Spoils and Booty

[Victoria Underwood]

"Remember the plan... besides, if she doesn't go with it... then I kill her. If Ophelia did her job they think she's dead already." Victoria said as she kissed Abbygale on the cheek. "It'll be a while before she wakes up, didn't expect her to just toss her out of the back of a shuttle like that." she rolled her eyes. "For all we know she's dying already. We put her in the secure bunker under the mansion. If she refuses to work with us, then we seal the bunker and let her turn to dust down there."

[Abbygale Porter]

"These people have an uncanny ability to survive and make the lives of people like us a living hell. And, if they don't survive their kin make our lives hell. Right now they think Dominus and Bellatrix are responsible. Let's keep it that way, but every minute she breathes the truth comes out."

She turned to face Victoria fire in her eyes. "I don't want her to be your... our downfall!" She pointed an angry finger at Carly, "I can't watch." A tear streaked down her cheek, "I... I... Kill her now, or I'm leaving."

[Victoria Underwood]

Victoria closed her eyes and then looked at Abby. "I wanted her to help us get out from under Dominus and Bellatrix..." she whispered. "I think we can have her be a help to us. We'd be saving her and the Ryders would owe us a debt... " she shrugged her shoulders. "I love you more than I love all this... I can't believe I'm saying this but... I'm getting tired of this chess game. I thought it was what I wanted, but I just want to put all this Ajem'dasis stuff... behind me. So you tell me what to do. Put my kilden through her and end her or just put her in the bunker and let her expire naturally or... do we help her and make enemies of Dominus and Bellatrix because like I said to you before... I'm no one's bitch. Except your's."

[Abbygale Porter]

"No, we have always had an unspoken agreement. But, I also can't be here and watch whatever this is destroy you. Ego? Vengeance? Fear? One thing I am certain of is we are caught in the middle. Until you can extract yourself from the center I can't be at your side. And in return I will bow out of this coming election and when we are no longer besieged on both sides I will be there next to you."

[Victoria Underwood]

Victoria dropped her kilden and put her arms around Abbygale and whispered. "Just... just say the word Abby. Tell me what to do then. I cannot lose you in the middle of all this." she gestured to Cece. "The little bitch isn't worth losing you. Nor is... all this. We can go away... together. Let Dominus and the Ajem do whatever the fuck they want... but I can't do this with you." she threw her mask and hood aside. "For the first time in decades I actually was truly happy... "

[Abbygale Porter]

"We have never told each other what to do. Only advised. If you turn her and get her on our side you've made an enemy that destroys us. If you fail to turn her, and in doing so keep her alive long enough to try to turn, you've made an enemy with near limitless resources and that will surely destroy us. There isn't a scenario where we come out ahead. Dominus won't allow betrayal, and the Ryders allways balance the score."

[Victoria Underwood]

"Well if you were me what would you do?" Victoria said as she looked her in the eyes. "If we turn and side with the Ryders and the Jase, then Dominus will probably destroy us. If we fail to turn Carly then the Ryders will probably do it for us. If I kill her now... sooner or later one or the other will kill us anyway. Or do we pull out a fake out, nurse her back to health and simply send her back on her merry way. Possibly gaining an ally and confusing Bellatrix and Dominus?" she closed her eyes. "I'm really getting tired of games, power is one thing but until Dominus and Bellatrix are out of the picture, all of us are just pawns in their games and I really do not feel that is either of us. Or we blow the damn mansion... take the girl and hide out somewhere until this blows over. Dump her somewhere and the two of us just disappear. Come back when all this has finished one way or another or find some corner of the galaxy that needs us. Price and the Alliance don't need you, New Georgia doesn't need me. We need them more then the other way around for our sanity and ego if nothing else. I wanted the girl because she's a strong telepath and can make people forget things... and if it comes between the Ryders and the Alliance and Dominus and Bellatrix... I feel like I would rather be on the Alliance's side because they'd probably find a way to win. Dominus... would leave us all in ash and I refuse to be the Queen of Ash."

[Cece Ryder]

Cece briefly regained conciousness and looked over at Underwood and Porter. "Or... you could .. ask me nicely to help." she said weakly. "Benefits... to being... dead." she groaned and closed her eyes and passed out again.

[Abbygale Porter]

Abby sighed, "We need an exit strategy." She drew a pinch phaser from a pocket. "Sorry sweetie, but this conversation is private." Abby fired a d stunned Cece, "There, that's better. Okay, Bellatrix knows how to cross from reality to reality. We can find one that we aren't in and settle down. In the meantime while I figure out how she does it you keep to your original plan."