“Our people also need to be trained for the stars,” the queen told her, and Fabian’s face showed surprise.
Apparently the vespis hadn’t shown an interest before. Well, I thought, sucks to be you; they’re showing one, now. This earned me glances from Delight, Tekravzary, Mack, Tens, and every vespis in the room. T’Kit nudged me in the ribs, and I closed my eyes.
“Sorry,” I whispered, and watched as the grown-ups at the table—Delight’s words, not mine—got down to work. In the end K’Kavor was scheduled to have a training academy whose ownership and management would gradually shift from Odyssey to the planet’s ruling council.
“As soon as we establish one,” Queen Tekravzary said, and then pushed away from the table. Looking to Delight, and passing her gaze across Mack and Tens, she added, “As much as this is important to us, I still have an arach incursion with which to deal—and Mack must fulfil his contract. We need to be back on K’Kavor, now.”
Delight, too, rose from the table.
“Your Majesty, we have but one more matter.” She waited, continuing only, when the queen paused and turned to look at her. “How does the interrogation of the settlement’s invaders progress? Have you had any results?”
Tekravzary continued moving towards the door, arching an eyebrow as she went.
“What makes you think any prisoners were taken?”
Delight sighed.
“Your Majesty, we are able to scan the area.”
The queen stopped and, when she faced Delight, her expression was tight.
“Scan, then. My warriors have not reported keeping prisoners,” She stopped. “Although we have been out of contact, so if prisoners were taken, I would not know. I can assure you, however, that we will not be interrogating them. Such activities do not usually produce reliable results, even with our abilities. The arach have similar capabilities, and ways of protecting their minds against it.”
Delight paused, although I could see she had yet another question she wanted to ask. So, too, could the queen.
“What else do you wish to know, Agent Delight?”
Delight blushed, and then looked into the queen’s face.
“What do you do with the arach you take?”
“I use them to build warriors better adapted for killing them.”
Delight swallowed, clearly looking for the words for what she wanted to ask next. The queen twitched her antennae, and huffed a very human-like sigh.
“I use them as living incubators for my young, and the young of my strongest warriors.”
She laid a hand on the shoulder of her nearest guard, and waited for Delight to respond. When she didn’t, the queen continued.
“Any prisoners from the raid on the settlement will be transported to the hive, where they await our pleasure.”
Delight paled, but the queen wasn’t done.
“This is the fate of all surviving arach from the Shady Marie”—and I watched as Mack’s eyebrows rose in surprise—“and the station. This is the sentence given to those who try to take my world. It is the sentence of all who betray K’Kavor. Is that understood?”
Delight swallowed twice, and nodded, biting her lower lip. The queen pivoted on her heel, and stalked towards the door. When she reached it, she paused, her hand on the frame.
“And can your Odyssey stomach it?”
Delight’s response held no hesitation.
“Yes, your Majesty. Odyssey has no jurisdiction over the laws of your world, and will abide by them.”
The queen looked back.
“It is essential, Agent, if we are to have the kinds of vespis warriors we need to defeat this new swarm. The arach are like the seasons—and there will be no end to their attacks until the current swarm is wiped from the stars. Once we know their identity, we will promulgate that name. Larvae who are raised on arach flesh ingest the native aggression of an arach warrior, and develop the instincts most needed to combat them. We did the same when the humans invaded our home, and tried to use us as cattle.”
Delight blanched, but she nodded, her expression a careful blank.
“We understand, your Majesty.”
The queen nodded.
“That punishment is one reserved for only the worst criminals—murderers, traitors and those who prey on the weak, like parasites. We do not promulgate it, but we apply it without exception, is that not so, Foreman?”
And Fabian nodded, vigorously, his knuckles white from gripping his laptop so tight. It made me wonder what he had been privy to that he had turned that particular shade of white. The queen turned her gaze towards me.
“We rescued him from those seeking to traffic in human flesh and labor. As a child, he saw what he needed to, in order to know he was protected.”
From the look on Fabian’s face, I wasn’t sure protected was the right word for what he was feeling, now.
“We do not condone slavery, either,” Delight said, and Tekravzary shrugged.
“What we do is not slavery; it is execution. Can your Odyssey live with that, or not?”
“We can,” Delight said, “but let us offer assistance so that you do not need to rely on criminals as a means to raise your young.”
“Speak with me when this battle is done,” Tekravzary said. “My people would appreciate the option—especially as we move to the stars. There are others who will not understand…”
Now, there was an understatement, I thought, but the queen moved through the door, and I followed at T’Kit’s side.
“Mack,” Tekravzary said, “I need you and Tens in the shuttle. Fabian, work with Odyssey to do what you can for the Shady Marie. Agent Delight, I look forward to Odyssey’s assistance, when you have done what is needed here. Fabian will tell you the appropriate means of contact.”
And we were gone, leaving Delight in the conference room, while the queen commandeered the Sugarsides’ pinnace for the return journey to the orbital. I figured Delight had called ahead, or they’d never have let the queen and her entourage aboard. Even so, the cockpit stayed sealed for the short flight, and the pilot spoke via the intercom only to welcome us aboard,
