“She’s alive! The enemy queen is alive!”
“Secure her! Get Syretia to stabilize her.”
“Senior Chief?”
“If this one is truly a mystery to the Grodrrns and the Zarakyssn we have, then we need to know more. Contain her, carefully, and start getting the gold ready.”
“Yes Senior Chief!”
Tachibana organizes the rescue efforts as the assault marines that arrived clear out the remaining Zarakyssns clinging to enough sense to still fight. These ones aren’t using weapons that stun, they’re using lethal weapons; yet another fact worth studying.
Admiral Long was stable enough to make it back to the fleet, thanks to Syretia, so she was sent with the others who were most injured, including Captain Decklette. Many of the human civilians from the Argonaut and a sizeable portion of the military personnel appear to have been executed before Long even arrived, and may have even been dead during the communication. Why the ‘Void Queen’ chose this strategy, which doesn’t seem to provide much tactical advantage to her, is a mystery. The open area makes a good fighting ground for a Zjikha, but seems to be inescapable for her.
Coulson discovers it when she smacks face first into a solid wall. An invisible solid wall.
The Queen’s ship isn’t very far away from where Long and Syretia were being held, and seems to have a cloaking device. It’s not large enough alone to have brought the full army to the surface, but seems to be small and fast enough for a quick escape, for the queen specifically.
After some cursing on Coulson’s part, she asks, “So, how do we get it back to our ship?”
Tachibana feels the nearly-perfectly-invisible surface as a couple other marines map out its perimeter using their rifles as sounding sticks. She replies, “Mining barges could likely tow it.”
“Do we want to?” asks Fisher. “This Queen doesn’t seem to play by the rules.”
“She wouldn’t bomb her own escape ship, would she?” asks Coulson. She’s less goofy and vibrant without her sister, but partially because she is staying awake gossiping with the mother-to-be.
Fisher replies, “Dunno. She wouldn’t stick around when a Grodurn falls from the sky, either, would she?” A few other marines chuckle, and Tachibana asks, “Speaking of, where is the Jardzen? He likely needs medical attention as well.”
Fisher asks, “He hasn’t gone up already?”
Coulson shakes her head, “I saw him walking that way a little while ago.” She points, but a reptilian warrior is not towering over the human soldiers in that direction. The few shocktroopers helping police the dead are wearing vastly different colors than the armor Dzor was wearing, and theirs have not seen recent direct combat to the extent his has.
Fisher says, “I’ll see if I can find him.” He jogs in that direction, searching the ground for giant boot prints.
Sure enough, the bulky Grodrrn, dripping with fluids of all kinds and sinking into the sandy terrain, leaves an easy path to follow.
Fisher finds Dzor sitting in a small alcove of rocks a good ways away, staring at nothing. The marine knocks gently on the rock, saying, “Permission to enter, Yarjen?”
Dzor doesn’t look up. He says nothing. He stares silently ahead.
“She’s going to make it, big guy. Already in medical and everything. You saved her life. You saved a lot of lives.”
“Ruin… life…” he murmurs.
“Whose? Yours?”
He shakes his head solemnly.
The marine takes a seat beside the reptilian giant and pulls out his water bottle. He offers it to Dzor, but the Jardzen never looks. Fisher takes a sip and says, “Don’t be dumb, now. You of all people should know you did the right thing. God knows what kinda bastard a human Zjikha would be. Especially Supernova.”
“Do not joke.”
“Now’s a great time for jokes, actually. We won.”
“AT WHAT COST!?” roars the giant as he explodes to his feet, slamming his head on the rock above, causing it to audibly crack. Fortunately, the rocks are supporting each other, but the several ton boulders shifting caused the relatively tiny human to flinch. Dzor pants as he massages his head by shifting his helmet around.
Fisher replies, “So she’ll never learn to play the guitar. Big deal. She didn’t do a lot of guitar playing to begin with. She’s alive. That’s all that matters.”
“YOU NO OONDORSTOND! I COMMEET ACT! I.”
He recalls a little more solemnly and calmly, “I look her een eyes, and I snatch away…” His hand makes a snatching motion as he envisions his perceived sin.
Fisher, still trying to get the Grodrrn to relax, pulls out his jerky pouch and chews on it. He’s not even sure what kind of animal the jerky is, but he’s guessing it’s a species of alien frog. Nevertheless, it fills a hole, letting him snack on something.
The marine retorts, “So? Do you think anyone is unaware of what you did? We’re all still telling you the same damn thing. You did the RIGHT thing. If you had let her turn… that’s it. Game over for her. Now, she’ll get to boss us all around some more.”
Dzor walks deeper into the small alcove, murmuring distantly, “I deesobey orders. I fail to fulfeell geeven duty. And I attack commanding officer. I should be executed. Exiled eef not.”
“Jesus, you’re being dramatic. Look,” the marine stands up, walking closer to the big reptilian. “Space sucks. A lot. I fricking hate it out here. You have no damn idea how badly I want to go back to my two bedroom apartment on Earth, hammer down a bottle of whiskey, and piss off the baclony -something I’ll never get to do now-.” He murmurs angrily, “Dinkleberg…” He then swaps back, “But, I’m stuck out here because I was one of the ones that ran. Think I’m proud of that? No. Did I lose someone I loved? Yes. But here I am, in the ass end of space, trying to cheer up a giant lizard who helped take all of that away. Life isn’t perfect. But, I’m glad to be alive. Some days less than others, but still, glad to be alive.”
He shoves a piece of jerky into Dzor’s mouth, saying, “Stop moping around like a frickin’ infant and at least TALK to her. A good soldier never gets his ass chewed. A great soldier takes his ass chewing like a boss.”
Dzor’s massive grip wraps around Fisher’s throat, and the marine halts. A deep voice growls, “Feed like infant again, and I snap neck.”
“Fair enough,” rasps out Fisher through his tightened voice. Dzor releases him, and he adds, “But I’m serious. Talk to Long. In fact, I’ll bet you. I’ll bet you right now… uh… I dunno, whatever you want, I guess, that she’ll forgive you. Bet me.”
“You are fool…”
“No, I’m a human. Like the woman you love.”
Dzor’s gaze snaps to Fisher with a fire in his eyes.
Fisher grins, “Ah, so you do know what you feel. Interesting. Lost that bet.” Fisher chuckles, knowing he now owes Chief Grey two drinks and a new cigar. How he’s to get them, he has no idea.
Dzor growls, “You know nothing…”
“Come on, Yarjen. You know I’m right. And, you still want to doubt me, prove me wrong. All you have to do is walk in, tell Supernova, ‘Angelica, I L-” A tight grip covers his face.
“Pain…”
Fisher does his best to talk through Dzor’s hand, “Because you doubt it…”
Dzor releases him once more, stating, “Just leave.”
“Not without you. And, you know us humans. We’re annoying as it gets.” Fisher takes a seat, chewing on another piece of jerky.
“Know what? Maybe I’ll just tell Supernova I did it. I’m her hero…” A chill runs up his spine as a death glare falls upon him, and the marine chuckles nervously, responding as confidently as he can, “You know I won’t give up, Yarjen. You have the buttons, not me.”
“Why hoomins so inseesant?”
The marine replies more seriously and sincerely, “Because, we know when not to give up. Now’s one of those times.”
***
Lieutenant Commander Kane manages to open the door to the stealth landing ship belonging to Void Queen Zeeannssii. The marines ready weapons, as well as two shock troopers, and Kane cautiously leads inside. His gauntlet rings spin slowly, indicating the device is ready.
The ship is long and narrow, kind of like a submarine, but in spaceship form. The corrdors are cramped, and the Grodrrn shock troopers can barely peek into the hallways, let alone actually move down them or fight. They hold back as the marines carefully search the ship.
Just as he opens the hatch to the cockpit, a screen turns off. On it, the supersoldier would swear he saw a strange sight; a blue female Grodrrn. However, the system is off, and the ship is otherwise empty.
The rest of the ship also proves to be housing no more Zarakyssn soldiers, and Kane investigates the cockpit. The heads up display clicks to life, and he can see a ship in orbit that is also cloaked, apparently, but is already turning away from the human fleet. Is that the Queen’s capital ship? If so, how is it leaving without its commander?
He begins investigating the controls. His gauntlet, as usual, seems to simply be downloading the instructions to his brain, but he still has no idea how it does so. Senior Chief Tachibana approaches, reporting to him, “We didn’t find any booby traps or explosives, Sir. Ship looks clean.”
Coulson jokes, “I told you, Senior Chief. Why would they bomb their…”
The cockpit turns grim and silent, specifically when the capital ship jumps away, and a nightmare occurs.
It takes a while for the sound to reach them, but the horror is instant. The Argonaut, still locked in place with its engines and being approached by the Providence, explodes.
The mobile drydock fortunately was far enough away that the bulk of the damage doesn’t harm them, but the marines take a moment to process what’s happening. Kane shoves Tachibana out of the way so he can sprint outside, yelling into his radio, “EVERYONE! TO SHIPS! NOW!”
Many of the marines have only barely just noticed the fireball in the sky, and Kane lays eyes on it without the filter of a Zarakyssn’s distorted screen. It’s impossible for him to know right now if anyone had successfully made it on board, or if it was still empty, but it is indeed a massive fireball of metal shrapnel and homes lost in a blink of an eye.
And all of it is directly above them.
Kane yells again, “TO SHIPS! NOW! EMERGENCY EVAC! EMERGENCY EVAC! MOVE MARINES!”
This is the kick they need, and the marines scramble for their assigned gunships, helping each other aboard as quickly as possible. It’ll take only a minute or so for the fastest pieces to reach them, and depending on the size, those pieces could hit with the force of a meteor.
Fisher and Dzor return in a dead sprint, and Kane waves them toward the cloaked ship. There are still gunships that haven’t returned, so they’ll need the extra space. With that said, it’s taking too much time.
Time slows down all around him, and an instinct pierces through him. He can feel it approaching. There is a piece of ship the size of a semi truck headed directly for the landing zone and is seconds away.
It’s not the same as any of the other abilities he’s unleashed with his gauntlet. This is far more gripping, far deeper entwined with his soul. It’s not just a defense mechanism anymore. It is a power at his fingertips far greater than he imagine.
Reality flickers before his eyes. Scenery he’s never seen, or doesn’t recall. Faces that feel familiar but without names to give them life. And, power. Pure, unlimited power.
A profound despair reaches for him though, threatening to claim his being.
He needs only the power for a moment, however. He takes hold, borrowing what is being shown to him, and unleashes it in the galaxy he currently resides in.
All of the light in the world seems to dim, before a flicker brightens in a line. Then, all at once; thunder, shockwaves, light, heat, fire, disintegration, wind, and people shielding themselves. A terrifying white light connects the enigmatic supersoldier to the Argonaut’s entire engine, and the engine ceases to be. But, that isn’t the only thing; what remains of the Argonaut, as well as its fiery ball, disappear along the column of light.
And once the terrifying display is done, a peaceful tranquility falls upon the world, filled only by the distant echo of what just occured rumbling into the distance.
The gauntlet’s rings click to a stop, and Kane sinks to a kneel. before collapsing to his side in the dirt.
***
She looks up from her painting of a scenic hillside with two suns setting behind it. The feeling transferred across the bond she has with Zeeannssii; which was silent until now. It wasn’t a communication, though. It was a sort of rumble, like a roll of thunder transcending space and time to be heard by her.
A voice tries once more, “{Dear sister, may I please have your attention?}”
The Azure Queen looks at her darling Void Queen, Mmnnorrynn, with a distant gaze. Her normal demeanor returns as she flexes her jaw. She replies calmly, “{Go ahead, darling sister.}”
Mmnnorrynn states urgently, as two other Void Queens stand nearby, “{Dear sister, you have a messenger.}”
This causes the clandestine Queen to growl menacingly. None of the three Void Queens shift or shiver, but a stink fills the room. A disgusting smell. The Azure Queen follows her nose to find another attendant, polishing the pale green chitin of a young Void Queen, Tzzaann. Tzzaann is humming softly and joyously as she observes the Azure Queen, while the attendant, another male Breetezz polishes her. Such a cowardly race.
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Of course, she is proud of being the most fear-inducing being in any room she is in, but the stink of fear disgusts her. In her palace, no less.
She can hear the chitin of Mmnnorrynn tighten, not in fear, but in bracing for watching the Azure Queen slay yet another of her attendants. But, Tzzaann need not see such things at such a young age.
The Azure Queen isn’t a monster, after all, in spite of what her ‘sisters’ say. And, a messenger means only one thing. She asks over her shoulder as she glares at the Breetezz attendant, who averts his eyes and tries to focus his mind on polishing the happy young Queen, “{Did this messenger say what they want?}”
“{Of course not, dear sister.}”
The Azure Queen grins her toothy, sharp grin, which causes the tiny Queen to hum happily and wave at her. The nobles sent one of their precious sisters to be a messenger, instead of a drone, knowing two things. One; that the Azure Queen would give the drone to her Void Queens for the rest of his pathetic life, and two; that a drone stands no chance of resisting her mental prowess. They do not yet know the truth.
The ruling queen of nowhere stalks past her sisters suddenly, headed for the hangar. No one wanders her palace uninvited, lest they become her prey. It’s disappointing sometimes that they’ve learned not to try, as they often believe themselves her ruler in more than name alone.
The nameless Queen is standing with an attache of her own, waiting patiently as she studies the ‘grotesque’ artwork and statues the Azure Queen has on display in the hangar in open rebellion to the doctrine of the Horde. She has stone work from the Breetezz, the Nizzkurezz, the Fievegalizz, the Pizzkivaann, and many other conquered and unconquered races scattered about her hangar, let alone her palace. Each was taken on mission as a trophy, rightfully earned by the most powerful being in the Horde. Were she anyone else, she could be killed for having artwork and acknowledging the existence of races such as the Fievegalizz or the [Sherrynns], as if closing their eyes -which Shining Daughters cannot do- and pretending they don’t exist will make it so, or pretending they have already been ‘United’ will make the universe brighter. Likewise, having artwork of unified races acknowledges the blasphemy they bore upon the universe.
They think she doesn’t remember.
Mmnnorrynn and the other two Void Queens are following the Azure Queen elegantly, not stepping alongside her and crowding her, not trying to carry her dress or open doors. They follow as her beloved companions, but followers. Not competitors.
The nameless Queen has only soldiers, workers, and drones with her, as her bulging thorax twitches. An egg is close, and it sets a hunger in the Azure Queen. She contains herself, of course. But, she would delight in the deed itself.
Suddenly, a smaller figure turns the corner from the hallway to the hangar, bumping into the Azure Queen.
The figure is none other than Gree’ato, and nervousness radiated from her before she touched the ruler of the palace. She can hear the chitin of the Void Queens tighten in a sort of nervous anticipation, ready to step out of the way if need be. Gree’ato’s heart begins to race as she looks up in terror at the fearsome ruler. The nameless queen takes interest in the goings on, undoubtedly ensuring the whole of the Horde bears witness.
She must not realize it.
Gree’ato’s knees weaken, and she starts to stammer words that will be poorly pronounced.
Everyone tenses when the Azure Queen’s hand rises to the young female Grodrrn’s cheek. Did they expect the child’s head to explode?
The Azure Queen affectionately pets Gree’ato’s cheek, saying calmly, “{Fear not, darling little sister. Tell me, what had you distracted? Say it in our tongue.}”
The small Grodrrn glances nervously at the other Void Queens, who are standing like statues themselves. She replies softly, “[I-... I was admiring the art, d-dear sister. A-and th-the… um… War Queen arrived.]”
“[Did you speak to it?]”
Gree’ato shakes her head vigorously. She adds, though, “[S-she tried to ask me…]”
“[Shhh, darling sister. It’s okay. Truly. I am grateful for your honesty.]”
The Azure Queen gently pets the nervous Grodrrn’s cheek, asking in Zarakyssn, “{My darling little sister is rude, isn’t she, Uniter Queen? She tells me she refused to speak to you.}”
Gree’ato tenses, and the nameless queen replies, “{Indeed. And you actually call that… thing your sister?}”
The Azure Queen gingerly pets the underside of the small Grodrrn’s neck. She coos gently, “{Find somewhere else to be, darling sister. You need not be insulted by this pathetic speck of dust.}”
Gree’ato’s eyes widen in surprise, and the nameless queen cocks her head, unsure if she heard what she thinks she heard.
She did. It was clear and normal volume Zarakyssn.
The Azure Queen says over her shoulder in Grodrrn, “[Kill them. The pest is mine.]”
The three Void Queens emit a happy pheromone, excited to serve their one true Queen. They storm past the Azure Queen and Gree’ato, leaping into attacks with their retractable spears extending out of their sleeves. It only takes seconds for the attache to fall as the Azure Queen walks calmly away from Gree’ato, who is left dumbfounded. She stalks calmly, but menacingly toward the nameless queen, who watches the slaughter around her helplessly, glancing from side to side in terror. A foul stench fills the hangar. Only two of the ten soldiers even try to put up a defense, but they are no match for Void Queens.
The nameless queen looks at the Azure Queen at the last second, just in time for the menacing monster’s powerful grip to squeeze tightly around her collar. The pure and fertile insect tries its best to claw at the Azure Queen’s grip as the latter lifts her off of her feet. The full weight of her thorax suspended from her head would rip her own head off, so the Azure Queen ensures to only lift her high enough to hurt. The struggle causes the imminent egg to pop out, and it flops unceremoniously to the floor.
“{Mmm… A Queen. You’re fortunate.}” She allows one of her nails to poke into the struggling queen’s chitinous mandible.
“{Th-this… is… treason…}”
“{You came to my palace unannounced and spoke to my sister without my permission. I have killed far higher status queens for far less. Tell me what business you bring.}”
“{Y-you’re a monster…}”
“{Wrong. I am the apex.}”
The Azure Queen squeezes tighter, and the nameless Queen’s flailing renews with vigor. “{Tell me, or die. I could always use more soldiers. Yours will do just fine.}”
“{The… The Chosen Queen… We summon you, sister. You have not listened.}”
The monstrous Queen grins with a sharp-toothed grin, admiring her own reflection in the terrified eyes of a lesser being. “{I listen when I choose. Not the other way around. This has never changed.}”
She finally drops the queen, and she sinks to a kneel. The Azure Queen places her clawed hand on the insectoid crown of her lesser’s head. She says calmly as she uses her other hand to scrape paint off of one of the nearest statues of the ‘mighty’ Mrrk’lah, a Grodrrn well-known in both of their empires. Her powerful nail scratching the statue peels away the paint, revealing a shimmering golden sheen beneath, and the tell-tale flicker crosses the nameless queen’s eyes.
The apex predator muses, “{You didn’t notice, did you, sister, that the bond was gone from you? That is why the likes of you are only allowed in the hangar.}” She uses a toenail to scrape away paint on the floor, revealing the same golden metal and implying the composition of the entire hangar.
“{I exist because I choose to. The Horde grovels before me because they need a monster all too often.}”
She leans closer, and her menacing growl fills the hangar. She asks sternly, “{Now tell me what you want.}”
The nameless queen hesitates. She replies timidly, “{W-We… wanted a status update on your mission.}”
The Azure Queen blinks her eyes in amusement and disgust. She expected as much. She retorts, “{So, in a small effort to exert the tiniest amount of dominance over me, the wisest of all Queens in the consensus hoped to summon me like one of you pathetic excuses for rulers and warriors in hopes that I would race across the galaxy at their beckoning in hopes of a pat on the head and a drone all my own, is that it?}”
“{Not at all… Th-They just wanted to hear it from you directly.}”
“{‘They’? Interesting transition, dear sister.}” The superior queen looks at her Void Queens, asking, “{Should I go? It could be fun to visit the homeworld.}”
“{N-No! You were to-...}”
“{Meet on some backwater because monsters like us are forbidden to set foot on the homeworld? Now I’m tempted to bring all of my sisters.}” She grins wickedly turning her back on the nameless queen, who chatters unintelligibly with nervous noises.
“[Do it.]” Her Void Sisters pass a device to Mmnnorrynn, who steps in front of the nameless queen. The device flashes briefly, and the nameless queen’s eyes go blank.
The Azure Queen turns back to her, saying directly into her ear, “{I am the Azure Queen. The Apex. I am unmatched. You need me, not the other way around. Go, and tell them what you saw here; statues, gold, and the monster you fear every night. The monster that may someday sit the throne. And tell them, when I want to report something, I will report it. My mission is complete when I say so. Understood?}”
The mesmerized queen nods slowly.
“{Good.}” She hands the egg to the mesmerized queen -she has no need for a fertile queen, and if it ends up not being, she’ll be sent to the Azure Queen soon enough-. “{Your attache was slain for insulting the rules of my palace. A mistake I hope you and all of my sisters will not soon make again.}”
The mesmerized queen nods like a child’s toy. It doesn’t matter. The device is potent, especially against Shining Daughters. And, the suggestion following closely afterwards is hard to undo. She could tell this queen to fly her entire horde ship into a star and perish, and she would do it without a thought, as if it were her own idea. Though, some suicidal things like this can trigger a much easier reversion. Simple suggestions like she just made though, are almost impossible to break, as all of it is fact, minus a single ommission.
She then says to her sisters, “[Have a few soldiers fly her back to her ship. Doesn’t matter if they return.]”
“[Of course, dear sister.]”
The Azure Queen rises back to her full, towering height and stalks back to the hallway. Gree’ato is standing timidly in the hallway, afraid to go, but afraid to stay. The Azure Queen slows to a stop and looks down at the young Grodrrn. Nothing is said between them, but a strange emotion is flowing through the much smaller being.
Finally, after a long time, the Azure Queen says plainly, “[Continue to enjoy the art if you wish, darling sister. After it leaves, if you would.]” She glares over her shoulder as soldiers walk the still-dazed queen back onto her shuttle. The three Void Queens are looking in the same direction as well, standing a few feet behind the Azure Queen.
“[Th-... Thank you, dear sister.]”
She looks down at Gree’ato, unsure of what she’s feeling. She simply turns and walks away, continuing to a place in her palace where she can reach the bond.
Once they’re a ways away from Gree’ato, Mmnnorrynn asks softly, “{Dear sister, you are proud of your appearance, and you should be. You are beautiful.}”
“{Skip the flattery, darling sister. My mood is soured by those scheming egg dumpers.}”
“{Why do you hide the Grodrrn? Would it not further raise your glory?}”
The Azure Queen slows to a stop and looks at her. She says coldly, “{Our sister is not a trophy. Or, is she only my sister?}”
Mmnnorrynn’s posture shifts a little. She replies sincerely, though, “{She doesn’t see things the way we do. She still wants to go back to the Fievegal. I will love and protect her, but…}”
“{Do you all feel this way?}” She looks at each of the three Void Queens.
They nod reluctantly, not from fear, but of love. They don’t want to bear bad news or hurtful truths to their sister. Thankfully, they dare not lie.
“{I see. Then, should I return her to the Fievegal? Erase her memories of all she’s seen and let her be their slave?}”
“{I don’t know, dear sister.}”
Urrzzvynnurr, the second oldest of the three Void Queens present, says a little more bluntly, “{If you are concerned with her happiness instead of torturing her, you haven’t made it clear, dear sister. And, she fears us all because of it.}”
“{Mmm… I see. Thank you all, truly, for your honesty.}”
There’s a pause, and Urrzzvynnurr asks, “{Dear sister… DO you truly value her?}”
The Azure Queen flexes her jaw, scratching the chitinous plate on her chest. She replies, “{Why wouldn’t I?}” She leaves it at that, entering her private chambers to communicate with the full horde. If they want a status update and to flex their authority, she will gladly indulge them.
After all, they hate her for what she is.
***
Zeeannssii awakens in some sort of containment cell without her armor. She has fabric clothing, but it seems rather normal. She can’t however, feel her bond to the Azure Queen or the horde itself. She does have Zarak-compatible atmosphere, it seems, as she’s having no difficulty breathing. But, she isn’t sure how she ended up here.
It becomes rather clear rather quickly when she lays eyes on the Zarak Uniter Queen standing outside of her cell wearing an outfit made of gold, including a golden headdress. It’s an interesting sight, but of course, makes sense to Zeeannssii.
“{Please don’t struggle, Void Queen Zeeannssii.}”
“{So, I’m your prisoner now? Shall I beg for mercy from a traitor?}”
“{I’m not the one who chooses your fate. I only healed your wounds, and am here to speak to you on their behalf.}”
“{Hah! The apes? What did they do to win your allegiance so easily? The secret technique?}”
“{They showed me truth. They showed me why they fight, and… it’s nice. But, I’m here to ask about you.}”
“{I’m not weak-minded like the sisters you betrayed. I will not betray my Queen.}”
“{I think we’re alike more than I could ever imagine, but I’m trying to understand how. HOW do you have golden armor? Why? It’s not common knowledge what gold does. The humans; the Grodrrn… they had to discover it themselves.}”
The Void Queen scoffs. “{That’s what you don’t get. That’s why it was so easy for you to turn your back on your sisters. ‘Common knowledge’ is only what is allowed to be common. My Queen at least has the decency not to lie about there being secrets.}”
“{Who is your queen, then? You came for me and my egg for the horde, didn’t you? A-And you self-identify… you even have a name…}”
“{As if a nameless like you would understand!}”
There’s a pause.
“{I… do have a name. Syretia. It was given to me by a human.}”
Zeeannssii relaxes a little. She did forget that. She remarks more calmly, “{My queen is proud and mighty, so I’ll tell you this. She is not like the rest of the Queens. We are loyal to the Shining Daughters because it affords us an empire over which we have influence. My queen is the most powerful being in the universe. She is stronger than your mightiest Grodrrn, wiser than the Chosen Queen, and nobler than your precious humans. She… gives a home to those like me…}”
“{You’re sterile… aren’t you? Your thorax isn’t big enough to have laid any eggs.}”
Zeeannssii nods softly.
“{What does your queen give you? And what makes her so powerful?}”
“{Purpose. To both statements. Undoubtedly the same thing you found in a weak and pathetic fleet of mammals.}”
“{They make up for their shortcomings in unpredictability and sheer determination.}”
“{They sound a little like my Queen… Fearless, determined, and wise. But, she’s on the hunt now. I may have failed, but the mission isn’t complete. My queen will come. Not for me, but for you.}”
“{Why tell me that?}”
Zeeannssii hums in amusement, “{Naive, youthful girl. Tell your masters what I’ve told you. Let them do the rest. Or don’t tell them. Either way, we win.}” She turns away from the plasma door, taking a seat to meditate. She may not be able to reach the divine bond, but her dearest sister always said, a clear mind is as good a weapon as any.
Syretia walks out of the deck where the containment is, where Kane is waiting. She feels lighter every time she sees him, but she stays focused. “{You heard all?}”
“{Yes. This special queen of hers is definitely going to be a problem. She wants fear to consume us. Unfortunately, we have no idea what to expect, so it’s hard to imagine what to be more afraid of than what we already fear.}”
She hums in thought. “{What will we do with her?}”
“{That will be up to Long or the Captains if she doesn’t recover soon enough. For now,... the gold should keep her shielded, right?}”
Syretia nods. “{I don’t understand though. The Shining Daughters are strict against behaviors… they literally sent her to kill me for the exact way she’s behaving! Self-identifying? Having a name? I don’t understand!}”
Kane chuckles, “{Relax, Noble Queen. If I had to guess, this special queen is some sort of outcast; one with too much of a status to simply execute. So they use her. The ‘most powerful being in the universe’ bit got me though. No offense, but what I suspect occurs with your bodies as you age,... no Shining Daughter should ever be stronger than a Grodrrn. And, I think she was specifically talking about Jor.}”
She nods, “{I suspected that too… And it’s strange. Perhaps a cybernetically enhanced Queen?}”
“{You’d know better than I would. Does that make sense?}”
She nods. “{The most sense, I suppose. Queens have ampified themselves before, but it’s not popular. Cybernetics tend to harm the divine bond, and they have drawbacks flesh does not. Soldiers are more likely to be enhanced, but it’s rather… difficult to get it done. Only a handful of queens are skilled enough or dedicated enough to enhance an army, and single soldiers still aren’t tougher than some of the adversaries we -they- faced. It’s easier to breed a larger army and fight by numbers. Though… some races still make that difficult.}”
She asks softly, “{How… are Long and Jor doing? Are they okay? I wanted to thank Long for trusting me.}”
“{Even though she put you in danger?}”
“{All military operations are danger. It comes with the lifestyle. Her plan was intended to save lives for everyone but herself. Jor was in the right; abandoning and bombarding were the right options pragmatically, but… Long isn’t always pragmatic, is she?}”
“{That’s an understatement. But, it’s why so many of us are willing to follow her into hell itself, I suspect. At least, it certainly is for me.}”
“{I see… You are a drone to her, then?}”
Kane starts chuckling, and then laughs. “{That’s a rather direct way to remind me that we haven’t elaborated on human culture much, have we? No. I find her attractive, but her heart very obviously belongs to someone else. And, my heart is currently unattached. Why?}”
“{No reason.}” There’s definitely a reason.
The young queen walks back towards the triage center in the hangar bay, saying, “{Please excuse me. I must return to my duty station before my loyalty is questioned.}”
Kane chuckles, replying, “{Take care.}”
She warmly hums as she walks, excited and happy. She will find the right time soon enough. For now, she will continue to work for the trust she desires; the friendship the humans are notorious to the Grodrrns on the ship for giving.
***