The Universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice... It is the small, still voice that says: We are one... We agree to recognise this singular truth, and this singular rule: That we must be kind to one another, because each voice enriches us and ennobles us, and each voice lost diminishes us... We are one.
We started this war with words from my mother. I end it with them too. She never told me where she found them. It doesn't matter. Wherever they came from, it doesn't diminish their truth.
— President Ffion Davies, address to the Federation Senate, opening of the peace conference to end the First War against the Federation, 56 P.I.
Ambassador Karrn enjoyed the afternoon with his family in Langelinie park.
Flukk played catch with the twins, Simak and Karrnak.
His youngest son, Noriff, cuddled with the newest addition to Karrn's family: Mandy, an Earth dog. Like Noriff, she was a stray. And as if they knew each other's history, they were inseparable.
Noriff was a war orphan, rescued by the 22nd Mechanized when they liberated Martife. The soldiers found him huddled against his mother's corpse under a collapsed subway entrance. How the pup had survived the months alone was a mystery and a miracle.
Even now, a year after the ordeal, he had horrible nightmares — though he was only two years old.
Mandy, who always slept next to him, was one of the few things that could calm him down.
Karrn understood the human love for dogs much better now.
Over the soft, sweeping grass hills he could see Rosha walking back toward them, ice cream cones in her hands for him and their pups.
Life could be so peaceful sometimes. Why can't every day be a Sunday?
The concept of a Sunday was something he had only learned when he came to Earth.
A day off, reserved for family and friends only.
Such an alien concept. So… human.
Rosha had reached the pups. Even Noriff and Mandy ran over to her, both hoping for a cone of the tasty treat.
Karrn smiled at the disappointment on Mandy's face when she didn't get one. They had learned the hard way that dogs don't digest ice cream well.
He smiled even more when he saw that Rosha had bought her frozen yogurt instead. In a way, Rosha thought of the dog as a fifth child — even though Mandy wasn't sapient.
Rosha finally came over to him.
"Here. Strawberry vanilla, your favorite."
Karrn felt a flicker of guilt. His wife didn't know why he liked strawberries. It reminded him of his time on the Argos.
Strawberry was a constant staple of the desserts there, and Lieutenant Davies wore a perfume with hints of strawberry.
Am I crazy, missing the Argos*? Especially now, when I'm in the park with my family, and everything is perfect?*
"You're too good to me, love."
Rosha smiled — something that made his heart jump even after years of marriage.
"Nothing you don't deserve. You work too hard, so at least today I can help you relax."
Rosha sat down on the grass next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder.
He felt another flicker of guilt. He came home late and left early. His position as ambassador — and de facto pack leader of millions of Shraphen in human space — consumed all the time he had with his family.
Rosha worked hard as well. She worked as a liaison for Humans and Shraphen who were willing to adopt Shraphen orphans or take in refugees from Burrow.
But she managed to be there for the pups.
Karrn feared that without Sundays, his children would grow up not knowing their father.
Rosha looked up at him. "A credit for your thoughts."
"Hmm?" Karrn didn't understand.
"That's what a colleague of mine said when I started staring into nothing. It means — tell me what's bothering you."
"I feel the pups grow when I'm not looking. And since I've been here on Earth, I've looked away too often."
Rosha cuddled closer to him. "But you spend every minute you have with them — that's what counts. And they are proud of their strong father, who keeps them and all Shraphen here safe."
"You think?" Karrn wasn't so sure about that.
"Yes. I heard them talking to Kristian, the neighbor's boy. They play together in our garden. His father is a diplomat in the Aligned Planets, or something."
Karrn fought his tears. The fact that his children thought so highly of him — and that he hadn't known they had a Human friend — he had missed so much.
His watch beeped softly, a signal that someone dared to interrupt his private time.
With a grunt, he pressed the decline button.
"Who was it?" Rosha had noticed.
"Don't know. Don't care."
"Call them back — it might be important, Karrn. I understand, and so do the pups. Please."
------
Ambassador Mekari somewhat enjoyed the quiet day the humans forced him to take. He could finally read through all the reports without hastening from one meeting to the next.
Today was a sort of rest day. Sunday.
An odd and entirely human concept. The station his ship was docked at operated as usual, but all diplomatic and official business rested, and only the bare minimum of work was done.
He closed the written reports his informants had sent.
It seemed Admiral Sanders's diplomatic steamhammer method — throwing truths like daggers until something cracked — had finally managed to get the Noble Council's attention.
Whether that was a good thing remained the question.
He was sure the extraordinarily agreeable surveillance software the good Admiral had installed was reporting all of this back to the humans, and through them, to the Admiral herself.
Mekari liked the human style. Lilith was extremely helpful in understanding humans. Or at least in understanding humans as they wanted to be understood.
And the way she — no, it — told him some things and playfully concealed others, Mekari was almost sure he was slowly learning to understand them better.
The fact that Lilith was eye candy and knew exactly how to play to Mekari's vices — telling him how smart he was, how cosmopolitan — Mekari was sure any lesser diplomat would have sold out the Republic by now.
"Ambassador, you called for me?" Riig's voice, almost apologizing for existing, ripped the Ambassador out of his daydreams.
"Ahh, yes, my dear Riig. I was told you returned to idle playing with bricks in your spare time?"
Riig's fur almost began to glow from how red his skin turned.
"No, Ambassador. See, my house has its roots as builders. The journey to Taishon was for many aboard the ships also a journey of rediscovery."
Mekari was aware of the trend he himself had unwittingly started.
"Yes?"
"So I decided to try my qualities as a builder in cargo space 71. It was empty, and I didn't bother anyone."
Riig was visibly ashamed of being caught. A noble playing with children's building blocks — unimaginable. His ears lay flat on his head, his fur bristled, and his tail swung nervously from side to side.
"Take a seat, Riig. Tell me — what did you build, and how did it feel?"
Mekari's interest was genuine. The nobles aboard all seemed… happier after they spent some time in their houses' professions.
Mekari regretted that he could not do the same. His House were miners once, and even his spacious ships lacked mountains to dig into.
Riig began to smile. Mekari envied his young assistant's capacity for genuine joy.
"Oh, it was wonderful. I built a model of a possible colony, now that the government of Taishon Tar has allowed our wishes to build one."
"Very nice. But remember, never say 'our wishes' — the Republic doesn't ask, it requests."
"Yes, Ambassador."
"Sooo? Tell me more about your model. And don't be ashamed of it. Children play with toys, but nobles build models. Yes?"
"Yes, Ambassador. First, I recreated the geographic details of the… requested building site."
Mekari noticed that Riig had substantially relaxed over the course of the journey. When they first met, Riig was nothing but a fumbling fool.
Partly because he was one — but also because the young noble had been intimidated by his assignment to Mekari.
Before Riig could continue, Lilith's hologram appeared on the lounger next to Mekari's desk. As always, the VI stretched itself, as if she had just woken up from a long sleep.
'Ambassador, you just received a communication request from Ambassador Chiprit. Should I connect you?'
The VI's voice made Mekari shiver. As always.
------
"Admiral, I need your advice here. The Flirr are going crazy about our plans to garrison and fortify their system. They see the danger coming from the Infectors, but they see us as the same danger to their freedom."
Admiral Sanders sat in her office, staring at the screen. Admiral Browner, on the other side of the comm channel, scratched his chin.
"Explain again, slowly this time."
Sanders rolled her eyes. The political reality of the Republic's border regions almost gave her an ulcer.
Gods, give me something to shoot at, not this diplomatic nonsense.
"Mekari had forgotten to tell us how despised the Psstips are in some regions out here. The Flirr are only one of the species the Psstips had conquered and suppressed for generations."
She poured herself another coffee. It was 2350 board time. The day had been long already.
"Do you think this was intentional?"
Browner's question was the same one she had asked herself all last week.
"At first, I thought so, yes. But after working more closely with the Psstips, I'm not sure. I think Mekari is a guy with his heart in the right place, wherever Psstips have their heart. But he and all the other nobles live in their own world. And however open they try to be, they can't help but see the world through their cultural lenses."
"The British Empire at its worst." Browner shook his head slowly, trying to make sense of the backstory.
Sanders looked up.
"Yes, or Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. They didn't get why Eastern Europe didn't like them either."
The grey-haired admiral on her screen shook his head again.
"Well, Cassidy, time to put on your diplomatic hat and solve this mess. What do the Flirr want from us?"
Sanders looked at the screen with tired eyes. "That we piss off and never come back."
Browner laughed dryly. "They know the Infectors will come back?"
"They don't believe us. They saw us fight side by side with the Psstips. For them, we're nothing more than mercenaries for the Republic."
Browner nodded. "Go to bed. It's Sunday — rest a bit while I make some calls. Let's see how fast we can get a diplomatic mission out there. Until then, don't start any more wars."
Sanders smiled sarcastically. "What's one more enemy?"
The screen went dark. Sanders leaned back in her chair.
Admiral, Ambassador Chiprit has requested a conference call.
Zeus's voice had slowly changed since his outing as an AI; the slight mechanical subharmonics were gone, replaced entirely by a soothing deep baritone.
"Now?" She wasn't in the mood at all.
It seems the Trkik have heard of our problems and decided to help.
------
The holographic meeting room was of astonishing quality. Chiprit almost vibrated with excitement and anxiety.
It was his doing — and that of his staff — that had brought all these highly important ambassadors and officials together in this room. Physical or virtual.
Admiral Rolling, Ambassador Mekari, and Ambassador Durtakhen of the Nuk Matriarchate were physically present in the conference room, together with Chiprit, of course.
Virtually seated were Ambassador Karrn and Admiral Sanders.
Chiprit was still puzzled that the Shraphen Colonial Government and the Burrow Provisional Senate had decided to give all decision-making authority to Ambassador Karrn. It seemed that Burrow and Taishon Tar were still unsure who led the Shraphen people, and both had chosen to defer to Karrn's judgment.
On the other hand, that made dealing with them considerably easier.
The fact that the delegates used the idle time for small talk made Chiprit smile.
So many different species, and they seemed friendly.
Mekari was exchanging pleasantries with Karrn, and Chiprit almost laughed out loud when the Psstips ambassador forgot that Karrn was only virtually present and tried to slap the Shraphen's shoulder.
"Ambassadors, delegates — I am terribly sorry to have called you to this meeting at this hour. I know for some of you it's very late, but we are standing at a dangerous crossroads, and I believe we need to provide our fleets with guidance on the way forward."
Chiprit paused.
The delegates went silent. The gaze of the avian Nuk ambassador made Chiprit nervous. He reminded him of the Rakneth — the holy bird back home. The former holy bird, which still had Trkik on the menu. For now.
Mekari stood up. "My dear Chiprit, let us not talk in circles here. You called us because of the problems my dear Admiral Sanders encountered securing the Republic's borders, yes?"
"So the past has finally caught up to the Republic, and previous dishonorable acts have come to light and shown their ugly faces."
Chiprit flinched at Ambassador Durtakhen's words. Partly at the sight of his opening beak, and partly because of the sharp criticism.
"Ahhh, my dear Durtakhen — yes, it is true, the Republic has made mistakes in the past. But at least we tried to bring the light of civilization to our neighbors. Not everyone can hide behind the borders of their home system and call it honor."
Mekari actually seemed to enjoy the verbal duel.
"And look — the universe is a better place for it. What if our friends the humans had stayed home? Taishon Tar would be in ruins, my dear Ambassador Chiprit would have suffocated, we would have lost the noble Trkik forever, and your people, Ambassador, would still believe the Batract's lies."
The flight arms of Durtakhen twitched, but Mekari kept smiling in his face.
"At least we never enslaved other species." The Nuk ambassador had clearly scored a point and knew it.
Karrn had obviously had enough of the bickering. He stared first at Mekari and then at the Nuk.
"No, you bombed them on the orders of the Batract. But that is the past. We all made mistakes — and that, too, is in the past. We could bicker here for another hour, or we could find a solution and go home to our loved ones."
Chiprit had the feeling the Shraphen was especially annoyed to be here.
He fought his stress response to regain his voice.
"Please, we need to find a way to bring the Psstips border species to our side, not fight among ourselves."
The fact of the matter was, he had a plan already — but he needed the ambassadors to feel like they had come up with it themselves.
Ambassador Durtakhen rolled his head to the side. A sign of agreement. Then he surprised everyone in the room.
"Before this meeting I received a surprise communication from the Council of Mothers. I was ordered to announce it tomorrow, but perhaps it will help in this matter."
Chiprit's interest was piqued, as was everyone else's. The Council usually only met once per year, so every decision they made was of great importance to the Nuk.
"Given the immediate and constant threat the Infectors present, the Council has decided to commit three fleets to the war against the Protohyphae and their Infectors."
The room was silent for a moment. The Nuk had only ever sent fleets outside their system when ordered by the Batract.
The simple fact that they had even sent an ambassador to Taishon Tar was seen as extraordinary. For them to commit three fleets to support the war — Chiprit lacked the superlatives to express his surprise.
Admiral Sanders shared a telling glance with Rolling. The two Human admirals had been silent the whole time. Chiprit assumed they felt some shame at needing their friends to solve this for them.
Or they simply didn't want to influence the outcome. Humans were still confusing to Chiprit. Their culture and history were extremely violent, yet unlike the more docile Trkik, they had never crossed the line into self-eradication.
"My dear Durtakhen, whoever said a stone could be more surprising than the entire Nuk species was obviously wrong. Let me be the first to thank you and your esteemed Council in the name of the whole Republic."
Mekari made a deep, exaggerated bow.
Ambassador Durtakhen turned away from the Psstips.
"We didn't do it for the Psstips. But your words were true — if everyone only cares for themselves, there is no one left to help you when your time comes. The humans have shown us this elementary truth."
Mekari straightened from his bow and smiled at Admiral Sanders. "Yes, they are exceptional teachers of hard truths. No?"
The other delegates were still too surprised by the Nuk's revelation to catch the smile Mekari gave the admiral.
All but Chiprit. He wondered what made the Psstips so affectionate toward the Human admiral.
Karrn stood up. "Then we have the solution already. The Flirr and the other border species see the Humans as allies of the Psstips. But they won't see the Nuk as such. Maybe this is something we can work with."
Chiprit knew it wasn't that easy. He and his staff had discussed this for days already.
"If it were only that simple — but I fear my government would have a hard time accepting the Nuk gaining extensive influence in our border regions, even if only to fight the Infectors." Mekari now looked honestly sad.
"If it were up to me, the Republic would give them the tools to protect themselves. But I am nothing but a meager ambassador with little influence."
Chiprit had to accept that the Nuk surprise had ruined his well-crafted plan to steer the conference toward his solution. He had to act, and quickly.
"Admiral Rolling, I have read something about the first human peace treaty. Perhaps there is something we could learn from it?"
Rolling was surprised to be addressed so suddenly.
She cleared her throat while Admiral Sanders's smile expressed a clear message: better you than me.
"Well, we have the story of two ancient peoples stuck in a never-ending war. At the end, they made a peace treaty vowing everlasting peace. The trick was, the diplomats from each side crafted the treaty so that each side received a copy claiming the other had asked for peace."
Karrn's tail wagged. "The Treaty of Kadesh. I've seen the original with my own eyes in the Library of Alexandria. Ambassador Chiprit, that is an excellent idea."
Chiprit had to hide his satisfaction. With Karrn invested in Human history, another piece of his plan had fallen into place.
"What an intriguing idea. The Emperor could save face by claiming he had asked a neutral power to protect the border regions." Mekari thought out loud.
"Maybe even more species than the Nuk — that would make it easier to sell to the Noble Council."
Chiprit had to fight the urge to jump up victoriously.
Karrn looked up from his data slate. "The Shraphen 3rd and 17th Veyr are refitted and ready. We had planned to assign them to support Admiral Sanders anyway."
Yes. Yes… yes.
Mekari looked at Chiprit with a knowing expression before he continued.
"We just need a neutral power to oversee and coordinate the shared effort. Ambassador Chiprit?"
He knows. The old cat had known from the start. Chiprit was certain of it.
"The Trkik could certainly fill that role. We see our future in mediation and diplomacy anyway."
When Karrn came back from his office, it was not too late to play some more with his pups.
"And? Was it important?" Rosha had prepared dinner.
"Yes, my love. I think we made the first steps toward something great today."
And Sunday wasn't over yet.