"Huh, that's odd."
"Gaba ika tasoopa?" 626 looked up from the model police cruiser Oltz had been showing him to see the Sergeant had pulled out his communicator. He studied it a moment before shaking his head and returning his attention to 626.
"Oh, nothing's wrong, it's just - do you remember officer Higota?"
"Ih." 626 resisted the urge to growl. "Naga nice lady."
"Right…well, she sent me a message asking if she could meet up and personally apologize for the way she acted."
"Isa soka for how she treated meega?"
"I guess?" Oltz shrugged. "Her message was more about how she was acting around me than anything, so I'd guess this is more about her insubordination."
"Oh." So she wouldn't be actually apologizing to him, then. 626 felt a little stung, but by the same token it wasn't like she'd been even remotely the sort of being he'd want to get to know in the first place. "Meega naga care. Yuuga tell her that, ih?"
"Sure, as long as the Grand Councilwoman's fine with us meeting up."
"Meega can ask later - mu and Ava stopping by for lunch." It was still weird for 626 to wrap his head around the fact that he was now calling the Grand Councilwoman 'mom', considering that he'd never seriously considered familial relations in his life, but it really did feel nice to say, and 626 had caught himself practicing saying it into the mirror the night after his adoption had first been meega have to get used to it, like how meega naga named 'Experiment' now.
"Sure, that'd be helpful." Oltz's voice returned 626 to their conversation. "Thanks, bud."
"Yuuga ingiba." 626 held up the model. "Chu, yuuga tell meega how to make these, ih?" Putting together model spaceships had been one of Dr. Scheur's ideas: they had rapidly figured out that creating and building things was something 626 very much enjoyed doing, and by putting together different types of models they could - in theory - begin conversations about what sort of things 626 particularly enjoyed putting together and why.
"Of course." Oltz opened up a larger box that showed a massive, red battleship on the side. "Nowthisis a new construction we're still having put together for the Armada. It's called the B.R.B. 9000, and it's going to serve as our new flagship. Over here you can see it's got a complement of…"
Oltz came across Higota sitting in one of the booths at the Federation Headquarters' Burger cafeteria, wearing her service uniform in crisp, pristine condition. "You're looking well, sir." Higota greeted him by standing up and saluting when she noticed him. "Come, have a seat."
"Thanks. You're looking -" Oltz had been about to say 'you're looking well also', but the words died in his throat when he took a closer look. There was something…off about her, almost cagey; her eyes kept darting from place to place, like she was scanning for threats. 'You're looking like you're being very careful not to spill any sauce on your uniform,' he eventually finished lamely.
"What? Oh, yes, yes of course." Higota adjusted her collar. "After everything that happened last time I was here I want to have everything in tip-top shape. So how have you been? Doing well?"
Turning the subject away from ourselves, I see…"I've been fine." Oltz shrugged. "Still spend most of my days working with either the Grand Councilwoman or the kid - meaning 626, sorry." He paused, curious as to how she'd react to the idea of him referring to 626 with a nickname like 'the kid.'
Her reaction, it turned out, was to slowly put down her food and look him in the eye. "That's a bit of a familiar term, isn't it?"
"He's a familiar being." He said, evenly. "I think we've all grown rather fond of him."
"That would explain why the Grand Councilwoman adopted i-him. Glad to know Experiment 626 is behaving i-himself."
"Indeed. Oh, I appreciate the effort, by the way."
"Pardon?"
"I can tell you still want to instinctively call 626 an 'it', but I'm thankful you're at least trying to say 'him'. It's more than I can say for some of the Councilors around here, honestly."
"Right." Higota nodded. "Well, it would be pretty hypocritical of me to come all this way to apologize for insubordination and then continue to shoot my mouth off in a way you dislike, wouldn't it?"
"I suppose…"A whole lot of words to avoid saying you still see 626 as an 'it'.Oltz debated pressing her on it, but eventually decided to just take the small victory and hope it could be built upon. "That being said, I'm not sure I'm the one you should be apologizing to. Why not say it to 626 himself?"
"I…don't think I'm there yet. Hopefully soon." Higota gave an exaggerated shrug. "Still, not like I could just drop by 626's quarters anyways - presumably my pass won't get me through the door anymore?"
"Not after what happened last time. Access is purely on a case-by-case basis."
"I thought so." Higota looked away for the tiniest fraction of a second. "Well, I suppose that's for the best - stops anyone who might not have the best motives from coming in, or, well…"
"Stops 626 from getting out?" He asked her, brow ridge raised.
"Well, yes. I know, bad me, but I won't lie, it still seems like a decent precaution."
Truth be told 626 had had his own access card for over a week, not to mention that Oltz was reasonably sure that if the kid really wanted to find a way to escape he would've by now, but he felt Higota would take it the wrong way if hetoldher that, so instead he settled for nodding. "Maybe."
"Right, youreallydon't like me bringing up 626, do you?" Higota blished. "Apologies, sir. Let's talk about something else."
They shared a rather awkward meal, but in the end Oltz managed to pry out from Higota that she was going to be far from Turo for a good long while. "Helping transfer a few things to High Councilor Flemian's homeworld", she explained. "Mostly just private paperwork to be stored in government offices, a few knick-knacks for his family, that kind of thing. It's not very dramatic, I will admit, but it'll be good to get off-world for a bit."
"Right. Best of luck, Officer." Oltz' comm beeped, and he frowned. "Oh, hang on, I have to take this - talk later?"
"Sounds good. I'll contact you from the ship."
Having a large soda right before he knew he was going to be called to an important meeting had been a stupid idea, Oltz decided; his bladder had spent the entire back half of his meeting with Commander Uyhiole screaming at him, and so the very first thing he'd done upon getting permission to leave was head to the nearest refresher. Still, it had been nice to see Higota again, even if he was fairly sure she was hiding that that was all about? She almost seemed like she didn't want to be there. Hmmm - maybe she feels like if she apologizes she can get clearance to actually leave Turo again?He made a note to take it up with his superiors we can get it sorted out by the time she gets back from…whatever she was doing. Although, that really doesn't add up either: I've never heard of an armada soldier being asked to guard the post, even for a High there something going on?
Oltz sighed, zipped his suit back up, and washed his hands before exiting the refresher - odds are he was just being paranoid, though he supposed it wouldn't hurt to -
"Ugh!"
The moment the refresher door opened, Oltz saw a circle of green light flash before his eyes. It got bigger, and bigger, until it blinded him for a moment.
The next heartbeat, everything went numb.
The heartbeat after that, he began to fall to the floor.
The heartbeat afterthat, as his vision blackened around him, his eyes met those of his assailant's: Officer Higota, her face full of shame and regret.
Before Oltz could even begin to process this betrayal, he fell into the blackness and knew nothing more.
"Yuuga forget something?" 626 asked when he heard the door to his chambers whizz open a few minutes after his mother and Ava had finished lunch and left. "Isa naga time for Dr. Scheur."
626 got out of his chair and spun around, wondering what they'd forgotten -
And was greeted with the sight of a plasma cannon pointed directly at him. He froze, eyes darting to the cannon's owner, and 626 gasped. "Y-yuuga?"
"Indeed." Officer Higota gently squeezed her thumb against the trigger, readying to fire. "This has gone far enough, abomination. I can't let a destructive…thing… like you wander freely throughout the Federation."
"Meega naga thing!" 626 protested. "626 good."
"Liar." Higota tensed; 626 realized she was about to fire. "As if something like you couldeverbe good!"
As if punctuating that last word, Higota's cannon shot out a deadly blast of plasma. 626 leapt over it, the plasma sailing past where he'd been to erupt against his desk. "Aggaba!" He growled, quills, teeth, and hackles on full display. "Naga yuuga bookie, but meega will."
"I doubt that. You couldn't before, and you won't now." Higota fired again. This time 626 sidestepped it, trying not to think about how the plasma bolt was probably going to destroy the model he and Oltz had spent a good two hours putting together, before charging towards her at full speed.
"Oh, comeon!" This time she was the one to dodge with ease, a simple half-turn that sent 626 barreling past her, and as he tried to pivot on his footpaws she fired again. 626 leapt back, clumsily, and landed on the floor, and as he tried to flip himself upwards he felt a searing hot mass of energy collide with the middle of his chest. 626 gasped in pain, flew backwards, and squinting through the agonizing burning tried to steady himself for a counterattack.
He never had the opportunity: Higota fired another shot almost as soon as the first one exited her canon, and this one upbraided 626 in the chin. 626 felt another searing mass, his neck jerked back, and then -
Watugi?626 blinked. Everything had gone dark, almost to the point of being pitch-black, but in the dimness of…wherever he was 626 thought he could make out some kind of silvery outline above his head.
He winced: looking around and trying to thinkhurt, as for the second time in his life 626 was forced to deal with the lingering sensation of a plasma shot - two this time, with both his chest and his chin aching with the familiar throbbing sensation. Moaning, 626 decided to probe the sites like how Dr. Scheur and Ombit had taught him, just in case he needed any further medical attention, but when 626 tried to move his arms he found that, for some reason, he just…couldn't. Push, pull, left, right, upper set, lower set, it was all the same: a brief pinching sensation, a feeling of brushing against something cold, and then nothing.
Almost like he'd been restrained.
Crabba Snabba.626's heart sank into his , meega have hootehrqua, ih?Maybe there would still be enough light to see with that. 626 closed his eyes, tried to remember the right muscle to active his night vision, and then opened them again to find the blackness had been replaced with a spectrum of greens.
The first thing 626 saw was that the silvery outline above his head was the outline of a prison case like the one they'd forced him into during Jumba's trial.
The second thing he noticed, heart already pouding from the first revelation, was that he had, in fact, been restrained: all four of his paws were trapped in cuffs, locking them together, and although 626 spent the next five minutes straining, pushing, and even biting, the cuffs refused to budge. He was trapped.
Abruptly, the box 626 was imprisoned in began moving; 626 nearly tumbled over as he felt someone lift it up and place it somewhere. It then began to slide forwards, smoothly this time, and 626 guessed he was on some kind of hovercraft.
Did they know he was in there? 626 needed to check. "ABA CHOOKA!" He yelled. "Meega in here! Aba Chooka!" No response: either the being driving the hovercraft couldn't hear him, or they didn't care.
Maybe 626 could knock the box over? Standing up, 626 hurled himself at the glass capsule as hard as he could time and time again. It rolled around somewhat, the glass occasionally smacking him in the antennae, but the box surrounding it stayed !
His attempts to push his way free earning him nothing but a sore head, 626 stopped and sat back down. Maybe if he waited a better chance would present itself?
So 626 sat as still as he could, trying to ignore the panic and fear trying to take hold of him, and waited. Soon enough, he found that if he focused hard enough he could just barely hear what they were saying outside.
"...the last box?" Someone was asking.
"Yeah. Sorry that it's so heavy." 626 growled upon hearing Higota speak, wishing he could break out and forceherinto handcuffs. "The High Councilor wanted to send the missus a gift and he found a -"
"Oof!" 626 felt the box get lifted up. "This reallyisheavy!" 626 tried shouting for help again, but there was no response - the box was soundproofed from the inside, he realized.
"I'll help you with that." Another deep, booming voice said as 626 felt the box shoot into the air. He recognized that voice from somewhere. "See, not so bad, is it?" The voice chuckled.
"Yeah, well," the first lifter protested, "we're not all as big as you are, Captain."
Naga. Isa naga possible.626 realized who the voice belonged to, and why he'd recognized it: he was being loaded up by the being that had haunted his nightmares every single night for over a month: Captain Gantu.