His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as they charged right into the storm. 

The sandspeeder sped forth, a trail of dust in its wake as it approached the gigantic dust storm. Specks of dust tapped against the windows and roof like a miniature hailstorm as the wipers shook from the wind, fighting hard to keep the windshield free of dirt and debris.

Suzanne, meanwhile, lounged in the passenger chair beside Jarvis, humming to herself with her feet kicked up on the dash, hands busy fidgeting with an old camera. "Remind me where you found this? 200 year old cameras don't just pop up on Vexra..." She flicked the shutters absentmindedly, wincing as she tried to stare through the viewfinder.

Jarvis glanced her way, shifting into 4th gear as the dust storm only intensified. A screen on the dash scanned the environment for obstacles, granting his only way of avoiding a crash as the dust prevented any visibility. "Bento found it, near the crashed colony ship. Guess someone on board must've kept it as a memento."

"Of course," she yawned, her eyes half open as she set the camera aside. With a cat-like stretch, Suzanne shifted over to Jarvis' seat, lounging against him as she hooked her arm with his. "Where are we going anyway..? We're too far out to catch the good Vox patrols..."

"You'll see," he replied, eyes darting between the scanner display and the windshield. "We're not looking for Vox, but something I pinged last time I scouted the area. Should be worth a whole lot more than some patrol."

That piqued her interest. She sat up, grinning as she rested her head on Jarvis' shoulder. "Oh! More secrets, huh? I'll wait... but it better be as good as you're making it out to be." Jarvis nodded, slowly the speeder down as he pointed ahead. "There. Just up ahead. Get ready to eat some dust, cause we'll only go unnoticed as long as the storm persists."

He pulled back the gear shift, settling the speeder on the ground as he slipped his helmet back on, leaping out of the speeder. He took Suzanne's hand as she donned a sand mask, guiding her through the raging storm. Particles tapped on his visor, filling Jarvis' helmet with the constant plinking sound as he trudged through the shifting sands. 

There it was. Half buried in the sand, a giant, dark mech, scratched up from years of abandonment. With a spider-like form and a large head adorned in gigantic plasma cannons, seeing the mech in its wrecked glory felt like stumbling upon an ancient, powerful being, cut down many lifetimes prior. 

Suzanne gasped, holding Jarvis' hand tightly. "You... what!? An Arachno-Walker! I thought they were all destroyed in the rebellion!" She squealed with glee, rushing forward to admire the mech. Her fingers traced along the dusty, rough surface of the mech's spherical head, tapping against the small windscreen. "This is... worth a fortune, Jarvis. More than a fortune."

Jarvis nodded and approached, leaning against one of the partially buried legs. "It is. Though... I was hoping to do something other than scrap it for parts. So I brought you." Suzanne's eyes shined with excitement as she climbed on top of the eight-legged mech, inspecting the surface intently. "Yeah... yeah, I think I can fix this. Go get my tool bin! This beauty will be walking by the time the storm passes us."

Hours passed as Jarvis watched Suzanne at work, laying on top of the mech as dozens of panels hung open, exposing countless wires and components. A small drone accompanied her, decorated with a black bow as it used a small claw to piece together wires, fixing the frayed copper and shredded rubber coating. Suzanne held a multi-tool wrench, using a plasma blowtorch to weld some parts beneath the mech's surface. The dust storm continued to rage on as she worked, forcing her to wipe off her goggles every few minutes. 

Suddenly, the joints of the legs began to glow as the engine roared to life, running off of reserves as the front lights cut through the dust, illuminating the ground for hundreds of feet. Suzanne shut the exposed panels one by one before leaping off the mech, jumping up and down in excitement as she pulled Jarvis up from the sand. "It works, it works! Oh, it's amazing, isn't it? I can't even imagine... it's probably been out here for 15 years!" Jarvis couldn't help but laugh, warmed up by her infectious enthusiasm. 

After a moment, she turned back to the mech, the rumble of the engine muffled by the billowing winds all around them. "I... I can't get in the cockpit yet, but once we get this to the inner city, I'm sure they'll find-" Jarvis quickly interrupted, placing his hand on Suzanne's shoulder. "No. No, I'm not selling it off. I want it to be yours."

She gasped, eyes wide as she turned back to Jarvis, quickly wiping her goggles with her hand once more. "What? No, no, it's yours! You found it a while ago, I just fixed it up... Jarvis, think about it. You're already in with the faction leaders, this is the perfect way to solidify that!" 

He shook his head, a small smile forming beneath his visor. A strange tremor interrupted, emerging from deep under the sand as he hesitated, but he quickly brushed it off. "You've always wanted to find something like this, a chance to show off what you're capable of. So... think of it as an early birthday gift. Plus, I'm doing fine enough. Bento supports me." Suzanne bit her lip as her eyes watered, and she lunged at Jarvis, hugging him tightly. She clung to him, fingers digging into the cloth over his shoulders. "You piece of crap, doing something so ridiculous for me..." She nudged her goggles aside, her tears dripping onto his cloak. "Jarvis, I... come here."

Without another word, she took him by the hand, leading him up the mech and sitting by his side. "...Jarvis. I... I wanted to ask you. Being adults and all now. Have you ever thought about... making a real future here? Finding love, maybe? She fidgeted with her fingers, watching him intently.

Jarvis paused, his breath catching in his throat. Of course he thought about that, every day. But he wasn't about to share the full extent of that. "Sometimes. Though, I don't know where I'd find that, or who." Suzanne's expression fell just a tad as she listened, nodding. "Fair enough. It's just... I found someone I want that with, and I don't know if it's silly, or stupid, or... just foolishly hopeful."

Jarvis took in her words, processing them. "You did? I mean, if you think he is, he must be quite the guy. You're really good at what you do, always have been. I'm sure, somewhere out in the wastes... you can have that future."

"But I don't know if he wants that," she quickly sputtered, tears falling once more as she scooted closer. "I'm tired of not knowing, especially with... how much he does for my sake."

"Then why don't you ask him?" Jarvis inquired, hands held in his lap as he brims with anticipation and worry. Suzanne only groans, grabbing her wrench and thwacking his helmet. "I-I'm asking him right now, you idiot!"

Jarvis quickly recoils, holding his helmet in place as the gears click in place in his mind. "I... oh, crap. I'm awful." 

"Yes. Yes, you are," Suzanne remarked, glaring at him, though her gaze lacks any real anger. "Y-you've got a girl sobbing beside you talking about love, and you still don't get what she's asking!?" She scoots closer, nearly into his lap as she studies his expression intently, searching for anything to give her hope. "Just... give me an answer. Please."

With a quick, almost desperate nod, he pulls her closer, hands resting on her hips. "Yes, always yes! I... I've thought about the same thing. It's always you." With a chocked laugh, Suzanne melts into him, nuzzling in the crook of his neck. "...take that helmet off. I want to see you fully when you tell me." She tosses aside her goggles as she lifts Jarvis' helmet, setting it down gently beside him. Her eyes meet his intensely, her gaze pleading.

"I love you, Suzanne. Always have." He shivers a bit, overwhelmed by the moment as Suzanne leans in, her lips trembling with barely contained emotion.

"...then show me. Please."

Jarvis nods, and as he pulls her onto his lap, leans in to give her everything he's denied himself for years... he sees it.

The tremors appeared once more, shifting the sand up ahead as a massive metal form emerged. That red, furious eye that watched him flee not so long ago, once again meeting his. An unrelenting, hateful gaze. Before he can even respond, his vision is blurred by the sudden blast of laser fire...

..and all he can do is wince while he's blinded, hearing Suzanne's sudden, piercing screams as her presence falls away.