"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us again so quickly, Envoy Hawk." Emissary Merizan greeted you as she stepped out of the docking tube, two other representatives exiting from their respective ships. That was the Farspeaker for the Confederacy, and that…was the Marionette 'Observer'. You were still trying to get used to the faces of the different species in the Contact Fleet, and the human tendency to look there for expressions was truly confusing with Nileans. Marionettes were almost worse, however, due a truly disturbing resemblance to humanity, so much so that the suspicion of biosculpt was being passed around.
"It was the least we could do, given how our first meeting had to be cut short so abruptly." You replied smoothly. The ability to conference call in what might as well be called time dilation helped, not that you were going to say so. Still, you had a question that you needed answered. "Were you able to confirm what I claimed, then?"
"We were." The Chich'swa Farspeaker, there hadn't been a name attached, replied, stepping up beside who you were almost certain was the true Emissary of the Contact Fleet, even if there happened to be five others peeking over her shoulder. "As we're sure you expected, we have a few questions, if you're willing to answer them."
"You must understand," you suppressed a shiver of surprise as Observer Lorelli continued in a voice that was far too human to be your translation software. "The ability to detect Shiplord subversion methods is something that we have dedicated hundreds of cycles to developing and maintaining. To find a species so young with the capability," she shook her head. "Perhaps it was to be expected, given what else your species has done. But even then."
"Please," you offered a welcoming hand towards the table that had been set up in the centre of the receiving bay. It wasn't much of a venue, truth be told, but it had been as close to neutral as you could offer. "I can't promise to answer all of your questions, but I will give all I can."
You stood by your own chair as the three representatives, no aides this time, sat, then took your own place on the other side of the table. You'd been given some rather strict instructions on what you could say here, and Adriana was linked in to the conversation to confirm or deny permissions this time. It was actually kind of nice, to be working with her like this. If nothing else, it gave you an easily accessed caller for what you could release.
"There is only one question of import, I'm afraid." You blinked and not just at her choice of words. The fingers she had on the table had been formed into a very simple handsign, but it was an absolute. Those weren't commonly used at all; it was like a human smiling extra wide, or screwing up their face in an exaggerated frown, backed up with total seriousness.
Regardless, you had a job to do, and you wouldn't let something like that rattle you. "Very well." You formed an equally simple sign for sincerity, but this one was a little less definitive. You couldn't promise an answer, after all. "May I ask the nature of the question?"
"It involves Practice," Lorelli noted, so helpfully. You'd have been shocked if it had been about anything else.
Emissary Merizan waited perhaps a beat after that little piece of theatre before speaking again. "What did you to me, Envoy?"
Oh hell. It had always been a possibility, you'd known that from the moment you committed to Speak a day and a half ago. That you might affect more than just the three Shiplord infected individuals in a meaningful way, one that they or others would notice. It had been a risk, but leaving those souls trapped would have been a greater one. Even if it brought up these sorts of awkward questions now, instead of later. Perhaps fortunately, trying to obfuscate would be futile.
"What changed?" You asked. A small part of you, a very small part, was almost thankful for the question. It gave you the most leeway in what you could say. The absolute in Kendl's hands transitioned into confusion, and you took the chance it offered. "I can guess, Emissary Merizan. But I'd like to be sure, if that's all the same to you. This is a sensitive matter, after all."
She didn't like the response, but she swallowed her instinctive reaction so well you almost didn't notice it. Sidra, on the other hand, was a different story. "With respect, Envoy Hawk, I think you're far more likely to be able to explain it than I am. All I know is that some of who I was a local day and a half ago isn't the same anymore. And we'd very much like to know why, as well as how what you did to me was even possible."
"To be clear," the Marionette cut in again. "This is considered our primary interaction for the day. There are others if this one is resolved, but what you did to Emissary Merizan requires an explanation. With that said, we are prepared to trade information."
"What sort of information?" You asked carefully.
"Given your defeat of the Tribute Fleet, you should have received a new set of Directives that grants you the ability to spread beyond your star. We are willing to offer First Secret derived drives significantly more advanced than the ones you can currently access, or the schematics for an interstellar communications relay, which you clearly do not possess. Given what we've judged of the likely Shiplord response, the latter is likely to be of more interest."
"That seems somewhat less than immediate," you began, and the Nilean signed a firm headshake.
"Whatever you did is going to be far less than immediate in terms of what it'll let us do, and I'm quite sure you know that." She stated bluntly. "You freed the subverted members of our diplomatic staff from something far worse than slavery, and that is appreciated. But the energy burst you released also affected me, somehow. Given that you didn't accuse me of having been subverted, I clearly wasn't under a similar influence. That said, it's not the only thing we're willing to offer."
"Although you appear to have a highly unusual understanding of the wider galaxy, not least cultural cues that you by all rights shouldn't have any awareness of, there's a great deal you don't know. Our contact package contained a brief summary, but there's a lot more than that to the galaxy. Between us all, we've been around for over five thousand of your years. In other words, what do you want to know?"
From your own knowledge, Adriana is almost certain to take the second option presented by the Emissary Merizan, although you're not sure what she'll want you to ask about. That said, you could suggest a topic of your own if you wish to. If you want to suggest a topic to ask about, or even a specific question, please write it in at the start of any vote. Beyond that, how do you intend to phrase Amanda's explanation of what she did to Kendl?
What do?
[] Write-in
