Chapter 125: Congressional
Sunundra’s voice almost seemed to echo throughout the meeting room, but Joseph was too preoccupied with trying to catch up with the chain of events and how they fit into the sense of déjà vu he was experiencing. The connection hit him around the time that he vaguely heard Rob ask what Sunny said, since Jax was stunned into silence like the rest of the Lilhuns in attendance.
Sahari. She gave a similar spiel when she initially decided to entrust the pack to Joseph’s care, and now the pale-furred Grand Huntress was doing the same, but under completely different circumstances.
Sunny’s pack wasn’t reliant on the shelter he owned, hadn't spent any real time getting to know him, and she could reintegrate with the UM and continue on her warpath if she wanted to. Wasn’t that one of the driving motivations for everything she had done to this point, to avenge her bond? Wasn’t it something that kept people like her moving?
So why in the hell did she just throw that all away and ask him to lead her pack?
“I believe this is the juncture in which you give your answer, Grand Hunter,” Trill drolled, amusement practically dripping off his words. Joseph had a feeling that the male knew more than he was letting on, but the Blademaster was ignored in favour of staring at the Grand Huntress, the gobsmacked expression on his face preventing his mind from formulating a reply.
The First Claw growled in irritation. “As this is an official gathering of representatives, Grand Huntress Sunundra, should you choose to proceed with this farce, then you forfeit your right to attend this congressional. Why you would see fit to make such decisions now is beyond me, but I am not required to humour this delay.”
“Forfeit her right?” the Blademaster chuckled. “She is in possession of many Atmo, as it were. Though I am aware you have yet to see them in combat, a single glance should be enough to tell you of their potential. Even if she were to be lacking the title of her station, the power behind it remains; those insects are remarkable assets.”
Sunny kept her gaze fixed on the ground, but her ear flicked at Trill’s defence.
The Atmo... Is that why? If the UM accepts her back into their ranks, what happens to them? Wait...
‘Do you accept this lowly female and her possessions to fall under your rule?’
Possessions. They would lay claim to the Atmo at her settlement. If the Union was worried about the mantis-like species being used as a shock troop, and the Lilhun people defaulted to seeing them as tools, then there is nothing stopping the military from making the same connection and forcing the insects into that role. Of course they would—the Atmo were massive and came with weapons baked into their genetic code.
If Sunundra cared about them at all—and the fact that she put Daisy’s happiness over her own security confirmed that she did—then she really didn’t have another option. It was between handing over the other species she was responsible for, or turning to one of the very few friends she had for help. Hell, he was literally the only other person she knew who dealt with the Atmo on a regular basis, and given that he had adopted Violet as his own daughter, he and his pack were the only people who saw them as something other than a thing to be used.
She could simply deny them the insects during the negotiations, but how much would she be giving up to do that? She could very well end up being forced to stay on the planet in charge of a pack that felt like they were walking on eggshells around her—even when she was over the moon with joy—just because of something she had no control over. It must have worn her down to have the only people who could see who she really was be other defects and him. His settlement was possibly the first time since her escape from the Union that her kind looked past her scent—if only because his species didn’t bother with pheromones to the same degree, and his pack followed his lead.
That’s assuming she would want to deal with the stress of being in charge in the first place.
Return to a society who hated what you were, is fearful of how you are, and wants to take what you have...or put your faith into the one person who is contrary to those expectations, even if they’re an alien. It wasn’t much of a choice as far as he was concerned.
He was her only way out.
How long had this been decided?
“Be that as it may,” the First Claw disputed, her patience audibly wearing thin. “This is hardly the time for such. There was ample time for such agreements to be reached be—“
“—I accept.”
His whispered words cut through the air like a knife, disturbing the tension in the room. Sunundra slowly looked up from the floor, her anxious expression lingering as if she wasn’t quite sure her gamble had paid off. He directed his gaze towards Daisy and Tel, the latter keeping an ear on the other conversations while soothing the former with a gentle scratching.
“If I’m good enough, and you’re sure that this is what you want, then I accept.” He closed his eyes for a second before opening them with a weak grin. “Welcome to the family, Sunshine. We can figure out the details later.”
The Grand Huntress’ expression became the embodiment of someone unwilling to believe that something actually worked, her body leaning into the bow of deference. Her fist dug even harder into the floor, the unyielding red hardwood pressing against her paw. “This one will dedicate her everything in service to the Grand Hunter.”
A sigh came from the head of the table. “I see that we are determined in this. Are we finished with the disruption? If so, then I must request that the former Grand Huntress be escorted from the congressional, as she has lost the right to attend with her display.”
Robert was quickly caught up by Jax, once again politely raising a finger to interject. “Pardon the interruption, First Claw, but the summons specified that persons ‘of power’ were to attend. I agree with Blademaster Trill in this matter; Sunundra may no longer hold a title to grant access to this meeting, but her claim to the Atmo she leads remains unchanged, and thus she still fits the criteria.”
The large black-furred female failed in her attempt to temper her scowl at the Martian, who—to his credit—took the glare with an innocent smile. With an exhale that was more forced than breathed, she let the tension drop from her shoulders. “Then it seems that the best path forward would be to query the others, no? Who amongst you is in favour of a station-less female remaining as a voice within this congressional? Do mind that she has lost the ability to have her conditions presented, as she is now subordinate to another in attendance.”
“I find the events rather entertaining,” Trill opined, his lilt matching his statement as he waved a paw dismissively. “I approve.”
“I consent to her involvement,” Silva chirped, throwing her existence out to be known. Based on the reaction from the First Claw, the female had been purposely ignoring the Trilaxin up to this point, but Jax’s translation only furthered the flash of distaste on her face.
Rob laced his fingers in front of him, nodding his opinion. “I agree.”
The glower from the First Claw fell on Joseph and Violet, the latter quickly scratching down her reply in two languages. [I vote yes.]
“I say she stays.”
A heavy silence hung in the air as soon as he finished finalizing the unanimity. The black-furred female turned back to her tablet after making her displeasure known through a huff. She wasted no time, continuing as if her authority hadn’t just been tossed aside by the table. Maybe now she would notice that although she had ships in orbit, as long as the UM insisted on treating them as equals, they had no issue acting like it.
“Former Grand Huntress Sunundra, High Huntress of Grand Hunter Joseph, will be acting in concert with the latter. For the sake of posterity, I will reiterate that she has forgone the right to assert her own conditions henceforth.” Her gaze flicked back to them, Sunny taking the opportunity to return to her chair and shift it even closer to him. The brief pause allowed enough time for the First Claw’s expression to return to something dignified. “Grand Hunter Joseph is representing his pack, High Huntress Sunundra’s pack, and is the only non-Lilhun of his station in recorded history. Due to the...uniqueness of the other attendees, I will allow them to identify themselves. Do keep your introductions brief.”
Rob nodded his understanding, maintaining his professional air. “Robert Wright, founder and CEO of the Sol-centric ‘Steel Wright’ conglomerate, as well as the human representative in charge of extra-species relations for Horizon—an ‘underground’ alliance of known intelligent species that operates without the approval or knowledge of the Union.”
Wait, what?
Finished with his piece, the Martian gestured to Silva, the avian shuffling in her seat to sit up as tall as she could manage.
“Silva Herring, daughter of the High Glider and representative of the Trilaxin for Horizon. Neither of the aforementioned is known by the Union.”
Wait...what?
Violet took her time scratching out a longer message in both languages, like usual, but the effort she put into translating between the two was more than he was used to. Joseph knew there was something of a diction difference between her Lilhun and English—having someone read out her sign for him before he had the chance to check for himself showed that off. Her messages in the mind-bending script were usually far more ‘proper’ and formal than she chose to write for his own tongue, but most of that was probably due to Jax and him being her teachers. One was considerably less conscious of ‘respectful’ language than the other.
[Violet, adopted daughter of Grand Hunter Joseph. I was raised by my designated Hatcher, Mama, and am one of two Queens on this planet for my people, though the only one chosen to be present in an official capacity. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.]
Violet’s long-winded introduction had more than just him blinking. He had never seen her use more than a sentence or so, and those were usually just to answer multiple questions at one time. The effort she went through to be polite was appreciated, and even made him pretty proud, but his thoughts were occupied by his brother and Silva. He was struggling to accept that they apparently belonged to something far bigger than he had known about.
How much was going on here?
“I take it that the insect is non-verbal?” the First Claw asked, her annoyance following a flick of her eyes to the tablet in front of her.
“She can communicate using the written medium as presented,” Jax clarified. His sister completely ignored him, but read the sign out loud for what was likely only an audio recording of the meeting. Trill hummed in interest as he read, but didn’t have anything of substance to add, save for a smirk as he turned his attention back to the head of the table.
“And she’s much more well-spoken than I thought,” Robert commented, raising a brow at the other Wright at the table. The Grand Hunter pursed his lips, thankfully being saved the difficult task of explaining by Violet presenting her reasoning.
[English is hard.]
The Martian broke composure long enough to laugh, though he quickly gathered himself again. “I can’t say you’re wrong.”
“With the introductions out of the way, we will address the first matter.” The First Claw operated her terminal, tapping it a few times to bring up something different on the screen. “The offer for reintegration into the United Military will be presented one final time for those who wish to accept. Grand Hunter Joseph, do you wish to release your pack to the care of the UM?”
He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “We've been through this; Leader and Tech brought it up and I told them that they should ask the pack themselves. No one agreed.”
She returned to her terminal, referencing something on the screen. “The interviews revealed that several would consider it.”
“That changed when Hasen tried to slaughter them to escape you.”
His answer sent a wave of responses through the others at the table. Trill smirked, placing his elbows on the table and supporting his head on the back of his paws. Violet tensed, gripping her tablet between her blades. Rob and Sil both gave him a sympathetic glance, but the black-furred female simply glared.
“The same Hasen that you have been credited for executing?”
Joseph’s expression sharpened. “Yep.”
“And what might have been the reason that you would take the life of one in service of the Hunt Mother?”
“His actions killed someone very dear to me.” His eyes burned with both fury and sorrow, his jaw clenching. Sunundra rested her paw on his leg, earning a slight smile from him as he abandoned the regret of that night to focus on the present. It wasn’t easy, but he needed to be strong for his pack. For his daughter. He brought his attention back to Jax’s sister. “I made sure he couldn’t do that again.”
The First Claw stared at him, her lips twitching to suppress the snarl that obviously wanted to be known. “Then it is safe to assume that you refuse to release the command of your pack back to their own?”
“I ‘released’ them from that obligation at the start. Like always, they stay by choice. If you want to take them from me, you’ll have to kill me first, and be ready for what they do in return.”
The silence stretched for a few seconds, breaking as she exhaled sharply. “Blademaster Trill.”
The grey-furred male tipped an ear to acknowledge his name, but otherwise kept his gaze directed at Joseph. “Yes?”
“Before we progress with the others, we had reached a point of contention regarding your contract.”
“We did.”
“And you wished to discuss what we failed to cover last sun during the congressional, as stated when there was an attempt to amend the agreement.”
The smirk on his face grew. “I do. It involves the others, and as such, the details should be known to them.”
The First Claw cycled an irritated breath. “Very well.”
The device placed on the island table in the centre of the room turned on, a white light giving way to a holographic map. It was a pretty detailed image, if a boring monochromatic one at first. Whites, greys, and near-blacks represented what looked to be a continent, several rivers cutting through long stretches of the forested area. Slowly, three areas coloured in—green to the west, blue closer to the centre, and red encompassing wide stretches of land to the south-east. The first two’s borders were somewhat close together, with green occupying much more of the map than the fairly tiny blue zone, while red was considerably further away, but by far the largest. The First Claw cleared her throat.
“Displayed are the three territories we have observed since our arrival—based on activity from the packs which own them. The data has been combined with our scout craft’s scans to present the most accurate distribution of influence.”
The map focused on the green area, numerous tendrils extending in random directions before returning to the main mass. Smaller gaps occurred where what were probably High and Low Hunter settlements had been set up a little too far away to allow perfect coverage.
“Blademaster Trill’s territory is as shown—including the expeditions for hunting animals and what little foraging for materials they performed. As per the contract, Avalon has requested a significant increase in their claimed territory for future expansion.”
The hologram zoomed back out, projecting a lighter green for the suggested change around the darker colour. It easily swallowed up the blue, and even came fairly close to the red. If there was a little bit more, it would reach well into the oceans along the edges.
“As you can see,” she continued, gesturing to the dominating presence that green had, “the suggested increase in area would pose several problems—not least of which is the subsumption of other Grand Hunter’s territory. It is inadvisable to blindly allow this request to be met for obvious reasons.”
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
The projection shifted, shrinking the light green to maybe twice the current size of the established area. It still ate up a large portion of the map, but no longer dominated most of the landmass, and it was shifted away from the blue that it had enveloped before.
“Our counter-offer is this: we will assign Avalon double their current territory as of this sun for future expansions, bridge the unclaimed zones between settlements, and allow renegotiation of further increases after a period of—“
“—Will the doubling take place before or after the vacant space formed by wider expeditions and subservient settlements are given to Avalon?” Trill interjected unapologetically, his eyes gaining a hint of satisfaction and glee. He tempered his outward reaction well, but it looked exactly like Tel whenever she set chaos in motion and was excited to see just how south things would go.
If he hadn’t spent so much time with the grey-furred female, he might have missed it. Given that he had, Joseph’s stomach sunk, and he wasn’t quite sure if he should be this close to the powder keg when Trill was playing with matches.
The black-furred female’s tone turned suspicious. “We will average the territory in such a way that the attributed space holds no vacancies. In simple terms, the edges of the hunting paths and settlements will be treated as the outermost borders, then everything therein will be filled. Once that is accounted for, we are offering to multiply the area twofold.”
The Blademaster waved a paw casually. “I accept the change; a doubling of Avalon’s territory as of this sun—in addition to giving me claim to the vacant space—is suitable. I am aware of the duration of the agreement; that much has remained untouched since the original draft.”
The First Claw faltered, apparently expecting more of a fight or additional concessions to be proposed. “You...expected this?”
The grey-furred male’s smile widened. “Apologies, First Claw, but I am afraid I do not quite understand what you are asking.”
She frowned, but kept whatever comment she was musing to herself, signing off on the agreement before having a soldier pass along the terminal for the Blademaster to read. “Well then, with your approval, the contract is sealed.”
“Indeed,” Trill droned mirthfully, adding his signature and handing back the device. “Since we are on the topic of territories—and to sate idle curiosity—Sunundra’s has become Joseph’s, yes?”
The First Claw took the terminal from the soldier, slowing in the process to set it back as it was. Her eyes warily lifted to meet his smug, half-lidded gaze. “Due to the interruption earlier, yes...”
“Delightful. Absolutely delightful.”
“Blademaster, is there something you would like to say?”
The male’s eyes widened in mock surprise. “Myself? Oh, no, nothing so important. Merely enjoying the moment; it gets rather dreary on the planet—the rain and all.”
She held the glare, glancing at the rest of the table to see if anyone had a complaint before moving on. He couldn’t help but notice the disgust and anger that was directed towards him, but she continued regardless, launching into occupation and expansion plans, as well as changing the projected image to reflect things as she talked.
Honestly? He zoned out during most of it, only focusing when she showed off the size of the planet or noted how certain plans would likely affect the packs. It was fairly mundane, all things considered. If it wasn’t for the circumstances around it, he would feel like he was back in school, failing to pay attention to yet another lecture about something he didn’t care much about. Sadly, he had to at least listen to what was going on.
Establishment of military bases, cities, and everything else that she could mention without giving specifics that could be used against her. All he really learned was that the planet had a few massive land masses, they were currently situated on the largest, and both Trill and Sunundra had a far larger reach than he did—likely because they only recently implemented trapping, and thus had to expend more effort to supply their comparatively substantial numbers.
The whole time she was explaining the broad strokes, he was watching the tiny blue area that he apparently owned. His settlement and all of their hunting expeditions only occupied about a tenth of Trill’s domain, and even less than Sunundra’s. He supposed that was to be expected with the Atmo burrowing under her territory and the patrols, defences, and everything else she had set up; the female had settled there early on, so of course she had time to establish herself. Compared to them, he was just a blip on the map. Hardly worth considering, really.
Over time, he noticed some off-grey zones that matched up with where he heard other settlements had been before Hasen went on his rampage. Some were within the other’s colours, but most were scattered around without the lines showing where they tended to hunt. They must have been taken out before the UM started observing, or they just stopped caring about settlements that were more ash than building. Not like anyone was there to own them anyway.
“—demands?”
He snapped out of his thoughts at the First Claws' words, Sunundra doing him the favour of batting him with her tail under the table to get his attention. “Sorry, what?”
She frowned more than before, somehow. “The UM is willing to hear and possibly meet conditions you have for entering an agreement. We ask that your pack vow not to hinder our developments, nor poach our members through whatever method you have implemented to gain your...following.”
Her eyes shifted to Sunundra with disdain before returning to him, quietly emphasizing her point. “Do you have any conditions for your cooperation?”
Joseph raised a brow. “You want me to just...not be nice to people? That’s all I’ve done since I got here. People were hurt? I gave them medical aid. Needed a place to live? I gave them dens. Needed something to take their minds off of what your military did to them? I gave them work, friends, and showed them that I cared. No, I will not ‘poach’ your soldiers, but I’m not denying someone if all they want is a place that treats them like they matter.”
“Do you have a way to verify those claims?” she challenged, her fur bristling. “We can not allow an entity such as yourself to remain unchecked.”
“How about an embassy?” Rob proposed, letting Jax translate before continuing. “You build, staff, and maintain a structure within his territory that will allow anyone a safe haven. Your own laws, customs, and the like will apply within the building, and it will be treated as if it’s an extension of your territory. He couldn’t do anything to it without it being an act of war.”
The First Claw simmered, leaning back in her chair as she considered it. Again, her eyes regarded Jax with a mix of emotions as he finished speaking, but the male was avoiding looking back at her. She sat silently for a moment before nodding. “Terms will have to be solidified, but I agree with the suggestion. The UM will assign ambassadorial figures to reside within the territory—the main settlement, to be specific. I will not allow you to simply isolate them on the borders.”
“Joe?”
He let his breath out through his nose, catching a glimpse of Tel easing her tail away from a dagger. He had seen her use that furry appendage to launch those before; the First Claw wouldn’t be able to react in time. Joseph silently thanked his brother with a bow of his head. “I’ll agree to that. We can work out the details as we go.”
The black-furred female shifted her attention to the other aliens, her irritation subsiding somewhat. “Silva, was it? You claim to represent your people for the purposes of this meeting. What is it you seek?”
The Trilaxin stiffened as the Lilhun twice her size bore into her with her gaze. “The Trilaxin are widely unaware of the actions that the Union has been taking in regards to newly discovered species; they are only told that others are found after the results from unethical tests are satisfactory. That is the only time anyone outside of those involved learns of them. Due to our unique position, we have been able to gather evidence of this happening time and time again. If one is found by an independent entity—from researchers finding a civilization in unexpected places, to individual civilians wandering the outskirts of the Union’s established ‘safe zone’—then they are silenced until the new species are approved. If they aren’t...”
“Then they are removed, much like the offending species,” the First Claw surmised. Silva nodded, her feathers shimmering through her easing nerves. The sight was interesting when you were used to it, but for someone who had never seen a Trilaxin? Well, the female’s wide eyes displayed her surprise well enough, and they stayed that way until Sil had finished her next thought.
“We would like to offer our support.”
The black-furred female instantly became defensive, broadening her shoulders and leaning forward. “Your support? In which fashion?”
“Me and my hus...fiance would like to extend an invitation to our organization,” she clarified, smiling sheepishly when she fumbled. An encouraging hand from Rob gave her the will to continue. “We want to offer support in identifying planets where your people could live safely, information on the Union, their movements, and any talk in regards to Lilhuns. We will also provide technologies and developments to help hide from them until we can ensure that you may exist without being hunted.”
“You speak for the entirety of your people? Of this organization? What authority do you hold to guarantee such claims become reality?”
Robert raised his finger again. “The two of us have the most sway within Horizon, and we have people in all levels of society, from simple...servants, to the highest officials. We are not publicly known, but we have the structure in place to do everything she said, and do so quietly.”
The First Claw shifted her eyes between the pair, crossing her arms as the sneer on her face intensified. “What reason do you hold to do such? Why assume we wish to hide when our kin roar for the blood of our aggressors?”
“How long have you been searching, First Claw?” Rob returned, doing his best to keep a sympathetic tone. “Rage only lasts so long. If Joseph’s pack is any indication, your people are tired. They have worn through what they had fuelling them for vengeance, and now just want to move on—to mourn the dead and think about an actual future.”
Her expression softened, the empathy being swept away with a forced scoff. “We wish them to answer for their sins against us.”
“And we can help, but you can’t hope to take them on by throwing yourselves into whatever fight you’re aiming for. You’re outgunned, outnumbered, and they only need a single attack to turn the entirety of the Union against you, all the way down to the average civilian. One act of aggression, then you’re labelled a hostile entity, and it won’t be a clandestine operation anymore. It’ll be an actual war. Not even Horizon can stop that.”
“Then we will welcome the Great Hunt when it comes for us,” she argued weakly. His words were reaching her, if her insistence on watching the terminal was anything to go by. That, or she already knew what was likely to happen, and was just parroting what she was told by her superiors. “We will spend our time in the Hunt Mother’s embrace exacting revenge on those we take with us.”
“Or,” Sil coaxed gently. “You ally with us, and we can give you the time and resources to make sure nothing like that happens again. We need to isolate who was behind all those tests and who made the final decisions. Until then, all we can do is help bide your time. All we ask in return is your cooperation and restraint, then one day, maybe your companionship. The universe is much less lonely than you may think.”
Trill chuckled, drawing a few curious looks. He shook his head when he noticed that they were waiting for an explanation. “Avalon has already offered to provide their services. Ally with them, First Claw, then use their information to utilize us. We can strike with precision—sever the head of the beast, so to speak—without compromising our kin.” He waved a paw towards Robert. “This one seeks the end of their foe, does he not? It lingers on his scent, much like his blood-kin, if weaker in intensity. He would be happy to provide us with the targets to weaken our enemy, and we would get to extract their offal with our own claws before slipping into the shadows. I see few repercussions to accepting their aid as it is presented.”
The First Claw slammed a fist on the table. “Do you not know caution, Trill? Are you really so foolish to trust those that belong to the ones who obliterated our planets?”
The Blademaster smiled, but his eyes grew cold. “So far, they have mended our broken, sheltered our abandoned, gained our affections, and are paving a path forward. You insist on ignoring their contributions. That is foolishness.” He glanced at Tel, the warmth returning to his gaze. “Do I trust them? No, nothing so drastic. I would be an imbecile to place my faith in those who have yet to earn my favour. I am simply acknowledging that their proposition holds merit.”
The First Claw bit her tongue—maybe literally—as she reluctantly turned back to Rob.
“You state ‘cooperation’ as a condition?”
The Martian gave Trill a moment’s consideration before replying. “The Lilhuns aren’t the end of their testing. They find new species from all over the galaxies, isolate them, then run their tests as they become space-faring. It’s not often that they reach a species after the fact, like you, but they are quick to act when it does happen. From what we’ve managed to gather, there are others that are either about to be tested, or are in the process. We want to step in and stop them…but there’s a problem... If the Union discovers what we’re doing, then humanity is finished. We need allies—someone to do what we can’t. We can offer all kinds of support without being noticed, but we can’t do the rest alone.”
She blinked, surprise filtering through her irritation. “You wish of us to act as your claws?”
Rob nodded firmly. “We need people who can move around without being noticed. If humans or any other species in Horizon started making any move big enough to make a difference, it would draw too much attention. We’re stuck with doing the bare minimum. You, however, are not. They have nothing tracking you since you pushed them out of your sector; that’s why the warp-spikes are being used at all, and you’ve already displayed how little it actually does when you know where they are.”
“You wish us subservient then,” she growled.
“You got Leader’s report,” Joseph hissed, his terse addition drawing attention. He stared at the grain of the table, his eyes following the unnatural perfection as his arms laid crossed over his chest. “Humans are being targeted, but because they noticed too late, they need to do it carefully. They’re locking us down more and more by the sun. Soon, we’ll be in the same position you are; the only difference is that our species has no knowledge that they’re in the crosshairs. They can’t know, or there would be a lot more than what attacked you aimed at us. Everything will be fine…until it isn’t.”
He glanced up, noticing that he had earned the ear of everyone present. His gaze fell back to nothing in particular as Trill tilted his head.
“And what would the human Grand Hunter have us do? Out of curiosity, of course.”
His thoughts ran at a sluggish pace, balancing what he should say to support his brother, what Violet should hear, and what he actually thought. Sunundra shifted her chair closer, a comforting paw resting on his thigh. With a wry smile, he gathered his breath.
“I’m with Trill on this. I think we should join forces—even if it’s just for now—and start cutting where no one will look. With a bit of work, the Blades can slip into places that they shouldn’t be, get information from places we couldn’t otherwise, and take out whoever calls the shots. With the right training, we can have them anywhere we might need them, and we can stop any testing before it starts. We’ll be able to leave their facilities as tombs for the researchers who let this happen. Just like they deserve.”
Robert stared with concern, Silva matching his expression. “Joe...”
“What, Rob?” he barked, tensing in his seat. “They’re going to kill the Atmo on sight! They’ll hunt down the Lilhuns until they’re sure that there’s nothing left! They’re not going to stop there, either! If we don’t do something, they’re going to come here and wipe out my pack, my daughter, and everything else I have left! I will kill every last one with my bare fucking hands!”
His fist crashed against the tabletop, punctuating his rising volume. A shuddered breath pulled himself back, but Tel’s extended claws and dangerous eyes broadcasted just how worked up he was getting. He forced himself to speak at a normal level, his words harsh as they passed his teeth.
“We need to do something, Rob. They’ve taken enough—from the Atmo, from Lilhuns... From us.”
“Us?”
His voice locked up as he avoided looking at his brother, the topic he didn’t want to revisit choking the attempt to explain. Either because of his outburst or his expression, Robert let the matter drop for now, clearing his throat as he addressed the First Claw.
“That is the state of things. We would like to trade the security of your species for the assistance of your active military.”
The black-furred female glared at them one by one. She settled on Joseph. “You have yet to state what you desire.”
He returned the stare, too emotionally exhausted to put any ire behind it. “I just want autonomy and a place to raise my kit. I want a place where people can go when they get tired of war. I want to protect my pack, and to welcome those who need it.”
She took a moment to break eye contact, referencing her terminal again with an expression he couldn’t quite place. “And the ‘Queen?’”
Violet jolted slightly at being acknowledged, holding up the message she had prepared. [The Atmo ask for assistance in gathering on this planet. Many of my sisters are on ships going to my father’s home, but they will be safer here. We will stay with him to help.]
The First Claw read it aloud, pausing at the end. “You believe it to be safer on the planet that has claimed so many?”
Violet wiped her tablet. [Nowhere is safer than with father.]
A mocking laugh escaped the black-furred female. “Would that opinion remain if he were to be slain? What if all were to seek his end?”
The purple Queen shrunk at the statement, shifting on her legs nervously. Joseph almost got a word out in protest for speaking that way to his daughter, but Daisy clicked something in response instead, pressing further into Tel and gesturing something to her sister. Whatever she said, it brought out a confidence in Violet that he didn’t know existed, her blade deftly scratching out a new message with firm strokes.
[Then nowhere would be safe from us.]
The First Claw’s eyes shifted to the blades on the young insect, then to those of Cobalt and Rose. The two largest individuals in the room separated, making sure to offer coverage for both Queens and him. She cleared her throat uneasily.
“It seems that this meeting will have to be continued next sun; I will need to contact my superiors regarding some of the contents discussed. That will be all. You will be contacted before your attendance is required.”
She waved a paw, setting the soldiers into action. They were frank, but polite in their insistence to escort them out, considering how on edge the armoured Atmo set them. Neither of the pair would let the armed Lilhuns close to the Queens, but no one was quite ready to press their luck either.
“Ah, before we depart for the sun,” Trill voiced, a smug grin plastered to his muzzle. He scooped up the papers he had set aside earlier, picking one out and passing the rest to Loptr to put away. “There is one item to resolve.”
The First Claw frowned in annoyance. “The congressional is put on hold, Blademaster.”
“This is an individual matter, I assure you.”
“Need you address it now?”
“I believe you will wish to know the outcome, yes.”
He walked over to Joseph, Tel stepping forward to put herself between them. Undeterred, the male flipped through the document, flicking the same odd pen out of his pocket and scribbling his signature before presenting it to his daughter.
“Perhaps too much time has passed for you to remember, kit, but you have met the final criteria to complete your end of this contract. I feel it is only appropriate that I honour it now.”
The Wraith took it from him, warily staring at him before her eyes fell to the pages. “I... But...”
“What is it this time, Trill?” Joseph snapped, glancing at the text and getting a firm reminder that he wouldn’t be getting any information from it. It was still the mess of cursive that Lilhun script always was, but Tel seemed fixated on it, her eyes wide as words failed to form. Trill chuckled.
“That, Joseph, is the first contract she had signed with Avalon.” He stepped closer, laying a paw on his daughter’s shoulder, eliciting a jolt from her as her gaze snapped up to meet his. “When her mother passed, this kit wished to surpass everything that had been achieved before her—to claim the aspirations that had gone unmet. That included becoming the heiress of Avalon. She did, and now she has accomplished her mother’s greatest desire.”
The First Claw glared with narrowed eyes. “Blademaster, I demand an explanation.”
He chuckled, turning while gesturing to his daughter. “How rude of me. Of course, First Claw. Effective immediately, you are before Tel and Joseph, the new Blademistress and Blademaster of Avalon. What is hers is his, and his, hers.”
He paused to offer a predatory grin. “I do thank you for gifting them the continent.”