#16 Kialks – Envoy

“Emperor, it has been ninety-nine years since we were conquered. Last night, Latrek of the Lowlands died. His name should be of no consequence to you or your courtiers. The only notable thing about him was his age. He was one hundred and one, making him the oldest of our entire race by more than a decade. His passing means that no living man, woman or child of my race has ever known a free breath or taken a step that wasn’t allowed to them.

“As a general rule, I admit that our slavery has not been exceptionally brutal. While some masters have delighted in hunting us like wild game, the vast majority our content to leave us to labor in their fields and factories for their profit. The deaths caused by the harsh conditions and long hours are even mourned by the overseers, placed as little red marks in their books and recorded as lost capital.. No, it is not hatred or derision that marks our enslavement, but apathy.

“Some would even argue that the interference of the Holathk Empire has elevated us. Brought us new technology and taken us to frontiers of the universe that we would not have reached on our own for many centuries. While I must concede that is true, it is felt by the majority of us that it would have been better to wallow in the mud for eternity than be dragged to the stars in chains.

“Now tonight, on your celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of our surrender, as the envoys of my race have done for one hundred years, I will entreat you. Please let our people go.”

Category: 2011, Scifi