Allison did what anyone would do if they’d been stuck in a one-person cockpit for three weeks and then a ship. She spent her Sunday afternoon running around in her backyard playing with Oozie who apparently loved to play fetch. Eventually Oozie got bored of that and started diving under fallen leaves then suddenly jumping up and causing them to rain down in a shower of violet, blue, red, orange and yellow. She’d then try to grab as many as she could before they hit the ground. The whole scene provoked healthy laughter in Allison.

As she watched the playful nargle dance amongst the fallen leaves she felt the stress of the last month evaporating. She hadn’t realized how tightly wound she’d been. Oozie crouched down and barked at her. She made barking sounds back. Then leaned down and tossed a bunch of leaves in the air. She tried playing Oozies game and seeing how many she could catch. Oozie got involved and they tripped over each other and fell down.

Allison lay there in the grass where she fell looking up at the cloudy sky laughing. Oozie pounced on her and laid across her chest and started licking her face. Allison ruffled the fur on Oozie’s cheeks and the nargle purred loudly. Unseen by either Allison’s mother stood at one of the large rear bay windows smiling as she watched her daughter who had not taken time to just play in almost four years.

Allison bent her head back and saw the tennis ball she’d grabbed from her father’s tennis kit and threw it. Oozie pressed down with her paws. Allison groaned then the nargle was off chasing the neon yellow ball. Allison used the opportunity to sit up. Oozie ran back and dropped the ball on her lap then licked her face. Allison rubbed her cheeks and Oozie started to purr again. At this point both had exhausted themselves. Allison sat there half buried in leaves with Oozie sprawled across her lap. The sliding door opened, and Allison heard Aryna gasp.

“A nargle! Where did you find her?”

Aryna rushed over.

“Oh, she’s so adorable. Such a cute little narggie.”

Aryna crouched down and held out her hands. Oozie perked up and sniffed at Aryna gingerly. Aryna scratched Oozie in a spot just behind her right front leg. The nargle went crazy wagging her tail and purr-growling.

“Who’s the pretty narggie?”

Allison watched Aryna as the Qual’sa’s eyes met Oozie’s.

“You poor thing. Yes, Allison is the best. You picked well.”

Oozie licked Aryna’s face which evoked a giggle from the young Queen. Allison quirked her head to the side.

“You know what she is?”

Aryna laughed musically.

“Of course! I used to have a nargle. He was fully grown though. Such a good companion. Best bodyguard I ever had.”

Allison blinked a few times.

“What do you mean fully grown? The files said she was fully grown.”

Aryna continued to pet Oozie who was soaking up all the loving she could from the newcomer.

“For a nargle kit, yes. I’m betting she’s forty, hmm?”

She looked down at the nargle and nodded a few times. Allison held up both hands.

“Wait you can talk to her? I thought she was just… an… animal.”

Aryna smiled.

“Of course I can. They’re like us, they communicate in memories. They are very intelligent.”

“Wait, I thought… why was the file all wrong?”

Aryna nodded to Oozie then looked at Allison.

“Because, to grow past this stage they need access to turgen root. Which only grows… grew on the Qual’sa homeworld, there’s a compound that activates their next growth cycle. It can be made artificially. They’re from my homeworld. They were popular pets in this quadrant. People just didn’t want them fully grown.”

Aryna stood up and held her hand up to just above her chest.

“No, wait, female.”

Aryna held her hand up to Allison’s abdomen.

“They can be a bit… playful and at that size well. Loyal till death, or the death of their master. Once they bond with you, that’s it, they’re with you for life. Usually, for shorter lived races they tend to bond to one of your children. She says thank you for trying to save her master. She likes you and she says she’s going to keep you.”

Allison rubbed the back of her neck.

“So, she like understood everything I said to her?”

Aryna nodded.

“Mostly, she’s still learning your Alliance Standard.”

“Then why would she never stay where I told her too?”

Aryna motioned to the sky.

“Because she could tell you were stressed and frightened. They are very empathetic. They’re low-grade telepaths. Oozie, is one of the stronger I’ve met. She would be very prized on my homeworld. The kind of nargle that would serve a Queen as her personal protector. She knows you saved her, and how much you sacrificed for her. She will never forget that. She’ll be here protecting your great, great, grandchildren, provided you give her the enzyme she needs. Narggies, like she is, without the enzyme, only eighty years or so. With the enzyme, two thousand isn’t out of the realm of possibility.”

Allison looked down at Oozie.

“So, you can share with her, but she can’t share with me?”

“Normally they can’t really communicate with non-telepaths. Well, they can in extreme situations, flashes if they sense danger coming or something, but actual memory sharing through a link, not generally. However, if I can link with you, perhaps she can?”

Aryna kneeled down and put her hand on Oozie’s head. She closed her eyes. A few seconds later Oozie launched herself at Allison and kept smacking her head against Allison’s hand until Allison touched Oozie the same way Aryna had. Allison tried to meditate like she would with Aryna or a neural link. She could feel Oozie there at the edge of her consciousness. Then she saw herself in Oozie’s memories fighting off the parasites that had been chasing her and nipping at her heels. Oozie bounced around excitedly and purred. Allison rubbed her nose against Oozie’s.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“It worked? Oh, you’re so lucky, my friend. You will never know a better companion then this one.”

Allison rubbed her arms as evening started to set in. The swarming insects that would covet their blood would soon be edging in, and her parents had packed away the bug repulsers for winter already.

“We should get inside; I don’t feel like throwing up for the next three days every time I dare to eat meat protein.”

The trio headed inside. Apiyo had already started a fire. With 30th century tech it wasn’t required to heat the house, but she’d always loved having them as a child. Apiyo was cooking and humming. She tossed two vat grown steaks onto a plate then put them on the ground. Oozie got on the ground and started munching away. Aryna and Allison moved to sit down. Apiyo snapped her fingers at the pair.

“Oh, you girls, wash your hands! The lord only knows what this thing has licked and then licked your hands!”

Oozie barked at Apiyo who held up a hand and closed her fingers together in a point.

“You, shush. If you think you’re getting away without a weekly bath and daily brushing you have another thing coming, young lady. I will not have my home covered in white fur! It’s bad enough you and your partner in crime dragged a bunch of leaves in with you.”

Oozie snorted and then started chewing through more steak. Apiyo waved her spatula at the nargle.

“And don’t you go expecting steak every night. You’re getting a special treat because I’m pretty sure you’re the reason my little girl got home in one piece. She’ll move heaven and earth for an adorable animal.”

Allison and Aryna returned to the dining room and sat down at the table. Apiyo started dishing out the food. One of Allison’s favorite dishes. Kuku Paka. An African style curry. Allison and Aryna both dug in hungrily. Apiyo was an excellent cook and unlike most in the 30th century she actually knew what twenty-first century cuisine was supposed to taste like.

The rest of the evening was quiet. The three women sat down in the entertainment room and watched a movie. Any thoughts of getting up for snacks during it were dashed when Oozie joined them and did her best to stretch out across all three of their laps to get attention from all three. Her irresistible eyes were aimed at Apiyo this evening. Apiyo went to bed early, Oozie decided to join her for some reason. This left the two teenagers alone.

Late evening found Aryna who was freshly showered and in the middle of brushing out her hair. Allison was leaning on her friend’s doorframe her own hair was still wet. Allison had her arms crossed and she was gently hitting her head against the synthetic wood.

“So, some of your people survived?”

Aryna nodded and pulled her brush through a small handful of her silver hair.

“Umm, no offense, I love having you around and all, but like, why are you still here then?”

Aryna smiled and brushed another handful of her hair out removing some tangles.

“They need a Queen. I need time to become one. I am too young. My mind is too… mixed up. I just can’t be responsible for anyone else right now. It’s the right choice. I need time for myself I think.”

Allison traced the false grain on the stained synthetic wood.

“This is where, I’m supposed to say something like… It is not what you need, it is what your people need. Or something inspiring or whatever right?”

Aryna laughed.

“Yes, something like that, my friend.”

Allison shrugged.

“Sorry, I’m not great at advising royalty I guess.”

Aryna waved her brush at Allison as she turned to face her.

“You’re a major part of the reason I declined.”

Allison held up her hands.

“Hey slow down, you’re not blaming your abdicat…whatever on me.”

Aryna laughed again.

“No, no, Allison, when we linked, I saw myself through your eyes. You’re right, I’m just like you. I need to experience things. Be a teenager. Fall in love, get my heart broken. Play sports. Have a BFF.”

Aryna put her brush down and walked to Allison. She took both of Allison’s hands who did not resist. Aryna didn’t form the usual link.

“Find the sister I never knew I had.”

Allison smiled. Aryna released her hands. Aryna motioned to Allison.

“Now you, do you want me to make some calls? Twist some arms? Throw my royalty around to get you out of this mess? The League is really mad at you. Especially the Primarch. She was totally not happy when I sided with you.”

Allison shrugged and punched the faux wooden door frame gently.

“Nah. I did it.”

Allison shrugged again and rubbed her face with both hands.

“I keep going over it in my head. Could I have tried talking to them? Did I do the right thing? Maybe this time it could have been different?”

Aryna pulled Allison in for a hug.

“My friend, the Sal’nash exist to consume that is all they do.”

Allison sighed and kept hugging Aryna.

“Yeah, but I was told and believed from a young age the Silwrath where the boogie men. They were coming for us, it wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when and now… we’re opening diplomatic ties? Who says the Sal’nash only exist to consume? I killed billions of them in an instant. I blew up a planet. Not even the Dark Mother was that… terrible in her wrath.”

Aryna released Allison.

“I cannot say I understand what you’re going through. I do not have to live with your choice. The last time the Sal’nash swarmed, billions of sentients died. Entire planets were razed as they devoured everything in their path. You made the only choice you could. I wish we could link and I could take that into me right now. I wish by the ancients I could share this with you. I am not strong enough.”

Aryna waved her hand.

“We should not speak of such things this late. It will haunt your dreams and mar my memories. Tyler is looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

Allison blinked a few times.

“He is?”

“He is. He told me he likes you. He thinks you might like Trixie though.”

Allison gagged.

“Trixie? Hell, no. She’s crazy. Vampire loving psycho. Wait, how did him liking me come up?”

“He said he missed having you sit with us for lunch and sitting beside you in class. He said you smell like rainbows.”

Allison rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

“His obsession with scent is so weird.”

Aryna shook her head.

“He experiences the world differently than we do. He sees smells. He processes information differently, he smells feelings. Strange I know, but you humans use body language to communicate a lot, I’ve been practicing. His body processes that as scent! So, when he says you smell like rainbows he is saying when he thinks you have a beautiful soul. I do not see how it is any different than how you and I experience the world in our own ways? I see your emotions. I feel this world like it truly is, as a living breathing organism.”

Allison laughed.

“The last time he told me how I smelled, he said I smelled like ash. Sound like he thinks I’ve got a beautiful soul to you?”

Aryna smiled.

“Give him a chance. I can tell you he is a good person.”

Allison sighed.

“Sure, whatever. But I won’t be at lunches for a while, Major Dickhead has me doing debriefs until he's satisfied, he's gotten every little bit of information. So, in other words by the time you’re an adult, I might be halfway done.”

Aryna motioned to Allisons eyes.

“Don’t they record everything you say, see and hear?”

Allison nodded.

“Aren’t you afraid he’s going to hear that?”

Allison turned to the mirror and stuck up her middle finger. Then she turned back to Aryna.

“If he sees or hears it, that’s his problem. All of it is supposed to be deleted by VI unless I’m actively on duty. Which I’m not. So, if he sees it, he put a special request in with command, or he broke a rule. I can just see him rubbing his hands gleefully in his office cackling because he got me into Intelligence.”

Aryna leaned on a nearby wall and crossed her arms.

“Why would he do such a thing?”

Allison threw up her hands.

“How should I know? I didn’t even know dad was two galaxies away until I got home. I bet Major Ghai put the transfer in the second my dad’s shuttle left atmosphere. I donno, maybe he wants to make my life miserable. Transfers me out of Fleet, kicks me off the squadrons… he gave me some speech about chain of command. Like I can help it if the President asks me questions? What am I supposed to do? Pretend to be mute? Maybe that’s it, maybe he’s just that petty. I was the one who got you off that base and out of that awful room.”

“It will all work out. I’m going to go meditate on my memories. You should get some sleep. Tomorrow is a new day.”

Allison nodded and rolled around her door frame and flopped onto her bed face first. It didn’t seem like she’d slept long enough when her holo-phone started blaring like the world was on fire. She jumped to her feet, rubbed her face and answered the call. She was still in her bathrobe and long t-shirt from after her shower the night before. The Major was the one calling.

“I didn’t wake you did I, Ensign? It’s 0530. You should already be eating breakfast. This is a readiness check, sidearm!”

Allison fought the urge to roll her eyes. She held up her Qual’sa pistol.

“Combat knife!”

Allison held up her knife.

“Armor!”

Allison fumbled with her armor case and finally pulled out the rubbery suit. It was tangled and inside out.

“Sloppy, Wanjala, sloppy. I expect better next time.”

He ended the call. Allison groaned and flopped back on her bed. It felt like she’d barely closed her eyes when her holo-phone started going off again. It was the major and wasn’t even five minutes later.

“I thought we agreed you’d be eating breakfast by now, Ensign. This isn’t Fleet. This is Intelligence we work for a living.”

He disconnected the call. Allison looked at the ceiling, closed her eyes and wished for so many bad things to happen to the Major.