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A/N: MKJK I rephrased your prompt. Hope that’s okay.

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“We’ve just entered that central void in the Spaghetti where our sensors and similar work,” Niobe said. “And our escort and Promise are both hailing us.”

“Put them on screen,” Amanpreet said.

“Okay,” Niobe said. A moment later the escort captain appeared on the screen.

“This is quite extraordinary,” he said. “I knew you’d described it but I thought you must be exaggerating. We may have to ask Promise and his people if they will be willing to construct nests like this elsewhere in hyperspace. They could make travel a lot safer.”

“It’s possible we would,” Promise said. “But right now we need to discuss our prisoners. They tried to attack me after I swallowed them.”

“Damn!” Amanpreet exclaimed. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

“I’m fine, but they are not happy with the restraints I used on their ship. The trouble with knowing their language is I know they are swearing at me. I’d like to evict them soon.”

“Once we get to Talis,” Amanpreet said. “Even a small station like that has a brig. They can send them to Aletheia for trial.”

“So what did it taste like?” The captain said.

“Hmm?” Promise said. “Oh, the ship. I don’t actually have a sense of taste like you do. We use hyperspace radiation for energy.”

“Yes, that’s quite a trick,” Vanna said. “The non-sophont Fish do it too and the Mez won’t share how they engineered it. Oddly they claim they didn’t.”

“That’s true, they didn’t,” Promise said. “They discovered by accident that a sub-sophont species on their homeworld somehow had the ability even though it was useless to a creature that couldn’t enter hyperspace and they used that as one of our progenitors.”

Vanna leaned across her console, eyes afire with speculation. “That’s interesting considering how vulnerable the Mez and most other species on their homeworld are to hyperspace radiation. I’ll have to talk to Umi and Storm, because the only thing I can imagine is that the non-sophont species was descended from a sophont species.”

“It’s an interesting speculation,” the captain said. “But for now we need to plan where to emerge from the Spaghetti.”

“As near to Talis as possible,” Promise said. “And my people will escort you all and capture any more ships that attack us. If there are several of us I doubt they will.”

“Excellent! Thank you for your help,” he said.

“Amanpreet and her friends are my friends,” Promise said. “I think the bigger problem is how we get to Corona and back safely.”

“Yes, we’ll discuss that at Talis,” the captain said. “So what restraints do you have on the prisoners.”

“I’ll show you.” Promise said. An image appeared on the screen of the Vaian ship in a cavernous space somewhere inside Promise. The stick was encased in some kind of black goop. “Don’t worry it won’t hurt them.”

“Goodness me!” the captain said. “We have a Fish, we have spaghetti, and now we have sauce. This mission is making me hungry.” He gave a wry grin. “But more seriously we need to get to Talis as soon as possible. I need to file a report about this. I haven’t found my traitor yet and the Council needs warning that Vaian influence apparently extends further than we thought if they have spies on our ships.”

“That’s a good idea,” Amanpreet agreed. “Let’s cut contact until we get back into normal space.”

***

Several hours later they emerged from Hyperspace just beyond the Talis system’s Kupier belt and headed inwards towards Talis. Almost immediately two Vaian sticks also emerged from hyperspace and came shooting towards them, lasers already firing. As the Whisper swerved out of the way Amanpreet stared at the screen in disbelief.

“They’re attacking us in normal space in range of a station? Are they stupid?”

“Desperate I think,” Kayla said. “They must really want me dead and they knew they couldn’t win in hyperspace after our first encounter. They’re hoping being able to use their weapons will even the field.”

“It won’t.” Promise’s voice was soothing as it came over the speakers. “Run for the station, your escorts and my people will deal with them.”

“Do as Promise says,” the captain said.

“Okay,” Amanpreet said. “Niobe keep the line open and the battle on the screen.”

“Of course, Am.”

Amanpreet kept her eyes on the screen as the ship flew towards Talis and safety. Their escorts and the Fish were all over the Vaian ships and also using their weaponry. She tilted her head as an odd energy discharge that wasn’t quite a laser emerged from one of the Fish’s heads and struck one of the enemy. It didn’t appear to damage the Stick but it seemed to be incapacitated and another of the Fish swallowed it the way Promise had grabbed the one in hyperspace.

The crew of the remaining Vaian ship obviously realised they had been beaten because they turned tail and fled, disappearing into hyperspace. Two of the Fish also vanished.

“It’s making a run for it!” Promise said. “My fellows will chase them down and bring them back.”

“Thank you,” Amanpreet said. “But warn them to be careful. Human weapons tend to be more powerful than Mez ones. Now let’s get to Talis base. They’ll have been watching and worrying.”

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Prompt Post 34 is here. Come and leave a prompt.

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