[b][u]On board the [i]Leafy Wind[/b][/u][/i]

[b]Beatrice Magin[/b]

[i]Well, I still hate long trips Z. [b]You should be happy for some time to relax, B[/i][/b]. In her mind, the massive tigress sprawled across the laps of the passengers around B. [i]You know I can't relax in this space.[/i] The man to B's left startled as she gestured at the cabin around her. [i][b]You should try. You're always so high-strung[/i][/b]. Being cramped had always made B feel restless. After a year in Sovereign, it also reminded her of when she was vulnerable. She started her stay in Sovereign with serious injuries and new power. Both reversed years of hard work spent honing her body. For the first few months in Sovereign, Beatrice felt about as capable as an infant who was first learning how to walk. Because of her injuries, She had to completely rely on others. Her power also completely changed the basic principles of how she moved. The learning curve was shallow at first. For an athlete of Beatrice's caliber, it was torture.

Less than an hour ago, Beatrice had - literally - hopped aboard a larger Golden Mercenary shuttle filled with civilians. She had been late to the fight, deciding to stay with the group she was living with instead of rushing ahead. A few of that group had made it to the shuttle, but most had been unfortunate enough to fall at the hands of the military. Finally leaving the city was still slightly surreal.

Something made all of B's hair stand on end, but it lasted for less than a second. [i]Electricity[/i]. In the same instant, every function of the craft ceased. The most obvious effect instantly was the darkness. Murmurs started between the passengers. [i]The onset of panic[/i]. A few seconds later, the nose of the craft began to point downwards, and B could feel the craft losing altitude. The civilians started to talk, yell, and try to find family and friends, some leaving their seats.

A mercenary walked from the cockpit to where everyone was seated. Before he could make his announcement, He is swarmed with questions. "What's going on?" "will we make it?" "We gon die!" "I call a parachute" "Sit the fuck down!" "-EMP?" "Has yah seen mah son?" "Let'em talk!"

The merc, fed up and with no time, fiddled with something on his one-handed mace. He sighed and shook his head at the small mob in front of him, then shoved the mace into the abdomen of the man closest to him. Electricity jumped into the man, dropping him instantly. The man squirmed on the floor. The cabin went quiet. Calmly, he asked, "Does anyone else have a question?" "Yes, I was wonde-" he shoved the mace into another man, sharing his fate with the first. The mercenary hardened his face. "No questions. Good. Now sit down." The passengers who were standing returned to their seats, except the two men on the floor. [i][b]You like this guy?[/b][/i] B shrugged visibly, then nodded. The man to her left was confused by her reaction to the scene in front of them. [i]It's more respect. He obviously has a conscious, but he didn't hesitate when it counted[/i]. 

"Our pilot is very experienced. He says he can land this thing with no power, and I trust him. It will be bumpy, so fasten your seatbelts. That's the good news. The bad news is we just flew through a disruption field. We have no electronics, and the military is probably tracking us. They are ready for us." Someone near the merc began to ask a question, but thought better of it when he raised the mace slightly.

"If there are any hosts-" B reacted, sitting up straighter. With her reaction to the word "host," the man to B's left figured out why she had been acting funny. Wide-eyed, he moved as far away from her as he could in his seat. "-now is the time to reveal yourself. We have a few parachutes, and if it avoids you being captured by the military, you will have priority. Rumor has it they run experiments. If it's clear, we'll parachute first, assess the landing site, and move in to assist if it's a fight we can win." [b][i]It sounds like the best choice, B[/b]. Doesn't mean I have to like it. [b]At least you can stretch sooner[/b][/i]. B smiled as she slowly stood up, then walked down the aisle to the merc.