Colonies of U'u'kata

"Fuck you!" Cali snapped, standing and shaking her head as she paced away from the males.

"Um... I don't think that translated correctly. Did she just say she wanted to—"

"No! That's not what that means," she hissed, spinning to face them again and folding her arms across her chest "I said, fuck you. Not, I want to fuck you. God!"

All three males were glancing between each other in confusion.

"Did that... translate weird to you too?" Xal-ii asked, rubbing the back of his ear.

Kovich shrugged. "You're a bit small but I bet we could make it work with a little patience and spit."

"Eeww! You are fucking repulsive! Here, I'll spell it out for you. I. Am. Not. Going. To. Do. What. You. Just. Suggested. Understand? I'm not suicidal!"

"That wasn't spelling. It was just saying each word slower and with more inflection," Xal-ii pointed out.

Cali gave him a withering glare.

"I don't understand what you choosing not to go has to do with us all enjoying what might be our last days alive, but if you're scared, it's okay. I understand. I wasn't going to make you go," Kovich said with a shrug.

"We can't endanger her, Kovich," Thenta said quietly with a glance at Cali. "Her kind can procreate with ours. She's... well, not just her, but they're all too valuable to risk."

Cali scoffed and shook her head, narrowing her eyes.

"And just like that. I'm reduced from person to commodity. That's just... fucking great. Well, too bad for you because I'm not that valuable. I was born with a birth defect and people with birth defects aren't allowed to procreate. I was forced to get my tubes tied as soon as I went through puberty. Effectively, I've been sterilized," she said with a sneer.

"Birth defect? But... you look fine," Xal-ii said.

"I have situs inversus. Some of my internal organs developed on the wrong side of my body. It never caused any problems for me but I guess the government decided it was a big problem for them. It's fine, though. I never had to worry about getting pregnant and having to care for a baby so I was able to focus on my studies and work. Guys didn't want me because most of them want a woman they can entertain the idea of having children with, so I didn't have to worry much about them trying to get a foothold in my life either, except for the occasional fling in the sheets..." Cali took a deep breath and licked her lips, realizing she was rambling as an old ache welled up in her chest. She'd dreamed of having a family once. Dreamed of giving her own child everything she never had, growing up in poverty.

Those dreams died long ago. But they'd been replaced with new dreams. Her bees had become her babies... and she'd lost them all.

The lump in her throat appeared out of nowhere and Cali was suddenly gulping hard and blinking rapidly, trying to keep the tears springing up in her eyes from falling. She turned away from the males, acutely aware of their eyes on her. Taking a few deep breaths, she wiped at her cheeks and swallowed hard, shoving those old emotions back down where she kept them.

She felt the large presence coming up behind her and without knowing who was approaching, said, "Please leave me alone." Her voice came out rough and she cleared her throat a few times.

"Cali," Kovich rumbled.

She flinched at the sound of his voice, but didn't turn around to face him.

"You are not worth less because your ability to bear young was stolen from you," he said gently.