[OOM] Eiattu - Palace Courtyard

[fighting_mad]

It's a beautiful Eiattu day; hot and humid as ever, sun shining through the heat haze. Plourr has a seat on an ornately carved bench in a quiet courtyard, surrounded by green and orange and purple. She flicks off the small, portable comm unit and sits for a moment, frowning.

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[fighting_mad]

Her mouth opens and then snaps closed. She pulls her feet up onto the bench, resting her arms on her knees. One calming breath, two, three--

She glances over at him. "Sorry."

[eiattu_pride]

The anger leaves him a rush, and he glances away, studying the sky.

"I'm sorry as well. That was," a muscle jumps in his cheek as he briefly clenches his jaw, "uncalled for."

[fighting_mad]

"Considering that I do tend to take my temper out on whoever happens to be nearest, not really." She follows his lead and watches the sky, expression fierce with longing.

[eiattu_pride]

"You don't want to be here."

Quietly.

"You want to leave, don't you?"

[fighting_mad]

She is quiet herself. "I just-- I want to do something." Her fingers tie themselves in frustrated knpts.

[eiattu_pride]

"Yeah."

Sighs.

"I made an offer a little while ago - said that if you wanted to take off for a bit, I'd cover for you."

[fighting_mad]

She wants to. Oh but her restless nature wants to. But--

"I know I'm not a huge help around here anyway, but," she shakes her head. "I don't want to just leave you with everything."

[eiattu_pride]

"Hey, you help a lot."

Glances at her.

"More then I could ask. It's okay."

[fighting_mad]

It's not okay, she thinks; she's the princess. She should be more than helping.

Princess Isplourrdacartha feels badly. But Flight Officer Ilo wants to go.

She looks away, quiet, thinking.

[eiattu_pride]

For his part, Rial sits in silence.

[fighting_mad]

Right. "I'm going to go find them and haul their asses out of the fire, and tell them what a bunch of kriffing idiots they are," she says firmly.

[eiattu_pride]

Rial can't help it, he smiles.

"I'll hold down the fort."

[fighting_mad]

Plourr is a little relieved, honestly, to see the smile. "Thank you," she says, holding his eyes a moment.

And then everything is a whirl of planning; of tracking coordinates (some dump of a planet called Malrev IV), running diagnostics on her X-wing, barking orders, organizing the twelve-pilot Eiattu Navy squadron of Z-95 Headhunters that is going with her.

She's going to do this, and she's going to do this right.