Sorry for taking as long as I did to get to this. First, I lost all three of the drafts, decided to focus on other projects to get my mind off of the frustration of that, then I start up the MyHeard thing as a little stress-relief thing and get unexpectedly sucked into it, then Shadow of the Erdtree happened.

Regardless, I am here now, and back at it with my nonsense, with both this and Networked. In case you forgot, monthly uploads, with HSA at the beginning of the month and Networked at the end of it, with various other little projects and oneshots in-between.

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Memory Transcription Subject: Slanek, Federation PoW

Date [Standardized Human Time]: September 1, 2136

I petted over Marcel's head gently, brushing a matted blond strand away from his forehead.

"It's so dull now," I thought as I tucked another strand back, "I'll have to get the good stuff to clean it up, get it bright again."

The door hissed open, but I didn't look up.

"Though, it'll have to wait until after a meal. Something light and easy, don't want to upset his stomach."

A pair of claws and a hint of blue fabric stomped into my view, followed by a set of tentacles, but I refused to look up.

"He's lost a lot of weight. Once he can eat well again, we'll move up to heavier foods, something dense."

"Get up."

"I wonder if he'll need flesh to gain it back completely. I don't know if I'd- No, no that's not-"

"I said get up."

"If he needs it, then he'll have it. They don't even take it from living things anymore, it's- it's just f-food. If he needs it, then that's all there is to it."

"Get that damn Predator off of you and get up!"

"No," I said, staring down at my Human intently, tightening my hold when he whimpered into me.

"I'm letting you go back to your cell. Let go of the monster, and get up."

"So you can hurt him?" I asked, finally looking up at the Gojid, meeting his hateful gaze with my own.

"I'm not done interrogating it. I'm letting you go back to your room so you don't have to see it," Sovlin snarled, "So I advise you take the opportunity and leave."

"I'm not letting you put your brahking claws on him again!" I yelled, tail curling around my friend's leg to pull him closer to me, his grip on my wool becoming desperately tight.

Sovlin's glare became fiery, and he moved to raise his claws,

CH-WHIRRR

Only to freeze at the sound of a pistol charging up.

The Kolshian that followed him in had backed up a few steps, pulling his pistol from his coat to aim it at his captain with shaking tentacles.

For once, Sovlin lost his glare, eyes widening at his rogue subordinate.

"Recel?" He started, "What are you-"

"B-Back up," the Kolshian interrupted with a tremble to his voice, "Against the wall, now!"

Sovlin stared for a moment, before his glare returned, darker than I'd ever seen it. He did as Recel said though, stepping back until his quills brushed up against the far wall of the cell.

"The remote," Recel said, gun still shaking slightly, "Throw to the Venlil!"

The Gojid stood unmoving, glaring across the room as he slowly took the remote out of his coat pocket and threw it in my direction, not once breaking eye contact with the traitor.

I grabbed at the remote quickly, frantically searching for the release button while Recel moved closer to us.

With a click, the collar fell off my friend's neck and into my lap, letting me pick it up and throw it at the far wall with a great thunk that let me hope it had broken against it.

Marcel tried to lift himself up on shaking arms, eyes wide and unfocused. I shifted my tail to his back and grabbed him before he could fall, carefully untangling us as we stood.

The Kolshian had moved next to the door, waiting for us as I carefully lead my Human on his weakened, unsteady legs.

"Recel," Sovlin gritted out, "Turn that gun on them and put them down now, and I'll forget this happened."

"P-Put them-? No, NO, listen to yourself, Sovlin!" Recel shouted, taking on a horrified tremor, "Look at what you've been doing! For Star's sake, you haven't BEEN my captain for so long now, it's-it's like you've become a Predator!"

Sovlin's eyes widened at that, then narrowed as he started running for Recel.

WH-CHU!

Only to be thrown back against the wall as a plasma bolt caught him in the shoulder.

Sovlin and Recel stared at each other in disbelief for a moment, before the mad captain slumped over, unconscious.

Recel stared for a moment longer, plasma pistol almost falling from his tentacles.

"Recel!" I called, shifting Marcel on my shoulder, "We need to go, now!"

That seemed to pull him out of his stupor, making him turn to us as he clumsily holstered his gun.

"R-Right, right let's- Let's get out of here." He said quietly, moving to lead us as he blinked tears from his eyes.

We hobbled out of the cell after him, following down corridors as quickly as we could.

Marcel whimpered and shook as he walked, leaning heavily on me.

"It's okay Marc, we're getting out now," I comforted, running my tail up and down his back.

"It's h-hurts." He mewled, and even though I couldn't see his face, I knew he was crying as he buried his face in my head fur.

"I know Marc, but it's just a little longer," I urged, tail curling around his waist in a tight hold, "We just have to walk a little further now, can you do that for me?"

Marcel whined quietly, my heart breaking as he clutched me weakly.

"It's going to be okay, Marcel," I repeated, unsure for who I was saying it anymore.

"It's going to be okay, I promise."

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