Starving on the street cold and alone? Get food and warmth by and means.
Someone disrespects him in public? Beat them senseless with Melodic Cudgel and choose to let them live or not depending on his mood.
In those cases, Roman Torchwick knew exactly what to do. He knew how to react to ensure his survival.
But this?
Using the lighter someone had given him during his tour, Roman lit his last cigar. He'd worry about getting more later; he needed something familiar.
Looking through the window in the mostly empty break room Roman took in the sight of the planet hanging in the sky above.
It was a humbling sight.
Pale blue with streaks of white bands, the planet, Saffre had told him it was called Archimedes V, dominated the sky above with rings that stretched below the horizon.
Roman had never been terribly interested in astronomy; the shattered moon above Remnant had always just been one of those things that he accepted. He didn't have the luxury to waste his time wondering about the stars above when it took most of his effort growing up to not die. Like gravity, he never wondered or asked about gravity because it was always just something that was. It didn't matter whether he understood it or not.
Taking a particularly long drag on his cigar, allowing the familiar taste and smoke to fill his lungs, Roman silently admitted something to himself. He felt fear. The planet above… it was incomprehensible to him. The way it hung in the early morning sky made it feel as if it would at any moment come crashing down on top of them. And that there would be nothing he could do about it. The thought bothered him.
Then there was her.
"Saffre… are you even human?"
Over the month he had known the girl Roman had been able to get a sense of what she was thinking. She gave him a look that told him he had asked a strange question.
"Of course not," she said.
Roman couldn't help but smile at her earnest answer. 'At least that helps explain things.'
Exhaling smoke Roman knew what he wanted to talk about. "Then what are you?"
Neo slowly poked Saffre in the face, which she ignored. "Starborn."
"Elaborate."
Saffre furrowed her brow at his command. As she looked down at the table between them she gently grabbed the hand Neo had been poking her with.
Neo tilted her head, but silently waited for her response.
"Below, did you see the piece of metal embedded in the stone wall?" She asked, looking back up.
Roman made a note of how she was still holding Neo's hand.
"The robot had called it 'Artifact Sigma'," he said.
Saffre gave a nod. "Correct. There are twenty-four Artifacts in each universe. Collect them all and anyone can get access to a place called The Unity where they can be reborn as Starborn."
He let out a chuckle at her answer. "That wasn't what I meant. I was asking what it meant to be Starborn, not the mechanics."
"Oh." Saffre looked back down at the table again deep in thought. "That is a more personal question. I don't think I can give you an objective answer."
"Then tell me what it means to you."
Saffre looked up at Roman again, this time her eyes were focused. Roman stared deep into her royal blue eyes as she brushed a stray lock of deep blue hair from her face. "To me? In my experience, being Starborn means you must find your own truth."
Taking another puff on his cigar Roman gave her a smirk. "What does that even mean?"
"It means there is no singular answer. No supreme being that dictates what is right or wrong, no set codex of what is acceptable and what is abhorrent… Becoming Starborn means you are able to find out what is right and what is wrong for you." She furrowed her brow. "Starborn are immortal; we don't age and we don't truly die. It means that through living many different lives we are able to find what is true to us as individuals in the infinite."
"What we are able to live with." She started to blush faintly. "Sorry if that doesn't make sense… It isn't something that I can easily explain. It is more something that you just understand with experience."
Silently standing up from his seat Roman began pacing back and forth, staring at the white tiled floor as he considered her words. Instinctively he began twirling his cane. "Why do you follow me then?" he asked, not bothering to look up as he continued pacing.
"I like to see what other people do with my help."
There was a pause before she continued. "To give you a sense of what I mean, other Starborn call me The Servant. I believe my word is absolute. I said I'd follow you because you're interesting, and I meant it."
Pivoting Roman turned to approach the table looking back up at the two of them. Saffre was still holding Neo's hand.
"If I told you to kill Neo right here and now, would you do it?"
Neo gave him a smirk at the question.
Saffre's eyes went wide. "Y—" she stuttered out before nodding her head.
Rolling his eyes Roman tapped her head with his cane. She was freaking out again. "Calm down; it was just a question."
She looked back down at the table. "Sorry."
Finishing his cigar, Roman tossed the end onto the floor. Someone else would clean it up. "Alright! Saffre, while we wait I need you to explain everything about the Starborn to me!" he announced, pointing his cane at the girl. He smirked as she jumped slightly in her seat at his change in tone, but that wasn't important.
Roman had an idea.
There was nothing left for her to do but wait.
As the manufacturing bench printed her design Saffre silently bobbed her head to the beat of the music. Zeffre had given her a data slate with some music on it.
Closing her eyes she followed the rhythm of the song, a modern version of swing music.
Her silver headphones were perfect. The soundstage was vivid in her mind, with each instrument standing out from one another. She could hear the subtle breath of the singer, the barely perceptible acoustic guitar in the background. Even the artificial static filter on the singer's voice came through with a richness that she hadn't expected.
She began to tap her hand against her thigh to the beat, gently swaying with the music. Silently mouthing 'Enchanté' along with the song.
There was a flash of white light.
Opening her eyes Saffre found herself staring at a smiling Zeffre. "Yes?" she said, removing her headphones.
"You looked like you were having fun," Zeffre said, leaning against one of the industrial benches.
Saffre gave her a nod. "Was there anything you needed?"
Smirking, Zeffre approached her. "Not really. We're still waiting on Maria's report before heading out, and I wanted to see what you were doing." She was standing close enough to Saffre now that she could feel the warmth of her breath against her face.
"I am manufacturing new weapons for Roman and Neo." Saffre told her. None of their technology from Remnant was working. She just hoped that she'd do an adequate job on creating temporary weapons that they could use until they returned.
Zeffre gave her a look she didn't recognize, her expressive blue eyes a mirror of Saffre's own. "Well, aren't you a considerate and thoughtful friend," she said, her voice low.
Suddenly Saffre found Zeffre pulling her close, hand around her waist. "Do you want some help?" she whispered, breath hot against Saffre's ear.
Saffre gave her a nod. "Help would be appreciated. I think I can incorporate a Va'ruun Starshard into the body of the cane, but I still need to work out how heat will be managed."
Zeffre stared at her silently for a moment. "You're adorable."
Blinking, Saffre gave her a quizzical look. 'Am I?'
"What's Roman up to anyway? I haven't seen him in a minute," Zeffre asked, not letting her go.
"I gave him access to Constellation's database on the Artifacts. He wanted to learn more about them," Saffre said.
Zeffre gave a hum at her answer. "Your friend, Neo? She wanted to go out exploring. Anyway, I sent her out with some weapons and Vasco."
"What did you give her?"
Leaning heavily against her, Zeffre gave a small laugh. "Oh, don't worry. She was acting antsy. I gave her a Kodama–"
'That isn't too bad.'
"—Some frag grenades—"
'huh.'
"—and a Negotiator."
Saffre stared at the grinning Zeffre for a moment. "At least you didn't give her a hornet nest Coachman."
Zeffre snapped her fingers, laughing. "Damn, I should've done that!"
A 'ding' from the workbench drew Saffre's attention. The part was finished printing.
"Do you have any Caelumite here?"
"What's in the boxes?"
She knew the question was coming. Knew that she would only have one chance to pull this off…
Taking a deep breath while the group of five waited on the circular landing pad Saffre looked up at Roman. "It… It's a surprise," she stammered out, feeling her face flush with heat. She needed to get some things when they got to Neon, and the weapons weren't ready yet. She just hoped that he wouldn't press the matter.
Roman shrugged his shoulders. "Alright," he said before going back to inspecting the Negotiator Neo had shown him. She had shown back up a few hours later with a broad smile on her face, clothes only lightly signed.
'Success.'
Zeffre draped an arm around her waist, pulling Saffre in close as they waited. She had put on a long red and black overcoat that matched her Ryujin outfit. "So… you can get flustered? Good to know."
Leaning into her hold Saffre gave a quiet 'hm'. It was a cool day outside, sun hanging overhead, and Saffre could at least appreciate the warmth.
"You know… Starborn have higher core body temperatures than normal humans right?" Zeffre whispered into her ear.
Saffre nodded against her shoulder. "Yes." Zeffre must also be enjoying the warmth of her body heat.
Saffre was yanked away from Zeffre's hold.
It was Neo?
Neo placed her arm around Saffre's waist, holding her tight as she glared at Zeffre for some reason.
Leaning into her hold Saffre took a breath. The crisp cool air mixed with the musk of Neo's earlier activities with a hint of soot. She could feel her cheeks heating up at the close contact.
Zeffre smirked at the two. "Aw… Does your friend not like to share?" she said in a teasing tone, hand on her hips.
Saffre didn't know what she meant by that.
Neo flicked her off.
"Captain."
Saffre reflexively looked at Vasco as he addressed Zeffre.
"The Frontier is making its final approach." Vasco said, moving to stand besides Zeffre. At that moment large slabs of the landing pad began raising on hydraulic arms, creating angled walls.
Far above them there was the distant crack of a sonic boom.
Saffre silently watched as the ship came in to land, the distant roar of its engines getting louder and louder until it drowned out any other noise. Safely behind the wall she watched as debris was blasted off the black pad by the ship's exhaust.
When the engines finally stopped firing the walls began to descend giving her a clear look at the ship. She was an old ship with worn white paint adorned with faded red. Four engines on the side to assist with landing, ends scorched black from countless take-offs and landings, and two more powerful engines at the rear for propulsion. She had exposed structural components, giving her a rustic, old-fashioned look to her; a style that was normally associated with Nova Galactic ships.
She was a ship Saffre knew very well, a Discovery class starship. The Frontier.
"What a pile of junk." Roman remarked, having at some point walked over to the group.
Saffre gave a nod. It wasn't an incorrect assessment. "The Frontier is an old ship." She looked over at Zeffre. "I assume the RJI Vengeance is a larger ship in orbit?"
"Yep. I couldn't be bothered to build a larger landing pad for her. The Frontier here is my trusty shuttle," Zeffre said, moving to put an arm around Saffre.
Saffre was jerked to the side by Neo.
"Saffre your friend is being mean to me," she pouted.
"No she isn't." Saffre said before turning back as the landing bay door opened.
Standing inside the bay was a woman wearing a brown leather bomber jacket and slacks. She had short brown hair and a freckled face.
"Hi Amelia," Saffre said, walking up to the bay as she led Neo by the hand.
Amelia gave her a friendly smile. "What's buzzin cousin? You must be the other Zeffre I was told about." She said holding her hand out. "I'd say nice to meet you, but considering you already know my name this isn't our first-time meeting is it?"
Reaching with her other hand Saffre returned the handshake. "It is however my first time meeting this version of you."
"Roman Torchwick, Neo, may I introduce you to the pilot of the RJI Vengeance, Amelia Earhart," Zeffre announced, making a show of it by including a bow.
Neo gave her a wave.
Roman handed Saffre the Negotiator before returning her offered handshake.
Looking down at the rotary rocket launcher Saffre shrugged before tossing it to the side. Somebody would eventually pick it up. Maybe.
"Well alrighty! Now that introductions are out of the way, if everyone just will hurry aboard I can get this bird back in the air and we'll be off." Amelia told the group.
She should probably be feeling a sense of awe.
After walking through the largest ship she had ever seen, Neo's group had arrived on the ship's bridge. The bridge offered a clear view of the Vengeance's forward bow and an unobstructed view of the field of stars that laid before them.
She was on a spaceship…
Maybe the reality of her situation hadn't set in yet, but her being on a literal spaceship was the least important thing to her right now.
Grabbing Saffre's hand, Neo made it her mission to carefully watch the other blue-haired girl.
Saffre gave her hand a squeeze back as she carried on her conversation. "—steal the UC Vigilance?"
That girl, Zeffre, gave her a far too friendly smile. "Nah, they wouldn't let me do that. Way too much of a headache. Instead, Commander Ikande has stalled out in his mission to take out the Crimson Fleet and SysDef lost some future funding." Walking over to Amelia in the pilot's chair Zeffre gave her a pat on the shoulder before continuing. "Luckly for Ryujin, Deimos had some… accidents at their staryard. Coupled with a light amount of bribing, along with some well-placed blackmail, and Ryujin was able to purchase the Vigilance's sister ship for below cost."
"Cap'n, grav drive is spun up and waiting." Amelia said, flicking some switches on the console ahead of her.
"Where's Roman?", Saffre said.
Collectively the three of them blinked in unison. 'Where was Roman?'
"He was definitely on The Frontier when we entered orbit…," Zeffre said, hands on her hips as she looked around.
Neo shrugged. Roman could take care of himself.
Zeffre returned her shrug. "He'll probably be startled by the jump then," she said before turning to Amelia, "Let's get out of here."
"Aye," Amelia said as she toggled some more switches and dials on her controls.
Looking out of the ship Neo watched as a spot of white light formed ahead of them. The spot quickly grew in size until all she could see was a gentle white light. She could see a kaleidoscope of colors in the light; blues and pinks and violets that quickly streaked past her vision. The intensity of the light increased to the point where she had to close her eyes. Abruptly, the light faded away.
Opening her eyes again Neo could see that the ship was pointing at an entirely different planet.
"Grav jump complete and recharging." Amelia said casually. "Waiting on verification… verification received… we've successfully jumped into the Maal system."
Neo looked at Saffre with a questioning look.
"We just traveled thirty light years in a few seconds," Saffre said. "If you'd like, I can explain the theory behind how the grav drive works. It's going to be a few hours until we make it to Neon."
She considered the offer. It did sound interesting to…
"What do you know about the theory of quantum loop gravity?"
Neo fervently shook her head 'no'. In that moment she had decided to leave it as magic and call it a day.