Alitheia In Space [FT][IC][SEMI-OPEN]

[Parcia]

The Parlay

They would be granted access to Docking bay three, one of the 4 large ventral docking bays used to house Smaller CU Frigates and Destroyers were they would be met, upon landing and the bay closing, by not only a Full Company of Colonial Marines in Parade formation, but by a full squad of 6 ONI Head Hunters, the Elite, heavily augmented and modified Super soldiers under the ploy of the Office of Naval Intelligence. The Head Hunters normally didn't participate in meetings such as this due to the infamous reputation of ONI Headhunters being behind Several High profile Assassinations across local space.


With the Diplomat and her(?) Security Bot received, they would be escorted by the Head Hunters to not the meeting room, or his personal Quarters, rather to the officer's Mess hall were the president, flanked by 2 more head hunters, would be sitting at a large table.

He would be hunched over a set of Data pads, a portable Computer, and a myriad of paper documents and books. Next to him, as in near the end of the see of documents, data pads, and empty cups, sat his assistant (and by some rumors, Lover) Happily snoring with her head on the keyboard of her laptop amidst her own sea of documents and data pads.

Seeing his company arriving, he stood sat up and pushed the computer out of his way.

"Please, take a seat, we have much to discuss." The room would be empty besides the President, the Diplomat and her bot, and the Headhunters would take strategic postilions through out the room.

[Parcia]

Therisa

The Abr, being a reclusive lot, were given a proper red carpet.

A Section of the Local Space station, Center point Station, was cleared and gussied up and clean for the upcoming arrivals.

With the arrival of the diplomatic envoy local security and airspace would also be upped, part in due to this meeting, and to the general alert given to all Colonial Military assets to shift in to readiness.

They would be told to break off from the escort and dock at their pleasure, offering 3 different ports for their choice. Once inside the would be met by a diplomatic team and Colonial Marines in full dress Uniforms.

[Rykil]

Therisa

The Abr, being a reclusive lot, were given a proper red carpet.

A Section of the Local Space station, Center point Station, was cleared and gussied up and clean for the upcoming arrivals.

With the arrival of the diplomatic envoy local security and airspace would also be upped, part in due to this meeting, and to the general alert given to all Colonial Military assets to shift in to readiness.

They would be told to break off from the escort and dock at their pleasure, offering 3 different ports for their choice. Once inside the would be met by a diplomatic team and Colonial Marines in full dress Uniforms.

The Cruiser and it's four destroyers kept moving for a while before coming to a halt, launching the trapezoidal diplomatic craft. Inside it was the singular Abr diplomat, adjusting their temperature and receiving the simulated translator data. There were a total of four Mechanoid Bodyguards surrounding them. The craft shot out at high speeds before slowing down to a cruise, coming to an even slower glide at Port 2. The landing gear extended, and the Abr's hydrocarbon chamber was drained. Once it opened, the bodyguards came out first, allowing the relatively slow Abr to make it's way. It's body was around two feet in length, and it's manipulators at three.

[Tariga]

Dum Dums
"Oh no they're stupid" the female voice said. "What do you expect, they live on a human world." The masculine voice said "and it appears that they share 91% of their genome with them too". The two then began to bicker in a language that sounded like large mechanic screeches for a while. The male voice told them "The Silence is a area of space controlled by the Master, if you don't know what it is I don't think you ought to know what it is"

Radical Thought

Lucky and Jasper looked at each other, then back at the machine. “Well, we don’t know what you are, or what the Silence is, or who the Master is,” Lucky began, folding his arms. “But lets get a couple things straight: we don’t have masters anymore, and this ain’t a human world!”
Jasper nodded and grinned smugly. “That’s right! We drove those bastards out, thanks to our leader Leo!”
The two nekos high-fived each other. It had been a few years since the Revolution, but the population was still riding high on the feeling of victory.

Useful idiots
"They gotten rid of humans, interesting" The female voice said. "Yes very much so, we might be able to use this info, we'd need to gather more and then find a way back" the male voice responded. "Maybe we could do both if we could convince the dum dums over there to help us" the female voice chimed. "Yeah" the male voice responded before turning his atttention to the catboys "Could you uh, take us to your leaders"

[Arktic]

The Parlay

They would be granted access to Docking bay three, one of the 4 large ventral docking bays used to house Smaller CU Frigates and Destroyers were they would be met, upon landing and the bay closing, by not only a Full Company of Colonial Marines in Parade formation, but by a full squad of 6 ONI Head Hunters, the Elite, heavily augmented and modified Super soldiers under the ploy of the Office of Naval Intelligence. The Head Hunters normally didn't participate in meetings such as this due to the infamous reputation of ONI Headhunters being behind Several High profile Assassinations across local space.


With the Diplomat and her(?) Security Bot received, they would be escorted by the Head Hunters to not the meeting room, or his personal Quarters, rather to the officer's Mess hall were the president, flanked by 2 more head hunters, would be sitting at a large table.

He would be hunched over a set of Data pads, a portable Computer, and a myriad of paper documents and books. Next to him, as in near the end of the see of documents, data pads, and empty cups, sat his assistant (and by some rumors, Lover) Happily snoring with her head on the keyboard of her laptop amidst her own sea of documents and data pads.

Seeing his company arriving, he stood sat up and pushed the computer out of his way.

"Please, take a seat, we have much to discuss." The room would be empty besides the President, the Diplomat and her bot, and the Headhunters would take strategic postilions through out the room.

A Tense Discourse

The Envoy nodded and sat down. Her defensive robot, whirring electronically, placed itself near the entrance of the mess hall, laser weapons and small missile launchers still upright but systems calm and dormant. A light-green hand clutched nervously at her toga as her other hands were folded before her in a respectful way.
“Indeed, we do.”
The Envoy sat down. Envoys were a special creature in Unity politics, more hive-mind than individual. Powerful brain editing and scans gave each Envoy unique orders that, since they were essentially stitched onto their souls, they would not and could not disobey. It was still unclear as to what exactly those orders were to this Envoy.
“I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Yerine Mazanix, and I am the official Envoy of Unity and all the Faeson people.”
She waited patiently, bright yellow-green eyes focused intently on the President, waiting on him to respond in the human custom.

[Arktic]

Useful idiots
"They gotten rid of humans, interesting" The female voice said. "Yes very much so, we might be able to use this info, we'd need to gather more and then find a way back" the male voice responded. "Maybe we could do both if we could convince the dum dums over there to help us" the female voice chimed. "Yeah" the male voice responded before turning his atttention to the catboys "Could you uh, take us to your leaders"

A Serendipitous Arrangement

Lucky and Jasper hastily agreed.
“Y-Yeah,” the Tabby said quickly. “We were just gonna do that actually!”
“Say, uh...” stammered Lucky. “Will we be compensated by this, erm, Silence for our trouble?
Jasper kicked Lucky in the shin, but he didn’t care. It was worth an ask. Maybe these people are more powerful than even the Pride...

[Parcia]

The Parlay

They would be granted access to Docking bay three, one of the 4 large ventral docking bays used to house Smaller CU Frigates and Destroyers were they would be met, upon landing and the bay closing, by not only a Full Company of Colonial Marines in Parade formation, but by a full squad of 6 ONI Head Hunters, the Elite, heavily augmented and modified Super soldiers under the ploy of the Office of Naval Intelligence. The Head Hunters normally didn't participate in meetings such as this due to the infamous reputation of ONI Headhunters being behind Several High profile Assassinations across local space.


With the Diplomat and her(?) Security Bot received, they would be escorted by the Head Hunters to not the meeting room, or his personal Quarters, rather to the officer's Mess hall were the president, flanked by 2 more head hunters, would be sitting at a large table.

He would be hunched over a set of Data pads, a portable Computer, and a myriad of paper documents and books. Next to him, as in near the end of the see of documents, data pads, and empty cups, sat his assistant (and by some rumors, Lover) Happily snoring with her head on the keyboard of her laptop amidst her own sea of documents and data pads.

Seeing his company arriving, he stood sat up and pushed the computer out of his way.

"Please, take a seat, we have much to discuss." The room would be empty besides the President, the Diplomat and her bot, and the Headhunters would take strategic postilions through out the room.

A Tense Discourse

The Envoy nodded and sat down. Her defensive robot, whirring electronically, placed itself near the entrance of the mess hall, laser weapons and small missile launchers still upright but systems calm and dormant. A light-green hand clutched nervously at her toga as her other hands were folded before her in a respectful way.
“Indeed, we do.”
The Envoy sat down. Envoys were a special creature in Unity politics, more hive-mind than individual. Powerful brain editing and scans gave each Envoy unique orders that, since they were essentially stitched onto their souls, they would not and could not disobey. It was still unclear as to what exactly those orders were to this Envoy.
“I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Yerine Mazanix, and I am the official Envoy of Unity and all the Faeson people.”
She waited patiently, bright yellow-green eyes focused intently on the President, waiting on him to respond in the human custom.

He nodded. "John Achermen, Colonial President. She." He nodded towards is assistant. "Is Petra Adelina, don't mind her she is going on 43 hours with out a break, finally conked out about 2 hours back." He took a sip of his coffee while activating the projection mode of each Data pads. Images and videos of riots, Protests, mobs of people clashing with Colonial Law enforcement Riot teams in the streets. The images would shift to pictures of Mourners, shrines covered in pictures and message of remembrance of the lost.

Lastly, all the feeds would shift to a video feed of Colonial Congress. "That...is the emergency Congregational meeting in regards to the proposal of a formal declaration of War. The process goes one part, either Congress or the office of the President, proposes the bill, and both sides come to an agreement. If one sides Veto, then the decision goes in to a special court hearing were a committee will make a decision and either reject or approve the veto."

"The thing that is stopping Congress from declaring war, is the open possibility of reparations from the Faeson Government in return for the terracide of 32,845,039 Humans, excluding the further 28,000 Colonial Militia troops and sailors. That number also excludes Human children under the age of 18, and undocumented migrants, so add a few more million or so to it."

He took another sip. "So, the purpose of meeting here is to discuss what the Faeson are willing to do to avoid what will likely be the largest War in 200 years, a war that going off of the Intelligence my dear friends at the Office of Naval intelligence have given me, is not one the Faeson will win in any easy form."

He leaned back, taking a Moment to stretch his arms out. "I have said my piece, Ms. Mazanix, now it is your turn."

[Camaalbakrius]

Hakutan Explorer Ship Gali 5

Captain Takoa spun impatiently in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest. Behind him, much smaller Hakutans were scrambling around the ship's bridge, moving to their appropriate stations with all due haste.

"Tell me why you woke me up during my designated sleeping time again Toko." He spun around in his chair to face a small creature wearing the distinct white uniform of a Hakutan Science officer.

"We seem to have picked up something on our long range scanners, sir" Toko said hesitantly to the Captain.

"What kind of 'something?'" Takoa responded, leaning in towards Toko. Takoa towered over Toko due to his being a Torgan, the genetically engineered warrior Hakutans designed to protect their much smaller brethren.

"We're not entirely sure" Toko continued, "But we believe it might be a planetary body."

"What?! Helmsman, redirect course immediately so we can get closer for a better scan. If this is a planet, then our time here will not have been in vain."

"Aye, aye, Captain."

Immediately the ship shifted course and began steadily moving towards the source of the scanner signal. After a few minutes of moving, Takoa turned once more to his Science officer:

"What do those scanners tell you, Toko?"

"It seems" he responded "to be just as I initially thought. We have confirmation on a planetary body. It should be coming into view shortly, Captain."

Takoa spun swiftly in his chair towards the bridge's main window to gaze upon the vastness of space that lay before him. Then, like an oasis in an eternal desert, the planet came into view at last, and all of the Hakutans on the bridge stared in awe at this newly found planet.

The bridge was silent for a good few moments as the crew marveled at the planet.

"Are there any lifeforms on the planet?" Takoa asked, breaking the silence at last.

"Heavy signs of industrialization indicate a 95% probability that the planet is currently inhabited by an intelligent species, Captain."

"Perfect!" Takoa exclaimed. "Awaken the diplomat and the chronicler" He beckoned to another crew member who quickly obeyed.

"Toko, send out a message and see if we get a response."

"Sending message now, sir."

Takoa sat down in his chair, his eyes fixated on the planet in front of him.

[Arktic]

He nodded. "John Achermen, Colonial President. She." He nodded towards is assistant. "Is Petra Adelina, don't mind her she is going on 43 hours with out a break, finally conked out about 2 hours back." He took a sip of his coffee while activating the projection mode of each Data pads. Images and videos of riots, Protests, mobs of people clashing with Colonial Law enforcement Riot teams in the streets. The images would shift to pictures of Mourners, shrines covered in pictures and message of remembrance of the lost.

Lastly, all the feeds would shift to a video feed of Colonial Congress. "That...is the emergency Congregational meeting in regards to the proposal of a formal declaration of War. The process goes one part, either Congress or the office of the President, proposes the bill, and both sides come to an agreement. If one sides Veto, then the decision goes in to a special court hearing were a committee will make a decision and either reject or approve the veto."

"The thing that is stopping Congress from declaring war, is the open possibility of reparations from the Faeson Government in return for the terracide of 32,845,039 Humans, excluding the further 28,000 Colonial Militia troops and sailors. That number also excludes Human children under the age of 18, and undocumented migrants, so add a few more million or so to it."

He took another sip. "So, the purpose of meeting here is to discuss what the Faeson are willing to do to avoid what will likely be the largest War in 200 years, a war that going off of the Intelligence my dear friends at the Office of Naval intelligence have given me, is not one the Faeson will win in any easy form."

He leaned back, taking a Moment to stretch his arms out. "I have said my piece, Ms. Mazanix, now it is your turn."

Envoy Mazanix closed her eyes for a moment. Not only did she have to choose her next words carefully, as would any sentient diplomat, she was obligated by duty and by training to consult her thoughtlink. The soft blue light of the “tiara” that connected her mind to millions and billions of others shone as she sought to draw from that great electronic river of thought.
“I should begin,” she said after a moment, calmly and evenly. “By pointing out to you, Mr. President, that human victory in a potential war is not a guarantee, and I think you will find it much more... challenging, then your ‘dear friends’ would want you to believe for the sake of their careers.”
She cleared her throat. The glowing on her thoughtlink connection faded. “Fortunately, the Faeson do not desire a war. The terracide was an accident, an act of what you would call ‘treason’ for which the key perpetrator payed with his life. The annihilation of a habitable world is a loss to us as well, I’m sure you understand that. Now, the Exostellar Unity Council has made clear to me that they as well are open to the prospect of paying reparations for this incident. What are your requests?”

[Arktic]

Hakutan Explorer Ship Gali 5

Captain Takoa spun impatiently in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest. Behind him, much smaller Hakutans were scrambling around the ship's bridge, moving to their appropriate stations with all due haste.

"Tell me why you woke me up during my designated sleeping time again Toko." He spun around in his chair to face a small creature wearing the distinct white uniform of a Hakutan Science officer.

"We seem to have picked up something on our long range scanners, sir" Toko said hesitantly to the Captain.

"What kind of 'something?'" Takoa responded, leaning in towards Toko. Takoa towered over Toko due to his being a Torgan, the genetically engineered warrior Hakutans designed to protect their much smaller brethren.

"We're not entirely sure" Toko continued, "But we believe it might be a planetary body."

"What?! Helmsman, redirect course immediately so we can get closer for a better scan. If this is a planet, then our time here will not have been in vain."

"Aye, aye, Captain."

Immediately the ship shifted course and began steadily moving towards the source of the scanner signal. After a few minutes of moving, Takoa turned once more to his Science officer:

"What do those scanners tell you, Toko?"

"It seems" he responded "to be just as I initially thought. We have confirmation on a planetary body. It should be coming into view shortly, Captain."

Takoa spun swiftly in his chair towards the bridge's main window to gaze upon the vastness of space that lay before him. Then, like an oasis in an eternal desert, the planet came into view at last, and all of the Hakutans on the bridge stared in awe at this newly found planet.

The bridge was silent for a good few moments as the crew marveled at the planet.

"Are there any lifeforms on the planet?" Takoa asked, breaking the silence at last.

"Heavy signs of industrialization indicate a 95% probability that the planet is currently inhabited by an intelligent species, Captain."

"Perfect!" Takoa exclaimed. "Awaken the diplomat and the chronicler" He beckoned to another crew member who quickly obeyed.

"Toko, send out a message and see if we get a response."

"Sending message now, sir."

Takoa sat down in his chair, his eyes fixated on the planet in front of him.

Scramble!

As the message beamed down to the planet, something beamed back. A low-powered laser shot, fired directly into the Hakutan ship’s windows and censors as a warning. Suddenly, five small human-built gunships jumped into view, presumably from a hiding spot on the other side of the planet or from behind a moon. On the surface of the planet, a number of contrails could be seen from high-altitude fighters taking to the skies.

After a few tense, quiet moments, the Hakutans received a message. It was a video call on standard human radio channels, and what they saw surprised them. It was a human girl, with feline ears and jet black hair, wearing a casual military uniform. She stared into the camera angrily, a snarl on her face.
“This is Admiral Zoey Claws, of the Gatoxite Pride Revolutionary Navy. Northrea is our planet, and you have entered our territory without permission! Identify yourself immediately, or you will be destroyed!”

[Parcia]

-intergalactic Shade-

He Nodded, taking the time to take a sip and let his eyes settle on his assistant. "What I know, Ms. Mazanix, is that your a drone. And no, I will not be polite and I believe the lives of 32 million gives me the fucking right not to be. I know that I am speaking to the Faeson Unity more then I am just to you, I know its entirely likely you have no other thought process beyond your own fight or flight senses and what your Masters have burned in to both your subconscious self and your waking self. What happened, would be, in any other sense of the word, A Warcrime, something that none, and I do mean none of the most xenophobic, demented fuckers I have working in ONI would wish to impart upon another race."


This stern tone of voice, combined with a steady upward inflection of his voice, would rouse his young assistant. "You say it was an accident, I'm partial to the idea that your Admiral disliked us Popping his Support flotilla as we left, a rather...mundane tactic the Colonial Navy has been practicing since the days the Crescent Starts Rebelled." He paused, looking over to his Assistant. "Petra, dear can you get me another cup of Coffee?" She nodded sleepily and got up and walked off to find a cup of coffee. "The Reason she's here is because, well, 1: shes the best fucking assistant I have ever had." Pause, sip. "And 2: Her brother is a sailor assigned to the Destroyer group based in that sector of space, and are part of the patchwork Task group keeping your fleet boxed in. She's...understandably worried about a break out in hostilities."

He paused, took another sip, and went on. "So, reparations, what in Gods Infinite wisdom can you offer in exchange for 32 plus million lives."

[Camaalbakrius]

Hakutan Explorer Ship Gali 5

Captain Takoa spun impatiently in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest. Behind him, much smaller Hakutans were scrambling around the ship's bridge, moving to their appropriate stations with all due haste.

"Tell me why you woke me up during my designated sleeping time again Toko." He spun around in his chair to face a small creature wearing the distinct white uniform of a Hakutan Science officer.

"We seem to have picked up something on our long range scanners, sir" Toko said hesitantly to the Captain.

"What kind of 'something?'" Takoa responded, leaning in towards Toko. Takoa towered over Toko due to his being a Torgan, the genetically engineered warrior Hakutans designed to protect their much smaller brethren.

"We're not entirely sure" Toko continued, "But we believe it might be a planetary body."

"What?! Helmsman, redirect course immediately so we can get closer for a better scan. If this is a planet, then our time here will not have been in vain."

"Aye, aye, Captain."

Immediately the ship shifted course and began steadily moving towards the source of the scanner signal. After a few minutes of moving, Takoa turned once more to his Science officer:

"What do those scanners tell you, Toko?"

"It seems" he responded "to be just as I initially thought. We have confirmation on a planetary body. It should be coming into view shortly, Captain."

Takoa spun swiftly in his chair towards the bridge's main window to gaze upon the vastness of space that lay before him. Then, like an oasis in an eternal desert, the planet came into view at last, and all of the Hakutans on the bridge stared in awe at this newly found planet.

The bridge was silent for a good few moments as the crew marveled at the planet.

"Are there any lifeforms on the planet?" Takoa asked, breaking the silence at last.

"Heavy signs of industrialization indicate a 95% probability that the planet is currently inhabited by an intelligent species, Captain."

"Perfect!" Takoa exclaimed. "Awaken the diplomat and the chronicler" He beckoned to another crew member who quickly obeyed.

"Toko, send out a message and see if we get a response."

"Sending message now, sir."

Takoa sat down in his chair, his eyes fixated on the planet in front of him.

Scramble!

As the message beamed down to the planet, something beamed back. A low-powered laser shot, fired directly into the Hakutan ship’s windows and censors as a warning. Suddenly, five small human-built gunships jumped into view, presumably from a hiding spot on the other side of the planet or from behind a moon. On the surface of the planet, a number of contrails could be seen from high-altitude fighters taking to the skies.

After a few tense, quiet moments, the Hakutans received a message. It was a video call on standard human radio channels, and what they saw surprised them. It was a human girl, with feline ears and jet black hair, wearing a casual military uniform. She stared into the camera angrily, a snarl on her face.
“This is Admiral Zoey Claws, of the Gatoxite Pride Revolutionary Navy. Northrea is our planet, and you have entered our territory without permission! Identify yourself immediately, or you will be destroyed!”

Brace!

"Captain! Incoming fire!"

"Power up sh-"

As the laser fire from the planet scraped the ship's hull, red lights blared inside the bridge.

"Status report!" Takoa screamed to his officers.

"Shields absorbed most of the damage, it seems to have been more of a warning shot than anything else" Toko responded.

"Raise the shields to maximum, Toko." Takoa pressed a key on his Captain's chair, saying "All units, report to battle stations."

"You're not going to fight them, are you?" Toko quickly interjected.

"Only if I have to, Toko."

Suddenly a video call appeared on the bridge screen from the planet's inhabitants:

“This is Admiral Zoey Claws, of the Gatoxite Pride Revolutionary Navy. Northrea is our planet, and you have entered our territory without permission! Identify yourself immediately, or you will be destroyed!”

For a brief moment, the bridge stared in awe at the creature on their screen. They had never seen anything like this. They had seen humans before, but these people seemed strangely different. What are these creatures?

Takoa kept his cool and sat down in his captain's seat.

He responded to the Admiral on his screen: "I am Captain Takoa of the Hakutan Explorer vessel Gali 5, we are peaceful explorers from the planet Hakutar and mean you no harm. We have been seeking out other planets to establish diplomatic relations and further increase our knowledge of this vast galaxy. We humbly ask that you call back your fighters to dissuade any further violence. We mean you and your people no harm."

[Arktic]

-intergalactic Shade-

He Nodded, taking the time to take a sip and let his eyes settle on his assistant. "What I know, Ms. Mazanix, is that your a drone. And no, I will not be polite and I believe the lives of 32 million gives me the fucking right not to be. I know that I am speaking to the Faeson Unity more then I am just to you, I know its entirely likely you have no other thought process beyond your own fight or flight senses and what your Masters have burned in to both your subconscious self and your waking self. What happened, would be, in any other sense of the word, A Warcrime, something that none, and I do mean none of the most xenophobic, demented fuckers I have working in ONI would wish to impart upon another race."


This stern tone of voice, combined with a steady upward inflection of his voice, would rouse his young assistant. "You say it was an accident, I'm partial to the idea that your Admiral disliked us Popping his Support flotilla as we left, a rather...mundane tactic the Colonial Navy has been practicing since the days the Crescent Starts Rebelled." He paused, looking over to his Assistant. "Petra, dear can you get me another cup of Coffee?" She nodded sleepily and got up and walked off to find a cup of coffee. "The Reason she's here is because, well, 1: shes the best fucking assistant I have ever had." Pause, sip. "And 2: Her brother is a sailor assigned to the Destroyer group based in that sector of space, and are part of the patchwork Task group keeping your fleet boxed in. She's...understandably worried about a break out in hostilities."

He paused, took another sip, and went on. "So, reparations, what in Gods Infinite wisdom can you offer in exchange for 32 plus million lives."

Envoy Mazanix elected to ignore the human leader’s verbal thrashing against her mind. The thoughtlinks, Unity, those were things that alien species simply could not understand. Whether it was fear, or anger, or disgust, it was hardly consequential, but Mazanix had a feeling that President Acherman would feel the same way she did of a version of thoughtlinks existed for human minds.
“We are aware of the consequences,” she began, unwaveringly calm despite the thoughtlink becoming more shrill. “Once again, we killed the offending Admiral for this incident. If we did not understand, we would not be meeting with you. Now please, let’s not put your assistant’s brother in danger and continue our deliberations.”

The Envoy closed her eyes again, drawing from the thoughtlink. “We are willing to cede claims on three habitable worlds as compensation to the Colonial Union for this incident. None of them were quite as lush and fertile as Redohan, but they should suffice as reparations.”

[Tariga]

Useful idiots
"They gotten rid of humans, interesting" The female voice said. "Yes very much so, we might be able to use this info, we'd need to gather more and then find a way back" the male voice responded. "Maybe we could do both if we could convince the dum dums over there to help us" the female voice chimed. "Yeah" the male voice responded before turning his atttention to the catboys "Could you uh, take us to your leaders"

A Serendipitous Arrangement

Lucky and Jasper hastily agreed.
“Y-Yeah,” the Tabby said quickly. “We were just gonna do that actually!”
“Say, uh...” stammered Lucky. “Will we be compensated by this, erm, Silence for our trouble?
Jasper kicked Lucky in the shin, but he didn’t care. It was worth an ask. Maybe these people are more powerful than even the Pride...

Compensation
The AIs remained silent for a good minute, occasionally a electronic noise coming off the box. "Yeah you'll get..." The brother said. "A Free Cruise?" The sister said. They we're utterly at a lost on how to compensate them. "Uh, what would you two want? We could probably arrange it"

[Free Asian Ports]

Business as Usual

Vessa System
Station 90b
45.1 AU

Light glinted from a brilliant field of asteroids, distant and weak starlight bouncing from their bleached surfaces and permeating the blackness of space with their presence. It was not a large field, certainly not visibly large as more famous asteroid belts. Vessa was not a large system itself, barely one rocky planet and an airless rock at that. The gas giant represented the only notable resource in the system and it was uninhabited but for autonomous mining robots collecting hard to come by gasses. These were distant from the asteroid belt of the system, the remains of several failed attempts at planet forming over billions of years. On account of the total desolation and lack of inhabitants it would be an ideal place for a criminal enterprise to take refuge were it not for the system's owners.

The Vexians were a studious folk. They preferred to keep to themselves, tinkering with expanding the limits of human civilization. Crime was quite unknown in a land of plenty, as is personality according to the handful of permitted visitors who can claim to have visited the Vexian homeland. The Vexian Confederacy is a compact political entity, laying claim to just 7 systems of which only 2 were actually inhabited. Vessa is one of these systems, though quite why is beyond external observers. Regardless, the Vexians took border control seriously.

Very seriously.

Otto was quite motionless as she observed the target through her helmet's magnified visor. A large-ish rock about 300 meters across seemed about as normal as any other in the subjective vastness of the asteroid field. It would've been very convincing. Diagnostic information spent the last hour appearing on the HUD inside Otto's suit, quietly informing her of minute abnormalities that indicated the possibility that the asteroid some distance away from her was not what it appeared to be. This was information being collated by her fireteam, placed in various positions about the target rock for observation and the upcoming observation. Little details gave away the ruse the space pirates tried desperately to maintain. A radiator somewhere on the surface was faintly giving off heat, no matter how low it was set or camouflaged the radiator must function to discharge waste heat being created by the systems onboard the converted outpost station. Camouflage for the door differed in color from the rest of the asteroid by a significant enough degree to be flagged as an anomaly, though just barely. The cavity being used to hide the pirate's main craft was covered in more camouflage, which altered the shape of the asteroid from its depiction in the latest survey catalogue of this sector. Dumb AI was working tirelessly to collate the data to determine, with 98% certainty, that this was an illegally occupied outpost.

"Delta Actual, Delta 4, we confirmed the identity of the target an hour ago, advise we proceed with the operation" clicked the intercom. It had been preceded by notes informing Otto that the message was encrypted and secure and would not likely be picked up by nearby ECM equipment. Otto sighed a little inside, again lamenting Ignis' overeager attitude for this sort of combat. She blinked for the intercom to send an encrypted message to send on all her available channel. "Delta 4, reminder that we're trying for the element of surprise. We're waiting for a change in the pirate's behavior to change after they believe our sudden patrol passed. They're being cautious" she warned her subordinate. She took the ensuing silence to mean the message was clear. Atlas and Susanoo evidently understood from the beginning or saw reason enough not to question Otto's orders. Regardless, the time they had been waiting for came at last.

An object detached itself from the disguised outpost. It was carefully made to resemble a smaller chunk of debris, but the manner in which it had been detached suggested ejection. If Otto were to hazard a guess, it was trash. The pirate crew of the outpost was confident enough that there were no Vexians nearby to witness the everyday activities that the outpost performed. Their ruse was good, almost believable enough to fool even the Vexians once the facility was on high alert and did all it could to keep to the deception. However, the mask had to slip at some point. "Fireteam, fall in on my waypoint" mic'd Otto, pushing herself from her perch on an asteroid some distance away from the outpost. In void, power armor could be very responsive. A small system of reaction control impellers gave just enough control over a moving body in microgravity to make navigation in low gee possible. Otto and the rest of her fireteam used this to make haste to the camouflaged hatch, stopping just short of making contact with the asteroid. They had to be careful of any contact sensors that might trip an alarm, even if someone wasn't monitoring the secondary access hatch during an all-clear.

At this point, the fireteam had seconds to act. As soon as they had assembled and stacked up at the hatch, Atlas tossed her breaching device onto the surface of the disguised hatch. At this moment, two things happened. Otto's HUD displayed a text notification that the suit's ECM system detected a tripped contact alarm and Atlas squeezed the detonator trigger. A spear of light and molten metal fixated the suddenly exposed hatch, punching the outer airlock door out of its frame and through the inner airlock door. An entire room of air exploded out of the hole along with loose items, including several crates, office supplies, and a hot meal. No sooner had the evacuation of the room's air begun, four power-armored Vexian Marines blitzed through the open hole assisted by the RCS impellers, magnetic boot soles, and the onset of the artificial gravity. It was just in time, too. No sooner had Atlas followed the rest of her team into the breach an emergency hatch slammed shut inside the compromised airlock.

With no air, there was no medium to carry the shrieking of klaxons warning the crew of the explosive decompression and imminent recompression. This was too late for at least one of the fugitives, whose lungs had exploded out of his rib cage from the over-pressure. His hands had been grasping for a gun but had only managed to wrap around the sling before he was thrown across the room by evacuating air. He was evidently not a spacer and had failed to follow the procedure for decompressions. His comrades did, however, and they flailed and milled from the chaos desperately trying to cling to life in vacuum. They seemed to notice the Vexians just as air began to return to the room. There were two, one obviously older and probably the one in charge. He seemed ready to raise a weapon before Ignis and Otto made it clear with their assault rifles and battle armor that it would be a one-sided fight. He wisely held up his hands in surrender. Several feet away, Atlas and Susanoo similarly intimidated the other pirate with their heavier weapons.

"Room clear, two hostiles in custody, one hostile neutralized"

After a few minutes, the two surviving pirates were restrained. Near as they could tell, Otto's fireteam determined there were only three inhabitants. The nook that would have held the pirate raider was empty, its crew obviously out on some errand. Atlas was rifling through what information was readily available and passing on notables to her fireteam leader. The problem now came to detaining. "I see three men but twelve passports, the same faces but new names. Care to tell me why you're passing yourself off as a Colonial Union citizen?" she was asking the older fugitive. "Cos I am, ya test tube!" he angrily retorted. Otto shrugged and tossed the obviously forged papers to Susanoo, who was collecting more evidence. "Then you won't mind if we pass you off to them after you're processed" threatened Otto, moving on to the rest of the evidence of the pirate activity being planned here. It didn't phase the older man, but his younger subordinate appeared to be rattled. "Oi'm not with 'em, ya know. I'm just a janitor, honest!" he tried to reason. Otto wasn't buying it, nodding and replying "Sure, buddy". She gestured to them and turned to Ignis. "Bag 'em, we'll mark the site and wrap this up with our evac".

Just Desserts
Risa System
Hayes Civil Defense Regional Division Command
Office 403

"I can't imagine the Colonials will be happy we're tossing the pirates at them but with so many forged documents it's hard to go off of more than their testimony. I understand it was a lot of work for you and your team so I have nothing but praise for your performance. You'll be commended for your effort, even though Law Enforcement is not one of your team's specialties" remarked the company commander, her eyes darting over the report Otto had submitted. Otto was standing at attention in a fairly professional duty uniform, a far cry from the skintight combat undergarments and fiber-muscle-bound power armor she normally wore as part of her job. "Thank you sir, I was just doing my duty" she responded. Though all Vexians appear identical, Otto could tell her company commander was significantly older and wiser than she was. Despite being the one sitting, the commander appeared to be the one exuding control in this situation. The commander nodded and set down the report. "The least you could do is be proud of your win" she smiled, in jest "I look forward to making use of you in the future then, dismissed". Though she had been dismissed, the closing remark reminded Otto of why she wanted to meet personally. "Sir, if you'd be so kind as to address my request..." she said, carefully. The company commander chuckled. "Of course, yes. Your request for your fireteam to join a Free Company. Not surprising, given your talents..."

Over the past week Otto had been preparing an application to have her fireteam create or join a Free Company, Vexia's mercenary corps which it exports to foreign powers to fight wars in neutral Vexia's stead. She had been hoping this latest operation would prove her unit was combat-ready. The commander rested her elbows on her stained wooden desk and folded her hands. "How is Ignis, is she still overzealous?" she asked, clearly testing Otto's unit. "I like to think of her as my leading edge but don't worry about her excesses, I keep her on a tight leash" Otto reassured the commander. "Is Atlas showing improvement in her creativity?" tested the commander again. Otto thought this over and nodded "she has been making improvements but remains dedicated to perfecting her method". The commander nodded too. "And Susanoo is sharp as a tack, as always" observed the commander, clearly needing no reassurance of the quality of the fireteam's designated sniper. "Now there's one concern I have with your proposal I don't think you've addressed..." began the commander. Otto remained disciplined, though inside she was wincing in anticipation of the hardest question: the one she could not predict.

"Sergeant, if your team is so effective, why should I be willing to let such a valuable asset go to a Free Company? I have need of such soldiers here" the commander inquired. It was a question Otto didn't immediately have an answer for. "I want to make the most of my team, sir" answered Otto after some hesitation "I believe my team can do something, even if it's out there in deep space". The commander nodded solemnly. "A fair answer I suppose. I've already sent my recommendation to the committee. You may go now" she said, dismissing Otto at last. Otto saluted smartly with a "Yes, sir!" and promptly left the office.

Outside, the rest of her fireteam was waiting for her and the news, talking about their off-duty pastimes. "By the light, Ignis, could you be any more degenerate?" exclaimed Atlas, apparently in awe at whatever it is Ignis did on her leave time. "Hey, I have fun, she has fun, and in the end I get fed. Isn't that what matters?" was her witty reply. Otto was in no hurry to hear the details, and her appearance grabbed everybody's attention. "Well, did we do it?" asked Ignis, clearly anticipating a victory. "Yeah, you have our rapt attention" noted Susanoo, sarcastically. Otto nodded. "We got our recommendation, this time next week we'll know if we're guns for hire" she said to some celebration by the rest of the fireteam. They were certainly young to branch off so quickly but it's become vogue in their generation to start climbing the ranks early. Otto did her best to maintain a cool and collected air about her, however. She was, after all, representing the fireteam to the wider world. It would be even more important now that she planned to be a mercenary for non-Vexians. There was a reputation to uphold. She wasn't lying to her commander about why she wanted to join a Free Company. And she knew exactly how she was going to get there.

[Camaalbakrius]

Hakutar
Hakutan Home Planet

"As Head Prefect of the Hakutan High Council, I hereby call this meeting into order!"

The room was large, dark, and hollow. A conical beam of light coming from the ceiling enveloped the enormous room's most important feature: the large circular table at which 13 distinct Hakutan elders and chieftains sat according to their tribe. 10 of these 13 consisted of 2 elders from each of the 5 tribes of Hakutans. These all made up most of the table's circumference, each of them equal in power and authority to the others. At the remaining part of the table's perimeter sat 3 distinct chairs. The middle chair sat the highest among all others, while the two at its side rose up to a height both greater than the 10 and smaller than the high chair.

In the highest chair sat a small and ancient Hakutan carrying a glowing scepter. Sitting to his right was a blue Hakutan of similar age, while to his left sat a much taller Torgan Hakutan who was noticeably less on in years than the others.

"We have been gathered into this conference to address the issue the of foreign relations. It has been proposed by High Commander Kotaro of the Hakutan Armed Forces that we increase the genetic output of Torgan in order to bulk our overall forces."

There was immediate murmuring among the chieftains, but the Head Prefect silenced them with a quick wave of his scepter.

"The High Commander is here to present his case to the council in person." he pointed to his left, where the Torgan was sitting.

Kotaro stood up, saying "Honorable councillors, as our knowledge of the vast universe continues to grow, we have encountered and will continue to encounter a great variety of races and peoples, granting us the chance to increase our abilities and prove ourselves as a people. However, knowledge comes at a great cost, as does interplanetary relations."

The quiet murmuring continued among the chieftains, but Kotaro ignored them and continued. "As we grow in power and influence, our potential enemies will become far more numerous. As it stands, we do not have enough manpower to protect our planet from any invaders, let alone win any sort of prolonged war against another planet. With greater tensions growing among the many peoples of our galaxy, it will not be long before war reaches our doorstep, and we must be prepared for it. Therefore I request the council to allow 50% of our controlled spawning bays to produce Torgan Hakutans for the safety of our people."

The murmuring quickly became an uproar among the chieftains. "Fifty percent?" They cried, "Unthinkable! Impossible!" On the other hand, many of the chieftains supported Kotaro, saying "It is for the safety of our people! We must increase the Torgan population!" Soon many of the chieftains were standing up from their chairs and slamming their fists on the table, yelling and screaming that the other councillors.

As the bickering reached a mighty crescendo, the voice of the Head Prefect echoed like a storm in the room:

"SILENCE!"

Immediately the chieftains took their seats and sat in feared silence.

"We are a council of elders, not squabbling birds. We shall vote on this resolution, as is the purpose of this council. All in favor of the proposition by High Commander Kotaro?"

A number of the chieftains raised their staves to signify their vote. 6 votes were cast in Kotaro's favor.

"All opposed?"

6 votes were cast against the proposition: It was a tie.

"It seems the council is divided" the Head Prefect stated to the assembly. "Therefore the deciding vote falls to me, as is law and tradition."

The Head Prefect held his scepter to his left and said "I, as Head Prefect, reject the proposal of High Commander Kotaro. The motion thus fails, and this meeting is concluded."

He tapped his scepter on the ground and the chieftains all simultaneously stood from their seats and left the courtroom.

Kotaro kept a calm demeanor, but was furious inside. A rage began to build in his heart, and once he had left the room, he immediately moved towards his headquarters.

When he arrived, he was greeted by his Second in Command, Geruto, who said to him "Good to see you, sir. How was the meeting with the council?"

Kotaro stared at him with cold, dark eyes: "They said no. It seems we have to go with plan B."

[Arktic]

Brace!

"Captain! Incoming fire!"

"Power up sh-"

As the laser fire from the planet scraped the ship's hull, red lights blared inside the bridge.

"Status report!" Takoa screamed to his officers.

"Shields absorbed most of the damage, it seems to have been more of a warning shot than anything else" Toko responded.

"Raise the shields to maximum, Toko." Takoa pressed a key on his Captain's chair, saying "All units, report to battle stations."

"You're not going to fight them, are you?" Toko quickly interjected.

"Only if I have to, Toko."

Suddenly a video call appeared on the bridge screen from the planet's inhabitants:

“This is Admiral Zoey Claws, of the Gatoxite Pride Revolutionary Navy. Northrea is our planet, and you have entered our territory without permission! Identify yourself immediately, or you will be destroyed!”

For a brief moment, the bridge stared in awe at the creature on their screen. They had never seen anything like this. They had seen humans before, but these people seemed strangely different. What are these creatures?

Takoa kept his cool and sat down in his captain's seat.

He responded to the Admiral on his screen: "I am Captain Takoa of the Hakutan Explorer vessel Gali 5, we are peaceful explorers from the planet Hakutar and mean you no harm. We have been seeking out other planets to establish diplomatic relations and further increase our knowledge of this vast galaxy. We humbly ask that you call back your fighters to dissuade any further violence. We mean you and your people no harm."

Landing

The screen went blank, but murmuring in human languages could be heard. The connection was live, and it was clear that Admiral Claws was deliberating with her crew. Suddenly, a number of radar blips too small to be warships but too large to be fighters appeared: a small squadron of gunships or landers were approaching Gali 5.
The screen lit up again. Admiral Zoey still seemed angry and fierce, but her hostile appearance and tone had diminished. "You are not humans, so I suppose we could humor you. You will accept this boarding party so we can be assured of your identity and intentions."

[Arktic]

Compensation
The AIs remained silent for a good minute, occasionally a electronic noise coming off the box. "Yeah you'll get..." The brother said. "A Free Cruise?" The sister said. They we're utterly at a lost on how to compensate them. "Uh, what would you two want? We could probably arrange it"

Needs and Wants

"I want my own starship!" shouted Jasper excitedly, his eyes wide with hope and greed. "I wanna see the universe, go adventuring, and collect a loyal entourage of cool toms and hot queens! Oh, and money! Lots of money! Honestly lots of money would be fine on its own, ill let you figure it out."
Lucky, on the other hand, seemed subdued. "I dunno... I know my expiration date is coming up. I just want enough to be able to live out my last year or two in comfort, and have enough to be put down gently while lying in a warm, dry bed when it's time for me to go. I don't wanna die alone and cold on the street, like I'm gonna at this rate..."

[Camaalbakrius]

Brace!

"Captain! Incoming fire!"

"Power up sh-"

As the laser fire from the planet scraped the ship's hull, red lights blared inside the bridge.

"Status report!" Takoa screamed to his officers.

"Shields absorbed most of the damage, it seems to have been more of a warning shot than anything else" Toko responded.

"Raise the shields to maximum, Toko." Takoa pressed a key on his Captain's chair, saying "All units, report to battle stations."

"You're not going to fight them, are you?" Toko quickly interjected.

"Only if I have to, Toko."

Suddenly a video call appeared on the bridge screen from the planet's inhabitants:

“This is Admiral Zoey Claws, of the Gatoxite Pride Revolutionary Navy. Northrea is our planet, and you have entered our territory without permission! Identify yourself immediately, or you will be destroyed!”

For a brief moment, the bridge stared in awe at the creature on their screen. They had never seen anything like this. They had seen humans before, but these people seemed strangely different. What are these creatures?

Takoa kept his cool and sat down in his captain's seat.

He responded to the Admiral on his screen: "I am Captain Takoa of the Hakutan Explorer vessel Gali 5, we are peaceful explorers from the planet Hakutar and mean you no harm. We have been seeking out other planets to establish diplomatic relations and further increase our knowledge of this vast galaxy. We humbly ask that you call back your fighters to dissuade any further violence. We mean you and your people no harm."

Landing

The screen went blank, but murmuring in human languages could be heard. The connection was live, and it was clear that Admiral Claws was deliberating with her crew. Suddenly, a number of radar blips too small to be warships but too large to be fighters appeared: a small squadron of gunships or landers were approaching Gali 5.
The screen lit up again. Admiral Zoey still seemed angry and fierce, but her hostile appearance and tone had diminished. "You are not humans, so I suppose we could humor you. You will accept this boarding party so we can be assured of your identity and intentions."

Visitors

"So be it" Takoa responded, turning off the screen and moving out of the bridge.

Toko followed closely behind Takoa, holding his notebook and audio recorder in his hands.

"This species seems to be fascinating, Captain" he said with great excitement. "They are nearly identical to the human species that we know, but have profoundly different physical features! What exactly are they? What relation do they have to humans? This is absolutely astonishing!"

"I respectfully ask that you allow Diplomat and I to talk to these people. I'm sure they have just as many questions about us as we do about them."

"Of course, Captain, whatever you wish."

"Good. They'll be landing in the ship bay, so have extra security report to all the entrances and exits in that area. We can't entirely trust that these people won't outright attack us when they get on the ship, so be prepared in case anything goes south."

"Right away, Captain!" Toko immediately left Takoa's side and moved towards the ship's security room.

As Takoa was walking down the hallway, he saw two Torgan standing at attention, guarding the door to the Diplomat's quarters.

"Is he ready?" Takoa asked the guards.

Before the guards could answer, the door slid open and the Diplomat exited his room. He was the size of a normal Hakutan, but held himself as if he were 12 feet tall. He had a purely professional demeanor about him and looked at Takoa with calculating eyes.

"I am ready, Captain Takoa. Let us be off."

Takoa turned to the guards: "You two, come with us."

"Yes sir!" they said in unison, following behind Takoa and the diplomat towards the ship bay where the landing party was going to enter.

As Takoa, the diplomat, and his guards entered the ship bay, they stood waiting for their imminent guests to arrive. Takoa looked around the room, seeing security posted at the doors, as well as viewing area that overlooked the entire ship bay. There he saw Toko, along with the other security officers, ready to respond if anything went catastrophically wrong.

"Time to meet our guests."

[Arktic]

Visitors

"So be it" Takoa responded, turning off the screen and moving out of the bridge.

Toko followed closely behind Takoa, holding his notebook and audio recorder in his hands.

"This species seems to be fascinating, Captain" he said with great excitement. "They are nearly identical to the human species that we know, but have profoundly different physical features! What exactly are they? What relation do they have to humans? This is absolutely astonishing!"

"I respectfully ask that you allow Diplomat and I to talk to these people. I'm sure they have just as many questions about us as we do about them."

"Of course, Captain, whatever you wish."

"Good. They'll be landing in the ship bay, so have extra security report to all the entrances and exits in that area. We can't entirely trust that these people won't outright attack us when they get on the ship, so be prepared in case anything goes south."

"Right away, Captain!" Toko immediately left Takoa's side and moved towards the ship's security room.

As Takoa was walking down the hallway, he saw two Torgan standing at attention, guarding the door to the Diplomat's quarters.

"Is he ready?" Takoa asked the guards.

Before the guards could answer, the door slid open and the Diplomat exited his room. He was the size of a normal Hakutan, but held himself as if he were 12 feet tall. He had a purely professional demeanor about him and looked at Takoa with calculating eyes.

"I am ready, Captain Takoa. Let us be off."

Takoa turned to the guards: "You two, come with us."

"Yes sir!" they said in unison, following behind Takoa and the diplomat towards the ship bay where the landing party was going to enter.

As Takoa, the diplomat, and his guards entered the ship bay, they stood waiting for their imminent guests to arrive. Takoa looked around the room, seeing security posted at the doors, as well as viewing area that overlooked the entire ship bay. There he saw Toko, along with the other security officers, ready to respond if anything went catastrophically wrong.

"Time to meet our guests."

Marines, Ho!

Calmly and quickly, the gunships glided into the starship’s hangar. They were of recognizable, common human build, but they had clearly been captured and refurbished. Their grey-silver hulls and crisp white numerals and had been defaced with spray paint and decals: whiskers and moe toothed grins were drawn in white under the gunships’ cockpits to match with their guns, “GPRN”, “PRIDE NAVY”, “LEO’S PUMAS/TIGERS” and “FOR THE REVOLUTION” were scrawled in red often over the human-made markings, and they were peppered with various propagandistic “artwork” and stickers that they liked. However, despite this appearance, the pilots flew them in well and professionally.

When the red-hot engines cooled down, air flooded the hangars, and it became safe to exit. The doors opened, and a pile of Gatoxite Marines came stumbling out. They were all armed to the teeth with (often ill-fitting and questionably built) body armor and an assortment of infantry and anti-tank weapons, each as customized and painted as the gunships had been. They lined up in a loose but recognizable formation and leveled these weapons at the Hatukans, and the whir of charging quanta guns and their clamoring shouts echoed through the hangar. With their ears shot back and their tails sticking straight up and out, they were clearly extremely agitated and ready to blast this area to subatomic smithereens.
“What are they doing!?”
“Should we shoot?!”
“HOLD YOUR FIRE! I SAID HOLD YOUR FIRE!!!”
A cadre of what appeared to be uniformed Gatoxite officers fell out of the center gunship after the Marines, and quickly set about calming them down and reminding them that the Hatukans were probably not humans. After a moment they had calmed down, and although they were still on edge they were no longer moments away from blowing themselves and the Hatukans up in an ill-advised firefight.

After a moment, one of the Gatoxite officers stepped forward. He was a tabby-haired one, young-looking and clearly an amputee. The fingers of a small artificial hand was visible under the right-side white sleeve collar of his uniform, and from the way he walked it was clear at least one of his legs had been amputated. And yet he strode forward with a strange confidence, even as his downcast eyes, lowered ears, and low waving tail openly betrayed a deep fear.
“I-I am Captain Rico Stubbs,” he stammered to the Hatukan leadership loudly. “I am serving a-as the representative of Admiral Zoey Claws, who s-serves to protect the s-stars for the Gatoxite people, by the grace of Pride Male E-Emperor Leo! P-Please present your credentials!”
It was clear from Stubbs’ uncertain stance once he was finished that he wasn’t exactly sure what he was asking for, but he waited expectantly anyways.

[Camaalbakrius]

Visitors

"So be it" Takoa responded, turning off the screen and moving out of the bridge.

Toko followed closely behind Takoa, holding his notebook and audio recorder in his hands.

"This species seems to be fascinating, Captain" he said with great excitement. "They are nearly identical to the human species that we know, but have profoundly different physical features! What exactly are they? What relation do they have to humans? This is absolutely astonishing!"

"I respectfully ask that you allow Diplomat and I to talk to these people. I'm sure they have just as many questions about us as we do about them."

"Of course, Captain, whatever you wish."

"Good. They'll be landing in the ship bay, so have extra security report to all the entrances and exits in that area. We can't entirely trust that these people won't outright attack us when they get on the ship, so be prepared in case anything goes south."

"Right away, Captain!" Toko immediately left Takoa's side and moved towards the ship's security room.

As Takoa was walking down the hallway, he saw two Torgan standing at attention, guarding the door to the Diplomat's quarters.

"Is he ready?" Takoa asked the guards.

Before the guards could answer, the door slid open and the Diplomat exited his room. He was the size of a normal Hakutan, but held himself as if he were 12 feet tall. He had a purely professional demeanor about him and looked at Takoa with calculating eyes.

"I am ready, Captain Takoa. Let us be off."

Takoa turned to the guards: "You two, come with us."

"Yes sir!" they said in unison, following behind Takoa and the diplomat towards the ship bay where the landing party was going to enter.

As Takoa, the diplomat, and his guards entered the ship bay, they stood waiting for their imminent guests to arrive. Takoa looked around the room, seeing security posted at the doors, as well as viewing area that overlooked the entire ship bay. There he saw Toko, along with the other security officers, ready to respond if anything went catastrophically wrong.

"Time to meet our guests."

Marines, Ho!

Calmly and quickly, the gunships glided into the starship’s hangar. They were of recognizable, common human build, but they had clearly been captured and refurbished. Their grey-silver hulls and crisp white numerals and had been defaced with spray paint and decals: whiskers and moe toothed grins were drawn in white under the gunships’ cockpits to match with their guns, “GPRN”, “PRIDE NAVY”, “LEO’S PUMAS/TIGERS” and “FOR THE REVOLUTION” were scrawled in red often over the human-made markings, and they were peppered with various propagandistic “artwork” and stickers that they liked. However, despite this appearance, the pilots flew them in well and professionally.

When the red-hot engines cooled down, air flooded the hangars, and it became safe to exit. The doors opened, and a pile of Gatoxite Marines came stumbling out. They were all armed to the teeth with (often ill-fitting and questionably built) body armor and an assortment of infantry and anti-tank weapons, each as customized and painted as the gunships had been. They lined up in a loose but recognizable formation and leveled these weapons at the Hatukans, and the whir of charging quanta guns and their clamoring shouts echoed through the hangar. With their ears shot back and their tails sticking straight up and out, they were clearly extremely agitated and ready to blast this area to subatomic smithereens.
“What are they doing!?”
“Should we shoot?!”
“HOLD YOUR FIRE! I SAID HOLD YOUR FIRE!!!”
A cadre of what appeared to be uniformed Gatoxite officers fell out of the center gunship after the Marines, and quickly set about calming them down and reminding them that the Hatukans were probably not humans. After a moment they had calmed down, and although they were still on edge they were no longer moments away from blowing themselves and the Hatukans up in an ill-advised firefight.

After a moment, one of the Gatoxite officers stepped forward. He was a tabby-haired one, young-looking and clearly an amputee. The fingers of a small artificial hand was visible under the right-side white sleeve collar of his uniform, and from the way he walked it was clear at least one of his legs had been amputated. And yet he strode forward with a strange confidence, even as his downcast eyes, lowered ears, and low waving tail openly betrayed a deep fear.
“I-I am Captain Rico Stubbs,” he stammered to the Hatukan leadership loudly. “I am serving a-as the representative of Admiral Zoey Claws, who s-serves to protect the s-stars for the Gatoxite people, by the grace of Pride Male E-Emperor Leo! P-Please present your credentials!”
It was clear from Stubbs’ uncertain stance once he was finished that he wasn’t exactly sure what he was asking for, but he waited expectantly anyways.

First Contact

As the Gatoxites stormed out of their spacecraft fully armed and on the brink of attacking, the Hakutan security officers immediately readied their firearms and pointed them back at their possible assailants. The two guards next to Takoa immediately stepped in front of the Captain and the Diplomat to protect them from any imminent harm.

Takoa also had drawn his blaster at this point, but the tension was released by the sound of the Gatoxite officer defusing the standoff. As the Gatoxites lowered their weapons, so too did Takoa order his men to stand down for the moment.

As the representative for the Gatoxites stuttered orders to the Hakutans, Takoa turned to the Diplomat, saying "Allow me to handle this."

The diplomat nodded and stepped back, allowing Takoa to step forward and meet his guest.

"I am Captain Takoa of the Gali 5 Hakutan exploratory vessel. We have come to these regions of space as wanderers and cartographers. We know not your people or your customs, and we mean you no harm."

Takoa stood like a statue and kept a confident tone of voice, mostly bolstered by the obvious fear in the demeanor of Captain Stubbs.

"If I may make a request, I would like to conduct any actual diplomatic negotiations in a more formal environment and with a less... hostile... party. Perhaps our civilizations can enter into a mutually beneficial agreement. I do ask, however, that the remainder of our interactions be conducted without the presence of imminent hostility, Captain Stubbs. I sincerely doubt that we want to make this situation any more difficult than it has to be."

He stared directly into Stubbs' eyes with a cold gaze, his own eyes being purely pitch-black, as were those of all Hakutans. His almost skeletal-like metallic body stood motionless, waiting for a response from the Gatoxites. "Do we have a deal?" Takoa said, impatiently.

[Arktic]

First Contact

As the Gatoxites stormed out of their spacecraft fully armed and on the brink of attacking, the Hakutan security officers immediately readied their firearms and pointed them back at their possible assailants. The two guards next to Takoa immediately stepped in front of the Captain and the Diplomat to protect them from any imminent harm.

Takoa also had drawn his blaster at this point, but the tension was released by the sound of the Gatoxite officer defusing the standoff. As the Gatoxites lowered their weapons, so too did Takoa order his men to stand down for the moment.

As the representative for the Gatoxites stuttered orders to the Hakutans, Takoa turned to the Diplomat, saying "Allow me to handle this."

The diplomat nodded and stepped back, allowing Takoa to step forward and meet his guest.

"I am Captain Takoa of the Gali 5 Hakutan exploratory vessel. We have come to these regions of space as wanderers and cartographers. We know not your people or your customs, and we mean you no harm."

Takoa stood like a statue and kept a confident tone of voice, mostly bolstered by the obvious fear in the demeanor of Captain Stubbs.

"If I may make a request, I would like to conduct any actual diplomatic negotiations in a more formal environment and with a less... hostile... party. Perhaps our civilizations can enter into a mutually beneficial agreement. I do ask, however, that the remainder of our interactions be conducted without the presence of imminent hostility, Captain Stubbs. I sincerely doubt that we want to make this situation any more difficult than it has to be."

He stared directly into Stubbs' eyes with a cold gaze, his own eyes being purely pitch-black, as were those of all Hakutans. His almost skeletal-like metallic body stood motionless, waiting for a response from the Gatoxites. "Do we have a deal?" Takoa said, impatiently.

Standoff-ish

Captain Stubbs’ fearful body language didn’t change, but his eyes narrowed into a determined glare. Colorful (heterochromatic gold and blue) and lively, the exact opposite of the eyes of the Hatukans, they stared into the abyss that was staring back, giving an unmistakable message.
“No,” said one of the officers bluntly, stepping forward before Stubbs could say anything. “Absolutely not. We will not abandon our Captain to-“
“Leave,” muttered Captain Stubbs, fumbling with something at his waist as he still locked eyes with Takoa.
The officers and Marines were shocked and murmured in scandalized confusion amongst themselves.
“Sir,” one officer said, “Admiral Claws specifically said we were to be armed and ready to fight!”
“If the Admiral has a problem with my decision,” Stubbs said as he handed his sidearm to another officer, “she can take it up with me and me alone. But I’m the leader here, and you have to obey me and my orders. So, leave.”
“But-“
Something in Stubbs snapped and he turned around. His pupils narrowed to slits and his ears and tail shot up as he screamed at the top of his lungs. “LEAVE!!!”

Cowed by the wrath of their leader, the soldiers and officers fell silent and shuffled back towards their gunships. After a few moments, Rico was alone with the Hatukans. He folded his arms, carbon-fiber knuckles glinting in the light.
“There. The diplomatic mission, which is now just me, is disarmed. Happy?”

[Parcia]

He Nodded, taking the time to take a sip and let his eyes settle on his assistant. "What I know, Ms. Mazanix, is that your a drone. And no, I will not be polite and I believe the lives of 32 million gives me the fucking right not to be. I know that I am speaking to the Faeson Unity more then I am just to you, I know its entirely likely you have no other thought process beyond your own fight or flight senses and what your Masters have burned in to both your subconscious self and your waking self. What happened, would be, in any other sense of the word, A Warcrime, something that none, and I do mean none of the most xenophobic, demented fuckers I have working in ONI would wish to impart upon another race."


This stern tone of voice, combined with a steady upward inflection of his voice, would rouse his young assistant. "You say it was an accident, I'm partial to the idea that your Admiral disliked us Popping his Support flotilla as we left, a rather...mundane tactic the Colonial Navy has been practicing since the days the Crescent Starts Rebelled." He paused, looking over to his Assistant. "Petra, dear can you get me another cup of Coffee?" She nodded sleepily and got up and walked off to find a cup of coffee. "The Reason she's here is because, well, 1: shes the best fucking assistant I have ever had." Pause, sip. "And 2: Her brother is a sailor assigned to the Destroyer group based in that sector of space, and are part of the patchwork Task group keeping your fleet boxed in. She's...understandably worried about a break out in hostilities."

He paused, took another sip, and went on. "So, reparations, what in Gods Infinite wisdom can you offer in exchange for 32 plus million lives."

Envoy Mazanix elected to ignore the human leader’s verbal thrashing against her mind. The thoughtlinks, Unity, those were things that alien species simply could not understand. Whether it was fear, or anger, or disgust, it was hardly consequential, but Mazanix had a feeling that President Acherman would feel the same way she did of a version of thoughtlinks existed for human minds.
“We are aware of the consequences,” she began, unwaveringly calm despite the thoughtlink becoming more shrill. “Once again, we killed the offending Admiral for this incident. If we did not understand, we would not be meeting with you. Now please, let’s not put your assistant’s brother in danger and continue our deliberations.”

The Envoy closed her eyes again, drawing from the thoughtlink. “We are willing to cede claims on three habitable worlds as compensation to the Colonial Union for this incident. None of them were quite as lush and fertile as Redohan, but they should suffice as reparations.”

He Held his Gaze on her for an extended period of time. John was not normally a spiteful man, nor a man to draw such things out, but he held little respect for the...drone that sat before him and he wished to see her squirm a little. The offer was good, three planets for the price of 1 and its people, and those three planets could likely more then make up for the recourse shortages the local sector was experiencing as a result.


Narrowing his eyes, he spoke. "The Three planets...and the Fleet. My Intelligence tells me You have roughly 40 or so ships trapped behind a Quick reaction force of nearly 140, the crews, officers and all will have safe passage back to Faeson space, But I...We want the vessels they crew, cruisers, frigates, Destroyers, Capital ships, fighters...All of them in working order, no Scuttling charges, no sabotage, all of them."


Petra returned with the coffee, and he made no attempts to offer the drone a cup.

"That is my one added condition, and it is non negotiable."

[Camaalbakrius]

First Contact

As the Gatoxites stormed out of their spacecraft fully armed and on the brink of attacking, the Hakutan security officers immediately readied their firearms and pointed them back at their possible assailants. The two guards next to Takoa immediately stepped in front of the Captain and the Diplomat to protect them from any imminent harm.

Takoa also had drawn his blaster at this point, but the tension was released by the sound of the Gatoxite officer defusing the standoff. As the Gatoxites lowered their weapons, so too did Takoa order his men to stand down for the moment.

As the representative for the Gatoxites stuttered orders to the Hakutans, Takoa turned to the Diplomat, saying "Allow me to handle this."

The diplomat nodded and stepped back, allowing Takoa to step forward and meet his guest.

"I am Captain Takoa of the Gali 5 Hakutan exploratory vessel. We have come to these regions of space as wanderers and cartographers. We know not your people or your customs, and we mean you no harm."

Takoa stood like a statue and kept a confident tone of voice, mostly bolstered by the obvious fear in the demeanor of Captain Stubbs.

"If I may make a request, I would like to conduct any actual diplomatic negotiations in a more formal environment and with a less... hostile... party. Perhaps our civilizations can enter into a mutually beneficial agreement. I do ask, however, that the remainder of our interactions be conducted without the presence of imminent hostility, Captain Stubbs. I sincerely doubt that we want to make this situation any more difficult than it has to be."

He stared directly into Stubbs' eyes with a cold gaze, his own eyes being purely pitch-black, as were those of all Hakutans. His almost skeletal-like metallic body stood motionless, waiting for a response from the Gatoxites. "Do we have a deal?" Takoa said, impatiently.

Standoff-ish

Captain Stubbs’ fearful body language didn’t change, but his eyes narrowed into a determined glare. Colorful (heterochromatic gold and blue) and lively, the exact opposite of the eyes of the Hatukans, they stared into the abyss that was staring back, giving an unmistakable message.
“No,” said one of the officers bluntly, stepping forward before Stubbs could say anything. “Absolutely not. We will not abandon our Captain to-“
“Leave,” muttered Captain Stubbs, fumbling with something at his waist as he still locked eyes with Takoa.
The officers and Marines were shocked and murmured in scandalized confusion amongst themselves.
“Sir,” one officer said, “Admiral Claws specifically said we were to be armed and ready to fight!”
“If the Admiral has a problem with my decision,” Stubbs said as he handed his sidearm to another officer, “she can take it up with me and me alone. But I’m the leader here, and you have to obey me and my orders. So, leave.”
“But-“
Something in Stubbs snapped and he turned around. His pupils narrowed to slits and his ears and tail shot up as he screamed at the top of his lungs. “LEAVE!!!”

Cowed by the wrath of their leader, the soldiers and officers fell silent and shuffled back towards their gunships. After a few moments, Rico was alone with the Hatukans. He folded his arms, carbon-fiber knuckles glinting in the light.
“There. The diplomatic mission, which is now just me, is disarmed. Happy?”

Easing Tensions

"Thank you, Captain." Takoa immediately motioned to his security officers, who all holstered their weapons and stood at attention.

Takoa then turned to the diplomat behind him, saying "I believe this is your area of expertise."

"Indeed it is" he responded, stepping forward and switching places with Takoa.

"Allow me to introduce myself" the small diplomat addressed Stubbs directly. "I am Godoro, Head Diplomat of the Gali 5 and representative for the Hakutan High Council."

He cleared his throat and continued. "We desire nothing more than the chance to increase our knowledge of this vast galaxy and learn about its numerous inhabitants. Our intentions in this region are purely peaceful, and we seek not any war with your people."

Godoro looked at the Gatoxite gunships, briefly noting their patriotic artwork. "It seems your people already have your hands full in some sort of war. Perhaps a trading of resources would be mutually beneficial for our peoples. We Hakutans are remarkable shipwrights, and our metals are hardy and strong. We would be willing to trade our skills and materials should you have resources you would be willing to exchange for them."

Immediately a smaller Hakutan came waddling through the doors of the hangar towards the diplomatic duo. It was Toko, holding his clipboard and pen as he ran.
"Excuse me!" he exclaimed as he dashed beside Godoro. "Official Research business, if you don't mind."

Godoro was taken aback by this sudden interjection, and while he was quite annoyed by it, he conceded to Toko and allowed him to continue.

Toko turned to Stubbs with his clipboard and pen, ready to write down his findings. "I apologize for this intrusion, but as you are a species we have admittedly not encountered before, protocol dictates that I, as the Chief Science Officer, must be present for this meeting."

Immediately Toko began closely observing Stubbs' physical appearance, noting especially any abnormal differences from the Human species they had encountered many times before.

"If you don't mind me asking" Toko interjected, "I have noticed that you share a striking resemblance to the Human species. Do you perhaps have any sort of genetic linkage to Humans?"

Takoa interjected as well at this point: "You also seemed to make mention of humans when you entered our ship. What is your relation to them?"

[Arktic]

"Thank you, Captain." Takoa immediately motioned to his security officers, who all holstered their weapons and stood at attention.

Takoa then turned to the diplomat behind him, saying "I believe this is your area of expertise."

"Indeed it is" he responded, stepping forward and switching places with Takoa.

"Allow me to introduce myself" the small diplomat addressed Stubbs directly. "I am Godoro, Head Diplomat of the Gali 5 and representative for the Hakutan High Council."

He cleared his throat and continued. "We desire nothing more than the chance to increase our knowledge of this vast galaxy and learn about its numerous inhabitants. Our intentions in this region are purely peaceful, and we seek not any war with your people."

Godoro looked at the Gatoxite gunships, briefly noting their patriotic artwork. "It seems your people already have your hands full in some sort of war. Perhaps a trading of resources would be mutually beneficial for our peoples. We Hakutans are remarkable shipwrights, and our metals are hardy and strong. We would be willing to trade our skills and materials should you have resources you would be willing to exchange for them."

Immediately a smaller Hakutan came waddling through the doors of the hangar towards the diplomatic duo. It was Toko, holding his clipboard and pen as he ran.
"Excuse me!" he exclaimed as he dashed beside Godoro. "Official Research business, if you don't mind."

Godoro was taken aback by this sudden interjection, and while he was quite annoyed by it, he conceded to Toko and allowed him to continue.

Toko turned to Stubbs with his clipboard and pen, ready to write down his findings. "I apologize for this intrusion, but as you are a species we have admittedly not encountered before, protocol dictates that I, as the Chief Science Officer, must be present for this meeting."

Immediately Toko began closely observing Stubbs' physical appearance, noting especially any abnormal differences from the Human species they had encountered many times before.

"If you don't mind me asking" Toko interjected, "I have noticed that you share a striking resemblance to the Human species. Do you perhaps have any sort of genetic linkage to Humans?"

Takoa interjected as well at this point: "You also seemed to make mention of humans when you entered our ship. What is your relation to them?"

Humanity

Captain Stubbs listened to the diplomats intently and seemed amused as he watched Toko waddle into the proceedings, even allowing himself a slight wry smile at the scientist who seemed to be the only Hatukan around that was as short as your average Gatoxite. However, that smile disappeared instantly as soon as the Hatukans began to ask questions about the humans. His eyes widened and his ears went back as though he was in pain as his memories of the war came back to him.

---

”GO GO GO!”
“Check your fire, we have friendlies in front of us!”
“INCOMING!”

The staccato of gunfire roared through the streets, punctuated by ear-shattering explosions. A two way hailstorm of tracers and laser fire, ripping and burning holes into anything in its path. It was in the thick of the revolution, in what Rico figured must have been some of the most intense fighting on the planet. In the face of a caravan of unarmed human civilians, the decision had been made to withdraw and allow them to escape to the nearby spaceport. But the human security forces nearby must have mistaken this withdrawal for a retreat, because moments later an armored column appeared, forcing the surprised Revolutionary line back and blasting everything in its path.

The situation was getting increasingly desperate. Rico had seen how the Gatoxite forces operated and what the lines looked like. In battle the Revolution relied on momentum and ferocity: there was no defense of depth, and any major defeat would be taken badly by the mostly untrained Gatoxite forces that were just as scared of the humans as they were enraged at them. If this line of human tanks was able to break through this line, they could do untold damage to the Revolutionary forces, possibly even costing them the battle for total control of the spaceport. In the midst of this storm of gunfire, Rico was doing some improvised reconnaissance to make sure this didn’t happen. Above him he saw an opportunity: the forward part of the armored column was parked right between two large, empty skyscrapers with shot out and weakened base columns. Rico realized if he could find a way to bring even one of those buildings down, it would provide a strong barricade for the exposed Gatoxite forces and even possibly bury some of the humans with their vehicles in the process.

Rico ran across the street to rejoin his team that was taking cover in a concrete shelter and tell them about his idea. Bullets slammed into the pavement behind him and around his feet with an impossibly loud cracking, kicking up clouds of concrete and asphalt as the human gunners tried to take him out, but fortunately none of the bullets connected and he was able to find cover with his teammates. They were in bad shape.
“Oh god, oh god,” sobbed an older tomcat, covering his ears with his hands in the fetal position. “W-We’re gonna die, we’re all gonna die...!”
The rest of the team was about as deep in despair, even if they hadn’t broken down yet like he did. But Rico was undeterred. Upon being greeted, he explained his plan. He was met with skepticism, but nobody else had a better idea.
“Now,” said Rico once he had finished. “We need some satchel charges. Does anyone have any?”
His teammates variously looked at each other and shook their heads.
“We barely have any bullets left,” one of them lamented, “let alone explosives!”
It had been a hard day of fighting with little in the way of resupply, except what could be pulled off of the dead.

An explosion shook the building. The tanks were going to blast away at them until the roof came down. They needed a solution, and fast. Suddenly, Rico remembered watching a gunship land not too far from here and seeing its human occupants make a run for it. It must have run out of ammo or be low on fuel, but if it had enough power to slam into the buildings above the humans...

Without explaining what he was doing, Rico made another run for it, this time towards the landing site. This time a railcannon blast nearly ripped him apart, but the deafening shockwave threw him down forward into cover from the machine gun fire even if it knocked the wind out of him. After a moment on the ground, covering his ears and crying as he tried to catch his breath, he got to his feet and started running again. This time no gunfire followed him, as the humans thought he had been killed and were now focused back on pummeling the other Gatoxites in the area. A lone human guard was standing around the gunship and saw Rico, raising his rifle to blast him, but Rico already had his autopistol out and shot the guard dead before he could aim and fire. As splattered human blood ran down its hull, Rico jumped into the empty pilot’s seat.

Rico “knew” how to fly from one of the simulators he had access to in a Revolution secret base, but that didn’t stop the lurching feeling in his stomach as he drew on the controls and began to lift the gunship into the air. Still, with a careful and surprisingly steady hand, he managed to float the aircraft over the Gatoxite line and aim it forward towards the human forces. He pulled on the trigger of the joystick and-
“AMMUNITION ZERO,” came the staticky robotic alert from the flight console. “AMMUNITION ZERO.”
Rico swore bitterly. So this is why the humans had the gunship out of commission.

One of the humans on the ground must have realized what was happening, because the gun on one of the tanks lifted up into the air and, before Rico could turn away, sent a shell right into the belly of the gunship. The explosion shattered the gunship’s fragile controls and knocked Rico’s head forward, and as the gunship went down he steered it in the only direction he could: right down into the damaged support columns of the skyscrapers he had been targeting. When the gunship crashed into the ground, Rico’s vision went from white to red then to black as the sound of a steel and glass avalanche roared above him...

---

Rico’s prosthetic hands shook in their sleeves and his lower lip quivered, even as his eyes exited their thousand-yard stare. Suddenly, he could feel pain in his arms and legs that he wasn’t supposed to, and his head started to spin. He closed his eyes and shook his head, taking deep breaths and counting by threes in his mind as his therapist told him to until he calmed down enough. After a long, uncomfortable silence, Rico then attempted to respond to the Hatukans, embarrassment mixing with his disturbed expression.
“I... I-I-I m-mean... th-the humans. R-Right...” he swallowed, and his ears came back up as he started to calm down. “The h-humans... created us. Using advanced c-cloning and genetic engineering technology, they grafted features and t-traits from one of their favorite pets—d-domestic cats—and began to p-produce human-cat hybrids, known as the Gatoxites, w-which is what we are.” He nodded to Toko. “W-We look like humans because, genetically, w-we practically are. I-In addition to these catlike features, th-they gave us genes that would allow us to r-remain youthful but limited our lifespan t-to around fifteen Earth-Solar years from fully-grown emergence to d-death, so we would be appealing to them b-but not have enough time to consider freedom or-or our own fate, of s-so they thought, anyways.”
His fists clenched. “W-We were made to be their s-slaves and their pets, to be sold and b-bought and treated and k-killed however our owners wanted. Th-They treated us like cattle, like s-stupid animals, like disposable toys...”
Stubbs’ eyes twitched in rage, but a lip twisted upwards in an angry approximation of a smile. “S-So you know what we did? Led by our leader, Leo, w-we rose up against them, k-killed as many as we could and s-sent the rest packing away from our star systems, b-back to where humans were more powerful. WE WON.”

Deep breaths again, as Rico cursed under his breath. He really wished Admiral Claws had sent someone else.
“S-Sorry...” he muttered apologetically, tail literally between his legs. “The Revolution w-wasn’t that long ago, y-you understand. I-It’s still fresh in everyone’s minds. F-Fires started during th-the war are still burning in some p-places.” He lifted up his sleeve, to show them where the primitive prosthetic met the purple-grey scars of his sheared off arm. “This... This happened to me, b-because of them. It goes without saying that w-we’re still in a state of w-war with all mankind, b-but given the distance between the st-star systems we rightfully took and the rest of the human worlds, w-well, the p-point is rather moot at this time, and a-a de-facto peace has set in.” Cpt. Stubbs grimaced. “Th-This has broader p-political ramifications that I am unable and uh- unwilling to discuss properly, b-but I think you should be aware of our situation...”

Stubbs cleared his throat. “A-As for your trade offer, I’m sure P-Pride Male Emperor Leo and the R-Revolutionary Senate would be happy to discuss such a thing. B-Being a military commander, I am uh- unqualified to make a-any promises or deals, however.”
He closed his eyes and shook his head again. Then, shockingly, he smiled warmly at the Hatukans, and his tail and ears rose happily. “I-In any case, I’m happy to be meeting you i-in peace a-and with the blessing of your High Council. O-On behalf of Pride Male Emperor Leo and the Revolutionary government, I-I offer my hopes that th-this meeting will blossom into a w-wonderful friendship between our two peoples.”