Evangeline's brow scrunched, and her face creased ever so slightly in time with the approaching noise.
*Clomp--Clomp--Clomp*
He better not -
A sharp metallic crack echoed out from the other side of the lobby's main doors.
"Eh, it'll buff out!" A muffled but gruff voice announced.
The dragoness' eye twitched, but she forced a smile as the doors before her parted with a rush of steam, revealing the source of the fuss.
"Officer Kintrax. So pleased to see you!" She called out. Her eyes briefly flickered between the perfectly polished white tiles of the lobby and the heavy mechanical foot that looked more like a hoof made from a car engine than an actual foot, that was just about to touch down within the station's premises. He was dressed in a sharp black shirt with oversized cuffs, a pair of tough-looking black combats, and an armoured waistcoat, thick with metal and stamped with one of the RMD's emblems; a gold-laced dragon wing, with several golden bullet holes through its membrane.
And, of course, the Kintrax trademark look - a single black boot for his single organic foot.
"So formal! We're all friends here! Theo is fine, Evangeline!" He smiled a smile that was all too wide and all too knowing. His walk had a sway of confidence to it, if a bit of an odd gait.
"Of course. How could I forget? So! What brings you to my humble little station without so much as a day's notice?" Evanageline gripped her hands tightly behind her back and spun to walk side-by-side with Theo as he strode towards the huge, semi-circular, brilliant white front desk in the middle of the lobby. He was gunning for the small bowl of sweets with increasing vigour.
Evangaline herself was clad in her usual affair, styling a long white lab coat and suit underneath, with a deep blue hue to the fabric.
Within seconds, the rhargnorn had unpeeled a couple of chocolates and was munching on them loudly, turning back to face Evangaline's unflinching demeanour with chocolate-covered teeth.
"Inspection time, as requested by Commander Koa!" He pulled what was once a neatly folded, but now a scrunched-up mess of a letter, bearing the same RMD logo in the header, out of one of his trouser pockets and thrust it towards Evangeline. "Gotta see what you egg-heads are up to! Make sure you're following all the laws and decrees, as set by our wondrous and ever-generous royal family!"
"Mhmm, so -"
"- Now, an inspection is when your place of work is investigated - a term defined as examining something and putting it under great scrutiny, - to ensure that it is following lawful conduct." Theo interrupted passionately, puffing his chest out. Despite standing a full head shorter than her, his gaze remained absolutely fixed to her icey, emotionless eyes. "In order to ensure your safety, and everyone else's aboard this Draconic Alliance XITD, or 'Xeno Threat, Investigation and Dismissal' regional headquarters, I will leave absolutely no stone unturned."
There was a brief silence as Theo grinned at Evangeline, waiting for her to speak. The dragoness' gaze intensified, and she opened her mouth, taking the bait. As expected, Theo immediately continued to speak the moment her throat began to creak the slightest hint of a word.
"I can understand, you being head of this facility and all, that you must be feeling some pressure from this sudden visit. Well, rest assured, any complaints you have about the process will be duly noted and passed on to my superior, Commander Koa, for action. In the meantime, as long as you've been following protocol, everything should be dandy! Shall we?"
He gestured towards and started to make his way over to the entrance leading to the E-labs, which were protected by a heavy security door and guarded by a single soldier (as most of the labs were), but not before grabbing another handful of chocolates from the bowl.
"Of course. Thank you for your wonderful description of a workplace investigation, consider any doubts I may have had clarified! I will need to escort you through the high clearance labs, but I cleared my schedule this morning the second we got your communication, so that should be no issue at all." Evangeline spoke with a perfectly practised enthusiasm, perfectly mirroring Theo's exaggerated tone. "I take these inspections very seriously, and I can't wait to see the outcome!"
"How brilliant! Your cooperation is expected, but still greatly appreciated!" The two began their journey together with equally forced smiles, walking through the pristine bowels of the space station together. The occasional scrape of Theo's mechanical tail against the station's floors and walls would make the dragoness vibrate with frustration, but there was little to be done about it; she knew he was trying to antagonise her.
"Provided all your reports have been correct, I imagine this is going to be a quick visit." Theo unwrapped another chocolate and popped it into his mouth, and continued to talk whilst chewing.
"Excellent. Then it shall be a quick visit."
"Glad you think so. I'd love it to be quick too. Would be a real shame if I were to, say, stumble upon a prisoner who hadn't been declared and was being mistreated as a scientific object instead of a living being."
"That would be awful." Evangeline agreed, nodding her head solemnly.
"It would. Would be worse if the prisoner in question was a czarite, too. Considering that czarites have been leaving the DA in droves lately, and the royal family has seen fit to declare all czarites as true draconic citizens to try and encourage them to return, regardless of their place of origin -"
"- A true horror, that would be -"
"- Which means that a nomadic czarite would still be fully protected by DA law, despite not originating from DA space, which means any form of non-consensual practice - including study and research, irrespective of any medical conditions they may or may not have - would be absolutely illegal and punishable by the maximum extent of the czarite protection decree. Which carries a title stripping and a prison sentence of up to one-hundred and fifty years."
"As it should. I'm so very glad you're fully up to date on your royal decrees, Theo; a true hero to the empire!"
"So, naturally, the discovery of a mistreated or falsely imprisoned czarite would be utterly disastrous for everyone involved. Does any of that... ring a bell, Evangeline...?"
"Not a single word of it."
Theo's grin dropped off his face as he turned his head back briefly to glare at the dragoness.
"Well maybe it fuckin' should!" He growled, ceasing the polite act suddenly and turning back to face the first lab on their journey. "You think you're gonna get away with this? You're not. I'm gonna find that girl, and if I can't find her, I'm gonna sweat it out of your fuckin' lackeys here. One of them is gonna fold, I know it."
"Girl? Theo, I don't know what you're referring to, but I can assure you that the primary project work the station has been engaged with has been done on the back of a corpse, recovered from the truly tragic incident at Barru X!"
"And that corpse is located where...?" Theo hissed, unimpressed.
"Destroyed. I ordered its incineration just two days ago, as the station reports detail."
"Well. We've reviewed your reports versus some external survivor accounts about the incident, as you so casually put it, and something ain't right. Someone is concealing something."
Despite his sudden change in demeanour, Evangeline remained completely calm, and continued to guide the dragon down the identical, stainless white corridors of the station. Shortly, they arrived at the first lab.
The security doors parted to reveal E-lab 1, where a team of XITD scientists were hard at work. Currently, they were analysing a selection of unknown AI hardware, discovered on the edge of the DA border. The head scientist was carefully dissecting a brilliant platinum-coloured drone, and another was recording their discoveries. This team included Scyler, who was standing close to the door, watching and idly and making notes. Upon seeing Theo enter however, he quickly went to shy away, attempting to hide his face behind his notepad, but the sapphire rhargnorn spotted him instantly.
"Speaking of! Here is the hero of Barru X, everyone! You trying to hide from me there, Scyler?" Theo announced loudly, quickly trudging over to the lizard and wrapping a thick arm around his shoulders. The entire team stopped what they were doing and watched closely, as an awkward silence overtook the lab.
"...Oh, shucks, I'm no hero, Theo!" Scyler feigned, getting some quiet laughs from the others.
"Hell yeah you are, bro. Let's talk about your incredible mission! The way you manipulated that mentally- ill czarite into attacking a station full of unprepared nomads really screams the word 'hero,' doesn't it? And to think, that station nearly had a normal day without you there! Good thing you were there, fucking about in nomad space after losing your entire RMD field-team just a few days prior, instead of coming home as ordered, isn't it?!"
"I mean -"
"- No-no, it's your turn to shut-the-fuck-up now." Theo uttered the words in the same way a parent might talk to a toddler. He brought his face close to Scyler's, still with his arm clamped strongly around the smaller male's shoulders. "I lost friends on that mission you led. I had to look into their children's eyes and tell them that daddy wouldn't be coming home this time, all because of you. I was there at your trial, too. You got so very, very lucky. Oh! I was also a huge fan of the way you lured the very same ultra-class psyker who killed the squads, to Barru X! Very brave of you. Naturally, you died heroically trying to help stop a completely accidental situation that you directly caused, right? Saving innocent lives from the hell you brought to their fucking door - OH WAIT! You're standing here, in front of me, healthy, paid and free to do whatever you fucking want." Theo suddenly pushed him away and Scyler stumbled back slightly. Theo turned to face the rest of the team, marching into the middle of the lab and glancing around at the rest of them with equal contempt.
"Anyone else think the guy is just an absolute hero? A true example of what the DA should stand for? Can't be just me? King of the nerds, ain't he? Should be in FUCKING JAIL!" Theo's bark in the middle of his sentence made the team jump as he stormed around the lab. "Rotting away, behind bars! Be a nice change of pace for you, being someone else's bitch for once. Cowardly fuck-scum." He spat. Despite his anger, as Theo paced he completed his search of the room in a methodical manner, taking in every detail of their operation.
Scyler went to respond, but stopped his tongue just as the breath began to leave his mouth after catching sight of a very subtle head shake from Evangeline, in the corner of his eye.
"You have an issue with the high court's decision regarding my staff?" Evangeline raised an eyebrow, standing at the door patiently as Theo continued his ranting inspection. "Are you questioning the integrity of the royal courts, Theo?"
"I absolutely am. Seeing as the RMD were on the prosecution, my bias and emotion over the result is allowed and permitted." He stated loudly, pushing through some hanging plastic curtains at the back of the room. "Feel free to put it in my feedback if you want, Evangeline. Give Jace a giggle."
The researchers remained glued to their spots, afraid of antagonising the rhargnorn who was easily more than twice the width of any of them. However, after a few more seconds of intense searching, he made his way back to the front of the lab and rejoined Evangeline's side.
"Looks all clear. Next lab then! Ta-ta you lot. Stay safe. Don't eat any vials or beakers."
Just as they left the room, Theo quickly leaned back in, pointing a strong finger directly at Scyler.
