Into the Fire

[Nova]

Caisy lets out a sigh.  "I...  I just was lonely and you and your friends seemed, well, mostly normal.  I guess I was wrong."

"You weren't wrong," Tibbs blurts out.  "We're in a prison.  It's not easy to trust people you've just met.  I've only been here a short while and I've already been attacked and nearly flattened.  It can make a person a little paranoid.  I'm sorry for whatever it is you think that they did.  They were just being stupid!" He looks at Nova. "Right?"  Then looking back to Caisy, "But  they weren't being purposely stupid.   They are just paranoid like the rest of us.  Like I'm sure you are too.  I personally would like to count you as a friend in this place.  There's not too many people who seem nice, like you seem to be."

Caisy rolls over suddenly at the sound of Jendu's voice. "I don't know, friends. I'm not even sure what to call you. It seems like you guys are hiding some big secret."

Nova nodded, surprised that Jendu had piped up, but glad too that the young senatorial was bringing some convincing oratory to bear here, "Right? Uh... right! Right on, Tibbs! 

She turned back to Caisy, "I mean, I'm paranoid about everything already. Hell, I thought you were going to try to kill me in my sleep, Red. I stayed up almost all night ready to sock you one, just in case you did try something. But now look at us, you've got a new boyfriend," she pointed at Jendu, "and a new best friend," at that Nova bowed, indicating herself.

Then she cleared her throat, realizing she'd begun to run at the mouth and that what she was saying wasn't exactly helping matters. Recalibrate flight controls. "Look, I've run guns and smuggled spice from the Far Reaches to the edge of Wild Space. I shipped secrets for a living. And everyone's got a secret."

Then she gestured at the surrounding cells, "Even in here. But it's like you said. I'm... mostly normal. And there's nothing more normal than privacy and paranoia in a place like this. But it's also like Tibbs said. There's nothing better than someone having your back."

Then she looked at Caisy, "Right?"