The Tourney

by Juliet Sem

  A thought occurred to Keestu. "Why didn't we hear any of the Autocracy's languages in the announcements?"

  Tenget spoke up. "I overheard Prince Dinus saying to King Ismer that all Autocracy ships have a special ID code, so they are greeted on a different com channel, one that I imagine uses their languages."

  "So the computer handles all incoming foreigners, then?"

  "We were told it's a human on the other end of the com once we reach the third buoy," Tenget said, "The voice only sounds mechanical because of the translator. The Autocracy human speaks in his or her own dialect, and the translation is forwarded to us directly on the com to save time in case urgent instructions need to be given to an incoming or outgoing ship."

  After what seemed like an interminable wait, they reached the third buoy.

  "Welcome. Reply in the language you prefer."

  "Chadagri. Ganon Triker."

  "Tiperil. Aral ama Rillul."

  "Com to me," Captain Nebo commanded. "This is Captain Nebo of the Union ship Sandar's Jewel requesting docking instructions."

  After a few moments, the reply came in Unity. "Welcome, Sandar's Jewel. You are cleared for docking. Maintain your present course. The information provided by Praton Dinus of Purvol indicates you are familiar with our mathematical coordinate system. We will transmit any course changes using this system. As your ship's access port design is incompatible with ours, we will have you land at an outer ring trading platform so that we may secure a generic access tube around your hatch as we do for the Rillul and Triker. Do not release your hatch until we have assured safety. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by forcing you to dock in the trade section."

  "Copy that, Autocracy Station," Captain Nebo replied before cutting the connection.

  "A cordial but careful welcome," Vahin said, automatically analyzing the exchange. "I prefer keeping things formal so we can avoid any misunderstandings."

  Keestu sighed, rolling her eyes at Rue, who suppressed her answering grin with effort after Vahin turned in their direction.

  "Impatient to see the station, Your Highness?" Vahin misinterpreted Keestu's exasperation.

  "Yes, Vahin. I have not traveled off Sandar in years, and I'm eager to see what the Autocracy has to offer. Maybe I'll even find something the Rillul or Triker have that we can use."

  "That will be for the traders to decide," Vahin chided her as though she was still a young child, and Keestu's temper flared.

  "That doesn't mean that I can't have an opinion on trade goods," Keestu found she was increasingly irritated with her adviser's too stiff manner. "I have my likes and Rue's to help decide what may appeal to younger Sandarians, something you will do well to remember."

  Everyone turned to look at the glowering Crown Princess, and then the Jewel's bridge crew suddenly found themselves absorbed in the ship's operations. Tenget and Gontu remained silent, though Keestu could see Gontu smiling out of the corner of her eye. Vahin suppressed his surprise with effort, and then sputtered. "Of course, Your Highness. I apologize if I've offended you."

  "Well, there's nothing going on here for the moment," Keestu announced. "I'm going to the mess for another mug of javene. Rue, would you like one, too?"

  "Yes, Kee, I would," Rue was only too happy to go with her.

  "Oh a fresh cup," Rue was pleased. "I think it's best freshly brewed. For some reason, my father disagrees with me that some of the flavor dissipates the longer it sits. He'll fill a thermos with as much as he thinks he'll use for a day and then leaves it to sit."

  Keestu got her javene and sat down, wondering a little at her fit of temper with her adviser. "You know, Rue, I hate to say it, but I think I have outgrown Vahin as my protocol adviser."

  Rue's face showed her surprise at Keestu's comment. "Are you saying you may dismiss him?"

  "Well, that would be rude and cruel, as it would cause all kinds of unwanted speculation in the infocom, but I'm thinking perhaps he may be reassigned. Since you the public closely watches Hemda, she could probably use some protocol tutoring, especially given her outburst during our first dinner with Prince Dinus. I find myself increasingly irritated with Vahin's constant corrections, because I feel that I'm staying within the parameters of proper behavior, and he seems to be increasingly overstepping his boundaries. It's almost like he refuses to believe I'm old enough to handle myself in public without him. You and I both know we would not have been sent on this mission if King Ismer thought we were incapable of handling ourselves in delicate protocol situations."

  Rue blushed. "I know. I'm so pleased that your parents approve of me. I had been thinking more and more lately that they would want to suggest someone else for your handmaiden, so when Queen Mewa ordered the new wardrobe for me, I knew that I was just imagining things."

  "The choice of my handmaiden is not entirely up to them, Rue, and I say no one can replace you, and while I am older, I'm not above throwing a Hemda style fit to get what I want, though I'm certain my relationship with my parents has gone beyond that. Besides, we've got four years of training invested in you and you're my best friend, so don't worry. As far as I'm concerned, your position is safe."

  "I'm so glad to hear that. You're my best friend, as well, Kee," Rue smiled over her mug. "My father told me that my position could end at any time, so I should not count on being at the palace when I'm older, but really there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

  "I'm still left with my frustration regarding how Vahin is treating me. I have to make a note of it and see what my father thinks of reassigning him to Hemda; a lateral move should not be viewed as punishment, so the infocom will probably just announce the change and leave it at that."

  The ship's com chimed for their attention. "Your Highness," Captain Nebo's voice politely hailed her, waiting for her response. "We are within long-range view of Autocracy Station, Your Highness, if you care to view it and the docking from the bridge."

  "Well," Keestu smiled, her fit of pique finally passing as she considered options for a permanent resolution to the problem Vahin posed, "It would appear that my outburst has everyone on their toes, at least where this royal is concerned."

  They placed their empty mugs into the sterilizer and hurried back to the bridge.

  After belting in, Keestu allowed herself to look at the screen.

  "Maximum magnification, Captain?" She modulated her voice into as pleasant a tone as she could manage.

  "Yes, Your Highness," he replied.

  Keestu studied the screen, seeing they were coming at Autocracy Station from above, an unusual approach vector. However, it meant that she could see the entire station and get a sense for its layout. It consisted of three rings that were joined at regular intervals by twelve access corridors, making Autocracy Station look like a giant metallic multi-hubbed multi-spoked wheel floating in space.

  This time, it was Tenget who spoke, not Vahin. "The information given us by Prince Dinus identifies the outer ring consisting of the landing pads for trade ships. It also houses hostels, restaurants, and trade kiosks. The middle ring consists of storage and also provides restricted landing pads for elite Autocracy spacecraft. The central ring houses the offices and quarters for the permanent staff. Six corridors provide two-way access for all rings, while every other corridor is restricted to cargo handling and will handle foot traffic during emergencies only."

  As they approached, Keestu began to make out irregularities in the smooth appearance of the outer and middle rings. She realized these cutouts were the restricted landing pads. She squinted as she saw movement at the outer ring.

  "That looks like Prince Dinus' ship just settling in on a landing pad. Did we overtake him after all?"

  "No, Your Highness," Captain Nebo responded. "We have been maintaining a steady speed and course, and are at the extreme limits of visual contact. It will be a few more minutes before we reach the station."

  "Oh," Keestu settled in for the wait, chafing at the perceived slow speed of their progress. She pressed h
er lips together in a fresh wave of irritation. It seemed much of her life was spent waiting for things to come to her, or her to them. If she didn't have a rigorous training schedule in addition to her palace duties, she rather thought she'd find her life quite boring what with all the waiting she had to do.

  When they were on final approach, the Jewel reoriented for landing, and Autocracy Station and the star cluster disappeared from view.

  There came a small bump as they touched down, felt as a shudder throughout the ship, accompanied by a metallic boom underneath them. Other noises indicated the grappling hooks were finding purchase, as the Jewel secured her own hold on the station's landing pad.

  "The ship is registering as securely docked. The access tube is being extended," the com officer announced.

  There came another distant clang as the tube bumped into the ship. Several more minutes passed as the Autocracy Station crew tested the connection.

  "Sandar's Jewel," came the voice over the intership com, "The access tube is attached and sealed. You are free to enter the station. Prince Dinus will join you on the dock shortly. We hope you enjoy your stay. Autocracy Station out."

  "Copy that," Captain Nebo said, "Thank you for your assistance, Autocracy Station. Sandar's Jewel out."

  The com officer closed the channel, and the security officer activated the intership com. "Suited security crew to the main airlock. Seal yourselves in and test that connection."

  Several tense minutes passed while the security team tested their connection to the station. Finally, the all clear came through, and Keestu was finally allowed to debark. She pursed her lips in irritation, but knew that these measures, while tedious, were to prevent her from stepping into an accidental vacuum if the connection was loose or a leak blew the tube out while she was in it.

  She and Rue fetched their jackets from their quarters. Rue donned hers and turned to Keestu. "How do I look?"

  "Like a Crown Princess," Keestu grinned back as she put on her own jacket. "Let's go!"

  "Oh," Rue exclaimed, "Here!" She thrust her datapad at Keestu, who would need it to play the part of handmaiden.

  They hurried to the hatch to find their all-male entourage patiently waiting for them. Keestu looked them over, and underwent inspection in return. However, it was Rue who suffered the most scrutiny. She kept her expression calm, but Keestu saw her hands tremble as she smoothed her jacket one last time.

  She noted as she entered the tube that the decking was flexible and bounced a little with every step she took. She looked at the odd joints connecting each segment, which allowed the whole tube to retract or extend accordion style. A flexible light strip lined the top of the tube, illuminating their way.

  She heard noise ahead, a low rumble that built in volume with every step. Finally, Rue left the tube. Keestu followed her out, and then looked around, squinting in the bright lights of the station. A slight breeze blew, courtesy of the life support system, bringing to her nose a variety of scents she didn't recognize, but which reminded her of the farming district on Sandar.

  She spun towards the berth on her left, seeing movement on the periphery of her vision, and her eyes bulged. Several large shapes shambled on two legs there, two dark brown, another tawny, and the last black, and her breathing sped up, while her heart began to pound in her chest in alarm at the size of whatever they were. She instinctively stepped closer to Tenget, who was viewing the activity in the next berth with consternation.

  Keestu continued to stare, as the shapes moved into the light from the shadow of a solid tube. They appeared simian, having a thick layer of fur, but they walked in a half erect bipedal posture rather than going on all fours as the simians of Kielra did. These were much larger than any simian Keestu had ever seen, taller than a human, looking to be around two and a quarter meters tall each. She watched as each of them pulled a single massive wheeled container onto the dock, placing them precisely onto lines she now saw painted on the deck plates. Their loads parked, they turned with ponderous slowness and plodded back into an enormous access tube, each step producing an audible thud on the dock plates.

  A second tube placed right next to the one the unknown simians used suddenly disgorged four Triker. Their thick reptilian tails thinned as they jutted towards but didn't quite reach the deck. Over their medium to dark blue scaled bodies were quilted coats and knickers, which were custom cut to cover their back ridges, ridges that ran from their necks to their tails. They all had thick upper thighs, which quickly tapered into comically small lower legs, and they did not wear shoes on their three-clawed feet. Keestu saw that their faces were elongated, their mouths protruding into snouts, which when they spoke in their guttural growling language revealed several rows of sharp teeth. She looked at the sides of their heads and saw only vestigial ears.

  The four simians had returned, moving with the same measured slowness, each one towing a large wheeled crate as last time. The sheer repetition in the activity reassured Keestu that there should be no problem from them. She saw that each of the Triker overseers was carrying a large stun staff, and all the creatures were wearing collars. After some discussion, the Triker dispersed, each taking up positions around their ship's cargo.

  The simians ignored their supervisors, only occasionally grunting with effort as they carefully positioned their new loads on the lines. Keestu saw as they left again that their heads seemed small and were slightly pointed while their shoulders and arms were massive, and their legs were thick as well. She wondered if they could move fast, or if their constant plodding pace was all the speed they could muster. It seemed to suit the Triker, who growled comments at each other now and then in their native tongue, paying little attention to what was going on around them at the rest of the dock.

  Looking further down the dock, Keestu saw more activity. Trading for the day was already well underway, and much of the noise she had heard in the tubes related to the movement of goods in wheeled containers, which thumped along the seams of the deck plates, the sound echoing slightly in the enclosed station. It was a stark contrast to the silent movement of goods she had witnessed at the Hub.

  Keestu looked around to see if she could see any Rillul, but at this distance, she wasn't certain if she saw anyone with green skin or not.

  Prince Dinus appeared from their right. He looked much more relaxed here than he ever had on Sandar, almost gregarious in his welcome.

  "So what do you think of Autocracy Station, Keestu?" His informal address made Vahin frown in distaste, but Rue ignored him and replied, "Surprising. I've never heard of the species aiding the Triker in their unloading."

  "What?" Dinus scowled at the next berth. Several moments later, the simians came back into view with fresh loads. "Oh, them," he waved a dismissive hand. "They are called maress. Simple trained animals the Triker domesticated. They can load or unload a Triker freighter much faster than the Triker themselves, and they save the Station from having to provide automated equipment and/or human labor to do the job. The Triker keep them under strict control at all times, and they are extremely docile for such big beasts. There has never been an incident caused by a maress on Autocracy Station."

  "We will take a quick tour of the Station, and then I must retire to the central offices for a private communiqué from my father to update me on family matters at home. After your orientation, you are free to explore the station on your own."

  He turned without looking to see if they would follow, only part of his company immediately preceding him, and seeing that they were walking four abreast, their group automatically fell into place behind him.

  They moved away from the berths and to the closest walkway at a brisk pace. The station's air was cold, and Keestu was glad she had chosen to wear pants. They passed one of the brightly marked emergency access tubes and moved further away from where the Triker ships were berthed. Here, they encountered a mix of beings on the walkway, identically dressed Triker with their toe claws clicking on the deck, a variety of humans from the Auto
cracy, all dressed in clothes of the same cut and style to Prince Dinus. However, the colors differed, as did the geometric insignias worn upon the right breasts, though Keestu noted that the outer symbols always consisted of a circle, hexagon, or equilateral triangle, with triangles being the one they saw most often.

  Keestu finally saw noble Autocracy women here, and to her dismay found that they, too, shunned anything akin to style, preferring the same clothing as the men. She saw that while almost everyone in lighter colors looked unscathed, those who wore the darker shades were more likely to be limping. Many sported facial scars, while others revealed missing teeth when smiling and talking, and one woman had her striking beauty marred by a black eye and a misshapen and still swollen broken nose, while a man who waved at a distant companion was missing two fingers from the waving hand, the bandaged stumps indicating this was also a recent injury.

  As they continued to walk through the station, her attention was caught by a group of Rillul. Their hair ran from white blond, to all shades of yellow and ash blond, and some were even strawberry blonds, but nowhere among them were the darker hair shades of true browns and black. Their green skins varied somewhat in hue, but not as much as white Sandarians did from the black residents of Weegai, and their eyes from what she saw also ran to the lighter human shades of blue, green, amber, hazel, and gray. She wondered if this was an accurate overall population representation or merely a regional genetic variant she was seeing.

  Keestu lost sight of the Rillul as they turned into one of the connecting corridors. An announcement in Unity admonished them to stay to the left side of the corridor and slower moving groups should stay closest to the outer walls to allow faster moving foot traffic to pass them. Keestu guiltily realized Dinus had been talking the entire time, but she had been too fascinated with examining the peoples in the station to listen to anything he had said thus far. She strained to hear him over the din of conversations from the foot traffic around them now, which echoed in the corridor.