It wasn’t that the information wasn’t truthful or even that I was trying to hide my search. I wanted it from different sources. I didn’t search for anything overt, but I could find facts within general searches.

A historical search on ‘Augo’ pretty much confirmed what Matros said. The Ryba were primitive, and they stayed like that for eons. It wasn’t their fault. Water’s a fire-less environment. They couldn’t easily forge metal, mix chemicals or test the world around them.

When the Volardi found them, volcanoes already polluted their water until they were half gone. Other people could say, ‘half-dead’. Those that were left were sickly. They were farmers – and still were – but nothing would grow. The Volardi cleaned their water, built the domes, and healed their sick. Then took one-third of the planet as the agreed upon compensation.

My lips pursed into a questioning frown. They weren’t benevolent aliens that came down and fixed everything for free. They weren’t monsters either, but they wanted payment for helping.

I’ll scratch your back and you scratch mine I guess?

Thick hands took me out of my thoughts and I jerked up.

“This is interesting. What is my new Femeni doing?”

I wouldn’t lie. He was my mate, and the smell would give off any falsehood. Pity we don’t have that back on Earth. Might be a few better marriages.

“Decided to look up information.”

He let out a wondering murmur. “And you found?”

“Lots of things. The men have two mates. It’s almost like some Volardi. Although they have two women and they’re both warriors and fallback leaders if needed. That’s not the most interesting though…” I pointed to an image of a short male Ryba swimming in the water. “You saved them… uh, the Volardi did.”

He nodded slowly. “I believe your people go, ‘but’”

“You took a third of their planet.”

“Does this bother you?”

“You could have saved them and asked for nothing.”

His head rose, and he looked off as he took in my words. “On Earth. Do Humans perform services without payment?”

Some did, but I understood what he was getting at. “No. Most don’t.”

“And yet… you find trouble with what we did?”

“No, it’s the price.”

Fingers on my back stiffened yet remained gentle. “One of our previous empires, would bomb the world from orbit for the slightest offense. Now, we ask if they want our help. If they do not, we leave.”

“Like you did with Earth?”

“You know this isn’t true. Your old home is different. Our race was facing extinction. Your people can eat, they have clothing, and technological marvels most races don’t have. Your planet did well as did our empire.”