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Ivan is asleep when it happens, but the captain knocking on his door gets him up quick enough. "What? Where's the fire?" Ivan asks. This was supposed to be a quiet posting. Well, the posting on Earth was supposed to be quiet too, cultural, etcetera, but Xerxes is supposed to be downright boring. Ivan is not supposed to be awakened from his eight hours unexpectedly.
"Murder, not a fire. You're cousin to Lord Mark Vorkosigan, aren't you?" says the captain.
Ivan has to think for a second. "...Yes?"
"Security vid picked him up within radius of a murder. This is the first we knew of him being on the planet, but the locals want us to bring him in so they don't have to it themselves and risk mishandling a Vor lord. Seemed worth consulting you on him - the file on him's really something."
Ivan blinks. "You need to arrest Mark."
"Yes."
"...Sir. Uh, give me a while to try doing it myself. He's... I'm not positive I can succeed but I am pretty sure I can survive trying, and unless he's in a cooperative mood I'm very uncertain anybody else can say the same thing."
"He may have just killed a man."
"I'm aware. He likes me. He doesn't know you from a hole in the ground, or anybody else within fetching distance, sir. Give me his last location and a few hours? Please?"
"By yourself?"
"He wouldn't know anybody you could send with me from a hole in the ground."
The captain chews his lip. "None of your shenanigans, all right?"
"Sir, I'm not the shenanigans one, it's just contagious when m'co- my other cousin's around. I'll see if I can find him, if I find him I'll try to bring him back."
The captain eventually acquiesces. And that is why Ivan is tromping around downtown, debating whether or not to call "Mark? Mark?" like he's looking for a lost dog.
Ivan has to arrest Mark
middlingalong
middlingalong
"Local law will pick them up once there's no longer a hostage, I think. I don't want to have to arrest you. Again. For rescuing me too energetically."
unmarred
"All right."
So, back out the side door they go. Mark spots a guard looking the other way and stuns him before he can turn around.
So, back out the side door they go. Mark spots a guard looking the other way and stuns him before he can turn around.
unmarred
Mark only has to stun one more guard to make good their escape.
"Pathetic bunch," he observes, glancing over his shoulder as the building recedes behind them. "I'll escort you back to the embassy. If you want."
"Pathetic bunch," he observes, glancing over his shoulder as the building recedes behind them. "I'll escort you back to the embassy. If you want."
middlingalong
"That'd - be good, yeah. I've," he loses the fight against coughing, "got no idea where we are."
unmarred
Mark snorts softly. "North end of town. The far north end."
Now that they don't look likely to need it anytime soon, he starts disassembling the plasma arc and making the pieces vanish.
"Ah, here we are."
It's a groundcar. Not in especially good repair, but it looks like it was pretty respectable fifteen or twenty years ago when it was brand new. And it has a transparent roof.
Now that they don't look likely to need it anytime soon, he starts disassembling the plasma arc and making the pieces vanish.
"Ah, here we are."
It's a groundcar. Not in especially good repair, but it looks like it was pretty respectable fifteen or twenty years ago when it was brand new. And it has a transparent roof.
unmarred
"Borrowed it. I bet you can guess who from."
Mark settles into the driver's seat and starts the vehicle. Off they trundle.
Mark settles into the driver's seat and starts the vehicle. Off they trundle.
middlingalong
Ivan continues to look out the window.
"...Does anybody at the embassy know you decided to rescue me by yourself?"
"...Does anybody at the embassy know you decided to rescue me by yourself?"
middlingalong
"Wondering how surprised they'll be when we turn up. How would they have guessed, what'd you do?"
unmarred
"Replied anonymously to the ransom note with a counteroffer indicating that if they returned you unharmed within a day, they would remain unharmed likewise. That's probably why they made you record that vid message."
unmarred
"Alas, money and violence don't trade so fluidly outside of Jackson's Whole. They chose not to negotiate. And when I arrived, you were not unharmed, so—" he shrugs.
unmarred
"I made that judgment when I saw where they were keeping you; I didn't see your hands until I got into the room," he clarifies.