Lash smiled and took a drink of the Brandi. he had watched Rob take a drink and eat the fruit. He knew the man only did it out of necessity and respect yet he felt the man was hiding something.

"Forgive me, I have many names. To my crew I am Commander or sometimes Admiral. To my friends I am know as Lash, To the Chiss Ascendancy I am known as Excommunicated or plain Exhaled. To the people of the Elysian Sector I am known as Savior. I was born Stela'shlit'ornfra then after my time at Rhigar I was forever know as Stela'shlit'nuruodo. As I know consider us friends as well as equals you may call me Admiral Lash."

Lash took another drink and bit into one of the succulent fruit sitting on the edge of the table. He enjoyed the flavor but he was not fond of the consistency. He nodded to the chiss servant and the man turned and walked back out the way he came in.

"May I invite you to dine with me and a few of my commanders this evening mister Stellar? I assure you we will have food and drink there which will be to your liking."

Rob smiled slowly as he heard the Chiss Commander call him a friend and equal. He was a bit puzzled, however, when the man told him he had been exiled. Perhaps they could later talk more about that. Without knowing too much about the Chiss culture he could not assume to know the least about why someone would get exiled from their society while still being called a savior by others within it. These question would hopefully be answered later, but for now Rob was just thankful the Admiral was talking with him in a civil manner.

“Admiral Lash, I would be honored and happy to dine with your commanders and yourself.” With that, Rob smiled and reached for another of the fruit, quickly eating it as the hunger inside him built up at the talk about dinner.

Hours later Lash sits at the head of the dinning table. The night had gone well,he and his commanders spoke to rob and dined on brazed horein meat and a mixed assortment of vegetables and fruits. His commanders stood and left the room leaving Lash once again to speak with Rob Stellar alone.

"How did you enjoy the dinner mister Stellar?"

Rob watched the other Chiss Commanders leave and head back to their respective ships. He felt completely satisfied with the dinner, whatever hunger he had had before, was now absent. Leaning back in his chair slowly, Rob reached over and took the glass filled with cold water, slowly swallowing it before looking back at Lash.

“The dinner was fantastic Admiral. I have never had any of these foods before and they were all exceptional. You can make a fortune selling some of them in the Known Galaxy as a premier meat.” Rob laughed softly before sitting up slowly. “I would like to thank you again for given me to opportunity to have this dinner and meeting your commanders. It was a great binding and learning experience. I hope that it has been some trust and friendship between us all.”

As he looked at the Admiral, Rob wondered if the dinner had changed much about their relationship. The Chiss were very hard to read and Rob couldn’t tell much as he spoke with the others.

Lash to a drink of the water he had been nursing all dinner long. He was watching the man and his Officers interact. The peoples of the known regions interested Lash. They had strange ways and even stranger peoples. So many races living together. Here in the Unknown regions races warred over the differences in their ways and looks and even the way the spoke. In the known regions men and women of every race worked together and lived together in peace. The Chiss were no stranger to other races and they had friends among these peoples. But none were allowed to live among them in the colonies. Even the Imperial's who came with Thrawn were limited to Thrawn's fortress in most cases. Very few allowed to visit any of the colonies and even less were allowed to stay for any amount of time. Here is a man with a countless number of peoples devoted to him and his company. He sat the glass on the table and looked from the small portion of Canta cake he had been eating to Rob.

"Mister Stellar, What is it you intend to find out here in the unknown regions?"

Rob pondered for a moment what he should tell Lash about his plans within the unknown regions. For a second he thought about lying, but dismissed it almost just as quickly. If he was going to make friends, he would have to be truthful about everything.

“I don’t know if you will believe, but mostly what I was hoping to find was a system devoid of life, but one that had at some point supported it. My goal is to help establish a small base of operations within the system, away from the known galaxy. A base where research can be conducted and ships could be built. The galaxy is becoming a very dangerous place and there might be a time when a secret facility could come in handy.” He paused and took a sip slowly, his hand shaking as he held the glass, pain coming back to his system.

“There is another reason…I am dying, slowly, but dying nonetheless. I fear that some of my enemies have poisoned me with something that has no cure. My scientists are close to solving this problem, but they need some more time and a place that is secure, away from the prying eyes of the galaxy.

“You might be wondering why I need a system that once had life.” Rob watched Lash as he moved in his seat, trying to get comfortable. “One of the projects my scientists are working on is a technology to revive planets that have been ravaged by utilizing the planet and animal dna contained within the soils of the ruined planets. We are trying to rejuvenate worlds that have had their lifeforms destroyed by different means, both natural and not.”

He stopped talking and looked at Lash, knowing that the Chiss admiral probably had some more questions for him.

Lash listened to the mans story. His testimony of dying and his ideas at life from death. The story was intriguing but was in itself unimportant. One mans search for life was of no concern and certainly did not warrant his being in the Tirest system. He knew the man before him was in pain. Rob was hiding the pain as he told his story but in his eyes Lash could see the battle Rob was fighting just to keep from showing the pain he felt. As Rob finished lash took a moment to think and drink. Here was a man looking to save himself. Struggling to create life from nothingness in an attempt to provide salvation for himself. This was no concern to Lash, but the thought of a living inhabitable Tirest system was.

"First let me say you have my condolences on your condition. To know one is dying and not having the ability to fight is a torturous existence. I can sympathize with your plight. Though it is of no interest to me personally. You see the system you have been looking at is of great importance to me. TO me and all of my people actually."

Lash paused again and thought about the Tirest system before his mistake. A system of life with three inhabitable worlds and life in the millions.

"If you will indulge me Mister Stellar, I will tell you why we acted as we did when we found you in the Tirest system. You see, This place is sacred to the people I protect. Over two hundred million people of varying races died here twelve years ago. This place is like a shrine to both the Chiss and non Chiss who live in the Elysian sector. In many of my peoples eyes you have trespassed and committed sacrilege against our peoples. Many of my people petition as we speak for you and your peoples deaths. These are the more fanatical of my people yet they are still my people. I and the majority of the people of the Elysian Sector are not as Draconian as these and see your people as explorers who simply ended up in the wrong system."

Rob listened closely as he heard the story. As Lash talked, he began to understand why they were so against them being there. He also felt, however, that there was something Lash was not telling him. Something he felt guilty for. It was really hard to read the Chiss, but there were still small signs that could be seen if someone was experienced at reading people as Rob was.

“I’m sorry about what happened in this place and I understand now why you acted as you have. What if I told you, however, that instead of being remembered as a place of death, this place would be remembered anew as a place where evils of the past were banished and futures started. What if we could make these worlds come alive once again. Whatever mistakes were done are in the past. Perhaps it is time to change things…perhaps it is time to look into the future. A future of trust and friendship.”

Rob looked at Lash with sincerity, but wondered if they would be able to come to terms.

“If you want us to leave, however, I will take my people and move on. We do not wish to see your people in pain and anger for our trespassing. If you give us a rough map of your territory, we will make certain to stay out of it. You have my word.”