Welcome to Gaia! ::

A mirror on the far side of the room suddenly shimmered across the surface, a hand emerging, followed by the rest of a parallel senshi. Super Sailor Ares, clipboard in hand, strode out, scribbling something down. She had been like this ever since the Negas had been captured, taking notes, disappearing in and out of rooms. There was so much work to be done. The most important of which being the continued sedation of prisoners. Everything that had planned so far had been educated guesses on what it would take to keep a Negaverse agent too weak to teleport, formulas researched, pitched, and plotted by the Intel task force. Now, it was a waiting game.

Crisp gray eyes flashed up to the break room. It was empty, save Nemesis. Perfect, just the Blood Moon senshi she was looking for. Ares crossed to the craft table covered in sandwiches, fruits, veggies, and breads. All of it had been prepared by Fallon the night before the capture. It helped take her mind off of the tension of the night to come. Now, on the other side of it, Ares realized she had not eaten in a day.

Painted nails reached out, selecting a pesto and chicken finger sandwich, a few slices of kiwi, and four pieces of raw broccoli. Crossing to the couch opposite Nemesis, Ares took a seat, placing her clipboard beside her and balancing the tiny plate of food on her knees. "Nemesis," she said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "You're early for your guard on Tanzanite." She lifted a piece of broccoli and took a noisy bite. "Color me surprised."

Ares chewed on the piece of broccoli primly as Nemesis spoke. One hand folded a napkin over into a neat square, fingers smoothing the edges. The other senshi was right. There was something on the Captain's mind, something that she wanted to talk to Nemesis specifically about that evening. "Nemesis, I have something that I need you to do, something that I am only confiding in you," she said suddenly, setting the plate of food down on the end table at the side of the couch.

Both hands rested casually in her lap. "I don't believe that everyone in the Court is strong enough for what we will have to do while we keep the prisoners alive," she said, choosing her words carefully. "This is not something I have ever doubted about you. I know that you are strong enough to do it -- and to do it well. But there are others..." She waved a hand dismissively.

"It isn't just Cadets, though they are, of course, expected to struggle." Ares steepled her hands. "I would like you to keep an eye out for anyone who seems to find trouble with what we are doing here, or anyone who seems to show signs of dangerous sympathy for the prisoners." Her gaze hardened. "Please watch Scylla, specifically."

As a civilian, Ares was perhaps closest to Scylla. It was for that reason that she was able to read the moods off of her old friend so clearly. There had been something in Scylla's eyes that first night -- a wariness, a worriedness. It troubled Ares. She didn't want to lose one of their most powerful senshi, and she didn't want to lose a friend either. This was just a precaution, she told herself, one that she needed to take.

Strangely enough, Ares did feel like she could trust Nemesis with this.

They'll learn now, Ares thought sternly. The inspiration for the Blood Moon was to take senshi without direction and mold them into warriors. The Senshi of Smoke knew that would mean dealing with people with little to no experience, rampant fears, and a penchant for failure. It went with the territory. But with Operation Rota, Ares needed to ask more of her Court than she had ever asked before.

It was a risk.

A smile touched at the corners of her mouth. She appreciate that Nemesis wasn't making her eat s**t on this, but this was not a normal request. This wasn't Ares going on patrol with Nemesis only for the two to insult each other's battle skills all night. This wasn't Nemesis showing up thirty minutes late to a meeting, and Ares scolding her for the umpteenth time in front of the Court. No, this was something serious. This was important.

"People will be on their best behavior around the Inner Sanctum Senshi," she said. "I need eyes to come from someone they won't expect." Which was Nemesis. Who in the Court would ever expect her to be some sort of tattle-tale to Ares? This role was bigger than that though. A weak link in the BMC could jeopardize this entire operation, could bring the wrath of the Negaverse to their doorstep even. It couldn't be tolerated.

Ares picked up her plate again and ate another piece of broccoli. "Tanzanite should be coming out of the drug haze soon," she said. "Put much thought into what your first question for her will be?" The Senshi of Smoke had been pondering the same question herself.

Ares snorted. It wasn't very lady-like. "You know why I'm keeping you out of the Inner Sanctum, Nemesis," she said flatly. So long as the Senshi of Decay still had ties with the Dream Team, she could not be allowed to lead the Blood Moon. Gaia was already rebellious. Ares didn't want to take on another rebel without the full knowledge of her devout loyalty.

In Elysion, Ares had seen Nemesis go to the Zodiacs and Helios over her fellow Blood Moon senshi. It was not something she could easily forget. So long as Nemesis remained loyal to Pegasus, she could not be entirely loyal to the BMC, no matter how good of a warrior she was, no matter how much time she dedicated to them. Ares would not budge on it, just as she had not yet budged for Sailor Albali either.

It was easy enough to move on to the more pleasant subject of torturing Tanzanite for information.

A mixture of pride and excitement bounced in her eyes as Nemesis recounted all the things she might do. Ares had already woken Tanzanite with a punch that morning, but she planned on waiting to begin her questioning until the others had softened her up. Laughter pealed out of Ares. She hoped the prisoners might hear it. "Convince her we killed one? Nem, I would snap the neck of one of those lieutenants in front of her just to watch her face." The tall senshi reclined in the couch slightly, not nearly as relaxed as Nemesis looked. "All in due time."

Lifting her sandwich, Ares took a bite off one end and chewed, dabbing at her lips with a napkin. "I don't intend to ask her any questions yet," she said. "Everyone else can have a crack at her. I want her well-worked by the time we have our first heart-to-heart." She smiled. "I know you'll treat her well." For what they were talking about, Ares felt oddly at ease with Nemesis.

Sailor Ares only sighed when Nemesis continued her tirade against the ISS. If there were cadets or other mercenaries present, she would not have been so lenient. Openly insulting the board of leaders who carried the BMC into battle was treason. But Ares understood that all of this bashing of the ISS stemmed from Nemesis' own frustrations. It even pleased Ares, in a way, to hear her rant. It meant that Nemesis cared, which was something entirely too significant to ignore.

Besides, the Inner Sanctum Senshi had been the masterminds behind this entire capture plot. Ares did not doubt them for a second.

With the conversation successfully moved to Tanzanite, Ares finished up her plate of food quickly and neatly. "The lieutenants might help us understand the organization of the Negaverse a bit better, but yes, they are ultimately only alive to be used as bargaining chips and points of distress for the important captives later." Nemesis was astute enough to see it. Ares wondered if other less strong-stomached in their ranks had made the same realization. Death was imminent for every prisoner in their warehouse. When the time came, who would rise up to make that final killing blow?

Ares had dibs on Tanzanite.


(( posting this for Akina <3 ))