I relaxed in the cargo bay, my head resting on the block of platinum as I waited. The cargo hold of the shuttle was not the largest, but at least I could lay down if I curled my tail a bit.
Ensign Kim was piloting us down to the surface while Dinah provided security.
The Toliax had been fairly friendly when contacted. They had given us a flight corridor to land at a pretty isolated location on the southern continent. From the sensor scans, it looked like a base of some sort.
Which made sense in my mind.
I wouldn't want unknown aliens wandering around in my cities either, especially if these people are pre-spaceflight. But they clearly had traded with people that were.
We had talked to them on subspace and while their tech seemed to be somewhere equivalent to humanity back in the nineteen nineties, using fossil fuel powered vehicles and such, we had detected the signature of several much more advanced fusion reactors.
I kept an eye on the sensors in my visor. On the way through the lower atmosphere we had been joined by a pair of what had to be military fighter craft.
Feeling a bit bored, I poked a bit at their computer security. As expected, it was kinda crap. But while I could listen in to their communications, I couldn't outright take control of their craft.
Either they weren't computer controlled or their fly-by-wire systems were isolated.
Which wasn't exactly foolproof, but would make me work for it..
They seemed to find the design of our shuttle interesting from the chatter. Their weapons were radar guided, so I added a macro that would scatter radar to trigger if we raised shields.
They'd need a nuke to get through our shields, but there was no need to be sloppy about it.
"On final approach, Lieutenant," Ensign Kim's voice said through the comm system.
"Acknowledged," I responded and pushed myself up to sit with a jawn.
Then I simply waited for the small shudder of the shuttle to settle down before I moved towards the ramp. Huginn got up from its seat and moved to hold a hand above the open control panel before waiting.
I checked the readings.
All showed as clear.
I nodded and the ramp started to lower. There was a hiss of equalizing gasses and sunlight filtered in along with the scent of the outside. It smelled dry.
Unsurprising, we were in a desert.
Several vehicles were approaching at a low speed. They looked like personal vehicles, not military. No weapons and they didn't look armored.
Each of them painted white as well and seemed to be of the same rounded models.
They came to a stop about a hundred meters away, engines quieting.
I walked down the ramp, Huginn and Muninn following behind me as I stretched a bit on the way down, wings rising high and wide before I folded them again.
Then I stopped a dozen meters from the ramp and simply sat down on the hot concrete to wait.
No movement from the vehicles.
That's right, you may admire my magnificence. Either that or keeping me waiting was a negotiation tactic. If that was their plan, they would be kinda disappointed.
I really rather enjoyed the feeling of being outside again and feeling a real sun against my scales.
So I just let my eyes half close as I enjoyed the bright sunshine.
Maybe five minutes later, the door of the middle vehicle opened and three people got out.
The aliens were avian in appearance. Humanoid, blue feathered with beaks and... okay, they looked like giant bipedal budgies. There was no way around it, down to the damn white heads and black streaks.
They were slightly larger than humans, but not significantly.
What seemed to be the lead one was wearing a bright scarlet robe, the other two following were wearing hot pink ones.
Fascinating, status indicated by the fullness of colors? Anything at this point would be idle speculation of course. It may be as simple as he's wearing new robes and theirs have been through the wash too many times.
They approach, bringing a scent of peppers with them.
The budgie aliens smelled like peppers. That's a giant step up from human stink, could I make some trades perhaps? I doubt Captain Janeway would approve, but maybe I could at least switch out Neelix. That would greatly save on my nose.
They stopped maybe five meters before me, the lead one spreading her arms, "I am Envoy Trillk. Welcome to Toliax, strange one."
"I am Zephyr. I take your greeting and return it equally, Envoy Trillk," I said, "We have come to trade for supplies with your people."
"We do not recognize your species," she said, lowering her arms again, "Nor the design of your craft."
"We are simply passing through this area of space," I explained, "We transmitted a list of what we require as we entered the system as requested. I take it that you have reviewed it?"
Trillk spread her arms once more, this time in a more encircling motion, "We have. For what you wish of us, we would like a fusion reactor."
"No."
The feathers on the top of her head rose a bit, "No?"
"No," I said again before I clarified, "This is not a negotiation tactic. It is against one of our most important laws to trade our technology to less advanced species. We can offer cultural materials or raw resources. Even some limited technology within your band that you do not have yet, but no advanced technology."
She was quiet for several moments before she lowered her arms, "In which case, perhaps we do not have what you wish."
"Envoy," I said, "If that is the case, then we will leave. Stopping at your world is convenient, nothing else. We can easily find an uninhabited world to gather the supplies. Trading with you does nothing but save us a bit of time to gather it ourselves. But perhaps you would wish to reconsider?"
I motioned with one paw and Huginn reached into the bag it carried over one shoulder and pulled out three small bars.
It held them up so they could see it before walking forward to stand in the middle between us, holding them out towards the Envoy.
She hesitated before motioning towards the flunkey to her right.
He cautiously approached, clawed hand trembling slightly as he reached out to take them before he retreated back to his two companions.
He showed her and they poked and prodded a bit at the bars before she turned back to me,
"This is... gold?"
"One bar of gold, silver and platinum respectively. Do you find these materials valuable?"
She hesitated, "...We do..." she admitted.
I thought so, she was wearing a couple of rings of what looked like gold around several fingers.
"Those are molecularly pure with no subsurface contaminants. We are willing to pay for our supplies in any metal you wish. It can just as easily be platinum as iron," I explained, "Or even more advanced materials. More valuable materials are simply easier to transport."
Envoy Trillk was quiet for several seconds, a bar of platinum slowly turning around in her claws as she studied me before she glanced towards the shuttle, "The shuttle seems small for your species," she commented.
"It is. Most beings on our crew are closer to your size," I confirmed, "I was chosen to negotiate with you because I have experience with civilizations at your level of development. I decided to come alone, I am aware I am intimidating enough without adding more people."
The feathers on her head stood up again before she motioned with her left hand, "What of these two?" she asked, indicating Huginn and Muninn.
"They are machines, no people," I explained, "Nothing more than computer controlled robotics. Some things people your size use are too small or insignificant to bother with, so I have them to assist me with such matters."
Her feathers slowly lowered, "I understand," she said, "We would need to discuss trading for these metals. We would prefer advanced technology, to trade for metals instead, even something as gold, we would need a significant amount."
"Do not discuss for too long," I cautioned her, "Like I said, we do not need to trade with you, it's simply a matter of convenience. And I know the value of such metals. While we are willing to pay, do not be tempted to ask too high a price."
Trillk's feathers went right back up before she spread her arms, "I understand," she said before handing the platinum back to the same flunkey and he started to step forward.
I raised one paw and he froze, "No need to return them," I said, "Consider it a sample and a gift."
He backed up and her feathers fluffed out a bit,
"We thank you, Zephyr," she said, "We will return with our offer in a quarter solar cycle."
"That is agreeable," I confirmed.
As they retreated back to their vehicle, I waited until their doors closed before I spoke again, "What do you think, Captain?" I asked over the open comm channel.
"Well done, Lieutenant. You don't think you pushed them a bit hard?"
"No, they'll fold. They have even less of those metals on their planet than Earth did, our orbital scans showed so much. Each of those bars I handed her is worth more than she makes a year, even at her likely level of income. They'll fold to greed, the question is simply how much they ask for. Whatever it is, I'll say it's too much and negotiate them downwards. They'll argue and we'll end up with a trade around eighty percent of what they want."
"Why would we bother? We can easily mine more."
I snorted, "Because it's what these primitives expect. If they realize we find it worthless, they'll be suspicious. As for now, we simply wait. And I'm going to be staying right here, enjoying their sunlight."
