Rem shot straight up in the gloom of her shared quarters. Clammy skin drenched in ice-cold sweat, she screamed in sheer terror. A length, guttral sort of instinctual protection threatening to raise the dead itself, her lover at her side in their shared quarters among them.
Skrem shot up, reflexively pulling a backup pistol out from under the pillow thinking there was an intruder in the room, only to scan and find nothing…just Rem. He slipped the pistol onto a nearby table and then reached over, rubbing her back. "Hey, breathe, I'm here. Everything's fine, no explosive decompression or anything."
Hearing the familiar sound of her definitely not-dead significant other consoling her through speech and touch alike snapped her back to reality. Their bed. Their quarters. Skrem, alive and well. Her shallow, shuddering breaths of fear melted into overwhelming tears of relief. Throwing her arms around him, she clung with all her might, burying her face into his shoulder.
"Agh- Rem-" Skrem continued consoling her, clearly she had quite the vivid nightmare. "C'mon, trying to not get a free chiropractic visit."
After several moments, she began to relent. Awake, aware, and lucid. A dream. A bad dream. Nothing more. Vivid, horrifying, and terrible…but not real. Pure, unbridled fear but far from reality.
"'Real…so real." She struggled to explain, trying to formulate coherent words. "Dead…everybody…the fleet…Nossa…Skrem."
"Nossa? What?" That caught his attention, "Wait, like, she found us, got on board, all that?"
Rem's head nodded without words as she held onto him, covered in cold sweat.
"She…killed you. Took Al. The Armada killed Slic, decimated the Republic fleet….she killed everyone, Skrem…and I couldn't stop any of it."
"...Well, shit, that does sound like her." Skrem took a breath, "The good news is that none of that has happened."
"Yeah…guess so…doesn't make it any less scary-"
The door to their quarters snapped open, the lock overridden, and Corr led an impromptu pajama party armed to the teeth with the lights thrown on. Despite their intrusion, seeing familiar faces alive and well helped alleviate the stricken Navigator.
"What's happening? We heard screaming." Corr queried of the pair, Calla moving past him to better see.
"Nightmare." She commented in realization.
"What?"
"Nightmare." Calla reiterated, gesturing to Rem's state of affairs. "I know that look well. A bad dream that feels real until you wake up…happens more often than I'd like…you okay?"
Rem nodded with a placated smile.
"Better…knowing everyone is okay, yeah."
"Even I'm fine, thanks for asking." Alurac added from Skrem's armor set across the room.
"Nobody asked, nobody cares." Slic retorted through the ship's intercom system. "Not to interrupt this touching moment, but I received the confirmation from Krata while you slumbered. Your fellow meatbags arrived safe-and-sound. Retrofits are underway and we're on-approach for Kyozist, courtesy of the Federation. You're welcome."
"Yeah, thanks Stick Jockey Number Two." Alurac was quick to retort.
Skrem shook his head, a slight smirk on his face, "Now, now, children, behave."
"Don't make me separate you two." Rem concurred with a grumble, tiredly rubbing at her tear-stung eyes. "Sorry for waking everyone up."
"Don't be." Calla offered in consolement. "Never apologize for being alive. It's what separates us from what we are seeking to destroy."
"Poetic and profound from a dead sleep without a single cup of caffeinated bean water…"
"I've got a reputation to live up to, being a living legend and all. C'mon, we're all up already. Morning mess is on me."
"Calla cook? No need to tell me twice." Skrem grinned, Corr smirking as he left the room with his carbine in hand. This would be a good morning indeed, the rocky start aside.
The remainder of the trip into Kyozist was quite uneventful. Docking procedures that placed their frigate docked right near the familiar Ghost of Irk and some Ohnmatu stealth ships. A universe apart at impossible distances, through time and space shone the light of hope from the pierced veil of a shot in the abyssal dark. Now, two sister ships sharing berths, a reunion over two years in the making. Protocol, debriefing, and all manner of business could wait just a little while longer.
Hesa, as would the others, would be waiting at the dock for the frigate, nestled next to the team's home cruiser. Corr would be the first to emerge with Calla, seeing the grinning Sergeant waiting for them.
"Hesa, been a long time."
"Yes it has. How was the working cruise?"
"Intriguing, crushing, mundane, gruesome, but never mediocre."
Before the Captain could further delve into their experiences aboard, Aero was the first to breach protocol in record time. In a flash, her lengthy stride and reach gathered as many familiar faces into the tightest embrace she could muster. Corr, Calla, and Rem were her unfortunate targets of opportunity caught in the crossfire of camradire. Red Team's Lieutenant, strength and height unrivaled, held her three friends aloft with ease, grinning from antenna-to-antenna.
"Ohmygoshyou'rehereIcan'tbelieveit!"
"Ack! Aero-" Rem struggled in vain at her vicelike grip.
"Imissedyouallsomuch!"
"My…spine…" Calla grimaced, forcing a smile as she gingerly patted the excitable woman's back. "Corr? H-ah…help?"
"Bit preoccupied…at the moment-"
"Aero." Vult called from the gathering, garnering the carnation-pink eyed woman's attention. "Try not to choke the life out of them. I think Rem's changing colors."
"Oh…right..heheh…" She sheepishly relinquished, setting all of them down once more with a patting of shoulders and straightening of ruffled uniforms. "Just…you guys left and were gone for sooooo long…but you're back! You brought lots of friends with you too!"
By then, the rest of the Renown's crew had filed off of the ship onto the waiting dock. Aero's bubbly optimism did not elicit the reaction she expected. Hesitation, reservation, and morose expressions were exchanged by the newly-arrived explorers of ancient secrets.
Aren, ever-vigilant as Orkos' right-hand of Green Team, was the first to take notice as her yellow gaze scanned their squadmates and allies. "...where's Chavsa?"
Skrem, armored up with a pistol trained on To's back, shook his head. "She went out a big damn hero. Wouldn't be here if not for her."
The Commander's visage tightened into pursed realization. Communication between them had been spotty and short-handed text given the vast distances crossed far from established communications relays. He had his suspicions through correspondence but hearing it first-hand solidified the reality of the matter.
The same news cut through the team with a myriad of mixed emotions. Respect, admiration, and grim dignitation chief among them. Equals measure of confusion and doubt followed. Aren, in disbelief, looked between Skrem, Orkos, and the others in search of some semblance of denial. She saw nothing but conviction and the crushing weight of reality etched in their features looking back at her.
"W-went out? What do you mean "went out"? She left with you and the rest of you came back, where is she?"
Rem stepped forward, garnering her attention with consoling hand to her shoulder.
"She…sacrificed herself. For us. All of us. The ship, the Republic's location…everyone. The Captain has the full repo-" She attempted, only to have Aren step back, forcefully pulling herself free of Rem's grasp as disbelief burned away into anger.
"Sacrificed? You expect me to believe that?"
"Yes, sacrificed. She was mortally wounded and she did what she could in her dying breaths." Skrem was quick to add in, "We all wanted otherwise, damn it."
A derisive huff followed from Aren, shaking her head. Whatever validity or truth Skrem's explanation held fell on antenna deafened by frustration, loss, and contempt tearing through tempered emotion.
"...First Deris and Lorlo…now this…we just do the dying for the rest of you, don't we? Rest of you get the pats on the back and "job well done" being the big heroes and we bleed for you, is that it? Fresh meat for your grinders?"
"Sergeant-" Corr attempted to regain bearing through assertion, only to watch as Aren stormed away, clearly distraught. A sigh of defeat followed. "...I wanted to tell everyone sooner."
"I know, Captain. We all do." Vult assured him, looking to Orkos with a silent gesture of his head for him to check on his second.
"I must be a running joke around here, she forgets I'm lumped in with her team." Skrem shook his head as Amka made his way over, recognizing one of his own former team members. "Special delivery for you, Major." He impolitely shoved To forward.
"Ow! Hey-" She commented, Amka unkindly seizing her by the collar to stay her in place. "S-sir!"
"The wayward wretch of Red Team finally makes her way home. What? Too good to die with the others?" The Major snarled, Krad coming up behind him.
"W-what? No! No, Sir!" To defended at his ire. "I-I-I didn't know what was going on! You all disappeared and I didn't know what to do! Internal Affairs had their hands so far up everyone's c'hurtas they were picking our teeth!"
"Major," Krad spoke up, "It was a spur of the moment decision where we needed to leave. I couldn't find her, Rha and Dak had no idea where she was. We couldn't wait, not with Sor inbound. We tried to beat his arrival out but failed."
The Major exhaled, muttering some curses under his breath. "Is she reliable, Krad? Can we trust her?"
"Do we have a choice?"
About that time, the sound of a plasma pistol being drawn and leveled off at her face point-blank startled To with Vult staring down its sights at her.
"OhmyIrkNO!" She gasped, attempting to remain calm. "I-I-I've been compliant, I swear!"
"Compliance doesn't constitute loyalty." Vult coldly sounded. "I don't do choices, To. You get an ultimatum. Die for me or die to me. Which is it?"
"Commander read my mind," Amka added. "That's the offer. You do what I say, you fight for him, you don't quit. You don't, I'll shoot you myself."
"Internal Affairs will shoot you in the back on principle. I have the courtesy to shoot you in the face." The Commander concluded, punctuating his words with an actuation of his safety to "FIRE". "Choose. Now."
"For! FOR! Die for!" To's visage contorted into a squint of anticipation of the inevitable. "Please! Give me a chance!"
"Remember what I said, To. In this unit, we're playing for keeps. I will shoot you if I even have the slightest inkling you're not measuring up. Something Rha and Dak never got the chance for…because of you being missing at a critical moment." The Major glared at her, he hadn't forgotten, two of his own choices that he could rely on, and her absence cost him both of them and the arm of his Sergeant Major. "Get this idiot unhooked, she knows the terms."
"Yes, thank you, thank you, thank you-"
"Quit groveling." Vult chided, safetying his weapon and holstering it once more. "Your usefulness is yet to be determined. Your sincerity will decide if I have another dependable member of this team or I use your meatsack of a body as the vehicle of a suicide bomb."
Vult nodded over his shoulder, addressing Skrem.
"Unhooked, brig for observation until further notice."
"Not the brig, please! I've been there for a YEAR."
"Shut the fuck up, move." Skrem impolitely shoved her as Amka started for the brig with Krad.
"I'm…confused…" Aero commented as she watched the four depart. "...is she a prisoner…or a new member?"
"She's just about obligated to with Chasva gone now." Rha answered with a sigh.
"Doesn't do us any good if she'll shoot us in the back." Radec concurred.
"Lock it down, all of you." Vult barked, straightening their backs at the seriousness of his tone. "If I want your opinions, I'll ask for them, am I understood?"
A resounding "Yes, Sir." followed all around.
Corr shook his head, "Commander, the bulk of the First Republic's Navy arrived safely at Krata, getting fitted out with kinetic barriers, radio equipment, improvements to their MACs, the works. They kept a light cruiser and some destroyers at home as a precaution."
"So I've heard from the Federation as of lately. We both have a lot of catching up to do."
"Clearly. Two years is quite a long time." Corr paused, "Wait, Deris and Lorlo? What happened?"
"Mirage tracked Krad, used him as a trap," Hesa answered, shaking her head thinking about that day.
"I've got the full after-action report ready for you at your disclosure…Mirage put a bolt between Deris' eyes on extraction and Lorlo was captured in the chaos. We couldn't go back if we wanted to with our wounded…almost as bad as Tallum."
"At the risk of sounding insincere, I highly doubt that, Sir." Rem commented for obvious reasons. "...but I can see why Aren flew off the handle more clearly now, too."
"Skrem probably won't be too happy to hear that either considering the time he spent trying to make a soldier out of a mechanic." Corr frowned, "Knowing Internal Affairs, they've probably tortured Lorlo for everything he knows and then had him shot. Must be too late to mount any sort of rescue mission."
"None of us are happy about it, but I digress." Vult sighed, running a metal palm over his scarred antenna. "We've sent out feelers and kept a look out for any clues to his whereabouts. Byte's not been able to produce any sign of his death from his end of things…but it is as if he just vanished after being taken prisoner."
"Death may be preferable to whatever horrors they may be subjecting him were that the case." Calla grimly reasoned. "Unfortunate as that is though…our mission was successful, as was yours, Commander. The fleet will be bolstered and Destructia-"
"Origin."
"Pardon?"
"Origin." Vult reiterated. "A tongue-in-cheek decision by the Coalition to rename the planet. A fitting name to the place where the Empire was routed and the Armada forced to withdraw in concession. The beginning of hope that makes our sacrifices not in vain."
"I like it. Let's hope it stays that way."
"Indeed," Corr nodded. He looked around as the lights flickered for a few moments, not just in the docking area but throughout the entire base. "Is Turb running some crazy experiments?"
"No…" Hesa seemed a bit confused, "in fact the lights never did that before. Not that I've seen."
"Ships in space, something is bound to go wrong in wiring at some point. I'll have to read on the reports after we set-"
Corr was interrupted by alarms blaring throughout the station.
"General Quarters, General Quarters, set condition Five throughout the station. All available hands, report to Artifact Collection, unknown contacts have boarded."
"Boarded?!" Corr was taken aback hearing that.
"Forget it, come on," Hesa started off towards an elevator with her trusty Vortian revolver in hand.
"Belay that." Vult called after her before she got too far. "Lock down the dock, pull security on the ships. Last thing they need is an advanced stealth-capable warship to escape in. We'll finish catching up later, hop to it, Captain."
"On it, Commander." As Hesa secured the door to the docks, Corr went back inside, procuring arms from Renown to see to it that nothing would abscond with the docked vessels.
Within mere moments of raising the station-wide alert, Federation troops sprung into action. Armories, lockers, and checkpoints were emptied into soldiers' hands with lighting-fast ferocity. A cavalcade of boots, heavy armor, and gear joined by the cadenced barking of orders down the chain-of-command moved security teams through the labyrinthian maze of the massive, ancient construct.
Artifact Collection of Kyozist station acted as the dividing threshold between the known, explored corridors and the unknown ripe for research and study. Having any sort of station-wide security alert was unusual. Doubly so originating from within the undiscovered sections of the station. Had they been compromised by the work of a skilled Invader or something far more sinister awaited them?
The controlled chaos consolidated just beyond the security checkpoint saw teams rapidly fill any defensible position available with weapons trained in the originating direction of the disturbance.
Those assigned to the area were quick to notice the largest difference from the norm. A large, metallic ring adjacent to one of the walls stretching from floor to ceiling was aglow with azure light. Blue illumination filled with numerous inscriptions, runes, and hieroglyphs of the ancient, dead language the Federation struggled to decrypt and learn were displayed in an array around the circumference of the ring. Energy pulsed, glowing and fading like a breathing entity.
A trio of bewildered, bipedal figures stood before the activated ring, awash in its backlit blue light. Hard case shadows obscured their features, but one appeared shorter than the other two and smaller in mass. One of the group clearly had some manner of armaments on his back and wore advanced armor by his silhouette.
"I have movement!"
"Three contacts! Unknown!"
"Hands up! Identify yourselves or be fired upon!"
The physically smallest of the three stopped with a startle as a dozen weapon lights threatened to blind him, laser designators dancing across his body in the disorienting display. Realizing the severity of the situation, his hands shot up over his head in a panic, frantically waving.
"Wh- don't shoot! Don't shoot! We're unarmed…mostly! We…come in peace? Uhh…uhh…Kaz? Help?"
A switch of vision modes to thermal revealed their situation much more clearly to the armored man. Clearly Vortians from the heat signatures he was able to make out. Wherever this device they found took them, they definitely weren't on Earth anymore, that much was certain. Of all the times to obscure his distinct eyes, it had to be now, but the cold couldn't be helped.
"Do something!" The other called out, hands raised to about shoulder height.
"Hold your fire, all of you! We're friendlies!"
"On your knees! Hands behind your head!"
Not tempting fate, the trio of unknown entities complied with the issued orders. The nearest security team at the behest of their squad leader rapidly closed with weapons trained. Taking no chances, subduing them with unkind introductions to the deck face-first and an application of restraints.
"Ow! Hey!" Dib winced, one moment his face pressed to the floor, the next being hauled up to his feet by his subdued wrists. "I thought these guys were your friends!"
"They should be."
"Well they sure as hell aren't seeming that way!" Burdak yelled, only to get a Vortian boot placed on his head.
"Silence, bug man."
"What part of Vortian insignia on these pauldrons do you not recognize?!" Kazak was quick to ask.
"A clever trick."
A somewhat familiar voice to the sniper spoke soon after.
"Vhat? None of you recognize Vortian armor?"
The sniper blinked, hidden by his goggles. "Ruk?"
"Yes, Kazak, I remember you from Vort."
The familiar utterance of names exchanged gave the security team a pause of bewilderment. One of their own specials forces members knew these Irken and…whatever the unknown biped was. The pink, fleshy, hairy thing with a rather large cranium. Most peculiar.
"You know these guys?" The acting sergeant asked, confused.
"I know zhat one, yes. I saved his life on Tallum. He is one of our friends."
"Yeah…trying to make sure none of us got nuked."
Hearing the impromptu explanation was met with equal measures relief as confusion. Less forceful and assertive, they still held the area locked down at low-ready.
"What about the other two? The other Irken and…your pet?"
"Why does eveyone assume I'm a pet?!" Dib decried incredulously. "Did you assume Irken were animals when you first met them, too?"
"…okay, so he isn't a pet."
"Human, native of planet Earth," Kazak explained, "their local sentient species…as loosely as they fit the description of it. This one's smarter than most."
"My father is the smartest human alive." Dib proclaimed to reinforce the notion.
"Uh-huh…". The sergeant said, unconvinced, looking to Ruk. "If you vouch for these three and sign off, we'll turn them over to you."
"Wait…you're not going to detain and question us?" The human blinked.
"Should we? Don't know how you got here, it's above my pay grade and security clearance. I just know you won't be leaving anytime soon without authorization or on a slab."
"…fair point."
"Dib, shut the fuck up," Kazak chided. "What'd I tell you about negotiating from a disadvantage?"
"I'll take the lot. Their Commander vill be quite intrigued to see him."
"Wait, Vult's here?"
"Yes, and Corr should be arriving at any moment."
"Vult? That's your commanding officer, right?" Dib inquired, taking the unspoken hint to follow their impromptu leader.
"Curious bunch, aren't they?" Burdak facetiously added, lowering his fur-lined hood. "Not to add to his needling, but where are we exactly?"
"Classified." The acting security sergeant interjected. "Soon as he takes you wherever it is you spooks talk, the sooner your questions will be answered. I don't need to know and don't want to know."
"You talked to him, remember, Dib?" Kazak would follow Ruk towards a conference room as an announcement went out over the PA system to stand down from the alert. It was over as quick as it began. Kazak and Burdak barely had time to sit down as Vult and Corr walked into the room.
"...How did he get here?" Corr blinked, surprised to see Kazak.
"You three are what all the ruckus is about?" Vult asked, making light of the matter as he approached Kazak for a handshake and pat of his shoulder. "Not that I don't enjoy this reunion, the question does beg to be asked."
"We hoped one of you would have the answer." Burdak spoke up.
"And you are?"
"Burdak."
"Right, the monkey-humpers."
"Only Kregg humps monkeys." He deadpanned.
Kazak returned the gesture, having removed the mask and goggles. "Yeah, he's right, Kregg's the one fuckin' supreme weirdo of the lot."
"Supreme weirdo?" Burdak shot him a look.
"The rest of you got your own quirks."
"Comes with being detached for so long, right, Wyatt Earp?"
"Yeah, yeah," Kazak shook his head with a slight smirk. "Yeah, we've made a rather interesting discovery on Earth about this place, the technology, and it's apparently how we were in Antarctica one second and here the next."
"You're going to have to explain that leap in logic to me." The Commander led on, gesturing to Dib. "I know how you got to Earth…but now you are here, unannounced and unexpected. Last I checked that was a six month trip one way via FTL."
"I touched a funny looking paperweight that liked Kaz's suit and it led us to Antarctica." Dib began much to Vult and Corr's confusion.
"…my translator acting up or did that not make any sense to you?" He queried his second-in-command.
"No, no, I understood what he said but it made no sense."
"This suit," Kazak gestured to himself, "what I got, what Ruk has, it's reverse engineered technology they found on this station. This artifact on Earth that the humans had but couldn't do anything with, it comes from the same source, it held a map of the planet, pointed out this facility we were in. It's like…a two layer authentication method. These devices we found, they like my armor, but I can't do anything with them. Dib here is able to activate them, but he can't do anything without me being extremely nearby."
"Running theory is that humans may actually be a far older species than we anticipated." Burdak added, "The only way I can explain things is a massive brain drain and civilizational collapse that long since detached them from the galaxy at large and their old spacefaring ways, set them back thousands upon thousands of years. Back to the technology level where they're basically bashing rocks together to make fire. The sort of cataclysm that can cause that is absolutely unfathomable to the imagination."
"That makes more sense than…whatever he just said." Vult pointed out of the human. "So is it some sort of…portal?"
"I…don't know. We were on Earth, found this subterranean facility at one of the planet's frozen poles. Inside was a gate similar to the one we stepped through. Not sure if it works both ways." Burdak elaborated, mentally reminding himself to begin scrawling notes on the experience before Klarb berated him.
"We were held at gunpoint and arrested before we could do anything else." Dib added. "…and did you say Earth was six months travel from here?"
"I did. You are the first human, to the best of our knowledge, to leave your own system." Vult observed with mild bemusement at his endearing nature.
"Whoa…". The young man went wide-eyed in awe as he looked around the innocuous room. "I'm in space…"
Vult gestured to Dib, looking to Kazak with mild concern.
"Are they all this easily amused or is this an individual thing?"
"The kid just really likes space. They're all actually a lot dumber than he is. Like selling ice cubes to an eskimo."
"To who?" Corr asked, puzzled.
"Right, local human lingo…anyhow the kid's been pretty critical to some things. Funny, doubt we'd have found this…teleporter, portal, whatever it is if he hadn't walked in on that fight between myself, Tak, and Zim. Not to mention whatever else may be out there based on this technology that can help us topple the Empire."
The Commander nodded, looking to Ruk.
"May want to pass on to Admiral 'Narr there is now a backdoor into this station they may or may not lead somewhere unsecure not to entice another panic. Won't tell you all how to manage your station but around-the-clock security couldn't hurt until we know what we're dealing with."
"Indeed, ve do not vant any further surprises." Ruk left the room to inform the Admiral of the latest development. Leaving the sniper to look at Corr.
"So, you're back, I take it that means-"
"Indeed, we found the Republic. You also seem…calmer than last I saw you."
"Found things I'm good at, hobbies, things of my own that I actually have some stake in seeing survive the Empire…yeah, surprising what getting something of a life will actually do for the mind."
"Your girlfriend is there, too." Dib pointed out to Vult's surprise.
"Girlfriend?" He asked with a raised brow of the sniper. "I knew Zha and Vaukt made it planetside…unless you've taken to the native population as well."
"It's Tak."
Vult wasn't the only one caught mildly off guard by the revelation as Corr shared his own surprised expression. Their antisocial marksman and the Invader nearly successful in killing his commanding officer, together? What a pair.
"Really now?"
"Uh…yeah," Kazak shrugged, "I suppose? I mean if that's sort of the impression. I just enjoy the companionship of someone who understands me. Nothing more."
"Kaz," Burdak interjected, "not to interrupt or anything, but if that portal is a one way ticket-"
"It better not be or I'm kicking your ass for suggesting we use it. I'm not waiting a year to see the ranch again. Besides, what did that console say before we left? Other points?"
"Six months. A year would be round-trip…" Dib corrected, realizing the depth of the situation himself. "No, no, no, it has to be two-way! I have school! Oh, man, my dad is gonna kill me!"
"Calm down," the sniper spoke, more reassuringly, "I'm sure we can figure it out. Burdak, the consoles?"
"Yeah, yeah there were a bunch of those other nodes that were red though, likely destroyed over the eons, but there's still a handful of them that we could select. How'd you know to choose this one?"
"Let's just say I remember the neighborhood. I'm the one who flew us in the first time. The coordinates seemed familiar."
"Probably for the best to not get curious about the others until we know what we're dealing with." Vult observed, making a series of shorthand notes for his own reference . "Until then, the Federation can secure this side for their own protection. That leaves this Earth entry unsupervised."
"What if we told Adams?" Dib inquired of Burdak and Kazak. "Couldn't he and his people secure it?"
"Adams?" Vult queried.
"Long story short, he's with the government of the United States, planetary superpower, he's the one that's head of the bureau that has had Burdak here and his buddies in their possession for the better part of a century."
"My dickhead boss, for lack of a better term." Burdak concluded with a huff, noting Vult's confusion at his vernacular. "He's a facetious, sarcastic jerk. Better than his predecessors but still a jackass."
"Would you rather deal with the rednecks in Appalachia?"
"Oh fuck no."
"I thought so, now shut up." Kazak looked back to Vult, "Basically he can make sure the Earth side of things is secure. Would help to also transfer his volunteers for our war effort when the time comes."
"Klarb, Burdak, Graak, and Kregg all worked with Adams' and his old bosses to advance our technology." Dib joined in.
"How thoughtful. I'm sure they did so free of their own will out of the kindness of their hearts." Vult concluded with a hint of snark at Burdak's expense.
"Depends how much you count dubious cooperation as willing…but Klarb seems to like being King of the Shithole as far as technology goes over there," Kazak mentioned.
"Unlike Klarb, I don't need a bunch of primitives worshiping my achievements as miracles. Don't even get me started on Kregg…". He shuddered.
"Kregg is…Haxx, ratcheted up past ten, and the knob broke off."
"…so Radec then?" Vult implied.
"Weren't they the two of your friends that showed up briefly on Earth? Radec was the one that tried to make a move on your girlfriend." Dib spoke to Kazak.
"Yup, Radec sounds accurate." Kazak smirked, "And Tak turned him into a real bitch when he tried, fucking hilarious. Graak, he's the sort of Elite gym bro that Haxx is, but he's the most normal of the lot. Competent, knows what he's doing, solid guy even after all the years away from the Empire."
"I'll take your word for it." Vult acknowledged, turning his attention back to Dib. "…and at the risk of stating the obvious, what do we do with him? First contact species isolated from his people and an adolescent running around a top-secret, hidden military installation in the middle of an interstellar war doesn't leave much room for error…or smeetsitting, for that matter."
"I'm not a smeet!" Dib
"Do you k-"
"An Irken child. Tak told me."
"Right, so what are you then?"
"A…human?"
Vult sighed, returning his focus back to Kazak. "Question remains to be answered. One of you two have one or does he need to be detained and supervised?"
"I'll keep an eye on him, he knows he's supposed to stick by me anyhow," the sniper answered,
"and if he touches anything he knows I'll smack him upside the head. Besides, young as he may be, I've taught him a thing or two in the realm of manhood."
"I'll be sure to point the Federation in your direction if his curiosity gets the best of him being his acting guardian." Vult concluded with a huff of bemusement, looking back to the young man. "You would be wise to listen this far from home. I take it you're intelligent enough to know how serious all of this is out here?"
"Serious enough to not poke around without Kaz's supervision." Dib answered with an apprehensive swallow at the blue-eyes Irken's foreboding presence.
"Good answer. I'll leave discretion up to you." Vult nodded to Kaz. "We can speak in depth later. The Captain and I need to debrief and we'll reconvene thereafter."
The door to the conference room slid open once more. Hesa and Aero practically sprinting in. "Vult, Vult, you are not going to believe what we-" Hesa began as the two of them came to a stop, looking across the table at the assembled group. "Kazak?"
"Yo."
"...Nevermind, explain later. Vult, Lorlo, he just reappeared. Internal Affairs transport crashed on Kunsanglauk, abandoned Jakri outpost world, he just fired up the comms array on the planet and they're on the way to grab him."
"Whose Lorlo?" Dib queried, earning the attention of the newly arrived. "Are you a Tallest?"
"What? No, I'm n- Who are you?" Aero implored, noting Burdak's presence as well. "And who are YOU? Where did everyone come from-"
"Aero." Vult steadied, raising his brow patiently. "Lorlo?"
"Right! OUR Lorlo, Sir. Alive and well! Called for help and Federation friendlies in the area are on their way to pick him up!"
"So the FNGs managed to spectacularly screw something up since I've been gone? Amazing. Completely expected." Kazak's eyes rolled.
"Hey, frick you!" Aero chided unkindly at him with a prod of his armored chest. "You weren't here, you didn't know what happened!"
"Well fuck you too."
"Kazak." The Commander redirected. "Go show your…steward around."
"Right. C'mon, Dib. You too, Burdak."
"But-"
"That's an order." The Commander interrupted. "You want to tag along to play soldier, you're going to follow orders like one."
The human lad attempted to reason but stopped short, sighing in defeat.
"Yes, Commander."
"As you were."
Kazak rose to his feet, leaving with Dib and the other Irken. Once out of the room, Hesa simply shook her head.
"I see he's still the same old hospitable character," she spoke, heavy with sarcasm.
"If that's the nice way of saying he's a giant jerk, then yes!" Aero scowled. "He wasn't here! He has no right to say that!"
"He's entitled to his opinion, even if it's misguided." Vult diffused. "A lot has happened in quick succession. Difficult to process all of it as new things develop."
"Yeah, I guess…". Aero admitted with reluctance, sighing.
"Corr's back, he shows up out of the blue, Lorlo's apparently not dead and somehow escaped from Internal Affairs…maybe we should've gone in on some high stakes gambling while we're at it." Hesa gave Aero a pat on the back. "He should be going back to where he came from anyhow, you won't have to put up with him for long."
The willowy Lieutenant of Red Team folded her arms begrudgingly with a huff.
"Doesn't mean he can't be nice for a change. Being nice is free! Doesn't cost anything!"
"If only the rest of the universe were half as charitable as you are in character, Aero, we'd all peacefully coexist." Vult spoke with equal measures authenticity and humor.
"If not for the fact that we were in a war and that I saw her fight, I'd almost think Aero doesn't have a mean bone in her body." Hesa added, smiling.
"Just because I can be doesn't mean I should." She defended with a scowl.
A reassuring, artificial hand rest on the woman's shoulder, garnering her attention from her commanding officer in full.
"Try not to let it get to you, Lieutenant. We're all on the same side here, despite our differences."
"Yes, Sir…" Aero sighed, relenting with an unravelling of her arms and slumping shoulders.
"He did bring a new face with him for you to be friendly with."
"The hairy, pink thing?"
"The human, yes…"
"Hoo-man?" She snickered. "What a funny name for a species. Hopefully it-"
"He. Male, adolescent." Vult gently corrected before she committed to a social faux pas in first contact. "Why don't you catch up with them and properly introduce yourselves, make him feel welcome."
Aero's carnation pink eyes practically dazzled at the prospect of a new friend to be made. The crispest of salutes snapped, grinning from antenna-to-antenna.
"Yes, Sir! Diplomatic relations underway!" She giggled, taking off from the room in the direction Kazak and his otherworldly friend had disappeared to.