Yunhai's tone sharpened. [A Watcher's job is to watch. But make no mistake, they can act. And this one's not cheap. Guang'li wouldn't have sent a low-grade pest. This is surveillance with teeth.]
She exhaled slowly. "So if it reports everything to Guang'li… we're exposed."
[Exactly. Every step, every thought, they see it all.]
A small smile curved her lips. "Then I guess I'll have to send this lil fella to heaven." She drew her blade, the metal humming softly.
[You do know, Heaven doesn't exist right?]
-_-
"Nah, it definitely does, there's someone up there guiding our steps.."
-_-,
[Agree to disagree. But that's not the main issue right now. Take care of that thing first.]
The Watcher tilted slightly, head angled as if studying her.
Yunhai murmured: [Deal with it, or it becomes your shadow.]
Huiya didn't hesitate. In a flash, she closed the distance. The Watcher reacted, limbs reaching out, shifting in impossible angles. It struck, not with claws but with sensation, an intrusion into her mind, probing for weakness.
She grunted, slashing a forearm through its form. The blade dissolved half its shape into smoky fragments.
It retaliated, ten limbs hard as steel, but Huiya was a war engine. She parried and struck, every movement precise. She struck again, sent a knee to its core, then one final sweep of her blade.
The Watcher collapsed silently, pieces of shifting shadow pooling at its feet. Then it re-formed, kneeling, it's head bowed.
It raised its head, mouth forming so it could talk, rasped words: "Mercy… I beg. I will not tell. I will forget everything..."
Huiya's breath came in slow huffs. Clearly unfazed by what it said.
"A Watcher's purpose is allegiance.." she said low. "And loyalty shifts when compulsion ends."
She raised her blade. The Watcher trembled, shrinking slightly.
"People don't keep their words when better options come.." she continued. "I'm not giving you a better option." She drove the blade down.
The watcher spasmed for a second before dispersing.
[Well that's that. The ship's all filled up,so let's get outta here.]
Huiya wiped the edge of her blade clean on her sleeve, flicking off the last of the black static that clung like dried ink.
[It was high-grade,] Yunhai muttered. [Could've put up more fight. Guess even elite shadows know when death's not bluffing.]
"I wasn't bluffing," Huiya said plainly, sliding her blade back into its sheath with a click.
[Exactly my point.]
As she neared the hatch, Huiya flicked her gaze toward the place where the Watcher had fallen.
"I don't think it's gone."
[It's gone enough. You made your point.]
She didn't respond right away.
Her fingers flexed once at her side. The edge of her knuckles still buzzed faintly from the fight.
Not from strain, she hadn't even used twenty percent, but from the peculiar aftertaste of hitting something non-physical.
Something not quite spirit and not quite matter. Something meant to be between.
Inside the ship, the lights shifted as she entered, responsive to Huiya's neuron system.
"Alright we've got fuel. Set a course to Xenon, full speed.." as she sank down into the seat, Yunhai nodded and set a course. If the pass expires they'll just have find a different way in.
[Zephyr]
[4:47 Am]
"Sir, welcome back. The king is waiting for you?"
Zhao'kyr frowned, how quick were they to know he has returned.
"He's not an issue right now. Huiya is alive.."
The man rolled to a stop when he heard that name.
"That ruthless woman. How the heck is she still alive. It's been 6 years, I thought the many bounty on her head, once had finally got to her.."
Zhao'kyr didn't say anything, the war that happened 6 years ago had taken a lot from him and more from Huiya.
He knew there was a part missing from her memory, the part where she saved him or else she wouldn't have given him that look.
"Are you planning to attack? Ambrosia wouldn't dare to fight us now..."
Zhao'kyr shook his head "She was banished and is seen as a traitor to her planet. She's fighting for herself now.."
The man shook his head, the Ambrosians were a wicked bunch.
"So they are willing to let go of such a strong comrade.."
Zhao'kyr relaxed on the chair, it pissed him off there she didn't give a damn when she saw him.
"Bao..find her for me. I last saw her at the Emergence, get me her next location...I don't care how you pry it out from Han Guang'li but get me her location.."
Bao stiffened at the name.
"Han Guang'li?" he echoed warily. "You want me to ask the Spider for a favor? You know he doesn't give without strings."
Zhao'kyr didn't even look up. "Then burn the strings."
Bao opened his mouth, closed it.
He'd seen Zhao'kyr calm before, stoic in the middle of orbital sieges, even smiling while walking through burning wreckage but this was different.
Something cold flickered behind his tone now, and when Zhao'kyr looked up, Bao fell silent.
"She looked at me like I was just another face in the war. Like I hadn't bled because of her. Like she hadn't saved me."
"…She might not remember."
Zhao'kyr's jaw clenched. "That's the part that makes it worse."
There was a long pause. Only the humming of the war station filtered through, an ever, present low thrum like a warning drum beneath the calm.
"Do you want to bring her back?" Bao asked eventually. "Or kill her?"
Zhao'kyr didn't answer for a long while.
Then, finally, his lips parted.
"I want to see her look at me again. Properly. After that… we'll see what's left."
Bao gave a slow nod, the silence between them taut with old wounds.
"Understood, sir. I'll contact Guang'li's people."
"And Bao.." Zhao'kyr added just as the man turned.
He stopped mid-step. "Yes?"
"If he lies to you, or stalls, or plays his usual games, remind him I'll cut off every business we have and kill him.."