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Post by Jordanna on Jun 30, 2006 2:04:06 GMT -5
"Just don't ask Handy to hold it," Vance replied with a slight smile. "He can't be trusted."
"Hey!" Handy protested from his perch by the window.
Chuckling, Vance reached out and casually moved a pawn forward.
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Post by skybright on Jun 30, 2006 2:10:53 GMT -5
Daws chuckled and moved one of her own pawns. "Y'know, I saw Karpov play an exhibition game once." She remarked casually, "But I wasn't all that impressed. He had the knowledge, sure -- but he wasn't willing to take any real risks."
She grinned at Vance, baring her fangs slightly. "It gets boring without risks."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 30, 2006 2:16:52 GMT -5
Vance moved another pawn, on the other side of the board from the first.
"Funny, in our exploits so far, I'd kinda gotten the impression you didn't like risks."
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Post by skybright on Jun 30, 2006 2:24:59 GMT -5
Daws shrugged one shoulder and studied the board. "I like risks that're worth it, Major -- else I wouldn't even be here." She moved her queen's knight. "But even The Art of War says 'to win without fighting is best'."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 30, 2006 2:38:47 GMT -5
"Sometimes there's no way to win without fighting." Vance rested his chin on his hand, pondering the board. "And there's different ways of fighting, too."
He moved his first pawn again, seemingly in no hurry to touch any of his more significant pieces.
"You've spent a lot of our encounters arguing that I'm all about explosions. If that was true, Hitler Junior over there," he waved his hand vaguely toward Huber, "would be a greasy smear on the sidewalk by now. I didn't spare him to make you happy, detective--it was because I decided a lighter touch was the best tactical response in this case."
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Post by skybright on Jun 30, 2006 2:49:12 GMT -5
Daws ran a hand through her tangled hair, contemplating the board. "Well, I'm certainly glad t'know you didn't do it to please me." She reached for a pawn, paused, and reconsidered.
"Anyway," she added, moving a different pawn instead, "It's my job to step lightly. You just get used to makin' a certain kind of move after a while."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 30, 2006 2:52:13 GMT -5
"Careful you don't get too used to it," Vance murmured. "Nothing'll get you killed quicker in a fight than inflexibility."
He tilted his head, considering his chess pieces, then advanced his king's knight.
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Post by skybright on Jun 30, 2006 3:00:53 GMT -5
"Now there you go soundin' concerned for me again," Daws said humorously.
"You've got a decent point, though." She tilted her head. "I could've gotten killed last Tuesday, on account of I was always too stubborn to learn to swim." She flashed a brief grin at Sid. "I'm workin' on reforming that, though."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 30, 2006 3:09:19 GMT -5
"Thanks for the warning," Vance murmured. "I'll make sure I got a couple gill breathers around anytime you tag along on a job near the water."
He touched one of his bishops consideringly, then changed his mind and moved another pawn.
"The first line of defense is there for a reason," he remarked quietly, as if to himself.
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Post by skybright on Jun 30, 2006 3:15:07 GMT -5
Daws rested her chin in one hand. "My partner taught me to play this game," she remarked offhandedly. "I got to be better than he was pretty quick, though."
She moved her knight to take the pawn Vance had just moved. "Jack's problem was, he didn't think hard enough about the small pieces. He sacrificed too many pawns, too quick. Cost him a lot of games."
She set Vance's pawn to one side with deliberate care. "First blood, Major."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 30, 2006 3:22:37 GMT -5
"Don't expect me to rush for vengeance," Vance remarked wryly, as he calmly moved another pawn on the other side of the board. "Sometimes it takes a few early losses to build a victory on."
He glanced up at Daws with a faint smile. "You might find out I'm more patient than you think."
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Post by skybright on Jun 30, 2006 3:31:20 GMT -5
"Patience is a virtue, they say." Daws replied. Then she chuckled. " 'Course they also say 'strike while the iron's hot.'"
She moved one of her pawns. "I suppose chess is like any other thing -- you gotta be balanced."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 30, 2006 3:42:47 GMT -5
"Oh, I dunno. Sometimes unbalanced works just fine, too."
With a smile, Vance moved one of his rooks, capturing the knight that had taken his pawn. He glanced up at Daws and raised one eyebrow.
"Like I said, I'm a thorough guy. It may take me a while, but I never forget a debt to be paid... or collected on."
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Post by skybright on Jun 30, 2006 3:51:37 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "I like to think that's somethin' we've got in common." She studied the board carefully. "It goes back to what I said last night."
Daws nudged one of her bishops forward a space. "Once I decide someone is one of my people, I'll do whatever it takes to protect 'em."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 30, 2006 3:58:43 GMT -5
"Ah." Vance looked up from the chessboard. "But supposing one of your friends was in a position to stop Tiernan once and for all--only it'll cost their life to do it. You can prevent 'em from making that sacrifice, but it means letting this fight keep dragging on, and more people dying." He raised an eyebrow. "What would you do, detective?"
Almost as an afterthought, he reached out and captured one of Daws' pawns with one of his own.
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Post by skybright on Jun 30, 2006 4:11:55 GMT -5
Daws gave a wry chuckle. "Major, you wouldn't be tryin' to distract me, wouldja?"
She studied the chessboard as she contemplated the question. "In the end, everyone decides for themselves what's worth living -- and dying -- for."
She gestured vaguely at Huber. "Chuckles over there has decided that genocide's worth livin' for, for example. I've decided that bringin' down Tiernan is."
Daws shrugged one shoulder. "If someone I loved decided that stopping Tiernan was worth dying over, I'd have to respect that."
Then she grinned and captured Vance's rook -- leaving one of her bishops in a dangerous position. She set the captured piece to one side and raised an eyebrow at Vance.
"Doesn't mean I wouldn't die tryin' to beat them to it, though."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 30, 2006 4:22:32 GMT -5
It wasn't the answer Vance had expected, and his respect for Daws increased a little more. He gave a slight nod and turned his attention to the chessboard.
"But as for distractions, detective... sometimes people distract themselves." Ignoring her vulnerable bishop, he moved one of his own and captured a white knight, putting his piece threateningly close to her king and queen.
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Post by skybright on Jun 30, 2006 4:40:25 GMT -5
Daws tipped her head and chuckled. "And sometimes they just have a blind spot." She replied, neatly moving her formerly-threatened bishop to capture one of Vance's knights. "That's why two heads are better'n one."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 30, 2006 4:47:44 GMT -5
"Maybe," Vance replied. "So long as they're not always too busy arguing with each other to get anything done."
He advanced another one of his pawns--a move designed to look unimportant, but which positioned the pawn to protect his strategically-placed knight.
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Post by skybright on Jun 30, 2006 4:52:56 GMT -5
Daws stretched lazily. "I dunno, Major. A little healthy conflict can keep things interesting. So long as both parties know when to drop it and get down to business."
She leaned forward and blocked Vance's pawn with her remaining rook. "And so long as neither of them underestimates the other." She added with a mildly rebuking tone.
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