Windfall

Chapter 11 "Strikeout"

Kai follows Asuka out of the Monolith, with Flint, Pearl and Ermak in tow. She shouts at Asuka as they head towards the landing pads.

Kai; "Meh qovpat'l baq'goh! Why won't you let me come with you?!"

Asuka; "Because, you're staying here to babysit Anchor and watch over Quincy. I think I made my thoughts clear the other day."

Kai; "... No, you shouted expletives at me in Commoner and Qowld."

Asuka stopped and turned to face Kai, her rebreather slightly fogging up as Ermak, Flint and Pearl continued awkwardly to the landing pads.

Asuka; "You really wanna know what I think?"

Kai; "Yes, I do."

Asuka; "I've heard your testimony and seen how you react to others. You want to kill. You have killed, and you will continue to kill. You're a warrior, and you think that's all you are."

Kai; "It is all I am. For all six hundred years of my life, I've been a soldier. All Lorinthians live their lives fighting and killing."

Asuka; "And you don't think you can move past that? Have you ever tried to do anything else?"

Kai; "... I can't."

Asuka; "Can't? Or don't want to?"

Kai was going to respond, but no words came to her when she opened her mouth. Asuka sighed before speaking and turning to leave.

Asuka; "... I'll call Lekse when we're on our way back."

Kai slowly hung her head down and turned to go back inside the Monolith, but not before looking back to Asuka, as she gestured for a trio of drones to follow her to the landing pads. Kai took the elevator up to the med bay, finding Quincy sitting up on the cot. He ruffled his feathers a little as he looked up at Kai entering the room.

Quincy; "Oh, hey-hey Kai! I thought you went with-with Flint and the rest."

Kai; "I was instructed to watch over you and... "babysit", the Draconian... Where is she?"

Quincy; "Anchor? She-she's just napping i-in the back. I was-was get-getting ready to use my-my suit again. I'm... feeling well enough."

Kai nodded a little, letting out a near inaudible sigh, making Quincy tilt his head at her slightly as she looked away.

Quincy; "E-everything ok?"

Kai; "Asuka gave me... a lot to think about."

Quincy; "W-well, I'll be fine by-by myself... I-I-I think you should go-go talk it out with Lekse."

Kai huffed a little, glancing to Quincy momentarily.

Kai; "I don't need a therapy session."

Quincy; "Oh, don't-don't think of it like that, think-think of it like going to talk to uh... like-like a senior or an elder!"

Kai raised an eyebrow back to Quincy before nodding, going to leave the room.

Kai; "... Alright... Thank you."

Quincy nodded and fluttered into his suit, looking around the interior as Kai left. She took the elevator back down and went out of the habitat bubble to the back side of Nerdlu Aram, where Lekse hovered in his tetrahedron form. A ramp lowered and a portion of the wall raised, as if permitting entry to Kai. She hesitated before going inside, the ramp closing behind her. She glanced to the closing door before continuing down the hallway. She eventually came upon the core of Lekse, dimming and brightening with the consistency of a heartbeat. Pale vapor condensed inside the core, forming into the humanoid avatar of Lekse, who walked out with his hands clasped behind his back.