Hearing Dillon, the woman volunteered information. “Wolfbats ignore shuttles since they always mean Krall, which they avoid. But skeeters will head for anything they see moving if they’re close by. Personally, I don’t go out alone without armor, but with two or more eyeballs, it’s pretty safe.”
Considering the options, Maggi said “No. I can go over later. I need to work on organizing over here and make some more contacts.”
Walters told them he was going back with them. As they were opening the door, drawing their weapons and checking through the small window, the woman asked them a question.
“You keep sending people back and forth, and unloading stuff. Why didn’t the Krall just blow the ass off your ship like all the others out there? I heard one of your hauler drivers say that a lot of you were going back to stay there. What’s the deal? You make friends with those red bastards?”
“Hardly,” Maggi answered for them all. “We plan to use the ship to make different kinds of weapons, which the Krall didn’t give to us, to use those in fights to try and surprise and kill them. Some of the Krall know exactly what we plan, and they approve. They are going to permit us to keep the ship as a base of operations.”
She thought on that a few seconds, then nodded her head.
“Colonel ‘Grease’ always says they want us to kill their new warriors if we can. That damned Telour wanted us to do that too, according to what Doushan said. Right before he was killed as a collaborator.” She gave them a pointed look as if in warning.
“If they want us to kill ‘em so bad, why don’t they just send ‘em unarmed when we have the guns?” She didn’t think it made sense, and shook her head.
Dillon whispered to Maggi, “Careful what you tell her. We need to confirm Telour is in total control here, and if he’ll stick to the agreement.”
She whispered back, “The ship is still there, so I think we know. However, I’ll be careful. Link to me and tell me what the new Sheriff says.”
Shaking his head in mock dismay, Dillon replied louder “Get that Old West crap out of your head Maggi. Watch something contemporary to your own life, like World War Two movies.”
He leaned backwards as she swatted at his too-high head, and he laughed at his diminutive foe. Followed by a louder cry as she connected, only half again that high.
Noreen, in mock sympathy said, as he bent over clutching the injury, “Got your pistol bent taunting a Tiger Lily did you?” She winked at Maggi.
On the Flight of Fancy Mirikami had finished his breakfast, and the hangover remedy had helped purge the effects of the pills from the day before, after copious fluid consumption.
He put on his Smart Fabric formal uniform for its protective benefit rather than formality. Not only was it proof against fang and stings, but it had a natural cooling effect by allowing perspiration to evaporate.
Mirikami was thinking of having the tablecloth material fabricated into some basic work outfits for people. Provided they could find a suitable means to cut and sew the tough stuff. He’d have to find out if the cloth could be colored. You would sure be easy to see anyone dressed in glaring white, and that would draw predator attention.
He had just left his cabin when Jake’s warning about Telour’s arrival came. He quickly went to the nearby lift, and with no hesitation selected the bridge level. That was where he would expect Telour to look for him, or he would use the monitors and com system there to find his human “clan leader.”
“Where is Telour now?” he asked, as the lift rose.
“Passing deck 4 Sir. On the central staircase. Deck 5…”
“Enough. How many Krall can you see that came with him? Uniform colors by numbers.”
“Telour has a blue uniform and Dorkda, in another blue uniform, is coming from the dome. There are eight black uniforms, and two brown uniforms.”
The lift door opened. He told Jake to activate the consoles, and put the external cameras on the main screen the same as they had been on the day they landed.
The images flashed on quickly. He had one more question for the AI. “What are the brown uniformed K’Tal doing?”
“One is under the ship looking up the inside of the thruster tubes; the second is looking at the discarded engine pieces on the tarmac.”
Mirikami sighted the K’Tal looking at the nine pieces of their destroyed engines on the pad. He didn’t turn around at the slight swish of air behind him. “Welcome Telour.”
“You were expecting me, it appears.”
Mirikami turned to face him and bowed. “I hope your plan has remained intact. We are working to honor our part of the agreement.”
“What was that move you just made, when you pointed your head at me?” He sounded suspicious.
“On my home planet a custom of respect is to bow to a superior or to show gratitude. It is not a human custom on most of our worlds. I think it may be similar to the gesture I saw warriors make to you and Parkoda when they raise their left hand with their talons extended. Humans have another gesture called a salute.” He demonstrated that with his right arm.
“We sometimes use a salute on this ship from crewmates of lower rank to those of higher rank, and the custom is for the higher status person to return the salute. But it is not expected outside of a military organization, which we are not, so we do not use it often.”
“You should do this salute more, because you will become more like military here if you complete your agreement.”
“If we had military experience among these humans that would be true, but very few of them have that tradition. I would prefer to teach them to shoot fast than to salute fast.” He answered.
A snort.
Well I’m back to being a comic, he thought. I hope I make some of them die laughing.
“I could smell that most of your clan is not here. They must be in the dome. I thought you would bring them back to work to make new weapons and train them. Why have you not started?”
“We have started training them. The first task today is in progress. My people are learning how to use the Krall made guns at the firing range in the dome. We will make different weapons, but they will need those you give us as well.”
Before they could continue Dorkda arrived, his silent approach to Mirikami’s ears was clearly detected by Telour before he vaulted over the stair rail.
The ear blooming thing happened as they talked ultrasonically for a short time.
When done, Telour looked at Mirikami. “One of your crew killed one of the other captives a short time ago in the dome. There was a disagreement between them.
“Dorkda observed this from our section of the dome. Because he had not been relieved of his control of the people in the dome by me, and I had control only of the people of this ship, there is a question of who has responsibility for the loss of a status point for this.”
Mirikami had no idea what he was talking about, but thought he might have a way to find out.
“Which of my people was involved in the fight, and what caused it to happen?”
Jake started talking at the same time as Dorkda, but Mirikami strove to focus on Jake’s words.
“Doctor Dillon fired twice at a man called Stavro Bock, killing him. The man was said to be trying to take some of our supplies by force or threat. I do not have video but I can play…”
Dorkda had already ended his shorter length statement, saying only that one of the ship’s crew had shot and killed one of his animals when that animal tried to shoot the crewmember.
Mirikami interrupted Jake. “If my clan mate was challenged by another human from the dome captives, is it not his right to answer that challenge Dorkda?”
“The challenge and victor are not in question and does not matter. The charge to me of a single point by another clan for the loss of an animal I controlled does matter. I can recover the point loss with a challenge of the animal that caused the loss, and regain the point.”
Oh, damn! Mirikami thought. Dillon may have signed his death warrant
when he defended himself. The Krall book keeping for status points might force this issue. He glanced at Telour, but he appeared to be watching this with interest.
Mirikami asked, “Who owns the rights to the captive that was killed Dorkda? Do you know what clan claims each of the many captives?”
“I do not know the clan,” he answered, “but if that clan claimed the point, I would have to pay. I do not want that debt waiting, because your clan mate may die in testing before then. I will collect now, if Telour agrees.”
This bastard wanted to kill Dillon just in case he might be charged a damned point in the future, after Dillon was already dead? This was insane.
He had a thought. “Telour now has control of the captives of the dome, he was sent to relieve you so you should not be charged a point.”
“That could be so.” Dorkda agreed. There was a brief ultra-sonic exchange between the two Krall and then the internal ears retracted.
Dorkda stiffened and extended his left arm to Telour with talons extended, then leaped over the railing and was gone.
“Telour, where is he going?” Mirikami asked with trepidation.
“Dorkda has been relieved and will take his warriors and the shuttle to our main compound.”
“What of his concern for the small debt?” Mirikami would somehow warn Dillon if Dorkda were on his way to kill him.
“We agree that it is not his debt. You were clever to find a way to show him this.”
Mirikami felt relief wash over him. It was short lived.
“It would be my debt.” He stated. “We agree that because I had advised him I was about to land here that control had passed to me. Therefore, I controlled the dome and those from Parkoda’s prize ship when the challenge occurred. Both captives were my responsibility.”
“And you would settle the debt by killing my crew mate?” Frying-pan-to-fire was Mirikami’s thinking for Dillon’s predicament.
A snort.
What the hell is it with me and Krall humor? He wondered. I’m not even trying.
“If I kill him in challenge for his killing another human in a challenge, two points are lost by two clans, and they are both my responsibility. I regain one point by killing your clan mate. That is still a loss of one point for me. If I do not challenge him, I gain no point for his death, but I still lose a point for the man he killed. Still a loss of one point for me. My status does not change either way. I can always kill him later, without penalty, if he fails to serve me well.”
“Wasn’t the arithmetic the same for Dorkda?” Mirikami despised these creatures for casually pricing human lives in their confusing damned status system.
“No. He could lose a point for the animal already killed, but to regain it by killing your clan mate, who was already under my responsibility from Parkoda, would cost him the point he gained when he paid me the point I must pay to Parkoda. By accepting that I had control of both animals removed all of his responsibility.”
That skewed logic apparently made sense to a Krall.
“I think Dorkda had a dislike for your clan member, but he was not worth a point for him to kill.” He added.
Dillon would be so proud when he heard that news.
“Telour, we have found at least one human in Koban Prime that has military experience, and who appears willing to work with me to provide advice. Am I able to ask him to join us, and explain what we plan to do for you?”
“And you want immunity for him from me?”
“No, he has immunity already.”
“I know of that human I think. Unless there are others that have had a successful Testing Day while I was on the raid. He would be one of those captured with Doushan.”
“Yes, it is Colonel Greeves.”
“Then he needs nothing from me, though he has served me indirectly. He challenged two humans that had immunity and killed them. It was believed by other humans that they had played a part in Doushan’s death. I was honor bound not to challenge them myself, even if I knew for sure.”
“There may be others there we want to join with us,” Mirikami explained. “But my question is can we tell them what we are doing, about your plan to make humans into more effective fighters? They are more likely to join with us if they know this.”
He got a short lesson in Krall politics.
“My clan now has control of this compound, and Parkoda has Jumped with his ships on a long raid. Before he returns, in one hundred Koban days or less, I will have proved my plan and win great status, or my plan dies with those that knew of it in Testing. There is no risk to my status but I have no gain if my plan does not make better warriors of humans. So I will succeed.”
Mirikami had a sudden chill.
“Do what you need to do to serve me. What animals may learn of my plan and what you tell those animals no longer matters, because Parkoda and his clan will never hear of it if you fail, and they can do nothing if I succeed.”
He was no longer risking his own neck and that of his coconspirators. Every human currently on Koban could be doomed in the next one hundred days if he failed. That had not been part of his plan!
After a few more brusque exchanges, Telour granting every request Mirikami made, the Krall left for his quarters in the dome, pulling all of his warriors with him, and both K’Tal.
He left a small Krall transceiver so he could call Mirikami if he wanted him, but cautioned him not to waste his own valuable time with minor details.
No sooner than Telour had departed, Noreen Linked to say they had been waiting to see him, but had wanted to be sure that he was alone. They were on their way up in the lift.
As they stepped out, Mirikami’s eye’s widened at the sight of his two pistol packing friends.
“Jake said you were at a firing range this morning. I hadn’t considered the implication you’d come back packing so many guns. Are those ammunition clips I see?”
“Yes Sir,” answered Noreen, with a grin. “Thad took us to the range himself, and furnished us with these specially modified pistols. I’m honored he gave them to us. These belonged to two of his former security detail, and he clearly considered them friends as well as subordinates.”
“Modified how? Those look about like what I saw the others carry. The butts look a bit smaller around, I think.” He told them.
“They are better balanced Thad told us, although Noreen and I aren’t proficient enough to feel the advantage of that yet, and they are extremely light weight. The grips are an easier fit for our size hands, and the guns can be set to fire full automatic or single shot. We also have some double sized clips. I don’t think anyone else has these gun modifications.”
“Well you say you aren’t proficient,” Mirikami told him, “but imagine my surprise when Dorkda arrived to tell Telour that one of my gun slingers killed one of his, and he needed to take revenge!”
“Uh…, What?” Dillon’s manner changed from cocky and lighthearted to serious in an instant. He sure as hell wasn’t ready to fight a Krall.
Laughing at his expression, Mirikami told him what happened, and just how little value his butt had for Telour.
Then he grew serious himself. “We want to make friends here, how did you manage to kill one of them no sooner than you got a gun?”
Dillon and Noreen filled him in on the circumstances, and made certain that the Captain was aware that Maggi and Walters were not the only witnesses, since it happened in the Great Hall.
“So you don’t have any of his friends or fellow thieves out to get you?”
“From what the Turner woman said, he was a bully that often took what he wanted, and had killed someone over a property dispute previously. He didn’t seem to be well liked.”
“You know, Dorkda told Telour that he saw the fight, and knew the other guy had either challenged you or was drawing his gun. However, he was up in the Krall level. That means he was definitely watching you somehow.”
Thinking of that, he asked, “Is there any unfriendly presence here on the ship?”
He knew from coaching that the AI understood that he meant any Krall. He wasn’t expecting what he heard.
“No Krall are aboard, but would active transmitters of theirs be considered unfriendly?” He asked blandly.
Like an animal caught in a hunter’s spotlight, the Captain froze. Then glanced at the transceiver Telour had given him, laying on his console. He quickly looked away, in case it had video as well.
Gathering both of them by their elbows, he suggested Noreen and Dillon go down with him for something to drink in a snack bar, pushing them towards the lift.
They hadn’t been in on Jake’s Link to the Captain, but from his expression and mannerism, they knew the answer had startled him. They stepped into the lift and Mirikami selected deck 6, for its small snack bar.
Shortly after it started down, he pressed the stop button between decks and entered his override code so it wouldn’t sound an alarm buzzer. “We all wonder if an unfriendly person can hear us in an elevator?” he asked.
Linking to all three of them, Jake said, “There are no Krall listening outside the elevator shaft or on board the ship and none of their transmitters are close by.”
Seeing their alarmed expression, he explained. “Telour handed me a small transceiver in order to be able to reach me anytime, but he didn’t want me to call him unless it was important. It apparently is ‘hot’ all the time, and was sitting on my console.”
“Damn, did we say anything we might wish we hadn’t just now?” asked Dillon.
“Could you clarify what…” started Jake.
“Stop.” Mirikami cut him off. “I don’t think any of us did. But let me get some more out of our friend.”
“We want to know if there is more than one transmitter, and were they are located.”
“There are two active Sir, one is on the bridge that Telour gave to you, and one other is in the Drive Room, given to Ms. Willfem when Telour arrived.”
“Are both transmitting all of the time, and can you say if the signal is audio or video, and how far away it might reach?”
“Both have been transmitting continuously since brought aboard, and I detect modulation that appears to correlate only with audio that I can also sense from my own microphones. The signal range will partly depend on receiver sensitivity, but range should be at least ten miles through the hull.”
Koban Page 40