Thread: An Eclipse of Corruption (Vuxayl x Cricket)

Xayun stared at his new commander, breathing heavily from the run up to the control deck. He expected her to see his findings as conclusive that the missing crew was somehow connected to the planet and that they ought to investigate. Karilel, however, seemed to have a different opinion, and Xayun was left with a blank, dumbfounded expression. She did seem to have a more assertive attitude, proper for a commander he idly noted, before the words she spelled started taking shape in his head. Wha... what do you mean, -risking this crew-? It's just a planetary fly-by! It's more dangerous to have Old Joe there aboard this ship than to do that! he said, making a gesture towards the planet in the background, then to one of the operators in the control room, which appeared to be really focused on a technical manual on his lap, or having just fallen asleep without anyone noticing. Xayun's alien pupils widened as he tried to defend his position, and he peeked at the control room out of the corner of his eye, noticing that the preparations to attach and dock the cargo were already under way. He turned to look back at Karilel, even more shocked. What are you doing?! We can't attach the cargo yet! We don't have enough fuel to- he said waving his arms in front of the crew as if he was trying to stop the operations, before he realized the futility of it. Catching his breath, he tried to calm down, going over the issue again with a bit more reasoning. ... look, these people could be in trouble out there, ships don't disappear like this. I understand that there is a mission, but isn't our job actually looking after these people? That planet is further away than the mission stipulated, yes - but it's also damn close for a planet, and given the current state of events it's more than reasonable to go in there for a quick recon and I think we'll all sleep better tonight if we do. Please reconsider, Karilel. Deep inside, Xayun wanted to inspect this planet, maybe even more than what can be justified by a recon mission for the missing ship. Something about it begged to be discovered, but even so his priority first and foremost was to ensure that there were no signs of the crew in its surface. Karilel, however, summarily denied his request. For her, it seemed the mission was really over. Anger bubbled up inside Xayun, and his voice gained a tone of aggressiveness to it. So you don't really care, do you. For you, it's all the same if they end up back on the station or become dried husks drifting in space, as long as you do what you're told. I thought you would be different. The fact that he couldn't deny to himself that some of the points Karilel brought up actually made sense just made him even more angry at her and the mission in general, ignoring the fact that this was her first time as a commander. But I guess just want to be like them, don't you? Like them who are ready to sacrifice a hundred lives to keep up with protocol. Well. Fuck this. Fuck this mission. he said, striding towards the door. And fuck you, you cold metal bitch. he added before exiting, his heavy footsteps echoing inside the room as he went down to the lower decks. The fleeting thought that he may have exaggerated occasionally passed by Xayun, keeping himself in the engine and system rooms for the rest of the trip and trying not to think too much about what happened. But he was sick and tired of what his job forced him to do, and he was decided to finally change it all. Soon they were arriving back at Aurigas-Bridge, with the Kanayago's attached cargo safe and sound.