Lord Drall's razor-sharp toe-claws clink and clatter against the steel deckplates as he paces along beside his new comrade and soon-to-be battle buddy, José Rodriguez.

The Terran and Kraktol stroll through the Bloodbearer's main hangar bay past dozens of shuttlecraft of varying sizes. Their path angles them toward a vessel far bigger than the shuttles and interceptors nearby, one with a comfortable crew complement of nearly a thousand Kraktol, and a maximum occupancy of two thousand, five hundred. Lord Drall's ship, the Red-Tongue, a trident-shaped vessel, towers above both men like a titanium god.

As they approach, Lord Drall glances toward his ship and frowns. The vessel's landing ramp sits lowered, touching the floor. "Oh? Odd. I told my crew to seal the ship and keep it closed until my return."

"No worries," José says casually. "I'm not worried about you trying to pull anything with infiltrators or the like. Umi's coverage of the ship's internals is quite broad and all-encompassing. More likely, Kisa must have returned before us, along with Megla and Soren."

"Graugh! I nearly forgot about those daughters of mine!" Lord Drall guffaws. "They aren't my only children here, either. I have many sons and daughters alike, all of them spread across the Outer Rim. Those accursed Mallali even captured a few of them in the past, shaming my great name! Why not come aboard, and I'll introduce you to Sapphire, the daughter I whelped with a distinguished female from the Girax system? My fifth son, Kilgore, is quite the strapping young lad. If you don't fancy my daughters, he might be your type! Even if you don't like him, you'll certainly meet his tastes!"

"Thank you," José replies, "but as I said before, I'm not interested in mating with anyone, be they Kraktol, Kessu, or some other species."

"Graugh! Suit yourself."

Both men walk toward the lowered ramp and begin climbing its slope at a leisurely pace. As they approach the top, several Kraktol come into view, all of them donning glimmering exosteel-and-leather armor, contrasting with their shiny, multi-colored scales.

The moment the two leaders arrive at the top, a green-scaled male Kraktol steps forward and drops to one knee, lowering his head until the bottom of his mouth touches the floor. "Graugh! Great Precursor, it is my greatest honor to meet you again! I must apologize immediately for the actions of my commanding officer, and beg of you to forgive me for my crimes!"

José blinks. "Uhh... and you are?"

"I am Gorlax Stormfang, former Chief Navigator aboard the Dragon's Breath!" The Kraktol explains. "My commander, Orgon the Unkill- err, Orgon the Betrayer... he was the one who led the assault on Tarus II, and the one whom you fought to the death! By eliminating that vile traitor, you have given my people face and allowed us to continue living without shame! I, specifically, owe you my life! Graugh!"

"Oh, I see," José mutters. "To be honest, I don't remember you all that well. It's fine; water under the bridge. Let's move on from that whole mess and work toward a brighter future."

Gorlax raises his head a smidge. He glances nervously at Lord Drall for a moment, then at the Terran. "W-water under... under the bridge? Graugh! Forgive me for my ignorance, oh, Great Precursor! My intelligence is meager, and my mind slow! I do not understand the implications of your infinitely wise words! Would... would you be so kind as to explain your meaning in simpler terms?"

José chuckles. "There's no need to act so formal, Gorlax. I'm not mad about what happened. There were several misunderstandings on that day, but ultimately, Orgon's actions harmed the Kessu, not myself. As long as the Kraktol and Kessu decide to work together peacefully and forgive each other, I will not hold any grudges. In fact, Lord Drall and I just finished chatting with each other about a big 'project' we'll be embarking on together. I hope you'll all be able to support me in this endeavor."

The Admiral sweeps his eyes around the entry bay, where three dozen other Kraktol, most of them female, stand at attention, their faces filled with a mixture of passion and fervor. Without moving their heads, they quickly look at Drall for confirmation. He nods his assent, making them gaze at the Terran with even greater excitement than before.

Lord Drall reaches down and squeezes Gorlox's shoulder. "Stand up, my cousin. I've come to bring everyone joyous news. The Precursor, our Terran friend, José Rodriguez, requires our assistance! There is a mighty monster roaming the planet beneath us, and he cannot vanquish it alone. Therefore, Admiral Rodriguez has kindly asked the Kraktol Empire for our assistance! As you can imagine, working together and solidifying an alliance with the Precursor is wonderful news indeed and will bring us many future benefits!"

The Kraktol present all gawk in surprise upon hearing the stunning news. José continues smiling politely, but shoots a momentary frown at the back of Lord Drall's head.

There Drall goes again, framing this as an alliance. He's quite adept at playing the role of a kind and caring leader, but in reality, his actions are much craftier than they first appear.

Gorlax rises to his feet, a look of awe playing upon his face. "Great Precursor! Your generosity is boundless, and your vision infinite! To give us this honor, we will most certainly repay it!"

"Indeed!" A nearby female Kraktol replies. "We look forward to working together with such a powerful warrior!"

Several Kraktol, the vast majority of them female, pipe up in agreement. José listens and nods, but says nothing, allowing Drall to act out his theatrics.

After spending a few minutes explaining the upcoming operation, Drall disperses everyone but Gorlax and one of the nearby female officers, a crocodile with shimmering blue and green scales. He turns to José while gesturing to the woman. "Graugh! This warrior goddess is my daughter I mentioned before, Admiral. Her name is Sapphire Brighteye, and she is the most beautiful of all my children! I certainly hope you and her will become excellent friends!"

Sapphire steps forward and bows. Her shimmering blue-green scales give her the permanent appearance of having stepped out of the ocean, presenting a dazzling sight under the ship's interior lightning. Even despite her species' general unattractiveness to José, he can't help but admire how gorgeous her scale-coloration appears, begrudgingly giving this point up to Lord Drall.

"Greetings, Great Precursor," Sapphire says. She raises her head, allowing José to observe a pair of yellow 'patches' around her eyes; evidence of the scale-colors she inherited from her father. "My father has spoken about your strength many times, especially the manner with which you defeated Orgon the Betrayer. If you would give me the honor of performing a Fatüri Sparring Match, I would be forever grateful."

José starts to reply, only to notice a strange look in Lord Drall and Gorlax's eyes. They both quickly lower their heads and cough. Lord Drall meekly rubs his claws together and laughs.

"Graugh! Daughter, your boldness is truly... you must have inherited it from your mother... ahaha!"

José sighs internally. Why do I get the impression Sapphire just invited me to some sort of mating ritual?

Out loud, the Admiral replies, "Haha, perhaps in the future. We've many matters to attend to in the coming weeks. As I'm sure you know, I'm quite the busy Terran. That being said, I do appreciate the offer."

"Mmm. I look forward to observing your prowess in battle," Sapphire says, batting her eyes demurely. "Up close... and personal."

For a split-second, the oxygen seems to disappear from the room, leaving a brief silence lingering in the air. Sapphire gazes at José meaningfully, while he maintains his posture and doesn't relent under her seductive gaze.

Indeed, Kraktol females can be quite... domineering.

After a moment or two, José turns to Lord Drall. "Regarding your daughter, Kisa, might we be able to see her? I'd like to inform Soren and Megla about my decision."

Lord Drall ignores José's smooth evasion of his daughter's advances, perhaps realizing she came on a bit too strong for the Terran's liking. "Graugh! I suppose we could look for her. Sapphire, Kisa is your bunkmate for this trip. Did she return earlier, or is she still traipsing around the Bloodbearer?"

Sapphire's elegant presence deflates noticeably. "Kisa. Mmm. Yes, she returned. Stormed into here, crying about one thing or another. You know how she is. She locked me out of our room and demanded that I leave. I wasn't in the mood to deal with her typical mood swings, so... you can guess the rest."

"Graugh... that girl..." Drall mutters. "She is such a handful. Picky, weak, no backbone. Her mother spoils her rotten, yet Kisa still isn't half the Malvik that Loreen once was."

José listens to their conversation, then pipes up. "I've yet to sit down and speak to Kisa. Sapphire, did Kisa return with Soren and Megla in tow?"

"Not immediately," Sapphire replies. "Kisa came back alone. She stood outside the Red-Tongue, sobbing and crying about... something. I didn't pay much attention to her words. We lowered the ramp to let her in, then a few minutes later, Soren and Megla followed after, asking if Kisa had come this way. I'm sure they're back in the dorm with her now, trying to deal with her."

Every time Sapphire mentions Kisa, her mood noticeably worsens. José picks up on her negative feelings and decides to investigate.

"You don't get along with Kisa?"

"Not especially," Sapphire answers. "Few do. Kisa is a strange girl. She's the Thülvik's daughter, yet even while living in the lap of luxury, she still acts like a child. She gets emotional if she has to squash a bug, let alone punish a slave."

Drall shrugs. "The Thülvik has struggled to raise Kisa properly. That child has proven quite troublesome and has acted as a substantial burden, mentally, on our leader. My apologies, Admiral Rodriguez. You shouldn't have to hear about this unpleasantness, given how it shines an unflattering light on the Kraktol."

José waves his hand casually. "It's no problem at all, Lord Drall. You never know what problems people can be suffering from unless you check. Have you performed any corrective brain scans to see if she has any lingering mental issues? Sometimes, all it takes is one session with a Neurological Clinician to repair a person's cerebral deficiencies."

Lord Drall looks at José with confusion in his eyes. "C-corrective... brain scan? Graugh! Forgive me, for I've not heard of such a thing before."

"Mmm. I suppose the technology is somewhat advanced..." José concedes. "Well, Sapphire, if you'd be so kind, perhaps you could lead me to wherever Kisa, Soren, and Megla are currently staying?"

Sapphire nods. "Of course. Follow me, and I'll take you to the crew quarters."

She winks at the Terran.

"Perhaps after you're done with the crybaby, I can show you around my quarters, hmm? Kyargh!"

José merely rolls his eyes.

She begins walking toward the rear of the ship, while José and Drall follow along. Gorlax stays behind, opting to return to the Bridge to perform some routine maintenance checks.

As they walk, José casually examines the ship's interior, using their travel time to question Sapphire and Drall about its capabilities.

"The Red-Tongue is roughly four hundred meters wide," Sapphire explains. "Fifty meters tall, one hundred and twenty long. Currently, we have 962 crew aboard, but we typically round up to one thousand. The starboard wing is primarily an engine bay, used to store this vessel's antimatter and Trifrancium reserves. The port-wing is where our crew and leisure facilities reside."

José listens intently, picking up on all sorts of clues regarding the Kraktol's culture and their heritage. He walks past a small but cozy cafeteria with only thirty or so seats, all of them made from elegant, oak-like wood.

"This appears to be more of a luxury craft than a war-vessel," José remarks. "You haven't even mentioned the Red-Tongue's weapon capabilities."

"It has none," Sapphire replies. "This is a diplomatic ship. It has durable ablative plating lining its wings, but in the event of conflict, we'll have to rely on its superior speed and maneuverability to evade our attackers. What makes the Red-Tongue especially useful is its quick-boot warp drive. We can jump to hyperspace with only twenty seconds of calculation; more than five times faster than the other Third-Era vessels the Kraktol use."

"That's fairly standard for Tenth, Twentieth, and later era-vessels," José mutters, "but for a Third Era ship, it's certainly excellent."

"Kyargh! It is as you say, José."

The Admiral glances at Sapphire's back, chuckling to himself about her casual use of his first name. It seems she really wants to get on more familiar terms with me.

Eventually, the group of three arrives at one of the crew quarters within the Red-Tongue's port-side wing. They walk past two rows of metal doors on the right and left wall, each one staggered so as to not be directly across from each other. José blinks in surprise when he spots Soren and Megla both sitting outside one of the rooms at the end of the hallway with glum looks on their faces.

"Soren, Megla." José says. "What's going on? Why are you two sitting out here in this cramped hallway?"

Both of the women raise their heads simultaneously. They pull themselves to their feet, looks of weariness on their faces.

"Admiral..." Megla mutters. "I'm sorry. We, ah... we took Kisa to the Mess Hall and planned to introduce her to the Kessu, get her acclimated to the ship... all that standard stuff. But, uh, there was an incident."

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"What sort?" José asks.

"From what we've gathered, one of the elderly Kessu women exploded in anger at Kisa and blamed her for... well, everything."

Soren nods. "Yes, Admiral. Megla and I weren't present at that time. We left Kisa sitting at a table for a minute or two, and the Kessu woman berated her while our back was turned. It was my failure to notice the volatile conditions beforehand which led to this tragedy, so I believe you would be in the right to punish me for this oversight."

José shakes his head. "There's no need for that. Where is Kisa now? Is she in her room?"

"Yes," Megla answers. "She locked the door and wouldn't let us in. We've tried talking to her, but she won't listen to reason. I... don't know what to do."

Megla raises her claws helplessly, while Soren shakes her head. Both women appear to be at a loss for how to mend the situation.

José pauses for half a beat, then turns to Lord Drall. "Ah, not to be rude, but would you be so kind as to give me and my officers a moment alone?"

Drall glances at José, concern in his eyes. "Graugh! Naturally, but, if I may ask... for what purpose?"

"I feel more comfortable talking to them alone about certain matters," José answers cryptically.

"Mmm. I see. Very well, then. Come along, Sapphire! Let us give the Admiral a few minutes of privacy."

Sapphire nods. She and her father turn to go back the way they came, but with José at the back of the line, they have to suck their bodies in to squeeze past him. Drall manages quite easily, but Sapphire 'accidentally' brushes up against the Admiral's chest, causing her scales to turn a deeper blue than usual.

"Oh, um, excuse me..." José mutters.

As Sapphire squeezes past, she bats her eyes. "Kyargh! I didn't mind. You have... wonderful muscles."

She and her father leave, making José shake his head wryly. By the Divine Emperor... for a human to frolic with a non-human, Ramma will most certainly roll in her grave.

He dusts himself off, then walks over to Soren and Megla. "Alright. Tell me what happened, and start from the beginning. I want to know every detail."

Soren nods. "Yes, Admiral."

...

Five minutes later, the women finish explaining, leaving José to his thoughts.

"Hmm, interesting. I've noticed a few issues with how the crew treats Kisa and how they look down on her. Considering she's the Thülvik's daughter, it would be in my best interests to get to know her better. I think I have a solution to this dilemma. Soren, why don't you come with me? Megla, you stay here and chat with your father. He'll tell you about the agreement we came up with to defeat the Demon Emperor, Yama."

Megla's jaw slackens in astonishment. "M-my father... he's going to work with you? Fight alongside you?"

"Fight alongside us," José says, correcting her. "Don't forget, you two are my officers now. And yes, he will. He's convinced this upcoming mission will deepen relations with me, but I don't plan to change my trajectory. Assuming I can kill the Demon Emperor, my plan is to leave afterward, explore the Milky Way, and search for a few key Terran installations. Perhaps, if I'm lucky, I can find out what happened to... them."

"Them?" Soren asks.

"...My people," José replies. "The Terrans."

She nods. "I see."

After exchanging a few more words, José and Soren disappear, leaving Megla behind to chat with her father. The Kraktol leader quietly explains what transpired between himself and the Precursor to not only Megla, but Sapphire as well. Having already heard some of it from José earlier, Sapphire still obtains several additional details from her father, allowing her to form a more complete picture of the Terran's combat capabilities.

"Incredible..." Sapphire whispers dreamily. "The Terran's physical strength is extraordinary, and his advanced technology is so masculine. Couldn't he conquer any planet in the Milky Way if he so wished?"

Drall nods. "Indeed. Of that, I have no doubt. Graugh! Megla, you made a wise choice in pledging yourself to the Precursor. You have brought great honor to your family, and if you so choose, you may serve as a direct ambassador to the Thülvik once we sort out the details of this alliance with Admiral Rodriguez. Loreen is certain to look upon you favorably, given your contributions to the Kraktol Empire."

Megla nods along vacantly to her father's praise. "I see. Thank you, but... I don't plan to leave the Admiral's side."

"I would never ask you to do that," Drall says, waving his claws quickly. "No, I want you to stay beside the Admiral, earn his trust, and remind him of why the Kraktol would make such good allies. You wouldn't want him to align himself with those accursed Mallali, would you? Shielding the weak and pathetic Kessu is one thing, but what if he were to form an alliance with the Dakkit, or the Varot? Surely, you understand the harm he could bring upon your friends and family if he were to turn his weapons toward us."

Megla shifts her feet uncomfortably. "I... I don't know, father. I certainly wouldn't want the Admiral to attack the Kraktol, given they are my species, but... what you're asking of me is a bit... underclawed, don't you think?"

"Graugh! Of course not, of course not!" Drall says, as he wraps his arm around his daughter's shoulder and grins. "I am not ordering you to turn the Admiral to our side at any cost! Instead, think of it as... persuading him not to join the wrong side of the war. Really, would you rather he join the Dakkit? Do you wish to see this sad and weak father of yours perish, screaming and begging for mercy? What of your half-sister, Kisa? If the Admiral were to join the Dakkit, then I fear her life would end with torture and fire."

Megla averts her eyes from Lord Drall's. She squirms and fidgets, clearly feeling uncomfortable under the weight of his arm. "I... I don't know. Maybe."

"Graugh!" Drall grunts, pulling away from her. "I only want what's best for you! Think carefully, my precious daughter. The Terran is wise, but so are you. I believe you will make the correct choice when it appears before you."

"Yes..."

Megla falls silent, as does Lord Drall. Both of them close their mouths and don't say a word for several minutes, with Lord Drall's seemingly meek disposition fading away, giving him the cunning figure of a true leader, large and in-charge.

Eventually, Drall flicks his eyes toward the end of the corridor. After sniffing the air, he lowers his posture, ever so slightly. "Soren has returned, along with the Admiral. I smell her scent."

Moments later, Jose and Soren round the corner, with each one carrying two baskets full of fruits and vegetables. Drall glances at the fruit in surprise, then chuckles to himself. "Are those for Kisa?"

"Mmm, yes," José replies. "I'll do this next part alone. Soren, leave your baskets outside the door. I'll try talking to Kisa alone."

Lord Drall hesitates. "Alone? Erm, but Kisa is a bit of a fidgety child. I... worry she might say something that would offend you. Her manners are poor, and her speech, uncouth."

"Don't worry," José says, smiling. "I'm not offended easily. I think I can handle a child. I'm actually quite good with kids, as it just so happens."

Sapphire groans. "Kisa is hardly a child; she's three hundred years old. She simply acts like a spawnling most of the time, always hiding away from others and keeping to herself."

"I'll be the judge of that," José replies.

Without another word, José and Soren trudge past Megla, Drall, and Sapphire toward the end of the crew quarters. One of the doors opens along the way, and a startled female Kraktol pauses momentarily to let the Terran pass before gazing at his back curiously. While José and Soren continue toward Kisa's room, the Kraktol they passed wanders over to Sapphire, questioning her about the strange furless biped.

The group watches silently as José knocks on Kisa's door, mutters something they can't quite make out with their poor reptilian hearing, and eventually, the door slides open, allowing José inside.

Soren stays outside, only stepping in to deliver her 'care package' before retreating. She walks back down the hallway toward Megla and the others, then stops before them and nods. "First phase, complete. The Admiral explained his plan to me; it seems he has a method to help break Kisa out of her shell."

"He does?" Drall asks. "Graugh! That girl won't open up to anyone. She is too meek and timid. Her mother has tried to toughen her up for ages! What method is he planning to use?"

Soren shakes her head. "He didn't say, but knowing the Admiral, I am certain it will prove effective."

"Graugh! We will see..." Drall mutters.

.......................................

José steps into Kisa's room, a small, cramped chamber with a bunkbed against the far wall, a small table and two backless chairs for dining or other leisure activities, and a dresser for clothes and armor.

Kisa Kindris, the black-and-yellow scaled daughter of Loreen Kindris and Drall Brighteye, sits on the edge of her bunkbed, staring up at the Terran nervously. In her mind's eye, she replays the events of his brutal defeat of Orgon the Betrayer.

"G-greetings," Kisa says, wiping tears from her eyes. "I, I am Kira- I mean, Kisa K-Kindris, the ah, the err... the Malvik..."

José closes the door and sets the four baskets of food on Kisa's table. "It's nice to meet you, Kisa. I am José Rodriguez, Admiral of the Bloodbearer. Of course, you already know that, but I feel as if this is the first time we've really gotten to sit down and speak to one another like equals."

Kisa nods. "Y-yes..."

After a moment of silence, José pulls out one of the chairs from the table and takes a seat, his huge body appearing slightly comical compared to the comparatively tiny wooden stool.

"There's no need to be nervous. I'm not angry or anything. Actually, I'm a bit concerned. I hear the Kessu treated you rather harshly, so I wanted to come here and apologize for their behavior."

With the Admiral no longer towering over her, Kisa manages to cut back on some of her stuttering. "Yes. But I... sniff... I can't blame them. Everything that old grandmother said... it was all true."

Kisa lowers her head to stare at the floor. Big crocodile tears roll down her face, making her paw at her eyes. "Sniff... I just... I feel so helpless... like it was all my fault those poor Kessu died... it was all my fault that poor grandmother lost her kittens..."

"No, it wasn't your fault," José says, leaning back in his chair. He casually crosses his arms and sighs. "You're not the oppressor here; you're the victim. If anyone is to blame for what happened to the Kessu, it's your mother. But... I actually didn't come here to talk about the Kessu at all. I wanted to learn more about you, Kisa."

Kisa freezes. She lifts her head slightly to glance at José, then quickly lowers it again. "M-me? I'm nobody important. Just a stupid, worthless Malvik. I can't do anything right... hic... can't make anyone proud..."

"Nonsense," José says, chuckling quietly. "Haha. Is that what they've told you? Your mother and her confidantes, I mean. In my opinion, you're the most interesting Kraktol I've met up to this point."

Kisa clutches her claws against her chest. "No, I'm not interesting at all."

"Ah, but on the contrary," José replies. "Most Kraktol are all about honor, killing, fighting, all that samey-stuff. I think it's kind of neat that you're more of a 'hippie.' That makes you rather unique, especially given your position as the Malvik."

Kisa sniffles again, while also glancing at José out of the corner of her eye. "...Y-you... do you really mean that?"

José nods. "I do."

After a momentary pause, he turns to the four baskets of food beside him. "By the way, I was feeling a bit hungry. I hope you don't mind. I brought along a little food for myself, but if you'd like, you can have some. I wouldn't want to be rude, after all."

Kisa averts her eyes. "N-no, that's okay. I'm... I'm not hungry. I, um... I already ate."

"Is that so?" José asks, letting the last syllable trail off. He pauses for a moment before plucking an apple out of the basket. After biting into it, he groans loudly. "Mmm. Oh, mmm. Wow, this is good stuff. Tastes sweet and tangy..."

Kisa fidgets, rubbing her claws together several times. "Ah, erm... you mentioned me being a, uh... a 'hippie.' What does that word mean, Mister Precursor, sir?"

Jose takes several loud bites out of the apple before replying, all while loudly groaning about how good it tastes. After shaking his head, he turns to Kisa. "Mmm, in my culture, there were many non-violent Terrans who preferred to avoid war at all costs. We called them 'hippies,' though where the word comes from, I haven't a clue. Some ancient descriptor from the Origination Era, I imagine."

Kisa nods. She starts to speak, only for her stomach to loudly grumble, making her freeze where she sits. She quickly wraps her arms around her gut and turns away.

"Oh?" José says, widening his eyes. "What was that sound? I could be wrong, but it seems as if your ship has a Roaring Skoodoodle on board. Invisible critters; they like to hang around under beds and grumble when they're annoyed."

Kisa chuckles, only to catch herself and turn ashen. "Ah, n-no... it was... it was just my stomach."

"Your stomach? Well, if you're hungry..."

José reaches into the basket and pulls out an orange.

"How about eating something? This here is a Kerfuffle-Merfluffle. It's pretty tangy, but I like them a lot."

The Malvik chuckles again, in spite of herself. "Hehe... that's, um... isn't that called an Orr-aang-ee?"

"Hm, you're right," José says, nodding seriously. "Silly me. I get my words all mixed up, sometimes. I'm surprised you know what this Terran fruit is called. You must be well-versed in Terran cuisine."

"No... not especially." Kisa says, shaking her head. "It's just one of the things I picked out from the menu earlier..."

"Megla tells me you like fruits and vegetables," José says, smiling kindly. "It's only you and me here. I won't judge you for liking the same food as me, silly girl. Here, why don't you take this orange? I know you're hungry. You can eat as much as you want."

José tosses the orange to Kisa, catching her offguard. Her arms move automatically, snatching the fruit out of the air. She pauses for a moment, staring awkwardly at the fruit while stealing glances at the Terran.

"I... I'm not supposed to eat fruit, though..." Kisa mutters. "I don't deserve it."

"Start by peeling the skin," José says, ignoring her protests. "If you eat the orange as-is, it will taste bitter and gross. The skin isn't considered edible, at least not by Terrans. Use your claws to peel that top layer off. Once you get to the juicy part, the orange will practically taste like candy."

The young girl hesitates, but José's authoritative tone all but forces her to follow his instructions. Eventually, she relents, gently peeling the top layer off the orange with surprising precision. Her seemingly clumsy crocodile claws move dexterously, allowing her to perform the feat more easily than a Terran's nails ever could.

Eventually, Kisa finishes. She pauses for half a beat before gently placing the fruit in her mouth and biting down, being extra careful not to act overly emotional about it. The delicious juices, far improved over her first encounter with an orange, slide down her throat and tickle her tongue, making her shudder with pleasure. Still, she maintains an emotionless facade.

After Kisa finishes, she glances at the Terran, only to recoil in shock. On José's face, a look of disgust and rage lingers.

"Hmph. I guess you didn't enjoy it all that much..." José mutters. "You look like I just fed you a rock. Don't you know that oranges are Terrankind's greatest delicacy? By not smiling or groaning with pleasure, you've just insulted me!"

Kisa's eyes widen. "G-greatest delicacy? Oh no! I... I'm sorry! I really liked it! The orange was delicious! I just... I didn't want to over-react. P-people don't like it when I... when I over-react..."

José snorts. "Hmph. I don't know if I believe you. Look at how I eat this apple. Do I not look as if I'm enjoying myself? What use is there in consuming delicious food if you can't show your appreciation?"

He tosses a banana to Kisa. "Here, this is called a Long-Yellow-Tube. Peel it apart with your claws by pulling apart that top stem. Just like the orange, if you don't take off the skin first, it will taste awful."

Kisa catches the fruit and laughs in spite of herself. "Haha! Isn't this called a bah-nay-nay? I'll make sure you see how much I enjoy it this time."

The Admiral smiles. "Good! I don't want to see any more tears from you, little missy. I like to smile and laugh while I eat food. Life is so much better when you're having a good time, wouldn't you agree?"

Kisa nods. She starts peeling apart the banana, a much more animated expression on her face compared to earlier. "Y-yes! I agree!"

Within minutes, the Admiral dramatically cheers up Kisa, allowing her to come out of her shell more and more. Before long, she starts looking him in the eye and nodding along to his words, lapping up his wisdom like a thirsty child drinking straight from the tap.

The Malvik smushes an apple into pulp in her mouth, grinning and moaning as she swallows the fruit. "Mmm! Wow, it tastes so good, Admiral! Terran food is very delicious!"

"I should introduce you to rice and curry in the future," José says, smiling jovially. "You know, I've been cooped up on this ship with a bunch of meat-eaters. These poor, lost souls cannot begin to imagine all the delicacies they've missed out on for their whole lives. Since you prefer eating non-meat foods, I could teach you a few easy-to-make recipes. I like meat as much as the next Terran, but in my opinion, you have to mix up your diet, or even the tastiest food will start tasting stale. Don't you agree?"

Kisa nods harder than ever. "Oh, yes! But... I don't think I could ever get tired of Terran food. It's so much better than what I usually eat! So much better..."

The girl's smile fades away as a wistful look appears in her eyes.

"After I leave here, I'll have to go back to eating what I always did..." Kisa mutters. "Grass. Leaves. I always got sick and became ill... I felt so miserable. This... this is the happiest moment of my entire life."

The young Kraktol lowers her claws. She stares distantly at the banana in her grasp, a look of listlessness replacing her earlier elation.

José silently places the fruit he's holding back into the basket. After sighing deeply, he looks at Kisa.

"Is something wrong, Kisa? You can tell me. I won't hurt you, and I won't judge you. If you have any problems, just let me know, and I'll try to help."

The Malvik hesitates. "W-well... I don't know. It's probably nothing you can help with, Mister Terran, sir."

"Don't be so certain," José says, smiling. He stands up, walks over to Kisa's bed, and sits down beside her. "If your problem involves your mother, I'll listen. I won't tell anyone what you say. Promise."

"Um..." Kisa grunts, shifting away from him, ever so slightly. "It's just... I don't know if I can say..."

"You can," He assures her, placing his hand on her back. "Please tell me. I want to know more about you."

Kisa's scales flush with color. "W-well... okay. It is about my mother. She's... she's always so hard on me, and I don't know what to do. I always feel so trapped and helpless..."

José smiles. "You're doing great. Just let it all out."