Merkiaari Wars: 01 - Hard Duty (29 page)

James raised a hand. “You won’t have to, Tei. Your fleet is yours to do with as you wish, but I hope ### ### will join it to ours to protect us all. We will help you build bigger and better ships; ships with FTL capability. Do you want this?”

“Very much,” Tei’Varyk said and the others agreed. “Very much, but we will not give up what we have without a fight.”

“Nor should you,” James said but Brenda did not look happy.

“Brenda does not agree?” Tarjei said picking up the Human’s scent. She was not in harmony.

“I agree you should not give up your weapons, but why ### we ### talk of war and hurting? Why not talk about nice things?”

“Such as?” Tarjei encouraged.

“### for instance.”

“What is
nanotech
?” Tei’Varyk asked sounding the Human word carefully.

“What is the average lifespan of your people, Tei?”

What did that have to do with anything? “Fifty orbits,” he said and wondered at the shock on the Humans’ faces. “Kajetan is very old. She is sixty one orbits, but that is very rare.”

Brenda nodded. “Through the use of ###, James and I ### live one hundred and fifty years, and ### even more. ### is ### ### ### improved all the time. A standard year is equal to one point three Harmony orbits, Tei. That means we should live, barring accidents, to the age of one hundred and ninety-five orbits.”

“
One hundred and ninety-five orbits!
” Tei’Varyk gasped. How was it possible? “You will give us this
nanotech
?”

“We will. All ### citizens receive ### treatments as children. I hope it can be adapted for your people.”

One hundred and ninety-five orbits with Tarjei. He had to make Kajetan agree. Tei’Varyk glanced at Tei’Unwin, and saw the same kinds of thoughts in the slant of his ears and twitching whiskers. Tei’Unwin went still and his ears twitched upright. It was time.

“You must speak to Kajetan,” Tei’Varyk said.

“Your elder?” James said.

“She is eldest,” he agreed. “You ### speak with her and make her see.”

“Don’t you think it ### be better if you—” James began.

“No,” Tarjei blurted in her agitation. “No. You ### do it,
James
. Tei’Varyk isn’t an elder.”

“Neither am I.”

“But you are alien. Varyk is one Tei among many; you are something other. She will hear you.”

James glanced at Brenda uneasily. “All right. When?”

“Now,” Tei’Varyk said instantly and was echoed by the others.

* * *

James was nervous as hell. Thank God Brenda was with him. He stood before the blank screen with Brenda on one side and Tei’Varyk on the other. The other Tei, Tei’Unwin, was standing with Tarjei in the background. They had wanted to be present and Tei’Varyk had thought it a good idea. The more the merrier as far as James was concerned.

“I don’t know what to say,” he whispered. “I wish Bindar was here.”

Brenda squeezed his hand reassuringly. “Just introduce us and be polite.”

“Oh
thank you
. I had that part figured out.”

“You’ll be fine,” Brenda said. “Just listen to what she says and wing it. She’s an elder, she must be a reasonable person.”

“Why?” James hissed as the screen flickered on.

Tei’Varyk stepped forward and bowed quickly. James stayed where he was hoping Kajetan and the other elders would not notice him. No such luck. He watched with a sinking feeling as Kajetan’s ears lay back in shock. The other elders stared with white-rimmed eyes at the first alien face they had ever seen. James hoped he and Brenda wouldn’t be the last.

“Honoured Kajetan, honoured elders, I have disobeyed you. I could not follow your orders.” Tei’Varyk bowed twice in apology. “I could not destroy our chance, perhaps our last chance to become what we are meant to be. The Humans offer us a way to make the Great Harmony greater than ever.”

There was silence from the elders. They were still in shock at Tei’Varyk’s betrayal. James thought now would be a good time to take charge and stepped forward. He tried to imitate Tei’Varyk’s bow, but then turned to him in confusion when the screen darkened.

“What has happened?”

“I don’t know,” Tei’Varyk said and spoke in rapid Shan to Tei’Unwin.

James could not follow what was said, but whatever it was had Tei’Unwin racing out the door in a scrabble of claws.

“I think we’re in trouble,” Brenda hissed and nodded at the stricken look on Tarjei’s face. “She’s afraid. Tei’Varyk disobeyed—” she broke off as the screen re-activated. “
James
…” she hissed.

“Tei’Varyk, attend,” Kajetan said imperiously. She was alone now and by the tone of her voice, she was not pleased.

Tei’Varyk bowed. “I hear, Eldest.”

“By what right do you choose what is best for our people?”

“By clan right and my authority as Tei, Eldest.”

Kajetan’s eyes blazed. “You
dare.
You dare use clan right for
this!
”

“I dare, Eldest. For this nothing else will suffice.”

James had no idea what clan right was, but by Kajetan’s reaction, he knew Tei’Varyk was on thin ice. He was about to introduce himself to take Kajetan’s attention away from Tei’Varyk, when she turned to him.

“Speak.”

James raised an eyebrow at that. Who was she to order him? Brenda shoved him forward, and he swallowed his protest. He stepped forward and performed his bow, but made it less than before. Kajetan would have to earn more from him. So far she had failed to do that.

“Eldest, I am called James Wilder. This is my mate, Brenda Lane,” he said and pause to allow Tei’Varyk to interpret. “We were sent here by the Alliance to contact you in hope of making new friends.”

Kajetan listened to Tei’Varyk’s translation with ears and whiskers twitching. “What is this
Alliance?
”

“The Alliance is comprised of two hundred and thirty-four Human populated worlds living in harmony,” James said not wincing at the exaggeration. “We are governed by the Council, which is like yet unlike a Council of elders. Our elders wish to extend the hand of friendship to all Shan.”

“Friends do not invade our space. Friends do not skulk about and spy.”

James winced at Kajetan’s vitriol. “We have learned to be cautious, Eldest. Two hundred years ago, my people met a race that tried to kill us all. You know them as the Murderers of Harmony. They are Murderers in truth. We call them Merkiaari.”

Kajetan hissed and spoke with Tei’Varyk. “You believe this—why?”

“I have spoken with James and Brenda for many cycles, Eldest. I have seen what they brought with them. They would offer us a place in their Alliance, but more than this, they offer FTL for our ships and something called nanotech. Eldest I… the Great Harmony can be built anew, built among the stars.”

“This is true?” Kajetan said.

James nodded. “I give you my word that what I say is true. I would not lie to you. FTL is one of many things we offer, and nanotech is available providing it can be adapted to work for you. I have been assured by people I trust, that it will simply be a matter of research and reprogramming. Biologically, our two peoples are fundamentally the same. I do not foresee a problem.”

Kajetan listened to the translation. “What is
nanotech?
”

Oh yes!

James felt like dancing with excitement. He had her, he was sure he had her. Kajetan was no longer belligerent; she was curious. Brenda seemed to agree, she was fidgeting as if she couldn’t keep her feet from dancing.

“Nanotech is a medical process designed to prevent illness and extend life,” he said simply when he realised Kajetan was still waiting for an answer.

“Extend life?” Kajetan said with her whiskers twitching. She glanced from James to Tei’Varyk and back. “How, and by how much?”

“I am fifty-two years old, Eldest. That is the same as sixty-eight orbits. I will live, barring accidents of course, for another hundred and twenty orbits… perhaps more if fate is kind.”

Kajetan hissed in shock. “You are an elder of your people?”

James smiled. “No, Eldest. I am young yet.”

Kajetan blinked at that. James was almost her age yet he was too young to be an elder. “What is your proposal?”

James closed his eyes in abject relief. “First, Eldest, I must ask that my ship be allowed to emerge and be given safe passage. Second, I ask that you and my Tei discuss the future of our two peoples face to face. Third…”

* * *

Aboard ASN Canada, in orbit of Harmony

Never had the launching of a drone had such ceremony surrounding it, Colgan mused. Next to him stood Tei’Varyk of
Chakra
, gazing with pride at the viewscreen where the six heavy cruisers, heavy
fangs
he should say, of
Canada’s
escort were displayed. Six heavies as escort should have filled him with pride that his ship was viewed with such respect, but all it did was intimidate him. He wished he had a carrier here, that would even things up right nicely.

Jump technology wasn’t everything, he had found. Good weapons and good sensors made up for a lot, and those ships had both in abundance. He had learned a great deal since detecting the probe Wilder launched to survey the agreed upon asteroid. The signal might have been agreed upon before hand, but it was still a tough decision to make. When he finally did come out of hiding, he was greeted by that little lot out there. Colgan remembered thinking he was a goner for sure, but then the lander suddenly appeared out of the shadow of the heavies, and Mark received a tight beam message…

“Hello Captain,” Wilder said. “I’ve brought some friends over, if that’s all right?”

“Friends?” Colgan said as his crew ran futilely to battle stations. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, sir. Tell the Chief the Box worked great.” Wilder grinned and pulled Professor Lane into view of the pickup. “Can we come in?”

That had been two weeks ago. Two weeks of discussions with the elders of the Shan—sometimes heated, sometimes not, but always ending amicably thank goodness. Today was the day to consummate the agreement hammered out by his team. It was far from what they had wanted to accomplish here, but they definitely had a foot in the door. All in all, Colgan felt he was ahead of the game. After all,
Canada
was still in one piece and so was he.

“Contact Kajetan please, Mark,” Colgan said.

“Aye, sir,” Lieutenant Ricks said and used the jury-rigged equipment donated by Tei’Varyk. “On screen, Skip.”

“I greet you, Kajetan… elders,” he said standing and bowing to the screen.

The elders were wearing headsets modified by Shan from the Chief’s originals. They listened to the translation and bowed to him in return.

“With your permission, we are ready to launch the drone,” Colgan said, careful to enunciate the words clearly for the bridge recorders and the translation package.

“I would speak to Tei’Varyk, Tei’Colgan,” Kajetan said.

“As you wish, Ma’am,” Colgan said and stepped to one side giving Tei’Varyk unrestricted access to his elders.

Tei’Varyk spoke rapidly in his own language. Colgan cupped his earpiece, and concentrated trying to ignore the gaps that Bindar had managed to reduce, but not eradicate.

“…I stand ready to verify the agreement we have with the
Humans
.”

“Good,” Kajetan said. “But that is not what we wish to discuss with you. I trust Tei’Colgan to do as we agreed; whether that means his people will also… we shall see. You have served well, Tei’Varyk. You have served our people better perhaps than we ourselves have.”

The elders standing with Kajetan mumbled their agreement.

“I thank you, but I did not follow your orders.”

“That is not known outside of this group,” Kajetan said sharply. “It will remain between us. However,
Chakra
is for Tei’Unwin.”

Tei’Varyk’s stood stiffly with his ears flattened tight to his head and his nostrils flared wide as if facing into a gale. He was hurt by the loss of his ship, as any Tei or captain would be. Colgan stepped forward to protest, but Kajetan surprised them all by waving her ears in amusement.

“Be not so distressed. Have I not said you have served well? We have two new tasks for you and any who will follow you from
Chakra
.”

“Tasks?” Tei’Varyk said hopefully.

“Yes tasks. The first is that you be the eyes and ears of the elders…”

That translated as ambassador, Colgan was pleased to hear. He liked Tei’Varyk. Their discussions regarding the cat and mouse game they had played over the last few months were interesting. Duty permitting, he looked forward to a great many more discussions on many subjects.

“The second task is to oversee the completion of
Naktlon
,” Kajetan said.

“A heavy fang for me?” Tei’Varyk gasped.

“Why so surprised? You would have moved on from
Chakra
in an orbit’s time, two at the most. Did you plan on leaving space and the fleet you love then?”