Koban 5: A Federation Forged in Fire (29 page)

Maggi looked at her husband with respect. “Damn. It really is a matter of asking the right questions. I’m a biologist and so I wanted answers about the biology of the Olt’kitapi, and a simple Spacer wanted to know how these ships could travel so fast. Academic knowledge versus practical knowledge. Can we modify our ships to do that?”

“How the hell would I know? I’m just a simple Spacer.” He grinned wickedly at her.

The dangerous glint in her eyes hastened an inordinately brave man to add, “Max, Blue, and Coldar will ask more pertinent and detailed scientific questions than I did. They’re already talking to the ships by Comtap.”

“Thank you dear.” Her annoyance vanished.

“One thing is clear. Our ships will never be able to enter Jump holes while sitting on planets, as the Dismantlers say they can safely do. They have billions of tiny Trap emitters embedded in their flowing hull material; all linked somehow to the Jump drives. That lets them form event horizons that smoothly conform to the surfaces of their hulls, instead of the large dangerous spheres we form. That’s why they say all of the T-cubed capable Olt’kitapi ships had smooth rounded hulls, with no sharp angles or edges. That’s completely unlike clanships, which have protruding landing jacks, reaction thrusters, or weapons ports.”

“So, when do we go home Captain?” Noreen was ready to get back to Koban, now that the potential system evacuation had been called off.

“As soon as you and Dillon board the Avenger and undock with the Mark, then Pholowela and Harlshonla are ready to Comtap link and pull up close to us for the tow.”

“Should we transfer over to them for the trip?”

“For only twenty eight hours of transit time? You could, but you can communicate with them the entire way, and we have food and personal quarters on our own ships. Maggi and I are staying on the Mark.”

“OK, then. See you at home tomorrow.”

Traveling nearly seven thousand light years in that short a time was definitely going to change space travel. Crossing the galaxy, side to side, would only take about sixteen days to cover the roughly hundred thousand light years. T-cubed technology would greatly influence how large a volume of space a small group, such as the Kobani, could protect and control.

Chapter 6: Birth of a Federation

The Chairman had opened the floor for a discussion session, and Tet was addressing the Xenos city council. “Pholowela and Molonsela, with Kobani aboard, and our ships in tow have Jumped for Meadow and Bootstrap. I hesitate to call our people crew on the Dismantlers, since the ships can act alone, but they need our advice. Saving anyone on Meadow, or probably on Bootstrap, is a forlorn possibility by now. Too many sizable pieces of debris have struck both, particularly Meadow, which was likely sterilized by the last impacts before we pulled back from Human Space, when Medford tried to capture some of us.

“The mission is to rescue more of the people that actually got off-planet, or already lived on habitats within the systems can be moved out of the way of imminent destruction. Those millions of people take time to be ferried to adjacent colonies, and they’re at risk from the spreading debris field while they wait, with limited essential supplies. Two of our ships were towed with them, and thanks to T-cubed travel, they arrived even before you could gather for this meeting. Our people are communicating now with the local emergency coordination centers the PU set up, to explain what these powerful large ships could do there. The Dismantlers, an unfortunate descriptive name with a negative connotation now, which may have to be changed, are already herding the most threatening fragments away from those temporary refuges.

“Our own two ships have the ability to dock with the various makeshift habitats to take aboard at least twenty five hundred people at a time per ship. The Dismantlers don’t have compatible docking systems, so this rate of transfer isn’t very fast. Having said that, Pholowela and Harlshonla can at least tow our loaded ships to the next closest colony world in barely five or ten minutes, for offloading. If we can convince captains of human commercial space liners to trust us, some of the large Orbital Based Only ships being used for rescues can be quickly towed back to load ten thousand people at a time.”

Stewart MacDougal, the new council Chairman had a proposal. “The Raven, in orbit over Haven is operational and has the OBO capacity you mentioned, even if it only has a level one Jump drive. We could send her and some other of the old OBO ships we have here that are capable of maintaining life support, even they are unable to Jump. Why can’t those be towed to the two systems, if the Dismantlers come back here to get them? Is it just a matter of what the Olt’kitapi ships can tow? The OBO’s and migration ships all have much greater capacity than our captured clanships.”

Mirikami, his mouth slightly agape, shot a shocked look at Maggi. Her eyes widened as she too realized what Stewart, with no experience with the Dismantlers, or Jump Hole towing had proposed. It was even better than his proposal sounded on the surface.

“Maggi contact our people there, and tell them to use the Dismantlers to tow the habitats themselves to the nearby colonies. I know they can dredge up the tachyon energy to form the huge Jump Holes required.”

Looking sheepish as he shook his head, Mirikami said, “Great idea Stewart. I can’t imagine why that simpler solution failed to register with me. Why take the time to transfer smaller numbers of people from a habitat to a ship and then tow the ship to a safe system to transfer them to another orbital station, and then bring the ship back to the dangerous wrecked system to reload? Just tow the entire damned habitat, and then local shipping at the destination colony can ferry the people down to the planet. With the short Jump times possible, more remote colonies can become involved in the relief effort. I’m sure the closest worlds have been strained to the limit to accommodate so many refugees.”

Stewart looked surprised and pleased that his idea had a wider application than he’d considered. “I suppose we were constrained to think of how large orbital transfer stations have always been used to move people on and off planets, using smaller ships at those orbital waypoints. That, and the longer travel times involved made moving entire occupied habitats impractical, and no one needed to move so many people at one time.”

Maggi, having passed her Comtap message, added, “I’m thinking we just figured out how to move large numbers of prospective colonists to newly opened Krall worlds. Buy an orbital habitat, stock it up and tow it quickly to their new home, then live and work from there until it’s possible to move down to new settlements on the planet.”

Nawella, the current Prada representative to the council darted her head forward in agreement. “We have relearned the coordinates of our former home world, and several of our colonies. A migration ship would have taken a long time to make the journey, but a day of towing would place it there quickly. Some of our newest Prada arrivals have prepared a starter factory for transport in a migration ship, and a population of my people that, although grateful for the hospitality on Haven, yearn for a slightly lighter gravity and cooler climate that exists on some of our old worlds.”

Mirikami nodded. “I knew of that preparation Nawella, but I assumed the opportunity would be many years away. I believe the boundaries of our fledgling galactic society will expand faster than we expect. It’s time to consider what we will become, now that it’s no longer put off to a distant future.”

Nawella moved her head from side to side, indicating a bit of indecision. “Our former worlds, even if suitable for habitation, are remote. It has been demonstrated that there are threats in the stars that we, the Raspani and Torki, and an unfortunate number of other species were unable to meet. I do not want my people to face the galaxy alone, ever again. We strongly wish to continue with our previous plans, to form a united representative governing body, comprised of multiple species. Not only for trade and commerce, but for mutual protection of all.” She looked to Mirikami, an unasked question hanging in the air, concerning that protection.

Returning Nawella’s gaze, Mirikami looked around the table at Blue Flower Eater for the Raspani, and Coldar for the Torki, and then at the greatest surprise of all at the meeting, whom he addressed next, speaking low Krall.

“Toldot Fetra, you only have your five companions to consult with you here, but do you believe the remainder of the Krall’tapi will be willing to join the federation of races we four species have proposed forming? Your reply is not binding for you or for them at this time, or even later if you change your minds. The races represented here have already discussed what I’m telling you now, and we do not hold the Krall’tapi responsible for the actions of the Krall over the thousands of years of your own captivity. You are invited to join this council, although we do not compel you to do so." He spread his arms to include everyone at the table.

“I can tell you that Kobani have landed on the world where your people were held captive. They defeated the Krall there and captured their ships, without any harm coming to your people or to your dome. Your families and friends are safe from their threats. The translator disk you wear has kept you informed of our discussion so far, but I am speaking low Krall for your benefit now, so please excuse my standard Krall accent, since I know you speak with variations from that language. Your five companions are in another room with other interested parties, where they can see and hear what is said here, and you will be free to consult with them when you wish. I’d like to hear your thoughts on what is offered.”

The gray female, smaller than a Krall’tapi male, but less than half the weight of a standard Krall female, looked uncomfortable with so many alien eyes on her, and started hesitantly.

“My husband…, Pildon Fetra…, was taken by the Krall as pilot for a living ship mission. He did not return, but my family and I were released unharmed, which means he completed his task for the Krall. I heard you speak of the rescue of those that have survived the destruction of two planets. My husband passed the orders from the Krall to the ship that did this. Why would you let me, or my people live, let alone free us from the Krall and invite us to join you? We do not understand. We are afraid to trust what you say.”  

Before Mirikami could reply, Nawella spoke. “I’m a Prada elder named Nawella. I think you know of my people, although we were defeated and forced into serving the Krall long after your people were first held captive. We have made the weapons the Krall used to kill and enslave other races. We did this willingly, considering ourselves to be part of their empire, of an elder race in the galaxy that we should obey. This was a lie, of course, and we deceived ourselves as well. We helped the Krall make war by building their weapons. If we had not, we would have all been killed. Here we are now, at this table, inviting another species that was used by the Krall, to join us. The other races represented here have accepted us, and will accept you.”

Coldar chimed in. “I am Coldar, a Torki, and we too have traded continued existence for helping the Krall in weapons production, and helped them adapt new technologies for making different type weapons after they met and fought new species. We are at this table with other Krall victims, and we will accept you.”

Following the unspoken cue, Blue spoke next. “I am Blue Flower Eater, a Raspani. My people have a truly powerful reason to hate the Krall. They did more than defeat us, than destroy our civilization and steal our technology to defeat other species. They turned us back into primitive grass eaters and used us as meat animals. I know that you Krall’tapi have been eating descendants of my race for thousands of years. That is what you were provided by the Krall for food, other than what you could grow. Here, we are part of a society joined by the common factor that we were victims of the Krall and we wanted to fight back. None of us committed intended crimes against one another, but we stayed alive within the cruel limits set by our common enemy. We sit at this table, and will accept you.”

Maggi spoke next, for the human side. “Humanity became the most recent Krall target for conquest. We tasted too poor to eat, we had lower technology than they could use for developing new super weapons, and they didn’t need us as slave labor. We were only good for fighting and killing, until we were gone. As we adapted to fight them more effectively, they used a stolen technology from the Olt’kitapi, which as you know was the first species they destroyed. They forced your husband to relay their instructions to a living ship, and it unknowingly caused the deaths of billions of our people on two worlds. The living ship that did that work learned of the deception, and tried to help us save victims after that. Its sister ships brought you here, along with us. We all are victims of the Krall, and we sit here united, to form a society that will cooperate for mutual benefit, and mutual protection. We accept you.”

Toldot was a bit overwhelmed, not having known about the histories of these species with the Krall, and had never even heard of humans. It wasn’t as if her people’s captors had provided history lessons, at least beyond their incessant bragging of their personal victories.

“Thank you. I can speak for myself, and I have been granted the right to speak for my five companions. For them and myself, I say yes, that we will join whatever this council is. You say it is forming a society for the future. Is that to be a government? We have to return home to speak with the others in our dome for a final answer. There are very few of us and we have little to share with you, but I believe they will share what we have to be part of that.”

Mirikami nodded. “That’s an adequate reply for now, Toldot. You six will be returned to your people soon, although I can’t say how soon the fastest transportation will be available. You arrived here in a single day, but without one of those Olt’kitapi ships to return you home, the journey will be five or more hands of days. We hope to copy their mode of quick travel soon, but I don't know when that can happen.”