Editing The Tales of the Emperasque: Part Twelve (section)

==0-094-001-M42==
Lofn sat in the leather chair at the conference table, taking in everything being said around her. The collection of shiny people at the other end of the table hadn’t spared her a glance once they had returned from the ship. The other Eldar had been angry that Isha had promised anything at all, but Lofn understood why: they didn’t trust humans. The last thing they needed, they said, was more obligation. She didn’t know what they meant.<br>
In fact, she didn’t even know why she was there. She had wanted the Imperium and the Eldar to stop fighting, of course, but why didn’t anyone else? One of the people at the head of the table who wasn't shiny at all was saying something.<br>
“Lady Isha, do you have any idea what that would do to our forces in the field? Not knowing whether or not a Webway gate might open right next to them and spit out some aliens that may well decide that they have more right to be there than the forces themselves? That sort of morale distraction could be fatal.”<br>
“In stark contrast to knowing that we can do that already and as it stands, are almost CERTAINLY enemies? I fail to see how that’s better,” Taldeer shot back on Isha’s behalf.<br>
“I don’t recall inviting your input, Farseer,” the man said coldly.<br>
“Listen anyway,” Lofn suddenly said. She was done being quiet.<br>
Instantly, every single set of eyes in the room aimed straight at her. She tried not to show how scared she was by that.<br>
“Something to add, miss?” an empty man the end of the table said into the frigid quiet. It was the first thing he’d said all day.<br>
“Yeah. You should stop hating other people’s ideas because they thought of them first,” Lofn said unhappily. A very small smile quirked Mom’s lips.

“I didn’t say anything about her idea,” the empty man said softly.<br>
“YOU didn’t.” Lofn was getting a little mad now. “But I don’t think you needed to, you know?”<br>
The man very slowly stood up. Dad’s hand was at the empty holster at his side so fast even Lofn couldn’t see it move, but the man was already sitting down, smiling at Dad. “Do continue, Lady Isha.”<br>
The Goddess looked down at Lofn and smiled at her for a moment before picking up where she had been before the shiny man interrupted. “As I was saying, neither of us are willing, nor allowed, really, to commit our forces to future engagements together. I don’t think that should change, publicly.”<br>
The shiny people and the Eldar group kept talking for a while after that, and the hologram talked too.<br>
But the empty man never stopped staring at Lofn. And he didn’t look angry any more.