And the Children Shall Lead

Ultramarine, Noble of the Overmorph, Defender of the Morphic [Character 1.04]

Your story

You are seething. You've been treated without respect, gassed like a common neem. The entire Morphic Steev delegation has been threatened over what should be an internal affair. This is none of the Fleet's duty or business; how Lapislazuli should be punished is an internal Morphic Steev affair.

Bammerham'n Eggsuckers! Lapislazuli brings dishonor on every Defender of the Morphic, even the raw Under-Defenders barely out of their eggs. That they are kin makes this even more embarrassing. You've never been this disrespected in all your decades of military service.

You repeat the Mantra of Morphism Before Mass Destruction. It takes you three times to find calm. It will be difficult, but you have given your oath for Lapislazuli's safety. Perhaps this is a better way; you've killed many promising Under-Defenders before this, and you've wondered about the waste.

However, there MUST be punishment meted out. It does not matter who is to blame; the truism says "All for One and One for All." This Vortex of Chaos may be too lenient, especially since one of the offenders, Deep Dark, is her child. You did not think it possible for a starship to give birth.

And there is no one here to stand for the third offender. Another metallic mind, this Equations of Insight. Yes, you realize that they are equal peoples in the eyes of the Fleet, even though this is a recent advance for the Morphic Steev. You cannot help but wonder if the hardware was affected by the Lasko Radiation, drawing your biological Under-Defender into dishonor. It would not be the first time a machine has betrayed a biological being.

You must find a punishment that Vortex of Chaos agrees with and supports. That may be difficult for a machine person.