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1

"Well, there it is," William Nicolini announced to everyone in the cabin as he looked out the view port.

Mûr Zhæn, homeworld of the Mûr Tua'ansa Star Empire, was growing rapidly in size off the port forward quarter. Cassandra Nicolini, William's wife, hurridly joined him, as did several others of the Terran diplomatic staff.

"It's beautiful, don't you think, dear?" Cassandra asked her husband.

"It certainly is. As far out as Mûr Zhæn is from its sun, one would expect it to be colder than it is. I can't see any polar ice caps from here," William observed.

"The planetary profile data we received from the military suggested a higher level of geothermal energy than what's usually considered normal for an older world," commented Jal Anenhura, who was the Staff Science Advisor.

"Is that why it's so green?" Cassandra asked as she continued to look out the view port.

"Most likely, dear," William replied.

"What do you think, Craig, hun? There's our home for t he next five years, isn't it exciting?" Cassandra asked her twenty year-old son. "Craig? Craig?"

Craig was sitting slouched in his seat, eyes, closed, listening to the driving rhythm of a popular Thabbani dance song. The music was just getting to the best part of "Wakanaabi Tabannamava Summanavaafavaivi"--an energetic song that made twentieth-century Terran Salsa music seem like elevator music--when William pulled the headset off his son's head.

Craig popped his eyes open in surprise.

"Dad!"

"Your mother asked you a question."

Craig was about to protest, but the look his father gave him was enough to quell any argument he might have made. Sighing, Craig turned off his music and put his entertainment PAD back into his bag. William handed his son's headset back and then stepped aside so that Craig could stand up.

"Sorry, Mom, I...didn't hear you," Craig apologized meekly after he joined his mother at the view port.

Cassandra shook her head slightly as she hooked her son's arm with her own.

"We're coming up on Mûr Zhæn," she said, motioning towards the planet, which was growing rapidly in the view port. "What do you think of it, dear? Isn't it beautiful?" Cassandra asked her son quietly.

"I guess so."

"Try to be a little more enthusiastic, dear," Cassandra said, patting her son's arm. "We're going to be living there for the next five years."

Craig groaned, "But we're out in the boonies!"

As if to emphasize his point, their escort, S.F.S. Dark Fire, SLG-76, passed between the diplomatic ship and Mûr Zhæn. "See? We're so far out the military had to send a scout ship to guide us!"

"That's because the Darkfire was one of the three ships that brought the disabled Mûr Tua'ansa ship and her crew back to Mûr Zhæn," William explained. "Since they've been here before, they have first-hand knowledge of the culture, and that's going to be an asset to us while we're setting up the embassy."

"Since when do scout ship crews pull embassy guard duty?" Jal asked, joining the conversation.

"I understand the Empress has ordered a detachment of her Imerial Guard to protect our embassy," William replied.

"I thought all Sol Federation embassies are guarded by Fleet Marines," Cassandra stated.

"Usually, dear, but given the abilities of the Mûr Tua'ansa people, it was deemed best to have their Imperial Guard provide security. The captain of Darkfire said they're quite impressive," William explained.

Craig continued to quietly watch out the view port for a few more minutes while his parent and some of the staff discussed things he wasn't even remotely interested in. All he could think about was having to spend the next five years on an alien world far away from home and friends. He wasn't overjoyed at the prospect of being on a planet with heavier gravity, longer days, and populated by a race that had formed an interstellar empire before Terrans figured out that rocks were good for something other than stubbing a toe on.

Landing at the main starport in the capitol city of Zhæn'ana went smoothly, though Craig wished that they could have set down during the day so he could see more. He noticed that the lights illuminating the city seemed dimmer than he was used to, and they had an odd yellowish color. The engines had barely shut down when the ground crews arrived and made whatever connections that were needed. The crew of the S.F.S. Summer Wind, DCT-239, the ship that had brought the Nicolinis and the other diplomatic staff, readied the passengers, luggage, and supplies for off-loading. Before anyone was allowed to leave the ship, the steward had some last minute instructions.

"The Mûr Tua'ansa Imperial Port Authority said that their government liaison, the Imperial Guard escort, and a few others will be here shortly. You're to gather next to the crew of Darkfire and follow their lead when greeting the officials. The atmo is nearly the same as on Terra, though the gravity is slightly stronger. Until you become accustomed to it, you will tire a little more quickly. Please keep ahold of the handrail as you descend the ramp."

Craig followed his parents down the ship's boarding ramp. He felt the increased tug on his body by the stronger gravity, but he felt it wasn't that bad. It could have been worse, he reasoned--the gravity on Eridan IV, for example, required powered exoskeletons to get around outside the domed base. Craig noticed that the air had a somewhat sweet, spicy, flowery scent despite being on a sprawling starport complex. Looking around, Craig saw the ground crew casting looks in the direction of the diplomatic staff. He was amazed by how tall they were, and that they all looked decidedly scary. One of the Mûr Tua'ansa ground crew paused momentarily and looked down at Craig as he passed by. Craig looked up and met the woman's gaze--her large, slit pupil, ice blue eyes seemed to penetrate his thoughts. Craig wasn't sure how long he was held in those alien eyes, was it only a few seconds or was it much longer? He felt a chill run down his spine as something touched his mind. The sensation was fleeting, like the brush of a moth's wing, though all he could see were those eyes.

"Craig?"

"Craig?!"

"Huh?"

Craig looked dazedly in the direction he heard his name being called.

"Come on, dear, we need to be over with Darkfire's crew," Craig's mother insisted quietly, taking her son by the arm.

Craig nodded his head in acquiescence, and let his mother lead him on. Cassandra glanced back at the Mûr Tua'ansa woman in time to see what appeared to be an amused look on her face, before resuming her work.

When Cassandra felt they were far enough away to be out of hearing range, she leaned close to her son and asked, "Are you alright, dear?"

"Yeah, sure Mom, I'm okay."

"You were staring at that woman. You know, in some cultures that could be taken as a challenge--or even a mating ovature. Until we learn more about these people and their culture, we need to be very careful about what we say or do."

"Sure, Mom."

Cassandra let out a quiet little sigh in exasperation, leading her son over to the others.

The captain of Darkfire_quickly explained the ritual of kneeling and bowing heads towards the Imperial Palace to the crew and passengers of the diplomatic vessel, _Summer Wind, and then led both ship's compliments in the proper show of respect. When the ritual of arrival was complete, Craig looked around--given that it was night time, about all he could see were the lights and the skyline. Zhæn'ana, the capitol city of Mûr Zhæn, was also both the temporal and spiritual heart of the Mûr Tua'ansa Star Empire. Spacecraft of all types--from shuttles to starships--were coming and going in a smooth routine at the busy starport. Craig was amazed at what he thought was the sheer weirdness of the design of many of the ships. He would later learn that those were created using an organic-based tech far beyond Terran science. The buildings, too--what he could see of them in the dark--were also based on organic tech.

In a short while a transport arrived with a security team, to take the Terrans to the new embassy near the Imperial Palace complex. On the way, Craig noticed that the crew of Darkfire seemed to be on rather friendly terms with several members of the Mûr Tua'ansa security personnel.

"Maybe they met the last time they were here," Craig thought to himself as he watched how they greeted one another.

Some were met by placing hands on shoulders--not an easy task, given how tall the Mûr Tua'ansa were, others were greeted with a simple nod. There was at least one, Craig noticed, who briefly twined the end of her tail around the wrist of a crewman. The trip from the huge starport to the embassy didn't take long, and soon they were touching down on the landing platform. Looking out the window as they landed, Craig saw what he thought was some sort of ceremonial detail, many in elaborate--and downright scary looking--armor, and a small number of others in rich garb. One stood alone, however, in a flowing pale green gown. The security team stepped off the transport first, taking up positions on either side of the exit. Following standard protocol, the ambassador and her family were the first off the transport, followed by William and Cassandra Nicolini with their son Craig slightly behind, and the rest of the diplomatic staff in their order. Captain Steven Cho of Darkfire joined Ambassador Bandera as they lead their respective group towards the lone figure. When the captain and the ambassador stood before the tall, regal woman in the flowing green gown, Craig noticed that while Ambassador Bandera bowed at the waist, Captain Cho greeted the alien woman with hands on the shoulders. Since craig and his parents were near enough, he was able to hear what was being said aloud.

"Lady Pren-Dre'ana, it is a pleasure to meet you again. I trust that you have been well since our last visit," Captain Cho said warmly.

"Captain Steven Cho, it is indeed a joyous occasion. I have been well, and I thank you for the thought. It is with hope that the All Mother has watched after you and your crew during your travels," Lady Pren-Dre'ana responded with a smile.

"We have been safe," Captain Cho said, bowing his head.

"And of the others?"

"_Shadow Storm_is currently on a routine star mapping mission, and the last I heard, _Nightwing_is off playing detective." When Lady Pren-Dre'ana cocked her head with a puzzled look, Captain Cho added, "Some cultural artifact was discovered missing, so they're trying to find it."

"Ah, well then, with Madam Moira's abilities, I have no doubt that Captain James Daugherty and his crew will be successful in their search." After a short thoughtful pause, Lady Pren-Dre'ana faced the Terram Ambassador, put her hands on the ambassador's shoulders, and said, "By the Will of our Empress, Her Majesty Krel-Mri'ana, I, Lady Pren-Dre'ana, Head Mistress of the Mûr Tua'ansa Star Empire's Diplomatic Circle, welcome you to our homeworld, Mûr Zhæn. May the seeds of friendship, planted by those who came to the rescue of our own, grow into strong, healthy vines to the benefit of both out civilizations."

Reaching up to place her hands on the shoulders of Lady Pren-Dre'ana, Ambassador Bandera said, "On behalf of the Sol Federation of Worlds, I humbly and gratefully accept the hospitality bestowed upon us by the good graces of Her Majesty Krel-Mri'ana, Empress of the Mû Tua'ansa Start Empire. It is with hope that friendship will not only grow between our respective people, but also endure whatever the future may hold."

Craig quickly grew bored with the diplomatic banter, though he did try not to fidget noticeably. It had been a long trip, and he wanted to get settled into his new room. Being that it was nighttime didn't help matters, as far as Craig was concerned. He just wanted to eat, listen to his music, and go to bed. Eventually the formalities were concluded, and the embassy personnel were lead to the building that would be their home for the next five Terran Standard Years. Once inside, the Terrans were introduced to Lady Nemi-Mer'ana, who was the government official assigned as the liaison between the Sol Federation's embassy and the Empire's Diplomatic Circle.

Craig received only a brief acknowledgement of his presence--a slight nod with a quick, though penetrating eye contact. It gave him the impression of having been sized up, found wanting, and dismissed out of hand. Inwardly, Craig sighed.

"_Geez, that was..._cold,´he thought to himself.

Craig's insecurities began to gnaw at him again while he waited for the formal pleasantries to conclude. He looked around and noticed that all of the Mûr Tua'ansa present, including the security team and ceremonial detail in the scary armor, were apparently all women. Just when he started to wonder about that, he felt a touch on his arm.

"Craig? Come on, dear, we're being given a tour of the building."

"Yeah, cool," he said, acknowledging his mother.

* * * * *

"So, Saa'an, what do you think of these Terrans, as they are called? Those of their Diplomatic Circle arrived this nightfall, and are taking the new compound our government has provided them."

"Just more aliens to deal with."

"Ah, and have_you _dealt with many off-worlders?"

Ilen-Saa'an's long-time friend, Tsel-Ami'an, coyly took a sip of her drink and waited patiently for a reply.

Taking a casual bite of na-nafti meat from her tray, Ilen-Saa'an gave her friend a disinterested glance.

"You know well enough that the closest I have been to an off-worlder, was the day we saw that Jabronaya in the Entertainment District. At a distance."

Tsel-Ami'an smiled slightly.

"Tell me, Saa'an, are you not the least curious about Terrans? They did rescue the crew of one of our exploration ships, and then brought them home."

Ilen-Saa'an took a few more bites of her food, and then gave Tsel-Ami'an a dismissive gesture.

"They are far from our space, so I have heard--I do not think we shall see many of them, nor very often. What other concern are they to us?"

Tsel-Ami'an steepled her first fingers, lightly pressing the tips to her lips, and regarded her friend.

"We shall see, Saa'an."

Ilen-Saa'an froze momentarily in mid bite, looking up with her eyes--when she finished taking her bite of food, she sent with a frown, "It is annoying when you do that, Ami'an."

Tsel-Ami'an smiled coyly, and waited.

When Ilen-Saa'an ate the last of the food on her tray, she paused a moment before downing the last of her sro-na'jaht juice. Giving Tsel-Ami'an a sharp look, she asked, "What is that to mean, Ami'an? You have your grandmother's gift, I know it--what do you 'see'?"

"Aside from always knowing where the Mûr Thel-Raleen[1] is?"

"You know what I mean."

Tsel-Ami'an laughed quietly.

"Saa'an, since we were old enough to chase bintas_, your interests have been few--knowing the future has not been one of those._"

"And your point is?"

"Why do you wish to know now_?_"

"Because whenever you look at me like that, something annoying happens!"

Tsel-Ami'an smiled slyly.

"Out with it, Ami'an!"

"Do you like music?"

"Ami'an...!"

* * * * *

Imperial Guard, First Grade, Bren Khy-an stood rigidly before Madam Commander Anen-Rys'an as she received her new orders.

"You are temporarily assigned to Diplomatic Personal Security at the new Terran embassy, effective immediately."

Outwardly, Bren-Khy'an made no show of emotion--not even the slightest twitch in her tail. Inwardly, though, she struggled to understand why she was being pulled from the palace duty roster. Had she not performed her duties well enough during the previous review cycle? Bren-Khy'an took the hand-written scroll from her superior, saluted, and smartly executed an about-face.

Before Bren-Khy'an could take a single step towards the door, Madam Commander Anen-Rys'an sent privately, "Lady Nemi-Mer'ana specifically requested you herself. That is all I know, Bren-Khy'an."

Bren-Khy'an slowly and smoothly turned around to face her superior--this time, a flicker of surprise crossed her face.

"I would consider this a favor, if I were you, Bren-Khy'an. Lady Nemi-Mer'ana does not make such personal requests lightly--or often. You know her reputation."

Bren-Khy'an's tail twitched slightly, once.

Although petite by Mûr Tua'ansa standards, Lady Nemi-Mer'ana was well known in government circles as being deceptively sweet and charming, strong willed, calculating, and ruthless when necessary. She was highly skilled in the art of diplomacy, and was someone who it was never wise to cross. Lady Nemi-Mer'ana rarely did favors for anyone--she always had a reason for everything she did, and if she _did_do a favor, it was either as a repayment or to further her own agenda.

Bren'Khy'an simply nodded once, stiffened and saluted again, then headed towards her quarters.

(On to Chapter 2 https://www.sofurry.com/view/1047976)

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[1]Mûr Thel-Raleen -"The Source of Souls", the most sacred spring located in the Birth Forest of the Mûr Tua'ansa on Mûr Zhæn.