Chapter 32 #2
"Of course, with my body here and the mass it has, there's nothing they can do to pry you out of my ship." She stuck her chin in the air. "Woe be it to anyone who would dare try." The ship around us rattled as if she were getting worked up just with the thought.
I knew that at the moment, especially with Violet vying for a place in my life, Lily actually needed her confidence bolstered, and she needed clear purpose. Lily was not one to be idle or even to consider the idea.
"If Lily's on defense, then I can take offense," Violet said proudly.
I looked through the group again, and all of them began nodding at their assignments.
"Alright then, let's get going." I stood up, and Pip pounced on top of my head.
"Pip, pip?"
It almost felt like he was asking ‘Does Pip have a job?’
“You’ll stick with me. Isn't that right, buddy?" I offered.
"Pip, pip." He gave his usual answer, and I let that be answer enough.
Melgara, however, pouted that she was losing the opportunity to study a little leviton. She bit her lip so hard, I thought it was about to bleed.
"Later. I'm sure once we're space-worthy again, there'll be plenty of time. After all, none of us will want to be planet-bound for so long again after this," I promised Melgara.
The group chuckled, but there was little mirth in it. No, we were probably all feeling the same. Being stuck as we were was not how any of us planned this to go.
"It would be best if I stay moving," Melgara agreed.
"There's always a risk if I'm idle for long," Lily commented.
"I think it's best that after this, I take the fight to them," Tiri said.
Brick only shrugged.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the large grogax. I had a good idea of what was going through his head, especially as he snuck a glance at Tiri out of the corner of his eye again.
"Onward," I said, getting up from the table and starting to move.
Pip gave his cheer. "Pip, pip."
Everyone sprang into action. Brick and Tiri headed towards the workers, and Melgara pulled out a tablet before wandering to what supplies we had in the cargo bay.
"They are our enemy, but we should do our best to preserve life," Violet said, hurrying to catch up with me. The decking below her warbled as she ran.
Beside her, Lily grimaced and cast a quick glance in my direction.
"What?" Violet caught Lily's expression.
I decided it was a chance for me to step into their continuing conflict, or at least to show that I wasn't going to be idle in it.
"Lily has feelings about what you said, but she doesn't want to risk getting in a fight with you.
Honestly, I'd consider that a significant improvement.
" I smiled at Lily and nodded. "I can't ask for you two to always get along, but I certainly can be happy when you make the effort.
" I leaned over and gave Lily a short but full kiss on the lips.
A big smile spread on Lily's face. In fact, it was a little dopey, far from what I usually saw from the helivore.
Perhaps being firm with both of them had, in its own way, improved our relationship.
I supposed direction would always be far better than letting her languish in the unknown.
I'd have to think about that later. Lily was obsessed with me.
It made sense that she'd go along with whatever I asked of her, but there would always be a sense of doubt in her unless I was the one actually controlling the direction.
I came out of my thoughts to see a pouting kikai on my other side.
"Everything okay?" I asked Violet with a raised eyebrow.
"It's fine," she said, in the way that almost assuredly meant that it wasn't.
"I will always endeavor to protect life," Violet said, as if offended that I was potentially pushing her otherwise, but I shook my head.
"No, I don't want you to change. Instead, I simply think you and Lily could balance each other out in a very solid way."
Violet frowned at my words.
"The captain has a point," Lily instead perked up. "While you might be quite careful with life, I'll be the first to admit that besides the captain, other people's lives aren't that important to me."
Violet still seemed unsure.
"Either way, we're going. I'm sure the two of you will work it out.
" I could see the two being good not only for me but for each other.
Lily wasn't so much bloodthirsty as she was uncaring when it came to other people's lives.
Her world just had a very narrow focus, of which I happened to be at the very center.
***
"Well, it wasn't too hard to figure out where he lived," Violet said, staring up at the colossal mansion before us.
"Less security than I expected." Lily crossed her arms. No one had come out to question our presence or greet us.
We stood just outside the gate, staring up at the very white building on the hilltop.
I had expected guards to come running and drive us away, but besides a few watching us from the safety of their windows, no one seemed particularly interested in stopping us.
"Well, we might as well invite ourselves in," Lily said, cracking her knuckles and walking right up to the front gate.
When it didn't open and no one moved, she put two hands gently on the gate and applied considerable force, the metal groaning under her strength.
She grinned as I watched, and the lock snapped under her strength.
Those in the gate house ducked under their desks and didn’t come back up. It was like they were told to hide.
"Good work." I shot her the smile I knew she craved and continued through the opening, with Violet close on my heels.
"Why does someone even need a place this large?" Violet asked, staring at it strangely.
"Didn’t your master not have a massive mansion?" I asked.
"It was simpler than this." She waved a hand at the monstrosity before us. It was palatial, all in decorative white stone, chiseled within an inch of its life. It was as if he had told the crafters that there was no such thing as too much decoration placed upon these stones.
To top it off, the window muntins were gold, as were the drapes pulled closed on many of them.
It was gaudy and garish in a way that only the rich ever seemed quite capable of producing. Healthy wasn't the first word who came to mind when I thought of such expressions.
As we strolled through the gate, several guards decided that ignoring it might not be in their best interest and seemed to shove two junior guards out to stop us.
"Halt," the two said, and Lily began to raise a hand.
I had no idea what was going to happen after that, but I didn't need to ask. Violet shot forward so fast that she was a blur, her unlit beam saber slapping into the back of their skulls, dropping them to the ground in short order.
“We probably should have asked them where Perez is," I commented, and Violet tilted her head.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, if they're going to be so casual about our presence, then that also means that they're not looking over their shoulders. The boss is gone," I pointed out.
"Oh," Violet said, with understanding.
"His lack of presence won't change anything, will it?" Lily asked.
I shook my head. "It'll be a lot less satisfying."
Both of them nodded, and Lily looked a little miffed. I wondered what she’d had in mind for him.
"Violet, you're free to incapacitate anyone you so wish." I gestured ahead of us.
The one guard house now had its blinds dropped, and the door thunked with a deadbolt. Apparently, the two guards who came to greet us were the sacrifices, and the rest of them weren’t even going to challenge us. This was highly irregular.
"Thank you." Violet bowed and shot Lily a harsh glare. "These people are innocent.”
“As innocent as you can be while guarding someone committing atrocities from receiving their recompense,” Lily grumbled.
“Lily has a point.” I smiled at Violet. "But needless bloodshed is, well, needless. We can handle ourselves well enough that a few idiots aren't going to make a difference."
Lily could only grunt and accept my statement. Otherwise, she'd have to say that these people were troublesome enough that she couldn't take care of them easily, and despite being so alien, oftentimes Lily's pride was actually one of the most predictable parts about her.