The ship landed awkwardly on a very small landing pad designed for alien ships with legs and wings made out of bone. Nearby was the entrance to Vohran Nest 3730, surrounded by large spikes and doors constructed from muscle and sinew. All Vohran technology and architecture was like this, a mess of organic and bio-engineered bits and pieces glued together with goodness knows what. The heavy rain helped keep the smell of flesh down to a minimum.
Standing just off the platform waiting for them was Talok, the leader of the nest’s elite protectors, the Vahla. By his side were two normal Vohra who stood there, looking blankly ahead, and another Vahla wearing a helmet and heavy armour.
“Hello! You must be the Dessaron!” Talok tried to be friendly, but his voice was cracked and broken. “Sorry about the weather. Normally we have it under control but…”
“Don’t worry about the weather!” Tenuk smiled as he approached. “A little rain won’t stop us! We’ve brought some honey for you, we can’t produce exactly what Vohra eat but we hope it helps.”
Talok waved at the Vahla and the two Vohra, and they headed over to the large container secured to the back of the ship. Several more Vohra appeared from the entrance and rushed over to assist them.
“Honey is basically what we eat anyway… We have very limited growing facils here, but otherwise we are running on dregs, so this is very helpful to us. We appreciate everything you are doing…” Talok explained as he led the Dessaron inside. “Please excuse the slowness of my… communications. We normally talk telepathically, with our Queens acting as a central hub and communication tower. That duty now falls on me, and Vahla are not designed for such a task.”
“It’s fine!” Elksia spoke reassuringly. “We know things are tough for you. We’re here to help you out. Honestly it would be weird if everything was fine…”
Talok nodded and continued to lead them deeper into the nest. The passages were beginning to get a little bit cramped, causing everyone but Psiksi to crouch and walk around. Finally though, everything opened up into a large, heavily fortified room. It was obviously an important place.
“This is… was our throne room. We are still trying to relay everything through here.”
“But what do you actually do here?” Psiksi asked. “Apart from, you know, being a nest and stuff?”
Talok pointed towards a tunnel that headed downwards. “We are a mining facil. We get food and supplies sent here in exchange for the ores, minerals and refinements that we do. A lot of shipping in and out is involved, but our land pads have been empty. We have things to ship out but no Vohra nests are willing to assist us.”
“You have been cast out?” Retvik asked.
“Basically, yes. Because they believe we used up too many queens. We lost our Queen a few… days ago? Still recuperating from the damages and deaths caused by faulty equipment we were sent.”
Retvik thought to himself for a moment. “Your mining facilities are still operational?”
“Yes. We have refined materials ready to be sent out.”
Tenuk glanced at Retvik. They were clearly thinking the same thing.
“There’s a really simple solution here!” Tenuk smiled. “Rather than supplying to Vohra nests, you start supplying to the Reth-Vrekan Union, and we can arrange food and supplies to pay you back. I’m pretty certain there are some unsuitable moons that you could occupy as well, should you need more space.”
Talok closed his eyes and bared his tusks, the Vohran equivalent of a smile. “You can do that?”
“We will have to discuss it with our leaders,” Retvik shrugged. “But I am certain they will be happy to oblige!”
“That’s awesome!” Talok beamed as he darted off. “Thank you so much! Stay here, I have to go tell the others!”