"In general. Our understanding is for example that the army has a significant advantage over other employment because reds there are guaranteed to be paid."

"...you... want us to... act as a collections service?"

"Did we miss an email about some request you had, somewhere along the line, I don't think I understand," says another blue.

A mild sense of creeping doom suffuses the room.

    "We did mention, last time, that reds are people, and should be treated as such, with the same respect that's given to any other caste. That you hadn't understood that is - acceptable, barely. But it is a mistake that needs to be corrected."

One of the greens they have along starts shivering.

"- is there a - specific policy change you have in mind -" asks a blue haltingly.

    "Figuring out the best way to bring their quality of life in line with other castes' isn't the best use of our time. But giving them the same protections that purples have - in practice, not just in theory - would be a good start."

"There's - obstacles to -"

"- requires personnel who'll have reservations about -"

"- grey constituency, purple constituency -"

    "Yes, it's a complicated problem. It still needs to be solved."

"Can you be more specific about what it is you're requesting here -"

"We've been putting almost all of the discretionary budget into the physics experiments, it's not going to be popular on the merits of the work and it's the wrong time of year to diddle credit prices for revenue, there'll be a panic if we start - taxing things -"

Green is starting to rub her hands together like she's trying to get something off them. Her yellow neighbor nudges her but she doesn't stop.

    "If there are things you genuinely can't implement at this time, that's understandable. A plan for achieving them as you're able to would be reasonable progress at this stage."

This goes a considerable way to relaxing most of them except uncomfortable green. "More specificity would still help -"

The sense of doom fades, replaced as it goes by a mild anti-nausea effect that could be mistaken for relief at its absence.

    "Ultimately they should have the same rights and opportunities as other castes, except for what is actually necessary to avoid the spread of pollution. In every way, including having a say in laws that affect them; they may need or want things that we don't currently know about, and, again, being directly involved in that isn't the best use of our time."

Uncomfortable green calms down.

"We definitely have no desire to waste your time on this issue beyond what you need to get what you care about, which will be best accomplished if we have a clear set of goals - I'm afraid it seems very possible we could take what you've said and in light of different background and confusion about your priorities and factual disagreement about what policies would have what effects go in some direction you judged useless or worse -"

Deskyl nods.

    "Which is why we want to be kept informed."

"We can - come up with a list of pilot tests? -"

Another nod.

    "We'll want to look them over before you implement anything."

"Of course."

    "That will be all for now."

"We'll keep you posted!"

They wait for the assembled group to leave, and head back to their room; Deskyl goes to practice forms, and DZ messages Peka.

Hey, how are you doing?

We're doing good! What's up?

Deskyl was finally up for talking to the blues again today. We're going to have some consulting work for you soon, it looks like.

Gosh. What on?

Whatever they come up with, after we screen out the obviously bad ideas - she told them she wants you being treated like any other caste for anything that doesn't spread pollution, and it seemed like they got the idea eventually.

They did? That's kinda surprising.

Sith can be pretty scary when they want to be. They really didn't like it when she pulled out the creepy aura.