“So, that’s essentially how things stand.”
That night, as they lay in their nest, Sarkadi spoke of the matter with his partner. His fingers unconsciously stroked the other’s soft, drooping little wings.
“He seems to be in earnest this time, determined to send Arthur away.”
“Aren’t you going to try and persuade him?” Gera asked softly.
“He doesn’t exactly look like he’s in the mood to listen to me,” the Core Seed replied with a wry smile. “I tried, and then Clark reminded me that we still have unsettled debts between us. I was the one who brought the human here. After everything that’s happened, the fact that he hasn’t twisted my head off is already a sign of immense courtesy. Besides, Arthur... I still find his ideas a bit too far-fetched.”
He couldn’t help but sigh. “Between a human and an insect... it’s too difficult. Out of countless paths, he chose the most heterodox one. Humanity won’t accept it, and the Swarm refuses to acknowledge it. What’s more, Clark has no such intentions; he only views himself as a guardian.”
This was a perspective they had never discussed. In matters of emotion, the black Female still retained human consciousness and logic, always adopting a rather conservative approach. In the beginning, Gera had even suspected that his partner only decided to “give it a try” because of a lingering human mindset that “if you kiss someone, you must take responsibility for them.”
“I actually envy Arthur quite a bit.”
The white insect found a comfortable position in Sarkadi’s arms, curling into a small ball. Even after being fed so much that his height had shot up, the Male was still slight in stature, unable to compare to the naturally robust and swift predators.
“You’re looking at this from Clark’s perspective, so you’ve maintained a negative stance. But I can understand Simmons as a human. When we first met, I was terrified.”
Gera gripped his partner’s hand, his scaled tail winding tightly around him. “I was so afraid you would hit me, eat me, or force me to mate. I thought you were just like those low-to-mid-tier crew members, here to hurt me.”
His voice grew smaller. “And the way you looked at me, expressionless and covered in blood... it was a bit scary.”
Sarkadi recalled the scene of their first meeting. The other had been in tatters; one wing hung limp while the other was torn at the joint, his small tail partially severed. His body was a mess of layered old and new wounds, bitten out of shape, still seeping blood when Sarkadi had picked him up.
At that time, Sarkadi had just finished updating his "Battle Royale 1.0" version, having dismantled the entire crew into a floor full of scrap. Drenched in gore, he had crouched before the silent, terrified Male, observing him with cold indifference.
He really deserved a kick for that. It was the kind of memory that made one want to wake up in the middle of the night and slap oneself twice. Back then, his mind was filled with the simple joy of snapping insect heads; he never could have imagined he would one day become Gera’s partner.
Upon reflection, he found the fact that Gera liked him even more incomprehensible—after such a terrible first impression, a normal person or insect would likely have nightmares just seeing him in a dream.
But the Male seemed to possess mind-reading abilities, answering his silent confusion.
“Later, when we reached Ja, and you chose to keep me instead of selling me to the mining districts, I was very, very happy.”
As he spoke in a low voice, Gera hugged the pitch-black Core Seed, nuzzling him in a way that left his own pheromones on the other’s body. “I was indeed fearful then. The cargo on the raider ship wasn’t enough to trade for the energy needed for the next voyage, so I thought I was truly going to be sold.”
That slender white tail tapped against Sarkadi’s body rhythmically.
“So when you said I was not for sale, I was so happy I nearly went mad. You didn’t hurt me, and you gave me plenty of food and a safe little nest. I thought then, if such a powerful Female—one who wouldn’t make me hurt so much—could become my partner, that would be wonderful.”
The Male laughed softly, as if recalling something joyful. “I would never have to worry about being bullied again.”
“I was actually quite wicked at first,” Gera said seriously, looking into his partner’s golden-brown eyes. “My feelings for you didn’t start because you were a good person or a good insect, but because I wanted to live in a stable environment.”
Sarkadi held him, letting the other sit in his lap. The white insect was warm and soft, smelling so fragrant that the Core Seed’s scent glands instinctively sought to capture his partner’s aroma.
“That isn’t a mistake, Roxanne.” Looking at him tenderly, the black Female’s voice softened. “I’m sorry for scaring you in the beginning. I wasn’t very good to you during that time.”
Gera covered his mouth.
“Don’t apologize,” he whispered. “We don’t need to apologize to each other. I understand. You’ve already done enough. And you really are very good. It’s just that sometimes, I still can’t help but envy Arthur.”
The Male’s voice was light; even his wings stopped fluttering. “He is a bit luckier than me, because his true parents loved him, and that never changed until the day they died.”
This was a concept too foreign for the Swarm. To insects, love was the most useless thing compared to instinct. Occasionally, a few unique existences appeared—like Kata, Serin, or Clark—who, like black sheep among the flock, cautiously concealed this part of themselves as if it were a defect.
“He has been loved from the very beginning.”
That was why the human appeared so confident. Those who have never lacked love do not suffer from the fear of gain and loss.
“And I hope he can stay this way forever—knowing no fear, never retreating.”
When Sarkadi kissed him, Gera leaned against him, letting the kisses fall on the side of his neck like the rustling of leaves or a gentle drizzle. The white insect closed his eyes briefly.
“You will always be surrounded by friends and brothers who share similarities with you—like the Short-Wings of the energy planet, Kata, or the Armored Species. Even Arthur and Clark are very good.”
Sarkadi couldn’t help but touch those white eyelashes that looked like small fans, eliciting a slight tremor. Gera looked at him quietly.
“Being abandoned, being left behind... it is a very painful thing,” the Male said. “Therefore, I hope they can be even luckier than I once was.”
***
The next day, the Core Seed boarded the *Red Tai Sui* once more.
The ship was preparing to depart, waiting only for the next batch of energy to be delivered and replenished before setting out again. The brief stay of two cycles had already sent shockwaves through the Swarm. The remaining major Core Genetic Tribes were in a state of constant agitation, as if scalded by boiling water.
Clark’s tactfulness was on full display during this time. He did not force the Core Seed to explain his relationship with the *Red Tai Sui*, and he remained vague with the tribes he was on better terms with. He maintained a veil of mystery, letting all the insects guess for themselves.
As for the hostile Broad-Winged and Pedipalp Tribes, they were nearly scared to death by this "great killing machine" parked right next to their territory. One moment they were certain the Grey-Wings had formed a total alliance with the humans, and the next they were baffled by the lack of movement, peeking and prying every day to figure out what was going on.
Sarkadi: “...”
*I don’t even understand why things turned out like this myself. It’s only right that you’re confused.*
After spending most of the day organizing documents with his former partner, painful memories from many years ago attacked him once more. Reporting work—the eternal enemy of his life. He had changed factions with the memories of his past life, yet he still couldn't escape the fate of writing reports for Klein and Evelyn to review.
“I could organize all the information instantly,” the *Red Tai Sui* said, its tone so calm it made Sarkadi feel resentful. “But my stored knowledge of interpersonal relations tells me that writing it yourself will appear more sincere. It will help them better understand your current situation and individual status.”
“They’ll only want to flush this pile of nonsense down the drain,” Sarkadi replied unceremoniously. He felt as if he had returned to his days of frantic writing; who said the soul grows old? When he was fabricating greeting letters, his state of mind couldn't be younger.
“When are you leaving?”
“In three days.” The starship’s status was as stable as ever. “I apologize for being unable to intervene in the upcoming battles. As a member of the human faction, I cannot truly interfere in the internal conflicts of the Swarm.”
The Eyes of Horus, capturing images, swiveled one after another, scrutinizing the familiar yet strange black Female before them. “A few days ago, I received an inquiry from the Sub-King of the Grey-Winged Tribe. He hopes I can take the human currently under my care to the vicinity of Camlann. In exchange, he has arranged for a new batch of stellar core energy as compensation. I wanted to ask for your opinion on this matter.”
*Well, then.*
Sarkadi hadn't expected Clark to go directly to the *Red Tai Sui*. The fact that a Sub-King and a "King-Beheading Machine" could have a natural conversation was bizarre in itself. Clark was truly dead-set on getting rid of Arthur, even going around Sarkadi to find a third party.
“This is a bit of a headache.”
He tossed the half-finished data pad to his old partner. The ship scanned it and found three whole pages describing "how joyful it is to be in a relationship" in extravagant detail—the kind of thing that would make Evelyn reach for her whip.
“Wait here. I’ll go find a way. Best not to get tangled in this just yet.”
Free from the torment of writing, the Core Seed instantly appeared in the human’s recovery room. He still didn't think the young man’s choice was reasonable, but Clark’s state was indeed off. Letting them part ways like this could easily drive that high-ranking insect to extremes. The civil war and death matches within the Grey-Winged Tribe had already made the silver-grey Female more aggressive than before.
In the recent meetings to draft the upcoming combat plans, Sarkadi could clearly feel Clark’s strategies becoming increasingly hardened. But in this world, there is always something that can subdue another. He couldn't handle the current Sub-King, and he didn't want to waste the energy trying. It was better to throw the problem directly to Arthur.
“Stop resting, I have something to tell you.”
Sarkadi pulled up a chair and sat down. The blue-eyed youth happened to be awake, sitting in bed in his pajamas reading a book. The severe wounds from before were almost invisible now; the progress of medical civilization was truly the light of hope for humanity.
After they talked behind closed doors for ten minutes, Arthur got up and politely escorted him to the door.
“Thank you for coming,” the human youth said with a smile, his hand resting on the lounge’s hatch. “I will resolve it. And thank you for saving him and me before.”
At this moment, Sarkadi did not yet know how much of a commotion a young human could cause when "resolving" a problem. He had underestimated the terrifying nature of the new generation.
Thus, the black Female returned happily to the nest, bumped tails with the partner who greeted him, and decided to prepare some exotic beast pincers as a reward for himself and Gera.
According to the original plan, he was about to set out. Along with the Armored Species and Clark, they would split into three routes to perform a final sweep of the entire star territory belonging to the Grey-Winged Tribe. Only then, after the crimson starship departed, could they tear apart their two ill-intentioned neighbors without any lingering worries.
The next day, following his established pattern of visits, the high-ranking insect boarded the *Red Tai Sui* once more, intending to check on the sleeping human.
He didn't leave much time for their final moments together. The *Red Tai Sui* would take Arthur back to Camlann.
In the excessively long years they had spent together, he had almost forgotten that he had initially adopted a human child because of the pain of losing his own larva. Arthur wasn't actually like his larva. The young human, as a completely new existence, had become a part of his life.
Until now. Everything that was wrong needed to be set right. The boy should have a life that belonged to him.
The youth was sleeping as quietly as always. The injuries had plunged his body into periodic exhaustion, and the use of the healing pod had only deepened this lethargy; the hours he spent awake each day were few.
The silver-grey Female couldn't help but lean down and press his forehead against the other’s. Just as he had done thousands of times over the past dozen or so Great Cycles.
In the future, he would no longer have such a near-extravagant opportunity.
However, in the next second, his arm was firmly seized. As if to prevent an escape, pale fingers gripped the high-ranking insect tightly.
When Clark looked up, he met a pair of lake-blue eyes.
***
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