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I'm so happy to have @Geoffrey Teller guesting with us on the Resolution for this mission. I'm always amazed by his ability to find his way inside a character with very little information to go on and yet, he's incredibly descriptive and elusive at the same time! ((A Grove of Seven Trees, Memorial Forest, Thama Homeworld)) A warm breeze flitted through the graceful, slender branches of the l'far trees, filling the grove with a gentle rustling that Ashal Koas found pleasant and soothing. Her spade dug into the rich black dark soil easily as it had for the last two hours, shifting the dirt aside and forming a small mound nearby. With each load of soil moved she got closer to her goal but her pace was unhurried and regular. Even here, in the company of those she held most dear, she didn't risk letting her mask slip. Not now. Not when she was so close. Another scoop of dirt set aside, and she was a step closer to finishing her journey. The wind gusted, the l'far trees swaying, the light playing off their crystalline leaves. She could hear them speaking to her. They encouraged her when she had lost faith and purpose. They gently reminded her of her sworn promise. If she closed her eyes, she could hear their voices again. She was so near to them, now. Closer than she had been since the accident. Her expression remained neutral, but the next thrust of the shovel bit into the soil more deeply. She had planted these trees seven years earlier when she was just sixteen years old. She'd cared for them and nurtured them across the years, as they had cared for her, serving as her sounding board and confidants when she grew dejected or uncertain. The living cenotaph to her family, here in a hidden corner of the Great Memorial Forest, was the keeper of her secrets. It would not need to be for much longer. The wind shifted again and she could hear the voices of the other children, her brothers and sisters. They laughed and sang, which always made Ashal smile during the darkest times. Ashal looked towards the smallest tree in the grove, named in honor of her younger brother Ascal. He was always the first to joke, the first to tease his sister when she got into one of her intense moods. Branches shook and leaves whispered, a music knowable only to her. Koas: Don't be difficult, Ascal! You're always such a troublemaker, getting your branches tangled. Dotra and Jimberline never cause as much of a fuss. The other two smaller trees offered no immediate response. Ashal continued digging without pause, carrying on with her conversation. Koas: We've spoken about this before and you know why I have to go. This is everything we've hoped for. I've been assigned to the negiogation team as a junior diplomat. No one questioned it. Ambassador Niran chose me personally. The smallest tree in the grove fell silent. Ashal dug for a while longer, then stepped up and out of the void she had created, satisfied. They were ready for the saplings. Her people had few traditions that could be considered spiritual, but this ancient practice had grown with the Thama, much like the memorial trees themselves. New life born out of loss. It was the great cycle of all living systems and the Thama, more than anything else, respected the sanctity of life. She moved the first sapling into position, gently placing it where she should've been, among her brothers and sisters, reciting the old words for the eight time. Koas: For those that slumber, let these leaves give shade. For those that hunger, let these branches bear fruit. For those that suffer, let this sapling take root and grow tall. May new life blossom here as it withers elsewhere. This is the cycle. She spoke the tree's name aloud, then pressed the soil down with bare hands. Her meticulously precise facade didn't waiver, but a tear escaped from her eye and fell upon the soil. The second sapling was moved into position, low and away from the family of trees. Ashal tried to repeat the litany without emotion creeping in, only the subtlest notes of cold rage tinging her words. Koas: For those that slumber, let these leaves give shade. For those that hunger, let these branches bear fruit. For those that suffer...::Ashal looked back towards her family and felt their eyes upon her. This was her final gift.:: Let this sapling take root and grow tall. May new life blossom here as it withers elsewhere. This is the cycle. She spoke the tree's name aloud with venom enough to wilt the nearby grass. It was the first time a Nascaik had ever been honored with a tree in the Great Forest, but Ashal believed strongly in the tradition. New life born out of loss. Something to blossom while something else withered. She pressed the soil into place and turned to face her family one final time. Their voices had grown still but she could feel their warm embrace. She longed to be with them, and looked lovingly at the sapling. Koas: You're home now, little Ashal. Grow strong and tall for me, here with your family. I have to go now but it will be fine. This is the cycle. The breeze picked up once again, rustling and whispering in the branches around them. As she changed out of her soiled work clothes and into something more befitting a junior diplomat, Ashal heard the voices of her parents and her siblings. She heard them calling out to her, demanding justice. They didn't wish to burden her so, but she was all that remained. It had to be her. By the time she stepped out of the Memorial Forest for the very last time, Ashal Koas had renewed her resolve. She would see her plan through to the very end, as she had promised all those years ago. She felt a calm elation as she returned to her offices, just one junior bureaucrat among many returning from midday break. She imagined the grove and smiled. Something wonderful would blossom there. While something else withered. [End] ==================================== Ashal Koas Junior Assistant to the Ambassador Thama Scientific Sovereignty V239509GT0

Oh, I absolutely lost it when I read this one! Thank you @Mei'konda for a great sim! And thank you @Elizabeth Snow for posting this. 😃

All you need is Borq. Borq is all you need.

Thank you, @Mei'konda ,for making us laugh. I throughly enjoyed the read as I know some others did as well. Also, I hope I did this right. Lol (( Inside Tych Manor, Elazar IV )) Kiax: With all due respect, Representative, that doesn’t really seem fair. Surely we should be dealing with a representative from both species governing bodies here? Yourself, and a Mekra’fari. Dagden was just opening his mouth to angrily rebuke Kiax when Serala stepped in. He closed his mouth, and did his best to settle down. This was an uncomfortable situation to be in. Once again, no one in his life would dare question him to this point, not even his own family. It made him angry. It also made him feel afraid, because if this Kiax got upset enough, would she pull some hidden weapon and simply kill him where he sat? He had no idea… but he didn’t doubt that they might have that kind of technology. As Serala spoke, he took the time to settle down. Serala: That’s enough, Commander. We are their guests here and have no right to dictate to them how they govern their world. No matter our own opinions on the matter. Kiax: Aye, Commander. Kiax might not respect him, but at least she quieted down when instructed to by her leader. Drawing in a deep breath, he exhaled it slowly, and glanced toward Azorius when the furred one hastened to speak so that he could further smooth the tensions. Azorius: We mean no disrespect, Representative. We are just accustomed to a different way of life. As you know, we value all species equally and share our ships, our resources, our lives with every member of our crew. Their race, gender and background are irrelevant. It is hard for some of us to understand your ways as it is for you to understand ours. Serala: We have had our share of conflicted opinions about others of different species in our own histories. But we have moved past that kind of attitude, and some take it a bit more personally that others. However, it’s not our place to dictate how your world behaves. All species equal? The notion of idealists, and of aliens who had just visited this planet and who, as far as he could tell, had thankfully not met the Mekra’fari. As much as he wanted to make use of these people and what they had to offer, it was getting difficult to suppress his irritation with them. Zadok: Response Serala: I am curious, however. Why do you view the Mekra’fari in such a negative light? What is it about them that you consider inferior? Our scans seemed to indicate an equal level of development between the two of your species. They really didn’t seem to have any idea. As advanced as they were, Dagden decided to try his best to explain. He slowed his speech and leaned toward Serala a touch, as though explaining a simple concept as best he could to a child. Tych: I don’t view them in a negative light, Commander, I only view them as they are. As they’ve proven themselves to be over centuries of coexistence. Surely you can understand that not all races are intellectually equal to each other. That must be the case, even where you come from. Zadok: Response Kiax / McKnight / Azorius: Response Serala: I am confused. If they are so inferior, how is it they managed to develop along the same technological lines that your own people did? I mean, we have detected a third species on this planet and they are clearly at a more primitive state of development. Perhaps you could explain this for us? So, they’d picked up the Elnazri beneath the surface of the oceans. Dagden once again felt his frustration growing. Tych: General, could you… take this question, please? Zadok: Response Kiax /McKnight / Azorius: Response Serala: Fascinating. So, how does it work then? What is the exact relationship between the Feladoni and the Mekra’fari? Dagden spread his hands out on the table. Tych: Do your people have pets, Lieutenant Commander Serala? Zadok: Response Kiax /McKnight / Azorius: Response Tych: Then it’s very simple. Think of them as… exceptionally intelligent pets. They are usually well behaved, and quite useful. We occasionally allow some of them to work in our businesses. Even the Spacefold complex has some Mekra’fari employees. We share technology with them, hence the… shared technological lines that you mentioned before. Zadok: Response Kiax / McKnight / Azorius: Response Dagden finally shook his head. He felt as though they were going in circles in this conversation, and that it was time he asserted his authority over his own home. And, to an extent, his planet. Tych: Well. In any case, this has been a highly productive meeting, but I feel that perhaps you have questions that I am simply unable to answer. Or… :: He paused, glancing at Kiax. :: that I am going to be judged harshly for answering. Perhaps, then, I should retract my previous statement, and give you my blessing to go and meet some Mekra’fari for yourself. No doubt, an interaction with them will confirm what I’ve told you. Zadok: Response Kiax / McKnight / Azorius: Response =============== Representative Dagden Tych Political Representative overseeing the GSEO (Grand Space Exploration Organization) As Simmed By Aaron / Captain Mei’konda Delano / Lieutenant JG Jamie MacNemar M239002M10