Telour wasn’t about to let an animal set terms for a negotiation. “I can send many humans against our warriors if I want these tests. I can use sixty-four, a hundred twenty eight, or even more humans per test if needed. This will be possible soon, when we have enough humans to waste this way. They will either fight or die. I seek a leader of them that tells them how to work together to fight better, to win more often. That leader will deserve the reward of immunity from combat.”
“Telour, I know we will have to do as you force us to do. However, let me explain how humans think and will act, because I understand my people as the Krall do not. I know that what I suggest can lead to more efficient use of human fighters.”
“I will listen. I can measure your words with those I heard from humans on Koban.”
“Thank you.”
Mirikami, pulling at his lower lip, considered briefly how to continue, hoping he could think fast enough while walking along this damned tight rope. It was obvious the Krall didn’t know much about what motivated humans and what didn’t. Perhaps he could improvise well enough to work out a deal Telour clearly wanted, but couldn’t lower himself to ask an ‘animal’ to make with him.
“Telour, simply telling humans they need to fight as a team will not achieve your goal in an efficient manner. Humans have not fought each other for more than two of our generations, so we need to relearn how to fight as an army. We do have a Space Navy, but it isn’t large and they do not fight on the surface of planets. It is a fact that we once fought each other with armies of millions. You must have heard this history from those on Koban. It is a part of our history that we have tried to change, to not repeat.”
“This they claimed,” Telour admitted, “But most of us believed they were lying. None could fight well now, and they died easily when we made them try.”
“My people have not lost the inner spirit to fight, which nature gave to us, and our last wars were not so long ago that we can’t relearn how to fight other humans. However, we need different ways of fighting against you. Human fighting against human was easier than it will be against the Krall. Human soldiers need training, as you give to your novice warriors. New tactics are needed to counter your physical advantages over us. Perhaps we find will ways to trick or trap your novice warriors, ways to get them to make mistakes so that we can defeat them.
“This is not something we can learn in a few days, but your Path is many thousands of our years old. Is it inefficient for you to give us enough time to make ourselves into the skilled enemy you want? Is it more efficient to kill us, as we are, not moving along your Great Path at all?” At least the alien was still listening.
“You know that you will ultimately win, but if most of humanity believes they can win, they will fight long and hard.
“I think humanity will become a resourceful enemy, fighting you for hundreds of years. Patience by the Krall would be rewarded, and my people will live longer, something that I want. The journey on your Great Path may be shortened if you allow us the time and knowledge to fight you the best way we can.”
Buying time was all he could think to suggest for humanity. Moreover, it may come at the expense of the captives on this ship and those already on Koban. They were probably as good as dead anyway.
Except, he reflected, who the hell am I to try to set this up for all of humanity? He was a male from New Honshu, already carrying the blame of his society for their last human disaster. Was he now setting the terms for the next? It’s a good thing I won’t be around to take the blame for this one, he thought.
The Krall considered his suggestion. “I can speak of this with my clan, but only my leaders will decide if Graka clan will do this. The other clans may accept this delay or not. If some of your fighters can defeat our novices soon, and perhaps even some of the more experience warriors, the decision would be certain.
“If you can do this on Koban, it will help us decide if humans are worthy of the honor of combat. But the humans and clan leaders on your other worlds will never know what you learned there.” He stated with finality.
Mirikami offered an alternative. “If we are successful, there is a way for humans on our other worlds to learn what we discover about fighting you.”
“Understand, none of you will ever leave Koban,” Telour told him. “That world will become our new home world when we are great enough to take it and make it so. We will never risk it by sending any captive back to tell your people where it is located.”
This sounded like a showstopper to Mirikami. “If the captives will all be killed on Koban they will never be motivated to do what you want. I would not try to lead them if death is their only reward from the Krall.”
Telour actually seemed bemused for an instant. “If you complete the task I ask, we have no need to kill those that are still alive at the end. Why would we dishonor ourselves and the agreement the clans already offered to the captives?”
“What have the clans offered them?” Mirikami asked.
“You do not know of this of course. The captives on Koban now select which humans face our warriors. The clans offered an agreement to leave them alive when testing ends, if they would make the selections of human fighters more efficient. Before, humans would try to hide in the compound, and we had to find them and force them to go fight.
“As a reward to the humans that fought, if they kill a single warrior on a Testing Day, all surviving humans for that test are given immediate immunity from facing combat again. It was intended to make them work together to kill at least one of the novice warriors. It has not worked as well as we want.”
“When will you leave Koban, and what happens to the surviving captives then?” Mirikami wanted to know.
“When we depart Koban to start our war, the captives will remain in the compound with what food your humans can grow there now. The dome is protected by an outer wall and electric fence, and you will have the same weapons you were given to fight us with in the tests. However, soon the animals of Koban will make ways to enter the compound, and you will start to die when they find you.
“Many herd animals will try to kill you if you are found in the open. They will treat you as a possible predator of their young. The greatest threat is from the real predators. You will not escape them. The walls we build last only half of a birthing cycle before needing repair. Only with weapons and repairs do we keep the Koban animals outside.
“We will return to Koban when we can live on our future home world without walls, and weapons always in our hands. This will happen when the Great Path makes our bodies as swift and strong as Kobani predators.”
Damn, Mirikami wondered. What in Hell are we going to do if even the Krall can’t live there safely?
Nevertheless, he said, “Although I know nothing about Koban, if we could repair the walls to keep dangerous animas away we might survive. What if humans live there a long time and you find us living on your world when you return?”
As he’d seen Parkoda do, Telour tossed his head back and emitted a sort of snort. Mirikami hadn’t detected a trace of humor in him or Parkoda previously, but his next words convinced him he’d just seen at least a snicker, if not a laugh.
“Then you would deserve our chosen world, and will probably make us leave.” He snorted twice again. Apparently, this notion was a real rib tickler.
Somehow pulling himself together, he added what for him must have been a hilarious punch line. “It will be many of your years before we return, many of our breeding cycles must pass. I think we will find not even a piece of human bone within the crumbled walls.”
Yes, Mirikami sensed, this Krall is a regular laugh riot.
“Now that you know we will not kill all of you that remain after the testing is complete, how were you going to tell those on your colony worlds the way to fight us?”
“Telour, you have already used a method that worked to preserve this intact ship of captives, which Parkoda said was a rare thing. We surrendered quickly and did not resist because of
a broadcast radio warning of whom we were facing, and that we could not win because of your warrior’s speed and power. This was a warning recorded by a human captive named Mavray Doushan, already on Koban.”
That detail proved to be something Telour had not known. “This human helped me learn your language of Standard, soon after he was captured. He was not a leader but he had immunity that I awarded to him for helping me to increase my status. Eventually, some other humans killed him in secret because he spoke with me. I learned who they were and I challenged the humans that honor allowed me to kill.
“I did not know of this recorded warning. It must be a secret used by Parkoda and the Tanga clan to help them capture prizes such as this ship. This is good to learn. I believe you thought I did know this, so it was not offered as a trade for advantage. However, if I gain from the information I will return some advantage.”
“Thank you for your offer. I was proposing a similar radio signal, made by some human that other humans will trust and believe. It can tell humans of our worlds who you are, and that you are making war on all of humanity. It will not be trusted at first, but after time and repetition it will be believed.”
He remembered something said by Telour, which he should have asked about earlier. “You said there were great weapons we can’t use because it would damage your Path. What are they and what happens if humans use one?”
“We have faced great weapons many times,” Telour answered. “And we have used some of them against enemies. Our birth world was destroyed by a single Olt’kitapi bomb. Other humans that I told this story to thought that it must be what you call an antimatter bomb, which humans do not know how to make.
“We forbid any weapons that use radiation to damage our breeders. We also ban weapons that kill many thousands in a large area at one time, where many valuable breeders are lost no matter how well they fight. There are forbidden weapons that kill through biology that passes from warrior to warrior, or chemicals or gases that kill many.
“We have met beams that make atoms separate from each other to make dust and gas. One human on Koban said those could be quantum weapons that change how matter holds together. We have an ancient tool from another race that can do this on a small scale. Some of the captured weapons we cannot make ourselves, but have many old captured ones to use on enemies, and some great weapons we have only seen when used against us. We destroyed every world that used those weapons, and permitted none to escape alive.
“If a great weapon is used there will be a second chance for other worlds of that race. But we will destroy all life on the world that used it, and move to fight on a new world.”
That was just as bad as Mirikami had feared. Explicit warnings would have to be included in the message about weapons of mass destruction. However, it was inevitable that someone would eventually use nukes and suffer the consequence.
“Telour, I need to discuss these matters with the people aboard this ship, and soon after arrival with the people already on Koban. We need to learn what we can of your skills, to find ways to reduce your physical advantages, to win enough times to do as you intend, and enough times for humans to believe they can win. My people will hate you, so they will try hard to learn to remove the slowest and weakest warriors from your gene pool, and any other Krall they can kill as well.”
“Good! This is a thing other races have tried to do, but only some were partly successful. From those that fought well, many steps were made along the Path. I need to study our records, but perhaps this is the only time the type of weapons allowed was talked about before a war started. The most successful races learned what we permit in war as they fought us. It cost them whole worlds to learn, and that was inefficient for our purpose.
“Few enemies believe we are willing to allow them to try to kill so many of our youngest warriors. Like humans, they believed all lives should be preserved, even property and territory. However, we can make many more cubs than we need. This was why we fought clan to clan before we stole the stars and found the Path. We have always had too many cubs to feed and teach.”
Mirikami found it surreal himself. Nevertheless, learning how to kill Krall had just become his new life’s work, even if it was a short career. The Krall did love to boast, and there was a long history to learn. Even if they didn’t sleep, he doubted any of the translators would put up with questions constantly.
“Telour, to efficiently advance your plan, and so that your valuable time is not wasted by many questions, is it permitted for us to ask the other two translators about the Krall’s great victories, and how you have followed your Great Path?”
“I will instruct Kapdol and Dorkda to answer any questions from humans.” Then Telour extended his left inner ear only, showing he was ambidextrous, tapped on and spoke silently and briefly into his shoulder com button.
Afterwards, he casually reminded Mirikami what stakes he was playing for personally. “You will not tell any other Krall of how I plan to take advantage at a cost to Parkoda. The other two translators are not of Graka or Tanga clans, but all seek their own advantages. If they learn of this plan, and speak to Parkoda for a price, I will find a new human leader to use, and you will face a final challenge.”
“Of course.” Oh well. I knew this wasn’t low stakes poker.
The next hour passed with little conversation with Telour. However, there was crew to talk with concerning more frequent duty rotations, no more than two hours if directly being observed by a Krall. He considered doing away with some duties, since Jake could monitor, and advise them of problems.
These calls were made on a normal com unit, since it appeared the Krall were unaware of the transducers the crew could use, and those were often used crew to crew via Jake. The Captain could call anyone’s transducer from a com unit, but since this was the most secure system they had, and was a key link to Jake, he decided it was best that the Krall never suspect its existence. Smaller ships didn’t have this capability, and very few medium sized transport ships had an expensive AI. Interworld had introduced them on their newer ships as a personnel cost savings for Rim routes.
One of his first equipment checks had been to check the two Trap fields. They each held the maximum energy tachyons they were capable of catching. He didn’t know what they could do with them, but having them gave him comfort.
He tried contacting Doctor Fisher, but her com unit advised she had asked not to be disturbed. It was the same for Doctor Martin. They probably had a longer meeting after he and Noreen had gone to bed.
The hell with it, he decided. They weren’t under their own Jump control, and he could be paged anywhere on the ship. They didn’t require anyone on the Bridge most of the time. If Telour wanted to stand there twenty-four hours a day, he could do it alone.
“Telour, because we are under tow by Parkoda in a Jump Hole, and we have no control, it isn’t necessary for anyone to be here to run the ship. I have duties below that I should perform.”
“You are under Ra Ka Endo,” was all he said in reply.
Mirikami notified the Drive Room he was leaving the bridge unattended, left a com message for Noreen, deactivated the two command consoles and left.
15. Strategy
He took the lift to Deck 8, planning to add a hot meal to his power bars. He idly inquired aloud if he was being watched. Jake told him he wasn’t.
“Jake, I want you to brief all of the crew today, but only when they are awake, that the Bridge will not be manned most of the time, and they should page or Link to me if I’m needed. I know that you heard what I said to Telour as I left, so contact Noreen or me if we need to help you make a decision. I want you to play the same new protocol recording for the crew as you did for Noreen, after explaining it to them. Understand?
“Yes Sir.”
“In addition, inform each of the crew by transducer when they are being monitored by any Krall, and say when it ends, if they are awake. Understand?”
“Does that include direct observation as well sir?�
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He thought a moment. “For now, yes, but if it becomes too redundant, I may change that.”
When the lift arrived, Jake promptly told him a Krall was standing off to his left. Before exiting, he amended his instructions, “Add the uniform color when you tell us this.”
“Black, Sir.”
He stepped out, glancing left as he did. Not a translator, a warrior.
An half hour later, his appetite satisfied, he was talking with several passengers, expressing his condolences over the losses of their colleagues, but deflected questions about what the Krall had planned for them next. He had learned from them that the Board promised to hold an open meeting later that day, to make an announcement and a briefing.
Noreen used Jake to Link with him while he had a second coffee, told him she was dressing and would join him shortly. As he waited for Noreen, Doctor Fisher walked into the dining area, arm linked with Dillon. She’d heard his com message to meet, so they joined him for coffee.
Fisher asked several scientists still sitting at the table if they would please excuse themselves while she shared some private words with the Captain, then waited for them to walk away.
“Captain, I hope you had a bit of rest. When I called the Bridge I was automatically routed to the Drive Room, and they told me where I could find you. I roused Dillon out of bed to join us. The Board has a bit of news from the consortium,” she patted Dillon’s hand, “and I wanted to speak to you in advance about our proposals.”
Just then, Noreen turned the corner of the alcove. Dillon’s face brightened instantly, and he waved her over. They exchanged greetings, and Dillon fetched a large coffee for Noreen. The Captain decided this small group appeared innocent enough not to attract Krall attention. They were alone in the sizable twenty-table room.
Nevertheless, Mirikami looked out to see if the Krall near the lift earlier had moved to observe the partitioned dining area. He wasn’t visible, but asked aloud “I wonder if that Krall I saw earlier is still in the main lounge?”
Koban Page 17