Chapter 114 - Glad It Was You
“What do you mean they’re here?” Joseph spat, controlling his voice as best he could. From the promising initial results of the medical tent, and reassuring interactions between the ship’s crew and his pack, his irritability had been simmering down. Hell, the brief walk with Pan had let him put the stress and mourning aside long enough to actually have a moment of peace, but now this was dropped on his lap like the Hunt Mother herself had a grudge to work out with him.
“They’ve reached the system and dealt with the warp-spike,” Leader explained calmly, not bothered by the tone the Grand Hunter took. “With the hindrance no longer a factor, they are able to focus on other matters.”
“’Other matters,’ right. Like killing off the aliens who happen to be taking refuge on the planet they want—or is it just me and anyone I care about?”
Sunundra reached out, placing a paw to his shoulder. “Joseph, be at ease. It seems that their objective is to carry on as they would normally. Likely, they wish to establish this planet as a forward position for our exploratory efforts. Your presence is an oddity, true, but one they could deal with. The ship being here is simply an unexpected variable that they need to account for.”
He took a breath at her recommendation, shaking his head as he tried to sort his thoughts. He gave Leader a somewhat defeated glance. “And you’re here to tell me...why? Wouldn’t it be better for them to show up en masse and demand cooperation or something? Bomb us from orbit?”
The dark green-furred male smiled weakly. “Our testaments to your character—as well as the interviews we performed with your pack—have eased their minds enough to carefully consider their actions. As the Grand Huntress surmised, the ship is the outlier; they don’t know what to think of it, nor whomever it may have brought.”
The Grand Hunter ran his fingers through his hair, wishing he had asked Rob for another energy drink or two, because all of this was rapidly taking away his will to be awake. Pan offered a small smile, giving him what little motivation to continue the conversation he needed.
“Nothing like having people you don’t know talking about you,” he sighed. He dropped his arm, looking at the sky as his slow exhale bought him time to weigh his options. “The ship is my brother’s. I’m not sure the exact number on board, but it’s not many—low twenties. They’re actually doing scans and the like right now so they can start treating those injured from the assault, then hopefully, they can start with the Atmo in the early sun. It’s a slower process than we’d like, but without anything like medical records to go off of, they need to start from scratch.”
The Leader raised his brows in surprise, obviously not expecting him to divulge much information, if any. “And how do we know they are not simply gathering such knowledge for the Union?”
“You don’t,” he agreed lazily, still hanging onto a thread of doubt regarding the new people. “They could be tuning bioweapons or doing horrible experiments. Unless you want to meet with them, you’ll just have to take my word for it when I say that they’re here to help. Otherwise, use your judgment and ask yourself if I’m the kind of person who would let something like that happen to my pack.”
The two held each other’s stare, neither looking for conflict, but both standing by their respective situations. With a slow nod, Leader blinked, looking downward as he considered it. “We will discuss this at a later time. If you claim them allies, then I see little reason to press the issue without further investigation.”
Tech rolled her eyes, a smug comment stifled by a pleadingly raised paw by the male. Sunundra breathed out in relief, taking the opportunity to speak.
“These two have come to escort me back to my pack.”
Joseph snapped his head towards her, concerned and confused. “Wait, what? Now? You need to go?”
“Indeed,” she confirmed ruefully. “Orders from above have forced my paw.”
“But you haven’t met Rob yet,” he protested. “And what about Daisy? Violet finally found her sister, she needs her. Especially with Mama gone...”
Sunny smiled, grabbing his hands with her paws and offering a sad smile. “Daisy has those she needs to lead as well. If nothing else, news of the Atmo here should be propagated throughout her people, no?”
“I just don’t want to take away what little Vi has left...”
“And you will be doing no such thing, Joe,” she assured him, pulling him into a hug. The affection caught him off guard, but he accepted it all the same. “With the UM seeking this information, it likely means they wish to establish a proper presence on the planet—one that they are preparing for your inclusion in. With that comes technology and transportation. Daisy and Violet will be able to meet easily, once the means have been produced.”
They parted, the Grand Hunter nodding his understanding. “I don’t know what all that will mean for me—not with so much up in the air—but I guess we’ll see. When are you leaving?”
“Now,” Tech provided, her brusque tone eased back a few levels. “We have much to do, and little time to do it.”
He nodded, eyes wandering. “Alright, I’ll go get her things, if you don’t mind waiting.”
The purple-furred female’s eyes flicked further into the settlement, unease causing her to shift her weight. “Make it qu—“
Leader’s paw stopped her muzzle. “We will be here.”
A snort escaped Joseph. “Go easy on her, she’s worried about you. I’m sure I’d be no better at keeping my mouth shut in a situation like this. Void, I’ve done worse.”
Tech’s eyes widened a fraction, then quickly narrowed into a scowl behind the mask. Leader waved him off.
“There is much in this life that is impossible, and you continue to bring them up so casually.”
The Grand Hunter shrugged, turning his focus to Pan. “Can you grab Daisy while I get their stuff?”
She deflated slightly. “I feel terrible for separating them, but it must be so.”
“Yeah...” He exhaled sharply, gesturing back into the settlement. “We won’t be long.”
“Joseph?” Sunny voiced, stopping him. He raised his brows attentively. “Allow them to say goodbye?”
He smirked wryly. “What kind of father would I be otherwise?”
Sunundra returned the expression, staying back as they left to prepare for the unfortunately timed departure.
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Once Joseph was out of view, the Grand Huntress allowed herself to return to the conversation with the other STOs.
“The First Claw?”
Leader sighed, dropping the subservient tone after the Human had broken the stiff atmosphere. “Indeed.”
“And she made no mention of claiming the settlement, nor the pack?”
“None. She seemed more interested in sorting out your pack and Avalon.”
Sunundra placed a fist to her lips, catching the mimicked mannerism and huffing a laugh despite herself. “It is difficult to say if she is separating us to address each issue individually, or because she wishes to isolate the pack from possible collateral, should negotiations turn sour.”
“Indeed,” he agreed, raising a brow as he changed subject. “Do you have an answer for us?”
The Grand Huntress shook her head. “I must consult with my pack first, regardless of my own opinions.”
Leader nodded, as if expecting her to say as much. “Then we will transport you to your pack before we tend to other matters. I hope your decision is one that takes into account the future of those under your command.”
She cycled a breath, dragging out the exhale. “There is much to consider.”
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“Your things,” Joseph started, passing her a backpack with what little she had brought along. Once it was equipped, he offered her another bag, though this one was a bit smaller.
“What is this?”
He grinned, but she could tell he wasn’t quite feeling jovial. “Open it.”
She eyed him for a moment before complying, curiously removing a bundle of fabric from the small collection. “Clothing?”
Huntress Pan nodded from his side. “Idee and I were in the process of making some items before your arrival; they only needed some modifications to suit your needs, so Idee took the liberty of completing them before the attack.” The white-furred female chuckled. “She claimed that ‘there is no reason a female can not feel beautiful,’ and even prepared some replacements for your usual attire—though made from other materials.”
Sunundra examined the articles, smiling wistfully. A dress with purposefully removed sections to show her scars proudly, more utilitarian options that looked to be exceedingly comfortable, and casual wear that seemed to have been made with the cooling temperatures in mind.
It was the kindest she had been treated by one of her own in a very, very long time, and it almost brought a tear to bear—until her claws clicked against a set of hard objects at the bottom, anyway.
“What are these?” she asked, bringing out something she wasn’t sure what to make of. Joseph took one, placing it to his forearm. It was a strange sight, considering that it in no way belonged there.
“Training sheaths for Daisy,” he explained, demonstrating the usage slowly. “I figured the other Atmo might want some too, and it’s easier to give them an example than have them figure it out themselves.”
“But...why?”
The Grand Hunter gazed warmly at both her, and at the yellow Queen that opted to stay near one of the buildings in the shade. “With the attacks and what happened here, she watched Violet help while she couldn’t do anything, witnessed Atmo lead the charge that saved many of their friends, and she could only rely on me buying time for her to escape back to her nest. She watched people get hurt and die, because there was nothing she could do to stop it.”
He lowered his eyes, bringing them back up to the Grand Huntress after a moment’s pause. “She asked for them. Violet translated, but the message was pretty clear anyway—given how much she’s sticking to a certain someone. I can’t claim to know what she’s thinking, but something about how Tel snapped stuck with her.” He rubbed the back of his neck with a paw. “I can’t say I approve of her learning this kind of thing with the intent to hurt people...but there’s no way I can say no, either.”
The pale-furred female nodded, accepting the item back and placing it in with the other gifts. She knew what he was saying; though Lilhuns were more inclined to be physically combative, none wished for kits to be forced into situations where death or severe injury were likely. They also couldn’t deny that such was expected in their situation; until everything with the military was sorted, it would continue to be a factor.
After seeing the art that the insectoids had made around Joseph’s settlement—and how quick they were to offer help to those who needed it—she was reminded again just how differently the two groups of Atmo interacted with their respective packs, yet how similar they were as a people.
They were openly accepted here. They trained with their bipedal counterparts, socialized with them, and held no qualms with standing by their side when assistance was needed.
How did they act with her own pack? Granted, the siege and subsequent recovery process had paved the path to cooperation, but she had been so preoccupied with keeping them hidden from danger that they never had the chance to learn anything or befriend anyone. She had inadvertently stripped them of what made them unique as a people, and locked them away from her pack, lest conflict arise.
The only deviation was select Atmo assisting with construction while under strict supervision. Her reasoning had made sense at the time—of course she would assign her most loyal members to protect them—but it only took her limited experiences here to know that she was treating them like prisoners. Either locked away, or watched while they work. It wasn’t what she intended for them, and she hated being so blind to what she had done under the pretense of ‘saving’ them.
She shouldered the smaller bag against the backpack, nodding her understanding. “I will speak with those of the pack well versed in such. Though we have none who fight like yourself, we still have quite a few who will be able to provide guidance.”
“Thanks, Sunshine, I’d appreciate it.”
Sunundra scented his reluctance at releasing a kit to the fate of a life revolving around combat, and how ineffective the playful moniker was to alleviate it. With a moment’s consideration, she smiled, motioning for the insect kit to join. “Worry not, there are many in the pack. I am sure some will have an interest in various pursuits that the Atmo would enjoy practising as recreation.”
Daisy—though hesitant to abandon the building she had claimed shelter under—took a spot next to the Grand Huntress, glancing to the rooftop of the structure she left before nodding to confirm she was ready to leave. Though they had little in the way of interactions, it was becoming much easier to tell how the young one was feeling—and to interpret the simpler messages she tried to convey. The process was eased considerably by the adoption of simple gestures.
Joseph smiled, thankful for the offered alternative as he reached out to scratch the carapace of the Queen. “There’s more to life than survival, Sunny. Make sure they know that.”
Leader and Tech cleared their throats, requesting their departure to begin. The Grand Hunters exchanged a look before Huntress Pan surprised the group by initiating an embrace, keeping her voice quiet.
“It was a pleasure meeting another like myself. I pray your suns will be more than seeking the end to your suffering. And...for the hope and friendship you offered him, I thank you. Truly.”
Sunundra held the contact for a moment pulling away to see the white-furred female wearing a regretful expression. The sight stung, if she was honest. A bonded female was communicating far more than mere words, and the Grand Huntress couldn’t form her feelings into words because of it. Luckily, it wasn’t required. Daisy repeated the hug with the Paw before taking a step after Leader, waiting for them to go.
“Take care, Sun,” Joseph offered, the message echoed by Pan. Sunundra bid them farewell, following their new escorts as they went ahead.
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The group was about to enter the forest when clicking caught Sunundra’s attention, dragging her from her ruminations. Daisy turned, prompting the pale-furred female to do the same.
Two Atmo waved while walking towards them—Violet and another insect that Sunundra had surely seen, but couldn’t place the name of due to their attire covering most identifiers. The larger of the pair was clad in the same heavy armour that was worn during the assault, iron and wood covering most every hint of colour beneath, save for a blue portion visible at the joints. Perplexed by the addition, she looked beyond them and saw Joseph slow from a jog near the gate, the distance too great to read his expression, but the tension leaving his form told her enough; it seemed that his kit had acted without his knowledge.
The new additions approached, the Grand Hunter’s kit producing a tablet and scratching onto it.
[Cobalt wishes to go as well.]
Sunundra tilted her head, an ear flicking in her perplexion. “Go to my settlement? Why?”
The tablet was wiped flat, then more inscribed into the wax-like surface. [Because she wishes to help at the nest and train those who are interested. Cobalt has learned much, so I can vouch for her skill. She can help with rebuilding too, if needed.]
“You would offer one of your retainers to my pack?”
[It is what she wishes to do. I have mother and father—and the pack is full of kind people who have become my family—but Daisy has a nest she isn’t sure how to lead, and has no one to help her select an advisor so that she may learn.]
The pale-furred female looked at the yellow insect in question, Daisy shrinking under the perceived disapproval. “She lost her...Hatcher, was it?” She exhaled slowly. “It is not that I am ungrateful for the offer, but is it wise to offer one of your own pack...nest when your numbers are so few?”
[Daisy needs help, and she is my sister. She is Family. Nothing matters more than my family.]
The message left her blinking, the Grand Huntress unsure of what to make of it. It echoed words long since faded from memory, his voice almost reaching through time itself to remind her. Sunundra fell quiet as the tablet was cleared, prepared, then presented hesitantly.
[Is that acceptable?]
It only took a fleeting glance to tell that the yellow Queen of her own pack felt guilty for being hopeful, and the fact that the kit felt shame from wanting assistance tore at her. She nodded thankfully to Violet after receiving confirmation from Leader. “I do not see a problem with it; Cobalt is welcome to come for as long as she desires.”
Daisy lunged, hugging Sunundra tightly and almost taking her off her feet in the process. Then, as quickly as it began, the Atmo parted, bowing thanks to the armoured insect. The sibling Queens exchanged their own well-wishes before Violet turned to leave, quickly scribbling something down. The tablet was held close, eventually displayed to the pale-furred female with gratitude.
[I am glad it was you who found her.]
With that, the Grand Hunter’s kit departed back to the settlement, meeting her adoptive blood-father and both giving a final wave before entering through the gate. Sunundra nodded to Cobalt, gesturing for the massive iron-clad Atmo to follow.
“I hope we can meet your expectations, Cobalt, and...thank you for offering your help.”
Though the insect lacked a method to respond in any expansive method, Sunundra still recognized the friendly clicks and humble shake of the Atmo’s head.
Satisfied that they were ready to continue, she walked ahead, letting Daisy stay alongside the newest addition to the pack and wondering if the Hunt Mother was finally repaying her for the events of her past.
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Joseph nodded his greeting to the new rotation of guards around the medical tent, the previously assigned members either being scanned or simply finished with their shift. He wasn’t the one who set up the schedule, so he would have to ask Jax how that was working out so far.
It seemed like the time he had spent taking care of seeing Sunundra off was long enough for quite a few more to finish the process, the dwindling number of those milling about and waiting their turn looking at him curiously. He knew he was probably leaking enough anxiety for them to notice. Luckily, the interest was limited to glances and frowns, rather than any innate desire to figure out what was going on, so he kept walking, pushing aside the flap of the tent and searching for his brother.
The man wasn’t hard to find, Robert talking to some of the doctors he had on staff while they reviewed the records so far. Names and identifying silhouettes were blurred or absent on the larger display, medical professionals pointing to various areas of interest while speaking. They paused their conversation as Joseph drew near, his brother raising a brow.
“Hey, Joe. You left in a—“
“We need to talk.”
The Martian furrowed his brow. “Something came up?”
“Not here,” he deflected, his eyes shifting to both the crew of the ship, and the Lilhuns who grew interested in the conversation. He spotted Harrow faltering in her task as a translator for a male hearing his results, trying and failing to look casual as her ear pivoted towards them. “We’ll go to my room.”
Robert closed his mouth, staring warily. “Not the office?”
“Less private, surprisingly. Are you able to go now, or do you need to finish something here?”
“No, I can go,” he responded slowly. “Can I bring Sil?”
Joseph reluctantly shook his head. “I won’t stop you if you insist, but...”
Rob held up a palm, informing the doctors that he would be back later and giving permission for something. He placed a hand to the Grand Hunter’s shoulder. “If you need a minute, then I’m more than happy to give it to you.”
The younger Wright nodded thankfully. “Come on.”
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The injured members of the pack were spread around the hub, pelts and beds that survived the assault hosting those who were unable to walk much, while the worst off of them were in the medbay. Joseph smiled for them as he made his way to the dormitory wing, but most everyone was interested in the man in a suit following their leader.
Due to Rob’s scent—or his friendly demeanour—surprise seemed to be the dominant reaction, rather than worry for the appearance of the other human. Though, Joseph supposed that Samair would have filled in whoever could speak English, then that would have made the rounds in Lilhun.
The doors clicked behind them, giving way to closed bedroom doors with paper-thin sheets of wood stuck to them. It was all done in the mind-bending script of his furry pack, so he couldn’t make much sense of it. They were probably names for whoever owned the room, or maybe it was a temporary list of injuries for those who couldn’t fit in the medbay and were assigned somewhere here in the meantime.
“Impressive place,” Robert commented, his tone suggesting that he was wondering why they were going out of their way for privacy.
“It looks better when there’s board games being argued over, or when Jax and Harrow are teasing each other.”
“I’d say.”
Joseph reached his door, lingering on the handle before glancing behind him. Mama’s room was there, like always. A woodworking project was abandoned next to the broad bed, and what were probably test pieces for the lithograph were stacked neatly in the corner. The sculpting plate he had gifted her so long ago lay next to the sculpture it was assisting with, never to be completed by its creator.
“Joe?”
He cleared his throat, pushing open the door to his own room. “Sorry, come in.”
They entered, Robert taking a moment to examine the room, a brow raised at the colossal bed before disregarding it. With a gesture to the desk taken as permission, he picked the chair to sit on while Joseph sat on the edge of the resting place.
“The United Military is here,” the Grand Hunter opened, lacing his fingers as his arms rested on his knees.
“Wait, is here?” Rob questioned, leaning forward in his chosen seat. “Not ‘will be here soon?’”
“You don’t sound surprised.”
The accusatory tone and wary stare was met with a regretful expression, Robert running his fingers through his hair. “We had to sneak past them to get here. Delayed us by a few days.”
Joseph almost fell forward with the force he put into jabbing a finger at his brother. “And you didn’t tell me!?”
“Shit, Joe. What should I say? ‘Hey, I see you’ve lost twenty-plus friends—one of them being someone you’ve become very emotionally attached to—and thought you’d like another kick to the balls!’” Robert shot back sarcastically, his patience waning.
“This is hugely fucking important Rob!”
His brother stared quietly, his lip twitching. After a few seconds, he responded, his voice low and warning. “Joe, I know you’ve had it rough down here.”
“You’re not making—“
“—You’re going to shut the fuck up for a minute,” he hissed, temper finally reaching its limit. “You lost friends, family, and were driven so far off a damn cliff that you needed to personally kill someone to end the paranoia of losing more. Hell, we only got part of the way into hearing about your trip to Trill’s when they called for us, and even by then you had gone through some serious shit. I can’t even imagine what else you left out.”
Robert glared, shutting down any attempt at rebuttal. “Believe me when I say that hearing you glorify murder was more worrying than two fuck-off military ships parked on the edge of this zone, and that it was obvious at a glance that it was too much for you, even without me dropping that bomb. I’ll never personally know how close you were to anyone who died last night, Joe, but you’ve locked yourself into an ‘us versus them’ mindset, and it’s poisoning you. I can’t even blame you! From what I do know, every time you’ve met new people, it was either violence or dire straits.”
He stood from his chair tossing his arms wide. “You took this building, then decided to build a damn village around it so that you could help anyone who needed it. What did you get for it? You got sick people dropped at your door, threats of violence, and eventually actual violence. I know that this all has put you in a position where pulling the trigger on people needs to be something you can do at the drop of a hat, but I’m not some random pack who might be holding a knife behind my back, Joe. I’m your goddamn brother!”
“I wasn’t threatening you or Sil,” Joseph defended weakly, shrinking at the animated frustration on display.
“No, you didn’t,” Rob conceded tersely, “but you threatened the people who risked their lives in more ways than you can count to be here. Do you think it was a walk in the park to pull so many favours to get them here? Think that each and every one of them wouldn’t have been made to disappear by the Union if they even got a hint at what we were doing? One mistake, Joe, and that crew of people out there—those doctors and technicians determined to make amends for what the Union did—would have been wiped out, and you would be here watching those who you couldn’t help join what you already lost.”
“I wasn’t going to hide it,” the Martian explained quietly, steadying his breathing as he dropped back into his chair. “I just didn’t think it was a good time to bring it up. I wanted to spend some time with my brother before the ‘Grand Hunter’ was forced back out.”
“What’s that—“
“—I was going to tell you tonight, if not in the morning,” he interjected, his glare asking for him to finish speaking, “but I figured we had time for you to show me your home before we got to shitting ourselves. I guess I was wrong.”
A dour silence permeated the air between the two of them, Joseph scowling at the floor while Robert patiently waited for something to be said. It took a while, but eventually the younger of the two managed to speak, his voice coming out at a near-whisper as emotions finally ran their course.
“They took out the warp-spike, which means they’ll be moving to their next objective: claiming the planet.”
“I take it, that's what you left for?”
He nodded, unwilling to meet the expectant eyes of his brother as guilt for his distrust ate at him. “Leader let me know what was going on.”
“Leader... That UM scout?”
“Yeah. Nice enough guy, surprisingly. He gave us the guns last night that you might have seen kicking around.”
“Did he include demands?”
“For the weapons? No. That was honestly just an act of kindness when we needed it most. As for while he was here? Kind of. Mostly, he was just asking why the ship was here and how many were on board. He didn’t say if they told him to find out or not, but I get the feeling that he was trying to figure it out for himself.”
“Mostly?”
Joseph leaned back on the bed, placing his hands behind him to support his weight. “Sunny’s gone back to her settlement with Daisy. They need to make a decision on what to do with the UM.”
“How so?” Rob asked, returning to lacing his fingers on his lap.
“They can either reintegrate into the military, or they can establish an independent territory while the UM sets up shop somewhere else. I’m not sure of the details, but being the only ones here gives them rights to the land, I guess.”
“And you?”
The Grand Hunter let his head loll back, his eyes wandering the skylights. “They asked me to give them the pack since I wasn’t a Lilhun.”
“You said no.”
“Nope, I told them to ask everyone themselves.” He sat himself up straight, smirking weakly at his brother. “They got back to me and told me that only a few even seriously considered it. Most essentially told them to fuck off, which I found amusing.”
The change in conversational tone left a silence in its wake, Joseph breaking it after a few moments.
“Sorry for getting...yeah, with your crew. I just can’t take any more chances on it. We’ve lost too many, too quickly. One mistake was all it took.”
Robert nodded, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a portable terminal, reading something with an inquisitive expression. “I get it. It’s why I never said anything at first. Anyway, the signal is cleared up—not that it did much to us anyway, but I can access my mail at least.”
Joseph raised a brow as Rob flicked through some things, quietly putting the device away without addressing whatever caught his interest. “If it makes you feel better, I doubt anyone has a problem with the crew by now. After last night, they could use a laugh—even if it’s just comparing random blood values and shit.”
The Martian snorted, shaking his head. “I’ll be sure to let the doctors know that their work is appreciated.”
The two exchanged some lighter conversation, both working off the last of the edge that their more heated outbursts left behind. Eventually, Robert’s pocket dinged, his portable terminal fetched and checked. He gestured with the device in hand.
“Looks like they finished the scans and can start working on triage and whatever more advanced care is needed. Do you want to actually sleep, or are you going to come watch over things until you pass out?”
Joseph laughed, catching his eyelids drooping. “Got anymore of those energy drinks?”
“You’re going to make yourself sick.”
The Grand Hunter waved his brother off. “Lucky for me, there’s a bunch of doctors here who can fix whatever I managed to do to myself.”
Robert sighed, pulling another can out of his pocket, then a thermos for himself. “Mom would flip if she knew how much of this crap we drank.”
“Dad would defend us.”
“He’d lose the argument.”
Joseph cracked the can, taking a sip before holding it out. Rob tapped his coffee against it. “I never said he’d win. Come on, I know a black-furred male who thinks he can hide a leg injury from me.”
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The ship touched down close to her settlement, the time she had been gone proving to be enough for rudimentary repairs to be finished. The doors hissed open, revealing the forest through the widening airlock. Cobalt and Daisy stepped out first, Sunundra moving to follow until Leader spoke, pausing her attempt.
“Here.” He held out a simple communication device, his expression showing that he was as hesitant to supply it as she was to accept. “They will contact you when they require an answer. Until then, speak with your pack. Make sure they know their options.”
She nodded, putting the item away as a curiosity bubbled forth. “Tell me your opinion of the Human. It seems to deviate from the mere consideration of another Grand Hunter.”
The dark green-furred male glanced behind him at the cameras in the airlock, shaking his head. “I am but a Scout Leader, Grand Huntress; my duty is to act in the best interest of the United Military while completing my objectives, not humour thoughts of what may be for those who choose otherwise.”
The pale-furred female smirked. There were countless ways to claim ignorance to one’s meaning on a recording. She shrugged her bag to a more comfortable position. “Then I will be the one who ruminates. Farewell, Leader. May the remainder of the Sun treat you well.”
He nodded, a small smile vanishing as he turned and entered the ship, the doors closing behind him. She stepped back as the engines whirred, lifting the craft and sending it into the distance at a speed previously impossible.
And to think that a several sun journey had been completed in a fraction of one.
The Atmo waited, accompanying the Grand Huntress back through the torn fields that had once been laden with explosives. She had too few remaining to repopulate her traps, but with Joseph personally ridding the planet of Hasen, she could take solace in the thought that they may not be needed.
The first of the settlement to notice her was also something she was surprised to see, an Atmo clicking greetings while carrying lumber upon its base. With a scurried approach, it bowed to Daisy, before tilting its head in confusion at Cobalt. The insects held a brief discussion—likely introducing the armoured hexapedal addition. With the initial welcome out of the way, the Atmo urged them to follow, guiding them towards the buildings.
Already she could tell that substantial repairs were underway, and far more than what she could see from the ship. There were even a few huts of sorts that acted as shelter for entrances to the nest beneath the surface, more insects coming and going at random as Lilhuns requested materials through pantomime or speech.
It was a far cry from the kinship developed over time in Joseph’s pack, but she imagined that this is what it looked like early on, and hope helped her picture the ones before her happy.
Others noticed the return of their Grand Huntress or Queen, scattering to inform the rest of the news. That didn’t stop what seemed to be a distant screeching near the outpost, however, and Sunundra forewent her intended business to find the source of the horrid noise.
The question was answered as she looked at the open doors, seeing not injured Lilhuns and Atmo of Joseph's settlement, but her own pack gathered around a brown-furred male and a large green insect taking turns at...singing, if she were to guess.
Keet would goad the crowd into picking a melody, then proceed to butcher it while acting like it was the most splendid performance the crowd had heard. Following his own rendition, he would encourage the Atmo to follow suit, resulting in a somehow worse recreation, and earning howling laughter and cheers from those gathered.
The soft clicks from Daisy broke the spell on both the entertainment and Sunundra, former noticing the latter. A cup dropped to the ground as the group froze, wide-eyed and fearful. Keet clamped his muzzle shut, blinking before remembering that he was one of those in charge while she was away.
“Uh, w-welcome back, Grand Huntress,” he stuttered, eyes flicking back towards the Insect bowing towards the returning Queen. “We were just... Well, I just thought...” He swallowed, laughing nervously as he tapped his claws together. “I, uh... Do you want to try singing too?”
A heart beat passed. Two. A rumbling built in her chest, evolving into full-blown laughter. Keet blinked, looking to anyone and everyone for an explanation. Receiving nothing, he waited out her episode with bated breath.
Sunundra finally controlled herself, slipping her backpack from her shoulder to her paw, surprised by Cobalt taking the luggage and placing it on the flat attachment on her base. Nodding thankfully—and still wearing the amusement from the offered inclusion in the entertainment—she shook her head.
“As much as I would revel in making a bigger fool of you than you have managed to make of yourself, I am afraid that there are more pressing matters at paw.”
“Ah,” he replied blankly, watching the others at the gathering take her words as their cue to return to work. Nothing was behind schedule as far as the Grand Huntress could tell, so she wasn’t inclined to chastise them for using their break-time as they saw fit. “Am I in trouble?”
Sunundra nodded. “We all are, Keet. Call for Malaxus, then arrange a gathering for all of the pack.”
“All of them?”
“All. We must make a decision, Keet. For ourselves, for the Atmo, and possibly, for the fate of our people.”
The brown-furred male looked at his green singing partner. “I wasn’t that bad, was I?”
The Atmo simply chittered.