First Contact

Chapter 488

The ship dropped out of jumpspace at the resonance zone and slowly began to move inwards, the transponder squawking its identity to everyone listening. System defense scanners picked it up, triple-checked it, and just logged its position as it moved inward. Outwardly, nothing really changed, a light frigate, a ship wrapped around a tri-barrel rotating C+ cannon, with eight corvettes, which were armor wrapped around an oversized engine and a variety of weapons, moved on an intercept course.

The ship had old damage that was professionally repaired, the damage obvious not because it could not be smoothed away, but because the owner had kept the physical representation of the memory. Between the shape of the ship, which was the core of a colony establishment vessel, the damage, and the transponder, everyone aboard the escorts knew exactly who was aboard it and who was commanding.

It took almost three days, the ship moving a leisurely pace, for the ship to approach the fourth planet, which was firmly in the Green Zone. It moved into a waiting orbit, then the tenders came and gently drew it to a berthing bay at the large space station at the end of a space elevator.

The press swarmed the concourse, trying to get a look at the crew and their passengers as they disembarked, all of them jockeying for a good position. Smart Tri-Vee drones kept getting rebuffed by the 'no drone zone' the station had up at the far end of the concourse, but they still bumped each other trying to get the best angle.

Planetside, millions watched with bated breath as the docking ring went from red to yellow to green. They had watched the 'documentary' on the Tri-Vee about the terrible attack upon the ship where less than a handful of the crew had survived, had watched the dramatization of the harrowing escape the crew of the ship had managed to perform. All of the watchers were eager to see the crew.

The airlock cycled and everyone stared, many holding their breath. Children watched bleary-eyed, the ones who were still awake and not asleep on their sides and drooling, as the first one left the docking tube and stepped into the concourse.

The first one looked tired to those watching. She moved with a slight limp, an echo and shadow of pain. The Tri-Vee labeled her as "Ulamanti - Navigator/Astrogator" as she moved toward the lounge at the far side of the concourse that had been cleared for the crew of the ship. She had a black metal leg, their pants cut to reveal it (on the advice of media relations experts) and those watching nodded. They had all seen how the leg had been blasted away by the horrible attack, had winced at the close-up on the stump and on her pained face as she had screamed in agony even as the ship took more and more fire.

The second was nervous looking as he entered. Labeled as 'Lektat - Pilot', the silver fur around the male's eyes was startling. People broke out in applause and the pilot winced slightly, hurrying after Ulamanti and taking her hands to comfort herself.

In the upper window of the picture in picture of the news cast, everyone on the planet saw the dramatization of the pilot flying by hand, twirling and whirling the ship to evade fire as they ran for the next jump point.

One by one crew members got off. Some with obvious cybernetics, others looking hale and hearty in the main window, but in the smaller window of the picture on picture it showed them horribly wounded during the one sided fight.

Everyone on planet sat up straight at the next set. Terrans! Twice as tall as everyone watching, yet giving the appearance of being short and squat. Thick limbs heavy with powerful muscle, strong hands that the tendons could be seen on, flat faces, predator's eyes. They were aloof appearing, dressed strangely, and all of them armed with an archaic weapon called a 'sword' on their hips or across their backs.

Finally, the Captain appeared, the last to leave the ship. One of the Terrans had waited for her and walked next to her, holding onto the Captain's hand.

The reporters went crazy, screaming out questions, waving all four limbs to get the Captain's attention.

The most famous Tnvaru in history.

"Captain Nakteti, Captain Nakteti! A few questions please!" they all cried out.

Her Grace, Lady Jheel Martin Carnight, looked down at Nakteti, who was holding tight to her hand with two of hers, and raised a single eyebrow.

Nakteti sighed. She should have known this would happen. She had hoped for a more quiet entrance and 'return' to New Tnvaru, but that wasn't going to happen. She gave a slight nod and the Terran stopped, turning to face the reporters.

Nakteti suppressed a desire to hide behind Lady Carnight.

"Lord Captain Nakteti, Lady of the Red Song Hills, Guardian of Honor and Duty, Matron of Diplomacy, shall answer a few of thine questions she deems worthy enough to acknowledge," the Terran woman said, her Tnvaru perfect. Even her body language was perfect once it was accounted for that she had two arms to the Tnvaru's four.

More shouted questions.

"I hear nothing but the babbling of birds and the screeching of primates," Lady Carnight said coldly. "Control thyselves and comport thyself with dignity and aplomb or be ignored as the ignorant parasites thy emulate."

The sheer rudeness silenced everyone.

Nakteti stifled a snicker.

"How did you survive the attack by the Harvester Goliath?" one Tnvaru journalist asked, her voice meek as Lady Carnight's cold brown eyes turned to her as soon as she spoke.

Nakteti had learned well as the court of Lady Keena and waited until Lady Carnight looked down at her.

"The unworthy one has asked how thou wast able to survive the attack by one of the Ancient Unliving Ones," Lady Carnight stated.

Nakteti nodded, leaning on her gripping stick. "By running as fast as we could and only through the skills of Lektat. If we had not encountered Daxin Freeborn by chance, we would have been killed. Daxin Freeborn held off the Precursor while we ran for it."

Lady Carnight looked up. "Lord Captain Nakteti wishes to inform you that by her Grace and the skills of Lord Lektat of the Steady Hand, the It Tastes Sweet was able to evade destruction at the hands of the vile Ancient Unliving One long enough to garner the attention of Enraged Phillip, the Protector of Lost Souls and Those Who Art Doomed, who, as is his wont, engaged the Enemy of All Life in mortal combat while Lord Captain Nakteti retreated with her wounded ship and injured crewmembers, as is a Lord Captain's duty."

Many of the reporters turned and looked at each other, frowning in confusion. Those didn't sound the same.

Another spoke up. "With the Terrans gone aren't you worried that the Mantid will swoop down and devour everyone?"

Nakteti just stared at such an blatant question.

Lady Carnight drew to her full height of just over six feet and fixed the Tnvaru reporter with a burning gaze. "I hear naught but the chattering of a lesser primate in a tree, barking out alarm where no threat exists in order to bring attention to itself, and as such, I find thee unworthy of any attention of Lord Captain Nakteti. I should have thee chased from Lord Captain Nakteti's presence with thorn branches whipping upon the hindquarters where your thoughts obvious erupt from in a cloud of noxious flatulence."

The reporters all goggled. The one chastised hugged itself in anxiety at the cold cutting words. Across the planet Tnvaru giggled at the insult.

"Should thy next question be as puerile and alarmist, then we shall take our leave from such mindless chattering creatures who seek to waste the time of those who have tasks and duties to attend to," Lady Carnight said coldly.

There was whispering and another Tnvaru stepped forward.

"Is there fears that the Confederacy will collapse without the Terrans?" he asked.

Lady Carnight looked down at Nakteti.

"No. The Confederacy is more than just the Terrans, it is all of us working together to protect and support one another," Nakteti said softly.

Lady Carnight stared at the reporter. "Lord Captain Nakteti assures you that the vast machine that is the Confederacy, while damaged and wounded, is more than the sum of its parts, of which the Tnvaru people are one of, and will continue to carry out its duties and obligations even with the loss of the majority of one member species as history has borne out that a malevolent universe will wipe out those that the others cherish and care for," she said steadily. "Terran Descent Humanity may be nearly extinct, but the ideals of the Confederacy live on in every member."

Again, the reporters stared at one other. What Captain Nakteti was saying and what the massive human female was saying were two different things.

"I'm done," Nakteti said softly.

"Lord Captain Nakteti will no longer answer thine questions nor will she respond to thine exclamations at this moment in time," Lady Carnight said, staring at the reporters. "Perhaps lessons in etiquette and decorum may be of use to thee, one and all, as well as discovering thy humility and politeness when addressing your betters."

The reporters were stunned into silence and just watched silently as Lady Carnight escorted Captain Nakteti to the cleared lounge.

Across the planet Tnvaru felt pleasure at seeing the howling packs of journalists put in their place and cowed. On the information boards a meme of Lady Carnight fighting a pack of jumper lizards all screeching questions while she clubbed them down with a large stick became the number one shared meme, although the person who initially came up with it received almost no recognition for it. Another meme of Lady Carnight waving at journalists with "Begone, lesser ones!" was another highly rated one.

When the door to the lounge closed Nakteti sighed with relief.

It had been long years since she'd been around that many people.

She was startled to see the current Assistant to the Planetary Director sitting at the far end of the table, dressed in finery, with her assistants on either side of her.

"Captain Nak..." the APD started to say.

"Lord Captain," Lady Carnight interrupted, lifting her chin and fixing the second most powerful person on the planet with a steely gaze. "Show respect for her rank, functionary."

The APD blinked several times, reaching out under the table with her gripping hands to grasp the comfort bar tightly.

She cleared her throat. "I am the Assistant to the Planetary Director, Vakwerta," she started.

Nakteti wanted to just nod and submit to whatever the woman said.

"And where is the Planetary Director, functionary?" Lady Carnight asked coldly.

Vakwerta felt off balance. Why wasn't Captain Nakteti answering questions, and why was the massive lemur of Terra acting as if Vakwerta did not have the right to speak to Nakteti.

The crew felt cold satisfaction at the way Lady Carnight was laying down the law. To Lektat, the fact that the Planetary Director had seen fit to send her assistant but not come herself seemed almost insulting. After months in Lady Keena's court, they felt it was a direct insult to their Captain, who outright owned the stellar system.

"She is quite busy with the day to day operations of the system," Vakwerta said almost dismissively. "There are many things which much be overseen at this time and she simply does not have the time to meet with Captain Nakteti, not matter how famous she is or important she feels she is."

Nakteti felt a cold burn of anger. This wasn't a meeting to welcome her home, this was a meeting to put her in her place, to remind her that she was a ship captain who had lost most of her crew and the colony. She reached out with her catching hand and took Lady Carnight's hand, her fingers trembling in anger.

"Now, the government has questions about what occurred, how Captain Nakteti attracted the attention of the Precursors, and the loss of life of the colony," the Assistant to the Planetary Director stated, feeling control of the meeting return to them. "Before we release any of you, we wish to know exactly what happened, in your own words, that led to the loss of the colony and your crew members, whose family needs answers to what happened and why. We must determine which actions or inactions on your part led to the current situation and loss of life."

The crew sucked in air past their teeth in shock at the blatant insult.

"You subject us to an interrogation while telling us that the Planetary Director is too busy to meet with Lord Captain Nakteti?" Lady Carnight asked, her voice quiet and deadly. "Thy words and phrasing are insulting, thy intent and tone churlish, thou puffed up public servant."

"As I said, to Captain Nakteti, the Planetary Director simply does not have the time to meet with her," Vakwerta said, folding both sets of hands and setting them on the table. She gave Nakteti a look of superiority to remind her of her place.

Lady Carnight's next words shocked her.

"Then she shall make the time or we shall take our leave," Lady Carnight said coldly. "It would behoove the Tnvaru squatting in a perceived position of power that all that thy see, this system in its entirety, including the shining sun and the night sky, belongs to Lord Captain Nakteti. Do not neglect to use her rank, functionary, or thy shall surely regret thy rudeness."

Vakwerta just stared, stunned to silence by the cold venom in Lady Carnight's words.

"Without me, our people would be extinct," Nakteti said suddenly, surprised at her own words. "I saved our people, I found them a new world, and the cost has been high indeed."

Her crew nodded, their faces tight with anger, all of them gripping the comfort bar with all four hands. They looked at the humans who had come with them, all of whom were standing against the wall. Long years around Terran Descent Humans told them that all of them were quietly furious at the treatment of their Captain by the bureaucrat.

Nakteti let go of Lady Carnight's hand and stood up.

"When I was told that I would be meeting a representative of the government, I assumed it was either someone from astro-control or the Planetary Director herself, I assumed it would be more than an ad-hoc board of inquiry filled with accusations made by some puffed up time puncher impressed with their own importance," Nakteti snarled, lifting her upper lip in anger. She held her gripping stick tightly with her gripping hands and slammed her catching hands on the table. "Yet you insult me, infer that my crew or I are incompetent, try to lay the loss of life from a Type-II Precursor Autonomous War Machine, a Harvester Class Goliath that nothing the Unified Military Council possesses could stop, on my shoulders?"

Nakteti jerked her head toward the door. "This interview of over. My crew wants to be with their families, not stuck on a space station answering endless questions."

Her crew stood up and moved toward the door.

Vakwerta stood up, slapping her hands against the table, her ears rigid. "You will remain here until I give you permission to leave, Captain, and I am speaking to you, not a jumped up lemur who was shivering in caves less than fifty thousand years ago and thinks she can insult the government. You and your pet lemur would be good to remember your place, Captain."

Everyone gasped as Lady Carnight moved, pulling what had been assumed to be a ceremonial sword from her hip. The blade snarled with lightnight, sparks popping from the scabbard she pulled it free in one smooth motion, a nimbus cracking to life once the tip of the blade left the scabbard.

She swung it with both hands, against the table, and the Tnvaru present who had never actually met a Terran felt smugness with the expectation of the heavy duraplast table bouncing a muscle powered weapon.

The sword gave a bright flash and a CRACK as it slammed against the surface.

The table fell in two pieces and Lady Carnight began moving forward between them.

"Thou hast overstepped thyself and thy position with thine insults to the Lord Captain, functionary," Lady Carnight growled. "Thy lips give mortal insult in the presence of your betters and expect naught in return? Thou lips have kissed a coin that thou are unable to spend."

Vakwerta tried to draw back but found the back of the chair in her way. One of her assistants had fainted and the other one fled through the door behind her, abandoning the Assistant to the Planetary Director to her fate at the hands of one of the Mad Lemurs of Terra.

Nakteti waited until Lady Carnight was halfway down the length of the table.

"I say thee enough," Nakteti said. "Stay thy hand and thine rage."

Lady Carnight stopped, the sword humming, lightning moving up and down the ornate blade, the nimbus flowing off of it like mist.

There was no lightning in Lady Carnight's hair, or skittering across her dark brown skin.

"Let's go," Nakteti said. She held out one gripping hand. "I tire of this place and wish to smell the wind and the rain and feel the sun upon my fur."

Lady Carnight sheathed the blade and walked back to Nakteti, taking her small hand in her larger one.

"Tell the Director she can come find me, or..." she let it draw out. "She can go fuck herself."

Vakwerta sat in the puddle of urine in her chair and stared at the broken table, unable to answer.

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TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

Oops.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Don't say that. You know I'm a nervous person.

Define... oops.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

Nakteti arrived at New Tnvaru and had a meeting with the Assistant Planetary Director. Someone in station security leaked the footage of the confrontation.

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Ooh, any good?

>gets popcorn

Tell me it's good.

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TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

It's disastrous. The Planetary Director sent her assistant to make inquiries about why and how Nakteti lost most of her crew, how the colony was lost. It sounds like the Planetary Director was going to twist everything to make it seem like the lost of the colony and Tnvaru Prime was somehow Captain Nakteti's fault.

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MANTID FREE WORLDS

What? That's rediculous. The PAWM was already sterilizing your colony when Nakteti showed up.

How is it her fault?

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RIGELLIAN SAURIAN COMPACT

Politics. That's how.

We should hang all lawyers, engineers, and politicians.

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Wow, someone feels muscular today.

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TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

The big insect said to the muscle bound Rigellian power lifter during the body builder competition.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

ALL>Laugh

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Good one, kid.

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TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

Oh, it gets better.

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

>crams popcorn into his mouth

Oh oh oh! Tell us!

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AKLTAK SOARING WORLDS

How does indicting Nakteti for all of this get worse?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

She had one of her allies with her. A Lady Carnight, the niece of Nakteti's Space Force assigned bodyguard, had gone with her.

She's from one of those magical primitivism planets.

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LEEBAW CONTEMPLATION POOL

Didn't those fare pretty well due to the lack of actual cybernetics and low populations?

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BIOLOGICAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

Actually, yeah, they really did.

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TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

Apparently Captain Nakteti was having Lady Carnight speak for her, and the insults by the Assistant Planetary Director got too much and she chopped the table in half with a sword.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

ALL>AHAHAHAHAHAHA!

TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

Then they just left. The Minister of Planetary Defense told the Planetary Director that he didn't have enough soldiers to send against a half hundred insane humans with swords and that he didn't think she could get away with an orbital strike that might not even kill the humans.

So we've got a power struggle brewing.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

You have to show the video. That sounds too amazing.

>holds up the popcorn

Anyone?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

I don't see why you aren't all laughing at me.

This is just embarassing.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

PUBVIAN DOMINION

What, you think we're surprised that a Terran chopped up a table with a sword after being insulted?

You've met Terrans, right?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

MANTID FREE WORLDS

Touche.