Defector

“Of that, I have no doubt, ma’am. But I’m not one to go against orders from higher up. As I’m sure you’re bound to them as well.” Moe could tell that the woman carried herself with some amount of power and strength underneath all those clothes. Heck, she could probably make for an impressive sparring partner if it ever came down to exchanging blows. “I am. Would you feel more at ease if it was just me accompanying you today? Even just as a formality.”

Bound to the rules as she was, it didn’t stop Adelaide from trying to bend them, or at the very least make sure that those in power knew she disapproved of their orders. It was annoying that the woman was right, at least in some regards; surely a little rule breaking wouldn’t result in major repercussions for Adelaide, but the consequences would likely be even more tedious.

Amara knew over-politeness when she saw it and kept her arms pinned to her side to help with the smell somewhat. Not that it did any good. The robotic arm and the light in the woman’s eyes piqued her interest, however. It looked much different from Rhys’ cybernetic arm, but she figured not everyone really went to the same vendor. “A fan of sorts? What different kinds are there?” she asked with a raised brow. If this woman was one of the obsessive kinds, then Amara had to be ready to get out of there at a moment’s notice.

“You must not interact with your fanbase frequently, then,” she observed, content with the nod the barkeep had given her in recognition. He was busy with another patron, but the gesture was a silent promise to tend to them shortly. “In my experience, there are several kinds of fans, many of them unpleasant. I assure you I don’t know every detail of your life nor am I on the verge of tears at the idea of speaking with you.” At least for Adelaide, those were the most annoying kinds of fans, even if the former knew very little about her, in reality.

It had been drilled into Moe’s head for the past two days that someone important was coming and there was the need for everything to go perfectly. No screwing up, not dawdling about, neither of which she had a predilection for, so their advice was worthless to her. Yet, she had to endure the same drills as everyone else, despite being well beyond their skillset when it came to security. She kept her gaze forward when the all-important person sauntered into the building. Her SMG braced in her arms and ready, she missed the woman’s disapproving look but her words were hard to miss. Being the leader of this security detail team, she felt it important to speak up for the others, even if she wasn’t the one being addressed. “I assure you, ma’am, despite our appearances, you couldn’t be in better hands.”

She turned her head slowly to look at the speaker, somehow unsurprised to find it was the small woman. Quietly Adelaide looked her over, the corners of her mouth turned ever so slightly downward. At least the woman was aware enough to recognize how unprepared they looked, although Adelaide took note of how she carried herself, which seemed more vigilant than those on either side of her.

“I’m perfectly well off in my own hands,” she said finally. “You and your squad are a formality, and an unnecessary one at that. I do not require an entire gaggle of guards to walk about the building all day.” The last remark wasn’t entirely aimed at the guard, and her gaze shifted back to the receptionist, making sure that she was listening enough to take note of Adelaide’s complaint.

Going back and forth across the swamp all day, completing tasks for the Raiders, had left Amara exhausted and smelling not-her-best. An escape back to Eden-6 was in store just to get some fresh air, a good point of alcohol in her, and hopefully a nice place to shower that didn’t involve slightly green water. The offer of a drink meant that her day was looking up, and she groggily lifted her head from the bar to give the woman a tired smile. “I won’t say no. Is there a reason I’m drawing such kindness from a stranger?” She gestured to the seat next to her and hoped she wouldn’t be too offended by Amara’s current stench.

The smell hanging around the other woman was less than pleasant, far less so, but Adelaide maintained a dignified and polite expression. Certainly it was a sign of hard work; Adelaide was well acquainted with smelling of sweat and dirt after long hours of practice, but this was something different. She offered a cool smile as she slid into the seat offered, lifting a fully robotic hand to get the bar tender’s attention.

“Your reputation precedes you,” she said simply, taking a moment to scan the room before turning her dark eyes back to the Tiger. There was a certain inscrutability to her gaze without the emotive power of organic eyes, the golden rings of light pulsing slowly as she studied the other woman.