middleofsomewhere | Blue Team Onward!

Initial Guarding

Once the other teams fly off it is quiet once more at the military base. Blue team will be allowed to start patrolling, though there will be some areas such as the main command floor that are off limits. Any medically-inclined Void treckers will be welcome in the med bay and the guards will happily have some volunteers to do outside patrols.

But for the first day or so it is quiet, Hitrinto works as a liaison between the void treckers and the command staff, relaying messages and keeping them informed of the progress of battle.

Attack!

Late on the second day there is a break to the peace, alarms blare and lights flash red. "Enemy ships approach. Enemy ships approach."

Anyone who can get to the hanger quick enough will be given ships and sent off to fight. There aren't many enemy ships, four or five and hopefully they are beaten off easily.

But this becomes a semi regular occurrence. At least twice a day there are attacks. Patrols are stepped up, extra people are put on standby to man ships as quickly as possible.

Sabotage

Perhaps the attacks are a distraction. Because it is clear that something isn't right. Power goes down in one section or other. Equipment is messed with. Emergency doors are tampered with or left open. There aren't many people on this base but sometimes they will get the feeling of being watched. Of not being alone.

It soon becomes clear there are enemies inside the station and they are clearly biding their time. It is not known for what purpose. But finding them is probably a priority.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Wen Qing gives a thoughtful nod. "Children born outside of marriage have no claims in my lands either, not unless their father acknowledges them anyway." Even then, they can expect to be in rank below his wife's children and forever sneered at by polite society.

"Are you educated in reading and writing?" she asks, quite curious now about the other changes between their courtesans. Being raised to take over the house seems like her role will be quite different from what she'd expected. "At home, a learned courtesan is rare enough that this alone will make her famous far and wide."

Misa wonders why. Can't tell if you're getting cheated if you can't read and write. And then, there are some Republic laws that Cantonica holds to. "Of course." She says, with a shrug. "It's the law. Cantonica, my planet, doesn't hold with a lot of laws from the Republic, but that one most adults do. It makes it easier to conduct business, if you're not constantly having to do things for your underlings. Makes it inconvenient to have them, don't you think?"

She is visibly relieved at hearing that. "I don't know anything about your Republic, but it is good you have some protection by these laws." If Misa ever changes her mind about wanting this life, she figures it will make it a lot easier for her to leave it behind, too.

She furrows her brows, thoughtful. "I don't know about the inconvenience... I guess when men visit courtesans they don't want to risk paying for a woman who might be their better in intelligence or education? I come from a family which values learning highly, I have never understood why you would not want someone to enjoy a good education, or like someone better for not having it." It's a dreary thought though, and they'll be faced with more dreary things once they go back into the medbay, so she offers a gentle change of topic. "We've been doctors for generations."

She shrugs. "It was a big push, before I was born." She doesn't know why, and she doesn't know by who.

Misa looks at the woman she's sitting with. "It's not just men that visit courtesans." She points out, gently. "There are males and females at the House, for both male and female companions."

She cocks her head to the side. "I don't know about my family." She doesn't think it a big deal either. "I remember my mother, a little, but nothing more than that, really."

Wen Qing nods. "Then hold on to that memory, if it is a good one." And maybe for the better she doesn't remember the rest, in Wen Qing's opinion her family isn't much worth remembering.

She stands up, a slightly pained expression on her face. "I think I've been hiding from work for long enough now. You are free to stay longer, if you'd like."

Misa shakes her head. "They're letting some of the medics rest. Maybe we should take a walk? I'm not due back for another half an hour." She admits.

She looks down at her watch. "If you want to go back, you're welcome to, though. I think we both deserve a moment of peace, that's all."

She hesitates. She had been planning on going back but the patients in there aren't the only people in need of care. As mature and sensible as Misa is, she is still a teenager, and this is hard even on older Wen Qing.

She steps back towards Misa, offering a hand to her to help her to her feet. "If my company isn't any bother to you, I would like to go on a walk with you."

Misa cocks her head to the side and takes the woman's hand, pulling herself up. She's tired, she's sore and there are a lot of people around. Maybe she could find a small niche somewhere to hide in. Maybe that will make the pressure in her head lessen, and the time go a little faster.

She smiles. "You're not a bother at all. You seem to handle all this, better than I do anyway."

Wen Qing gives her a small, encouraging smile and squeezes her hand briefly before releasing it.

"It comes with age and having lived through many times of hardship," she says, her voice gentled. "It's nothing to be envious of."

She doesn't know the station well but she starts to lead them away from the crowd, confident they will find quieter places where they can relax a little away from the turmoils of warfare.

Misa frowns. "The only time I healed someone..." She shudders. It's not a memory that she likes to have. If someone could remove it for her, she'd appreciate it.

"And beg your pardon Mistress, but you don't look that much older than me." She says, softly, following the other woman through the base.

"Not that much older, maybe," she admits, sizing Misa up pensively. "I feel like I'm far older than my years. It has been an eventful life... or maybe that is how you feel when you have died once."

It feels like she lived three separate lives before she even died and made it to the train, starting her fourth. How strange to think that to someone else, she would still be young when she feels so tired.

Hold the droid! "You died?!" Misa asks, her voice cracking just a little.

She blinks, then lowers her eyes. "I'm sorry, that's terribly rude of me." She says, shaking her head. "You don't have to speak of it. I imagine it was traumatic."

Yes, it had been - being burned alive tended to be. But as much as Wen Qing believes in hard truths, she still finds herself wanting to shield Misa a little. She has seen enough terrible things for today.

"It was no peaceful death," she admits, "but through friends I was reunited with here, I learned that my brother survived. It hurt me more to believe that he had died in the same painful way than the manner of my own death. The head of my sect and clan aimed too high, he sought to oppress all others and he failed. We survivors always knew we would eventually pay the price for his crimes."

Misa hugs her. She looks like she needs a hug and Misa needs to hug someone who isn't actively dying.

"I'm glad you're here." She says, softly.

"Oh."

The hug takes her by surprise but she certainly isn't going to object to it, just hesitantly, a little awkwardly, hugs Misa back.

"Thank you, Misa. You are very kind."

Blue Team Onward!

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