Chapter Text
Jean Gunnhildr, Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, stood atop Starsnatch Cliff amidst the gusting wind.
In front of her, Lisa Minci, Librarian of the Knights of Favonius. She stood at the cliff’s edge, arms folded, looking off towards the distant horizon.
“Lisa…”
“Jean… I’m sorry.”
“What are you apologising for? Lisa…?”
“I’m afraid I can’t let you come closer, my dear.” Lisa’s voice brimmed with the confidence it always did, but there was a slight tone of sadness in it too. Jean could tell. “It’s better for it to happen this way.”
“I… I won’t let you!” Jean shouted as she rushed forward towards the purple-clad witch. No sooner had she taken a step towards Lisa that she found herself blown back by a wall of electro energy.
“My dear… Please don’t make me do this. I don’t want to hurt you… I can’t bear to see you in pain. Which is why I must leave. I’m sorry.” Lisa turned round to face Jean one final time, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her last sight would have been Jean frantically reaching for her, as she stepped backwards off the cliff.
“Lisa? Lisa! NO!”
---
Jean’s quarters, Mondstadt Star Fleet supercarrier Vennessa. 7:25am Galactic Time. Outskirts of the Dragonspine Nebula, Galaxy T3Y-V4T.
The blaring of alarm sirens roused Jean from her sleep. She instinctively shot out of bed, and took but a moment to orientate herself to her surroundings. Instead of a grassy field under an open sky, she was in a cold, metallic cabin, bare of all comforts save for a bunk bed and a desk. Another dream… No sooner did Jean manage to clear her head did she recognise the significance of the alarm that had woken her. Battle stations…? We’re under attack! She rushed to get dressed; wearing only her military-issue singlet to sleep meant that she could quickly throw on her uniform over it.
Jean’s uniform consisted of white officer’s fatigues with a black trim and navy-blue boots and gloves. Over her blouse she wore a blue-and-red coat, the custom coat that she was allowed as a high-ranking officer. A beret with a red flash and the crest of the Mondstadt Star Fleet adorned her head and completed her uniform. Her long blonde hair was tied into a ponytail, and long bangs on either side framed her face; her delicate features complemented her impeccable uniform perfectly while obscuring the spirit of the fearsome warrior underneath.
Bursting out of her room, she was joined by other crew members rushing to their posts. She was immediately greeted by Commander Amber, lead gunship pilot aboard the Vennessa. Her services were not required all that often, so she could often be seen running around helping other crew members with their tasks, even during an emergency like this.
“There you are ma’am! We’re needed on the bridge.”
“Amber, do you know what’s going on?”
“Not yet, ma’am! I was off-watch too. I was summoned to the bridge and they instructed me to look for you on the way!”
“Good, then let’s go.”
Rushing through corridors illuminated by flashing red lights and speeding up using the crowded elevators, the pair eventually made their way from the barracks deck to the ship’s bridge, arriving not ten minutes after they had left (this was a very big ship). As they passed through the last set of heavy blast doors leading to the bridge, Amber snapped to attention and announced her arrival.
“Rear Admiral Gunnhildr, on deck!”
“As you were.” Jean spoke with an air of authority, moving purposefully towards the main bridge console. Someone else was already there.
“Rise and shine, ma’am!” said the man in a black uniform with a blue-and-white coat, wearing the same beret as Jean (save for a gold flash) over his long blue hair; in addition, he had an eyepatch over one eye.
“Kaeya? What’s going on?”
Handing her his datapad, he explained the situation. “We were engaged by a small enemy fleet; they attempted to ambush us but our scanners picked them up just as they were moving in on an attack vector. Three Hili-class destroyers and one Mita-class cruiser.” He gestured out the main viewport, drawing Jean’s attention to the flaming hulks of their attackers’ ships before them. “After we took out their ships, the enemy fighters turned tail and retreated deeper into the nebula, so we’re launching our fighter wing to sortie out and pursue them. We’re awaiting their report.”
Jean quickly caught on to the oddity in that statement. Commodore Kaeya Alberich was the leader of the Vennessa’s air wing, and he didn’t appear to be in any haste to leave. “Hang on, then why are you here? Shouldn’t you be leading the fighter squadron? And where’s Admiral Varka?” No sooner had the words left her mouth that she realised it was probably the Admiral up to his old tricks as usual. “Oh, he did it again , didn’t he?”
Kaeya sighed. “You just missed him. Admiral Varka decided to lead the sortie himself, so he took my pilots and left me in charge here… again.” Almost on cue, a flight of SA-3F ‘Starsnatch’ space superiority fighters zoomed past the bridge viewports, led by Admiral Varka, in the fighter he had christened Excalibur . His wizened voice crackled through the bridge radio, “Grandmaster to Vennessa bridge… We won’t let those guys get away! You people hold the fort till we’re back, I’m counting on there still being a ship for me to return to! Haw haw!” The fighters fired their afterburners and made haste for the starzone ahead to keep up with their quarries, quickly disappearing from view.
Kaeya looked on dejectedly as his squadron left him behind and away from the action. “Ugh, I knew I should never have accepted that promotion to Commodore… ‘Wing commander’, more like ‘wing commandeered’.” All of a sudden, his eyes lit up, and he spun around and turned to Jean. “Oh! But now that you’re here, you’re the ranking officer. Any orders, ma’am?”
Even Jean was surprised at how quickly his forlorn demeanour had all but vanished in the span of a single sentence. She quickly sized up the situation, and issued her instructions. “Hold course and keep communications open. Look out for our fighters and be ready to receive them. Remain on alert for further enemy incursions.”
Kaeya nodded, and gave her a salute before leaving to carry out her orders. Jean turned to the bridge console and consulted the ship’s computer. “Noelle, damage report.”
A hologram of a young girl in a maid outfit flashed up from the console’s projector. The Navigation and Operations Electronic Liaison - Lifelike Entity (NOEL-LE), or ‘Noelle’ for short, was the shipboard artificial intelligence that assisted the crew with its vital functions. As always, she greeted Jean with a dutiful smile. “Greetings Rear Admiral Gunnhildr! Damage from enemy attack nominal. Automated damage control systems have been engaged and the ship will be at full operating capacity in thirty-four minutes and twenty-nine seconds.”
Noelle’s reassurance helped put her mind at ease. “Thank you. Anything else I missed?”
“You have an outstanding engine performance report from Chief Engineering Officer Albedo, and a route plan from Chief Navigation Officer Lumine requiring your approval. Chief Gunnery Officer Nymph also needs your authorisation to arm the next batch of ‘Skyward Pride’ Long-Range Attack Missiles since we expended the previous complement during the engagement earlier.”
“Oh, and a reminder that you have a routine armour calibration session scheduled for 0900hrs later this morning. Research Division head Captain Minci has appended the following note to this reminder: Don’t be late, dear.” Jean facepalmed, and shook her head. That Lisa… She really doesn’t understand the meaning of ‘low-key’, does she? She knows I’m not the only one who can see these logs, right…
“Right. Thanks Noelle, that will be all.” The holographic maid avatar curtsied demurely before vanishing from the projection. She checked the clock on the bridge console - 0752h. The battle was over, and she could get things in order within the hour and hand command back to Kaeya who was now the designated watch officer (it would have been Admiral Varka, but…). I should be able to make it to my appointment with Lisa in time. Armour calibration… Right, it’s time for that again. An excuse to see her, if nothing else… And also a chance to give her a piece of my mind, maybe.
The armour in question was the powered armour used by the Marines of the Mondstadt Star Fleet; it had been developed by a team of scientists from the Fleet Research and Development Section, of which Lisa Minci had been a part of. Codenamed “Project Favonius”, the armour, which was modelled after the suits of armour worn by the knights of the past, would prove invaluable in ground engagements against the larger and more physically imposing hilichurl soldiers. Following its trial deployments, Jean herself testified to its usefulness to the Mondstadt Star Marines under her command, granting them greatly increased survivability and offensive capability against the enemies they faced.
Each marine had their own set of Favonius armour that functioned both as a protective shell (that even allowed them to survive in the vacuum of space for a short period of time) and as a powered exoskeleton that gave them immense strength and speed. The latter function operated by responding to the movements of the wearer’s muscles and mirroring them in real-time, and hence required regular recalibration to ensure that the armour moved as the user intended.
“... and here is the personnel report, some of our crew sustained minor injuries during the enemy attack, but Chief Petty Officer Pegg has just reported to me that all casualties have been treated for their wounds and have been discharged from the Med-bay. Following the production of replacement munitions, internal foundries are now at 89% raw material stockpiles. Resupply is not yet necessary.” Master Chief Petty Officer Hertha, Boatswain and Logistics Division head aboard the Vennessa, swiped away the last report on her datapad and turned off the screen, tucking it under her arm as she finished reporting to Vice-Admiral Gunnhildr. She was the last of the ship’s officers that Jean had to check in with, having already gone through the post-engagement debriefings with Captain Nymph and Lieutenant Commander Lumine.
“Thank you Hertha, that will be all.” With a salute, Hertha left and went about her business. Having overseen the post-battle checks and repairs and now satisfied that the Vennessa was in good running condition, Jean handed command back to Kaeya. She checked the clock again - 0845h. Perfect timing . She left the bridge and took the elevator down a few decks, then headed for the laboratories on the starboard side of the ship.
The ship’s sterile hallways soon gave way to the Research Division’s messy corridors and laboratories. Jean had reminded Lisa about getting her people to keep their workstations tidy, but Lisa always seemed to have poor memory when it came to that. It didn’t help that Admiral Varka couldn’t really be bothered as long as they did their jobs, which they did. As Chief Science Officer and head of the Research Division, Lisa had to oversee everything remotely scientific on board the Vennessa, which also included the maintenance of high-tech equipment such as the Marines’ ‘Favonius’ powered suits.
“There you are, my dear. And right on time.”
Seeing her beloved Lisa, Jean couldn’t help but smile. All the thoughts she had had about giving her a scolding evaporated as she quickly checked to see if anyone else was around in the lab, before falling into her lover’s embrace. If anyone else saw us… No, I don’t want to care about that right now. I just want to enjoy this moment.
“Huhu…” Lisa chuckled as she cradled Jean’s head against her chest. “Don’t worry, I made sure that the rest of the staff stayed clear of this lab today. You’ll find out why soon.”
Opening her eyes, Jean could look directly at the contours of Lisa’s cleavage. Lisa wore similar fatigues as Jean, but in a medium purple shade, with a white lab coat thrown over them. Her top was unbuttoned as low as the lowest standards of modesty allowed. Staring at the smooth and supple skin of Lisa’s exposed chest, she found that she did have to reprimand her lover for something .
“Lisa, you’re not wearing your survival rig…” Survival rigs were pieces of equipment not unlike life jackets, but much more compact; when worn, they covered the wearer’s neck and chest, not unlike a sports bra with an attached choker (in fact, many of the female crew including Jean wore it in place of one as it was comfortable enough and also rigid enough that it provided sufficient support). Upon detecting a depressurised environment such as a vacuum, the rig activated, expanding around the wearer’s body to cover it with a shiny silver ‘bodysuit’ and covering the wearer’s head with a mask and bubble helmet connected to an internal oxygen supply - in an emergency, it could keep someone alive in space for around 2 hours. Lisa hated wearing it, claiming that it was ‘too tight for her bountiful bosom’. Jean constantly reminded her about it regardless, among the many other protocols that Lisa’ brilliant mind simply deigned too unimportant to commit to memory.
“Oops, sorry dear. But I wouldn’t be able to do this if I had it on~” Lisa teased Jean by unbuttoning another button on her blouse. Her chest was now exposed far more than would be allowed anywhere in any military installation, but when Jean and Lisa were alone it was just them, just two people. No ranks, no protocols. This view…! No, I’m not gonna let her get away with it just by flashing her… Ah, dammit, it’s working. Just like it did the last time. And the time before that. … I’m a fool.
Jean’s internal dialogue was interrupted as Lisa moved Jean’s head away from her very-exposed chest. “I believe we have some real work to do, don’t we?”
Jean blushed, embarrassed that she had allowed herself to be carried away with something so… Unprofessional. Clearing her throat, she did her best to go back into ‘work mode’, but her face was still very flushed and her mind was still a mess of not-very-decent thoughts. “Um, yes, I believe I am indeed due for armour calibration.”
“Before that, I have a gift for you, my dear. I’ve been working on this in my spare time.” Lisa brandished a pair of white bracelets, handing one to Jean as she put the other on. As soon as both women wore them, the waveform of a heartbeat appeared on the outside of the bracelet.
Lisa grabbed Jean by the hand, so that their bracelets were right beside one another. “No matter how far apart we are… It will be as if we’re right beside each other, listening to each other’s hearts beating. Just like that first night, after we tried the str-”
“Y-yes! That night!” Jean had to cut her off; even though they were alone, hearing the details of their ‘adventures’ was far too embarrassing. “Lisa… I love it. Thank you. I…” Jean sighed. This was a conversation she wasn’t looking forward to having. “You know, don’t you? About how… If we make it back from this expedition alive, we’ll be promoted, and that means… We might be separated.”
Lisa was facing out the lab’s viewport, but Jean could see her reflection in the glass. Her expression was wistful, a tinge of sorrow colouring her smile. “Of course I know. And so when that day comes…” she turned around to face Jean and raised her hand up, gesturing to her bracelet. She giggled, and then broke out into laughter; pained, sad laughter. “I’m sorry dear… This was so silly. It could never replace having you by my side.”
Jean stepped forward to the viewport until she was face to face with Lisa, and placed a hand on her beloved’s cheek. “It can’t.” She placed her other hand around Lisa’s shoulder. “But I’m going to cherish it all the same.” She lifted Lisa’s chin up with her free hand, and kissed her. The two locked lips by the viewport, the endless field of stars in the window behind them. Beautiful as it was, at that moment the stars in each other’s eyes were the only ones that mattered to them.