Season 1: Episode 4 - Did it have to be you?

[Not Ordo]

Three-six stood in front of the covert base that lay dangerously behind enemy lines. He held his post at the gate as people entered the high security area. A mix of older music played in his helmet and he couldn't hold back nodding his head and doing a spin as the last person walked inside. His voice broke the silence of the guard post as he began to sing along to the song in his ears.

"Turn around, every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming round. Turn around, every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears. Turn around, every now and then I get a little bit nervous. That the best of all the years have gone by
Turn around, every now and then I get a little bit terrified
And then I see the look in your eyes." He sang holding his deactivated comlink to his helmet like a microphone, "Turn around bright eyes, every now and then I fall apart. Turn around bright eyes, every now and then I fall apart."

He continued his song and abruptly stopped when he caught himself thinking of probably the last person in the galaxy he wanted to think of as "bright eyes". He shook his head and cursed under his breath as he rested his forhead against the guard shack window.

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

"Doctor Simmons. Excuse me, Doctor Simmons."

The blond pulled back from the X5microscope lens, clearly distracted. "Ye--es Albert?"

"Orders are to pack up your lab in the next hour. This location isn't safe anymore and they're evacuating us to a new one."

Felicity waved her hand through the air. "An hour? You have got to be joking. These experiments are in the middle of their gestation period. We would lose all the data."

"I'm sorry, but orders ma'am." The red-haired assistant sounded nervous and flustered at the same time. Felicity really missed Sarah. Of course her favorite lab assistant asked to be transferred to be closer to that mangy ewok.

"Thank you Albert. I will take your suggestion upon consideration."

"But Doctor S-," he protested.

"That'll be all." The brainy-girl ignored him and continued to study the slide. Albert jammed his thinner glasses up the bridge of his nose and sulked off, out of the lab, down the corridor, and out of the security door. He muttered to himself as he passed a dancing trooper. "That woman is impossible to work with! If she wants to stay, fiiiiiiiiiine. It'll be her gravestone. I really gotta get a new job."

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

"Hey nerd!" Three-six yelled at the man's back as he stalked out, "you need to go put the other entrance and to the shuttles."

"I am NOT a, quote, nerd, end quote." Albert the steady lab nerd said, "I have a masters in molecular diatonic engineering with a minor in astro-physics. With the right equipment I could make ten of you using pond water and rancor drool."

"First of all Al, can I call you Al, that's gross." Three-Six said holding up his index finger, "second of all, all I really heard you say was "I'm a nerd" but with more whining. Now who won't leave?"

"Doctor Simmons, you dull creature." He replied as he nerd stomped back toward the other exit, "she refuses to leave despite direct orders."

"Wait...not Doctor Felicity Simmons?"

"Who else!?" Albert said, "now if you'll excuse me I need to follow orders and leave."

Three-six rolled his eyes made a quarter turn to his left and began to tap his face plate against the door jam....repeatedly. He knew it was only a matter of time niw before..."IC-6736? This is Sergeant TK-1715. There is a Doctor in lab one who refuses to be evacuated. Please go and convince her to go."

"I hate you." Three-six muttered.

"What was that private you're breaking up."

"Affirmative Sargeant." Three-six said as he slumped his shoulders and began to walk to the lab. He took a deep breath as he stopped outside of the door and chatter on his helmet comlink began to start. He raised his hand and rapped on the door.

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

Rubber gloves hugged her arms up to her elbows as she hovered over a low table of specimen samples. She pressed her nose into her upper arm for a moment, trying get get rid of an itch she couldn't scratch. Her back was to the door but she heard the knock.

Eyes rolled beneath the goggles.

"I told you Albert, I'm not ready yet. For the love of...go away so I can finish analyzing this data."

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

Three-six rolled his eyes took another deep breath and did what any super macho totally not afraid of a nerdy blond girl would do...he pretended to be a different trooper and walked in.

"Ma'am." He said through gritted teeth, "enemy combatants are coming this way and the empress said to evac all the egg...I mean, scientist. You are the head scientists. That makes you." (A pain in the butt) "priority one."

He held his E-11 blaster rifle at the ready and totally didn't think of shooting her...lab or anything. Nope, never crossed his mind.

"I have to insist you follow me to your shuttle immediately." (Or I'll tell your mother what you did with a stormtrooper)

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

There was only one thing that would make her hesitate and spare a glance up from her work.



That voice.



Blue piercing eyes looked at the trooper from beneath the plastic lab goggles. But the flicker of hope and recognition quickly dissolved from her features. He wasn’t Darman. At least, she didn’t think he was. And if it was Darman, she would break a beaker over his head and then probably kiss him. NO, no, probably just break the beaker. Or maybe…



She quickly pushed these thoughts aside and waved a dismissive hand in the meathead’s direction.



“I know you can’t understand the importance of what’s going on here.” Chin tipped to what she was working on. “But I’m about to develop a cure to the biological weapon that the rebels have been using.” She was so close! She just needed another hour, maybe two – or three tops! Eyes drifted briefly to his blaster.



He wouldn’t dare.



“I am not going anywhere. Move along trooper.”



Without giving him a second glance, she bent back over the slides spread across the lab table.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

Well the I'm aomeone else idea lasted for about two seconds into her speech about her super important whatchawhozit when her nerd beauty and the realization as much as she was annoying she was about to get herself and him caught and killed. He knew she was to full of eggheadisms to just obey so he would have to use nerdspeak.

"How will an inoculation be administered to the Hand citizens and troops if you and the inoculations are captured by the rebels?" That's right more than three syllable words! "Simmons I am not going to be the one to call your mother and tell her you were captured"

'AND YOU HAD TO KEEP TALKING AND SCREW IT UP! NICE JOB THREE-SIX!' he thought.

He looked around and tried not to think of kissing her and even worse her getting shot and -not- kissing her....that was a weird feeling.

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

She looked-up sharply. Glacial-blue eyes narrowed. "I KNEW IT!" She marched over in front of the trooper, gloved hands on her hips. "You are SO immature! Why did you even pretend to be...?"

She huffed.

"And you most certainly will not have to tell my mother anything. You don't understand!" Gloved-hands flew up in the air. She didn't want to admit he had a point. "I'm not going to get captured or shot." She tried to wave it back with laughter but it died quickly on her lips. It was a little scary.

But was she going to admit that? Nononononno - NO.

She looked over her shoulder at the slides on the table. "You don't have to stay. I just need ONE more hour - tops. I'm so close Darman."

Real name drop for sympathy.

She began to turn away from him to walk back toward the slide table.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

"I'm, Immature?" He said pointing at his chest and lean8ng down, "I'm not the one that plays with micro-bugs all day and thinks that 'oh nutting bad gon happen to meh' " he said making a poor imitation of her voice, a very poor imatation, we're talking bad here folks, and waving his hand about like she had done. She was so annoyingly pretty when she was mad. 'NO! SHUT UP BRAIN! DON'T YOU HAVE BODY FUNCTIONS TO HANDLE? NOT THOSE KIND UGH!'

"You want an hour? Ok." He said standing up straight suddenly very very serious. "Do you think you can recreate this cure at your new lab if this isn't the real deal?"

The sounds of blaster fire came over the comlink in his helmet. "Can it be recreated?"

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

A red tinged her cheeks, a mixture between embarrassment and frustration. "I do NOT sound like that." She paused halfway to the slides table, spinning around to face off with the suddenly at-attention trooper. "If I get it right, I should be able to re-create it. It depends on what samples they'll have available at the new location. It's a matter of time. If I left now I could get back to this point but we would lose months. And how many more of our people would have to die before..."

A clink sounded outside the far lab wall, close to the slides table, followed by a thunderous roar and a blast of fire and heat as the metal exploded outward. The blast knocked the black-heeled scientist off her feet and sent her flying toward three-six. Puffs of thick, black smoke billowed into the room as alarms around the base echoed and the sprinkler system switched on above their heads.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

"How many of our people will die if you get sh...." the sudden blast sent her into him quickly and he was finally useful. He opened one arm and wrapped it around her as he flew at him and fired his weapon into the dust and debris.

"Shot." He finished as he turned his back to the opening while blaster fire began to stream through. A red bolt struck his broad back as he pushed her toward the door and slapped it open. The blaster burn hurt worse than his conscience after their "closet time" but adrenaline and a desire to not see her dead told him to haul shebs.

"Stay close" he said, grabbing for her hand as he made to move for the shuttle bay and hopefully an escape.

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

Shock. Shell-shock. Ears still rang from the explosion.

One black-heel was broken.

For a moment, the only place she felt safe was in Darman's plasteel-covered chest. She stumbled forward as she was pushed to the door. She numbly took off her goggles and gloves. Blood dripped from her ears and the back of her labcoat was torn to the flesh beneath.

Mind grasped at his words as he tugged her hand and she stumbled after him. Stay close. She wanted to be scared and she was scared - terrified. But something deeper oozed out. Something that bit through the shell-shock and numbness. Anger.

Head swiveled behind her shoulder toward the smoke and kill bolts being fired behind them. "You DIMWITTED IGNORAMUS MYNOCK FECES FOR BRAINS!!!!!" In her rage, she grabbed for three-six's blaster. Holding it rambo style, she fired it off into the smoke as they fled.

She could cry and mumble later.

Right now she was a pissed-off scientist!

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

"Whattha?" Three-six began as his blaster was wrenched from his hands. He turned to see Felicity laying down fire like some holo-vid hero. He looked at her for a moment then at the resistance and he had to admit, she was kind of really attractive all of a sudden. He looked at her again and suddenly he didn't feel quite as disgusted with himself for secretly liking her.

He quickly smashed the glass of an emergency evac kit and fire extinguisher. He tossed the kit's strap over his shoulder and aimed the fire extinguiser into the open door in front of her then sprayed the thick foam at the enemy filling the air with a thick white mist.

"Come on Jango Simmons." He said pulling her backwards toward the shuttle corridor, "you can let out your inner warlord later."

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

She stumbled backwards, doing amazingly well with one barefoot and one broken-heel. "I'm not done with these low-lifes yet!" She growled and continued to pepper the laser bolts blindly into the mist as they retreated. "They ruined my favorite labcoat!!!"

She was pulled into the hangar and a door slammed shut behind them, surprisingly still in tact.

Breathing rapidly and eyes darting wildly around beneath her glasses she froze, blaster still gripped tightly in her hands, full-shock finally setting in. She couldn't even look to three-six. She was frozen in place. Rigid.

"I don't feel so good."

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

Three-six looked back as the woman locked up. He took a step back to her and took her hand to try and guide her along but it was no good. She was going into shock or hysterics or something womanly that he didn't understand. He let her hand drop.

"You can't stop!" He said, "they're still com...wait...you're not gonna throw up are you?"

He walked over as he heard people working at the lock on the otherside of the blast door.

"Simmons! FELICITY, come on!" He said as grabbed the weapon from her hand and scooped her up to carry her to the last Shuttle, "don't hurl, don't hurl, don't hurl" he said over and over as he rushed to the shuttle.

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

She bounced up and down as she was carried. The exact kind of movement that she did NOT need right now. And it was coming....

The bile started in the back of her throat.

Bounce-BOUNCE-bounce-bounce.

Blinking hard, she tried to stop it. But it was already coming up-up-up-UP. Straightening suddenly in three-six's arms, she wrapped her arms around his neck and dipped her chin behind his shoulder, promptly hurling whatever was left from that day's lunch. Nerf-burger, a salad, and some milkshake - a chocolate milkshake.

To the shocked-scientist's credit, most of it splattered to the decking behind them and only some of it dripped down three-six's back.

"I'm sorry," she groaned and pressed her forehead into his bouncing shoulder.

Yes, Felicity Simmons ACTUALLY apologized for ONCE!

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]


"Fe. Didju jus.." he shook his head as the shuttle popped open the side hatch the smell of vomit already leaking thrpugh his helmet's filters. "Forget it. I've done worse."

He pushed her into the arms of waiting teoopers as the first rebel blaster bolts began streaming toward the ahuttle. He gave a look to the woman as she lay there pale and tired looking.

"Treat for shock and possible concussion." the only explanation for an apology he could think of, "and check for fractures she took a good fall. Also, she may have hearing loss."

More blaster bolts came at them and the pilot was ordered to take off. Three-six went to step in when the rebels stepped forward with a land to air missile. Three six slammed the door closed as the ship began lifting off and shot the missile gunner before he could fire and began engaging the rebels alone while the shuttle lifted the nerd to saftey. He fired a few more times hitting, well something surely, before he ran for the opening of the hanger and into the jungle. He would have to find another way off world.

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

She was in someone else's arms.

WAIT, SHE WAS IN SOMEONE ELSE'S ARMS.

"Darmon!" She yelled and pushed weakly against the shuttle-staff. The door sealed. With an iron-like grip, she tugged on the sleeve of the stranger holding her. "We CAN'T LEAVE HIM!"

"Sorry ma'am, orders."

"Don't ma'am me."

"Hey, sedate her, she's clearly experiencing trauma."

"HEY I CAN HEAR YOU! DON'T YOU DA--"

She felt a sharp prick in the back of her neck. "When I talk to the commander about all....all....thi....I'm coming...back....for....himmmm," head drooped and she was out.

Darman, when I get my hands on you for leaving me.....

I better get my hands on your for leaving me.