-Lua Sanctuary, Hangar Bay, Vuko’s Scimitar-
<04/2 DR, 19:28>
A few hours have passed since the official briefing, and most of the remnant have gone to rest, in order to prepare for the fight ahead of them. Yet some decide to spend that time... differently. One of those others is Vuko.
His scimitar was bathing in the cold lights of the hangar, darkness leaking out from above the open ramp, awaiting someone.
Muro:
Muro wandered back into the hangar, the heavy sound of his Hydroid's footsteps bouncing off the walls. He had just returned from a workout in the gym, followed by a quick shower. It seemed to him that most everyone else in the sanctuary had gone to prepare for the oncoming mission in their own way. However, Muro wasn't here for that kind of mission prep. That could wait. He quickly scanned the line of landing craft in the hangar, looking for a certain craft. His target, a Scimitar with colors reminiscent of a sunset on Earth, was docked a fair distance away. Seeing it amongst the sea of other landing crafts, ranging from bright to pitch black, he strode in that direction, passing his own aqua-toned Liset on the way. Upon arriving at the craft, he went to the doorway, noticing the ramp into the craft was open. Reaching out, he knocked on the metal doorframe, calling to the inside of the craft.
"Vuko? You in here?" He wondered if he had taken too long getting here. "Hey, you didn't start without me did you?"
Vuko:
- “Come in!” - A familiar voice pierces through the veil of darkness, welcoming Muro.
~As the Hydroid enters the landing craft everything is dimly lit, making it almost impossible the notice anything other than a calm tangerine light emitted from a hologram screen where normally the navigational display is located. Right in front of the light source there is a pilot’s seat in which Vuko is sitting in, browsing something on the screen.~
Vuko:
“You know, I said half an hour, not half a day.” - He comments on his friends arrival, not bothering to stand up or even turn around to the greet the guest. Vuko then swipes the screen to the right, making it fade away. - “Ide, lights.” - He exclaims seemingly into nowhere, and immediately as the words are spoken, the inside of the ship lightens up.
~The darkness broken has revealed the rest of the room, showing off the hue of blacks and greys contrasted by what used to be pearl whites, but with the passage of time have turned dull, fading either slightly yellow or grey. Topping the palette of colors are peach metallics, detailings and lights, breathing a spark of life into the otherwise stoic and modernistic design. The inside of the ship is vastly different than a standard Scimitar, instead of a nav console with a kneeling pad there is a pilot’s chair with a complete set of controls ranging from thrust throttle to axis rotation. In place of the codex stand there is a straight wall magnetically holding up a set of weapons, next to which Vuko’s Ivara is standing, locked into the adjacent wall. What usually is the market console is a rotating seat for a potential co-pilot mixed with espionage equipment. All these changes do not look like they were replacements, but were fit into the ship from the beginning. The aesthetic of the entire cockpit does not differ much from the usual minimalistic tenno style, yet the hand of an Orokin designer can be seen in some of the details.~
Muro:
Muro sighs resignedly, his head drooping a bit in a show of remorse. "I know, I know, and I'm sorry about that." He moves towards the co-pilot chair, resting one hand on its back without sitting. "I meant to be here sooner, but I wound up running into Lekalis on my way here. We ended up talking for a bit, so I guess I just lost track of time." He laughed nervously, realizing this was a poor excuse. Looking around the ship, he couldn't help but remark on the level of customization.
"You know, no matter how many times I've been in here, I can never get over how much detail they put into your ship. Most of the special stuff I have in mine was added after it was finished, and it doesn't look nearly as flashy as yours."
Vuko:
- “That’s what killing tens of thousands of people used to get you during the reign of the Empire.” - He responds to the awe in a voice resembling that of a worn-out canvas, remorse partially faded with the passage of time resonating within it. At the same time the tone in which he said ‘the Empire’ implying a certain level of respect for the now long-gone Orokin. - “Plus, I did trash my previous craft beyond any repair.” - Vuko adds as he is getting out of the pilots seat, an awkward smile on his face as he tries to loosen up the tension that he created with the previous sentence, without much success.
After standing up completely, he notices that Muro is within his Hydroid, and eyes him. - “Oh come on. It’s just the two of us. Drop the facade.” - He tells him in a slightly condescending voice, as he goes towards the back of the aforementioned wall of weaponry. From what looks like a hidden compartment he takes out a glass carafe of Ostron design filled with a clear, mahogany liquid. Alongside the bottle he takes out two short, cylindrical glasses with a thick bottom.
Muro:
He scoffed a little at Vuko's response."Heh, I almost forgot how they prioritized things like that back then. Not a whole lot of glory for those who were supposed to keep people from dying, I suppose." He leaned back against the wall, reminiscing. "Right, I remember hearing about that whole ordeal back then. Was that one of the assignments you and Kuve had?" Truth be told, he had not had the chance to work with her terribly often, as their general roles were so different. He turned his head towards Vuko, not understanding for a moment. "Oh! right, right." Moving his frame into a seated position on the floor, Muro transferred out, standing up to his full, rather diminutive height.
~Muro, for once was not clad in his normal Zariman suit. Rather, he was clad in a loose, plaintive pair of blue pants and a light, silvery long-sleeved shirt that extended past his hips, worn open.~
Muro eyed the carafe with interest. "Nice, secret compartment." Just then he recognized the liquid within. "Wait, we had that in Cetus right? When did you get it?"
Vuko:
When Muro transferred out of his frame, Vuko handed him one of the glasses, and filled it to about a third of its capacity with the liquid. - “Yeah, the Pluto job... My old liset got shot down during extraction because Kuve attracted too much attention, but I wouldn’t ask her about that. She will just blame it all on me and get offended for questioning her skills.” - He chuckles during the sentence as he reminisces about the times passed, while at the same time he pours himself the same amount of the drink.
- “Yes. Yes we did. I got this fine bottle of daku liquor sometime between when you were freaking out about the kubrow puppies and tried to adopt half of them, even though they were on sale and when you were arguing with the Corpus representative that his belief in profit does not, in fact, make sense.” - Vuko tries to contain himself from laughing while remembering what Muro had done when they were in Cetus. - “I’m guessing your memories of that trip aren’t that fond?” - He teases his friend while barely containing himself.
After calming down and putting the carafe on a nearby counter, he raises his glass a bit wanting to bump glasses in order to raise a toast. - “To a successful mission!” - He exclaims in a cheerful voice, before taking a sip of the drink.
Muro:
Muro graciously accepts the glass, chuckling at Vuko's story. "Sounds like her. Kinda hard not to draw attention with that Mirage she always uses though." Muro moved to a more comfortable, cross-legged position on the floor, spurning the chair behind him. He made an indignant face at Vuko's teasing.
"Alright, first off," He began, pointing a single finger with his free hand towards the ceiling, before dramatically pointing at Vuko. "Those puppies were adorable, and I didn't have any more credits on me." He leaned back slightly, gazing upwards. "Besides, you know how my Cephalon is. She doesn't like having animals on board." He said wearily. He tilted his head back downwards, redirecting his gaze to Vuko. "Secondly, bars aren't usually the kinds of places I would end up back in the old days, so I didn't really know what to do. I was only talking with that corpus because I thought it would be fun. It’s just..." Muro fidgeted with the glass in his hand, seemingly embarrassed. "I get a little carried away sometimes, you know? It isn't my fault that their idea of profit is so short sighted." Muro huffed, recalling the arrogant way the Corpus had spoken to him.
Muro's expression then softened a bit, while he reflected on the trip as a whole. "No, I wouldn't say the trip was bad or anything. Just a little overwhelming in some ways." He laughed a little at the irony. Here he was, a kid who was perfectly fine being shot at by dozens of heavily armed combatants simultaneously, and a loud social situation was putting him off his balance. Noting Vuko's offer of toast, he leaned forward, clinking his glass against Vuko's. "To a successful mission." He said, more quietly. He put the glass up to his lips, taking only the smallest sip before his face shriveled up in disgust. "Blech." He looked downward towards the dark liquid, his face contorting in revulsion. " I still don't get why you like this stuff so much." upon saying that, a thought that had been nagging Muro since the trip resurfaced with a vengeance. Adopting a more neutral, albeit curious expression, Muro looked up from his drink toward Vuko. "Hey, speaking of not understanding something, could you explain something to me? What exactly happened between you and that Loki we were with today?" His head tilted sideways , trying to remember his name. "You know, umm.... Strider, I think? I know how you act when you're mad, and something's obviously bugging you about him, so what is it?" Muro leaned farther forward intently, cradling the now largely forgotten drink in his hands, waiting eagerly to hear the tale.
Vuko:
He chuckles at Muro’s remark of Kuve using the flashiest of warframes, despite being a stealth operative. He follows in his friends steps and sits down on the floor with one leg lying straight and the other bent in the knee, foot close to him. - “That’s why I took you there, we longer have him breathing down our necks, so you’ve got to learn to live. Besides, I’m pretty sure you reached the legal drinking age sometime over the past couple hundred years.” - He says with a cheeky smile on his face, as he takes a sip of the drink.
When Muro speaks of the Loki, the smile is immediately wiped off of Vuko’s face, replaced by a somewhat unpleasant grimace. - “I have my suspicions about him. I’m not a hundred percent sure he is who I think he is, but... if I am right...” - He says in a worried voice and once again drinks the liquor, this time taking a big gulp, emptying the glass. - “I guess it’s time I told you the story of me and the Loki...” - He takes a deep breath, and begins the tale.
- “I will spare you the unnecessary details that lead me to making such decisions, you just need to know that I was struggling with a lot of hard questions and where I stand on them. Well, I still am, but that’s besides the point. It all started with a simple assignment of eliminating a rebel cell.”
- “The task proved much harder than anticipated, all thanks to a Loki, who stepped in as I was halfway done eliminating the targets. He is, or rather was, one of the few people who could take me head on.”
Muro:
Muro paused for a moment, connecting the dots of the story. Vuko's worried tone was off-putting, to say the least. As far as Muro could remember, the only people that could stand a chance against Vuko on their own were Mata, and perhaps some of the other Veiled Tenno. Still, there were some things he was confused about. "This was a job from the old days, wasn't it? Sure sounds like the kind of work they had you do." His eyes widened, understanding what Vuko was implying. "Oh, so you think the Loki from back then and this Strider guy are the same person?" Muro shrugged, not understanding what was bothering him so much about this. "If you aren't sure, why not just ask him? I spent most of that trip following him around and he seemed like a good guy. A little weird, sure, but that's kind of normal for us, isn't it? Besides, even if he is the same Tenno from back then, then that just means we have another powerhouse on our side!" He gestured grandly with one hand, excited at the prospect of having such a powerful ally. He stopped the gesture halfway through, returning to a calmer, more concerned stance. Vuko wasn't the type to get this concerned about anything, much less one person, so there was probably a good reason for it. "There's... more to this, isn't there?" He asked, quietly.
Vuko:
- “I can’t ask him... if only it was that simple.” - He chuckles sarcastically. - “You’ll understand once I finish the story. And yes it was... quite a long time ago. Back when those cells started to spiral out of control.” - Vuko takes a moments to rest and recall the rest of the tale.
- “After the first encounter I kept bumping into him time and time again. We fought. A lot. Every time I had anything to do with the rebels he was there. Their guardian angel.” - He takes the bottle and pours himself more liquor, this time a full glass. - “For over a year I hadn’t successfully completed a single task concerning the rebellion. Always because of him. When I look back at it now, it makes more sense than it did then.” - He takes a sip of the drink and takes a few seconds to rest. - “He was trying to teach me a lesson. A lesson about the empire, and how rotten it was. He kept showing me what they stand for, their morals, their goals, and most importantly their passion to make the system a better place.... And it worked. I started doubting. Questioning. But there were no answers.”
"Wow. I, I never knew." Muro sat there, awed by Vuko's story. Thinking back, even when this must have been going on, Vuko never said anything about it. Still, something bothered him. "If this was going on, why didn't you tell me? I'm sure the two of us could have handled this guy, whoever he was." Muro himself was rarely called on for assignments of this sort, as he was more often used to hold defensive positions and act as a bodyguard/monitor for high-priority individuals, usually chosen by Ballas. As a result, he never had the occasion to deal with the rebel element in the Orokin empire, at least not in a direct combat situation. Muro's expression darkened when Vuko mentioned his doubts and questions, all too familiar concerns bubbling to the surface of his own mind. However, he said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
Vuko:
- “I... didn’t want help. I wasn’t fooling myself with the idea that I could defeat him without any help, nevertheless, I kept coming up with excuses as to why I needed to handle this myself. All that, because deep down I knew he was right.” - He admits to Muro, as well as to himself, as over the years he came to truly understand what was happening then. - “Over the next few months he burrowed himself into my mind even deeper. Not literally of course, I mean his ideals.” - He frantically waved his free hand as if he actually wanted to blow away any weird theories about mind control or anything similar. - “We started talking. In secret of course. His words, reasoning, it all was just. I believed in everything he said, it was like I finally opened my eyes to all the horrific things that I was doing. It made me mad at the Empire. It made me want to...” - Vuko takes a moment to finish the sentence, almost like it pains him to actually finish what he was saying. - “...want to join him.”
Muro:
As Vuko spun his story, Muro could almost feel a vice gripping his own heart. What Vuko was suggesting was treason, pure and simple. Knowing that, it wasn't at all surprising to Muro that he kept quiet about it. Ballas was known to them for many things, but kindness and understanding were not among them.
"I don't know what to say Vuko. That's... kind of a lot to take in."
At the moment, Muro's own mind was spinning through his own memories; a garishly colored procession of cruelty and indulgence. How many atrocities had he seen the Orokin elite endorse, or carry out themselves? How many servants ordered to be brutally murdered for the most insignificant error? He knew well the corruption of the empire, but rebellion never even occurred to him as a possibility. After all, they still had Margulis, and even Muro could deduce what would happen to her if her "children" rebelled. What's more, Muro still had his de facto family in the Remnant. Then and now, he couldn't bring himself to put them at risk, even if it meant ignoring the suffering of millions more. Amidst this cascade of memories, certain past events began to resurface, illuminated by this new information. He turned his questioning back to Vuko, his tone conveying disbelief.
"Wait, was this why you left the rest of us when we were recalled to Lua? Did Kuve know about all of this? Why would you tell her and not me?"
Vuko:
- “I didn’t want to burden you. I was confused myself. Didn’t know what the right choice was anymore.” - He tried explaining his actions, but his arguments were lackluster at best, almost like Vuko didn’t believe in what he was saying. - “As to Kuve… well… she was in the thick of it from the very beginning. There really isn’t anything we talk about. I hope you understand.” - As the Tenno finished trying to excuse himself, he pointed his head downwards, as if in shame, and began to twirl the liquid inside the glass by delicately shaking it in a circular motion.
Silence ensued, as Vuko let the information sink in, while he continued to play with the liquor. After a minute or two, with the intent of breaking the silence, he took a sip of the alcohol, and went on to talk about the past. - “Going back to what you are here for. The story. Well… I went ahead with it. I was planning my defection. I tried to convince Kuve to go with me, but she refused time and time again. The idea of leaving the family scared me, but I saw no other choice… zaraza… it all felt like I was in a nightmare, no real control, no choice, I could only run forward. So I did.” - His voice started growing in desperation, as if he was reliving it all over again.
- ”It was supposed to be our last meeting like this. Mine and Lekalis’. We were polishing up on some details on how to make sure the Empire couldn’t track my ship once I went dark. I have no idea how, I covered my tracks perfectly, made sure absolutely no one knew about this, did everything to make sure I wasn’t followed, but Sigyn found out about it. There was an ambush. More than 20 Dax Soldiers. I thought I was done for. In all the scenarios that rushed through my head in none I came out of it in one piece. If I tried fighting back I would have been instantly gunned down. If I gave up Ballas would have made an example out of me, made my life worse than any hell I could imagine. I really though my life was over.” - His speech was picking up pace as he went along with it, Vuko getting visually nervous as he neared the conclusion. - “Then what seemed like impossible happened. All of the soldiers went after Lekalis. Restrained him. Took him. But not even a single one approached me. I had no clue what was happening. Until she approached me. I will never forget what happened next. As the Dax were dragging him away, Sigyn came up to me, winked, and said: ‘Good job on infiltrating the rebels. I’m sure Ballas will be pleased to hear about the results.’ And then she left like nothing had ever happened. I was awestruck. I did not know what to do next. For the first time in my life I was truly lost.”
Muro:
At this point, Muro didn't know what to feel. Looking back, he remembered nothing of these events, nor the cover up that Sigyn apparently orchestrated. Just how out of the loop was he? How could he be so blind to the turmoil that had engulfed someone he saw as his brother? As Vuko recounted his story, Muro considered the other actors here. How much did they really know about all this? He had long since considered Kuve's motives to be unknowable to him, but did Sigyn really put herself on the line for Vuko? Muro doubted that Ballas would have allowed such a thing, even under the guise of an undercover op. Muro's jaw was set. Where was he in all this? His eyes burned slightly as he choked out an apology.
"Vuko, I... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't be there when you needed help." Muro bowed his head towards the floor, unable to meet Vuko's gaze.
Vuko:
- “Don’t apologize. I could have told you about back then, and I didn’t. You had enough problems yourself.” - He finishes the sentence with a loud ‘sigh’, lifting a stone off his chest. - “I’m telling you all this because you deserve to know. - He takes the a sip of liquor, leaving the glass at a third full. - “And to clarify, this is not common knowledge. The only people that know about it are the involved parties, which is Sigyn and Lekalis plus Kuve. Not even Mata knows about this, and I would like it to stay that way.” - Vuko puts the glass on the floor next to him, stands up and goes over to the pilot seat and puts his hands on the back of said seat, and goes on to talk, with his back facing Muro. - “Enough about my struggles. Those are mine, and for me to face alone. We need to focus about here and now.” - He turns back around to look at his brother, now leaning against the seat.
- “This brings me to the second reason I’m telling you this, my concern about the Loki. From what I told you it would seem like he should be an ally, but after his capture... something changed. I longer had any missions with rebels, and I was tasked with more espionage instead. Ballas had me follow around some Dax soldier, I can’t really bother to remember his name but it was something about him committing treason... But that’s besides the point. It bugged me that I was put on the sidelines, especially with all news about Lekalis being covered in layers of red tape, and security clearance so high I’m pretty sure only executors could access it. So I started digging. What I found was... concerning. To say the least. I found out that there apparently was someone else who took my spot in destroying rebel outposts. My mind boggled with the idea who could be more fitting than me, so I decided to contact some rebel sources. From them I found out that apparently there was a crazed Loki out and about, who once was allied with the rebellion but now is eliminating them with deadly efficiency. That’s when I put two and two together. I heard rumours of what can happen to rogue Tenno. The Empire would break them. Piece by piece. Both physically and mentally...” - He takes a deep breath and continues. - “That’s what I suspect happened to him. I think they broke him. He might not even know who he is anymore.”
-“That is why I don’t trust this Loki that joined us. If my concerns are accurate and that is him, we have no idea whose side he is on. And if he won’t turn on us simply because some kind of trigger goes off.” - He finishes the sentence with a worried tone
Muro:
Muro lifted his head slightly, watching Vuko as he stood and changed position. It surprised him that Mata himself didn't know of this, as their apparent leader. He did remember that there was a point where he started seeing Vuko much more often. In fact, the job he described involving the Dax soldier was indeed very similar to what Muro himself was often tasked to do. While he was relieved to see Vuko around, he remembered even then that Vuko was all in all a poor fit for those kinds of assignments, which was what got him jobs out on the fringes of the system in the first place. Amidst this reminiscence, Muro's heart sank as Vuko explained his theory of what happened to this worthy opponent. They both knew all too well what would happen to rogue Tenno. As it stood they were too valuable an asset to the empire to simply be destroyed. No, it would be better to torment them, break the mere children that opposed them until they would start following orders. Muro clenched his fists in rage.
"Damn them... So you're saying that Lekalis is a ticking time bomb? If he manages to snap back to what he used to be, there's no way of knowing what he'll do, right?" Muro's laced his fingers together and brought them against his forehead, racking his brain to try and figure a way to solve this. From what he saw, the Loki he met was a good person, as far as he could tell. Maybe a little strange, but from everything Vuko had told him so far, it was justifiable.
"I... I don't want him hurt, if we can help it. You two seemed to have some kind of understanding back then, so maybe, if the time comes, you can try and talk sense into him." It wasn't much of an idea, but it was all Muro had. "If we can make him understand that version of him understand that we aren't his enemies and we had nothing to do with what happened to him, maybe that will at least stop him from trying to kill us outright." His tone was skeptical, but still somewhat hopeful.
Vuko:
- “I’m pretty sure talking won’t help. We could try it however. For the sake of your peace of mind.” - He takes a deep breath, as if to prepare Muro for the worse. - “But I need you to be ready. Be ready to help me take him down when the time comes. I can’t do it by myself.” - Vuko takes a few steps forward, placing himself in front of Muro, takes a knee, and place his hands on his shoulders. - “Can I count on you?”
Muro:
Muro laughed, just a singular, coarse guffaw. "Always." He didn't relish the idea of turning his weapons on an ally, but if it came to it, Muro was more than ready to defend family. Muro would have continued, but suddenly a familiar voice filled the cabin, making use of the speaker within Muro's Hydroid.
Aurelia:
"Muro, I've finished with the Orbiter purge. You can come back now, if you'd like. However, If you don't mind, I have a few things I want you to..." At this moment, the voice pauses, seemingly realizing where their operator was, as well as their current company. "Ah, Vuko, darling! It's been eons! How have you been? How's your socially stunted Cephalon?" Her voice was cheerful, talking as if they were all meeting over tea. Muro blushed slightly, embarrassed by his Cephalon's general lack of tact.
Muro:
"Aurelia! Read the room, will ya?" Muro said, visibly flustered "And I thought I told you not to talk through my Warframe like that! It creeps people out!" He turned back towards Vuko, a mixture of embarrassment and irritation on his face. "Well, if she's coming after me, I should probably get going. Just let me know when you're ready to talk to him." In a brief moment, Muro transferred back into his frame and began to head for the exit. Before he reached it, however, he paused, turning towards Vuko once again. "To be honest, I think getting all this out in the open will be good for all of us."
Ide:
Unexpectedly, a passive-aggressive voice starts ringing throughout the ship, in response to what came out of Muro’s warframe. - “I’M FINE. AND WHAT DO YOU CARE ALL OF THE SUDDEN. HMPH.” - The cephalon says accusingly.
Vuko:
- “Ide, what’s gotten into you! First you don’t want to talk to me at all, and now you’re shouting at Aurelia?! She at least is being kind and supportive!” - He responds to his cephalon. - “I’m fine Aurelia, thank you for asking.”
Ide:
“OH! So it’s all my fault now?! And how dare you compare that bitch to me?!” - She shouts back to the Tenno. - “HOW DARE YOU JUST LEAVE FOR HALF A MILLENNIUM IN SOME DUSTY OLD HANGAR LIKE I’M A DISPOSABLE OBJECT!!” - The screaming of the cephalon making the entire scimitar tremble. - “AND ON TOP OF THAT YOU RAN OFF WITH THAT PINK HAIRED BIMBO!!!”
Vuko:
- “DON’T YOU DARE TALK LIKE THAT ABOUT KUVE! NOT NOW. NOT EVER. OR I SWEAR TO THE VOID I WILL CRASH YOUR IDIOTIC CEPHALON BRAIN INTO THE SUN!” - He continues the screaming competition. Vuko turns on his feet towards Muro, steam fuming from his nostrils. - “Khkhkm. Now would be the perfect time to go.” - He says in the calmest way he can, which right now sounds kinda aggressive.
Aurelia:
Through hijacking Muro's speakers for a moment, Aurelia managed a courteous-sounding response.
"A pleasure as always, Ide dear. Glad to see you haven't lost a step in all these years."
Muro:
From within his frame, Muro wasn't sure if Aurelia was being sincere or not. Being honest, he was never any good at telling when she was spewing decency or veiled derision. Regardless, he knew he had to stop her before she went too far. He was good at shrugging off her snide comments, but he had a feeling Ide wouldn't be as accommodating. "Aurelia, can you stop poking her please? I think you've done enough." The only response he received was a satisfied "hmph." It would have to do.
Aurelia:
'There he goes again', she thought to herself, 'assuming the worst of me.' At least Vuko still had some manners, a fact she greatly appreciated. that satisfaction began to melt away however, as the the shouting match between Vuko and his Cephalon heated up. Both Muro and Aurelia could only linger there, enraptured as the two of them screamed at each other with unexpected fury. As Vuko gave them the calmest sign she thought he could manage that they should leave, Aurelia whispered to Muro, her voice losing some of its own cool confidence.
"He may be right, Muro. We should probably leave. Now would be good."
Muro:
Muro could only nod mutely to Aurelia's suggestion, giving Vuko a slight bow before walking quickly out of the ship. Whatever was going to happen next, he was sure he wanted nothing to do with it. As he gained more distance from the Scimitar, which, upon looking back, he swore he could see heat waves emanating from, his stride slowed, his feet leading him back to his own Liset. Thinking back for a moment, he remember what brought Aurelia to the party in the first place.
"So, uh, you said you had stuff you wanted me to get for home?" He could almost feel the conversational whiplash Aurelia was experiencing with that question, but he needed to get the awkward burden of what they just left off his shoulders.
Aurelia:
Still slightly-off balance by that awkward social situation, Muro's sudden question was rather jarring. Within a moment or two, she managed to compose herself.
"Yes, actually. It's a just a few things. That Cetus place I've read about seems like it has some interesting décor that could help the bearer parts of the Orbiter while I get the plants that died replaced. Speaking of that, there are few plant species that I don't currently have the seeds for that I simply must have for the planters near the Transference room. They're mostly on Earth, so they should be easy enough for you to find later on."
Muro:
Muro nodded along to her list. Ever the perfectionist, not that he didn't appreciate the results. Aurelia paused for a moment, a rare occurrence for her once she had gotten into one of her diatribes.
Aurelia:
"You know, essentially having to redo all the work I had done to make that Orbiter look presentable seems to be a small price to pay for getting to, in essence sleep through those centuries while you were out. What I'm trying to say is... Thank you."
Muro:
"Oh. Um, you're welcome, I guess. Well, might as well get started on those errands. Send me the coordinates for the first location, if you would." Muro heard what sounded like Aurelia clearing her throat, before donning a more professional, yet happy tone.
Aurelia:
"Of course, Operator. The first set of coordinates have been uploaded to the Liset. Best of luck."
[End RP]