Crystal's breathing was ragged, her limbs sluggish, her vision blurring at the edges—but even through the haze of the sedative flooding her system, sheer willpower forced her body to move.
She gritted her teeth, pushing herself up inch by agonizing inch, her arms trembling under the weight of her own defiance. Every nerve in her body screamed against it, but she refused to stay down.
"I—" Her voice came out fractured, slurred, but determined. She swayed, blinking rapidly, her pupils unfocused as she tried to lift her head. "I—refuse—"
The words barely left her lips before she pitched forward, nearly collapsing entirely. But before she could crumple to the floor, a sharp sting bit into her side again.
Another shot.
The second dose struck hard, the numbing effect crashing through her system like a tidal wave. Her breath hitched, her body instinctively jerking as the sedative worked its way deeper into her bloodstream.
Asus stared at her, momentarily stunned.
She should have been down already. Even a Primordial soldier—himself included—would've been unconscious for over an hour from the first dose. And yet, Crystal had pushed herself up—had fought against it with nothing but sheer, unrelenting defiance.
It was impossible.
It was reckless.
And yet… she had done it.
A low, delighted laugh broke through the tension, smooth and rich with amusement.
Vira leaned back in her chair, shaking her head as she watched Crystal's arms buckle, the weight of the second shot finally winning. "Hells, Major," she mused, her smirk widening. "What exactly have you been dragging around with you?"
Crystal barely managed a shuddering exhale before her legs fully gave out. Her body slumped backward against the table, her head rolling slightly to the side as her consciousness finally surrendered.
Asus let out a slow breath, shaking his head slightly as he flicked the empty injector to the side.
"More trouble than I need," he muttered.
Vira snorted, propping an elbow against the table. "More trouble?" She chuckled. "Major, I like this one. You sure you don't want to keep her?"
Asus didn't respond immediately. He just looked down at Crystal, her chest rising and falling in slow, steady breaths, her expression still locked in that same stubborn defiance, even in unconsciousness.
Then, with a faint sigh, he finally looked back at Vira.
"Just make sure she stays out of trouble," he said, voice unreadable.
Vira grinned, tapping the pocket where she had tucked away the silver coin. "Oh, don't worry, Major. I'll take real good care of her."
Asus didn't like the way she said that.
But for now—he didn't have a choice.
Vira's smirk lingered, but her eyes had sharpened, the amusement dimming just slightly. She tapped her fingers against the table, watching Asus closely.
"So, tell me, Major—" her voice lost its teasing edge, turning serious. "You really plan to go to that outpost? You're actually gonna leave her behind?"
Asus didn't answer. Not with words.
Instead, he reached down, rummaging through his pack with smooth, practiced movements. His fingers curled around something heavy, something with weight, and without so much as a glance, he tossed it across the table.
Vira caught it midair, her reflexes sharp despite her relaxed posture. The impact landed solid in her palm, heavier than she'd expected. The bag was thick, tightly sealed, its contents shifting slightly with the motion.
She didn't open it immediately.
Her gaze flicked back to Asus, searching for some sort of explanation. She got none.
Frowning slightly, she pulled at the seal, parting the bag just enough to peek inside.
And then—
Her expression darkened.
The shift was immediate. The playful curiosity in her eyes disappeared, replaced with something else. Her fingers tightened around the bag, her smirk vanishing completely as she took in what lay inside.
Asus remained silent, his posture unchanging.
For a long moment, Vira just stared.
Then, in a sudden burst of movement, she threw her head back and laughed.
Not a chuckle. Not a smirk.
A full, genuine, wild laugh that echoed in the dimly lit room.
She barely missed a beat before tossing the bag back at him, shaking her head.
"Oh, Major," she breathed, her smirk returning, but this time, it was different. Deeper. Hungrier. More intrigued than ever. "Now you've really got my attention."
Asus caught the bag without effort, sliding it back into his pack as if nothing had happened.
Vira leaned forward, resting her chin on her knuckles, eyes burning with interest.
"You are one hell of a gamble," she murmured. "And I do love a good gamble."
Asus caught the bag effortlessly, tucking it back into his pack with the same nonchalance as tossing away a spent magazine. His movements were measured, his posture as unshaken as ever, but there was the faintest trace of something beneath his visor—something sharp, something deliberate.
He leaned back, settling into his chair, his armored fingers drumming lightly against the table. "I do enjoy a good gamble myself," he admitted, his voice calm, even. "Especially when I know the odds better than the other players."
Vira let out a low hum, her smirk twitching as she propped her elbow against the table. "Is that so?"
Asus tilted his head slightly. "I don't play unless I know the deck."
She studied him for a moment, then chuckled, shaking her head. "That's dangerous thinking, Major."
"Not if you know what's in the other hands."
Vira clicked her tongue, leaning back in her chair with an exaggerated sigh, her eyes flicking toward the unconscious figure slumped over the table. "And here I thought she was the gamble."
Asus turned his helmet slightly, gaze following hers. Crystal remained utterly still, her slow, steady breathing the only sign of life.
Vira exhaled through her nose. "You really think my crew can handle this?" Her voice lost its teasing edge again, dipping into something more serious. "I mean, hell, I won't lie to you, we're good. Damn good. But she's… she's not built for this. Not the way we are."
Asus nodded slightly. "She doesn't have to be."
Vira's brow twitched. "You drugged her, Major."
"She would've fought me," he said simply. "And I don't have the time to argue."
Vira huffed a small laugh, shaking her head. "Hells, you're worse than me."
"Not worse," he corrected. "More efficient."
Vira gave him a dry look before sighing again, waving a hand toward Crystal. "Alright then, since you seem so damn confident, explain it to me. Enlighten me, Major. What exactly makes you think we can keep her safe?"
Asus didn't answer immediately. Instead, he rested his forearm on the table, fingers lightly tapping the surface. When he finally spoke, his tone was measured.
"You run a tight operation," he said plainly. "Disciplined. Structured. You don't waste movement. You don't waste resources. You don't waste people. That means you don't take in liabilities. If you thought she was one, you would've already told me."
Vira didn't argue, but the flicker in her expression told him he wasn't wrong.
"You've held territory in the Fringe longer than most warbands can stay breathing," he continued. "That means you're either strong enough to keep it or smart enough to make others think you are. Either way, it means your crew can handle pressure."
Vira raised a brow. "And?"
Asus leaned forward slightly. "And if I thought they weren't good enough, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Vira let out a breath, shaking her head. "Flattery, Major? Really?"
Asus tilted his head. "I don't flatter. I evaluate."
She narrowed her eyes slightly. "And you think we're up to your standards?"
"I wouldn't be leaving her with you if I didn't."
Vira scoffed. "You do realize I could sell her off the second you leave, right? Maybe ship her off to someone who really wants to find her?"
"You could," Asus agreed. "But you won't."
Vira's smirk twitched. "Oh? And why's that?"
"Because," Asus said smoothly, "you're curious."
Silence stretched between them for a moment before Vira let out a short, sharp laugh, shaking her head. "Hells, you are dangerous."
Asus simply inclined his head. "I prefer calculated."
Vira drummed her fingers against the table, eyes narrowing slightly. "You really think we can do this." It wasn't a question anymore. It was a statement.
"I do."
She exhaled sharply, staring at him for a long moment, searching for something—anything—that suggested doubt.
She found none.
Her smirk faded, lips pressing into a thin line before she finally sighed, shaking her head. "Hells, Major… If anyone can tell if a force is formidable, it'd be a Primordial, wouldn't it?"
Asus gave a slight nod.
Vira clicked her tongue, leaning back again, looking at Crystal as if reevaluating her entirely.
"…Alright," she muttered after a long pause. "Fine. If you say we can do it, then I guess it must be so."
Asus leaned back, satisfied. "Good."
Vira let out another breath, a slow grin creeping back onto her face. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?"
Asus simply tilted his head. "So I've been told."
Vira let out a slow breath, rolling her shoulders as if physically shaking off the weight of their conversation. "Alright, Major," she drawled, tilting her head at him, her smirk returning. "Since you've got this whole thing mapped out in that big, scary Primordial brain of yours… what's the next move?"
Asus didn't hesitate. "I need a ship."
Vira scoffed, spreading her hands. "We're on a station, Major. Congratulations, you've come to the right place."
He ignored the sarcasm. "Not just any ship," he clarified. "A gutted one."
Vira's smirk froze mid-motion.
Her eyes flicked to him, studying his visor as if trying to see if he had just misspoken. When she realized he hadn't, her expression shifted into something between incredulity and exasperation.
"…I'm sorry, a what?"
"A gutted ship," Asus repeated calmly. "Stripped of its main systems. No weapons, no comms, minimal thrusters. Just a hull and enough power to keep it operational."
Vira stared at him. Then blinked. Then stared some more.
"…You have lost your damn mind," she muttered, leaning back as if she needed distance from whatever insanity he was suggesting. "Why in all the hells would you want a ship that's barely a ship?"
Asus clasped his hands together, fingers lacing as he leaned forward slightly. "Because if I show up to Eidolon's Keep with a fully operational vessel, I'll be treated as an intruder. If I show up in a ship barely holding itself together…" He let the thought trail off, tilting his head slightly.
Vira's eyes narrowed as she caught onto the implication.
"…Then you're salvage," she murmured, realization dawning.
"Exactly."
Vira let out a sharp laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "You really are a piece of work, Major." She ran a hand through her hair before exhaling sharply. "Alright, you absolute lunatic—say I do know where to find a ship that fits your ridiculous criteria. What the hell's your plan after that?"
Asus leaned back again, his voice unwavering.
"I let the outpost take me in."
Vira burst into laughter, throwing her head back as her shoulders shook with pure, unfiltered amusement. She clutched her stomach, her whole body rocking slightly as the absurdity of what she'd just heard finally settled in.
"Hells, Major," she wheezed between bouts of laughter, wiping at the corners of her eyes. "You are something else!" She sucked in a sharp breath, shaking her head as if she couldn't believe what she was about to say next. "Alright, fine. You want a ship that looks like it should've been scrapped a decade ago? Done. I'll find you a flying corpse to throw yourself into the abyss with."
She exhaled sharply, still grinning as she planted both hands on the table, leaning in slightly. "But you better make damn sure you come back out of that wreck in one piece, because this?" She gestured loosely to Crystal's unconscious form. "This sleeping beauty? She's your problem, not mine."
Asus tilted his head slightly. "You just said you'd take care of her."
Vira gave him a lopsided smirk, her eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "Oh, I will," she assured him, tilting her head toward Crystal. "I'll make sure the princess is still breathing when you get back—hell, maybe I'll even teach her how to hold a knife properly while you're gone." She rolled her wrist dismissively. "But let's be real, Major—she's not staying here forever. You're gonna have to come get her."
Asus inclined his head in a slow nod. "I always intended to."
Vira's smirk widened. "Good," she said smoothly, pushing away from the table and stretching her arms overhead. "Then I guess we've got ourselves a deal." She gave him one last, appraising glance before shaking her head again, her grin still lingering.
"Major Asus Derringer," she murmured, mostly to herself, amusement clear in her voice. "Throwing himself headfirst into the most suicidal mission the Fringe has ever heard of."
She exhaled sharply, shaking her head as she turned to leave.
"Hells," she muttered, more to herself than him. "I really can't wait to see how this one plays out."