Supernova Blitz

Chapter 16: Captain Angelica Long and Baskylla Jardzen Dzor

Dzor lays his head back to rest once Khla finishes her meal. His chance is coming. Let her do what she's doing. She's keeping more than herself alive, which is admirable. They also don't appear to be manipulating Khla. They only ask for her help in a field she's rather skilled in, surprisingly.

With each following day after, Dzor takes a brief moment to smell the food before Khla feeds it to him. Some of the human scents are familiar. At least one of them was on his ship, maybe even a few of them. That part is even more strange to him. Not only are soldiers sacrificing meals for him and the other Grodrrns, but ones who have fought against them more than once.

Dzor has read that humans experience guilt rather easily. Perhaps the mammals feel guilty for the Grodrrns? A foolish belief with no place in war. Enemies are enemies. No exceptions. When you stop treating them as such, you risk hesitating when they won't.

But, Dzor is honorable. If he crosses paths with these humans, he will give them the sporting chance to flee from him. Not too long, of course. The humans are too crafty to give too much time to strategize. But, some, at least.

For now, Dzor keeps his mind on his own task. Not even Khla knows what Baskylla Jardzens are taught. It is risky, brazen, and painful, but has a high success rate nonetheless. Still, he cannot include her. If she knows, and he fails, she likely won't be spared.

He's still a ways off anyways. It takes time. And, captivity affords him nothing but time.

********

"Cheers!" states Mr. Right jovially as he pops the cork of what was once simply a very expensive wine worth over $1000 a bottle. Now, he is popping open an irreplaceable commodity. And, he's doing so on the Polonia's command bridge.

Captain Long looks at him in exasperation and sarcasm as he pours a glass. She's sitting in her chair with her hand on her cheek.

Ensign Hancock asks innocently as Dr. Lopez keeps her face buried in her laptop, "What's the occasion, Sir?"

Mr. Right replies jovially, "You mean aside from finding Dr. Lopez here?"

She looks away from him. It's been about two weeks since the discovery mission on the ice planetoid and the subsequent surveys of the full belt. The mining barges have been hard at work, finally resuming their designed purpose. While the 'spring eel' and the 'hollows hopper' are far from edible livestock, their blood and hides are being studied for suit enhancements. Both are plentiful in the belt as a whole.

Mr. Right adds proudly, "The keel is laid for our next starship! Our journey is well on its way!" He offers the glass to Captain Long. She glances at it and then at him, fully perturbed. She growls, "I don't drink."

Mr. Right feigns offense, saying, "MADAME! You wound me! One does not simply 'drink' fine wine. One ENJOYS fine wine."

Long growls brutally, "One will be 'enjoying' fine wine in Yarjen Dzor's containment unit if one doesn't..."

"Okay! Geez!" Mr. Right backs off. He states quietly, "More for me, then, I guess..."

Long asks skeptically, "Don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself as well? Construction will take years."

"MONTHS," corrects Mr. Right with a smirk. "My baby Providence works from all angles simultaneously. Not to mention the lack of bureaucracy. If this takes more than six months," He announces to everyone, "Bear witness, everyone! If this new ship takes more than six months," He says more charmingly, "I will give you what is most precious to me."

Long only notices because Hancock looked. What he looked at was Lopez, who silently glares away from Mr. Right. Captain Long doesn't care how or why, but she does like Dr. Lopez a fair amount more than Mr. Right.