"You're welcome." Even if there's no need for her gratitude. His job is what brought her case to his desk and decency is what has him staying with her. He couldn't abandon her when she's acclimating. While her time period may be similar to Barrayar, he knows he would have appreciated someone who stuck with him and explained. But first she had to survive a meeting with Illyan.
He pauses when they reach the man's office, glancing over at her. Throwing her into a meeting with his boss without a debriefing has him slightly concerned. Illyan was still unnerving to him and he's met the man before.
"Is there anything I should know to be polite?" He will be to her, just a man, after all. But he is not to understand that. She doesn't flinch for much, these days, and even so, if he did trap her in words, she was telling the truth.
Her own ignorance she supposes, is her greatest ally in this. "I wouldn't want to cause offense unnecessarily."
A child of a Peshwa's court and then a ruler herself knew that even so far removed from the throne, there was always something to observed to show at least respect, and she was to be at their mercy apparently, respect couldn't hurt.
"Speak the truth as you did with me," he says. "He'll be able to tell if you're lying." Somehow. Illyan had a talent for it and an eidectic memory to back him up.
"He's prole so there's no extra title for you to worry about beyond his military one. Captain and Security Chief, whichever you prefer to use."
And however it played out, he would be waiting here until he was no doubt called in to corroborate information given or found out. The end of this crazy day was in sight at least, for both of them.
She nods, stiffly and waits until she's called in to be presented. Another brief look of thanks before she settles in to sit across from Illyan.
Then she does just the same as she had the first time. She follows the story through without hesitation. Says who she is, what she has done, who she fights. Presents it in the same manner as she had with Duv, that she was Queen, soldier, and whatever else she had to be in between. That she would be thankful for protection, that she had not designs nor interest on another Kingdom other than the liberation of her own, as it was she had nothing but the clothes on her back and the sword at her hip. She had fought for years and was as surprised at this interlude as they were. Who her husband's family was, how she had ended up with such enemies and says it all without guilt or lie to her tone. Even and comfortable in the relation of it.
After all, it was everything that mattered and yet none of it at all. If there was anything to tell, it was that there was some things that didn't need to be spoken of. Sir Bors, the Blackwater, just how long she had been fighting. It makes easy conversation, as they come to the end of it, in some regards, as she spells out this battle at that field, that she finds comfort in relaying the details to Illyan which is - a danger in and of itself, perhaps. But since this man apparently had the final say then, well, perhaps it was not the worst thing in the world. That if she was to stay, she would prefer it to be with someone, and Duv, if at all possible, until she was more sure of her surroundings.
She falls silent, when it comes to an end, as he seemed to take it all in in the same way he had everything else. Calm, collected, with barely a flicker of an expression to be had for it. Her hands settled into her lap, patiently waiting for whatever he decides and when he dismisses her, she bows low from the waist, and goes back to the door to wait for whatever it is that will be decided.
Duv waits outside of Illyan's office, knowing he will be called in when needed. Word has already gotten around what's happening and any soldiers passing by him cast lingering glances, hoping to catch a glimpse of the strange woman that's in their CO's office. Duv shoots them glares, willing them to move on quickly as he waits.
It's not until she's dismissed and he's called in that he learns of what the final plan is to be. She had requested to stay with him? It's not often Duv looks surprised, but he has a deer-in-headlights look for a brief second before he gathers himself at the news. Doable though strange and he's surprised the woman trusts him enough to stay with him.
When he steps outside of Illyan's office, he glances over at her. "I heard you wanted to stay with me?" Just to confirm what his boss has told him, in case something got lost in translation.
She waits for him, back to the wall and when someone passes her by, she meets them with a flat look. The blood on her face still, that raggedness that comes from battle that sits easy behind her eyes when they get too close. Easy enough to understand, touch her or get any ideas and they'll definitely regret it. Makes them regret the second they go to open their mouths to her and sends them on their way. Hears some mutter about something called Vor, but it makes as much sense to her as anything else does and she lets it slip over her head.
Steps toward him, when he reappears, watching his face as ever. Learning him, in her particular way. Another nod when he asks, wetting her lips, hovering. She had asked, and Illyan was good enough to oblige her. "I thought it would be best. So that you can watch me on behalf of your emperor, and I do not find myself in intolerable company. As long as that is not an imposition to you and your household?"
Does he have a wife? Perhaps a mother that looks after him? Maybe two or three serious sisters that keep him so earnest, just like him? She would make herself easy to them, whatever they needed of her, naturally.
He shakes his head. "My household is only myself and you would not be an imposition." Perhaps the company would nice though he's treasured the ability to live alone, out of the required military housing or in a cramped, shared apartment during his studies so many years ago. It couldn't be for long unless they ended for him to teach her everything there was about this planet.
"I'm free to take you home now," he offers. Unless she has somewhere else she'd rather see first.
Her eyebrows lift, taken by that. "You don't have a wife?" He's a Captain, a respectable position, surely his mother would have wanted that immediately -
Never mind that, she could find out about that later. And how he ate, since there was no one to cook for him. Poor man, no wonder he looked lean then. "Yes, of course, as you wish. I do not want to impede your duties."
"No, I don't," he answers, frowning. What did that have to do with anything? He had intended to be married by now, but his career had taken hold of his life and things with Laisa...
Well. They hadn't panned out and he'd rather focus on his work.
"Currently your wellbeing is my duty." He starts walking slowly towards the long route out of the building, glancing back to make sure she's following. To his place it was.
"Oh." Well, perhaps she had passed? It happened often enough, and she leaves it there. She'd see to it. Maybe there was a neighbor that had taken pity upon him then.
She has to lengthen her stride to keep up with him, at least between that and keeping herself from being drawn into things she sees, and the occasional blunt look at someone she has to give someone staring too much. But other than that, she is just there beside him. The teasing at least, comes easy. "My own durgavasi again." She murmurs it light. "I promise you that I am quite well, you will not have to worry much on that account."
He shortens his stride when necessary, more interested in keeping her near him than letting her fall behind. If she's truly from the 1800s then he can't begin to imagine what kind of overload she's experiencing from everything she's seeing. At least if she's staying with him, he can ask more and learn from how she sees this future, if it's even the same as the one she would have.
"Durgavasi?" he asks, brows furrowing at the unfamiliar term. With all the languages he knows from his studies of Barrayar, that is not one that has come up.
"My guards women." She supplies it, bemused and as immediately distracted. Her head darting looking at something, another screen, that showed - something movie? She had tried to think of them as books, but it didn't seem that way at all. He had shown her words but, even so, it was something else again. "They rode to war with me, and tended to my well being in the same amount."
An explanation briefly given, looking at something. Every so often looking back at him to make sure she's still near him. "Though I am afraid it seems I have not battles to drag you too. I think I promised Illyan to leave you in one piece."
Ah. Similar to the armsmen that Vor households had then though female. A matriarchy then? He's watching her carefully out of the corner of his eyes. It's hard to tell what exactly is catching her attention with everyone going about their work days around them as they walked, but he suspected he'd have time to hear her questions. Much like he hoped she'd tolerate his.
"I would be interested in hearing more about your time, once you are better rested," he admits. "And I myself would appreciate staying in one piece."
"I will try, at least for your Captain's sake." She's barely smiling, of course she isn't. Queen before woman and a stern, disciplined one before her amusement, but there's a crinkle there at the corner of her eyes. She might be teasing.
"You are welcome to ask me what you wish." It's an easy invitation. Whatever it would be to ask. Strange, though she supposed as a child, hearing of the campaigns, she had a burning curiosity to Baji Rao's mind. "As long as I may do the same, of course." No doubt, she had a great number of questions but of a more practical nature than what he might ask. Which - she jerks her head in indication to a man guarding a door, holding something, it looked and seemed a firearm but - "what are they?"
"He would greatly appreciate it." If only because it took time and work to get him writing ImpSec reports the way he wanted. All that academic frivolity had to be beaten out of him somehow and notes written in the margin of all of his reports did the trick.
"You're free to ask me anything so long as it isn't classified." A blanket statement to get that out of the way though he doubts her questions will veer in that direction much. He follows the indication of her head and nods. "A plasma arc. It's a weapon that fires energy-based projectile."
She wants one, is her first thought. Just to see what an energy based projectile might do. "That sounds... impressive." A hum, pressing her mouth together in thought. "I am glad I did not resist them over much."
Well, except for the man that had put his hands on her when she told him not to, but his broken nose would heal. After that, she had gone quietly to her standards at least. "How far is your home from here?"
Would they be riding in another one of those strange machines, is probably the question that goes along with it. It had been disorientating, smoother though, she could give it that.
Impressive and terrifying as any weapon should be. Duv only has a stunner on him given the nature of his job and he prefers the nonlethal option.
"Far enough we'll need to call for transport." Which has him wondering if she's even been in transport of this era yet. He frowns as he glances over at her in mild concern. "You rode in a hovercar to get here, yes?"
"Yes." She thinks, thinks she heard them call it that. There's a brief flicker there, of uncertainty, she isn't really sure she wants to go back into one of them but - if it's how things work here then... "Though I didn't see much. The windows?" That's what they were, weren't they? Seemed like glass. Finest she had ever seen. "Were... very dark."
That hadn't helped, even if she think she understood. Kept her hidden, and kept her from seeing very much until they were sure about her.
"These ones should be clear," he assures her. "We could walk, but it would take longer." Long enough that he would rather drive, mostly for her sake. With how her day has gone, he wouldn't be surprised if she was ready to collapse into bed after a hot shower and warm meal.
But he won't force it on her if she's truly concerned. "It's your choice."
She steels herself, shaking her head. "If I can ride into canons, I am sure I can... do this." Her smile is wane but - she's trying. Courage now, Lakshmi, she has faced worse things than this, right? Right.
"Unfortunately," he says with a sigh. They're nearing the entrance to the building and he speaks into his wristcomm briefly to have a taxi come to their location.
"I'm not sure how feasible it will be to research a way for you to return home."
That turns her eyes down brief, in step beside him, and if he wants her distracted away from getting in the hovercar, then - "I must. I cannot stay here. I must continue my fight."
It's firm, and she's trying not to think about it, but it's not a question. Not to her mind. "I am a Queen and my place is there."
He nods, understanding. That's the sort of duty that thrived on Barrayar and was similar to what he felt to his own planet. The holds open the door to the back of the hovercar to let her in first before sliding in beside her.
"I'll pass along updates as we get them," he assures her. "I'm afraid there's not much more I can do."
"Then that will be enough." It's a small smile she gives him as she settles to sit beside him. Not the way she likes to ride, but - he's doing a great deal to soothe her worries. Nerves that are rattling still as she slips her hand to the handle on the door, latching onto it in a tight grip to make sure it stayed with her.
"It won't be a long drive," he says, a touch apologetic. At least she wouldn't have need to travel much outside of walking distance once they arrived. All they had to do was survive until they got there.
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He pauses when they reach the man's office, glancing over at her. Throwing her into a meeting with his boss without a debriefing has him slightly concerned. Illyan was still unnerving to him and he's met the man before.
"Do you have any questions before you go in?"
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Her own ignorance she supposes, is her greatest ally in this. "I wouldn't want to cause offense unnecessarily."
A child of a Peshwa's court and then a ruler herself knew that even so far removed from the throne, there was always something to observed to show at least respect, and she was to be at their mercy apparently, respect couldn't hurt.
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"He's prole so there's no extra title for you to worry about beyond his military one. Captain and Security Chief, whichever you prefer to use."
And however it played out, he would be waiting here until he was no doubt called in to corroborate information given or found out. The end of this crazy day was in sight at least, for both of them.
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Then she does just the same as she had the first time. She follows the story through without hesitation. Says who she is, what she has done, who she fights. Presents it in the same manner as she had with Duv, that she was Queen, soldier, and whatever else she had to be in between. That she would be thankful for protection, that she had not designs nor interest on another Kingdom other than the liberation of her own, as it was she had nothing but the clothes on her back and the sword at her hip. She had fought for years and was as surprised at this interlude as they were. Who her husband's family was, how she had ended up with such enemies and says it all without guilt or lie to her tone. Even and comfortable in the relation of it.
After all, it was everything that mattered and yet none of it at all. If there was anything to tell, it was that there was some things that didn't need to be spoken of. Sir Bors, the Blackwater, just how long she had been fighting. It makes easy conversation, as they come to the end of it, in some regards, as she spells out this battle at that field, that she finds comfort in relaying the details to Illyan which is - a danger in and of itself, perhaps. But since this man apparently had the final say then, well, perhaps it was not the worst thing in the world. That if she was to stay, she would prefer it to be with someone, and Duv, if at all possible, until she was more sure of her surroundings.
She falls silent, when it comes to an end, as he seemed to take it all in in the same way he had everything else. Calm, collected, with barely a flicker of an expression to be had for it. Her hands settled into her lap, patiently waiting for whatever he decides and when he dismisses her, she bows low from the waist, and goes back to the door to wait for whatever it is that will be decided.
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It's not until she's dismissed and he's called in that he learns of what the final plan is to be. She had requested to stay with him? It's not often Duv looks surprised, but he has a deer-in-headlights look for a brief second before he gathers himself at the news. Doable though strange and he's surprised the woman trusts him enough to stay with him.
When he steps outside of Illyan's office, he glances over at her. "I heard you wanted to stay with me?" Just to confirm what his boss has told him, in case something got lost in translation.
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Steps toward him, when he reappears, watching his face as ever. Learning him, in her particular way. Another nod when he asks, wetting her lips, hovering. She had asked, and Illyan was good enough to oblige her. "I thought it would be best. So that you can watch me on behalf of your emperor, and I do not find myself in intolerable company. As long as that is not an imposition to you and your household?"
Does he have a wife? Perhaps a mother that looks after him? Maybe two or three serious sisters that keep him so earnest, just like him? She would make herself easy to them, whatever they needed of her, naturally.
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"I'm free to take you home now," he offers. Unless she has somewhere else she'd rather see first.
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Never mind that, she could find out about that later. And how he ate, since there was no one to cook for him. Poor man, no wonder he looked lean then. "Yes, of course, as you wish. I do not want to impede your duties."
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Well. They hadn't panned out and he'd rather focus on his work.
"Currently your wellbeing is my duty." He starts walking slowly towards the long route out of the building, glancing back to make sure she's following. To his place it was.
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She has to lengthen her stride to keep up with him, at least between that and keeping herself from being drawn into things she sees, and the occasional blunt look at someone she has to give someone staring too much. But other than that, she is just there beside him. The teasing at least, comes easy. "My own durgavasi again." She murmurs it light. "I promise you that I am quite well, you will not have to worry much on that account."
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"Durgavasi?" he asks, brows furrowing at the unfamiliar term. With all the languages he knows from his studies of Barrayar, that is not one that has come up.
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An explanation briefly given, looking at something. Every so often looking back at him to make sure she's still near him. "Though I am afraid it seems I have not battles to drag you too. I think I promised Illyan to leave you in one piece."
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"I would be interested in hearing more about your time, once you are better rested," he admits. "And I myself would appreciate staying in one piece."
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"You are welcome to ask me what you wish." It's an easy invitation. Whatever it would be to ask. Strange, though she supposed as a child, hearing of the campaigns, she had a burning curiosity to Baji Rao's mind. "As long as I may do the same, of course." No doubt, she had a great number of questions but of a more practical nature than what he might ask. Which - she jerks her head in indication to a man guarding a door, holding something, it looked and seemed a firearm but - "what are they?"
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"You're free to ask me anything so long as it isn't classified." A blanket statement to get that out of the way though he doubts her questions will veer in that direction much. He follows the indication of her head and nods. "A plasma arc. It's a weapon that fires energy-based projectile."
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Well, except for the man that had put his hands on her when she told him not to, but his broken nose would heal. After that, she had gone quietly to her standards at least. "How far is your home from here?"
Would they be riding in another one of those strange machines, is probably the question that goes along with it. It had been disorientating, smoother though, she could give it that.
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"Far enough we'll need to call for transport." Which has him wondering if she's even been in transport of this era yet. He frowns as he glances over at her in mild concern. "You rode in a hovercar to get here, yes?"
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That hadn't helped, even if she think she understood. Kept her hidden, and kept her from seeing very much until they were sure about her.
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But he won't force it on her if she's truly concerned. "It's your choice."
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"Nothing else but to adjust."
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"I'm not sure how feasible it will be to research a way for you to return home."
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It's firm, and she's trying not to think about it, but it's not a question. Not to her mind. "I am a Queen and my place is there."
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"I'll pass along updates as we get them," he assures her. "I'm afraid there's not much more I can do."
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"I am not fond of feeling... disjointed."
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"Are you only used to traveling by animal?"
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