Old Friends (FT Closed ATTN: United Dominion)

[Neornith]

Consortium Council Chambers Siranora, Avlana Prime

Dethgar of House Leucocephal’s eyes scanned the huge Council Chambers of the Consortium, representatives from every House in the Consortium. Multiple sizes and colors of the multitude of Avan species could be seen in the well light Chambers. The representative of House Leucocephal was always apprehensive about speaking in front of such large crowds, an unusual fear considering he was one of the most prominent figures of any of the Warrior Houses, a warrior that had fought in several campaigns, endured countless horrors on the battlefield. Through it all he remained a stalwart warrior, never cowering from any trial of combat. So it was ironic for the seasoned combatant to now be afraid of of standing in front of a large crowd and have fear seize his throat and prevent him from speaking. Many of the room’s occupants shifted around as they waited for Dethgar too speak. Hundreds of pairs of eyes staring at him and waiting. If the Avan could sweat he would have been profusely. Clearing his throat Dethgar looked down at his notes and tried to muster together his fleeting courage.


“As I’m certain others within this Chamber have heard, our former allies from the Galactic Economic and Security Organization, the United Dominion have saw fit to terminate their membership with the organization as well. As I’m certain you all know there dark and ominous clouds are beginning to form over the Galaxy, recent events in Liu Xiu only seem to confirm these fears. I put forward to the Council that the Consortium attempt to reopen relations with the ixee so that we can help each other against those that have hostile intentions in their hearts against us.” Dethgar said as his eyes once again gazed across the Chambers.

“What makes you think reopening relations with the ixee would be beneficial to the Consortium, surely after the failed endeavor of the League we should all by now know that the only thing the Consortium can rely on is the Consortium.” came a voice from where the Merchant Houses were perched.

Dethgar’s feathers ruffled a little at the question, he had always detested dealing with the Merchant Houses, he found them honorless and deceitful.

“I don’t feel that Consortium can stand alone any longer, events are unfolding in Gamma far faster than I feel we can anticipate or predict especially with the Consortium attempting to expand its influence into the quadrant. If we were aligned with an existing Gamma quadrant state it would help us out considerably in becoming more influential as well as opening even more trade relations for us.” explained Dethgar to the Chambers.

Murmurs spread across the Chamber as individuals that were near each other debated amongst themselves, the pros and cons of trying to stir up relations with a former ally were quietly considered by the representatives.

“I put forth that Council vote on the matter.”

“I second.” came two voices suddenly as the murmurs came to a slow halt.



Azmparaujanixwa-haratizama, Ixee settlement

A flash of light was all that heralded the appearance of the Red Wing a multi-purpose destroyer that was decommissioned from military service and repurposed into a ship designed for diplomatic relations. Its long sleek form belying its former deadly nature.

“Sir we have arrived.” reported navigation officer to Captain Feritho of House Smithsun, as the Red Wing slowed to a halt. Crewmembers began to unstrap and move into the tasks as the ship came out of hyperspace.

“Excellent Tearion, alright broadcast across every channel available and lets let the ixee know we’re here, we don’t want them to get the wrong impression right off the bat.” the Captain too no one in particular.

“Aye that would be most unfortunate.” said the soft musical voice of Yernora of House Migratorus as she walked into the Command Center of the ship. “I shall record the message and you can send it.”

Greetings, my name is Yenora of House Migratorus, I am the official representative from the Interstellar Consortium of Avlana and I have been instructed to make contact in order for our two nations to once again open relations with one another, I patiently await your response.

[The United Dominion]

Talos Station
Several Weeks Ago

The broadcast had been flagged as the highest priority when it was sent out to the constituent communities of the United Dominion. Almost every community within its purview would interrupt their regularly scheduled broadcasts to show it just because of that, even if they didn’t know the content. If they verified that first, then there was no doubt that it would be shown to every ixee who could see it.

It was strangest for O^wfox and her colony. She watched in the grand common hall of the state’s embassy on Talos Station, standing on all-five and pressed up against the male that she had come to Talos with to find a full quad.

Aw_ssaos was beside her just the same way, his eyes turned toward the two-dimensional screen they had brought with them. It was fixed in place above the main entrance, giving visitors all a good view, especially those who walked in the taller bipedal fashion. Other ixee were nearby, and shuffled closer with a mix of curiosity and concern.

The communal government of the United Dominion has announced its resignation from the Galactic Economic Security Organization.

O^wfox expelled a quick blast of air from her mouth tentacles in surprise, and looked back toward the guard unit against the wall behind them. Her muscles tensed, unsure of what was coming next but feeling like something would need to be done immediately.

This was followed with the cessation of relations with former-ally the Alesian Empire, further declaring it a terrorist state under the protection of the Galactic Economic Security Organization.

She sprang back, using Aw_ssaos for leverage and twisting in the air. Landing heavily, she charged toward the control console and pushed off her tail to leap over the desk. A quick swipe of her fingers, and the main doors of the common hall leading out into the rest of the station started to close.

Others knew what it meant, and the security team was already moving to contain all those present, namely the aliens - first and foremost ape-descended bipedals, and humans in particular. Elsewhere, she knew, ixee and hroa’agh guards were tracking down every visitor in preparation for whatever was necessary next. At the very least, they knew that Alesians were to be removed from the site and barred from ever returning.

This is what the United Dominion leadership has issued as statement.

It couldn’t possibly be good. O^wfox and her colleagues had reported multiple issues back to the government on several occasions, but each had been dismissed as minor. She couldn’t imagine what would have finally prompted the unhappy split.

The massive doors of the hall ground shut, heavy and secure.

She half-expected a GESO security team to try blasting through it.

Officials of GESO had continually called for ignorance regarding United Dominion and ixee concerns. We have been continually used for ends that benefit no ixee, and have not been allowed a true voice in return.

The application of states into the alliance is a farce, wherein states are forced to ally themselves against their own wills. State representatives are but puppets of the founding nations of the alliance barring the United Dominion itself, and vote for acceptance in all cases. We have been asked to take on support for refugees as equals, though they have nothing to offer and can only take and do harm as parasitical members of the alliance.

We are expected to obey instructions to allow morally deficient actions in the name of “civilization” because of the perceived fear of the galaxy being unpleasant. These are not the actions of maturation, civilization, or psychological stability. They are actions of fear mongering for the creation of a regime that operates in the shadows to destroy infrastructure and assassinate individuals of import as they see fit. We are to accept that this would be tempered by an overseeing committee which does not make allowances for ixee society and will therefore be headed solely by those fear mongerers who insist on these necessities.

This regime is to be limited by rules about not operating within member states; but they are then to be given technology from across the galaxy with the sole purpose of making them undetectable, so they may operate with impunity.

It is for this reason that as a part of the Organization or not, the United Dominion has issued warrants for the arrest and execution of all agents working for this Strategic Espionage Unit.

During the course of deliberations, discussions were suddenly and deliberately ended by those who had no right to do so, and forced into voting before the United Dominion representatives were given the chance to fully make their argument. This was an insult to both our representatives and to our society as a whole, for the lack of appropriately necessary time given for responses. It was also the culmination of calls to ignore us, and the willful misunderstanding of the arguments we were making in order to misrepresent our concerns to the wider public.

Many of the ixee present hissed, she could hear. She did it herself. There was a slow, roiling anger building within her. It was known that humans behaved like this, but it was always so easy to think that this time would be different. These humans would be different.

She could smell the fear in some of the aliens present; their cold sweat stank.

Deeper down in her head, she spat vitriol in the form of the word “mammals.” She backed off from it, though. No, that was what they did. They attributed evil to vast swathes of species. She could be better than that.

Those thoughts didn’t change the rising bile in her stomach.

It is due to this that the United Dominion began serious discussions regarding its future with the organization. The first time we discussed this, many will recall, was when we were expected to treat a nation of homeless vagrants with no resources or usable skills as equals. They were not a people with a home fleet; they were a people with no home because they had destroyed the old one. And we were to be expected to give them a chance to repeat their mistakes with our own worlds and resources. We ultimately decided that this was not enough to end the perceived benefits of the Organization.

As time has passed, we have noted that there is no benefit. The Organization takes resources, and it delivers little. Our economy has not improved, and our defense has if anything been compromised by the requirement that we protect people who would claim friendship but act as their own interest defying the needs of the members of their community.

More hissing, so very loud.

Not for the first time did O^wfox wish she was from somewhere else. If she wasn’t Lio^tandi_xwaz, things could have been different. The other ixee present except for Aw_ssaos didn’t feel the same kind of anger. She could feel it in them - they were mad, frustrated, and they felt betrayed by the Organization.

But she and Aw_ssaos felt a blinding, hot rage radiating through their cores and threatening to bore through their eyes. If they hadn’t been born to it, raised on L^wiohi_fad^dhi_xwa in one of its militaristic creche communities, things could have been different. Or perhaps even if they had just not been so specialized to their tasks. Opposite ends of the world, born to the same duty.

They weren’t soldiers like the majority, they were killers. Their jobs hadn’t ever been to die for their community; it had been to remove threats.

No matter how far they got from L^wiohi_fad^dhi_xwa, they felt its pull.

When he looked back at her, she could see that he felt it in her as well. He slowly receded from the group he was in, distancing himself from the aliens present. They could control it, but it was strong.

When he came up to her, he placed two arms around her, and gripped one of her hands with a third. She squeezed, and he squeezed back.

A quick glance and they knew. They couldn’t stay here.

Not surrounded by so much treachery, so much anger, so much dismissal. So much human.

She blew out another hard blast of air from her lungs through her tentacles, and slapped her tail against the ground. The thud made some of the aliens jump. The fear in their eyes and exuding from their reeking pores was turning the air into a soup of pathetic illness. A few more slaps of her tail, the ground shaking slightly beneath her feet with each one, and she shook her head. No, it wasn’t because they were human. That was not the proper way to think. They were mislead by their governments and by the Organization, and even if it was mostly human or humanoid, that didn’t mean it was the human species as a whole at fault.

Not that they would give ixee the same benefit of doubt.

The announcement had been running and she had missed a measure of it, likely for the better. She had never wanted to kill again.

When she and he had made that promise to themselves and each other… well, it felt so long ago. Years that stretched out like the most pleasant decades and centuries that they could possibly have lived, so far from their Frozen-Worlder duty. They had taken their exile from their communities as a positive thing.

It was starting to feel irrelevant right now.

The Galactic Economic Security Organization has in its decisions to “secure” the galaxy and enforce peace and safety, become a threat to what it claims to foster and protect.

She watched as hroa’agh guards cleared some of the aliens and allowed them to start lining up near the armored door. A few more swipes on the screen in front of her, and the door cracked open just enough to allow them through. The sudden motion made the hroa’agh raise their weapons and prepare for an assault. When none came, they simply pushed the cleared aliens out into the promenade beyond.

It wasn’t protocol. She shouldn’t have opened the door. She just wanted them out so badly.

Looking wistfully up at the suspended globes of water, efts swimming around aimlessly within, she knew.

It was time to leave. Even if the community stayed, she could not. She gripped her colleague’s hand tightly, and listened to his measured breathing. With a short, quiet whistle, he acknowledged her.

They couldn’t stay.

...

A^zm^parau_jani_xwa -hara^ti_zama
Now

The blip had been on long-range sensors for some time, but it had been irrelevant. The settlement wasn’t well known, and it was likely only allies would come. They didn’t have much of any ability to defend themselves if need by anyway.

A community of scientists, they were without creche father and militia, and were barely even connected to the United Dominion. All they had were two newly-arrived Frozen-Worlders who they knew reported back.

O^wfox had her communications gear, and sent out a ping to the approaching blip when it got close enough that their vector really couldn’t have been anything but an approach to the settlement.

A message came through before the ping could possibly have bounced back.

Greetings, my name is Yenora of House Migratorus, I am the official representative from the Interstellar Consortium of Avlana and I have been instructed to make contact in order for our two nations to once again open relations with one another, I patiently await your response.

That was new, though perhaps expected. With the cutting off of relations with much of GESO via every means except Talos Station itself, it wasn’t surprising that former allies, themselves chased away from the Organization because of its vile practices, would look to reconnect.

It was a relief, as well, given recent reports. The Organization was planning war games - a threat that the humans likely thought was subtle, perhaps too subtle for ‘alien brains’ or whatever they said to themselves to justify their superiority.

She shook her head. No, she had to let it go. She had been happy before, she would be happy again, and humans would not be the deciding factor in that either way.

Welcome, Yenora, to the Violet-Leaved World for the Pursuit of Knowledge. This is not a registered colony of the United Dominion, but I am O^wfox Xa^tamoyo:nee Lio^tandi_xwaz and I am fully authorized to operate as a representative on the Dominion’s behalf.

If you would like to dispatch representatives to the ground, you are welcome to do so at these coordinates. Please excuse our lack of spacefaring equipment preventing us from meeting you as equals amongst the stars.

’Equals amongst the stars?’ That’s a weird way to translate that, she noted to herself. She considered checking her translator for accuracy. Maybe it needed a patch. She hadn’t personally needed their particular language before, but typically updates were all-inclusive.

[Neornith]

Feritho continued too look at the multitude of screens that were displayed in front of him as he heard the soft clack of Yernora’s talons come around from the communications bay. His eyes stopped briefly at the several Avan that almost appeared too be hardwired into the ship’s computers, the sight always unnerved him a little whenever he saw it even though he knew it was necessary for Avan ship’s computers to try and keep pace with other nation’s ships that had Artificial Intelligence helping them.

The Civil House member walked into Feritho’s peripherally vision and his eyes scanned her body quickly up and down, from her yellow legs up to her dark gray feathered back and her orangish red chest feathers. By Avan standards she was rather pretty a trait that Feritho noticed but felt nothing towards partly because she wasn’t from his House and mostly because it wasn’t breeding season.

“Incoming commmunication from the settlement sir.” came the voice of the communication operator.

Welcome, Yenora, to the Violet-Leaved World for the Pursuit of Knowledge. This is not a registered colony of the United Dominion, but I am Owfox Xatamoyo:nee Liotandixwaz and I am fully authorized to operate as a representative on the Dominion’s behalf.

If you would like to dispatch representatives to the ground, you are welcome to do so at these coordinates. Please excuse our lack of spacefaring equipment preventing us from meeting you as equals amongst the stars.

“That was rather fast wasn’t it.” remarked Yernora a small bit of surprise in her voice at the swiftness of the Ixee response.

“They were likely awaiting a response as soon as we entered the system, long range sensors should have picked us up as soon as we came out of hyperspace.” explained Feritho “I imagine they don’t receive a lot of traffic in this part of the Galaxy anyways.”

"By the winds I've forgotten how long and unpronounceable their names were." said Yernora as she looked over message from the ixee and casually nodding at the Captain's response.

"How are they even able to remember how to spell something like that." mumbled Feritho with a sigh as he pressed another button on his command console "Shuttle Team One prep yourselves for departure, no security team will be necessary, Yernora and myself will be the only ones departing from the ship."

"Excellent commander I'll inform the ixee of our intentions and we will leave shortly." said Yernora.

I appreciate the swift response and have no issue with meeting with you on the ground, the ship's captain and myself will be arriving shortly so that we can talk face to face

[The United Dominion]

A^zm^parau_jani_xwa -hara^ti_zama

The colony was named very literally, as were most ixee holdings. It was important to note striking features or colonial intent so as to better describe a world to those intending to visit or live there. In the case of O^wfox’s home world, the Frozen World, that was all that had needed to be said. A predominantly barren and inhospital glacial landscape, there had been little reason to go there - and indeed, few of the communities that had managed to scrape by there wanted anything to do with newcomers. With some exceptions, newcomers brought in weakness.

This world was almost a polar opposite. All were welcome to take part in the experiment, which took place in a purprent paradise. Tan and peach colored trees supported vibrant violet canopies, surrounded by all manner of purple tall grasses. Far off from the community, just over the horizon, rose wide mountains of orange clay and white chalk that struggled to maintain their form under their immense weight and often produced avalanches. The community was nestled in a valley surrounded by these mountains, and were separated from the intensely saline oceans that even ixee could barely stand to swim in.

At the location given to the avan ship, O^wfox waited with a handful of others who had volunteered to accompany them, included Aw^ssaos. The grasses covered them as they waited on all-five at the edge of the clearing the avans were directed to. They were all dressed in their environment suits to keep their skin away from the harsh bite of the grass’ microthorns.

“How much can we say?” O^wfox asked her lifelong companion Aw^ssaos. “We should reach out to the leadership during this so we actually have the authority to make deals.”

Aw^ssaos’ mouth tendrils shook in amusement. “We will be fine because we know what is best for the community and the state. Besides, we don’t have to make promises to act, just promises to investigate. Soon, this will move past us to the leadership, but for now we are all there is.”

She didn’t like that. It was like being on the front lines; there was no telling what you would be dragged into, or what you would be asked to do. At least avans weren’t human, though; if they had been, she was sure that the colony would have been destroyed by now. Her tail thumped heavily against the dirt at the thought of it.

Distracting herself, she picked up a handful of the rich, dark soil that was omnipresent here. This really was close to a perfect place, and somehow blessedly unsettled until this generation. On a continent on the other side of the planet, an apelike species had just begun making tools from wood and loose rocks - perhaps that was why others left it alone.

For now, as long as they lacked the ability to get off of that continent, it didn’t really matter. And besides, she and many ixee held no value in the idea of certain, mostly human, cultures that primitive civilizations should not be guided or in any way interfered with. Why not educate and raise societies?

Well, probably because humans never wanted more competition, but that was how they viewed everyone else.

Looking up to the sky, she could see the avan lander approaching. Behind her was community’s sole defense platform, a house-sized sphere which freely rotated, its single indentation housing a powerful coherent radiation weapon. It began to track the approaching craft.

“I’ve heard they’re reasonable,” Aw^ssaos assured her.

[Neornith]

Yernora strapped herself into the seat, even though it was an Avan ship and the seats were designed specifically to accommodate her wings they still were pressed in slightly uncomfortably. She glanced over at Feritho and gave him a nervous look as the shuttle detached from the Red Wing. Most of the nervousness was from this being Yernora’s first major diplomatical interaction, many in her House and the other Civil Houses would be watching her every move here.

The shuttle shaked a little as it entered the planet's atmosphere and Yernora felt her stomach lurch a little before she was able to get it back under control. Another look over at the ship's commander and a slight twinge of jealousy about how nonchalant he seemed ran through Yernora.

Yernora looked out the window and marveled at the alien landscape that rushed by below here, the kaleidescope of colors was amazing and she could only think of one or two places back on Avlana that came close to the bright panorama that was outside.

“Weapon's radar tracking sir.” reported the pilot and again Yernora felt sick too her stomach and she waited to be blasted out of the sky.

“They wouldn't have asked us to land if they intended to shoot us out of the sky.” chuckled Feritho as he noticed the young diplomat’s frightened look. “By all accounts the ixee are a reasonable species that are not prone to rash actions like a human for instance. “

Yernora calmed down a little and shook her head in affirmation. She needed to get herself under control she thought, especially if she was going to be meeting representatives of the ixee in only a few moments. She closed her eyes and thought about her first flight, the feeling of freedom of soaring through the air, the way she could instinctively detect air currents and ride them without using her wings. Yernora felt a sense of serenity wash over her as she mediated.

As the shuttle neared the colony it slowly cut speed until it was hovering over the landing pad. It's anti-grav engines keeping it in the air without prop wash disturbing everything below them in a big cloud of dust. The shuttle rotated so the exit was towards the ixee delegation waiting for the Avan to arrive. Without so much as a thunk the shuttle lightly touched down and the pilots cut power to the engines.

With a loud his the door opened on the shuttle and first out was Captain Feritho followed closely by Yernora. As each Avan excited they stretched their wings to their full span, each one reveling in the feeling of finally being able the untuck their wings. As their wings folded back in both Avan walked towards the ixee delegation waiting for them.

As soon as they were near enough each Avan took a deep bow towards the ixee before straightening themselves out.

“I am Captain Feritho of House Smithsun and I am honored to be here in the presence of our old friends the ixee.” stated the Captain first.

“And I am Yernora of House Migratorus, I am also honored that you have accepted our request.” said Yernora as her eyes scanned the ixee before her. She had never actually seen one in person before, what she had seen where from data reads, and they did little justice to the brutes before her that awaited them.

[The United Dominion]

The wingspan of the avan was impressive. Outstretched, they certainly looked much larger than they were. It made O^wfox wonder if their skeletons were just as fragile as non-sapient birds. She noted that she would have to ask once they developed a rapport.

As the avan stepped down onto the ground and spoke, she rose up onto her tail, Aw_ssaos doing the same beside her. They each splayed their mouth tentacles in acknowledgement of their guests, and slithered forward to greet them physically. In truth, O^wfox has absolutely no idea about avan cultural traditions or taboos, but like any reasonable person, kept to her own to avoid any embarrassments. She towered over the avan while on her tail, and so dropped down onto her lower arms - it made her look vaguely anthropoid, though there was a distinct difference in that it seemed unnecessary and inefficient in comparison to the other two stances ixee normally used. She moved forward to place her head alongside Yernora's, under the assumption that the female would most likely be the superior of the two.

Tapping the electronic device on her gorget - her translator - she spoke to them in their own language. With her being in such close quarters with Yernora, her actual language could be easily heard, but it was overpowered by the translator speaking for her.

It was a natural, organic-sounding voice, clearly the work of people who had a lot of experience accomplishing their goal of clear communication. Her chosen voice was firm and erred more on the side of masculine than not. "You are both very welcome here. Please make yourselves at home, and we can discuss our future goals."

She greeted Feritho in the same fashion, while the rest of the ixee stayed back, having elected her the current spokesperson. She neglected to introduce herself or anyone else individually: it was easy to forget that other species expected personal introductions.

"We hope," she added as an afterthought, "that we can speak of some of the most troubling developments since our peoples last associated themselves with each other. We do not wish to sound self-interested and forward, but we had been about to request hroa'agh presence for our own security, considering the overtures that certain... human states have been making of late. Games of war, they call them. The threat is clear."

Pulling back, she tapped on her gorget a few times, and her tentacles twitched in aggravation. She didn't like how the words were coming out, and remained convinced that is was the device itself.

[Neornith]

Yernora almost stumbled backwards in shock as what seemed to be the lead ixxe named Owfox raised up on her tail and then onto her hind feet before coming rather close to Yernora. Fighting the urge to step back Yernora flashed back to what her mentor once told her.

”Remember as unsure and uneasy as you are with them, any alien you meet through diplomacy is going to be twice as uneasy and unsure with you. We are all different creatures who have evolved and risen to dominance on our own planets. Circumstances and environment have made us very very different. However no matter how different we are it should never be a barrier to us making friends with others or at the very least acting cordial with them as long as they are friendly and cordial with us.”

Yernora bowed her head as Owfox leaned back. That she spoke in the avan language even with the use of a translator was a thing to be respected. No one from their time on GESO had gone through the effort or trouble to speak to the avan in their tongue before. While it was a wide variation of chirps, screeches and squawks it was still their language. That the ixee went through the trouble to translate and communicate in their language spoke volumes about the space newts.

Fighting down a small lump in her throat Yernora spoke first.

“Honorable delegate Owfox, your concerns are precisely why the Consortium has decided to reach out to the ixee, we know of the separated nature of how ixee communities work, and while that is the nature of things we feel it makes certain ixee communities susceptible targets for those that wish to do them harm. The Consortium will not stand idly by and watch as a nation we were once close friends with comes under threat from imperialists.” Yernora explained as her wings ruffled at the thought that there were nations whose only desire was to consume other nations to advance their own selfish goals and ambitions.

At that moment Yernora felt a little powerless. What could she honestly do here that would help the Consortium. What if she failed to convince the ixee that aligning with Avalana? Would both nations by themselves be able to handle the onslaught of the imperialists? Surely both the Dominion and the Consortium were strong in their own right, but could the handle the relentless attacks from the imperialists puppets if they decided to on a whim.

Yernora realized she had to do everything she could too make sure that the ixee and the avans became friends once again no matter what.

“If it is necessary and the military help is needed until the hroa'agh arrive, I can request House Smithsun send a contingent here as swiftly as possible.” spoke Feritho for the first time. “I feel it would be a great stain on the honor of House Smithsun if I stood by and allowed something to happen to you and your people honorable delegate Owfox .”

[The United Dominion]

O^wfox carefully examined the avan's behaviors, her mouth tentacles twitching slightly - differently from how they would from amusement but there was still a tangible element of humor in Yernora’s own tension when O^wfox drew near.

“We don’t believe that help from the hroa’agh will defend us for very long. They’re small and might be able to send one or two ships to help us flee.” She started walking, still on her lower limbs. “Any help you can provide would be appreciated but we wouldn’t be able to support very much. We … it’s strange but we don’t even have a creche built here. There is no infrastructure.”

In fact, she and Aw^ssaos regularly went hunting and fishing to retrieve enough food for the scientists and philosophers of the Violet-Leaved World’s ixee community. Most of them weren’t ranchers, and those that could manage the job weren’t professional. Besides, farmed mussels were hardly variable enough to keep people happy for long.

To find a more comfortable place to talk, she went to lead the avan visitors to the community center. The community was clustered tightly, unnecessarily so given the vast empty spaces and the dozens of lakes that dotted the near countryside, and consisted of a couple hundred prefabricated domes and cylindrical structures. Most were storage centers, labs, and climate controlled ranches, but a few of them were residence halls, where ixee preferred to live in close quarters with each other. In the very middle, what should have been a creche was instead just large pre-fab hall, mostly empty, that held in its center a suspended globe of water, meant to hold any waterefts for a short period of time.

O^wfox didn’t think much of the practice of consuming waterefts, but she was sure that was going to be the outcome of any spawn that did occur in the community. With no one to properly take care of them and no developments to support them, they would consume each other and die.

Perhaps, she thought, she could bring in some side revenue for the community by shipping them off to communities in need. They had no trade capability, but the avan or hroa’agh could perhaps help there.

“I wish we could offer you food but we only have ixee staples and aren’t sure what’s suitable. Though we could, perhaps, go hunting together for something more appropriate to your biologies.”

[Neornith]

“We appreciate the gesture honorable delegate.” spoke Yernora first “However time amongst the humans has taught the avan that our unique requirements in regards to foo is something we must tend to ourselves. I mean no offense by this towards you and your people, its merely something we have become accustomed, we do appreciate your hospitality however which is more than I can say for the humans we both were once allied with.

Feritho nodded in agreement to Yernora’s statement “I have heard the tales from the other Warrior Houses that were stationed aboard that overcompensating space station in the Gamma Quadrant. The most aggravating thing I ever heard was that it was never done maliciously or being intentionally rude, it’s that they were just so blatantly inconsiderate about others species needs, they just automatically assume that others are just like them.” Feritho said as he shook his head in disappointment.

“Also I will notify the ship and have a small flotilla requested for your protection at once, things have slowly deteriorated in Gamma here and having such a light military compliment could be disaterous for you and your people, if you’ll excuse me for a moment honorable delegate I shall return shortly after I have contacted my ship.” Feritho said as he turned around and walked away.

“How long have your people been here honorable delegate.” Yernora asked as she looked around, she had heard others built their shelters on the ground but this was the first time she actually saw an actual building on the ground. Yernora wondered how they stayed safe from predators coming in and eating them. The thought reminded her off home briefly, the great sky cities of the avans. Long ago the avian race had learned taking to the skies was their one defense, but even they could only stay in the air for so long. As soon as they took a rest they were vulnerable again. That was until they learned to build in the air. And they did it rather well, a task they refined for over a millenia. SO it was curious for her to see others willing living on the ground, but to each their own she thought.

[The United Dominion]

O^wfox waggled her mouth tentacles in amusement at the avan opinions of that space station to which she had once been assigned. As a community, it had been pleasant enough, but whenever the doors opened to the rest of the station, there had always been a measure of risk and a sprinkle of disdain. "What the warrior houses say is true. We can recall a meeting with an ambassador, where they attempted to serve a companion and myself waterefts in an effort to be hospitable. Where they obtained them we couldn't say - probably theft - but the assumption that it's universal, every day practice to consume our spawn was insulting to say the least. They fail to understand the meaning, the ritual; doubtless they don't care."

She slithered along, leading them to the meeting hall at the center of the compound. The other ixee who had accompanied her to the landing site had since disappeared to their own tasks, knowing what was necessary and what was not. She didn't see Aw_ssaos anywhere, but could feel him nearby. He was always less of one for discussions, and had always preferred more action. Perhaps to make up for his lack of ability to fulfill his dream of being a creche father.

A part of her, however, did lament their choice to provide food for themselves. She had hoped to see them hunting. Her home world didn't have birds, sapient or otherwise, but the ixee homeworld did have a couple of larger, predatory species that hunted sea mammals coming up for air. She had seen them in media, and had sometimes envied their aerial freedom.

Yernora asked her a question, halting her thoughts on hunting. “How long have your people been here, honorable delegate?”

Her taut, highly-visible muscles around her mid back strained in her suit, and then relaxed in a gesture best described as a shrug, albeit with her lower limbs. "Aw_ssaos and I have been here less than half a local year. The scientists have been here for three, mostly watching the primitives. We came to help protect them from... very possible incursions, especially in light of the increase in armed and desperate displaced peoples lately."

As an after-thought, she added, "We must apologize that our reunion takes place on a fringe planet. There were surely better, if not farther, places that would be of more interest. But your protection is more than welcome, as is your general company."

[Neornith]

Yernora paused for a second to fully digest what Owfox said. She had heard rumors of the ixee’s practice of eating their own, it used to be used as a form of population control but in recent times it was considered an honored dish to respected visitors of the ixee. Yernora felt a little squeamish about being offered the young of another sentient species as something to eat, it would be like the Avan offering their eggs to others to eat. She suppressed the urge to shudder a little in front of Owfox too not offend her.

Yernora followed Owfox to a building that seemed centered amongst the rest as the ixee female answered her question

"Awssaos and I have been here less than half a local year. The scientists have been here for three, mostly watching the primitives. We came to help protect them from... very possible incursions, especially in light of the increase in armed and desperate displaced peoples lately."

"We must apologize that our reunion takes place on a fringe planet. There were surely better, if not farther, places that would be of more interest. But your protection is more than welcome, as is your general company."


“This location was the quickest and most convenient location for the Consortium to make contact with with the ixee, although it was a calculated risk that this community would be in touch with the Dominion given the nature ixee being so far spread and sometimes out of touch with the Dominion itself.” said Yernora “Too be perfectly honest we weren’t even sure if the community was still here.”

“So you are here for the community’s protection.” Feritho said as he suddenly reappeared, his sudden appearence somewhat startling Yernora.

“Regardless of your community’s size we are truly honored to be here, as was mentioned before the Consortium feels as if once again our relations between the Dominion should flourish to both our nation benefits, with the Galaxy deteriorating into its current state and the GESO becoming more imperialistic in nature the Consortium feels that a military and economic agreement would be in the best interest for both our nations.”

Feritho nodded in agreement at the last statement as well before speaking. “The Warrior Houses have come too an agreement as well before our arrival here, they will honor our old agreement that if the Dominion is attacked then the Consortium will come to their defense, I hope this is a reasonable offer?”

[Sauhuga]

Alexa Dubois had dreamed of being a pirate when she was younger. Romanticized tales from ancient Terra had filled the young girl’s head with images of dashing buccaneers and courageous swashbucklers fighting against evil corrupt authorities that oppressed people. The truth however is never as wonderful as we imagine it too be though.

War rampaged across several planets as people and aliens alike tried running from some catastrophe or calamity that happened to close to where they lived. Chaos spread like wildfire as a frenzy spread across multiple planets in a phenomena called the Great Displacement. People fled in a panic in whatever they could find with whatever they could carry as they fled before whatever terrible fate they conjured in their minds befell them as well.

Unfortunately in their attempt to flee some of the refugees ran unknowingly into the jaws of brigands and pirate groups that preyed upon the refugees without remorse or mercy. The brigands raped, robbed, enslaved, or murdered any helpless victims they could get their hooks into. Refugees fought back when they could but for the most part they were outmatched by the better equipped and more combat seasoned pirates that attacked them.

Seeing the refugee’s plight and desperation, some nations thought handing out warships like party favors would be an intelligent idea. This offer turned out to be a windfall for refugee and pirate alike. Some refugees took the warships and turned them against their fellow refugees suddenly turning into that which preyed upon them.

Alexa had been one of those refugees that had assembled a crew of hardy voidsmen and initially began fighting against what she thought were pirates preying upon her fellow refugees fleeing to a better life just like in her childhood fantasies. However chaos has a habit of blurring lines we thought were clear. Before long Alexa was fighting other refugees that instead of being given food, aid, or really anything useful, instead were given a warship. Alexa’s fantasy quickly turned into a nightmare suddenly as no one was safe from people whose only method of survival was through force of arms. Slowly over time Alexa became that which she hated as her crew became her family and their well being and safety rested on her shoulders and eventually circumstances forced her into joining a network of pirate groups that had formed. Being on the opposite side a sense of comfort fell over Alexa for a time as she enjoyed the safety and benefits of the Blackaros Network.

Tragedy however has a way of shattering the peace and calm we delude ourselves into believing though. The warships that had been passed out without discretion had had a fail safe placed in them in case things hadn’t turned out like the nations handing them out imagined they would. Those that were career criminals were never foolish enough to believe that there was neither a catch nor a cost for their fortune. Every career pirate had had the fail safe removed and enjoyed the their new warships with terrible glee as they redoubled their efforts on sacking refugee ships. Those refugees that had turned to crime through desperation, those refugees whose only crime was trying to steal food and supplies to keep their families alive however thought that that’s why they had been given a warship. To take what they could through force of arms. Whispers floated through the refugee pirates that the reason warships and not aid was handed out was because some imperial group wished to destabilize as many planetary governments as possible, all under the guise of being charitable. As these whispers grew stronger though those nations that once appeared benevolent suddenly turned into slaughterers as ships full of refugees whose only crime was trying to survive were suddenly detonated and millions of lives were vanquished in the blink of an eye.

Alexa became sick when she heard the news. Especially when the murderers touted themselves as heroes, claiming to have erased the pirate menace. Ignorance as they say is blissful though and the false claims that every pirate and brigand were killed became a bit of a running joke amongst the multitude of safe havens in the Blackaros Network.

With a hatred in her heart and renewed vigor Alexa and her crew became merciless against whoever they preyed upon, special attention however was paid to those fools that had happily slaughtered innocent men, women, and children and then basked in the “glory” of their actions. Alexa suspected this was their plan all along. First to try and exacerbate the refugee situation and place more strain on already overburdened star states. And then when others voiced their suspicions a massacre took place to cover their tracks and make themselves look good.

Regardless she now had a warship she used to great effect against multiple merchant ships when she could. Her last engagement however had not gone as well as she had hoped. Another pirate captain had invited her in on a score against an entire merchant convoy that been traveling amongst several space stations just outside the protection zone of the Swift Winds Trade Route. Things did not go as planned. They shadowed the merchant fleet for over a week trying to determine if an escort was with them but remained hidden, careful observation however revealed only the four merchant ships. So the pirate ships waited until the merchant ships approached a mining outpost with virtually no self defense force too speak of. Seizing this as a rare oppurtunity the two pirate ships attacked as swiftly as they could, right into the jaws of a trap. As soon as they made themselves known the unarmed merchant ships they were following suddenly turned out to be armed to the teeth as an entire missile volley caught the two pirate ships off guard. Alexa moved her behind the other pirate’s and allowed him to take the brunt of the attack. Before a second volley could be fired and not waiting to see how her fellow captain fared Alexa turned tail and fled the outpost as fast as she could with three of the heavily armed merchant ships on her ass. For weeks she played a game of cat and mouse with them before she was able to shake them off. Her supplies had been depleted in the chase and she desperately needed to restock her ship’s food and water supply if she had any hope of making it back to one of the Network’s safe havens.

This system however showed her promise, there seemed too be a planet capable of sustaining life, and if that was the case there definitely had be water and food present for them to collect.

Her ship came to slow as it entered the system and immediately warning alarms went off and a brief feeling of shock as the computer declared another warship was in the system. Alexa however didn’t care as the ship was only reported as being closer to a destroyer in size, slightly smaller in size than Alexa’s ship. Desperation drove the pirates forward though and Alexa ordered her underlings to prep the two landers for a raiding mission while her ship handled the unexpected warship.

Charging forward as fast as she could towards the planet Alexa launched her two landers and then turned to bring every cannon or missile tube she had towards the warship. Tense seconds passed as the pirate ship’s weapons were brought to bear and an initial volley was fired and a desperate fight was begun.

[Neornith]

Sentra of House Smithsun was the acting officer aboard the Red Wing and was standing at alert aboard the ship’s bridge when alarms and lights across the bridge erupted in cacophony of chaos simultaneously. Unfortunately the Red Wing’s formidable armament for the most part had been removed, her beam cannons and most of her missile tubes were taken away, their presence deemed unnecessary for a ship used for acts of peaceful diplomacy and not acts of war. She did however have retain her full countermeasure suit and for that Sentra was thankful as he began barking orders across the bridge.

“Engines at full power and a hard pull to part forthwith.” Sentra commanded. The ship’s acting commander felt the ship surge beneath his feet as it’s thrusters surged to their full energy levels.

Small energy beams and clouds of smaller mini-missiles launched from the ship’s point defense systems in an effort to engage the cruise missiles bearing down on the Red Wing. The energy beam pulses fired from the pirate ship’s main cannon splashed across the destroyer’s shields as the larger combatant blew past the Red Wing.

“Multiple contacts have disengaged from the main ship and are headed towards the planets sir.” reported a voice from bridge.

Sentra cursed under his breath, he knew sending the Captain and the diplomat down to the planet below without a security team was likely a foolish idea.

“Prep the second lander at once and get every marine you can stuff in there inside it now!” barked Sentra over the comms to the ship’s docking bay crew.

“Arc back towards the planet, those secondary contacts can’t be good for the Captain and the diplomat. We need to get that shuttle launched before they can make planetfall.” said Sentra.

The Red Wing swung back towards the planet and shot forward like an arrow as her direction was altered. Again the ship’s point defense systems desperately fired off more several more salvos in a desperate attempt to stem the incoming missile wave. White most were swatted down, a few managed to slip through and slam into the shields.

“Commander should we return fire?” asked one of the younger officers on the bridge. Several scenarios played through the commander’s head. He likely couldn’t make a stand and slug it out with the larger warship. His current missile payload would probably not even make it through the warship’s own point defense. He honestly really only had one option available to him.

“Launch the shuttle and line us up with a hyperspace jump out of the system.” Sentra ordered, much to the concern of his subordinates. The Red Wing surged forward towards Azmparaujanixwa -haratizama, her shuttle detached and raced towards the planet. A tight beam message was directed down towards the shuttle already down below.

Moments later the Red Wing disappeared in a flash abandoning the Captain, the diplomat, and the security team.

****************************************

Feritho’s eyes filled with sorrow when the message from the Red Wing came through. It saddened him that somehow in the vastness of the galaxy that somehow someone with malice in their hearts had found the small ixee settlement.

“I am afraid I have terrible news, it seems we are about to be visited by some very unsavory and unpleasant visitors. The Red Wing has reported to me that they can’t reasonably fight the enemy ship so for now they’ve withdrawn. The attacking ship has launched landers as well and they are set to make planetfall shortly, fortunately the Red Wing was able to dispatch a small security contingent who will do what they can to help protect yourselves and your charges.” explained Feritho

“Why did the ship leave.” asked Yernora with a small amount of panic creeping into her voice.

“It is a diplomatic mission ship, it’s only lightly armed, mostly to ensure the ship can escape any dangerous situations, it does it no good for it to remain and get into a fight it can’t hope to win.” explained Feritho

“So they’re going to get help right?” Yernora asked the Captain.

Feritho nodded too the diplomat, it would serve no good for her to know that in all likelihood they had been abandoned here for the time being.

“I am sorry Owfox but it seems we will need to begin preparations for combat soon.” Ferithor said as three fireballs illuminated the sky up above

“It seems we’ll be having company sooner than I had expected.”

[The United Dominion]

The community had one defense emplacement, designed to prevent any landing craft from getting too close if they did not want them to. The laser’s sphere tracked fireballs overhead as three such entered the atmosphere at ill-advised velocity; at speeds that only raiders and primitives landed with were they not landing under fire. The landers could easily have been going anywhere, it was impossible to tell. They could circle the planet quickly enough.

“Perhaps we should apologize, Feritho,” O^wfox hissed. “We have few defenses and must rely on you in this instance, I fear. We needed more time to prepare for this eventuality.”

She retrieved her palm sets from a case, placing them on each of her lower hands. Her lower fingers were a flurry of motion, distracting herself from the deep sinkhole forming in her gut. No matter where she went, it seemed….

A projection lit up between her palm sets, various shapes and figures displaying only to blink away a moment later as she pulled up an image of the planet. There was a blinking red blip just outside of the sphere of the world itself.

“One ship we can see so far. They aren’t in position to bombard us from orbit yet.”

With one of her free hands, she rotated the sphere by reaching into the projection, and enlarged the display by pulling her palms farther apart. “Maybe they won’t be able to. Come, we should stay close to the settlement. There are some weapons there, at least, and we have plenty of supplies to wait out a siege.”

As she turned to lead them, she glanced back, recalling they might not able to eat the food that the ixee had. “For us, at least.”

She almost missed the days of being a spy when she thought about the possibility of being under siege. Spies rarely ever got into situations like that - her job had mostly consisted of waiting around and listening to radio and other signals, every so often telling assets to do something. It was largely bureaucratic. Civilian life was barely any different except for the frustrating fact that she seemed to be pulled toward violence far more than she had been before. And this kind of violence….

O^wfox would have gladly accepted a technological suppression operation any day over this.

She played with her mobile some more, the display flashing by with various images and scripts. “Maybe there’s a hroa’agh patrol in the area. They’re always up for helping us. I don’t know if the signal will get through, though; we’re beneath the ship, so they’d have no problem jamming us.”

There was the possibility of using a messenger drone to get through, but right now, it seemed more likely to get intercepted. Maybe if they could launch from the far side of the planet, but then given the travel time, well… one could only guess what any Dominion help would arrive to see, if they bothered at all.

Briefly, she thought about the time the scientists said the Dominion would only get in the way and had nothing to offer them for membership.

Ignorance or stupidity, she didn’t know. She might have thought arrogance, but the only reason she knew of such a thing was her time around other species. Surely, ixee weren’t capable of that?

She shut down the mobile and put the palm sets back into their case, and then waved them forward. “Hurry,” her translator called to them, though she hadn’t made any audible sound. Then, dropping to all-five, she bounded forward, sprinting toward the building she and Aw_ssaos had appropriated as a barrack.