“Enough,” Stron said. “Dhomhes, we know. You're a black rock. We get it. You’re not going to dishonor your family though. Stop antagonizing him.”
Dhomhes smiled again. “It’s best you have someone like me in the initial contact. I would think that would allow for all kinds of data to be acquired.”
If Stron learned one thing about Dhomhes, it was that the male was out for his own benefit before anyone else's. Dhomhes had a secondary agenda to this process, beyond his belief that it wouldn’t work, but so far, Stron had not been able to figure it out yet.
Though it could just be for the novelty of being one of the first to participate. Simple, but also worth the bragging rights.
“Data is what we need,” Khalzin said.
Many were watching how this experiment would wind up, regardless of whether they were waiting for it to succeed or fail.
Their people were strong and prideful. Varying shades of red or red-bronze skin, all with green and brown horns, they were an impressive species. Always easy to find and known for their citricite mines, the Kantenans were a people that could not die out because of xenophobia.
The future was coming.
They needed to be ready for it.
He turned to Khalzin. “So, what is it you need from us?”
“I have communicated with the Galactic Alliance, and typically, there is a welcoming ceremony.”
“I love demonstrating my prowess,” Dhomhes hummed.
“Some of us do not need to demonstrate anything,” Stron said.
Khalzin chuckled. “I want to meet them on the landing platform and have the initial meeting there. I think it's easiest. Rather than traipse the volunteers all over the planet for something that should only take a few minutes. I want us all in formal robes, with our family crests.”
Fiviel groaned.
Khalzin raised his eyebrow. “Problem?”
Fiviel shook his head. “I hate my formal dress.”
“We need to look nice for the initial meeting. We don't want to terrify our future mates.”
“Maybe we do,” Stron muttered.
Khalzin glanced at him. “Having second thoughts?”
“Not second thoughts, no,” Stron said. First thoughts? Yes. But not second thoughts.
“I truly appreciate you doing this for me,” Khalzin said. “Your support for my theory is the best--”
“This is about the Kantenan future,” Fiviel said. “We are here to prove that there are options. If you or if another scientist proposed this, we would have helped.”
“Speak for yourself,” Dhomhes said. “I wouldn't have.”
Khalzin shook his head. “That does not surprise me.”
Stron smirked.
Stron was the first to arrive at the landing platform.
He shouldn't be surprised. He usually was the first to arrive most places. His formal attire felt especially heavy today. Probably because his mother, via hologram last night, pleaded with him not to do this, and how he would be part of the fall of the Kantenan race.
Quite the dramatic monologue.
Were it a performance on stage he would have been thoroughly impressed. Instead, it was his mother, and she used all the dramatic gestures she could in her plead.
