If you find mistakes, pls tell, thx. I don't like mistakes.

Also feel free to ask for more background information on the world. I am somehow running out of interesting points regarding the small comments at the beginning of the chapters.

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“

And the silent gods stood there, silent.

”

-Telur Myth

***Galactic Centre, Gathering-Station***

***Gideon***

I take a seat on a bench in the entrance hall of Resch-Cooporation. For a long time I simply sit there and take everything in. The white cleanliness of the place, the lighting and the well dressed employees. At least those who prefer to wear clothes.

The entire hall is big enough for a whole house to fit and the entrance is ten metres wide.

KaaHud's place wasn't like that. The dark and stinking alley in front of his office forewarned everyone that there are no nice deals to make in this place. His personal quarters spoke of wealth, but there was always a small reminder of who he is somewhere. A weapon. A picture of a horrifying scene instead of a nice painting. KaaHud may be an evil little creature, but he is honest about his profession. So very unlike these guys. It sickens me.

Time to call in the cavalry.

I open a connection to Ed and am answered before I have spoken a word. “Yes?”

“Have you studied the maps which I sent you? Can you ensure to close off the entire section of the station?” I ask.

“Yes, you are sure that you can take care of the main entrance?” Ed asks anxiously.

“Sure. The two additional faceless are enough as a backup.” I answer. “Did you get access to their security network?”

“We are still tackling that problem. Had to teleport a few drones inside to establish a few connections. Their important research is disconnected from the network. But it can't take much longer.”

“Then I'll start the operation to sway the public opinion of us.” I get up from my bench.

“I still can't believe that the faceless sanctioned this operation.” Ed mumbles more to himself than me.

“It's all about choices and representing ourselves to the universe. They already know that we have an extraordinary ability.” I reply. “Do we want to look like fools who are sitting on top of a precious treasure? Or like a dragon who is gnawing on the bones of those who tried to steal the treasure?”

I throw back the hood on my head, then I approach one of the ten secretaries. Ten! I bet only four of them at most have to work at the same time. The rest is just there to look pretty for a wide range of customers. There are also tentacles and blisters to choose from, so I try to avoid looking at the creatures to the left and right of my target

My choice is the humanoid, pretty, furry girl. Hell, if you add a finger or two to her hands and a less stubby nose she might even be an acceptable fuck.

What the hell am I thinking. I am definitely already far too long apart from my better half. Where is Cyla's ass when I need it?

“Hello.” I smile and wait for the translator on my wrist to chirp the greeting. Having to rely on these devices is annoying. Once I can muster the resolve I have to withdraw to my VR and learn galactic standard.

“What can I do for you.” She answers, blinking at me with those puppy eyes. They remind me of the dog I fried as a child. I hate dogs. They bite and stink. Luckily the second prejudice is already proven wrong by her perfume.

On the other hand there isn't much to think about women whom I can smell from afar. She must have poured a bottle of the stuff over herself.

“My name is Gideon Alvar, governor of Aether.” I gesture above my head. “That's the nice city which is floating right next to Gathering Station. You know, we humans are very solitary creatures when it comes to dealing with members of our own species.” I eye her up and down. “But when it comes to abandoning one of our own to an unknown fate we are very proactive in finding out what happened to him.”

“I in particular am very interested in his fate because right now he can be counted as one of my subjects. It would throw a bad light on me if I abandoned one of those with whose protection I was charged.” I produce a photo of our lost ambassador from my pocket and place it on her desk. “So could I please have my property back? His name is Jack Renford.”

“I am afraid that we don't have the person whom you are searching for.” She answers with a chiming voice.

“I am very sure that you have the person we are searching for.” I answer, not breaking my smile. Which probably doesn't mean much to her now that I think about it. “To show our good will we are giving you half an hour until we search for him ourselves.”

“I've called security and informed the station's police force.” She answers, apparently not impressed at all.

“What a bummer. I've yet to learn on how to impress aliens.” I muse while four blue guys in uniform approach me. They have three antennae on their foreheads, but otherwise look very close to human standard.

“Please come with us.” One of them approaches me ahead of the others.

“No. And if you do so much as touch me I'll take it as an attack and retaliate with lethal force.” I inform him coolly which causes them to keep their distance.

Then I face the secretary once more. “Care to call the manager of this enterprise? I think he wants to know that he's pissed off an entire species.”

Okay, that's a very dramatic lie. But it never hurts to appear as a unified front to outsiders. It can't hurt us humans if the aliens think that fucking with one of us is equal to drawing the attention of the entire community. Sometimes I really like our government. They don't play a half hearted game like so many other governments in the science fiction stories I've read.

The doggy secretary starts speaking to someone while the three security officers keep at arm's length. I try to stay calm and ignore their threatening demeanour. Maybe I should use the time for some mental exercises. So far I always tripped towards the emotional part when I lost control. Maybe tripping towards the logical part is earning me better results? I am about to pick a huge fight.

I try imagine myself at a shore with an ocean of emotion to my left and a desert of nothingness to my right. Then I face the desert and start walking.

My little experiment doesn't earn me an immediate result, but at least the need to fuck something is gone.

I ponder if that in itself can be called a big achievement, or a great loss.

Before I get an answer to my question another party arrives at the scene. Seven Zeen with much too big weapons and an eighth unarmed Zeen who doesn't look that well entered the entrance hall. Number eight took the skin-colour of exhaustion after moving too fast. Call it a wonder or not, but I learned one thing or two from Ayo.

Speaking of the devil, wouldn't it be funny if the Zeen in front of me is indeed Ayo. “Is that you, Ayo?”

“Yes, indeed. I am moved that you managed to discern my colour print from other members of my species.” The Zeen comes closer, gesturing for the security agents to step out of the way. “What's going on here? We received a request for aid against you from Resch.”

It's not like I recognized him. It was a wild guess, pure and simple. I raise an inquisitive eyebrow and look back at the secretary. “Yes, that's what I expected.”

“So, what's going on?” Ayo asks.

“My people found convincing evidence that Resch abducted our ambassador. We want him back. In pieces or alive and Resch has-” I stop to check the time. “Fourteen minutes left to fulfil our demand or present convincing evidence against it.”

“And what if not!?” A voice asks over the speakers right next to the secretary. “I am the manager of Resch, Resch Hibil! And I say that this insane individual has no rights to be within my facility. Zeen, I demand that you remove this individual from my station.”

Ah, now Mr. X finally shows up. “I don't care about your inconvenience. My people came here by following a peaceful invitation. To our understanding this is neutral ground. You attacked our ambassador on the very same ground. That made your immunity and rights void. It's a declaration of war!”

“Now, let us not go too far. You are oversimplifying things, Gideon. According to the great treaty, which is signed by every species in this system, all conflicts have to be solved peacefully.” Ayo tries to mediate, but I have no intention on listening to him.

“That's well and nice, but the reason for conflict between us and Resch is a violent attack. And even if we would have signed that treaty, which we did not, our reaction is justified. You've a little less than five minutes left by the way.” I take another look at my wristwatch. God bless our slow negotiation tactics.

The speaker next to the secretary starts a tirade, but Ayo's attention stays on me. “Excuse me, but I somehow failed to understand what happens at the end of your ultimatum.”

I regard the Zeen for a while, assessing his role in this. “Well, we'll take back what's ours by using force.” I explain, but Ayo misses the point so I elaborate. “That means we'll start killing everyone within this facility until we are satisfied.”

The someone behind the speaker chokes. “Are you insane!? Even Ramani don't react that outrageously to losing a herd-member.”

“One minute.” I announce. “You still can admit everything, but I hope you-”

Suddenly the four security agents jump me and I backhand the one in front of me, sending him tumbling across the entrance hall. The other three cling onto me like wrestlers, but I reach up and twist the hand around my neck. Then I ram my free hand into the speaker right next to the secretary. A relaxing wave of energy flows through me and the three guards.

They don't find the experience as relaxing as I do and are flung away by the electricity. The lights go out and I find myself in a dim twilight. The only lighting comes from the huge entrance and the secretary's glowing eyes.

Suddenly her jaw unhinges, revealing several rows of shark-like teeth. With a scream she jumps at me and I pull up my arm just in time to avoid being bitten in the face.

Teeth sink into my lower arm, but it's only now that I realize the unreal situation. I can still feel the pain, but I am strangely disconnected from the feeling. Maybe my little mental experiment yielded more results than I expected?

The secretary is pulling and ripping at my arm like it is at a newly found bone. I just look at her and study the wild expression in her puppy eyes. Then my eyes wander to my wristwatch. “I fear that the time is up.”

From within my coat I pull the Desert Eagle imitation which somehow grew to my heart. Originally it was the toy of a genetically enhanced super soldier from Earth.

But now it is my toy.

Finally the secretary stops her attempts at ripping off my arm, realizing that her strategy is ineffective.

I place the pistol on her forehead and pull the trigger. A large part of her skull simply disintegrates and with a click her jaw snaps apart. I let her body slide out of sight behind the counter and turn in a circle to deal with other dangers.

Empty.

The entire entrance hall somehow cleared out within seconds. From the other side of the glassed front which is making up the entrance I can see eight Zeen eyeing me suspiciously. Like children they stick to the glass to get a good view.

What did I expect? They are talkers, not fighters. I wonder why they even showed up with those weapons? An attempt at intimidation?

I scratch my head with the barrel of my gun and take a look at the wound. The passive regeneration spell which I cast before entering this facility is already hard at work and knitting the flesh back together.

My eyes wander back to the wall behind the reception desk. It is covered by a huge violet splash of blood and gore with a big bullet hole in the middle.

I've killed another puppy. I really should stick to cats and rabbits...

Melan won't be happy about this.

.