Historian VI might be, but Captain (or Ambassador) Mozin looked genuinely surprised on getting a good look at Alex. And given that he was about to launch into a tirade, I'd peg him as a character who is a bit more upfront and his surprise was not feigned.entity2636 wrote:@novius - yup, and both Captain Mozin and the Historian VI were apparently aware of the existence of humans and the implications thereof. I would like to believe that Tempo is being genuine and really honestly wants to get Alex safely back to base, and that is much safer on a battleship with escort than on a lone corvette. In addition she wants to keep a lid on the matter so as to avoid rumors spreading and not creating a panic. We do not know Mozin's agenda and true intentions, who knows, maybe there are those interested in destabilizing the Union for whatever reason (Umiak collaborators, perhaps?)
While it might be that the Barsam have their own agenda - which nation wouldn't have? - it is likely that Tempo intentionally seeds some distrust in Alex to distance him from the other species in the Union and bind him more tightly to the Loroi themselves. After all, too many people have already seen him, and the secret of his existence is already out in the open. So Tempo, representing the Loroi, would be well-advised to secure first dibs on him. Though, whether Alex takes her words at face value or not is not known so far.
Fireblade, at the very least, is honest in her disdain towards Alex.
Tempo is that kind of scheming witch where one has to double-check every word she says. And still can't be sure if she really told the whole story or not.