Meeting the overhive queen

The next few days travel passed swiftly. They’d been joined in flight by a handful of Vex’ess vessels - small, sleek craft that Dustin privately thought would last for about half a volley against the aliens that had attacked them, but never the less he was glad of their presence as screen ships if nothing else. The flight through space thus somewhat safeguarded, he’d had plenty of opportunity to leave the bridge and speak with his guests. After revealing her concerns to him, Yril’k had appeared happy enough to sit at the far end of the rapidly greening garden bay and talk softly while her queen helped Emely and Meli with their planting. Rye was busy in engineering most of the time - after Dustin had shown her Sola’s true schematics including the particle cannon that ran down the spine of the ship she’d sworn a whole bunch in Rabyth and then told him she’d cut the recharge time in half and extend the range of the blast by the end of the month and to leave her to get on with it.

Given the danger they had been in, he opted to let her do as she wished in that regard, and so he’d gotten to know Yril’k and Trea’k more. The queensguard reminded him a lot of himself - unsure, but suddenly in a position that made sense and determined not to let anyone down. The Vex’ess didn’t have much of a military history in recent centuries as far as he could tell - like most council species they had been at peace for thousands of years - so he had lent her a range of military history texts from Sola’s archive and offered to practice with her in the armoury. For the time being she’d refused the chance to practice as she was clearly still worried about parting from Trea’k, but she had thanked him for the offer regardless.

Trea’k meanwhile struck him as being a mirror to Emely. Where the Feliax was confident in her ability to do her job but struggled with her own character, Trea’k was utterly assured in how she acted and who she was - but terribly unsure about her ability to fulfil her role as leader and queen. Dustin had spent some time with her, sipping drinks while discussing the difficulties of leadership and as a result was pretty sure that her concerns were all in her head. Certainly, she seemed no worse a leader than he was, but the loss of her entire hive through no fault of her own (save for following a predetermined flight path) had clearly caused her deep anguish.

Eventually, the day of their arrival at the prime hive came. After discussions with the crew, Dustin opted to just take Emely along to escort the two Vex’ess back to their people. They wouldn’t be landing - apparently, outsiders were not permitted on the home world of the Vex’ess - and instead would be taking a shuttle across to the overroyal hive ship. As they entered the system, Sola’s sensors picked up said ship rising through the atmosphere of the insect’s home planet. It was massive - once in orbit, it looked closer to a small moon than a vessel, and Dustin marvelled at the level of resource and technology required to make such a craft capable of atmospheric transit.

Boarding the shuttle, he gave instructions for Meli and Rye to keep the ship ready to fly and to follow local traffic control orders before steering his companion and guests across the short distance of void between Sola and the hive ship. Inside the massive Vex’ess vessel, he was directed to fly along a vast corridor. From behind him, Trea’k’s mandibles clattered nervously. “They’ve cleared the direct access’k. We’re going straight to the overqueen’k. Oh no’k.” Unsure how best to reply, Dustin focused on flying, eventually touching down on a small landing pad outside a thickly reinforced door.

From the door, ranks of tall Vex’ess warriors strode - eight armed, like Yril’k. Queensguard, although carrying heavy looking guns of some description indicating they were a little more than just regular guards. With only one way to go, Dustin and the others walked along the lines - the guardsmen folding in behind them as their path lead away from the shuttle and through into a grand audience chamber. Dustin was briefly put in mind of the throne-room of Emely’s aunt - but here there was no naked fox woman trying to get a reaction. Instead, the overqueen of the Vex’ess looked up from a bank of screens that surrounded her high throne. “Earth ambassador, my thanks for returning my wayward children to me.” Her voice lacked the clattering mandible sounds of the other Vex’ess; the reason for this was clear. Like Trea’k, the overqueen had two separate jaws - however where Trea’k’s were both bug like, one of the overqueen’s was far more mammalian in structure. The similarities between the Vex’ess ended there however; unlike Trea’k the overqueen was gigantic - her throne held only the foremost part of her body while the rest curled almost snake-like around the structure, multiple abdominal segments extending for quite some distance.

“Yes, we are not like the lower queens” She said, seemingly reading his mind. “And no, we cannot read minds but we are very good at guessing. The lower queens produce new workers or new strands for our kind to grow. We collect, collate, render and multiply, guiding the grand evolution of our people along appropriate routes. Different needs, ambassador. I expect you were thinking you’d see some plump breeding machine like so many insect queens from non-sentient species? Do not worry, most who are not of the hive think as such.” Her eyes narrowed at that point, spotting the Trea’k and Yril'k. “I see you promoted a queensguard, daughter. I have read the reports and agree with the decision, although it should have been the duty of whoever she serves next.” Yril'k’s eyes flashed dangerously at that, and the overqueen let out a low chuckle even as she reared up, suddenly resembling a giant centipede about to strike it’s prey.

“You care that much for your queen, warrior? That you would risk showing anger against me? You chose well indeed daughter mine. But then, what shall I do with the pair of you.” The overqueen sank back into her throne, still chuckling and Dustin cautiously wiped his forehead with his sleeve. The sight of a giant angry overqueen had worried him significantly - if that massive form had decided to attack him or Emely, he didn’t see that he could do much about it. With a sigh, the queen swiped a screen around to in front of her. “The council are being stubborn about this of course, ambassador” she said, seemingly forgetting the others for a moment. “Your government has sent their concerns, and I understand the Feliax are backing them. The Rabyth and Velca are… investigating, which means they’re waiting to see how the council moves while preparing for the inevitable which is at least something.”

She tapped her mandibles with one hand in a very human gesture before sighing again. “Right now, I sense a storm coming. I am sure you are aware that insects are rarely out when it rains? Old evolutionary advantages die hard, and I feel the rain approaching. We need to work together, and you have shown yourself capable. My… advisors report that you have no security officer on your vessel yet, is that correct?” Dustin translated “advisors” as “spies” and pondered how exactly they had known, before realizing he hadn’t replied and hastily nodding. “Very well. Yril’k. You have acted beyond your expectations. I am transferring you to the human vessel to act in a combat role. Come here.” The queensguard shuffled forward nervously - before falling back as the end of the overqueen’s abdomen flashed out, a spike hidden on the end appearing to stab the smaller woman firmly in the chest.

Before Dustin could move Emely grabbed his arm. “It’s like a promotion! The overqueen can…” the Feliax said rapidly, before Yril'k cut her off. “Can transfer knowledge and skills via genetic memory.” At that, the Vex’ess staggered slightly, before managing to hold herself upright seemingly by **** of will as the wound began to rapidly seal itself. “I do not wish to leave my queen however.” She said through gritted mandibles. “That is not your choice’k, Yril'k. Serve our saviour well’k.” Trea’k said, a little fire in her eyes as she did so. “Wise words, daughter mine.” The overqueen’s voice drew all eyes back to her as she beckoned to Trea’k. “And now it is time to discuss your new role.”