#micro on cohost

The last thirty five hours had been the most harrowing since the invasion began.

Spes looked out across what remained of the city section after their most recent ordeal. He could at least brag that he was one of the few people to have seen the underside of a rodents foot and lived to tell the tale...thrice. It had been foolish to think they'd made it out of the fire.

As horrible as almost being snuffed out under the rodents shoe was, Spes couldn't get the image of Eleos' pained expression out of his head. He hoped the mouse was alright but Spes knew that was hopeful thinking. The last thing he'd seen of Eleos was his lifeless body before he was dragged away.

They'd been taken after that. For twenty whole minutes the city section was in anarchy, fearing they were about to meet their end after a prolonged bout of luck, their guardian gone and once more in the clutches of unknown giants.

But then they had not been crushed. Instead it appeared they were being studied.

These knew giants were quite dissimilar to the rodents. Their snouts were longer and their ears sharper, triangular. Larger than the rodents as well.

So far they hadn't done anything to harm them, they hadn't even opened the container a single time. All they had done was observe them. After a while you kind of grew numb to the massive eyes glaring down at you...until even larger ones joined in.

Spes had just managed to calm the surviving populace down before a new shadow passed over the container.

Its face was massive. Abyssal black eyes like ocean of darkness stared down at them. Spes wanted to call out to the city to remain calm but their comms were down since their latest attack, not that he could get a word out.

He stared down at the container, his eyes had trouble focusing on something so small in front of him but he could see the structure in it. Anhur rose back to his full height, almost reaching the ceiling of the lab section. "They're sentient."

"Yes." His ship lead science officer, a short, older husky replied. "Not far from warp technology."

Anhur continued staring down. "That makes them PW class." Though aged, his eyes could still see the damage caused to the container. "They're damaged."

The science officer nodded. "I'm not sure I can open the container without causing more damage. We have next to no data on them and it's not like the rodents are sharing whatever they have."

The bee turned around slowly, not replying to the statement. "Start analyzing their biology as quickly as you can." He said as he began walking out of the science bay. Themis had cut off contact about as quickly as he had kicked them off the colony. Currently they were in orbit above the planet, monitoring the rodents activities. Themis had quite sternly demanded that they leave their orbit or they would open fire to which Anhur reminded him that he was a federation Admiral piloting a red star class battleship armed with plasma torpedoes. As far as he knew, the chipmunk was still trying to contact his planets ruler.

The question that was burning in his mind at that moment wasn't if the rodents knew the tiny species was sentient or not, anyone with even halfway working eyes could tell that. The question was how he was going to prove it. He could assume that the rodents would deny knowing anything about it or even rush their colonization efforts further and eradicate the species before it could be verified. He'd seen it before countless times with countless other planets. It was an effective means of hiding their crimes.

Whether or not a species was sentient or not could be determined via a simple can, judging by their level of development they would at least have electricity, though the Rodent would know so as well, any signs of that would be their first target. Even if the rodents had missed anything, the scanners were being blocked by the colony. No doubt Themis was down there right now, thinking of a means of covering up their actions or finishing them before anything could be done.

There was someone on this ship who could verify what the rodents knew. Whether he could actually tell him was a whole different matter.

After a very short, brisk walk Anhur arrived at the medical bay, stepping inside and heading directly to the only current occupant. He was met with his chief medical officer, still leaning over the mouse with a scanner. "What is his status."

"Immobile. Internal bleeding, huge loss of blood. Keeping him sedated for the pain." the Medical officer, an older shrew quickly answered, likely sensing her Admirals intentions as soon as he arrived. "He is in no condition to talk."

Anhur stared down at the unconscious mouse. "I only need a few minutes."

The shrew looked up at him, keeping her stalwart glare despite the sheer difference in height between the bee and herself. After a few seconds she stepped away, grabbing a syringe from a table beside her. "For the record, i don't approve of this."

"Noted." Anhur said with his low, hum like voice.

The medical officer stepped up to the bed and carefully injected a small dose of chemical into her patient. Anhur quickly stepped up behind her, looming over the bed. After a few minutes the mouse stirred, opening his eyes and wincing from the light, his face contorting as his body awoke and the pain of his various injuries washed over him.

Before the mouse could even open his eyes, Anhur spoke. "Stay calm. You're in the medical bay on my ship."

"W-what?" Eleos croaked. "I-"

"Did the rodents know the planet had a sentient species?" The bee asked immediately afterwards.

The mouse shifted in bed, wincing again from the pain. "W-where is the co-container?"

"Answer me." Anhur insisted. "Did the rodents know."

Eleos stared back at the towering silhouette above him, barely able to see or even think straight from the blinding pain coursing through him. His chest felt tight and breathing felt like forcing his lungs to tear open each time. The light began to fade as keeping his eyes open grew too difficult. He could hear faint beeps from his side before he drifted off.

"Step away." The medical officer tried to push the bee away, only managing to do so when Anhur moved himself. She injected another liquid into the mouse and began to work once more. "This interrogation is over."

"I was not finished. Can you wake him up again?" Anhur said.

"I can, but wont." The shrew glared at him over her shoulder briefly before focusing back on the mouse. "As your chief medical officer my authority trumps yours in matters of medical health. He'll die if this continues."

Anhur met her stare with his own, expressionless and yet intimidating stare. "Unfortunate. Notify me when he wakes up."

"You're lucky I don't ban you from my medical bay and report you to federation command." The shrew growled.

The bee rose back to his full height and made his way out of the medical bay. "Noted." Anhur stepped into the halls of his ship. He needed a witness before it was too late.

"Admiral Anhur." The white furred mouse said with a tone that reeked of seething anger hidden behind a professional smile. "So gracious of you to finally respond. Perhaps you care to explain why you are accosting one of our colonies?"

Anhur put his three arms behind his back. "You will excuse my tardiness. As you can imagine, the duties of an admiral extend past a single planets matters." He explained. Truth be told, he'd never quite gotten the hold of diplomatic talks, being far more accustomed to negotiating the terms of surrender with a conquered planet. From his experience he'd come to think of political talk as much the same as that, only with far more flowery speak than he was used to. His first move was to assert his rank, which would likely prompt a similar response.

"I'm sure." The rodent high command head said dryly. "As you can likely assume, the duties of running an entire empire amidst a war eclipse even your duties on the...ethics committee."

There it was. The attempt to disregard the importance of the call by specifying his station. Where he the admiral of the federation fleet it likely would not even have been mentioned unless he wanted it so. "And yet, here you are." Anhur responded.

"Indeed." The mouse furrowed his brow. "I don't have to explain to you the importance of this planet for the rodent empire. After all, you were one of the votes against bringing the federation into the conflict."

"Your civil war is not for the fe-"

"Insurrection." The mouse interjected. "Your investigation is based on the actions of a spy. The federation already plays right into the palms of the insurrectionists with their inactivity and now you're delaying us here."

"That may be." Anhur ceded the point, not to admit fault or placate the rodent, but because it was a step in the right direction for his next attack. "And i would be far out of my authority to take any further action if it had not yielded results." Anhur readied his shot. "The planet is home to a sentient species."

The mouse's face darkened for a moment before his no doubt practiced smile returned. "I really would have thought the admiralty of the federation was a bit more thorough in their research."

Anhur stared back silently.

"That.. sentient species as you called it, is a fake." The high council head explained. "Planted there by the insurrectionists. According to our research records there was no sign of that species up until that communication from the spy was sent out."

His wings splayed but a fraction. "You cannot expect me to believe that an entire species, cities and all was planted under your noses."

"Our field teams report the so called cities you cite are empty. Those sentient creatures you have are likely some species procured by the insurrectionists forced to lie on their behalf." The mouse smirked wider. "The rodent empire will of course introduce steps to rescue and care for these displaced species."

"If it is as you say-" Anhur's tone took a deeper hum. "Then allowing us access to the planets surface should be of no consequence. My research team should be able to come to the same conclusion."

The white furred mouse narrowed his eyes. "If you insist, i can allow you back on the planet as soon as we've done a security sweep. We've just had a security breach at the colony. Things are on lockdown until a security detail from the nearest rodent planet can arrive to assist. It should only be a few days."

No doubt a means of delaying so they could finish eradicating the evidence. It was rare that Anhur was in such a position, on his backfoot in a fight even if it was a verbal one. It seemed that the rodents had everything planned out, of course they would. They would use every single trick in the book to keep away from the protocols. He had to change up his strategy. "Strange. Your claims dont match our findings."

The mouse's brow furrowed further and he sat forward, his face filling more of the viewscreen. "Are you referring to the false data sent by the spy?"

"I am referring to the sample we procured while on site." Anhur declared.

"Y-you were not authorized to do any sort of che-"

"My sincerest apologies." Anhur interjected. "Due to a miscommunication a few samples were taken during the short period were were docked on the planet." He strode to his view window, staring down at the planets surface. "Our findings go against everything you've just claimed."

The head council man didn't respond.

Anhur turned back around and pressed his point further. "We found that not only has this species evolved here, but all the materials in their cities are sourced from the planets resources. Unless you're going to claim several hundred cities were crafted and placed on the planet without your administrator noticing." Anhur shot.

"T-this has to be some error." The head councilman stammered, clearly offset for the first time since this conversation started.

"Perhaps we should as Themis about this discrepancy?" Anhur suggested. This would offer the councilman an out from responsibility. While he would like nothing more than to crack down on the entire operation, time was of the essence.

"Y-yes." The councilman agreed. "I-i'll contact him so h-he can explain this d-discrepancy."

"I'll give you a minute to reach him." Anhur said in a low buzz as he placed the call on hold, noticing another incoming call. He accepted it.

"Sir." His head science office, the husky appeared on the other line. "I've managed to re-activate power for the container and figured out what sort of food they can eat. I'm just finishing up making sure they're safe inside the container and just about ready to start researching them for the report."

Anhur nodded. "Good. Once you finish the report, don't upload it to the server until i say the word. Understood?"

The husky cocked his head. "Uh-o-alri-yes sir! Uh- but doesn't protocol say to uploa-"

"That's an order." Anhur said sternly, earning a nod from his science officer. The bee cut the transmission. He'd never been much of a gambler, but had often heard he had the perfect poke face. Besides, it was only falsifying federation records if he was wrong.

He woke up feeling a sharp pain in his head, it served to distract him from the pain in his stomach, legs and arms for a brief moment before his growing consciousness made the mouse keenly aware of just how aching his body was.

Opening his eyes the light stung them briefly. Eleos understood it as meaning that he was someplace different than he passed out in, whether that was a good sign or not remained to be seen.

Through his blurred, groggy vision he could make out very white surroundings, not very spacious. He was in something soft and warm, a bed. In front of him, at the foot of his bed was a towering figure. He tensed up, feeling a jolt of pain surge up his body.

"Relax." A stern voice ordered. "You're safe."

"Where am i?" Eleos asked, his voice raspy and dry.

"You're in the medical bay of a federation ship." The voice explained. "You've been unconscious for five days."

As his vision began to clear, the mouse became more and more aware of the figure in front of him. A tall, massive even, insectoid wearing the blue uniform of the federation that contrasted strongly against his black and yellow furred body, adorned in metals and tassels. An admiral. "Y-you got my message?"

Anhur nodded. "We did."

"T-the planet! You've got to st-" He tried to sit up but felt his body protest the attempt.

"Lie still." The bee ordered. "I'd rather not have my medical officer threaten to report me again. The planet is being handled, and we are in the process of stabilizing the feline population."

He felt his heart slow down at the words, like a weight had been lifted of his chest. Eleos allowed himself to slump back into the soft bed.

"Administrator Themis is being escorted to the nearest federation facility to answer for his crimes, hopefully we can press him into implicating some of the higher ups." Anhur continued.

"Th-there was another- uh- i had someone working with m-" Eleos stammered.

"Yes. He is en route to a federation prison as we speak." Anhur interjected. "Unfortunately the rodents are working diligently to demand he be extradited to their prisons to be tried as a spy but i've leveraged a bit of influence to make sure those demands get locked behind layers of protocol. While i draw breath he shall be kept out of their hands."

He felt the lump in his throat loosen and breathed a raspy sigh of relief. "T-thank you."

Something akin to a laugh sounded from the towering bee. "I'm merely doing my duty. It is you who is deserving of praise. Were it not for you the felines would have faced genocide. Thanks to you we'll be able to bring down quite a few corrupt operatives within the rodent empire."

Eleos clenched his jaw. "I-i don't deserve thanks."

The bee didn't reply, he simply stared with those large, expressionless eyes.

"I was complicit in the genocide." Eleos admitted, his voice cracked a bit. "I-i-i was part of missions that lead to the destruction of at least two cities. I should be tried right along with everyone else. It's what i deserve."

Another sound came from the bee, perhaps a chuckle? "We rarely get what we deserve." Anhur buzzed. "So, you would wish to be tossed into a federation cell to rot away?"

Eleos swallowed. "Yes."

"Coward." The bee chuckled.

The mouse blinked. "I-i-uh-"

"You would rather sit and be crushed under the weight of your guilt than to carry it forward." Anhur accused. "It is the choice of a coward, you might as well ask for death."

He tensed up, feeling his heart race in his chest. "W-what-"

"It is not up to you to decide what you deserve." Anhur said. "It is up to me...and i have made my choice." He reached over to to a table behind him and brought fourth an object. "And i have made it in cooperation with those you have wronged."

Eleos recognized the object immediately. The red plastic looking container that housed the city section that had started this whole ordeal. He wanted to leap up from his bed and grab it from the towering admiral, fearing that at any moment he might clench his fingers and crush the container in his oversized hand. As he was about to try to move, the bee leaned forward, holding the container for him to grab. The mouse wasted no time, grabbing the container and holding it to his chest protectively.

He stared down into the tiny streets, almost tearing up with joy when he could make out the tiny dots mingling around between them. A large section of the city had been reduced flat, in the distinct shape of a heel. There were even lights coming from the tiny buildings.

"You can communicate with them using the button on the side."

Eleos looked up, way up. The admiral had stood up to his full height while he was busy inspecting the feline habitat. "I-"

"They were quite adamant about staying by your side, regardless of the promise that it was safe to relocate them back on the planet." Anhur turned and started walking to the door. "There is someone there eager to speak with you."

Before Eleos could get another word out, the admiral was out of the room, leaving him alone. He quickly turned his attention back to the habitat, pressing the button on the side, a blue light lit up beside it.

"H-hello?"

"Hey! You're alive! Thank the stars!" A familiar voice beamed.

Unable to contain his feelings any longer, Eleos broke into sobs.

He spent the next three hours recounting the past few days to the mouse.

When the heel crashed down on the edge of their container he'd though that was it. There was no way that fate would allow them to survive three separate attempts at stomping them but it had happened.

Finding themselves under the gaze of this new alien species, not knowing what was happening, not knowing where their lone protector in the world was. not even knowing if he was alive.

Spes had done the only thing he could think of. He'd told the populace that remained to hide indoors.

When the container opened again he could only pray.

And it seemed those prayers had been heard. Instead of being crushed or worse, a large amount of food was deposited inside the container, once he managed to work through the disbelief he sent out squads of people to gather and distribute the supplies. For the moment they felt a sliver of safety once more.

...until they saw the insectoid. For the longest time he'd thought the rodents would be the largest thing he'd see in his life, the bee sent the fear of gods into his heart. When he heard him speak he could hardly keep his voice steady enough to reply.

"So yeah." Spes sighed. "I-it's been rough."

"I-I'm so glad you're safe." The mouse said, still recovering from his emotional breakdown. "I-I'm sorry-i should have d-done more to keep you safe."

"It's okay." The feline replied, holding back his own emotions. It was admittedly hard to see the mouse like this. Hard to believe that someone that big could seem so vulnerable.

"It isn't." Eleos interjected, leaning over the container. "I should be locked away for the rest of my life."

Spes swallowed. Truth be told he was having trouble reconciling with his feelings on the mouse. By his own admission he'd assisted in the eradication of several cities. How many people was that? Five million? Were they large cities? Small cities? He shook his head. "You heard what Anhur said. We need you for something else."

The mouse blinked, sniffing far above them.

"From what I've heard from the admiral, they're having trouble earning the trust of the people on the planet. Which is understandable." Spes explained. "My people have a hard time viewing them as more invading giants. Anhur explained to me that they need someone they can trust to lead the effort to restore our world."

The mouse blinked again. "T-that cant be me. I-I'm one of those invaders."

"You're also the one that saved the planet." Spes argued. "You at least have some standing with us. I mean, you got use to trust you."

Eleos didn't reply, his eyes scanned the streets idly, clearly lost in thought.

Spes smirked. "Though I'm sure Anhur can set you up with a prison cell if you demand it."

The mouse stared down at them for a moment. For the first time in a week the mouse laughed, then wheezed from the strain it put on his body. "That's a great set of choices. When you put it like that, how can i refuse?"

#micro

Long Night Ahead

Souvenir. (Part 6.)