After Sir Deva's magnificent display of power, Lady Lily's plan moved swiftly to the next stage.
After the initial shock, Zel has regathered himself and headed towards the edge of the hanger bay with the two officer that's supposed to accompany him during the journey.
'Stay calm and follow my lead.' Zel signaled to the two that he is starting, then activated his artifact. The wave of heat and energy traveled from his stomach outwards and swallowed him whole, then his mechanical arm. The two officer seemed a little unprepared to see the one they are supposed to keep an eye on and follow simply disappears into the very thin hanger bay air.
The wave of warping didn't stop just at Zel's extremities this time, instead swallowing the the space surrounding him as well as the two officers. Now they are the one seeing the disappearance of their fingers joint by joint, then the elbows and the whole body.
They can see Zel again, and they are fully engulfed by the pocket domain.
The floor underneath their feet becomes semitransparent, and they can just about make out the outline of the ship.
'Just saying, you comms will not work with Lady Lily in here, but I will do as the plan instructed.' Zel warned, and started walking straight out and towards the cargo ship. He is stepping on absolute nothingness, but construct of his will and imagination seemed forms underneath his feet and prevent him from falling into the abyss indefinitely.
The two officers nodded at each other and followed Zel immediately and closely. The cargo ship looks like it's miles away from the mothership, but the distance is actually a lot less when you can just walk through solid objects and in a straigth line in space.
They walked right through the middle of an asteroid as they witnessed semi-transparent white ice pass straight through their body. Despite all the training provided by the organization, the two officer has never seen anything quite like this. And meanwhile Zel is walking ahead and having a rather intense inner battle. He could totally leave the two stranded behind in this section of the pocket domain and just cut that section of space off completely, entrapping them forever and making a run for it.
But then there is no saying what the consequences are, knowing what kind of person Lady Lily is and how she would have already prepared for a scenario where Zel betrays her in such a way.
Despite how confident he is about his own physical ability, the two officer are obviously highly trained and probably killing machines of their own should it come down to it. The risks simply are too great.
Intelligence is absolutely the deciding factors here. And this is the only point where they have an even playing field. Lady Lily can know about his mechanical arms all she wants, maybe she tracked down the black market orders or purchase history, but she will be right in the dark about the abilities of his artifacts beyond the basic capabilities, much like how little he knows about hers and Sir Deva's.
Zel really shouldn't doubt his plan that much. In this current scenario, instead of choosing an extremely convoluted plan that could only work in a badly written movie, the safest bet is to choose a simple plan with little to no uncertainties.
He will do exactly Lady Lily tells him to do, when she is expecting and has planned for a betrayal. When things really go south, he could use the power to warp himself out of there and figure out a way to go back to his ship and break away.
But if that doesn't work, then he might have to play the long game and use the even riskier back up plan. He is fine with not leaving the organization for now as seeing what Lady Lily does with the high energy stabilizer could also be interesting.
The three got close to the ship really quickly and just walked straight in without any trouble. After making sure that there aren't any people in the cargo containment areas (given how they would have their hands full with engine and control system work), Zel reversed the warping and returned everyone to the real world.
'Now, now, go do your thing.' Zel waved them away and hid in a safe dark corner. By the look of the equipment worn by the operatives, even though it's not as good at masking their presence from the detection systems through simultaneous hacking and masking that Zel always uses, it's still extremely impressive what they can do and how much area they have covered and scanned in such a short amount of time.
'Cargo found, Ma'am.' One of the officers reported and summoned Zel and the other one towards his location, 'extraction beginning.'
'Here we go again.' Zel rolled his eyes again and started to warp everything back into the pocket domain. Meanwhile, the other officer started laying down some explosives and set a timer for a few minutes.
'What are you using the Mountain breaker for?' Zel looked to the side and pointed at one of the explosive packages.
'Controlled explosions, mate.'
'Right, can you see anything?' Rydel returned back to the cockpit with Dolon after putting Cellica to the bed.
'Isn't it quite ironic that our best pair of eyes went down right when we need her the most?' Dolon said dryly.
'Well, it's also thanks to her that we have the luxury of talking here.'
'True. We have to get close enough to get any significant readings.'
'How would the cloaking mode allow you to use anything on board and detect anything useful?' Rydel asked worryingly as the Cargo ship expended to about the size of the whole cockpit window.
'Where did you get that information from?' Dolon looked back and put two of her arms on the top edge of the pilot's chair.
'Urgh, the war games?'
'So...my video game?'
'...'
'Yeah that's all crab crap.' Dolon turned around and looked forward, 'In real Aquarian combat, our best attributes except from the amazing interface is the ability to cloak while gathering information, like an information black hole. But the cloak really means undetectable by most systems.'
'Ah.' Rydel suddenly felt like a disconnected idiot. 'Anyhow, the scans can't really penetrate the hard metal shells of the cargo ship, so all we can do really is to record as much visual data as we can.'
Dolon focuses the ship's cameras and wave sensors all towards the cargo ship and started recording once the readings from the ships are distinguishable from the background radiation of the noisy universe.
Then suddenly, the cargo ship shook violently, then began to light up and become brighter as cracks began to form all throughout the outer layer of the ship and lights and materials leaked from within. A shockwave originates from the back of the cargo ship and traveled up and down along the body of the ship multiple times before ripping it into a million pieces in a violent outburst of fire and sparks.
The shards of the cargo ship shoot out in all directions in a deadly yet dazzling fireworks display that not many lucky ones in the universe gets to enjoy today. After the instant of light, there is only darkness.
'What the hell was that!' Rydel blinked and squinted his eyes instinctively until the cockpit window adjusts for the brightness automatically and brings it down to a tolerable value.
'I.....I don't really know. Nothing went in or out, as far the the readings can tell. It's like that ship just suddenly exploded.' Dolon have her arms on all the ships control almost immediately and switched on both the energy and physical shields before exiting the cloaking mode and pulling away.
'Well, that does NOT look like a mechanical fault.' Rydel pointed at the many pieces that once made up the cargo ship, 'Did you have all that down? I am glad Cellica wasn't here or she would have been overloaded with stuff.'
'Yeah I got it on tape.' Dolon confirmed after checking with the ship's memory system, 'I agree, it's almost like someone sneaked in once it's out of the wormhole travel and blew it up.'
'...Zel! God damn it!' Rydel punched the wall, 'that scum actually did it!'
'You mean the other bearer?' Dolon asked, 'How would you know it's him?'
'If you think this ship is well cloaked, wait until you meet him.' Rydel stared at the aftermath and gritted his teeth, 'he is the only able to pull something like this without being seen. We would have missed him last time without the help of Cellica and her eyes.'
Suddenly, his email notification went ding, and a small hologram popped up from Rydel's personal interface. It got swiped off immediately, because ain't nobody got time for that.
'Right, I do not think there is anything more here.' Dolon scanned around quickly, 'we can't really detect the other ships that Cellica was talking about, and it's no longer safe to stay within this region of space since we have no idea where the enemy is.'
'As much as I hated it...' Rydel stood up in a rush and tried to stay calm and collected, 'You are right. Let's get out of here.'
'Yeah. Looks like Cellica will have a hell of a report to file.' Dolon clenched her teeth and steered their ship away.
'What the hell was that?!' Zel wasn't too far into the empty space outside of the cargo ship with the other two when the timer set for the explosion went off and the fire show was seen in the pocket domain. The incredible dash of light is even blindingly present in the pocket domain where things are less visible than in the real world.
'Well, seemed like the controlled explosion went off.' One of the officer answered coldly with a chuckle and the other also laughed along with him.
'Oh yeah? You think that's funny?' Zel picked up one of them with one arm and raised them overhead, 'How about I throw you out of here and let you experience that as well?'
'Don't let any reckless decisions delay Lady Lily's plan.' The officer was not bothered at all by Zel's actions. His voice was loud and clear through the speaker, and Zel dropped him onto the ground.
Obviously, that was not the deal. A controlled explosion was so that the ship will be disabled and stranded in the middle of the galactic highway. There will be a good while before any rescue and repair team will get here and that's already plenty of time for all of them to get out of here and then some.
A controlled explosion was so that Zel would be able to fulfil his end of the bargain without staining his hand with more unnecessary blood.
He did exactly what he had to to survive back in the wild space, but things are different here. Times are different. Things are supposed to be different, times are too.
'Has that been planned since we were in the meeting room, or later?' Zel turned around and and kept on walking.
'Does it matter anymore? Earlier or later?' One of the officers copied Zel's tone and mocked him.
'Huh.' Zel stopped, flexed his neck upwards and let out a sign. People from the wild space carry a certain stereotype with them everywhere they go. When the harsh realities of the wild space collided with the calmer and more peaceful life of the settled systems, their aggressive and more primal characteristics tend to juxtapose glaringly with the rest of the galaxy.
Many lose that instinct, that heart after years of settlement, but Zel didn't. He always kept a piece of himself locked away and kept well beneath his surface, and threw the key named anger somewhere into the sea.
He has found the key again just now, or rather it was forced into his hands.
'What's the deal? Keep moving.' The other officer hushed at Zel and shoved him slightly. He didn't budge an inch, but rather, the officer's hand passes straight through Zel's physical body. there is nothing to touch, except for the endless rush of cold burns that he is suddenly feeling. But this doesn't make any sense, since he should be wearing a fully enclosed temperature isolating spacesuit and safe in Zel's Pocket Domain, right?
He looked down to check out the pale arm that's quickly losing any sensation, and moved it around. It went straight through the space suit. 'What is hap...' He turned to look at Zel when his words are suddenly cut off and all the air within his lungs are expelled out immediately.
His blood started boiling at the remainders of his blood air interface within his lungs and bubbles sped through his blood vessels like a newly opened can of soda. He is dead before he knew it.
His space suit is still sitting in the pocket domain though.
Zel turned slowly and looked the remaining officer who's completely shaken. He pulled out a gun and pointed at Zel, yelling for him to stay back and bring his friend back. But there is no point in doing so, really.
Within half a second, Zel has warped the arm of the officer into the open space of the true reality while keeping the space suit within his pocket domain, exposing his skin to the deadliness of space. After grasping the delicate control of that operation, he then warped the whole body of the officer in a whim.
His artifact control was nothing less of being masterful here, and it is truly a shame that he had to use it this way.
'Lady Lily would be truly disappointed to know that two of her officers didn't make the trip back.' Zel raised his hand, and warped the gun out of the pocket domain before the officer can pull the trigger, which would have been an idiotic move anyway given how as far as he knows, Zel is the only one that can bring anyone in or out of the pocket domain, and there is no saying what will happen if one is permanetly stuck here.
'No! She would know what you did!' He tried to turn around and run, but the space he is stepping on kept him where he is at like a treadmill.
'I am sorry that you have to see this side of me. I thought I don't have to see this side of me, not anymore.'
Zel sounded genuinely frustrated at the choices he is about to make, but there is no other option for him. One impulsive decision will only lead to another, and now the train cannot be stopped, 'so we just cannot be nice to each other in this world?'
'No! Stay away!' He jumped towards Zel and attempt to grab him, but Zel simply waved his hand and he ended up a lifeless frozen piece of meat in the middle of space. His arms still clawed up and outstretched.
The entrance to the side of the space craft is re-pressurized, and Zel finally took off the space suit and letting it drop onto the ground. The moment the room returned the standard pressure, in comes Lady Lily with two commander droids and she simply paced towards Zel and stopped inches before him.
'Where are the other two?' Lady Lily asked.
'They didn't make it. Space is unforgiving, and my artifact is quite unstable after.....the stunt.' Zel looked at her right in the eye and answered equally as quietly, ' YOUR stunt.'
'Right.' Lady Lily's lip twitches slightly and she looks around Zel to see the triply secured container behind him, 'At least the cargo made it. No surprises this time?'
'That is up to interpretation' Zel slid sideways and blocked the way for Lady Lily. Seeing this, the two command droids behind her angrily charges forward with weapons pointed right at Zel, but she waved them off.
She looked at Zel with a smirk, fully expecting him to talk again.
'We need to have a talk.' Zel glared right into her eyes.
'Certainly, let's go to my office.' Lady Lily turned around sharply and led the way.
En route, they meet a slightly fatigued looking Sir Deva. He gave Zel a warning look, but also saw the fact that he has indeed got the cargo as promised. Zel shot back at him with an equally threatening stare, but surprisingly Sir Deva was the one to look away.
Sir Deva instead walked away with a victorious smile. Anything that don't go Zel's way will be what makes him happy.
'I suppose you are mad at the fact that I have differing arrangements?'
After getting back into Lady Lily's office, she was the first one to start talking. She strolled around the table gracefully like a swan and sat down, gesturing for Zel to join her.
'You supposed right.' Zel dropped onto the seat and crossed his arms, 'Why? When?'
'Well, since you are new around here, you probably don't know how we operate. What we do here is something special. And that something special means we will have to do things a certain way.' Lady Lily explained with a calm and collected voice, but the way she says it all chills Zel to the bone, 'Sacrifices need to be made. What we do is never meant to be subtle. Everything is a statement, or an invitation, and those we seek will follow the clues to join us in the end.'
'Um....where did all this come from?' Zel felt his jaw tensing as what Lady Lily says becomes more and more confusing, almost to the point where it seems like she is preaching, yet the aim isn't to reveal a certain truth, but rather to hypnotize and control.
'We could use a hand like yours in our organization.' Lady Lily sat back, 'I knew what you did to my officers. You are cold, calculated yet impulsive. You want to leave here, and you could have taken your chances, but you have decided not to. Why?'
'I am the one asking questions here!'
'Why? Because you want the money? Because you want to finish the deal? No. Because you are curious. You WANT TO know what we do and why we do. You WANT to belong somewhere. Don't you? We can handle your bounty if you join us. You will be free, and that's what you always wanted.'
Lady Lily finished and sat there waiting for Zel to respond.
But he could not respond. He doesn't know how to.
Does he want the money? Yes.
Does he want the deal to finish so he can start with a clean slate and kept on working getting rid of his bounties? Yes.
Does he want to belong somewhere and stop all this hardwork? Yes.
Does he want to find out what this organization is doing?
Zel wish he can come up with a better answer, but nothing is going to show up. He sat there, defeated and drained. Lady Lily was right, and they knew everything.
'I want answers. And I will decide after that.' Zel stood up, 'But right now, can I have the rests of the payment, please?'