Johanna sat in the meeting room aboard the Monarch. Three representatives of the Trivaxians, Director Tofor of SEI, Leader Riven – the only female of the three, and Commander Quvor sat across from Johanna’s diplomatic leads, Envoy Park Chung-Ah and Envoy Esama.
“We appreciate all the help you have given to our people.” The Trivaxian group’s leader, Director Tofor said in his language, and the translating device built into the table translated the words to standard.
“It is the least we could do.” Johanna said, and waited as the translator relayed her words in the Trivaxian language.
“No. You don’t owe us anything.” Tofor said, his ears flapping around. “Have you found out the reason why the aliens attacked us?” The Empire’s people transformed the former colony on Rofvax into a kind of a prison facility for the some three hundred alien invaders.
“We are still questioning them, as soon as we know for sure you will know.” Johanna answered.
“You warned us. Thirty years ago, you warned us that the galaxy was a dangerous place, and we should have listened.” Tofor said.
“I couldn’t have imagined that this would have happened. If I had suspected I would have done things differently…” Johanna said. The Trivaxian’s listened the translation, and then kept silent. A few moments later Leader Riven turned her slender head towards Johanna and spoke.
“There are some among us that blame you for what has happened.” She said.
“We didn’t even know that these aliens existed. It is not our fault that they found you.” Envoy Park Chung-Ah interceded.
“Of course, we understand that. The ones that blame you, believe that your fault lies in not giving us more of your technology instead of riddles and concepts.” Leader Riven said.
Johanna immediately responded. “Even the small amount of data that I gave you had turned your society on its head, who knows what would have happened if I gave you more. And more to the point, at the time I knew very little about you. For I know you could have turned out to be no better than the aliens that attacked you. If I had given you more, it could have been you who attacked another race.” She said angrily.
Stunned the three Trivaxians looked at each other for a moment before responding. “We would have never attacked another living being without cause!” Commander Quvor said.
“Perhaps, but you are still a young race. I have seen your history, it is a peaceful one. You don’t know the true horrors of war, and temptations that come from knowing that you have the ability to take something from those weaker.” Johanna shook her head. “My people might not have been in space for a long time. But our history is filled with grief, war, and examples of people succumbing to those temptations. We have learned our lessons well. You are ignorant, still innocent.”
“We are not innocent any longer.” Director Tofor added.
Johanna smiled sadly, “If only you knew how wrong you are. What has happened to you was terrible, unforgivable. But you escaped a far worse fate.” She said, her eyes losing focus.
“Have you come to a decision?” Leader Riven asked, bringing Johanna back from her recollections.
“The Emperor had spoken with the leaders of the Empire. It has been decided that we will offer you a place in the Empire. If you accept, we will give you our technology and you will be given a status of a clan and all the protections and responsibilities that entails, but the price will be your way of life. Your children will be taught the ways of the Empire, and you will be required to abandon your ways. If you refuse we will still give our protection, but your path to the stars will be your own. We will not meddle in your civilization nor will we give you any advanced technologies, we would still be open to trade, but that will be only for materials and other non-technological products.” Johanna said.
After listening to the translation, the three Trivaxians looked at each other and conferred silently. “We will need to think about this.” Leader Riven said.
“Of course, you can have as much time to decide as you wish. For now my ships will stay here until reinforcements from the Empire arrive, by then we should have the locations of the invaders worlds, and we will pay them a visit.” Johanna said, and with that stood and left the room, leaving the three aliens with her two diplomatic envoys to answer any other questions they might have.
A few hours later the three Trivaxians were back on their planet, brought back by the Empire’s shuttle. They were sitting in the temporary government building. The three of them were for all intense and purposes in charge. The Trivaxian government never was big, and the aliens managed to kill most of them in their bombardment.
“What do you think about their offer Tofor?” Riven asked.
Tofor reached with his upper left arm and scratched his ear. “I don’t know Riven, it is not something that we should decide on quickly. I haven’t even read through all the requirements and obligations that we will be bound to if we decide to join them. And frankly what I have read seems very harsh.” He answered.
“How so?” Quvor asked.
“If we join them, the Trivaxian civilization will cease to be, we will become the Empire. Our young will be raised in the Empire’s ways, taught their history. Sure they would teach the history of Trivax too, but it will be only a chapter in the grander history of the Empire. Our way of life will change, some of our culture might be adopted into the Empire, but they will not allow dissidents. We will need to change in order to fit in.” Tofor answered.
“And is that such a bad thing?” Riven asked.
“Perhaps, perhaps not. I don’t know, and that is the problem.” Tofor said.
“The Trivaxian history won’t disappear Tofor. We would only be trading the future of Trivaxians, for a life under the Empire. Would we not advance far more quickly as a part of them? Would we not colonize and spread to the stars?” Riven added.
Tofor remained quiet.
“I for one am for us joining them.” Quvor said.
“Why?” Tofor asked.
“Because I don’t want this situation to repeat itself ever again. We were so inferior Tofor, if it weren’t for the Empire we would be dead now. If we didn’t meet them thirty years ago, we would have only fallen faster. They were right the universe is a dangerous place, and I don’t wish to see any more of our people die.” Quvor answered.
Riven crossed her lower arms across her chest and spoke. “We need to think this true thoroughly. To speak with the people, and decide what the best course of action is.”
Five days later – Empire’s prison camp – Rofvax
High Prime Nicolet Francis sat in the small interrogation room, across from her sat one of the alien prisoners. The aliens were all more than two meters tall, spindly, they walked hunched forward. They had dark brown skin, with feather like coverings on their heads and around their faces, and along the sides of their arms and legs. They wore clothing provided by the Empire that was more like a long sheet which they wrapped around their bodies.
The alien head was triangular, wider on top and narrower at the bottom, with a beak like mouth that had teeth. Their eyes were sunken in their skulls, similarly to humans or Nel. Their fingers ended in talons. They looked menacing and powerful. Which was actually misleading as they were weaker than an average human or Nel. The alien bones were semi-hollow, probably remnants from a time when they could fly. Their muscles nowhere near as strong as human’s, the result of a lower gravity home world. Outside of their armored suits they were no threat.