Chapter 19: Cogs

Kirrik moved with deft swiftness as he summoned his Kanushin and wrapped the vibrant red chain around a glass on the counter. He flicked his wrist sideways, yanking the glass into the Valnaken's pistol. It fired a solar bolt past Kirrik's ear and into the ceiling above, a sizzle ringing from the newly-made scorch mark. The Valneken gave Kirrik a quick and pitiful look of surprise before Kirrik punched it right in the middle eye stalk. 

The attack caused the entire room to break out into chaos. The rest of the Valnaken's group rushed forward, chunking tables and chairs aside as they charged toward Kirrik. He counted twelve, maybe thirteen. Lonow, the Ixr bartender he had been catching up with, dropped everything and moved backwards toward the exit. Fights were a common occurrence in Terric's Treasures.

A chair flew across the room and into the group, taking three of the crew out. Imi moved quickly, slinking up behind the others and sweeping a leg across to knock down another two. To Kirrik's surprise, Diah and Zaius jumped into the fray as well. Diah tossed what looked like a trio of purple daggers, sticking one of the assailants into the wall, while Zaius launched himself into a spinning kick into a group of three. Adrenaline flowed through Kirrik. It was one thing to have a partner by his side and another entirely to have a team. He summoned his Kanushin back, stepping forward and smashing it into the chest of two more members. Imi kicked another in the head, leaving the last standing in the middle of the bar. Kirrik shot his chain forward and snaked it around him, constricting it tightly and reeling him in.

"I'm feeling merciful," Kirrik warned, "so tell your friends that if I ever see them again, they'll end up being food for the rockworms. Got it?"

"Got it," the Bachi member uttered before Kirrik whacked him on the side of the head with the butt of his pistol. He crumpled to the floor in an unconscious pile.

Imi, Diah and Zaius made their way over to Kirrik, but he noticed the Kunar had somehow slipped out the door.

"Where's the contact?" Kirrik asked warily.

"He said he wasn't joining us," Imi informed him. "He gave us his data and decided to make use of the distraction, I guess."

Kirrik shook his head. The whole thing sounded like a blatant attempt at a trap. He learned long ago to trust Imi's judgment, however, and she seemed to be okay with it all.

"We need to head to the factory Nox told us about earlier," Diah said. "Balakus told us that the Kunar Regime is using the Reclaiments to work on some kind of secret weapon."

Balakus was a name that sounded familiar to Kirrik, but he couldn't place from where. It didn't seem to ring any bells with Imi, at least not that she showed, so it was most likely from the period before he met her. That time was all a troubling, violent and sometimes passionate blur in his memories. Old emotional wounds that had long scarred over threatened to open up again. 

"He also told us about an attack on the High Prime, Kirrik," Zaius added.

Kirrik's attention piqued at the mention of the High Prime. If Balakus was really on their side and wanted to help, then the High Prime would pay good money to whoever stopped an attack on their lives.

'Maybe even enough to retire on,' Kirrik thought. Images of a lone cabin in a green meadow settled in his mind. He subconsciously rubbed the necklace hidden under his shirt. Kirrik had been searching for something as well, and Lonow told him that all signs pointed to Flightline. If it was true and everything went in his favor, he'd never have to hunt again. 

______________________________

Sky watched with thinly-veiled enjoyment as Nox pressed her wrench down against the bolt holding the Nova's repaired engine bracket. Her hands laid across her lap as she sat cross-legged and observed the young mechanic work. She paid close attention to the way the muscles in Nox's arms rippled as she tightened the bolt further. Nox pulled the wrench off and wiped the sweat off of her brow with a hefty breath. The silence between them had been long and awkward for a while.

"What are you going to work on next?" Sky asked, craving some form of conversation.

Nox ran her hands across the side of the Nova's paneling. Tiny yellow particles, almost unnoticeable even to Sky's cybernetically-enhanced vision, drifted in and out of the crevices of the armored plates. Nox seemed to be listening to the ship. 

"There was a ton of damage to the shield stabilizers," She answered without looking at Sky. "That should be the last thing that needs to be fixed up. Outside of that, I think adding some counter-weight on the back end will help the maneuvering. Foil on the wings will take a bit of pressure off of atmospheric entry. Not to mention a better power layout to reroute the distribution to the cannons."

"You can tell all of that just by staring at it?" Sky inquired, curious to see how much Nox would willingly share. 

The mechanic hesitated. "A little more than that. It's like I can hear it?"

Sky hopped up with the joy of a child. She knew there was something different about Nox that drew her attention. Sky could feel a tingle in the circuitry of her arm and face, like the smallest bit of electricity surged through it. Finally, she had found someone else that could understand her love of machines that wasn't just another member of her species. She ran towards Nox, startling her as she grabbed her hands.

"You're a technopath!" Sky exclaimed as she jumped up and down with glee. 

Nox's eyes went wide as Sky moved in closer. Green flecks, like a splash of dusted emeralds across the pools of gold in her irises, danced in the Elontran light. Sky felt another electric shock run up her body as a cloud of yellow particles encircled her and returned back to Nox. The vision in her left eye flickered for a millisecond and she stepped back in surprise. 

"Did you just scan me?" Sky asked in flustered embarrassment. She felt oddly exposed.

"No, No, I… I'm so sorry," Nox stuttered with her hands raised. "I totally didn't mean to do that. I can't fully control it. My Kanushin tends to have a mind of its own."

Nox ran her hands across her hair, ruffling her bun. It bobbed as she shook her head in frustration then whipped around to escape the increasingly painful situation. She tripped over her toolbox, clattering to the floor amidst a pool of silver and bronze. Sky moved to help her up, but Nox was quick to grab a wrench and roll under the Nova. A sense of guilt took over Sky for what happened. She didn't mean to react negatively, especially since she found Nox's Kanushin fascinating, though she had to admit the lack of control caught her off-guard. She wasn't sure what all Nox could see and it gave her a sense of vulnerability that she never had before, even as a performer. She pressed her back against the Nova and slid down to where Nox had rolled. 

"Sorry for the mess," Sky uttered softly. "I didn't mean to make you panic. I love tech and the fact that you can talk to it is just so cool."

She lifted her hands in front of her. Beneath her blue skin, she could feel the pulses of electricity running through the implanted circuitry. The tiny network that made up most of her cybernetics ran through almost all of her body, a silver weave of near-invisible strings that someone would only see if they were close enough. Modifying her body brought her comfort, as it did with most Uvari. It gave her a sense of control. A clang echoed behind her and Nox's hand popped out from the side.

"Can you hand me the plasma solder?" Nox asked sheepishly. "There's a crack in the undercarriage."

Sky shuffled through the tools at her feet, found the solder and slid it into Nox's hand. It disappeared back under the ship. There was a loud pop and the sound of melting Zanathum, then a pause. A heated breeze drifted up Sky's back.

"I didn't mean to scan you," Nox said. "I mean it. I didn't see anything past your outer circuit layer either, if you're worried. You have a… very nice one."

Sky blushed at the comment.

"Mapping things out, seeing tech that I can fix, it helps me." Nox added. "I feel like life makes sense when it's broken down into parts and pieces."

"I can understand that," Sky laughed. "I feel the same sometimes. Blueprints and manuals and data makes the world go round. Why here, though? It seems like nothing but dirt and junk."

Nox rolled out from under the Nova, fresh oil smeared across her face. She pulled a soiled rag out of one of her jumper's pockets and dabbed at the fluid. Sky looked down amongst the tools and spotted another one, slightly cleaner, and tossed it toward the mechanic. Nox smiled and thanked her in return.

"It's not so bad here in Elontra," Nox answered. "Sure we have to deal with the occasional rough-natured customer or two, but I've learned to hold my own. Besides, there's not really anywhere else I can or want to go to."

Sky studied Nox's face. There was a solemn look across it and her eyes radiated pain. Whatever got her in Bugu's care wasn't good, and Sky contemplated if it was even worth trying to delve into at the moment. She saw a lot of herself in Nox - the caretaker situation, hiding behind her work, the fear of leaving for something new - and it sparked a thought in her mind.

"I was scared to leave Tovarro," She started. "It was my home for a long time. Zaius and I had a great guy taking care of us. It was still hard, though. I never knew how long I had to stay in that space, or if the people I tried my hardest to entertain would one day be the death of me. That kind of fear settled deep, but eventually I came to ignore it. It was just noise in the background. Dancing kept me going, and it was the only time I really felt free. I felt like I could fly. Then I lost my home, my father figure, and my sense of normalcy. The only things I have now are my family and a hope that I'll find my own way, my own place."

She felt tears form in the corners of her eyes. It was helpful to vent to Diah before, but Nox gave her a different sense of comfort. Their similarities made it easier to pour her heart out and know that, at least somewhere deep down, Nox would understand and connect with her emotionally. She stared up at the giant yellow disc lights hanging from the cavernous ceiling above. They reminded her of the lights of the Underside, just hued differently. The same ones that she would would go onto the rooftop of the Atometry and stare at like stars in a night sky. The same ones she would make wishes on every night. She made another one.

"I left home in search of something bigger: myself," Sky continued. She looked down and locked eyes with Nox, lost in her golden pools once again. "I'm so frightened, but excited, because I know everything I do and every decision I make now is for me and by me. I can't tell you to leave your life behind, especially knowing you still have Bugu here, but I do want you to consider joining us when we leave. You need to know what the galaxy has to offer you before you can really decide if there's nowhere else you would rather be. Come explore with us. With me."

Nox turned bright red and wiped her face with the towel, as if covering her shyness. "You're very forward, especially for someone who just dropped in from the outside and crashed in my backyard."

"I didn't mean to put you in an awkward position," Sky shuffled her feet. "Just wanted to lay the offer on the table."

"I don't mind," Nox said. "It's different, but welcome. I'll think about it, but on one condition."

"What's that?" Sky inquired.

"Can we leave Kirrik here?"

———————————————————

"Can we just leave him here?" Diah asked Imi quietly as she pointed her thumb back toward Kirrik. The hunter was leaned over the edge of the dense copper-colored dune, eyes pressed against a tiny pair of binoculars. Imi gave a playful shrug in response while Zaius leaned in.

"Couldn't you use your eyes to zoom in?" He questioned. "Or do you not have that kind of optic capability?"

"I could," Imi answered, "but that's not as fun as watching him struggle."

Kirrik dropped down and made his way toward the group. He ran a finger across the side of the binoculars, projecting a recording above them for the others to see. It highlighted the factory buildings on the other side of the dunes in different colors. One, layered in a dark blue, showed a cloud of thermal smoke erupting from the side.

"That's the only building out here that's still operating," Kirrik explained, swiping it closer. The view expanded to show the outside of the factory in full detail. A singular door, about twelve feet high, rested in the middle of a circular courtyard covered with sand. Four rectangular windows, barricaded from the inside, sat in pairs on the left and right ends. Behind the factory and weaving through the building itself was a track for the supply train, just like the schematics Nox had originally shown the group. Something about the whole thing seemed overwhelmingly suspicious. 

"If there are Kunar in there, then they're most likely prepared and on the defensive," Kirrik suggested to the group. "If we're not careful, I think the situation could go south fast."

"That doesn't make sense, Kirrik," Imi retorted. "Look at the surveillance you just got. There's no sign of any armies, no fighter ships, no transports or anything to that effect. Analyzing the situation, I'd be surprised if there's even a ghost crew in there. If we strike now, we have more than a fighting chance."

"I'm good with a fighting chance," Zaius piped in from the side. "We've made it this far."

Diah played with the ends of her hair and reflected on the layout. One way in with no real exits. A clear lack of support or any signs of military presence. It gave off the most mundane vibe, but surely that was part of the plan from the Kunar's perspective. She thought back to the moment she was kidnapped and the quiet setup of the construction yard. The Kunar were great at keeping their presence masked, physically and politically.

"I still don't trust it," Diah put forth with a shake of the head. "If the factory is supposed to be overrun with Reclaiments like Nox said, then we'd surely see something come in or out at this point. It's too quiet. They should be swarming us right now."

"Especially because we're loose ends," Kirrik added, pointing his finger across the group. "If there's anything we've learned so far, it's that they don't tolerate that. I think we split up and cover more ground."

"That just dilutes the power we have as a group," Imi argued. "I get where you're coming from, but that just seems like we're asking for trouble. It makes us vulnerable."

"To be fair," Zaius said, "I don't think that they'd honestly expect us to come right through the front door. It seems too bold from a tactical standpoint. These Reclaiments are military, right? The first thing they would do is expect us to come in from different angles. Is the front door dangerous? Yes, but not as much as splitting up could be."

"Can we go in then immediately split up inside? Zaius and I to the left end, you and Kirrik to the right?" Diah offered to Imi.

Imi stared off for a moment then snapped back to the group. "That's tactically sound in my mind."

"Then we shut up and get in there," Kirrik grumbled. "You three act like we're playing iconoball here. At the end of the day, split up or in a group, I know I can take whatever they throw at me."

Kirrik withdrew his pistol from the holster and spun it in his hand, clicking the safety as he did. He leapt over the dune, rolling down with Imi close behind. Diah still felt a tug in her stomach, like the whole thing was another trap waiting to be sprung.

'Where's your spine?' The disembodied voice of her mother echoed. 'Don't let them get the best of you twice.'

"You okay?" Zaius asked in concern. "I got you."

Diah nodded. "Same."

They briefly touched foreheads, then Diah rolled over the edge of the dune. The sand grated against her leggings. It was harsher than what she was used to, a rougher yellow and orange type of mineral that refused to move or absorb her movement. 

'Great way to start,' She muttered internally. 'I'm going to have to deal with all these scratches by the time we get back.'

Kirrik led the charge through the courtyard, spinning wildly as he checked angles and windows. Imi stayed with him, her back against his as she seemed to be looking for anything he might have missed. Diah kept an ear out for sudden noise or movement. It helped her dodge the Reclaiment's attacks in the past, and she was sure it would come in handy again. Zaius had already started charging his gauntlets, and the low hum rose behind her to a solid whir. Kirrik smashed his shoulder into the door, breaking it open and taking aim. The rest followed, forming a circle and bracing for a fight.

The factory was empty. Machinery chugged against the walls and walkways, processing what looked like Zanathum into small containers ready for transport. A whining sound erupted occasionally from a machine that stacked the containers into wider crates. Red, yellow, and blue lights glazed the roof and walls in multi-colored swirls. The area seemed untouched by physical hands for at least a few days. Diah was confused and could tell by their expressions the others were as well.

Light clapping grabbed her attention from one of the balconies above. As she looked straight up towards it, the lights passed by a metallic purple mask with an unusually alien smile. Its eyes were solid white and round, bestial in nature and obviously meant to be imposing from a distance. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at the figure's full body as it emerged from the shadows. 

"Oh joy!" The masked figure said in a high-pitched, nasally voice. "The gang is here and ready to rumble. I'll admit, I wasn't expecting you all to be so brash and come in the door, guns blazing. It saves us precious time, though. We can spend the energy we would have used looking for you to just murder you instead!"

The figure let out an unhinged laugh then jumped down to the walkway right above Diah. He was a Kunar, most likely a Reclaiment or higher ranking, judging from his armor. His smaller build was unusual, but he looked to be more limber than the Kunar she had dealt before. Something about him sent a chill into the air. 

"Wait!" The figure screeched, spinning around. "Where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself. I definitely want you to die knowing it was by my glorious hand. Rhessian is the name."

He took an extravagant bow then waved his hand back to the group. "And behind door number one is -"

The four turned toward the open door as a resounding crash caught their attention. The ground below Diah cracked and spread, pushed apart by the sheer force of impact. She tried to balance herself and looked toward the cause, a massive Kunar in chained silver armor. He was at least seven or eight times her size and far bigger than any Kunar she could have ever thought existed.

"Welcome to the celebration, Rhug! We're so happy you joined us," Rhessian gushed. "But don't forget about our special partner-in-crime!"

"Hey there, cowboy!" A familiar and seductive voice sang from the other end of the balcony. Kirrik let out a string of curses and Imi a huff. Diah felt Zaius shudder slightly behind her. The voice giggled. Electric blue hair whipped back as the red Ixr stepped across the walkway toward Rhessian, her own solar pistol ready and aimed at Kirrik. The staccato clink of her boots somehow seemed louder than the factory machines. 

"I missed you," Areshia purred.