She fluttered her mandibles in indecision as she considered whether she and her crew should get closer to the building, then surreptitiously she nodded toward the building and raised an eyebrow to her team. Her videographer shook his head in the negative.
She nodded and decided she would do the interview if they could get one with him from here.
When the Pod came down, she grimaced. They wouldn't get an interview. He was landing much too close to the building with the upper-caste fighters.
She looked at her videographer and whispered, "I hope you have a way to get the sound from here!"
Kael-ven had taken the short amount of time on their trip over to research what was going on here in the city.
Bethany Anne and her group had already placed multiple satellites around the planet, which provided more information than what was available even from the Yollin system. When this situation had blown up, they had even sent a small missile with nanites to get more information.
A request came from the front of the Pod. "Sir? We're being asked how close we wish to land to the building."
Kael-ven thought about it for a moment. "About a block and a half. That should be close enough to show that we don't fear them, and yet not so close that it incites them to shoot us right away."
He waited while the Pod landed. While it was under the control of one of the EIs, it required some input from those up front. As the ranking person on the ship, he had the ability to override the destination at any time by voice. However, most pilots didn't know this fact, and he had no desire to share it with them.
Upon landing, two of his security people stepped out and looked around before nodding for him to proceed. He hated this part. If he’d had his special armor from Bethany Anne he could've taken care of this by himself, but he had to be perceived as a political leader, not a military one.
That didn't mean that he didn't enjoy some special attention from Her Majesty.
Kael-ven stepped out of the Pod and looked down the street toward the five-story building which held the protesters. He ground his mandibles together in frustration as he noticed the blood and body parts littered in front of it. He whispered to his two security guards, "You two stay here. Snow, please remain here also, and keep these two out of mischief. I'm protected, and I don't want more deaths to happen due to these idiots."
Sej'hvek, the male on the left, asked him, "Are you sure, sir?" He nodded down the street. "It doesn't look very safe down there."
Snow growled at the male.
Kael-ven reached down to pet her. “It’s okay,” he said. “He’s not being disrespectful, just doing his job.”
He then put a hand on the male’s shoulder. "I'm sure. I doubt these idiots have anything with them that could harm me."
He stepped between his two security guards and continued walking down the street with the click-click, click-click of his feet sounding on the concrete.
Behind him, his two security guards looked at each other. "What protection does he have?"
Kael-ven made it to about fifty feet from the building before one of the windows opened and a voice called, "That's far enough! What do you want to say? You’re the leader of the rebellion that changed Yoll, so why would we want to waste our lives listening to you?"
Another voice called from inside the building, "Exactly. You were probably having sex with that Empress right before you came over here. Alien lover!"
Kael-ven ground his mandibles together. He wasn't concerned about the hits to his ego, but if John Grimes heard this stuff it might not only be these idiots who felt the pain when he finished around here.
He opened his arms while looking up at the window. “I’ve come here to warn you. I'm not here to try to change your minds. However…" he waved at the bodies, “you have killed others. If you wish to have a fair trial rather than being killed here today, you need to lay down your arms."
Kael-ven waited. It didn’t take long to get a response from those inside the building. A moment later the front door cracked open and four Yollins stepped out, looking up and down the street before moving closer to Kael-ven.
One wrinkled his nose as the smell of the dead wafted over them.
He pointed to himself. “We are the ones with the armor, we are the ones with the guns, we are the ones with the power! There is no way that we’re going to go down without a fight. We have been in charge of Yoll for a long time because we are more intelligent, because we are brighter, because we are smarter, and because that is how it is to be! The religious texts tell us that we are the chosen ones. ‘And the mighty shall vanquish the weak.'" He pointed to the street beyond Kael-ven. "And you can see the truth of that statement right behind you.” He sneered.
Kael-ven took a moment to turn around and he looked everywhere, even up at the pock-marks on buildings where guns had gouged divots.
He understood he was being videotaped and had to play this for the news for the rest of the planet. He turned back as he waved at the revolting scene behind him.
"This is not the truth of your religious beliefs! This is the truth that you intend to stay above everybody else, regardless of whether you are truly better than anybody. You," he pointed at the ones confronting him and then to three open windows in the building "just wish to continue the caste system because it makes you feel superior."
Kael-ven spat on the ground in front of them.
"You’re no more superior than me or anybody else. I have led teams through the stars. What have you done—sat on your asses and played games? Perhaps you had eloquent discussions at a playhouse? Our planet is going to move forward. It's going to be better, and idiots like you don't even deserve the opportunity to live on it. However, I'm here to tell you that the person that is coming down here—" he pointed to the pavement at his feet, "isn't going to offer you the opportunity to surrender once he arrives. He is no Queen’s Ranger worried about the law. He is a Queen’s Bitch. And if you haven't gotten the message—"
A sharp BAM echoed from the nearby building and Kael-ven was slammed backward to roll over and over in the street with his four legs seeking purchase before he finally stopped some thirty feet back.
Those people watching from alcoves and inside the safety of the buildings gasped in horror as they saw the result of the caste members’ shooting of Kael-ven.
Everyone, even the reporter, heard the shouts of joy coming from the building the upper-caste members were holed up in.
Slowly, however, those shouts of joy faded in shock when Kael-ven just shook his head and started to stand back up.
The videographer zoomed in on the anger and disgust on Kael-ven's face as he viewed those in the building and outside it. "I came here in peace. I came here to warn you.” He sneered at all of them. “It is time for you to pray to your gods." Kael-ven turned around and started walking slowly back to his Executive Pod, just daring those in the building to try shooting him again.
They took the bait.
Pehl-eck’s videographer was able to capture the multiple muzzle flashes. Kael-ven barely noticed them as sparks flared up some feet behind him.
By the time he got to the Pod, all his security people were inside. Kael-ven looked over his shoulder at the building, flipping the shooters off with a sneer on his face. "Jean Dukes armor, bitches!" He closed his hand and entered the Pod. Snow circled him, sniffing at his feet and legs, then stopped in front of him and barked twice.
“I’m sore, but not damaged,” Kael-ven reassured the pup, “and that’s why you needed to stay in the Pod. Once you have your own armor, things will be different.”
Snow yipped her agreement and went to lay by Kael-ven’s flight couch, picturing herself in shiny armor, tearing up people stupid enough to shoot her partner.
Pehl-eck watched as the Pod rose into the air, easily shrugging off the shots fired at it.
As it flew away, Pehl-eck felt that a hammer of doom was going to arrive.
She started scanning the sky with concern on her face.
The rumors of the Queen’s Bitches had already made the rounds with the newscasters.
She looked at her videographer. "We should probably move back another block or two, don't you think?”
6
Commercial Gate 221, Yollin Space, Third Outer Ring
"Ixtali Trade Legation Representative Ixtelina, your ship has been approved to move from Commercial Gate 221 on Outer Ring Three to Outer Ring One. You will hold at that location until you have been approved to approach the QBBS Meredith Reynolds. Please be aware that if you attempt to approach the space station without approval, you will be fired upon. There will be no second opportunities. Do you acknowledge this information?"
Ixtelina blinked her four eyes in surprise. Her species had worked to acquire information on well over 272 different spacefaring communities, and some of those had been quite militaristic. Usually you did not receive a warning quite so specific.
"This is Ixtali Trade Legate Ixtelina. Can you confirm that if we should pass through Outer Ring Number One without permission we will be fired upon?"
Both Ixgurl and Ixgalan turned to look at their leader, their four mandibles moving in and out from their mouth in surprise.
Ixtelina waived her right arm toward Ixgalan, who turned around and started jotting down the information. It seemed it wouldn't take too long before they would be able to report a few of the nuances of working with these humans to their corporate office.
Ring Three Traffic Control immediately answered her query. “Yes. Should you move past Outer Ring One, the humans will reduce your ship to so many pieces. This has occurred three times in the last thirteen-point..." there was a slight pause, "two-five days. We presently have a bet going as to whether anyone else will be stupid enough to make it number four. By all means, please ignore this warning, as I have over five hundred credits riding on someone ignoring this warning again, within the next forty-eight hours. Have a nice day." There was a slight pause. “Ring Three Traffic Control over.”
“Understood, Ring Traffic Control. Ixtali ship recognizes the warning, and we are now named Ship Number,” she leaned forward to get a view of Ixgurl’s screen, “Two Zero Nine.” Ixtelina motioned for Ixgurl to continue moving the Ixtali commercial ship toward the human base.
She noticed he was extremely focused on the incoming information designating where to stop the ship.
One way or another, Ixtelina was sure this was going to provide much information on the new spacefaring species. They should be able to sell this information for a large sum.
Her small spy ship was going to become very rich.
Her species had precious few things to trade. One was an incredibly rare harmonic gem they mined on their home world. It was hard to mine, and was used for a few very advanced machines that allowed space travel over large distances. Any sufficiently advanced race craved the option to trade for them.
The other was information they acquired during these trade operations.
They made an obscene amount of money trading in these rare gems.
And an even more obscene amount from the information they sold to partners, friends, and enemies. Since they were a neutral third party, very few species tried to attack them.
During the last generation, they had been attacked twice. The mercenaries they had hired to fight on their behalf had cost them almost four years’ profit.
Both the hostile species had sued for peace.
When Ixgurl was assured that his commands to the space ship’s autopilot were logged appropriately and he had confirmation back from Outer Ring Number One that they were in sync with geospatial tracking, he turned to the mission’s primary. "What do you think, Captain?" He pointed toward the small speck in the far distance that represented the human’s space station on the forward screen. “What is your thought on their ‘shoot first, ask no questions’ policy?”
Ixtelina rested her elbow on her third leg, then opened her two large fingers and placed her chin in them to give Ixgurl's question some thought. "According to the information we have on Yoll, the humans are not overly antagonistic from a military perspective. Based on this plus a few other bits of information, my opinion is that they are in a highly defense posture."
This time the question came from Ixgalan, her physical spy support specialist. "What do you think they will do if they catch us spying on them?"
Ixtelina straightened in her chair and weighed his question. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” she finally answered. “We will probably be either very rich from this effort,” she admitted, then continued her thought…
“Or very dead.”
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Tactical Operations, Traffic Control
Bethany Anne was speaking with Lance when one of the local controllers turned around in his seat and cleared his throat.
Both Bethany Anne and Lance turned to look at the man, Bethany Anne raising an eyebrow. “Yes?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, sir. We have a ship inbound that is on the watchlist."
Bethany Anne turned to her father, this time raising both eyebrows in surprise. “We have a watchlist?"
Lance hadn't turned back to his daughter, but rather asked the specialist a question of his own. “Are we speaking of the specific ship or the species watchlist?”
The specialist answered quickly, “Species, sir. It is an Ixtali ship.”
"I understand. I will give you an answer in a moment," he turned to Bethany Anne. “The Ixtalis—” he started, but Bethany Anne put up a finger to stop him mid-sentence.
It seemed TOM was giving her an update—probably a better one than he could—so he waited. Probably wouldn’t take too long.
Tell me more about these aliens, TOM.
The Ixtalis are an interesting species. During my time, and from updates I have reviewed since I have been able to acquire more recent data, they are a cross between your country’s CIA and a commercial venture.
So they spy for money—is that about it?
Yes, that sums it up nicely.
Why would anyone allow them on their base?
They always market small numbers of their precious H’Laxrick gems. These gems provide unique properties for significant-distance space travel, similar in concept to a Kurtherian Engine to bend space and move the ship vast distances.
Bethany Anne thought about this for a moment. So finding out how many they are willing to sell should give me an idea of what they think information about us is worth? Ok, I got this…I think.
ADAM?
>>Yes, my Empress?<<
Bethany Anne wanted to roll her eyes, Okay, who the hell gave you the idea you should be calling me ‘my Empress’?
>>I was just trying it on for size. Since you have confirmed that I am truly sentient, I am trying to figure out where I fit in the Etherian society.<<
Bethany Anne wasn’t sure if ADAM was being totally forthcoming.
You are fortunate that I can’t kick your ass in martial arts practice—that's where you fit in. However, if you annoy me too much I'll figure out how I can suitably chastise you one way or another. I have been “Bethany Anne” to you from the beginning, I am “Bethany Anne” right now, and I will be “Bethany Anne” in the future. Use your incredible intellect to understand the appropriate times to call me your empress, like in the presence of others. When it is just the three of us in the middle of my own damn head, I don't need titles. Am I clear?
>>Very clear, Bethany Anne.<<
Good. Now, how good are our defenses against Ixtali spy efforts?
>>My best calculation depending on whether we allow them to dock. If we permit them to connect to the QBBS Meredith Reynolds, we have a fifty-fifty chance of defending ourselves. I have limited knowledge of their capabilities, and have never tried to prevent hackin
g by a species that has raised that skill to an artform. Well, except humans, of course. However, if we have them come in on one of our Executive Pods, I believe our ability to protect ourselves is closer to ninety-four-point-seven percent.<<
Bethany Anne chewed on this information for a fraction of a second. What increases the likelihood of success so much?
>>Jean and her R&D Team. TOM and I have been working with Team BMW to create unique transfer units which allow us to attack non-organic tools and machines.<<
How can you attack nonorganic machines? Couldn't they just have a shield around their bodies to protect something on them? And what about a machine inside their bodies?
We have increased the capabilities of the organic analysis probe from the Pod-doc on TOM’s ship. Since it was designed to be used on multiple alien species including new ones it is incredibly accurate, but it won’t be harmful to the bodies under review. Using the enhanced Pod-doc technology plus new technology integrated from Yoll in the last few weeks, we have placed sensors inside three Executive Pods. They are EI-controlled, and allow us to reliably confirm the status of any organics and non-organics we allow to transfer to the QBBS Meredith Reynolds.
This conversation had taken nearly half a second in real time, and Bethany Anne returned her focus to her father. "It seems we have a small ship of spies—business spies at that—seeking to come aboard. I'm told by ADAM that the teams have prepared special Executive Pods which would allow them to locate and minimize the impact of any devices they have on their bodies. What do you think about this?"
"Percentage of defense success?"
"Ninety-four-point-seven percent success expectation,” she replied.
"I assume this high expectation of success has a reason?" he countered.
Bethany Anne shrugged. “This particular group, at least from what I’ve just been told, isn’t militaristic. They wish to glean information about us and sell it on the open market. Since we are the new game in town, this information is probably going to go for a lot of money. However, they have some of the best spy technology in the business. Should we allow their ship to dock, I'm told our chances of defending ourselves drop significantly—all the way down to fifty-fifty. I don’t like fifty-fifty odds."
Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Set Three: Books 15-21, Never Submit, Never Surrender, Forever Defend, Might Makes Right, Ahead Full, Capture Death, Life Goes On (Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Sets Book 3) Page 28