Hospitality

At the small table where Atlas DiNova sat with the heads of the planet of Lenaia, servants, wearing faces and bodies of different other aliens arrived, setting up the table, piling it up with food and drink; all customary Lenaia delicacies.

Lenaiads never compromised on their culture. In similar other meetings with other planets, Atlas would see them serve human delicacies as well as their planet's, and some others may even decide to have everything at the table being human delicacy, determined to please their guest. But not here.

There was not a single human dish in sight. Atlas shrugged mentally.  He hadn't come here for the food anyways.

He looked up to face his hosts, beaming at them, ready to discuss why he had traveled down here. His adviser stood at a far corner, operating a hologram console as he attended to imperial matters.

"I am very impressed with your hospitality," Atlas started. "I have always known Lenaiads to be very hospitable, but this surpasses my expectations. As you well know, this would be my first meeting with your planet since my reign, owing to your strict protocol on visitors."

One of the heads nodded and made a motion to the dish on Atlas's table. 

"Eat," the head said back in the universal language of the Twelve Planet Galaxy that Atlas had used in conversing with them. "We don't discuss political matters until we have had a bite, at least."

Atlas nodded slowly, recognizing one of their cultural stipulations. He turned to the meal before him and took up his silver lightweight fork to eat. He could have sworn the dish on his plate moved. It seemed to breathe. 

Atlas watched his meal curiously and slightly poked at it with his fork. Again that pulsing movement like there was a heart somewhere in his dish. Atlas quickly dug a side of his meal and threw it to his mouth before he changed his mind.

He knew Lenaiads did not take rejection lightly. You dared not reject their hospitality. Atlas chewed quickly and surprisingly, a splash of scrumptious tastes exploded in his mouth. 

He dove his fork for the meal again, avoiding the slight movement every now and then from his dish, and he took the bit to his mouth. It was glorious. 

Atlas turned to his hosts who had been watching him curiously. "What is this?" He asked. "It is so tasty."

His hosts smiled back at him. "One of our foremost special dishes, made from the rare plant - Iridescence. It brings out its fruits once every two decades. We protect the plant as one of our national treasures."

"Oh, wow," Atlas said, realizing then that he would have condemned one of Lenaia's national treasures in a blink. 

"The plant gives a pseudo-pulse long after it has been prepared as food," another head continued- Atlas couldn't tell, they all looked the same. "It also emits a neon glow in the dark. Would you like a demonstration?"

Atlas shook his head, wondering how he felt about his own food not only having a pulse but also glowing in the dark. One thing at a time.

"I won't want to bother you all," Atlas said quickly. "We have other matters to discuss."

The heads nodded and Atlas saw that as the go-ahead to continue with what had initially brought him here, having passed their food test.

"As you all know, this empire survives like machinery," Atlas started. "For the whole to work, the parts have to function properly. I am concerned about the uneven distribution of wealth across the planets. This means that certain planets thrive while some others only try to survive. My father during his time had invested a lot in energy derivation and distribution. The aim was to subsidize energy for struggling planets, like Planet Veimos and Planet Ee. But energy does not come cheap as you well know. We would like your planet to expand our debt allowance. We will require twice what was loaned us the last time; ten years ago when you granted my father the request to assist him financially."

"You are quite bold an Emperor," one of the heads of Lenaia said. "Your policies since you ascended has told us that much. We hear of your vices and your virtues. Despite it all, we respect all your effort to be different; to invest more in the development of the planets and not just in ruling it. Your ancestors sadly, were all about frolicking and power play."

Atlas watched the Lenaiad, realizing that he- or she, he couldn't tell- must have had interactions with said ancestors. You never could tell the age of a Lenaiad in their true form and even when they shifted it was a gamble ascribing any age-range. 

"As you know, I hope to make a difference," Atlas said. "That is why my approach is different. My methods have been more persuasive with the planets than coercive- to maintain future relationships.  An empire in turmoil would be ungovernable."

The heads nodded and Atlas tried to distract himself from their brains.

"So, will you assist me?" Atlas asked. "The Twelve Planet Galaxy is our responsibility to safeguard and protect and improve. We do not gain anything from the sufferings of our comrades. Grant me this loan and I will pay back with lump sum interest in just over five years. The Imperial family as you know, have never defaulted on their debts."

The heads stood up then to converse softly amongst themselves in the local dialect of Lenaia. Their heads bobbed as they conversed and finally they turned to Atlas. Their chosen spokesperson began to talk.

"We will send double the value of the former loan in our jewels and mineral resources to the capital planet Boo-10. Your home planet is a good trading outpost- the most popular in all the empire. You should be able to get even more value from the sales."

Atlas nodded gratefully at them. "The imperial family is very grateful for your support at this time."

The heads nodded slowly. They got up and their robes moved with the motion.