Merkiaari Wars: 01 - Hard Duty

by Mark E. Cooper

  “Recording yes, not broadcasting!” Shima said angrily. “Don’t you know how dangerous that was? The Merkiaari might have tracked your signals!”

  Kazim sighed. “Give me some credit, Shima. I did realise what could happen. I transmitted every morning just before we broke camp. And before you ask, yes I did scramble the signal and send it by burst transmission!”

  Shima snapped her mouth closed. Well, Harmonies smile on him. He was starting to anticipate her objections. “All right then, but why are your recordings the cause of all this?” Shima pointed to the staring and whispering warriors. “Tell me that.”

  Kazim flicked his ears. “No idea,” he laughed at her outraged expression. “Come on Shima. I was with you the entire time. What, you think I had the time to edit everything ready to broadcast? No chance! You hardly let me stop running long enough to sleep.”

  Shima didn’t dispute him, though he was exaggerating outrageously. She turned to Kotanic for her explanation. He obliged after a moment for consideration.

  “You have to understand how it was that first day,” Kotanic began. “Chaos doesn’t begin to describe what happened when the first landings occurred.”

  “I know, I lived it,” Shima said impatiently.

  “Maybe so, but you were reacting to things you could see and affect, all we could do was watch. If not for the reports and broadcasts being sent to us, we would have gone mad. They flooded in from all over the planet. The fighting was fierce almost everywhere, and our people died everywhere they met Merkiaari. Fighting or running, even hiding, made no difference. But then something happened, we received Kazim’s first report.

  “At first it was like the others. Full of horror and destruction, but a little further on it changed in tone. It showed you, Shima—that first meeting with Kazim in Zuleika when you convinced him to follow you. We cheered when you killed those aliens. Reports of other small victories like yours came in later, some not so little, but yours was the first we saw and from then on we wanted to know what you and Kazim were doing.” Kotanic turned and inclined his head to Kazim. “You are famous, Kazim. You and Shima both.”

  Shima’s ears went hard back and her whiskers drew down as she imagined what she would like to do with Kazim’s camera.

  “Don’t be angry with him, Shima. He was doing what he knew to do in a bad situation. He did what most of us did when the world we knew ended—his job. We need people to go on doing that. If they need heroes to make them feel that their lives are still worth living, that there is still hope, who are we to say no?”

  “That’s easy for you to say, you’re not the one being made a spectacle. I’m no Jasha at the gate, Kotanic! I’m just me, Shima the gardener. By the Harmonies, I won’t let you make a fool of me.”

  “By what I have seen of you, you are far from a fool, but you do have something other than your clan in common with the great Jasha, Shima. He was a hero none can deny and a great hunter, as you are. He denied it often, as I suspect will you.”

  Shima growled deep in her chest and spat dryly to one side. “That for your stupidity!” She glared at the amusement she saw on the faces of the other warriors. “Harmonies take it, I’m not a hero!”

  “Yes you are,” Kazim said firmly, and the warriors mumbled agreement. “Do you know what they call you?” he asked flicking a look toward the warriors.

  Shima just stared mutely at him. Appalled at the turn things were taking. She wanted not to hear this. She wanted to find Chailen and hug the breath out of her, and then watch as her sib laughed and Sharn told her all the news of their friends that she had missed. She wanted to disappear into anonymity, and just be Shima.

  “They call you The Blind Hunter, just as Jasha was The Great Leveller.”

  “I’m not blind yet,” Shima said feeling a pout coming on. Couldn’t they have at least thought of a name that didn’t label her with her disability? Would she never out run her shame? Kazim just looked at her knowingly. He knew she was as good as blind already without her visor. “Well I’m not!” she added, this time hearing the defensiveness in her voice. “You did this to me. You... you... don’t talk to me!” Shima stormed by Kotanic and left them all standing there.

  “She’ll come around,” Kazim said confidently, and projecting his voice so that Shima heard even as she stalked away. “She will.”

  Kotanic started them following her. “If you say so, but heroes are notoriously hard headed I’ve heard. Jasha could hold a grudge like you wouldn’t believe, or so they say now.”

  Shima growled a curse under her breath, but her ears swivelled to catch Kazim’s reply.

  “She likes me. I’ll be forgiven by morning, you’ll see.”

  “Huh, fat chance,” Shima snarled under her breath. She glared at a warrior who stared at her too long as she approached him. “What you looking at?” she snapped.

  “Identity,” he said faintly, obviously recognising her.

  Shima waved a hand at her escort arriving at her back. “Ask them,” she snarled. “Apparently the name my father gave me isn’t enough anymore.”

  “Don’t be like that, Shima,” Kazim said. “It’s not his fault.”

  Shima rounded on him, her muzzle rumpling, and her ears flat to her skull. “No, it’s yours!” She spun away, glared at the warrior daring him to intervene, and stormed past.

  “Stand easy, she’s with us,” Kotanic said to the guard. “Just found out about the broadcasts. She’s a little... upset.”

  “Upset?” the guard said faintly. “I thought she was going to rip my heart out.”

  Shima spat dryly at the amused chuckles. It wasn’t funny curse them all. As she made her way through the tunnel not letting the others join her, she had time to reflect on everything that had happened and a new concern raised its ugly head. Chailen must have seen Kazim’s recordings. What must she think? Would it seem to her sib that Shima had abandoned her to care for strangers? Would Chailen understand that all Shima had been trying to do was reach her, and all the other stuff had just happened? Blind Hunter indeed, Shima snorted. Blind Fool more like it.

  * * *

  James craned his neck to see what had caused the agitation, but saw nothing unusual. He snorted in amusement. Nothing unusual? He was deep inside a secret alien facility surrounded literally by aliens wanting to chat, while millions more went about their lives above, below, and all around him for kilometres in every direction. Unusual didn’t begin to cover it.

  James turned back to Zylaric. “Forgive my rudeness.”

  Zylaric shrugged in the Shan manner, ears and tail gesturing.

  James was beginning to learn what all the twitches and gestures meant, and briefly wondered if Humans seemed unemotional to the Shan. Having no tail to express themselves, Humans must seem bizarre indeed to them. If not that, then... stoic? Yes stoic, and perhaps guarded. James was sure the Shan would learn Human body language, but until they did, Humans would be very frustrating to them, lacking as they did the important appendages that Shan used so much to express themselves.

  “Curiosity is no bad thing,” Zylaric opined. “Questions lead to greater understanding. What was your interest?”

  “People seem excited. Is there going to be another broadcast?” James said, his translator faithfully converting his English into passable Shan. They were a godsend, and James once again prayed that Chief Williams, the engineer most responsible for the translator’s creation, had survived. “I don’t remember seeing anything scheduled.”

  “Ah no, not a broadcast but something better in my opinion.”

  The Shan standing nearby agreed with varying amounts of enthusiasm. James smiled at all the differing expressions, barely remembering in time to keep his teeth hidden. Baring teeth to a Shan was not an indication you were amused.

  “What do you mean?”

  Zylaric gestured at the excited people. “The Blind Hunter has arrived in the flesh. We are lucky that one of our patrols ran across her trail and not one from Kachina Eight. Our patr
ol radius intersects with theirs you know.”

  James nodded though he in fact had not known that. Humans were considered honoured guests within the keep, but there were limits to hospitality James had found. Anything related to keep security was off limits to any but warrior caste. Patrol schedules and routes were classified even within the caste and restricted to the Tei directly responsible for overseeing them. Shan were exceptionally paranoid regarding such data. They feared the Merkiaari would somehow gain access to it. It was a genuine concern, James supposed, though Merkiaari rarely if ever questioned the vermin they hunted. They simply slaughtered them. Still, better safe than sorry James supposed.

  “She’s here now?” James said, his interest quickening. “Might I meet her?”

  “I think that’s an excellent idea,” Zylaric said. “It will be interesting to see her reaction.”

  Everyone laughed, and James frowned. What didn’t he understand here? The translator often missed nuances that could prove important. Still, it was laughter not concern on their faces. What could possibly go wrong?

  “We can see her now then?” James asked hopefully.

  “Yes, now would be good I think,” Zylaric said leading the way. “She should be passing through here soon. No doubt she will be going to visit her family.”

  “I wouldn’t want to get in the way of that,” James said. “Perhaps we should wait and send a message?”

  “Too late,” Zylaric said and flourished his tail to point ahead.

  James stopped when he saw Shima striding toward him followed by a crowd of other Shan all talking amongst themselves. Shima was easy to recognise. Her visor shone dull gold in the keep’s lighting. James recognised Kazim not far behind her. Anyone who had seen the broadcasts would recognise him. His monotone pelt, so light in colour, was distinctive. Shima seemed in a hurry, and James was reconsidering the meeting. She had only just arrived. He could introduce himself later, but just as he made that decision, Shima froze. She was still at a far distance; too far to talk without shouting. Her companions fell silent and stopped behind her, all eyes on James.

  Oh well, time for my dog and pony show.

  James moved forward, alone this time, but very aware of all the watching eyes. He almost laughed when he saw Kazim reaching for the famous camera that had been such a bone of contention between Shima and him, but the urge passed when he finally registered Shima’s posture. She was statue still, her head cocked to one side. James assumed she was staring at him. Her covered eyes made it impossible to say for sure, but who else would she stare at when he was the only Human here and the first she had ever met.

  “I greet you, Shima,” he said to break the ice as he had done so many times before. “May you live in harmony.”

  Shima shivered, the individual hairs of her pelt rising in a wave from the top of her head down her body and finishing at her tail. James was fascinated. He had never seen that reaction before from any Shan. It made her seem suddenly larger. Was it a threat display, or something else? He didn’t feel threatened. He knew what anger in Shan looked like, and this wasn’t it.

  “You burn,” Shima whispered. “In my head, you burn...” her words trailed off, but then another shiver more like a full body shake and her pelt settled into a more normal dimension. “So bright, the colours... why did no one mention the colours?”

  James blinked. He didn’t think she was talking to him. “Are you alright?”

  Shima straightened and seemed to come back to herself a little. She approached James and held out her paw. James touched her palm with his. “You are the Human called James,” Shima said. “I recognise you from the news casts.”

  “That’s right,” James agreed. “And I also recognise you from the broadcasts. You are Shima, The Blind Hunter.”

  Shima growled deep in her chest and the hair on James’ neck stood up. “Don’t call me that!” She looked back and found Kazim with his camera. “No one call me that!” She faced James again. “I am Shima. Just Shima, that’s all.”

  James laughed when every Shan but Shima disagreed either by voice or gesture. Shima snarled, and James took her hand for a companionable squeeze. “Ignore them, Shima. I have found it’s the best way to deal with this sort of thing.”

  Shima squeezed back, and then took James’ hand in both of hers. She pulled it closer for inspection. James had had similar experiences before, and didn’t react when she raised his hand close to her mouth. The first time had been startling, but now as she drew air into her mouth so that she could taste his scent with the glands at the back of her throat he just waited.

  “Huh,” Shima chuffed lowering his hand but not letting go. She manipulated his fingers noting, he was sure, the range of motion. “No claws,” she said looking at his blunt fingernails. She sounded disapproving and James smiled.

  “No tail either I’m afraid,” he said apologetically as he had done so many times before.

  “Yes, I knew that. I have tried to keep up with things. Are there more of you here? Can I meet Bren-daaaar and Jah-neeeece?”

  “Brenda and Janice,” he corrected and she flicked her ears in acknowledgement. “I’m certain you can. They’re both here at Kachina Twelve. My entire team is here. We were left behind when Canada jumped outsystem.”

  “Your ship, he survived?” Shima said sharply. “He has gone for help?”

  “We lost contact, but believe she has, yes.”

  “Huh, she is it?”

  James nodded.

  “Very sensible,” Shima opined and everyone laughed. She ignored them. “You were waiting for me?”

  James shrugged. “I was walking. I do that a lot to meet people and find out things. I heard you had arrived and wanted to see you, but I don’t want to delay your meeting with Chailen. We can talk later.”

  Shima released his hand. “You know my sib?”

  “Know of her, yes. She is well known here because of you.”

  Shima groaned and turned toward Kazim who raised a hand in apology. The other still held his camera as it recorded her first meeting with a Human.

  She turned back to James after a moment. “Would you have time to meet Chailen?” James nodded but then wondered if Shima knew what his gesture meant, but then she said, “Good. She would enjoy meeting you.”

  “And she won’t chastise you for your tardiness,” Kazim interjected, still filming. “Good plan.”

  Shima pointed one finger at Kazim, right between his eyes. She held the gesture in silence with her teeth bared. Kazim laughed but didn’t say anything more. James grinned at the familiar by-play. The broadcasts had prepared him, but in person, Shima and Kazim were even funnier.

  * * *

  25~Rescue

  Aboard ASN Canada, Shan System

  “Is this everyone? You’re sure?” Colgan said in a sick voice. Forty-three weary looking Shan stood before him. Forty-three from a crew of hundreds.

  “This is everyone,” Tei’Varyk said with slumped shoulders.

  Colgan waved his people forward to see to the wounded. He took his friend’s arm to ease him out of the way. He watched Tarjei being rushed to surgery. Others were given similar treatment leaving the walking wounded standing silently slumped and dejected in their defeat. Tei’Varyk watched his people leave until he was left with fifteen uninjured including himself.

  “Your people will be shown to a place to rest,” Colgan said.

  Tei’Varyk gestured to his people. “Go with the Humans. You will be cared for.”

  The Shan bowed once and followed Baz Riley to quarters, but it was obvious they were far from happy about it.

  “Come to my quarters, Tei. We need to decide what to do.” Colgan set off with his friend by his side. “You know Canada is the only ship left?”

  “Yes.”

  “You know that I can’t stop the Merkiaari?”

  “Yes.”

  They entered his quarters. “Take a seat. Or on the floor if you prefer.”

  Tei’Varyk threw a cushion from t
he chair onto the deck, and sat staring at nothing. Or perhaps he was seeing again the last transmission from his homeworld, as the Merkiaari landed looking to kill his people. Harmony’s orbital defence net had lasted no longer than the time it took to target the fortresses. The fighting at the landing zones had been ferocious, and was still being waged. The Shan had been unable to predict where they would land, so any kind of defence had to be mobile. Entrenching Shan warriors had simply been impossible. They had met the Merki without the benefit of fixed defences, and their losses had been simply staggering. Hundreds of thousands of Shan warriors and civilians had died within minutes, and the war had only just begun. Neither side would stop until one or the other was utterly destroyed. Missile installations had targeted the landers and knocked down some of them, but such victories were few.

  Far too few.

  Colgan sat cross-legged in front of his friend, and saw the despair there. The flattened ears, the claws working in and out of their sheaths, the restless tail tip. It was the posture of a defeated man—Shan.

  “I can’t take you home, Tei,” he said quietly.

  “Tarjei is dying.”

  Colgan drew a sharp breath. “Perhaps not my friend. Our medics have been studying with your healers. Doctor Ambrai is very good…”

  “No. I know when one of my people will die. Send me home to die with them, with her.”

  “I can’t, I won’t! You and your crew might be all that’s left of the Harmony of Shan soon. Think about that.”

  “I am thinking of it,” Tei’Varyk said with his eyes blazing. “Don’t you think I know the Murderers will do their evil work right this time? I do know it.”

  “Well then. It’s your duty to save what you can. This ship is a wreck, but it’s still jump capable. I can’t take you home Tei, the Merki would destroy me before I came close, but I can take you to my home.”

  Tei’Varyk’s ears were quivering, and almost flat to his skull. His eyes were white-rimmed. His fur was standing up making him seem larger. He was on the killing edge. Colgan went still, trying to appear harmless. After a few seconds, that to Colgan felt like hours, Tei’Varyk spat dryly and his ears struggled erect. Slowly his eyes returned to normal.