Wasa Mai, King Of Rahn Estar, sent troops with ships when requested, and treaties forced by slavers required him to send many more than other small Zheien colonies. As a result, all five of his colonies are barely viable. There is nae growth, as there should be. He was sent from Ishah to rule when King Dai'nos heard arguments from his council as to whether an Elshar or a Zheien should rule. The man Challet chose to rule the colony died on landing, and his healer thought he was healthy after his nesfa. The Elshar members insisted that their leader rule, and the man's son and all the Zheien members felt that he should. All the people of Rahn Estar wanted him to rule them. This man was Farley's ancestor, Ikon. So the Council traveled to Ishah to the office of the Praefate.

Dainosa addressed them. "I have heard all your arguments. I agree with Ikon that he should rule, but I fear your Elshars will retaliate. I will na have this! Wasa Mai, you are my wisest advisor and leader of my fine Council. If you are willing, I shall send you."

Wasa Mai bowed low. "If the Alliance has need of me, I shall serve."

His wife also bowed low. "I will go with my husband, and also serve, Liege."

Both Councils were shocked! The Elshars ceased all of their arguments, because Ishah are, by their charter, also Elshar, though they have three fingers, flat like our two. They expected Wasa Mai to be easy to manipulate. They looked down on him because of his dark color. Elshars treat anyone who is not light with contempt. Most Ishah are orange, like Dai'nos.

But Wasa Mai has been a powerful ruler. Many Elshars attempted to assassinate him in many of his earliest Council meetings, and he felled them with his very strong telepathy! He had injury that increased it manyfold, and his wife learned to control it with hers. Elshar women have weak telepathy, so they expected hers to be of little consequence.

Any healer knows her secret. Her father is related to King Theaspaura's father, who was a master diplomat in Fhiah before he moved from Zhea~ to the 1st and very strong telepathy runs in all of their line. She needed diplomats to tutor her when her telepathy woke. This early training helped her to help her husband, for they are Joined.

His staff includes many of Fhiah. He also has many Fhiahans to oversee his security, and they knew of Antera and told him of their trading needs. So he invited an Anteran colony to come to Rahn Estar, from his founding.

Elshars fear them and refuse to trade with them, but they have many uses for mine waste from Tessite mines. One is a very black dye with no blue or brownish tinge. They value black cloth and decorations, so they will trade vast quantities of food for it. And their farmers grow every plant that will grow that they can obtain. They are skilled traders. They are not skilled with describing items. So Wasa Mai trades detailed descriptions of their items in databases written for Anteran minds. 

Anterans have forceful telepathy, much like Kajarians and other species of the Six. So, Wasa Mai bought Kajarian slaves, freed them, and asked them to work for him if they did not want to go home. It shocked him to discover that many of them hated Eriganh and made the choice to stay. The first one he offered had very damaged telepathy, so he could speak with him, and learned Kajarian customs, what foods they needed, what trades they needed, and many useful facts from him. Kajarians with damaged telepathy could talk safely with those with damaged but stronger, and a few had undamaged telepathy and could trade with their kind.

Even though we have war with the Six, they are all still members of the Alliance, so we may yet trade. So, his Kajarian traders traded things they needed for Kajarian foods and comforts for his workers. If a Kajarian changes his loyalties, they remain so for life.

Wasa Mai spoke to Anterans through his Kajarians and kept both groups from harming them or any Zheien.

And so, Rahn Estar was King Challet's first mining world. This was 175 years past.

Wasa Mai's still alive?

Ea, because he was recloned at 20 just before the War, and Ishah live to 150, but some have more Zheien in them and live to be older. He was very old, but Pirad recloned him to 20 again. Ne expected him to live to be so old! And his mind is very well. But King Challet demanded that he ne ever travel from Rahn Estar. His healer's family went with him.

Calladia was established at the same time for farming.

Esta Faho came next for mining, 175 years past, but he had many kings. Then, Kin Para, 150 years past for both mines and farms, and Sara Kia, 50 years past for farms and he is youngest.

Wasa Mai chose Farley to see to his interests, so he sent Farley with Antomias to Sigan Mas. First Princes usually finish their four years of diplomatics in one year, so he took Nathanhai and Farley with him, and all of them finished in a year. Nathanhai earned independent work, but Farley ended his year leading a DS Team of his friends.

He must have had problems with his health. His record shows that Ry'nao wished to train him for galactic minister. So, he went to study with Pondaiash, a master diplomat on Butres Nu's staff. I saw that he was in Marenalay with him when it was attacked, so you must ne mention this to him. Surely he is very unwell, for Galar kept him in his chambers for two weeks.

Two weeks! When he stopped going home for his respites—shortly after Elshar Mashai was attacked by Prov 9—he went to Earth with me. Fa died about that time, and we slept on Farley's ship in Atlanta Spaceport. His friends fussed that a Zheien needs other Zheien to sleep with, but it was never long before they vanished working on the treaty. When Antomias vanished, Nathanhai didn't last long, and that's when Farley quit sleeping in the Embassy. Or talking much about home. He never talked about home, just like most of the yellow-skinned Zheien I knew in school. All the others were eager to share memories of their homes. Always thought that was odd. Now I understood it, maybe.

He rose from bed to go to Elshar Mashai and help with a treaty in Prov One that has taken years of work. Antomias wrote it, but Nathanhai and Farley helped him. During this mission, Eriganh came to the 7th and clearly set course for D'gharr. Leaders of the Alliance called on every person to go to D'gharr and fight. Even all our diplomats there went! Council members offered ships and filled them with men, traders, diplomats, farmers and artisans! Most had ne weapons. Farley had upset when Adia showed him memories, and Konomai became very unwell when he showed him merely a little!

I came to them and asked to see them. Farley had serious upset and feared to harm me! But I asked, and he meant ne to show much, but I saw his memory of Marenalay and Elshars who attacked with primitive weapons! That he stayed in Ashapat's chambers two weeks tells me what he will ne, that he nearly died.

Then he went to Elshar Mashai. Antomias, Nathanhai and his Thordes DS Team members had weapons they planned to trade, but when they saw that the hundreds on the ship had ne, they offered to arm as many as they could. Farley, as all diplomats, had training with all manner of weapons, though diplomats usually perform with them in ceremonies, ne combat! But Farley's tutor was a weapon designer from Lisbaar and taught him much. Esta Faho has a weapons research facility. He knew enough to teach all of them of strategy and how to rescue enslaved.

They formed a plan to each attack an Esteerrian ship. I saw little of it, but Farley killed 10 Esteerrians and freed the occupants of one of their cargo ships! His friends accomplished this, and I can ne imagine it! Esteerrians are faster than the fastest Zheien, and is nearly impossible to surprise them. Perhaps they had weapons with that capability.

I fear for your husband. Surely he witnessed terrible things. His sleep will be unwell, and lack of rest can kill without warning. Konomai has grave worry that what he saw, as Nitomahan gathered his people, all of them will be very unwell. Elshars fought them to try to prevent them from leaving. Peh Ras anticipated trouble and wrote emergency progs, and ne were injured, but fear is harm, and can have effects later.

I tell you ne to frighten you, Ella, but call me ne Konomai. He is ne a master healer, and I fear he makes use of umar seg too oft. Over time, mines with this poison cause unwells of memory. We healers ne use it more oft than once in a year, but I saw in Konomai's memories that attacks from Elshars were as oft as once a week.

I fear all of them have severe unwells, and he remembered a meeting with Nitomahan where he admitted he ne remembers treaty provisions. His aide died, and he asked Farley, his fa, and Nathanhai to make sure one of them is well to attend his monthly council meetings with him! He is very unwell, to need this kind of help.

Pirad prepared me for my work in Elshar Zheiea, but he prepared my ba for Esta Faho, and similar bae for each of the Rahn Estar worlds. Each has unique poisons, and only Rahn Estar has population growth, in 200 years, and he has 12,000. The rest hold perhaps 400 apiece.

I wanted to ask a lot of questions, but what to ask? I still had my arms around Farley, Fa, and Fae. The containment Pas wrote gently held us together. The triple thumps of their hearts missed a lot of beats. Both felt it and heard it. They've been through so much!

Clicking stopped under us, and everyone startled!