Purple sat in his throne, silently glancing at a datapad. He was reading over a speech he was to make that afternoon to the troops. In the throne beside him sat Red, who was supposed to be looking over the same speech, but was instead leaning back, eating a bowl of popcorn. The scarlet-clad Tallest grinned mischievously and picked up one kernel with his long claws. He aimed, and made a direct hit on Purple's head. Purple made no reaction. Red frowned and picked up another kernel. This time when it hit his fellow leader's head, he made 'kaboom' noise. Still his friend ignored him. He threw another, and another, and eventually he could see Purple's face tighten with frustration. "Will you stop that and get to work!" exploded the exasperated Tallest.

"Bah! This work is boring!" Red threw his datapad on the floor.

"But it still needs to be done! And you haven't looked over the treaty with the Nelioids either, which was supposed to be done last week. And there are a few new policies that need to be reviewed tomorrow, so we don't have time to slack off today!"

"And blah, blah, blah, blah, blah... I get it already. I'll do all my work." He then perked up. "Ooh! Ooh! I'll do yours too! That would give you a nice day off!" He smiled happily at his suggestion.

Purple eyed him with a suspicious glare. "Yeah ... right. Whenever I take a day off, you blow the work off. It's hard enough to get you to do anything while I'm around." He slunk back into his throne and concentrated on the datapad in front of him.

Red pouted. "You don't trust me!"

"Darn right."

"But I'd be super motivated. I'll make this the best speech ever! We'll be known throughout the universe for our eloquence. Irkens will be forever known as the smartest, most well-spoken race ever! We'll be so respected, whole galaxies will beg us to dominate them, just so they can be a member of the mighty brilliance which is the Irken Empire," he picked up his datapad and gave it a look of reverence, "and all because of this one speech."

Purple studied his comrade, questioning his intelligence. "That speech is about a need for more roads on Irk.... Not very inspiring."

Red threw the datapad back down on the floor. "Then not worth spending so much time on! Come on! You know you want a break. Eh? Eh?" He was now nudging Purple in the arm. "And I'll take care of everything else."

"And the point of this is?" Usually when his friend was so persistent, there was something under his sleeve.

"Oh, no reason," replied Red innocently. "Just thought you might want some time off. I mean, you've been working so hard. And you've been so worried about Tah recently. Now that everything is drawing to a close, I think it might be time for you to kick back and relax."

Purple frowned at his co-ruler. "And... does this have anything to do with the time you ransacked my room? I still need to clean all that junk up..." He glowered at the thought of the disorganization. "You wanted me to write something? Or something like that?"

"No! You don't get it, do you? I thought you scholars were supposed to be smart. I was hoping you'd written something sappy, but it turns out you're just as dense as any other man. Probably more so."

Purple cocked one brow, "You talk as if you weren't a man."

"Dak! Ask Dak! He'd only known Clay for, what, a week? He lost no time in asking her!"

Purple could no longer hide the smile that was creeping on his face. He tried to look confused. "Dak? I don't remember him writing anything? Does he have some hidden talent I don't know about?"

"I'm not talking about any sort of stupid balled! You are intentionally misunderstanding me!" If Red had hair, he'd be pulling it out.

"If only you would just tell me what you wanted, then I wouldn't misunderstand." Now Purple was openly laughing at his frustrated companion.

Red dramatically pointed a claw at his friend. "You! You know I'm not good talking about this kind of thing! You know what I mean! It involves that squiggly pooch of yours and Tah! And if you don't start taking a hint, I'll have to rip that squiggly pooch out of your chest and hand it to her myself!" He picked up his bowl of popcorn and threw it at Purple, sending yellow kernels flying about the room.

Purple jumped out of his thrown in a futile attempt to avoid the popcorn. "You bastard! You're messing up my robes!" He grabbed a handful of kernels and threw them back at Red. "How do you like it? Huh? Huh?"

Red lunged at his co-Tallest, but for once Purple was able to wiggle away. He floated out of the room and down the corridor, with Red in close pursuit. The workers back in the transmission room who had ignored their Tallest's behavior now allowed themselves to chatter. One leaned over to another, "Damnit, they are weird."

Down the hall Red was chasing a now laughing Purple. He led the disgruntled Tallest into his room, and dove behind his desk, amidst some of the clutter his friend had caused earlier. Before Red could reach Purple a datapad smacked into his forehead. "You've suffered enough, Huk'ra! I think that's what you were looking for!" He sat on the floor and watched Red's confused look as he glanced at the pad.

"This isn't what I was looking for! This is in some foreign tongue. Useless!"

Purple laughed. "I can't believe you don't know what your own native language looks like, you uneducated brute! I thought you might bother me about this, so I wrote my appeal in a language you certainly wouldn't understand. I'll get to it when I'm good and ready, so there!" He stuck his pointy tongue out at his friend.

A look of shock crossed Red's features. "What? You knew all along? You were just pretending not to know? You – you led me on!" Purple began to cackle at his gullibility, which won him a datapad in the face.

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Yempt was finally nearing the Entertainment Center. Although it didn't take long to get there, his anxiety made it feel like an eternity. He hoped Twaine was still there. And he hoped that marauder he'd been with was gone. Certainly Twaine wouldn't replace him so quickly. He quickened his pace, when he saw Twaine turning the corner. Thankfully alone. Yempt ran up to his side and waited to be acknowledged. However, his usually sociable friend looked strait ahead, as if Yempt wasn't even there.

"Hey!" yelped Yempt and he jumped up and down. "Aren't you at least going to say hello?" There was no response. "It's bad enough being a waffle, but I certainly don't want to be a burnt one!" There was still no response. "Look, I know you're mad at me, but you should at least show some sign that you know I'm here!" Finally a response.

"I'm not talking to someone who hates me."

Yempt wrung his tiny hands. He wasn't used to talks like this. Talks where he needed to be the outgoing member. "Okay, well, maybe I don't hate you. I was just being my usual harsh self. You know, miserable and all that."

"Maybe I don't want to be friends with a miserable person."

Yempt shook his small fists in the air. "You used to! You made it so obvious that you liked me!"

"And you made it so obvious that you didn't like me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to the Hive." With that, Twaine quickly changed directions, walking as quickly as possible so his shorter companion could not follow.

########################################################################

On the other side of the ship Tah stretched herself out on the observation deck. Many Irkens, especially those who are constantly in space like the crew of the Massive, lose interest in the vastness of space. Tah, however, never had. Even when she was on the hunt for her culprit, she occasionally took time to look out the window and marvel at the thousands of stars that spotted the blackness of the universe. She'd just bathed, and she was feeling very clean and comfortable. In her hand was a datapad containing a bit of literature she'd wanted to read. She hadn't had time to do any pleasure reading for the longest time. Although she was very content, she wished Purple would call her to his quarters to spend some time with him. Despite their closeness, she still didn't feel right barging in on his time. He was still a Tallest.

Tah was just about to begin her novel when a dark shadow hovered over her. She looked up to find none other than Tzen, the nebulous enemy whom she hated with all her being. Yet, looking up at his jolly, familiar face, he was still so hard to hate. She could only suppose this was his secret. She stood up, which caused her to tower above him by more that a foot. She smiled awkwardly, determined not to let him in on the horrid fate she and Vil had planned for him.

"Hello there, Miss Tah," said Tzen in a pleasant voice. "It's so nice to see you finally relax." He seemed genuinely happy.

Tah scratched the back of her neck, trying not to look nervous. "It certainly quite the luxury. One I haven't enjoyed in a long time." She stretched out her lanky frame. "Mmmm...feels nice."

Tzen chuckled. "I bet it does. I bet it does." He paused for a moment, as if in thought. They were alone on the observation deck. "So, I suppose Vil's taken up the investigation?"

Tah nearly jumped with surprise. "Ah, what do you mean? I mean, why in the world would you think that? He's not an investigator," she lied.

Shaking his head, her former boss responded, "Oh, I know his profession. You can't live with a man and not have some confidential information spill out onto your side of the room. I've even got a handle on his current project, so you needn't be surprised, deary, when I know I little more than this old Irk ought to." He then changed his expression. Instead of his cheerful self, he looked sad and even a little frightened. "However, sometimes one finds out more than one wants to. Tah, it wasn't by chance that I ran into you this evening. I was searching you out so I could let you know that Vil isn't who he seems to be, and that I'm not who he says I am. I know what he's told you about me, and I must tell you that it just isn't so! I'll admit, that I have been caught up in a few of his dealings... I've transferred illicit payments and sent threatening messages to people he's wanted to intimidate, and I'm perfectly willing to suffer any of the consequences of my actions, but I swear to you I'm not this mastermind everyone's so scared of!" The elder gentleman looked deeply and solemnly into Tah's maroon eyes, and his manner was so sincere that Tah couldn't help but want to believe him.

"You said you were only caught up in it?" He voice sounded more dumbfounded than she would have liked.

Tzen lowered his head in shame. "Yes, just like that poor Twaine, I've been bullied and manipulated. Forced to do things that are against my nature, but frightened of what might happened if I did not go along."

Tah's expression was very intense. She could see her enemy slipping through her grasp. "Than who? Do you know who it really is, if it isn't you?" She gasped with anticipation when he saw Tzen's large head nod 'yes.'

The old man looked from side to side, as if making sure no one was there to hear him. He then leaned in close to Tah and said silently, "You've been deceived by Vil, my dear. He's the one you're after, and I can give you the evidence to prove it. Come with me, my dear, to the Hive!"

#Well, that one was a little longer, and I hope a lot more interesting. I'm not real sure how Yempt and Twaine should resolve their issues – does anyone have a suggestion?