“I nearly relapsed after the meet with Eyrn, which don’t make no damn sense figuring I should have been happy to get that load off my chest.” Darren said, with a lingering sent of shame hanging thick in the air. “All it did was serve to remind me how fucked up everything was, seeing Eyrn like that…dang…don’t think I made it clear enough how amazing that was Pryvani. Seeing her like that, so small, so vulnerable, so human.” Darren lingered on that sentence for a while, but his mood shifted almost as quickly as the topic of conversation. “Course Aisell didn’t leave me no time for dwelling on that, she put me to work right away. And that’s when I was introduced to Tol-Bot.”
 
“I’ve never had much interest in the game personally,” Pryvani said dismissively as she sat back on her couch. “However, I’ve attended more than my fair share of Grand Tributes in my day. It is an important game to a lot of people, steeped in tradition; it stirs up a lot of emotion Tol-Bot. Excitement, intrigue, suspense, anger — even sorrow.” Pryvani nodded down to Darren. “I suppose even those of us who’ve no taste for the game itself are unable to escape its influence.”
 
“I find it hard to believe there is much at all that you’re simply ‘swept away’ by Ms. Tarsus.” Darren offered a rascally grin and a deep chuckle.
 
“Sometimes I fear you exaggerate my influence, Sergeant Avery.” Said Pryvani humbly as she rested a hand over her breast.
 
Darren shook his head and stood, pacing slowly but deliberately along the short center table he stood on. “It’s not a hard game…actually I think a lot of people back home would excel, we have a lot of games that are like it, similar…but not quite the same. It’s a strategy game at heart, with rules and guidelines. It’s open world and unpredictable, kind of like the real thing, but there’s something else ah didn’t expect.” Darren put his hand to his chin, his eyes narrowed and he chewed on his inner lip, as he always did when he was in deep thought.
 
“The beating of the drums, the roar of the crowed, the low rumble as the spectators chant your name as you’re entering the arena, the raw primal lust for battle feasting on your reserves. Something like that, Sergeant Avery?” Pryvani asked, freely.
 
Darren looked up; he was taken aback by Senator Tarsuss’ accurate description of what it felt like to play the game in front of people, in an arena, against a flesh and blood opponent. “Something like that.” Darren snorted as he eyed Pryvani suspiciously.

“I said I didn’t care for the game, not that I was unaware of its draw,” Pryvani responded, holding her condescending grin to a minimum. Pryvani attempted to look past Darren’s lingering stare; eventually she relented, setting her hands in her lap daintily she shook her head. “No, I am not a player myself, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
 
Darren continued to watch Pryvani, he didn’t need words as his eyes said far more than words ever could.
 
“I’ve really no time, my Curriculum Vitae is full enough as it is Darling,” Former Goddess, mining heir, philanthropist, senator and public media darling was indeed an impressive, if time-consuming life.
 
Darren relented with a nod, and turned to face the window; the ship had been coming to a stop, he could feel it in the engines, and he could see it in the again-visible backdrop of stars.
 
“With Aisell I was able to learn the game fast, much faster than she’d picked it up. That’s the thing about you bunch, it takes ya’ll years to learn anything, if it takes ya a day.” Darren chuckled. “Really, it just felt natural. Any kid with a computer and some free time back home can pick up the basics, that don’t take no genius. Now, what took a bit more time was learning the field, learning to predict what yer not supposed to be able to predict, Obi Wan called it foresight.”
 
“Obi who?” Pryvani interrupted.
 
“Obi Wan….it’s what I started calling Aisell once she took me under her wing and started teaching me the ways and all.” Responded Darren casually.
 
Pryvani nodded, crossing her legs as she listened.
 
“It’s more than just some battle simulation, it’s more than a fancy strategy game…it’s as close to the real thing as I’ve ever seen. Every twig, rock, boulder, pebble, lake and river…it’s really there. Every unit you control can think, there are so many variables. You might play a hundred games, and not one of ‘em will ever be like the next.” Darren’s voice teemed with excitement as he talked about the game. “It’s like you’re the hand of god himself, deciding the fate of entire armies…there’s you…the player outside the ring…listening to the crowd, the drum beating, the fervor…then there’s you inside…standing among the troops…watching everything as if you’re there!” Darren became animated with his arms and hands as he spoke, making grand gestures as he spoke. “You’re not just moving around pieces on a board…yer there, at the same time ya ain’t.” Darren shrugged.
 
“It takes a lot of practice and a very tough, resilient person to weather all that.” Pryvani admitted.
 
“Ya know it’s a game, but it doesn’t feel like a game at all. There’s emotion, desperation…it’s hard to explain.” Darren deflated at last, with what seemed like a gasp of air to calm down.
 
“I can only imagine.” Pryvani nodded.
 
“But humans ain’t allowed to play.” Darren huffed, crossing his arms. “We are not eligible to compete, as only citizens of the Empire may do so.”
 
“You were creative enough to find a way.” Pryvani remarked offhandedly.
 
“Got lucky, Eyrn’s was curious…I think if she hadda make that choice again she’d reconsider.” Darren chuckled.
 
“She does lovely; the girl’s a natural born actress.” Pryvani chuckled. “If I didn’t know better myself, I’d swear she knew exactly what she was doing.
 
“Mhmm, but the kid hates being the center of attention, makes her nervous. Big crowds, the yelling and the hazing gets to her. She didn’t do so well the first few games back when were qualifying, but she found her stride.” Darren nodded sagely.
 
“Why not Aisell?” Pryvani asked curiously.
 
“Wouldn’t hardly be fair, us teaming up eh? The girl’s nearly better’n me, together we’d destroy the competition. That’s cheating.” Darren said dutifully.
 
“I suppose so.” Pryvani shrugged.
 
“That or we’d spend the whole time bickering over strategy we’d get nothing done. Obi Wan’s a good teacher, but fuck she’s cocky…her way or the highway.” Darren grunted. “Even when she’s wrong she won’t show her cards.”
 
Pryvani laughed.
 
“Convincing Eyrn was the easy part, figuring out how we’d make it look like she was playing while I was pulling the strings however, that took some thinking.” Darren turned on a dime and began back towards Pryvani. “Princess Tippy-Tappy came in handy there, she whipped up a costume, came up with the name, and hell even the concept herself, just by listening to the three of us bicker over how to do it.” Darren nodded.
 
“She is quite gifted with a needle; I imagine she had to fabricate the costume for Eyrn due to the sheer size and all?” Pryvani asked, inquisitively.
 
“You’d think…but naw…that stubborn woman did the whole dang thing by hand. Bedra had a whole room set up for her to work with, mannequins — both Titan and Human size — and more different cuts of cloth, fabric and textiles than I’d ever seen!” Darren chuckled.
 
“So that’s how Puppet Master was born?” Asked Pryvani.
 
“Bedra figured we needed to hide me somehow, I wasn’t too fond of that idea, Eyrn saw no point in hiding. Tapp was reading over the game rules’ pointed out humans were barred from playing, but it said nothing about using them as part of the costume. Lil’ but of digging and we found there were all sorts of players what have used animals as mascots, props and accessories to their costume. So, we did some thinking…and after a few failures, we decided on Puppet Master. Eyrn’s the one holding the strings, but I’m the one running the show.” Darren grinned.
 
“Delicious…I love it!” Pryvani laughed.
 
“Boss?” Taron’s voice interrupted, Darren and Pryvani turned to see the tall blond titan standing at the doorway.
 
“Yes?” Pryvani responded, trying to calm her laughing.
 
“We’ve arrived.”
 
***
 
Darren crouched on Pryvani’s shoulder as she entered the cockpit of the Galatea. Taron was seated at the helm with a small female human standing on the flight control console before him. She had dark black hair, wore an identical but scaled down version of the blue uniform Taron wore and had an olive complexion. Taron was working the controls while the human sat cross legged listening to him talk as he went about his work. At the arrival of Pryvani and her guest, Taron turned in his chair to greet the two, while the woman remained as she was without looking in their direction.
 
“Welcome to the bridge of the Galetea Sergeant Avery.” Taron stood as Pryvani and Darren reached him, he bowed cordially to the human. “I’m Taron Dande, pilot, repairman, engineer, you name it.”
 
Darren saluted the blond haired titan and returned the bow with an ardent nod. “Taron.”
 
“Darren, I have enjoyed listening to your story, I’ve in fact learned a great deal about you. Please, don’t feel as if I am being impatient with you, but I’d like to tell you a story myself now, if you’ll lend me your ear,” Pryvani said, resting her hand aside her shoulder for Darren to board, she preferred making eye contact when she spoke, that was hard to do when somebody was so close to your ear.
 
Sergeant Avery gingerly hopped into Pryvani’s palm and braced himself against her thumb with his hand, no matter how long he lived among titan’s he would never get used to being carried. “Was starting to wonder when you’d get sick of my gum-flapping.” Darren chuckled.
 
“Taron, can I get an overview of the moon Sperikala I?” Pryvani took a seat next to Taron and rested her hand on the center console for Darren to dismount, which he did all too eagerly.
 
“Not a problem. Bringing up Sperikos now.” Taron took a seat and spun around to his controls.
 
“Thanks’ for introducing me Taron, I appreciate that.” The small woman scolded.
 
Taron grimaced and ducked a little, peering down to the little woman with an apologetic half smile. “Sorry Sophie.” Taron turned to Darren, who was standing on the other end of the console watching Taron’s plight with a mixture of amusement and confusion. “Sergeant Avery, this is my good friend Sophia Kramer, Sophie…this is Sergeant Darren Avery.”
 
Sophia stood, batting away Taron’s hand as he attempted to help her stand. “Go’way you…I’m blind, not crippled!” Sophia exclaimed before turning to face the direction she assumed Darren was in as last she heard him.
 
“Madam.” Darren nodded and approached.
 
“Nice to meet you Sergeant Avery, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Sophia said with a bright and radiant smile. “Don’t mind the clod, he’s rude…we’re working on that.” Sophia glanced over in Taron’s general direction, almost right on cue as the man began to make sour faces at the tiny human. “See what I mean….”
 
“How did you….” Taron gasped, realizing he had just given himself away.
 
“I don’t mean to interrupt, but Taron…if you could?” Pryvani chuckled.
 
“Oh, right!” Taron spun back around to face the view screen and before long a clear image of the moon below them came into view. It was a dark, dingy and muggy looking world, with gray, brackish water and a hazy atmosphere; it was quite a contrast to the brilliant blue backdrop from the planet Sperikala it orbited. The intense blue giant dominated the screen with its luminous glow and its impressive rocky rings, it stood in sharp contrast to the bleak and dismal moon in the foreground.
 
“This is Sperikos,” Pryvani began, her voice void of the colorful elegance she normally carried with her, replaced with a dreary almost lonely sorrow. “It is in the the Sol Sperikos system in the constellation you call Capricon. Sperikos is about 4 light years – sorry, 29 Earth light years — from Sol Terra, and about 37 Earth light years from Hive Prime.” Pryvani turned to Taron, cueing him to take over where she left off.
 
Darren took a moment to study the murky dark image before him before looking to Taron with expectation.
 
“Right,” Taron scooped Sophia up carefully and set her on his shoulder, the small woman gave the titan a gentle neck hug before nestling against his neck to listen to the story, “Sperikala I was colonized in 903, and was at the time the gem of the empire. It’s very name, Sperikos, means hope, or precisely, ‘good hope’. Sperikos was an Eden of sorts. Though its people were hard working and steadfast, they enjoyed a standard of living not unlike the one we enjoy on Selana and Archavia today. It was a platform of sorts, built as a beckon of familiarity and hope as the Empire dove into an unexplored region of space.”
 
“The Sperikos system was…and sadly still is, the very edge of explored space,” said Pryvani, as she looked away from the screen.
 
Darren nodded.
 
“A frontier of sorts.” Sophia added.
 
“It was a rallying point for expeditions to Earth and space beyond that. Sperikala I was home to a large population of earth-indigenous flora and fauna, as well as the largest of two imperial refuges for wild humans.”
 
“Do ya gotta call it that?” Darren grumbled, crossing his arms tightly.
 
“I know right? It makes us sound primal!” Sophia said with an equally displeased tone.
 
“Agreed, it is a rather crude terminology.” Pryvani nodded. “But please Taron, go on.”
 
“Right, sorry…moving on, on the 14th day of the 4th month, 1404 everything changed. The Insectoids launched a surprise assault on Sperikos, with the largest enemy fleet the Empire had ever encountered to date. Now, you have to understand something about life back then Sergeant Avery — first, we knew even less about the Insectoid race as we do now…in fact they were more legend than fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a man, woman, or child who’d even seen one, let alone what you could call an ‘expert’. Second, the Empire had lived in near constant peace and relative harmony for generations. There wasn’t a soul around who knew what a real war was, other than border skirmishes with the Jotunn and minor civil unrest, war was a thing we heard about in stories, not something we lived.”
 
Darren huffed a little and shook his head. War was something humanity knew all too well, they were almost steeped in it.
 
“The swarm came like a black cloud; it swept through the system’s merger outer defenses and was upon the lunar colony with almost no warning; Sperikan colonial defense forces fought gallantly, delaying the insectoid assault long enough for Gama fleet to reach the system in order to mount a more coordinated defense.” Pryvani went on.
 
“One hundred capital Zelon class star Cruisers, and over two thousand support craft, fighters and alliance ships rallied for the call. Not a one of them properly equipped for battle, each captain completely unaware of the nigthmare they were about to fly into.” Taron looked down, his voice heavy.
 
“Insectoid tactics are something every Space Exploration Corps inductee is well versed in, but back then, as Taron said, we hardly knew what an Insectoid was, let alone a bio ship or swarm tactics.” Pryvani said.
 
“It’s like throwing a rock at a Vlent nest…one ship soon becomes thousands of little ships, each perfectly coordinated like a school of fish, able to act collectedly as a single unit, or independently as a swarm. They jam radar, confuse targeting systems…it was like swinging at flies in the dark, Gama fleet would adapt to one tactic, only for the swarm to completely change the game. They broke planetary defenses and were bold enough to execute ground raids while Gama fleet was busy clearing bug guts off their vid screens.” Taron said drearily
 
“The battle lasted for over two full imperial weeks; the Insectoid fleet employed a number of different tactics to break through imperial lines. They even blew up a quarter of Sperikos’s satellite, Sperikala I-Beta, sending debris and rubble hurtling through space, decimating the fleet and the plant below.” Pryvani said.
 
“What’s the point in conquering a world of you destroy it in the process?” Darren asked in dismay.
 
“They didn’t want to conquer, only destruction,” responded Taron. “Early analysts suggested they were looking for food, others argued it was staged as the first stage in what might be a full scale invasion. Personally, I think it was a defensive maneuver.” Taron insisted. “We got too close to their hive…and they attacked.”
 
“With planetary defenses in ruins and Gama fleet crippled, only seven heavy Cruisers remained, and a small handful of fighters and support vessels. Imperial command had been building a fleet to reinforce Gama fleet, but it was still almost three days away. Had we lost at Sperikala, it’s believed the remaining Insectoid fleet could have made it inward as far as Sol Tarsus before we would have been able to press them back. System 39-Pi-003 – you know it as Tau Ceti — Sol Azatlia, Sol Terra…it would all belong to the hive today.” Pryvani said.
 
“If they had been interested in an invasion…we still don’t know that they were.” Taron added.
 
“We don’t know that they were not, either.” Sophia insisted.
 
“I suppose not.” Taron admitted.
 
“Imperial command issued an edict. Sperikan defenses were to batten down the hatches and entrench themselves until help could arrive. The Sperikans themselves had other plans however. The Insectoid fleet had already begun heavily bombarding the surface of Sperikos; ground troops were engaged in ground combat against the Insectoid soldiers…it was unlikely they could have lasted the day, let alone three.”
 
“Insectoid soldiers are unlike anything you’ve ever seen Sergeant. They can fight with missing limbs, they can overcome starvation, oxygen deprivation, and they can survive in some of the most hostile conditions known to man.” Taron swiveled in his chair and inputted a command on his console. Seconds later a smaller screen right of the main vid window brought up the anatomy of an Insectoid soldier.
 
“They eat their dead, clear the battle field of the corpses of both the enemy and their fallen…and use it to feed their troops. They reproduce fast, in times of war they can accelerate their own aging process, they can even take workers, scouts and other castes and sort of…alter themselves to fit whatever cast is needed.” Sophia spoke up, crossing her arms over her chest.
 
“Impressive.” Darren remarked.
 
“For the sake of the greater good…for the benefit of the many, the Sperikan people made a hard decision. We used their own gorram tactics against them. While the remaining heroes of Gama fleet sacrificed themselves to hold off the unending swarm, the planet’s reactors were vented. Plasma built up in the atmosphere, and it was ignited, boiling most of the air off in an instant. The thin atmosphere down there is made up of the oceans, which boiled. The seven remaining heavy cruisers and the support vessels launched a suicide attack against the heart of the swarm, blowing their reactors, while the planet itself was sterilized. About eight thousand civilians had been evacuated from Sperikos during the crisis; 793,000 perished during the attack, as well as 14,422 Imperial officers and about 60,000 colonial defense forces.” Pryvani turned her face from the others.
 
“The Battle of Sperikos was the most costly battle in the First Insectoid War; the high price paid by the Insectoids caused them to retreat toward Hive Prime; a series of engagements along the border ultimately ended with the Treaty of Vorsha, which established firm borders between the two nations.” Taron concluded, turning to face Pryvani.
 
“Sperikala I represented a turning point Sergeant Avery; prior to the Battle of Sperikos, successive imperial governments had argued that the Insectoids did not represent a serious military threat to the Imperials. That changed forever after Sperikos.” Pryvani stood, her expression was solid and resolute.
 
“That was the first time the Empire had ever faced an enemy truly capable of mounting a military threat. Until Sperkios, the Empire was complacent, we were….” Taron was swiftly caught off guard by Pryvani.
 
“Arrogant.” Said Pryvani sharply.

“Unfortunately rather than take Sperkios as a wakeup call, the empire we became hypervigilant. Old habits die hard; soon we were building war ships, engaging new species with hostility, all in the name of self-preservation.” said Taron with a heavy heart.
 
“Sergeant, I believe there may have been a time, far back, when we may have been capable of traveling down a much different road. Before Sperkios, the atmosphere around here was one of hope, exploration, optimism. Sperkios set the Empire back thousands of years…right back to a band of squabbling paranoid barbarians.” Pryvani said with disdain and regret in her voice.
 
Darren was a bit speechless as he looked onward at the bleak planet on the display. There was a cloud of sorts around the moon, made up of debris and wreckage hundreds of years old. An asteroid field of broken ship parts and ruined husks of insectoid ships meshed together with rock and ice. Thin rings had formed from the wreckage of the moon. “They’d rather blow the fuckers up then end up on the menu.” Darren said. “Pryvani, I think our kind got a lot more in common than anyone’s willing to admit.” Darren half laughed and looked over to Pryvani, then to Taron and Sophia.
 
“This whole area is a restricted military zone. Habitation is impossible – the planet is radioactive, has a tenuous, unbreathable atmosphere. If there’s life, it’s single-celled organisms. No one has been to the surface in decades. Even the bugs can’t tolerate that.” Sophia spoke up from her vantage on Taron’s shoulder.
 
“It’s a graveyard.” Darren said, thinking of more than a few places on Earth that reminded him of such a place.
 
“Darren,” Pryvani began, “I truly believe that if either of our species are to survive, we are going to need to learn to work together.”
 
“Kinda hard when we’re living in cages eating hamster pellets eh?” Darren scoffed whilst crossing his arms.
 
Pryvani nodded..”If taking responsibility for a millennium of mistreatment, bondage and slavery alone would set things right Darren, I’d gladly surrender every credit to my name and accept whatever punishment necessary.” Pryvani said with a stoic voice.
 
“I rightly bet you would.” Darren nodded, relaxing his posture.
 
“I foresee a future far more bleak than Spekrios, Darren, the tides of power are shifting and the empire is ill prepared for what lays ahead. The Insectoids, the Drazari – and the Drazari claim the K’Gapiti are an even graver threat. Darren, if we are to survive, we are going to need to start embracing our allies, rather than enslave them. Nurture them, not own them, we’ve committed a sin against your kind, one I don’t think we will ever rightly pay for.”
  
Darren was quiet as he mulled over Pryvani Tarsuss’ words. There was a lot he wanted to say, angry words though none of them directly aimed at her. Rather than dig deeper into the open wound, Darren motioned up to the screen, keeping his eyes focused forward. “You mentioned an Imperial human reserve?”
 
“Kumari. It was a nearly self-sufficient human civilization located on a reserve in Sperikos’ North Western hemisphere. It was the largest civilization of human beings outside Earth itself. Kumari was a backup plan or sorts, in case Earth were to ever fall victim of a catastrophic event. Mostly they lived without Titan interference, though there was limited contact with science and medical teams interested in studying them.” Pryvani said, though clearly weighted down by something else entirely.
 
“Not too confident in our ability to keep ourselves alive?” Darren asked skeptically.
 
Pryvani shook her head. “Human beings are unique in all the galaxy, it’s always been in our nature to protect those we perceive as weaker and smaller. Kumari and Avalon were set up with virtuous intentions.” Pryvani sighed.
 
“Avalon?” Darren asked.
 
“The second of two reserves, The citiy of Atlantis sits on Avalon, a Super Mu class moon of Herakleos, the fourth planet in the Tarsuss system.”
 
“You have your own friggen solar system?” Darren asked with a raised brow.
 
Pryvani shrugged. “I just own the moon. It’s been in the family for generations; family lore says it was purchased first by Simtana Tarsuss himself, but that’s as much legend as anything. As for the system, we hold its mining rights…it’s really where we built our fortune.”
 
“Oh, you only own your own moon? Who the hell owns a moon? Holy hell woman, you really are the original Godfather!” Darren chuckled and shook his head.
 
“Beg pardon?” Responded Pryvani, confused.
 
“Never mind.” Darren took another look at the screen, then stood and made his way over to Pryvani. “So, all of this is why you brought me here? Pestered me to meet with you, whisked me away on a space ship to tour the galaxy, to show me this?” Darren asked with a tilted head and a doubtful look.
 
Pryvani shook her head. “No, although showing you this does serve a purpose. I wanted to make it crystal clear what my intentions were Sergeant Avery, I wanted all the cards laid out in front of you before you made a decision.” Pryvani said, her demeanor very businesslike, her tongue sharp, her eyes focused.
 
“A decision about what?” Darren asked.
 
“Avalon, Darren, I would like you to consider relocating to my compound on Avalon, I believe a man of your skill could be of great use to the citizens of Atlantis. In short, Sergeant Avery, I am offering you a job.”
 
“I’m listening.” Darren grinned.
 
“Kumari was a self-governing, nearly self-sufficient colony of humans. They lived in almost total isolation from imperial influence. Avalon, however, was not afforded the same luxury. The Tarsuss family has stunted Avalon’s growth since the day they fell into our possession. I fear I too am guilty of this.” Pryvani said, with a low dip in her voice.
 
“Stunted how?” Darren asked, his interest piqued.
 
“We created a religious figure we called ‘The Goddess’ to maintain order. By interfering in such a manner, we stunted the growth and development of the people by governing them and controlling them under identity of this ‘goddess.’”
 
“Well, personally abducting them from Earth in the first place probably did a number on setting them back…but go on.” Darren interjected.
 
“Darren, I likely should have put an end to this whole thing far sooner than I did, sadly it took a disastrous event to open my eyes.” Pryvani said.
 
“Likely?” Darren narrowed his eyes.
 
“Most definitely…I admit that.”
 
“So, what is it ya want me to do? I ain’t no political, what exactly is it you think I’m qualified to do?” Darren asked Pryvani pointedly.
 
“Right now things are a mess….”
 
“Downright terrible!” Sophia interrupted.
 
“Getting better, sort of. But yea, a mess.” Taron added, downcast.
 
“There wa a vacuum left where I stepped down, the citizens are struggling to find something to fill that gap. Order amongst chaos, it’s our nature as Titans to try to bring that sense of order….” Pryvani began.
 
“Only it made things worse!” Sophia snapped.
 
Taron cringed.
 
“Sophia is right, Darren there is nothing we can do to fix this. The damage was caused by us and the only way we can help is to step back.”
 
“Ya stole their identity, threw ’em in a big ol’ cage and now ya opened the lock, set’em free and need somebody to pick up the pieces?” Darren chuckled, though he was far from amused.
 
“People are dying; there is starvation, disease, lawlessness. The city itself is slowly stabilizing, but the outer settlements are a no man’s land. Darren, you are trained to handle this sort of thing, I feel your personal experience both here and back home on Earth could prove to be a valuable resource. I’m asking you if you would help me clean up this mess I helped create.”
 
 
Darren was quiet for a long time, eventually he chuffed and ran his hand under his nose. “Yer only asking me ‘cuz Ibanez turned you down, aintcha?” Darren grumbled.
 
Pryvani chuckled softly and shook her head. “I had thought of recruiting Corporal Ibanez, but I asked you because you’re the one I feel is best for the job.”
 
Darren snickered. “Can I get that in writing? Damn hell I’d love to rub that in Izzy’s nose!”
 
Pryvani smiled. “You don’t have to answer me right away Darren. I would like you to consider this in great depth before you give me an answer.”
 
Darren nodded. “Suppose I say no, what happens?”
 
Pryvani rested her head on her hand and propped her elbow up on the console, she was about to talk before Taron cut her off.
 
“Then she bribes you, blackmails you, or otherwise tricks you into saying yes.” Taron made a sarcastic and silly face at Pryvani, who only looked mildly amused.
 
“Sergeant Avery is free to say no Taron.” Pryvani looked to Darren. “This is my problem, not yours. Darren, if you agree to help, you will be compensated for your work, given fair pay, and provided room and board.”
 
“Paid eh? Now you’re not trying to sugar up the deal eh?” Darren questioned.
 
“As I said, take all the time you need.” Pryvani insisted.
 
“Heh, don’t forget, we don’t take years to make a simple decision like ya’ll, but I do appreciate a few days to think on it.” Darren nodded. “Speaking of time, if you don’t get me to Vorsha soon, the other half of Puppet Master’s gonna flay me!” Darren cringed.
 
Pryvani laughed. “Taron, set course for Vorsha Tremarla Station, please.” Pryvani looked back to Darren. “You really ought to consider changing your player name, Marionette seems a lot more fitting. You are, after all, the brains, right?”
 
“Naw, besides the Twat’s good eye candy. Folks love her, she’s really got a flair for the dramatic. Could have been an actress that one.” Darren chuckled.
 
Pryvani smiled and crossed her legs. “Will she be meeting us at Tremarla?”
 
Darren nodded. “Naughty gal, she knows she ain’t supposed to have no humans with her, but yea she’ll be there. Can’t very well leave me to my own devices can we?”
 
Pryvani shook her head. “Good, I was hoping to speak with her. I’ve something I wanted to show her, something she may find quite interesting.”