"The city has it's own population count, distinct from Oahk's, so citizens would have to get permission from me, I suppose."

"Do you want to retain citizenship in Tapa?"

"I dunno, am I going to be going back and forth? If it turns out you can't stand me next spring, or whatever the alien equivalent of that is, will I never be able to get another baby?"

"Up to you whether you go back and forth. I'm happy to give you however many credits you like, regardless of what our relationship status is."

"When I said it's your dome, I didn't just mean you'd have a place to live there. I want your help in deciding how the place works, including the credits."

"I don't have an equivalent of spring."

"I know you don't spring but I guess I was expecting there to be a similarly classic reason for breakups... um, I'm not qualified for that literally at all?"

"You're welcome to help as little as you feel able, though I don't actually know any other reds who are willing to trust me enough to have an honest conversation at the moment. There are a few Ferengi as well as other Amaliens aside from me that will be happy to help as well."

"What are Ferengi like?"

"A very profit motivated culture - several of them realized that the Amaliens policy of finding and technologically uplifting new species was a fantastic opportunity to invest in developing economies. Since a few became rich off this they started bankrolling the Amalien Expanse enmasse. They view the sort of oppression Amentan reds were under as a horrific destruction of productivity. Well, not horrific I suppose - some of them seemed quite happy to have such a good investment opportunity." 

"We do, like, have jobs."

"Not jobs you're actually paid market value for."

"...we sort of do? In big enough towns there are competing red companies for a lot of things."

"How much would you have to pay a non-red to do a red job?"

"Well, you couldn't. Out of caste income cap."

"Yes, that's the travesty according to the Ferengi."

"- well but that applies to everyone."

"Yes, though my impression is that there's a greater disparity between red income and the free market value of their work than that of any other caste."

"Maybe, yeah. I dunno how that, like, factors in that people don't like us? Maybe there's tons of hypos who'd take the jobs if people wouldn't hate them."

"My understanding is that Ferengi tax collectors are paid quite a lot of money primarily due to how thoroughly they are hated."

"Are they not a democracy?"

"I'm confused. They have the minimum government necessary for diplomacy with people who expect that - they're a democracy for the same reason."

"I just sorta figure that if you're a democracy and everyone hates tax collectors they won't vote for people who pay the tax collectors a lot?"

"My guess would be the tax collector job is publicly auctioned off and not under the control of the government or something of that sort, but I'm not sure. Possibly rewards are involved for successfully collecting taxes."

"Regardless, they don't expect the tax collector pay to be determined by the government."

"Huh! Okay."

Eventually they arrive at Keetim.

Where Sierra is waiting to meet Peka. Moria hasn't said much about Peka to her but the sorta way she's mysteries about it feels like how she'd be mysterious 'bout someone she really liked.

"Hi! I'm Capitan Sierra. I'm glad to finally meet get a chance to meet you."

"I know you're not an off-icial rep-resent-ative of all the reds, but if there's anything we can do you should let us know. It's really important to us to be able to help everyone, not just the people it's easiest to help."

"I'd also like to say sorry about how we haven't be able to meet you, or any reds, before. We've been feeling like reds aren't getting our help as much as other people. We decided that giving Amenta as a whole more space and resources should be prioritized, and that it would probably help things so we could aid reds more without people getting angry. And I heard Moria made sure there will be more space for reds too."

"I mean, you could have emailed reds, if you really wanted to talk to some. But yeah I hear apparently we get a Katme dome! Or I get it all to myself or something, I'm not clear!"