A Catian's Dream Ch. 02

"Minister Shettley." Jon said, flashing her a smile, "Good to see you again." He nodded in the direction of the thickset military man with the salt and pepper buzzcut standing next to her. "Colonel Baylor."

Baylor was another matter entirely. The oldest member of the Embassy mission by nearly two decades, Baylor had been sent at the express behest of the NAA Council. A veteran of numerous proxy conflicts during the Second Cold War, Baylor was a man of unwavering loyalty and impeccable military credentials. The fact that he had been sent on the mission at his age at all was a sign of the immense importance the NAA Council placed on the mission.

The Colonel returned the nod. "Mr. Ambassador. We've been expecting you."

"Good. Let's get this over with." Jon said.

Minister Shettley thrust her eyes in the general direction of Sereana, who hovered close behind Jon. "If you'll forgive my ignorance your Excellency: who is this?"

Jon cast a deliberate, perfunctory glance over his shoulder at the lone Catian, then focused once more on his diplomatic second. "This is Sereana, she's been assigned to me by Ambassador Zanari as the Chief of my security detail on the planet."

"Is she... cleared for operations on this station?" Minister Shettely asked. She might as well have just said: Can we trust her? It was the same meaning, conveyed using politic language.

Jon nodded. "I trust her with my life." He said. We can speak freely, was the unstated implication. He smiled at the Minister. She gave a stiff nod in response.

"Are you certain that this is necessary, Ambassador?" Colonel Baylor said, his expression darkening. "I've offered to send a guard detachment to you twice now."

"It's appreciated, but unnecessary Colonel." Jon said, "My personal residence is not official NAA territory, and I would not dare to impugn on Catian sovereignty by posting soldiers on territory we do not own." He made a casual gesture in Sereana's direction for extra effect. "As you can see: the Catian Government takes my safety and well being very seriously."

"...So it does." Colonel Baylor said, sounding anything but convinced.

"Shall we begin the meeting then?" Jon said, "You must excuse my ragged appearance, I had a bit of a late evening."

"Of course Mister Ambassador." Minister Shettley said, turning on her heel and making for the door. "This way please."

The Marines fell in line behind them, Sereana keeping pace two steps behind Jon as he walked side by side with the Colonel and the Minister. They moved at a rapid clip through the halls of the station, moving past dozens of kiosks, makeshift offices and tiny shops littered across the curving thoroughfare.

The NAA's section of the Taishei space station was a flurry of activity: a half-organized mess of mechanics, diplomats, bureaucrats and military staff, adventurous souls all, who had come halfway across the galaxy to set up the nation's very first interplanetary Embassy. Jon was proud to be the head of this young, chaotic, but dedicated staff. He had never worked with so much talent concentrated in a single place before.

As they moved past the station staff, Jon became aware of the long looks that Sereana was drawing. Despite the Embassy's nearly nine month presence on the station, there was relatively little day-to-day contact between Catians and Humans. The sight of this feminine creature stalking behind the Ambassador himself turned more than a few heads. Jon smiled: his gambit had paid off.

They came at last to the meeting's location: a large office that had been repurposed into a conference room. Though Jon hated making the journey, he enjoyed the plush, aristocratic atmosphere of the room: the gentle lightingc the ambient potted plants brought directly - and at great expense - from Earth, the long, U shaped table around which the most important members of the Embassy gathered to usher in the next age of human history.

"His Excellency, Mr. Jon Koller." Minister Shettley announced as the large doors parted open.

Jon swept into the room with the surety of a man in command of the world. Colonel Baylor and Minister Shettley followed in after. The men and women in the room rose as one to greet him. Jon smiled and waved them to their seats.

He heard a soft growl behind him and turned, finding Sereana directly in the face of one of the guards at the door. He barred her path. She stared him down, her red eyes narrowing upon him.

"I am here for Jon." She said.

"Staff only." The Guard replied, not giving ground.

"Sereana." Jon called out, she turned her eyes to him, her slitted pupils widening. "It's all right. Wait for me at the door, I'll be out shortly."

Her eyes flicked back to her would-be rival, before she reluctantly nodded and stepped away. The Guard took his place once more, standing at attention at one side of the door, another NAA marine mirroring him on the other side. Sereana squeezed in next to one, adopting an at ease position that matched his own. Jon smiled at the asymmetry she created.

The doors closed behind them, and Jon took his seat at the head of the table, looking out at the faces of the men and women he had brought with him to oversee the single greatest diplomatic mission in NAA history. It was strangely unsettling to be around so many humans again. Despite the alien nature of the Catians, there was a certain intimacy in the way they interacted that made the rigid formality of the room feel almost stifling.

Colonel Baylor sat down across from him, and Minister Shettley took her place at his direct right. "Are we ready, Mr. Ambassador?" She asked. He nodded, and the session began.

What followed over the course of the multi-hour meeting was mostly mundanities: logistics issues regarding the staff's monthly rations, status updates on the Embassy's construction, minutiae regarding potential security issues as the Embassy transitioned from the space station to its more permanent residence on the planet.

Jon was bored for most of it; it was a conglomeration of non-issues that distracted him from the wider implications of his efforts with Zanari to forge a lasting alliance with her people, but they were nonetheless important.

At one point in the debate, a minor functionary brought up the Catian Government's stiff entry requirements for Embassy members transitioning planetside.

"We've traveled halfway across the galaxy, are trying to establish diplomatic relations with an entirely different species, and most of us won't even get to live on the planet?" He said, "Half the staff are already complaining about cabin fever. What are we supposed to tell them when they find out they're going to be stuck on Taishei for the foreseeable future?"

"Tell them that they signed on to a diplomatic mission, like any other." Jon replied, "The Catians are very protective of the natural ecosystem of their home planet. According to Ambassador Zanari, it's why some of their other colonies dwarf Catia itself in population. Demographics mean a lot more when dealing with such defined living spaces."

When the functionary looked unconvinced Jon continued. "Are you willing to live out in the Jungle alongside the Cannibal tribes?" He asked, noting with a wry sense of humor that the functionary paled at the notion. "Then understand that they're already giving us a great gift in letting so many aliens live on their world at their expense. You will have plenty of opportunities in the coming years to furlough on Catia."

"Yes, your Excellency." The functionary muttered, displeased but for the moment mollified. Jon settled back into his chair as the discussion moved away from him once more. He was content to allow the conversation of the meeting to flow as it needed to, taking time to answer dispatches between relevant topics he needed to personally involve himself in.

At last, Colonel Baylor turned to address him. "What is the news on the aid shipment you mentioned in this last report, Sir?"

Jon let out a sigh and sat forward in his chair; he knew they'd address this sooner or later. "The Catian Government has agreed to our double our request for the synthesized cure to the Talssian Plague, as well as provide qualified medical staff to administer it. They will be sending another seven aid transports in the coming week, on top of the twelve they have already dispatched. Assuming Cape Canaveral's facilities can deal with the traffic, we should have more than enough doses to manage the Plague in the coming years."

"The Pan-Asiatic Coalition and the European Union will not be pleased with this development." Minister Shettley said.

Jon shrugged. "That may or may not be the case. Our job is to help the NAA and its citizens however we can. Even so, I emphasized to Ambassador Zanari the importance of speed in this particular endeavor. Given the discretion her government has already showed in sending the first aid ships, I doubt we'll hear a peep from the other Embassies for a few weeks yet."

"How do we spin this to the other delegations when they do find out, your Excellency?" One of the officials in the room asked. "So far as we're aware, the Catian Republic has not extended to them the same kind of aid offers that they have to us."

"It could upset the diplomatic situation on Earth if they think we've got them playing favorites." Minister Shettley added, shooting Jon a careful glance. "The Second Cold War is not that far in the rear view mirror. We are walking a delicate tightrope here."

"Simple." Jon said, "You tell them the truth: that our efforts to befriend the Catians have been both productive and mutually beneficial, thanks in large part to our willingness to work with them in the manner in which they are most comfortable. If they want the same kind of relationship, they'd have better luck in trying to replicate our methods."

"You mean your methods, Sir." Colonel Baylor said, grim faced.

"Of course." Jon replied in an easy tone. "Alien diplomacy is not our diplomacy. Sometimes ignoring protocol is the best option. We know how to talk to Catians, and we play by their rules. It's as simple as that."

"Is that why there's a Catian standing guard outside this door, Sir?" Colonel Baylor replied, folding his arms together. "It's not a good look for the North American Alliance as a whole to see our Ambassador with an alien babysitter."

"A Bodyguard, not a babysitter." Jon countered, containing the heat that built in his chest. "-And stop referring to the Catians as 'aliens.' They are our allies. I took the offer for what it was: an honest expression of respect, and a genuine concern for my safety."

Minister Shettley shifted a few papers on the desk in front of her. "A contingent of our own Marines would suit the task just as well, Mr. Ambassador. And send a stronger message to the PAC and EU."

"Like I said before," Jon said, standing firm, "my current residence is the property of her Excellency, the Catian Ambassador. NAA has no jurisdiction over it. It's not our land to guard."

"Mr. Ambassador," Minister Shettley countered, "If what you say is true, and we have no sovereignty, then why are you currently residing there? You are on foreign soil."

This tired argument again. Jon gave a diplomat's smile: full of reassurance, but empty of warmth. "Minister Shettley, I am living there at the personal request of the Ambassador herself. Catian diplomatic custom holds that Ambassadors who work together should also live together, to foster a more positive and personal relationship between them."

He shrugged. "So far as I can tell, given our recent successes, the theory holds true." Jon leaned back in his chair again, "I consider it a personal honor to be the first Human ever to dwell on the planet."

"Honors aside," Colonel Baylor said. "You don't see this as a conflict of interest, residing in her own villa?" The military man's brow lowered. "I have severe concerns about the security of your dispatches, to say nothing of the ease with which the Catian Government can spy on your activities."

Jon's eyes narrowed. He steepled his fingers together as he raised his voice so that the whole room could hear him. "Let me be clear on the matter: the Catian Republic has thus far given us zero reason to distrust them. If anything, this arrangement has sped up my ability to communicate directly with their government." He affixed both the Colonel and his Minister with a hard look. "By following their cultural norms, we have ingratiated ourselves in a way that the other delegations have not."

"But Mr. Ambassador-" Minister Shettley protested.

Jon continued over her. "They gave us the cure to the deadliest disease in human history. For nothing." He said, stressing the final word. The memory of his own past brought fire to his rhetoric, "They have uplifted us technologically, jumpstarting us forward by millennia, all for the sake of a single, rescued spaceship."

"Am I taking liberties with normal diplomatic protocol? Yes. Have I crossed a professional boundary that goes beyond what is normally acceptable to Humans? Absolutely. But these aren't Humans we are dealing with: these are Catians. And Human diplomatic protocol wasn't written to deal with alien species."

"Look at what we have already accomplished so far using my methods. The PAC and the EU have both barely managed to even acquire the rights to build an Embassy on the planet within the last month." He stared them both down. "Our Embassy is nearly complete, and even as we speak, dozens of ships are inbound to Earth with billions of dollars worth of aid. All at the cost of me having to take a trip into space every so often to speak with you in person."

Satisfied that he'd made his point, Jon relaxed in his chair, "All in all, I think the NAA Council will be pleased with what we've accomplished so far with this mission, and I have no doubt that they will be more than happy to ignore a few cut corners for the sake of our continuing success."

The room was silent. Jon drank in the solemn faces around him like a victory lap. "Now, if there's nothing more to discuss? I will leave you two to craft the latest report. Use any and all footage you captured of me today and edit it as you wish. But make sure that the Council understands: we are delivering results."

"Of course, your Excellency." Minister Shettley murmured, sounding subdued. Colonel Baylor said nothing, but Jon could feel his steely glare like a mark of judgement on his face.

Jon stood up from the table, the Colonel and Minister Shettley both rose as well in respect. "Ladies and Gentlemen, if you'll excuse my rapid departure: I have a dinner date with the Catian Ambassador to attend." Grabbing his briefcase, Jon swept from the room.

The doors to the conference room opened, and Jon found Sereana still standing at attention in the position he'd left her in. She perked up when he came into view, her bushy tail lifting as her spine straightened. Jon nodded at her, and Sereana fell in behind him like a ghost. No Marine honor guard accompanied him this time: only the soft, alien footsteps of the Catian trailing along behind him.

When they were finally out of earshot he heard Sereana let out a huff. "Did the meeting go well?"

Jon smiled to himself. "Why wouldn't it have?"

"I don't know. I assume that it did. You look much more relaxed now than you did walking in. Your shoulders are no longer slouching."

Jon glanced back to see Sereana's red eyes staring back at him. "Thanks for noticing." He said, grinning, "You know, it's weird: I'm beginning to feel more comfortable around your kind than my own."

Sereana returned a pale smile. "You would not be so relaxed around us if you were a Catian Male."

John smiled to himself as he led the way to the hangar, passing members of the Embassy and nodding when they saluted him. The two spared little time returning to the ship, strapping themselves in as Sereana made final launch preparations. Jon took a long last look out the viewport, watching the engineers scurrying about on the launchpad with a wistful sense of detachment.

"...Hard to believe that less than a year ago we were all a thousand light years away." He murmured.

"All things considered, that is not so great a distance in this Galaxy." Sereana said.

"For you, maybe." He said, "Humans have had far less time to get used to the idea of a wider world than our own."

"Catians know all too well the dangers lurking in the depths of space." She said as the ship lifted off once more. "Our first experience with aliens involved the conquest of our entire species. It took hundreds of years and many, many lives to get where we are today." She looked over at him, "-Maybe that's why we are so worried about you Humans. You haven't even met the other sentient species yet."

"One alien delegation at a time." Jon joked. "I'm still trying to process the idea that you guys aren't even the biggest fish in the pond."

They fired off into space, the engine's tug pulling them back into their seats. Jon felt his fingers clench against the armrest as he struggled to control his heartbeat. All of that empty blackness made him feel like he was two inches away from the void. He tried to take his mind off the present by focusing on a niggling thought that had been bothering him since this morning.

"...Did Zanari put you up to this?" He asked into the silence.

Sereana did not look at him as she guided the ship in a graceful arc towards Catia's atmosphere. "No. It was my idea. You required protection, and I am the most qualified of my pryde-siblings to fulfil that role."

"I was walking into my own embassy." He remarked wryly.

"Your life is endangered wherever you go." She said in response, "A predator cares not if she catches you asleep in your favorite tree. She will still pick your bones from her teeth if you are complacent."

"Who said that the Embassy was home?" Jon joked with the over-serious Catian, "We're a long, long way from Earth."

Sereana shrugged, "Who said Earth was your home, anymore?" She countered. The tall Catian glanced up from her instruments to give him a long look. "Your importance to us goes beyond simple personal connection, Jon. You are the voice of your species, and so far as I can tell, you're also the gentlest of those voices."

The ship broke into the upper atmosphere with a noticeable jerk. "My people have had a very difficult time finding friends in this Galaxy. Most attempt to use us, abuse us, or bully us. Your species reminds us a lot of who we once were."

"...Once were?" Jon asked.

Sereana turned the ship at an angle, streaking out across the sky as she reached the upper cloud cover. "Idealistic. Starry-eyed. Sentimental. Catians have suffered through a lot of pain and war in recent millennia, and it has soured us upon the rest of the Galaxy. Humans are the first species in a long time who did not ask: 'What will you give us?' but rather: 'How can we help each other?'"

"Given the situation, this seems like a one-sided relationship." Jon said, smiling. "My people have barely mastered space travel, and yours control dozens of colonies, and who knows how many ships. As we speak you are sending mountains of aid to our home planet, free of charge. Largely thanks to your pryde-sister, by the by." He flashed her a cocky grin, "-but don't tell her I gave her any credit for it."

Sereana allowed a small smile to cross her face. "I'll make sure to avoid the subject if it arises."

Jon laughed at her practiced stoicism, "-And if everything I've just said is true, I'm not sure this relationship is as reciprocal as you might think."