Sleep had been on her mind since they had come back from recovering Athena's supply train, although she had thought she’d manage. Still, if Tinker insisted she get some rest, she wouldn’t argue.
She nodded, scrambled into Mini. and headed to the Beast.
"Rest well, Jessica13," he said as she climbed out and left him in one of the Beast's harnesses that Tinker had finally agreed to fit.
"Thanks, Mini, you too," she replied without much thought about what she said. She found something to eat before she located an empty bunk and everything went black as soon as her head hit the pillow.
There were no dreams, thankfully, and she had no idea how long it was until her eyes opened again. Whether it was the same day or not was difficult to tell, but she remained in the bunk for a while and stared listlessly at the one above her.
She wasn't sure why she didn’t simply get up to return to work. For some reason, she felt sore, and the sensation made her feel like it would only get worse if she moved.
Minutes ticked by before she realized something had dragged her from the black fog of sleep. Her mind finally identified it as the sound of the doors opening on the other side of the Beast where most of the parts were stored, loosely collected and organized in a pattern only Tinker's brain could decipher.
It would help if his system didn't change every few days, although she had begun to get used to it as she worked with it herself. She still needed to ask him where he stored individual pieces she needed more often than not, though.
Jessica13 pushed herself from the bunk, stretched, and yawned and grimaced at the few creaks in her neck, shoulders, and back as she stood. Moving around would make it better since it was no doubt the result of her having been on the bed and immobile for too long.
More sounds from the other side of the room caught her attention. She shook her head and looked across at Tinker and Hammerhand. The former was seated and worked on some of his new acquisitions, likely trying to decide which piece would go to which Knight. Hammerhand stood a few steps away and leaned against the wall with his arms folded across his chest.
He didn't look happy. Not that he ever did, really. She couldn't remember having ever seen so much as a smile on the man's face.
Still, he looked less happy than usual.
"Well, they have a mayor so that's always a step in the right direction," Tinker said, his gaze focused on his work. "They have some leadership here and will have a spine if Athena turns up to give them trouble again."
"Not much of one," Hammerhand said and shook his head. "They have a couple of mechs that should keep your average desperate pirate at bay, but Athena is another beast altogether. Their new Cinders will amount to resistance equivalent of piss and shit."
"Agreed," the other man said. "But it's better than no defense at all. Besides, Athena won't be able to attack them if we attack her ourselves."
The Knights’ leader sighed heavily, his expression regretful. "I guess we'll have to put our search for Citta del Mar on hold in order to deal with her. I am truly sorry, my friend."
Tinker looked up from his work for the first time and a small, sad smile twitched across his lips. "There is no need to apologize. We all understand that Athena poses the kind of threat we cannot ignore, not while she's here and creating a dictatorship for herself. It can't be helped."
Hammerhand nodded.
"Besides, there are people here we hadn't accounted for in our previous estimations," the older man continued. "Athena has consolidated her claim of the land with violence and oppression, and the people are thus reliant on her for their water and therefore food. If we are able to release them from her rule—"
"Would they be any better off?" his companion asked. "We have encountered those before who had enjoyed the taste of freedom and abused it, so we needed to intercede on their victims' behalf. Who is to say the same would not happen here?"
"Are you really suggesting that leaving them under her rule might be more peaceful?" Tinker asked.
Hammerhand’s powerful shoulders raised in an eloquent shrug. "Not at all. You know how I feel about her, but there is a similar option we have to consider. Athena is harsh and cruel, yes. She wants to rule and there would have to be people for her to rule over. However, what is to say one of these isn’t cut from the same cloth?"
"As you have said, it would not be the first time we see something like this. But they have earned the right to choose how to rule themselves. That choice is denied them if they are under her heel and forced to give her food or be killed for trying to find help. Once they are free of that, they will decide on governance. We cannot step in to govern them to protect them from themselves."
The large man sighed again. "You're not wrong. We have discussed this before, old friend, and have always followed that very principle. The purpose of the Knights Mechanica has always been aid, not governance. Yet we both know that our actions here and those we commit to in the future will have consequences. Perhaps Athena’s insatiable lust for power and disregard for others has stirred up the debate once more. She has reminded me that there will be the kind of consequences we won't be able to anticipate or control, especially if we don't plan to remain to ensure that the stability this area now
