ORIGIN

As Halcyon listened—to musings about the other option available, its drawbacks or potential advantages—they stayed in their hunkered down position, brushing the granular remnants of the plant off their hands with deliberately timed strokes. Other than their inclined head, no outward sign indicated their processing of the conversation; all resided in the realm of thought, quiet but nonetheless more responsive than an onlooker might assume.

Connected as they were to each other, Ananke had little to fear regarding how her proposal sounded. Confusion had no room to flourish when the clear unease wafting along their link prevented it from taking root. Such a distraction removed from the equation, the logic presented was what was left for the Drone to sift through. And this they did, consideration careful.

"Hunting," they said at last, "I suppose does possess merit in our present scenario. Time, after all, is of the essence if we wish to fulfill expectations."

Fast propagation now. Plant cultivation will have to be revisited later for the long term.

Always a part of the Hive, never a naturally occurring member of the food chain, prey and predator were concepts understood but not categories adhered to in Halcyon's own mind. Instinct geared toward precise adaptation, the whole thing seemed antiquated when one should be more concerned with maximizing group success over a might-makes-right pecking order. If killing was necessary for the good of all, then it would be done. They'd simply have to reorient themselves to better fulfill the task.

A glance was cast down at a set of claws, evaluating their shape: good for gouging but not ideal for the quick dispatch of creatures. While their heart was calm in the face of what they would have to accomplish, a clean death they reasoned would shelter both them and Ananke from any additional discomfort. Seeking out that thread of Order woven into their being, they tugged on it and linked the sensation to a single extended finger.

To no avail.

If it is no trouble to you, we could both seek out possible Lesser candidates, they suggested. Their network's wide span would reduce any time spent tracking these. You needn't be concerned with the untidy part. If all goes well, your involvement in those will be minimal.

Once the duo's paths had separated, hers lolloping one direction and theirs prowling another, quiet had reigned along the link from Halcyon's end. This did not mean they were inattentive to their partner's experiences; to the contrary, as they weaved through the crystal-strewn environment, never was concentration narrow enough to block the rabbit out from thought as she sought out her objective. Always a finger rested upon their connection, vigilant for whether anything of importance would pulse from it.

Therefore the startlement licking at the boundary of their diligently calm mental state caused a near immediate reaction: where they'd been pressed close to the ground, snout gently stirring dust as it tracked a promising scent, Halcyon now flung themselves up and onto haunches. The finger that had lain as a mere marker for their link with Ananke began to trace along its length. Though ordinary eyes could not see past the many towering clusters of crystal, their head swiveled to follow the thread to where, no doubt, she would be. From the neck down, tension locked muscles rigid.

If any danger chimed out, to action they would spring, their side of the search abandoned in favor of rushing to the other's defense. The gouge of back claws into the earth promised so, the aforementioned leap already prepared should it be required.

For a long while this pose was maintained, their mind circling around but never daring to probe at and possibly distract Ananke from her situation. They stared off into space, expression blank. Tendrils of consciousness squirmed for possible neighboring Lessers within the Hive that might provide different angles of the scene which was hidden from them. Finding none, they simply remained statue-still, hands welded to each other as if in fervent prayer.

And then actual communication emerged out of the fuzzy impression of emotion. The harsh edges of Halcyon's form relaxed upon detecting nothing akin to the previous fear sensed. Curious as to her meaning by "something," they eased, wordless, into Ananke's perspective. What was discovered received an approving nod, the accompanying thoughts gleefully weightless.

Ah, yes, you think, Halcyon declared. And you've thought it right to you!

Little pause stood between this and the moment they leaned forward to settle again on all fours. Path altered, they swung their entire body around to match their line of sight. Powerful legs kicked out and propelled the Drone onward. The comment, Have it remain there. I'll be present shortly, was the single warning issued for their rapid approach.

Swift as it was, their arrival was announced well by the reflection of pale scales off a multitude of gleaming, glittering surfaces. They glided into the area, never stopping until every inch of them crouched over the immobilized Pitch Rat. A hand secured itself at the base of the creature's neck and pressed it into the ground. Only then did they address their comrade another time.

"Maintain your hold if possible. Little to no movement should make this an easier task."

Their palm roamed up the spine. Its angle adjusted to touch where vertebrae connected to the skull. Power, tingling like so many needle pricks, swelled within flesh. They set it loose, and a lance projected out, positioned to sink into the cranial cavity.

For a killing, the result was clean: the wound a single puncture leading to the brain, blood spilled little beyond the entry point created by Halcyon's chitinous spike. Whatever did marked the dark fur round its edges with a telltale ring of death, unpleasantly sticky and crimson-tinged and warm to the touch upon a rapidly cooling corpse. This did not worsen much once they withdrew their hand from the bat motionless beneath them, any possible mess contained to a slow drip off the tip of the murder implement jutting from their palm. Claws pinched and swiped down its length to put an end to the scatter of droplets. The entire while neither grin nor grimace crossed their face, the matter a methodical one that required no great outpouring of emotion.

They'd done their task and done it as well as they could. Decent for a first attempt at ending a life. On the next, they would see if the bloodshed could be even further minimized or if this was the absolute limit to how neat an execution could be.

Once Ananke expressed her gratitude, blankness no longer had reason to dominate their visage. Subtle animation graced its every angle as a satisfied expression took hold. Red pupils lit up, reflecting the soft glow of metallic fins, and a minute parting of their jaws could be construed as the slightest of smiles. That surge of feeling not their own would have set them staggering if braced against, so instead they allowed it to flow to every nerve ending uninhibited. Pulling away from the dead Lesser, they rocked back onto heels, head inclined in the direction of their diminutive partner.

"Of course," they said, every bit as courteous as could be expected. "I am glad to be of service to you."

Halcyon then defaulted to their typical pose when idling: hands clasped together, they watched while the rabbit began to throw all possible effort into hauling the first kill for the Gemini node away. A low hum of considering thought crossed the mental link. Observation revealing the obvious—that she could not manage this alone despite heartfelt intentions—they didn't dawdle for long.

If I may...

Since Ananke had taken charge of the front, a slender but well-muscled arm reached out for the back end of the felled creature and plucked it up by the rump. Determined to ensure her burden was lessened, whichever direction she steered them, they would follow, steps tiny to avoid overtaking her lead.

As for what was next—The ambition is admirable, but we should restrict our activities to this cave for now. Properly distribute our influence here before extending our reach outward. The plants we can worry about once we've established ourselves in more than one location. At the very least it can saved as a project for later if we've no time to try such methods before the reckoning to come.

Had they only themselves to consider and not the grand scheme of things, cultivation would be a much slower process than the one they proposed. Their ministrations would be restricted to a few patches of fungus instead of a vast hidden expanse and placed under intense scrutiny. But according to their Mother's wishes, an all-encompassing threat was required, and this meant haste was far more necessary to meet an unknown deadline. To sum the statement up, this was to be a compromise between the demands of an impending war and their own incurable desire for perfection. They did not relish the plan, but it best suited the current aim of the Hive.

Although not nearly on the level of the pure joy shining from the other end of their link—a blinding light source unrivalled by any known one the caves could offer—Halcyon had achieved, in their own way, a sense of satisfaction for the work accomplished and that yet to be by their current partnership. The Priestess, their senior, was unafraid and brimful of the energy required for the tasks set before them. Mother, ever welcome in her presence, looked upon their actions as any proud parent would, warmly and without unfounded critique. Both made clear to the Drone the outlook of their design: successful, functional, and (if all proceeded well) reliable. They still strived for the nigh impossible, full marks on their performance, but for now this would be enough. It would give them the confidence to continue on and ensure destiny would not renege the greater heights which lay in store for the Hive.

Another's positivity joined Ananke's on the path back to the promising Gemini node. A humming undertone, its aspect was mild but nonetheless pleased by the events unfolding. Not once did it falter, thoughts measured as scrupulously as the steps padding behind her. And, like all else attributed to them, it existed to support and never overtake.