The Blood Money was closed, empty. A complete change from her last visit here. O'Reilly gave her the access codes and she made herself at home, spending the better part of twenty minutes preparing the stage and sweeping for any devices that could jeopardize this meeting.
Kaze Nelson Reidman Dagon was sporting a brand new Order I-5E 'Marauder' exo, courtesy of a contact in the smuggling business. Scrubbed from any symbols related to the Omicron organization, it was recent in their rank and file. Some selective additions and removals were made and while it was originally obtrusive to wear, the removal of several tools, such as the mini-crane, it became compact and capable of being worn without a hassle. No guns, however, as it should be. But then again, she was a weapon herself. A tool wielded by many in the past. And now, it was being wielded by Bretonia. The last user, she swore and promised, until the end of her days.
Lukas Keller was the reason of this meeting. A new variable in the equation of her universe. The talent was there. But most importantly, the direction of his and his wanting. No greed apart from knowledge. But too focused. Too fixed in one spot and one direction. A common mistake for those of the Omegas. And now that same man was looking to learn. Silver decomposed him at first sight, as it was customary in that woman, an ungodly sixth-sense of hers, and she was not wrong. The right buttons if pushed, another monster hunter would emerge. A friend or a rival, it remains to be seen.
Her hud flickered as one of the motion sensors was triggered in one of the access corridors. Krsnik was arriving. And by his walk, he was tired. That was good and not. Exhaustion leeds to poor judgement, poor judgement to poor decisions. Can be manipulated, guided, but that is not something she is looking to do to him. Her own assessment must be drawn first to see if this risk is worth taking. And if not, she would pay O'Reilly to clean up the aftermath and to make his body disappear.
His walk was still brisk, but that very subtle audible thump his boots usually made had faded, replaced by only mild patting noises as his feet tiredly pushed themselves to support him in an upright position as well as maintain this pace. He wanted to finish this quickly, arriving with his helmet on, which he'd felt was much heavier than usually but this was more than likely due to how fatigued he currently was.
He made note of how empty the place was upon walking through the doors, part of him took a glance for Kira even though he knew she'd most likely be in her room, wherever she lived. Closing his eyes for a moment he'd set those thoughts aside, fighting a losing fight against the human force of exhaustion. How long had it been since he had a full night's rest? "Frau Xei.."
Any softer and his words would have been a whisper, sitting down just made the urge of wanting to lie down even worse, but he could manage this, he had to and he'd done so in the past. It wasn't uncommon during periods of great distress, such as the days when the Hessians had vanished briefly, to have been on alert for up to twenty-four hours. He wasn't sure he'd be able to stay awake long enough to fly back to New Moscow, so getting a room on the Freeport would be his next best alternative if nothing else.
"Knowing Humanity - We will be duty, bloody and unavoidable."
"I'll remain seated. But before we discuss anything, how did you find out my name? Nobody else had ever been able to unless I revealed it to them. I'm curious how you pulled this off." It was clear from both his full-name and very mild accent that he was Rheinlandic. She'd been very resourceful in learning about him despite every attempt he'd made to keep his details secured and secret, the insight he'd gain from finding out how she'd done so would better help him defend it from others in the future.
"Knowing Humanity - We will be duty, bloody and unavoidable."
Her helmet, looked slightly down as he was sitting. And after a couple of seconds thinking, she decided to speak. "Your temper is one of your flaws. Regarding the subject of killing noncoms. A man with temper does rash things. Like punching a table. Like placing a helmet in rage. It leaves traces."
Her hands, were placed on top of the table as she leaned forward. "Then.. Databases. DNA. Imagery software. Facial recognition. Access to classified knowledge. Your parents. Check all relative data. Son and daughter. Image from childhood. Imagery software. Checks. Same eyes in the end." Kaze leaned back and placed her hands on her lap.
"Knowledge and connections. Can I call you Lukas?"
He shook his head just once from left to right, he knew he'd made a mistake by letting himself lose like that. But the sight of a random person's head exploding for the sake of another's entertainment was the exact sort of thing he stood against. His temper made it impossible for him to look the other way. "Well planned and orchestrated, I'll commend you for that much. And yes, you may call me Lukas in private."
Even though she couldn't see his face with the bucket on his head still locked in place, she'd be able to tell he was expecting a name in return.
"Knowing Humanity - We will be duty, bloody and unavoidable."
Kaze nodded, in return. "A fine name." Her bionic hand, disguised, moved to rest on top of the table, And flexed. Her accent switched to Bretonian. "I do find myself wondering on that mission of yours. Uniting the sector."
Her head turned to the side and looked back, as if recollecting a memory. "How do you plan to do so, under the flag of the Coalition, when they aren't even united themselves?" The same hand on top of the table rose and waved. "Do not get me wrong, it is a valid mission. But not the right one. How can I trust someone that has an agenda that will force us to be in different sides?"
He hadn't ever really explained this to someone before, this would be the first time he had the chance to fully and completely detail what it was he was fighting for. No propaganda, no theatrics, just the facts of what he bled and killed for. "I want Sirius united under one single banner, but everything you said thereafter isn't accurate. Human unity stands to be capable of so much more than the Alliance, its houses and the Coalition. For people to see that they first have to understand that there is no choice but to move forwards and to do so together. Petty Nationalism; Lust for power; Political Luxuries, all of it is petty and about as worthwhile as a life wasted living according to someone else's views. The Alliance formed and dissolved out of convenience, abandoning its unity for petty squabble, while the Coalition is centralized and acts as one unit, it's far from united. But at the very least, it can be forced together."
He took a small breath whilst explaining exactly what his view-point was, he'd made it clear that his problems with the Houses went further beyond his own personal grudges, assuming she'd also been able to find out about the trials his family endured after his sister was abused at the hands of her very employer, a man who held public office and then used it for immunity. His mission had become so much more than a pursuit of vengeance, but instead a necessary step to ensure that Inter-House wars and the continual strife that had become Humanity's second-nature was culled.
"Knowing Humanity - We will be duty, bloody and unavoidable."
Kaze eyed silently for quite a while. Finally, her hand moved to her neck, and pressed a small button. She whispered a command word and the helmet began to retreat unto itself and finally into the collar. She breathed in and shook her head, freeing her hair. "It is a goal that will outlast you, before completion."
She nodded towards Lukas in a form of greeting. "You may take yours, Lukas. If I meant you harm, it would have already happened. I abhor the waste of time when I decide someone is obstructing my path." Kaze eyed his suit and removed a leather double cigar case, containing two cretan cigars, placing on top of the table. "Do you smoke?" She asked opening the case to remove one and lit it up, exhaling the sweet strong smoke.
Seeing her begin the process of removing her helmet, he'd mirror her, doing the same and managing to get his off only a few seconds just after she'd done so, setting it down on the table. "No, I've never smoked."
He looked down at the cigar, he knew that when you were offered one it was a rather big and expensive gesture, usually a way to commemorate the perpetuation of a good friendship or the start of one. "While I might not normally indulge a cigar, I feel this is an appropriate occasion and that it would be rude of me to decline."
He didn't seem to care that they were Cretan cigars, he hated the Corsairs and the Empire they tried to pretend to be, one that existed at the expense of the malnourished backs of its people. He took the second cigar from the box and held it up, silently requesting her to light it for him, after which he'd hold it up to his mouth before taking a puff of it, managing to hold in the cough that nearly came afterward.
"Knowing Humanity - We will be duty, bloody and unavoidable."
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