She turned and held herself in place by grasping the engineer’s chair. The Tei, or was it just Tei? Whatever, he came in quickly followed by Kajika. She couldn’t help her dislike of Kajika. He was the trigger-happy bastard who had shot James.

  Tei was looking at the controls and instruments with interest, but when she claimed his attention by the simple expedient of waving at him, he drifted closer and grabbed a panel to steady himself.

  James and the others had planned this day well, but now that he was wounded, Brenda would have to follow through. First, she had to sort out the compads. She opened a box of them and withdrew one, hesitated for a second, and pulled out a second for Kajika.

  “For you,” Brenda said into her mic, and the compads spoke in Shan. She grimaced as only the second word was translated and tried again. “A gift, yours to keep.”

  That was better, and Tei was pleased to accept them. He bowed to her. “I ### nothing ### offer ### in exchange, but ### come ### Chakra you ### ### my hospitality.”

  Brenda bowed understanding enough of what he said. She showed Tei how to use the compad as best she could by a few words and miming. She tried to show him that the words went into the microphones and then through the compads into the Box, before the Box sent them back out of the compads in the correct language.

  Tei flicked his ears, and then nodded in the Human fashion giving her hope that he understood some if not all of her explanation. Kajika was obviously not as interested as Tei was. He was holding his compad loosely, and hadn’t put on his headset as Tei had done. The fit was not perfect, those mobile ears were a hell of a challenge, but it did seem to work reasonably well.

  The next thing was to give them some basic information about the Alliance and Humanity in general. Where possible the literature had been compiled using hard copy diagrams and pictures, where that was not possible, Brenda would have to try to explain. Nowhere was jump technology mentioned, or any kind of astrographical data that might compromise the locations of Alliance worlds. Data of a military nature was absent also of course, but there was still a great deal regarding the threat the Merkiaari posed as well as day-to-day life in the Alliance.

  Brenda had been against the inclusion of the Merkiaari material, but now it looked as if James had been right about the Shan. From Tei’Varyk’s reactions, she knew that his people had met the Merkiaari before. It seemed obvious to her now that there had been a previous civilisation, perhaps the very Harmony of Shan they had all puzzled over, and it had been shattered by war. Merkiaari were those the Shan named the Murderers of Harmony, and that made a great difference to her thinking.

  Before today, she had always subscribed to the view that the war was Humanity’s fault for sending military ships to greet the Merki, but now she knew the Shan had also suffered through contact with the Merki. Once was an accident, but twice?

  No.

  Tei’Varyk was studying the pictures with great interest. He wasn’t so much studying them, as flicking through to get a feel of what the folders contained. Brenda watched his ears flatten and prick erect, flick and twitch, all the time wondering what it all meant. He didn’t appear upset as he floated with the folders hovering near to his paws, but some of what he saw must be confusing for him.

  “Ask questions, I answer,” Brenda said speaking pidgin Shan, which the translator obediently converted into English to the confusion of both Shan. She was about to repeat herself in English, when Tei spoke. She had been understood after all.

  “Why come?” Tei said copying her example.

  “We hear talking. We come warn you to stop. Merkiaari find you when you talk so loud. We know this. It happened to us. We talk quiet now.”

  Brenda was pleased with that. Most of the words had translated flawlessly, but she was not as pleased with the result it caused. Tei was agitated, and Kajika didn’t look happy; his muzzle was rumpled and his ears were flat.

  “Talk… talk is why they came? They no like talk?” Tei’Varyk said intently.

  “No, no, no,” Brenda said and shook her head. “They want to kill anyone not Merki, but not know where we are. They follow our talk… find us. They kill us and listen more. They follow talk, kill us again. We come here… try save you. We not know we too late.”

  * * *

  Tei’Varyk believed her. So much made sense now. The alien fang running and not firing back, the other one always running and hiding, again without firing. Leaving behind two of their people in a cub lander was a desperate attempt to communicate, but would the elders believe it?

  He glanced at Kajika and saw the disbelief on his face, in the angle of his half laid-back ears, but Kajika wasn’t a deep thinker. He was a hunter first, last, and always, which was good in a claw of Chakra. A Tei had to be more. He had to look at a situation and see not only what was, but what could be also.

  The Humans were a horrible danger to his people, but they could also be an incredible boon. Handled right, this meeting might see the Harmony of Shan resurrected stronger than ever.

  “You want be friends?” Tei’Varyk said in cub talk.

  “Yes,” Brenda said.

  “You want help us kill Merkiaari?”

  “If ### come, we stop them.”

  “No,” he said feeling this was an important point. “Not protect us. Help us learn how to protect ourselves.”

  “We help you,” Brenda said bobbing her head. “Want you not hunt Canada—our ship. We need to send ### ### ### ###,” she screwed her face up at the bad translation. “We need send message home.”

  Kajika hissed. “We can’t let them do that. More might come.”

  “Quiet you fool,” Tei’Varyk said but it was too late. The device had already told Brenda Kajika’s words.

  “You not help us send ### ### ###, we not help you,” Brenda said quickly in reaction. “My Captain… my Tei say he not let you ### his ship. We destroy ### ourselves first. You not ### ### you help ###.”

  Tei’Varyk’s chewed his whiskers in annoyance. The alien was so angry that he could barely understand her.

  “We have these two,” Kajika said. “This lander might—”

  “I won’t tell you again. Be silent or suffer for it back on Chakra!” Tei’Varyk blazed in anger. Brenda had been friendly, but now the conversation had slipped over into hostile territory.

  “I nothing, my mate nothing, ### cub ### nothing,” Brenda said coldly. “Cub not ### our planets, little distance only… understand? Not go like Canada go. You learn nothing ### it. We ### be friends, but we not give you ###. A gift for a gift, ### we be friends forever. We not like Merkiaari; you not like Merkiaari. We kill them, help you kill them, but Canada small ship—not made ### fight. Help ### send message home… help come. Canada little ship. Made for explore—understand? Find new things, new places; not fight.”

  Brenda had let something slip, and Tei’Varyk’s reaction to it told her that she had. She bit her lip and reddened. Did that mean she was embarrassed? It probably did, because she should be. Her ship was not for war, she said, but was instead for exploring new places. Imagine being in command of such a one, able to go anywhere and see anything.

  He would revel in such a life. There would be new systems and planets for the taking, Shan venturing out and making those planets their home. A new and perhaps better harmony could be created. Not a warship she said. That was extremely useful to know. It said the alien ship would be easy to destroy, but he didn’t want to. He wanted it all. He wanted the stars for his people. He had no doubt the Human Tei would see his ship destroyed before allowing it to be captured. He would do the same in the Human’s position.

  “I not say yes, I not say no. Elders say,” Tei’Varyk said finally making a decision.

  “You go back Chakra. Talk elders ### come back and say. We ### here,” Brenda said.

  Tei’Varyk flicked his ears in agreement, but then bobbed his head for good measure. He offered her the pictures back, but she said they were a gift. He bowed as best he could and she did the same before giving him a container to safeguard the talking devices and gifts.

  * * *

  Brenda knew she’d gone wrong, but for the life of her she couldn’t see how she could’ve done differently. She’d slipped by telling Tei’Varyk that Canada wasn’t a warship, but he would get a surprise if he fired on her. Canada wasn’t a warship any longer, but she had been one once. She could still defend herself long enough to escape into fold space.

  Brenda watched Tei’Varyk fit the compads and other things neatly into the container and seal it. They would be quite safe from the cold and vacuum of space. When they were ready, she escorted them to the airlock, all the time looking worriedly at James. Shouldn’t he have awoken by now? Surely the bots had made an impression on the wound after all this time, but if they had, she saw no sign.

  The Shan sealed their helmets and stepped into the airlock.

  Tei turned to face her. He raised a paw and Brenda did the same before closing the inner door to start the exit cycle. She watched in silence as the outer door opened and her guests left.

  “Brenda?” James croaked. “Did I miss anything?”

  Brenda gasped and spun to see James looking at her with a grey and sweating face. She was by his side and kissing him before she’d thought to move.

  “Are you in pain? Of course you are. I’ll get you something my love; you’ll be all right. I injected the bots, and Fleet has good ones and—”

  “Shush, I’m not in pain,” James said then grimaced. “Not much. I missed the whole thing didn’t I? Some hero I turned out to be…” he said as his eyes slipped slowly shut.

  “You sleep now. Tomorrow you’ll be well again,” Brenda said and sat next to him holding his hand with tears of joy in her eyes.

  * * *

  Aboard Chakra, Inner Belt, Shan System

  Tei’Varyk stormed onto the command deck in a state of high excitement and agitation. The Humans could be the saviours of his people, but like all good things, there was another side to the story. What if the Humans came here, but did not allow Shan to learn their technology? What then? His people would be like cubs to them. His people needed friends and partners, equal partners, not some kind of master or parent.

  “Kon’stanji, you are claw of Chakra,” he said as he took his station from Tei’Unwin.

  “I hear but…” Kon’stanji hesitated to ask.

  “Kajika has shamed me. His punishment is reduction to alternate claw.”

  There was some little shock at that, but relief as well. For all they knew, the aliens might have killed Kajika. Only Tei’Varyk knew that if anyone had killed Kajika it would have been him, and it would remain that way.

  Tei’Unwin had not yet left the command deck. Tei’Varyk wondered how much he should divulge. He had yet to speak to the elders about his meeting with the aliens. Would they expect him to keep the meeting secret? Keeping it secret might make it easier for them to ignore the aliens. That was something he would not allow if he had his way, but it was not his place to make such decisions. He chewed his whiskers and decided to risk their displeasure.

  “We have a great opportunity before us,” he began. “There are two aliens aboard the cub, and they are friendly.”

  Gasps and yips of shock surrounded him. Tei’Varyk dropped his jaw and waved his ears in amusement. What did Humans do when they were amused? He glanced at Tarjei and saw worry mixed with relief at his return. The worry was the same as on all the other’s faces, but the rest was for him alone.

  “You are certain, Tei?” Tei’Unwin asked. “Really certain they mean us no harm?”

  “I’m certain of nothing. Never am I certain beyond some small doubt. You are the same or you would still be Kon’Unwin, but I feel they are not an immediate threat to us. I’ve been given gifts, and I have spoken with the female whose name is,” Tei’Varyk paused and tried to sound the alien name. “Brenda. Her mate is James. I have been gifted with a device that turns my words into Human speech. They have the same devices to turn their speech into ours. It’s not a perfect translation, but the errors are small enough for understanding.”

  “Humanssss?” Tei’Unwin sounded the strange name, but he garbled the last syllable. “They are not like the Murderers?”

  “No, they’re very different. They’re much smaller and carry no weapons on their persons. They have no fangs or claws.” He hesitated. “They say they came to save us from the Murderers, and I believe them.”

  The command deck went silent. Tei’Varyk looked around and saw complete disbelief on every face except Tarjei. She looked afraid for him, and worse, of him also.

  “Tei,” Tei’Unwin began uncertainly. “May I have leave to speak with Kajika?”

  Tei’Varyk flicked his ears. “You have my leave.”

  Tei’Unwin bowed and left in a scrabble of claws. He was in a hurry to verify Tei’Varyk’s words, or refute them.

  Tei’Varyk looked around at his crew’s worried faces. They deserved more from him. “I know you doubt me. I have given the Humans nothing but my word that I will speak to the elders about our meeting. The Tei of the ship we have been chasing will not allow us to capture him; he will destroy him first. I would do the same if I were he. That ship has FTL capability beyond any doubt. The Human Tei will never allow us to take him.”

  “Then we should destroy him,” Kon’stanji said. “Surely?” he added with his ears at half-mast.

  “So, to, does Kajika advise me. I see…” Tei’Varyk said quietly and his crew leaned forward with baited breath. “I see perhaps too much in these Humans. They were attacked by the Merkiaari. Eighty Human worlds were devastated. Eighty. Do you see what that means? I see a chance for our people to go out into the void and begin rebuilding the Harmony of Shan bigger and stronger than ever. I see Humans tracking down the Murderers with us and destroying them utterly. That’s what I see.”

  “And what do the Humans see, Tei?” Tarjei asked.

  “They see strength in numbers, I would judge. They came to warn and protect us, but I would have them help us learn, so that we might protect ourselves. We are not cubs. I would see us out there among the stars as equals.”

  16 ~ Contact

  Aboard Chakra, at station keeping, Shan Inner Belt

  Tei’Varyk chose his personal chambers to discuss the situation with the Humans. Besides James and Brenda, Tarjei and Tei’Unwin were also present. Strictly speaking, Tarjei should not have been invited. She had neither the rank nor the experience to warrant her inclusion, but he valued her insights.

  She was here because he wanted her close, and he was Tei for Chakra. If Tei’Unwin didn’t like it, he would keep silent if he knew what was good for him. Tei’Varyk had put up with more than enough questioning of his authority. He would allow no more of it.

  “Your people would accept this?” Tarjei said.

  “They would ### it,” James said excitedly.

  Tarjei flicked her ears in annoyance at the garbled translation. The Humans did not understand her signal of displeasure of course.

  “Say again.”

  Brenda tried first. “They happy if Shan do this thing.”

  Tei’Varyk winced at the static coming from his earpiece. Brenda had spoken the name of the race in Shan, and the translator had not understood her mangled attempt.

  “How many Humanssss…” Tei’Unwin said trying to think of a simple way to ask his question.

  “How many against it?” James offered and Tei’Unwin gratefully accepted that. “We have two hundred and thirty-four worlds, Tei. ### one ### billions of Humans. I ### tell you ### ### figure.”

  Brenda added her thoughts. “Only fifty-eight worlds ### against coming here.”

  “Only fifty-eight?” Tei’Varyk said slowly. Did he have that right? “Only?” he said exchanging a concerned look with Tarjei. “These fifty-eight would stop us?”

  “No,” James and Brenda said together, but James went on. “One hundred and seventy-six in favour of us coming here, Tei. It is enough.”

  “Your elders allow this?” Tarjei said in dismay. “You do not care about the fifty-eight worlds against us?”

  “We care, but the Alliance is ### by ### vote. All worlds agree to ### by a ### vote. You see?”

  Tei’Varyk believed he understood. Two-hundred-and-thirty-four elders led the Alliance, but as with everyone, they did not always agree. The Shan system was better. Kajetan always spoke the final word of decision. The other elders helped her to decide, but she, and only she, decided what was to be done.

  “I understand,” Tei’Varyk said. “We have two worlds. We have two votes?”

  “Ah… no, Tei. The twin worlds of the Shan are…” James looked flustered and Brenda spoke up.

  “All Alliance systems have one vote. Your system is the only one with two ### worlds that we ### ever discovered, but the pattern is set. One system, one vote.”

  Tei’Varyk thought that was probably best. Two votes might mean Child of Harmony voting against Harmony at some future time. He could not conceive of a situation that might warrant it, but best to rule it out now.

  “What of our fleet?” Tei’Unwin said. “We will not give up our ships.”

  Tei’Varyk couldn’t prevent his shock from betraying itself at the thought. His ears plastered themselves against his head, and his nostrils flared as if facing into a strong wind. He was embarrassed when his lack of control allowed his tail to wind itself around his leg. A cub of two orbits could control himself better.

  He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. His tail uncurled slowly. Thankfully, Tei’Unwin was too intent on the Humans to notice his immature reaction.