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“...will find these fabrics to be of a quality like nothing your clients have ever encountered before. We had never before considered their potential value as unfinished product.”
Avra was in Pame space, on a world whose name xez could not pronounce. Pira Delvi was, as always, at xerz side, but looking decidedly uncomfortable in her spacesuit.
The atmosphere of this planet was hostile to Avra’s Human assistant, both unbreathable and containing a radiation that would sicken her. The spacesuit would protect her from both, but it still made things ever so slightly awkward.
Avra looked across the table of fabric between xerz and the Pame weaver, who was named Vii-hak. Her eyeless face was embedded within her chest, the four eyestalks protruding from the top of her body, fleshy-looking tubes with eyes not unlike Human eyes at their end. The feather-like hair was the only outward indicator that Vii-hak was female.
Avra reached forward, touching the fabric. It was quite unique, and the sensation of it was pleasing to xerz skin.
“I am delighted we can come to this arrangement,” Avra said. “As head of the weaver’s guild, I know the supply you are offering is quite impressive. I will have to have this run through some tests—to make sure it is not an allergenic to any race I might wish to sell it to.”
“Oh,” Vii-hak said, leaning back in clear surprise. “Is that a potential issue?”
Avra smiled. “You may not think so, but it could be.” Xez gestured to Pira. “Given that my assistant cannot be on this planet safely, it is important to consider if a material that has come from a world such as this may have an ill effect on....”
Without warning, Avra felt a terrible sinking feeling in the pit of xerz stomach. It was as if the greatest sense of sadness, disappointment, and even terror had all washed through xerz all at once. Never before had Avra experienced something like that, and it left xerz momentarily stunned and silent.
Xez could not comprehend what xez was experiencing, and all else fell away. Avra turned xerz complete attention within, trying to understand what this powerful sensation was. Xez could not identify the “where” of it, but it was clearly sensory input.
Avra knew then it was the innate telepathic ability of xerz people. Having not been raised in a Conclave, xerz own telepathic sense was somewhat underdeveloped. But Avra knew as soon as xez identified it was it was.
A moment later xez was back. Vii-hak’s four eyestalks were all pointed with clear concern at Avra. Pira had placed a hand on xerz arm, gently shaking at xerz and asking with concern, “Avra? Avra? What is it? Avra?”
“Pira,” xez finally responded.
Xerz assistant took a deep breath.
Avra continued, “I am terribly sorry to alarm you both.”
Avra arose. “I need to apologize, Vii-hak, but there is an urgent matter I must attend to immediately. It is my greatest desire to complete this transaction, but with apologies, I must return to my ship to take care of this. We will reach out to you in a few hours. Sorry. Pira?”
Avra walked away, Pira falling into step beside xerz a moment later.
“Avra, what’s happening? Are you alright?” Pira asked.
“I am alright,” Avra said, not breaking xerz stride nor looking at xerz assistant. “But something very bad has happened to my people.”
<—>
An hour later, Avra was staring at the face on xerz screen in disbelief.
“But that’s unthinkable,” xez said.
The face of the current Provisional Prime of Yalifrey looked grim on xerz screen. “Yet this is the situation. We have dispatched starships to Litronia, as have both the Ravusq Q’suvar Jn and the Gardarran Pulsar Confederation. But we received the distress signal, as well as satellite imagery. They did not prevent those transmissions, as they have in other attacks. They wanted us to know.”
Avra said, “And now the Ditufgne have launched an attack on our people and wiped out the K’trayalifrey Conclave.”
“Even you felt it,” the Provisional Prime said. “Every one of us did.”
“Is there evidence of any survivors?” Avra asked.
“Not yet. But you are fully aware that the Ditufgne tend to be thorough.”
Avra sighed. “That they do.”
“Avra Pii K’tark’ah,” the Provisional Prime addressed xerz formally. “You have established a relationship with the opposition to the Ditufgne, these Xorcerizts. Your people need your help.”
“You wish me to negotiate shields for the conclaves?” Avra asked.
“Since it is now evident that they are in danger, yes.”
Upon learning the tragedy that xez had felt, Avra had already considered this. “Of course, Provisional Prime. I will make contact and reach out to you as soon as I have.”
“Thank you,” the Provisional Prime said. “We are not pacifists, but neither do we harbor troops. But if the Ditufgne target our most innocent...we have to protect them.”
“How many were at the Conclave?”
“Over eleven thousand.”
Avra took a deep breath, then let it out through xerz teeth. “I will make this my top priority.”
The Provisional Prime inclined xerz head, then xerz image was no longer on the screen.
Avra turned to xerz right, where Pira Delvi had sat quietly. After removing her spacesuit and going through a thorough decontamination process, she had insisted on being with Avra. And Avra found xez was grateful for that.
“We will need to rearrange my schedule,” Avra informed her.
Pira nodded. “I will see to it, Avra. Do you wish me to request a meeting with the Xorcerizts?”
“Yes. As soon as possible.”
<—>
One of the advantages to being an android was that you had no true emotions.
At least, not in the respect that other sentient beings did.
Hectir’s new android body processed data faster than the old one. Further, it also allowed for him to better emulate Human beings, including expressions and emotional responses. He would only admit to Alvon Gargarm how uncomfortable this made him feel.
In his spare time, Hectir gave such things consideration. Android emotions were synthetic, approximations of emotions Humans tended to feel and express. However, they were far more measured, tempered, and could even be turned off.
As long as Hectir had been activated and working on using Human emotions, he believed he had a relatively strong approximation of the true feelings of Human beings. The main difference, he surmised, was that where emotions could overwhelm Human logic and reason, that was not an issue for him.
Still, sometimes things happened that caused his logic and reasoning to seriously consider allowing emotions to dominate.
“How many?” DDO Silvas vin-Aptu asked again.
“More than eleven thousand,” replied DDI Jeck Baryorn.
“Civilians,” breathed Alvon’s hologram. “The Yalifira have no military.”
“Have they ever?” asked DDG Canta Berna’s hologram.
“Long, long ago,” remarked Hectir. “Or so I was told some years ago by a former deep archivist from Yalifrey. Around the time that they were first meeting the other major races.”
Alvon, light-years away in hyperspace, shook his head. “This is just too devastating. The whole conclave was simply wiped out?”
“So it would seem,” replied DDI Baryorn. “Despite shields and underground shelters.”
“It did not do us much good at Gilmard,” Hectir stated. To his own surprise, his voice held a touch of anger. His memory of the “death” of his former body was lacking, as the final upload of his personality had occurred minutes before. Still, as an android, the time lapse was unusual and hard to reconcile.
“How far has this information spread?” asked DDG Berna.
“Thus far, it is known only to the Yalifira, the governments of the Ravusq Q’suvar Jn and the Gardarran Pulsar Confederation, and the Agency,” said DDI Baryorn.
“How long can we keep it that way?” asked DDG Berna.
“That’s a good question,” said DDO vin-Aptu.
Hectir had a thought on that. “For the most part, we may have little difficulty maintaining the secrecy of this.”
“How’s that?” asked Alvon.
“There are several reasons,” Hectir explained. “First, the Conclave was located on an out-of-the-way planet in a remote starsystem. Second, no other races were impacted by this attack. Third, the Yalifira will not bring this to the public, just as all business involving their conclaves is secret. Fourth, the Yalifira as a race understand the importance of why this cannot be made public.”
“What am I missing?” asked Alvon.
Hectir understood the question. “The attack on Gilmard and destruction of Ordan killed many civilians, but the attack targeted Agency headquarters. The civilians, as such, were collateral damage. This attack on the Yalifira was the first specifically targeting non-military peoples.”
“Oh,” Alvon said. “If this got out, it could cause a panic.”
“Yes,” agreed DDG Berna. “If people conclude that the Ditufgne will start to attack civilian populations...there is no telling what that could do. Panic is a major concern.”
“This does raise the unanswered question,” began DDI Baryorn. “what is the motivation on the part of the Ditufgne? Why do they rebuke or ignore all attempts to make contact? Why do they focus solely on military and related forces?”
“Alvon?” asked Hectir.
Alvon sighed. “Nallatrum, Arryl, and Araihs said they would do what they can to learn more details. Clearly, they have nothing but speculation to go on. But, to that end, they think this might be a show of strength. Civilian populations present no challenge. But defeating a military force shows superiority. Attacking the military forces would make sense if the Ditufgne wish to prove their superiority despite lack of evolution, as well as to establish a dominant position.”
“Then why attack a Yalifira conclave?” asked DDO vin-Aptu.
Hectir had an answer. “Because they are the only race represented in Project Outbound they had not hurt yet. They went to Yalifrey, learned there was no military to attack, and that neither could they strike at the planet itself without incurring unreasonable damage to their fleet. Logically, they chose another target to make their point.”
“They have made multiple attacks against every race that took part in Project Outbound,” said DDI Baryorn. “They have drawn in the Xorcerizts in the process. For a short time, they had been quiet—until this new attack. I am concerned this is a change in tactic.”
“It could be,” agreed DDG Berna.
“Maybe,” Alvon said. “But I don’t think so. They largely went quiet after their failed attempt on Yalifrey. And I think this was just their solution to that. Perhaps we should analyze if we can find some sort of pattern in the timing of the attacks against the various races. See if there is a any.”
“I agree with DDCSA Gargarm,” Hectir said. “We should simply alert the other races that the Ditufgne have attacked again, but without getting into the specifics.”
“That will put them back on alert,” remarked DDO vin-Aptu.
“Which, in turn, means they will be on the lookout for any new surprises,” added DDI Baryorn.
“Alvon, you were returning here, yes?” asked Hectir.
“Yes, Director,” Alvon said.
“Change course and join Avra when xez meets with the Xorcerizts,” Hectir ordered.
“Very good,” Alvon agreed.
Hectir considered a moment. (He did not need to pause for more than a fraction of a nanosecond in thought, but long ago had found that changing his thoughts too soon unnerved biologicals.)
“DDCSA Gargarm, you must press the Xorcerizts to get the Ditufgne to open a dialogue,” Hectir said. “This incursion is disrupting too many lives while remaining an enigma. To wantonly destroy pieces of each of these races for revenge is one thing, but to what end? None have been able to surrender, and now the Xorcerizts, somehow evolved of ancestors of all the races impacted, arrive and offer assistance.
“Do all that you can to learn if this is truly some plot by the Ditufgne for vengeance—or if Humans, Doolari, Zathru, Ravusq, and Yalifira are pawns in a more insidious game.”