All that Mordenna knew as he rushed towards the Infirmary was that it was all his fault.
Taking down the ships was a priority, yes, but he should've held his fire the minute he laid eyes on that Specter. That thing wasn't standard fare and he never should've taken his eyes off of it. If he'd been smarter, if he'd been more wary of it, none of that would've happened. He wouldn't have made the shot far too late. Fal-Mai would still have her arm.
Speaking of his sister, he was getting echoes of pain and worthlessness in the back of his mind. That either meant that the painkillers had finally worn off... or Jax was feeling the same self-loathing he was. Either way, he last saw Jax carrying Fal-Mai onto the ship. They were likely in the Infirmary.
It interested Mordenna, then, when he saw Jax walking away from it, head slightly down and face in a mild scowl. Mordenna stopped up, and it was then that his brother spotted him. Mordenna was the first to engage. "Bro? Everything alright?"
Jax blew out a gust of frustrated air through his nose, looking to the side. "Yes. Apparently I have nothing to be upset about."
Mordenna's eyes flicked from him to the direction the Infirmary was in. "... I feel stupid for repeating the question, but that really doesn't inspire confidence, Jax."
His brother looked back to Mordenna, eyes hot. "Does it hardly matter? According to our sister, I have lost nothing compared to her."
Mordenna blinked. Well... he wasn't about to say anything in that department, but—"Fal-Mai just lost her arm, bro, are you seriously gonna take what she says like that while she's hurting to heart?"
Jax's scowl deepened, and he looked back ahead. "Not everyone is made of stone as you are, brother."
He could feel his anger bubble up, and he swallowed, as if trying to force it back down. "You... are the last person who should be accusing me of not feeling a fucking thing, Jax. If anything I'm angry that I feel too much."
"Then you go in there," Jax hissed, not looking at Mordenna and starting to walk away, "have her tell you just how little you mean in the face of her."
"Fal-Mai's a limb down!" Mordenna turned to fully face Jax, his anger coming up despite his best attempts. "Are you seriously gonna get this upset over your own feelings not getting handled?!"
"It is not a matter of that!" Jax wheeled on Mordenna, hair aglow and animated in his fury. "I have spent so much of my life absolutely certain that I had nothing to be upset about within the Elders' grasp! The last thing I wish for is to have those feelings questioned again when I think I am somewhere safe from them!" Oh. Jax's neglect to verbally capitalize that "them" hit Mordenna like a truck, but Jax didn't give him any space to say something. "You were not the only one to see her lying there in a pool of her own blood! Lest you forget I was the one to carry her inside while she was delirious from pain! But her being in pain does not give her the right to insist I have lost nothing!" Jax bared his teeth. "It does not give her the right to look me in my eyes and say I know nothing of what she feels! She has no right to insist that the Elders have not taken from me as well! She—"
Jax suddenly closed his eyes, whirling back around and slamming his fist on the wall. He took a breath in, and when he spoke again, his voice was low and soft... almost as if he was holding back tears. "You go. I will tend to my own, since it is clear I am not wanted there." With that, his hair floated back into place and his fist dropped, and he lumbered off, not once looking back.
When he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight, Mordenna finally let out the breath he had been holding, slightly staggering on the spot. If he had to be honest with himself, it did not feel great in the slightest to be shouted at by his brother. There was a time where he reveled in it—or at the very least, wasn't phased by it. Of course, he was now learning that it was a tell-tale sign that whoever just yelled at him meant something to him. Jax meant something to him. Yet, the words Jax had just said echoed back at him. Him being in pain doesn't give him the right to shout you down. Frowning, and with his own feelings not quite so intact, Mordenna turned back around and focused on what he'd come here for. Fal-Mai was in pain—and unlike his brother, he wasn't about to abandon her.
The shouting Fal-Mai heard in the distance didn't exactly inspire confidence in her. Not that her state was nothing short of "devastated."
She hadn't moved from her curl on the bed, hiding under her shroud as she sniffed and hiccupped. It was rather unbecoming of her to wallow in a pool of her own self-pity, that much she knew, but she really didn't feel like doing anything else. She'd just yelled at Jax and practically spat in the face of the hardships he'd experienced. Judging by the tone and pitch of the two voices she'd heard muffled outside, her brothers had an argument, likely caused by her hurting Jax's feelings. Was there truly nothing she could get right? Was this just the culmination of all of her failures? It wouldn't be long before Eliza came in to say she no longer had a place on the Avenger—that much the Assassin was certain of.
She was pretty certain that was about to happen when she heard the door to the Infirmary open and she sucked in a breath. Even if she knew her fate was inevitable, she stayed under her cloak. Her emotional state meant it wasn't very strong, of course. But if it was just Eliza or anyone else coming in, it wasn't like it mattered. It would only matter if it was—
"Hey, sis."
Mordenna had come upon her faster than she realized. Even if she knew he could see her, she wound herself into a tighter ball and kept her eyes shut. Mordenna sounded like he was dragging up a chair, then lowering the railing on the side of the bed he was on. "C'mon, Fals. I want to talk and make sure you're ok."
She sniffed again, raising her cloak, knowing it was just a formality at that point. "G-go away," she whispered, voice raw with her sorrow. "I-I will merely push you away as well. I will hurt you."
Her brother sighed, and she could feel him ease a hand onto her shoulder. "Fals, you... just lost something big. You're hurting more than you could hurt me, and I want to make sure you're ok."
Fal-Mai continued to lay there with her eyes shut. She equally wanted him to leave so she could not hurt him too... and she wanted to cave in and accept his comfort. One eventually won out, and she sat back up to the best of her ability, not looking him in the eye as she scooted to the side of the bed, holding her arm out.
Mordenna was quick to lean in and hug her, a gesture she readily returned. He let her lean against him, patting her back before he spoke. "... the first thing I want to do," he began, voice soft, "is say I'm sorry. I... could've prevented this. I could've stopped this if I'd used my head and hadn't underestimated what the Elders put us up against."
Normally, Fal-Mai would be quick to dismiss such sayings as Mordenna redirecting all the blame onto himself, but... she was still feeling hurt. She was still feeling rather sore over losing her arm, even if she knew it made her selfish. Fal-Mai opted to nod against him, letting him move onto his next topic.
"That being said... since it's my fault, I want to do something about it, y'know?" He spared an arm to rub at the back of his head, returning it as he went on. "I don't know if you remember me saying this, but I want to make you a new arm. It might take a while—I don't think anyone here's done anything on the level of making a prosthetic that advanced—but I want to make it up to you. Sound good?"
As much as she was happy that Mordenna would be willing to potentially restore her ability to fight... she slumped against him, resigned. "I appreciate it, brother, but it hardly matters. I am no longer myself—I am lesser. Broken. Shattered. I cannot be who I was. I am no longer—"
"'—perfect?'" She stopped up as Mordenna interrupted her, guessing what she was getting at. "... hey, Fals, I don't know if you know, but we're no longer bound by our 'parents'' shitty standards. If it got into your head so much, let me say this while maybe being a bit insensitive: you lost an arm, not part of your soul." He gave her a friendly jostle. "It's not like you've changed. You're still Fal-Mai: apparent diplomat extraordinaire who cares deeply about her family, up to the point of chasing them off if she thinks she's going to hurt them." He blew out a breath. "And if it helps I firmly believe Liz will see you the same way. She's gonna be majorly down that you lost an arm on her watch, but that's about it. You're still her favorite Assassin and me willing, you'll still be her best stealthy Chosen. Ok?"
Mordenna made far too much sense for her to linger in her mood, but some stubborn part of her still wanted to thrash against what he was saying. She failed, didn't she? Eliza is not the Elders, she could hear a voice of reason speak up. She will not have you put to death for missing an arm. You are still who you were.
Fal-Mai buried her head in his shoulder, trying her very hardest not to start crying again. "... thank you," she eked out. "I... I needed to hear that."
Mordenna squeezed her closer, to the point where he could rest his head on hers. "Ain't no problem. I don't want you beating yourself up. I know what it's like to do that."
Fal-Mai was sure the tender moment would've lasted much longer had the door to the Infirmary not opened just then. She was half-afraid she'd have to stop hugging Mordenna to appear dignified—but thankfully, it was Eliza, who rushed over and sat on the bed next to Fal-Mai. "Fal-Mai," she breathed, "I'm sorry."
Unlike Mordenna, however, Fal-Mai could never blame Eliza for anything. She stopped leaning on Mordenna so hard so she could address the Commander. "—it wasn't your fault. You were undoubtedly focusing on the other members of my squad, confident I could handle myself." She closed her eyes in shame. "It is I who should be sorry."
She was moderately surprised when she could feel Eliza practically crashing against her, hugging her tightly. "Don't be sorry about losing an arm," she muttered, resting against Fal-Mai's collarbone, "you've been hurt. Badly. Right now you should be resting and getting your strength back up, ok?"
Eliza's continued concern for her wellbeing got to Fal-Mai, and she moved to hug her—with an arm she no longer had. The frustration and self-loathing fully caught up with her and she squeezed her eyes shut, her heart feeling like it was seizing in her chest. "I... I-I cannot do anything right," she hissed at mostly herself. "I hurt my brothers, and the trail of death I have left in my wake at ADVENT is miles long! A-and now... I cannot even be of use anymore!" Hot tears slipped past her eyelids and she hiccupped. "You—you have e-every right to exile me, Eliza. Please. P-please."
Though her eyes were closed, she felt as if Eliza and Mordenna shared a look. Mordenna's arms withdrew from around her and she could hear him getting up. As he did that, Eliza further sat on the bed, pretty much inviting herself into Fal-Mai's lap as she adjusted her position, sitting so it was Fal-Mai who had her head buried against Eliza. Lone arm now freed, she hugged Eliza as Mordenna's soft footsteps faded, catching a mutter to the effect of "checking on Jax."
When the door closed, Eliza spoke. Her voice was gentle and warm. "Fal-Mai... I wouldn't want to live as the woman who exiled an operative over an injury in the field. Not even the Eliza of old would sink that low. You got hurt—and despite what anyone says, it's nobody's fault alone. If anything, it's the Elders' for continuing to lash out." She re-adjusted her embrace on Fal-Mai, almost cradling her more than anything else. "I'm sorry that it happened to you. But this isn't the time to be seeking out punishment—you need to rest and regain your strength. I promise you that you will always have a place on the Avenger, and if anyone else tries to push you out, I'll be on them faster than you can blink. You deserve a better home than what the Elders gave you, and a mistake on the field isn't going to take that away from you."
This close to Eliza, Fal-Mai could practically feel her heartbeat. Her psionics, as well—with each passing day they seemed to emerge more, and now they were swirling around her like a soft Solace, filling her with the exact emotions she felt whenever Eliza comforted her. Fal-Mai took a few deep, shuddering breaths. "I... I'm sorry... I-I can only think of what I am worth to someone in..."
"... how you can be used?" When Fal-Mai nodded and started to babble out more apologies, Eliza shook her head. "Shhh. No more apologies. You've done nothing wrong. Fal-Mai... I will never think of you as something that is only of use to me. You're so much more than that. You've done so much and come so far. You are more than whatever you're worth to someone. But, if it helps, to me... you're worth more than anything could buy."
... how could Fal-Mai even respond, when faced with such unflinching support and obvious love? Her tears were still flowing but she simply leaned into Eliza's shoulder, sinking into her. Fal-Mai had about one response, and in that moment, she was emboldened enough to say it.
I love you.
Or... so she thought. She could only mouth it against Eliza, hoping she could simply feel it as Fal-Mai did. It felt... wrong, in a way, to ruin this moment with a confession. There had to be a better moment for it. Searching for other words she could stand to say, Fal-Mai gave a shivering sigh. "—thank you, Eliza. I... I do not have many words to offer, and... I won't apologize, but know that I wish I had more to say."
"It's alright." She could feel Eliza's thumb rub against the back of her neck, where her hand had come to rest. "I just wanted you to know that. For now, I want you to rest and regain your strength. Lost a lot of blood out there... and I know you Chosen heal fast, but I still want you to get some bed rest. Relax for a bit."
Fal-Mai didn't have too many objections to that idea... until she wondered what she'd do after she got better. That dampened her mood. "What will I do afterwards? I don't imagine you would have much use for a one-armed Chosen in the field..."
"Well, plenty of people earn their keep around here without fighting." She patted Fal-Mai's back. "And I don't think anyone's wanting you to light the world on fire when you're down an arm. I think I remember hearing Mordenna talk about making you a prosthetic, which I don't doubt he can do."
She took another deep breath. If Mordenna could make her a new arm that worked even remotely as well as her old one... she would be happy. She would try not to stake her whole worth on her use as Eliza said, but it would make her feel better to be somewhat mended. Fal-Mai nodded against Eliza before a thought occurred to her. "—will he be alright, going to go see Jax?"
"Did something happen between them?"
Fal-Mai slumped. "I... fear they may have argued because of me."
Eliza reassuringly stroked Fal-Mai's back. "If I know anything about the two of them, Mordenna will be driven to make things up after he's done being angry."
If asked twenty five years ago where he'd see himself now, Bradford wouldn't have been able to begin to guess.
Even if he were more self-assured of his future than he had been, this definitely blew any expectations he had out of the water. Driving back ADVENT from Earth, negotiating with the pieces of a scattered resistance... and managing more aliens than he rightfully knew what to do with.
Eliza had made a mad dash to the Infirmary to check on Fal-Mai, and Bradford couldn't say he blamed her. He'd assured her as she was running out that he'd handle where the rulers and their subjects went. Now that he was heading down to the Workshop... he kind of wished he'd just waited on Eliza. He was self-conscious about his commanding skills at best. Hopefully organizing their new refugees wouldn't pose too much of a challenge. They had plenty of room down in the "basement" of the ship, considering how much Mordenna had been moving through their supplies recently.
Surprisingly, when he got to the Workshop, it was rather empty. Just Lily and a few of Rodin's Archons hanging about. They seemed to be locked in a conversation about engineering—strange, considering he didn't take the Archons to know much about it. Not like you've sat down to talk with the originals much, John. He still pretty heavily associated them with Floaters, so he didn't blame himself too much.
He walked up, crossing his arms. "Lily? Did you see where the other rulers went?"
"Oh." Lily sort of rubbed her shoulder, looking mildly sheepish. "They, uh, didn't much like the standing room of the Workshop, and asked me if there was a bigger area they could get used to. I didn't want to send them all over the ship willy-nilly, so I told them they could rearrange stuff in the basement as much as they liked to get comfortable. Sorry if you had different plans..."
Well, that basically took out a majority of Bradford's workload. He shook his head. "If anything, it was exactly what I was going to say to them. Thanks for speeding things along."
Lily blinked a few times at that, but she stopped looking so nervous. "Well, glad to help, I suppose."
One of the Archons—blue-skinned with more silver-ish armor than gold—turned to Bradford and inspected him. "Is this your Commander, Chief Engineer?"
"Him? Nah. Our Commander..." She trailed off, then looked to Bradford. "... where is Eliza?"
"In the Infirmary," Bradford replied. "Looking after Fal-Mai, probably."
At that, Lily grew a bit more reserved. "... yeah. I hope she's alright. I don't know what I'd do if I were the Commander right now."
"Me neither. Eliza's with her, at least."
The same Archon that spoke to Bradford rested a hand on his hip. "—a noble warrior, that one. Do you humans have any way of restoring her?"
Lily sighed. "Good question. If I know Mordenna at all, he'll be chomping at the bit to see about making an arm for her. By the way, Virgil, if you think I'm a genius, Mordenna's a god."
Rodin? Virgil? These were very human names for Archons. Bradford had to know. "Your king's called 'Rodin' and your name is 'Virgil?' Interesting names for Archons."
Virgil huffed. "'Aou-lohn-rai' is a language beyond the means of humans and most other races. My king and his subjects chose names that it would be easy for humans to pronounce, in the interest of interspecies relations."
"And the others?"
"Rough translations of their given names at best." Virgil seemed to sober for a moment. "Save our Queen Celosia. That detestable Vahlen tortured her for so long that she's forgotten most of her native language and her own name."
Oh. So that was what they thought of Vahlen. Bradford rubbed at his stubble. It definitely sounded like what Vahlen would do, but still... "Well, alright. Appreciate you all trying to make things easier on us, at least. Is your king in the basement?" When the Archons nodded, Bradford dropped his hand. "Alright. I'm going to go talk to them about arrangements."
With that, Bradford turned and headed for the door that lead down to the lowest area of the ship. Past the door was the makeshift firing range they had before they built the Training Center, with an Old Sectoid cutout with a near-perfect headshot in it. Entertaining taking that down now that they had more alien allies, Bradford moved past it into the "basement" proper.
The aliens got comfy quickly, he had to admit. The crates that were down here had already been moved to a corner of the room close to the entrance, and the path to them was clear. Thankfully, it seemed the aliens knew that the rest of the ship might have to access them at some point. Beyond that area, they'd made full use of the fact that the "basement" of the Avenger stretched for nearly the entire length and width of the ship itself, and he could see the areas they'd assigned themselves to. The Alien Rulers themselves were in a huddle off to the side, and as he approached, he could hear their conversation.
"—and it simply worries me," Celosia began, "propagating in this war. I... do so dearly want to have children out of the grasp of ADVENT, but I fear for their safety."
Vel'kiin spoke in some language Bradford couldn't understand.
"Well..." Celosia wilted a bit. "Your pregnancies are difficult, my love. I can adapt myself to reproduce on my own—slowly, yes, but I don't have your hardships to overcome that would outweigh waiting."
"Ultimately," Rodin followed up, "I think you should consider yourself first and foremost. You already have a difficult task ahead of you if the Commander allows you to reform this area for us. Ensure your safety and there will always be time later to repopulate, my queen."
Feeling that he didn't want to eavesdrop further, Bradford cleared his throat. The four rulers looked up, and it was Shazara-Ta who approached. "Human. Are you the Commander of this ship?"
"Couldn't be." Celosia wandered over, inspecting Bradford. "Human females tend to look different, with those odd bags in the front that the Elders put on your captive Vipers."
Rodin, similarly, came over. Bradford couldn't help but feel like he was being interrogated. "And how do you know their Commander is female?"
"Fal-Mai told me as she was under my painkillers. Her name is Eliza, as well."
Bradford shook his head, holding up his hands to signal to give him some space. When they did, he began. "My name's Bradford, Central Officer to the Commander. Still, for the purposes of this conversation, I'm acting in her place, as she's currently seeing to one of our wounded."
"Ah, right." Rodin's mouth pressed into a thin line. "I must extend my apologies to you and yours. Despite what I have heard of the Chosen in the past, they seem very dedicated to your cause now, and for one of them to be injured in such a way, defending our own? It is a tragedy. If there is anything I or my own can do, let me know."
The support was nice, at least, and Rodin seemed like one of the few people willing to fully believe the Chosen's reformation. "Unless you can make a prosthetic to match a Chosen, I think what you can do is moral support. After a bit I'd visit Fal-Mai in the Infirmary and let her know you appreciate her fighting for you, even if it cost her a limb."
"Very well." Rodin nodded. "I shall visit her when I am able."
"Ah, before I forget." Celosia rested a hand on Bradford's shoulder. "If you are acting in the Commander's place... is it fine if I perform some renovations to this area? Nothing permanent—simply of the type you might have seen in our former home."
From what Bradford had seen, Celosia had singlehandedly overgrown the lab they'd taken residence in. True, removing it all would be easy enough with some weed killer and the like, but... "I'll talk with Shen if we can't get some more permanent accommodations for you guys going down here if you want to stay, but for now? Well, if you can remove it fairly easily, consider the permission for it granted."
"Thank you." Celosia took her hand off of his shoulder. "Thankfully, I had the mind to take a few seeds from home before we left, so I should be able to re-establish the same strains we had before. It will simply take some time for me to replicate them."
Aliens certainly were strange, and Celosia really took the cake. Bradford took all the other aliens as normal at this point, but mutant plants? Not exactly something he'd expected. Even if he knew they were alien and probably had different growing conditions, something still bothered him. "... and these plants won't need sunlight, water, any of that?"
Celosia shook her head. "The most they will need is a solid foundation somewhere and the air my fellows breathe out. I believe you humans call it CO2? If you ever have the time, I'd be more than happy to explain the process to a point that you can understand.
Well, if Bradford needed the botany lesson, he'd take it, but that kind of thing struck him as something that Tygan would be more interested in. "I'll keep it in mind, though maybe you should have that kind of conversation with our head scientist. Need anything else out of us before I handle other things around the ship?"
Something about the words "head scientist" made Celosia's face wrinkle a bit, but the expression passed quickly. "If you could land when the sun's out," Celosia replied, "I would much appreciate it. Preferably near a source of water as well, but as long as you're not landing us in too arid of an area, I should be able to manage."
"That I can do."
Vel'kiin said something again. Lost, Bradford looked to the other rulers for translation. Shazara-Ta stepped up to the plate. "Vel'kiin asks if you would be able to send down the Commander eventually so we may talk with her in person. You straightening things out for her is acceptable, but we would wish to meet with the one who has saved us from ADVENT's retaliation."
Bradford nodded. "She'll be a bit, and honestly, I'd like for her to rest sooner rather than later, but... that's up to her. I'll let her know you want to see her."
"Thank you." Shazara-Ta looked at his fellow rulers. "I don't believe we have anything else for you. You are free to go."
Pretty expected from a group of rulers, but Bradford wasn't about to say anything. He'd leave Eliza to puzzle out the customs first. He turned and left the aliens' new home, waving to Lily as he passed, catching something about legs as he left the Workshop. Whatever was going to come out of that, he didn't want to know. He kept himself moving forward, intending to go check up on Eliza and Fal-Mai.
He knew his care for Eliza would be expected, but the concern for the Chosen was certainly more recent. He'd be the first to say he was against the idea of converting the Chosen well before Vlad got his ass kicked about it, but even then he'd been convinced by Eliza's fortitude and determination at the prospect. With a few more encounters with the Chosen and seeing how much effort they were putting into themselves... well, they convinced Bradford, too. So they had eventually gained a soft spot in his heart, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't concerned about them. Didn't take much of hearing about what happened to them and just how they were reacting to it to gain his sympathy.
Well, speak of the devils and at least one of them will appear. Bradford caught sight of Mordenna leaned against a wall in the hallway, not too far from the Infirmary. He looked pretty deep in thought—troubled thought. So deep that he seemed not to notice Bradford for a few seconds. Somewhat worrying, coming from the ever-vigilant Hunter. Eventually though, he looked up and regarded Bradford. "Oh. Hey there, Bradford. Going somewhere?"
Bradford crossed his arms. "Something on your mind, Mordenna?"
His eyes darted away for a second in response, like he was looking for something to cover with. Bradford knew that look many times before. "Eh, nothing too big, just... a lot to think about, yeah?" When Bradford's stare didn't waver, he sighed. "Well, for one, I'm bummed that my sister pretty much lost an arm thanks to me."
"That could hardly be helped," Bradford shot back, "considering ADVENT hasn't fielded elite units of that type before now. We were all unaware of what they would be capable of, and suffice to say, that includes you. Don't beat yourself up over something you couldn't have possibly known."
"But that's the thing!" Mordenna threw his hands out. "I should've been more careful because I didn't know! I should've held a shot to see what it would do instead of wasting it taking down another ship! I should've—"
"Hindsight," Bradford butted in with, "is 20/20, Mordenna. If you're half the strategist I think you are, you know that better than anyone here outside of Eliza. If you keep beating yourself up over this, are you going to have your eyes open for what else might happen? Or are you gonna get yourself stuck on what could've been?"
That was good enough to get Mordenna to hush his mouth for a bit, silenced at Bradford's reasoning. After a bit of consideration, where Mordenna's eyes flickered back and forth, he sighed again. "Goddamnit, Bradford, don't bring hardcore reasoning into this. You're supposed to let me beat myself up for fifteen years and then get around to handling it."
"My ship, my rules. That all said, don't take it as me dismissing your concerns. I think it's nice you're worried for your sister like that, but you need to consider what you could've done right and then move on. It isn't healthy to dwell, and I don't know how many times I'm gonna have to keep saying that to people on this ship."
Mordenna blew out a breath. "Have to deal our that advice a lot, huh?"
Bradford shook his head. "Like you wouldn't believe."
He gave a single chuckle at that, pushing off of the wall and rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I appreciate it, Central. Uh..." He averted his eyes. "If you're still willing to help me out, could you assist me with something else?"
Nodding, Bradford uncrossed his arms. "I'm all ears."
"So... me and my brother, well. Fal-Mai's in pain, y'know? More than just physically. Girl lost an arm, can you blame her? Anyway, I think you know that people in pain tend to say things they don't mean because they're hurting. Well, Fal-Mai must've said something like that to Jax, because when I ran into him right outside of the Infirmary, he... wasn't in the best of moods. I couldn't see why, we got to shouting at each other, he stormed off." Mordenna gestured with his hands out. "Now that I've had a moment to think and calm down, I... I really don't like what I said to him then."
"What did you say?"
"I, uh. I got a little peeved over the fact that whatever Fal-Mai said legitimately hurt his feelings, but not in a good way. I got peeved at him for reacting. He told me to my face that me saying that was... was pretty much like what the Elders did. And yeowch, that hurt me. I don't wanna be like the Elders, Bradford, it's practically the last thing I want to do—and killing myself comes before that. So, uh..." He looked back to Bradford, and he had to say, Mordenna looked almost sheepish. "Could you... I don't know, go before me? Make sure Jax ain't still pissed at me? If he is, I don't blame him, I just... don't wanna make him angrier and more upset by showing up when I'm the last person he wants to see."
It seemed like a solid plan—Bradford was a more neutral party, though he couldn't claim to understand the Chosen to the extent that Eliza did, and he didn't think he'd ever come close. He'd do what he could, of course, they were owed that much. Still, he had to be sure of one thing. "I'd be fine going in and mediating with Jax for a bit—but you're not just doing this so I'm the one who has to handle it instead of you, right?"
"Oh fuck, of course not." Mordenna shook his head as he said that. "Even if we get to shouting at each other, well... Jax is kind of the only brother I got, and half of my sibling population. Well, a third if you count what Lily and I have going, but that's still a sizeable chunk. I wanna get things smoothed between us, Central, I hate leaving things festering like this when I can do something about it. I just want it to go smoothly, is all, and if you're willing to help, I'm gonna make use of what I've got."
That was good enough for Bradford. He let his arms fall to his sides and he nodded. "Alright. I figured that would be your answer, but I had to make sure. You know where he went?"
"Honestly, if he's going to go calm down somewhere, it'd be the Studio. That's relaxation station number one for him right there." Mordenna shrugged. "That or that little tailor's office the Tailor Twins have set up, but his signature's located more generally near the Studio. Guarantee you that he went there to vent to his followers or just to sulk among them—and honestly, if I had a support group that large, I'd do it too."
All Bradford really needed to know was where he was at, but he wasn't about to tell Mordenna to stop babbling, considering it was just his wont. Bradford shoved off in the direction of the Studio—then had to check over his shoulder to make sure Mordenna was still following. Maybe his hearing wasn't what it used to be, but Mordenna really didn't make much sound. When he made sure the Hunter was still with him, he kept walking, wondering how he was going to approach this with Jax. Probably the same he did with any other soldier that looked like they had something on their mind—calmly, but firmly.
A few hallways and a ladder later, Bradford was at the door to the Studio. Behind him, Mordenna sighed. "I'll... throw up my little cloak and head in with you. He won't see me—and neither will you. Just know that I'm with you, alright?"
"Alright." When he looked back to make sure, Mordenna was definitely gone. Trusting that he'd follow, Bradford opened the door to the Studio and stepped on in.
Jax and his followers had certainly done a number with the place. There was even more art on the walls and it seemed Mordenna or Lily had chipped in at some point to get them proper shelves for some of the other pieces. Not only that, Jax's congregation seemed to have grown since the last time Bradford had bothered to check. Arachne was in there with them, sitting among the Mystics and chatting in what sounded like ADVENT, and almost all of the PsiOps were in a circle with some of the other soldiers—ones he knew had sympathies to the Chosen. Jax himself was doing as Mordenna said and was sulking, sat at a table near the middle of the room. Maria was near him, seemingly having been dismissed at some point but still wanting to linger.
Some of the soldiers looked up as he entered, but he knew he shouldn't get sidelined in casual conversation with them. He made his way to Jax's table. "Hey, Jax. Something up?"
Jax looked up for a second before huffing, not looking at Bradford. "And what business is it of yours?"
"Generally, if the soldiers in my ship aren't feeling the best, I take it upon myself to make sure they're functioning properly." Bradford leaned over on the table. "... and it doesn't help that I know why you're upset."
At that, Jax pushed his eyebrows together, squinting at nothing in particular. "I take it my brother has sent you here."
"What makes you say that? Understandably, the two of you would be rather upset that your sister just lost an arm. So I'm doing my rounds and checking up on the three of you. Seeing as the first thing Eliza did was bolt for the Infirmary, I figured you'd be in your usual spot." Perhaps he was telling a bit of a lie here and there, but he figured Jax would be easier to talk with if it seemed Bradford had come of his own volition. To aid with that, he raised an eyebrow. "Though I'm curious to know why you'd be angry that Mordenna sent me here. Angry that he cares?"
The Warlock blew out a resentful breath. "You will find the case is quite the opposite—he does not. That is why you find me in my current mood." Seems Jax bought it. "I understand that our sister is hurting. But would you, indeed, not also feel aggrieved if the person you were attempting to comfort harshly lashed out at you? What would you do?"
Well, Bradford held his first answer back—mostly because it was "stay there and stick it out." Judging by what Mordenna said, whatever Fal-Mai said to Jax was enough to get him upset. He reconsidered his answer based on that. "If it were me, I'd step off a moment to calm down and let them do the same. Then I'd come back later, let them know that what they said hurt, and hopefully get an apology. Maybe give one of my own for storming off."
"Exactly!" Jax finally looked to Bradford, slightly exasperated. "So why stop my retreat? Why halt me when I am off to calm down myself? Why—why stand there and insist that I have nothing to be upset about?"
This didn't seem to be going well—if anything, Jax was getting more distressed by the second, and it was attracting attention. Seems Bradford needed to shift into that "hardcore reasoning" Mordenna was on about. "Because he, like you, cares about Fal-Mai—and that can blind him sometimes. I don't think he could've imagined what Fal-Mai said to you to make you leave—and I don't think I can, either. All he saw was his brother walking away from his sister, who was in need. From what I've heard, and what you've experienced before, Mordenna gets fiercely protective of whatever he cares about. Fifteen years of having nothing to hold onto and suddenly he's given a new lease on life, and can you begrudge him for getting upset if something seems to threaten it?" Bradford sighed. "And yes, I'm aware that it doesn't give him the right to chew your head off. But like you explaining why you stormed off from your hurting sister, you have to understand where he's coming from."
Jax took a moment to digest all that—looking like he was going to defiantly reject all of it at first, then simmering into deep thought. Finally his expression shifted to a melancholy as he sighed, slumping over in his seat. "... I would think I would avoid taking rash actions out of anger, considering my... guardian, but it seems I am not immune to lashing out, myself. I would go try to make amends with my brother... but with my luck, he will be rightfully avoiding me."
"About that."
Mordenna's voice came from right beside Bradford, and he'd be ashamed to say that he jumped. One moment, there was nothing beside him—the next, Mordenna was leaning over at the table. When Jax himself got over his surprise, Mordenna spoke up again. "You'd be right saying I sent Bradford here. I wanted to settle things, but... I knew you'd be pissed at me still, and honestly I don't blame you. Me being a dick is kind of expected by this point, but I'd like to change it if I can. And... yeah. I'm sorry for blowing up at you. Pretty much what Bradford said here—I just... focused on the fact that you were walking away from her." He rubbed at his mouth, looking down. "Fuck. Maybe one day I'll learn to stop biting your head off for things you couldn't control."
His brother looked at him for a long moment before sitting up a bit more. "—I must also apologize for lashing out at you. Even if some of it was justified, raising my voice at you wasn't necessary. I should also exercise temperance when dealing with my own anger. I pray that you can forgive me, brother."
"Well, of course I can forgive you, bro." Mordenna shrugged to the best of his ability in the position he was in. "If you ask me, you were justified in shouting me down, but that's now when I've had a moment to think over it all. Could you forgive me for saying what I did?"
"I can."
Mordenna relaxed a fair bit. "That's a weight off my chest. And hey, uh... I think it's nice you're getting some validation on your feelings, here."
Before the two of them could launch into a no-doubt heartwarming conversation, Bradford fully stood up. "Hate to dodge out of this conversation, but I need to both check up on Fal-Mai and get a message to Eliza. Mind if I duck out?"
Both of the brothers shook their heads. "Nah," Mordenna said, "go right ahead. Tell Liz that Jax and I worked things out, yeah?"
"Can do."
Bradford went to leave, but then a soldier called out to him. "Hi Central!"
He sighed, but restrained the urge to shake his head. "Hey Pattie."
"Everything good?"
"Yeah. Now if you'll excuse me..."
With that, Bradford made it out of the Studio, happy with the fact that he helped work out things between the two brothers.
Things had largely calmed down, back in the Infirmary.
Eliza now had Fal-Mai leaning against her, the Assassin's head against her chest. Her eyes were closed and she looked as calm as Eliza had seen her all day, without the assistance of painkillers that could knock out a Berserker that is. Eliza was keeping her breathing calm and steady as she had an arm around Fal-Mai.
Samhien had already came and went, both returning Fal-Mai's mask and applying new bandages to her wound, confirming it was healing ahead of schedule, as was the norm for the Chosen. No sign of regrowth, however—it seemed generating new limbs was beyond the capabilities for them. Eliza idly wondered if that extended to organs as well, but figured they'd have bigger problems if the Chosen started losing organs. Then again, wasn't the skin a giant organ? Honestly, thinking on the logistics of it left her with more questions than answers.
So Eliza resolved to think on other topics. But really, she could only think of one, and she was currently laying on her chest right now. It was wonderful to have Fal-Mai this close again, even if the circumstances were beyond wanting. More than that, though, it was nice to know she was helping. After seeing Fal-Mai reappear from thin air with an arm down, it... shook Eliza greatly. Judging by the way it disappeared instead of dropping to the ground, they'd be seeing that Specter again. The Gatekeeper too, if the Elders deigned to save it instead of scrapping it—Eliza hadn't seen any sign of it about to explode when the portal closed, meaning Fal-Mai had struck a decisive, but not lethal blow. What if Fal-Mai saw that Specter on the field again? Would it be like Jax, seeing his Ascension Facility in ruins? How would Eliza make the call for that? Much like the Chosen themselves, before, it could rightfully appear on any mission they undertook.
Eliza withheld a sigh, knowing the action would concern Fal-Mai. She'd have time to think over the strategic ramifications later. She was just here for Fal-Mai at the moment. Did Fal-Mai know the love Eliza held for her? Not the romantic love she was struggling over hiding—the platonic love. Eliza loved Fal-Mai, outside of her attraction. It was the same love she shared for her soldiers and her brothers, the same love that drove her to care about them and make sure they were alright on a personal level. Eliza wanted to tell Fal-Mai she loved her—but she knew the phrase "I love you" was either romantic or familial, and Eliza was already trying desperately to not appear to have either. The former because of how impossible it would be to have it returned, the latter because it wasn't what she felt. She just wanted Fal-Mai to know she cared deeply about her. Through action, then, she decided—that was the best way to make it loudly known. Hopefully staying here with her communicated that enough...
Which was why it was all the more jarring when the door opened. Fal-Mai raised her head immediately, revealing her to either be awake the whole time or an incredibly light sleeper. Thankfully it was just Bradford on the other end of the door, who stepped in quietly. "Fal-Mai. Commander."
"Bradford." When Fal-Mai leaned away, she let her arm fall. "The Alien Rulers settling in fine?"
"Seems so. Lily directed them to the basement, which was what I was going to suggest, anyhow. Celosia says she can provide their own accommodations within reason, though I'm sure the cooks will have a bigger workload on their hands."
Eliza shook her head. "Seems I'm gonna need to bump up that trip to the Baroness in my schedule."
"I'll make a note of that. By the way, two things for you." Bradford turned his head slightly, addressing both Eliza and Fal-Mai. "For one, things have simmered down again between Jax and Mordenna. Got them to apologize to each other, and Jax himself is sorry about storming out on you, Fal-Mai."
Fal-Mai rubbed her side, looking down. "... I don't blame him, after what I said. He had every right to leave."
"He meant to come back later," Bradford replied, "so I'd expect a meeting within the hour. As for you, Eliza..." Bradford crossed his arms, getting a look on his face that Eliza had seen many times before. "The rulers want to see you personally. I'd advise against it—not because I don't trust them, of course. They seem genuine and largely want to keep to themselves for now. You've just had a busy day today and I want you resting."
Of course, Eliza took umbrage to that, as she always did. "And leave things unfinished? Of course not, John. I'd rather handle that within the day than leave it hanging. Besides..." She gestured to Fal-Mai. "Implying I wasn't resting just then? If I were any more relaxed I'd be in the bed and sleeping."
Something about that sentence made Fal-Mai look away, like she was hiding the expression on her face. Bradford himself just shook his head. "Whatever you say, Liz—but after you meet with the rulers, I want you resting. In your own bed or whatever else. This isn't the time to be working yourself to the bone."
"Fine." Eliza rolled her eyes. "Well, if you want to help with that process, could you make it over to our comms station and book an appointment with the Baroness for me?"
"Gladly." Bradford's arms dropped. "If you've got nothing else for me, I'll head off to do that."
"I've got nothing. Fal-Mai?" When Fal-Mai shook her head, Eliza shrugged. "You're free to leave, Bradford."
Muttering something about "hearing that before," Bradford nodded to the both of them and left, leaving the quiet atmosphere in his wake. Eliza turned to Fal-Mai, who was still facing slightly away from her. "Mind if I go handle that? I'll be right back afterwards."
Fal-Mai nodded, and Eliza got up. She didn't get too far before she heard Fal-Mai say something, though. "—Eliza? If... if I am to remain in bed and rest as you say..." After a period of silence, Fal-Mai sighed. "Nevermind. See to your duties, Commander."
Eliza chuckled gently, turning around. "You've tried to brush me off before and it didn't work, Fal-Mai—though I'll commend you for starting to bring up whatever you wanted to talk about this time. What's up?"
Fal-Mai was still looking away from her, but her eyes flickered to Eliza for a second before she spoke. "You... say you were nearly relaxed to the point that you would lay down in bed with me. Central has also stated that after your meeting with the Alien Rulers, you need to rest as well." Oh. "I... suppose it might be bold of me..." Oh my. "... but. I wished to ask if you would stay with me as we both rested."
Well, slap some makeup and a wig on Eliza and call her a clown. Fal-Mai took her semi-joke seriously and was asking the Commander to sleep with her. Not... sleep sleep with her, but. God. Eliza ran a hand through her hair. Ok. So what was a little bed-sharing between friends? It was clear Fal-Mai would need the company, but Eliza hadn't shared a bed since a short-lived relationship in her teens. Sleepover? Nah, she couldn't explain it. Submitting to that fact and knowing Fal-Mai was waiting on an answer, she replied. "That'd—that'd be fine with me. God knows I could use the rest—and I swear the beds here in the Infirmary are comfier than my own bed." Maybe having someone else there would prevent her from rolling onto her back? Nevermind the fact that she was sleeping with a Chosen. "I suppose I can bed down with you after I'm done talking to the rulers, yeah?"
She nodded, breathing out a sigh of relief. "I would appreciate it, Eliza."
With that interesting maze of thought and perception summarily handled, Eliza gave a short, somewhat flustered wave to Fal-Mai before she shoved off. To the basement it was, she guessed, without thinking over all of the implications of sharing a bed with Fal-Mai for the night.
Eliza did end up stopping in the Workshop, however. Wasn't every day that she saw Lily chatting up a group of Archons. The two of them exchanged a look—but strangely, it was one of the Archons that opened up the conversation. "Ah, I take it you might be the Commander of this vessel?"
As easy as breathing, Eliza assumed her calm, but easygoing Commander persona. "That would be me. Commander O'Leary, happy to have you and yours aboard for as long as you need. Have anything to say? Otherwise I've been summarily called down to talk with your ruler."
The Archon—blue skinned, silver armor—shook his head. "Merely inquiring as to who leads this faction. I would not keep you from an audience with our King."
That sounded rather regal. It was almost enough to distract her from thoughts like "were the Floaters the originals, or you guys" and "you guys seriously have no legs by default?" Resolving to ask them in better forms to the Archon King, she nodded. "Very well. And Lily? Don't get carried away."
Lily looked like she took some mild offense at that, but Eliza didn't give her enough time to reply as she turned to walk into the basement of the ship, making her way in. She had to admit, the gathering of aliens was a little intense. Keeping her thoughts calm, she looked for the Alien Rulers in the room. They were pretty easy to spot against their subjects, standing out like sore thumbs. As Eliza approached them, they looked up. "It's good to meet the lot of you personally," she began, "though I hate it to be under terms like this."
Vel'kiin was the first to reply, but it seemed she was speaking something that was neither ADVENT nor English. Cursing her lack of alien vocabulary, she made a note to either learn it or teach Vel'kiin ASL. Luckily, Celosia replied in a way that hinted at what the Berserker Queen said. "—I don't take her to be the ruler of the human race, love." Curious. "'Ruler of XCOM' sounds more likely. Unless...?"
Eliza shook her head. "The only position of power I've held is Commander of XCOM. I suppose in a way that made me President of the Earth's military might, but I'd rather not dwell on that. Regardless, my name is Eliza O'Leary. Feel free to just call me 'Eliza' if you'd like. 'Commander' works too, but considering you all held far higher positions of power than I, it sounds like? Perhaps that's not necessary."
"It hardly matters now." Rodin's props on his wings adjusted a bit. "But the thought is appreciated. I take it you know of us through your operatives?"
"Indeed I do. I assume you all called me down because you have some questions for me?"
Shazara-Ta nodded. "Yes, but moreover we wished to meet with who is arguably leading the human race against the Elders."
Eliza shrugged calmly. "Not just humans, mind you. Whoever wants to help, can, and I've taken in all kinds—as you all saw when we came."
"Your recruitment of the Chosen is an interesting move, Commander." Celosia regarded her carefully. Seems at least she was going to call Eliza "Commander." "How long have you been working with them?"
"Well over several months now," was Eliza's reply, feeling this tired line of questioning come around again. At least she had her answers handy. "I'll give you the rundown of what happened; it came time to storm Mordenna's Stronghold on the basis that he needed to be dealt with—on the approach, I decided that it would be better to take him in alive rather than kill him, based on the information on hand at the time. That information being 'I saw personally, during my time in the Network, enough evidence to suggest Mordenna was thoroughly abused into his mindset rather than having it be the case from the get-go.' Turns out I was correct, we negotiated with him successfully, and we repeated the pattern for his siblings. With Jax's 'father,' Cronus, trying to kill him before we could secure him, natch."
That info was enough to make Celosia recoil while Vel'kiin shook her head. "And they... all were...?"
"Yes. Abused emotionally and physically, by beings you could argue were their parents. Turns out they're great people past the bitterness and PTSD once you get to know them." Perhaps Eliza's delivery was a bit blunt, but she had to get the point across. "They're still learning—no good road without rockiness—but I think you saw firsthand their care for each other in the field."
"As we did." Rodin's voice was somewhat grave, but reverent. "I saw the care that Jax-Rai expressed for his sister, and the distress afterward from Mordenna was clear." That was an understatement. Mordenna swapped off of his anti-air rounds and started picking off ADVENT in numbers Eliza hadn't seen outside of his train raid mission. He seemed to get out of the other side ok, so it seemed a revenge-fuelled spree was more stable than one through an episode. "I'm fully willing to believe their efforts are genuine."
"Consider my skepticism rescinded," Celosia replied softly. "I wouldn't have spoken so lightly had I known their struggle."
"It's easy to condemn from ignorance—it's why I'm happy to let people know what's going on to make it that much harder." Eliza clasped her hands in front of her. "Any other questions for me?"
Vel'kiin posed something that sounded like a question. This time, Rodin translated. "A very pertinent question. Eliza—what are your long-term plans for us? Do you seek to find us a new abode, or should we assume we now inhabit your ship?"
Hm. A good question indeed. Eliza looked down for a moment, quietly considering her options. The Alien Rulers could very well be considered a faction unto themselves—establishing them would allow non-ADVENT soldiers that were still aliens to have a definite faction to turn to. That would ease Eliza's workload—and Betos's. However... having them on the ship also struck her as a good idea. More forces were more forces, and considering the rulers seemed to have storied histories of their own? There was much to be potentially learned from them.
In the end, Eliza looked back up to them. "Truly, I would say it's your choice—but if I can express my opinion, it would be an honor to have you all on the ship. There is a clear history that you all bring with you; if our information aggregator wasn't currently down for repairs, I would introduce her to you. I'd like to get to know that history before I send you off to a new home, if you would allow me. There is also the fact that I would be glad to have some of my allies closer if I can. I'd like to assist you all where and when I can, and I can do that far more easily if you're on the same ship as I am."
The Alien Rulers seemed to consider her plan for a moment. Then, Shazara-Ta held up a finger, and they drew into a huddle. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to know Eliza spoke ADVENT, and so she was privy to the whole conversation.
"It's a tempting offer," Rodin began. "I have seen their engineering bay. It's a sight to behold! Me and my own might finally have the materials to bring forth cherubs once more."
"But do we wish to chain ourselves down?" Shazara-Ta's tail thumped on the ground. "We would be fully beheld to this Commander's whims. Not to mention that we are..."
Celosia shook her head. "If this Commander is half as accepting as she says she is, our relationship would matter not to her. Besides, she has a certain charm herself, for a human. I believe she might be a psion as I am."
"With blue psionics?" Rodin rubbed his chin. "... I am similarly interested, but we shouldn't just dash in harshly. Give it some time."
Eliza was starting to feel like she really shouldn't be listening in on this. Nervously, she cleared her throat, deciding to tell the truth. "I hate to burst your bubble," she interjected in ADVENT, herself, "but I am more multilingual than you think."
The rulers jumped and looked to Eliza. Rodin was the first to recover and respond. "You... also speak ADVENT?"
Eliza gave a tired smile, crossing her arms loosely. "Kind of a job requirement when you're embedded into the Network for twenty years. I speak ADVENT loudly enough around here and some of your former ADVENT-aligned troops will recognize me if they're old enough." Even out of the corners of her eyes, she could see some of the more usual-to-her-looking aliens look over to her with strange looks in their eyes.
Shazara-Ta brought himself up slightly. "So you were the one directing the slaughter of your own race for twenty years?"
Her smile fell. "Against my own will. Before that, ADVENT captured me while we were holding them off at First Contact. Trust me—given half the chance, during those twenty years? I would've faster killed myself. But I'm doing my best to make my amends now. Much like my Chosen, I have much to atone for as well."
That left a heavy silence between her and the Alien Rulers. They looked between each other before it was Vel'kiin who muscled past them—an easy feat, given her frame. She walked right up to Eliza, who held her ground in front of the massive Berserker. Then, slowly, gently, she put a giant hand on the Commander's shoulder and nodded at her. Unsure, but knowing this might be a type of acceptance, Eliza nodded back.
Behind Vel'kiin, Rodin gave an impressed hum. "That is certainly an endorsement I will abide by. I agree with my queen—we will stay on this ship yet, Eliza."
Shazara-Ta crossed his arms, but nodded. "I can still see the merit in it. I am in favor."
Celosia chuckled. "Won't see me going against my queen. We will stay."
When Vel'kiin's hand slid from Eliza's shoulder and nearly took her outfit with it, she smiled, correcting her top. "Alright. That all said, mind if I ask a question or two of you all?"
Vel'kiin took her place back among her fellow rulers, chuffing what sounded like an affirmative. When none of the other rulers objected, Eliza began. "Alright... mind if I meet with you guys later to ask individual questions about your species? Admittedly, my Central Officer is very close to knocking me out himself so I'll get some rest—but I'd like to know more about you guys."
Rodin smiled. "It warms my heart to know you would like to know more than what ADVENT has wrongly presented of us. I, personally, would be glad to inform you." The other Alien Rulers nodded.
"I'll have to see to that eventually. Now..." Considering they didn't see Vahlen in that cave and none of the rulers mentioned her, Eliza wasn't particularly sure what the answer to her next question was going to be—but she had her suspicions. "... you all wouldn't happen to know about a human woman named 'Vahlen,' would you?"
The reaction was instantaneous. The rulers appeared to be immediately set on edge—even the towering Vel'kiin's hands balled into fists. It was Shazara-Ta who spoke then. "... how do you know of that wretch?"
Well, that reply pretty much confirmed all of Eliza's suspicions. Feeling her heart harden against Vahlen again, she figured she'd be truthful. "Vahlen... was our Head Scientist at First Contact, twenty years ago. She was known for her brutality and... often led interrogations on the aliens herself. I disavow her personally and was only asking because the Chosen knew that she took you all from the Elders herself. I... didn't know the full story."
"If you must know," Celosia began, voice hard, "Vahlen was our torturer for years we are unaware of. She mutated and twisted us all, unheeding of our cries for help. As per my species, I was able to adapt her changes out. However..." She looked mournfully to her fellows. "The others' changes were more permanent."
"She's overclocked my systems to a dangerous degree." Rodin scoffed. "If I were not rightful warrior-king, the changes she made would kill me. Not to mention what other changes she made that I won't discover until one of my sculptors opens me up."
"No cold-blooded creature should have ice in their veins," hissed Shazara-Ta. "Can you imagine having the conditions of your body scare off your lovers and friends? Can you imagine growing thorns that frighten your own children? I am simply thankful she did not sterilize me."
Vel'kiin looked to the side, silent. But Eliza could guess that the machinery ports in her back weren't natural, that the green tinge between her armor plates belied what Vahlen did to her. Whatever her experience, it must've been beyond words.
This all just contributed to the fact that Vahlen hadn't changed a bit. Given the opportunity, she chose to capture and torture these rulers instead of fighting alongside them. She had been so close to having their cooperation, Eliza bet—but she chose the far worse option. Controlling her anger, Eliza took in a deep breath. "... should I have my way, none of you will ever have to see Vahlen again."
"Please, Commander." Rodin's jets took on a slightly red tinge. "I would be glad to see her long enough to pay back what she has done."
Eliza didn't know so much about that. But then again, knowing Vahlen as she did? Well... it would be a coinflip if she simply let Vahlen go or took her right to the basement to answer for her crimes. Still, Eliza nodded. "Noted. I'm sorry to bring up the subject. That was all I had for you."
Celosia and the other rulers relaxed a bit. "It's fine. I'm simply glad you do not stand by her."
"With what she did?" Eliza could feel an old hatred burn. "She's no better than the Elders."
"Agreed."
Eliza took in another breath to calm herself, thinking of the situation she had to return to. "Alright. Now. Anything else before I go catch a break? We'll be heading over to a contact of mine shortly to secure more supplies for you guys."
"The assistance is appreciated, Eliza." Celosia inclined her head. "I can only provide so much food—and even then, I am what you humans call 'carnivorous.' I can subsist on sunlight, nutrients, and water—but in emergencies, I do require protein."
"Gotcha. Anything else I need to know?" When the rulers looked to each other and then shook their heads, Eliza nodded. "I'll be in the Infirmary if any of you need me—but fair warning, this was the last thing I was supposed to do today. If anyone bothers me they might catch an earful from Bradford."
Shazara-Ta gave an amused, hissing chuckle. "He seems to care much for you."
"That I won't disagree on. Hope you guys settle in nicely—we'll work things out as they come." That cleared out of the way, Eliza shoved off, walking out of the basement and giving Lily a friendly hello as she passed.
The journey to the Infirmary was quiet and without interruption. That gave Eliza enough time to think on just what she was about to get herself into. Sleeping. With a Chosen. Granted, non-sexually, but still. Eliza usually chucked off everything but panties and a loose-fitting shirt to go to sleep in. At the most, she'd feel fine removing her boots and belt around Fal-Mai without making things awkward. Granted, there was another part of her that was saying to just try her usual bedtime attire and see how Fal-Mai reacted, but god no. It was clear Fal-Mai was already nervous about it being misconstrued one way or the other, Eliza didn't need to go and make things worse.
Eventually, Eliza came back to the Infirmary. Nobody else was on the inside save Fal-Mai, and she was sitting back up in bed again. Seeing Eliza, she balled the blanket into her hand gently. "Did everything turn out alright?"
She nodded, stepping closer and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Yeah. Seems we'll be keeping them—and as it turns out, I was right to be suspicious of Vahlen. Turns out she took them just to experiment on them."
Fal-Mai shook her head. "The unnecessary cruelty some can stoop to never ceases to present new lows. Surely they would have cooperated out of gratitude considering the effort it had taken to free them...?"
"You'd think that," Eliza replied somewhat bitterly, "but I know Vahlen. Without me there to handle her reigns, it was probably what she was chomping at the bit to do." When Fal-Mai looked at her for an explanation, Eliza gestured vaguely. "That means she was really eager to do it."
Another metaphor learned, Fal-Mai nodded. "A dangerous mind, unchecked."
"Could say that again and it'd be just as true."
Silence. Was that going to be the extent of the conversation between them before they went to bed? It was timely enough, at least, even if Eliza would normally protest to going to bed this early. Still, some of the troops went to bed around this time—and Eliza was definitely worn out from the day's events. She could manage sleep in her own bed, but with Fal-Mai...? The two of them locked gazes and then shyly looked in different directions.
Well, best to go in confidently. Eliza shoved off the bed, reaching and grabbing the privacy curtain, pulling it so they would be shielded from prying eyes. Then, she sat back on the bed, unlacing her boots. Fal-Mai was silent as she did, and that quiet made Eliza slightly nervous in that stomach-tingling way. Setting her boots neatly down, she then unhooked her belt and set it on the nearby chair. Lastly she undid her pistol holster, checking to make sure her Plasma Pistol had the safety on before setting it down on the chair as well. Hesitating a moment, she then reached under her shirt and undid her bra, taking it off without ever lifting her uniform. She loved Fal-Mai but she was not sleeping with that thing on. Putting it somewhere more out of sight and as undressed as she was going to get, Eliza turned to Fal-Mai.
Fal-Mai had barely budged an inch, save for her hand toying with one of the clasps on her armor. Oof, yeah, that might be a bit uncomfortable for Eliza, at least, should they get close. Eliza cleared her throat. "If... you've got an undersuit on, feel free to take off your armor. Not gonna make you sleep in it if it's uncomfortable."
"O-of course." Still, Fal-Mai hesitated. She took in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I... some parts of it... I am unsure if I can undo with a single hand."
"I'll help." The words were out of Eliza's mouth faster than she realized what she was offering. First you take up the offer to sleep with her, now you're going to help her out of her clothes? Good god, Eliza, at least buy her dinner, first. Look. Look, she was helping a woman who as an arm down get more comfortable. It was alright. There was no need to read more into it.
The slight orange tinge that came to Fal-Mai's face must've been either flusterment or embarrassment, and understandably so. Still, she scooted over to Eliza, and she began undoing her own armor, gently showing Eliza when she needed an extra hand to get some of the pieces off. Eliza set the discarded pieces at the end of the bed, and when they were done, she set them on the other free chair.
Though Eliza didn't look too long for fear of obviously staring, Fal-Mai was damn pretty. Without the armor hiding it, it was clear she was fairly muscled around her arms and legs, and the bodysuit subtly outlined her abs. There was a black bodysuit under Fal-Mai's armor that covered her from neck to toe with no visible seams, made of a material that wasn't shiny enough to be latex but wasn't dull enough to be any other sort of material Eliza could think of. Eliza blinked and looked away before she looked for too long. "... all comfortable? Couldn't imagine trying to sleep in that armor."
"I have done it before," Fal-Mai replied quietly, "though unintentionally, and even then I am unsure if it was really sleep or simply deep meditation."
Only one way to find out, was what Eliza would've said if she were any less aware. She nodded, breathing deeply as she got onto the bed proper. Fal-Mai relinquished enough space for Eliza to be comfortable and she slowly laid down. Fal-Mai mimicked her and the two of them were left looking at each other.
Eliza was quick to break the silence. "If you... if it'd make you more comfortable, don't feel like you have to stick to your side of the bed." Eliza. Well, she wasn't about to force Fal-Mai to sleep/rest in an uncomfortable position to avoid touching Eliza! She could like, lay on her back and have her shoulder touch Eliza. It was fine.
However, Fal-Mai seemed to take the suggestion farther. Gently, she reached for Eliza. In a mild panic, Eliza froze for a second—but she wasn't about to freeze Fal-Mai out. Supposing she'd just roll with it, Eliza scooted closer as Fal-Mai did and embraced her, finding her head against Fal-Mai's chest. Without the buffer of her armor, Fal-Mai's heartbeat was fast, but strong. The lack of the armor layer also told Eliza how hot Chosen were temperature-wise. Eliza had only gotten hints through hugging them and holding Mordenna's glove-covered hands. If she were a human, Fal-Mai's temperature would be best described as feverish. Eliza guessed she wouldn't be needing the thin blanket, but reached to drag it over her legs anyway. That done, she returned her arm around Fal-Mai, who shifted slightly at the touch.
Well. This was a hell of a situation. Eliza still didn't really have answers for how she got here and supposed she might never. But... was she really going to complain? Was she going to complain about sharing a bed with a lovely Chosen who could use the comfort? The answer to that was no. Eliza relaxed further into the bed. The privacy curtain was thick enough that the darkness it granted could be slept in. Eliza herself was tired, and Fal-Mai's embrace was relaxing. She closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Fal-Mai," she murmured, voice barely a whisper. This close, and with Fal-Mai's ears, she knew she would hear it.
"Goodnight, Eliza," came Fal-Mai's soft reply.
When Eliza could feel her thoughts turn and twist like they did when she was preparing to drop off into sleep, a small measure of fear struck her. Eliza had nightmares most nights about her experiences, and her tossing and turning could pin her on her back. She hadn't cleared that with Fal-Mai. Eliza could only hope that Fal-Mai would be alright with her sleep paralysis.
As it turned out... Eliza never needed to explain herself. For the first time in a while, her dreams were of the variety she used to have before the military—mindless stuff that tended to relate to recent events without being coherently about any of them. It was so different that in the middle of tying a balloon into a circus seal in the middle of a shopping mall, Eliza stopped up in her dream, caught in a moment of self-reflection. Then she took a pin to the balloon and it exploded into sparkles on an adoring crowd of cats. Typical.
When she awoke, it was to a bleary and comfortable world, like she was wrapped up in a warm cloud. She was so relaxed that for a second, Eliza thought she couldn't move. But a simple wiggle of her fingers confirmed she was free of sleep paralysis. Worries cleared, Eliza opened her eyes.
The morning view was wonderful. At some point in the night, Fal-Mai had shifted to sleeping on her back, though Eliza had remained resolutely clinging to her. Her sleeping face painted a portrait of an Assassin as calm as Eliza had ever seen. Fal-Mai's breath was slow and gentle and she still had an arm loosely around Eliza. For a moment, the whole world was beholden to a single moment, perfectly suspended like water in a globe of translucent glass. Fal-Mai was beautiful.
Something in Eliza kicked her and said she should be up and at 'em around this time, that she had to get up and be about her day. She chose, quite easily, to ignore that concern as she rested her head back on Fal-Mai's chest, closing her eyes. She didn't know what was between her and Fal-Mai, but she was fine with it. If they could remain platonic and share a bed when Fal-Mai needed it, Eliza could accept that. Eliza was comfy, relaxed, and just had the best night of sleep she'd had in decades.
She could take five more minutes.
