The Gardens of Deathworlder: A Blooming Love (Part 127)
Part 127 Community values (Part 1) (Part 126)
While Captain Marzima, Lieutenant Tensebwse, and Royal Ambassador Shlin dealt with their unique situation down on the planet's surface, Sub-Admiral Haervria was in the midst of something almost as unusual. The planetary drop and assault cruiser under her command, Karintha’s Dagger, the latest and greatest produced by the Third Qui’ztar Matriarchy, currently sat in formation with over a dozen Arnehilian vessels. Though the mix of saucer and cylinder-shaped ships have been in operation far longer than the Qui’ztar species has been active on the galactic stage, and none are particularly threatening on their own, this many of them could cause some damage. Luckily for all parties involved, these Arnehilians want nothing more than to fight against oppression so that everyone may live in peaceful freedom.
The Greens, as Harv had come to know them, genuinely believed their mission in this system was to protect a sapient, un-Ascended species from potential slavery. When the ruse was uncovered, those gray-scaled, humanoid reptilians apologized for the misunderstanding, negotiated in good faith, and never once powered up their weapon systems or active shielding. Admiral Harideth made only simple requests that, in hindsight, were an admission of just how poorly maintained his fleet was. Considering Greens lived in the shadow of the notorious reputation earned by the Grays, the Royal Arnehilians Dynasties slavers, Harv couldn't exactly blame the man. As a purely nomadic fleet who survives off of the bare minimum of harvested resources and without any real supply lines, he truly was doing his best.
The state of these freedom-loving Arnehilian ships, particularly the civilian vessels acting as mobile greenhouses, was so pitiful that Haervria felt a sincere pang in her heart. If any of the First of the Third's vessels were in that condition, they would need to be brought into dry dock, people would get court-martialed, and a massive investigation would take place. While the Qui’ztar Sub-Admiral didn't have the authority to transfer resources or provide direct support, she would look the other way when the civilian ship harvested a few asteroids for much needed resources. Singularity Entity 139-621, on the other hand, was not only free of such restrictions, they transformed a portion of their Sphere to act as a temporary safe place for the Arnehilians to make much essential repairs. With just a day before Karintha’s Dagger was scheduled to leave this system, the Greens were already to move on and continue with their very personal mission.
“Once again, Sub-Admiral Haervria, I cannot thank you enough.” The live video of Admiral Harideth's smile was strange for Harv to look out. In her previous experiences, an Arnehilian would only show this expression while uttering some sort of insult or threat. But this smile, as scaly and reptilian as it was, bore a genuine and pleasant demeanor. “Thanks to the Singularity Entity's help, my entire fleet has received a full restoration. Assuming we're able to keep up proper maintenance, we could continue traveling for thousands of generations. Maybe even travel far enough to build a new and free Arnehil in a place where the royal scum can never try to enslave us again. And away from people may try to manipulate us into harming the innocent.”
“While I cannot make you any offers or guarantees, I do hope your people will achieve their peaceful dreams.” As Harv spoke, her voice stoic except for a noticeable hint of empathy, she hesitantly glanced down at a report that Fleet Admiral Atxika had sent her a few hours ago. “And if I may ask, what exactly are your plans for the near future?”
“Right now, my plan is set out at a slow pace towards a planet that sits a couple hundred lightyears away. We scouted it out a few years ago. It bears relatively simple life, few if any large animals, and relatively stable environmental conditions but almost not easily accessible mineral deposits. In short, a place no one is likely to find us. And once we arrive in approximately two years, set up temporary planetside greenhouses, and spend between six months and a year there to fully fill out food stores. After that, honestly… I'm not entirely sure. My fleet has spent the decade trying to outrun mechanical failures, chasing down pirates and slavers, and simply surviving. Now that we have enough resources to thrive, I'm not entirely sure what to do. I might seek out other Greens, possibly the groups my fleet split from centuries ago, and provide any assistance we can.”
“Speaking of the groups your fleet split from… May I ask a somewhat…” The Qui’ztar Sub-Admiral glanced down at her tablet and scrolled down a bit on the screen. “Well, let's just call it a potentially sensitive question.”
“That depends…” For the first time in the few conversations they had, Harz saw the reptilian man's eyes squint in a suspicious flare. “If you ask for the locations of any other Free Arnehilian groups, I would not be able to answer. I truly do not know where they may be. I'm not even sure how I would be able to contact them.”
“Oh, no, no, no. Nothing of that sort.” With a wave of her and a flash of a slight smile, Haervria quickly dismissed that thought. “I'm actually more interested in why you split from whatever groups you were once associated with. And what exactly would you do if you were to reunite with one again.”
“Well, uh, the answer to that first question is rather complex.” Harideth seemed a bit relieved and yet also confused by the inquiry. “Without wasting too much of your time with unnecessary background information, please allow me to condense the story. My ancestors were slaves of the Suelivela Dynasty. After some events roughly twelve-hundred years ago that eventually led to the cracking of their capital world, those ancestors seized on several moments of weakness, overthrew the Royals controlling over a hundred vessels, and fled in at least thirty separate groups over the course of a couple hundred years. Their goal was to disable trackers, slip away, and disappear in the stars. Many smaller groups are harder to trace than a single large group. My ancestors were part of the last wave to escape during the battle that resulted in the destruction of the Suelivela Dynasty’s capital world. But we haven't actually made contact with any of them since.”
“Let's say you were to make contact with one of those groups. What would you do?”
“Offer them assistance, of course. We now have more than enough to share. And if there was interest from both groups to combine our fleets, we'd each likely take independent votes on the matter. I'm just not sure how such a vote would turn out. It would be the first time my fleet would have ever encountered such a situation. And, as I said before, smaller fleets are much harder to track than larger ones.”
“Let me present a hypothetical scenario.” Harv nonchalantly scrolled a bit further down on her tablet then leaned back into her chair. Though Harideth wasn't exactly sure what this gesture meant, he had the sneaking suspicion this scenario wasn't exactly fictitious. “Let's say that your fleet made contact with a relatively small group. A single civilian production vessel with less than a thousand residents. If that group had decided to settle down and establish a long-term, potentially permanent, settlement on-”
“I apologize for my rudeness, Sub-Admiral, but I have to stop you right there.” A smattering of conflicting emotions rippled across the reptilian's face. “A single civilian production ship would, absolutely, be a boon to the fleet I command. However, the idea of Free Arnehilians attempting to settle for any extended period would simply be… Impossible…”
Admiral Harideth's voice trailed off as he watched the Qui’ztar's smile grow. As he had expected, she wasn't describing something imaginary. He couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around something so fantastical that it may have been a dream. Judging by the look on Sub-Admiral Haervria's race, she wasn't anywhere near finished. After taking a deep breath in preparation for what would be said next, an act Harz seemed amused by, Harideth let an embarrassed smile form on his scaly lips and he gave a slight bow in supplication.
“This is, of course, hypothetical, Admiral Harideth.” That wasn't so much a lie, especially considering the way the Qui’ztar Sub-Admiral gave the truth away with her tone and body language. “And in this hypothetical scenario, said group of Free Arnehilians may have established themselves on an island a few hundred kilometers from a newly formed Kyim’ayik colony, whom they have formed an agreement with. A very covert agreement that safeguards the secrecy of the Free Arnehilian settlement, as you could likely imagine. With that full context in mind, how would you approach that scenario?”
“If there are Greens attempting to found a new Free Arnehil… Hypothetically, of course…” Harideth took another breath and gave himself a few moments to really think about. “Then… In that case, I would be willing to do anything to protect them and the Kyim’ayiks who are gracious enough to give them such an opportunity. Even if that means staying far, far away. Like I've said, a small fleet is much less likely to be detected by the royal bastards. I would never want to risk attracting attention to such a noble endeavor.”
“Interesting… Oh! I forgot to mention. Said colony world already has an orbital defensive array capable of repelling quite a substantial attack fleet. It would also fall under the protection of the Nishnabe Militia. And, to top it all off, the Suelivela Dynasty, and any other slaver scum, has already been chased out of the sector.”
/------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With so much excitement and so many people in the Tall Spire Village, it was easy for Grompcha to lose track of Totta. The young scout's even younger brother, like many children of his age, would often disappear with his friends for hours on end. That wasn't necessarily a problem most of the time. Elders treated every child in the village like their own. If Grompcha didn't have eyes on Totta, it was certain someone else did. After all, that community mentality is how their species had survived despite the evil metal beasts hunting them. However, now that the population in the village had quadrupled, unfamiliar faces dramatically outnumbering the familiar ones, combined with the sudden elimination of their eternal enemy, Grompcha couldn't be completely sure that responsible adults were supervising the youngsters.
It was just a few hours before the Tens, the Qui’ztars soldiers, and the Turt-Chopians academics would leave this world forever when Tarki approached the young scout. The questions asked were sinple but pointed. Have you seen your brother in the past few hours? Was anything bothering the young boy? Would he be foolish enough to try to hide on Binko’s shuttle? Not even five minutes later, Grompcha was standing in shuttle cargo bay and having an intentionally loud conversation with the Kroke, her husband, and the Nishnabe warrior. Though their words were meant to dissuade someone from wanting to run away and see the stars before their time, it seemed to be no be enough. After what felt like an hour but was really only a few minutes, it was clear that child-stowaway was determined to remain hidden, the group resorted to a more direct approach.
“Behind that panel right there.” Binko quietly mutter and pointed towards a polymer square that appeared just slightly askew from the rest around it. “Kids, I swear. They think they find the best spots without realizing that adults were also children once.”
“And that some adults are also very childish.” Tarki added with roll of her ears and soft laugh in her voice.
“So, he's right in here?” Grompcha half-shouted directly at the smuggling nook her brother had supposedly stuffed himself into. “You hear that, Totta? I know you're in there! Get out here right now! Don't make drag you out!”
There was no reply, no sound, and no movement. In the few seconds of silence that followed Grompcha's demand, she began to worry. Neither she nor her brother knew enough about these machines capable of flying between stars to be playing inside of one. And while she had thought about try to stow away, leaving her family, friends, and village behind to witness the galaxy first hand, her better judgement had won out. The conversation with Tarki, Binko, and Tens only served to reinforce her realization that she simply wasn't ready for such an adventure. First and foremost, the possibility of getting hurt out of sheer ignorance was the factor currently weighing on her mind. Considering how small this space appeared from the outside, Grompcha was starting to grow concerned that her brother was either hurt, stuck, or even worse.
“Are you sure he's in here?” The feathered theropod's coloration shifted to one of real and immediately worry. “And that he isn't…”
“Yeup. I'm looking as his health information information right now.” Binko waved his tablet and spoke loud enough that he was sure the little stowaway could hear. “This machine always knows who is inside, where they are, and if they're hurt or not. Totta's heart is racing, I can see he's nervous, but I also he's totally fine. That space is big enough for three of your children, so he isn't stuck.”
“Totta! If you don't get out of there right now I won't let you have supper for a week!” Grompcha’s inflection and color patterns immediately became agree as she knocked on the loose panel. “I will drag you of there kicking and screaming if I need to! And if I have to do that, it'll be a month without supper!”
“And we won't feed you either.” Binko quickly added in support but received a sharp pinch from his wife.
“Hey, Totta.” Tens stepped forward and knelt next to Grompcha and the panel. “I'm not sure if I told you this but my ancestors were stolen from their home. A hundred and fifty of them forced to live among the stars because they had witness changed them forever. They survived, continued on, and eventually adapted because they had a community. People they could speak their own language to, reminisce with, and raise the next generation. But they all wanted to go back home. Even though they made friends, found happiness, and built a new home, it wasn't the same. Now, what would happen if you were able to travel between the stars? You would be all alone. No one would speak your language. Your sister wouldn't be there to help you when you get sick or hurt. All of your friends, family, and everything you have ever known would be forever out of reach. My ancestors carried on because they had each other. You wouldn't have anyone. You would be all alone in a galaxy full of people who don't really care.”
“Alone…” A soft whimper became barely audible from behind the panel before it began to shift. Though slow at first, the smuggling nook was opened and a feathered theropod face became visible. “I… I don't want to be alone.”
“Totta!” Grompcha started off angry but quickly allowed herself to calm down. “Do you think you're the only one who wanted to go see the stars? The reason I didn't try to hide in this machine is because I didn't want to leave you. Our village needs us just as we need them. Just like how I need you.”
“Grompcha!” Tears had begun to form in Totta’s eyes as he bolted out and wrapped himself around his sister in a tight hug. “I'm so sorry, Grompcha! I never meant to leave you! I need you too! I don't want to be alone!”
“With a community as strong as yours, you'll never be alone so long as you are with them.” Tens laid a gentle hand on the young boy's back before darting his head into the nook to ensure it was empty and then replaced the panel cover. “The only reason I feel comfortable traveling so far from home is because Binko and Tarki are here with me. And I know I can go back whenever I want. When you're older, you can go on adventures like mine and witness all the beauty your world has to offer. But until then, until you're strong enough and wise enough, you should embrace the love your community has for you. Maybe someday, if your people discover some of the treasures hidden by the Ingthops, you'll be able to witness more things than you could ever imagine.”
“Alright, Totta.” Grompcha took a step back, her brother still tightly clinging to her, and turned towards the exit. “It's time for us to go. Our new friends have more they must accomplish. Maybe we'll see them again someday. But for today, all we can do is go back to our nest. I still have one packet of the candied fruit for you. You just have to promise to behave.”
Posted Jul 12, 2025, 6:25 PM UTC