Things should start getting... not exactly romantic, but friendlier between our two 'lovebirds'. Don't get your hopes up, though; Tenn might be softening up, but Purple still has a long way to go to win her heart, if he does, that is.

Shades of Purple

Chapter 32- Blossom

Me and my big mouth!

It started not long after the transmission to the Massive. Tenn felt a somewhat intense headache, which made her dizzy and sleepy. Her appetite diminished slightly too, and she refused the brownies with s'mores filling.

Purple didn't give it much importance at first, thinking that it was merely typical symptoms from the pregnancy. After all, Lena felt similarly in the earlier stages when she carried both his nephews and then recovered. It wasn't until his wife's body temperature rose dangerously that he began to worry.

"Hey, lizards, I need a medic right now!" Purple shouted from behind the plasma wall. "Hello? Anyone there?!"

"There haven't been any guards around today, my Tallest!" The prisoner, probably another Irken, said. "It seems like they were all needed for something."

"What?!" Purple punched the wall, groaning. Damn it, where are the lizards when you need them?!

"Is something the matter, sir?" Purple recognized the medic's voice from above; he was probably in the upper cell in the second level.

"My wife is ill, genius! Why do you think I'm asking for a medic?!"

"What are her symptoms? When did they start?"

"She's got a fever, barely eats, if at all, and she's been shivering since yesterday!" A tense silence followed. Purple shivered; coming from a medic, that meant bad news. "Do you know what it is?"

"I have a theory, but I'm afraid I can't confirm or discard it if I can't do a check-up in Lady Tenn with a medical capsule."

Purple grit his teeth, looking back at his wife. Tenn was still shivering, hidden in his cloak. What if this was something serious? Could it harm the smeet?

"What do you suggest I do, then?!"

"Try to lower her temperature however you can, my Tallest. Have her drink lots of water too so that her PAK won't overheat from the high body temperature."

It's a good thing he's been saving the water from the meals, but the problem is that it's warm and he needs cold water. Then he remembered that he's been saving a vanilla and chocolate ice cream for later, kept frozen by his PAK. Yes, that should work for a while, it'll lower her temperature from the inside out for some time at least.

"Tenn, wake up."

The Invader shifted on her sleep, trying to hide further into the blankets, but the annoying hand shaking her gently woke her up. "Whaaat?" She asked with a half-groan, peeking from under the sheets.

"I have some ice cream for you."

"I'm not hungry."

"It's not about that. You need something to cool you off, my dear. You're boiling."

"Boiling? I feel cold."

"I know, I know, but you need to eat for the smeet, anyway."

Reluctantly, Tenn allowed her mate to feed her with spoonfuls of ice cream. Surprisingly, the snack felt a refreshing kind of cold, unlike the uncomfortable one she's been feeling lately. And the sugar gave her a tiny bit of energy.

"How long has it been since we called the Massive?" She asked once the cardboard vase was empty.

"About a day or so."

"Damn, what's taking him so long?"

"I guess it can't be that easy to send troops to deep into Sobrekt territory unseen. Red is quite meticulous when it comes to military operations, so we'll probably be stuck here for a little more time-"

BOOM!

Purple was caught off guard by the loud explosion and the strong shake throughout the ship, but somehow he still managed to get a hold of Tenn and hold her close; his PAK-legs would have wrapped around her protectively if his PAK wasn't disabled. The lights turned a bright shade of cyan-like green: he might not know that much about the Sobrekt's color interpretation, but cyan tones seemed to mean that something was very wrong.

"What the-?!"

"I think we're under attack."

"Think it's the troops Red sent?"

"Hopefully, yes, but it can also be space pirates, Sobrekt deserters wanting another ship-"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Tenn frowned.

The lights went out soon after, and with it, the plasma doors. Knowing they only had a few seconds until the emergency generator kicked in, Purple picked Tenn up bridal style and ran out of the cell. All around the cell block, the other Irken prisoners seemed to have the same idea and ran out of their confinements, but a few end up bumping or tripping into each other.

The emergency lights kicked in not long after, bathing the place in a foreboding orange. Purple looked around him: all around him were Irken Elites, medics, navigators, and even a few high-ranking commanders.

"My Tallest Purple, sir!" The soldiers saluted, wiggling their lekku.

"What's going on?!" Tenn almost shrieked. Purple pressed his lekku against his head. She's back!

"It seems like we're under attack, ma'am!"

"Oh, really, captain obvious?! I mean, who's attacking!"

"One of the guards said something about an unidentified Irken vessel. Perhaps Tallest Red sent someone to rescue you, sir!"

Thank Irk! "Do any of you know where the Escape Pods are?!" The soldiers exchanged glances. Purple twitched his lekku. "I'm surrounded by idiots…"

"I know where they are."

Purple glanced at the door, alarmed, just as the elite soldiers surrounded him protectively. A few ran to get whatever weapon they could to point them at the intruder.

Leaning against the doorway was none other than Sakr.

"Chill out, all of you," the kryvtor said, defensively raising his arms. "Believe me. You don't want to find me. If I wanted your leader dead, I would have killed him already."

"Ha! Like you could get past all of us!"

Sakr sneered. "Oh, please. A mere foot soldier brought down half a dozen of the Tallest's guard single-handedly. Do you really want to see what a veteran can do?"

"Lower your weapons," Purple ordered, never removing his gaze from the kryvtor as he held his wife closer. The last thing he needs right now is a crossfire that might end up hurting Tenn. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be helping your fellows in protecting the ship?"

"Indeed, I should. Right now, I should be taking you down to put you back in your cells instead of talking to you, yet here I am."

The ground shook again, but Sakr didn't seem to move an inch from his spot.

"Go straight to the point, lizard! What do you want?!"

"I told you, your Tallest. I can lead you to the hangar."

Purple narrowed his eyes. "Why would you help me? I'm your enemy, and you work for Mizorant."

"I don't work for Mizorant, I just happen to be part of her crew, but that doesn't mean I agree with some of her… plans." Was it him, or did Sakr's crest bristle slightly? "Do you want to get out of here in one piece or not?"

"My Tallest, it wouldn't be wise to trust the lizard! He might as well be leading us into a trap! We don't have proper weapons, and our PAK-tools are unavailable, so we'd be an easy target!" one of the Elites said.

"And in Lady Tenn's condition, I don't think she'd withstand such a level of stress!" The medic piped in.

"Big deal, I'm not crippled, it's just a headache."

Purple considered his options. On the one hand, the kryvtor didn't have a reason to help them, so why would he offer it? He might be leading them to a trap in an elaborate plot crafted by Mizorant; if she was smart enough to move the strings to her favor to manipulate her enemies, who says she isn't doing the same here? Offering him a false hope just to smash it to pieces and cause him as much pain as possible.

But the kryvtor, Sakr, had granted Tenn's request to have an Irken medic check on her instead of submitting her to his people's unorthodox methods. He let Purple see his unborn child without the guards restraining him. And Tenn said that Sobrekt put honor before anything else. If this was a real shot of escaping and putting as much distance between Tenn, his unborn child, and Mizorant…

A second, more violent shake nearly sent him off his feet; he might have tripped if one of the taller Elites hadn't helped him regain support by the waist. Purple glared down at him.

"Don't touch me again, soldier."

"My apologies, my Tallest!"

Sakr snorted. "If that's your way to show gratitude…"

Purple ignored the comment. "If you're going to help, then shut up and take me to the hangar! I want to get out of this goddamn ship at once!"

Sakr rolled his eyes but made a quick motion with the head to follow him. Before following suit, Purple shifted Tenn in his arms, making sure she was safely tucked in his cloak.

"Hang on, Tenn. We'll be out of here soon."

"I'm cold…"

Purple ran after Sakr, followed suit by the rest of the squadron, but he found it hard to keep up with the quicker, far more agile kryvtor. The constant tremors made the task even more difficult; he constantly looked down at Tenn to make sure she was okay, but it was evident that whatever affliction she had was becoming stronger. She was shivering, and he saw a few drops of sweat trickling down her face.

"Stay with me, Tenn!"

"The Tallest is getting away! Get him!"

Shoot, they'd been spotted! Looking over his shoulder, he saw about a dozen guards of the crocodilian variety coming after them; Purple shivered as he saw a pink liquid dripping down their jaws. Irken blood.

"Run, sir! We'll hold them back while you and Lady Tenn go to safety!"

Purple didn't need to be told twice. He continued on his way while half of the escaped soldiers ran in the opposite direction towards their attackers. They probably wouldn't last long against those teeth, but at least they'd keep the lizards busy until he got away.

"You should honor their sacrifice, you know," Sakr told him Purple once he caught up to him.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll name a pastry in their honor or something." Purple retorted, not interested. It's their job to make sure that he lives to see another day, after all.

The hangar was a real battlefield bathed in a mixture of purple and pink blood, with plasma and laser bullets flying through the air in opposite directions. Most of the stationed ships were Sobrekt, but Purple spotted some familiar mauve colors flying right outside in space.

"I'd say it was a pleasure, your Tallest, but It'd be a lie. From here on out, you're on your own." Purple found himself calling out to Sakr before he could runoff. The kryvtor looked back at him, pupils gone to slits.

"Why did you help me? Tell me the truth."

For a brief moment, Sakr's gaze lowered to Tenn, his eyes softening in the slightest.

"...A child shouldn't have to pay for his father's mistakes."

Sakr disappeared down the corridor before Purple could ask what he meant by that. Then again, he didn't care.

Okay, now to find a ship big enough for him and Tenn.

The cold was unbearable, but it was nothing compared to the cacophony of loud sounds ringing through her head. Her lekku flattened against her head-it helped that Purple's hand was pressing against her head-but this didn't completely block the sounds; her lekku were more sensitive for a reason she couldn't explain. The noise and scents felt amplified by twenty: all the screams, the bullets flying through the air, plasma blades slicing through metal, burnt flesh, every sensation was stronger, and it was driving her nuts.

Tenn was so focused on this that she didn't even realize where they were or what had happened. She barely recalled hearing Sakr and Purple talking, then being carried through the ship, and the sounds of battle intensifying to a breaking point that made the Invader try and hide her face into her husband's chest.

Purple shouted orders to someone. Tenn tentatively opened her eyes and looked up; his eyes were burning with a fire she had never noticed before, and his voice was like that of a true leader. This wasn't the childish smeet-in-an-adult's-body man that annoyed her, nor the despotic tyrant that sought to ruin her life, but an actual leader who cared about his charge; her, in this case.

The surroundings darkened; it took Tenn a while to realize that they were now aboard a ship. Must be a Sobrekt ship judging by shades of aqua-green. She was placed on a comfortable surface, probably a sort of couch; Tenn instinctively gripped unto Purple as she sensed he'd let go of her.

"D-Don't go…" She whispered weakly; why did her voice sound so weak and hoarse? How embarrassing, this isn't how an Invader should talk!

"I'm getting us out of here, love. I won't take long, I promise." Purple's lips briefly pressed against her forehead before he left.

The ship shook a few times, followed by loud shrieks and growls coming from the outside. She recalled the winged hybrid that was taken to the Massive… Kurokran, if she remembered correctly. Ilk once mentioned that they are a sort of biological saboteurs; they can fly in deep space and bend their bodies to camouflage as spacecraft. Since they're animals, they can't be hacked nor sabotaged by Irken tech, granting Sobrekt a rather unfair advantage. In the few reports about the war, she managed to snatch up, Tenn recalled reading that entire Irken Fleets were taken down by Kurokran.

And it seems like they're being targeted by one.

Tenn stayed there, swaddling herself with her husband's cloak, relishing in his scent. She didn't know why, but it made her feel safe. She closed her eyes shut and snuggled more in-depth into the fabric, taking deep breaths to calm herself down, inadvertently falling asleep.

...

"Where are we going, My Tallest?"

"It's a surprise, Invader Tenn. With your experience, I figured you'd know the meaning of patience." It didn't sound like a scolding of sorts, but rather a harmless commentary.

Tenn looked around the place in awe. She still couldn't believe she was here. The gardens of the Tallest Tower were something very few had the fortune of seeing; only the Tallest's personal guards and the gardening drones ever stepped foot in this beautiful place.

And yet Tallest Purple had extended out an invitation for her.

"What do you think of the plants?"

"I've never seen any of these before. Not in person, I mean. I got the information on Irk's native flora and fauna, but they're all extinct."

Tallest Purple smiled. "Not all of them." He motioned her to follow and led her towards a medium-sized greenhouse of sorts.

Tenn was momentarily overwhelmed by a high condensation of pollen in the air, barely managing to contain a sneeze. Once she got used to the atmosphere, however, she stared around in awe. The greenhouse was filled to the brim with beautiful flowers of all colors, all of them growing on bushes and trees. Tenn recognized most of these from the downloaded info on Irk's fauna.

"Courtesy of Tallest Miyuki. She felt that we should keep the last traces of our planet's nature, so she had the scientists extract DNA from old samples to create seeds." Tallest Purple explained. "Honestly, I'm glad she did. It's a nice memento of her."

"S-Sir, these are simply beautiful…" Tenn admitted.

A particular plant caught her attention; a beautiful flower whose petals were a mixture of blue with violet speckles on the tips and lavender pollen stems sticking out from its core. Tenn found herself stepping closer to it to take a better look; it had a sweet, alluring smell.

"Like it?"

Tenn startled. She had forgotten she wasn't alone. "I'm sorry, My Tallest!"

Tallest Purple didn't seem mad. His fingers grabbed the flower's stem and he gently plucked it from the bush, offering it to her. "Here."

Tenn blushed deeply, her lekku flattening against her head. "My Tallest, I couldn't…!"

"It's alright, there's more growing in the bush." Tenn froze as Tallest Purple delicately accommodated the flower in her head, right next to her lekku. He took a look at her, smiling. "Not bad."

"S-Sir, I don't think I should accept it… I mean, I'm very honored, but it's a flower from Tallest Miyuki's garden…"

"More of a reason you must accept it, Invader Tenn. These flowers mean very much to me and my co-ruler, we don't give them to just anyone. Not even Red's wife." His hand gently lifted her chin up to meet his tender gaze. "Consider yourself fortunate, my dear."

Tenn felt a shiver down her spine as her cheeks turned pink. "T-Thank you, My Tallest."

...

"Tenn?"

Her lekku twitched as Purple's voice brought her back to reality. His hand was stroking her head tenderly, which she found surprisingly relaxing. Reluctantly, Tenn opened her eyes and found her husband towering her, looking down at her with a concerned gaze.

"I was having a good dream," Tenn murmured, annoyed.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm freezing cold, my head aches and I feel like I'm going to throw up, but other than that I'm fine." Purple chuckled. "Where are we, anyway?"

"On the way back to the Massive. It's all over."

Thank Irk. "What happened to the rest of the soldiers?"

"Most died in the line of duty making sure we lived. The others are following us in other ships."

"Wait a minute, if we are alone and you are here, who's piloting the ship?"

"Don't worry, I turned the autopilot on before I came to check on you." Purple laughed softly. "I'm not an idiot, you know."

"You are sometimes, for the record."

Tenn thought he'd be angry at the commentary, but he merely rolled his eyes with a small grin as he picked her up and sat down on the couch, holding her as if she were a smeet. It's a good thing that none of her fellow Invaders could see her now or she'd never hear the end of it.

"How long until we get to the Massive?"

"Fifteen minutes. Man, it's too long! I'm going to starve!" Purple whined with a dramatic flair. Tenn laughed a bit.

"What, did you run out of snacks already?"

"Well, considering I had to feed someone two for one, you can't blame me."

Tenn closed her eyes momentarily, sighing. Part of her wanted to protest that he let her go, but she liked this. The sensation of Purple's arms holding her close and the sound of his heartbeat under his armor made her feel warm and protected. His lingering scent on his cloak further made hr relax. It reminded her of how Dren would sometimes hold her like this during their dates when they just wanted to chill down.

Tenn tried not to think about it, but… she liked this Purple.

I bet you guys didn't see this coming. Sakr helping Purple escape? What sort of crazy universe are we in?! And just what did he mean by that?!

On the bright side, at least Tenn and Purple will be alright. For now, at least.