Diversions

By RingPrincess

It's the doc that comes up with the start of the plan. A bit surprising, I guess but it's still the start of a good plan.

"I'm thinking since we're unarmed. We should take them by surprise." He says.

Zoë speaks up to be a voice of reason, before we take on all the men at once with our bare hands. "Not necessarily. We can lure one or two of them away. Say infirmary? Take 'em out, be on Badger before he knows what happens." It's a good thought, but still needs work.

"Only if his attention's elsewhere. What we need's a diversion." I suggests, "I say Zoë gets nekkid."

Wash doesn't look up from his knees. "Nope."

"I could get nekkid." I smirk.

"No!"

Then crazy walks in, like I conjured her. Of course, I don't notice her first, Book does, but he was blocking the door.

Simon whispered something and she started going off until of course she attracted the attention of Badger, which is not good, since she's a fugie and well.

"Who's that then? Here, look at me. What's your story, love?"

"She's- just a – passenger." Simon starts, which of course isn't gonna make things any better than they already are. There just gonna make things worse. Doc don't know how to think on his feet; too proper.

"Yeah, why ain't she talkin'? She got a secret." He asks. Of course she does, everybody got plenty of secrets.

Moony, she tilts her head and smiles and if it ain't the purtiest smile I ever seen. "Sure, I got a secret." She says. "More than one. Don't seem likely I'd tell 'em to you now, do it? Anyone off of Titan colony knows better than to talk to strangers." She reached out and almost touched the shiny pin on his jacket, then ran a finger down his lapel, her head tilting. It had to be my imagination but she glances my way as if to tell me to get on with it. I stare at her stupefied. "You're talking loud enough for the both of us though, ain'tcha? I've known a dozen like you. Skipped off home early, running graft jobs here and there. Spent some time in the lock down, but less than you claim. And you're what? Petty thief with delusions of standing? Sad, little king of a sad, little hill." My eyes widened as I stare at her. How did she know all that? That, that was good. This family surely was getting' more and more surprisin'. Badger's face was turning interesting shapes of scared. She was hittin' too close to home, I guess.

"Nice to see someone from the old homestead." He grinned trying to gather his aplomb.

"Not really." She says as she rolls her eyes and turns away, brushing against Simon. "Call me if anyone interesting shows up."

"I like her." Badger says and I stare after her.

I look around to see all the crews doin' the same and I can't help it. "That there, exactly the kind of diversion we could have used." I says. Now if we only had the wit to act on it.

--

I run my knife down the whetstone again and Crazy enters the room. I knew she'd show up sooner or later.

"Tortoise." She says.

I glance up at her over the knife. "Was that?"

"Too slow, coulda freed the knight from the dungeon, but too slow."

"Where's your brother?"

She smiles. "Cleaning the infirmary, made a mess."

"Another diversion." I say and run the knife down the whetstone again.

"You won't act on this one either." She ran her fingers down the table. "Not ready yet." She smiles at me, loopy. "Tortoise, someday you'll figure out the use for them."