AU: Future Hearts

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Set in the Swindle universe
Somewhere in space in the very distant future

Major Lucky Swindle was always said to be the best in her field if - and only if - one could get past the personality she carried. After all, she was born and raised for the position she reached for. The Admiral of one of the Earth's Intergalactic Forces military was her mother. A decorated hero in war who had a series of daughters, two of which followed her into the course. One of which made it all the way to space. To a ship. To her very own.

Things were fine until tensions started reaching a new level of strenuous. Between the shuffling of a second in command to the exportation of a thief-turned-stowaway-turned-crew member who lived in the engine room-turned-double crossing exile, things were bound to get a little distant. A little vague. Every member of their team seemed hot-headed in their own way. And now, she had Captain Chiva literally breathing down her neck for that shotty exile. Things were at an all time low.

This was what it felt like to lose so much sleep and still be so desperate to push on. Swindle ran her hands across either side of her face as she elevator slowly dragged her downwards. A few simple bumps and the floor was settled. Engineering. It was her least favourite place for a very good series of reasons, none she were willing to divulge on that particular day.

As the doors opened, she squeezed her eyes shut for a second longer before she opened them to step out. But she immediately crossed paths with the one person she didn't want to see, and as she crossed her path she uttered the same words she always did; "Piss off, Blaze."

Today was hardly the day to be berated about failed transfers.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

There were only a few places one could find the ship's engineer - most of which consisted on the one floor she was stationed at. Blaze wasn't on the ship willingly, and never willingly ventured throughout it. There was comfort to be found in engineering; the only comfort that could be found on this ship.

The sound of the elevator could barely be heard, but it still registered in the engineer's mind regardless. It always did. Someone was entering her space, and despite how it wasn't technically her personal space, she still felt a need to know who went in and out of it. Really, so few actually did.

So it shouldn't have been a surprise to see just who had made the ride down to the lowest level of the ship, yet lips instinctively pursed as dark eyes landed on the woman in the elevator. It was never pleasing to see her although really, it was inevitable. Yet before she could manage to say anything at all, she was met with Lucky Swindle's usual greeting.

Jaw clenched, the engineer felt tension shoot through her straightened back. "Not today," She shot out quickly, and with a brief pause, her fingers curled into her palms; "Major."

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Heavy boots clanged against the metal surface of the floor. Everything about the ship was completely sterile for a reason, and as such there was nothing about a trip that could ever be ignored. She always thought to argue that someone needed to look over the elevator for its slow approach, but it always left her mind before she made it to the requisition forms.

There was nothing that could slow her steps, until she said that. The delay was inevitable, but after a few steps she'd stalled to a halt. Shoulders rolled back once, the force of which dragging her head up and her back straight.

Then she turned, hardly composed and completely willing to fall for whatever fight was thrown at her. It wasn't the day. Hell, it hadn't been the week. But apparently today of all days, nothing was allowed to slide. "What." Lucky snapped, somehow completely willing to hear her out despite how little she thought she'd care. That was, unless it had anything remotely to do with work itself.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

In all honesty, she was surprised to see the major come to a halt, so much that she raised her eyebrows within her initial shock over the fact. Holding her breath, she watched out Lucky turned, forcing her eyebrows down again as her gaze narrowed on the officer in command. Somehow, the quick comment didn't sit well with the engineer; it hardly felt like a question of actual concern.

Still, she had her attention, and that was more than she usually received from the woman. Taking steps forward, she met with Lucky halfway, still keeping something of a safe distance as she let go of the breath had been keeping.

"You cannot keep doing this." Blaze explained forwardly, arms crossing over her chest as she tried to think of the best way to go about this. Honesty was brutal, especially from the engineer who felt cornered into dealing with this woman of a major. How she was put in charge was beyond Blaze - in her opinion she wasn't fit for the job. A transfer couldn't come sooner. "Walking around without listening to what I have to say will lead to more problems." She shot out. She would have hoped Lucky had learned her lesson by now - hearing out problems and actually handling them rather than letting issues go out of hand as they had. "Until my transfer goes through, I suggest you listen to what I have to say."

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

A safe distance was one well advised. Lucky watched the steps she took with her breath held in her lungs, else she might use it to breathe fire in the form of another off-handed sentence. It was no secret that disdain lied firmly between the two, especially with the recent guest Lucky had allowed to squat in the engineering bay as her per own comfort.

Hands pressed to her hips as Penny started talking, as if to match the way she folded her arms.

Another word about a transfer snaked so perfectly around what Swindle could only guess was feigned concern. Everything about this place was her domain, from the engineering deck to her private quarters, and as far as she knew, it'd all run rampant for long enough. So she stepped forward, never one to rightly care for comfort in a heightened moment like this. Just a single step to breach the line she had put in place; "And what could you have to tell me that I don't already know?"

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Arms remaining crossed, they tightened around her own form to offer some sense of heightened stability. Her lips pursed as the major took a step forward, crossing the clear line of comfort Penny had created. She refused to step back, however. Lucky was known to work people into a corner with her words, allowing her to physically do so would only encourage her further.

And so, Blaze kept her back straight and head forward as dark eyes narrowed down on the officer. She almost wished to laugh at the woman, but humor never wore well on the engineer as she instead parted her lips for the allowance of a breath.

"My apologies, Swindle." She was quick to drop formality with a daring move of her own, eyebrows raising with mild interest. Or possibly just feigned. "I should have remembered you are aware of what goes on in this ship, and it's just your inability to actually do anything about these incidents that is causing us trouble."

She paused, briefly, eyes narrowing. "I told you there was an issue with security."

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

With what little she knew, it had always been obvious to Lucky that personal space was a declaration to make in strides. Getting closer by any means was something of an invasion. That little step she took might have meant nothing to so many, but to her it was like moving mountains to drive a point home.

The apology in the air felt confusing. Formalities aside - and she mostly hated them, anyway - there was something about it that felt disconnected. Hollow. And so she waited.

Rightfully so, because the onslaught that followed it proved its deceptive nature. Where humour seemed distant for the engineer, it always worked wonders for the Major. She exhaled a dry laugh; short as it was, it worked to make its own point. As if there was nothing to take from what she said but disbelief. It took no effort to know what they were talking about. Or rather, who. After all, Lucky had come to this level to kick the once-crew member off the ship entirely. Of course she had to have seen it.

"Yeah, I forgave you for that a while ago." She replied slowly, "Sorry, must have slipped my mind to say it."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

The engineer wasn't one to forget. Every little instance she viewed on this ship was stored away to be brought back out only at the most precise times. Although the incident she did speak of wasn't all that long ago, letting it slip this particular day wasn't an option. Lucky might have been in charge, but her authority still bothered Penny greatly.

Eyebrows shot up at the empty apology offered to her, however the apology within itself was hardly what alarmed the engineer. Rather, it was the message behind it.

Offering forgiveness put the Blaze at some sort of fault in the Major's eyes. That was not going to harbor over well.

Eyes narrowed. Jaw clenched. "Pardon?" Penny stood her ground, unaware of the way she held her breath from sheer proximity between herself and the Major.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Truth be told, the entire ordeal carried a sense of poignancy. There were regrets, and they were the kind that most others didn't speak about. At least, not to her face. And she herself was the kind of person intent to get back into the swing of things long enough to prove that occasionally, a mistake was warranted. For Lucky, the good just had to outweigh the bad. A fight with the engineer? A direct one, at that? What else was there to expect but another hit against her.

She wasn't even sure why this matter. She was always looking for a reason to leave.

"Thought it was your job to keep people out in the first place." Lucky pointed out. Everyone knew who developed the security matrix. Everyone knew whose shoulders that fell on, "If you're shooting at me, don't think that makes you safe." And here she'd thought she could completely leave it be, never to be brought up. At least, not in one of their sparing conversations, "Makes it a bit hard to nab that transfer with a mark like this on your transcript."

"And you want to piss me off because you can't piss off?"

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Politics were always made harder when living on a ship - when forced to be in the company of others. Of those with contrasting opinions. The most the engineer could do was request a transfer. Where they stood in space, she did not have the luxury of simply quitting.bit was I these moments, however, she wished she could. Although a brilliant engineer, space never suited her in the first place.

Tension shot up her form within an instant. Her breath caught, eyes widening despite the attempt to maintain an even expression.

For someone who had never had a mark against her in either her career or her education, the threat of one burned far too painfully to ignore.

"You can push my transfer." She pointed out. Anyone trying hard enough - especially the Major who got herself a ship - could bring results. "Why not? It's not as if I'm wanted here." The words came out more factual, than anything. Emotion lacked within her response, as she was just stating the obvious.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

It hadn't taken any time to switch topics; one moment they were on the evident failure Lucky was sure they both shared, and now they had landed on the same thing they always did. It was the very reason she was so disinterested in speaking to the engineer in the first place. A transfer. It always came down to a transfer. Even though she'd been the one to bring it up, she had little intention of carrying it.

Still, it might have been better than the alternative.

The Major knew there was nothing hollow about the threat she offered. Tension was a shot equally worn, as was frustrating. Pressure was heavy on her shoulders, and she could tell it was a shared sentiment. Lucky shrugged her shoulders at the helpful suggestion. And while the secondary statement lacked emotion, it was far too raw.

"Maybe I don't want to." She replied, tilting her chin up a fraction.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

While the Major was the first to bring it up, Penny felt it was a safe subject to push forward while they were on it. Despite it being the topic of most their conversations, the engineer had yet to hear any real news on an impending transfer. Above all, it was frustrating. How hard could it be? Moving people in the system was something of a common occurrence. She didn't wish to be there, and she didn't wish for her to be there. It was simple.

However, the response Lucky gave her immediately brought the surprise to her normally stoic features. Eyebrows rose with sudden confusion, and even as she parted her lips, the engineer faltered before closing them again, eyebrows then furrowing with the same motion.

She could through banter back and forth all day, but what was she supposed to do with this?

"Why?" Blaze questioned, taking on a harsh tone. Did she find some enjoyment out of bullying the engineer?

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Confusion was obvious. Lucky caught the way it radiated through the ship engineer's features, from the curve of her lips to the way her eyebrows lowered. She knew it was a stretch to say what she had, but she allowed it to hit the air with that usual stint of confidence. It was always difficult to maintain any kind of authority with this particular crew member, so there was no real need for any kind of formality.

She said it. Because why not? Look at the difference it made. Look at the time it had saved.

Lucky shrugged her shoulders again. At first, she left it at that, like the physicality was a literal answer within itself. Like she could really get away with it when she was dealing with someone so overbearing. But she couldn't deny the strange edge this conversation had taken; she wasn't about to lose her fire, surely.

"Why would I help you leave?" Lucky asked her, as if it could truly be so odd to be asked for such a favour.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

While confidence was clear in Lucky's tone and features, confusion and skepticism controlled Penny's expression. There had to be some reason for the Major's answer. Something that would lead to the usual harsh remarks the higher officer would so often leave Blaze with.

Yet nothing came of the sort. A shrug was hardly an answer, if considered one at all. Her lips kept pressed together, waiting for something better to arise. Something that made sense.

And again, she was left with confusion. "Why wouldn't you?" She countered, arms loosening from the way they had been crossed. She extended her hand, gesturing to Lucky.

"You hate me."

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

It had become something of a delicate, dangerous interaction. And that was strange; Lucky had taken the elevator to the engineering desk with no intention of getting caught in a remotely personal situation with anyone. It was all about tracking to the back of the ship - to the lower belly of the Panthera Leo - to ensure that absolutely everything was gone. There should be absolutely no trace of their stow away, and yet somehow she surfaced herself in this conversation.

So her own blood was boiling. Like things should really be so considerably unfair.

Dark eyes locked themselves with the hand that gestured between them. There was so little space to make such a move, and the threat of contact was suddenly very real. When she looked up again, she'd taken that one step further; a knee-jerk reaction to curl fingers around the engineer's wrist. Lightly.

"Who told you that?" Because such words would never leave the ship commander's mouth.