Chapter Five: tell them I ain't coming back
Among the other medical advice for offsetting ELS symptoms physical stimulation and regular exercise. That meant long stretches of hobbling around the Kestral in the late hours out of armor when not in the dilation pod. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was most certainly tedious. And the distance between Therrin and Amory-IV, and Attouine after that was such she had ample time to familiarize herself with every nook and cranny of the ship.
While making a second pass for the day, she accidentally stumbled into a darkened room after triggering the door.
The starboard observation deck had been converted to a lounge, and offered one of the few direct views outside aside from the cockpit. A structural weakness if there ever was one. Luckily, someone had the intelligence to foresee the possibility of a hull breach and had blast doors made to slide over the vulnerability in case of emergency. Or it could be manually implemented by from the cockpit or by hitting the emergency lockdown.
At present, the blast doors were open, letting light from the nearby nebula trickle in, with the only other light being the faint golden glow emanating from within the ship.
Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room, almost equally distanced between each of the walls, was Obi. Reading a book upside down. Wearing a pair of baggy pants and some comfortable socks. He looked smaller outside of the armor, but then so did she.
His hair hung loose between his shoulder blades, his golden eyes flickered through the ambiance as he looked over his shoulder at her. In the low lights, Firefly reflected how much he resembled depictions of Nanook. Not quite exact, but enough to be eerie.
A web of scars spread along his torso and arms, and presumably down to his legs, latticed with tears made from muscles bulging to break the skin, all traced from a hole in his chest plugged by a Stellaron. Some looked tarnished or faded, indicating age. Another looked more vivid and recent, a match in diameter and positioning where the sniper had hit him.
"May I help you?" he asked.
"No," Firefly answered.
"As you wish." And then he went back to reading.
In the silence of circumnavigating the room, Firefly listened closely. There was the distant, muffled hum of the engines, of water being pumped through the plumbing, but inside the room itself, there's her footsteps and nothing else.
"No heartbeat," she whispered.
Obi looked up from his book again. "Hm?"
"Even from here, I can't hear a heartbeat from you. And a shot like that should have put you in intensive care for months. How are you even alive?"
A shrug. "I simply am."
"You're that certain. How?"
"I simply have to be. I am as empty as sunless space." He closed the book and set it aside. "There's nothing I have or am that wasn't put there by me, Kafka, or...I guess you could them a benefactor."
"Elio?"
Obi shook his head. "No. I never caught their name. Barely even remember the encounter. And this was long before I ever met Elio. It's also why I'm not a walking disaster despite this." He jabbed his thumb into the golden fixture in his chest. "Still, I'm not exactly human. More like a Fragmentum than anything. I don't feel pain, hunger, or much else. Light, sound, pressure, heat or its lack are about the only senses I have to work with most of the time. So the moment I stop thinking is the moment I stop living."
Firefly took a moment to gaze out into the endless expanse. "It's not empty, though. Space, I mean."
"No, but sometimes it's like all I'm ever seeing is the dribs and drabs the cosmos have discarded. Things no one wants. Like a trashcan." A wan smile pulled at his lips. "But you know the saying: one person's trash is another's treasure. I'm just making the most of it." He kicked his legs out and leaned back. "It's not all bad, though. I've even had dreams."
That caught Firefly off-guard. Dreams were a foreign notion when your "dreams" were the fabrications of the Empress, directing you to and in battle, sharing your consciousness with the numberless ranks of knights under her command. Disconnected, nothing filled the gap between the time she settled down to sleep and waking up the next morning.
Finishing her route, Firefly stopped at the door. "What is it like to dream?" she asked.
Obi looked up from his book again, pondering the question before finally answering, "Imagine a place where the impossible can become reality, even if for only a fleeting moment."
Quashing whatever foreign emotion had just reared up, Firefly walked out of the room. The doors closed behind her, leaving Obi alone in the dark.
[HSR]
Startlingly blue light poured around them. Attouine's close proximity to the local star and the weaker magnetic field made for a spectacularly hazardous environment.
Without an EXO or EVA suit, simply walking the planet's surface during the heat of the day could prove fatal as temperatures soared to water's boiling point and then dropped to snap-freeze after dark as the planet spun. Winter was arguably worse with intense, super-cooled rainfalls that would coat the surface, forming layer after layer of ice that would bury any civilization. And that was before you got to the tectonic activity.
Sunglasses were almost a requirement, an umbrella a fashionable necessity, and much of the city alternated between large skyscrapers that run on mag rails to raise or lower, an elaborate network of tunnels and bunkers, and caves packed with imported plants or rife with fungal colonies to sustain the local populace.
Mining interests were what had originally seen the planet colonized and developed, and more so after the IPC lost control of Penacony, when it was briefly turned into the dumping ground for criminal labor. On the other hand, the locals had flourished under the IPC's investments, and that had seen a rapid ascension of the planetary capital into a glowing, glittering stomping ground for galactic high society. On the downside, the planet could, at best, be described as "boring as hell". Large, flat plains of grey silicates and ash mixed and with brown, robust lichen where it wasn't jagged mountain ranges that clawed at the sky with volcanic fury, no one came to see Attouine for the sights.
To ameliorate this deficiency, IPC executives, business magnates, and local barons brought their own wealth of art and entertainment to keep themselves occupied while the mines were worked, the minerals and raw materials processed and refined, and the grinding wheel of industry kept turning. And when they lost interest in a piece of their collection, or the fashion faded from popularity, they would turn around and put it up for sale.
The practice became so commonplace the IPC had made it into an official attraction, thus creating the Universal Auction, which saw thousands of the wealthiest citizens in the universe gather, or at least send representatives, to place their bids on someone else's castoffs. Under the watchful, venerating eyes of the Gilt Church, and the army of soldiers patrolling the grounds, any would-be thief would have to be desperate or suicidal to make a grab of anything secured in the vaults, let alone the display cases where scrutiny would be the highest.
So Kafka walked up, flashing her ticket to the security officers, and then passed through the front doors without a care. Looking up at the first camera, she smiled.
Hours Earlier...
"I don't know, Kafka," said Sike "Attouine's a major gathering point for the IPC. Security's going to be tight, and that VIP pass is only going to get you so far."
"Which is why Lisa will be joining us for this stage."
Obi perked up. "Ooh, Doctor Squidy joining us again?" he asked, then slipped into a grin. "Oh, and that means Exel's coming, too?"
At SAM's own questioning look, Kafka filled the girl in. "Some of our compatriots. Typically, we move in pairs, but Elio's been having work in concert more often than not as of late."
Sike let out a low whistled. "That's pretty much the entire gang together."
"I'm sure Elio will tell us why before long. For now, Mona Lisa will be on the ground ahead of us. Exel will be in orbit to deal with assets hanging over our heads."
Present…
Immediately leaving the atrium, Kafka began the descent to where the rest of the auction was being held
She was being tracked, and it had nothing to do with any forewarning of the script or Lisa's updates over radio. It was a strange thing, knowing when you were being watched. Something the soul intimately recognized, even if the mind it was tied to didn't understand it.
"Are my dance partners in place?" Kafka asked.
"That they are, Kafka. Looks like they're going to roll out of the VIP treatment for you."
"Thanks, Lisa. Looking forward to it."
[HSR]
The shuttle danced through the passage of canyons and tunnels rippling across the planet's surface, tucking away from radar and satellite, or any passing visual detection.
Obi and Firefly – or SAM, as he reminded himself to call her in the field – were comfortably seated despite the rapid twists and turns Sike was making, both looking at their phones as another message came in.
Mostly robots and artillery defending highlands
Few sapients deployed unless under attack
Keep your helmets on unless you have good sunscreen and hate having lungs.
"What's that last one supposed to mean?" Obi asked Sike.
"That's because each of these splits usually coughed out tonnes of obsidian, among other things, which then got pulverized into powder by earthquakes and meteor strikes. You get a breathful of that and you won't need to worry about breathing after that."
On that note, the shuttle dipped down and then swerved hard skyward, the G-forces lurching against them as they crested above the last ridge. SAM stowed the last of her weapons and stood to join Obi on the deck.
"Good luck, you two!"
The two Stellaron Hunters fell from the ramp, Obi plummeting towards the surface with a gleeful shout.
[HSR]
An alert flashed on the security chief's console, jarring him from a fairly relaxed posture. With all auction attendees being accompanied by their personal security details, with a legion of security provided by the IPC, there really shouldn't be anything happening, and certainly nothing that would require his office.
And here I was, hoping for a boring day, the chief thought. Still, better see what that's about.
Sitting up, he pulled up the relevant message. Seismic activity out by the perimeter.
"Hm…seems like we have an impact at sector 57X." The chief looked over the datapad in his hand. "Meteors?"
"No, sir. Nothing from the deep space scanners picked anything out on the rim. And there's nothing here about any demolitions, mining operations, or weapons testing out that way."
"Of course not. Not with the Auction underway." The chief pinched the bridge of his nose and idly waved his hand out. "Get drones out there and see what's happening out there."
"Already on it, sir!"
If there was anything to say about this Aeons-forsaken dustball was that it was easy to see when something was out of place. In this instance, an impact crater maybe a quarter-mile wide had appeared, practically out of nowhere.
Emerging from the crater's edge was-
"Oh, shit! Obliteration just landed outside the city's perimeter."
The black armor and golden trim and faceplate. It was hard not to recognize the figure featured on so many wanted posters. Or the videos circulating the net documenting his and his colleagues' actions.
"Stellaron Hutners are on Attouine. I repeat: Stellaron Hunters are on Attouine." As if looking at the camera, Obliteration finger-gunned the drone, and then broke into a dead sprint across the plains. "Retract all infrastructure. Don't let them inside the city!"
"Sir, the target isn't alone."
A streak of flames shot into the sky, knocking out the drones on overwatch by the backblast of their passing.
"Sir, the drones just got slagged."
"I can see that! Roll the footage back before they cut out."
The technician queued the footage, the lens warping even before the impact. But the image clear enough to make out the subject. A metallic knight, wreathed in flames.
"What the hell is that?" someone asked.
"Looks like they picked up a new recruit," another answered.
"I don't care what they are!" the Chief boomed. "Get the guns on them and get ready to deploy the Operators. And tell them there'll be a bonus for whoever can bring me the bodies."
The rest of the command center exchanged looks.
"…Will there even be anything left after the guns stop firing?" someone whispered.
"If you've seen this one in action, you'll find that any short of orbital bombardment going to be little more than an annoyance. Speaking of which, I need to get just that." He pulled up the phone. "Dynamic Acquisition, this is ground control-"
[HSR]
"-this is ground control. Obliteration just showed up on our doorstep. We have need of some orbital response before they get to city limits."
Silence reigned on the Dynamic Acquisition's bridge. Where there should have been around twenty officers, none remained standing to answer any calls for assistance.
"Dynamic, respond!"
A massive mechanoid hand pinned the captain against the center console, lit by the plumes of sparks showering the room and a trio of blue eyes glinting in the darkness. When the man stopped struggling, the hand pulled away and the machine lumbered off to wreak more havoc, setting the main guns to fire on the rest of the flotilla.
"Exel to Ground Team: orbital defenses neutralized."
"Thanks for the assist, big guy!" Obliteration answered.
[HSR]
The IPC had thought they were being clever. They had cleared several halls ahead of her when she started walking that way, and she allowed them to enjoy a sense of accomplishment and security as they began swarming in to lock the floor down.
"All units: target spotted. Orders are to shoot on sight. I repeat: shoot on sight!"
Ah, so it's time for the scene to play out. Pulling the coin away from the wall, she made her turn to where the guards were trying to ambush her.
"Don't be afraid. Listen to me: wasn't it you…" The coin was tucked into her sleeve, and the threads of Spirit Whisper flared to life. "…who invited me?!"
The room full of guards descended into fratricidal pandemonium. One by one, or two by two, they all fell down, rent apart by their own weapons while Kafka walked calmly through the carnage until she came to the elevator, a solitary soldier barely hanging onto life as he tried to bar Kafka's path.
There were many things woven into the soul, made to acknowledge without ever understanding.
Such as when you were about to die.
A gun leveled Kafka's head, held by grim determination as the soldier mustered the strength and will to pull the trigger, with a resounding *click* as the slide locked back, indicating a dry magazine.
Today was not that day. Not for her. And what spark was left in man's eyes sputtered as he collapsed to the ground, succumbing to his wounds.
"Lisa, hit the lights."
Who else would see the end before it arrived? Who would run from it? And who would race towards it with reckless abandon?
[HSR]
Artillery barrage finally subsided. Obi dusted himself off and rolled his shoulders.
"Cessation of bombardment," SAM noted, "Enemy units converging on our position."
"I see them," Obi answered. "I guess this is their way of rolling out the red carpets for us."
Dozens of mechanoid drones swarmed the field, likely to dogpile the hypothetically weakened Stellaron Hunters. Neither he nor SAM had come to any harm, though, and with the enemy storming their position, Obliteration bared his teeth in an approximation of a smile.
"Hey, SAM?"
The mecha infinitesimally shifted to look his way.
"Want to see who can knock out the most threats?"
"There is no point for competition."
"Of course there is. It'll be fun! And I want to actually see you flex your muscles against something a little more substantial than rent-a-cops."
"…I agree to this competition."
"Fantastic! Let's roll." And he began running headlong into the enemy formation at a dead sprint.
Overhead, SAM began melting and crushing any opposition taking to the skies, letting melting, smoldering drones fall in her wake, securing her lead in the kill count before Obi plowed through the survivors.
"One...two...five…" The number kept going up, and the security teams kept throwing more at them to no avail. They had to know their strategy wasn't working, so why-
Ah, Obi realized, and radioed SAM. "They're stalling. Eyes up for reinforcements"
"Understood."
A reverberating thud rippled through the ground.
SAM paused. "Footfalls."
Through the haze of settling dust, a quadrupedal machine rumbled into view, striding along like a gorilla. Standing about twenty feet tall, the behemoth was armored to withstand anything short of anti-armor weaponry. On its back were a rack of missiles and a rail gun, an a pair of heavy machine guns slung under the head.
"That's a big 'un."
Two more emerged from the distance haze, slowly lumbering onto the battlefield to join the first. Another score of drones flew overhead, and they were joined by a handful of Operators.
"Well…now that's a bit more like it."
"I will take the one on the right," she said, and took off again. Fireballs lit up the sky, clearing her way to the target.
"I'll take the left, then. Meet you at the middle."
A shower of laserfire served as the prelude to the next hail of missiles as the Operators got into range.
Golden flight flowed into Obi's hands, and a javelin formed as he paused just long enough to throw it at the nearest sniper, clipping the Operator convincing the others to adopt evasive maneuvers to avoid being hit.
SAM whipped out her particle rifle, sniping another before swapping to a sword, cleaving one of the Behemoth's missile pods away and down into the shoulder underneath. When the blade stopped cutting down, she flung herself back, using the rail gun to swing around and kicked the other out of position as it fired. One missile caught the behemoth in the shoulder, and she then dropped, dragging her sword down until she found the joint, then melting her way through.
The first walker fell to the ground, face first, the slashed joint detaching and falling away. When it tried to compensate, SAM flew up and came slamming down with a driving kick, melting the weaker plating to begin burrowing inside. A spectacular jet of flame flashed from her entry point, and the machine stopped moving.
"That still only counts as one!" Obi laughed, darting to the side as the rail gun fired again and showered him with missiles.
At that moment, he lightened himself and accelerated towards the target. The machine tried to follow him, machine guns tracking and stitching the ground as he ran ahead of its targeting. Launching himself high, he landed with a thump and dug a hand in to keep himself from slipping back off.
Like a great, shaggy beast, the behemoth shook itself to dislodge the hitchhiker, and Obi's meager handhold proved insufficient, flinging him clear. He landed in a puff of dust, rolling with the motion and bracing against his backfoot to charge forward again, and jumping back up to the target.
The behemoth lurched to match his charge, denting its own hull when Obi slammed his increased mass against it, knocking it off balance and into the middle machine, leaving a bridge for him to clamber over to join SAM's efforts at dispatching the third behemoth.
Two of the Operators landed on the hulk behind Obi. He wheeled around and rebounded off the middle machine, lunging after them. One fired their thruster back to push out of his reach. The second wasn't as fast, and the Stellaron Hunter's hand clamped against the Operator's helmet, using his forward momentum to dash them against the behemoth. A muffled crack saw them slack in his grip and he cast them aside like a broken toy before rejoining SAM.
No sooner was he aboard when the machine's thrusters fired, carrying the behemoth and its unwanted passengers up before it slammed back down.
"Nice try there, buddy," said Obi, then called out to SAM,"I'll take the underside."
"Acknowledged."
Obi ran towards front of the machine, slipping down the face to latch onto one of the machine guns, jerking it down as he swung into the undercarriage.
Punching one of the rear legs out, the metal beast twisted to compensate for the loss of balance in time for SAM to drive a blade into the back of its neck, then carving it down the spinal structure, carving through the sensitive hardware underneath.
"We have more contacts inbound."
Obi looked to the ridge where the enemy was currently gathering. Operators, with more drones providing cover and a collection of armored vehicles racing to keep up.
"They are rather tenacious," SAM observed.
"Yeah, well. There's a reason I have a seven-billion-credit bounty on my head." Obi grimaced a little. "I kind of disappeared a moon. Stories for later. For now, let's break through to the objective."
Beginning another counter-charge, Obi met the first Operator head-on. Side-stepping the spear thrust, he clamped his arm down, pinning it to his side as he twirling around, crushing the Operator into the ground before flinging his weapon into his closest ally.
A wave of jump-jets flew into view, and the dance of destruction continued.
[HSR]
Minutes ticked on as Kafka cut through the guards sent after her, stalking them through the darkened corridors and ambushing them; from the sides, from above, sending her puppets out as lures to draw more into prepared killzones.
She pulled her sword free from the IPC goon holding it in his guts, then stepped out into the amphitheater. Screams erupted as the crowd panicked, held at gunpoint or otherwise barred from fleeing as Kafka's pawns moved into position.
Lisa emerged from her hiding spot, suspended above the ground by the mechanical arms. Her other identifying features were concealed beneath a baggy technician's uniform, tucked into a hat and a hidden behind a pair of sunglasses as she came to settle on the main floor, striding towards the centerpiece, giving Kafka a curt nod as she passed.
"Sike, the anti-air defenses are offline," said Kafka, "you're free to approach when ready."
"Thank you kindly," Sike answered. "Sounds like the kids are about finished with the remaining air cover. ETA pretty damn quick."
Lisa's mechanical arms extended clamped against the display case, built-in lasers
Seeing as everything was proceeding according to the script, Kafka directed her attention out to address the crowd.
"Good evening, esteemed guests, faithful attendants, and assort staff and onlookers! Tonight's entertainment is brought to you by acts of violence."
The atrium overhead exploded into a shower of glass as SAM and Obi fell through, landing behind her, taking positions at the base of the center pedestal.
"Though as long as you all behave," The tendrils of Spirit Whisper wove into the audience. "It won't have to end in violence."
[HSR]
Obi looked around at the crowd as it turned to a mob, who began tearing into displays of artifacts, relics, and many a shiny bauble, but avoiding the central pedestal. They didn't seem to care what tools they had available, and some chose to use their bare hands to try and crack security glass with predictable results.
"Helloh," Kafka purred. "You're far too fine for a place like this."
She cut through one of the display cases that held a violin made of actual wood, with no mechanical or electronic modifications. As she had an eye for the finer things in life, it was safe to assume there was something about it that stood out from the remainder of the exhibits.
"Where did that come from?" asked Obi.
"Says it once belonged to one of the bigwigs at the IPC. One of the early pioneers to follow after the Trailblaze's journeys."
While the violin was stowed into the accompanying case, Obi did some calculations on the approximate age, and simply came to the "very old". Many Amber Eras, there must have been some Aeonic blessings bestowed on the instrument for it to have survived all this time, and likely what justified its placement.
Searching the room for any sign of trouble, Obi's eyes settled on the gem in the middle of the room. It looked like a diamond, though it sparked far too much from too many facets to have been dug from the ground. It glimmered and glowed, leaving no doubt as what exactly the jewel contained.
And they were comfortable leaving it out for all the world to see, Obi thought. Just asking for trouble, one way or another.
His attentions turned to the other items, and he spied a magnificent bronze shield covered with imagery of ancient scenes. Smashing a hand display's glass and security shielding, Obi pulled the fancy comic book out, flipping around in his hand.
"Hey, SAM. Pull!"
The shield flew like a discus into the air, and was struck by a fireball, detonating in a shower of dazzling sparks as globs of molten metal landed here, there, and everywhere.
"Hm…I was hoping for a bigger reaction than that."
More displays were vandalized, their contents pillaged, damaged, or outright destroyed by their hands until engines roared overhead, settling just above the opening and dropping a winch down the hole Obi and SAM had just made.
Around them the audience continued to cower in the face of the guns, flinching at nearly every move of the Stellaron Hunters.
"So much for a devoted audience," said Kafka. "I believe it's time for curtain call."
Behind them, Lisa finished securing the centerpiece and clambered up the line into the Kestral, SAM flying up after her. Obi grabbed onto the cable as it retracted, and let Kafka clamber to rest a foot on his shoulder.
"Don't forget to tip the wait staff!" Obi called down.
The winch finished retracting into the shuttle, and the Stellaron Hunters took their seats as Sike took them out to orbit.
Soon after they passed through the atmosphere, a loud, metallic thump against the hull, shaking the ride terribly.
Sike got the shuttle back on course, shaking his head as he said, "For a brick, he flew pretty good."
[HSR]
No further troubles were had on the Kestral, lurking as it was in collection of asteroids, hidden from any passing ships. Firefly heard the lower, rhythmic thumping of footsteps fade off as the shuttle docked.
Kafka stood from her seat and strode through the airlock. "Time to get him back inside."
Firefly watched as Obi followed, then paused the door, jerking his head. "Come on. Might as well meet the big lug."
The two of them joined and followed Kafka to the rear ramp. The airlock was cycling through and repressurizing and equalizing with the Kestral's interior. The bay doors then opened, revealing a giant machine that made even Firefly look up in armor.
A broad, stocky body of reinforced limbs and endo-skeletal structure, turned into a hulking mass of armored plates of matte grey loomed over them, laden with numerous weapons.
"Welcome back aboard, Exel," said Kafka. "I take it things went smoothly on your end."
"Report: all directives accomplished for this script." the machine rumbled out with a low, electronic hum. "Inter-Astral Peace Corporation Units attempted to execute detainment operations. They proved inadequate for the task, even by standard metrics of meatbags."
"Glad you and Lisa could join us." Kafka patted the machine on the side, then took a step away. "We have someone for you to meet. SAM, meet Exel. Exel, meet SAM."
Exel turned towards Firefly, and Firefly stared at the trio of optics blazing an electric blue as she felt her skin tingle at being scanned.
"Analysis: energy life form detected."
"Nope!" said Obi. "Just another squishy like the rest of us under all that armor." He turned to Firefly, and asked, "you just phase between states to fit into your armor, right?"
"Affirmative," Firefly answered.
"Disappointed: and we had hopes that we could converse with a fellow synthetic. Sigh."
"Don't mind him. He's just being melodramatic for kicks. Anywho, Exel here is a gestalt formation of several mining robots. Dozer, Lisa, and I had to find a bunch of parts to get him to the current build you see now."
"Question: has Dozer ceased function? His absence is noted."
Obi nodded, somberly. "Yes. He has."
"Sorrowful: his expertise was no longer required, but its absence shall be mourned as appropriate."
"Well damn, big guy," Obi bumped the machine in the side. "That's positively gushing by your measures. Any chance you'll give me the same care for my eulogy?"
"Derision: mathematically unlikely." Exel swiveled around to look at Kafka again. "Conclusion: we shall remain in the cargo hold until. Preferably away from all points from of transit."
"Whatever you want, big guy."
The three of them sat in silence as Exel made his way across the cargo hold
"Hey, Kafka?" asked Obi. "Has Lisa been informed of the details for our new recruit?"
"Not yet," she answered. "I think Elio is playing a prank on her. Try not to blab before tomorrow morning."
Kafka and Obi continued chatting, letting Firefly to returned her quarters, where she promptly dismissed her armor before collapsing onto her bed.
[HSR]
A Dyson array danced in the dark, only the distant light of that had long expended its fuel and materials in its own construction, and the leftovers dispersed. A collection of rings that spun with the solar winds, shrunk down to fit its new heart, an artificial star now burned coldly, partially occluded by its own shell, offering light and energy but little warmth to the inhabitants and the eight dozen artificial satellites dancing in its orbit.
A Dyson array danced in the dark of deep space, only the occasional glow of the white dwarf star that formed its heart blinking coldly as the shell spun around it, offering light and energy but little warmth to the inhabitants and the eight dozen artificial satellites dancing in its orbit. A collection of rings that spun in silence, slaved to the orbit of the inner shell as Golcandar drifted along in the black.
Atop the shell sat a palace and control center for the installation. Dimmed lights lined the halls of vaulted ceilings, which only dipped slightly in the throne room and office of its ruler. Statues and sculptures lined the walls, the most distinguished models strategically placed, leading to the desk facing the double doors that led into the room.
Leaning into a high-backed chair exceeding the occupant's not-inconsiderable height by a factor of two, footage of the...incident at the Universal Auction replayed for the tenth time, lightning flickering green within her eyes as she watched each motion played back slowly.
Their own agents had been observing the proceedings, only keeping eyes open for something interesting for their Mistress. By a strange twist of fate, another relic happened to appear, though it hadn't been brought in by any of the donors or organizers.
"A genuine Iron Cavalry Knight?" she repeated.
"That is correct, Mistress," her attendant answered. "Or so our agents would claim."
"No, the footage is evidence enough. This is the genuine article." The holographic screen was dismissed by a wave of her hand. "Any word on possession?"
"Not at this time." A hesitant pause hung in the air as the attendant swallowed nervously. "It stands within reason we might eventually recover the Empress, and there really is only one way to find out, I fear the probability of locating it intact after all this time grows slimmer as time progresses."
Silence dragged on, and the attendant feared she might have overstepped her bounds, but no chastisement ever came. Instead, the Mistress laughed.
"I see. No matter." Pristine, white teeth bared into a deathly rictus. "I look forward to adding it to my collection nonetheless!"
A/N: Attouine was, at least as far as my mind was concerned, modeled after a mixture between Tokyo-3 of Evangelion fame, the Citadel from Mass Effect, specifically how artificial everything felt there, and then Hagalaz from the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC for the weather effects. Add a healthy dose of Crematoria from The Chronicles of Riddick. Shake vigorously, and you get this chapter.
Mona Lisa and Exel are the last two OCs planned for the Stellaron Hunter roster. The former is an alternate version of Lisa from Genshin Impact. Specifically, an exploration of what could have happened if she had stayed with the Akademiya – or in this case, the Intelligentsia Guild – instead of returning to Mondstadt when she did. Then I threw in some Doc Ock for extra flavor and variety.
Exel is an amalgamation, in many ways, of various robot characters. Legion from Mass Effect, K2SO from Rogue One, HK-47 from Knights of the Old Republic, Soundwave from G1 Transformers, a smidge of the Constructicons from the same, and then Blackout from the live-action movies. In short, a sassy, self-aware machine of a single body with many minds, and a passion for weapons and violence with little regard for the notion of collateral damage.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Theories? Another missing or incomplete bit that I missed after looking at this thing for too many hours? Let me know with a PM or review. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.
Until next time!
Winterman, out.
