saltus in demonstrando

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Buffy/Blake's 7 (Place in the Universe)
Chapter Summary: Cally and Cordy get their attack on the base underway and Cally gets some unexpected good news.
Word Count: 700
Rating: Teen

 

I was, as I said, desperate. Justifiably so, if looked at sympathetically. I had allowed others to define myself, and somewhere in the middle my own voice was disappearing. If I didn't hurry, it'd be gone forever.
In life, you have little control over how others define you. In death, you have none. And I thought death would have me, sooner or later, and in all probability, sooner.

        It is somewhat impressive, Cally has to admit. Blake has, once again, somehow managed to find another competent person to help advance his cause, if only for a little while, and even then only by proxy. He draws them to him as some sort of gift he possesses, one that it’s fairly clear despite Avon’s accusations of manipulation he doesn’t fully understand he has and therefore is hardly able to press his advantage. What Chase lacks in training of any kind she makes up with an amount of righteous viciousness that says she doesn’t think she should have to be in this position in the first place, against the few who decide to try their luck against the two of them. It could remind her unfavorably of Servalan, but the longer she spends in Chase’s company, the more Cally is fairly certain her original impression is correct. Chase tries to stand aloof, but she does care about others with the caveat of a realistic expectation of her own capabilities, and the way she’s monologuing like she desperately wants to show off her cleverness says she’s lonely and just about as well-adjusted socially as Avon. Like Avon, she doesn’t seem inclined to explain any of the technical terms, either because he’s showing off or is so deep in his expertise he doesn’t even think it’s not a baseline level of knowledge and is perfectly content to just have an audience. Fortunately, as this particular venture happens to be in Cally’s interests as well, she doesn’t particularly have anything better to do.
        “I had this ex-boyfriend—and then when he broke up with me, I made sure he was ex-football, too—but he showed me how to hotwire a car once. He was trying to show off, but all he really was was tryhard. And I am very, very happy this costume came with gloves…” Cally has, in the past, experienced an Old Earth Car, though it certainly seems to be an earlier model than the one they are currently breaking into. Chase seems completely capable, which is fortunate as Cally is soon to be distracted.
        Cally? Are you in need of some assistance?
        She will certainly miss this, that is for certain. I would welcome it, Professor. An unknown number of enemies have taken a local military base, and it is probably a terrible idea to allow them to keep it. She sends more, of course—that’s the efficient thing about telepathy, that you don’t need an arbitrary number of words to communicate things like trying to approximate Travis and Servalan and the atrocities committed on their behalf, as well as directly by them. His alarm in return.
        I do not have the capabilities or allies I once had, but what I have to give, I offer freely.
        Thank you, she responds with dignity.
        You are very welcome. And then, of course, his attention is elsewhere, making preparations as they are doing.
        “Are you just, like, going to stand there?” Chase asks, covering concern with exasperation.
        “Just coordinating backup,” Cally responds with a smile, getting in, and the annoyance abruptly fades.
        Another similarity—Chase is, again, a realist, and backup helps to better ensure she’s not risking her life on a foolish errand. That kind of assurance makes her bolder. And she’s also clever enough to have worked out how, having seen evidence of Cally’s telepathy previously. “I like the sound of backup.” Of course, that would be the perfect moment to teleport away or, in this case, to drive off, but it appears she had only got past the door locks, and had yet to ‘hotwire’ the car. The moment is wasted, but Cally hides her amusement; it would not do to upset one of her new acquaintances on such a basis.