Respect and Recognition | TSE - COE First Contact (1 BBT)



1 BBT

Treecuu Star Empire, Interstellar Space

0.12 Light Years from the Thoov System



The Yadmiel travelling through space, encased within its void bubble. Around it stands a swarm of much smaller bubbles, part of its fractalized void concert shield.



The Treecuu Star Empire had always piqued the Confluence’s interest. The Treecuu were a young, but promising civilization, that had already expanded to a occupy considerable volume of space despite their age. Having learned about the existence of alien sapient life very early in their history, they had always had a deep-rooted desire to secure their territory and be recognized on the galactic stage between other civilizations. Many had always found it rather curious how they would establish border “buoys” at the edges of their empire to signal their domain to other civilizations: an intriguing but rather risky move, that could attract unwanted attentions.

When the Confluence’s interferometer arrays had first detected the energy emission signs from the region three centuries ago, it was a thriving area of space, with multiple early interstellar empires peacefully establishing themselves in harmony with one another and many still-planetary species developing on their homeworlds. Very, very promising indeed However, that sadly would not last.

Some 260 years prior, large swarms of unknown xenosophont ships entered the outernmost territories of the Confluence, and began attacking many of the colonies in the Corewards Frontier. Despite still being able to cause notable amounts of damage to the newly settled systems, the HyperAIs within the region were able to quickly respond in the affected systems, and push back these swarmers outside of imperial territory without much issue. News of the attacks quickly spread through the Confluence, and many began to call these unknown aggressive xenosophonts the Rhyzeia Swarmers, a name derived from the first system that was affected by the short-lived “invasion”.

A fleet of hidden Eyes, followed the migrating Rhyzeia Swarmers outside of the Confluence, and through the rest of Sector A1-0. After hundreds of lightyears of concealed pursuit within unclaimed interstellar space, the aggressive migrators eventually entered what would later become the TSE’s region of space. In there, the Eyes assisted to what the would soon become known as the Loo-Yee Calamities by the region’s natives: the Rhyzeia Swarmers plundered and attack the four interstellar empires that had been expanding through the region, causing levels of destruction far worse than those caused in the Corewards Frontier of the COE.

Although suffering devastating levels of destruction and death, the Treecuu were able to repel the Swarmers on their own, causing enough of a setback to convince them that continuing their invasion of the region was no longer worth it. After their defeat, they set course for the galactic core, and were never spotted again within all of the observed Sector. And while their absence became a relief, the situation within the region did not. The Treecuu’s newly militaristic and highly aggressive attitude towards the other local civilizations quickly became subject of worry, and their subsequent annexations and military expansions saddened many observing Coempireals: what was once a promising volume of space teeming with sapience and peace, had now become the cradle of an aggressive, isolationist and militaristic empire. The final nail in this coffin of disappointment was observing how the Treecuu began to segregate all of the planetary and interplanetary civilizations within their own worlds and systems, preventing them from developing and reaching for the stars.



The representative avatar/image most commonly used by Falling Droplets when interacting with baselevel sapients.



Now that the Confluence had entered a new age of interaction by decision of the Sequence emself, the Treecuu Star Empire was naturally picked as one of the first few civilizations to be contacted. After all, the Eyes could only gather so much information by watching from the edges of the civilization, and many wanted to know more about what the situation was like now. Therefore, the class-3 hyperAI Falling Droplets was sent out as the official ambassador of Coempireal metacivilization “on” one of the mightiest ships in the COE, the Yadmiel, rimwards and corewards to make contact with the isolationist xenosophonts. After some 18 hours in HyperBrane Insertion, the mighty ship re-entered realspace just 0.12 light years from the edge of the Thoov system. The Void Bubble instantly accelerated to almost 2200 times the speed of light, and began travelling towards Thoov. Within just 30 minutes, it would reach its destination.

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Thoov was one of the true gems of the nation. Elegant, modern skylines, crisp and clear air and water. Epic mountains. Settled, not conquered. Only slightly terraformed. Combined with being tucked away from the sometimes chaotic coreward frontier regions, the planet was sometimes called the “retiree’s paradise”. It was certainly true, but the planet was so much more than that. Captain Eethi preferred it if the the “old people” label actually stuck, since it meant that the worst careerists and governor-aspiring people would look for employment elsewhere. Not that many of them applied for, or were admitted, to the System Fleets anyway, but it left the planet so much friendlier.

At least until now. Because would there be a planet Thoov tomorrow?

She pushed a couple of buttons on the monitor mounted on the captain’s chair, prompting the tactical information from the squadron to show in the upper left corner of the main viewscreen on the bridge. It was a simple way of letting the entire bridge crew know the situation without her having to actively brief them. Surprisingly few captains used this future for some reason.

Her frigate, the SFS Duulee was holding position near the system’s gas giant were they had had their manoeuvring exercises stopped due to the alien ship. Along the Duulee were the other two ships of the group. Near the symbol that represented Thoov itself, she was pleased to see that the rest of the squadron was marked as “DEPLOYED”. The symbol representing the alien ship was rapidly passing the gas giant.

Three other symbols appeared. The first one was a countdown for the deployment of mines along the trajectory of the alien ship. It was an irreversible process. The second one indicated that the planetary missile batteries had an active target lock on the alien ship. The third symbol indicated that a message had been sent to the aliens. She had been told that it was a request to immediately stop their approach. Or an ultimatum really. The aliens would have almost ten minutes to comply before running into the mines.

There was only one more thing for her to do. She flicked a switch. The symbol representing her ship now indicated battle ready. They were ready fire. Her antennae were pointing forward.

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To say that the Treecuu had noticed eir approach would have been an understatement. The deployed squadron and all weapons readied for battle were more than expected, but the mines were quite surprising, to say the least. While the ones based on antimatter explosions and nuclear fission were… cute at best, some of the others were far more puzzling. Apparently, they contained notable amounts of dark energy and vacuum energy, and upon detonation were able to exert effects on spacetime similar to Coempireal implosion weapons and shatter bombs, albeit with far less range and power.

While Falling Droplets knew that the Treecuu had developed a reactionless metric propulsion system that was far more advanced than their age would normally suggest, e was unaware that their metric engineering technology had reached such general levels of advancement. Obviously, while it still wasn’t much compared to the Coempireal technologies that had been developing for millennia, it was still a rather curious development course for a civilization, especially considering how most of their other scientific fields and technologies were much less advanced. As soon as proper diplomatic contact was established, the hyperAI would inquire more about the Treecuu’s technology tree and its development times.

To avoid initiating an aggressive response or needlessly entering the mine field (the Yadmiel’s warp bubble could compress its exterior size to a couple centimeters or less, so avoiding them wouldn’t have been an issue), Falling Droplets decelerated the Yadmiel instantly, crashing the void bubble’s speed down to complete stillness. Still within visual range of the gas giant near which was the source of the received ultimatum signal, the advanced vessel inverted course and began approaching at ultrarelativistic for less than a couple of seconds before stopping again, this time in front of the deployed Treecuu squadron so ready to begin firing.

In front of them, the transcendental ambassador began decompressing the Yadmiel’s void bubble: the initially small bubble, only a couple meters across, began to slowly grow in size, eventually becoming hundreds of kilometers in radius. At that point, since both the interior and exterior sizes matched one another, the void bubble dissolved, revealing the true appearance of the Yadmiel.



The Yadmiel, above the gas giant’s rings.



The real appearance of the Yadmiel was that of a hand. A titanic, human hand the size of a major moon, no less than 600 kilometers in size. Patterns of endless colors swirled on the surface of the Yadmiel, releasing an exotic and subtle white glow that effectively “outlined” the massive construct, as if to highlight and show to the rest of the universe its magnificence and glory.

Standing in front of the patrol fleet, Falling Droplets sent out a message in reply to the ultimatum.



Greetings, denizens of the Thoov System of the Treecuu Star Empire. I am FALLING DROPLETS, a vast artificial intelligence sent here as the official ambassador of the Confluence of Empires, a metacivilization located spinwards and rimwards from your location in the galaxy. I apologize for intruding within your claimed volume of space, but after thousands of years of careful observation, we have finally decided to begin interacting with the other empires in the Sector. It was decreed by our ruler, the SEQUENCE, that your civilization should be one of the first to be contacted. We have been observing this region and your development as a civilization for more than three hundred years. I assure you that I have no hostile intentions whatsoever, and that my only interest is peacefully interacting with you and your empire. However, I am fully prepared to defend myself in case any hostile action is taken against me, so please, let us all be civil in this interaction. I await for your response to this message.



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Almost all activity on the command bridge ceased as the behemoth appeared in front of them. Eethi could hear someone cursing quietly at the far end of the bridge. The alien vessel was absolutely fear-instilling, despite their message assuring them of peaceful intentions. It could for all they knew mean as little as a Treecuu governor’s ditto. She decided that she needed to do something to lift her crew’s spirits. She opened her personal folder on the chair monitor and made small hand gestures and pushed the a button to display it on the main viewscreen.

First there was some giggling, then laughter burst out. She couldn’t help but to chuckle a bit herself.

“Really?!” the weapons officer exclaimed with a wide smile. “Googly eyes!”

The alien ship now looked like a goofy creature instead of the largest and most powerful ship they had ever seen. She was relieved to see the mood on the bridge change. And also that the first patrol of the mandate’s fleet were coming into firing range.

As the closest ship, the honour to reply to the aliens would be hers. But first things first. She had to warn them about the ongoing mine deployment after the first wave was finished. Or rather that they would not deploy more of them for as long as the aliens remained peaceful. The message was therefore short:

“Tree of Life, be aware that mines are about to be deployed along your previous extrapolated course at a safe distance. We do not intend to attack you for as long as your actions remain friendly.”

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Although I thank you for the warning, I am already well aware of the mines: I detected and scanned just as you were sending me yout ultimatum. While they were of little to no danger, the ones based on exotic energy impressed me: we were not aware that your civilization had reached such levels of metric engineering. In any case, I am more than happy to see that you are reacting to our attempt at first contact with reason, and not with weapons or aggressiveness. Despite the fact that we could carry out diplomacy through this communication channel, I believe my physical presence would be more appropriate to your standards. If it is possible and if you receive the authorization from your superiors, could I be allowed to send an avatar of mine on board of your vessel? The construct can continue to function within the radiative zone of a star, so there would not be any issues with the current environmental settings of your ship. Though we have much to discuss between us, I will wait for you to properly deliberate on the matter before informing me of your decision. After all, we have all the time in the universe.



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Right as the alien responded, a tactical prompt appeared on Eethi’s monitor.

Governor ETA 12 itis. Expects first meeting.

“Dammit!”

She cursed again, silently as she felt the gaze of the bridge officers. Of course the governor wanted to do the first contact, especially with such a powerful alien. Wasn’t he off world? No, it wouldn’t be good if he did it. He would only ruin it in his special Committee way. Someone from the System Defence Fleets ought to meet the alien. She had to think of something. And fast.

All incoming and outgoing communication, as well as all sensor logs, were transmitted live to Joint Fleet Operations, so there was no way she could lie about the situation so that she could be the first one to meet the alien. Then it occurred to her that the alien wouldn’t settle for a lowly ship’s captain to conduct diplomacy either way, and there was no way she could prevent the Governor from meeting the alien indefinitely. It was a futile endeavour. Though as powerful as he was, he still had no say in internal System Fleet affairs. She decided to ignore the prompt for now.

She pushed a button and sent a response to Tree of Life.

“Your avatar is welcome to board my ship, the SFS Dulee. Please enter through the indicated shuttle bay door. I look forward to meeting you.”

Now she had to figure out where to receive the alien. The SFS Duulee was an instrument of war, rugged, efficient. No room for lavish governor stuff. There weren’t any fancy conference rooms or grand halls for a reception. And no, she thought, we certainly don’t have “all the time in the universe”.

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Thank you.



A small void bubble emerged from the celestial palm of the Yadmiel, and quickly darted over to the Dulee, functionally invisible if not for detection through sensors. Entering the shuttle bay door and utterly confusing the ship’s present personnel, the bubble lowered to only a meter or so above the bay’s floor, and began inflating to match its interior size. Completing its growth, the metric construct then quickly dissolved, and (as would soon become quite usual for diplomatic discussions during first contacts) bright rays of light began pouring out of the unfolding space.



A shifting cloud, not much bigger than the treecuu in the bay, became fully visible. Flowing rivers of endless colors flowed throughout the construct, as microscopic stars danced in harmony within the celestial micronebula. A shifting, uncertain ring of flowing particles surrounded the cloud, darting around and changing its course as if both water and lightning. At the center of the ethereal construct was a cluster of perfect circles emerging from the fog, growing and then dissipating as droplets of rain falling on the surface of a calm lake.

The manifestation, avatar of a digital angel, came forth.

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The bright flickering lights cast sharp shadows of the only two Treecuu present against the shuttle bay walls. Both the captain and her good mammalian friend - the ship’s main physician - marvelled at the colourful display. It was a bit similar to what it sometimes looked like when Treecuu ships went to warp. Both displays were what some beings would call “divine appearances”. The captain had only to imagine googly eyes on the creature to remind herself that behind that wondrous mask was the mundane. Machines. Technology. Logic. Not a god, not invincible.

As she stood there, she realised what a historical event this was for more than one reason; no System Defence Fleet ship had been directly involved in a first contact since the empire reforms several generations ago.

As the being approached them, the two Treecuu calmly let their arms assume the shape of an upside-down letter V. It was the traditional Treecuu greeting intended to convey that they had no concealed weapons, but it also exposed most of their vital organs to potential attack. It was also intentional, meant as a sign of confidence. The two Treecuu donned the normal navy blue System Defence Fleet battle dress. Rank and station were not immediately evident. The only visible extra gear was a small device on their wrists.

The captain spoke up.

“Tree of Life, welcome aboard the SFS Duulee. I am Captain Eethi. This is Toomoo, the ship’s Chief Physician. What made you come to the Thoov System and breach our borders?” There was a hint of a smile and warmth in her voice mentioning the breaching of the borders, indicating that part was partly in jest.

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It truly is a honour for me to be here on board this vessel, Captain Eethi. As I have stated earlier, my civilization has decided to finally make contact with the Treecuu Star Empire after centuries of observation. The Confluence has seen you rise out of the marshlands of your homeworld, rejoin with the rest of your kin stranded on the neighbouring planet, and reach for the stars together. We have seen you grow your interstellar empire and meet new alien sapients in peace and diplomacy, and we have seen the destruction, betrayals and hatred that was left after your region of space was invaded and pillages by nomadic fleets. Those same invaders attempted to invade the Confluence, but we pushed them back swiftly and quickly: perhaps if we had been more vicious, you would have been spared the following calamities. While in those centuries past we were in self-imposed isolation from the rest of the galaxy, our ruler has now decided to put an end to that age, and begin to contact the civilizations that for so long we had observed. Having seen your civilization’s growth from its very birth, your Star Empire was among the first on our list of contacts.

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Eethi’s antennae flinched as she heard the being mention the nomadic fleets and the calamities caused by their invasion.

“The Loo-Yee, as we call these genocidal invaders… We defeated them thoroughly, but some speculate that they may still be out there. Do you have any more information regarding them?”

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Well, I believe that thorough defeat would be an… exaggeration, in this case. From what we observed the Ryzheia Swarmers, as we have called them, appeared to have only left because you had managed to cause enough of a setback to discourage them from continuing the invasion. So no, they never were truly defeated, but your efforts and achievements were indeed very admirable and quite impressive, especially for the size and technology you possessed at the time. After leaving your region of space, their swarming fleets set course for the Galactic Core: we have not detected any of their ships within Sector A1-0 or the neighbouring sectors ever since. If you wish to, I can supply you with a large database containing all the information we managed to gather about the Swarmers when they attacked us, as well as partially connecting you to our observation networks in case any of them are ever re-detected within our Sector.

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“That would be very much appreciated, friend.”

The captain refrained from commenting on how total the victory over the Loo-Yee had been. Even among the Treecuu it was disputed. CEE propaganda was especially sure of a resounding Treecuu victory while other sources aligned with what the alien had just said. This information had great political potential. Potential to shake things up. She couldn’t decide if it was better if this was kept from the governor or if it served them better if he knew.

However, there was no way she would let the alien get a hint at the state of internal Treecuu politics. Regardless of her distaste for the CEE and the governors, potentially hostile alien interests could be a far greater threat to the Treecuu.

“Now, let us get somewhere more comfortable” she said to the alien pointing toward one of the smaller doors on her right, knowing it was unlikely the being was concerned with comfort or things like food. But it was the polite thing to do.

“Meanwhile is there anything I could get you? I take it you don’t require food or drinks?”

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The radiant avatar followed Captain Eethi, floating besides her like a cloud moving swiftly above grassy plains, moved by strong but constant winds in the sky above.

I most certainly do not, but I deeply appreciate your offer. Usually my avatars for physical interaction, this one included, are composed of nanorobotic foglets surrounding a couple of central void bubbles, pockets of warped space containing their energy generation systems and the comms-gauge wormholes necessary for connection. While the wormhole is only a couple of micrometers in diameter, it does have the mass of a planetary object, so the usage of a compressed void bubble is more than necessary if one desires to be practical. So no, I do not require any form of substenance or additional source in addition to the avatar’s internal power generation systems. However, if it is part of your customs to accept the offerings of the host during such an event, then I will gladly accept something. A simple glass of water, if it is possible and allowed by tradition.

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Machines. Technology. Logic. Though she had to admit that the micro-wormhole was truly impressive. Far beyond Treecuu abilities. For now.

Eethi nodded, impressed with Tree of Life’s answer.

“Then, Toomoo will be most pleased to bring you some of her favourite spring water. You see, the amphibians truly appreciate water as a drink, not only because it’s necessary for survival, but it’s a great sensory experience for them.”

“I will join you shortly” Toomoo smiled and bowed slightly.

As he turned around to walk the other way, the small door opened and let the captain and alien enter.

The room that had been hastily prepared was what was called a “multi-purpose compartment”. It was only large enough to accommodate a party of up to ten people and was most often used for mission briefings or training for the engineering section. As such, it had evidence of wear and tear. The main benefit of choosing this room was the absence of fixed technical equipment that could serve as a distraction, and the fairly large panorama window. It offered a magnificent view of the gas giant.

Eethi offered the alien a seat at the only table, placed in the middle of the room, unsure if the being would or could sit down. She opted to sit down.

“It is unusual for System Defence Fleet ships to receive foreign guests, please forgive the humble setting. However, I should tell you that the local Governor is on his way to greet you as well, he can offer a more comfortable setting” she noted, not expecting Tree of Life to answer. She continued.

“You are a fascinating being. Are everyone like you in your Empire?”

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The cloud changed shape, and engulfed the chair like a roaring hurricane, spiralling arms of shifting colors and microscopic stars swirling around in immaginary winds while separate circular flows of flowing foglets crowned the storming cloud as halos of thunder and nimbus. In shorter terms, the avatar “sat down”, in its own way.

I would be fine carrying out this diplomatic meeting within a featureless cube, so this “humble” setting is nothing to apologize for. In any case, while many of the embodied AIs within the Confluence make use of avatars comprised of nanotech foglets, this one is not representative of any particular species within the COE. I, the true mind guiding this artificial construct through the wormhole, am part of a category of intelligences known in the Confluence as hyperAIs, or postsapients, hyperintelligent beings whose artificial minds are beyond the comprehension of ordinary sapients. Following the Coempireal Sophonce Scale classification system, I belong to the third class of the scale, which could be defined as “intermediate”. My processing substrate, my “brain” consists of a relatively large, high-activity moonbrain surrounded by additional power collection swarms. There are hundreds of other beings that belong to the same level of the scale as me, but we are so very few compared to the overall population of the Confluence, which is in the quadrillions.

Part of the cloud’s foglets detached from the swirling mass, and combined with holographic lights to create a three-dimensional representation of Falling Droplets’ moon-sized processing substrate.





In conclusion, the ultramajority of the Confluence is quite different from me, but there are still others who share my mode of existence in their own way. Speaking of modes of existence, I would rather enjoy hearing more about the two member species of your empire. In terms of history and culture of course, not so much in terms of biology. I “see”, or more appropriately, “perceive” things in many ways that are not really suited for most regular sapients to understand: I fully understood your biology and modeled the environment your species lives in as soon as we were face to face. And in regards to biology I’d most like to point out that you are in peak physical condition. Without medisystems and bodymods, it requires quite the sustained effort, so your resolve deserves nothing but admitation.

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It was a strange experience for Eethi. In a way, she felt so small and insignificant next to Tree of Life, but somehow she also felt powerful; the being treated her almost like an equal, and she also felt the backing of the combined strength of the Treecuu Star Empire should things go badly.

As she marvelled at the holographics, Toomoo entered the room with three glasses of spring water on a tray. Eethi gestured for her to join them at the table.

“Did you hear that, Moo? I’m in peak physical condition” she teased the Chief Physician. The Chief rolled here eyes, implying they had some history between them concerning the captain’s reluctance to come for her regular mandatory physical tests.

Eethi picked up the three glasses from the tray and handed out them. But she didn’t drank any yet.

“Thank you for the compliment, Tree of Life. Though I probably wouldn’t be sitting here if it weren’t for the latest advances in medical tech… and a helping hand. We once ran into what we call a uuteem which is something like a localised supersaturated roll of vacuum energy. Short story short: a conduit on the ship burst which cut my body in half, but they could patch me up in time.” Eethi nodded towards Toomoo in recognition, who smiled in return.

“Now, to get back on topic. Are there any specific aspects or events you’d like to know more about regarding history and culture?”

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Indeed, I do have a number of inquiries I’d like to prioritize during our meeting. Though I already know plenty, observing from a distance can only get you so far. You’ll be able to ask me anything you’d like to know about the Terragen Empire as well, of course. First of all, I’d most definitely like to know…

Eethi, Toomoo and Tree of Life conversed about their respective empires for quite some time. Both parties answered questions about their history, government and culture: the two Treecuu were amazed by the sheer extent and advancement of the Terragen Empire and the immense transcendental beings that ruled it from their glowing megastructural minds, while Tree of Life was impressed by the achievements of the young, expanding civilization.

That was, until Tree of Life asked the two Treecuu a very…_ interesting_ question.

After having observed your civilization for so long, I have been wanting to ask you one thing in particular. Why is it that the Treecuu Star Empire subjugates and segregates all the indigenous xenosophont species it encounters, restraining them to their systems and worlds and preventing them from achieving or maintaining interstellar travel? If you ask me, I’d consider it quite the bad look for interstellar relations, and a very long lived stain on my empire’s image and credibility.

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Eethi didn’t exactly always agree with every aspect of the peace-making efforts of the CEE. Much like many others in the System Defense Fleets, she believed there could be alternatives to subjugating and tech-capping alien civilisations, but it was necessary that she kept a united front during the first contact. She had to answer carefully.

“Perhaps the region of space where you come from is very different from ours. Our neighbourhood has been hostile since we first took to the stars. To ensure our survival and save xeno species from devastating interstellar wars, we were forced to enforce peace in the manner you mention. We have been rather successful, as your remote sensory data likely will confirm. There are no wars in Treecuu space.”

Toomoo nodded and added to the argument.

“It is of course regrettable that we have had to restrict some aspects of the development of xeno civilisations. But in return, we brought peace and stability. Cured all diseases, and ended natural disasters.”

“I’m sure you can relate, Tree of Life, judging from you telling us earlier how you ‘administer and rule the entirety of the Terragen Empire’?” asked Eethi.

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Tree of Life stayed silent for a second, seemingly immersed in deep thought. Then, all of a sudden, e began to laugh. The streams of moving particles that made up eir avatar began to move much faster than usual, and rays of even brighter colorful life emerged from the spaces between them, like sunlight piercing through a cloudy sky. After this short moment of emotion, the laughter died down, and the radiant storm calmed as well.

I most certainly cannot “relate” to any such notion, dear Eethi. Every single xenosophont species we Terragens have come across has been welcomed into our vast empire as full equals, both of us sharing our resources, knowledge, technology, cultures and freedoms. And even before we came into contact with non-Terragen life, our empire was a majestic mosaic of diversity: tens of thousands of cultures created by thousands of differing species, each unique to their history, existence and environment. A near-cosmic amount of diversity of both mind and form, united together in a single harmonious system capable of enjoying both the gifts of unity and the wonders of diversity, without having to sacrifice either. And if we were to look upon the Terragen Empire in a purely astro-political light, we would see much the same situation: tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of polities and empires that range in size from single orbital habitats to thousands of star systems. Each of these so different from one another in quality and quantity, yet united in prosperity under the common shining light of my glorious meta-empire. Trust me, Eethi, I do not enjoy dismantling the beliefs of others, whether or not they are of a whole empire, or a single of its individuals, but the gospel of the Treecuu Expansion lacks logical sense in multiple aspects. You have all the means necessary to ensure peace in the region and imperial growth without the subjugation of xenosophont life and its relegation to secondary status, and your very empire is a manifestation of this: two species, so different from one another, united in their common effort to reach for the stars and make them theirs. As such, you cannot even resort to the misguided argument that only mono-species empires can persist and spread throughout the heavens, unlike some of the other interstellar powers in this region of the galaxy. Yes, you may have freed them of their ills, and I do applaud your efforts and successes for that matter: however, you still keep them under your boot due to now ancient fears, instead of letting them join you in your efforts. If you integrated them instead, forcefully or not, you would obtain your ever so desired peace, and grow your empire both externally and internally.

Tree of Life stopped again for a moment. Before Eethi or Toomoo could say anything, e spoke again.

With all that being said, you should probably know that I’m already overlooking these choices of yours, and I’m willing to continue overlooking them for as long as is necessary. After all, they are nothing but internal affairs, and nothing anyone else should be concerned about, right? While I’d much prefer you to change how you go about expanding through the galaxy, as long as you all are not slaughtering or outright enslaving other xenosophont species, I’ll be much more lenient than I’d otherwise be. No need to try and save face, or bribe me out of revealing your affairs to the rest of the Sector in the future. Are we clear on that?

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Eethi’s antennae flicked once as the mighty being started laughing. Was it an irrational emotional response? Interesting behaviour for such an advanced being, she thought. Worthy mentioning in her tactical log later.

She couldn’t exactly disagree with what Tree of Life was saying, though it clearly failed to recognise the special but unfortunate causes for the rapid expansion of the Treecuu. One can only do one’s best, and that’s what the Treecuu had been doing all this time. She was glad that it was her, not the governor, the very embodiment of CEE policy, who got this speech. He would like not take it so well.

The last part about revealing Treecuu policy made Eethi’s military training kick in, spurring her to ask Tree of Life to elaborate.

“I see… But how do you mean ‘revealing our affairs’? Are you going to, or not?”

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