The Big Meeting, Part 2
[X] As the leader of Gazinitah, Vorzhan being personally there could be very important, though it would draw him away from local affairs. On the other hand, the personal contacts could be very valuable, and having a spy on the scene could help.
[X] Kikkizit is intelligent, clever, and surprisingly diplomatic. They have their own plans, specifically involving cultural and educational coordination with other Xvorzit nations. At the moment, graduation of a Gazinitah higher education facility means nothing to the other Xvorzit nations, legally. That's...not a good thing.
[X] B'iyiuna wants to be there, he needs to be there, and whatever thoughts Vorzhan might have about their ambitions and their foreign diplomacy, they KNOW Xvorzit customs and norms quite well.
[X] Mauris, despite the upcoming egg hatching, has expressed some desire to go and discuss international law, justice and order with the other Xvorzit Hives. There is much they could learn from each other, and synchronizing laws so that a criminal passing from one planet to the next isn't scot free is always a good thing.
[X] Bizentara's desire to go is a bit more inscrutable. He apparently has a few contacts within other navies, and wishes to talk to a few people, but what, if anything, would be made of this, Vorzhan can't know.
[X] I'isanah has her plans and her schemes, and a deep, strong desire to shake up the known galaxy. Vorzhan suspects that they might have underestimated I'Isanah a little.
Preparations are long, and include far more details than Vorzhan had expected at first. For instance, Bizentara insisted that they should take a few ships, the refitted ones, as their contribution to the security of the meeting. It was all arranged beforehand, but it definitely gave the party a different feel when multiple warships were escorting their own fragile ship through the vacuum of space.
They had invited plenty of other Xvorzit, and so the ship was crowded in a way that was quite pleasing. Mauris had that smell, of a Xvorzit about to lay eggs, but as strange as it was, it was also one designed to create pleasant and nurturing feelings, and so all throughout the trip, most everyone was in a good mood. More than optimistic, or at least, chemically pushed towards a good mood even faster than normal. I'isanah was as friendly as she'd ever been, and she and Vorzhan laughed and joked and scurried about.
I'isanah seemed insistent that before Vorzhan even considered setting down, he should have his wings massaged, his carapace waxed and anointed with oils, and otherwise tended to. Now, Vorzhan was not a gasibt, not the sort who felt there was weakness in taking care of themselves--one of a dozen subsets of gender expression of which there is no proper term in any human language, especially when it came in 'male' and 'female' versions--but it wasn't something they were used to.
"Come on, it'll make you feel like a new bug," I'isanah said, "Don't tell me your enjoyment of yourself was all a pose. Just relax, I had some very good people set up here for just this occasion."
Vorzhan had not known that their carapace could shine so brightly, nor had they known that their wings could look even more fragile--while being even stronger--than they already were. It was something of a revelation, and in combination with the new clothing, tight and careful, but with frills here and there, it all seemed to be making a new them. A Speaker, and in more than just name.
*****
"What need is there for a fleet?" B'iyiuna asked, lounging on one of the spa couches, "Only for a war? Do you think we'll have a war?"
"I think...we already have one," Bizentara said, glancing over at Kikkizit, "We fought over the Pirates' Moon, there was the evacuation of the prison camp, and there are always pirates out there. It's enough of a war to justify this."
"Maybe, but the cost comes from things that could help others on Gazinitah. It's not without costs, whatever your ambitions. And it's obvious you have ambitions. Most prominent military figure in centuries of Gazinith history--"
"Second," Bizentara demurred.
"Perhaps, or perhaps Vorzhan is tiring of Hazitean. Certainly he didn't bring her along despite her insistence. Meanwhile, we're here, and the world's shifting. The world, not the galaxy. Aliens will be aliens, it is to be expected, but we Xvorzit see a path forward that doesn't involve ceaseless violence."
"We do. I think we have only just begun," Kikkizit said, "The true task of rebuilding. The best is ahead of us."
B'iyiuna nodded and said, "Indeed! Though we must plan for a changed world. What exactly are we to do in the way of government? Certainly, the Speaker is great and wise and should rule for long, but is it an elected position, an appointed one? There are those who speculate on your scope and ambition, Kikkizit."
Kikkizit's legs rubbed together in shock, "Ambition?"
"You're involved in spywork and research and diplomatic efforts," B'iyiuna said, "Even those that are my purview. It is hard to tell if you're the most important adviser, but you certainly advise Speaker Vorzhan on the most disparate topics."
"I do what I must," Kikkizit said, nervously.
"Don't we all. Yet there are some who say you stand alone." It was no slur, yet...in a way it was. Xvorzit were not fools, and they had never had the illusion humans sometimes have, that they are individuals without any connections to others other than that which they will. To stand alone was to be weak, to be great, yes, but not in the way that was admired. It was best to ride together, an army at one's back, friends by one's side.
"No, I am nothing without my friends," Kikkizit said.
"Very good. I can say the same," B'iyiuna said. "Let us help Vorzhan, so that they don't stand alone either."
"The galaxy, though," Bizentara says.
"What?" B'iyiuna asked, annoyed.
"Should the galaxy have to stand alone against what may be coming?" Kikkizit said, "Should the Xvorzit stand alone? When war came last, in time out of memory, the Hives hesitated, the Hives bent their knees. They stood alone and they fell alone. All the known galaxy fell. All that stood were the Aamanthorat and the Barsa. Please, think about it. It is your job, more than ours, to do so."
"Are things so serious?"
"They may be," Bizentara said, "Though that's something only Vorzhan can know for certain."
*****
Eventually the ships reached its destination, the planet picked to host this meeting. Mazi'tin. A beautiful Hive, one of the richest, and a traditional site for such meetings, to the extent that they had an entire city they maintained for just such an occasion. It was nothing like the human concept of a sacred or forbidden city, yet it shared some similarities, or at least it helped to think of it like that.
The ships headed down, and growing closer, Kikkizit began to point things out to Vorzhan, like the worm plants that ate the waste materials, specially designed to do so and to excrete out pastes that were considered a somewhat odd delicacy, or the way that other planets less blessed in terms of delicious paste still used the chemical compounds as part of the recycling process for difficult materials, babbling about how amazing it would be to get samples to attempt to grow their own, or at least ask for a copy of the chemical profile.
As they dipped down, the city came into view. Like most Xvorzit cities, it wasn't much to look at from the outside. Plenty of domes, a severe lack of high buildings replaced by the fact that buildings often burrowed deep into the ground, architecture that to a human seemed cramped and also bland, except for the color scheme, which was wild, insane. Red and yellow and orange and blue side by side, and while smaller towns were grey, the creators of a true Xvorzit city prided themselves in its color, structure, form and function.
Dozens of armed attendants greeted them, with faceless masks and an exotic dress which included long spines that were symbolic of some dangerous predators at home. Vorzhan wasn't the only one who found themselves checking out the rugged carapace of the guards as they moved through the bustling city, which was still only just coming to life. It only had a million Xvorzit so far, but in the next week it--and more importantly the embassy--would expand ten-fold. All coming here, to a city that usually had a skeleton crew of caretakers numbering only in the tens of thousands.
Onward they went, until at last they came to the embassy itself. Hundreds of buildings, thousands of buildings, half buried beneath the earth, a vast warren of dens, small and cozy by Xvorzit standards, cramped and horrible for any human, and vast open spaces with low ceilings and tens of thousands of Xvorzit all moving, laughing, joking, walking, bowing, legs skittering one way and then the next, constant chaos that would overwhelm a human. There were names for the mental diseases a Xvorzit alone could get. There were also names for what a human could get, surrounded by so many aliens, whose very smell, sound--chirps, squeaks, chirrs, and even stranger noises--and motion were utterly unlike those of any human.
Very few humans at all could stand that for even a few minutes, let alone the hours of happy mingling which was expected, and the days which would follow. Yet amid the crowd, not unexpectedly, were some humans. It seemed the Transspecies Harmony Republic was there, as always. Everyone was.
As Vorzhan and the others spread out, well-dressed, and hopefully ready, there was much to do, much to say, and no doubt little enough time.
Choose the actions of each of the following in the day or two before the meeting begins in earnest. Choose 2 from each.
Vorzhan
[] Security? What's that?: Perhaps the security here should be beefed up by Vorzhan's own methods, to make sure nothing happens.
[] Eyes and Ears: Or perhaps these same things can be used to spy on the participants. Of course, this sort of thing is rampant, and also greatly frowned upon...
[] Last Minute Prep: Have SOMEONE walk Vorzhan through more of what they need to know.
[] Talk to a Hive (Vorzhan edition): These aren't all of the possibilities, just the ones that are most prominent to Vorzhan. Even without choosing them, at least some interaction will be happening.
-[] Gattis: Being I'isanah's homeworld and the Hive that is also a part of the Barsan Confederacy also means it is--relative to Xvorzit standards--the most martially inclined, and also the strangest, the most alien.
-[] Home: The home planet is always important, even long after it has been eclipsed, and thus it sent plenty of representatives.
-[] Transspecies Harmony Republic: The embassy includes the only humans in attendance, and they are odd indeed. Humans that make Lucille look normal, and Xvorzit who seem to have a lot of human like habits. It'd be scandalous if enough centuries hadn't passed to dull the reactions. By now it was usual.
-[] Uzab: The site of a number of atrocities centuries ago during the Hexamar Empire, they know as much as anyone about Hexamari science, and are as always very leery around the remainder of the Hexamar Theocracy.
-[] Mazi'tin: They are hosting these events, so surely one should be polite to them, and they might know secrets, all sorts of secrets.
Kikkizit
[] Research Grade: One of the difficulties of most high-level research on Gazinitah is the lack of certain types of resources, or at least the lack in sources that didn't charge far too much to be reasonable. The planet, while rich in many ways, did have certain deficiencies that had been identified but not compensated for. Perhaps Kikkizit could talk to some suppliers, deal with that issue.
[] Caste Studies: Other Hives have done far more in that way than Gazinitah has ever been able to do, and some experts on these matters are likely to be present to give--well, humans would call them talks, but they're far more interactive than that--on their findings on these matters, as the meeting is a gathering of many sorts.
[] Worms, What Are They Good For?: A lot! Perhaps Kikkizit could talk to people on this matter.
[] Certification: A simple goal, but a worthy one: make sure those who graduate from Gazinith learning creches have their degrees honored.
[] Those Most Honored: Those who can do the most, teach. Learning more about how other Hives handle educational issues could be interesting, though there are few enough in the way of experts, probably only hundreds of well-trained experts in the field of education. Such a narrow sample size, but Kikkizit could certainly talk to them.
[] Cultural Exchange: There are all sorts of things that could be learned, and new markets explored, by talking to game designers, authors, artists and others who have crowded around looking for inspiration and patronage.
B'iyiuna
[] This...war thing?: Well, maybe Kikkizit had a point. Maybe. Perhaps B'iyiuna could ask around, see what the general mood is, talk about this matter with other Xvorzit.
[] Scheming for a new Hive: Making a new Hive is an important matter, and starting on the work early will help B'iyiuna get to know just what needs to be done.
[] Eyes On Me: The media is here in force, and that means B'iyiuna needs to draw its attention, and thus draw attention to both himself and Gazinitah as a whole. After all, he hopes to make a big splash, along with his Hive, so best that everyone is watching for the entrance into the water.
[] Talk to a Hive (B'iyiuna version)
-[] Home, Where the Heart Is: The home planet is always important, even long after it has been eclipsed, and thus it sent plenty of representatives.
-[] Uzab: The site of a number of atrocities centuries ago during the Hexamar Empire, they know as much as anyone about Hexamari science, and are as always very leery around the remainder of the Hexamar Theocracy.
-[] Mazi'tin: They are hosting these events, so surely one should be polite to them, and they might know secrets, all sorts of secrets.
-[] Others: There are other Hives that are important not so much for a single feature, as for the fact that they are part of a vast tapestry of the Xvorzit species. Get to know those who are not as often in the limelight. Surely you can afford to share!
Mauris
[] Money Talks: Searching for economic backers, trade deals and the like is very, very common in a Big Meeting. Mauris could join the pack doing so!
[] Law Answers: But it's the law that Mauris knows best, and they could start by talking to some lawyers and politicians about their own legal systems to see if there is anything they missed in their extensive studies.
[] Policing the Hive?: This was the matter that brought Mauris here, the one they were so very concerned about. Making sure the law runs across all of the Hives, since those are the places most Xvorzit criminals will tend to want to live, for good reason.
[] That Motherly Glow: Or they could just go around, hang out, and talk to people. People are likely to show up to talk to a Xvorzit who has that motherly sheen to their carapace, and who is also bloated with eggs. Call it a conversation starter.
Bizentara
[] It's totally for improved economically efficiency, I swear: Perhaps Bizentara could break the ice by talking about one topic that is quite popular at meetings such as this. Economics. Surely a discussion of better ships is entirely in the realm of making sure shipping can continue with greater efficiency:
[] Officer Training: Other navies have different methods, different ways of going about things, and while currently Gazinitah's latest ships are probably somewhat ahead of the average of other Hive ships, that doesn't keep there from being a lot that Gazinitah could be learning.
[] A trade?: There are technologies that Gazinitah has that other navies don't. Perhaps a trade of advice/tips/resources could be arranged?
[] Pirate Patrol: It'd be bold, but proposing a mutual alliance to patrol against pirates could be one way to break the ice.
I'Isanah
[] The Big Scheme (Economic): Starting with war might not be a good idea. If so, trade ties could be a way to break the ice, and could allow I'isanah to bring up the trade practices of the Mercantile Republic without directly stating what they might do.
[] The Big Scheme (Military): Military alliance is premature, but perhaps hints could be dropped in conversation that perhaps military actions could be justified in some circumstances? Sewing the seeds, even if it will take a long time for them to blossom.
[] The Big Scheme (Risk Assessment): The Mercantile Republic is a risk, as are several other rogue polities. Surely if they can be subtly shown this, through a number of ways, including perhaps some creative counting, it will register.
[] The Big Scheme (Security): If one is to have deeper talks on this matter, there definitely needs to be secure meeting places out of the way, and out of at least some of the eyes that might judge those discussing such risky actions.
A/N: Yup!
