A few weeks had passed and Machii was as right as rain. Many of the soldiers were glad to see a female of any species. Women seem to have that effect on men. Even Primian women, notorious for being strong-willed and loved being rough, always gave a sense of nurturing and love that men are incapable of giving. Machii gave a morale boost in a way that Kilala did, making her a welcomed part of the crew. It seemed though that it was Miles who she confided to when she had problems. It wasn’t hard to see they had taken a liking to each other.

“Excuse me doctor, but do you mind if I ask you a personal question or two?” Machii had said to Dr. Moses.

“I see no problem with it. What do you wish to tell me?”

“Well, I just… can a Hinata and Human interbreed?” she said quickly with a squeaked voice.

“By what knowledge I have they may. Though just like other alien half-breeds, there can be a few minor complications. However… Human DNA can mix easily with other alien genetic codes.”

“I see…,” she responded quietly with a blush.

“There was something else you wanted to ask me?”

“Oh! I’ve been curious… why the doctor is a Merp…,” she asked bashfully and Dr. Moses burst into laughter.

“Don’t be embarrassed. Admiral Strongarm, who was then Captain, asked the same question. If you want security, go with a Human doctor. If you want comfort, go with an Aquarian doctor. But if you want accuracy, you go with a Merp doctor! Unless you’re in good fortune to find an Elf, we Merps can sense the ailments in a body and slight changes in the body. I can sense a high level of pheromones in your body.”

Machii blushed with this remark. She ran up to hug Dr. Moses and she walked briskly out of his office. Soon another person walked in.

“Ah, Mr. Wolfgang, it’s a pleasure to see you again. What is troubling you?”

“Well the thing is Moses… can a Human and a Hinata have children together?”

Dr. Moses suppressed his laughter as he answered Miles’ questions. Once he left, the doctor decided to go to the cafeteria and eat lunch since he hadn’t eaten in almost a day. Since he spent a majority of his life in the Empire, he had grown accustomed to the things Primians ate. Once in the cafeteria, a large open room with many tables and chairs and a couple of lines full of soldiers, he sat down at a table by himself and began drinking a large bowl of a cold magenta soup. Admiral Strongarm joined him just as soon as he began eating.

“Greetings Amos. What’s that you’re eating?” he asked. The Admiral smiled. His food was also a soup, yet it a dark purple that was bubbling and appeared to have an octopus-like creature moving about in the steam.

“Glinka Stew! It’s a food that has been around since the first year of the Primian Empire and every family has their own way of cooking it. This tastes just like how my wife used to make it!” Amos said heartedly and began to eat it voraciously. It was then Dr. Moses knew what today was: it would have been the Admiral’s thirtieth anniversary. His wife, a nurse, was killed in an attack on the hospital she was in. The doctor decided to not bring up something he knew almost little about.

“My mother had something similar to that. It was called markoval, a sort of sweet bread that you could eat as a desert topped with fruit or dip in juice to be eaten at dinner. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had a slice. Instead I have this…”

“That’s called jirin, a soup made of jiri fish meat and scales. I personally don’t favor it since it has to be eaten cold. It makes you sick if you eat it straight from the pot y’know.”

“Amos…, you’re avoiding something in your mind with this. What is it?” Moses said instantly. The Admiral gave a heavy sigh, turned his head left and right to see if some person was near-by, and began his conversation.

“It’s that Hinata. Emperor Aralias believes we can use her as a propaganda tool to set the Humans against the Raygonians.”

“How?”

“The Federation is no longer controlled by Humans. This will allow them to join our cause and hopefully help end the war. If the Raygonians take any planets in this star system, the Emperor will consider a ceasefire.”

“That doesn’t answer how,” Moses responded kindly.

“We’ve done some background checking on this girl. Her father was their leader until he died of civil war wounds. Since then her brother has been aiding the Raygonians. She is a political refugee: she can’t leave here unless she wants death. The Emperor wants to use that to his advantage.”

“Emperor Kratos would never condone such manipulation, neither would Honda,” he responded. He stood up and left his empty bowl on the table and bowed his head to the Admiral politely. “Good day to you.”

Dr. Moses went back to his office in a polite and dignified manner, not uttering a word, with a somber expression about him. An air of tranquility and peace accompanied him and touched all whom he met. His kind reposed nature calmed the spirits and his ability healed the flesh. He was a real provider of hope.