“Yes, for that time in our history. However, this was only a small battle of a much larger war. We fought on many types of land, on the oceans, in the air over much of our world. The battle I just showed you was on an island in a large ocean. Other battles were in forests and jungles, on wide plains or open deserts or mountains, and sometimes in our cities. We also fought under water. We used air ships to bomb cities, and had great battles between floating water ships like the ones you saw shooting big guns at the start, and between air ships in the skies.”
The K’Tal motioned at the frozen image still on screen. “This was different and more violent combat than I saw in pictures on the small ship. Novices on that ship had killed the humans inside when they resisted, but some pictures were flashing on a small screen when I entered. They stopped before I could get a recording machine and I did not know the way to make them show again.”
The Krall looked at Mirikami and Noreen in an appraising manner, with the typical laser like intensity they displayed when examining humans as an enemy.
“You humans look too soft and weak to make war like I saw, and you die easy from small damage.” She noted.
Mirikami responded to that. “When we fight with other humans we are all equal to each other, so there is no advantage to any clan. Fighting the Krall is new to us, but we will learn how to do that well. We will be an enemy you did not expect, and you may be sorry you found us.”
“You told how many humans died in your war, but I do not understand the human number ‘fifty six million.’ I will find out how many that is in our numbers. Does that mean very many humans being killed, like those in the pictures?”
“You will find that the numbers I told you we killed are very many more than all of the humans you have brought to Koban today, and I think many more than all of the Krall that I believe are on this planet now or in your ships in orbit here.” No need to mention that many of those millions were defenseless civilians, because the Krall didn’t have defenseless people.
She told him, “I think we will move faster on the Great Path as we defeat your worlds. Parkoda will be pleased with what I take to him. These are better pictures of fighting than I saw before and now I have proof of them for other clans to see. I was not truly believed, but now I will gain status with Parkoda.”
Swiftly attaching the recording device to her belt, the K’Tal made the usual unceremonious Krall exit, disappearing down the stairs in a rush of air.
45. Open House
Noreen looked at the monitor data. “The Clanship climbed several miles overhead and fired lasers and rockets towards the compound perimeter. Jake, did you see what the ship hit and how many times?”
“Yes Mam. It destroyed twenty-eight gates visible to my cameras, but four gates are out of my direct view behind the jungle and part of the ridge. They fired thirty two times in a symmetrical pattern, probably removing all thirty-two gates. The fenced enclosures around the outside of the gates that are visible to me were also destroyed.”
“Those fences were electrified,” Mirikami noted. “The top of the wall also had high voltage lines that are probably cut now. It looks like Parkoda has finished letting in the wild life, damn him. The new captives will have to face more than bugs and bats before they all can get down.”
“Parkoda is apparently landing to pick up his K’Tal and warriors.” Noreen selected an image of the Clanship settling back to the tarmac a mile away, with all five Krall running towards the craft. “We need to know if we have to get off this ship before he lifts, Sir.”
“Or if he would give us the time anyway,” Mirikami said. “I should have started an evacuation minutes ago. Jake, use the same frequency as before to contact the Clanship. I want to talk to Parkoda.”
“Ready, Sir.”
“Parkoda, this is Captain Mirikami. Your K’Tal said the pictures I gave her would please you. Is your prize ship safe from destruction?”
He answered quickly. “Yes, for now. Her report is that the pictures are of a battle greater than any test we gave to humans on Koban. I can take them to my clan Leader.”
Relived, he tried to ask for a bit more in value for those images. “Will you leave the hand of warriors here to guard the transfer of new prisoners to the dome? With the gates now open we will have rhinolo and rippers inside before we can move everyone into the dome.”
The answer was quick. “No. Move faster and use the new weapons you made at Telour’s order.” He clicked off.
As soon as his returning warriors were aboard, the ship lifted quickly, arcing towards the southeast.
“I guess he’s staying pissed off at us. Initially he sounded like he had shared in part of Telour’s credit for our Testing Day success, but apparently not very much. This visit must only be for payback because of our role in clan politics. I’m glad I found something I could trade for the ship again.”
“Tet, we’ll probably have some time before a herd of rhinolo happens to spot the open gates. Jake can warn us when that happens, so we should have time to get these first people unloaded safely.”
“Maybe a day or two will pass, but when they see…” Jake’s voice interrupted him.
“Sir, five large animals have passed through a gate to the south west, and are moving across the grasslands towards the river.”
“Damn. Rhinolo already? Are there more behind them?” He asked.
“Sir, they are not like the descriptions of the large bluish green animals with a long horn on their nose.”
Her voice tense, Noreen said, “Jake, put them on screen quick. Are they rippers?”
“Mam, from context of discussions I have recorded I believe rippers are an Earth analogue of lions. A large carnivorous cat family creature, is that correct? I am shifting a camera.”
Mirikami answered, “Yes. We were told rippers hunt in prides like lions, and are supposed to be shaped somewhat like them but larger.”
On the verge of sounding a general alarm, Mirikami anxiously watched as a side screen showed teal colored scenery streaking by as the camera slewed towards the normally empty grass plains.
Before the image steadied, they heard, “I have no Koban animal images to compare to them, but these are blue with white horizontal stripes on their backs and sides, with two black horns on the top of their heads. They do not appear at all like a lion.”
The image zoomed in and tracked on five animals staying close together, similar in appearance to Earth antelopes. They were trotting towards the riverbank. The lead animal was larger than the other four, and had two long spiraling black horns atop a triangular head with a white face. It had white beard-like hair under the chin and along the bottom of the neck, back to the broad blue–green chest. Between the hindquarters, just behind the belly, hung proof of his gender. The four smaller versions had shorter beards and no visible genitalia, so were most likely the harem of the larger male.
“Jake, can you estimate the size from this image?” asked Noreen.
“The larger animal is almost ten feet long, excluding the tail, and between seven and eight feet high at the hump over the front shoulders. I estimate the horns are close to five feet in length.”
He had more. “On earth the weight could be between two thousand five hundred and three thousand pounds. The smaller animals are each about one foot less in each of the dimensions, and perhaps two thousand Earth pounds. The weight on Koban is naturally much greater,” he added unnecessarily.
When the group reached the riverbank, they watched the water and surroundings nervously for a few moments, then took turns drinking as several kept watch. When done they moved away from the water to the lush tall grass, browsing on that grass and blue leaves of nearby low shrubs.
“Link to Colonel Greeves,” Mirikami ordered. “Thad, are you still in the conference room?”
“I just left, headed to organize a welcoming committee from our dome folks. Figuring out how we’re going to feed them, and strip what we can from their ships. What did the Clanship want? I hea
rd some booms.”
“It was Parkoda, and he just blasted open all of the outer gates. Within fifteen minutes we may have had dinner on the hoof trot inside the compound.” Mirikami responded.
“Damn him. We can’t let a herd of rhinolo get close to the dome and see humans. They will charge, and we don’t have much to stop them.”
“Thad, these are smaller and look more like antelope, and there are only five.”
“I think I’ve seen them from the air, but the Krall only hunt the more dangerous big guys. I don’t know if we can organize a hunt from our volunteers or your crew. We’ll be busy as hell.”
“If anyone from the dome wants to hunt from a shuttle, I can send Ms. Jorl’sn out to bag them from the air, and bring them back. There’s almost fifteen thousand pounds of meat browsing by the river right now.”
“The Krall freezers could hold that much easy, but I’d start with only one kill, to make sure they are as edible as rhinolo. Do you want me to switch jobs to go hunt?”
“No. Protecting the new arrivals is more important, Thad. It may be hard for you to ask, but see if some people from the dome will go.”
“OK. I’ll Link to Roni when I find somebody, if you’ll authorize her to fly them out there. I don’t trust hunting any Kobani animal on the ground. They have horns for a reason.”
Noreen scanned Jake’s estimates on her console. “Captain, the first passenger ship, Marimba Destiny, is almost over head and ready for descent, and a cargo container ship named The Branislov is perhaps twenty minutes behind them. The Sky of Italy has just peeked over the horizon in her orbit, and should be followed by Rimmer’s Dream in ten or fifteen minutes.”
“OK. I hadn’t thought about arrivals being so close, but all four will be down in less than an hour. We need to keep people off the tarmac until they get down.”
“Jake, external speakers, full Link, and ship wide broadcast for me, now.”
“Ready Sir.”
“Attention, the first two of four ships are about to land. Stay inside and clear of the tarmac until we give the all clear. The Krall Clanship has destroyed all of the gates in the outer wall, allowing native animals to enter. Stay well armed and vigilant and we will survive this. Mirikami Out.”
“Jake, get me frequencies for the all of the human ships.”
“Ready Sir.”
“This is Captain Mirikami again, of the Flight of Fancy. My ship is grounded next to the dome where you have been ordered to land. After landing, remain in your ships until we give you an all clear to disembark. Four ships are landing close together. You can’t unload right away, not until all four are down.
“This process will be the pattern for each group of landings. Make no mistake; the transfer to the dome will be harrowing and risky. We will try to protect you and will help, but some people are probably going to die from high gravity accidents, and some from the local animal life. You will see old blasted ships near the dome when you land. The Krall have usually destroyed most small ships after the people were out. My ship was the first exception, but we destroyed our own thruster engines to save her from being blown up. I will attempt to negotiate this process for your ships if the Krall will permit this. We need the energy and the facilities on your ships if we can save them. Good Luck. Mirikami Out.”
The Four ships were all down within the next hour, with Mirikami or his officers talking with each Captain to describe what needed to be done. As soon as Rimmer’s Dream shut down by the west entrance, trucks were moving to the passenger ships, and three man teams in armor with rifles were strung out along the routes from the four ships to the dome, taking pot shots at the inevitable wolfbats that began to gather overhead from the jungle to the north. The skeeters had also been drawn by the movement and noise.
Ray McPherson had the first chance to demonstrate his improved flamethrower when he torched three skeeters that descended from over the dome on the south side. Dillon and Jimbo simply made fireballs as a demonstration for the wolfbats, which not only stayed high and well away, but many squadrons elected early to go hunt elsewhere for easier prey with less risk.
Skeeters weren’t smart enough to figure this out, and so kept up a constant series of darting and swooping approaches, watching for opportunities to strike. With several thousand people to attack, despite protectors and warnings to watch out, at least a dozen people got stung, one dying from a single sting in an apparent allergic reaction. Two more died when one fell down a boarding ramp after a sting, and another fractured his skull when he fell off the back of a truck as he tried to climb into the back. Gravity was more the killer in these two cases.
Three more people were lightly wounded by buckshot when a protector fired at a flight of skeeters. She had focused so much on her targets that she forgot the truckload of people fifty feet behind the bugs. She didn’t even hit the bugs.
The wheeled trucks could carry ten people in back with two gun-toting guards, and two more rode in the cab with the diver. The halftracks could carry eight in back plus two guards and two in the cab with the driver.
Each of the thirty-one working vehicles made seven or eight trips each to transport two thousand three hundred eighteen passengers, and some crew, leaving the minimum flight crews aboard the three passenger ships. Both of the Fancy’s haulers moved five or six at a time on pallets, but they were slower than the trucks.
It took just over three hours to complete. A sharp contrast to the reception the people from the Flight of Fancy had met, when the every man or fem for themselves attitude had permeated the early captives.
Noreen gave her estimate of progress. “Well, we have about a tenth of the job done, and about twenty two thousand more to come. Considering the three hours we used this time, and the ninety minutes to get them out of orbit, we can handle about five thousand people per day in two landings. The truck crews are removing all of the supplies, food, medicines, bedding, and personal belongings as we can get off them for now. This is the safest course until we find out if we can keep the ships for housing and manufacturing.”
Mirikami pulled at his lip. “Parkoda hasn’t replied to me since his Clanship lifted. If he’s in orbit he isn’t talking to me, or he may have gone to their compound. I can’t send any of these ships back up for a passenger transfer from the large ships unless we have permission. The other Krall Clanships might blow them out of the sky as trying to escape.”
Maggi had rejoined them after riding shotgun on eight trips to Marimba Destiny. “What was on the cargo ship that landed? They only had a handful of crew aboard.”
“The Transworld Boxter is a container ship, as are five other of the cargo ships up there,” pointed out Mirikami. “The crew has a list of what companies or people the containers were going to, but no real idea of what’s in each of them. The contents are encoded, and the crew and ports don’t know what’s in any container, which reduces the amount of ‘diversions’ of valuable goods at busy ports. There is always theft, but less if you can’t tell if you are stealing electronics or turnips.
“Until we can set up their portable cranes to unload them and break the seals, we won’t know what’s in any of them. It’s fortunate this one was a Rim ship, or they wouldn’t even have a portable crane, counting on good port facilities.”
Jorl’sn had gone out with two Stewards and two men from the dome to hunt for the five antelope. Surprised to learn that no human had ever named them, Jorl’sn used her officer status to claim the right to name them.
However, her first suggestion was shot down as ridiculous. These savanna animals filled the equivalent role of antelope on Koban. Noting that the equivalent of ants on Koban had been named kants she had proposed kantelope, which drew groans from the other four aboard the shuttle.
After watching them reach speeds up to fifty miles per hour when she chased them from the air, she mentioned they ran like blue streaks. Then she decided that blue streakers sounded accurate, so that was what she declared them to be.
They were bi
g, fast and agile, with an amazing leap in the high gravity, attesting to their strength. The small herd turned away every time they came close enough to hover for a decent shot. Finally, they swooped by and brought a female down by firing out through the open hatch, and the other four animals continued on their way. This behavior was completely unlike the protective attitude of rhinolo for an injured herd member.
To avoid field stripping the animal out there, leaving guts to draw predators into the compound, they used the cargo winch to drag the carcass aboard and brought it back to the dome. They had perhaps eight hundred pounds of meat to sample. After testing for toxins of course.
Jake advised that another four human ships were breaking orbit. Apparently, the Krall were sending them down a “hand” at a time. Even from orbit, they could easily see that the transfer of humans from the first landing had ended, so they sent more ships down. This time it was two cargo vessels and two mid-sized passenger ships.
They had streamlined their transfer process, putting off explanations and questions until they were inside the dome. There were no deaths on the second landings, and only a hand full of paralyzing stings from skeeters. The wolfbats had all departed after two were killed by lucky shots taken at highflying squadrons. It was late in the day and the high metabolism animals needed to find easier food. They recovered only the corpses of the two dead bats for all their circling.
The captive’s mistake was in assuming that the Krall would give them a break at sunset, but instead they sent four more ships down at dusk. All of them were passenger ships with nearly three thousand people aboard. Things began to do wrong just before midnight.
“Captain,” Willfem Linked in to Mirikami. “The glow of the dome lights can’t really light the tarmac out here where Pink Nebula set down Sir. They have some external floodlights that cover the escalator ramp, but the shadows cause trip and fall injuries. We have some broken wrists and sprains. Are there any lights we can use?”
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