Jackson Kez - Space Diplomat Ch. 03

Amasa's eyes tracked Jackson's every movement. He felt like she could see right through him. Her eyes were large, radiant, bright green orbs, and featureless like Vera's. It reminded Jackson of a deep ocean predator. He knew Amasa's prominent fangs were as soft as the rest of her, but it did little to put him at ease. Her tongue, long and forked, flicked slowly out of her mouth and tasted the air before retracting into her mouth again. Jackson wondered if she actually got anything out of that, or if it was an affectation the same way Vera had picked up some human mannerisms.

"And Councilor Yucce," Vera finished, indicating the Sela on his right.

Yucce, in contrast, had a much more familiar form. She looked like an elf. A tall, lithe, and graceful humanoid with long, pointed ears. She had styled her hair in a tight ponytail. She also had four arms, two attached at the shoulder in typical humanoid fashion, with another two emerging from her torso slightly beneath the first set. Her body was a dark, forest green in color. She had to be seven feet tall, her slender body draped in the most complex and involved attire he'd seen a Sela create yet. Overlapping layers created the illusion of a complex formal dress that resembled a flower, with each large petal a different color. It looked indistinguishable from immaculately tailored clothing, and the entire dress was completely opaque. Had Jackson not known she was a Sela, he wouldn't have guessed the outfit was actually a part of her physical body.

As eye-catching as the dress was, it did an exemplary job of drawing attention to her body. Not curvy like Vera, Yucce had an athletic build with a slight broadness to her shoulders. The sleeveless dress showed off all four of her bare arms, toned and tight, and she appeared ready to spring into action any second. The power implied by the muscular shape of what parts Jackson could see only accentuated the elegance of her features, like a finely polished sword. Beautiful and deadly in equal measure. She had a long, slender face with high cheekbones, thin lips, and, most notably, four eyes. They were in vertical pairs, two on each side, and close together. Elliptical in shape, shimmering, mesmerizing purple in color, and with pearlescent white pupils that had no iris around them. She was the first humanoid Sela he had seen who didn't have a rounded, cute face. Yucce could only be described as intimidatingly beautiful, the kind you couldn't tell if you were attracted to or scared of, and the answer was usually both.

Jackson offered the standard Stellar Alliance diplomatic greeting, hands held open, palms facing up, arms wide to show that he held no weapons and bore no ill intent. "In any form," he said, pronouncing the Sela words without the aid of his translator, "I shall know you now, Councilor Amasa and Councilor Yucce." He kept his expression neutral and hoped his rehearsals had been enough. Speaking the Sela language out loud strained his throat, and a few words were all he could manage.

Yucce spoke with every ounce of refinement and erudition one would expect, and she used no translator. Had she become fluent in English just for this meeting? "A pleasure to meet you, Diplomat Jackson Kez," she said. Every word pronounced perfectly. Her voice flowed slowly, like sweet honey, but backed with steel.

Amasa laughed, a startling sound coming from a dragon-snake, and it was every bit as deep and full as one would expect. "Delightful! You learned some of our language." Her voice was boisterous and charming, like your new best friend at a party. Jackson liked her immediately.

"Only some," Jackson said to Amasa, relying on the translator again. "It's a beautiful language but my body is ill-equipped to speak it." In response to Yucce, he said to both of them, "You may call me Jackson, if you wish. Using a human's first name is a sign of trust and familiarity, and I offer it to you now."

"It is accepted," Yucce said. "Jackson." She drew out his name like she enjoyed the way it felt to say it and her eyes flicked up and down, studying him. He knew the gesture was entirely for his benefit, she didn't need to move her eyes at all to get a good look at him. He couldn't tell if she was signaling that she was checking him out or trying to determine the best place to stab him for a quick kill.

"Indeed," Amasa said, sliding forward and positioning herself near the holographic display. "Ambassador Vera, please seal the room. I wish to begin."

"Yes, Councilors." Vera put her hand on a similar scanner inside the room, and Jackson watched another needle pierce her hand. After a moment, the door began to close. The four of them stood silently, waiting for it to finish.

When it had shut and pressurized, Amasa spoke first. Jackson had the impression that she had been on the council longer than Yucce, but knew that was based on a very human perspective. He always had to be careful not to project too much of himself onto other species.

"I will be direct with you, Jackson," Amasa said. She coiled her body beneath her once again and put her head down on herself. Even at her most compact, her face was at eye level with Jackson. "I fail to see the purpose in you being here. The Sela and Rhorak have resolved our own disputes for centuries, and while we have greatly prospered from cultural exchange with the Stellar Alliance, we have no wish to join your collective. Nor do we wish to have your will imposed upon us."

Jackson expected resistance, it was important to let it play out.

Yucce spoke next, and Jackson thought he caught a hint of red beneath Amasa's amber scales. He couldn't be sure. "Jackson," she said, "you are a most esteemed visitor and we welcome the wisdom of the Stellar Alliance with gratitude." As she spoke, she walked slowly around the perimeter of the room like a predatory carnivore. Classic intimidation tactic. She was terrifying, Jackson admitted to himself, but he'd seen this move before and it would take much more to rattle him. He was in his element now.

"I am honored," Jackson said. He didn't turn to face her as she walked behind him. He knew how to play this game.

"I must say," Yucce continued. She stepped up close behind him, looming over him. "You are smaller than expected. Are all humans such delicate creatures?"

"Compared to you," Jackson said, "we certainly are. The Sela are the most resilient species I've encountered."

"Flatterer," Yucce said. She continued pacing, apparently satisfied with his answer. "It is good that you understand us to some degree, at least."

"Enough theater, Yucce," Amasa said, flicking her tongue at her fellow Councilor. "You can toy with the diplomat later." She twisted her body around, rotating her head 90 degrees to regard Jackson from a new perspective. "You have not addressed my concern, Jackson. Are you here seeking submission? Or perhaps to preach moral authority?" She turned her head back, laying it flat along her coils. "I suggest you begin such efforts with the Rhorak, as they are ever the aggressor."

Yucce grinned, equal parts predatory and sensual. "Amasa is correct in one thing, Jackson." She stopped pacing, having made a complete circuit around the room. "We are more than capable of ending this conflict permanently. It is our belief in the sanctity of sentience that has stayed our hand, but we are feeling pressured by their aggressive actions. Our people are at risk. Would you have us roll over and die? Would that please your Stellar Alliance superiors?" She stepped forward suddenly, closing the distance between herself and Jackson to stand only a few inches away from him. She bent over at the waist, bearing down on Jackson so much that he had to strain his neck to hold eye contact. "I hope you have more nuance in you than an exhortation to lay down our arms and some flowery linguistics about unity and cooperation."

The words didn't bother him, Jackson had heard stronger denials. They were even inviting him to disprove them. It may be merely a formal invitation, but it was an opening he could use. What did get to him was the sinking realization that the Sela were carnivorous, and while it was easy to joke about being eaten by Vera, he was pretty sure Yucce would actually do it. He fought the temptation to swallow as his mouth went dry.

"You want me to be direct, I'll be direct." Jackson said, waiting to continue until Yucce straightened up and stepped back, giving him room. One corner of her mouth turned up in a barely perceptible smirk, and he sensed that he'd passed another of her tests. He turned to Amasa. "You're right. The Stellar Alliance is far away, and we're very different from you. I'm not here to tell you how to live or what to do. I'm here to give you some tools. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Have you not beheld our prowess of invention, Jackson?" Amasa asked him. "We have no need of your tools."

Jackson shook his head. "They aren't physical tools, Councilor, and it's not new technology. The Stellar Alliance is second to none in our understanding of psychology and social dynamics. That's what I'm here to teach. That's most of what I do, honestly." He sensed this was a time to show confidence through vulnerability. To act as though he had nothing to prove, that he was just here to make an offer and they could take it or leave it.

He was hitting his groove now, and he spread his arms wide, hands open, in a gesture of ambivalence. "I have no stake in this. You asked for directness, so here it is. The Stellar Alliance considers your planet a lost cause. All our analysis indicates you're on a path to developing and, tragically, using weapons that will render it uninhabitable for your species. A fate, I'm sure you're aware, we humans only narrowly avoided. So trust me when I say I'm here with an offer to teach, and the price of refusal is your total self-destruction. Not now, maybe not soon, but it is inevitable."

Jackson stepped up and connected his tablet to the holographic display. It whirred to life, projecting graphs and charts. "All I ask is that you hear me out before sending me home, because I came a very long way to be here and I'd like to at least put my skills to work before you send me home and get back to slowly killing yourselves."

The finisher was a bold play, but a calculated one. He had shifted the conversation away from the Rhorak entirely, appealing to the arrogance of the Councilors, daring them to deny that they were on a path to destruction.

On cue, Yucce took the bait. "You think we are simpletons, is that it? Unrefined and underdeveloped compared to your enlightened humanity? I know your kind," she said, her voice like ice. "I know you bought and sold each other like property. We have never enslaved our fellow Sela. I know you pursued productivity and industry until your planet nearly choked and died, all for what? A tower of invented currency built on the bones of your workers."

Jackson had heard enough and he held up a hand to stop her. "Every trial you list, we passed. We have been worse than you ever were and ever will be, it's true. I'm not contesting that. But that just means we fought harder, worked harder, and persevered through worse to stand among a galaxy of equals. Surely if we are both weaker than you, and in a worse situation than you, then our solutions will be easy for you to implement."

Yucce clenched her jaw. It was the first expression of hers that didn't seem contrived or controlled. Honesty, even if it was just honesty about her mounting fury, it was progress. Amasa, however, seemed intrigued.

"You speak well, Jackson. You talk of grand ideas, not the instant gratification some accuse humans of obsessing over. We are convinced, and we shall hear you out."

Yucce pivoted, planting her feet and glaring daggers at Amasa. "We? You don't speak for me—"

Amasa cut her off, rearing up. Though she remained largely coiled, her wide, fanged maw towered over Yucce. "I'm afraid I do." Amasa spoke with gravitas and certainty, leaving no room for debate. "As we have already accepted the diplomat into our chamber, to turn him away would require unanimous veto from the two of us. As I will not be casting such a veto, your objection would be mere formality. He shall speak."

Yucce fumed. She knew Amasa was right, and anyone within a mile of her would know she was pissed about it. But Yucce was a savvy politician and recognized when to back down. She calmed rapidly, regaining composure before she inclined her head toward Jackson once more. "So it shall be indeed. The council has spoken, Jackson. Impress us." Yucce grabbed one of the chairs and rolled it toward the middle of the room before she smoothly lowered herself into it. She was once more the picture of elegance. And her eyes had something new in them as she regarded Jackson. It could be respect. It could also be a grudge.

Jackson made a mental note to thank Vera later. She was spot on that Amasa would be his best ally in here, the serpentine Sela had done more to defuse Yucce's objections than Jackson ever could have. He wanted to turn, to ask her opinion, or even just look at her, but he remembered her words outside the chamber. Involving her in the process would only make him seem weak.

"Thank you, Councilors. I appreciate your trust." He swiped across his tablet, pulling up a few documents and they sprang into view on the large holographic display. Jackson had given this lecture a dozen times, all that mattered were the particular tweaks and changes needed to make it resonate with his audience. Graphs, charts, and data mapped out the trends on worlds before and after using the Stellar Alliance's inter-species communication techniques. Each showed clear declines in violence and up-spikes in happiness, productivity, and well-being.

Jackson ran through example after example of supposedly unending conflicts that were decisively and satisfactorily ended, highlighting the common feature: no one on either side could imagine the resolution that eventually happened. By any metric, objective or subjective, cooperation offered greater benefits than conflict once communication avenues reduced or eliminated the possibility of betrayal. Ultimately, his lecture concluded, that was the real offer on the table. Something beyond imagining. True peace and harmony between species.

Endless questions came from Amasa. She probed, poked, and prodded at his data more than almost any other politician he'd tried to sway, but Jackson welcomed it. He could sense the authenticity behind her inquiries, and curiosity was a common precursor to trust. Eventually even Yucce opened up and started to ask questions, probably not wanting to look ignorant next to Amasa's insightful queries. Jackson needed to consult Vera a few times to clarify a particular turn of phrase, or to get relevant data from the Sela's population, but he avoided doing it more than absolutely necessary.

"And you believe the Rhorak will accept this model as well?" Amasa asked. She was pensive, her tail winding up, over, and around her coiled body so the tip of it brushed back and forth beneath her jaw.

"You let me in here ready to tell me no," Jackson said, "to reinforce to yourselves that you didn't need help." He gestured to the three of them. "And now here we are. Do you believe the Rhorak are more stubborn than you are?"

"They are," Yucce said, interrupting. She leaned forward in her chair, eyes narrow. "We are inherently flexible, we change ourselves every moment of every day. The Rhorak are born of rock and dirt, with all the rigidity that it implies. What's the human expression, you can't get blood from a stone?"

"Let me worry about the Rhorak," Jackson said.

"Make no mistake, Jackson. You present a strong case. I can't argue with the facts, and you're a skilled orator. But the changes you suggest can't happen overnight, and-"

Jackson stared her down. "They can. And they must. Incrementalism is a non-starter. We learned that all too well in the 21st century."

She scowled, equally impressed and annoyed by his confidence. "As I said, your case is worthy. I think you underestimate the risk and cost, but should you somehow get the Rhorak to agree, we will support your case before President Luminalia."

"I agree," Amasa said. "This is a bold suggestion, one that would shake the foundations of our world. It would make us vulnerable. Yet, as you have shown us, the price of inaction is far greater."

"Vulnerability is not optional, Councilor. Not if you want a better way of life." Jackson finally started to relax. This was only a first step, and he knew they'd expect concessions from him later on. But his foot was in the door, and the process had begun. It had actually gone more smoothly than he expected, it seemed the Sela were as mentally and culturally flexible as they were physically.

Jackson disconnected his tablet and pocketed it. "I will have my ship's AI transmit the standard plan in its entirety, at which point you can review and make alterations. The plan only works if it is tailored to the people, and I'll be depending on your help to do that." Another lesson from the academy: if they help plan the fight, they won't fight the plan.

Amasa slowly nodded her massive, reptilian head and flicked her tongue out briefly. "A prudent and politically savvy maneuver, Jackson. We," Amasa glanced at Yucce, daring her to disagree, "are eager to refine this plan into one ready for implementation."

Yucce remained silent, her expression perfectly placid. A cold wave of dread passed through Jackson when he met her eyes.

"Jackson," Amasa said, "we will devote three days to the review of your plan. I wish to be thorough. You will use this time to contact the Rhorak. If, once those three days have elapsed, you have convinced them to participate as well, I am confident President Luminalia will go along with whatever we suggest."

"And if I need more time?" Jackson asked.

"There is no more time," Yucce said, and Amasa did not disagree. "You have your opportunity, make the best of it."

Jackson nodded, clenching his jaw a little. He had thought he had two weeks, three days was a lot less forgiving. He didn't even know where to find the Rhorak or what kind of leadership they had. So many questions.

"Ambassador Vera," Amasa said, "this session is ended. Submit your record and unseal the chamber."

"Yes Councilor," Vera said. She manipulated her data jewelry for a couple of seconds. When she was finished, an audible chime sounded from her device. "It is done, Councilor."

Amasa only nodded, silent once more. Vera took this as the cue to open the chamber door, placing her palm on the needle. Jackson hoped he never had to use a scanner like that.

With a grinding noise and a whoosh of fresh air, the hulking door opened. Jackson had never been so glad to see a bland, white interior. He'd been running on so much adrenaline during the meeting he hadn't noticed how much he hated the enclosed room.

"Ambassador Vera, please attend to me," Amasa said. Her deep, loud sonorous tones reverberated through the hallway now that the door had been opened. "I wish to begin the review of the plan, and as I expect to have many alterations to make, I will need you to take extensive notes."

"Of course, Councilor," Vera said. She didn't so much as glance at Jackson.

Amasa slithered out of the room, moving with precision and grace in spite of her considerable length and weight. Jackson stared as she left, noting that his earlier estimate had severely undershot her true size. She was at least thirty feet from snout to tail. He didn't want to imagine what she would be like if she got angry. Vera followed her, and Jackson was about to make his way out as well when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Yucce must have noticed him tense up because she scoffed. "Relax, human."