Xill raised an eyebrow in interest. "Ah yes, love. No, I never really took to it personally. Joined the Engineer corp too young to get interested in all that.
"But we're not some unusual unisex species thing, we have love, and families, and great clans, and the like. I quite enjoy spending time with my family, my parents are quite old. Azguards live a long time-well, compared to humans, at least- but they're not around forever. Oddly enough, we actually have an inkling of what happens to Azguards when they die. Sort of, anyways."
He didn't seem intent to follow that last bit of information, but pushed forwards none the less.
"If you want to know more, I'll throw a few more tid-bits out. Azguard male/female populations are usually roughly even. Azguards usually marry within their faith. Not for any racist reasons or because it is frowned upon, but because the six gods have very different opinions and teachings, and although we coexist very harmoniously, we differ too greatly usually for love to form. We form usual family units, most families will have two or three children. We have gender equality as well. We havn't got many homosexuals, because our culture doesn't embrace the topic of sexuality well, but those there are are treated with just as much respect as any other member of society."
He paused to think if there were any other details he missed out. Satisfied he had forgotten nothing, he pushed on to the comment she had made of the gods.
"When you said we follow the winners argument, perhaps you are under the misaprehension that those left followed any other. At the beginning of the war the gods stated quite plainly their opinions on the matter, and Azguards shifted rapidly from tribe to tribe, so that each was fighting for what they believed. After the war, the losing side fled into space. Histroy is sketchy and the gods did not witness the event itself, so we know not if it is true or not.
"Our gods do make mistakes, yes, and sometimes they even have to retrace their steps and change their opinions to fit changes in the galaxy around us, but we trust them more then any politician. Even High Lord Regrad himself knows that his words are nothing compared to the merest utterance from the gods. Their powers are great and far-reaching, they can see the future, the past, and the present with startling acuracy. They are gods, and we trust them as such."
He had finished his tea, but did not fill another cup. He had had his fill. "What is that suit for, by the way?"
Mara glanced at Xill through her helmet's faceplate.
"It's in case you are carrying any toxins biologically harmful for humans. Remember, we thought maybe a disease was eating away at your minds causing mortal self inflictions."
She paused for a moment. "You mentioned the relationship between Azguard and the Mon Calamari. Obviously we know how you feel about the Empire. But what are your opinions as a people on say.. the Jedi. Those that claim to follow the true way and say those that follow a rogue's path? What of factions such as the Outer Rim Sovereignty? I am sure your Gods, if they have been "watching" for as long as you imply, they would be quite familiar with these organizations as well."
Mara shifted her back and heard a slight popping as she stretched. The suit was form fitting and so her breasts swelled slightly against the suit drawn taut during the stretch.
He paused, for only a moment, to consider his answer.
"Well, I can tell you a little, but not much. ORS is viewed as an unexcpected ally, you will agree when someone you hardly know signs up to join your side of a war, it is usually seen as a boon, especially if you feel you are losing. We have tried with little avail to get much information on them, as all our searches are stymed somehow, but that which we know suggests they are good people.
"The Jedi, hm, we feel the principle behind them is a good one, but they are not effective. We come from a society where the force is not believed in, in the same way one does not believe in the postman, or believe in a slice of bacon. It is merely a fact that an unusual energy force of great strength exists and that some can bend it to their will. Unfortunately, the Jedi don't appear to accomplish anything these days.
"The Tholotians, we like them. They were quick to side with us, they seem an honest lot, and they are always open, understanding, and polite. My people don't get out much, but when we do, we know Tholotian territory is safe.
"The rest of the Galaxy? Depressing. There are a dozen little squabbling kingdoms, corporations, and leagues. It appears that if they all banded together they could defeat anyone they wanted. Even the Empire. But they'd rather just argue and scrap. To be honest, we sometimes wonder who it is we're fighting for, then turn and see them and shudder. But still, it seems worth it.
"The big problem with the galaxy, if you don't mind me saying, seems to be you. Well, not you, but the organization that is the Empire. We have seen your battles, we have read your thoughts and observed your meetings, looked closely at worlds and species, and the more we look, the more we are convinced you may be the great evil our race was warned about. Now, that's not to say there couldn't be peace, but we're sorry to say it seems unlikely you'd like our terms, which would include BOTH of us scrapping our fleets down to a minimum force, no more hostile conquest of planets, and never again to attack someone who hasn't defiently and undeniably attacked you first.
"We may seem a bit crazy, but we're still peace-loving at heart, just the Empire looks pretty bad from where we sit, and has done for years, and we really don't want to sit on the side lines while a war for the galaxy rages.
"Besides" he added as an afterthought "You attacked first."
Moff Zell barked out a laugh as he tried to fathom the notion of a homosexual Azguard. He briefly wondered about the protocols of homosexual Azguards serving aboard military warships and how interrelationships with the various alien races that comprised Coalition warships worked.
But only briefly.
His companion had left, the data, stores and experiments having been gathered to set off for Phase III.
He turned to the monitor.
What to do with you, little alien man...What to do..?
*
"I am sure you'd find much data suggesting the Empire was "good" as well, not that you'd believe it. I would hope your government, before being joined at the hip, realizes the risk they run."
Mara paused and then smiled, "But surely they must have. They are, after all, your government."
She grinned outright at the alien's lament about the Jedi. "I agree, they aren't as effective. But, that has to do with the corruption of various influences to their Code over the years. They tried to play the game of politics.. and it was something they aren't good at.
They should be protecting the peace and order of the galaxy."
And then her smile became feral. "If you think about it Xil, the Empire has never attacked anyone that has not attacked first or supported attacks upon us first."
She shook her head silently. "I must say, if your Coalition and your Azguard overlords cannot live in peaceful coexistence with the Empire, then yes, sadly, a war will continue it's destructive path until one is standing. I really wish your people would be a little less 'crazy' and a bit more 'peaceful'. I really do, for I like you Xill."
He showed no outer signs of irritation at these words. In fact, he was busy considering how to get out of this situation. but for now, he kept talking.
"Well, we do have what humans would consider more legitimate reasons for going to war.
"Namely the never-ending struggle between the two opposing ideaologies of Order and Freedom. The Empire, as well as the dark side of the force, often support Order. You appear to us to believe that an ideal galaxy is a controlled, regulated one. Anything that disrupts order is an enemy, as control is the ideal state. that is why you often lable all foes as "terrorists".
"Freedom, the opposing ideaology preffered by the Light side of the force, as well as such governments as the Coalition, the New Republic, the Tholotians and so forth. This ideaology believes that the ideal state is one allowing the maximum amount of freedom to its' people. The people should be allowed to do as they wish, so long as it does not adversly affect others or themselves (They would hardly allow suicide). This is why they often lable the Empire as an Opressor and Evil, which I admit I am often inclined to do, I am only mortal after all.
"Now, it is possible for these two sides to coexist, but you seem unwilling to do so. The raid where Kamino fell: it was reffered to as Venerations, is a perfect example. The galaxy had suffered a horrible wave of disease, and as every government felt the backlash, they were forced to accept peace with their enemies. Unnofficially of course. Everything went on fine, no wars, no trouble, except for that unfortunate incident at Mon Calamari with the Chiss, but that resolved itself.
"Then Venerations. I, to this day, have no idea why you did it. I suppose you could use the excuse that we never officially signed any peace treaty, but that is fairly weak. Things were looking up, a month or two more and I swear we'd have been signing treaties and visiting each other freely. Then you dropped the bombs and ruined it. If it is true that the Coalition struck back in-perhaps badly executed, but still fairly heroic-their own wave of assaults, perhaps it is only fair? To be struck back? Anyways, I still believe that there is hope for peace, but there will have to be many apologies made, from both sides."
"Venerations. To venerate. To revere.. To respect. We respected the Kamino people. They came to us and asked us to create a deadly viral weapon against the Calamari to remove you from your world.
Our laws prohibit that and we decided to simply liberate the planet.
But, what respect would we show bringing a massive battle into the orbit of the people we tried to liberate?
At least that was our thinking and so we acted. When the vids of the Calamari's bloody occupation we were shocked. It was odd how everyone on the nets drudged up the decades old account of Alderran and yet, here was a modern day Alderaan.
You don't have to physically destroy a planet to destroy it's people. You can simply destroy their culture and individuality by absorbing them into your culture.
That is far more insidious, in my opinion. At least the Alderaans died as Alderaanians, despite their funding the Rebel war chests."
She looked at the alien, "We might have been willing to look the other way (even then) at the Calamari bloody takeover if they hadn't come to us for help.
After that, what do we do?
Leave Kamino to it's fate only to be accused later that we were asked to step in against atrocities and villified for not acting?
Even then! Even then, if it was any other world other than Kamino, the Empire might not have interfered .. but Kamino held an important place in Imperial History.
What good is the New Order if you do not venerate that which helped bring the New Order about?"
She shifted and felt a leg that was starting to get "prickly".
Leg is falling asleep.
"In any event, it was the Calamari who did that. Not you. When they merged their government with others, we felt that perhaps with the added political pressures, perceptions, personalities, and ideas.. we felt that these would temper the Calamari and perhaps mature them as a race.
And then the Coalition struck."
She smiled sweetly.
"And so we are defending."
Then an idea struck her.."You know.. perhaps why it's so hard to grasp our trains of thought, perhaps your people have never actually been defeated.
The Empire has been defeated many times. So it will have a wisened, more experienced, complete view of things whereas a government who has never felt the heavy hand of defeat, never gone hungry, never been anything but.." she paused, "blessed by the Gods would have trouble understanding some things."
"Have the Azguard ever suffered a severe defeat in their history? Against anyone?
Sometimes, when that has happened, they begin to think they never can fall.. which is dangerous. I will admit that thinking has gotten the Empire in trouble in the past. But what about you?
We find we are mere Mortals working with what we have to forge the best situation for ourselves and our children as best we can."
Her eyes lit up at a thought. "You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet."
Xill, who had listened carefully, responded in turn.
"Perhaps your information on Kamino was not as clear as you believed. I lived there and was part of an early immigration group. The Kaminoians you meat with were most likely of a rogue organization.
"You see, as part of the agreement, the Mon Calamari Republic would baisically be joining the government of Kamino with its' own. There were, obviously dissidents, unfortunately they got their hands on an old, abandoned cloning lab and brought an entire army of clones out of hibernation. Now, that which you saw was probably related to the battles between the awakened clones and the separatists on one side, and the loyalist Kaminoians and the Mon Calamarians on the other.
"I was there, and I can tell you there was no alternate objectives, no schemes, no plots, the 'bloody occuptaion' would be more accurately catagorised as a civil war, initiated by fiercly divided opinions on the issue of merger, whereby a radical minority became in possession of a vast army and misguided ideals.
"Perhaps your information was incomplete or innacurate, very possible when you consider it.
"And we have suffered defeat. There was a short civil war to topple Dolash the Corrupt shortly before the Wrath Virus was released, and although the revoloutionaries won, no one really wins in a civil war. Also, there was what you would call religious wars thousands of years ago, although all the super-stitions and beliefs involved were scientifically verified. And of course there have been hundreds of plagues, famines, and the like on our planet over history-"
Suddenly, Xill's large eyes glazed over in thought.
"Hold on, so you're saying that because your information on the civil strife on Kamino was innacurate, and we didn't know that that was the main reason you attacked us back in Venerations, THAT started the whole war? A couple of incomplete data-files are responsible for the WHOLE WAR???"
"It's a wonder these @#%$ aliens ever emerged from their Stone Age." Zell commented irritated.
"Whatever helps them to sleep at night...." another Xenobiologist stated coming up into the center.
"We are prepared, sir."
"Sir! We are intercepting a signal.. eyes only.."
"Let me see that..." Zell grumbled moving over to read the transmission uninterrupted.
"Well, Goddamnit @#%$ hell!" he shouted a minute later. "I am going to kill Hyfe with my bare hands!"
"Sir? What has happened?"
"On the verge of reducing these race to slaves and we ..'play nice'." He turned to another station and switched on a channel. "TK-503543. Get your squad in there and relieve Ms. Mara from that.." he waved dismissively to the monitor.
"Mara. Wrap it up... we are sending the little devil home.."
Xill had time to relaxe now, he didn't know why. All he knew was that this meeting had served some sort of purpose the gods had seen. When he got home, he would ask them what it was.
A whisper, almost inaudible to anyone except Xill, passed by his ear.
...You have done well... Your words have taught us much of these people... Rest now... They come to take you home...
Xill smiled, sort of woozily, and said to the woman "Ah, that's good, I'll just take a little doze now, if that's all right? I think we've learnt everything we can from this little chat. Thank you for being so polite. Sorry about the whole mass-suicide thing, just made sense at the time..."
Then without any sign of input on his part, Xill toppled over and fell asleep. The energy the gods had sent him had run dry, but it was over at least.
