Belle
Lycaon led the way down the indicated hallway. Soldiers in their gray armor stood in a small group near the next intersection. Faceless helmets turned to watch Lycaon's approach, or so Belle assumed. Surely none of these armed and armored soldiers thought she could be a threat. Meanwhile, Lycaon walked with a graceful assurance that caused no one to challenge him, or perhaps they were all informed of Belle's situation and her bodyguard.
To the right at the next intersection, Qingyi stood in the middle of the hallway and she was frowning intently through a large glass window. Her petite frame seemed small in the empty space, but there was a sense of a weight of authority on the small woman's shoulders. A handful of manila folders was in one of her arms.
Qingyi did not react as Belle and Lycaon approached. As Belle neared, her angle of view on the large window revealed a room with a table in it. It was the very image of interrogation rooms in every movie that Belle had ever seen. In fact, she herself had been in this room just a few days ago when she'd first met Qingyi. Now, Belle was on the outside looking in, and Soldier 11 sat stiffly in Belle's previous chair.
"Nothing so far," said Qingyi as they neared. "She won't say a thing. Not to me, anyway."
Belle was again struck by Soldier 11's similarity to Anby. Was this a third Demara sister? No, no. Demara wasn't Anby's real last name, right? That was an adoptive sister thing from Nicole? Belle wasn't entirely sure. She should probably ask Anby about this.
"Who is she?" said Belle, staring intently at Soldier 11's face. An older sister, perhaps? It was somewhat hard to tell.
"She's a squad leader of Obol, which is a government special ops unit," said Qingyi, who then looked sideways at Belle. "And that's about all I can tell you, Miss Belle. Most things about them are classified, and even in this situation, I'm prohibited from telling you more. But the important detail is: Obol is supposed to be an utterly loyal organization- fanatics for the state, if you can believe that."
Belle again saw a flaming sword swinging for her neck, a calm expression on Soldier 11's face; she again saw the rifle barrel level at her. Oh, Belle could believe it. She might not be able to understand the why of it, but the effects of that fanatic loyalty were plainly evident and would probably haunt her dreams for a long time.
"So," said Lycaon in his deep voice. "Do you doubt corruption?"
"Yes," said Qingyi. "If you mean bribery of these soldiers themselves. But higher in their hierarchy? Where the career soldiers stop and the politicians start? That's my bet."
Lycaon grunted and said nothing. Belle could follow the implication easy enough: Qingyi thought someone ordered Obol squad to kill her for illegitimate reasons, but the soldiers who tried to perform the act are so loyal they would not question the mission, no matter how odd it may seem. Belle stared through the glass at Soldier 11. Was that a woman in there? Or a government machine that just looked like one?
"Ah," said Qingyi with a satisfied tone. "She's here."
Belle followed Qingyi's glance down the hallway. A voluptuous, half-thiren woman was strutting towards them down the hall, ample hips swaying, a thin tail undulating in the air behind her. Belle was struck immediately by her green eyes and full lips, the latter pressed in a confident and alluring smirk. Tailing behind her was another half-thiren, a lanky uniformed man with white hair and feline ears and tail. It took a second, but Belle realized she'd seen this man before- he was one of Qingyi and Zhu Yuan's PubSec subordinates.. Sekk? No. Seth. That was it. Junior Constable Seth. And he was dragging a rather large rolling trunk behind him.
"Miss Doe," said Qingyi. "Thank you for coming on short notice."
"Mmm, of course, Qee-Qee," said Miss Doe, her voice almost a purr- but Belle didn't think she was a feline thiren. She had soft, floppy ears and that tail… some sort of rodentia thiren. "I finally get to see you without your PubSec mask on…"
Miss Doe's green eyes traveled from Qingyi up to Lycaon, and they narrowed slightly. Then those eyes rested on Belle and immediately made her feel uneasy. Belle felt like she was being evaluated and analyzed by a tall, sinuous, and obviously dangerously competent woman who, as far as Belle could tell so far, was everything in the universe that she herself was not. It was all Belle could do to not flinch away from those Miss Doe's gaze.
"These two are the ones I told you about," said Qingyi. "Von Lycaon and Miss Belle."
The green eyes flashed from Belle to Lycaon and back again. "I see. My name is Jane Doe- PubSec. A pleasure."
"Nice to meet you," Belle managed to murmur.
"The pleasure is mine," said Lycaon, his voice sounding stiff.
Belle shot a glance up at him. Why did his voice sound like that? Some of his fur was standing up on end and his ears were intently focused on Jane Doe. Did he find this woman attractive? …Well! Belle might find this woman attractive! Or at least very confusing!
Lycaon didn't seem to notice Belle's glance, so Belle looked back at Jane to find those green eyes staring into her soul. Jane smirked, her eyes flickering between Lycaon and Belle again. But she then turned towards the interrogation window.
"Hello, Seth," said Qingyi. "Jane roped you into hauling her luggage, I see."
Seth saluted stiffly, accidentally dropping the trunk to the floor with a thump. "Yes, ma'am! I'm always happy to do what Jane tells me!"
"I bet you are," said Qingyi, her sardonic wit targeting someone other than Belle for once.
"Now, now, Qingyi. I'm here to help you with your business so you can stay out of mine, hmm?" said Jane, her voice somewhat distracted as she gazed through the window at Soldier Eleven. "Do you have the file on this one?"
"Here," said Qingyi, handing Jane one of the manila folders she was holding.
Jane opened the folder with a frown and stood reading the contents. Everyone stood around her in silence. The soft sounds of papers flipping over were the only sounds in the hallway for several long moments.
"A loyal government dog," said Jane with finality, shutting the folder and handing it back to Qingyi. "Nothing could be easier."
"So you say," said Qingyi, accepting back the documents. "I couldn't get a word out of her."
"Of course not," said Jane, turning to her trunk and opening the lid. "You don't work for her master."
Belle leaned over to see the trunk lid reveal several piles of carefully folded clothes. There was also a pile of wigs in various colors, a few small boxes which she assumed were full of makeup. Jane didn't rummage, apparently knowing exactly where the things she wanted were hidden. She withdrew a military uniform of plain camouflage pattern, the casual camo of a soldier on everyday duty. And after setting the item down, she took off her gray coat, revealing a tight sports bra with a nylon mesh doing a rather poor job of hiding Jane's ample bosom.
Belle blinked, surprised by the strange sexiness of Jane's movements. She stared like a deer as Jane unbuckled her tight shorts and pushed them down over fleshy, curving hips and thighs. Lycaon let out a small cough and altered his stance to look away from Jane. Seth had already done so. Qingyi didn't flinch, and Belle supposed she also didn't need to look away, technically, as Belle was also a woman- and fellow women were able to witness such things and it was totally acceptable and totally platonic, right?
Jane stepped out of her shorts, a long bare leg gracefully arched with the motion. Her green eyes flashed out towards Belle as she moved, a seemingly knowing smile on her lips. Belle felt a slight heat in her cheeks. Maybe platonic was a word that could never really apply to anything about this Jane woman, regardless of one's usual inclinations…
Everything became a little less steamy and more business-like as Jane donned the military clothing. She tied her dark hair behind her head in an extremely tight bun, cleaned off what minor makeup she was wearing and then… Belle wasn't sure how to describe it even though she watched it happen in front of her. Jane… transformed into another person. Her stance changed subtly, the way she moved became stiffer, and her resting facial expression altered to one of a stern annoyance. She finished the look by pinning certain emblems and colorful icons to her uniform. Belle could only guess at their implied significance within the military culture. Rank? Position? Belle wasn't entirely sure.
"The file, please," said Jane in a voice that was deeper and harsher than it had been.
Qingyi handed back the folder and Jane walked towards the interrogation room door, moving like her clothing was hardened with starch. If Belle hadn't watched the process, she would not recognize this new woman as Jane. She looked different, moved different, sounded different.
Belle moved towards the window and watched the new Jane open the door stiffly, gaining the immediate attention of the downcast Soldier 11. Jane shut the door firmly and walked towards the table with such implied authority that Soldier Eleven tried to rise from her chair in what seemed and instinctive response. Soldier 11's arms moved towards her own forehead in an attempt at a salute- but stopped short as the chains cuffing her wrists to the steel table halted her motion.
"Soldier," said Jane in her different voice, "I'm Lieutenant Commander Derryn. M.A.G. out of D.F. Three."
She flopped the manila folder onto the table in front of Soldier 11, just out of reach.
"And you: Are in deep shit."
Soldier 11 stared silently at Jane, still hunched from her failed effort at instinctive saluting. She remained silent, but Belle thought there might be a thawing in her otherwise frozen and emotionless face. The stoney confidence of Belle's would-be assassin no longer seemed fully intact even at Jane's first attack.
Jane sat down heavily and with a sigh. "Well? Have anything to say, soldier?"
Soldier 11 remained silent, staring at Jane, and then slowly retook her seat.
"Nothing?" said Jane, adding a sigh. "That makes my job easier, so I don't much care. But I can't very well prepare to defend your court-martial with nothing to go on. Not that there's much hope in it, anyway."
"Court-martial?" said Soldier 11, her first words. Her unbroken hand spread out from fist to flat palm on the surface of the table. "What is the charge?"
Jane altered her seating position and gave Soldier 11 an exasperated look.
"What charge? Isn't that obvious?... It's mutiny."
"Mutiny!?" Soldier 11's spread hand clenched into a fist. "I had orders!"
Jane leaned forward. "Your C.O. says he didn't order you to do shit. He says you and your men should have been snug in your bunks, and instead, you were over here shooting it out with H.A.N.D. Do you expect the court to believe you over him?!"
Soldier 11 shook her head, looking seriously concerned for the first time. "No. Not from my C.O."
"If not your C.O., then who?" said Jane intently.
Soldier 11 didn't respond.
"Then who, soldier?!" barked Jane. "If you don't have a real name, then I'll tell you right now: I won't be able to save you. You'll just be a traitor for the brick wall and the chalk line. Give me the name."
The interrogation room went silent. Belle felt Lycaon's presence next to her. He seemed as intent on the answer as Jane was. Then Belle sensed someone else on her right side, and she turned her head to see Seth staring through the window as well, his lavender eyes sparkling. He looked down at Belle briefly, a dazzling smile on his face.
"Jane's amazing, right?" said Seth.
"Y- yeah…"
Belle turned back towards Jane and Soldier 11, and she thought, for a brief moment, she could see Jane through her disguise; deep in there, those green eyes intent on the suddenly cascading doubts of her prey.
"Major Cyrinn," said Soldier 11, softly.
Jane made a show of disbelief. "Bullshit."
Soldier 11 didn't respond. She was returning to her downcast and stony silence.
"In writing?" pressed Jane.
"Verbal."
"...You better have that recording."
Soldier 11 took a deep breath. She leveled a look at Jane and twitched her head slightly to her right side.
"Inside pocket. Armpit."
A frowning and disapproving Jane stood from her chair, walked around the small table, and reached into Soldier 11's armor. She pulled out some sort of small device and looked at it briefly before putting it into her own pocket.
"All right," said Jane, gathering up the file. "I'll check it out. …Just sit tight."
Jane walked stiffly out of the room and shut the door, leaving Soldier 11 to watch after her with what seemed like honest concern. Meanwhile, as soon as the door closed, Jane's original sensual movements returned and she strutted over to Qingyi with a smirk on her lips and the electronic device between her long fingers.
"Look what I found…"