“Those look very, very familiar,” Kasumi said. The objects resolved into three classic flying saucer shapes. “Graz’to!” she exclaimed.
“Those ships may be Graz’to,” Morning Mist said, and her crest flicked. “But the life signs on those ships are not.” Her eyes moved as she started to scan the data. “Those ships are newer than the ones on Earth too.”
“Graz’to ships have reached the first probe,” Meadow Flower said, her voice rising with excitement. “Probe One has been captured.”
“Now … we wait,” Kasumi said. “David, get us out of here.”
“Resuming course to Zaski space,” David Eisenstadt responded crisply. He waited until they had been traveling for a couple hours before clearing his throat. “Why didn’t you wait for a response?” he asked.
“Would you want to remain in Polig-Grug space longer than you had to?” Kasumi replied. “Besides, I doubt we’ll get more than an acknowledgement, if that, for a season.”
David nodded. “About what I figured, but I wanted to hear it from you.” He nodded again. “There is an Earth saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” he said. “I always thought it was a very foolish saying.” He rolled his eyes. “Don’t you cover your eyes at me, young lady,” he said. “You may be captain of this ship, but that doesn’t mean I can’t spank you.”
Kasumi smiled. “I’m sure there is some Earth regulation that forbids the spanking of a ship’s captain,” she chittered. “But feel free to spank Morning Mist.”
“Oh good!” Morning Mist said.
“I’d say spank Mel too, but I think she can hurt you,” Kasumi said.
“I know she can hurt me,” Eisenstadt replied.
Meadow Flower smiled as the command room rang with laughter. She had seen this a number of times before—Kasumi and her core joking with each other after a stressful event. What a strong core, she thought in envious approval.
Meadow Flower’s own romantic forays had been less successful. She had been invited into a number of cores, but always as an associate. Most of the time, being an associate suited her temperament and the situation at the time, but there were times when she longed for the intimacy of a solid core. I wish I had someone to laugh with, she thought. She sighed and went back to work analyzing the Polig-Grug.
50
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Shadowed Heart, Emily, and Morning Stars Fade—sometimes referred to as “the Terrible Three”— watched intently as the Alsoo split into three phalanxes. “Keep those lines straight!” Shadowed Heart barked. “Eighth-Son … I mean, First-Son-Second-Born, you’re in the wrong phalanx,” he grumbled. “Spirits and ancestors, I don’t know if he’s in the wrong phalanx because he forgot or because I used the wrong name when assigning positions. And it’s most likely I used the wrong name.”
“So what’s stopping us from giving them better names?” Emily asked in reasonable tones.
“Getting them to use them,” Shadowed Heart replied.
“Good point,” Emily replied. “But I think I may have a way to convince them.”
“If you can convince them, I’ll … do something,” Shadowed Heart said doubtfully.
“Too easy,” Emily said to Morning Stars Fade. “Tell you what: if I come up with some names and convince them to use them, you can decide what my reward will be. Okay?” Emily said in teasing tones.
It was two days later when Emily outlined her plans. Shadowed Heart made a single addition, and they unveiled their plans during the next training session.
“Warriors, form phalanx!” ordered Shadowed Heart. The Alsoo warriors immediately formed into three double lines of six Alsoo per phalanx. The three extra Alsoo took position at the head of each phalanx. “Warriors, you’ve worked hard and learned much,” he said in approving tones. “But you are not yet centurions.” He nodded to Emily.
“Warriors,” Emily said, “when the split-tail Kasumi first came to Earth, she was alone, without friends, without family. She was like the Alsoo, expecting to die.” The Alsoo ruffled their feathers in response. “She was saved by the spirit speaker,” she said. “And the first thing the spirit speaker did was give her a new name.”
The Alsoo warbled in confusion.
Emily went on, “The spirit speaker says that when one who has been defeated wishes to rise again, to be tall again, they must first lose everything.” She swept her gaze across the assembled Alsoo warriors. “You have lost much, that is true, but you have not lost everything,” she said. “Warriors, if you wish to become centurions, you must give up what you have not yet lost. You must give up your names.”
“Lose/we names question,” Fifth-Son-Eighth-Born questioned. More often than not, he spoke for the Alsoo, and this time was no exception. “Know/we question.”
“We will give you new names,” Emily replied. “Better names. Centurion names.” She tapped her Torque and spoke quietly. An image appeared on the overhead monitor. It was of an Earth rattlesnake—a sidewinder rattlesnake. The image moved, demonstrating why it was called a sidewinder. The Alsoo all warbled. “We call you Snake Squad, and that is why.” Emily pointed to the image. “On Earth, snakes are great hunters. There are many snakes, but the sidewinder is one of the greatest. Snake Squad is no more. You are now Sidewinder Squad.” The Alsoo warbled and stamped their spears in approval. “Fifth-Son-Eighth-Born, come forward.”
The Alsoo slithered forward. The image on the screen changed to that of a Cobra with his hood flared. “Fifth-Son-Eighth-Born, you are now Cobra,” Shadowed Heart declared. He knelt in front of the Alsoo and pressed a device he held against the Alsoo’s chest. There was a hiss, and when he removed the device, there was an image of a sidewinder imprinted on the Alsoo’s chest. “Stand tall, Cobra of Sidewinder Squad!” He covered his eyes briefly.
“Second-Son-Third-Born,” Emily said. “Come forward.”
The image changed to that of a boa constrictor, a large animal held in its coils. The called Alsoo changed places with Cobra. “You are now Boa,” declared Shadowed Heart. He repeated the imprinting of the sidewinder image and the covering of his eyes. “Stand tall, Boa of Sidewinder Squad.”
Emily repeated the call for each member of Sidewinder Squad, and Shadowed Heart renamed them Mamba, Cotton Mouth, King Snake, Copperhead, and so on until every Alsoo was renamed and tattooed.
Morning Stars Fade stepped forward. “Sidewinder Squad, stand tall!” he called, and the newly named Alsoo warriors rose high on their tails. “You are no longer warriors. You are now and forever centurions.” He slapped his chest. “Truth/oath.”
“Truth/oath,” warbled the Alsoo proudly.
Like any military unit that ever existed, the soldiers of the Nieth needed a place to unwind free of commanding officers and the restrictions of rank. They had received permission to install and maintain what they called the Enlisted Man’s Club. Despite the name, officers were often there; not all the soldiers were men; and more than half were not even human.
For example, holding down a table on this evening were Hendriks and Cool Evening Breeze. Both held the rank of captain, but only one was either male or human. But it would have been a very foolish Rynn or human who would object to their being there. They both looked up curiously as the door to the club opened. They frowned as no one appeared to be in the doorway; then they looked down. A number of Alsoo clustered hesitantly in the doorway. Hendriks nodded in approval. “Someone find a free table and a pitcher of beer. We’ve got some thirsty soldiers.”
Cool Evening Breeze beckoned the Alsoo into the club. “I don’t think you boys ever drank Earth beer before.” She raised her own glass. “It tastes like piss, but it gets the job done.” She turned to Hendriks. “They can drink beer, can’t they?” she questioned in a quiet aside.
“According to Medical they can,” he grinned. “I asked. I wonder what a drunk Alsoo is like.”
An hour lat
er, they found out. It turned out that inebriated Alsoo were indistinguishable from inebriated soldiers anywhere. Some became friendly, some became taciturn, and a couple were seen weeping in a corner. Then one Alsoo climbed onto his table and started warbling. It didn’t take the Torque to realize that the Alsoo was singing.
It was a simple song, and it seemed to have dozens of verses, but all the verses were followed by the same refrain: “Cry/we die/we short time sing/we.” By the third or fourth verse, the humans and Rynn were joining in. When the song finally ended, the humans pounded their tables while the Rynn trilled their approval.
Finally, like all soldiers anywhere, the Alsoo finished their beers and staggered out of the club and back to their own quarters. Hendriks and Cool Evening Breeze watched as the last Alsoo weaved out the door. “Poor bastards,” Hendriks said quietly. “Poor, brave bastards.”
The following morning, Shadowed Heart, Morning Stars Fade, and Emily were faced with nearly two dozen Alsoo with hangovers. Morning Stars Fade shook his head. “They’re definitely soldiers,” he said in mock disgust. “Any excuse to get drunk.”
“Twenty laps around the gym,” barked Emily. With a warbling groan, the Alsoo started slithering around the perimeter of the gym. “Spirits, but I am so damn proud of them,” she said. “Look at them, hungover and dehydrated, and they showed up anyway.”
“Spirits and ancestors, don’t let them know that,” mock-cautioned Morning Stars Fade.
Between Emily, Morning Stars Fade, and Shadowed Heart, they coaxed, cursed, and goaded the Alsoo into sweating out most of the alcohol in their system. By the end of the first hour of training, the Alsoo were almost their normal selves.
“Centurions!” Emily called. “Line up and stand tall.” The Alsoo formed into their triple ranks. Emily walked over to a table where there was a number of cloth-covered objects. “Yesterday we named you, but that is only half of being a centurion.” She removed the cloth covering the objects. She lifted one up. It was dome-shaped with a wide metal flap on one side and a thin one on the other, and it was topped by a crest of stiff fur. “This is a helmet,” she said. She lifted another object. “And this is armor. Each of you will be provided with your own helmet and armor,” she said. “You will not share. You will not trade. You will keep both clean and polished.”
She pointed to one Alsoo. “Boa, advance and stand tall.” The Alsoo Boa side-winded closer. Emily placed the helmet over the head of the Alsoo and adjusted the chin strap. She did the same with the armor.
“Hot,” complained the Alsoo.
“Get used to it,” Emily said without sympathy. “It can and will save your life,” she stated. “The armor will protect you, and the helmet will allow you to talk to each other even in the cold dark,” she said, using the Alsoo term for space. “Now, everyone line up and get their own helmet and armor.”
They spent the next hour having the Alsoo practice putting on and taking off the helmet and armor, and then another hour learning how to use the simple controls in both. When they were confident the Alsoo understood the basics, they had them return to formation. “From now on, you will report to the gym in armor. You will not take off the armor until you return to your quarters. You will clean the armor before you eat, sleep, or do anything. Understood?” Emily asked.
The Alsoo waved their hands in acknowledgement.
“Good, now twenty laps,” she ordered. “Go.”
51
ZASKI
“Approaching Zaski space,” Morning Mist reported. “All sensors at maximum.”
“Thank you, Morning Mist,” Captain Kasumi replied. She chirped to her Torque, and her vision was overlaid with a representation of local space. “Not much here,” she commented.
“We’re pretty far down the galactic arm,” Morning Mist replied. “The stars are more spread out.”
“And I thought Earth was in the boonies,” David Eisenstadt said.
“Sensors are picking up an approaching ship,” Morning Mist said.
“Ship matches known Zaski craft,” Meadow Flower said almost immediately. “It’s one of their hunter/killer ships,” she said in identification.
“Perfect,” Kasumi purred. “Let’s show the Zaski what it’s like to be prey,” she said in hungry anticipation. “This is the captain. Battle stations! Battle stations! This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill.”
“Weapons ready,” came the report.
“Shields ready,” came the next report.
“Assault team ready,” came Shadowed Heart’s voice. “Sidewinders are ready when you want them, Captain.”
“Ape Squad and Bird Squad ready to back them up, Captain,” reported Captain Cool Evening Breeze.
Kasumi’s face blurred for a second, and then she was wearing her war paint. She looked around, and the rest of the bridge crew were also in war paint. “Hail them,” she ordered.
“They are responding, captain,” Meadow Flower replied. “And demanding we drop shields and allow a boarding party.”
“David, answer them,” Kasumi barked. “Loudly.”
Eisenstadt smiled. “Weapons, give them a warning shot, right through their engines.” He looked at the overhead monitor and watched as a graphic showed a missile track and the Zaski ship. He pumped his fist when the graphic showed a hit. “Good shooting, Weapons.”
“They are responding with their own barrage,” Meadow Flower reported crisply.
“Defense,” Eisenstadt barked. He stared at the monitor. The incoming missiles were angry red dots—dots that vanished one by one as the ship’s defenses eliminated each. “Weapons, they still can maneuver.”
“On it, Commander,” replied the weapons master.
“Boarding party, get ready,” Kasumi ordered.
“Yes, Captain,” Shadowed Heart replied. He turned to the assembled and armored Alsoo. “Sidewinders, helmets on,” he ordered. The Alsoo quickly donned their helmets. “Voice check.” Each Alsoo made sure that the communication system was active and functioning. Shadowed Heart tapped his Torque. “Sidewinders ready, Captain.”
“Ape Squad ready,” Captain Hendriks said a beat later, followed quickly by Cool Evening Breeze for Bird Squad.
“Load them up,” Kasumi said. “And spirits and ancestors watch over you.”
“Thank you, Captain,” Shadowed Heart replied. “You heard the captain, Sidewinders. Load up.”
“Spirits, but even I wouldn’t want to tangle with someone looking like that,” Hendriks said as the armored and helmeted Alsoo boarded the shuttle. The last Alsoo got on board and strapped himself in. “Okay, Ape Squad, load up.”
Hendriks observed the Alsoo out of the corner of his eye. Except for the occasional ruffling of their feathers, the Naga-forms seemed one and all outwardly calm and confident. He then glanced over to the trio everyone now referred to as the Terrible Three. This was the first time he’d had an opportunity to see the three of them together for any period of time. Emily, sitting between her two core brothers, was talking quietly to Morning Stars Fade, but Hendriks noted that she had one hand resting on Shadowed Heart’s shoulder.
“They’re a strong core,” Cool Evening Breeze chirped softly.
Hendriks chuckled. “And Rynn think humans are mind readers,” he said in amusement. He leaned closer to his core sister. “And don’t ruin it by telling me you were observing me observing them. Let me keep some illusions.” Cool Evening Breeze chittered.
Overhead lights started blinking. “Well, showtime,” Hendriks said and stood. “Okay, ladies, if you haven’t peed yet, you’re going to have to hold it until this mission is over.” Chuckles, chitters, and warbles greeted this sally. “ROE is as follows: quarter will be granted if and only if an enemy combatant removes itself from the conflict. In other words, if they run away, do not chase. If they drop their weapons, do not kill,” he said. “Since this is the first time w
e will be meeting the Zaski in force, if you are not sure if they are surrendering or not, assume not,” he said firmly. “Any questions?” His question was greeted with silence.
There was a jolt. Cool Evening Breeze stood and walked over to a hatch and opened it to reveal the metal hull of the Zaski ship. “Kind of rude of them to not allow us to dock,” she said cheerfully. “Oh well.” She pulled a pen-like device from her belt and ran it along the outline of the hatch. “Knock, knock!” She hit the hull with her fist, and the section of metal hull fell inward, accompanied by a puff of air. “Air pressure is higher than we’re used to,” she reported. “Sidewinders, you have point,” she barked.
“We have point,” replied Shadowed Heart. He stood, followed by Morning Stars Fade and Emily. “Sidewinders, advance and secure.” He stepped aside as his Alsoo centurions flowed through the makeshift hatchway.
Once through, the Alsoo formed into a triple phalanx of seven Alsoo per column. Shadowed Heart, Emily, and Morning Stars Fade followed and took up position at the back of each phalanx. Shadowed Heart looked around. “We seem to be inside some kind of cargo bay,” he reported over his Torque. “Centurions, advance at deliberate speed.” The triple phalanx started moving at a slow, steady pace.
“Hey, we can’t let Slytherin have all the fun,” Cool Evening Breeze chirped. “Bird Squad, forward,” she ordered and she and her squad went through the portal.
Hendriks waited until the last of Bird Squad exited the shuttle and got into formation before ordering his own squad forward. “Anything?” he asked via his Torque.
“Still quiet … oops, spoke too soon,” replied Cool Evening Breeze as a door opened at the far end of the bay and a number of creatures started entering quickly. “Zaski,” she said in unnecessary identification.
Redemption Song Page 38