"High Council Chairman, good of you to accept my summons." Xia paced around the war room illuminated only by the red lights of the Irken symbol behind her as she looked the hologram up and down. The Tangean Chairman was at least a respectable height- though the peaceful nature of the species made them weak. Easy prey.
"You did not leave me much choice. Our communications with Irk have been down for some time. This was our first opportunity to speak. I would not be so foolish as to miss it." The foggy, vacant eyes of the Chairman met Xia's own stern gaze. "Though I do not believe this meeting will achieve much of what you desire." The half of the room before her housed the hologram of the Syndicate High Council chambers. The black metals of the Massive flowing into the stony, white halls of Capitol Planet. Xia smirked as she surveyed the slender form of the Chairman. She was an older woman, clearly not one who had seen much combat. Should she be here in person, things would be simple to resolve.
"You murdered our leaders; in cold blood, your Rangers slayed the light of the Irken people!" Even if they were not technically deceased, Red and Purple were as good as dead in Xia's book.
"The validity of that accusation is still under debate." The Chairman did not so much as flinch as Xia paced her darkened chamber.
"But you will admit to housing defects and outcasts? Exiles of the Irken people? Those such as Defect Zim or Dead-Invader-Skoodge?"
"No. The aforementioned Irkens have never set foot on Syndicate owned soil." The Chairman spoke with frustrating confidence.
"You LIE Chairman! Your Syndicate are housing traitors to the Irken People! You willingly collapse our already worthless alliance by taking the side of those who would do Irk harm!?" She leaned in close, baring her teeth at the hologram. This technique must have lost some luster over the holographic communication system because the Chairman merely blinked and waited for Xia to drop the aggressive stance.
"Our alliance is far from worthless. The Empire-Syndicate trade is vital to your economic growth."
"Fuck the economic growth! You murdered our leaders!"
"Allegedly."
"Enough! Sym! Send the Chairman..." her eyes narrowed into suits that reflected the crimson light around her. "...a message." Her voice was nothing but a dangerous hiss as she never broke eye contact with the Chairman. She could hear Sym typing away behind her. She braced herself for the subsequent fallout, smirking as the Chairman pulled out her little communicator to read about the destruction the Irkens had caused. There were plenty of Irkens near Syndicate space- especially around the outlying areas. It would only take a simple order to bring down one of their precious satellite stations. The Chairman blinked.
"This is just a message that says: you allegedly killed our leaders."
"What?" Xia's angry persona dropped for a moment as she turned to look at Sym sitting behind her. "Sym, what the fuck?"
"You sad to send a message. I sent the one you clearly dictated for me to send." Sym looked mildly annoyed at having been called out in front of the foreign dignitary.
"It was a threat, Sym." Xia muted the call as she approached Sym, her back to the Chairman. "This is supposed to be where we threaten the Syndicate."
"I see."
"Try again." Xia turned back to the call unmoving the Chairman who had an unreadable expression. Xia had to admit the woman had a stoic face. It was almost admirable. The Chairman looked back down at her communicator and then back to Xia.
"Now there is just an angry face next to the message."
"Sym!" Muting the call again Xia whirled around to face the Chief of Agenda. "I swear to Mothra-"
"I made it more threatening." The brown eyed Irken replied with surprising authority given to whom she was speaking.
"You were supposed, " Xia slammed a hand into the wall just shy of Sym's head, leaning over her. Sym was a Taller, yes, but Xia still had a foot of height on her. "To blow something up!"
"That would break our treaty." Sym replied dryly.
"That's. The. Point. Sym. Do I need to spell it out for you?"
"With all due respect, My Tallest, such an action would require authorization."
"I'm your Tallest. I am authorizing you to do it. Right. Fucking. Now."
"Law 407 A-"
"Don't you dare quote another bullshit law to me, Sym, or I will-"
"Subsection Gamma clearly states: In a case of two Tallests, political matters in regards to treaties and allegiance will require authorization from both acting Tallests before changes are intentionally made." Xia took a deep breath before recovering herself and turning back to the Chairman who was now surveying them with a concerned expression. She unmuted the call.
"Well, you have heard our message, Chairman. The Syndicate knows where it stands. Good day to you."
"Actually, the message was incredibly vague and I am now more confused than ever. If you want to talk about the alliance there are some forms I can send you to fill out to summon an Alliance Council for re-evaluation and-"
"Good. Day!" Xia ended the call as quickly as she could before the Syndicate obsession with paperwork could seep into the already greatly flawed system of Irk- poisoned by Red and Purple and their buffoonery. She whirled around on Sym who was still seated, behind her- crimson eyes cold, hard, and judging of the supposed Chief of Agenda. "Are you a traitor Sym?" Xia's voice was calm, collected; despite the fire that raged within her. "Do you hate Irk? Is that why you are so unbelievably uncooperative?"
"Quite the contrary, My Tallest. I love Irk. It is my home." Sym looked rather taken aback by the accusation. Honestly, she should have seen it coming. Xia had, at every turn, hit a metaphorical brick wall that was placed in her path by Sym.
"So then why do you waste my time with your insignificant drivel, instead of doing your fucking job and being an assistant to me, your Tallest?"
"Well..." Sym blinked. "For starters: I am not your assistant. I am the Chief of Agenda. My job is to help things flow properly for you within the confines of the Irken Legal System."
"You're a glorified secretary. " Xia replied with visible spite. "You are supposed to do everything in your power to make my life, as Tallest, easier. And yet," Xia drew close again, invading Sym's space, "you seem to spend every waking moment making my life more difficult. Where does your loyalty lie, Sym? With your Almighty Tallest? Or somewhere else?" She smiled wickedly, narrowing her eyes, her antennae lying flat back.
"My loyalty lies with the Irken legal system. " Sym's reply made Xia's blood boil inside her veins. "I am doing nothing wrong. Your anger is unjustified."
"..." Xia stood up straight, looking down at Sym with disdain. "Get out of my sight. Return to your post and don't speak with me again unless it is urgent." Sym gathered her things and walked out without a word. The good thing about the Irken people, was their engrained obedience- programmed into their PAKs. However, it was currently Xia's biggest issue as Sym seemed to be held back by her obedient nature. It almost seemed as if the Chief of Agenda was purposefully slowing down Xia's progress.
Something would have to be done about Sym. It was just a matter of deciding what it would be. Xia had the time. The stupid laws that Purple and Red had issued had her grid locked until she could find Vero. She needed to talk to the Control Brains. They would give her more ideas as to how to handle this madhouse they called The Massive.
"My Tallest!" As she was headed down to the bowels of the ship where the Control Brain lay in wait for her command- she was approached by a young Elite. He was tall, though still shorter than herself, clad in the red uniform of a young Elite still in the early stages of his training- not yet molded into a perfect soldier. "There you are! I have the report for you!"
"Report? What report?" Xia gazed down at him, searching inwardly for a memory of who exactly this near-smeet was supposed to be. It was apparent he was several hatchings removed for her own making him a good deal her junior. "Who are you and why are you talking to me?"
"I...I'm Ven, my Tallest."
"That means nothing to me."
"Wait. Really?"
"You resemble no one I have ever met." She looked him over as he blinked dumbly. He reminded her a bit of Vero with the way he tilted his head like a smeet learning for the first time.
"I am the Rising Tallest? You picked me up from Graduatia." Xia's eyes widened momentarily as the familiarity finally set in.
"Ah yes, Van."
"Ven, My Tallest."
"Whatever. Listen. I have been incredibly busy and you slipped my mind entirely due to your insignificance." Xia had gathered this Elite solely out of duty. It was pointless for her to train another Rising Tallest. The Control Brains assured her that she was going to be ruling for quite some time. She didn't need some block-headed Elite who also claimed DNA from Tallest Red (not that having his genetics was something to be particularly proud of, Xia was quickly learning) following her around like a freshly hatched smeet to the cold unfeeling robot arm in the smeetery.
"That's pretty harsh. But since it comes from you, Almighty Tallest X, I accept it as critique and will work twice as hard to better myself." Ven nodded, saluting to her respectfully. At least he wasn't a total waste of space, he seemed to understand that she was above him and he respected her position, unlike some Irkens, she could mention.
"Very good. Now what reports do you have for me? And make it quick; I am very busy."
"You told me to go through the Massive and catalog every door-open and close sound, and organize them by pitch. It took forever but I finally did it." He puffed up proudly as he handed her written files with every door labeled. This weird smeet had gone so far as to actually catalog the prison cell doors as well. "Don't worry, the occupied cells weren't opened. And I stayed far away from the scary one at the end of the hall. Sym said that place was authorized access only. So, I have those doors labeled accordingly since they couldn't be properly cataloged. "
"You... did all this?" Xia blinked. The smeet was stupid as a Trigonian on a Sylan acid farm, but he was thorough.
"Of course! Orders coming directly from the Tallest must be obeyed!" He saluted her again giving a firm nod of his head. "Do you have anything else for me, oh great, Almighty Tallest X?"
"I like your dedication. " Perhaps she had been too quick to judge this 'Rising Tallest'. His external similarities to Vero had her writing him off as useless. However, despite being as dumb as her Tube-Mate, the smeet did not share in the same, terrible, lazy habits. While he would never be fit to serve in her stead- as no Irken was able to meet Xia's (un)realistically high expectations, he might show potential as an underling. After all, he was still on the cusp of adulthood. He was moldable. Where she had gone wrong with Vero, she could go right with... this one. "Listen... Sven,"
"Still Ven, My Tallest."
"Irrelevant. I am your Tallest. If I call you a name, you answer to it. Even if it isn't yours. Does that make sense?"
"Well, it might be a little confusing if multiple Irkens are around and I am not sure if you are talking to them, or using a new name for me; but if that is what My Tallest desires, then I am always happy to oblige."
"Perfect, now tell me... you're a somewhat intelligent Irken," at least he knew how to properly respect authority- even if he still seemed dense in other ways. "What is the deal with Sym? How do Irkens feel about her?"
"I would have to ask them. I haven't really overheard her name in conversation." He gave a little shrug.
"She has worked on the Massive for quite some time, I imagine." Xia was thoughtful. She took out her reader and went into the employment file for Sym. "Well Mothra be praised, she's been here since Tallest Miyuki." That meant Sym was a bit of an older Irken. After the onset of adulthood, the PAKs more or less stopped the Irken aging process, so it had been difficult to discern her actual age.
"Then she's probably well liked. Irkens love Tallest Miyuki." Ven chimed in.
"Yes, well," she would need to choose words carefully here, "Tim, I'm afraid I have concerns regarding our beloved Chief of Agenda." She heaved a fake, forlorn sigh as she tucked her reader back into her armor.
"Why? Is she sick?" His antennae drooped with concern.
"Perhaps, but not in a physical way." Xia shook her head. She put on the most worried expression she could muster as she placed a hand on the Rising Tallest's shoulder. "I am afraid she might be..." she trailed off. "No no, I can't... you'll think I'm Defective."
"No! Never!" He looked up at her with admiration. Good. The way things should be. "My Tallest you are the single greatest Irken on Irk! That is why you have your position! After the horrible abduction of Almighty Tallest V by Syndicate-sympathizing rebels- you have stood strong and held Irk together in this time of crisis!"
"You're right, so right... but things have been unbelievably hard..." the story about Vero's abduction had been the Control Brains' idea. They insisted that telling the truth of his treacherous ways would cause Irkens to look more into the fate of their former leaders. It was far simpler to pin more anger on the Syndicate, get the Irken blood boiling with hate before the raw, unbridled wrath of Ghidora could sweep their lesser "allies". Those who had witnessed the arrest, were easily re-coded to remember Xia's new story.
"Almighty Tallest X, if something is bothering you, it is my job as Rising Tallest to help you in any way I can." He looked determined. Perfect.
"It's just... I have concern that Sym might be..." she took a deep breath, "a Zeke sympathizer..."
"The tabloid guy?" Her Rising Tallest blinked uncertainly. "Isn't he just some crazy sensationalist reporter? Why would a higher up like Sym give him the time of day?"
"I don't know! I just..." she needed more fodder. "It was something Almighty Tallest V said to me before those Syndicate Monsters stole him out of our ship. You see, not a lot of Irkens know this, but Almighty Tallest V was secretly seeing Sym with..." pause for effect "...intent to bond." Fortunately, Vero's one-off joke he had made in regards to Sym would make a perfect story for Xia. She only had to hope this Elite knew nothing about her traitorous co-ruler.
"Oh!" The Elite perked up, face tinting a slight purple from embarrassment.
"They went off on a secret dinner together and the next thing I know, my Tube-Mate is being dragged away by Syndicate scum! He is probably being tortured right now!"
"That is horrible! Why didn't you have Sym arrested!?"
"At the time she seemed equally horrified. She is good at hiding her intentions, Tom. I can't be sure, but my Tallest's instinct tells me that she planned V's abduction. I would have her thrown into space but... she's too tall to fit in the tube and I fear she has some degree of popularity here on the Massive and on Irk. If I am going to punish her, I need proof of her transgressions. I don't suppose a young Elite such as yourself could get information on her for me... could you?"
"An intel mission!?" His antennae perked straight up with excitement. "Absolutely! Not to brag but I was pretty good with intelligence back at the academy." Xia nodded along, though she had her doubts that this smeet had ever been good with intelligence.
"Perfect. Report to me at the end of her third shift with your findings."
"Another mission from the Tallest!" He walked away but she could still hear him talking to himself. "You're doing great Ven! Keep up that positivity and you'll go far..."
What. A. Moron.
Xia shook her head continuing on her path to the Control Brain that housed itself on the Massive. Sym probably wasn't really a traitor. But she was in the way, and that in itself was a crime. Xia could use whatever useless information that Elite scrambled together to at least put her on trial for something- even if it was as trivial as breaking one of Purple's bullshit laws. There was no way on Irk that Sym was eating only tacos every Tuesday.
"Almighty Tallest X, how good of you to stop by." As she entered the room, the red, pulsing lights on the Control Brain's 'eyes' brightened, casting Xia's long shadow across a wire-lined wall.
"When we recoded everyone to believe that Vero was kidnapped by the Syndicate, you included Sym in that group, correct?"
"Affirmative."
"Was there... anything abnormal in her PAK?"
"There was nothing out of the ordinary in the files we accessed. However, we did not do a full sweep. Is Sym an Irken of interest? Would you like a full analysis of her files from the Collective?"
"Yes. Actually, I think I would. She has been troublesome. She is constantly standing in my way with her legal book trying to stop our impending war. It's frustrating." She rubbed the area between her eyes as she paced a bit, deep in thought.
"Your complaint is that she is doing her job?"
"My complaint is that her job seems to be hindering us at every turn!" Xia was a little surprised by the response. "These laws can't all be real. She is probably making them up because she has grown too accustomed to her cushy job on the Massive and has become cowardly. She fears the fight that awaits her from the Syndicate."
"The laws, unfortunately, are very real. We cannot undo them ourselves and until Tallest V is returned to us, we are at an impasse."
"There has to be something..."
"Perhaps..." there was hesitation in the synthetic voice, though never once did emotion seep in. "But, it is a risky endeavor. We could not ask it of our Tallest."
"Name it." Xia was no coward. She needed to move things forward or she would be stuck forever on a ship that only went in straight lines.
"In times of great emergency, a special protocol can be enacted by a single Tallest even when there are multiple. It is called the Alpha-Theta-09. However, it can only be activated in a time of great duress."
"Our leaders are dead-turned-traitor, Vero's been fucking abducted by a rebel group we've never even heard of, and I can't even properly threaten the Syndicate because all of our affairs are in the hands of an Irken so in love with the legal system she us probably bonded to it! How is all of this not considered:" she bent her fingers as she spoke to emphasize her annoyance, "a time of great duress."
"While your complaints are valid, the circumstances involving Alpha-Theta-09 must be more immediate and pressing. Perhaps if the Massive came into some... very immediate danger, we would be able to negotiate further."
"Ugh fine." Xia threw the papers the Rising Tallest had given her up in the air in frustration. "I guess we will wait until the Syndicate literally shoot me before we do anything." Small drones crawled out of the walls, scurrying to collect the papers she had thrown. They quickly were handed back to Xia who snatched them back. It was all useless information. She never expected that dumbass Rising Tallest to actually go through every fucking door-
Wait...
Not every door.
"I think I have an idea..." Xia smirked. "Ready up that protocol, Control Brain. I have something that just might work." She, very quickly, headed toward the cells. The walls lined with those too weak to stand up against the Armada but too dumb to simply submit. One of these would have to do...
She opened the cell to a fleshy sort of creature, bipedal with splotchy purple skin, three large, golden eyes, and green hair emitting from the scalp that seemed to smoke in the cold, Irken air. She grabbed the creature by the arm and dragged the chained prisoner all the way down to the cell at the end of the hall.
She opened the first part, making her way to the clear, glass observation chamber within. She opened the door and tossed the hapless prisoner inside. The Parasite was disguised again, this time she wasn't sure as what, as the room showed no visible differences.
"I know you are in there, M. I have given you a voice. Speak to me."
"H-hey what's in here!" The creature stood up trying to rush toward Xia only to hit the glass, it's gruff, screechy voice echoing in the halls. "Let me go!"
"Speak M! I have come to negotiate!" She ignored the pleas from her prisoner. She didn't know much about Parasites. Irken texts dictated that while not as intelligent as Irkens, Parasites had a language- it was just communicated in a way that Irkens could not hear. However, it was believed they had other ways to speak- should they desire.
"Let me go!" The prisoner was shaking. "There is nothing in here just let me go!"
"If you aren't interested in talking about your freedom, I can leave." Xia crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "I know you're in there. I'm not going to fall for your disappearing act twice."
"I am very much interest in negotiating my freedom! Please! I am talking!" The prisoner replied eagerly. Xia watched for a moment before the floor of the cell gave an unearthly shudder, rippling as if the metal tiles were made of water. The floor shifted slightly as metal tuned to flesh and tendrils of crimson pulled from what Xia had assumed to be the cell floor, and pushed themselves into the back on the hapless prisoner. All at once, the creature's eyes started to turn from gold to a deep, unnatural red, consuming the pupils, iris, and sclera alike.
"Freedom? You lock me in here for centuries and you expect me to play nice?" The prisoner's mouth opened but the voice coming out was different, far softer, more melodic. It sounded less like gravel and more like instruments playing behind the glass. "Forgive me for not jumping at the chance to chitchat. " The flooring lurched again as the Parasite pulled itself into a new form, this one with paperwhite skin, seven, crimson eyes stared into Xia as a mouth full of needle-like teeth stretched into a smile. The red tendrils were protruding from the creature's back, digging into the prisoner, holding it as if it were a marionette of flesh and bone. From what Xia knew, the red and white, seven-eyed form was the most common form of the Parasite.
"So, you can communicate through a host. That explains how the Syndicate thought they could use a Parasite as a witness." Xia had never seen them speak before. The one Dead-Irken-Skoodge and Defect Zim had dragged aboard had been silent.
"The Syndicate has a device that can translate our speech into auditory waves. They find this method of communication to be barbaric. It is unsurprising that an Irken does not share in this idea."
"Oh. Is that an insult? Or a compliment?" Xia narrowed her eyes, watching the moonlight white form of the Parasite gazing into her with those convex, red eyes.
"An observation." The Parasite replied through the mouth of its hapless host. The body stiffened and convulsed into a standing position, the prisoner's hands pressing into the glass, the now completely crimson eyes of the unwitting host staring, unblinking at Xia. The purple color of its skin was growing steadily paler. The glass fogged up slightly with the steady but heavy pants from the slack and open mouth of the host. "What is it you want from me, Irken?"
"I need you to cause a little chaos on the Massive. Don't go overboard or anything, but don't be too subtle either. I want to cause a panic." She would be to the point, it seemed being the voice of the Parasite took a physical toll on the body of the alien creature she had chosen. Finding another would be a waste of precious time.
"Causing a disruption amongst the Irkens seems pointless. I will gain no sustenance from trying to eat your misery. You are too engrained with your own technology."
"Yes, this is true." Xia replied coolly. "But you will not be captured. You will make an impressive get away on a ship I will provide. You can do whatever you like after that. Go rescue your friend from the Syndicate."
"Q is no friend of mine; nor is he a prisoner." There was anger in the Parasite's voice, as the eyes of its puppeteered host widened even more; the head reeling back, smacking aggressively onto the glass with a sickening THUD. Behind it, the Parasite stood, unmoving, watching with its expression unchanged. "You would do well not to lump me together with that traitor."
"So, you and the Syndicate's alleged witness are not on good terms?" Xia raised one antenna curiously.
"That asshole had every opportunity to release me from this living nightmare when he was aboard this vessel with your Syndicate. He left me here to r̶͚͌͛̓̽̓͠ö̶̺͚́̀͆̅̕t̵̲̬̣͈̞͉͔̔!" The voice coming out of the prisoner's mouth became less melodic on that last sentence, it was starting to degrade into something more unnatural. It sounded like many voices screaming together in a unified rage. The sound of it made Xia wince, not from fear, but rather from discomfort as the newer voice was rough on her auditory processes. The body of the prisoner was clawing aggressively at the glass but stopped quite suddenly and straightened out, bowing in respect. "My apologies," M's voice was back to normal. "He gets me in a bad mood."
"He left his own kind to die in an Irken cell, I can see why you're upset." Xia was trying very hard to pretend that voice had not caused her physical pain to hear. It seemed M shared a common enemy with her, this would prove useful. She might be able to get information on the Syndicate's Parasite pet from M. "Why would he be helping the Syndicate at all? Has he always been a traitor?"
"He is injured, weakened. He seeks to play nice with a large-scale government in order to buy his own safety. He is a coward." The head of the prisoner jerked its neck into an almost a ninety-degree angle. "This territory should be m̶̥̗̽̎̾̐͠i̸̬͛n̶̛̻͕̫̤̟̓̏ê̷̱̮͆̀̈́͝ and he knows that."
"Territory dispute? I can solve it. This territory belongs to Irk." Just because she was willing to release M did not mean she approved of her lurking in the shadows of Irk.
"Do not be so vain. I cannot feed on your Irkens even if I wished it. But the other planets you inhabit are a feeding frenzy of misery."
"Then if you help me, you may go to one of them." The fates of the locals would be of little consequence. "Do well on this task and I might be willing to overlook your little vanity comment and offer you a position here on the Massive." Xia was annoyed, but she also saw her opportunity. This could be her chance to make her mark on Irk.
"Position? For me?" M's actual body moved for the first time since it had formed, her head tilting to the side just slightly. "A Tallest wishes to make an allegiance with a Parasite?"
"You have talents that could prove useful for interrogating non-Irkens." Surely a Tallest as great as Miyuki had seen this potential. She must have simply died before a plan could be enacted. "But we'll see how you do with this, first." She approached the glass. "Do we have a deal? You cause chaos and I give you a ship out of here, and perhaps a position as my chief interrogator."
"And what's to stop me from killing you as soon as I'm free?"
"Ugh," Xia scoffed, annoyed, shaking her head. "My murder will simply get you captured again. My safety ensures a future with the Irken Empire." There was a moment of silence, she could tell M was considering all of the options laid before her. "What do you say, M?"
"Very well." The reply was very short, simple. Xia nodded as she very carefully drew her weapon and pressed her hand to the lock of M's cell. The glass dissipated to nothing. The prisoner collapsed in a heap to the floor as a sound of cracking bones and wriggling flesh filled the air. M contorted her form into that of an Irken. Plain, red eyes, small stature, nondescript features. The tendrils withdrew into the synthetic PAK of skin. On the ground the prisoner convulsed for a moment, before heaving. A reddish, watery type substance splattered onto the floor. The skin had become nearly entirely grey, and while it seemed the prisoner still lived, they were not very responsive. The eyes, no longer red and glowing, had fogged over with some sort of film. Xia stood back as the door to the cell opened. M stopped just shy of crossing the threshold. The head of the Irken turned a perfect 180 degrees and was staring back at her with a smile before returning to normal and skipping out of the cell.
Xia lowered her weapon, unsure if she had made the right call. It was not her first choice to work with a Parasite. But, as she watched M's Irken body bouncing passed cells where prisoners began holding their heads in pain...
There was no going back now.
I hope M is creepy enough for everyone! We finally get to see a Parasite-at full power- being parasitic!
