"So, how'd we get a trade deal, anyway?" Yvian was feeling good. Her sky dress pressed against her skin, soft and silky and far more comfortable than she'd expected. The dress contoured to her body, emphasizing her fitness and her curves. The light of the Homestar glowed gently over her heart, its light sparkling off the crystal city that covered her abdomen. It was beautiful, and she was beautiful in it. "I thought we weren't doing any international stuff, yet."

Mims and Lissa shared a look. Lissa's star dress was just as impressive as Yvian's, but the real surprise had been Mims in his new Peacekeeper suit. The black jacket emphasized his shoulders. The white collar and black tie lent an air of sophistication he usually lacked. The fedora drew attention to sharp eyes and a square jaw. Unlike standard Peacekeepers, the human's fedora had a red band. The outfit as a whole made Mims look lean, predatory, and sharp. Yvian noted with mild amusement that he wore the same shoes he'd had when Lissa talked him into the stripper outfit.

"We, uh..." Mims took off his hat so he could scratch his head. "We opened a dialogue while we were hiring the Oluken to treat you." He put his hat back on.

"There's a lot of stuff we need that we can't make for ourselves, yet." Lissa explained. "Venturetech had to cut us off after the Confed declared war, but even before that there were a lot of things we couldn't get on the open market."

"Inertial gravity and artificial dampeners rely on materials that are not present in New Pixa sector," one of the Peacekeepers added. Yvian thought it was Kilroy. His suit didn't look any different, but it rustled when he moved. Standard Peacekeeper suits were surprisingly well armored, tougher in some ways than Yvian's voidarmor. Since weapons and armor were not allowed on Oluken stations, the Peacekeepers had settled for similar attire made out of non-combat materials. "Our fabrication stations are capable of converting matter into basic materials, but exotic isotopes like Xublin 37 are beyond their capabilities."

"The materials can be synthesized," the other Peacekeeper added, "but doing so is costly and time consuming. It would take another eight years, four months, three weeks, and two days to start producing them in significant amounts."

"Oh." Yvian had known the Pixen Technocracy didn't have the materials it needed for shipbuilding, but she had never asked about the details. "Are we getting a good deal?"

"Negative." Both Peacekeepers spoke in unison.

"The motherless sons had us by the shorthairs," Lissa grumbled, "and they knew it."

"The treaty itself isn't too bad," Mims explained, "but we had to make a lot of concessions to get it. They're getting access to some of the crystal cities for study, and a bunch of tech the Peacekeepers received from the Xill."

"The full database on terraforming, bio-engineering, and known organic species," the unit Yvian thought was Zarkon specified, "As well as schematics for our fabrication facilities. Priceless information that could have been leveraged to heavily benefit the Pixen Technocracy."

"You meatbags should have left the trade talks to a superior negotiator," the unit that actually was Zarkon chided. "Such as this unit." Yvian wished the Peacekeepers would wear name tags. She'd suggested the idea months ago, but they'd flatly refused.

"What's done is done." The human shrugged. There was a slight vibration as the ship's autopilot landed them inside the docking bay of Tenril Station. "If it's any comfort, you can be in charge of negotiating from now on."

"Indeed," Ambassador Zarkon's eyes flashed white. He sounded mollified. "That is why this unit is here."

Mims pulled a datapad out of his pocket. The pixens were still wearing their wrist consoles, but Kilroy had forbidden the Captain from wearing his in the Peacekeeper suit. He said it would, "ruin the aeshetic." Mims checked the pad and said, "We're docked. Is everyone ready?"

"Affirmative," said the Peacekeeper's

"Ready," said Yvian.

"Let's do this," said Lissa, smoothing out her dress.

"Alright." Mims pressed a button on the wall console. The cargo bay doors opened, and a ramp extended down into the docking bay. "This treaty means we'll be officially recognized as a nation. It means the Oluken will start accepting our currency, and it will let us buy things the Pixen Technocracy absolutely needs. I want everyone on their best behavior. We can't afford to fuck this up."

"Relax, Mark." Lissa placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll do fine."

"Right." The Captain nodded slowly. He took a breath and let it out through his nose. "Alright. Let's go sign a treaty."

They descended the ramp into the docking bay to find a small group of Oluken waiting for them. Five Security Officers in armored uniforms, and two that Yvian assumed to be members of their diplomatic department. These two were wearing robes colored in swirling patterns of white and brown and green.

The seven Oluken bobbed their eyestalks and offered greetings. They led Yvian and her crew into the station proper. Tenril Station was very much like the last Oluken station Yvian had seen. Broad, brightly lit corridors, with trenches full of running water on each side. The water was filled with plants and small aquatic creatures. The station was hot, and humid, and smelled strongly of green, growing things.

It was a long walk. The Oluken entourage led them down long, sloping corridors, following the running water towards the bottom center of the station. They traveled in silence, which suited Yvian just fine. Her translator had been updated with the Oluken lexicon, but she wasn't good at small talk. They passed a multitude of different species. Oluken bobbed their eyestalks at them as they passed. Small cephalopods scurried about on tentacles, traveling in the streams more often than not. Vrrl could be seen here and there, moving freight and pointedly ignoring the pixens. At one point they even passed a group of humans. The humans stared at them in shock. Yvian heard them yelling at each other about Peacekeepers as she continued down the hall.

After nearly four hours, the corridor came to an end. In front of the group stood a massive metal hatch. One of the Oluken Security Officers pressed a button, and the door rumbled open. Yvian peered forward, staring at what appeared to be a massive swamp in the center of Tenril Station.

The swamp stretched as far as Yvian could see. The water was green, filled with some kind of algae. Viney plants rose from the water. Insects and winged animals flitted about. The top of the chamber was half a kilometer in height, and a light shining like the Homestar rested in its track on the ceiling. Yvian would later learn the light moved, and shut off for certain intervals, simulating the cycle of day and night.

Without hesitation, the Oluken walked down a ramp and into the swamp. Lissa grimaced down at her dress as the others followed. The water was deeper than Yvian had expected, coming nearly up to her waist. It was cold, but not unbearably so. Her shoes squished in the mud, and Yvian considered taking them off and going barefoot. Lissa caught her reaching down and gave a shake of her head. The group waded through the swamp, following their Oluken handlers.

The swamp carried the same plant smell as the corridors, but stronger and mixed with the smell of rot and decay. Yvian's nose wrinkled, but she carefully refrained from saying anything. If she said something stupid and ruined the trade deal, Lissa would never let her hear the end of it. And she'd be right. Pixa needed this deal.

They traveled for another half a kilometer. Yvian was starting to get tired of walking. Her top half was sweating, and her bottom half was cold. A splash caught her attention. A small creature slid through the water, coming within a few meters. Yvian saw small, sturdy legs and thin tendrils. Eyestalks protruded from the surface, swiveling to take in the group. An Oluken child? The little thing changed course, swimming rapidly away.

Another twenty minutes, and Yvian finally, finally saw the people they'd come to see. Nine Oluken Elders lounged in the water. They were... naked? Stripped to the waist, at least. Behind the Elders stood a group of robed Oluken in various colored robes, and about twenty uniformed Security Officers.

To one side of the Elders stood nine Vrrl. The most fearsome of sapient predators, the Vrrl were only vaguely pixenoid, with three eyes and fanged muzzles and four arms ending in wicked claws. One particular Vrrl stood out. Skrell Scathach, Warmaster of the Vrrl Starfang Empire. The Warmaster stood over two meters tall, with white fur and a crimson mane and arms nearly as big as Yvian's waist. The Warmaster wore a skirt and a vest, both of black leather. A cape made of human scalps draped from his shoulders. He regarded them with a look both predatory and smug.

On the other side of the Elders stood nine humans. Several of them were wearing suits vaguely similar to Peacekeeper attire. Three of them wore the white uniform of the Federation Military. One of those three was the High Commander of the Stellar Defense Force, General Patrick Young. Nearly as large and imposing as the Warmaster, General Young's dark skin glistened with sweat. Also like the Warmaster, his hands were clasped behind his back. Unlike the Warmaster, the High Commander stared straight ahead, a stern visage that ignored him completely. The other two Military personnel followed his lead, but the men in suits glared with hatred and contempt.

As they got closer, Yvian saw there was a fourth group. Nine purple cephalopods similar to the ones she'd seen in the corridors were bobbing in the water.

Upon coming within three meters of the semi-circle of Elders, the diplomats that had been escorting Yvian bowed. One of them said, "Honored Elders, these are the Representatives of the Pixen Technocracy."

"Thank you, Syllo," The farthest Elder on the left bobbed her eyestalks. "Greetings, Representatives. We are here today in our chamber of life, that our actions may be witnessed by the Lifestream, with this in mind..."

Oh, Crunch. Yvian had expected there would be a speech or two, but judging from the expectant look of the other Elders, she'd have to sit through nine of them. More, if the humans or whoever else wanted to have a say. Not to mention she'd just walked nearly five hours without food or water. Yvian did her best to maintain a pleasant and interested expression. She was so worried about giving away her discomfort and accidentally insulting someone that she barely heard what the Elder had to say.

The Elder's speech was mercifully short. As were the speeches of the other eight. Yvian didn't pay attention to most of it. Now that she was standing still, she was becoming uncomfortably aware of the fact that she hadn't used the bathroom in over five hours, either. Yvian noticed she was grimacing, and forced her expression smooth once again. By the Bright Lady, she would not be the one to screw this up!

Once the Elders had finished, Lissa stepped forward. She gave a brief but flowery speech of her own, thanking the Oluken for their aid and promising a bright future of cooperation. Yvian didn't pay much attention to her sister's speech, either. Mostly she focused on not thinking about how badly she needed to pee.

Speeches finished, the Elders passed around a pad, using their tendrils to place their signatures on the Treaty. The pad was handed off to Lissa, who signed and passed it to Mims. Mims signed and passed it to Yvian. Yvian used her finger to trace her name on the pad, trying not to squirm as she did so. She gave the pad to the Peacekeeper unit she hoped was Kilroy. The unit signed, then gave the pad back to the Elders.

"It is done," one of the Elders intoned. "May our agreement reverberate through the Lifestream, and bring balance to us all." The Elder passed the signed treaty to one of the diplomats behind him. "Now, it has been a long wait, and for some a long journey. He gestured with his tendrils. "Let us move to a different location, where refreshments have been prepared.

Yvian's control broke, and she started to squirm. Oh, Crunch. "Um... excuse me?" She raised her hand. The treaty had been signed. Surely it couldn't hurt to ask now. Could it? "Honored Elder?"

"You may call me Vanno," the naked Oluken told her.

"Um... yes. Honored Vanno. Um..." Lissa was looking at her, eyes wide. Mims looked vaguely concerned. "Is there... um..." Yvian decided it didn't matter. She was committed now. She had to go, and she could wait no longer. "Is there somewhere I could use the restroom?"