Chapter Text
“Lex's workshop.” Keet nodded to Wells and Rumi. He had led the odd pairing down the hall from the infirmary.
As the trio entered her workshop, they were bombarded by a sulfurous, smoky scent. Wells and Rumi were both amazed by its sights— various desks lined the walls of the room, littered with various metals and other materials they would struggle to define. Within the middle of the room stood a lone brunette human whose entire focus was locked upon a tiny blue screen on a sizable silvery machine.
“Lex..” the teen whimpered.
The woman turned her head slightly leftward as she glanced back at the trio. She whispered inaudibly before realizing he was flanked by two newcomers.
“You’re.. at work. M.. may I.. interrupt..?” Keet muttered, gingerly stepping forward.
She turned toward the teen in entirety, her long jacket whipping in the air as she spun around. Her lengthy brown hair remained cascaded over her right shoulder, partially masking her cheek. Wells thought he glimpsed.. something hidden under her flowing hair, but lightly shook his head as wiped sweat from his brow from the admittedly humid room they populated.
With a wistful huff, she smiled as she approached the short teen. Faint off-color dots populated what was exposed of her pale right cheek just up to under her eye, and Wells thought he could barely glimpse the beginning of a patchy abrasion extending beyond to the side of her neck, efficiently obscured by her hair.
Once only a few meters away, she knelt down to eye level with Keet. As her smile widened, her eyes scrunched slightly until she broke into a fit of giggles before placing her hand under her chin.
“My young duck.”
Keet momentarily snickered before abruptly crossing his arms, coming to a pout. “Lex, n-not that in front of them.. that’s so embarrassing.”
Lexica giggled again, beckoning him closer. Once within range, she leaned forward and wrapped her left arm around the teen, sighing wistfully again. “I’ve missed you with all my being.”
He hugged her tightly. “I.. I missed you too, Lex..”
“I spent every day worrying out of my heart about you, but it’s okay now, though.” she said to him, leaning back so she could ruffle her same hand through his thick hair. “You’ve come home. We won’t be apart again, I promise.”
“I’m sorry to make you worry..” he muttered, bowing his head.
Her gentle smile remained as the teenager glanced back up at her. “Hey ya? There’s nobody I’d worry more over than you, my young duck. You could be solar systems away or two rooms away, and I’d dote on your wellbeing.” she answered as she ruffled his hair again. “And for your idiot brother, for what that’s worth.”
Cracking a brief smirk, the teen turned back to face the two newcomers, who had stood silently watching the reunion. Noticing their stares, Lexica stood as she stepped toward them. Standing only paces from them, her casual air dissipated alongside her previous smile.
“Who are you two? Astral hitchhikers?”
“Avos invited them to join the crew, Lex.”
“New flock of feathers on behalf of Captain Avos?” Lexica pondered aloud as her eyes scanned over the blond man. “Wait.. this one is wearing a traditional Aeryot garb, ya? I.. recognize it as one of Eros’ own.”
She glanced next at the Iveling, eyes honing in on the two yellowish marks on her neck. “What is your name?”
“My name Rumi.”
“…That’s a nekryrot scar from.. a claw, ya?” she pondered as her eyes traced down the huntress’ body to her leafy attire. “Given your hand-sewn dress, I might guess you come from a tribal civilization. Though, that scar—“
Wells cleared his throat as he stepped forward. “As the sole employee of modern-day Apaxi and thus chief of HR— I find such a question to be in poor taste, and.. beyond ironic.”
She frowned immediately from the blond’s interruption. “Why are you even here?”
“I.. was recruited into this crew, though I haven’t actually decided if—“
“What nonsense are you even speaking?”
“Right, you wouldn’t get it.” the blond groaned as he tilted his head from side to side. “I am Jason Wells, born of First Earth, chief of operations of the Apaxi conglomerate which was started by my dad on the aforementioned planet that somehow no longer exists. Blah de blah, now I stand before you in total obscurity. And you.. must be that gunsmith SLASH weapons manufacturer. I deduce.. that you created Keet’s laser rifle!”
Keet slowly turned to face the blond. “..I literally told you that she did.”
Lexica glanced around at all the numerous tables, supplies, metalworking stations, and crossed her arms. “Wow.. how’d you ever guess?” she drawled as she looked over the self-proclaimed CEO, blatantly scrutinizing him alone with her harsh gaze. “Chief, ya? Sounds like bullshit.”
“It-it is not, I swear! I was acting CEO like.. two weeks ago! I was—“
A wave of the brunette woman’s pale hand instantly silenced Wells. “So you’re saying that you’re the kid of some rich asshole, ya? First Earth vanished centuries ago, you know.”
“I know it did. I’m from the time that it was still a thing, I’m saying! Twelve-hundred years ago! And also that note about my dad, he—”
“So you traveled twelve-hundred years in the future in a snug little cryopod just to act like a jackhole?”
“I am not a jackhole! I—“
“Hey ya, chief? I really don’t give a shit who you are.” she grumbled as she poked him in the chest with her finger from her right hand. “Stop saying useless bullshit before I have you sent back to the infirmary in a box.”
“Gol, I might actually after you violently jabbed me..!” he exclaimed as he tried to ease the pain by rubbing his hand over his chest. Meanwhile, he took a few moments to study the gunsmith’s attire. A thin leathery jacket snugly enveloped her body, fastened to her waist with a dark, buckled belt. What perplexed him further was her right hand— it was covered in what appeared to be a long, sleek silvery glove that contrasted harshly with her uncovered, pale left hand.
He muttered; “I’m not a jackhole..”
With the raise of her hand, Wells went quiet. After successfully quelling his boisterous objections, the gunsmith glanced back at Rumi. “No tribal weaponry could’ve caused that scar that immaculately precise. I need every exact detail— what happened? No bullshit, just tell me straight, ya? Why did the Fluzhei fall so far off course? Why did it crash land?”
Keet’s eyes went wide as his voice crackled; “Wait.. Lex, nobody told you yet..?”
Frowning at his foreboding answer, she took a hefty breath as she mentally prepared herself for the worst of news. “Nobody came to me with news— neither of our captains.”
The teen’s gaze fell as he avoided her glance, shifting uncomfortably.
She instantly recognized how more shaken he was acting at her second mention of their co-captain. Then she glanced once more at the ditzy blond who had adopted a flowing shirt from his wardrobe.
“Eros. Where is our co-captain? Where is Eros?!” she hectically demanded before turning back to Keet, her tone mellowing; “What happened aboard the Fluzhei, Keet?”
When starting to recall the events that transpired just over a week ago that even temporarily shook up his entire life, the short teen started to hyperventilate. “I.. it—“
“Young duck.” Lexica said softly, placing a gentle pale hand on his shoulder. “Tell me what happened to Eros. I’d rather hear it from you than anyone else. Especially not your brother or Hesen—“
His heart only beat faster hearing that name.
“Hesen.”
————
Stepping into the still-operating cockpit of the traveling Fluzhei, Hesen wielded his pistol close to his hip. His eyes scanned across the room of consoles and terminals. Bayrat was studiously operating the helm, whereas Keet was sitting idly by the comms station.
“Sir Hesen..?” Keet muttered as he turned to face the aging deacon. “Is.. everything okay? Why is your—“
“..yes, ah.. my pistol is drawn, isn’t it? Apologies, young Keet.” he answered as he holstered it, flicking his gaze to the interim pilot. “Bayrat— please reactivate the escape pods.”
“Clearance code required.” the Robardi hummed without sparing the deacon a glance.
“No need. Just reactivate them, Bayrat.”
“Clearance code required.” he repeated.
“..by Eros’ own command, you will reactivate the escape pods.” he growled before realizing Keet was curiously spectating the exchange. “It is imperative.”
“Concern. Are you okay, Hesen?”
“What? Yes, why..? Just.. activate the damn escape pods, Bayrat!
“I sense your high level of stress, Hesen. By our captain’s own command, the escape pods have been deactivated with a clearance code. To forward a command through our captain’s designation, please apply a relevant callsign. Otherwise, we must patiently await Eros’ return to the helm.”
Silently glaring at the unwavering Robardi, the deacon reached into his own mouth. With a tight pull and painful grunt, he removed a microchip from his upper gums.
“Sir Hesen..?!” Keet exclaimed, eyes widened from the spectacle. “What are you doing..?”
Ignoring the teen’s question, Hesen placed a microchip aside on the helms console in front of Bayrat.
Bayrat hummed in acknowledgement. “That is your Soul Tech chip, is that correct?”
Hesen slowly withdrew a particular ebon rod from his pocket, elongating it into a thin pole with a trigger.
“And that is a Soulprodder, is that correct?”
“Listen carefully, Bayrat. This may as well be an assessment for you as your own.. person. Prove you are functional beyond the strings that may control you. Make it so every step you take is of your whim alone.”
“I understand the words you speak, Hesen. Their intent is admirable as Avos would say. Nevertheless, I am bound by the respect to our acting captain, Eros, to obey his every designation.”
Hesen snarled at the sleek Robardi, extending his ebon rod further. “Was that respect truly forged by yourself, or by the fabricated little voice in your stubborn robotic brain?”
The door slid open behind, Amet briskly stepping with. To his younger brother’s immense shock, his shirt was stained red and he wielded two of his signature handaxes. “Bayrat! Incapacitate—“
Hesen quickly plunged the rod against the Robardi’s steely side, pulling its trigger. Bayrat emitted a glitchy hum as his head merely turned toward the deacon in reaction, before entirely collapsing rightward out of the pilot’s seat. His heavy body loudly slammed against the floor.
“Hesen!!” Keet suddenly screamed as he jumped from his chair. “What are you doing?! A-Amet, what’s going on?!”
“He shot Eros!”
“What..? No.. no! What?! Why would he?!” Keet frantically clamored as his face dyed red.
Hesen scoffed at the brothers. “You shouldn’t have left Eros laying on the ground outside that coveted vault, Amet. Be a loyal vanguard.. and return to your captain’s side.”
“Is he not your captain too? You would intend to steal from us? Is that what all of our years together have come to?! What has ANY of THIS even MEANT TO YOU?!?”
“It meant the universe to me.. though something else more pressing begs my attention as I slowly but certainly age. It’s imperative.”
“You think you’re gonna commandeer the Fluzhei? I will not allow that, Sir.. Hesen. Any civilized port or planet within the known universe is bound to host USF blockades, as well as any astral causeways. Once we’re boarded, they’ll learn of your treachery and crimes.”
“You’re right.” Hesen simply answered as he approached the pilot’s seat, taking care to step around the incapacitated Bayrat.
“..what the hell are you planning?” Amet scrambled closer as he watched Hesen seat himself. “What are you.. what are you doing?!”
“I’m taking this craft somewhere without USF presence.” the deacon calmly answered without a single trace of edge in his voice. “I won’t allow my life to end in some bullshite prison. If need be, I’ll spend another century asleep, until the universe believes me to be dead and gone. I will never be bound by time.”
“You can’t even fly! You’re no pilot!” Amet hissed as he inched closer to the console. “You cannot—“
Hesen grimaced as he laid his hands upon the pilot’s controls. “Fly? By the grace of winged Tephix, I can.”
Standing only meters away, Amet clenched his handaxes so tightly that his hands started to numb as his fingernails dug into his palms. “You’ve become mad.. you're not the man that saved my brother, saved me. Don’t make me kill you, Hesen.”
“Contrary, my son— if you interfere, there is a chance you may succumb to a tragic death. I don’t want that, young Keet doesn’t want that, and you.. well, that’s good enough an excuse to keep your distance. One loving, gentle prod from this magnificent polearm, and you’ll be shitting sideways, body rocked and locked in an unmoving yet concianable daze. A shame that your Soul Tech was implanted into your neck— better than being in your brain, but still a dangerous spot, what with lethality being within grasp from a mere poke from the ol’ soul-in-a-pole. Now, these are odds no gambler would dare partake. So I will usher you again— perform your vanguard duty and tend to your injured captain. So I raise you this— don’t make me kill you, Amet.”
————
“And then.. then they clashed for a moment.” Keet continued, nervously recalling the events to Lexica.
She listened intently, though a scowl bore on her face within minutes. “Wait. What caused the crash landing of the Fluzhei, my boy?”
“It.. it.. Amet swung an axe downward at Hesen, by the helm’s console. Hesen dodged, and.. the axe pierced through the steering wheel, into the console. In the next moment, Hesen hit Amet with the Soulprodder, knocking him flat. Then he turned his attention back to the helm, but.. he couldn’t control the craft that well. He.. jettisoned us toward a jungle planet at the last moment, so we wouldn’t pick up too much speed in a free flight through space.”
She cupped her forehead, covering her eyes with her bare palm. “These two men.. both so damn foolish. You could’ve been.. you.. shit!” she suddenly exclaimed, turning and launching a silver fist into a workshopping table, thorough cleaving it through its center. Materials crafted of steel and lumber clanged loudly onto the floor.
“Gol..!” Wells exclaimed, cringing from the clatter.
Lexica glanced at the startled blond, then to Rumi who appeared unfazed. “Your nekryot scar, then— Hesen, ya?”
Nodding along with her assumption, Rumi noted; “Yes, he scar me.. but spare me too. Your captain promise justice, though give him mercy.”
Sighing heavily as she kicked her way past the debris from the fractured table. “Good ol’ Captain Avos, honorable man of word is he. Where is Hesen now?”
“Gol, I think that Bayrat—“
“Stop.” Lexica interrupted, briskly pacing forward. Inches from his face, she raised her silvery hand toward his mouth. “I pray that your next words are actually useful. No more japes, antics, anything of that effect. Otherwise.. you will end up in worse condition than that splintered workbench behind us. Do you understand me clearly?”
His eyes widened, and he nodded fervently. “I-I.. Gol, I—“
Her glare hardened, as did her tone as she warned him in a low voice; “Tell me you understand before I pull out your tonsils with my cybernetic fist. If you don’t have tonsils, I will do everything in my power to have organic supplementary tonsils grafted for you. You’ll then undergo the scalpel of Dr. Modari with zero anesthesia. If it doesn’t kill you, the shock and agony of pain will surely render you unconscious. Then by the time you’re waking up, soreness and aches overtaking you.. I’ll claim those tonsils all the same. Go ahead— say the dumbest thing you can imagine, blondie.”
“Okay.. I, uh..” Wells began before gulping loudly. “I am sensing a little.. a lot of tension here. And uh.. I believe there was probably.. a lot kinder of a way to say all that—“
“Hesen..” Keet spoke in a wary voice. “He’s.. he’s cryogenically frozen. Eros.. he’s there too..”
Her frown somehow deepened further at this revelation. “Does nobody else care about how that looks? A man and his killer being kept in the same chamber?!”
“Nothing else.. could be done. Lex..”
“No avenue could ever be correct or make this right, and that infuriates me endlessly!” she grumbled before kneeling down in front of the teen. “I’m sorry, young duck. I’m not upset with you, so please forgive me for speaking so harshly. I’ll save that for your idiot brother, ya? Where is he now?”
“Amet is.. comatose. He—“
“Infirmary, then.” she nodded as she ruffled his hair. “Mute?”
Keet nodded, idly rubbing his arm.
“It’s okayyy, it’s okay, ya?” she spoke softly as she pointed a finger toward his chest. “I promise you I won’t do anything of the sort. Okay? Promise of our hearts, talon to talon.”
Keet cracked another small grin. “You don’t even have talons, Lex..”
“Neither do you. Tappy-tap.” she insisted, lightly poking his chest. “Come on, we don’t need to have talons to make a promise.”
“Lex—“
“Come onnn, that’s how it works in your Concordia, ya? Linking my word to yours.”
“You sure..? That means you can’t go back on it, you know..”
“I would never intend to.” she smiled, pressing her finger against his own. “I won’t hurt your stupid brother, okay?”
“..okay. Promise of our hearts. Talon to talon.” Keet announced, fighting a tug at his lips. “I trust you, Lex.”