Charlie Boone
by Geron Kees
Life Is Like A New Suit of Clothes, Charlie Boone! - Chapter 6
"I'm there," Charlie said via mind touch, as he came to a stop in space near the four Loturi vessels. "Kip, ask Grim which of these ships Anon was speaking to us from."
"He says the second ship from the right in that pattern."
Charlie nodded, but in his second presence it was a totally immaterial action. "I don't think the defenses these ships have will keep me out, if Amtapora's defenses couldn't."
"The big voice agrees," Kippy returned. Charlie sensed his boyfriend sigh. "It still amazes me to be standing here in the command chamber of Investigator, and still be with you there, by the Loturi ships."
"It's pretty awesome," Browbeat agreed. He tittered. "Those red and gray ships look like snarfuli eggs back home!"
"They must make one hell of an omelet!" Adrian added, along with a bright mental laugh.
"Are we going in?" Rick asked "We should get going, then."
Charlie agreed. He moved them quickly to the ship Grim had indicated. If they passed through any sort of defensive screens, they couldn't feel it at all. Nothing occurred like the brief resistance they had felt in moving towards Investigator. In a moment they were through the hull, and within a corridor of the vessel. Several Loturi moved past them. completely unaware of their presence.
"Upward, I'd say," Rick suggested. "The command center is probably at the top."
They rose through a deck, and then another, and then a third, before emerging in a large room filled with Loturi seated at consoles. Three of the aliens were seated abreast before a large holographic projection of the nearby world, the space around it, and a bright, distant orb that could only be Investigator. Charlie recognized the three Captains then, and moved his presence closer so that they could hear the men talking.
"I can't understand them," Adrian said immediately.
Of course they couldn't. They were there immaterially, where Grim was unable to supply translations, and where the tiny translators they all carried on their physical selves couldn't operate. Charlie closed his mental eyes, thinking...there just had to be a way to do this.
He remembered then the mental pressure he had felt from Amtapora when they had first boarded their new ship. The shipmind was the product of a race of telepaths, and had once interfaced with the ship's crew in that manner. But the minds of these others were sufficiently different that neither Charlie nor his friends could mind-touch directly with Amptapora. Grim supplied the necessary link for them to fully communicate by voice.
But...did that mean Amtapora could not sense them somehow?
"Kip? Ask Grim to get Amtapora to try to communicate with our minds as he did when we first boarded his ship. We could feel the pressure of his thoughts, even if we only got impressions from them, not direct communication. That suggests to me that some sort of link might be established. I want to try to get the shipminds into the link with my second presence."
Charlie could sense Kip relay the instruction to Grim, and then...
Again, Charlie felt the odd pressure of another mind, trying to speak to his. His physical self was back aboard Investigator, seated next to the others. Amtapora was right there.
For a moment the sense of mental pressure came and went, leaving impressions of something vast and old, curious and eager, and dedicated to life. If this was the true nature of Amtapora, Charlie found he liked the alien shipmind quite a lot. There was a sense of fulfillment among the other impressions, newly planted, no doubt sown by the meeting with the new operators of Investigator. The pleasure the shipmind felt at being useful again -- at having a purpose --was abundantly clear.
A new impression came to him then. For a second Charlie thought he heard a voice, or perhaps the echo of one, as if someone calling down a long corridor. The effect was haunting, and fleeting, for almost immediately it was gone again. Charlie was about to ask a question of Kip -- had he sensed that strange voice, too? -- when the voice suddenly returned again, at once louder than before, and then more softly; first nearby, and then faraway. It seemed to move closer again, firm and solidify...and then, quite suddenly, Charlie heard Grim speaking to his mind.
"That was most interesting."
"It worked!" Kip said happily.
"Now we're cooking with gas!" Browbeat injected.
Charlie sensed a group laugh from the others, and smiled within his own mind. "Grim? We need you to translate for us aboard the Loturi vessel."
"At this point, I seem to be able to hear what you hear, Charlie. What a number of you hear. And see! This is quite an amazing experience."
"For us, too," Charlie returned. "But...let me get back to what our Loturi friends are saying. Please real-time translate, if you can."
He returned his attention to the three alien officers seated nearby.
"...like what happened centuries ago, with our first meeting with the Abask," Third Captain Lisk was saying. "That meeting was tumultuous, and our borders with them are still in question."
"These are not the Abask," Second Captain Rorna suggested, shaking his head. "At the time we met the Abask, our technologies were roughly equivalent in many areas, at least in ship design and weapons technology. That would seem not to be the case with these...Carpathians."
First Captain Anon, who had been staring silently at Investigator in the holo display, slowly nodded his head. He was sensing the utter strangeness of the alien vessel. It tweaked his senses, a clear warning. Even an omen? His precognitive abilities were documented. They were one of the traits that had made him such a fine First Captain.
"We would seem to be dealing with a more robust technology than our own here." He turned then, to one of the lower officers seated at a nearby console. "Any more from the sensor array, Chi Tavan?"
While the Loturi in question was at first glance no different in looks than the others, Charlie realized the the officer was a female of the alien species by the sound of her voice.
"No, First Captain. Surprisingly little comes through. I have been letting the AI component sift the incoming data. Their are hints of power generation in enormous quantities, but what it is being used for, I cannot say." She pointed at Investigator in the holo display. "Their defenses are amazingly efficient."
Second Captain Rorna turned to face the other officer, too. "What sort of power indications are you receiving?"
Chi Tavan's features pinched in concentration a moment. "Truly assessing the capabilities of an opponent requires reactive scans to be able to investigate the functions of their technology. We are unable to instigate reactive scans of the alien vessel. What we are getting is strictly passive in nature. Power generation creates definable noise in the e-m spectrum, but these emissions are purposely shielded to keep them from interfering with other systems. But even the best dampening procedures are not 100% efficient. There is often an infinitesimal amount of leakage. By determining the strength and nature of these tiny emissions, the AI component can extrapolate information on how much and what sort of power is being generated. In this case, the amount is almost unbelievable."
The three alien captains exchanged glances. "How so?" Rorna asked.
The lower officer did something on her console, and an image of one of the Loturi egg ships appeared in the central display. "This is Roorisk, our own vessel." Another egg, easily twice the size of the first, appeared next to it then."This is Abolisk, the newest vessel in the home fleet, designed to counter the Abask Feniizzi-class of warship. Abolisk generates roughly four times the energy that our own cruiser generates, and has defenses and weapons to match."
She then did something else on her console, and an image of Investigator appeared next to the Loturi battleship. It was slightly larger than Roorisk, but definitely a pygmy next to the bigger vessel. "Our new friends," Tavan indicated. The officer gave a small sigh. "AI interpretation of the e-m seepage from the alien vessel suggests it generates eight to ten times the power that Abolisk, our most powerful vessel, is able to produce."
Not just the three captains, but everyone in the control center within hearing range of Chi Tavan froze. For that matter, Charlie was himself speechless at the idea. What sort of vessel had they acquired! By now Charlie was certain that Amtapora and his ship hailed from one of the major empires of the larger development period twenty thousand years earlier, where some fairly monumental technologies had evidently been common. Who had these people been?
But the young Loturi officer's words now reminded Charlie of Amtapora's assurance that the four Loturi vessels were not a threat to them!
"Preposterous!" Third Captain Lisk said roughly. "There must be some mistake!"
First Captain Anon stared at the young woman manning the sensory console. "How accurate do you think these estimates really are?"
Chi Tavan nodded. "The AI places the accuracy of the data at 85%. There is a 15% chance it is off by a small percentage in one direction or another, but only minimally. What seems to be clear is that the alien vessel is almost certainly more than a match for Roorisk and the other three cruisers of this squadron." She paused, clearly wanting to add more.
First Captain Anon almost smiled. "And?"
"The extremely strange, rapid manner in which their vessel moves about suggests to the science department a familiarity with the manipulation of time. That alone implies a technology superior to our own. My own senses suggest that extreme caution is in order in dealing with these aliens."
"You feel they are dangerous?"
The younger female officer smiled tightly. "I sense they are uniquely powerful, which certainly means they can be dangerous."
Anon nodded. "The strangeness of these people is apparent to me, as well." He turned to again gaze at Investigator in the display. "But...there is also something almost kindred I sense from them, too. Something familiar. I would not be at all surprised to learn that they are power-users, like ourselves."
Everyone turned to stare at the amplified bright orb in the display that was Investigator, not even a tenth of a light-second away.
"Amazing," First Captain Anon said softly then, "to pack so much power into a vessel scarcely larger than our own."
"What might their weapons be like?" Third Captain Lisk mused, his eyes unnaturally bright. "If anything like their defenses, they could be quite formidable."
"This is worrisome," Second Captain Rorna said. "It begs us to consider other, more frightful ideas." He turned to stare at Anon. "Surely that alien vessel is not the most sizable in their fleet, anymore than Roorisk is the largest in ours. Imagine a vessel two or three times the size of the one we face now -- or, even a fleet of such titans - let loose upon our own navy!"
"I have considered that idea," First Captain Anon replied. "It seems imperative now that this meeting be handled with the utmost care. The state of the alien's technology suggests there could easily be merit to the notion that this area of space has been claimed by them for twenty centuries. They would seem to be, by the development of their sciences, an older people than our own." He sat back in his seat. "It's quite possible we really are at fault here, that we are the trespassers. Let us not compound that error by acting foolishly now."
"If we are wrong about the borders here, so are the Abask," Rorna put in. "This could lead to a redrawing of the borders of both empires!"
"What do we do, then?" the third captain asked.
Anon nodded slowly. "Meet with them, as we have already planned. Perhaps when they understand what we have been doing, they will see that we are no danger to the fifth-order lifeforms that inhabit the world below."
Third Captain Lisk looked uncertain. "Should I keep updating home base on events here?"
"Yes. I doubt very much that any of the patrol fleet is handy there at the moment, not that they would do any good here. In fact, make sure they understand that no more ships are to be sent. It would only make us look threatening to the Carpathians, as well as putting in danger more of the sector patrol fleet than is already at risk now."
One of the other Loturi seated nearby spoke up then. "First Captain, Chi Baradee asks to speak with you."
Captain Anon's eyes widened slightly, but then he smiled. "Perhaps to inform us that our own senses are not just imagination. Please, send her in."
Another Loturi entered the command center, but this one wore long, flowing robes instead of a uniform, clothing that actually allowed her breasts to be defined beneath. She was obviously older, too, as the gray in her fur suggested; but her movements were fluid and graceful, belying advanced age.
She arrived behind the first captain and gazed past him at the bright orb of Investigator in the holo display. "I sense power-users aboard that vessel, First Captain. I have come to alert you to be wary."
Anon nodded. "My own senses, feeble as they are in comparison to your own, have already alerted me to the possibility. Now, we are certain."
Chi Baradee closed her eyes a moment, and turned her head slowly in each direction before opening them again. She placed a hand on Anon's shoulder."I sense they are aware that we are power-users, too. These people are not to be underestimated, First Captain."
Anon smiled, and reached across himself to drop a hand on the woman's own hand, an obvious fondness in his eyes now. "I will not underestimate them, Baradee. Our own resources have already given us much to think about concerning our new friends. I assure you, we will take care here."
"I wish to be present at the meeting," the old woman said.
"And so you shall be." Anon sighed softly, and looked again at the distant alien ship that was Investigator. "And now, let us contact these new ones, and see what we can see."
"I like them," Kippy said, frowning. "They seem like an an honest, decent people. I don't think it's going to be fun deceiving them."
Charlie nodded. "I like them, too. But we needed to get a look at the control area of their ship, so that we can teleport there should we want to do that."
"You're thinking about teleporting over there?" Robin asked. "That would seem a dangerous idea."
"Not if they invite us," Charlie replied. "My feeling is that they will want to talk in person. Either we go to them, or they come to us. I think they will feel much more comfortable on their own vessel, and whatever they have been doing will probably be easier to explain from there."
"You think it's safe to go there?" Amy asked, looking skeptical.
"Actually, I do. But...Kip, I am not nearly as sensitive as you are. What do you get from these folks?"
"I already said I liked them."
At Charlie's glance, Adrian also nodded. "I do, too."
Charlie shrugged. "Well, there you go. That makes three of us. We'll offer to go and see them, and see what they say."
"Who will go with you?" Kippy asked, eying him.
"Well, we shouldn't all go, of course."
"I'll stay," Amy said. "My sense of adventure is already strained to the limit. Remember, I haven't been racing around the galaxy for years like you guys have." She grimaced. "Plus, I really don't want to be seen looking like this."
"You look fine, my dear, for a Carpathian, anyway." Horace sighed. "I should stay with her."
Rick also sighed then. "Well...there need to be some reinforcements here in case of trouble. Someone that can do mind-touch." He turned to his boyfriend. "Stay with me? We can follow what's going on by hitching a mental ride with Charlie and Kip."
Adrian leaned up against Rick and sighed happily. "I don't mind staying with you at all."
Charlie breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. I was afraid everyone would want to go."
Kippy leaned his head almost imperceptibly towards Browbeat, perched on his shoulder, and grinned innocently at Charlie. "So, you, me, and Robin?"
Browbeat's golden eyes widened in surprise, and he looked quickly around at those watching him...
And then Charlie smiled. "And Browbeat, of course."
The little flyer looked relieved, and tittered happily. "Of course! You guys need me to look out for you!"
The big voice spoke then. "The Loturi are attempting to communicate with us, Charlie."
Charlie relaxed against the invisible back of his seat and nodded. "Put them on."
The images of the three Loturi captains appeared before them. Chi Baradee still stood behind the First Captain, here gaze unreadable. Charlie raised a hand. "First Captain Anon. And captains Rorna and Lisk." He decided it wouldn't hurt to add another notch to the uncertainty the Loturi already had about their powers. "Chi Baradee. Greetings to you all."
The surprise on the alien's faces at the inclusion of the old woman was clear. But Anon was obviously not one to stay surprised for very long,.
"Commander Boone," the other captain replied. "We are ready to speak with you now, if the time is agreeable with you."
"It is. Our instruments indicate to us that your atmosphere is breathable. Shall we come to you?"
The barest trace of a smile came and went on Captain Anon's face, certainly at the acknowledgement that Investigator's sensors were not having the same trouble penetrating the Loturi defenses that his own were having with Investigator. But there was also seemed to be some small surprise there that Charlie seemed perfectly willing to come to them.
The man tilted his head forward slightly. "I give you my bond of safe conduct should you come to visit us. We have no wish to make the present situation more tense."
Charlie smiled with a little bit of the wolf at that "Is it tense? I hadn't noticed."
One thing about the First Captain, he was not easily flustered. At Charlie's words he produced a handsome, toothy smile. "Then I am happy to have you come to meet with us." He looked over at one of the consoles, and then turned back to Charlie. "You can bring your transport vessel to one of the lower locks. I will illuminate one for you, so you know where to go.
Charlie stood then, and motioned for the others that were going along to get up. Kip, with Browbeat on his shoulder, and Robin, got up to stand with him, touching Charlie, but not obvious about it.
Charlie shook his head at the distant Loturi. "No ship is necessary." He found the moment of teleport, and unleashed it.
They appeared in the Loturi control room, in the area before the three captains and the holo display. Rorna and Lisk both jumped at the pop of displaced air that announced their arrival and arched backwards in their seats, and several of the other deck officers jumped to their feet, their hands automatically going for the small hand weapons holstered upon their belts. But Anon immediately held up a hand then, and the tight discipline of the crew became plain as all movement instantly ceased.
For a moment, First Captain Anon simply stared at Charlie and the others. He had not reacted with the same degree of alarm the other two captains had, showing nothing more than a slightly incredulous stare. But then he took a breath, visibly gathered himself, and smiled. "Welcome aboard Roorisk, Commander Boone. And company."
This time, the little blobs of the translators they wore in their ears worked just fine. Charlie held out a handful of them, and indicated that they be placed in the ears, turning his head to show his own. Once placed, they would seek a friendly surface and gently attach themselves. The translators were Madracorn technology provided by Eseffa and Jorli, even smaller and less noticeable than the models they had originally obtained from Pacha'ka, and so could in no way be traced to any of the other empires.
The first captain extended a hand and received the gift, gazed first at the mysterious blobs, and than up at at them a moment. A sort of what the hell look crossed his furry features, and then he took one of the blobs and put put it into his ear, where it gently found its place. The Loturi looked amazed at the tiny movement he felt, and his eyes came back up to meet Charlie's.
"You should now be able to understand our language," Charlie said quietly. "Feel free to dispense the other translators to those you want in our conference." He smiled. "As soon as you are satisfied as to their safety, of course."
Anon obviously understood him. He told the others what the devices were for, and offered a translator to each of the other captains, and then one to Chi Baradee. Rorna and Lisk stared at theirs in their hands, but Chi Baradee immediately placed hers into her ear.
"So, you don't actually speak our language," Captain Anon said. "We were wondering about that."
Charlie waved a hand. "No, we don't. That was less obvious over the com, I know. But we have it now, and these small devices will ably translate between us."
Chi Baradee leaned closer over the first captain's shoulder. "You're power users. You...you teleported here."
Charlie nodded. "Yes."
The old women gave a tiny shake of her head. "That should not be possible. Teleporters that I know of cannot go where they have yet to set foot, themselves."
Kippy smiled faintly. "Perhaps we are not the sort of teleporters you know."
Charlie chuckled inwardly, happy that his boyfriend was getting into the game. "I don't want to lie too much," he sent to Kip. "I do want them to continue to view us as most mysterious, though."
"I'll be good," Kip sent back cheerily.
Charlie gave a small bow to the three captains. By now, both Rorna and Lisk had applied their translators, if perhaps a little reluctantly.
"May I introduce three of my associates? This is Kip, Robin, and the small fellow is Browbeat."
There were very human-like nods from the others, and Charlie could see them repeating the names under their breaths.
"Welcome aboard our vessel, all of you." The first captain held up a hand then. "We need a place more suited to a conference than this. One of the command meeting rooms, will do." He slid out of his chair, and indicated that the other captains do so, as well. "This way please."
The three Loturi moved off towards the back of the chamber, and Baradee gave the visitors one more piercing look, and then followed.
"Come on, gents," Charlie said, falling in after the others.
An officer got up from his console as they passed and went to sit in the third captain's seat. The look he gave them as they went by suggested curiosity, a bit of wonder, and perhaps a trace of hope that all would go well in the meeting.
"I would offer you refreshments, but I have no idea what you could safely consume," Anon told them, after they had been seated around a circular conference table in a pleasant room off the command center.
"We ate before we came over," Kip answered, his eyes smiling. "But thank you."
Charlie glanced around the meeting room. Several holo images graced the circular walls, showing the same image the command holo had displayed. Charlie briefly observed the bright orb of Investigator against the backdrop of the planet, and thought then that his friends back aboard ship had been very silent up until now.
"Rick?" he thought. "Adrian? You two have been quiet."
"We were letting you get situated," Rick returned. "It seemed best not to distract you."
"I like the way these people talk," Adrian put in then. "They seem very straightforward. I get no sense that they are hiding anything at all."
Charlie suddenly became aware of Chi Baradee squinting at him, and felt a minor pressure against his own mind.
"I felt that," Kip thought then. "I think she senses our links."
"I'm sure of it," Rick stated firmly. "I can feel her probing you even over here. That's amazing, that what you sense that way comes right across the link to us."
"I feel it, too," Browbeat added. "But I also feel she can only sense us, not listen in."
Robin narrowed his eyes briefly at Charlie and the others, seemingly aware that something was up, but not able to be part of the telepathic link.
Charlie decided he'd better cue the man in. He smiled at the old woman. "Something, Chi Baradee?"
The three captains, looking slightly puzzled at the sudden silence among their guests, all turned to look at the older Loturi. Surprise showed briefly in her eyes, but she covered it well. "You're telepaths, too."
Charlie nodded. "Correct. We are all in contact with those aboard our own vessel. I sensed your interest."
First Captain Anon reached out a hand and dropped it slowly on the old woman's hand. "Let's not tread where we are not welcome, Baradee."
The old woman actually looked briefly embarrassed. "I was not trying to intrude," she told the captain. "But if you had felt the strength of their links, you would also have been curious, too."
The first captain looked back at Charlie. "I have been feeling something. I just did not know what it was."
"What other talents do you possess?" Chi Baradee asked then, her boldness returning.
Anon winced, and patted her hand again. "This can wait. Please."
The old woman frowned, but nodded. She leaned forward on the table to gaze at Charlie. "My position aboard this vessel is solely related to the detection and understanding of such mental talents in others. I cannot help but to be curious. But, of course, neither can I demand that you answer my questions."
Charlie nodded, his expression not unkind. "That's right, you can't."
A faint smile tugged at the old woman's short muzzle then, and her eyes brightened noticeably. She turned to Anon. "I like this one. There are things he is not saying, but I sense no great deception is involved, and there is no ill-will towards us. His mission is simply to understand and deal with this situation. I feel that complete honesty is to our advantage here. Deception will be detected by minds like these."
Charlie was surprised by that. Rick's chuckle came across the link. "The old girl has your number, Charlie."
"It's a surprisingly accurate assessment," Kip offered. "Her powers are not to be ignored."
"I wasn't going to ignore them," Charlie replied. "And, especially not now!"
"She has the most powerful skwish among our new friends," Browbeat assured. "But a lot of what she surmises about us is due to experience in using those talents, more than because of how good they are. We can block her easily, if we want to."
"I was going to suggest the mind screen we learned to use against Lane Tallfield," Adrian supplied. "I know it's always on, but it needs to be redirected against new threats, sometimes."
Charlie considered that. "No. I don't think she gets more than surface impressions, as it is. She's just very good at adding them up. I think if we suddenly close off everything, it will alarm her and make her suspicious. I'd rather not have that happen."
Charlie smiled then. The Loturi were watching them, obviously being patient. "So," he began. "As to why we are all here." He looked expectantly at Anon.
That man offered the pleasant smile again. "Given that we have assumed until now that we have been operating within our own space, of course."
Charlie nodded. "Continue."
"What we were involved in is a police action. We traced a...a vessel suspected of smuggling to this world, where it landed. Before we could pursue, it was required that we contact the inhabitants and ask for permission to land there. But instead of answering, or complying, the inhabitants erected their defense in response to our request. We tried further to contact them, to explain what we were after, but they simply turned a deaf ear to us. The bombardment you witnessed when you arrived was another attempt to be recognized. We're aware that the type of life that calls this world home has a different time sense than we do. But the speed with which they erected their defenses told me that they were capable of real-time interaction, as well."
Captain Anon frowned then. "Your response to their request for aid was quite speedy, actually. You arrived less than a quarter of a day after we fired our first shot."
Second Captain Rorna spoke up then. "Perhaps the strange way in which their vessel moves about had something to do with the speed of the response?"
Robin, who had been listening quietly until now, smiled. "What is odd about the way our ship moves?"
The first captain offered a look of warning to his junior. "I think now is not the time for that." He nodded at Robin. "As I mentioned earlier, we had absolutely no expectation that our bombardment of this world would be felt below. But the way the owners of this world have ignored us now casts suspicions upon them."
"You think this smuggling vessel came here purposely, rather than just to try to evade you?" Browbeat asked.
Three of the Loturi seated across from them blinked at that, perhaps not having realized until then that the little creature perched on the shoulder of one of their visitors could speak.
But Anon scarcely missed a beat. "That idea now has to be addressed. Especially given the nature of those we know were in control of the vessel that landed. They are a...well, they are not a species like our own."
"In what way?" Kippy asked.
"They're Kawisps," Lisk supplied.
Charlie squinted at that. "That means nothing to us."
Second Captain Rorna turned towards the holo across from him. "If you will observe."
Whatever interface the man used, it was not apparent. But the view of the the distant Investigator disappeared from all the displays, to be replaced with a most curious image. It was like a column of gas, or maybe several gases, all of a different color and consistency, swirling and mixing and moving about, with tiny electrical bursts showing within the swirling mass. But these gasses seem confined somehow within a clearly defining vertical cylinder the height of a man, but which was invisible itself.
"Grim says it's a fourth-order lifeform," Rick told them via mind-touch. "Composed of gasses and electromagnetic containment fields. He says they're very rare."
"Why aren't he and Amtapora in the link now?" Charlie asked. "It worked well enough in my second presence."
Charlie could feel his friend sigh. "He says some sort of fine-tuning is necessary. The absence of the second presence itself has somehow removed one of the conductors, whatever that means."
"He said we'd work on it when you get back," Adrian added.
"It doesn't matter so long as Rick and Adrian can relay," Kip stated. "The Loturi are waiting for a reaction, Charlie."
Charlie had been watching the image of the strange life form while talking with the others. He now returned his gaze to Anon. "A rather rare form of life."
"And difficult to pin down," Anon agreed. "As you may know, they travel in clusters when they move, and create a large, mutual containment field...a vessel, to them, for interstellar travel. Chasing them down is not easy. But if you are able to get a reading of the containment vessel, you can just about follow it anywhere."
"And you followed this one here," Robin said.
Anon held a hand towards the closest holo display, which once again showed the planet. "As you can see. But we have had no success in actually apprehending the Kawisps."
"How do you get a handle on a creature like that?" Browbeat asked. "Or, their ship, for that matter?"
"They do amazing things with very small amounts of energy," Rorna answered. "A very intense magnetic field can overpower their ability to move, and contain them quite handily."
Robin frowned at that. "Such a field does not threaten their stability? I would think it would upset delicate electrical fields."
The second captain nodded his head. "They are extremely tolerant of most forms of energy. Magnetic fields can contain them, but all you need is one strong enough for the job. Too much and they get...well, they could be damaged."
"We don't want to kill them," Anon explained. "Just to talk to them."
"How do you talk to them?" Browbeat asked. "They have no physical forms."
Rorna held up a hand. "They actually communicate with each other by radio frequency. Our coms can be tuned to easily speak to them."
"You must have a translator of some sort, then," the little flyer persisted.
"Yes," Anon agreed. "Kawisps have been part of our empire for many centuries. The work of communicating with them was done long ago."
Robin briefly drummed his fingers on the table. "I have to ask, given the nature of these beings, what could they possibly be smuggling that would interest you?"
Lisk and Rorna both turned to look at First Captain Anon. That man grimaced, but then nodded. "Information. It is believed that they have information that relates to the security of the empire, which they intend to sell to the Abask."
Browbeat briefly fluttered his wings in surprise. "You man they're spies!"
Anon bobbed his head once. "The charges relate to espionage, yes. The nature of the Kawisp allows them to get into things that others would find...less accessible."
Kippy cocked his head at the captain. "I can see why you want them."
Robin steepled his fingers and gazed at the Loturi over the pinnacle. "May I ask what sort of relations you maintain with the occupants of the planet below? Surely, harboring fugitives is not a sign of a cooperative member of the empire...were they actually a part of your empire."
"We have virtually no relations with the Ardvoon," the first captain responded. "Their world is inhospitable to us, and it produces nothing of value to the empire. And, they are completely disinterested in us, and they do not participate in empire affairs. Until now, we have simply left them alone, as they leave us alone."
"So, this action in protecting the Kawisp is a deviation in protocol for them," Robin decided. "Now, they are inserting themselves into empire affairs."
"So it would seem."
"A piece of this puzzle is missing," Charlie suggested. "If these Ardvoon are in league with the Kawisp, one must ask why. Your empire is not imposing upon them. What have they to gain?"
Rorna turned to look at the representation of the Kawisp that had remained in one holo display. "Our AI analyst suggests that race could possibly play a part. The Kawisp are much more closely related to the Ardvoon than they are to our kind. It has been suggested that if our own people encountered a species similar to ours on the run from something quite alien, we would automatically favor the similar species, at least at first."
Robin raised an eyebrow at Charlie, but said nothing.
"Amtapora says that's quite possible," Rick sent across the mind-touch link. "It was thought in his time that fifth-order beings shared many traits with their fourth-order counterparts."
"But Horace says the two species are distinct," Adrian added. "He says the structural similarities are far outweighed by the differences in the way the two races think and participate in reality."
Charlie squeezed his eyes shut a moment, and reopened them. "Perhaps if we focus less on why the Ardvoon are doing what they are doing, and see if there is a way to get their attention, or get around their defenses?"
Anon looked surprised at that. "If they are a member of your empire, cannot you simply ask them to allow you to land? I mean, you're here in response to their own request for assistance, correct?"
Charlie forced a quick smile. "Membership does not extend to relinquishing authority over one's own world. Ultimately, this planet belongs to the Ardvoon. If they refuse to cooperate, there is no way to force them to do so. We can ask, and if refused, are more or less in the same position as you are regarding a landing."
The First Captain stared at him. "I'm surprised you have not already asked, since it was they that sent for you."
"We did ask," Kippy offered, as if he had expected the question. "And they have refused. They simply want you to go away, and then us, after you."
"Our weapons will not breach their shield," Anon said, with certainty. "Whatever their defense is, it ignores the amounts of energy we can throw at it, completely." The man sat forward then. "Perhaps, your own vessel...?"
Charlie shook his head. "Again, their local sovereignty is not to be questioned. We have no complaints against the owners of this world. They have broken none of our laws, and can hardly be dealt with militarily at this point. I can hardly be firing upon them without provocation."
Anon sat back in his seat, and a look of resolve took hold. "The Kawisp cannot be allowed to reach the Abask with the information they have stolen. It could result in the loss of many lives."
Robin leaned forward then. "Another question must be asked. This sort of theft is not a casual thing. There needs to be a motivation. Are these Kawisps simply thieves, out for profit; or are their motivations more along a political line, aimed squarely at damaging your people?"
All the Loturi looked uncomfortable at Robin's question.
"I'd take that as a yes on the political option," Kippy said quietly.
"It happened long ago," Anon said then. "A number of lifetimes, at least, for my people. The Kawisp are longer-lived than we, and their memories not so easily faded."
Charlie looked at Robin, and the man nodded.
"Will you tell us about it?" Charlie asked.
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