Chapter Text
Taako could already predict Kravitz’s reaction when he walked into the press conference just minutes before it was due to start.
There’d definitely be a hefty amount of eye-rolling, probably a muttered comment or two about IPRE’s slipping standards for their new recruits, and maybe, if he was feeling particularly petty, a thinly veiled jab at Taako delivered as part of an answer to some journalist’s question. Taako could already hear the cold amusement in that ridiculous posh accent Kravitz always did when he was trying to sound impressive. According to Lucretia, he called it his “work voice”. Honestly .
For once, it seriously wasn’t even Taako’s fault that he was late. Well, not entirely, anyway. He’d forgotten to change his alarm so he woke up late, then got stressed and snapped at Lup to leave without him when she told him to hurry up, which left him without a ride when she got mad and actually did leave without him, so he had to wait for a cab. And if he’d told the driver to stop at his favorite coffee shop and risked being properly late so he could get drinks for him and Lup, who could really blame him? He needed something to help him feel less frazzled, not to mention a way to make up for being rude to his sister.
It seriously didn’t matter anyway. He was still here before it was technically time for the conference, so no harm, no foul.
Not that Kravitz saw it that way, of course. As predicted, he kept his judgmental gaze locked on Taako as he walked in with his coffees, then proceeded to very deliberately roll his eyes and turn away. Taako considered trying to figure out a way to subtly flip him off without losing his grip on his drinks, but decided against it. Sometimes it was good to be the bigger person.
Metaphorically, of course, since Kravitz was a solid four inches taller than him. Asshole.
Taako slumped into the last empty chair of the eight lined up onstage and took a long, well-deserved sip of his coffee, but not before passing Lup’s over to her.
“I see Mr. Cheerful has finally decided to join us,” she greeted him, her smile wide and sarcastic as she accepted the coffee. “Apology accepted, by the way,” she added, nodding to the cup.
“Thanks, yeah, sorry,” Taako muttered in response. He was too tired and too focused on the conference to come up with anything better. The rest of the crew seemed in good spirits, at least. Barry, Merle, and Captain Davenport were all snickering at some joke Merle had just told, and Magnus was relating some rambling story to a rather mystified-looking Lucretia. Nobody else seemed to mind too much that Taako was late, thankfully.
“I talked to Cap’n’port, by the way, and he would’ve held the conference for you if you needed it,” Lup said, probably sensing the tension leaving Taako’s shoulders as he settled into his seat. “In case you were worried about that.”
“That’s nice of him.” Taako took another sip of his coffee. Lup nudged him with her shoulder, not as gently as she could have. “Yeah, yeah, it was nice of you, too.”
“Aw, thanks,” Lup teased. “But seriously, I did feel kinda shitty about leaving you behind, so…”
“Don’t even worry. I’m here, aren’t I? That’s what counts. Unless you’re asking our darling first mate, of course.” Taako dropped his voice for the last bit, eyes flicking over to Kravitz again.
Lup raised an eyebrow. “Did he somehow already find a way to give you shit for being late in the thirty seconds you’ve been here?”
“I mean, not, like, verbally , but you’ve seen those looks he gives me. Like I’m some idiot kid who can’t be trusted not to blow up whatever room he happens to be in.”
“When everyone knows blowing shit up is my M.O.,” Lup added dryly.
“Precisely.”
“And I’m sure it has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that you did, in fact, almost blow him up trying to show off during the first Teambuilding Conference.”
Taako opened his mouth to respond, but his defense that that was one time and Kravitz should really be over it by now was cut off by the downstage curtain drawing open. Immediately, the crowd of reporters on the other side leapt to their feet, the steady hum of a waiting audience growing to a dull roar as dozens of questions poured in at once. Taako flattened his ears against the noise and took another sip of his coffee. It really was way too early for this.
“Right,” Lup murmured beside him. “Showtime.”
Cap’n’port stepped up to the mic first, as one would expect. He was pelted with questions about the ship: where it would go, its construction, its cost. The crowd seemed especially curious about the specifics of the Bond engine. A half-elf reporter in a sharp lavender suit asked one question that had Taako fighting to keep himself from scowling: “Nemesis Infite, from Bigtown Gossip. Is it true that some of your crewmates are involved in social experiments concerning the nature of the engine?”
“Yes, that’s true,” Davenport answered, though he hesitated before elaborating. “While the Bond Engine is fueled by all the bonds that exist within our universe, both physical and otherwise, myself and the other members of my team at the Institute thought it may be interesting to see if close proximity to strong emotional bonds had any effect on the ship’s function. On this crew, we have a teacher and two of his former students, who also happen to have been close friends before the mission. We have a set of siblings, and we have…” His eyes slid over to Kravitz, who nodded. “I think I’ll delegate this question to my first mate, since he’s more closely involved with this particular experiment than I am.”
Kravitz strode up to the mic slowly, gracefully, arrogantly. From his angle at the far end of the row, Taako could just about make out his profile. He was smiling, but it was the dainty, polite business smile that made Taako especially angry for how fake it was. Above it, his dark eyes were cool and undisturbed as polished onyx. We’re about to set off on the biggest mission of our godsdamn lives, Taako thought. Express a genuine emotion for once.
“Thank you, Captain,” said Kravitz. That fucking accent . Who did he think he was fooling? Nobody actually talked like that. “I believe the reason this question was relayed to me is because, from an outsider’s perspective, the facet of the experiment that I am involved in may seem a touch...unethical.” He chuckled with a sheepishness that Taako was sure had to be feigned before he continued.
“You see, our team wanted to study the effects of all sorts of emotional bonds on the engine. Positive and negative. My crewmate Taako and I…” He nodded in Taako’s direction, and Taako dipped his head with what he hoped was an appropriate level of graciousness in response. “Well, we represent the negative.”
There was a swell of confused murmurs from the crowd, but Kravitz just waited for them to quiet. “I understand how it sounds, but this is an important element of our experimentation on the engine, and one that I am perfectly willing to partake in. Besides, I have been assured his presence is necessary on the ship, and I have no intentions of quitting the mission now, so that’s that, I suppose.” He shrugged and let out another soft, irritating laugh. “But rest assured, despite our many differences, he and I agree that the work we’ll be doing aboard the ship takes precedence over any personal issues.”
Had they really agreed that? Wow, how noble of the two of them. Taako was fuming. What right did Kravitz have to be speaking for him? He was right that the mission came first, of course, but--
“You’re strangling your coffee, ‘Ko,” Lup whispered, snapping Taako out of his reverie. He looked down to see that he did have a tight enough hold on his cup that it was starting to dent. Flustered, he took a long sip and set the cup down on the ground beside his chair. Luckily, nobody else but Lup seemed to have noticed.
The crowd had a few more questions for each of the eight about their particular roles on the ship, but the press conference was mercifully short. Taako was draining the last of his still-warm coffee when the downstage curtains shut once more.
“Okay, y’all. We gotta talk sendoff,” Magnus declared before they were all even done making their way offstage.
“How do you mean?” Lucretia asked.
“I mean , we’re about to leave home on a freakin’ space quest! That calls for a celebration, don’t you think?”
“Hell yes,” Taako chimed in, the caffeine and the prospect of some proper Shenanigans finally beginning to perk him up. “We deserve it. We’re about to spend two months brave-new-worlding this shit. What are you thinking, Mags?”
“Oh, you know.” Magnus cracked his knuckles. “Someplace where we can all get ourselves in trouble.”
“Ahem. Can the trouble wait until after our last debriefing?” Davenport asked, turning to fix Magnus and Taako with a stern look that was very clearly entirely for show.
Magnus looked embarrassed, but Taako grinned easily. “‘Course, Cap’n’port. We gotta give you plausible deniability in case something illegal happens. Wouldn’t want you to have to replace us all in the morning.”
“Not all of us,” Kravitz interjected from the front of the group, not even pausing to look behind him. The smug asshole.
“Oh, you’re so right, my mistake,” Taako said with a laugh. “I always forget how reliable you are, Kravitz.”
“Why do you say that like it’s--”
“Alright!” With that single, sharp word, Davenport shut both of them up, some of the showiness disappearing from that stern face. “You lot can talk more about all of this once the briefing ends, and not a second sooner. Got it?”
Kravitz, Taako, and Magnus all mumbled their assent.
“Good.” Davenport started to walk again, and the rest of the group followed.
He paused as Kravitz and the others started to file into the conference room, and leaned conspiratorially toward Taako and Magnus. “I’ll do my best to make it quick,” he whispered, shooting them a wink before turning and strolling inside.
Taako snickered to himself and headed in, Magnus pulling up the rear behind him. Kravitz was still glowering, but he didn’t say another word as Taako threw his empty coffee cup into the trash and Magnus pulled the door shut. Fine by Taako. The ship was big enough that he could avoid Kravitz’s gaze all he wanted once the mission was underway.
It hit him then, that this meeting was all that was standing between him and one truly epic last hurrah followed by two months of travelling to places nobody in the world had ever seen before. A genuine thrill went through him, and not even the cold eyes watching him from across the table could ruin it.