neverjoinyou | lastvoyages IC Inbox

IF HE DOESN'T HAVE THE BACKING OF THE AUTHORITY, WHO KNOWS IF HE CAN EVEN DELIVER DEALS ANY MORE? YOU REMEMBER I TOLD YOU I THINK THIS WHOLE THING IS ENTERTAINMENT? THE ADMIRAL'S BOSSES ARE THE ONES WE'RE PERFOMING FOR. I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE. YOU KNOW THE KIND OF POWER I USUALLY HAVE - THESE GUYS ARE A LOT MORE DANGEROUS THAN ME. WE DON'T WANT TO MESS AROUND WITH THEM. NOT FOR THE ADMIRAL'S JOB, THAT'S FOR SURE.

Edited 2018-05-17 06:20 (UTC)

Hang on. You're willing to throw yourself on the mercy of these other beings? Beings we don't know any more about?

Bill, I know you're afraid. [Which, in and of itself, is terrifying.] But this ship... these are our people, now. We can't abandon them.

I DON'T HAVE PEOPLE! YOU'RE COMING WITH ME BECAUSE I NEED YOU TO GRADUATE. EVERYBODY ELSE CAN MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS, AND IF THEY'RE SMART THEY'LL GET OUT WHILE THE GETTING IS GOOD.

But I do. I'm not abandoning them, any more than I intend to abandon you.

We will get through this and we will get through this together.

BUT WE WON'T. THIS IS THE WRONG MOVE. I DON'T WANT TO GO WITHOUT YOU HERE, BUT I'LL DO IT IF I HAVE TO. I'LL TAKE LIVING ALONE OVER DYING ALL TOGETHER IN A BIG, I DON'T KNOW, GROUP HUG.

Bill. You don't know that. You're operating with limited information, here.

Do you really think the only reason the Admiral is running is because he's afraid to lose his job? You don't think maybe he's afraid for a REASON?

MAYBE THEY'LL SHOOT HIM, I DON'T KNOW! I'VE SEEN PEOPLE DO WAY WEIRDER THINGS FOR POWER! I THINK HE'S GOT EVERY REASON TO LIE, AND THE AUTHORITY HAS ALMOST NO REASON TO! HE NEEDS US COOPERATING AND THEY DON'T!

I would have said you have no reason to lie, either, given the kind of power you have. But you do it anyway.

WELL, YEAH, FOR FUN. DO THEY SOUND LIKE THE KIND OF GUYS WHO LIKE TO HAVE FUN? HERE, TALK TO THIS NERD.

You JUST said that we're here for their entertainment.

Which means they like fun. Honestly they sound a lot like you.

Hello, Luke. It's me.

TAG TEAM EVENT!

[Bill sounds further away than Ford. He's on speaker.]

DIDJA SEE THAT BIG PRETENTIOUS SETUP WITH THE CASTLE? I MEAN, A LITTLE LIKE ME, BUT NO SENSE OF HUMOR!

Uh, Ford?

What's going on?

What does it look like? I'm jumping ship!

I know it might seem strange, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but in this particular instance, I actually agree with Bill.

SEE? WE ALL AGREE. JUST WAITING ON YOU, WINGS.

You're... teaming up. You.

[In a way this is like a weird victory. In a way.]

Look. It's not that I don't think Bill has a point. But I don't think this is the answer. I don't know if we're any better off with them.

[Bless your rebellious little soul, Luke.]

In the loosest possible sense of the word, yes.

Look. Our Admiral's gone renegade. He's a fugitive. They're going to catch up with him sooner or later and anyone who went along with his knuckleheaded escape is going to be guilty by association!

I don't want to be there when they find us. At least on another ship we'd have a chance at graduating without the Admiral's warrant hanging over our heads. Besides, I want to keep an eye on Bill, and that'd be easier with you along. What do you say?

[That last bit is said more gently than the rest. It's the tone instead of the words that says that Ford genuinely wants Luke there, and not just as Bill's warden. He likes the guy, he's just garbage at actually using his friendship words.]

WOW, WHEN DID YOU GUYS GET ALL BUDDY BUDDY, HUH?

[He told you to do one thing, and that was not talk to each other. Not the time to complain, though. He'll take the advantage.]

When no one else would sit with me at lunch.

[Hi, you remember Wormie.]

I think you're both looking at this far too darkly. Or maybe it's just me who doesn't automatically trust overly-powerful overlords?

How do we know he's not right?

Come on, you saw his transmission! This isn't courageous against-the-odds freedom fighter behavior, Luke. You and I both know that! We told his bosses the truth, and now he's running from the consequences.

[You can hear the eyeroll.]

WHAT, LAST WEEK? HAHAHAH.

YOU KNOW SPEAKING OF COURAGEOUS AGAINST-THE-ODDS FREEDOM FIGHTERS, YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT IN COMMON NOW THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IT.

[I mean, bonding over how unpopular you are is still kinda sad, Wings, but let's keep it positive!]

LISTEN, IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THESE GUYS. I WENT IN THERE AND ASKED THEM IF I WAS RIGHT ABOUT THEM, AND I GOT AN ANSWER THAT MAKES ME THINK I'M NOT JUST CLOSE, I'M TOO CLOSE.

ALL I CAN SAY IS, I'M PRETTY SURE THE ADMIRAL'S LESS IMPORTANT THAN WE ARE AND HE KNOWS IT, BUT HE DOESN'T WANT US TO KNOW WE HAVE THAT KIND OF LEVERAGE.

And if we leave, we're running from consequences. We're running from the people who have stood by us. People, Bill, you've experienced relationships with. If we have leverage, let's use it--but together. As a large group.

[Oh man literally any other time Ford would be delighted by the comparison but there are so many bigger things to worry about.

...there is still a tiny moment of really? c: before he refocuses though, and...it's kind of sobering.

He's gonna let Bill reply first, here. The silence might be a little telling. Should he really leave the others there? Yara? Shiro? Surely they can't all be convinced to come along. They'll have people they're unwilling to leave behind, too.

Then again...Yara and Shiro lost him once, and they were fine. Everyone else...Ford gives them a month at most. They'll forget he was ever there, or at least, they won't have any feelings about it that matter long.]

Edited 2018-05-18 19:17 (UTC)

[Out of sight from the audio transmission, Bill absently pats Ford on whatever part is closest to hand. There there. Don't navel-gaze about loneliness right now, we're working.]

SURE! TELL 'EM ALL TO COME WITH US, I DON'T CARE!

Edited 2018-05-18 19:41 (UTC)

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