Mira slipped on some damp moss and hastily jumped over a lumbering black beetle. It didn't notice. Her lungs burned, and she was so sore. Her stomach growled and her knees pleaded for mercy, and she ignored them both. She had to catch up- the clawed prints in the ground were closer together, meaning Rhyssa had slowed to a walk. If she just kept up, kept going, she'd get there. Rhyssa couldn't run off with Ty like this, not on her watch! Mira turned on her jetpack when she realized where Rhyssa's route would lead- she recognized a little of the scenery. This would get her there faster, and hopefully wouldn't take too much of the fuel she had left.
There was still a chance to fix this- hopefully she'd have the strength left when she got there to take that chance.
[What are you doing?!] Macrurus raged, glaring at Ty, as though he were the one that offended her. The sour reek was the only thing not washed away by the rainfall. [Have you lost your mind?!]
Rhyssa stopped, frozen by the icy rays of pure disapproval. How could she have been so stupid, threatening without knowing who it was? She tried to placate her sister. [I thought we could just let them go- their ship, it's right there, they'll leave us and we will never have to worry about them again!]
[Ha...You actually believe that, don't you?] Macrurus grabbed Ty's arms, pulling him away from Rhyssa. She didn't let go this time, and pulled back. Bruised ribs stretched, trying to suck air, and he gasped like a fish. The little monster already smells dead. I'm surprised we haven't been jumped by scavengers. [Even if that were true... do you really think this thing will make it, Rhyssa?]
[He might, Ty said their healers can fix almost anything,] she said desperately, watching her sister's jaws click softly. She's going to tear him apart, stop her! [Why won't you consider it? This isn't right!]
Macrurus watched her. She seemed to be making up her mind about something. [You're absolutely right, I shouldn't be doing this at all.] She flattened her wings and dropped Ty's front, and Rhyssa happily scooped him back up.
She was listening to her? Macrurus was going to let them go? She made a few happy clicks-
[Now, you kill it.]
-and realized she'd been tricked. [What? No, I can't-] This wasn't what was supposed to happen!
[Yes you can. It's not even awake, and if it is it's miserable.] Her jaws snapped on the last two words.
Rhyssa stared at Macrurus, hunched pleadingly.
[Rhyssa, think a little. Even if I did let it go, you and I both know it won't survive. Look at how much it's suffering, it's going to die horribly. Isn't it better to spare the others the trouble?]
[No.] A teeny spark of rebellion flared up. It felt good, and terrifying. They could leave! She didn't have to do it! Her sister didn't have to make her! It was...
… completely unnecessary! And always had been!
The thought died as quickly as it had come, buried under all the usual justifications.
[No?!] Macrurus stomped, buzzing her wings. [Why do you insist on tormenting this foreigner? Smell the air, it's already dead and the body doesn't know it yet.]
[I was trying to help! And... and, it's your fault, you're the one who did this, not me!]
Macrurus waved the comment away. [Yes, I did. But let's think for a minute, shall we, about your role? I was all for destroying the monster on the spot, and it was you who convinced me otherwise. So that's your fault. You lied to me to keep hiding it, when you should have been grateful I let you have my lunch! Whose fault was that? Yours. And now look where we are: Arguing in a rainstorm over what to do with your rotting pet. Once again... your fault.]
That was all true. But, still... [I don't think I can do this!] This wasn't fair, the foreigners were about to leave. Couldn't they just end this, let Ty go? He deserved to leave! They were so close to the shiny white ship Rhyssa could see the point of its nose above the flowers.
[So. This is what all my love gets me. I put so much trust in you, so much care and work, and it turns out it was all a waste. You are a traitor...]
[No, it isn't that! It's...] This wasn't working, she was only making Macrurus angry. She didn't want that, she knew what would happen if Macrurus decided she was an actual, honest-to-Eciton traitor instead of just threatening her with the word. But I don't want to fail at this either. [It's that I don't think this is right. We don't have to do this. He can just go.] The rebellious spark dimmed. [I don't think this is such a good idea. Please?]
Macrurus' wings stood up, and she arched her antennae over Rhyssa. [What do you know about anything? What happens whenever you get ideas? You get hurt, and then I have to go clean up your mess. Do as you are told, that's all the thinking you need to do. We both know how you're so easily confused.] Rhyssa was still hesitant, and Macrurus leaned in so close Rhyssa could see the tiny imperfections- healed bites and scratches- in the glittering, dense exoskeleton. They could both hear Buzz and Mira shouting, looking for them. [Don't let this weakness hurt you, or that creature. We both know what needs to be done.]
[No,] she pleaded. Maybe she could stall... She could! They'd catch up, and then there would be no choice in the matter: they would have to let him go if they wanted to escape themselves. Macrurus couldn't get mad at her for that, could she? [Listen. What if we just go back to the nest? I'll just leave him here... Can't we do that?]
[This is an obligation, and an order. You will do it.]
If I hold out a little longer... [I think you're making a mistake. All we have to do is drop him, and go home. He's gone either way-] Macrurus scratched her sister's eyes, deep enough to leave behind four thick lines in her vision.
[Are you really still arguing with me? You are a lying, ungrateful little idiot! I know for a fact I'm going home after all this. Whether you get to or not is entirely up to you.]
She could feel her resolve crumble away. Her sister meant what she was saying... [Wait- Macrurus, wait, we can just leave-]
[We will only leave if you do as you're told. Otherwise it'll just be me.] Rhyssa took a step back, and started to move. Macrurus moved with her. [You think you can get to their ship before I catch up with you, ingrate? Are you going to leave with them, is that what you think?]
Never! I would never do that! [M-maybe I will! Maybe you're making me!] She begged that her bluff wouldn't be called.
[And you'll go with them to Lahila, give yourself up to those demons and let them turn you into a trophy?]
[No, never...] What was she going to do? How could she get out of this? [Please, I was only trying to convince you, it was stupid, I wouldn't go with them, really, I swear-]
[Let it go if you're a traitor and kill it if you're still mine.]
It was true, she couldn't help them both... [I'm not a traitor.]
[Then do it. You'll feel better.]
Rhyssa looked at Ty. He was clearly not waking up any time soon. He mumbled something while his head moved, and she could see the bruising again. It didn't seem right, or fair. But it's what Macrurus wanted... and at the end of the day, no matter how it happened, Ty would not be around anymore and her sister would.
It was better this way.
Her jaws pinched lightly around his neck. She braced herself, ignoring the twisting in her gut, and snapped them together. They bounced back open, and there was a light, and some pressure. Something blue and orange escaped her view. Rhyssa grabbed her face- that hurt!- suddenly feeling confused and generally not right. What just happened..? Before she could figure it out, Macrurus shrieked and jumped on her, biting her hands and pulled her antennae. [Stop! I did what you wanted!] This didn't stop anything. Sharp claws dug through her compound eyes, leaving more painful streaks in her vision. Macrurus' stinger found its way underneath one of her segments and drove inside. Rhyssa kicked and fought, nearly getting out from under her sister, who mercilessly shoved her faced deep into the mud. Grime seeped into the claw marks.
The stinger jerked away, finding new places to sting and burn, wedging easily under segments and into scratches. She felt mandibles on her arm, heard the thick chitin plates cracking, and then again on her face, and finally the stinger came under her mandible and venom raced into the muscles inside. It all took around thirty seconds, and then Macrurus was gone, no doubt trying to eliminate the rest of the foreigners. Rhyssa stumbled off, bouncing off flower stems and slipping in mossy mud.
She'd crossed a line. She shouldn't have argued, now she wasn't Macrurus' anymore- an attack like that was a sure sign. Macrurus had never gone that far before.
Mira staggered and Buzz raced on board, pulling Mira along and yelling for Booster and XR to launch. Their footsteps clanged on the gangplank, leaving muddy tracks, and Buzz had Ty flung over his shoulder. Mira looked like she could sleep for a week, and Buzz was all scratched up. What happened? Booster could hear their overworked jetpacks ping and pop as they cooled down, and smelled the harsh afterburner fumes as they passed. He heard buzzing and hit the button to close the hatch. Too late- he felt a gust of wind and heard a metallic thud, followed by "You are not authorized to enter this vehicle!"
That was Buzz!
Mira screamed and Booster saw Macrurus had gone right past him, so he rushed down the hall to the group. Macrurus pulled her stinger out of Mira's back and targeted Buzz, who had already begun to shoot. Ty was in a heap on the ground, knocked out of Buzz's grip. XR joined in. This Apocritan was not as easily intimidated as that trio had been, the robot soon realized, so he ramped up the firepower. She dodged a few blasts, bounced off the ceiling (crushing one of the overhead lights) and smashed the freshly-repaired glass casing of his helmet, wedging a shard of glass in the hole his head fit into so he couldn't come back out (and paused to rip another shard out from between two of her hand segments).
Booster made it down the hall and tried to grab Macrurus- she ducked between his legs- instead picking up Buzz. "Oopsie!" he said, turning around to try to catch the persistent predator again. She was bearing down on Ty, but XR's metal arms whipped around her ankles and dragged her backward. She scratched frantically at the metal floors, trying to hook her claws into Ty. Failing that, she flipped around and snapped her jaws neatly through the metal coils, and skittered along the floor at XR. Her path back to the robot brought her over Mira's leg, and nobody could say for sure if the heavy footstep on the Tangean's ankle was deliberate or not. Mira pounded her fist on the wall, trying not to cry again. Please, please don't let her win. Everything hurt, and she couldn't do anything to help. She started to feel a tingly numbness... XR shouted, and Macrurus' claws ripped at the front of his casing. For the two remaining Rangers, it was a perfect (but not enviable) distraction. Buzz jumped over Macrurus, who was panting with weariness, and opened the hatch again. "BOOSTER!"
It wasn't a mystery what he wanted. Booster grabbed Macrurus by the feet and bashed her against the wall, then threw her out the open door. They started closing it before she was halfway to the ground, and finished the takeoff process before tending to Ty and Mira- once again, XR would have to wait. He was already trying to repair his severed arms. Booster quickly helped. "Want me to bring Mira?"
Buzz nodded gratefully, hoisting Ty and racing to the tiny medical room. He nearly threw Ty onto the exam table in the room, a little nearly-an-afterthought by the brig. Booster stood in the hallway, holding Mira, and the ship lurched horribly. It began to tilt sideways, and Booster was thrown back against the wall when it suddenly righted itself and picked up speed. The autopilot dinged, and once the ship slowed to cruising speed they knew they were out of the atmosphere. There was a collective sigh of relief, now that the whirlwind of chaos was ended.
Another ding said the medical scanner was done, and gave a readout on what needed to be done for Ty- Buzz was a step or two ahead and already had some of the supplies out. Miraculously he could find a vein- the readout warned of low blood pressure and low iron, which earned a "No kidding!" from Buzz- and set up a liter of IV fluid. A broad-spectrum antibiotic joined the fluids flooding Ty's system, as did a couple other drugs the readout demanded that were actually stocked. The medic room didn't have every possible thing. It was only meant for basic life support and transport, under the assumption that a hospital was in range of the ship. It was not intended for something like this... Hopefully it's enough. This is all we've got. Not much could be done about the larger wounds without a surgeon, but he did clean out and cover the smaller ones. Maybe it didn't actually help Ty, but it sure made Buzz feel better. The readout flashed red, alerting him to unknown pathogens in the abdominal wound, and several others. Fungus? I'd have thought it was bacteria. Well, there was bacteria too, hence the antibiotic, but fungi tended to be more opportunistic- it was only because of circumstances making him too weak to fight it off, right?
He thought back to the list of horrible diseases Talnak had given him, recalled the overwhelming majority were fungi and was suddenly worried for the whole ship. I hope it's not contagious. The idea of his team being struck down by some alien mushroom sickness after surviving everything else seemed downright cruel.
Carefully moving Ty to the ground, he had Booster set Mira on the exam table. The sting wound was deceptively small, but was swelling up fast. He dipped his glove in some of the clear liquid draining out, noting it had an oily texture. It was venom. Curiosity got the better of him- he sniffed it and his lips tingled. What is in this stuff? Until the scanner was done, he had no idea where or how deep the stinger had gone, but he could see that it had gone in at an angle.
The machine was done, and Buzz winced at the readout. It said the puncture on Mira's back was fairly deep, the stinger having traveled right into the body and slipping neatly into the liver- a surprisingly survivable injury under normal circumstances, Buzz knew, so long as the blood supply wasn't badly affected. This was coded yellow and not red, but Buzz still felt ill- Ty's sting wound hadn't gone beyond the muscles of the abdomen. What could that venom do in a vital area? Was it the same amount each time? How long did it take to work? Worse still, the scanner didn't recognize most of the substances in the venom, and except for anti-inflammatory the room didn't have the medications for the ones it did. Somewhat cruelly, the only painkillers on board were both too weak and the same kind he was absolutely not supposed to give her because of their blood-thinning properties. Mira had a glazed expression and was very relaxed, which surprised him. Just a few minutes ago it was all she could do to not bawl her eyes out. The scanner says it's not shock... Mira did say that the venom's immediate effects were like this, didn't she..? Yeah, she did. He guessed that it was a mixed blessing she wasn't awake for this. Buzz grumbled and gave her the anti-inflammatory, and after considering his options had Booster move her to her bed so Ty could stay hooked to the scanner. He wasn't taking any chances with him.
"What about you?" Booster asked.
"It's going to have to wait." Even as he said it he felt weak. Although Buzz wasn't bleeding that much anymore, the adrenaline rush was over and he, like everyone else, hurt everywhere. He had Booster help him patch what they could. Buzz gave himself a quick self-exam, and was relieved to find that so far it didn't look that serious: he'd need rest and fluids until they made it to Lahila, but it wasn't likely to be any worse. He wished he could say that for Ty, and now Mira. He thanked his lucky stars Booster was there. They probably wouldn't have been able to boot Macrurus off the ship if he wasn't. "Look, you're the only one who's fit to run the ship right now. Get XR put back together so he can help you out and call ahead to the nearest Lahilan hospital. You two are going to have to play doctor until we get there."
"Okay, Buzz, right away!" He knew it was a little silly, but Booster felt guilty that he hadn't been hurt, as though it somehow meant he hadn't done enough to help. But Buzz was right, it was a good thing he was okay because somebody had to keep an eye on the situation. That lady was really after us! Poor Ty. Obviously he hoped everyone was alright, but Ty... oh, he didn't look good. Even the scanner agreed, all the little readouts were red and some yellow (they were supposed to be green...).
Booster followed his instructions, and brought Buzz a rag for his face and a juice box from the fridge. "Thanks, Booster."
"You're welcome!" And with that he checked on the other two patients before going back to the cockpit with XR. "What a day!"
"Yeah, and we get to end it by going back to Lahila. Is it true there were people trying to pull me apart before you found me?"
"Um, yes?"
XR crossed his hastily-welded arms and grumbled about privacy. "How is everyone? No white starships a' comin'?"
"I don't know about Ty, but Mira looks okay for now. Buzz says there's not much we can do on board."
"Right, right... it's a good thing Talnak volunteered to pay the bills for us."
"He did?"
"Yeah, he said it was 'the least he could do' to help us out."
Booster noticed XR's suspicious tone. "It's awfully nice of him to do that. That's a lot of money." He knew his friends in the financial department hated paying non-Star Command hospitals. They always charged more than the LGMs.
"I know, all I'm saying is that I don't think he's doing it out of the goodness of his heart, you know what I mean?" XR was having some serious deja vu over this conversation.
Booster shook his head, entering the data for the autopilot. "Why not?"
XR smacked his helmet. "We're talking about Talnak! The guy who gave us bad information, useless discs, and lest we forget, crashed my CPU! It's probably hush money."