Chapter 21 : Yokuta Salad

I saw the Yokuta running towards the podium and my first response was to the dagger they had given us with the uniform. Of course I had a blaster, but my reflexes were still geared toward sword and knife.

A burning foreign thought exploded like a yell in my mind.” Stop!” It was a telepathic command and while it was given I knew it had been said by a commanding officer. My hand froze, before perhaps a microsecond before I was to throw.

The Yokuta ripped off his snouted gray head, ears and skin and all and revealed a black Nogoll and he screamed. “Don’t shoot! I surrender! There are others like me with AM bombs and there are some in the ship!”

Two figures shimmered into existence next to the Nogoll, two Ultra Marines in full Destroyer suits, deactivating their active camouflage Holo cloak. I saw many more appear all over the place containing individual Yokuta in Stasis fields. It all happened with lightning speed and silently. The voice in my head said.” Awesome reaction Cadet, but you can put your dagger away, and you know it is not regulation to carry the ceremonial dagger on your back, tugged away under your tunic!”

I was so used to Tyr and Egill’s telepathic communications that I answered without speaking.” Sorry Sir!”

There was a small pause.” How did you get away with it at Uniform inspection?”

“The Auto dresser gave me weapon options and I choose a second dagger where I always carry my throwing knife, Sir.”

“I also notice you have lots of experience in telepathic communication. I will keep an eye on you. Now we need to sort things out here and brief the Yokuta!”

“The ship, Sir!”

“No worries. No one gets aboard the Union Flag ship even on a sight-seeing tour without being scanned to the last body cell!”

The Yokuta and everyone else watched Marines and soldiers in dark blue armor suits take the hidden mountain base on the big screens. and Admiral Stahl himself leading the assault! He was only recognizable by the lettering on his Destroyer suit, and the four stars stenciled on the huge shoulder pieces. Only the comments of the off screen commentators were heard. “A special task force of marines and Navy units was and is searching for remaining Nogoll units ever since the last transmission of the First Billie tipping us off that there were independent units still out there. Form captured ship data we knew about the expanse and the secret rally point. Admiral Stahl along with the just refurbished and updated Devastator followed up on a series of long range sensor contacts, found two landed Nogoll capital ships in the neighboring system Rohlo. The crews of these ships, after surrendering divulged that a group of Officers and elite soldiers had returned to Arlicherb. Special Forces units were dispatched to find the suicide bombers and were found and neutralized in the last moment.

“Now alongside local Yokuta Police Units a final assault is made on the hidden mountain base and I can confirm right now, that Yokuta security units have successfully arrested or neutralized the remaining Nogoll infiltrators.”

The Image showed Yokuta in borrowed Union Battle suits guiding ten Nogoll out of a smoking cave entrance.

Since we still stood on the platform and behind the Old man of the fleet we could hear him mutter.” I wonder how he does it, stealing my thunder all the time!”

He stepped behind the lectern and addressed the stunned and silent Yokuta crowds. “I am just getting the final reports and it turned out that local authorities acted fast and decisive, requested Union gear.”

There was a s hort pause and he continued: “I can confirm the last Nogoll threat has been eliminated by heroes of your police force.”

A thunderous cheer rose from the multitudes.

It took a while for everything to settle down again and the Yokuta leaders decided to continue as planned with the question and answer session.

The first questions were directed to the Elly in our group. Someone asked how the Elly ended up on Union side and how they felt about their membership and they answered very positive. The tallest of the Elly who had showed considerable knowledge in local space sector politics answered most of the questions in a very educated and precise manner. To my surprise it was Ninio who put one of his arms around my shoulder and his other on Pure and said. “What Deadan said is all true but these are political and other important matters. I find the best thing about the Union and the fleet is the wonderful friends you can make. I really like those Attikan, love the Garbini who still owes me a squiggle. That is a furry tentacle hug of a female Garbini if you ever want to know.” Looking at me he said, “and this human is as good a friend as you can make in a week.”

“Where are you from human?” A question was directed at me and I told them that I was from Nilfeheim and I had to describe my world in a few sentences. Then someone asked.”How do you feel about non humans, Elly or Garbini for example?”

I shrugged.” I knew very little about the Garbini and met Ninio only a few days ago. I don’t have any opinion on the Elly as a species, I know way too little about them to have an opinion. A mentor and teacher of mine always said, judge only if you have all the facts.” Then I grinned and said. “I think Ninio is a practical joker with a great sense of humor and I think we are on the way to be very good friends...”

Ninio pushed me a little from the side. “He got me figured out alright, I can’t resist a good prank, but Eric is always willing to help and share, he is one of the reasons ten strangers are on their way to become good friends.”

One of the Elders said. “I still would like to know what you think about us. I know you don’t want to judge and you know little about us, but everybody forms some kind of opinion and usually right away. We Yokuta value honesty above false compliments, so don’t be afraid to be frank.”

“Well if the Yokuta eat the same or similar things as the Elly, I am not sure I would like to eat or smell the food and I don’t think I will be a great fan of Yokuta music, but other than that. It’s a nice orderly planet, and the people don’t strike me as particular special. You still eat, sleep, drink and breathe the same air. In my short time away from home I met a methane breather with tentacles and Two Three over there was born inside a star. I haven’t seen much of your world or your civilization to really have an opinion, but I somehow think you are more or less just like us.”

There was a pause of silence and I feared I had caused some major problem, but then laughter erupted and one of the Officials spread his arms. “This is why we have this tradition. You are not trained diplomats, you say it as you see it and your argument is very true. We are quite average and don’t stand out at all. I was one of the most vocal skeptics until now, but I will vote for an admission now.” He pointed at his trunk. “Don’t be concerned about the food. Human, we love our cousins the Elly but at least I can’t stand their stink food either. You will have a chance to sample our food later.”

Two-Three now had to describe his home and even I was fascinated about its answers. The way Two-Three described his birthplace was incredible and truly alien.

Every Cadet had to answer questions and the whole thing dragged on for at least four hours. Ninio was just saying. “I frankly hope you join so I can hear wonderful Yokuta music all the time and maybe even record traditional Elly Funtuty songs in Yokuta style, Eric just doesn’t know what he is missing.” Ninio made a guesture with his arms, I thought might be a shrug and added. “I think If you don’t join the Union you lose out. That’s all I can say.”

Instead of asking questions about membership and union the next twenty or so questions were all about Funtuty songs and music, and my worst fear came true. The band could not be stopped, they started playing and every Yokuta I could see and perhaps everyone watching the broadcast started singing and tooting their trunks.Finally the Speaker of the Officials ended the horror by resuming taking questions and asking the callers to refrain from music questions. The Garbini had to describe and demonstrate how a Squiggle was done and she was only too happy to comply. It all turned out to be one mushy and boring affair and I wished it would be over soon. I had completely forgotten about Bennett Waite, but as I turned more by chance than anything else, to see what Two-Three was doing, I saw Waite with drawn blaster aiming at the Admiral or the Elly, who stood by the lectern. I rushed the four steps distance to him as fast as I could, chopped the edge of my hand with as much force as I dared on his wrist. He triggered the beam either of pain or reflex but the bright energy bolt went straight into the wooden decking of the platform only about a meter behind the Admirals feet. Waite had, so it appeared some sort of combat training as he drew his dagger with his other hand barley after his blaster dropped out of his hand. I was too close to deflect it, so I turned hoping he would stab me in the arm and not in the stomach as he had aimed, the burning exploding pain in my arm told me it had worked. I was still in motion too and hammered my palm under his chin, with as much force as I could muster. He collapsed but stopped as if frozen in time in mid fall and two marines appeared and man in Psi Corps uniform.