Staring out the observation port, the Commander could see the silver hue of the great ram scoop which propelled the ship through space at velocities nearing the speed of light. He often pondered the science behind his species’s mode of extra-stellar propulsion, but found it to be beyond his expertise, for his profession did not pertain to the physical sciences but was one of communication. This skilled linguist and psychological analyst was ranked among the best in his field; a mind put to the task of negotiating surrenders without war.

So long he'd been in space. So little time had he ever spent stepping foot upon his own world, its bright skies and arid climate so suited to his physiology. But he did not shed a single tear of regret, for the years he had spent away from home had worked so well to enrich life on that world that he need not feel his sacrifice in vain, and after a hundred years of work he still had another hundred left to reap the fruits of his labors.

In his lifetime, six worlds, all with races strange and alien to his own, all primitive and lacking any knowledge of spaceflight, had succumbed to his whims. The acquisition of good labor, caring servants, and valuable resources; it all amounted to a higher quality of life for his people, the most genetically superior of races. It also served to elevate the lower species above their primitive, meaningless existence, and gave them a grandeur universal purpose. It made their lives easier, and saved them from centuries of strife and turmoil, during which they would have risked self-annihilation through petty squabbling. So many billions of lives had been saved thanks to the masterful manipulations of Edri Comm.

Yes, Edri felt himself wholly justified in his quest to conquer the lesser races of the Galaxy, for their own well-being. The individual freedom and cultural rights of the primitives did not figure into his equation.

Yet his old game was suddenly growing more complicated, for he was no longer alone in the sky.

Until recently, the Nissites had been solitary among the stars, the one superior race that was genetically destined to spread throughout the cosmos and rule it all in the name of their United Federation. The presence of another space-faring race had been rumored for decades, as Nissite ships ventured farther out into the unexplored reaches of space, and strange audio and video transmissions were received.

The existence of another advanced race could not be denied any longer. Edri's expedition fleet had now skirmished twice with strange, alien vessels, and through superior numbers and sneak attacks the Nissites had come out nearly unscathed, and remained a mystery to their Human rivals.

Now, for the first time in his life, Edri was prepared to confront a member of an alien race who seemingly paralleled his own race's technological achievements, and shared the void of space with his ships. A representative of a strange race of beings whose origin was unknown and whose language had only recently been revealed to the most skilled linguists among Edri’s crew.

"Send her in," Edri commanded, talking to his guards via a subdermal implant under his narrow jaw.

Without a sound, the only door to his private office slid open, and in stepped Sophia, nudged along by a pair of the rat-like guards in metallic suits.

"You're both excused," Edri told his guards.

As the guards departed, Edri planted his beady eyes onto the human female before him. She was a curious alien, unlike any he'd encountered before. The pale, hairless skin of her face intrigued him, as other warm-blooded aliens he'd encountered shared his race's proclivity toward follicle growth. Her body revealed remarkably little hair, with the exception of the long, chestnut mane atop her head.

Sophia shivered as she stood, weak from a month of captivity, frightened by the scrutinizing stare of her captor. She tried to disguise her fear by straightening her shirt and shorts, though the nervous movements only further exposed her emotional state.

"Won't you have a seat?" Edri said in the Lesher language. There was a rasp in his tone, but the words were understandable.

Sophia sat down, remaining silent. The seat in front of Edri's desk was soft and warm, unlike the furniture she'd been treated to during the past month in a prison cell. The irritatingly-bright cell, with hard, plastic benches and nothing else, had only worked to amplify her shaky emotions.

Sophia said nothing, taking a moment's solace in the comfort of the chair.

"Greetings, Sophia Andrews. Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Edri Comm, High Commander of the Inez Expedition, a Nissian Mission Fleet assigned to Leshik.”

Sophia refrained from responding, uncertain what to say.

“My interrorgators say you are a student of alien cultures, the Lesher culture in particular. Tell me, what is your mission here?”

Edri received no answer, and saw Sophia’s eyes glaring across the desk at him.

“During repeated interrogation sessions, you have claimed that your people have no desire to influence or affect change in the happenings of Leshik in any way. I find that hard to believe.”

Following several more seconds of silence, Edri slapped his desk in frustration. "Speak, damn you. Say something! Is it so hard for you to engage in a civil discussion?”

"You wish to be civil?" Sophia said, breaking her silence. "I have been held without explanation, starved, deprived of sleep, and beaten without provocation, and now you want to talk civilly?"

"When were you beaten? I authorized no such mistreatment," Edri said, feigning concern.

"I would like nothing better than to believe that," Sophia said, her nerves calming. "If that's the case, then I'm sure you're ready to apologize for this entire incident and send me home."

"Where is your home?" Edri asked. "We know it is somewhere in the Odra sector, due to the high level of human communications we have intercepted coming from that unexplored region of the Galaxy. A precise location among those thousands of stars would be of great help in our attempts at forming diplomatic relations."

"If you were interested in diplomacy, you would not be treating me this way," Sophia protested.

"Please, Sophia, you must understand, we have to take precautions. We truly have no idea what kind of people you are. You could change that. Tell me, why are you here?”

"My people seek to learn more about the universe, to enrich ourselves and improve our existence. There are any number of benefits to learning the customs and cultures of an alien world. I do not know what you consider of value, but I consider knowledge priceless."

“Surely, your people would not waste resources on exploration simply to satisfy some primitive curiosity."

“It’s the truth. We are here to learn, nothing more.”

"Nonsense. I cannot believe a race that has achieved such technological feats as yours would be obsessed with inconsequential cultures and their primitive customs. Why are you really here?"

"Why are you here?" Sophia asked in frustration.

"I am here to facilitate the assimilation of this world into the Nissian Federation. These primitive creatures are to become part of our galactic union, and benefit from our technology and societal structure. We will likewise benefit from their industrial manpower and plentiful natural resources."

"You mean you're here to exploit these innocent people for your own self-aggrandizement. That’s a crime against nature."

"You continue to deny your true intentions. Please, there is no need for such pretense here. You are among superiors. It is all right to admit that we share a similar motivation and intent."

"I do not share any such intentions. My purpose here is purely scientific," Sophia persisted.