by Ryk Brown
“Lead the way,” Nathan urged.
Jessica glanced at the sergeant as she passed, a snarky look on her face. “I guess we don’t all clean up as well,” she remarked in passing.
“I wasn’t going to say anything,” the sergeant retorted.
Nathan and his detail followed the Fifth Protector and his two guards up the same path as before. This time, however, they took a side path that wrapped around one side of the main building and through a small forest along a creek. The walk was well-lit and perfectly manicured, with cameras embedded in the trees at key locations.
“You people afraid of something?” Jessica asked the Fifth Protector.
“Pardon?”
“What’s with all the cameras?”
“We are a small population,” the Fifth Protector explained. “We accomplish with technology what we cannot accomplish with numbers.”
“I see,” Jessica replied. She moved a step closer to Nathan, whispering, “Or their population doesn’t like them.”
“Let’s be polite, shall we?” Nathan whispered back.
“No promises,” Jessica replied.
They broke out of the forest onto a large blue-green lawn, in the midst of which was an unusual structure.
“What is that?” Jessica wondered.
“That is the First Protector’s personal residence,” the Fifth Protector replied.
“Why does it look like a tent?” she wondered.
“The architecture is an homage to our ancestors, who wandered the deserts of our homeworld. Many of our more prominent buildings share this style.”
“But it’s not a tent, right?” Jessica asked.
“It is quite solid, I assure you,” the Fifth Protector confirmed.
“Seriously?” Nathan whispered to Jessica.
“Hey, solid structures only have a few doors,” she replied. “A tent is one big door, to anyone with a blade.”
“Precisely why we no longer use tents,” the Fifth Protector stated, having overheard her statement.
Nathan and Jessica shared a glance as they approached the entrance. On either side of the massive double-doors, two burly men wrapped in ceremonial robes stood fast, swords hanging from their hips in ornate scabbards. Both men wore the same menacing expression; one that Jessica knew was only possessed by men who had taken many lives.
Neither man moved as Nathan and Jessica passed between them, but one extended his left arm to block their Ghatazhak escorts.
“Weapon,” the guard stated in a monotone voice, still looking straight ahead.
“No thanks, I have one,” Sergeant Shapira replied, continuing forward.
The guard’s hand stood firm, blocking the sergeant’s entry.
The sergeant looked down at the man’s hand on his chest, then at the guard, who was still staring straight ahead. “I’m assuming you want me to take your arm off with that pretty little sword.”
The guard turned his head slowly, locking eyes with the sergeant. “That would be most entertaining,” he growled.
“Is there a problem?” Jessica asked, turning around.
“Tiny, here, is blocking my way,” the sergeant stated, his eyes still locked with those of the guard.
“Relinquish your weapon,” the guard explained more clearly.
“Ask me nicely,” the sergeant replied, winking at the man.
“Relinquish it, or die,” the guard added, his voice becoming even more menacing.
In a quick, smooth motion, the guard reached for his sword, as did his counterpart on the other side of the entryway. However, both men were forced to stop short of drawing their blades completely, as they found the muzzles of the Ghatazhak soldiers’ sidearms pointed squarely at their faces, charged and ready to fire.
“Bad idea, tiny,” the sergeant stated with a cold, deadly look in his eyes. “Put the piece of metal back in its sheath, or I put a hole through that ugly head of yours.”
“Easy, Sergeant,” Jessica warned.
By now, the fifth protector had taken notice, and had turned around. “Protectors!” he barked at the guards. “Captain, what is the meaning of this?”
“It seems your guards are being less than courteous,” Nathan stated calmly.
“They are simply asking your guards to relinquish their weapons,” the fifth protector explained. “I thought I made it clear before that no weapons are allowed in the presence of the First Protector.”
“It would have been nice if you had reminded us of this back at the landing pad,” Nathan replied in disapproval.
“My apologies,” the Fifth Protector stated politely. “If your men will turn over their weapons, we can put this unfortunate incident behind us.”
“Yeah, well, we Ghatazhak don’t really like to give up our weapons,” Jessica explained, “especially when someone threatens us.”
The Fifth Protector appeared uncertain of what to say next.
“Gentlemen, relinquish your weapons,” Nathan instructed.
Sergeant Shapira continued staring in the guard’s eyes, looking for any indication of submission. Finally, he spun his gun around, flicking on the safety and powering it down in the process, offering it to the guard, butt-first. “I don’t need it to take this mountain out, anyway,” he stated, a smirk on his face.
The guard accepted the weapon from the sergeant as he settled his sword back into its sheath.
“Shall we continue?” the Fifth Protector suggested.
“You know where to find me, if you want to dance,” the sergeant stated to the guard as he passed.
“Was that really necessary?” Nathan asked the sergeant as they continued into the building.
“Just a little psychological warfare, sir,” the sergeant replied.
“We’re not at war with them.”
“Technically, we are,” Jessica corrected.
“Even more reason not to taunt,” Nathan insisted.
“He was just letting their best beast know we weren’t scared of him,” Jessica explained. “Standard Ghatazhak tactics.”
“I believe that tactics are my purview at the moment,” Nathan reminded her.
“Yes, sir.”
Fifth Protector Kamadin led them to the entrance to the First Protector’s dining chambers, then turned to face them as the two guards flanking him stepped to either side. “Enjoy your meal,” he said, before pulling the doors open and heading in.
Jessica turned to the sergeant. “Don’t kill anyone, Shap.”
“I’ll do my best, sir,” the sergeant replied.
Nathan and Jessica followed Fifth Protector Kamadin into the dining chamber. The room was adorned with elaborate floor rugs and large, colorful silks strung about the ceiling and walls, simulating the interior of a large tent.
At the center of the tent, a half-dozen middle-aged men dressed in gold-trimmed white silk robes sat around a polished oval table. The table itself was loaded with a variety of foods, both hot and cold, as well as a selection of beverages. The men themselves seemed jovial, and the atmosphere somewhat informal, which made Nathan feel somewhat overdressed.
“Captain Scott, and Lieutenant Commander Nash, of the Karuzari Alliance,” the Fifth Protector announced.
Two young women in plain robes, giving the appearance of a shared purpose, stepped forward to guide the new arrivals to their seats at the table.
“Welcome, Captain,” the First Protector greeted. “Welcome, Lieutenant Commander. I am so happy you could join us. I was afraid you would not make it.”
“I apologize if we are tardy,” Nathan said as he and Jessica took their seats. “We have not yet coordinated our clocks with those of your world, nor are we aware of your dining customs and timings.”
“No apologies needed, Captain. I would like to introduce my cabinet,” the First Protector began. “Sec
ond Protector Hakimi; my minister of defense,” he introduced, gesturing at each man as he announced them. “Second Protector Shamoun; my minister of civilian security, and Third Protectors Borto, Seif, and Mogdahm; chiefs of staff for myself and my two subordinates. Gentlemen,” he said, raising his glass, “may I present to you, Captain Scott, commanding officer of the Karuzari Alliance ship Aurora, and his chief of security, Lieutenant Commander Nash. Welcome.”
All in attendance raised their glasses in respect, before sipping from them.
“Thank you, First Protector,” Nathan replied. “It is an honor to meet you all.”
“I hope you are hungry, Captain, the First Protector said. “We have a feast laid out for you this evening.”
“I can eat,” Jessica assured him.
“I hope you didn’t go to too much trouble,” Nathan insisted.
“No trouble, Captain. We welcome an opportunity to dine in such fashion. Most meals on Ahka are sparse and unimpressive.”
“Why is that,” Nathan asked, as one of the servers placed some food on his plate.
“The Ahka are of modest means, and do not believe in waste. When we kill an animal, we consume the entire beast, leaving nothing behind. To do so would be an insult to the creature whose life we had taken to sustain our own.”
“A very noble outlook,” Nathan stated. “Surprising, for a people who ‘prey on the weak.’”
Every Ahka in the room gave him an evil stare, with the exception of First Protector Assafa, who laughed openly. “You do not mince words, do you, Captain?” He laughed again. “I like that.”
“Then you’ll really like her,” Nathan said, pointing to Jessica on his right.
“We only take what we need to survive,” Second Protector Hakimi pointed out, disapproval still evident on his face.
“Including women,” Jessica added, disapproval on her face as well.
“Does not the animal take what it needs from other animals, in order to survive?” the other second protector, Minister Shamoun asked.
“It does,” Nathan agreed, “but we are not animals.”
“That is where you are wrong,” First Protector Assafa insisted. “We humans only think we are above the animals we feed upon. In truth, we are not. We have the same survival instinct, and when given no choice, we both do what we must to survive.”
“The animal has no choice,” Nathan argued. “He is only acting in accordance to his genetic programming.”
“As are humans.”
“But humans can choose to do ignore that programming. That is what separates us from animals.”
“Yet, the majority of humans will prey upon the weak to some extent,” First Protector Assafa pointed out.
“I said they can choose to do otherwise, not that they do,” Nathan replied.
“I suppose that is where your Alliance comes in. You will tell us all what is right and wrong.”
“That is not the intention of the Karuzari Alliance,” Nathan argued. “We do not believe we have the right to tell member worlds how they should live, or how they should run their worlds. We simply wish to unite all worlds together in peace, for the security and prosperity of all human populated worlds. Your world, should you choose to become a member, would be yours to run in whatever manner you wish.”
“As long as we stop ‘preying on weaker worlds’, as you put it,” Second Protector Shamoun surmised.
“The same way that other civilizations stronger than your own, of which there are many, would agree not to prey upon you,” Nathan replied.
“And if we are attacked by a world that is not a member of your alliance?” the second protector inquired.
“We would stop them, of course,” Nathan replied.
“Just like that,” the second protector said dismissively. “Your ships must be quite well-armed.”
“We are,” Nathan assured him.
“Surely you are aware of the vastness of space,” Second Protector Hakimi stated. “You would need many ships in order to protect every world in your alliance.”
“I doubt there are many who truly understand the vastness of space better than I,” Nathan assured him. “Having said that, I assure you the Aurora can be virtually anywhere, within current alliance territory, within minutes of being called into action.”
“And how does one call for assistance over such distances?”
“We link all member worlds with automated, jump-capable communication drones,” Nathan explained. “Each world has a series of drones following free-return trajectories between the command system and the member worlds, providing for the regular exchange of messages an average of every hour.”
“No battle takes an hour,” one of the third protectors scoffed.
“In addition,” Jessica added, “Each world has additional jump comm drones that can be used to call for assistance in the blink of an eye.”
“And, how do your people know where your ships are located?” Second Protector Hakimi wondered.
“We notify central command of our new position when we relocate, even for a short period of time,” Jessica explained. “We even leave a relay-drone at our departure point, in case a message was dispatched before command was alerted to our change of position, so it can then be forwarded to us.”
“A complex procedure,” Third Protector Seif stated, picking at his food.
“It’s all automated, for the most part,” Jessica assured him.
“You only speak of the Aurora,” First Protector Assafa noted. “I assume you have more ships.”
“Our fleet is small, but effective,” Nathan assured him. “I speak mostly of the Aurora because she is the flagship of the Alliance.”
“Then she is the largest ship in your fleet,” Second Protector Shamoun surmised.
“Our fleet has ships of many sizes and mission profiles,” Nathan assured him. “Some of them larger, some of them smaller. As the captain of the Aurora, I admit I have a bias toward her.”
“Is there a particular reason you seem so curious about our fleet strength?” Jessica wondered.
“You are asking us to trust in your ability to defend Ahka, so I believe confidence in your ability to do so is warranted,” First Protector Assafa stated.
“You are also asking us to fight alongside you,” Second Protector Hakimi pointed out. “The Ahka have always fought for the Ahka, and the Ahka alone. We ask no one for help.”
“No, you just kill them and steal their shit,” Jessica grumbled, only half under her breath.
“Your disdain for the Ahka is a clear indication of the need for the very alliance you seek to establish. Tell me, Captain, if the Ahka were to join your alliance, how would we survive? We are not yet an industrialized, fully independent society. Without the raids, our world will likely falter, and our people perish.”
“As a member of the Alliance, we would call upon the resources of all member worlds to help you achieve self-sufficiency,” Nathan assured him.
“And how would we pay for all this assistance?” Second Protector Shamoun wondered.
“The good captain has suggested that our warriors could serve the Alliance as a form of payment for such resources,” First Protector Assafa told the second protector.
Nathan could not tell if the First Protector believed it to be a good idea himself. “Every world has its own unique set of resources,” he told them. “I am certain your world is no exception. You simply have not yet been in a position to exploit them to their greatest potential. The Karuzari Alliance can help you with this.”
“All very interesting,” the first protector said, “but such serious topics should never be debated on empty stomachs. We are here to dine, are we not?”
Nathan smiled. “We are,” he agreed, as the server placed a large, roasted, bug-eyed creature on his plate.
First Protector Assafa noti
ced the looks of concern on his guests’ faces. “Icta is a delicacy on Ahka,” he insisted, smiling broadly.
“Of course,” Nathan replied.
Jessica leaned toward the server, placing her hand in front of her to prevent her from loading her plate with the same. “I’m a vegetarian,” she whispered to the server.
The server nodded her understanding, and moved away.
“Wimp,” Nathan muttered to her under his breath.
* * *
Commander Prechitt entered the mess hall at the Casbon fighter base, expecting it to be full of Casbon pilots and trainees, as usual. Instead, he saw only a handful of Casbons, and Talisha sitting by herself in the corner.
“Where’s everyone at?” he questioned Talisha as he sat down.
“Most of the duty staff are relaxing in their bunks,” Talisha replied. “I sent the trainees home for the day. We’ve been riding them pretty hard. I thought they could us a day with their families, and with the Aurora orbiting Ahka, it seemed like an opportunity to let everyone breathe.”
The commander nodded approval. “It would be a pretty good time to conduct a surprise readiness drill as well,” he suggested.
“Not even you are that cruel,” Talisha insisted.
“I don’t know…seems like a golden opportunity.”
“Don’t even think about it,” she warned, shaking her finger at him.
“Denna and Corson are still a bit shaky in their evasion maneuvers,” the commander commented, changing the subject.
“They’ll get the hang of it,” she assured him. “I think I let their AIs help them out for too long. It works for some people, but makes it worse for others.”
“Well, if they don’t improve, and soon, we’ll be sending them back to repeat basic flight,” the commander warned.
“I’ll make sure they are up to snuff, if I have to fly second seat with them myself,” she promised. “The next group is nearly finished in the sims. They’re looking pretty good, too.”
“That’s good news…”
An alarm klaxon sounded outside, interrupting Commander Prechitt.
Talisha stared at him in disbelief. “You didn’t…”