Song of the Void

”Diplomacy is a simple word that hides an endless number of meanings, as well as an age-old dance that is one of the most complicated endeavors in the universe. Diplomacy can be the honest efforts of two people to solve their differences, or it can be the murky machinations of entire star empires in a game of intrigue, broken promises, and death. At its simplest, diplomacy can be a single negotiation with two parties settling some argument or dispute, but that's not how most diplomacy is conducted. Usually, a diplomat has to take into consideration a hundred large and small details that can affect the outcome of a negotiation. These details can range from the power difference between parties, to vested interest groups that might have their own stake, to the web of allies and friends of all parties included. There's nothing more annoying during a negotiation than when you notice that the scales are being weighed by an ally of a vested interest group that only has their own economic interests in mind. A party that you weren’t even aware of before the negotiations started.”

-High Ambassador of the Mrrroww

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High Ambassador Moonshadow checked herself in the mirror one last time. First impressions were important and would set the tone for the rest of the negotiations. Your appearance was your first weapon as well as your armor. No matter what happened, maintaining a steady and calm appearance went a long way. On the flipside, making obvious errors in your dress would give the impression of someone who couldn’t even manage to keep their appearances straight. Sloppiness was not a good trait in a diplomat.

She had decided to go with something simple but elegant. The black dress with gold decorative patterns of flowers gave the impression of elegance, but without being ostentatious. It was relatively simple and dignified, but with enough beauty to show she was taking this seriously. Personally, she thought she looked splendid, but it was hard to account for the cultural mores of different races. Without knowing anything about the ‘Solarian’, she had no way of knowing if she was making some faux pas in etiquette.

‘Speaking of making a faux pas…’ She thought to herself and looked at her quarters through the reflection in the mirror. The rooms she had been assigned were nice enough by themselves, although not everything was adjusted to her size. The panther clan Mrrroww were larger than the clan that made up the majority of their race. The problem was that she had been given lodgings adjusted for a typical Mrrroww. The admiral had gone all out when it came to comfort, but most everything in the quarters were things a typical Mrrroww would have liked, and Moonshadow was not a typical Mrrroww.

It wasn’t really the admiral’s fault though. The panther clan was not exactly forthcoming with their preferences, and Moonshadow was atypical even for a member of her clan. The admiral had done what he could. Most of the obvious things had been adjusted to her size, like the bed for example, but small things that were missed showed the lack of attention to detail. The worst thing about the whole room was the placement of fragile items precariously on the edges of counters.

For some odd reason, the ‘large cat’ clan that made up the majority of the Mrrroww race took enjoyment from knocking things down from the counters. The more fragile an item was, the more pleasure they got. Of course, that only applied to items that were not their own, and it all had to happen under the guise of an ‘accident’. It was some sort of weird power play that Moonshadow had never quite understood completely. But then again, all races had their quirks. She was the type that liked to bring down a prey and enjoyed the taste of blood in her mouth as she bit into their jugular. So on the whole, she wasn’t really in a position to judge others over a few broken items.

“Your meeting has been set. The person you seek will meet you in the gardens of the Agora section. She is currently planning on sampling the foods on offer, so plan accordingly.” The voice of Haven suddenly announced.

“Is there a time set, or will we meet whenever I arrive, assuming I don’t take long?” Moonshadow asked. This seemed like a very informal meeting. She was also a little disconcerted by the fact that Haven could have a certain amount of access to what happened in her quarters and possibly reported everything to the other party she was supposed to meet. That set a rather stark power difference between the two parties. On the other hand, she had access to all the security personnel on the station, so it evened out to an extent.

“She has expressed interest in spending quite a bit of time on the Agora, so as long as you arrive within the next few hours, things should be fine. I can update you if the situation changes.” Haven reported again. There was an unsaid implication in those words. If this ‘Solarian’ decided to move somewhere else, Moonshadow was expected to change her plans and to go to the new place. Again, not a big detail, but a small reminder that this was not a meeting between two equal parties.

“Let her know I will arrive in approximately twenty minutes.” Moonshadow replied. She purposefully spent another five minutes making minor adjustments to her dress, adjustments that were not needed. She simply wanted to make it clear that she would not jump when the other party said so, forcing them to wait a bit. Haven’s words had implied that the Solarian didn’t really care when Moonshadow arrived, so this was not something that inconvenienced them. It was simply a slight parry of the earlier reminder of their difference in power, something to bring them closer back to parity as parties.

These were the sorts of small details diplomacy sometimes required. Still, she didn’t really want to keep the other party waiting. She was eager to meet this mysterious being and she didn’t want to start off on the wrong paw. After five minutes she moved to a transportation hub. The station had these small platforms that moved along the frame that connected the separate sections of the station, allowing for rather speedy transportation between separate sections. The distance between the section used by the Mrrroww official personnel and the Agora was rather small as they were neighboring sections, and the platform brought Moonshadow to the center of the Agora gardens currently clad in dim lighting.

The Agora was a section dedicated to light trading, mostly food and light entertainment, and several smallish gardens in various styles. This was not a section where most of the heavy commerce and trade negotiations happened, nor was it one of the sections dedicated to hydroponics. Although the agora was good for relaxation in nature for listening to some music, it was not really an equal to the thrumming beat and sweaty bodies of the true entertainment sections either. It was hard to really determine the charm of Agora, but it was there and the place was relatively popular, though the night cycle of the place left the area much quieter. The entire existence of the section was a sort of indulgence, to show the builders could create an entire section for nothing but strolling in a garden. The restaurants and stores were a more recent addition.

Following the instructions from Haven, Moonshadow found herself walking through one of the gardens and entering a shop that offered ‘authentic’ Milorian cuisine. There were no Milorians in the shop and no Milorian had likely ever eaten anything produced here, but that wasn’t the point really. The shop was completely open as all the seats and tables were set on the fringes of the garden she had just gone through and only the kitchen area was inside a small building. As such, it was easy to see that there was only a single customer clad in an environmental suit. The being was apparently looking towards the darkened ceiling of the section as if waiting for something.

Moonshadow approached and was just about to introduce herself, when the being in the environmental suit lifted her arm in a small gesture asking her to wait. As Moonshadow was wondering about the reason, the ceiling suddenly made a small sound and started opening. That made her realize. It was time to move from the night cycle to the day cycle. The ceiling of the section seemed to open and retract to the sides, allowing the light of the star they orbited through the transparent dome beneath the ceiling, lighting up the whole place.

Nearly all of the old sections of the station had this function. The sections were covered by a transparent dome of glassy material. On top of that dome was something they called playfully a ‘sunroof’ which opened and closed periodically, creating a regular day-night cycle. Many of the sections also had small lights on the inside of the ‘sunroof’, imitating a starry sky during the night. The sunroof also doubled nicely as armor in case of an attack. Many of the new sections built by the Mrrroww and other races didn’t have this function as it was judged to be unnecessary.

“A sunrise in space. Always a beautiful sight. It's been a while since I last saw one." The environmental suit-clad being stated in a nostalgic voice. The being finally turned towards Moonshadow. “Pleasure to meet you. My name is Selendil, of the Solarian race as you’ve no doubt heard.” The being also gestured for Moonshadow to take a seat.

“The pleasure is all mine. My name is Moonshadow, and I’m the High Ambassador of the Mrrroww.” She made introductions. At least the other party was polite.

“Is it? Your name I mean. I get the feeling there’s more to it.” Selendil prodded a little.

Moonshadow gave a small smile. “Well, that is the name I usually use when dealing with others. This is my real name.” She telepathically sent a mental image and a feeling that went along with her true name.

"Yes, I can see how that could be a little unwieldy to put into words," Selendil commented. Moonshadow's name wasn't just a description, but also the emotions that went along with it. “So, what can I do for you High Ambassador Moonshadow?”

“Well, I was about to ask a similar question. Your arrival has thrown some of our station personnel into a bit of a panic, what with taking control of the station and all. It is natural to have some questions about the reason for your arrival, is it not?” Moonshadow parried again. The other party had tried to push the initiative on her, and stating requests this early in the game could place her in a disadvantageous position.

"Trade mostly," Selendil replied, not really hiding her purpose. Unlike what Moonshadow might have assumed, she was not really playing complicated games of diplomacy. She could, if she brought one or two of the great diplomats she had stored to the surface, but in truth, she was simply unused to such situations. She was also working from a position of power and didn’t really need anything from the other party at the moment, and that gave her a natural advantage. “I had a few things I needed accomplished on the station.”

“Sounds like you have already managed to complete your objectives.” Moonshadow stated, falsely assuming taking over the station was one of the main objectives.

"I would say so," Selendil replied, not helping clear the misunderstanding at all. “Now I’m mostly just gathering information and looking for a few things a ship might need while a few things finish preparing.”

“Could I ask what you plan to do with your control of the station?” Moonshadow asked carefully. The other party didn’t seem likely to broach the subject, so she had to take the initiative and put herself on the defensive, which once again weakened her position.

“At the moment? Nothing. I was tempted to toss everyone out during the interview when I arrived on the station, but that was mostly out of tedium, and the impulse passed once the whole thing was over.” Selendil said making a slight attempt at light humor.

Moonshadow politely smiled a bit, while at the same time suppressing the small wave of dread at the casual mention of spacing everybody on the station. That was kind of scary no matter the reason. The words could be interpreted as a threat. Or it could be just a casual reminder of what could be done if things got too out of hand. “Ambassador Fluffington can be a bit long-winded. He means no harm though.” Her words were accidentally the exact right ones though.

Moonshadow decided it was time to take a small risk and try to assert some control over the situation. “Can I posit a small theory for you to consider?”

"Be my guest," Selendil replied, interested in where this was going.

Moonshadow had a feeling that the environmental suit Selendil wore was just for show. There were no obvious filters or air processing capabilities, not to mention tanks for breathable air. There were other reasons one could wear such a suit, such as sensitivity to foreign microbes, but that seemed unlikely as well due to small details like Selendil apparently eating normally. How she managed that through the suit was another mystery for another time. The main point was that Moonshadow was quite secure in her guess that this ‘Solarian’ wore the suit mostly as a way to hide her identity and appearance, so accurately guessing that identity might put Selendil back on a more defensive position without straight out antagonizing her in the process.

“Some of the words the station's VI said to me have been bugging me. It said that we did not have the qualifications to truly control the station and that we never did. You on the other hand apparently qualified almost as soon as you arrived by the sound of things. This implies certain things. First of all, it implies that since the station didn't have the opportunity to run thorough tests as you came in; it can’t have been a matter of us not having the technology or intelligence. My guess is that it’s a matter of having a certain race. And considering how quickly the station gave control, it is likely that your race was already familiar to the station’s VI. We have no record of Solarians, although I grant that name might not be true, and we have been here a long while. That tells me your race is old. Maybe even old enough to have existed during the time the Progenitors were around. How am I doing so far?” Moonshadow asked with a tone that implied she knew she was correct. Of course, there were other possibilities but she had deduced the most likely one and was feigning knowing more than she did.

Her guess had an opposite effect to what she had intended, though Selendil didn’t show that in any way. For a moment she had been worried that the clever cat in front of her had guessed correctly, but the actual guess actually helped her relax. She and Lux had calculated that it was very unlikely the other races would guess a Dhar was still alive, as the thought was so foreign to them. The younger races didn’t know why the ‘Progenitors’ were gone, but they were very certain that the ‘Progenitors’ were indeed gone for good. It was an error in their judgement that they weren’t really even aware of, a sort of blind spot that was extremely hard to get past. It was nice to get a confirmation of sorts.

"You're not entirely mistaken," Selendil confirmed with some delight. It was better to reinforce the misunderstanding. It would help keep her identity a secret.

Moonshadow’s little attempt had not gained the reaction she had hoped, but that wasn’t a big deal. At least it had not antagonized the other party either, so, on the whole, it was a rather neutral result. “But not entirely correct either. Still, that would suggest I’m on to something. My guess is that would make you one of the races that were in contact with the Progenitors, either as a subordinate race…or an enemy? We know the Progenitors had the races of the former type, but we don’t know much of the latter. Yet something suggests to me that latter option is more likely…” She stated but suddenly stopped.

Her words were interrupted as Selendil touched the glass of blue liquid with a gloved finger and some of the contents vanished to who knows where. “Please tell me you didn’t just use your power of teleportation to take a drink.” Moonshadow said in an exasperated tone, some of her true nature coming through for a moment. She could feel the other being radiating some amusement.

“As much fun as that would be, no. That is not necessary.” Selendil was quiet for a second before a realization hit her. “I see, this might be a little hard to understand for a race that has not seen any of my kind before. I injected a bit of my energy into the glass. An energy being such as myself has no need to ingest sustenance through a mouth or a similar method. Any part of my body is capable of absorbing the liquid and I can enjoy the taste just fine.”

“E-energy being?” Moonshadow’s stoic appearance broke for just a bit. She had met many types of beings, such as the gelatinous Zlorth for example, but this was the first time she had met an energy being.

“Yes, I understand our kind are rare in this part of the universe. In fact, our kind seem to be rare everywhere. As far as I know, only two such races have existed. The Solarians and…” Selendil started and let her words hang in the air for a bit.

“…the Progenitors.” Moonshadow finished in her stead. The Mrrroww had long known that the Progenitors had been at least partial energy beings, although it had mostly been a strong theory instead of something they knew for certain. Running into a second race of the same type was a bit of a shock. It also explained a few things. “Is that why the station gave you command? Is that the requirement we can’t meet?”

“That’s part of it, but not quite it either. What does it matter though? In the end, we are where we are, and nothing you do will change the situation.” Selendil said calmly.

Moonshadow was about to respond as her thoughts were interrupted by a small vibration from the communicator she had placed in her ear by disguising it as an earring. She was about to ignore it, but the matter was suddenly addressed by Selendil. “I think you might want to get that. Your ships outside seem to be moving around in what I could only describe as agitation. I think the news might be rather important.”

Moonshadow gave Selendil a look but decided to oblige despite it being against the etiquette during negotiations. In fact, she had left instructions about not being disturbed unless it was something major, so she knew the communique must have been important. “What is it?” She asked a little impatiently.

“High Ambassador! The Shinzen are attacking!” The agitated voice of the admiral came through the communicator. There was also a lot of background noise as reports were being shouted and everyone was rushing to gather more information.

“The station?” Moonshadow asked in confusion.

“No! They have launched multiple attacks over the border into our territory! We’re tracking…at least three fleets entering our territory.” The admiral seemed to read the number off a report he had just received, which meant it was likely still uncertain information.

“We barely even have a border with the Shinzen. Weren’t they locked in an endless conflict with the Multitude and the Dawn Collective?” That had been one of her personal plans actually. She had managed to manipulate a border conflict between two of the most dangerous and hostile races in the galactic core, the Shinzen and the Dawn Collective. The small border conflict had expanded into an endless grinder where both sides had thrown the majority of their forces at each other. Multitude, on the other hand, was a coalition of other races locked in a war with the Shinzen.

“That I have no knowledge of. I only know that we have at least three confirmed fleets with hostile intentions already locked in combat with our forces. Luckily we always kept heavy defenses on the shared border and our phase space inhibitors pulled their ships into normal space before they reached any inhabited worlds. We have no word on the state of the combat though as it is still ongoing.” The admiral explained.

“Well, when you run into three fleets of Shinzen, you’ll run into a lot more later on. Keep me apprised. I’ll have to coordinate a response with our government so we can decide what to tell our allies.” She cut the connection, as she knew revealing more would be bad considering her current location.

“Bad news I take it?” Selendil asked rhetorically since she heard most of it.

“That would be an understatement. You wouldn’t happen to be interested in an alliance would you?” Moonshadow suddenly just skipped over a whole lot of negotiation steps and just went for it. She didn’t have much hope for a positive answer so she wasn’t all that disappointed by the reply.

“Alliances are built on mutual interest, or at least good will built up over time. Do approach me again if you can provide me with something that might interest me in joining your little alliance. At the very least I can say that I have no interest in getting involved with the opposite side, for very same reasons.” Selendil gave the expected response.

“Well, that’s something at least. If you’ll excuse me, I have a crisis to deal with.” Moonshadow quickly left towards the nearest transportation hub.