shipmaster | (no subject)

[That gets a look of concern. It had a very different tenor than a secret almost spilled and aborted. They'd seen enough of that in Pelian space to contrast.]

Of course. After all... it's only once. [They can't even SAY anything... it's utterly frustrating. Instead, Bel moves the conversation on to safer ground.] Though maybe you should add a good long conversation with the Inner Circle before I steal you properly.

[ He may have all his memories back, but he's not done sorting them. And Vorkosigan is still a strange, unknown entity in all this. How much of those memories are real? And how many are fake?

He glances over at Bel rather keenly at that. ]

Oh? You think they'll sort me out?

You? Never. But, I think they've got the best shot at this in particular.

Hmm. Then I suppose I'll have to ask. If I don't get everything sorted myself.

[ He lies down in the sand, staring up at the sky. As if that will bring Quinn here faster. ]

[It isn't hard to imagine minutes after a signal goes out, a shuttle doing a hell drop in. But the real practicalities hold - distance, travel, even transmission speed.]

Not that I don't like you as you are. You seemed deadly frustrated though.

Ridiculously so. I have all the pieces, but ... they're not all put together yet.

Well, what's your life if you didn't have a hideously complicated something in the middle of a life threatening scenario.

Ha. Just so. It's merely par for the course by now.

Mm. I'm going to miss it.

[ Ah. That topic ... They're going to have to face this eventually. Miles is quiet a moment, his expression grave. ]

Does anyone else in the fleet know? That you knowingly followed Mark.

Yes. All of Green Squad.

[They just... look old for a moment. Not Betan old, Barrayaran old.]

I had to take command back. They needed orders and he was just. Locked. And if they thought he was still you, someone would have shot me for mutiny before following.

[And would have killed every one of them to get the kids out.]

Mmm. I'd have done the same.

[ But it complicates any mercy he might have shown on the topic. If he lets Bel go on this one, he risks mutiny on a larger scale. An escalation of this problem rather than a solid end... And there's the not small fact that Bel betrayed Miles, personally, by choosing this path in the first place.

He broods for a moment, not liking either option. ]

[Bel isn't looking at him. But even with eyes fixed on the sky, they can feel the unhappy tension.

They take a breath and let it out.]

Ghen will be a good captain, I've always thought.

[ Miles' response is brittle and pained. ]

I don't want Ghen, dammit. I want you.

[That alto dropped a little lower, softer. Almost, but not quite, hiding the little quaver from grief.]

I know. But any chance of that.. When you took that shot...

[ His own tone is nearly a wail of anguish. ]

They won't accept you back after that. Not - without something to equal it out. A rescue.

Ah, that will be Quinn's honor. ... She deserves that.

[And Taura would know otherwise. It's not as if they hadn't thought about it.]

[ Miles falls silent again. Something stirs behind those gray eyes - something dangerous. He gets to his feet abruptly. ]

And so shall she have it. Deservedly. But you ought to have a second chance too.

Miles? [They shade their eyes against the sun. Their voice has a note of alarm to it.]

You just need a proper opportunity.

[ He starts sliding back down towards the ruined spaceship, his approach implacable. ]

[Their eyes widen and they scramble up to bound after Miles.]

Miles! Miles! Don't you dare!

[ Bel is faster, but Miles has a head start. He levers himself into the ruined ship in one smooth motion, dropping back down into it. ]

Better outfit yourself with those pearls first, Captain.

[What filters down to Miles is a particularly creative set of invectives.. before an explosively angry one, before they run like all hell, taking the sides of the sinkhole with all of the speed of terror.]

[ Miles, meanwhile, selects a hallway at random and sets off down it. This is such a bad idea. This is an amazingly terrible idea. Odds are good he'll just get them both killed, frozen somewhere in the bowels of the ship where they can't be found ... But it's too maddening to just go back knowing that Bel must be stripped of their command. He has to try something.

So he walks down those hallways, searching for an opportunity. There's no response to Bel's cursing. ]

[Bel could feel every second crawling down their spine like fire. It hadn't helped that the pearls were not easy to find and a contested resource to be taking that many of, but they were certain Miles didn't go in with extra.

Not again! Was their only thought. They'd trade their command, their very breath... Miles life wasn't WORTH this.

Their first instinct was to check the walls, letting the glowing light of the power find any marks... any hint of which way.]