Smile. "Are you okay keeping an eye on the ship while I look through the wreck?"

"I'll do my best."

"So I should expect excellent work, then."

"Either that or abject failure."

"Certainly something impressive."

"I am a lady of extremes."

"Extremely delightful, for sure."

She preens.

She laughs and sets about scrying.

The information they're able to get is pretty detailed - enough Villanelle feels confident leaving Ellie with the ship while she delves into the wreck alone. She thinks she can get in and out ahead of the pirates... And that the thing they're after is too small for the ship.

She'll hide the ship behind some wreckage; Ellie will just need to stay hidden. Is she okay with that?

"If someone finds me, should I move the ship or try to fight?"

"I'd rather you try to get away... I can hang out for a few hours easily until you're able to come back for me, and I should be able to expand that some."

She nods. "I'll try not to break anything."

"I'll appreciate it."

Smile.

"Good luck finding something."

"Thanks. I shouldn't be long."

Ellie sees her off, then heads to the bridge to keep an eye on things.

The ship's pretty well hidden by the time Villanelle leaves, tucked behind some material that seems to give scries directed inward (but not out) a lot of static it took Villanelle some finagling to get around. The other ship continues its slow way through the ruins, searching back and forth methodologically. Villanelle vanishes from the radar not long after she heads out.

Villanelle is not, despite her assurances, back soon. The hulking pirate ship turns, and starts sweeping on an arc that should take them past but perhaps dangerously close to Ellie.

Is there enough cover that if she moves she won't expose herself?

Barely; she'll have to be careful.

Then she will carefully ease the ship away from the pirates' course.

They don't seem to notice her! In fact they don't seem to notice a net of cables they stumble into either, and have to spend a good bit of time detangling themselves from.

Ha. Gives her time to find a good hiding spot.

She's able to, and it even has a decent enough vantage so she'll be able to tell if and when Villanelle returns to where she left from.

Convenient.

Back to waiting.

There's an explosion off in the wreckage.

The pirate ship turns towards it.