Chapter Fifteen, Part Two

"Hello?" Dan knocked on the metal door of the Verol government office. "Anyone home?"

Passerbyes gave him sorted looks, mostly disinterested glances. No one was rude, but they took care to avoid any conversation. Dan sighed and knocked again, louder and with more urgency.

"I'm looking for the Governor of this settlement," Dan raised his voice until it echoed from the buildings. "I want to discuss the upcoming vote for the senate representative."

"KEEP IT DOWN," The door flew open, an older, craggy Vernol exposed to the afternoon light. "Are you trying to wake the whole town?"

"Wake?" Dan struggled to contain a laugh, the little fellow acted ten feet tall, despite being less than half that. "Are your people nocturnal?"

"What? No," The Vernol squinted up at him. "The young and old sleep away the hottest part of the day, most things will open again in a few hours."

The man moved to close the door, but Dan gripped the metallic frame and halted its progress. He was tempted to simply add these people to the Killik hive mind and be done with it. Joiners were loyal, if lacklustre, subjects.

"Hold up, are you the Governor?" Dan pried the door open, despite the little man's efforts. "I just want a quick chat, once we're on the same page I'll be out of your hair."

"I don't have any hair," the Vernol grunted, muscles strained against Dan's freakish strength. "What are you, a Wookee?"

"No," Dan finally laughed as the blood vessels throbbed under the fellow's skin. "Now stop that, you'll pop a vein!"

"Fine!" The man gave up and stomped back into the building. "Yes, I'm the governor around here, you can call me Tog'rae." He looked over his shoulder and motioned Dan inside. "Come on, I want to get back to my nap!"

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"So," Tog'rae squatted onto a rounded cushion, positioned behind a simple wooden desk. "What do you want?"

"That's my question," Dan tapped his palms against the wood between them. "What do you and your people need?"

The Vernol leaned back and appraised Dan, eyes almost closed. He placed his hands on his rounded belly and grunted.

"Your little Wife has asked me the same question, every week for the past three months," Tog'rae drummed a rhythm on his skin, fingers in a complicated dance. "I'll tell you what I told her, we have all we need. If it was up to us, we wouldn't be joining the Republic at all."

"Well, my chosen representative will certainly win the vote," Dan sighed as he met the Venol's eyes. "We will join the republic, not even I can stop that now." He pulled a holo-projector from his suit and placed it on the table. "I came here today to find out what your concerns are. I can see that you don't need resources, how about guaranteed rights?"

The device blossomed in a flush of light, a representation of the Venol's continent. The view zoomed out to include the ocean around, as well as three smaller islands.

"These are the unofficial territories of the Vernol, granted by the inhabitants of Garnib," Dan waved at the hologram. "Right now, anyone can settle these lands. I propose to grant the Vernol control over this area, a sovereign state that will operate without tariffs."

Tog'rae's face revealed no reaction as he gazed at the display. The Vernol's fingers maintained their drum solo atop his belly, the only sign the man was still awake. Dan pressed on and shifted the image to a full map of Garnib.

"Right now, the planet is still a frontier world. All settlement is permitted, without any official approval."

Various sections lit up to display the four factions on the planet. Blue for the bears, covered most of the planet. The corporate interest was a smudge of green that dotted the land, while the Kryptonians were a single gold light. The Vernol stood alone, a patch of red isolated in the north.

"Once we gain a place in the senet, land rights will get hammered into law." Dan gave Tog'rae a small smile as the display vanished. "If you want to ensure this land stays in the hands of the Vernol, I'd appreciate your support when the vote comes."

"Why do you care about our votes?" Tog'rae broke his silence. "You said it yourself, your representative will win, either way. Why force us to do more than abstain, as we always do in these situations?"

Dan hesitated. He couldn't exactly explain his system quest, not without the appearance of insanity. He worded his response carefully, focused on a part of the truth.

"This planet will be my home for a long time, the first home of my people in this galaxy," Dan spoke from the heart. "I want all the beings of this world to live their best lives, whatever that is. I want the first of my people born here to see fulfilled, happy examples of how to be."

Tog'rae returned to silence and Dan's mind idled on the use of Killik pherimons once more. How evil was it really? Joiners were notoriously happy. He could even use this small settlement as a test, to see how it affected a larger population…

"I will speak with my people," Tog'rae thumped his belly as rolled to his feet. "We will send word in less than a galactic standard week."

"Alright," Dan nodded as he followed the man's que and rose to leave. "I hope to hear good news soon!"

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"Better, boy, but not good enough," Etrigan danced around Dan's heat vision, mockery on his face. "You must be fluid… off the cuff!"

A warning sounded in his brain, too late to save him. The demon's foot found the side of his head, a blow that turned his world white. Sound and vision failed, just a muted, empty void to fill his senses.

A chime, repetitive and insistent, called him back to reality. Etrigan's face grinned in his sight, but Dan ignored him, focused on the system message in the corner of his vision.

[Congratulations! Quest has reached one hundred percent completion! Distributing rewards now!]