Draft #47 - The Library
I have heard about a great library on planet Earth, lost to the forces of time. It had been a great collection of knowledge, I was informed, and perhaps humanity would have been further along in their advancements had their Alexandria lived.
There is a library in the Core, squirreled away in the deepest recesses of the fortress. It holds many tomes and scrolls of every planet in the Alliance and then some. It is a great amalgamation of knowledge.
To lose it, just like the humans had lost the Library of Alexandria, would be calamitous.
***
Surprisingly, it was rather easy to find where Porrafka had gone off to. It had the added benefit of finding the whereabouts of Shul, as well.
"...tell me about Kohgrash?" Porrafka hissed to Shul, claws curled around the other's arm. A fissure of alarm shot through Rulshkka.
Shul's back was to Rulshkka, but his shoulders were stiff and unhappy. Rulshkka quickly ducked out of sight, wondering if his life's purpose was to hide around corners and listen to his staff talk.
"Lord Kohgrash is a respected member of Vokkra's household. Do you know nothing of what has happened on our home planet, Porrafka?" Shul hissed. There was a slight scuffle where Rulshkka imagined he had taken his arm back.
"Obviously not," Porrafka growled, voice going slightly sad. "My hatchmate has died."
"And the world's better off for it," Shul growled back, snapping his teeth. "He had tried harming Sir Rukka's spawn. And a whole mess of other things."
Porrafka was silent for a while. Then, "Did he suffer?"
"Spirits, I hope so," Shul snorted. Rulshkka's mouth twisted into a bitter, vindictive smile. In his opinion, the perpetrators hadn't suffered enough.
"I thought mammals were pets. That they were nothing more than stupid animals. Nhafka told me that the Cords were rumored to use them-"
"Nhafka was a part of the Cords. Or didn't he tell you that?" Shul returned icily. "Mammals were pets for a while. Vokkra had gotten one. Kohgrash."
"Is that really his name, Shul? I mean, he doesn't look like someone who'd..." Porrafka trailed off.
Rulshkka had thought about changing Kohgrash's name when he had gotten him, but the little human had already latched onto it, responding to it and only it.
"I have watched Kohgrash fight off Ghhorrah for the Vokkra, Porrafka. He is not someone to underestimate," Shul replied, voice a little gentler. "Your brother captured him instead of Sir Rukka's spawn, and the Vokkra put him in front of the Mirror for it. I heard that the Mirror liquified him from the inside out while breaking every bone in his body. That it lasted for hours."
"Spirits..." Porrafka whispered voice struck with grief and awe at the same time.
"So I suggest," Shul stressed, "that you do nothing to harm Kohgrash. Vokkra will make the Mirror's punishment look like a nursery rhyme."
Shuffling, and Shul appeared from around the corner, looking unsurprised to see him. Rulshkka tried not to look like he had been hiding. The guard bowed slightly at the waist, ever silent in his presence.
"Hello, Shul," Rulshkka said as if he hadn't eavesdropped on their entire conversation. "Have you happened to see Porrafka around?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Shul replied, gesturing to the hallway he had stepped from. He peered behind Rulshkka, frowning slightly as he noticed that he was alone. "Where is Lord Kohgrash, sire?"
"I've left him in the care of Thrin and Vrol'ma," Rulshkka replied, stepping around the corner to see Porrafka. He looked a little pale, whether that be the lighting or from shock, Rulshkka wasn't sure. He snapped to attention as soon as he saw him, offering a stuttery bow. "We were headed to the library. I was wondering if Porrafka wouldn't care to join us."
"Of course," Porrafka murmured.
The walk back to the library was filled with tension that Rulshkka tried his damnedest to ignore. It was difficult, considering Porrafka looked like he wanted to pepper him with questions. Shul's words hung heavy between the three of them.
Rulshkka decided to be the one to break it - there was certainly no way that Porrafka was going to, and the only time Shul spoke freely around him was after a few drinks of Oculum wine, which he hadn't had in ages. Maybe there'd be some at the banquet tomorrow.
"What do you know of humans, Porrafka?" he asked suddenly. They passed by a few Clorklaxts and Be'turians on their way to the library. They were speaking of the same subject - though it was less so about humans and more about this 'mysterious' new species. It seems that not everyone has yet seen Kohgrash. He supposed there would be time for that at the banquet.
"Uh, just what I know of mammals from the Guidebook, Your Majesty. I haven't been back on A1-308 for almost a decade, now," Porrafka offered. Rulshkka wondered if the representative simply liked it on the Core better than their home planet. There were certainly opportunities for him to go back in-between Alliance meetings.
Rulshkka hummed, "Well, perhaps the most important thing to know about them, is that they can show immeasurable amounts of kindness. Of course, they are not pushovers, Porrafka. Should you threaten one, they can and will retaliate. With little hesitation."
There, he thought. That should be suitable for Porrafka. If he wanted to learn more about Kohgrash, he'd have to ask the human himself. If Porrafka didn't show any hostility toward Kohgrash, there was hardly any reason for the human to show any back. The human was rational and wouldn't hold grudges for someone's actions against their family.
At least, that's what Rulshkka hoped.
"Of course, Your Majesty," Porrafka suitably groveled. He sincerely hoped that they could get along - or at least tolerate each other - else this would be an unbearably long trip.
The library of the Core, much like every room in the building, was grand. Curved ceilings were caressed by towering shelves, filled to the brim with books from all planets. Every planet had its own section dedicated to it, of course, and the books were just as intriguing. Each planet had different ways to record its written language. There were - most obviously - the highly effective holographic books of A1-308, the simple, leather-bound books from many planets, and even shimmering plaques of images and recordings from others.
In the center of the room lay the library's catalog. It had many terminals to account for the differences in each species, which Rulshkka was grateful for. It was rather difficult to use a terminal designed for someone several feet shorter.
The terminal itself was comprised of many tubes. Its sole purpose was to retrieve books. If Rulshkka remembered right, it had been a project between the Anlam and the Torra. All one had to do was request the book needed, and it would travel into the system and emerge at the terminal, ready to be retrieved. It was an impressive piece of technology, and Rulshkka often wished he had one at his own library.
It was easy to spot Kohgrash. He was surrounded by all sorts of people. Aside from Avo, Zzir, and Woolm, other patrons of the library had gathered around him, curious of the new species. Thankfully, Thrin, and Vrol'ma were close by, standing right behind Kohgrash and looking menacing.
Kohgrash didn't need the extra security, though. He seemed right at home. He was smiling, though he made sure to keep his mouth closed. Rulshkka had impressed the importance of such a thing on him, especially since most of the species that made up the Alliance were, at their core, prey. Some reacted to a set of teeth on display as a threat. His shoulders were loose and his posture was relaxed. Avo said something, of which he was too far away to hear, that made the human laugh.
Something slithered into his chest, burning behind his heart with intensity. He ignored it. He was not jealous of Avo.
Kohgrash's face lit up when he saw the trio, and he waved them over with a "Hey, Vokkra!"
"Hello, everyone," Rulshkka greeted the group politely, though he wished that he could be anywhere but there. He was all talked out. "I'm afraid I need a word with Lord Kohgrash."
"Okay," Kohgrash replied easily. He turned his attention to the group and said, "It was nice meeting you all. I hope to see more of you in the future."
"Of course, Lord Kohgrash!" Avo replied cheerfully. The others nodded along, chirping and buzzing similar sentiments. At least he was getting along with the other species. That lessened some of Rulshkka's worries.
"Man, that was never-ending," Kohgrash said as soon as they had walked away from the dispersing group. They strolled through the stacks of books leisurely, making their way to the back of the library where the Guidebook was kept. "They kept asking me all sorts of questions. I've got an astronomy degree and all, but they were asking stuff I couldn't remember! Like, 'how big is your star? do you have a star?' and 'is your planet really a class five?' I don't even know what that means."
"Class five planets are those that are inhabitable by a lot of the species in the Alliance save for a few. They have extreme weather and dangerous flora and fauna on it," Rulshkka explained. There was a lot more that went into it, of course. Stuff like radiation from any stars, impending collisions from meteors and asteroids orbiting it, how large the core of the planet was... stuff that Rulshkka was sure wouldn't explain the reasoning of classification tto Kohgrash.
But Kohgrash made an understanding noise and nodded along regardless. "Other than their questions, though, they were pretty nice. I mean, some of them were kinda freaky to look at. Like that Beeturanian?"
"Be'turian," Rulshkka corrected.
"Be'turian. Man, his eyes were everywhere. He was cool, though. Oh, and that Avo guy. Oh man! A water alien! I really wanted to like, stick my hand in there, but I didn't ask. I thought that'd be rude. Oh, and there was this one guy that told me he was from the Triangulum galaxy. He was this big slimy guy. He was literally. See-through."
"The Vurokkids," Rulshkka nodded. "Be careful not to touch them; I hear they are rather toxic."
"I wonder how many of these guys could kill me just by touching them," Kohgrash said idly, looking up at all the books.
"Please do not try."
"How many people do you think will be at that banquet that Wessuro talked about? That's tomorrow, right?" Kohgrash asked, stopping in his tracks to inspect a book that shone. Rulshkka slowed to a stop beside him.
"Probably everyone," Rulshkka admitted. "It is not often that a new species gets introduced to the Alliance. You will likely be swarmed there."
It would be unpleasant, he knew. Maybe not at first, but as the night wore on, it certainly would become so. Both Kohgrash and he were not fans of crowded attention, though Rulshkka has weathered it for more years than Kohgrash has been alive. He'd support his friend wholeheartedly, especially as his sponsor. Unfortunately, that meant they couldn't leave early.
Kohgrash didn't seem too bothered by the idea. Of course, Rulshkka had been excited about his first banquet, too.
"What's that like? Will there be food?" Kohgrash asked.
Rulshkka smiled. "Yes, don't worry. Your bottomless stomach will be sated."
Kohgrash reached behind him without looking to smack Rulshkka. In turn, the Vokkra whipped his tail back at him, making him stumble slightly.
"No fair. I don't have a tail," Kohgrash complained as he righted himself. Rulshkka was smug.
"Just grow one," he snarked. "Here, this is the Guidebook."
It was unassuming. Only the leaders and esteemed researchers were trusted with the key to unlock it from its cage and open it, which was simply a feat of technology developed by the Oculum to keep the book on its place on the shelves. If any civilian wanted to look at it, they needed express permission from the librarian, who also had the code to open it. There were copies of the book, of course, but no one could edit the original and add species without care if they did not jump through the necessary hoops.
Rulshkka stroked the spine of the book, a leather-bound tome that was as thick as his arm, and it shuddered before sliding forward. He caught it as it fell. They'd need to find the librarian in order to edit it, but Rulshkka flipped through the book to find the entry on mammals, anyway.
MAMMALS
Native habitat: Small rocky moon found in a neighboring galaxy, M-12W
New habitat: A1-308
Type of species: Bipedal vertebrate
Danger level: 2/10
Notes: From Captain Ghhvresh: Mammals seem to be rather laidback in nature. Easy to corral and organize. Teeth suggest carnivorous nature. Small (five to six feet in height), moderately light, and comes in many colors and sizes. Rarely violent. Further observation required.
"Only a two out of ten?" Kohgrash huffed, having pulled on Rulshkka's arm until he had lowered the book for his friend to see. "There's not much on here, though."
"It had been a hasty entry," Rulshkka replied. "Ghhvresh had stopped here right after she had dropped your kind off at our planet. There wasn't much known about you, then, and I would've updated it further when the next Alliance meeting had been held. However, we were... rather occupied, weren't we?"
Kohgrash's eyes slid behind Rulshkka to land on Porrafka, who, along with Shul, Thrin, and Vrol'ma, had been quiet the entire trip into the library.
"I guess so. If you can call it that," Kohgrash said slowly, gaze returning to the book. He traced the word 'mammal' with his finger. "How do you remove entries? Are you gonna have to like, print another book?"
"We'll need to find the librarian," Rulshkka said, closing the book. He started to walk away from the shelves when Porrafka's voice stopped him.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty, but the librarian is off the Core for an undisclosed amount of time." His voice was slightly grumpy as if the librarian had personally slighted him by doing this. "No one knows when they will return."
Rulshkka deflated. It was one thing to have an entry on your species in a book, and an entirely different thing to have an entry on your species in a book dedicated to nonsentient animals.
"Eh, whatever. Porrafka, you can just tell the librarian to take it out when they come back, can't you?" Kohgrash asked, turning his gaze to the representative. Porrafka stiffened but nodded vigorously.
"Of course, Lord Kohgrash! I will do that as soon as they return, don't worry."
"Then, it's no big deal, Vok'Rul," Kohgrash grinned at him. "'Sides, it's kinda funny."
Rulshkka would never understand humans.
***
Tomorrow came quickly, and Rulshkka woke up with a pit of dread in his stomach. He nudged Kohgrash awake, who was sleeping beside him in a bundle of blankets. They were in the sleeping quarters dedicated to Vokkrus, which was a myriad of rooms sectioned off for up to ten Vokkrus. Kohgrash had refused to sleep in a separate room on a 'weird building with all sorts of aliens all over the place.'
"What?" Kohgrash groaned, burying his face in the blankets. He barely took up any room on the bed, and yet, Rulshkka had woken up with barely a thread of the blankets on him. Typical.
"Get up, my little Kohgrash," Rulshkka said, already on his feet. He nudged the human again for good measure.
"No," came from beneath the blankets. Trosk had since upgraded the translators to avoid the unpleasant headaches the humans had had if they wore the device for too long. Now, it was smaller than ever, barely even noticeable in Kohgrash's ear.
Rulshkka let him be while he got dressed in all the over-the-top jewelry and adornments. He made sure to be as loud as possible, but it didn't even seem to bother the human, who was still lying like a log in the pile of blankets.
A snore from the blankets told him he had fallen back asleep, and Rulshkka rolled his eyes, a smile playing on his face.
Rulshkka opened up the crate that held Thruul's delicious cooking. While the Core's food wasn't half-bad - it had to be good in order to accommodate this many species - Rulshkka vastly preferred his beloved's cooking over anything else in the world. Probably in the whole universe.
The smell of honeyed meat and kebabs quickly woke up Kohgrash, who emerged from his cocoon of blankets like a half-dead Chorsl.
"S'that food?" he mumbled, eyes shut against the room's low light.
"Yes," Rulshkka said sweetly. "Thruul's food, to be precise."
That woke up Kohgrash for good.
They spent the rest of the morning in quiet companionship. Rulshkka quizzed his human on all the various species they had met last night, wanting to ensure that his friend knew what he was getting into The banquet was this afternoon.
Rulshkka helped Kohgrash with all the little jewelry pieces after the human had gotten dressed, which made him protest and complain the entire time.
"I am not even Vokkra, so why do I have to follow all your jewelry rules?" Kohgrash said, staying perfectly still as Rulshkka threaded a few rings through his fur. The human didn't have horns to attach these to, so his fur was the next best thing, he supposed. Surprisingly, Kohgrash had willingly put in earrings, though he had been surprised they were clipped on.
Apparently, humans had the startling practice of piercing their ears in every place imaginable, just for some jewelry. Rulshkka had brought that up whenever Kohgrash whined about the process.
"Because you're a Lord," Rulshkka said absently, releasing the small ring and watching it intently. It stayed in Kohgrash's fur, and he let out a satisfied croon. "And you'll look nice. First impressions are important."
"Yeah," Kohgrash groaned, lifting his fur out of the way when Rulshkka went to attach a few necklaces around his throat. The bracelet he had gotten the human years ago slid down his wrist. Maybe Rulshkka should get him another; that one was looking a little worn. "But I feel three pounds heavier with all this stuff on. And it's jingly. I feel like Santa Claus's walking sleigh."
Rulshkka knew about Santa Claus and was not very impressed with this analogy. He pulled out his secret weapon: guilt. "Then you'll be a very pretty, very well-respected walking sleigh. Jewelry is very important in my culture. Won't you wear it?"
It worked. Kohgrash deflated in defeat, and Rulshkka went back to decorating him with a smirk.
"Is this an all-day kinda thing?" Kohgrash asked, tugging at some of the jewelry sitting on his wrists. He wore a soft blue tunic that wrapped around his waist with a few black belts. He had insisted on wearing a tie - to represent humanity, he said - and Rulshkka had taken great pleasure in watching the human struggling to twist it around his neck. Still, though, it matched rather well.
He had pulled his fur back into a ponytail, pinning it in place. It showed off the scar on the side of his face, which had somewhat faded over time but still looked just as fresh as the day he had gotten it. Kohgrash didn't seem to mind, though.
"Unfortunately," Rulshkka answered, looking in the mirror to straighten some of the jewelry on his head. His outfit was similar to Kohgrash's - sans tie - and he was secretly glad they matched. "It starts in little over an hour."
"An hour?!" Kohgrash exclaimed loudly in dismay. He jumped when a knock came at the door.
L'rrim opened the door at Rulshkka's call, and her eyes immediately went to Kohgrash. "Excuse me, sire, for the intrusion."
"It is no matter," Rulshkka returned, stepping away from the mirror to grasp her arm in greeting. "How have you been, L'rrim? I did miss your presence the other day."
L'rrim was the other representative of the Vokkrus. She did not stay full-time at the Core, instead hopping to and from A1-308 every few years or so. She was a warmer-hued Vokkrus, teetering on the edge of red and orange than the regular maroon pigment of their kind.
She gave a little bow, explaining, "I had forgotten the date, Your Majesty. It was not until Porrafka returned with a few reports that I remembered. Forgive me."
Rulshkka gave a little laugh. L'rrim was just as forgetful as him, and he would not begrudge her for that. "There is no need to apologize, L'rrim. Porrafka and I handled it. We just introduced the humans to the Alliance. Oh! This is Lord Kohgrash."
He swept his arm out to the side to present his friend. L'rrim's eyes widened in awe.
"It's great to meet you, Lord Kohgrash! I've heard so much about you from my mate! Spirits, I never thought I'd meet you in person, though I certainly hoped for it!" L'rrim's enthusiastic greeting stumped Kohgrash, who looked bewildered.
"Uhh, thanks," Kohgrash hastily switched to Vokkran, smiling politely at her.
"Spirits, my mate wasn't lying when he said how adorable your smiles were!" L'rrim exclaimed, claws twitching like she wanted to step forward and scoop Kohgrash up. Kohgrash noticed the same and was surreptitiously edging behind Rulshkka.
"L'rrim, was there something you needed?" Rulshkka asked politely.
L'rrim caught herself, schooling her expression into one more serious. "Oh, yes, Vokkra, forgive me. Porrafka wanted me to tell you two that the librarian has returned."
Rulshkka brightened. "Ah, splendid news! Thank you, L'rrim. Kohgrash, we will have to take out your entry after the banquet."
"Sure," Kohgrash agreed easily. L'rrim took her leave after marveling at Kohgrash for a while longer.
"Man, what was that?" Kohgrash said as soon as he shut the door. "She looked like she wanted to squeeze my cheeks. Like a freaky, alien grandma."
Rulshkka chuckled. "L'rrim can be a tad enthusiastic at times. Frankly, it's a wonder that Shul can handle her energy. I suppose opposites attract."
"Wait-" Kohgrash choked, whirling around wearing a wide-eyed look. "Shul's her mate!?"
"Yes," Rulshkka replied easily, going back to the mirror to straighten more of his jewelry. There was one particular chain that wouldn't hang correctly on his horns.
A beat of silence from Kohgrash as he digested the words, then, "He thinks my smiles are adorable!"
Rulshkka snorted, grinning. He hoped that the banquet wouldn't be so bad this time around, with Kohgrash at his side.
***
It was probably worse.
Despite their sudden dislike of Rulshkka, many different members of the Alliance crowded their space as soon as the pair of them walked in. Shul and Thrin stood behind them while Vrol'ma trailed around the ballroom to scope out their surroundings. Rulshkka thought it a bit ridiculous. There was no way someone was going to crash the banquet and cause trouble.
"Greetings again, Lord Kohgrash!" Avo said excitedly. "Might I show you around the finest banquet that the Alliance has to offer?"
"No way, Avo," Zzir buzzed angrily, flying a few feet off the ground. "You always show the visitors around!"
"For good reason," Avo said haughtily, grabbing onto Kohgrash's arm. The human looked excited, but his face fell when he realized that Avo was just as solid as anyone else at the banquet, despite his watery appearance. Rulshkka had to bite back a laugh. It would be unbecoming. "I'm the best at showing visitors around. I'm the one who always does it, after all."
"Because they are too polite to say no," Zzir droned. "You're frightening the new species!"
Kohgrash, who was the furthest thing from frightened right now, simply smiled at them. "Why don't you both show me around?"
The pair were silent for a moment before they exploded in a flurry of movement and excited chattering.
"So intelligent! Can't believe someone thought them to be nonsentient!"
"Unbelievable! Would've never thought of that myself. Budge over, Avo, your water is leaking onto my wings-"
"-don't know what you're talking about, Zzir. Your wings are in my space. Maybe you should retract them!"
"I'm not some deranged Kolran! I am proud of my wings!"
Rulshkka smiled at Kohgrash, who was looking like he regretted his decision. "I will find us a table, my little Kohgrash. Enjoy your tour," he crooned gleefully.
"If you leave me with these guys, I'm not talking to you the entire trip!" he hissed, looking frantic.
"Oh, is that your native language? I've noticed you've been speaking Vokkran. What's your language called? Humanese?" Avo asked excitedly, tugging on Kohgrash's arm and pulling him away from Rulshkka. Kohgrash cast one forlorn look at him before he resigned himself to the overeager pair of leaders.
"Follow him, would you, Thrin?" Rulshkka said pleasantly. Thrin nodded and trailed after them.
Rulshkka found the table dedicated to him and his sponsored rather easily, considering it was right next to the Founders'. He gestured for Shul to take a seat (he did not) while he went up to the Founders' tables to greet them.
"Ah, hello Vokkra Rulshkka. I am glad you made it," Heth greeted, clicking his mandibles together in a fashion that probably would've made Kohgrash cringe. "I hope you don't mind the placement of your table. I thought it prudent to show the banquet our newest member."
Rulshkka, who very much did mind the placement, simply smiled and said, "Not at all, Sir Heth. I am glad you had the foresight of such. It will certainly be... beneficial."
"I see that you have not yet removed the humans from the Guidebook," Heth said conversationally, eyeing him. "Is that something you plan on doing, soon?"
It was a veiled threat, for sure. Rulshkka was not new to this song and dance. Heth implied disparagement if he did not comply, likely intending to tell everyone else how terrible and awful the Vokkrus were. Or maybe that was just Rulshkka's paranoia speaking.
"Of course. I was told the librarian was not on the Core yesterday, but that they returned on this day. I will do it after this banquet. I showed the entry to Kohgrash after the meeting yesterday. He found it rather amusing," Rulshkka said cordially.
"Truly?" Heth's tone was disbelieving. "The librarian is not due back for a quarter cycle, yet. How odd."
Rulshkka offered the other a little shrug. "If that is all, Sir Heth, I find myself a might peckish. I might sample the refreshment table."
Heth, deep in thought, simply nodded. "Of course, of course. It was nice speaking with you, Vokkra. I am sure we will cross paths later in the night."
Rulshkka hoped so. While the majority of the Alliance might not like him too much right now, they were damned good partiers. As soon as all the formalities were done with, the real fun could start. It was simply the time before that Rulshkka dreaded.
Sometime later, long after Rulshkka had picked some meals from the table (a plate of meat from the Wessuro planet that tasted somewhat like chicken from Earth, a bowl of some fruits from the V'srk and Montet planets for Kohgrash, and a few drinks for himself and Shul) and settled in his seat, Kohgrash had finally escaped the Arnoxi and Be'turian leaders, looking a little mystified.
"Phew, I found you," Kohgrash sighed as he jumped into the chair next to Rulshkka. "Hi, Shul. That was just crazy. Those guys talk way more than anyone I've ever met. 'Cept maybe for Kasey. Man, that girl can talk. I need to call her to tell her about all this. Doubt I'll get any service here, though. Verizon doesn't cover intergalactic travel, I don't think. Whoa, are those fruit?"
"How was the tour?" Rulshkka couldn't help but tease him. Kohgrash stopped mid-bite to glare at him.
"It was the worst. They didn't show me anything. They just bickered the whole time!"
Rulshkka snickered, passing the human a napkin as some juice dribbled down his chin. Kohgrash took it gratefully. "They tend to do that. They are good friends, despite appearances."
"D'you have any friends, here?" Kohgrash asked around a half-chewed mouthful of fruit. Rulshkka wrinkled his nose at him and sighed. He glanced at Shul, who was stoic and observing the crowd of people milling around the room.
He sighed slightly. Kohgrash looked upset.
"Sorry," he quickly offered. "I didn't mean to-"
"It's alright," he soothed. "I am just realizing what I may have lost. However, I have gained a greater friend in you than I would have ever had in any of them."
Kohgrash looked conflicted, but he still received one of his beaming smiles nonetheless.
Thrin broke the awkward silence when he sat down heavily in the other chair. Gruffly, he asked the table, "Where are Porrafka and L'rrim at?"
Shul spoke for the first time that day, "L'rrim decided to rest in her quarters."
"Don't you mean your quarters?" Thrin teased, chuckling blithely when Shul shot him a look. "Don't tell me you didn't spend the night at her place. You guys haven't seen each other in ages."
"Oh! Shul, you jerk! L'rrim told me you think my smiles are adorable." Kohgrash suddenly said. Shul and Thrin jumped at the sudden volume.
"No!" Shul spluttered uncharacteristically. Rulshkka had never seen the stoic guard like this. "She is lying."
"You accuse your mate of lying?" Thrin gasped. "How terrible-"
Screams and calls of fright cut him off, and the four of them immediately stood up in alarm. Pandemonium erupted as several large figures entered the room, wielding plasma blasters that could tear through any living creature with the ease of a Ghhorrah hopped up on klaxan.
"Vokkra, retreat!" Shul ordered, pulling Rulshkka away from the table as the figures - Glorcxans, Rulshkka recognized in a daze - started shouting orders.
"Where?" Thrin snapped, pushing Kohgrash to the others. Kohgrash looked confused more than frightened. "They're blocking the only exit."
"Curse this damn building," Shul growled. "This is supposed to be safe!"
"Leave this place, pirates!" Heth roared, drawing himself up to his full height, baring his mandibles threateningly. One of the Glorcxans pointed the plasma blaster at him.
"Oh, God," Kohgrash uttered.
"Don't make this difficult, fellas," one of the Glorcxans yelled. "A simple robbery. Get on the floor, and no one gets hurt."
Well, Rulshkka thought as he watched some species comply with the pirates' demands and kneel on the floor submissively. Banquets sucked.