Diplomatic Ties Chapter 36, a destiny fanfic

"All power is humbled when weighed against the eternal tide." - Shores of Time

"Ai! What is this?" Kosis' voice rose over the din of the cavern, a note of frustration coloring her tone. "Look! All of you."

Evening had brought a flurry of activity to the camp, with the Eliksni rousing from their slumber and partaking in a quick Ether ration breakfast before starting their daily preparations. For the Dregs, that meant rolling up the bedrolls and gathering the remaining rations and equipment strewn about the cave. For the Vandals, it meant checking weapons and ammunition, ensuring capacitors were charged and optics calibrated. As for Kosis, she had the unfortunate task of overseeing the cleanup.

And judging by the sound of her voice, the Dregs were not doing a very good job.

"Look," Kosis squawked again, holding high an unfurled bedroll that had been overlooked. "Who taught you such carelessness?"

"Yriik," piped up Danaan, who'd already completed cleanup duty in her quadrant and had pivoted to assisting Nyvis with field stripping a Wire Rifle.

The voice of the accused was barely audible from an alcove at the back of the grotto. "Yriik has not done this thing!"

"Yrii- …pah," muttered Kosis, bunching up the offending bedding, only to freeze suddenly. With a noise of distaste, she shook the fabric loose, revealing a darkened patch of material. "This is damp," she announced. "How?"

"Not Yriik," came an adamant reply from the alcove.

For Meren, evening had meant a return to her usual routine of sitting quietly on the sidelines and trying to keep a low profile. She'd already rolled up her bedding and tucked it neatly away in one of the open caches and was currently occupying herself with a ration bar, halfheartedly eavesdropping on the Eliksni's morning banter. Their exchanges, for the most part, had been background noise.

That wasn't to say Meren had lost interest in their interactions. She hadn't. But her focus was understandably split. Her mind kept returning to her conversation with Drekhis. How easy it had been for her to get carried away, falling into the charade of the Wolf-Slayer without a second thought. A dangerous game, that, playing pretend. Especially with Chiisori there to overhear.

Speaking of the Captain, he hadn't acknowledged her since the incident - not a word, not a glance. Upon waking, he'd disappeared shortly after he had the assurance that the crew were on their feet, and hadn't reappeared since. What he was doing outside the cave, she couldn't even begin to guess. But one thing was certain: he wouldn't stay away forever. How he chose to deal with her deception then remained to be seen.

At least the crew's antics provided a distraction for the time being.

"Not Yriik, my shell," Kosis was saying, shaking the damp bedding in the direction of the alcove. "This is your bedroll, Yriik. Your drool!"

The accusation was met with a chorus of amused chuffs.

"I have not-"

"Please, Yriik," Nyvis broke in. "Your salivation puts even gentle-potato to shame. It is no secret."

Yriik's protestations were drowned out by a swell of chittering, which lasted until Kosis quieted them with a click of her mandibles and a few subdued arm motions.

"Save Yriik some of his dignity. It is no fault of his own," said the second-in-command, her tone oddly calm. With that, she wadded the bedroll in her hands and lobbed it towards the alcove, where it impacted with a satisfying thump and a squawk from Yriik. "But let this be a lesson. If we are to move swiftly, we must be organized. We cannot afford to be burdened by carelessness."

A round of "Yes, Kosis" s and "As you say, Kosis" followed, punctuated by a few affirmative chirps. The crew appeared to take her words to heart, and the bustle of activity soon resumed with a renewed sense of urgency.

To Meren's eye, the scene was a study in Eliksni discipline. While their behavior could sometimes be chaotic, the crew had a sense of purpose and unity when it mattered. They knew their roles, and regardless of rank, they played them selflessly, without hesitation or doubt. It was a refreshing change from the Faction-driven rat race mentality back in the City, Meren thought, where too many had become preoccupied with their own agendas and ambitions, much to the detriment of the greater whole. Not everyone, of course. But enough.

The Eliksni didn't share that problem. As a people, their every action was driven by a singular shared purpose: survival. That simple, straightforward ethos transcended station and circumstance. It was the reason they'd held out so long in Sol despite all the hardship the system had thrown their way. Even in their fragmented state, their fortitude persisted, a testament to the strength of their collective will.

Humanity could stand to learn from their example.

Meren tucked her observations away as a shuffling at the cave entrance drew everyone's attention. A hulking shadow momentarily eclipsed the fading evening light before giving way to the familiar form of Chiisori. He'd returned from his outing looking as gruff and imposing as ever.

Kosis was the first to greet him. "Captain," she chirruped as she strode to meet him. "Your return is well timed. All is nearly ready for our departure."

"Good." Chiisori's appraising eyes swept the cavern, passing over the crew, stopping just shy of Meren. "The Skiff waits, and Iroskin's patience is not endless."

Kosis' posture stiffened. "Craaskkell sends his personal guard, then?"

"He does."

A wordless exchange passed between the two Eliksni, the subtle shift in their stances conveying the unease that accompanied the news.

"Craaskkell's wisdom is undeniable," the second-in-command remarked cautiously. "And to send his personal guard is a great honor. But..." She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I would not have thought it necessary."

"Our Kell does as he sees fit, as is his right," Chiisori replied. "Now, make ready."

Kosis appeared to hesitate for a beat, then bobbed her head. "It will be done, my Captain."

With that, the Vandal turned, her voice rising to address the crew. "Listen well," she called out. "We move now, with haste..."

Whatever Kosis said after that was eclipsed by the sudden surge of dread welling up in Meren's chest. A skiff? Craask's personal guard? That couldn't be right. The plan had been to travel by Pike. Seven rotations, Yriik had said. No Skiff. No mention of an escort, either. When had the plan changed?

In desperation, Meren ran through Chiisori and Kosis' conversation again, praying she'd misheard or mistranslated something. But no matter how many times she replayed the words in her head, they remained the same. Craask had sent his Kellsguard to retrieve them. And she couldn't help but suspect that it had everything to do with her.

Great. Just great.

There was no time to consider the repercussions. Already, the crew's last-minute checks and preparations were wrapping up, and the Eliksni were beginning to congregate near the mouth of the cave, awaiting their Captain's command. It left her with little choice but to follow suit.

With a deep breath, Meren got to her feet, smoothing the creases in her borrowed cloak. Her stomach was in knots, and her legs felt unsteady, but she forced her mind to quiet. The best thing she could do for now was to remain calm. Act nonchalant, if at all possible. Focus on the positives. Like the fact that she wouldn't have to sit on a Pike for another three days. Or that she'd soon be aboard a Skiff. A Skiff! She'd always dreamed of being given the chance to set foot on one. And here was her opportunity. How exciting!

The enthusiasm fell flat, even in her own head.

With another shaky breath, Meren steeled herself. One foot in front of the other. That was all she had to do. Just focus on the now. Everything else would fall into place, or maybe it wouldn't. Either way, panicking wasn't going to solve anything.

It was that mantra she repeated to herself as she shuffled towards the mouth of the cave, weaving her way around a few errant stalagmites. By the time she neared the group, Chiisori's order had gone out, and the Eliksni were already filing out into the dusk beyond.

"Move," urged Kosis, waving the dawdling Dregs past her. "Do not delay us."

Meren hung back, watching the procession. The Vandals, laden with supplies and weaponry, went first. Behind them, Danaan had taken the lead of the column of Dregs, with Araaks close behind, followed by Drekhis. The remaining Dreg stragglers brought up the scattered rear, ferrying assorted odds and ends, their chittering voices bouncing off the walls as they jostled for position.

"Last one to the Skiff is egg-rotten!" Vryksin declared gleefully, seizing an opening and darting ahead of Yriik.

The line ground to a halt as a perplexed Araaks paused to look back at the group. "What?"

"Egg-rotten," Vryksin said again. "Humans say this."

Araaks blinked. "And what does it mean?"

"Who can say? Humans are strange, but perhaps-"

Yriik, his lone arm clutching a jumble of ration bars, butted in, both verbally and physically. "Humans do not say this. They have no eggs."

Vryksin chuffed at him. "Of course they do. How else would they reproduce? It is basic biology, Yriik."

"Nyvis says otherwise," argued Yriik, oblivious to the ration bars spilling out of his arms as he vied for position. "And Nyvis is smarter than you."

Unfortunately, Nyvis had already cleared the mouth of the cave and was too far off to back up their brother's claim. Not that it mattered. Another voice had quickly risen above the commotion.

"But what does it mean, egg-rotten?" a curious Drekhis pressed, refusing to let Araaks' earlier question slide.

Meren could have helped them out, of course, but the last thing she needed was to draw any more attention to herself. Instead, she continued to loiter on the fringes of the group, waiting for the Eliksni to sort themselves out.

She didn't have to wait long.

"It means nothing," Kosis finally interjected, cutting off the debate. "Now, stop embarrassing yourselves with this nonsense and move along."

"Yes, Kosis."

At once, the line reformed, with Araaks, Vryksin, and Yriik falling back into their positions. Soon, they were moving again, disappearing one by one into the night outside.

Meren, meanwhile, hung back for a second longer, turning her attention from the procession to cast a furtive glance at Chiisori. Keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings, he'd stationed himself a short distance from the cavern's entrance, his secondary arms folded over his midsection. Gaze fixed straight ahead, he seemed disinterested in her presence. Still, she knew better than to believe he wasn't keeping tabs on her.

Swallowing her trepidation, Meren slunk forward, taking up a spot beside him. She didn't look up, and Chiisori didn't take his eyes off the crew. If not for the slight tightening of his claws against his arm, Meren might have believed he hadn't yet noticed her.

The two remained like that for a long, awkward moment before Meren finally dared to break the silence.

"Kosis will make good Captain one day, yes?" she ventured idly.

It seemed like a decent icebreaker. If she could get Chiisori talking about something benign, maybe she could steer the conversation towards their upcoming voyage. Find out what had prompted the change in plans.

All Chiisori offered her was a noncommittal grunt.

Undeterred, Meren plowed on, "She is...capable, I think."

Another grunt.

Meren knew better than to try a third time. Ducking her head, she fell back a few paces, allowing the Captain his space. So much for that idea.

The remainder of the Dregs were soon trickling out of the cave, and it came Meren's turn to join them. She waited for a beat until the last two stragglers - Weriks and Vryksin - approached the exit before moving to follow. But as she stepped forward, Chiisori's arm came up, blocking her path.

"No," he said gruffly. "You remain here, Merrin Haale."

Meren froze, a wash of unease flooding through her. "Remain? For what reason?"

Chiisori still didn't look at her, yet his barring arm lowered a fraction. "We must speak. In private."

Suddenly, the unease gave way to a cold spike of fear. She'd suspected this conversation would come, but hearing him actually say the words...

"If the Captain says so," she replied.

As Chiisori lapsed back into silence, Meren could only stand there, her heartbeat thrumming in her ears. She wanted to run. To disappear into the depths of the cave. To be anywhere but there, facing the looming threat of his displeasure.

Instead, she remained rooted to the spot, unable to do anything but wait.

At the exit, Vryksin was on his way out when he paused. Glancing back, his gaze settled on his Captain and then on Meren, lingering for a moment until Kosis appeared at his side, urging him forward.

"Go," she told him before leaning in and murmuring something else Meren couldn't hear, to which the Dreg responded with a bob of his head and a quick retreat.

Then, it was just Meren, Chiisori, and Kosis.

It took a moment for the second-in-command's attention to shift from the exit to her superior. When it did, the Eliksni regarded her Captain evenly, making no move to follow after the rest of the crew.

At that point, Meren half-expected Chiisori to shoo Kosis off himself. Yet he made no such request. If anything, the way he angled his head in Kosis' direction made it seem like he expected her presence. Meren didn't like that one bit.

A quiet foreboding hung in the air as they waited for the last of the crew's voices to fade away. When all was still, Chiisori finally spoke.

"Your deception has not escaped our notice, Merrin Haale." The words came slow and measured, but they carried an ominous weight. "Brandaks-3 was first to see your true nature. Kosis saw it. Yet I foolishly chose to believe them wrong. But now..." His tone hardened. "Now, my eyes have been opened to the truth."

Meren's throat constricted, and she reflexively inched backward.

"I-"

Chiisori lifted a clawed hand, cutting her off. "Your words are lies. Your deeds, deceit." He turned, then, his glare pinning her in place. "Honorless and false," he spat. "That is what you are. A charlatan."

"No, no. I explain," she stammered, but Chiisori wasn't listening.

"Your ruse plays the House of Kings for fools," he continued, advancing on her. Every muscle in his body was coiled as if he were barely restraining himself from lunging at her. "All you seek is to sow discord. To sunder us from inside out with your deceptions. No longer."

He was upon her now, and Meren stumbled back, her hands coming up defensively. It was an egregiously human response, but considering that a nine-foot-tall Eliksni was barreling toward her, she didn't have the wits about her to do anything else.

"Chiisori," she managed. "Please, I-"

Before she could get another word out, her backpedaling landed her against a broad dripstone column, trapping her between the unforgiving stone and the Captain's towering form. Her panic rose, her fingers scrabbling uselessly against the rock, desperate for leverage as the Eliksni closed the gap between them.

"You are a soft-shelled, bannerless thing," he growled, eyes burning with fury as he leaned in towards her, "undeserving of the air you breathe. Your very presence sullies the honor of this House. A black mark upon our name."

He was so close Meren could taste the Ether that hissed from his rebreather. She shrank back, gaze darting to Kosis, who stood a short distance away, both sets of arms folded across her chest. The Vandal's expression was guarded, but her posture told Meren that the other Eliksni had no intention of intervening.

"Please," Meren tried again, her wide eyes back on Chiisori.

But Chiisori wasn't having it. "Silence," he barked, drawing himself up. For a heart-stopping second, Meren thought he meant to strike her. Surprisingly, he instead took a half step back, his posture stiff and his arms splayed.

"Were it not for our ireliis, I would cut you down where you stand," he told her, the heat of his rage giving way to a deadly calm. "Consider yourself fortunate, 'Wolf-Slayer,' that honor stays my blades. One of a lesser House would not have such restraint."

The words washed over Meren, leaving her feeling suddenly numb. That fragile oath between them was the only thing keeping her alive. One more misstep and her life would be forfeit. Of that, she had no doubt.

For the sake of self-preservation, Meren held her tongue and dropped her gaze in a show of submission. If that didn't mollify him, there were other Eliksni displays of deference she could resort to, each progressively more obsequious than the last. But if that's what it took...

To her relief, the Captain didn't seem inclined to escalate. With a derisive snort, he turned, stalking away from her, muttering something under his breath. It didn't take a comprehensive understanding of the Eliksni language to know the words weren't complimentary.

With Chiisori no longer in her immediate vicinity, Meren's pulse finally began to slow, and after a moment, she risked a glance up. Kosis' knife-sharp gaze was still on her, the Vandal's slitted eyes making it clear that her opinion of Meren wasn't any more favorable than her superior's. As for Chiisori, he hadn't gone far. He was pacing back and forth a few meters away, his claws flexing and unflexing at his sides.

"Tell me, Merrin Haale," he said abruptly, pausing his circuit. "Is there any truth to you? Or is every word from your tongue false?"

Meren flinched as his accusing stare turned on her again. "There- there is truth," she replied.

"Speak it, then."

Meren hesitated. How to phrase what she wanted to say without digging her own grave?

"To Drekhis, I have lied. This, I admit," she started cautiously. "It brings great shame. But all else I have said...it is true."

The look in Chiisori's eye suggested that he didn't believe her. But before he could voice his scrutiny, Kosis beat him to it.

"Why should we believe a thing you say?" She strode towards her Captain, stopping to stand at his shoulder. "From our first-meeting, you have done nothing but deceive. What reason have we to think your words now are any different?"

"None." Meren swallowed. "None," she said again. "But...what I gain from more lies? I would earn-again your trust-"

"A trust that is broken can never be made whole," hissed Kosis.

Chiisori raised a hand, forestalling the Vandal. "Let her finish, Kosis." His voice had dropped, losing some of the intensity he'd directed at Meren earlier. "Then we shall judge her words."

"As you say," Kosis murmured.

The Captain returned his attention to Meren, fixing her with another steely look. "Speak quickly. Time grows short."

"What more would you have me say?" asked Meren, turning her hands up in Eliksni supplication. "I tell you my name, my home, the truth of my House, my-" She stopped. What else had she divulged to Chiisori?

"And what of your title? 'The Professor,'" prompted Chiisori. "Do you still claim it?"

Meren shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Denying it seemed sensible. But, then again, what she considered sensible was so often at odds with Eliksni expectations.

"It is mine," she said, "but...it is not earned by deed."

Kosis made a noise of contempt. "Ill-gotten honor? How fitting."

"How, then, have you come by it?" asked Chiisori, ignoring Kosis' barb.

"The Spider."

Both Eliksni cocked their heads in tandem as if she'd just said the most baffling thing they'd ever heard.

"He gives me this title," Meren elaborated, "but there is, uh, misunderstanding." She hesitated at what she was about to say next. Chiisori and Kosis were not going to take it well. "The Professor does not mean 'Wolf-Slayer.' The Spider makes it as...jest. All is Drekh humor."

The confession was met with silence. Meren waited, tense, as the two Kings exchanged a look, Kosis' mandibles working soundlessly in clear annoyance. Chiisori was more challenging to read. Finally, it was Kosis who broke the silence.

"You mock us."

"Not intentionally!" Meren blurted, momentarily losing her grasp of Eliksni. "Or, uh, accident? Spider-accident?"

Her blathering earned her a slow head shake from Chiisori, like he'd given up hope that she'd ever stop surprising him with her ineptitude.

"The Spider is a fool," he grumbled after a moment. "His humor, more foolish still. But this is no excuse for your deceit, Merrin Haale."

He had her there. Meren looked away.

"Apology" was all she could offer. She should have denied the stupid title from the start. What had she been thinking?

Predictably, her meager contrition did nothing to soften Chiisori's countenance. His inner eyes were narrowed to slits, and his mandibles clicked together. He was clearly still irate with her. As well he should be. By Eliksni standards, she deserved to be docked at the very least.

"A name. A home-place. A House," the Captain said, repeating the meager details Meren had fed him over the past days. "And a Spider-jest title. Is this all you are? Or is there more truth you would give us?"

"I..."

Meren stopped. They were digging for something - some admission or maybe some hidden agenda she was keeping from them. Unfortunately for them, they were about to be sorely disappointed. She took a breath.

Kosis didn't let her get another word out. "It is curious you claim to belong to a 'House' such as Spider's, which holds no regard for our ways," she interjected, taking a step closer. "Yet you understand our customs, our tongue, the Old Words." The Vandal canted her head. "One cannot help but wonder how."

Meren opened her mouth.

"Do not claim 'many books' as you have said before," warned Chiisori.

Meren closed her mouth.

"No books keep the Old Words," Kosis added. "This past-truth comes only from the mouths of Eliksni."

Meren heaved an inward sigh. It seemed they weren't going to let her get away with anything less than complete honesty. Fine. They could have it if they would just shut up for a second and let her get a word in.

Once she was certain Kosis had nothing more to say, Meren looked squarely at Chiisori. "My knowledge come from many books," she said, doubling down on her earlier assertion. "But more than this. Many recordings, also. I...listen-again. Many times."

She watched the Eliksni's reactions carefully. A flicker of suspicion in Chiisori's gaze. A hint of wariness from Kosis. Not exactly what she was hoping for. But not surprising, either.

"Recordings," echoed Chiisori. He seemed to mull the word over for a second, and then his expression changed, hardening once more. His voice, too, took on an edge. "Who...are you?" he asked slowly, his attention zeroing in on her, searching her face.

Kosis' eyes were on her as well, her scrutiny adding to the sudden intensity of her superior's.

"No importance," Meren said hurriedly. "Only Eliksni friend. In Last City, I study-"

"Speak the truth!" Chiisori's sudden rebuke came out a hiss. "Or the price for your falsehood shall be our ireliis."

That did it.

The threat pushed Meren's patience over the edge, and she flung her arms wide. "This is truth!" Agitation spilled into her words. She fought it back down. "Professor - in human tongue, it means 'teacher.' I do this! I teach of Eliksni. Study."

Her words hung in the air for all of a second.

"Study Eliksni? Like beasts?!"

The accusation came from Kosis, who looked like she wanted nothing more than to throttle Meren with her bare claws. Chiisori looked about half a step away from doing the same.

"No! Like people!" Meren fired back. Their predictable reactions were precisely why she hadn't led the conversation with the admission of her academic pursuits. She inhaled sharply.

"Xenoanthropology," she went on. "Xenocultural study. This is what I do. What I teach. I. am. a. tenured. professor. At an academic institution. In the Last City. That's it."

Both Eliksni's faces screwed up at the string of human words, but Meren didn't give them a second to try to parse any of it. She was on a roll now.

"How about this one: Ethnography. Do you understand? No, not yet? Ethnology? Xenoethnolinguistics? Any of these?" she rattled off, the bite of sarcasm seeping into her words. "Still no? Fine." She sighed, pressing her hands together as though in prayer and bringing her index fingers to her chin. "It is…how you say, uhh, culture-learning? Of Eliksni. I do this. I am knowledge-seeker, respect-only. Like..."

Her voice dropped as her brain scrambled to come up with an example they'd better understand. "Like...old Riis Scribes." The comparison rang true with how Variks had explained it to her once. He'd told her the old Scribes had been relentless in their pursuit of knowledge so that when a Scribe made a decision, no Eliksni would challenge them, knowing no facet of the matter had been left unconsidered. "Like House Judgement, yes?"

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Chiisori bristled.

"Judgement is lost," he said coldly. "The Scribes with it. So too should be the knowledge of their ancient wiles."

Kosis glanced at the Captain, a hint of uncertainty creeping into her posture. "But Captain, I thought one yet remains. One Craaskkell calls Less-Than-Dreg. V-"

"Do not speak his name! It is not worth the breath."

Chiisori's sudden vehemence made both Meren and Kosis pause. The Vandal dropped her muzzle.

Meren, on the other hand, just stared. It was evident Chiisori had an extreme dislike of a certain Scribe. Which meant that under no circumstances was she going to admit to so much as knowing Variks' name, let alone that she knew him personally. That would be a surefire way to find herself skewered on the business end of the Captain's blades.

For a long moment, there was nothing but the sound of Chiisori's breath hissing through his rebreather as he collected himself. Then, abruptly, he shook himself and turned away.

"I have heard enough," he said. "Craaskkell shall be the final arbiter of your truth, Merrin Haale. Not I."

Meren bit back a grimace. The promise of being dragged before Craask was not what she would consider a good outcome to the conversation. Her fate now rested in the claws of a powerful and unknowable Kell, who'd been slighted by her species no less than thrice in the past century. It didn't take much to imagine how that meeting would likely end for her.

"If the Captain says so," she murmured in reply.

The comment earned her a sharp look from Chiisori, who'd stalled to glance over his shoulder at her. Surprisingly, he didn't reprimand her, choosing only to chuff forcefully before wheeling back around.

"This matter is concluded," he said gruffly, though his stance and tone lacked the heat it'd held moments earlier. "But...I would leave you with these words, Merrin Haale." It took four steps for him to close the distance between them. "When you stand before Craaskkell, know this. Speak not of Scribes or Judgement. And hide not behind the Spider's falsehoods, for our Kell shall not be deceived."

Chiisori straightened up, then, towering over her, forcing Meren to crane her neck to meet his gaze. "Should Craaskkell see fit to end you" - his voice lowered, and all his eyes narrowed- "die with honor. It is the least-"

"My Captain! We are besieged!" A shrill voice cut through Chiisori's admonishment, giving way to the rapid patter of footfalls against stone.

At once, the three of them whirled around to see a wild-eyed Drekhis spilling into the cavern, his chest heaving as he stumbled to a halt. His focus skipped from Kosis to Chiisori, his words coming out in a jumble as he attempted to relay his message.

"F- from the sky! They come!"

Meren barely registered the rest of his frantic chattering. Besieged? From the sky? Could it be...?

Chiisori was already in motion, sweeping towards Drekhis. "Slowly. Breathe and speak," he said, catching the little Dreg by the shoulder as he pitched forward. "Tell us what has happened."

Meren held her breath as Drekhis pulled himself together. His eyes never left Chiisori's. "A Ketch!" he gasped. "It uncloaked above our Skiff. Jammed our communications. Now they transmat to the ridge! It is an ambush!"

The news struck Meren like a punch to the gut. It wasn't the Vanguard cavalry coming to her rescue, as she'd briefly dared hope. No, it was the worst possible alternative, short of the arrival of Skolas' prophesied Hive abomination:

Other Eliksni.

As if on cue, a maniacal whoop split the air outside the cavern, followed by a thundering boom. An instant later, the force of an explosion shook the walls around them, sending a shower of dust and sparry debris raining down from the ceiling. Chiisori ducked reflexively, shielding Drekhis. A step ahead of him, Kosis was already surging forward, drawing a shock dagger, its humming blade illuminating the dust-choked space around her with an electric blue-white glow.

"Devil scum," Kosis snarled. "I will dock them all!"

The Captain snapped to, rising up, but not before running a hurried hand or two over Drekhis' bannercloth, brushing away the dust that marred its striking King yellow. The gesture struck Meren as almost...fatherly, but the moment didn't linger. In the next, Chiisori was in motion, barking an order to his second-in-command.

"On my mark, Kosis!" Then to the Dreg, "Drekhis, behind me!"

He didn't have to say it twice. The Dreg practically threw himself behind his Captain, crouching low and fumbling for the shock pistol tucked at the small of his back. Kosis moved up, one of her secondary hands tapping against the vambrace on the opposite forearm, priming some hidden tech embedded within it. Meren, on the other hand, stood frozen to the spot, her mind still trying to process the fact that a full-blown firefight had apparently kicked off on their doorstep.

She didn't even realize Chiisori was looking at her until his next command yanked her back into the moment.

"Stay back, Merrin Haale!" He jabbed a claw towards her as he spoke, his eyes ablaze with a single-minded fury. "Stay hidden!"

It was just about the last thing Meren expected him to say. She stared at him. He stared back, his head jerking ever-so-slightly to indicate a secluded alcove further behind where she stood, just off to the left. Then, the eye contact broke as he spun away, putting distance between himself and Drekhis, tapping out a sequence of commands on his gauntlet.

Before Meren could make sense of what he was doing, Kosis was already calling out.

"Primed and locked, Captain!"

Chiisori's response didn't come in the form of words. Instead, the Captain let loose a roar that chilled Meren to the bone, even as it sent her adrenaline spiking. The cry was a call to war - one that promised only blood, anguish, and an inglorious death to whoever had dared challenge the House of Kings.

In the next instant, Chiisori yanked his shock blades from their scabbards, the wicked edges crackling and spitting as he twirled them in an impressive flourish before settling into a battle-ready crouch. Flanking him, Kosis assumed a similar stance, the dagger in her hand still thrumming. She, too, was ready, waiting only for the command to strike.

Then, with a shout that rivaled his battle cry, Chiisori rallied his crew.

"Bring me their banners!" he bellowed, blades slashing through the air in one final, menacing arc.

A chorus of snarled concurrence from Kosis and Drekhis rose in response as Chiisori jammed a clawed thumb against a vambrace armoring a secondary forearm. In the time it took for Meren to suck in a sharp breath, a shimmering transmat field enveloped the Captain, and in a swirl of sapphire, he vanished. A second later, Kosis was swept away by the same ethereal current. Drekhis lingered a beat longer, giving Meren an uneasy glance before he, too, winked out of existence.

And just like that, she was alone.

For the second time in under a minute, Meren felt like she'd been struck. This time, however, the blow was accompanied by a swell of panic. There was no way Chiisori's crew of twelve, a single member of Craask's Kellsguard, and one lone Skiff could fend off a whole Ketch full of Devils. It would be a massacre. And then it would be only a matter of time until the victors turned their sights on their spoils. Namely, a single human hostage the Kings had left unattended in the middle of their cavernous hideout.

"Shit," Meren muttered under her breath.

It wasn't hard for her to picture herself kneeling before a vengeful troop of Devils, their shock rifles and arc spears poised at her head. The image spurred her into action, sending her scrambling for the niche the Captain had indicated moments earlier. There, she took refuge, and there, she cowered, hands fisted against her thighs, heart pounding a staccato rhythm in her chest.

Only then, wedged in a hole in the wall like a frightened child, did she finally take note of the commotion outside.

The din of conflict was muffled by the distance between her and the exit. Yet Meren could make out the savage sound of Eliksni howls and snarls. The high pitched whine of Scorch Cannons priming their charges. Snapped words and cries of alarm. The rumble of Ketch engines. No further explosions, though. Curious.

Could the Devils' heavy ordnance have been disabled somehow?

Meren strained to hear anything that would tell her more about what was happening, but the voices and noises blended into one another, making it impossible for her to determine exactly who was gaining the upper hand. Some of the scuffling sounded so much closer, though, like it was coming from somewhere just beyond the entrance, which didn't bode well.

Then, as abruptly as it had begun, sudden silence.

Meren waited, scarcely breathing. Was it over already? It couldn't be. She'd only been holed up in that crevice for a minute at most. It seemed too short a time for such a battle to have been waged and won, no matter how outmatched her captors might be. She leaned forward, listening for any further sign of strife.

The stillness prevailed.

Still, she dared not move from her position. Chiisori had told her to stay hidden. And by the Traveler, that's exactly what she was going to do.

Seconds passed. Or minutes.

Just as Meren was beginning to convince herself she'd be holed up in that stupid nook until the end of time, she heard it. The slow, purposeful scuff of footsteps against stone. Something - or someone - was in the cave with her.

All of a sudden, the darkness seemed to deepen, pressing in on her from all sides. Her eyes, however adjusted to the dim, struggled to make anything out beyond the craggy contours of the alcove. Nothing had actually changed; she knew this logically. It just wasn't until she needed to actually see that she realized just how dark the damn cave had become.

The sound of singular footsteps was joined by a second, noisier tread, then a third. Soon, the muted rasp of breathing accompanied the soft scuffle of feet. It sounded like they were getting closer. A moment later, the near-indiscernible thrum of Eliksni subvocalization confirmed it.

They were definitely getting closer.

Meren pressed her back to the wall, trying to will herself to sink into the stone. It didn't work.

Ahead in the gloom, she could now make out three vague blots of shadow, moving towards the center of the cavern. It was only a matter of time before they spotted her. Or smelled her - if they hadn't already.

The thought had scarcely crossed Meren's mind when one of them suddenly halted, a half-whispered word cutting through the quiet of the cavern. The two other figures slowed as well before coming to a similar stop. As one, their attention shifted, unblinking luminescent optics swiveling towards her.

Meren felt the color drain from her face. This was it. She was as good as dead.

But then, from the group, came the bright chirp of an Eliksni voice.

"Here you are, the Professor!" it said cheerily.

Meren blinked. That voice… It couldn't be. Could it?

Before she could stop herself, she was inching forward, straining for a better view. Gradually, the three shadows began to resolve into distinct Eliksni figures. The first to come into focus was the one who had spoken, a lithe Vandal who stood half a head taller than his cohorts.

Meren did a double-take as he took a step forward.

"Arrha?!"

Sure enough, stepping into a beam of moonlight filtering in from a crevice high above, a spined figure materialized from the gloom and graced her with an awkward imitation of a human wave, flapping three of his four arms in her general direction.

"Greetings," he said in that same blithe tone.

One of the slightly shorter Eliksni, one Meren recognized as Vynriis, sidled up next to him, stopping to rest her two left hands on her hip and side. The remaining Vandal who'd stepped up beside Arrha Meren had never met before, but he sported an identical set of that distinctive pincushion armor his compatriots wore, which told her enough about his allegiance.

Meren could hardly believe what she was seeing. "You- what the hell are you doing here?" she sputtered.

"Asset retrieval," Vynriis said simply.

Arrha was right there with her, bobbing his head along with her words. "We hunted far and long to find you, the Professor," he added, sounding quite pleased with himself. "Glad to see the Kings kept you safe for us."

Meren could only gape at them, dumbfounded. "Safe?!" she repeated.

With an appraising eye, Vynriis surveyed Meren's disheveled armor from head to foot and then shrugged. "Safe enough."

Before Meren could react to the assessment, Arrha and the third Vandal were moving towards her. In a matter of seconds, they'd flanked her, looping their arms through hers in a manner that could almost pass as cordial were it not for the iron grip they had on her.

"Come along, the Professor," said Arrha in that faux-polite way of his. His head tilted towards hers, then, and his mandibles - just barely exposed beneath the faceplate of his helmet - pulled apart in a jovial, if rather unnerving, approximation of a human smile. Yet it was the words he spoke next that made Meren's blood run cold.

"The Spider wishes to speak with you.""Ai! What is this?" Kosis' voice rose over the din of the cavern, a note of frustration coloring her tone. "Look! All of you."