Chapter Text
The entire ship shook, quaking and groaning, its hull hammered by a fresh salvo of screaming battery fire. On the bridge, red combat lighting washed every hint of colour from the stately room's artful decor. Where frescoed ceilings of natural valleys and floral patterned tiles once graced, only empty voids and haunting shades of crimson remained. The war had gone terribly, this battle even more so.
Trapped and utterly alone, the ship, its crew, and its captain found themselves surrounded. Awaiting their collective fate with bated breath they knew the end was here for all of them. Be it by the titanic weapons of their enemies or the blades of their boarding parties, their assailants would surely show no mercy. The Infinities’ Thorn had served its crew and captain well, living on beyond the shackles of its service into an era of golden freedom amongst the stars. But this? This was the end. For humanity was upon them.
Her Majesty, Mollina Voidgazer, Queen of the Coral Nebula Corsairs cursed under her breath. She reached instinctively for the blade at her hip, finding some dry modicum of comfort in the feel of having a weapon in her hand. She sighed and resigned herself to look upon the holotable once more. To see the glistening figments of ships painted there in empty space for all to see. Telling her only what she already knew: that she had played her last card and drawn the final lot. That everyone else was gone. The Grand Rose was a drifting hulk, the Horizon’s Root was cleaved in twain and all their support vessels were turned to dust. One ship left against what felt to be countless.
All along it had been an even fight, but never a fair one. Her opponent, Grand Admiral Jennifer Palace had seen to that. Mollina looked forward, past the projection of her predicament and out through the void-hardened glass that separated her from the cold death of space. From where she stood, the stars glimmered as brightly this day as they had any other, all of them paying no mind to the dust and folly that orbits them so. Maybe the heavens did indeed give her comfort once. But now, it seems they held only horrors.
This silent moment of reflection ended when another rumble came from beyond the bridge's blast doors. Too loud to be debris, too quiet to be a cannon blast. Her best guess: a boarding party had breached a nearby corridor. The bridge doors were sealed as soon as the enemy ships closed ranks but this mattered little. Mollina knew her enemy well and if the will of her sailors and might of her guns could not stop them, then a few inches of starbone would prove little if any resistance.
Almost immediately the guttural yells of void marines echoed from beyond. The pale red light reflecting off the bridge doors became pierced by the blinding cerulean arcs of plasma cutters, its crackling energy carving a narrow path.
“This is it!” Mollina spoke aloud, the dutiful crew still tending to their stations. Tension filled the air as the cutters traced a large oval in the blast door’s centre. Finishing their work in short order only silence and a faint glow of still-smouldering starbone remained. The smell of it hung thick in the air, assaulting Mollinas eyes and nose. She held her composure with the same iron grip as the blade on her belt—unwavering, unfaltering.
Choking back the acrid taste of the air and blinking out the scolding tears she readied herself. If she were to go down with her ship this day, the least she could do is drag as many of these monsters with her as she could. She drew her sapphire blade as it thrummed with energies unseen. The most important fight of her life was about to begin.
With a hefty clunk and the sounds of yelling, the edges of the hole began to glow. It was a demolition charge. Mollina had barely a second to think before the debris plugging the blast doors were propelled towards her, its blurry mass surrounded on all sides by a gout of white flame, washing away the room's red light for just a moment.
Launching herself into the air, time almost seemed to slow. Flipping backwards over the chunk of debris as they slammed into the holotable she had been standing in front of just moments ago. She hung in the air a moment, eyes open and taking in the beauty of her masterfully crafted bridge one last time as the white fire faded and her world fell once more to darkness and crimson. She landed upon the smouldering ruins of her holotable, sapphire blade in hand and levelled at the hole. Looking upon the breach that no intruder had yet dared step from she yelled with stony and certain command:
“I am Captain Mollina Voidgazer, Queen of the Coral Nebula Corsairs. My fate is certain, yours is not. Come test thy mettle and learn which of you will never see tomorrow." The universe itself paused for a moment as if the audience of stars at her back had finally turned their gaze towards her. The heavens were watching and Molina would not disappoint.
“I'll play your game, star elf.” From the shadows, into the breach stepped the familiar, foolhardy silhouette of Grand Admiral Palace. The power armoured terran drew her blade, familiar to Mollina in its form and emerald colour. Mollina’s teeth ground together as she held back a vicious, hate-filled snarl. She swallowed the venom gathering in her throat and managed to speak once more in her voice of firmest command.
“Terran, you dare wield my sister's blade at all? Let alone in my presence!?” Holding on with all her will, her hatred finally outstripped her composure; she allowed her nose to wrinkle and voice to raise into a frenzied bark. “Y-You curr! You Scoundrel! You… You... HUMAN!” Mollina broke and dashed for her opponent as the admiral stayed put, blade raised and ready to d—
“OI! PACK IT UP LADS!”
The two very human, very startled and slightly grimey women stood still as statues, arms raised in mock action poses. Shaken from their roleplay and giving their full attention to the intruder in their tent, they recognised the man more so from his clothes than his stern face and close shaved head. It was one of the many Stellar Marines hired by the company to keep everything running smoothly. Getting nothing from the startled occupants he cleared his throat and tried again. “Uh, It's curfew… Pack your shit and go back to your quarters, now.” Jenny, the taller of the two, opened her mouth to speak but was cut off before words had even formed in her throat.
“But it's only 8:22!” Molly tried to protest, desperate to finish her and Jenny's game. She was losing, sure. But she still enjoyed the pageantry and storytelling, wanting to draw out every bit of escapism she could before returning to her shitty existence. The marine unfortunately was not amused by this meagre resistance and his face showed it.
He stepped forward, body entirely within the tent now. Jenny shifted her position, placing herself between the marine and Molly. She couldn't stop Molly from saying stuff that would inevitably rub one of these corporate-sponsored thugs the wrong way but she was sure as stars going to take at least some of the beating for her.
“Yeah, and if you're still here at 8:30 you'll be in front of the magistrate. Now fuckin’ scram.” The marine turned around and left, not caring to reclose the tent flap behind him. The two friends looked at eachother, sighing in unison. Both of them were weary from work and weary from their lives in general as they started to pack things up.
These evenings were all they had nowadays, keeping each other sane by pretending to be someone or even somewhere else together. Carefully gathering together their small model ships and the scattering of rocks and moss they liked to use for scenery, Molly paused for a moment, her mouth twisting sadly.
“Why are they doing curfews Jenny?” Molly continued to look down, mourning silently that their game was cut short. Jenny thought for a moment, racking her brain for an explanation. She came up short and just had to wing it.
“Oh, uh… the company got tired of all the other agri techs getting drunk and showing up to morning shifts still buzzed. At least this way they'll have an extra hour and a half to sober up.” Jenny gave her most winning salesman smile, hoping that answer will sate her friends at times bottomless curiosity.
“Oh… yeah, that makes sense! It sucks they’re doing it to us too but I guess it's not fair to let us stay out later when everyone else is confined to quarters.” Jenny softly sighed in relief. Molly was a very talented woman with an excellent eye for detail. But, she had a tendency to obsess over things at times. She needed the world to be structured around some degree of logic, and if she couldn't get that need fulfilled she’d keep on guessing until she did. Obviously the world being what it was, this need was left unsated more often than not, and some things would just keep gnawing at her unless Jenny filled in the gaps.
Collecting their belongings into a rusting old synthcube tin, they started to head back towards town. Walking out they both squinted into the setting sun, lifting a hand to shade her eyes Molly piped up again “Do you think we’ll be able to afford those new ship prints next week? I think the program should work this time.” Jenny sighed, another uncomfortable lie. The file was perfectly good the first time. The assholes who ran the fabricator units just never bothered to print it. They talked about quotas and stock and tightening restrictions on resin but they decided to bring all this stuff up after Jenny had already handed over a month's worth of her drink tokens.
“Uhhh, yeah! Maybe. I'll check with Lou, make sure they have the bed space for it. Last I saw, every print run was packed with stuff for the new westward grove expansion.” Picking up the dirt trail from their tent towards the housing units, Jenny could only wonder what fresh hell was in store for them today. Walking down the long dirt lane, flanked on each side by sheet metal housing units meant only for temporary use, the two prepared to be assaulted with the usual sarcastic wolf whistles. Jenny almost couldn't blame them. Azure Hope was an agri-colony, and a dull one at that. Between the epic vistas and high proof alcohol, the two barely medicated trans women were the most interesting sights on this rock. Usually, it wouldn't be so bad, but with the commissary closed early, the path towards their quarters was busier than usual. In addition to this, the added prying eyes were clearly frustrated with the early closure of their watering hole.
“SHOW US YOUR TITS! OH WAIT! WHAT TITS!?” some drunk cackled from out of sight far behind, his words echoing around as others jeered on.
“Yeah, laugh it up assholes.'' Jenny murmured under her breath. Looking down to Molly who had her hands over her ears and was walking tall, eyes fixed on the entrance to their housing unit a little ways away. “Atta girl.” Jenny smirked and walked alongside her, looking left and right, sizing the people around her, making sure nobody tried to trip or confront them. Keeping themselves abeam, moving past potential threats instead of closing on them. Just a few steps further. They’d be inside and another wretched day will be over. They can sit and talk and maybe finish their game. Only a handful of ships left after all. They’ll just play on the floor like they used to, like the old times before all this. Jenny started to crack a smile, a real one.
It wasn't until a sharp pain struck her across the shoulder that she realised—lost in her nostalgia—that she’d let her guard down and some enterprising social climber had launched a hefty rock her way. Jenny whimpered and dropped to a knee, clutching her left arm tightly. Whimpering softly and trying not to cry, Jenny bit the corner of her mouth, letting the shooting pain quell a little before even trying to talk. "Molly, please get inside and lock the door." Her friend looked down at her worriedly, she wanted to stay but knew she didn't want to be around for whatever happens next.
“Uh, o-okay! Uh… you're bleeding…” Jenny lifted the hand clutching her shoulder and looked at it, her palm slick with sticky crimson.
“Thanks, I’ll get it checked out.” She smiled and nodded to her friend, letting her know it was ok to flee. Molly turned about face and ran, opening the door to their accommodation and slamming it shut, kicking up an orange-brown cloud of dust as she did.
Looking around her, Jenny reached for the rock, its surface is almost entirely rounded save for the jagged portion that hit her. “Figures,'' she muttered softly before standing up and looking around. She tried to find the most smug face in the onlooking crowd, desperate to label the little gift in her hand as return to sender.
That's when she saw it: two guys with three sets of legs who wouldn't stop looking over their shoulders, whispering to something, someone behind them. Jenny approached, rock in hand and jagged side out. The two gentlemen, more interested in a good story than their friends' safety, parted and went a ways away, leaving the mystery man on his own, his back against a housing unit wall and arms up to protect himself.
“H-hey man, it wasn't me I swear!” The gentleman, doubled over, was barely able to contain a chuckle as he spoke. Jenny approached closer, rock in hand. In her mind's eye she was Grand Admiral Jennifer Palace, in her hand she held the Emerald Razor and nothing would keep her from her vengeance.
In reality she was a reed and not a particularly spry one at that. She’d done this dance before and knew she’d end up in the dirt and worse for wear, but that was better than letting these people have free reign.
Her arm reached back in a heavily telegraphed strike. The man caught her wrist and countered easily enough with a blow to her jaw, the concussive force enough to send her sprawling. Reaching out for anything as she fell, she grabbed the edge of the man's jacket, pulling him down on top of her. Landing in a heap, his forearm smacked hard against her throat and squeezed it under his weight. Still holding onto her wrist, he started to slam it against the rough ground, hoping she'd drop the jagged rock. Her other arm free and her opponent distracted Jenny reached out, hand patting the dirt before finding something cold and hard. Adrenalin pumping, her fingers twitching as she gripped it. Not caring what it is, not desiring anything but the blood of the man above her, she went for it. A hoarse scream escaped her lips as she overstrained her injured shoulder. The mystery object headed directly for the side of his skull. The bastard wouldn't know what hit him.
At least, he wouldn’t have had a firm gloved hand not found her wrist mid-way through its arc. Startled, she looked up. First seeing in her hand what she had found, a twisted piece of angle iron just inches from the side of the man's head, and beyond that, a familiar, uniformed figure looked down at her with a wry smile.
“Out past curfew and starting fights? I think the magistrate will want a word, don't you?”
#
Jenny sighed, her hands holding the sides of the wooden chair she found herself sitting in, fingers feeling for the place where the lacquer ended and the raw wood began. The light distraction was enough to keep her from panicking. It had been a quick trip to medical for a bandage and some antibacterial gel, and now she was in the magistrates office, waiting for the least busy person on this rock to finally arrive. Jenny eyed the room around her, faux wooden fixtures and plastic plants in the corner. Even on an agri-world, humanity's green thumb was so out of practice they stuck to plants that couldn't die. But hey, there was the obligatory bowl of hard candies on the desk before her. So wasn’t that nice? Nobody had corroborated that the man she attacked or anyone else had thrown a rock at Jenny, and until they pulled the camera footage the only one on the hook for anything was her.
The door behind her opened. She could feel her heart pounding as soft footsteps traced the edge of the room before the magistrate came into view, sitting behind her large synthoak desk. “Mr… Miss Palace, Jenny, apologies. Only three of us girls on this rock and we don't interact all that often. But, I suppose that's a good thing. It means you and Miss Hope have been keeping your noses clean, at least until today.” The woman spoke in a soft yet condescending cadence. It was rehearsed of course, perfected as she climbed every rung of the corporate ladder. “But, whilst I have chosen to overlook past infractions, hair uniform code, trading your commissary tokens and misuse of company property—all of which I respected and understood as you attempting to meet your nonstandard needs as a former free citizen of Azure Hope. But, this does cross a line.” The woman cleared her throat softly, giving Jenny a moment to take it in.
“The new curfew is restrictive, but it is for your and everyone else's safety and will not be ignored. As for the fight, I am sorry you were injured by a piece of falling debris but taking such matters into your hands is not how we do things here. As for your escalating things against a co-worker with no evidence of wrongdoing? That, I'm afraid, will result in punitive measures.” Jenny went to speak but found the jumble of arguments and expletives swirling in her mind was lost on its way to her mouth—consumed by the same void that all her thoughts went into in these sorts of situations. Fighting in the dirt? She could do that. Slow, calm but difficult conversation with a person in a formal setting? Not on her life. “Am I understood, Miss Palace?”
“I… uh… yes. I understand,” Jenny managed to stammer out. She knew it wasn't fair but she couldn't help but be cowed. It had been like this since her late teens and would go on like this until, well, who knows? For all she knew, Agritek didn't even bother with a retirement plan. Organising workplace incidents for those who could no longer keep up would be much cheaper after all. But, she did her best to push that back out of her mind. The magistrate had continued talking whilst this train of thought played out in her head and she didn't want to miss anything important.
“...and so I have decided that I will be revoking your offtime privileges for the next month. You will be working extended shifts to make up for the loss in productivity incurred by your harming of morale as per standard company policy. Additionally you will be apologising formally to Mr Arrow for attacking him and you will be thanking Private Michales for preventing you from committing murder.” Shaking her head and sighing softly, the magistrate’s sterner features softened as she slipped a sheet of paper across the desk to Jenny. “I am, however, not unsympathetic to your plight. Rocks do not after all just fall out of the sky for no reason. Please fill out this incident report and I will personally ensure that whatever happened to your shoulder will be looked—” Both of their com units buzzed once and then again. In fact, every device in the room did at once. The magistrate picked hers up off the desk, eyeing it in some bemused disbelief “Oh, what? Oh for Terra's sake. Uhm, please take the paper and fill it out in your own time. I have to see to this.” The magistrate didn't even look up from the device as she shooed Jenny out of the room. Jenny got up, reaching for the paper and grabbed two candies before making her way out of the small admin complex.
In the short time since her com unit buzzed, it seemed some orders had gone out. The courtyard between the admin complex and the housing area was a hive of activity. Every single marine on station was running about, carrying weapons and equipment. Jenny, knowing better than to linger, kept out of the main thoroughfares and made her way towards the housing units. Letting herself inside, Jenny was greeted by the sight of a very worried Molly curled up on her bunk, knees tucked up under her chin. “Hey sweetie… Everything ok?” Jenny smiled and approached slowly, sitting gently on the edge of the thin mattress. The aged metal bed frame and the wall it was attached to creaked something fierce. Reaching over to her friend, Jenny swept a tangled, messy strand of dress code breaking length hair out of her friend's face.
“I'm fine. Just don't like seeing you hurt.” the girl murmured back, now pressing her face into her knees shyly. Jenny let out a huff in amusement. It warmed her how much Molly cared.
“Oh I'm fine. You should see the other guy. I kicked his ass!” She made a giggling snort and patted her friends back. "Now, what if I told you that if you uncurled from your little Molly-ball I have a present for you?” Jenny held out one of the hard sweets, its plastic wrapper glistening under the strip lights above.
“Deal!'' Molly reached for the thing, snatching it excitedly from Jenny's hand and stripping its wrapper with the same starved aggression the planet's avian species would strip a carcass of meat. Sitting up, Molly seemed a little better—or she was just happy to get some real food in her. Either way, Jenny sat next to Molly as she enjoyed her treat. It had been months since either of them had anything that wasn't synthcubes and well water. Jenny slipped the other candy into her pocket. As she did, she found the top edge of her com device, fingers releasing the sugary mosel into the oversized pouch and—pinching the top corner of the thin, flimsy device—she remembered the text that had gotten the marines and admin in a buzz. Extracting it from her work trousers. The device illuminated, and a message flashed up on screen.
[AoneaOnlinE!!!]: Testing, testing, calling all adorable cuties below! This is representative Aonea Lusaria She/They (3rd bloom, if you must know~ ;;D) of the Accarios calling! Please stand by for surface contact and do have a representative authorized to sign a surrender front and centre! As much as I’d love to meet you all in good time, there is a standard procedure to follow!
[AoneaOnlinE!!!]: Oh! And no weapons! I’d hate for any of you to get hurt! Ta for nowwwww!!!!
Jenny read it, and then again. Then a third time to really make sure before finally opening her mouth. “I think a messenger drone glitched. Or something else? It's weird whatever it is." Jenny shook her head in bemusement, turning off the device and placing it down on the bed. She rested next to a very happy Molly, laying back firmly against the shaped sheet metal wall and feeling the thin material flexing against her meagre weight.
“What if it's real?” Molly mused, a little red dye from the hard candy staining the edge of her mouth. Jenny laughed a little and used the corner of her sleeve to remove the errant redness from her lips.
“Yeah, Imagine if someone did come. Taking us away from here. That’d be nice.” Jenny began to let her tired mind wander as Molly leaned back next to her. Knees still up to her chest but more so in comfort than worry, resting her head on Jenny’s shoulder.
“Maybe it’s star elves, here to rescue me.” Looking down from the corner of her eye Jenny saw the girl’s smile was sweet but crooked, the pinching muscle in her cheek betraying her sincere sense of longing for something better.
“Well… you are their queen.” Jenny gave a half smile, resting her cheek atop her friend's head. Reaching out to hold her hand, squeezing it softly just to let her know she’s there. “They’d have to come for you eventually...” Her soft voice trailed off, and her eyes grew heavier by the moment. It had been a long day and a longer evening, sleep was finally calling them home and the two of them were so very happy to oblige.