Look Down

[Sabetha Tag]

"Well." She said slowly, rolling the word around in her mouth like she was tasting it.

"I like money and stealin' chit. Pretty good at it. So. If you need a second set of hands, well. I don't give a kark about revenge, but I'm pretty good for amassing a lot of credits, fast like."

A smirk.

"Also pretty good at spendin' it, but so long as I get a share wouldn't touch your 'revenge nest egg'. Dunno if you're looking for a partner, or if ya just want a hand with one job and then part ways if we don't work well together. But. Hey, I don't have plans once I'm out of here... Don't gotta answer now. But if ya need a silver tongued lady with a penchant for picking locks and kicking in teeth, gimme a call. You got my number."

She paused and laughed.
"Such as it is."

[member="Hira Mitsae"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sabetha Tag"]

It was quiet on the other side.

Almost as if Hira had fallen asleep, if not for the steady beat of her breath still ramping against that small hole. Mulling, really, because it was one thing to settle a bond to get out of shackles in the heat of the moment, but another to sign up a partner for a longer run.

Then-

A nod.

This wasn't exactly noticeable to Sabby, which Hira realized a moment later sheepishly. "We can run a score together when we out. The records. If da rolls out without a hitch an' we dun' want to kill one another by the end of it? I am down." A shrug, ow, but less ow than before. "Past few years I always had Shysa to watch my back. Always was a pain in da arse, but he kept me alive. Running duo has its perks, eh?"

 

[Sabetha Tag]

"Wouldn't know, Hero. Never had a partner. Not the way you're talkin' anyway. Kinda used to watching my own back, but I'm pretty good at watchin' other people's. Just..... I never really expect anyone to watch MINE, ya feel? No pressure. Hell, if you change your mind between now and then, no hard feelings. I don't tend ta stick things..." or people "long term. So unless you are actually interested, I won't darken your doorway, ya feel me?"

She let out a small, self deprecating chuckle.

"Not usually the 'partner' type. So don't gotta panic about getting stuck with me."

Her voice was easy, but she frowned, thoughtful.

Didn't put a voice to it. Not worth doing.

She'd run with crews, with individuals. But no one she trusted to watch her back. No, that wasn't true. There had been people. But they'd always let her down. She didn't take it personally. Just... couldn't rely on people. This? This was going out on a limb for REAL. Hell, she's still wasn't even 100% that Hira over there would do her end of things.

Impulsive offer. Opted not to take it back.

She also decided not to put any real weight on it.

Didn't hope for something, couldn't let you down.

[member="Hira Mitsae"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sabetha Tag"]

Sabby seemed to be taking these things far more serious than Hira would have expected from that care-free voice.

"Eh, gon' be a learning experience, dig? I am used to only looking forward with mah sword in hand. Dun mean I won't try tho." It would be difficult for her. When the battle was at its highest, blood flowed, the red started seeping into her eyes? She would have to make an effort to keep in mind there were two of 'em and one was far more squishy than she was. But that didn't mean she wouldn't try. Hira was care-free, relaxed, but she took certain things seriously.

Pacts.

At least that chit had gotten a hold of her through Kalad.

Fether.

"But dun worry, if ya start gettin' on mah nerves you will know. Mostly cus I will just kick ya outta mah flying ship." SMIRK. The wink was there.

 

[Sabetha Tag]

"Ya know TELLING a person is almost as effective as chuckin' 'em out an airlock." A pause. "Course if they don't listen, airlock is a good option. Found knives ta be a good incentive-iser as well."

Was amazing how effective a naked blade and intent was.

She didn't comment on the other part. Just.... remembered it. Filed it away.

In Sabetha's experience, when someone told you what they were, it was best to believe them. Not the good parts. Anyone could lie on the good parts. But if someone said 'I'm not good at watching backs, I just like having someone to watch mine', well. Sabetha believed it. And would keep it in mind. Better to know from the get go, but it shifted something ever so slightly there. Pumped the breaks.

If she got involved, don't expect a two way street. So. Par for the course.

Yeah, good to know.

"Better get some rest, Hero," she murmured, closing her eyes. "Gonna need it for tomorrow."

[member="Hira Mitsae"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sabetha Tag"]

She would have scoffed at the idea of wanting someone to watch their back.

Hell, Hira had done just fine before Kalad came around and she would have been just as fine without Sabby checking her, but thankfully that wasn't necessary to say. She'd do her best on it and that was that. "Eh, not much of a warner, to be honest. If ya can't gauge my feelin' an' thoughts by just standing next to me how much good are ya really to me?" Now it was clear that Hira was joking with the amount of amusement running through her tone.

"Ugh, ya right, night Sabby Two-Years. For whatever it's worth- if I wanted any disembodied pretty voice by mah side, would'a been you."

Only ten seconds later Sabetha would overhear snoring.

Say whatever you want about the merc life, but it was perfect to learn how to get to sleep very quickly.

 

[Sabetha Tag]

The door hadn't even fully opened at the end of the hall that morning, when Sabetha was up and shouting for the guards. Stick slamming on her fingers at the small window made her wince, but it didn't take much to convince them that something was very VERY wrong in the cell next door.

"She's got cybernetics you twits did you even SCAN her before you slapped that bracelet on 'er? She's DYING!"

Sabetha's voice was high pitched, bordering on hysterical. Noisy, loud, impossible to ignore but also very difficult to concentrate on with the caterwauling she was doing.

All the point of course.

She kept shouting at them even after they took the limp form of Hira from the cell. She couldn't see from that angle, no more than a glimpse of feet, but she had to say, the other woman was doing a fine job of selling it. The redhead piped down once the door closed again.

The silence in the hall seemed to echo.

And all that was left....

Was to wait.

And see if Hira meant what she'd said.

Or if Sabetha had gotten her hopes up for nothing.

She didn't know how long it would take. How long she'd be waiting. If the other woman would even come back at all. It could be minutes, or an eternity. If she didn't come back?

The rest of Sabetha's life.

The minutes dragged. She didn't know if hours passed or if it just felt like hours. The door at the end of the hallway creaked, and Sabetha shot up to her feet. Breath held, not even realizing it.

[member="Hira Mitsae"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sabetha Tag"]

Sabetha's door slammed open and in came a shadow.

Then the bloody face, limbs and body of one Hira Mitsae. She was dragging a vibro-sword (hers) alongside her, the tip scrapping against the floor and leaving a trail of crimson in its wake. Eyes were wild for a moment, before they relaxed at the sight of the prisoner. "Catty Sabby Two-Years." Hira declared with a sigh, the haggard motion of her shoulders at the heavy breathing becoming clear to to Sabby.

Other things would become clear too.

Both of her arms had been replaced with body-ware, black casing, military from the looks of it and one reason why the bracelet had been attached to her leg from the get-go. Of course... that one was nowhere to see now.

"Had to cut a bloody path to get back 'ere, lemme tell ya." If there was any doubt that this bloody figure was the same voice she had been chit-chatting and laughing with for days that might have dispelled the doubt just a little bit. "Buuuut I figured I might as well." The door behind them open now Sabetha might overhear an explosion in the distance. "Dun' look at me. Started soon after they gots me into da medic bay."

One of the few reasons why this was a success Hira started to realize.

Oh, she had demolished a score of guards getting here, but there were so many more from her memories. Except they hadn't been in place.

"Aight, leggo, eh?"

 

[Sabetha Tag]

There was one step back. Reflexive.

The first impressions of Hira was black metal, blood and violence.

Dang she was hot.

Scary.

But hot.

Sabetha on the other hand looked positively fragile in comparison. Pale skin, almost white in the shadows from two years without seeing a proper sun. Unruly red hair at the best of times was a halo of fire. Too thin, large eyes, easy to mistake for weaker than she was given the circumstances- nothing sunlight, good food and a 'fresher couldn't solve, but two years was a long time.

She shattered the impression with the particular smirk that curled over her lips a moment later.

"Mah hero," she said, the doubt from before vanished in the slice of light from the outside falling on her face. "I'd kiss you but even I wouldn't want to kiss me right now, so unless ya need me to swoon into your arms or something let's blow this scene."

She moved to the door of the cell, looking out and then over at Hira.

"You sure? Cause if you claimed credit for it I'd believe you."

[member="Hira Mitsae"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sabetha Tag"]

A stretch of her neck and shoulders.

Pop.

Other end- pop.

She sighed satisfied and snorted. "With dis blood on me I ain't sure ya wan' a smooch either way, lady." In that moment it didn't matter that Hira Mitsae was a fething wreck when it came to sex, flirting an' all that crap. The heat was in her veins, she felt herself being propelled forward over and over again. If not for Sab here she would have dashed deeper into the prison herself. But she had made a promise to try, no?

"So leggo. Ya can tank me by watching my arse an' make sure nobody shoots me in the head while I swish dis sword."

They stepped on out and over several corpses discarded to the side. The wounds were deep, jagged in by the vibro-generator of the sword. "Naw, I dun' do claiming credit. Plenty of my own chit I am proud of." She gestured towards the second guard. "Blaster still good on that one, yeah?"

Would be good to see if Sabetha could pull her weight in an actual fight.

Another explosion, this one a bit closer, shaking the floor.

Hira glanced over her shoulder, the cells, some of them were still filled. Some of them were shouting at them to help them. "I dun know dem folk, Sabby. Ya care about 'em too or wha?" Otherwise she would honestly just leave them there. Hira didn't have any particular feeling of connection to other criminals an' crap. That wasn't something that she really troubled herself with. Only made things more complicated as far as she was concerned.

 

[Sabetha Tag]

"I dunno, watching your arse seems counter productive right now," she threw over her shoulder at her as she headed into the hallway.

"Be too distracted ta watch our backs."

But her attention was on the guards, eyes looking over the marks critically. She felt nothing about those bodies. But her gaze was drawn up a moment later.

Bending over, she retrieved the blaster, but then when rustling for something else. She came up with a set of keys.

"Some a' these folks have been here longer than I have," she said quietly. "I'd like ta think they would have opened my door, if the situation were reversed."

Course, she couldn't have them all up their arses while they were trying to get out of here either. With an underhand toss, she flipped the keys into the cell of the weakest inmate. The one with nothing but shaking hands and dull eyes. It would take him a minute to get his own cell open, and then longer for anyone else. She crouched down, looking through the small window- she'd hit him in between the eyes with the keys and he had fallen back on his rear end.

"I expect you to open up the other doors, savvy?" She said, her tone low and cold. "I know yer face, Tomas. I know where yer from. If I find out later that ya didn't, I promise you that this?" She looked around at the cell before her eyes fell back on him heavily. "This will seem like a paradise compared to the box I bury you in alive. Nod your silly head that you understand. Good."

She stood up then, eyes meeting Hira's.

"After you," she said with a smirk. "Can't watch yer arse otherwise."

[member="Hira Mitsae"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sabetha Tag"]

She shrugged.

"Do as ya will, Tag."

Was no skin of her teeth, if it had been an issue to her Hira simply wouldn't have offered the opportunity and might have demolished the keys to keep it from being an option. As it stood Sab was smart about it and ensured that they wouldn't be followed out immediately. Just give 'em an opportunity and a shot at freedom later. That was fine. Maybe some part of Hira should have been impressed by it.... in truth? It did little to penetrate the haze of anticipation running through her.

There was another reason why Hira didn't do spice.

She had her own addiction. It could be seen in the way the obsidian thumb ran back and forth across the edge of the vibrosword's hilt. "Do ya best in da fight an' I might even wiggle it for ya." The smirk was met with a wink, but the tone was neutral.

The heat only in her eyes and it had nothing to do with Sabetha.

She gestured for Sab to follow and Hira immediately set off through the corridor. Her movements were precise, to the point, the sword already rising slightly next to her so it could be used in a moment's notice. The movements were that of a killer. Economical and calculated, every step thought about within the micro-second. "Still tho." She murmured as they reached the end of the corridor, the door pushed open and offering a glimpse to a cross point littered with another half score of bodies.

Vibro-sword wounds.

More of Hira's path.

"One explosion is an accident, two might be a failure, but all dem in a steady beat? Station is under attack, Sabby, might be trouble."

 

[Sabetha Tag]

Sabetha had a set of rules she followed. Oh, the rules were malleable- she recognized that there would always been exceptions, and none of the rules were sacrosanct and unbreakable. Could call them more guidelines than anything else, but they mattered.

Don't steal from people with less than you have.

Don't kick a man who is hurt worse than you are- unless he started it, then aim for the head.

If the opportunity to do something kind arises, and it costs you nothing, it's worth doing.

The last rule sort of clearly exhibited just what 'kindness' was worth to Sabetha. Kindness was only worth anything if it didn't cost her anything. So really, there wasn't much to be impressed by. If she had decided that giving that key to the others would have potentially hampered their own ability to escape, well.

That would have been a different story.

She followed behind, gun settling in her hands with the familiarity of an old friend.

"Mhm, felt something comin' in on the winds.... just didn't know what it was. Today was the day, one way or the other for sure," Sabetha murmured.

"If things get closer than the end of this blaster, real talk I'm going to be useless. Been too long in a box, without enough food. Can be remedied, but gonna need time to get back to my usual form. Not saying I won't put up a fight, but it'll be short and possibly pathetic, dig?" It was said without either pride nor self recrimination. Nothing much she could have done about it. So she recognized and owned the physical limitations of her body as they stood. She was weak, physically, and she knew it.

Best to let the other woman know too.

Not that Sabetha was sure it would do much good. She'd seen the way Hira's thumb had caressed the hilt of the sword. The look in her eyes. She'd seen that look before. Some people could reign it in when push came to shove. Other people got lost in the killing to a point where nothing outside of a red haze existed. She didn't know which the dark haired woman was, or somewhere in between. But it was dangerous, and Sabetha knew all too well how unreliable someone like that could be.

She walked backward behind Hira, scanning the halls and doors behind them as they passed. Whatever was going on, it seemed to have drawn anyone Hira hadn't slaughtered elsewhere in the facility.

Probably where ever the explosions were happening, which Sabetha hoped to AVOID if they could manage.

When they reached a particular set of doors, they switched positions.

"Would be nice if these arseholes carried the keys with them on this side, but that's the whole point- so if the prisoners ever did get out, they couldn't just grab 'em and go," she muttered, kneeling in front of the door and giving the locking mechanism a once over.

As if by legerdemain, Sabetha produced a pair of slender metal picks.

"The mechanisms on the cells are too heavy for these," she explained, though her attention was on the lock. "Managed to make these a year ago, but, no good for the first stage of the game. This one though? Finer lock. Better quality. Which means the tumblers inside are lighter."

Carefully, she inserted the tools and started to work.

[member="Hira Mitsae"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sabetha Tag"]

"S'fine, jus yell mah name an' I will come a'running, ya?" The murmur was hushed, soft, focused and intense. It was clear that Hira was doing her level-best not to be pulled back into the mad frenzy that had taken her from the medical bay to Sabetha's tag within the span of several breaths, at least that is how it had felt to her in the moment. "Ya good in a scrap when ya bod ain't holding ya back? Or ya best with a gun from the get-go?"

No judgement in the question.

Just curiosity.

Hira didn't judge in that aspect. Oh, she would judge if someone couldn't defend themselves at all, but if they were just better at one thing rather than the other? That was fine. Just the way of things, eh?

Nobody could be good at everything.

"I prefer da blade myself. Fists. Chit like that." A shrug followed as she watched careful fingers starting to pick the lock. "Feels better to me. More... personal." It took a few more minutes, but eventually Tag got through. The doors groaned as they slid open and allowed them entry. Hira stopped right in the middle of the step. Her hand already held up Sabetha- "Chit, move b--" It was already too late.

About four sentients on the other side of the corridor suddenly looked up from picking apart the corpse of a guard.

Mad eyes, geared up but not armored.

"Pirates." Hira hissed as they laughed and began their approach towards them.

 

[Sabetha Tag]

"Can hold my own," Sabetha replied absently.

Most of her attention was focused on the job at hand. She had kept in occasional practice, miming out the motions on the cell lock but not pressing them home and risking snapping the delicate tools. But that wasn't the same. Her tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth for a moment, brow furrowing.

"Never cared about personal myself. Goal was always land something hard enough- or confusing enough- to get outta dodge. I do miss my blastsword though, hopefully Char's still got that- ah here we go."

With a faint, satisfying click, she rocked back on her heels, pushing the door open.

"Well, that explains it!"

Sabetha didn't wait. This wasn't really a 'see what they want' sort of situation. Still down on one knee, she fired. That was one thing she'd kept up easily- her aim. Took one of them right between the eyes before Hira moved forward and made the angle impossible without risking hitting her.

[member="Hira Mitsae"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sabetha Tag"]

"Right?"

The moment Sabetha's blaster roared and Hira was already on the run. Didn't even wait to see if the shot hit home, before she dashed towards them either. They began to return fire now that Sabby's fire arc was obscured by Hira's frame. The first blaster shot glanced off her a cybernetic shoulder, the second one was dashed to the side by the vibro-sword, it was the third shot of the third guy that got Hira in the hip.

The high intensity power-shot burning through the edge and leaving blisters, burn.

The pain only encouraged Hira as she closed the distance. The sword's edge shimmered before it cut straight through the third guy's jugular, then Mitsae got busy with the second guy. They traded swipes and slashes.

With one down...

There was one more left, but Hira had forgotten all about him in the heat of battle.

 

[Sabetha Tag]

With the benefit of distance, Sabetha however did not.

The way Hira dove in, there wasn't much at first the redhead could do. Sure she could have risked it, but at any moment they fighters were turning and moving and a shot that could have been lined up one moment would have been lost by the time she pulled the trigger- or worse.

With just a few meters and a lack of Hira's blood lust, watching critically was easier. Easy? Never easy. But possible. Which meant that as Hira was pressing her advantage, it was easy to see the last form recovering from the charge. While those two traded blows, that last one reached down. Sabetha's eyes flicked, catching the sonic blaster at his hip.

Without a clear shot through Hira and her opponent, Sabetha did the next best thing. She aimed up. The light fixture above the man's head came crashing down, stunning him and knocking him to the ground. Giving Hira plenty of time to dispatch her opponent.

Sabetha closed the distance then, without hesitation putting a blaster bolt into the downed man's chest as he struggled to regain his feet.

[member="Hira Mitsae"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sabetha Tag"]

The kill came quick and just in time for her to hear the sound of the fixture crashing down, hitting the thug on the head and dropping him.

By the time Hira was done Sabby had already gone over and executed the last one. Her eyebrow rose a bit as she realized just how trans-fixed she had become with the fight, that she hadn't even considered the number of them. The heat of the moment was sometimes a right schutta as far as Hira was concerned. "Told ya I sucked at watching people's back." Another glance towards the corpse, the smoke rising softly up from their head.

"Thanks."

The blood was glanced off with two tips of the fingers, before Hira sheathed it for now. The corridors were tighter here and having it out would only be detrimental. Hell, trying to use it would be just as bad now.

"Hand me da blaster on 'is hip, willya?" She asked absently as she turned towards one of the panels at the wall.

They were probably segregated from the rest of the facility, but maybe Hira would be able to use her cybernetics to see what was happening elsewhere. Hopefully.

 

[Sabetha Tag]

"Ya suck at watching your own, lady," Sabetha snorted.

She was already back down on one knee, shifting through pockets and relieving things from belts. She tossed the blaster in question, underhanded, to Hira, before continuing on. Between the four there were a number of odds and ends, that sonic blaster as a second weapon for Sabetha, and a pair of short vibro blades, one of which she flipped to the other woman as well. Couple of ion grenades, credit chits. She paused for a moment, looking over the smallest of them. A shrug and she stripped him, pants and all.

His stuff had pockets.

She took his boots too.

Changing as she spoke, she focused on what she was doing- it had been a while since she'd worked buttons and laces. It was annoying how difficult it was.

"I dunno how much of this area is powered up. I figure enough. Couldn't be running this place on an asteroid like this without proper tech, they just kept it out of the prisoner areas."

[member="Hira Mitsae"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sabetha Tag"]

"Tru, tru, even less interesting than someone else's tho."

Hira bounced it right back while trying to get the panel to work. Tag had been right, this section was high-tech and powered up. Maybe not exactly Core-standard and a few cycles behind, but leagues above the type of chit they allowed in the prisoner section. Made sense to her. They wouldn't want it around the inmates, but the people here worked here for years. It wouldn't have made sense to shorten them that much and force them in the same stuff as the inmates, no?

Had to have dignity.

Running warm water, soft beds, otherwise they would have gone crazy here.

Turning around to say more Hira got an eyeful of Sabetha as she began to change. "Speaking of, feth me, Sabby, dun' realize ya wanted to show ya arse to me dis quickly." The eyeful continued for a second, before she shook her head and went back to the panel.

"Anyway, da public hangar bays are overrun, pirates hit dem hard an' they pushing forward towards security as we speak." She hrrrm'ed as she accepted one of the daggers. "See dis 'ere tho?" Little blip on the map, some distance away from the action. "Private hangar, someone remotely activated it." Would have been sealed usually, except for... private affairs or a warden (or some other high-level functionary) trying to make a break for it while everyone was busy.

"Race 'em?"