Twenty minutes later the five of them stepped off the Sea Spirits launch and onto solid ground. Raini could feel the heat from the burning fortress hundreds of meters away. Behind her she heard Luit gasp, in front of them, scattered in groups of two of three, lay the first bodies. She'd expected them of course, but when she'd pictured them in her mind’s eye, she'd never imagined the faces. Young and old, some twisted into horrific displays of pain and terror, others looking like they were merely asleep.

“There's so many of them.” Travic said his voice barely audible.

“Seven thousand in the Lasrom garrison, twenty thousand in the besieging force. Maybe another four or five of civilians who had stayed around when they shouldn't have.” Avon said dryly. Raini shot him a look and pulled the pistol out of her belt.

“Thanks, that's just what I needed,” she said. Mercy left the boat last, the only one of them that appeared unaffected by the dead.

“When this is all over-” Luit began, but his voice drained away into silence.

“We'll give them a decent monument, something to rival Den's Grave,” Raini said then turned to Mercy. “Which way then?”

Mercy pointed up the beach, almost straight ahead of them, parallel to the fortress's walls. Taking a deep breath Raini motioned the others to follow her and began picking a path through the dead. She dared not look down too much. She didn't want to wonder why the sand felt slick. She could hear the liquid, just water, as it oozed out under her feet. Luit was swearing with almost every step, everyone else was deathly silent.

Raini noticed the grizzly tableau first. She suspected that Avon would be the last. Mercy must have known about them; Luit was distracted and that left-

“C-Captain?” Travic said hesitantly.

“Just keep on walking. Ignore them.”

“But-”

“I know,” She risked at glance at one of the other creatures, standing like a sentinel above the bodies that made up the tableau. That didn't disturb her as much as the bodies themselves, twenty or thirty of them, laid out in a row, a neat whole punched through each chest. Other creatures were making the holes, then it all clicked together.

The creatures were testing how they died. Raini wanted to shout at Mercy, call her and her people names. She tried to tell herself that she didn't because it might hurt the negotiations, but deep down she knew the real reason. That it would not have made a damn bit of difference.

They reached the edge of the beach where a slowly winding path led them up into a series of small hills and plateaus.

“There's something wrong here,” Avon said.

“No, really?” Raini couldn't help herself.

“Everyone stop for a moment be quiet,” Avon ordered. They came to an abrupt halt. There was no sound except that of the flames.

“What are we listening for?” Travic whispered above the flames. No not just above the flames, but above the screams as well. To his credit it was only half a second before Luit rushed past her, closely followed by Avon.

Raini, Travic and Mercy chased them up a hill. Struggling in the low light Raini pulled herself to the crest, already knowing what to already expect. Lying at the top, in what once must have been a row, were twenty dying forms. Some were on their backs, barely moving, others had somehow forced themselves onto their sides, a few were moaning, most had given up making any noise, none had any arms.

Luit had his medical kit open and was on his knee's next near the closest one, Avon had rushed past him and pulling out a handful of bandages he wordlessly started to try and help the second. Raini wondered what they expected to be able to do.

Travic stood frozen, his mouth open, an odd expression of terror and anger on his face. Another of the creatures stood motionless, watching them all. Snarling Raini felt her hand go for her pistol again and aim it at the creature head. It would be so easy, so incredibly easy to try and blow its head apart. They deserved worse, but-

“It will not work,” Mercy said from behind her. This time she did not hold back. Spinning around and pointing the weapon at Mercy she spat at the creature.

“You sick clannless scum.” If she could have killed with anger alone not one of these Scatha would have remained standing. “You cursed bastards!” She should just fire now. Case would be watching from the deck of the Sea Dancer and would know that was a signal to fire the cannon. It wasn't much, but it would hurt Mercy a little. “Why am I even bothering to help you? What do I care that one of your kind is dead? Good! I'll make you this one promise Mercy, if I meet the killer, I will shake his hand and ask him how he did it.”

“Understandable.”

“W-what?”

“If you were alive, this would be tragic. We require information, we must know everything.” If she closed her eyes and blotted out every other sound Raini could have sworn, she heard a hint of remorse in Mercy's voice.

“You don't understand at all, you- Death take all of you! When the galaxy burns, I hope to whatever god is listening that you are all long since gone, and that there are no monuments to you, and no one to morn you. When you die, I beg that the universe will make sure that in the next life you suffer for this.”

“The Kings are nearby,” Mercy said after a moment.

“Give me one good reason why I should not call the whole thing off. Destroy that thing you’re after and leave you wondering what information was on it?”

“Hope. There are still many of your kind on this planet, of all of them only the four of you will ever meet the Kings, will you throw that one chance away?” Raini had never been taught how to control anger, Younie had always told her to throw herself into it when it came. Anger, according to him, was your bodies way of making sure you got what you deserved. With as much force as she could manage Raini lowered the pistol.

“If any of you want to stay here, I'll come and get you once I've spoken to these Kings. Is that alright with you Mercy?”

“Yes, your doctors are showing us a great deal about how you treat your wounds.”

“Who's coming?” Raini asked with a shudder.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I- I am,” Avon said. The man was shaking, and his hands covered in blood. “You can't do this alone. Ensign, take this bandages and work with the good Doctor here, we'll be back as soon as we can.”

They left the two working quickly. There was no point in sticking around. The sooner they started the sooner they could end this Raini told herself. Mercy led the way now, leading them up over hills and through clumps of tress, some burning until they reached a large sized clearing.

There had been bodies here, she could still see the blood trails and here and there a broken weapon or a discarded cloak. Standing in the middle of the clearing, looking for all the world like small metal mountains stood four other creatures. Their arms were as wide as the largest cannon she'd ever seen, their eyes as big as her own head. They looked at her with giant black pools of nothing.

“Somehow I expected them to be smaller,” Avon muttered.

“They are the Kings of 350 billion Scatha, they deserve the right bodies for that.” Mercy said. Avon just shrugged. Mercy led them into the middle of the clearing and came to a halt. None of the other Scatha moved.

Painfully aware that she was trembling slightly Raini gave the Scatha a bow and noticed out of the corner of her eye that Avon was doing the same.

“I am Captain Raini Lineal of the Kasom of the Sea Dancer.”

“And I am Avon Silas of the Dead.”

“We know who you are,” the closest of the Scatha said, his voice booming though the hills. It was a 'he' Raini was sure of it. Up-close, and with other examples of Scatha to study she could see that the bodies were not uniform. The first was massive, masculine, to its left stood a slightly smaller one, still male but not as strong. On it's right two smaller and thinner forms, female Raini guessed stood. The first looked slightly hunched, its skin darkened by age or use. The second looked new.

“I believe you should introduce yourselves, it appears to be the protocol,” Mercy said.

“If we must,” said the first. “I am the Judgment of the Scatha.”

The male next to him raised his head. “I am the Curiosity of the Scatha.”

“I am the Compassion of the Scatha,” said the first of the feminine figures. Even the voice was higher pitched like Mercy's. Raini found that odd. Why did these creatures have the same ideas of gender?

“I am the Knowledge of the Scatha,” the second feminine one said. Raini wondered if they had promotions. Then she remembered that Mercy had said they could move bodies at will, was this one that had just been made? Or merely not used as much as the others?

“Thank you for meeting with us. I hope that we could find a mutually beneficial solution to the current problem,” Raini said, desperately trying to think one step ahead whilst holding on tightly to the remaining shreds of her diplomatic skills.

“Why should we want to do that?” asked Curiosity. “What is in it for us?” Mercy had said that they'd never negotiated before, maybe they just didn't understand the concept.

“Well, so we can both gain what we need without resulting to bloodshed.” Feel free to speak up any time you want Avon, she added in her mind.

“Again, I ask why? What is it to us? You have nothing to offer us.” Raini felt herself blush a little. Thankfully at that moment Avon finally found his voice.

“There is always something that you need, or someway we could help you.” Judgment shook his head in an imitation.

“There is nothing that we cannot take from you effortlessly, and nothing that we cannot do better than you. We need nothing from you.” Judgement said in a slow voice.

“I-” Raini began before she was cut off by Mercy.

“No, I will conduct this conversation in a manner that they can understand. I ask again, what about Curiosities' Artificial People project? It is still going ahead, isn't it?” Raini felt like she had just missed several minutes of conversation.

“They are not needed for that,” Judgment said.

“Actually, I don't see why not,” Curiosity said, turning to face Judgment.

“We are growing our own from DNA samples, these ones are too old to go through the procedure.” Raini felt her lip twist a little. She had no idea what they were talking about, but it was all they had.

“Why is that?” she said quickly before any of the others could speak.

“It is too complicated to explain,” Judgment said.

“How do you know that?” Curiosity asked. Raini hoped it might actually be on their side. “Knowledge?”

“It is not known either way.” Was she neutral? There were four of them so what happened if there was a tie in the voting? “I recommend that tests are run.”

“No.” Judgments voice was deafening. “The project requires clean minds and bodies, there’s would not work... it would be unsafe.”

“But-” Curiosity managed before being shouted down by Judgment.

“No! The decision is not in your remit. There is nothing Captain Raini Kasom of the Sea Dancer that you or your kind can offer us.” Ok, so one for, one against and one neutral. “Why should we bother negotiating at all?” That left...

“What about morality, compassion, mercy?” Raini wasn't sure if she was using the names or talking about a concept. “You created those Scatha to have those traits, so they obviously mean something to you.”

“You are not alive. You have been informed of this already,” Judgment said. Raini stared at the one called Compassion, aware that she hadn't spoken a word since her introduction.

“But if we were, wouldn't what you are doing her be horrific?” Judgment responded again.

“Irrelevant, you are not alive.”

“Prove it!” Raini shouted. Come on Compassion, live up to your name. “How do you define living.”

“The possession of a soul, Mercy has already told you this.” Judgment, yet again.

“What makes your definition correct?”

“Truth is absolute, it is always found when looked for,” Judgment said. Avon brightened up what he heard this; he raised one finger as if to teach a school child an elementary point.

“And in your entire history you have never made a mistake?” he said.

“No,” Judgment stated.

“Incorrect,” Knowledge said. “We served Hatred for some time.”

“Since then, we have not made a mistake.” Avon smiled when he heard Judgment say that.

“It doesn't work like that though. You've made a mistake before, you might have done so again, nothing is infallible.” That's it you condescending old fool, lay into them, you're loving this argument aren’t you, and let's see if I can help rock there boat a little.

“What would the consequences of being wrong be?” Raini asked.

“Enough! I am Judgment, I have already thought through every argument they can make, they are all flawed.”

“So are you,” Avon said matching Judgments fire. “Nothing is infallible.” He repeated. Raini reminded herself that there only chance appeared to be Compassion, she needed to keep aiming at her.

“Mercy, Compassion, you were built to perform a task, you are failing in that right now,” Raini said.

“You-” Compassion said, then faltered for a moment. Raini held her breath. “You are not alive, that is what Judgment has said you do not fall under my or Mercy's remit.” Raini looked at Mercy, trying to force the pit in her stomach to stay closed.

“Mercy, please, you must know something that can help us.”

“No. As Judgment has said, all possible arguments have been explored. You are not alive; you can offer us nothing.” Raini felt her mouth go dry. There had to be something.

Fortunately, Avon was not ready to give up yet. “Why do you need to be here in the first place?”

Knowledge was ready with the answer. “We require resources to build more of our kind, and fuel for our journey to the next star.”

“Then why don't you go to one of the other worlds around this one?”

“The only other planet with a solid core is too far away from your sun, the atmosphere is too cold, our electronics would freeze.” Avon's face fell, it was like arguing with the sea as Younie would say.

“You don't need to be here,” Avon said weekly. They needed more time, Raini knew that if they had a few more hours, or a few more minds they could have thought of something.

“Is that all you have to say, Captain Raini Kasom of the Sea Dancer?” The fire had faded from Judgments voice, he knew he'd won.

“No, I can think of something else.”

“If you cannot, then this audience is over. Thank you, it has been a very educational experience.” No, that was not fair, it couldn't just be over like that.

“Perhaps,” Mercy began before Raini could think of anything else to say, “we should not pacify these and those on the ship right away.”

“What do you mean?” Judgment asked.

“If this exercise has proven so useful, then maybe we should maintain it. I recommend that we save Raini and her ship for last, it will give them the opportunity to think of something new that we might have missed.” Raini smiled as Mercy spoke. It wasn't much, but it was all they needed.

“I do not see the point in this,” Judgment said, his voice quieter than it had ever been.

“I do,” Curiosity said. “They might come up with something unexpected.” There was a moment of silence that seemed to stretch on into all eternity. Raini swallowed and forced herself to breath.

“Very well,” Judgment finally said, “I agree to the continuation of this particular experiment.”