SHIPS LEFT TO RUST.

     “Sounds like a personal problem.”

     Maybe you should explain to her WHY she should make it hers.

     Maybe you shouldn’t.

     The vault of the midnight sky is wild, rampant with stars; the sea all around is nearly placid enough to reflect every single point of light --- every sparkling, impossible port of call beyond the boundaries of this heavy Earth. 

     Beneath Adva’s bare feet, she imagines the cool, damp deck of her ship to throb with the precious, slumbering lives sheltered within it. When she sees the shadow, crossing between her and one of the watch lanterns swaying in the night breeze, she almost falters.

     Powerful she may be. But there are certain forces even she must bow to. Willingly, or no.

     The throb grows more insistent. More desperate. Like a heart which senses an ending, but resists it.

sentence prompts.

     “Yes — ”  Doveen’s tone was wholly placid, as she smoothed a hand down the stretch of dark uniform at her trim midriff. Rows of polished silver buttons gleamed in the gaslight of the comfortable sitting room.  “It appears rampant terror and confusion has caused something of a lapse in decorum. We do apologise.”

     Her superiors would doubtless arrive momentarily, to implement a battery of questions. The only reason she’d made it into the room was because this was her mother’s — and therefore her — estate.

     Crossing to a sideboard, the willowy officer depressed a button next to a mesh-covered voice port, and leaned into it.  “Havor — a service of tea to the Rose Room, if you would.”

               the brewpub was bustling. which wasn’t unusual given the time of day. eliot had noticed him the minute he’d stepped in. that was a soldier. on a mission. he’d seen that look plenty of times. he knew it well, mostly because he still wore it. most of the time anyway. eliot was on bar duty. he usually was because he could handle running the bar and the kitchen at the same time. and he preferred to be up front anyway. people liked to bring their problems to him, which meant he could get them clients.                   even if they never paid for leverage’s services.                   the broad shoulders, the chiseled jaw, the near accusatory words.  eliot tossed the towel over his shoulder. fixing him with what eliot hoped was a neutral expression, he leaned forward a little. “y’know, a person with a suspicious mind might think you might’a been there t’ see it, if that’s what said person’s thinkin’.” he paused. “which means that you must’ve also been casin’ th’ joint.” eliot lifted his eyebrows just once before pushing back a little.                “i’m only gonna say it once, man. back off. we got this.” because it didn’t matter who he was. most people, though, backed off when leverage got involved. something about them being the meanest crew this side of pacific. wasn’t that how it went? “you don’t wanna get in our way.” just something about the way he’d said ‘you people’ rubbed eliot all sorts of wrong. 

     steve processed the threat with a steady gaze.  ( you look down the barrels of enough guns, hear tough talk from enough men with violence on their minds... you get used to it. )  wasn’t like he was expecting the group’s muscle, of any of them, to cave quick. wouldn’t be doing his job too damn well, if he did.

“that so.”  said it more like an acknowledgement, than a question. he adjusted his stance. squared up. leaned in, to mirror the other, shorter man, and raised his brows a little.  “well then maybe we should take this conversation somewhere a little more private.”  classic steven grant rogers. no give.  “’cause i’m not goin’ away.”

still. only being an immovable object  ( while with its merits, some days )  might just get this bartender with the look of a warrior mad at him. which wasn’t what he was looking for, at all. steve put his hands on the bar, palms flat to the varnished wood. his voice dropped even further, as he offered a question, now, instead of a challenge.

“you know hydra?”  figured there was a possibility this could go either way. might be news to them. might not. but it’d be useful to know which.  “karbaro’s all tied up with  them. deals. supplies. protection. that’s why i’m here.”