>>1030870
Thirdin'. He acts, you distracts.

>>1030870
fourthing

>>1030877
Fifthing

>>1030870
Sixthing

You might be a commander, but there are several types of commanders. Tactical, operational, and strategic to be precise. No idea which of those you are. However, all of those listen to the people below them, especially if they have a greater understanding of the situation, and given your amnesia, this guy definitely has a better understanding of the situation.

Also, despite his poor communication skills (one word, many meanings is not good, it just creates ambiguity, which leads to miscommunications, confusion, and possibly conflicts), he's given us some idea of what's going on. While I'm not sure if fuzz-face here is lazmihi or nantuha, he's obviously one of the two. For whatever reason, Serrate hive, of which you are a member, protected them. The bisushpi attempted to exert dominance over them in some fashion, likely military. Serrate aided in their defense. In the process, you were captured. To justify their actions, the bisushpi fabricated a tale that Serrate hive was committing crimes against humani- uh... crimes against all criai. Far easier for the public to support that sort of thing, and it may also be why the guard with the nantuha dad was so easily swayed. He might have heard of Serrate Hive from his relatives, and knew they would not do the things the bisushpi said they would. Also, your amnesia may be by choice, so that Serrate Hive's military secrets would not fall into enemy hands. Mind you, a good portion of this is inferred speculation, but it fits the evidence we have.

>>1030870
Supporting

>>1030866
Considering the situation, probably better to learn about Mun's capabilities and ensure his plan, offensive or defensive, goes well. You can sort out hierarchy better when you're less likely to get caught.
On that note, you may be a commander, but what does that mean? How well do you know how to lead at this point? Could you lead a small but elite unit personally, or a vast force from a distance? You've implied you're not traditionally a combatant.

Also, interesting that the thought of a hug produces such a reaction. Perhaps it's self preservation?
The cold might be an intentional defensive design, to contain or eliminate escapees via exposure. Freezing to death would suck if you do manage to escape.

Z.
Can't you use your psychic powers to keep the person distracted so they don't even notice you or your friend in the first place and then just slip on by?

>>1030866
>It is taking half my willpower not to snuggle up against him inappropriately.
He’s warm and you’re cold. It’s only natural that you want to snuggle against him to stay warm! But maybe save it for after you guys get somewhere safe, then you can snuggle with him.

>"You strike me as a little, uh, resource-rich to be a hunter," I say, trying my best to be diplomatic.
>"Good hunter," he says, with a swell of pride.
I’m surprised he took that as a compliment. Consider yourself lucky that he didn’t just slap you for calling him fat.

>I'm being given an order? Me? Me?? That's not how this works-- ugh.
It’s not really an order. It’s more like a “Hey, be careful.” If he was giving you an order, he would’ve been more forceful than that.

>What do?
A

He managed to get here on his own, right? So he must know what he’s doing.

A. lets see how good a hunter he is

A

To those confused about the temperature, Dunra, the world the Criai evolved on, is (or was) basically covered with ice and snow.

1/10 Suggestion 2022/05/03(Tue)10:03 No. 1031106 ID: 2f158e
File 165159738349.png - (134.11KB , 800x600 , tt-14.png )

> cold intentional design
It has to be intentional, you don't accidentally make a place this cold. Maybe it's defensive? Unsure.

> not order, just caution
Yeah that's a good point. Great. I get to rediscover my insecurities before anything useful. Problems with others taking control, problems with people being taller than me. How splendid. Thanks, brain.

> deliberate misinformation against the serrate hive
That's sounding like the case. Those fuckers. I get the impression this is something we deal with as a species a lot.
Honestly, have a different enough mouth and suddenly your entire species eats babies on the regular or something.

...speaking of, have you seen criai teeth? I feel like they could chew through metal if they had a bit more jaw strength, I'm surprised they don't bite their own tongues off.
Oh, right, criai. That's right. I remember now. Mun is a criai, and so are the guards, based on morphological similarity. They're, uh, cold-adapted mammals, yes, six ears, good hearing, very emotive in their ear movements, apparently see a smaller range of colours than the known mean, can't see very well in the dark, prone to overheating in temperatures most of my kind would consider comfortable, hence our need to adapt ourselves, because... because coexistence was very important, I do not remember why, coexistence very important. Because we had to be better. Better than what? This is hurting my head, whatever, moving on.

I was taught all this before I was even born, information streaming into my larval brain through... something. Very important to know what a criai is. Mission critical.
Mission critical, criai, Mun talked about my kind defending criai. My mission definitely involved defending criai. Why do we care so much about an alien species? I mean, we're not incompassionate, but why do we care so much about some random aliens? Were they vulnerable?

No. Not vulnerable. I look at Mun's face as he prepares himself and I do not see a helpless creature. I see something that carries that same spark of brutal nature shared by any apex predator. Muscles tense beneath a misleading fat layer. Conscious restraint buckling before righteous vengeance, itself a layer on top of a primal impulse -- this is my home, this is my territory, this is mine and you are not welcome here.
That impulse to remove the harmful Other. The calm before an abrupt, violent storm. I shiver witnessing it, beautiful and terrifying.

But when I think more about criai and I look at Mun, I just find myself feeling deeply sad for some reason. What happened that could have caused such a strong impression on all of us and an urge to protect them this strongly? I can see how the criai earned our respect, but I still don't have the full picture.

Because I sure am being held captive in a criai operated facility. They aren't repaying our sympathy in the slightest. We have been tricked-- no, no, Mun is evidence that they aren't united. This is more complicated than that.

2/10 Suggestion 2022/05/03(Tue)10:03 No. 1031107 ID: 2f158e
File 165159741974.png - (216.88KB , 800x600 , tt-15.png )

> several types of commander
> could you lead a small elite unit or a vast force
I'm aware, yes. It's caused misunderstandings before among other societies who have a much more fixed idea of what "commander" entails in their own rankings. I know I wasn't in charge of any large sections of a swarm, so I believe I was probably... hm, yes. Not in charge of just a simple unit, but an elite force.

Thorn Flower. The name was Thorn Flower. Special operations and rapid response to specific, unusual scenarios. Yes. Commander of Thorn Flower. What happened to the rest of my force? If they're all gone and I'm not, well... no, they must have regrouped. It makes sense I'd be a priority target for capture, and I'd sooner sacrifice myself then throw the lives of those under my command to their deaths without very good cause.

Common misconception, that. Other species assume we see our soldiers as disposable, then turn around and order their own forces into fights they can't hope to survive.
Makes me sick. We sacrifice for others. We're an army and a family. ...getting off-topic.

> snuggle later
Oh it's ever tempting. I can explain it away as some sort of psychic feedback phenomenon, or something. Most aliens have no idea about psychic anything so it's usually pretty easy to explain away things that way. Or perhaps play into our misunderstood and frequently assumed biology and say I was reacting to pheremones-- no, no, that's likely to send very wrong signals, and I don't really want to complicate this working relationship. Besides, my type's a little leaner. But I can't deny that there's something about him that's-- what the fuck am I doing thinking about this at a time like this. I'm not even supposed to have reproductive desires. I specifically requested that. Ugh. So much for mastery over biology, or whatever it is the geneweavers like to spout off. Just like an operator to hype up things beyond the reality of the situation, but, well, that's what they do. AUGH. STOP. FOCUS. FOCUS ON THE MOMENT, BY THE WILL OF THE HIVE--

3/10 Suggestion 2022/05/03(Tue)10:04 No. 1031108 ID: 2f158e
File 165159745693.png - (146.75KB , 800x600 , tt-16.png )

> hive
> hive
> hive
> hive
hive

Hive.

No. No, no no I wish I hadn't-- I-- augh, no, no NO. No I can't-- I can't go back, I can't un-notice it now.
There's a profound absence, an emptiness, a background chatter I'd lived with my entire life and I just realised it's not there and it hurts and it hurts it is driving me insane I can hear my own thoughts in the endless echoing empty nothingness where is the Hive WHERE IS THE HIVE

No no no there is nothing good about this level of disconnection, this would only be possible in a few small select scenarios, and none of them are good.

1. The forces here have managed to artificially sever me from the Hive, in which case I should be a broken wreck even more so than I am now from the amount of brain damage they'd need to cause for that. Memory problems nothing, I'd have no psychic control, or the ability to form a complete sentence, or walk without falling over.

2. I am somehow out of range of the Hive, which suggests I'm not even on the same planet anymore and I'm doomed to wander space in an empty void of indescribable loneliness the likes no alien could possibly understand except with extremely inaccurate metaphor because it's on such a fundamental level-- it's... it's like, it's like you have gone blind and deaf and numb and totally insensate and you know the concept of others like you exist but you will never ever meaningfully interact with them, everything is a pale shadow, you are severely depressed among a party of happy friends, no, no, these metaphors are all wrong they don't work but it's bad

3. The Hive has fractured completely from a directed psychic attack or mass death, and everyone I know and love is wandering around in a panicked frenzy without direction, memories in a patchwork state, severed from rapid communication and access to the vast information stored communally amongst our psychic network. This is... extremely bad and probably the worst possible situation, but even then it's... not the first time it could have happened, so it should, in theory, be a disaster on a scale I couldn't articulate, but not a species ending one.

4. Oh no I just thought of a worse one. Everyone in my species is dead except me.

...

4/10 Suggestion 2022/05/03(Tue)10:05 No. 1031109 ID: 2f158e
File 165159751263.png - (115.93KB , 800x600 , tt-17.png )

Z. Distract the guard right before Mun attacks if he seems to be. Use psychic stuff to get the guard to turn away.
SUCCESS

Focus only on the present moment. Before I get a chance to complete processing how bad a situation I'm in.
Trying to ignore the unending emptiness in my mind, body and soul, I channel some of it into the guard largely unintentionally as I try to get him to turn around.

He drops his (uhh, let's see, I've seen it before, it's, uh, like a sheet you'd scrawl on, but it changes its own glyphs, like some sort of paper that can think) smart paper device thingy and looks up and freezes. I think I might have just accidentally shoved the feeling of apocalyptic fear into him.
He runs to the railing and stares out over it, shaking.

Mun looks a little confused, but then runs over to the guard, loops his arm over the guy's throat, and pulls them over behind the crates. He then squeezes until the guy goes limp, and then gently rests him down behind the crates, taking a moment to arrange him so he won't fall over. Surface reading, yeah that guard's down for the count. It'll be some time before the combined psychic shock and physical incapacitation subside. Maybe even hours. Better not count on it being that long, though.

Wow. Okay, he does seem to have the strength and skill to subdue, that's for sure. I'm pretty impressed, that was flawlessly executed. That guy was still wearing armour. Then again, maybe they just don't have very good neck armour.

I also feel a sudden rush of attraction to him I immediately stomp to death before it occupies more of my brain.

"Nice work," I say.
"Good, yes," he says, looking and feeling unsure of how else to respond to me. "We go here," he says, and points down the path.
I follow behind him.

5/10 Suggestion 2022/05/03(Tue)10:05 No. 1031110 ID: 2f158e
File 165159753794.png - (59.11KB , 800x600 , tt-18.png )

The walk down the long corridor is largely uneventful but the bitter cold makes it feel like it takes much, much longer than it does.
My antennae are feeling the cold the worst, next to my feet starting to feel like they're sticking to the floor with each step.

It feels like it's getting colder somehow.

Mun pauses, looks back at me, and keeps walking. I glean he was, for a moment, wondering if he should leave me behind, before deciding against it.
Well, I can't really fault him. We're complete strangers, even if we share common cause. If the room was a baking inferno, I'd be having to make a similar judgement call for him.

Still feel mildly betrayed, though. Just a little. He decided against it, after all. This time.

I see him move faster and faster away from me, and notice all the flickering lights I can see in the distance seem to be flickering faster, like the world is starting to speed up on me. At first I think this is great. Things are moving faster! I'll be out of here in no time.
Then I realise what's happening.

They're not speeding up, I'm slowing down. Everything is. My movement, my senses, my perception of the world around me. I'm getting close to an involuntary torpor shutdown, a last-ditch effort by my body to preserve itself in extreme cold. Something common among my species. It's not a guarantee of survival even by itself, but in a hostile environment like this I'd be surrendering myself to whatever my captors want to do to me. Very, very bad.

"Mun," I say, and he has turned around to face me before I am halfway finished. My body feels so heavy.

He says something I can't understand. It's so cold. I feel nothing.
Something tries to pry my closing hand open and grab it, I can't quite tell, things are getting too fast and blurry around me to process.
Before I know it, something is pushing me along and I'm watching a door hurtle towards me.

6/10 Suggestion 2022/05/03(Tue)10:06 No. 1031111 ID: 2f158e
File 165159756957.png - (259.24KB , 800x600 , tt-19.png )

Have to. Keep it. Together.

Thorn. Flower. Needs me. Hive. Needs me. Mun.

Shutting. Down. Going. Numb.

No. No. N o . . .

7/10 Suggestion 2022/05/03(Tue)10:06 No. 1031112 ID: 2f158e
File 165159760009.png - (191.73KB , 800x600 , tt-20.png )

n o

8/10 Suggestion 2022/05/03(Tue)10:08 No. 1031114 ID: 2f158e
File 165159769577.png - (180.25KB , 800x600 , tt-22.png )

Wow, that got confusing, but at least I feel nice and warm again.

Actually, I feel all squished and compacted. It's real dark and everything is difficult to move.
Also my body seems to be significantly different than I remember. Smaller, too.

Where am I? Did Mun drag me to safety?

...also, who's Mun?
Hm. No, no I remember Mun. Fluffy white guy. Bulky. Surprisingly strong. Pretty cool. Hehehe.
But something feels off. Like the memory I have is... hm, can't find the words.

10/10 Suggestion 2022/05/03(Tue)10:08 No. 1031115 ID: 2f158e
File 165159772214.png - (185.07KB , 800x600 , tt-23.png )

Well, let's ignore that and focus on each sense. Everything feels vaguely weightless.
I can't see much, it's too dark. The only light is coming from me as I exercise my psychic powers.
I can hear some squelching and rhythmic beating, but it's all very muffled.
I taste... well, I can't describe the taste, but it feels extremely calming for some reason. Scent is exactly the same.

So I guess I need to reach out with my psychic senses.

Hm. That's weird. I feel like I should be sensing a lot more than I am, but I pick out maybe a couple of weirdly familiar minds, and... that's odd. Usually it takes almost no effort to scan the surface of minds but I'm really struggling. Like I'm trying to turn a dial that's had greasy slime dumped on it. What is this? I feel weaker than when I had those dampeners on!

I guess I've traded one captive situation for another, huh.
Or maybe I died and I've immediately reincarnated or something? Hm. No, that's not how that works. Our kind can do that sort of psychic reincarnation thing but usually you lose a lot of who that individual was. I shouldn't have such clear recall of what I was just doing if that were the case. Wait. Is it clear? Was it just a dream? I'm so confused!!

Well, I still can't think of my name, so I guess I should pick a name for myself while I wiggle about and see if I can figure out where I am.

stillwater, also are you a guy?

Tylo

Ishni. Practice your wiggles.

There actually was a fifth possibility as to why you heard none of your hivemates. The facility had a way to block out whatever signals you use to communicate, whether through specially designed walls, a jamming device, just plain dense rock between you and your hive, or some other way to do so.

Either way, what to call you... let's see... we've got zero reference for Serrate as a species, but... you commanded an elite unit... how about Leonidas?

Bob

Gonna be real you look like a fat baby grub in an egg or something.

>>1031115
I think your body went into extreme survival mode and decided to make you create a new body inside yourself and shove your consciousness inside of the new body. In other words: You are now a baby.

Which is also why your psychic powers are so weak. You have baby powers instead of adult powers.

Oh and if you hated being smaller than others before, you're absolutely going to hate how small you are now.

Reylah.

Your consciousness seems to have jumped back to its' earliest possible memory. Is it possible your precognition is the result of you experiencing events non-lineary, as in your sense of time is different compared to the rest of the universe? If that's the case, "normal" causality going to be a bitch to work with.

>>1031114
>I remember Mun. Fluffy white guy. Bulky. Surprisingly strong. Pretty cool. Hehehe.
You weren’t thinking he was cool earlier. You were thinking about how attractive he was and you were having some reproductive desires towards him.

You may not remember that, but trust me, that’s exactly what you were thinking earlier.

>>1031115
I think you became a baby. If that’s true, then you’ll have to wait several years before you can act on those reproductive desires you have towards Mun.

>not even supposed to have reproductive desires.
Seems like this may have been altered by something. Gonna have to deal with that somehow.
On the plus side, you may be getting some snuggles from Mun. On the minus, you're freezing to death.

>>1031115
Hello.
Are you a Boy?
Or are you a Girl?
Not that an answer is urgent, just something to think about. Lets assume both the dream and this reality are real. You can't do much there or here right now, it seems, so perhaps it's time to do a little introspection.

Does the name Reylah feel like a good fit?

call yourself noodle

>>1031115
I think your body decided that the best way to survive the cold was to make you fat to increase how much your body is insulated from the cold. And since this was a physical dilemma, your body reduced your psychic powers in order to give itself the boost it needed to survive.

>name?
Reyna might be a good name for you.

Mosely. Mosely Harmless. This might get you shot at less.

Did your consciousness transfer to a newborn body when you shutdown? Is that even heard of?

How about calling yourself Selys?

1/3 Reynoodlish 2022/05/04(Wed)18:12 No. 1031236 ID: 2f158e
File 165171316036.png - (126.24KB , 800x600 , tt-24.png )

> name
Of course. It all fits me so well, I can't decide. My name shall be Reynoodlish! I'm sure I won't grow to regret this choice at all.

> create new body in yourself
I don't-- I don't even know if that's possible! I have no comparison for scale but I feel like I'd be bursting out of myself if I-- augh I can't deal with this mismatch between my usual body and present body as it is, let alone trying to estimate if one can fit in the other!

> transfered to newborn body when shutdown
That's not a typical thing that happens and it's the sort of thing you'd have to do a lot of preparation for. Also the sort of thing that I feel like I didn't do the preparation for.

> non-linear time
> precognition
But I was experiencing linear time until just now and my precognition wasn't really more than a few seconds beyond what I was experiencing!

> jumped back to earliest memory
Oh no. Oh no.

> are you a guy
Well I don't think so. Granted right now it feels less important but I don't think I see myself as male even a little.
...do I even have any sort of sex or gender in this body? I seem to be a--

> baby
> fat baby grub
--well that's a blunt way of putting it but oh no. Oh no that's not my preferred body of choice. Literally anything else is!!

> baby powers instead of adult powers
> if you hated being smaller than others before
No no oh no

SLORP SLORP SPLORSH

Oh and now the space is shrinking and wait too small too SMALL TOO SMALL STOP

2/3 Reynoodlish 2022/05/04(Wed)18:13 No. 1031237 ID: 2f158e
File 165171318482.png - (48.41KB , 800x600 , tt-25.png )

SPLORCH

AUGH IT'S COLD AND much bigger, at least, that's an improvement. But it's cold! Wait. Where in the Hive am I?

[~UP, FACE HER TOWARDS ME,~], I hear a commanding voice say. I see an unfamiliar creature lean over and gently pick me up, a blank expression on its face.
It is covered in drab brown fur, and reminds me of criai a little bit, but doesn't seem to be one of those exactly. Fewer ears. Drabber. More, uh, floral?
Can't make out too much detail.

3/3 Reynoodlish 2022/05/04(Wed)18:13 No. 1031238 ID: 2f158e
File 165171322499.png - (71.42KB , 800x600 , tt-26.png )

[~ANGLE HER UPWARDS,~] the voice says, and I'm angled upwards to see oh that is big. Oh, everything is so much bigger than me right now I haaaaaate it.

Hello, I say. Well, I try, but instead I get out a "Hbluh," as slime bubbles out of my mouth and I realise air tastes cold and sharp.

[~Behold, newborn, the glory and vastness of the Hive.~]
She looks around at the barren weird purple-topped cave we're in.
[~...hm, no, not an appropriate introduction at the moment, I guess I'm skipping the rest of that.~]

"Whuh?"
"Okay, I can speak verbally if you want. I'm exhausted anyway. Not much in the mood for the dramatic grandoise speeches. Congratulations on the following two accomplishments! You've been born into the world without significant physical or mental defects, and also you're now promoted to commander of Thorn Flower. Make the Eastern Swarm proud."
"...eh?"
"To ease the transition along Arvisa and myself will continue acting as interim command of Thorn Flower, but then it will be up to you."
"I was... I was just born."

This is a lot to take in.
Not the being commander, I knew that already, just the whole having just been born thing.
She's talking about this like my status as commander is something new??

The big creature shifts uncomfortably. "It is, uh, a little, ahem, unorthodox to spawn a commander in the field, an act that no Eastern Swarm doctrine encourages or supports outside of extremely pressing emergencies, such as the dissolution of the chain of command and the death of the current commander."

After a pause while I vacantly blink my eyes, she continues. "...which happened twenty days ago and eighteen days ago, respectively. Thorn Flower is not organised in such a way to function without a strong dedicated leader, and our drones are taking more and more effort to corral without strong psychic links. The sort only a commander can realistically provide and reinforce."
"Well, that makes sense, I am the commander of Thorn Flower, of course I should lead it." World's gone crazy, right? I feel like this was something I already just established.

I read from her surface thoughts that my accepting this clearly evident fact brings her unreasonable amounts of relief and a small amount of joy.

"My name is Lekseeka Relekt, incidentally, commander. Biofabricator for Thorn Flower, whose usual spawning needs don't really warrant more than myself, but do warrant one available at all times. I look forward to working with you and no doubt mass-assembling whatever replacement drones you need."
"That's a name," I say, and realise I have nothing to follow that up with, so now it just looks like I spouted the first thing that came to mind.
"...it sure is. Your name is Chykta 27th, by the way."
"No it isn't. My name is Reynoodlish. Also, 27th?"
"You named yourself?" She looks at me a little bemused. "You named yourself that... 27th incarnation of the Chykta template. A long, noble line of commanders and also the 26th that we used to form your nascent psyche. We can't just be expecting a completely fresh newborn grub to lead us, after all."
"What was that about the 26th?"
"At this time," she says, transparently ignoring me, "I need rest. I can answer some questions you undoubtedly have about your new assignment but then I require about two days in dormancy to recover my strength and resupply my nutrient stores. You were deceptively expensive to make, little commander."
"Commander Reynoodlish."
"Yes, yes, of course," she says, yawning again. "I live to serve. I can feel your mind bubbling over with questions. Ask away."

--- Possible Approaches ---

A - Ask questions until Lekseeka passes out
Oh so many questions I have. Any suggestions for questions would be a bonus! But I can think of plenty myself too, like "where are we", "what's going on", "why are you so big", "where are my forces", "what is this thing holding me", "why do you look like a big purple me", and so on.

B - Wiggle free of being held by this unrecognised furry creature and wander off
I can't abide being out of control any longer. I should not be taking orders from my subordinates! I'll show them!! I should inspect my new surroundings and forces, anyway.

Z - Something else (write in)

Apply hugs until opposition subdued.

>>1031238
Ask why you can remember being held captive in a Criai facility.

It sounds like the 26th commander might have been the pervious you.

Why do I remember the Criai being friendly when my last known memory was them being hostile, and what does it have to do with the brain flower that alien has?

ask what is the current situation and what the immediate goal is. Because it sounds like things are kinda going to hell if they had to create an entire commander to run an army(?)/hive(?) that is apparently starting to fall apart.

Do you have a thorn flower emblem on you as well?
What happened to Mun/the Criai with the 26th commander?
What species is holding you?
Why does it have flowers sprouting from it?
How long will you be a grub?

>>1031238
“Why are you keeping some kind of scoreboard on your belly?”

Give her hugs and cuddles

Everybody else has most of the sitrep questions, though adding a question about the level of equipment and ammo reserves would probably be worthwhile.
So, how about asking about this body's psionic and physical capabilities compared to the previous life?
Also, do we have some sort of aide-de-camp, secretary, adjutant, second-in-command, or otherwise that can advise on the enemy's tactics? There seems to be memory loss regarding previous battles.
Oh, and are there open lines of communication to our [commanding officer equivalent]? Failing that, what are our standing orders?

>>1031238
A

Z
Give the order to be put on top of her head. You're going to be commander, you must survey all of your domain and field. Questions after.