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❝I serve myself...❞
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Loud engines whined through the Holding Room where a few caged chambers sat, mostly empty. A guard sat in a rather small chair playing a solo game of cards and completely ignoring the only prisoner in the room who had been pouting, whining, crying and begging for water for the past half-hour. The man was in truth quite irritating by now and was ready to give into the girl's demands for water; a six minute trip to the kitchens and back. Unfortunately, he had been strictly told to keep an eye on the girl by the ship's captain and the young man had no intention of disobeying, but if he ran, those six minutes could be turned into three. She couldn't do much in three minutes, now could she? Her things were locked away in a locker by the door and she had been checked for weapons and metal wires.

"PLEEEASSSE!!! Just a cup of water!? Just one! I haven't had anything to drink all day today and yesterday! Are you really so heartless as to deny such a simple request? I'm not even asking for food, even though you guys haven't fed me all day. Just water. That's all I need right now! Please!? Please, please, please, please, plea-!"

Bam!

The guard stood up, finally too fed up to really care about the captain's orders. "Fine! I'll get you your damn water!"

"Thank you!" The woman smiled at him in a happy yet polite way while her hands continued to grip the iron bars that separated the two. She watched him leave, still smiling, even as the door closed.

Four minutes later the guard carefully opened the door to the Holding Room with a large cup of water. It was wet on the sides as he hadn't been careful in his hurry back to the room, thus spilling drops every now and then. When the door slid shut he looked up to tell her he was back with her water. Unfortunately, there was no one in the cell. "s**t!" He turned to sound the allarm but met with a small, hard bat to the face instead. His own bat.

Anna smiled, resting her weight on one hip as the guard fell to the floor, unconscious. She set down the small, blunt weapon and knelt down next to the guard. "Sorry, but I didn't let myself get caught so that you could take me to prison," her tone was cheerful and mocking. Anna stood and grabbed ahold of the guard's arms. She drug him to the chair he used earlier, and with some strained effort, managed to get him back on and prop his head up on his hands as if he was awake. Next came the already lock-picked locker with her things. She reattached her belt, weapons, tools, and slipped the leather jacket on, happy to have all her things back. But she had more to do on this ship. She had her reasons for letting them "catch" her and her ship. Anna was being professional and neat about all this.

She left the Holding Room and walked down the halls with confidence, though every time someone else entered, she darted into a closet or room. She made her way first to the engine room which was one floor below and two rooms down. It wasn't easy slipping in when so many were moving in and out, but once inside Anna darted to the side, hiding behind some of the machinery. The ship was massive, requiring two large engines, leaving the room as a sauna. Men and women wearing blue jumpsuits carried clipboards and tools here and there, checking meters, turning knobs, and tightening bolts. Anna stole a wrench from a hanging mount and crept over to a less active area. Searching the pipes she spotted a few bolts leading up and began loosening them till she could hear the slight hiss of steam. She repeated this with a few other pipes along the way and turned knobs whenever she found one. When she came to the pumping and spinning pieces of one of the engines, bolts on the braces were loosened until one of the workers walked onto the elevated platform she knelt at. He hadn't spotted her yet while he scribbled on his clipboard but he was heading her way. With nowhere else to hide, she hopped over the railing and sandwiched herself between some of the more stationary bodies of mechanics. They were hot and left red marks when her skin touched them. Anna bit her lip waiting for the man to pass by. It was only a minute, but it felt like forever since he thought he had to turn nearly every damn knob he came across.

She wormed her way out and messed with the knobs he touched before sprinting past all the openings of machinery till she reached the door. Leaving was even more difficult. It someone had seen her, they hadn't cared who she was enough to raise alarm to the others. Her biggest and hardest search of the ship concerned the reason she was here in the first place; the Treasury. It was heavily guarded from what she could see and far more difficult to enter without being noticed. Four guards stood at the entrance, all heavily armed and all very stiff. Anna flattened herself against the wall, pulling from her bag something she rarely ever used, but perhaps needed more of: Pepperbombs. They were a lot like smoke bombs, only you nearly choke to death on the smoke if you breath any of it in. It made your throat burn and itch and made your eyes water till you were nearly blind and swollen in the eye. Looking up, she knew she didn't have much time till her sabotage in the engine room would be noticed.

Without any more thought, Anna pulled on her goggles, slipped the string ties on her fingers and tossed the bombs. The string ripped out of the balls and they exploded before they hit the ground. The screams and croaking of the men reached her ears as did the sight of the smoke. She rushed in, mouth clamped shut and lips pressed into a fine line. The guards were too busy trying to break and rushing out to care about someone they hadn't yet noticed. She went to work, picking the pocket of one passed out guard and stealing the key needed to enter the Treasury. She almost didn't find it. The Treasury door opened and she hurried inside, passing a few desireables for the big kahuna. At the center of the room was a very nice piece of old treasure thought to have been from the legendary Aluminaria. It was a small, stone pallet of blue, black, and green, with different gems planted at random. Thin lines ran along the pallet, some curiving more than others and most gems were different in size. In the very center where most of the lines met, was a large opal. It was really beautiful, but what it was for was a mystery to everyone. Anna looked around, making sure there wasn't any traps if she neared or touched the treasure. Spotting none, she pulled her bag in front of her and picked up the pallet. iI felt more real the heavier it was; much more than she imagined. She noticed the underside felt rough so she turned it around. Smaller diamonds, the size of pebbles were scattered about, their heads sticking up out of the black and blue side of the stone. There were no lines here, but some were smaller diamonds and they were placed almost pattern like. Anna couldn't figure out why they looked familiar but it didn't matter. She had what she came for.

Anna slipped the pallet into her bag and grabbed a few other smaller treasures. She was about to grab some nice necklaces and bags of stones when the ship suddenly shook violently and began to tilt to the side a bit. An alarm went off calling engineers to the engine room. She ran out of the room, slamming into any of the three conscious guards who got in her way. The ship shook again and she fell hard on the ground. Her knees stung from the impact but she picked herself up and continued on, pushing past people who were heading in the opposite direction. She veered off track when some guards came through and opted for a ladder to the next floor up. She needed to find her plane before-

"ATTENTION ALL PERSONEL: A PRISONER HAS ESCAPED. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR A YOUNG WOMAN IN HER MID TWENTIES WITH SHORT BROWN HAIR, WEARING AN ORANGE TOP AND WHITE PANTS. SHE MUST NOT ESCAPE"

Too late. She cursed and turned into the launch room. There was only three ships parked in it, one was her baby. The ship had been opened, and from the looks of things, was about to be picked apart in some places. They obviously couldn't get it started on their own. Only Anna and a few others knew how to get it running after her own modifications of the craft. She ran over to the control panel and opened the hatch door for her escape. Wind whipped about with a small suction to the sky outside. She was halfway to the ship when someone tackled her to the ground from behind. Nooo! She was so close! She kicked and thrashed about while they tried to hold her still, calling for assistance. She managed to grab her gun and shot the guard in the leg. That made him let go. She waisted no more time in getting to her ship. She pulled herself up onto the wing and tossed her bag into the back seat before getting in herself. As others ran to the ship, Anna closed the hatch and turned the hidden switch under the front of the dash. From there, she was able to get the ship started. The hum of the engine sounded through the launch room as her ship turned. People backed away, not wanting to be hit by the ship and knocked out of the one they worked in. Anna could barely hear their screams and yells as her own ship took off. It's engine kicked into full gear once her ship was out and had dropped a few feet. A rumbling hiss shot out of the engine and she was gone with an important world treasure and perhaps the greatest one she had taken yet.

As for the ship, it was on a downward course to a portion of Arcadia. Had Anna been able to escape sooner as planned, the ship would probably have missed crashing into the city, not that she cared for it or most of its people. She just didn't want the government after her for collateral damage to one of their money farms.

You can run, run, run as fast as you can,
But you cannot catch the gingerbread man.

Any eighteen year old girl would have loved to be in Alina, looking at the newest fashions, the cutest shoes, giggling with friends and flaunting their things. The weather was mild this time of year, so some skin could be flaunted from pale ivory to fresh peach, faces powdered and painted with the most favored brands. No doubt they did so to attract young men, they were always so handsome, strong, well-built, noble men were. No doubt at the ripe age of becoming an adult were courtships inevitable, men coming this way and that for a noble girl's hand in marriage, to gain affection with walks and idle conversation and picnics in such agreeable weather. And no doubt in the colder temperatures would they be cuddled by a fire which would lead to more intimate things. If a couple had gone that far then the man would do good to ask for her hand and help raise the family. Such a wide open world with many opportunities for those eighteen years of age or older.

Except for one.

A small plastic piece of a gingerbread man moved one space to the right before two forward on a chess board, coming face to face with a small metal car. Mirabelle had no such time for frivolous activities, boys and friends, she didn't care much for them. There was no point in having a group with a lesser IQ than yourself, and gossip was such a bore, it was the fact she wanted, she wanted to hear it from the horses mouth. Those her age were too loud and too dumb, living such carefree lives. "it would appear you are stuck, Gingerbread man. You would need to sacrifice your significant other to get where you desire." She murmured softly to the board before turning to a green velvet covered board, gray eyes scanning the scene. There were Reversi pieces, colorful triangles, cut outs of children, a few dice scattering it in a scene the noble only understood. This game was growing tiresome and boring, there was only so much she could add before the game collapsed on itself. It would appear that no one would win it if they continued at this rate.

"Pardon me, Miss Catley."

The girl's head shot up, eyes narrowing at the stranger, a woman. Bent over, a small smile, a folder or clipboard of sorts in front of her body while her legs were outside the door. She was being cautious, nervous.

"What is it?"

The other flinched, intimidated, growing fearful as she shuffled inside, reluctantly closing the door as her eyebrows just barely tilted downwards. "A prisoner has just escaped from a sister ship with some items from the treasury. What they have stolen has yet to be disclosed to us." Her eyes had flickered away as she mentioned that, avoiding eye contact and silencing. The woman was just beginning to bite at the insides of her cheeks, free hand against the folder and being clenched.

Mirabelle continued to stare before standing up on her heeled shoes, gently moving to a colorful Parcheesi board, checker, chess, rounded playable pieces and even small, doll food items, placed across the board in yet another unknown equation. A prisoner had escaped with something of high value from their sister ship. "I wasn't even aware they had a prisoner on board. What did they steal?" a small cupcake moved half a space forward while a large wooden C moved three spaces back.

"It hasn't been revealed." She repeated softly, looking at the game. There had to be at least eight different board games, some childish and others extremely advanced, brown eyes watching the young girl move to a different board game.

"Have you been gaining weight? I noticed when I first boarded that your waist was slimmer, and your breasts have certainly become large. We've been on this ship for what, three months? Either you are gaining weight or you are pregnant. if you were merely becoming obese you would full yourself into believing you were lithe and your clothes would merely been tight." She explained, pointing a plastic ship at her before placing it on a new board. She had been on deck when she'd first arrived, for the first month she'd taken plenty of notes and conversed with everyone on the ship at least twice. There were even women and men that came in to gossip from time to time, and Mirabelle had to prove their grapes fact or fiction. "There's an engineer, William is his name, correct? Yes you two seemed very friendly, perhaps you are pregnant? But that cannot be so, you're a married woman, I can see the tan line on your finger. Place those papers on the table by the door and leave less you want your secret known. There is a woman on board who actually gives abortions."

She watched as those chocolate eyes widened with fear, the file being pressed not at her chest, but her stomach, bending over in just the slightest way as if to hide it. "The Opal, the platter was stolen, Miss Catley." Came the whisper. "The details are right here, but... I am supposed to tell others of high positions."

"Then memorize the important facts, and if they have further questions send them to me. Be gone." and with a wave of her hand the woman had left the papers and left in a hurry. Such fat calves, she was gaining weight as well. What was the phrase? 'Eating for two'? No doubt women used that to become so large, even after giving birth. Such a horrible cycle, pregnancy, birth, motherhood. With a sigh she walked over to the papers, opening them and reading silently. A female prisoner, she had been easily captured, got along well and went willingly. apparently a guard had been lenient before the chaos happened. Hm...

Anthony Plebius

PUPPIES!
Anthony leaned against a wall, in his full soldier get-up. He knew there was some sort of party going on lower in the ship, but he had conciously chosen not to go. He could have gone, but for what? He couldn't get drunk, and he'd harbored no particular interest for any of the ladies aboard the vessel. Anthony was a very high-strung man, you see. He'd considered taking up smoking to relax, but his friends told him that he looked rediculous trying to smoke with a baby face like his. He promptly retorted 'it's the baby face that's going to dock your pay, if you don't get back to work' at their jokes.


Anthony, however, had kept the pack of ciggarettes along with him, just so that if he ever did get in a deadly situation, he'd have something to help him keep his mind off of the agonizing pain of death. All of a sudden Anthony's inner ear began to buzz in a strange way, this was just one of the many augmentations of the Sergenti Majoris, as having a speaker implanted into your ear, and microphone in your inner cheek made field-to-HQ communications a lot easier and quiet, only having to whisper to get a good sound to base.

"Lieutenenant Plebius, sir."
"I know who you are, Lieutenenant. You don't have to get so formal when it's just us, sheesh. Anyways, We got some, uh, news."
"News, sir?" Anthony asked, intrigued.
"God, and will you quit calling me 'sir', the proper connotation is 'ma'am'. Ugh... anyways, a prisoner escaped from a Noble-ship. I know how you feel about the nobility, but you know better than anyone that-"
"That I'm going to do my job, sir-ma'am."
"Yeah... Sir-Ma'am is... a start. Anyways, I just thought I'd let you know, I'm sending you the coordinates of the crash. If I were you, I'd hurry up, too. You might be able to find a residual heat-trail to see if the prisoner or anyone else got away from the scene."
"Got it, anything else, sir-ma'am?"
"Could you just call me Holly?"
"Nope," Anthony said, pressing a button on the outside of his earlobe which cut off communication.

Anthony sent the coordinates Holly had given him to the pilots of the Morzarta, and began to descend down many decks to the ballroom. For a place of such elegance, it sure was hidden pretty far down. The design did make sense though, if anyone tried to board the ship, they'd get the warriors on the first few decks first to deal with, and then the various others in the more elegant decks would have time to arm themselves. Grim thoughts, that. Anthony personally felt like he was at odds with the Morzarta itself. Like it was some sort of malicious beast that had no use or regard for him, and he was just some sort of means of keeping it from being stolen.

Finally arriving at the ballroom, Anthony slammed the doors open, on accident, causing quite a few eyes to dart to him. Anthony, despite being as tough and conscientious as he was, couldn't help but get a little flushed from the unneccessary attention. Anthony quickly pulled up a chair on the outskirts of the dance floor, desperately trying to pick Annita from the crowd. Anthony felt like letting her know, seeing as she was in the senate and all, and going out to go chase a highly dangerous criminal was something that she ought to know about.

Anthony Plebius

Anthony was alarmed to see that Annita had found him before he found her. He just smiled and used his left hand to move his bangs from his face. "Relax, will you? I'm just here to inform you of a slight..." Anthony took a small pause to consider the correct wording, while slightly losing himself in the music. He found himself particularly fond of the current tune.

"A slight... change of course." Anthony said, with a slight nod,"and why are you breathing so hard? One would think you didn't like me?" He teased, but then slightly shook his head as if to signify the end of the joke. "Either way, we're going after a highly dangerous criminal. Why us, who knows, but knowing how these things work, there will probably be a noble ship after the prisoner as well." Anthony said calmly, pulling up a seat, and crossing his legs. Of course, he was not a gentleman as much as a soldier, so he did not offer to pull up a seat for Annita.

You're not the one who has to wear the corset of death! Annita thought savagely. After her breathing had slowed down and she found a way to breathe again in the tight corset, she stood up and crossed her arms. She looked down at Anthony. Over the years that she had got time to known him, she had gotten use to his rude behavior when it came down to chivalry.

"So we have to go to another meeting or do we have to chase after this prisoner ourselves?" She asked with a frown. As always it never failed that just when she's having some REAL fun, work starts ram in its ugly head and take her away from it all. From the corner of her eye, she watched as the ladies spun away with their gentlemen counter parts and sighed inwardly. Dammit! So much for this evening going MY way for once! She turned her gaze back down to Anthony as she waited for him to answer.

❝I serve myself...❞
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An hour later Anna emerged from the captain's quarters in a foul, yet depressed mood. Her ears were still ringing from his yells and lectures about how irresponsible she was to have allowed herself to get caught. What if she hadn't escaped? What if they shot her? A bunch of what ifs'. Now she had a migraine and several chores to do during her time of being grounded. Not like she could really go anywhere. Anna sighed and carried herself to her small room where she could relax or sleep in her hammock.

A sharp smell of food cooking in the kitchen next to her room made sleep difficult. Writing always made her fall asleep, perhaps a journal entry? As a thief and wanted criminal, Anna knew better than to keep evidence of her crimes, so she always wrote down her achievements and let the wind carry them. Perhaps some were read or were lost in forests or eaten by lakes or oceans. Her handwriting was neat, printed, even, but not her own. She didn't want anyone to turn it in to the government and she in the future give herself away with her writing.

~~Hello.
To whoever reads this; today, I stole a big treasure from the idiot government on a ship where I was imprisoned. It was easy, really. Who'd ever expect a criminal such as I to get caught on purpose? They did a surprising job of actually checking for tools on me, but they weren't very thorough. Once the guard had left, I simply got out, got my things, and knocked him out when he returned. Messing with the engines was a little more difficult with all the people, but stealing the treasure from the vault was difficult in a mental sort. They had a lot of shiny things in there that were worth a pretty pentz. But I only had room for the treasure, so I had to pass. They're not very well trained as soldiers don't matter in this world. The government even less so. They're owned not by a nation, but by spoiled Rich people who think they own the world and every island that floats above. The government says its whole, but really, they're just pieces of a pie and each rich guy owns his own slice. The treasure I stole is said perhaps be one of the treasures of the legendary Aluminaria. What ever gave them the idea it belongs to the government or its many bosses when no one has ever been able to even land on it--other than the one who first found it. One day, it'll be me who finds it, stake claim. And that damn government isn't going to get a pentz from me. They don't own the world, and they don't own free islands! I'm getting off topic. Anyway, I don't know what the treasure is for exactly, but I'll find out soon--hopefully.
Well, bye, Whoever you are.

Love,
The best pilot in the world~~

She folded the paper up, bending and shaping it into a white, paper bird. With some difficulty, Anna opened her window and tossed the bird out, letting nature's wind carry it to wherever it was fated to land.