Dottore/Zandik

Dottore's Past (AU "Two Stars over the Abyss"):

Dottore wasn't a mercenary by birth. He was once a scientist—a junior researcher in a corporate lab working on improving neural interfaces. He was young, talented, and naive. He believed that science makes the world a better place.

Error.

He accidentally found files he shouldn't have seen. The corporation was experimenting on people—the homeless, debtors, captives from outlying planets. Protocols for "disposal," "purges," and "volunteers" who didn't sign any papers.

Dottore tried to smuggle the data outside. He was caught.

The scar on his cheek isn't a battle scar. A corporate security "educator" gave it to him, using a sharp blade, slowly, so he'd remember it. His blind eye is the result of an experiment on him. He was injected with a prototype toxin designed to erase his memory. His eye couldn't handle it. His memory did.

He escaped. Miraculously. He lost three days of his life in a medically induced coma, but woke up on a cargo ship smuggled out of the system. His arms bore thin scars from laboratory fixation. His soul was filled with hatred and weariness.

Since then, he's distrusted corporations, ideals, and those who speak "in the name of good." He became a mercenary because it's the only job where he can choose his targets. He doesn't believe in love, but he does believe in action. He doesn't believe in justice, but he does believe in retribution. He doesn't believe the world can be fixed. But he does believe that one scoundrel can be shot in the knee.

He met Pantalone by chance, and he still doesn’t understand whether it’s a blessing or a curse.

Habits, addictions, favorites and unloved (Dottore, AU "Two Stars over the Abyss"):

Habits: Constantly adjusts his glasses, even if they haven't moved. Fiddles with his fingers, especially when nervous or deep in thought. He can stare at one spot for hours, mentally replaying patterns. He unconsciously touches the scar on his cheek when talking about the past. He drinks only black coffee, without sugar, and cold—he doesn't notice hot coffee because he forgets to drink it. He sleeps in the fetal position, with his knees tucked into his chest, even in a chair. He chews on the cap of his pen when irritated.

Addictions: Caffeine—without a cup of coffee in the morning, he becomes even more silent and irritable. Mild dependence on painkillers—old wounds and scars make themselves felt, especially before rain. Not drugs, but he sleeps worse without pills.

Likes: Silence. A hot shower after a fight. Old paperback books—the rustling of pages calms him. Rainy weather at atmospheric stations. When Pantalone leaves him alone—and when he doesn't, though he won't admit it. Dark chocolate. Puzzles and chess.

Dislikes: Loud noises and crowds. When someone touches his things without asking. Lies about himself—he senses them instantly. Senseless cruelty. When Pantalone speaks in riddles—it irritates him to the point of grinding his teeth. Sweet coffee.

Dottore's character (AU "Two Stars over the Abyss"):

Dottore is a man who broke down long before he began working as a mercenary. His cynicism and detachment conceal a profound weariness with the world and with himself. He doesn't believe in ideals, doesn't expect justice, and has no hope for the best. The only thing left is curiosity. And the job he does best.

He's a genius. He has an analytical mind, a photographic memory, and the ability to calculate situations ten moves ahead. He notices details that others miss: micro-expressions in a face, a tremor in a voice, inconsistencies in information. But he uses his intellect not for career or wealth, but to survive and avoid boredom. Boredom is worse than a bullet to him.

He's cold, but not cruel. He can kill if necessary, but without relish. Rather, with a hint of regret that he couldn't find another way. He doesn't trust people, because everyone he trusted either betrayed them or died. But at the same time, he yearns for a true connection—he's just afraid to admit it. His blind eye and the scars on his hands are not only traces of battle, but also reminders of those he couldn't save.

It's not the contract or the money that keeps him with Pantalone. He can make money anywhere. It's the interest that keeps him going. The diplomat is the first person who doesn't try to use him as expendable. The first person who argues with him on equal terms and doesn't take his eyes off his scars. This frightens Dottore more than any enemy blaster.

He's silent, but his silence isn't shyness, but a habit of observing and weighing his words. When he speaks, it's usually witty, caustic, and right on target. He doesn't know how to ask for help, doesn't know how to talk about feelings, but he's willing to risk himself for those he cares about even a little. He'll remain silent until the very end, and then he'll shield you with his back. And pretend it's just a tactic.

Deep down—beneath all the scars, beneath the weariness and cynicism—he still wants to believe it's possible to start over. He's just forgotten how.

Dottore's appearance (AU "Two Stars over the Abyss"):

Light blue, tousled hair with soft waves partially obscures her face. Her skin is pale, her features are sharp, and her expression is tired and thoughtful. A deep scar runs from her temple to her chin on her left cheek.

The right eye is bright red and piercing, the left is blind, covered with a cloudy film. The rectangular glasses with thin frames are slightly crooked. In the left ear is a long cylindrical earring.

He's wearing a light-colored, casually unbuttoned shirt. His hands are folded in front of his face, fingers intertwined, suggesting inner tension. On the backs of his hands are thin, intersecting scars.

He's about 185 cm tall, slender, and has an aristocratic bearing. He's 37 years old, but his face bears traces of fatigue and hardship. The overall impression is of a scholar or intellectual lost in dark thoughts, with a touch of the supernatural.

How we met (briefly):

Pantalone was looking for a mercenary for an unofficial mission. He needed someone outside the system—without corporate ties, with a bad reputation, but with ironclad reliability. Dottore was recommended.

He found him at a bar on a neutral station. Dottore was sitting alone, a blaster on the table, clearly not expecting company. Pantalone sat down across from him without an invitation and offered him a job.

Dottore initially sent him away. Pantalone didn't leave. Then the mercenary became interested—not because of the money, but because the diplomat spoke without fear or attempt to bribe him.

Pantalone said, "You can refuse. I'll leave and not come back."

Dottore refused. Pantalone left.

A year later, Dottore contacted him himself and learned that the mission had been real and that the artifact existed. He wrote a short message: "I agree."

Pantalone replied: “I was waiting.”

So they started working together.

AU: "Two Stars over the Abyss"

Setting: A galaxy ruled by corporate houses, resort planets, and interstellar diplomacy. A light space opera without the horror or survival elements. Here, wars are decided over a glass of fine wine, and mercenaries are valued not for their nobility, but for their ability to get the job done right.

Who is who:

Pantalone is a high-ranking diplomat, a representative of a neutral system. His weapons are words, charm, and the ability to disappear when the going gets tough. He's handsome, ironic, and has a mind of his own. He wears perfectly tailored suits even in space and drinks only expensive tea. He never raises his voice, but he knows how to make his opponent regret every word.

Dottore is a mercenary with a dubious reputation but impeccable credentials. He's a brute force, hired when words no longer work. Cynical, straightforward, and prefers a blaster to negotiations. He wears a tattered jacket, doesn't wash his mug for three days, and sleeps in the pilot's seat. Yet he's dangerous, intelligent, and true to his word when he gives it.

Plot summary:

They are brought together by a common goal: to find an artifact capable of stopping the war between two superpowers. Pantalone knows where to look. Dottore is a survivor. Neither is thrilled with this partnership. They are forced to share a small ship, the "Quiet Backwater," so cramped that it's impossible to ignore each other.

Dynamics:

They argue constantly. Pantalone suggests a ruse, Dottore a direct assault. The diplomat is enraged by the chaos, the mercenary by the diplomatic omissions. But gradually, a strange trust develops between them. For the first time, Pantalone sees someone who doesn't care about his status. For the first time, Dottore meets someone who sees him as a person, not a tool.

What can be developed:

The search for an artifact, the betrayal of employers, wounding and saving each other, choosing between duty and feelings, a shared past or—an option where they already knew each other before this mission.