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 Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:13 pm
"Oh good, you can speak now," Tethys commented, completely disregarding that she'd been the cause of Star's muteness minutes ago. She crossed the labs in a brisk stride that sent her coat and hair rippling. "Come with me."
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:17 pm
Star blinked as she approached. He glanced back at the other Galactics, then winced and followed after her, making a noise somewhere between a groan and a whine. "..if this is about what I said a few minutes ago I can assure you.. you voiced your displeasure sufficiently.."
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:23 pm
"No." That could have been 'no, it's not about that,' 'no, that wasn't sufficient,' or 'no, stop talking.' Tethys left it up to his imagination and turned on her heel, leaving it to him to follow. Her words were clipped, and there was a certain forcefulness to her movements, as if she had too much energy and nowhere to displace it. "You saw the situation. This has to stop."
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:32 pm
Star arched a thick eyebrow, "...agreed." He was much more subdued now, maintaining the slumped posture he usually reserved for Tethys. Rather than continue the emotional shouting from earlier he deferred to her, "...what would you suggest?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:41 pm
"Your previous orders stand." The blue-haired woman wasn't looking at Star; her eyes were straight ahead, locked on a destination they reached a few moments later - another observation deck, narrower, higher, and running along the side of the ship. They would be undisturbed.
Once the door clicked, Tethys turned on him. "As you are well acquainted with deceit, I can think of none better suited for this task than you."
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:44 pm
Star took a step back when she turned to face him, looking concerned, "Wh..I.. don't know that I'm that well acquainted.."
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:55 pm
She gave him a weary look. "The Ariados pistons."
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Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:58 pm
Star winced, finding himself suddenly aware of how far the ground was from their balcony. Without thinking, he moved away from the railing, "..commander.. we've been over this, I wouldn't have done that deliberately. It was a simple mechanical flaw.."
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 12:02 am
Tethys advanced, bearing down on him with a direct stare and a chill voice that intensified with every step she took. "The Gyarados valves. The Garchomp circuitry. The Charizard hydraulics and the sandwich in the Ninjask fuel intake-"
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 12:07 am
Deceitful or not, Star's fear of Tethys was perfectly transparent. He stumbled backward, eyes wide, "Mistakes! All simple mistakes! I followed the Boss's designs to the letter Commander, I assure you. Clearly the grunts failed to follow my instruction."
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 12:37 am
"-the Hippowdon with the faulty gear system-" Tethys continued. It had locked up within five minutes of the first sandstorm Deimos had tested it in.
Her hands had been at her back; now they were at her sides, within distance of the guns on her belt, and Star would eventually run out of balcony.
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 12:50 am
Star blinked. Deimos had been advised repeatedly against piloting the hippowdon into that ridiculous sandstorm. It was by no fault of Star's that it had failed. He frowned, brow furrowing indignantly, "Well THAT one wasn't my doing, that was entirely-" He froze, realizing what he'd just said. "I mean.." He tried to back up further but encountered a wall, "None! None of them were my doing." He sank to his knees under Tethys' stare, eyes darting around for an escape as he flattened himself against the wall.
The pale woman came to a stop almost a foot from the cringing man's knees, casting a beatific smile down on him. "You are a liar, Star." It was almost gentle, her murmur, as her fingers curled toward a holster.
Star cringed. He wasn't sure how it had come to this, or why now, but she was finally going to kill him. "P-please.." He stuttered, eyes fixed on her hand. "I didn't.."
Tethys made a light little noise, almost a laugh. It was windy here; her words were almost lost to the air as she tilted her head to the side. "A dedicated liar." Her flexing fingers rested on the grip.
"I swear to you commander. I didn't. Please." He pulled his gaze up to look up at her dark eyes hopefully. "I've been nothing but faithful to both of you."
Tethys' dreamy smile didn't waver as she drew the weapon in a graceful arc and leveled it, clicking the hammer back. Cool metal caressed the underside of Star's chin. "Even now."
Star tensed at the sensation of the cold metal on his long slender chin. One second of silence passed before he broke down in a pathetic wail, shutting his eyes, "Okay I'm a liar!!! You're right!! I was lying!!! Please don't kill me! Please!! I'll do whatever you want!!!"
There was a pause.
"Now that we have that established," Tethys muttered and holstered her gun as she turned away.
Star remained flattened against the wall, blinking in confusion and breathing rapidly as Tethys walked away. "...........what?"
The commander stopped and gave him a withering look. "Do you honestly think if I intended to shoot you I would waste time getting you to confess?"
"I... you.." He stumbled over his words, silver tongue failing him at the moment, "......possibly?"
Tethys rolled her eyes at him. "Get up. You're disgraceful. But useful, assuming you can stop denying that disgusting talent of yours to me long enough to make actual use of it."
Star stared after her. Frowning, he grabbed the wall and climbed to his feet. "I'm not sure the gun was really necessary." He muttered, mostly to himself.
"Well." Tethys flicked a quick glance at a lens set into the hull. "I wanted it on tape. Now, if it makes you feel any better, you may actually derive some enjoyment from this. Mneme is involved."
She stopped about midway to the door and turned back to Star, out of the camera's range.
Star followed Tethys' eyes to the camera and wilted slightly.
Deep in the ship a group of Galactics stationed in the surveillance room exchanged wins and losses on whether or not Star was going to wet himself before Tethys was finished. Thankfully for Star, and the one guy who didn't bet against him, he had not.
Sighing, the lanky Galactic adjusted his coat in a subdued attempt to compose himself, "...what's your plan?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:38 pm
"Mneme is interfering." Tethys said this with the same intonation as 'Orion is coming to visit.' "She is attempting to gain favor and has turned the contents of that devil's workshop of hers to her purpose." She lifted her chin as faint strains of violin music came from the front of the ship, then turned a direct look on Star. "That has to stop."
"More importantly, she needs to reveal herself." 'She' was not Mneme. Mneme was still a member of the team, and Tethys' tones of distaste stopped at the level of 'embarrassing relative.' This she was said with the same venom as 'cockroach infestation.' "Your interaction with her was neutral. You are best positioned to gain her confidence and drag out her secrets where they can be seen."
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:48 pm
Star stepped close enough to make conversing with Tethys easy but stayed just out of arm's reach. His expression soured at the mention of Menme's antics, "I'm not sure why you tolerate her." He muttered, "She must see the kind of threat this woman presents. The fact she's supporting the situation is practically traitorous. You'd be better off rid of her." It was no secret Star'd been trying to get Menme fired for years. Apparently even now he was comfortable with trying to turn current events to his advantage. Or possibly he just couldn't help himself.
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:58 pm
The commander rolled her eyes briefly skyward. "Good lord, it's practically pathological," she muttered, referring to Star's condition.
"Despite her unfortunate desire to drench things in sequins, Mneme is unfailingly devoted and loyal - in this case, to what she myopically perceives as the team's best interests. But before you go further, consider for a moment why I tolerate you." She narrowed her eyes at Star, making it clear the current alliance was temporary - and fragile.
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