Three Earth Months and Two Earth Weeks later…

Darren watched as Lyroo approached the enclosure. He was none too thrilled to see her; however, he couldn’t deny the mental stimulation that came with their confrontations was a welcome change from the monotony of life in a plastic prison.

Darren had escaped a grand total of three times. Once when Lyroo left the cage open for Scroof and him to wander about the table top, once when Lyroo had taken them both out and had become distracted by Scroof’s attention seeking behavior. A third time Darren had planned a clever escape, sabotaging the rooftop escape hatch. It was a long and arduous process that unfortunately had ended in the same grueling and crushing defeat as the other two tries.

Lyroo always found him. She never seemed angry or bothered. And he always ended up right back in her prison, after a thorough check for injury, and a lot of demeaning and humiliating coddling on behalf of Lyroo. It was salt to the wound in fact, that Lyroo seemed far more concerned than angry.

Darren was in solitude now, no longer having the luxury of human companionship. This had happened weeks ago, when a very agitated Darren found himself in a physical altercation with Scroof. Rage, fueled by desperation and sweetened by the slow ticking time bomb that Darren had been holding back had caused Darren to thoroughly deliver a sound thrashing to Scroof. Even though Sergeant Avery was not the physically stronger of the two combatants, he was faster and had much more fighting prowess than Scroof, which gave him an overwhelming advantage.

Lyroo broke up the fight with her signature calm and controlled state of mind, separated them and sealed the deal by removing Darren permanently from Scroof’s enclosure to his own matching enclosure.

Darren had expected anger, a verbal thrashing at the very least and at the worst a one way ticket back to death row. While Lyroo was quiet and contemplative in her approach, she didn’t give away a single card in her hand. She leaned against the table where Darren’s new enclosure sat and rested her chin in her palm. Lyroo watched Darren quietly for what seemed like an eternity before she spoke, Darren felt as if her sharp green eyes were an open window; he could watch the turning cogs in her head as she watched him back.

She had been like this since the altercation between him and Scroof, quiet and thoughtful, far too much for Darren’s comfort.

“I’m having some company tonight.” Lyroo said as she shifted her weight, bringing her raised hand down to neatly fold over her other arm.

Darren didn’t respond, but the perplexed look on his face did suggest he was curious as to why this was information he was privy to.

“I had hoped perhaps that this meeting would one day lead you to a new home, I was going to see if I could test the waters a little bit, gauge your reaction to a few potential owners and go from there.” Lyroo laid her head to rest in her arms and looked at Darren sideways.

Darren’s interest piqued now and he turned to face Lyroo, narrowing his eyes in thought. This was new, very new!

“I don’t think that will work out, not anymore. Darren you’ve proven to be quite a different case than I expected.” Lyroo’s tone picked up, as did her composure. She stiffened up and lifted her head upright. “Not impossible, just unique.” She was sure to add, with the utmost assurance in her smug voice.

Darren had at one time in his captivity contemplated the possibility that this woman was actually attractive, thoughts had passed through his mind once or twice even of how similar she seemed to somebody he had known back home. An ex-girlfriend, a relationship that had not quite worked out. Any spark of humanity he tried to find in her now seemed faded and worn. Her-easy-on-the-eyes appearance didn’t seem to matter much any more. In fact, looking at her, her strong chin, her smug and proud smile, her thick red lips and sharp nose…it made him want to punch the wall. Darren couldn’t stand the sound of her voice, the calmness, even her smell bothered him now. The woman smelled of fruit and perfume and it made him ill as soon as she entered the room.

“I think the place for you is right here Darren.” Lyroo said and as she did she stood. Her full height looming over Darren, casting an ominous shadow over the enclosure.

Darren flinched, his lips curled into a scowl. He wanted to lash out more than ever now, but she simply kept talking and while he wasn’t quite sure why, he found himself silent in her presence whenever she took on her authoritative tone.

“You require somebody who can handle the unique challenges you present.” Lyroo crossed her arms. “Somebody with patience, somebody like me.”

Darren stood and slammed both hands against the enclosure. Every altercation between them took place with him behind walls of his plastic prison. Every shouting match he tried to pull her into, every argument he tried to engage her in…it all took place with her standing out there and him here. It not only gave her an unquestioninable advantage, but it gave her the ability to walk away without even a chance he could follow. Darren had all but given up arguing with her as it had gotten to the point of maddening attrition. Lyroo had an endless pool of resources to draw from, while Darren sat in the grim confines of his prison, only ever seeing freedom while confined in her grip. He refused to admit he was a pet, but he really couldn’t deny how much he felt like one.

“This is bullshit!” Darren shouted and pounded the wall with his fist.

“We need to work on your temper Darren, I’ve told you before that is not an appropriate tone to take with me.” Lyroo’s voice was soft, sweet and nurturing. It made Darren simply livid. He couldn’t even get her to take him seriously enough to be insulted!

“Gat’danget woman! I don’t want to be yer pet!” Darren shouted, in a tone he hadn’t even used against the rookie recruits back home.

Lyroo shook her head slowly and let out a soft melancholy sigh. She turned on her heal and began to make for the door. When Darren tried to argue, Lyroo shut it down. One of her tried and true methods for training human beings was to never engage in a power struggle. A power struggle gave off the impression of equality, a master needed to display dominance, their rule was absolute and that meant an argument simply could not take place.

Darren spat at the terrarium walls and smashed his fists into the plastic, he wanted to scream obscenities at her! But he calmed himself down enough to form a coherent sentence, and seething he spoke through his teeth.

“You can keep this charade up as long’s you want lady, but you’n I both know yer full’a shit.” Darren forced a laugh, a cynical maddened laugh. “Yer all outta tricks so yer giving up! Keep’n me locked away wont work! You can’t hold back the tide Lyroo…none’a’yall can!” Darren began to laugh, a smile began to form on his lips now.

“Humanity’s smarter than you think lady…and I damn well hope you live’t see the day that we come knocken at yer’door!” Darren said and watched as Lyroo came to a full stop, with out turning to look at him.

“We’re close.” Darren grinned. “‘n when we do…with our ships…with our technology…there won’t be enough cages’n this hell hole to contain us!”

Darren was silent for a second, he had her attention, but she still didn’t turn to face him.

“You think force will get you anywhere?” Lyroo asked, her back turned to Darren.

She responded, she spoke! Darren cherished the tiny victory, the small seemingly insignificant victory.

“That depends on you, don’t it?.” Darren spoke softly. “Because god help ya…when humanity comes’a’knocken at yer door Lyroo…you try to put us all in cages…like you did the Dunnermac, the Avartle…we won’t go quietly like them. We’ll make the Ler Resistance look like a teddy bears’ picnic. I read your history and you know it too. And we both know you’re on the wrong side of it.” Darren pressed himself against the glass, and watched Lyroo as she began to walk out of the room once more.

“Yer gonna be cought on the wrong side’a history Lyroo!” Darren shouted as Lyroo’s study door closed behind her with a hiss. Darren turned and slumped down against the enclosure wall. The wrong side of history? Right now, Darren’s only concern was making sure his lot in history didn’t end as this woman’s possession.

***

“So she had’er little gathering…jus like she said.” Darren began, watching the Titaness before him idly twirl her fingers around long blueish green blades of grass until they snapped, then discard them idly as she listened.

“I imagine you had a blast.” Pryvani flashed a shrewd grin.

Darren stared flatly at Pryvani and grumbled under his breath. “Knew then Ah had gotten t’er, cuz she let every one of them guests man handle, fondle and coo over me the whole night.” Darren spoke now with much less enthusiasm than he normally did while telling his story, leading Pryvani to wipe the clever grin off her face.

“I…sometimes forget how unpleasant that must be when it is not consensual.” Pryvani looked down to Darren with a much more appropriate and sympathetic expression now. Pryvani was no stranger to fondling and handling humans, but only ever the willing. It was yet another aspect of Darren’s tale that she could never hope to relate to.

“Thought’bout lashing out…maybe doing something nasty. I dunknow what I couldda done, but anything’t wipe that smug lil smile off that woman’s face.” Darren seethed as he recalled unpleasant memories. “Thought’bout pissen in one’a them gargantoids hands, er hell I couldda bit em.” Darren chuckled, shaking off the feeling of regret.

“It’s likely best you didn’t.” Pryvani spoke after a burst of laughter

“Dignity Perkyani…dignity is what stopped me.” Darren spoke with pride in his voice. “I ain’t no savage…wasn’t ’bout’t start acting like one.”

Pryvani nodded, the more she listened to Sergeant Avery’s story, the more she was positive she was after the right man. Even though his story had dug into territory she did not require to make her decision, she was more than interested in hearing it in full, and her attention was seldom easy to grasp for this long a time.

“Two’a us battled it out like this fer another few weeks…heh…well month’s t’me, week’s t’her.” Darren scoffed, the passage of time was never on his side, not back home, and not here.”Nether’a us gained any ground, but she wore me down faster’n I could her.” Darren said, his voice low and regretful.

“It’s not an easy position to be in…you can’t be faulted…..”

“Ya know what done it?” Darren looked up, meeting Pryvani’s pale blue eyes with his own. “It was permanent.” Darren said, with a hateful hiss in his voice. “Till then…ah kept convincing myself ah didn’t have’t win…just not lose. Just hadda hold on long’nuff for her”t grow bored’ and give me away t’someone else. But when I learned it was permanent? That I was gonna spend the rest of my life in that cage, wit her? I lost it.” Darren spoke in a low regretful tone.

“But, as fate would have it an unexpected turn of events changed the tide in my favor.” Darren said, confidence returning to his voice. “Lyroo took a few day’s to clear her head in the country, leaving me’n Scroot in the care of her assistant. It was there Lyroo learnt something that changed her….”

***

Lyroo walked along the edge of the ranch with her father. Over the rise were the woods that marked the beginning of the Maris farm.

She had wandered this land all through her childhood. It was here that she learned to love humans. She had become fascinated with them, watching them grow from babies to adults, ready to be sent to loving homes.

And along the way, she had argued with her father. Because she always felt he could be kinder to the humans. They were pets – companions, friends, almost family. Not the commodity he saw them as.

Yes, she’d spent much of her youth walking on this land, and arguing with her father.

Some things never changed.

“Oh, come on, kipper. That human killed a girl.”

She had brought up Darren Avery, of course. He was much on her mind. She didn’t know how to reach him. How to make him comfortable with his proper place in this world. And while she had grown deeply frustrated with him, something in her father’s tone pushed her to defend him.

Maybe it was the fact that she’d almost forgotten, in trying to rehabilitate him, exactly how he’d come in to her possession – something which she suddenly fully remembered, with brutal clarity. Maybe that was what caused her to lash out. Whatever it was, her response was sharp and bitter.

“The girl who was trying to kill him? I’m sorry, that’s just fair, is what that is.”

“She was just eating with the insectoids. Trying to fit in. You know how they are,” Lert said.

“No, I don’t, thank you,” Lyroo snapped. “I’d rather die than go to one of their…events.” She shuddered. “Anyone who’d dine on humans and Dunnermac Roe with the Insectoids is scum.”

Lert coughed slightly. “Kipper…you know they’re…I mean, some people might find they have to go to the Insectoids. You know…to….”

“What, to do something illegal? Yes, some people might, but they get what’s coming to them, then,” Lyroo said, her voice quick and staccato. “A human gets eaten – something that is a Class One Offense, mind you – and people get mad when he dares not to go down quietly. You know, he actually felt bad about it? Even before we started training. All he did is kill a maggothead, or maybe a maggothead wannabe. And he cared like he’d killed the Emperor Himself.”

“She wasn’t a maggothead,” Lert said. “She wanted to go to Hive Prime to study them.”

“That’s what her parents say, now,” Lyroo scoffed. “Can’t blame ‘em, I suppose.”

“No, that’s what she said at the dinner. I….”

Lert realized what he’d said as he said it; he was conscious of his daughter stopping on her walk with him. He turned, and saw her staring, open-mouthed.

“How…how do you know what she said?” Lyroo asked, when she finally found her voice. It came out shaky, attenuated like a bad comm signal.

“I…well….”

Suddenly, several pieces fell into place.

“You were there,” she said. “Oh Gods, you were there?”

“I…I need some help to get the expansion green-lit. I mean, like I said, the Marises are close to going under, they can help grease the skids there, and there are three other properties around in turnaround, if I can get my bids in clear….”

“Did you bring any of our humans to them?”

“What?”

“DID YOU BRING ANY OF OUR HUMANS TO THEM?” Lyroo shouted, at the top of her lungs.

“No! No, no, Emperor no, just truffles, I just ate dinner there. Gods, do you think I’m some kind of monster?”

Lyroo didn’t answer. Instead, she stared daggers at her father.

“I…I mean, I didn’t um…eat the humans they gave….”

“LIAR!” Lyroo shouted. “I know you too well, dad. You ate those humans. And it wasn’t the first time, was it?”

Lert looked down. “Kipper….”

“Don’t call me that,” Lyroo said, turning and walking away. “Shaka. I don’t even know you! How could you…how could you do that?”

“It was for the farm….”

“FRAK THE FARM!” Lyroo shouted, turning back to him. “Gorram, if that’s what it takes to help the farm, let it go under! We’ve raised humans all my life. I’ve had problems with some of the way you did it, but I never thought you’d…you’d eat….”

“They’re animals,” Lert said. “Just animals. I’m not saying I’m proud of it, but….”

“They trust us,” Lyroo said, wheeling back on him, wiping tears out of her eyes. “They trust us, gorram it! We raise them to be our companions. They aren’t meant for that!”

“Lyroo –”

“No wonder you’re defending her,” Lyroo said. “It could’ve been you he killed. So you don’t think of how awful it was for him – new to this world, not familiar with us, but trusting, damn it – or his friend, who we adopted out a few weeks before – she was dumped at a shelter, and then eaten by someone who was supposed to protect her. But you don’t see that. All you see is that he could have killed you.”

Lert was staring down at the ground now. “And what if they had?” he asked his daughter, against his better judgment.

“You’d have deserved it, dad,” Lyroo said, and marched past him.

The words were like a fist to the gut, and all Lert could do for some time was watch his daughter walk away from him. “Shuttle’s the other way,” he said, after a while.

“I’m walking to Medzina,” Lyroo said, not turning.

“That’s fourteen kilounits.”

“Well, then, I’d better keep going,” Lyroo said. She didn’t turn and say goodbye. She didn’t turn at all.