Open RP Post

[candor1]

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[ro_laren]

She considered, then fixed her jacket, not quite realizing she was mimicking Picard as she headed or the ramp. Mostly she had been making sure that the phaser was where she could reach it. "Very well."

[candor1]

Cassian nodded and ducked back inside.

The whole time aboard the U-wing, Cassian did two things: (1) kept a reasonable, consistent distance between himself and her, and (2) kept a constant eye on her. Unlikely as it was that she was an Imperial agent here to plant something on his ship (considering he'd approached her and had to be insistent about it), he still had protocols.

He popped a panel and pulled out the carton of spare parts, and stepped back to let her search it.

[ro_laren]

She would have considered being almost amused by his seemingly nervous distance if the situation hadn't been so grim. She had a feeling Guinen would have been amused anyway. She took a deep breath as she went through the parts, and found herself frowning a bit. "Which things are not available for trade?"

[candor1]

"Well…" he knelt on the other side of the carton and rummaged, taking things out and sorting them to either side, between them. Finally, he picked up four parts (rare, tailor made, or particularly volatile) and shoved them back behind the panel. "Any of the rest are fine."

[ro_laren]

She nodded, taking the parts they had discussed, and going through for a few others she might be able to work with if she was careful. She set the pile of parts she chose on the floor between them. "And the price?"

[candor1]

He shook his head slightly. "I said I'd give them to you. If you want to pay me back somehow, that's fine, but it's up to you." He wasn't going to ask what have you got?, see above. The Alliance wasn't so wealthy it could afford to give away too much, but some unlikely-to-be-used-again or easily replaceable parts to help someone out—that was their calling.

[ro_laren]

She nodded and started loading the smaller parts into her pockets. "Thank you then." Well even without the Federation having a foothold here, there was someone who acted like he was part of it. She would have to find some way to notate in her log for this incident who he is so that if others came back, he could be paid properly. Guinen would know how to word it, she was sure. She stood, collecting up the larger parts.

"I will get out of your way, then."

[candor1]

He eyed her laden arms critically. "How far away is your ship? I don't think you'll get very far before someone's trying to take those off you." He'd foiled three pickpockets in only an hour of being on the streets.

[ro_laren]

He was right, though she hated to admit it. "If you have the time, I could make trips," she said. She was hesitant to take a native to a hidden Federation shuttlecraft. She was reasonably sure they had faster than light from the tech she had seen, but not Warp. Given her track record she couldn't get away with what other officers could. Not if she wanted to ever sit on the bridge again.

She hated this. This having to prove herself *****. She had proven herself plenty of times already. It was only because of Q that no one remembered it.

[candor1]

A native. A nice compliment to his local clothing and inconspicuousness of the tech level of the U-wing. Still…

"Or I could just come with you," he said, pulling a knapsack off a hook and looking at her with raised eyebrow. He understood not wanting to show one's ship, but it would be better than losing the pieces as soon as she'd found them. "That can be my payment. Making sure everything gets where it's supposed to."

[ro_laren]

"I am fine on my own," she said. Was that his angle then? Offer the parts so he could claim her ship? Or were her issues with the Ferengi overshadowing things? Had she been right to see him as Federation material or blinded by some stupid childish desire to not be alone.

She knew better.

But better than what was the question. She knew she was far from the only one of the displaced lined up to take down Q if the chance ever presented itself, but she was going to do whatever it took to be in the front of that line for this.Except it was as much of a daydream as somehow forcing him to send them all home. And she didn't indulge in daydreams. She refused to be that weak.

[candor1]

"I know," he said. "I know what it seems like. I just want these parts to go to you, not some local thief. Is there anything I can say to you that would help convince you it's okay?"

[ro_laren]

"Oh I'm pretty sure you don't know how this seems to me," she said dryly. Because if he actually did understand? That would mean he was Federation. She set down the parts that were in her arms while they spoke, because she realized that she could chec that easily enough. She crossed her arms, making sure her jacket opened just enough to show the comn badge as she gave him a look. Mostly to see if he recognized the insignia as anything other than just a pin. If he was undercover studying native culture then she could accept the help and he might have something that could actually help. If he didn't recognize the insignia, she was no worse off than she had been before.

[candor1]

He didn't recognize the insignia—but he recognized that it was an insignia. Another slight eyebrow arch, and, mirroring her, he opened his jacket to show her his ID transponder with its notation of his rank. Different than hers but perhaps along similar enough lines.

"How young did they get you?" he asked quietly.

[ro_laren]

Not Federation. Not any insignia she knew. She wished for five minutes with the Enterprise's database. Forget that. Two minutes with Data. She'd have a minute and a half to spare.

She sighed and fixed her jacket, shaking her head. "Young enough. But again, not as young as I look."

[candor1]

"Aha." He let his jacket fall closed again. "I was six."

[ro_laren]

Six. Not an age she wanted to remember. "I'd just as soon forget my childhood, if it's all the same," she said. Yes, she had actually managed for a whole moment to forget she was trapped in the body of a twelve year old.

[candor1]

Whereas he saw a twelve year-old, but still had no difficulty believing she would speak of childhood as something past and gone.

"You see now, at least," he said, "why I want to help you?"

[ro_laren]

This was an easier topic. Which said a lot about that childhood she was ignoring.

"And you see now why I can't let you any more than you already have."

[candor1]

Caught between the impulses to frown and to smile, he settled for shrugging. "Not really. No."

[ro_laren]

She rubbed at her forehead. Of all the races in the galaxy, after the Q the humans seemed to be the best at giving her headaches without seeming to mean to. Or maybe he was just too much like Riker. Hard to tell. She sighed and took a risk. A bit more of the truth than she had intended to offer.

"Let's just say my Captain wouldn't be thrilled if..." she cut herself off. Actually...

She looked around a moment, then looked back at him. "How fast does this ship go?" No she's not actually asking for an escape.

[candor1]

"Lightspeed?" If that was even what she was asking. But along the lines of what can I say to convince. Part of him wondered why he was going to such lengths. But right now, he could afford to.

[ro_laren]

"What kind of engine is it using?" She hadn't been able to ask outright before. But if she could find out once and for all if they had warp....

But calling it Lightspeed out loud implied the answer. Still, if Geordi was here she could have left this to be his call, as the one more knowledgeable about engines and the one less likely to be locked in the brig for the rest of his career.

[candor1]

"Incom 4J.7 fusial thrust engines with class 1 hyperdrive motivators. What are you really asking?"

[ro_laren]

She sighed a bit and lifted everything again carefully. "You just answered it."

Not Warp. Not even close. Which meant the Prime Directive was clear. She could not let their technology influence the development of his people's technology. Which meant that she had to remember all she could from her Engineering electives and hope she could fix the shuttle on her own. There would be no help unless someone answered her distress signal.