Free Alien Refuge by Tracy St. John Page A

be realized is to shortchange the universe. There is no greater crime.’ I must obey my faith, even if it runs counter to my Dramok’s wishes.”
    Ospar threw his hands up in the air in surrender. He knew when he was defeated. Fortunately, losing to his clanmates didn’t sting as much as losing to others. “Fine. You can introduce me at our earliest convenience.”
    Jol’s com beeped for his attention, and he answered it privately. “Yes? Very good. We are on our way.” He shut it off and stood. “Councilman Maf’s shuttle has landed. Borl is escorting him to his guest quarters.”
    Ospar rose from his perch on Jol’s desk. “I alerted our kitchen staff to be ready to serve dinner should the councilman desire an immediate in-depth meeting. Will you join us in welcoming him, Rivek?”
    “Of course. Don’t forget the pie, Jol.”
    Jol came around his desk, clutching the food container as if it was found treasure. “You know that is not a possibility.”
    The three men headed out, Ospar giving Rivek the particulars of their important guest. Rivek, who kept up in all matters to do with Haven, didn’t require much briefing. Ospar was glad the Imdiko kept himself aware of things important to his Dramok. It added further ease to the stress-free day he’d enjoyed, something Ospar was grateful for since it might go late with the councilman’s arrival.
    The clan traveled to the guest lodgings in the Kalquorian village, located at the north edge of Haven Colony. Like the rest of the colony, the buildings here were all Earther-style construction. The thought had been that if the Kalquorians lived more like their former enemies, it would help encourage Earthers to see the many similarities between the two species. It was also hoped that Earther females would be more open to considering Kalquorian men as viable mates.
    Ospar was well aware of the three-fold mission of the colony under his command. First and foremost was the need to give Earthers the opportunity to recover from the war. Their numbers had been devastated by Armageddon, especially the women who hadn’t often been found off their home planet.
    Secondly had been the Empire’s need to offer some reparation to the survivors. The blasts that had doomed Earth had been an accident and a direct consequence of Earth’s leadership, but Kalquor took the blame anyway. It had been the attempt to invade their enemy’s home base had set off the bombs planted beneath Earth’s major cities. Haven was part of that effort at atonement.
    Third was the hope that bringing Earthers within the Empire, making them a part of its realm, would lead to increased breeding between the two races. Kalquor still teetered on the brink of extinction. Only the hybrid children of the indigenous population and Earthers could save its culture. It was no accident Ospar had been assigned governorship of Haven. He had worked behind the scenes since the very beginning to bring Earther women to Kalquor, to make them part of the clans. It had been his idea to send an old friend’s clan to the planet Plasius four years ago to test an Earther for breeding compatibility. When that compatibility had been confirmed he had, with the reluctant approval of the emperors and most of the council, issued the order for other women to be seduced and sometimes outright abducted to Kalquor.
    In the intervening years, Ospar had become ashamed of the forced clannings he’d instigated. But the Kalquorians would be disappearing in less than 300 years, so he’d pushed the cause. He’d soothed his conscience by carefully selecting the clans for those first Earther women. He’d personally chosen Kalquorians who would do their utmost to make their unwilling Mataras happy. It was an uneasy compromise, even when he’d been utterly convinced he was doing the best thing for the Empire. He still hadn’t quite reconciled himself to his spearheading the scheme, even though the overwhelming majority of those first Mataras