"Angry?" he echoed back, unsure exactly what she meant.

"You haven't been behaving the way you did aboard ship getting here, especially out here," she said with audible distaste.

"You want the whole--," he started, but stopped short of pulling out his palmpad to translate, lacking the word 'recital.' He paused, trying to read her expression before he continued.

"Well, let's see. Since I've gotten here I've been lied to, insulted, threatened, spied on, warned about secret organizations amongst a people who consider lying a crime, abducted, trapped in an out-of-control aircar set to crash into a mountainside--with a bomb in it none-the-less... Oh, and given a truth drug--that really made me feel welcome, but we'll leave that bit out of it and focus on the city side of it for now."

Sarsh'ta tried to say something, looking defensive, but he cut her off by continuing. "I've been nothing but polite and patient, and in return have been told that if I really work at it, I might gain the respect you accord your children. I've tried to offer polite advice, but you people are too busy competing with each other over petty garbage to get anything done."

"I'm not angry at you, Sarsh'ta," he said, forcing himself into a less angry tone. "But I am frustrated and I was disappointed. I understand change doesn't come natural to you, but I expected you to be a little better about it. I'm sure that being sent out here caught you off guard and threw you off balance. Of everyone here, I'm not supposed to be the one getting you all to work together."

"I'm sorry I just about yelled at you in the hut before. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm taking some of this out on you. It just seems like I keep having to say the same things over and over again."

He lowered his voice, knowing what he was about to say, and knowing he absolutely did not want to yell it out. "And let's face it, Sarsh'ta, Logur isn't going to do the right thing, and by taking power when he did he probably wrecked the best chance at surviving the Brey-hahd. Even once I can get a request for help out, it's probably, what, ten days, twelve, before help can even get here? I don't even know that, I haven't been allowed to know how far it is. If it had been done already there'd probably have been a chance of my government's ships heading off the Brey-hahd before they got here, and at least delaying them."

"But they're here. They've taken a moon already. Maybe while he's been busy dealing with a fragmented and ...stolen government he's also been able to do something about the Brey-hahd. Or maybe not, and we'll all be in slave camps tomorrow. Just tell me there's an option, a believable option, better than me trying to stay alive in a Brey-hahd slave camp long enough to hope that maybe, just maybe, my people will happen to carry the war over here. If they do, they'd end up wanting to liberate this planet, and if they found out I was alive they'd do what they could. But right now even that feels like a long shot."

"And I wish you would quit separating yourself from these people, Sarsh'ta," he added, gesturing at the camp around them. "They are Rich'ti, just as you are. We Humans are divided into many, nearly countless individual groupings that differ in culture or religion or some other way that makes it so they can't get along with most of the other groups. However, when a Human planet is attacked, no matter who resides on it, we take that as an act of war against the entire race. We pull together as one people and everyone contributes to defend against the threat. All those minor distinctions that separate us on a daily basis are forgotten when the need for unity arises. And we always come out better people for it afterwards."

"These people are criminals," she whispered to him with a look of shock on her face.

"Look around you, Sarsh'ta," he replied, his anger rising again. "Do these people look like criminals to you? How many of them have been born out here and never even seen the inside of a Rich'ti city? And you've been cast out here rather casually yourself. Would you consider anyone else who was cast out in the manner you were to be a criminal too? How many of the population is that? They've adapted to their circumstances, yes, but they are the same as you are - Rich'ti. The Brey-hahd won't be making any distinction between them and those in the city, believe me."

She started to cry, which surprised him. His instincts were to reach out and try and give her some measure of comfort, softening his words some, but he knew he couldn't. Instead, he followed what he knew any Rich'ti would do. He got up and walked away. He walked slowly across the camp and out of the corner of his eye he watched as she got up and retreated into a nearby hut. He quietly reminded himself that she was the one being unreasonable and that he was making the right move just then. He only hoped he hadn't just lost a valuable ally.

He was stopped on his walk by Ar'shan.

"He's coming," she told him, looking as if she was holding back some excitement.

"Agronet?" he asked, figuring that it was the only possible answer.

"Yes," she nodded at him, practically bouncing. For just a moment, he saw her as a child about to see her father for the first time in her life after years of expectations. He only hoped Agronet managed to meet with her approval.

"When?" he asked, holding back the urge to chuckle at her enthusiasm.

"This afternoon, probably early," she answered. "It means you'll get to speak to him before the meeting tonight and have the chance to set some things in motion already."

"Where?" Kevan asked.

"Just to the north of the camp." She gave a measure of distance but he didn't feel like using the datapad to try and figure out how many miles they'd have to go.

"How long will it take us to get there?" he asked instead.

"Maybe an hour by foot. Your legs are shorter so you might not travel as swiftly as we do and you've recently been wounded as well, so we'll plan for a little extra time just in case."

He let that one slide by, not feeling like getting into another competition just yet that could leave him exhausted later.

He briefly considered making a point of having her tell Sarsh'ta that he'd be coming. She'd want to see him. On the other hand, he decided, he wasn't sure he wanted her there.

"If it's at all possible, he should be brought here. I don't know how much he knows about life out here, or if his concerns are mostly for you and Sarsh'ta. He should see that there's real, valid life going on out here. He should know what's at stake for you and yours in all of this."

"Also," he added, "he should probably be at the meeting. The true state of the war is an important factor in the meeting, and who is going to know that better than him? Admittedly, that's not my decision."

"Eesh'ket will be with us meeting him. We could go talk to him now," she said, still a little bouncy with excitement. "Very well," Kevan agreed, and she led him off.

They found him with a small group of males, helping repair a hut that was looking a bit weathered. He say them coming and stepped away from the work.

"So, she told you he's coming, and now you have a favor to ask of me, am I right?"

"Favor isn't the word I'd have chosen," Kevan replied. "But I do have a suggestion, which you might have though of already. Are you planning on bringing him to the meeting later?"

"I wasn't planning on it. I didn't think he'd have the time."

"Considering what's going on, he'd better make time. I think for what he needs to do, he should see the life you have here. He should see that it isn't something to discount. On top of that, he can answer all your questions on the Brey-hahd and the status of the war."

"We will try to invite him to the meeting then," Eesh'ket agreed. "I was not meaning to suggest it was a bad idea, but I expect his ability to stay here undetected will be limited at best. I highly doubt he is informing anyone else of his intent and he is a high enough figure that his whereabouts will be questioned if he is missing for very long. But we can certainly extend the invitation."

"I'm sure he'll understand that we're more than just a few castaways, Kevan," Ar'shan told him. "I've said as much in the messages I've sent him. He knows that there is an entire community out here. He's asked questions in his own letters, wanting to know how many we numbered. I've told him of the other tribes as well."

"It is much harder for someone to overlook a person when they've met them personally, however," Kevan pointed out. "If Agronet sees the leaders of the other communities, it becomes more personal, more real. If he's hesitant to step forward and do something yet, putting a Rich'ti face behind the need might just be the edge needed to tip the scales in our favor."

"We will try," Eesh'ket said. "Right now we must deal with each situation as it comes. If he can come to our meeting, it will be of great benefit, but if he cannot we shall try to get as much information as he has time to give us so we may take it back to the meeting ourselves. We leave in just under four hours to head for the meeting point. Until then, I suggest you both spend your time thinking on how you can say all that you want to in the least amount of words to maximize whatever time we may have to speak with him." The last part seemed aimed primarily at Ar'shan, and was delivered with the Rich'ti equivallent of a smile. As Kevan saw it he realized that Eesh'ket had taken on the responsibilities of fathering her in Agronet's place. It was suddenly obvious to him that there was a parent-child style of bond between them.

"Well, I pretty much know what I need to say," Kevan suggested, turning towards Ar'shan, "I've seen him more recently, if nothing else."

Again he thought about Sarsh'ta, and whether she'd be brought with or left here, and whether Agronet would be pleased at her presence or distracted by it. It would be difficult enough for him to formulate plans and catch up with his daughter at the same time. In the end, Kevan left it up to them.

"In the mean time," he said, "I'd just as soon keep busy with something useful. Could you use an extra pair of hands there?" He gestured towards the hut.

"Certainly, come," Eesh'ket said. He nodded to Ar'shan, who turned and bounded off, before leading Kevan to the hut and the work group. Eesh'ket introduced them to him, and told them to show him what to do. Then Eesh'ket excused himself and left.

The Rich'ti were a mix of adults and near-adults. The younger ones had a more slender build, and their coloring was slightly muted. At first they seemed reluctant about him, but he worked at a good pace, and they warmed up to him. It wasn't long before they were asking him about other worlds and travel between the stars.

None of them had flown, yet alone flown in space, and he had to reassure them that there were plenty of humans that hadn't, either. He tried to present differences and similarities together, hopefully helping reinforce that while there were differences, they were not huge or insurmountable.

When they had finished repairing that hut, he went with the group across the camp and helped them begin work on another one. The second hut was not as badly damaged as the first, mostly needing some repair done on it's roof. It was explained to him that the materials they used in the roofing was also used by some of the local birds to make their nests. During certain seasons the birds would see the huts as an easy source of materials and "borrow" from the rooftops, leaving holes. It was important that they get the huts repaired before the heavy rain season began. The workers spoke fondly of the birds, however, suggesting that they didn't mind the yearly repair job.

They finished that roof quickly enough, and were working on another one before Ar'shan found him to tell him it was time to leave. The workers all waved and said goodbye to him as he left and he made a point of thanking them for their instruction.

"It seems you've made some more friends," Ar'shan commented as they headed away. "I imagine that's part of why you were picked to come to this planet."

"Well I do prefer making friends as opposed to making enemies," Kevan joked. "I enjoy meeting as many people in a new culture as I can. The more I meet, the more I get to understand the importance of some details that I might otherwise miss. It helps me keep perspective. If you only meet the designated representatives of a race of people, you will have a very skewed idea of who they are."

"Do you always speak like an elder?" Ar'shan asked, laughing.

"I'm afraid it's in both my nature and training," Kevan replied, trying not to grin. He used the Rich'ti nod equivallent instead.

"That's part of the reason I was chosen to come here, I think."

"You must be regarded very wise among your people," she said.

"Oh, I don't know about that. Not very wise, necessarily. But some of it comes from ...the job I have," he tried to explain, lacking the word for diplomat. "Also, because I normally speak in a different language, I have to think and translate everything I say. That makes it a little less likely for me to say something without meaning what I say."

"That makes sense."

She led him to the rest of the group that was going. It was not a large group, and was gathered at the edge of the settlement. Eesh'ket was there, carrying a bag slung over his shoulder, along with what looked to be an assistant or an advisor. There were two elders he had seen before, but he didn't know their names. Finally were two burly warriors with rifles. He noticed that Sarsh'ta was not included.

Eesh'ket nodded to him and Ar'shan, and led them off into the trees. The forest was dimmer away from the open clearing, but it was by no means dark. It was only a few minutes before it felt like wilderness to him. They followed a trail for a while, but it was not a heavily trafficked trail to begin with.

With their longer legs they could have pressed a faster pace, but they traveled at a speed the elders could maintain. He didn't have any problems with it. They didn't talk as they walked, and in the silence he had the opportunity to really hear the forest. There was more and more to hear the farther from the settlement they got. The Rich'ti feet were more like paws, and made little noise on the soft ground and undergrowth. Kevan watched where he put his bare feet. He didn't normally walk barefoot much, and without boots or shoes his own feet made little noise.

Leaves rustled in the wind, and birds sang to each other. Now and then something skittered or lumbered away from them. From time to time he saw brown fur as some creature moved off. The warriors carried their rifles ready but not nervously.

He was distracted enough that it did not seem to take very long to get there, although he realized that his legs ached from the effort. It occurred to him that the time he'd been bed-ridden had taken a toll on some of his muscles, no matter how much they seemed to have been exercised for him. He made a mental note to schedule in some exercise time to tone them back into shape again.

They stopped at the edge of a large clearing that had a very shallow area of water in the center of it. Ar'shan quietly explained that it was normally a larger pond, but the dry season had reduced the water again. She pointed out the cuts in the soil where pond's edges would normally be. A few birds flew in and out of the water, splashing and cooling off. Kevan realized he was warm, but the canopy of leaves above them was doing an excellent job of keeping the sun off so it wasn't too hot. He was a little sweaty after the walk, however, and hoped that he didn't smell too offensive to the others.

They waited there at the edge, speaking in hushed tones. One of the elders seemed concerned that Agronet wasn't going to come after all, until the sound of an aircar grew slowly louder as it approached. Kevan looked up to see that it was a smaller aircar, only having seating for three, unlike the others he'd been in thus far. The birds scattered with irritated squawks as Agronet lowered the aircar into one side of the dry area of pond bed. The ground beneath it sank a little under it's weight as it landed and powered down, and dust flew up everywhere.

It took a moment before the air cleared and Agronet hopped down to the ground, looking wary. Kevan noticed that he wore some sort of holster on a belt, and it looked like he had a heavy pistol in it. Standing next to Kevan, Ar'shan seemed frozen as she watched him. He had a feeling she might be holding her breath as well.

Agronet paused for a moment and Eesh'ket stepped forward. Kevan found himself stepping forward as well.

"So you really are still alive," Agronet said to him once they were close enough.

"I don't give up easy, I'd have thought you'd noticed that already."

"Thank you for coming," Eesh'ket said. "I am Eesh'ket, I am the leader of this community. I understand the risks you are taking just coming here. How long can you afford to be away?"

"Do you mean how long will it be until I'm missed?" Agronet asked, looking wary.

"He means," Kevan jumped in, "that there is a lot to discuss, and a couple different ways to do it, depending on how much time you can afford."

"Ah, I see. Not long, a couple of hours perhaps."

"Well then I'd like to start with introductions," Eesh'ket said. He turned and waved the others over. The two warriors pointedly slung their rifles on the way over. Eesh'ket introduced his aide and the two elders first. "And lastly, Ar'shan, who has been waiting for some time to meet you."

At that she ran forward into Agronet's arms. Agronet leaned down and set his forehead on the top of her head.

"We aren't going anywhere," Kevan suggested, "so we have a little time. Why don't we let Agronet and his daughter have some time first?"

"I do not believe we have that kind of time right now," Agronet said with obvious regret in his voice and on his face as he lifted his head. "If we can get through all of this, then there will be time enough later." Ar'shan nodded at him.

"There is much to be discussed," she agreed stepping back.

The aide had been carrying a bundle which turned out to be mats for everyone to sit on, and he quickly ran around handing them out. They sat in a small circle at the edge of the clearing.

"How is the situation with the Brey-hahd?" Kevan asked as soon as they were seated.

"Not good. They are stripping the moon. Our scientists had predicted that if the moon was mined too much or too quickly it would eventually break apart. I won't pretend to understand all the implications of that but the scientific community is in constant meetings right now trying to determine how much damage they are doing. In the meantime, the Brey-hahd are continuing to test our defenses here on the planet. There have been three more scout squadrons that have flown through, going over major cities mostly. They've been firing on areas with dense population, which has yeilded some mass casualties." He sounded grim and Kevan could tell that Agronet didn't think it would be long before an all-out invasion occurred on the planet.

"Our long-range scans and ships further out have confirmed another larger ship of theirs on it's way here," Agronet continued. "We've got about two weeks before it arrives. It's expected that the invasion is planned to happen when that ship arrives with fresh Brey-hahd troops."

"What is the new Takor doing about this?" Eesh'ket asked before Kevan could.

"Logur," Agronet said the name as if he were spitting it, "is a coward, who has already given up before the battle has ever begun. He is ready to flee our homeworld for another. I have told him that if there was ever a place to make a stand against them, our planet of origin is the one, but he is already making plans to begin evacuating people in three days time. His advisors are divided on the matter, even the ones he's managed to replace since murdering Gertat."

Kevan raised an eyebrow at that. "You know for a fact he was murdered?"

"Gertat was an honorable Takor," Agronet said with a sigh. "I warned him repeatedly to safeguard himself against Logur, and he knew that there would eventually be trouble, but he refused to act without specific provocation. However Logur managed to defeat Gertat, he could not have done it without using some underhanded measures. I was not present at the challenge, but saw the footage - Logur was overconfident and showing off. I could tell by the expressions on Gertat's face that he had been compromised somehow. I just don't know what was done, so I have no way to prove it. I suspect he was drugged, as Gertat's body was destroyed very quickly afterwards."

"There is something you should know, Kevan," Agronet continued. "Gertat had put far more research and faith in your kind than he openly admitted to the public. He fully expected to broker an arrangement of some sort with them in order to stop the Brey-hahd's advancement. I believe he hoped Logur would wait until the Brey-hahd were taken care of, but he did give me instructions on what to do if something should happen. You were meant to pave the way for further relations with the Humans, but there was not enough time to move to the next step of his plan. Upon Gertat's death, I contacted your people. I have explained some of the situation here and am attempting to negotiate their assistance. I have been told they are sending some ships already, as a show of good faith, and I have transferred some specifications on a few of our medical technologies as a show of ours."

"Any estimates on how long until they get here?" Kevan asked hopefully.

"It looks as though they'll arrive about a day ahead of the Brey-hahd. There was one question I had for you, though."

"Oh?"

"Yes. They sent a list of the ships with some basic information on each. There's a large battleship and seven smaller ships. Two of the smaller ships are identical, but otherwise each ship is very different from the rest. It doesn't make sense."

"I'm sorry?" Kevan asked, "What about it doesn't make sense?"

"Over time we've found an ideal configuration for our ships. It's a balance of power and weapons and shields and mobility. Smaller ships have fewer weapons, lighter shields, and better agility. It's a configuration that scales up or down as needed. It makes sense. But your ships are all different. Different shapes, different layouts, radically different mixes of weapons and shields and sensors. How can your crews keep track of what's what?"

Kevan thought for a moment before explaining. "Our crew members are trained to specialize in a ship's position, and each ship has a specialty of its own. So a crewman trained in sensors can operate sensors on any ship, for example."

"As for the ships, we group them into battle groups, smaller sub-fleets. One ship might carry a large number of fighters, while another ship might be heavily loaded with anti-fighter weapons. Another ship might concentrate on having powerful sensors, but might have fewer weapons as a result. Other screening ships at the edges of the group would be faster to be able to intercept an incoming attack--to protect the sensor ship, for example. Trying to have everything on one ship is ...inefficient. But by having a variety of strengths and weaknesses everything is covered, and the group strengths cover the group weaknesses.

We do the same thing with our ground warriors. Out of a group of ten or so, one might have a heavier weapon, one might have more medical training, one might handle communication with command, and so on. All are trained as general warriors, but then each one also has an additional function. Then one group might be heavily armed, while another group might have lighter weapons but be more mobile. It depends on what any particular mission might need."

"Why would you rely on one ship like that?" Agronet asked. "If they are destroyed, you lose that capability."

"There are usually others with enough capability to pick up that function if it is needed, just not to that level of specialization," Kevan tried to explain. "If every ship had to provide every function in the fleet, then they would all have to be huge and none would have the manueverability to keep away from enemy fire."

"Our ships are reasonably manueverable," Agronet said somewhat defensively. "But they are very versatile when it comes to what all they can accomplish. They support the battleship which handles the main communications and serves as the heavy weapons platform."

"I think you will find that our ships work as parts of a whole, each with their different functions but all part of the same team," he said, trying a different approach. "Think of a unit of ships as if it were a physical body, for example. Your hands serve a function, as do your feet, your head, and so on. Each has a different purpose. If your hands are damaged, you might be able to use your feet for some things instead, but they would never work quite the same as your hands did. While they are all working together properly, however, it is a physical harmony that gets things done the way you want them done. Each ship contributes necessary functions to get the job done for the whole squadron."

"It seems very disorganized to me," Agronet said, rolling his head in the equivallent of a human shaking theirs. "We can transfer crew from ship to ship easily enough, as they are all of the same basic design. They immediately know where their station is and how to operate it. Even the main battleships are based off of this design. The actual layout itself has hardly changed since the fleet first began, we've just upgraded weapons, engines, and other systems over time. Every child who's considered joining the fleet one day knows how the ships themselves are laid out."

"Then it's no wonder the Brey-hahd know how to disable them by this point," Kevan commented. "If shooting the same spot on each ship disables the engines, for example, then they don't have to work very hard to know what will get the job done."

An expression Kevan had never seen before came over Agronet's face. For a moment, the fleet commander stood there in stunned silence.

"The last few engagements have been decidedly one-sided. We thought we had the weaknesses designed out of our ships. Obviously we missed something."

"It might not even be a design weakness, Agronet. Maybe they were able to adapt their weapons. Or maybe, just like you, they've found something that works and their sticking with it."

"We've always believed that when you find something that works, you keep doing it."

"We have a saying like that, too," Kevan said, "if it isn't broken, don't fix it. But my people like change, so we're always seeing what we can change to improve something. I'm sure we can help you with varied ship designs and things like that. Our engineers like doing things like that."

"It's too late for that. Building new ships takes too long," Agronet said, sounding more defeated than Kevan had ever heard a Rich'ti.

"There's more you're not telling us," Kevan suggested. "How many ships are coming after this next one you mentioned?"

"It's a whole fleet. Forty or so, all told--some coming here, some to other systems. It's an entire invasion. It's farther out than the next attack, but we still couldn't build anything in time."

"Don't discount your existing ships completely. When we add your ships and ours together it'll change the formula. The tactics the Brey-hahd have been using won't work any more. But you're going to need more of our battle groups to cover more territory. Get me communications with my government, and a leader here who will work with them, and I'll get you more ships.

"Logur will not work with your people," Agronet said flatly. "He believes that they plan to corrupt the Rich'ti."

"Then he'll have to be replaced," Kevan replied. "It seems widely believed that you would be the best choice right now."

"I dont' want to be Takor," Agronet protested. "Sarsh'ta has put this idea in your head, but I have trained my whole life for the very position I am in right now. I know little of the politics involved in leading the Rich'ti people."

"Right now your people are at war," Kevan countered. "Who better to lead them than the one leading the fleet?"

"I cannot hold both positions - " Agronet began.

"Why not?" Kevan interrupted. "In our history, we had plenty of occasions where military leaders stepped up and took a position of leadership in order to protect a threatened group of people. In certain groups the laws even give the head leader control of the military in times of war in order to help make it clear who is in charge and taking responsibility for the safety of the ones they lead. Right now your people need a clear-cut leader who can make decisions that will hopefully win this war, not some cowardly leader who wants to evacuate the Rich'ti homeworld, and a Fleet Commander who has to do things furtively just to give the Rich'ti people a chance of surviving!"

"You have to step in and take control, Agronet," he continued. "Somebody has to, anyway. I really doubt that I'd win a challenge, knowing there's a physical contest involved, and I didn't come here to die. We don't have time to sit around picking and choosing a new leader right now. You're the best able. From everything I understand, you've already earned the respect of a lot of Rich'ti. You know the players involved in the political game, so even if you don't know how to handle it you do know who to watch out for. You're already taking on some of the responsibilities by contacting my people - "

"That was Gertat's decision, not mine," Agronet cut him off. "I would have probably kept in line with Logur's wishes, no matter how I felt about them, if Gertat hadn't been both a friend and very clear with me on his plans to try and save us."

"But when you made the decision to contact them, it was after Gertat was dead," Eesh'ket said quietly. "You had a new Takor, giving you new orders, and yet you still chose to follow the ones given to you by the one Logur has labelled as a traitor."

"Gertat was no traitor," Agronet replied, looking angry. "He was willing to take the measures needed to try and save us all when faced with almost certain defeat. The casualty reports and other information given to the public on our encounters with the Brey-hahd so far have been... understated, to say the least. Gertat didn't want mass panic if everyone found out just how bad it was."

"I think the only one suggesting he was a traitor is Logur," Kevan said, trying to keep everyone calm. "But for right now we have some specific things we need to focus on."

"For one," he said once he had their attention again, and addressing Agronet first, "Logur needs to be removed from power in a more honorable way than he stole it. You need a leader that can negotiate with me and my government without offending your people. You've already started the negotiations, which will help from the standpoints of stability and ...consistency. If you've got someone in mind more capable than yourself, now's the time for suggestions."

Agronet didn't immediately respond, so he continued, "Secondly, you have a portion of your population that should have the right to be part of your society again, if that's what they decide they want. At the very least, they need a chance to help defend your planet, if not other systems. No one is going to try to say that they can just jump onto a ship untrained, but there will be ways they can help, and they deserve the chance."

"If nothing else, I'm authorized to work with whichever local government wants an alliance. I would rather there was one people and one government here than two. How that happens depends on groundwork you lay right now. As it happens, part of my expertise has been in getting different groups to come together for mutual agreements."

"Perhaps you don't realize just what the perception of these people is amongst the rest of the Rich'ti," Agronet protested. "It is not so simple that they can just move back into the cities. There would be a public outrage. They are thought to be criminals at the very least. Some are more likely to believe the worst, no matter what anyone might try to tell them."

"Regardless, we will not stand idly by while we know that this planet is threatened," Eesh'ket told him. "You may not consider us worth saving, but we have families and communities of our own here and we are no longer willing to remain silent in the outskirts while their lives are threatened."

"I am not suggesting they are not worth saving," Agronet said, with a glance at Ar'shan. "I am suggesting that there will be problems, possibly violence, if you try to rejoin the cities. There are those who would forcibly push you back out, fearing that you are all murderers and thieves."

"We are merely asking for a voice and a consideration within your government," Eesh'ket replied. "While we have a system of governing ourselves, we ought to have someone who can speak for us amongst your kind and vice-versa, especially in situations like the one we currently have with the Brey-hahd, that effects both. Also, We do not have to rejoin your cities, but we do not want to keep taking in your outcasts anymore. Find a better way to deal with your crime. And we want to know that we can have technology and build cities of our own without fear. I also feel that those who have family in the cities should be allowed to see them or at least communicate with them if it is wished on both sides."

"While I do understand some of your reasons for wanting these things and I don't believe those reasons to be unjustified, this is not something that can be accomplished either quickly or easily," Agronet told him. "Those Rich'ti in the cities will need to be convinced that you are not a threat to them."

"All the more reason why you should be the one taking position as Takor," Eesh'ket said calmly. "You can help to begin bridging that gap. And you are more open to communicating with us. We could then send a single representative to plead our case instead of jumping straight to more dramatic measures."

"Again, I don't know that I am the one - " Agronet began.

"It would only have to be until the next election," Kevan cut him off, wishing he knew some Rich'ti swear words. "Then you could step aside and let the best Rich'ti hopefully be the one to take the seat after you. Is this not correct?"

"It is extremely uncommon for a Takor to step down voluntarily, but it has happened before," Agronet admitted.

"Well," Kevan said, hoping to make it sound as though they had all agreed on what would happen. "I suspect it also means you'd be able to pick your successor?"

"Not officially, but for all practical purposes, probably. But I have no idea who that should be."

"If you knew that, you'd have suggested that person now. But there's some time yet before the next election, right?"

"True, it doesn't have to be decided today."

"Good," Kevan said, " we can move on to other details, then. So how do we remove Logur?" Agronet didn't reply immediately. Kevan reminded himself that whatever coup was arranged would have to be something that wouldn't offend the general public. A competitor could too easily present it as the humans manipulating him into the overthrow.

"He will need to be removed in the same way as Gertat was," Agronet finally answered, looking distinctly unhappy. "I shall have to challenge him. We will fight. The winner will become Takor and the loser will be dead. That is our way."

"What if he cheats again?" Ar'shan spoke up.

"I shall have to wait for the right moment to challenge him. At some point when he wouldn't be expecting it. I think he is wary of me to begin with, however. He has been trying to come up with reasons to send me off-planet. I have managed to convince most of his advisors that my presence here is needed, but they can only keep him from making it an order for so long."

Agronet let out a long sigh. "Whatever you might think of our competitive nature, Kevan, we are not a murderous race. I have never killed another Rich'ti before, much less with my bare hands. That is what you are asking me to do. There is no other way around it. Logur will not yeild to save his life during the fight, nor will he willingly step down as Takor to avoid one. He wants power. Now that he has it, he will do what he can to keep it. He has killed a Rich'ti before, and done it willingly and with some obvious pleasure. I do not relish the idea of going up against such an opponent. If he does not cheat, then I have no doubt that I will win. But we have already seen that he is not above cheating. I can try to safeguard myself some beforehand, but I can make you no guarantees."

"Very well then," Kevan said in the tone of voice he used for closing deals. "First you remove Logur, then you get me back in touch with my government. If there's any way to get me access to a portable communications link, that would be even better."

"Once you've got your government stable, I'd appreciate it if you could get me an aircar to use. If there's going to be two governments here then I'll need access to both, which means travel. I would suggest after that that we create a way to get accurate information out, at a safe pace, about both the status of the war and the people out here."

"--But our being hidden and below notice is how we've survived out here," Eesh'ket interrupted. If they knew how many of us were out here they'd hunt us down."

"Not necessarily," Kevan said before Agronet had the chance to say anything. "A lot is changing right now. If we steer the course of those changes, then neither side needs to be afraid of change. At this point, you want them to understand you. People universally fear what they don't understand. Remove that, and you remove a barrier."

He turned back to Agronet. "I'll work with Eesh'ket and his people to create a list of things they could use and what they could trade for them. Medical supplies, communication equipment, maybe some manufacturing materials... I'm suspecting that's the start of the list. We'll have something ready by the next time we talk."

"An assembly of leaders and elders is happening tonight," Eesh'ket added. "Though I cannot speak for them all on how we will want to handle further negotiations, I think I can safely say one thing. We are not prepared to let this planet go without a fight. If the Brey-hahd try to take the jungles and mountains and deserts that we have cut our lives out of in order to survive, they will find that we shall not give them up so easily."

"That all sounds very honorable," Agronet replied, "and I respect your determination. But if the Brey-hahd find you to be too much trouble, they will burn your jungles, mountains and deserts. You will find that even sand will burn when they drench it first with whatever oil it is they use before they ignite it. It is my hope that we can keep them from ever reaching the surface at all. The Brey-hahd have no respect for life, even their own. They will destroy their own ships to keep us from successfully boarding them. They will have no hesitation in destroying us all from orbit if our defenses are not enough to keep them off the planet and they find the resistance more than they want to hassle with for the minerals they mine."

"Right now, we are fighting for the survival of the entire Rich'ti race. They don't look as if they plan to stop with our homeworld. They will systematically strip whatever minerals they want off our planets and then burn what's left to kill those they've enslaved to work their mines. They've now destroyed three of our colonies. The military scientists have determined it will be centuries before the planets are remotely habitable again."

He let out another long sigh. "You now know more than most Rich'ti do. The general public knows the moon is under attack and that alone is causing considerable disruption in the cities. They know that one colony was lost, and destroyed from orbit because it wasn't worth the Brey-hahd's energy to mine it. They know that the other two colonies have been attacked and occupied, but they are not aware that the Rich'ti have finished there and destroyed the remaining Rich'ti by drenching the planet in fire from orbit. The forces at those two planets are moving towards other colonies we have. They are systematically moving across our space, destroying the Rich'ti people. That is the final, end-all truth of the matter. We are losing this war, on a devastating level. I don't know how I'm going to explain that to the general population without causing mass panic. We can't make ships fast enough to defend ourselves. Our technology alone is not enough."

For a moment the nearby wildlife were the only sounds as everyone digested the information they'd just heard. Kevan realized that he could see a fatigue on Agronet's face that he hadn't noticed before. It wasn't that it hadn't been there, but Kevan hadn't known what to look for. The Rich'ti was tired, but determined. And Kevan knew he had just doubled the burden that rested on the fleet commander's shoulders. Agronet rose to a standing position and the rest of the Rich'ti gathered quickly stood as well. Kevan followed suit.

"I will send someone once I have taken position as Takor. Kevan, I will send someone you would recognize from the journey to this planet. If someone you do not recognize should arrive, you will know I have failed and all of this has somehow been discovered." Without another word, Agronet turned and strode quickly to the aircar.

Kevan took the moment to glance around. The two elders were nodding their heads. Ar'shan looked like she'd been struck. He could imagine how she must feel--the father she'd been waiting to meet doesn't even have time to talk with her before he leaves.

But Agronet came back from the aircar, carrying two small bundles, and walked directly to her. She was still close enough that in the still air he could hear what Agronet said.

"I knew we wouldn't have time. Originally I didn't think I'd even get to see you. I've thought about you often during the years, so I had put this together for you. I never thought I'd get to hand-deliver it. It's a collection of hologram recordings. Some of them are letters to you, some of them are things I wanted you to see. Other planets, strange sights...in those I talk about them for you. I wanted to be have a way to show you the things you couldn't be there for."

He leaned forward and they pressed their foreheads together. She gripped his arms with hands that seemed small just then. Agronet turned and she let go with obvious reluctance.

"This is for you and your people," Agronet said to Eesh'ket, handing forward the other, larger, wrapped bundle. "There are a number power cells and a data unit. I've filled it with reports of things you probably haven't heard about. At least you can be a little more up-to-date on what's going on in the galaxy and the other colonies--such as they are at this point. I know you can find several uses for the power cells. I'll arrange an assortment of supplies for you, and have them dropped off when I can."

"The cells will be put to good use, I assure you," Eesh'ket replied, nodding. "And the gesture itself will go a long way in convincing the others that we can work this out. Not all of those among us expect this to go peacefully with those in the cities. This may help them to realize that it can work through negotiation after all. I thank you for that." The two nodded at each other with a hand raised at their chest, open flat and palm down, as a show of respect.

"I could not bring any of your belongings," Agronet said, turning to Kevan. "I was not sure you were really alive, and Logur has been most interested in them. He seems to think that he will find something in them that will further implicate Gertat as a traitor. At least it has distracted him from a few other things in the meantime. I will try to keep the items intact as best I can until they can be returned to you. Especially since it appears you fared far better jumping from a doomed aircar than your coverings did."

"We humans aren't as fragile as we look," Kevan replied, trying not to grin at the unexpected light tone from Agronet. "Although I will say that they did a very nice job of putting the broken parts of me back together again, even without some of the technology from the cities. I expect they have some remedies they've learned which would fascinate some of the medical staff there."

"I shall keep that in mind when it comes time for trade," Agronet said with a nod in Eesh'ket's direction. "But now I must leave. It will not be much longer before I have somewhere to be where I would be missed."

There was a final round of saying goodbye, with more nods of respect and a last, lingering moment of Agronet and Ar'shan touching foreheads. In the moment they shared, he heard Agronet quietly ask Ar'shan to look after Sarsh'ta for him. Ar'hsan assured him that Sarsh'ta would remain well. Then Agronet stepped back into the aircar and powered it up, sending the assembled party on the ground back further into the trees to avoid the dense cloud of dust that flew up as the air jets pushed down against the dirt. When the dust in the air began to thin, they watched as the small aircar flew up and out of the clearing until it went beyond the height of the canopy and out of their sight.

Chapter 10

When they had gotten back there was time for a short nap before the meeting. Now he wished it had been longer. Ar'shan had come in to wake him. She had been viewing holograms, and had been eager to show him some of what she'd seen. Tomorrow, they had agreed.

He sat on a mat in a huge, bowl-shaped clearing. There was a large fire at the center, and several females were dancing around it. Two large males pounded a slow, calling beat on two tall drums as Rich'ti arrived and gathered. Leaders and elders from each village were gathering. When at one point Eesh'ket commented that about half had taken their places Kevan guessed there were two hundred or more.

Nearby was a tower made of timbers lashed together. The top was a platform that Eesh'ket had explained speakers would stand on. There were torches at the four corners to light it. Other torches on poles were scattered around the area.

Food was being served already, and he was offered a bowl along with a wooden cup. The cup had a hot brown drink, it was sweet but earthy. "It is called hashak. It will help everyone stay awake and alert through the night," Eesh'ket explained. "I have already alerted some of the helpers to make sure you get more if you need it," he added with a playfully patronizing pat on the shoulder.

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Kevan replied with an amused nod back at him. He did drink all of the cup he'd been given, however, and did not refuse when more was given to him. It reminded him vaguely of his coffee-drinking days before he'd taken up gravball. Caffeine had been determined an unhealthy stimulant, but had managed to avoid being outlawed on most planets. He and some friends would meet in small, back alley coffee shops and delight in their small rebellion. His father had been furious when he'd found out. Kevan only did it for a couple of years, however, as stimulants weren't allowed for gravball players and were grounds for being kicked off the team.

He let that memory drift off across the breeze with the smoke from the fires as he surveyed the gathering crowd once again. If the more than four hundred Rich'ti assembled represented about three to four from each community, then that meant that there were more than one hundred communities of outcasts. His estimates of Eesh'ket's community suggested that there were at least five or six hundred Rich'ti living in it. Going on the low end, that meant that there were at least 50,000 Rich'ti living outside the cities. He had no real means to measure that against the population of the cities, but he still found the number impressive. He suspected that it ranged closer to double that number in reality, as Eesh'ket had referred to his own as a "small" community.

He found out that Eesh'ket was also the tribal leader locally. Ar'shan explained that Kevan had been brought to Eesh'ket's community specifically, because of that fact. She also explained that each tribe was grouped together, and she told him the names that each of them went by, pointing out their section of seating and the number of communities each had within it. Eesh'ket moved off periodically to greet community leaders once they had settled into their positions, and Ar'shan sat with Kevan until the meeting was about to begin, answering his questions. She then excused herself and took a place off to one side with those who'd been passing out bowls and setting up torches. Kevan and the two elders who'd gone with to meet Agronet remained on the mats designated for Eesh'ket's community.

The drums slowed and stopped and the dancers left the fire as Eesh'ket made his way to the top of the platform. He slowly turned, nodding his head with his hand at his chest as he walked in a small circle at the edge of the platform, addressing the groups of gathered leaders each in turn. As he did so, the noise of the crowd slowly dwindled down to nothing. Kevan had never heard a meeting become so quiet in his life. The only sounds were the occasional shuffling as people situated themselves on the mats, and the craclking of the fire.

The wind brushed the trees that ringed the space. While the trees whispered amongst themselves Kevan tried to remember if he'd ever been at a human gathering so respectful of a speaker. Eesh'ket started a welcome speech, and there was no whispering among the audience, no aides filling in their bosses on trivia details.

Listeners nodded thoughtfully as Eesh'ket reminded them of hard times they'd been through. He reminded them how that had made them a people, even if they were separate groups. None of it felt prepared or rehearsed to Kevan. Mostly it struck him as sincere.

"And just as all of us are part of communities, which are each part of tribes, which together make our people... so is our people part of a larger group, with the tribes in the cities. Just as we might view them with distaste, they have their own ideas about us. And sometimes both groups are wrong."

"Tonight we gather because all Rich'ti, whether in cities or in the wilderness or on other planets, are coming under attack. A war is being fought in the skies over us and over the other worlds our kind live upon. So far we are losing that war."

Eesh'ket held his hand up as if preventing interruption. "I know it is easy to think that it is not our problem, but it is. I will tell you something that not all of the Pechute know. The Brey-hahd--the attackers--are not just out for conquest, they are destroying whole worlds. The Pechute fleet commander has explained it and has given me copies of reports that I believe to be true."

"There is also here a representative of a race called Human. They are also fighting the Brey-hahd, and are faring better against them. Let me say this: things are bad enough that the Takor brought a human here, down to the planet's surface, to negotiate an alliance." That brought a stir from the crowd, but it was barely vocal as Rich'ti turned and looked at their neighbors. Most of them seemed able to agree based on their expressions alone. They knew how serious it had to be.

"Now, that Takor has been slain by a rival, who cast the human out among us. The new Takor will not be in power long, and when the next one is in place there will be many changes, including proper recognition and treatment of us and our tribes. There will be a very different future soon for all Rich'ti. Tonight we gather to decide our part and our place within it."

"Some of you have been cast out recently enough that you wish to return to the cities and try to rejoin your communities. For those who came here unmarked this may even be possible after some negotiations. Some of you have spoken of having our tribes demand entrance to the cities, and have all of our people live amongst the Pechute. Most, however, know that there is little chance that the Pechute could accept us. Our ways are different than theirs."

"A good many of you have voiced the idea that we should build more permanent homes of our own in the spaces we have been occupying for so long. This has been the predominant decision in the past and it is what I hope to see come to pass during the changes about to befall us. Already, the commander of the Pechute fleet has made us a show of good faith in the gift of several power cells. I have distributed them to those amongst your tribes that I know have needed them for medical equipment."

As Eesh'ket spoke, one of the Rich'ti stood up and stepped forward into the empty space between the platform and the mats. When Eesh'ket stopped speaking he nodded towards the Rich'ti.

"Grakor of the Endrad tribe, address your concern."

"What gives you the right to speak for us?" Grakor demanded, obviously angry. "I understand you met with this fleet commander and the Human. Why were the rest of us not invited to this meeting?"

"There was limited time in which the commander could meet. I did invite him to join us here at this meeting, but he could not attend. He spoke more than I did when we met, and gave me updated information on the war. I did not make him any promises, but instead gave him an idea of the things I hope can happen between us and the Pechute. He knows I do not speak for all of you. We will, however, need to choose one who will represent us when the current Takor has been removed."

Grakor seemed still displeased but at the same time satisfied with the answer. He returned to sitting on his mat and Eesh'ket continued.

"I have mentioned the attacks by these Brey-hahd. I mentioned that things must seem dire for a Takor to bring an alien here to discuss an alliance. The current Takor is preparing to evacuate the planet. When he is no longer in power, that plan will be aborted. But we here should discuss and consider what will happen if a daring plan fails."

"At the moment, the war is being fought outside our control. If the war is lost it will affect us as well. What I am about to say may not be for everyone. But we are leaders and elders, we must know these things, and we will decide if all should know or not."

Several started to move to stand. Eesh'ket stepped forward on the platform and raised both his hands. The crowd settled and waited.

"I said the war is going badly, I have not said how badly. Of the seven other planets that Rich'ti have colonized, three have been destroyed. Not just conquered. And more than just no survivors--no life at all on the planets, and many, many years before the planets will support even the smallest of life."

"Most Pechute do not know this, to prevent panic. But the possibility exists that in a matter of weeks we might be wiped from existence. We must decide at what point our people should know so they can prepare themselves."

The quiet respect that Kevan had admired of the crowd suddenly shattered. Rich'ti all around the circle began standing, and asking loud questions towards the platform. Others began talking amongst themselves in low, worried tones.

"What do the Brey-hahd want?"

"How are they destroying entire planets?"

"What are the Pechute doing to try and stop them?"

"What happens to us if they evacuate?"

"Why have they not told the rest of the Pechute?"

Questions filled the air throughout the circle until Eesh'ket picked up two metal discs on either end of a single rope and banged them together by wooden handles that the rope was tied to. A loud metallic clanging filled the air for a moment, overshadowing all of the voices.

"Silence!" Eesh'ket said in a low, booming voice once he had stopped banging. The crowd quickly settled down, almost sheepish as they returned to their mats.

"Your questions will be addressed. Some of them I am already prepared to answer as I speak now. Others will be acknowledged after I have said my piece. Let us not succumb to panic and chaos. We are the leaders of our respective communities. If anyone can keep themselves organized and calm in the face of such danger, it should be us. How else can we ask the others to continue to follow us if we lose our composure now, when it is most needed?" He waited a moment, letting that thought settle over the crowd. Kevan began to realize that Eesh'ket was more of a politician than he had first surmised. Kevan suspected he would make a powerful ally amongst the tribes regardless of who they chose to represent them later on.

"Now, we need to be aware of it, and discuss it and what it means, but let's not forget the war is not lost yet. There are human ships coming to help. As soon as the Takor changes, messages will be sent to request more. With luck, they will arrive in time."

"We are facing a pivotal moment in Rich'ti history. The Pechute will never be the same again, and our role will change as well. There will be an alliance with an alien race, and we will play some part in that. There will be two Rich'ti governments here for the humans to deal with. We should decide finally who we are."

"I know this is a lot to discuss. We will be here for some time, but these are important issues. Now might be an acceptable time for some questions before we get to work."

One Rich'ti leader moved forward and was recognized. "More about this war and the aliens. What do these Brey-hahd want, and how are they destroying worlds?"

Eesh'ket turned to Kevan. There was a questioning look on the Rich'ti's face, and Kevan thought it was asking if he'd answer the question. He nodded in reply.

Eesh'ket turned back to the assembly. "Allow me to introduce Kevan, the human representative. His people are also fighting the Brey-hahd."

Kevan stepped forward and climbed the ladder to the top of the tower. Eesh'ket hadn't been yelling, but still Kevan prepared himself to project to be heard. It wasn't his first time. He saw a lot of faces looking up at him, mostly skeptical.

"Thank you, Eesh'ket," he started. "Only the Brey-hahd know exactly what they want, but there are good ...estimates. Mostly they seem to want to be the more powerful race. Whether they do that by conquest or by destroying everything in their path doesn't seem to make a difference."

"When they encounter a world with resources they need, they enslave the population to gather those resources for them. At least some of the time, when it's a world they don't want to keep, they burn it from orbit. But I can't say what they'll do here, only what they might do."

"How many of the Human colonies have been lost?" The leader asked.

"None yet that I am aware of," Kevan answered bluntly. "So far we have kept them from getting close to our colonies, although I believe they have sent more ships to Rich'ti systems than they have to Human systems. Although most would say that Rich'ti ship technologies are slightly more advanced than those of my people, I believe it is the manner in which we divide our strengths and weaknesses between our ships and some of our tactics that are making our defense efforts more successful than those of the Pechute. The fleet commander made it clear that Rich'ti ships are all based off of one design that has worked in the past. Unfortunately, once the Brey-hahd learned how to defeat that design, they knew exactly how to defeat every Rich'ti ship they encountered after that. The human ships are less uniform, each having a different strength that can be used tactically as an advantage."

That leader stepped back from the open area, although he did not sit back down on the mat. Eesh'ket stepped forward again, next to Kevan and acknowledged another of the leaders waiting to speak.

"What is it your kind want from us in exchange?" The leader asked with a look of suspicion. Eesh'ket stepped back again, allowing Kevan to answer that question as well.

"In the beginning, an exchange of information and technology is considered the best way for an alliance to begin. Some of your medical technologies would be of great interest, for example. With most other races, when a lasting alliance is formed, it also means that we each allow the other access to travel through our space. Often trade arrangements are also made between the allied races as well. I have handled negotiations for some of these types of things in the past between my people and other races."

"And after that?" the leader asked.

"From what I've seen, you're basically a loose collection of independent tribes and communities out here. You each have your own leaders, and probably don't interfere with each other much. But you trade amongst each other, and you gather to share ideas and solutions to common problems. That, at its heart, is what an alliance is."

"To start with would be that loose collection of three 'tribes', Human, and city Rich'ti, and wilderness Rich'ti. If one member group has a problem, there are the two other groups who might be able to suggest a solution, or even direct help. But even in the example of your tribes and communities, they can work together and still be their own groups."

The leader took a moment before nodding deeply and stepping back. It wasn't long before another stepped forward. Eesh'ket moved forward to acknowledge him, and the leader nodded and spoke.

"When there are Human ships here, and Pechute ships here, but no ships for us, how can we know we will get equal representation?"

"One frequent challenge for things like this is that different groups will always have their differing ideas of what equal representation means. Some Pechute might say that because they are the larger group, that they should be more involved. The details of how it works, of who contributes how much, is something that should be negotiated with all parties. Us deciding that here would be no more fair to them than me negotiating with them separate from you would be."

"How will we be able to have any effect on this war without ships of our own?" The leader asked skeptically.

"I am sure there are ways that you can have an effect. Again, when we sit down to negotiate, we can figure all of that out. And, if fighting takes place on the planet here, then I'm sure there will be plenty you can do. The current Takor may be ready to evacuate, but the Pechute fleet commander doesn't plan to give up that easily. He plans to fight them. Once he knows in what ways you are capable of helping in this war, I am sure he will want your participation."

The leader still did not seem satisfied, but he stepped back nonetheless. Eesh'ket recognized the next leader, who seemed especially anxious.

"What happens to us if they do evacuate? If things go badly and they start moving people off-planet..." He trailed off and Kevan suspected the gesture he kept making with his hands, running them against the fur on his legs was probably akin to the human gesture of wringing one's hands. Eesh'ket remained forward on the platform, so Kevan stepped back to allow him space at the center stage.

"We will be giving them information on how many we are, once the new Takor is in place and negotiations begin in earnest," Eesh'ket began. Another uproar began amongst the crowd and Eesh'ket raised his hands and waited until they had settled down again. "They will need to know. They will have to consider us in their evacuation plans. We will find a way to ensure it if we must, but we will not allow them to abandon us here."

"However, I will not lie to you," he continued. "It is unlikely they would be able to get all of the Pechute off in time, even if they did not have us to consider. Not all of us will be taken off-world if they evacuate. We will do what we can to try to ensure the survival of our children first, with some of our elders to teach them our ways. We will not be abandoned and we will not be forgotten."

From there they started making an agenda for what they needed to discuss and decide, and what order to do it in. Much of it needed no input from Kevan, so he sat on a mat and observed.

Sometimes he watched the leaders, sometimes the elders. The elders seldom stepped forward and spoke, but when they did it was with clear conviction. Whenever an elder had something to add, all the other elders seemed to nod as if in agreement. He never once saw one elder say something and another elder show any signs of disagreement. The leaders typically listened, thought it over, and seemed to agree. He tried to follow that model on the occasions that he had something to add. He made sure his suggestions were reasonable and well-explained. None of them seemed to be taken badly.

There was considerable disagreement between leaders. Even when debate grew passionate and heated, Kevan noticed, it was still polite and respectful. He genuinely expected that a Rich'ti Sentate or ruling council would be very effective.

He was brought more hashak throughout the night. Even still he yawned frequently. The Rich'ti were drinking it as well, and showed less effects of the late night.

By morning they had agreed that they did not want complete assimilation with the Pechute. They wanted to build their own cities on their own land and have equal representation among the others. They also worked on his suggestion that maybe there should continue to be a Takor in charge, but also a parliament or senate of representatives from each tribe and colony.

It was decided that there would be a "communal council" within each tribe, with two representatives from each community - one of which would be an elder. That council would advise the tribal representatives, who were made up of a similar pair of Rich'ti where one was an elder. These tribal representatives would be part of a "tribal council" that would advise the final pair of representatives that would negotiate with the Pechute on the behalf of them all. They would not name a single Takor, but the two representatives would also hold a certain amount of similar status, and would hold the title of "Rentak" for the younger and "Surntak" for the leading elder. If there was a disagreement between them on a matter, it was agreed that they would take it to the tribal council for a vote.

The meeting ended with another planned for the following evening. In the meantime, the community leaders would return to their communities and have them choose representatives as well as candidates for Tribal representatives and the positions of Rentak and Surntak. Those representatives would return the following night to vote and choose the new government. Kevan was surpised at how quickly everything was going to be in place. By the end of the following evening, he'd know who would be doing the negotiating with the Pechute. He found himself genuinely impressed. He also now saw the logic of Eesh'ket requesting that the entire communities all come to one place. It meant that decisions could happen swiftly.

After the meeting was officially adjourned, Kevan found himself approached by some of the leaders of the different communities, with questions about Humans. Many of the questions he'd answered before, with other Rich'ti, and he gave them the same answers. Eventually, Eesh'ket appeared from the sidelines and rescued Kevan, who's eyes were watering from trying not to yawn more than he couldn't avoid.

"Once our new government is in place," Eesh'ket began, "tomorrow night if we finish before we stop for the night, all will have the opportunity to converse with the human representative. After that, perhaps we can try to schedule time for the people to get to know him and learn about humans?"

"I'd be happy to," Kevan replied. "I have to say I am impressed at the progress you are making. I've never had the chance to witness the birth of a government I'd be negotiating with before. It definitely helps me see with a different view what's going on. Thank you again for letting me observe."

"You have been respectful," one elder said, "and the things you have said have had value." Kevan gave a deep nod as his reply. The elder rolled his head to smile and returned the nod.

Eesh'ket mentioned that they all had much to do, and the group dispersed. Kevan politely excused himself and headed for his hut. In his hut he checked the power on his palmpad. 36%, the indicator read. He quickly tapped in as many notes as he could, knowing he'd need to include much of this in his report, once he eventually got to send it. Just before he turned it off it was down to 34%. He frowned at it before putting it away and lying down on the furs for sleep.

Chapter 11

He'd caught the attention of some of the Rich'ti while doing the exercising, and he tried to ignore their stares as he started getting himself up to pace. He made the first run around the entire camp pretty effortlessly, which helped give him a better indication of how much of his body hadn't been let go during his recovery from his injuries. For the second pass he pushed himself a little harder, picking up the pace. About halfway through, he noticed a couple of children lagging behind him, seeming to mimic what he was doing. He chuckled quietly to himself as he continued, noticing that the Rich'ti youngsters seemed to have no trouble keeping up with him. On the third pass, he picked up the pace some more.

Halfway through the third pass he realized he had quite a few children, laughing and trying to mimic his movements as they ran along behind him. He picked up the pace on the fourth pass and was amused to see that he put a little distance between himself and some of them, but not all. On the fifth pass he started to slow the pace back down again and by the seventh he was doing a fast walk to cool himself back down. The children never specifically approached him, but he gave them a smiling nod before heading back into the camp.

He realized at that point that he wanted to bathe before breakfast as well, and started looking for Ar'shan, figuring she would be the best person to ask where he could get some water for it. He realized, as he walked, that he hadn't seen Sarsh'ta since the day before when he'd walked away. He wondered briefly how she was holding up, and how long it would take for her to accept her situation. He still had questions he wanted to ask her, but was unsure how to approach her without seeming as if he was backing down. His thoughts returned to his present needs, however, when he saw Ar'shan talking with another female as she cut some sort of fruit into pieces. She noticed him as well, and waved to him as he moved in their direction.

"Kevan! We were just talking about you," she said, rolling a smile nod at him. "This is my mother, Shir'an. This is the human, Kevan that I spoke of."

It's Fathers' Day and we slept in... a lot. So we return to our story tomorrow.

"Hello, Shir'an," Kevan said. He realized he wasn't sure what Rich'ti said after introductions. "I'm glad to meet you," he tried.

"You're sort of... strange looking," she said. He tried not to chuckle at the skeptical look she gave him as she looked him over. Neither of them had stood at his arrival, so he sat down to join them.

"I can understand. When my people first started meeting alien races most of them looked rather strange to us. In our language, alien and strange are almost the same word."

"You speak our language well..."

"Thank you. I've been trying. I know I get the inflections wrong sometimes, and some of the non-verbal parts of communication are trickier to get used to. I've always been pretty quick at picking up languages, and living with the language and the people who use it is a great way to learn."

"Ar'shan has been telling me a lot about you," Shir'an said as she went back to slicing. "But she exaggerates often."

"Oh? I think I've already seen indications she has her father's knack for diplomacy."

"Diplomacy?!" Shir'an asked, nearly choking with a laugh. "Agronet's about as diplomatic as water helps fires burn."

"Don't misunderstand," she continued, "he's got a good heart, but he's not the type to dance around the subject to find the right angle to approach it like the politicians do. Agronet's a warrior at heart. He's got the best intentions, but he'd rather deal with people in a blunt, upfront manner. Ar'shan tells me you're trying to have him as Takor for the Pechute. If he does take the position from Logur it is only a matter of time before at least one of his new advisors learns about his stubborness the hard way."

"The hard way?" Kevan asked, suddenly realizing that he only knew so much about the fleet commander. "What do you mean?"

"He can have a temper if he's certain about something and someone gets between him and his goal. He's gotten where he is because once he's made up his mind it takes something very big before he'll change it. It works very well for someone in command of other warriors, but as Takor? I just don't know how that will work out."

"There have been many years that have passed since you've seen him last, Mother," Ar'shan pointed out. "Everyone changes as time goes by. Perhaps he is not quite so stubborn as all that anymore."

Kevan remained silent for a moment, remembering Sarsh'ta's frustrations on the ship when Agronet insisted Kevan wear the identification bracelet so they could track his wherabouts. He understood their mistrust and caution at the time, but now wondered if some of that wasn't also Agronet pointedly showing his status over Sarsh'ta after all. Sometimes it was starting to feel as if the more he knew about Rich'ti ways, the less he understood them.

"For now, we need a strong leader to organize the Pechute for this war. His stubborness will work in our favor," Kevan reasoned aloud.

"In a fight for survival, stubborn isn't necessarily a bad thing," he continued. "He also doesn't have to keep the position forever. He doesn't really want it anyway. But right now nobody seems to have a better suggestion."

Shir'an was silent at that. She continued to slice, her head cocked to one side in thought. He hoped she was deciding that it made sense. If nothing else, she didn't debate the point.

"I guess more about him you'll have to wait for or ask Sarsh'ta. Your ways are strange enough to me that I don't think I can give you a very real picture of how he might or might not have changed since you saw him last."

"Yes, her," Shir'an said with a sigh. "She is not adjusting well. Some who are outcast do not."

"She was happy with her life, and to her it feels as if everything she's worked for is gone. She has made a career of studying aliens, and you don't have many of those here."

"More than most Rich'ti have," Ar'shan teased. "Even if only by one."

"However," Shir'an added, "you already speak our language well enough to communicate and we are more familiar with having to teach our ways to newcomers than the Pechute are. Her skills are less useful here and she knows it. For someone who is willing to interact with aliens, she is surprisingly unwilling to see us as anything more than outcasts."

"It will take time for her," she continued. "The Pechute teach their children that anyone who has been outcast is no longer a Rich'ti. In fact, we are thought to be worse than most aliens, as we have supposedly broken Rich'ti laws. They do not think of us as having families and laws of our own. This is quite a shock for her. She tried to mask it well in the beginning, but then I believe she was in a state of denial, as if it was all some error that would be made right again."

"Was it as much of a shock for you as it is for her?" Kevan asked, hoping it wasn't too personal a question. He was relieved when she didn't seem to take any offense. She did pause for a moment, however, as if reflecting on the memory of it.

"Not quite as much. But then I was never as highly ranked amongst the Pechute as she was. I understand she was an advisor to the Takor?" Kevan nodded in response and she continued.

"I was a communications technician on a ship where Agronet was second in command. We had many of our shifts together which is how we came to know each other in the first place. Even then it was obvious he would rise further in the ranks than most. I was very flattered when he chose to mate with me over some of the others he could have picked. It was a pleasant arrangement."

"The sudden exile came as a surprise to me. I was accused of translating a communication incorrectly, causing some kind of political complication. I don't really remember the exact details of what it was I supposedly did, but I do remember that the communication they showed at the trial was not one I had ever seen before. When I told them that, I was then accused of lying as well. It all started to go downhill from there. My father had some small amount of political leverage at the time, and I think that's why I was able to avoid the branding. I believe they used me against him to get him to do something political."

"When I arrived here, I think the most difficult part was getting used to being on the planet all the time again. I had grown up on this world, but my skills had taken my career into space. The people were kind to me though, so I adjusted after a while."