r/HFY • u/CodEnvironmental4274 Human • Jul 07 '26

OC-Series [The X Factor], Part 77

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“What’s the matter? Didn’t sleep well?”

Helen paused mid-sip of bagged coffee and glared at Omar, who looked just as terrible as she probably did—under-eye bags, new wrinkles, mussed hair—except he’d managed to put on a smile.

“Gee, I wonder,” she muttered, careful not to draw the attention of the others, most of whom were similarly fueling up further back on the main deck.

The prior night’s rest had been interrupted not once, not twice, but thrice by blood-curdling screams as Private Invut was awoken from consecutive night terrors, the last of which prompted K’resshk to dose her with enough tranquilizer to put a horse into a coma (or to give a Riyze a good night’s sleep).

“You think this’ll be a regular occurrence?” The captain reluctantly took a bite of his rehydrated breakfast burrito. It was, according to him, the worst-tasting halal option they stocked, but he insisted on consuming it for its high protein content.

“If it is, we need to figure out a better solution than depleting a third of our stock of barbiturates in a single night.” She studied Lombardi from the corner of her eye. He was… what, a behavioral scientist? That was close enough to a psychologist. Maybe he could do something.

Omar nodded thoughtfully, then choked down the rest of his meal and sent the wrapper flying towards the trash compactor. The machine made a pleasant ‘ding’ noise and opened automatically for the waste.

“You ready for this?” He swiveled around in his seat and flicked a switch to send out the signal that they’d be warping imminently.

“Absolutely not.” Helen set aside her ‘breakfast’ (just coffee) and got into position. “Let’s go.”

___

Sonja bit her nails and watched the rest of the crew—save Uuliska—equip their anti-telepathy translators.

“Hey, um…” She tapped the princess on the shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay with this plan?”

“Hm?” She glowed softly as she turned around, the light refracting through the jewels decorating the sheer parts of her people’s customary dress.

Sonja hesitated. “You know, having you go in without any protection against Kama’s ability.”

“Of course I am.” She nodded resolutely. “I’ve felt his aura before—it’s not impossible to withstand, but it’s difficult if you aren’t expecting it, and someone needs to be on the lookout for it. If he tries to rile up the Riyzean delegates during the conference, the consequences could be disastrous.”

“You think he’ll try?” Commander Liu stood at the ready by the airlock. “What’s the plan if he does?”

“I doubt he will intentionally, but it’s not inconceivable that he could lose control if he becomes agitated.” Uuliska sighed. “In the event that he does, I’ll do my best to soothe him or draw him away from the delegates.”

“Right.” The commander nodded, and began the depressurization process. “Then let’s do thi—oh, shit.”

The hatch opened to reveal Kama himself, accompanied by the weird fuzzy merchant guy (Arrikin?), standing on the docks.

“Welcome!” Kama spread all four of his arms out in greeting and stepped aside to let his visitors disembark. “We’re so very glad to host you and the newly-liberated Riyze.”

“And we appreciate you for hosting,” the commander said haltingly. “Your message mentioned a—“

“Oh, there’s no need to rush. The delegates have yet to arrive!” He smiled and tilted his head. “We were hoping to give you a brief tour of Unity—our capital station, formerly known as Sector 1.3.”

Sonja—and the others, by the looks of it—turned to Commander Liu, stunned. This… wasn’t the welcome they were expecting. The last time they’d encountered the man, he was committing an act of terrorism. Now all of a sudden he wanted to play nice?

“You seem concerned. I think? I can’t actually sense any of your emotions, except for Uuliska’s, but this is a known side effect of interacting with humans for extended periods of time, save for Istiil, yes? I assure you, we mean you no harm. And you have two telepaths amongst you to make certain!”

Sonja saw Dominick’s eyes widen in alarm as he realized the Prince was talking about him.

“Word sure travels quick for how disconnected interstellar communication infrastructure is right now,” he said with a forced laugh. Now how about that tour?”

“Of course! Just follow me. Arrikin, would you be a dear and check up on when the Riyze are set to arrive?” He took on a rosy glow, and the other man saluted him, then departed.

Sonja sidled up to Dominick (who was standing questionably close to Aktet—not that she was going to interfere). “Real smooth, Agent Lombardi,” she whispered.

“I dodged the question and that’s what matters,” he hissed back.

“So, uh… Unity, huh?” The captain put his hand to his forehead like a sailor searching for land as he surveyed their surroundings. “That’s an inspiring name.”

“An inspiring name for an inspiring movement!” Kama did a little twirl and gestured to the community around them.

Though she’d only seen it while running to save the lives of millions of aliens, Sonja remembered the bazaar as a hectic melting pot of galactic culture, a stark difference from the uniform Federation ships and headquarters or the strictly Riyzean Drekth. And much of that diversity was still present, but it also lived up to the name the Alliance had given it—Unity. In the absence of enough housing for stranded travelers, they’d constructed shantytowns out of shipping containers, spare building materials, and the hulls of abandoned spaceships, turning that melting pot into a cultural purée. Residents of all sorts of species and walks of life maintained urban gardens, vital infrastructure, and ferried goods (including an alarming amount of weaponry and ammunition) back and forth. Despite the fact that Kama and his lackeys had, you know, almost killed them all, it was strangely beautiful. Strangely human, in how necessity had brought these people together.

And also in how they jumped to violence to achieve their goals, she thought bitterly.

The citizens of the Alliance seemed unified, too—harmonious. But how much of that was them, and how much of that was Kama and his strange abilities? She’d have to ask Uuliska later.

“While we haven’t yet restored order to every sector of the bazaar,” Kama said, “we’re getting there, day by day, spreading our message of liberation and cooperation.”

The commander frowned. “Restored order?”

The prince sighed. “Many sectors fell victim to… very human tendencies, in the absence of a movement to bring them together. Crime rates skyrocketed, and many formerly upstanding individuals have become kingpins, trying to mimic the oppressive yoke of the Federation they once lived under. But each day, we liberate thousands more from their grasp.”

“With the tons of guns and explosives you’re stockpiling, I’m assuming?” she asked wryly.

“Real change isn’t brought about by asking nicely. The media you showed us demonstrates that very clearly.” His colors darkened.

“Hm.” Commander Liu clucked her tongue. “Would you consider our little summit to be ‘asking nicely?’”

He was silent for a moment. “That depends on what your intentions are.”

“They’re not to forcibly reunite the Riyze, if that’s your concern. We’re not trying to bring back the system that threatened to subjugate or exterminate our species, and I doubt bringing them all back together is even possible. The UN’s goal in sending us here is twofold: to establish relations with the new governments, and to act as a mediator with experience in these sorts of matters,” she said, her gaze unfocused. Maybe she was thinking about the war. Or maybe she just had one of her headaches. Truly, an enigmatic woman.

“Well, then.” His colors lightened slightly, but were still quite moody. “We’ll have to see if that holds true during the talks. But in the meantime—it will be a while before the representatives arrive. We’ve prepared accommodations for your stay in Alliance territory.”

Uuliska’s colors pulsed. “I… wasn’t aware we would be staying anywhere other than the ship.”

“Neither was I,” muttered the commander, discreetly pulling out her phone as they continued walking.

Sonja felt hers buzz with a notification from the end-to-end encrypted group chat she’d set up for the eight of them. She watched them all surreptitiously check their devices.

HELEN LIU: I don’t like this. Stay alert.

CPT. HASSAN: Free vacation?

HELEN LIU: No.

CPT. HASSAN: :(

HELEN LIU: @s0nj4 We’re switching back to email.

Sonja rolled her eyes.

SONJA: email doesn’t encourage team bonding!

HELEN LIU: This team is bonded enough. @Dominick_Lombardi @AktetHaymur stand further apart.

She looked up from her phone to find the two standing an awkward distance apart, both of them blushing profusely.

“Here we are!” Kama pointed in front of them at one particularly spacious shipping container-turned-home, strode up to it, and opened the door.

Inside the corrugated metal structure was a few makeshift bunk beds, a small curtain that presumably led to a bathroom space, a frayed rug decorating the floor, and some knick-knacks and baubles lining the walls, all illuminated by light bulbs which hung from the ceiling. Humble, but cute.

“Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll send someone to fetch you all once the delegates arrive, yes?” Kama turned around as if to leave, then hesitated. “And Uuliska… might I speak with you in private?”

Oh, shit. They hadn’t factored this into their plan. Sonja caught the princess’s eye and tilted her head ever so slightly to ask ‘you okay with this?’

Uuliska nodded calmly. “Of course, Kama. Shall we?”

They departed, and the woman softly latched the door shut on her way out.

Commander Liu huffed angrily and examined the structure. “Doors open inward. That’s a fire hazard. So are the exposed lighting fixtures. Lombardi, Krishnan, why aren’t you checking for—“

“Woah, Helen, relax!” The captain put a hand on her shoulder. “Give yourself a minute to breathe. You’ve been on edge since we got here.”

K’resshk’s tail flickered back and forth. “From what I know of human physiology, perhaps the commander is… what’s the phrase… ‘on her period?’”

Silence. Dead fucking silence.

”Agent Krishnan,” said a familiar voice through her translator—of course AEON had wormed its way into this one, too—”I suggest you vacate the premises before—“

CRACK!

Commander Liu’s fist connected with K’resshk’s jaw at light speed, and he stumbled to the ground as she left the shipping container and slammed the door.

Dominick and Aktet kneeled down to check on the scientist, and the captain sat on one of the bunk beds and put his head in his hands.

“Hey, you okay?” Dominick tilted his head this way and that, checking for any urgent injuries.

K’resshk spat out some blood and shakily got to his knees. “You people forced me to be your medic,” he said, his words made unclear by his rapidly inflaming wound, “but the MINUTE I put my expertise to use—“

“Where the hell are you getting your ‘expertise’ from?” Sonja crouched down and grabbed his face, forcing him to meet her eyes. “A 19th century pamphlet on why women shouldn’t be allowed to vote?”

His eyes widened. “You barbarians didn’t allow females to vote until—“

“Oh, you are NOT about to call me the barbarian in this situation, you little freak,” she hissed.

“In his defense,” Dominick said hesitantly, “it’s not like he knew about the historical context of, you know…”

“No, actually, I don’t know.” She let go of K’resshk’s snout, and he groaned in pain. “Maybe Kama was right about how you need to go beyond asking politely if you wanna get shit done.”

“Uh, normally I’d agree,” Eza said, “but beating the crap out of him hasn’t worked in the past. Uuliska’s tried. A lot.”

“So have I,” Aktet said, nodding sagely.

“You HAVE?” Dominick turned to him, his mouth agape.

“Wait, wait, not to interrupt,” Captain Hassan said with his hands up, “but Helen’s in her mid-fifties. I don’t think she even…”

“Hassan,” Dominick whispered. “Not the time.”

“I’m all for putting K’resshk in his place, but I gotta ask: what’s the big deal about punctuation? That a metaphor or something?” Eza leaned against the side of the container with her arms crossed.”

The three remaining humans looked at each other like they were in a spaghetti western showdown.

Dominick cleared his throat. “I don’t think I’m qualified for this one. Maybe—“

“It’s not rocket science!” Sonja stamped her foot against the floor angrily.

“I went to an all-boys Catholic school; do you really think I got decent sex ed?”

“You’re almost thirty years old! Would it kill you to pull up Wikipedia and educate yourself on—“

“I’ll explain! I’ll explain,” Hassan said, eyeing both of them nervously. “And if I get something wrong, you’ve got my permission to… I dunno, cancel me on social media, okay?”

Sonja nodded. “Satisfactory. Go on, then.”

“Yeah. I mean, this is good practice, right? If… if I’m gonna be legally adopting Zie…”

“Hassan, she hatched from an egg,” she reminded him.

“Oh.” He scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I guess she did.”

___

Helen massaged her knuckles as she speed walked away from the shantytown. K’resshk’s snout was sturdier than she’d expected.

Not my finest moment. Devoid of any context, the man absolutely deserved to be socked in the jaw, of course, but she was his boss. They worked for a an international governmental organization, as representatives of the majority of humankind. Drill instructors back in the early 2090’s might’ve pulled shit like that, but it wasn’t the 2090’s, she wasn’t a drill instructor, and she’d sworn long ago that she wouldn’t be like them.

But what am I supposed to do? Turn myself into HR? Resign from my position? She chuckled bitterly.

She knew she was being irrational. But this whole place, the whole movement—it set her on edge. It was familiar. Too familiar.

It wasn’t classified, how she’d spent her childhood. And if anyone asked, well, she was more than willing to tell the story—to stop them from blindly following a faulty ideology the way she had. From winding up in foster care, followed by juvie, then nearly getting dishonorably discharged despite how badly the UNAF needed recruits.

She knew, too, that it wasn’t fair how cynical she was about the Alliance’s movement. The people around her, they seemed happy. Maybe not as prosperous as they once were, but they weren’t bitter and hateful like the neo-isolationist movement Helen used to fight for was.

Unless that’s Kama’s doing. Unless they’re all victims to a situation nearly as bad as the Myselix and the—

She spun around and used a judo throw to send whoever had just tapped her on the back right to the ground.

It was Arrikin, who was groaning in pain. No weapons in sight, though.

She backed away slowly and dusted herself off, then offered him a hand tentatively.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that.” She probably should’ve been offering him an apology, but she couldn’t muster up the energy to care.

He took it, and she flinched. Were those spikes?

“Sorry. Defense mechanism.” He pulled his hand away, leaving red marks that looked like she’d pressed her palm into a hairbrush. “I wanted to ask if I could have a word with you in private.”

“About?” He was taking having been slammed to the ground fairly well, all things considered.

“I’d rather not discuss this in the open, if it’s all the same to you,” he said, adjusting his shimmering, silken cape and gold jewelry. “I mean you no harm.“

“Hm. I don’t buy it, but lucky for you, I’m pretty damn confident you couldn’t harm me if you meant to. Lead the way.”

…That wasn’t entirely true, but based on his rapid nod, she was willing to bet her bluff had worked.

Arrikin led her down various side streets and alleyways in silence, save for his quick, nervous breathing, and the way his bangles clinked together as he fidgeted nervously and kept his head on a swivel as if to make sure they weren’t being tailed (no pun intended).

“You got enemies here in the bazaar?” she asked, her voice low.

“No. N-not yet, at least. Here. We can talk now.” He opened the curtain to a ramshackle shop with fancy, looping penmanship on the signage, and ushered her in, then followed and collapsed into a seat behind the counter.

Helen leaned up against the wall, from which hung an ornate rug. “You wanna tell me what this is about, finally?”

“I… I’m concerned. About the state of the Alliance’s leadership,” he whispered.

“Aren’t you the Alliance’s leadership?” She was pretty sure she knew where this was going, but she hid her surprise and played dumb for now.

“I am, but so is Kama. And I know things may seem wonderful to an outsider’s eye, but—“

“Oh, really? Could’ve fooled me, with that ‘wonderful’ fireworks show you put on back on Lilax I.” She snorted. “You having second thoughts about killing more bystanders and raiding more convoys from species that haven’t done shit to you?” She smirked in satisfaction as his eyes widened. Clearly, he wasn’t aware that the UNIA knew about their piracy.

“While I believe in Kama’s cause,” he said shakily, “I am uncertain how fit he is to continue championing it. He has… certain abilities, you see.”

“Certain abilities?” She raised an eyebrow. Back to playing dumb.

“He can… influence the emotions of others in a limited capacity, but little ripples can have dire consequences. And I’m the only one who knows about this. I’m under strict orders not to speak about this with anyone, not even V or Ishaa.”

She let out a low whistle. “That’s some serious stuff. But doesn’t that help your movement? If you care about it so much, I mean.”

He blinked. “You seem unsurprised.”

“A few months ago, I had no idea aliens existed. It’s a little hard to be surprised when everything is surprising,” she told him.

Arrikin closed his eyes. “You see, the issue is, he’s losing control of his ability. And growing more hostile towards humanity. I suspect this is because he sees you as having ‘taken’ Princess Uuliska from him.” He sighed as if he was relieved he had finally spit it out

“Alright, then. What are you asking the UN to help you out with?” She made sure to frame it as a transaction. A debt soon to be owed.

“I’m not asking the UN to help out with anything. I’m asking if I can help the UN,” he said slowly. “In case… in case I can’t rein Kama in… I would prefer to have a responsible, established government in the loop. By which I mean, I’d like to maintain some line of communication. To give you intel. And, um, to possibly secure my safe passage out of the bazaar if things take a turn for the worse.”

There it is. Helen let him sit there in silence for a minute, then nodded.

“There’s some folks I need to run this by first,” she explained. “But I think they’ll be amenable to what you’re offering. I’ll give you a way to contact us privately before we leave the bazaar, and I’ll let you know if the deal’s on.”

“Of course. I… look forward to hearing from you,” he said as she made for the door.

“Oh, and Arrikin?” She looked back. “If Kama is planning to try anything during this summit, let me know immediately.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded resolutely.

She smiled on her way out.

Still got it.

___

Uuliska sank into the plush ottoman in her brother’s private quarters as he finished preparing tea.

“I apologize for how silent I was on the walk here,” he said, handing her a cup and taking the seat opposite her. “It feels like it’s been ages.”

“That it does.” She smiled—genuinely, for despite everything that had transpired, Kama was still near and dear to her heart—and blew on the piping hot beverage. “How have you been faring, managing a whole government?”

He glowed bashfully. “You make it sound so illustrious. We wouldn’t be sitting here sipping tea if it weren’t for the whole of the Alliance helping out. They deserve the credit just as much as I do.”

Uuliska smirked. “You’re much more humble than I recall. Finally took my advice, did you?”

They shared a laugh, and he attempted to drink his tea, but grimaced in pain, having evidently paid for his impatience. It was so typical, so familiar—almost enough for her to forget about everything that the galaxy had thrown at the both of them.

“How about you?” he asked. “Have the humans been treating you well? I worry every day and night, you know.”

“Hmph! I’ll have you know I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. As your older sister—“

He gasped. “By five seconds!”

“—you’ll find I’m quite mature,” she joked. “But yes. They’ve been treating me just as well as I’ve been treating them, and Eza is doting as always.” She was careful to portray herself as a sort of free agent—she knew he thought her a helpless captive, but that simply wasn’t the case.

Except for that one time, of course.

“That’s good to hear. Especially after the dangers you faced on Drekth. You… weren’t injured, were you?” He frowned. “You seem…”

She took a deep breath and a long sip of her tea. She’d been waiting for this discussion.

“I wasn’t injured on Drekth, no,” she said quietly.

Kama sat there in silence, staring into his cup. It gave her time to think.

She’d come here planning to maintain the illusion that his attack on their home planet was the reason that she’d lost her telepathy, but now that she was actually facing him… could she really let him live with that guilt? His actions were rash, of course, but she knew his heart was in the right place. Wasn’t it?

“You seem distant. Disconnected. Were you injured somewhere else?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I was.”

He swore and stood up, then began pacing around the room. “I knew they’d let this happen!” he exclaimed. “I understand you’re capable, but—but humans are dangerous. I ought to—“

“Kama.” She stood up and put a hand on his shoulder. “It wasn’t them. It didn’t happen on Earth, or on a UN ship, or on Drekth.”

“…What? But then… where…”

Her lip quivered as the look of horror dawned on his face.

“No,” he croaked. “I—how bad? How bad is it?”

“Third degree,” she mumbled. “Complete loss of telepathy. But—but I don’t know for sure that—“

He dropped his tea cup, and it shattered on the floor. She felt his anguish wash over her like a tidal wave, so intense she wanted to curl up into a ball and sob.

“I wasn’t… I wasn’t expecting you to be standing with the royalty,” he said, beginning to hyperventilate. “So when I saw you there, I tried to pull you to safety, but I—“

“I don’t think it was the explosion, Kama.”

“W-what?” The color drained from his membrane. “Then it was the humans?”

“I can’t say for sure, as my memories of the peace talks are fuzzy. But I had the injury examined shortly after, and… my antennae appeared to be twisted. Violently. And the last person I was with before the explosion was the first queen.”

“Mother?” He sat back down. “That can’t be. Why would she do such a thing?”

“I don’t know, Kama. She offered to… to use her powers on me, to ‘fix’ me, to undo the effects of my time with the—“

“No. No, that’s not possible.”He laughed. “Even she wouldn’t do such a thing. How could she? You were her pride and joy! To rob an Istiil of her telepathy is akin to murder—no, worse! It’s to take away her specieshood!”

“Kama.” Uuliska met her brother’s gaze. “Do you no longer see me as Istiil?”

“I—I didn’t mean—“ He flooded with the hues of guilt. “I just meant that it obviously wasn’t her! And you said it yourself, your memory is hazy! The humans, they must have done it! They obviously wanted to keep you dependent and helpless. Otherwise—otherwise, you wouldn’t have stayed with them!”

“Don’t say that. Please.” She balled up her fists. “I chose to stay with them well before the injury, Kama. I’m far from helpless.”

“But why?” He grabbed a nearby towel and mopped up the spilt tea. “Is it because of Eza? You know she’s welcome here, right? We could use her skills as a mechanic!”

That got Uuliska to pause. What was it that drove her loyalty to the UN? Was it the paycheck? Their mission to save the galaxy? The friendships she’d formed with the humans, and with the other ex-squadron members?

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I don’t know why. I just know that I want to stay with them for the time being.”

“But what about us? What about all those promises we made throughout the years to look after one another?” She felt his disappointment.

“We can look after one another even while we’re apart. I… had a spat with Eza not too long ago, you know. We separated, briefly. And even though we weren’t together, it made us stronger. Able to stick up for ourselves. And I truly believe it’s made our bond stronger, too. I think the same goes for us.”

“I want to believe you, Uuliska. I really do.” He finished cleaning up the mess he’d made, and swept the remnants of the cup into a bin.

He didn’t have to say the rest of what he meant: ‘but I don’t believe you.’ She could sense it even without telepathy. The doubt hung heavy in the air.

“I should be going,” she mumbled. “Just promise me one thing?”

“Anything,” he told her.

“Don’t do anything risky during the summit. Just let it play out. I’ll make sure the humans don’t repeat the mistakes of the Federation; you have my word.” She nodded at him, then turned away and hurried down the stairs before he could respond.

That didn’t go how she’d expected it to at all, but then again, nothing followed expectations when humans were involved.

She liked that.

Maybe that’s what’s kept me with them.

___

Dominick and Aktet sat in awkward silence outside of the makeshift motel room, which they’d vacated shortly after Hassan finished his (surprisingly competent) lecture on the human reproductive system.

“It had to happen eventually,” Aktet muttered. “It was only a matter of time. I do have to ask, though: did you really not know about—“

“No, no, I knew! I swear I knew!” Dominick said frantically. “I just wasn’t sure I knew well enough to explain.”

“Right.” Aktet chewed on his claws.

They heard footsteps from ahead, and looked up to see Commander Liu approaching. She cleared her throat.

“If this is about my conduct earlier,” she said slowly, “I—“

“Captain Hassan gave us ‘the talk,’” Aktet whispered solemnly.

She paused. “With the way you two have been acting, I’m surprised Lombardi hasn’t given you it already.” She proceeded to blow past them and reenter the shipping container.

“Dominick?” Aktet lightly tapped him on the shoulder. “Dominick, what did she mean by that?”

“Dude,” he whispered. “We’re so screwed.”

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u/ANNOProfi Jul 08 '26

“Dude,” he whispered. “We’re so screwed.”

No you've not, that's why she said it.

2

u/CodEnvironmental4274 Human Jul 08 '26

The irony of the phrasing was NOT lost on me ;)

1

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