"What something is, is not what it will be."

"Beings like us are complicated," The Illitheal's lyrical voice accompanied the sound of water sloshing gently within the walls of the oversized bath, "Due to the universal belief that the Illitheal are the mothers of all species, if I request the help of the Council when it may aid your cause, they will see it as favourtism and the fragile peace here will be broken."

He frowned, almost flinching as a long finger brushed soap from his forehead before returning to where they massaged the alien equivalent of shampoo into his hair, trying to make sense of the older female's words.

"But it is beneficial to you as well."

A laugh - gentle and patient - rung through the cavernous bathroom.

"My child, I know it does not make sense, but it simply is, and so must be," He could hear the smile in her words as she began her next lesson - she possessed a wealth of knowledge that she was more than happy to share with her children, and it delighted her to finally have found someone who knew how to simply listen.

Her fingers were already on his bronze shoulders, turning him to face her before she had even began to speak.

"However there is a way to work around this," She beamed, "And so, I will teach you."

He blinked.

"Can you not just tell me what I need to know?"

He needed a solution, now, so Sol could return to his side. 

"There is no time-"

She silenced him with no more than a raised hand.

"How long it takes to learn depends solely on you, now settle down and I shall begin."

***

"State your business, Earth," The hissing of an alien tongue curling around the odd vowels of the galaxical language was what brought him back to reality.

His golden stare fell heavily on each representative, studying them, choosing his words carefully before he opened his mouth. He straightened, black nails tapping against his knee as he took upon himself the role of the cold representative of an entire planet. 

"Within the second fall of the moon," He let his eyes fall to warning slits, "Two rare pets in possession of the Illitheal representative and myself, were stolen."

A deadly silence seized hold of the room, as if everyone had forgotten how to breathe.

"I demand immediate action from all representatives gathered here." And something in the air snapped, the representatives surging back to life in a cacophony of anger and disbelief.

"You disgusting human," One of the many aliens jumped to their feet, chair clattering to the ground behind them, "You refuse to aid us when we suffer, but as soon as you experience the same suffering, you expect us to aid you?"

He resisted the burning urge to roll his eyes at the frog-like representative, instead lifting his glass from the table and taking a sip of the pink liquid. Although he had refused to aid the Gineró when the Sylléktis began to hunt their kind, it was merely because he had nothing - no forces, no ships, no supplies - to offer that he did not need for his own planet's survival. 

"It seems Gineró are more stupid then I thought," He mused, taking another sip from his glass before continuing as the frog turned purple with rage, "I do not ask for your help without offering... compensation."

The table fell silent, and he more felt than saw the death glares being sent his way. He considered each of the extraterrestials seated, then let a smirk play on his features.

Confidence.

These creatures only acknowledged him for who he was because of his presence brought by the amount of confidence he possessed. His ability to dominate even though the blood of the weakest species in existance ran through his veins fascinated them. He had their full attention and he would use them for everything they have to offer.

"A document will be sent to each of your temporary residences before the fall of the first moon, should you choose to sign it, everything listed within shall be yours." His eyes were dark with cold calculation.

The conditions listed within those documents were heavy, and any other representative would have called his request in return a waste.

But Solarace was his.

And to get Sol back, he would pay any price.