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Family Value

"You're...something else, Amhyr Rithola," said Rutha, surprised. "I never thought you could turn the favor to you. How?"

"You know, a little mind game and everything can happen. But seriously, I found a loophole in your judge system, so I exploit it. It's unpleasant, but it works legally."

"Well, problem is, that trick won't work the next time they realized what you had done. But now, this whole thing is easy on your front. Being 'sanitized' and executed is out of the possible verdict, but you still need to spend time in jail for what you have done. Also, expect some of us staring at you with contempt."

"My life is never a sun and beach, so this is normal for me. As long as you keep away from my children, I will keep my promise."

"What kind of life made you hardened like this?"

"Persecution, prejudice, racism, pick one. Two years and a half becoming humanity's enemy can cause you to make decisions you hate. I hope you aren't like that."

"Tell that to the others, Amhyr Rithola. I doubt they will give the same reaction as those in that room."

"Please, just call me Amhyr. I just wish they don't start hating us just because of me. How's the insurgent group? Have they been apprehended?"

"Your friend is currently in talks with our representative. Let's just hope it won't go sour."

Amhyr and Rutha then walked out of the courtroom and into a plaza full of Rendloks. As Amhyr suspected, many of them looked at him with curiosity, some with contempt, but some also in awe. Amhyr sympathized with the fact that the people he saw there were already dead, possibly years before the Rendloks were nomads.

He was then met with Let, who walked towards him with smiles plastered on his face. Amhyr thought that was stupid, so he said "Stop grinning. You look like an idiot."

"I've never gotten a smooth talk like that in a year," said Let. "Rutha, they agreed that we need to work together to fight a common goal."

"That's a relief."

"Also, I've been given a temporary acquittal for Amhyr."

Amhyr was surprised. "What? How? I've been fighting for two hours in there and now I'm free?"

"Not free. You're on parole. All with the help of Atho."

"Atho? You managed to get in contact with him? Through deep space?"

"Never underestimate Scyllan technology, my friend. But...I must inform you that Dairyu and the others caught a snag. Calventis told me the details."

"How's Rose? Is she..."

"She stays on the ship with Dajar, Calventis's friend."

Amhyr sighed in relief. Let's smile faded as Rutha walked towards him.

"You...have something to say to me?"

"Rutha, what do you know about the 'Order of the Weavers'?"

While the two of them could not see Rutha's expression, the strain in their mental link provided them a clue that the Rendlok was either angry or emotional upon hearing that.

"Where did you hear that?" he asked.

"Your representatives warn us about that organization. They're a xenophobic organization that will threaten the peace talk between our factions. Do you know who they are?"

"Yes, I...know who they are. The prison is full of them. They hated other races aside from Rendloks."

"Oh great. Bigot Rendloks. That's new," said Amhyr with a sarcastic tone.

"Are you implying that your race doesn't have one?"

"He's being sarcastic, Rutha," said Let. "I'm just glad your race is not what I perceived it to be."

"What do you perceive my race?"

"Everyone's a sage, but with intent to kill."

"Lucky for you, I'm not a sage. So, what are you going to do with them?"

"That is for you to decide. Your representatives want to let us have total freedom, but I cannot let that slide. This is not our problem. This is your problem. We are here to help you, and that's it. In turn, Amhyr is going to face justice for what he has done, but not execution. I vouched for his freedom, as did what Atho told them about us."

"How can you be so sure about that?"

Let then looked towards the sky, beyond the hexagonal window that was the Rendlok's roof. "Whatever Atho told them, it inspired them to understand something. I don't know what, but that helps Amhyr."

"Hey, you do realize that I kill two people, right?" said Amhyr casually.

"We'll talk about this later. Right now...Amhyr, your children want to meet with you."

"Oh, right. Rutha...you can come with us if you want. You're free, right?"

"My shift is still 5 hours, so...I guess I'll come. But, won't they..."

"Nah, don't worry. They like collecting insects. They are not going to be scared by a giant humanoid wasp."

Though Amhyr assured him that it was okay, Rutha was worried with the 'insect collecting' part. Even though he was aware that the 'insect' was tiny compared to him, it was a very bizarre and possibly morbid hobby. Even then, the Rendlok tried not to cause problems to Amhyr. The draconian had gotten enough problem for a day.

The travel back to the colony was short and uneventful, but Rutha could see how the Scyllas had started a budding colony. Along the way, Amhyr acted as a tour guide who told Rutha all about the reason the colony was established and the Scyllan people in general. Amhyr was mostly silent throughout the journey, only answering questions when asked. He mostly looked out through the window. Rutha wanted to know what he was thinking about, but Let persuaded him not to. "Privacy is important for Terrans," he said. "And to other bipedal races."

They finally reached Let's estate, with Amhyr's children waiting for him by the pad. They were ecstatic and happy when they saw their father returned to them, followed by Amhyr hugging them with elated expression. Rutha took this chance to read his thoughts, and all he could read were pure happiness and thought of returning to his family. This made Rutha happy himself, even though he had no way to express it to them.

While Amhyr talked with his children, Let waited outside with Rutha. He invited the Rendlok for a drink, in which he followed the Scylla. Along the way, they chatted.

"Your colony seems peaceful despite of an unknown threat nearby," said Rutha in Let's mind. "Are Scyllas really warriors?"

"Was and still is, if situation demands it. Otherwise, we are engineers. Say, you were once here a long time ago, right?"

"Yes. The revelation that we are already dead...it's surprising and sad. Yet I know when I died."

"Oh?"

"Nothing spectacular. We were being attacked by black symbiotic organic weapons gone rogue, and I was being controlled by them. I killed myself. That's all there is."

"Hmm, it's a good choice. For you, at least. It's not the best choice, though."

"What do you mean?"

"We had the same crisis ten years ago with someone reactivating them. Some dead people were brought back to life by these...creatures. I don't know the motive, but I'm glad it's all finished. Since then, we have been trying to research a way to counter these problems and to find out the significance of the race. Are they truly weapons or are they a hostile alien race? We are still doing the research up until this point, but it is very hard if all we get are dead ones."

"We tried live specimen, and the result is our destruction," said Rutha.

"But...the Black Creature...was it..."

"We were very surprised that the thing is no longer on this planet, and I think your colonist experts will think the same thing when they decided to colonize this place. But I'm glad that I know things went on pretty well for you."

"I just hope this new alliance won't break that well-found peace."

"Only time will tell, Renziletis. Only time."

Amhyr then invited Rutha to meet his sons, Ben and Barlen, who were fascinated by Rutha's appearance, though the Rendlok could read that their minds were conflicted between being fascinated and being scared, with one of them saying, "I like him, but why must he be a wasp? I hate them!"

"What's wrong with wasp, little one?" said Rutha, curious.

The twin who said that, Barlen, was nervous about it, but he then said, "Wasps do not do anything except sting us. At least bees can both sting and produce honey for our tea. But...sorry."

Rutha realized the role of their smaller counterpart was nothing but as predators, and the fact that his sub-race was to protect the bees was a subversion of that nature on Terra. He then tried to divert the situation, explaining how Rendloks wouldn't do that.

From their conversation, it was clear how both, despite of different in personality (Barlen being more open and Ben being shy), had a good knowledge about bugs and insects in general. The 'Insect Collecting' part was shown to Rutha which, while disturbing, was fascinating in its own way. He just wished it wasn't him being impaled and becoming someone's collection in the vast universe. It could be a possibility, but then, he did not want it to.

Talking with Ben and Barlen was a good way to communicate with other races. Despite of already dead once, the Rendlok wanted to know how first contact worked to him. Many things fascinated him, but before that could happen, however, he needed to sort out the problem they had, and that was the Order of the Weavers.

Rutha tried not to involve the others, given how they had their own people to protect, but the real reason for his reluctance was the low psychic capabilities of the draconian and the Scylla. The Rendlok knew how the Order of the Weavers work. They invaded a person's mind and 'shut down' their body functions, rendering them brain-dead. It was an effective ability given how they did not physically infiltrate a fort. They could kill every last one of the defenders if they could.

The weakness for this ability, however, was that it did not work against fellow Rendloks, even if they had low psychic capability. That was why the Order of the Weavers focused their attacks towards the nearby settlement, which coincidentally the only settlement on Adonis III besides the Rendloks'. The Rendloks had a 'fail-safe' ability to alert them when someone invaded their minds. In their community, invading minds was an offense comparable to home invasion, and would be prosecuted as such.

The Rendlok, with the help of his council, also found out some unexplained deaths that could only be connected to the Order of the Weavers. Some colonists were found dead with no apparent external injuries, but the diagnosis came up same: they lost their brain function and complete absence of brain wave, even after stimulation.

His theory was then told during a joint council a day later, where his theory was acknowledged by the leading Scyllan council. Surprisingly, even for Amhyr, the Scyllas collectively agreed on the theory, and no one seemed to hold some kind of inner malice when they did that. Rutha knew, the moment he read their mind, that they had no other way to explain the deaths. Another thing he found out was their loyalty to their leader, Let, who trusted the Rendloks, at least to a degree, despite of still being cautious around the mind-readers.

After a while of discussion, the council agreed that, for a chance of a joint colony, however temporary, to prevail, they must end a common threat: the Order of the Weavers. As it helped both sides, no one argued about it. The Scyllas were alright in dealing with the Rendloks, but it wasn't the same on the other side, given their caution due to their ability in reading minds. They did not seem to find a collective sense of malice, but they preferred to deal with the problem alone.

No one wanted to talk to the Scyllas about it except Rutha, who told Amhyr about it.

"They did not want blood on their hands, even after death," said Rutha. "Our Mothers are very specific about letting others in our domestic affairs. While they trust strangers, they don't want their own problems to become others, and ended up causing more problems than it should."

"But this is for both sides' good!" argued Amhyr.

"Unfortunately, your argument might not get an impact if you talk to me, given how I'm just one of her 'drones'. If you want to talk about it, you must talk to her."

"Then let me go and talk to her."

"Unfortunately, you're on parole, under Renziletis. But even under normal circumstances, you are not allowed to talk to the Mother, who represented the safety of our community. It's our rule of engagement. Rendloks are not as open as you think, sadly."

"Do you have an idea on how to make this temporary alliance work? We can't just sit here and do nothing while those radicals kill people. My conscience doesn't let me sit this down."

"Conscience?"

"It's how Terrans make decisions. It's an abstract concept of feelings, which I cannot tell you given how I don't know much about it. But still, even if it endangers me, I still want to help."

Rutha's reluctance was apparently felt by Let, who was standing nearby, yet unable to hear what was on their mind. He approached the Rendlok and said, "I can see that you're explaining Amhyr about the council's decision. We work together on this, but you Rendloks don't want this a joint operation, instead preferring to work yourselves."

"Renziletis, I..."

"No, I understand," said Let. "You act like the Jaktar bugs on Adonis I. They are quite resilient, and work almost exclusively together. Being the apex predator, they don't need help from other lesser insects. I mean, all insects do that, but the Jaktars are different. They are stronger only if they are one, and not a mixed group."

"But whatever you are suggesting, we are not one of those bugs," said Rutha before he sighed. "I want you to help as much as you want to. The Order has caused so many damage to us and to you. It's logical to help, but if the council says no..."

"Then we do it ourselves," said Amhyr, surprising Rutha.

"Yourselves?! Isn't that against the order?"

"Yes, and so what? I know the concept of vigilante is foreign to you. It is when you exact justice on your own term, without the governing body or law enforcement to control you. It can either be bad or good, but I believe we are fighting for a good cause."

"I should've known this is how it ends up," said Let. "So, what's the idea?"

"Just like what we did back in the Rendlok base: we sabotage their operation and contact the soldiers to annihilate them. We don't need much. We just need the same team, including you, Rutha."

"Me? But, why?"

"You are the only one who knows how to counter their killing methods," said Amhyr. "Given how deep you are into this, I suggest you go with us. And besides, we need more infiltrator."

"Let me remind you of one thing, Amhyr Rithola," said Rutha. "As you all know, I am connected into a hive mind, and my actions will be known by the Mother."

"I sense a 'but' in there."

Rutha clicked his pincers, which the others could only guess that he was trying to smile.

"But," said Rutha, his voice tone changed. "I don't need to report to her all the time, right? My hive mind is not always connected, and I, for one, know how to 'disconnect' from the Mother."

"I know you can do that," said Amhyr, smiling. "And, with Let going with me, my parole is still effective, so there's no problem in that."

"You cunning bastard," said Let, hitting Amhyr's side lightly.

"Is this how you keep secrets, Amhyr Rithola? By not telling others?"

"Yes, and it is very useful in many situations," said Amhyr. "Now, why don't you go find some information about our target while we prepare?"

Rutha nodded, but a faint connection between him and the draconian made Amhyr realized that it was basically pushing his luck.

"I will be imprisoned and demoted for this...," was the only thing Amhyr could hear before their connection was cut. Let apparently did not hear that, but Amhyr knew that this action, however good it was, basically broke protocols.

He didn't like it, but he knew how to take risks. He personally would not take this job, but it concerned the safety of his children, and the people of Adonis III. He needed to go and risk his life once again, like Rose and the crew of both Wind of Change and St. Vincent were doing.

He would need to prove that he was not just a retired househusband, but was also a former spy, returning for duty.