A Call to Skill Up

[explosive_artist]

The music is loud enough to be felt through the bulkheads of her quarters and within Sabine is busy. She's got a blaster disassembled and is reading Imperial comm specs on a datapad as she cleans the blaster by muscle memory. Another datapad is running a few simulations on explosive compounds, and there are sketches strewn about the room; half finished and seemingly forgotten. There are also several new gadgets on her other work bench, set aside as some new task takes her attention; dataspikes, explosive detonators, and more.

With the new goal for the crew, Sabine might be a little worried her skills aren't up to task. She'd never admit it, and it's more her technical skills she worried about, but there it is. To be fair, it's been a long time since she's sliced into Imperial comms.

Comments

[for_everyone]

It's not that Hera's here to ask Sabine to quiet down her music. It's more that this level of volume tends to mean the Mandalorian has something heavy on her mind, and given the dangers of the holomap mission, she'd rather check in now than later, when it's too late.

Which is why she doesn't bother knocking, just kicks the door hard -- two dull thuds in quick succession -- and raises her voice in something more parade-ground yell than quiet inquiry.

"Sabine? Do you have a minute?"

[explosive_artist]

Sabine winces within and stands to head to the door, pausing the music as she does. At the door, just before she opens it, she pauses...pulling out the blaster she wasn't cleaning.

(It's never a good idea to clean all your weapons at the same time.)

She thinks back. The boot was definitely not that of a stormtrooper and Hera didn't sound nervous or tense, but still...Sabine decides to play it safe, hiding the blaster behind her as she opens the door.

"Sure thing...did I have the music too loud again? You know I get lost in mirialan impressionist opera."

[for_everyone]

"If that was Mirialans," Hera says dryly, "then I'm a Wookiee."

She's used to Sabine's music, and enjoys quite a bit of it, but there are limits. Slandering Mirialan opera that way is just cruel.

[explosive_artist]

"Impressionist. They're aiming to capture the essence of Mirialan opera without copying it," Sabine says, eyeing the corridor behind Hera and holstering her blaster. "Did you want to come in?"

[for_everyone]

"If you wouldn't mind."

She hasn't made any move to step in yet.

[explosive_artist]

“Come on in,” she says stepping back and then to her bunk to move some sketches around to have a place to sit. As she works, she gestures to the chair she’d been in for Hera to sit.

[for_everyone]

Hera takes that invitation, stepping across the threshold and settling carefully into the indicated chair.

"Was this part of your mission prep?"

[explosive_artist]

Sabine leans back on her arms, starting to put on her usual cockiness but stops herself. Trust goes both ways, and so she leans forward clasping her hands.

Giving a curt nod, she answers, “It’s been a while since I’ve broken into comms. I wanted to brush up, check if anything has changed. Happy to say it hasn’t though that could be simply because this isn’t really a secure site.”

[for_everyone]

Hera inclines her head, because there's some truth to the latter part of Sabine's statement. But --

"Do you need something else to feel ready, in case someone's slipped something into the systems that's a bit more advanced since last time?"

Expect the unexpected, right? And Hera wants Sabine -- and the rest of them -- feeling confident but not overconfident in this mission. Whatever needs to be done, and that can be done in their narrow remaining time frame, she'll do her best to make happen.

[explosive_artist]

"That's not a bad idea," she muses as she stands to pace and think, rubbing her chin in thought. "I could work with Chopper to make a backup program in case something happens to the dataspike. I could also go over schematics once we get them, look for ways to bypass the main input if the direct approach doesn't work."

"I have some new explosives I'm testing which should be good for concealment and confusion."

"Did you have something else in mind?"

[for_everyone]

"No," Hera says, halfway to smiling as Sabine comes up with several plans in the time it takes most people to process.

"I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing."

[explosive_artist]

Sabine waves dismissively with her right hand and replies, "I just..." don't want to fail you...don't want to lose you... She clears her throat, dismissing the intrusive thoughts.

"I just want to be ready. I will be, just stuffing before assessments, you know?"

[for_everyone]

Hera's smile is small, but she makes no effort to stifle it, and she reaches out to rest her hand on Sabine's shoulder, a steadying weight.

"If it helps you feel on top of things, I won't tell you to stop."

[explosive_artist]

The gesture goes a long way to...well, not quiet Sabine's fear but it does give her strength to face them.

"You'll just ask me to turn the music down," she says with a smirk.

[for_everyone]

"But not off," Hera agrees, still smiling. It's not that she's relieved to see that Sabine is holding up, but --

It's always better when your crew isn't hovering near the ragged edge, and sometimes it gets closer than she likes.

[explosive_artist]

Sabine hesitates, wanting to ask if they can expect off world help, but that's too close to the faith and trust area she's supposed to be allowing, so she doesn't.

"If you need me to build any thing, or help with repairs, let me know." Doing things feels so much better than waiting for her.