“What in the name of all that is good and pure…”
High General Elkay was lost for words as he ducked under the short doorway and into the hot pink room. It was the exact opposite of everything the Rethan leader had expected when it came to a meeting place between the rulers of two races. The doorway being a bit small was to be expected, Skyavok were much shorter than Rethavok, but everything else… none of it made sense.
The walls were painted hot pink with light pink polka dots. On the ceiling, a red lampshade projected light upwards, giving the room a strange, warm tint. Rather than any sort of table in the middle of the room, there were two large bag-like chairs and a tray of drinks sitting on the floor. Elkay was pretty darn sure that Skyavok had tables, so the fact that the tray was on the floor confused him greatly. The strangest thing of all though was the luxurious water bed in the back of the room, covered in pink, heart-shaped cushions. There were several posters on the wall, but Elkay paid little attention to them.
“You like?” Kayel, the All-Ksa and current leader of the Skyavok, grinned like a lunatic as he closed the door behind him and Elkay.
“I will be blunt with you, no, I do not like this at all…” Elkay quickly admitted. “I assume this is not a normal setting for meetings between racial leaders, yes?”
“It’s a special setting. Just for you.” Kayel sat down on one of the bag-chairs and poured himself a drink. “Want anything?”
Elkay glanced downwards at the carpet. He reluctantly removed his claw-paddings from his feet and left them by the door, then awkwardly sat down on the other chair, being extra careful not to knock anything over. The carpet was fluffy, like walking on the fur of a large, well-looked after canine.
“I’ll take the lack of an answer as a no.”
“Sorry. No thank you, I do not want anything.”
Kayel was still smiling. It was making the Rethan General nervous. Skyavok normally didn’t do that to him.
“So you want us in the Reth-Vrekan Union?” Kayel started off quite bluntly. “Because I tell you what, I want in. Not all Skyavok do, but it’ll be a huge boon to our currently quite shitty economy. I want in, but I don’t want in as some sort of fledgling race. After all, the Union formed on the backs of a Rethan, a Vrekan, a weird deformed Kronospast AND a Skyavok. Even if he wasn’t a Skyavok we actually knew about. You know what it’s like, people move away and have kids on non-Skyavok territories and forget to register them.”
“You want a position in the main Circle then. I can discuss this with the other members, this should not be-”
“I want to be on the same level as you and High General Ver. I want to be a High General.”
Elkay sighed. “The title of High General is more than just a political rank, it is first and foremost a military rank. As far as I am aware, you have not served in any sort of military.”
Kayel shrugged. “I guess. But you get what I mean. I don’t want us to be lackeys. I want us to have some power for a change. We have a whole pocket dimension we rule over-”
“But you only have a population of one million…” Elkay interrupted. “Positions in the Circle are representational and proportional. It would be unfair for you to rule over a far larger number of beings than you represent. The Rethans and Vrekans make up approximately 60% of the Union. The Skyavok would make up… well, not even one percent.”
Again, Kayel shrugged. He really did not seem bothered or swayed by Elkay’s words. “That’s fine. I want some power but you’re right. Would be unfair for me to get special treatment at first…”
Elkay took a deep breath. Something was wrong, but he couldn’t place his finger on it. There was something the All-Ksa wanted.
“Why are you holding off from making official movements to join the Union?” Elkay asked.
Kayel took a sip of his drink, smiling. “Well firstly I’ve only been in power since the beginning of Genar. Gotta sort out your house first before you invite people over. Secondly, well…” Kayel trailed off and glanced at the bed. Elkay blinked in confusion, then also looked at the bed, trying to work out what Kayel was looking at.
“Do you mind ultra blunt honesty?” Kayel finally asked.
“I do not mind.”
The All-Ksa’s smile returned, shiny silver teeth sticking out of his jaws. “I want to have sex with you and spawn a new race of Skyavok-Rethavok hybrids that would take the universe by storm.”
Elkay stared blankly at Kayel. Eventually, he managed to get words to come out of his open mouth.
“What?”
“I want to create a hybrid race.”
“What?”
“You’re the most perfect Rethavok specimen I have ever seen. I’m an ultra-fertile Skyavok and a damn good example of Skyavok awesomeness myself. I bet you, if we had children, they would breed and rise up and rule the universe. Or at the very least that would happen if you allowed interbreeding between compatible species. Because that’s what I want. The right to give birth to hybrids.”
“What?”
“I. Want. To. Make. Hybrids. Preferably with you.”
“No.” The High General stood up, his confusion and awkwardness replaced by anger. “Hybrid beings are banned for the safety of all individuals involved. If the Skyavok want to join the Union, they must continue following official channels, as you are already doing.”
“But…”
“I am NOT sleeping with you. Ever.”
Kayel did not seem dissuaded. “You sure about that, little virgin?”
Elkay paused, then turned around, smiling. “You think that actually bothers me, little whore?”
It was Kayel’s turn to be shocked. Well, not shocked, more just slightly surprised. He never expected the High General, a normally very calm and well-mannered being, to speak like that. “You…”
“I normally would not stoop so low, but you brought that on yourself. If you wish to join the Union, that is fine. If you wish to climb the ranks and get yourself a higher position in the circle, then that is fine. But I am not sleeping with you and the creation of hybrids is STRICTLY off the table. Good day, ser.”
With that final remark, the High General of the Retha stormed out, leaving Kayel alone with his thoughts.
“Well fuck…” Kayel finally grunted, before finishing off his drink. “Guess it’ll have to be the hard way…”