Page 41 of Leviathan

The ship was one of his people.

"You're certain it is a captive?" I asked.

"I can tell," he said, the heaviness in his heart palpable. "The signs of deterioration are there."

"If it is a different type of ship, we can't hit it in the same way," I said, working through the problem. "How can we help them? Is there a way for us to free them?"

"I'm..." Lyrian started to say before he cut himself off. "I can't put you at risk."

We drifted behind an asteroid, the hamster wheel spinning to mimic its rotation.

"What were you going to say?" I demanded. "Don't keep your thoughts from me."

"I'm big enough," Lyrian said. "I've grown big enough that I think I can do it, especially as captive Vaurelcar's are often weaker, despite their size. But it isn't guaranteed, and it would put you at risk."

"Details, Lyrian," I said. "How will it put me at risk?"

"I have to grab onto the other Vaurelcar and tear into it," he said. "If I can pry all the Caliciums out of its body and kill them or get to its center and free it so it can do the same, then I will win. It will be forced to fight back against me, though I should be able to handle it. The issue is in grabbing it; the Calicium will immediately board me and cut into me to hunt for my center. I'm not shell locked anymore, so they won't be able to find me easily. I have enough mass that I should be able to withstand them, but the effort will be damaging, and if I fail, they will capture you as well."

"Are there any other ships in this system?" I asked.

"Not that I can see with my less invasive sensors, but if I do a deep scan, they will spot me," he said.

"There is a chance that they aren't alone, and if you weaken in trying to free the other Vaurelcar, they will move in," I said.

"Yes," he said. "We cannot take the risk."

"The captive Vaurelcar will be forced to resist you prying into its center," I said. "But is there anything in the way that its captivity is structured that will prevent me from going there?"

"The Calicium will stop you," he said.

"But they'll all be trying to cut into you," I said. "Will the other Vaurelcar itself stop me?"

"If you attack it or try to cut through its neurofilaments, it will be forced to resist you," he said.

"What if I ask nicely?" I said. "You've had people get free, so there has to be a record of how all that works. Will it have to get clearance from the Calicum for me to go to the center?"

"I never heard of anything like that," he said. "It isn't treated as a sentient being. It can't ask for anything, even permission. It just has to obey Calicium orders."

"So if I look like a Calicium, then it will obey my order to let me into the center?" I asked. "I just need a disguise to make me look like an alien. Once I'm in the center, how do I free it?"

Lyrien was silent for a moment, telling me everything I needed to know.

"Are you sure about this?" Lyrien asked, his tone soft. "You would really risk everything to help free someone you don't even know?"

"You did," I said. "You risked everything when you opened the hatch and let me on board."

He was silent for a long moment.

"You would have to bring a tool to cut off the collar," he said. "I already have a portable one made. As for the disguise... You won't need one."

"Why not?" I asked.

"The Caliciums produce units that look like other species for the purpose of infiltration," he said. "You just have to claim you're one of those. It won't fool another Calicium, but as long as the Vaurelcar doesn't see the cutting device, it will be able to believe you."

I noticed his wording, ‘be able to believe me’.

"It will want to let me in," I said. "I just can't give it enough red flags to trigger its control device."