Aftran Three-Zero-Zero (or Three for short) is confused but hiding it as he looks around their route. All the robots - strange-looking hosts - and then the bodies.
He looks surprised and wary at the command. But as far as he knows she's still a superior officer, and better she do something dodgy to someone else than execute him for mutiny.
He moves over to put the bucket down, then hesitates. "What's your rank, sir?"
"In this place I am supreme visser." She turns to push down the sheet on the fair haired body and open its chest, then turns back and takes the cover off the bucket to look inside.
She reaches into the bucket fearlessly, gently lifting one of the creatures and swiftly transferring it to the damp and very sensory receptive nest in the chest.
"I am Starscream," she says absently as she watches to see what the yeerk does. "Chief scientist of the Alder-Kaianon sector."
Then she croons softly and touches the body's forehead with her hand. "Can you hear me, friend?"
He nods, then inspects the bucket. Identifying other Yeerks from a host form takes long familiarity and practice, but it's only a minute before he lifts out one, sniffs it to be sure, and takes it over to the spare drone. He leans down to murmur in the ear as it stirs, aiming to fill Five in before it has to talk.
Dallesh watches her, waiting for the others to be done. Three's briefing at its core consists of an update and a reiteration of Starscream's speech - with additional comments along the lines of 'this is really strange, but...'
Shortly he falls silent and Aftran Five-Zero-Eight turns to stare at Starscream with narrowed eyes. "What are you?"
Starscream shrugs and walks over to hold a device over the cranial unit of the shell that Five is using, her calibrations and adjustments perhaps causing slight dizziness to the yeerk inside. "I needed test subjects, and decided to take the first ones that came my way. Don't disconnect, I won't get proper readings if you do."
"No, that is a condition. You must also phase out the use of sentient beings as hosts." She frowns slightly and remotely taps a control on the scanner. "Are you hearing evenly from both audio receivers?"
"As long as I need you." The scientist's reply is also in ultrasonics, and she makes note of the receptivity of the shells' ability to pick up the frequencies and nods with satisfaction.
The body responds beautifully. It's also sending a request for fuel.
Five hides its surprise, realising that Starscream will probably detect it anyway and being annoyed by that. So she knows our language... "And how long do you estimate that will be?"
Dallesh sits up, flexing joints and inspecting its new interior. "It's... hungry."
Three watches his squadmate in surprise. "How come you can move?"
"That depends on many variables." She reaches into subspace and then offers Dallesh what looks like a packet of baby cookies, ignoring the drone that's taking care of Five as she continues to scan the technician.
Dallesh controls itself and holds back long enough not to look like Phil a totally host-happy moron. It takes the cookies and nods politely to Starscream in thanks.
"Such as?" Five demands, eyeing the drone. Automated medic. What fun. "Perhaps your kind feels differently but we... have little tolerance for being paralysed."
The small femme looks toward her interrogator, arching a brow. "That is another of my prototype shells. Where else should it be if not in the lab where I'm building it, hmmm?"
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He looks surprised and wary at the command. But as far as he knows she's still a superior officer, and better she do something dodgy to someone else than execute him for mutiny.
He moves over to put the bucket down, then hesitates. "What's your rank, sir?"
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Meanwhile, Three is backing away a few steps. He looks between Starscream and the body, his voice hushed when he speaks. "Who are you?"
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"I am Starscream," she says absently as she watches to see what the yeerk does. "Chief scientist of the Alder-Kaianon sector."
Then she croons softly and touches the body's forehead with her hand. "Can you hear me, friend?"
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Then she frowns as something beeps on the monitor over Dallesh's table and walks over to gently tinker around the edge of the control pit.
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Shortly he falls silent and Aftran Five-Zero-Eight turns to stare at Starscream with narrowed eyes. "What are you?"
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The body responds beautifully. It's also sending a request for fuel.
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Dallesh sits up, flexing joints and inspecting its new interior. "It's... hungry."
Three watches his squadmate in surprise. "How come you can move?"
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"Such as?" Five demands, eyeing the drone. Automated medic. What fun. "Perhaps your kind feels differently but we... have little tolerance for being paralysed."
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"Telrim Four-whatever," Three says suddenly, looking to Five, then to Starscream. "You mentioned her name."
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"Where does she come into this?" Five asks coldly.
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