Luis slowly came to, senses returning one by one. The mechanical sound of fingers against keyboard originated from outside his line of vision. And he was bound, strong metal wires securing him to…something. Looking down he found that in addition to being bound a metal pipe was pierced through his right arm, preventing its movement completely. 

 

Something moved at the edge of his vision, he tried to turn to look, only to be rewarded with stinging pain as the metal arm twisted against its attachment to the shoulder. There was a moment of silence as the sound of typing ceased….fuck. “Awake dear ‘captain’? Hold on for just one moment, soon done here.” Verek said, his voice taunting and filled with uncharacteristic stress. 

 

Verek…that snake had set him up! “What the hell are you doing?” The sound of typing before one last ominous *clack*. It was followed by a relieved chuckle from the ‘quartermaster’ and footsteps in his direction. 

 

Verek stepped out in front of him, crouching down “sorry for keeping you waiting.” The man was decidedly different, his smile a far more relaxed one, and sweat was running down his forehead “as for your question, it would be more correct to ask what I have done.” The self-satisfied tone revealed that whatever the bastard had done, it was too late to stop it now. 

 

As tempting as it was to curse the man out, the plasma pistol at his hip made that a decidedly risky move. Verek’s eyes followed his, feigning a shocked expression “I hope you do not think that lowly of me, I would never treat you in such a barbaric fashion. To answer your question, I have sent a message with the relay.” He had what? The affini would decode that in seconds. “Not to worry, the signal is sent using a method that, while far from potent enough to win the war, will buy me enough time.”  

 

Luis struggled against the restraints “do you think anyone is coming to help? There might not even be any terrans ships within jump distance. You are making a huge mistake.” With each passing second the burning feeling of rage grew hotter. He needed to keep his composure, talk the madman down…and then make him regret his betrayal. 

 

With one hand the restraints were tightened “Perhaps, though OCNI has more ships in hiding than you might think. In addition, I am in the possession of intel they scarcely can let fall into the affinis’ vines. The chance of my extraction is high.” OCNI…He honestly never seen or talked with anyone that admitted to working for them. This did not stop the whispers and rumors surrounding the shadowy branch of the navy to form a rather clear picture. 

 

Right now there was only one option, stall for time “that is who you are working for? What business does an OCNI agent have on my ship?” It was easy to feign disbelief and confusion when there was little need to feign it at all. 

 

Verek chuckled again, wiping some sweat from his brow “you misunderstand dear captain, I am a simple private contractor. My last job might have involved overseeing one of their pet projects. However, now that the subject is no longer operational, I am more than ready to abandon the sinking ship that is OCNI and the rest of the accord.” The man chuckled again…he was terran after all. The trembling of the legs, the continued sweating, the constant humor; Verek was nervous. 

 

An opportunity would open itself, he just needed more time “and here I thought for a moment you were inspired by patriotism. If it’s money you want I can pay you well, name your price.” The tube lodged in the prosthetic was rusted…maybe he could break it? The arm might get damaged but if he could just grab that gun…

 

“Patriotism?” He said the word like it was an especially sophisticated joke “no, I would be a fool to be suffering from a delusion like that. Societies rise, and then they fall, another rising in its pace. It is as natural as the changing of the seasons. Resisting it is pointless, adapting to the new is key.” Continue…keep talking for a few more seconds…a bit closer.

 

Verek’s tone changed and for the first time, Luis could see legitimate anger in his eyes. “The affini however,” the words were filled with venom, spoken through clenched teeth “the society they build is not one I can adapt to. It is so restrictive, dull, and worst of all? Their methods are impossible to trick on a long-term basis. A horrifying static tea party where all the roles are already arranged. What a pathe-”

 

Luis lunged forward with his right arm, the pipe breaking along with something else. He was far too slow, Verek grabbed the outstretched arm and twisted it forcefully backward. A horrible pain tore through his shoulder. The world quickly lost focus, red dots filling his vision.  

  

Verek chuckled again “oh captain, you are tenacious like few I have met. It is a deep shame we can’t work together anymore.” A small beeping sound emitted from the quartermaster’s wrist “shame…looks like we are out of time to talk. Making the relay operational took far longer than I anticipated and your xeno friends will be waking up soon.” 

 

The agent’s attention turned to the communication system “I had planned a very comprehensive sabotage,” a tinge of disappointment in his voice “the classical method will have to do.” The gun was unholstered and three blasts of blue energy lit up the blurry world, one after the other. “That should do. Now…” A small vial was produced from out of Verek’s pocket “the sleeping pollen Alyssum produces is a marvelous thing. To think that we ever thought we stood a chance against creatures like that.” 

 

Where the force of will and all other efforts failed, rage managed to pull Luis up into awareness “I…” focus! “…will make sure…they find you.” His entire body, including his right arm, refused to move as Verek casually walked over. 

 

The vial was opened, and a white gas-like substance flowed downwards. “Do not be upset dear captain, you will finally be bringing some pride to your family name. Very few ships can claim to have killed as many affini as yours. You are to be commended for your service.” Luis tried to hold his breath and was rewarded with a powerful kick to his chest. The first panicked breath filled his body with a numbing relief, the pain and tension ebbing. The sound of steps began to move away, growing fainter and fainter.

 

>>>>>>>

 

Another rumble shook through the tunnels, the lxtle’tric’til brood in front of her scrambling faster forward. It was impressive how fast the brood has been mobilized, it was just two days since the massive quake had shattered a large part of the tunnel system and forced Slkt’kree to accept the truth. Luck had been on their side, no one had been killed in the last quake, Ageratu just hoped it would remain so for the future. 

 

She continued to herd the endless stream of lxtle’tric’til with her stinger, emitting the pheromones that kept the little xenos from panicking from the flowers on her back. They had severely underestimated the number of xenos under Slkt’kree’s control, there were so many of them they filled the massive tunnel’s every surface like a rushing stream. It was impressive how well coordinated they moved, not a stampede as much as a unified set of movements. 

 

Ageratu inspected the walls, the black smooth rock reflecting her appearance back. It felt familiar now to see 8 eyes instead of 4, the time spent down here had reluctantly become good memories. The talks with Slkt’kree had grown fond, and at one point she had even opened up to her curiosity about the surface. While obstinate to the extreme, Ageratu could not help adoring the brood mother more and more.

 

A tiny rumble created tiny cracks, splitting the image into a dozen distorted forms. She could feel it in her legs, the rock was not how it was supposed to be. Hours stretched by, two more minor quakes breaking the mirror into tinier and tinier pieces. luckily there were no large rifts yet, the tunnel held.  

 

Her core continued to swell with concern as the flood eased into a trickle, there was still no sign of Slkt’kree. {I will go back, quicken the pace of stragglers} The chittering of her mandibles was reprecipitated by the other warriors of the brood. Neelin Landora was supposed to guide the rear, she the middle….but the warriors were doing their job well. It would be more important to help the rearguard if there had been any problems there. 

 

The further back into the tunnel she moved the fewer and fewer xenos were in her way. Until the tunnel was completely empty in front of her….She could not have passed them, it was impossible to miss both the brood mother and another affini, their size alone would make them obvious. Why were they so far behind? Increasing her speed in tandem with her panic Ageratu could feel an ever-increasing sense of dread. Had something happened? Had a ravine opened up and killed them? Please…Please…by the Everbloom let them be safe. 

 

Finally, a small group could be heard moving towards here in the darkness, eight individuals with Neelin and Slkt’kree among them. The group was moving slowly, the lxtle’tric’til aside from Slkt’kree were of advanced age, and probably the reason. Neelin blinked her eyes in rapid succession, accidentally indicating anger rather than surprise <what are you doing here, should you not be further up ahead?> Her biorhythm was filled with some irritation, Slkt’kree harboring similar emotions. 

 

There was something strange going on but before she could inquire as to what the brood mother clicked rapidly with her mandibles {Ageratu will accompany me, the rest go ahead, make haste.} The other xenos wasted no time in following the command, at a far faster speed than before. Leaving Neelin no choice but to follow. 

 

Slkt’kree moved strangely slowly forward, and the second the others were out of hearing range the brood mother stopped. {I must rest, you must continue} What? 

 

Ageratu stopped, gazing back at the brood mother {we must continue, there is no time to rest, it is not much further.} Only a bit further and they would reach the next tunnel, that one was at least lightly reinforced. 

 

Slkt’kree came up to her, a resigned calm in her eyes. It was at that point she saw it, one of the brood mother’s legs uselessly handing by her side. {Ageratu…, Thank you for saving my brood, my blindness obstructed the brood’s welfare, I should have given you my trust before.} They could both feel it, another quake was coming. {I want three gifts before you leave, the brood must survive, you must live long…and please gaze at the stars for me.} No! They would look at the stars together. Ageratu was about to protest, and control the brood mother if necessary…but it was too late. 

 

With powerful claws, Slkt’kree grabbed hold of her underside and before Ageratu could do anything, she was lifted up and thrown forward. Then the quake rocked the tunnel. The black rock shattered, huge rifts spreading as the world itself was being torn apart. A ravine had formed between her and Slkt’kree, the divide stretching deep into the abyss. 

 

There was still time {hold still, I will come} The brood mother could not be that heavy, maybe if she carried her they could still make it. Another quake reinforced her doubt, {try to jump, I will catch you.} Please…

 

Slkt’kree stood still, their eyes locked. The brood mother looked happy {I would slow you too much.} She bowed down, her claws to the side in a sign of submission {a pity I did not see it before, I would have liked to be yours.} A rumble brought their eyes upwards, a massive slab was slipping from between the growing cracks. Slkt’kree’s two stingers dropped, her eyes closed and then the rock fell.    

 

A deafening crash echoed through the tunnel as the brood mother disappeared. {NO!} Ageratu rushed forward, scrabbling over the clogged ravine, and beginning to desperately dig through the rubble. The stone broke at her strength, its sharp sides leaving a thousand deep cuts in her vines.

 

No! No! No! No! This could not be happening, please be okay, please! The sound of yet another terrible quake was ignored. What was the reason for getting out if she could not take her with her?!    

 

Two powerful vines grabbed her back and tore her backward <Ageratu, we need to leave now!> Neelin had abandoned any pretense of a lxtle’tric’til form, reverting to an agile mass of vines. 

 

They could not just leave her! <I need to get her out, let go of me!> The vines held her back despite the struggling, the older affini beginning to pull her away. More of the cave was collapsing, huge chunks of fragile stone splintering and exploding into blasts of knife-sharp blades. 

 

<There is nothing we can do!> Ageratu stopped struggling and forced herself to turn around. Her core burned with a cold and terrible pain, it felt like each moment her form would collapse entirely from that alone. 

 

A sudden shake brought Ageratu awake, surrounded by a field of wilted petals. She sat up, collecting her vines into the standard terran form…The pain from all those years ago still lingered, a mark on her core that would not go away no matter how many times she rebloomed…it was a long time ago, she should focus on the present. 

 

Her gaze wandered over to the datapad, the brood mother’s cancelation of their date had been surprisingly disappointing. It was good that they had decided to go to bed early but she could not deny she had hoped it would be in her vines. It was less than an hour before the terrans would wake…the premise of staying here and ruminating on the dread from the dream was not tempting. 

 

Ageratu walked up to the door and tried to open it, but it resisted. Strange, she typed in the access codes that Luis had so generously given her, and…still locked? What the dirt was going on here? Several attempts later and the continuous red beeps were beginning to get on her nerves. Breaking down the door would likely start an alarm and wake everyone. The brood mother needed her sleep so she could not let that happen. It was good she had taken the rudimentary classes in how to override terran tech, a couple of minutes of toying with the wires behind the console later and the door opened obediently.  

 

She decided to take the tea set with her, the ‘captain’ was sure to appreciate some early in the morning. And seeing them sip on it throughout a meeting was just the cutest! Remembering that image from a few days ago, the dread and panic from the dream began to settle. They would soon send the signal, by tomorrow evening she could be making tea for the brood mother in her own hab. The prospect made her vines wiggle, this whole experience was soon over. 

 

On her way to the mess hall something caught her attention, the door at the end of the corridor, the one to the brood mother’s office was open. Were they awake already? “Luis?” The office was completely empty, the silly little hat sitting on the desk next to a mobile computer terminal. There was something decidedly eerie about the scene…the screen of the computer showed only a grey mass of static. Leaving both the door open and forgetting the hat they were so attached to was very unlike them. 

 

Some small amount of dread crept through her vines. She was probably jumpy because of the dream…but it couldn’t hurt to check up on Luis, just to make sure. Taking the hat with her Ageratu moved with restrained haste to the ‘captain’s’ quarters, finding the door predictably closed. “Good morning brood mother, are you awake?” ….nothing. That was fine, they were likely still asleep….Would they be too mad if she opened the door? Well, they could only be that if they found out and she had no intentions of waking the adorable xeno from their adorable sleep. 

 

The access codes were once again proven to not work, was the problem system-wide? The door controls were overridden as easily as for her own chambers, though her vines were slightly jittery during the process. Carefully opening the door, making sure to not make any noise, Ageratu snuck inside. The lights were still on…and the bed at the end of the room was decidedly empty. Her core grew colder, the sensation from the office redoubling. A quick examination of the bed proved the brood mother had not used it for at least 10 hours. 

 

They had said they were going to sleep early, what in the Everbloom was going on?! Dashing out of the bedroom, Ageratu headed for the bridge. There was always the chance they had fallen asleep there, peering out into space. No such luck, the bridge was empty and startlingly quiet. Trying to discard the disappointment and suppress the ever-growing panic she found the ship surveillance console. A few paces from said console was another, its wires gutted out onto the floor and the screen smashed with deliberate intent. Why had someone done this? 

 

That question would have to come second, the brood mother was first priority. Forgoing even trying the codes the console's security measures were overridden. With trembling vines, she began to sift through the rooms of the Viator. 

 

 *click* Empty *click* Nothing *click* Where *click* Were *click* They? *click* Please *click* …

 

Gray static filled the screen, identical to what she had seen in their office. The brood mother must have seen this and gone to investigate!...and not returned. It could not be too late, where was…the communication room! A dozen terrible scenarios tore through her mind during the rapid dash through the tight metal corridors. This was not supposed to happen! Please…please be okay. 

 

The door to the communication room was closed, her claws dug into it and with a powerful jab tore it off its hinges, throwing it to the side. The smell of ionized particles and burnt electrical equipment filled the air. The communication system that she had spent the last few days repairing stood there with three large smoking holes in it. Frost! Without th- The pylon in the middle of the room that connected to the spire outside had iron wires tied across its lower section, a leg stretching out from behind it. 

 

Luis! She bolted forward in an instant, finding the brood mother tied to the pylon. One vine confirmed a pulse, the other a slow and relaxed breathing. Thank the Everbloom. All the tension in her body deflated all at once. They were alive. Not without injury sadly, whoever had done this had jammed something into the poor thing's arm and as her vines moved across their body signs of blunt trauma to the chest were found. 

 

With her xeno secured it was time to figure out what had happened…yet for some reason, they did not seem to wake. It was unlikely that they had fallen into such a deep slumber naturally, a light sting of class-Z anti-agent was inserted into their arm. 

 

Luis’s eyes fluttered open as the anti-agent took effect, the terran looking around dazed and disorientated. With one vine she snapped apart the wire and with another guided the terran to look at her “it is okay, you are safe now…take it slow.” They recognized her and for a moment relief adorned their expressions. The very next second a hurt rage entered their eyes and they twisted away. 

 

Shoving away her assisting vine, Luis shambled up on their feet. “Where is Verek? Have you seen him?” They pulled the remains of the tube out of their arm and threw it to the floor. Their eyes darted franticly around until it fell on the ruined communication system “oh…he…” The terran trembled, their legs looking like they might give out any moment. 

 

Ageratu placed a calming vine on their shoulder “we can repair it, everything is-” Luis knocked the vine aside and startled back. 

 

“Don’t you dare touch me!” An enraged fire burned in their voice “I know what you have done, and if you think that I will ever-” The rest of the outburst was broken off as three terrans entered the room with their guns drawn. 

 

“Step away from him you disreputable xeno bastard! Make one more move and we open fire.” Holding his useless weapons trained on her, he looked over at the ‘captain’. “Are you okay?” Ageratu prepared herself, tensing her vines for a leap. If the terrans shot at her they could hit the brood mother, taking them out first was the only option. 

 

Luis growled with barely contained rage “Put the damn guns down, its not the affini who did this.” They said while gesturing towards the communications system. “It was Verek, that bastard set us up. Duran, grab your whole squad and search the entire ship. I want that snake found yesterday.” 

 

The other terrans hesitated “Verek? Wha-“ 

 

“Who gave you permission to question my orders!? That man is armed and dangerous and I want him in the brig NOW!” The growl had grown into a low-pitched shout. The three terrans hesitated only for a second more before backing out of the room, eyes still glued on her. A second after they were gone Luis’s eyes went wide “we need to check the armory.” The anger was swallowed up by terror. 

 

They reached the armory and after several attempts to open the door, each failed one leaving the terran more and more agitated, they turned to her “he fused the hinges, tear it down.” The door was made of heavily reinforced metal, not usually a problem but she could feel that her vines did not have the strength they once did. Instead of brute force her vines coiled around the hinges and tore them apart, the door fell inwards, and the brood mother ran inside “please….” 

 

The sense of haste and stress was unpleasant for her, and unacceptable for Luis “brood mother, I think you should slow down…” They ignored her, continuing to search through the room franticly. “Could you at the very least tell me what happened?” They stopped their search, standing still with their back turned. Several seconds passed before they turned around. 

 

It looked as if they were about to speak, then the brood mother’s eyes shifted their focus to something behind her: A large rectangular metal container, stamped with the marking [F320-C: Synthetic Cube rations] on its side.

 

Luis walked up to it tentatively before opening the lid. The inside was empty, five plates of dark grey metal staring back coldly. The brood mother continued to stare into the abyss, frozen in place. There were no likewise boxes in the room…

 

Outside the sound of movement, confused conversations and some shouting had started.  Without any food, the health of the terrans was going to deteriorate rapidly. And the brood mother…Something needed to be done. Her mind began to analyze the damage to the communication system she had previously ignored…a few days at most if they could get replacement parts. Would that be fast enough? 

 

Stepping over the broken door Alyssum entered the room <what is going on?> Their ruffled form and displeased expression on full display. 

 

<from what I can piece together I believe Verek sabotaged the communication system and stole the remaining food. Some of the terrans are searching for him at the moment.> It was deeply unsettling seeing the flowers on Alyssum's body wilt as she spoke. 

 

The white-flowered affini’s eyes shifted color to a grey hue <Verek? Why…I…> He spoke in complete disbelief <he did all this?> 

 

Following the pattern the rest of the day had set, their conversation was not allowed to survive for long as the terran who the brood mother had sent out earlier returned. “Sir, we have searched decks two and three in their entirety. No sign of Verek,” Seeing the lack of reaction he hesitated before continuing “we did however find that the operational escape pod has been jettisoned. He got away.” 

 

Like a droid that had suddenly gotten a new command, Luis came back to life, the lid slamming shut “do we have its trajectory? It cannot have gotten far, we can catch up.” Their breathing had begun to speed up, becoming shallow with panic. 

 

A long silence followed as the bearded terran averted eye contact with the brood mother “he…he seems to have sabotaged our sensors before leaving, we have no idea where he is.” The silence between the two stretched on “what should we do?” Luis was unresponsive, but their biorhythm was in complete turmoil “sir?” 

 

Ageratu took a step forward “this has been an extremely difficult night for your captain, they should rest before doing anything else.” They should never need to do anything else, except be happy and content. Curse this universe! 

 

Rage entered the bearded terran's eyes, but before they could speak Luis did “Duran, begin collecting leather equipment and boil it. Ageratu, begin repairing the communication system.” Their voice was beyond monotone “I…I need to go.” And then without another word, they began to walk mechanically towards their quarters. Duran looked worriedly at the brood mother as they left before pushing past her and leaving in the other direction. 

 

<Has something happened between the two of you? last time you looked ready to give them a collar and now…> He did not need to finish the sentence. A comforting vine warped itself around one of hers <you should talk to them, I can start fixing the damage.> 

 

Had something happened? Yesterday the brood mother had been so cute for her, and trusted her with the future of their brood…how had all of that fallen apart? There was only one way to find out. Beyond that, there was no way she was leaving them alone when their mental state was so unstable. Bracing herself mentally Ageratu found her way to the ‘captain’s’ quarters. She could hear the sound of rummaging and pacing from inside.  

 

“Luis, can we talk?” The sounds stopped, silence marked by the obvious hesitation to answer. 

 

The voice that answered was out of breath and struggling to breathe “I have no need to talk to you!” 

 

She had with great reluctance tolerated the moderately self-damaging actions of the brood mother, only because it safeguarded the life of the other terrans. This however was beyond her ability to tolerate, Luis would be helped whether they liked it or not. The door was still unlocked from earlier this morning and swung open to reveal the already messy room in complete disarray. 

 

The contents of several drawers had been thrown onto the floor, shuffled through, and discarded. On a desk the remains of the prosthetic arm had been placed haphazardly, dry blood covering the shoulder part. Luis stood in the middle of the room with their uniform off, a hand pressing against their chest, and panicked teary eyes. They took a step back when she entered, hand running down to their hip where it found nothing. 

 

She closed the door with a vine and sat down. “We need to talk,” her tone made it clear it was not an option “tell me what happened.” Their panic and stress could be put at ease and resolved, but not without knowing their source. 

 

Luis looked at the door, then at her “you don’t need to play ignorant anymore, I know what you did.” The words were choked out “I know you have manipulated me, controlled my mind. Verek showed me.” Oh…“It was obviously to make me turn on you so he would get his opportunity but that does not make it any less true….” Anger and hurt joined together “I trusted you…” Tears had begun to roll down their cheeks “why?” 

 

It hurt in her core seeing Luis look at her like this, and she was not sure she could make them understand. The only right course was honesty “in cases where you have neglected your own health or emotional needs I have indeed affected you. I would have done much, much more to secure your welfare but you have frustrated that with the terms of your ceasefire.” She could see in their eyes that part of them desperately wanted to believe her. 

 

That part had been neglected for far too long. “Are you seriously going to pretend that you did…whatever you did to me, because you care about me?” They were attempting to get angry, but it was not working well.  

 

“Is that so hard to believe?” Luis needed help, now more than ever. They would either have to be convinced to let her do so or forced to accept it. 

 

“You think I can trust you?” They had started to pace back and forth “I cannot believe you almost managed to trick me, I should have known!” Their breathing began to grow ragged again “why are you even here? Come to finish the job?”

 

That was a possibility, maybe the best available “do you want me to?” 

 

Luis threw their hand up in the air “what does it matter? We have no food, no one is coming to save us…” They took a few steps back and sat down on the bed “we’re fucked, because…because I failed.” 

 

Poor thing… “none of this is your fault, and we will get you and your brood to safety. I promise.” She stood up and moved carefully towards the brood mother who had started to shake. 

 

“No…I-” the words were struggling to come out “this is all my fault. I…failed…in my duties and…and…now everyone will suffer due to my…” Ageratu closed the last of the distance between them and embraced them. Letting her vines warp around their body and pulling them close. 

 

Luis for their part did not resist, the poor terran was far too overwhelmed to do anything but cry, breathe and attempt to form words that were drowned as soon as they started. She pulled them closer and closer until the brood mother was safely entrapped in her arms. There was nothing to do but ease them through the shutdown. Her core burned with the shame and regret of having allowed it to come to this stage, but her own emotions could be dealt with later. 

 

Through physical comfort, pheromones, and biorhythm the breathing of her terran slowly grew better.  Luis looked so incredibly fragile like they would break at the slightest rough contact. At the same time, there was not and would never be something more precious. They needed to be protected and cared for, a statement as self-evident as gravity or a beeple being cute. 

 

Luis stirred slightly, drying tears and snot from their face. “Why do I feel safe around you? Is it part of what you did to my mind?” they wondered out loud. 

 

Indulging herself by giving the terran a tiny careful squeeze she chuckled “should you wish you can boil it down to my flowers emitting a pleasant scent and the sound of my biorhythm putting you at ease. Or you could be responding well to me having forced my way past the asocial barriers you have built around yourself.” The last remark caused a red shade of embarrassment to glow in her terran’s cheeks, so adorable!  

 

Their eyes blinked in realization “wait…so you are the one making those noises?” She let them listen for themselves for a few seconds, upping up the power of her rhythm for a second or two for a wonderfully cute reaction. 

 

The moment of levity had been welcomed but it was time to be serious “listen to me carefully.” Luis stiffened in her vines “it is time we changed some of the terms of the cease-fire. Seeing you in this state of suffering any longer would be horrible, unjust, and unacceptable.” 

 

The brood mother responded with a cynical chuckle “you do not know enough about me to decide what is just for me to suffer through. By any account, this is more than fair…the crew and you affini however-“ Another squeeze from her vines silenced the preposterous proposition of low self-worth and sacrifice.   

 

“You can speak when I am finished little one.” They frowned but kept quiet, she rewarded them with a head pat before continuing “from now on I will be ensuring your welfare, both physically and mentally by whatever means I find appropriate. I will unfortunately not have the opportunity to watch over you all the time.” One day she would be “So when I am repairing the relay or taking care of the terrans in the storage bay I will ask my friends to do so for me. You can still be the ‘captain’ and run the ship, meanwhile, I will be making sure you do not push yourself and that you go to sleep at appropriate times. Understood?” 

 

The terran squirmed momentarily “is there another option?” She had been too soft, that was the only solution for such a gentle arrangement could be reacted to in such a fashion.  

 

Ageratu smiled and stroked her fingers through the dirty and unkempt hair “of course there is. The other option is that I first finish the job as you so delicately put it. Then place you inside my body where you will be kept happy and docile, not allowed to come out before we have been rescued. How does that sound?” Luis swallowed and shrunk, looking even smaller and more delectable. 

 

After a long period of thinking about the options and composing themselves the brood mother answered. “The first option is a good deal more palatable than the second one…and trust or no trust, I still need you affini to get my crew out alive.” Describing the second option had made it remarkably tempting…however this was the safer path, if less exciting. 

 

She retrieved the hat from her chest and dangled it above them “good captain. You can get this back soon. First however, you need a nap.” The hat was placed back into the compartment, the brood mother following the item all the way….so precious. 

 

“a nap? At this time of...” The stare she sent them was more than enough. “fine…” they groaned and dragged their hand across their face. The second their fingers touched the beard growth Luis trembled and pulled their hand away, evident signs of discomfort on their face. “Could I shave first?” 

 

Asking for permission already, they would make such a good floret. “Your left arm is still trembling, and you will not put on that prosthetic before I have had a look at it. I will shave you.” Wait…did she not have…She did! “Is it right that you are uncomfortable with your facial hair in general?” the terran was let down on the ground, very carefully. 

 

Luis looked away “is it that obvious?…or did you hear that from Selma?” They sounded embarrassed to have let the answer slip so easily. “Why are you asking anyway?” 

 

Guiding her xeno to the covered mirror she revealed one of her vines, letting a tiny amount of sap trickle out of its tip “would you like for me to remove it? Permanently that is.” 

 

The brood mother stared at the vine for several long seconds, a thousand thoughts flashing behind their eyes “you can do that…with that?” She gave a nod “I…can…eeeeeeh. It would be good for hygiene, right? And it would save some time…” Their breathing had turned shallow again, but this time for the right reason: temptation. 

 

“It won’t hurt a bit, and should you regret it we can revert the process once rescued.” She had absolute confidence that there would be no regret. Thank the Everbloom that she had decided to keep the graft. 

 

Luis swallowed, looked around, and rocked back on forth on their feet. “Maybe…I…you know what? Go ahead.” The casual words failing utterly to hide the adorable emotions on display. 

 

Ageratu could not help herself from smiling “then close your eyes and stand still.” The brood mother did as asked, trying to stand as still as possible with their feet still stimming excitedly. With one vine she applied the sap, making sure to let it settle before wiping it off and washing the adorable face with a towel. It was a true shame she did not have her data pad to record this “okay, you can open your eyes now.” 

 

With no shortage of excitement, the terran opened their eyes and looked into their reflection. The look of disbelief lasted for over a minute, slowly but surely melting into immense relief. With a careful hand, Luis touched their own cheek, a decidedly different shiver going through them at the touch. “How…” tears, of the good kind, began to fill those beautiful eyes “it is so soft…” 

 

Drinking in the moment Ageratu entwined a vine around their arm “very soft, and very cute.” What could be more satisfying than this? Seeing a xeno take their first steps into flourishing. “Think of it as a little gift from me to you.” 

 

The tears began to run down their cheeks “tha..thank you. I…sorry, I am just very…maybe I should rest as you suggested?” 

 

“A great idea little flower.” While following the brood mother to the bed it was endearing to see how many times they peaked to look in the mirror. She considered giving them a dose of class-Z but it was not needed “sleep well brood mother.” And as predicted the exhausted terran fell asleep in seconds once tucked into bed. 

 

While Luis slept Ageratu started to repair the prosthetic, a horribly crude instrument, while thinking and adoring the sleeping xeno. Today had been a setback, no doubt about that. Yet, the brood mother was still safe and this time, not even the universe would prevent her from ensuring that into perpetuity.