The Outer

War commander Deevair annihilation classification

Much like the preceding image of Kah, this is decently close to the mental image I had for Zhahair. They are siblings if only by adoption. But under Auflander laws, adoption is still every bit the meaning of you are now family unquestioningly. Like Kah, his hair is much shorter then envisioned but you get the idea.

When I write these Auflander stories in my head I imagine certain looks. Among those is that Auflanders are more or less large upright Afghan Hounds, some have unique colorations but for the most part they have all the same natural colorations that Afghan hounds would have normally.

It's my 8 year anniversary on Tumblr 🥳

"We advise against the action that your government is seeking to become involved with."

"We'll take that under advisement but this is a crisis of proportion son a scale beyond what we as a people would be able to justify morally to not do anything."

"That is where our respective races differ. We do not see this situation as a moral obligation to act or not."

"You see it as a opportunity to benefit, we don't. These people need help and we can provide it and we will provide it. End of discussion."

Zone commander Thezill, bowed their head to acknowledge that the discussion had ended and the choice had been made. "Then do as you will, we in the Auflandian consortium will not hamper or assist in this endeavor."

Seventy years later.

"The conflict between the Chermain federation and the UNFE backed Yelf has marked another anniversary of bloodshed in a decades long civil war that has left a majority of the planet is ruin. The latest series of attacks found the UNFE aid convoys looted and heavily damaged the carrier UNFE Thors Hammer. this follows the largest loss last year of the UNFE Clyde James and the UNFE Saint Arc. Negotiations for a ceasefire seem to be permanently stalled at this time until such time as outside forces would become involved to help alleviate pressure being placed on the UNFE forces...

"Zone commander Thezeill, please. We're begging you. The Auflandian Consortium must get involved with this planetary crisis, neither side is willing to give any concession, and the resulting conflict has killed millions so far and doesn't look like it's going to end any time soon."

"Your predecessor attempted to make this same case for our involvement before this current conflict began. Our involvement was sought when the UMFE decided to involve itself when the Chermain people still had the Yelf as slaves. At that time we objected to such involvement because it would be an inescapable trap so long as one side was allowed to remain. In sort we objected entirely to the injection of forces to effect societal changes by point of spear. That said, our seeming unconcerned of suffering of what you, as humans found morally objectionable was viewed as evil. Thus we were told that the UNFE would shoulder the entire burden of freeing the slaves and then the resulting fall out from such a societal shift."

"But-"

"Not finished. we informed then that such actions would enflame a reaction from the holders of such. That such was the engrained nature of the relationship of generational levels. That making such a action would be folly, that it would be better to: one, not inject yourself into such a situation. That two, a better way to go about it was to make the incentive to not use slaves a a labor force cost less than using living beings as tools. Yet, the UNFE decided in its wisdom to ignore us and force its own morals upon others and then once more ignored our advice that they would shoulder the entire burden of now peacekeeping duties. That point we assured that we, as the Auflandian consortium, would not interfere or assist the UNFE in their endeavors. Which by the phrase of, let me remember it. Oh yes, to quote the diplomat doctor Benjamin Yasov: 'You see it as a opportunity to benefit, we don't. These people need help and we can provide it and we will provide it. End of discussion.' End of quotation. This is not our problem, it is yours. However, the way you cold extract yourself is to wash your hands of the entire affair. Pull out and let them settle it with themselves."

"But the optics of it would be devastating for the UNFE! No to mention how many billions would be killed as a result!"

"Yes. That's what we warned about for the very beginning but it was ignored. Not only that you moved how many of the Yelf to live on your planet? How they would react to your drawing out? It is a clear mess that you dive headlong into with eyes wide open."

"Alright you arrogant prick, how would you all have handled it?"

"We wouldn't have, instead we would have studied the situation, debated among ourselves. Created a means to make keeping the living slaves more costly than having a alternative displacing the use over generations until such time as the two could possibly separate into their own respective states with a minimum amount of conflict instead of planetary conflict. For that we would have wedged and moved slowly because we have the time to wait and apply steady pressures, encroach little by little into their lives until one day, likely many generations later. Thy would look into their history and see what was done and what was gained and lost. That ultimately they chose to make their lives easier at the expense of doing away with a burden they didn't realize they had shouldered themselves with generationally."

"well that's just fantastic, but how would you get out of this now if you were in our position?"

"We wouldn't have allowed the importation of the very people that would be most effected by the following choice. We'd withdraw with all expedience. Stay back and watch them bring themselves to near annihilation. Leave them to forget about us, then make reintroductions to pick p the shattered remains in exchange for a certain amount of compensation and move on with our lives. But we are not you, and you do not work on the same time scale we do. Plus we have stated that we would not interfere or assist the UNFE operations and we are not."

"Something about that statement does not instill joy to me."

Alarm claxons rang in long echoes along corridors and spacious but empty hangers and atriums. Scattered discarded belongings made for haphazard trails towards evacuation airlock. Red ad white striped doors locked solidly in place blocking empty bays.

bare feet slapped the decking, toenails clicking at a quick pace. "Section seven is cleared and sealed. All living collected and being loaded commander, returning with final subject now." Was spoken with only mild exertion from the speedy pace.

"Acknowledged. Section seven. Rejoin in central hub point for further instruction." Commander Zheshir said back before switching back t a incoming update.

"Evacuation status?"

"Final sweeps underway currently at ninety-three percent completed, nothing living will remain here. Time frame to impact?"

"Time to impact twenty-seven cycles ten clicks."

"Confirmed twenty-seven cycles ten clicks. Will update in ten cycles."

Commander Zheshir commed the entire final clearance teams. "All completed section teams converge on section eight and section nine to assist in capture and evacuation. I want this completed in ten cycles before we will need to evacuate ourselves from this location to get to minimal distance."

----

"Alright, first test of humanities first dark matter reactor, in five.. Four.. Three.. Two.." The activation caused the entire substation's unshielded electronics to flicker when the reactor was triggered to start.

"we have activity, conversion process starting, output at five percent, nine percent no wait. Fifteen.. Forty three climbing rapidly."

"Pull back on the feed, increase the power to the magnetic brakes."

"Braking already at ninety percent! It's spinning too fast, we need to cut the feed entirely!"

"Feed is already closed off! It's not slowing down!"

The reactor accelerated further, output sailing past five hundred percent in moments before the first signs of structural integrity became truly visible under the layers of shielding.

---

Infiltration class Frigate Hopper Legend monitored site 37, detecting worrying amount of unstable fluctuations. ship commander Quexil narrowed their eyes while watching the readings, the actual feeds muted. "Comms, alert the trade and war counsel, the humans have initiated a instability device level six. Targeting, I need accurate distances from that point to any inhabited rock or structure with in a three jump distance now! Helm put us bow towards the site and lock down blast shields, sound impact alarm and ramp deflection projection to maximum! bring secondaries to ninety percent spool the main and put the main to maximum sustainable, everything to the deflection field!"

--

Site 37 detonated with a dull electric blue flash that turned into a searing white expanding shell that expanded in thousands of milers per second. The entirety of the dwarf planet site 37 was located on was consumed by the instability, the few ships that had managed to begin to escape the site were also consumed in a ever expanding quasar like blast Space itself seemed to ripple while slow moving asteroids were pulverized to dust from the leading edge shockwave before being drawn into the sphere of light.

The shockwave hit the deflection shielding focal point of the frigate Hopper Legend, the shielding flashed with the intensity near equal to the ight from the approaching sphere of light. Inside the sip as chaos as Auflanders were thrown off their feet and into walls, floors and ceilings. Hull plating rippled despite the shielding, blast screens depressed inwards and the ship was sent on a wild tumble that further stressed the hull and crew inside before helm control was able to bring the ship back into position intime for the radiation wave to wash over them. Once more the ship weathered the second impact, the shielding crackling with visible energy discharging, gaps i the hill plating likewise sparking with energy discharging. Inside the ship many systems shut down entirely. Hundred s of auflanders inside were injured with everything from bruises to breaks to full electrical burns. Two decks having venting opened into space itself.

Through flickering lighting, commander Quexil and the rest of the command deck crew groaned after being treated like ice in a drink shaker. Dozens of alarms were sounding of systems down or malfunctioning, radiation alarms and other hazard warnings flashed but the ship had taken the worst of the impacts and remained somewhat functional.

"Comms! Are you still breathing?" Quexil called out while extricating himself from being entangled with his resting stool.

A pained sounding "yes commander," came back as a wheeze.

"Good.. when you can, see if we still have channel to central or any ship nearby. Relay this code," pausing to willingly dislocate his ankle to thread his leg out from the stool support rungs. "Code Hammer fall, repeat code hammer fall. That is priority before anything else."

"Commander, we just recorded a odd spike of hazard flux."

"Hazard flux? Is that correct?" commander Tai asked before a incoming urgent priority communication arrived from the infiltration frigate Hopper Legend. "This is comman-" they started before a very pained sounding voice spoke over her, ignoring formality in favor of expedience.

"Code Hammer Fall, repeat code Hammer Fall!"

Commander Tai snapped to attention to began barking orders. Helm course to Hopper Legend now! Tracking I want to see what that spike was, relay to command. Engine room!" she barked while teh comms hub began relaying orders and protocols to all departments.

"Go for engines," call a warm friendly sounding croon.

"Spool the main to to maximum, bring secondaries to maximum!"

"Done commander!"

"Tracking incoming distortion wave, impact in fifteen clicks commander."

"Slip jump! Point seven seven three five one one five by six nine nine zero two two nine. Now!"

In just a moment the escort carrier Horatian Plateau warped from space to appear at a point far beyond targeting maximum range of their last known position. Seconds after departing space where the ship had been rippled through a series of purple and blue waves.

In minutes nearly half of the Auflandian consortium was on alert, on earth the UNFE were just starting to convene a meeting to decide whether or not to send ships to investigate what happened. That was until zone commander Taei'Ahal appeared on al the secure screens of the conference room furious.

"Just what in the all manners of insanity are you humans doing making a that kind of weapon?!" he barked with a visibly agitated snarl.

"We don't know what you're talking about zone commander! And we don't answer to you!"

Zone commander Taei'Ahal dug his fingers through the top of his desk to crush two handful of ironword to splinters, the gaping holes in the in thick wood visible on the screen. "So you don't now anything about this site thirty seven, or anything about you humans trying to harness massive amounts of dark matter at all? That's what you're saying, and please. Do lie about that. I defy you to tell me otherwise."

The entire UNFE leadership felt the room get hotter and the air thinner before runners started making urgent motions of local Auflandian postings beginning to pull back rapidly, Whole bases rapidly being broken down for withdrawal. Tourists being calmly and insistently herded into custodial care.

The head of the UNFE looked at each other, dawning thoughts coming to them before one spoke up with fear and surprise in their voice. "Zone commander Taei'Ahal," the high admiral spoke but stopped to choose her words carefully. "That is true, we were working with dark matter energy to try to create a new source of energy. Not a weapon."

Zone commander Taei'Ahal didn't relax much, though their lips did slide from a visible threatening posture. "Do you have any clue what you have done, any clue at all?"

"We.. We can make the guess that by the current activity of the Auflandian consortium that whatever happened has provoked such a alarming response. For that we, accept our actions as wrong and beg of you to share what information you could provide to us about what we, as humans, caused."

In moments the UNFE leadership sat in stunned silence while the science they had thought would provide a much needed advantage over the Auflanders instead turned out to be a device that would render large portions of galaxies uninhabitable and nearly unapproachable for a range of periods that were factored as how close to the epicenter of the detonation the location. then came the sobering information, that four major human colonial planets and hundreds of smaller support colonies and outposts were within the spherical influence of the detonation and all inhabitants could be considered beyond recoverable simple because of a lack of adequate shielding and armoring. eight hundred and seventy three million people either were already blown to atoms or would soon be breaking down at a molecular level. Further that the flash detonation could be recorded by friend and foe alike and now made humanity a target. One that made by accident or not, a weapon with a potential to trigger a new galactic war.

Zone commander Taei'Ahal pointed squarely at the leadership of the UNFE, "You wanted to show off human power. You have everyone's attention now. You can't put this back into its box. Get ready for war because it will come to your very hands because you, whether you wanted it or not, reached for it with greedy hands."

Keven watched the world in slow motion, perhaps several dozen vacationers watched on in various forms of shocked surprise. Several had their phones up to record. Others were just slack jawed and 'oh shit.. There's security.' He thought amazingly calm, 'I'm going to report this bitch for assault! Wait.. Why am i in the air?' Until he hit the ground with a bounce as much as a crumpling flip over himself. The sound of his teeth clacking hard was matched only by the crackling pops that cut a flash of pain short. Momentum carried him further as if he was leaping from the ground but only because his hips hit the ground and catapulted him upwards again.

What everyone else saw was Keven being backhanded hard enough his upper torso spun nearly a hundred and eighty degrees ad lifted the nearly three hundred pound man off the ground. The one that did the slap a flurry of lengthy hairs and a wide snarling mouth that was spitting as much growling and spittle, actual words though were few and far between.

Fifteen minutes earlier...

"Hey look at this sweet piece of ass," Keven said aloud while looking at a glossy silver and white Auflander that was crouched down chatting to a child in a chair.

Chai'arr ignored the human, focusing instead on the child that had been entrusted to her care while his living parent was still recovering in a medical stasis. "We'll go see your mom soon, her doctors said she would be ale to see visitors perhaps as early as this afternoon. But right now, it is time to eat something."

Keven polished off the remainder of his drink, not quite drunk but feeling far more bold. Plus those dogs just showed everything off like they did. Bitches just right there, and he'd watched a few videos. Those dogs were freaks and he was in the mood, besides everyone knew you could just reach down and grab 'em and then they'd take you up on the offer. "Say bitch, hows about you an me leave the brat by the pool and I go see how well you can howl?"

Chai'arr ignored the man enough that her only response was light flick of her fingers. Something in Auflandian society was short hand for 'Go curl up on yourself'. "Come, let's go get ourselves one of those gooey cinnamon rolls that have just been making both of our stomachs make all sorts of growly sounds." Waving her tail with happy side to side flopping wags while the child squirmed and hedged before relenting.

Keven gave the Auflander a not so subtle bump with his foot just to see how they would react. "Come on, I know you want to play with a stick and balls," he taunted more lewdly. "I have one I'll let you slobber on."

Chai'arr stood smoothly while lifting the child with her to hoist them up to her shoulder. Ignoring the human even if there was a growing collection of on lookers. Hoisting the child to a vantage point that was well above any adult. So for a time they could look down at adults, instead of having everyone just be bigger. "We can only get one each so we don't get too full before going to see if we can get in to see your mom."

Keven felt his amusement drain away at being ignored, and before he could stop himself he jerked a hand forward to try and slap the dog across the face before they could really stand up. Instead he punched the child they were holding right in the side nearly as hard as he could.

No one heard the two distinct pops except for Chai'arr. She heard them as clear as a crystal bell. She also felt Todd's body shift from the hit and drive firmly against her cheek. In that moment every part of her brain that said protect the young, clicked to affirmative.

The motion of her pivot while still standing could be described as one performed by a ballerina. Spinning on her toes while her body twisted, free arm moving out as she built momentum fingertips curling yet staying extended, thumb tucking while the man that had been begging for her attention drew back slowly. Saying something about being noticed now.

The hit on the man's shoulder caught him in the middle of a wind up to throw another punch and forced his upper body to spin farther. Twisting his back until three disks tore and muscles tore. His head whipping until he could fully see behind and to his right side again. His right shoulder looking visibly caved in while he was moved from his partial standing to a more horizontal position being carried by the hit until he was sent with a slow cartwheel spin over a picnic bench.

Todd began to wail in pain which only caused his broken ribs to hurt more bringing more howling of agony. The security guards pushed through the crowd seeing a man sent tumbling, a child screaming and one extremely pissed off looking Auflander and drew a conclusion. That the child was being taken by the Auflander from the man in a kidnapping. Snapping batons out followed by a taser they began to shout commends while simultaneously striking with baton and taser.

Chai'arr tensed as the probes dug in and the first jolt of electricity hit her, only for much of the voltage to be quickly routed over her skin thanks to dermal armor reacting to conduct the voltage to ground by a path of least resistance. The same armor also hardened rapidly to dull the hits to merely shock transfer rather than actual blunt force.

Josh hit as hard as he could and felt like he'd just smashed the baton against a solid steel post. The reverberation stung his hand to the point he nearly dropped the baton before his vision darkened when a hand wrapped around his head covering half his face and lifting him off the ground. His skull hurt from the grip while the sounds of blood rushing to his ears and the shouted snarls were punctuated by being slung away across the outdoor patio of the mall and hitting a wall with a loud crunch.

Leon kept his finger on the trigger of the taser and tried to hit the arm that was holding the child only to get knocked away when Josh's body was used like a club which sent him sprawling. By then the crowd that had been watching were now screaming and running away in pure panic. No one had ever seen a Auflander lose their cool before, and most certainly throw three adults like they were just dolls.

Chai'arr felt a deep urge to chase after those that were running and screaming. Her want for a hunt was just stoked. A crazed gleam in her eyes of so much running PREY that she quickly shuffle stepped until catching herself again. With a focused thought the nearest several patrol gunships wheeled in the air to begin rushing towards her location. One, to provide medical assistance and two to make sure she didn't just decide to actually start killing.

The first gunship touched down hard enough to gouge the concrete, the gunners, commander, and medical groom already in motion first to attend to the child that Chai'arr was holding and to block in rushing mall security and police. More gunships dropped down, a few landing on top of tables to flatten them under the skids, one angling to push the crowd further away by downdraft blast alone.

---

Area commander Shai drummed his fingers while watching ten different screens showing various angles of amateur footage of the scene. Chai'arr trying to shrink further into the ground. The flanking gunners only half steps behind her. he didn't speak but the feeds cut when his fingers stopped drumming on the desk. The careful and slow pivot to look back at Chai'arr felt like she was having friction boring heads driving into her. Even the guards shifted their weight nervously.

"What the fuck, I mean really. What in the total actual fuck Chai'arr?!" Shai barked while his hands gripped the edge of his desk.

Chai'arr winced, her tail curling tightly down behind her. "I.." she started.

"Don't say a damn thing," Shai said then pointed at the two guards. "And you two, you never heard what I'm about to say."

The two guards stiffened into a parade rest.

"Chai'arr, you, you seriously need to enter the obligation. You've put it off and put it off and put it off until now that build up of hormonal want is driving you to become a danger to the human populace. I get you protecting the child but fucking hell. You nearly broke that one guy in half and those other two..." he said with a lean back in his chair with a loud sigh. "Fortunately we were able to intercept all of the recordings from the collective phones and security feeds of that mall. Everyone will be able to walk, that guy will be sore to say the least but he'll be able to walk, hopefully with a new respect to not fuck with any other Auflander." he rubbed his face more with a grunt. "Just.. Stay on base until I and the area commander can work out what to do."

Chai'arr found her voice "But he hurt Todd!" She snarled.

Shai stood so fast his chair was sent tumbling and snapped his jaws only inches from the end of Chai'arr's nose. "I KNOW! Now fucking let us handle it! This is not your posting!"

Chai'rr didn't flinch instead she felt herself bristling up for a fight. A fight she and Shai indulged within, in the office. The guards retreating after they were ordered but standing by outside the office. For nearly five hours the sounds from the office were of furniture being shattered or walls being hammered coupled with vicious snarling and savage growling. The sounds calmed down eventually before restarting for the entire time until finally the door opened. Chai'arr and Shai stepping out, mildly bloodied and seriously worked over with clumps of hair having been torn out.

Chai'arr pressed herself close to Shai to lick under his muzzle and along his lips, "You are so hot when you're angry you know that.."

Shai pulled his ninth wife close, the tatters of his uniform being ignored. "Next time, let's just go run down some actual prey together alright? Now, go get cleaned up, we still have eight more days to help work out your maddening urges."

Jacob stumbled and landed hard against a locked security door. His heart pounded and lungs burned from the run, yet even in the brief respite he still squirmed to get back to his feet to keep moving. Alley ways and empty streets seemed to go on like a labyrinth .

Another wide road intersected the alley he was hiding at the end of. Cautiously peeking from around the corner of a building to scan the street. Half way up the block was a club and.. People! Crist there were actually people here. Pushing off the wall to stagger into a new run towards the club and the small crowd waiting either to enter or just enjoying smoking outside. Either way the people parted enough to allow Jacob to push through the doors only to get stopped by the bouncers.

"I.. I need help!" Jacob stammered through panting gasps.

The bouncers laughed and pushed Jacob back out into the street, "Yeah you need help alright. Get lost! Private club."

Jacob shouted and tried to get back in the building only to be rebuffed again at least until he heard a distinct echo of atmospheric turbines coming from somewhere which got him running again. leaving the club behind. More dashes down alley ways and cutting across streets finally led Jacob once more to a main street and this time the safety of a taxi.

"Where to?" the drive asked before pulling away from the curb.

"I.. Take me to seven thirty seven Highland," Jacob said while he hunkered down in the backseat searching the sky through shaded windows.

"Cross town? Alight bub it's your coin," the driver said before starting off.

Jacob rubs his face feeling the sweat, legs felt like jelly while he finally had a chance to stop running. He rested back in the seat, the motion f the car giving enough time to relax, though every slow down or stop brought panic at least until the taxi reached the expressway. Twenty minutes and Jacob would be back home and then able to make new plans to vanish.

--

"Central this is commander Kry, the subject has been successfully steered to a ground transport and is now enroute to a location."

"Acknowledged, maintain tracking position. Grab teams are standing by for deployment."

--

Jacob watched the street, a few people walking along the sidewalks even at this hour. of course it was also turning early enough for people to begin waking up for the daily commute. So he could wait longer, blend in with the crowd. No way they would grab him in public like that.

Jacob slipped from the apartment, new change of clothes and everything important in a backpack. Half jogging along the sidewalk to the corner then across to the metro. On the platform it was packed, in the train there was only standing room, something he would have normally found grating. But was now comfort and safety. Two transfers and one double back to make sure he wasn't followed, Jacob slipped off the platform to jog back into a tunnel, the first access door had long ago been forced and now allowed anyone that know about it a easy path to go to another station without being on a train or going surface side.

Jacob arrived at the hideout after nearly a hour of making loops to be sure he wasn't being followed.

"Your friends aren't near as good as they think they are!" Jacob boasted to the captive, "Have them chasing their tails ever since I got away lastnight." He laughed more while the person being held captive only glared hard for a minute more before speaking.

"They let you get away, no way in hell that you got away clean." The bloodied human said with a sneer before spitting in Jacob's direction.

Jacob laughed again then turned to his cohorts, "They pay the ransom yet?"

A girl shook her head, "Nothing yet, I think we should go ahead and call it, they have what a few minutes left?"

Jacob nodded then reached into his backpack to produce a pistol. "Ah well, guess those dogs aren't mans best friend,. Aiming at Jacob before the door to the room burst inwards and the celling peeled away followed only a scarce moment later by a dozen armor clad Auflanders dropped through the opening.

Screams of surprised panic and a series of shots later found Jacob clutching his chest and wheezing, barked shout of directives seemed to swim in sound. His fellow anarchists being overpowered quickly with rapid shots from compact service rifles. Their captive having their bindings cut away then taken away. Jacob felt the breath leave him as the world faded out.

Jacob jumped from the jolt of the taxi rolling over a ripple in the road. Panicking as he looked around rapidly. Breath heaving while the driver only glanced back at him in the mirror.

"You alright there bub?"

"Huh.. Where.. Uh, yeah. Yeah just it's ben a fucked up day."

The driver only grunted and nodded.

The following day Jacob slipped into the throngs of people to evade capture and elude being tracked. His route to the hideout just as complex as always. The captive still defiant an repeating that he, Jacob, never actually got away. That he was always being watched. At least until Jacob put a bullet in the captive's chest, several bullets just to shut them up. A moment before announcing he order to pack everything up and leave, the door burst inwards and the ceiling peeled away. Once ore the sounds of gunfire erupting.

Jacob gasped and flailed around, clutching his chest. He could feel the shots and the ringing in his ears. But he was in his apartment. It was just about five in the morning, some commuters beginning to stir and move along sidewalks. with more paranoid glances around Jacob moved from his apartment, taking a new route this time to the hideout. Arriving even more paranoid than when he woke up.

Again the captive taunted and insulted, goading Jacob into shooting them. Jacob remembered the dreams he had while he topped over, his body stitched by easily twenty three shots to the chest and stomach. when again he startled awake, thrashing and kicking his sheet off.

--

A deep brown-golden head tilted while watching the feed from Jacob's imagination as he was put through another scenario.

"Commandr Yhaan, we demand that you return him to our custody immediately! You had no right to take them into custody."

The flight commander inhaled slowly before breathing out then speaking with measure tones. "The subject committed an action against our people that is absolutely unforgivable and must face punishment."

"We had a trial and the jury found them innocent, so that's that. They had their trial and-"

"The trial you performed was not in proper jurisdiction or were we permitted to present evidence because. To quote your judicial system. What happened in Auflander territory is not within the scope of our jurisdiction. As such, we have made multiple requests to the UNFE to return actors to our possession for activities they have performed within our territories. To which, our repeated requests have been denied."

"Because you people won't return the favor is why!"

"Be that as it is. We do make exception to allow your prosecution to entre our court to confront accused and give the accuse the option to undertake their punishments in accordance to Auflandian law or be taken back to the UNFE for the execution of punishments rendered."

"So far you've not handed any back over to us!"

"Because according to the very selection of the accused making their choice. we will not go against their choice. in such instances. Your prosecution confirmed the accused and convicted selections."

For a moment commander Yhaan shifted their focus before speaking. "Acknowledged and confirmed district command." before lookin back to the deputy administrator. "We will release the subject shortly. They have made their choice in accordance with our laws."

"was that so hard? Now just tell us where you'll be dropping him off and we'll be there to take your grab team into custody for kidnapping."

Flight commander Yhaan only arched a eyebrow before shifting their gaze to the left. "Commander Wheelain, let the subject go at this time."

Out side the mobile command unit the general murmur turned sharply into horrified shouts only a few moments before a solid but also wet and loud scream was cut short by a sudden and loud THOCK against the pavement.

Flight commander Yhaan spoke calmly. "Subject returned. Good day." before he connection was ended.

Five weeks of intense grandstanding and demands for accountability came down to the lead diplomats speaking in turn with the Auflandian district command, Area commander, diplomats and the high flight commander.

"You people murdered him!"

"He was living when he left our custody, that hardly counts as murder."

"You pushed him out of one of your patrol ships!"

"Not according to the commander of said ship, they gently escorted him to depart the ship, after he chose to leave by free choice upon discussion with the District commander and Zone commander."

"You still killed him!"

The zone commander pushed hair back from their face while letting out a slow sigh. "Again, we, did not kill him. We, did not push him. The commander followed orders by releasing them from custody after the subject demanded to be released from our custody after learning of their conviction in absentia within our judicial system. One they willingly chose to not attend. Because they chose to not attend their choice of punishments could not ascertained until such time as conference with myself, the seated counsel that convicted, the solicitor. As well as the district commander and grab team commander as well as the commander of the patrol unit. The choice they made was entirely their own and for that. We honored their choice and, released him from our custody to return him to your custody."

"You threw him out from the patrol ship from twenty two thousand feet in the air!"

"Again, we did not throw anyone. He was gently escorted to step off the landing skid so that he would be returned to you. His choice was to be released to you. We accepted that choice and followed it to the letter. We released him back to you for ultimate disposition and disposal in accordance with your laws."

A hand gently but firmly touched the fuming diplomat on the shoulder before whispering in their ear. "sir, they did precisely what they were told in a demand. Nothing was actually said about landing the ship in order to let him go. as far as they are concerned. They're correct in saying that he was alive when he left their custody, he was alive right until the point he reached the ground."

Pup sees you not throwing the ball.

Pup knows that "treat" is just a pill wrapped in cheese.

Pup knows that what you are eating tastes much better when it comes from your hand.

"What is the reason why this counsel was called for convenance to hear what has been settled numerous times before?"

"To address the counsel's question directly, we are here to plead involvement of the Auflandian Consortum for intervention on behalf of the Tezlac people, they are-"

"Enough, petition denied. Petitioner is dismissed with this warning. do not bring such a petition again for any basis."

"Petitioner appeals the decision of the counsel immediately!"

"Also denied, petition grounds are vacated and barred from further discussion for not less than twenty five standards. It's done, now go away with this."

Terry gripped the edge of the podium and seethed while the counsel chatted of other business. It was right, this wasn't right. "So you're just going to let twenty three billion people just die? Just like that, not lift a fucking finger to do a damn thing?!" he shouted.

Fifteen heads pivoted like heavy laser turrets towards him, the weight of the looks felt physical.

"Yes. This is the path they chose for themselves. In accordance with our laws, we proposed intervention in a exchange, which was denied. With that denial their choice was made and we will honor that choice now. If the UNFE wishes to intervene, fine. Then the UNFE must be the one to do so."

"But it's beyond the ability for the UNFE to feasibly undertake what needs to be done and;"

"So you want us, to bear the total cost and effort for something we have no benefit from because you humans want to feel better about yourselves in being able to say later that you spear headed the rescue of the Tezlac peoples? Is that a accurate summary of what you are demanding here?"

"No that isn't what we are saying in the slightest!"

"That is the summary we have pieced together from the various proposals the UNFE has petitioned our intervention for. You want them rescued so you can benefit from it, yet you do not have the means to undertake such a venture in the time frame required. So you want us to do all the heavy lifting and logistics, effort while you sit back and reap all the reward and good favor. Leaving us to clean up the result and still be viewed in a negative manner by the Tezlac people."

"Maybe if you helped them they'd view you differently, have you thought about that?"

"We considered it and rejected it. They do not wish our assistance because they feared we would do nothing but take from them, people, resources or whatever. One their people are no where as useful as even yourselves. Two there is nothing in their possession that we cannot replicate at scales far in excess of what their entire industrial ability would manage in their own lifetimes. In short, they have nothing we want or need that we cannot find elsewhere easier or make for ourselves. we approached them as a formality only to offer our assistance to them in exchange for a emplacement of our designation and construction and oversight by our people through which we would maintain a marker posting. that was refused so we withdrew our direct presence."

"You have four ships parked between their plant and another in their solar system!"

"Yes. Outside of the rotation range of their planet and moons. Just outside the extended influence of their planet's magnetic field. The minimum distance outline as to be outside of their planetary influence."

"They can still see you!"

"And, your point to that is?"

"You can't be leaving them alone if they can still see you!"

"We can always cloak our ships so they can't see them if that is your issue."

"It..! That!.." Terry felt his blood pressure throb, it was infuriating dealing with this counsel. "You assholes know just what the hell you are doing! You're fucking with them and know that there's jack shit they can do about it! We call that harassment!"

"Call it what you want, until you in the UNFE are able to get there unaided by ourselves, and perform what actions you want for us to do. We will keep our ships on site to monitor what will be a rapidly decaying situation as soon as they stop looking at us. When they start taking interest in looking past us to see that object that's big enough to crack their planet in half coming at them and it will hit them. If they were concerned that we wanted their resources, they need to learn that the resources will still be there even after they are all gone. All we need to do is wait. They can't, but we can."

"You people are monsters! You don't want to help anyone!"

"Incorrect. We do wish to help, we also will honor choices made just as we expect our choices to be honored in turn. While it is distressing, they are on the path they chose for themselves. We will not stop the UNFE from evacuating a many as possible if they so choose. We just will not help either." Until such time, we will monitor and track the impactor and monitor the after effects. What happens between now and then, is not our place to prevent."

Terry's helper stepped up quickly to have a private word with the petitioner, since the official petition session had ended already and now was merely arguing back and forth. "Sir, they just told us they want us to go do what we can! We need to get the fleet mobilized and moving to get a evacuation going. now!"