"Humans use harmful actions against trespassers. They have in the vocabulary of all eight of their languages, many words to describe a variety of harmful actions, including their famous organized disagreements in which both factions use harmful actions that result in the actual deaths of their opponents. Their word for this is 'war'. Last rainy season on the plains of the Muribgrax equator, humans were triggered to a state of war against the native Muribgraxians. The resulting near extinction of the Muribgraxians was only halted when the humans showed restraint and called off their harmful actions against the perceived trespassers, allowing the last of their migration to pass unharmed through human territory. This entire tragedy was a misunderstanding." The Frendsikeel attorney gave a short introduction of their defense, clicking rapidly with her whiskers on her jawdrum and forming perfect English through the voice of the translator, followed by holocaptions in Muribgraxian, Cave God and Sunder languages.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, esteemed peers, wise ones - lend me your considerations." The Sunder attorney for the plaintiff slithered out and slicked back her frill one-handed with perfect manners.
"The humans are a species that is only eleven ages old. Their ascent was allowed only because the Cave God peoples found the sound of human laughter to be profoundly holy, they call it soothing, and claim it to be proof that humans are creatures with souls. I ask you here today, with the appalling facts of human behavior laid bare, to judge their entire species for the crime of using harmful actions against their neighbors. Should they be found guilty of being more dangerous than beneficial, the Sunder administration has prepared to use tranquil euthanization of the humans on Muribgrax and automated orbital shoals to prevent further ascent from their other worlds. When these appalling facts are displayed, do not be confused by the arguments of the defense, that the humans reacted merely on reflex, and that their intelligence and goodness prevailed over their instincts so that they halted their efforts to harm the Muribgraxians. In this court, we shall see truth and justice prevail. Ave." The Sunder spoke with eloquence and offered easy conclusions and consequences. The expression of the jurors was one of approval.
Grand Defender Osowl Fitten was tweezing her whiskers nervously. She knew the Sunder administration were waiting in the night to spray the humans from orbit. Painless and instant the viral load would eradicate their entire population on Muribgrax, returning the lush green world to the giant natives who had ruled it for over a hundred and eighty ages. It was only Muribgraxian permissiveness that allowed the humans to colonize their world. Back then, the Muribgraxians naively welcomed the humans, although the humans were largely unaware of the dormant immortals. Then, after a few generations of humans had thrived on Muribgrax, the natives had risen from their nests for their sacred migration, flying their inflated bulk in the skies over the human colonies. The Sunder had a good argument: any other species would have celebrated and welcomed the arrival of their hosts. The humans had revealed that they had powerful tools - something they called weapons - which they turned on the native Muribgraxians, ending the lives of most of them. Before they had shot down every Muribgraxian, the humans decided the Muribgraxians were harmless, and ceased their attack, but not before the ancient Muribgraxians were reduced to just a few individuals, almost their entire species wiped out by their guests.
The trial went on for days, and exhaustion set in. When all of the facts were presented, both the facts about human nature, Muribgraxian philosophy and the horrifying details of the migration, the tribunal of Cave Gods took a recess and the jury was left in deliberation.
Exalted Inquisitor Eshka Layenna slithered over to her opponent, alone in the courtroom. Sunder excelled at presenting themselves charismatically. Grand Defender Osowl Fitten felt at ease and flattered by Eshka's composure. Osowl twitched her whiskers as if shaking off the seductive effect of a euphoric perfume. Eshka picked up on the discomfort and stopped dancing, setting into a more businesslike posture.
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"You realize I was not exaggerating about the consequences. When the jury comes back out, they will rule in favor of the continuation of a founding species over the colony of vermin you were brought here to speak for. They don't even know what convenes. They are mindless creatures. This is what is best." Eshka said with confidence. It was cold-blooded, and this somehow made Osowl realize something:
"A trial for reconsideration, ad hoc." Osowl said, mostly to herself.
"What's that?" Eshka was smoothing her frill with both hands, quite rudely. Osowl noted that Eshka's behavior was different when she was only being observed by an opponent.
"Such drastic consequences must be postponed in the event of any possibility of a mistrial or any other reason that is logical, spiritual, ethical or emotional. Any reason." Osowl reminded the Sunder prosecutor.
"Well." Eshka thought carefully for a moment, showing a little respect, at least. "Then it is a good thing for the plaintiff that there is no such reason."
"Ah, but there is." Osowl hissed quietly in the Sunder language. "Neither the Muribgraxians nor the humans have spoken in this courtroom in any capacity. Both parties are absent, and according to the courts of humans - the defender is allowed to face their accuser."
"Don't be absurd. You and I are professional representations of their arguments, there is no reason to disturb either species outside these proceedings." Eshka seemed irritated, flicking out her tongue to taste the air, without realizing she was doing so.
"Are you aware of the tenements of Muribgraxian philosophy?" Osowl's whiskers straightened and her eyes looked like pressed flax, a sure sign she had solved yet another complicated case with her unusually slow mental process, but one that always arrived at the correct conclusion, eventually.
"That all is forgiven and forgotten if an apology can be accepted, and that there is no better outcome to a conflict of interests?" Eshka trembled, her quick but linear mind assembling the pieces of Osowl's epiphany with the dread of losing the trial.
Osowl brought up an image from the evidence exhibit with a gesture in the air. The hologram hovered while she focused on the points of interest. The software instantly created a collage of her observations, showing a mural of human activities that followed the tragic events of the attempted Muribgraxian migration.
"I think we will now agree this constitutes a reason to continue our argument formally, with the tribunal and jurors. This was not considered." Osowl blinked very slowly, showing the deepest respect and consideration for her opponent, who was now feeling humiliated. The Sunder's frill was fully erect and her eyes were slits.
"Of course." She hissed.
The Grand Defender and Exalted Inquisitor summoned the tribunal and jurors to consider a different set of facts that was previously ignored. The humans had realized that the Muribgraxians were entirely peaceful and had not only stopped their attack, but had rescued an injured Muribgraxian survivor. They had failed to keep the survivor alive for more than a few days, but they had tried.
The humans had witnessed the few remaining Muribgraxians burying their dead on the shore. The court watched as the humans brought the dead Muribgraxian to its family, and participated in the funeral, mourning the unintentional destruction. When it was all over, the humans dismantled the harpoons and used the parts to erect a monument, an abstraction showing a human child riding on the back of a Muribgraxian juvenile. They became good neighbors. They had apologized to the Muribgraxians as best they could, and in their infinite benevolence, the Muribgraxians had forgiven the humans.
"I conclude today with a question for the court: what justice can there be, that is better than this?" Osowl asked the jurors with a feeling of accomplishment.
Later, as night approached, the glowing stars that were Sunder exterminators flashed as they left orbit.
And in the morning the humans were still there, and they came out of their habitats and observed their new friends, the Muribgraxians, floating peacefully like clouds.