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Jasmine jumped from the wing of her Jaguar, the sleek bomber sitting in one of the active hangers of Montbard. She sighed. Another unsuccessful trip. Another useless wastte-of-fuel journey. She sighed, leaning against the side of the elevator as it fell smoothly into the asteroid base.
Montbard wasn't one of the largest bases in Gallia. But it housed many Brigands, and it wasn't exactly...organised. Around the less active levels, one could wander for hours without finding another soul. Some floors were near-abandoned, apart from mechanics or engineers tasked with slowly but surely repurposing the outdated equipment.
Jasmine was headed to one such place, a large, previously-empty room known only as Hanger 16, barely within the edge of the asteroid's crust. It had been long abandoned after the docking-bay doors had been crushed shut by the changing rock, effectively disabling the hanger once and for all. That is, until Jasmine had found it.
The elevator crunched to a halt, the doors sliding open as Jasmine stepped into the brightly-lit room. The light hum of machinery echoed into the dark corners of the hangar, most of the space still empty. But one corner of the room was dominated by a supplimentary power generator, powering the lights and machines without a noticable drain on Montbard's energy supply. She prefered that this be discreet.
Removing her helmet, she laid it down on the table next to her. She walked past a bunch of cables that powered some brigand ship weapons, one of her sister's earlier experiments, and smiled as she found her sister, busily working on one of the computer terminals. The two exchanged a glance quickly.
Did you find someone?
Non. Not a trader, not a freelancer, not a single intelligent soul in the "Taus"...
That is bad news, we cannot get the items from Gallic space, especially not as Brigands. I don't dare approach lawful space again, not now.
Oui. And we can't finish the project without them...I'll keep trying, but I doubt it will ever change.
Jasmine grimaced and walked over to a clear, well-lit area that was dominated by a semi-finished machine, optronics and robotics glittering in the light as she ran a hand down the side.
Soon, we'll finish this. Soon.

Jasmine fell back into her chair, letting out a heavy sigh, her sisters still finishing the last of the power cables.
It is done. Finished...Finally...
Oui. We are ready, finally.
Took long enough. Its good that we've finally finished this project, Jasmine.
Indeed it is...Shall we begin?
Oui.
Oui.
Jasmine nodded at the console, and Cassandra walked over, slowly, taking her time. Looking at the mass of technology spanning a two-metre-squared space of the floor, rising only a foot into the air, she typed in the start up code...


"Complete." The word echoed across the empty room. Optronics dazzled like ice in the sunlight, sending beautiful lights across the floor. Jasmine slowly approached the machine, holding a rather large diamond, a little larger than her palm and perfectly cut. There, in the center of the block of metal and glass, a hole was perfectly carved for said gem. The final component. Leaning forward, Jasmine gently placed the beautifully faceted gem in its rightful place, standing back as the emitters set in around it whined gently, before a flash of light projected an image into the air at head-height.


The ring of cameras around the base of the gem socket observed the entire room as the figure spun. It's 'eye' focused on Jasmine. She could see it examining her, learning her. "Bonjour, Mon Reine" It spoke in its heavily distorted voice. "Mon Reine?" She chuckled. "Mon Reine, I could get used to..."

Jasmine flicked down the visor on her welding mask. Sparks flew, sealing the two sheets of metal on her creation together. It stood on four spindly, needle-like legs. A single, red '€˜eye'€™, mounted within an ovular body, sitting high enough to be able to spin 360 degrees. And two '€˜arms'€™ mounted on the sides of the drone, with a three-pronged hand on each. Standing about four and a half feet tall with its legs relaxed, it could easily dwarf a human standing tall. On the other side of the machine, Jasmine'€™s sisters worked on the legs and the circuits within, finishing their recent work. Finally, a light on the underside flickered to life. Finished.
"Hex-5." Jasmine said clearly and slowly, addressing the red holographic eye a short distance away. It quickly focused on her.
"Yes, Mon Reine?"
'€œRun a scan for wireless transmissions. You'€™ll pick up one named '€˜DRONE'€™ nearby. I want you to connect and assert control."
"Yes, Mon Reine."
The three sisters stood back as the machine started to move. The eye swivelled to the left and right, and the legs and arms moved experimentally.
"I am in control" Hex5 said, his voice emanating from the drone's internal speaker. He tried to take a step, experimentally, and-
CLUNK.
The drone slid, crashing onto its side. The legs flailed for a moment, before Hex5 spun one arm around, using it to prop his legs up under him.
"Control functions have been optimised. What are your orders, Reine Estelle?"
Jasmine stepped forward, looking up at the red eye that stared back at her.
"Once you are sure that you can control the drone, you will begin helping Cassandra and Eloise with their research. You answer to them as well as me, we are equal."
"Yes, Mon Reine.'€
"And must you call me Reine?'€
"Yes, Mon Reine.'€
Jasmine sighed, walking back to the elevator out. She called back to Eloise. "Contact Vulpe. Tell him I need to show him something."

**Within the quarters of his darkened room, the soft glow of a few candles bring forth the little light, showing Vulpe in a calm trance, peering ever forward without motion...A knock at the door of his quarters makes him growl slightly in discomfort**
Vulpe: What ies iet?...
**A muffled voice sounds on the other side of the hardened steel**
Legionnare: My Lord...You have a message from Madamouiselle Estelle...She said it was urgent..
**Vulpe's growl cuts off as he listens..**
Vulpe: You're excused...
**The sound of footsteps leading away from his door assure him of his privacy as Vulpe turns his head, outstretching his arm and lifting open his personal comm system...His claws make a few deep clacks as he connects to Jasmine, her face showing on the screen.**
Vulpe: I was in peace Jasmine...Thies had better be important...

Jasmine bowed to Vulpe from the screen, showing obvious respect that she didn't usually exercise.
"I am sorry to disturb you, Vulpe. However, I believe me and my sisters may have created something that you might be interested in. A creation to serve the legion, necessarily. I can't honestly show you it, because it won't turn up properly on camera, but it is...hmm, how to say...well, an artificial intelligence, able to learn itself, and I'd say, even create things of its own accord and design. You are free to examine our work whenever you have free time, though we would like to have your blessing before we proceed with the final stages."
She looked off screen for a moment, a small crash echoing in the background.
"Aaaah...I have to go, Vulpe. Just...Visit sometime, alright? Hangar 16 on Sub-Level 15. Door Code is A-4-F-77."
Several more crashes follow, and Jasmine runs offscreen, shutting down the camera in the process.

**Vulpe blinks a few times as the screen goes dark, his eyes shifting back to noral in the dimness of the room**
Vulpe: An artifical intellegence....Intreiging...
**After a few moment, his paw returns to the keyboard, pressing a single key**
Vulpe: Ready my personal guard, and secure hangar 16 for my arrival...

Jasmine ascended the elevator, looking rather annoyedly at a team of Legionnaires waiting outside the door.
"Madame Estelle, we have orders to secure this hangar for Underlord Vulpe."
She knew she could deny, everything was confidential, however she moved to the side, letting the four into the lift.
"This had better be worth it, Legionnaire." She muttered to the squad leader.
"Of course, Madame."
The elevator touched down gently on the floor of the hangar, but when the door opened, nothing. No drone exploring, no experimental weapons stations, Just a corner full of storage crates and computer terminals, manned by Cassandra and Eloise.
The Legionnaires quickly spread out around the room, flashlights waving around all the corners and darkened areas.
"Clear."
"Clear here as well."
"All clear on my end."
"Very well. Thank you for co-operating Madame, i'll tell Vulpe it is clear."
The elevator ascended once again, and Jasmine let herself a small smile.

Jasmine watched the elevator slide up out of the room. She spun around, glancing to Cassandra and Eloise.
They are gone. Set it all up.
The pair nodded, quickly working on the consoles. The floors split, dust spiralling into the air to be hungrily sucked away by the ventilation. Hydralics pushed, bringing everything in the hanger up to ground level. The room seemed much more crowded, now.
Hex5 flicked back online. Immediately began examining the hydraulics, curious about the functions. The power generator rose, bathing the room in an eerie dull light. The weapons in the corner rose, the power grid bringing them back to function. The whole room seemed abuzz with movement.
"Mon Reine. The second stage of intelligence constitution has been reached." Hex5 said, breaking the silence. Jasmine just smiled. Everything was going right today.
Alright. Connect Hex5 to the other systems. Its time to speed things up.

Jasmine watched from her seat from the control room of the hangar. Machines scuttled around below, miniature drones suited for finding the weakspots, and repairing the larger drones, to large, slow lifters. Usually, all these machines would bear pilots and controllers, but the only thing in place of a cockpit, on each, was the uniform red lens. Hex5 was learning all of these machines, controlling them all at once as he...it...worked on the task assigned to him. That is, clearing out the remains of the hangar. When the shifting asteroid crushed the hangar doors closed, the damage caused was severe- first from decompression, and then from structural collapse as the supports weakened. As such, the larger portion of the massive hangar was buried under piles and piles of rubble.
A flash lit the room up once again as one of the cutter bots, armed with large cutting and welding lasers, burned through a metal sheet. A lifter moved in almost immediately, clamping down on it with a leg and dragging it back from the wreckage.
"Hex5, what is the progress on the cleanup?" Jasmine mumbled, watching the multitude of mechanical designs that the intelligence had designed from just the information Jasmine had given it.
"Progress is currently at seven percent. Progress is optimal to prevent absolute collapse. Hex responded, the red orb appearing next to Jasmine and imitating her, watching the progress even though it could see from every viewpoint.
Jasmine nodded, resting back. She looked up at the top deck, watching the elevator slide away into the darkness.
"Well then. I guess I should get ready for our guests to arrive." She muttered to herself, her crimson eyes still affixed on the swarm below.