Caine felt his heart pumping, his adrenaline coursing. This wasn't his first time in a firefight, but it had been the first aerial fight he had been in since his banishment to the Badlands. And it was a strange experience being in the defense position.
"Tell me something good about this, Mister Wise," said the voice of the Kee- Grey. Grey is their name, as Stinger repeatedly beat into my 'thick skull'.
He swallowed and made an effort to look into their eyes.
Dark, pitch, strangely bulbous in their gray-toned flesh, designating them as an L-Class Keeper… Or what had once been one.
"We are able to both test the capabilities of the ship and our crew- but also realize that we are able to withstand a bombardment."
They were shaking, Caine realized. So slightly that he doubted anyone but him and the little Queen were noticing. The queen was good at pretending she wasn't listening, Caine would give her that. Her duo-colored gaze was facing forward and focused on the actions of her crew. But he could tell by the lessening fear in her scent that she was focusing on their words, even if her face gave nothing away.
"What else?"
"We are able to analyze our threats- who is willing to blatantly attack an Entitled Queen-"
"Balem. It must be Balem," said Jupiter, gaze still forward.
Caine blinked.
"The ah, Primary of your House, right?"
"Indeed, Mr. Caine. The Primary of my House."
"What makes you say that Balem is responsible, youngling?" Grey surprised him by sounding furious so angry that his translation of their language lagged as an onslaught of words hit him, 'monster', 'brood-slayer', 'slaughterer', all interwoven with the name 'Balem'.
"Whoever this is trying for straight-up slaughter. No survivors, no witnesses. A bold gambit, someone who has income, someone who is desperate, and someone who is willing to take a shot at House Abrasax with Aegis' escort and crew. Few but those within the House would dare."
"Why Balem?"
"He is crazy," mused the little Queen, turning away from the battle to look up at him.
Her eyes sparkled with grim humor. His own lips twitched.
"Crazy?"
"He murdered his mother," she said, simply, "And he was unconditionally obsessed with her in the first place."
A bent old queen, with a wrinkled little face, duo-colored eyes that looked dull and-
"He did what?"
The little girl blinked.
"Did Stinger not-?"
Cain sighed.
"I told you he was shit at explaining things, Majesty."
AN:
The author fell asleep and forgot to post, what?
My bad guys (0/0).