First meetings

[doctoraphra]

The problem with being captured is that then Aphra has to figure out how to get uncaptured. It's exhausting, and occasionally demeaning, and Three-Zero and Bee Tee will never let her forget it.

(The other problem with being captured is that escaping is fun, which doesn't discourage Aphra from careless plans that get her captured, but whatever.)

This particular spot of captivity has one good point, which is that they're planning on transferring her from one ship to a second, completely different ship. This means at least three opportunities for escape, and possibly as many as seven, depending on what kind of ship they're handing her off to.

Which means it's time to enact part one of the plan, either getting her bindings loosened (or off completely), or finding out what ship -- make and model -- is going to be her new prison!

Comments

[bucketheads]

The rebels guarding her do seem rather distracted at the moment. And, among this particular group, it looks as though they're distinctly unused to taking prisoners. There's a guard on Aphra, but she doesn't even bother keeping a hold on her, and her weapon is pointed away. Others are busy helping the Wookie co-pilot securing the Falcon's airlock to the other ship.

And down the hall, there's the sound of another argument -

"This is the best way to lose them -"

"Then hand her off and let the General take care of it, I don't see why you have to stick with her -"

[doctoraphra]

"Sounds like no one wants me around," Aphra mourns, making a moue of disappointment and fidgeting from her left foot to her right foot.

And back.

And then again the other way.

And back.

And --

(If she can just get the thin strip of conductive metal out of her waistband . . . )

[bucketheads]

"She's my responsibility, Han. I have to see this through."

The voices are getting closer. Around them, a shudder sounds through the ship, indicating that they've locked onto whatever they're using to transport her next.

Aphra's guard is watching as the others finish securing the locks, and doesn't reply to her.

[doctoraphra]

Aphra will forever deny that the brief dip in her stomach has anything to do with Luke bloody Skywalker, it is definitely excitement that she's got the little metal lockpick-equivalent in her hand.

Now to wait until they open the door . . . and hope that her mental mnemonic for the layout of this ship actually holds up.

"It really hurts a girl's heart, you know?"

[bucketheads]

The guard nods absently. Down the hall, the other rebels are calling out to one another, confirming that the locks are engaged and the doors can be opened.

But then finally, the guard glances to her. "Wait - what?"

[doctoraphra]

"How happy everyone here is to get rid of me."

Yep, she's still pouting. It's probably not time to pull the big, sad eyes, but a pout should hit the right note.

"It leaves a girl feeling unwanted, and that's the saddest feeling in the world."

It's good to keep talking to cover the click of her bindings opening, and she keeps her wrists pressed together so nothing drops to the floor.

(Come on, come on, open the damn doors already.)

[bucketheads]

There's a wooshing sound, and the rebels begin to call out to whoever's in the other ship.

Behind them, Leia and Han's boots tap on the Falcon's floor as the turn a corner into the hallway.

"Look, we'll rendezvous after -"

[doctoraphra]

Yeah, okay, now is clearly her moment. She is not about to wait for Skywalker's friends to actually take charge of her again. For one thing, they're a lot more alert than these guys. For another --

Never mind.

Aphra drops the cuffs, knees the guard on the left in the stomach to give her time to grab the blaster, and bolts for the now-opening door.

"Somewhere else I've got to be, thanks!"

[bucketheads]

The guard doubles over, while chaos breaks out among the other rebels. Chewbacca moans above the shouts and scramble of the rebels to draw their blasters, while the approaching footsteps pick up, and Leia shouts out an order.

The door, meanwhile, has slid entirely open, revealing a hall into what looks like a second freighter.

[doctoraphra]

Aphra shoots the blaster blindly behind herself, half-hoping she hits someone to take out some pursuit, and half-hoping she doesn't, because then they'll probably pursue her less relentlessly.

And, of course, it seems wisest to sprint for the door, skidding to a stop and attempting to slam the hatch between ships shut.

"Hah! Now to take care of the -- "

The pilot, of course. And any crew this new escape ship might have. No sense leaving loose ends for later, right?

[for_everyone]

Unfortunately, that pilot steps into the hall a moment later, her blaster already raised.

She doesn't say anything before aiming her weapon and firing a stun bolt toward Aphra.

Hera doesn't move any closer until she sees Aphra fall, and keeps her weapon aimed at her even after she does.

[bucketheads]

Leia, her own blaster at the ready, stops her pursuit almost immediately upon catching sight of Hera.

And, of course, the stunned prisoner resting nearly at her feet.

"Hera," she says, with a wry smile below tired brown eyes. "Thanks for the save."

[for_everyone]

"You're welcome."

She still keeps her blaster out, though she looks up to nod to Leia, and turn her eyes to the others behind her.

"We can put her in one of the cabins for now. The faster we can unlock from the Falcon, the better."

Until then, they'll be sitting ducks of anyone comes upon them.

[bucketheads]

"Chewie."

Leia looks up at the Wookiee next to her.

"Grab Han and get started on that, hmm? I'll be keeping Hera and the prisoner company."

Because obviously guards aren't going to cut it.

[for_everyone]

Hera sighs, pulling her comm from her waist and calling on Chopper to join them. While Chewbacca and the others return to the Falcon to separate the ships, Hera closes the airlock on the Ghost's side, and then with Leia's help lifts Aphra from the floor, and together they heave her up to the row of cabins.

The cabin Hera chooses has long been empty, devoid of any possessions or ornamentation on the walls. She and Leia lower Aphra on to the bottom bunk, and Hera replaces her binders, attaching her to the bunk. Chopper appears at the doorway as they finish.

"Chop, you'll have to guard her. I need to go calculate the jump."

For the moment, Chopper gives a kind of salute with his arm, rolling into the room. Hera nods, heading out along with Leia, the doors to the cabin closing behind them.




Unfortunately, by the time the Ghost has made the jump, Chopper isn't feeling quite as dedicated as perhaps he should, and has rolled away, back out into the hall. She's not going anywhere, right?

[doctoraphra]

Aphra comes to muzzily, mouth dry and body still humming from the residual of the stun shot. And of course her hands are bound again. Plus she's horizontal, which rarely means anything good.

"Ugh, who hit me with the stunner? Mmmmrph."

Lucky for her she's always got a spare binder-pick tucked away in at least two other locations. Unluckily for her, one of those is in her boot, and that's going to be hard to get to.

Just give her a couple minutes to wedge it off her foot and then flailingly kick it up toward her hands . . .

"Hah! Still got it."

At least she says all this very quietly? Now, to get the lay of the freighter-land . . .

[for_everyone]

Chopper is still out in the hall, though he is rather mournfully staring at the Dejarik board in the galley just beyond it. How annoyed would Hera be with him if he trundled off to play? He can still see the cabin door from there! It'll be fine!

He moves a meter toward the galley. It will be fine. Hera always worries too much.

[doctoraphra]

It's almost impossible to muffle the quiet swoosh of a door sliding open, but Aphra ignores that point and steps out into the hall. Tip-toeing might work this time, unlike the seven-hundred other times she's tried it. You never know!

And . . . . oh look, the droid's moving away from her. Maybe, if she's quick and clever, she can get the drop on it, run a quick reprogramming routine, and get its help to --

[for_everyone]

Chopper, however, swings his dome back immediately at the sound, and rolls at once back toward her, beeping wildly and flailing his little metal arms.

Its beeping isn't the most... polite. Hera's going to be furious with him, all because this person had to go and ruin his plan to blow off her orders.

[doctoraphra]

"Oh, for the love of -- "

Aphra dives toward the droid, attempting to knock it off its treads and maybe wrestle one of its ports open, short some important systems before doing anything else.

"This is the last thing I wanted to be doing today."

[for_everyone]

Before she can reach him, Chopper extends his shock prod.

And well - that takes care of that, for the moment.

It's not long before Hera returns, Leia with her, to find Aphra again out of her binders, and Chopper grumpily trying to push her back into the cabin.

"So I guess there was some part of 'stay with her that you misunderstood, Chop?"

Chop grumbles, only a little sheepishly. Hera turns to Leia. "I don't think I like her this close to the cockpit anyway. I can seal off the cargo hold."

Leia sighs, perhaps not looking forward to carrying Aphra so far down into the ship, but agrees, "That's probably a good idea."



It does take a while, and it's not particularly comfortable, but they do reach the cargo hold. Hera double checks that there's nothing explosive or otherwise dangerous in the hold, then insists that Leia returns to the cabins to get some rest, while Chopper monitors their progress from the cockpit, and seals off the hold with Hera and Aphra inside. For the moment, she not leaving this prisoner alone again.

After making sure Aphra is secured again, this time to the ladder in the cargo hold, she sits down on the floor across from her, and takes out her datapad, beginning to swipe through it.

[doctoraphra]

"Mrrrph. Again?"

Aphra stirs awake sluggishly, swallowing hard to try to get some moisture back into her mouth.

"All of this cannot be worth it to you, honestly."

Maybe she was awake for a minute or two before she started to make noise. Maybe she wasn't. (She was.)

[for_everyone]

Hera looks up from the datapad.

"Apparently it is."

Or it is to Leia, and she trusts Leia's judgment. Hera simply sees few other options.

She keeps her eyes on Aphra for a moment, and then asks, her voice even, "Do you need something to drink?"

[doctoraphra]

Aphra's eyes snap open and narrow, almost instantly.

"Are you planning on drugging it? Because in that case, very definitely 'no'."

[for_everyone]

After a few seconds, Hera looks back down to her datapad.

"No, I wasn't."