Their reaction showed that those were words they were not expecting. After an exchange of several sibilant hisses, Thessu turned slitted eyes on the seated human.
“We accept your apology.”
She smiled. “Don’t you want to hear what it’s for?”
The senior AAnn officer signaled third-degree uncertainty. “Truly, it musst be for forcibly resstraining uss on the mosst feeble of excussess.” He hesitated. “Iss it not?”
“No, indeed. If you remember our previous meeting, I suggested that you might be somehow responsible for the sabotaging of two skimmers that had been lost in the southern Viisiiviisii. I now know that not to be the case. You have been proven innocent of such charges.” Rising, she performed a third-degree double gesture of apology coupled with a second-degree forward bow of abasement. It was far from perfect, but her guests were impressed that she made the effort.
Taken aback, Jallrii recovered quickly. The rapid curling motion of his right hand, coupled with that of his tail, constituted the AAnn equivalent of a corporal smirk. “It iss alwayss gratifying to catch a human in a misstake, though it iss rare to have one express contrition in sso classical a fasshion.”
She resumed her seat. “Thank you. I pride myself on my studies. Please recall my earnest sympathy when you are returned to your isolation ward.”
Thessu started. “Returned? But you have jusst ssaid that we are abssolved of ressponssibility for the dissappearance of the two craft in quesstion.”
“Truly.” She smiled across at them. “That has nothing to do with your ongoing medical condition.”