Demotion or Destiny

Trea’k walked forward, her chin held high as she did so. “I am prepared your majesty’k. I know I have lost my hive’k and am not fit to be queen’k.” The overqueen stared down at the smaller Vex’ess for a moment before nodding to herself. “You say you are not fit and yet you took it on yourself to promote your handmaiden. You say you are not fit, and yet your first thoughts were to warn the greater hive - not even to mourn your own lost. Have you even mourned those you lost yet? I can see it in your pheromones that you have not. And yet… you did lose your hive. Some action must be taken, for the sake of the whole.”

Dustin shifted slightly uncomfortably - he didn’t feel punishing someone who had lost effectively their entire family less than a week prior was necessarily the hight of good governance, but he also was aware he had no real place to speak here. Until, suddenly, he did. “I have two possible options for you, Trea’k. The first is you will be demoted back to the bureaucracy. Given your natural skill I expect you will be eligible to be queen again in about ten years. Then things will occur normally for you. The alternative…” and here the overqueen’s gaze flickered to Dustin for a moment “…would be that you resume your travels with the human ambassador as our envoy.” As Yril'k’s eyes lit up at the sudden chance to travel with her queen again, the overqueen continued. “There are three stipulations to this however that you need to be aware of. First - his species are not yet approved. You will be unable to form a hive until they are approved, and in the event their mission fails you would still face demotion - albeit one without demerit, so your return to queendom should not take as long.”

Trea’k nodded slowly as the overqueen ticked off her points on long spindle-like fingers. “Second - you would be under the ambassador’s command. His orders are law on his vessel; you have never trained for an envoy role and as such you will need to learn to act as queen and servant both. And do so while fulfilling the duties of your role.” At this point Trea’k looked about to speak before the overqueen raised a hand to silence her. “This third point is perhaps the most important to you my daughter. You were fresh to your hive, with servants sent from the academy - you had yet to host a clutch of your own. As envoy, you would be expected to follow appropriate conduct for the host species - which, if my understanding of the situation on board the human vessel is correct would mean that you would be required to utilize a contraceptive medspray for the foreseeable future.”

The overqueen fell silent at that point, seemingly to give Trea’k time to think. The Vex’ess queen glanced briefly at Dustin, then for slightly longer at Yril'k before turning back to her leader. Before she could say anything however, Yril'k piped up. “Your majesty’k - please don’t think of me in this’k. You need to do what’s right for you’k!” Dustin was busy trying to figure out exactly what was going on - but as he did so he dimly remembered a conversation Rye and Meli had had some time previously where they’d laughed about him finding the only Vex’ess who’d wait to have… His mouth fell open as he stared at Trea’k.

The insect queen drew herself up and looked straight forward at her leader. “I have no doubt your assessment of my ability is correct’k. However, I do not feel that skill alone is all that matters here’k. If I were to be demoted and then later return to being a queen’k… I would be forever second guessing’k. I will serve as envoy’k, even if it means I never have a clutch’k. That is, if the human will have me on his ship’k.” At that, both of them turned their gaze to Dustin. “We have rewarded you for your actions with a crew member.” The overqueen said, before gesturing down at Trea’k. “However, should you wish for our signature on your charter, an envoy is needed. Their joining with your house prior to leaving our space would normally be a requirement, but I will waive that condition in light of this one’s status. Furthermore, as I have stated I will also grant dispensation to not reproduce at the earliest convenience but rather at your mutual discretion if or when she joins your house - that can be part of her punishment for what she views as her failings.”

Dustin looked from one mandible-tipped face to another. Getting a council signature was really useful, it would make his new officer happy… he glanced at Emely. She didn’t even try to hide the nod she gave him, and he turned back to voice his agreement. Right as the first word left his mouth, the overqueen lunged forward and stabbed Trea’k cleanly through the chest. The words stuck in his mouth as he watched horrified, the spike sticking through the woman for a moment before it pulled back, dropping her to the floor. Trea’k’s body curled in on itself in a matter of seconds; as Dustin started to move forward he found his way suddenly blocked by Yril'k. “Apologies’k captain’k.” She said, preventing him from moving any further. “My overqueen should have informed you first’k. This is necessary for’k a queen’s evolution’k.”

Behind her, the body of Trea’k was rapidly sinking into the same blue liquid that had surrounded Yril'k during her evolutionary change. Unlike with the queensguard however, this time the liquid seemed to rise up from the chamber floor - Dustin guessed the overqueen had something to do with that. For the moment, there was nothing to do but watch as the cocoon grew around the woman, eventually cutting her off from sight completely. At which point, the overqueen clapped her hands and the entire pod rose up on a small grav-sled. “She will need several days to develop. I gave her rather the crash course in being an envoy. My apologies ambassador, but I have no time to sit around with you while she is promoted - you need to be on your way, and I have an empire to ready for the risk of a coming storm.”

The overqueen gestured for them to leave - before seemingly remembering something and raising a hand to halt them. “One other thing, ambassador. Your security officer now has the knowledge of how to handle an envoy during and after the change. I suggest you use the time while she is converting to decide how you want things to go with Trea’k. Fly safe.” With that the audience was over and they were ushered back to their shuttle, grav sled in tow. None of the group spoke during their transit back to Sola, a little shell-shocked at the sudden addition of two new permanent residents so rapidly and in such a dramatic fashion. Once back aboard, Dustin summoned the whole crew to his ready room, the pod containing Trea’k sitting on it’s sled in one corner.

Meli and Rye walked in, glanced at the pod and the Vex’ess warrior and grinned at each other. “What was the bet?” Meli asked idly, checking her nails as she did so. “Winner cooks a meal for all of us, I think we said?” Rye replied, dripping into a chair next to Yril'k and kicking her heels onto the table. “Gambling, again?” Dustin rolled his eyes, then explained the situation as best he understood it along with what had happened during his time on the overqueen’s ship. The Velca and Rabyth gave their new colleague a friendly welcome, although Rye somewhat spoiled it by grinning at Dustin and adding “it’s about time we had someone on the staff that isn’t regularly getting Dustin’s” to a confused look from the Vex’ess and giggles from Emely before Meli shushed her and explained.

“Leaving Rye’s crude humour aside for a moment, we do still have something to discuss while Sola takes us out of system and back on our quest to get a doctor aboard. Trea’k is going to become an envoy when she leaves that pod - but from the last thing the overqueen said, I feel there’s more to it than that. And you two have joked about Vex’ess and reproduction before, I’m sure of it. Meli, Yril'k - would you explain everything for me please?” Dustin said at last, his concerns that there was more to the situation that it first appeared finally cutting across the good natured ribbing and welcoming of their new crewmate.