---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reclined in a chair and waiting for his doctor, Michael observed the strange behaviour Srettia was exhibiting, quickly choosing to keep his mouth shut and let things play out as she straddled his waist. "You, huh.. So what's with this?" Srettia continued to lick the wounds on Michael's had, ignoring his first attempts to push her off and stop her. "It's common for my people to soothe the wounds of our mates. It's to show that we wish to share in their suffering and is said to reduced pain." "Okay... I don't think it works like that, though." Michael replied, deciding to halt his attempts at stopping Srettia from partaking in her currently diminished culture. "Actually, it does." Dr. Baker replied as she walked out of a room and towards Michael, Vattitha following close behind in a backless nurse uniform. "Aasteran saliva contains minimal amounts of their toxin in it due to their glands being in close proximity. With it being diluted, it acts as a numbing agent. I would suspect it's the reason their bite doesn't hurt during their mating... And the reason your not in intense pain." "I'm not in pain because my armour shot me up with all sorts of drugs." Michael replied, watching the doctor make her way to his chair. Dr. Baker shook her head, stopping in front of a medical table. "They should have worn off by now." she said, picking up a scanner and describing the function and how to use it for Vattitha as she began to calmly wave it over Michael's body. " I see. And yes, I was correct. Your stims have worn off, and Srettia's saliva is the reason you currently feel no pain." Michael shrugged and patted Srettia on the back with his free hand, deciding he rather liked this natural numbing agent. "Well, isn't that something... Guess it makes sense, though. I kinda figured I had more time on my stims since you pulled the sealing foam off before heading over to clean and get Vattitha dressed." Placing the scanner down and motioning Vattitha to a new tool, Dr. Baker began explaining its function as she calmly picked it up before moving over to Michael. "Honestly, I removed the foam to see if she would do it. After all, we're still learning so much from our new friends and their actions that I've taken to studying them whenever I get the chance." "Well, thanks." Srettia replied, realising she was in the way and removing herself from Michael's waist. "It would make sense we have customs involving biting and licking if it is akin to a numbing agent. I wonder what else we have lost over the years." "To my understanding, you might be close to retrieving that knowledge. A friend of mine was working with one of your kind, Councillor Xeleidon, I believe it was. He thinks they've retrieved data and ancient knowledge of your people from a recent excursion to the surface. I understand they had more landings planned once they realised there were many such hidden bunkers on your planet." Dr. Baker replied, using the regenerator on Michael's hand, slowly explaining the process to Vattitha as the skin began to reform. "Do your people tend to forget things?" Vattitha asked, keeping her eyes glued to Michael's hand, fighting to keep herself calm as she witnessed yet another miracle. "The muscles... They are forming right in front of my eyes, how remarkable." She said, earning a worried smile from Dr. baker. "My planet was nearly destroyed when the Briolb destroyed Acarro showering us in death and destruction over two hundred years ago. We sacrificed everything just so a small portion of our population could survive the disaster." Srettia replied, crossing her arms but not showing any anger. " The Terrans saved us. Just like they are trying to do with your people." Pulling her eyes off the spectacle, Vattitha looked over to Srettia, her eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and admiration. " I am sorry for my words. It explains a lot about what I've seen from your people, though, how proudly you all carry yourselves." "All done." Dr. Baker stated, interrupting the two and taking a step back to grab a scanner. " I've noticed one thing I'd like to confirm, though, if you would allow me to run a quick test." "Sure, why not." Michael replied, though deciding he didn't like where this experiment was going as Dr. Baker put the scanner down and pulled out a large blood sampler. "This won't hurt you, ya big baby." Dr. Baker stated, placing the device on Michael's neck and taking a quick sample, excitedly studying the results as they arrived. "Ahh, This is quite troublesome. Though, I thought this might happen." She said, taking a step away from her patient. "Michael, I'm afraid I must inform you that the small and gradual exposure to Srettia Venom... Has allowed your body to adapt and start producing antibodies. This is quite remarkable. There will be no side effects other than you may one day be immune to her pure strain venom." " Oh... I see. You're an ass doc." Michael replied, ignoring Srettia tittering in the corner. "You're in perfect health, Captain. Just don't go grabbing Voktlix like that again. It may cost you a hand one day." Dr. Baker stated, not even trying to hide the smile on her face as she stepped back. "Yeah, Yeah.... You know, that guy was exactly the kind of being that would be killed the moment he stepped on Terran soil." He replied, grabbing his bloody shirt and hopping off the medical chair. "Oh, you are absolutely correct, Captain." Dr. Baker said, watching as Michael and Srettia walked towards the door. "However, I would have followed through and killed him. After all, If history tells us one thing, he will retaliate. Most likely, through government action and impede our mission. I fear this is not the last we've seen of him. Though, if I may... I think you made a mistake in letting him live. I say this as a person living in this galaxy, not a doctor." Michael sighed and nodded, pausing to look back before walking through the door. "Yeah... But this isn't our planet, and it's not our place to kill the parasites." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aylen followed Ekianei as she walked through the cabinet building halls, smiling over the fact that none of the assembly members noticed his presence. Something he was quite worried about when being briefed over the fact that Voktlix could smell a cloaked soldier. As he followed her into the discussion hall, however, he began to notice some oddities. Though most seemed excited about the change of leadership, some were obviously unhappy, and a few were even outright furious. It wasn't until his sensors notified him of a chemical weapon entering the room that he was broken from his observations to investigate the possible assassin. What he saw was unexpected for such a place. It was a plump Voktlix, at least Aylen thought so. His fur was a brown colour with smatterings of black mixed in, and he had expensive-looking jewellery woven into his mane. Something Aylen turned his nose up at as he watched the male walk past the discussion area. Instead, the male moved off to the observation section with a few females following close behind him. "Who's that?" He whispered angrily, surprising himself but making sure to scan the male for any other hidden weapons though unsure of why the male irritated him so. "That. Is Gonikel. One of the most wealthiest males in this country. He is a merchant capable of acquiring anything you could wish for. As long as you fill his coffers or offer him, females." Ekianei replied, sitting in her presidential seat at the front of the room. "I see... Who would care if he went missing?" Aylen replied, making sure to go over his weapons inventory. Ekianei chuckled, unsure of why Aylen hated this male so. Though happy that this was the first time she has seen Aylen show such an emotion. "Many of the people here would. My opposition is most likely in his pocket, either through bribery or blackmail." Aylen grit his teeth, thankful he was currently cloaked as the doors were closed and the session began "I feared so. Do you want me to kill him? I can do it swiftly and silently." "No!" Ekianei quickly replied, surprised at the question. "We will fight him with our words, not our swords." "Swords work better with his type. Trust me on this." Aylen replied, quickly going silent afterwards. Ekianei forced her face to a neutral state and watched as the speaker began the session, standing with pride as she was called upon to make her opening declaration. "My fellow cabinet members. Today I stand before you. Something none of us honestly thought would be possible. Our city was sieged, our food stores low, our wall near broken. Yet we live and are unthreatened." She began, pausing to survey her surroundings for a moment before continuing, suddenly noticing the anger on Gonikel's face which was something she didn't quite expect, seeing as the siege was lifted. " Today, we still breathe thanks to the timely intervention of the Terrans. A people who came from beyond the stars to hunt down and destroy the ones attempting to end our livelihoods." "And what would they demand of us in return, madam president?" Came from her opposition, a brown female leaning back in her chair. " You've delivered us from one enslaver to another. Only this time, they speak with honeyed words and not the crack of a whip." "The Terrans ask of nothing, only that we help them rid our planet of the shared enemy." Ekianei replied, looking around the room as members whispered amongst themselves. "The Terrans are here to help us, but they need our help in return to do it. They are new to our planet and do not know of its dangers. It is up to us to support them, and I call upon all who are here to do their part in aiding these visitors." "I refuse. They are just as violent and brutal as any invader. Why, just this morning, word has reached me of a rather large and violent group of Terrans tearing their way through the merchants union, stealing and destroying priceless artifacts. Even going so far as to threaten multiple workers. If it weren't for the timely intervention of the union leader Gonikel, they would have destroyed the building." A female from her opposition said, waving over to the proud looking merchant. Ekianei sighed in frustration as the room burst into chaos, many shouting to expel the Terrans while others were shouting for proof. It was only when Gonikel stood and pulled out a photo did the room go quiet. "Alas, what the kind delegate says is true." Gonkiel whined, attempting to sound saddened. "Today, I was in negotiations with the expelled Attitha, arranging a new medical shipment. As agreed with the pharmacy guild, she was charged nearly triple the normal price." He said, pausing as a few females from the cabinet chuckled. " Then this mad Terran and his comrades stormed into my building, throwing my priceless statues and paintings to the ground as they beat my employes. It was then that I learned the expelled Attitha had invited them. They had come to steal my secrets and my fortune. Had I not kept my pistol close by, I fear I would have perished. Here! Here is my proof that what I say is true!" He said, passing the picture to a nearby guard, one showing beaten and battered Voktlix and his destroyed building. Aylen ground his teeth in anger. He learned of this type of being in history class how they dragged the world down due to their own greed. But seeing it first hand. It was something that took his entire being not to enter into a range and kill the male. "You see! This violence is not welcome here, and I demand a vote to expel any Terran settling within our city walls. I also move to place a warrant for the arrest of one Captain Michael Graeme of the Terran Star Union. We cannot let them treat us in such a way!" Ekianei bit her tongue as the room exploded into a frenzy, calling for the arrest of these violent Terrans. It was only when she snuck a peek at the smirking Gonikel did much of this make sense. "I don't think we can win this, dear Aylen." "Can I kill him now?" Aylen asked, clenching his jaw in anger. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Uhh, Captain. We have a group of Voktlix gathering at the edge of the lake. They seem to have wheeled cages and chemical propellant weapons." Steven replied, opening communication to the resting Michael. "Okay... Any idea of what they want?" Michael replied, putting his fork down and looking over to Srettia with a shrug. "I'm listening in on the cabinet meeting through Aylen right now. They're talking about expelling us. Nothing has been voted on yet, though. Perhaps they are here to prevent us from running? Not like they could do anything to stop us." Steven replied, watching with interest as a large eight-legged creature pulled a boat towards the lake. "They're using some weird low sitting flat crawler mammal with eight legs, uhh kind of looks like a fuzzy centipede to pull a large boat into the water. I think they're planning a boarding action, Captain. The Voktlix officers look pretty spooked." "Okay. Letem try. Just mag lock the door." Michael answered, getting up from his chair and moving towards the door. "I'll be on the bridge in a moment. Get Soto on the bridge as well. I think he's normally training around this time." "Understood, Captain. The cabinet meeting is getting heated, and you might want to see this. I think they're about to issue a warrant for your arrest." Steven replied, sending a message of incoming enemies to Commander Soto. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------