ASAAPS #3: Planet Marighettis 047

Chapter 15: Equal Trade

Summary:
Robin gains a little more context on how hard the Elisskat royally screwed themselves. And must decide without the others if she wants to accept the terms of Raahs "'Small favor"

Notes:
Warning: this chapter features host/parasite egg laying, not sexual but still a heads up for the sensitives

ROBIN:

"The scourge, torment, they offered us mercy but for the price of betrayal..." a contempt filled hiss filled the room, "Such an ill made offer.."

"Wait.. And you guys believed them? Enough to backstab the only ones to protect you!?" Robin scowled furiously.

The hell was wrong with these aliens?!

"Many of us believed they abandoned us, vindictive, some thought best to trust the empty words of our death, blind to the intent to box us in, the stragglers came seeking resources, abandoned by their tether they were caught in between this act of indirect anger and desperation..."

"So they just turned them over to the aliens that attacked you?! Your enemies?!"

"Not all were willing, brave, but those small few bold enough to make such convictions were rapidly reduced to little more than exarmples..."

"..." Robin remained silent, her mind was racing but if she spoke now, likely she would have said something scathing, betrayal should never have been an option, but again this was merely Robin's resolve...

Al-an had mentioned that the Elisskat were not fighters, but perhaps he truly meant they were little more than cowards of another kind..

She was certain Raahs had picked up on her reserved disdain but the alien never contested these views and simply continued to recount their specie's past mistakes.

"Some reasoned it a necessary sacrifice, while I am uncertain of the intricacies of their fate, their demise in unquestionable.." The tentacle coiled almost protectively around the deceased vessel's thorax.

Looking at it felt even more forlorn now that Robin was aware of this precursor's bleak fate, betrayed by those they did not trust but turned to in desperation.

They must have been so scared...

"Perhaps they would have perished without our temperance. They could not have escaped the scourge in their faltering state, weak, they were all tainted..." Raahs mused more to themself than the researcher.

"Tainted..? With what? khaara..?"

"Some, others afflicted with wilt..."

"You realize the treaty is no more then.." Robin pointed out coldly, Al-an did not need to be present for her to declare this, it was apparent and her precursor would only support this declaration on their behalf.

"I know...failed... This is to be expected, there was little but the spite left in many of us...perhaps more, jealousy.."

"Jealousy!? Of what? Their stupidity for helping the Elisskat?!" Robin sneered, she couldn't keep the ludicrously from pooling into her tight voice.

"They never requested anything of us, many felt they considered us..lowly, inferior, of all species they showed little interest in merging our likes, even in the face of unity's benefits..some felt unworthy, others insulted..." Raahs admitted.

"But you knew why they were like that, they feared you guys would con them! God! Didn't it occur to you that you could be upset without murdering the only allies who gave two shits about helping you right...?!" Did they even think?!