"Dtona grooush," he shouted. He shouted something else in the same tongue; he had started to run toward the box, then halted as he realized that his dance had carried him too far away.

The top of the box continued to rise, slowly as though someone, or something, didn't want to attract attention.

Then the top was all the way up and there was a wind-like sound as thousands of Regulusians released their pent-up breath. Many light years away, other viewers tensed in front of their visiscreens.

What came out of the box was undoubtedly a bird, but unlike one ever seen in the Federation. From head to tail it was a good three feet long and, standing, it was about two feet tall. Its feathers were brown and white, with a black stripe running across its eyes like a mask. What had once been wings were now wing-like arms ending in a pair of three-fingered hands. There was an intelligent cruelty in its yellow eyes. A strange-looking harness was strapped around its body and in it there was a needle-sharp weapon.

As the bird came out of the box, it had eyes only for the small objects which buzzed around the flowers. Its head shot out again and again and each time its beak closed on one of the buzzing objects.

Manning Draco shouted and the bird glanced up. It looked at the man who stood before it and its beak yawned widely. There was a brief glimpse of a double row of teeth. Then it moved toward him, its eyes bright with intent. One hand crept toward the weapon in its harness.

Manning Draco fired the tri-blast. There was a sharp energy recoil and then the three blades struck the bird. It cried out something in the strange dialect the Acruxian had used and tried to dodge at the last moment, but it was too late. Feathers swirled in the air and then it went down, neatly sliced into four parts.

Feathers swirled in the air and then it went down....

The cameras followed Manning Draco as he walked over to the dead bird and they moved in for a close-up. Off to one side, Dtilla Raishelle, reduced from co-star to extra, was ignored.

Manning scooped up one of the small objects, wincing slightly as it stung him. Then he held up the brown and gold bumblebee so that it could be seen.

"Citizens of the Federation," he said, "the creature which I just killed in self defense was a Denebian, probably evolved from something very similar to the Terran 

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