Chapter 71: Weaving Connections

Lulu stood outside the door of the area that was sectioned off for the Detrid representatives.

Trying as best she could to keep her nerves at bay, she watched Tavella talk with Council members.

Her grandmother and the Everion had left the two to deal with other matters. Matters that interested her. Though she knew she wasn't ready to deal with anything important, that was why she was here today - so she had to try.

Digging into her oversized coat, she switched out the vials on her neck, punching her fists a few times before approaching a bulky man with a put-together look. He wore strange clothing similar to a suit with a golden collar clasped around his neck.

The man was humanoid, but his skin was a yellow pigment and covered in similarly yellow warts.

He wasn't repulsive to look at - simply unique. Other than him not conversing with anyone at the moment, that was her main reason for approaching him first.

Extending her arm, "Ah... um hello, sir. I'm Lulia Bavel... a pleasure to meet you." She muttered with a strained smile.

The man looked down at her before taking her hand with enthusiasm.

"Yes, of course, lovely lady!" He laughed. "You must be related to the venerable General Nizael. The pleasure is certainly all mine. I am Chancellor Cello of Krios."

He released her hand, staring down at her with a curious gaze. His personality clashed with his unique look. His smile felt contagious, so much so that her nervousness nearly evaporated.

"That's the planet where Argon is sourced from, isn't it?"

"Oh? You've heard of us. Yes, it is."

"I've researched ships, so of course I know. I read that Argon is used to craft the shell of the core for larger ships such as Titans and Dreadnoughts. As their cores can be dangerously unstable and radioactive, Argon has been proven as the best material that could efficiently handle them. Can you tell me the molding process of the material, the mining process, and how it's handled?"

She was practically beaming, her enthusiasm breaking through her nervous exterior with her rant as she spat out her rapid-fire questions.

"So you're interested in our manufacturing processes. Sadly I don't know the exact details of how it's done, but tell you what. Visit us in the future. I will convince my people to show you their processes. What do you say?"

"Really? I'd love that! I'll tell my grandmother."

The Chancellor nodded his head with a slight smile on his lips. He opted to spill his curiosities.

"Might I ask what brought you to this council meeting?" He inquired.

"Oh! My grandmother wanted me to experience meeting the leaders of the vast galaxy. She wanted me to see how they talk - and how they walk, to learn from them. It's been quite the experience so far. So many species on this single tower, talking about their problems together. It's so interesting to see!"

Though he had no eyebrows, the man's brow ridge rose as he found her enthusiasm for the gathering amusing.

"Though the subject they talked about is quite scary. I must ask my grandmother more later - she - oh, I'm sorry I was rambling for a moment." Realizing what she was doing, she immediately covered her mouth in fear of saying more.

She sighed. "I told Karma I wouldn't do this." She muttered under her breath with a groan.

A glint appeared in his eyes while he watched her nervously quiet down.

"Don't fret, Miss Bavel. To be enthusiastic about such things is lacking in the officials these days... But I must be going now. I have an appointment with the Galactic Federation. The humans, to be specific."

The Chancellor bid his farewells, shaking her hand before making his way to the other side of the room, where he started a conversation with the Human representative before they both exited the room.

Taking her eyes away from his retreating figure, she finally noticed the eyes she felt following her even before she started talking with the Chancellor of Krios.

Slouching on a couch in the center of the room, her four arms spread out across the back, the blue-skinned Lady Viell was watching her with squinted eyes - observing her.

She stared at the older woman with a slightly raised brow and curiosity flashing through her eyes. She was sure no one around her after the Chancellor's departure, so she continued to stare at her.

She soon grew slightly nervous and started to avoid eye contact before Lady Viell motioned with her head, beckoning her to come over.

Steeling her nerves, Lulu calmed her raging heart before quickly standing beside the sitting woman.

Not budging from her spot, she slightly fidgeted with her fingers, returning her gaze to the woman's sharp eyes.

"What are you doing? Sit, sit. No reason to stand." She said quickly upon seeing the small girl still standing.

After sitting down for a few moments in silence, Lulu spoke up. "Did you want to speak with me, Lady Viell?"

"Hmmm." With a hum, Lady Viell dug in a pocket with one of her hands, pulling out a box. Playing with the box, she hummed once more.

"I'm helping you do what you came here for."

Seeing the bluehead tilt her head in confusion, she couldn't help but sigh. "Forming connections."

"... I'm here to form connections?" Lulu continued to stare at the woman with a blank expression.

"Why else would someone like the General, someone like your grandmother, bring the heir of their house, someone, who will be leading her people in the future to this gathering? Don't tell me you thought there were other reasons."

She nodded, assisted by a grin, "I thought I was here to learn from your behaviors and use them to better myself. After all, what better way to learn than from the masters?"

Lady Viell sunk further into the couch with a sigh.

"I guess that's part of the process. But your main objective seems more so along the lines of forming connections, Lulia."

"You know my name?"

"I heard your introduction to the Chancellor just now."

"Oh, right..."

Seeing the girl return to her silence, Lady Viell shook her head.

"You remember your talk with the Chancellor just now."

"Yes, certainly. I was allowed to learn more and was even invited to visit and learn another species' techniques. Its-"

"That, what you did with that Chancellor, is form future connections between yourself and the Kriosians."

"I see... Why... do you want to form connections with me?"

"Because you are the future. As the future, everything you will do is unknown and unpredictable," She continued. "Simply knowing your grandmother and how she operates allows me to glimpse how you'll be in the future. You must take hold of it."

"I-That's-I understand," Lulu muttered.

She eyed the woman, biting her lips to stop herself from fumbling her words. She fiddled with her fingers as she was unsure of how to respond.

The box in Lady Viell's in her hands fumbled apart into a collection of thin lines. Flexing the strings into a web, she continued speaking.

"Your connections, when you form them, Lady Bavel, are to be like a spiderweb - connected. While your connections stand as a web, you are to be a spider. On top of that web as they are linked to hold you up. This is what you are to make." She finished.

Sitting up on the couch and turning her body to face Lulu, she locked eyes with her. Displaying all seriousness as she put the web on the table.

"Since your first was taken, allow me to be the second to extend a hand."

Staring at the web and the outstretched hand, Lulu lost any ounce of hesitation. Taking hold of the hand with her small ones wrapping around it enthusiastically.

She grinned, "Well, hands."

"Please. You're not funny, Lady Bavel."

"Right, sorry."

Seeing the blue head revert to her shyness, Lady Viell couldn't help but chuckle; Truly, she couldn't wait to see her future endeavors.

---

"What do you mean?"

The winged figure of the Kritol Emperor sat in a chair in the Kritol section. His head was rested on his fist, his crown dangling off his head while his wings were folded behind his back.

His eyes glared at the seething figure of his kneeling vassal. The hooded man had a hand clenched around his knee in a testament to his dissatisfaction.

"...Sir," he struggled out. "I can't be any clearer! That cursed child, the one accompanying the Detrids. She has the other key."

The Emperor, Solare, raised a brow at the man's words.

"... My Lord, " he drawled out.

"Good. So, you know this, how? Tell me." He questioned.

"As an owner of a key, I can instinctively tell if someone has the key to the other. She has the key." The man growled as if having to explain himself was angering him.

Solare sighed and removed his head from his fist. He stared down at the man. Rising from his seat, he put his arms behind his back and walked around the room, stopping at the window that showed the space outside the tower.

"This is the weapon you brought to me. I allowed you to attack them with the weapon as you assured me of absolute decimation. Remind me again, Envoy. What it was that happened, what it was that I lost." He ordered, still staring out the window.

"My Lord, as you mentioned, I am your Envoy. I relayed-"

"Remind. Me."

The Envoy gnashed his teeth together under his hood.

"...We lost a Frigate Dreadnought, two companies of soldiers, one High-Grade Frame, ten Mid-Grade Frames, five Watcher Frames, and over a hundred lesser Frames."

"Good, you remember. Now, let me remind you, I gave you authority over that vessel, those living resources, and machines because I believed they were all you would need to operate the weapon and defend yourself while you obliterated my enemy."

Turning back towards his Envoy, Solare's eyes bore sharply into him.

"Those losses can be written off. But you reveal our weapon, then you lie, lie to me - saying that their world being protected from it was a fluke that you could fix, ha, you even had the nerve to mock them through the ship even with your failure.

Yet here you are, without a shred of shame. Telling me that she has a key to the only other thing that could defend against our weapon. I should have you executed."

"But no," he sighed. "You still have your uses."

Moving to stand in front of his Envoy, Solare, with his arms still behind his back, had a wicked grin strewn across his lips.

"Ulyssus has found an experienced group of mercenaries. They have issued the help of an individual that could threaten General Bavel. They will kill that child for me, retrieve the key, and then I shall destroy every semblance of their existence." He returned to his seat, "You are dismissed."

"Yes... my lord." The man's voice was low, but he relented nonetheless. Rising from his knees and stiffly exiting the room, he returned to the main hall. Turning in a fit of anger, his fist flew into a wall.

He stuffed his hand into his cloak, pulling out a necklace with a strange metal disk with intricate lines etched across it connected to its chain and a key.

He muttered to himself while he stared at it, "It is only a matter of time, Everion."

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Pasithea_Midnight

Here, my finals are all next week.

Anyway, there are three, perhaps four plot points right now

The Ring, the cult, the mercenary, and now the World Eaters.

I'll be finishing up with everything on planet as she becomes more ingrained with the military and things spice up. No spoilers though. Happy pride month though, I happen to be Ace, hope you're all doing well though!

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