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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
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May 6, 2014 11:55:23 GMT -5
Post by Mara on May 6, 2014 11:55:23 GMT -5
In response to her query regarding the status of some kind of breakfast, the man silently and deliberately got to his feet and went over to his things. Her green eyes widened a bit as she watched this, surprised that he was even able to put weight on the injured leg. It hadn't been all that long ago that she had pulled the piece of metal out of it and wrapped it back up again. Just shifting the leg should have made him grimace with pain, let alone standing on it, and Ambria saw nothing in his face to suggest that he felt any discomfort.
But then he was tossing her a food packet, and she had to put away her thoughts, wondering if he just had a super-human pain tolerance, or if something else was going on. She deftly caught it after holstering her weapon back against her hip. The woman hadn't eaten since the previous morning with the chaos of everything, and the sight of something to eat reminded her of this fact. As her companion sat back down, she ripped her pack open and dug in, momentarily forgetting any impulses to check over his wound. Used to similar rations and mess hall food that was a far cry from a gourmet meal, she was used to eating more for sustenance and energy than for any enjoyment.
Ambria had half of the stew swallowed down before she even bothered to look up from it. Doing so, she noticed the man sitting there, spoon halfway to his mouth and staring off into space. Perhaps still trying to figure out what had caused his reaction upon waking up, something that had jostled loose during a dream. And again, she thought about bringing it up and again, dismissed it as a bad idea. Instead, she tried a bit of polite conversation. "Do you have a name? I'm Ambria." If they would be spending at least a few more hours together before getting off this miserable planet, they might as well have something to call each other in the meantime.
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Ash
Ash Ash Binks
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May 7, 2014 9:17:18 GMT -5
Post by Ash on May 7, 2014 9:17:18 GMT -5
The Mandalorians words broke though his trance that Phantom was in, and his eyes quickly resumed their usual half dead look. He looked at Ambria while he finished the food in his mouth while he thought about saying. He thought about which of his names he should give, but decided to play it safe. There was no reason to know who he actually was.
Yea, its Adam. Sorry for earlier...
Adam was perhaps the alias he used the most. It was the name of the first person he has memory of killing: Adam James, a commando who did wrong who he 'worked' for.
As soon as introductions were finished, Phantom put his food down, as he wasn't very hungry, and made to check his wound: the bandages had to be changed anyway, if he wasn't healed enough now. With deft hands, he removed the bandages covering the kolto patches, and watched as they fell away from the now much smaller and greatly healed wound in his leg.
It pays to be a quick healer.
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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
9,275 posts
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last online May 2, 2022 22:30:17 GMT -5
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May 12, 2014 12:35:45 GMT -5
Post by Mara on May 12, 2014 12:35:45 GMT -5
She nodded. "Adam, then." It was hard to miss the long pause before he had reciprocated with the name. Ambria would have bet her best rifle that the man had given her an alias instead. Though they were strangers, and she knew little about this mysterious man, she had little reason herself to be deceitful with him as she felt he had been doing ever since they had crossed paths the previous day. But such things were not important; at least she had something to address him with from now on. And really, as long as he didn't try anything stupid, she'd call him Grand Emperor for all she cared.
"No need for apologies. No harm done." Ambria shrugged and a brief smile crossed her face before it disappeared into her neutral demeanor. She turned back to her meal in her lap and scooped another spoonful and adding, "It happens," before finishing off the packet of food. Nightmares were no rare occurrence for the Mandalorian woman, and she knew all too well how she sometimes felt afterwards when she had waken from a restless sleep, the images still fresh in her mind.
Her food gone and the dish scraped clean, she put it aside. She remained quiet, having noticed that the man--Adam, now--was unwrapping the bandage she had dressed his injured leg with the night before. Curious to see how it was doing, since she had fallen asleep before she had been able to check it again, Ambria couldn't help but lean forward to get a look. When the whole wound had been unveiled, her emerald eyes blinked, then widened into saucers, and she found herself moving up to a kneeling position for a better view as she stared down at it. Somehow he had undergone a week's worth or more of healing just overnight. "It appears so..." she said after finally breaking her gaze away and turning to Adam, surprise still written on her face.
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Ash
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May 15, 2014 23:02:30 GMT -5
Post by Ash on May 15, 2014 23:02:30 GMT -5
Phantom couldn't help but see the unbelievable look written all over Ambria's face. Her eyes widened as she viewed his wound, now a good ways to being healed. Sometimes Phantom wished he healed faster, but this was a hell of a lot better than being a full human, who took forever to heal. She spoke a few short words, breaking her gaze from his leg and looking to him. He answered her surprised look with a sad smile.
It what happens when you're not human.
That small line wasn't about him being a hybrid, but more about him reminding himself that his own humanity was long gone. He turned his gaze away, steeling his face once again as he went to his bag. He didn't check it last night, and he just wanted to make sure everything was still there. It was, to his gratitude.
He pulled out a pair of cargo pants and tossed them on top of the bag. He didn't bother with a shirt right now, but he would like to fully change out of his ruined armor and bodysuit here soon.
I suggest we leave here sooner rather than later. Its a long walk to the nearest spaceport.
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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
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May 24, 2014 13:28:29 GMT -5
Post by Mara on May 24, 2014 13:28:29 GMT -5
Ambria rocked back on her heels, traces of her earlier amazement still visible on her face. Self-consciously she briefly glanced down at her left leg before turning her attention back to the man sitting across from her. If she had had such regenerative powers years back when she had been wounded, she wondered if perhaps she wouldn't have had to undergone amputation at the knee to stave off infection. But then she shook away the silly notion; her prosthetic was such a part of her now that half the time she barely noticed it. And the Mandalorian woman was proud of it, evidence of her hard-fought life.
She smiled tightly back at him, remaining quiet. Obviously unpleasant thoughts were still swirling in Adam's mind, and she didn't wish to further disturb them. However, Ambria did find herself studying the man's face as he looked away and fiddled with his bag. As far as she could tell, squinting her green eyes, he appeared as human as she, though with lighter skin. The woman could find no obvious hints of any other genes blended in. With an internal shrug, she let it go; she was no xenobiologist. Plus, it was entirely possible he was being more philosophical than biological with his comment.
At his further words, the woman snapped back into full focus, all thoughts of healing abilities and inhumanity gone from her mind. It was time to get back to the business at hand: getting off this rock and back to her battle group. She nodded. "Sooner works for me." Ambria stretched and got to her feet, gingerly testing that her leg would hold before she put her full weight on it. Satisfied that it would last her long enough, she looped her rifle over her shoulder and picked up her bag of medical supplies. "I'll give you some privacy," she added, having seen the man pull out some clothes a moment before. Then she set her helmet back over her head and moved to the opening of the tree stand, dropped her pack down to the ground, and followed it down, going down the ladder.
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Ash
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May 29, 2014 23:22:01 GMT -5
Post by Ash on May 29, 2014 23:22:01 GMT -5
Phantom was glad that Ambria agreed that sooner was better, even though he knew he shouldn't have been, simply because that was the smarter choice to make. The woman before him then stretched, got to her feet, and tested one of her legs. Now that he was able to think clearer, he could tell that it could be an issue in the future.
After Ambria put her helmet on her head and climbed out of the hide, he stripped off his torn, bloodied, and burned clothing, and threw on his pants, as well as a black, long sleeved shirt, and some simple light torso armor, a dark charcoal color, that he had in his bag as well. Finally, he set the explosive in the hide to detonate in a few minutes: no use leaving signs that he was here.
He tossed that bag down after he was geared up: it still had a few supplies that were useful to the assassin. He slung his large caliber rifle over his shoulders, made sure both his pistols were harnessed, and climbed down himself. His leg and shoulder were stiff, and breathing was still hard, but he was moving much better than before.
The spaceport is this way. With luck we will be able to hit a main road and get a free ride to the spaceport.
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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
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Jun 4, 2014 12:37:27 GMT -5
Post by Mara on Jun 4, 2014 12:37:27 GMT -5
Once back down on solid ground among the trees, she had grabbed the strap of her bag of supplies and moved a few paces away from the ladder. When she glanced back, it had disappeared back into its camouflage as if it had never existed. Ambria marveled at this briefly and decided to take careful note of what she remembered of its construction. Having such a hiding place could do wonders for her, as a sniper. Though well-trained in the art of stealth, she wasn't about to turn down yet another advantage.
Having slept all night in her armor, pressed against the wooden wall of the hideout in the trees, she spent the next minute or two stretching out her sore muscles. After dropping her duffel at the edge of the small clearing as a marker, Ambria worked her way out. She spun her arms in circles and walked with exaggerated steps, bending at the waist here and there, rolling her head around her neck. Spying a small creek, she strode towards it. Though she would have much preferred a long soaking bath, she settled for cupping her hands into it for a refreshing sip.
When the thud of the man's bag hit the earth and he soon followed it out into the open, she was just coming back to where she had left her own supplies and slinging it on her shoulder. Ambria was feeling back in fighting shape, all the kinks worked out, and ready to go to wherever this Adam led with the barest of trust. He moved towards her, and she could tell that he still had some healing to do, but then again, in a normal situation, he should still be resting and recuperating. But she pushed the thought out of her mind; instead, she nodded her helmeted head. "Lead on." A gesture to indicate she would follow.
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Ash
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Jun 5, 2014 0:56:16 GMT -5
Post by Ash on Jun 5, 2014 0:56:16 GMT -5
Ambria looked pretty spry for someone who fell from orbit in a burning starship, but then again, he felt better as well. That mandalorian armor sure was something, he had to admit. He also knew where the right chinks were that he could exploit to harm the individual under it. Of course, he wouldn't do that to the woman before him.
Quickly enough, he picked up his tossed items, and nodded to the woman, indicating that he heard her. Moving at a decent pace, Phantom started walking, trying to keep the limp he had from showing.
The silence going on right now was thick to Phantom now. He was use to having someone to talk to in these recent missions, but this wasn't a mission for Shina, a new companion that he 'picked up' on Orvax IV.
Phantom was getting to become to content now: he was thinking of other topics while someone who he was use to hunting was walking right behind him. He didn't like that: an enemy behind him, even if they were temporarily working together to get off this planet. He wondered if his stealth belt was still working, and he wished he had his mask on... Phantom held back a laugh, and kicked himself for his thoughts.
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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
9,275 posts
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the one and only
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last online May 2, 2022 22:30:17 GMT -5
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Jun 10, 2014 15:23:12 GMT -5
Post by Mara on Jun 10, 2014 15:23:12 GMT -5
When 'Adam' started off out of the small clearing, she kept up a few paces behind him. Close enough that she wouldn't lose sight of him but far enough to keep a tactical advantage against anything that might spring out at either of them. The first few minutes, she kept her gaze on the man walking ahead of her, looking for any signs of weakness in the leg she had worked on the night before. Ambria was still amazed at the healing that had gone on in the wound not 24 hours later. She briefly remembered his comment about not being fully human; perhaps he had the blood of some other more resilient species running in his veins. But whatever the reason, she was impressed nonetheless.
Gradually, though, as they came out of the trees and were back out in the open grasslands similar to where the Triad had gone down, she turned her attention away from Adam and to her surroundings. She was on high alert to anything out of the ordinary, using the HUD in her helmet to continually scan the immediate area around them. Though this had upon her first arrival seemed a desolate and deserted planet, her companion had mentioned coming here for a job. In addition, they were now headed to some kind of spaceport. Perhaps Maridun had other secrets hidden away or yet to be discovered.
They walked in quiet, and this silence bothered the woman not in the least. It allowed her to put her focus elsewhere. Besides being aware of what was happening around her as she followed this mysterious man whom she had temporarily allied herself with, she thought ahead to after she got to some semblance of civilization. Ambria was looking forward to making her way back to Ordo, her destination before getting sidetracked here. With luck, the battle would still be raging, and she would be able to dive into the middle of it, fighting for all her lost soldiers who had died in the crash. Under her helmet, she smiled with the anticipation of it.
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Ash
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Jul 16, 2014 14:14:13 GMT -5
Post by Ash on Jul 16, 2014 14:14:13 GMT -5
Phantom kept close to the trees as they made their way into the grasslands. The main road wasn't too far up ahead, which would lead them strait to town and the spaceport. Acquiring a ship from there would be pretty simple. Slowly, the man put himself back into his assassination state of mind, closing off his emotions and steeling his body. It wasn't so he could kill anyone, but rather focus his attention to anything out of the ordinary.
Soon, when the sun was overhead, the small trail that they had been walking on met up with the main road: a simple, well traveled gravel road. The spaceport wasn't quite on the horizon yet but it was there.
Once we get closer to town, I think you shouldn't have your helmet on and try to hide your armor. Id rather not look too auspicious before we take a ship.
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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
9,275 posts
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last online May 2, 2022 22:30:17 GMT -5
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Jul 29, 2014 16:15:44 GMT -5
Post by Mara on Jul 29, 2014 16:15:44 GMT -5
Spent in companionable but wary silence, the time had gone relatively quickly. Because before long, they had come upon the first sign of civilization on the planet she had seen: a road. Made of gravel, it was obviously man-made and not something that was merely a game trail traveled by hundreds of animals for years. Ambria came to a stop at its edge and looked down the well-worn track, scanning it in both directions with her helmet's tech, wondering in which direction lay the spaceport that 'Adam' had spoke of.
The man's voice broke into the quiet then, suggesting a change in her wardrobe before they continued any closer to their destination. Ambria turned her head to look back at him, trying to discern his face and body language for any ulterior motives in his idea. But she found the logic in what he was saying. Adam had more knowledge of the planet than she, and she would have to yield to his experience in this matter. There was no telling what kind of place Maridun was or what government or faction it was affiliated with. Or what kind of repercussions the crash of the Triad would have caused. Better to remain as anonymous as she could for as long as she could.
"You're right." Ambria nodded her agreement and after taking a deep breath, began complying with his plan. She slid her rifle and supply bag off her shoulders, letting them rest on the dry grass at the side of the road. Kneeling down, she unzipped the duffel and tried to compress its remaining contents as much as possible. Then, the dark-skinned woman removed her helmet and placed it inside. The rest of her amber-colored armor followed suit, as she peeled off and unclipped the pieces and stuffed them in the bag. In just a few minutes, her visible Mandalorian identity had disappeared.
She got to her feet and hefted the bag up, newly heavy with the added weight of her armor and helmet, feeling oddly naked standing in only her black body glove and boots. Though, the two blaster pistols holstered at her waist and the rifle at her back were of some comfort, she wished she had thought to pack a set of civilian attire. But having prepared herself for the battle to come at Ordo, she had worn the bare minimum needed to protect herself from the cold beskar, and a change of clothes would have been very much unwarranted.
However, with steel composure that spoke of years of military training, fingers of each hand grasping a strap of either rifle or bag, her emerald eyes locked on Adam, almost daring him to say something. Not wanting to think how any of the beings at the spaceport might perceive her, she was pointedly ignoring her now strangely bare appearance. As if it were the most normal and benign thing in the galaxy for her to be dressed in this manner. And if this man didn't do the same, he would regret it. Wordlessly, Ambria urged the man to continue on with a sharp nod of her head.
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Ash
Ash Ash Binks
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Aug 18, 2014 18:58:04 GMT -5
Post by Ash on Aug 18, 2014 18:58:04 GMT -5
Phantom waited patiently for the dark skinned woman to peel off her armor piece by piece, and place it into her bag. He had expected her to pull out something to wear besides her body glove, but she zipped up her bag and hefted it up on her shoulder.
Phantom didn't let his eyes play over the now not-Mandalorian looking Mandalorian woman before him, and instead, when she had collected her bag and rifle, set off again, dark eyes searching for any glint ahead.
After an hour, he was able to just see a hint of something artificial on the road, or at least the perspective of it was. After passing a few off roads merging to the main one they were on, the ground looked much more compacted and the workings of some sort of city appeared ahead. Phantom wanted to crack a smile and heave a sigh of relief, but he didn't do either. The hard part was still to come.
We'll be there around nightfall at this pace. We can be off the planet not long after that if we push ourselves...
((Sorry for the long wait and how short it is... ))
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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
9,275 posts
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last online May 2, 2022 22:30:17 GMT -5
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Aug 30, 2014 1:24:09 GMT -5
Post by Mara on Aug 30, 2014 1:24:09 GMT -5
(((Decided to move this ahead a bit; if there's something you want me to change, let me know...)))
Their time together passed much as it had since they had set off that morning from the tree stand: quiet except for a few spoke words here and there. Once she had been ready to go with her modified appearance, the man moved forward once again, leading the duo onward towards the settlement with the spaceport without any comment, not even a lingering look. Ambria was appreciative of his professionalism--reprimanding him would have caused needless delay--and allowed herself to fall into an easy pace.
After an hour or so had passed, based on her reckoning of the sun's movement above, Ambria thought she saw something on the horizon. Perhaps a rock formation or a large grouping of trees, but there was a glint to it that told her it was not a part of the native flora or environment. As well, the road they were traveling had been slowly but surely changing, subtly widening and looking more worn, as if more feet had traveled it. Of course, if the Mandalorian woman had been still wearing her helmet, she would have been able to immediately discern what it was; now she could only squint with her own naked eyes and guess at what it could be and hope it was their destination finally in view.
Adam confirmed her guess, stating that they would arrive within the small city by the time night fell. Which, after another glance at the sky, shouldn't be much more than a couple hours, tops. Once again, she rued the temporary loss of her HUD, hating that she did so; Ambria had been much too reliant on the technology in recent years, she realized, and now had a difficult time coping without it. She made a mental note to go helmet-free more often during training sessions in order to acclimate herself to surviving without its comforting crutch. So if this situation ever reared itself again, she would be better prepared for its arrival.
She nodded at his back. "Good. The sooner I can get off Maridun, the better." Ambria allowed the silence to wash over them again, concentrating on the goal up ahead and trying not to let her tiredness show. It had been a long couple of days, and though she had slept well the night before up in the tree, she was not used to such treks out in the sun. Especially not weighted down with medical supplies, all her armor stuffed among them dragging her down. The dark-skinned woman just hoped that her hastily repaired prosthetic leg would hold up against the added stress.
Soon enough, as the sky darkened, they were entering the outskirts of what appeared to be a fairly large settlement. A few shack-like homes with lights flickering in windows were spread apart on large parcels of land. No one was around to see them; at this time of day, the road they were following was mostly deserted, the townspeople retiring home for the night. Still, though, as they began to pass through what must be the beginnings of the city popping up around them and where they might be more exposed in the more populated areas, she felt more aware of her appearance, more importantly the weapons out in full display on her person.
Ambria began searching for something to rectify this matter, turning her eyes this way and that as they adjusted to the growing dimness around her. Then she saw it, hanging near the side of a building; without hesitation she snagged it off a line and ducked into a small alley. Making sure her companion didn't get too far ahead, she stopped and relieved herself of her baggage. She pulled out a small bag of credits and tossed it near the dwelling, not wanting to add thievery to her list of crimes against Maridun.
Conscience swayed, she proceeded to take the large piece of billowy fabric and hurriedly wrap it around herself, the dress-like concoction aiding in hiding her rifle and pistols beneath it. As well as giving her a bit more modesty over top of her body glove. Satisfied with her camouflage, she grabbed her duffel, slung it over her shoulder, and jogged ahead to catch back up with Adam. Ambria hoped that he had mapped out a route to the spaceport that would be the most favorable to the two thrown-together traveling companions who wished to remain under the radar. But if they did run into trouble, she now felt she was well-equipped to handle it.
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Ash
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Sept 10, 2014 18:33:37 GMT -5
Post by Ash on Sept 10, 2014 18:33:37 GMT -5
Phantom kept on walking and eventually they made it to the town. The sky was darkened as they arrived at at least the outskirts of the settlement. Most people would have wandered inside already already: most of the building had lights on.
It wasn't long before he noticed a small change: Ambria had left the road. He stopped and acted like he was looking for something inside of his bag. After a minute, the dark skinned woman reappeared with a piece of billowy fabric wrapped around her. She had her weapons hidden behind the fabric, but it looked like a casual eye would miss them.
On top of that, her modesty was hidden. She would draw much less attention on top of that than just having her weapons hidden out in the open. When she came into Phantom's sight, he stopped what he was doing and started to head back to the spaceport.
He led the way, nice and casually, towards the spaceport, and it was very dark out again when they arrived. The sky looked like it could start raining at any time, so there were no moon showing at all.\
Here's the port.
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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
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Sept 18, 2014 11:58:37 GMT -5
Post by Mara on Sept 18, 2014 11:58:37 GMT -5
Soon enough, they arrived at their destination. She nodded her unnecessary response to his declaration and came to a stop behind her companion. Throughout the trek through the town's backstreets, her emerald eyes had had more than enough time to adjust to the growing darkness. Ambria couldn't see as well as she would have with her helmet, but her human components were a fair replacement. And what they were now taking in was the familiar setup of a mid-sized spaceport, larger than she had been expecting, a few ships of various sizes resting in their berths.
Ambria couldn't pick out any guards with her night vision-adjusted eyes, but felt certain there must be some kind of security, even on a backwater planet such as this. The woman glanced around her and ducked around the corner of a nearby building that appeared to be some kind of warehouse, availing herself of the extra cover its shadows provided. Before the two of them could just rush in there, hijack a ship, and get off this rock, they needed some kind of organized scheme. She would need this Adam to guide such a strategy; he would have a better idea of what they might be up against here.
Once he had joined her, she kept her voice low, almost a whisper. "So what's the plan here? Any thoughts on sentries and their position? A back entrance, perhaps?" Though she could probably guess at the spaceport's layout, it was hard to tell how accurate her assumptions might be. Most of them had the same general floor plan, but she had no clue whether this one on Maridun followed those rules. "Shall we split up and go quietly, meet up inside, or just go in hot and surprise them?" Ambria realized she was throwing a lot of questions and options at the man, despite wanting him to take the lead, but she had a hard time dampening down her training and officer's experience.
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