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It was surreal.
During his time with the B’born Defense Fleet, Jeck had taken part in a diplomatic mission or two. These included goodwill missions and joint military exercises, as well as faux war games to keep both sides sharp.
Nearly all of those had been with Human territories. And while they sometimes included politicians as well as military leaders, Jeck was seldom more than a passive observer.
The present situation was completely different.
Membership to the IITO was made up of various representatives from the various races. Both the Zathru and the Doolari had one overarching government when it came to their sovereignty. The Ravusq had various Q’suvar sectors, and even with many not yet signed onto the treaty, Human sectors were extremely numerous.
For meetings at the IITO headquarters, there was a central area where presenters could stand between the leadership and the rest of the IITO members. Today, for this conference, there was a large oval table.
The IITO leadership were ostensibly seated on one of the wider sides of the oval and stretching around one of the narrower sides. That included the Gavana, his aide-de-camp, the Nevarch of the IITA, several appointed secretaries and members of the IITO leadership, as well as four representatives of the Xorcerizts.
At the other narrow portion of the table were the crew of the Dawnstrider, as well as Alvon, Tara Kreth, Avra, and xerz assistant Pira Delvi.
On the other wider side of the table were the Ditufgne.
Their identified leader, the Engfu Ifugne Dit’Gfi, had a group of accompanying Ditufgne with him. Jeck had heard they commanded various Ditufgne ships, as well as serving as leaders among their people.
The Ditufgne were unarmed. Or at least, they appeared to be unarmed. But they were under heavy guard.
Given what had transpired because of the Ditufgne over the past few years, Jeck was unsurprised by this. He knew, also, that the guards were not just there to prevent them from doing anything untoward, but protecting them, too.
Almost every Human and Ravusq felt a sense of loss and grief. It may not have been their world or their sector of space and its related government. But members of their race – innocent members of their race – had been banished to the void between galaxies forever.
Or at least the lifetimes of those alive today.
The conversations happening across the large meeting space had not stopped with the arrival of the Ditufgne so much as dropped to whispers and more muted tones.
Jeck and the Dawnstrider crew would again be direct witnesses to history.
Despite their contract with the CSA to transport Alvon and serve as his command center being completed, Alvon, Nevarch Dromm, and Gavana Ruk Ruv Ruq had asked them to be present.
They were independents and not technically part of the IITO since the Dawnstrider was a legitimate independent transport under no government. But they worked within the worlds of the IITO, and neutral witnesses such as them and Avra were important to what was about to happen.
Jeck couldn’t help but feel astounded to be among this company. Arguably, these were the most powerful people across many sectors of space and multiple races. The Dawnstrider crew, with the exception of Ashira and Lii, were nobody of note.
The Gavana took his place at the center of the widest part of the oval, and a series of tones sounded across the room, bringing the body to order.
It was hard to miss just how uncomfortable the Ditufgne looked as they sat. Especially whenever they glanced towards the Xorcerizts.
“This meeting of the IITO executive board and governing body will come to order,” Ruk Ruv Ruq began. Jeck gave his full attention to the Gavana. “I would like to begin simply by welcoming everyone to this meeting. I would also extend a formal welcome to the Ditufgne representatives in attendance.”
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Then, he continued, “It is also my great pleasure to welcome so many unaligned observers to these proceedings. I’ll begin by welcoming representatives of the Pame and Qi’ta-ji.”
There was polite but not unenthusiastic applause. Alvon had told Jeck that both the Pame and Qi’ta-ji had expressed possible interest in joining the IITO.
Ruk Ruv Ruq said, “It is my great pleasure to introduce, for the first time for many of us here, representatives of the Torvodach, the Gree, Ba-ah’ka’shen-tof, and Zmikard. As Gavana of the Interspecies Interplanetary Treaty Organization, it is my hope that this is just the beginning of our association.”
Again, the applause was light but not without enthusiasm.
Jeck could still hardly get over these four extremely unfamiliar races.
Once the applause died down, the Gavana continued, “Before these talks get formally underway, I would like to lay down certain ground rules for what is to follow. Many of you will dislike this, but in the interests of diplomacy, it’s important that we bring this up right at the start. First, there will be no demands for reparations on the part of the Ditufgne.”
Shouts arose among the assembled members of the IITO body, but Ruk Ruv Ruq tapped on the tone signal several times, and they stopped.
He continued, “Let us be clear. The whole of the Ditufgne race participated to a greater or lesser degree in the atrocities committed against the members of this body. However, how do you put an entire race on trial? How do you hold a hearing for millions, if not billions, of beings from a single race?
“We know that they have some larger, less-combative ships out there and rotate crews. Yet the whole of their race is living in those ships without a homeworld in this galaxy. For these talks to be in any way productive, we must forgo certain types of justice for mutual cooperation. There will be no further discussion of this topic in this forum.”
The Gavana paused, which was met by silence. “Second, demands for formal punishment against the Ditufgne is impractical and would be counterproductive. And this body...”
But the Gavana was drowned out by shouts, cries, and angry voices arising among the members of the IITO. Though Ruk Ruv Ruq sounded the tones to reclaim the body’s attention multiple times, they continued to shout demands for justice.
Jeck watched as Nallatrum, leader of the Xorcerizts, arose. That seemed to have an effect on the gathered members of the IITO as they finally fell silent.
Nallatrum said, “IITO delegates, it is important that we take responsibility and accountability for this situation. Were it not for our ancestors – specifically, the peoples of Project Outbound – and their actions toward the Ditufgne, they would never have chosen to abandon their solar system as a race to come here. We cannot deny that our ancestors did wrong by the Ditufgne people. They made a grave mistake, one that they chose to disregard, and subsequently allowed to perpetuate, grow, and fester, rather than correct.
“While the Ditufgne have, as Humans would say, the lion’s share of the blame for all the death and destruction their incursion has caused over these past three years, the Xorcerizts, as the heirs of Project Outbound, are also accountable, and we must share some of that, too. If the Ditufgne are to be punished, so, too, should the Xorcerizts.”
That was met by silence. Jeck had been there when Nallatrum had first addressed the peoples of the galaxy, offering help to stop the incursion. He was just as powerful a speaker now as he had been then.
Nallatrum continued, “The people who made up Project Outbound kept a watch on the Ditufgne. They knew there was a danger. They knew the time would come when we, their progeny, their creation, would need to help the people they left behind because of the threat to them that they created.
“As the last of the peoples that undertook the voyage on Project Outbound began to pass, they told us that if the Ditufgne started to make their way to this galaxy, we were honor-bound to pay for their mistake. For it was taking the Ditugne DNA to use as the key to create the Xorcerizt race that was as incendiary as not offering them the means to leave their solar system.
“When we came here, we knew that the Ditufgne threat was too great for us to take on without helping you help yourselves. Via the compact we requested to share the weapons that made you capable of defeating the Ditufgne, this body, this Interplanetary Interspecies Treaty Organization, was born. That has, in short order, provided not just a means to end the incursion, but beyond that to work together to build an incredible future.”
Jeck felt as though he was holding his breath. The Xorcerizt leader was a captivating speaker.
“Now, together, we face the moment of truth,” Nallatrum said. “For all of their crimes, the destruction they wrought, the worlds to all intents and purposes destroyed, and the millions of lives lost, we understand that punishing the Ditufgne holds a certain appeal. But how do you punish an entire race?
“Monetary reparations are impossible, as member races of the IITO and the Ditufgne do not trade in the same currency. How do you choose any punishment for the whole race without it leading to their extermination? You came together to prevent your own extermination. Would any of you desire to commit genocide in the name of justice? No. No matter how dire their crimes, the Ditufgne are not deserving of annihilation.”
Nallatrum fell silent. There were no shouts, no calls for justice or action.
“Thank you, Nallatrum,” said Ruk Ruv Ruq. Nallatrum resumed his seat.
The Gavana continued. “This body was not formed to be any type of judge, jury, or executioner. Genocide, both the Nevarch and leadership of the CSA agree, would be the probable conclusion that would come of seeking punishment for the Ditufgne.”
This time, the body of the IITO did not respond with shouts. Only silence.
Ruk Ruv Ruq said, “Now that the ground rules for this discussion have been laid down, I would ask the Engfu of the Ditufgne, Ifugne Dit’Gfi, to state their case. You have agreed, after years of denying communication, to talk. What would you say to us?”
The Engfu of the Ditufgne arose, slowly. Jeck hadn’t realized that the Ditufgne all appeared to be around five-and-a-half feet tall.
The Engfu looked to his own people a moment. Then, he made it clear that he was looking at the rest of the assembled IITO members. Finally, his gaze made its way to the conference table and those around it.
Jeck still found Ifugne Dit’Gfi’s airy, soothing voice somehow out of place with both his appearance and what his forces had done.
“The Ditfugne people have not evolved in hundreds of thousands of years,” said Ifugne Dit’Gfi. “Many aspects of who we are have not changed across that time. Yet when the peoples of Project Outbound found us, they unintentionally changed us. Their refusal to share technology that would let us explore beyond our solar system enraged our ancestors. That rage fueled them to seek vengeance. And they shared their rage and anger with every subsequent generation, turning it into an unintentional evolutionary racial anger. That led us to this place.
“We were so set on exacting our revenge on the descendants of the peoples of Project Outbound, the whole of our race left that solar system behind in three waves. The time it took to make our way to this galaxy is counted in millennia and many generations of Ditufgne. Perhaps our ancestors chose to doom themselves and all of us with this endeavor and long voyage. But despite working to fulfill their mission and exact revenge, we have the capacity to pause and consider.”
Ifugne Dit’Gfi fell silent a moment, looking again at the delegates of the greater IITO beyond the conference table.
After a moment, he continued, “The leaders and I have come to realize that no plan was ever made for how much destruction it would take to slake our thirst for vengeance. That is why we started out by threatening only military forces. It does not matter now, but we agree that we never intended to send more than a handful of worlds - from each of the races that made up Project Outbound - to the void. But that does not have any bearing on matters now.
“We have come to realize that our actions caused you to unite in unexpected ways. With the help of the Xorcerizts, you gained defenses and weapons that lessened what advantages we have.”
The Engfu changed his tone. “We were so blinded by our rage that we could not see that it might lead to our extermination. Though we believe that we still possess more superior weapons than you, it has no meaning in the reality of your resolve and desire to defend yourselves and your homes. We do not have the numbers and would be overwhelmed and destroyed in the end. The truth is that without a cease-fire and these talks, we will bring about our own extermination.”
He paused, looking to his own people. They were nodding in agreement.
Ifugne Dit’Gfi looked once more to those around the conference table. “The Ditufgne people have been nomads for generations now. We left our solar system in the void behind millennia ago. It is not and has not been our home for generations. Thus, we would discuss a means to remain here, in this galaxy, and not return across the void.”