Koban (25 page)

“Sir, am I to follow you, or to return to the Bridge?”

It turned back. “Telour asked where the human clan leader is,
but did not order you follow me. What is the Bridge?”

“The Bridge is the human name for where the ship is commanded,
and where Telour was located when I left there to find food.”

“I will know what the Bridge is now.” He seemed about to leave
again, when Mirikami decided to test Telour’s instructions.

“Sir, may we humans know your name and your clan’s great name?
We wish to learn about your history, your battles, and victories. Telour said we
could ask you.”

There was a slight straightening of his legs, if in pride or
offense, the humans couldn’t say. He answered readily enough, but sounded defensive.
“I am Dorkda, of the Maldo clan. My clan is young, only but a finger taken from
the Great Dorbo clan, our ally. The Dorbo found Koban. My clan history is less,
but it grows and we made the first camp on Koban. We will return and claim our land
when the Path allows.”

A new clan,
though Mirikami.  He was apparently sensitive
about their short history. Perhaps a bit of fawning can keep him talking.

“We are honored to learn of your clan, and of what you can tell
us. If we learn enough of the Krall and your Great Path, we humans may understand
how you came to be so powerful, how you spread through the galaxy.”
Was that
butter enough he wondered?

Repeating the slight stiffening of his squat bowed legs, he boasted,
“When Maldo clan completes the next leap on the Great Path, if it is hundred or
thousand birth cycles, we are promised honor of first clan to return to Koban. We
will meet it again and win, using only talons, teeth, and our new speed.” He was
certainly staying true to the Krall stereotype seen so far.

Dillon, keying on the prideful remarks about Koban, sought to
get him to say more. “We have learned that Koban will be the home of your race someday.
What is wrong that you will leave it for so long?”

That produced an unexpected and nearly fatal reaction. For a
moment Dillon thought he was about to die. Dorkda flashed black rimmed red eyes
at him hatefully, arms reaching out with talons fully extended. Even the warrior
behind him stooped into a lower crouch, talons extended.

However, his eyes locked on the tattoo below Dillon’s throat.
He slowly lowered his arms and retracted the talons, but still glared with laser
intensity. The words that followed proved his anger hadn’t really been aimed at
the human.

“You are less than a novice and know nothing. I will see Koban
kill you as it killed my cubs, my mates, and many in our finger clan. We leave because
we are not ready for the world we want. If we take that world with weapons, and
make it softer, this is not a victory. We will follow the Path longer. Then we will
meet the animals there as they are. We will be faster when we return.”

He relaxed more as he spoke, and so did the warrior, who not
understanding what was said had merely responded to Dorkda’s actions.

Dillon, sure he had come extremely close to not living to hear
that reply, took a deep breath. “Thank you for explaining.”

The Krall abruptly spun around, and rapidly strode around the
corner of the alcove, leaving them all frozen in place for a moment. The warrior
Krall departed at a more leisurely pace, taking a final look back at them as he
rounded the same corner.

Waiting a few more seconds, Dillon heard Noreen ask aloud, “I
wonder if both Krall left us alone?”

When she nodded her head yes, they all relaxed again.

“Damn, Dillon,” Maggi remarked, “you sure know how to charm
them. Let’s not ask that one about his Koban experiences again. I thought he was
going to tear you a new asshole and make you eat the old one.” The remark
garnered a few chuckles, but it had been a close brush with death.

“We’ll have to be careful how we ask the other translator about
the place. Tet, did Telour seem that touchy when he talked about leaving Koban?”

“No, he seemed positive they would live there at some future
date. I think he said many of our years, and many of their breeding cycles. That
sounds like Krall generations, but we don’t know how long in our years a generation
is for them. He sounded calm and assured that they would return, and not at all
angry at pulling out for so long.”

“I’ll seek out the third translator myself,” Maggi promised.
“I’ll ease into the subject of Koban. Dorkda and his clan evidently tried to live
on Koban and got their heads handed to them by something native there. He said animals,
but they call us that too, so I wonder if it’s intelligent life? Whatever it is,
it’s tougher than they are. No wonder they don’t expect us to escape their walled
camp.” She shrugged.

“Tet, do you have anything more to tell Dillon or me? I certainly
don’t for you or Noreen.”

“Not right now Maggi. I think we need to spend a couple of days
gathering all the intelligence we can, and compile a list of what we learn. I’ll
participate in that open meeting you planned for today, and when you decide on a
service for our dead, I’ll ask the crew to join you.

“Oh! Wait,” He added. “I do have something for you.” He’d let
this slip from his mind for a moment.

“Jake, create a recording of me and Telour talking on the Bridge
earlier today in the classical music audio section, labeled as ‘History Chat.’ “

“Yes Sir.”

“All of you listen to that and pull out any detail I forgot to
mention. Before you share that recording with anyone, edit out the deal Telour is
trying to make with me. I don’t want that dangerous information shared with everyone
on board, and I don’t want other deals secretly made if they know one might be possible.
We all have word to spread and questions to formulate, so I think we need to get
started.”

They each assented, and parted ways, except not completely parted
however. Mirikami waited for a lift to go down to talk to the rest of his crew.
He noticed that Noreen had Dillon by the arm, saying something he couldn’t quite
hear.

When his lift door closed, he wondered why they were going up.
The Bridge or small galley would be uncomfortably near Telour. Then he realized
Noreen’s quarters were the only reasonable destination. He hoped they didn’t forget
entirely what they were supposed to be doing.

Dillon knew their situation called for rational thought and actions
that might help them find a way out of their predicament. However, a few minutes
ago he had faced and survived a near brush with gruesome death. The effects of adrenaline
still coursed through his body, and he felt more alive than he ever had.

Noreen linked her arm through his and leaned to whisper in his
ear, “Want to play the Stud and the Princess game? I never got that long heavenly
ride you promised.” Rationality was definitely no longer on his immediate agenda.

He flashed a lopsided boyish grin, and squeezed her hand, wondering
how messy he had left his cabin when he had dressed in a hurry. He saw her press
the lift’s “UP” call button. It would be her place then.

The door to her cabin had hardly closed when she was seeking
the fasteners on his conservative gray two-piece body suit. He’d selected a sexually
neutral suit that morning, expecting a much different sort of day. He expertly spotted
her own uniform fasteners and had them well started before she had his top’s releases
located.

Her upper uniform peeled away smoothly from her golden skin,
revealing that the Smart Fabric wasn’t needed to support her beautifully proportioned
breasts. He cupped the right one with his left hand as she pulled off his other
sleeve. He placed a thumb on the large dark areola, moving it in a small orbit.

His detachable suit top fell away, and she looked up at him with
a hot sultry look, a more serious than playful expression on her face. They paused
in their undressing ritual for a time, to press their torsos together, her breasts
pressed against his hard chest, kissing with fervent hunger.

Noreen loosened the waist front of his pants and slid her hand
down. His gasp was gratifying, and she returned it with her own moan of delight
as his thumb was replaced by his tongue. They separated enough to peel and step
out of their remaining clothes, but skipped the fantasy game Noreen had suggested.
At least for the first two times they made love.

It was nearly two hours before they had a moment for words other
than passion or role-playing. A slight sheen of perspiration was all that clothed
their bodies when they rested for time. Limbs entwined, they talked at first of
trivial things, places they each had visited. Inevitably, reality tried to force
its way back into their world.

“We have to start on our part of collecting information,” She
sighed. “And it’s time to listen to that audio.”

Reaching down to stroke her lightly he suggested, “Listen to
this idea first.” Then shared a little fantasy with her he thought she might enjoy.
In reply, Noreen rolled to straddle him with a devilish smile. Apparently, there
was time for another relapse from the real world.

A vigorous bit of exercise later and sated for the moment, Noreen
tossed her head up, flinging her long hair away from Dillon so that it fell down
her back. She dismounted her “slave boy” in their little fantasy, and she permitted
him to roll her onto her side, his front to her back. He continued to make idle
touches and caresses, lightly kissing her shoulders and neck through her long black
tresses. This continued to stimulate her gently, though his hardness was gradually
relaxing against her backside.

That was extremely nice, but she wanted to share with him how
she had felt earlier, why she had needed him so urgently.

“Dillon, I was terrified when that damn
thing
nearly decided
to kill you, for simply asking a question it found offensive to its murderous sensibilities.
I can’t explain it, but after it was over I wanted to be with you more than just
for the fun romp we had originally planned, and I wanted you right away.

“I was frightened for you and also for myself, and I needed more
than casual social sex. Had you said you were too busy right now I’d have invoked
my Lady’s Rights, ordering you to perform.” She laughed at the old joke. Laws had
emancipated males from obligatory reproductive sex a generation ago.

Dillon chuckled as well. “I was just as needy. I think it’s a
human quality that when confronted with your mortality, the reproductive drive takes
over your mind and body. I might have been the first male accused of rape in three
hundred years.”

“No danger there, my Gentle Sir. I was in no mood play the prim
Lady. I was wet and ready to get naked with you in that alcove, bent over a table
if you wanted. Hmm…, I believe I may experience that rape you mentioned.” She had
noticed his erection had ceased its decline, and was clearly rebuilding its former
splendor.

It was another thirty minutes before their consciences allowed
that nagging sense of duty to intrude for good. Dillon pulled out, kissing her softly.
“We had better shower and dress, before Maggi or the Captain sends Telour to remind
us of what we are really supposed to be doing.”

“I suppose you’re right. We had better shower separately or we
won’t get out and dried without another pleasant delay. You go first and I’ll see
if I can find where we may have kicked our clothes when we were on the floor.”

Thankfully, Smart Fabric didn’t wrinkle or even stain, since
they had lain on Dillon’s suit at least once. A damp cloth was all that was needed
on the rapid dry material.

Noreen showered as Dillon dressed. While waiting for her he used
a desk com set to locate the audio recording Jake had saved for them. When she had
dried and stepped out nude, golden sleek and lovely, she chose a gray utility uniform
from her closet. She dressed rapidly; noting Dillon’s appreciative eyes on her every
movement.

“Noreen, you can listen to this through your transducer, but
I’ll either have to use the handset or play it on speaker. What if a Krall checks
on this cabin while it plays?”

“The Captain doesn’t think Telour cares if we learn more about
them, but Jake made that recording without his being aware. You use the one handset,
and I’ll have Jake synchronize it with my transducer.

“We do need a better way for you and Maggi to get information
from Jake or from us. We have the means to replace malfunctioning transducers, at
least some, but I don’t know how many replacements we carry.”

Picking out a possible question directed to him, Jake provided
information on queue. “Mam, there are six spare transducers in stores.”

She smiled. “Thank you Jake. I understand we have six spares.”
The last was spoken for Dillon’s benefit.

“I’ll bring this up with the Captain later today. It may not
matter on Koban, if we can’t maintain contact with the ship, or keep it powered.”

Then they started the dual play back, Dillon on the handset,
she by transducer, each paying careful attention.

****

By early evening, several of the braver passengers and crewmembers
had accumulated several hours of rambling information from questioning the three
translators, and even some information passed via a translator from a low ranking
warrior. Once a story started, it usually went on at length, and when it wound down,
a fresh question or awestruck comment easily initiated another in a different direction.
Jake recorded it all.

For a species bent on conquering every other civilization in
the galaxy, the Krall were astoundingly open as they bragged incessantly of their
individual killing exploits, clan accomplishments, and racial triumphs. This seemed
to be a universal trait displayed by every Krall, based on an absolute confidence
that they could not be defeated.

It also helped that they held a low opinion of the technological
threat offered by humans, and had been unimpressed by individual human performance
against single warriors.