Page 83 of Sway’s Peace (Delivery Service #2)

Sway

The defenses around Loyalty’s home planet, Xelfeter, were surprisingly robust. They swung out of subspace and, not even a quarter mark later, there were two ships converging on them demanding identification and visit authorization.

At her place at her console at Sway’s side, Grace smoothly and easily explained their situation.

Confirmed by Loyalty via vid comm so they could see the unmistakable xenom features of his ratchi body.

Even then, he had to communicate to them in a sign language he didn’t recognize for them to agree that he was, in fact, a xenom and grant them permission to fly closer.

“The security of your planet is quite extensive,” Sway remarked as he input the pre-determined flight path the security sent them to follow.

They were not allowed to deviate from it and they were only being granted a stay long enough to deliver Loyalty before they would be escorted a safe swing distance from the planet to leave again.

“Thanks,” Loyalty smiled, like he was proud.

“Why is there so much security?” Grace asked, briefly looking up from her console.

The security team was making her fill out a form that named all the crew members, even thought none of them would be going to the planet.

Only Tanin was allowed, and that was strictly because someone needed to fly the landing shuttle back.

“My people are not well liked,” he reminded her gently.

“Oh,” she hesitated before laughing nervously. “Sorry. I kind of forgot.”

Loyalty laughed. “It’s okay. I like it. You’re just that kind of person.”

“I thought xenoms weren’t a particularly advanced race,” Sway said as he sat back. Since the flight path was predetermined and not even in subspace, he didn’t need to actually do any of the navigating. Alred, in his capacity as an AI, could do all of it.

“We aren’t,” Loyalty agreed. “We prefer to keep to the old ways. We only advance ourselves as much as we need to in order to keep ourselves safe. As it happens, we once had a similar agreement that Grace’s people had with the Coalition.

We weren’t a protectorate, as we were offered full membership – I believe out of fear.

We started claiming the bodies of anyone who came to our planet and then using them to leave to find the Coalition leaders to demand they stop invading our home.

But in apology, they gave us a security detail.

When we learned how to use it, we just took it over and now operate it ourselves.

We are no longer protected by the Coalition, but we still buy our defenses from them. ”

“Why aren’t we allowed to stay?” Grace asked. “I’d like to see your home.”

“And I’d love to show it to you,” he smiled. “But all visitors must be approved before arriving. But don’t worry. I’ll get you permission once I’ve settled down. And you have my comm signature, so you can contact me whenever you like.”

Grace smiled, excited. Another new adventure for her. With their permission granted, Loyalty left to go bring his belongings down to the landing shuttle. They had a couple marks until they’d be in range of the planet to launch it, so there was no need to say goodbye yet.

After he left, Alred’s light form appeared with a little shower of sparkles – he’d started to do that recently as the females seemed to enjoy the theatrics. Meanwhile, Sway was still getting used to him having a face.

“ Interesting fellow, ” Alred remarked. Grace, who hadn’t noticed him appear, jumped in fright at the sound of his voice. Alred chuckled, turning back to look at her. “ Sorry. ”

Grace beamed at him. “It’s okay. I was just really focused. I’m not supposed to include you in the list of crew members, right?”

“ Correct. My existence is a total secret. And if they try to scan the ship or the AI operating it, I’ll just retreat to my core until they’re done, so don’t worry about them finding me. Much stronger and more thorough scans than theirs have tried and failed. ”

“What’s interesting about Loyalty?” Sway asked, returning back to Alred’s earlier comment.

“ His species. His body, it’s his blood? But it’s powering the ratchi body he claimed? ”

“His body are the fluids inside the ratchi body. Which would include the blood and CSF and lymphatics and maybe the synovial fluid too. I don’t really know how deep it goes.”

Grace shot him a surprised look. He frowned.

“What?”

“You… know a lot more about biology than I expected,” she said. “I thought you were a helmsmale. That’s just subspace math.”

“I was the assistant to a mad scientist before that,” Sway chuckled. “I know about subspace calculations because the Master liked experimenting with exposing people to subspace unshielded to see what happened. But I would say my expertise is much more biological.”

“ Yes, he’s quite good at taking people apart, ” Alred said with a smirk. “ Not quite so good at putting them back together. Hence why he was never our medical officer. ”

“I could put people back together,” Sway protested. “I kept a lot of them alive. I just did it the old-fashioned way. The Master didn’t use a mediscanner, so I never learned that. But if you need something removed surgically, I could probably help better than Goldie.”

“ Let’s not put that to the test, ” Alred said, covering his heart – like there was some chance Sway would be able to cut into his light form.

Grace was making a face, like she wasn’t sure if she should laugh or not. But she didn’t seem uncomfortable.

Since she was a crew member now, everyone was a lot more relaxed around her.

Which meant she got to see their true faces.

The ones they didn’t show the rest of the universe.

Aside from Tanin – who showed everyone the same face, regardless – they all kept their background and history hidden from others.

They weren’t really ashamed, but, well, Grace’s initial reaction when she found out he was from Rik-Vane wasn’t exactly unexpected.

“Anyway,” Sway focused once again on Alred. “Loyalty’s true body is kind of like your core. You claim this ship as your body, but it’s more like a suit around your real body. His ‘blood’ is his body, and the ratchi body is just the suit he wears around it.”

“Can we not refer to people as suits?” Grace grimaced, though her hands were still moving deftly through the forms, filling out their information. She was using all of their aliases, not their true names, as those definitely would not be allowed close to such a tightly protected planet.

“ It is true though, ” Alred said, walking over to stand between their chairs. A thoughtful expression on his face.

It was strange. Sway was so accustomed to Alred being just a blank, featureless form to look at, that being able to read his expressions seemed almost too easy.

“What are you thinking?” He asked.

Alred didn’t respond right away. It took a moment for him to gather whatever inscrutable thoughts were going around in his head.

“ I think I would like to ask him for a favor. Actually, Grace, my dear. Would you ask him for a favor in my stead? I feel he would be more inclined to agree if you asked. I would, of course, owe you greatly for it. ”

Grace looked up, frowning. “A favor?”

“ Yes. I cannot ask it. He doesn’t know I exist. I would be in your debt though. ”

“Er, sure. What do you need?”

“ Can you ask him for a blood sample, please? ”

“A what?”

“ I don’t need much. Hm… I would say a vial this big would suffice .” He held up his yellow fingers, holding them apart. A glowing outline appeared, rotating between his digits like the ghost of a vial.

Grace turned completely in her chair, giving him a look.

“ Are you uncomfortable asking such a favor? ” He asked kindly, voice full of understanding. “ I can ask Sway to do it instead, if you are. I just think he would be more inclined to agree if the favor were to come from you. He seems to really like you. ”

“First off: Yes. That does make me a bit uncomfortable. But not really the point here. Why are you asking him for a blood sample? That’s not… Look, I know you guys are from a really dark place, but people don’t ask other people for blood samples. That’s not a normal thing to do.”

Alred laughed loudly, head thrown back, body shaking with the force of it. All of it a deliberate choice as Alred’s light form was just a thing he projected for them to interact with.

“ I am well aware it’s an odd request. Unlike Sway, I did not spent the majority of my life on that station. But I would like his blood. If I can. I want to study it. ”

“I mean… I guess I can ask?” Grace said slowly, grimacing. “But you can’t really get mad if he says no.”

“ I certainly won’t. And thank you. I’ll have Garnet bring you the vial. ”

“Where are you getting a-” Grace’s voice cut off when Alred vanished. He wasn’t really gone – he was the ship, after all – but his lack of light form was enough for her to act like he had. Vanishing like that was as close as he could get to leaving a room.

Grace gave Sway a look. “What was that about?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know. They may be brothers of mine, but I don’t pretend to know everything about them. Are you done with your work?”

“No,” she shook her head, focusing back on her console. “And don’t distract me either.”

Sway smirked, knowing very well he was going to distract her immediately.