Chapter 200: Most Deadly Creature in the Universe
Vraev’ox stepped away from the chair and the deadly creature sitting on it.
"That’s what they look like?" he asked the other males. He had never seen one in real life, and the pictures and video feeds made them look a lot bigger than they were.
"Yup," grunted Au’dtair as Night climbed up the back of the seat and launched himself at the male. Au’dtair didn’t bother to move, letting Night make himself comfortable before turning invisible.
"And you are okay with that?" asked Cruz’uts, staring at where the creature disappeared.
"Why not? He isn’t going to hurt me," scoffed Au’dtair as Jun Li announced that the link between them and Hayaandp was live.
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"What do you want?" demanded Hayaandp, not bothering to see who was calling him. The communication was initiated by one of the Saalistaja ships in another galaxy. They were out on a hunt, so it would make sense that someone was calling to let him know who had made their first kill.
"Hayaandp, it has been a long time," said a voice that caused the tribal chief to turn around and look at the screen.
"Elder Da’kea? Is everything okay? I was under the impression that this ship was nowhere near you," said Hayaandp, and Da’kea looked briefly off screen before turning his attention back to the other male.
"We seem to have an issue," said the Elder, cutting to the chase. "And you are the only one that can rectify it."
"You and I shouldn’t have any issues, Elder," mused Hayaandp. He honestly couldn’t think of any issues that the Elder would have with him. No one wanted Elder Da’kea to have a problem with them if they could help it.
"Your male offspring begs to disagree," said Da’kea, and the camera panned to where Vraev’ox stood.
"What is going on?"
"Father, we have found the missing technology, but the ones who have it refuse to give it back," explained Vraev’ox as he stood at attention in front of his father. "I also have some concerns about the males present and think that they have been compromised by a parasite," he continued, rushing his words so that the others wouldn’t be able to cut him off.
If these were his last words to his father, then so be it.
"Is this true, Elder? Are you in some way compromised?" demanded Hayaandp.
"Hardly," sneered Da’kea, not believing that the pup would be dumb enough to say something like that. "What is his proof?"
"You are insisting that the Saalistaja technology remains on an AI controlled ship. We were unconscious for several catawr almost immediately after boarding, and the three of you have different armor," replied Vraev’ox, standing tall in the face of what was to come.
"Mei Xing refers to this as being too stupid to live," said a voice off camera, and Hayaandp stiffened at the veiled threat.
He was about to open his mouth to rebuke whoever was off camera when Da’kea let out a loud snarl.
"Enough!" he said, causing the blood inside of the males on the bridge to run cold; well, really only three males. "This is getting us nowhere, and I am done with this charade. This is the way it is going to be. You are going to drop the search for the technology that has been stolen from you for the past 12 planetary rotations. How you have overlooked that for so long, I have no idea, but you did. And now they are no longer yours to worry about."
"Then who has them?" demanded Hayaandp; if his male offspring was correct, then the Elder was compromised. Combined with an AI having access to the Saalistaja weapons, then the tribal chief was looking at the start of the next Great War.
"I do," came a voice, and a small male appeared on screen. He was clearly wearing Saalistaja armor, but he was too small to be granted it. Walking around the hunters, the youngling sat down in the oversized captain’s chair as if it belonged to him. Not even Da’kea censured him for doing so.
"You do not address me in such a familiar manner, youngling," sneered Hayaandp, not at all impressed. He was now firmly on board with his offspring’s assessment.
"And you are an idiot if you do not see the precarious position that you are in right now, tribal chief," retorted the youngling, not at all concerned about the consequences he was facing. Hayaandp could have him declared a criminal to be hunted down and killed like a disease prey.
"Your son and his... companion are on my ship, at my mercy," pointed out the youngling. "You will stop your hunt for the technology because I have it all. It was the Sisalik who had originally stolen it and modified their ship with the stolen contraband. But they owed me, so I took it."
"The Sisalik are part of the Alliance and would never steal from another member, especially not us," disputed the tribal chief. He would never believe that the Sisalik would do something like steal from them. The consequences were too severe if they were caught."
"And yet, they weren’t caught, were they?" asked the youngling as if he could read Hayaandp’s mind. "They managed to get away with it for 12 years. But, in your defense, you weren’t the only one they stole from."
"The technology is to be returned immediately," said Hayaandp, refusing to bend on the matter.
"No, it won’t be. But your son will be returned to you. In pieces," sneered the youngling, tapping one finger on the armrest of his chair.
"If you so much as scratch my offspring’s armor, I will bring you to meet the Dark Lord myself," yelled the tribal chief, coming to his feet.
"And you think that that threat is scary?" chuckled the youngling, raising his hand. All of a sudden, something appeared on it.
"Is that a voragyvis?" asked Hayaandp, leaning forward to get a better look.
"It is. I have been told that they are one of the most deadly creatures in the known universe."
