Wing Commander: Freedom Flight

by Mercedes Lackey

  "Arakh leaves? I remember hearing about those, it's like catnip for you Kilrathi. All right, I'll see what I can arrange." The human walked to the platform against the wall, and his nose wrinkled. "Lord!" He glanced at Kirha. "You're not sleeping in this, are you?"

  Kirha straightened in quiet dignity. "Of course not. I sleep on the floor, as no one has provided me with sleeping furs."

  The human had an odd expression on his face. "Why don't you use the John, boyo?"

  John? He searched through his memories of human vocabulary, but that word was not familiar to him, except in that it was one of his liege lord's honorifics. "I do not understand," Kirha said.

  The human crossed over to the white plastic pool of water, pressing the switch that Kirha had discovered would replenish the water supply. "Use this, laddie."

  Kirha's lip curled in disgust. "I would not foul my drinking water, human! Do you think I am completely uncivilized?"

  The human's mouth twitched. "I see where the problem is now. They must've given you visiting alien VIP quarters on the Claw; you've been stuck in a human brig, here. This," he said, pointing at the odd fixture on the wall, "Is the water supply. You press these knobs here, and that'll provide hot and cold running water. You use this," he continued, pointing at the other fixture, "For yer, er, biological needs. Ah—elimination. And that," he pointed at the pile of compressed fabric which Kirha had clawed apart, "Is what you sleep on. Understood?"

  The human glanced at a small mechanical device strapped to his wrist. "I have to be at a meeting shortly, or we could continue this fascinatin' discussion of human versus Kilrathi household technology. I'll send someone to bring ye a new mattress, and make sure that they start feeding ye something you can eat." He walked to the door and pressed his palm to the lock. Nothing happened. He pressed his palm to it again, then hit it once with his closed fist. "Let me out, boys, I have to meet with Commodore Steward in five minutes."

  "Of course, Major Taggart," a human voice said from the other side, and the cell door slid open a moment later.

  The strange gold-furred human paused in the doorway, looking back at Kirha. "Don't I even get a thank-you from you, laddie? For keeping you from starving yourself to death?"

  Kirha spoke stiffly. "I would rather be dead, but my former liege-lord refused my request. That is why I am a prisoner here now."

  The human raised one bit of eye-fur, while the other remained as it was. It gave his face a most peculiar look. "Hmmm. Well, if ye need anything, boyo, call for me. My name is James Taggart, but everyone calls me Paladin."

  Some small courtesy is required now, Kirha thought, even though I do not wish to extend any honors to these humans. "Thank you, James Taggart, whom everyone calls Paladin," he said gravely.

  The human's mouth quirked into what Kirha now knew was a small smile, then the door closed behind him and Kirha was alone again in his cell.

  This human was honorable, however. As he had said, edible food began arriving on a regular schedule. Some time later, two of the guards entered the cell to remove the fouled fabric and replace it with another. Kirha could not bring himself to sleep on the odd platform, but he did follow the human's instructions for his personal hygiene. The air in the cell stayed fresh, the fresh meat tasted good, and Kirha's spirits rose for the first time since the surrender of the Ras Nik'hra.

  The only factor that still depressed him was that there was still no sign of his liege lord. But at least I will be strong and fit when he requires my services again, Kirha thought, consoling himself. He had been keeping up the exercises that Ralgha had taught him. To fail one's lord out of physical weakness would be the greatest shame of all.

  The golden-furred human came back several eights of hours later, in the company of another human, one with a long mane of reddish head-fur. This human was younger, and dressed differently, in a garment that hung loosely around his legs. With a start, Kirha realized that it was female. Discerning between human males and human females was still difficult for him. He and Lord Ralgha had not known that the Major aboard the Ras Nik'hra was female until someone had corrected his speech for him.

  "This is our boy, Kirha," the man said. "He's all yours, Gwen. His English is excellent, so ye won't hae to worry about speaking in that throat-hurtin' Kilrathi language."

  "Thanks, boss," she said, studying Kirha intently. Kirha stared back at her, equally curious.

  "Are you being treated well?" she asked. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

  He hesitated before asking. It was a show of weakness, to request something from his enemies rather than demand it, as he had before. But who was his enemy now? The distinction had blurred in his mind past all recognition.

  And besides, his liege-lord had given him orders to ask for what he needed.

  "I would like to see my liege-lord," Kirha said, hoping the desperation was not showing in his voice.

  "Lord Ralgha?" Paladin asked. "I thought I told ye, lad. He's not here, lad, he's down on Earth."

  "Not Lord Ralgha," Kirha said. "Captain Ian St. John, also known as Hunter, is my liege-lord now. Lord Ralgha is only my overlord."

  "What?" The human laughed out loud. "Hunter? Ye must be joking!"

  "I am very serious, James Taggart, whom everyone calls Paladin," Kirha said stiffly. "Captain Ian St. John, also known as Hunter, is my liege-lord now."

  "How did you end up swearing loyalty to a human?" the female asked curiously. "This wasn't in any of the reports…"

  "Lord Ralgha nar Hhallas was my sworn liege-lord, and I served him aboard the Ras Nik'hra," Kirha explained. "When my Lord Ralgha surrendered the ship to Captain Ian St. John, also known as Hunter, he gave my fealty as an honor-gift as well. So Captain Ian St. John, also known as Hunter, became my liege-lord. Lord Ralgha is still my overlord, but he cannot command me to disobey Captain Ian St. John, also known as Hunter."

  "Unbelievable," Paladin said, shaking his head.

  "Stranger things have been known to happen, Paladin," the woman murmured.

  "I know. Well, laddie, this makes matters even more interesting. By the way, when you're talking about 'Captain Ian St. John, also known as Hunter,' you can just call him 'Hunter.' "

  "It would not be disrespectful toward my liege lord?" Kirha asked, concerned.

  "Not at all. In fact, I'm sure that Hunter would prefer it. Captain Ian St. John, also known as Hunter, is a bit of a mouthful. And since I've never formally introduced myself… I'm Major James Taggart, formerly of the Confederation Navy. But as I said before, you can call me Paladin."

  "I'm Gwen," the female said. "My full name is Gweneviere Larson, but no one ever calls me that."

  "I am Kirha hrai Ralgha nar Hhallas," Kirha said, then hesitated. "No, my name is now Kirha hrai Hunter… what is my lord Hunter's home planet?"

  "He's an Aussie," Paladin said.

  "Then my name is now Kirha hrai Hunter nar Aussie," Kirha said with some satisfaction. At last, an identity! It made him feel—a little more secure.

  "Is it all right if we just call ye Kirha?" Paladin asked. His face appeared very strange, as if he was struggling not to laugh. "Kirha hrai Hunter nar Aussie is just as bad as Captain Ian St. John, also known as Hunter."

  "If it would not dishonor my lord Hunter," Kirha said seriously.

  "I don't think it would; we humans tend to use the short versions of our names, 'cept on formal occasions. In fact," Paladin said, exchanging a glance with Gwen, "I'm friends with your lord Hunter, and I know that he would be very pleased that you're bein' friendly with us, talking to us now."

  "I am glad to act in a way that honors my lord Hunter," Kirha said. "But how can I know that this is what he wishes me to do, if he is not here to order me himself?"

  "Excuse us for a minute here, laddie," Paladin said, and he and the female moved away from Kirha, closer to the closed cell door.

  "What do ye think, lass?" Kirha heard Paladin whisper to the female, so quietly that Kirha, listening closely, could barely hear his
words.

  "We know that the Kilrathi take their honor very seriously," she said. "This could be for real, the first time that a Kilrathi is totally loyal to a human. It's a marvelous opportunity for Intelligence."

  "Do you think he'd willingly help us?" the male said. Kirha controlled his indignation. How could they doubt his loyalty?

  "It's worth a try," the female whispered back. "Certainly the interrogators haven't managed to get any good information out of him."

  Paladin turned back to Kirha, speaking louder. "Tell me more about this oath of fealty to, ah, your lord Hunter. What does this mean, exactly?"

  Kirha could not keep a look of surprise off his face. Everyone knew what an oath of fealty meant, even the littlest cub in a hrai! He thought about it for a minute before speaking.

  Then again—these two were not Kilrathi. They were not taught of honor and fealty from cubhood. What they were taught, he did not know—but if he were fortunate, they might know something like it.

  Perhaps, if he explained himself, they would find Hunter and bring him here. "It means that I am sworn to him and his hrai for all of my life, and all my descendants' lives. That I am his to command, and will defend his honor and life with my own, and obey any order without question."

  "So… Ralgha… was your earlier lord? And when he told you to surrender to the humans, you did?" Paladin seemed—more curious than anything else.

  "Of course," Kirha said, surprised at the question.

  "And this didn't bother you?" he persisted. "Does it bother you now, to be talkin' with two humans?"

  Kirha bared his teeth. "I would rather rip out your throat than talk to you, human, but that would probably not please my lord Hunter."

  "I hope the tapes are catching all of this," Gwen murmured, so quietly that Kirha could barely hear her. "This boy may not be of much use militarily, but we've never captured anyone who would talk about their social system before."

  "Maybe you're right. But, then again… what do you know of Ghorah Khar, lad?" Paladin asked louder, his eyes suddenly intent.

  "It is a beautiful planet, one of the loveliest that the Empire has colonized," Kirha said, remembering.

  "What do you know of the rebellion on Ghorah Khar?" This from the female. Understandably; the priestesses were at the heart of the rebellion. She would want to know what other females were engaged in.

  "Only what Lord Ralgha nar Hhallas told me," Kirha said, hunching his shoulders. "Which is very little."

  "But you know Ghorah Khar?" Paladin persisted. "The layout of the towns, the location of the starport, all of that?"

  "Of course," Kirha said, beginning to be annoyed with all of these inane questions. "The Ras Nik'hra landed there many times."

  "So we can cross-correlate Ralgha's information with his," Gwen murmured quietly.

  "That we can, lass. That we can." The human male's eyes glinted. "We're going to have some questions for you, Kirha lad. Answer them and your lord Hunter will be very happy with you."

  His human lord… the change in loyalties was dizzying to Kirha. It had been so much easier before, when he was sworn to Lord Ralgha, and loyal to the Emperor. Now all he knew was that there was a single center to his universe… and that center was somewhere else, doubtless far away from him. Even Lord Ralgha, whose orders he was permitted to follow, providing they did not contradict Hunter's, was far from him. He had never felt quite so alone. "I want—I want to see my liege lord," Kirha said, stubbornly. "I want to hear from my lord Hunter that I am to help you with this."

  Paladin nodded. "I can arrange that for ye. Hunter's down on Earth, on leave and visiting his family in Sydney. I saw him a week ago when he stopped on the Station before heading downside, but he'll be back up in Sol Station shortly, before catching a lift back to wherever it is that the Tiger's Claw is currently stationed. I'll tell him to drop by and see you."

  Kirha resisted the impulse to prostrate himself before the human, he was that overwhelmed with relief and gratitude. "Thank you, James Taggart. Thank you."

  "Don't thank me, laddie," the human male said, then showed his teeth in a human grin. "Or if you want to thank me, we could get a head start on these questions…"

  "I will answer your questions when you bring my liege lord to me, and he gives me permission to do so," Kirha replied, stubbornly. "That is my right and my duty."

  "Deal," the human said, and extended his smooth-skinned hand to Kirha, who looked at it, not understanding. "Humans shake hands when they've sworn on oath," Paladin explained.

  Uncertainly, Kirha shook the other's hand, keeping his claws sheathed so as not to draw blood from the human's fragile skin. "Upon my honor, I swear it," he said.

  "Good," Paladin said. "Verra good. Now, maybe while we're waiting for your lord Hunter, maybe you can start thinking of everything you know about that spaceport on Ghorah Khar…"

  K'Kai stalked through the strange metal corridors of the Sol-Central space station without trying to hide her agitation. Humans and non-humans alike cleared out of her way. Just as well; she was ready to moult, she was so frustrated.

  At Hunter's advice, she had taken her case before Confederation High Command, demanding that they do something to free the hostages the Kilrathi had taken. Threatening them with the cancellation of the treaty. Warning them that even if the treaty was not canceled, they could never be sure of what her people might or might not do if their flock-leaders were threatened.

  The humans of High Command had made soothing noises; she refused to be soothed. They had made vague promises; with stubborn insistence, she had forced them to turn those vague promises into ones with a little more detail.

  But now—now it didn't look as if they had any intention of following through on those promises. Day followed day, with no indication that a rescue attempt was even in the planning stages. With each day that passed, she grew more and more upset, thinking of little Rikik in the claws of those meat-eaters. Today's meeting had been the same as all the others—she had been told that with all the Kilrathi encroachments into the human-controlled areas of Enigma Sector, there just weren't any troops to spare for a rescue attempt. If nothing happened soon, she would have to consider making her own—probably doomed—attempt. Right now—now, she could only prowl the corridors, working out her frustrations, walking until she was exhausted and could finally sleep.

  Only to dream of poor little Rikik…

  An odd noise in the corridor ahead of her caught her attention; the sounds of claws amid the boots. Claws?

  Curious, she lengthened her stride, and found herself following a very odd gathering; human guards escorting what could only be a young Kilrathi!

  She stopped dead in her tracks, frozen in place with astonishment, and the party vanished around a turn ahead of her. She continued to stand there, ignoring the stares of those who had to push by her, trying to think what such a thing could mean.

  Hadn't Hunter said something about Kilrathi prisoners?

  No, not prisoners; defectors. One of them had somehow gotten himself attached to Hunter, who had found the experience something less than amusing.

  She clacked her beak a little, thinking of Hunter's face and how he had looked when he had described that unwelcome responsibility. He had not been happy about his role as Kilrathi-lord.

  Well, that was too bad for him. But she wondered if she could do something with this young Kilrathi. Perhaps he could help her, or maybe he could tell her something that would either force the Confederation to act, or make her own rescue attempt a little less suicidal.

  There was only one way to find out; arrange an interview with this Kilrathi, if she could.

  She turned abruptly, frightening a human clerk who had not expected her to move so quickly. He made an odd yipping noise and jumped backwards. She ignored him, heading straight back to her quarters and the computer console there.

  Now to see if all that observation of humans had paid off; her sister always claimed she could manipulate her way into or ou
t of any situation, so maybe it was time to see if her persuasiveness could work on humans…

  And if it worked on Kilrathi too.

  K'Kai took her place cautiously across the table from Kirha, the youngest of the two Kilrathi defectors, and Hunter's little problem. He seemed uneasy; the more so since there were no guards at this meeting. The Kilrathi had given his sworn oath that he would not harm K'Kai, and it seemed that the humans trusted him to keep that word.

  Interesting. Perhaps he even feared her, what she might do to him. Certainly, she thought cynically, the humans guarding him would not move in to stop her with any degree of haste.

  The Kilrathi's ears were flattened, and his whiskers twitching. That might be the sign of nerves—or it might be the sign that he was holding himself back from making a meal out of K'Kai. Either possibility was likely. K'Kai clicked her tongue a little with impatience.

  "I am not going to stab you with my beak, you know," she said abruptly in the humans' language.

  The feline's ears flattened a little more, then raised slowly. "What, you would try to fight me?" he said contemptuously in accented Terran. "I think not. You are a prey-species, and inherently inferior to the Kilrathi."

  "Well, that must be why your people on Firekka were so confident that they ordered all of my people to be made flightless," K'Kai retorted. "Or was it just that they were so lazy they didn't want dinner to be able to fly out of reach?"

  The Kilrathi stared at her for a moment, clearly nonplussed, then began to make a kind of gurgling sound she deduced was laughter. "You have a sharp wit, feathered one," he said. "You must take care that it does not cut you."

  "Ah, but those of us with claws and beaks, and teeth worth talking about, are better prepared for sharpness in anything, are we not?" K'Kai said archly. "Not like these pathetic humans. Their weapons and their wit have to be manufactured."

  The gurgling increased, and the feline's ears rose and unfolded. "Too true," he said. "My clan-lord finds their games and storytelling amusing, but I find them dull creatures."