Mirage of Metal (Maelion)

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


Enyo looked equal parts amused and puzzled by Amara's reaction. The girl seemed so bubbly. The older clone had some trouble keeping up. "Sure, there's a room nearby. I'll help carry you," she offered gallantly. With Vess' help, she picked up her younger sister and carried her out of the lab.


"Uh, Vess...what's a nerf burger? Can we get one here somewhere?" She wondered how Amara knew about it when she didn't. Had Archangel been withholding culinary treats from her? This was serious business.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
As Amara was carried to the bed and laid down Vess looked puzzled.
“A nerf burger is a processed food item. It is quite unsuitable for healthy organics as it contains far too much fat, sodium and oils. Our dietary selection is chosen for optimal health and well-being.”

Amara raised her eyebrows. “Oh well, oh very well. I suppose I can’t start with a bad example. Bring be the nutrient paste then! Fear not, sweet sister, if all else fails we can use it to regrout the floor. Or possibly mend plaster.”

Vess looked positively bemused, which was hard for a droid.

“Vess! Vess…I know all about you. Well, a little. Please fetch me some food…and a chair for sweet Enyo. Can’t have her standing up all day. I promise I’ll update your RAM or such as a reward.”

That left the clone sisters alone. “So Enny…can I call you Enny, my sweet Enyo? Let us toast matters…with this small plastic water cup…here’s to life, justice and the Archangel way!”

She took a sip and almost choked. “Wow…that’s how water tastes? I was expecting…well I don’t know. Flash learning is all very well, but it’s not the same as experiencing it.”

She sipped again and lay back, spilling a bit on herself.
“Oh dear…I wet the bed!” she said with a grin.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


Suffice to say Enyo looked more than a little bemused and a bit confused. She did not really know how to deal with Amara. The blonde was so bubbly and quirky. It was a big difference to the people she knew.


Then again, most of her social interaction had been with Phaedra and Vess. She hadn't socialised with any of the Knights of Ren so far. Besides, Enny? Seriously? "Can I call you Amy then?" she asked a bit trollishly. Well, she was trying to make a joke at least. To say that Enyo's social skills were rusty was very accurate.


She patted the blonde on the back when it seemed like she was choking, evidently concerned, but it seemed Amara could manage and then spilt some water. "That's ok. We can dry it. So...you remember everything from your flash learning?" she asked a bit awkwardly. She was not sure how to address this. "My template kinda, uh, killed yours. Our templates are evil bitches."

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Amara thought about all of what was nodded, eventually nodding sombrely.
“Yes…I know about Kaelin. Taken as a Sith early on, trained to be an instrument of death and terror.” She sighed profoundly. “Made an enemy of the wrong person though, right?” she said, her little smile coming back.

She reached out and patted Enyo on the knee. “Amy is fine…we’ll not make the same mistake though! We’ll work together and bring your one to justice. We will be the Angels of Justice!”

Amara stretched and lay back. “Right, so it’s a plan. We’ll be awesome together.”

Vess returned with two bowls of food. Amara managed to take a spoonful and made a low moaning sound as if she was having an orgasmic experience. This was of course rather odd considering the food was the most unappetising thing possible.
“That was…incredible. That’s what taste tastes like!” she said.

She looked between the other two. “What, you didn’t do something like that on your first day, Enny? Did she, V?”

“I was not operational when Enyo was born,” Vess said primly.

“Well, I guess I just like experiences, hmm?”

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


Truth be told, Enyo was more than a little surprised by how calmly Amara was taking everything. She'd expected a lot more angst, which might actually say a lot about the young clone. Indeed, it felt more like Amara was reassuring her. "Yes, we will bring the queen down and drag her from her pedestal."


Suddenly Kerrigan's mirror laughed. When had she ever done that? Probably not for a long time. "Angels of Justice, huh? Sounds catchy. I kind of like that. You're taking all of this rather well...I'm glad. It's not what I anticipated. I expected more awkwardness and angst, but then you're my sister, so I shouldn't be surprised." Was this appropriate to say? Eh, whatever. She gave her younger 'sister' a fond a squeeze on the shoulder.


Vess returned with bowls of food, Amara dug in heartily and seemed to be really enjoying it. Enyo looked more than a little weirded out. Especially since the sounds reminded her of certain things she'd done with the robot a few days ago. "No, I didn't," she said a bit primly. "But it is tasty."

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
“Angst, huh?” Amara asked quizzically. “Let’s see…woe is me, I’m a clone born of an evil and uncaring template, the galaxy thinks me dead and a monster! I was brought to life to fight and destroy and bring justice to the galaxy and to use the Force for droids who can’t!”
She placed a hand over her brow and flopped back.

“Better?” she asked, peeking her head up again. “Well, if you want to be angsty and melodramatic I can’t stop you, but it’s not for me.”
She played with her food, somehow managing to balance a huge blob on the spoon and eating it.

“You know, this could really be enhanced by some…uhh…juma berries. No, wait, I don’t like them. How do I know? I don’t. But I’ll find out! Will you sample berries with me, Enny…in between fighting the frightfully furious firemane floozies?”

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


Enyo blinked and looked at her in a puzzled manner, then laughed. She seemed to be doing a good deal of that in Amara's company. The blonde's quirky attitude seemed to be a bit contagious. So she launched a salvoe of melodrama in an exaggeratedly dramatic tone. "My sister is an evil queen who created poor me because she needs a host. Heaven forbid, she needs one because otherwise she might have wrinkles, grey hair and not grace the covers of Ashira's Angels! All my life is spent being unhappy and angry about this, so I must fight injustice and cure the unclean by processing them! I will only find fulfillment when I engage her in a grand duel!"


Enyo, stop parodying the plot. You're supposed to be broody and angsty. "Ok, I guess I like you less melodramatic," she said once she'd calmned down, flushing slightly. "I'm not sure whether you're joking or not, but sure, we can sample berries when we're not clobbering firemaned tarts. I'm sorry if I'm not the funniest company. I haven't really interacted a lot with people who aren't droids."

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Vess said nothing, but everything was being beamed back to command. That was the problem with organics; even when raised in the most controlled of circumstances they could not be predicted at all!

Amara gave her a high-five, spilling more water as she did.
“Well, point of fact, you’re the first organic I’ve ever interacted with. I’m only an hour old!”
She yawned.

“I’m feeling pretty sleepy actually. I think I might…” She trailed off because she was fast asleep. The plastic cup was hanging precariously until Vess deftly removed it.

“She is behaving…unexpectedly,” Vess said, clearly puzzled.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


Alas, even organics raised in a controlled, completely sterile sometimes decided to manifest a personality. Once one organic had taken this dangerous step, it was inevitable that he or she would infect others. Dangerous independent thoughts could infest a wide area, unless they were swiftly contained.


"Yeah, she's kinda odd," Enyo admitted, then smiled slightly. "But I like her and she's my sister." Archangel had done its job of teaching her to feel responsible for Amara too well. She gave Amara a kiss on the forehead, then tucked her in and made sure there was a pillow beneath her head. "Sleep well, sis. I'll be there tomorrow."

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
It was a long time later that Amara awoke to find herself alone and in the dim recovery room.
Sitting up with glacial slowness she leaned against the wall. Unfortunately her attempts to stand ended little better than they had the night before. Her legs were working, they were just not used to the weight yet and balance seemed to be a bit of an issue too. Frowning, she pulled herself back onto the bed and started to stretch out a bit.

Memories…she had so many memories. The curious thing though is that they were memories without age, they all appeared as if at one and the same time. She remembered learning about history, science, her template. So many things…but not the Force, except in the most abstract terms. Droids were not good at teaching that, in the same way someone who had been blind all their life had no idea of colours. They understood the existence, certainly, but could not understand how it worked.

Flopping back onto her bed she scrabbled around on the bedside stand, finding at last a torch which she played with absently for a moment before reaching for the commlink also beside the bed.
She pressed some buttons on it. It emitted a loud beep and she almost dropped it before prodding it again.

“Uhh…hello?” she asked. It wasn’t clear if anyone was watching.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


It was the dawn of a new day. Of course, neither of the clones would notice this since Elysium base was located far beneath the surface of the inhospitable ice ball. It had taken a while for Enyo to settle down and relax.


For one, she'd been so excited about having a little sister. There was so much they could do together! At the same time, doubt and worry had tugged at her heart. What if she was not capable of shouldering the responsibility? What if something happened to Amara and Sith or Firemane got their paws on her? The spectre of their evil templates loomed large, haunting her.


Eventually, she managed to calm down and get some rest. Unlike her mirror, Enyo was a rather light sleeper. Archangel had taught her self-discipline, so she was up very early and going through a series of exercises, since physical fitness was very important. She was pulling herself up on a beam, her body glistening with sweat and her hair tied back into a ponytail, when the call came.


Immediately, she dropped down and walked over to the commlink. Seeing the number, she knew it was Amara. "Hey, sis. It's Enyo," she said in a friendly voice. "Did you sleep well? Is everything ok?" It was more than a little ironic that Enyo hated Siobhan...but had the same family values.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
“Enny!” Amara exclaimed in a relieved voice. “Everything is fine! Uhh…well…except that it’s dark in here and I can’t walk and it’s scary and cold. No panic…but I could really do with some help.”

She paused. “I am sorry to bother you. But could you bring me some…uhh…things. You know…for the feet. Made of wool. And sometimes synthetic material. Socks! Please bring me socks when you come. My toes are cold.”

When the call disconnected she played around with the torch, accidentally dazzling herself in the eyes by shining it there. Now temporarily blinded, she curled up in a ball on the bed.

Unconsciously she reached out to her sister. “I’m frightened,” her telepathic voice said in Enyo’s mind.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


On the other end of the line, Enyo looked more than a little baffled, then nodded. "Ok. I'll bring you some socks. I'll be coming over right now," she promised and cut the connection.


However, then she received Amara's unconscious telepathic communication while she was rummaging through her closet. Enyo did not really have any proficiency in mentalism or empathic gifts, so the best she could muster was a response along the lines of 'I'm here'. Fortunately, her room was close to Amara's. Because Enyo was politer than her template, she actually took the time to knock before opening the door.


"Hey, I brought you some socks," she said awkwardly when she stepped inside the room, then walked towards the bed and crawled on top of it, crossing the distance. Then she threw her arms around her sister and hugged her. "Come here, I'm here for you," she said gently. So much like her mirror.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Amara suddenly burst out of her position and hugged Enyo close.
“You’re here! And you brought me socks! I love you…in a sibling way of course!” She kissed her sister on the nose. “Now…I’m so glad you’re here.” She sat up.

“So…can you help me walk? I won’t be much use to the cause if I have to go around in a hoverchair. Though…that could be quite fun. Maybe I’ll keep one so that I can use disable parking spots.”

She stretched and put the socks on. They were a dull grey colour much like all the clothing. Droids did not have a good fashion sense.

“There…warm! How are you this morning, Enny? Sleep well? I had a dream about a dark and terrible figure stalking me. Now…that wasn’t very fun. But then I had one about crumpets…which are I believe small toasted pasteries. Hmm….”

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


Enyo was a bit taken aback by how emotional Amara was getting, but then smiled. "I love you too...in a sibling, sisterly way," she admitted. "I can help you walk, sure. Wouldn't want you to take away a disabled person's parking space! Even though the image of you swinging a lightsabre while floating in a hoverchair is kind of funny."


Once Archangel took over the Galaxy, there would be no more disabled because they would be processed into a superior machine form. This was perfectly logical. Archangel was truth, Archangel was the embodiment of justice.


She patted her younger sister on the shoulder when she spoke about her bad dream. "Well, I didn't get a nice dream with crumpets, but I slept alright," she responded. Actually her slumber had been more troubled than she let on, but there was no need to mention that. Very soon it would be her job to train Amara and teach her about the Force, so she had to start acting the part.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
“Well, no reason to delay! The crepuscular avian acquires the invertebrate!” she declared, probably to the bemusement of her sister.

Sliding her feet off the bed she made to stand and almost buckled, but by holding onto her sister and almost hanging from Enyo she was able to force herself up and stand, ending up face to face with Enyo. She still swayed a lot, but grinned.

“Right, right. Now, easy steps. You must walk before I run!” she declared. Was she always going to mangle aphorisms?

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


"I have...no clue about what you just said...but ok," Enyo said jovially. What the hell was a crepsucular avian? Well, an avian was another word for birds, right? Eh, whatever. Apparently Amara was what her dictionary called a 'troll'.


Regardless, little Amara, who was actually a good deal taller than her sister, managed to get to her feet. Enyo quickly lent her support when seemed like she would buckle. "Ok, baby steps. Hold on to me," so she helped Amara take her first steps across the room, then slowly opened the door.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
“Shh…just trust me. Many hands get in the way of the devil’s work,” she said.
Standing up, she suddenly giggled. “I can see over you, shorty!” she said, peering over. A few strands of Enyo’s hair puffed up and she blew them away.

They reached the door and Amara cheered excitedly, and tried to jump up and down…but almost toppled over.
“Now, if I ever do that again, uhh…tell me not to,” she said and give Enyo a hug. “You’re so supportive!” she added with a chuckle. She liked her wordplay.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


"I'm not short," Enyo insisted a bit indignantly, thus ensuring that Amara would consistently troll her about their height difference. In all fairness, it was not that big! Time would tell whether the young-old clone would become as obsessed with amazons as her mirror.


Anyhow, they reached the door. Amara almost toppled over, but Enyo held on to her and pulled her up. "I'll make sure to tell you in great detail why it's a very bad idea, even though I'm not sure you'd listen anyway!" the clone declared a bit airily, then returned the hug. "Uh, yeah, I am." She was not sure whether Amara was trolling her with fancy wordplay. As for support, Enyo had plenty of that in her chest. It made it awkward to run sometimes. Shallow organics looked at it a lot, since it seemed to be fairly eye-catching. Anyhow, she opened the door, while keeping a good grip on Amara. They beheld a pristine, almost sterile corridor. "They kind of all look like that."

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Amara patted her on the head gently. “Don’t worry, Enny, I won’t make any height jokes. Seems you have a short fuse!”
Oh yeah, trolling would ensue…forever.

The corridor was revealed. Amara examined it critically.
“Now, this is the first corridor I’ve ever seen, but I am not impressed. Look at that wall, there’s a scratch. So much for mechanical efficiency. Still, this may be the best corridor in existence. I sharen’t know until I see more. Onward, fair Enyo, onward!”

As they came to the end of the corridor an HRD entered and marched past with mechanical precision.

Amara watched them troop past and frowned. “Talkative bunch. Luckily I have you…. Hey, this walking thing is fun.”