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They waited a brief time, until a green light above the door lit.
Decinus went first, along with Logus. They went to flank the table, and then Kell walked in, his stance every bit like a military officer.
Brooks saw Ks’Kull’s entourage do the same. First his two guards – large, hulking Hev in ornate armor that glistened with gold and platinum, encrusted with strange gems from alien worlds.
Following them was some sort of aide; he was heavily augmented, much like Urle, long cables going directly into his skull, and his eyes replaced with large sensors. He moved slowly, stiffly, as if his augments were an onerous weight upon him. They likely were, Brooks thought. He had been altered to serve his function, with no care given to his quality of life.
Finally, Brooks entered at the same time as Ks’Kull.
His opposite was even more imposing in real life, a head taller than even his guards. His armor was likewise inscribed in incredibly fine details, inlaid with green and purple gems of tiny sizes within the patterns so that the lines themselves seem to sparkle. His eyes were flinty, but he moved slower than Brooks expected, with a slightly awkward gait that seemed peculiar.
His massive pair of combat arms had so many rings on their fingers, gaudy with large gemstones, that they didn’t look like they could even close, while his smaller, more functional arms were more lightly adorned, and folded across his stomach.
The thought of the surgeries he’d had to undergo to get an extra set of arms boggled Brooks’s mind. They were biological, which meant they’d been designed by master geneticists, cloned, then his entire physiology altered to fit and control them . . .
Brooks moved to his table, not sitting yet, and offered a bow. Ks’Kull replied with a nod.
The Hev aide stepped forward, his voice high and shrill.
“Presenting Supreme Overlord Ks’Kull, Ruler of the Keigos, Projok, Bild, and Mopu systems, Master of a Hundred Worlds, Father of Hordes, Bringer of Destruction to His Enemies, He Who is Worthy of All Praise, the Greatest and most Awe Inspiring of all Hev.”
Brooks had not actually planned an introduction anywhere near that, but Logus spoke up clearly.
“Presenting Captain Ian Brooks, he who has defeated pirates and traitors, bringer of hope to New Vitriol, the only mortal man to ever meet four Leviathans and leave with his mind intact.” He gestured to Brooks.
Who had to suppress a smile. Logus said nothing, keeping his face quite calm.
One of the Hev guards approached, carrying a long pole. Hanging from its end by leather thongs were six skulls – mostly Hev, but he also saw two from other species. Including a human skull.
Like Ks’Kull’s armor, they had intricate patterns in them, the lines filled with crushed gemstones. He could not read Hev writing, but he could recognize it, and from the imagery, he imagined that each skull had the story of its owner – or at least their demise – carved into it.
“Overlord Ks’Kull presents for his esteemed guest,” the small enhanced Hev said. “This token of victory. Carrying with it the heads of six great enemies of the P’G’Maig, their stories of failure, stupidity, treachery, and ultimate deaths forever marked into their bone. Carry it, and know a taste of Ks’Kull’s might.”
Decinus stepped forward to meet him, carrying their gift. He accepted the skull pole, and offered a slate-gray cube in return.
“Please accept this with Captain Brooks’s praise,” Decinus said. “It contains knowledge of humanity throughout all time, so that you may know us better and we may become friends. Our cultures, languages, art, music-“
“And wars?” Ks’Kull demanded.
Decinus did not miss a beat. “Yes, Overlord. It includes our history of wars.”
Ks’Kull seemed mollified. “Then I shall accept your gift. It may entertain me.”
The guard took the cube without even looking at Decinus.
Coming back, the old Ambassador refrained from showing his horror at the skulls that clanked on the pole, but the tension lines in his face made clear his disgust.
As Decinus took back up his position behind and to Brooks’s left, Kell reached over and took the pole. Decinus let him have it, and Kell studied it curiously.
Brooks moved to sit, followed by Ks’Kull, who was still moving more slowly and awkwardly than Brooks felt seemed right.
Something about this was off.
Ks’Kull was leaned forward, hungrily, but said nothing.
“Overlord,” Brooks began. “Might I begin by asking you a question; do you wish friendship or enmity with the Sapient Union?”
Decinus’s eyes were on him, because it was a loaded question. But in truth, Brooks did not care about Ks’Kull’s answer. He just needed Ks’Kull to answer.
It didn’t matter what he said; it mattered how long he took to say it.
It was nearly seven seconds before Ks’Kull spoke.
“I am not a cruel lord. I seek friendship with worthies, and seek only to destroy those who raise my ire, or are too weak to be of use. This is reasonable, yes?”
Brooks checked his system. The Craton was two and a half light-seconds out from their meeting place. Ks’Kull’s flagship had agreed to stay at the same range, which meant . . .
He stood up. “Overlord, why do you insult me?”
Ks’Kull’s shock was immediate, but he didn’t answer; again, for nearly seven seconds.
“Insult? How dare you imply that Ks’Kull would ever-“
“You are not Ks’Kull,” Brooks said. He heard a gasp from Decinus. “You are a stand-in. Being fed instructions, perhaps even puppeteered by the Overlord. If you wish respect, Ks’Kull, you will not deal such an insult to me as failing to show up.”
The ersatz Ks’Kull in front of them was acutely uncomfortable; the entire room was tense, the Hev guards with eyes wide. Only the assistant was unreadable.
In his own party, he could see in his peripheral vision, that Logus and Decinus were likewise tense. Only Kell seemed calm; if anything, he had simply a detached curiosity about the whole ordeal.
Then Ks’Kull laughed.
Other Terrestrial 
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