The Technician's Fight, Draft 1, CH45

Gralgiran watched the pack exit the chamber, a broken Jer between them. He wanted to go to him. Take him from them. Bring him home and comfort him, nurse him to sanity. But he couldn’t.

Jer needed to believe his pack still loved him before he’d trust anyone else. They were who he depended on in the hunt. They needed to show him they understood what he’d done. They needed to convince him they’d all gone through the same thing.

He remember the mess of a person he’d been once his session ended. They’d preyed on all his insecurities. Even some he didn’t know he had. They’d used his fear that his trust in his namesakes was a sham. Something he put forward to gain advantage. They’d screwed with his mind so deeply it took his pack weeks before he believed it was over. More before he believed them, when they explained this was how it was meant to go.

He had to break. It was the only way this first session ended.

He wished knowing that had made putting himself back together easier.

He hoped Jer would have an easier time of it.

“They’ll make sure he heals,” the beta next to him said. He hadn’t said it, when he’d accompanied Gralgiran, but he was there to ensure he didn’t intervene.

“I know. I never realized what I ask of you, Beta. How painful it has to be to break them like that.”

“I volunteered, remember that. You didn’t force this on me.”

“How can you do this with each of them? I would have walked away after the first one.”

“My namesake ensured I had the mind for it. It takes a level of insanity to survive being this cruel. She saw to it I had it, and that I found my way to the hunters. I try to avoid thinking of the kind of male I would have become without them.”

“You have my gratitude for how you perform your duty, Beta Goramik Toribar sel Gezbiliam.”

*

“Groskhirota Restis,” Gralgiran said, once the comm hunter nodded. “This is the Viper’s Bane on approach. Eta, three days. We will need two docks as we are arriving with prey that will need a dedicated berth. Docking ring will have to be adapted, the ship is one of a kind. We have patients in suspended animation to be handed over to their representatives, as well as prisoners for those who have accepted to take responsibility for them. If the Kelsirian military ship who will be taking those heading to Kelser has not arrived yet, we will need cells to house those prisoners.”

He always preferred docking as the Traveler, but a merchant ship would have a difficult time explaining the ship attached to it. It was also good to remind stations on the edge of their territories they weren’t alone out there. Both so they knew they had protection if needed, and so they wouldn’t think Kelser law no longer applied to them.

“Viper’s Bane, request has been received. Representatives have been informed, and will contact you directly if arrangements need to be made for the hand-off. Docks are being assigned. Transmit ring schematic for the modifications. The ship Broriton’s Gutting is waiting for you to contact them directly regarding the prisoners they are to receive.”

“Thank you, station. Transmitting schematics.”

“Received. See you in three days.”

“Contact the Gutting,” he instructed.

“Captain,” the female on the screen greeted him. “You can address me as Fleet Commander Oshterim Tromak Delrikamar.”

“You can address me as Captain Gralgiran sel Helrarvnir.” He decided not to make a point that she should address him as Alpha, since this was hunt related. He already expected enough trouble from her if they had sent a fleet commander for the exchange. He’d have Toom look into her after this.

“I’m told you have some prey for us.” She consulted her tablet. “Halans,” she said with disdain, “and scientists.”

“The scientists have claimed citizenship and been accepted.”

She frowned. “That’s improper. They were in our territory, you should never have given them the opportunity to make that demand.”

“Unclaimed territory, Fleet Commander. And Federation Law—”

“Don’t quote me law, Captain. We are within Kelsirian territory, so you will put our interests first.”

“The requests have already been filed by the prisoners and accepted by the representatives. You’ll have to take it up with them to have access.”

“Captain—”

“Alpha. I’m not one of yours, Fleet Commander. I gave you the latitude to show respect, but since you won’t, I’ll enforce it. I am contracted to the Federation to protect the line. I will not behave in a way that will reflect poorly on my Alpha, or my people. I have done things according to procedures and followed the Leadership’s orders that came through proper channels. You want those changed, you have three days. Otherwise, things stand as they are.”

“What about the package you promised?”

“That delivery will happen as set. The item has been secured and locked. It will be handed over along with the prisoners and Kelsirian patients.”

“Do you have identities for them?” she asked, tone softening.

“No. The suspended state makes getting details from their minds difficult, and what my mentalist could find didn’t give results. The Earther were not kind enough to name the patients, and we’ve yet to decrypt the list of identification code to a name.”

“If they even bothered doing that.”

“Agreed.”

“Genetics?”

“The pods don’t have access port to extract that. The design isn’t something my medics are familiar with, and I’m not trusting one of the Earthers to tell me if they can safely be opened. I’d rather their identification wait, than find I’ve been lied to when the pod’s occupant dies.”

She still wasn’t happy. “What about that database? Anything pointing to who financed the operation?”

“What’s been found points to a mix of corporate and civilian interests. We lack access to information to find out if there’s anyone behind them connected to their government. Hopefully, Xeniila Haran will like your bed more than mine with this.”

“I don’t need luck to find out who’s responsible.”

Then may Xeniila Haran not be paying attention to our conversation.

“Is there anything else, Fleet Commander?”

“I guessing you aren’t going to volunteer for an inspection.”

“I’ll give you a tour,” he offered in compromise. “But I’m not opening my ship to your techs.”

“I don’t need to see that ship.” The screen went blank.

“Ended on their side,” the comm hunter said.

He rubbed the top of his muzzle. She wasn’t done giving him troubles.

He sent a message to Xenial Tal’Halan.

Warn your uncle to be careful. The Leadership will get in the way.

Then he headed for his other appointment.

*

When Jer stepped out of the room, it was tentative. His beta would have told him Gralgiran was waiting, but even with two weeks of care from his packmates, Jer wouldn’t be back to his old self. He wouldn’t be back to that person ever. Being broken imparted an awareness of who someone was that stayed. It became difficult to delude yourself that you were so superior, once you’d broken down and revealed the things you’d promised yourself you wouldn’t.

When Jer looked at him it was with worry and fear.

Gralgiran smiled and opened his arms.

The hesitation was short, then his Heart was against him.

“I’m sorry,” Jer said in his fur.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” he soothed.

“I thought I’d be stronger.”

“We all do. It’s the point. We need to be shown we aren’t, so we can be taught how to be stronger.”

Jer nodded. “You don’t hate me?”

“I never could, Jer. Certainly not over something no one can beat.”

“Can we go home?”

“Yes.”

Gralgiran took him home, and washed him. It would take more, it had been months before he’d felt clean after his session, but he wouldn’t let his Heart think he was too soiled to be touched.

Then Jer was on him, kissing him urgently, pushing him against the wall, nearly climbing over him until Gralgiran took matters in his hands and raised him. Jer was hungry with that too, and Gralgiran did what he could to sate him.