Vei only stayed silent while the Prize crew said their piece. But when they were all finished, she stood up to her full height, and Nick couldn't help but be a little impressed with how her robes folded around her. 

"Very well," she said, after studying their eyes for a long time, "I believe you mean what you say. But I do not believe you are true. The truth is not in you." She pauses, as if this is something significant. "If we accept ISA's friendship, you will want to send more diplomats. More ships. And that means more traffic through the wormhole. More explorers. Trade. More aliens." She makes that growl-snort again. "And then soon our culture is gone, lost amidst the dozens of ISA. I won't let that happen. You are not welcome on Havi. Leave. Do not come back."

[center]-----[/center]

The journey back to the Prize was solemn. Aside from calling back the ones who were on the scouting mission, Nick hardly said a word to his crewmates. There was nothing to say. There was no way to spin this mission as a success. With Vei's refusal, the system was essentially off-limits for ISA. And since Vei's system has the wormhole in it, there would be no way to explore this side of the wormhole without violating her territory every time ISA sent a ship through. So the Prize would be recalled, their mission ended, and Nick would almost certainly lose his command. It was the worst day of his life.

Soon the Prize was floating in orbit over the planet, apparently named Havi, and preparing to break away back for the wormhole. Briefing the scouting team on Vei and her command had been difficult, but Nick muddled through it. The Bridge Crew kept glancing at him out of the corners of their eyes. They knew something was wrong, but what was he going to say? There's nothing in the ISA handbook about how to deal with the shameful silence of a failed mission.

But maybe he won't have to. "We're receiving a hail," the Comms Officer perks up, "from a Havi ship. Audio only." Nick gives the order to accept, and the voice that comes through the Prize's bridge sounds absolutely terrified. 

"Travelers," the male voice coughed out. "You must help me. I am injured and pursued. I need medical attention."

A cursory scan showed that the hailing ship was very different from the massive vessel that escorted the Prize to Havi. It was unarmed, light, and cramped. And coming in fast. Nick hesitated for a moment, then ordered the alien onboard the shuttle to be transported to the Prize's medical bay immediately.