"This way, Etaine," Cratus said. "The ship is under guard, and we have the survivors restrained in a forward docking bay. Scan them or whatever you do. I want to know what their true intentions are."

Etaine was lagging behind Cratus, stopping to examine things along the way. She paused in front of a mural depicting an ocean sunset over a deep green body of water. It had been torn down the middle. Etaine wept a silent tear. A little farther along was a sculpture of a sea mammal which had been damaged in the attack. She bent down to pick up its broken fin from off the floor and placed it gently on the display table.

"Etaine?"

"Coming, Lieutenant. I love the decor on this ship, so imaginative, all the colors. We need to repair everything. We've destroyed some of their beautiful artwork."

"Never mind the decor. Come this way," Cratus said.

Etaine entered the large bay and looked over the BakoNaat lying about, caught in restraining fields. Most were serpentine, all reptilian in nature of varying species and sizes. They ranged from the size of a medium lizard to over five-hundred pounds. Many had been injured in the exchange of fire and were oozing blood between their shiny green scales. Etaine's eyes widened as she recognized her own connection with them. "Oh, Lieutenant, they’re hurt!”

"They engaged us in an act of war. Regretfully there are casualties, it's unavoidable," Cratus said.

"I know. I know my dears. I'll do what I can." Etaine said weeping a few green tears.

"You can communicate telepathically without a translator?"

"I find that I can. Please send the medics in right away. The BakoNaat promise to cooperate. They have adepts and seers among them who already know your language and are rapidly learning mine. They can see right through us."

"Ask them what they were doing in this sector without a permit and who ordered the attack on our vessel," Cratus said. "You shouldn't trust the enemy, Etaine."

"But they can trust me. I want to help them."

"Etaine, focus."

She was slipping back into her snake form and if not for the “Empath Corp’ jacket she wore, might soon be indistinguishable from the BakoNaat.

"They were just following orders from their sector general. They think the Moz Lidule destroyed their sister ship. They admit to pirating. May I tell them the truth, Lieutenant?"

"Go ahead. I doubt they'll believe you."

"My dearest companions, there is a demon on the loose in this sector. He killed me and many others aboard my ship, the Sora. He destroyed and vaporized your other ship while it was looting. I survived by becoming a ghost, a mutant one at that."

Etaine cast off her uniform jacket and began to grow larger. She elongated her body into a more serpentine form and levitated above the floor. She glided amongst the creatures alternately weeping or comforting them.

"Etaine, what are you doing? Stop that at once," Cratus demanded.

"I'm discovering who I am, Lieutenant," Etaine said. "I am born again as a BakoNaat. We are star-crossed."

"You're an empath in the service of the Moz Lidule. Get a grip and turn back into Etaine."

She began to grow larger and nearly doubled in size. "I have arisen. They are feeding me with their power."

Cratus got between Etaine and the creatures, He attempted to guide her from the room. "They are manipulating you."

Etaine had grown even larger and was now almost half the size of the larger BakoNaat creatures. "They believe I have been sent to them by their great serpent god."

"You were sent here on a mission for Admiral Bethon."

"I don't like the Admiral. I prefer to serve the BakoNaat," Etaine said. Her voice had developed a hissing quality. A few of the captives began to hum. Others joined in until it grew into singsong chanting.

"Tell them we will only accept unconditional surrender. If they cooperate," Cratus said, his voice raised to carry above the drone of the creatures. "Admiral Bethon may be willing to negotiate for their release in exchange for future service."

"They understand, Lieutenant. You don't have to shout," Etaine said. She had completed her transformation into serpent form. "From now on I will represent their interests as the Ghost Queen of the BakoNaat."

* * *

Cratus processed the captured pirate crew members and recorded official statements from each of the officers. He was relieved when the Moz Lidule warped back into view. Now refueled, the ship would be fully operational again before they had to fight the demon. More urgently, he needed to get Etaine back on board.

Etaine was enjoying her status among the BakoNaat who were indeed treating her as royalty. A pile of gifts was accumulating around her serpentine form. She had laid her Moz Lidule jacket to one side and was luxuriating on a large cushion upholstered with an intricate woven fabric. Small servile creatures of reptilian descent crowded around massaging her green translucent body with lightly scented oils, while others offered her a variety of foods to sample.

"Move aside," Cratus ordered. He pushed through the entourage of creatures blocking him. "Etaine, as the officer in charge of this mission, I command you to resume your human form immediately."

"I'm not sure I can."

"Do it now," Cratus raised his voice again.

"I'm Queen Etaine, Ghost Queen of the BakoNaat. I don't know what I'd look like as a human anymore."

Cratus searched for a way to convince her to go back to her human form. "What about Lotee? Don't you love him?"

"Lotee? Oh, yes. I do love Lotee."

"Then think about him and you can become human again."

"What will I look like?"

"You're a beautiful woman, with ivory skin, green eyes and black hair. You're wearing a exquisite green gown worthy of a queen. But you're human. You must try for Lotee, Etaine."

She wavered and flickered between serpent and human, but finally coalesced into a human form.

"How do I look?"

"Perfect. Hold that look,” Cratus said. He handed her back the uniform jacket she had discarded. “You should wear this to remind you who employs your services.”

"My subjects might object."

"They can't possibly object. As their representative on the Moz Lidule, you can better serve them by staying in Admiral Bethon's good graces."

"Yes. I do represent them," Etaine said with the dreamy voice she used when something captivated her.

Cratus called to one of the aranga soldiers who had accompanied him.

"I'm placing you in charge of operations. I have to get our empath back to the ship immediately. When you've finished things here bring their two highest ranking officers before the admiral."

Cratus led Etaine back to their boarding vessel, accessed a power node and teleported back to the Moz Lidule.

"As Queen I'll need my own quarters from now on. I'd like to decorate in the BakoNaat tradition."

"No promises, Etaine. I'll see what I can do," Cratus said.

"I'd like my green sofa from the old guest quarters, the one Lotee gave me. Please deliver all my lovely new presents as well. And I'll need a large enough suite to accommodate my subjects."

"I'm dropping you off in a leisure center for now. I'll find Lotee for you." Cratus locked the door before leaving.