Veeka paused before crossing the street and changed her clothing’s setting from “optically adaptive” to “solid color: purple”.

Karashel’s assassins (or whatever those things were) had already seen her dressed in near-perfect camo, but the people in the park had not.

As she reached the gate, the Rill guards nodded respectfully.

“Councilor,” one of them hiss-buzzed.

“Good afternoon,” she said pleasantly, “How is the day treating you?”

“Quite well, ma’am.”

“I couldn’t help but notice your weapon,” she said, “It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you!” the Rill buzzed as their hood expanded to its fullest, resembling a cobra.

“May I scan it?”

“Of course!” the Rill clicked proudly. “The stock and action are of a classic Kev~# design chambered in 3%lk using our propellant and projectile. It has been adapted to use a detachable box magazine, but other than that, it is free from (scoff) Terran influence. It utilizes the force from the equal and opposite reaction to…”

Veeka listened intently as she scanned what appeared to be a simple and elegant weapon specifically designed by and for the species using it. While bearing many similarities to Terran arms, it was definitely NOT one.

For one thing, this weapon was crafted with great care and was a joy to behold, something that she would happily purchase as an art piece, with an intricately carved and inlaid stock and wonderfully compelling engravings on most exposed metal surfaces.

“Oh, that is lovely,” Veeka said sincerely. “I would have been very happy to carry something like that back in the day… a bit smaller, of course.”

“You, bore steel?” The Rill clicked.

“You sound surprised,” Veeka chuckled, “But in my youth, I was a very different and somewhat more trim creature. In my people, service in our SDF is the best way both into higher education and into the public sector. It is also expected from certain families, such as my own.”

“Rilllllll-Rillllshak!” the Rill leader exclaimed. “And how did you bear your steel?”

“The polite term for it is ‘Reconnaissance Vanguard’,” Veeka replied proudly. “I will leave it to your judgment as to what that actually means.”

“Rilllllll-Rillllshak’sha!” the Rill leader trilled as they all stamped their feet. “Here.”

The leader offered his weapon to Veeka.

“S(click)sharra,” Veeka said solemnly as she accepted the rifle.

She grunted a little.

“Oof… heavy.”

She held the weapon admiringly and, with a little effort, managed to shoulder it… sort of, roughly taking aim at a safely abandoned building, much to the amusement of the soldiers.

“If you fancy it,” the leader clicked, “I am certain you could commission something more suitable from Rill. There is quite a waiting list, but I’m certain that status and money… and the challenge of such a piece… could secure you an advantage.”

“An advantage I would not seek to claim,” Veeka replied as she returned the rifle. “I suspect your craftsmen are quite busy these days.”

“Are not your own?”

Veeka huffed with annoyance.

“Not nearly as busy as they should be… not that we have them anymore. Aside from a few historians and hobbyists, nothing remains. My people are entirely too… secure… in their beliefs, preferring to sleep soundly under the comfort of our SDF. That’s not entirely unjustified. Our SDF is quite substantial, and their weapons, while nowhere near as beautiful as yours, are quite suitable.”

“Of that,” the leader replied, “we have little doubt. The K(click)eep are quite well known… though more for your navy.”

“It’s what catches the eye,” Veeka replied and then added with a little smirk, “as it should. One shouldn’t see what lurks in the trees until it decides to present itself.”

The Rill all clicked darkly with laughter.

Veeka smiled inwardly and for more than one reason. This was becoming quite informative, and it felt nice to be able to connect with both real soldiers and that part of her again.

“Forgive me for asking,” Veeka said as she peered at the masterpiece, “But was this weapon manufactured with those carvings?”

“I wish!” the Rill buzzed as his companions clicked their mandibles in what passed for a laugh among their people. “It was not without cost, even if it was done by machine. I’ve commissioned a properly made one, but it will take well over a year for it to be delivered. It cost me dearly, but it will be worth it.”

“You paid for your weapon?”

“I chose to,” the Rill replied, “It’s a Rill thing.”

“We’re not levies,” another Rill chimed in, “with bare steel. We are—”

Another Rill headbutted him.

“Embassy staff!” the headbutted Rill exclaimed, “Yep. Juuuust embassy staffers…”

Veeka couldn’t help but snicker as the Rill all clicked with amusement.

“Pull my tail,” Veeka snarked, “It shoots out sprinkles. We’ve been adding ‘embassy staff’ ourselves. If you are anything like our new mail clerks, then you are among the best’ mail clerks’ your people have.”

More clicking.

Veeka leaned in and quietly asked, “What is the deal with those Baleel?”

“You mean the creepy ones that busted you?”

“Yeah, those,” Veeka winced.

“They say they are ‘nature buddies’,” the Rill’s leader replied, “Which is some sort of park ranger or something. But you know Baleel. Anything they say can mean anything. We have no idea. All we know is that they answer to Her Pinkness, and there’s always one of them around whether you can see them or not… which you won’t.”

“Lovely,” Veeka said.

“You’ll have to ask Her Pinkness if you want to know more,” the leader said.

He leaned in towards Veeka.

“And if you find out, ma’am, let us know. Those things creep us the void out.”

***

Escorted by one of the surprisingly friendly and relaxed Rill, Veeka was led through the expansive park and toward a rather lovely and freshly built pavilion on the site.

“Thank you, RillRillll,” Veeka said, calling the soldier by name. “And thank you for sharing about your military. I must say you are quite knowledgeable for a simple embassy staffer.”

The Rill clicked with amusement.

“Likewise, Councilor,” the Rill buzzed, “the similarity and differences are quite interesting.”

“Perhaps I shall visit again,” Veeka replied.

“You shall always be welcome at our post,” the Rill replied as they curled their body and extended their hood. “Rilllllll-Rillllshak!”

Veeka snapped to attention and thumped her tail.

“S(click)sharra!”

Her smile faded.

“I see ‘Her Pinkness’ has noticed me,” she said as her least favorite lifeform in the galaxy bobbed and wiggled happily.

“Care to exchange duties?” Veeka asked the soldier, who just clicked loudly.

“No, thank you,” the Rill clicked with amusement, “Enjoy your lunch, Councilor.”

***

“Hi, there!” Karashel said brightly as Veeka approached. “I love your outfit! So versatile!”

“Just a little something I had in the back of the closet,” Veeka replied.

“I’m glad you decided to join us! Sit! Sit! Ooh! Get yourself a plate first! You should try the Z’uush barbecue! It’s wonderful!”

Veeka smiled thinly and wandered into the distressingly thick crowd.

The whole affair had a happy festive vibe as people chatted, mingled, and stuffed their faces with the entirely too impressive array of foods from across the Federation. Not only were there entire tables of produce and staples, but there were also many small tents and booths where representatives of many races, not all of them members of the party, were cooking their signature dishes.

It required effort for Veeka not to become entirely too pleased at what she was beholding. There were so many interesting and tempting delights, even for one as wealthy as her.

The happiness of so many, especially the less privileged, was almost overpowering.

“Is it really free?” she overheard a rather shabbily dressed… something… burble.

“It is,” a brilliant purple Jova replied as they filled a bowl with a fragrant stew.

“Then…” the xeno, which Veeka just knew she should be able to identify (and the reason she couldn’t was uncomfortably obvious), looked at a transactor on the table.

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” the Jova replied. “It’s for gifts of gratitude from those who choose to donate and have the wealth to do so in order to help buy the ingredients that we cannot gather here. The extra proceeds go to…”

The Jova glanced over at Veeka.

“...purchasing food and goods for the less fortunate among us,” she said with an entirely less than friendly glance at Veeka. “The transactor is truly not for you, friend. This meal is a gift from VVa, he who warms all, and from the cooling shadows that he casts, paid for by those who wish to share their prosperity.”

“You mean the party?”

“Them too,” the Jova snerked. “Benefit from their ‘hospitality’ as well. Just don’t eat so much that you clog your ears… and mind. Eat.”

The xeno scooped some Jova stew into their mouth and cooed with joy.

“Is good!”

“It is, isn’t it,” the Jova growled proudly. “Eat your fill, I served you lightly so that you may have room to enjoy the hospitality of others, but if you want more, you can see the depth of my pot. I would only be pleased to fill you to bursting.”

“This place is amazing!” the xeno cooed as they ate more stew.

“Yes, VVa shines brightly here,” the Jova replied, “But don’t look up in praise too much lest your feet lose the path.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you would,” the Jova smiled as they filled a cup with a faintly amber liquid, “permit my hospitality to extend to sharing a story from our history and a few observations about our gracious hosts… One moment,” the Jova added as they greeted a newcomer to their table.

Veeka wished to stay and hear more but did not want to alert Karashel to what the Jova was doing.

Regretfully, she forced herself to remain on task and quickly get something and return to “Her Pinkness”.

She smiled at the thought. Soldiers always did have a way of cutting to the truth of the matter. That title worked on so many levels.

She decided to get a bowl of the Jova’s stew to explain her time there. Besides, it smelled heavenly.

She also made a point of making a generous donation with a wry smile. It turns out that there really wasn’t a free lunch after all. It seemed that more than a few beings would share her ‘hospitality’ as well.

“VVa warm you, and may his mercy shield you from the scouring sands,” the Jova growled in a far more pleasant manner as they filled a bowl. “Would you care for Gva Lii?” they added as they gestured to the large cooler filled with the amber liquid.

Veeka quickly scanned it with her visor. It was not only safe but, according to the AI, probably rather tasty.

“Yes, please,” she replied.

***

“Good choice!” Councilor Longpaw of the Loo exclaimed. “Was it the purple one that doesn’t trust us?”

“The Jova was purple,” Veeka said as she sat among the party leaders, “but they spoke of nothing but stew.”

“Oh, he makes some stew,” Karashel added happily. “I don’t know what they put in it, but yum! I like him!”

“Not to my tastes,” Councilor Laek~Vet of once lowly and now infamous Besl said.

“That’s because there isn’t enough blood in it,” Longpaw replied. “Maybe if we eviscerated some of your victims over the pot it…”

“Could you please give it a rest, Longpaw,” Councilor Rillrillrillrill buzzed, “I would like to enjoy a pleasant meal for once, and we do have a guest.”

“And your opinion on this matter has been thoroughly documented,” Councilor Maypawk of the gigantic Yuii rumbled, “furthermore, you present an argument to a forum that has no objectors… save one, of course.”

Councilor Laek~Vet just shrugged and sipped from a beautiful ornate pewter mug.

Karashel issued a bubbly sigh.

“Yes, Longpaw,” Karashel said with a bubbly sigh, “we are almost all in complete agreement with you. We also all agreed that we would at least try to pretend to get along while we were here.”

Karashel looked over at Veeka with weary eyes.

“I honestly wish this was just a theatric production for your entertainment,” she said. “I assume this is part of what you wanted to learn from your remote and uncomfortable perch?”

“Among other things,” Veeka said as she sampled the stew.

It was excellent.

“But there is now something that I want to know about even more,” Veeka replied. “What the void are those Baleel you sent to invite me here?”

“Oh, the buddies?” Karashel chirped with a gooey blurp, “Aren’t they just nifty?”

“Very impressive,” Veeka said quite truthfully, “My investigation of your people showed no such units in your military or your intelligence service.”

“Because we don’t have much of either!” Karashel replied. “And the buddies are part of neither group. They are part of the Department of the Interior. More precisely, they are part of the Subdepartment of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Preserves. They are game wardens!”

“Pull my tail and enjoy some sprinkles,” Veeka replied.

“No, seriously,” Karashel replied. “I know it sounds funny, but we Baleel have a serious problem with poaching. It’s really bad. More than one species of animal and plant have been hunted to extinction over our history, and more than a few are now endangered. Our ‘poachers’ aren’t your average poachers, either. Our organized crime is centered on poaching, not drugs, guns, media, or other such things. Look it up.”

“Nibble upon my toes,” Veeka glowered, causing Karashel to burst into giggles.

“Oh, yeah,” she giggled, “you can’t. Send someone by our embassy, and we’ll give you some news archives or something. It’s really bad.”

“Why?”

“You might not have noticed,” Karashel said with a drippy smile, “but our species might have a few quirks.”

“You don’t say!”

“Hehee… Stomach and gonads,” Karashel said with another giggle.

“Pardon?”

“When the creators fashioned us, they took a stomach and a peen or pouch and then stuck them together using only a minimum of effort on everything else. I’m basically a stomach, a vag, and a foot… in that order. Do you understand?”

“Not really.”

“Baleel love to eat,” Karashel replied, “For us, a good meal is right up there with good sex. If you ask a thousand Baleel which is better, it will probably come out about fifty-fifty. Delicacies are drugs for us. If you set a plate of Jeeg roe on one side of me and put Volobesh (He’s like the hottest Baleel on the planet) naked and erect on the other, I would enjoy both… but if I had to choose… It would depend on the day. The Jeeg are very tightly managed, and even with my new wealth and status, it would be very hard to obtain. The only way to get some is to get a Jeeg license and catch an engorged female yourself. Even with the huge payday one of those would fetch, most Baleel would just eat them. They would be very hard-pressed to resist. On the black market, that roe is very expensive, and the people who sell it make a lot of credits… enough to kill over.”

Karashel looked at her plate and skewered a small berry, popping it into her mouth and squealing happily.

“Case in point!” she said happily, “these little cav$sk fruits are going to make me so much money! They are going to sell by the ton!”

She looked at Veeka and smiled again.

“That’s where the buddies come in!” she exclaimed, “Nature Buddies are our anti-poaching units, and they go slime to ooze with the poachers wherever those stinkslicks slither. Out there in the shroom or on the ocean, there aren’t many arrests but a lot of forensics, if you know what I mean. They also go after the poacher gangs on the streets as well. They aren’t death squads. They do follow due process and try to make arrests, but everyone knows that isn’t how it will go down. They stun when they can but when they can’t… well… what happens happens, right?”

“I see…” Veeka replied. “So, they are actually game wardens…”

“Yep!”

“So, what sorts of weapons do they use?”

“Oh, you know, regular stuff,” Karashel replied, “Stunners and junk like that when possible, but that’s not really how we Baleel fight. We do things a little differently.”

“Different how?”

“Oh, just differently,” Karashel replied.

Veeka just looked at her silently.

“Okay, fine,” Karashel replied with a damp huff, “You’ll find out anyway. We don’t engage in shootouts like the Terrans or these other guys. In fact, many of our historic battles (not that we had very many at all) were so quiet you might not even know they were happening… If you weren’t a Baleel. We creep and hide and lay traps and snares. We poison and smother. Our ‘guns’ are sniper rifles… or just a range finder or other targeting device.”

“Artillery?” Veeka asked.

Or missiles… she silently added.

“When our technology reached that point,” Karashel replied, “and then airstrikes and ballistic missiles… but like I said, we hardly ever had any wars. We aren’t like that. We honestly do prefer compromise and will tolerate a lot to simply live in peace.”

Veeka scoffed.

“No, it’s true,” Karashel replied, “We were perfectly happy to be our bloc’s doormat and be poor stupid peasant farmers… until they tried to shove our breath holes into the mire and smother our people. It was only then that we decided to do something about it.”

She looked Veeka at her with those alien soulless eyes.

“I’ll have some of our history, both ancient and recent, sent by. You can see what I mean.”

“You mean like the bible you sent your ‘customer’?”

“Yeah, stuff like that!” Karashel chirped. “You will see the same trend over and over. We compromise. We back down. We retire. We compromise again. We give up more… all for the sake of peace… and then when we can back down no further…”

“Genocide,” Veeka said accusingly.

“You have studied us!” Karashel replied happily. “As such, I can understand the Besl’s treatment of their customer, but…”

“You still disagree with it.”

“Yes,” Karashel replied. “It is very counterproductive to not only the party’s interests but also my interests and ultimately even the Besl’s. They aren’t doing the sensible thing of making a threat go away. That makes sense. They are punishing those poor people, causing them to suffer needlessly because of their very justified anger and pain… and their greed. It is understandable, but it is not the same thing at all.”

Laek~Vet just shrugged.

“Not my concern,” he said. “Not my call, either.”

He smiled evilly.

“It’s not my problem that they are unable to manage their affairs properly. They brought this upon themselves. My noble race, and the Federation, are not obligated to coddle those who cannot pay their debts nor carry their burdens.”

Veeka winced. She knew exactly who he was quoting, the same shattered creature now wandering the council chambers with a broken soul and grief-filled eyes, desperately trying to appeal to beings that once pretended to be his friends and now didn’t even reply to their email.

“As I said,” Karashel said, “understandable, perhaps even justified, but certainly not something of which I approve. In fact, I am very put out over the whole situation.”

She looked at the Besl.

“I was led to believe that things would proceed differently,” Karashel said with just a little edge to her voice, “They say that a plan never survives contact with the enemy. Mine did. Unfortunately, it did not survive my friends, did it?”

“Oh?” Veeka asked. “I’m surprised you are so forthcoming about such things.”

“No reason not to be,” Karashel replied as she ate another cav$sk fruit and quivered with pleasure. “I have too much on my plate, both literally and figuratively, to waste effort trying to conceal that which cannot be hidden. It simply has to be apparent that our happy little band is well… less than entirely convivial.”

Karashel sipped a tall glass of Aat sre water.

“That is why you were hiding across the street, correct? You wanted to find out how much of it was true and if there was anything you could use. Kudos and respect for doing it yourself, by the way.”

Karashel made a happy little noise as she set down the glass.

“You simply have to try some sre water!” she enthused, “The Aat really have it going on. So… What do you want to know?”

Veeka paused while she savored some of her stew and took advantage of the delay to compose herself. She was unused to such candor, but that was one of that pink monster’s weapons. She attacked your footing. If you weren’t very careful, you would wind up “slipping”.

In some ways, she already had. She had absolutely no intention of confronting any of them directly at this point and was not prepared to be sucked into that confrontation, no matter how pleasantly it was presented, in the very heart of their operation.

The slightest misstep would be recorded on the dozens of concealed sensors watching her every molecule at the moment.

She was already starting to slip, and she knew it.

She should just keep quiet, enjoy her meal, and get the void out of there.

She chewed the stew as long as possible and then took a sip of her beverage. It wasn’t horrible but a bit too bitter for her tastes.

She had delayed as long as she could.

“It was more curiosity in general that had me come out here,” Veeka said pleasantly, “I had heard that you had outgrown Aspiration Park, and I wanted to see for myself.”

“Not a bad setup, eh?” Karashel said proudly. “This place is perhaps the one thing we can all agree upon.”

Karashel bubbled happily.

“It’s truly wonderful what even the slightest effort can achieve,” she said, “This entire endeavor costs hardly anything. We could have afforded it even before our sudden change in circumstances.”

“It is certainly impressive,” Veeka said diplomatically as she ate a bit more quickly than she usually would.

She could feel Karashel’s eyes on her… waiting…

“And the best part,” Karashel said, “is that everyone is welcome here, regardless of status or affiliation, even you. You don’t even have to say hello. You can just drop by, grab some food, hang out, and enjoy some fresh air.”

And have my every move, word, and breath recorded…

“How gracious,” Veeka said, “I just may.”

“Please do,” Karashel said, “This is actually a pretty good place to find some truly wonderful food and some fun company. You got on well with the Rill out front. I’m sure you would love meeting the other soldiers as well. Did they answer all of your questions okay? Rillrill here would probably be more than happy to fill in any gaps.”

“I would prefer it if you either used my proper name or none at all,” The Rill councilor buzzed. “But, of course, you already know that,” it added with good humor. “But Her Pinkness is correct,” they said as they turned to Veeka, “I will be happy to answer any questions.”

“They were very professional,” Veeka said, “Your people have impressive ‘embassy staff’, Rillrillrillrill.”

“Who know exactly what they can and cannot say,” the Rill buzzed. “They did not betray anything they should not have. In case you are wondering, they are members of our Rapid Scythe, one of what you would consider our special forces units, not unlike the unit in which you once served.”

“Your candor is refreshing, Rillrillrillrill. I am also gratified that you would place me among them.”

“Your people’s elite units are on par with any in the galaxy, Veeka,” the Rill buzzed respectfully.

“You should check out the Loo Longcoats or the Yuii Twilight Fangs!” Karashel enthused. “They are awesome!”

“Your Nature Buddies also impressed, Councilor.”

“Oh, you’re just being nice,” Karashel giggled, “but thank you.”

Karashel bounced happily.

“Now I just know you are dying to ask us some stuff!” she burbled. “Come on! Spill! I promise no tricks this time… honest…”

I’m actually impressed she was able to say that with such an honest demeanor, Veeka thought wryly.

“My curiosity is quite satisfied, actually,” Veeka said, painfully aware of how much stew she still had and the fact that she was not savoring such a lovely meal.

“Well, I suppose I will have to guess what else you wish to discover and just start talking, then.”

Karashel’s eyes sparkled with a slimy gleam.

“I would hate it if you came all this way for nothing.”

Fuck…