RP between Ave, Two, Mia, AJ and Emroidz
Log
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheira spent two days searching sector 6F for any signs of Two. She was hopeful after Ara found him on the security cameras in the area, and she tried to remain the voice of reason in the family. Jaheira knocked on every business and residence, spoke to several people who remembered seeing the little badger, but couldn’t recall anything out of the ordinary concerning him. It seemed as if she reached a dead end in her investigation, until one of Aurumy’s support group members lended a helping hand...
Inside the Defiance it was dark. Jaheira sat at the bar in the Hummingbird with an unopened bottle of Stardust IPA in front of her. She was clutching something in her right hand as she stared down at the countertop. Jaheira looked bad—like she hadn’t slept in two days, evident by the dark bags under her eyes. She sent the text message to Kaelee and Aurumy and waited...they would likely be home soon, and then what? How could she deliver the news?
Kaelee Knodel
Kaelee had not slept either. She spent restless hours and hours in the Iron Maiden scouring the city with Raali, but yielding nothing but frustration and increased worry. When she got the call, she beelined home.
Kaelee was half out of her mech as she clambered clumsily through the open Defiance hatch. “Two?!” she cried out, tripping over the Iron Maiden on the way in. Her heart sank when she saw Jaheira alone.
“Jaheira, what happened? Where is he?” The noodle chef peered around her sister’s shoulder, expecting to find the little badger to pop out with a ‘SURPRISE!’
Emroidz — 06/07/2021
Aurumy had called in every favor from here to Ellisaria, and given that the GalFeds had already scooped Mursel up from that planet, she didn’t have many friends left to call on beyond what Blackout had cast to the wind.
She was trying, but still felt her efforts were shallow and unmatched compared to the tireless work and endless, outward pain and panic seen in both Jaheira and Kaelee. She came home when her girlfriend called, and arrived only shortly after her sister-in-law did.
It was that unopened bottle of Stardust IPA that the Orovein noticed first: not in hand, which meant whatever Jaheira was clutching was more important. It was fucked up that that was Ru’s association, but it was spot on accurate...and highly disconcerting.
“Did Bogren help? What did you find?”
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheira was dreading giving the news to Kaelee especially, but there was no point in delaying it any longer. “I don’t know where he’s at,” she admitted. Jaheira squeezed her eyes shut and slid the object in her hand down the bar. It was Two’s commlink, and whenever the screen lit up, it flashed several missed calls and text messages.
“The alien in Aurumy’s support group found it.” Jaheira finally dared a glance at Kaelee and Aurumy. “It was in a gutter a few blocks away from the route he normally takes to Cecille’s lab.” She paused for a moment to let everything sink in before continuing: “Bogren lost his scent shortly after.”
Jaheira suddenly lashed out, swiping the unopened beer bottle off the bar. It hit the ground and shattered, sending shards of glass skittering across the floor. “I don’t know where he’s at,” she repeated. “But now I’m afraid somebody took him, and I don’t know what to do. He’s GONE and I feel HELPLESS. Fuck!”
Ave — 06/10/2021
Kae went numb.
A parent’s greatest fear is their child gone missing, or worse. Slowly, she backed into a wall and skid down from it, too weak to stand any more.
You would think that Kae would be used to people going missing or killed by now, but it was not so. She thought of that man Seiveril, and how it was too late to intercept him. She thought of all the talks with Two about leaving without telling his mothers. He was still only a child. Children will do things without the thought of consequences. They thought themselves invincible. He probably saw his mothers, and realized how hard and indestructible the each of them were. It was not so. But to a child…
The beer is the only thing that managed to make Kae snap out from her shock. She flinched, and stared at the shattered bottle.
Kae rose up, and swiftly gathered Aurumy and Jaheira into an embrace.
“Nothing has stopped us from finding each other before. We will find Two. Whatever it takes.” She released them, gripping their shoulders. She had never looked so angry. “Whoever is behind this will pay.”
Emroidz — 06/10/2021
Aurumy yelped and flinched as Jaheira exerted her frustrations by force. The shattering of glass left the poor Blackout survivor trembling, shaken both in and back out of whatever trauma had been triggered at record speeds. Now was not the time to lose her shit or start spiraling.
“Two’s resourceful. Smart. He’s endured plenty already. He has to know we’re looking for him, and that means he will do whatever’s necessary to keep himself safe until he’s rescued. We can’t fault or underestimate him for the mistake he made going out on his own: we have to trust he has enough good sense to survive.”
Aurumy wiped her face with white knuckles, sniffed, and nodded with determination at Kaelee. “Whatever it takes. Let’s get back out there. I’ve got more calls to make, more people to rally. Radio stations, the evening news, the local paper. I’ll have my group paper the entire neighborhood.”
vskaw — 06/10/2021
The broken bottle leaked beer into the floorboards. Jaheira was eerily quiet after her outburst, emotionally and physically exhausted after the last few days. Finally she looked at Kaelee and Aurumy, who was trembling, and it nearly broke her heart.
She stood up and reached toward Aurumy slowly, as if she might be spooked and run. “I’m sorry—Ru, I’m sorry.” If she’d allow it, Jaheira would pull her into an embrace.
Kaelee’s sudden gusto was unexpected, but necessary for them to continue the search. There was no time to dwell—every second mattered. “Right,” Jaheira said. “I’m going back to sector 6F. I’ll call Ara and see if she found anything else of interest on the security cameras.”
Two | Telstar Blue — 06/13/2021
Elsewhere
The alley behind the restaurant is narrow, just big enough to fit a delivery truck and tight enough to keep illicit imports and exports out of sight.
The business itself is popular with facets of the population who want cheap food of poor quality, so it is never busy. Their income is clearly coming from the humans who operate under the shop.
It is late, quiet, and empty—except for the grease smell and the flutter of trash floating by a single flickering light.
Emroidz — 06/13/2021
Aurumy sat and waited. She wrung her hands and mouthed the sequence of letters and numbers she’d been given in silent, memorized recitation.
“Miss? The meter is still running,” the well-intentioned hover taxi driver reminded his fare, seemingly concerned that she may have forgotten as her attention was obviously elsewhere. She didn’t SEEM crazy…just distracted.
“Hm? Oh. Is that okay? I don’t want to keep you,” Ru frowned, unconcerned with racking up charges but sweetly naive thinking the cabbie might have other places to be.
“Not at all, miss. I’m just not used to getting a paid lunch break is all,” the alien said, smacking his lips and unwrapping a fat-stacked, exotic-looking sandwich.
…if only he knew how much she’d just shelled out for that nine digit code, he’d have full on spit taked that sandwich.
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheira was with Dr. Gadhavi trying to track Two’s nanites when she received Aurumy’s phone call. The color suddenly drained from her face and she nodded resolutely, replying, “We’ll be there in 20.” Then she hung up. Jaheira looked at Cecille, but her expression was difficult to read. “Den-Klax’s Pelgonian Delights. It’s a front for somebody—Lux? They have Two, and he’s in danger.”
They weren’t far from the restaurant. Cecille’s tracking was evidently leading them in the right direction after all. “I’m going back to the Defiance to get Kaelee. Thank you, Cecille, for everything. Are you coming with? Or maybe stationing nearby? I don’t know what to expect…nothing good, that’s for sure. But you’ve already gone above and beyond to help us. We can’t expect any more from you.”
Whatever Cecille decided, Jaheira would rendezvous with Kaelee at the Defiance before returning to the restaurant.
Kaelee Knodel
There was a dangerous, quiet determination as Kaelee followed Jaheira back to the restaurant, suited up in her Iron Maiden and armed to the teeth in case things went south. She took it upon herself to make sure Jaheira and Aurumy went adequately armed and armored (if she could get to them; they had to act fast), otherwise what kind of armory and armsdealer would she be? When it came to family, least of all Two… Kae believed in insurance.
“What’s the plan?” she asked Jaheira quietly. “Two is in that place, isn’t he?” She flicked her helmet shut and hoisted up the sleek rifle glowing redhot at the muzzle. “Just so you know, I really don’t give a shit if I’m thrown in prison for mass murder. We’re getting Two out, one way or another.”
Emroidz — 06/17/2021
Aurumy emerged from the hover cab only when she saw Jaheira and Kaelee arrive, and even then, it was only to herd them into an alleyway. Her debriefment was even more urgent and to-the-point; time was of the essence! “R57619-HL1. That’s the access ID that will get us in. That’s all the information I have: where, when, and how to gain access. Once we’re down there, I don’t know where he is. There’s no stealthing this out, at least not once we’re inside: we need to grab whoever we can and start breaking fucking bones until they take us to him or to someone who can.”
…Jesus. Had they ever heard Ru talk like that? Ever?
Suiting up in the armor provided, Aurumy was stone-faced…but that didn’t mean she didn’t swallow hard or have a white-knuckle squeeze on the grip of the weapon she was handed. The last time she’d confronted Lux in an effort to get people she cared about out of captivity, she had lost her mother. This time HAD to go differently. She was older, she was more experienced. Hell, she was the badass bitch who blew up the goddamn vindicator. She was wanted by the fucking GalFeds. Motherfuckers SHOULD be afraid.
Two | Telstar Blue — 06/17/2021
Things seem empty, no sign of access in or out. The grease trap is in use based on the smell and puddles surrounding it, and if examined a button will be found on the underside of the rim, revealing a grubby keyboard from a hidden panel
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheira swallowed around the lump in her throat as she stood in the alleyway alongside Kaelee behind Den-Klax’s Pelgonian Delights. She was toting a plasma rifle and new body armor, courtesy of the red-headed arms dealer. Jaheira shook her head solemnly at Kaelee’s question: “There is no plan. We gotta make this shit up as we go.” They scrambled to meet Aurumy at the restaurant and barely had time to spare. Orchestrating a plan was just not feasible in the little amount of time they had to act. Kaelee’s comment about murder got a chuckle out of Jaheira then. “Good thing we live on a lawless planet, in a city with officials who will undoubtedly look the other direction.”
Aurumy arrived shortly after and briefed them: enter the facility and fuck up whoever they came across until it led them to Two. There was no arguing with that. “I should’ve known this place was a cover-up,” she said. “I ate here one time, and it actually made me sick. My stomach can tolerate goddamn near any food.”
Jaheira examined the grease trap. She felt under the rim, ghosting her fingertips over a grimy keypad. “Sick,” she said, but punched in the code Aurumy gave them. Then they waited…
“I hope we can trust whoever called you. This is our only chance.” The stakes were immeasurably high.
Two | Telstar Blue — 06/23/2021
Without even a rumble, the entire back wall slides to the right, taking the grease trap with it. It moves quickly and smoothly enough to scream ‘Expensive’.
Featureless stairs lead downward, revealing a brightly lit concrete hallway disappearing with a sharp left turn.
A barely restrained male voice bellows “NEL you childish IDIOT. When they fin—“ A short bald man without a neck appears from around the corner and stares up at the entrance. He slowly realizes the access code was correct, but the group standing there is NOT whom he expected. His mouth is agape, and he starts to fumble in his faded military-green getup for something in one of the many pockets.
Kaelee Knodel
“Got it, Cap’n,” the girl said grimly behind her helmet. She shared a small smile that her beloved sister could not see, but she was sure they mutually felt the same way. They did not care. Who here would oppose their case, especially when it was a child involved?
Kaelee sucked in a breath as she took one fraction of a second to look at Jaheira and Aurumy. The three of them stood side by side, toting weapons, looking like an alternate universe Charlie’s Angels ready to blow someone a new asshole. There would be time to exchange how fucking proud she was to be standing next to them for the sake of their son. Later.
“Are you saying my ramen is shit because the Hummingbird was once a cover up for my illegal armsdealing sales?” Kae quipped cheekily, checking for heat signatures through her helmet’s HUD.
Aurumy and Jaheira would be happy to know that their armor was sleek, excellent quality military grade, built specifically for them. It allowed for decent mobility and protection against bullets and other projectiles.
“We have no choice—“
The door slid open and Kae looked down the stairs. Without hesitation, she aims an armored arm at the man and fires a nonlethal stun weapon at him. It would be enough to render him motionless, but able to talk, if it hits true.
Two | Telstar Blue — 06/23/2021
No humanoid heat signatures can be seen. The place is built to be hard to find, with enough funding to keep it out of sight.
The man shout-screams for a split second before he crumples against the wall from Kaelee’s shot. Realizing he is alive, he takes a moment to find his senses and sneers, shouting down the unseen corner. “SECURITY! WE’RE COMPROMISED!”
There is no reply yet.
Emroidz — 06/26/2021
Aurumy may have been equipped with a firearm, but unlike Kaelee, she does not immediately engage, even at a stunning level of force. This is not to suggest, however, that her method of contact was LESS non lethal, because the moment Kaelee knocked him down, the Orovein had grabbed both sides of his face with hands that had hardened to a metallic sheen…and now possessed a crushing force due to that quality.
“Shut the FUCK up or I’ll pop your head like a goddamn zit, you piece of shit.” If the guard does not pipe down and right quick, a golden thumb would be forced into his eye socket and thrust deep, crushing the organ within the skull hole. “They brought a little boy through here, a badger. Where is he? Where did they take him?”
Two | Telstar Blue — 06/26/2021
The human doesn’t see her coming, expecting a pissed off politician at worst. The shock of her threat holds his tongue, but the look in his eyes radiates hatred.
He takes three seconds to deliberate her question, weighing his own life against the cause. The reply comes through gritted teeth. “WE took a machine. IT is inside. YOU will get killed if you go inside.” His jaw clenches, sweating over that last sentence. He isn’t sure about that one.
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheira descended the staircase, following Aurumy and Kaelee into Lux Aeterna’s stronghold. Kaelee was quick to render the man immobile, but his shouting could have attracted unwanted attention. Jaheira stood by, eerily quiet as Aurumy interrogated the man with the threat of crushing his skull between her bare hands if he refused to cooperate.
“How do we get inside?” Jaheira asked. She stared down the long corridor, waiting with her rifle at the ready for others to round the corner. “The way I see it, you got two options: One, you help us get inside and maybe live to see another day, or two, we put a bullet between your eyes just like the others inside this facility.” Jaheira paused, giving him a brief moment to consider her words. “So what’ll it be, cue ball? Is the cause worth dying for?”
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/16/2021
The man is visibly assessing his situation, and though he does not trust them, he believes them. Still, he HATES them, and his words are venomously spat out “You WALK.” He quickly gives more accurate directions to avoid being murdered then and there. “Down the hall past the wall of bullets that will come any time.” He seems alarmed that the security has not shown up yet, actually. “Elevator on your left, hallway on your right. Take the hallway past all the doors. End of the hall.” He snarls. “There. I helped. Go get killed, maybe your parts are valuable too.”
His eyebrow tilts slightly as a low hiss is heard coming from around the corner. A light clattering is heard moving down the hall.
Ave — 07/19/2021
It was a gamble, Kaelee knew, but in the heat of things there was just never any time to think—she only knew the idiot down the stairs could be their only lead to finding Two.
Listening in on Aurumy and Jaheira, Kaelee could have never been so proud than in this moment.
“You’d better be right,” Kaelee snarled, the end of her lethal weapon glowing red-hot in the guy’s face. “Or else your fate will be far worst than a quick death, I assure you. These girls will do unto you far worse than what you could ever do.” She moved the searing heat of her weapon to his manhood to prove a point. Then she used the heel of her boot to stomp on his face, a non-lethal gesture. He would remain alive, but with a bloody nose. At least he’d be unconscious. A deep, long nap-long enough for the three badass ladies to get their job done. “Insurance,” she said. “I can always come back and wake him up if he’s wrong.”
Kaelee was strong in her Mech suit. Had she succeeded in her attempts to subdue to man, she would haul the unconscious body into the nearest broom closet, doing all of this as quiet as a mouse so that the others would not find him. “Beware of traps, ladies. They might know we’re already here because Genius over here had to go yelling about it.”
The noise was concerning, but she would let Ru and Jah move forward, with her not long on their tail, rifle raised and ready to throw the fuck down.
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/19/2021
The man is still immobile, obviously afraid, but covering up for it with sneering malice. He begins to respond, “I guess you’ll—AH!!” He is knocked out a moment later, bleeding and limp and easily disposed of.
As soon as Kaelee is done speaking, a loud clatter and hissing can be heard from the hall—a smoke grenade was tossed from around the corner, obscuring their view of the path to the rest of the complex. Evidently, the cavalry has arrived, but there is no gunfire yet.
It is their home turf, and they are playing defensively.
Emroidz — 07/20/2021
Don’t think the way Ru skipped towards that skidding smoke grenade was careless. The quick kick-step of her stride had a purpose, and it was the punt the damn thing right back down the hall at whoever had thrown it. With gloves still off of gilded hands, however, the golden girl’s suit could not be fully or properly sealed, which meant an eventual coughing fit as they ventured further into the clouded tunnel. Her eyes watered and stung. Aurumy fell back behind Jaheira but still ahead of Kaelee.
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/20/2021
”GET BACK! “ is heard in a panicked voice as the grenade sails through the air. A half-hearted silenced blaster shot bursts through the smoke but only manages to leave a scorchmark to Jaheira’s left. Footfalls are heard trailing back down the hall behind the smoke, and the stopping short. “Phalanx position! Keep them from the door!”
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheira committed those shitty directions to memory before Kaelee rendered the man unconscious. A grenade suddenly clattered across the concrete floor and released a thick gray smoke into the hallway. Jaheira's suit was sealed tight, and so she could breathe easily despite the attempt to thwart their entrance. With Aurumy quick to kick the grenade away, it bought them a brief moment to plan their next move. The blaster shot completely missed Jaheira, prompting her to move toward the opposite wall in the hallway.
"Watch it," Jaheira said. "They're shooting blindly at us." Jaheira took the lead, quiet as she tried to navigate the smoky hallway. She used the helmet on her suit to look for any heat signatures around the corner as she slowly advanced on their assailants. The trio really didn't know what they were up against, but even if they were outgunned and outnumbered, they had something Lux Aeterna did not: Maternal Anger.
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/22/2021
Anyone scanning heat signatures would notice:
Three guards with small arms stationed near the sealed door, forming a phalanx position with handheld energy shields.
Large quantities of energy diverted into the complex via large cables hidden inside the walls.
The grenade slowly cooling as the smoking payload is ejected.
The guards are silent, waiting for a sight or sound to fire upon. Their equipment seems more suitable for security rather than military.
Kaelee Knodel
Kaelee would relay this information to Jaheira and Ru just in case they did not see what she saw—the phalanx position and the wires in the walls (this concerned Kae the most, why where there wires running hot in the walls? They had to connect to something, but what?) In the meantime, she kept an eye out for Two. The last thing she wanted was to have their son in the middle of crossfire. Once she was sure the room was void of Two or other potential innocents, she thudded the Iron Maiden heavily next to Jaheira and Ru. The three guards almost made Kae laugh. Almost.
Four mini missiles rose up from the shoulders of the Iron Maiden. Through the smoke the girls appeared, like demons straight out of hell. The Iron Maiden’s metallic wings flared. The missiles made a steadily increasing high-pitched sound. This, and whatever her sisters use might even be the last thing the small security team heard before the missiles ejected themselves, locked on the shields and the ones hiding behind them. The catastrophe would be great if the missiles hit true. In the meantime, if Kae got hit, her overshield would likely be the first to go before enemy bullets hit the Iron Maiden itself, and soon enough, the person inside. The missiles might even blast the door open—Kae was counting on that. No point in going stealth. The badass mom trio had come in like a wreaking ball. If the guys hadn’t already pissed themselves, then they were damn fools.
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/23/2021
The incredibly outgunned security team doesn’t have much time to react. The Iron Maiden is the first target they see moving in the haze, and they begin to fire rapidly.
Unfortunately, as prepared as they thought they were, small arms fire is barely going to dent the suit in the short time they have to fire on it. Once they get a view of WHAT they are dealing with, the wall of shields break down as the centre guard turns to run toward the door.
Whatever Jah or Ru do next, the missiles were highly effective. If not killed by some other means, the guards would be either misted or fatally dismembered, and the door (along with an alarming portion of the ceiling) would collapse. Dust and debris would obscure what lies beyond, though heat sensors would detect three more life signs crossing their path from right to left. They are heading to the emergency elevator described by the first agent, all carrying heavy-duty grav-crates about 2.5 feet long by half a foot wide.
Emroidz — 07/24/2021
Aurumy panicked as the red mist and dust dissipated, only for her to scope what agents were hurriedly pushing towards the emergency exit that would get them out from a underground whose collapse was all but imminent.
“Stop! Put those crates down!” Ru yelled and charged forward, her gun officially raised in gilded hands as she could not close distance quick enough to make any other show of force a viable option. “Two! Two! Can you hear me?” There was only one thing so important that the Orovein could think they’d not just leave the cargo behind in an evacuation attempt: live trafficking.
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/24/2021
There is no telltale ‘ding’ to indicate the elevator had arrived. The one closest to the door presses into the small alcove, praying it will open.
The two others, having no viable outcome, freeze in the hall. They stand like a batter at first, waiting to steal the base—but in this case, an elevator. The one in the middle has the most to gain from a distraction and speaks up “Its—HE! He, is…perfectly. I mean, we were contracted, so, the alarm, you see…” he is sweating and shaking, looking around wildly for a way out.
Aurumy can see the path branch through the dust—the incoming elevator on the left, a long stretch straight ahead leading to a single door, and the path this trio came from leading to another hall
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheira stood back, allowing Kaelee to take the lead in the Iron Maiden and fire at their assailants. The missiles blasted open the doorway, and Jaheira rushed forward, only to be stopped by the ceiling collapsing in front of her. She ducked and covered her head with her hands, waiting to buried underneath the rubble. Pieces of metal and concrete rained down atop Jaheira's head, creating a gray fog in the hallway. As luck would have it, she was far enough away from the blast to avoid being crushed under the larger pieces. Whatever element of surprise they had left was certainly gone now.
As the haze cleared, Jaheira could see the men carrying the grav-crates ahead of her. Whatever was inside was worth saving, and she ran after them with Aurumy. Her focus was the man closest to the elevator. And, using her best running back impression, Jaheira quickly closed the distance between them if she wasn't stopped by the others. With his hands full and Jaheira's rifle slung across her back, she would attempt to tackle him before he could escape onto the elevator. Hopefully, Aurumy and Kaelee would handle the other two, who were desperately trying to create a distraction.
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/26/2021
The man by the elevator is not the athletic type, and with his head still buzzing from the explosion he isn’t hard to chase down. Only a slight backstep before Jaheira is able to knock him to the ground, his head painfully bouncing off the concrete floor while still clutching the parcel to his chest.
The other two can only look on in alarm, unsure of where the safest place is to run—seems their only exit is the slow-ass elevator.”Down there down there!” The one to the right says, pointing down the hall to the right, to bargain away the likely incoming assault.
Kaelee Knodel
The Iron Maiden suffered little from the measly weapons the enemy possessed. Maybe a few dings and dents. Nothing to fret over. This is why Kaelee chose to front the assault. She knew her armor could handle it. Jaheira and Aurumy... Kaelee always felt deep pride in her work, and knew that the suits she made for them would hold well. Still, she worried, as she always would. She worked hastily to clear a path through the fallen debris.
'Down there'... Kaelee heard this and quickly turned her head to the direction indicated. Trouble was, she didn't trust the men as far as she could throw them. For all she knew, they were leading them into a trap. "Is that where Two is?" she growled at them, or as much of a growl as a girl like her could muster. It was not one to take lightly. She was a mother, and just now her rifle had grown red-orange with heat, aimed at their respective persons. As far as she knew, these men were between the mama bears and their cub. "If I find out you're lying, or that this is a trap, we will track you down and destroy you utterly until there is NOTHING left of you, do you understand? There is no place in this Galaxy where we won't find you. Remember that." And that was the promise she left them.
There was not much time. Even Kaelee's words left fast and hurried. She looked to her sisters, gave them a brief nod, and braved the hallway, weapon up and ready to fire. Every part of this screamed TRAP...
Two | Telstar Blue — 08/18/2021
The weedy looking Lux agents seem to show relief, the ones that are not currently in a ton of pain stuck under Jaheira. All they can do is nod at Kaelee rapidly, mouth agape, just looking for a way out.
A door stands at the end of the hall, a shadow can be seen crossing the small window places in the centre of it. On the left and right of the hall, a pair of less secure doors can be seen.
As Kaelee starts to stalk the hall, the area ahead is uncomfortably quiet except for the hum of the lights, sound of distant machinery, and the panicked breathing of the trio she left behind.
Suddenly, the wall to her right explodes outward—a GIANT human, like if Harpur mated with a gorilla, is rushing through it to engage in close combat. Shirtless, wearing nothing but pants and a large power cell on his back, he tries to strike her suit with what is best described as a supercharged cattle prod. It’s purpose is to disrupt and disable her suit, so the muscled mass can destroy whatever is inside.
Emroidz — 08/18/2021
Aurumy screamed as the underground wall exploded, not from detonation, but from impact. “Kaelee! Jaheira, go go go!” The armored Orovein charged forward, setting her sights solely on destroying what sought to incapacitate her sister’s mech. Raising her weapon again, she sought to empty her entire plasma clip into the giant Harpur-gorilla-baby’s elbow and the meat of its arm, knowing that was the only way the cattle prod could be raised to make contact with the Iron Maiden to begin with. Given that the damn thing was shirtless, she intended to turn its limb to fucking Swiss cheese by the time her girlfriend closed the distance and could either a) separate beast and weapon or b) aid in getting Kaelee the fuck out of there with the hull of her robo-suit still powered up and good to go.
Two | Telstar Blue — 08/18/2021
Luckily in such close quarters, Aurumy does not need to rely on horseshoes or hand grenades—bullets work just fine. Enough projectiles quickly, and messily, render the limb useless.
An unintended consequence of this is that the ‘cattle prod’ drops to the floor and discharges, causing an intense flash of light and smell of ozone. With a guttural scream of pain, the beastly human tries to grab Kaelee BY THE HEAD with his right hand, and THROW HER at Aurumy.
He is strong enough to do it, too. The only question is if Jaheira and Kaelee can stop him before that happens.
Jaheira Morningstar
There was a satisfying thwack noise as the man's head bounced off the floor after being tackled. He was still possessively clutching the grav-crate, and Jaheira threw an elbow to knock him out. She wrenched the crate out of his grasp, but wasn't able to open it before the hulking creature--human?--smashed through an adjacent wall. Bits of concrete scattered across the floor and Jaheira jumped to her feet, wide-eyed, as the man squared up with Kaelee's mech. With Aurumy quick on the trigger, his arm was riddled with bolts of plasma before he could use the cattle prod against Kaelee. The weapon clattered to the floor and discharged, causing Jaheira to dive out of the way to avoid being hit.
With the beastly man still in close proximity of Kaelee, Jaheira did the only thing she could think of: she tried to jump onto his back. There was likely little she could do to stop him, but hopefully it would buy Kaelee time to react accordingly. Jaheira tried to wrap her arms around his thick neck from behind, unable to choke him out, but trying to hold on if he thrashed around.
Two | Telstar Blue — 08/18/2021
The two Lux agents that are conscious and also holding grav-crates look at each other, listen to Kaelee’s speech, and watch as Jaheira possibly kills their compatriot with her elbow. “Leave it, leave it!” One panics, dropping the Grav-Crate and sinking further against the now Ding-ing elevator. The other hesitates, places his on the ground, and waits eagerly for the doors to finally open. “No safer streetside.” he mopes. They are not interested to see how their monstrous security officer will make out—Outlook is not good.
Speaking of which, the screaming Abobo/Andore man-house (regardless if he manages to throw Kaelee like a Raggedy Ann doll with authentic red hair), dives backward on to the pile of rubble. He is attempting to crush Jaheira under his bulk to loosen her grip, while rolling behind the as-yet still standing wall for cover.
Kaelee Knodel
If Kaelee had a moment to get a good look at the big ol' freak with the cattle prod, she might have giggled at the uncanny likeness. There was no time for that, because the Big Guy wanted to poke her with his Fizzle Stick. Thankfully, there was an overcharge feature built in the Iron Maiden, which meant that the suit was soaking up the energy. Unfortunately, she was still taken by surprise, who was surely knocked sideways from the crash-through-wall-surprise Koolaid Man style.
The Iron Maiden was built to tank, and it did its job well, at least. This was her Ground Mode, which meant it was a slow hunk of metal. Kaelee grit her teeth beneath the suit, watching as the energy levels continued to skyrocket. She had not realized that the world had gone topsy-turvey as the Meathead From Hell thought to toss her like a goddamn rag doll. There was no time for Kae to react; she was disoriented. RIP.
Emroidz — 09/01/2021
Aurumy knew just where she was going, and even having the Iron Maiden thrown at her was going to stop or slow her down.
Jaheira had shot through the monster’s (I refuse to call him meathead, because that’s Jax’s name ) arm, making it incapable of wielding that cattle prod any longer. But that didn’t mean the cattle prod wasn’t still there—it just wasn’t being used anymore, given that the lame arm couldn’t hold it and the good arm was focused on throwing poor Kaelee around like a Raggedy Ann doll.
So what did Ru do? She picked that giant fucker up and cranked the charge up as high as the voltage knob would go. “Jaheira, drop down now! Check on Kaelee, pull her out of there if you need to. Go!” Now was not the time to question an order, because the Orovein would not hesitate, so her girlfriend better not either.
She’d stick that damn cattle prod where the sun don’t shine, stabbing the prongs against whatever bare skin she could come into contact with as many times as possible.
Two | Telstar Blue — 09/01/2021
The Lux lummox didn’t expect to have someone be able to pick HIM up, but such feats are possible with the wonders of technology.
Before he has a chance to react further than starting a curse “FF…!!!”, he is horribly electrocuted. The taser was built to take down a tank, so being used on flesh is unpleasant for all involved.
His already body fat-less skin splits open, curls, and blackens under the high voltage. It only takes a couple thrusts to make him unconscious, the rest just ensure he is dead five times over.
A thin shadow passes over the door at the end of the hall once again, apparently in a hurry. The only sounds are the pieces of wall still falling to the floor, alarms, and the emergency elevator lifting off with the now package-less Lux scientists who were still conscious.
Thanks to Ru, the hall also smells disturbingly of bacon.
vskaw — 09/15/2021
Jaheira wasn't expecting the hulking creature to try crushing her under his weight, and so she couldn't react fast enough when he dove backward onto the rubble. Jaheira wheezed, briefly unable to breathe, but she managed to pull herself out from underneath him. Oh yeah, that hurt. There was no way she didn't at least break a rib or two. But her adrenaline blocked most of the pain and she stumbled to her feet, narrowly avoiding being electrocuted as Aurumy prodded the bonehead with the taser.
The foul smell in the hallway coupled with the dead creature's split and blackened skin was enough to make just about anybody retch. "Well bacon is ruined forever," Jaheira lamented. Only now did she realize the remaining Lux scientists had escaped on the elevator. "God DAMMIT," she shouted. Noticing the shadowy figure at the end of the hall, Jaheira gestured toward the door. "Aurumy, Kaelee, someone--something?--is over there. I'm going to see what's in those grav-crates." She'd grab the closest crate and quickly inspect it, looking for a mechanism to open it. If all else failed, Jaheira would use brute strength and try to pry it open.
Two | Telstar Blue — 09/16/2021
The grav-crate opens without much struggle—built to keep the contents safe rather than keep people out.
Jaheira finds the bottom half of a leg, from the foot to just below the knee where it cuts off.
Specifically it is the bottom half of Two’s right leg, or at least a very convincing replica.
It was removed carefully—each connection meticulously sliced through to extract the limb.
Kaelee Knodel
Kaelee was winded. It took her a hot minute to rise up, breathing heavily. The HUD beeped at her insistently, reminding her of the power overload. If she did not siphon it, it could spell disaster for herself and her mech. She remained calm, there was much bigger fish to fry—hopefully not herself being that fish.
“I dunno. I kinda like the smell, probably wouldn’t be terrible in noodles,” Kae quipped. Jaheira mentioned the figure by the door, and the noodle chef, having swiveled around, did not need telling twice. Leaving Jaheira with the contents of the box, Kaelee initiated flight mode, her Iron Maiden transforming fast and unfurling metallic airplane wings. Speed was on her side, now, but it made her mech terribly vulnerable to attack. She rose off the ground, and beelined to the creeping shadow, a hand raised, glowing white-hot.
“*STOP,**” Kae roared. “Or I will blow you to fucking pieces.”
She fired a small burst of energy by the shadow’s side as a warning. It was enough to explode in bits of dust, but it was non lethal, just enough to make a guy piss his pants. That was the hope, anyway.
“The badger child. Where is he?”
Emroidz — 09/19/2021
Aurumy blocked the exit, wielding that cattle prod like she’d found a new best friend and waiting for either a) Jaheira to announce (best Brad Pitt impression) what’s in the box?! or b) the shirking shadow to call Kae’s bluff and have his head exploded like a pimple between two thumbs or c) more favorable, and wise of Mr. Good-thing-I-wore-my-brown-pants: he’d answer the mama Bear’s question and tell them where (the rest of) Two was.
Two | Telstar Blue — 09/19/2021
The shadow is an older, thin and angular human. It appears he was just leaving, based on the thick overcoat covering his lab gear. He looks both annoyed and anxious with the situation; sweating profusely.
The warning shot from Kaelee makes him jump, swallow hard, but he is clearly made of sterner stuff than the other science-division Lux. “The machine…” His voice has a metallic coolness.
“…Badger child. In that door behind me. Immobilized, just take the headpiece off.” He speech is clipped, anxious to try his luck escaping the city. Almost like he doesn’t have time to deal with the enraged mothers.
“Shame. Outer-Galaxy tech. Medical uses would be legion. I wonder how many would be saved if our work was completed…Nomatter. Hiding will be difficult I think.” His faux-musing sounds both anxious and sneering.
Once the information is given, he tries to leave through the entrance with the exploded security crew -IF- Kaelee lets him go. Jaheira or Aurumy will not be given a second glance unless they choose to hassle him.
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheire was swole, and had absolutely no trouble prying open the grav-crate. The contents of the crate were unexpected and Jaheira suddenly felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. She couldn't talk, couldn't breathe. All she could do was stare hopelessly at the small severed limb. There was no mistaking it was Two's. "Kaelee," Jaheira said. But it was drowned out by the sound of the mech's warning shot. There was a loud ringing in her ears that wouldn't stop, and she missed the entirety of the conversation between Kaelee and the Lux scientist.
If Kaelee allowed him to flee, he wouldn't get very far before Jaheira's brain finally kicked in and she snatched him up by the collar. "Is he dead?" Jaheira asked. "IS HE DEAD?" Aurumy and Kaelee weren't privy to the contents of the grav-crates yet. Jaheira could only the assume the other two contained more pieces of her disassembled son.
Kaelee Knodel
Kae was about to be damned if she allowed Dr. Skinny Britches to leave, especially with that 'I'm A Hot Shit Scientist' attitude which definitely rubbed Kae the wrong way. It only served to magnify her anger, but that wasn't compared to what happened next. Jaheira said something that made Kae grow cold.
"What do you mean?"
Stupid question to ask Jaheira. She rounded on the scientist instead.
"WHAT DOES SHE MEAN BY THAT?"
Oh yeah, Dr. Skinny Britches was definitely not gonna get out of this mess alive, but while he was still alive, he was useful. Oh god... was she starting to think like Lux? The old faded tattoo on her belly tingled uncomfortably.
"Lead. The. Way."
A smoking hot gun pressed into the guy's head.
Two | Telstar Blue — 09/24/2021
The vulture-like man seems like the sort who is used to more respect than this, but the ones who previously granted him that are dead or fled. He curses when he noticed the scattered grav-crates. “ONE job…” he mutters.
His brilliant escape plan of just…walking away wasn’t in the cards. His reaction to Jaheira was incredulous confusion at her choice of words. “Dead…? He will function, if that is what you mean.” Still, he is sweating anxiously. He needs to be careful.
The gun pressing against his head lets him know to watch his tone, visibly wincing. “You…You don’t know what it is worth, do you…?” He talks rapidly as he leads then toward the door he cane out of at the end of the hall. “This is out of galaxy tech. If we can …HARNESS it, the medical uses are…are-are LEGION! Human lives could be saved without having to resort to crude mechanical hack-jobs or…or-or mutilating the DNA!” Trying to appeal to their practical utilitarianism, despite the clearly racist overtones. He slowly turns the handle, afraid to make any sudden moves.
Inside the door, surrounded by towering machines and computer consoles, is Two. He isn’t moving or conscious, but he is restrained to a large table. Around his head is a heavy metal band spouting wires to different readouts. “…It refused to sleep. It adapted to our machines, destroyed equipment. We had to use a stasis band so we could do the work. It bites.” At least Two wasn’t playing pacifist through it all.
It appears they interrupted just in time: As Jaheira can guess, his right leg is missing from the knee down. The other visible damage are three fingers missing from his left hand, leaving only the thumb and pointer finger.
As much as the scientist is loathe to play into their absurd affection, he realizes some bowing and scraping to it is necessary to keep breathing—or so he thinks. “He…He will be fine! I could even…I could undo the disassembly, yes. Take maybe 48 hours? It will mostly repair itself.” He yammers on.
Jaheira Morningstar
The scientist rambled nervously as he tried to justify kidnapping and disassembling their child, but Jaheira wasn't interested in anything he had to say. "I've met a lot of humans in this galaxy," she said. "And a lot of them aren't worth saving." Jaheira quickly stacked the grav-crates and followed them into the the other room. The sight of Two unconscious and restrained to the table was almost too much to bear. She clenched her fists so tightly, the knuckles turned white. With Kaelee's gun pressed firmly into his temple, it wasn't necessary to use additional threats. But that didn't stop Jaheira. "You're lucky I don't beat you into a bloody pulp right here," she said. "You son of a bitch."
Jaheira looked between Kaelee and Aurumy, and then back at Two's disassembled body. "Do we even need this asshole? Two's missing parts are in those grav-crates in the hallway. Cecille can fix this, can't they?" She didn't trust relying on the Lux scientist for anything.
Kaelee Knodel
Kaelee saw Two. The sad state of him turned her blood from cold, to stone. Suddenly, she no longer felt human herself, and a wild urge to dash the scientist’s head against the wall was powerful.
Like Jaheira and Aurumy, Kaelee would hear none of it. “You’re the reason why I despise being human. You disgust me.” She gave Jaheira and Aurumy a brief nod in agreement. “No. We don’t need him.”
Without another word, the Iron Maiden attempted to pick up the scientist by the collar of his lab coat, but her words were meant for Jah and Ru. “Call Cecille. Get Two. I’ll take care of this scumbag.” She thrust the man up, so that his face was close to her armored head. “Looks like your days are numbered. You’re not going to hurt innocent people—or children—any more.”
The girl in the Iron Maiden dragged the scientist, kicking and screaming if she must, into a separate room, where she closed the door. A massive BANG could be heard, leaving the fate of the scientist up to the imagination.
Emroidz — 09/29/2021
Aurumy helps gather Two’s parts and comforts Jaheira and Kaelee as necessary, but seems disturbingly numb to most else past the point of having made some sizzling Lux bacon.
Two | Telstar Blue — 09/29/2021
The scientist shrinks back when confronted by Kaelee deluded enough to think he would get away with it. “You clone bitch! We know you, ALL of you! You think this just STOPS?” He shouts as he is dragged away.
After the sudden bang, the alarms are the only sound covering up the eerie silence.
Two is seemingly asleep and unaware, the wire-covered crown keeping him in stasis.
Jaheira Morningstar
“Shut up,” Jaheira muttered as the scientist was dragged into another room by the Iron Maiden. She couldn’t care less what happened to him, and trusted Kaelee to do what was necessary. Jaheira dialed Cecille’s number and, if they answered, quickly rattled off their coordinates and ended the call with, “Two needs help. It’s an emergency.” If it went to voicemail, Jaheira would leave a similar message. Then she immediately started to undo Two’s restraints. “You checked all the grav-crates, right?” Jaheira asked, glancing over her shoulder at Aurumy. “He’s missing part of his right leg and three fingers.” Once the restraints were removed, she started delicately unhooking the various wires tethering him to the computer consoles.
Two | Telstar Blue — 10/02/2021
Two’s left toe imperceptibly twitches after one of the wires is removed. The first feeling is pain from his imitation-of-life programming; if he is jabbed full of wires and is missing parts—he is going to feel it.
The next thing he is aware of is another person standing over him. Cornered, remembering somehow that he can’t flee, his rarely seen fight response comes out. With a pained but angry yelp, he thrusts a fist toward his armoured mother—hard enough to clang. His teeth snap at her before he even has a chance to look, but he doesn’t quite have the power to sit up.
Two’s right eye snaps open, confused and fighting to move his un-restrained limbs—just to see if he can. Somewhere in the lights and alarms he finds Jaheira’s face. Though squinting and blinking to ensure he isn’t hallucinating, his left eye…remains closed. I guess they know what it is in that third crate!
The kid decides he doesn’t care if she is really there or not, there is probably a 50/50 chance he will never get to talk to her again. He isn’t missing his chance to say what he really needed to say. “Mm…Mommy I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t see them, I’m sorry mom!” He blubbers, hoping they are not mad at him for losing his leg. That is the last thing he remembers, other than taking a chunk out of a low-level micro-technobiologist and losing consciousness.
Cecille Gadhavi
Cecille was waiting. There was no guff, just the doctor asking, "where am I needed". They were quick to pack up the Vata Dosha to fly down from where the Saundarya orbited around New Haven.
The coordinates were for a... Restaurant, and they enter expecting carnage, destruction, and to find the Mom Squad immediately. They don't find the latter, unaware of the grease trap, and fearing it may be a trap, pause to call out a tentative "Jaheira?" likely from the kitchens.
Kaelee Knodel
Once Kaelee was sure it was all over, and the threat had disappeared, she exited the Iron Maiden, looking exhausted beyond all reason. Exhausted, and traumatized. What she had left behind the door was never to be mentioned. She ran to Two’s body, just as he started waking up.
Kae gathered her baby in her arms with Jaheira and Aurumy, kissing his sweet head and sobbing. “It’s okay, baby, we’re here… we’re here…”
Emroidz — 10/03/2021
Aurumy had numbed herself to everyone and everything around her for as long as the situation would allow her to do so. But when she heard Two’s voice crying and pleading for forgiveness from beyond the huddling comfort of Jaheira and Kaelee, they’d hear a single, choked sob from behind them as Mom #3 simply could not deal with the knowledge that their son had been disassembled any longer. It was too much. For all the healing she’d done since Blackout, she was still not okay.
“I’m sorry. Don’t. Stay. He needs you. I’m fine.” Ru waved off Jah, who was likely to still at LEAST split her concern between son and girlfriend, despite who was OBVIOUSLY the priority.
Two was already being held close, but that was not the reason Ru didn’t touch or look upon him. Instead, she departed for the other room: the one Kae had dragged the doctor into before dispatching him behind closed doors. She might have already taken care of him, but her sister…still needed an outlet.
It wouldn’t take long, after the door slid closed, for the lights above their heads in the next room over to surge and fizzle as a powerful wave of electricity was conducted through metal walls as Ru, still wielding that cattle prod, stuck it into the gaping maw of the hole the Iron Maiden had likely blown into its head and baked the Lux’s corpse over and over and over again.
…Jaheira was right. The smell turned her stomach. She was never going to eat bacon again. Ru slid down the wall beside the body she’d cooked and wept, her pretty face covered in blood and liquid gold.
Jaheira spent two days searching sector 6F for any signs of Two. She was hopeful after Ara found him on the security cameras in the area, and she tried to remain the voice of reason in the family. Jaheira knocked on every business and residence, spoke to several people who remembered seeing the little badger, but couldn’t recall anything out of the ordinary concerning him. It seemed as if she reached a dead end in her investigation, until one of Aurumy’s support group members lended a helping hand...
Inside the Defiance it was dark. Jaheira sat at the bar in the Hummingbird with an unopened bottle of Stardust IPA in front of her. She was clutching something in her right hand as she stared down at the countertop. Jaheira looked bad—like she hadn’t slept in two days, evident by the dark bags under her eyes. She sent the text message to Kaelee and Aurumy and waited...they would likely be home soon, and then what? How could she deliver the news?
Kaelee Knodel
Kaelee had not slept either. She spent restless hours and hours in the Iron Maiden scouring the city with Raali, but yielding nothing but frustration and increased worry. When she got the call, she beelined home.
Kaelee was half out of her mech as she clambered clumsily through the open Defiance hatch. “Two?!” she cried out, tripping over the Iron Maiden on the way in. Her heart sank when she saw Jaheira alone.
“Jaheira, what happened? Where is he?” The noodle chef peered around her sister’s shoulder, expecting to find the little badger to pop out with a ‘SURPRISE!’
Emroidz — 06/07/2021
Aurumy had called in every favor from here to Ellisaria, and given that the GalFeds had already scooped Mursel up from that planet, she didn’t have many friends left to call on beyond what Blackout had cast to the wind.
She was trying, but still felt her efforts were shallow and unmatched compared to the tireless work and endless, outward pain and panic seen in both Jaheira and Kaelee. She came home when her girlfriend called, and arrived only shortly after her sister-in-law did.
It was that unopened bottle of Stardust IPA that the Orovein noticed first: not in hand, which meant whatever Jaheira was clutching was more important. It was fucked up that that was Ru’s association, but it was spot on accurate...and highly disconcerting.
“Did Bogren help? What did you find?”
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheira was dreading giving the news to Kaelee especially, but there was no point in delaying it any longer. “I don’t know where he’s at,” she admitted. Jaheira squeezed her eyes shut and slid the object in her hand down the bar. It was Two’s commlink, and whenever the screen lit up, it flashed several missed calls and text messages.
“The alien in Aurumy’s support group found it.” Jaheira finally dared a glance at Kaelee and Aurumy. “It was in a gutter a few blocks away from the route he normally takes to Cecille’s lab.” She paused for a moment to let everything sink in before continuing: “Bogren lost his scent shortly after.”
Jaheira suddenly lashed out, swiping the unopened beer bottle off the bar. It hit the ground and shattered, sending shards of glass skittering across the floor. “I don’t know where he’s at,” she repeated. “But now I’m afraid somebody took him, and I don’t know what to do. He’s GONE and I feel HELPLESS. Fuck!”
Ave — 06/10/2021
Kae went numb.
A parent’s greatest fear is their child gone missing, or worse. Slowly, she backed into a wall and skid down from it, too weak to stand any more.
You would think that Kae would be used to people going missing or killed by now, but it was not so. She thought of that man Seiveril, and how it was too late to intercept him. She thought of all the talks with Two about leaving without telling his mothers. He was still only a child. Children will do things without the thought of consequences. They thought themselves invincible. He probably saw his mothers, and realized how hard and indestructible the each of them were. It was not so. But to a child…
The beer is the only thing that managed to make Kae snap out from her shock. She flinched, and stared at the shattered bottle.
Kae rose up, and swiftly gathered Aurumy and Jaheira into an embrace.
“Nothing has stopped us from finding each other before. We will find Two. Whatever it takes.” She released them, gripping their shoulders. She had never looked so angry. “Whoever is behind this will pay.”
Emroidz — 06/10/2021
Aurumy yelped and flinched as Jaheira exerted her frustrations by force. The shattering of glass left the poor Blackout survivor trembling, shaken both in and back out of whatever trauma had been triggered at record speeds. Now was not the time to lose her shit or start spiraling.
“Two’s resourceful. Smart. He’s endured plenty already. He has to know we’re looking for him, and that means he will do whatever’s necessary to keep himself safe until he’s rescued. We can’t fault or underestimate him for the mistake he made going out on his own: we have to trust he has enough good sense to survive.”
Aurumy wiped her face with white knuckles, sniffed, and nodded with determination at Kaelee. “Whatever it takes. Let’s get back out there. I’ve got more calls to make, more people to rally. Radio stations, the evening news, the local paper. I’ll have my group paper the entire neighborhood.”
vskaw — 06/10/2021
The broken bottle leaked beer into the floorboards. Jaheira was eerily quiet after her outburst, emotionally and physically exhausted after the last few days. Finally she looked at Kaelee and Aurumy, who was trembling, and it nearly broke her heart.
She stood up and reached toward Aurumy slowly, as if she might be spooked and run. “I’m sorry—Ru, I’m sorry.” If she’d allow it, Jaheira would pull her into an embrace.
Kaelee’s sudden gusto was unexpected, but necessary for them to continue the search. There was no time to dwell—every second mattered. “Right,” Jaheira said. “I’m going back to sector 6F. I’ll call Ara and see if she found anything else of interest on the security cameras.”
Two | Telstar Blue — 06/13/2021
Elsewhere
The alley behind the restaurant is narrow, just big enough to fit a delivery truck and tight enough to keep illicit imports and exports out of sight.
The business itself is popular with facets of the population who want cheap food of poor quality, so it is never busy. Their income is clearly coming from the humans who operate under the shop.
It is late, quiet, and empty—except for the grease smell and the flutter of trash floating by a single flickering light.
Emroidz — 06/13/2021
Aurumy sat and waited. She wrung her hands and mouthed the sequence of letters and numbers she’d been given in silent, memorized recitation.
“Miss? The meter is still running,” the well-intentioned hover taxi driver reminded his fare, seemingly concerned that she may have forgotten as her attention was obviously elsewhere. She didn’t SEEM crazy…just distracted.
“Hm? Oh. Is that okay? I don’t want to keep you,” Ru frowned, unconcerned with racking up charges but sweetly naive thinking the cabbie might have other places to be.
“Not at all, miss. I’m just not used to getting a paid lunch break is all,” the alien said, smacking his lips and unwrapping a fat-stacked, exotic-looking sandwich.
…if only he knew how much she’d just shelled out for that nine digit code, he’d have full on spit taked that sandwich.
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheira was with Dr. Gadhavi trying to track Two’s nanites when she received Aurumy’s phone call. The color suddenly drained from her face and she nodded resolutely, replying, “We’ll be there in 20.” Then she hung up. Jaheira looked at Cecille, but her expression was difficult to read. “Den-Klax’s Pelgonian Delights. It’s a front for somebody—Lux? They have Two, and he’s in danger.”
They weren’t far from the restaurant. Cecille’s tracking was evidently leading them in the right direction after all. “I’m going back to the Defiance to get Kaelee. Thank you, Cecille, for everything. Are you coming with? Or maybe stationing nearby? I don’t know what to expect…nothing good, that’s for sure. But you’ve already gone above and beyond to help us. We can’t expect any more from you.”
Whatever Cecille decided, Jaheira would rendezvous with Kaelee at the Defiance before returning to the restaurant.
Kaelee Knodel
There was a dangerous, quiet determination as Kaelee followed Jaheira back to the restaurant, suited up in her Iron Maiden and armed to the teeth in case things went south. She took it upon herself to make sure Jaheira and Aurumy went adequately armed and armored (if she could get to them; they had to act fast), otherwise what kind of armory and armsdealer would she be? When it came to family, least of all Two… Kae believed in insurance.
“What’s the plan?” she asked Jaheira quietly. “Two is in that place, isn’t he?” She flicked her helmet shut and hoisted up the sleek rifle glowing redhot at the muzzle. “Just so you know, I really don’t give a shit if I’m thrown in prison for mass murder. We’re getting Two out, one way or another.”
Emroidz — 06/17/2021
Aurumy emerged from the hover cab only when she saw Jaheira and Kaelee arrive, and even then, it was only to herd them into an alleyway. Her debriefment was even more urgent and to-the-point; time was of the essence! “R57619-HL1. That’s the access ID that will get us in. That’s all the information I have: where, when, and how to gain access. Once we’re down there, I don’t know where he is. There’s no stealthing this out, at least not once we’re inside: we need to grab whoever we can and start breaking fucking bones until they take us to him or to someone who can.”
…Jesus. Had they ever heard Ru talk like that? Ever?
Suiting up in the armor provided, Aurumy was stone-faced…but that didn’t mean she didn’t swallow hard or have a white-knuckle squeeze on the grip of the weapon she was handed. The last time she’d confronted Lux in an effort to get people she cared about out of captivity, she had lost her mother. This time HAD to go differently. She was older, she was more experienced. Hell, she was the badass bitch who blew up the goddamn vindicator. She was wanted by the fucking GalFeds. Motherfuckers SHOULD be afraid.
Two | Telstar Blue — 06/17/2021
Things seem empty, no sign of access in or out. The grease trap is in use based on the smell and puddles surrounding it, and if examined a button will be found on the underside of the rim, revealing a grubby keyboard from a hidden panel
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheira swallowed around the lump in her throat as she stood in the alleyway alongside Kaelee behind Den-Klax’s Pelgonian Delights. She was toting a plasma rifle and new body armor, courtesy of the red-headed arms dealer. Jaheira shook her head solemnly at Kaelee’s question: “There is no plan. We gotta make this shit up as we go.” They scrambled to meet Aurumy at the restaurant and barely had time to spare. Orchestrating a plan was just not feasible in the little amount of time they had to act. Kaelee’s comment about murder got a chuckle out of Jaheira then. “Good thing we live on a lawless planet, in a city with officials who will undoubtedly look the other direction.”
Aurumy arrived shortly after and briefed them: enter the facility and fuck up whoever they came across until it led them to Two. There was no arguing with that. “I should’ve known this place was a cover-up,” she said. “I ate here one time, and it actually made me sick. My stomach can tolerate goddamn near any food.”
Jaheira examined the grease trap. She felt under the rim, ghosting her fingertips over a grimy keypad. “Sick,” she said, but punched in the code Aurumy gave them. Then they waited…
“I hope we can trust whoever called you. This is our only chance.” The stakes were immeasurably high.
Two | Telstar Blue — 06/23/2021
Without even a rumble, the entire back wall slides to the right, taking the grease trap with it. It moves quickly and smoothly enough to scream ‘Expensive’.
Featureless stairs lead downward, revealing a brightly lit concrete hallway disappearing with a sharp left turn.
A barely restrained male voice bellows “NEL you childish IDIOT. When they fin—“ A short bald man without a neck appears from around the corner and stares up at the entrance. He slowly realizes the access code was correct, but the group standing there is NOT whom he expected. His mouth is agape, and he starts to fumble in his faded military-green getup for something in one of the many pockets.
Kaelee Knodel
“Got it, Cap’n,” the girl said grimly behind her helmet. She shared a small smile that her beloved sister could not see, but she was sure they mutually felt the same way. They did not care. Who here would oppose their case, especially when it was a child involved?
Kaelee sucked in a breath as she took one fraction of a second to look at Jaheira and Aurumy. The three of them stood side by side, toting weapons, looking like an alternate universe Charlie’s Angels ready to blow someone a new asshole. There would be time to exchange how fucking proud she was to be standing next to them for the sake of their son. Later.
“Are you saying my ramen is shit because the Hummingbird was once a cover up for my illegal armsdealing sales?” Kae quipped cheekily, checking for heat signatures through her helmet’s HUD.
Aurumy and Jaheira would be happy to know that their armor was sleek, excellent quality military grade, built specifically for them. It allowed for decent mobility and protection against bullets and other projectiles.
“We have no choice—“
The door slid open and Kae looked down the stairs. Without hesitation, she aims an armored arm at the man and fires a nonlethal stun weapon at him. It would be enough to render him motionless, but able to talk, if it hits true.
Two | Telstar Blue — 06/23/2021
No humanoid heat signatures can be seen. The place is built to be hard to find, with enough funding to keep it out of sight.
The man shout-screams for a split second before he crumples against the wall from Kaelee’s shot. Realizing he is alive, he takes a moment to find his senses and sneers, shouting down the unseen corner. “SECURITY! WE’RE COMPROMISED!”
There is no reply yet.
Emroidz — 06/26/2021
Aurumy may have been equipped with a firearm, but unlike Kaelee, she does not immediately engage, even at a stunning level of force. This is not to suggest, however, that her method of contact was LESS non lethal, because the moment Kaelee knocked him down, the Orovein had grabbed both sides of his face with hands that had hardened to a metallic sheen…and now possessed a crushing force due to that quality.
“Shut the FUCK up or I’ll pop your head like a goddamn zit, you piece of shit.” If the guard does not pipe down and right quick, a golden thumb would be forced into his eye socket and thrust deep, crushing the organ within the skull hole. “They brought a little boy through here, a badger. Where is he? Where did they take him?”
Two | Telstar Blue — 06/26/2021
The human doesn’t see her coming, expecting a pissed off politician at worst. The shock of her threat holds his tongue, but the look in his eyes radiates hatred.
He takes three seconds to deliberate her question, weighing his own life against the cause. The reply comes through gritted teeth. “WE took a machine. IT is inside. YOU will get killed if you go inside.” His jaw clenches, sweating over that last sentence. He isn’t sure about that one.
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheira descended the staircase, following Aurumy and Kaelee into Lux Aeterna’s stronghold. Kaelee was quick to render the man immobile, but his shouting could have attracted unwanted attention. Jaheira stood by, eerily quiet as Aurumy interrogated the man with the threat of crushing his skull between her bare hands if he refused to cooperate.
“How do we get inside?” Jaheira asked. She stared down the long corridor, waiting with her rifle at the ready for others to round the corner. “The way I see it, you got two options: One, you help us get inside and maybe live to see another day, or two, we put a bullet between your eyes just like the others inside this facility.” Jaheira paused, giving him a brief moment to consider her words. “So what’ll it be, cue ball? Is the cause worth dying for?”
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/16/2021
The man is visibly assessing his situation, and though he does not trust them, he believes them. Still, he HATES them, and his words are venomously spat out “You WALK.” He quickly gives more accurate directions to avoid being murdered then and there. “Down the hall past the wall of bullets that will come any time.” He seems alarmed that the security has not shown up yet, actually. “Elevator on your left, hallway on your right. Take the hallway past all the doors. End of the hall.” He snarls. “There. I helped. Go get killed, maybe your parts are valuable too.”
His eyebrow tilts slightly as a low hiss is heard coming from around the corner. A light clattering is heard moving down the hall.
Ave — 07/19/2021
It was a gamble, Kaelee knew, but in the heat of things there was just never any time to think—she only knew the idiot down the stairs could be their only lead to finding Two.
Listening in on Aurumy and Jaheira, Kaelee could have never been so proud than in this moment.
“You’d better be right,” Kaelee snarled, the end of her lethal weapon glowing red-hot in the guy’s face. “Or else your fate will be far worst than a quick death, I assure you. These girls will do unto you far worse than what you could ever do.” She moved the searing heat of her weapon to his manhood to prove a point. Then she used the heel of her boot to stomp on his face, a non-lethal gesture. He would remain alive, but with a bloody nose. At least he’d be unconscious. A deep, long nap-long enough for the three badass ladies to get their job done. “Insurance,” she said. “I can always come back and wake him up if he’s wrong.”
Kaelee was strong in her Mech suit. Had she succeeded in her attempts to subdue to man, she would haul the unconscious body into the nearest broom closet, doing all of this as quiet as a mouse so that the others would not find him. “Beware of traps, ladies. They might know we’re already here because Genius over here had to go yelling about it.”
The noise was concerning, but she would let Ru and Jah move forward, with her not long on their tail, rifle raised and ready to throw the fuck down.
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/19/2021
The man is still immobile, obviously afraid, but covering up for it with sneering malice. He begins to respond, “I guess you’ll—AH!!” He is knocked out a moment later, bleeding and limp and easily disposed of.
As soon as Kaelee is done speaking, a loud clatter and hissing can be heard from the hall—a smoke grenade was tossed from around the corner, obscuring their view of the path to the rest of the complex. Evidently, the cavalry has arrived, but there is no gunfire yet.
It is their home turf, and they are playing defensively.
Emroidz — 07/20/2021
Don’t think the way Ru skipped towards that skidding smoke grenade was careless. The quick kick-step of her stride had a purpose, and it was the punt the damn thing right back down the hall at whoever had thrown it. With gloves still off of gilded hands, however, the golden girl’s suit could not be fully or properly sealed, which meant an eventual coughing fit as they ventured further into the clouded tunnel. Her eyes watered and stung. Aurumy fell back behind Jaheira but still ahead of Kaelee.
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/20/2021
”GET BACK! “ is heard in a panicked voice as the grenade sails through the air. A half-hearted silenced blaster shot bursts through the smoke but only manages to leave a scorchmark to Jaheira’s left. Footfalls are heard trailing back down the hall behind the smoke, and the stopping short. “Phalanx position! Keep them from the door!”
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheira committed those shitty directions to memory before Kaelee rendered the man unconscious. A grenade suddenly clattered across the concrete floor and released a thick gray smoke into the hallway. Jaheira's suit was sealed tight, and so she could breathe easily despite the attempt to thwart their entrance. With Aurumy quick to kick the grenade away, it bought them a brief moment to plan their next move. The blaster shot completely missed Jaheira, prompting her to move toward the opposite wall in the hallway.
"Watch it," Jaheira said. "They're shooting blindly at us." Jaheira took the lead, quiet as she tried to navigate the smoky hallway. She used the helmet on her suit to look for any heat signatures around the corner as she slowly advanced on their assailants. The trio really didn't know what they were up against, but even if they were outgunned and outnumbered, they had something Lux Aeterna did not: Maternal Anger.
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/22/2021
Anyone scanning heat signatures would notice:
Three guards with small arms stationed near the sealed door, forming a phalanx position with handheld energy shields.
Large quantities of energy diverted into the complex via large cables hidden inside the walls.
The grenade slowly cooling as the smoking payload is ejected.
The guards are silent, waiting for a sight or sound to fire upon. Their equipment seems more suitable for security rather than military.
Kaelee Knodel
Kaelee would relay this information to Jaheira and Ru just in case they did not see what she saw—the phalanx position and the wires in the walls (this concerned Kae the most, why where there wires running hot in the walls? They had to connect to something, but what?) In the meantime, she kept an eye out for Two. The last thing she wanted was to have their son in the middle of crossfire. Once she was sure the room was void of Two or other potential innocents, she thudded the Iron Maiden heavily next to Jaheira and Ru. The three guards almost made Kae laugh. Almost.
Four mini missiles rose up from the shoulders of the Iron Maiden. Through the smoke the girls appeared, like demons straight out of hell. The Iron Maiden’s metallic wings flared. The missiles made a steadily increasing high-pitched sound. This, and whatever her sisters use might even be the last thing the small security team heard before the missiles ejected themselves, locked on the shields and the ones hiding behind them. The catastrophe would be great if the missiles hit true. In the meantime, if Kae got hit, her overshield would likely be the first to go before enemy bullets hit the Iron Maiden itself, and soon enough, the person inside. The missiles might even blast the door open—Kae was counting on that. No point in going stealth. The badass mom trio had come in like a wreaking ball. If the guys hadn’t already pissed themselves, then they were damn fools.
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/23/2021
The incredibly outgunned security team doesn’t have much time to react. The Iron Maiden is the first target they see moving in the haze, and they begin to fire rapidly.
Unfortunately, as prepared as they thought they were, small arms fire is barely going to dent the suit in the short time they have to fire on it. Once they get a view of WHAT they are dealing with, the wall of shields break down as the centre guard turns to run toward the door.
Whatever Jah or Ru do next, the missiles were highly effective. If not killed by some other means, the guards would be either misted or fatally dismembered, and the door (along with an alarming portion of the ceiling) would collapse. Dust and debris would obscure what lies beyond, though heat sensors would detect three more life signs crossing their path from right to left. They are heading to the emergency elevator described by the first agent, all carrying heavy-duty grav-crates about 2.5 feet long by half a foot wide.
Emroidz — 07/24/2021
Aurumy panicked as the red mist and dust dissipated, only for her to scope what agents were hurriedly pushing towards the emergency exit that would get them out from a underground whose collapse was all but imminent.
“Stop! Put those crates down!” Ru yelled and charged forward, her gun officially raised in gilded hands as she could not close distance quick enough to make any other show of force a viable option. “Two! Two! Can you hear me?” There was only one thing so important that the Orovein could think they’d not just leave the cargo behind in an evacuation attempt: live trafficking.
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/24/2021
There is no telltale ‘ding’ to indicate the elevator had arrived. The one closest to the door presses into the small alcove, praying it will open.
The two others, having no viable outcome, freeze in the hall. They stand like a batter at first, waiting to steal the base—but in this case, an elevator. The one in the middle has the most to gain from a distraction and speaks up “Its—HE! He, is…perfectly. I mean, we were contracted, so, the alarm, you see…” he is sweating and shaking, looking around wildly for a way out.
Aurumy can see the path branch through the dust—the incoming elevator on the left, a long stretch straight ahead leading to a single door, and the path this trio came from leading to another hall
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheira stood back, allowing Kaelee to take the lead in the Iron Maiden and fire at their assailants. The missiles blasted open the doorway, and Jaheira rushed forward, only to be stopped by the ceiling collapsing in front of her. She ducked and covered her head with her hands, waiting to buried underneath the rubble. Pieces of metal and concrete rained down atop Jaheira's head, creating a gray fog in the hallway. As luck would have it, she was far enough away from the blast to avoid being crushed under the larger pieces. Whatever element of surprise they had left was certainly gone now.
As the haze cleared, Jaheira could see the men carrying the grav-crates ahead of her. Whatever was inside was worth saving, and she ran after them with Aurumy. Her focus was the man closest to the elevator. And, using her best running back impression, Jaheira quickly closed the distance between them if she wasn't stopped by the others. With his hands full and Jaheira's rifle slung across her back, she would attempt to tackle him before he could escape onto the elevator. Hopefully, Aurumy and Kaelee would handle the other two, who were desperately trying to create a distraction.
Two | Telstar Blue — 07/26/2021
The man by the elevator is not the athletic type, and with his head still buzzing from the explosion he isn’t hard to chase down. Only a slight backstep before Jaheira is able to knock him to the ground, his head painfully bouncing off the concrete floor while still clutching the parcel to his chest.
The other two can only look on in alarm, unsure of where the safest place is to run—seems their only exit is the slow-ass elevator.”Down there down there!” The one to the right says, pointing down the hall to the right, to bargain away the likely incoming assault.
Kaelee Knodel
The Iron Maiden suffered little from the measly weapons the enemy possessed. Maybe a few dings and dents. Nothing to fret over. This is why Kaelee chose to front the assault. She knew her armor could handle it. Jaheira and Aurumy... Kaelee always felt deep pride in her work, and knew that the suits she made for them would hold well. Still, she worried, as she always would. She worked hastily to clear a path through the fallen debris.
'Down there'... Kaelee heard this and quickly turned her head to the direction indicated. Trouble was, she didn't trust the men as far as she could throw them. For all she knew, they were leading them into a trap. "Is that where Two is?" she growled at them, or as much of a growl as a girl like her could muster. It was not one to take lightly. She was a mother, and just now her rifle had grown red-orange with heat, aimed at their respective persons. As far as she knew, these men were between the mama bears and their cub. "If I find out you're lying, or that this is a trap, we will track you down and destroy you utterly until there is NOTHING left of you, do you understand? There is no place in this Galaxy where we won't find you. Remember that." And that was the promise she left them.
There was not much time. Even Kaelee's words left fast and hurried. She looked to her sisters, gave them a brief nod, and braved the hallway, weapon up and ready to fire. Every part of this screamed TRAP...
Two | Telstar Blue — 08/18/2021
The weedy looking Lux agents seem to show relief, the ones that are not currently in a ton of pain stuck under Jaheira. All they can do is nod at Kaelee rapidly, mouth agape, just looking for a way out.
A door stands at the end of the hall, a shadow can be seen crossing the small window places in the centre of it. On the left and right of the hall, a pair of less secure doors can be seen.
As Kaelee starts to stalk the hall, the area ahead is uncomfortably quiet except for the hum of the lights, sound of distant machinery, and the panicked breathing of the trio she left behind.
Suddenly, the wall to her right explodes outward—a GIANT human, like if Harpur mated with a gorilla, is rushing through it to engage in close combat. Shirtless, wearing nothing but pants and a large power cell on his back, he tries to strike her suit with what is best described as a supercharged cattle prod. It’s purpose is to disrupt and disable her suit, so the muscled mass can destroy whatever is inside.
Emroidz — 08/18/2021
Aurumy screamed as the underground wall exploded, not from detonation, but from impact. “Kaelee! Jaheira, go go go!” The armored Orovein charged forward, setting her sights solely on destroying what sought to incapacitate her sister’s mech. Raising her weapon again, she sought to empty her entire plasma clip into the giant Harpur-gorilla-baby’s elbow and the meat of its arm, knowing that was the only way the cattle prod could be raised to make contact with the Iron Maiden to begin with. Given that the damn thing was shirtless, she intended to turn its limb to fucking Swiss cheese by the time her girlfriend closed the distance and could either a) separate beast and weapon or b) aid in getting Kaelee the fuck out of there with the hull of her robo-suit still powered up and good to go.
Two | Telstar Blue — 08/18/2021
Luckily in such close quarters, Aurumy does not need to rely on horseshoes or hand grenades—bullets work just fine. Enough projectiles quickly, and messily, render the limb useless.
An unintended consequence of this is that the ‘cattle prod’ drops to the floor and discharges, causing an intense flash of light and smell of ozone. With a guttural scream of pain, the beastly human tries to grab Kaelee BY THE HEAD with his right hand, and THROW HER at Aurumy.
He is strong enough to do it, too. The only question is if Jaheira and Kaelee can stop him before that happens.
Jaheira Morningstar
There was a satisfying thwack noise as the man's head bounced off the floor after being tackled. He was still possessively clutching the grav-crate, and Jaheira threw an elbow to knock him out. She wrenched the crate out of his grasp, but wasn't able to open it before the hulking creature--human?--smashed through an adjacent wall. Bits of concrete scattered across the floor and Jaheira jumped to her feet, wide-eyed, as the man squared up with Kaelee's mech. With Aurumy quick on the trigger, his arm was riddled with bolts of plasma before he could use the cattle prod against Kaelee. The weapon clattered to the floor and discharged, causing Jaheira to dive out of the way to avoid being hit.
With the beastly man still in close proximity of Kaelee, Jaheira did the only thing she could think of: she tried to jump onto his back. There was likely little she could do to stop him, but hopefully it would buy Kaelee time to react accordingly. Jaheira tried to wrap her arms around his thick neck from behind, unable to choke him out, but trying to hold on if he thrashed around.
Two | Telstar Blue — 08/18/2021
The two Lux agents that are conscious and also holding grav-crates look at each other, listen to Kaelee’s speech, and watch as Jaheira possibly kills their compatriot with her elbow. “Leave it, leave it!” One panics, dropping the Grav-Crate and sinking further against the now Ding-ing elevator. The other hesitates, places his on the ground, and waits eagerly for the doors to finally open. “No safer streetside.” he mopes. They are not interested to see how their monstrous security officer will make out—Outlook is not good.
Speaking of which, the screaming Abobo/Andore man-house (regardless if he manages to throw Kaelee like a Raggedy Ann doll with authentic red hair), dives backward on to the pile of rubble. He is attempting to crush Jaheira under his bulk to loosen her grip, while rolling behind the as-yet still standing wall for cover.
Kaelee Knodel
If Kaelee had a moment to get a good look at the big ol' freak with the cattle prod, she might have giggled at the uncanny likeness. There was no time for that, because the Big Guy wanted to poke her with his Fizzle Stick. Thankfully, there was an overcharge feature built in the Iron Maiden, which meant that the suit was soaking up the energy. Unfortunately, she was still taken by surprise, who was surely knocked sideways from the crash-through-wall-surprise Koolaid Man style.
The Iron Maiden was built to tank, and it did its job well, at least. This was her Ground Mode, which meant it was a slow hunk of metal. Kaelee grit her teeth beneath the suit, watching as the energy levels continued to skyrocket. She had not realized that the world had gone topsy-turvey as the Meathead From Hell thought to toss her like a goddamn rag doll. There was no time for Kae to react; she was disoriented. RIP.
Emroidz — 09/01/2021
Aurumy knew just where she was going, and even having the Iron Maiden thrown at her was going to stop or slow her down.
Jaheira had shot through the monster’s (I refuse to call him meathead, because that’s Jax’s name ) arm, making it incapable of wielding that cattle prod any longer. But that didn’t mean the cattle prod wasn’t still there—it just wasn’t being used anymore, given that the lame arm couldn’t hold it and the good arm was focused on throwing poor Kaelee around like a Raggedy Ann doll.
So what did Ru do? She picked that giant fucker up and cranked the charge up as high as the voltage knob would go. “Jaheira, drop down now! Check on Kaelee, pull her out of there if you need to. Go!” Now was not the time to question an order, because the Orovein would not hesitate, so her girlfriend better not either.
She’d stick that damn cattle prod where the sun don’t shine, stabbing the prongs against whatever bare skin she could come into contact with as many times as possible.
Two | Telstar Blue — 09/01/2021
The Lux lummox didn’t expect to have someone be able to pick HIM up, but such feats are possible with the wonders of technology.
Before he has a chance to react further than starting a curse “FF…!!!”, he is horribly electrocuted. The taser was built to take down a tank, so being used on flesh is unpleasant for all involved.
His already body fat-less skin splits open, curls, and blackens under the high voltage. It only takes a couple thrusts to make him unconscious, the rest just ensure he is dead five times over.
A thin shadow passes over the door at the end of the hall once again, apparently in a hurry. The only sounds are the pieces of wall still falling to the floor, alarms, and the emergency elevator lifting off with the now package-less Lux scientists who were still conscious.
Thanks to Ru, the hall also smells disturbingly of bacon.
vskaw — 09/15/2021
Jaheira wasn't expecting the hulking creature to try crushing her under his weight, and so she couldn't react fast enough when he dove backward onto the rubble. Jaheira wheezed, briefly unable to breathe, but she managed to pull herself out from underneath him. Oh yeah, that hurt. There was no way she didn't at least break a rib or two. But her adrenaline blocked most of the pain and she stumbled to her feet, narrowly avoiding being electrocuted as Aurumy prodded the bonehead with the taser.
The foul smell in the hallway coupled with the dead creature's split and blackened skin was enough to make just about anybody retch. "Well bacon is ruined forever," Jaheira lamented. Only now did she realize the remaining Lux scientists had escaped on the elevator. "God DAMMIT," she shouted. Noticing the shadowy figure at the end of the hall, Jaheira gestured toward the door. "Aurumy, Kaelee, someone--something?--is over there. I'm going to see what's in those grav-crates." She'd grab the closest crate and quickly inspect it, looking for a mechanism to open it. If all else failed, Jaheira would use brute strength and try to pry it open.
Two | Telstar Blue — 09/16/2021
The grav-crate opens without much struggle—built to keep the contents safe rather than keep people out.
Jaheira finds the bottom half of a leg, from the foot to just below the knee where it cuts off.
Specifically it is the bottom half of Two’s right leg, or at least a very convincing replica.
It was removed carefully—each connection meticulously sliced through to extract the limb.
Kaelee Knodel
Kaelee was winded. It took her a hot minute to rise up, breathing heavily. The HUD beeped at her insistently, reminding her of the power overload. If she did not siphon it, it could spell disaster for herself and her mech. She remained calm, there was much bigger fish to fry—hopefully not herself being that fish.
“I dunno. I kinda like the smell, probably wouldn’t be terrible in noodles,” Kae quipped. Jaheira mentioned the figure by the door, and the noodle chef, having swiveled around, did not need telling twice. Leaving Jaheira with the contents of the box, Kaelee initiated flight mode, her Iron Maiden transforming fast and unfurling metallic airplane wings. Speed was on her side, now, but it made her mech terribly vulnerable to attack. She rose off the ground, and beelined to the creeping shadow, a hand raised, glowing white-hot.
“*STOP,**” Kae roared. “Or I will blow you to fucking pieces.”
She fired a small burst of energy by the shadow’s side as a warning. It was enough to explode in bits of dust, but it was non lethal, just enough to make a guy piss his pants. That was the hope, anyway.
“The badger child. Where is he?”
Emroidz — 09/19/2021
Aurumy blocked the exit, wielding that cattle prod like she’d found a new best friend and waiting for either a) Jaheira to announce (best Brad Pitt impression) what’s in the box?! or b) the shirking shadow to call Kae’s bluff and have his head exploded like a pimple between two thumbs or c) more favorable, and wise of Mr. Good-thing-I-wore-my-brown-pants: he’d answer the mama Bear’s question and tell them where (the rest of) Two was.
Two | Telstar Blue — 09/19/2021
The shadow is an older, thin and angular human. It appears he was just leaving, based on the thick overcoat covering his lab gear. He looks both annoyed and anxious with the situation; sweating profusely.
The warning shot from Kaelee makes him jump, swallow hard, but he is clearly made of sterner stuff than the other science-division Lux. “The machine…” His voice has a metallic coolness.
“…Badger child. In that door behind me. Immobilized, just take the headpiece off.” He speech is clipped, anxious to try his luck escaping the city. Almost like he doesn’t have time to deal with the enraged mothers.
“Shame. Outer-Galaxy tech. Medical uses would be legion. I wonder how many would be saved if our work was completed…Nomatter. Hiding will be difficult I think.” His faux-musing sounds both anxious and sneering.
Once the information is given, he tries to leave through the entrance with the exploded security crew -IF- Kaelee lets him go. Jaheira or Aurumy will not be given a second glance unless they choose to hassle him.
Jaheira Morningstar
Jaheire was swole, and had absolutely no trouble prying open the grav-crate. The contents of the crate were unexpected and Jaheira suddenly felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. She couldn't talk, couldn't breathe. All she could do was stare hopelessly at the small severed limb. There was no mistaking it was Two's. "Kaelee," Jaheira said. But it was drowned out by the sound of the mech's warning shot. There was a loud ringing in her ears that wouldn't stop, and she missed the entirety of the conversation between Kaelee and the Lux scientist.
If Kaelee allowed him to flee, he wouldn't get very far before Jaheira's brain finally kicked in and she snatched him up by the collar. "Is he dead?" Jaheira asked. "IS HE DEAD?" Aurumy and Kaelee weren't privy to the contents of the grav-crates yet. Jaheira could only the assume the other two contained more pieces of her disassembled son.
Kaelee Knodel
Kae was about to be damned if she allowed Dr. Skinny Britches to leave, especially with that 'I'm A Hot Shit Scientist' attitude which definitely rubbed Kae the wrong way. It only served to magnify her anger, but that wasn't compared to what happened next. Jaheira said something that made Kae grow cold.
"What do you mean?"
Stupid question to ask Jaheira. She rounded on the scientist instead.
"WHAT DOES SHE MEAN BY THAT?"
Oh yeah, Dr. Skinny Britches was definitely not gonna get out of this mess alive, but while he was still alive, he was useful. Oh god... was she starting to think like Lux? The old faded tattoo on her belly tingled uncomfortably.
"Lead. The. Way."
A smoking hot gun pressed into the guy's head.
Two | Telstar Blue — 09/24/2021
The vulture-like man seems like the sort who is used to more respect than this, but the ones who previously granted him that are dead or fled. He curses when he noticed the scattered grav-crates. “ONE job…” he mutters.
His brilliant escape plan of just…walking away wasn’t in the cards. His reaction to Jaheira was incredulous confusion at her choice of words. “Dead…? He will function, if that is what you mean.” Still, he is sweating anxiously. He needs to be careful.
The gun pressing against his head lets him know to watch his tone, visibly wincing. “You…You don’t know what it is worth, do you…?” He talks rapidly as he leads then toward the door he cane out of at the end of the hall. “This is out of galaxy tech. If we can …HARNESS it, the medical uses are…are-are LEGION! Human lives could be saved without having to resort to crude mechanical hack-jobs or…or-or mutilating the DNA!” Trying to appeal to their practical utilitarianism, despite the clearly racist overtones. He slowly turns the handle, afraid to make any sudden moves.
Inside the door, surrounded by towering machines and computer consoles, is Two. He isn’t moving or conscious, but he is restrained to a large table. Around his head is a heavy metal band spouting wires to different readouts. “…It refused to sleep. It adapted to our machines, destroyed equipment. We had to use a stasis band so we could do the work. It bites.” At least Two wasn’t playing pacifist through it all.
It appears they interrupted just in time: As Jaheira can guess, his right leg is missing from the knee down. The other visible damage are three fingers missing from his left hand, leaving only the thumb and pointer finger.
As much as the scientist is loathe to play into their absurd affection, he realizes some bowing and scraping to it is necessary to keep breathing—or so he thinks. “He…He will be fine! I could even…I could undo the disassembly, yes. Take maybe 48 hours? It will mostly repair itself.” He yammers on.
Jaheira Morningstar
The scientist rambled nervously as he tried to justify kidnapping and disassembling their child, but Jaheira wasn't interested in anything he had to say. "I've met a lot of humans in this galaxy," she said. "And a lot of them aren't worth saving." Jaheira quickly stacked the grav-crates and followed them into the the other room. The sight of Two unconscious and restrained to the table was almost too much to bear. She clenched her fists so tightly, the knuckles turned white. With Kaelee's gun pressed firmly into his temple, it wasn't necessary to use additional threats. But that didn't stop Jaheira. "You're lucky I don't beat you into a bloody pulp right here," she said. "You son of a bitch."
Jaheira looked between Kaelee and Aurumy, and then back at Two's disassembled body. "Do we even need this asshole? Two's missing parts are in those grav-crates in the hallway. Cecille can fix this, can't they?" She didn't trust relying on the Lux scientist for anything.
Kaelee Knodel
Kaelee saw Two. The sad state of him turned her blood from cold, to stone. Suddenly, she no longer felt human herself, and a wild urge to dash the scientist’s head against the wall was powerful.
Like Jaheira and Aurumy, Kaelee would hear none of it. “You’re the reason why I despise being human. You disgust me.” She gave Jaheira and Aurumy a brief nod in agreement. “No. We don’t need him.”
Without another word, the Iron Maiden attempted to pick up the scientist by the collar of his lab coat, but her words were meant for Jah and Ru. “Call Cecille. Get Two. I’ll take care of this scumbag.” She thrust the man up, so that his face was close to her armored head. “Looks like your days are numbered. You’re not going to hurt innocent people—or children—any more.”
The girl in the Iron Maiden dragged the scientist, kicking and screaming if she must, into a separate room, where she closed the door. A massive BANG could be heard, leaving the fate of the scientist up to the imagination.
Emroidz — 09/29/2021
Aurumy helps gather Two’s parts and comforts Jaheira and Kaelee as necessary, but seems disturbingly numb to most else past the point of having made some sizzling Lux bacon.
Two | Telstar Blue — 09/29/2021
The scientist shrinks back when confronted by Kaelee deluded enough to think he would get away with it. “You clone bitch! We know you, ALL of you! You think this just STOPS?” He shouts as he is dragged away.
After the sudden bang, the alarms are the only sound covering up the eerie silence.
Two is seemingly asleep and unaware, the wire-covered crown keeping him in stasis.
Jaheira Morningstar
“Shut up,” Jaheira muttered as the scientist was dragged into another room by the Iron Maiden. She couldn’t care less what happened to him, and trusted Kaelee to do what was necessary. Jaheira dialed Cecille’s number and, if they answered, quickly rattled off their coordinates and ended the call with, “Two needs help. It’s an emergency.” If it went to voicemail, Jaheira would leave a similar message. Then she immediately started to undo Two’s restraints. “You checked all the grav-crates, right?” Jaheira asked, glancing over her shoulder at Aurumy. “He’s missing part of his right leg and three fingers.” Once the restraints were removed, she started delicately unhooking the various wires tethering him to the computer consoles.
Two | Telstar Blue — 10/02/2021
Two’s left toe imperceptibly twitches after one of the wires is removed. The first feeling is pain from his imitation-of-life programming; if he is jabbed full of wires and is missing parts—he is going to feel it.
The next thing he is aware of is another person standing over him. Cornered, remembering somehow that he can’t flee, his rarely seen fight response comes out. With a pained but angry yelp, he thrusts a fist toward his armoured mother—hard enough to clang. His teeth snap at her before he even has a chance to look, but he doesn’t quite have the power to sit up.
Two’s right eye snaps open, confused and fighting to move his un-restrained limbs—just to see if he can. Somewhere in the lights and alarms he finds Jaheira’s face. Though squinting and blinking to ensure he isn’t hallucinating, his left eye…remains closed. I guess they know what it is in that third crate!
The kid decides he doesn’t care if she is really there or not, there is probably a 50/50 chance he will never get to talk to her again. He isn’t missing his chance to say what he really needed to say. “Mm…Mommy I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t see them, I’m sorry mom!” He blubbers, hoping they are not mad at him for losing his leg. That is the last thing he remembers, other than taking a chunk out of a low-level micro-technobiologist and losing consciousness.
Cecille Gadhavi
Cecille was waiting. There was no guff, just the doctor asking, "where am I needed". They were quick to pack up the Vata Dosha to fly down from where the Saundarya orbited around New Haven.
The coordinates were for a... Restaurant, and they enter expecting carnage, destruction, and to find the Mom Squad immediately. They don't find the latter, unaware of the grease trap, and fearing it may be a trap, pause to call out a tentative "Jaheira?" likely from the kitchens.
Kaelee Knodel
Once Kaelee was sure it was all over, and the threat had disappeared, she exited the Iron Maiden, looking exhausted beyond all reason. Exhausted, and traumatized. What she had left behind the door was never to be mentioned. She ran to Two’s body, just as he started waking up.
Kae gathered her baby in her arms with Jaheira and Aurumy, kissing his sweet head and sobbing. “It’s okay, baby, we’re here… we’re here…”
Emroidz — 10/03/2021
Aurumy had numbed herself to everyone and everything around her for as long as the situation would allow her to do so. But when she heard Two’s voice crying and pleading for forgiveness from beyond the huddling comfort of Jaheira and Kaelee, they’d hear a single, choked sob from behind them as Mom #3 simply could not deal with the knowledge that their son had been disassembled any longer. It was too much. For all the healing she’d done since Blackout, she was still not okay.
“I’m sorry. Don’t. Stay. He needs you. I’m fine.” Ru waved off Jah, who was likely to still at LEAST split her concern between son and girlfriend, despite who was OBVIOUSLY the priority.
Two was already being held close, but that was not the reason Ru didn’t touch or look upon him. Instead, she departed for the other room: the one Kae had dragged the doctor into before dispatching him behind closed doors. She might have already taken care of him, but her sister…still needed an outlet.
It wouldn’t take long, after the door slid closed, for the lights above their heads in the next room over to surge and fizzle as a powerful wave of electricity was conducted through metal walls as Ru, still wielding that cattle prod, stuck it into the gaping maw of the hole the Iron Maiden had likely blown into its head and baked the Lux’s corpse over and over and over again.
…Jaheira was right. The smell turned her stomach. She was never going to eat bacon again. Ru slid down the wall beside the body she’d cooked and wept, her pretty face covered in blood and liquid gold.
