Blerb:

Short tale of an Unfallen academic whose work betrays the other side of a typically pacifist people. Si vis pacem, para bellum; If you want peace, prepare for war.

Story Text (499 words):

Turning the pages of a good book is not unlike the rustling of the leaves of a friend. "Predstavnik whero-kōwhai: On the Practices of Genocide" had become a labor of love for Rezervirati, pouring through many ancient texts, the myriad sufferings past of Unfallen history, the tome now rested in his tendrils as he sat at his desk within the capital university. This final dissertation was the last effort of academe before turning to career in politics, and Rezervirati hoped that a well researched cautionary tale on the outcomes of violence would guarantee a position in one of the major political parties. So engrossed in a pleasant dream of political service,  Rezervirati barely noticed as the doorway to his office darkened and a familiar figure entered; with a copy of his book outstretched and eyes displaying the countenance of contempt, malice, out-rage, smugness and glee.

Fiend! Slanderer! Assassin! Invader! Rezervirati flailed, scattering loose equipment and papers, something clattering away into the gloom of one of the university's laboratories. He had been disgraced, stripped of standing, his work censored and now he was intoxicated.

"I see you have expanded your capacities for vengeance."

Rezervirati spin, losing balance and crashing down, scattering more equipment as the voice from the dark activated the lights. Through the chemical fog of his mind  Rezervirati saw that he had stumbled into the infamous weapons lab of the xeno-archealogy department, and before him, crouched on one of the benches was the equally controversial un-Unfallen head of said lab.  Rezervirati felt pangs of guilt and fear, but a surging anger took hold of his voice as explained his plight. The dean of the university had used his own political contacts to have his work sanctioned, the book would be entombed within the forbidden vaults along with most of his hard won research materials as well. Knowledge buried, it was barbaric.

"One would believe that you could only be found in the domain of one so barbaric as I, is if one wished to acquire the tools for barbarism."

Rezervirati knew what the alien meant, it's code dictated violence for cowardliness, and the preposterous dean had sanctioned him because of the fear his book might endear in the common public.

"Truly there is nothing to fear from simple knowledge, although the terror your work examines might save your people from ones able and willing to commit such atrocity."

That was right. Damn the government, damn the fear of fear, the crimes described in Rezervirati's work could still be visited upon the Unfallen people. An ancient blade was pressed into his grasp and  Rezervirati descended back into the the night.

The ship was cramped for Rezervirati's bulk but would serve him till he made it to The Academy. His book had been saved, copies were being made and distributed, the dean... The fight had been ferocious, many books of the forbidden vaults had been scattered and even now  Rezervirati could feel that old book Dust creeping about his foliage.

Auxiliary notes:

predstavnik - representative

whero - red

kōwhai - yellow

"you have expanded your capacities for vengeance" - slang from a warrior culture saying that the subject has become intoxicated.