The hivemind is conquering for me?

Aeletha inhaled the unique fragrance of the tea before her. It was nutty and woody, not her usual taste, but considering her host It made perfect sense. The female Akrokra in front of her was no nonsense, she put no airs around her ’Seer’ and merely treated her as a normal guest on the planet, something Aeletha appreciated immensely.

Aeletha picked up the tea and took a sip. It tasted identical to how it smelt. Aeletha listened to her host take a few sips from the wide bowl the Akrokra tended to use for teas before it asked.

”So, what brings you to my planet, my Seer? Your wings have brought you too far into the west for just a friendly visit. Though, please feel free to surprise me, as long as its not conscription notices that is.”

Aeletha smiled softly. ”No, you have nothing to worry about in that regard Qurekaw, the pact is still valid. Besides, the Plipits are making so many Thurx right now that forced conscription is still a long way off from being needed, hopefully perpetually.”

”Says the Starforged that called for an offensive war now after decades of defence...” Qurekaw muttered, but Aeletha ignored the snipe.

”I am actually here on Yatagar on personal business, not a matter of state. I am following up the aftermath of a favour gone wrong and I could use your help to warm the air pocket I am in to speed this along? ”

Aeletha then heard as the stoic bird’s feathers postured in surprise before a soft laugh escaped her beak. ”Keh Keh, I appreciate you trying to translate the local saying, but it doesn’t roll out of the beak as well in common. Keh Keh. But that said, you made these old Akrokra laugh, I suppose I can help you with your personal favour” Qurekaw then gestured for Aeletha to go ahead. She then paused for a moment realising what she just did to who she did it to and corrected herself. ” I gestured to you to go ahead and say your piece.”

Aeletha smiled, she heard the wind bristle against Qurekaw’s wings and knew she did, but she appreciated her host losing her composure for a brief moment. ”I am looking for a female Akrokra, in her fifties to sixties by regulation calendar. Goes by the name of Kwiaraock. She worked at the Archive of lost species on Calnivis close to a decade ago and then handed in her retirement papers early and sourced her replacement. I hate to admit this, but my visions regarding the reason I wish to speak with this Akrokra have left me more blind than usual, so the sooner she can be found the better.”

Qurekaw stayed silent for a moment after hearing that before stretching her entire body. She then jumped off her perch and grabbed two canes. one double her height and one half that at only a foot.

She then handed the taller one to Aeletha and said. ”Come on, let’s go to my office. Working a poor old female, have you no shame? Just for this I am not telling you where the gaps are in the floor.”

Aeletha smiled as she stood up and used the cane she had brought with her and began to follow the sound of old rustling feathers while using said cane to prevent her from plummeting into the forest canopy below via tactical exit holes.

As the duo walked to their destination, Qurekaw paused at one point and asked, while watching Aeletha bide her time. ”How are you coping without your aura vision? I didn’t think you would be this bad.”

Aeletha frowned in the direction of the big bird. ” I would be fine if there were no holes in the floor, it’s messing up my hearing, but being here on private business, I will gladly follow your empire’s laws.”

The Akrokra empire was an independent empire that was allied under the collaboration of the Coalition. Meaning it was a part of the Coalition council and was not a client state of any other faction, such as the relationship between the Starforged and the Plipit. As such, in their own domain, they could enact laws as the rulers saw fit, as long as there were no discrimination laws to other coalition members.

One such law was the absolute prohibition of Psionics of any kind within the empire’s borders. This was due to the fact that the entire species was Psionically inept. In their entire existence, not a single Akrokra has achieved a Psionic awakening.

To keep its populace safe from strange space magic, any Psionic being that entered the empire’s borders would be told of this law and after the warning, if the law was broken, permanent exile or even sentencing to death depending on the Psionic severity were the range of outcomes. Of course there were exceptions, such as the spiritual leader of the empire that uses her Psionics as prosthetic eyes would naturally be forgiven.

Qurekaw shrugged her wings and continued forward in silence. If the Seer wanted to plummet to her death in order to be respectful, that was her business. ’Caw! These blasted joints of mine.’ she cursed, vowing to take a nice bath after all this was over.

As Aeletha entered Qurekaw’s office, she sighed in relief as she felt all solid ground from what her hearing could tell. She walked over to Qurekaw who was typing on a clicky board, and sat down on the chair that was conveniently placed for those of the none perching variety.

Aeletha sat in bliss for a moment listening to nothing but the winds gently swaying through the leaves outside and the oddly satisfying clicking of the archaic tech the Akrokra enjoyed so much.

Fifteen minutes later, Qurekaw interrupted the silence by saying. ”So, I think I found your Akrokra. But there is a sunny sky and a dark storm to the news I share with you. The sunny sky is that she cannot leave the location she currently is. A penal colony. She has been there for two years now for... Oh how sad, nest neglect. Poor hatchlings...”

The term hatchling for some reason prompted Aeletha to have that reoccurring vision she was tormented with of a certain Archon showing her no mercy with his strength. As she came back to, Qurekaw was looking at her oddly, her eyes were narrowed and Aeletha could tell she was smirking.

”One hundred and six years I have known you for, Aeletha. And in that time I have never seen you aroused, until now... Maybe now I can finally keel over, having seen literally everything? Keh Keh. Who is the lucky creature that has your mind?”

Aeletha kept her face stoic. ”Nobody, it’s a recurring vision of a potential future. An earworm of the mind you could say. Not having relations for hundreds of thousands of years, the first vision like that naturally sticks around. Now, can you tell me the bad news?”

”Keh Keh, you keep on lying to the wise old Akrokra before you who has laid over two hundred fertile eggs. I know the difference between arousal and what you are feeling, but I will save your dignity, since I have grown soft in my old age, unlike you.... Lucky *squawk* Now bad news? Ah yes, yes. Not bad news for me or our neglecter here. More bad news for you. As you know, another law is no FTL in this empire and the penal colony is eighteen star systems away... So you have quite a way to go before your wings can rest.”

Aeletha inhaled deeply at Qurekaw’s news and pushed her hair between her horns. ”Well, thank you very much for your help Qurekaw. I am sure I-”

”Empress! I bring news- Oh, Lady Seer! I was not aware that-” ”Spit it out already, you have already disrupted my personal time, you might as well test my patience now too.” Qurekaw said to her servant.

The servant postured his feathers in subservience and stated. ”Empress, the banquet for the leaders of the neighbouring systems is due to start any moment, we must get you ready. We even managed to acquire some live exotic worms from the barbarian empire all the way in the east! Smuggled through the... routes.” The male suddenly paused, realising what he had just confessed in front of who he just confessed to.”

Aeletha stood up, ignoring that confession, she wasn’t here on official duty after all and turned to Qurekaw. ”Well, ’Empress’ I must be off, I have a long flight ahead of me with only a simpleton for company. Enjoy your banquet.”

Qurekaw simply squawked in amusement. ”I don’t think so, my ’Seer’. For the hundreds of events I have gotten you out of over the years, you owe me a dinner. Your presence will keep the annoyingly handsome suitors, who are trying to get one last set of good eggs out of me before I keel over, far away from my tailfeathers. And to be honest, my heart would probably go out midway through the kiss... Hmm, not a bad way to go now that I think about it... Nah, best not. This empire needs me for a few more years. Come, come. I will find you something to wear that is more culturally appropriate than that attire while we are at it. We can’t have the Seer looking like a vagabond at one of my own banquets, It would reflect badly on me and we especially cannot have that. Now grab your cane and let us go, your target can wait one more day after all.”