Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Techno adjusted his mask one final time as he made his way toward the docked spaceship. His hands felt clammy and he took a few deep breaths to center himself. This would be his first real, long-term job since escaping the fighting ring. 

His unclawed, scarred hands were hidden beneath heavy, leather-akin gloves. A pink boar-like half-mask hid the upper portion of his distinctly human features from view. Boots covered his uncommon foot shape, and long sleeves, pants, and a red cloak hid the rest of his scars. 

Thankfully he had gotten a genetic hair color change to pink, back on Earth and he'd managed to file his canines into sharper points to further complete the look. 

He was now only a couple yards from the spaceship that he would be spending the next year of his life on and he watched as three aliens made their way down the gang-plank to greet him.

The tallest one stood in the middle of the group, at about Techno’s height. He looked fairly human except for the large black wings sprouting from his back, a few feathers on the upper area of his face, and four clawed fingers on each hand. Each feature clearly labeled him as an Elytrian. That was the captain, if Techno remembered their holo call correctly, who went by the name of Philza Minecraft. 

The other aliens standing next to him must be the other members of the crew. Techno remembered that their names had been mentioned at some point, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what they were. 

The one on the left could only be described as a snake with arms. As Techno got closer, he took note of the gills located on their neck and the dandelion yellow sweater they wore. Their skin was a kaleidoscope of blues, greens, and purples of all shades. 

The being on the opposite side of Philza was quite a bit shorter than the other two. They looked like a random mismatching of several different animals that Techno recognized from Earth. They had four thin eyes resting just above the center of their face, with eyelids that came sideways over the eyes, akin to those of a lizard. Small antlers protruded from the top of their head, and four furry, pawed arms tapped away at a hand-held PADD. 

Techno nodded his head sideways in what he had read as a standard Elytrian greeting as he approached the trio, "Captain Philza." 

The Captain raised a foot and side-nodded in reply, "Technoblade, it's a pleasure to see you in person." 

He raised a wing slightly toward the serpent, "This is Wilbur, he's a Merpent and the ship's science and medical officer."

Techno made a mental note to stay as far away from Wilbur as possible. 

"And this is Tommy, he's an AclumiNite. He works security, navigation, and supplies."

Wilbur gave his tail a shake of greeting and Tommy lifted a paw from his PADD in acknowledgment. Philza turned back to Techno, "I'll be providing you with files on each of our species, but I wasn't able to find anything on yours. Is there anything we should know about you?"

Techno nodded, before remembering that while some species did use nodding, it was a fairly rare form of agreement, "Yeah, my species is relatively unknown, so there's not a lot of information outside of the home planet. Uh, I'm a Piglin, and in our culture, anyone who leaves the mother planet swears an oath to never let another see their face." 

He gestured to the half-mask, "Hence, this whole deal, so, I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to get me to take it off, as well as knocking before entering." (Yes, this whole idea is a mix of Minecraft and Mandalorian)

"I'm an omnivore, meaning I can eat most things, and I need around 6-8 varga of uninterrupted alone time each cycle unless there's an emergency."

Philza looked over at Tommy, “You got all of that?"

Tommy silently tapped for a couple of seconds longer before turning off the PADD and lowering it, "Yep, a new file has been started on Piglins." 

He turned to Techno, "Big Man Tommy Innit at your service." 

Wilbur let out a noise that sounded very much like a strangled seal. Tommy whipped his head around with the speed of a cobra, "Oi, what're you laughing at?" 

They dissolved into an argument over whether or not Tommy was a Big Man while Philza sighed and rubbed at the space behind the feathers located near his ears. He turned around and led Techno up the gangplank while Tommy chased Wilbur around the loading area. 

"I hope you recognize the terrible mistake you've made by agreeing to this job, mate."

Techno snorted, "It's a whole lot better than my previous conditions, I think I can manage."

Philza gave him a look over his shoulder that Techno didn't have the knowledge to decipher. 

"Well, this is the storage area," he gestured to the room they had entered immediately after coming off the gang-plank. Crates and boxes of various sizes were stacked in Tetris formations all around the room.

"The tools and manuals are located over there," he nodded to a wall with all forms of mechanical instruments covering it, "You'll have a couple of cycles to get acclimated to the systems and routine of the ship before starting your real work."

Techno hummed an acknowledgment as Philza led him deeper into the ship. He was shown the cockpit, engine room, central maintenance area, kitchen/dining area, and communal room. Finally, he was led down a short corridor, stopping in front of a gray panel. Philza pressed a button on the wall and the panel slid over, revealing a sleeping compartment. 

"We picked up a bed that should fit your height specifications, on the way over here," he nodded to a circular mattress in the far corner of the room, several sheets and blankets folded neatly on top. 

Techno held back a grimace. If he had been like any other species in the galaxy, this bed would have been perfect. As it was, he would either have to become a bit more flexible or get used to sleeping with his feet hanging off the edge. 

Philza showed him how to adjust the lights, use the large screen implanted in the wall, and work the storage/closet area. 

"I'll leave you to get adjusted here. Dinner will be ready in about thirty clicks to a varga depending on if it's Wilbur's or Tommy's turn to cook," Philza began heading towards the door, "We'll pick up any luggage you have in the morning." 

Techno stiffened. "Oh, um, actually, you don't have to worry about that. This is all I have." 

Philza halted in the doorway, his head swiveling around in a very owl-like way (why were all aliens so animal-like?) to look back at Techno, "What?"

Techno let out a soft huff and tilted his head at the captain in a look that hopefully translated, "Philza, there's a reason I accepted a year-long position on a random spaceship with minimal questions asked."

Philza let out a short trill before seeming to catch himself, his wings shifting forward and puffing out slightly. "I see, well, I suppose we'll be leaving first thing tomorrow then. I'll let Tommy know."

He turned again to leave, pausing just inside the threshold, "And mate, call me Phil."

He finally left, the panel sliding closed behind him and leaving Techno in an empty room. Techno sighed and sunk into the circular mattress. He removed the boar's mask from his head, turning it over in his hands a couple of times before placing it atop the pile of folded sheets. He stood up, taking a deep breath before stepping into the restroom area and coming face-to-face with an unfamiliar reflection. 

Techno hadn't had the chance to view himself on a proper reflective surface in a long time - and while his features were undeniably human - the face that stared back at him was not one that he recognized. 

It had been 7 years since his capture from Earth by the alien poachers. 

7 years since he'd been stripped from the military academy and taken into the dark recesses of space. 

5 years since his first brawl in the fight ring. 

5 years since his first kill, when he’d accidentally murdered another fighter, not realizing his strength. 

4 years since his escape.

3 years since he'd taught himself to speak and understand Common fluently. (He knew his accent was still off, but he'd stopped trying to fix it a while ago).

He was older now, with many more scars and a whole lot more trauma. He carefully opened his mouth, viewing the sharp, filed canines that rested there. He snapped his mouth shut. With shaking hands, he carefully removed the gloves from his hands, setting them on the counter. He slowly worked his marked fingers through his hair, separating it into three sections and braiding them together with practiced ease. He didn't have a hair tie, but this would do for now. A small thing to remind him of home.

Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door.

"Technoblade!" Wilbur's voice came from the other side of the panel, "Dinner's ready, so I'd suggest you hurry before Tommy eats all of my hard work."

Techno slipped the gloves back onto his hands.

"Just give me a moment, I'll be there soon," he called back. 

He walked quickly back over to the bed, tying the boar's mask back on. 

After wandering around the ship for a couple of clicks, Techno was finally able to locate the kitchen. The ship hadn't seemed this big before. Why was it so big?

He sat down at the small round table in the space between Phil and Wilbur. 

Tommy was in the middle of attempting to sneak cubes of light gray meat off of Wilbur's plate. 

Wilbur was in the process of pushing one hand against Tommy's forehead to prevent said thievery while holding his plate far out of reach, as well as using his tail to inconspicuously steal food off of Tommy's plate.

Phil had two plates in front of him, one of which he slid over to Techno as soon as he sat down. 

"Better eat quickly, mate. Before Tommy realizes what's going on.”

Phil's plate held a half-finished, multicolored salad while Techno's had an assortment of fruits, vegetables, and meats. Techno supposed that was so he could determine what he preferred. Most meat he'd come across while on Pogtopia had tasted like chicken, so he quickly finished off that portion of the meal, before turning his attention to the vegetative side. He only recognized one of the fruits present, a gapple. 

They had been a rare delicacy for him on Pogtopia. They tasted like candy apples and held almost all of the nutrients needed for humans. Other species couldn't eat too many at once or they'd be sick, but humans didn't have that problem. There was a small slice of one on his plate. Most likely there as a kind of dessert.

He ate it.

And then stole Phil's. 

And then stole Wilbur's.

And then stole Tommy's.

He almost laughed when the other crew members turned back to their plates with looks of indignation (or what he assumed was indignation) at finding their precious gapple slices mysteriously missing. 

Techno leaned back and watched as a frankly hilarious game of Who-Did-It?? began.

Maybe things would be okay again. 

Chapter Text

Techno blinked awake half a varga before the alarm he had set - on what he'd dubbed the FTB, or Flat Technology Board - was supposed to go off. He sighed and mentally cursed his inner clock. Stupid learned self-preservation wouldn’t let him sleep in. 

He climbed off the bed and went to grab his clothes from the closet. Phil had lent him a set of his sleepwear since they were the closest in height, as well as in number of limbs. He had promised they would get Techno a proper wardrobe at their next market stop. 

Until then he was stuck wearing Phil's Elytrian-style pajamas. The pants were normal enough, but the top was a strange mix between a poncho and a shawl. The material was surprisingly soft and comfortable. However, the color scheme was absolutely hideous. Who in their right mind would choose to wear lime green stripes to bed?

He changed out of the green and white striped fashion monstrosity and back into his regular clothes. He fixed the sheets on the bed and stretched out the sore muscles in his legs. Techno briefly wondered if he could steal a footrest or something from the common room so that his legs would have somewhere to rest. 

His thought process was halted when he spotted the sick bag from last night lying beside the bed. He groaned inwardly as he recalled the events of the night before. 

This was not the reaction that Techno had been expecting. 

"You ate all FOUR gapple slices?"

All three of them were staring at him with incredulous expressions covering their faces. It was Wilbur who asked him the question. 

"Yeah?"

Techno wasn't sure what to do with this situation. He'd expected to face some friendly outrage, not concern. 

Wilbur was already standing up from his seat at the table, sliding over to a cabinet near the fridge, "Do you have any idea what that amount of gapples will do to your gut? I am not going to have you throwing up all over MY brand new table."

A plastic-like bag with hazard markings on it was shoved into his hands. 

Techno stared at it for a few seconds before realization washed over him. Gapples weren't good for other species in large amounts. Of course, they would naturally assume the same for him. 

"Guys, gapples don't affect me like that, I'm fine."

Wilbur had his arms crossed, which Techno remembered having been surprised at when he first saw an alien make the gesture. 

"Really?" the disbelief in his voice was clear, "You think that just because you can handle a couple of slices means you can eat FOUR? Well, let me tell you, the last time I believed someone on that, I spent the next 4 varga cleaning AclumiNite guts off the common room floor."

The last sentence was directed at Tommy, with a pointed glare to match. 

The raccoon child jumped to his feet, lower hands slamming down on the table, "Ey, it's not my fault you put a plate of perfectly good gapple slices on a counter out in the open."

"They were in my medical office for seed evaluation , not as a snack!"

The two lapsed into another argument. This was going to be a very long year. 

Phil placed a taloned hand on Techno's arm, with Techno just barely managing to hold back a flinch.

"We're just worried about you, mate. Let me help you get back to your room. The stomach pains aren't going to be fun once they start, no matter how well you handle gapples." 

He started leading Techno out of the dining area and back towards his room. He thought he heard Phil mutter something that sounded like "4 gapple slices'' under his breath as they left. 

As they neared Techno's door, he turned to face Phil, "Seriously Phil, I'm fine, I've had way more than 4 gapple slices at once, and I was perfectly okay."

Phil studied him for a couple of seconds before letting out a long sigh. 

"Alright, but keep the sick bag with you just in case, and don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything." 

Phil paused, "I'll get you something to sleep in for the next couple of cycles. We can pick up whatever you need at our next stop." 

Techno was left in his room to try and figure out how the circular sheets for the mattress worked while he waited for Phil to come back. He tossed the sick bag to the side and almost face-planted on the bed before remembering his mask and settling for a star back flop. 

Techno tossed the sick bag in the waste disposal unit located in the bathroom before fixing his mask securely on his face. It was time to greet the worrywarts and get some breakfast. 

Hopefully, everyone had forgotten about the events of last night, but Techno was pretty sure that Phil would be hiding the gapples from now on, no matter what he said. 

He opened the door and set out into the corridor with the intent of finding the kitchen in under 5 clicks. 

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Techno's cycle was already going decidedly not great. His bowl of morning liquid nutrients lay in shards on the floor, the soup-like substance spilling out into a puddle, and there was a blond-haired, teenage, human boy standing in the Common room. 

Said human boy had his back to Techno and was staring intently at the PADD in his hands as well as the plate of various foods on the table in front of him. He had yet to notice Techno.

Bowls breaking in space didn’t make that much noise. 

Techno’s mind was not okay with this development. This was the first human he’d seen in over 7 years and he was not sure what to do about it. So, he stood there, frozen in place with his jaw figuratively melting somewhere on the floor. 

The world didn’t seem to look quite as crisp as before, and Techno could feel his legs beginning to struggle to keep him upright. He leaned against the doorframe and nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand on his shoulder. 

As it was he spun around, throwing the hand off of his shoulder, and practically growling at the culprit. 

“Woah, mate, are you alright?”

It was Phil. It was Phil . Okay, Techno had just growled at his captain. This was great, this was lovely. See, this is why he didn’t do social interactions. 

Phil had looked past him into the room in the few seconds it took Techno to collect himself. Strangely enough, he didn’t look anywhere near as scared as Techno would have expected him to be. 

Instead, his face was one of exasperation, “Tommy! I thought I told you that you weren’t supposed to be shifting into Deathworlders until we’d talked to Technoblade about it. You just sent the poor guy into an instinct attack!”

The voice that responded was undeniably Tommy’s but with a strange accent. The Common coming from his mouth sounded like Techno’s, the vocal cords not made for the rough intonations of the language. 

“I thought you already sent him the files on all of us?”

Before Techno’s eyes, the human boy turned around, twisting and morphing until the small brown alien that Techno had come to know as Tommy was standing in its place. 

Phil let out a groan, “I did, but you really think he had the time to read any of them after last night?”

So they did remember last night. Lovely.

He turned his attention back to Techno, “You okay now? Sorry, I shouldn’t have touched you without asking first.” 

Phil sent a pointed look at Tommy, “And he shouldn’t have been shifting into random Deathworlders when he knows the kind of reactions that come from that.”

Tommy lowered his bottom pairs of eyes and arms, “It’s not my fault he’s such a coward.”

Techno’s breathing had calmed down by now and his mind was attempting to catch up with the events that had just occurred while Phil was busy arguing with/scolding Tommy. 

Tommy was a shapeshifter. He had shapeshifted into a human. This was fine. Everything was fine. 

When Techno finally tuned back into the conversation, Tommy was in the middle of shoving his PADD into Phil’s face.  

“And it says that this one is about my age! I’ve got all of the cosmetic changes, but I just can’t seem to get the corrosive spit down right. I’ve never dealt with a pH level this low.”

“Did you steal that file from Wilbur’s office?”

Corrosive spit. Right. Humans. 

“You can’t just turn into Deathworlders without making sure everyone has the needed information. Especially not humans, you know how dangerous they are. It’s great that you’re finding new species to help with security, but we don’t know what a severe instinct attack looks like for Piglins.” 

Techno couldn’t handle this anymore. 

He turned around and headed back to his room to look through diagrams of the ship’s systems for the next 2 varga. He felt bad leaving the broken bowl and liquid on the floor, but he really needed some time to himself. 

Phil turned his head and saw Technoblade heading back to his room. His instincts were screaming at him to go after the fledgling grown man. Make sure that he was safe and okay. However, his rational mind knew that space was what Technoblade needed most right now. He sighed and set Tommy to the task of cleaning up the bowl that the engineer had dropped, as well as planning out an apology to the Piglin. 

Phil headed back to the cockpit, stopping by the medical bay to make sure that Wilbur had actually slept and gotten something to eat. (He hadn’t)

Once he got to the cockpit, he leaned back in the control chair, wings hanging off to the sides. He was already mentally exhausted and the cycle had barely even begun. 

How was it that Technoblade had managed to hit almost all of his parental instinct buttons in the 24 varga he’d been on the ship? Between the Piglin’s mentions of his old life, his eating an inordinate amount of gapples, as well as having an instinct attack, Phil was having a very hard time stopping himself from just up and adopting the man straight into the nest. He had to keep reminding himself that this wasn’t permanent, that Technoblade would be gone at the end of the year. 

Phil had told himself at the beginning of all of this, when they first started looking for an engineer, that he wouldn’t let himself get too attached. Well, it was looking as though he owed Wilbur 20 units. 

He turned to the controls and began checking the various gauges, levels, and path of travel. He just hoped that Tommy’s shapeshifting hadn’t ruined Technoblade and the young AclumiNite’s relationship.

Chapter Text

Techno was in space.

One might assume this to be a rather self-evident piece of information seeing as Techno had been “in space” for the past 7 years. 

However, there is a rather large and important distinction to be made between the 3 different types of being “in space”. 

There is being on a planet that isn’t your native one, technically “in space” in the sense that you are in a different part of the universe. 

Then there is being on a spaceship or space station where the vacuum of space is much nearer and quite a bit more real-seeming than it is planetside. 

And then there is clinging to the outside of a drifting spaceship, dressed in a too-thin-to-be-properly-safe spacesuit, tethered to an airlock with a line of stretchy rope that seems liable to snap at any moment, to gain access to the hyperdrive panel. 

In case you were having trouble figuring it out, Techno was currently experiencing the third type of “in space”. 

Techno mentally cursed every design and quality control engineer who had ever thought placing the panel to one of the most important travel mechanisms on the outside of the ship was a good idea, as he crawled his way over to the panel. Apparently, this was standard on most cargo ships, something Techno had not realized until the ship was stalling, sputtering to a stop, and Phil was calling him over to give him his custom-made spacesuit. It had been made at their last stop and Techno had originally thought the suit to be a simple safety precaution. 

He was wrong. 

So here Techno was, climbing in what amounted to an over-glorified hazmat suit, trying to distract himself through breathing exercises, and attempting to fake expertise in an area he had no clue existed until around 10 clicks ago. 

On top of all of that, Techno was not enjoying the feeling of his back being open and exposed, hyperaware of the fact that sound does not travel through space. He kept glancing over his shoulder, anxiety prickling up his spine and a tight spiral of tension resting in his chest. He finally made it to the panel, lifting the pack of tools off his back and fixing it to the appropriate holder above the panel. 

The feeling of danger increased 10-fold the moment the weight left his back. Dark red alarms screamed DANGER, DANGER throughout his mind, as adrenaline flooded its way into his veins. 

Techno gripped the safety handle, the metal crumpling in his grip. Oh well, he would fix it later. 

He flipped around, digging his heels into the toeholds and pressing his back against the ship. His eyes scanned the stars but found nothing. His breathing slowly evened out as his brain caught on to the fact that there was nothing there. The feeling of danger had lessened greatly now that his back was no longer unprotected, but it remained nestled in the back of his mind. 

Techno completed the maintenance one-armed, stretching across his body to reach for things. As soon as he had the pack back over his shoulders, Techno was scrambling as fast as his limbs would take him, back to the airlock. He let out a long breath as he climbed out of his suit and back into the sweet air of the ship. 

After a few clicks spent collecting himself, Techno placed the sorry excuse for a space suit in its containment unit and headed towards the storage area to return the pack of tools. He passed the science rooms where Wilbur was cataloging his various chemicals as well as the navigation room where Tommy was examining a wide display of holographic star charts. 

Tommy had approached Techno the cycle after “the incident” while he was working in the main engine room, to apologize for having scared him with his shapeshifting. While the Deathworlder shapeshifting hadn’t been the problem, Techno was glad for the assumption. It kept any suspicion off of him. 

Tommy had explained that he shifted into various dangerous species to act as a kind of security guard for the crew. Techno still had mild heart attacks every time he passed a room and saw Tommy as some kind of alien species he’d never seen before, but at least he knew to expect it now. 

He continued his way down the hall, slowing when he spotted Phil approaching from the opposite direction. 

“Hyperdrive should be back online now. Though you might want to look into replacing some of the wires if you don’t want something like this to happen again.”

Please, please for the love of all things good, please make sure I never have to do that again. 

“Good to know, we have a transport planet that we’re stopping at first, but we should be able to get it fixed at the next one.” 

Techno gave an internal sigh of relief. 

Phil turned slightly to continue down the hall when Techno suddenly remembered something he’d been meaning to tell the captain.

“Hey, Phil.”

The Elytrain paused, turning his head towards Techno. 

“It’s been getting kind of weird to hear you guys calling me by my full name. You can call me Techno.”

Instead of a verbal or physical sign of confirmation like Techno had been expecting, Phil’s wings puffed up to nearly twice their size and his pupils expanded to the size of dinner plates. 

Phil stared at Techno.

Techno stared back. 

“Phil? You okay?”

Phil let out a soft warble, continuing to stare at Techno. 

This was starting to get weird.

“Okay then, nice chat. See you around.” 

Techno edged his way around Phil, continuing on his way to the storage area. He looked back over his shoulder as he reached the turn in the hallway, finding Phil still standing there, staring into open space. 

Okay…

Chapter Text

Techno carefully climbed to his feet as his enclosure shook and rattled its way up toward the arena floor. He could hear the cheers, stomps, and shouts of the audience getting louder as he rose. A curl of apprehension rested itself in his chest, making it slightly harder to breathe. 

The cage ground to a halt just inside the large metal doors that would soon open to let him out onto the arena. He sighed and quickly did some stretches, loosening his muscles and attempting to ease his breathing in preparation for the fight that was to come. The force field walls of the cage crackled violently before disappearing entirely as the large metal doors slowly slid open. 

Techno had to squint against the bright light that came pouring through the widening crack. He grimaced as the full force of the crowd’s shouts hit his ears. He stepped out onto the circular battlefield, waiting for his opponent to emerge from their door. He’d been here for about 3 weeks and had learned early on that if he wanted to be given any food or water at the end of this, he needed to fight and make a good show of it. 

The aliens weren’t too hard to defeat, usually going limp and giving up after only 10-15 minutes of fighting. Techno didn’t know what would happen if he lost a battle as it hadn’t happened to him yet, but no matter what, anything was better than the experiment ship he’d been on for the past 2 years. 

The arena was often littered with various objects, most likely designed to make the fight more entertaining each time. Today, the area was scattered in various lumpy, oblong, brown sculptures covered in random dark spots. If Techno thought about it, they honestly looked as though someone had made a bunch of papier-mâché potatoes. 

The door on the far side finally slid open and his blue tentacled opponent emerged. 

The alien was navy blue with a cylinder torso and 5 tentacles extending from its lower half. The top half looked like it was on a swivel, and Techno could see 4 eyes taking in the arena from all sides. 

Techno darted behind a potato sculpture as the creature started windmilling towards him. 

And then a very long and very boring fight scene took place which will not be detailed here simply because of how boring, long, and endurance-testing it was for Techno. 

Most definitely not because the author spent 3 weeks with writer’s block trying to figure out this single scene before finally giving up. Nosiree I don’t know what you’re talking about. 

Techno was beginning to tire. He’d been running around the arena, trying to get the squid alien to surrender for a good 20 minutes. Usually, these kinds of fights ended with him pressing his opponent into the floor until they went limp, a sign of forfeiture. However, this alien just slithered out of his grip every time he tried to do so. It didn’t seem like the type to give up. 

It was time to end this.

Techno feigned right and sprinted left towards the wall of the arena, the squid creature hot on his tail. His heart pounded in his chest and his breath came out in short gasps, as he made his way full-tilt towards the wall. Just before he was about to hit the wall, he jumped, pushing off of it and flying back towards the alien. He hit the ground in a baseball slide, right leg aimed straight in between the creature's two “front” tentacles. He kicked up a cloud of dust and sand as he made his way under the belly of the beast. 

The particles in the air made it hard to see, but Techno managed to grab the “back” tentacle as he slid past. He used the tentacle to right himself, pulling on it to stop his forward momentum and stand upright. He adjusted his grip on the slimy tube, digging his broken fingernails into the skin, and began to spin in a circle, carrying the alien with him. He spun faster and faster, the tentacles and the world blurring before his eyes. 

Eventually, Techno let go, and the creature sailed upwards in an arc toward the potato structures. He watched in satisfaction as the squid hit one of the structures and fell in a messy heap of limbs at the base. He was panting hard, his arms hurt, and the dust in the air was not helping. He swiped a piece of sweaty hair behind his ear and watched with far less satisfaction as the stupid papier-mâché potato sculpture began to make ugly potato sculpture cracking noises. The cheers of the crowd somehow got louder, the creatures stamping their feet in unison. Techno could do nothing but watch in horror as the sculpture fractured at the base and tipped forward onto the unmoving form of the blue calamari. 

Crack .

Squish . 

Techno shot upright, panting heavily with sweat dripping down his forehead. 

He kicked his way out of his sheets, tumbling to the floor. He lay there, gasping for breath as his brain slowly acknowledged the shift to reality. 

He hadn’t had that nightmare since arriving on the ship, but it always came back. That had been the first time he’d killed another living, possibly sentient being. Realistically he’d known ever since the day his parents had dropped him off at the military academy just before his 14th birthday, that he would one day have to kill someone else. He’d just been expecting a lot more training and mental preparation before that day arrived. 

Techno slowly gathered himself up as best he could, preparing for the cycle. 

He sat down at the table in the kitchen, his mind wandering all over the place as he stared down at his gloved hands. He vaguely sensed a bowl being placed down in front of him and a voice calling his name. He snapped his head up to see Phil standing on the other side of the table, holding his own bowl. 

“Sorry, what?”

“I asked if you were alright.”

Techno placed his hands on either side of the bowl in front of him, attempting to ground himself, “Yeah, just had a bad dream.”

Phil’s wings twitched, “If you say so, mate.”

A spring with a bobblehead and googly eyes bounced into the kitchen, did a flip, and shifted mid-air so that a wild Tommy landed on the seat next to Techno. 

Techno took a sip of his brown morning liquid nutrients - Flavor: Borgenbeet

“Phil, Phil, Phil.”

Techno made a mental note to check the storeroom for earplugs. 

Tommy leaned on the table, his gaze fixed on Phil, “Phil, what movie are we watching today?”

Phil turned to Techno to explain, “We have a monthly family crew-bonding activity. It’s usually a movie though.”

Tommy continued talking, “I was thinking we could either rewatch the documentary on Tubbo’s species.”

He paused for dramatic effect. 

Techno finished his breakfast. 

“Or, we could watch this new action spy movie that just came out.” 

Phil made a clicking sound that Techno equated to human chuckling, “We’ll put it to a vote once we’re all in the common room, mate.”

Tommy pointed 2 fingers, one on each left hand, at Techno, “His vote should count for two since he’s new.”

Tommy shifted into something like fog, drifting over Techno’s shoulder.

“If you vote for the spy movie, I’ll make sure you have heated blankets throughout it.”

Phil flapped his wings, blowing Tommy over to the other side of the room. 

“Alright, alright, quit bribing the newbie.”

Phil turned to Techno, “You’re welcome to join us if you’d like.”

Techno thought it over. The movie would probably be a good distraction and the promise of heated blankets was very compelling. 

“Might as well.”

There was a thump as Tommy hit the ground. 

“Woo-hoo!”

Techno ended up wedged between Phil and Tommy, with Wilbur on Tommy’s other side. Phil sat on a section of the couch that had a dip in the back for his wings. 

Wilbur and Phil had both voted for the documentary, but Tommy’s argument for the two-Techno-vote rule somehow worked, and he made good on his promise of a heated blanket. 

The movie ended up being about the infiltration and take-down of a sentient species smuggling operation which hit a little too close to home for Techno, but it was Fine ™. Aside from that, it was a pretty good movie, and fairly enjoyable. 

After the movie ended, they sat in silence for a few clicks, simply enjoying the credits. 

Things were going surprisingly well. 

Wilbur spoke up, “Hey Techno,”

There it was. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask this since you came on the ship, but what would be a good time to set up a medical scan for you? I just need a baseline so I can know if something goes wrong.”

Techno stiffened, frozen in his seat, “No thank you.”

Wilbur tilted his head to the side, “No thank you? It’s mandatory protocol. It’s okay if you don’t want to do it right now, but we do need to-”

Techno stood up abruptly, “No thank you.”

Tommy reached out a hand, settling it on his arm, “Techno-”

Techno wrenched his arm away, the sleeve of his shirt riding up in the process. Techno yanked it back down and speed-walked as fast as he could back to his room. He locked the door, tearing the mask off of his face, before sliding down the wall into a sitting position, his head in his hands. 

They’d seen his scars, they’d seen his scars. 

He curled up in a ball. He was just going to ignore this problem for a bit. 

Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. Later, he would pretend like the whole thing had never happened. 

But for now, he would be having a mental breakdown, thank you very much. 

Wilbur was still in shock, frozen in his place on the couch. He was fairly certain that if he were to glance over at Phil or Tommy, they would be in similar positions. 

Tommy was the first to break the silence, “What the heck was that??”

Phil leaned back against the couch aggressively massaging his temples, “I have absolutely no clue, mate.”

Tommy shifted into a slime for a few seconds, bouncing in place as he thought. Then he shifted into a Merpent and draped himself across Wilbur’s tail, “Well, he’s pretty clearly traumatized. Do you think all of those scars have something to do with it?”

Wilbur finally spoke up, “I’d be more surprised if they didn’t have something to do with his aversion to the medical field.”

Tommy half sat up, leaning back on his elbows, “Do you think he got caught up with the whole Egg thing?”

Phil snapped his wings out and back again, effectively jolting Wilbur out of his thoughts, before standing up, “Whatever it is, I’m sure Techno wouldn’t appreciate us talking about it behind his back. If he wants to tell us, he will. Until then we won’t bring it up.” 

He turned to Wilbur, “And you probably shouldn’t press him about anything else medical-related until he’s more comfortable with you.” 

Wilbur shook out his tail, dumping Tommy on the floor, “Yeah, you’re probably right. But what if something happens? I won’t know what to do.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out, mate. Besides, nothing will happen to Techno if we have anything to say about it.”

Wilbur purred on the inside. He’d totally won the bet. 

Chapter Text

Techno heard a thunk as the ship rocked back and forth slightly, before settling. He looked up from the manual he’d been reading just in time to see Tommy shooting past the common room doorway, screeching like a tornado siren. A few moments later, he saw Wilbur slither past, heading in the same direction and shouting something at Tommy. 

Techno sighed, weighing the pros and cons of getting up from his incredibly comfortable spot on the couch. He finally heaved himself up, kicking the blankets off and placing the PADD he’d been reading from on the magnetic table to ensure it wouldn’t slide off somewhere. He started down the hallway in the direction he’d seen the two lunatics heading. He could hear the telltale sounds of Wilbur and Tommy’s bickering coming from the storage area. 

Techno entered the room, squeezing his way past the many stacks of cargo they had accumulated in the past 2 weeks, over to the hanger door. Phil was standing in front of the controls as Tommy jumped up and down in place, waiting for the gangplank to lower. 

Techno was very confused. He couldn’t remember any stops having been scheduled for today. 

“Phil?” 

The Elytrian hummed but didn’t turn away from the controls. Wilbur seemed to pick up on Techno’s confusion because he looked up from his PADD, turning to Tommy with a small click. 

“Tommy, did you remember to tell him?” 

Tommy didn’t stop his bouncing and Techno noticed that his feet had a slight green tint to them. 

“Tell him what?” 

Wilbur slapped his tail against the floor in what was most likely the Merpent equivalent of a facepalm. 

“Kristina, did you tell him about Kristina?” 

Tommy finally turned around to face both of them, though his bouncing still didn’t stop. Techno had the impression that he would only be able to stop once he shifted his feet back to something solid. 

“Oh right! I forgot. Kristina is Phil’s wife and we’re stopping here on Elytria to visit her!” 

Techno’s brain felt like it was rebooting. Phil was married? Okay, that was fine. Remember, one weird thing at a time. 

The gangplank finally began to lower as Phil continued to tap away at the control pad. 

Tommy let out a shrill shriek and quickly shifted into an Elytrian. 

His form looked similar to what Techno might imagine a mini-Phil-child to look like. He had dark red wings with a couple of sections of brown, and his hair was blond. 

The gang-plank finished lowering, revealing a landing pad extending from a skyscraper-like building. They were a decent ways up from the ground and Techno felt a warm and gentle breeze blow their way. The skyscraper in question had shimmery silk-like material hanging from each level in place of glass. Elytrains of all sizes, shapes, and colors were diving straight through the curtains into whichever room they were headed to, while others stood on small wooden ledges, preparing to take off. 

Techno was snapped out of his observations as the crew headed down the ramp. They entered the building through a set of bright teal curtains and began winding their way through the building. The hallways were wide and spacious, most likely to accommodate various wing sizes. The walls were decorated with golden drapery and large works of art. The more he saw, the more Techno got the feeling that this was some sort of important building. 

Elytrians hurried past them, inclining their faces down and away as they passed the crew. Phil led them down several ramps to a large dining room. A large variety of platters rested in the center of the long, low table. A regal, female Elytrian sat cross-legged at the head of the table. Her long, dark hair seemed to defy gravity as it gently drifted and waved about her face. A shimmery black veil seemed to be the only thing keeping it from drifting upward. She had pitch-black wings with small points of white interspersed like stars. Her dress was long with loose sleeves and a pattern that looked like a picture taken straight from a supernova. 

She turned as they entered, a gentle smile spreading across her features. As soon as she gestured for them to take a place at the table, Tommy sprinted forward, claiming the spot nearest to Kristina on her right-hand side. At least, Techno assumed this was Kristina. It wouldn’t make much sense for her to be anyone else. Wilbur took the seat next to Tommy, while Phil settled himself on the other side of the table, next to Kristina. Techno took the last available seat beside Phil. The seats were comfortable plush cushions in a variety of patterns. Techno tucked his feet in and adjusted his cloak, unsure of what proper dining etiquette was here. 

As soon as they’d finished seating themselves comfortably, Kristina raised a hand. Immediately, a set of curtains opened about halfway up the far wall and several Elytrains dressed in grey soared down. Techno had not noticed just how high up the ceiling was until this moment. 

The servants carried down plates, utensils, glasses, and pitchers of various liquids. After they’d arranged everything and disappeared back into the curtain they’d come from, everyone started eating. 

Techno copied everyone else as they grabbed various foods and placed them on their plates. He stuck to the foods that he recognized and managed to sneak several gapple slices under a purple leaf on his plate. 

Everyone remained silent as they ate their food. Techno had honestly not realized that Wilbur and Tommy had the ability to have good manners for such a prolonged period of time. Granted, he did spot the pair sneaking food off each other’s plates at various points, but that seemed to be a constant no matter what. 

Eventually, everyone finished eating and Kristina raised her hand once again. The servants flew back down and took away all the food and plates. The glasses and pitcher were left on the table. 

“So, how old are you?”

The sudden question took Techno by surprise, “What?”

“I’m trying to make after-meal conversation.”

An awkward silence followed as Techno tried to process the fact that he was being forced into a social interaction and Wilbur stared at him expectantly from across the table. 

Tommy was unable to help him seeing as he was turned the other direction, talking to Kristina and Phil in what he assumed to be Elytria’s native language based on the clicks and chirps. 

Techno was on his own. 

Techno did some quick mental math, “Uh, I’m 24 in my planet’s years. I’m pretty sure that’s the same as Standard Years.” 

Wilbur let out a gasp, “We’re the same age! We’re basically twins!” 

Techno frowned slightly. He was pretty sure that wasn’t how twins worked. 

When he tried to mention this, Wilbur simply scoffed and crossed his arms, “Nope, I’ve already decided. You can’t escape it. We’re twins now.” 

Techno groaned, “Being the same age doesn’t make us twin-”

A loud rattling sounded up, and Techno could see the end of Wilbur’s tail shaking back and forth. 

“What was that my twin ?”

“Fine, fine, we’re twins.” 

Wilbur whooped, throwing all 3 of his appendages in the air, “Sorry not sorry Tommy, I’ve got a new brother.” 

Tommy leaped at Wilbur, “Oi, you-”

They began rolling around in a tussle on the far end of the room. Neither Kristin nor Phil seemed to be phased by this behavior.

Instead, Phil shifted, turning towards him, “This is my wife, Queen Kristina.” 

Kristina’s wings lifted slightly, “It is a pleasure to meet you. You are Technoblade, correct? Philza has told me about you.”

This information had not been covered in the orientation video, "Uh, nice to meet you, Your Majesty. You can just call me Techno.”

Kristina smiled, “Well, in that case, you may call me Kristin.” 

A thought suddenly occurred to him, “Wait, if you’re queen, then why is Phil a cargo pilot?”

Kristin let out a light laugh that sounded like a set of wind chimes, “Well, first of all, you have to understand that Elytria is not a part of the Federation. Instead, we have a truce and a trade deal.” 

Techno was confused, “Doesn’t the Federation simply take over any planets that refuse to join it?”

“That is correct. However, none of those planets had Elytrian-level space military forces at the time of their refusal.” 

An amused look came over Kristin’s face, “The Federation soon learned that it would be of greater use for them to have us as a trade partner than to waste resources trying to defeat us.”

“That still doesn’t explain why Phil delivers cargo.” 

“I’m getting there. You see, I don’t have any particular care for the Federation,” now a dark look dashed its way across her features, “What with the war all those centuries ago, the corrupt leadership, and the fact that they allow far too many things to slip under the radar. Sentient species enslavement, fight rings, and experimentation to name a few.” 

Techno held back a shudder as he fought to keep the memories tucked away in their box. Elytria had just leaped to the top of his favorite planets list. Granted that list was very small, considering he’d mainly stayed on Pogtopia since his escape, but still.

Kristin continued, “All of that is to say, I can’t exactly go out and mess with the Federation as I’d like to. Not when I have a neutral appearance to keep up and my people to look after. But Phil and the crew can go out and take part in some…not-so-legal activities.” 

It now became apparent that Phil had zoned out at some point during Kristin’s explanation because he let out a squawk at the last sentence, “Kristin! We hadn’t told him about that yet!”

Kristin smiled at him, looking not at all sorry, “Oh, sorry my dear. I suppose I forgot. Well, I certainly hope I didn’t ruin anything for your crew.” 

Techno blinked as they both turned to look at him. Oh, they were wondering if he still wanted to be a part of the crew or if they would have to decapitate him for what he knew. 

He shrugged, “Eh, it’s fine, down with the government.”

Kristin began laughing as Phil stared at him with a bewildered expression, “What did I tell you, Phil? He-”

The rest of the sentence was in Elytrian and ended with Phil groaning and placing his head in his claws. 

Just then, Wilbur and Tommy decided to rejoin the conversation. 

“I knew it! I knew it!” Tommy practically flew over Kristin’s head in his excitement. 

Wilbur slithered back into his spot, “We all knew it, Tommy. It wasn’t that hard to figure out.” 

Techno relaxed back, enjoying the familiar scene of chaos. He had no clue what everyone was talking about, but it didn’t seem to matter. 

This was home. 

Chapter Text

Colorful scenery rushed past him as Techno did his best to avoid being hit in the face with wings in various sizes and patterns. Tommy had a vice-like grip on his wrist and Techno was almost certain his talons were embedded in the material of the thick glove on his hand. Wilbur trailed behind them, taking his sweet time avoiding the crowds of Elytrian market-goers. 

Apparently, many species came to Elytria to sell various wares due to the freer trade laws and lack of Federation influence. Despite this, there was little to no shady business in the market areas, as Kristin did an impressive job of screening all new vendors. 

That was the reason Techno was currently being dragged through an open-air street vendor area in a search for sweets. Tommy was friends with a couple of the vendors and visited them whenever stopping planetside. 

They finally slowed to a stop in front of a booth draped in purple with various teal designs covering the fabric. An Elytrian with small yellow wings and a black beanie stood behind several boxes filled with various candies. 

“Hey, Big Q!”

“Tommy! Long time no see.”

Techno stood awkwardly at the entrance to the stand as Tommy detached his talons from Techno’s glove before going up to chat with the unknown avian. 

Social interaction? Nope. 

Techno was going to stand right here and wait for his self-proclaimed twin to get his lazy scales over here. Plus, eavesdropping is an introvert’s greatest power. So Techno stood, hopefully unobtrusively, in a corner appearing to admire the intricate teal patterns on the carpet. 

Tommy bounced up to the stand, “What’s up? You suddenly taken an interest in being a Candy Salesman like Karl?”

The golden avian’s wings visibly drooped, “No, I’m just watching the stand while Sapnap and Karl are at Karl’s doctor's appointment.” 

Tommy’s wings lowered similarly, “Oh, did the other place not work out?” 

“They tried to give him some experimental treatment, but it didn’t work.” 

“How is he now?”

“73% of his color is gone and he’s been having trouble remembering parts of conversations and recent memories.” 

Techno was very glad he wasn’t being required to participate in this conversation. It sounded like emotions and Techno was not good with emotions, thank you very much. 

Wilbur finally arrived after what felt like an eternity, gliding lazily into the open-air tent. By this time, Tommy was wrapping up his conversation with the yellow-winged avian and selecting his sweets from the wide selection. Tommy paid, said goodbye, and they all headed out together towards the next booth. 

Techno couldn’t take his eyes off the scenery now that he wasn’t being dragged at breakneck speed through the streets. Intricate architecture and designs rose into the air as Elytrians swooped from building to building. Brilliant sunlight streamed down through the leaves of the lush orange trees, creating a pleasantly warm atmosphere. The sounds and smells of the other booths intertwined with the chatter of patrons. 

Techno could hear the sizzling burners and smell the juice of the fried jungle fruits. He’d have to ask if they could stop by one of the food stands before they left. Tommy led the group through the winding marketplace, swapping sprinting for munching on his candies. They finally seemed to approach their destination after a good 5 clicks of walking. Wilbur had been ranting for the entire walk about an animal that sounded suspiciously like an anteater and Techno had tuned him out after the first 30 seconds. 

The tent they were approaching had a much more open floor plan than the previous one, with wooden crates of merchandise situated around the perimeter of the tent with the vendor seated on a stool in the middle. The fabric of this booth was a gentle cream and Techno could see that one of the corners wasn’t tied down properly and was flapping softly in the light breeze. The vendor looked like a bipedal cow with red and white markings, a Mooshroom. 

Tommy wrapped up his bag of candy and placed it in his satchel as they drew nearer. He bounced up to the Mooshroom, wings flapping, much the same way he had with the Q avian. 

“Henry!”

The vendor turned from the PADD in his hands (fingered hooves?), face brightening when he saw Tommy. He quickly set the PADD down on a nearby table and grabbed Tommy in a hug as he entered the tent. When they finally let go, Henry started moving his hands in what Techno recognized as Galaxy Sign Language. 

While most species’ vocal cords could produce the sound necessary for Common, many couldn’t, making a universal sign language necessary. It was also useful for deaf or mute members of a species. Techno assumed that was Henry’s situation, seeing as he’d had conversations in Common with multiple Mooshrooms over the years. 

Manual translators existed for some languages but were generally clunky and hard to use. Some species had developed translator implants for themselves, but the technology surrounding those was still relatively new and unreliable. 

Techno knew enough GSL to get him through an interaction, but that was about it. He kept meaning to purchase a GSL download to expand his vocabulary, but some emergency always came up at the last click that required his funds. Maybe he could get Tommy to work with him once he got back on the ship since he seemed to have a better grasp of the language than he did. 

Henry led Tommy over to a couple of crates and started showing him whatever was in them. Meanwhile, Wilbur grabbed Techno and dragged him over to the other side of the tent. 

“Wilbur, what are we getting here?”

Wilbur flicked his tail, “Oh, Tommy is just really into ancient technology right now. Personally, I don’t see the appeal, but the covers can be fun to look at sometimes.” 

Wilbur began pulling what looked like a large folder out of the box, “These are called regisnam. It’s some old tech that was discovered on an ancient space probe a couple of years ago.” 

Techno finally got a look at the item as Wilbur held it up in the air. 

…

A music disc. 

It was a music disc. An honest-to-goodness vinyl record. 

What in the universe was a bunch of vinyl records doing in a market in space?

After a couple of moments of staring at it, Techno finally managed to find his voice, “A space probe?”

Wilbur, oblivious to the fact that Techno’s brain was buffering for the umpteenth time this trip, continued giving a fairly detailed history of vinyl records in space. 

Apparently, a couple of years ago, an old space probe had been discovered in Sector 169G1920E16. 

“Voyager,” Techno’s brain helpfully supplied. 

A primitive recording had been found in the probe that didn’t match any known languages. It was taken before the Federation and they had concluded that the recording must be from some long-lost civilization since the sector it was found in had no sentient species. 

They must have damaged the pictures. 

Eventually, the technology was auctioned off to the Mooshrooms who developed a better, lighter material to use and began selling recordings of sounds, music, and stories.

The aliens had reinvented vinyl. 

Most of the recordings were in Common, but there were a few in other languages. 

Honestly, it was probably lucky that the Federation hadn’t realized humans’ sentience seeing what had happened to all the other sentient species and their planets. 

After that, Wilbur left Techno alone to sort through the discs and see if there were any that he wanted. Techno picked through a couple of the boxes, admiring the art on some of the covers. He was looking over a record with a creepy-looking cover when Tommy suddenly materialized next to him. 

“Oh no, you don’t want that one. Trust me, 11 is scary as all get out.” 

Techno was promptly dragged over to a box on the far end of the tent. 

“You’re going to want to start with the Original, there’s no other way to do it.” 

Tommy pulled out a record out of the box labeled “Original”, with a picture of one of the Golden Records on it. 

“They made copies of the original?”

“Yep, only way to enter the art,” Tommy handed him the record, “You can borrow my regisnam player if you want until you get your own.” 

Techno cradled the record in his hands, speechless. 

This was a piece of Earth. Well, maybe not a direct piece of Earth, but if Techno remembered those educational documentaries correctly, he would be able to hear human sounds again. 

Tommy prattled on about getting him his own “regisnam” player eventually and what records to listen to next, but Techno mainly zoned him out in favor of examining every inch of this new-found treasure. 

A link to home. 

A link to hope. 

Chapter Text

Techno was having a tough time keeping his excitement to himself. He kept running his hands over the record’s cover to ensure it was still there. He couldn’t wait to get back to the ship and listen to the recording, but he knew that they still had a few vargas left in the market. 

Wilbur had finally decided to pick up his pace now that they were headed to a stand of his interest. Techno hadn’t been listening when they told him where they were going and it was too late to ask now. He let him lead the group - thankfully no talons in his glove this time - through the winding streets of the market. 

The beautiful nature that covered Elytria drew his eyes again and again. Flowering vines crawled their way up the sides of buildings as leaves of various tree species stretched high into the air from their place on the rooftops. It was a far cry from the metal-plated streets of other industrial planets such as Pogtopia. 

Eventually, they arrived at a booth where a Merling was floating in a tank decorated with designs of various water plants. They had long, reddish-orange hair tied back in an intricate braid with the end floating in the water beside their waist, and a smattering of freckles lay just beneath bottle-green eyes. They had a swirling pink, orange, and white scale pattern on their tail and were wearing a white tank top. 

As the crew approached, the Merling used a panel of buttons on the outside of the tank to move towards the front of the tent. Techno felt Tommy poke him in the side, directing his attention to Wilbur’s tail. He was confused for a good couple of seconds before realizing that the end of Wilbur’s tail had changed colors. The typical shades of green, blue, and purple had instead given way to a deep, forest green. 

Tommy leaned over, “That’s Sally, Wilbur’s girlfriend.”

Wilbur’s tail turned an even deeper shade of green before smacking Tommy in the face, “She is not my girlfriend. I’m here for new cithstara strings.” 

Wilbur slithered quickly ahead of them, reaching the tent and greeting Sally with a hug. 

Tommy’s wings twitched. “ Not his girlfriend .” 

The tent covering was a cream orange and racks lined the sides, filled with a large variety of alien instruments. Sally rolled with Wilbur towards the line of racks, pointing out different contraptions and spare parts as Wilbur gazed at her with what could only be described as pure adoration. 

“Has Wilbur ever played his cithstara for you?”

“Heh?”

“Guess not, it would make sense if his strings are actually broken this time. I’ll bully him into playing for you sometime.”

Techno closed his eyes briefly as the taste of the fried fruit washed over his taste buds. 

He’d managed to convince Tommy and Wilbur to stop at one of the fried fruit stands on their way back to the palace, and the smells from the stands had not failed to deliver. The alien behind the counter had cut the mystery fruit into cubes and placed them on thin sticks before cooking them on a grill. The fruit was juicy and warm, with a long-lasting aftertaste. It had a gentle sweetness to it that wasn’t overpowering and seemed to fill his entire body with warmth. The fruit itself was the same orange as the leaves of Elytria’s trees, with light brown sear marks on the corners from being fried. 

Techno quickly opened his eyes again after savoring the initial flood of flavor as he had no desire to trip and fall on his face. Plus, that would ruin the last remaining cubes of fruit on his kebab.

Tommy had allowed him to place his record in his satchel so that Techno could have access to two sticks of fruit while Wilbur freaked out upon realizing that Techno had never heard someone play the cithstara. 

As Techno was tossing the now-clean sticks into a nearby waste receptacle, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Something that was honestly pretty rare, considering his “Piglin” mask impaired the further reaches of his peripheral vision. 

Techno turned and saw a small stand tucked away in one of the small alcoves of the buildings. Bookshelves lined the sides of the tent and Techno could feel his vision tunneling. Before he could fully comprehend or consent to what he was doing, Techno had speed-walked back over to Tommy and Wilbur, grabbed each one by an appendage, and dragged both of them over to the stand. 

He probably would’ve revealed his human strength to everyone in the marketplace right then and there and not cared, if both his crewmates hadn’t come along willingly, albeit confusedly. Techno released them both as soon as they reached the tent, reaching his hand up instead to scan through alien book titles.

 Oh, how he had missed this. 

“Not to question how you want to spend your money or anything, but what are we doing at a bookstand?” 

Techno shifted his gaze to Wilbur for a brief moment, before returning to the books. He moved up and down the row, periodically sliding one out from its place to glance at the cover and read the summary on the inside, before returning it to its spot. 

“I’m going to pretend like you didn’t just ask that.”

After a thorough search of all the merchandise available, Techno finally settled on a book about the mythology of some planet in the 270D3750Q84 system. He’d always enjoyed Greek myths growing up, and a quick scan of the book showed great promise. 

He bought the book and ignored the confused glances being exchanged between Tommy and Wilbur. Some people just couldn’t understand the need to flip through the physical pages of a book and absorb its very essence through your fingertips. No matter, they could stick with their PADDs as long as Techno could keep his physical stories. 

They continued on their way back to the palace without any other detours, as Tommy shared multiple stories about him and Wilbur terrorizing Phil until they were sure his old man heart would give out. 

Once they arrived back at the palace, Techno quickly said goodnight to everyone, feigning tiredness as he was shown to his guest bedroom in the palace. Techno managed to get Tommy to lend him his regisnam player for the night, saying that he wanted to listen to the recording to help him fall asleep. Tommy had given him a look that probably said, “Piglins are weird” but had handed it over anyway. 

Techno now owed Tommy another movie night vote. 

Techno carefully locked the door to the bedroom as he stepped in, before placing the regisnam player, record, and book on a nearby table. The room was enormous, with the entire far wall being a giant curtain leading out onto a balcony. The red fabric was drawn back, but Techno could see small clasps on the edges for securing it. The left wall housed a giant screen with images of stars, galaxies, and supernovas floating across it. Glowing stars covered the ceiling and an ornate rug with a low table and cushions on it took up most of the center of the room. 

On the right wall, a platform jutted out about halfway between the floor and ceiling. A staircase protruding from the wall created a gentle incline for non-flyers to reach the platform. As Techno walked closer to inspect it, he noticed a pale glowing button on the wall near the first step. Upon pushing it, the steps twisted in the wall and folded down to create a ramp. 

Techno was seriously wondering why Phil had chosen to live on a ship instead of here. 

As Techno made his way up to the platform, he noted that while the mattress was still circular, it was also massive and could easily fit his whole body stretched out. Sheets, blankets, pillows, and a pair of pajamas lay neatly atop the mattress. He was a little concerned about the fact that the platform had no railing to prevent falling, but further inspection found that a low hidden wall could be raised and locked into place. As Techno worked to put his bed together in a fashion he liked, he decided that he would take a shower while he worked up the courage to play the recording. 

Tommy had mentioned that the palace had real water showers, and Techno had to admit that a water shower did sound nice after years of sonic cleaning. After securing the giant curtain wall, he undid his mask and placed it along with his gloves on the table with his other things. 

He spent a varga and a half in the shower. 

After finishing his first hot water shower in who knows how long, Techno dried his hair and twisted it into a loose bun at the base of his neck. He spent a couple of seconds staring at his reflection in the mirror, hyping himself up to listen to the recording. 

“It’s just a recording. Everything is fine, Techno. You’re just talking to your reflection. Perfectly fine.” 

Techno sighed, leaning his elbows on the countertop, and placing his head in his hands. He didn’t know why he was getting so worked up over this. 

It was just a recording. 

… 

A recording that would let him hear the first sounds from Earth since that cycle 7 years ago. 

Techno shook his head. He was being ridiculous. He was going to go out there and curl up with his new book and listen to that recording if it was the last thing he did. Okay, maybe that was being a bit dramatic, but before he could talk himself out of it, he was up and moving. 

He grabbed the recording, player, and book, fingers hesitating over the mask and gloves before ultimately deciding to leave them. He hurried up the ramp to the sleeping area placing the player on the bedside table and turning it on. He set the book in the center of the bed and carefully took the record out of its covering. 

Techno’s hands shook as he placed the record on the player, slowly pressing the button to begin the recording. Techno stood still as a deep, English voice spilled forth from the speakers. Techno collapsed on the floor, knees pressed to his chest, as silent tears made steady tracks down his face. 

He didn’t know how long he sat there, listening as voice after voice passed on its message to the universe. Sending out greetings of peace and well-wishing to a universe that didn’t care enough to put in the effort to understand them. 

It seemed both an eternity and a mere nanosecond passed as language after language made its way out of the speakers and straight into the depths of Techno’s heart. 

Techno continued to sit on the floor, mind drifting, even after the music and Earth sounds finished and the recording ground to a halt. After a good 5 clicks, he was finally able to push himself off the floor and restart the recording, before collapsing once again, this time on the bed. 

After a couple more times of listening to the recording, Techno managed to find the loop setting and shakily picked up the alien mythology book from where he’d left it lying on the bed. 

He sat there, leafing through the pages of stories from another world. Listening to the sounds of his own. Crickets, frogs, fire, and trains. Beethoven, Bach, and a Senegal percussion performance.

Techno enjoyed reading the book, enjoyed learning about a whole other world even if the stories of heroes, monsters, and sacrifices remained the same. 

They reminded him of the Greek myths his mother would read to him as a child, back when his parents still loved him.

Chapter Text

Techno cast one last glance around the room, searching for anything that he might have forgotten. The chances of this were very low given his meager possessions, but it never hurt to double-check. He finally closed the door and carefully carried his things back to the ship. He placed the regisnam player outside Tommy’s door and stored his new items in the chest in his closet for safekeeping. 

Techno then went back inside the palace where the rest of the crew were saying their goodbyes to Kristin. It took a while, and a lot of Techno standing awkwardly in the doorway, but everyone eventually found their way out to the landing pad. Both Wilbur and Tommy were talking at Kristin while Phil and Techno stood off to the side. Suddenly, Kristin turned and locked eyes with Techno, bringing her fingers up to her lips in a zipping motion before winking and smiling at him. 

The next moment, Techno blinked and Kristin was back to smiling at Wilbur and Tommy as if nothing had happened. Techno was thoroughly freaked out. As far as he knew, neither of those motions was done by any species other than humans, much less Elytrians. Did Kristin know he was a human?

He turned to Phil to see if he’d noticed anything unusual, “Uh, Phil, did you-?” 

Phil interrupted him, waving a clawed hand through the air, “Don’t worry about Kristin, she’s immortal.” 

That raised far more questions than it answered. Kristin was immortal? So she did know he was a human? Had she told Phil? No, he hadn’t said anything and didn’t seem to know what the motions were. 

Techno was suddenly very glad that they were leaving Elytria, even though he was 78% sure Kristin had no plans to reveal his true species. She would have said something by now if she was planning on it. Right?

Eventually, they managed to get on the ship and make their way off-planet, with Tommy promising that they would get Techno a regisnam player of his own at their next market stop. 

They had been back in space for a couple of cycles when a nervous-looking Phil suddenly pulled Techno aside after completing routine engine maintenance.

“Look mate, I know you said you were okay with our…illegal activities, but I just don’t feel comfortable bringing you along on this next mission since it’s a bigger one and my instincts won’t let me knowingly put you in harm’s way.” 

Harm’s way? We could beat this guy before breakfast. It’s eat this guy for breakfast , idiot. Shut up, brain.

“I was wondering…if you’d be okay with staying behind on the ship at our next stop? The ship will be in lockdown mode just in case things go wrong.” 

Does he know what an introvert is? He might not. 

“Okay.” 

Phil gave him a strange look, “Are you really okay with this? Cause I don’t want to put you in a situation where you might be uncomfortable.”

Techno waved his hand, “Nah, it’s fine, I’ll just read while you guys go have fun messing with the Federation.”

He’d spent the better part of the last decade alone. A couple of varga on an empty ship wasn’t going to kill him. 

Aww, but what about the fight? Are you trying to blow his cover? Shut.

“Alright then, we’ll be landing in a couple of varga.”

Techno watched as Phil headed off down the corridor towards what he now knew was the weapons room. This should be a relaxing cycle. 

Techno sat on the couch in the common room with a mechanical guide pulled up on his PADD. He was saving the mythology book for after the crew left. Everyone was busy preparing for the stop, apparently doing out in the open what they’d been doing for months behind his back. 

“Well, technically this is our first major mission since you came on board,” Wilbur had explained, “None of the other ones required nearly this much prep work.”

Phil was checking and loading weapons, Wilbur was making what Techno assumed was a med kit as well as periodically checking some kind of technology, and Tommy was trying to figure out which alien species he was going to go as. It was a bit like watching a kid try on different Halloween costumes. 

Tommy stood in front of a mirror, switching into various species and occasionally checking something on his PADD. Some of the species were ones that Techno recognized, while others were entirely foreign to him. 

Phil was also molting like crazy and the area behind the couch was looking more and more like a small animal crime scene. 

Techno decided to dive back into the manual, content to let the background noise disappear as he read. Unfortunately for Techno, the background noise refused to disappear. Not 3 clicks into reading, Techno was startled out of it by the sound of Tommy’s voice in his human shift. 

Techno’s eyes shot up to where Tommy was trying out different poses in front of the mirror. 

“Hey Phil, what if I went as a human?” The joking tone was clear in Tommy’s voice, “Look at me, I’m a human.” 

Tommy hunched over and raised his hands in a clawed shape, like a person imitating a bear. The whole time he had a huge smile on his face with all of his teeth showing. 

“Sorry mate,” Phil said, chuckling, “We’re looking for something a bit more on the down low. Not sure having one of the most dangerous Deathworlders in the universe as a guard pet would achieve that.” 

Wilbur chimed in, “Plus, I’m pretty sure that’s a human hatchling you’ve copied.” 

Tommy’s face turned bright red and he started going off on how this shift was definitely the Biggest Man Ever among humans. Techno had to work very hard to hide the smirk attempting to make its way across his features. After a bit, Tommy finally calmed down and picked a species. It was one that Techno was unfamiliar with, though he thought he might have seen Tommy shift into it once before. It looked a bit like a living skeleton of sorts if someone had tried to draw the skeleton of a biped without ever seeing a real one. 

Techno honestly didn’t get that good of a look, as Phil pulled him aside a couple of clicks later. Apparently, they were just 5 clicks away from landing and Phil wanted to make sure that Techno was settled before returning to the controls. He assured Techno that they would only be gone for a couple of varga at the most and to call on the FTB in case of an emergency. 

Techno repeatedly assured him that he would be fine and to stop worrying so much. It couldn’t be good for his old man heart.

Eventually, the ship landed, the crew left, and Techno was left standing in the empty common room. After waiting for several clicks just in case the crew had forgotten something and decided to come back, he removed his mask and gloves, tossing them onto the couch. 

He now had a couple of varga of alone time to do whatever he wanted, and a lovely, real mythology book waiting to be finished. He fished it out of the storage chest in his closet before curling up on the couch to read. 

He hadn’t gotten more than a chapter of the way through the book when the voices started acting up again. They’d been mostly silent since he joined the crew but had been growing with each passing week. Now that the crew was gone, they hit him full force. 

They found out, didn’t they? 

                                                                                                                               The monster, finally back in its cage. 

                                                                                           Why else would they lock you in a cage?

                                       Oh, I’m sorry. A ship. 

                                                                    What better way to catch a creature, than to let it walk into its own trap?

Techno blinked rapidly and shook his head. Why wouldn’t they just shut up?

                                       You didn’t really believe we’d be gone for long, now did you Technoblade?

                                                                                                            You can try and bury your 

                                                                                                    secrets, but they’ll never be hidden. 

                                                              They found out, just like we knew they would. 

                                                                                                         Don’t believe us? 

                                                                                                                                             Go ahead and try the door. 

He gritted his teeth. He knew that the ship was locked. That was the whole point of it being in lock-down mode, and he had no reason to go outside anyway. He was just trying to enjoy his book in peace. 

                                              Murderer.

                                                                                                                                        Fraud.

                                                                                                 Danger to your crew.

                                                                                                                               Are they even your crew?

                                                                                       They found out.

                                                                                                                                                   Locked the monster in a cage. 

                                             Deserved. 

He managed to struggle through a couple more chapters when the ship suddenly shook violently as a large bang resonated throughout it. Techno dropped his book in surprise. 

What had made that sound? Were the crew back yet? No, it couldn’t be them. They wouldn’t be causing the ship to have mini earthquakes every few seconds. Maybe it was an actual earthquake?

Techno managed to stumble his way down the hallway, eyeballs vibrating in his skull at every crash. He made it to the storage, the crashes growing louder as he got nearer. As he entered the room, his eyes widened upon seeing the growing dent present in the bay doors. The metal was slowly warping as it was pounded repeatedly by something from the outside. 

Techno rushed over to the same screen he had seen Phil use many times before, turning on the outside camera as fast as he could. His breathing picked up as the screen showed the view of a dozen Federation soldiers using a large machine to pound their way through the door. 

Think, Techno, think. 

He stumbled his way back to the hallway, just barely managing to keep his balance each time a shock wave hit the ship. 

The weapons room. 

Techno made his way as fast as he could to the door of the weapons room, holding onto the door frame for support as the ship shuddered violently. The doors were close to caving in, he could feel it. He slammed his hand against the access panel, mind going blank with panic as it flashed a red “Access Denied” message at him.

Chapter Text

He was so dumb. The access panels were all DNA-activated. He still hadn’t undergone a medical evaluation since setting foot on the ship since it would reveal his true species (#DefinitelyNotMedicalTrauma), so he wasn’t in the security banks. 

The ship suddenly stopped shaking and Techno’s stomach dropped to his feet. He hadn’t ever needed to use an access panel before and now he was going to be killed by a horde of Federation soldiers because of it. 

No, he couldn’t think like that. The access panel wanted DNA? Techno would find some DNA. 

Suddenly, it was like a fireworks display went off in his brain. Phil’s feathers. 

He took off as fast as he could, skidding around the corner and into the common room. His hands shook as he grabbed the first feather he could find and sprinted back to the weapons room. 

He held his breath as he held the feather up to the scanner. The faint sound of footsteps echoed in his mind as the feather was scanned at an agonizingly slow speed. After what felt like an eternity, the door slid open and Techno dove through, slamming the poor, battered feather against the panel on the inside to close the door. 

He let out a shaky breath he hadn’t known he was holding and looked over the contents of the room. Phil had taken most of the more powerful weapons with him for the mission, but there were still a few simpler ones hanging from the wall. Techno zeroed in on the one that he actually knew how to use. He grabbed it from its spot on the wall, shuddering as he gripped the cool metal between his fingers. 

He had used this particular weapon a couple of times in the arena and had hoped to never have to use one again. Any qualms he might have had surrounding the weapon were immediately wiped from his mind as he heard the sound of heavy boots running past the locked door. 

Techno sucked in a breath and held the small metal cylinder as far away from his body as he could in case this was one of the double-sided ones. He swiped his thumb across the smooth surface in a quick motion. The sword hummed softly as a thin, triangular beam of blue light emerged from the left side of the cylinder. 

Techno now held a sword in his right hand and a deteriorating feather in his left. He took a few calming breaths, shifting from foot to foot, before turning back to the door. As he did so, he was hit by a sudden onslaught of voices screaming bloody murder. Literally.                                                                 

                   Blood for the Blood God, eh?

                                                                             That’s what they called you after all. 

                                     Blood.

                                                                 Blood. 

                              Give us blood!

                                                                                            You know you want it. 

Maybe these voices could actually be useful for once in their miserable existence. 

Before he could chicken out, Techno reached forward and scanned the feather again before placing it in his pocket. He gripped the sword tightly with both hands as he stepped out into the corridor. The door slid shut behind him with a hiss . 

He glanced to the left and right before making his way slowly to the central control room, the voices calling for blood the whole way. He made it to the control room without meeting a single Federation soldier, which did not do any favors for his blood pressure. 

Techno pressed his back to the wall and stole a glance into the room over his shoulder. There were maybe 3 soldiers in the room, attempting to hack into the controls. Their dark grey bodysuits and smooth, pitch-black helmets made Techno’s heart rate spike. 

He gritted his teeth, closing his eyes and letting the voices wash over him. As he opened his eyes, he flung himself into the room, swiping one of the soldier’s torso in half in a single sweep. The other soldiers were slow to respond, but by the time they realized what was happening, their heads had already been separated from their bodies. 

Techno leaned forward, dropping his sword, and placing his hands on his knees as he gagged from the stench of the blood. After a few moments, he managed to pull himself together and pick the sword back up. 

There was still plenty of scum left to be swiped from the water. 

Techno let out a soft groan as he struggled to prop himself up against the wall of the corridor. Bloody corpses littered the floor of the hallway in front of him, various dismembered parts lying around. Techno blinked lazily as an eyeball rolled past his feet. Alien chicken eyes moving after death? Yeah, that checked out. 

His right leg had given out on him 6 corpses in, and his hands were sticky from the cooling, multi-colored splotches of blood. Where had his gloves gone?

Techno struggled to open his eyes again, only to be met with the feeling of something wet dripping down from his forehead and over his left eyelid. He looked down to see a small pool of blood forming in the folds of his pant leg. The puddle came in and out of focus as he stared at it. Oh, yeah, he might have a concussion. 

He would move, really he would, but his bones felt like they were being weighed down by sandbags and welded to the floor. Distantly, as though muffled by piles of cotton balls, he heard but didn’t quite register the sound of a door sliding open and footsteps approaching. 

His head was lolling to one side (when had that happened?), his eyes were closed, and his breathing was too loud in his ears. He could just barely make out small snippets of a conversation happening right over his head. 

“Techno…alright?”

“...mask is off.”

“..Deathworlder?!”

“A human…”

“What…do?”

“...blood…”

Techno felt himself tipping to the side and being caught by clawed hands before the world went dark and blissfully silent. 

Phil watched helplessly from the doorway to the medical room as Wilbur slid back and forth, frantically flipping through research file after research file on his PADD.

“Mimicry, Phil. They brushed it off as mimicry!”

Wilbur was close to hysterics, “Wait, that means…”

Phil could see Wilbur’s face turning a smoky shade of gray. He stopped pacing and turned to face Phil.

“What is it, mate?”

Phil honestly wasn’t sure if he wanted to know whatever it was that Wilbur had found, but he had to for Techno’s sake. Wilbur handed him the PADD before turning and curling up in a corner of the room. Phil glanced down at the screen and nervously began reading. 

OFFICIAL FEDERATION RESEARCH PROJECT

Subject Species: Humans

Sector of Origin: 169G1920E16

Type: Deathworlder

Diet: Carnivore

The report went on to detail several “facts” about humans that matched the horror stories Phil had heard about them but did not match what he personally knew about Techno. 

He read about a typical human’s diet. Techno ate plants, meat, and gapples. 

Their violent nature and tendencies. Techno barely talked to anyone he didn’t know. 

Their general lack of sentience. Techno was one of the smartest and most capable engineers Phil had ever known. 

He finally reached the paragraph detailing a human’s apparent mimicry ability and was heartbroken by what he read. 

Throughout our research, several humans have displayed the ability to mimic certain sounds and words when heard often enough. The most commonly mimicked words are yes, no, and food. This is most likely due to the frequency with which staff use them on a cycle-to-cycle basis. It has been found that a human’s vocal cords contain all the features necessary to speak Common, but they simply lack the cognitive ability to do so. 

Phil’s brain stalled momentarily at that sentence. Lacking cognitive ability? Who even were these researchers and where had they received their training??

Wilbur’s muffled voice snapped Phil out of his thoughts, “They were trying to communicate. Why would the Federation hide something like this?”

Phil grit his teeth in anger as the answer dawned on him, “Fight rings, mate. The Federation is protecting and funding the fight rings.” 

Wilbur’s head jolted up in surprise, “The fight rings? But that means…oh, Techno.”

Phil grimaced, “The scars.”

He began tapping on the PADD once more, pulling up documents and reaching out to old contacts. 

“I guess we know what our next target will be.” 

Chapter Text

Phil sighed heavily as he finished wrapping the clean bandage around Techno’s leg. After snapping the medkit shut, he placed it on a shelf above the nest edge and then settled against the nest wall, sinking into the soft fluff. He’d finally finished redressing all of Techno’s wounds and didn’t know what to do with himself. He felt far too high-strung to read anything. 

Besides, he knew that the moment he stopped keeping watch over Techno, his instincts would start screaming bloody murder. Actually, no, that’s what the Federation soldiers had done when Techno attacked them. Hmm, maybe it was time to find a new saying. 

Regardless, Phil now found himself shifting anxiously, arranging and rearranging blankets around him and Techno. 

He needed to calm down. No amount of fussing would make Techno suddenly return to consciousness. 

He absentmindedly ran his talons through his feathers in a self-soothing manner, trying to calm himself down. 

The next thing he knew, he could feel himself sinking deeper and deeper into “Birdza Territory”, as Tommy liked to call it, as he brushed away the dirt and dead feathers that had accumulated in his wings. He wasn’t sure how much time passed, but the next thing he knew, Techno was shifting awake. He drew his talons back from his wings, quickly shaking the dust from them, as Techno slowly blinked awake. 

Phil let out a soft chirp as Techno shifted slightly in the blankets. Whoops, maybe he was a bit more out of it than he had originally thought. 

The next moment, he was flinching back as Techno practically leaped onto the side of the nest. His instincts were screaming at him now, making his wings fluff up in defense and the edges of his vision blur. 

What was harming his chick?!  

Techno’s wide eyes, even wider than Phil’s, scanned Phil’s nest room; his breathing quickened. Phil knew logically that there was nothing physically threatening either of them, and he just managed to smooth his feathers back down. However, he couldn’t seem to help himself from letting out a soft coo as he crept closer to Techno. 

Welp, looked like Birdza was here to stay. 

His chick kept feeling at his face, and a wave of panic hit Phil, coursing through him. They’d left Techno’s mask off to treat his head wound, but what if it actually was an important thing for humans? He’d never seen an image of a human with a mask, but that could’ve been their captors’ doing. 

Phil shook his head. He couldn’t afford to spiral right now. Not when Techno still needed his help. 

Warbling softly, he climbed up next to Techno. He wrapped his wings around Techno, cloaking him in darkness as he would for an Elytrian fledgling. He hoped that Techno’s instincts would respond well to this, but he didn’t know what else to do. 

After a few clicks, Techno’s breathing returned to normal, and Phil could withdraw his wings. Immediately, he all but dragged Techno into the middle of the nest. 

The sides were no place for a chick to be. 

“Look, mate, I’m so sorry, but your mask was already off when we found you, and you’ve got a head injury, so Wil said it was probably best if we let it heal without any added pressure, but I’m still really sorry about seeing your face. Not that your face is bad or anything! I’m sure you’ve got a great human face. And maybe that was just a disguise, or maybe it was a cultural thing, but in any case, I’m really sorry an-”

Techno cut him off mid-rant, “Why?”

Phil paused, “What?”

“Why am I still here? Why do you care about the mask? Phil, I’m one of the most dangerous Deathworders in the universe. You realize how much you could get by selling me to a lab or a fight ring, right?” 

Oh, oh. Okay, clearly a bigger problem going on here than he’d originally thought. 

“Mate, I would never sell you to anywhere for exactly 3 reasons.” 

He grabbed Techno by the shoulders. 

“1) My wife is a Queen. I’m already very rich. 2) You’re sentient. That’d be messed up, and in case you missed it, our whole deal is busting up places like fight rings. 3) You are flock, mate. Crew, sounder, whatever word you use. That’s you.”

“Family?”

Phil was basically shaking Techno now. 

“Yes! That!” 

He finally unlatched his talons from Techno’s shoulders. Oops. 

“I was going to wait a bit longer, but mate, how would you feel about joining our crew full-time? Not just until your contract ends, but forever.”

Techno was silent for a while, and Phil would’ve been worried about having broken him with all the shaking if not for the dismembered bodies he’d seen earlier in the hallway. Eventually, Techno dipped his head repeatedly in what Phil recognized as one of his forms of agreement. 

“Yeah, okay.”

Phil clapped his talons together, causing Techno to jolt slightly. 

“Right, sorry, mate. Do you remember the name of the fight ring you were at? It’ll help us know where we should start.” 

Anyone who’d ever lain an appendage on Techno was going to feel his wrath. 

“Um, I think it was called Manberg, or something like that?”

Phil’s talons poked into his skin as he curled his hands into fists. 

“JSchlatt? We’ve been meaning to go after him for a while. Tommy’s going to love this.” 

Tommy was not loving this. There was a true Deathworlder on their ship. Yeah, Tommy shapeshifted into Deathworlders all the time. But a human? 

As he watched the security footage, yet another Federation soldier was tackled to the floor. He winced as he saw Techno dig his teeth into the soldier’s arm, forcing them to release their weapon. He knew how corrosive human saliva could be from studying them, and that looked like it would hurt. Sure, the soldier absolutely deserved it for attacking their ship, but still. 

He leaned back in his seat, situated in front of the security monitors, his leg twitching erratically. This was his third time watching through the footage, and he was still having trouble connecting his calm, stoic crewmate with the Deathworlder on the screen. 

Was he grateful the soldiers had been stopped? Absolutely. 

They should have been able to find out it was their ship in the first place, and Tommy was already thinking of the updates he would need to make to ensure it never happened again. Maybe Tubbo would be up to help? 

Tommy shook his head. 

What was he thinking about again? 

Oh, right. 

Yes, he was thankful the soldiers had been stopped. But on the other claw - while the cleanup had been delicious - knowing that it had come from Techno had made him sick. The Techno who’d gotten excited about records and actual books. The one he’d sat next to on the couch and annoyed at breakfast. 

He ran a hand through the fur on the top of his head. He didn’t want to be afraid of Techno. 

As an AclumiNite, he understood exactly what it felt like to be judged solely based on one’s species. He’d had several people abandon him immediately after finding out he could shapeshift. 

But…a human. 

He absentmindedly shifted through various feet as he thought about the various physical characteristics of humans, most of them deadly. Logically, he knew that if Techno had wanted to hurt them, they would’ve been dead a long time ago. Still, he couldn’t push away the feeling of anxiety nestled in his chest. 

Wil interrupted his moral dilemma, sticking his neck into the security room. “Hey, just wanted to let you know we’re going to be stopping soon to restock, and then we’re heading off on an intel-gathering mission.” 

“Who’re we going after now?”

“JSchlatt.”

And then Wilbur dipped like the prick he was. Oh well, at least he’d be seeing Tubbo sooner than he’d thought. 

Tommy turned back to the monitors, gears turning. He’d just keep an eye on Techno. Yeah, verify Techno’s trustworthiness. 

And in the end, he’d protect his herd, no matter what.