Zerrek, Rhex, and Xalis reunited in a place out of the city around a month after their arrival. Once they did, Rhex and Zerrek noticed Xalis looking much calmer. Clearly, she had spent this one month venting frustrations in her own way.
Xalis showed a smirk and asked. "What, disappointed that I didn't choose the two of you? Sorry, but I have my own stallions within my crew."
Zerrek's lips twitched for a moment, and then he sighed. "Whatever. You should know why we are gathering here today, right? I hope you didn't get sidetracked while… venting."
"Easy for you to say when you don't understand that primal urge as males." Xalis harrumphed, but seeing Rhex and Zerrek looking serious, she stopped joking around.
"Yes. I did do my homework. Still, I will tell you that we'll need to plan properly because I'll have to lay eggs a few months later."
Rhex sat on a Moon rock and sighed. "Don't jump to conclusions. Did you really think we were here to plan on how to take over?"
Xalis looked back and forth and asked, confused. "You two are not truly thinking of living together with them, right?"
Zerrek asked, curious. "Why do you seem so against the idea?"
"For the Queen's sake, Zerrek, they are a new power," Xalis spoke, somewhat incredulous. "What can they even give us that we don't have? I admit, those houses are good. It's comfortable to live within them, and the resources available in the market are comparatively cheaper than those you can find in the Explorer Hub. Regardless, their ability ends at that."
Rhex disagreed. "For a society that's not that old, it is clear that its potential is high. If we play our cards right, we can push them together with us to new heights."
Xalis rubbed her antenna with her index finger and thumb. "You two… I am not implying that we should attack them and take over forcefully. Just… show our superiority. I understand that the World Tree is not weak. I also understand that they have a few Star Lord-level powerhouses. However, what can they do against our queens and kings? They are all Level 190+. Perhaps, during our last 80 years of journeying, some of them might have reached Level 200. What else is there to fear then?"
Zerrek sighed again, looking at Xalis complicatedly. "Xalis… Have you interacted with the few people who came from Ceperet to help us integrate?"
Xalis paused and shook her head. "I have not. I was a bit occupied."
"Alright. Then go do so. After you do, if you still have your current thoughts, I'll be honestly… worried."
"Worried?" Xalis felt as if someone had pinched her wings. She glared at Rhex and Zerrek and asked with a sneer. "What, their hospitality touched your hearts or something? Zerrek, Rhex, we are Bounty Hunters! Pirates! How many innocents have we killed? There is basically no group like ours that has no blood on its hands, and we are certainly not an exception."
"You are reacting too emotionally, Xalis," Rhex warned, his eyes fixed on her. "Also, there is no way that you are too stupid to understand the benefits and drawbacks of the two paths in front of us. Tell me, what's wrong with you?"
Xalis's expression flickered for a moment. Still, the change was barely perceptible. She thought for a few moments, and after making up her mind, she reluctantly expressed her fears.
"There is nothing wrong," Xalis answered, her mood calming down as she sighed. Looking down, she gently kicked a rock, and due to the lack of gravity, it soared to the sky. "I feel… uncomfortable, Rhex. This is just… too good to be true."
Rhex and Zerrek immediately understood where Xalis was coming from. Xalis explained. "Which power would accept us so eagerly? What if they are preparing to inform others of our location and have us ambushed? Our current ability to look for imminent threats is… non-existent. Not to mention, without being on the move, being caught is easy."
Her words weren't completely without merit. The current pace of things did truly feel too smooth. It was as if the Golden Sap Empire was trying to hide something from them. These three people had intelligent advisors, and they weren't stupid people themselves.
Which power was willing to just lay down arms and be absorbed by others? Especially when there were no previous interactions?
The astounding levels of trust the Golden Sap Empire placed in them, the insectoids, were too much. It made them look incredibly naive and good-natured. This was especially true for World Tree powers, who more often than not demanded unconditional surrender and assimilation.
"So," Rhex pondered. "You think we are like larvae being fattened only to be eaten by a bird that they notified?"
"Otherwise?" Xalis answered with scorn. "Tell me. If you were in their position, would you do anything remotely similar to what they did without ulterior motives whatsoever? Not to mention, the one who took us in is a Humanoid Ant Queen! Might I remind you of the usual attitude of those monsters?
As she spoke, she suddenly paused and looked at them. "Speaking of all of this… You two have your starships ready for combat at all times, right? You have not… placed them in dormant mode… Right?"
Seeing their expressions, Xalis was incredulous for a moment before showing a furious expression. "Have you two been brainwashed or something!? What kind of person places their own escape route in dormant mode when in enemy territory!?"
While Xalis had spent most of the month venting to regain her wits after holding back for so long, she didn't disregard all responsibilities. She kept a high alert, ordering her subordinates to keep a check on the ships and even asking some to permanently stay behind.
Other than that, she asked her subordinates to gather information and order it so that she could read it later. Zerrek could tell what Xalis was thinking, so he defended himself. "Look, Xalis. You are too guarded."
"Too guarded!?" Xalis answered shrilly.
Zerrek started becoming a bit annoyed. "Hey. Can you stop with your overreactions and listen for once in your life? I am starting to get annoyed here with your constant sarcasm and mocking."
Xalis looked at Zerrek for a moment before crossing her arms under her breasts. "Alright, go ahead. Speak your mind on why you showed your soft underbelly to these unknown people."
Zerrek ignored the last remark and answered proficiently. "First of all, the Ant Queen. A being like that wouldn't have started a conversation with us for no reason. While they are intelligent, much more intelligent than you or I, they feel that using schemes is below them. Their endless children are what is terrifying about them."
Xalis asked back. "Alright, Zerrek, and what makes you think that what you can think of, they can't? Aren't you willingly placing your head in the jaws of the monster?"
"If they can think of it, then she must know that we are trying to show true trust and willingness to collaborate." Zerrek continued, once again brushing off her scathing underlying meaning. "So, if we follow it, that means that our intent aligns with our actions, and we become more amiable."
Zerrek stopped Xalis from opening her mouth and cut it. "We are amiable, not harmless. Our strength is not something they are willing to clash with. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been a need for conversation from the beginning."
Rhex supported his thinking. "I am willing to go a step further. The people here don't care about our species at all. I've learned that there are mothkins among them. If they can accept them, why can't they accept us?"
"Mothkins, Rhex." Xalis rubbed her temples. "They are probably one of the most harmless and well-mannered species among all insectoids. They are far from harmless, like you said, but if they don't want to, their lethality is hard to… notice. Most of them are single-mindedly focused on expanding knowledge and reproduction, so they have little to no desire to conquer territory and start wars."
Feeling agitated by their words, Xalis raised her voice and pointed at herself and Zerrek. "Us, Hornetkin. You, Mantiskin. We are different. We are clearly more warlike, and individuals who crave authority are easily born among our ranks. Do you think they will remain as polite when our people are climbing into their political system? Wake up, you both. At most, we will be guardian bugs for them. Here, in the Moon, used as a vanguard against threats that close in."
Rhex shook his head. "That's where you are wrong. This place is a meritocracy, among many other labels. However, those who are talented are not suppressed."
"Stop with—"
"I've been accepted as the city mayor." Rhex cut in, making Xalis pause and look at Rhex, bewildered.
Rhex sighed and repeated. "After a few applications to probe how far they allowed us to go, like you are doubting now, I used myself to test. I went in, took a few tests, did a few jobs and interviews, and eventually was positioned by one of the top authorities, someone called Harmonixia, as the City Mayor of this Moon City."
Xalis stayed silent and looked at Zerrek.
Zerrek calmly spoke. "That's why we told you to go out yourself. I have become the Moon City's garrison leader after trying for two weeks. I have some Ceperet Troops under my command, and they are not sent here as spies. I stalked a few of them, and although less than a month has passed, these people are just living here without any shady business."
Xalis looked back and forth between them before arching her lips. A dry laugh escaped her. "Ha. How fast you two bend your knees. You two are really integrating well, aren't you?"
The tone when mouthing "integrating" was jarring to say the least. Still, seeing both of them looking at her seriously, Xalis also calmed down slightly.
She became thoughtful, and the other two didn't rush her. They themselves knew that they might be giving the other side too much trust. However, there were many chances to make them disappear without others knowing. The times that their forces could've been decimated by now were many as well.
Even if Xalis's group remained alert, what could they do if the World Tree attacked those in wait?
Honestly, they all become extremely vulnerable the second they decide to leave the ships. So, being overly cautious now that they had started assimilating was just paranoid.
Xalis sighed, feeling frustrated. Her wings buzzed, her toes digging into the gravel under her feet. "You two… You two… Ugh…"
Seeing her pace back and forth, her movements somewhat erratic as she bit her nails, made Zerrek and Rhex feel slightly guilty. Still, they didn't regret much. While they had yet to receive any buffs from the World Tree, the Golden Sap Empire had not shown half a touch of hostility toward them.
"Alright… Alright…" Xalis stopped and glared at them, her wings buzzing menacingly and her compound eyes gleaming with threatening energies. "If we ever get annihilated because of your stupidity, I won't forgive you even if I die! And if we escape, I'll ask our Queen to throw an all-out war against your two species!"
Rhex shrugged. "If that's what it takes to at least give it a try, I accept it. It's not like it will become reality."
Xalis snorted and flew off toward the city, clearly upset and unwilling to stay here anymore.