This is the last chapter of this story I'm doing. I've got too many other projects going. If somebody else loves this fic so much, they can continue it. Email me with the title of this fic in the subject heading if you want it. It's first come first serve so, happy mailing... or not. The only rule I have is non-slash. This isn't slash... Well, if you want it, be my guest.
I own Ivy. Not Red, not Purple. Not Zim-er, wait, Zim's not in this... never mind. I don't want the creator of JTHM mad at me...
Hee hee... Massive...
Jade Eyes II
The stars glided by the porthole. They shown into her eyes, their dancing light creating pinpricks of flashes in her sensitive vision. "Ivy-tam," said a voice from behind her. "tal slen iater?"
She frowned, processing what he'd said. "Yep, I finished my work!" The young female turned to face him. "When's Red coming back?" she asked, pressing her mouth into a babyish pout. "He said he'd show me lazers when he was done..."
"I don't know," her teacher answered. They were in his quarters, the doors locked to prevent intrusion. Purple gazed down at the dark orange planet twirling idly below the vast spread of the Armada's ships. He chewed his lip. Red had been down there a long time, trying to locate the Invader assigned to this particular planet. The armies were also having trouble with the blistering heat of it. Irk was a great deal colder than this sun-baked rock. Purple had wanted to come, but Red had insisted it was too dangerous for a scholar. "Plus, we need someone to take care of the ship," he'd said. "Not to mention the squirt." As if she'd heard him thinking, Ivy wandered over, wrapping her arms around his legs. He smiled. Had it really been four years? Four years and they STILL couldn't figure out where the little one had come from. There were a few records of stillborns on the day she'd been found. It was likely she'd been one of those who had awakened after being cast aside wherever the Hatcheries put stillborns, and been found by a worker. That still didn't explain why she'd been in Red's room... Purple doubted he'd ever know. He patted Ivy's head absently. She was growing quickly, and was about 2'5 now. After a great deal of searching, they'd finally found a green and white back pod for her. It had been installed while she slept, as the implantation of the wires into a spine hurt. She used the attachments with ease now. She'd been learning from both Tallests at a fantastic rate. From him, she learned how to speak ancient Irken, write in the somewhat difficult style of her race and could read almost as well as the Student Tallest himself. Red hadn't begun to instruct her yet, saying she was too small for all his lazers or other weapons. Ivy had become particularly fond of his favorite, the bati staffs, which pleased the Soldier to no end.
Ivy climbed up on the couch beside him, wrapping her little arms around his thin waist. "I miss Reddy," she muttered. Her green eyes looked up at him, begging him to bring back the other Tallest. "He's a'posed to show me lazery things."
"I know," Purple said. He put his arm around her. "Red just has some things to do. Tallest Irken things." Ivy played with the fabric of her dress, putting her fingers into her mouth. She made a face, spitting them out as the sour taste of her glove fabric reached her brain. Like all normal Irkens, she wore boots and gloves; although her main garments consisted of a green, sleeveless dress the Tallest's personal tailors had been obsessed with creating. He laughed at her disgusted face.
"Why can't he stay on the ship with me like you do?" Ivy questioned, her antennae flicking back.
Purple sighed. "Because Red is a Soldier and there's a war on that planet down there," he replied, pointing out the porthole. "I'm a Student and you need lessons."
Ivy made another face. "I don't like lessons," she complained. "They're boring."
"Oh, they're boring now, are they?" he chuckled. "Yesterday you thought the old talk was pretty. Now it's boring."
"Yes," she complained, burying her face in the pillows, away from him. "I don't want any more lessons. I want Red!"
"If you're going to be a brat, Ivy-tam," he said sternly. "I'm going to the bridge and you can stay here by yourself. Without me or Red." Purple got up out of his chair, intending to carry out his promise. By the time he got to the door, he felt her little hands pulling on his skirt. She muttered something about him being bad for leaving her into the fabric. His resolve melted. The female had a phobia of being alone. Someone, be it a robot or an Irken, was with her all the time, keeping her company. The two Tallest had learned how to play this to their advantage when Ivy refused to do as she was told. Purple picked her up, letting her almost strangle him. "I spoil you, do you know that?" he whispered. Ivy giggled as his breath tickled her antennae. Smiling, she reached up to pull on his. Mother of Irk, he DID spoil her too much. It was hard not too.
Students-high ranking mechanics, scholars, robotisits, scientists and even med workers-were mingling in the hallway. Seeing their Tallest, they grinned, tipping their antennae back in salute. The luxury of being informal was used only when he was around. If they were in the presence of Red, they would have been down on their knees, silent. That was the good thing about having two Tallests of different classes. One class wasn't elevated above the other. Unfortunately, that hadn't been enough during the Uprisings. Another scholar, a female with tan-colored eyes, fell into step beside her Tallest, holding up some forms. "Kasden Aman," she began, using his old student name. Another luxury. "Do you know how long I've been looking for you?"
"Nope. But I know you're going to tell me, uh..." He looked down at her, trying to remember her name.
"Tolia Aman," she told him politely. "I was your teacher's-Swar Aman's student after you became Tallest." He nodded, indicating she should continue. "The etchings of those cave writings our scientists decided were made by ancients are here for your analysis."
Purple nodded absently. "Put them in my room, I'll see to them later."
But his replacement wasn't about to quit. "Teacher Aman spoke of you often," she said quietly. "She was truly sad about your departure." Tolia noticed Ivy then. "She's cute. Your student?"
"And Red's trainee," Purple answered. "We're making her a mix of the two Classes." Before the other scholar could say a word, he headed into the elevator for the bridge. "I'll contact you if I need you." The doors closed, blocking out her reply.
The bridge of the Massive was chaos. Operators ran around, making frantic commands to the leaders of various squads on the planet's surface. KJMT-vect cruisers blasted by the huge windows of the bridge, their weapons geared for battle. Elite Guards dashed up to Purple as he stepped off the elevator, Ivy clinging to him. "What in the name of Irk happened?" he demanded, holding Ivy tighter. She was trembling.
"Sir..." the head guard saluted, then paused, antennae flicking with indecision. "Sir, the inhabitants of the planet have decided to attack the army-"
"Old news," Purple growled. "Something happened. What?"
"We've lost contact with Tallest Red's unit, my Tallest."
Cold dread swallowed the Student Tallest. "You what...?" he asked dangerously. Ivy squirmed, scared. She couldn't understand exactly what was going on. All she knew was that her teacher was afraid, and that something bad had happened to her instructor. She knew this was what Red had called an invasion. He'd said that there were other racers in the galaxy who weren't as good as Irkens, and that Irkens had to invade those planets to make the racers better. Red had also said that the other racers got hurt cause it was war, but Irkens were safe because they were the best. Now she didn't know what to think.
The guard was shaking too. Ivy didn't know why. Her teacher didn't hurt anyone... that was her instructor's job. "Tallest Red contacted us five minutes ago," the guard continued, stammering. "It was just a routine transmission. Status report, instructions. The Tallest was about to finish when there were explosions in the background. The others in his unit were screaming about an attack. That was when we lost the signal." He knelt down, showing his unprotected neck in submission while flattening his antennae against his head. "We haven't been able to contact the Tallest since. We feel... we feel we may have a hostage situation, my lord Tallest."
Ivy wailed. "Find him. Find him now," Purple ordered, trying to keep Ivy calm. Irk, she understood more than the Tallest gave her credit for. He was afraid too. Red was his friend, his closest friend. The brains behind the armed forces of the Invasion. Amazingly, when he needed to be, Red was more than a competent strategist in the art of warfare. If he was dead, Purple honestly didn't know if OID2 would succeed. "Have you locked into where his signal came from?"
"Yes my lord. We are doing all we can to locate him and his unit."
"Hurry it up."
"Yes sir!"
Purple stalked over to the chairs meant for he and Red only. "Ivy-tam, hush," he soothed through his teeth. "It's going to be okay. Red will come back. He's going to be okay. Purple's going to make everything okay again." She didn't answer, just buried her little face against his neck, hot tears dripping down onto his armor. The operators were working overtime, their fingers flashing in blurred motion over their consoles, each one desperately trying to locate their other leader. Purple chewed his lip until it bled. How could this have happened? Blast Red! He was so stupid! Why hadn't he taken precautions? No, he wouldn't have even if the others in his unit had wanted them. Red had never really cared for protocols anyway. Mother of Irk... what if he was killed? No. Purple refused to think like that. If anyone could find a way to survive on a hostile planet, it was that blasted Soldier. A cool something touched the drops of rose-colored blood trailing from his lip. He looked down to see Ivy staring up at him, her beautiful green eyes wet. "You hurt yourself," she said, now looking at the spot on her gloved fingertip. "Reddy isn't gonna like that. He gets scared when you do that."
Her babyish bluntness lessened his fear. "I'll be fine, Ivy-tam," Purple said, holding her close and kissing the top of her head. He could feel her small body fight to keep from purring happily at the attention. "It's okay, Ivy. You can be happy. Nobody's making sure you're scared too."
She didn't purr, just buried her head in his armor. Hours passed with no result. Ivy eventually ceased her trembling, finally falling asleep in his arms. He wished her could fall asleep so easily. His lip grew more and more bloodied as the hours passed, the ship tense with fear. "My Tallest!" one of the operators yelled, breaking the tension on the bridge. His yell woke Ivy, who whimpered, threatening tears again. Purple squeezed her reassuringly. "We have a line opened with the leaders of this planet!" The operator sounded excited. "They want to speak with you."
"Put them on the screen," the Student Tallest ordered, standing up, hiding Ivy behind him. She didn't make a sound.
The creatures that appeared on the screen were unlike any Purple had seen before. They looked as if they were made from the same orange dust as the planet itself. There were at least four separate beings, but it was hard to tell-they all kept churning, spinning like dust devils. Eventually, they settled, forming into reptilian things, standing on two feet like Irkens, tails flicking around them. A dark-colored one began. "You be Irken leader, yes," it said, the others nodded at the statement.
"I am," he answered, trying to convey all the courtesy of his scholarly learning into those two words. "You are the Ineeethi leaders."
"We are," a second hissed. "You want to invade our planet. You send invader to find weakness. It find none. We find it. We have here." One of the other leaders shifted form into one faintly Irken. An Irken in chains. Purple didn't let his antennae move, or his eyes shift away. "We have other leader." Another one changed into an exact copy of Red, also chained. This time, the Student allowed his eyes to narrow. The differences between the likenesses were obviously a psychological tactic. "Your armies go back. We not kill."
"Done." Anything to get those Irkens out of there alive...
The Ineeethi looked at one another, confused. The one who'd mimicked Red's form came forward. "You leave Ineeethir space. We only make slaves."
What? "No," Purple said curtly. "We leave your space, you give us our people back." His antennae flicked inwards. "All our people."
They looked at one another, murmuring in their native tongue. "If we give all, we have no way to make sure Irkens leave," a new one growled. "We give back small ones. Tall red-eye stay. He work lots good. You leave, he live."
Ivy tried to hold back her whimpering. "That isn't going to work," Purple replied in an even tone. He didn't notice his student's little head peer nervously around him. "We want all of our people back here before we leave. If it would help the situation, I will move the main body of the Armada out of your space, but leave a small, weaponless, transport for the other leader and send an escort when the leader is on board."
For a while, they said nothing. "Who small?" the first one asked. Purple spun to see that Ivy had climbed into Red's chair. Her arms were folded angrily over her little chest, a scowl on her young face. It was no use trying to hide her now. "Small Ivy!" the child announced. "I want Reddy back now!" Purple kicked himself mentally for bringing her along. The bridge had gone silent, tension boiling. What would these Ineeethi do for the child's impertinence? The Tallest turned helplessly back to the screen, hoping Ivy hadn't killed Red and the other hostages.
To everyone's surprise, the Ineeethi laughed, a low, grating sound that tore their sensitive antennae. "Cute small one," the dark-colored one murmured. The one with Red's form came forward. "You give small one, we give others. Have many uses for small ones," it growled.
There was a shocked silence. A horrified murmur from Purple caused all eyes to flick to him. They could all see the slumped defeat in his shoulders and the slight backwards tilt of the Tallest's antennae. The meaning of the sentence had been lost on Ivy. She still stood as if she were in complete control of the situation, poised, elegant and very much like the two who were attempting to raise her. Suddenly, Purple's antennae pricked. "You may take her," he said quietly, trying to keep the defeat in his voice. "Unfortunately, our transports are all on your planet. You will have to bring them here-with our people-in order to collect the small one."
"Leader purple-eye meet us alone," the Invader-formed one said finally. "No guards. No one except the small one. In docking bay. One hour."
"Of course," Purple agreed, nodding. "One hour, the docking bay will be open for you." The screen went blank. He turned to the operators, who stared at him, stunned. "Stop gawking!" he snapped. "Call the troops back! I want everyone who isn't being held captive back on their ships as soon as possible! All those transports need to be cloaked. Bring Tallest Red's spare wrist guards to bay 45B. Get a move on!" He offered his arms to Ivy. "C'mon, Ivy-tam," he said soothingly. "We need to visit the docking bay to get Red back." She squealed, jumping into his arms.
The two of them left the bridge, Purple moving as slowly as possible through the corridors and elevators down to the docking level of the huge ship. As she purred happily, resting her head on his shoulder, breath warming his neck, he felt like he was betraying her. Lying to this trusting little baby who loved both him and Red unconditionally. "I'm not," he muttered to himself, watching the doors to docking bay 45B slide easily open at his touch on the control panel. "I'm not, I'm not. By the First Tallest, I swear I'm not." The operators saluted him, one stepping forward to hand him the black and white pieces of armor. Purple set Ivy down, quickly removing his own and latching Red's into place. They were heavier than his were, more bulky because of what was concealed within. "Get out," he ordered the operators. They fled. "Ivy-tam," Purple called, setting his wrist guards on the console. She looked up at him with adoring eyes. "Do you remember how to make your legs into a shield for yourself?" he asked. One long finger tapped her back pod to indicate which legs he meant.
She concentrated briefly. The slender legs emerged, joining in pairs, which formed a clear, impenetrable bubble around her. "Yep!" Her smile dazzled him.
"Good girl," Purple patted the bubble fondly. His joy faded as a large transport inched its way towards the docking bay. He cursed softly, lest Ivy pick up the habit. "Here's what you have to do," he began, eyes never leaving the Irken transport. "Stay behind me until I say so. And when I tell you to, come out with your bubble on. There is going to be some shooting, but you'll be safe if you stay beside me or behind me. Red might be hurt, or worse, but you can't act afraid or Red will go away." He looked right into her eyes. "Do you understand, Ivy?"
"Yes," she murmured, latching onto his legs. "I'll be brave like you two!"
They watched the transport slowly slide into the bay, engines scorching the stale air in the protected monitoring room where they were. The inner doors locked behind the ship, sealing the docking bay from the vacuum of space. Purple headed to the doors, dragging Ivy behind. She was trying not to whimper. They stood before the transport, a DWT-Vast runner, its bulk dominating even the Tallest. The craft had weapons, as did all Irken ships, but they were weak and poorly suited to destroying anything of substance. Red hated the weak lazers. Both Irkens tensed, as two Ineeethi leaders waltzed out, shifting forms at will. Behind them, an entire squad of Soldiers marched, chained with metal-not beams of energy like Irkens used. They looked beaten. Purple frowned. The Invader was among their ranks, but the Tallest was nowhere to be seen. "Here. They all here," the dark-colored Ineeethi growled. "Give small one."
"No. Where is the tall Irken?" Purple retorted, fingering the heavy wrist guards. The squad moved to surround him, noting their release. "We agreed he would be returned."
There was an annoyed muttering between the two Ineeethi. They called something to their comrades still in the ship, their tones annoyed. After a series of grunts only audible to Irken hearing, accompanied by loud and long curses, the other Ineeethi dragged Red from the transport. Like the others, he was chained. His armor was battered, dented and horribly scarred from lazer fire. The hover belt had been torn from the bottom of his Tallest skirt, leaving it ragged and stained with dust from the planet. His boots were gone. There were bruises and various cuts on his face. Despite his appearance, the angry glint in his Soldier-red eyes still shone with a vengeful fire. He cursed again as they threw him at Purple's feet. At least he wasn't dead... "There," one snapped, glaring down at the Soldier Tallest. "Your trash has been returned."
" 'Trash'!?" Red quoted, shouting. "You sorry wormbag!" He twisted his head around to face what had been his captors. "I'll destroy all of you!" The Soldier's frustration increased when they laughed at his position. Curses streamed out of his mouth.
The Ineeethi ignored his display. "Now, give small one," the dark one said, extending its hand as if to take a leash. "We have brought tall, stupid one and small ones. Now you give small green-eyed one." When Purple didn't move, it got impatient. "Give her now!"
The significance of the statement finally clicked in Red's brain. "What!?" he demanded, twisting his head to see Purple. "No! Purple you idiot! Don't!" He sat up, giving the Student a death glare. "You miserable wormstink! How could you give Ivy up!?"
"Shut up," Purple told him flatly, flicking his antennae in irritation. "Come here, Ivy," he said softly. The little Irken walked timidly forward, trying to keep herself from throwing her arms around Red. Her teacher had said what she had to do, and she did it, unquestioning. The bubble was safely around her, not even shimmering in the light orbs of the docking bay. Purple reached down to pull Red to his feet. The other Tallest leaned heavily to one side, still glaring at him. "Stop it," Purple hissed, barely loud enough for even the Soldier to hear. "She isn't going anywhere." He eyed the chains. "Can you shoot your lazers with those on?"
The glare vanished, then was replaced with a false one. "Anytime, smokescreen-boy," Red grinned, showing his teeth. "They can be killed. You just gotta aim right."
One Ineeethi came forward, its arm outstretched to grab Ivy. She cringed away. "Come small one," it laughed. "We have much use for small one. Many lonely Ineeethi." The hand came again, this time less gentle and more demanding. She wailed. The Ineeethi suddenly found itself staring a lazer blaster in the face. "If you scum dare put your hands on Ivy," Purple hissed, keeping the blaster aimed at its head. "You will be blasted into pieces so small, dust you know are will look like mountains." The other wrist guard came up, aiming at another Ineeethi who had taken a step towards Ivy. Red took this as his cue, aiming his as well. With another wail, Ivy ran back to hide behind the Tallest. The Invader moved to block her from the Ineeethi, which earned him a grateful glance from both Tallest. "If any of you move," Purple continued, antennae flicking inwards with his aggression. "we will kill you."
"You made deal!" the head Ineeethi snarled. "We bring red idiot, you give small ivy! Irkens uphold deal with Ineeethi!" It changed form, dust twisting into some strange creature, bristling with horns and fangs. Neither Tallest moved. The Ineeethi took a step forward. Purple fired. He wondered if a lazer could harm something made entirely of dust. He didn't have long to wait. The Ineeethi he'd shot disintegrated into a pile of harmless orange grit, a strangled cry escaping it. The others stared in horror. Red grinned at them, whispering, "Payback," to himself, then fired. Both Ineeethi he'd been aiming for fell. The remaining creature fled inside the ship, Purple's fire going wide. Angered, Purple chased after it, not listening to Red's shouts. Before he could board the ship after it, the Ineeethi emerged, cradling a blaster. "Oh... mother of Irk," Purple muttered in disbelief. It raised the weapon. A smirk crept onto its face at the Tallest's frozen stance. It slowly pulled the trigger-
And disintegrated.
Red let out a whoop of triumph. Purple couldn't move. He felt someone pound his back pod in celebration, another someone tugging on his skirt, and was conscious of the sound of Irken cheering. In a daze, he allowed himself to be pulled from the docking bay to his rooms... where he passed out from shock.
Ivy was happy now. Reddy had come back, and Pur was alive. At first, she'd thought he'd been hurt. The doctor Irkens had said that he'd been very scared and that had made something bad happen inside him and that made him fall asleep. Ivy wasn't sure if she believed them. They had said a lot of big words that had confused even Reddy. Then, the doctors had explained it again, using smaller words both of them understood. She decided they were wrong. Pur just needed sleepies cause everyone said he worried lots about everything. That she could believe. With a sigh, Ivy relaxed further against Red's armor. He'd been gone in the doctor level place for a while and had to leave her alone with some other Irken. She didn't like other Irkens. They talked funny. "Too many big words," she murmured.
"Hmmm?" the Tallest asked, lifting her chin up to look at him. "Say something, Vee?"
Reddy called her "Vee," that was his name for her. Pur called her "Ivy-tam," cause that was the old way of giving nicknames to Irkens. She liked both names. "I said that doctors talk with too many big words," she explained, slightly louder this time. She had to be quiet cause Pur was sleeping and they were waiting for him to wake up in his room to surprise him. Ivy liked surprises. She hoped Pur liked them too. He needed a break. Even while he was sleeping, he looked worried. She purred; enjoying the attention Red was lavishing on her. "I missed you, Veevee," Red said, twirling her antennae around his fingers. Veevee was another name he had for her. "Too many Soldiers hurting the enemy. Not enough cute little Soldier/Students to play with."
"You never showed me lazers," Ivy told him, pouting. "I like da big ones."
"I know you do Vee," he murmured, smiling down at her. He got serious suddenly. "Pur had to do a very dangerous thing with you today. We're lucky he's smart, otherwise the bad race would get you." His voice suddenly got very quiet, like he was scared. Ivy didn't like it when Red was scared. He was the big, tough one who could make all the bad things go away and keep her safe from the monsters who came when she was alone. She hugged him around his waist. Red returned the gesture. "We're lucky, Ivy. Very, very lucky," he said.
"Did you blow the planet up?" Purple asked suddenly, groggily sitting up. He massaged his forehead. Ivy frowned. Pur was worrying too much again.
"Yep." Red swiveled the chair around to face the other Tallest, grinning again. "Nobody tries to kill my squad, me and take away Ivy. If they do," he pretended to fire a blaster. "BOOM! They're space garbage."
This caused Purple to laugh. It sounded real for once and made Ivy smile. "I'm sorry," he said, calming. "Both of you, I'm sorry. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't have a plan."
Red waved him off. "Hey, as long as the Almighty Student has a plan, I'm fine," he joked. Both of them looked at Ivy. She giggled. They looked serious. "I'm okay!" she told them. "The racers went into dust!"
" 'Racers'?" Purple asked, staring at her. "Wha...?"
"It's a long story," Red said, blushing a dark green.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"That's a first."
With a purr of contentment, Ivy snuggled back down into Red. It felt safe now, both her teacher and her protector were okay, so she would be okay too. She knew it would be. She hoped it would always be okay. Ivy smiled a secretive smile. Life got too complicated for a young female who's attention was fought over by the Almighty Tallest.
I own Ivy. Not Red, not Purple. Not Zim-er, wait, Zim's not in this... never mind. I don't want the creator of JTHM mad at me...
Hee hee... Massive...
Jade Eyes II
The stars glided by the porthole. They shown into her eyes, their dancing light creating pinpricks of flashes in her sensitive vision. "Ivy-tam," said a voice from behind her. "tal slen iater?"
She frowned, processing what he'd said. "Yep, I finished my work!" The young female turned to face him. "When's Red coming back?" she asked, pressing her mouth into a babyish pout. "He said he'd show me lazers when he was done..."
"I don't know," her teacher answered. They were in his quarters, the doors locked to prevent intrusion. Purple gazed down at the dark orange planet twirling idly below the vast spread of the Armada's ships. He chewed his lip. Red had been down there a long time, trying to locate the Invader assigned to this particular planet. The armies were also having trouble with the blistering heat of it. Irk was a great deal colder than this sun-baked rock. Purple had wanted to come, but Red had insisted it was too dangerous for a scholar. "Plus, we need someone to take care of the ship," he'd said. "Not to mention the squirt." As if she'd heard him thinking, Ivy wandered over, wrapping her arms around his legs. He smiled. Had it really been four years? Four years and they STILL couldn't figure out where the little one had come from. There were a few records of stillborns on the day she'd been found. It was likely she'd been one of those who had awakened after being cast aside wherever the Hatcheries put stillborns, and been found by a worker. That still didn't explain why she'd been in Red's room... Purple doubted he'd ever know. He patted Ivy's head absently. She was growing quickly, and was about 2'5 now. After a great deal of searching, they'd finally found a green and white back pod for her. It had been installed while she slept, as the implantation of the wires into a spine hurt. She used the attachments with ease now. She'd been learning from both Tallests at a fantastic rate. From him, she learned how to speak ancient Irken, write in the somewhat difficult style of her race and could read almost as well as the Student Tallest himself. Red hadn't begun to instruct her yet, saying she was too small for all his lazers or other weapons. Ivy had become particularly fond of his favorite, the bati staffs, which pleased the Soldier to no end.
Ivy climbed up on the couch beside him, wrapping her little arms around his thin waist. "I miss Reddy," she muttered. Her green eyes looked up at him, begging him to bring back the other Tallest. "He's a'posed to show me lazery things."
"I know," Purple said. He put his arm around her. "Red just has some things to do. Tallest Irken things." Ivy played with the fabric of her dress, putting her fingers into her mouth. She made a face, spitting them out as the sour taste of her glove fabric reached her brain. Like all normal Irkens, she wore boots and gloves; although her main garments consisted of a green, sleeveless dress the Tallest's personal tailors had been obsessed with creating. He laughed at her disgusted face.
"Why can't he stay on the ship with me like you do?" Ivy questioned, her antennae flicking back.
Purple sighed. "Because Red is a Soldier and there's a war on that planet down there," he replied, pointing out the porthole. "I'm a Student and you need lessons."
Ivy made another face. "I don't like lessons," she complained. "They're boring."
"Oh, they're boring now, are they?" he chuckled. "Yesterday you thought the old talk was pretty. Now it's boring."
"Yes," she complained, burying her face in the pillows, away from him. "I don't want any more lessons. I want Red!"
"If you're going to be a brat, Ivy-tam," he said sternly. "I'm going to the bridge and you can stay here by yourself. Without me or Red." Purple got up out of his chair, intending to carry out his promise. By the time he got to the door, he felt her little hands pulling on his skirt. She muttered something about him being bad for leaving her into the fabric. His resolve melted. The female had a phobia of being alone. Someone, be it a robot or an Irken, was with her all the time, keeping her company. The two Tallest had learned how to play this to their advantage when Ivy refused to do as she was told. Purple picked her up, letting her almost strangle him. "I spoil you, do you know that?" he whispered. Ivy giggled as his breath tickled her antennae. Smiling, she reached up to pull on his. Mother of Irk, he DID spoil her too much. It was hard not too.
Students-high ranking mechanics, scholars, robotisits, scientists and even med workers-were mingling in the hallway. Seeing their Tallest, they grinned, tipping their antennae back in salute. The luxury of being informal was used only when he was around. If they were in the presence of Red, they would have been down on their knees, silent. That was the good thing about having two Tallests of different classes. One class wasn't elevated above the other. Unfortunately, that hadn't been enough during the Uprisings. Another scholar, a female with tan-colored eyes, fell into step beside her Tallest, holding up some forms. "Kasden Aman," she began, using his old student name. Another luxury. "Do you know how long I've been looking for you?"
"Nope. But I know you're going to tell me, uh..." He looked down at her, trying to remember her name.
"Tolia Aman," she told him politely. "I was your teacher's-Swar Aman's student after you became Tallest." He nodded, indicating she should continue. "The etchings of those cave writings our scientists decided were made by ancients are here for your analysis."
Purple nodded absently. "Put them in my room, I'll see to them later."
But his replacement wasn't about to quit. "Teacher Aman spoke of you often," she said quietly. "She was truly sad about your departure." Tolia noticed Ivy then. "She's cute. Your student?"
"And Red's trainee," Purple answered. "We're making her a mix of the two Classes." Before the other scholar could say a word, he headed into the elevator for the bridge. "I'll contact you if I need you." The doors closed, blocking out her reply.
The bridge of the Massive was chaos. Operators ran around, making frantic commands to the leaders of various squads on the planet's surface. KJMT-vect cruisers blasted by the huge windows of the bridge, their weapons geared for battle. Elite Guards dashed up to Purple as he stepped off the elevator, Ivy clinging to him. "What in the name of Irk happened?" he demanded, holding Ivy tighter. She was trembling.
"Sir..." the head guard saluted, then paused, antennae flicking with indecision. "Sir, the inhabitants of the planet have decided to attack the army-"
"Old news," Purple growled. "Something happened. What?"
"We've lost contact with Tallest Red's unit, my Tallest."
Cold dread swallowed the Student Tallest. "You what...?" he asked dangerously. Ivy squirmed, scared. She couldn't understand exactly what was going on. All she knew was that her teacher was afraid, and that something bad had happened to her instructor. She knew this was what Red had called an invasion. He'd said that there were other racers in the galaxy who weren't as good as Irkens, and that Irkens had to invade those planets to make the racers better. Red had also said that the other racers got hurt cause it was war, but Irkens were safe because they were the best. Now she didn't know what to think.
The guard was shaking too. Ivy didn't know why. Her teacher didn't hurt anyone... that was her instructor's job. "Tallest Red contacted us five minutes ago," the guard continued, stammering. "It was just a routine transmission. Status report, instructions. The Tallest was about to finish when there were explosions in the background. The others in his unit were screaming about an attack. That was when we lost the signal." He knelt down, showing his unprotected neck in submission while flattening his antennae against his head. "We haven't been able to contact the Tallest since. We feel... we feel we may have a hostage situation, my lord Tallest."
Ivy wailed. "Find him. Find him now," Purple ordered, trying to keep Ivy calm. Irk, she understood more than the Tallest gave her credit for. He was afraid too. Red was his friend, his closest friend. The brains behind the armed forces of the Invasion. Amazingly, when he needed to be, Red was more than a competent strategist in the art of warfare. If he was dead, Purple honestly didn't know if OID2 would succeed. "Have you locked into where his signal came from?"
"Yes my lord. We are doing all we can to locate him and his unit."
"Hurry it up."
"Yes sir!"
Purple stalked over to the chairs meant for he and Red only. "Ivy-tam, hush," he soothed through his teeth. "It's going to be okay. Red will come back. He's going to be okay. Purple's going to make everything okay again." She didn't answer, just buried her little face against his neck, hot tears dripping down onto his armor. The operators were working overtime, their fingers flashing in blurred motion over their consoles, each one desperately trying to locate their other leader. Purple chewed his lip until it bled. How could this have happened? Blast Red! He was so stupid! Why hadn't he taken precautions? No, he wouldn't have even if the others in his unit had wanted them. Red had never really cared for protocols anyway. Mother of Irk... what if he was killed? No. Purple refused to think like that. If anyone could find a way to survive on a hostile planet, it was that blasted Soldier. A cool something touched the drops of rose-colored blood trailing from his lip. He looked down to see Ivy staring up at him, her beautiful green eyes wet. "You hurt yourself," she said, now looking at the spot on her gloved fingertip. "Reddy isn't gonna like that. He gets scared when you do that."
Her babyish bluntness lessened his fear. "I'll be fine, Ivy-tam," Purple said, holding her close and kissing the top of her head. He could feel her small body fight to keep from purring happily at the attention. "It's okay, Ivy. You can be happy. Nobody's making sure you're scared too."
She didn't purr, just buried her head in his armor. Hours passed with no result. Ivy eventually ceased her trembling, finally falling asleep in his arms. He wished her could fall asleep so easily. His lip grew more and more bloodied as the hours passed, the ship tense with fear. "My Tallest!" one of the operators yelled, breaking the tension on the bridge. His yell woke Ivy, who whimpered, threatening tears again. Purple squeezed her reassuringly. "We have a line opened with the leaders of this planet!" The operator sounded excited. "They want to speak with you."
"Put them on the screen," the Student Tallest ordered, standing up, hiding Ivy behind him. She didn't make a sound.
The creatures that appeared on the screen were unlike any Purple had seen before. They looked as if they were made from the same orange dust as the planet itself. There were at least four separate beings, but it was hard to tell-they all kept churning, spinning like dust devils. Eventually, they settled, forming into reptilian things, standing on two feet like Irkens, tails flicking around them. A dark-colored one began. "You be Irken leader, yes," it said, the others nodded at the statement.
"I am," he answered, trying to convey all the courtesy of his scholarly learning into those two words. "You are the Ineeethi leaders."
"We are," a second hissed. "You want to invade our planet. You send invader to find weakness. It find none. We find it. We have here." One of the other leaders shifted form into one faintly Irken. An Irken in chains. Purple didn't let his antennae move, or his eyes shift away. "We have other leader." Another one changed into an exact copy of Red, also chained. This time, the Student allowed his eyes to narrow. The differences between the likenesses were obviously a psychological tactic. "Your armies go back. We not kill."
"Done." Anything to get those Irkens out of there alive...
The Ineeethi looked at one another, confused. The one who'd mimicked Red's form came forward. "You leave Ineeethir space. We only make slaves."
What? "No," Purple said curtly. "We leave your space, you give us our people back." His antennae flicked inwards. "All our people."
They looked at one another, murmuring in their native tongue. "If we give all, we have no way to make sure Irkens leave," a new one growled. "We give back small ones. Tall red-eye stay. He work lots good. You leave, he live."
Ivy tried to hold back her whimpering. "That isn't going to work," Purple replied in an even tone. He didn't notice his student's little head peer nervously around him. "We want all of our people back here before we leave. If it would help the situation, I will move the main body of the Armada out of your space, but leave a small, weaponless, transport for the other leader and send an escort when the leader is on board."
For a while, they said nothing. "Who small?" the first one asked. Purple spun to see that Ivy had climbed into Red's chair. Her arms were folded angrily over her little chest, a scowl on her young face. It was no use trying to hide her now. "Small Ivy!" the child announced. "I want Reddy back now!" Purple kicked himself mentally for bringing her along. The bridge had gone silent, tension boiling. What would these Ineeethi do for the child's impertinence? The Tallest turned helplessly back to the screen, hoping Ivy hadn't killed Red and the other hostages.
To everyone's surprise, the Ineeethi laughed, a low, grating sound that tore their sensitive antennae. "Cute small one," the dark-colored one murmured. The one with Red's form came forward. "You give small one, we give others. Have many uses for small ones," it growled.
There was a shocked silence. A horrified murmur from Purple caused all eyes to flick to him. They could all see the slumped defeat in his shoulders and the slight backwards tilt of the Tallest's antennae. The meaning of the sentence had been lost on Ivy. She still stood as if she were in complete control of the situation, poised, elegant and very much like the two who were attempting to raise her. Suddenly, Purple's antennae pricked. "You may take her," he said quietly, trying to keep the defeat in his voice. "Unfortunately, our transports are all on your planet. You will have to bring them here-with our people-in order to collect the small one."
"Leader purple-eye meet us alone," the Invader-formed one said finally. "No guards. No one except the small one. In docking bay. One hour."
"Of course," Purple agreed, nodding. "One hour, the docking bay will be open for you." The screen went blank. He turned to the operators, who stared at him, stunned. "Stop gawking!" he snapped. "Call the troops back! I want everyone who isn't being held captive back on their ships as soon as possible! All those transports need to be cloaked. Bring Tallest Red's spare wrist guards to bay 45B. Get a move on!" He offered his arms to Ivy. "C'mon, Ivy-tam," he said soothingly. "We need to visit the docking bay to get Red back." She squealed, jumping into his arms.
The two of them left the bridge, Purple moving as slowly as possible through the corridors and elevators down to the docking level of the huge ship. As she purred happily, resting her head on his shoulder, breath warming his neck, he felt like he was betraying her. Lying to this trusting little baby who loved both him and Red unconditionally. "I'm not," he muttered to himself, watching the doors to docking bay 45B slide easily open at his touch on the control panel. "I'm not, I'm not. By the First Tallest, I swear I'm not." The operators saluted him, one stepping forward to hand him the black and white pieces of armor. Purple set Ivy down, quickly removing his own and latching Red's into place. They were heavier than his were, more bulky because of what was concealed within. "Get out," he ordered the operators. They fled. "Ivy-tam," Purple called, setting his wrist guards on the console. She looked up at him with adoring eyes. "Do you remember how to make your legs into a shield for yourself?" he asked. One long finger tapped her back pod to indicate which legs he meant.
She concentrated briefly. The slender legs emerged, joining in pairs, which formed a clear, impenetrable bubble around her. "Yep!" Her smile dazzled him.
"Good girl," Purple patted the bubble fondly. His joy faded as a large transport inched its way towards the docking bay. He cursed softly, lest Ivy pick up the habit. "Here's what you have to do," he began, eyes never leaving the Irken transport. "Stay behind me until I say so. And when I tell you to, come out with your bubble on. There is going to be some shooting, but you'll be safe if you stay beside me or behind me. Red might be hurt, or worse, but you can't act afraid or Red will go away." He looked right into her eyes. "Do you understand, Ivy?"
"Yes," she murmured, latching onto his legs. "I'll be brave like you two!"
They watched the transport slowly slide into the bay, engines scorching the stale air in the protected monitoring room where they were. The inner doors locked behind the ship, sealing the docking bay from the vacuum of space. Purple headed to the doors, dragging Ivy behind. She was trying not to whimper. They stood before the transport, a DWT-Vast runner, its bulk dominating even the Tallest. The craft had weapons, as did all Irken ships, but they were weak and poorly suited to destroying anything of substance. Red hated the weak lazers. Both Irkens tensed, as two Ineeethi leaders waltzed out, shifting forms at will. Behind them, an entire squad of Soldiers marched, chained with metal-not beams of energy like Irkens used. They looked beaten. Purple frowned. The Invader was among their ranks, but the Tallest was nowhere to be seen. "Here. They all here," the dark-colored Ineeethi growled. "Give small one."
"No. Where is the tall Irken?" Purple retorted, fingering the heavy wrist guards. The squad moved to surround him, noting their release. "We agreed he would be returned."
There was an annoyed muttering between the two Ineeethi. They called something to their comrades still in the ship, their tones annoyed. After a series of grunts only audible to Irken hearing, accompanied by loud and long curses, the other Ineeethi dragged Red from the transport. Like the others, he was chained. His armor was battered, dented and horribly scarred from lazer fire. The hover belt had been torn from the bottom of his Tallest skirt, leaving it ragged and stained with dust from the planet. His boots were gone. There were bruises and various cuts on his face. Despite his appearance, the angry glint in his Soldier-red eyes still shone with a vengeful fire. He cursed again as they threw him at Purple's feet. At least he wasn't dead... "There," one snapped, glaring down at the Soldier Tallest. "Your trash has been returned."
" 'Trash'!?" Red quoted, shouting. "You sorry wormbag!" He twisted his head around to face what had been his captors. "I'll destroy all of you!" The Soldier's frustration increased when they laughed at his position. Curses streamed out of his mouth.
The Ineeethi ignored his display. "Now, give small one," the dark one said, extending its hand as if to take a leash. "We have brought tall, stupid one and small ones. Now you give small green-eyed one." When Purple didn't move, it got impatient. "Give her now!"
The significance of the statement finally clicked in Red's brain. "What!?" he demanded, twisting his head to see Purple. "No! Purple you idiot! Don't!" He sat up, giving the Student a death glare. "You miserable wormstink! How could you give Ivy up!?"
"Shut up," Purple told him flatly, flicking his antennae in irritation. "Come here, Ivy," he said softly. The little Irken walked timidly forward, trying to keep herself from throwing her arms around Red. Her teacher had said what she had to do, and she did it, unquestioning. The bubble was safely around her, not even shimmering in the light orbs of the docking bay. Purple reached down to pull Red to his feet. The other Tallest leaned heavily to one side, still glaring at him. "Stop it," Purple hissed, barely loud enough for even the Soldier to hear. "She isn't going anywhere." He eyed the chains. "Can you shoot your lazers with those on?"
The glare vanished, then was replaced with a false one. "Anytime, smokescreen-boy," Red grinned, showing his teeth. "They can be killed. You just gotta aim right."
One Ineeethi came forward, its arm outstretched to grab Ivy. She cringed away. "Come small one," it laughed. "We have much use for small one. Many lonely Ineeethi." The hand came again, this time less gentle and more demanding. She wailed. The Ineeethi suddenly found itself staring a lazer blaster in the face. "If you scum dare put your hands on Ivy," Purple hissed, keeping the blaster aimed at its head. "You will be blasted into pieces so small, dust you know are will look like mountains." The other wrist guard came up, aiming at another Ineeethi who had taken a step towards Ivy. Red took this as his cue, aiming his as well. With another wail, Ivy ran back to hide behind the Tallest. The Invader moved to block her from the Ineeethi, which earned him a grateful glance from both Tallest. "If any of you move," Purple continued, antennae flicking inwards with his aggression. "we will kill you."
"You made deal!" the head Ineeethi snarled. "We bring red idiot, you give small ivy! Irkens uphold deal with Ineeethi!" It changed form, dust twisting into some strange creature, bristling with horns and fangs. Neither Tallest moved. The Ineeethi took a step forward. Purple fired. He wondered if a lazer could harm something made entirely of dust. He didn't have long to wait. The Ineeethi he'd shot disintegrated into a pile of harmless orange grit, a strangled cry escaping it. The others stared in horror. Red grinned at them, whispering, "Payback," to himself, then fired. Both Ineeethi he'd been aiming for fell. The remaining creature fled inside the ship, Purple's fire going wide. Angered, Purple chased after it, not listening to Red's shouts. Before he could board the ship after it, the Ineeethi emerged, cradling a blaster. "Oh... mother of Irk," Purple muttered in disbelief. It raised the weapon. A smirk crept onto its face at the Tallest's frozen stance. It slowly pulled the trigger-
And disintegrated.
Red let out a whoop of triumph. Purple couldn't move. He felt someone pound his back pod in celebration, another someone tugging on his skirt, and was conscious of the sound of Irken cheering. In a daze, he allowed himself to be pulled from the docking bay to his rooms... where he passed out from shock.
Ivy was happy now. Reddy had come back, and Pur was alive. At first, she'd thought he'd been hurt. The doctor Irkens had said that he'd been very scared and that had made something bad happen inside him and that made him fall asleep. Ivy wasn't sure if she believed them. They had said a lot of big words that had confused even Reddy. Then, the doctors had explained it again, using smaller words both of them understood. She decided they were wrong. Pur just needed sleepies cause everyone said he worried lots about everything. That she could believe. With a sigh, Ivy relaxed further against Red's armor. He'd been gone in the doctor level place for a while and had to leave her alone with some other Irken. She didn't like other Irkens. They talked funny. "Too many big words," she murmured.
"Hmmm?" the Tallest asked, lifting her chin up to look at him. "Say something, Vee?"
Reddy called her "Vee," that was his name for her. Pur called her "Ivy-tam," cause that was the old way of giving nicknames to Irkens. She liked both names. "I said that doctors talk with too many big words," she explained, slightly louder this time. She had to be quiet cause Pur was sleeping and they were waiting for him to wake up in his room to surprise him. Ivy liked surprises. She hoped Pur liked them too. He needed a break. Even while he was sleeping, he looked worried. She purred; enjoying the attention Red was lavishing on her. "I missed you, Veevee," Red said, twirling her antennae around his fingers. Veevee was another name he had for her. "Too many Soldiers hurting the enemy. Not enough cute little Soldier/Students to play with."
"You never showed me lazers," Ivy told him, pouting. "I like da big ones."
"I know you do Vee," he murmured, smiling down at her. He got serious suddenly. "Pur had to do a very dangerous thing with you today. We're lucky he's smart, otherwise the bad race would get you." His voice suddenly got very quiet, like he was scared. Ivy didn't like it when Red was scared. He was the big, tough one who could make all the bad things go away and keep her safe from the monsters who came when she was alone. She hugged him around his waist. Red returned the gesture. "We're lucky, Ivy. Very, very lucky," he said.
"Did you blow the planet up?" Purple asked suddenly, groggily sitting up. He massaged his forehead. Ivy frowned. Pur was worrying too much again.
"Yep." Red swiveled the chair around to face the other Tallest, grinning again. "Nobody tries to kill my squad, me and take away Ivy. If they do," he pretended to fire a blaster. "BOOM! They're space garbage."
This caused Purple to laugh. It sounded real for once and made Ivy smile. "I'm sorry," he said, calming. "Both of you, I'm sorry. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't have a plan."
Red waved him off. "Hey, as long as the Almighty Student has a plan, I'm fine," he joked. Both of them looked at Ivy. She giggled. They looked serious. "I'm okay!" she told them. "The racers went into dust!"
" 'Racers'?" Purple asked, staring at her. "Wha...?"
"It's a long story," Red said, blushing a dark green.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"That's a first."
With a purr of contentment, Ivy snuggled back down into Red. It felt safe now, both her teacher and her protector were okay, so she would be okay too. She knew it would be. She hoped it would always be okay. Ivy smiled a secretive smile. Life got too complicated for a young female who's attention was fought over by the Almighty Tallest.