Merkiaari Wars Series: Books 1-3

by Mark E. Cooper

“Yes I... yes I will sit,” Shima said in a small voice. Her confidence had taken a beating. She couldn’t even cross a room without help. Gina guided her to a mat and she sat. “Please, everyone sit and be comfortable.”

  The harmonies showed Shima everyone moving to find places. Chailen left the room but came back inside just moments later with refreshments. Everyone took a cup and murmured their thanks.

  “General Burgton, I did not mean to be rude. Welcome, may you live in harmony.”

  “Thank you, Shima,” Burgton said. “No need for apologies and no need for ceremony between friends. I get way too much of that.”

  Shima blinked uncertainly. “You’re here as a friend?”

  “I am,” Burgton said. “I’m sure others will think of this visit as politics in action or will attribute some other nefarious reason to be named later, but be assured that I’m here to support you and a promise made to you.”

  Shima’s heart pounded. “A promise,” she whispered, trying not to let hope overwhelm her.

  “It’s time, Shima,” Gina said gently. “I’m sorry you had to wait so long, but the fighting on Harmony took longer than I thought. That’s done with now. We, vipers I mean, are going home within days. Fifth Fleet is staying of course, but it’s time for us to go home. We’re here to bring you with us to our ship.”

  Shima reached to Chailen who was standing nearby. She clutched her sib’s hand. “I’m to go with you?”

  “If you still want to, yes,” Gina said. “I promised you new eyes, Shima. You must come home with me to... for us to fix you.”

  “Gina is correct. I’m sorry we can’t do the work here, Shima,” Burgton said. “My ship is equipped to repair my vipers not Shan. We’ll need to run tests and learn more about your people from a genetic standpoint before we can try to grow new eyes for you. Fifth Fleet does not have the expertise, but I have everything you need on Snakeholme. Will you come?”

  “Yes,” Shima said managing not to shout the word. “I’ll come right now.” Chailen squeezed her hand.

  “There’s time,” Gina soothed. “Our people are still loading our gear back aboard. The plan is to jump outsystem the day after tomorrow.”

  “Can we come?” Chailen said abruptly, and Shima looked up sharply. “Sharn and I have talked about it. He and I are healer caste and although I’m still in training, he is fully qualified. We can help you, General, but even if you do not need us, Shima is my only sib. I want to be there.”

  Shima didn’t allow Burgton to answer. “You and Sharn should stay here, Chailen. You’ve done enough for me already.”

  Chailen growled angrily. “You... no, we have guests. I will not fight with you. Imagine yourself in my place, Shima. Imagine me blinded, or paralysed, or any other terrible thing that leaves me helpless. At what point would you say I’ve done enough for you, Chailen, you’re on your own now?”

  “That would never happen!” Shima snapped without thinking. “I mean... I...”

  “You see?” Chailen said smugly. “You can’t defend it. You cannot put limits on my love, just as I cannot put limits upon yours.”

  “But your lives here!”

  Sharn laughed. “What life?” he said bitterly. “Everything’s gone; everything I worked for is destroyed. I’m not even a healer anymore. I spend my days grubbing in the dirt and ruins looking for things to trade. That’s my life now.”

  Shima was stunned. Sharn had said nothing about this! She realised now that Chailen and Sharn had been shielding her from the reality of life in post war Zuleika, and she hadn’t questioned it. By the harmonies what a fool she was. They had cared for her, fed her, and seen to it that they all survived in a city without power and she had spent her time in the garden. Oblivious.

  “I’m so sorry,” Shima said. “If not for me you would still be in the keep—”

  “Don’t start that again! Our lives don’t orbit yours, Shima. You’re not the centre of the harmonies cursed universe!” Sharn cried. Chailen tried to calm him, but he wasn’t having any of it. “Stop coddling her! It’s made her worse not better!”

  Shima’s temper flared. “I’m blind, curse you! What do you want me to do, go out and trade with you? I can’t see!”

  “And that’s all there is to you, true? You haven’t got a disability; you are a disability and a liability to those who love you.”

  Shima spluttered. “How dare you! I’ll rip your ears out by the roots!”

  Sharn laughed. “The Blind Hunter could certainly do it, but you’re just poor blind Shima aren’t you? Nothing to fear in you, is there? Woe, I can’t do anything, woe I’m blind I wish I were dead.”

  “You’re baiting me?” Shima whispered feeling the rage building. It felt good. “Why are you doing this to me?”

  Sharn was abruptly calm. “Do you know what it’s like knowing your mate will cry herself to sleep every night because her only sib wants to die?”

  “No,” Shima whispered, chilled by his words. Chailen was doing that? Oh harmonies say it wasn’t so.

  “Do you know how helpless and useless that makes me feel?” Sharn went on relentlessly. “How about you stop thinking about what you can’t do, and start thinking about what you can do for Chailen?”

  “I’m sorry—”

  “I don’t want your apology; I want to see some action!”

  Shima’s rage slowly cooled, but what could she do? She didn’t want to be blind and helpless! It wasn’t her fault! That was all true, but perhaps she could try harder not to let Chailen see her despair, and if she really could be cured, it wouldn’t even be pretence any more.

  The harmonies showed her that all the Humans were worried now. She could tell quite a bit about them after living and fighting beside James for so long. Their scent combined with the harmonies told her she needed to calm things down.

  “General, what do you say?” Shima said turning toward him. “Would your invitation stretch to three?”

  Before Burgton could answer Varya spoke up. “Earlier today you made elder Jutka an offer, General. I wonder would you consider making that offer directly to the warrior caste?”

  “Well I...” Burgton seemed confused.

  “What’s this about?” Shima said annoyed that her question had been derailed. This was about Chailen and Sharn, not the warrior caste. “And what does it have to do with me and my family?”

  James answered. “On our way to you we visited with elder Jutka at her home, Shima. Kazim was there and recorded the meeting if you’re interested, but basically, it was about the debate between Tei regarding the reconstruction. General Burgton was asked his opinion, which he gave to them, and afterwards he offered to allow some of your people to immigrate to his planet. He hasn’t said so to me, but I believe the idea was to strengthen the position of progressive Tei while underpinning Kajetan’s decision to join the Alliance.”

  “Essentially correct, Professor,” Burgton said. “There’s more to it, however. I strongly believe in the idea of expansion, and that if a Shan colony were to be established outside of this system—whether that’s on Snakeholme or not—its colonists would become role models to your people. I believe that might kick-start a real drive toward exploration. As I said earlier, the Merkiaari are out there. They will be back. The entire Shan species is dependent upon the two habitable worlds of this system. That isn’t safe!”

  Burgton calmed himself and went on in a milder tone. “We lost many worlds to the Merki two hundred years ago, and those worlds were cleansed of Human life. That could happen very easily to the Shan here. Think of that. Shan become extinct. They must scatter themselves throughout the stellar neighbourhood. Not should, not maybe will one day, but must and as quickly as possible!”

  “Calmly General, calmly,” James soothed. “You’re right, but so are the Shan. Colonising nearby worlds should be a goal, but it cannot be an immediate priority. They do need to rebuild their worlds, their orbital infrastructure, and their fleet, before looking beyond this system. A half-arsed movem
ent to colonise new worlds this soon would be worse than not doing it at all. Each colony will have to be defended and self-sufficient to make the effort worthwhile.”

  “I know that,” Burgton said testily. “But they’re already debating the issue, Professor. They need to get the idea of exploration as a good thing firmly fixed in their minds now. You know our history. The Shan are in danger of making the same mistakes we did.”

  “I could say it’s their mistake to make, but I have too much admiration for them not to agree with you,” James said. “Your idea was a good one, is a good one. You should try again with Kajetan.”

  “I had planned to.”

  “As I was saying,” Varya said breaking in. “When word reaches the warrior caste that you have offered immigration to my people, and that The Blind Hunter is going, you will have more volunteers than you can possibly fit aboard your ship, General. It’s a matter of honour.”

  “Honour,” Gina said. “You mentioned that before. What does that mean in this situation?”

  “Simply put, Shima is a hero—” the hero in question made a rude noise, but Varya ignored it. “—to my people. That’s important, but the circumstances were extraordinary. She is scientist caste not warrior, she saved lives at risk of her own and killed Merkiaari in spectacular fashion, and on top of that, she fought as part of the resistance and was blinded helping to save thousands of warriors at Charlie Epsilon.

  “If Shima had been warrior caste, most of her achievements would have been considered her duty no matter how extraordinary the deeds. She would still be a hero, but what she did to become one would have been expected of her as a warrior.”

  “I’m still not getting it,” Gina said.

  Shima sighed and explained. “It’s foolishness, Gina. I’m a hero because Kazim filmed me doing what anyone in my position would have done as we escaped the city. Killing the Merki was my pleasure, and anyone would have done it considering how we all feel about them. The warriors at Charlie Epsilon though are a little different; they feel that they owe me an honour debt for saving their lives because it wasn’t my duty—not a warrior you see? I don’t agree. I just did what needed doing, but that won’t change their minds. If they think following me off world will repay the debt, then that’s what they will want to do.”

  “Then we should let them,” James mused. “How many could you take, General?”

  “Grafton is a Hunter class transport. We don’t build them that big anymore. She can carry two full battalions with equipment.”

  “So two thousand Shan would fit?”

  “Easily,” Burgton said. “No mechs, no tanks or APCs, no artillery. As long as they embark with a few kilos of personal gear they would travel in comfort.”

  “Hmmm,” James said. “I wonder what Tei’Varyk would recommend. Two thousand warriors wouldn’t make for a good colony in my opinion. Ideally, all the castes should be represented.”

  “Harmony is always to be preferred,” Sharn agreed. “There should be people from all the castes, and their families should accompany them of course.”

  Varya growled. “This is a warrior caste debt of honour.”

  “No,” Shima said, finally hearing enough. “This is about my friends taking Chailen, Sharn, and me home with them when they leave. If the warrior caste or Kajetan want to take up General Burgton’s offer, they can talk with him before we leave the system. Will you take us with you, General?”

  “Of course. We have the rest of the day for you to pack your things and close up your house. No need to rush things.”

  Rush things? Shima had been waiting for this for more than an orbit, an entire orbit in darkness. She couldn’t leave fast enough.

  * * *

  7 ~ Electronic Dreams

  Aboard Grafton, on route to Snakeholme

  “Are you sure, Shima?” Chailen said worriedly. “Healer Hymas says she can make you sleep through the entire journey. You would wake at Snakeholme. There’s no need to start this testing now.”

  Grafton had been in foldspace for only a few days—and yes, the jump transition was as bad as all the warnings said it would be—when Shima realised she had a serious problem. She really should have expected it, but she had been so excited to be on her way to Snakeholme, that she had ignored common sense. The reason she had spent so much of her time in her garden was that she had become morbidly claustrophobic since losing her sight. It was stupid, but spending all of her waking hours in darkness was driving her insane, and there were no gardens to hide in aboard ship.

  “Chailen is right, Shima,” Lieutenant Hymas said. “I can easily administer something to make you sleep. You would fall asleep here and awake on Snakeholme. It would be as if no time had past for you.”

  “Tempting, but no,” Shima said. She would not be a coward, by the harmonies she would not! “I really do appreciate the thought, but if we can do this now, it will save time later.”

  “True. If you’re sure, then?”

  Shima flicked her ears affirmatively. “I’m sure.”

  Chailen sighed. “Always so brave, always so impatient. Why can’t you take the easier path once in a while?”

  Varya snorted. “She’s The Blind Hunter. What do you expect?”

  “She was my sib first, and she’s always been like this.”

  Sharn picked up the syringe preparing to take the blood samples. “She must have been a terrible trial for your father.”

  “Hey, sitting right here!” Shima protested over the other’s laughter.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind the audience?” Hymas whispered to Shima. “I can have them out of here in a blink. Just say the word.”

  Shima’s tail lifted and gestured a shrug. “I don’t mind. My people are more group orientated than Humans I think. James mentioned it to me once. He said his people preferred more alone time. Privacy doesn’t mean the same to us as it does to you.”

  “No?” Hymas said.

  “Shan like living together. We groom each other and like to touch,” Kazim said. “That’s especially true between sibs. Haven’t you noticed how Chailen always stands very close to Shima, and holds her hand or touches her shoulder?”

  “Well, yes I did but I thought it was because Shima couldn’t see her.”

  “I can sense her near, I don’t need touch for that,” Shima said. “I feel when she’s nearby and can smell her scent, and the harmonies let me see all of you if I use it that way. I can see anything living that way, but nothing else.”

  “Fascinating. I can hardly wait to chat more about the harmonies. Humans don’t have such gifts. But back to your situation. Are you sure you want them all here, even Kazim and the camera? He’s not family is he?”

  “Not family,” Shima agreed, “but he’s a friend. I’m used to him and his little annoying habits.”

  “My camera is not an annoying habit!” Kazim protested. “It’s a tool. Without it, I’d be like a warrior without his beamer.”

  “It’s true,” Shima said. “When we first met he was aiming the thing at the Merkiaari in Zuleika just like a weapon. I didn’t realise he was mad when I first saw him you understand.”

  Varya chuffed in amusement. “I remember watching that broadcast in the keep. Everyone loved it. It was very funny.”

  Shima growled low. It hadn’t been funny for her at the time. She had met Kazim at the end of a long chase, and she hadn’t been doing the chasing. She had barely escaped a Merki death squad after she killed one of them, and had run straight into a firefight that Kazim was filming. She was glad he was here with her. Varya as well of course, but she was very fond of Kazim despite his being annoying. Perhaps a little more than fond. Maybe.

  Varya and Kazim had joined Chailen and Sharn as her chaperones only segs before Grafton got underway. They were the last to board after Kajetan asked Burgton for his permission to send them along. It was Shima’s understanding that Kajetan wanted them to investigate the possibility of a follow up mission to Snakeholme to found a colony there—a smal
l one to begin with. Kajetan was being unusually coy, but she had many pressures on her right now. Burgton’s direct offer to her had fallen on fertile ground it seemed. Kazim was a popular figure. His films and shows would be seen widely on Harmony. When he returned home, Shima had no doubt he would have enough stuff to persuade even the most militant traditionalist that a colony on Snakeholme was a good idea.

  “So, what’s first?” Shima said bringing things back full circle.

  “Blood and tissue samples,” Sharn said. “It won’t hurt.”

  “Healers always say that,” Shima said to Chailen who chuffed in amusement.

  “No really,” Sharn assured her. “Kazim and I have already done this. Didn’t hurt, did it Kazim?”

  “Well...” Kazim hedged. “It stung a bit.”

  “Nonsense,” Sharn grumped. “Take no notice of him, Shima. He’s just being annoying now.”

  Shima rolled her eyes. Kazim was Kazim. Not even the harmonies would ever change him.

  Hymas chuckled at the by-play and patted Shima’s shoulder. “Just lay back and enjoy the rest.”

  Shima did as she was bid. She swung her legs up onto the couch and settled back. Chailen adjusted the thing so that she was reclining comfortably at an angle, more sitting than lying down. Unlike Humans, Shan found laying flat on their backs very uncomfortable; they preferred doing it on their sides or fronts.

  Sharn took four vials of blood and then used some kind of scraper in Shima’s mouth for tissue samples. It tickled the roof of her mouth but didn’t hurt. It didn’t sting either except perhaps for her pride. She didn’t like being poked and prodded but it was soon over so that the more interesting tests could begin.

  “Okay Shima, the next part will be strange for you, but I assure you Humans have this test all the time without being harmed.”

  “I trust you Healer Hymas,” Shima said. “Just tell me what you’re doing as you do it. I’ll be fine.”

  “Right then. In just a moment, I’m going to put a helmet on your head. You’ve seen the helmets that Human soldiers wear, yes?”

  “Of course.”