The worst atrocities are not performed upon the enemy in war. They are performed upon the population by their own government during peace time. - Confederate Diplomatic Services Senior Diplomat Dreams of Something More, Post Second Precursor War

Sitting in her stateroom, Field Captain Strechen finished the shading on several of the runes that were at the lower right of the sketch she had initially made. The runes, lines, glyphs, and sigils felt like they were burned into her brain and only by sketching them and then finalizing them in black ink with a fountain pen made the burning in her mind ease.

She finished the last of the shading, wiped off the nib on the sponge, and carefully put away the drawing set that Senior Scientific Researcher Hrekkel had ordered the engineers to make for her. Extra nibs, a nib sharpener, bottles of black ink, the pen itself, the sponges. All of it cleaned and put in their proper place.

Drawing by that particular method was something she had left behind in the Way of the Means Academy, her interest in art being pushed aside at the advice of mentors and overseers, so that she could concentrate on being an Agent of the Empress's Will.

Feeling the tension in her shoulders ease up slightly as she stretched, she smiled. She looked at the two pieces of thick paper. One, was a charcoal sketch of the upraised scars on the back of a simple appearing male, the other the same image, crisper, more refined, done in black ink upon cream colored paper.

She had even gotten the swirls and color changes to Tawtchee's fur.

Deciding to relax, she went to the gym for almost an hour, then went to eat. She listened to the other Way of the Means Agents talk between themselves.

The fact that she hovered around Tawtchee had already spawned dark rumors and sly innuendo as to her relationship with the smaller male. With the fact that females of her rank were allowed to freely breed added more fuel to the rumor mill, which was grinding its grist fine.

For the most part, they were still annoyed and slightly personally offended that Tawtchee had been put in charge of the last excursion team. That he had approached the female Terror as a supplicant, showing her even more deference than some showed the Empress.

Frankly, it did not surprise Strechen that the females at the other table scoffed at any suggestion that the female Terror could have threatened an entire Way of the Means team, properly armed and armored, much less the starship they rode in.

Strechen thought about just what little she had seen. What little she knew about The Traveler.

The idea that both Magnus and Surscee were over thirty thousand years old was something her mind tried to immediately reject. The Traveler had been verified as to who she was, and it was documented that she had left with companions and bodyguards. Magnus and Surscee were listed among them.

Strechen doubted anyone would dare attempt to pretend to be either of those powerful Terrors.

Going back to her stateroom, she looked over her drawings again, then gathered them up.

She'd get Tawtchee and have him sit for her while she checked shadings again.

The male mess was empty. It was clean, but deserted, and the male's daily meal wasn't for another two hours. She tried the gym, but he was not in there.

Finally, she went back to her stateroom, setting down the drawings and checking his bunk.

It was empty, the blankets twisted and the bed unmade. She looked it over and frowned. His uniform top was still there. Same with his worn and battered boots. His undershirt was wadded up from where he had been using it as a pillow.

His fighting knife was sticking up from where he'd jammed it between the thin mattress and the bulkhead wall.

"System," she said.

"Yes, Field Captain?" the ship's Virtual Intelligence asked.

"Location of Tawtchee-9912743," she asked.

"Scanning for Male-9912743," the VI said. "Male-9912743 implant is either non-functioning or turned off. There is no record of Male-9912743 leaving the ship. No further data available."

Frowning, she got up and checked a few places. The few males she questioned all had no idea where he might be, although Strechen had the vague feeling that they would have denied even knowing Tawtchee even if he was standing next to them.

Frustrated, she went to Senior Research Scientist Hekkel's quarters. She pressed the chime button and waited.

The big female answered, dressed only in a loose fitting pair of pants and a loose shirt that just accentuated her freakish size.

"Yes, Field Captain?" the large female asked.

"Do you know where Tawtchee is? I wanted to check his markings against my drawings, make sure I got it right," Strechen said.

"One moment," she said, closing the door. After a moment, she opened it. "The most recent entry had him being escorted to see the Captain."

"Thank you," Strechen said.

The large female just shut the door.

Strechen headed for the Captain's Day Stateroom, moving through the hallways, seeing the males press themselves against the bulkhead to make room for her even if they were carrying materials.

For some reason it was bothering her more and more.

we cease to exist...

The Captain let her in and she stared at the meeting. The Chief Medical Officer, the Executive Officer, the Signal Analyst Officer, and the Captain of the vessel herself.

"Can I help you, Field Captain?" the Captain asked.

"I'm looking for Tawtchee, he was last..." she started.

"Who?" the XO asked.

"Tawtchee, the male the Empress..."

Stolen story; please report.

The Captain looked up from the hologram. "I have no record of a Tawtchee aboard this vessel," she said, twitching her whiskers smugly.

"Tawtchee-9912743," Strechen said.

"I have a Male-9912743, but no Tawtchee," the Captain said. Her ears and whiskers were canted into a smirk.

"I am looking for the whereabouts of Male-9912743," Strechen said.

The Captain looked down. "In the medical bay, the recovery section," she said. She looked up. "That area is currently off limits to non-authorized personnel."

Strechen frowned. "I was ordered, by the Office of the Empress Herself, to watch over and supervise Male-9912743."

The Captain gave a shrug. "I am the Captain of this vessel. I decide who has authorization to go where," she said.

Strechen stared for a long moment. "Thank you for your time, Captain," she said.

She turned and walked out, ignoring the smirks from behind her.

The big female answered the door again.

"Yes?" she asked. Her eyes were a bright green.

"Tawtchee is in the medical recovery section and the Captain is refusing to let me visit him," Strechen said.

"Medical? What's he doing there?" Hrekkel said from outside of Strechen's view.

"Why is he in medical?" the big female asked.

"Unknown. The Captain refused to elaborate," Strechen said.

"A moment," the female said.

The door shut.

Strechen waited, impatiently.

The door opened and she took a step back.

The big female was in her full uniform, complete with hard plates. Her pistol belt held a blocky and ugly pistol made of black metal that had a red light burning malevolently. Hrekkel was wearing a uniform too, the Science Caste uniform, only with hard plates and a pistol.

"We will stop so that you may wear your badges of office and your weapon," the big female said.

For the first time, Strechen could see her full name and rank.

Imperial Expediter First Class Ee'eerlee'u, Empress Direct Action Hand

Strechen swallowed thickly. The Hand of the Empress was mostly rumor. Strechen wondered how the big female had come to guard Hrekkel and why she seemed so protective of him.

They stopped long enough for Strechen to grab her sash and pistol, following the big female Ee'eerlee'u and Hrekkel to the Captain's Briefing Room.

The big female didn't bother to knock, just put her hand against the entrypad and walking through when the door inexplicably opened for her.

Strechen stayed in the hallway with the scientist.

"What is the meaning of..." the Captain said, half standing up.

"Where is Male-9912743," the big female growled, her eyes shifting color to hot amber.

"I am not..." the Captain started to say.

The female put her hand on the pistol's grip. The light went from red to green.

"Where. Is. Male-9912743," Ee'eerlee'u asked.

"Medical bay, in the recovery area," the Captain said.

The big female turned around and walked out the door.

"Nobody can see him without my..." the Captain started.

The door shut.

Strechen followed as the trio made their way quickly to the medical bay.

A nurse tried to stop them but the big female just stared her down.

Ee'eerlee'u pulled the curtain aside.

Tawtchee lay on his stomach, his chin resting on the thin mattress. He had plas restraints across his ankles, mid-thigh, his buttocks, the top of his head, his upper arms, and his wrists. His long jaw and nose had a three-strap muzzle on it. From mid-neck to just below the waist and across his entire back was covered by a sheet held up by a frame.

He opened his eyes as the curtain rattled to the side.

"Hey, Strechen," he managed to say without being able to open his mouth, his voice a dry rasp.

Strechen moved over, kneeling down to stare Tawtchee in the eyes.

"Tawtchee. How are you?" she asked.

The scientist, Hrekkel, moved up and looked under the sheet. He motioned at the big female, who turned and moved into the medical bay, heading for where the nurses were clustered against the wall.

Strechen didn't pay any attention, reaching up and tugging at the buckle on the strap of the muzzle closest to his nose.

"Been better," he said. "Been worse."

She got the buckle loose and moved to the next one.

"Come here," Ee'eerlee'u snarled. A nurse protested but the big female dragged the smaller nurse over.

"Water?" he asked as the second buckle came loose.

"In a moment," Strechen said, working on the third buckle. The remainder of the muzzle was wrapped around his head.

"Where is it?" Hrekkel asked.

"I do not answer to you. I answer to the Chief Medical Officer," the nurse protested, drawing herself up.

"Low-vee," the big female said.

"Low-vee," a heavily synthesized voice stated.

The third buckle came loose.

"How about this? Do you answer to this?" Ee'eerlee'u asked.

"You would not dare to..." the nurse said.

There was a loud THWACK followed immediately by a splattering sound.

The nurse fell to the floor with a thump and the big female headed for the other nurses.

"Hang on," Strechen said. She moved over and grabbed a drink pouch, tearing the perforated corner away. She knelt down and held it out to Tawtchee's mouth as the big Expediter dragged the next nurse over.

"How about you?" Ee'eerlee'u asked, grabbing another nurse by the ear and dragging her toward where Hrekkel stood looking angry.

"The Captain had it taken to her secure briefing area in a nutri-tank," the nurse squealed, holding onto the big female's forearm to take the pressure off of her ear.

"Who ordered it?" Hrekkel asked.

"I don't know! The Chief Medical Officer maybe? The Captain was here during the surgery," the female squealed.

"Who would know?" Hrekkel asked.

"The one you shot," the nurse said.

Hrekkel chuckled, shaking his head. "Welp, can't unshoot someone," he looked at the big female. "My dear, I keep telling you to control your temper."

"She annoyed me," Ee'eerlee'u said stuffily.

"You can't just kill everyone who annoys you," Hrekkel said.

Tawtchee was greedily drinking from the pouch, Strechen staring into his eyes.

"I can. I just probably should not," Ee'eerlee'u said.

"And why not?" Hrekkel asked.

"We might need them later," Ee'eerlee'u said. She sighed. "I should have waited and shot her when we were done."

She looked at the female, who was whining, and let go of her ear. "Get away from me."

The nurse stumbled over to the others, holding her ear and sobbing.

Strechen got Tawtchee another bag of liquid, opening it up and letting the male drink almost half before pulling it away.

"How are you?" she tried again.

"Been worse," Tawtchee said.

"Painkillers working well?" Strechen asked.

"They did not give me painkillers. Just paralyzed my motor control and autonomous reflexes during the surgery," Tawtchee said.

Strechen looked up at Ee'eerlee'u, feeling her ears and whiskers go rigid in anger. "What was done?"

Hrekkel set the sheet down, keeping it taught across the top of the frame.

"They removed the flesh from his back, down through the fat and connecting tissue, leaving only the muscle and tendon behind," the scientist said.

Strechen's eyes opened wide. "That's... that's..."

"Barbaric," Hrekkel said. He shrugged. "It is good that you are outraged," he said.

Strechen blinked. "Why?"

There was silence a moment.

"That means it was done without your knowledge, and I do not have to execute you," Ee'eerlee'u said.

The door opened up and the Captain marched in, followed by the XO and the Chief Medical Officer.

"What is going on here?" the Captain yelled.

"What happened to Nurse Vrenlu'u?" the Chief Medical Officer asked.

"Holster your weapon," the XO ordered Ee'eerlee'u, "Before I call out the Marines."

"I shot her," Ee'eerlee'u said coldly. She looked at the XO. "You don't have enough Marines to force your will upon me."

Her eyes were burning a cold dull red.

"What happened to the flesh on this subject's back?" Hrekkel asked.

"I ordered it removed for easier reference," the Captain said, straightening up and projecting her authority.

"And where is it?" Hrekkel asked.

The Captain looked uncomfortable. "Uh..."

"Where is it, scum?" Ee'eerlee'u asked.

"I had it removed," the Captain said.

"Kind of hurt," Tawtchee said, finally able to open his mouth and pant from the pain.

Strechen clenched her jaw in rage.

"You did not administer anesthetic or painkillers?" Strechen asked.

"There was no need. It has been scientifically proven that males do not feel pain the same way females do and do not need painkillers," the Chief Medical Officer said.

"And where is it now?" Hrekkel repeated.

The Captain looked at the Chief Medical Officer.

"It crumbled to ash before we could submerge it into the tank of nutrient fluid," the Chief Medical Officer said.

"And you ordered this, Captain?" Ee'eerlee'u asked, turning to face the Captain.

The XO moved away from both the Medical Officer and the Captain.

"Yes. There is no reason something of such value should be trusted with a common male who probably..."

There was a loud crack.

The Captain's body dropped.

Another loud crack.

The Chief Medical Officer dropped.

Strechen lowered her smoking pistol slowly.

Ee'eerlee'u looked at Hrekkel.

"Those two aren't on me."