Garrat looks at Christy.  "Good to see you to sir.  I can see this one is probably headed for the foundry.  He's mot even useful enough to pass on and is choosing to remind us of the very reason we overwhelmed his planets defenses in the course of hours."

  Garrat turns back to the Hillite.  "Mores the pity, you don't even take pride in what you do.  The AP will see there is nothing worth the effort in your Species, and choose not to help.  Mores the point, your family?.... If you proved helpful I would have asked permission to return to the surface and rescue those who remain from this disaster your type of thinking has brought upon your world."

  To Dr. Christy, "Have a good day sir, I'm sorry to leave you so soon, but I would only be a burden."

  Back to the Hillite, "I suggest you avoid speaking to anyone of eating, killing, enslaving, raiding, or having sex with humans. [in that order of importance]  It will help you live longer."

   Garrat turns and leaves for the chapel, one more captive who is beyond help.  Garrat was beggining to thing there was no honor in this war.  Only killing.

Henry raised his eyebrows at the Hilite's words.

"So, tell me about your society. Do males and females enjoy lasting relationships or is it more random? How are your younglings raised?"

  The Hillite looks at Henry, trying to ignore the  looping  Views  of the good and bad that can happen.

 ..we have Mates we stay together  until the  first of the young are of age. Then we  we seek a new mate. It is not until we are older that we settle down with our 'life mate'...our young  come of age around  16 years or so..only the Dead of one Mate  will a mated pair seek out a new mate.

 now? Slaves, we  may  use as we see fit, any offspring from them are sent to camps to be studied  and trained.

"Do you enslave members of your own species, or only other ones?"

Not that Henry approved of anyone being enslaved...

  The  Hillite  drew Himself up,..we enslave those who are weaker  then us, who can provide some type of service  for us..those  more powerful then us, we serve, as we Serve the Empire.

"What about weaklings amongst the Hilites?" Henry pressed.

"Not all members of your species will be as strong as others. What happens to them?"

Was it human to think that the mark of a civilised species was that it cared for the weak? Or was this something that was universal amongst decent sentient beings, something worth encouraging?

  The Hillite  shrugs,those who are  too weak..die..or are given to the Empire  for tribute. Some of the less weak, have slaves to help care for them. Its is not  good, to have your weak rise in station... he says this  with all the tone of person trying to run for office on his world.

"So your culture values physical strength above mental, yes?"

Henry nodded. It was coming together clearly now.

"Do you trade with other species?"

  The  Hillite  smiles a bit  his  jagged teeth showing his scorn? or amusement ?

  ..We are Members of the Traid ,  we  search for prey and take what we need. We trade with Members of the triad and with the Empire..all others...are Prey.

 ..Your  Admiral  will find this out....  The ESN cannot   defest the Triad

"Fascinating. So you only trade with those too powerful for you to steal from... tell me, which species are members of the Triad?" asked Henry, scribbling a few notes.

  There is a smirk,..it is the Way of the Black. The weaker serve the stronger.. you  trade with those  that  you must, you take from those you can.

The Nivarians  are  a member of The Triad..the  Hyrians.... he looks  a bit angry,..are the   ....most powerful member of The Triad. We do not like them, they do not like us, but  we stay together  to help us be lords of the Beta Quad

Henry nodded, scribbling hard.

"OK, thank you, that's very interesting. How are your younglings educated?"

  ..they are sent to group learning places...  if the  fare  well...they will  find a place in business or join the flow  of those who enter the ruling groups of  our planets...those who do not  fare well  become farmers and labor folk... those who fall inbetween, are pressed into military service  to raid and protect...

 ..the best of those  become flyers  and work up to being  commanders of our war vessels...the least, become  ground troops... he worlds out his  arms with an embarrassed  grin,..or an Armor Walker.

"So you are an average Joe... no shame in that," said Henry.

"What are the plants and animals like on your homeworld? Which ones are good to eat?"

  The Hillite  shrugs,..we have many good plkanys...ggood fruits  ... Hillites do not eat much of them , unless doctors  say to? We have found , our slaves need to eat such things....

"Different species have different requirements," agreed Henry.

"What do your species eat normally? And why might your medics suggest you eat these pilanys fruits? What conditions do they remedy?"

..we eat things that live..things that bleed.. the blood  gives us more life. Sometimes, things we eat. make us sick. Sometimes..we eat a human?..and there is something wrong with it?...That is why we are urged to cook them first...but it taste better to have the warm  Blood.

 he nods and  smiles as he thinks fondly of a meal.

 ..some  plants, fruits...they make us better.. like the Cuffi fruit?  it grows on  Bushy trees... it has the juice to help build muscles.. and the flesh  clears the  skin from bumps we get, from eating a Bad Human.

"Right, so you are mostly what we call a carnivore, a meat-eater. Do you ever eat members of your own species? Do you farm animals for food. You mentioned that farming was a profession into which non-academic members of your species tended to go."

Henry was hiding his distaste for species which knowingly ate other sentient species.

  ..farmer  grow tree and  crops  that we use to add to our diets...we also must feed our slaves who like to eat those things...We enevr eat our own!..that would be against the gods teachings...even  if our gods are dead..or  away?..we cannot defile their teachings!

Henry nods.

"It is always wise to heed your gods. Tell me about them, please."

  The Hillite snorts,...we all have the same gods.. you just do not know that. The Black is our god... He  knows the   whole..the all... he gives life to planets, and takes them away... when a New Year stars, we sacrifice those of lesser races to the Black, by setting them a drift in a burnimg vessel , we watch until the  power  cells explode... if the cells do not explode.The Black was  refused out gift, and we must make  amends by sending  out own people.

"How does sending what you perceive as 'lesser races' honour your god? Surely he should receive the very best that you can offer..." asked Henry, who'd always been puzzled by the fact that worshippers of deities who require sacrifice were never prepared to sacrifice themselves to their gods!

  The Hillite  gives  Henry a strange look from  shifting eyes,..It is the Way ..the one  true Way... Those who are or P{ower GAther  those who are not... we use  the other races  for  pleasure , food  and slaves....evey nonw and then   A female of your species ...or..person  one of ours by one of your Males  will achieve the ho9nor  of  creating a Half-bred Hillite....when this happens , the Child is honored and raised  by our Holy People , so that it may know all things  and become a great leader.

 he warms to the subject,..this being, since it is so very...very..rare. That The Black Himself, must have aided in its creation..for the fact that you are a weaker  species... it is not lost to us, that you are very smart...to couple that learning, with the power that comes  with being a Hillite?.. It makes that offspring  stand  alone!...I have tried..many times to have a Hlf-bred...it would raise my family high, so i could  quit being an Armor Walker, and serve in  Skies instead...to be closer to The Black....

Smiling , as he stares off  for a second or two as he envisions the thought. He Turns to  Henry,..but the reason we sacrifice  those of lesser Race...is because  that is The Way...weak die, strong thrive....it is  the One Way....

"So, when you are bested by another species, are you content as that is the way of things and the will of the Black? Or do you find it annoying?" inquired Henry.

 ..The Black has  given the people  of its realms, skills to use, minds to use, should they not  take advantage of thsoe..they will suffer , through that fact. Your species... attacking our planets, is a failure on our  part...we will rise from that, to show The Black, we are worthy!