fandomhighdorms | On the Maru: locked to Beka and Angelus (and anyone Beka's called in case of dire need of rescue)

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On the Maru: locked to Beka and Angelus (and anyone Beka's called in case of dire need of rescue)

Beka paced the Maru warily. This wasn't a good idea, at all. But it was the only place she had access to her weapons -- several pulse pistols - on her bed, by her seat, strapped under the makeshift table where she'd met Inara, a blaster just inside the big trunk in the middle of the cargo bay, and the little gauss gun in her bracelet.

She was as safe here as she'd be anywhere. And Angelus probably wasn't through with her. Yet. She'd just have to stay useful until she got what she wanted.

(OOC: at some point before this, Beka made a series of notes about her plans, Angelus's plans, the coincidence of their interests, and what they had to offer each other. She's thought this through carefully. Those notes may appear later for the curious.)

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Angelus wandered up to the Maru. He stared at the ship, wondering if he was expected to knock or if this was the part of the day when the robots took over and perhaps offered you a nice drink before slicing your body into pieces with a laser beam.

*chirp* Proximity alert. Airlock.

Beka stood, tugged the black leather skirt -- she'd have to see about another couple if she was going to be going out so often, or staying in -- down, and the white silk blouse straight. She'd buttoned three buttons, in the interest of looking pulled together for this meeting, but both the bottom and the top were open. She was still Beka, after all, and there were some things she wouldn't change, for anyone.

She checked the instrumentation. Angelus, all right. One last deep breath, and she smothered her wariness to open the airlock.

"Angelus. Come in."

"Appreciate the invite," Angelus said, stepping through the entrance. He looked around. "Nice place. Very SciFi."

"As I understand it, you need one. The first time, at least." She shrugged. "It's more home than school is."

Now that he was here, it didn't seem quite so bad. Just awkward, the same as it might be with any other guest she didn't know all that well. She lead him into the cargo bay. "Care to sit? If you want something to drink or eat, ask and I'll get it. It'll save us both the awkwardness of me playing hostess. It's not my best skill." A small, tight grin at that. She hated hostessing, no matter the company.

"You know the routine," Angelus winked at her as he took a seat. "I don't drink... wine. Well I do, but not right now. So what's up?"

Beka weighed the data she had available. "Another time, I'll offer you something more congenial to drink, then." She smirked. Familiar footing, this. "All right. We've been talking. You know where I sit.

"You, the long game. Parker and her girls, not so much. Me, instrumental and feeling hella trapped. I want this fixed. I think you can do it, and I think I can help. As proof of good faith, I'll tell you upfront that I'm reasonably certain your email and voicemail are not secure." A wry smile tinged with bitter anger flashes across her face. "And not just from the Administration."

Angelus raised a single eyebrow. "Oh really?"

Beka answers simply, and truthfully. "Yes."

"Dare I ask by whom?"

"Yes." She met his gaze levelly.

"But I'm telling you these things for political reasons. If you're going to take revenge in non-political ways, I will get between you and your targets, no matter what it costs me." And no matter how much I hate them. Her tone is conversational. It's a fact, not a challenge.

"I'm a big damned hero, you know." At this, she smirked and delivered the name. "Parker. I don't have physical proof, but I'd stake my life on it."

There might have been a flicker of surprise in Angelus's eyes. "Parker? What's she got against me?" from the tone it's clear he means personally, not specifics on the eavesdropping.

Oh, interesting. He hadn't expected that. "She spies on everyone, all the time," she offered, not unkindly. "It's probably not personal. Although, she gave me hell over fucking you."

Should she tell him the rest of it? She nodded once decisively, it would help him understand what she was doing here. He knew how much she hated being trapped. Flatly, she added, "She also forbid me to have any dealings with you."

Angelus smirked. "How'd that work out for her?"

Beka winked, opened her arms to show herself off. "Not as well as she thinks."

"Can't imagine anybody who tells you what to do finds themselves getting away with it," Angelus said. "So wait - she spies on everybody?"

"I take direction, if it makes sense," Beka said, in a tone that indicated her pleasure at his understanding how angry Parker had made her. His question gave her some pause. "Everyone who catches her attention. Including me. She and I are headed for a major break, but that's not why I'm talking to you."

"Did you tell her you were going to share this information with me?" Angelus asked.

"No." Beka shrugged, then sighed and pushed a hand through her bangs. "I'm going to play this very straight, because I'm not interested in fouling up a useful alliance because you think I lied to you.

"After you and I had naughty playtime, and during the day or two where you and Anakin and I were talking, I wasn't sure which way I was going to head. By instinct, I played both sides. I'm giving you this about Parker to even the score.

"When she confronted me about you, I played it like I'd 'taken one for the team' and suggested that she might need to protect her communications from you and JA. I still have no idea whether she needed to or not. In case she did, now you know not to trust what you get.

"Parker's lost. You've won. If you're interested. If not, I'll find other ways to get what I want."

Angelus held up his hands. "I'm an innocent bystander. Wasn't looking to lose or win. But if this is about some of that common goal sharing... well, we just talked about how useless it would be for me to order you to stay away, right?"

Beka grinned. "Bystander maybe." And then more seriously, she continued, "Common goals. So. How do we work together?"

"Seat of our pants?" Angelus suggested. "Mutual undestanding of not stepping on each other's toes? Mind you I could be running out of metaphors here."

She smirks at the memory of other metaphors they've beat to hell. "I can do spontaneous. While the naked-touching is naughty fun, it's probably just as well we not make the alliance too intimate."

"Yeah, that reminds me," he gave a sardonic half-grin. "I've got a date to Homecoming now. At this stage of the game it would go better for me not to make it obvious that I'm fucking other people. Apparently that makes some girls cranky."

"I'm hurt. Really." She winked to show that she wasn't. "You know where to find me when it's safe, or you're bored."

"Appreciate the understanding," he checked his watch. "Hate to say it but I should scram. JA meeting tonight and I've still got prep to do."

"Go go. I've got things to do, too. I'll probably drop by the meeting tonight."

"Look forward to seeing you," he stood, gave her a wink, and walked out.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

On the Maru: locked to Beka and Angelus (and anyone Beka's called in case of dire need of rescue)

Consolidation post - all else is to be considered stricken except call from the Doctor

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