I surveyed the devastation for myself. Destroyed cities and nations covered the main continent of Hhilei. They would remain silent forever. Destroyed underground and deep sea civilizations smoldered in ruin. Not a living Hhil remained on the sub continents or on the thousands of islands. The Ueitilh had seen to it.
I traveled to the heavenly bodies that orbited the asteroid. As on Hhilei, the cities that had been built there were destroyed mercilessly. Not one Hhil remained. I traveled further around Hhilei and found the same. These were the asteroids that the early Hhil had considered their deities, and in later generations had become extensions of their very home. I sent many tiny collector vessels in search of Hhil biology, as I wished to study them further.
Through the devastation, I did note that the many millions of sub and microscopic species had been ignored. The great beasts that lived in the sea and those that grazed in the fields had been left behind as well. As I left Hhilei with a collection of Hhil atomic material, my attention turned to Eiotros. What had happened to the Hhil was something that I did not wish for the Eiotrii.
With a thought, I traveled to the Ueitilh warships themselves. I noted their massive war machines and great armored bipedal constructs. This was also a violent and merciless species. Perhaps, once in their history, they had not been so. And now, the Ueitilh warships were on their way to Eiotros. I returned to my people, and we continued to monitor their progress. We knew that their intent was to destroy the Eiotrii. That was definite.
We knew that it would not take them long to arrive and soon after, they would erase all that I had developed for so long. Long before, while the Eiotrii were but a species of farmers and fishers, I had great expectations from them. They became highly intelligent and quickly developed their technologies and sciences. Their early vessels reached other asteroids and other heavenly bodies long before their extinct brethren had.
When the Hhil were developing industrial nations, the Eiotrii were well into developing stations on the many asteroids and exploring the solar system. I was pleased with their progress. When the first Hhil vessels landed on an asteroid that was not their own, the Eiotrii had begun to develop great mental capabilities, greatly prolonged their lives and had eradicated most of their diseases.
The Eiotrii had become a great and highly developed species. They had come in contact with three distinct species in all of their time. They were a peaceful species, as they had been from their beginning when the first ErhHumn had been developed within our research centers from the structures of an ancient biology and our bio-synthetics. I remembered it well.
Now the Ueitilh were to soon arrive and destroy all of it.
Despite our way of not interfering with natural species and those that we were able to re-develop for our projects, I found that I could not allow them to do such a thing. Others amongst our people recommended that I not interfere and I understood their position for I knew our way. But I had decided to save my project as I had become quite fond of them.
As the Ueitilh arrived on Eiotros, they launched thousands of their forces upon the asteroid. They descended upon Eiotros and began their intention of destroying the Eiotrii. They proceeded to attack the great cities on all continents, seas and islands. Other Ueitilh war vessels went out in search of populated heavenly bodies around Eiotros. I made my decision.
I descended to Eiotros and manifested myself.
The Ueitilh witnessed my form as did the Eiotrii.
In their languages, I told the Ueitilh that this was not their right to do. I proceeded to tell them that the Eiotrii were my people. From the Ueitilh, came forth an ambassador to speak for them. It proceeded to tell me all that I already knew. I understood that the ancient ancestors of the Eiotrii were guilty of great actions against them. It told me that for those actions, they had the right to destroy any who would try to destroy them. It was their way.
I proceeded to declare to them that they had no claim over the Eiotrii, as the Eiotrii were at their very basic biology, synthetic in nature, and not truly descended from their ancient enemy. This they understood. The ancient enemy species that the Ueitilh had known had truly become extinct. They would remain so forever. This they accepted.
The great armies and war machines returned to their vessels, and I, along with the Eiotrii, watched them leave Eiotros forever.
The Eiotrii had been preserved, but they knew of my presence. Because of this, their history would be changed forever. By my actions, I had influenced their progress and history, which was something that we did not do. I knew that my people would not allow this to remain unpenalized. It was something that I had accepted as I could not allow the Eiotrii to be destroyed.
In an instant, I returned to my people who had been monitoring the events on Eiotros and my unacceptable actions.
My Eiotrii were preserved, but what would become of me?
Bilret - Elder Geneticist
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