The Crystal Heart

Special Delivery

As she waited for the throbbing to lessen she was grateful that she had a higher healing rate than most people. As she noticed it lessen less than an hour later to a pins and needles sensation. She stood and half hobbled to the door, tapping on the glass she all but jumped as the guard simply turned and appeared, she hadn't thought anyone was that close. Pointing to her stomach as it rumbled like it had been cued in, she asked "Got any food around? Getting shot down really takes it out of ya." She'd been a Cooperative prisoner for the most part, she figured the least they could do is feed her. He waved back toward the bench for her to sit down and disappeared down the hall. She was just starting to think he hadn't understood her when he returned with enough food on one tray for 3 people. Confused as he waved her towards the door she stood and complied wondering why it wasn't the usual face the wall hands where we can see them that it would have been with her people. Poking at the glass she watched as he held the tray by the corners closest to him and let it phase through the door catching her side she mimicked his hold and set the tray to the side before taking the Baton from her leg armor and poking the door. Careful not to let enough of it slip through for him to grab as she felt the same familiar vibration as she had with the tray. Anything alive couldn't pass through the door but anything inanimate could. Putting her baton back in place she thanked him for the food and ate in peace. When it was time to give the tray back she grabbed the short end rather than the widest part and passed it through to him. Without his helmet on he appeared her age if not younger. "Do you know how much longer I'm going to be in here? It's kinda boring and you don't seem to like to chat. I can't see outside to know where we are or where we're going."

"We're almost there, and I'm the guard, you're the prisoner, we're not supposed to talk much. My turn, just how many more weapons have you got hidden on you?" He said almost matter of fact switching to a serious note.

"That's my little secret and all a part of this big game we play now isn't it." She smirked, she had been concerned that they had figured her out in these last few attacks, but apparently she still had some surprises.

Just as she was about to make another comment she was jolted as the ship either landed or took a severely heavy hit, when no alarms sounded she marked it as their landing.

A few minutes passed and a group of four came to retrieve her. And through the door their mumbles were harder to hear than regular speech, so a warning of what was coming wasn't likely. Not moving forward when they waved she watched as they entered the pin and the two from her arrival scanned their hands she watched as the glass receded into the floor.

As the door clicked into place, she wasn't surprised to find her two escorts back at her sides. They had to be heavy gunners. As the masked man stepped in she could've sworn the grips on her arms tightened. "How much are you still carrying?" He asked through the mask.

Without batting an eye she gave a challenging smile, his own men were afraid of him and yet he was trusting them to hold her. "Enough to hold my own should anything go further south for me." She said, watching her reflection in his helmet.

A word she didn't recognize slipped through his lips and the two holding her Lifted her arms and stepped out so she stood in a 'T' unable to stop attacks or searches. This will be my welcome party to the torture station in ego nation. She thought to herself bracing for a hit, surprised to feel his hands flickering across her armor releasing every latch for every hidden weapon. She wanted to cry for all her toys being taken away, but refused to give them that pleasure. As he leaned closer to get the pistol from her pack she slouched her shoulders. "Obviously you don't have a question about my armor, but can I at least keep the baton? It's not a firearm and I'm not the kind to fight with a Pistol aimed at close range." She stopped and realized it sounded like she was begging.

Letting her head hang a little she didn't expect to keep anything but was surprised when he spoke again and her arms were released. "You hand over your last arms and I may let you have it. Given that everything else has been where I expected you should have two left." He said twirling her baton like a toy in front of her.

With nothing more than a sigh she reached back and undid the latch and pulled out the pistol from the pack and refastened the latch before doing a count of what she watched him take and what she had. "This is the last thing I'm aware of having." She said not sure what else there could possibly be. She held out the pistol and she watched as it joined its siblings in the box.

"Give me your left wrist." He ordered, gaining a confused look. As she complied she watched as he found a small pressure plate just below the joint and pressed it releasing a six inch blade from the depths of the armor.

"How do you know more about my armor than me?" she asked, taking her baton as he offered it and slipping it back into its slot along her right leg.

"My uncle helped plan and create that armor. I know every weak spot and every strength to it. I could trap you in it or make it fall to pieces and crumble around you." He said looking to her escorts before going back to her. "You were injured in your crash, you seem fine now. So follow." He ordered before a short command in their language he watched as restraints appeared via heavy gunner before turning his back to her and stepping out into the hall.

She hesitated a moment, eyeing the restraints and how fast they had been latched and thought if he was telling the truth then it wouldn't be her greatest idea to challenge him. They already had her alone, and now freshly stripped of every weapon but her baton, and the idea of being half naked in enemy territory was not thrilling. Stepping out into the hall she looked between the four guards who squared up behind her. As soon as she passed them they were on her tail like she was a mother duck.

She followed the masked man down three different hallways and a flight of steps that tested her ankle thoroughly before they reached the dock where there were more men waiting weapons ready. "Boy, do you always get this big of a welcome home?" She asked, feeling like she was carrying a target.

"Oh, this isn't my welcome home. This is your good behavior or else party." He said with what she guessed was a smile to his voice.

"Message received loud and clear." She mumbled thinking there was no way her little baton could make it through a number this large even if her hands weren't locked in front of her. "Can I ask why there's so many?"

"That's the easiest answer to give. You are Crystal-Dart, the captain of the Crystal Heart. I have flown against you many times but this is the first time I ever had the lucky shot at you." He said stopping half way down the ramp to let that sink in for her.

"You're the one that shot me down?" She asked shocked, forgetting that she was trying to not confirm who she was, although it seemed he knew her by her fighting style. "Well it's no wonder you enjoyed taking my stuff back there." She said motioning back towards the ship.

"Second rank fighter pilot Zakiah at your service, now if you don't mind I have a job to complete."

"Lead the way so I can get this over with." She said figuring that if she was going to die she may as well face it head on and go down strong.

A moment passed before he looked away and continued down the ramp with her a few steps behind. She had expected cold and dark when she had thought of what their base would be like. Everything was warm and almost welcoming enough that she reminded herself of her position. Moving through the halls the six people were like spirits moving through the silence, not a sound was made until the masked man swiped a card and removed a glove to scan his thumb. A bell chimed and the door opened as he waved her forward; she wasn't sure what to expect anymore. A sterile interrogation room or a torture chamber meant for breaking strong wills for the secrets of the mind.

Turning the corner she found herself stepping into an office with a large wooden desk and overflowing bookshelves that still managed to look orderly. Far too welcoming for an interrogation room, at least by normal standards, perhaps they were just trying to get in her head and under her skin.