“Makes sense to me,” said Ashby. “We were opening a door to somewhere they didn’t want to go.”
“Or to people they wanted nothing to do with,” said the Aeluon.
“Some of them,” said the Harmagian. “The dominant clan insists they are committed to—”
“Another time,” said the Aeluon smoothly. Ashby blinked. They weren’t seriously considering continuing the alliance, were they? It seemed like a lot to overlook, even with ambi on the line. The Aeluon continued: “Did you witness any altercations between the Toremi and GC staff during the reception? I know your time there was limited, but if there was anything…?”
Ashby thought. “No, I don’t think so. My clerk mentioned later that she didn’t think the Toremi had been invited.”
The Aandrisk nodded. “That matches with the other reports.”
“So the Toremi never threatened you, or anyone else there?” the Harmagian asked.
“No,” Ashby said. “The New Mother seemed welcoming, in a way. She said she was looking forward to seeing our skies. Her words.”
“Interesting,” said the Aeluon. She glanced at each of the committee members, and flashed her cheeks. “Thank you, Captain Santoso. We ask that you remain planetside until tomorrow, in case we have other questions, but for now, you are free to go.”
Ashby straightened up. “Wait, that’s it?”
The Aandrisk smiled. “Yes, your report was very thorough.”
Ashby frowned. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve come all this way. Why couldn’t we have done this over the sib?”
“It’s GC policy in the event of an attack on civilians to hold a public hearing, including face-to-face analysis with affected parties, if possible.”
“Policy,” said Ashby, nodding. “Right.” He inhaled and looked down at his hands resting on the too-tall desk. “I don’t mean any disrespect, representatives, but your policies were supposed to protect me and my crew. I trusted in them. I trusted that we weren’t going to be sent anywhere that posed any danger outside what comes with the job.” He fought to keep his voice calm. “You sent us somewhere we shouldn’t have gone, and you’re still thinking about sending other people back. You put all of our lives at risk, without saying as much, and now you want to sit around and talk about policies.”
“Thank you, Captain,” the Quelin said flatly. “That will be all.”
“No,” said the other Aandrisk. “Let him speak.” He looked at Ashby and nodded. “Like he said, he came all this way.”
Ashby swallowed, unsure of what had gotten into him.
“Go ahead, Captain,” said the Aeluon.
Ashby took a breath. “Look, I don’t know about these things. I’m not a politician, I’m not on a committee. I don’t know the things you know. I don’t even know if my crew said anything to offend the Toremi. I don’t think they did, but no, I can’t say for certain. But what if they did? Someone says something stupid at a cocktail party, and that’s enough to go to war over? Those are the kind of people you want to bring into our space? You know, my ship nearly tore itself apart, I lost one of my crew, and yet, honestly, I’m glad there’s not an open tunnel there right now. You want people like that, who start killing that fast, walking around spaceports, flying through cargo lane traffic? How long before some shopkeeper gets killed over a price they didn’t like, or a bar gets torn up because some drunk spacer mouths off about something they don’t agree on?” He shook his head. “I don’t know why they attacked us. Thing is, neither do you. If you did, I wouldn’t be here. So until you come up with a policy that can guarantee the Toremi will never fire on a civilian ship again, I think you should leave them the hell alone.”
The committee was quiet. Ashby looked down at the desk. The Aeluon spoke. “You said you lost one of your crew. Do you mean the AI?”
“Yes,” Ashby said. The Harmagian’s tendrils flexed. Whatever it meant, Ashby didn’t care.
“I see,” said the Aeluon. She looked at him a moment, her cheeks shifting colors in a contemplative way. “Captain Santoso, could you wait outside for a few minutes?”
Ashby nodded and left the room. He sat on one of the overly soft couches, his hands folded, his eyes on the floor. Minutes passed by silently.
A nearby vox switched on. “Captain Santoso?” Twoh’teg said.
“Yes?”
“Thank you for waiting. The committee has decided that no further questions will be necessary. They greatly appreciate you taking the time to join us today. You’re free to leave the planet.”
“Right,” Ashby said. “I pissed them off, huh?”
Twoh’teg paused. “No, actually. But please don’t ask me more, I’m not allowed to talk about what goes on in there.” The wall drawer containing Ashby’s scrib slid open. “Have a safe trip home, Captain.”
Feed source: The Thread—The Official News Source of the Exodan Fleet (Public/Klip)
Item name/date: Breaking News Summary—Toremi Alliance Talks—222/306
Encryption: 0
Translation path: 0
Transcription: 0
Node identifier: 7182-312-95, Ashby Santoso
After tendays of deliberation, the GC Parliament has voted to dissolve the alliance with the Toremi Ka. The vote was divisive, passing with only a nine-point margin. While most representatives stayed within species alignments, the Harmagian representatives showed the largest disparity, with a nearly even split between those for and against.
The opposition was lead by Aeluon representative Tasa Lima Nemar and Aandrisk representative Reskish Ishkarethet. Representative Lima, who had been opposed to the alliance before its initial signing, spoke in the Parliament Halls earlier today. “The wellbeing of our citizens must be the number one priority in all Parliamentary activities. To bring violence into our space in the name of material gain, and at the expense of civilian lives, would be grossly negligent. Until we can assure our people that their safety is not at risk, we cannot, in good conscience, continue with this alliance.” Representative Ishkarethet echoed those sentiments, stating: “After speaking with those lucky enough to return from Hedra Ka, there is no doubt in my mind that this is a door that must remain shut.”
Harmagian representative Brehem Mos Tosh’mal’thon, one of the key voices in securing the alliance, delivered a swift rebuttal. “Representative Lima is more concerned with spreading Aeluon troops too thin than she is with protecting civilians. She conveniently forgets that military skirmishes between our respective species led to the founding of the GC itself. New alliances always pose risks, and are rarely implemented smoothly. While the lives lost at Hedra Ka are a tragedy, we should not be so hasty as to break contact entirely over this incident. The potential benefits for both our species outweigh the risks.” Following the vote, Representative Tosh’mal’thon further stated that he would push for continued contact with Toremi clans sympathetic to “the values of the Galactic Commons.”
Though there are currently no GC vessels within Toremi space, reports from the borders indicate that armed conflict between the clans has not slowed.
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Day 214, GC Standard 307
ALL SAID AND DONE