The keys clicked a little in the silence as the light danced across the face of the intent operator. Nothing she had ever seen was as complicated as the crafting that had just taken place. Silently the woman on the chair opened her eyes and smiled. Success. With a similar expression the operator undid the restraints and freed her friend.
"Briefing in about 30 minutes." Ivory informed her softly. A look of indecision entered the warrior's eyes and she asked silently for advice. Grinning marginally, the long time friend gestured with her head that it would be acceptable if the first officer left. A small nod of thanks and Maralah was gone, hoping the captain wasn't as busy as he said he'd be.
"All set?" He asked by way of greeting without turning around. The screens rolled with information before his eyes but he wasn't concentrating on them as much as he could be.
"Yes, all that remains is the briefing." She replied steadily, waiting.
"All systems completely checked?" Still he wouldn't turn, tapping out a command to bring up visuals of the programs running.
"I ran the search myself." She said softly, trying to suppress her anxiety. If he would just look at her...
"Good." He was trying to dismiss her, but she stood defiant. He glanced over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow in query.
"Please don't do anything rash." The 'first officer' quality she had come in with melted as she spoke. He stayed seated.
"Define rash." His smile would normally have provoked her to tap her foot but she refrained.
"Coming in." Steady and calm, she watched as her words sunk in.
"You want me to watch while you die?" For a moment he could see her still on the chair, his jaw tightened in denial. He couldn't let that happen.
"You can be of more assistance out here and you know it. You already said you'd stay out and I can handle myself in there."
"That is not what you said before." Contradicting her with tight tones he took stepped around her and closed the door.
"Before you didn't give me time to think. I have thought…" She tried to explain herself, not the first officer, but her own decisions.
"And you're still going in. I've already told you all the risks..." The chance that something could outweigh the worth of her life, in his eyes, was ludicrous.
"But none of the possibilities. Dammit Arcane, I can do this. I have to do this." Her eyes held his, convincing with their strength of conviction.
"I know, but why won't you let me help?" The truth surfaced slowly, the feeling of helplessness had failed to leave him alone for the hour he had watched by the operator's chair, watched the green symbols falling, her eyes moving behind closed lids.
"Because you don't want to go into something untested. I know you, you're better off out here." Her voice stayed brittle, hard, as she tried to make him understand.
"You're telling me what's best for me?" Eyes narrowing, he pushed the words past his lips, unable to shake the image still burning his mind.
"Just returning the favour." Her sarcasm was biting and her eyes flashed a little in anger. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes a moment.
"Maralah, drop it. I won't jack in, I'll stay out here, but can we stop arguing?" And there was Arcane the man, not Arcane, captain of the Rhetoric.
"Sure. We can drop it." She softened too, letting the tension seep out of her body. He watched and waited, curious.
"You want to say something else, don't you?" He asked, stepping a little closer to observe her face better.
"I… Don't do anything you'll regret." She rushed a little on the words, trying to get them out, trying to get him to understand what she hadn't said. The thought of him facing Lock for discipline chilled her to the bone.
"What about doing nothing and regretting that?" Dropping the level of his voice, he relaxed, assuring her by his body language.
"That's different." She shrugged, almost nonchalantly, feigning indifference. He wasn't fooled and his smile as he stepped closer to her told her so explicitly.
"So if I won't regret something, by your reasoning, I can do it?"
"By extension of logic, yes." She licked her lips without thinking about it, watching him.
"Good." Softly, he lowered his lips to hers, drawing her closer as he felt her soften. How many times had they stood in Zion like this? Linked by lips and arms as they shut out the chaos around them. How many times had she smiled beneath the contact, waiting just a fraction longer before moving against him? How many times? And the question rattled in his mind as her arms linked around his neck, as his hands framed her face, fingers moving in her hair. Suddenly the words haunted him, hunted him. 'When you're going to lose it…' He broke from the kiss, embracing her instead, feeling her head on his chest.
"Something you want to tell me?" She asked quietly as she had so many times before. This was no exception; he had no answer for her. Shaking his head, he lay a gentle kiss to her hair.
"You better get back down there and make sure everything is in working order." Reluctantly he moved away completely, turning as he went, hands by his sides, cold. She looked at his back a moment longer and held back a sigh. No matter what they talked about, what they went through together or alone, he wouldn't tell her what it was that caused him to close up. It didn't matter really; she told herself firmly, she had other things to think about.
"The data is ready and waiting on disks 1 through 3, just so you know in case…" He nodded and she left, making the trip back to the Core as silently as possible in the heavy boots she wore. His eyes landed on the disks as she left and noticed a fourth. What was? The question faltered as he saw the colour. It was a personal transmission disk, complete with insignia, recipients and, as usual for his first, the symbol that denoted messages for two separate parties. One for the child in Zion, Minerva, and one for him. She was too clever, he cursed silently, too damn clever to be risked like she was. Quickly he hacked a link through to the operator's consoles, bringing up stats on the screen. Ivory sent him a friendly greeting and told him firmly not to interfere. He agreed and watched as the green-eyed woman who had so recently left his company loaded up for a final check.
A/N: Thank you Thesseli for your review and your help with this piece has been brilliant. Thanks again!
May the muses smile on everyone.
