(Previously on The DA *insert creepy lost theme music* ...)
She could feel Lit's stare piercing the back of her as her own violet gaze remained fixed on the chair covered in thick grey dust. This outpost they found had been abandoned, no doubt a relic of one of the previously destroyed iterations. The hardware was ancient and out of date but between the two of them and the knowledge stored in Tex's databanks they had done their best to restore and upgrade the communications systems. Still Lit was uneasy. As usual Liliane was feeling almost suicidally reckless.
"I feel compelled to once again express my strong feelings of uneasiness regarding this plan of yours, Commander." Lili rolled her eyes and her chin dropped as she shook her head, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips. "Lit... please... stop calling me that." She only heard the subtle sound of a smirk from behind her. "A Commander of one is just silly, and besides you're not here due to my orders, you're here because for some silly reason you refuse to abandon me."
Lit smiled. "I have no intentions of returning to Zion, and the barrens can be a cold and lonely place. Besides, you know as well as I do you need me here." Lil would have liked to point out that she didn't need anyone...but what the red headed stubborn woman said was true. "It's difficult enough to try and dissuade you from pulling dangerous stunts like jacking in through ancient hardware, who knows what you would put yourself through if there wasn't at least one voice of reason to talk you down off your cliffs."
Lili's eyes dropped from the chair, the weight of the past hanging heavily in the dark circles below those lids as her voice dropped to almost a whisper, hallow and numb. "Maybe you shouldn't..."
Lit's smile faded and her tone grew serious. "Kabell isn't the only person in this world who loves you, Lili."
Lil's eyes closed tight, fighting away the memories that name invoked. Small hints of his continued existence haunted her, as did his continued distance for whatever reasons were known only to him. It agonized her and Lit instantly regretted the mention of him, sensing her best friend's distress. Lili shook her head, her long disheveled black curls sweeping away the thoughts as she took a deep breath and regained her focus and resolve at the current task at hand. "You confirmed the meeting time and place with him?"
Lit dropped the topic and allowed the moment to pass from emotional to business as usual. "Yes. The confirmation was encrypted but your request was confirmed. When the Merovingian catches word of your intentions you know he will not like them. No one just up and resigns without paying a hefty price for it."
"He won't know until Hattah passes it along once the meeting is completed, and then good luck to the Merovingian ever finding us. If GreatWyrm and ..." she stopped herself from repeating his name," so many others can pull such convincing disappearing acts I am sure I can do the same." Lil stepped closer to the chair, kneeling before it with rag in hand as she began wiping the dust from it with such slow care you would have thought it meant more to her than it really did, like some fossilized relic that might crumble under too much pressure. The only purpose of her actions was to lesson the focus off her own trepidation and turn them toward something, anything else.
"Yes but as far as we know neither of them enter the Matrix any longer, and you don't intend on giving up your little playground." Lit's arms crossed. No, she did not like this plan of Lili's at all."
"I have no intentions of following Wyrm on his whimsical archaeological digs." For the first time the hint of a grin curled at the corner of her lips. "I still have my own little games to play within that digital world."
"Hmm... very dangerous games."
Lil stood "Hey..." She turned toward her, that flash of malicious intent burning below dark lashes, her voice dark. "I told you before, if you don't want to play you are more than welcome to leave, but you know you want to play just as much as I do."
Lit's arms uncrossed and her hands raised in the air as if to concede. "Like I said...just being the voice of reason you refuse to listen to."
Lili really did love that woman. They balanced each other out in a way no other partnership could. The sister she never had, the conscience she long ago lost. Her rock to lean against in a seemingly endless sea of treachery. She smiled warmly at her partner in crime and then glanced toward the clock, smile fading once again. "Alright, countdown to showtime. We're low on water and I'm not spending a week with this chair's grime caked in my hair so grab a rag and get over here and help me."