"He's doing well. I'm glad you had the chance to talk to him - he's a very unusual Eliksni, but I've learned a lot about his people through speaking with him. I think we have a lot to teach each other. I can't blame Pelsor for being cagey - she probably thinks, with good reason, any information she gives us could reach her enemies. But Variks is different."

Ben considers the statement about Earth. His impression, though he's diplomatic enough not to put it in those terms, is that a lot of Earths are fairly primitive in technology and especially travel compared to his universe of origin.

"It's a little different where I come from. My galaxy has a history of galactic-spanning governments, democratic or imperial, though planets tend to have their own leadership. We have no Earth, not that we know of, and humans have spread throughout the galaxy. Sometimes I wonder if we fled the planet long ago for some reason that's been lost to history."