[center][b]“Greetings, travellers among the stars. We are from the Kingdom of Kudrion, located on the planet of the same name. Like you, we are descendants of humanity and like many of you, we too had to change to overcome the challenges of our adoptive home planet, for only the most adaptable can survive. Whether these changes are a loss or a gain remains to be seen. Our people look forward to working with you.”[/b][/center]

It was these words, four months ago, that heralded a new era for the Kingdom of Kudrion, and the Kudrioni people at large. After the ‘Gateway Boarding Incident’, as it became known on Kudrion, independent Kudrioni had flooded through the gateway, looking for work, trade opportunities, or simply to escape the constant cycles of violence endemic to their society. In barely a few months, Kudrioni could be found all over the Meeting Place, as well as any other places they could legally migrate to. In this time, the Kingdom itself built their own section on the Meeting Place to serve as an embassy, in order to negotiate diplomatic agreements. Beyond that, Kudrion didn’t have much contact with other nations during these months except for meetings to introduce themselves.

It was also these words that had changed the course of Emily’s life forever. Not only did she have knowledge of the English language, which seemed to be the lingua franca between these shattered fragments of humanity, she also had a degree of experience in talking to the foreigners. This led her to become unwillingly promoted to representative of the entire Kingdom, a task which she neither wanted nor was really suited for. It had been difficult at first, of course. After being quarantined for fear of spreading diseases unknown to the Kudrioni, she barely had a day on the surface before being sent out again, tasked with setting up an embassy on the meeting place. 

The first meetings with those from other nations were always difficult. Many, like those from the Directorate or the Undefeated, seemed relatively normal and well-adjusted. Speaking to, or even seeing some of the others had been… difficult. The cyborgs were especially unsettling to her, and after seeing the apes she often felt the need to wear power armour over her uniform when going outside of Kudrion’s part of the station. 

[i]Whether these changes are a loss or a gain remains to be seen.[/i] It was these words, part of the original Kudrioni message, that had been on her mind the past few months. She knew which of these paths Kudrion had taken.

[hr]
If Emily had come back to Kudrion at that time, she would find it different than when she had left it. The realization that they were not alone, that other nations existed out there, in the cold void of space, resulted in the biggest increase in activity Kudrion had seen since its unification. Many Kudrioni had begun to learn the English language in order to be able to migrate and work outside of Kudrioni space. King Dishuz had created three new organisations from scratch in order to be able to reign in the clans, exert some influence on the outside world, and ensure Kudrion’s prosperity.

The first of these three was the Kudrioni Navy. Made up of vessels recruited from the different Kudrioni clans and some ships from the Royal Guard at first, the Kudrioni Navy rapidly grew in size over these months as new technologies, bigger ships and better armaments were discovered and made. Members of this navy were recruited from all different Kudrioni clans, with little regard for the status of the clans themselves. It was primarily used as a policing force for Kudrioni space, but could also be used to defend Kudrion if it ever came to war. After all, stagnation in an ever-changing galaxy meant death, a lesson that the Kudrioni had learned well from their planet.

The second was the Kudrioni Defence Force. Made up of levies of Kudrioni warriors, many Kudrioni were actually glad to join up, seeing it as a way to gain honor and glory through combat in case war ever broke out.

The third was the College of Kroit, founded in the city of the same name. Never before had Kudrion seen such an institution, except in the very ancient times. Inspired by Emily’s knowledge of a strange language and her dedication to gaining more knowledge, Dishuz created the College so that important scientific knowledge could be kept and pooled together to benefit all Kudrioni rather than individuals.

The consequences of these first meetings sent shockwaves through Kudrion’s society as well. The strange observation that was already seen during their first meeting with another nation, the fact that Kudrioni were often larger than many other humans, quickly led to the realization that there must have been some genetic tampering far in Kudrion’s past. And suddenly, all of Kudrion knew where those ancient legends, the ones that spoke of the Kudrioni receiving strength from the gods, came from. A culture that prided itself on its ability to fight without any enhancements suddenly learned that it had these enhancements all along. The Ashokites immediately jumped on this opportunity to claim that their philosophy that demanded constant adaptation was correct, citing the fact that the ancient Kudrioni had  to modify themselves as proof. Many others rejected this idea, hating themselves for something that wasn’t their fault. Either way, further divisions had been created in Kudrioni society. There had also been some resistance against the King’s use of his absolute power, but most Kudrioni realized that this was necessary to protect themselves in a potentially hostile galaxy. 

[hr]
It was always the smaller bars where the mercenaries and the hunters gathered. After all, these were the places where one could speak privately, and make sure others could not hear. It was in one of these places where three of these hunters, two men and one woman, had gathered. They had always spent their time in between assignments there, drinking, eating and talking with each other. 

It was on one of the regular days, when the three were sitting around their favorite table, when a woman that none of them had seen before had come in. She had walked over to the table where the trio sat, and put a stack of coins on the table, the traditional way of requesting a hunt.

The three had another assignment.

[hr]
The man had been there in the cell for some time, although he lost track somewhere around the fifteenth day. The cell itself was relatively clean, although the walls were painted with strange, swirling patterns and runes. He always had the same routine of waking up, being given meagre scraps of food, and then waiting until he was tired enough to go to sleep again. The days blended together as the man wasted away in his cell. He wasn’t really sure why he was there. As far as the man knew, he hadn’t broken any clan laws or committed any acts considered dishonorable, and for some reason his memories were foggy. Maybe there was something in the food? 

It was around what he estimated to be about two months when his daily routine was broken by something a little strange. A woman, dressed in strange robes that reminded him a bit of the white robes the Arido priests wore, although completely black, came into his cell. She had with her a bowl of ochre-colored paint, and she had drawn something on his forehead with it while saying something in a language he did not understand. After, she left. 

How strange.