Libor: Katana Krieger #2

by Bill Robinson

  "Admiral, we're always going to have communication problems with them, and we can never infiltrate them the way they are able to use humans to spy on us."

  The Admiral makes a slight nod. I stop. He starts.

  "If we war with them?"

  I have an answer that's both easy and hard.

  "We win, but it's not pretty, sir. We might have to nuke all three of their worlds. That is, unless they've got million ton dreadnaughts hiding in their systems somewhere, and a dozen more planets full of Libor."

  "What do we know about the causes of the war between Life and Death?"

  "Nothing, sir."

  What do we know about the third clan?"

  "Nothing, sir. We don't even know for sure if there is a third, or that there isn't a fourth."

  "Thank you, Captain."

  He said the last just after the engines spooled back and another pre-recorded banjo cat message came on, certainly telling us to buckle up and we're beginning our decent into wherever it is we're going. I don't get to find out what he thinks.

  The landing pattern is straight in over the city, the runway ending at the ocean beyond. All the buildings we pass over are the same brick and glass things we saw on Libor Prime, nothing over about five stories tall, except one park like area with a mammoth stone building square in the center. Green, but well maintained, with a little creek running through it as well. Either a church or their government building would be my guess. I have to look across the Admiral's seat so I don't get as good a view as I could.

  We grab our stuff then wander down the airstairs and back out into the heat and humidity, the tarmac with a recently rained on look about it. Another of those buses come by and we pile in, Schroeder keeping his distance this time. I get one of the Admiral's Captains, and he doesn't seem to be in the mood to chat.

  Every airfield we've seen is pretty much identical, a single large building surrounded by conventional looking hangars and warehouses, and either a double runway on one side, or two sets of perpendicular runways around two sides. Maybe it's the fact that the aliens all look alike that makes them make everything else look alike.

  They lead us across the hot pavement to a waiting bus, nicely painted a bright shiny black, windows tinted so that no one can see in. For the first time, it makes me wonder if the average Libor is as creeped out by how we look as we are by them. "How can they see with only two eyes?"

  The seats inside a nice leather, though I'm not asking what animal they're from, the air conditioning is turned on high, and the Admiral's Captain sits down next to me again so I am safe from Schoeder one more time. All good.

  Nothing to see as we exit the base, looks like one I ran out of in the middle of the night. The streets are full of walking aliens, all chocolate furred. You can almost imagine the streets of Quebec City on Canada 2, bustling with business people and politicians off to do their dastardly worst.

  The vehicles are smaller than what we'd see, almost all tiny two seaters, but not of the sports car variety, just boring transportation in white, green, red, or black. Boring buildings, brick and glass and steel boxes, boring cars, boring boring. I'm one of the first people to set foot on an alien world, and I'm bored. Better I suppose than being almost dead like I was not too long ago.

  I do take my pad out and take a bunch of pictures, as is just about everybody on the bus except the Admiral. I stop after the first 10 and message them to Shelby, then go back to shooting more.

  We make two turns and end up on a wide parkway, heading quite obviously for the large stone building we saw from the air.

  In the sky, I thought it was a building made of stones. It's not. It's as if they took a boulder the size of Boulder and hollowed it out. There's a chance it's a fake, but I'm betting not. It is one 100 foot by 100 foot by 40 foot high rock. I stop and snap a bunch of photos now, not at all bored, and send them skyward.

  Then I set my pad on audio record and attach it to a cloth hook on my uniform at my waist. I'll get interior shots from somebody else.

  The pathway in is dirt. I reach down and take off my uniform mocs, my butt telling me that it's dirt for a reason. We pad along with our hosts, all quiet, until we reach the small creek which has no bridge. The Libor simply walk down into it and I follow. Left foot, right foot, then onto rock on the far side. I thought this might be a church when I saw it, and I am more certain now. We walked on the soil, then cleaned our feet before entering.

  The Captains jump across, the Admiral and Schroeder do two jumps, each getting only their right feet wet, still encased in their flight shoes.

  We enter the rock through a roughly cut out entry about 15 foot by 15 foot, but not at all square. My guess is they did this by hand.

  The passageway is 20 feet long, and though I know we're in the middle of a city, I can feel the weight of the stone around me, and get that feeling of walking into a deep cave. My feet like the cool, rough stone they're walking across.

  "Walt" and his companion are ahead of me, I'm walking alone, the Admiral and his Captains three abreast behind me, followed by the four armed Libor and Schroeder behind it all.

  We step out into a single open space, one giant room cut from the rock. It's dark in the space, torches burning around the walls, their light flickering off of dark rock, I expect medieval Vikings slugging down ale and planning their visit to Valhalla.

  Instead I get a couple hundred mocha furred aliens sitting quietly on the floor, all facing seven Libor seated on boulders on a stage of sorts which is simply a rock ledge growing four feet high from the floor. Walt leads us down a well worn path roughly in the center of the room until we are between the watchers and watched. He signals for us to stop, and we create a line, the Admiral in the center, his Captains to his left, me and Walt to the right.

  The Libor in front of us are large, larger than any of the others we've seen, muscular, workout warriors. Maybe special forces types, they have the look. Each is wearing a three inch wide black cloth diagonally across their chest, with a dagger in the center of it, attached along the same diagonal in a sheath with a single white jewel in the center. Each of the hilts seems different.

  The Admiral and I are eyeing each other when the Libor make the decision for us. There is movement to the right of the stage, and a human stands from behind the stage. He's tall and thin, bald, wearing a civilian flight suit with a company logo on the front that I don't recognize. He walks over and takes position next to the alien in the middle and hands him what I recognize is an alien version of our pads. Same thing I stole from Libor Prime.

  There's a boulder, maybe a foot high, at the front edge of the stage, and the human is staring at it. I'll bet there's a screen embedded in the other side. I wouldn't be surprised if technology was something of a taboo in this room, and the use of the pad and screen is not something to be advertised. The middle Libor hands to tablet to the alien on his right.

  The middle Libor makes a few hand gestures, the human steps out at an angle so that everyone in the room can see him, then starts in. He makes more hand gestures as he speaks.

  "I am Wyatt Tensi, captain of CSS Isis. We were rescued by the Death clan from the Life clan who had captured our ship in Gamma Upsilon. I am in their debt and I serve them now."

  How many traitors to our species are there? Schroeder's commanding officer.

  "These seven Clan Guardians rule this planet and all of their race everywhere, even those currently in revolt against their rightful rule. This is the original home of all Children of the Eternal Giver. The Seven welcome you and hope to become allies. This," he points to the Libor next to him, "is Alexander the 92nd. That is not his real name, but he asked me to give him the name of a great human warrior to enable communication. He is the 92nd descendent in an unbroken line from the beginning. From here on, I will simply translate what he asks, without adding my commentary."

  He stops talking, looks at Alexander who makes more gestures while speaking banjo cat before Tensi points at me and speaks again. Defin
itely some kind of sign language.

  "You are the captain who destroyed many ships captured by the Life clan in human space?"

  I look Alexander in the eyes, and give him my best captain's voice.

  "I am."

  Tensi gestures. His boss signs furiously in return. Tensi speaks and signs.

  "I am told that the gentleman to your left is your superior. He has defeated you?"

  My butt gets it now. I keep up the captainly voice.

  "No. My people reward victories against others, not against our own."

  The leader watches, then pauses to think before responding. Does he think that makes us weak?

  "He has more victories than you?"

  I answer without thinking.

  "Not for long."

  Tensi laughs, then signs.

  If there's a Libor laugh, I just got it. There's a literal buzzing along the stage, and Alexander's body language totally changes, as does the posture of the other six. They were leaning back on their boulders, now they lean forward, hands on their thighs, thumb outside, fingers inside. I can feel the atmosphere in the room change.

  "How many of our kind have you killed eyes to eyes?"

  I have to think about that one. I'm not sure whether it's better to lie or not, but my butt is sure. Truth. More or less. I don't notch my six shooter.

  "Two on board a ship, two more on the ground of the other planet."

  Alexander stops Tensi, stands, loudly sings out some banjo cat across the room. There is commotion. Either I'm really good to go, or I'm going to be drawn and quartered before I can get out of here. Alexander sits and returns to signing.

  "And more with your ship?"

  "Aye." Good thing they have a sailor doing the translation.

  There is a long pause. Not good, especially because the Admiral is uncomfortable next to me. I can read human body language and facial expressions, and he might be doing the drawing and quartering.

  "Who else among you have killed eyes to eyes?"

  "Only one more, my bodyguard, he is aboard my ship."

  Maybe Yeager and I will both have to be sacrificed to achieve a treaty. I think the Admiral might go for it.

  There is suddenly conversation among Alexander and the Libor to his right. Heated conversation. It's angry swarm of bees banjo cat.

  Then there is silence.

  Alexander signs once more, his right hand alien puts the tablet down.

  "It is decided."

  Okay. Something is decided. Not sure whether I want to know or not.

  Alexander rises, and once again loudly addresses the crowd. They speak quickly, but there is enough space between every sequence that it takes them just as long as us to say a lot. This is seven or eight sound bursts over 30 seconds or so.

  It seems like the room agrees. Alexander signals Tensi.

  "You will eat with us."

  That's what they decided? We're going to dinner? Better than being dinner I suppose, but still.

  "Agreed."

  The Clan Guardians rise, and every Libor in the place follows suit. The Guardians keep standing, motionless, while the room clears. Tensi walks off the stage and indicates spots on the floor where he'd like each of us to sit.

  "You have to be seated before they'll leave the stage," he explains, "It's a non-threatening position."

  We comply. I sit with my back to the stage, the Admiral directly across, his Captains on my starboard and Walt to port. We're at points 10 feet apart around a large circle. I take my pack off and put it by my side.

  From around a hidden door in the back of the place, more Libor appear carrying serving dishes. They place two large platters to my right, one with hot dishes (covered so I can't see what's in them), and one with loaves of dark brown bread and three kinds of berries. The same thing happens to each of my colleagues.

  They leave briefly, returning with portable screens which they place on the ground at each eating station, along with a couple of the alien tablet devices, cups, and pitchers of water. Then they go. Tensi comes and sits on my left hand.

  The Guardians leave their stage single file, two sitting with Walt, another two with the Admiral, one with the Captains, and Alexander and the one he'd been arguing with come and sit on my right.

  Alexander signs to Tensi.

  "The Children eat before they talk."

  And, with that, the aliens lift the covers off and dig in.

  "Please, Captain, eat." Tensi says, "It is good food, I'm here to translate, they will not want me to join in."

  I grab a plate, rip off a chunk of the bread and throw some berries I've eaten before on board. The only thing I recognize on the hot plate is skewers of the rabbit/rat thing we had on Libor Prime, so I limit myself to a couple of them.

  The Admiral is glaring at me, still pissed off, obviously, but he also copies me berry for berry and skewer for skewer, as do the Captains. The Captains reach for the tablets as they sit back, but I catch their four eyes and wave them off.

  Tensi points to one particular hot dish, which I add to my plate. The bread is the same warm molasses tasting stuff we've had before, everything else fresh and tasty. I'm thinking that if we don't have to kill them all, they could make a good living starting a chain of McLibor's restaurants back home, though I prefer my food a little spicier.

  I clean my plate, set it aside, and down a half cup of water. Alexander isn't far behind me.

  He gives hand signals to Tensi. I have a question.

  "You can communicate?"

  "Aye. They have a form of sign language, like American Sign Language, which I have learned. I have too many fingers to do it perfectly, but it works pretty well."

  I nod, he starts back in.

  "I am told you cannot speak for your world."

  "Correct. We brought one with us who could, but he was injured by the Life clan and is unable to be here today."

  I watch now, comparing Tensi's four fingers and a thumb to Alexander's three and one.

  "Our war has lasted hundreds of human years, we wish to end it. We need your help."

  "That help is not mine to grant."

  "Will you take an ambassador of the Children back with you to make a request of those who can?"

  "Yes."

  Chapter 36

  Alexander waves toward one of the aliens who has been serving dinner. It must be the bartender, because it reappears seconds later carrying a wooden tray covered in heavy duty shot glasses with a shiny golden liquid inside. I'm assuming it's not Crown Black.

  It goes first to Alexander who takes two, one of which it hands to me. The seven remaining aliens are served in a particular order, not matching the current seating pattern, but likely matching the seating pattern on the stage, Walt is the seventh. The Admiral is finally served, his Captains last. I work really hard not to look Sutherland in the eye.

  Alexander speaks more unintelligible banjo cat, raises his shot, and holds it while looking at me. I raise mine in response. It puts the glass to it's lipless mouth and swallows the beverage in one gulp.

  I put mine to my lips, feeling like it's my first senior dorm party at the Academy all over again. I close my eyes, tilt my head back slightly, and swallow. It's smoother than the cheap stuff we drank in college, warm and strong going down. Might be made from the same grain that made the bread because it has a little hint of rum to it, but also notes of something fruity that I cannot place. If McLibor's doesn't go over, they can make bank selling this stuff.

  "How was it, Captain?"

  I don't turn to look at Tensi, I keep my eyes on Alexander.

  "Excellent."

  Alexander is trying to look at me, and read the signs from his interpreter at the same time. Apparently satisfied, he turns back to the circle. All the aliens have downed their drinks, but the Admiral and the Captains obviously took polite sips and put them aside. I can hope our host didn't notice, but I am sure he did.

  He (it – I keep calling some of them he, it bothers me a little) speaks brie
fly again, no idea what, and one of the other Libor signs toward Tensi.

  "Alexander the 92nd welcomes you again to the home of the Children. We have arranged quarters for you for the evening. Tomorrow he wishes to meet again and discuss terms for transporting our delegation."

  Tensi finishes, signs Alexander, who stands and speaks. The Libor in the circle stand one at a time, and, one by one, walk down the path toward the entrance. Alexander moves out last. Once they are all out of sight, Tensi takes charge.

  "If you ladies and gentlemen will follow me, I will take you to your rooms."