Ask Grasping a Blade

[Malerion]

“I maintain functionality throughout the ship. I keep her running to the best of our ability.” She said with a forced smile, gritting her teeth at Ambrosia’s line of questioning she paused for a moment before continuing. “We have the fuel for one hyperspace jump back to Avillion space. The rest has been used to keep the lights on. If we were attacked by any considerable number of ships, we do not have the manpower to mount a reasonable defence” She admitted, understanding that it was only a matter of time before the truth would come out anyway.

Malerion listened to the different story Gawain was producing up ahead. Nodding as he tried to picture the look on Darth Tempest’s face when he delivered this ship to the Sith Order. His eyes flicked over towards the slacking group of soldiers who tried to pass off their slacking with overly upright poses.

The Sith stopped the small group with a raise of his hand. “Are these men on rotation Commander?” He asked, sickly yellow eyes glaring at the soldiers in question. One of them tried to answer but Malerion just stuck up a hand to silence him. “Umm, yes, Mi’Lord.” Gawain replied, his voice hesitant at first. “Slacking off and eating on duty is that something you allow? I hope not.” Malerion said, his gaze turning from the soldiers and onto the commander himself. “No Mi’Lord, they will be punished.” “Good, shall we.”

@lizziie

 

[Ambrosia]

Ambrosia nodded as the woman spoke. She observed the captain's mannerisms as she did, silently calculating to herself things she could figure about her as she noted her posture, the grit of her teeth, and the tone of her voice. Eafled seemed reluctant to answer too many questions, though she answered them regardless. She was honest, and it seemed that thus far she had been obedient. Ambrosia wondered if she felt unsatisfied with her place on the ship.

'Commander Gawain is too much of a liability to have leadership here,' Ambrosia decided. His loyalty was based entirely upon a lie that Malerion had told the man, and there were too many ways for that to unravel. Eafled's willingness to speak ill of her captain - even if it came in the form of a valid criticism - had Ambrosia wondering if she had ever wanted the man's position. If the Arkanian offshoot could secure her loyalty - to Ambrosia, not some dead councilor - then their control of the ship would be in much better hands. Or so, that was how she thought.

"Thank you for your honestly, Captain Eafled," Ambrosia smiled. "Do you approve of the Commander lying to Lord Malerion?" Ambrosia's question was mostly rhetorical. She didn't want Eafled to answer so much as she just wanted to think about it.

She would watch as Malerion chastised the Commander for his crew, and then the Commander assured that they would be punished. The fury that such a statement from their Commander elicited was delicious. Ambrosia could almost hear their thoughts. 'When has he ever cared? How were we supposed to know a Sith would suddenly arrive after how many years?'

"Be honest with me, Captain Eafled, and I will reward you," Ambrosia said, her voice soft as ever but there could be no mistaking the seriousness of it. She turned to regard the other woman from beneath her snowy lashes, staring up at her intensely through her pale violet eyes. "Is Commander Gawain supported by the crew? Was it his decisions that led to unrest?" She glanced toward the crew members as they passed, noting how they looked at the Captain with a hopeful look in their eyes. "Perhaps you would be better off in command..."

Ambrosia trailed off, but ended her words with a twinge of doubt. If the Captain was going to take her bait, she would do so now, Ambrosia hoped. She hoped she did; she would much rather have her running the ship rather than a fanatic of the dead.

@Braden