The detachment from the Gyfjon had barely set foot on the deck of the cargo bay when they felt the tell-tale shudder.

“Did we just jump to warp, ma’am?” Lauryna asked.

Lemm didn’t answer; she and LurTarrgh were too busy arming themselves. “Get behind us,” Lemm said, but then a loud chittering filled the room.

“We will not attack you. We are not foolish. Put down your weapons, or we will clear the oxygen.”

Lemm looked over to Tarrgh, and back toward the Akreos. It was possible to get back to the ship, she supposed, before the air was completely vented. But once aboard the shuttle…well, a Thoon class shuttle has one small disruptor cannon. It might blow a hole in the shuttle bay door. But given that the Insectoids had almost certainly shielded the shuttle bay, it most likely would just cook them.

“This is a violation of Imperial Law and the current peace between the Empire and the Hive,” Lemm said, tossing her gun forward. “Crewmate Tarrgh.”

“Commander, they are vile! We are mighty!”

“They have us in a kill zone,” Lemm said.

Tarrgh growled, but threw her weapons forward as well.

“We will not harm you. We need only keep you until we are finished. Titans will not kill us if they might kill you.”

The door opened, and the group looked up in surprise; it was not mantids that entered the room, but warriors, crawling forward. They each held blasters; two trained them on the group while two others secured the weapons.

Despite the perilous situation, Lauryna felt gratified that at least something had clicked into place. They had been communicating in Mantid so far; they were either translating it or speaking it themselves.

Lauryna stood up.

“Ms. Gwenn….”  Lemm started, but Lauryna leaned back, and began doing something that would look ridiculous to most anyone who didn’t recognize the meaning of her actions. She began using her hands to strike parts of her face, as she clicked and hissed in time with it. It looked like she was having a seizure, but she got the insectoids to pause.

“This is a dangerous course of action. They will not let you make the transfer if you have us,” she said in Mantid. She had hoped to get their attention; she knew that they would likely understand Mantid, and she hoped they would recognize her attempt as diplomatic.

They certainly reacted.

“You speak the [Mantid] [tongue] well, [tall soft creature] of Empire.” One of the warriors replied; the words ze spoke were in the warrior tongue; Lauryna nodded. It was tricky — many of the words were only approximations of Titan concepts. It had taken her years to understand the gist of Mantid, and the Warrior language had complexities upon complexities.

“I apologize that I cannot speak your [Warrior] [words],” she said.

“We know that Empire does not understand them well. You cannot [brain communications link] use [change/alter] words to [think brain]. We are [unexpected] [think/understand=do not] that you can [change/alter].”

Lauryna raised an eyebrow. “Ze is speaking in the Warrior language,” she said to Lemm and LurTarrgh. “Ze says they know it doesn’t translate.”

Lemm nodded to Lauryna. This was not news to her, or LurTarrgh. “Are you sure you have to keep speaking in their tongue, Ms. Gwenn? You are aware that our translators do not translate it when Titans speak it.”

“I believe it is necessary, commander, to communicate with them effectively. I will stop if you ask me to.”

Lemm shook her head. “Continue, Ms. Gwenn. Tell them that I am demanding they surrender.”

“The senior officer, [tall] [plumage] [color of The Brightest Light in the Sky], has told me to demand your surrender.”

The insectoid turned its head slightly. “What is your duty on [travel] [star] [designation Gk-cxkak]?”

“I am a [speaker of] [tongues].”

The Insectoid approached Lauryna slowly, and moved its abdomen back and forth. It moved an antenna near her, and touched her gently. It was to Lauryna’s great credit that she did not run screaming back to the ship, as every instinct told her to.

“[Speaker of] [tongues]. Tell the [tall] [plumage] [color of the Brightest Light in the Sky] that they are to [hold at junction] [rest]. They will be [ignored] until we return.”

Lauryna swallowed hard. “Commander,” she said, “the Insectoids wish me to go with them. They said to tell you that you should remain here until we return.”

“Unacceptable!” Lemm said. “You are under my command!”

“Commander,” Lauryna said, “I can deal with them better than you can. I have studied them. You have not.”

“Foolish Titan will get herself killed!” LurTarrgh said.

“Perhaps,” Lauryna said. “But it’s our only lead.”

“Ridiculous,” Lemm said. “I’m ordering you to stay here, and I’d like you to follow those orders just like…like Izzy Ibanez. There’s an officer!”

Lauryna looked at Lemm, and shook her head. “You can court-martial me if you want, ma’am, but I’m going with them.”

Lemm looked at Lauryna evenly, and said, “Well, I can’t really stop you, can I?”

Lauryna got up, and nodded to the warriors. “I am sorry for [anger].”

“You are who we [anticipated],” one of the Warriors said, escorting Lauryna from the room. “Our [together] [director] will [affirm/find acceptable].”

 

“Correct,” Lauryna said in Mantid, pausing just a moment to look back at Lemm, who looked at her with eyes wide.

After all, while it wasn’t perfect, the Imperial translation matrix understood warrior enough to pass along the gist of it. And both Lemm and Tarrgh had understood quite clearly that the insectoids thought Lauryna was working with them.

*   *   *

“They appear to be following an Insectoid tunnel pattern, sir.”

“I’m sorry, Crewmate Pir, but what?” Aerti said, leaning forward.

“The ion trail. It’s a branching fractal tunneling pattern. It appears the Insectoids are falling back on instincts in an attempt to evade us.”

“That’s lovely. Does it help us?”

“Perhaps. Crewmate Dermish, this trail is rather convoluted, is it not?”

“That’s one word for it,” Dermish said, altering his vector at another sharp turn. “It’s like they’re going in circles.”

“They are,” Pir said, with a slight smile. “This is a feint. They are trying to lead us away quickly without actually moving far away.”

“We’re seven light years from the meeting point,” Aerti said, dubiously.

“Yes, but we have travelled at least forty light years. If they were trying to evade us they would tend to vector away as much as possible, with limited course changes in an attempt to lose us.”

Aerti looked at Dayun’s screen; it showed a labyrinthine tangle, but it was clear that every time it started to get too far away from the rendezvous point, it doubled back.

“Crewmate Dermish,” Aerti said, “break off pursuit.”

“Sir?”

“You heard me. Mr. Tornen, broadcast a message, in the clear – we have lost contact with an Insectoid cargo vessel that is holding three crew members, requesting assistance from nearby ships.”

Jax Tornen smiled at the captain. “Aye aye,” he said.

“We’re going to abandon them?” Gausi said, from his seat next to Jax.

Aertimus looked over his shoulder at his senior xenolinguist; he did not answer. “Mr. Pir,” he said, “activate cloak; Mr. Dermish, take us back to the rendezvous point, maximum speed.”

“Aye, sir,” Jono said, and the Gyfjon turned.

*   *   *

Lauryna walled into the corridors of the insectoid ship, more aware with each step that she was unarmed, and completely bluffing her way through this. The halls were spartan, and barely lit; the ceilings were low, and in some sections she had to stoop; it had not been designed for comfort, but utility. In short, it was an Insectoid construct.

“[Speaker of] [tongues], what is your [designation]?”

 

“Kla-gxa Khek,” Lauryna said, giving them the closest approximation to her name that the Insectoids could pronounce.

“Kla-gxa Khek,” the warrior said, as ze led her to a doorway. The doors slid open noisily, but again, the insectoids didn’t mind grating sounds; the door opened, that was enough.

Which was why she was rather surprised to find herself in a room that was, if not luxurious, then certainly more than functional. There were even a couple chairs and a Table that were clearly designed for Titan visitors.

“[You shoud] sit,” the Warrior said, which was as close to a please as the Insectoids ever got. “Our [worker/assistant] Xa-to Xuux-uh told us you may [come to work with] us if [found by predator].”

 

Lauryna nodded; this was testing the limits of her understanding, but she was able to work out that a Titan (probably Sabo Suusha, or someone similarly named) had been working with the Insectoids on this run. And that someone had arranged for someone on the Gyfjon to help out if need be.

She didn’t know why they thought it was her, but this meant she had their trust. She needed to use it.

“The [possession] [you bring], is it [safe]?” she asked.

“Before we show you,” the warrior said, “you must [produce] the [offering/gift] you [brought].”

 

Lauryna swallowed. “What [offering/gift]?” she asked.

The insectoid turned its head. “We know it is [important/hard to procure], that it is [unusual/unique]. That it is [desirable/sought after]. And that you Titans have [rules] against giving it.”

 

Lauryna tilted her head slightly. “What if I have no [offering/gift]?”

 

“You are killed,” ze said.

Lauryna nodded. She had overplayed her hand. Of course they would want proof. She looked around the table, searching for some kind of weapon – not that it would do much good. Her first detached duty, and she was going to die.

“It’s me,” a small voice said. “I am your gift.”

Lauryna looked down in horror; a small person had climbed out of her satchel, onto her armor, and leapt up onto the table. Izzy was shaking slightly, though she hoped the Insectoid would not notice. But she was not flinching in the least.

The insectoid raised its antennae straight up. “A [small soft food-creature]. A fine [offering/gift]. We will consume her,” the warrior said.

*   *   *

The Gyfjon entered the TV9490Γ system once again, and began sensor sweeps. The border was rigged with sensors, but realistically, space was simply too big to patrol completely. You could lock a system down, like Sol Earth, or Sol Archavia, but locking every system on the border? Impossible.

Still, Captain Bass knew that whoever was supposed to meet the Insectoids was heading here. It was only a matter of time before they showed up.

Aerti took a deep breath as he stalked around the bridge. He needed to remember not to blow them out of the sky the second he saw them. Much as he wanted to.

“Do we have any sign of them?”

“Not yet, sir,” Pir said.

“Captain, maybe we could send a message on an Insectoid frequency. Tell them to meet us at a specific location,” Gausi said. “I’ve been putting one together….”

“No, we maintain radio silence unless we hear from the Akreos. Jax, any hits from the listening devices?”

“Not yet, sir.”

Aerti sat down in his chair. He wanted to be going after the smugglers, doing everything he could to get Lemm and Tarrgh and Gwenn back. And he would, when the time was right. But he knew his people. Lemm was as sharp as they game, and Tarrgh was tough as nails, and Lauryna…well, he hoped Lauryna was staying quiet and letting more experienced officers handle things.

*   *   *

Lauryna looked down at Izzy a hard second. Her friend looked back over her shoulder, and gave her a bittersweet smile, before turning back to the Insectoid.

Izzy was going to give herself up to save Lauryna, and Lemm, and Tarrgh.

Lauryna couldn’t let that happen.

“This one is not for [consumption],” Lauryna said, sharply.

“It is not our [offering/gift?]”

 

“It is [portion] of your [offering/gift]. One you will get [whole] when [task complete].” Lauryna hoped she wasn’t giving off any hint of her nervousness.

“Explain,” the warrior said.

“It is one of four,” Lauryna said. “Two [mating/breeding] pairs.”

 

Izzy looked back at Lauryna in shock, but the Insectoid simply raised its antenna to full attention. “Two [mating/breeding] pairs. Will they mate for us?”

 

Lauryna knew why the warrior asked that question. She knew that the Insectoids had tried raising humans more than once. But humans were smart enough to recognize what fate held for them and their children. Inevitably, they found ways to die rather than give birth; Insectoids rarely got more than a generation of humans before their farms died out.

“They are specially [genetics modified]. They cannot help but mate. I have her alone because if she is with another human, she will begin to [reproduce/action].”

 

“You will give it to us now?” the Warrior said; it was clearly pleased with the offering.

“First you will show us the cargo. If it is safe, I will instruct you further. You will get your [offering/gift] when [success] is [happening].”

 

The warrior nodded to her, and then to one of its compatriots. Then, it did something neither Lauryna or Izzy expected; it dropped an antenna down, and ran it the short length of Izzy’s body.

It was to Izzy’s credit that she did not scream.

“It is indeed [fertile]. An [acceptable] [acceptable] gift.”

 

Lauryna nodded, and forced a smile onto her face. Then she picked up Izzy, carefully.

Izzy nestled into her palm; it was covered in clammy perspiration, and Izzy could feel it trembling. Lauryna put her into her satchel, shaking all the way; she paused as she withdrew, though, to stroke Izzy’s face. Izzy placed her hand on Lauryna’s index finger. This was a hell of a gamble Red was taking; Izzy was just grateful she was here. She would hate for Lauryna to have to take it alone.

The Insectoid nodded to a doorway – a lift, it appeared – and despite instincts telling her not to get into an enclosed space with them, she did so; her stomach jolted as the small elevator dropped quickly, and did so again as it stopped abruptly. The Insectoid warriors led her out, and waved their antennae. “The [possession] is [safe],” ze said, and Lauryna could see that it was, much as it turned her stomach. For there in the Insectoid cargo hold was a tank the size of an Earth lake, filled with warm, briny water. And in that water were eggs – thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of eggs. There were so many she could not begin to count.

Fertilized Dunnermac Roe. If cared for, those eggs could yield hundreds, even thousands of adults. Instead, they were being sent to be eaten by the Insectoids.

“We also have the [hidden/secret] [letter/message/communication] that we were given. It is safe in the [calculation device/computer].”

Lauryna wanted to scream. But she didn’t. She wanted to attack these monsters, but she didn’t.

Instead, she calmly turned to the Insectoid warrior, and said, “[Acceptable] [acceptable].” She took a deep breath. “Now, we must [prepare for task].”