Welcome to Bugearth - Scorpion lieutenant and her Aitisal servant

Somewhere in the Great Desert - South of Lacrau;

A metallic Behemoth rested in the dim sunlight, which was slowly giving way to the freezing night. The large tank of the Lacrau Armada, under the orange and purple hues of the dusk, was there as a temporary outpost. It was large enough for troops to live in without cramping, and besides, scorpions can last a considerable amount of time without feeding (and can also hunt desert creatures, since it is their natural biome), so food reserves would not be a problem.

A burly scorpion waited, sitting on a weapons crate and with part of her armor dismantled, in the main hangar of the tank. Her scarlet carapace showed scars from countless battles she had survived, including the most notable one that crossed her missing right eye. Her armor was adorned with spikes, which for scorpions were rank insignias, making her position as lieutenant. The tip of her tail, with the stinger amputated long ago in combat, was armed with a miniature plasma gatling gun.

Aaliyah gazed at the horizon visible from the open gate; the sand was slowly covering the boarding ramp, which was not a problem for a machine capable of excavating the underground of the Underrealm's countless tunnels. In the distance, to the far south, it was possible to see the tiny shape of the Naveen mountain range. She knew who lived beyond the mountains.

A sound of pressure and metallic creaking woke her from her trance; Farid was approaching. The young male scorpion had a light beige, sand-colored shell, wore a leather harness with tools and pockets, a mesh thong with metal chains covered his groin, on his legs he wore dark tights and boots, a welding mask covered his face, but part of his red hair was still visible. Both of his arms at the elbows had been replaced by robotic prosthetics.

• I hope I didn't take too long, my master - He addressed Aaliyah.

• Don't worry - She replied, calming his spirits - Today is unusually calm.

• Thanks to the Great Scorpion - He thanked the deity of the desert arachnids - We can breathe a little without worrying about those invaders.

Aaliyah remained silent, remembering the last hard-fought battle they had to repel a battalion of Sapiens from occupying a citadel on a rock that served as a trading post for several villages in the region.

• Speaking of which.

Farid took an object from among some rags he was carrying in his lap: a small, pale skull, a Sapiens skull.

• As you asked - He continued as he knelt next to Aaliyah, picking up a basket with metal pieces that he had previously left there - I took extra care to polish this one, I had to rush out of the kitchen or the guys would end up gnawing it.

• I admire your effort, my Aitisal - She replied with a friendly smile.

Soon the servant engineer used some of the hidden tools in his mechanical forearms to attach the skull to a metal structure, later fitting it to a chain attached to a spike on the large shoulder of the warrior's armor. Now the macabre ornaments were symmetrical, two pairs of three skulls, intimidating trophies for their adversaries.

• This Sapien - Farid asked as he checked if the chains were properly fitted - Was it hard work to defeat him? Your armor came back quite damaged from the last battle, but nothing I couldn't fix, of course.

The warrior stared at the skeleton piece recently placed on her armor.

• He was the leader of their battalion - She replied - It was difficult to get close to him, he was in a very high tower in the center of the citadel, commanding the troops with a privileged view of the battlefield.

• And how did you manage to get him out of there? - Farid asked, curious.

• I knocked down the tower.

Impressed, the Aitisal was open-mouthed behind his mask.

• And what did you do next?

Aaliyah smiled, remembering the satisfaction of victory after an intense battle she had against the burly alien in black and red armor.

• The warriors of the Sapien Empire think that their fancy technology and equipment are enough to trample us - She explained - But they are like snails: under that armor there is only a soft and pathetic thing, but unlike snails, they are arrogant and eventually become very vulnerable. In a moment of carelessness he injured me and knocked me down, but while he was mocking me, I grabbed him by the neck and separated his head from his body.

• If I had not been born so small and fragile - Farid commented - I would have liked to have been a warrior as powerful as you.

Aaliyah, upon hearing the comment, calmly pulled him closer, lifting his welding mask, revealing his emerald iris eyes.

• But it's a good thing he didn't become a warrior - She replied, confusing him at first - What would become of me without my dear Aitisal?

She gave him a kiss, simple and quick, but affectionate. They both sat on the war box and watched the moon rise into the sky along with the stars.