Earth Song: Etude to War

by Mark Wandrey

  The blue-white starlight from Dervish's primary of three stars lit the CIC of the Kaatan, casting Lilith's sharp angular face in a sinister light as she regarded the dozen screens of data with cautious eyes.

  The star system had no entry in the ancient People's database she possessed. The power generation station that hovered within the energy vortex between the stars was tactical in nature, and either constructed after the database she used was created, or classified above her access.

  Sensor data flowed for long minutes after they'd emerged from tactical drive. The faster than light travel system was instantaneous and required no power. Lilith also insisted it was almost undetectable by other ships. Its only drawbacks were range (limited to a hundred light-years or less), and departure/destinations. You were forced to jump to and from points in the galaxy where space time was weaker than normal and thus easy to transit across the dimensional barrier.

  “We are alone,” she informed her mother finally.

  Minu had watched silently, standing in the empty space of the CIC courtesy of a series of forcefields and gravitic generators.

  “Good to hear,” Minu replied and nodded with relief.

  The conflict with the newly constructed ships had her rattled. After so many years of refining the theories of Ted Hurt and Bjorn of the decline of the Concordia, here was a fact that completely flew in the fact of that theory. The more she learned, the less she understood.

  “ETA to the station?” she asked.

  “About eleven hours,” Lilith replied as she got that far away look in her brown eyes that spoke of conversing with the ship’s systems. “Main power is below ten percent so I am operating on reserve.”

  Minu learned recently that the reserve power systems of the Kaatan were designed to provide energy at a slower rate than the main power. That her daughter was using the reserves meant she felt safe in the system. “Okay, I'm going to take some down time before we arrive.”

  She fully intended to head to her quarters and get some sleep, but instead she ended up in the medical bay. It was strangely empty after the weeks of treating injured Rangers and Chosen from the battle of Planet K.

  Hundreds of wounded had been taken aboard, scores near death. True to her word, Lilith's ship saved them all. Many had left under their own power to wait on Jumpoff for her word to arrive, some with super-advanced cybernetic limbs, muscles, or organs like the ones in Minu's body. The arm she'd gotten from the ship years ago was so flawless she usually forgot it was not the one she'd been born with.

  In the shiny white medical bay, a solitary blue crystalline bot glanced up with its spindly eyestalks to observe her entrance. Sophisticated scanners in the wall evaluated her condition, decided she was not there for treatment, and the bot went about its maintenance work.

  Minu moved across the bay to the work area on the far side. What was once an operating table was now a living area. Barely a cubic meter in size, it was still more than sufficient for its occupant.

  “Come to stare at your prisoner?” asked a disembodied voice from her translator. The Mok-Tok’s tiny form looked up from a little cushion near the center of its enclosure. An array of artificially produced fruits was nearby, some partially eaten, others ignored. The medical intelligence had produced a diet that matched their captive’s requests as best it could. Hodo Bapal said it was adequate, at best.

  “I was hoping for a civil discussion.”

  “Were you?” it asked. Minu always marveled at how the translator often managed to convey complex nuances of alien speech. Bapal’s words almost dripped sarcasm, suggesting it believed Minu barely capable of independent thought.

  “Unless you would rather share company only with the bots,” she shrugged and turned to go.

  “No,” it answered quickly, and Minu grinned before turning back. “A human to talk to is better than nothing.”

  “You honor me,”

  “Yes, I suppose I do.” Minu swallowed the retort that came to mind and pulled over a stool to sit on. Like all the rest of the accommodations on the Kaatan, it was adapted from the long extinct People. Even so, it was never quite as comfortable as native designed furniture. “What do you wish to speak of?”

  “Well, it would be useful to know your sex.”

  “Would it? Why?”

  “Are you always going to be this difficult?”

  A little laugh. “If I am being difficult, I apologize.” The mouse stood up from the little cushion and affected a tiny bow, “You must understand, I am as curious about your species as you are about mine.”

  “I rather doubt that.”

  “Oh, you shouldn’t. You see, if we are to begin killing your people in large numbers, it would be best to learn more about you!”

  The honesty and exuberance of the comment made the hair stand up on Minu’s neck.

  “It is our way to study, understand first. Then, once we embrace an adversary, we annihilate them.”

  “And you’ve done that many times?”

  “Oh, more than you can count,” it said, and Minu had no doubt it was being completely truthful.

  “So you are no different than the T’Chillen.”

  A snort and the little mouse chuckled. “Oh, now you are being unfair.”

  “Am I?”

  “Of course. The T’Chillen have extinguished at least as many species as we have, but where we consider ourselves a surgical implement removing old dead tissue, or young cancerous growths, the T’Chillen are a virus destroying all that lie in their paths. They are rampaging beasts, only really enjoying life when they are ripping it apart.”

  “And yet you ally yourselves with them.”

  The Mok-Tok looked at her without comment.

  “So many of the species of the Concordia are a dichotomy, even a study in absurd contrasts.”

  It seemed to be considering the translation for a moment before reply. “You are still in service to your masters,” it said, more of a statement than a question.

  Minu said they were and it continued:

  “As I thought, though this is an enigma in itself,” the being gestured at their surroundings, no doubt meaning the ancient ship, “your understanding of the universe is lacking vital pieces that will come with your awakening.”

  “A song I’ve heard before,” she mumbled.

  “Species like yours are all the same, so eager to know everything. If you did know, you would wish to unknow.”

  It was Minu’s turn to chuckle.

  “What is amusing, human?”

  “There is an old human saying; That which has been learned cannot be unlearned.”

  “Wisdom, even from a foolish child of a species.”

  She was getting used to the casual insults and moved on. “And the Tanam, how do they figure into your schemes?”

  “They don’t, at this point. We know they screamed and pounced on you some years ago, and got their paws slapped for it.”

  Minu nodded, unconsciously flexing her cybernetic leg muscles (a legacy of that brief war).

  “Where our drive is to control the path of the Concordia and remove problems from that path, and the T’Chillen’s is to kill anything that hints at a challenge to their power, the Tanam motivation is pride and prestige. They are ever the felines, strutting around, grooming themselves, and looking for offense. They are not above making a credit where they can, and this I understand was what ran them afoul of you and the Tog; credits.”

  “We’ve wondered about that for some time,” Minu said under her breath. “We’ve always suspected the Rasa leadership had something to do with it.”

  “As have we, but since the T’Chillen chewed them to pieces, the Rasa are all but extinct, so that is a moot point.”

  Minu was astute enough to know the little being was testing her. It had seen Kal’at the day she’d released it from its temporary prison, so that was no secret here. She knew it must be very curious about the presence of a Rasa aboard a ship seemingly controlled by humans. She had no intenti
ons of giving it any more information than was absolutely necessary.

  “Returning to my initial question?”

  “Sex, right. If it is of concern to you, I am a male of my species.”

  “Is your leadership sex restrictive?”

  It cocked its head at her. “Why would we do that? You take us for a foolish cold blooded reptile?”

  “The Tanam are sex restrictive, with females ruling.”

  “Yes, they are at this point, but that was different in the past.”

  “Indeed?”

  “Yes, quite so. They have traded leadership twice that we are aware of. Generally mammals like yourselves and us tend to be more…logical about such things.”

  Minu wished that were more the case with her own species. Females on Bellatrix were still a lesser class of people. She was only the second woman ever to wear two stars in the Chosen, and they continued to be a severe minority in business owners as well as political leadership positions.

  “What sex are you, human?”

  Minu was often caught off guard by that question, even though she shouldn’t be. Despite her feeling the female of her species were obviously such, she knew it would not be that way with another species. Often differences were purely based on size or dress on aliens, not so in humans. Several of the female Rangers were as big as or bigger than some of the men. And by this being's experience, they all wore nearly identical clothing. It was not reasonable to expect them to notice something like longer hair, thinner faces, no facial hair, or breasts.

  “I am female, and humans largely are not dependent on sex to determine leadership.”

  “There, you see? Aren’t we mammals much more reasonable about such things?”

  Minu grinned. Humans suffered from sexism and racism often enough. In the Concordia, the real danger was speciesism. Was that even a word?

  “I am sure you are amused by my attitude,” he said.

  Minu admitted he was right, already assigning male gender to him in her mind. Who’s the sexist now? “You think we are bad, you should encounter some of the insectoid species out there? Add more than two sexes, or genetic castes to the mix, and you have true confusion. You can’t negotiate with a three meter long bug carrying a beamcaster and only possessing enough neurons to march, aim and shoot.”

  “I can only imagine.”

  “Is there anything else, human?”

  Minu thought for a moment before speaking again. “You brag about being more logical than other species like the T’Chillen and Tanam.”

  “It is only a fact.”

  “Then why are we fighting? It should be clear we aren’t a threat to the Concordia, or your position within it. We could be a powerful ally to you, or at least neutral.”

  “The very fact that you have this ship speaks volumes of your threat to us. That and those fantastic combat suits you deployed.” His voice contained a decided hint of envy for the first time. “As for your neutrality? Now you make me laugh, human.”

  “Why?”

  “There is no such thing as neutral in the Concordia. You either compete, or are destroyed.”

  “That is a simplistic view of things, and rather fatal,” she complained. “What about the Poolab or the Gulla? Or the Hgog for that matter?”

  “The Poolab are all but extinct,” Bapal said, making a dismissive gesture with his little hand at the same time picking up a piece of fruit and taking a bite. “They over reached a long time ago and paid the price. The Gulla are neutral for their own survival. They are not truly higher-order, but are useful enough due to some of their abilities that they are tolerated among our circle. The Hgog accept their mediocrity and deal with anyone who has credits. I guess you could call them neutral, but trusting them would be a big mistake. They will sell out almost anyone if the price, both real and political, is right.”

  Minu absorbed all this, taking mental notes and nodding. Then came the time to pounce. “And the Squeen?”

  The Mok-Tok had been about to take another bite of fruit, his mouth wide. He froze, shiny golden eyes slowly turning to look at her. Minu almost laughed. He closed his mouth and put the snack down, turning to face Minu who felt suddenly cold.

  “And what would you know of the Squeen?”

  Minu kept her silence.

  “Rumors spread among the lesser species, perhaps? Stories of a once great species, one of the greatest, which are now extinct? Ghost stories?”

  Once great, Minu wondered. One of the greatest? “Extinct species don’t show up as prisoners of the Tanam. Extinct species don’t move in squadrons of frigates and fight with excellent tactics. Ghosts don’t have the ability to overwrite bot programming on the fly and manipulate high level Lost encrypted cyphers.”

  “Perhaps it would be a mistake to underestimate humans as well.”

  “On that, we will agree, noble being.” Minu smiled and bowed, but not too far, he was a prisoner after all.

  Bapal bowed back, matching hers exactly.

  “And with that,” Minu said, “I bid you good night.”

  She slid into her cabin as quietly as possible but then relaxed when she saw Aaron in their bed, a tablet propped up on his knees tapping away. “I was beginning to wonder about you,” he said as she stripped and climbed under the sheets next to him.

  “I was chatting with our guest,” she said and snuggled up next to him.

  “Guest? You mean that little howler snack in the medical bay?”

  “He might be bite sized, but don’t underestimate him. Mok-Tok are about as badass as they come in the Concordia.”

  “I’ve been Chosen too,” he reminded her, “but it’s going to take work to not think of them as shambling mounds.”

  “We’re figured there was more to them than the three legged bulldozers for some time,” Minu said, appropriating his right arm and putting it around her back.

  He obliged by playing with a breast that just happened to end up in his hand. She purred.

  Minu glanced at the tablet, an interactive spreadsheet full of data on the Phoenix shuttle. He was busily plugging in new statistics even as he played with her tits in a most appealing manner. Results from the shuttle’s real world combat experience.

  She reached under the covers and found him already hard, and started stroking the smooth skin. After a minute she shook her head in amazement as he continued to work.

  “How can you keep doing that?” she asked, barely able to concentrate. He shrugged so she slid over and straddled his hardness.

  Aaron moved the tablet up out of her way as she slid down onto him, biting her lower lip and moving up and down.

  “It’s a pilot thing,” he replied, but there was a hint of breathlessness in his voice and he was tapping even faster.

  “I have to get these numbers in while they’re still fresh in my head.”

  “Don’t let me distract you,” she said and teased his own little nipples.

  She was moving even faster, the wet sliding at just the right angle that it was having the desired effect. The act possessed that particular certainty when a girl knew it was going right where she wanted it to. Sure enough, in another minute, she felt her body shudder with a satisfying orgasm.

  Minu looked up to see Aaron smiling, the tablet on the side table and his hands holding her narrow hips. He’d put it aside sometime in the last few minutes and she hadn’t even noticed.

  “That looked like fun,” he said with a wink.

  “Oh, it was,” she huffed and kissed him. “I might need you to work late more often!”

  He laughed, grabbed her tight and rolled them over together without breaking contact, ending up on top. With practiced confidence gained through years together, he took control. Minu locked her legs around him and held on for dear life.

  Chapter 59

  June 13th, 534 AE

  Dervish Star System, Galactic Frontier

  Minu opened her eyes and yawned, checking the little chronometer bracelet. Seven hours had passed, about four remai
ning before they arrived at the stars. She stretched on the cool sheets, pushing them back with her feet and uncovering her naked body.

  She looked down at the nearly flat expanse of her tummy. Not perfectly flat. She scowled and put a hand on the skin, feeling a little swelling below the surface just above the red curls of her pubic hair.

  “What’s wrong?” Aaron asked sleepily, looking over his shoulder were he’d been sleeping on his side.

  “I’m getting fat,” she grumbled.

  He rolled over and surveyed her body with a practiced eye. “I did that,” he almost whispered and put a hand on top of hers. “Think we can feel it move yet?”

  “Documents say not for a couple more months probably,” she said, as disappointed as he was. She’d gone through none of this with Lilith, her pregnancy aborted while only a few weeks in and raised by the ships medical intelligence. Of course she’d almost missed the morning sickness, stretch marks, and weeks of lost duty.

  “First trimester ended during the battle of Planet K.”

  “I know,” he said. She took her hand away and he move over, lying his head on her stomach and kissing her belly button.

  “You ready to be a father, I mean completely this time?”

  “Who’s ever really ready?” he grunted.

  Her father had said the same thing when she was a little girl. She turned her mind away from that subject before it spoiled a perfect moment. “But I’ll figure it out as I go.”

  “I hope it’s a boy,” she said.

  “Me too,” he said. “But at the same time, I really don’t care, either way.”

  Minu nodded, agreeing. She loved her daughter Lilith, but had never known her as a little girl. Born as a mature combat intelligence for the Kaatan warship, there was no chances to dress in cute outfits, go have sleep overs, watch her first steps, kiss boo-boos, none of the things her mother had done with her.

  She realized it didn’t matter that her mother wasn’t the woman who gave birth to her, Sharon Alma was the woman who’d cared for her and loved her until she’d been taken away from Minu a year before she became Chosen.

  “I guess we’ll know in another six months,” she said and patted her tummy through Aaron’s hand.