A/N: You know, I think this is the only Tallest fic that has no (and will have no) slash in it...bizarre!
Twins of Irk
"Kilew it was an accident."
"Shut up!" She growled at the assembled council. "Did you not hear me when I spoke? True this is unusual but this is not something that can be worked around."
"But, the protocols."
"Are not worth the life of a Tallest." Kilew hissed. "They are both under our protection. If we start killing them off what is to stop later generations from doing the same?" She settled back in her chair, violet eyes glaring. "Fer is commended for his actions, he had his own life taken in place of Pids'."
The small council stayed backed down.
"Now. We don't know how much information Fer did give to either of them. This is what we need to discover first. You all are dismissed to gather this information." Her head tilted to a purple-eyed male down the table. "Oh and Geiu, if I hear that your faction has made another attempt to send Tin into a killing frenzy against Pid you will wish I had you executed."
The male Geius' antenna pressed back and he went to a paler green. "Yes Nursery Watcher."
* * *
"What do you mean we don't do anything?" Tin almost roared.
Pid put his hand over the other Irkens' mouth. "Keep it down alright? We are probably being watched you know."
Tin took Pids' hand from his mouth. "They tried to kill you!"
"Tried and failed. But I don't know how. Couldn't have been a direct assault, they must have been trying a back way." He crossed his arms in thought.
"What ever it was they might try it again." Tin said picking up a desk decoration. He paused antenna jerking forward. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Pid asked, his attention more on a picture of Fer he had than the world around him.
Tin slipped away before Pid could see what was going on. The red-eyed Irken flung open a small cabinet door used to hold new clothes. The little pale red-eyed Irken squealed as Tin grabbed it.
"No! Let me go! Ow! You're hurting me!" The voice had a distinctive timber to it, only heard in...
"Tin drop her that's a female!" Pid shot up rushing over.
Tin let go and the tiny female ran but found she was trapped against the wall between a bed to high for her to jump and two tall Irkens. She crouched making herself look smaller and hissed.
"It's okay, we won't hurt you."
Tin held his hand, dark red seeped out of the minor bite wound. He only scowled.
"What are you hiding in my room for?"
She blinked and huddled down lower. "Orders. You came before I could leave."
"From who?" Tin asked, Pid didn't like the growl in his voice.
She only huddled down lower.
"Was it the Nursery Watcher?" Tin demanded.
She didn't respond.
Pid motioned for Tin to remain quiet. "Please talk to us, we won't hurt you."
"Not her." The little female said, her voice was almost too high to hear. She looked up tilting her head warily at Tin. "It was Fer."
"Fer sent you here? When?" Pid asked crouching down.
She uncurled herself. "He told me he wasn't coming back, that I had to watch you for a little while." She twisted her fingers together nervously. "Is, he really dead?"
Pid nodded slowly. "Yes." He was surprised when she stood up. She couldn't have been above two feet. But her clothing markings and the patch on the front of her uniform said she was an adult.
"Then he is not disgraced." She held out her little hand. "I am Wen. Fer and I were of the same hatchery group for Nursery Drones."
"Fer wasn't a Nursery Drone, he was a Thinker."
She shook her head. "Have you ever seen a Nursery Drone in uniform besides the Nursery Watcher?"
Pid and Tin exchanged looks.
"Exactly." She said. "The nurseries are automated, only ones like myself are there to help care for the newborns." She pulled on the collar of her uniform showing the place just below her collar bone. A small black mark in the shape of an overly curved 'S'. "This is the brand that binds us all." She let the collar slip back up to cover the tattoo.
"What do you know about the attempt on Pid?" Tin asked going closer to the small female.
She looked up at him with little of the fear she had before. "They wanted to use Assailant nanites."
"They what!?"
She blinked. "Two to be precise. Fer told me what his faction was doing. I leaked it to the Nursery Watcher. One was to attach it'self in Tins' learning construct that is already in place. The other was to activate his adrenaline flow."
"Assailants? Those were only used for Berserkers set down in riots." Tin said. His right hand traveled up to his chest. "And they were going to." He voice trailed off.
"You were their answer to the no kill protocol." Wen said clasping her tiny hands behind her back. "One Tallest killing the other was their idea of a viable answer. But not many other liked that idea. That faction is rebellious. Fer." She cast her eyes down. "Was the better of them."
"How well did you know him?" Pid asked sitting on the floor.
"Well enough, he came to visit me at times. All Nursery Drones know each other, but he was, different. He spoke of you often." She smiled at Pid.
She went forward a little and picked up Pids' hand. "You were his greatest friend. I thank you."
* * *
The door came open allowing light into the dark. Old purple eyes searched out the small figure that entered.
"Tell me little one. Do they know about us?"
Wen stood straight and held her hands behind her back. "No."
"Do they know of the assassination attempt?"
"Yes." Wen answered. "But they believe that the attempt was with poison."
"This is good my little spy." Kilew said tapping her fingers together. "I want them watched until the Tallest is obsolete. When they are in their rightful place Geiu will be harmless."
Wens' antenna wriggled nervously. "Nursery Watcher? The child?"
"Ah yes. Do not worry, you and Fer do have a child. The identification number of the child will be delivered to you so you can see it."
"Thank you Nursery Watcher." Wen said backing out of the room.
Kilew folded her hands in her lap. Wen was a good worker, but a horrible liar.
Something outside the room fell with a startling bang. She pressed a button on a device on her wrist. "What was that?"
A voice replied unsteadily. "An Invader youth showed up. I don't know how he got past the guards. He's raving like a lunatic!" In the background a loud cackle could be heard. Something like 'fools! I'll destroy you all!' came in from the background between the laughing.
"Get him away from that!" A voice came over the small intercom.
"Fire!"
"Put it out quick!" Came more voices.
Kilew sighed and rubbed her forehead. She stood up and straightened her clothes then went to go deal with the problem. It could only be one Irken of course, a poor child who had been a mistake from his conception. Her son Zim.
Twins of Irk
"Kilew it was an accident."
"Shut up!" She growled at the assembled council. "Did you not hear me when I spoke? True this is unusual but this is not something that can be worked around."
"But, the protocols."
"Are not worth the life of a Tallest." Kilew hissed. "They are both under our protection. If we start killing them off what is to stop later generations from doing the same?" She settled back in her chair, violet eyes glaring. "Fer is commended for his actions, he had his own life taken in place of Pids'."
The small council stayed backed down.
"Now. We don't know how much information Fer did give to either of them. This is what we need to discover first. You all are dismissed to gather this information." Her head tilted to a purple-eyed male down the table. "Oh and Geiu, if I hear that your faction has made another attempt to send Tin into a killing frenzy against Pid you will wish I had you executed."
The male Geius' antenna pressed back and he went to a paler green. "Yes Nursery Watcher."
* * *
"What do you mean we don't do anything?" Tin almost roared.
Pid put his hand over the other Irkens' mouth. "Keep it down alright? We are probably being watched you know."
Tin took Pids' hand from his mouth. "They tried to kill you!"
"Tried and failed. But I don't know how. Couldn't have been a direct assault, they must have been trying a back way." He crossed his arms in thought.
"What ever it was they might try it again." Tin said picking up a desk decoration. He paused antenna jerking forward. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Pid asked, his attention more on a picture of Fer he had than the world around him.
Tin slipped away before Pid could see what was going on. The red-eyed Irken flung open a small cabinet door used to hold new clothes. The little pale red-eyed Irken squealed as Tin grabbed it.
"No! Let me go! Ow! You're hurting me!" The voice had a distinctive timber to it, only heard in...
"Tin drop her that's a female!" Pid shot up rushing over.
Tin let go and the tiny female ran but found she was trapped against the wall between a bed to high for her to jump and two tall Irkens. She crouched making herself look smaller and hissed.
"It's okay, we won't hurt you."
Tin held his hand, dark red seeped out of the minor bite wound. He only scowled.
"What are you hiding in my room for?"
She blinked and huddled down lower. "Orders. You came before I could leave."
"From who?" Tin asked, Pid didn't like the growl in his voice.
She only huddled down lower.
"Was it the Nursery Watcher?" Tin demanded.
She didn't respond.
Pid motioned for Tin to remain quiet. "Please talk to us, we won't hurt you."
"Not her." The little female said, her voice was almost too high to hear. She looked up tilting her head warily at Tin. "It was Fer."
"Fer sent you here? When?" Pid asked crouching down.
She uncurled herself. "He told me he wasn't coming back, that I had to watch you for a little while." She twisted her fingers together nervously. "Is, he really dead?"
Pid nodded slowly. "Yes." He was surprised when she stood up. She couldn't have been above two feet. But her clothing markings and the patch on the front of her uniform said she was an adult.
"Then he is not disgraced." She held out her little hand. "I am Wen. Fer and I were of the same hatchery group for Nursery Drones."
"Fer wasn't a Nursery Drone, he was a Thinker."
She shook her head. "Have you ever seen a Nursery Drone in uniform besides the Nursery Watcher?"
Pid and Tin exchanged looks.
"Exactly." She said. "The nurseries are automated, only ones like myself are there to help care for the newborns." She pulled on the collar of her uniform showing the place just below her collar bone. A small black mark in the shape of an overly curved 'S'. "This is the brand that binds us all." She let the collar slip back up to cover the tattoo.
"What do you know about the attempt on Pid?" Tin asked going closer to the small female.
She looked up at him with little of the fear she had before. "They wanted to use Assailant nanites."
"They what!?"
She blinked. "Two to be precise. Fer told me what his faction was doing. I leaked it to the Nursery Watcher. One was to attach it'self in Tins' learning construct that is already in place. The other was to activate his adrenaline flow."
"Assailants? Those were only used for Berserkers set down in riots." Tin said. His right hand traveled up to his chest. "And they were going to." He voice trailed off.
"You were their answer to the no kill protocol." Wen said clasping her tiny hands behind her back. "One Tallest killing the other was their idea of a viable answer. But not many other liked that idea. That faction is rebellious. Fer." She cast her eyes down. "Was the better of them."
"How well did you know him?" Pid asked sitting on the floor.
"Well enough, he came to visit me at times. All Nursery Drones know each other, but he was, different. He spoke of you often." She smiled at Pid.
She went forward a little and picked up Pids' hand. "You were his greatest friend. I thank you."
* * *
The door came open allowing light into the dark. Old purple eyes searched out the small figure that entered.
"Tell me little one. Do they know about us?"
Wen stood straight and held her hands behind her back. "No."
"Do they know of the assassination attempt?"
"Yes." Wen answered. "But they believe that the attempt was with poison."
"This is good my little spy." Kilew said tapping her fingers together. "I want them watched until the Tallest is obsolete. When they are in their rightful place Geiu will be harmless."
Wens' antenna wriggled nervously. "Nursery Watcher? The child?"
"Ah yes. Do not worry, you and Fer do have a child. The identification number of the child will be delivered to you so you can see it."
"Thank you Nursery Watcher." Wen said backing out of the room.
Kilew folded her hands in her lap. Wen was a good worker, but a horrible liar.
Something outside the room fell with a startling bang. She pressed a button on a device on her wrist. "What was that?"
A voice replied unsteadily. "An Invader youth showed up. I don't know how he got past the guards. He's raving like a lunatic!" In the background a loud cackle could be heard. Something like 'fools! I'll destroy you all!' came in from the background between the laughing.
"Get him away from that!" A voice came over the small intercom.
"Fire!"
"Put it out quick!" Came more voices.
Kilew sighed and rubbed her forehead. She stood up and straightened her clothes then went to go deal with the problem. It could only be one Irken of course, a poor child who had been a mistake from his conception. Her son Zim.