"You realize this wasn't obvious at this time, don't you?"

"Yes. I think 'it's not eugenic to slaughter your way through other countries' best and brightest leaders' would have seemed obvious to me even at the time but it's possible I overestimate myself."

"I doubt it would be productive to explain that, you probably already have my various writings if you are from the future as you say."

"We do. And I didn't come here to debate questions already settled to the satisfaction of a court. It seems, to me, foreseeable, that permissions systems would endure even once their failures became apparent, because they will always serve the people in power better than any alternative. But maybe if you'd lived you could have changed course once the evidence mounted. I am sure if we're found by a civilization forty years ahead of ours they'll have some complaints with me. Does this answer your question?"

"I'm not sure if I believe you, but it does constitute an answer, more or less."

"All right." He stands up.

Sigh.

"One of the complaints I suspect my successors forty years hence will have with me is that we let anybody die, ever, who we could have saved. By then perhaps they'll have the means to bring them back, too. It's the kind of thing I would consider in a will, if I were making one."

"I'll take that under advisement."

He leaves.

The Emperor finishes his will and final statement and takes his poison.

This is of course announced with great fanfare and celebrated with fireworks.

(His surviving family mourn quite privately.)

"I liked him."

"I am shocked, shocked."

"I wish I'd been around back then, I think I could have done some good."

"Apparently you were, right, just as a grey centaur alien?"

"They arrive tomorrow."

"I can't wait!"

Iobel, Bella, Andi, and Charlie lightleap back and land by fairy.

So do Mitros and the entire crowd of blue centaur aliens.

Iobel does her de-Yeerking spell on Mitros just in case.

Mitros was not Yeerked. He hugs her. "Hi, Isabella-number-two-picked-a-nickname -"

Hug. "Not yet. T'Mir is T'Mir, that will do for now."

"Okay. Let's go fetch Aitim if he's not too busy and then the Andalites can explain what they're currently thinking on the war with the Yeerks - I brought them up to speed -"