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Note: English is not my native language, and I lack beta/proofreader, therefore expect mistakes and wonky grammar.
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4
"A two-seater?"
"Precisely so."
The Warrior of Light raised an eyebrow. "Is there some fine nuance I'm missing here?"
"Of course there's a difference. You being who you are, I can't think of anyone else readily available who can, at the same time, speed-up and fire at max capacity, and not drop half-dead from exhaustion."
Sound logic, especially if the Ironworks were planning to make, or repurpose, more of Allagan mech for the upcoming conflict. All things considered, there was a good chance they might need them. She turned to look at the screen where the blue and white machina was making precise movements above the water and being even more precise with downing its targets. Practically pirouetting on the imaginary battlefield.
"And who is piloting it now?"
"The only other individual who has more experience than you."
"Allie?"
"All this time later, and I still can't tell if you're joking or not," Cid he declaimed, a gleeful twinkle in his eyes.
"I am merely surprised he'd even dare enter one after the whole 'Ultima' debacle."
Cid was only momentarily silent. "He volunteered." For a moment there, he looked like he was to add something more, but held back. Eyes returning to the screen, Kebhut let out a thoughtful 'huh'.
The weather was changing. It was known to turn so quickly in the open water. Dark clouds were quickly gathering across the horizon, with sudden specks of light flashing in between. Cid let out a mild curse and called for the G-Warrior to return to the base. It didn't seem like testing in hazardous weather conditions was on schedule for today.
The machina gracefully pivoted about setting course back towards Terncliff, and before long, the G-Warrior was settling back into the hangar.
"Are you certain you don't need more testing?" She asked watching the pilot get out, vault down to the catwalk, and heading towards the two. Her eyes narrowed even as Cid waved her question away.
"Not right now, no. We have your data from the engagement with the Sapphire Weapon. But you can be sure I'll call you as soon as we hit the next phase." He turned to Gaius, as he approached. "How was it?"
He closed in and his sheer size on the catwalk forced her to slide away. On some days she didn't know what was more unfair – that the Garleans were so obscenely tall, or that Auri women were destined to be so small compared to everyone else.
"The crystals hold, but I suspect they'll be more useful to someone who can actively manipulate the flow of aether."
She leaned back against the railing – taking an assessing, and entirely non-clinical glance at the rest of him head to toe, and back, earning a raised eyebrow from him. With a mild grimace, she looked back at Cid. "A suit?"
"Upset you didn't get one?" Golden eyes flicked to her, lingering on her a few seconds too long, in open assessment.
Loader moved above them, too fast, not slowing down and crashing into a ladder and spooking some of the engineers. Cid turned to uncharacteristically yell at whomever so carelessly tampered with the settings. The cacophony that was a busy hangar masked another sound, much closer to the group. Well, mostly. A keen eye could easily spot the moment her tail had lashed against the railing behind her, leaving a solid dent in it.
The Garlean leaned back and stared, a sardonic challenge on his features. Kebhut pursed her lips, letting her narrowed eyes trail over him.
"I didn't think you need one." When he saw her frown slowly turn towards him, Cid lifted his hands passively. "No, think about it, you know how to handle yourself better than anyone I know. I'd wager you could roll in from Moonfire Faire, and still wouldn't feel any of the side-effects of G-Warrior going into the overdrive."
She made a face like she had just bitten into a lemon, but with her linkpearl chiming against her horn, present company was spared of any 'opinionated' comments on her part. After a moment, or two or three of receiving instructions, she cut the connection and breathed out. The raen rubbed her forehead, with the air of someone trying to ward off a migraine, and growled something about the Twelve.
"I'm guessing you're needed elsewhere."
A nod.
"The Telophoroi?"
A vague shrug, but at least she added – "You have my frequency." – as she turned to leave, already doing metal calculus and sheets of what would be required of her, and what to bring along. She walked past the workers and boxes containing spare parts or other new and exciting inventions, loading machines, and oversized tools necessary to make the machina work. Like a treadmill on narrow walkways and claustrophobic corridors, and she had to brave it all just to reach the elevator.
Gyr Abania. She hated going there. Hated having to set foot across the border and play nice with-...
Nausea hit her so suddenly that she barely managed to catch herself on the railing, bracing herself there and going down on one knee. The pain didn't hit, not right away. A burning sensation spread from her entire side like a crackling spider web, so white-hot and intense she had to shut her eyes at the influx of memories that were not her own.
She looked up, only to meet with pair of golden ones in the distance. She blinked the tears away but they fell down her face instead. Changing rooms... yes. They must've been in this direction. The corner closing the elevator. She wouldn't know. She didn't need one apparently.
A silly thought to think about now.
Scrambling to her unsteady feet, she pushed her way through hallways, twisting through doors in the darkness until she reached the exit.
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Outside the rain was like a dirty curtain someone had haphazardly thrown across the town. The crisp damp scent of moisture and ozone clung to the ancient stones. One more set of winding steps – cramped and claustrophobic, like running up a well-shaft – and then she found herself on a long, narrow balcony overlooking the ocean.
The balcony was deserted, and she crouched against the inner wall of worn stones and tried to rub some comfort back into her throbbing head. It hurt like the aftermath of getting smash-faced drunk without any of the fun. Then long, painful minutes of waiting. For a moment, she even allowed herself to relax.
And then the sound of footsteps quickly approaching, just as another gait – loud, confident, and punctuated by the creaking of leather. Well, this was some kind of godsawful pathetic joke. It had to be. Everything screamed of it. Why else would Gaius van Baelsar, and not one of the Scions, be the first one to catch her in this sorry state?
As the silent moment settled between them the clock tower begun to chime, its sound half-lost among the crashing waves and rolling thunder. He took up a spot right across from her, his back to a column. He let the silence drag on, she'll speak when she chooses to, and instead making a quick inspection of their surroundings – a crumpled, dirty bedroll in a corner, empty wine bottles, bits of eggshell, discarded from someone's breakfast... someone had made a residence here. Surely not her. One of the townsfolk or a stray soldier?
Inhaling deeply, the raen dared to look up. Her expression was a strange contrast to speak of – a neutrality and distance combined with raw emotion and trail of tears clearly marked against her cheeks. She offered a small wave with her hand, a gesture of dismissal. "They're not mine."
It took him but a moment to realize what she meant. Indeed, his mind had conjured up a rather different scenario. "The Echo? Is it not merely an ability that shares with you a vision of the past?"
She rested the back of her head against the wall and closed her eyes, focusing on slowing down her breathing. It was close, but at least she didn't lose her entire meal this time.
"Vision? ...That's putting it uncharacteristically lightly." She took in a deep breath, squaring her shoulders as the emotions ebbed away. "It's..." she clicked her tongue as thunder rolled above them, and she heard the voices from the past, like old friends whispering against her horn. "...everything." And there were so many – not just echoes anymore, but memory bleeding into her reality.
"I had not thought it to be quite this extensive." No – invasive, would be a more appropriate term from the looks of things. Perhaps it was best not to know whose memories it was that she had glimpsed. It did not seem a pleasant experience. And her continued silence on the topic could only mean there was no relevant insight to share.
Kebhut forced her shoulders into a shrug. "I have quite a few of Livia's memories I can do without. The less said about them the better."
"I am sure." The Garlean shot her a troubled look – two parts concern, one part amused aggravation – before his lips curled into a lopsided smirk. "Was that why you were looking forward to piloting the G-Warrior? To expend aether..." He trailed off. Another glance, yellow and rich like amber under thick black lashes.
She didn't answer and kept her face neutral as Gaius turned to her. His gaze dragged over her… slower than she would have expected. Now, he was more certain than ever that what he witnessed that night, on top of the pylons, was private – far more personal than he initially believed. Did she have another such episode?
"If one is drinking then one is trying to achieve a certain state of mind."
Usually, said state of mind being oblivion.
A snarl erupted from low in her chest, enough to rip through the storm surrounding them. "Must you harp on this? I have enough reserves to fight and then some to stay hale and hearty when such is not required. How I choose to waste it is no one's business. "
"'Required.' A strange way to word it. Is it a chore to you?"
Her glare locked onto him. He well and truly wasn't going to let this go. Like a rat gnawing on a dried carcass. "It is something I am uniquely qualified to do," she breathed out, forcing the tension to drain from her muscles. "As you know."
He cocked an eyebrow, the attempt at irony somewhat spoiled by the fact that traces of tears were still etched across her face. She dragged her gaze from the Garlean.
They stayed in silence for a few minutes. Above the cliffs, the sky was churning like a whirlpool. Certainly, it was not sound weather for travelling, but she could easily enough sense the current that would teleport her to Ala Mhigo. Finally, she climbed to her feet, forced herself to keep steady. No weakness was allowed.
"You should be getting to your work, and I've been gone from the others too long." Besides, rattled or no, she couldn't postpone it forever.
He stood as stiff as a statue and waited. "I heard. Where to next?"
"Where ever they tell me to." An odd bitterness under the admission, all of it flowing over a deep riverbed of resignation.
"You weren't told to come to Terncliff." A trace of a smile touched his lip.
She opened her mouth, and then closed it with an audible clack, and glared at him mutely. Her face shut tight, emotions wiped away in favour of her mercenary persona. "I do, in fact, kill people for a living. And in case they do survive..."
'Keep your enemies close – or wake up dead.' Tale as old as time, really.
He turned to the ocean, his face in stark profile against the paling skies. "Fair is fair, I suppose."
"Cid can contact me should another weapon become active." A veil of shimmering light enveloped her as she began to gather the aether. "Or not. It seems like you're well-positioned to replace me."
She managed to startle him and he made a vague noise, something between a chortle and a reluctant 'heh'.
The shimmering spot was left empty.
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