"Lunae please-."
The girl banged her fists against the door, screaming at the visage of her partner as the lift descended deeper and deeper. Her efforts had already resulted in a pair of bleeding hands, causing Lila and Ivy to restrain Lunae as gently as they could. Despite their efforts, she persisted in her panic.
"It's because of me!" Lunae screamed, struggling to free herself. "I did this to her!"
"It's just who she is!" Lila argued. "Sonera just doesn't back down!"
"It's true." Ivy looked down begrudgingly. "We all know it."
Lunae shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks as she wailed. The very thought of Sonera risking her life out there, against her people no less, shook the girl to her core. No matter what reasonable things her family had to say, she felt responsible.
Just before her strength gave out, the lift came to a screeching halt, opening at the rear to reveal a comfortable lounge of alien design. Lila could hardly beleive what she saw, nearly releasing her grip on Lunae as she spun her head around. The last time she saw something spectacularly foreign was during her brief time within the Consortium artillery walker, back when Ivy was a chore to deal with.
"Guess Yrix didn't have time to mold this for humans." Ivy shrugged.
The heiress had her arms wrapped around Lunae's shoulders from behind, dragging her to the floor with relative ease. Still, she had to keep it as gentle as possible, as even the slightest pinch against Lunae's beautiful, soft skin caused Ivy to wince. Fortunately for her, Lunae wasn't exactly a raging bull when it came to her escape attempts.
"Let's just...rest here, Lunae." The heiress spoke softly, using her mechanical hand to caress the girl's chin.
Lunae huffed, her eyes fluttering with shame as she stared at her own feet. She would eventually give in, allowing Ivy to help her onto a tall red stool. By that time, Lila had already scampered off, climbing every peice of furniture she could find, no doubt enamored by their queer measurements.
"Bet this one's for a fatty huh?" Lila smiled as she climbed into a chair shaped almost like an overgrown bathtub, glancing at Lunae in an attempt to lighten her mood. "Maybe a Daregen."
Ivy squinted, tracing her fingers along the most human-oriented table she could find. "Yrix must have expected the usual company."
"Well, it kinda looks a bit...fancy?" Lila shrugged. "I don't know a thing about Consortium standards, but I'm pretty sure some of these bits here are made of gold."
Sure enough, the legs on each furnishing were of a tough shiny alloy, as even Ivy's sharp fingers could barely leave a scratch against their surface. More impressively, however, was the circular table at the center, featuring a series of ornate cabinets that extended down from the ceiling. It took Lila barely a minute to find beverages within, bringing them to Lunae with a sheepish grin.
"Tasty treats?"
Lunae continued to stare at the floor, this time admiring the golden patterns along the carpeted surface, each one depicting some sort of creature from a Consortium legend. Her mood soured further, however, the moment her eye caught a glimpse of a particular shape that resembled her people. It served only as a reminder of what was coming to hurt her beloved Sonera.
"Lila...that's alcohol." Ivy frowned, snatching a silver bottle out of the Earthing's hands. "See the blue? And the text?"
"I can't read alien." Lila shrugged.
"It's like...their version of tequila."
A rumble suddenly shook the bunker, followed by the chorus of thundering booms. The girls fell silent. Lunae then finally chimed in, realizing her family was just as scared as she was.
"Thank you, Lila. But I can't get drunk." She shrugged with a beautiful smile. "My body is simply too...well, I process things quickly."
"How so?" Lila inquired with a worried glance.
"Let's just say I don't have to use the bathroom like humans."
The Earthling jumped high. "I knew it! That was my first indication that you weren't human! Boom! Nailed it!"
"Lila." Ivy groaned, placing a palm to her face. "I never used the restroom either."
"Oh shit." Lila gritted her teeth. "Guess I didn't put two and two togethor."
As she spoke, the Earthling's hand drifted towards another bottle lying on the table, loosening its seal as sneakily as she could. Ivy caught on quickly, however, pinching her cheeks with haste. It took everything Lunae had to refrain from laughing in that moment, recalling the time she had found Lila drunk.
"Not a chance." Ivy glared.
"Awww." Lila sighed. "But like...alien booze."
Lunae smiled, tilting her head with that gorgeous look her family had grown accustomed to.
"Thank you..."
Her tail slithered across the floor, wrapping its way around Ivy's leg while her hands reached for Lila's palms. Lunae held them tightly, making her feelings known.
"No problemo." Lila saluted.
"Showoff," Ivy muttered under her breath, staring intently at her own leg. "Wish I had a tail."
- - - - - - - -
Sonera pressed her palms against her ears, gritting her teeth as a deafening sound filled the air.
"It's our anti-air." Yrix pointed to the north wall that bordered the Aerie, its topmost battlements alit with bright fire from every cannon. "We usually destroy at least 90% of their landing craft. Still, it won't be enough."
"How do you win?" Sonera whinced, trying not to let the endless noise get to her.
The Arch-Flayer reached out, grabbing a falling glass from the cafeteria table as the entire room continued to shake. "Outlast them. Like fighting a raging fire with nothing but the cold air."
"Where?"
"The courtyard. We stick close to the bunker, but far away enough to draw them off."
Sonera nodded, calling forth a radiant blade with her right hand. Despite her vulnerability, she seemed entirely unafraid. Yrix admired that in ways she couldn't possibly express.
There was a time, millennia ago, when the young Arch-Flayer was afraid of the Infestare. Back when the alien threat was new and foreign. During the naive days when the Consortium thought they would fall just as easily as all the rest.
And before the Emperor had become a rare sight.