The war is going badly - for the FEYAR!

We shouldn't be surprised - after all, the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo declare war easily and often. Their equipment and training are always at peak levels.

Even their planet - their homes and buildings are all constructed underground. This part of their culture is officially because they want to maintain pristine pre-settlement surface conditions.- but this also means they are fairly invulnerable to surface bombing. The Feyar, after learning this, have had to place a new order for bombs - penetrators this time.

Well, it's not like the Feyar can't afford such an expensive error - every com in the galaxy represents a royalty payment to the Feyar, inventers of the technology. They are not as well-off financially as the Xx, but they have us Uralians... er... Botsleans beat by quite a bit in terms of income.

But, more importantly than equipment, the Feyar are not warriors - it's not how they think.

It IS how the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo think.

But, amazingly, the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo have NOT been their usual thin-skinned, warlike selves. The planet Fey remains unattacked. Everyone suspects this is because they have, as yet, found no way to actually attack the deep-water Feyar and NOT because they respect the Feyar too much to attack them.

Today the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo ambassador has actually come to a meeting of the Lunar Government (still in a tent in the parking lot of the Smedley Center) to provide an update on the situation. All of the Ambassadors, Lunar and Exo, even Ambassador Johnson (who has a problem about always making incendiary statements), are carefully keeping their mouths shut, to avoid offending the easily-offended Ratihinaconaxemuwezo. We don't even look at them for fear of offense.

Many of the Lunars have never seen a Ratihinaconaxemuwezo - they rarely attend meetings in order to avoid declaring war on their co-attendees. But they are a stunning sight. They look like a cross between an Earth bison and a mythological Earth creature called a centaur. Picture a bison - four hooves, cape of fur on the head, shoulders and front quarters, horns. Now add furry arms with hands coming from the shoulders. You are now visualizing a warrior caste Ratihinaconaxemuwezo.

Non-warriors have smaller, less dense fur capes. If a non-warrior caste becomes a warrior, they get fur implants. If a warrior wants to go incognito, they get a shave...

Everyone is very polite to all Ratihinaconaxemuwezo, although it is generally only members of the warrior caste that are dangerous. Certainly they are the only ones who can declare a war. But ANY member of the warrior caste can declare a war, and all Ratihinaconaxemuwezo will honor that declaration.

The Ratihinaconaxemuwezo Ambassador tells those assembled of the initial invasion of Feyar drones forming an orbiting shell around their planet, effectually hemming the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo in so craft could not leave and deliveries could not be made. Then the Feyar added unmanned destroyers and the (mostly ineffectual) bombing began. Initially, several Ratihinaconaxemuwezo were killed or injured, as they were on the surface when bombardment began. And they are NOT happy about that. Those killed become minor deities among their families; the wounded become heroes.

Now they are constructing underground tunnels between homes and schools, shops and other buildings, as it is too dangerous for their citizens to go out on the surface. Soon Ratihinaconaxemuwezo will be tunnel-connected like Luna!

But, it is hard for the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo - they have maintained their pristine surface because they like to go out there, breathe the (expensively-chemically-adjusted) air, gnaw on the plants, feel the soil beneath their hooves, bathe in the rain. It is an important part of Ratihinaconaxemuwezo life that has been disrupted due to this war.

And they are not happy about that either.

This mysterious war... we still have no idea why the Feyar are doing this.

The Ratihinaconaxemuwezo don't actually care. They accept the reality, and deal with it. They are "investigating" "studying" "researching" ways to attack the Feyar... not why the Feyar are doing what they are doing.

When they are finished with their report, they depart immediately, relieved-ly not irritated by anyone at the meeting. Everyone remains silent and carefully averts their gaze until they have left the tent.

The New Portland (O) Ambassador lets out a sneeze he had been valiantly holding in.

Everyone breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thank god!" says Ambassador Johnson.

For once, everyone agrees with him.

I move to indicate I would like to speak. Once more, the Lunars are surprised but polite and attentive. Executive Ambassador Olsen of New Nuuk recognizes me, and I rise to speak. Nervously, as usual.

"Dr. Lorie Russo, Lunar Government Statistician, has been doing some research. She reports that the Feyar are going through a major internal crisis."

Everyone is interested. Ambassador Johnson demands to know why the Lunar Government Statistician is telling this to US and not to the Lunar Government.

"She found this information in a dataset provided by the Ural...Botsleans. By us."

Everyone nods (OK, everyone with a neck and a head nods...) This seems fair to all of the Exos. Maybe the Lunars are slightly less convinced but unwilling to make an issue of it. Not even Ambassador Johnson.

I hurry on. "She says their Head is quite elderly, and there is a lot of competition for fys position." "Fys" rather than "his" - the Feyar have no genders.

"The previous Principal of the Galactic Government is apparently one of those in competition. The Head of Feyar is probably considered, by them, to be a higher-level position than Principal of the Galactic Government." I glance around to see how this statement is received by the attendees. Not surprisingly, not well. Probably some of those in attendance would kill to become Principal of the Galactic Government!

Certainly Ambassador Johnson seems thoughtful.

"Is there any indication the Feyar intend to expand their hostilities?" asks the New LA Ambassador.

"I have no information on that," I stammer, and settle back quickly onto my perch to avoid further questions.

Ambassador Kuznetsov of New Petrograd is recognized. "This information could be quite useful in understanding the present conflict, even if we still do not understand why the Feyar say the Aquatic species are being abused."

"Violently persecuted!"

"Oppressed!"

The Ambassadors each remember one word from the Feyar declaration that stuck with them.

And none of them come with any examples of what the Feyar meant by abuse, persecution or oppression.

And, are the other Aquatics feeling the same abuse, persecution, and oppression? Are they even now readying themselves to join the Feyar in their fight?

***

My day on Luna 3218.

The trilobite-like Qrad, more transportable than the other, larger Aquatics, have joined the war. Physically.

The Qrad refitted one of their vessels to look like a Polaran hospital ship. A civilian vessel, in other words. Protected by Galactic statute from attack.

The disguised vessel signaled an Xx freighter en route to a Ratihinaconaxemuwezo off-world delivery that they needed assistance. When the Xx vessel responded, the Qrad attacked. The Xx vessel was actually destroyed, killing the Xx onboard, and the goods being transported were lost.

The Xx are incensed. They have declared a moratorium on all deliveries to or from Aquatic worlds EXCEPT the nonaligned Wrvsh, Kaladians, and Yrvr. We suspect they have also upgraded their false-flag testing procedures.

You do NOT want to make the Xx mad. They deliver most of the goods traded in the Galaxy. And all planets need stuff. Even Aquatic ones.

And, apparently this deception is actually a crime under Galactic law. Disguising a military vehicle or vessel to look like a civilian one while preparing to attack is known legally as PERFIDY. Under the law, a warship can use a civilian disguise or broadcast a false identification signal to approach an enemy, but it must declare its true identity before opening fire. Feigning civilian status to launch an attack without disclosing proper military status beforehand is a Galactic no-no.

And, apparently, there must be harm to sapients. If a combatant uses a protected disguise purely to gather intelligence (espionage) or to destroy property without causing physical harm to a sapient (for example, if they had destroyed a robotic freighter, or if the Xx had been able to successfully eject in a life-pod), it would not constitute legally prohibited perfidy. If there had been only harm to the Xx ship or its cargo, the law would have let the Qrad off with a stern warning. (The Xx could sue for damages.)

And the deception must be a deliberate, premeditated trap. No one seems to believe the Qrad just happened innocently to be flying in a vessel that had been retooled to look like a Polaran hospital vessel. And how had they decided to attack this particular Xx freighter, of the thousands in space at any given time, the one that was making a delivery to the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo?

And the actor must exploit the enemy's good faith and adherence to Galactic law to get them to lower their guard. Galactic statute requires vessels to come to the aid of Polaran hospital ships if requested. The Xx were acting as good citizens of the Galaxy.

We are becoming experts in Galactic law whether we want to be or not.

And the war has expanded - not just in terms of attackers, but also in terms of those attacked.

With our mining relationship with the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo, the Uralian system, possibly Botslean also, are "on the menu."

Lncn is doing her best to arm and train our people. But, most of our (sizeable) income is being used to create our new planetary home, and to transport citizens to that new home.

And, we are not warriors. Traditionally, we were the innocent victims of a rampaging expanding star. Other worlds did not attack us - what could they gain? No one would want to take over our (dangerous and decreasing) territory. We didn't have natural resources that anyone wanted (until recently, with the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo mining concession). We didn't even fight each other, just verbal sniping between Urans and Lians. Very likely the only bombs ever ordered by Uralians from the Xx were the nuclear weapons Our Great and Sacred Leader had installed on Botslean to destroy his insufficiently-loyal followers (and himself).

We are just hoping that the recent withdrawal of the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo from the Uralian system is enough to keep us safe.

Hoping.

And, of course, our settlements are all inside of moons and asteroids in the Uralian system. It will not be until the first settlers reach Botslean that we will become vulnerable to Aquatic attacks with their surface weapons.

...

My kids are on that first settlement transport to Botslean...

***

The Feyar have moved their ineffectual destroyers to Gilgot!

Since the surface weapons were not effective against the underground Ratihinaconaxemuwezo, and since the Xx are NOT going to fulfill their order for ground penetrating weapons ever-never-no-way since the Qrad attack, the Feyar have relocated their destroyers to drop bombs on a new enemy: the Gilgot.

The Gilgot, like the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo, have a warrior culture. The difference is that the Gilgot EAT their enemies; the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo are vegetarian.

Of course, there are no Feyar in danger of being eaten by the Gilgot; they remain safely at the bottom of their ocean on the planet Fey.

The Qrad, however, might become a new pâté dish in the Gilgot diet...

I hate for any innocent sapients (or sentients, for that matter) to be attacked, but I admit I am relieved that the Feyar are attacking the Gilgot rather than US. They are so much better able to cope with it.

And, the Gilgot actually kinda like battle...

And, how long can the bombing last? How many bombs did the Feyar take delivery on before the Xx cut them off?

The Qrad attack on the Xx was a REALLY bad strategic move! Did the Feyar know about it before the Qrad did it? Are they actually mad at their ally? Might the alliance be breaking up?

This allows us to have some (probably unfounded) hope.

Still, the Gilgot provide transportation for the Galaxy. The Aquatics might not care - they generally don't go anyplace. But they OUGHT to care - like everyone else, they get stuff delivered. Stuff manufactured by the Xx...

If the Aquatics are bent on destroying the way that our Galaxy operates... is that why the Xx were attacked?

***

Dr. Lorie Russo is being bombarded by the Lunar Government. What does her research show about the conflict? Has she found out anything new? Can we get more data for her analysis?

She leaves a terse, unfriendly comment on my com...

We are lunching at the FastFood. Dr. Lorie doesn't LIKE FastFood, but it is the only place in Luna City she is unlikely to be noticed and attacked by a member of the Lunar Government. The Lunar Ambassadors don't generally hang out at the FastFood.

"What-the-heck...?!" she greets me, plopping down her megafish and salad.

"I'm sorry you are the victim of this," I apologize. "Is it possible," I suggest hesitantly, "that it could be viewed positively - that you are being seen as an essential input in critical Government analysis and strategy?"

She scowls, then smiles lopsidedly and shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe. Maybe it's nice to be seen as valuable for a change. Usually the Government treats me like I am just a poor substitute for AI. I just wish I could be valuable on-com, not in person. I can't work in bedlam."

I nod. I'm not good with bedlam, either. "I'm working to get more data," I tell her.

"Great!" she snarls.

I suspect sarcasm, although I am not good at detecting it outside my own species.

"Have you found anything that might tell us what the Aquatics are calling "oppression"?"

She munches for a moment. "Well... maybe... The Qrad lodged a complaint about five years ago that the Xx insisted they build an on-surface delivery platform. This after an Xx delivery vessel imploded before reaching the deep-water platform the Qrad previously insisted the Xx use."

I nod thoughtfully. "That might explain the Qrad attack on the Xx. Although it would better explain if the Xx were mad at the Qrad - which they're not..."

"The Kaladians have used surface shipment for centuries and don't seem to mind..."

"The Kaladians are sorta like the Xx - they'll gladly make cultural adjustments to encourage trade. I can't see the Qrad doing that."

She nods thoughtfully. "Is that the common feature? Aquatics involved in off-world trade are not "oppressed" whereas isolationists are?"

I think for a moment. "The Feyar are NOT isolationists. They openly shared their com technology with other worlds." I think a bit more. "The Wrvsh, of course, write all those novels..."

"I love the Wfldsh series..." Dr. Lorie inserts.

"Me, too. And the Wknmsh videos...!"

Dr. Lorie laughs. "Although I actually like Wzxsh even better..."

"I haven't seen those yet! Are they good?"

"Their main character is Wbgsh's oldest daughter."

"Oh, I've GOT to see those!"

We sit in happy vid-memory for a bit.

Then Dr. Lorie sits up and grabs a bit of lettuce which she waves to illustrate her points. "So, the Kaladians and the Wrvsh are open to other cultures, and they are NOT part of the Aquatic withdrawal. The Feyar have traditionally been open, but are not now, possibly correlated to an internal Feyar power struggle. The Qrad have traditionally been isolationist, and pretty culturally inflexible, and they are now an active part of the fighting."

I agree. "The Yrvr are kinda the philosophers. Living to over 1000 years of age gives them a deep perspective the shorter-lived species do not have. I think, while they are themselves isolationist, they view themselves as "grandparents" to the other species, sharing their wisdom."

"In sort of a stay-off-our-world-but-listen-to-our-wisdom-on-the-comcast sense."

"Exactly."

"I could be a Yrvr," she muses. "And they are neither neutral nor pro-Feyar."

"Right. And the Eevn and the Shysh, both being shallow-water species, would be vulnerable to Ratihinaconaxemuwezo weapons. They are part of the Aquatic Council - possibly just for Aquatic solidarity - but most likely they won't be actively engaged in the war. It would be too dangerous for them. Especially the Shysh."

"Bombing coral is too easy," Dr. Lorie agrees. Again, I am impressed that she knows the Shysh are a coral-like species. "What about the other Aquatics?"

I sigh. "There are eleven other Aquatic species. None are particularly vulnerable to bombing. None are actively involved with Surface-species, except the Aaawy, whose tourism industry must be in serious trouble since they joined the Aquatics."

Dr. Lorie sighs. "I always wanted to go to one of their scuba-camps," she says, dreamily.

I nod sympathetically. Aaawy tourism is for the very wealthy. Attending one of their scuba camps would require a lifetime of savings for a civil servant. The Aaawy might have saved up enough from years of visits by trillionaires that they can survive a short drought in their income. Or, maybe not. They, too, do not share their feelings with off-worlders - just their vacation opportunities.

"That's the problem!" I declare in frustration. "Most of the Aquatics keep to themselves. Any oppression they are feeling - they don't tell us these things!"

"Are they all telepathic, while we are not? And they don't know this?"

I shake my head, frustrated. While we work with Aquatics in the Galactic Government, I don't even know if they are telepathic or not!

***

I am in the park sharing my Dr. Lorie conversation with Yaeyeia. And Kevin. And the trees. And the grass. Being with Yaeyeia, I have to assume the vegetation is listening, although possibly not really interested in our troubles.

"But it's an interesting thought," says Yaeyeia. "Actually two thoughts: isolationism - and maybe the Feyar have turned isolationist... and the second: are they telepathic?"

"I don't think they are," I assert. "Telepathic, that is. Maybe isolationist. I mean, even the ones who interact with us, I mean interact beyond com calls. They don't actually share their thoughts and feelings. That's why we have no idea what is going on."

"Do you share your thoughts and feelings with them?" Yaeyeia asks. "Oh, of course you do... you share your thoughts and ideas with EVERYBODY..." (It's true, I kinda do...) "It's why we like you... one of your endearing qualities..." (Again I suspect but cannot verify sarcasm.) She changes the subject. "Remember, at that first Exo meeting at your Embassy after the Feyar announcement, we realized that if Aquatics left their planets, they could never go home?"

"Because we don't have a way to replicate water pressure like we can gravity," I agree.

"I remember how much I wanted to leave Oeyiah - how hard I worked with our Government and with the Xx to make it happen. And I always knew that if I didn't like it, I could go back home. Imagine how frustrating it must be to want to leave your home, but to know that if you did, and you changed your mind, there would be no way to go back home again."

"The Qrad are not subject to that problem," I point out.

"At least not all of them. I understand there are deep water Qrad as well as shallow-water species,” Yaeyeia clarifies.

"And the Eevn and Shysh..."

"I can't picture warrior coral..."

Kevin inserts himself into the conversation: "Remember, the Feyar said the Galactic Government must "stop enabling, start training, and prioritize safety over reputation." I think we keep forgetting that."

We puzzle over that for a bit. Enabling? Enabling WHAT? Training? Safety? Reputation?? That really doesn't sound like isolationism. Or trying to solve the water pressure problem.

"Oppression" vs "safety" and "reputation."

I am more confused than ever.

***

The Aaawy have not been stashing their wealth.

...

They have been investing in weapons supplied by the Xx.

...

They are now using them on Ratihinaconaxemuwezo and Gilgot.

...

...It would be REALLY NICE if the Xx would alert the Galactic Government that planets are arming themselves...

...

...I know they do not DO this - it is against their trading contracts...

...

...but STILL...

...just sayin'...

...

So far Uralia is safe and unassailed.

...And Botslean...

My kids have landed safely on Botslean and are settling into one of the bubble cities. They are calling it: "Outdoors" even though they are still technically "indoors" under the bubble. Still, they can see the sky - something Uralians have not been able to do on any of our moons or asteroids for centuries. They are counting on the bubble being able to be opened and removed in just a few years.

...

Or, with the war... if it expands to Botslean... maybe, like the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo, we should build underground and only come up for "outings"?

I cannot believe my kids would find that appealing after living underground their entire lives.

***

YES, we now have warrior coral. The Shysh have mobilized a fleet of Xx-constructed autonomous ships. They also have installed orbiting drones around their planet to provide a protective shield from outside attack.

And the Eevn have, apparently, been building new cities in ever deeper water, in regions below possible attack by depth charges. And they have been moving to these new cities slowly, adjusting their metabolism over generations. In other words, it is beginning to seem that this Aquatic rebellion must have been planned for CENTURIES!

We've been dealing with the Aquatics for centuries... Have they hated us the entire time??

And eight of the other Aquatics have pooled their (sometimes meager) resources to buy weapons, and some have built maintenance facilities for the ships, drones and robots.

It is a rise of multiple great powers - and everyone is armed to the teeth.

Assuming they have teeth...

You know what I mean...

The Aquatics are angry... vengeful...

And the Surface-species are terrified...

And confused...

Except the Ratihinaconaxemuwezo and the Gilgot - they are galvanized!

I hate to admit it, but I hope the Aquatics stay focused on them!