Another chapter, no? This is going to cap some things about the war, so enjoy.
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"Transmission," said one of the COM units, "from the approaching ship."
Tallest Red's eyes widened, "Strange. Usually we're the ones hailing other suspicious ships."
Purple drank loudly from his soda, "Maybe they think we're suspicious?"
Red's eyes closed in thought, "Pick up the transmission so we can get this over with. And tell us immediately when you hear word from Tak and Skoodge."
The COM nodded and patched them through, the screen above them showing Lard-Nar's angry goggled face.
"Irken scum!!" he began, "We demand that you surrender in the name of the Resisty!!"
Purple began to cry as he tried not to laugh.
Red took the bait, "Surrender? HA!! You only have that messily ship!! It barely holds all the troops you've gathered!!"
Lard-Nar suppressed a growl. The Tallests were right. The ship they had managed to use to replace their old destroyed Vortian ship wasn't nearly as impressive. It was smaller, less destructive and, although it had lots of conveniently placed cup holders, had few bathrooms for the simpler beings that needed to use them.
The Resisty leader shook his head and pointed at the Tallests, "Never mind that!! If you won't surrender, then we will have to fight!!" his troops behind him began to scream uncontrollably; Lard-Nar stammered, "Er, we'll have to… surrender ourselves?" the screaming stopped and some idiot in the back cheered; Lard-Nar growled, "Quiet you!! Fine," he turned back to the Tallests, "I believe we will have to… negotiate."
Purple hovered forward, "What could you possibly have that we would want to negotiate for?"
Lard-Nar smiled, "My father was the original creator of the smeet you now seek," Purple dropped his soda, but Lard-Nar continued, "he's is Vortian property."
Red glared, "But he's Irken. How did your dad get Irken DNA to experiment with?!"
Lard-Nar sighed, his chair turning away from the Tallests, "My father took DNA from unused smeets, either still upon PAKed or defective once reaching the sorting room," Lard-Nar turned back to see the looks on the Irken's faces, "He managed to crack the Irken genome and created ten clones from his research."
Purple frowned, "There were eleven of them."
The Vortian rolled his eyes, "My father didn't make that one. Someone or something resembling an Irken broke into our facilities and made that one. We still don't know why, it could have been an accident for all we know…"
Tallest Red scratched his head, "So what exactly do you want to negotiate about?"
Lard-Nar glared hard at the Irkens, "Simple. The Resisty will neither help nor hinder the Irken Empire until the other two threats are eliminated. Our fight began a little while back and we had intended to finish where we started until those two idiots showed up."
The Tallests remembered back to a few months before when former Tallest Chi announced her rise up against the Empire as a group called the New Age, or the N.A. A few days before that, an Irken known as Reep had announced that he and his group, the Revolt Against Irk, or R.A.I., would be taking a stand against the Tallests. Everything seemed to have gone wrong that week.
Red nodded, "I can't believe I'm saying this… but I agree."
Purple hovered away from the screen, "But what of the smeet? Why bring him into this?"
Lard-Nar rolled his eyes, "You were monitoring the R.A.I.'s broadcasts. What do YOU think?!"
The Tallests said nothing.
The Vortian slapped himself in the face, "You two only went after ZiM because the R.A.I. did?!"
Purple rolled his eyes, "Well they said ZiM may have information about how to win this war. We didn't think… we didn't think it meant THAT!!"
"In all honesty," continued Red, "we had no idea that legend could even be involved with ZiM. We thought he might know a location as to where the smeet was."
Lard-Nar slammed a fist down, "That smeet is powerful. Powerful enough that his death could result in the obliteration of the universe itself!! He has to have means to defend himself, and THAT is why the R.A.I. are turning to him," the Vortian took a deep breath as he calmed down, "If Reep is trying to do what I think he's doing…"
He didn't need to finish. Everyone within the communications deck was silent.
Red turned away from the screen, "We get the point."
"I'll let you know right now," Lard-Nar said, his fists shaking, "my people have been monitoring Reep for a while now. He's sadistic, so the smeet will not cooperate, I'm sure. But if they find someone in which the smeet trusts or even cares for…"
Purple shook his head, "Manipulation."
"Precisely," Lard-Nar sighed, "I'll tell you this as well. If it comes to the point where the R.A.I. or the N.A. end up capturing that smeet… and someone they can use against him… neither the Resisty nor the Empire will be able to defeat them on their own."
Purple's antennae perked as he turned to face the Vortian, "So… what? We ban together?"
The Vortian slumped in his chair, "As much as it pains me to say it, yes. I'd rather fight alongside the slave drivers than become a slave to inexistence."
Red pondered this for a moment. Take over the universe after having helped the Resisty if the smeet becomes captured… or perish… and have no universe to rule over.
The red Tallest sighed, turning to look up at Lard-Nar, "If it should come to that… the Empire would be willing to fight to keep existence."
Purple's eyes widened, "We would?"
Red turned to him, glaring, "Yes, we would. Would you rather die and rule over nothingness?" he turned back to Lard-Nar, "If we must ban together, we'll find out how to work things out afterwards."
Lard-Nar nodded and cut his transmission. On radar, the ship began to turn and pass the Massive.
Red sighed and sat down on his chair, rubbing his temples, "What's going on, Pur?"
Purple sat in his own chair and watched his co-tallest, "We've just agreed to fight alongside the resistance against us if they get the smeet," he narrowed his eyes, "Are you feeling O.K.?"
Red laid his head back, "I'm not sure anymore. All I know… is that ZiM does have a connection with that smeet somehow."
Purple nodded and his antennae perked when a small beep echoed throughout the deck.
"Transmission," a COM answered, "from Earth. Officers Tak and Skoodge requesting permission for a word with their Tallests."
Both Tallests nodded and stood, viewing the beaten Irkens as they stood before them.
Purple gasped, "What… happened?"
Tak spoke, "There's… much to tell, my Tallests…"
Red hovered back and forth, hands crossed behind his back, "Start with where you are."
"Transmitting from ZiM's base. We found a spare screen to use."
Red nodded, "Good. Now, tell us what happened after the screen was broken."
Tak turned to Skoodge, "I need to treat this cut," she motioned to the scratch on her face, "do you mind?"
Skoodge shook his head and she left, "My Tallests," they nodded, so he continued, "ZiM attacked us with much force. I've never seen anything like it before, it was incredible. Tak and I managed to get to a higher level when we were attacked by an unknown Irken. He… he mentioned the R.A.I."
The Tallests seemed to pale.
"They're here," Skoodge went on, "they're already here, sirs."
Purple hovered closer to the screen, "What of the smeet?! Anything on him?!"
Skoodge smiled excitedly, "Yes!! He's safe we saw him!!"
Red's eyes widened, "Where is he?!"
The small Irken shook his head, "We don't know. But you're never going to believe this!! ZiM… he's dead!! Well…. He's been dead for a few years now but isn't that brilliant?!"
The Tallests looked confused.
"Do you remember," Skoodge explained, "after Impending Doom One was sabotaged, ZiM had to go to the hospital?" the Tallests nodded, so the Irken continued, "He got sick and they didn't know what was causing it. And then, a few weeks later, ZiM shows up, perfectly healthy, and is sentenced to exile?" the Tallests nodded again; Skoodge waved his arms, "That's it right there!! ZiM still had his PAK and they found a body in his hospital room that they thought was the smeet, but if it were we would be dead and-"
Purple's eyes boggled, "ZiM HAD A SMEET?!"
Red smacked the back of his head, "No, Pur. ZiM met the smeet and either gave him his PAK or the smeet took it from him," he turned away from his co-tallest but faced him again, "Pay attention."
Skoodge tapped the screen, "My Tallests? It looked to me like ZiM gave the smeet his PAK because he was definitely fighting to protect him. Maybe we can talk to ZiM and get him to bring the smeet with him. Talk him into a promotion or something."
Red shook his head, "No, that wouldn't work."
Purple frowned, "And why, I say, why not?"
Red tapped his chin, "Because ZiM already knows we're after him."
Skoodge cleared his throat, "My Tallests? If I may," they turned to him, "I… I think we should trust ZiM on this. He's keeping the smeet out of the war completely. No side would be able to get him."
Purple hovered over to the screen, "Or better yet, the both of you need to try and talk to the smeet. Get the smeet to convince ZiM that he needs our protection…" Red glared at him; Purple giggled nervously, "Or not."
Red looked up at the short Irken, "If you find them, watch them, but do not engage. I want you to tell us everything you know about the both of them. If the R.A.I. or N.A. try to take them, attack the enemy and get ZiM and the smeet out of there. Those are your orders. And tell Tak," Tak's antennae went up and showed on screen, "Tak, we need you to apprehend ZiM. Wherever ZiM goes, the smeet is sure to follow."
Purple narrowed his eyes at Tak, "We mean it, Tak. If you screw this up you'll be deemed an enemy of the Empire."
Tak stood and saluted, "I promise, my Tallests, ZiM will be returned… alive."
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Hope you liked this. R&R if you don't mind.
