An Eye for an eye.

[Stoat]

Two days were spent on Ulm, preparing the Stahlauge for her maiden venture into Omega space. Waap kept clear for the most part, leaving matters primarily in the hands of Hauptmann Baum. As a training exercise, things had gone well, and he surprised himself when he realised that he was feeling a sense of pride in the crew. He paced the corridors, struggling to reconcile his feelings for the humans. They were no more than a plague. A disease to be combated and eradicated. Nothing less than extermination could serve to protect the mindshare, yet'€¦'€¦'€¦'€¦

He stopped, looking around to get his bearings. He was at the observation deck, and entered the space tentatively. Ulm station dominated most of the view in front of him, the space around a hive of activity. He watched as vessels came and went, taking pleasure in the order and control obvious in the seeming chaos. He turned away from the station then, looking across the system towards the sun. He closed his eyes and let the light wash over him, through him, cleansing, calming. He reached out

**'€¦..-We- are prepared.'€¦them{humans} unknowing'€¦'€¦trusting *us*'€¦'€¦Ours is now.....**

**..'€¦-We- come'€¦..**

Sensing a presence behind him, Waap spun around with a start. A junior officer with a calculating expression snapped to attention.

'€œMein Kapitan!! Hauptmann Baum requests your presence on the bridge, sir. We are ready to depart.'€

With adrenaline coursing through his body, Waap tried to calm the beating of his heart. He'€™d been careless, he knew, something he could ill afford now, and these human hormones only made matters more unpredictable. Waap nodded in recognition to the officer, and quickly left the observation deck. He was sure he felt the eyes of the officer boring into his back, but he resisted the urge to look over his shoulder. A cold sweat sent shivers up his neck. He made sure his route took him past his quarters, and once there, he entered.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he studied his reflection in a mirror. The slight lavender tint to his irises showed the level of his discomfort. What do these humans say? he thought. Something about breathing? Deep, slow breaths, that'€™s it! He concentrated on that, blocking out all the sounds of the ship, and soon felt his heart rate reduce. The sweat on his skin dried, and he looked at his reflection again. Yes, better. He was back in control. With a final calming breath, he exited his quarters and made for the bridge.

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