Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Invader Zim.
Chapter Eleven: Yir's Mistake
Tah leaned back in her bed, unhappy she'd lost track of Purple but glad Tzen's report on Mim and the former Prime Admiral were in. She'd snuck the report in her room, a little paranoid that one of the Tallest might catch her working. First she examined Tark's report, since her excursion into his room was still fresh on her mind. As she had expected, Tark had an excellent career, having distinguished himself in more than one battle. His tactics were of genius quality and he was known for his fearless bravado. Both loved and feared by his troops, Tark had been a fine example of an Irken admiral. Of course, it was Tark's private life Tah was more interested in. She scrolled down the information on him until she saw the word 'smeet'. She blinked and read over that section. Apparently Tark had reproduced with some woman named Kif. His daughter was named Rox and had become a pilot, apparently wanting to follow in her father's footsteps. However, the daughter had crash landed during the Battle at Hurk and had been taken captive. The Irkens had naturally won and Rox had been rescued, but she'd apparently seen some horrendous carnage while prisoner. The report stated that she suffered from severe shellshock and now resided in a mental hospital on Irk. Tah brought up a picture of this daughter, and indeed her features matched those in the pictures in Tark's closet. A pang of sorrow shot through Tah's squiggly pooch when she thought of the unfortunate girl and a tinge of guilt at having sneaked through her father's room, but then she remembered all the terrible events and how it seemed very likely that Tark was involved. Her squiggly pooch hardened as she turned her attention to Mim's file.
As it turned out, Mim had barely passed her Soldier Academy training and was expelled from the Marauder Academy for unruly and violent conduct. She'd been placed on a janitorial squad, where she was notorious for starting fights with the other helpless janitors. She'd been shuffled around, losing reassignment after reassignment until she was finally lost in the system. She'd disappeared for a while, but then was miraculously assigned to the illustrious job of being a guard on the Massive, and a guard to a high ranking official no less. Tah recalled that Montoy had referred to her as the contact on the Massive, and she could only assume that Mim had met some fairly unsavory people during her 'disappearance.' Then again, the investigator knew she couldn't trust all Montoy had told her. After all, he was a grunt and might have been lied to by his superiors. Tah shook her head and set down her pad.
The more she thought about it, the more she began to wonder if Tark wasn't being blackmailed in some way. She had been impressed by his stoic behavior while he'd refused information, and his record did not match up with that of a traitor. She could find no particular reason someone with such a clean record should want to associate with the sort of people who were controlling Montoy and Mim unless he was being threatened. She frowned as she glanced back at the picture of his daughter - she really did have a pretty face, highlighted with a brash expression she must have inherited from her father.
Tah stood up and stretched, deciding that it might be a good idea to walk around. She let her feet stretch out in front of her and take her wherever, since no part of the ship was restricted to her. She lazily passed by a window, examining her reflection, and wondered absently if she should have a change of uniform. She still wore the complete black outfit of a Hive researcher, and she didn't care to have people mistaking her position and snidely calling her a 'drone.' However, she did like the outfit, thinking it fit her fairly well. She shrugged and continued to walk down the hall. There was some commotion around the corner, and she quickened her pace to see what the trouble was about.
Red was pacing jerkily about, surrounded by a flurry of people who seemed to be advisors. Tah stopped when she saw his worried, anger filled expression and began to think it would be best if she backed away. After all, he was probably thinking about some official matter that didn't concern her, but when she turned to walk away she heard him call her name. "Tah! Just the Irk I was going to look for! Where's Purple?"
She turned around to face him and was startled at his face. He was closer now, and she could see how worn he really was. "N-no," she said in surprise, "I thought he must have gone back to you."
The enraged Tallest let loose a growl that made his advisors step back in fear. He turned his back and began to pace again, every tendon in his body tight from stress. "We can't find him anywhere in the ship! He's not ON the ship!"
Tah felt her face turn white. "What do you mean?"
"He's not ON the ship! I've scanned for him, but he's not here! I had all the ships in the Armada scanned, but he's not on any of them. He's disappeared!" He held his head in anguish and turned fiercely toward Tah. "I was hoping you'd know!" Now his ruby eyes seemed desperate.
When she saw Red in this anxious state, Tah could only say the first thing that came to her mind, "How long has it been since you've been apart from eachother?" By 'apart' Tah meant not on the same ship or in the same building. She understood that her two Tallest were extremely close friends, and she couldn't think of an occasion where they'd addressed the public alone.
The question didn't seem to help. Red just became more worried as he was reminded of the separation. "I can't even remember! He's been with me since - since before we were Tallest!" At this moment his intense worry evolved into intense fury. He balled up his fists and glared dangerously around. "I swear that I'll rip out the squiggly pooch of whoever took him!"
One of the advisors braved a remark. "B-but Sir! There's no proof that he's been taken!"
Red swung himself around to face the quivering advisor. "With all the crap that's been going around here? How STUPID do you think I am?" The advisor was too shaken to answer, but Red wasn't interested anyway. He just hovered away without another word, and after a moment of hesitation his terrified advisors followed.
Tah stood for a moment in full shock. Something in her squiggly pooch began to feel amazingly empty, as if it was being filled with a void of fear. Then the same anger that had blossomed in Red began to blossom in her. She clenched her claws together as she began to aimlessly stalk down the hall. She had finally gotten herself ready to tell Purple how she felt about him, had finally prepared herself to face either his affection or rejection, only for him to be snatched away. She didn't dare question his safety - if he died her love would die with him. Until him she'd been an awkward, unsocial introvert. It was just now that she was beginning to consider letting people get close to her, and it was all because of him. She copied Red's vow to get whoever had done this to Purple before slamming right into another person. She yelled and stood back, too frustrated to remember to apologize.
"Still a bit disoriented from your sleep?" asked Tzen innocently.
"Oh, oh, it's you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run into you. It's just that I'm - I'm really upset right now and I - urg," Tah shook her head, not knowing whether the information of Purple's disappearance was classified. She was sure it must be and decided against telling Tzen about the situation.
Tzen just smiled in his jolly way and straitened his shirt. They both noticed when Tah's pad beeped at her. She pulled it out and looked at the message that was illuminated on its surface. [Has something happened?]
Tah felt a low growl in her throat as she narrowed her eyes at the message. She banged in a reply. [Where's the Tallest, you nameless bastard? You're Yir, aren't you? You can only be Yir! Tell me where the Tallest is!]
Tah waited as the next message came. [I think you can figure out what you need to do.] With that the connection ended and Tah flung her pad against the wall. She folded her arms together as she bit her lower lip, close to tears.
For the first time in her life, Tah noticed Tzen with an unsettled expression. His mouth was bent into a frown and he looked thoughtfully down at the floor. He seemed rather upset at something, and Tah wondered what was working in his somewhat large head. He then brightened a bit and looked up at her. "I don't know what this is about, dear, but it said you knew what to do." He waved goodbye at her and walked away, humming a delightful tune.
Tah glowered as she thought to herself that she really did know what to do. By now she knew this messenger's style, and she knew what he expected from her. With a quick breath of determination she headed out for the docking bay. It wasn't long until she'd convinced someone she had the authorization to take a small ship and was flying out into nowhere. She didn't know in what direction she was supposed to fly, but that problem was taken care of once the Armada was out of sight. A small craft flew up beside her, and Tah recognized it as one of the ships that had been kept at the base where she'd been kept prisoner. Tah nodded in its direction, although the pilot surely would be able to see her, and followed the craft's lead until they reached a somewhat large ship that was apparently floating out in space. It was long and sleek with a silvery finish, and Tah couldn't help think that such a ship must have been very expensive. A hatch opened up and she was allowed to land inside. The craft that had escorted her flew away, apparently with no intention of landing. Tah shrugged it off and parked her vessel.
As she hopped off the craft Tah expected to find someone ready to greet her. Instead she found only a darkened docking bay, lit only with the dim emergency lights. Tah stood for a moment, letting her eyes adjust. She then looked around and exited through the only door. It led through a long hallway, lit in the same insufficient manner as the docking bay. She began to wonder if this ship had anything wrong with its main power source, but her worry for Purple overpowered her mechanical curiosity about the ship. She wandered down the hall, deciding to follow it to its end. There were a number of doorways, but there were too many to explore thoroughly. Instead she would remain in the major hallways in the hopes her 'host' would meet her.
She halted when she finally heard the sound of footsteps. She waited and eventually heard someone lightly tap on the door beside her. She opened it, and walked into a room that was even darker than the rest. Half of the room was lit by the emergency lighting while the other half was completely shrouded in blackness. Whoever was in the room was in the darkened area, because Tah couldn't see anybody after she entered. Her antennae did sense a life form nearby, however, and she warily peered into the invisible section of the room. She folded her arms and glared. "Yir?" she asked.
"You're very perceptive," said the same calm, overly-refined voice she'd heard at the base when she'd had the sac over her head. "You're the only person to best me."
"Where's Tallest Purple?" she asked without hesitation.
There was a slight pause, and Tah knew that the villain was grinning. "You're dear Pur? I'll take you to him." The man stepped into the semi- light and Tah gasped as her eyes came to the realization of his body.
"Y-you can't be Yir!" The man before her was a hideous mix of Irken and something else. He had the green skin of an Irken, the antennae and the round, red eyes, but thin, blond strands of hair poked out of his flesh at odd intervals, clashing dramatically with his skin. He had a pink, turned up feline nose and he had what could be the deformed beginning of ears. He wore the tattered clothing of an admiral, but he was by no means the age Yir should have been. Besides, Yir had been a full Irken.
The man nodded slowly in agreement. "Yir is the name I use when I deal with Irkens. My most excellent father's -" His eyes turned wistful at the mention of his father, and Tah couldn't help but feel disgusted at the strange obsession he seemed to have for him. She then remembered his sickening obsession for her and felt a cold shiver run down her spine. "My real name," he continued, "is Ric'ta. You may call me either." The man walked toward the door and stopped, apparently waiting for her. "My lady?"
Tah shuddered at the endearment, but obeyed his direction and walked out of the door. She let him take the lead once they were out in the hall and they walked in silence until they reached a larger room Tah supposed had once been used for storage. The darkness and emptiness of the ship bothered her, and she began to wonder why this person lived in an abandoned, darkened ship. She then looked at him and realized that if she were deformed like him, then she'd probably want to live in a darkened seclusion too. However, she knew she wouldn't resort to perpetrating the horrendous acts he had. She clenched her fist as she walked to the center of the room. "I didn't think that Irkens and your mother's race could mate," she found herself saying, tactless as the comment was.
"It seems you were mistaken," was Ric'ta's response as he displayed his existence. He grinned at her and Tah could feel her muscles tighten as he stepped closer to her. He stood just about as tall as she did and looked directly into her trembling eyes. "Hmm.yes. Your Purple is waiting for you down the hall, four rooms to the left," he pointed to a doorway that supposedly lead to the hall. Tah immediately stepped towards it but was stopped as Yir's disgusting, uncovered hairy hands grabbed a hold of her and twisted her around. He was surprisingly strong, and she realized that he was somewhat more bulky than most Irkens. "I'm not through with you yet!" he hissed, throwing off his refined accent. He kept a hold of her and began to back her up against the wall. Once she was pinned, his thumbs began to affectionately rub against her shoulders. Tah was paralyzed.
"Let me go," she managed to whisper.
He smirked. "I have a proposition for you -"
"Let me go!" Tah yelled now, fully aware of the danger she was in. She let her pod legs shoot out from her back and lift her up in the air, beyond her stalker's reach. She managed to maneuver around him, and her intent was to turn around and impale him with one of the thin, razor sharp legs. She didn't have time, though, because Ric'ta quickly grabbed onto one of the legs and yanked hard. The leg snapped in two and Tah fell down hard on the metal floor. She pulled herself up, but not in time to escape her pursuer's clutches. He grabbed a hold of her again and slammed her against the wall.
"As I was saying, I have a proposition for you." He lingered to catch his breath for a moment and greedily look at Tah's lovely features. "You see, I've grown quite a fascination for you -" Ric'ta leaned his body forward so it pressed against hers. "Ever since you managed to escape, killing my little lackey and stealing my ship."
"T-that ship belonged to Admiral Queue."
"Oh please. I know you're smart, Tah. I've been watching you, and you've conducted this investigation with great skill. Yes, I know everything about you - you're love of poetry and the ancient tongue, your tiny little friend who you've protected all your life, your queer affection for that Tallest down the hall - I know it all. I know you should be smart enough to realize that Queue doesn't exist."
"You've done something to Tark's daughter! He's keeping the secret of your fake admiral. You - you needed someone with authorization to the restricted area, someone like Mim. But no one could possibly have Mim and not realize she was a menace, so you had Tark allow this fake admiral for her to 'guard.' Is that right?"
"Let's just say we keep tabs on the girl."
Tah tried to inch away from the man holding her, but she was already as close to the wall as she could manage. "Rather - you didn't need so much someone who just had access to the restricted level, (I'm sure you could have found someone less volatile than Mim for that) but you needed someone who had the brawn and combat training to attack whoever got too pesky!" She narrowed her eyes. "This seems like a strange plot for a coup."
Ric'ta started for a moment, but then relaxed again with realization. "Ah yes, the story we told Montoy and the others. Really, someone like him couldn't appreciate the delicacy of the plan. But Tah," his grin widened and Tah could see that he had small, sharp teeth, "I haven't gotten to my proposition. Your Pur - buy his freedom. No one leaves this ship unless I will it, and I'm only letting one of your go."
Tah almost gagged. All this was just a nasty plot to get him to stay with him and probably become his lover. She shook the idea from her head, determined to get more answers. "What about the hatcheries? All those hatchling that never hatched into smeets! Why did you blow them up?"
A low chuckle rumbled in Ric'ta's throat. "Yes, it would seem that I triggered that off for you. Really, I don't know why it had to be done. That wasn't my business -" At that moment a huge crash was heard and smoke began to fill the room. Tah took advantage of the situation, since her enemy seemed as confused as she, and wiggled out of her grasp. She headed strait for the door that led to the hallway Purple was supposed to be in, but hid by the doorway when she heard the sounds of a struggle.
"You speak too much!" said a sharp new voice.
"What are you doing here?" hissed Ric'ta, the struggle in his voice revealing the face he was probably being held down.
"You've let your little obsessions go too far. You aren't useful anymore!" A single laser shot brightened the smoke-filled air and Tah knew Ric'ta was dead. She sat motionless as her antennae sensed the new figure and his men turn toward her, but then turn away. They were not interested in her and were leaving. Tah jumped up and ran through the hall, bursting into the forth room to the left. Ric'ta hadn't lied when he said Purple would be there. The Tallest was sitting next to one wall, angrily looking down at the floor with his arms crossed. He didn't have much time to look up before he found Tah in his arms. She plastered him with kisses and in his surprise he couldn't help put hold her away.
"Tah! I love ya but don't you think we should leave? That guy!" He was referring to Ric'ta, who'd personally spoken to him once he'd been transported to his cell. He grimaced in disgust as he remembered the man.
Tah was completely unashamed as she held onto Purple with obvious affection. "He's dead. His superiors sent someone to kill him."
"His superiors! There're more of them?"
Tah nodded, a dark expression lowering over her face. "Yes, his superiors. I've figured it out. Yir, or Ric'ta, was just another lackey in a chain of command. He was certainly high up, but there's got to be someone out there who's at the top of it all." She snuggled closer to Purple, who now wrapped his long arms around her. "Ric'ta pushed the button to explode the hatcheries, but he didn't know why he had to do it. The assassination attempt against you, all those times Mim tried to kill me, the base and the hatcheries - separate crimes connected to some mastermind. I mean, I don't even know the reason for some of the stuff that was done. Why did they try to kill you if not for a coup? Why that base that suddenly disappeared?" She shook her head and looked up at Purple's face and realized she'd been rambling. "I - I don't want to think about it right now.
Purple smiled down at her and gently kissed her forehead before standing up. Tah stood as well and continued to hug onto him, as if he would disappear if she ever let go. "Massive then?"
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Just a few weeks later Tah waited on the observation deck of the Massive. It had been cleared of all personnel and she was alone. She wore new cloths, more utilitarian than the black uniform she'd worn as a researcher. Tan slacks and a long, loose-fitting matching top covered her lank body as she stared off into the stars. Brown boots and brown gloves covered her feet and hands, and she had to admit she felt very strange wearing those colors.
Someone hovered behind her and wrapped two arms around her body. She leaned back on her visitor, tenderly holding onto his arms. They stood for a moment before he tilted his head down and kissed the surface of one of her antennae. Tah's eyes widened with the sensation - it was a more sensual touch than she'd ever received. Her mouth opened with a gasp as she felt warm lips actually closing down on one of her sensitive antennae. A seductive tongue slid across its thin surface, and Tah could feel herself grow weak. Now the arms that held her in a loving embrace also worked to support her weight. One arm came up and two claws began to massage the base of her other antenna. Tah closed her eyes, overcome and not able to respond. The lips moved down her antennae, kissing and licking as it went, sending chills of pleasure throughout her shivering body. It was only when the lips had reached the end of her tingling antenna was she able to speak. "Pur -" she said softly as she leaned her head back on his chest.
"Just something to remember me by."
Tah took a moment to breathe before she spoke again. "I thought that sort of thing was reserved for mating."
"It generally is," was the reply. There was a sigh and a paused. "You're going to come back, aren't you?"
Tah nodded. "I will. Once I find the head of the organization, I'll be back on the Massive again. I can't let someone with such an organized syndicate roam free - he's capable of so much more - I've got to find and catch him."
Purple's hold tightened. "I know you do. But once you're back, I'm reassigning you to some cushy job that'll never take you from my side. I don't know - a communications officer or something." He turned her around to look into her face.
Tah leaned forward and kissed him. "Well, I did specialize in communications - would make sense."
"Then it's settled. When you return -" Purple then drew her closer, bringing her lips to his for the last time before her ship would leave.
Chapter Eleven: Yir's Mistake
Tah leaned back in her bed, unhappy she'd lost track of Purple but glad Tzen's report on Mim and the former Prime Admiral were in. She'd snuck the report in her room, a little paranoid that one of the Tallest might catch her working. First she examined Tark's report, since her excursion into his room was still fresh on her mind. As she had expected, Tark had an excellent career, having distinguished himself in more than one battle. His tactics were of genius quality and he was known for his fearless bravado. Both loved and feared by his troops, Tark had been a fine example of an Irken admiral. Of course, it was Tark's private life Tah was more interested in. She scrolled down the information on him until she saw the word 'smeet'. She blinked and read over that section. Apparently Tark had reproduced with some woman named Kif. His daughter was named Rox and had become a pilot, apparently wanting to follow in her father's footsteps. However, the daughter had crash landed during the Battle at Hurk and had been taken captive. The Irkens had naturally won and Rox had been rescued, but she'd apparently seen some horrendous carnage while prisoner. The report stated that she suffered from severe shellshock and now resided in a mental hospital on Irk. Tah brought up a picture of this daughter, and indeed her features matched those in the pictures in Tark's closet. A pang of sorrow shot through Tah's squiggly pooch when she thought of the unfortunate girl and a tinge of guilt at having sneaked through her father's room, but then she remembered all the terrible events and how it seemed very likely that Tark was involved. Her squiggly pooch hardened as she turned her attention to Mim's file.
As it turned out, Mim had barely passed her Soldier Academy training and was expelled from the Marauder Academy for unruly and violent conduct. She'd been placed on a janitorial squad, where she was notorious for starting fights with the other helpless janitors. She'd been shuffled around, losing reassignment after reassignment until she was finally lost in the system. She'd disappeared for a while, but then was miraculously assigned to the illustrious job of being a guard on the Massive, and a guard to a high ranking official no less. Tah recalled that Montoy had referred to her as the contact on the Massive, and she could only assume that Mim had met some fairly unsavory people during her 'disappearance.' Then again, the investigator knew she couldn't trust all Montoy had told her. After all, he was a grunt and might have been lied to by his superiors. Tah shook her head and set down her pad.
The more she thought about it, the more she began to wonder if Tark wasn't being blackmailed in some way. She had been impressed by his stoic behavior while he'd refused information, and his record did not match up with that of a traitor. She could find no particular reason someone with such a clean record should want to associate with the sort of people who were controlling Montoy and Mim unless he was being threatened. She frowned as she glanced back at the picture of his daughter - she really did have a pretty face, highlighted with a brash expression she must have inherited from her father.
Tah stood up and stretched, deciding that it might be a good idea to walk around. She let her feet stretch out in front of her and take her wherever, since no part of the ship was restricted to her. She lazily passed by a window, examining her reflection, and wondered absently if she should have a change of uniform. She still wore the complete black outfit of a Hive researcher, and she didn't care to have people mistaking her position and snidely calling her a 'drone.' However, she did like the outfit, thinking it fit her fairly well. She shrugged and continued to walk down the hall. There was some commotion around the corner, and she quickened her pace to see what the trouble was about.
Red was pacing jerkily about, surrounded by a flurry of people who seemed to be advisors. Tah stopped when she saw his worried, anger filled expression and began to think it would be best if she backed away. After all, he was probably thinking about some official matter that didn't concern her, but when she turned to walk away she heard him call her name. "Tah! Just the Irk I was going to look for! Where's Purple?"
She turned around to face him and was startled at his face. He was closer now, and she could see how worn he really was. "N-no," she said in surprise, "I thought he must have gone back to you."
The enraged Tallest let loose a growl that made his advisors step back in fear. He turned his back and began to pace again, every tendon in his body tight from stress. "We can't find him anywhere in the ship! He's not ON the ship!"
Tah felt her face turn white. "What do you mean?"
"He's not ON the ship! I've scanned for him, but he's not here! I had all the ships in the Armada scanned, but he's not on any of them. He's disappeared!" He held his head in anguish and turned fiercely toward Tah. "I was hoping you'd know!" Now his ruby eyes seemed desperate.
When she saw Red in this anxious state, Tah could only say the first thing that came to her mind, "How long has it been since you've been apart from eachother?" By 'apart' Tah meant not on the same ship or in the same building. She understood that her two Tallest were extremely close friends, and she couldn't think of an occasion where they'd addressed the public alone.
The question didn't seem to help. Red just became more worried as he was reminded of the separation. "I can't even remember! He's been with me since - since before we were Tallest!" At this moment his intense worry evolved into intense fury. He balled up his fists and glared dangerously around. "I swear that I'll rip out the squiggly pooch of whoever took him!"
One of the advisors braved a remark. "B-but Sir! There's no proof that he's been taken!"
Red swung himself around to face the quivering advisor. "With all the crap that's been going around here? How STUPID do you think I am?" The advisor was too shaken to answer, but Red wasn't interested anyway. He just hovered away without another word, and after a moment of hesitation his terrified advisors followed.
Tah stood for a moment in full shock. Something in her squiggly pooch began to feel amazingly empty, as if it was being filled with a void of fear. Then the same anger that had blossomed in Red began to blossom in her. She clenched her claws together as she began to aimlessly stalk down the hall. She had finally gotten herself ready to tell Purple how she felt about him, had finally prepared herself to face either his affection or rejection, only for him to be snatched away. She didn't dare question his safety - if he died her love would die with him. Until him she'd been an awkward, unsocial introvert. It was just now that she was beginning to consider letting people get close to her, and it was all because of him. She copied Red's vow to get whoever had done this to Purple before slamming right into another person. She yelled and stood back, too frustrated to remember to apologize.
"Still a bit disoriented from your sleep?" asked Tzen innocently.
"Oh, oh, it's you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run into you. It's just that I'm - I'm really upset right now and I - urg," Tah shook her head, not knowing whether the information of Purple's disappearance was classified. She was sure it must be and decided against telling Tzen about the situation.
Tzen just smiled in his jolly way and straitened his shirt. They both noticed when Tah's pad beeped at her. She pulled it out and looked at the message that was illuminated on its surface. [Has something happened?]
Tah felt a low growl in her throat as she narrowed her eyes at the message. She banged in a reply. [Where's the Tallest, you nameless bastard? You're Yir, aren't you? You can only be Yir! Tell me where the Tallest is!]
Tah waited as the next message came. [I think you can figure out what you need to do.] With that the connection ended and Tah flung her pad against the wall. She folded her arms together as she bit her lower lip, close to tears.
For the first time in her life, Tah noticed Tzen with an unsettled expression. His mouth was bent into a frown and he looked thoughtfully down at the floor. He seemed rather upset at something, and Tah wondered what was working in his somewhat large head. He then brightened a bit and looked up at her. "I don't know what this is about, dear, but it said you knew what to do." He waved goodbye at her and walked away, humming a delightful tune.
Tah glowered as she thought to herself that she really did know what to do. By now she knew this messenger's style, and she knew what he expected from her. With a quick breath of determination she headed out for the docking bay. It wasn't long until she'd convinced someone she had the authorization to take a small ship and was flying out into nowhere. She didn't know in what direction she was supposed to fly, but that problem was taken care of once the Armada was out of sight. A small craft flew up beside her, and Tah recognized it as one of the ships that had been kept at the base where she'd been kept prisoner. Tah nodded in its direction, although the pilot surely would be able to see her, and followed the craft's lead until they reached a somewhat large ship that was apparently floating out in space. It was long and sleek with a silvery finish, and Tah couldn't help think that such a ship must have been very expensive. A hatch opened up and she was allowed to land inside. The craft that had escorted her flew away, apparently with no intention of landing. Tah shrugged it off and parked her vessel.
As she hopped off the craft Tah expected to find someone ready to greet her. Instead she found only a darkened docking bay, lit only with the dim emergency lights. Tah stood for a moment, letting her eyes adjust. She then looked around and exited through the only door. It led through a long hallway, lit in the same insufficient manner as the docking bay. She began to wonder if this ship had anything wrong with its main power source, but her worry for Purple overpowered her mechanical curiosity about the ship. She wandered down the hall, deciding to follow it to its end. There were a number of doorways, but there were too many to explore thoroughly. Instead she would remain in the major hallways in the hopes her 'host' would meet her.
She halted when she finally heard the sound of footsteps. She waited and eventually heard someone lightly tap on the door beside her. She opened it, and walked into a room that was even darker than the rest. Half of the room was lit by the emergency lighting while the other half was completely shrouded in blackness. Whoever was in the room was in the darkened area, because Tah couldn't see anybody after she entered. Her antennae did sense a life form nearby, however, and she warily peered into the invisible section of the room. She folded her arms and glared. "Yir?" she asked.
"You're very perceptive," said the same calm, overly-refined voice she'd heard at the base when she'd had the sac over her head. "You're the only person to best me."
"Where's Tallest Purple?" she asked without hesitation.
There was a slight pause, and Tah knew that the villain was grinning. "You're dear Pur? I'll take you to him." The man stepped into the semi- light and Tah gasped as her eyes came to the realization of his body.
"Y-you can't be Yir!" The man before her was a hideous mix of Irken and something else. He had the green skin of an Irken, the antennae and the round, red eyes, but thin, blond strands of hair poked out of his flesh at odd intervals, clashing dramatically with his skin. He had a pink, turned up feline nose and he had what could be the deformed beginning of ears. He wore the tattered clothing of an admiral, but he was by no means the age Yir should have been. Besides, Yir had been a full Irken.
The man nodded slowly in agreement. "Yir is the name I use when I deal with Irkens. My most excellent father's -" His eyes turned wistful at the mention of his father, and Tah couldn't help but feel disgusted at the strange obsession he seemed to have for him. She then remembered his sickening obsession for her and felt a cold shiver run down her spine. "My real name," he continued, "is Ric'ta. You may call me either." The man walked toward the door and stopped, apparently waiting for her. "My lady?"
Tah shuddered at the endearment, but obeyed his direction and walked out of the door. She let him take the lead once they were out in the hall and they walked in silence until they reached a larger room Tah supposed had once been used for storage. The darkness and emptiness of the ship bothered her, and she began to wonder why this person lived in an abandoned, darkened ship. She then looked at him and realized that if she were deformed like him, then she'd probably want to live in a darkened seclusion too. However, she knew she wouldn't resort to perpetrating the horrendous acts he had. She clenched her fist as she walked to the center of the room. "I didn't think that Irkens and your mother's race could mate," she found herself saying, tactless as the comment was.
"It seems you were mistaken," was Ric'ta's response as he displayed his existence. He grinned at her and Tah could feel her muscles tighten as he stepped closer to her. He stood just about as tall as she did and looked directly into her trembling eyes. "Hmm.yes. Your Purple is waiting for you down the hall, four rooms to the left," he pointed to a doorway that supposedly lead to the hall. Tah immediately stepped towards it but was stopped as Yir's disgusting, uncovered hairy hands grabbed a hold of her and twisted her around. He was surprisingly strong, and she realized that he was somewhat more bulky than most Irkens. "I'm not through with you yet!" he hissed, throwing off his refined accent. He kept a hold of her and began to back her up against the wall. Once she was pinned, his thumbs began to affectionately rub against her shoulders. Tah was paralyzed.
"Let me go," she managed to whisper.
He smirked. "I have a proposition for you -"
"Let me go!" Tah yelled now, fully aware of the danger she was in. She let her pod legs shoot out from her back and lift her up in the air, beyond her stalker's reach. She managed to maneuver around him, and her intent was to turn around and impale him with one of the thin, razor sharp legs. She didn't have time, though, because Ric'ta quickly grabbed onto one of the legs and yanked hard. The leg snapped in two and Tah fell down hard on the metal floor. She pulled herself up, but not in time to escape her pursuer's clutches. He grabbed a hold of her again and slammed her against the wall.
"As I was saying, I have a proposition for you." He lingered to catch his breath for a moment and greedily look at Tah's lovely features. "You see, I've grown quite a fascination for you -" Ric'ta leaned his body forward so it pressed against hers. "Ever since you managed to escape, killing my little lackey and stealing my ship."
"T-that ship belonged to Admiral Queue."
"Oh please. I know you're smart, Tah. I've been watching you, and you've conducted this investigation with great skill. Yes, I know everything about you - you're love of poetry and the ancient tongue, your tiny little friend who you've protected all your life, your queer affection for that Tallest down the hall - I know it all. I know you should be smart enough to realize that Queue doesn't exist."
"You've done something to Tark's daughter! He's keeping the secret of your fake admiral. You - you needed someone with authorization to the restricted area, someone like Mim. But no one could possibly have Mim and not realize she was a menace, so you had Tark allow this fake admiral for her to 'guard.' Is that right?"
"Let's just say we keep tabs on the girl."
Tah tried to inch away from the man holding her, but she was already as close to the wall as she could manage. "Rather - you didn't need so much someone who just had access to the restricted level, (I'm sure you could have found someone less volatile than Mim for that) but you needed someone who had the brawn and combat training to attack whoever got too pesky!" She narrowed her eyes. "This seems like a strange plot for a coup."
Ric'ta started for a moment, but then relaxed again with realization. "Ah yes, the story we told Montoy and the others. Really, someone like him couldn't appreciate the delicacy of the plan. But Tah," his grin widened and Tah could see that he had small, sharp teeth, "I haven't gotten to my proposition. Your Pur - buy his freedom. No one leaves this ship unless I will it, and I'm only letting one of your go."
Tah almost gagged. All this was just a nasty plot to get him to stay with him and probably become his lover. She shook the idea from her head, determined to get more answers. "What about the hatcheries? All those hatchling that never hatched into smeets! Why did you blow them up?"
A low chuckle rumbled in Ric'ta's throat. "Yes, it would seem that I triggered that off for you. Really, I don't know why it had to be done. That wasn't my business -" At that moment a huge crash was heard and smoke began to fill the room. Tah took advantage of the situation, since her enemy seemed as confused as she, and wiggled out of her grasp. She headed strait for the door that led to the hallway Purple was supposed to be in, but hid by the doorway when she heard the sounds of a struggle.
"You speak too much!" said a sharp new voice.
"What are you doing here?" hissed Ric'ta, the struggle in his voice revealing the face he was probably being held down.
"You've let your little obsessions go too far. You aren't useful anymore!" A single laser shot brightened the smoke-filled air and Tah knew Ric'ta was dead. She sat motionless as her antennae sensed the new figure and his men turn toward her, but then turn away. They were not interested in her and were leaving. Tah jumped up and ran through the hall, bursting into the forth room to the left. Ric'ta hadn't lied when he said Purple would be there. The Tallest was sitting next to one wall, angrily looking down at the floor with his arms crossed. He didn't have much time to look up before he found Tah in his arms. She plastered him with kisses and in his surprise he couldn't help put hold her away.
"Tah! I love ya but don't you think we should leave? That guy!" He was referring to Ric'ta, who'd personally spoken to him once he'd been transported to his cell. He grimaced in disgust as he remembered the man.
Tah was completely unashamed as she held onto Purple with obvious affection. "He's dead. His superiors sent someone to kill him."
"His superiors! There're more of them?"
Tah nodded, a dark expression lowering over her face. "Yes, his superiors. I've figured it out. Yir, or Ric'ta, was just another lackey in a chain of command. He was certainly high up, but there's got to be someone out there who's at the top of it all." She snuggled closer to Purple, who now wrapped his long arms around her. "Ric'ta pushed the button to explode the hatcheries, but he didn't know why he had to do it. The assassination attempt against you, all those times Mim tried to kill me, the base and the hatcheries - separate crimes connected to some mastermind. I mean, I don't even know the reason for some of the stuff that was done. Why did they try to kill you if not for a coup? Why that base that suddenly disappeared?" She shook her head and looked up at Purple's face and realized she'd been rambling. "I - I don't want to think about it right now.
Purple smiled down at her and gently kissed her forehead before standing up. Tah stood as well and continued to hug onto him, as if he would disappear if she ever let go. "Massive then?"
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Just a few weeks later Tah waited on the observation deck of the Massive. It had been cleared of all personnel and she was alone. She wore new cloths, more utilitarian than the black uniform she'd worn as a researcher. Tan slacks and a long, loose-fitting matching top covered her lank body as she stared off into the stars. Brown boots and brown gloves covered her feet and hands, and she had to admit she felt very strange wearing those colors.
Someone hovered behind her and wrapped two arms around her body. She leaned back on her visitor, tenderly holding onto his arms. They stood for a moment before he tilted his head down and kissed the surface of one of her antennae. Tah's eyes widened with the sensation - it was a more sensual touch than she'd ever received. Her mouth opened with a gasp as she felt warm lips actually closing down on one of her sensitive antennae. A seductive tongue slid across its thin surface, and Tah could feel herself grow weak. Now the arms that held her in a loving embrace also worked to support her weight. One arm came up and two claws began to massage the base of her other antenna. Tah closed her eyes, overcome and not able to respond. The lips moved down her antennae, kissing and licking as it went, sending chills of pleasure throughout her shivering body. It was only when the lips had reached the end of her tingling antenna was she able to speak. "Pur -" she said softly as she leaned her head back on his chest.
"Just something to remember me by."
Tah took a moment to breathe before she spoke again. "I thought that sort of thing was reserved for mating."
"It generally is," was the reply. There was a sigh and a paused. "You're going to come back, aren't you?"
Tah nodded. "I will. Once I find the head of the organization, I'll be back on the Massive again. I can't let someone with such an organized syndicate roam free - he's capable of so much more - I've got to find and catch him."
Purple's hold tightened. "I know you do. But once you're back, I'm reassigning you to some cushy job that'll never take you from my side. I don't know - a communications officer or something." He turned her around to look into her face.
Tah leaned forward and kissed him. "Well, I did specialize in communications - would make sense."
"Then it's settled. When you return -" Purple then drew her closer, bringing her lips to his for the last time before her ship would leave.
