"Interesting, I'll agree," it announced when it had finished. "This will be analysed further. If it is a fake we'll know. Return to your ship."
They were escorted back to the Constrictor. In their absence numerous scanners and cameras had been placed in the docking bay, no doubt to ensure that nobody tried anything hostile.
Back on the ship, things were tense. Armed guards stood in the entranceway, and they found two more on the bridge. They were making no move to prevent anyone from doing anything, but their presence was certainly not a reassuring sign.
Better news was found in the wardroom. There was another soldier there, but the injured Garath was being looked over by a doctor and Marchero and Arrachachak were eating food that must have been provided by the post.
"Well?" Marchero said as they entered the room.
Aeyris glanced at the soldier. "I'm not sure. Things are fine, so far."
"That's a lot of help. You must of had as much luck getting information out of this lot as we have. This guy here," she said, jabbing a spoon towards the soldier, "hasn't said a word." Kirrik winced at her cavalier attitude towards an armed and possibly hostile woman.
"Ah, let's forget it then," Aeryis said. "I'm lying down." He left the room heading for the sleeping quarters. Kirrik watched him leave, then shrugged and sat down at the table.
"Any more food?" Arrachachak pushed a half full bowl of soup over to him. Kirrik finished it, then sat back, looking around. The guard stood near the doorway they had entered from. Marchero was eating a chunk of what appeared to be a bread of some kind, and not paying much attention to anyone else. Arrachachak was in turn watching Kirrik. Although attempting to read alien body language was a pointless exercise for someone not very familiar with the species, he may have been curious as to what Kirrik was thinking. The doctor was busy tending Garath, who in turn was more concerned with his state than anything else.
Arrachachak caught Kirrik's thoughtful look at the medic. "He's no more interesting than the soldier," he told Kirrik. "Only says what he needs to say to do his job."
"Hey, doctor!" Kirrik called out.
The doctor stopped working to answer him. "Do you need medical attention?"
"A bit. They didn't do a great job of patching me up earlier. I'm Kirrik, by the way."
"I'll attend to you when I finish with this man." He returned to Garath.
"See," Marchero snickered.
"Here's an idea," Arrachachak said. "Can you irritate the doctor into saying something as much as you do with Kirrik?" Kirrik shook his head slightly, but Marchero chuckled.
"What did you find out?" Arrachachak asked him.
A shrug, then "Suspicion, of us. Understandable, I suppose. The person we saw mentioned some treaty and a race or group called the Schriy."
"Who did you see?"
"Might have been the base commander. He, or she for all I know, or it, didn't say anything about themselves."
"Not human, then?" Marchero said.
"No. Why bother asking, as if you only expect your lot here? A bit arrogant, aren't you?"
Marchero threw a piece of bread at Kirrik. "Calm down," Arrachachak told them. "We've only seen humans here so far, that's why she asked. What's the problem with you two, anyway?"
"Oh, his lot rub my nerves raw. Running around the galaxy expecting everyone to do their bidding to help fulfil their high and mighty goals," Marchero sneered. "They've been treating me like a slave, really."
Kirrik replied with short shake of his head and a "Hah."
"Why join them then?" Arrachachak asked her.
"You think I had any choice? Dragged out of the frying pan and into the fire."
"I think you're irritating personality predates your meeting with Williams and Jalsa," Kirrik stated.
"What do you know about me? You spend all your time ordering me around and ignoring what I say."
"And you spend most of yours trying to wind me up. It's infantile."
"It keeps me from thinking too much about the mess we're in," Marchero muttered.
Kirrik opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped in surprise at her revelation.
"I still can't stand you, though," Marchero added.
"How nice, we're all, well, slightly less hostile, at any rate," Arrachachak announced.
The doctor had finished tending Garath, and broke up their exchange by occupying Kirrik with questions about the nature of his injuries and what had been done to treat them. Marchero returned to her food, and Arrachachak dug around in a cupboard until he found a pack of cards, and tried to persuade Garath to have a game.
When the door opened it wasn't a pirate or another soldier entering the room, but the being Kirrik and Aeyris had spoken to earlier.
"Well?" Kirrik asked.
"All very strange. So there is a ship on the way to take you back to base."
Garath looked up from his cards. "I'll fetch Aeyris," he announced, and disappeared out of the room.
"He's loosing," Arrachachak grinned.
Aeyris strode in a short while later, with several members of his crew loitering around behind him. "Are we under arrest?" he asked.