Bona sat behind his desk and set down the intelligence dossier on the T'au Empire.
A blue-skinned man approached him.
He wore what looked like a fairly simple outfit, but one glance told Bona that the thin clothing incorporated a remarkably complex array of life-support equipment.
"Greetings, ruler," he said courteously.
"I am Por Vre Dao'Y Is'Vem."
Bona did not answer him. Instead, he sat in silence.
According to the intelligence Bona had gathered before meeting the T'au envoy, T'au names contained a tremendous amount of information.
Take the first word, for instance.
Por indicated his caste, and "Por" identified him as a member of the Water Caste, skilled in diplomacy and interpersonal relations.
The five great castes of the T'au Empire.
The second name indicated his rank. Reaching "Vre" meant that he had considerable experience and was quite well known.
The third name, "Dao'Y Is," identified his birthplace.
The final name was a childhood name. In theory, he should also have had a fourth name recording his honors, just like those Big Corn Cobs in the Adeptus Custodes.
"It seems this is your first independent diplomatic assignment," Bona said.
Vre Vem froze for a moment, then gave him an affable smile.
"It appears you know something about us. This is indeed my first independent diplomatic assignment."
"The one who was originally supposed to meet you was Por Ei Dao'Y Is'Vre Nem, but he had to attend to matters on the other side of Damocles, so I had to negotiate with you in his place."
"Please forgive this unavoidable arrangement. We currently have no diplomatic envoys of the 'Ei' rank in this region."
"Understandable. After all, I summoned you without warning."
Bona straightened in his seat and studied the diplomat before him.
"Let us keep this brief. I summoned you