Futuristic Danu [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

“Tuned in?”

Alexandra heard Casimir speak as she pressed against the earbud in her right ear. He didn’t speak through the earpiece, though. It was attuned to a frequency that his implant captured, a melody of sorts that he insisted they practice sparring to, in order to become more ‘in sync’ in combat in general. He could feed whatever frequency he wanted to her earbud to change it up.

“Yes,” she said once she was fairly certain of it. The ship still thrummed around them in movement to their next location, but she caught the rhythm. She’d probably catch it better buzzed on some Nova Juice, but that was a luxury that wouldn’t help while piloting, so she resisted that urge.

“Cool, cool, cool,” Casimir lifted his beam saber, as did she. They were just training blades, so there was no real threat of true harm, just as the gun she had in its holster had rather soft bullets, given the speed at which they moved. “I’ll open to make sure.”

It was a few seconds, as he seemed to fall into the rhythm, something Casimir did almost effortlessly. His moves were obvious – but they were supposed to be, the melody meant to help feed the information to her so she knew how he moved, and knew how to move with him. And so, with his slash, she side-stepped, and the dance of feints and clashes began, with the melody setting the pace for the both of them, in theory, a melody their foes would never hear, allowing them to coordinate wordlessly in the dullahans.

In theory.

Just as in theory, neither would break from it – but Alexandra always did, although it became a more intentional prying she didn’t think Casimir had caught onto yet. A more intentional building of his trust that she would always break in a moving way.

Just as he always caught it.

The roundhouse kick was blocked with his own leg lifting, and pushing against hers to open her. She knew it still hurt him, but like always, Casimir took it like a champ. Just as she didn’t fall open. Alexandra quickly brought her leg back and sunk into stance, weapons prepared for a strike that never came.

Because he never struck after he caught her, just laughed and grinned. He shook his head, “You’re never gonna get me, Dyer,” he teased, all play, “I can see when you break form.”

When she did get him, Alexandra wondered if she’d see a flare of temper, but of course, that thought didn’t surface in her return laughter.

It was a challenge, of course. Alexandra grinned right back, “One day,” soon. When she opted to adjust the strength of a blow, rather than the movement of it. That would wait, of course, she wasn’t prepared to see if it would work just yet. She was, indeed, still feeling out Casimir, and growing familiar with his patterns.

It did, admittedly, help in the Dullahans. Both of them used bipedal models, though Casimir’s model was far more ‘human’ than hers, and moved like it once he was hooked up to the neural connectors in his own.

“I’m done for now,” she said, not because she was tired. The thrumming of the ship was quieting, the momentum fading. Others grew used to it so as not to notice, but she still did. She hadn’t been in the Den, as she referred to it, for too long. She was still an outsider, but even if she wasn’t…she didn’t think she’d be getting used to anything again for a while.

“Fair,” Casimir held out his hands, “I’d be tired of getting one-upped, too,” he took the training weapons from her as she chuckled again. “You eaten yet?” As he walked away from the rack, The Baron got up from the ground, all black fur and wagging tail, to go to Casimir’s side now that he knew his master was done training. Of course, he got a scratch on the head for it.

“Yeah, breakfast,” she said, “if we can call this breakfast.”

Casimir laughed, “We should be stopping somewhere soon, we can restock the good stuff. Hopefully,” he walked towards the exit of the training room and she followed, “I forget how fucking early you wake up. I’m starved.”

As they exited, another member of the Den paused just in the hallway, causing them to pause. She laughed it off quickly, “I was just lookin’ for you two,” she said, “Cali’s calling your names, and that other rookie. Do you know where Noah is?”

“Nope,” Alexandra answered, which was true. She didn’t know his patterns yet to be sure of where he was.

“Might be around the Dulls, I know he likes to check on his.” Casimir offered, “Is it a job? Do we have a job?” The eager tone caused Baron to bark, in equal eager anticipation – or perhaps he thought ‘job’ sounded like ‘walk’ somehow, from the excitement he began to show.

The merc’s face fell, “You didn’t hear?” she sounded serious. Somber. Alexandra’s eyes narrowed. Casimir’s metaphorical tail stopped wagging.

“No? What? What’s happened, Zay?”

“It’s…it’s better if Cali tells you,” she mocked a sniff, something Casimir didn’t seem to notice was mock, with the way he moved right to her and took hold of her shoulder.

“Zay, who’s dead? What’s happened?”

Her composure broke. She laughed and grabbed Casimir’s hand with one of hers, “I’m bullshitting you, Cas. Of course it’s a job. Come on, man,” laughter echoed in her tone as she squeezed his hand and pushed him away, “Dunno what it’s about but it’s probably boring with two rookies.”

No time to change out of training attire, then. Not that Alexandra cared, although she had noticed how formal Cali usually was. It rather made Alexandra wish she was somehow less presentable than a tanktop and sweats, although Casimir likely didn't even notice his own lack of presentability given the familiarity he felt with everyone.

“Rookie?” Alexandra canted her head.

Zay’s expression sharpened. “Yeah. Rookie,” she snapped right back, whatever warmth she’d shown for Casimir gone. “You’re still new here, so don’t go getting a big head just because you did some pithy things elsewhere, Dyer.”

‘Pithy. Right.’

Alexandra kept that ‘fuck you’ grin on her lips, “Oh shit, I didn’t realize I was in front of someone else who also single-handedly fucked up a raider army,” she said, “Did you go under a different callsign back then? Can I get your autograph? I know of—”

“Fuck off, Dyer,” she scoffed and started to walk, “You can’t coast on Hyperborea forever, you know.”

The grin faded but didn’t falter as Zay headed to find her next mark, and Casimir punched her arm. She turned it back to him, and it lost most of its edges.

“You are still a rookie here, mate,” he reminded as they walked, “until you figure out how we all work together.”

“But we don’t,” she pointed out. “I’ve never had a mission with everyone.” That was…far more normal among the Ancilia.

“It doesn’t happen much,” he admitted, “not that we can’t! But, ya know, the jobs we pick up don’t usually require the numbers. Which means everyone here knows how to do some cool shit on their own,” he said, “so don’t forget it!”

Alexandra rolled her eyes, but she was still grinning, “I won’t,” she promised, “although I’m not sure how cool making a Dull twerk is, Cassi.”

“That is the coolest thing, thank you very much,” Cas lifted his nose to the air in mock offense that she’d dare suggest otherwise. “Ulysses is by far the best dancer of all the Dulls.”

Alexandra’s lip twitched in a desperate attempt not to smile wider, or laugh outright. “Uh huh.” And of course, that broke Casimir, which broke her.

“I could probably teach Clarent to dance.”

“Please, do not, if I find you’ve messed with my Dullahan I will end you.”

“Fine, fine,” he held his hands up, “I won’t.”

Not that he would. It was all easy jokes as they reached Cali’s office, and Casimir knocked on the door for entrance, singing out, “Cali~, it’s your favorite~,” which was likely debatable. Alexandra would remain silent, of course. She wasn’t the favorite, after all.

 

[Foster]

Mercenaries lived complicated lives. This was a universal truth, despite the vast range of circumstances and driving motives that may have brought them to their current occupation. Wealth, fame, glory, love, revenge. Noah knew revenge very well. It had been threatening to eat him alive for most of his life and it was the sole reason he’d found himself here amongst the other residents of the Den, just another stray picked up by the infamous Cali. It was the reason he’d been forced to leave Solstice in the first place. And it was sure as hell the only reason he was currently straddled alongside the colossal arm of an old Dullahan trying to fine tune a temperamental array of plasma daggers that had almost bisected him twice in the last hour alone. Thankfully an excuse was on it’s way to deny the makeshift weapon another crack at him…

A piercing whistle shot through the Dull hanger loud enough that it was audible to Noah even over the racket of his energy cutter. “You need something Zay?”, he asked, pushing up the protective goggles he’d been wearing and wincing slightly as his eyes were forced to adjust to the fluorescent lighting.

“Cali’s ringing the dinner bell rookie.”, Zay explained curtly, hands on hips as her gaze tracked from Noah over to Ghost Hour’s dormant frame. “Time to tear yourself from that antique for a while. Come on, a change of scenery will do you some good.”

“Sure thing, just give me a minute to clean up and-”

“I wouldn’t bother.”, Zay interjected, before turning and walking back the way she’d came in. “You’re new here so let me give you some advice, don’t make her wait. Not unless you want to be stuck on backup duty.”

Hopping smartly off Ghost Hour’s wrist Noah tossed his tools onto a maintenance dolly, a knowing smirk on his face. From how snappy she was being it seemed like Zay had been chatting to Alexandra again. That woman pissed her off with her mere presence, which was strange considering she’d been pretty well mannered around Noah. Oh well, It wasn’t his place to pry and now certainly wasn’t the time to do so. Nobody wanted to get stuck on backup. Hopefully Cali didn’t mind the smell of oil and plasma burns.

“Try not to burn down the whole ship whilst I’m gone, okay?” He asked his Dullahan wearily, pointing an oil-stained glove at the killing machine to show he meant business. “I’m holding the rest of you responsible if she does!”

Some would probably consider it a bit weird that Noah spent so much time talking to the Dulls but when you spent as much time alone in a workshop with them as he had, you had to find compelling conversational partners where you could. Even if they don’t actually respond. Still, he’d spent more time with Clarent and Ulysses than he had their owners. He wasn’t avoiding them, but the two clearly had some sort of prior connection and he had no desire to stick his neck into it. The same couldn’t be said for the two metal beauties he was walking past now, he’d spend all day tinkering with them if he could, although resisting the urge to give in to old habits might pose an issue. Clarent had some top-notch capacitors that would look mighty fine in Ghost Hour, and Ulysses didn’t need all those sub-boosters strictly speaking…. Noah lingered for just a moment by the two mechs before shaking his head and moving on. Maybe one day, but for now it was best not to make any more enemies.

By the time he reached the access corridor leading out of the hangar, Zay was nowhere to be seen and Noah found himself picking up the pace as he navigated the winding gangways that snaked throughout the vessel. Probably best not to put Cali’s patience to the test after all. Eventually he was able to spot some familiar landmarks and get his bearings, and within a few minutes arrived at Cali’s door, the last of the group to arrive.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Casimir’s high-energy entrance was met with a weary groan from the woman sitting behind the imposing desk at the centre of the office. Both her and the space the three of them now occupied were so similar in style that it was almost as if the room itself was just an accessory for her. Elegant, organised, not a single detail out of place. Well, except the two strays that had just wandered in.

“Can you at least try to act professional? I don’t want you being a bad influence on our fresh hires, I’m not sure even I could handle three of you.”

Cali’s face was a stonewall but her tone betrayed just a hint of levity, but for Casimir, who knew his handler well by this point, it was obvious that this comment was one of fondness. He’d seen what her bad side looked like. He wouldn’t be in a rush to see it again.

“Do be sure to tell me if he’s getting too much for you Alex, I’m sure Zay would love to have her old sparring partner to herself again.”, she relented, letting her shoulders drop a little and a smile appear on her face. “I’d hate to scare you off before we really get a chance to get our money’s worth from you.”

It was at this point that Zay returned, followed shortly by a slightly out of breath Noah, who, for those with a good eye, had actually just walked right past the door before doubling back and entering as nonchalantly as possible.

“Finally. Now we can get to the fun stuff.” Cali motioned for Noah to close the door behind him as she settled back into her chair, and he did so after stopping to give a polite nod as a way of greeting to his fellow mercs. Only the tiniest of muscle twitches around the eyes gave away her distaste for his wrench-getup and accompanying smell.

“I’ve come across some intel that might prove promising. One of Amergin’s transport vessels recently met a nasty end near this-” Here Cali stopped to expertly manipulate a holographic overlay on her desk so that it showed a map displaying what she was detailing, “- debris field. And as you all know, bad news for Amergin is usually good news for us. I believe this to be no exception.”

With a fluid motion Cali was able to zoom directly in on the husk of a ship that was threatening to split in two, with only a few thin strips of hull connecting the two intact sections of the vessel. “Judging by the damage, I suspect we have pirates to thank for this little gift. As you can see most of the cargo is long gone and the damage to the engine is far too precise to have been caused by the debris field.”

Zay suddenly perked up from where she’d been leaning against the wall, splaying her hands to demonstrate her confusion. “But if the cargo is gone then what’s the point in us going after that thing now? Surely the pirates took everything of value?”

“Everything of value to some backwater pirates, yes. But there are treasures that require a more discerning eye to find.” Cali smiled, a sight that to Noah looked far too similar to a wolf baring it’s fangs. Pushing her chair back from the desk the handler stood up to address her team, taking the time to look at each one of them in turn as she spoke their names.

“Alex, Cas, Noah, you three are to prepare the Dulls for immediate sortie upon arrival. Once you reach the wreck your one and only priority is capturing the data stored on that vessel's central computer. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that time is of the essence, Amergin is sure to have already deployed a recovery team and they will be playing for keeps. Zay, you’ll be playing defence in case they come after the ship. Snap to it.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Alex.

‘Tch.’ Alexandra never corrected Cali, and never would. At this point, she didn’t even flinch or glare at the woman. It was better to keep distance from the Handler, anyways, and so her gaze was even. The smile that Cali offered was not returned with anything more than a subtle nod as the woman offered to take Casimir off of her hands.

Casimir just laughed at it, “If I could rub off on Dyer, trust me, I’d try harder,” he joked, before noticing Zay and Noah. He smiled at them both, warmth simply radiating off of him as he made room by cutting into Alexandra’s personal space. The office wasn’t the largest thing, and the desk didn’t help with that. Not that Alexandra moved further to the wall to offer any extra space.

“Good to see ya, Noah,” Casimir greeted, as Alexandra continued to remain mute and simply returned Noah’s nod.

All eyes fell on the hologram that Cali brought up. It wasn’t the contents of the ship they were looking for, but apparently, data. Alexandra couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, weight shifting to show her exasperation with this mission. Not that she knew what Amergin had to hide, or to share, nor would she protest it. She was getting paid either way, and stealing secrets from Amergin was right up her alley.

“Can do!” Casimir chimed, “Just leave the stealing info to me,” he glanced to Noah, since Alexandra was already well aware of his talents, “I can hear the whispers of the machines,” he said it as if it was something eerie, something haunted, “I can get it out of there quick if I have some good people playing defense.”

“I won’t let anything get to you,” Alexandra promised. She’d ask why so many were needed, but supposed if Cali was right and Amergin was sending a force, then they would need a couple of Dulls to keep Casimir safe while he gathered the information that he could from the derelict ship. “If there’s nothing else, we’ll head out and prepare for when we arrive.”

Ever to the point, Alexandra already took a step back and a half-turn.

Zay did interject, “Any chance you can tell us what’s so special about the info? To help Cassi narrow down what he’s looking for.” Not that he couldn’t just pull it all, and Zay suspected he would – but still! Time was of the essence, after all.

Not that Alexandra seemed to care, moving away from the desk at the asinine question and to the door – though she at least had the courtesy not to open it until given the go-ahead. Sensitive topics remained behind closed doors, and she knew she didn’t decide when the meeting was over.

Cali did.

No matter how much malice Cali intended with her flippant disregard, Alexandra could respect business matters and business rules.

 

[Foster]

Having Casimir here in the den was, in Noah’s opinion, essential to its continued ability to function. The other three were all capable and important members of the crew here but without Cass to provide a break from the angst he was pretty certain this ship would have seen bloodshed by now. He couldn’t claim to know much about Alexandra’s history besides what everybody knew, and calling Cali a closed book didn’t really paint an accurate picture of their handler. Maybe if that book was locked in a safe and tossed into an ocean. Anyway, usually Casimir’s boundless optimism was more than enough to keep Noah’s own history from getting the best of him, but this time it wasn’t quite cutting it. This was it. Amergin.
He hadn’t expected to make contact with them this fast, but the thought was electrifying. Joining up with this little band of mercs was paying off better than he could have ever imagined.

“Did anybody else just hear Casimir admit he’s been hearing voices?” Noah’s joke was weak and his smile a little shaky, but it was enough to disguise the fact he was trying to bury his feelings down and feign only a casual interest in the mission. “We’ll be close by, so just remember that before you start chatting about something you shouldn’t with the machines.”

Cali left the pilots to their banter and turned her attention to Zay, but took note of how they were responding to the briefing. Pretty standard stuff. Alexandra was still as blunt and distant as ever but that didn’t really bother her. She hadn’t hired her with the intention of making a new friend. Her bad habit of taking in strays aside, she did need talent with some skills after all. And a reputation can be a valuable weapon in the right hands. As long as she kept following orders that was all Cali needed.

“That information is on a need to know basis Zay. Casimir will find everything he needs for his scavenger hunt waiting for him in Ulysses, and should this mission go as planned you’ll find out for yourself soon enough. We’re on the clock here, people, dismissed.”

Noah filed out of the room after Alexandra, who seemed far more eager to leave than he was, and made his way back towards the hanger. Despite the upcoming mission he couldn’t help but lament the fact he still had no time for a shower…

 

[Lucyfer]

There was indeed no time to get cleaned up for the mission, though Alexandra wasn’t thinking much on that. Her mind was already far from the present, to the future, figuring the best ways to get this done in an arena she hadn’t yet seen, with foes she wasn’t yet sure of. Would Amergin dispatch the Wild Hunt for this information? What did Cali seek?

She was perhaps more curious than Zay, but it wasn’t something she’d give away.

Naturally, her silence, and Noah’s, wasn’t allowed to continue as Casimir caught up to them on the way to the hangar, “Don’t worry, we probably won’t see any action,” he was clearly speaking more to Noah than to her as he fell in step, “But if we do, you can just do what I do, and hide behind Clarent.”

Alexandra snorted, but made no comment on the cowardice he suggested. She knew Casimir wasn’t actually a coward, but ‘behind Clarent’ was a good battle strategy in general for any dull with a ranged weapon. Which was just about every dull in existence. “I can’t hide an army behind me,” Alexandra cautioned, just a trace of amusement in her tone.

“It’s just two of us – and the ship – I guess Zay’s got the ship, though.”

‘Zay does not have the ship.’ Alexandra didn’t speak up about her doubt. Push come to shove, she was favoring Casimir anyways. They’d…figure out what to do if the ship went up in flames, when that became a problem. Ideally, it wouldn’t.

“It’ll be fine, Amergin probably won’t even bother to send anyone of the Hunt.”

Alexandra just sighed at his insistent optimism. If the information was so important, Amergin would. Even if they didn’t suspect problems, they’d send one at least. ‘Don’t bet on it, Cas.’

 

[Foster]

Noah slowed his pace to allow Casimir to fall into step alongside him when the sound of the pilots hurried footsteps made it clear he was trying to keep up with Noah and Alexandra as they beelined for the hanger. The walkways of the ship weren’t exactly generously built but there was just enough space for the two men to walk in step with one another.

“Never really been one for hiding.” Noah’s admission was lost amongst the banter of the other pilots but he was happy to let them bounce off one another. He had bigger things to worry about right now than ingratiating himself with the other members of the den. Sure if Cas was right then he wouldn’t be face to face with one of Amergin’s elites today but Alexander had a look on her face that told him she wasn’t feeling quite as optimistic about their chances. And considering how important Cali seemed to think this was, it didn't seem like the sort of prize Amergin would make easy to claim…

Tapping into the barebones tactipad strapped to his wrist Noah patched himself through to Ghost Hours coms to prepare the Dull for their little outing. “Ghost, wrap up your system analytics. We’re going on a field trip.”

The cobbled together chimaera of an A.I housed within Ghost Hour didn’t verbally respond to the command but Noah was able to watch in real time as the machines systems transitioned from running maintenance protocols to preparing for a full combat launch. Seemed like Fall was probably at the helm today then. Of the four A.I fragments Fall was by far the least talkative, preferring to be a real ghost in the machine.

As the three of them cleared the threshold of the hangar they were greeted by a hub of mechanical activity, with autonomous arms and tendrils preparing the Dulls for launch, each extension of the ship working in perfect unity. It was only as the humans approached to enter their vehicles that they retracted into their various nooks and housing compartments, a safety protocol to prevent any squishy meatsuits being damaged by a rogue refueling unit.

“Warp imminent, hold on down there.” There was some sick pleasure in the warning Zay issued over the ship wide intercom. The cockpit, where she almost certainly was, had temporal dampeners which would help deal with the worst of the stresses warp travel had on the human body. No such luck down here in the hangar. It made sense though. Temporal dampeners weren’t cheap and if there was anybody you didn’t want to get warp sickness it was your pilot. Besides, Noah was actually somewhat immune to the worst of what the ship could throw at him thanks to Ghost Hour’s Quicksilver warp unit. Now that was warp sickness. The miniaturized tech was outlawed in most of the inner colonies due to a list of health and safety concerns longer than the medical bill you’d be handed should yours ever go wrong.

A hum began to build under the floor of the ship as conduits syphoned the necessary power from the various auxiliary systems of The Den in order to fire the warp drive. It was a simultaneously instantaneous and lingering process. The hum rose up from the floor until it seemed to have perforated every inch of Noah’s body, an acrid flavour in the air as everything seemed to stretch and then disappear in a flash of bluish light. And just like that it was over. The jump itself had lasted no more than maybe a tenth of a second.

“Just a lovely evening walk through space time huh?” Noah’s croaked, his throat suddenly bone dry. Other than that he had a dull throbbing in the back of his skull but nothing that could stop him clambering up Ghost Hour’s hull and sliding into position within the cockpit.

 

[Lucyfer]

Whether or not Noah’s opinion on hiding would change remained to be seen. Alexandra doubted it was bravado, so much as a lack of having ever been in a real fight. From what little she understood, Noah truly was ‘new blood’, which meant he was likely to rush in over his head to prove something – and learn a harsh lesson. Or, immediately cower. The latter was unlikely. His words now would prevent such an act, if he had any sense of dignity.

Alexandra wouldn’t call him on it.

She’d wait for that. A tease, or any mockery, was always better post-action, or during an act, so long as they lived. It remained to be seen whether or not he would live.

Although, the damn warp was often enough to kill someone, in Alexandra’s not at all humble opinion. By the time Zay announced it, she didn’t have time to scramble up into the core of Clarent where she’d be protected from the worst of it, so instead, she felt the full rush of it slam into her guts when they repositioned, and she had to grasp Clarent’s leg to stay up.

The nausea slammed her right after, but she kept that down with a groan and straightening up.

Cass reacted a bit better, just keeling forward and wrapping his arm around his waist, before sighing and straightening up. He brushed a hand back through his hair, “Every time, man,” he was more used to it than Alexandra, at any rate.

Alexandra chuckled, “Yeah,” although Noah at least seemed good, which was good. He’d have his head on, at any rate. Alexandra would regain hers as she used the holds she had on Clarent to climb, rather than use the more traditional methods – a lift, or the upper walkways all around the hangar. She preferred knowing she could get into Clarent, if she was ever knocked out of it, or had to get in it in a rough situation.

Not that she’d survive being knocked out of Clarent in space, as was their current destination, as she slid into the cockpit, stomach settling with no upchuck of food, and began to attach the neuro-pads to her head, awakening the silent beast that was Clarent.

Although built on Excalibur’s model and program, Clarent was an unusually silent AI. The mind of Aegis overrode the personality that had once been there, a voice that used to speak of risk and damage as more than just dry facts – a voice Alexandra hadn’t heard since Excalibur was pierced through the heart to reveal her face to her foes at Hyperborea.

Nothing awoke except her false eye, which took her view outside the cockpit to truly see through the height of Clarent’s face as if it were her own.

“Aegis in,” she spoke through the comm system.

“Argus reads ya loud and clear, Aegis! Hey new kid – what’s your callsign?” Casimir asked, “Aegis is pretty partic that you use hers, I don’t really care, but I didn’t pick it just for funsies.”

And Alexandra was – she didn’t need the world to know who she was outside the cockpit. That’s why she preferred to use Handlers, if she was honest. That time of not using one was frustrating as hell.

She’d keep her attention for the callsign, but Clarent was already responding to her signals, heading out as the hanger gate opened, scanning for anything – through both its own scans, and what her eye could see.

“So far, we’re clear,” she relayed back, “let’s get you in, Argus.”

“Fuck yeah. Told ya we wouldn’t see anything,” he sounded smug, looking over the debris through his own setup, not quite as advanced, but he didn’t need it to be. He worked on sounds more than sights, and though everything showed up on screens for him inside the safety of his network, his mind was abuzz with the sounds of the ship’s damage, the sounds of its screams, as he attuned himself to the damaged vessel to find the best entry. “I’ve got my entry point found, taking point!” he declared.

“I’ll stay outside to watch the wreckage,” Alexandra stated, expecting Noah to go in and accompany Casimir, in case there was anything for him to be worried about inside.