A General and a Queen

Dustin paced up and down the command deck as Sola slipped through the weave in the direction of Vex’ess space. He’d left the queen and her handmaiden in Meli’s capable hands and had returned to the bridge to monitor their passage out of the system. He’d also sent a priority one message back to Earth, detailing what had happened and was currently awaiting a reply. Their first jump was a short one - and no sooner had the drive spun down than Sola informed him of an incoming call. “Our next flight point is only an hour away Captain, please bear in mind as I cannot sustain constant intersystem communications during weave flight” The ship’s AI said, before the vid screen flickered to show Axworth’s stressed looking face.

“Ambassador! Damn sorry we’ve got to talk like this, but I got your message. Are you and your crew alright?” The old man’s eyes were concerned, and Dustin nodded quickly. “Good, good.” Axworth visibly relaxed before sitting back in his chair. “You’ve reported the situation to the Vex’ess already, correct? I expect the proverbial will hit the fan then either in about a day’s time or not at all, depending on whether the council decide to mark this up as space piracy or not.” Dustin glanced worriedly at his chair. “Sir, I had to fire the main gun to deal with the attackers. There’s no way that was…” Axworth interrupted him with a harrumph.

“Of course it wasn’t bloody pirates. And the Vex’ess will be pushing the council in the direction of worrying about who or what’s going around attacking ships, but they’re just one species. Even if you pull in the Velca or Rabyth and Feliax as well, that’s only three or four votes on the council. Need more than that to deploy the fleet. But at least with the bugs actually pushing we won’t have as much difficulty accessing the archives ourselves. I want to see what else beside your mystery saboteur they’ve been ‘forgetting’. And don’t worry about firing the big gun - it’s technically within what we are allowed to strap onto an ambassadorial ship.” Dustin frowned at that; he’d idly read the specifications for this sort of mission during some of the limited down time when he was going through training back on Earth and while it was technically true that the main gun fell within the allowed bands it certainly didn’t fall within the spirit of them.

Shrugging, he decided that was a problem for EarthGov and probably Axworth to worry about. “Any adjustment to my mission, sir?” He asked cautiously - worried that revealing the main weapon of the Solar Ascent might have more repercussions than he was aware of. Axworth rubbed the bridge of his nose for a moment before shaking his head. “I doubt it. EarthGov will be in uproar, Star Command will be dealing with a load of angry politicians for a month but the mission remains the same. Only difference would be if Star Command starts listening to me - if that happens, I’ll be in touch to get you to swing back to Earth for a refit. Keep doing what you are doing ambassador, and keep in touch if you run into any more of weird things out there. My gut is telling me they’re connected, and if that’s the case…” The old man let his words trail off, and Dustin winced. He’d studied enough Earth history to know what it meant when you had sabotage and military-grade ships attacking unarmed vessels. “War, sir?”

Axworth’s face grew heavy and he nodded. “It smells like it. Well, if war is coming to the peace of the galactic community humanity will be ready for it. You keep doing what you’re doing and keep making us friends and allies Dustin, and I’ll do my best to make sure that when you need to replace the pen with a sword we’ll have some damn good swords all ready for you.” With that, the call ended and Dustin slumped down into his seat. Unknown enemies, a **** council… It didn’t bode well for the galaxy at large. Straightening up and shaking his head, he watched as Sola slid through the darkness between the stars, the next jump point rapidly approaching. Brooding over a potential coming conflict wouldn’t do any good. With that in mind, he stood once more and headed back down towards the med-bay; he was pretty sure by now Meli would have finished checking over their guests.

Sure enough, when he reached the sterile room his fiancé was sitting on a chair, talking quietly with the queen. The handmaiden lay on one of the beds, her chest rising and falling slowly - when he entered, the other two turned to him and Meli put a finger to her lips. Stepping over to them he raised an eyebrow. “Yril’k worked herself half to **** keeping Trea’k alive. She needs plenty of sleep, I’ve given her a stim to knock her out after discussing it with Trea’k here, but even so we should speak quietly.” The queen bowed her head lightly towards Dustin. “My maid’k - she should have no job besides entertainment and speech’k. And yet when we were struck’k, she fought like a warrior’k. Helped me to where we were’k when you rescued us’k. Patched the systems so she could run life support and the point defence’k. Ran the guns’k. Called for aid’k. All I could do was be helped’k.”

Dustin realised there were tears forming in the insect woman’s eyes and he half-stepped towards her before pausing, unsure as to the correct protocol. “There was nothing you could have done, your majesty.” He began, adding “it took everything we had to fight those things, and yours was not a ship designed for conflict.” The queen sagged slightly but nodded - agreeing at least in part with his assessment. “That is true’k. But if Yril’k could do so much’k, could I not have done more’k?” Then, she straightened and stared at Dustin for a moment. “Captain'k. My apologies, the loss of my hive has’k… caused me to forget my manners’k. I am Trea’k, queen of the Vex’ess, and I thank you for your aid’k. I have little to repay you with however’k - but the overqueen will show her gratitude I am sure’k.”

There was a questioning look in the Vex’ess’s eyes that Dustin couldn’t place. Meli, however seemed to recognise it because she leaned forward and whispered rather quickly to the other woman. As the Velca sat back, Trea’k’s mandibles flexed slightly as if she were considering something. With a sigh, she nodded to herself and continued speaking. “After careful consideration of the situation’k… I feel it likely I will be demoted on return to the prime hive’k. It will be many years before I am considered fit to evolve to queen once more’k.” Dustin threw his science officer a questioning look at that - evolve? The Velca stepped in, interrupting Trea’k. “Like most species, humans do not change anatomy when they change jobs, Trea’k. Vex’ess undergo a process of physical change when they take on different roles Captain, they’re one of the most genetically fluid species we know about. They can even pull in characteristics from other species, although that is usually…”

Trea’k cut short the Velca woman’s explanation with a click of her jaws and a thin chitin-covered arm stretched out across Meli’s chest. “…it is irrelevant’k. In the current situation at least’k. What is relevant, is that when I am demoted I will not be able to promote’k. When Yril’k has had enough rest captain’k, I request your presence as a witness when I promote her’k. She should be queensguard’k, she is more than fit enough for it even if I am not fit to be queen’k.” Dustin wasn’t sure what exactly that all meant, but nodded anyway. “Happy to be of help if I can. You should probably rest too your majesty, we’re still several days away from the prime hive even going flat out, so you’ll have plenty of time to recover I think.” Inclining her head the insect woman acknowledged his point, shifting her weight up fully onto one of the wider beds on which she had been leaning - the med bay having several options for larger or unusually shaped crew members. “Your words are wise captain'k. My thanks’k. Oh, and please call me Trea’k, formality is not needed’k.”