The Thoot ship closest to them was fairly large; long and wide, but not quite as tall if the pods slung beneath weren't counted. Tiny mining tugs flitted to and from the larger ship and the asteroids nearby. In the distance, more of the Thoot fleet could be seen, partially obscured by the asteroid field. The Thoot mothership was the most visible: A large craft shaped like a square pyramid with a flat top, covered in ridges and mooring points.
As Khelena's ship approached, messages began coming in. They were a short set of repeating messages broadcast constantly in alternating languages:
"THIS AREA IS OCCUPIED." it stated. "GO AWAY. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME."
There was more, but the general message indicated a desire for the Vekimen to leave immediately.
Khelena stood on the bridge of her Princess Class Yatche. She could see the Thoot Vessels in the distance on the sensor array, as well as the view port. She would deal with her fears, if only to get a look at the scoundrels who had wronged her kind in such a way.
Her ship stood lone at the ready. She was being bold, but she knew from what little information that they had tiny tugs. She was far away, creeping even closer still in the never still darkness that was space. Still, her presence would not have gone unnoticed.
"The Thoot are hailing, they are telling us to leave. Shall we comply?" One vekimen asked, bandless horn surprising in the presence on the gold horned mistress of the Vekimen.
"Why would we leave? Whe are here to speak with them, are we not? Hail the large ship directly in Trade, inform them to open communications with us" The Lizard ordered. She was calm as she waited for the message to come up. Before the one who eventually came on the screen could say a word, Khelena automatically dominated the situation.
"Thoot! I demand to speak with whomever may be the ruler of your family. I will not speak to anyone else" She ordered, her trade strong and fluid. She was adorn well, her formal wear accenting her body, and stark lack of clothing. Her tone was powerful, and demanded acknowledgement. More important...
... She sounded angry.
After a pause, the messages stopped. In the silence that followed, a stirring could be seen around the mothership beyond before communication was restored. This time, it was the mothership itself that communicated with them. The visual feed showed a camera angle that was pointed upward, situated at the foot of a divan of some sort.
There, a variety of colourful, silken cushions were arrayed, and resting upon them was an I'ee. The Vekimen had met the insectoid aliens before in person, but Khelena could tell that even without the flattering camera angle, this one was quite large. Her head was tilted slightly to one side, angling the upper area of one of her compound eyes at some off-screen object; presumably the video feed of Khelena.
"You want to speak with Thoot?" A feminine voice asked, presumably coming from the I'ee on the divan. The voice was deep and motherly, carrying a tone of authority.
The Lizardess chuckled internally at the camera angle. The arrogance of this creature must have been large enough to challenge the very star they were in the locale of. Still, she tilted slightly, one foot out, trailing a finger across her horn. A display of greeting and a fair amount of respect to the species, without implying the better. Khelena was not so bold to walk into a situation as such and just demand another ruler give her respect. She had other means.
"I am Khelena Het'Laderen, Sraralumee of the Vekimen Defensive Task Force. I am to understand your family have had past relations with one of my kind" Khelena stated, her voice cooling from the demands she made previously.
An antennae flicked. "Past relations?" Thoot asked. "I do not recognise you, or your vessel."
"I assure you I am not lying. Your family picked up a ship of mine, one with a rather important person on it. I've heard it caused quite the rackus between you and the Ee'ith Family, mainly your hangar doors being breached?" She asked, her muzzle parting in a toothy smile. They were caked in a brown ichor, but she did not seem to mind.
"It was not so much a ruckus between myself and Ee'ith as it was between myself and Yamatai. Although, I admit, were it not for Ee'ith's infantile obsession with Yamatai, the resultant bloodshed would never have occurred." the I'ee queen replied, shifting position on her bed.
Khelena nodded slowly, closing her eyes in a slight bow as she did. "Then you are one who would rather avoid bloodshed if at all possible, I would presume, yes?" The lizard asked. Her tone was smooth, almost sweet. Endearing, and even a harmless in a sense.
The I'ee queen let out a snort, one that was not synthesised, like her speaking voice. "Myself and my family do what you see us do now. We ply the stars for valuable materials. It has always been my joy, and it is the joy of my children." she spoke. "We do not abide intrusion and interruption."
So she was a family type of girl. Khelena could work with that. "So tell me, if I found one of your children in space, you would be appalled if I were to say... Tear their craft apart and tried to kill them, yes?" She asked.
"If you found one of my children, alone, in the empty void of space, I imagine she would be already dead," Thoot replied. "Nor would I be likely to ever learn of your murderous act."
"And where she not? Or perhaps a few of your children? What if they escaped their doom, made it back to you? Told you of what I had done? What if what I had done, had caused you to loose several thousand of your children in the process? Say, fifty thousand, of your children. Dead to a parasitic scourge your could have fought off if only your children had been helped, and not hindered by an attempted slaughter after they had done nothing to harm us?" Khelena retorted, seemingly not taking a moment to think.
Thoot was silent for a long moment, her body still besides the twitching of her antennae. "Do you mean to say that fifty thousand of your children have died to such a parasite?" the queen finally asked, sounding slightly muted.
"If not more. I understand you had members of the Ee'ith family with you, who desired to help, but your children attempted to slaughter my child, failing in their attempt, but succeeding in stalling my child from getting us help that we needed. For this, I hold you directly responcible. You are their ruler after all, their mistakes reflect poorly on your presence" Khelena stated, answering the question. Her voice had lost the charm it once had, and she stood tall and strong on the camera. A woman with a mission, what could be more terrifying?
"I am not a ruler," Thoot snorted, as if offended by the title. "I am a mother, and I dislike that you compare my own children to your people." Again, the I'ee shifted position, this time leaning forward so as to 'peer' into the camera. "You are like all aliens, Khelena. You attempt to worm your way into our hearts by pretending to be our kin; like we should care for whether you live or die. I care more for the fate of cattle, since it determines whether they find themselves in my stomach." Again, Thoot snorted, sitting back upright.
Khelena's face faded into a scowl. "I see... I should have expected. Then I will cut to the chase Thoot. I hold you responsible for the actions of your people. Those actions caused my people unneeded suffering, and I am here to inform you that my people demand a reperation to make up for that. Should you refuse, then I will proceed to slaughter your children like cattle and use them to feed my own children. Choose your words wisely, oh mother of mongrel animals, they might just be your last"
The idea was be funny. Here, a lone, civilian pleasure craft threatening the mining fleet of the Thoot. What creature could possibly be so full of herself? What creature could threaten Thoot herself with nothing but simple defenses to seperate her from the hoard that was the I'ee family?
The I'ee queen opened and closed her mandibles in a smooth motion as Khelena spoke. "Again, you say my family are a people. That is incorrect," Thoot spoke, Khelena slowly losing her patence. "What is this reperation you demand for the sake of the past, Khelena?"
"Fifty thousand children, or five hundred thousand tonnes of precious metals and ores. Which ever is preferable to you, oh mother Thoot" She said, the honourific at the end twisted into an insult.
Thoot began snorting again. This time, it was a repeating sound, like a chuckle. "I am proven correct," Thoot gloated. "The Ee'ith would do well to follow my example, Khelena. You are a proud leader, and I am sure it is thanks to you that your kind were not wholly wiped out by this parasite you describe. But still, after all I say, you suffer from the folly of all aliens; to think that we are equal. A sacrifice of my children would never satisfy you. I can promise this."
"If I am proud, then you are arrogant, Thoot. To assume what would appease me? Let me explain this clearly. My people would die at my command. I could shoot one of my own, and my people would trust that it was for the greater good of the whole. They are not afraid of death by my order. I am not to be trifled with, now make your choice. My patience wears thin" Khelena stated darkly.
"I am arrogant, yes. It is born from the knowledge that I am right. Perhaps it is not right to bask in such feelings of cruel satisfaction, but is it not right that I acknowledge that?" Thoot prattled on, shaking her head. "I suppose the difference between us is that I am confident in what I think and feel. You are confident in what you do. You are confident that you can kill, and no one will question you. I am confident that you are wrong."
Thoot lowered her head slightly to the camera. "I will not give you my children to sate your infantile lust for revenge, Khelena. That would be sacrifice. I will force you to murder. And if you would honestly prefer your ores, well... this is a large asteroid field. It is rich from end to end with materials. Too much for either of us to carry, but I would like to see you try" she spoke. "Do you want to kill us, Khelena?"
"Do you think I am a threat too you, Thoot? Do you think you are safe within that ship of yours?" Khelena asked. "Does my presence here not shake that feeling that you are safe?" Khelena added, her smile returning. If it was the challenge game she wanted to play, she would play it. "Do you think I am wrong, when I say that it will be a bad idea to refuse?"
"I think you are too intelligent to come here without a means to kill, Khelena," Thoot answered. "Yamatai's craft was tiny, and it decimated my fleet. I know not what they might have provided you."
"Yamatai provided me only this simple craft. An object of luxery, not combat Thoot. I give you my word, this ship has nothing but enough to merely defend myself long enough to escape should this go poorly for me" Khelena smiled. It grew larger, ominous even.
"Then you have no means to take the reparations you desire, Khelena. Personally, I do not believe you," Thoot snorted. "If you wish to attack us now, then do so. Otherwise, I would like it if you left us to our business."
Khelena just sighed, turning to one of the Vekimen on the ship. "You heard the mother. Do as she asks" Khelena said, sitting in her chair, her smile not fading. She did not close the communications. No... She wanted to watch as her ships Sensors blared. See her face as multiple objects screamed towards her ship, connected, and flared in that light, but satisfying explosion that rock her ship, and other ships in her fleet to the core, seemingly from nowhere.
"Wrong choice of words... Thoot, mother of cattle" Khelena sighed loud enough to be heard if Thoot was still on feed.
The video feed of Thoot lit up with red as screeching alarms blared, followed by a dull 'boom' that shook the mothership to its core. Thoot clung on to her bed while several of her children ran to her and held onto her body. From somewhere above, the sound of a heavy bulkhead closing could be heard.
"I knew you were a liar, Khelena!" Thoot's voice roared.
Khelena only laughed. "Hear this, Thoot. My kind will hunt you to the ends of the Galaxy and beyond until your family is laid in ruins unless you conceed defeat to me and offer me either 400,000 children, or five million tonnes of resources. My kindness has been spent by your paltry insults, and I feel it is time for the child to learn the universe does not work in the way you believe it does.You have one final chance! This is only a warning shot, the rest will not be so kind" The lizard warned, standing back up.
In space, the Thoot fleet was slowly pulling back to the damaged mothership, moving into formation with it. Thoot herself was silent on the video feed, staring impassively at Khelena's image as her ships moved before finally speaking. "Khelena, I never denied you your right to take what you feel is yours," the queen spoke with a hint of ire in her voice.
"No, you told me to come take it by force. Not directly, but it was your implication. This is what taking something by force looks like. I will feast on your flesh even if I must fetch it from the wreckage of that ship you hold so dear Thoot. You will bring me what I ask for out of your own blood, sweat, and tears. This is repirations for the strife you cause my kind with your actions. Actions have consiquences, and I am here to deliver them too you" Khelena growled.
"No, Khelena," Thoot snorted. "You came here a murderer, and you have proven yourself one. You are the reason my children tried to kill your ambassador. Goodbye." The queen turned and shrieked to something off screen, and the feed cut off. Soon after, power surges could be detected amongst the Thoot fleet as, one by one and starting with the mothership itself, they began to depart using their FTL drives. The other ships damaged by the surprise torpedo attack remained, some drifting uselessly through space, while those still functional limped slowly towards Khelena's ship.
Khelena frowned as the feed cut off from the screen. "So I am the reason am I? Well, I will be the reason for something Thoot... Mark my words" She said to no one in particular, sitting back down in the command chair. She watched the remains of the fleet as they limped towards her uselessly.
"Order all ships to clean up the rabble. I won't give Thoot a simple murder. I will give her a Genocide..." Khelena hissed. "Capture what you can, kill the rest"
And so Khelena watched, the remaining ships still moving crushed under the force of her new weapons.
As Khelena's ship approached, messages began coming in. They were a short set of repeating messages broadcast constantly in alternating languages:
"THIS AREA IS OCCUPIED." it stated. "GO AWAY. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME."
There was more, but the general message indicated a desire for the Vekimen to leave immediately.
Khelena stood on the bridge of her Princess Class Yatche. She could see the Thoot Vessels in the distance on the sensor array, as well as the view port. She would deal with her fears, if only to get a look at the scoundrels who had wronged her kind in such a way.
Her ship stood lone at the ready. She was being bold, but she knew from what little information that they had tiny tugs. She was far away, creeping even closer still in the never still darkness that was space. Still, her presence would not have gone unnoticed.
"The Thoot are hailing, they are telling us to leave. Shall we comply?" One vekimen asked, bandless horn surprising in the presence on the gold horned mistress of the Vekimen.
"Why would we leave? Whe are here to speak with them, are we not? Hail the large ship directly in Trade, inform them to open communications with us" The Lizard ordered. She was calm as she waited for the message to come up. Before the one who eventually came on the screen could say a word, Khelena automatically dominated the situation.
"Thoot! I demand to speak with whomever may be the ruler of your family. I will not speak to anyone else" She ordered, her trade strong and fluid. She was adorn well, her formal wear accenting her body, and stark lack of clothing. Her tone was powerful, and demanded acknowledgement. More important...
... She sounded angry.
After a pause, the messages stopped. In the silence that followed, a stirring could be seen around the mothership beyond before communication was restored. This time, it was the mothership itself that communicated with them. The visual feed showed a camera angle that was pointed upward, situated at the foot of a divan of some sort.
There, a variety of colourful, silken cushions were arrayed, and resting upon them was an I'ee. The Vekimen had met the insectoid aliens before in person, but Khelena could tell that even without the flattering camera angle, this one was quite large. Her head was tilted slightly to one side, angling the upper area of one of her compound eyes at some off-screen object; presumably the video feed of Khelena.
"You want to speak with Thoot?" A feminine voice asked, presumably coming from the I'ee on the divan. The voice was deep and motherly, carrying a tone of authority.
The Lizardess chuckled internally at the camera angle. The arrogance of this creature must have been large enough to challenge the very star they were in the locale of. Still, she tilted slightly, one foot out, trailing a finger across her horn. A display of greeting and a fair amount of respect to the species, without implying the better. Khelena was not so bold to walk into a situation as such and just demand another ruler give her respect. She had other means.
"I am Khelena Het'Laderen, Sraralumee of the Vekimen Defensive Task Force. I am to understand your family have had past relations with one of my kind" Khelena stated, her voice cooling from the demands she made previously.
An antennae flicked. "Past relations?" Thoot asked. "I do not recognise you, or your vessel."
"I assure you I am not lying. Your family picked up a ship of mine, one with a rather important person on it. I've heard it caused quite the rackus between you and the Ee'ith Family, mainly your hangar doors being breached?" She asked, her muzzle parting in a toothy smile. They were caked in a brown ichor, but she did not seem to mind.
"It was not so much a ruckus between myself and Ee'ith as it was between myself and Yamatai. Although, I admit, were it not for Ee'ith's infantile obsession with Yamatai, the resultant bloodshed would never have occurred." the I'ee queen replied, shifting position on her bed.
Khelena nodded slowly, closing her eyes in a slight bow as she did. "Then you are one who would rather avoid bloodshed if at all possible, I would presume, yes?" The lizard asked. Her tone was smooth, almost sweet. Endearing, and even a harmless in a sense.
The I'ee queen let out a snort, one that was not synthesised, like her speaking voice. "Myself and my family do what you see us do now. We ply the stars for valuable materials. It has always been my joy, and it is the joy of my children." she spoke. "We do not abide intrusion and interruption."
So she was a family type of girl. Khelena could work with that. "So tell me, if I found one of your children in space, you would be appalled if I were to say... Tear their craft apart and tried to kill them, yes?" She asked.
"If you found one of my children, alone, in the empty void of space, I imagine she would be already dead," Thoot replied. "Nor would I be likely to ever learn of your murderous act."
"And where she not? Or perhaps a few of your children? What if they escaped their doom, made it back to you? Told you of what I had done? What if what I had done, had caused you to loose several thousand of your children in the process? Say, fifty thousand, of your children. Dead to a parasitic scourge your could have fought off if only your children had been helped, and not hindered by an attempted slaughter after they had done nothing to harm us?" Khelena retorted, seemingly not taking a moment to think.
Thoot was silent for a long moment, her body still besides the twitching of her antennae. "Do you mean to say that fifty thousand of your children have died to such a parasite?" the queen finally asked, sounding slightly muted.
"If not more. I understand you had members of the Ee'ith family with you, who desired to help, but your children attempted to slaughter my child, failing in their attempt, but succeeding in stalling my child from getting us help that we needed. For this, I hold you directly responcible. You are their ruler after all, their mistakes reflect poorly on your presence" Khelena stated, answering the question. Her voice had lost the charm it once had, and she stood tall and strong on the camera. A woman with a mission, what could be more terrifying?
"I am not a ruler," Thoot snorted, as if offended by the title. "I am a mother, and I dislike that you compare my own children to your people." Again, the I'ee shifted position, this time leaning forward so as to 'peer' into the camera. "You are like all aliens, Khelena. You attempt to worm your way into our hearts by pretending to be our kin; like we should care for whether you live or die. I care more for the fate of cattle, since it determines whether they find themselves in my stomach." Again, Thoot snorted, sitting back upright.
Khelena's face faded into a scowl. "I see... I should have expected. Then I will cut to the chase Thoot. I hold you responsible for the actions of your people. Those actions caused my people unneeded suffering, and I am here to inform you that my people demand a reperation to make up for that. Should you refuse, then I will proceed to slaughter your children like cattle and use them to feed my own children. Choose your words wisely, oh mother of mongrel animals, they might just be your last"
The idea was be funny. Here, a lone, civilian pleasure craft threatening the mining fleet of the Thoot. What creature could possibly be so full of herself? What creature could threaten Thoot herself with nothing but simple defenses to seperate her from the hoard that was the I'ee family?
The I'ee queen opened and closed her mandibles in a smooth motion as Khelena spoke. "Again, you say my family are a people. That is incorrect," Thoot spoke, Khelena slowly losing her patence. "What is this reperation you demand for the sake of the past, Khelena?"
"Fifty thousand children, or five hundred thousand tonnes of precious metals and ores. Which ever is preferable to you, oh mother Thoot" She said, the honourific at the end twisted into an insult.
Thoot began snorting again. This time, it was a repeating sound, like a chuckle. "I am proven correct," Thoot gloated. "The Ee'ith would do well to follow my example, Khelena. You are a proud leader, and I am sure it is thanks to you that your kind were not wholly wiped out by this parasite you describe. But still, after all I say, you suffer from the folly of all aliens; to think that we are equal. A sacrifice of my children would never satisfy you. I can promise this."
"If I am proud, then you are arrogant, Thoot. To assume what would appease me? Let me explain this clearly. My people would die at my command. I could shoot one of my own, and my people would trust that it was for the greater good of the whole. They are not afraid of death by my order. I am not to be trifled with, now make your choice. My patience wears thin" Khelena stated darkly.
"I am arrogant, yes. It is born from the knowledge that I am right. Perhaps it is not right to bask in such feelings of cruel satisfaction, but is it not right that I acknowledge that?" Thoot prattled on, shaking her head. "I suppose the difference between us is that I am confident in what I think and feel. You are confident in what you do. You are confident that you can kill, and no one will question you. I am confident that you are wrong."
Thoot lowered her head slightly to the camera. "I will not give you my children to sate your infantile lust for revenge, Khelena. That would be sacrifice. I will force you to murder. And if you would honestly prefer your ores, well... this is a large asteroid field. It is rich from end to end with materials. Too much for either of us to carry, but I would like to see you try" she spoke. "Do you want to kill us, Khelena?"
"Do you think I am a threat too you, Thoot? Do you think you are safe within that ship of yours?" Khelena asked. "Does my presence here not shake that feeling that you are safe?" Khelena added, her smile returning. If it was the challenge game she wanted to play, she would play it. "Do you think I am wrong, when I say that it will be a bad idea to refuse?"
"I think you are too intelligent to come here without a means to kill, Khelena," Thoot answered. "Yamatai's craft was tiny, and it decimated my fleet. I know not what they might have provided you."
"Yamatai provided me only this simple craft. An object of luxery, not combat Thoot. I give you my word, this ship has nothing but enough to merely defend myself long enough to escape should this go poorly for me" Khelena smiled. It grew larger, ominous even.
"Then you have no means to take the reparations you desire, Khelena. Personally, I do not believe you," Thoot snorted. "If you wish to attack us now, then do so. Otherwise, I would like it if you left us to our business."
Khelena just sighed, turning to one of the Vekimen on the ship. "You heard the mother. Do as she asks" Khelena said, sitting in her chair, her smile not fading. She did not close the communications. No... She wanted to watch as her ships Sensors blared. See her face as multiple objects screamed towards her ship, connected, and flared in that light, but satisfying explosion that rock her ship, and other ships in her fleet to the core, seemingly from nowhere.
"Wrong choice of words... Thoot, mother of cattle" Khelena sighed loud enough to be heard if Thoot was still on feed.
The video feed of Thoot lit up with red as screeching alarms blared, followed by a dull 'boom' that shook the mothership to its core. Thoot clung on to her bed while several of her children ran to her and held onto her body. From somewhere above, the sound of a heavy bulkhead closing could be heard.
"I knew you were a liar, Khelena!" Thoot's voice roared.
Khelena only laughed. "Hear this, Thoot. My kind will hunt you to the ends of the Galaxy and beyond until your family is laid in ruins unless you conceed defeat to me and offer me either 400,000 children, or five million tonnes of resources. My kindness has been spent by your paltry insults, and I feel it is time for the child to learn the universe does not work in the way you believe it does.You have one final chance! This is only a warning shot, the rest will not be so kind" The lizard warned, standing back up.
In space, the Thoot fleet was slowly pulling back to the damaged mothership, moving into formation with it. Thoot herself was silent on the video feed, staring impassively at Khelena's image as her ships moved before finally speaking. "Khelena, I never denied you your right to take what you feel is yours," the queen spoke with a hint of ire in her voice.
"No, you told me to come take it by force. Not directly, but it was your implication. This is what taking something by force looks like. I will feast on your flesh even if I must fetch it from the wreckage of that ship you hold so dear Thoot. You will bring me what I ask for out of your own blood, sweat, and tears. This is repirations for the strife you cause my kind with your actions. Actions have consiquences, and I am here to deliver them too you" Khelena growled.
"No, Khelena," Thoot snorted. "You came here a murderer, and you have proven yourself one. You are the reason my children tried to kill your ambassador. Goodbye." The queen turned and shrieked to something off screen, and the feed cut off. Soon after, power surges could be detected amongst the Thoot fleet as, one by one and starting with the mothership itself, they began to depart using their FTL drives. The other ships damaged by the surprise torpedo attack remained, some drifting uselessly through space, while those still functional limped slowly towards Khelena's ship.
Khelena frowned as the feed cut off from the screen. "So I am the reason am I? Well, I will be the reason for something Thoot... Mark my words" She said to no one in particular, sitting back down in the command chair. She watched the remains of the fleet as they limped towards her uselessly.
"Order all ships to clean up the rabble. I won't give Thoot a simple murder. I will give her a Genocide..." Khelena hissed. "Capture what you can, kill the rest"
And so Khelena watched, the remaining ships still moving crushed under the force of her new weapons.
