PoV: Kel

  We’d just returned from the lander maiden voyage, and honestly, the kid had done a pretty good job, not that I would tell him that. Sure, he was heavy-handed on the controls, banking too sharply or forgetting minor details until I gently reminded him, but he was learning fast. Mira had named the lander Chunkyboy, and despite my attempts otherwise, the name had stuck. Even Lynn had started using it, usually while rolling her eyes.

  Chunkyboy itself had performed admirably, though there were a few expected glitches sometimes thrusters shook or twitchy instruments but nothing we couldn’t iron out later. The small cargo was full with fuel that would keep Lazarus running, and the kid practically glowed with pride at the accomplishment.

  That pride evaporated quickly when Lazarus’s tense voice crackled through our comms.

  “Activate your stealth systems immediately and stay out of sight,” he said sharply, leaving no room for debate.

  I frowned, feeling the mood shift instantly. “What’s going on?” I muttered, but nobody had answers. Lynn’s expression tightened, eyes darkening with immediate suspicion. We did as we were told. Stewie quickly activated the stealth system.

  Mira leaned forward, peering innocently out the viewport as something massive shimmered into view, shedding its cloak like a predator revealing itself from the shadows. Her voice was quiet, curious. “What’s that?”

  Lynn’s reply was colder than I’d ever heard it. “A Kall-e warship.”

  The Kall-e were warriors that were feared across human space, respected and avoided in equal measure. I felt my throat tighten. Even the air seemed heavier. We seemed to be running from one crisis to another. It was starting to wear down my nerves.

  Stewie, ever resourceful, brought up Lazarus’s internal sensors on our screens. I was certain Lazarus would’ve noticed the link immediately, yet he didn’t, maybe he was distracted. We gathered around, silent and tense, as the feed revealed armored Kall-e soldiers forcing their way aboard. I gripped the console, knuckles whitening as helplessness twisted in my gut. None of us were warriors, our ship wasn’t even armed. I had no idea how we would get out of this one.

  But that wasn’t even the shock. The true shock came seconds later, when Laia’s delicate, familiar fairy form unraveled before our eyes, transforming into something completely different. Something terrifying. Her nanites formed into a monsterstous metallic predator, a nightmare squid with limbs that sliced effortlessly through powered armor and sent warriors sprawling like broken toys.

  I felt Mira’s breath catch beside me. Stewie’s eyes went wide, mouth open. “What the hell…?”

  Mira finally broke the silence, voice trembling slightly. “We knew she could do that, right? Sort of?”

  “Knowing is one thing,” Lynn murmured darkly, “seeing it…”

  She didn’t need to finish that sentence—we were all thinking the same. The Laia we knew was gentle, soft-spoken, harmless. But this was cold, efficient violence. Lynn shook her head slightly, eyes never leaving the screen. “She’s hiding a lot more than we thought.”

  “Can you blame her?” I said quietly, still watching as Laia effortlessly dismantled the last of the invaders. “Think about how long she’s lived. Trust takes time, and for her, we’re barely a blink.”

  My reaction was different from the others'; I felt relief, realising we weren't as powerless as I'd thought.

  The fighting was over almost as quickly as it began, ending in eerie silence. Lazarus’s voice returned over the comm, gently calling us home. The Kall-e were retreating back to their ship defeated. As we returned aboard, Laia was waiting in her familiar fairy form, shimmering softly in the corridor as if nothing had happened. But now I could sense something beneath that calm exterior: anxiety.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  She looked at me directly, voice carefully neutral. “We’ll soon be hosting an ambassador from the Kall-e. Kel, you’ll act as liaison.”

  I blinked, but before I could respond, Stewie blurted out, unable to keep quiet. “Laia…we saw everything. That…other form. What was that?”

  For the first time since we’d met her, I saw genuine shock on her face, her tiny features contorting in confusion and embarrassment. Without a word, she vanished, fleeing deeper into the ship.

  I stood there, stunned. I didn’t even know an AI could get embarrassed.

  Behind me came Lazarus’s chubby little avatar, his familiar shape easing some of the tension. He shook his head slightly, his digital face holding a gentle smile. “Go easy on her,” he said softly. “We should be thanking her. She doesn’t want us to fear her.”

  There was protectiveness in Lazarus’s voice, clear and unmistakable. I heard it and judging by the subtle glances passing between Lynn, Stewie, and Mira, they heard it too. Right then, Lazarus didn’t sound like an AI or even a sentient starship; he sounded like our grandfather, gently correcting us, reminding us to play nice.

  A small suspicion tugged at my mind. Maybe Lazarus had let us witness Laia’s transformation on purpose. Perhaps he'd never intended it to stay secret; Stewie’s innocent meddling had simply provided a convenient excuse. Either way, it was clear he trusted us enough not to hide everything, at least not this time.

  Lazarus went on to explain the strange situation. Apparently, being defeated in combat meant the Kall-e felt obligated to grant us a boon—whatever that actually meant—and now we’d be receiving a liaison. "Liaison" seemed generous; I immediately translated it as "spy," and judging by Lynn’s slightly narrowed eyes, I wasn’t alone.

  I took my job seriously, dressing carefully in the proper diplomatic attire and securing my autotranslator in place. Species like the Kall-e, who frequently interacted with outsiders, had long since developed their own translation protocols. I might be new at this job but it was starting to grow on me.

  The Kall-e liaison who stepped aboard was nothing like what I’d braced myself for.

  Instead of another towering, armored predator, she was small, slender, almost fragile by comparison. Her skin was a pale, dusty grey, and completely devoid of armor plates. She moved carefully, eyes downcast at first, glancing up only briefly as she introduced herself in a quiet voice.

  "My name is T’lish," she said, speaking carefully. She looked more like a delicate humanoid lizard than the brutal warriors we'd encountered. I realised suddenly, with a tinge of embarrassment, that until this moment I hadn’t even known that the Kall-e were a sexually dimorphic race and that the females were so different.

  As she extended her slender, clawed hand in greeting, I noticed a marking etched onto the back of her wrist it was made of sharp black lines forming a symbol. Her eyes caught mine looking, and she quickly explained, almost apologetically, "It’s a caste marking. It indicates my status as lower caste. A scientist."

  Her voice was matter-of-fact, devoid of any pride or resentment but filled with quiet acceptance. "I was chosen because I'm the lowest-ranking crew member aboard."

  Something in her tone, soft yet lifeless, troubled me. Her eyes looked dull, almost hollow. Trying to lighten the mood, I flashed my best smile, it was the one that usually got me into or out of trouble in equal measure and turned up the charm. Immediately I felt the nearly synchronized triple eye-roll radiating from Lynn, Mira, and Stewie behind me. I ignored them; it was worth the attempt.

  But T’lish barely reacted, except to cock her head curiously to one side. Then, without the slightest hesitation or change of expression, she said calmly, "You understand there is no chance of mating. Kall-e lay eggs."

  Her words were delivered so plainly, so matter-of-fact, that for a second I couldn't tell if she was joking, serious, or simply trying to deflect my awkward attempt at friendliness. I coughed lightly, feeling my cheeks warm slightly with surprise.

  "Uh... noted," I managed, as Lynn snickered softly behind me. Mira on the otherhand was sent into a fit of giggles.

  Inwardly, though, I wondered just how much misinformation had we absorbed about the Kall-e? We'd been taught to fear them, to distrust every action and intention. Yet here stood T’lish: small, vulnerable, and nothing like the monsters we'd imagined.

  It was unsettling, discovering how little we really understood.

  The rest of the meeting took a strange turn. T’lish calmly explained that the "boon" we'd been offered was an exchange of knowledge and that she would freely answer any questions we asked. It seemed unusually generous, and a little vague.

  "Hold on," I said carefully, studying her expression for any sign of discomfort or misunderstanding. "What exactly are the limits here? What kind of information can we ask for?"

  Her dark eyes met mine steadily, almost disturbingly calm. "Whatever knowledge I possess is yours. I am the boon."

  I blinked, not quite comprehending. "Wait—you personally are the boon? Permanently?"

  "Yes," she replied softly. "I've been given to your ship. That is my role now."

  I exchanged a troubled glance with Lynn, who looked equally unsettled. This certainly hadn't been the deal we'd agreed to. We were already fairly full with crew members, not sure we needed another.