Upon Vestia: Chapter Twenty-Five

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Starr shrugged and looked out the window again. "I don't know. I just want things to be normal."

"I am enjoying being back on Vestia again. She really is a wonderful ship." Starr replied softly.

"Thanks," Asher said gratefully as Marcus got the door. He left the two, and made his way back to the med bay.

~~
"Good." Ethan looked awkward. He was bad at conversations. "The others are acting less weird now, I hope?"

Kay headed for the cafe.

"Good morning Nurse Freidman" Amity declared merrily.

Kay looked a little bewildered, he wasn't much used to being called by his title. He nodded a faint greeting to the overly cheerful hologram and turned his attention to Sawna. [I wanted to talk to you about our supplies.] He told her, getting straight to the point.

Starr frowned a little then shook her head. "Some are better than others" She said softly. "I'm afraid adding our new guests has only turned their ill will from the keeper to Marcus."

~~~
"Good morning Kay, come on back, I was just doing an inventory of my supplies." Sawna said with a smile at him. "I was given enough supplies to last a while with my own needs, they should be enough to get us to the next station to drop off our guests without having to use the bags from your supplies."

"True," Ethan said. "I guess these guys always need someone to hate, and right now the guy who helped the slaver who hurt them is the easiest target." He shook his head. "They're not impulsive enough to try and attack him, are they?"

"I don't think so" Starr said then sighed "If they did, it would be fully impulsive."

"Matt and Ellie don't really seem like calculating murderers," Ethan a said thoughtfully. "Of course, I'm not a great judge of character, so who knows. Seems like Vestia wouldn't let them, though."

Marcus would shut the door and watch the TV show unless he was contacted for anything.

"So Vestia," Asher asked when he reached the med bay, "do you think we can a arrange to give the arran some time out of their room today?"

Vestia considered that. "I think so. I could close the blast doors to the teleporters and stairs, that would keep them pretty well contained. They don't seem to be interested in betraying our trust, anyway." Her lights turned an amused violet hue, "You like that kid, don't you?"

"He seems nice," Asher said. He couldn't help smiling, remembering the strange kid's friendliness toward him.

"He's the potentially unstable child of a slaver," Vestia reminded Asher. "Not to mention they might well be making an effort to charm us into complacence."

"Don't blame the son for the sins of the father," Asher said sternly. He frowned at Vestia's second point though, yeah, you never knew when someone might be trying to manipulate you.

"I don't blame him for his father's sins. I just want you to remember who we're dealing with," Vestia said. "Maybe he's as nice as he seems, but we don't know for sure. We can't give up our caution."

Asher sighed, then nodded. "I'm not forgetting. I just want to treat our prisoners humanely, as any captor should."

"Of course. I do to. I'll arrange to let them out for a while, okay? Just... Stay cautious."

Asher smiled softly. "Yes, Mom, I'll try."

Vestia snorted, but left him alone. She was pretty sure he got the message.

~~
"Guys?" Vestia said to the two arran, "I talked it over with Asher, and I can arrange to let you out of your room for a bit."

Marcus looked up at the camera, "Thank you, or really thanks from Amari." He softly chuckled noticing his son perking up, "Where can we go?"

Kooshie wrote:"Matt and Ellie don't really seem like calculating murderers," Ethan a said thoughtfully. "Of course, I'm not a great judge of character, so who knows. Seems like Vestia wouldn't let them, though."

Starr nodded at that, the war was an exception, but she believed the two would let their heads rule over emotions. "I'm sure she wouldn't." She agreed, looking over to the camera in her room then back to Ethan.

"Anywhere on this floor," Vestia said. "I'm going to make sure nobody can come to this floor while you're out, so it's all yours for a while.'

~~
Ethan nodded. "So," he looked unsure, it seemed weird to ask this, "how's the egg doing?" He couldn't help wondering.

He nodded, already Amari tail was twitching like a happy cat but Marcus did scowl him a bit. No need for the young one to reinjure himself burning on steam. He open the door and like a cat Amari qaa off literally pinging off the walls. Though he was gentle with his claws on Vestia walls leaving not a mark. Marcus sighed shaking his head as he calmly walked, admittedly curious of how the was, he never been on a Bio ship will sorta free will to explore.

Vestia had closed the blast doors to the teleporters and the stairs, so she wasn't too concerned about having these guys out. She was a little worried Amari might damage her, but he seemed to be being careful, so that was a relief. She watched the younger arran's antics, amused by his enthusiasm.
The floor they were on was nice, with spacious halls and large suites for wealthy guests. There were also a few large lounges with lots of squishy couches, and a fancy dining room and attached kitchen, with no food in the refrigerators.
Vestia really did love to put care into the rooms she grew.

Marcus would enjoy taking a seat in the lounge while Amari would be burning of energy from bouncing off the walls. In time if he found a support beam to hand from he would wrap his tail from it and use his good leg to brace himself so he wouldn't swing, all the while not injuring vestia.

Kay nodded and followed Sawna. [I get the feeling a lot of the crew won't be happy about us holding another blood drive if they think it's going toward those two, but it is an option should stock run low.] Even so, he'd rather not.

"It's fine" Starr said and turned to go to the incubator to show him the egg. She touched the shell, smiling softly. "I think it's going to be a girl."

flying_purple_monkfish wrote:Kay nodded and followed Sawna. [I get the feeling a lot of the crew won't be happy about us holding another blood drive if they think it's going toward those two, but it is an option should stock run low.] Even so, he'd rather not.

"Then we don't. we have a drive after they leave, if it is needed." Sawna said and looked to him again. "It shouldn't take too long to reach a station."

Kay nodded, chewing his lip anxiously. [Still, I think i'll feel better if I know how much supply we have. Can I help with the inventory?]

Vestia watched Amari, impressed with his athleticism. "Are all of your species so acrobatic?" She asked Marcus.

~~
Ethan looked at the egg, fascinated in spite of himself. Part of him was still revolted by the egg's origin, but at the same time, he couldn't help but admire how beautiful it was. "It--she?--will be the heir to the throne someday?"

"Most but maybe two subspecies are? By a genetic fluke he passes as a purebred so he does have more the energy and mindset of the pure Arrans." He softly chuckled, "being a desert race that hunted you had to be quite athletic or else. Those bred in captivity had different fates, my type was bred for quick thinking and combative strength while appearing less 'intimidating' for their owners and spectators. We were created by crossing pure Arran, Tuan, and human for a more docile mindset."

Sawna chuckled and motioned to her stock "You can." She agreed gently

~~~
Starr nodded and looked to him again "Yes, someday they will."

Kay looked grateful. Yeah she was probably just humouring his neurosis but hey, it was fine.

"Your captors put way too much thought into this," Vestia said. It was pretty gross, people shouldn't be treated like dog breeds. "Your son really is something to watch, even Ellie on a sugar and caffeine high can't match that," she joked.

~~
"It's weird to imagine. That little egg hatching and growing up to be a queen or king of an entire species. I don't know how anyone can trust a hereditary ruler, but I guess with star dragons, it's just part of your biology." He found that weird. He much preferred being able to choose who led you, thank you very much.

Sawna let Kay see her supply, even shortened as it was by the two bags every four hours, it was still enough for now.

~~
"It is in our biology, the queen or king is connected to all living star dragons and they in turn to the leader, when they come of age." Starr said.

"Just imagine him on sugar." He laughed, then sighed. "they had tens of thousand of years to selectively breed. There few purebreds left but they are a oddity."

Kay took inventory, making a careful note on his tablet.