Shadowed Stars

Status
Not open for further replies.
At her question, Keene shut down. It was startlingly fast and even more revealing was how much emotion he HAD been showing even when not trying to. Now he was cold, guarded completely; the person he'd been earlier yesterday morning. Letting nothing out and no one in. He uncurled, every movement fluid, deadly in a way even if he wasn't threatening her. The hybrid stood then and he looked down at Tessa with neither anger nor friendliness.

His voice was deceptively steady, eerily calm.

"She sold me and I remained in captivity for fifteen years."

He moved away then, pale jade eyes tearing away from her violet ones and Keene's usual, snappy, sarcastic tone came back as he headed for the door. "This conversation is over. I hope you got what you wanted. Oh, and Dorene's up." He vanished, heading anywhere but that suffocating cockpit. He felt like he couldn't breathe, like that collar was on his neck all over again and Keene stumbled to halt sooner than he wanted, hardly aware that he was on the small observation deck as he slid down a wall. He curled his knees up again and cradled his head, trying to simply draw in air and calm the panic that had taken a hold over his heart rate.
 
Last edited:
Tessa had half-expected Keene to lash out and she tensed slightly in anticipation of it. When the male seemed to shut down entirely though, that tension faded away and a vague sense of guilt overtook Tessa instead. Somehow the man's anger was easier to handle than... well, whatever had just happened with him. She had found out what she intended to though - the dream was real, no doubt about it. But how and why had she gotten it in the first place?

Tessa had plenty to think about so when Keene walked past her, she didn't bother trying to stop him. He had said Dorene was awake but Tessa was preoccupied with other thoughts and she was fairly certain the redhead would wander until she found her eventually. With that in mind, Tessa leaned back against her seat and gazed out at the window, lost in her thoughts.

Dorene did in fact wander, but it wasn't Tessa she encountered first, it was Keene. Her soft green eyes happened to fall on the male as she passed the observation deck and Dorene stopped, frowning slightly. She glanced down the hallway in front of her before turning her gaze back to Keene. It was clear the hybrid wasn't in a great mood and it was with great caution that Dorene approached him, her steps slow and unsure.

"Keene? Is everything okay?"
 
Oh, good galaxies not another one!

Keene resisted the urge to growl as he kept his head where it was for a moment longer, his hair hiding his facial expression. He worked hard to get his breathing regulated despite the way his pulse still ran wild and the hybrid looked up at Dorene with a purely tired glaze to his eyes. There was a part of him that wanted to lash out at the woman, but when he looked at Dorene, at her tentative stance and yet her stubborn desire to help, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

She was nothing like Lyalah. Absolutely nothing like the brave, spirited little girl who'd won his heart, who'd softened him to her despite the odds. No, Dorene was not Lyalah by a long shot, but in some strange way, Keene felt that same kind of urge to just be...well, nicer when faced with speaking with the red-head. He sighed and simply nodded. "I'm fine, Nerd."

As if to prove his point, Keene rose from his spot, forcing his body to not give away anything of how he really felt as he smirked. "See? Fine." He frowned then, though, a thought occurring to him as he narrowed his jade eyes, gray around his pupil, at Dorene. "That does NOT mean I want fifty thousand questions right now, so you can zip it."

Okay, maybe not THAT nice.
 
Dorene had relaxed marginally when Keene hadn't immediately snapped at her and just as the hybrid had predicted, a hundred questions were already popping into the researcher's head. One such question was already on the tip of her tongue when Keene stopped her and Dorene abandoned it immediately, nodding.

"Right, sorry," she said quickly, then fidgeted a little, unsure of herself. Without the questions she had planned - had planned for days now - Dorene wasn't sure what to say to the intimidating man in front of her.

"Um...I'm just going to see Tessa then. I hope you feel better. Not that you weren't feeling fine before though! I just..." Dorene paused then, realizing just how badly she was stumbling over herself and she sighed lightly. "I should go."

With that, Dorene turned and walked back down the hall in search of Tessa. She hoped the white-haired girl might have gleaned some answers from Keene, though she highly doubted it; for all the times Dorene caught Tessa staring at the black-haired man, the Illian hybrid seemed incapable of having a civil conversation with him. Though, perhaps that was as much Keene's fault as Tessa's. As she walked, Dorene sighed lightly and shook her head. This was definitely going to be an interesting journey.
 
---------

The next three days - and it had been that long because ships like this needed time between hyper jumps - were uneventful. The crew of four seemed to stay in their respective groups for the most part; Tessa, Raxiel and Dorene together and Keene off on his own. The hybrid had made it very clear he was unwilling to answer anymore questions and that included those from Dorene and anything Tessa had thrown at him about where they were headed or what he planned to do.

To avoid having to talk, he just avoided all of them. It was easier said than done in this small ship, but the hybrid managed it rather well. His injuries were completely gone, leaving him entirely free to move about as he pleased and he spent much of his time in the engine room, showing an aptitude for mechanics that had nothing to do with his foresight. He just genuinely liked the work and this ship needed it. Badly.

Keene didn't dream again in the those three day. He had visions, as usual, but no more dreams. He had no way of knowing his subconscious mind was aware that he wasn't ready to talk, needed time to relax as much as someone like him could before it dropped the next bomb on him, before it drew Tessa into this all over again. No, it would wait a little while, but not too long. Keene didn't know this, however, and he was merely grateful - sort of - that his nights were back to normal.

Right now, however, it was day even if it didn't look it and he was at the controls, checking the ship over. The hybrid grimaced slightly to find that everything was fine and he spoke in an almost defeated way. "We can jump now." he announced to the three gathered in the cockpit.
 
Over the course of the three days, Tessa had pressed Keene for more answers but when her questions returned fruitless, she eventually gave up and stopped asking. She was starting to grow irritated with the man and his aloofness, but each time she felt a flare of anger, she thought about the young boy in her dream and that seemed to pacify her. She couldn't bring herself to dislike Keene, even if the man was extraordinarily frustrating at times.

As the days progressed though, Tessa was growing increasingly restless. Besides Dorene and Raxiel, there were few distractions on the ship and Tessa could only wait around for so long before she went stir crazy. She had behaved herself for the most part, but now as the four of them gathered in the cockpit, Tessa's pent up irritation was starting to show.

"Oh, good. Where are we jumping too? Oh, that's right. You won't tell us. That would actually require communication."

Dorene frowned slightly and turned to her companion, her tone reprimanding. "Tessa..."

Tessa knew her sass had been unnecessary but she merely growled and said nothing, sitting down in a seat as she crossed her arms.
 
"Actually, I did tell you, about four days ago. It's not my fault you didn't seem to retain the information."

Keene snapped the reply back with bite, thoroughly irritated with Tessa, but more on edge about where they were jumping to - and the fact that they had to jump at all - than anything else. He didn't look at the three, but at the coordinates in front of him and after a long moment, Keene sighed heavily and spoke more than he had in three days to any of them. He didn't apologize for his outburst or his sarcasm, but he did give them some information. The hybrid didn't WANT to, but if they were going into this with him, they actually did need to know just what they were getting into.

"We're going to Bevnos23." They'd all recognize that name. It was the central planet of the enemy, the core of the Bevnonsian empire. Keene continued on before there could be any protests. "This isn't up for discussion. I have two things I need to do there and one of them benefits your people, so don't even start griping at me. If you three want to stay aboard the ship, you can. If you decide you're going to be tag-a-longs, though, you're going to stay. out. of. my. way."

He did glance over at them this time, but Tessa closely among the three, with warning. Keene braced himself, prayed for patience and then spoke again. "Any questions BEFORE we jump? Because I am not answering them afterward."
 
At learning their destination, both Tessa and Dorene exchanged a glance with the other. Logically, both females knew it shouldn't matter that they were going to Bevnos24; they were already branded as traitors since they helped Keene escape so their loyalties to their army were technically severed.That didn't stop their automatic reaction to the planet's name though, and while Dorene merely looked nervous, Tessa's gaze darkened a little. It was nearly impossible to serve under an army and not develop some prejudices towards the enemy, and Tessa was no exception.

It was difficult not to give in to the temptation to express her blatant dislike of the Bevnonsian empire and even more difficult not to make a snide remark in response to Keene's question. Tessa managed to withhold both though, and she smiled wryly at the black-haired man.

"Your people aren't going to attack us, are they? We're in an enemy ship, after all."
 
Keene smiled just a little and while it wasn't really a true smile, it wasn't a smirk either. It was wry just as Tessa's was and it was amused as he looked back at the console. "They're not my people, and no, they aren't going to attack us. As soon as we jump, I'll send them a transmission." He ran his hand back through his hair, a nervous habit and Keene looked back at the three, really unable to believe he was going to do this as he looked at each of them, but then let his jade eyes linger on Tessa, a seriousness in them that wasn't unfriendly or angry oddly enough.

His voice was actually sincere, the sarcasm gone when he addressed them.

"No one is going to hurt you. Don't give anyone any reason to pick a fight and I promise I will get you out of this place no worse for wear than how you came in."

They might not believe, not trust him, but he meant every word. No matter how people annoyed him, no matter how he didn't trust them, Keene wouldn't let those who got too closely involved with him suffer if he could help it. Not waiting for a response, he turned in his back to them again and braced himself, well aware of what this was going to do to his mind and body. Stars, he hated jumps.

"Everyone buckle up."

He gave them just enough time to do so before pressing the button for the jump. The rush was over soon enough and Keene groaned through gritted teeth, pressing a few things on the hover screen to send the transmission to the planet below them. After that, he promptly leaned to the side and threw up. The ship, having done bio-scans on them in the last few days, knew his bodily functions before they even presented themselves and from the console had come a bag for this purpose. At least it wasn't all over the floor this time, but Keene didn't feel all that grateful as he slowly wiped his mouth and sat back in his chair.

His fingers came up to his temples as the world spun and when he opened his eyes slowly, they were fluctuating, sputtering between jade green and gray, his foresight in chaos.
 
Tessa wasn't sure what to make of Keene's sudden burst of sincerity and she found herself staring at the man, her violet eyes searching his jade ones until he turned around once more. Tessa didn't say anything after that, merely thinking about what Keene had said as she buckled her seat belt in preperation for the jump.

After the rush had passed, Tessa felt mildly woozy as she always did, but that didn't stop her from watching Keene with some amusement as he threw up in the bag.

"You feeling okay, Hotshot?"

Tessa grinned then and unbuckled herself, standing along with Dorene and Raxiel. Dorene seemed significantly less amused though, and she gazed out the window at the planet they were closing in on, clearly worried.
 
"Bloody fantastically wonderful." Keene grumbled out, forcing a few deep breaths to try and quell the nausea, but knowing nothing could stop his power from being royally pissed off until it chose to settle. And until that point, he wasn't going to be all that patient or fun to be around either. Not that he ever really was, but...well, he'd be worse that usual. The hybrid stood, looking decidedly unsteady before the moment passed and he seemed to gain some equilibrium.

Keene worked on the console for a moment and when a message popped up on the screen, a deep frown came to his face, his jade-gray eyes snapping with fire for a moment before he blanked out again. The hybrid closed the transmission system without replying, but his dark aura didn't leave as they broke the atmosphere and the ship reacted on autopilot, technology connecting to the signal relayed by the landing docks and drawing the ship in.

The black-haired male moved toward the door then and while his demeanor wasn't alarmed, it wasn't happy either. He didn't look at the three as he made his way down the corridor leading to the doors, but his words were clearly addressed to them. "When we dock, we're going to be taken immediately to see the emperor. These are guards are elite and will not hesitate to kill you if you show any sign that you're a threat. Just...be quiet. No matter what you see don't try to stop it."

Okay, he didn't really expect that they'd follow his directions, but hey, at least he'd warned them.
 
The emperor? S***, Keene wasn't kidding when he said he was a big deal.

Tessa was not scared exactly of meeting the emperor - it took a lot to scare her - but the news definitely put her more on edge. Dorene though, paled and began to fidget with her sleeves a little. She, for one, would definitely be sure to heed Keene's warning. Tessa glanced over at her nervous companion and smiled reassuringly at her. "Come on, it'll be alri-"

A series of clicks and whrrr's interrupted Tessa and the white-haired girl spun around to see Raxiel's arm shifting to the gun, the android's eyes locked on the window that showed the Bevnonsian soldiers beneath them.

"Oh, s***. Raxiel, what are you doing?! Uh...activate friendly mode! Or whatever."

Tessa's outburst successfully grabbed the android's attention and Raxiel looked over at her, then back at the window, before his arm shifted back to normal. He appeared agitated though, as if he had been torn between the two actions.

Dorene's soft green eyes widened with realization and she groaned lightly. "Oh no...I should have realized this sooner. Raxiel was programmed to attack enemy soldiers..."

Tessa frowned slightly and looked at Raxiel, then at Dorene. "But he helped us earlier. He turned against his own army. Considering that, how hard is it really to NOT shoot enemy soldiers?"

"Tessa, Raxiel was built to demonstrate loyalty for his army and for his team. He was forced to choose one when we defended Keene, but he has no loyalty to these soldiers. It will be much harder for him to overcome his base programming now." Dorene turned her attention to Raxiel then. "Will you be able to handle this?"

A long moment passed before Raxiel looked at Dorene and nodded once. Dorene sighed lightly with a relief that wasn't entirely there. "Okay, I guess that will have to do for now." With that, the three followed Keene down the corridor and stopped outside the doors.
 
Oh, that could be fun.

Keene hadn't said anything while the three talked, but his foresight was settling again and a few different scenarios flickered in his mind's eye. Damn. There were more instances where Raxiel lost control than there were of him keeping it and the hybrid knew avoiding those pitfalls was not going to be easy. Sure, he could reprogram the android, but not now. It would take time and time was something he didn't have at the moment. They'd just have to be cautious and he...he'd have to be on guard the entire time.

Though, that last bit wasn't going to be hard considering who he was going to see and the conversation that was going to ensue. Yeah, on guard wasn't going to be hard in the least. Not losing his mind...well, it was debatable as to whether he'd already done that or not.

The hybrid brought his wandering mind back to the present and the opening doors of the ship. He straightened, took a slow breath and seemed to slip into a different mindset entirely as he started down the ramp, toward the guards - at least two dozen of them - who'd drawn their guns and had them trained on the four. At seeing Keene, their grips only seemed to tighten and the hybrid grinned, the expression as cocky as his voice was. He seemed deceptively relaxed, tail swinging and his body loose. "Now, now none of that. If you kill me, the emperor will kill you and if you kill them, I will kill you. I suggest you all behave."

He didn't raise his voice, wasn't angry, but his words alone made the men hesitate and the captain finally gave the signal for them to relax their positions, standing to attention. Keene had stepped off the ramp by this point and the nearest soldier took a step back before seeming to correct himself and standing steady again. Keene ignored him entirely, his jade green eyes focused on the captain as the man addressed him.

"The emperor wants to see you."

"In the Containment Room, I know. Would you get on with it?"

The captain frowned, apparently wanting nothing more than to grind Keene into the dust, but he turned smartly and started to lead the way, the guards falling in around the four as they made their way from the docks and into the city. Two large hover-cars waited for them and it sped off once the four and a dozen guards were situated. The other dozen followed behind until they reached the chrome palace - the building making Keene wrinkle his nose in distaste, actually looking for a moment very childish as he did it.
 
As the ship doors opened and Keene started down the ramp, Tessa automatically shifted into her own stance as well. She appeared confident, not quite as cocky as Keene, but sure of herself. She was wary of the guards that surrounded them but Tessa didn't let even a morsel of that show on her face. Part of it was pride, but part of it was simply because Tessa simply wouldn't let herself be intimidated by the soldiers around them.

Dorene tried to appear confident as well, but she was less practiced at it than Keene and Tessa and her hands shook a little before she willed herself to still. While Tessa kept her gaze straight ahead, Dorene couldn't help but glance occasionally at Raxiel. The android was normally calm and fairly emotionless, but now he seemed to struggle to withhold his outward hostility towards the Bevnonsians; as his dark eyes fell on each new soldier, they would narrow marginally before Raxiel corrected himself with some effort to become impassive again.

As they got inside the hover-cars, Dorene's focus continued to be on Raxiel but Tessa let her eyes wander. When they approached the chrome palace, Tessa's violet eyes widened a little in interest. Keene may have disliked the place but Tessa harbored no such feelings. Even if she was not a fan of the empire, Tessa appreciated the view. Plus, she couldn't help but feel a slight thrill at being accepted into the enemy's headquarters - as if she was getting to see what so many in her army had tried to.

Tessa glanced over at Keene then, noting his expression with a slight smile. The dark-haired man was endlessly interesting and Tessa was particularly curious to see just how he would react in front of the Bevnonsian emperor.
 
Keene was noticeably tense when they finally entered the palace grounds and were allowed to exit the hover-car. He didn't look around. He had seen this place too many times before to be impressed by it and he'd been surrounded by one too many guards and led down these extravagantly decorated halls too often to even need an escort anymore. He knew his way by heart and he despised the path he walked now, leading deeper into the palace, away from personal things like rooms, kitchens, dining halls, libraries, gardens and such. No, now they entered halls that contained war rooms and armory, council chambers, strategy rooms, training areas. They didn't stop at any of these, however, going further until the halls became scarce of people, darker and they all stopped outside a large metal door.

The captain produced a key, unlocking the hulking thing and as it opened, Keene bristled just slightly before he controlled his reaction and instead looked back at Tessa, knowing what he was about to say applied to her more than the other two. "This room cuts off all sources of power inside a person. Like a collar." He whispered the words, apparently not wanting to be overheard and then looked ahead again as they were led into the room.

It was large and looked for all the world like a throne room - only modernized. There was a high-backed chair on the far side of the room and four guards stood around it, armed to the teeth and looking deadly. The man who sat in the chair had to be in his fifties, graying and sallow-eyed. He had a predominate frown on his face and he didn't look at all happy to see Keene. The feeling was mutual as the hybrid's jade green eyes darkened, hard enough to cut steel. He could feel his telepathy instantly cut off from him, could feel his power suppressed and he resisted the urge to shudder. He hated this room.

"So you return, Seer. Did you enjoy your little game?" It was more than clear that the emperor thought Keene's capture no more than a glorified prank and the hybrid's smile contained barely controlled anger as he moved forward, away from the guards - who made sure Raxiel, Tessa and Dorene did not follow the male - knowing they wouldn't stop him as of yet. "Oh, of course. It was like a vacation. You really underestimate the hospitality of your enemies."

"You will hold the sarcasm, Seer, or I will have you drugged to the point where you can't speak at all! Do not forget who keeps your visions from killing you, who keeps your little addiction well-supplied." the emperor snarled back and the silence that ran through the room was deafening.

And then Keene started to laugh. It was hollow and dark, and it made the guards shift nervously even as the emperor looked angered, but above all things he looked confused. The hybrid shook his head. His smile was clearly mocking as he inclined his head slightly. "As you wish."

Hey, there was no sarcasm in his voice. There was just clear laughter and complete disrespect.
 
Last edited:
As they left the hover-cars and entered the palace, Tessa looked around with some interest before directing her gaze forwards again. She was normally not one to be very impressed by such things but even she could not deny the magnificence of the structure. When they stopped outside of the large door though, Tessa felt a wave of unease and Keene's words only confirmed it. She hated not having her power; even if her power wasn't a particularly strong one, Tessa still considered it her primary weapon and no longer having access to it bothered her.

As they entered the room, Tessa felt her power being smothered and she briefly glanced down at her arm, instinctively trying to tap into her abilities. The tendril under her arm didn't frost though, and it had even stopped glowing entirely. The sight made Tessa uncomfortable and she forced her gaze back up as Keene walked away from them and towards the emperor.

Of the three, Raxiel seemed bothered the most by far. He tensed immediately upon seeing the emperor and his hand twitched, as if itching to transform. It was one thing not to kill enemy soldiers, but an enemy leader - THE enemy leader - was another thing entirely. Raxiel was trying desperately hard not to snap but it was becoming more and more apparent that they were running on limited time before the android lost control.

As Tessa listened to the conversation between Keene and the emperor, she frowned slightly with concern. She was no stranger to smarting off to authority, but even she was a little surprised by Keene's boldness. The man had promised to get them off the planet intact, but now Tessa was starting to doubt that. Keene didn't have his foresight here and it was becoming very clear that the emperor already wasn't a fan of the dark-haired male, which made everything just that much more dangerous.
 
"Are you quite finished?"

The emperor's tone said he was clearly at the end of his patience, but Keene showed no concern, looking thoughtful, even so far as to glance up at the ceiling and making a humming noise before he looked back at the ruler and shrugged. "Maybe. I suppose that depends on you."

The older man's eyes narrowed. "Remember what happened to you the last time you tried my patience, Seer."

"Oh, you mean bringing me here and letting your guards beat the s*** out of me? Yes, I am quite concerned about a repeat of that, I assure you." The hybrid stood his ground, his stance completely confident, not intimidated in the slightest and there was a look in his green eyes that said he knew something he wasn't telling, something VERY important and he was just waiting to reveal it.

The emperor seemed to grit his teeth. The older man knew he walked a fine balance with Keene. On one hand, he needed the Seer's visions but on the other hand he had to keep the cocky hybrid in line, exert his authority and control over the black-haired male. It had worked in the past...which was why he was slightly puzzled as to why it wasn't working now. Threats were usually enough and when they weren't, carrying them out were. Hmm, perhaps this was just the hybrid's way of trying to stay proud even though he knew he needed the emperor. It had been, what, nearly five or six days since he'd had the drug in his system? Yes, the ruler could use that... He waved his hand as if dismissing this whole entire conversation, as if he was being benevolent in not making Keene pay for his insolence.

"Enough. Tell me what you learned, Seer. Or better yet, who you've brought back."

The emperor looked toward the three surrounded by his guards and Keene didn't even glance back when he answered. "The white-haired one is Carontessa, the red-head is Dorene and the android who'd like to put a few bullets in your chest is Raxiel. I wouldn't upset him." The guards looked a bit alarmed by that comment and they kept a closer eye on Raxiel, but they'd not been given orders to apprehend him or draw weapons so they didn't, but they were definitely more aware of him.

"And their purpose here?"

"Sightseeing."

The ruler looked like he wanted nothing more than to strangle Keene in that moment. "If you cooperate, Seer, you'll be given what you want. Test me and it will be withheld."

Keene's brows rose into his hairline and he scoffed. "Just what do you think I want from YOU that I couldn't get with but a few words?"

"You need the drug."

The hybrid smirked and the anger bubbled up in his gut, the loathing and frustration of years rose to boil through his blood. And this time he didn't need to reign it in. He knew he didn't. He didn't have to act anymore and he was going to enjoy this. His smile could have frozen magma. "Actually...I don't. You have no control over me. You were a fool to think you ever did. YOU are the puppet, not I. Or did you actually think you could break me to your will?"

The emperor didn't look impressed, though, he did look slightly jarred by Keene's attitude. This had never happened before. "You're lying."

Keene shook his head, amusement playing across his face and somehow, that was much more deadly than even his anger. He didn't honor that accusation with a proper response. "Do you honestly think they keep me as compliant as I make you believe? That after nearly two hundred years I haven't learned to live without them? No, pathetic ruler, your have no hold over me but that which I make you think you have. I am far above your influence. I am Worlds' Bane." Keene's dark jade eyes glittered with fire and finally, the older man looked uncertain, almost scared really as he'd paled drastically at the name the hybrid had dropped into the tense room. It was not a name most people wanted to hear and it was usually spoken in hushed terms. It wasn't a good thing, but Keene owned it without flinching.

"You can't tame me."

The emperor spoke again, defiant, trying to gain some handle on the situation again. "You can't do anything in here. Your powers are cut off." Even as he said the words, the older man looked slightly nervous and Keene's smug expression clearly said the emperor had right to be.

"I don't need them."

The ruler stared at Keene for a long moment, truly uncertain now and the hybrid merely held his eyes steadily, his own piercing and still holding that secret, that glimmer of something important, something he'd still not revealed. Perhaps it was that knowledge - and really, what could Keene reveal that was more shocking than the fact that he was Worlds' Bane? - that decided the proud ruler as the older man finally seemed to give in slightly, wary.

"What do you want?"
 
Last edited:
Tessa wasn't really one to get nervous but even she was starting to become concerned as Keene continued to smart off to the emperor. The hybrid had played his cards wisely in the past and Tessa had some inclination to believe Keene had the situation under control, but another part of her worried that the male was simply becoming too cocky to realize what he was doing.

Especially when Keene introduced the three and openly pointed out Raxiel's urge to kill the emperor, did Tessa really start to believe Keene was out of his mind. Why would he admit that? Raxiel himself didn't respond to the guards' increased awareness; his dark eyes were locked on the emperor, unwavering since they had entered the room.

As Keene was making it increasingly apparent that he was openly defying the emperor, it was all Tessa could do to keep quiet.

What the f*** is he doing...? Is he an idiot? What does he hope to accomplish?

All of Tessa's belligerent thoughts were dropped however, when Keene revealed his name. Her violet eyes widened and darted to Keene then, seeming to search the man.

Worlds' Bane...?

Tessa was shocked, and yet skeptical at the same time. Keene was mysterious, dangerous, and definitely something of interest - but was he really the one who destroyed worlds and civilizations? While Tessa was unsure what to make of the news, Dorene had paled considerably. She glanced between Keene and the emperor then, uncertain of which to be more fearful of.
 
"Now see, that's the question you should have gotten to sooner." Keene smiled again, but there was nothing friendly in the expression as he started to walk, not toward the emperor but to the table to the side of the room. Various materials were there; techno-pads, hoverpens, things used for taking notes during meetings. No weapons whatsoever, so he wasn't hindered in his actions as the hybrid picked up one of the hoverpens and twirled it between his fingers, leaning back against the table in a relaxed position. He seemed to be watching the moving writing instrument in his hand and nothing else.

"Much as I don't like you, you're not a horrible ruler, Emperor. Prideful, stiff-necked until completely beaten down and cynical, but you sincerely try to do right by your people and I can respect that."

"You have an odd way of showing it, Seer." the ruler spat back, glaring and Keene looked up, his dark green eyes holding clear warning and his voice was soft. It was very clear who was in charge of the conversation right now as the older man grew quiet again. "If I didn't think as much, I wouldn't be speaking to you in any way right now. I'd replace you in the blink of an eye, just like I did to the last army I dealt with." He returned his attention back to the hoverpen.

"Fortunately for you, I am fairly certain you want to live AND want what is best for your people, so listen carefully. In a month you're going to be contacted by the enemy's Galactic General. He's going to be young, but don't let that dissuade you. His plan for peace is going to be fair and you're going to accept it without any underhand moves or plans."

The emperor glowered, though, there was some interest in his eyes and it was clear he'd been listening closely. "And if I refuse?"

Keene didn't look up, shrugging nonchalantly. "Then I'll come back here and replace you with someone who won't refuse. You aren't my only option, Emperor, but I am doing you the courtesy of letting you be my first."

There was silence in the room, a baited silence in which Keene didn't speak again, didn't look up, didn't move. And he wasn't at all surprised when the emperor seemed to give a silent signal and Dorene and Tessa were suddenly grabbed, weapons placed to their heads. The ruler started to speak, clearly trying to create some kind of ultimatum or deal, but before he could get one word out, before even Raxiel could move, two projectiles were flying with lightning speed across the room, one right after the other.

The first hoverpen went through the hand of the guard holding Dorene and he gave a sharp cry of pain, releasing her, and the second pen went into the neck of the one holding Tessa. That man dropped, gurgling blood and the hybrid suddenly turned thunderous, stalking forward with rage even as he threw a techno-pad with deadly precision, knocking into Raxiel's arm with enough force to make his aim slightly off, sending his shot just past the emperor. The man jumped out of his chair and the guards in the room migrated quickly to him, leaving the four on their own as they surrounded their rulers.

Keene seethed with a lethal fury - and the odd part was that while he'd been angry before, it had been seeing Tessa grabbed...heck, Dorene, too, that had raised this level of rage in him - and he'd put himself between the three and the soldiers, effectively blocking Raxiel's aim and showing a clear protectiveness toward the small group. His voice was a snarl.

"Let's try this again."
 
  • Like
Reactions: khetawolf
Tessa still hadn't been sure if she entirely believed if the moody, dark-haired male in front of them was really the Worlds' Bane but judging by the emperor's reaction, at least one person was taking the claim seriously. If the emperor of all people was now cautious around Keene, Tessa couldn't deny that perhaps the idea wasn't so crazy after all. Still, when Keene continued to lay out the terms of what he wanted, Tessa watched the emperor's reaction closely. She couldn't imagine men like him dealt with losing authority well and even as she was grabbed, Tessa was startled but not entirely surprised.

Dorene squeaked softly as the soldier grabbed her and Tessa instinctively tried to tap into her power with no avail. Less than a second later though, both guards were effectively dispatched of thanks to Keene's projectiles. Without hesitation, Raxiel's arm shifted quickly into a gun and he raised it to meet the emperor before the techno-pad knocked into it and threw the intended bullet off course. Raxiel's eyes darted to Keene then, filled with a frustration that was uncharacteristically strong for him.

As Keene settled in between the three and the soldiers, Dorene huddled closer to the others while Tessa took a step forward and growled, glaring daggers at the soldiers and the emperor. She didn't pass Keene though, and she didn't interrupt him. Even with Keene's foresight, Tessa knew the situation was delicate and without access to her power, Tessa was wary of taking chances and possibly endangering them further.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back