Chapter 9

He pushed himself up to sitting. It didn't hurt. There was only some residual soreness left, hardly an ache. He stood up slowly. There was a hint of light coming from the doorway. He was impressed by how effectively the door flaps blocked out light.

On his way out he inspected it. It was quite a bit wider than the doorway, and weighted to hold it in place. There was a felt-like backside to it that created part of the light seal. It was still night outside. There wasn't even a hint of approaching sunrise.

Stars were visible here and there in the dark canopy that made the sky feel so low. One of the moons was up, so there was enough light to creep around the camp by. His eyes were adjusted to darkness, if nothing else.

Fires had mostly died down to embers, although he saw that a few had been tended to some, and still flickered with low flames. At first he thought there was no one awake, but eventually he noticed a few guards here and there. Lone sentries either wandered or sat, staring off into the distance. They were listening, more than looking, he decided.

He approached one, trying to be quiet but not trying to be stealthy. He didn't want to surprise him, but he also didn't want to step on anything in the dark with his bare feet.

"What are you doing awake, human?" the sentry asked without turning to face him. The tone sounded more conversational than threatening.

"Where I come from the days are shorter, so I'm accustomed to sleeping through shorter nights than you," he explained. "Actually, I was needing something. How is ...waste handled here?"

The sentry laughed. "Oh, you want to do that yourself now that your up and about, eh?" He pointed towards a sheltered area. "Under there."

"Thank you," Kevan said, turning and heading towards it. The area was larger than most of the huts, and only the side towards the camp had walls and covered doorways, while the other side seemed to have more of a tall fence serving as a wall instead. Basket lanterns of hung just outside on the fenced area, which helped illuminate the inside of the shelter as well.

When he went through the doorway, he automatically put his hand up to his nose to try and keep out the stench of it, but was surprised to find it wasn't as bad as he had feared. There were mats down on the ground around a large pit in the center. Next to each mat was a pan-like item that looked similar to a human dustpan, as well as what looked like a large soup mug. There was also several wooden barrels, some with some kind of reddish powder and a couple of large spoons in them, and others that seemed to be filled with water and some bowls hung from hooks along the sides. A quick glance into the pit answered quite a few questions, and he made some assumptions on the other ones while taking care of business. The water seemed clean and he hoped it was as he washed his hands afterwards. He noticed a few towels hanging on pegs by the doorways on his way out and he dried his hands.

He was too awake just then to try and go back to sleep, so he made his way to one of the fires that still burned and sat beside it, pulling out his datapad for further inspection. He was relieved to see that he still had some battery power left, although he was getting a couple of error messages. He wasn't sure what they meant, although they didn't seem too serious so he ignored them while he entered in some of the notes he'd been mentally taking since the last entry he'd made. It took him several hours to do, and his battery power had diminished considerably from when he started.

He switched it off and blinked several times, realizing that there was more light. The sun was starting to come up, and Rich'ti were starting to come out of huts and move about the camp, beginning their morning routines.

They came out of their huts and mostly ignored him, which felt very odd. Again he felt like a scientist there to observe. Some went to the waste pit, some moved to cook fires, some went and relieved sentries. They didn't come out and stretch, they didn't come out yawning. They all came out looking ready for the day.

It wasn't a great many coming out at first, and Kevan suspected that when food was ready the great hut exodus would happen. There was less need for shifts than there were on the ship, so he expected meal times would be stretched out more. It also occurred to him that maybe they didn't just have three meals, that maybe they fit a fourth one into their longer day.

While he watched a smaller female working at a cook fire, he reminded himself that he'd be probably going to sleep before sunset. It would probably be by two or three of their hours, and they'd find that odd. He would probably need to explain human sleeping and eating schedules on quite a few occasions.

When he decided he'd sat long enough he got up and moved to the cooking female. He circled around a little bit on the way, so that he'd approach from across the fire from her rather than from behind. She had several spitted animals cooking, and was turning them in between times of cutting and chopping.

"Can I help?" he asked. "You look like you have more than enough to do."

"I usually have another helping me, but she's hurt and resting. You can turn those," she said, pointing to the spits. "They're supposed to be mainly turned all the time. You turn one, and then the next, and when you get to the last it's time for the first again. I haven't been able to do that."

"Then cut and chop, and I'll turn," he said, giving the first spit a half turn. The animals were about the size of chickens, and there were five to a spit. Eight spits were arranged on a rack so that they were all about the same distance from the heat. Each one could be moved up or down to adjust as needed.

After they'd each had a couple of turns, she stopped her cutting to baste the animals with a thick, yellowish sauce. "I'm Ish'ran, by the way. I know who you are."

"Yeah," he said, "it's not hard to figure that out."

"Is it true you've been to many many worlds?" she asked. She used a number, but he couldn't translate it in his head.

"I've been to several worlds," he answered, not remembering off the top of his head how many he'd actually been to so far.

"What is it like?" she asked. "Going to other worlds, I mean?"

"Well, I'm not overly fond of the space travel part myself, actually," he answered. "But some find that part of it fascinating too. Mostly I enjoy seeing different planets and exploring the different cultures that other races have."

"How do we compare to the other races you've met?"

"Well, your kind hasn't had the influences of other races in the same ways that so many have. I find it interesting to see how many similarities between our cultures there are anyway."

"In what ways?"

"I think there are a lot of similarities between Rich'ti and my own race, partly because we are similar enough in physical form. A lot of the tools you use on a regular basis, as in cooking," he indicated the spits and the knife she was using to chop with, "are not unlike the tools we use for similar functions. And yet, you approach some other things very differently too."

"Are you angry with the Rich'ti who tried to kill you?" She looked up at him as she basted the meat again. He thought about it for a moment before answering her.

"Yes and no," he replied. "I understand that they are afraid of the changes that could happen just from my being here. But I also don't feel that it justified trying to kill me, either. I didn't come here to make changes, I came here to build friendship between our races. It doesn't have to be so complicated."

"Are most alien races mean and evil? You don't seem very mean," she said as he started another round of turning spits. He turned the whole set working out how best to answer.

"With animals, there are some that are gentle and eat plants, and there are some that are hunters and eat other animals. So there's lots of different kinds. There are also lots of different kinds of aliens. No two races are entirely alike."

"Some races are gentle and peaceful and avoid violence in any form, and they would find the Rich'ti rough and violent. There are some that are interested mostly in science and technology, some are more interested in art or trade. Some like to explore, some like to stay alone. And some, like the Brey-hahd, are interested in conquest and war."

"The pechute are losing the war against the Brey-hahd, aren't they?" she asked somewhat quietly.

"Whether it seems like it or not, it's your war too. And it does look so far like the Rich'ti are losing, yes. Other races are fighting them to. My people are. It's the Rich'ti way not to ask others for help, and not to trust aliens. But if this village was being attacked by a large tribe, wouldn't it make sense to gether nearby villages to help? That's what the elders need to understand."

"I said before I didn't come here to change things, and I can't force or create change. But I'll be honest with you, some change is good, and I think some change is going to be necessary if your people want to survive. Maybe I didn't come here to make change. But the Brey-hahd sure have."

"Why?" she asked, cocking her head at him. "What do the Brey-hahd want from us?"

"I don't know for sure," he replied. "They seem to be mining minerals from some planets. Maybe they have a need for something specific. Maybe they have just decided that the other races don't matter and should be gotten rid of. They haven't been willing to talk so far, so we don't know for certain why they came. But we do know that they don't have peaceful intentions."

His mind went back to the bit of footage he had seen of the one planet burning. He wondered if that planet would ever recover and become habitable again, and if so - how long it would take. He shuddered inwardly at the idea of that happening back at his home planet of Tangra Prime. He'd gotten some information off with his initial report, but had no idea how his government would react to not having gotten another report yet. If his estimates were correct, he should have gotten two more off already. They would be trying to contact him or the Rich'ti to find out what happened. What the Rich'ti said in return, if anything, would potentially make things more difficult in arranging help later on. Kevan felt frustrated just sitting there turning spits when the Brey-hahd loomed so close by.

"But you have peaceful intentions, yes?"

He was broken from his reverie by Ish'ran's voice and he made himself focus again on the conversation at hand.

"Yes!" He exclaimed. "My race want trade. Goods, and maybe technology or medicines we could exchange. We also would like to get to know your race better. Humans have always been explorers by nature. We love to see new things and meet new races. We believe there is much yet that the universe has to show us."

"It can also be a dangerous thing to be so curious," a voice behind him said, chuckling. "If one ventures too far out into the jungle, they may meet the beast that eats them."

Kevan turned to see Eesh'ket walking up. To Kevan's surprise, the leader came and sat down next to him, taking one of the spit handles and slowly starting to turn it.

"And how are you feeling today, Kevan?" He asked with a look that Kevan couldn't quite pinpoint.

"I thought it was impolite to ask that question?" Kevan replied. "Although I expect some things might be different here than in the cities."

"Indeed," Eesh'ket nodded. "Here it is wise to know how fit your warriors are before sending them on the hunt. Thus, it is not out of place for one such as myself to inquire after someone's well-being."

"Good point," Kevan agreed. "With my people as well it's common to ask others how they are. It's considered respectful, and shows that you care about them. I'm feeling pretty good, actually. Still a little stiff and sore, but no complaints."

"It helps that the gravity here is less than back home. The planet I'm from has more gravity than here, while Earth, our home planet has less. I'm in better shape than a lot of humans, and that's probably helping my recovery as well."

"Yes, you responded to the healing drug a lot better than we expected," Eesh'ket said.

"Our scientists would very much like to study some of that. It's interesting things like that we'd like to trade for."

"There are probably things your people have that we'd be interested in as well," Eesh'ket added, "but these things will take time."

"It might also depend on who ends up in power," Kevan suggested. Eesh'ket nodded in agreement.

"I'm glad to hear it," Kevan said. "Personally, I'm looking forward to the point where the war can be finished with and we can all be done with violence for a while. I'm not a warrior. I came excited about comparing philosophies, not to spend half my time wondering when someone bigger, stronger, and faster would pick a fight with me."

"Do not be so quick to understate yourself," Eesh'ket said. I heard how you handled Ush'rat. She... has some bitterness. It makes her more aggressive sometimes. But you put her in her place swiftly and decisively, yet without hurting her. There was some slight to her pride, but it was not undeserved."

"Sarsh'ta has told me you find the ways of our challenges strange. Here, at least, you will find them less physically dangerous that they might be among the Pechute. Sometimes, having the courage to stand up to a challenge is just as important as who wins. Conduct yourself as you did with Ush'rat, and you will not have many problems among us. Many saw that exchange, and they took the opportunity to see that you are not weak and able to be pushed around. You will be respected, some, for that. It is a beginning."

"So, then," Ish'ran began in the lull, "how is status determined among your kind?"

"Partly by how well tasks are performed," Kevan began. "To a degree there is a heirarchy to any position. There are several layers of ...status. Moving up in status... basically depends on proving to your superiors that you deserve it. They award the increase in status or authority accordingly. At the upper levels, you might have to wait for a superior to step down before there is an opening for you."

"Now, in government, things work a little differently. There is very little allowance for challenging a superior to take his or her position. For the most part...," he paused trying to figure out how to explain it to them.

"Here," he tried, "here we have a village, one village among a tribe. Several tribes among the outcast. For us, the members of each village would gather and choose one of them to speak for the rest, to a degree."

"Within each tribe, those village leaders would get together to make rules and decisions, based on the votes of the villagers that each leader represents. When bigger decisions needed to be made, each tribe's gathered leaders would choose one of them to speak for the tribe at a gathering of tribal representatives. So in effect, the people at the bottom choose who should make the decisions, and those chosen make decisions that best reflect the needs and wishes of those below them."

"So you choose which elder leads you then?" Ish'ran asked.

"Not just elders," Kevan tried to explain. "There are many positions that do require a person be of a certain age before they can take on that responsibility, but we do not wait as long as the Rich'ti do before we consider someone wise enough to take on such jobs. For some leadership positions, youth is considered a benefit. We try to choose the person most capable of handling the position."

"But what if you choose the wrong one?" Eesh'ket pointed out. "You would not wish to entrust the decisions of your whole community to someone who looked good while being chosen but could not really handle the task once it was put to them."

"Indeed," Kevan agreed. "We have measures in place to replace someone if they do a particularly bad job. We also only allow people to hold the positions for a certain period of time before those below them will vote again to see if they keep the job for another session or if a new person will take on the job instead. Similar to how you hold elections every so often, but the final decision is made by the people themselves instead of through specific trials or competitions."

"It still sounds as if you are placing potentially untried people into positions of power without really knowing if they are capable of handling the job," Eesh'ket said. "And, if your kind lie and cheat one another as the writings say they do, would it not be possible for one person to lie their way into a position of power?"

"It used to be a problem that only the rich could afford to get the attention of the people to sway votes to their side or that some people would lie about their credentials," Kevan replied. "However, there are now some tests that must be passed before a person is fully qualified to even be a candidate for the vote. Not quite the same as your trials, but a deterrent for anyone attempting to lie their way in. There is also a tax fund that is used to take care of the monetary requirements surrounding the elections. This helps make it so that anyone capable of doing the job has an equal chance of making themselves known to the public. Laws have been added over time to limit how much private spending a candidate can do to boost their image as well."

"It is not a flawless system," he admitted, "but it has gotten better and better with time. Each of the colonies has the right to rule itself independently so long as they conform to the standards of the overall Human government. While they have their colonial representatives, not all of them practice this system within the confines of their planetary structure. There is still some dispute over who has the best system."

"Your people sound very chaotic," Eesh'ket commented.

"We prefer to think of it as 'diverse'," Kevan said. "And in some ways I like to think it keeps us from growing stagnant."

"But aren't you constantly adjusting to change?"

"No, not really. The government is a large group of people making decisions together, with one person at the top to... supervise provide general directions. Only so many positions change each election. The government constantly evolves to reflect the needs of the people. In the end, it's the people ruling themselves."

"Besides, can you say leaders never cheat their way into power here? Look at the trouble here. Yes, ideally the Takor makes decisions in the best interest of the people. In our system, the people tell the leader what they want, and he finds the best way to ...make it happen." He had wanted his palmpad to translate 'implement' for him, but it didn't warrant the battery time.

"No system is perfect," he quickly added. "Each system has its good and bad points. Ours is what we chose, your is what you chose."

"Our system does still reflect the needs of the people," Eesh'ket countered. "The elders know what is best for their communities, and they advise the Takor."

"However," Kevan tried, "I suspect that your elders are the ones the ones most grounded in tradition, most resistant to change. I suspect that if I look through your history I'd find that real change is slow."

"You say that as though it's a bad thing."

"Not in general, but at times it can be. Some situations require relatively quick responses. Alien invasions, for one."

"That is why the Takor is not an elder too," Eesh'ket answered. "So that there is someone who can make such decisions. Yet they can also weigh the advice of the elders against the situation. In such times as this, the Takor has the power to make choices on behalf of the people. Normally this is not a concern. Even the least-liked Takor in history made the right choices for the good of the people when it came to the important things."

"And yet there is concern that the new Takor, Logur, will not make the best choices?" Kevan countered.

"Logur is already planning to overlook a possible plan to keep us from losing to the Brey-hahd, as is evidenced by the attempt on your life. Even we know that Logur's history is one of hostile takeovers and well-timed challenges. He does not move upwards on the force of his merit alone, but with an eye on having power. Now that he has it, however, it is widely believed that he will not know how to properly handle it. There are quite a few Rich'ti who have ended up out here because Logur wanted to be rid of them and he had the ear of the Takor before Gertat."

"Amongst our people," Kevan tried, "we have laws that dictate when and how to replace someone who has achieved such a level of power and abused it or neglected their responsibilities. Such laws don't seem to exist here."

"We have never had such a need," Eesh'ket said. "New laws are made as the need for them is seen. This is a new situation for us."

"And so we need new tactics in solving the problem, yes?" Kevan pointed out. "If we do not try something we may not be able to make a change in time."

"Let us take this one step at a time," Eesh'ket told him. "First we shall see if Agronet will help us. If not, we will be making alternate plans with the leaders of the other tribal communities to demand recognition from the cities. There will be a large meeting of all the community leaders who have assembled so far. They have been making camps in a large ring from us, leaving a center circle to convene in for meetings. The last two communities are expected to arrive early today and then we will have the first assembly tonight, before and possibly including the evening meal. I, and several of the other leaders I have spoken with, have already concluded that your presence is essential at these meetings. Your voice will be heard, and you may offer your advice at that time."

"I'll make a point of getting some sleep before then. I don't know about you, but our body has built-in ways to regulate sleep, and that makes major changes to sleep schedules challenging. And your day is a rather major change."

"How?" Ish'ran asked. It was time to start cutting apart the chickens, so she pulled them off the spits. Kevan and Eesh'ket each took a skewer and knife as well. Kevan followed their lead while he explained.

"Your day twenty hours long, because that's how long it takes your planet to rotate once. Our home world is a little smaller than yours, and it spins faster, so our day is only fifteen of your hours."

"On top of that, you sleep for about nine hours out of your twenty. We divide our day into twenty-four of our hours, and we sleep for seven or eight of those, which is about five of yours, give or take some. Basically, it means that you're awake for ten hours and then sleep for ten. I'm awake for about the same ten hours, but then I only sleep for about five. My whole cycle is shorter than yours, so it doesn't work on the same schedule."

"While I need to sleep for shorter periods than you, I basically have to do it more often.Also, I think because we sleep for less time in proportion, missing sleep might affect us both differently. If you missed an hour of sleep it would probably have less effect on you."

"That's strange," Ish'ran commented.

"Now, the planet I'm from is bigger than Earth, our home world. But it only turns a little bit slower than Earth, so it wasn't as much of an adjustment as here. If you tried to live on Earth you'd have to make the same adjustment."

"So how will that effect your coming to meals and meetings?" Eesh'ket asked.

"If I know about something in advance that happens to fall when I'm supposed to sleep, then I can schedule some time to get sleep just before it or alter my schedule so that I can sleep afterwards. It just helps to have some idea of what's coming. I can be a little flexible about when I take those five hours of sleep, as long as it's not too far off of the normal schedule."

"It sounds very complicated to keep track of," Ish'ran commented.

"Not really," he told her. "My body lets me know when I've waited too long to sleep."

There was a short silence while they finished cutting the chickens apart. The meat was darker than it would be on Human chickens, and had a deeper aroma. He also smelled some spices on them that he couldn't place. When they were done, she took the meat and put it into a large bowl with some other, bread-like ingredients and a powdery stuff, mixing it all in until the chicken bits were coated in the powdery stuff.

"I need to go finish this," she told them, gathering up the tools and plates into a woven bag. "The rest happens in another area. I shall return shortly with bowls for you both." She didn't wait for a response, but took the bag and the bowl and headed off across the camp. Eesh'ket sighed next to him.

"There is so much change coming," the leader said. "I hope we are truely ready for it. We adapt more easily, perhaps, than the pechute, but we are still inclined to resist change no matter how much we prepare for it or see the need for it. The coming times will be difficult."

"That is one way in which our races are different," Kevan told him. "Human not only adapt well to change, but most find it exciting and welcome it."

For a moment they both stared into the fire. It crackled and glowed, and for just a moment they were two men sitting at a fire, just lost in the flames. So different, but so similar, as well, Kevan mused.

A group of Rich'ti children ran by on the other side of the fire. The movement caught his eye. They were still small, but he couldn't guess as to their ages.

"You might find that change isn't something to be feared. All growth is change." He pointed to the children. They had stopped in one area and were chasing each other around it. "While they're little you train them in what it's like to be Rich'ti, so that when they're grown they'll be ready for it. But think back, and look at the world as they see it."

"You and they are in the same world, but seen very differently, I'm sure. As they grow older, they'll change, but I'm guessing they won't see it that way. They'll grow up and turn into adults and the world will change around them. Do you remember what it was like to be so young?"

"Yes," Eesh'ket answered. "The world was small. There was a village with forest all around, and the forest went on forever and the trees were huge. Now, of course, I know there is much more."

"Some things are universal, my furry friend. When we're young we see things from a different perspectives. There are some things we worry about and some things we don't know to worry about. And in the same way there are some things we enjoy, and some things we don't learn to enjoy until later."

"All of that is change. Change is natural. We have a saying, 'the only thing permanent is change.' Your planet has seasons that change. Leaves probably change colors and fall before it gets cold, and new life blooms when it gets warm again. Change is the natural way of things. Rivers change their courses, mountains come and go, even stars come and go."

"Yes, when this is over there are some things that will probably never be the same again. But there will also be new things. Some of them might not be good things, and then again, some of them will."

They were interrupted by Ish'ran bringing them both bowls of food. They both thanked her before she moved off, back the way she had come. It looked as if the meat and bread mixture had been deep-fried, as it was now coated in a hot, crispy shell that was slightly sweet to the taste. Kevan and Eesh'ket ate in silence for a while, and Kevan thought more on how to explain to the Rich'ti that change wasn't something to be feared or rejected.

Further discussion was postponed, however, as several Rich'ti approached Eesh'ket with questions, mostly pertaining to the logistics of the evening's meeting with the other community leaders. A few seemed flustered by the fact that a meeting like this had never been attempted before. Occasionally, the tribal leaders would meet, but Eesh'ket had called for all the community leaders to meet instead. Kevan learned that this would include the tribal leaders, who would be recognized first amongst their respective community leaders if they wanted to speak, but the Eesh'ket was firm in insisting that all the community leaders be present. He was also encouraging the community elders to attend as well, although they would not be allowed to speak to the assembly.

Since Eesh'ket had been the one to call them all together, it was expected that his community be the one hosting the meetings, so there was a lot of questions about mats, fires, and torches. Eesh'ket seemed to handle each question quickly and smoothly, without hesitation. It was obvious to Kevan that he had thought much of it through already. At some point, a child came by and collected the empty bowls from them.

Eventually, Eesh'ket left to attend to more matters, leaving Kevan on his own again. It was at that point that he noticed Sarsh'ta, sitting off to one side. He moved to sit closer so they could talk.

"Hello," he said, once again avoiding his usual instinct to say 'good morning' instead.

"Are you angry with me?" she suddenly asked him. As best he could tell, she looked worried.

"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.