutenant leaning in the doorway of the docks, watching her with a smile on her face.
"Going out of your way to help someone? Don't tell me I'm rubbing off on you already," Lightning quipped, a small grin tugging at her lips.
"Shut up, Lieutenant." Fang scowled and walked past her, muttering curses under her breath. The pinkette shrugged with a hum and followed her, struggling not to laugh at the woman's prickly demeanour.
Once Sazh had packed the last of his gear onto the ship they were ready to go. He cast one final look at his vessel before saluting the dock worker who had graciously taken it into storage for him. "I'll be back for you baby, don't you worry!" He said, scratching his beard. The dock worked rolled his eyes and walked away, sighing about obsessive pilots and admin fees.
They entered the ship and Sazh was shown his quarters, just down from Lightning's. He whistled low and nodded in appreciation, turning to face the mercenary captain with a quirk of his eyebrow. "So, this ship is impressive for three ladies to be managing, what's your secret of getting this bucket moving with such a small crew?"
"Magic and mayhem, mostly," Fang replied with a cheeky grin, heading off in the direction of the galley. The ladder sides squeaked as she slid down, meandering into the kitchen with a little bop from a tune only in her head. She got busy making food for everyone, and the others slowly joined her as the room filled with the scents of cooking.
Sazh pulled a stool up to the bench and sat down, humming with contentment at being able to relax for the first time in weeks. The life of a trader was always difficult and in constant peril, but with this ship and its crew, maybe he could actually have a smooth run. He winced at that thought, knowing that the simple manifestation of it will call the wrath of fate. Casting a glance at the mercenary as she danced around the kitchen singing softly to herself, he had a feeling that he was going to wind up in as much trouble with them as he would on his own.
"Smells good, Fang," Vanille called out as she entered the kitchen, Lightning following close behind. The lieutenant felt a little more relaxed herself after the day's events. She wondered whether the trip would have more additions to the crew, or if she really could get through the next six weeks without throttling Fang for her attitude. Maybe she would use that gym after all.
"Hey look I'm no miracle worker but I can at least make the shit they feed us out here mildly palatable." Fang said with a shrug, placing a small bowl of re-hydrated potatoes in front of the lieutenant. They had been mashed up and seasoned with a variety of spices that Lightning didn't find entirely terrible. They all fell into easy conversation, Sazh sharing stories about his trading adventures, Fang and Vanille sharing hilarious stories about their own.
It was a struggle to keep the lazy smile off Lightning's face. This was the kind of thing she should have been engaging in with her colleagues at the base, instead of just trying to whittle the days away until she could go back to Bodhum. It wasn't until that moment that she'd realised how she missed the easy conversation, the laughter and ease of human companionship. Maybe the next six weeks would be easier than she thought. Fang's voice brought her out of her thoughts, and Lightning found herself catching the end of what appeared to be a very raucous tale.
"-So then, he stumbles out to the courtyard in the precinct, completely naked and covered in Flan guts after the damn thing exploded!" Fang said, barely able to contain her own hysterics as she slapped the table and the others burst out laughing. She wiped a tear from her eye and nodded towards the lieutenant. "What about you, Light? Got any crazy stories from the shit you've seen in the traverse?"
Lightning ignored the shortening of her name, deciding it didn't bother her as much as she thought it would and took another mouthful of food with a thoughtful hum. She smiled as she swallowed and gave a small shrug.
"Well, there was this one time we stormed a pirate facility to find they'd been smuggling moogles, and that was when the shit really hit the fan…"