"You have entered a Kalderi system without approval," a sharp voice announced once the hailing was patched through to their speakers. There was no visual but Solae need not ask why; the timbre was sufficiently unfriendly she could surmise they were not welcome enough to deserve a 'face-to-face' greeting over the respective vessel systems. Despite the hostility of the voice it was strangely lyrical, syllables dancing on invisible musical bars, emphasizing the simple statement with an auditory intonation that was foreign to every tongue the linguist had mastered over the years. They were being addressed in common yet it was spoken unlike she had ever heard before. Were she to hazard a guess it would be that the Kalderi had a different vocal range, and much like the Syshin could hiss or make sounds their human counterparts could not, and that it added a unique color to their articulations.

"I apologize," the duchess replied smoothly. "We did not know the protocol. Would it be possible to be granted a meeting to speak with a representative of the Kalderi people?" She purposefully withheld the reason for their visit. Experience had taught her it was better to let them make the wrong assumption so that the truth of their intentions was shed in a more positive light when revealed. If all went well, these first steps of diplomacy would be studied and reviewed for years to come, every word scrutinized to determine what she did well, what she did adequately, and what she did poorly. The notion of being history made Solae blanche slightly; even if she intended to make it, she did not relish being in the limelight, and had no ambitions towards power other than helping to bright about social justice and understanding.

"The Kalderi have no interest in trading with your merchants today," the other voice declared dismissively, clearly expecting this to be the end of the conversation. "You will depart the system once your ship is capable of leaving," it went to further warn. The idle warships possessed sophisticated technology and could, at a glance, sweep the cooling Bonaventure and discern the vessel was incapable of immediately engaging its jump drive.

"We did not bring wares to sell. My name is Duchess Falia, and I have my attache and fiance, Rene Quentain with me, my handmaiden Rosaria, and my two bodyguards, Yarue and Dasin with me. I've come in hopes to learn of your people, to speak with you about the relationship between the Kalderi and the Stellar Empire, and to rest. We are not looking for coin or weapons," she added thoughtfully, trying to create a distance between herself and the humans they typically dealt with on any regular basis.

"You wish to learn of the Kalderi?" the voice asked skeptically and incredulously. This was an exceedingly abnormal request. In the history of the Kalderi, they could count one hand the number of times a human had shown such interest. There was an implicit high risk with little reward for citizens of the empire. The Kalderi could kill anyone who came into their territory with impunity, had no incentive to accommodate humanity, and had made it clear the secrets to their advanced civilization would never be disclosed to an inferior species. Only a individual of pure curiosity, with no ulterior motives to hide, with resources enough to make the journey, with the courage to approach, with a keen intellect to comprehend, and with humility to accept it was not wisdom to which they were entitled could have done such a thing.

Solae was the fourth to seek the Kalderi with such an entreaty, and the first of those to allege outright she was not interested in their armaments. More remarkably, however, she was the first [i]human[/i] they had seen in the company of Syshin given appointment and referred to by name. There was a prolonged silence as a hush fell over the respective communication systems. The freighter's crew glanced at once another nervously, afraid to broadcast anything, apprehensive about how their plea had been received.

"Prepare to be boarded to confirm what you say is true," a new, deeper Kalderi voice told them as a jeweled spacecraft slowly glided forwarded. An unusual situation necessitated an equally unusual response. The 'aliens' had deemed the best course of action was to determine the voracity of Solae's assertions by observing their 'guests' in the flesh before allowing them passage to the moon. They doubted that Yarue and Dasin were there of their own volition but recognized they could not pass final judgment via message transmissions. Body language and behavior must be observed to deduce if they had been enslaved. If there was the slightest hint of violence, deception, or an antagonism, it was also the cleanest way for the Kalderi to dispatch of the wayward interlopers.

"I understand. We open our hatch once you are docked," the aristocrat confirmed calmly. Inwardly she was panicked, wondering if she had led innocents astray, and dooming them all. There was no other choice. They had to prove themselves before they could or would be trusted; still, the Kalderi were more of a threat to than Duke Tan, as the latter could not vaporize nearly as efficiently nor without consequence.