Experiment: The Ravager Code

Purpose and Promise

Horuz turned to Yondu. "Captain, I—"

"Just watch."

Tess put her hands down into the engine and started working, her brow scrunching a bit as she worked, pulling one wire out and examining it, then dropped it on the ground and retrieved a new one from the metal box beside the ship, connecting that in its place.

She went on for three minutes, and Yondu smirked softly the whole time, crossing his arms as he saw that brilliant mind of hers keep going, watched her focus entirely on her task except to reach up and brush her hair from her face.

"There," she said, stepping away with her hands slightly black with oil. "That should do it."

"Well, power her up." Yondu said, and Horuz obeyed, stepping up into the little pod.

It whirred to life in moments, sounding smooth and strong.

Tess didn't smile, but looked to Yondu to be sure she had done it right, he only grinned a little more at her as Horuz stepped back out of the ship and looked surprised at Tess.

"How did she do that?" he asked. "That one was done for, we were sure of it..."

"Told you." Yondu said. "Kid's got a talent, figured she could help y'all out down here for a while." He looked at her and added with a pointed look. "Maybe get some work done around here for a change."

She smiled a little at that, if he was happy then so was she. He was proud of it... she had done that.

"Whatever you say, Cap." Horuz answered.

"I'll be back for her at six-hundred."

Tess whirled to him instantly, her eyes going a little wider. "You're leaving?" she asked quickly, her voice wavering slightly.

"I'll be back."

"I want to be with you..."

He sighed, looking at Horuz who raised his brow and turned, busying himself with something else as Yondu's look at him told him to.

He looked down at Tess and lightly put his finger on her chin. "You can't right now, too many things and too many people. Maybe soon, but not now. You'll be okay here and Kraglin will come check on you later."

She really didn't want him to leave, really didn't want to not be with him, but nodded slowly, looking down, but trying to just bite the inside of her lip and ignore the little creeping fear up her back as he stepped away from her.

Yondu grabbed hold of Horuz's shoulder and spoke a little quieter to him, his voice serious. "Keep an eye on her, don't let no one mess with her and make sure she doesn't get hurt. She better not be touched either."

"Aye, Cap."

"I mean it, if any harm comes to that girl—"

"It won't, she'll be fine."

"You better hope."

- - - - - - -

Tess bided her time fixing anything she could, getting her hands on whatever machinery available to her and going straight to work. Even though some of the other mechanics were hesitant about it, she kept going.

If Yondu was going to leave her here because she could fix things, then that's what she would do.

Didn't mean she wasn't going to be glancing at the door every few moments just waiting for him to come back.

She was laying back on a creeper board, squinting up at the underside of a ship and thinking hard about all this, about this crew, about what her place among all this was.