Tolerance and Acceptance
The Invaders' other ship couldn't be tracked... they were using that annoying cloaking technology that the Resisty had been using... those rebels had probably gotten that technology from Bludon.
Come to think of it... those incredibly stupid aliens from planet Stroop had a cloaking system that was far too advanced for them too.
He hadn't confirmed how many Irkens Bann rescued, but if the Irken defect managed to free most of the ones being held in that large reprogramming room, then their numbers would increase by at least a couple hundred.
It depended how many were salvageable.
His head hurt... he hadn't had to think this much since Elite training. It was no wonder Purple decided to... No. He scowled. That's not what Purple did.
His fellow Tallest wouldn't have gotten himself killed on purpose.
But after hearing the accounts from the soldiers guarding Purple, and what Laes had to say, it definitely sounded like he'd gotten himself killed on purpose.
"Sir...?"
That's right. He had an Irken invader on screen. What had they been discussing again? The Jackers? Hobo 2?
"The Plookesians said they'd recently accepted an offer from the Invaders sir... to fix their home planet," His follower reminded him. "There have been no trace of them in that sector however."
"Of course they can't be tracked. They're using advanced cloaking technology," Red informed the lower ranked Irken.
It was becoming more and more obvious now that the Invaders had struck deals with a few different people: the Bludonians who'd given the cloaking device to the rebel trash in the Resisty, and those stupid aliens who had advanced cloaking technology for their grotesque ship.
Just remembering that gross blob thing they'd been keeping in one of those containment jars made him want to use an entire bar of cleansing chalk on his ocular implants. Luckily the thing died before Laes could rescue it... if it hadn't, then he would have sent it flying through space. Problem solved.
And now he was remembering what happened to his previous hover-belt and he really didn't want to.
"Sir?"
The Irken invader was still talking?
"What?" he questioned, feeling somewhat annoyed.
"It seems the ship Bandeval has in his possession is heading to Vort."
"Yeah, he's trying to get his Vortian companion back or whatever," Red told him, waving away his words.
"But sir... that's leverage we could use to..."
"Are you questioning me soldier?" Red's voice lowered as he scowled at the Irken on the monitor. "Bandeval is the only Irken... thing... that has the power to mess up their technology," he stated, and his follower shrunk back and lowered his head while fidgeting nervously.
"He's not loyal to me at all anymore. Do you understand? We need him to keep cooperating with us! If that means sacrificing a ship, or even a hostage or two, then I'm willing to do it."
"I'm sorry sir... I didn't mean any disrespect..." the invader apologized.
Red gave him a dismissive wave. "Just go do what I told you to do."
Then he ended the transmission.
Since the Invader's offer to help the Plookesians was known, and probably being blasted across several galaxies through the ultarian wave signal at this very moment, he doubted they would go there.
The question now was, where were they heading?
He should have forced Sevai to tell him all of his peoples' planetary connections... That would have been a decent reason to save the outcast's life.
Hold on... if he hadn't saved the Invader's life in order to obtain information from him, then why had he bothered? His mind kept coming back to this stupid question. It was starting to get annoying.
Since he was in his and Purple's private TV room, there were no drones or technicians around. He needed some peace and quiet, just some time to be alone and reflect on everything that needed to happen.
Of course he still needed to answer transmissions, otherwise the Massive could explode. There were a lot of angry aliens in this sector that might attack them while their Armada was weakened.
"What do you think Purple?" He spoke out loud, and he turned to the empty lounging chair beside him. "Why did I save that guy's life?"
His ship was currently drifting towards sector 22.
There was no one else around right now... and no one else would understand what it was like to be the Tallest anyway.
Why did Purple have to go and get himself killed..?
He sighed as he sank back in his chair. "That's not how I usually operate..."
He could almost visualize Purple sitting beside him, munching on donuts or popcorn or something.
"You can... say that again... weirdo." He imagined Purple speaking in between bites.
"You didn't answer my question," he informed his imagination.
Purple glared at him until he was done chewing. Then he swallowed.
"What do you want me to say Red? You know what's going on right now. Irk is Invader property. Most of our soldiers are being turned into mindless slaves, and there's no decent snacks anywhere near where you're heading." He shoved an accusing finger in Red's face. "But when you finally get a hold of one of those nasty parasites, what do you do? You actually help him!"
Purple sat back in his chair and looked down at the bag of popcorn in his hands. "So really, I should be the one asking you that question." His eyes met Red's, and he frowned again. "Why did you help him, huh?"
"I didn't want to help him! I wanted to stab him in the throat.."
"If you really wanted to stab him in the throat, you would have stabbed him in the throat," Purple chided.
Red's antennae fell back. "I really don't need your attitude right now Purple."
"You already know the answer Red, now stop talking to yourself and answer your own dlarking question, ok?" Purple shoved more popcorn in his mouth as he faded away.
Red blinked. He must have really zoned out that time.
He scowled when he remembered what he imagined Purple saying... He already knew the answer? If he knew the answer why was he still thinking about it?
Irkens were meant to serve the Invaders, but instead his people reworked the program so an Irken would be the one in charge; the Tallest Irken, and the one who resembled the Invaders the most really.
It was obvious Invader programming was still mixed in... the original program could only be altered and covered up, not deleted.
Is that the reason he stopped caring about his people? They were just drones anyway. Servants. Their lives were expendable.
It actually felt kind of good to talk to someone who was his equal since Purple was no longer around.
Oh shloot... He placed a hand on his cheek as he stared at the blank screen in front of him. That was the reason wasn't it?
"Told you you knew," Purple's voice echoed in his mind.
The Tallest programming must be the closest to the original one, and this meant he unconsciously viewed himself as an Invader. Kinda.
He rubbed his temples.
Why did he think it would be a good idea to attach his PAK to one of them...? There was no way his PAK hadn't been significantly altered by that connection.
At least he finally figured out what defectiveness was and where it came from... those two questions had prompted him to start digging up Irken history in the first place.
But he hated the Invaders! There was no way he could ever see them as anything more than gross alien eating parasites. Sure he didn't care about the lives of his followers, but he wasn't actively seeking to kill them either... most of the time...
Zim thought of himself as an Invader... he once overheard the Irken defect mention the "mistakes" he found in the Control Brain's data.
Those mistakes were likely the alterations done to the original program.
All of the chaos and destruction Zim caused to Irk was a very direct attempt to bring down Irken civilization.
He took out the disks he'd been saving in one of his armour's secret compartments. Usually him and Purple would keep food hidden on their person for emergency snacking purposes, so he wasn't surprised when he also pulled out a piece of wrapped candy he'd forgotten about.
It was going to be a while before he reached sector 22, so he might as well review the information on these disks.
He unwrapped the candy and popped it in his mouth.
Sevai seemed to think all of the answers he'd been looking for were on these things.
He was pretty sure the Invader was underestimating how many questions he had... but whatever. There might be some good information he could glean off them anyway.
His people never left their home world without wearing technology... to be separated from it was the most frightening thing he'd ever experienced.
Their devices protected them from physical and mental harm. Without this technology, their wings could be maimed and their antennae could be easily damaged. He also couldn't tell what anyone around him was thinking.
He placed a hand over the closed wound to his chest. His people had exoskeletons that covered most of their bodies, but these had grown thinner over the ages. Without their technology to cover them, they were vulnerable to lethal attacks.
His people were only supposed to remove their technology when they were under the protection of their home world's security. It was one of the many policies everyone needed to follow.
This was the reason he couldn't relax. He was in the presence of too many foreign entities...
The bed was also extremely uncomfortable for his kind. His wings were being partially crushed underneath him, and he could feel every pressure point.
He must've gone unconscious again.. It felt like he'd been lying here for quite a while already.
Restoration pods, or sleeping chambers, suspended his kind in an a thick oxygen rich liquid. Floating for a long duration of time was much more comfortable than having to lie down for the same amount of time.
It was comforting to be surrounded by all of that liquid... No mattress, not even the one he'd been using in his quarters to help Laes and Lard Nar feel more at ease, would ever be more comfortable.
The Vortian scientists had moved him into a smaller room, away from all of the other activity in the labs.
Perhaps his discomfort was more visible than he hoped... they were checking on him regularly, but he couldn't understand them no matter how many strange gestures they made.
His mind had been connected to Lard Nar's, so he should have been made aware of at least some of these movements... though the trauma he experienced when facing Lard Nar's trauma might have erased some of this from his memory.
One of the scientists brought him what he assumed was some kind of food. It didn't really look edible however, so he didn't touch it.
A different one had also offered him water.
At first he declined, but then he watched the four of them (who he guessed were assigned to his care) huddle over a digital clip board and speak in hushed hurried voices. They would glance at him occasionally and write something down.
Worried that he had offended them, he decided to take a sip of the water they left behind.
At least this water wasn't bitter like the desert water was...
When he looked over at the Vortians again they were smiling at him and nodding in approval.
He wished he knew exactly what they were saying... but he could only guess they were discussing his condition and how it would be better for him to be eating and drinking something. He hadn't expected the Vortians to show him this level of tolerance since his people had once used them to carry their young.
Perhaps this information wasn't very well known, though Lard Nar and Laes were aware of it. He would have expected more hostility and distrust from them both, but instead they had offered him some semblance of friendship.
Most species weren't overly thrilled about the hosting arrangements, even if a mutual agreement was reached. The Bludonians were one of the rare exceptions to this rule. The hologram device that was offered to them had been rejected many times.
Why would they volunteer to become hosts for nothing...? It didn't make any sense.
Eventually they did accept the device, but only because Kachori explained that it would make her feel better if they did.
"They're asking if you feel any pain right now," Lard Nar spoke, startling him out of his thoughts.
The former leader of the movement resisting the Irkens was standing beside his cot. He hadn't seen or heard the Vortian approach, but then the lab was right outside this room; it was a busy and loud place.
"There isn't much pain," he responded, managing a smile.
"Could you try standing?"
Sevai glanced over at the group of four Vortian scientists watching from just outside the doorway. He was a bit worried that they might surround him like they'd done when he first attempted to sit.
"They won't touch you," Lard Nar assured him. "I'll make sure of it."
"Why do you want me to stand...?"
Lard Nar motioned to the four scientists who were standing in a circle talking among themselves.
"They need to see if you'll need something to assist you with walking. They're also concerned you're not eating enough." He paused for a moment before asking. "Are you eating enough?"
"I haven't eaten anything in the past few days..." Sevai admitted, and he let out a sigh.
He'd grown accustomed to fasting since this was one of the more common ways he was punished for making mistakes.
"If I had my tea it wouldn't be an issue..."
He'd survived on nothing but tea before. It was possible for him to do this for a week before his body started slowing down enough to impact his work.
"Is there anything you want to eat right now?" Lard Nar asked.
Sevai slowly shook his head no.
"If you fall unconscious due to hunger, those scientists could decide to feed nutrients straight into your bloodstream..." Lard Nar told him.
"My kind are very careful about what we consume. Everything must be tested first. It is our policy," Sevai quickly explained.
There had been a few times he'd been made to test a new food product... the memories he had of those times weren't pleasant ones.
He was beginning to feel anxious again... if his body was forced to accept foreign nutrients now he wasn't sure what the reaction would be.
"We haven't given you anything we wouldn't eat," Lard Nar assured him.
"The inhabitants from different planets often develop natural immunities to things that would be considered poisonous to others..." Sevai continued to explain. "This is why I offered you panna. It was a food with ingredients identical to your own. The tea was also proven to be safe..."
He frowned a little when he thought back to the interactions he'd had with both Vortians concerning the tea and the panna.
"I was surprised by your companion's willingness to consume both without questioning anything... he seems to be rather trusting of others..."
"Laes ate nothing but gray tasteless slop for over a year," Lard Nar remarked, placing a hand on his hip. "He was excited to try something different."
This movement drew Sevai's attention to the Vortian's belts and the rest of his clothing.
"Your clothing doesn't appear to resemble anyone elses'."
Vort had been completely restored. If Lard Nar wanted to, he could obtain other clothes.
Lard Nar glanced down at himself.
"I was with the Resisty until not very long ago... this is what I wore when I was with them."
The Vortian let out a small sigh. His shoulders sagged and he hung his head a little, but he straightened up quickly.
"If I ask the scientists to leave, could you try standing?"
"Yes... of course," Sevai agreed.
He watched Lard Nar turn to the other scientists. Whenever Lard Nar spoke to others of his kind, he couldn't understand...
Why was this...?
When Lard Nar spoke to them before, he was able to understand what was being said.
As soon as the scientists left, he pushed himself to the edge of the cot.
He winced and clutched his mid-section. There was still some discomfort...
His eyes widened a little as he searched Lard Nar's expression. The Vortian was going to think he was lying about not being in pain.
"Don't push yourself..." Lard Nar's told him. "If it's painful, stop."
"I apologize..." Sevai spoke softly. "I didn't realize..."
"It seems like some of your organs are still not fully recovered..." Lard Nar sighed as he rubbed the side of his face. "Our medicines aren't as effective on you... perhaps you need another dose of pain nummbers?"
Sevai stiffened. "...May I decline?" he questioned in a quiet unsure voice.
He received a dose of venom, and the Tallest had forcibly attached the PAK device to his body, and he'd likely received a lot of medications while he was unconscious... he was growing a little weary of having foreign substances forced into him.
"Of course you can," Lard Nar answered.
"Thank you..." Sevai responded, dipping his head. "I wish I had something to offer you in return for your peoples' hospitality."
"Your people have already rebuilt our cities."
"Yes, but we were the ones who provoked the Irkens to destroy them in the first place... fixing them is the least we could do..." He kept his face lowered as he continued. "No... I personally owe you and your people a great debt for saving my life."
A tight pressure settled inside his chest when he realized he also owed the Tallest the same debt. It was the Irkens' leader who kept him alive and brought him to Vort so he could receive medical aid...
Why had the Tallest done this? Irkens didn't seem capable of displaying compassion towards other species, so there must have been a more selfish motive.
There was no use worrying about it at the moment... if the Tallest demanded something from him, he would deal with it then.
"You don't need to worry about the cost of treatment... the knowledge we gained from treating you is enough," Lard Nar explained.
Ah.. so the Vortians wanted knowledge about his species. This was only natural.
Sevai offered him a sad smile. "It may be erased... my kind is very particular about what knowledge they allow other races to keep."
He carefully slid off the edge of the mattress, allowing his feet to gently touch the floor. His legs were a little weak, and he nearly stumbled when he took a step forward.
His wings felt heavy... he could barely lift them off the ground.
"Are you alright?" Lard Nar asked.
"Yes..." Sevai responded, raising a hand in an attempt to dismiss his worries. "This amount of discomfort is manageable..."
The Vortian was staring at his hand now... He glanced at it as he lowered it back down.
He was still wearing the black bands around both of his wrists.
They couldn't be easily removed, but it didn't appear anyone had attempted to take them off.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Having them forcefully removed would have resulted in a whole lot of pain, not only for him, but for whoever was trying to remove them. He really should have warned the Vortians about this earlier... at least he had a chance to tell them now.
"What did you do to make your people this angry with you?" Lard Nar questioned. He seemed to have a troubled expression. Was he concerned the reason might be troublesome to Vort or the other Vortians?
"I broke our laws," Sevai answered him honestly. "I was never violent however..." He held out both of his hands. "These are simply to ensure I do not lose my composure and try to resist imprisonment."
He added: "you wore them yourself. There are no ill effects while they are being worn." He brought his arms back down. "However, I must caution you against removing them. It can be rather painful when done incorrectly for both the wearer and the one trying to remove the bands."
"May I take a look?"
Sevai drew his hands protectively to his chest. "I'd rather you didn't..."
"I won't touch the devices," Lard Nar assured him. "I just want to get a closer look at them."
"Removing them is unnecessary," Sevai hurriedly told him. "You will receive no benefit from doing so."
He'd been standing for too long... he was starting to feel pain again. Even so, he didn't like the idea of lying back down.
"Isn't helping people on its own beneficial?"
"How so...?" Sevai questioned.
He hadn't meant to sound so skeptical... besides the Bludonians, he had never met someone who was willing to do something for nothing, and the only thing he had to give right now was his biological information... even then, all of the information the Vortian's obtained would be erased.
"I already told you... whatever information your people collect from my body will be taken away..." he reminded Lard Nar.
The Vortian's expression fell. He looked... perplexed? Or perhaps concerned would be a better description.
"Then... you can consider the help I'm offering you right now as me repaying you for when you helped me," Lard Nar reasoned.
Sevai silently reflected on this answer for a few moments.
Lard Nar was offering a very reasonable explanation for why he wished to offer his assistance.
Perhaps he could lower his guard a little... besides... it wasn't as though he could stop Lard Nar if the Vortian truly insisted.
"Alright," he relented as he extended his arm out. "But please be careful not to injure yourself..."
Lard Nar took a step closer. He studied the device wordlessly.
"There are no visible lines," he noted, rubbing his chin. "If I remember correctly, it shrinks and expands as one unit."
"You are correct," Sevai told him. "It can only be removed by the one who placed it on me... that is the nature of these devices..."
"Who put them on you?"
Lard Nar's eyes met his. Did it really matter who did it...?
"Sevai?"
"It was Delarla," he admitted.
Delarla was in charge of all of the scientists involved in the expedition, but their relationship was much more troubled than either of them would admit.
He was constantly questioning her rules, and she always took it as him questioning her authority.
She needed to be in control... this was something that was very important to her...
He withdrew his extended arm close to his body. Then he rubbed the visible mark on his upper arm.
Due to his ancestor's mistakes, he was considered someone of lesser standing. He'd been warned on more than a few occasions how fragile his position was.
"I can find a way to remove them," Lard Nar spoke. He sounded confident about it.
"It's unnecessary..." Sevai tried to protest, but he stopped when he realized he was trying to argue with someone who was attempting to help him. "Sorry... I do not mean to sound ungrateful... I just don't wish for you to risk bodily injury to remove something that hardly affects me."
He was tired... he glanced at the uncomfortable cot he'd been avoiding.
Perhaps he should try lying down again... lying down was very uncomfortable however.
"Alright," Lard Nar reluctantly agreed. "Let me know if you change your mind."
Sevai gave him a slight nod before moving to sit on the cot.
Sitting was fine... he could do that until he regained enough energy to walk again.
Notes: Bann is willing to do pretty much anything to rescue Laes. Red recognized this which is why he backed off and gave up on the idea of having temporary hostages or an Invader's ship at his disposal.
It sure would have been nice to have those things though.