Chapter 4: Benedict's Discovery

It was not the error of something else going wrong as Alexander looked over the data and pondered it over as he worked on his mech with ease, heedless of the door opening and ignored the possible guest before he reached over to grab a fusion cutter and paused, searching a bit more before a melodic voice spoke. "Looking for this?" He turned and there stood a crowning member of the Last Light Consortium or LLC, the renowned engineer Phoebe Elizabeth Audelia Hemsworth IV or just Phoebe among the Battleborn, smiling lightly as she held the cutter in hand and he reached for her to pull it back as she continued. "Ah ah ah, I am not giving it back until you either answered my question or you meet with Deande, I heard that you left her with a partial report."
"Hardly worth the time right now, I just want to be left alone a bit here, now if you would kindly..." He reached again, but she twirled away as he dropped, landing on the floor when one of the cords caught his foot in taking the single step, he lightly groaning as he tapped a finger on the floor of the engineering bay as Phoebe got low to speak.
"Then you have time to answer my question, then you can have it back." Her face still lit with the smile like this was a game that she had won as Alexander got up and dusted himself off before tending to his mech once more. He remained quiet as he tinkered with the parts that he could work with when she asked. "You say that you used a portion of LLC tech to make this suit of armor and many others, but I would like to hear who provided the tech prior and left it to the UPR." Phoebe frowned as Alexander remained silent, leaving the heiress of the Hemsworth family to lightly sigh as she put the tool down and continued. "I understand that this is a... tough subject to speak of, but the least you could do is..."
"The least you could do is leave, I don't have to tell you anything..." Tusken mused as he finished and snatched the cutter, putting it to work. "If you want to know, get Deande to ask about it, I... can't trust anyone from the LLC with this knowledge." Phoebe didn't argue the matter as she curtsied a bit and departed, the door closing as she walked through the halls, pondering why he would say such a thing, the tech for such a mechanical armor was decades older, but more steady than what Kleese could manage, even with ISIC, her thoughts surging with ideas of subterfuge, of treason, and of turncoats if they couldn't get how the machine works, how it is adapted, and how it was custom-tailored to him, she herself had a go and the encoding locks and decryptions were tougher than she had expected, even Kleese was stumped and he is often the machine brained one in the first place. She looked up to find the one person that could help, her attire the same with a more violet color, the 'Dark Ops' appearance she believed she heard it called as she floated on over and spoke.
"Deande, may I inquire a moment of your time?"

"Of course, Phoebe Hemsworth." Deande smiled as she checked off something and flickered the pen back into her hair, the fan closing as she looked at the heiress. "Let me guess, Alexander Tusken has brushed you off?"
"He doesn't seem too interested." The two headed on as Deande lead the way to her office. "He is sealed himself in the bay and has been working day and night ever since we obtained those files from the colony, he looked quite... winded than I want to believe, he has been here and there and hardly wishing to join us, I fear that in his own isolation, he will come to despise us."
"I see..." Truth be told, Deande was also concerned, if Alexander dropped low and started to drive himself into a wedge, they could be looking at a possible breach of code, loyalty, and hope for he would have the know-how about the system, despite how much it has changed and they still haven't discovered whatever caused the star to return, Solus was saved by their efforts and the half-baked completion of the Heliophage and Deande herself could actually attest to the fact that the darkened stars were indeed devoured in the shadows, but the Varelsi show no interest in killing off the stars themselves, more like siphoning off energy from the bodies and continuing to create a invasion force or a large army to repel something... else in the darker reaches of the universe. She wondered it, did the Varelsi fear something beyond their domain, something much more than simple heroes in a defense for their star? She shook her head to the thought that was unproven through far and spoke. "Well, I do have time to fit him in, but if he draws back, I will need aid to coax him back out." Phoebe nodded as the spymistress headed off, first to arrange a small meeting with the pilot and to sort through some questions that she could obtain in the long run of the meeting...

Official Transcript of former spymaster of the Jennerit Imperium, Deande, and Alexander Tusken, UPR mech operator, part II

(Shift of metal before hiss and light steps as Deande started) Deande: Thank you for coming back, I had hoped that you would be more... willing to talk, if it is not too much trouble.
Alexander: It... isn't a problem as of the moment, Ma'am.
Deande: Yes, well, I understand that a few of the crew and members have been granting you a difficult time, so much has changed for you and I am concerned, along with a few others, that you may be growing to... dislike our company.
Alexander: If I was... unhappy with the Battleborn, I would have... said something against it, but no, it isn't against you at all... (A light sigh came as Alexander continued to explain, Deande writing things down) I have gotten use to the Nova, if I would like to be... honest, but I am now concerned, it has a few things to do with... Kent's own share of the data.
Deande: I heard that he would be pulled into the Rogues, clearly Reyna has an interest in him.

Alexander: Yeah, good luck to him in fitting into a band of misfits from Solus, the only star so far that has remained live, but I can't pass that judgement as I haven't never been to the star and its collection of worlds. (Deande hummed as Alexander paused before continuing) I have fought the Varelsi and I have seen what happens to the stars taken, they are not gone, instead they are functioning as living batteries, rotated to ensure a full hold and use, worlds destroyed are not devoured either, they are used as 'substations'.
Deande: Ahhh, so the Varelsi are using a biological system of energy collection, the stars their fuel and the ruined worlds ley lines to those sources.
Alexander: Indeed, nothing is... proven to the fact, but that can be debated on a... better date, correct?
Deande: Yes, we can talk about them later, we are here to talk about you and your gear, call it... an 'intervention'.
Alexander: That's... sounds dangerous and scary, but here I am, so I am going to have to roll with it...

Deande: My apologizes, but Phoebe is VERY intent about it and I have wondered the same as to the maker of the armor and frame.
Alexander: My... grandfather... (Writing ceased as moments passed before Alexander continued) My grandfather was the original maker of the Exoframe armor that I use to this day, he left a sizable amount of data in the armor for me to draw upon, DNA-coded sadly, he split from the LLC for the advancement, but he never said what it was for before I was sealed up... in the armor, he saved my life...
Deande: Oh... I am so sorry, no wonder...
Alexander: It's okay... he wouldn't want me moping either. (Deep huff in the mask as it continued) I can tell you his name, when he was a LLC official, his name was Vonstani Lanceton Agriese Dax the Third.
Deande: Um... did you just roll your tongue to the name?

Alexander: He wanted it said that way, made a lot of chats weird, but he was weird like that. He was the ecstatic grandpa in a family of notable engineers and geniuses, but what he did had people involved, he wanted his family to survive long after and through the threat of the Darkening, but it was a vain wish, one that he wished so deeply...
Deande: It's... more than I expected, did you not feel like keeping it to yourself?
Alexander: That's the thing... He's gone, leaving me with his whole collection of knowledge in both mind and machine. I am the sole member remaining and... it is my choice to tell, it has been too long and has to come out now, better than never. (A light sniffle came and a mechanized voice cleared) Oh, when did I start to cry...? (Standing up and the machine shifted with the deep voice as door opened) I thank you, Miss Deande, I better be on my way.
Deande: Alexander... Alexander, wait! (Door closed and she sighed as she mused) He is more fragmented than I had guessed, he needs a mainstay to show him... that he is not alone...

Benedict fiddled with his rocket launcher as he pondered what the runt said, how did he know, who does he think he is...?! Benedict's blood started to boil once more as he snarled, the tempting choice of wringing the kid's throat was WELL in his mind, but he slowed his breathing and thoughts to think more reasonable, he knew what happened to her and he knew where she could be as the one-winged Aviant rolled his head, rubbing the back with it before he put the launcher down and headed into the halls, pausing as he spotted the walking dreadnought passing him by with the sound of... crying? He turned as he spoke. "Did Deande get into your head, kid, that's what she..."
"Yes... I am aware..." Alexander spoke as he continued, heedless somehow to Benedict's presence. "I just need... to clean out my filters, can't be a able soldier with sealed parts." Benedict pondered the first course, but he shoved it to the backroads as he asked, following the mech to the armory where the pilot got out and he could see a different sorrow, a... familiar pain as the mask came away and he worked, the filters and parts being cleaned up and the hawk was not certain what to do about it as Alexander continued. "I suspect that foreclosure is the best thing to ask for, but I am not ready to admit it in public, even private has my voice and heart halting in sorrow to my past and what I have become."
"Well, you do look terrible, maybe even..."
"Soft-boiled... yeah, she often said that..." Benedict clicked and he gripped his claws tight, the reason boiling back up. "She's here, somewhere in this wide system, just... it has been a while since I heard her tough yet gentle voice, her jack-of-spades attitude, and the chirp of her hatchlings, you were mentioned a number of times..." The mask didn't return as he gasped in grief and he tried in vain to clear the emotions away. "My apologies, it has been too long and my emotions are frayed a bit." His hands rested on the mask and he bent over, touching his forehead to the material as he just tried to breathed in the air, it suffocating him in its touch. "I... I just can't..."
"Bullshit, you big crybaby." Benedict hissed, kicking himself, but he didn't still the tongue as he continued to criticize Alexander. "You expect me to believe that 'you just can't' what, that you could share what you had on mind with the rest of us!" Alexander stopped and straightened up, the hands holding the mask holding it as the Aviant didn't stop. "Weak, you want to be a Battleborn, get in the back and let the real fighters handle this battle while you cry your meek, little butt off, you are no one, you are just a idiot who THINKS he knows!" The grip tightened before it was moved to the mouth once more. "And you know what, I am in MY right mind to claw your eyes out for daring to speak her name to ME!" What Benedict was not expecting was a solid punch into his face when he closed the distance in anger, his senses coming back as he was hurled into the distant wall and he looked up with a cracked jaw to a vision of blue and yellow with tears streaming down.

"She was right, you are an ass..."

Thorn and Montana headed down to the armory to tamper with some of their gear when the sound of battle echoed and they dashed for the armory, just as Benedict was thrown, or better seen sent hurtling, out of the armory, the mountain catching his birded ally, Thorn looking to find Alexander, his eyes yellow and blue with tears flowing over the metal, as he slammed the console and the door slammed shut before turning a deep red, Thorn dashing over to open it as she shouted in her vain attempt to open it, forgoing the console. "Tusken, you better open this door or so help me, you will wish to be in your armor right now!" She grunted as she continued to try as Montana spoke.
"Benny, snap out of it, man." the giant lightly slapped the bird and that got the hawk awake again as he groaned. "What did you do, Ben?"
"I... I made him snap..." Benedict sighed as he lightly pulled himself up with Montana's aid. "He was talking a-a-and I snapped at him, about Circinae, and before I knew it, I was against the wall, he towering over before the beatdown of the century..." He nearly toppled as he continued. "I-I-I was not thinking, my emotions were boiling at his mention a-and I wasn't thinking..."
"Think later, help me get this blasted door open!" Both UPR members rushed over and easily pried the door open and rushed in, the level of destruction great as weapons and armors laid scattered, tools and materials flung about with some lodged in the alloy, but no sign of Alexander, that was before Nova's voice spoke, in the same tone that Alexander used by accident.
"MAGNUS OVERRIDE ZERO-FOUR, LAUNCHING ESCAPE POD." They dashed to the back where the excess drop pods were stored before later missions, to see one soar away into the void and Benedict sighed with his busted ego and body.

"Yep, Captain's going to kill me, big time... I just caused our guide to snap and leave..."