Scene 18 – You Think It'll Work?
[Note: this scene contains reference to the "Hurting Where It Hits" one-shot and to an earlier scene on Ord Mantell that I haven't written up yet. Mild spoilers for those scenes.]
They ducked out the side door and headed for the open end of the alleyway. "Uh, Captain?" Corso said as he jogged behind her, tugging off the odd-looking hat that had covered up his distinctive hairstyle. "What you said back there – that was pretty awful. You're not really going to hunt that woman down and torture her." He hesitated, looking a little ill himself. "Are you?
Vacy looked over her shoulder, brows lifted in surprise. "What? Sky an' stars, Riggs, of course not." Her crewmate visibly relaxed, and she chuckled. "Priorities, my friend – we can't go chasing after her when we need to be chasing after Skavak!"
That statement didn't do much to help matters, and as they reached the corner of the alley and crouched behind the building on the right – Arri was already waiting behind the one on the left – Corso began pulling on his armor, fastening the clips and straps. "Yeah, but… after that?"
Wincing as she tugged at the adhesive, Vacy carefully removed the prosthetic lekku, gently tucking them into her Darmas-bag. With several pieces of Corso's armor tucked in tightly, there hadn't been room for anything of hers, so she rummaged through until she felt Kablam and his harness. Flashy went back in his holster so she had two hands free to slip into the harness and fasten it snugly – since there weren't nearly as many layers to this outfit, she had to size it down a couple of notches. Hearing the concern in Corso's voice, she sighed. "No," she said. "Even then, we're going to let her go." She looked over at him, and shrugged. "But I can't have it getting out that I'm soft, Riggs. So now, hopefully if she says something, it'll enhance my reputation, rather than detract from it." Vacy smiled quietly at Corso. "You really did think I was going to shoot her, didn't you?" she asked.
He rolled his shoulders, uncertain how to respond. Finally he said, "You did seem… pretty upset. Honestly? I don't think I knew what you were gonna do." He crouched down beside her. "It has made me a bit curious, though. We had that sep'ratist cornered, and I was all fired up an' ready to clean his skull right out, but you went and got me thinkin' about what kinda man my folks had raised me to be." He shook his head. "And then you went and shot Syreena and you didn't so much as blink. Didn't seem consistent. And now this? Captain, you've got me all confused."
Vacy chuckled, pulling pins out of her hair and dumping them in the Darmas-bag, and pulled her hair back up into its usual ponytail, even though it was significantly more matted and lump than normal. "That's me, Riggs," she said wryly. "I'm one confusing lady."
When she didn't say anything more, Corso let the matter drop. But Vacy could see in his expression that the conversation wasn't over. She sighed, wondering how in the world she could explain something to him, when she didn't rightly understand it herself.
But she was spared the frustration of trying, because at that moment the side door they'd left from banged open, and several large men carrying blasters came out, heading down the alley.
Toward the three of them.