Blood of the Covenant

[AuruemSaber]

Chapter II: Rebecca Harper.

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Freeport Six, Tau-29, twenty minutes later.

Alex would erupt into a roar of laughter as 'Beck's finally finished recounting the events in Baffin, earning himself an icy glare in response. However, too amused to notice Alex would continue laughing and even joking about the matter.

"Wow, you really put that Harper charm to good use didn't you, Rebecca?

He would sarcastically remark, which would do no favours for Rebecca's mood as her hands that lay on the table would form into fists, fists that didn't go swinging towards Alex's jaw simply because of the fact that her temper exploding had already done enough damage for one day and she was acutely aware of that fact even now.

Her anger at that remark wouldn't go unnoticed, and as he caught sight of the balled fist, Alex would feel a twinge of guilt, only now realising just how thrown off Rebecca would be.

"Sorry, shouldn't have laughed, are you-"

He'd be cut off before he could even finish asking.

"No, but nothing you can do about it.

Rebecca would coldly state before taking a sip from her pint of Lager on the table. And while Alex went quiet trying to think of an answer, her mind would wander, the time she had spent in Baffin had left her unconvinced that Oz of all people would buy into their religion, no matter how disturbed he had become in the days since the evacuation of Leeds.

"I've got a lead on who I might be able to talk to about getting on board Bonito, but being honest, I'm not sure your intel is accurate on this one, Alex, I just can't see Oz with them."

Her voice would be calmer and quieter now and Alex would be able to pick up a note of concern as she broke the silence, seemingly not expecting much should she be able to get onboard Pueblo Bonito.

"'Becks, the war is done, it's not intel, it's exactly where he said he was going, and trust me, considering the stuff he said, I'm certain he has to be there.

Alex's insistence would be enough to momentarily distract Rebecca from her own internal drama and his comment about the war as she would shoot Alex an odd look.

"What exactly did he say to you anyway? And did he speak to any of the others?"

Alex would let out a brief sigh, but as he saw Rebecca's eye locked directly onto his, he would be able to see she wasn't asking out of just idle curiosity.

"He said plenty about how spreading discord could right the wrongs of the Sirius Sector and something about the grace of the Goddess Iris lighting the path. Isn't that literally the entire manifesto of the Discordians?"

If it wasn't for the circumstances, Rebecca might have been amused by the fact that Alex actually knew what the word Manifesto meant, but instead as of this moment Rebecca was finding her own doubts to be amplified and she grew yet more concerned.

"Iris? Not Eris?

Alex would nod in response.

"You're sure?"

"Yes, positive."

The pair would go silent for a time, and as they did Rebecca would be lost in her own thoughts, trying to avoid focusing on the harm she'd caused so many she cared for naught but a few hours ago, she'd try and distract herself from it for the moment by thinking pack on everything she'd seen of the Discordians in Baffin, but the more she thought on it, a gnawing realization would begin to build.

"Then either Oz didn't really understand the Discordians or..."

Alex would interject as she trailed off on the second possibility.

"Or what?"

"Or Oz lied."

She would brace herself for an outburst from Alex at even the thought of the possibility, but instead he would just have a confused frown on his face.

"Why would he?"

"Great question, one we can ask after I talk to these Polyfathers... Rebecca would briefly pause before she would continue, and as she'd continue her sentence in what was almost a whisper. ...and I try and unfuck half the damage I've caused today.

She stand up as she said it and she would begin to make her way to the door, Alex only able to get out an "Okay" before she left the table.

Once Rebecca had reached the exit, she would immediately set off towards the room she had rented, she was going to have a long day ahead of her tomorrow, and she was already dreading what she was expecting to come with it and she would be better off facing it fully rested, assuming of course the sea of despair she was currently experiencing would let her.