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up a great deal of my memory. About three
percent. When it is solved my gut is telling me it will begin to
fade like normal memories so I’ll need to act fast. My memory is as
eidetic as yours, Captain, but not even you can remember every
explicit detail of your life.”
    “ Small things, No, but any
iota of importance I can recall quite vividly.”
    “ What I want to know is why
Keptl spores?” Breena ventured into the conversation.
    “ Two purposes I suspect.”
Renee replied with a toss of her fiery crimson locks as her cheeks
and nose began turning a little pink. “Dependence for one. He had
to keep up constant injections to halt the growth of infestation.
Daily to be accurate. Able to teleport made it easy to return home
after recon. He had no idea the serum was actually killing him. The
other side of the coin is Ten K stored his energy in them like Olly
and I do with our toys.” Her fingernail flicked the bracelet. “The
infestation was in the last stage so he could hold and store all
his energy like a Queen. It’s why he didn’t get winded after using
such a tremendous amount. But there is one thing I neglected to
share with everyone.”
    “ Don’t leave us in
suspense.” Satellite chirped, perched on a ring over Stone’s left
shoulder.
    “ Well…” She smiled after
another long pause had had everyone leaning in and losing patience.
“Ten K, as a test, was sent to a known Keptl overrun planet and
naked at that. The advanced spores under the skin must have tricked
the swarm to make them see him as one of their own. Not a single
Keptl even snarled let alone attack as they normally would. If I
can synthesize a pheromone I believe duplicates the same result
then so long as a Queen isn’t looking we will have gained a new
weapon. A masking solution to disguise humans so we can gain a new
advantage.”
    “ Can you do that?” Breena
asked in genuine surprise.
    “ I’ll not take that
personally since you don’t know a damn thing about me.” Renee sent
over a lovely wink. “This is what I do. I love biology and figuring things out. It’s
why I saved a couple of Ten K’s spores and froze them for private
study so I can find whatever it is that disguised him. Whether or
not it’s a pheromone or some kind of subsonic or ultrasonic
vibration that lets them communicate who is friend from foe, I
don’t know right now. Searching for that answer is what makes it
all fun. Just remember I’ve personally found cures for multiple
diseases conventional medicine hasn’t discovered using my own body
to create the cures and I also gave you the Solarian splice. It’s
all me baby. Olly’s not the most dangerous person alive, I am. I
can make poisons untraceable or cures from my own antibodies. I’m a
walking synthesizer with a genetic IQ humans can’t
quantify.”
    “ Correct me if I’m wrong,
but aren’t Solarian women hardwired like you?”
    “ Far as I know, Huntress. It
is my life regardless. Despite my hardwiring, I did it to follow
Ma’s footsteps. I know I’d not be this good if I didn’t study my
ass off even with my quirky brain.”
    “ Yer Ma would be proud,
Lass.” Jake grabbed her shoulder affectionately without stopping.
“What of the fighters and pilots you took care of while the lads
fought the bastard hounding us?”
    “ On their way to Verard as
we speak, Captain.” Visor chirped, perched too on a shoulder.
“They’ll be tortured and interrogated along the way. As for the
fighters, your loyal subjects and leading engineers are going over
this new model. They are exceptionally advanced. Likely a Galicom
funded, under the table program. The accountants must be really
good to have not aroused suspicion with the open exchange of
information laws.”
    “ We’ll get them too. This
conspiracy will be put to an end. I’ll make sure those undermining
get what’s coming. I may have no right, but what they are doing is
beyond wrong.” Oliver vowed.
    Renee wove her fingers in
his large