Belmavidelko waited. She leaned back against a cold wall, with her arms loose at her sides and one ankle crossed over the other. It was times like this that she was most conscious of the fact that she lived aboard a ship. The temperature was perfect, even in the middle of the night, but there was a sense of staleness in the air. Her pale violet dress hung utterly still on her body. What she wouldn't give for a soft breeze to rustle it. She missed the feeling of life that came from standing on a real planet with a real environment. Like many fie, she felt the need to return to her homeworld as an almost physical ache. Unlike most, though, she'd given up on ever seeing it happen. She would help Tsyirinsaku spit in the eye of the carcha before they died but she didn't delude herself with fantasies of defeating them.
Her earpiece chimed and a soft voice said, "She is coming your way. About thirty seconds."
"Excellent. Remember, even if she attacks me, you are not to harm her unless I signal you or you believe my death to be imminent." A double-click acknowledged the order. Bel pushed herself up, uncrossing her ankles. She put on a calculated smile, slightly mocking but with good humor.
Her quarry padded out of the shadows, hunched low to the ground. She jerked to a halt when she saw Bel and seemed about to tear off in another direction. Bel hadn't picked this spot randomly, though. Any other direction other than the one she was blocking ended in dead ends. The figure straightened up, going from hunched and nervous to tall and haughty in an instant. "So," Century said.
"So, indeed," Bel said. She kept her stance and face relaxed, as non-threatening as possible. Century had proven both easily riled and very dangerous. Nobody had been killed yet but a handful of fie were in the hospital because of her. If tonight didn't go well, Bel wouldn't be able to keep Tsyirinsaku from throwing the woman in a prison. Or maybe out of an airlock. It had taken a forceful argument to make Tsyirinsaku see the value of trying to entice Century to their service as it was. "Another night you have failed to breach one of our mech bays. Did you injure anyone tonight?" She added a little acid to the last question. Just enough to say she wasn't happy without precipitating a fight.
Century cracked her knuckles. "Only a couple of fools who tried to bar my way. That mech is mine, fie. I will take it back."
"Why? So you can take off and die in the middle of space? Do you even know where we are right now?"
Century shrugged. "I'll figure it out. I see what you are doing with the others. I won't be press-ganged into service. I have only one master!"
That caught Bel off-guard. Century had a master? She'd pegged the woman as a drifter. Maybe some kind of thief. "Who is your master?" she asked.
"The one and true King of Man! The Lord of Earth who will save it from the demonic clutches of the carcha."
Bel blinked. Now she was even more confused. "The King of Man? I have never heard of such a human." She didn't think there was any kind of organized resistance among humans anymore. They had been scattered throughout the galaxy and were a minority on their own planet at this point.
Century scoffed. "Of course not. The King of Man fights from the shadows. We are a secret organization, silly girl."
"You told me about it pretty quick for it being secret."
Century seemed dismayed for a moment. "Well, it is secret for now but soon enough the King will emerge from his lair, deep in the bowels of the City of Angels, and proclaim his domination of Earth," she said proudly, fists on her hips. Her eyes widened a moment later as she realized what she'd said. Not that Bel had any idea what 'the City of Angels' was.
Bel couldn't help it. The look of utter shock on Century's face was too funny. Bel giggled. Century's face darkened. "I'm sorry," Bel said. Then she giggled again.
"Get out of my way," Century said.
Bel forced down her mirth, cursing herself for losing control. "I am sorry, Century. I didn't mean to make fun."
"Get out of my way right now," Century said.
"Now, Century–" The woman moved like lightning. Bel just barely managed to duck to the side, feeling the wind of Century's fist as it passed by. Bel twisted and flung herself into a back handspring to gain some distance. She landed on her feet a few strides away from Century and praised herself for her decision to wear flat shoes. The butt plug might have been a bad idea, though. She resisted the urge to reach back and adjust it.
Century turned toward her, face a mask of anger. Bel cursed herself again for letting it come to this. There was no question of her standing up to Century in a fist fight. Bel was an expert hand-to-hand fighter but she was limited by her own muscles. Unlike Century, she didn't have the gift of ether. From what she had seen and heard, Century was powerful and her speed and strength would overwhelm Bel no matter the difference in technique.
"Century, I did not mean to insult you. You made a funny face. That's all. I just want to talk to you. I think we can make an accommodation." Century rocketed toward her and Bel leaped back again. Century followed and pressed Bel back into another wall. Her fist came up and punched right through the concrete next to Bel's head. Bel would have signaled for Century to be shot right there except that she could tell that the human had altered her punch enough that it wouldn't have hit Bel even if she didn't dodge to the side. Bel made a different signal.
A bullet hit the wall right next to the hole that Century's fist had made. The human whipped her head around, searching for the shooter. "They are all around us, Century," Bel said quietly. "I wanted to do this peacefully but if you're going to act like this…"
Century's eyes flicked around rapidly and Bel started to feel a little uncomfortable. Was she actually managing to locate the snipers? What would she do if she did? Century's eyes came back to Bel's, her face was utterly expressionless. She stared at Bel for a long moment and Bel tried to keep her face stern. Then Century suddenly stepped back and shrugged her shoulders. "What kind of accommodation did you have in mind? I can be reasonable," Century asked with a disarming grin. Bel's legs almost gave out.