The hall was full, packed from wall-to-wall with rows of benches and a sea of at least two-hundred human faces. Punctuating the abundance of varied Earthly skin tones, there were heads of white and masks of pale azure to give the audience a truly unique appearance. The number of A’li-uud in attendance was greater than any orientation prior, and I knew it was due to raging curiosity about the identity and status of the Conquest bomber.

It was the first time I had been in the Colonist Headquarters since construction had finished, and I felt a streak of pride for my people as I looked around. We had used a large amount of glittering purple aspex, the nearly-impenetrable geode native to Montemba, for both structure and aesthetics, which cast the vast room in a soothing violet glow each time the blazing white sun hung low enough to cast its rays through the wide, reaching windows. Where aspex was absent, raw and smoothed t’kiel logs offered artistic security with their broad girths and vibrant tawny hues. The ceiling was pitched so high it could have accommodated one of our small incognito shuttles, and from its center beam dangled three chandeliers sporting twenty-six candles each, accessible via a pulley. There was a series of smaller rooms in the rear of the building, but simply seeing the entrance hall in its glorious completion was enough to feel justified in casting a smug glance at General Morgan.

He was in a startlingly good mood. His ruddy face was alight with excitement as he flicked his gaze from face to face, and he even grinned to himself without explanation at random intervals. If we had been intermixed with the crowd, I would not have minded so much, but we were at the head of the hall in seats facing the droves of colonists and Montembans and he was beginning to draw attention to himself.

“You need to comport yourself more appropriately,” I hissed to him through tight lips.

Morgan shot a puff of air through his teeth dismissively. “There are finally women here, and good-looking ones, too.” When I continued to glare, he shook his head. “You wouldn’t understand. You got females of your own kind running every which way.”

I tried not to bristle at the way he said “your own kind” and turned stiffly away from him. Dane, the Elder of our kingdom and my old friend, had gotten to his feet. He stood in the very center of the oratory platform and looked upon the gatherers before him with calm acknowledgment. He was only there to greet and introduce himself to the newcomers, as it was my job to explain the finer details of their new life on Albaterra, but I wanted to set an example by showing him the respect he deserved.

The low rumble of voices echoing up to the ceiling evaporated into relative silence, and Dane began to speak. “Welcome, colonists and citizens of Montemba,” he boomed. He spoke English, as A’li-uud was a language only understood by our race. English, however, was spoken by both. I could see several humans leaning forward in their seats with fascination on their faces while others looked wholly disinterested. “I am pleased to see many of you recovered and well in my presence today.”

Out of the corner of my eye, a sudden movement grabbed my attention. I turned my head minutely to locate the source. Sitting in the front row, hands clasped together and eyes riveted on Dane, was Celine, her blonde friend beside her. Immediately, my focus on my Elder was lost as I drank in the sight of her. Her brown hair seemed effervescent under the gleam of sun-shimmering aspex, and her skin was pinker and livelier than it had been in the infirmary. There was still visible redness on her neck and chin, but it was beginning to fade from an angry scarlet to soft carmine noticeably. She was back in her travel jumpsuit, adorned from collar to ankle in iron gray. I was unable to refrain from eyeing the smooth curves of her luscious figure through the hugging fabric.

Her gaze broke from Dane and swung, and before I could look away, she spotted me. The air in my lungs constricted until I felt like a great weight was upon my chest. Her mouth opened, lips parting into a delicate ellipse.

“Hi,” she mouthed.

It was simple, so simple it was barely noteworthy, but a jolt of adrenaline shot through my body and plunged into my core. I was acutely aware there were almost three-hundred sentients before me, however, able to witness my every move, so I tightened my muscles into controlled rigidity and merely offered her an imperceptible nod in return.

“I am honored to now introduce you to Montemba’s highly-skilled and accoladed War Chief, Lokos. Thank you for your attention.”

Hearing my name yanked me back into the present, and I rose to my feet. The humans began to clap, an uneven and jarring noise that rose to the ceiling before cascading upon us in bullets, but I opted not to acknowledge it as applauding was not an A’li-uud custom. Dane inclined his head to me as I took his place on the platform, and I mirrored the gesture before turning to the crowd.

“This is a most unusual orientation,” I began, not one for preface or preamble. I watched several sets of eyebrows shoot up toward hairlines in surprise at my bluntness, but I was not deterred. “Not only am I looking upon the first human civilians to colonize Albaterra, but I am also looking upon the first human civilians to survive an unanticipated attack by an unknown force in our journey to true coexistence.”

The silence within the hall was utterly deafening. Unlike Dane, I was given fixed attention from every being inside the walls, and I could feel the fear rippling through the congregation in the whispers of their bated breath. I tried to slowly swivel my stare from one side of the room to the other, but my eyes continuously rotated back to Celine, and I began to speak autonomously rather than cognitively.

“It is imperative you understand what this means,” I continued. The beautiful brunette was clutching her friend’s hand now, and she looked terrified. “It is likely there will be another attack. The assailants may target another group of incoming colonists, or they may decide to focus on Albaterra itself. As we do not yet know who is behind the Conquest’s bombing, we have no foundation for determining reason or intent. This means you must adhere to the laws and regulations you will learn about today. You cannot take matters into your own hands, and you cannot operate under the guise that a small infraction will harm none. We are here today in this hall together in pursuit of a strong alliance between our two races, and, if we are to be successful, we must remain vigilant for the safety of ourselves and one another.”

I was by no means a seasoned speaker, nor was I trained in the art of motivation, but the audience was watching me as if I were the only thing in the universe. The listening A’li-uud had visibly tensed as I spoke, not because they were offended by my words but because they understood the weight of them. The humans were exponentially more emotional. Most had become living masks of panic, and a fistful was visibly shaking. The warrior within me would have rolled his eyes at such a vulnerable response to danger, but the War Chief inside was more understanding. The greatest threat humans had faced in nearly their entire existence was themselves. To be uprooted to a new planet with unfamiliar beings, and then to learn there was a new brand of unfamiliar beings intent on causing some manner of harm or homicide, was reasonably alarming.

“The Elder Council is already working together with the present human authorities to learn as much as they can about the new threat as quickly as possible,” I added. I turned my eyes to Celine, then, staring back at her unabashedly. “In the meantime, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. Welcome to Albaterra.”