《Small Galaxy》Small Galaxy: Chapter 22 The Galactic Compact High Council. PT.3
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An old raccoon eyed Basillius from the side of the room for a while, watching the various races make their introductions. After most of the council had met with the Terran he decided it was his time. He walked over towards Basillius with a confidence in his step that he hadn't had moments ago. "I am most pleased to make your acquaintance child. My name is Nadim, High Councilor of the Rantari peoples. I hope that your race and my own may get along well for the foreseeable future. I do wish to let you know, however, that this old man will be watching you. You are accepted, not trusted. There are strange cults with you at the center being touted as some god of death and you've even managed to rope in two of our Council already. On top of all that, you look like the manifestation of all evil," he said with clear disdain in his voice.
Basillius raised an eyebrow at the old raccoon, "Uhhh... Did... Did you just call me kid and threaten me? Wow... The balls on this thing. Thought you were a trash panda, not a honey badger. Well, first off. I haven't been called a kid in over a thousand years in this universe's flow of time, let alone the million-plus years I spent in the veil... So, I guess I gotta say, thanks for the compliment. Secondly, Mr. Nadim... I don't need your trust yet, nor do I expect it. I just showed up out of thin air. I honestly expected more pushback. I don't need your trust to give you all the tech needed to defend yourself after all. Finally, I literally can't help the way I look now. Believe me. I've tried to change it. The edginess only gets worse..."
Nadim went wide-eyed for a moment before scowling and walking away as he threw his hands in the air and mumbled, "Bah! Nonsense through and through. Nobody could live that long."
Basillius waved in the next one. It looked to be another fishtank but he couldn't see what was in it. The fishtank hovered over to him and hit the lights that were shining onto the stage. Basillius' eyes widened as the creature floated around with a slight tremble.
"My name is Fwuki. Do not fear me... I know my form may resemble those you fight, but I am no threat to you. I wish for our people to get along well, though it is my fear that my people will face discrimination amongst yours for our resemblance to the tentacled monstrosities that you fought in space. I would appreciate it if you just gave me the bad news now. If you believe that my people will face discrimination, let it be known now. I beg of you... don't give us false hope." she said, with despair lingering in her voice already.
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Basillius smiled at the little cuttlefish as she tried to act confident while hiding behind some coral. "Meeting you is a pleasure, little one. You are actually far from feared by my people all ready. There is quite a following of folks who love and care for your distant cousins as if they were their own kin. You are an incredibly adorable little thing, and I would be hard pressed to believe that anyone would hurt you."
Fwuki changed into a myriad of reddish colors before going nigh invisible. " Y-y-you said that I'm.... adorable... Well, that's um.... not what I was expecting. This is certainly an enlightening revelation as, well, most of the galaxy finds my kind to be repulsive... This is the first time that any aliens have told me that I was adorable..."
Catherine immediately jumped out and yelled, "What! How could anyone find you little jelly bubbles repulsive?! You tell big sis Cath who said it and I'll educate them on all things adorable, fluffy, and cute!"
Fwuki just stared at her in confusion, not sure whether or not to be afraid of her enraged yelling, be thankful that she seemed genuinely concerned for her, or just plain confused at being called a 'jelly bubble'. Basillius cleared his throat behind Catherine, "Cath... We are in the middle of probably the most important meeting Terrans have had since the great uplifting. No yelling. I give them a bad enough image of all Terrans as it is. We don't need them thinking that we are completely unhinged as well."
Catherine pouted at Basillius and crossed her arms. "Fine, I'll take the jelly bubble over to the other side of the room so that we can talk about who I need to teach a lesson to." As she finished her sentence she swung her gaze back to Fwuki and then started pushing her tank to another side of the building.
With that done, the next Councilor began making their way over. The being that stepped out of the shadows was possibly the most colorful and gaudy thing he had seen in his life, and he had seen Catherine's room. The peacock began to swagger into the light of the stage. It poofed its tail feathers out in a show of colors as it introduced itself. "I am Madame Cha. I am the supreme color of the Yen'Titi. Well? are you in awe of my fantastic plumage yet? I am after all, quite interested in some of the more.... exotic activities, and you... you are very exotic." she said while fluffing out her plumage.
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Basillius blinked in disbelief, and Amaranth just glared at the bird from Basillius' shoulder. Basillius snapped out of his confusion after what felt like an eternity. "Ah... maybe.... maybe some other time Madame Cha... I am nonetheless pleased to make your acquaintance. May our people prosper together." As he stared at the brightly colored bird a thought popped into mind, 'Aren't the colorful peacocks the males?'
Madame Cha fluffed her plumage some more and then took a few steps closer to Basillius before turning and letting her feathers brush against Basillius' shin before walking away. "Then until next time. I can't wait to see what you have beneath that metal,"
Basillius' didn't even know what to say. He just shook his head in confusion as he waved in the next council member. This one was hopping to him. The little bunny made its grand entrance onto the stage with a somewhat shaky set of jumps before landing several feet away from Basillius. "I am called Venn. I am but an elected representative from the kingdom of Rasen peoples. I do not want any trouble... I will not lie, I am terrified of you. You could kill me with your little toe... but, I stand before you as Tarma's peer. Thusly, I cannot be allowed to make a damned fool of myself. I will put aside my innate instinct to run in the hope that you will not burn my worlds, or at the very least, I hope that you will not allow these space Yambi to burn my worlds." he said, visibly shaking.
Basillius knelt down as close as he could to the Rabbit. "Do not worry small one. You are considered a friend. My people will do all we can to support you. We will not allow your kingdom to meet its doom. Do not fear my people for we have nothing but love to give you."
Venn leapt off the stage as quickly as he had come, though significantly less shaky. Last but not least, this one looked familiar. "My name is Kane, I come representing the Atteni peoples republic and I am formally requesting to have my people returned," he said, exhaustion and fear clear in his voice.
Basillius nodded and looked behind himself. "Pleased to meet you Kane, sorry for keeping them. They were apparently formally declared ambassadors of your people by the way. They have at the very least been living like kings for the few days they were in Catherine's care. Well, if they wish to go back to you, then that is their prerogative."
The three Atteni stepped out of the crowd that was behind Basillius and moved to his feet. So'Ran walked right up to Kane, "Good to see you old friend! My, it feels like ages since I last saw you! Sorry for just leaving to see these Terrans up-close, but for me, the most important thing in life... is knowledge. Pursuit of knowledge over the fear of death, as I always did say."
Kane scrunched his brow. "Is... is that you, So'Ran?... I did not recognize you at all... still don't actually, but the other two are over there. So that means that your wrinkly old self turned back into a youngling. I actually don't know what to say... The Terrans just... poofed you back in time? Did they treat you well too? Basillius said they did at least, but I would like to hear it from you."
So'Ran smiled and nodded, "Of course! Ms. Catherine gave us so many things and treated us so well I could almost believe it if she told me that she was Lunisia herself!"
Kane looked back to the other two Atteni, "What's your take on them? Friendly or no?"
Valthan immediately brightened up as he started speaking, "Friendly! I hope that we become full allies with them! I would love to learn under the tutelage of the gods of engineering! I saw so many life-altering inventions and concepts... So many feats that aren't even theoretically possible by our physical standards... They are worthy of worship, let alone friendship. We should be ecstatic."
Valenthi quirked her eyebrow at Valthan, "Well... They seem like normal people to me honestly. They are definitely friendly. That much I'm sure of. I don't think that they are gods, but friends? Yes."
Kane looked deep in thought for a moment before finally raising his gaze to meet Basillius's own. "I advocate for the alliance on behalf of the Atteni people."
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