Sacrifices

Chapter 12: Premeditation

"It's dangerous to be wandering the wastes alone in the dead of night."

Jackie started at the deep voice, shrouded in the shadows of the wrecked aircraft, her boots kicking up sand as she shuffled to a stop. On impulse she reached for the pistol shoved in the waistband of her sweat pants, and cursed inwardly for not being more aware of her surroundings. In her defense, it had been a whirlwind since the arrival of the Prydwen and she wasn't exactly thrilled that she had been forcibly dragged aboard a highly flammable blimp then threatened to be thrown overboard if she didn't straighten up.

As she unholstered her gun she decided, next time she saw Danse, she was going to throttle him for withholding mission critical details regarding the technicalities of their base of operation. It had been a strenuous day full of speeches, meet and greets, barracks assignments, duty rosters and equipment issuing. There was a reason she had left the military and she was reminded not so subtly why. And Danse hadn't helped in the slightest with his infinite, arrogant brooding.

Speaking of the man, he was probably still waiting for her in the mess. She was supposed to meet up with him after everything was said and done, but instead she had sat on her bed, idly twisting her hands as visions of her life ending in a massive fireball in the sky flitted through her mind. In her restless pacing of the crew deck, she had run smack into a lanky Lancer with green eyes and brown hair slicked into the most ridiculous comb over she had ever seen. As he steadied her and offered to give her a lift to the airport, she wondered what had happened to the standard issued crew-cut.

'Some fresh air might do you some good, you're starting to look like a caged animal.' He'd smiled and kindly suggested.

Danse had made it on the throttling list, Geers had made it on the thanking list and Maxson… she hadn't quite decided yet.

Damn it-

There was movement in the shadows of the wreckage and Jackie saw it now, the faint orange glow and the curl of smoke twisting upon the flutters of the sea breeze.

All she wanted was a breath of radioactive air and to take a stroll along the shore to ease her nerves and here she was getting herself into trouble. Just another check mark on Danse's ever growing dislike list of things he wouldn't approve of.

"Watch where you point that thing," the figure took a drag from his cigarette and shifted from his perch in the tail of the downed airplane, "you might hurt someone."

"That's kinda the point," Jackie adjusted her aim, "Show yourself."

When the dwindling glow was flicked away and shadows faded into darkness once again, Jackie felt the prickling creep up her spine and she fired off a warning shot into the sand next to the shadowman's boots.

"Don't fuck with me! I said show yourself!" She wasn't playing this game, and she wasn't about to get herself killed, "The next one'll be the last thing you see!"

A low chuckle reverberated from the blackened corners of the wreckage, "Danse said you had grit." The figure pushed against the veil of darkness, emerging into the curtain of pooling moonlight.

A glint of pale blue, dark hair, beard, and… Ahh shit!

Jackie nearly dropped her gun as she fumbled to stow it away. A list of infractions ran through her head at the realization that she had her pistol drawn on - and had shot at - her now commander. No, wait. Not commander, Elder .

"I-uh…" backpedal, backpedal, damage control. Her heart was thumping from the encounter and she couldn't quite seem to form the words.

Maxson stopped to turn and gave her pause, "At ease, soldier," before continuing towards the sea.