Fifty billion. And only forty thousand remain. It truly is a staggering blow to her colonies' population. "There once were one billion K'da and ten billion Shontine," he says, his long ears laid back in sadness for both their losses. It isn't a competition of who has more reason to grieve; there are no words to describe such a loss of life, no value that can be placed on one life over another. Neither scenario is preferable.

He doesn't mind her not looking at him. Such things are difficult enough to discuss without involving strangers.

Faris isn't a fan of judging species by appearance either, but the Valahgua have earned his peoples' hate. "I do not know the physics of it. The Death seeks out the core of life that exists within all living things and destroys it." Her suggestion is well-intentioned, and he does not scorn her for it. "The weapons themselves are destroyed as easily as any other. The difficulty lies in getting close enough to do this. Valahgua ships are equipped with many Death weapons, and they always attack in great enough numbers that avoiding the Death is not possible."