{"id":377,"date":"2020-01-25T01:47:49","date_gmt":"2020-01-25T01:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/?page_id=377"},"modified":"2020-01-26T03:51:21","modified_gmt":"2020-01-26T03:51:21","slug":"the-blockade-excerpt","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/the-blockade-excerpt\/","title":{"rendered":"The Blockade Excerpt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Book 3 of The First Salik War<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CHAPTER FOUR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

August 12, 2298 C.E.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ri\u2019oko, Ton-Bei<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFires continue to burn on the Ke-chai Peninsula tonight,\u201d  the beige-starred, dark-skinned news anchor reported from the monitor in the shuttle\u2019s main hold.  Like many news broadcasts back among the Terrans, images of the reporter sat to one side of the screen while broadcasts of actual footage from the location in question played on the other half.  \u201cThere are reports of Salik invaders still lurking in that area, but the Imperial Army has been evacuating families and businesses, and tales of brave colonists fighting to defend their lives and their land have been reaching our news center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can check our news matrix for more details on individual heroes and lists of evacuated residencies.  Meanwhile, the last of the enemy forces on board the Sun\u2019s Glory<\/em> have been captured, though all compartments are being double-checked for holdouts\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTry the k\u2019teli<\/em> noodles,\u201d  Nakko suggested next, tapping the carton in question before picking up one filled with some sort of fruit and meat saut\u00e9ed together.  \u201cThose are the turquoise colored ones.  I liked those a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distracted from the news, Jackie looked at the dish in question.  It looked like spinach noodles to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d  A\u2019sha said, eyeing the dish dubiously.  \u201cThey tasted a bit bland to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackie poked her complimentary umma<\/em> into the box and scraped a little bit into her bowl.  A tentative taste-test reminded her of coconuts with a hint of pepper.  \u201cThey are mild, but they\u2019re not truly bland to me, and they\u2019re not bad even though they\u2019re mild.  Have you tried the one with the purple nuts?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh\u2026\u201d  A\u2019sha-rayn checked her printout sheafs, finding the dish on the restaurant\u2019s pictorial menu and squinting at the fine print under the label attached to the nuts in question.  \u201cThey call those\u2026plink-pa<\/em>.  Apparently, it\u2019s a sound the nuts make as they fall from the vine when ripe and bounce on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m just glad I can eat them,\u201d  Jackie said.  She offered that carton to the other woman.  \u201cIf we hadn\u2019t come up with a version of the jungen<\/em> we could modify and infuse, I\u2019d be afraid to eat anything<\/em> foreign.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust remember, fatigue should be checked out medically, and fevers are to be taken very seriously,\u201d  Li\u2019eth cautioned her.  \u201cThankfully, everyone here on V\u2019Ton-Bei has had over three hundred and fifty years to figure out what\u2019s safe to eat, and how best to cook it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPersonally, I really like this food,\u201d  Nakko agreed, tucking another sporkful of the fruit-and-meat dish into his mouth.  He jumped a little\u2014they all did\u2014when something beeped loudly from the cockpit.  Pulling out the umma, he dumped it into his bowl even as he scrambled to his feet.  \u201cI\u2019ll check that.  It sounds like the proximity alert.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey, don\u2019t talk with your mouth full!  We\u2019re officers, not Fifth Tiers,\u201d  A\u2019sha called after him.  \u201cIt\u2019s one thing to be casual about names, but how we behave\u2026well, the Terrans aren\u2019t the only ones to be affected by cultural expectations.  Or do you even know what I\u2019m talking about, Ja\u2019ki?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClassism still exists back home,\u201d  Jackie admitted freely.  \u201cThose who have a lot of wealth versus those who have not.  Those who are educated versus those who are not.  Religions still breed intolerance toward non-believers, though there are strict laws these days about how you can express that intolerance.  Or rather, cannot<\/em> express it.  The core thing to remember, however, is that everyone you meet, everyone<\/em>, is a fellow Human<\/em>\u2014up until we start getting true alien visitors.  But even then, everyone has potential to be great, to be awful, to be silly, to be serious\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She broke off as the video screen displaying the local news abruptly shut off.  Nakko hurried back, leaning through the open door of the transport hold.  \u201cHey, pay attention!  The Terrans have arrived.  Well, their uniforms are a little weird, full body suit things, but they don\u2019t have any marks I can see, so they have to be the Terrans, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quickly wiping her mouth clean with a paper-like napkin, Jackie cleared her throat with a sip of electrolyte water from yet another packet.  She was still drained, but no longer feeling debilitated as she had back when needing help to drain that very first one.  \u201c\u2026Would you mind letting them in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSure.  There\u2019s enough food left to share,\u201d  he joked.  \u201cBut you should come with me, so they know they\u2019ve got the right shuttle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d  she murmured, and pushed to her feet, wiping her fingers on the napkin thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the only<\/em> space-faring military shuttle in the entire landing zone, so you\u2019d think they got it right,\u201d  A\u2019sha retorted dryly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe still don\u2019t know military designs from civilian ones at a glance,\u201d  Jackie countered.  \u201cTo be fair, you wouldn\u2019t be able to tell ours apart, either.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrue.  And yes, there\u2019s enough food left to share.  Unless there\u2019s like a dozen of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, just two,\u201d  Nakko said, tipping his head at the side airlock door..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWait a moment\u2014just two?\u201d  A\u2019sha called after them, misunderstanding the conversation.  \u201cYour ships are crewed by just two people?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSix, actually.  Two pilots, two navigators, two other crew members,\u201d  Jackie admitted.  At the other woman\u2019s gaping look, she shrugged and spread her hands.  \u201cThey\u2019re not very big ships.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou must have a tiny<\/em> Army\u2026\u201d  A\u2019sha muttered, staring in disbelief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s only our interstellar capability that\u2019s currently tiny in proportion to the rest.\u201d  She left the hold, following Nakko to the airlock.  He opened the door, extended the ramp, then stepped back so Jackie could step into view and lift her hand in greeting.  She switched to Terranglo, addressing them.  \u201cCaptain Mamani, yes?  And\u2026Lieutenant Commander Paroquet?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s me, the Flying Auk<\/em>,\u201d  the short, stocky man responded, poking his thumb at his chest.  He mock-flapped his elbows and grinned, his teeth a white line in the circle of his tanned face, visible in the fading light of local sunset.  \u201cGlad to see you alive and safe, Ambassador<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019ll come with us to our ship, Ambassador<\/em>,\u201d  Captain Mamani added to Jackie, gesturing behind her at the familiar yet foreign OTL ship that had landed a short distance away with a deep brown hand,  \u201cwe\u2019ll get you broadcasting right away<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t take off immediately, though<\/em>,\u201d  the lieutenant commander warned her, holding up his hand.  \u201cWe still need time to process fuel.  Maneuvers to avoid all that fighting ate up a chunk of our reserves<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m still eating supper<\/em>,\u201d  Jackie demurred.  She switched back to V\u2019Dan.  \u201cWhy don\u2019t the two of you come aboard and have a bite to eat while I finish my meal?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mamani eyed her with a touch of skepticism in those dark brown eyes, though she moved toward the shuttle readily enough.  \u201cI thought you were in a hurry to get back online, and to get yourself back to V\u2019Dan.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am<\/em>,\u201d  Jackie replied in kind, guessing the woman was still speaking Terranglo out of discretion\u2019s sake.  \u201cBut my partner and I are on the verge of KI-shock.  Food and water are more important at the moment.  And please speak V\u2019Dan to be polite.  I know Aixa transferred it to both of you.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh.  That makes sense.  Hello,\u201d  the captain added in V\u2019Dan, nodding to Nakko as she reached the top of the boarding steps.  \u201cI am Captain Sharon Mamani.  You are the captain of this vessel?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe pilot, since it\u2019s just a shuttle.  Leftenant Nakko Shi\u2019uln,\u201d  he introduced himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mamani glanced at Jackie.  \u201cHe\u2019s related to that green-spotted woman that tried to\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackie quickly shook her head.  \u201cThat was Shi\u2019ol Nanu\u2019oc.  This is Nakko Shi\u2019uln.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh, my apologies for the confusion,\u201d  Mamani offered.  \u201cThe names are similar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay.  I wouldn\u2019t want to be mistaken for her, either.  You also say \u2018ah\u2019 a lot,\u201d  Nakko offered, smiling.  \u201cYou\u2019ll get along fine with my superior.  Leftenant Superior A\u2019sha-rayn Ka\u2019atieth.  And\u2026Thass-mi, Tha Fly-yeeng\u2019ock, was it?\u201d  he added to the man following her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Terran male gaped for a moment, then laughed, teeth gleaming white in his tanned face.  \u201cMy name<\/em> is Julio Paroquet.  My family name, Paroquet, means \u2018auk<\/em>,\u2019 which is a type of sea bird.  My nickname is the Flying Auk because I am a pilot,\u201d  he explained.  \u201cSo, I literally said, translated, \u2018That\u2019s me, the Flying Auk.\u2019  It\u2019s a pun, since I\u2019m a pilot and my name\u2026eh, nevermind,\u201d  the lieutenant dismissed.  \u201cI\u2019m a Lieutenant First Grade, the equivalent of one of your Leftenant Superiors.  Don\u2019t mind the joke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, I get it.  I\u2019m sure it\u2019s even funnier in the original language,\u201d  Nakko allowed.  \u201cThank you for explaining.  Welcome aboard Shuttle 2<\/em>05-671, nicknamed the Leaping Kitten<\/em>.  It\u2019s a lot funnier in our<\/em> language when you know the parent ship was named for the roar a wild g\u2019at<\/em> makes when it attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paroquet smiled warmly.  \u201cIt\u2019s nice to know awkwardness is a species trait\u2014that\u2019s a joke as well.  It\u2019s only funnier in a psychological language, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought it was funnier in a metaphorical language, but that\u2019s just my opinion,\u201d  Nakko retorted.  Both men grinned.  He gestured at the others, leading the way into the main cabin.  \u201cCome on inside.  Meioas, these are Captain Ma\u2019mani and Leftenant Par\u2019o-kay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI suggest we continue to use first names, since this is hardly the Winter Palace.  Or the Summer.  Or even a pleasure yacht.  That\u2019s Nakko, this is A\u2019sha, you already know Jackie, and of course myself as Li\u2019eth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh.  Sharon, then,\u201d  Mamani said, flicking her hand at herself, then at her fellow officer.  \u201cAnd he\u2019s Jack.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAny relation?\u201d  A\u2019sha asked, digging through the delivery bags for a few more umma<\/em>.  \u201cJackie, Jack?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNone that we\u2019re aware of,\u201d  Paroquet stated, holding up his hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNobody\u2019s related to anybody closely, in the expedition forces,\u201d  Jackie added, gesturing for the others to settle picnic-style on the deckplates, since there was no table.  Her fellow Terrans shifted into sitting positions on the floor where indicated without a qualm, allowing her to join them and pick up her spork to continue poking at the much-needed and rather tasty food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy aren\u2019t there any relatives?\u201d  Nakko asked, curious.  \u201cAre you forbidden from having relatives serve at the same time in your military, as the Imperial Tier is?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe do have siblings who serve, but they\u2019re rarely posted in the same region,\u201d  Jackie replied.  \u201cThat minimizes a loss to a bloodline.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s similar to the Imperial Tier\u2019s ruling of only one prince or princess serving in the military at a time, but in their case, it\u2019s mostly because they have very small family sizes,\u201d  Li\u2019eth added.  \u201cEarth<\/em>, the Motherworld, is very crowded.  They\u2019ve been limiting their population sizes for\u2026uhh\u2026a hundred years?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAbout a hundred and thirty-seven, actually, but we had a two-generation easement, about thirty-six years, to replenish the numbers decimated by the AI<\/em> War,\u201d  Jackie stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArtificial Intelligences that got out of hand,\u201d  Captain Mamani explained at their blank looks.  \u201cBetween excellent healthcare, longevity treatments that keep us functioning well into our eighties and nineties, constantly improving safety features in various jobs, and a lack of serious wars, we\u2019ve been forced to stick strictly to a two-child system, with only an occasional lottery drawing for a third whenever premature deaths have reduced the population pressures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both A\u2019sha and Nakko wrinkled their noses.  A\u2019sha put her spork back in her bowl, her appetite clearly affected.  \u201c\u2026That\u2019s awful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll bet your people are eager to sign up for a chance to fight for colony space,\u201d  Nakko added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo a point.\u201d  Sharon glanced at Jackie, who nodded, giving her permission to be honest.  She accepted the spork A\u2019sha handed over with a nod of thanks, and carefully added,  \u201cWe\u2019re not as keen to live under the rules of your Empire as we are to live under the rules of our own.  It\u2019s what we\u2019re used to, after all, and we\u2019ll react with instincts attuned to the rhythm of our own culture before any others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s what we know and like best, and for us, it works,\u201d  Jackie added, making a mental reminder to put a note of praise on the captain\u2019s file for her diplomatic phrasing.  \u201cTry the dish with the blue lumps.  They\u2019re a tasty local vine-nut of some sort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other two Terrans tried some of the local food.  A\u2019sha helped them figure out what everything was by referencing the diagrammed printouts once again, and the conversations revolved around food, exports, imports, colony life, flavors, who got the last scrapings of the last few dishes, and other cheerful topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About fifteen minutes later\u2014V\u2019Dan or Terran, it didn\u2019t matter\u2014Jackie nodded slowly in a pause between conversations.  \u201c\u2026That should do it.  I think I can keep going another hour or two, before I\u2019ll need sleep.  You?\u201d  she asked Li\u2019eth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I don\u2019t fall asleep from the food,\u201d  he agreed,  \u201cthen yes, I should be good for a few hours as well.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis meal was<\/em> good, but we should get you back to our ship, check in and let everyone know you\u2019re okay,\u201d  Mamani agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m surprised you were so close to our hail,\u201d  A\u2019sha offered, glancing at the Terran woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019d gone to one of the Chinsoiy systems to deliver a hyperrelay and were already on our way back to Earth for more via the Gatsugi route, when the recall went out with the closing of the embassy.  If that happened, we had orders to return to V\u2019Dan to help pack up and pick up everyone still on your capital world,\u201d  Mamani stated in explanation.  \u201cYou\u2019re just blindly lucky we hadn\u2019t left this system yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCaptain Charboli and I were both in orbit for our mandatory rest breaks between jumps when the relays came back online and told us the embassy had been reopened.  He was on the far side of the planet from the fighting, though, so he was free to go farther out when the fighting started happening.  We were debating what to do when we picked up the Ambassador\u2019s call, since we have no current orders to stay and fight.  Just standing orders to cut and run if things go bad,\u201d  she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh?\u201d  Nakko asked between bites.  \u201cYou make that sound like you have to be given specific orders to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe still have a limited number of ships.  The 14<\/em>\u2014our ship\u2014decided to stay in close proximity to live-broadcast the battle to the Terran version of your info-matrices, so if nothing else, everyone would have the latest battle intel even if we weren\u2019t actively in the war.  I\u2019ll admit your broadcast caught us off our guard, Jackie,\u201d  she said, twisting to follow Jackie, who had stood to fetch her black uniform jacket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s an understatement,\u201d  her junior officer told them, swallowing a mouthful of something like cooked greens, only they were purple in hue.  \u201cThe embassy\u2019s closed<\/em>\u2026the embassy\u2019s open<\/em>\u2026the Salik are attacking, and the Ambassador\u2019s in the system, when moments ago, she was sixteen lightyears away.  Bad news followed by good news followed by awful news followed by weird<\/em> news,\u201d  Paroquet listed, flicking his spork with each point being made.  \u201cIt\u2019s been a very strange past few days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cImagine it from my<\/em> end of things,\u201d  Jackie replied.  \u201cI can only imagine how this is going to tangle up everything even more, before we can get it all straightened out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can easily get you back to V\u2019Dan if you order it, Ambassador,\u201d  the captain offered.  She twisted the other way to eye Li\u2019eth.  \u201cAnd you, Your Highness\u2026unless there\u2019s a reason why you\u2019re out here?  Ah.  Wait, you are<\/em> going back to V\u2019Dan, right?  Both of you?  Or since you\u2019re still in their military, are you actually under orders to go elsewhere, Your Highness?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Li\u2019eth shook his head.  \u201cThose orders are\u2026  It\u2019s complicated.  But I am going back to V\u2019Dan, yes.  I need to hand myself over to the Tier Advocates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe who what, now?\u201d  Paroquet asked, looking up from scraping out the last scraps of food from one of the delivery boxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackie twisted to look at Li\u2019eth, buttoning up her jacket.  She knew what they were, since they were very much a part of the Empire\u2019s government system, but she didn\u2019t know why he mentioned them now.  \u201cWhy are<\/em> you handing yourself to the Tier Advocates?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was the only way to get out from under Vi\u2019alla\u2019s orders regarding me,\u201d  he explained.  They hadn\u2019t had time or energy to discuss these things until now, food being a priority.  \u201cEven then, it barely worked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour m\u2026the Empress rescinded those orders,\u201d  Jackie told him, correcting herself.  The V\u2019Dan people\u2014including Li\u2019eth himself\u2014tended to refer to Empress Hana\u2019ka formally most of the time.  Even when he was talking about her as his own mother..  \u201cShe revoked and rescinded all orders made by Imperial Princess Regent Vi\u2019alla which affected my people.  As you are my Gestalt partner, and deliberate separation of Gestalt partners is against Terran law as well as Terran custom, those orders are also revoked.  Both our governments agree to it, before I vanished.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s good to know now<\/em>,\u201d  he retorted sarcastically, flicking a hand skyward.  \u201cBut I made that decision hours<\/em> ago, to keep from being sedated and hauled even farther away, to Saints\u2019 know where!  That decision cannot be revoked by any outside authority, not even Her Eternity.  The Tier Advocates alone must agree to release me from their jurisdiction\u2026and they may choose not to do that.  It\u2019s a small possibility, but a very real one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t they do that?\u201d  Paroquet asked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPolitics,\u201d  Mamani replied sagely, even though she wasn\u2019t V\u2019Dan.  \u201cKeeping an Imperial Prince under their jurisdiction would give them clout with the Empress.\u201d  She shook her head, her black braid sliding over her shoulders.  \u201cNo matter how far we roam, no matter the star systems we visit, it all boils down to death, taxes, and politics\u2014no offense, Ambassador.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNone taken,\u201d  Jackie murmured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A\u2019sha nodded sagely, if mock-sadly.  \u201cAh.  We have a similar saying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackie crossed to Li\u2019eth and offered her hands to help him up.  \u201cI\u2019m well aware that sometimes a government official has to do something that isn\u2019t generous and free.  Actions have value as well as consequences, and that value can be a tool for creating leverage in negotiations.  A bargaining chip, as we say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen I hope you\u2019ll flex some of those political bargaining tools on my behalf, Grand High Ambassador,\u201d  he replied, accepting her help in rising.  He started to say more, then blinked and eyed the shuttle around them a moment.  Frowning, he turned his gaze to the two V\u2019Dan.  \u201cWhat\u2019s the news from the J\u2019ung Shan G\u2019at<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOfficially, we were detached to go with you<\/em>,\u201d  Nakko countered.  \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s healthy for us to go against those orders, so don\u2019t expect us to want to go back.  If you\u2019re looking at what to do about this shuttle, which is technically still the G\u2019at<\/em>\u2019s property, they<\/em> can send a spare pilot to come pick it up.  Otherwise, wherever you go, we<\/em> go, since we were attached to your command.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s right,\u201d  his superior said.  A\u2019sha shrugged and gestured at the mostly empty containers on the floor, continuing in a light, dry tone.  \u201cYou made the mistake of feeding us.  Now you have to bring us home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That made Jackie, Paroquet, and Mamani all laugh in amusement.  The Ambassador grinned at her, speaking.  \u201cThat\u2019s another<\/em> saying we have in common, then.  I\u2019m constantly amazed at the things we still have in common despite ten millenia of difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven the Chinsoiy have a similar attitude,\u201d  Nakko told her.  \u201cIt seems to be a common habit of most sentientkind to have pets, and to feel a responsibility for strays.\u201d  He started gathering up the containers.  \u201cLet\u2019s take a few moments to secure the shuttle here, then we\u2019ll come along.  If that\u2019s alright?  Otherwise, we\u2019ll be stuck sitting around doing nothing while you\u2019re gone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll need to have the Ambassador\u2019s permission to use one of her vessels,\u201d  Li\u2019eth pointed out.  \u201cI was supposed to go with a local Advocate representative on a V\u2019Dan ship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll grant you permission, without a doubt,\u201d  Jackie confirmed.  \u201cWhere you go, I go, and the other way around.  And I\u2019ll not leave behind your soldiers if I can help it.  There should be room for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s just these two, there will be,\u201d  Mamani confirmed, poking her thumb at the V\u2019Dan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackie nodded.  \u201cBut let\u2019s check in with the Tier Advocates directly, via hyperrelay, as well as with my people, the V\u2019Dan military, the Empress, and I don\u2019t know who else at this point.  We can use Captain Charboli\u2019s ship to relay, since he\u2019s still up in orbit, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReady and waiting, Ambassador,\u201d  the captain confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen that\u2019s good news.  Let\u2019s tidy up so we can get going,\u201d  A\u2019sha agreed, moving to help Nakko with the rubbish of their meal.  She paused after a moment, though, craning her neck to look up at Jackie.  \u201cYou know\u2026you\u2019re handling all of this rather calmly, Meioa Ambassador.  A sudden translocation of lightyears within an instant would probably find me<\/em> feeling more than a bit hysterical.  Add on top of that all of us nearly dying multiple times on our way down here\u2026you are remarkably<\/em> calm, given all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not too surprised.  Terran soldiers are trained to think through and past our emotions,\u201d  Paroquet told her, gathering up his share of the empty containers and stacking them together.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo are V\u2019Dan soldiers,\u201d  A\u2019sha replied dryly, arching her brow.  \u201cDo you doubt it?  But even the best of training can be forgotten in the face of an unbelievable shock.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe do believe your people have the same training.  But for one, I already knew such a thing was possible, if not necessarily over that distance.  For another, I\u2019m also exhausted, too tired<\/em> to react strongly to anything, right now,\u201d  Jackie confessed wryly.  \u201cIf I stop to think about it, yes, I start to feel extremely weird about it.  But as there is literally nothing I can do to change the situation, nothing anyone can do to put things back as they were\u2026and several reasons to let things stay as they now are\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, the best thing I can do is breathe deeply, let go my unnerved feelings, and just accept that this is my current reality.  It is unnerving, yes, but I am here and I have to deal with what is<\/em>, not what I want to be.\u201d  She looked at Li\u2019eth.  \u201cOn the bright side\u2026I\u2019m no longer feeling like half of my whole universe was ripped from my side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s\u2026actually a little bit romantic,\u201d  Paroquet offered, tipping his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s actually<\/em> a pain in the spine, not nearly so romantic,\u201d  Li\u2019eth replied tartly.  He handed over his eating utensils to be tucked into the shuttle\u2019s self-cleaning storage compartment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay, that<\/em> is un-<\/em>romantic.  What do you see in this v\u2019kon-shin<\/em>?\u201d  Nakko asked Jackie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUhh\u2026I\u2019m not familiar with that word,\u201d  she hedged.  Tired as she was, Jackie could not dredge it up out of her vocabulary<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a slang for\u2026ah, the closest Terranglo epithet would be \u2018bastard,\u2019 even though it technically means something entirely different,\u201d  her Gestalt partner explained.  \u201cAnd we both acknowledged long ago that our Gestalt is more problematical than helpful, given our respective political positions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSuffers to be you, then,\u201d  Nakko muttered.  \u201cNo offense intended, just sympathy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNone taken,\u201d  Li\u2019eth replied.  \u201cLet\u2019s finish getting this shuttle prepped for lockdown, so we can<\/em> take you with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to the top.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Book 3 of The First Salik War CHAPTER FOUR \u2026 August 12, 2298 C.E. Ri\u2019oko, Ton-Bei \u201cFires continue to burn on the Ke-chai Peninsula tonight,\u201dRead More<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-377","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=377"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":590,"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/377\/revisions\/590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}