If you find mistakes, pls tell, thx. I don't like mistakes.

Also feel free to ask for more background information on the world. I am somehow running out of interesting points regarding the small comments at the beginning of the chapters.

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“

Pyro-Magic allows control over temperature. It's basically energy manipulation in its simplest form.

Yet all pyro-magic is bound to the law that energy can't be created or destroyed, just transferred from one form to another.

”

-Magical Affinities

***Kaus Borealis, Coeus***

***Gideon***

“I hate it!” I grumble.

“Why? You were the one who found out that telepathy works. The others were all too afraid to use it on the aliens. Who knows what could happen if you connect to an alien mind?” Ed takes another sip of his coffee. “At least we now can understand and talk to each other. The Zeen is very quick on the uptake in regards to languages.”

“It would be fine if he wouldn't stick to me as soon as I enter the habitat. He also found out that I was trying to confuse him by speaking German.” I answer, annoyed.

“You shouldn't have used your second language to confuse him. Maybe he would've learned English even earlier without your misdirection. You've found your first male friend aside from Paul. Isn't that something to be happy about?” Ed asks. Then he raises his cup of coffee to gesture at the people around us. “It's just sad that you seem to be better at dealing with aliens than with your own race.”

“He isn't a friend. I am not even sure if the Zeen have a gender. Ayo just wants to know how the gravity runes work.” I answer.

“And did you tell him?” Ed leans forward.

“Of course not. I just gave him a rough outline on the theory behind magic to distract him. It was by no means helpful to create their own rune circuits. I am not even sure if the aliens are able to use magic. Even a magical circuit needs an operator with magical abilities.” Maybe I should try to let them use one of the small circuits. “I think their nervous system is missing the ability to sense energies like ours.”

Ed nods slowly. “Our scientists are assuming something similar. How is the situation with the battle station. Have they seen it?”

“No, I think the upgraded stealth systems are working just fine. Of course we can only guarantee that it's undetectable while it doesn't move. We let it drift very close to the alien ship and they haven't moved nor mentioned the station. I doubt that they would simply ignore the weapon platform with a length of three kilometres while praising the asteroid habitat. It may be that they outperform us in terms of energy production, but they have nothing like our stealth-tech.” I let my mind wander to Ilin Kleio and Ayo, the two aliens who are frequently bugging me and Cyla for communication sessions.

The Forlorn are bipedal humanoids with sturdy, backwards bent legs. Though someone decided to give them more arms than any being would ever need. They have two big main arms to manipulate heavy objects, though they also use them to move around.

On the chest between the main arms are three smaller arms with delicate fingers. The head is configured similar to a human's, but is missing nose and ears.

The Forlorn contact team was very focused on apologizing for the initial meeting between our races. They confirmed that the three ships which initiated the battle at Oibras belonged to the Drazi. The fourth ship belonged to the Forlorn and was hunting them.

They are hoping for trade and to create a peaceful relationship with us as their neighbours. Though I am not sure what we could need from them. The only thing that comes to mind is that energy source of theirs. They call it a zero-point-generator.

We already tried to steal the information from the Drazi, but whenever my IMs got close to their power generators or computer cores they blew them up.

Apparently there exists something like a galactic society of races which the Forlorn and the Zeen are a part of. They regularly meet close to the galaxy's centre. I am not yet sure what's needed to join this exclusive club.

The Drazi don't belong to that society. They are regarded as pirates and a pest which you can't coexist with. The civilised races charged the entire species with crimes from piracy to genocide and found them guilty. That's why they are free game to exterminate for any race that encounters them.

Like I already observed they have a real problem with population pressure. That's the reason why they are slowly spreading across the galaxy despite being treated like vermin.

Their point of origin was close to the galactic centre where they had several hundred star systems under their control.

At some point they started waging war on one of their neighbouring species and brought them to the brink of extinction. A coalition of older races who saw them as a threat started to form. Especially since communication and making treaties with them is almost impossible.

Once the Drazi reach a certain population threshold they split into multiple groups and start fighting each other.

That apparently happens on a regular basis in their society, which makes it impossible to have them as neighbours.

The races who felt threatened by the Drazi formed a coalition and crushed the Drazi's core worlds. Unfortunately they only caused a huge transmigration wave by doing so.

By now the centre of the galaxy is almost cleaned up, but the fleeing waves of Drazi settlers are slowly wandering outwards along our spiral arm while being chased by said coalition.

Their sworn task borderlines on fanaticism to me. Yes, the Drazi are a threat, but hunting them down among billions of stars seems to be an impossible task.

The only reason why the coalition isn't fighting a completely lost battle is because of the Drazi's low technological level. Apparently they need worlds to settle because they aren't able to build independent habitats with closed environments.

The Forlorn are located closer to the galaxy's centre and experienced attacks by the first Drazi scouts since several years. They also try to keep a bubble of several dozen light years clear of Drazi settled worlds.

Sol has a few more years before the shit really hits the fan. Once the real emigration wave reaches our worlds we'll have a lot of trouble.

“All this is causing me headaches. Did the elders already give their opinion on the situation?” I ask Ed.

He shakes his head. “They are still searching through all the information and trying to make sense of it. We are learning a lot about the galaxy's political state. The Forlorn and the Zeen also invited us to visit the next gathering of civilised races.”

“I think I'll search for Cyla and relax a little.” I stand up and say my goodbyes to Ed, then I make my way to Cyla's current location. The ship's computer says that she is inside the habitat.

After leaving the living-module I head directly to the habitat by using the gangway which is connecting the asteroid with the Coeus.

I find Cyla standing on the habitat's central plaza. She is with Ilin and Ayo. The Forlorn turns her attention immediately towards me. “I am happy to see you. I just learned that you and Cyla are brood-mates. That explains a lot about you two being always together.”

“Brood-mates?” I ask.

“Two people who are sharing close proximity for the sake of procreation.” Ayo follows with an explanation. “The Forlorn don't have a concept of platonic love, though they care for offspring that's related to them if they get old enough to talk. They lay one egg every two years and dump them where they are standing. It's up to luck if they hatch or not. The hatchlings aren't even regarded as people until they start talking. Sometimes it's quite depressing to talk with Ilin about her offspring.”

“Platonic love?” My eyes wander to Cyla. ~What were you guys talking about?~

~It's hard to explain. They started asking about relationships between members of our species. Then they got fixated on our relationship.~

I see. Then I ask. ~Though I wouldn't call us brood-mates. Don't they have a lighter form of relationship?~

Cyla crosses her arms in front of her chest. ~Apparently not. And what do you mean, lighter form? I for example want to have kids at some point.~

Kids!? Me as a father!? ~Could we postpone this discussion. I don't think I am ready for such a responsibility at this point in time.~ Yes! That was a good answer. Thank you for your training, Grandmother.

“I think they are doing it again.” Ayo interrupts our conversation and saves me from an annoying discussion. “Are all members of your species born with the ability to talk to each other's minds? It reminds me of the Urr, though you are doing it on a much smaller scale.”

“No, there are affinities for certain abilities among the bloodlines. Telepathy belongs to that.” Cyla answers.

I continue to follow the conversation without much interest until Ilin reveals that her scientists have analysed the blood samples which they got from us in return for their own.

“Your DNA seems to consist out of two or more intertwined DNA strands which are able to recombine randomly with each other upon breaking up. The fascinating thing is that while they are forming new combinations, they only allow those which work out for the organism.” Ilin makes a gesture for the unknown among her people. “We've never seen something like it before. Your ability to mutate seems to be without limits.”

Maybe I should introduce them to my mother. She likes manipulating DNA. Now that I think about it I've avoided taking her calls for a while. I should probably answer her the next time we are in Sol. Just to see what she is up to.

We spent two more hours with the aliens until Ayo calls it quits. The Zeen can't be in our environment for extended periods of time. He needs much dryer air. Preferably close to zero water. He is actually slowly poisoning himself while running through our habitat.

On our way back to the command module I get an update on the Forlorn society from Cyla. Apparently they live in something akin to Earth's Roman Empire during the time in which the emperor didn't have absolute power, but had to share it with the senate.

All in all I am surprised that the Forlorn and Zeen are similar enough to us to have a conversation with them. But if their story about the civilised races is true, then there is much strange folk out there.

We arrive at the command module and I close the door behind us. Upon turning around I suddenly find Cyla standing directly in front of me. “We haven't finished a certain discussion.”

“Which discussion do you mean?” I ask, finding myself being cornered against the door.

She reaches for her chest and starts unbuttoning her uniform. “The one where we have kids and you sounded very unhappy about such a future possibility. I just want there to be no misunderstandings on such an important topic. Having no clear understanding on something like this could prove fatal for a relationship.”

“No, unhappy is a too strong word for it. I just said that I am not ready to take care of a kid.” I answer. I've honestly no idea why I should want one.

Her clothes drop to the ground, piece by piece, in a very erotic way. She places my hands on her chest and starts removing my shirt. “Yet you are willing to take the risk of floating my boat every day.”

“We have the treatment, so the risk is small.” All young adults get a chip implanted above their collarbones. The chip prevents conception by releasing chemicals into the blood stream. It's necessary to control the birthrate in a society where the people stay in peak condition for up to two hundred years.

“But the risk is still there.” She reaches into my pants and starts moving her hands while kissing my chest with electrifying kisses. “There is no such thing as complete safety and we are doing it almost every day.”

The sensation is mortifying, so I close my eyes to enjoy being served like this. But one moment before sending me over the edge she pulls back and steps away. “So you weren't saying that you'll run off if the contraceptives ever fail?”

Of course not! This woman! “I didn't mean it like that!”

She wanders over to the sofa and gets onto it on all fours. “I am just warning you that I won't abort a pregnancy should it ever happen.”

She is evil! She brought me to the brink and now she is waving her butt at me while telling me something like this! I shed the rest of my clothes in a hurry and grab her hips to take her from behind. “You know very well that I couldn't be without you.”

She moans and moves herself against me. Then she curls backwards to kiss me. “I love you too. Especially when you are attacking me like this!”

.