As the envoy had neglected to inform her coworkers that she was taking a trip on the experimental shuttle, her return and request for docking clearance caused more than a little chaos among the alliance negotiation team.


    There were rules and protocols, safety measures, and security checks to be done before an envoy boarded any vessel, much less an experimental one that had almostpletely escaped their sensors.


    It had done such a good job that their first thought was that it was one of the Hunter''s vessels. The unique warp signature informed them otherwise, but they didn''t know until it returned that an envoy was on board.


    Max had the dubious honour of hearing about the protocols in great detail from the Alliance security team, who were less than impressed with everyone involved.


    "I think this is a cultural mimunication. Among the Reavers, an envoy is usually apany Commander or their second inmand, and they have the authority to decide almost everything on their own.


    If they want to take a research trip or spend time bonding with their allies, there is no reason they would need to ask permission." He tried to exin to the Giants crowding his office.


    "You would let your leaders depart without oversight?" One of thewyers asked.


    "My second inmand is on that shuttle with the envoy. Not only would I let it happen, I already did."


    That seemed to calm them down, and only the Illithid knew just how annoyed Max was with this new headache.


    "We will leave you with a copy of the resolutions on interspecies envoy interactions to read at your leisure. I would rmend using a learning device, though, as they are upward of thirty thousand pages." Thewyer finally agreed, withdrawing hisints.


    The Valkia envoy looked at Max for a moment, then at the Illithid, who was trying not tough. "I would like to note for the record that the chances of humans actually learning the regtions andplying with them are roughly zero.


    I suggest that a notation is made in the species logs informing future envoys to self-govern if they are not going to abide by human customs during their interactions with the Reavers."


    Now the Illithid was clearlyughing and poking Max in the side.


    "If they had just started with that, we could have saved a whole fifteen-minute lecture on rules and regtions."


    The Valkia gave him a curious look, then asked the question that all of the Alliance members were wondering.


    "Has interacting with the humans perhaps altered your ethical indoctrination?"


    The Illithid shook his head. "No, it''s all still there, but while I am in the employ of the Terminus Trading Company, it is only right that I abide by their rules and culture. I must say, it is really quite refreshing, and my kinsmen felt the same as when they came to visit."


    "So, an Illithid has modified their behaviour to fit in with a human crew? That itself is a remarkable feat of political maneuvering. I have never known an Illithid to be concerned about what others thought of them before." The Vakia Envoy reminded him.


    "It''s not that I am concerned that they might be offended or otherwise disconcerted by my standard behaviour. They were quite epting of the entire group that I arrived with. It is just that the human behaviour model is quitepatible with Illithid logic. They are spurious but not insensible. They take action the moment that they determine the most desirable course of action, the same as the Illithid, but without our immense amounts of data to base their actions on.


    It is an interesting model, and the fashion isn''t bad either."


    That was enough to make the Giants smile. The Illithid loved fashion for their environmental suits, though they didn''t wear clothing on their natural bodies.


    "Fine, I will ept that for now, but be aware that I will be questioning our ship''s Illithid Advisor about this matter so that I can get greater detail on the interactions between Illithid and Human cultures in the name of preventing cultural incidents." The Giant agreed.


    "Feel free to bring them here as well. There is a sanitary hot spring reserved exclusively for Illithid on the top floor of the cruise ship, so we can exit our suits in public and rx in the waters. They''re nearly a perfect replica of the pressurized volcanic hot springs on our homeworld." The Illithid suggested.


    [He can hear you right now, can''t he?] Max asked his advisor as he went on about the hot springs.


    [Of course. We canmunicate with each other from across the. Hearing each other from one ship to another in orbit is no big deal.]


    [Then I will make arrangements in preparation for another guest. That line about pressurized volcanic hot springs made even me want to go on vacation.]


    There was a rising buzz in the back of Max''s mind, the telltale sign of excited Innu, whose thoughts always reminded him of toddlers after downing an energy drink. Even when they looked calm on the outside, their thoughts were moving in a dozen different directions at once, and when they were excited, it was even worse.


    "I think we should wait around for our dear Innu ambassador. They have exited the shuttle already, and they are on their way here to my office. I can''t tell what they want, Innu''s thoughts are a jumble to me, but they are clearly excited to talk to me about something." Max informed the rest of the negotiation team.


    "She just finished a flight in an experimental stealth shuttle. What else could she have to discuss that would be so urgent that she woulde straight to the Commander of the ship?" The Valkia pondered out loud.


    "Knowing her? It could be almost anything, but if the flight went well, there is a good chance that she will want somethingpletely random that she happened to see while she was with the research team." The Giant replied with a sigh.