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“We’re not in any danger of running out of anything anytime soon,” opined Sanada, “Food, water, shelter and warmth have been met as the bare minimum for our continued survival. But it will take at least three years before any advanced factories we make can operate at sufficient efficiency, and for our labor force to be skilled enough to maintain a constant, regular output of goods.”
<span class="mu-i">Too long,</span> Keimann thought. His thoughts were matched by the council’s faces, bearing varying degrees of visible concern. Hushed whispers broke out among the archons, among themselves and within their own private cliques. <span class="mu-i">Too long to get anything meaningful done before the Tof come back.</span>
Kituh stood, clearing his throat: “We’ve been approached by a spacefaring race of bipedal reptilians known as the Teladi. They own a small cluster of systems erring towards the galactic southeast relative to our position.”
Now that was a surprise. Of course, Keimann had already been briefed about this first contact prior to the meeting, but the Bothan had been sparse on any details. Citing the need to present it only once rather than twice. As a result, he was just as in the dark as the majority were.
“Never heard of them,” mused Sho, the first to break the silence. “Or at least met one on the slavers’ markets.”
“They had a moderate success of keeping the Tof out of their space,” Crane reported. “I had to scour the piggies’ records since they really don’t like recording their losses, but they kept a handful of after-action reports in their skirmishes with the Teladi. The lizards play a very defensive game, trading with other powers with a massive merchant marine, but violently enforce their borders with an equally sizable navy.”
What she didn’t say was that the Teladi would sooner kill themselves than be taken to be slaves. A sentiment that Keimann felt conflicted on, and couldn’t make up his mind whether or not it was cowardly of them, or the sensible thing to do.
“The Teladi are willing to offer a line of credit, and access to their industries and shipyards,” Kituh resumed. “Their ambassador informed me that their nation would be more than willing to back us against our war against the Tof.”
“How much credit?” asked Aure.
“Enough to build at least three fleets of warships, and accelerate our infrastructure effort by a significant margin. Not only the tools to build equipment, but the tools that make the tools that make them.”
Sanada was furiously scribbling in his notepad, exchanging hushed whispers with Taski. Aure remained impassive, but whistled. The aides talked animatedly, excitedly at the prospect of an ally against their former masters. Only Crane sported a scowl, and Kituh pulled nervously at the top of his robes.
The former could be written off as her general sour personality. But this must have been a part of the “finer details” that the Bothan hadn’t been too eager to share.
(cont.)