Chapter 4.7 : Under Another Roof

Chaala remains largely quiet during the ride. She tries to remember every element of the route but is overwhelmed by the conscious obfuscation. She focuses on sound tone and smells after that, comparing the possible routes to her memory of the orbital images of the city. She listens for areas that are not the urban canyons necessitated by the extreme population density. When they come out near a single story building sufficiently far from the nearly claustrophobic density of the city core that it eliminates a lot of possiblities.

Of course, this is almost certainly not where they are being held. Even if they are confident we don't have an inertial tracker they have to suspect we have orbital sensing capability.

When the vehicle stops she waits for everyone. "When we go in, give her the option to speak first. She may not want to or be able, but we don't want to deny her the opportunity if she wants to express something to us before we get into a situation where our words change things."

Bohdie, at first, thought of trying to make a mental map, but quickly gives up on the idea. He chooses, instead, to concentrate on studying the Alejia with them. He is careful not to hold his eyes in such a way as to cause concern. When they arrive in the courtyard, he checks his watch and notes both the time displayed and the position of the sun, but says nothing. He nods at Chaala’s instructions but says nothing unless directly asked.

Inside the vehicle, Virel noticed at a glance what Chaala and Bohdie were attempting and quietly made note of it. He then looked toward the Alejia accompanying them, offered a slight nod, and closed his eyes.

Outwardly, he appeared calm, compliant, and entirely unthreatening. He listened to the movement of the vehicle and the sounds around them. Inwardly, he used the silence to steady his thoughts and prepare for the next step in the process.

When they arrived, Virel listened to Chaala’s instructions without reply. He simply turned toward the entrance where Dominicus waited.

Victor eyed the vehicle that reminded him of some containment vehicle carrying highly biohazardous materials. He didn't say anything though and quietly entered the vehicle. During the transport he remained focused on keeping his equipment close to himself and focused more on checking if they were alright. When the vehicle stopped, he finally disembarked and looked at the lone one-storey building wondering in what condition he would meet Dominicus. He listened to the captain's direction and followed the team towards the building.

The woven screens beyond the entrance are drawn aside one after another, revealing a short passage lit by filtered daylight. Pale plastered walls enclose shelves holding clay vessels, folded cloths, and several small marker-staffs. Nothing identifies the building’s purpose. It might be a guesthouse, a council annex, or simply neutral ground chosen because none of the parties can claim it as their own.

Seváhn leads the delegation into a broad rectangular room. Low benches line the walls, but the center has been prepared for a meal. Two tables stand at an angle to one another rather than directly facing. The larger is plain but sturdy, surrounded by several mismatched chairs. The smaller table is noticeably finer, with polished wood, thicker cushions, and serving vessels decorated with dark geometric bands. Two Xá’kai witnesses remain near the entrance with their staffs upright beside them. Ziyótl Toha’kai enters with the delegation but pauses near Seváhn rather than immediately joining either table.

Silvia Dominicus is already standing when they enter.

She is thinner than the images in the Harrier’s personnel files, and her plain Alejia clothing hangs more loosely than it was likely intended to. Her Scout field jacket has been cleaned and repaired, though the insignia has been removed. Her hair is shorter and unevenly cut, and fading discoloration remains along one side of her face. Doctor Shone sees no obvious indications of starvation, chemical impairment, or untreated major trauma. Dominicus stands without assistance, tracks every person entering the room, and appears fully alert.

The change in her expression when she recognizes the delegation is immediate and genuine. Relief breaks through the careful control she has developed, but only for a moment. Before addressing Chaala, Dominicus turns toward Ziyótl and offers a formal Alejia greeting. Her pronunciation is not perfect, but the phrasing is deliberate, and her posture follows the same restrained courtesy the crew observed in the Market.

Ziyótl’s expression brightens.

"Your words have improved, Silvia Dominicus. You placed the greeting correctly this time."

There is unmistakable pride in the response, though Ziyótl quickly restores the formal bearing of the Speaker Under Knot.

Dominicus answers in Anglic, allowing the human delegation to hear the exchange clearly.

"I had an exacting teacher."

She turns toward Chaala and the others.

"Captain Angushlii, this is Ziyótl Toha’kai of the Zahá’to, Speaker Under Knot for this accounting. Ziyótl speaks Anglic exceptionally well, probably better than most people you have encountered since reaching Marinagua."

The statement is delivered warmly rather than as a warning.

"Ziyótl has also helped my crew receive treatment, food, and an explanation when one could be provided. I consider Ziyótl a friend."

Dominicus looks briefly toward the envoy.

"A friend who also has duties."

Ziyótl inclines their head, accepting both the compliment and the qualification without protest.

Only then does Dominicus cross the room. The formal restraint falls away as she greets the humans according to familiar custom. Chaala receives the first embrace, firm enough to convey genuine relief but controlled enough not to disturb the careful arrangement of the room. As Dominicus’s left hand settles briefly against Chaala’s shoulder, the fingers of her right hand make a small, practiced motion close to her body.

It is an old Scout field signal: Safe. Functional. Not acting under immediate duress.

Chaala recognizes it immediately. Virel may know it from diplomatic work with Scout personnel, and Bohdie may have encountered it during operational training. To Doctor Shone, it appears to be no more than an incidental movement during the embrace.

At the same moment, Dominicus slips a narrow folded strip of material into the inner edge of Chaala’s field jacket. The movement is hidden by the embrace and completed without any change in expression. Dominicus gives no indication that Chaala should read it now.

The note says:

Do not discuss the Cutter, Harrier access, or the lunar site. Crew alive when last known, but separated. The ambush was arranged. Ask who benefited, not only who attacked. Do not demand release yet. Read only after return. Destroy this.Dominicus embraces Virel, Bohdie, and Doctor Shone in turn, adapting the gesture slightly to each person rather than forcing familiarity where it might be unwelcome. She is openly pleased to see all four, but the greetings also allow her to assess posture, equipment, injuries, and reactions at close range before the formal conversation begins.

Before anyone can begin asking questions, several Alejia attendants enter carrying covered dishes, bowls, cups, and warmed serving vessels. Dominicus steps aside and directs the arrangement with enough confidence to suggest that the meal was requested well in advance.

"I asked that we eat before the accounting begins in earnest. Standing strangers ask questions like opponents. People seated over food sometimes remember they are trying to understand one another."

The remark is directed to the whole room, but Dominicus turns respectfully toward the two witnesses.

"The witness-table was prepared with the better chairs and the better light. Those carrying the words of others should not be made uncomfortable while doing so."

Ziyótl renders the statement into Alejia. The witnesses examine the finer table, the cushions, and the placement of the serving dishes. The arrangement visibly grants them the superior position in the room without excluding them from the gathering. After a brief exchange with Seváhn, they accept the seats.

Ziyótl is invited to join them. As Speaker Under Knot, the place is appropriate, and refusing it would diminish the status Dominicus has publicly granted to their role. Ziyótl takes the chair nearest the end of the witnesses’ table, leaving the human delegation at the larger table several meters away.

The angle between the tables is not accidental. The witnesses can see the humans clearly, but they cannot easily follow every lowered word while eating, speaking among themselves, or receiving explanations from Ziyótl. Clay cups, serving utensils, the movement of attendants, and the ordinary sounds of a shared meal create intermittent cover. It is not privacy, and Dominicus knows better than to treat it as such, but it prevents the Alejia from controlling every rhythm of the opening conversation.

Dominicus seats Chaala beside her, with Virel close enough to participate without raising his voice. Bohdie and Doctor Shone take the remaining places. The food includes familiar grain cakes, cooked vegetables, sliced roasted meat from an unidentified local animal, several mild sauces, and a separate plate of human ration bars and preserved fruit. Dominicus has clearly learned which Alejia dishes the Scouts tolerate safely.

For the first few minutes, Dominicus speaks openly and at normal volume, asking about the journey to Marinagua, the condition of their vessel, and whether the crew has been treated correctly at the starport. The questions are harmless and give the witnesses nothing to object to. They also allow Dominicus to watch how the delegation answers and whether anyone has already developed dangerous assumptions about Alejia courtesy.

When the serving dishes begin moving and the witnesses turn their attention toward a quiet exchange with Seváhn, Dominicus lowers her voice slightly.

"Be careful with every answer you give here. I was trained to negotiate before I ever commanded the Harrier, and after six months I am still learning what I failed to hear in conversations I thought I understood."

She breaks a grain cake and dips one edge into a pale sauce, keeping the movement casual.

"The Alejia are masters of negotiation. That is not flattery. It is how so many tribes, courts, obligations, and rival claims occupy the same city without settling every disagreement through violence."

Dominicus’s gaze moves briefly toward the witnesses’ table before returning to Chaala.

"There are at least six factions or tribal authorities exercising control within Balac Pontli. Possibly more. I still cannot tell when two names describe separate powers, subordinate groups, temporary alliances, or the same people speaking through different obligations."

Her tone remains measured.

"Do not mistake that complexity for disorder. Someone here usually knows exactly which obligation is being moved and who gains when it moves."

Dominicus allows the conversation to rise again as an attendant approaches, thanking them in careful Alejia and asking that another dish be placed near Doctor Shone. Only after the attendant moves away does she ask the question she has clearly been holding since the delegation entered.

"Voss?"

When told that Voss is alive, Dominicus’s relief is unmistakable. Her eyes close for half a second, and some of the tension leaves her shoulders.

"Good. I did not know whether anyone reached the Harrier before they found him."

Her next question sounds equally natural.

"And the Cutter?"

As she speaks, Dominicus’s hand rests near the edge of the table. Two fingers make another brief Scout signal, almost hidden beneath the movement of reaching for a cup.

No. Do not answer. Not here.

Dominicus smiles as though expecting an ordinary report, giving the delegation every opportunity to provide a vague or harmless response.

The meal continues around them, bowls passing between hands and conversations overlapping across the room. Ziyótl remains friendly, attentive, and close enough to intervene if the formal boundaries of the meeting are crossed. Dominicus treats the envoy with genuine warmth, but never forgets that the Speaker Under Knot is present to carry Alejia obligations, not to protect Scout secrets.

The food, the seating, the greetings, and even the embraces have given Dominicus only a narrow advantage. It is not control of the meeting.

It is enough room to begin.

Chaala keeps her tone light when she speaks, yet chooses her words carefully, knowing there are several audiences.

"Sounds like you've had more opportunity than planned to learn about the Alejia. We are only starting to understand how obligation works and we're hoping to unravel the seeming tangle of obligation that holds you here so that you and your crew can return to your other obligations."

Virel remained close beside Chaala, watching both the exchange with Dominicus and the reactions of everyone else in the room. He recognized the Scout signals, but gave them no more attention than an expected greeting.

For now, he kept his expression neutral and allowed Chaala to lead the conversation. His attention moved quietly between the others noting what was said and how it was received without appearing to study any of them too closely.

There would be time later to discuss what they had seen in private. Here it was better to listen and observe.

When embraced by Dominicus, Bohdie says, "It is good to see you well, Dominicus. Please forgive me if I am too informal, we have not been properly introduced. You can call me Bohdie. I am acquainted with a friend of yours, Deyra Halsson, who has commanded me to convey her greetings. You, of course, know she awaits your return." Bohdie keeps his voice low, but not in a deceptive way, but just to keep the greeting low key. He does, as a matter of fact, know the silent hand and finger movements, but does not acknowledge them in any way. Beyond that, he steps back and lets everything else happen. It is only after the sit down that he really begins to take note of her behavior in that way a seasoned and trained investigator and undercover agent does. As he observes, he grazes on the food provided. He will periodically ask about a specific food and write down details about it in the notebook he brought, using the food entries as code about his observations, including the size and details of the room, which may, later, provide some insight into the nature of the building.

The moment Victor saw Dominicus, his mind started studying her like a patient. He noticed her face and her gait, her eyes and voice, even how she embraced. He thanked her and introduced himself as the doctor of the group and then sat silently letting Chaala and others do the important talking. After initial conversation was done, he mumbled and said, "I don't mean to imply anything or influence any obligations already working or placed upon us." He then eyed Chaala and Virel once and then looked at Dominicus. "It is just that being the medical professional of the team, I wish to do a preliminary check-up of you so as to record the current health status of yours. I can see you are doing fine. But if I don't collect the appropriate data then I won't have anything to log. Keeping an imaginary record can be false information and regarding health that would not be prudent. So I ask, can I do a check up on you?"

Dominicus’s Response

Dominicus lets Chaala finish without interrupting. The answer clearly pleases her, though she does not show relief too openly. She breaks another piece from the grain cake and keeps her voice at a conversational level.

"More opportunity than planned, and less understanding than I would like."

Her gaze briefly includes Ziyótl before returning to Chaala.

"Your approach is sound, but do not assume there is one obligation holding us here. There are several, and they do not all belong to the same people. Some I accepted. Some were placed upon us afterward. Some may exist only because someone with standing has declared that they do."

Dominicus turns the piece of grain cake between her fingers as though considering the food rather than the political implications of her words.

"Before you try to satisfy anything, make them identify each obligation separately. Ask who holds it, what action satisfies it, and who possesses the authority to declare it satisfied. Those may be three different answers. If you ask only what will release us, you may receive a perfectly honest answer that creates another obligation before the first one is closed."

She glances toward the witnesses’ table. Ziyótl is listening, but makes no effort to interrupt or correct her.

"Ziyótl has helped me understand that a promise accepted, a duty recognized, and a claim spoken before witnesses are not necessarily the same thing. That distinction has mattered more than once."

The acknowledgment is offered warmly enough to include Ziyótl in the conversation without suggesting that Dominicus has forgotten the envoy’s duties.

When Bohdie introduces himself and delivers Halsson’s greeting, Silvia’s control slips for the briefest moment. The smile that follows is unmistakably genuine.

"That sounds like Deyra. Giving orders from several worlds away and expecting the universe to comply."

She reaches across the table and briefly touches Bohdie’s forearm in thanks.

"Bohdie, then. No apology is necessary. Tell her I received the order, and tell her I remain on duty."

Dominicus does not comment on Bohdie’s notebook or the regular pattern of his food questions. She answers naturally when he asks about a dish, identifying those she has eaten before and admitting when she does not know an ingredient. Her eyes occasionally follow his stylus for a fraction longer than necessary, but she does nothing that would expose his method. When he asks about the pale sauce, she says that it is made from a fermented root and commonly served with grain cakes. When he asks about the roasted meat, she explains that the Alejia began providing it after learning which local foods the Harrier crew could tolerate safely. Her manner gives Bohdie room to continue without making the questions appear unusual.

Dominicus then turns her attention to Virel. She has already noted his silence, his position beside Chaala, and the way his attention moves through the room without settling conspicuously upon anyone.

"Mr. Kilmire, I suspect the questions you choose not to ask here may matter as much as those you do."

She does not wait for him to explain himself.

"Watch who answers for whom. Someone may speak about an obligation without holding it, and someone may hold it without possessing the authority to settle it. I have made mistakes by treating the person explaining a rule as the person empowered to change it."

Her tone remains courteous, but the warning is direct.

Doctor Shone has remained quiet through the exchange, though from the moment he entered the room his attention has repeatedly returned to Dominicus’s face, gait, eyes, voice, and movements. When the first portion of the conversation reaches a natural pause, he shifts slightly in his chair.

"I do not mean to imply anything or influence any obligations already working or placed upon us."

He glances once toward Chaala and Virel before returning his attention to Dominicus.

"As the medical professional of the team, I would like to conduct a preliminary examination and record your current health status. I can see that you appear to be doing well, but without collecting appropriate information, I would have nothing reliable to enter into the medical record. An assumed record would be false information, and regarding a patient’s health that would not be prudent."

He keeps his tone restrained and professional.

"May I examine you?"

Dominicus does not answer immediately. She looks first toward Doctor Shone’s sealed equipment and then toward Ziyótl and the witnesses’ table. Her expression suggests that she recognizes the importance of the request beyond its immediate medical purpose.
"Yes, and I appreciate that Doctor. I believe you need me to say this, so I consent to an examination." she says with a smile on her face.

She keeps her voice clear enough for the other table to hear.
"I would also like the record to state that I am alert, mentally competent, and speaking for myself. That may become important when others describe what was said here."

Ziyótl translates the exchange for Seváhn and the two witnesses. A brief discussion follows at the other table before Ziyótl turns back toward the humans.

"A physician’s examination is permitted within the sight already granted. Doctor Shone may use the equipment accepted beneath witness. The examination must take place in this room."


Dominicus inclines her head in acknowledgment before addressing Shone again.
"There is nothing I believe to be urgent. I have lost weight, and there are injuries that have already healed or are healing. I will answer what I can."

Doctor Shone gets up and opens his medical bag and pulls out the scanner showing the device to Ziyótl. There is the usual whirling sound of the Medscanner, it's 3d display of Silvia Dominicus first shows her Scout medical log file that Dr. Shone was able to pull form the ISS HArrier's medical files and then is starts to show the changes from the six months of captivity. Dominicus's expression becomes more serious while he examines her. "If you are later permitted to examine the rest of my crew, ask to see each of them separately. Do not allow my condition to be used as proof of theirs."

After the quick but effective examination Dominicus lifts her cup as an attendant approaches the human table. Her voice returns to an ordinary volume, and she asks Ziyótl whether the next dish contains the same root used in the pale sauce. The transition is smooth enough that the quieter discussion appears to have concerned nothing more consequential than the meal.

The opening exchange has not resolved anything, but Dominicus has given the delegation a structure for what follows. They are not searching for a single lock and key. They are facing several overlapping claims, and the people describing those claims may not be the people capable of ending them.

What the Characters Can Determine

Chaala Angushlii

Chaala can determine that Dominicus approves of the delegation’s stated objective but is warning against treating the situation as a single custody dispute. Her distinction between obligations she accepted, obligations later imposed, and claims merely declared indicates that the Harrier crew’s situation evolved after they entered Hídaska protection.

Dominicus’s advice provides Chaala with three questions that should accompany every future negotiation:
Who holds the obligation?
What satisfies it?
Who can formally close it?

Chaala can also determine that Dominicus is deliberately avoiding language such as prisoner, captor, release, or detention. This is not necessarily because those descriptions are false. Dominicus appears to believe that using them before witnesses would narrow the discussion into terms the Alejia could reject without addressing the crew’s actual situation.

Dominicus’s acceptance of Shone’s examination is also deliberate. She is using a routine medical request to establish before witnesses that she is competent, coherent, and speaking voluntarily. Her earlier Scout signal supports that position but does not prove that she is free to leave.

Virel Kilmire

Virel recognizes that Dominicus is describing a negotiation divided among several forms of standing and authority. The person presenting a claim, the person benefiting from it, and the person authorized to settle it may all be different parties.

Her wording is highly deliberate. She does not say that some obligations are false. She says that some may exist because a person with sufficient standing declared them before witnesses. In Virel’s assessment, Alejia negotiations may make a claim politically real before its underlying facts are established.

Dominicus’s emphasis upon asking who may declare an obligation satisfied is especially significant. Virel can infer that performing the requested service or offering the demanded compensation may not be enough unless the correct authority formally acknowledges completion.

Virel also recognizes the diplomatic value of Shone’s examination. Dominicus has accepted it publicly, and Ziyótl has translated that consent before witnesses. A favorable medical assessment could later make it harder for another party to claim that Dominicus was confused, impaired, or incapable of speaking for herself.

Dominicus’s friendship with Ziyótl appears genuine. Her trust is limited by Ziyótl’s office, not by personal hostility. Ziyótl listens carefully to her explanation and does not correct it, suggesting that Dominicus’s distinctions are broadly accurate. However, Ziyótl’s silence does not mean the envoy possesses the authority to resolve any of them.

"Bohdie" Takanamè Tanè Hokuanokada

Bohdie can determine that Dominicus’s reaction to Halsson’s name is genuine. The brief loss of composure precedes her controlled response and is unlikely to be performed for the witnesses. Her statement that she remains on duty is directed toward Halsson but also communicates that Dominicus still considers herself an active Scout officer rather than someone who has accepted permanent residence among the Alejia.

Bohdie also notices that Dominicus recognizes his notebook activity as something more than casual culinary interest. She never looks directly at the coded entries long enough to expose them, but she answers each food question naturally and supplies enough detail to preserve his cover. In Bohdie’s assessment, she is cooperating without acknowledging the method.

From the room and its use, Bohdie can reasonably conclude that this is a prepared meeting location rather than the place where Dominicus normally lives or where the crew is being held. The mismatched human table, superior witness table, lack of personal possessions, controlled entrance, and meal brought in by attendants all suggest temporary or neutral-use space.

He cannot determine whether the building is routinely used for negotiations or was prepared specifically for this meeting. His best assessment is that Dominicus had enough advance warning and influence to request the meal and shape the room’s arrangement, but not enough authority to select the location or remove the witnesses.

Bohdie also observes that Dominicus immediately understood the additional value of Shone’s request. Her response was not merely that of a patient agreeing to treatment. She converted the examination into witnessed evidence of competence without appearing to alter the purpose of the meeting.

Doctor Victor Shone

Doctor Shone’s initial visual observations are confirmed by the personal medscanner. Dominicus is alert, oriented, coordinated, and capable of following several simultaneous conversations. Her speech is organized, her memory appears intact, and she demonstrates planning, situational awareness, and appropriate emotional responses.

The medscanner records stable vital signs: normal body temperature, blood oxygenation, respiration, pulse, and blood pressure. There is no evidence of fever, active infection, internal bleeding, cardiac instability, or an immediate medical emergency.

Dominicus has lost approximately eight percent of her expected body mass since the personnel records stored aboard the Harrier were last updated. The loss is distributed across both body fat and muscle mass. It is medically significant but does not presently meet the threshold for severe malnutrition. The scanner identifies mild protein and micronutrient deficiencies consistent with a restricted but generally adequate diet over an extended period.

Her hydration is within acceptable limits, though slightly below ideal. There are indicators of disrupted sleep and prolonged physiological stress, including elevated stress-hormone markers and incomplete recovery between normal activity cycles. These findings are consistent with sustained uncertainty, confinement, disrupted routine, and responsibility for other people. They do not, by themselves, establish mistreatment.

The discoloration along one side of her face is associated with a healing soft-tissue contusion. There is no facial fracture, ocular damage, or neurological injury. The scan also detects several older, healed injuries, including minor rib and shoulder trauma consistent with an impact or violent fall. None currently require treatment beyond monitoring, nutrition, rest, and gradual physical recovery.

Her gait and embrace show no signs of weakness, tremor, imbalance, involuntary guarding, or severe pain. Musculoskeletal imaging reveals mild deconditioning and residual stiffness but no current fracture or major joint damage.

The medscanner’s toxicology sweep finds no active sedatives, intoxicants, stimulants, psychoactive suppressants, or other substances likely to impair judgment. There is no indication of repeated chemical restraint. It also detects no implanted tracking device, concealed medical implant, or unexplained foreign object.

A brief neurological assessment shows normal pupil response, motor coordination, speech processing, memory recall, and executive function. Dominicus demonstrates the capacity to understand questions, assess consequences, and provide deliberate answers. Based upon the examination, Doctor Shone can medically record that she is conscious, coherent, mentally competent, and not displaying signs of intoxication, sedation, delirium, or acute cognitive impairment.

Doctor Shone cannot determine from the scanner whether Dominicus is under political, cultural, or psychological coercion. Medical competence does not establish freedom of action. Her earlier Scout signal and her conduct during the meeting indicate that she does not consider herself under immediate physical duress, but that conclusion remains separate from the medical findings.

Dominicus’s request that the record include her competence is medically and politically significant. Doctor Shone now possesses objective data supporting her claim that she is speaking knowingly and voluntarily in the immediate medical sense. The examination would make it more difficult for another party to dismiss her statements as the product of injury, confusion, medication, or incapacity.

Her warning concerning the other crewmembers remains equally important. The scanner establishes only Dominicus’s condition. It provides no medical evidence regarding the health, competence, treatment, or freedom of the remaining Harrier crew.

Doctor Shone’s preliminary medical record would state:
Silvia Dominicus is medically stable and presents no immediate threat to life or health. She displays moderate weight loss, mild nutritional deficiency, physical deconditioning, healing soft-tissue trauma, older healed impact injuries, and physiological indicators of chronic stress and disrupted sleep. No active intoxicating, sedating, or judgment-impairing substances were detected. Neurological and cognitive assessment supports that she is alert, oriented, mentally competent, and capable of understanding and answering questions. These findings do not determine whether she is subject to non-medical coercion or free to leave.

Victor listened to Dominicus's advice and started noting all the parameters that he analyzed. Then he smiled and said, "I am pleased to see that you are alright but I will suggest that you take some Vitamin and nutrient supplements. You are alright but you still lost some weight. If you will allow then I can give you some of the supplements that I carry with my medkit."

Doctor Shone’s TreatmentDoctor Shone studies the medscanner readings once more before looking up at Dominicus.


"You have my consent, Doctor."

A faint smile follows.
"I have been eating better than I did during the first weeks, but I will not pretend the diet has been ideal. If you believe the supplements and treatment are appropriate, administer them."

She begins rolling up one sleeve, then pauses.
"Please record exactly what you give me, including the expected fatigue. I would prefer no one later describe a predictable treatment response as illness, weakness, or incapacity."

The request is characteristically careful. Dominicus is accepting medical care while also preventing the effects of that care from being used against her in a later accounting.

Doctor Shone provides the oral supplements first, explaining their purpose as Dominicus takes them with water. He then cleans the injection site and administers the vitamin-mineral preparation, followed by the advanced antibiotic and medical nanobot treatment. The injector produces only a brief pressure against the skin before its indicator changes to confirm delivery.

Dominicus lowers her sleeve and flexes her arm once.
"That was considerably less unpleasant than the local remedies."

The remark is light, but the gratitude behind it is genuine.

Doctor Shone’s Treatment

Ziyótl has listened closely throughout the explanation. Once Doctor Shone has finished, they translate a concise account for Seváhn and the witnesses, emphasizing that Dominicus consented and that the treatment is restorative and preventative rather than an attempt to alter her judgment.

Ziyótl then addresses Doctor Shone in Anglic.
"You named what you observed, what you intended to give, what benefit you expected, and what burden might follow. You asked before acting."

Ziyótl incline their head respectfully.
"This is well done, Doctor Shone. The witnesses understand that any tiredness during the next days may come from the treatment and is not evidence that Silvia Dominicus cannot speak or decide for herself."

Ziyótl looks toward Dominicus with evident approval.
"Your health has been strengthened without placing another unspoken obligation upon you. The care was offered, explained, and accepted before witness."

Doctor Shone’s Treatment
Dominicus meets Ziyótl’s gaze and gives a small nod.
"Then Doctor Shone has managed something useful and politically uncomplicated. I am beginning to think that may be the rarer achievement."

"We look forward to continuing to untangle the knot of obligation and not complicate it to gordian proportions. Such a tangle would serve no one's interest." Chaala acknowledges Dr. Shone's work and Dominicus' appraisal. She hopes Dominicus picks up the reference and that the Alejia cannot.

Dominicus’s mouth turns upward by the smallest degree. She does not look directly at Chaala, instead breaking another piece from the grain cake as though considering only the meal.

"Agreed. A solution may look clean and still destroy the record of how the problem was made. I would rather leave every strand visible until we know who placed it, who tightened it, and who benefits from declaring it impossible to untangle."

She takes a bite and adds in the same conversational tone:

"The quickest answer is rarely the safest one."

The response is entirely appropriate to the discussion of Alejia obligations, but Chaala can tell from the faint amusement in Dominicus’s expression that she understood the reference. Ziyótl may recognize that the two Scouts have exchanged a layered meaning, but nothing in Dominicus’s words gives the envoy or the witnesses reason to challenge it.

Sub-Chapter 4.7.2 The Accounting Opens

As the meal begins to wind down, the attendants remove the larger serving dishes but leave the cups, grain cakes, and smaller bowls in place. The change is subtle, yet the room’s mood shifts with it. Seváhn straightens at the witnesses’ table, and one of the Xá’kai places an old, worn computer tablet between them. The device is sized for Alejia hands, larger and broader than a human tablet, with a casing scuffed by long use and repaired in several places. Compact lines of Alejian script fill its faded display.

Ziyótl sets aside their cup and rises, the silver spear of the Speaker Under Knot held upright beside them.
"Sight has been given. Health has been seen and spoken before witnesses. What follows may be carried into the accounting, but nothing said here will settle it unless those holding the obligations later accept the settlement."


Dominicus does not appear surprised. She folds her hands upon the table and waits until the witnesses are ready before speaking.
"I want the record to distinguish what I know personally from what has been reported to me. I will not claim certainty where I do not have it."


Ziyótl translates the statement into Alejia. One of the witnesses lifts the old computer tablet, enters a brief notation in Alejian, and presses a marker against the display. The action formally records the distinction between what Dominicus knows through direct experience and what has only been reported to her.


Dominicus looks first toward Chaala, then briefly toward Virel.

"After the attack, Troulin was dead. Kade was badly injured, Larsen and Corvan were wounded, and Gruber was still mobile. We had lost transport, communications, and any practical means of returning to the Harrier. The people pursuing us had already demonstrated that surrender to them did not guarantee survival."

Her voice remains controlled. She does not dramatize the memory or attempt to soften it. "The Hídaska offered protection. I accepted it for the surviving members of my crew who were with me. I entered beneath their roof willingly because the alternatives available at that moment were worse."

Dominicus allows Ziyótl to translate before continuing. "The protection was not offered without consequence. The Hídaska assumed responsibility for our shelter, treatment, and conduct. In return, I accepted restrictions upon our movement and communications. I also offered the Cutter as surety."

There is a small movement at the witnesses’ table. Ziyótl glances toward Seváhn before translating the final sentence with particular care. Dominicus watches Chaala’s reaction.

"Surety. Not a gift. Not salvage. Not payment."


Ziyótl speaks before the distinction can be lost.
"In the Hídaska record, the smaller vessel was placed beneath holding as proof that Silvia Dominicus accepted the roof and would not depart while the obligations remained open."



Dominicus inclines her head.
"That is close enough."

She keeps her voice even, but the next words are directed firmly toward the delegation. "Do not demand the Cutter’s return before you understand what its return would mean. If the surety is withdrawn before the protection-debt is closed, the Hídaska may no longer be required to carry the risk they accepted on our behalf."

She pauses before adding:
"That risk is not theoretical. Other people have made claims upon us."

Virel can hear the precision in her wording. Dominicus does not say that the Hídaska would harm the crew. She says that removing the surety could remove the obligation requiring the Hídaska to continue protecting them from others.

Ziyótl translates. This time, Seváhn gives a small confirming inclination.

Dominicus turns toward the witnesses’ table.
"With permission, I would also like the current reports concerning my crew spoken in Anglic."


Ziyótl consults briefly with Seváhn and the witnesses. The exchange is quiet and formal. The witness holding the tablet scrolls through several Alejian entries before adding another notation. After a moment, Ziyótl turns back toward the human table.
"The reports may be carried, but they are not all reports of direct sight."




Dominicus nods. "That is understood."



Ziyótl begins with Feng Larsen.
"Feng Larsen lives. Larsen is able to walk and perform ordinary tasks. The injuries received during the attack are described as healed, though not without lasting discomfort. Larsen remains beneath Hídaska protection."

Dominicus’s expression does not visibly change, but Doctor Shone can see a slight release of tension around her eyes.

Ziyótl continues. "Ilse Corvan lives. Corvan no longer requires continuing treatment for the wounds received during the attack. Corvan is sheltered beneath a house allied to the Hídaska and has not been returned to the same place as Silvia Dominicus."



Dominicus looks toward Chaala. "I have not seen Corvan recently. I have received reports, but no direct meeting."

Ziyótl acknowledges the correction before continuing. "Tomas Kade lives. Kade remains under medical care. The condition is described as stable, but Kade has not been declared ready for travel."

Doctor Shone immediately understands the limitation. Stable does not mean recovered, and an Alejia declaration of readiness may include more than medical fitness.


"Freja Gruber lives. Gruber is described as physically capable and not presently receiving medical treatment. Gruber remains under watch because of unresolved conduct following entry beneath the roof."


Dominicus’s jaw tightens slightly.
"Gruber resisted being separated from Kade. No one was seriously harmed, but the event created another claim."

Ziyótl does not dispute the description. The witness holding the tablet records another entry in Alejian.

Dominicus looks around the table, allowing each name and condition to settle before continuing.
"Those are the reports as I understand them. I cannot personally confirm their present conditions. Doctor Shone was correct to distinguish my health from theirs."

She rests one hand lightly beside her cup.

"There is no single door holding the crew here. Larsen remains within the original Hídaska protection. Corvan is beneath an allied roof. Kade’s care has created medical obligations whose limits I do not fully understand. Gruber’s actions created a separate conduct claim. The Cutter supports the original protection, but it does not automatically satisfy everything that followed."

Her attention shifts toward Virel.

"This is what I meant when I said you must identify each obligation separately. Who holds it. What satisfies it. Who can declare it closed."

Dominicus glances toward Ziyótl, offering the envoy the opportunity to correct her.



Ziyótl remains silent for several seconds before speaking.

---

"That is an accurate beginning."

Not a complete account.




A beginning. Dominicus turns back to Chaala.
"The attack placed us in the position where these obligations became possible. I do not believe that was accidental." She keeps the statement measured enough to remain within what she can support.
"The attackers knew our route. They arrived where they could divide us from our transport and communications. They drove us toward territory where only another Alejia authority could shelter us. The attack was a means to an end. What end, I do not know."

Her gaze remains fixed upon Chaala. "Be very careful in your negotiations. Someone wanted this situation created. Until you know why, assume every agreement may move you closer to whatever they intended."

Ziyótl translates the statement without softening it. The witnesses listen, but neither objects nor confirms the allegation. The old tablet passes between them, Alejian characters appearing across the screen as each statement is entered into the record.

When the translation is complete, Ziyótl returns their attention to Chaala.
"The names and conditions have been spoken. The surety of the Cutter has been spoken. The existence of other obligations has been acknowledged."

Ziyótl places both hands upon the ceremonial spear. "You may now ask about what has been carried into the accounting. Answers may be given here, or they may be carried to those who hold the obligation."

The room falls quiet again. The Team learns that the surviving Harrier crew are alive. They have also learned why bringing them home will not be a single negotiation.

Questions to Ziyótl or Dominicus? Or any clarifications required by the players?

"That is more distinct obligations than I had hoped but fewer than I feared. We do not wish to leave any unsatisfied nor to destabilize Balac Pontil by offering what should not be offered. In honesty, I will need to be educated as to what is required to satisfy these obligations. Surety is not satisfaction but it points to what types of things may be accepted though I have little sense of magnitude." Chaala ponders aloud, knowing that her words will be heard. "Would it create new obligation to request that Dr. Shone have visibility to Kade?"