A few years after the first encounter, the humans return to Lilli Station, they come in large, new, ships. They do not dock but, instead, make contact. They offer to reinforce the station to protect the inhabitants. To assign humans to guard the cogniscents there. The inhabitants of this station helped them, saved them, in their hour of desperate need, and, despite the gift given, never asked for anything in return. The humans were grateful to the ones that saved them. And intended to make sure others knew, this station was under their protection.
@internutter/challenge-02930-h007-a-gift-in-kind -- Anon Guest
The Phrajji had chalked the encounter up to one of the more baffling incidents of history as a whole. Why these ragged Deathworlders had not acted as expected and indeed left gifts was one of the eternal mysteries. The Phrajji never expected the Humans to return.
They offered a message, staying at a distance that would not panic the inhabitants. The one in GalSimple was the best for the Phrajji to translate. "You is helping us. We is helping you. Gratitude. We protect. We help."
Over the following years of the relationship, it became clearer. These Humans were desperate escapees from a war-torn polity in the process of eating itself. They had left without so many things, including a ship that would hold up during interstellar travel, or plants enough to make the air they needed.
The Havenworlders didn't have to offer their aid. Indeed, the Humans would have understood if they had been left to die. But that was before they learned about the Alliance's rules concerning distress calls[1]. Nevertheless, it was still more kindness than they had come to expect.
Now that they were in a situation of strength, they decided to repay their debt.
The Phrajji had saved these Humans' lives. Now they were eternally grateful.
What shocked the Havenworlders the most was how useful the Humans were. They were willing to rein in and wrangle comets and asteroids that could be a problem. They even passed along the Hungry Caterpillar defense systems that would protect the station from any kind of incoming debris.
They defended Lilli Station against any kind of pirate raid. They even threw themselves against the Vorax.
The scary part was how often they won.
Then the Humans would enter the specifically re-enforced section of Lilli station and leave harmless and incredibly profitable gifts.
They learned, in time, that Humans considered a life to be invaluable, and that one good deed deserved a lifetime of gratitude.
By the time the last child of the past rescue had died of old age, the Phrajji and the Humans had a solid trading relationship.
[1] Always respond to a distress signal, for the distress may one day be yours. What goes around gets around.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / innovari]
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