From the small Torki device on Kobalt’s collar issued a clear deep voice, speaking in the Thandol tongue. “I am honored to meet you First Counselor.” Kobalt bowed his head in imitation of the bow Maggi and Mirikami had made a short time ago.
The Hothor repeated his previous bow, right arm extended, hand cupped up. “It is with a shiver of excitement I meet you, Kobalt. You are very impressive.”
“Thank you. I am excited to participate in this first meeting with your people. All of the rippers with us are excited. This is a first experience for us, to travel to another world to meet a new species that didn’t first come to meet us on our own world. You said you would have liked a Ragnar Commander to see our demonstration. Is he your military leader?”
The First Counselor made a sidewise motion with his right hand, an apparent gesture of negation based on his next words. “No. He is not a leader of ours, and not a Hothor. My people are not permitted to form a military defense force. He is a member of the Ragnar race and a military leader of one of the three minor security forces for the Thandol. The Ragnar are the most fearsome of the three species the Thandol have assigned to security duties in the Empire. Commander Gimtal Thond is his name. The military force he leads enforces the Empire’s laws and the Emperor’s personal edicts, and collects taxes in this region of the Empire. They show little respect for any people in this third of the empire, unless you are a Thandol, of course.”
“First Counselor, these three security forces are some of the subject matter we wish to discuss with you. It is why we approached your world in a cautious and slow manner, to prevent the Thandol from detecting our visit to you, and to shield you from their inquiries. We are aware that you once were visited by the Olt’kitapi, long ago, when they were facing difficulties with the Thandol Empire, and you were informative to them. We seek the same level of help, in the form of information only. Perhaps we can move our discussion to some location less public?”
This time, the hand gesture moved up and down. “Yes. There is a government building at the edge of the spaceport, where we seven walked from after you landed. That is where I meet with official visitors when I’m in my winter home here. Ambassador, we can walk the short distance there if that is acceptable, or I can summon motorized conveyances. We will offer you food and drink, but we will not be offended if you refuse. Naturally, foods of many worlds contain toxic or objectionable substances for different species. You are welcome to bring your own consumables, or the means to test what we offer you, for compatibility with your biology. ”
“Thank you Chief Counselor, we would prefer to walk with you as we talk, and to enjoy this cool and lovely day. May others of our group come with us? Everyone is interested in learning about your people, about your food and your customs. We want you to learn about us as well. We have portable food testers and chemical analyzers, which we will bring with us.”
She stepped closer to him and made a socially appropriate proposal, “A gesture of friendly greeting among humans is the clasping of the right hands with others, if they have hands, as a sign of respect, an offer of friendship, and a demonstrated willingness to engage in personal contact. Would that gesture offend you, or be contrary to any customs of your own?”
“Not at all. This is something we value, exploring the cultural differences when we meet with another species. We wish to find commonalities and similar goals to share with other races, and discover interesting cultural differences that can enrich us both. It is largely denied to us by the Thandol, for other than our nearest trading neighbors.
“I will gladly exchange a hand touch with you. I will however, withhold one of our common greeting customs, at least until our people know one another better. Body fluid presentations proved inappropriate for all of our friendly close alien neighbors, and certainly for the Thandol and the Ragnar, who act superior to any other species.” His hand swept down towards the two wet spots soaking into the pavement.
“Uh…, Yes.” She temporized. Trying to imagine how that mutual body fluid presentation would take place. “That particular custom should be examined more closely at a future date, and fully understood before we consider exploring that.”
She extended her open right hand, and the First Counselor, his inch long claws curled in with the points pressed into his own palm, extended his own clinched right hand. The loose grip and mild handshake lasted perhaps fifteen seconds, but Maggi made a comment as they did so, to distract from the length of time.
“With the Thandol Empire being so controlling, we might encounter opposition to our species forming a mutual friendship with your people. I think what we discuss should not be of concern to them or to the Ragnar.”
Had she not already known from Pholowela how the Hothor previously felt about the Thandol, she wouldn’t have said that. She doubted that an additional twenty thousand years of suppression and dominance by their oppressors would have softened that position.
The thoughts from the unguarded mind, which she sensed from that contact, confirmed her suspicions, and in fact, she was rather surprised at the vehemence the leader felt towards the Thandol, and for the Ragnar. It didn’t appear that it would be necessary to hide Federation intentions of countering the ambitions of the Empire, not with this leader and probably not with his ministers, if his was a typical Hothor attitude.
In that case, their discussions might very well prove to be of considerable concern to the Empire.
****
The Hothor proved to be a fountain of information, and even had their own two representatives on the largely ineffective Advisors Council, in the Emperors Court on Wendal, a Thandol colony planet controlled by the extended Farlol family. The fifteen subservient species, with a combined thirty members, had little real impact on decisions made by the Empire. Six of those representatives were from the three security force species, and normally acted like rubber stamps for whatever the Empire wanted them to say.
The Ragnar, Finth, and the Thack Delos, the more influential three security force races, were on the council mainly as “proof” that all of the empire’s member species had an equal say in advising the Emperor. This council promulgated the sham that those three races had no more influence than the other races did on policy decisions, which concerned the lesser status species in the Empire. For vital decisions, such as anything that concerned the well-being of the Thandol themselves, the Advisors Council had no influence at all.
In addition, the dozen lower status species furnished most of the servant class hired help to the ruling classes, including the three most favored security force species. There were a large number of the lower classes on Wendal, who had access to the backrooms of the Emperor’s court, and to private conversations outside the hearing of the ruling family. Plots, conspiracies, and double-dealings were abundant.
The twelve lower status races often shared the rumors, details of palace intrigue, and intelligence gathering that was uncovered, unless it could specifically benefit their own people to keep it a secret, of course. The task was made easier by the arrogant Thandol speaking loudly through their trunks, often oblivious to the presence of underlings around them, as if they were furniture. Not that their bugling manner of speaking lent itself well to hushed whispers anyway.
There was a sort of silent patois the Thandol could use for private conversations, which involved their small tentacles, and trunk gestures. Although, an informed alien observer of their gestures could discern what the discussion was about, because they were really only trying to prevent other Thandol from overhearing.
The low caste “furniture” was considered too thick headed to comprehend the intricacies of the complex gesture language, since the subservient races had never evolved the superior organs necessary for its expression. That meant they often didn’t have secrets from the hired help. Not that the servants always had the means to act on the information they gained, but knowing what was about to happen was comforting, and represented a form of trade goods with other low status species.<
br />
****
When the discussions ended for the day, the hungry Kobani and rippers headed back to their ships. Their food analyzers had determined that the right-handed amino acids found on Canji Mot wouldn’t be digestible, even though most of the food items didn’t contain chemicals that would be dangerously toxic to consume.
In reply to Maggi’s complaint of being hungry, Sarge said, “I found the sweet-tart taste of their fruit pastry was appealing. It contained nothing toxic for us, even if we can’t digest and use it nutritionally. It had a marvelous taste, and my stomach feels fuller.”
Maggi snickered and said, “Wait until morning, numb skull. Not only will you be starved, but also what you eat when you get back to your ship won’t stay with you either. You’ll be up half the night, with the fast-trot, dribbley-never-get-overs. You’d better plan on sleeping next to or on your ceramic throne tonight.”
“We’ll see,” was his lame retort. He could feel his intestines warning him of possible future events. He’d never admit it if he experienced the level of discomfort that she had warned him might visit.
Noreen was amazed at how prescient Maggi’s predictions of the Emperor’s court had been. “The way the Hothor described things at court, the second class citizens are often the first to know when the throne is about to change, when the rumor mills are full of complaints about the current Emperor, or show dissatisfaction with how the ruling family is abusing their power. The present Emperor has been in place for roughly ten years, and he hasn’t alienated his own supporters, although he’s not made the other powerful families very happy.”
Maggi agreed, but said, “The subservient races that watch the court so closely, mainly use the information for positioning themselves to avoid being drawn into the conflict when an emperor is replaced, or find a way to obtain a trade advantage with some faction or other, when the previous corrupt regulators are about to be tossed out of power.
“They never try to manipulate or alter a power shift, to control what direction it will take, in order to obtain their own best advantage. They could offer what they know to Thandol factions that might reward their entire planet for critical information on what another family is planning. They just try to get safely out of the way, to avoid conflict.”
Mirikami objected. “You expect them to act like us. They’re simply being true to their passive natures. It’s why the Thandol was able to take them over in the first place, and force them to accept the limitations imposed on them. They don't form alliances or defiant coalitions, as we would do, let alone fight back. It’s like criticizing them for being what they can’t help being. Nonaggressive. I think we can help them, but only if we can keep the Empire from stomping us flat.
“I think the Olt’kitapi only held them at bay initially because of the advanced technology they had, and wisely refused to share it with them. They tried to pull them into a joint vast habitat construction project, where their mutual interests in maintaining a stable solar system, and an economic trade dependency would have forced the Thandol to adopt modes of cooperative behavior.
“Had the Krall not turned on the Olt’kitapi, it might have worked. If the subservient races in the Empire escaped Thandol control, including their enforcer species, the empire might have been forced to moderate their ambitions. It’s another way to temper the actions of a bully. Make it advantageous to them to moderate their behavior and cooperate.”
“I can see that as an Olt’kitapi strategy.” Maggi agreed. “It’s essentially what they were doing with the Krall’tapi, but failed to limit the regular Krall’s access to the weapons technology. Probably because they saw the threat of the empire, and sought more defenders, sooner than they could alter the Krall’s hyper-aggressive tendencies. Their plan to fight fire with fire exploded and consumed them.”
Dillon shook his head. “It’s too bad they didn’t meet us first.”
“What? Normal humanity?” Maggi asked skeptically. “Things might not have gotten as far out of hand, but humans have not been very altruistic in the past. We might have been a different kind of disaster waiting for the Olt’kitapi to find.”
“No, I meant us, the Kobani!”
“Lucky you, to be on the other side of your wife where I can’t thump your head. Why would there have ever been any Kobani if the Krall hadn’t been around to kidnap and dump us on Koban.”
“Uh…, you know what I mean.”
“I do, and I hope what we have become will be as beneficial to the other species we encounter in the galaxy as you imply. Remember, at our core, we’re still as human as the people in the Hub.”
“We possess one vital difference, an improvement in conscience I think.” Mirikami offered.
“How’s that?” Noreen wondered.
“Due to Mind Tap, and the ripper sense of balance for what was once termed the circle of life. As rippers do, we sense the minds of those we encounter. Even if we need to kill to defend ourselves, and others. Rippers kill to eat and survive, but don’t kill wantonly.
“We Kobani, as a group, not always individually, have become less willing to destroy all of the lives of those we fight, and even hate. It’s why some of the Krall continue to exist. We’ll fight and kill in combat, of course, but the ability to empathize with other minds was never before a human characteristic. We are better able to understand other species, and capable of pulling back from the compete destruction of one even as odious as are the Krall.”
He shrugged. “Dillon is right, even though his statement seems contradictory. The Olt’kitapi would have fared better had they met a people as we are now. We may have become the defenders they needed back then. Assuming of course, we ever become numerous enough to protect all those that we are already committed to defending. The Empire is large and powerful, and the Thandol are smarter than the Krall, with greater technology.”
They had been linking via Comtap with the complements of all five ships throughout the meeting. It had been quickly decided that too many Kobani and rippers all in one place wasn’t prudent, even though the Hothor appeared to be as cooperative as Pholowela’s records suggested they had been previously. Of course, Thad and his crew on the Ripper had monitored the talks as they had scanned Canji Mot for things of interest, without finding anything unusual. Based on several arrivals and departures at other spaceports, it didn’t appear the Hothor had T-cubed ships. Those would be essential for traveling to visit the former Olt’kitapi region of stars in the Orion Spur. How they had known so much about the species the Olt’kitapi had met so long ago still wasn’t known
Thad then used his Normal Space drive to travel to Canji Dol, the colony planet in the same system. At the uncompensated accelerations the Kobani and rippers could tolerate, they reached the other colony world in just under five hours. A Jump, with a subsequent arrival White Out would have taken only seconds, but that would have been impossible to hide at the moonless second world.
The Ripper had been involved with performing scans of what was a heavily forested world, with a warmer and moister climate due to its location, orbiting closer to the star the Hothor called Mother. It had an even lower surface gravity than did Canji Mot at .62 of a standard gravity, and appeared to be predominately rain forests at mid-latitudes, with perhaps half the surface covered with what sensors showed were shallow seas.
There were numerous towns, but no large cities as were seen on their home planet, and no signs of significant industrialization or mining. From the talks, it was learned that this colony’s most important exports were things that grew there. One high profit item was a moss found on the shady sides of the rainforest trees, which had important medicinal uses for the Hothor, and was in high demand as a safe non-addictive recreational drug by one of their trading partners, located twenty light years away.
There was nothing of commercial interest to the Thandol produced there, so they had never shown any inclination to visit the backward world, which the Hothor resisted fully developing. The Ragnar were sensitive to th
e bites of several varieties of small flies found there, and they didn’t like the heat and high humidity due to their thick dark fur, which was no protection from the tiny flies. Their four-inch fur also matted, which the fastidious creatures hated and liked to keep combed and groomed when possible. They didn’t inspect the towns there very often, and never ventured into the rain forests unless they wore cooling suits or armor.
It was explained, and pictures supported the description, that those aliens vaguely resembled tall hairy humans, with heavy bodies and thicker arms and legs. Maggi, with her interest in old Earth history, was the one to note that they resembled the legendary Bigfoot tales, where unsubstantiated sightings were claimed to be common in the pre-space flight era.
The Ragnar could also have passed for an upright, hairy faced black mountain gorilla, with long muscular arms and legs. They commonly wore only backpacks, utility belts, and sometimes wide flat shoes in mild or cold climates. They were said to be exceptionally fast runners, quite strong, and deadly fighters that enjoyed their scary reputations. They preferred worlds with gravity of around .9 g, and would sometimes live on worlds as high as a standard gravity or slightly more.
The Ragnar soldiers commonly clipped the long facial hair from around their large black eyes, to provide clear vison for aiming and firing their plasma and laser rifles, with which they were supposed to be quite proficient. They also had powered bulky armor, with stealth capability in visual and infrared frequencies, but it required extra power for cooling their big hairy bodies down.
The Ragnar didn’t spend much time on Canji Dol either, so it had an allure for some of the Hothor, who could pretend they lived free of the intrusions of the Empire. That freedom came at some cost of discomfort, since the heat was also higher than the Hothor liked. A local plant extract, which if consumed in small quantities, repelled the flies that caused the Ragnar such misery. Delightfully, the colony too was a world of right-handed amino acids, so the Ragnar and Thandol couldn’t consume the plant. Not that any Thandol wanted to set a single one of their four, superior and exalted feet on Canji Dol anyway.
Koban 5: A Federation Forged in Fire Page 54