Chapter III: Reunited

Lorq, it has been a few weeks since the attack on your ship. You have been serving for a few years now on the USS Sigma under Captain Ery-An and despite all the prejudices against your species, you managed to become the ship's doctor.
It had been a regular day when the Sigma responded to a distress call in an insignificant system. You weren't on the bridge, so you don't know exactly what happened but somehow, a boarding party managed to get onto the ship and took a large number of your crewmates captive, you among them. Since then, you've spent most of your time in one prison cell or another. You're only allowed to leave the cell rarely to help your kidnappers with medical exams on their people or other captives. You don't know exactly what they're doing to their prisoners but you've seen a number of your former crewmates join them, which usually results in them ignoring you and acting as if they don't even know you. You've also noticed that the entire pirate crew, including the people they took out of the Sigma's crew, seems to be stricken with some sort of disease. You've seen their conditions get visible worse even over just these few weeks. They turn pale, their hair goes gray and they grow frail, sometimes appearing as if they can barely stand upright. You've helped the pirates sometimes with decreasing those symptoms but most of the time, they rely on their own doctors.
Today, you have been taken out of your cell again and moved to the sickbay of the Consortium ship that you are held on. You have been told to perform the "standard tests" which means they have captured new people today. The standard tests are nothing complicated: a blood sample, a DNA test, hormone analysis...

Alex stands up from the medbay bed she's been sitting on, where the deep scratch on her face has since been fixed. "Commander, I'm Lt. Commander Alexandra Lloyd, a Consortium diplomat stationed aboard the USS Sigma along with Dr. Lorq. We were taken at the same time," she says. "Like the doctor here, I am happy to share anything I know with you. But first, I want to offer my deepest apologies. I tried everything I could do prevent your science officer from being infected, as did Lorq." Her eyes tighten, but that is all the emotion she shows as she continues. "I ask... if I may..."

She takes a deep breath, and she raises slightly shaking hands to straighten her uniform, even though it's torn, charred from exploding bridge consoles, and generally in sad shape. "I will gladly do all in my power to help you bring him back safely," she says, smiling thinly, "I do not enjoy failing."

"Zephyr", you wake up in a shuttle of your people's own design. You see other injured around you as well as some other parasites looking after the injured that are fixing themselves up. You are also working on fixing the light damage that the tranquilizers have done to your host. "Welcome back", you are greeted by the same doctor who implanted you into this host body. "The captain has determined that you are to be taken out of your host body. I am very sorry but you will have to return into a child's body for the time being. I have protested this decision but there was no changin the captain's mind."

Alex accepts the offer of coffee as well, though she takes it as a strong shot of espresso. She listens to Cass's explanation, expression unreadable as the current situation is described. She sips from her cup from time to time, watching as the commander paces about the room. It's at that point that she shows her first emotion, a faint smile, understanding and some small amount of sympathy in her pale eyes.

"My instructors back at the Academy used to say that I talked enough for any five people before I let another person get a word in edgewise," she says, opening up more of a smile. "It's oddly comforting to know that I've encountered a potential kindred spirit."

"To answer your questions, both stated and implied," she continues, draining the remainder of her cup in one quick swallow, "You do not sound crazy. Or at least, no crazier than anything else I've heard recently, and I'm sure you'll believe me when I say there's been more than enough crazy to go around." She rests her elbows on the table, rubbing at her temples. "There is always room for negotiation, and it sounds as though you've done an admirable job with what you've had available to you, under trying circumstances. It's impossible to know how trustworthy an unknown species will be, but their willingness to discuss an... exchange of captives... is a positive sign." That mention of captives seems to be hard for her to speak aloud.

She breathes in and out twice, slowly, and continues. "Your... science officer... said something to me as we were escaping captivity. Reminded me of our mission, as Spacefleet. To go in peace, to seek to understand other lifeforms. If I can help you accomplish that, and protect my... our people," she says quietly, pauses, loses her smile, and then finishes.

"Of course, he had already been infected by then, so who fucking knows."

Cass, a message appears on your personal computer. It reads "There's a message for you from the captain of the Four"
Attached to it is the following note:

Commander, we are transporting your crewmember to the Four at this moment. We hereby formally invite you to our ship to observe the procedure. We guarantee you protection as our guest. You may bring a delegation of trusted officers with you.

Signed,
FF2FVFV2VV22F

Alex snorts aloud at Cass’s description of Zephyr’s peacemongering. "I haven’t known him long, but somehow that doesn’t surprise me."

She leans forward to read the message and, once done, raises her eyes to look at the commander. "Why, Commander... how could a girl refuse such an invitation?" she replies archly. "I’d be tempted to flutter my eyelashes if I wasn’t so damned tired."

Alex stands and extends a hand to Cass. "You’d have to tie me up with Vargalian stun cords to keep me away, Commander. A chance like this only comes around once."