#Yeah I've watched the pilot a lot more than I'd like to admit

[derpiedoxie]

I like the silly little new indie show

Someone give Pomni a cookie

[highwaytothedangerzone502]

Foxtrot Alpha Alpha - Chapter 18

Pairing: Hangman x Female OC

Word Count: 2882

Warnings: Mention of death, swearing

Summary: Hangman learned his lesson a long time ago to never show his true feelings when someone's words or actions hurt him. To do so showed weakness that could be exploited, and Seresin men couldn't show weakness. Of course, there was an exception to every rule, and Jake's always came in the form of women, three in particular: his mom, Juliette Kazansky, and the girl whose name he could no longer bring himself to speak. She was the girl that got away; she was his biggest 'what if' and his biggest regret; she would forever be the ghost that haunted his dreams. Jake believed that's where she'd stay, for he would surely never see her again after what he did.

Or so he thought.

Notes: This is the sequel to India Lima Yankee; I'm using the same callsign for the Female OC as in Ghost Story because I just really like it, but they are different characters; chapters in italics are flashbacks.

Chapter Songs: Homecoming Queen The Archer

****

Ghost

Raptor and Lightning greeted the girls exuberantly when they entered the house. Ghost took them out to use the bathroom while Juliette changed into comfier clothes. Ten minutes later, they were all on the couch scrolling through Instagram and watching The Notebook in the background. 

Juliette gave Ghost a sideways glance. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Someone mentioned that you weren't too... enthused to be at the bar earlier. You also seemed more than a little gung-ho to leave. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. There's a lot going on right now, and I wasn't in the mood to socialize, but I'd promised Jackie I'd go," Ghost admitted, fiddling with her dog tags. "It's Ghoul's birthday today, so that's been on my mind mostly. Not to mention, my stunt from earlier didn't go over so well with Maverick. I was mortified when he confronted me about it."

"And? I know that look, Ghost."

"It's the only look I got."

"Annalise."

Ghost sighed and slumped into the cushions, her cheeks flaming while the truth rolled from her lips. If it had been anyone but Juliette, she would've played dumb, but for better or worse, Jules could see through all her bullshit. "I felt out of place. I mean, I had you, Rooster, Jackie, Bob, and Coyote, of course, but I can't rely on y'all to be my conversation holders the entire night. I don't know... I just wish I could be like Jackie sometimes. I don't know how she does it. She barely knew any of them but seemed to have no issues connecting with them, whereas I couldn't even figure out a stupid thing to say to start a conversation."

"Hey, you can always come to me when you feel out of place because I've been where you are. Hell, sometimes I feel like that, too, even with my history with the Daggers. It's nothing any of them do to make me feel that way, but they're all these kickass fighter pilots, and I'm me. They put their lives on the line every day, and I help make designs for jets. Point is you're not alone. If I'm there, you have me as backup, no matter what."

Ghost smiled appreciatively at her best friend. "Thank you, Jules. Have I ever told you how grateful I am for you?"

"No, but you don't need to. I know. Oh! Speaking of being grateful, I'm so happy you posted a new video on Instagram! You had this pregnant lady in tears."

"It wasn't meant to make you cry!"

"But I could feel your emotion in it! And don't worry about it; a lot of things make me cry right now. I blame it on the raging pregnancy hormones. Seriously, I cried because I finished off a pint of Ben & Jerry's, and then cried more when I realized how stupid it was that I was crying over ice cream."

"Uh, I would cry too. Ben & Jerry's is delicious! Do you have some?"

Juliette nodded. "Rooster is a saint and bought about twenty cartons when he discovered me staring at the empty container in tears. Once my nausea passes, you can bet your ass I'm getting one, but you're welcome to have one too."

"I'll wait-"

"Don't you dare wait for me if you want some!" Juliette argued, pointing a firm finger at her friend.

Ghost raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't know how this nausea thing works, though. Like, will you get sick watching me eat it? Or will the smell get to you? Because, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, I don't think you'll be able to get up off the couch and to the toilet in time if you do need to be sick."

"... I hate that you have a point. I'll be back." Juliette pushed herself off the couch and disappeared for a moment. She returned with an empty trash bin lined with a plastic bag. She collapsed onto the cushions and chirped, "Now I don't have to go to the bathroom. Go get that ice cream."

"Fine, fine, but let me know when you're ready for yours, and I'll get it for you."

"Yes, yes, now go." While Ghost headed to the kitchen, Juliette shouted after her, "So, the caption in your last video was kind of vague. Who were you singing the song about?"

Damn it, I was hoping she'd moved on from that. "Uh, an old acquaintance. We used to be best friends, shit happened, and we fell apart. That's all. Really not much to it," Ghost insisted, keeping the explanation short and to the point. Then, choosing to direct the conversation in an entirely different direction, she said, "Now, enough about me and my woes. Have you and Rooster chosen baby names yet?"

Juliette lit up like the sun. "Yes! We want to honor our dads and Bradley's mom. For girls, we're pretty set on Carole or Michelle."

"Michelle?"

"Feminine version of Mitchell. For boys, we have more options: Nick, Thomas, Mitchell, and Pete. Mitchell will be a middle name at most since that's my nephew's name. Bradley's been working on the nursery. We're going to have the babies share for a bit, and then we'll add an addition onto the house, make my office one of their bedrooms, and the new addition my office."

"If y'all need help with the nursery or the addition later on, let me know. I enjoy home renovation projects. Mainly the demolition part."

Juliette snorted. "That's Rooster's favorite part too. It's a wonder you and him didn't end up together with that shared mentality."

"Please don't remind me that I slept with your fiancé," Ghost groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I know I didn't know you at the time it happened, but it's still mortifying, even more so than when you told me who he was to you because you were at least broken up back then. Now, y'all are together and expecting babies-"

"Ghost!" Juliette grasped her friend's shoulder tightly. "Relax, okay? If it bothered me, I wouldn't bring it up, let alone joke about it. I trust you around him. If I didn't, you'd know. Besides-" a glimmer of mischief sparkled in her eyes- "I see how you look at Hangman."

Ghost scoffed. "You mean the look of utter contempt?"

"The first time I saw you two, I couldn't decide if you were going to kiss or kill each other. You may be old acquaintances, but he obviously made an impression on you the first time you met."

You're not wrong. "That's one way to put it. Now, are we going to talk about Hangman, or are we going to ogle Ryan Gosling?"

"Like you even have to ask." Juliette settled into the cushions, and a relieved Ghost followed suit. It's not that she was afraid Jules wouldn't understand her feelings toward Hangman, but Ghost didn't want to put her friend in an uncomfortable position between two of her closest friends. Besides, it's not like she didn't know some of the story already; Juliette simply hadn't put two and two together of the story Ghost told her long ago, and that was how she intended to keep it for as long as she could.

****

Ghost groggily opened her eyes and looked around in a daze, aware that The Notebook no longer played on the TV; instead, the iconic "what excellent boiled potatoes" line sounded, immediately alerting her to the new movie playing, another favorite of hers. Straightening up, she looked over at Juliette, who happily munched away on a pint of ice cream while watching Pride and Prejudice.

"How long have I been out?" Ghost asked, blinking the sleep out of her eyes.

"About four hours. Just in time for the comedy show," Juliette replied with a smirk.

Ghost tilted her head. "The comedy show?"

At that moment, the door leading to the garage opened. Rooster's unmistakable voice whispered loudly, "SHHHHH. You're going to wake them up."

"This is why your call sign is Rooster. You're loud as fuck when people are trying to sleep," Hangman joked in an equally loud whisper. Ghost and Juliette shared a look and smothered their laughter.

"DOGS!" Coyote exclaimed gleefully and with no reservation in his tone. A solid smack sounded immediately after, followed by Coyote's disgruntled, "Ow!"

"Boys-" came Maverick's calm, sober voice- "they're already awake."

"Wait, they are?" Rooster's head popped out from behind the door frame, his sunglasses covering his eyes. Frowning, he stepped into the kitchen and placed his hands on his hips. Motioning at the girls, he said, "Look what you've done, Hangman!"

"Me?!" Hangman demanded indignantly, coming into view. For someone who was evidently more than a little tipsy, he appeared much more put together than his comrade. "You're the one who can't whisper to save his life. I bet Jules isn't getting sleep because you're one loud mother-"

"Don't swear! The babies could hear you!"

Hangman's expression twisted into annoyed confusion. "They won't remember if I say 'fuck' at this age."

"They will with how loud you're saying it."

Ghost leaned over and inquired quietly, "Are they always like this?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Juliette confirmed, eating one last spoonful of ice cream before standing up. Smiling in amusement at the boys, she asked, "How was tonight?"

"It was great!" Rooster replied cheerfully, hurrying over to his fiancée and kissing her. He turned to Ghost and hugged her tightly. "We missed you two there. Not the same. What have you been up to?"

"We had a girl's night, watched movies, ate some ice cream, and had a grand old time," Juliette responded, peering behind Rooster at Maverick. "Did you have much trouble getting him home?"

Maverick shook his head, chuckling. "Not really. Once I said you were waiting for him, he practically teleported to the Jeep. Hangman and Coyote followed to see you and the dogs."

"Speaking of Coyote-" Ghost looked at the kitchen area- "where exactly is he?"

Maverick glanced down beside him. "On the floor getting licked to death by the dogs."

"Wait, did I hear Ghost?!" Coyote inquired, suddenly popping up from behind the counter. "Ghost!"

He hurried over to her and lifted her into an air hug. Ghost laughed at his exuberance. Setting her back down, he asked, "What are you doing here?" 

"I thought you knew I was going to be here?" Ghost answered, steadying her friend when he wobbled slightly.

"I knew you were leaving. Didn't know you were staying with Jules. Hey, Hangman, did you know?"

Jake, now kneeling on the floor and petting the dogs, shrugged. "Yeah, I figured she'd be here."

Coyote leaned in conspiratorially and said in a hushed tone, "That's why he wanted to come with us then."

"Uh-huh, sure, Javy." Ghost patted his shoulder. "Captain Mitchell, do you need help getting these two back in your car?"

"No, I think they're okay. Mostly." Maverick eyed a swaying Coyote. "Ghost, do you have a ride home, or are you staying with Jules?"

"I was going to call an Uber."

Maverick waved a dismissive hand. "Don't. I've got you covered. Where do you live?"

"About five minutes north of here, but I don't want to add to the route if it's too out of the way."

"Don't worry about it. We're heading that way to Hangman and Coyote's, so it's no issue."

Ghost hesitated for a moment, wondering whether she should accept or not, but deciding against causing a potential scene, she agreed. Turning to Juliette, she said, "Thanks for letting me hang out with you tonight. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Of course. Maybe you can come over after Jackie leaves if you want to."

"Sounds like a plan. Good luck getting Rooster to bed."

"I have a feeling we're both going to be sleeping on the couch tonight," Juliette said, her eyes flicking over to the sofa where Rooster already snored softly. "Well, that didn't take long. Anyway, you guys get home safely. Text me to let me know."

"Yes, ma'am!" Coyote saluted her from the ground, rolled over, stood, and then marched out of the house. Hangman rolled his eyes, hugged Juliette goodbye, and then trailed after his friend. Maverick followed suit with Ghost on his heels. They approached the Jeep, where Hangman held the passenger door open. To her surprise, he motioned for Ghost to get in. All she could do was thank him and slide onto the seat. He shut the door after her, then moved to sit behind Maverick. Soon, they hit the road and headed to her place. With it being so late at night, traffic was nearly non-existent, and they arrived without any issue.

"Thanks for the ride, Captain Mitchell," Ghost said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Don't mention it. And please, call me Maverick. All my kids do," he told her kindly.

Ghost couldn't help the small smile that broke through. "I'll remember that, sir," she replied. Then, turning around to face Coyote behind, she added, "Thanks again for saving me from that guy at the bar earlier. I really do owe you one."

"No, no, no, you owe me nothing. Besides, I can't take all the credit. I wouldn't have even known had Hangman not mentioned something to me."

Ghost's eyes flicked to Jake, who visibly stiffened at the remark. Clearing his throat, he said casually, "I caught you trying to catch your sister's eye to send the SOS signal. I figured it was better to send Coyote to help you."

Ghost's heart wrenched painfully in her chest because she heard the unspoken words in his statement: Better to send Coyote to help than me. She remembered the last time he'd helped her all too well, how she questioned so many of her morals because of him. God knows what would've happened had he stepped in tonight instead of Coyote. As sincerely as she could, Ghost said, "Thank you, Jake."

His green eyes softened ever so slightly as he nodded in response. Suddenly feeling an overwhelming tension in the air, Ghost hurriedly said, "I'll see y'all soon. Get home safely, okay?"

Thanking Mav one more time for the ride, Ghost jumped out of the Jeep and rushed to her door, walking as fast as her legs would carry her without making it look like she wanted to run. Once inside, she sank against the door down to the floor, staring up at the ceiling in a desperate, futile attempt to view the heavens above.

"I wish you were here, Ghoul," Ghost whispered, wiping a tear off her cheek. "I could use your advice right now. Or your humor. I'd take either one at this point. I don't know what to do. I thought I hated him. I thought, after all this time, that this grudge that's been... that's been festering inside me all this time would turn into hatred, but it hasn't. It's annoyingly just stayed a grudge. And the truth of the matter is, I still love him, and I hate that I still do. It'd be so much easier if I hated him. It'd be easier to ignore him, to not overanalyze every fucking interaction and conversation we have, to not think about him even when he's not around. It'd be easier to move on with my life. But all I can think about, all I've thought about these past few years whenever something happens, is how I wish he were there with me or within reach so I can talk to him. When I got promoted, do you know who I wanted to tell first? Not my mom or my dad, not my sister, him. I physically reached for my phone and pulled up his name before I remembered I had cut him out of my life because he treated me like I was nothing when I needed him most. And when I think about that time, I remind myself that that's why I've kept my distance from him. Because I don't know what would happen if I let him break my heart like that again. I barely pulled myself back together after you died, and I can't... I can't go through that again. I'd rather face an entire terrorist organization by myself than go through feeling like that again. I'd rather feel nothing at all."

By now, the tears streamed freely down Ghost's cheeks, and her entire neck ached from trying to speak through the knot lodged in her throat. Still, she continued, the words spilling forth of their own free will with no intention of stopping until Ghost finally voiced what she'd been dying to say. "I'm so lost, Ghoul. I have friends around me, great friends; I have Juliette and Rooster; I have Coyote and Phoenix, but I still feel so alone. I wish you were here so badly. If you're listening, I need a sign. Give me a sign of what I'm supposed to do or who I'm supposed to talk to. Please. I'm begging you."

She waited for a text, a call, a knock, something, but nothing happened. Only silence responded to her anguished, tearful pleas. Ghost braced her head on her knees and quietly sobbed in the darkness of her apartment. 

****

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[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

TW: 1x01 "Pilot"

I finally watched the pilot of TW and I had some thoughts that I jotted down in my notes while watching:

(all below the cut, it goes without saying, if you don't like, don't read, NO ONE is forcing you to read this):

So...yeah. Here are my thoughts. And I am clarifying here that this is critical of the show, not Jensen himself. I will repeat: this is critical of the show, not Jensen himself. Those are two very different things.

I must admit that I was not looking forward to this prequel. At first, when it was announced, I was. I was beyond happy that Jensen was choosing for his first project to expand the SPN universe, even if John and Mary's story had already been told in the original show. But then, as more and more details slipped through about this production, I became less and less excited for it. Last week's promotion and NYCC killed it for me indefinitely. But, I decided I would still give the pilot a genuine shot. What was said in interviews can sometimes be misconstrued or be a result of nervousness or bad PR or whatever the case may be. So, I gave the pilot a shot. And no disrespect to Jensen, Robbie, and Danneel, but this is not it.

I'm just going to start with the positives and work my way from there:

Drake has potential. Not only does he look like a young Sam but he really does have some potential to play this part - I think the locker scene was a strong one for him.

Nida and Demetria did great jobs this episode. I look forward to seeing their characters develop further.

I think the cast really gave it their best effort and for their sake I hope that this is successful either itself or enough that it launches/furthers their careers.

It was nice to hear and see the name Winchester again.

I was surprised that they used the same version of "Walking After Midnight" by Patsy Cline as Big Sky did for their season 3 promo, but it's Patsy and who can resist her? Especially that song?

I appreciate the attempt they're making at using different filters/lenses and trying to soften the look up so this is different compared to the look of SPN, but it feels like it's too much? Because it's connected to SPN? I'll explain more below

I liked Latika a lot and interestingly enough, she seems to have more chemistry with Mary than John does. (and she seems to have more chemistry with John than Mary does)

I'm still torn on Carlos. I appreciated his sassiness and sense of humor, but for an experienced hunter, he sure got pushed to the back quite a bit. And for Mary to allow a non-experienced hunter to take the forefront when walking into an unknown situation where her dad possibly disappeared, compared to an experienced hunter, no matter how pissed she might have been at him, that's very out of character for the very experienced hunter we know Mary is. (they should have never tied this back to SPN)

Now that I've covered the characters and some of the positives, I'd like to focus on a few other points/thoughts:

Too rushed: The first 20 minutes or so felt very rushed. We are literally jumping from scene to scene to scene, moment to moment to moment. Almost to the effect that you felt like you were getting whiplash. The cuts/transitions were too quick and if I didn't know anything about this show or its predecessor, I would have been completely turned off by this had it continued. It's too fast for any new viewer to settle in, never mind a veteran of the flagship series.

SPN should not have been connected back to: It's very obvious that they're trying to connect back to SPN, but it's almost trying too hard? I was excited to see Dean again just like every other Dean fan, but the moment I heard his voice, I was no longer excited. That didn't sound like Dean to me. And the obvious line of "I'm going to put this puzzle together in a way you may not expect" just turned me off completely. I understand why Robbie put this line in there, for the curious viewers, old and new alike, but it felt unnecessary? We didn't need that overview. (and the only thing I can think of them justifying that line for is that we don't know who Dean is talking to in his journaling yet, like Sam or whoever, but still) The show should be unfolding organically for the viewers so they can go on this journey with the characters, with Dean. Perhaps a better line might have been "I'm going to put this puzzle together because I need answers. We thought we knew the whole story of what happened with Mom and Dad. Turns out we didn't have a clue" or something like that to grab the viewers and convince them to come on this journey as Dean discovers "the truth" or whatever. Not to mention all the redos of certain SPN 1x01 scenes but putting them between John and Mary instead. These didn't feel like easter eggs or cool callbacks, it felt as if the pilot was being completely redone. Which brings me to my next point: had they not chosen to connect this back to SPN so directly and just put this idea forward as a reboot for a younger generation, then I think it would have been a whole lot better. I know that Jensen and Danneel both mentioned they knew any spinoff idea they had would have to involve a Winchester and they're right, I could see W*B dictating that because it's obvious why the other two spinoff attempts didn't work (according to C*W/W*B anyway), but to have Dean actually in the series...I don't know. It feels like one big ratebait to me. And I think it would have worked better if this show was made to just stand on its own. The coordinates thing, the whole missing fathers thing, the whole "saving people, hunting things"...nah. TW should stand on its own and not stand on the shoulders of SPN if this is the route they're going to take.

No chemistry: Sorry to say it but to me, there is zero chemistry between Meg and Drake as Mary and John. Which is surprising because Meg and Drake seem to have great chemistry in interviews and such. I don't think it's so much them, though. I think it has to do with the forced meet cute and the immediate forcing of a romance down the viewers' throats, instead of trying to let it build organically with the story. And that leads to...no chemistry. All of the moments where they were checking each other out, that John tried to be just the little bit flirty, it all felt forced and therefore, cringe. It was too much boom! too fast, considering the context of the story they're in and that this is the pilot of this show.

Monsters: The monsters in this episode - not what I was expecting after SPN or...anything really. I mean, the final boss in the episode is an Underworld Lycan reject? Who saw that coming? Not me. And the spider-looking thing in the beginning, again, not horrifying. Again, had they not connected back to SPN, the veteran viewers would not be looking for the familiar horror-feel the first season SPN had. And the new viewers would expect better of today's technology and make-up/prosthetics. I honestly think Greg Nicotero would be horrified at the end results should he watch. Am I saying TW is TWD? No. I'm sure their budget is a lot lower than the infamous zombie show obviously, but how did we get to that end result? Just...no. And don't even get me started on the demon voicing. I don't remember this type of tone and pitch happening in SPN. To me, it felt as if they were going for Exorcist-y vibes to make it horrifying and they succeeded...listening to that poor attempt was truly horrifying. And laughable. Sorry, not sorry.

Is this the SPN reboot or the Indiana Jones reboot?: I got serious Indiana Jones vibes from the first sequence of the episode and Samuel appears to be a Harrison Ford stand-in? Why? While I understand the MoL is a secret society so to speak, why would the show lean into that type of storytelling? Again, if this show had just stood on its own and didn't try to directly connect back to SPN, it would be better. I will keep saying it because it rings true in every minute of this episode and the setup for the whole show.

Also a Scooby Doo-SPN reboot?: Speaking of which, I also got serious Scooby Doo vibes and not just because there's a van and you have the setup of the Fred/Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy quartet (minus Scooby) - while I know Jensen has actually seemed to embrace that idea based on recent interviews, again, this should not claim to have direct ties back into SPN. Meaning that it will fit into SPN's story and that they are technically trying to shoot it similarly to how SPN was shot (based on when Jensen said that in the press while they were shooting the pilot). It just doesn't fit imho. This show should have been geared towards new/younger viewers and that's it.

And let's talk about the diversity elephant in the room: Before I get to my questions for Robbie, this is my last and final thought/point, and as much as I wish it wasn't the case, I have to speak on it. The POC's felt very pushed to the back and were only there to further the white leads' stories. Everything we have seen of Latika, Carlos, and Ada so far has been about John and Mary (as well as Samuel and Henry, two more white characters). Even when Latika and Carlos have a moment alone, it becomes about Mary. Not to mention the only things we find out about each character is this: Carlos - implied bisexuality, hunter, might have a crush on Mary (Mary's story line), Mary is still mad at him for something that happened back in Tupelo (Mary's story line); Latika - British, non-experienced hunter, knows about Maggie (Mary's story line), gave off very strong damsel-in-distress vibes even when she opened the box and sucked in the monster; Ada - she owns a bookshop in Lubbock TX, she knows about the supernatural (through what we see), she doesn't know Henry (John's story line). We know nothing else of these characters, not even a hint to their roles in the plot. And again, if we're going the Scooby Doo route, let's remember that Velma, Shaggy, Fred, and Daphne all got their own moments throughout the series/movies and had their own arcs that mixed into the plot. I mean, Carlos is the experienced hunter but after he saves John and Mary, he has John read the exorcism rite? So John effectively saves the possessed woman? (again, this sets John up to be the hero) And then when Mary and John are below ground, Carlos runs to get the silver blade after reading a rune, and throws it down the hole for John to kill the Underworld Lycan reject (and once again, making John the hero)? And Latika is used to make Mary jealous? And she's so nervous, she tries to reassure John before they go inside when it's obvious she's the nervous one, and John is the one that reassures her? I get that Mary and John are the leads but for a show that is boasting diverse representation, this felt rather...half-assed? I'm hoping things will develop further in the following episodes and Carlos and Latika will come more into the spotlight alongside the two white leads, while also having their own parts of the plot, their own stories that don't revolve around Jary.

And no more "amigo" please. That just screams that it was the mandated token of representation sprinkled in. I'm not saying that was their intention of course, but that's how it appeared. It's literally a cliche to have a Latinx person say that Spanish word. If we're going all in for representation, perhaps choose different words that don't make it so cringe and cliche. And one last point on the diversity front, Millie got more time in this episode than Ada did. I get why in the context of this episode but I'm hoping this won't be a continuing trend.

And while we're talking about representation, please showcase PTSD properly, especially for a veteran. I truly hope Robbie and the writers will showcase this very serious issue and mental health in general with more respect and gravitas. That whole car scene felt extremely forced (and again, sprinkled in just for the moment's sake) and it was only to set up another cute romantic moment between John and Mary.

A pilot is supposed to grab the viewer. It's supposed to set up all of the characters and the plot that you're going to be unfolding over the season/series. This felt like the exact opposite (other than the missing fathers/MoL arc).

Now that I've gone through all of those points, I'd like to ask Robbie (and the writers) a few questions. Robbie, my dude, I would like to know:

why Millie had such a bland response to John joining the Marines illegally by forging his dad’s signature? granted, yes, he's already done it and he's now back home, but really? this is her only son and they lost Henry, I would think there would not be such a blase response

how does John accept the truth about demons/the supernatural so fast? I get that he's a freshly returned Marine/veteran and has seen some truly horrifying things but this felt way too unbelievable. And he trusts Mary to tell her about his own dad that fast? I get that he likes her and what he just witnessed, but come on.

How does John know to scour the paper for cases so fast? While yes, he might now know what basic signs to look for with demonic possession/hauntings, how did he know to go looking for that? Or was it something he just happened to see while reading the paper? This is not made clear in the episode.

So let me get this straight, Mary is worried about John, doesn’t want him to sacrifice himself, but then forgets about him underground? And why did she take John down there to begin with, and not Carlos who is an experienced hunter? (I also mentioned this above; and same question could go to why Mary didn't fight to keep Latika away from it all more as well) And more to the point, why didn’t they bring something with silver in it and certain tools/weapons? If you're going to connect this back to SPN and have Mary & Carlos be the experienced hunters when we first meet them, then why on earth would they not bring something silver with them as a safeguard? Especially since they didn't know what they were walking into? I'm pretty sure that Sam and Dean would exchange a look of 'are you kidding me?' right about now. Even Krissy and her crew knew better than that. And Mary keeps telling John that he doesn't want to be a part of this life but she barely puts up any resistance when he keeps pushing to be a part of it? Even taking him places? That's not Mary. (and again, there was more potential had they stood alone rather than connect back to the original SPN & this would have been better for this series' story had she put up more resistance while also allowing their bond/relationship to grow organically)

If Millie lost Henry through the MoL, why would she give her blessing for John to go the same route? Again, why the blase reactions with her? Why, because she knows she can't deter John? Or because she feels it's his destiny? I mean, at this point Millie is completely two-dimensional. And I say two because she's a female mechanic running her own garage in a time where that would have been considered rare rather than the norm. That's the only way she got the bump up from being completely one-dimensional.

If Ada knew about the MoL, then how did Bobby or Rufus or Pastor Jim or Ellen never hear of them? If this is going to fit into the SPN story, then how did no one hear of them before but Ada did? Is that because Ada is MoL or...what? (and this is even before John gets involved in the story) And better yet, how did the Lebanon branch never hear of the Lawrence branch? How did Dean and Sam never find evidence of a branch so close by? And John seriously goes looking for his dad on some random letter allegedly left by his dad for him that some stranger gives him? (it's either going to be Henry doing some more time travelling or Dean himself, I'm calling it now)

and this might be more a question for the production as a whole but you are the showrunner so I'm asking you: why did Mary have a KF II reader in her bag that is reminiscent of more recent models? Haven't EMF readers of that variety (not model) only been around the last 30+ years (1972 is literally 50 years ago)? Why was there nothing home made? I know I keep saying this show should stand on its own and not connect back to SPN, but since you guys are going that route (and touting Mary as the Dean in this equation) then wouldn't it make sense for Mary to have something homemade a la the cassette player that Dean made back in season 1 of SPN? Yes, I know, no walkmans at that time (not until after Dean was born), got it. But something else she or Samuel or Carlos or even Latika could have put together? Why the EMF reader that looks like it's from 2010-2015?

Bottom line, yes, this pilot episode was a big letdown (and I'm sorry Jensen, I respect you, but I'm having a hard time seeing what you were so excited about and why you would sign your name to this as executive producer and your first project out of CMP's gate). There was so much wrong with it. It's very obvious that it's trying too hard to connect back to SPN while being the new SPN at the same time. And that's not going to work story wise, no matter what they come up with. I mean, I love Dean Winchester, LOVE him. I feel he got shafted in the finale, literally and figuratively, but even I was like #notmydean by the end of the episode. It's very obvious that Dean's "return" aka "heaven hiatus" was one big ratebait. I think some of us knew that but we were hoping for the best. But this...this is a hot mess.

However, saying that, I'm going to give it a few more episodes to see if the tide does turn story wise. I don't want to just base it off of the pilot alone, especially when it's obvious it was a quick put together, especially since a reshoot was mentioned (and I have to say I'm surprised that this was the end result of some reshoots). I'm not sure if Robbie wrote the following episodes or other writers did and I'm not sure who is directing, but it's possible if different, that might make a difference. And it's possible that the cast, crew, and whole production felt pressure, not only because they are being forced to connect back to the flagship series and carry that weight on their shoulders, but also because of who may have been involved with the pilot's production and whatever they voiced while there. I'm just going to be up front and say that this shoddy story telling vibe that is happening here does not feel like the type of story telling that Jensen has talked about the past 15+ years. So I think there's another kink in the hose of this whole thing somewhere but I'm not sure where that is yet. But we'll see. And that's just my opinion.

I have loved Meg since her American Housewife days, but I have to be honest, I'm not really feeling her in this project. Maybe I have Sam Smith/Amy Gumenick-tinted glasses on, but she just doesn't feel like Mary to me. (again, if this was standing on its own, it might work) Like I said above, I think they got it right with Drake and he has potential. I also think they got it right with Nida and Demetria (from what little screen time Demetria had). Jojo, I'm still on the fence about them as far as their performance goes. I'm going to wait to see how things unfold with their character and additional scenes they have moving forward. It's obvious that the cast is really giving it their best effort, but we'll see how it all comes out in the wash over the next few episodes and if it's either congealing/coming together to tell a cohesive story or if it's staying a hot mess and getting worse with each episode.

While I appreciate Robbie as a writer back in the SPN days, imho it remains to be seen if he can carry the showrunner torch. One of the biggest cringe moments I had from the NYCC interviews is when they revealed they were using a fan wiki as a technical consultant for the show, to help them keep track on SPN canon. I think I did an actual double take when I heard that. I'm sorry, you're using what to keep you on track for SPN canon? And you gave them the credit of "technical consultant" on the show and you're actually paying this person/these people? You were a writer on the show for how many seasons? And you have one of the lead actors that shot all 327 episodes for 15 years right next to you! Not to mention, this actor has a line in to Kripe, the creator of this whole universe! And you're using a fan Wiki???? Not to mention all 327 episodes!!! Wouldn't it be better to utilize one of these options? To pay someone (or use an intern) to scour the episodes for the canon facts you're looking for? Or to email Kripe? Or-- I don't-- I just don't get it. Tbf, perhaps that wasn't his call and it was someone else's (I really hope it wasn't Jensen's, it doesn't sound like it, but I just don't know at this point, I highly doubt that was W*B's idea), but what on earth? I'm starting to go off on this tangent so I'm going to stop here but yeah, I had some concerns going into this pilot. I was hoping I would be proven wrong but so far...

We shall see. Like I said, I'm going to give it a few more episodes to wait to make a decision on whether I continue watching the show or not. I'm hoping this pilot was just them struggling to find their footing, not only in the SPN box but also on who their projected audience actually is. But like I said, time will tell.

I once again want to emphasize that this is not criticism of Jensen, Robbie, or Danneel as people or Jensen as an actor. This is not criticism of the cast of TW or their ability to do their jobs as actors. This is only critical of the show itself, specifically the pilot episode, and the writing, thus also of Robbie solely as a writer/showrunner. So, if you've made it this far, please keep that in mind (I have also tagged this post appropriately) and thank you for reading.

We shall see what Episode 2 entails.

[wanderinginksplot]

Warriors in Red Armor

Previous | Next | Masterlist

Chapter Five

Kai II

"Does everyone understand the mission?" Ransom stared hard in Kai's direction.

Kai scoffed. Just because her attention had drifted off a time or four didn't mean that she was going to be totally lost. "Who needs a debriefing? We're going to do the same thing we always do. I'm going to flirt with everyone until they give me information or get distracted. Ark will slice into their systems and get hard copies of the information we need. You'll be here, masterminding the whole thing."

Ransom stared at her hard for a moment, but Kai met her gaze with ease. Eventually, Ransom gave a little sigh and said, "Yeah, that's pretty much it. But be careful. We've got to get this job right. The merchant's guild has paid us a lot of credits for the information we need. Plus we stand to double our profit if we complete the mission on time. Maybe we should go over the plan again."

"Nah, I've got it," Kai assured her.

Ransom's eyes were like a med-scanner as she used her gift. Kai had always said that Ransom could spot a lie from five klicks with strangers and twice that with friends. Eventually, Ransom must have decided that Kai was telling the truth and nodded. "Fine, but be careful. Are you sure these layout schematics are up-to-date?"

"I'm insulted," Kai jokingly scowled. "Are my schematics ever outdated?"

"No," Ransom begrudgingly admitted. "Even I don't know how you find some of that information."

Kai beamed at the rare praise from her boss.

"You know," Ark started. Kai tensed - there was only one subject that could put that tone in Ark's voice. "We could really use you out in the field on this one, Ransom."

In half a heartbeat, Ransom was as on-edge as both of the other women. "You know that's not an option, Ark." She gave a forced-looking smile and shook her head. "Besides, you don't need me. You're both the best in your respective fields. This mission will be a total success."

The drastic change in mission outlook warned Kai that Ransom was ready to snap. All antics should be cut off immediately.

"Ark and I better go get ready, huh?" Kai said. "Sounds like we need to look the part."

"Comm me when you're ready and I'll activate your earpieces," Ransom said. She always could snap back into professionalism as naturally as taking a breath.

"We will," Kai promised, pulling Ark toward the door. "Ark, bring your outfit to my apartment, would you? You're better at doing hair than I am and I could use your help getting mine to look right."

As soon as they were in the turbolift, Kai puffed out a breath, trying to sound as non-judgmental as possible. "I don't know why you bothered asking her. She never reacts well to it."

Ark looked a little embarrassed. "I was going back over some of her old case files and I just- I got carried away. She was a legend. An actual one. There were stories about how good she was, and she didn't need to divide jobs like we do. She could flirt, slice, get everything she needed, and get out before anyone even realized there was a breach."

"I know, I've read the files, too," Kai reminded her friend. Ransom had been incredible back in the day. Granted, she was impressive now, but before she had stopped going out on jobs? She could have easily run Red Squad alone and made ten times what they were earning now... And then she would have no one to split profits with. "But you're starting to be a bit of a legend yourself… Ghost."

Ark's pale cheeks reddened with the compliment. "I don't even know how that one got started. And it's not good that people know about me at all."

Kai huffed out a breath at her friend. Ark was slender, pale in every sense of the word, and silent. She was also one of the fastest slicers Kai had ever seen… the fastest if they weren't counting Ransom. 'Ghost' was a natural nickname for her. Kai was only jealous that the nature of her designated task meant that she could never get notorious enough for a nickname. Being recognized would be the end of Kai's usefulness to Red Squad.

"Enjoy it, Ark!" Kai encouraged, squashing her own jealousy. "It's a compliment. Speaking of compliments, how is your trooper?"

"You mean Thire?" Ark asked, blushing a bit darker.

Kai chuckled. "Do you have another?"

"No!" Ark shook her head, smiling despite her apparent exasperation. "We talk a lot. Thire is a great guy."

"Are you going to see him again?"

"I'd like to," Ark admitted. "What about you and Thorn?"

"Thorn?" Kai asked, a bit taken aback. "No, nothing going on there. I had fun with him - you know, drinking, watching people on the dance floor, so on - but I don't think there's much of a future in it."

"That's disappointing," Ark said with a frown.

"No, 'disappointing' will be when we aren't ready on time and Ransom kills us both."

A little less than two hours later, both women were ready to go. There was a strange sort of line they had to toe in order to do their job well. Ark had to be dressed to blend in while Kai worked to stand out. All the attention had to be on Kai so that Ark could get in and do her job before anyone noticed what was happening. They had to arrive separately as well. Kai called two different speeders to her apartment, scheduling the second to arrive later than the first.

"So, who hired us again?" Kai asked when she was ensconced in a droid-piloted speeder.

Ransom sighed heavily through the earpiece. "Seriously, Kai? This is why you need to pay attention during briefings."

"The Bespin merchant's guild hired us to find out if the Felucian merchant's guild is spying on them," Ark informed her. Judging by the muted background noise from Ark's earpiece, she was just leaving Kai's apartment.

"They hired spies to see if the other guild hired spies?" Kai asked, chuckling.

"Merchants," Ransom said simply, sounding as if the word had been accompanied by a shrug.

"Arriving at location now," Kai reported. "Estimated entrance: two minutes."

"Two minutes, mark," Ransom replied.

Kai straightened her clothes and took a deep breath before she stepped into the guild hall. It was ornate and overdone, but that was fine: it matched everything she had done with her appearance.

There was a noticeable lull in conversation when Kai stepped inside. She wrestled her smirk into a pleasant smile as she accepted a glass of expensive wine from a serving droid. The form-fitting, low-cut dress floated around her, revealing shapely legs and the most delicate high heels she owned. Her versatile hair was done in a flattering updo. While her makeup was bold, it was tasteful enough that it didn't look overdone.

If Kai was honest, the hardest part of every mission was the pretending. She had to avoid all of the things she actually enjoyed in favor of appealing to onlookers as a sexual fantasy. She had to sip delicately at wine rather than guzzle hard spirits, she could only eat small bits of food that would be sure not to stick in her teeth or ruin her lipstick, and the tightness of her dress meant that she couldn't take a full step… or a full breath.

Being the bait was a nice ego boost, but everything else about it was kind of awful.

Even as Kai mentally tallied the negative aspects of her task, an older, orange-skinned Felucian gentleman sidled up to her. Kai vaguely recognized him as Ollo Set, the head of the Felucian merchant's guild. She continued giving her pasted-on smile.

"Good evening." Considering the height of Kai's towering heels, Set only just reached her chest. Undaunted, the Felucian put on a smile he clearly meant to be charming. "How can such a lovely woman be here alone?"

"Oh, I'm here with someone," she said, doing her best to sound both flirtatious and confused. "He was supposed to meet me here, but I haven't seen him yet."

"Well, whoever the lucky man is, he's a fool to miss even a moment of your radiant company," Set oozed. He took her hand so he could bow - very shallowly - and kiss the back of it.

Kai felt a rush of revulsion. She hated when they touched her. Still, she was a rather incredible actress, if she did say so herself, so she pasted a delicate smile on her lips. "Thank you, sir. It is comforting to find such kindness here, even if my date is later than I would have hoped."

Set patted her hand in a way that managed to be both fatherly and lecherous. "If he does not arrive shortly, I shall show you around myself. Your careless date should not cause you to miss meeting these incredible people."

"I may take you up on that offer! I'm Saro," Kai lied.

"Ollo Set," he returned, adjusting the jeweled cuffs of his jacket. "Leader of the Felucian Merchant's Guild. Pleasure to meet you, Saro. I must leave for a moment, but ask anyone to point you in my direction and you'll have no trouble finding me."

"Oh," she murmured, trying to sound impressed as she fluttered her eyelashes at him. Set watched her for a moment, looking stunned, then turned to meet with a group of well-dressed Felucians. The whole gathering shut themselves in a side room, leaving the party raging on without them.

Under the pretence of adjusting an earring, Kai activated her earpiece. "Meeting of the big guys - metaphorically big, anyway. Ark, what's your ETA?"

"Speeder trouble," Ark said, sounding irritated. "ETA: four minutes."

"Four minutes, mark," Ransom confirmed.

Kai circled through the room, chatting and picking at morsels of food while she kept an eye on the entrance. At least she didn't have to be subtle about it - her cover story allowed her to openly watch the new arrivals without looking suspicious.

"I'm right outside," Ark's voice crackled through the earpiece. "Are they still in the meeting?"

"Yes," Kai breathed, managing to work her answer into the conversation she was having with a drunk Felucian female.

Ark made her entrance seconds later. She wore a mousy brown wig and a tan dress tailored to disguise her slender figure. Carefully applied makeup had lent her colorless skin the appearance of more life. As a result, she didn't stand out overly much from the other humans in the room. Ark glanced at Kai, who subtly tilted her head toward the still-closed door.

With that, Ark made her way toward a hallway. According to the detailed schematics Kai had provided, the hall held both the refreshers and several data access points. At the last moment, a serving droid moved into Ark's way, intending to offer her a glass of wine. Ark, busy double-checking the door, tripped on the droid and flailed to recover her balance. Her small bag fell to the floor, spilling her slicing materials onto the carpet as the service droid beeped around frantically, trying to offer help. Kai watched with more than a little horror as the door to the guild meeting swung open. Ollo Set stepped out first, then paused and frowned over at the commotion caused by the serving droid.

Kai rushed over toward him. "Mr. Set!"

His pale orange gaze swung toward her instead, for which Kai was forever thankful. She had seen Ark starting to gather her tools, any one of which was recognizable as being part of a slicing project. Now, Kai simply had to hold the attention of Set and the other guild members, and she knew exactly how to do it.

Tugging at her dress in apparent distress, Kai revealed a bit more of her chest than she had previously been showing and forced tears to well in her eyes. When she reached Set and the accompanying guild members, she leaned down to speak with him. Her posture allowed the best vantage point for Set to see both the tears and the cleavage.

"What's wrong, my dear?" Set asked, looking first at her chest, then the tears, then her chest again.

"I just received word that my date isn't coming after all. He's stood me up!" she told him, letting one of the tears slip down her cheek. "Is there any chance you're still willing to accompany me this evening?"

"Why, Saro," he oozed, "I would be absolutely delighted. May I introduce the other leaders of the Felucian Merchant's Guild?"

Kai chanced a glance backward as she straightened up once more - leaning down in such a tight dress was killing her spine - and was pleased to watch Ark disappear safely down the hallway. Kai relaxed slightly and put a tearful smile on as she turned to be introduced to the other Felucians.

"Wait, I- I recognize you," one of the Felucians, this one a yellow-skinned female, said haltingly.

The smile slipped from Kai's face, but she had rekindled it a moment later. "Are you sure? I don't think we've ever met."

"I've seen your face somewhere before," the female insisted.

"What are you prattling on about, Ethoda?" Set asked, striving for a tone of boredom and achieving one of irritation.

"She's someone I know, and not in a good way," Ethoda insisted. Kai's stomach gave an odd little twist at the thought that someone had finally recognized her. The Felucian female at last said, "I'm fairly certain she's a prostitute!"

Well, that was unexpected. Kai gaped. "What? I'm not a- I am not a prostitute!"

"That's just what a prostitute would say," one of the other males muttered.

"Which is more likely: a beautiful human woman being interested in Ollo or that she's a prostitute?"

"That makes more sense than anything else I've heard tonight."

"I'll notify the Coruscant Guard," Ethoda offered, rushing away.

And that was that. Admittedly, the mission had been to keep attention away from Ark in whatever way was necessary, but Kai had never expected this to be the outcome. It wasn't the proudest moment of her life, but Kai sat quietly and waited for the Coruscant Guard. The only move she made was to 'fix her hair' and activate the earpiece.

"I can't believe I'm getting arrested for prostitution," she muttered. Ark and Ransom's frantic questions and sounds of outrage provided entertainment until the Coruscant Guard arrived.

A clone trooper in red and white armor marched into the room. "Commander Thorn. What's going on here?"

---

Thorn I

"This woman is a prostitute!"

Thorn was always the first to admit that he wasn't a lighthearted trooper. The laughter and jokes that came easy to his brothers weren't part of his repertoire. Still, even Thorn had gotten a kick out of the accusations that were being thrown Kai's way. It had taken him a minute or so to recognize her - especially with a group of Felucians insisting that her name was Saro - but her look of dread at his entrance had been a solid clue.

He had taken down the eyewitness details of the incident with care. Keeping his voice level was tricky, but no one could hear the mocking he knew was clear in his expression. When the long-winded Felucians finished talking, Thorn closed the document so he could place binders on Kai's wrists and lead her to his cruiser.

"I'll take her to the precinct," he told the Felucians.

He had to shut down the external speakers on his helmet when the leader of the group - an orange-skinned male who had introduced himself as 'Ollo Set', followed them outside. As he fixed Kai with a stern gaze and he said, "Let this be a lesson to you, young lady: there is no substitute for an honest day's work", Thorn laughed aloud.

Rather than risk reactivating his speaking and giving away the game, Thorn had nodded to acknowledge Set's thanks. He steered Kai into the back of the cruiser as soon as he could and settled into the front seat himself. They were in the air waiting to enter traffic when he finally thought it was safe to remove his bucket.

As he reached for the familiar plastoid curves, Kai snapped, "This is ridiculous. You know I'm not a prostitute."

Thorn broke the seal that had formed between his blacks and his helmet before answering. "Of course I know that. Do you think I leave the code to my binders in the backseat with every perp?"

"Oh," she said, ire deflating as she grabbed the scrap of flimsi and awkwardly typed the written code into the binders. "Then why-?"

"If I hadn't brought you in for a false claim like prostitution, they may have come up with something more difficult to fight." He met Kai's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Like industrial espionage."

There was no answer from the backseat and Thorn abruptly found the whole situation less amusing than he had previously. Industrial espionage was a nasty business, and he wasn't thrilled to find that Kai was wrapped up in it.

"Care to explain what you were doing at the headquarters for the Felucian merchant's guild?" he asked.

She sighed, looking conflicted. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything. As long as it's the truth. I don't like listening to lies."

"Hey," she said, leaning forward with an offended look on her face. "I don't lie."

Thorn snorted. "You want to try feeding that line to the crowd of civvies back there who told me all about 'Saro'?"

"I lie at work because it's literally my job," Kai snapped. "I don't have a choice there, but I do everywhere else. I am not a liar."

"So your job is to lie and you wear revealing clothing while you do so," Thorn mused. "Are you sure you're not a prostitute?"

"I'm on an information securities team called Red Squad," she told him irritably. "We were hired to get intelligence from the Felucian merchant's guild."

"And they sent you in alone?" Thorn asked with an unfortunate chuckle.

"No, I wasn't there by myself," Kai admitted. "But I couldn't stay, not after having attracted that much attention. I don't even know if the mission was a success or not."

"Another private sector success, then," he said, sarcasm thick in his voice. "I take it that jobs don't always end this way?"

She snorted. "Believe it or not, this is the first time I've ever been arrested under suspicion of being a prostitute."

"It's a small and glorious club," he said. "It also signals the need for a career change. Ever thought about doing anything else? This espionage thing may not be your strong suit."

She grew quiet and Thorn saw her turn to stare out of the window. His heart skipped a beat. Stars, don't let her start crying... He felt an unusual wave of pity wash over him. Kai's day had clearly gone wrong and here she was being taken away from a formal event in the back of a police cruiser. Plus, Thorn's vode had always told him he could be abrasive, so chances were good that he wasn't helping matters.

"Hey, I'm not going to charge you with anything. Why don't you give me your address and I'll drive you home?"

"You can just drop me off here," she said frostily. "I can find my own way home."

"The kriff you will," he shut down immediately. "It's almost midnight. Coruscant isn't safe for civvies dressed like you are at this time of night."

"Maybe at the next intersection," Kai suggested, pretending she hadn't heard him.

"Maybe I'll take you to the precinct after all," Thorn threatened. "That way, I won't be responsible if you end up attacked or killed for walking through dangerous parts of the planet at night, looking like a-"

He cut himself off and Kai leaned forward, a challenging look on her pretty face. "Like a prostitute?"

Actually, he had been about to say that she looked like royalty, but her tart response knocked some sense back into him. "Yeah," he agreed instead. "Something like that."

"You're impossible," she told him, sounding tired. "Just… take me home."

She gave him the address, but Thorn could hardly hear it over the pounding of his heart. Kai probably hadn't meant for her words to sound inviting - far from it - but they had caused a pang of something long-buried in his memory. The feeling of home hadn't been one emphasized in flash training or any day since, but he had always imagined it would be the way he felt when he had heard Kai's request.

Still, he forced his mind back to his duty and plugged Kai's address into the navicomputer on his cruiser. Shortly afterward, they had arrived at a plain-looking building. Kai still hadn't said another word to him, which frustrated Thorn for some reason. They may not have exchanged comlink info like Thire and his girl had, but Thorn and Kai had gotten along at 79's. He couldn't remember a time he had laughed harder than when she drunkenly told an equally drunken Nikto that he had "scored a perfect 30" on the dance floor.

Deciding to make things right once and for all, Thorn shut off the cruiser and got out to open Kai's door.

"Thank you, Commander," she said stiffly. "Drive safe on your way back to the precinct."

"Hold on, let me walk you inside," he offered, injecting enough suffering into his tone that she would think it was a punishment. She didn't say anything to encourage him, but she didn't say he couldn't accompany her, either.

So Thorn found himself following Kai down two flights of narrow stairs to her housing unit. When they arrived at the door, he noted an odd lock keeping it closed. Still, he thought little of it until Kai also frowned and made a confused little sound.

Every instinct Thorn had demanded that he act. In half a second, he had grasped Kai around the waist, spun to place her behind him, and drawn one of his blaster pistols. He ignored Kai's questions and focused on the area, but his HUD wasn't showing any signs of potentially hostile lifeforms. More importantly, the strange lock wasn't bringing up any warnings.

"What's on your door?" he demanded, still scanning their surroundings.

"It's a lock," Kai explained slowly.

"I figured that," Thorn's response was dry. "What kind of lock and who put it there?"

"How do you know I didn't?"

"Body language, tension, and observation, now focus," Thorn commanded. "Who put that lock on your door?"

"Probably Ark," Kai admitted with a sigh. "It's for me to practice slicing."

The answer was so far beyond anything Thorn had been expecting that he actually let the barrel of his blaster drop toward the floor as he turned to face her. He repeated, "Slicing?"

"Yeah, I'm over-" Kai stopped her sentence halfway through. "You know what? I don't want to explain this to you."

"Do it anyway," Thorn advised. "Because I'm not leaving, otherwise."

She crossed her arms, kicking up her chin. Right as Thorn thought he would have to press her again, Kai said quietly, "I'm sick of being the bait. I want to do something useful, like slicing, but I'm not very good at it. Ark is trying to teach me and she's big on practice. She bought me this lock and said it would give me motivation to learn."

"So, she put a practice slicing lock on the door to your apartment. You would have to use your new skill to get inside," Thorn summarized. It sounded like something that his vode would do. He silently supported the endeavor even as he mentally noted the implication that Kai and Ark worked as some kind of team.

Still, Thorn holstered his blaster and gestured at the door. He took a step to the side so she could access the lock. "Well, go ahead. Slice."

Kai looked at him, eyes severe. "I'm not any good at it and I'm tired. Do you know anything about slicing?"

"Not a thing," said Commander Thorn of the GAR, official head of the department overseeing arrests and difficult extractions that often included slicing.

"I could get a hotel room for tonight…" she mused.

Thorn rolled his eyes. She was as dramatic as Hound. "Or you could just try it. Your friend wouldn't put an unsliceable lock on your door, would she?"

"Probably not," Kai agreed with palpable reluctance. She sighed and pulled a small set of tools out from behind a potted plant in the hallway as Thorn watched with growing amusement.

Kai placed the scramble key on the back of the lock, but it was backwards and wouldn't work. "What are you doing?"

"Unlocking the door? I'm pretty sure," Kai told him, poking at the lock. "I don't know why the key isn't registering, though."

"Explain the process to me," he invited.

She turned to stare at him, seeming shocked. "You want me to teach you how to slice?"

"Why not?" Thorn asked. "Teaching a skill is one of the best ways to see if you've learned it."

"Fine," Kai huffed. "First, you attach the scramble key to the back of the lock… oops. That's definitely backwards. Anyway! Once the system has registered the key, it can start running possible combinations. Then your only job is to keep the security systems from booting you out."

Thorn watched the process, trying not to smile as Kai clumsily shut down security checks and shutdown attempts. Her methods weren't pretty, but they were effective, and the lock dropped from the door after a few minutes of work.

He retrieved the lock and the scramble key for her, taking a moment to study the key close-up. Thorn hadn't seen anything like it before. That was impressive, considering how much of his job revolved around slicing attempts. The key was homemade, like all the best scramble keys were, but on a level that told him how well the maker understood the process of slicing.

"Interesting key," he commented, hiding his interest. "Where did you get it?"

Kai glanced at it, unimpressed. "Ark gave it to me. She said it was trustworthy."

So Ark was a slicer. If she had been the one who made that key, she was kriffing good at it, too. Thorn made a mental note to ask Thire about the woman he had been spending so much time talking to. A moment later, that and all other coherent thoughts left his mind as Kai turned back and asked, "Do you want to come inside?"

He stared at her, dark brows furrowed. "You don't like me."

"I don't like when you mock me," she corrected. "But I like you just fine. Plus, you aren't arresting me when we both know you could. I think that's worth a cup of caf. Maybe even a cookie."

"Maybe even two cookies," he joked, following her into the apartment.

Kai gave a teasing scoff over her shoulder. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

---

A/N - Poor Kai. That would have to be a pretty hefty blow to your ego! Good thing Thorn was the one to respond - even if he did lie about knowing how to slice. On that note, do you know who knows nothing about slicing? Me. So if anyone is an expert about the process and this reads poorly, I'm sorry! I just started playing Republic Commando and did a lengthy skim on the Wikipedia page about slicing, but that's the extent of my knowledge.