After a few semi-tense moments when I wonder if I talked with Atte for too long, the door slides open to reveal Typhin. He’s standing tall like always, his uniform prim and proper and his thin face drawn into an expression of neutrality. Though, even then, it’s easy to see how his blue eyes light up a little at noticing my presence.

“Mort. What a pleasant surprise. Is something the matter?” he asks smoothly, seemingly genuine surprise tinging his face.

Aw, man, now I feel a little bad for worrying him. “Nothing the matter, sir! Can I come in?”

“By all means,” Typhin says, stepping to the side and letting me in.

Even after several hours spent in the room, it remains almost perfectly impersonal. Just another testament to the boundless professionalism Typhin exhibits on every occasion. In comparison, I’m really just a little octopus guy pretending to have manners, aren’t I? Hrm. Next time I do research, I should try finding something on how to learn etiquette. Or I just ask Typhin where he learnt his manners.

B-, but I don’t wanna bother such an important man! Look at him! I’m sure he has a plan for every second of every day and I’m just being a bother even being in here. Ah, I should apologize for existing and making his work harder.

“Now then, how may I help you?” Typhin had again sat down at his desk, his chair swivelled around to face me. Sensing the situation, I take a seat as well.

Wait. He’s my superior. Sh-, should I be standing?

But Typhin hasn’t said anything, and he doesn’t seem to mind, so… We’ll ignore that for now!

“Y-, yes!” I say. “Well, see, um, I was wondering if you could let me read my own species information?” I quickly explain the situation with my lack of clearance.

Typhin seems thoughtful, pinching his sharp chin between his fingers. After a moment of consideration, he returns his gaze to me. His eyes are acute and serious. “You are aware that you were not granted higher clearance for a reason?”

“Yes, of-, of course, sir.” Unconsciously, my back hunches a little. I’m really being a bother now. Hopefully, he won’t throw me out, even if I might deserve it at this hour.

His eyes seem to pierce through me. Searching for any weakness in my disposition. Looking for a fault in my reason for coming. “Ordinarily, not even our friendship would allow me to disclose any information beyond your clearance, however, I believe this to be a special case. After all, it is your own species. Though, I urge you to remember that this is an exception, not the norm. You will not be able to pull this on any other subject, even if I do hold the answer you desire.”

I perk up, ears flapping slightly. “R-, really, sir?? Wow, thanks! I-, I mean, I am eternally grateful. Indeed, this is most sincere and nice. Yes.”

Typhin waves his hand dismissively. “No need to speak so rigorously, it isn’t in your nature. Though, this is a bit of a coincidence. After all, I was just researching that very topic myself.” His chair swivels again, letting him turn his back on me and return his eyes to the computer. I hop off the bed and follow to stand just behind him, though since there’s only one chair and I’m not tall enough to stand too far away, I’m forced to situate myself at the very edge of the desk, standing on my tiptoes to see.

“Really? Why?”

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“Isn’t it the most obvious course of action? The more I know about you and your species, the more I know about your worth and usefulness. Following this, I can then understand our future course of action.” This Typhin explains while moving the computer screen to what seems to be the top of the droid-written article on me. I’d read what’s on the computer but I kind of still can’t read. Mother, father, forgive me. Your child has become illiterate.

“Our course of action?” I ask curiously.

“Indeed,” Typhin says, absently eyeing the article. “Perhaps you’ll be best used for the manufacture of medicine, or you might be used as manual labour, or you could provide near-infinite sustenance for the less well-off, assuming your flesh isn’t inedible.” Hm. Now that I hear someone say it out loud, I don’t think I’d like to be treated as living cattle. Like, sure, I can’t exactly feel pain, so if they only took the flesh of my larger body and made it recover while letting my smaller body live a prosperous life, then I guess it would be fine. Hypothetically speaking, even if my flesh is somewhat toxic or disgusting, it could still feed beasts and people who can afford nothing better. It could save lives, even if it is less direct than medicine.

...Still, being living cattle… It feels like an insult. “Not sure how to feel about that last one, sir…”

He eyes me sympathetically. “I am as conflicted as you.” The article on the computer moves a little as Typhin reads a few passages, his mind clearly elsewhere. “Even then, I suppose that wouldn’t be your worst possible fate.”

Eh? “How do you mean?”

“Organic weapon.” The word fell from his lips like a toxic slug. “We both know how… destructive you can be. With your disposition, it’s almost to be expected. Although you hold the form and mind of a man, you keep the instincts and power of a beast. You kill to survive, that is only to be expected.”

I think back on the many, many creatures I’ve killed and eaten. Strangely, I don’t feel a shred of regret or disgust. As he said, it was only to be expected.

“Have you heard of the Zillo Beast?” Typhin asks out of the blue.

“Huh? What’s that?” I can remember reading about quite a few types of creatures (all the while suppressing my drooling), but no such creatures. Assuming I even could read about it.

“I hadn’t expected you to. It was a bit of a blemish on the flawless reputation of the Emperor. Though, as always, his reasoning was completely understandable.” I watch him carefully as his eyes grow far-off and distant. “I hadn’t been present. I was… yes, I was still a young lad at the time. I heard this from a superior a few years back.”

“The Zillo Beast was a massive creature, large enough to destroy several of the massive towering buildings on Coru-, erm, Imperial Center. Though, of course, it was only a fraction of your size.” Hearing that makes my chest puff out a little, but the pitying look Typhin gives me instantly deflates me. “When it was first found, there was much arguing over what was to be done with it. Some wanted it killed on the spot, others wanted to simply leave it be, despite the danger it might pose to the locals.”

I watched him intently.

“In the end, the one to give the final order was Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who ordered it to be taken to Imperial Center for study, which was called Coruscant at the time. We were in the middle of a massive war, meaning that he aimed to use it to end that war and save countless lives. Yes, he wanted to use it as an organic weapon. However, it was found that the Zillo Beast was somewhat sentient, making it panic due to its treatment. In the end, it escaped its confines, causing much destruction, killing many. It almost killed the Supreme Chancellor, though his life was saved. In the end, the creature was killed.”

A shiver tears through my body. “Is… is that so?”

He tries to smile reassuringly, bringing his hand up to pet my head. “You shouldn’t worry too much. The mistake made with the Zillo Beast was the assumption that it was a mindless beast and nothing more. Such a mistake will not be repeated with you. After all, even your article states your sentience.” His lips press into a thin line. “Though, I am a bit worried that the Emperor may feel unwilling to deal with you too closely on account of the Zillo Beast. From what I’ve heard, the beast pursued him intently.”

“I-, I won’t do anything like that! Running after people is mean!” I say trying to placate the very notion that I might actually try to kill the Emperor. Despite everything, even though he seems a little suspect in some ways (still dunno how in the heck he fended off four Jedi masters on his own), he still seems like a really neato guy. And, at the moment, he’s the guy deciding whether I become an everlasting cow or an organic weapon.

Typhin chuckles heartily. “Of course not. Really, that’s what I worry about the most. You can eat asteroids and other creatures all you like, but you’re not one to harm a human. Not to even mention actually killing anyone.”

I nod approvingly. Killing people is murder. Murder is bad. Simple maths.

“As such, the worst-case scenario we could be faced with would be that the Emperor decides your worth is best used as a weapon. I cannot foresee if you will act as a deterrent or as a direct weapon against the rebels. At the moment, they are our largest worry. Had the Clone Wars yet raged on, you would undoubtedly have been used as a weapon, no matter how bad of an example the Zillo Beast would make the prospect.”

“I-, I don’t wanna be used as a weapon…” I mumble shakily. On paper, being a weapon sounds really cool. Living weapons are super cool! But killing people is… it’s just not for me. I’d really rather be cattle, as little as that appeals to me.

“I know,” Typhin says. “That’s what worries me.”

“Why’s that?”

He eyes me warily. “Mort, what will you do if the Emperor dictates that you act as an organic weapon?”

“E-, eh?”