Remi was already waiting at the head of the mess table, flanked by Mairead and Xuilan, as Isi and Slavko dragged Axchxairx in and threw him into a chair. He was quickly bound and secured, despite his protests, while the captain watched in silence. The scientist struggled against his bindings to no avail, before glaring at the Terran across from him. “What is the meaning of this?” he snarled.

“When I asked you how it was possible for Tyr to be in this place, five thousand light-years and over a century removed from its last known location, you claimed to have no knowledge regarding the cause,” Remi said coolly. “After careful examination of the ship in question, I am now firmly convinced you are fucking lying to me,” he growled, his demeanor abruptly changing mid-sentence. Rising from his chair, he circled the table, stalking his prey until he loomed over the helpless Eleexx doctor. “Mairead… play the recording.”

A nearby monitor activated, positioned to give Axchxairx a perfect view. The images they’d first viewed on Tyr’s bridge played out once again, as the same phenomena that had spit it back out into normal space swallowed whole the ancient battleship. None of the crew watched the transcript. Instead, their attention was focused solely on the doctor himself, gauging his reaction. To his credit, he observed the recording with a curious yet bland stoicism.

As it ended, he looked back up at Remi. “Fascinating. But it proves nothing.”

“Oh, I’m certain you’d be correct if this were a Troika court,” the captain said affably. “We Terrans, on the other hand, are a bit more… informal, about such matters.” He leaned in close, his face mere centimeters from the insectoids. “I am giving you one chance to come clean, Axchxairx. Tell me the truth, the complete truth, and you can walk away from this. Lie to me again, and things get messy.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” the alien scoffed. “Your own Admiral agreed to this mission.”

“I doubt he was in full possession of the facts,” Remi retorted. “If he were, I suspect things would have played out rather differently.” He spun the chair around with a hard yank as he faced him head-on. “Last chance. Tell me what happened to Tyr.”

Axchxairx glared back at him in defiance. “I have no idea.”

A thin smile graced the captain’s features. “I am so very happy to hear you say that,” he said sardonically, before peering up at the other Terrans. “Give me the room,” he ordered.

His crew glanced warily at one another, silently coming to a consensus before looking back at him. “We’re not leaving,” Xuilan said firmly.

Remi’s face darkened. “If you think for one second, you can talk me out of this…” he snarled, only to be interrupted as Isi stepped forward.

“That’s not what we mean, Cap’n,” he said respectfully. “We’re behind you, all the way. You don't have to protect us. We’re Corsairs… well, most of us,” he amended, nodding towards Mairead, “with everything that implies. We do what has to be done, and we don’t look away when shit gets real.”

He stared at them in surprise. “Are you certain about that?” he asked carefully. “Because what comes next isn’t for the squeamish.” The last sentence was as much for the doctor’s benefit as it was for his crew, but they didn’t waver. If anything, their resolve hardened. A glance in Axchxairx’s direction confirmed he hadn’t altered his stance, either.

“We’re positive, Cap’n,” Slavko assured him. “Do what you gotta do.”

Remi nodded in agreement. “Very well,” he acknowledged. “Mairead, go to the engine room, and bring me your tool kit.”

The Tinker raised an eyebrow but headed aft without a word. “Is this theater supposed to frighten me, Terran?” the alien mocked him.

“At least you’ve dropped the pretense of playing the amiable fool,” the captain said. “Thank you for that. It makes the rest of this so much easier.”

Axchxairx clicked his mandibles and looked away. Remi simply waited until Mairead returned, pulling her toolkit behind her. Trundling it up next to him, she locked the wheels in place and opened the drawers, before stepping back. “Just don’t break anything,” she cautioned.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he promised, perusing his options before removing a heavy wrench… not the one she preferred for boarding actions, but something smaller. He smacked it against his palm a few times, feeling its heft, before returning his attention to the scientist.

“You have epoxy, don’t you?” he asked his engineer.

“Sure,” she nodded. “Why?”

“I’ll explain in a moment.” Taking the wrench, he lightly tapped the alien’s hardened exoskeleton. “I understand it takes quite a bit to break this,” he said in conversational tones. “I also understand that once it’s breached, the health risks to you are quite serious. I asked Mairead about epoxy because at some point I’m certain you’ll beg me to stop. We might be able to glue the broken pieces back together with a splint. Of course, that does nothing for infections,” he shrugged. “We have antibiotics, though they’re designed for Terrans. But they might help.” He paused for a moment, considering that. “On the other hand, they might kill you. Only one way to find out.” Leaning against the table, he regarded his prisoner. “This is your very last chance, Axchxairx. Either tell me what I want to know, or I start putting her wrench to good use.”

“Terran scum,” the alien hissed. “You’ll get nothing from me.”

“You know, I’ll take that bet,” he said thoughtfully… before slamming the wrench down hard on the scientist’s arm, shattering the carapace with a sickening crunch.

Axchxairx screamed as the crew flinched. None of them spoke up.

Taking a step back, Remi viewed the results. “I don’t need to ask if that hurt,” he observed. Thick green blood oozed from the wound, dripping onto the deck. The Eleexx keened with a high-pitched wail, his breath coming in short pants. Gripping his jaw, the captain forced his head back up to look at him. “Let’s try this again. Tell me about the experiment and how it brought Tyr back.”

“Go fornicate yourself,” Axchxairx wheezed, still defiant.

“Voders don’t translate profanity very well, do they?” the captain chuckled, sparking a few wary grins among the others. “Are you sure you don’t feel like talking?”

“Eat excrement,” the alien snarled.

“Have it your way,” Remi shrugged, bringing the wrench down once more, this time on the other arm. A loud crack echoed within the compartment as the forelimb split open, spattering them both with emerald-tinged gore as the scientist threw back its head and howled, collapsing into what sounded like wracking sobs of pain.

Crouching down, Remi balanced on the balls of his feet as he looked Axchxairx in the eye. “How long do you want to drag this out?” he asked. “In case you haven’t figured it out yet, the only thing that will get me to stop, other than you telling me what I want to know, is if my arm gets tired. I wouldn’t count on that though. Odds are you’ll be long dead by then.”

Shaking, the scientist lifted his head. “You’ll kill me no matter what,” he struggled to get out, “it’s what your kind does. Primitive savages who understand nothing about what’s at stake.”

“Then enlighten me,” the captain suggested. “And despite whatever you may think of my species, my word is good. Cooperate, and I’ll let you go. Oh, we’ll be long gone before you can summon a hunting party, but at least you’ll be free.” He cocked his head, regarding the scientist. “If I were you, I’d seriously consider my offer. You won’t be getting any better deals, I can assure you. Not with this crew.”

Axchxairx started thrashing about in the chair, struggling desperately to escape. Remi simply allowed the alien to tire himself out until he finally slumped in defeat. “Treat my injuries, and I will tell you what you wish to hear,” he said at last.

“Deal,” Remi agreed, motioning the Tinker over. “You understand that if you renege on our verbal agreement, I start breaking things again, right?”

“I understand,” he said through a clenched jaw. “Repair my injuries.”

He stepped out of the way, giving Mairead room to work. “You realize I fix machines, not aliens, right Cap’n?” she said dubiously.

“Just glue the pieces back together and splint him up,” Remi shrugged. “We’ll worry about the rest later.”

She eyed the injuries and shook her head. “I’ll do what I can,” she said in resignation, rummaging through the drawers of her toolkit before pulling out a set of tweezers usually reserved for sensitive electronics and a tube of epoxy. Setting those on the table, she dug around some more, selecting a sheet of thermoplastic and a cutting tool. “Try not to move,” she told her patient, as she got to work.

The procedure was obviously a painful one, despite the Tinker’s best efforts. Piecing the shattered carapace back together was delicate work, though Axchxairx had waved off painkillers, fearing an adverse medical reaction. Bit by bit, Mairead repaired the damage, cutting and shaping the thermoplastic as a splint to protect his limbs. Her forehead was dripping with sweat by the time she finished. She rose to her feet with a sigh of relief, taking a long drink of water before she slumped back into her chair.

“I wish Blye was here,” she muttered, before looking up at her captain. “That’s the best I can do. It should hold, as long as he’s careful. Can’t tell you anything about infections or allergic reactions, though. Not my specialty.”

“You did good,” Remi told her, patting her shoulder. “How do you feel?” he asked the scientist.

Axchxairx cautiously flexed his limbs. “Better,” he admitted.

“Good,” the captain replied, taking a seat across from him. “I’ve lived up to my end of the bargain. Time to honor yours.”

He grimaced, the statement leaving a sour taste in his mouth. “I know you, Captain Haddad,” the alien said at last, “you and your ship. You took this vessel to your ravaged homeworld, searching for an ancient treasure.”

“The homeworld of the Precursors,” Remi said softly. “You know of it.”

“It is a closely held secret, even amongst the Troika. Those in trusted key positions have access to that data. I happen to be one of those individuals,” Axchxairx conceded.

“The Oivu said that data was purged,” the captain pointed out.

“We,” the alien said haughtily, “are not the Oivu.”

“No, you’re not,” Remi responded.

“We have long searched for a way to learn their homeworld’s secrets,” he continued. “We have made many attempts to gain entry during the millennia, only for each to fail in turn.” He paused, meeting the captain’s gaze. “Then a novel approach to the problem was suggested, over a century ago. One that held great promise.”

Remi leaned forward, his complete attention now focused on Axchxairx. “Go on,” he prompted.

“A powerful sentinel guards their world, as you are no doubt aware. All vessels approaching the planet are destroyed before they draw near.” He paused for a moment, giving the captain an unreadable look. “All… save one.”

The Terran’s reaction was immediate. They stared at the alien in shock before turning to one another, all speaking at once, only to be silenced by Remi as he signaled for quiet. “So… you know about our scout,” he said at last.

The doctor’s gaze took on a more predatory cast. “Indeed. We have kept the system under discreet surveillance since the very dawn of our age. With every attempt, we have gained knowledge, though nothing that would grant us entrance. When a lone Terran ship appeared in its vicinity, we assumed it too would be quickly annihilated… only to watch in incredulity as it was allowed ingress.”

The captain nodded as comprehension filled his mind. “And suddenly the quaint aborigines of Terra had your full and undivided attention, didn’t we?” he said, oozing sarcasm. “It must have scared the Troika shitless.”

“If I interpret that statement accurately, you are correct,” Axchxairx agreed. “Of all the possibilities we had considered, the likelihood of a Terran scout ship simply sailing into the system without incident…” He paused, shaking his head. “No one could have foreseen such an occurrence.”

“I’m amazed you let them leave,” Remi retorted. “That kind of news getting out? It must have been your worst fucking nightmare.”

The Eleexx scientist now appeared chagrined. “Yes, well… the vessels maintaining the perimeter believed the sentinel guarding the planet had failed at long last. They rushed in to seize the world for themselves… discovering too late the Precursor’s guardian was still quite active. Only a single ship survived.”

Remi chuckled at his discomfort. “And then panic set in, I’m guessing. A flurry of messages sent to higher command, begging for instructions?”

“... Yes,” the alien said sourly. “They decided to discreetly trail the ship when it departed the system, hoping to learn more.”

“I see some things haven’t changed,” he snorted. “The Tu’udh’hizh’ak did the same thing during our journey to Earth.” Remi leaned back in his chair, regarding the scientist. “And getting the Yīqún involved? How did you manage that little trick?”

For the first time, Axchxairx looked offended. “That was not of our doing, though I understand why you suspect otherwise. Their reemergence was as unwelcome to us as it was to you.”

“Considering how things turned out, I’d argue that point,” the captain sneered. “But as fascinating as all this is, we’ve strayed from the subject at hand. You were explaining what happened to Tyr.”

“Yes,” the alien said in resignation. “The arrival of the Yīqún put our plans on hold until we could properly deal with them. Thankfully, the destruction of your scout ship at their hands eased our concerns for the moment, but it also proved that entrance to the homeworld was possible. Many novel theories were considered and attempted, all without success.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t try the obvious approach,” Remi said coldly. “Grab a few Terrans and use them to sneak your way in.”

The scientist stopped talking and looked deliberately away. The captain grimaced when he realized why. “You did, didn’t you?” he realized. “Kidnapped our people to use as a Trojan horse… and it didn’t work.”

“No, it did not,” Axchxairx growled. “We tried every variation. All failed. Somehow, the sentinel routinely detected our involvement and destroyed the ships. Obviously, a fresh approach was required.”

“... Holy shit,” Mairead gasped, causing Remi to turn around in his chair. “They tried to bypass it.”

“What do you mean?” he asked her.

“They’ve been trying to find a way around that guardian for millennia,” the Tinker explained, “and got shot down every time. But all their attempts have been in normal space. They must have created something like… I dunno, an artificial wormhole, or something, and figured they could use that to tunnel their way in.” She glanced back at the alien. “I’m guessing something went wrong.”

“The experiment did not go as planned,” Axchxairx admitted. “We were unable to track the vessel, and our observers at the Precursor homeworld reported no sightings. The project was eventually terminated.”

“Until you came along and decided to give it another try,” Remi deduced.

“I believed there were avenues still worth exploring,” the doctor said primly. “Unfortunately, due to recent events, my superiors did not agree.”

“Which is why you came to us,” the captain said in disgust, “and fed us that line about ‘Working together to defeat the Yīqún’. Hell, it even makes sense, considering you’d used Tyr as your guinea pig.” He leaned forward, his eyes dark and dangerous. “Mind explaining why you tried it on a Terran ship first?”

For the first time, Axchxairx smiled.

“Who better?” he parried.