#41 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Posted on Mon Mar 6th, 2023 @ 5:27pm by Major Jackson "JJ" Barnes {Meji} & Lieutenant JG Ainkara "Kara" {Meji}

Mission: Vanished
Location: starbase
Timeline: current

ON:

Ainkara, along with Barnes and the other two marines, made their way through the bowels of the base, checking all the spaces in between the massive machinery in place. The marines wore their goggles and earbuds, while Ainkara used the Force to aid her in 'feeling' her way along when conditions weren't ideal for either sight or sound. From an angle of the light ahead, cascading their way and causing shadows to stretch their way, Ainkara raised a hand and squatted. Using her hand she used two fingers to point at her own eyes, then spun the hand around to show she wanted Barnes to look that way, and low.

JJ was next to Ainkara as she stopped and went to a knee, giving him the sign to look out and away, but down. When he did so his eyes saw a puddle of the same orange-ish jelly goo he had scanned before. "That's the blood, or whatever, I scanned earlier. It seems the critter is still wounded and bleeding again."

Their tones were kept low as Ainkara responded. "Then we must be cautious. A wounded animal is far more dangerous."

Barnes gave her a nod, then used hand signals to get Jacobs and Scabbia to go around to the right of a large cache of machinery. Scabbia took point and off they went. "Keep your eyes out for more goo. I'll be busy making sure we don't get ambushed."

Ainkara gave him a gentle double hammer blow to his right bicep, showing she agreed, then got moving. She had no weapons drawn and she reached out with the Force to guide her, trying to use Sense to determine as much as she could, and to remain ready to move should danger come her way. Cautiously she moved forward as Barnes watched around them, his eyes darting this way and that to make sure all angles were covered. Getting to the puddle/pile of gelatinous goo, Ainkara peered around the corner to the right. There, laying against a replicator tank, was a large insectoid being. Next to it was a spear, laying on the deck, as the creature was holding a sphere of some kind to its rather dangerous looking jaws as a probuscis was coming forth to lap up whatever was in the greenish-blue sphere. It was obviously some type of organic substance it was ingesting, possibly to aid in healing. Ainkara gave Barnes the signal of around the corner before standing to her full height and walking out in the open to be seen.

The creature sputtered its 'meal', trying to sit up, but it was obvious from the oozing wound in its side that it was not able to do so just yet. It slumped back against the machinery, its antennae drooping as a sign it was not doing well. It chittered and sputtered at Ainkara, and then more came forth when Barnes appeared and held a rifle pointed at it. Reaching out, Ainkara gently placed her hand on Jack's rifle barrel, easing it down to a more neutral position, after which she then unbuckled the thigh strap for her sidearm before undoing the whole belt and handing it over to Barnes, showing the creature she was now unarmed.

Holding her hands up in a non-offensive manner Ainkara began to ease forward, one slow step at a time, motioning to her own side to mimic the creature's wounded side, her hands used in a way to ask permission to get closer. At no point had the creature reached for its weapon, seemingly understanding that it would be fruitless to do so. It was in no condition to put up a fight.

"Cadet, I'm not sure that's a good idea," said Barnes.

Ainkara angled her head so that the creature knew she was speaking to Barnes behind her. "Trust has to be established, Chief. I will risk life and limb to defend all living things. It is hurt, and I am sensing fear."

"Okay," said Barnes, his tone letting her know he meant business. "If it moves too sudden I will stun the piss out of it."

At this point Ainkara had moved in close enough that she began to crouch and get closer, and when only a meter away, she again motioned to the creature's wounded side, then her own eyes, then back at the creature, asking if it was okay for her to see it. There was hesitation, she could sense that, and confusion. The being was trying to decide if letting an alien examine its obvious wound would be detrimental. "I will not harm you if you don't harm me. I only wish to help."

The insectoid tilted its head, as if understanding, then began to chitter and garble at her, its antennae raising slightly as it seemed to find hope that it might survive this encounter.

Ainkara got in close, too close for Jack's comfort, but he did not interfere seeing that the Cadet was establishing a rapport with the thing. She was on its opposite side from the wound, so would have to lean over the critter to examine it. It still had four arms with nasty looking claws and dangerous spines on them. Barnes did not point his weapon at it but he was ready to do so at a moment's notice. He spotted Jacobs and Scabbia coming from around the other side and motioned for them to stop and hunker down and wait.

Getting in close alongside the creature Ainkara then leaned over and saw where it held one of its smaller hands on the smaller set of arms, the gelatinous ichor seeping from between its armored, clawed fingers. She could see the carapace was burned and cracked open, even melted somewhat from the heat from the phaser bolt that had clipped it. Reaching out and over the insectoid, Ainkara held her hand over the creature's, splaying her fingers out and pressing gently. The insectoid emitted a few garbles, as if in pain. Closing her eyes Ainkara pulled the Force within her and then sent it through her hand and into the wound. She knew nothing about the physiology of these beings but the Force provided. As she poured her strength into the Force and then through her hand, she felt the creature begin to breathe easier, felt its pain lessening. The Force told her when it was finished and Ainkara opened her eyes and pulled her hand away, the carapace now closed up and healed with a scar showing where the crack had been. As she leaned back she felt dizzy and went back on her buttocks, with Barnes coming in and dropping his rifle on its sling to be able to catch her as she looked to keep tumbling back.

"Easy there, Ainkara," he said, being a backstop for her to lean back into.

"That took a lot out of me," Ainkara responded. "But, HE is healed."

"He?" Asked Barnes.

"Yes," she replied, folding her legs to sit lotus and stop leaning back on Jack. "The Force gave me that detail as it healed him."

The insectoid chittered and garbled rapidly, its antennae now strong and upright as they should be, even as it kept looking down at its side in what appeared to be the body language of disbelief.

Ainkara did not understand what it was trying to say, but she could sense what the meaning behind its words were. Not super accurate, but enough to speak to it with some semblance of what its feelings were. Empathy seemed to be a trait passed on by the Force and she used it to gain trust, and hopefully, understanding. "We are not here to harm you, or your people. We are here to find our people."

The insectoid got to its feet, leaving its weapon on the deck for now, then reached out a hand to aid Ainkara in standing, which she took and got to her feet. It chittered and garbled some more.

"I wish I could understand you. In time, perhaps, that will be possible." Her voice still sounded weak, as if she was exhausted. The insectoid reached down and took up the sphere, still filled with some greenish-blue goop it had been sucking on, and made to hand it to her. Ainkara, not wanting to be rude, took the offered receptacle, looking first at it, and then at the ant. "I do not understand."

The insectoid used all four of its arms to do an up and down motion of its body, several times, and as it did so it puffed out its chest to mimic strength and vitality. Then, when that was done, it made a motion for her to drink but did not touch the item, letting Ainkara decide for herself what to do.

"You actually gonna drink that stuff," asked Barnes.

Ainkara did not respond, instead bringing the item close to her face to sniff the contents. It smelled like honey with a hint of raspberry, and the organic sphere itself was warm in her palm. So, bringing the item to her lips she tilted it and let the viscuous contents enter her mouth, warm and soothing it was, with a menthol aroma to back the flavors. Nothing else for it she had a mouthful and swallowed it, the stuff tingling all the way down inside her body as she handed it back to the ant. It swiped one of its hands over the top and the sphere closed up, looking as if it had never been open, and he placed it in a pouch he carried on his lumbar region, which covered the top portion of his upper abdomen.

Within the few minutes they all stood there, Jacobs and Scabbia joining them, Ainkara's eyes suddenly got wide and she began to grin like the Cheshire cat. "That is most unexpected."

"What?" Asked Jacobs. "What is unexpected?"

"All my exhaustion, all my aches and pains, are now gone. Whatever that drink is it acts like an adrenal. My stamina has been restored." Ainkara put her hands together in front of her, the prayer hands, then leaned in slightly in a bowing gesture. "Thank you," she said to the insectoid.

The insectoid gave a nod of sorts.

"Okay, we're all friends now," said Barnes. "All that's left is to convince it to come with us without a fight."

Scabbia came in next to Ainkara and looking at the beast. "Hello," she said with a smile, to which it garbled back. Making her own hand motions and charades she began to talk and gesture. "Will you come with us. Up above. So we," her hands went back and forth between them. "Can speak to you with our leaders."

JJ was impressed. Who knew that some of the grunts in their unit could actually be diplomatic. Not that it was helping. The beastie seemed a bit confused by all the up and down hand gestures. "Teresa, you are definitely Italian. You're good at talking with your hands, but damn, let the guy catch up," he chuckled.

"Bite me," Scabbia retorted in fun, also giggling.

The humor and mirth seemed to relax the beast. He stood perfectly casual, if there was such a thing for a bug man, so JJ stepped over and took up the spear it had been carrying, handing it over to the ant man. He then made a gesture to come with them, getting everyone else, including Ainkara, to start moving to the lifts. The beastie followed along, still more focused on Ainkara as it continued to shitter and garble at her as they went.

For Ainkara's part she was using the Force to begin to reach out and tie together the sounds it made with the tone and gestures, analyzing its language on a metaphysical level. Master Ro had told her that there were many who could use the Force to understand foreign languages, even if they had never heard them before. Sure, she couldn't speak it, but it seemed to understand her well enough that she felt the need to try and use her gifts to do the same for him. "We are going to meet with others from our," a memory popped in quick as could be, so to put the insectoid at ease even further she would use its terminology for certain things. "Nest. Some are healers, and one is the hive leader. There will be many of us so do not be alarmed. I will allow no one to harm you, I give you my word." She hoped he understood that if he attacked them first, then that promise would be null and void.

So, with their newest being coming along with them the group of bug hunters made it back to the medical bay.

OFF: