First, it was the slug in the kitchen leaving slime-trails over Sparkfoot's ingredients.
Then it was the sackbag in George's bed, followed by...
...the tiny croc in the showers which had Kata running, dripping and screaming.
Next was the ore nibbler causing Freya to waste a whole day fixing the atomic furnace.
(But the narfish in the hologram didn't bother anyone).
The final nail was drilled by the steam spider in Fife's infirmary.
"The Captain can't keep leaving critters running around the ship!" cried Sparkfoot. "It's unsanitary!"
"It's alarming!" cried Kata, and George nodded along.
"It's dangerous!" cried Freya.
"Something," Fife said, "must be done!"
"Boss," said Kata to Yuudai, "please will you speak to the Captain about this?"
"Imploring. She listens to you," said Sparkfoot to Xictli.
"Alright," Xictli and Yuudai said. "We'll see what can be done."
"Come," said Captain Mio when Xictli knocked on the bridge door.
"Captain," said Yuudai. "The crew are concerned with the number of critters you keep abandoning on the ship."
"They are becoming a nuisance and a danger," said Xictli.
"Oh?" Mio asked.
"The ore nibbler ate through the atomic furnace."
"The slug spoiled food and the steam spider left rust in the infirmary."
"And the crew don't like being surprised in their quarters."
"Oh dear," said Captain Mio. "I'll see what I can do."
The first thing to do, thought Captain Mio, was to collect all the critters together. So she went around zapping up all the critters with the relocator tool. All the siders and the scarabs and the blobs and all the other critters.
Then she though 'well now I have them all, where shall I take them?' She couldn't just dump them on any only planet - they were too use to being fed. So the Captain thought long and hard.
"I know!" she exclaimed to herself. "I can take them to the Zoo on Altais! The keepers there will be able to take them and look after them for me. And I can visit them any time I like."
So off she went and talked to the zoo keepers.
"Of course we can look after your critters!" the zoo keeper said. "We'll be happy to have them."
Mio put the critters in a special box for the zoo keeper and petted them all.
"Visit any time," the zoo keeper said, smiling.
"Of course. I'll see you soon!" Mio said, happy that the critters and her crew would all be happy again.
Universe: Starbound
CW: Fantasy religion, food
Words: 1,653
Context: Written for the Spring 2023 prompt, "Featherfood".
The ship hummed gently under Mio's touch as she idly scanned the navigation console. Nobu was worried about one of the ship's fins, so she was searching for a repair station when there was a rap on the Bridge door.
"Come," Mio called, attention still on her search.
"Irritated. Captain, I demand you remove crewmember Xictli from my kitchen."
Mio turned towards the copper glitch, tilting her head. "Why? What's the matter, Sparkfoot?"
"She has pilfered my pantry, abused my cookware, and is carving up my kitchen! Demanding. You need to improve these conditions!"
Mio stood, making calming gestures. "Alright. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation. I'll speak to her now."
Mio left the Bridge with Sparkfoot marching beside her, and headed to the back of the ship, towards the Commons and crew quarters. At the junction between Mech and Hydroponics, Mio stopped.
"Why don't you wait here?" she said, gesturing to the armchair.
Sparkfoot shook his head. "Surly. I would rather see justice."
"Apologies. Let me make myself clearer: Ordering. You will remain here."
Sparkfoot's eye lights winked on and off.
Mio crossed her arms.
Sparkfoot gracefully descended into the chair. "Tetchy. I will remain here."
"Grateful." With a dip of her head, Mio set off again, through Hydroponics, through the crew lounge, and into the Commons.
Inside, she found most of her crew clustered together, listening to the banging and crashing from the galley.
"What, by the Ocean Tides, is going on here?"
As one, the crew jumped, turning to view their irate captain.
"Back to work. All of you!"
The crew started to dissipate, but Fife, the medic, paused on the way out.
"Don't be too hard on her, Cap'n," yon said. "There's an important date coming up on the Grounded calendar."
Mio nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."
Mio hardly knew how to make sense of Sparkfoot's usually ordered galley. The surfaces not covered with flour were instead smeared with baking grease. A stack of cracked eggshells stood on the counter next to a huge mixing bowl and a tub leaking pale pink goo. On the hob, emitting a dark miasma, was a tray of charcoal bricks. Xictli – dressed in an outfit peppered with beads, golden thread, and flour – stood over the tray, an ebb and flow of obscenities frothing from the sunset-orange avian.
"Lieutenant Xictli, by salt and sand, what are you doing? Sparkfoot is livid, and you know how long it took me to find a chef who would stay longer than three jumps. Please get this place back into Bristol fashion, post haste."
"With all due respect, Captain, I can't. Not until I've finished this." Xictli lowered her head, making a slow swiping motion with her beak. "Sparkfoot doesn't have all the right ingredients, so I was trying to improvise. But," she gestured defeatedly to the lumps of charcoal, "it's not working."
Mio took a breath, letting it out slowly to avoid flaring her gills. She paced to the sink, drew a glass of water, and held it out to Xictli.
"Tell me what you're trying to do. I can't help if you don't explain."
Xictli looked from the water to her captain and back. She sighed, dipping her beak into the glass to lap up the water.
"The anniversary of the Grounded Ascendancy is tomorrow. It's the day we cast off the chains of Kluex and fled Avos to the stars. Our ancestors took few victuals that day, and in honour of their courage, we eat the same as they did. The key dish is Featherfood."
"Why didn't you say before?" Mio raised a brow ridge. "I would have been happy to add that to the last supply run. You know I would."
"According to tradition, it has to be made in one's home. I can't remember the last time I left the ship, let alone went back to Merak's Nest."
Mio closed her lower two eyes, humming to herself, as Xictli took another sip of water.
Mio opened her eyes. "What," she asked thoughtfully, "constitutes declaring a place one's home?"
"I- Captain? I'm not sure I understand." Xictli ground her beak.
"Must one have lived there for a long time? May one have only spent one night there? Could," Mio added pointedly, "it be as simple as a place another has opened to you for use?"
Xictli blinked. "Well. Um. Since our ancestors made their victuals in the homes of people they stayed with, I would say the latter could count. Captain, I'm still confused…"
"Get me a shopping list of ingredients you'll need and get this place squared away. Then meet me by the secondary teleporter on level seven of the Altais colony in two hours. Understood?"
"But- Cap-?"
Mio flared her gills. "Is that understood?"
"Yes, Captain."
~~~
Xictli waited against the trunk of a tree, head back, watching the flickering lights in the night sky as glowing rain pattered down into the leaves, painting the world with bright gold. On the wind, from the far end of the park, came the gentle tinkle of a wind chime. She sighed, eyes sliding closed. A hum started in the back of her throat, joined by rhythmic clicks and whistles.
"That's a pretty tune. I didn't know you could sing."
Xictli's eyes snapped open.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting," Mio said. She'd changed from her uniform into a red kimono, the silk changing from poppy-bright to wine-dark in the flickering rain. Mio smiled. "I forgot what a pain feathercrowns are to pull. This way."
Xictli blinked and followed as the Captain made her way through the park and down the wide road.
"Where are we going?" Xictli asked.
Mio glanced back with a smile. "You'll see. Did you get the galley back to good order?"
"Yes, Captain. I… I also apologised to Chef."
Mio's shoulders dipped with the release of tension. "Thank you."
After a short walk, they turned off the main road into a short alley and stopped in front of a modest wooden house. Mio touched a webbed hand to a sensor, and the door swung open.
"Boots off, please," she said, walking in.
Xictli kicked off her boots and stood, nonplussed, in the entryway. "What is this place?"
"Welcome, child of Merak," Mio said, holding out a pair of slippers in both hands. "I open my home to you and greet you with the affection of family. Whatever you need, I shall provide, so long as my hospitality is not abused."
Xictli opened her beak but wordlessly shut it again.
Mio gave a gentle smile. "I think that should do the trick. Come now, we've got baking to get started on."
Xictli slid her feet into the slippers and trailed after Mio.
The house was refined, almost delicate. Wide windows framed the planet's sweet meadows and gently rolling hills. White textured walls contrasted classic dark-wood furniture, decorated with greenery and ocean mementoes. The kitchen was a mix of warm rustic cabinets and modern appliances. Onto the table, Mio was unpacking food from a bag.
"I have everything you included on that list, and a few extra items for dinner," she said, folding the bag and placing it out of the way. "Where do we start?"
~~~
Xictli directed preparations: While Mio diced the feathercrows, cooking them with sugar to make a compote, Xictli sliced open the beakseeds. She scooped out the crunchy seeds, grinding them into a powder to mix with the flour and more sugar. With the compote cooling on the stove, Mio mashed the beakseed pulp with a little water, then handed it to Xictli who stirred it into the dry ingredients to make a dough. They split the dough, kneaded it and left it to rise while they had a cup of fragrant tea and dinner of rice cakes and coralcreep sushi.
Then it was back to work, rolling the dough and shaping it into long flat strips. Mio followed Xictli's instructions, adding a little compote and winding the dough into a spiral. The buns went into the oven – watched carefully this time – until they'd risen to a glorious golden brown. Sweet, yeasty steam billowed from the oven as the buns were carefully removed, and the two women gazed at the sticky Featherfood with pride.
"Oh, they smell delicious," Mio said. "Do you think we should sample one? Just to make sure the others are alright, you understand…"
Xictli grinned, nudging Mio in the side. "Oh, I understand. But no, they're for the celebrations. Webs off. There's one last touch missing…"
From a small earthenware pot, Xictli drew delicate petals of edible gold shaped like feathers and placed one in the center of each bun.
"Perfect."
~~~
With the buns slid into the fridge, Mio led Xictli to a guest room. "We may as well stay here for the night and return to the ship tomorrow. Will that give you enough time to prepare for the ceremony?"
"Yes." Xictli dipped her beak, making that sliding motion again. "Captain… I don't even know how to begin to thank you for your assistance…"
Mio held up a hand. "You don't need to. Xictli, you're not just my lieutenant. You're my right-hand, one of my oldest crewmembers. Dare I say…" colour rose to her cheeks, "a best friend. My family. I am embarrassed you felt you couldn't come to me for help in the first place."
"I know. I should have. You're so busy though, and I didn't want to bother you with something so trivial-"
"Trivial! Xictli, one's beliefs are not trivial. Carrying out one's customs and ceremonies is not trivial. Please," Mio took Xictli's hands, "next time, don't hesitate. What's the point of building the New Protectorate if my own crew can't practice their culture without fear."
Xictli closed her eyes and dipped her beak. "Thank you, Mio."
Mio smiled, squeezing Xictli's hands before letting them go. "Always, my friend."
