"Well, this is awkward," Lila gave a toothy smile. "Ya'll didn't have to come, you know that, right?"
Her family simply stared. They had no reason to be separated any longer, and on the eve of their first training day, curiosity had taken over. Lila was the only one with a special learning course, after all.
"Friends of yours?" Serix leaned back on the Riven, hands on his belt. "Real peachy."
"Family, actually," Lila pointed towards the four girls before fixating on Ivy. "Oh, and this is my girlfriend Ivy."
He clocked that she was a machine with one look, the sort of intuition not even Yrix had. Though Ivy's jagged stare might have given it away.
That, and the glove she wore to cover her mechanical hand still in the process of re-growing its skin.
"Whoa," Serix gave a mocking bow, albeit with a tinge of admiration in his voice. "You did that? Good one, kid. Fancy."
"So you're the one she cares about," Sonera interjected before Ivy could growl, folding her mechanical arms over her chest as they clinked togethor.
Lunae was the only one hanging back by then, peering over the girls with her crook in hand. She was worried Serix would figure her out as well. Everything she could ascertain about the pilot with a Psionic probe convinced her as much.
"Yrix inspires loyalty, doesn't she," Serix sighed before shrugging. "Well, now at least I know Lila here is one of a kind. Come on kid, hop in."
Lila hid her excitement. She thought it would be somewhat insensitive. Then again, it was, given her species' relationship with the Consortium.
Ivy watched with skepticism in her eyes as Lila clambered in. She was already familiar with the Riven by then, fitting snuggly into her leather seat with a slight grin.
"Alright then," Serix hopped in without so much as scraping his legs against the side of the hull. "Can you start her up?"
Lila hadn't exactly studied the manual. But she knew what Serix was really asking. She was to borrow his experience with some Psionic trickery.
"Can I give you a life hack?" The pilot looked over his shoulder as Lila began to grimace. There were too many controls for her eyes to even keep track of. "Yrix told me that a shortcut to studying others is to fixate on what matters to you most, right here, right now."
Lila peered over her seat at the girls, who still stood a fair distance away from the Riven. Her gaze soon fixated on Ivy, and all the memories she had forged with her. One in particular stood out.
A memory not more than an hour old.
"What's Yrix getting at anyway?" Ivy's voice returned to her as if it had just left her silvery tongue. "I know you like planes and little gadgets from your history. But she's not the type to appease."
The past had become real space, submerging Lila in a pit of mist from the washroom. She was sitting on the mat with her knees curled up against her chest, staring up at Ivy as the heiress untied her pigtails from behind. Lila was naked then. And so was Ivy.
She'd never forget the first time she saw the heiress like that. Their first encounter was properly shrouded in the warm moisture of the room. But Ivy made sure to undress sooner rather than later on account of her new position.
That of willing submission.
To be frank, Ivy was showing off. She felt alive watching Lila blush uncontrollably as her pristine figure came into view. The Earthing's heart practically skipped a beat as her partner's dress slipped off her shoulders.
"Pervert," Ivy smiled, tilting her head to the side. "I know what you're thinking."
"Don't need a bond for that," Lila trembled. She was rather comfortable being seen naked herself by then. But Ivy's appearance was well beyond what she could reckon with. "Never d-did."
"Hmph," the heiress rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I enjoy you. You're lucky I enjoy this."
Somewhat of an understatement.
Ivy had little else to hold onto but the enjoyment of her partner. If she could even so much as get a glimpse of the sparkle in Lila's eyes, she was willing to sacrifice anything.
"I know it's not Lunae's," Ivy looked down at her chest. "But-."
"Sush, susherooni," Lila stepped forward. "No one cares. Boobs are boobs. And you girl," she stammered. "Are NOT lacking. I mean, look at me."
Ivy meant to quip back, but was cut short by her own gasp as Lila pressed her palms against the heiress's breasts before smashing them together with a quick little squeeze.
"Wowie," Lila exhaled. "I've...wanted to do that for a long time."
Ivy could feel the tips of her chest react. She was blushing then. Yet she could regret nothing."
"Lila," Ivy looked down as the Earthling got on her knees. "I-I...oh..."
Lila was inspecting her navel, poking at what appeared to be a cyan-colored gem embedded in her smooth stomach. Ivy's figure wasn't just perfect down there. Apparently, it was priceless.
"It's...well, a normal detector would tell you diamond, but," Ivy stammered as Lila began to press her lips against the studded gem. "It's a crystalline Dirax-bead. Even a milligram is enough for an FTL drive."
Lila didn't really get any of that. To be frank, she couldn't even comprehend how expensive that material would be. Her entire county wasn't even worth a tenth of a drive-core lens. All she really cared for was how beautiful it looked at the center of Ivy's round abs.
"H-hey!" Ivy braced herself on Lila's shoulders as the Earthling began to vigorously kiss the Dirax-bead. "Lila!"
Corporate assassins would kill a small nation for that material. And there she was, making love to it. Ivy found that intoxicating.
"I'm so lucky," Lila chuckled to herself with a little whimper. "Ivy, how did I even get here?"
"You earned it," Ivy helped the girl off her knees. "You earned me."
Back in reality, Serix watched in silent amazement as Lila began flicking the correct sequence of buttons. Clearly, she was in a trance of sorts. But it was working.
"Lila," Ivy fidgeted with her hands a little. "She could tell Lila was reminiscing."
Lunae had noticed she was blushing and snickered. It didn't take a Psion to notice which part of the memory Lila had reached. Her eyes said it all.
"I love you," Ivy inched closer, her chest pressed into Lila as she cradled her face. "Lila."
"I love you too," Lila teared up. "Ivy."
One would expect Lunae to be jealous of that moment. The princess knew they had kissed. In fact, Sonera and Lunae were no more than a few feet behind the pair as the entire scene unfolded.
But she was proud.
"One day," Lunae looked over at Sonera. "I'll be brave enough."
"So!" Serix caused all four girls to jump. "You got it?"
"Hah," Lila's jaw dropped with comedic speed. "What wut-."
"I mean," the pilot pointed. "You got the engine on and everything, ready to go?"
Lila took a moment to collect herself. She had indeed found Serix's expertise somewhere in the subconscious realm of wet dreams. But alas, the Earthling had no real way of conveying that.
"Yeah, bro," she smiled, changing her voice to match something akin to a horrifically reproduced Mexican accent. "Lowkey on some Don-Julio vibes."
Ivy smashed her palm into her face.
"A what?"
"Tequila."
"Which is..."
"Alcohol."
"Ah," Serix nodded. "Now I see how that's an apt description. I'll help take us up, but from there, you've got your own control stick."
"Yipee!" Lila beamed. "I've hopefully got this."
"Oh but," the pilot looked back at the other girls through the tinted cockpit. "Might want to tell them to back up a little more."
Lila sent a signal, causing the girls to comply as they waved goodbye.
"She seems in good hands," Lunae stared up at the Riven as it effortlessly levitated off the ground. "I didn't find anything sour in him."
"I know," Ivy huffed, her eyes tracking Lila as far out as they could. "That's what I'm worried about."
"You think it's a play by Yrix?" Sonera clenched her fist.
"Maybe. In the meantime," the heiress turned to leave begrudgingly. "We need to prepare."
Sonera and Ivy exchanged looks.
"Don't go easy on me," Ivy pursed her lips. "Got it?"
"Mhm," Sonera nodded. "We know the limits. But Lunae..."
The two didn't know how else to put it.
"I won't just sit by and watch," Lunae frowned.
"But," Ivy reached out. "Your condition."
Sonera was surprised to sense what Lunae was feeling.
"I never said I'd have to hurt you," the princess chirped, placing her hands on her hips. "You'll see."
There was some doubt amongst them whether it would even matter. The skills of a Psion were no doubt a wild variable with Yrix's. But they could only take the girls so far.
"How are we supposed to beat her?" Ivy lamented as she stepped onto a red carpet. "We all know Yrix isn't going to end matters so simply."
"One step at a time," Lunae placed a hand on her bare shoulder.
Sonera growled, "We have to take out the others first."
"You mean-." Ivy paused.
"I'll kill them if I have to."
"You don't even know two of them!"
"And if they hurt Lila?"
Ivy was caught. She couldn't find a better argument than that. Even if the girls maintained their violence at the cusp of lethality, there was no telling what Yrix would do to the loser.