As the great arm-cranes of the Pollanide dockyards sealed holes in the Tethylen's hull, Rapier tried to compute what had just happened. He had screamed out for the crew to brace for impact in the off hope that he could at least save a handful, but instead, the captains of the Oxylen Ridge, Gratulatsii, and Aralasan had ordered their ships into the paths of the incoming projectiles, destroying themselves to save Rapier and his crew.

Someone prodded Rapier on the shoulder. He looked up from his pondering to see Ulo offering him a jar of Sele tea, his favorite. "Thank you, Reyena." he said, taking the beverage.

"What's wrong?" Ulo cooed.

"They didn't have to do it, you know. Could've just saved themselves."

"I understand that you feel guilty. When I was barely more than a fledgling, I went out on my first hunt with a friend. When the great beast we were tracking disemboweled him, I couldn't live with myself for months. I'm just saying that this isn't an uncommon feeling, and it isn't your fault."

"If I'd focused my fire on their flagship, I might've decapitated their fleet. We might've all gotten out of there alive."

This seemed to annoy Ulo. "Oh, might this, might that! No amount of 'might' is going to undo the past. They're gone, Rapier, and they're not coming back, so you might as well take the lifetime that they gave you and keep living it."

Rapier put down the tea jar and looked up at Ulo. "Great speech and all, but you're not normally one for words. I suspect you aren't just here to lift my spirits?"

Ulo chuckled. "Oh, of course not. Judge Khopesh tried to contact you, but I said you were busy, so she told me to, quote-unquote, 'tell him that he is to house the newly-instated Viceroy of Mankind within his flagship.'"

Rapier's heart sank. "Oh, a politician. And I'm assuming we can't send her back?"

"From what I heard, it's a political favor she's doing for the High Judge, perhaps a gambit to elevate herself. Khopesh was always a little too ambitious for her own good."

"Well, if the Viceroy doesn't interfere with my command, I'll be happy."

"Then I've got bad news. Wakizashi's an imbecile. I'm rather sure that the High Judge only picked her because she was easy to manipulate. And, of course, you know the saying."

Rapier made a gesture of assent, his mood darkened further. "'An idiot walks with fanfare, while a genius needs no introduction.'"

"And Wakizashi's had a banquet set for you to attend to welcome her. It'll commence in a few hours; I've already booked the shuttle, but you should put on your parade coat."

Rapier sighed, then stood. "I'll get on it."

Rapier stared glumly at the empty tray set out for him, directly across from the Viceroy. He was the only male at the table, and aside from the handservants, the only male in the room. In the center of the table sat a variety of meats, obviously intended more for the other guests than him considering the size of the portions. The other guests chattered on endlessly, about topics Rapier had barely even heard of, let alone understood.

"Oh, come now, Captain-General! Have something to eat, you look half-starved!" the guest beside him, an Underjudge from some distant urbworld, said, carving off a piece from a stomach bigger than Rapier's head and dropping it on his plate without him asking.

"Thank you, ma'am." Rapier said quietly, unsure what to make of it.

"Anytime, Captain-General." the Underjudge said, and Rapier noticed that the air smelled of lecherousness. This was somewhat distressing, considering mating was a lethal affair for Poslushi males all too often. He made a note to bring a couple of marines with him whenever he went to these functions.

Suddenly, the Viceroy clicked the hard chitin of her hands together twice, calling for quiet. When silence fell, she spoke.

"Hello, everybody. As you all know, I have recently been appointed as Viceroy of Mankind by the wise and noble High Judge Katana II. To that end, I will be traveling with the esteemed Captain-General Rapier, best known for his aptness of command in the Recivilization of Omen. We will be campaigning with the other fleets of the Combine, and Rapier has personally assured me that he will stand witness as I raise the standards of our great nation over Mankind's homeworld. Captain-General, what was that planet called again? Yerrt?"

Wakizashi's voice had a strange, pompous tone to it, and her statement greatly annoyed Rapier, considering he had been planning to do the honors for all the trouble the humans had caused him. Still, he couldn't dispute her; a Viceroy was infinitely more credible than a Captain-General.

"It's named Earth, Viceroy."

"Ah, well done, Captain-General! I'll have you rewarded later. From what we have seen of Mankind, their worlds contain great wealth, and many potential citizens, all of whom can be uplifted and taught to love the Combine just as we do. With just a little bit of work, we can turn their cities into monuments to our benevolence, and their space into the jewel of our empire!"

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

The space erupted into cries of assent and excitement. Rapier's antennae quivered in pain and he covered them with his officer's cap to shield them from the din.

"Now, for the entertainment. I have arranged for a prime specimen of the human species to be transported here from Rapier's victorious campaigns. Now, don't all rush him at once; you don't want to frighten him."

As the glass cage was brought out, it seemed that they had already failed. The human male had shrunken into a corner farthest from the congregation, and didn't seem happy when any of them approached. As Rapier took his turn, the male began saying something in his peculiar language. Rapier reached into his coat for the translator he had smuggled in for fear of this exact thing happening.

"Please, help me. They haven't let me out in two days. Please, just get me out of here, I'll do anything." the man said quietly, trying not to arouse suspicion.

Rapier was taken aback by this humiliating display. Never, not even in the most brutal days of the Recivilization, had he seen something like this. Yes, Poslushi were the sublime species of the Orion Arm, and other peoples were below them, but the Poslushi were meant to rule with grace and benevolence, not this sneering superiority. For a moment, Rapier's whole outlook on civilization was shaken, but he simply didn't have the power to help this man. Ashamed of himself and his people, he turned around and clicked off his translator, trying his best to ignore the increasingly-desperate howls behind him as he returned to the Viceroy.

"I think I'm going to be sick." he said, clutching a fist in front of his mouth. The Viceroy's eyes widened.

"Oh, my apologies! What was I thinking, using such a display before a specimen of the meeker sex? Come on; I know a receptacle nearby."

---

"How, exactly, did your species figure out how to control people?" Darren asked.

"It was quite simple, really. For you, the atlatl, the throwing knife, the hand grenade, all of those weapons were based on an aspect of your biology, namely your excellent throwing abilities. In our case, we took inspiration from a particular aspect of our biology. If you don't mind..." she made a standing-up gesture.

"Oh, of course." Darren said, standing as well. Spatha turned around to show her lower abdomen, which slightly protruded from the rest of her body. Attached to the tip was a three-inch stinger, as sharp and thin as a medical needle. A single droplet of a viscous, turquoise fluid collected at the tip, which she picked up with her finger and presented to Darren. It gave off sickly-sweet, oddly alluring fumes. Darren couldn't stop a squeamish groan before it slipped out.

"That's what many say when they first learn about that."

Darren chuckled. "What does it do?"

"If your skin touches it, you'll find out. Don't worry; it shouldn't last more than a few seconds without the full dose of a sting."

The doctor's voice crackled over his earpiece. "I've got medical and security teams on standby. Don't worry."

"Alright, then." he said, extending his hand. Spatha tilted hers, allowing the venom to run off of her finger and drip into his palm. For a second, nothing happened.

Then, the world became a little hazier. His skin tingled pleasantly and a warmth filled his body. All the while, Spatha remained perfectly clear. For a brief moment, as his euphoria turned to adoration, he understood why the Poslushi considered themselves so superior. What could be more sublime than serving such a radiant creature?

Then, as quickly as it came, the effects of the drug dissipated. Darren took a single step back, horror overwhelming his senses.

"Hey, you wanted to try it."

"Yeah, but... jeez. You could've told me a little about it before you doped me."

"You wouldn't have believed that it was possible. I don't think any of your drugs can replicate this effect."

"Well, we've been learning that a lot of impossible things are, in fact, possible lately. And this venom is how you took inspiration?"

"Yes. If I had stung you, you would be my puppet for hours. If I did so repeatedly, the effect would've become permanent. Eventually, your higher thinking would've decayed, and you would be useful as nothing more than a beast of burden."

Darren frowned, trying to imagine that.

"So, we refined it, figured out the mechanism by which our sting worked and replicated its effects using data input instead of drugs. Later, we figured out how to make people loyal to an idea instead of their controller. That's where we are today."

Darren scribbled down everything he now knew, then went on to the next question.

"Have you ever, before your capture, considered defection?"

"Of course not. I'm a thoroughbred Battlematron Caste; I don't have a drop of blood in me from anyone lower than an Acolyte."

"Have you considered it now?"

"Maybe. It's not like I have anything else to do."

"From what we hear, Battlematrons are a sort of general staff rank, correct?"

"Yes."

"So, if you were to defect, you could be very important to us."

"I'll keep it in mind."

Darren looked for the next question and found none; they were finished for the day.

"Alright then. I'll see you tomorrow, Spatha."

"You too. Hey, remember to bring me a peach this time!"

---

"I want to join your army."

The doctor raised her eyebrows. "Oh?"

"It's not like I was raised for anything other than fighting. Besides, I'll go mad if I'm stuck in here for much longer. I've already run through the rest of the films you gave me, twice."

"Well, in order to do so, you'll have to be a permanent resident of the United States. Right now, just about every higher court on the planet is trying not to kill each other over whether or not Poslushi count as human legally, so I wouldn't count on the opportunity for citizenship coming very soon. If you'll excuse me, I'll be making a call."

The doctor left hastily, leaving Spatha alone.

Three thousand light-years away, the President of the United States picked up his phone. "Sir, the USS Bunker Hill's on the line. They're asking about someone who wants to defect." a voice said from the other end.

"Put 'em on with me."

Then, a female voice crackled to life. "Hello, Mr. President. I have a very nice Poslushi lady by the name of Spatha with me, and she wishes to join the military."

"Well, she isn't a citizen or permanent resident, so she can't."

The doctor then had an idea. "With all due respect, sir, what if we didn't have her join our military? What if we made some sort of army corps for defecting Combine soldiers?"

President Herald thought about it. It was definitely a better idea than waiting for the Supreme Court to figure things out. "I'll consult with the Joint Chiefs of Staff about it. Thank you for your time."

Two days later, a squad of marines escorted Spatha from her cell and took her to meet Captain McCullough. When she left, she had acquired the tentative rank of Brigadier-General, and for the first time in her life, she had a command post in the form of the Free Poslush Armed Forces. There was an odd thrill as Spatha walked to her new office. So many expectations and potential consequences if she failed, but so many opportunities to grow beyond herself.

In the end, she wouldn't have it any other way.