Idly, Agayan wondered if this particular Ossa regretted its transformation. It was neutered, now, to match Yuaw Khta’s current sexual stage. The Investigator kept two other Ossa on the ship, one male and one female, to serve it/her/him as Yuaw Khta progressed through the cycle.

Agayan did not ponder the matter for more than a few seconds. Ossa, for him, were not much more interesting than Gha.

He decided that he had been polite enough. “Are you going to be distracted by this exercise in self-torture for much longer?” he demanded. “The affairs of the Guild press heavily.”

Yuaw Khta’s grunt combined satisfaction with irritation. The Investigator made a snapping sound with its fingers and the Ossa attendant immediately departed the chamber.

After taking a long draught from its cup, Yuaw Khta said: “I fail to see your point, Voivode Agayan. Regardless of their social discipline and cohesion, the humans are still primitives.”

He made a small waving gesture, which encompassed the entirety of the ship. “Even if they managed-somehow-to seize the ship, they would have no way to fly it anywhere.”

“Unless they coerced the Pilot,” retorted Agayan. The Voivode spread both his forelimb clusters, to give emphasis to his next words. “Unlike you, Yuaw Khta, I have personal experience with the humans. I was their Commander, for a time, before my promotion to Voivode. As you may or may not know, I passed through the Cacique ranks faster than any Guildmaster on the record. Some of that unprecedented speed in climbing through the ranks, of course, was due-”

He interlaced his finger-clusters modestly.

“-to my own ability. But every Commander of the human sepoys enjoyed rapid promotion. The humans were, far and away, the best sepoy troops the Guild has ever had. They were invariably successful in their campaigns, and did not even suffer heavy casualties.”