THE INFINITE BROOD (Starcraft/Supreme Commander Crossover Quest!)

You looked at her bright, bright pretty green eyes and found yourself slipping back, oh...ten years. You grinned at her and rubbed at the base of your neck, trying to sound...casual. "I can move that asshole to a new set of rooms, if you want!"

She smiled at you. "Abuse of power?"

"I mean, they're all the same room," you said, coughing. "Or, uh, I could get you a new room."

"General Clarke," Sarah said, placing her hand on her chest, her voice pitching to a different accent - something more rustic and sweet, like she was doing an imitation of a holovid you hadn't said. "Why I never!"

You actually blushed. You were forty years old and blushing like you'd just gotten out of college again. You chuckled and dropped your hand from your neck. "I wasn't suggesting my room," you said.

"Shame," she said.

You coughed out a laugh. "So, uh, other than the neighbors, has the ship been comfortable enough for you."

"Infinite free food that's like a fine restaurant in Augustgrad and assurances that we won't be killed by Protoss, Dominion maniacs or the Zerg?" Sarah shrugged one shoulder. "Oh, I suppose I can live with it." She sipped from her cup. "I'm just to slightly more pampering."

"Oh?" you asked.

"Why, can't you tell?" she asked, smiling at you. "Back on Bel'Shir, I was a Queen. Thousands of servants, beautiful house." She pursed her lips slightly, fluttering her eyelashes at you in the most absurd way. You laughed again. God, how long had it been since someone had made you laugh? You'd forgotten how much you liked it. Sarha jerked her head. "Come on, you're the general, and I've been dying to stretch my legs. Give me a tour of this ship."

"Well, if you give me the order, oh Queen," you said, dryly. "You do know that my people have been at war with an imperialist monarchy for centuries, right?"

"Centuries? Really?" she asked. "How can you fight a war for centuries. The big smash up between the Zerg, Protoss and Terran was just a year long, and it seemed to completely wreck the sector."

"Ah, the wonders of modern technology," you said, leading her from the civilian rooms to one of the ACU hangers. You weren't trying to impress a girl with your fancy technology. It was important for the civilians to understand both the benefits of supporting the UEF and the safety that it would imply. Knowing how an ACU worked, what it could really do, would help that. Sarah's eyes widened fractionally as she saw the huge machine, while you grabbed onto the railing and turned to face her, leaning your right arm against the yellow and black striped support. "This is an Armored Command Unit. They're able to construct entire armies of automated robotic warfare platforms - ranging from infantry, tanks, aircraft, experimental units of larger scales...ships."

"Like...battlecruisers?" she asked, curiously.

"No, like, ships. Ships ships."

Sarah looked more confused. "Battlecruisers are ships."

"No, ships on water," you said.

"Why'd you put a ship in water?" she asked, laughing.

You rubbed your palm against your face, feeling bemused. "Uh, don't your planets have oceans?"

"Yeah," she said, then frowned. "Are you telling me, back on Earth, people make ships and put them in water? And they float?"

"Yes!" you laughed. "Metal can be buoyant enough to float in water if you build them right. It's incredibly efficient. Like a train."

"A...train?" she asked, looking so completely befuddled that you almost opened your mouth - then paused, frowning at her.

"You're pulling my leg," you said, quietly.

"Only about trains," Sarah said, turning back to face the ACU. "Putting spaceships in the water seems kinda silly when you can fly in space with artificial gravity and fusion engines. I mean, I'm no expert soldier or anything...just...some colonial backwater hick from New Gettysburg..." She grinned at you.

"If that's a big city, I don't know it, I'm from Earth," you said, dryly.

"Dang," Sarah said, sighing. "It was on Tarsonis. I got out on the last evacuation transport..." She looked haunted for a moment, her hands tightening as she gripped onto the metal railing.

Your smile faded. "That'll never happen again. That kind of attack? Never again, not when the UEF is here."

She forced her hands to relax. Then, for a moment, she looked downright annoyed. She released the bar and stepped forward, getting right into your personal space. Her grin was playful. "A knight in shining armor?"

Your cheeks flushed and you found it very hard to not look into her eyes. "Uh, heh, it's mostly blue," you said.

"I like blue," she said, quietly.

You smiled at her.

"Oh! General!"

You spun away from Sarah and stood straight, feeling for all the world like you'd been kicked back into the academy and he been caught by a teacher. Instead, you lifted your chin, frowning slightly as you took in the sight of Lt. Stukov, who was looking pleased to have found you. He came to attention. "There's some new reports on the data we've recieved from our intelligence networks," he said, nodding. "S-Since you're awake. Uh. Were you busy?"

"No, Lieutenant," you said. "Have the data rerouted to my chambers, I'll read them over breakfast." You rubbed your thumb against your eye, flicking some grit from it. "Thank you."

"General," he said, taking the dismissal and turning to go. As he walked off, Sarah stepped up to your side, hands behind her back.

"Duty calls?" she asked, curiously.

"Endless paperwork," you said.

"What's paper?" she asked, grinning at you.

"Colonials," you muttered. "No respect for human tradition."

"You're cute when you grumble about colonials," she said, playfully. Your cheeks flushed and you frowned at her.

"And, uh...I mean, I haven't had breakfast either, you know," she said, grinning at you slightly.

---
HEAT: 4/6

SPARKS
Shaken (∞)

This is a complicated vote, so be sure to make it a plan vote! First, vote for one of these
[ ] Perception diff 10 - notice the bars twisted out of shape by superhuman strength (gain 8 heat, putting you at 12/6 overheat)
[ ] Fail perception check, set heat to 0

Second vote!
[ ] Say goodbye to Sarah, for now. You do have work to get to (begin next Interlude)
[ ] "...do you want breakfast? We can, uh, go get it?" (get sticky spark Colonial Girlfriend 4, lose your Shaken (∞) spark)