It’s Sunday again, time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click the logo above) and Snippet Sumday (click the logo below.) This is again a quote from Rescue Operation, following on from last week.

What neither Roi nor the Council had realized was that a group of parasitized Humans were ready to move in on Rakal the instant the R’il’noids were no longer guarding the system. The infection would be self-limiting—the parasite could not reproduce in Humans, and the infection could only be maintained by bringing in captive Maungs. With both Maungs and R’il’noids on patrol, that would not happen often—but the original population of the planet was now being treated as a food supply and hostages by the parasitized Humans, who considered themselves to be a different and superior species.

The Confederation rescued those they could, but the entire Inner Council had agreed that Rakal would be a unique episode. No further planets could leave the Confederation—but that decision had set up the potential disaster on Horizon.

“We have two distinct problems,” Kaia said, “and we’d better treat it that way. Horizon’s an emergency, and I agree with Roi on that. But I’m not sure what we can do beyond trying to get a reconsideration. All Zhaim’s supporters are on planet, so that means we need seventeen votes.”

And Zhaim has already thought of that.