~-~-~

This is a short one from the point of view of Tallest Maroon. He requires a little explaining so I'll do what I can. Maroon is of the Student class, and is a historian and scholar who is rather obsessed with the arts and culture, and restoring it on Irk. In the RPG, Red and Purple due to an accident were stranded on Earth. Purple managed to adapt quite well and made a whole life for himself there, but Red more or less hated it, and always wanted to return. He finally managed to, and after immediately telling everyone that Purple was dead, took up co-ruler-ship with Maroon, who had been found in the interim and, unfortunately, was the same height as the other two, and MUCH less subservient to Red's ideas than Purple had been. Information slipped through, though, and Maroon found out that Purple was still alive. He aimed to retrieve him, but that failed. Afterwards, Maroon was invited by a resident human, KidK, to tour the planet with her since she'd stumbled onto the Massive II and found she and Maroon shared a lot of interests. Almost as soon as Maroon left, Red disconnected the teleporters with a handy laser and due to various 'accidents' Maroon has been stuck on Earth since.

~-~-~ Tallest Maroon ~-~-~

What was I supposed to do about it, then? I could feel my antennae crossing inward towards each other as I stared at the sparking cables, torn to what looked like shreds by the teeth of some.. little animal. Vehicle of the fates? Machine of the gods? What? Why had this happened to me? And with my helplessness in being estranged here, here on an alien planet, no matter how interesting, there was nothing I could do. I had a co-ruler. A co-ruler I would've, especially at this moment, given ANYTHING to tear the head off of.

Lying, stinking, bloodlusting Soldier. The worst example of the Soldier class I have ever yet seen. I almost can't blame his former co-ruler for choosing to remain on this alien world, although I sorely wish he had agreed to return. How often in history does one legitimately match the height of the Tallest? I never wanted to be Tallest. Not ever. I used to walk hunched over and lock myself in the museums and libraries where I would work! Still I towered over.. well.. everyone. And then the Tallest disappeared. Both of them. There had been an accident with the capital ship of the armada, the Massive, and while construction had immediately begun on the Massive II, we were without rulers. A search was initiated. They found me.

Was this fate? Had that been fate? How could I know? I only knew the sworn duty that I had taken on, as I'd been taught and as I knew to be true deep in my heart. Irk was dying. Crushed under the weight of the computers, the machines, its inhabitants struggling to exist under cyborg attachments, the remnants of ancient culture turning to dust and being swept away by this
sterile, military, incredibly fake and empty reality. The scholars held the history texts and the artifacts, and it was us who clung to the meaning that life had once had for Irkens. We used to be empathic. Our antennae used to be able to sense and perceive so much more than they do now. When I was young and foolish I would spend hours, days even, struggling to awaken this
old talent which I was sure MUST have been there, somewhere, lying latent. I never could find it. I think I may lack the knowledge or training to be able to use it, if it's even there anymore.

Irk has to survive. That was the only thought in my head even as the sparking cables burned into my vision. I could not help but stare, seething inside, gritting my teeth together. Mother of IRK knows what Red is doing in my absence. Not only had he attepted to destroy the teleporters on HIS side.. this had happened. And not only was Red and the entire Soldier class attempting to destroy the meaning of Irken life and culture, but they were inflicting the same fate on alien planets and civilizations. Irk needed to expand. With all the smeets being constructed and grown in their tubes, the population was overflowing... Irkens lived so long, their natural birth rate was so slow... but nothing was natural anymore. Nothing. How can one Irken, even one in the position of Tallest, change all this? Make things worthwhile again?

Perhaps I'm almost like a Soldier, too. I can be as tough as one. I know my duty, and it must come before my research, come before my exploration and the great fun I've been having experiencing and learning about this planet I'm on. I have met cultured and very enjoyable alien personalities. I have experienced a thousand things, things that I've only read about before. It's this experience that I have to save. I have to. My entire species is lost if I don't.. I have to get back. They still listen to me, I can still
contact them and order them from afar. There is a way past these obstacles and I intend to find it. Even if it means arranging Red's death when I return.