Re: The Dividing Line - Station
Draven nodded.
"In your position, I'd feel the same way. Although I suspect they didn't improve it, more simply tried to change it to target a different species. Frankly, they have no idea what they're doing with the damn thing, and they're too sure of themselves to stop and think there are things better left untouched and roads better not taken. So many are blinded by their hatred towards the Ashotur and Nnyarthall for what they did to the humans in our galaxy, yet they fail to realize of anyone I've lost more than any of them did. Yet I oppose the use of this, I felt we should have turned over the genetic sequences of the thing to your research departments for studying to find a cure or destroyed all of it, left no trace of it. Instead, they continue what the Ashotur did in defiling Allison's memory."
As he spoke, the Telarin would sense the Ingrali was becoming both bitter, and very tense, and he might suspect if another Ingrali were present, Draven might actually attack them.
After a few moments, he turned to Vigil and spoke, this time it was colder, but with a calculated purpose.
"I plan on deceiving them. I plan to lie and say I reconsidered deployment of it and used it either in the attack to take this station, or in defense of it. I need the appropriate materials to make it appear it was used here, and had no effect on the Nnyarthall bodies, while killing three of your kind. For that purpose I will need at least two or three of the bodies we left behind, samples from them, as well as three damaged samples of Telarin DNA and fill the bio-weapons genome into those damaged areas to simulate what it would have done if it actually had been used. Then, with some modifications to the security footage, we can actually make it come to life enough to even make ourselves question if we actually did this or not. We'll need Nadia's help for that unless you think we can hack the station's systems without getting caught and get what we need. Then, I intend to send a databurst to them and tell them your people and the humans are asking questions about where it came from. I'll casually drop a line about perhaps telling them where it actually did come from, which should be enough to get them to recall and destroy all samples of it. If they can be made to see past their own arrogance the threat this poses to not only your own people, but it being useless on the intended target, they'll want no part of it. I dislike having to do this, but ... they've left me little choice in the matter. I will die before I allow this weapon to be used, but this is my fear is that should I be killed, it would be used. Not all of us feel comfortable using it, but we're unfortunately a small number. Fortunately for all of you, they won't use it while I'm still alive. I'm ... the oldest of us Vigil. In our society, the older ones tend to call the shots, and most of those who oppose this weapon are the oldest. Right now, it's a fragile thing, which is why I feel we must make a move now, before anything can happen."
He was silent for a long moment before admitting something else to Vigil.
"Were it not for an oath of revenge I took to avenge Allison's death by those bastards, once seeing this bio-weapon threat gone, I might do you the personal favor of leaving and ensuring we never return to this galaxy. I'm sure of anyone, you know though that one's sense of duty comes before anything else, and I will not break my word, especially to someone now deceased."
As he spoke about her, Vigil might notice the Ingrali's eyes move over to a display screen on one side of the room. If he looked, he'd see a stunningly attractive (for a human anyway, not sure by Telarin standards), woman with brown hair. From the way the Ingrali looked at it, Vigil might guess this was Allison, who seemed to be quite happy in it. The Ingrali stood next to her in it, the two seeming to be close enough in the picture that Vigil got the sense this woman had been far more than a friend to Draven.