First Tallest
Ghar went down the corridor tucking a small vial into a pocket as he went. Irkens were everywhere, laughing, talking, helping the few newly freed brothers to get around on their own. He couldn't help but be happy with what he had helped do.
An Illian scream hit the air. Four Irkens jerked on the flailing avians' restraints. "Oh you fight now. Wait until the Tallest deals with you!"
Ghar felt a growl try to escape from his throat. The possibility of battle was in the air. A fight for the Hive.
The one time over-seer tried to rake at an Irken. A second small green creature, a soldier drone, slammed a discipline rod against the Illians' skull.
"Do that again and you won't have to wait to see the Tallest." The drone said.
The tension broke as the Illians' head bowed.
Ghar glanced around the corridor. A good dozen other Irkens had halted their activities in hopes of the fight.
"Weak birds." Ghar said as he passed the bound Illian. "Now you see why we will triumph." He left the prisoner behind. He had to get to Navigation.
* * *
"Are you sure you can find it?"
That's what Ghar heard as he entered the Navigation bridge.
"I am positive."
Ghar stopped mid step. He had never seen a female before.
The tall figure standing on Ghars' side of the table turned. "Ghar, I would like you to meet Shei, Onic, and Peia." Heve said motioning to the three females in turn. "This is Ghar, my advisor and the first to be freed besides myself."
The females nodded to him.
"I, greetings, or, hello." Ghar took a few steps forward to the table. "I would have thought you would still be in rehabilitation."
The red-eyed Onic shook her head. "The Illians did not place controls in us. It would have damaged what we used for." She tapped her head.
"They have joined us willingly." Heve said. "And it seems they have been trying to start a revolt for cycles now."
"It is nice to see the males of our species are no longer so blinded." The purple-eyed Peia said folding her hands together. "But it was hard for us to continue when our headmistress Kena died last cycle."
"I am sorry for your loss." Heve said.
"It is our loss now." Shei said blinking light red eyes. "Tallest."
"Ghar." Heve said after a moment. "They have told me they can find Irk."
Ghar took a literal double-take. "Irk? The home-world? For real?"
Onic nodded. "The Illians have been keeping it clean. For later use when their current mines run low. It's been merely a reference point since our abduction generations ago."
"The home-world. Untouched." Heve said. "It has to be a dream."
"The possibility of real free Irkens." Eyes turned to Peia.
"It's true that there is a theory among us." Shei said. "That not every Irken was collected from Irk. There is the small possibility a hive survived down there."
"Interesting." Heve said. "Find it if you can. I am sorry to leave you but I have prisoners to attend to and calls to make to those we had to leave behind."
"Of course Tallest." Shei said. All three females nodded at him in respect.
"Thank you. Ghar please follow me." Heve said backing out of the room.
Ghar did his best to be respectful to the females as he left. But he could help feel that he had looked awkward.
* * *
Heve stood before the thirty-something Illians. "You are all prisoners of the Irken Empire."
"Empire? A few days of freedom and you call your collection an Empire?" An Illian female said. The females of the race were highly outspoken.
"Yes and Empire. We are one hive. The only thing your race did for us was unify us." Heve said.
Ghar stood over to the side watching it all. The Illians stood or roosted, whatever you wished to call it, and were chained by the feet and necks to the floor. It was a facility on the transport vessel that was used to house Geme slaves. A larger species than the Irkens and often used just for heavy battle. There were very few of the race left, this holding pen had been empty for cycles.
"You will all face your deaths." The female from before said.
"We all face death Illian. It is only that some of us face it without fear." He paced over and crouched in front of her, just out of her small strike range. "And I see much fear in your eyes."
He got up and walked away from the pale blue Illian. "You all will be kept here until we decide what to do with you. Pray to what you call a god that we don't keep you alive."
Ghar followed Heve as he left. "Keep guard on them, feed them half rations." The tall Irken said to the guards.
"Yes sir."
* * *
"We'll have to make this call short."
"Heve." Ghar said trying to get his attention.
"We can't have the Illians knowing that their 'disappeared' ship was overrun."
"Heve." Ghar said more insistently.
"Much less them knowing there are more of us free back there."
"Heve!" Ghar grabbed one of Heves' sleeves.
The taller of them fell silent for a moment. "Yes?" It was a weak word that was hardly heard.
"We have to talk."
He swallowed hard. "About what?"
Ghar put the vial on the console. "About this."
Even though it was closed Heve could smell the 'peach' scent. "Where did you get that?"
"It was in the Illians quarters."
"And just what do you think you're going to do with it?"
"I, was thinking of taking it. You wouldn't be so alone then."
Heve took the vial off the table and broke it on the floor. "You will not go through that. I won't let you."
"Heve I just."
"No!" He curled up on himself as he backed to the wall. "It's not worth it Ghar."
"It could be."
"It's not."
"But."
"I said no. Now leave. I have a call to make." He avoided Ghars' eyes.
Ghar left slowly. "I'm sorry." The door shut.
"Not nearly as sorry as I am." Heve said to the small empty room.
Ghar went down the corridor tucking a small vial into a pocket as he went. Irkens were everywhere, laughing, talking, helping the few newly freed brothers to get around on their own. He couldn't help but be happy with what he had helped do.
An Illian scream hit the air. Four Irkens jerked on the flailing avians' restraints. "Oh you fight now. Wait until the Tallest deals with you!"
Ghar felt a growl try to escape from his throat. The possibility of battle was in the air. A fight for the Hive.
The one time over-seer tried to rake at an Irken. A second small green creature, a soldier drone, slammed a discipline rod against the Illians' skull.
"Do that again and you won't have to wait to see the Tallest." The drone said.
The tension broke as the Illians' head bowed.
Ghar glanced around the corridor. A good dozen other Irkens had halted their activities in hopes of the fight.
"Weak birds." Ghar said as he passed the bound Illian. "Now you see why we will triumph." He left the prisoner behind. He had to get to Navigation.
* * *
"Are you sure you can find it?"
That's what Ghar heard as he entered the Navigation bridge.
"I am positive."
Ghar stopped mid step. He had never seen a female before.
The tall figure standing on Ghars' side of the table turned. "Ghar, I would like you to meet Shei, Onic, and Peia." Heve said motioning to the three females in turn. "This is Ghar, my advisor and the first to be freed besides myself."
The females nodded to him.
"I, greetings, or, hello." Ghar took a few steps forward to the table. "I would have thought you would still be in rehabilitation."
The red-eyed Onic shook her head. "The Illians did not place controls in us. It would have damaged what we used for." She tapped her head.
"They have joined us willingly." Heve said. "And it seems they have been trying to start a revolt for cycles now."
"It is nice to see the males of our species are no longer so blinded." The purple-eyed Peia said folding her hands together. "But it was hard for us to continue when our headmistress Kena died last cycle."
"I am sorry for your loss." Heve said.
"It is our loss now." Shei said blinking light red eyes. "Tallest."
"Ghar." Heve said after a moment. "They have told me they can find Irk."
Ghar took a literal double-take. "Irk? The home-world? For real?"
Onic nodded. "The Illians have been keeping it clean. For later use when their current mines run low. It's been merely a reference point since our abduction generations ago."
"The home-world. Untouched." Heve said. "It has to be a dream."
"The possibility of real free Irkens." Eyes turned to Peia.
"It's true that there is a theory among us." Shei said. "That not every Irken was collected from Irk. There is the small possibility a hive survived down there."
"Interesting." Heve said. "Find it if you can. I am sorry to leave you but I have prisoners to attend to and calls to make to those we had to leave behind."
"Of course Tallest." Shei said. All three females nodded at him in respect.
"Thank you. Ghar please follow me." Heve said backing out of the room.
Ghar did his best to be respectful to the females as he left. But he could help feel that he had looked awkward.
* * *
Heve stood before the thirty-something Illians. "You are all prisoners of the Irken Empire."
"Empire? A few days of freedom and you call your collection an Empire?" An Illian female said. The females of the race were highly outspoken.
"Yes and Empire. We are one hive. The only thing your race did for us was unify us." Heve said.
Ghar stood over to the side watching it all. The Illians stood or roosted, whatever you wished to call it, and were chained by the feet and necks to the floor. It was a facility on the transport vessel that was used to house Geme slaves. A larger species than the Irkens and often used just for heavy battle. There were very few of the race left, this holding pen had been empty for cycles.
"You will all face your deaths." The female from before said.
"We all face death Illian. It is only that some of us face it without fear." He paced over and crouched in front of her, just out of her small strike range. "And I see much fear in your eyes."
He got up and walked away from the pale blue Illian. "You all will be kept here until we decide what to do with you. Pray to what you call a god that we don't keep you alive."
Ghar followed Heve as he left. "Keep guard on them, feed them half rations." The tall Irken said to the guards.
"Yes sir."
* * *
"We'll have to make this call short."
"Heve." Ghar said trying to get his attention.
"We can't have the Illians knowing that their 'disappeared' ship was overrun."
"Heve." Ghar said more insistently.
"Much less them knowing there are more of us free back there."
"Heve!" Ghar grabbed one of Heves' sleeves.
The taller of them fell silent for a moment. "Yes?" It was a weak word that was hardly heard.
"We have to talk."
He swallowed hard. "About what?"
Ghar put the vial on the console. "About this."
Even though it was closed Heve could smell the 'peach' scent. "Where did you get that?"
"It was in the Illians quarters."
"And just what do you think you're going to do with it?"
"I, was thinking of taking it. You wouldn't be so alone then."
Heve took the vial off the table and broke it on the floor. "You will not go through that. I won't let you."
"Heve I just."
"No!" He curled up on himself as he backed to the wall. "It's not worth it Ghar."
"It could be."
"It's not."
"But."
"I said no. Now leave. I have a call to make." He avoided Ghars' eyes.
Ghar left slowly. "I'm sorry." The door shut.
"Not nearly as sorry as I am." Heve said to the small empty room.
