10-10-2016, 02:13 PM
Marcus smiled to himself as Jensen dismissed the thanks after a brief moment of panic- at the recognition?. The man was humble to a fault. In his mind, though, now that he knew him, something else tickled his memory. An addendum. It had been when he first started University and was in the quad cafeteria with the debate team, monitors everywhere showing 24 hour news channels. In passing, the face of Jensen flashed on the screen, the words 'scandal' splaying across the bottom. Sex and embezzlement...that was it. He noted it only because the man had looked familiar. And then dismissed it.
Marcus suddenly felt the Force being drawn, a great amount. Jensen's face swung in the same direction as the officer's did and then the officer was gone. For a moment, Marcus considered following. But the power was just being held, steady. There were no fluctuations or any thing else to indicate something bad was happening. Jensen, too, seemed to not be overly concerned. It must be the Ascendancy. He was awake. So...he could go or he could stay and see what he could get out of Jensen. There was a single thread of rapport between them. Marcus didn't want to lose that. He wanted to strengthen it. He made his decision to stay.
The man's eyes looked back to him. The man was sincere. He exuded earnestness like a musk, his eyes pleading for compassion and understanding. Such a curious dichotomy. His mind clicked a projection. It was penance. The man was doing penance. Very interesting. And useful. If he could play this right.
Marcus shook his head slowly to the man's question, as if remembering something terrible. Well, it had been terrible, if not what the man said. He smiled. Nuclear attack. He wondered why that angle was used. Bykov and Vladislavovna would have spun this to the best advantage. A puzzle. Why use a nuclear blast as the cover? Something he would enjoy figuring out later, before he spoke to them.
"It was bad...you have no idea..."
he didn't finish. His eyes met Jensen's, showing a hint of fear. "Honestly, all I could imagine was what would happen to the peace of the empire- to everyone- if he died. I could see the death that would come, the rivers of blood as the empire ripped itself apart."
He stopped his mouth, as if he'd said too much. Then softly, "I tried to stop it, to protect him..."
, he trailed off, as if disappointed in his failure, face downcast, eyes to the floor. As if seeking absolution. "I failed him. I didn't save him."
He looked up at Jensen, met his eyes, almost as if he were asking forgiveness.
Marcus suddenly felt the Force being drawn, a great amount. Jensen's face swung in the same direction as the officer's did and then the officer was gone. For a moment, Marcus considered following. But the power was just being held, steady. There were no fluctuations or any thing else to indicate something bad was happening. Jensen, too, seemed to not be overly concerned. It must be the Ascendancy. He was awake. So...he could go or he could stay and see what he could get out of Jensen. There was a single thread of rapport between them. Marcus didn't want to lose that. He wanted to strengthen it. He made his decision to stay.
The man's eyes looked back to him. The man was sincere. He exuded earnestness like a musk, his eyes pleading for compassion and understanding. Such a curious dichotomy. His mind clicked a projection. It was penance. The man was doing penance. Very interesting. And useful. If he could play this right.
Marcus shook his head slowly to the man's question, as if remembering something terrible. Well, it had been terrible, if not what the man said. He smiled. Nuclear attack. He wondered why that angle was used. Bykov and Vladislavovna would have spun this to the best advantage. A puzzle. Why use a nuclear blast as the cover? Something he would enjoy figuring out later, before he spoke to them.
"It was bad...you have no idea..."
he didn't finish. His eyes met Jensen's, showing a hint of fear. "Honestly, all I could imagine was what would happen to the peace of the empire- to everyone- if he died. I could see the death that would come, the rivers of blood as the empire ripped itself apart."
He stopped his mouth, as if he'd said too much. Then softly, "I tried to stop it, to protect him..."
, he trailed off, as if disappointed in his failure, face downcast, eyes to the floor. As if seeking absolution. "I failed him. I didn't save him."
He looked up at Jensen, met his eyes, almost as if he were asking forgiveness.