Rene nodded his head as though the information they had received hadn’t just completely up-ended centuries of Imperial thought on the Kalderi. It was possible that Lithyll was lying, though it was hard to see where that would create an advantage. The footage that survived from the Jeweled Armada depicted vast energy beams. Rene could easily see them boring into the crust of the world to release magma or exploit fault lines. Come to think of it, this very world might have had islands created by such a technique. 

“We do have some warships, as you would think of them,” Lithyll continued, making an eloquent gesture with his palm and the tip of one wing to the ceiling above them, clearly indicating the guard ship in orbit. 

“But that is more a matter of dissuading any unwise human raiders, we find we have little need of such things,” the alien declared. The Kalderi clearly understood humans better than humans understood Kalderi, it was easy to imagine raiders, seeing an apparently unguarded world, sweeping down on it, even with the lessons of history to advise against it. Unfortunately that meant getting ships from the Kalderi was likely to be something of a challenge.

A chime at the door rang and two slender Kalderi entered carrying trays of refreshments and flutes of what appeared to be champagne. They set them down before their guests with the precision of a drill team. The food seemed to be some kind of sushi cooked in a very acidic vinegar and Rene waited for Solae to take a bite before he joined her. 

“Eat and drink,” Lithyll encouraged though he made no move to join them.

“Our thanks .... ah by what title should we address you?” Rene asked. His military rank gave him the option to ask questions that might be too blunt for Solae to voice but might nonetheless prove useful to his fiancee.
“I am merely Lithyll Colonel,” the alien replied, “we do not use titles in the sense you understand. All here know that I am Lithyll and that I speak for the community of Ranal Pindi on the matter of your embassy.” Rene nodded in understanding though the information didn’t clear much up, he still had no idea how the Kalderi here or anywhere else organized themselves, but he would leave further questioning to Solae.

“Will you join us in a drink then Lithyll,” Rene asked politely. The alien responded with a grating sound that Rene interpreted as a chuckle.

“I am afraid not Colonel, I do not mean to be rude, but we are not evolved to digest ethanol, I would be dead within an hour if I were to have so much as a mouthful,” the alien explained.