by Mark Wandrey
It could be that she and her siblings did that only by instinct, a throwback custom ‘civilized’ Zuul had outgrown, and—
After a moment, Teef stepped forward and leaned down to exchange scents with the smaller male. Sonya pressed her boot against Ripley’s, hoping her sister had also observed how wide Teef’s eyes had become, and the quick flicker of his ears.
Did they smell so different to other Zuul?
Teef moved out of Uufek’s way, and the female replicated the gesture. Though she had better control of her ears, her eyes widened as well. Sonya glanced at Ripley, who lifted one shoulder a fraction of a millimeter.
They crossed the room together, Rex and Drake belatedly following.
Teef and Uufek repeated each of the siblings’ names before turning their necks, reminding themselves of the sound and scent combination of each sibling, maybe. Sonya supposed their Earth names sounded odd to the Zuul. Closer in, the smell of each Zuul solidified into which was which, but still something slipped out of her fingers, an ache she couldn’t place. A thing she had known, or knew she should know, but couldn’t place. It was like the first time she’d been in a room with Madelene Gibbs after the woman’s husband had died. Emotions had been hard for Sonya to reconcile for some time, given how good some Humans were at denying or hiding them, and grief had been a new one to her then.
After all the sniffing, she looked back to Dana and Alan, hoping her parents would have some suggestion of what to do next.
“Have a seat if you like. All the chairs are made to accommodate tails.” No humor in her father’s tone, and belatedly Sonya realized a contingent of the company remained outside their residence. All very friendly for the moment, but her father had never been stupid.
Sonya and Ripley sat on either side of Shadow on the couch, and Rex remained standing behind his chair. After a small hesitation, Drake joined him, and for once Sonya had no idea what any of her brothers were thinking.
“You expected us to be younger,” Shadow repeated, as though several minutes hadn’t passed.
“We did. Orphans lost during the recent war.” She sat tentatively in a chair, settling more comfortably as she realized how well it fit her proportions. “The K’lak could not remain apart from the broader Mercenary Guild with such conflict, and we have many clans that committed to countless battles.” Uufek’s gesture was too quick for Sonya to catch.
“The Zuul who was here, a few months ago.” Ripley’s ears remained attentively pointed toward the strangers. “She sent a message.”
“Something like that. I am…disappointed we did not receive your message years ago.” Uufek glanced at Alan, and her tail brushed slowly behind her. “Fourteen years ago, you said?”
“Yes. As we left Gephard. Again, when we returned to Earth. Several times in the years since.”
“They are hardly pups, then, but grown Zuul.” Teef’s tone was level, but Sonya had seen his shoulders stiffen at the planet’s name.
“They are children still, here.” Dana had a command voice as well, sharper than Alan’s, but as always it was her eyes that gave it weight.
Sonya glanced from Zuul to Human and back, hoping Shadow or Ripley would have something insightful to say, or that Rex would do anything but glower. She knew better than to expect Drake to do anything except leap into the fray, if it came to violence.
“If you aren’t our clan, why were you chosen to come and meet with us?” She snapped her mouth closed when she realized she’d been the one speaking and clenched her feet tightly in her boots.
“As I said,” Uufek said, dropping her jaw in a smile, “we thought you might be orphaned pups from the war. As such, the K’lak would take responsibility for bringing you home and connecting you with a close enough clan.”
“You are from the K’lak as well, Teef?” Ripley asked, leaning forward with every evidence of casual inquiry. Sonya knew her sister better than that, but these new Zuul wouldn’t.
“Not…exactly.” Teef’s ears flicked toward Uufek, which he attempted to play off by scratching his cheek.
“Then who are you?” Ripley prompted when the male said nothing else.
“I represent clan Insho’Ze,” he replied, as though that should provide instant insight.
“You aren’t our clan, because you don’t know who our clan is.” Rex sounded bored, but Sonya could tell from his stance he was anything but. “One of you is guild, the other is not. What is it your clan or guild would like here, Uufek and Teef?”
Sonya narrowed her eyes, studying the two older Zuul. They’d expected young pups, but that didn’t explain why they were acting as though everything was such a mystery. Was it because Alan and Dana were in the room? At the thought, she glanced at her parents, and noticed Dana had stiffened to white-knuckled tension. That told her exactly what the female Zuul was opening her mouth to say.
“We came to bring you home, young ones.”
Drake barked a small noise of disbelief, crossing his arms. Ripley drew in her breath sharply, and Rex turned to look at their parents. Next to her, Shadow didn’t react at all.
Bitter bile tainted the back of Sonya’s throat, longing and rejection twining through her thoughts before she took a deep breath through her nose. Was it her rejection or her parents’ she smelled? Her longing, or Shadow’s?
“We have a home,” Shadow said, resting his arms on his legs and leaning forward, thoughtful and perhaps eager.
“This is our clan, our family, and we’ve been very happy here,” Ripley interrupted, and Sonya didn’t know if she meant it or was keeping Shadow from committing them to something.
What if some of her siblings wanted to go? Did she want to go? Earth and Humans were a constant flood of frustration and disappointment. But…her parents, and—and—
“You have a home, but it is not your home. We are thankful the Humans have provided a family for you, but clan—”
“And we are very interested to learn of our people,” Shadow continued, as though completing his thought.
“But you don’t know who our clan is.” A growl wrapped around Drake’s words, and that usual tone of his was all that kept Sonya from whirling on him in surprise that he’d spoken at all. “So how would going with you change anything for us?”
“There…is much to be learned in Zuul territories. Perhaps if you returned with us, we could determine your clan.”
“I assume you don’t expect us to decide this the moment you ask.” Sonya started speaking without knowing what words she’d say, without quite knowing even how she felt. She took pains not to look at her parents. If she saw tears in her mother’s eyes, she’d worry so much about Dana, she’d never be able to decipher her own emotions.
“Of course you should speak with each other.” Teef inclined his head to them, precisely angled so as not to include the Humans.
Sonya meant to stand to exchange farewells and be polite, but found her legs unresponsive. Instead she stared into her lap, mind churning with so much, she couldn’t begin to detangle what she was feeling or thinking, and by the time she managed to wrench her attention outward again, the new Zuul were gone.
* * * * *
Chapter 6
Brisbane Australia, Earth, Cresht Region, Tolo Arm
“You should order them to come with us,” Uufek said as soon as they were out of the pup’s quarters.
“It doesn’t work that way here,” Alan explained. He was inwardly surprised it had gone as well as it had. The five young Zuul were bundles of energy and nervousness. He couldn’t remember when he’d seen them so wound up.
“You are their guardian, it is your responsibility,” Teef agreed.
“They’re adults by Australian law,” Dana chimed in. Both Zuul cocked their heads when translators didn’t render ‘Australian’ into an understandable word. “Our local government. We’ve raised them as our children, yet they’re still their own people. We can’t order them. We won’t.”
Uufek’s ears went back in a sign he’d
seen many times from the pups, anger or annoyance. “This is unreasonable.”
“They’re citizens of the Terran Federation,” Alan said, a simple statement.
Uufek gave a little snarl and began to speak, but Teef put a hand on her sloped shoulder, stopping the other Zuul immediately.
“We must respect Colonel Porter’s decision,” Teef said. “The young Zuul seem healthy, and despite a lack of cultural familiarity, happy.”
Backhanded compliment. “Thanks,” he mumbled.
“May we talk more in private?” Teef asked. It was Alan’s turn to cock his head. “One commander to another?”
“Now hold on…” Dana began.
“A reasonable request,” Alan said. Dana shot him a furious look, but he stared her down, and she slowly relented. He gestured to the offices and began walking. Teef fell in behind, while Uufek walked back toward their waiting shuttle. It was being refueled, its flight crew standing around observing the Human ground crew working. Alan glanced over his shoulder as he reached his office. Dana stood in the same spot he’d left her, watching him go.
“The chairs aren’t as comfortable,” Alan said and gestured to a seat in front of his desk.
“We are used to sitting in furniture that doesn’t take a tail into account,” Teef said. He examined the seat before lowering into it, ending up perching on the edge somewhat, while his tail curled up behind him.
“What can I do for you, Colonel?” Alan asked.
“Commander is more apt,” Teef said. “We don’t use ranks like yours.” Alan shrugged. “When I heard Uufek was coming to Earth, I asked to come along. My clan is not involved in the investigation of your…charges’ origin.”
“Then why are you here?”
Teef took out a slate and held it up. “May I?”
“Please.”
The Zuul commander worked on his slate for a time, and a Tri-V of the galaxy appeared. “I found out your company is missing its ship and forces recently.”
Alan’s lips narrowed and he was instantly on guard. “How did you find this out?”
“We are both mercs,” Teef reminded him. “This means we have access to the same data from the Mercenary Guild. So, you are missing your ship and troopers?”
Alan sighed and nodded his head. “Two months now. We took a contract at Ploofka, in the Coro region of our Tolo arm. Garrison duty, but it turned hot. You know how it goes sometimes.” Teef nodded, so he continued, “Well, we had another two months on the contract, but needed to rotate some personnel. I left a full battalion under the command of Captain Jill Anderle while I caught a commercial transport with Captain Tucker back to Earth.
“We brought our wounded back and the equipment in need of repair. The intention was to travel back to Ploofka once we picked up reinforcements from cadre and some more gear. Then Earth was invaded.”
“Did you fight? Against the Mercenary Guild?”
“No,” Alan said. “We only had a platoon of partly-trained troopers, and not enough armor for them, that old Phoenix-class dropship out there, and no starship. By the time we realized the magnitude of the situation, it was over. There were some occupying forces in Sydney. We considered a strike, but were worried about our dependents. Family. The guild might retaliate.
“We hated just sitting here, but what could we do? Then the war ended, and we still haven’t heard anything from our team. We’ve been struggling to pay our bills and put together a force to go see what happened to our people.”
“The guild showed the contract completed within requirements,” Teef said, “just two months ago.”
“Yes,” Alan agreed. “We assumed they would come straight back, since the war was over. However, nothing.” He spread his hands wide.
“Something happened to them en route,” Teef suggested.
“The route isn’t special. In fact, Ploofka is nowhere. The direct route was through a major planet, and I left orders to avoid that world. So they should have passed through a minor trade hub at the edge of the Cresht region called Piquaw. I sent a message to the Cartography Guild after they were overdue. The guild said Starbright, our ship, never passed through either system.”
Teef was tapping on his slate as he listened to Alan’s details. As soon as Alan finished, the Zuul modified the slowly swirling galaxy to zoom in on the Tolo arm of the galaxy. It zoomed in on Earth, then the view spun to show the Ploofka system. It zoomed out, and a green line traced between Ploofka and Piquaw.
“This is the route you believed they took,” Teef said. “However, there is another route which would have also taken them out of the way, and I believe you instructed your subordinate to follow.” The route moved to intercept another star system.
“Klbood?” Alan said, the pronunciation a hard one. “Never heard of it.”
“No, you wouldn’t have. It’s a dead system, no habitable planets. It does, however, have a stargate. If your ship transited through there, it could have then jumped directly to this system.”
“I hadn’t considered that.” Alan nodded as he thought. “I’ll have to draft an inquiry to the Cartography Guild right away.”
“Hold on a moment,” Teef said. “You see, I didn’t come here to offer this information for no reason.” His ears swiveled to the side. “Insho’Ze is also missing a ship, Gheshu, and a unit. We believe it was traveling through the Klbood system. Our inquiry to the Cartography Guild was not answered.”
“Something’s going on there?” Alan asked. Teef nodded. “What can we do about it? I don’t have a ship.”
“We do,” Teef said. “My clan’s ship, Paku, is in orbit. I’d like to ask if you are willing to come along and help search for our lost clans together.”
* * *
Alan watched the Zuul shuttle take off and boost for orbit with conflicted feelings. The clues to Starbright’s possible fate were tantalizing, and he wished he could follow up with them himself. Dana stood by his desk, shaking her head. She seemed just as undecided as he was, probably still struggling with her emotions about the pups and Uufek wanting to take them back with her.
“What do you think?” she asked suddenly.
“About what; them wanting to take the pups back or maybe knowing where Starbright is?”
“Yes,” she replied, crossing her arms.
“Well, I think we both agree it’s the pups’ decision to go or not.”
“Despite that they’re only 14?”
“We’ve been over this,” he reminded her. “You even agreed to pursue the case to adjudicate them as adults. Besides, they’re considered adults in their society, too.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
Alan had been married long enough to know when a logical discussion wasn’t what was called for, so he moved on. “As for Starbright, they have a good point, and the evidence suggests they might be correct.”
“We have to check it out first, don’t we?”
“No time.”
“Only because they said they’re leaving in a week, after they’ve completed repairs and resupply,” she said.
“Well, we have to take their word on those points, and we don’t have time to get a response from the Cartography Guild on the others.” He knew it was a minimum of two weeks, probably four, to get a response to any requests from them.
“So, Alan, what do we do?”
Alan looked out the window to the big open quad. To one side was the now-empty landing area, with the lonely Phoenix squatting outside the hangar. He could see some of the ground crew working on one of the lander’s ascent engines. It always gave them problems; probably why it had been available so cheaply when he’d bought it five years ago. Starbright’s four dropships were all the newer Wasp-class, which ironically was an older class, but still in production.
“I think we go.”
“What about the pups?”
“This is a chance for them to learn from other Zuul.” He paused a moment. “They’re coming, too. I can’t imagine they’d turn it d
own, and they’re near enough done with their training to go as part of Silent Night.” He was surprised she didn’t get mad. She seemed resolved.
“What do we do to keep them safe?”
“Something I should have done a long time ago.”
* * * * *
Chapter 7
Brisbane Australia, Earth, Cresht Region, Tolo Arm
Rex stepped out of their quarters and froze. Logistics people were reviewing pallets of supplies. Armorers yelled at logistics about things that went boom. Troopers were in the equipment building, and he could see CASPers being worked on. “Hey!” he yelled back into the quarters. “Looks like Dad’s throwing a piss up or something.”
Ripley joined him, her sharp eyes taking in details. “That’s not a party, idiot.” Rex growled at her, and she laughed. Drake was out next, a piece of bacon still in one hand.
“Fuck me dead, they’re getting ready for a deployment!”
Sonya and Shadow came out to the little porch at that and gawked as well.
“We don’t have enough troopers,” Shadow said, shaking his head. He’d been sitting in their living room, sipping tea and acting melancholy; no change since the two Zuul had visited them the previous day.
“Or a ship,” Ripley agreed. “No way Dad can afford to hire one. I’ve been all over the invoices.”
“About bloody time you bludgers got outta bed.” Captain Tucker walked over from the troopers working on gear, tsking at their layabout-ness.
“We’re not lazy!” Drake complained.
“It’s after 9am,” Tucker pointed out, amused.
“What’s going on?” Rex asked. “Drake thinks it’s a deployment.”
“He’s right.” Ears swiveled in every direction, and he nodded then pointed to the armory. “Your mom and dad are waiting in there. Get to it right away.” He turned and marched back to the troopers, some of whom were watching him or the Zuul.
