[Flame]

The expression on her face was mildly smug as she smirked up at Sev. ”Sure…whatever you say.” The fact that he always had that darned helmet on was rather frustrating at times: It didn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing his expression when she tormented him…not that his expression was currently anything like what she expected. ”Talk is worthless unless you can back up what you say with action.” Still grinning, she added, ”and from what I saw, you did no better than I did out there just now.” Abruptly, he turned on his heel and tramped away from her, towards what she supposed he believed was the base. Her smirk widened slightly as she watched him for a few moments, then finally called, ”Base is that way, numbskull.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder in the opposite direction.

As she waited for him to turn around and come back, her eyes remained trained on him, and she looked strangely thoughtful. She seemed to be weighing him with her gaze, her expression impassive. Her mind was currently on something that had occurred just the day before: Serissa herself had gotten in contact with the young woman, and through her, Aerowyn had learned that Sev didn’t work alone as he had led her to believe after all. It turned out that there was at least a squad at his back, if not more, and Serissa suspected that they were bent on destroying her “consortium”. She had told Aerowyn that there was no immediate danger, but to keep a close eye on her charge, if he were to try anything. This had been on the young woman’s mind ever since she got word from her superior, and she had spent a sleepless night turning the issue over in her head. Right now, she felt as if she were being pulled in two opposite directions, although she knew that just days ago, this wouldn’t even have been a matter of concern to her. The choice would have been as clear as day then, but somehow, in-between then and now, the situation seemed to have become hopelessly clouded.

On one hand, the one which logic sided with, said that she owed her loyalty to her mistress, and that the smart thing to do was simply to continue doing what she had been trained to do all these years. But one subversive part of her mind rebelled against the idea, a small, but infuriatingly obstinate part which told her that now was as bad a time as any to tear herself away from doing what was once easy. She didn’t understand it herself: It was more of an instinct which seemed to have been awoken that day when Sev had finally gotten her talking. Her unsettled gaze studied the armor-clad commando, and she had to resist the urge to scream, exasperated by his appearance in her life and the fact that since then, he seemed to have captured some part of her which had now changed her outlook on everything, from her mistress down to her own existence. She was furious at him, but at the same time, she felt hopelessly like she couldn’t be…as if it wasn’t him that she ought to be outraged with.

She had the overwhelming urge to go ‘ughhh’ and whack her head against the nearest tree which leant itself to her view. At this moment though, she had the chilling feeling that something wasn’t quite…right. At first, she had mistaken it simply for part of her own confusion, but as she turned her focus away from her own internal war, she noticed that the unsettling feeling that she was being watched still remained, and it was beginning to trouble her. ”Sev…” she began slowly, her gaze scouring the forest around them for any sign of life. Her expression was casual, but there was a soft intensity in her voice which betrayed her anxiousness. ”Do you sense anything…strange around here?”

[MillietheWarrior]

“I know,” Sev growled. “That’s why I’m walking the opposite way.” He reached up and tore his helmet from his head, clipping it to his belt. It bounced against his thigh, making a slight racket in his haste to get away from her. Sev was unaware of Aerowyn’s inner turmoil and that it slightly rivaled his own. He was only aware that she had turned his world inside out, and he didn’t like it. Sev wasn’t supposed to feel; he was supposed to do his job, and that was it. He wasn’t supposed to care about anyone but himself and his squad mates. And he didn’t; that was what made this such a horrible, upside down event for him. Sev paused to take a deep breath, wiping a gloved hand across his forehead.

He was tired, sweaty, and annoyed at himself. It wasn’t even Aerowyn’s fault that he felt this way, but he just felt like he needed to get away from her. He turned slightly to respond, when a crackle nearby caught his attention. Slowly, casually, he strolled back towards her, swinging his DC around casually to rest on his forearm. He stopped a few inches away from Aerowyn, his gaze narrowed. “Yes, something feels off. I believe we have a few visitors.” He stared down at her, and his gaze suddenly narrowed. In his time spent with her, he had almost forgotten Aerowyn was one of them. This could be her fault, this could be her trap. He didn't want to believe it, but...He suddenly snarled, one hand flashing out to wrap itself around her throat.

“You wouldn’t have anything to do with this, would you?” he murmured, his face only inches away from hers. “Because if so, then I’m afraid I’d have to dispose of you immediately.” He wasn’t lying; there was true anger behind his dark, red eyes. But there was also something else. Something raw, and pained. Betrayal; dark, unhindered and open pain at the thought that she had done this to him. He hoped he was wrong, because he didn’t know if he could live with himself if he really had to kill her. His fist tightened around her throat in warning. “Tell me,” he suddenly growled in a softer voice, his eyes closing briefly. “You didn’t have anything to do with this, so I can let you go….Aerowyn.”

[9/22]

[Flame]

Aerowyn’s eyes were troubled as they followed Sev. She had the feeling that the situation had suddenly become much more deadly earnest than it had been just moments ago, and she didn’t like it one bit. Something told her that the decision she had been agonizing over was going to have to be made much sooner than she felt comfortable doing…if she ever would have. She saw him stop in his tracks, then slowly, he turned and made his way back. He had unclasped his helmet, but even without seeing his face, she knew the unrest which boiled under his skin: She could see the same turmoil reflected in his eyes as he approached.

She saw it coming before he had even moved, and when he flung out a hand to wrap it around her throat, she didn’t move a muscle to fight him, only tilted her chin slightly higher, although her hazel eyes remained locked on his crimson ones, and at the sight of the pain and betrayal in his eyes, she felt as if something inside her was being rent with dagger-sharp claws, a pain profoundly more agonizing than any physical injury she had ever suffered. She could feel her blood pounding under his gloved hand, and knew that he had her at his mercy, but she knew that death at his hands, no matter how quick and painless, would somehow be more excruciating than any slow, torturous death that Serissa could conjure. She held his gaze steadily with her own: There was no fear in her eyes, but only agony which rivaled his. She was silent for several agonizingly long seconds as she searched his gaze with her own before she finally replied with a desperate request of her own, her voice soft, but wracked with torment. ”First, tell me honestly that you’ve been completely truthful with me for the past few days.” She suddenly realized that that single fact meant more to her than she would ever have thought. A small part of her whispered that she would rather be here, balancing on a thread between life and death with Sev than spend the rest of her life in safety with Serissa. She realized then that the Mekkayena had lied to her: She had said that nothing like this would happen anytime soon…and Aerowyn had trusted her, had taken her by her word. The result? She was wracked by anguish and guilt: Not because of Serissa’s betrayal, but because of what she might have unintentionally just inflicted on Sev. It was as if she had violated some kind of unspoken bond which they shared, which had lay hidden until now, when what fragile trust which existed between them had been thrown on the line.

Her eyes sought to convey more than words could, a tumult of emotions, most of which she didn’t even know existed, raging rampant in her gaze. When she spoke again, her voice was an anguished whisper, not because of the pressure on her throat, but because of the wall of emotion which threatened to crush her under its weight.
”I would never intentionally hurt you…not like this.”

[MillietheWarrior]

Sev hadn’t expected it. It was such a shock, that his hand fell back down to his side, and he let her go. His dark red eyes were still narrowed, still blazing with the pain of possible betrayal. He should’ve expected it. One way or another, Aerowyn had always been the enemy, no matter what she was to him. And one way or another, she was always going to betray him. He wrestled internally with himself debating on whether he should kill her now, or let her go. In the end, the small voice at the back of his head won out, and he took a small step away form her.

The bushes rustled again, and Sev’s eyes darted to the side. Whoever was out there, they were far enough away not to hear him and Aerowyn, but close enough to attack at any moment. He turned to face her again, a grimace and a scowl placed on his face. He didn’t like this; he hated what she was turning him into. He was failing his mission, possibly about to be killed, all because some stupid woman had to walk into his life and screw him up. He had failed his training sergeant; maybe he should just give up now. He clearly wasn’t as elite as he thought he was. Sev managed to look Aerowyn in the eye again, cradling his DC against his chest.

“Yeah. Everything I told you was pretty true. But it’s what I didn’t tell you, you should worry about. At the end of the day, Aerowyn, you’re still my enemy. What else can you be? You work for a mad woman, who’s going to kill you at the first opportunity that presents itself. The moment you fail, the first time you let her down…I’m surprise she hasn’t already.” He narrowed his eyes, scanning the foliage. He wasn’t being sarcastic or mean, he was being truthful. “It doesn’t matter what you and I are to one another anymore. Whatever this is, it’s clearly meant for me. Maybe you should just leave. Go back to Serissa, and the short life that awaits you. Keep yourself caged up and locked away from the world.” He turned to face her, his eyes boring holes into her own. “Or…You can choose to be free.”

He fingered the trigger of his DC, watching her steadily. “Either way, one of us is probably going to die today. Maybe not by each other, but by something else. And I already told you, I don’t intend to die here. So…What’ll it be?”

[10/23]

[Flame]

”It was everything that wasn’t said which made all the difference,” she finally replied. ”On both ends.” When he released her, she remained where she stood, the only difference in her façade being the soft panting as she kept her eyes fixed on his. She sought the right words to convey everything she wanted to say, only to find that doing so would be attempting the impossible.

“How could I betray you when you’ve already stolen so much of me? My work, my pride…and now, my –“ She suddenly stopped, unable to continue, her eyes dropping for the first time to gaze unseeingly at the ground. She was silent for a moment, then started again, sounding as if she were talking around a lump in her throat. ”You have something, a life…people out there, waiting for you.” She let out a short bark of bitter laughter. ”As for me? I have nothing but a long and painful death awaiting me, you’re right.” Her eyes flicked back up to lock on his, and through the anguish, there was a steel resolve hidden in their depths. ”To kill me here would be the most merciful end I could ever hope to have.” Her gaze remained fixed on his features, as though she were trying to read everything going on in his mind, to commit his face to memory.

”Whether I stay or go, you will likely die as well. But even if you escape, can you ever truly be free?” There was sadness in the inquiry which glimmered in her hazel eyes. With that said, she fell silent, taking in a deep breath as she let her eyes drift closed. Her fate had never been her own, and now, even her death would be decided by another. She supposed that it was something she had expected from the start, but coming to the realization again was like a fresh blow to her pride. At least if Sev killed her now, she could rest assured knowing that Serissa would never have the chance to get the best of her.

[MillietheWarrior]

Sev stared at Aerowyn, trying to interpret what she meant. What did she know about him, the things he didn’t tell her? She couldn’t know that much. In the short time he’d been here, he’d contacted his brothers only once. And it had been a nearly unknown conversation. Sev suddenly blinked; that was it. Someone had hacked their way into the secure link he shared with his squad. They knew who he was and thus, so did Aerowyn. Sev knew he was now royally screwed. It was time to bang out. He’d gotten as much information as he could get, and it was time to leave. Sev was aware that Aerowyn hadn’t finished her second sentence. He’d stolen all that from her? And what else? Sev squashed his curiosity, and grabbed Aerowyn by her upper arm.

“You can have that too,” he growled, his eyes scanning the trees around them. “You just have to stop feeling sorry for yourself and do something about it.” His gaze suddenly shifted back to Aerowyn, and he narrowed his eyes. “Free or not. I'm not dying here; and neither are you. We’re both getting out of here alive,” he snarled, before the unexpected happened; he leaned down and kissed her roughly and awkwardly on the lips. Something inside him screamed at him to stop, told him he was betraying the Republic, his brothers, and his squad. The voice frantically cried for a cease and desists, but Sev squashed it down violently. This was a startling experience for him, and Sev would kick himself for it later, but at the moment, it felt right.

He saw stars flash across his vision, and wondered if it was his fatigue from the earlier battle, or the fact that he was doing something ridiculously stupid. The kiss was broken only when an arrow whizzed past his ear and embedded itself in the tree behind Aerowyn’s head. Sev swung his rifle around, pulling his helmet off his belt. He shoved it on his head, and crouched on the ground, rifle hefted onto his shoulder. The commando pushed the woman away lightly, and scanned the surrounding area for heat signatures. He was able to count at least fifteen and scoffed. Did Serissa think they could be taken out that easily? This would be a walk in the park. The bushes rustled, and a lizard-like man ran from the brush, it’s slit-like eyes focused solely on the armored man currently aiming a rifle at it; it seemed unaware of the danger.

Either Serissa paid well, or it was inexcusably stupid. Sev growled deep in his throat; Serissa was employing the scum of the earth, creatures who killed and tortured and inflicted pain for a living. Sev had no problem taking them out. He squeezed the trigger, and fired off a bolt of blue light. It zoomed straight forward, and took out the first lizard-like man, dropping him in an instant. Sev managed a smirk, but more or the thugs-for-hire started to emerge from the brush, moving carefully towards their targets now that they’d seen their comrade taken out so easily.

“Time to fight, Aerowyn. Or would you rather die here?” he asked quietly, turning his helmet sideways and giving the impression that he was glancing at her over his shoulder. Before he could utter anything else, another of Serissa’s thugs charged him, and Sev ejected his vibroblade from his gauntlet with an ominous scrape of metal on metal. Charging his enemy, he rammed the blade hard between the creature’s head and shoulders, effectively silencing it forever.

[11/24]

((O.o Cliché…But very unexpected. Sev made me write it! –Scurries off-  Sev: -Looks embarrassed- Uh…Hm. I, uh, think I hear my command post calling… -Flees-
Also, forgot to say...When I pictured their attackers, I pictured Trandoshians. XD))

[Flame]

Aerowyn’s eyes remained resolutely shut as Sev replied: She heard every word of what he said, but chose to at least try and block out the reality of the situation from her mind. She didn’t pity herself or her predicament, but instead, there was only regret – she had only begun to live for these past few days, but it seemed that everything was coming to an end, here and now. She regretted not having longer for so many things, but knew that she was better off for it, even if only for the short time she had had. At this moment though, everything, even time itself, seemed to freeze in place as the most unexpected of sensations struck her: A warm pressure roughly met her lips, her body instantly stiffening with shock as her eyes flew open once again, astonishment written clearly in their depths. At first, she instinctively pulled away from the unanticipated contact, almost breaking the kiss before something much stronger stopped her, drawing her unresistingly back towards him. For a moment, she seemed to hesitate, a similar war raging in her mind: She hardly knew this man, someone who had been ready to end her life just moments ago. This was the kind of thing that had gotten her into this predicament in the first place, and a part of her told her how stupid it would be to give in to that incomprehensible sentiment a second time, but the mutinous part of her which now seemed to have total control over her actions told her that it was one of those tragedies which she was more than happy to spiral back down into.

Finally giving up the futile resistance, she let herself melt against him, her hands against the cool metal which plated his chest as she returned the kiss with equal passion. The time for thought was over: Instead, she let her heart and instincts finally take over, knowing that trying to fight it was pointless. They broke off at the same instant, as an arrow whistled by, just a fraction of an inch by their heads. For a moment, Aerowyn seemed dazed: She had the feeling that she was forgetting something important. Then, with a gasp, she realized that in her shock, she had forgotten to breathe. She didn’t remain idle for long though, for as soon as she had caught her breath, she whirled to face in the opposite direction, her back to Sev’s as her senses strained to locate the enemies which she knew had them surrounded. Although her actions seemed as if nothing had happened, her brain still felt like it had been jammed, and she half-believed that she needed a good clout on the head to get it jump-started again. Suddenly, after a moment of awkward silence, she laughed faintly, her back still turned on Sev as she scanned the foliage for their enemies. ”You change your mind pretty quickly, don’t you?” There was amusement in her tone as fresh resolve flooded through her. ”I thought you said that at least one of us was supposed to die.”

As she watched, several reptilian men came slinking out of the shadows, their eyes fixed on their quarry. Aerowyn too, was surprised by how few of them there seemed to be: Perhaps Serissa had been under the impression that the odds would have been stacked more heavily in her favor, and that Aerowyn would not be doing exactly what she was doing now – fighting for the “enemy”. Her mistake. As she regarded her enemies with wary eyes, the young woman half wished that she had brought her bow with her: She hadn’t thought that she would need it. Nonetheless, she took a moment to take account of what weapons she did have on her (namely blades of all shapes and sizes), and came to the conclusion that she had more than enough to take on this filthy team of lizards. Bouncing several throwing knives in her hand, she waited for the surrounding enemies to draw closer, into her range where she knew that she could throw a dead shot, no questions asked. A small smile crept into her features as Sev spoke. ”There’s no guarantee that either of us will survive, but if we’re both going to die anyways, why not have fun doing it?” That was all the time they had for chatter, as the reptilians chose then to begin their assault in earnest. The smirk still lingering at her lips, Aerowyn once again threw herself into battle, small silver projectiles flashing impossibly quickly to jump through the air between her hand and her opponents, burying themselves deep within their victims’ flesh.


{Aerowyn: -still in shock- Whut? X3 Great…-points accusing finger at Sev- Now you’ve gone and broken her poor, innocent brain.
Works for me ^^ Hehe, if that quote didn’t work earlier, it definitely applies now xD}

[MillietheWarrior]

Sev shrugged. Even in the middle of a battle for their very lives, he found time to smile that infuriating smirk that seemed to belie some sort of dangerous meaning. He tilted his head in Aerowyn’s direction. “I’m like that sometimes,” he said, clearly thrilled with the prospect of a fight. “Makes me that much more loveable.” He snorted derisively, and dodged a jab from one of the reptilian men’s short blades. The knife bounced against his belly plate harmlessly. Sev wasn’t quick enough, and his mind was half on the fight, and half on Aerowyn. She was distracting, even when he couldn’t see her. Sev found himself worrying about her slightly, then mentally smacked himself for even bothering to worry. She was a capable fight; capable enough to inflict injury on someone like him. He didn’t have to watch her back; she had it all well in hand.

“Let me rephrase that ‘one of us is going to die’-” He grunted, dodging a second attack form the same foe. “To a ‘they’re all gonna die.’ How’s that?” Sev swung his arm around, catching the lizard in his upper chest. The creature made a strange deflating sound, it’s bulbous eyes going even wider, before it slumped to the ground at his feet. Counting the three he’d just killed, Sev estimated they had about twelve more to go. It would be a quick fight. There was a scraping of claws on armor, and Sev turned just in time to be leapt upon by another of the reptilian men. A second one came from his left, plowing into him with a clash of metal and a chorus of grunts and pained ‘oof!’s from both parties. Sev went down, unbalanced by the weight of the two enemies.

But he wasn’t out yet; he managed to swing his DC around, and it clocked the first lizard upside the head. The second lizard, unnerved by it’s companion’s easy dispatch, pulled a knife from it’s belt and plunged it towards Sev’s chest. But it bounced harmlessly off his armor, although there was a considerably large dent. One more hit in that spot and Sev would be done for; too bad the lizard wouldn't get that chance. He brought his arm around, swinging his vibroblade up to embed it in the lizard’s gullet. It hissed and sputtered, before it too slumped to the ground. Five down, ten more to go. Sev rose to his feet, using his rifle as a crutch to haul himself up. Another lizard charged him, and Sev flipped the rifle up and put a bolt through him and his companion behind him before they managed to get within five feet.

He glanced over his shoulder, relaxed by a momentary lull in the onslaught of enemies; they seemed to be thinking twice when it came to attacking a fully armored commando. They looked at each other with a fair amount of hesitance, their heads jerking back and forth in odd, twitchy movements as they tried to decide their next course of action. “So,” Sev shot across the clearing. “Having fun just standing around? Or are you going to actually take some initiative and take down an idiot or two, instead of letting me do all the work?” Sev was about to say something more, when a buzzing cut in through his helmet. He clicked his teeth, switching over to his squad’s private channel.

“How about we take the initiative for you?” Boss’s voice cut in through the static.

“Yeah, looks like you two could use some help. Tsk, tsk, ner vod. I’m so disappointed in you,” Scorch’s voice sounded.

“Stow it, 62,” Fixer growled, before three familiar faces (Or helmets) burst through the clearing.

Their DC’s erupted in a volley of blasterfire. Two more reptilian men went down, then three more, then one more. Only one was left alive, and faced with insurmountable odds all stacked against him, he fled, casting a terrified look over his shoulder. Sev watched him go, a satisfied smirk on his face. He managed to march over towards Aerowyn, and inspected her for cuts, bruises or scrapes. Finding nothing visible, he grabbed her upper arm and began to haul her across the clearing.

Delta had each taken off their helmets, revealing three faces identical to Sev’s; or at least, they might’ve been identical if it weren’t for the very different facial expressions each one wore. The man in the orange and white armor was raising both his eyebrows, looking back and forth between Aerowyn and Sev. The yellow and white armored man was grinning cheekily, eyeing Aerowyn with a very amused gaze. The man in the green and white armor, however, looked like nothing more than a scowling cloud of ill-humor.

“Oh-seven,” the man in the orange and white armor barked. “I’m going to assume you have a very good explanation for her.” He indicated Aerowyn as if she wasn’t there, looking annoyed. Sev cleared his throat, glancing down at Aerowyn. He was glad none of them could see his facial expression; however, his brothers knew him well enough to know he was slightly nervous and out of his element here. “Affirmative, Three-Eight. She is now under my protection. Where I go, she goes. She’s a valuable asset to the Republic.” Boss sighed wearily, pinching the bridge of his nose. He really didn’t like this. “Is that so?” his gaze fixated on Aerowyn. “Care to explain, ma’am?”

[12/25, 1, 1/6, 1/6]

((O.o I heard the 'Three Amigos' music playing...))

[Flame]

”Riiight,” she replied, continuing to, almost lazily, flick blades with deadly accuracy at the lizards emerging from her side of the clearing. ”Whatever you tell yourself to get to sleep at night.” Currently, she was only half-concentrating on the fighting: These opponents were incredibly stupid, even (or perhaps especially) by Serissa’s standards, and her mind was still…elsewhere. She turned what had happened in the past few minutes over and over in her mind, mulling it over again and again, although she had to admit, there was the tiniest hint of satisfaction each time she did. Finally, she seemed to grow bored of fighting from a distance, while she could hear all the “fun” Sev was having on the other side of the clearing. Forsaking the use of the smaller throwing knives, she produced a larger blade, fashioned much in the same way as the one she had used to down the battleheart. With a hiss of polished metal, it extended to full length, locking with a soft click. Grinning at Sev's words, she replied simply with a, "Liking it better by the minute," as she hefted her blade experimentally, weighing it in her hand. And, go time.

Diving into a sprint, she darted towards her share of remaining reptiles, despite being outnumbered four or five to one. As she reached them, she lashed out in a full arc with the blade, grinning as she heard it sing, slicing through the air to clear a bubble of space around her before she fell upon her closest adversary, and with a deft flick of the blade, beheaded it before it had the chance to react. Taking this almost as a cue, the remaining lizards circled-up around her to set upon her from all sides, armed with an assortment of weapons ranging from blades to claws and fangs. Aerowyn smirked at her rivals, depending on a mixture of senses and instincts to avoid being skewered from every possible angle. She hadn’t been tested like this since…well, back in the days of her training. The missions she was sent on generally only dealt with one or two adversaries. A blur of motion, she chopped, parried, thrust and hacked through her circle of enemies, although she did have several close-calls. Mmmm, definitely out of practice, she thought to herself with a slight grimace as a mace, wielded by a lizard who seemed bent on braining her, brushed by her face with only a hair’s-breadth to spare. Maybe armor did come in handy, every once in a while. As she faced down the two remaining lizards in her ‘group’, she threw a brief glance over her shoulder at Sev as he called over, rolling her eyes as she dodged a swipe from a set of filthy claws, although she knew he couldn’t see it. ”Oh, I thought it was supposed to be my job to sit and look pretty while you handled all the dirty work.” Her blade clashing with that of one of her opponents, she slid it along the length of the sword to cut the lizard’s throat, kicking the dying creature away before it could make a last, desperate attempt at her. Turning to her one remaining foe, she was about to finish it off when a barrage of blaster-fire caught her off guard, and while she was momentarily distracted, the lizard managed to get in a swipe, although luckily, it only sliced several slashes in her loose shirt. And I liked that shirt too, she grumbled to herself, half-jokingly as she thrust her blade between her enemy’s ribs.

Only then did she turn to see what the commotion was. Her eyebrows shot up as she took in the sight of three more commandos storming onto the scene, effectively eradicating the clearing of the last of the reptiles. After wiping her weapon clean of blood, she let the retracting blade slide back into its hilt as she turned to eye the newcomers with a mixture of suspicion and wariness. One Sev was already as much as she could handle, and the prospect of four just like him was admittedly, even to her, a rather daunting thought. So…this must be the rest of the squad she had heard about. Her eyes remained fixed on them, even as Sev came tramping over, although she did spare him a quick once-over to assure herself that he hadn’t managed to go and do something incredibly stupid and injure himself. Her humor seemed to have drained away at the sight of the new arrivals, which was lucky for Sev, as she might otherwise have made some wise-crack comment about the impressive dent in his chestplate. With a sigh, she allowed herself to be towed off by the arm towards the strangers, studying each genetically identical face with a penetrating stare, not quite sure what to make of them just yet.

They ground to a halt in front of the lineup, and Aerowyn was slightly piqued by the fact that they were all taller than her (obviously…but still). Sticking close to Sev’s side, she studied each new face with an impassive expression, her thoughts guarded. Before he even spoke, she could discern an evident leader in the group, and the way he carried himself and his tone of voice quickly confirmed her suspicions. She seemed mildly surprised when Sev deferred to this figure…”Three-Eight”, apparently. The indomitable Sev intimidated by this guy? Hazel eyes narrowed slightly as she locked an unyielding gaze on the leader, not impressed at all at being (at least initially) ignored. An “asset”, was she? There were several ways in which the statement could be taken, but she let the comment go for now. She’d talk to Sev about it later…if there was a later. Having not personally served under, or even known Boss, she harbored none of the anxiety which her “keeper” (it seemed like the tables had been turned on her) showed. Finally, when she was addressed, she eyed him steadily, the look in her eyes one something akin to defiance. ”If I recall correctly,” she began, her voice somewhat icy in tone, ”Were you not supposed to be the ‘know-it-alls’ and brains behind this…operation?” That was Aerowyn for you: Completely unfazed by the fact that she was surrounded by armor-clad men, all armed with blasters. ”I assume that you’re supposed to be clued-in to all aspects of your mission at all times.”


{O.o...Sev's right. One day, she's going to get herself killed doing something stupid like this xD}

[MillietheWarrior]

Sev mentally winced at the tone of voice Boss was using with Aerowyn. The last thing he needed was a fight to break out; and if it did, Sev would be the one making sure Aerowyn wasn’t blasted into tiny little pieces. No one, and he meant no one, ever messed with Boss and got off scott-free. Boss observed Aerowyn with a critical eye, his own dark brown ones narrowing slightly at her impertinent tone. “I’m going to let that wise-crack slide for now,” he growled, his heavily accented voice sound very annoyed. “We are clued in to every aspect of every mission…Except when one of our own changes it at the last second…Unexpectedly.” His gaze slid over to Sev, and he shot him a narrow, meaningful look. Sev shifted uncomfortably, his hands on his hips and his helmet tilted towards the ground. “We only came for our squad mate…You were not part of the plan.”

He held his helmet under one arm, before placing it back on his head. “Sev, get yourself and your woman sorted, and let’s get out of here. We don’t need any more company.” Boss turned on his heel and strode off. Fixer shot Aerowyn a nasty look, obviously displeased by her presence, before he mimicked his squad sergeant and tromped after him. Out of the second half of Delta, only Scorch and Sev remained. The yellow and white clad trooper smiled openly at Aerowyn. “Look lady, don’t take it personal. They just hate it when plans change. I, on the other hand, am not complaining. Your welcome to share the barracks with me anytime.” He wiggled his dark eyebrows, and Sev punched him in the shoulder. Unexpected, Scorch staggered slightly and shot his brother an annoyed look. “Psycho,” he muttered, rubbing his shoulder. He glanced back at Aerowyn.

“Anyway…If you’ve survived the psychopathic sniper for this long, you should be fine coming with us. We’re a lot more docile than him. Now both of you better shift it. We got a ship waitin’ for us, and those crazy pilots aren’t very patient.” He grinned at Aerowyn, before shoving his helmet back on his head and jogging off after his squad mates. Sev shook his head, hands still on his hips, and turned his helmet towards Aerowyn. “Well, there you go. Delta Squad. That orange one is Boss. The green guy is Fixer and that idiot that just left was Scorch. Don’t mind them.” He swung his DC up and over his shoulder, before taking Aerowyn by the upper arm again. “Follow me. We need to get to that ship.”

Sev hauled her along after him, pushing aside branches and brush as he went. They reached a small clearing not far away, where an LAAT/i gunship sat waiting. Boss had one boot perched on the deck, motioning for them to get in with an air of obvious annoyance. Even if you couldn’t see his face, you could still tell he wasn’t very happy. “Get in,” Sev said, gently guining her along towards the ship. “And strap yourself in.”

[13/26, 2, 2/7, 2/7]

((Time to fly in a ship…XD I figure a few more posts and stoof, so they all have their five.))

[Flame]

Aerowyn knew that it was incredibly stupid, intentionally provoking the squad leader, but as Sev probably knew quite well by now, she could be very touchy when it came to an issue of pride. She chose not to reply to Boss’s reprimand, her narrowed gaze still fixed obstinately on his, although she felt a twinge of satisfaction when she heard the obvious exasperation in the man’s voice. She was half-tempted to snort with both amusement and disbelief when she heard herself referred to as “your woman”. Well, there was a first. She continued to watch him as he turned to march back out of the clearing, feeling slightly less tense. As the green-clad clone shot her a less-than-friendly look before following Boss out, she returned his gaze with an equally venomous glint in her narrowed eyes. So…she’d effectively managed to get half of the squad upset with her in a matter of less than five minutes. Quite a record. She had the feeling that she’d probably have to pay for her insolence eventually, but for now, she was content that she had held her own…and not been blown to smithereens in the process.

Finally, after the twin storm-clouds had made their exits, Aerowyn turned to regard the last of the new arrivals, her gaze considerably less hostile as she examined him. Well, at least one of them didn’t look like he wanted to use her for target practice. At his comment, her only reaction was to raise her eyebrows slightly, giving him a wry, “oh really?” kind of look, although in reality, she was only trying to cover for the fact that she had no earthly idea how she was suppose to react to his teasing. It wasn’t exactly something that had come up often (or at all) during her last occupation. She had to grin at Sev’s wordless response though, shooting him a somewhat reassuring glance. The last thing on her mind when it came to his brothers, as lovely a group of people as they were, was flirting. She could hardly recognize it, much less use it. If what Scorch said about the others being more, in his words, “docile” was true, then she hopefully wouldn’t have too much of a problem with them. As he too, made his departure, Aerowyn finally turned back to Sev, looking rather relieved that her first encounter with the rest of his squad was over…at least for a minute or two.

”Such lovely company you keep,” she remarked dryly to him, shaking her head in mock sympathy. ”And here I was, thinking that you were a handful…” She grinned faintly at him, amusement evident in her eyes as she regarded him. Letting herself be towed along again, her mind wandered back to the clearing…back to the life which she was walking away from. What if the rest of the squad didn’t like her? What if they thought she was too much of a burden to have along with them? What if Serissa decided that she wanted her servant back, if only so that she could juice every last drop of pain out of her before finally killing her? So many “what if’s”. She had never left these lands where she had been born before, and she could feel her apprehension building the closer they drew to the ship. Gripping Sev’s arm tightly, if only so that she could have something tangible to hold on to, she took a deep breath as they cleared the last of the trees, and a large gunship came into sight. Aerowyn almost stalled at the sight of the giant piece of flying machinery, which bristled down its whole length with artillery of all shapes and sizes. She had never flown before in her life, and had been taught that keeping both feet firmly on the ground was a good thing. Grimacing, she steeled herself as she followed Sev over to the gunship, resolutely ignoring Boss’s presence and obvious irritation. After a brief moment’s hesitation, and with Sev’s gentle coaxing, she gingerly hopped in, peering around at the interior as she waited for him to join her. ”Strap in to what, exactly?” she asked him, sounding somewhat dubious. All she could see were sturdy-looking cables which hung from the roof, but no seats or harnesses that she could see.


{Scorch xD And sure thing ^^ They get to poke fun at the new girl for a little while longer x3
Sorry it took a while, and if it gets a little jumbled near the end…the lappy overheated and shut itself down, and I had to retype half the post X.x}

[MillietheWarrior]

Sev leapt into the ship after her, as Boss hauled himself in and closed the hatch. The pilot looked over his shoulder, clearly confused as to why and how they’d picked up an extra piece of baggage, but didn’t question it. Sev had a feeling that boss had cut into the pilot’s comlink signal and told him ‘not to bother’ with asking questions. Sev tilted his helmet down to regard Aerowyn silently, before he wordlessly pointed to the straps that were laying like seatbelts on what looked like a short shelf. It seemed, however, that it was not a shelf, but a seat. Scorch ambled over and sat down, and, as if he sensed Aerowyn’s confusion and discomfort, made a show of strapping the belts around his shoulders and lap.

Sev motioned towards him, and nodded. Fixer and Boss took up position at the front of the ship, electing to stand and hold onto one of the straps hanging above their heads. It was clear that Boss wasn’t happy with Sev’s choice, and that Fixer seemed to share his opinion. But Scorch and Sev, on the other hand, seemed at ease with Aerowyn’s intrusion into their squad. Sev sat down and strapped himself in, motioning with his hand for Aerowyn to sit beside him, in between him and Scorch. “You’ve never been in a ship before, have you?” Scorch asked, raising his eyebrows behind his helmet. He was intrigued by this woman; Sev was an all business man. He never, ever showed any interest in anyone. Scorch was slightly confused by this apparent three-sixty, and was curious as to why and how Sev came by this woman and brought her with him.

Sev seemed to catch whatever it was that Scorch was thinking, and switched to their internal comlink. “Don’t bug her with questions,” he growled. Scorch grinned back, and Sev could practically hear it. “Don’t worry, ner vod. I’m not gonna bother her…I just wanna know about her. You got to spend three days with her, after all. We’re not all as well acquainted as you are.” Sev growled again, his helmet tilting slightly in Scorch’s direction. “Just what are you implying?” Scorch held up two hands in a ‘whoa’ motion, and shook his head. “Nothing, nothing. Don’t get all bent out of shape. I’m just curious.” For all intents and purposes, it looked like they were just making hand motions to an outsider. Their helmets were completely sound-proof. Aerowyn would have heard none of it. Scorch and Sev both switched back to their external audios at the same time. The gunship’s engines began roaring to life as the pilot warmed them up, churning slowly as the ship began to thrum with life.

“So, what’s your name?” Scorch asked, his voice amused. “Psycho here doesn’t always think introductions are necessary, apparently.” Sev punched his brother in the shoulder again. “Ow, geeze. Quit it!” Scorch complained. “I’m being friendly!" Sev rolled his eyes and heaved a gravelly sigh, shaking his helmeted head. “No, you’re being a di’kut.” Scorch huffed, his hands on his hips as he balanced his DC on his lap. “Takes one to know one,” he replied, which earned an annoyed grumble from Boss and Fixer. Clearly, this happened a lot. Scorch turned back to Aerowyn. “Anyways…why exactly are you coming with us? You Sev’s new girlfriend or what? Let me guess…On your first date, he tried to kill you, right? He’s not very good with women.”

[14/27, 3, 3/8, 3/8]

((Gah, you jinxed meh! XD Mine did the same thing. Only, it saved my post for meh. X3))

[Flame]

Aerowyn glanced over at the harnesses, suppressing a resigned sigh at the sight of them. At Sev’s gesture, she wandered over, observing Scorch silently as he made a show of strapping himself in. Taking the proffered seat, she followed their lead as she buckled herself down, albeit with a considerable amount of tugging and adjusting: She wasn’t exactly as bulky as the ship’s usual passengers, especially considering the fact that she wasn’t wearing armor. Once she was firmly strapped in, she let her gaze wander, exploring the inside of the gunship with a quiet curiosity. Scorch’s question came as a slight surprise, and as she turned to glance up at him, she shook her head lightly, affirming his suspicions. Today seemed to just be packed with firsts, and it was enough to make her head reel.

For a moment, she looked completely stumped when Scorch and Sev began to hold what looked like a pantomimed conversation to absolute silence. At first, she thought that either she was missing something, or that they (or she) had simply cracked, when it occurred to her that their helmets served as their form of communication…Serissa had mentioned it in passing when briefing her after intercepting the squad’s communications. Despite her inherent curiosity about what they might possibly be discussing – she had a hunch that it was about her – she simply sat back wordlessly, a look of exaggerated patience on her face as she waited for them to finish.

Finally, it seemed that they had sorted out whatever they were talking about as Scorch threw another question at her. Before she could answer though, she had to press herself against the wall to prevent being caught in the crossfire as Sev threw another punch at Scorch for his teasing comment. Aerowyn chuckled lightly: One could only remain nervous for so long with these two for company. ”It’s Aerowyn,” she finally replied, during a brief lull in their banter, ”and that would explain so much,” she added, referring to Scorch’s comment about Sev and introductions. ”It took 48 hours, just to get names,” she said slyly, casting a somewhat apologetic, but amused look in Sev’s direction. Now that she reflected on it, they had been through quite a lot in the few days which they had spent together. Now though, she took note of the random interjection of a word or two of a foreign language: During her time spent with Sev, he’d occasionally thrown in a few words that sounded completely alien to her ears, generally when he was agitated. Although she didn’t know the exact meaning of what they said, she could still get a pretty good gist just from context alone. Caught in the middle of what seemed to be an almost practiced routine of jesting between Sev and Scorch and the grumpy disapproval of their comrades, Aerowyn was happy to just sit back and watch them have at each other, but it seemed inevitable that she’d be dragged in once again.

That was a good question though…why was she tagging along with them? As far as she knew, she was headed to some strange, distant place, and although the thought daunted her, she was reassured by the fact that wherever she was going would be better than the nowhere that she was leaving. ”I didn’t really have much of a say,” she replied, grinning. ”Sev here, insisted that I come along, and I didn’t want to be the person to say ‘no’ to him.” She was only half-joking though: There was a sincerity in what she said, and the fact that she would have come along unhesitatingly at Sev’s bidding. Scorch’s next barrage of questions though, really did catch her off guard, and she looked surprised at how accurate his assumptions were, whether he seriously meant them or not. She gaped for a moment, at a loss for words, then she simply replied with, ”I’ll leave that for Sev to say.” She looked over at him, curious herself as to how he would reply.


{D’awwww...he’s so possessive <3 And once again, Scorch xD Hits the mark every time x3}

[MillietheWarrior]

“Aerowyn, huh?” Scorch repeated, before he reached up and unclasped his helmet. He set it on top of his rifle on his lap, grinning down at her. He seemed infinitely interested in Aerowyn, though one could only guess at his reasoning. He chuckled and jerked a thumb in Sev’s direction, raising an eyebrow. “Tall dark and insane isn’t so good with the socializing. That’s my specialty. Scorch, squad demolitions expert and master socialize.” He looked vaguely proud of himself, before Sev reached behind Aerowyn and flicked his ear. Scorch didn’t seem to find it very funny, and retaliated with a swat upside his squad mate’s head. Sev growled, before removing his own helmet and setting it in his lap.

“Di’kut,” he rumbled. Scorch raised both his eyebrows, before narrowing his eyes. “Chakaar,” he retaliated, looking quite proud of himself before Sev smacked him upside the head. “Hey!” Boss’s voice barked above the noise of the engine, and he moved in a wobbly pattern towards them; even a commando had a hard time balancing themselves through a ship when those crazy pilots were flying. “That’s enough, both of you. Six-two, don’t make me chuck you out the side hatch; you know I will.” Scorch looked like a wounded puppy, instantly deflating. “Aw, don’t do that, sarge…” he complained, putting on a pseudo pleading face. Boss took the initiative to smack him upside the head.

“Ow! Shab, why does everyone keep doing that?” Scorch shouted, rubbing the back of his sore cranium. Boss crossed his arms, shaking his head, before wobbling back to stand beside a very bemused Fixer. Sev, meanwhile, was looking slightly uncomfortable. Even though it seemed as though Scorch had forgotten about his former questions for a moment, he knew they’d come back full circle, and thanks to Aerowyn, he’d be the one answering them. His instincts were right, because as soon as Boss was back beside the broody Fixer, Scorch swiveled his head around to grin at his squad mate. “So…?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Sev growled deep in his throat, turning away slightly. “So, what?” he asked, pretending he had no idea what Scorch was talking about. “So, that must mean I pretty much hit the nail on the head.”

He suddenly blinked, wide-eyed, and laughed, pointing at his squad mate, much to Sev’s annoyance. “Ha! I was right! She is your girlfriend! I can’t even believe it. I never thought you would fall for the charms of some woman. Especially one who can’t fight!” This time, Sev did smack him upside the head, his gaze narrowing dangerously. “She can fight, for your information,” he snarled, feeling a need to defend Aerowyn. “Now shut your trap. I don’t want to hear another word out of you, di’kut,” he growled, crossing his arms. Scorch was trying valiantly to hold in his laughter, but failed horrible, and snickered softly behind his hand. Sev could barely make out the words ‘In love,’ and ‘…can’t believe it,’ and a few other words he didn’t care to try and decipher. Sev sighed and leaned back against the side of the ship.

“Heads up, Delta,” Boss’s voice called form up front. “Arriving back at barracks. ETA, 5 minutes.” Sev glanced at Aerowyn, a slow smirk creeping over his face. “Now you get to see my side of town,” he chuckled, before Scorch reached over and poked him on the back of the head. Sev growled. “If Boss doesn’t shoot me for killing Six-two first!” Scorch took the hint, and unstrapped himself, scooting away from the two with a giant grin. The drumming sounds of the engines began to dull a bit as they reached their destination. “All right, Delta,” Boss called again, turning his upper body slightly to look at his squad and their newest addition. “We’re home. Food, rest, showers. Then mission debriefing. We’ve been issued a…” He tapped his gauntlet, before a small panel opened up and a blue light lit up his visor. “Forty-eight hour pass to Coruscant, and some R&R. Make the best of it.”

Sev punched a fist into his hand, looking triumphant. “A bit of rest will be nice,” he said, before shooting Scorch an evil glare; he could almost sense when his big mouthed squad mate was going to make a wise-crack. He had a feeling it would’ve involved Aerowyn. Sev glanced downa t the woman in question just as the ship lurched and he was sent forward, straining against the straps. He shot the cockpit a nasty glare, annoyed with the choppy landing, before the ship finally settled onto solid ground. He reached down and unstrapped himself, before standing up to sling his rifle over his shoulder and clip his helmet to his belt. Scorch mimicked him, but followed Boss and Fixer out of the ship as the hatch opened. “Well, ready?” Sev asked, looking down at Aerowyn curiously.

[15/28, 4, 4/9, 4/9]

[Flame]

Aerowyn grinned, feeling as if she were caught between two bickering boys: This was obviously a very different aspect of their personalities which only seemed to show when they were around each other. She certainly didn’t know that the tough, aggressive Sev had it in him, but hey, that just went to show that you learned something new every day. She watched, amused, as Boss tried, with limited success, to get them to stop, although he rather ruined the effect by joining in on the Scorch-abuse. Aerowyn had the feeling that he probably got it a lot, what with his certain “style” of humor which seemed to earn him the abuse of his squad mates, even if it was all in good nature.

It seemed that even Boss’s disgruntlement couldn’t deter the resilient Scorch for long though, as, before she knew it, the conversation had turned back to the subject of her again. She noticed Sev’s discomfort when Scorch’s questioning came back, full-circle, to where they had left off a minute ago, and although she tried to maintain an impassive façade while they waited for his answer, there was the tiniest hint of anxiety in her features as she waited to hear what he would say. What was she to him, at the end of the day? Now that the question had been posed, she wanted to know the answer as well, but like Scorch, when Sev tried to play dumb, it was an answer enough for her, at least for the time being. So, it seemed that she was officially (if in a somewhat roundabout manner) in a relationship, at least in Scorch's opinion. She looked somewhat abashed at his triumphant pronouncement, but when the subject suddenly took a turn to address her fighting abilities, she wasn’t going to take the jibe lying down. About to defend herself (and sorely tempted to imitate Sev and Boss and give the offending individual a good smack upside the head), it turned out that Sev had beat her to defending her pride, and in a sense, his own as well. She found that although she would normally protest having someone else fight her battles for her, especially when it came to her dignity, it felt nice to have someone defending her for a change.

As they drew closer to their destination, she tried valiantly to block out Scorch’s sniggering and snide, half-veiled comments. She had a hunch that this was something she was going to have to learn to live with, if she was going to stay on with the squad. With a less-than-gentle jolt which caused the straps to dig into her skin, they finally came to a halt, and as Boss, Fixer and Scorch made their way out of the cabin, she unstrapped herself and stood, feeling slightly off-balance from her first flight experience. ”Well, ready?” She looked up at Sev, a little nervous about the “adventure” upon which she was about to embark. Right now, he was the only reason why she would agree to follow along onto this strange, alien world. Bracing herself for whatever new surprises still awaited her, she replied with a ”Not particularly…but let’s go.”