Retreat and Adapt

by Thomas DePrima

  "Yes, such people will always be present in any society."

  "I would love to stand here for hours but my sovereign awaits in his chambers. So if you will follow me, Admiral Carver, I'll take you to him." As they moved towards the palace, the Intelligence Minister said, "Uh, your pets are beautiful, Admiral, but palace security will not allow them inside the king's chambers."

  "My pets are very well behaved. I assure you they will not be a problem."

  "I doubt they will accept that. We have a similar animal in the royal zoo, and over the years it has damaged several zookeepers. One died."

  "Jumakas can be dangerous, but usually only to people who either threaten them , their owners, or the owner's property. Is your animal a pure-bred Taurentlus-Thur Jumaka?"

  "I only know that it looks like your pets except for the coloration of its fur and eyes."

  "I'd like to see it, if possible."

  "Of course. I shall arrange for a tour of the zoo following your meeting with the king."

  The palace of the king was like so many palaces all over the known galaxy in that it had been constructed to last for hundreds, if not thousands, of years by using the sturdiest building materials available on the planet. On the Hudeerac home world, this meant the building was predominantly made of stone.

  Since the Hudeerac people had seemed to evolve from cold-blooded reptiles, it made sense that they would enjoy the warmth of the sun. The palace was designed to offer as many windows as possible and yet still maintain structural integrity. The hallways were lined with rich tapestries and statuary. The decorations reflected the history of the planet and the dominant species.

  When the party arrived at the king's chambers, the security guards there insisted that Cayla, Tayna, and Jenetta's armed protection detail remain outside. Jenetta insisted just as strongly that the security detail could wait outside but that her pets went where she went. When the security people refused to bend, Jenetta turned towards Vertap, bowed, and said, "Minister, thank you for inviting me to meet your sovereign. I regret that I won't have that honor on this occasion. If I ever happen to be in this part of space again, I shall inquire if your security forces have relaxed their requirements regarding pets. I can find my own way back to the shuttle pad if you have other commitments on your time."

  "Admiral, please, you've come such a long way. Don't leave now without meeting my sovereign."

  "That decision is not mine, Minister. Your palace security has decided the issue."

  "Please, would you give me a moment?"

  Jenetta nodded and Vertap turned and entered the king's chambers. A minute later he reemerged and looked at the head of security, then nodded his head towards the door. The security chief hurried inside. A minute later, the security chief emerged and whispered something in Vertap's ear opening.

  "Good news, Admiral. The security chief has decided to make an exception for your visit. You may take your pets into the king's chambers."

  "Wonderful. Shall we go in?"

  As they entered the chamber, the king stepped forward and extended his hand. The Hudeera had three fingers on each hand— two very wide fingers and an opposing digit that acted like a thumb. Jenetta was surprised by the action but took the proffered appendage and shook it as if they were in a Terran setting.

  "Welcome, Admiral Carver. A curious custom, this shaking of hands. How did it come about?"

  "Thank you for welcoming me to your planet and your chambers, Your Majesty. The custom of greeting by shaking hands is said to be as old as our civilization. As we've seen everywhere we've traveled in this galaxy, most life forms are very territorial and zealously guard their land. As intelligence increased and trade developed, people stopped killing intruders first and questioning afterward. When meeting, people would shake hands to show they weren't concealing any weapons in their hands or up their sleeves."

  "Ah, I see." Turning to Minister Aloyandro, the king said, "That will be all for now, Vertap."

  "Yes, My King," Vertap said as he bowed and then backed out of the room.

  Turning back to Jenetta, the king said, "I understand that the Family Carver is part of the nobility on Obotymot and that you hold the title of Azula in the Nordakian system?"

  "Yes, Your Majesty."

  "Excellent." Gesturing towards the comfortable seating area where he often entertained the nobles of his planet, he said, "May I invite you to have a seat in my lounge area? By long tradition, only nobles may sit there."

  "Thank you, Your Majesty."

  While all of the chairs looked comfortable, one chair in the area stood out for its majestic appearance. Jenetta assumed that was the king's chair and so selected a seat facing it from two meters away. The king smiled and sat in his chair.

  "I refer to this as my Seat of Power," he said with a grin as he wiggled slightly to get his short, reptilian tail properly positioned in the cutout at the back of the seat. "The nobles of my planet and I often sit in here and work out our problems. I imagine you have a similar seating arrangement."

  "Yes, I have an area in each of my offices where problems and issues can be discussed in comfort. Setting aside even token formality, such as conversing with someone from across a desk, can often open the way for more meaningful discussions of important issues."

  "Exactly, Azula Carver."

  "Your Majesty, how are things on your planet?"

  "At the moment, quiet. Thanks to you and the GA, we've entered a period of peace and prosperity unlike any we've known since before Maxxiloth's grandfather ascended to power."

  "I'm glad. I wish we could say the same."

  "Ah, yes. Minister Aloyandro has told me of this race called the Denubbewa. They are new to this part of the galaxy."

  "And quite powerful, from what we've observed. They destroyed two of our ships before we were aware of their presence in Region Two."

  "And none since?"

  "All ships were ordered to avoid contact until we had a chance to prepare our defenses."

  "And have you?'

  "We believe we have a chance now. We've been searching for them."

  "Perhaps they've returned to their own part of space."

  "No, I don't think so. They believe they're here to stay."

  "How can you know that?"

  "Would-be conquerors all show a similar pattern of aggression. The Denubbewa haven't left, and we will track them down and destroy them."

  "I wish we could help."

  "Minister Aloyandro has been very helpful, and we appreciate it. It was he who first identified the species we're facing."

  "Let us all hope you can eliminate this newest threat and enjoy a time of peace yourselves."

  "That is always our wish."

  Jenetta spent several hours with the king and then was invited to lunch in the palace dining room. While the king enjoyed the usual delicacy of his planet, live Sqarlibit, the palace chefs had gone to great lengths to prepare a meal of vegetables and fruit they believed would appeal to Jenetta's Terran tastes. She learned later that Vertap had actually contacted the Ares after she arrived and spoken to the head nutritionist.

  At the end of the meal, the king thanked Jenetta for stopping on her return trip and Jenetta thanked the king for allowing her to save days of travel by crossing through Hudeerac space. He told her that she was always welcome in his kingdom, and she told him that he would always be welcome if he chose to visit Quesann. She didn't really expect to ever see him there unless he got a ride aboard a Space Command vessel. The fastest Hudeerac vessels were only able to achieve Light-387, so it would take almost four years and four months to travel each way as opposed to the sixty-two days it took the Ares for each leg of the trip.

  Vertap showed up as Jenetta and the king said their goodbyes. He escorted Jenetta to a waiting vehicle for the promised trip to the zoo. Her protection detail followed along in another vehicle.

  The animals in the royal zoo represented not just species found on the Hudeerac home planet but from all the planets
in their territory and beyond. The zoo was so massive and contained so many exhibits that had they not had the oh-gee cart they could never have seen a tenth of it in one afternoon. Halfway through the tour, they stopped at a building that was closed to the public.

  "We don't normally allow visitors in here because the ferocity of this animal frightens most people," Vertap said as he punched in an access code and the door opened.

  The air had a peculiar order, and Jenetta could see that it was having an effect on her pets. Vertap turned on the lights, and a cage at the end of the large building became somewhat visible. An animal in the dark recesses of the cage immediately began to growl ominously as they approached.

  As they reached the cage, the animal suddenly sprang at the bars. The cage was well constructed, and in addition to the solid bars, a mesh of wire meant that nothing larger than three centimeters in width or height could get through, but the cage shook considerably. Vertap took an involuntary step backward, but Jenetta never moved from her spot two meters from the cage as the animal attacked the bars, snarling viciously.

  Cayla and Tayna, who had seemed uneasy since entering the building, immediately moved protectively between Jenetta and the cage, snarling a warning back at the vicious animal. Their action caused the large animal to stop snarling. It stared at the two cats and seemed confused as it observed the way the two cats were protecting the strange-looking, two-legged creature with them.

  As Jenetta stared at the large jumaka in the cage, she thought back to the day she had acquired Tayna and Cayla. They had behaved in pretty much the same way initially, a result of having been taunted, starved, and generally mistreated by cargo handlers. They too had jumped at anyone who approached their cage. Treating them with patience and kindness had turned them into cherished pets in a very short time. That spoke volumes about the intelligence of the species.

  Unlike Cayla and Tayna, whose fur was black as space and whose yellow eyes seemed to glow, the jumaka in the cage had deep brown fur with dark green eyes. Information about jumakas was limited, so Jenetta didn't know if the differences were normal or if they indicated a different sub-species.

  Since the building was closed to the public, Jenetta assumed that zookeepers were responsible for the animal's attitude. It would only take one unhappy guard or janitor to taunt an animal until it turned into a crazed beast. If the jumaka were out in the open, it would be difficult for an employee to torment the animal in a zoo environment, but anyone with access to this building could do it without being observed.

  Jenetta squatted down where she had been standing. When the jumaka in the cage had stopped snarling, her cats had quieted down as well. They now began circling Jenetta uneasily. She reached out to Cayla and the jumaka stopped and licked her hand with its rough tongue, then pushed against Jenetta in a sign of affection. Tayna also stopped moving and nuzzled Jenetta. The jumaka in the cage quietly watched everything with great interest until Vertap took a step closer to the cage. As the large jumaka growled a warning, Vertap stepped back. The action quieted the animal.

  "Vertap, please stay where you are," Jenetta said.

  Rising up, Jenetta took two steps closer to the cage. The jumaka didn't make a sound or even move as she approached the cage bars to within the width of a hand. Cayla and Tayna moved with her.

  "Has someone been mistreating you, fella?" Jenetta said to the jumaka in the cage. "Some people can be cruel at times, but we're not all like that."

  The jumaka looked at Jenetta, then down at the cats by her legs. It suddenly took a step forward, but not in a threatening way, as it sniffed at her and her pets. Cayla and Tayna responded by sniffing back. The jumaka in the cage then walked calmly right up to the bars and looked at Jenetta. It seemed like a different animal than it had been when they entered.

  Jenetta talked calmly and soothingly to the jumaka, and with each passing minute, it seemed to grow calmer. The presence of her two cats no doubt helped considerably by demonstrating to the caged jumaka that some people could be trusted by its species. Its mood change was further made evident when it pressed its muzzle against the wire mesh in an attempt to better capture her smell. She helped by placing the flat of her palm against the bars.

  Taking their cue from Jenetta, Cayla and Tayna pressed their muzzles against the bars. The caged jumaka reciprocated and essentially established the first contact when it licked at the wire mesh that separated them.

  After a few more minutes of talking to the caged jumaka, Jenetta took a step backward. The large jumaka emitted a sound like a mewl, as if it realized she was about to leave. She gave it one sad last look and then turned and walked towards Vertap.

  "That was amazing, Admiral," the minister said. "If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it."

  "Jumakas are very intelligent animals. I think someone has been abusing yours. Like people, they don't respond well to abuse. Treat it well, and it will respond well."

  "Shall we continue the tour?"

  "Yes, by all means. The exhibits and species are wonderful."

  As they started to leave, Jenetta realized that her cats were not at her side. She hadn't noticed it until they were almost to the door because she had never had to look before. Turning, she saw they were still at the cage.

  "I guess I'll need another minute or two," she said to Vertap.

  "I'll wait outside at the vehicle."

  Jenetta walked back to the cage where all three cats were mewling and making assorted sounds. She stood there observing for a couple of minutes and then said, "Time to go, girls."

  Cayla and Tayna turned to look at her, then turned back to the caged jumaka and mewled more sounds. Jenetta waited patiently while they said their goodbyes. This was the first time they had seen another jumaka since she had acquired them, and she knew it was an emotional moment. Finally, they pulled back and walked to Jenetta's side. For the caged jumaka, it had also been an emotional time. Taken from its family when just a newborn cub, it hadn't seen another jumaka since. It began to wail loudly as the trio left the building. The sound was heart-wrenching. The large jumaka instinctively knew it would never again see the two lovely females with whom it had shared those brief minutes.

  The rest of the zoo was just as wonderful as the first half. It was a place where Jenetta could happily have spent long days learning about all the animals there. Despite the poor situation with the jumaka, no effort seemed to have been spared in providing exhibit conditions that, to the greatest degree possible, seemed to emulate the natural surroundings of the various species, and they seemed to be well cared for. Perhaps the problem with the care of the jumaka was owed to its being an off-world species about which little was known.

  The tour made Jenetta think about Obotymot and the efforts to save as many species as possible after the meteor strike. On her next visit there, she promised herself that she would find out how that effort had gone and see if there was anything she could do to assist repopulation of the various species.

  It was approaching suppertime when the tour ended back at the shuttle pad. Jenetta thanked the minister for the warm reception she had received on the planet and again expressed her appreciation for the intel he had provided in the past. She also expressed her hope that they would continue to work together for the betterment of both their nations. He echoed her sentiments and told her she would always be welcome in their kingdom.

  As Jenetta climbed the shuttle ramp with Cayla and Tayna, the cats paused and looked back. Perhaps they expected Jenetta to bring the large, caged jumaka with them. After a moment's hesitation, they continued on into the shuttle.

  * * *

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  ~ March 15th, 2288 ~

  Captain Gavin was waiting at the shuttle bay to welcome Jenetta back. The normal greeting protocol for visiting admirals had been extended to Jenetta when she first came aboard, but she had since modified it for those times she was aboard the ship for an extended stay. Now the protocol only required the captain to be prese
nt whenever an admiral came back aboard, unless an emergency required that the captain be elsewhere, at which time the second in command would greet the admiral.

  "Welcome back, Admiral," Captain Gavin said formally.

  "Thank you, Captain."

  "I trust all went well on the surface."

  "It was a very pleasant visit. I actually enjoyed myself, which I usually can't say with state visits."

  "I understand," he said, smiling." Your package arrived a short time ago. We placed it in a secure hold— for safety's sake."

  "My package?"

  "It was addressed to you from Minister Aloyandro."

  "I wasn't expecting anything."

  "Really? Should we send it back?"

  "Let's go take a look at it before I decide."

  Two heavily armed Marine sentries at the entrance to the hold braced to attention as Jenetta and Gavin approached.

  "What did he send— the crown jewels?" Jenetta asked.

  "Not hardly," Gavin said, then nodded at one of the sentries. The sentry turned and entered the code that would open the hatchway.

  As soon as Jenetta entered the hold, her pets left her side and raced to the large cage. A series of mewls then ensued between the animals. Jenetta couldn’t help but smile.

  "It seems your pets like it," Gavin said.

  "They developed a quick friendship on the planet."

  "Are there many jumakas down there?"

  "This was the only one, as far as I know. I have no idea who brought it here. Taurentlus-Thur is in Region One of GA space.

  "Only since the expansion in 2273. Before that, it was unclaimed space."

  "Still, it must be twenty-five hundred light years from here. I suppose it's possible that a trader was breeding jumakas and selling them as security animals. I don't suppose we'll ever know."

  "You're going to keep it, then?"

  "I can't refuse a gift from the King of the Hudeerac Order," she said with a smile. "Besides, the animal was obviously miserable on the planet. They had it locked away in a warehouse at the zoo because it had attacked several zookeepers."