Chapter 10: Thana Shoo

Not just a destroyer showed up, but the entire Hi tribe and a substantial part of their allied and associated Tribes. Jarsumat Port was now filled with ships of the Hi tribe, unloading surface tanks and troops.

Har-Hi and I had passed the time talking, playing the local game of dice and having a meal of spicy stew.

We were a bit surprised seeing surface troops and tanks land instead of the expected destroyer.

The Tar himself had come dirtside and greeted us.

That the Tar felt embarrassed was much less evident as with Har-hi. He apologized and assured me that he spaced much of the Laurin and wanted to sweep his tribe of non Hi

He also told me that the Hi tribe considered my abduction a declaration of war by the Han-Man tribe and they were here to answer that declaration and liberate any Daiyee and slave.

Har-Hi propped his fists to his side.

“Mighty Tar, did you forget to consider us?”

“No my son. There are fighters in surface attack configuration for Erica-Hi and you brought down as we speak unless you like to join the ground troops with assault tanks.”

The Arukiten felt very nervous for the first time in its very long life. The Truntun confirmed the scanner data, the space around Jarsumat was filled once again with thousands of spaceships. This time the entire Hi Clan and many of its allies.

The Hi clan hadn’t been seen in these regions for quite some time now, and while the Irwam was supposedly neutral to all Dai. It had developed quite a nice arrangement with the Han-Man and it believed the now quite obvious wrong reports that the Hi were Okthi. The Arukiten remembered all the little deals he made with declared enemies of the Hi tribe. He had no illusions the Hi forgot about all that because the Truntun also reported Dai landing activity. The Hi tribe was famous for their excellent fighter craft and their full-scale planetary assaults.

It was also apparent that the Hi lord was giving a hoot about old contracts and the Vexpar Cooperation.

The Arukiten was much less self-assured as he speculated.

“Maybe this Union Daiyee will chase this tribe away as well?”

“Unlikely, mighty Irwan. I did tell you that the Union Daiyee is in the company of the Vant-Kath of Tar Kar-Hi and it appears they are very friendly to each other.”

“You made sure that all our guards know not to approach the Union Daiyee?”

“No, I did not. Your instructions to me were only to deliver your response to her message.”

“Certainly the captain of the guard did so. It was him who tried to arrest the Daiyee after all.”

“I am not abreast as to what Chief marshal Gufkin did after he delivered the message, but I heard he was last seen running towards the Pan-Pan camp. If the reports are correct, he continued onto the road. I personally believe he wants to put as much distance between him and that Daiyee.”

The Arukiten remembered that he ordered the arrest of the Daiyee only a few days ago.

“Quick let all our assets know to leave her alone, I do not want to have her...”

In my short career, I had come across some of the most unusual life forms. The Union prided itself of its great diversity and if diversity was any measure of things, my crew was taking the cake. The being, sitting there before us, however, was menacing, truly alien perhaps because it didn’t fit any class of life I had encountered so far. It was neither insect nor mammal but then I had plenty of unusual life aboard my ship and called them friends. This particular individual, however, was not a likely candidate to advance to that state.

I raised my voice and asked.

“Why the big show sending one of your bald lackeys giving me assurances and then have four of your big Jakonen guards try to apprehend me?”

“An oversight. The guards were not informed fast enough.”

“Eight hours is plenty of time and they all got Com units. I think you are lying.”

Har-Hi nodded.

“I am certain this Arutiken has an explanation why it is not adhering to the old agreements. The whole idea of the office of the Irwam is to be an impartial mediator and steward of the ancient accord.”

The alien being sung in a strange melodic pipe organ voice.

“I am the latest Irwam and have always upheld neutrality. The old agreements are sacred.”

Har-Hi pointed with both hands towards the Arukiten.

“Yes, you are right, Captain. The Irwam is lying alright.

“Har-Hi activated a holo display that now hovered over his wrist com.

“The Tar of our tribe received over seven hundred reports from various sources that you are anything but impartial. The very latest one, you allowed Na warriors use fliers on the road. Not to mention your personal bounty on my Captain. She was an escaped Daiyee and she reached the Pan-Pan camp. By all contracts and traditions, she was to be saved.”

“I am the Irwam and you must respect me. I do not care about your accusations. Even the Hi tribe must bow to the Irwam. This will teach...”

Two of the whiplike tentacles shot forward with the speed of an arrow, the present Truntun already expected the visitors to be food for the Arukiten’s spawn. These tentacles were tipped with needle-sharp diamond hard stingers and never failed to kill all kinds of beings stepping before the Irwam.

Killing the first son of a Tar commencing landing operations was a foolish thing.

Instead of two dead visitors and fresh food for the ferocious spawn hiding under the seat mount, the Arukiten yelled in pain. The Dai prince had stepped aside and cut both tentacles that whipped past him with a lightning-fast move and reflex. I jumped over the trashing tentacle stump and swung my sword against one of the Arukiten’s crab-like legs.

The Irwam’s spawn did not realize the intended victims were unharmed and reached out with whitish tentacles of their own.

Ever since my first visit to Sin 4, I had a very negative disposition towards white tentacles.

I should have perhaps read more of the instructions regarding the TKU 12, I pulled the weapon still set at eight and fired. There was substantial recoil as a thick beam of superheated matter, vaporize much of the Arukiten’s Throne mount and whatever was hiding below.

The interior temperature of the cave was instantly raised to blistering heat.

We both left the screaming Arukiten behind as we ran outside.

Har-Hi put his hands on his knees taking deep breaths.

“Captain, setting two would have been more than enough. Setting eight is for fully armed Y’All and dialed up to twelve, you better wear substantial battle armor.”

I looked at my smoking hair tips and knew I had the mother of all sunburns. Even talking hurt”Well at least I am red as you.”

An ear-shattering boom and a violent tremor almost lifted us off the ground as the Irwam’s chambers exploded. Both of us ran and took cover hugged to a building wall as burning debris rained all over the place.

Har-Hi made a guilty face.

“And I should know the power of two nano-grams of Antimatter.”

“That’s the equivalent of eighty tons of conventional explosives. We’re lucky our eardrums didn’t shatter.”

“Let us get fixed up and leave this dirtball.”

I looked back at the smoking crater.

“Good idea and I think they need a new Irwam.”

I was assigned to the same quarters but know knew how to get to Har-Hi’s chambers. There were no more guards before the doors and I insisted on having no domestics or maids. Har-Hi’s was trying to be apologetic while maintaining his role as the Tar.

Jarsumat was now six days behind us, the planet an entire factionless. The Hi had made a point and no Han-Man, at least on Jarsumat survived.

To pass the time, Har-Hi and I resumed our exercises as there wasn’t really much else to do.

We just finished almost two solid hours of sword and martial arts exercises. Har-Hi wanted to learn more about the bladeless martial arts.

He tossed me a towel.

“I hate to admit it, even to you but you are one dangerous fighter.”

“I never thought it would be such an element of my career as a Union officer. I somehow envisioned it differently.”

He grinned widely.

“I doubt the majority of all Union Fleet officers ever get in as many fights as you either, but then there is the Eternal Warrior.”

“I doubt Admiral Stahl even has a sword.”

“Nope, perhaps not but he is true Terran, they tend to use big guns and blast things.”

I toweled the sweat off my face.

“At least I don’t have to admit it, you are the most dangerous fighter I ever met.”

Har-Hi pointed at his wrist unit.

“We should be close to Thana Shoo. You know you going to be the first Non-Dai ever to come here and perhaps even see the Pale Ones.”

“I am sure I don’t fathom the gravity of that, but I will be glad when we are done with all of this. I had about all the vacation I can handle.”

The Tar had summoned his most trusted Chieftains, among them the former Tar of the Co tribe. Bas-Co was always a friend but the man had developed to be his closest one. Bas-Co was not only his friend but widely respected.

Bas-Co was much older than Kar-Hi. He sat to the right side of the Tar holding a tankard of beer. That Terran beverage was quickly replacing Thill as the most favorite drink of the Hi tribe. The meeting was about the gathering at Thana Shoo of course, as they were now less than twelve hours from that most sacred of all Dai places. They discussed the possibility of Elf-Na becoming the Patri-Tar; the equal possibility of Kar-Hi asking the Pale Ones for the same.

Bas-Co had not said much until now.

“There is a third contender to the lead of all that is Dai.”

Many of the chieftains had been kept in the dark about this and thus were quite surprised.

“A third?” Eve-Hi, a venerated commandant of five thousand ships asked.

Tar Kar-Hi sighed and leaned back in his seat.

“Yes, while we supposed to not speak his name. Kai-Do is a mighty name and once was the Tar of the largest tribe with many alliances.”

Eve-Hi made a dismissive gesture.

“He was declared Okthi and the hearts of his tribe went dark.”

One of the Elders that tended to the heart of the Exer-Hi slowly shook his grizzled head.

“Some turned blue and many followed a new call. No one knows what that means or who has the power to do such things.”

Ure-Hi another Chieftain shrugged.

“Whatever this means indeed, Blue hearts have no meaning to us and whatever happened to the Do tribe happened many thousand years ago. The Do clan has faded into oblivion. What is this talk about another contender?”

“I tried to keep it secret, but Kai-Do is alive.

“The Tar of the Hi tribe said.

“He has trained a Daiyee to the skill levels of a Larpo-Gy and declared her to be his Vant-Kath.”

That statement caused silence.

Eve-Hi rubbed his chin.

“A Daiyee would not be Okthi. But must the contender of Patri not be male?”

Tar Kar-Hi said.

“Erica Olafson, Erica-Hi was born as the firstborn son of a Nilfeheim Neo Viking clan chief. Only very recently used Union science to become a Daiyee.”

Ure-Hi pounded his fist on the table.

“By the spirits. She is a contender! You and Elf-Na will face her in the arena and kill her.”

“Have you seen the Union Daiyee fight?”

They nodded and Eve-Hi said.

“Yes, I have seen her fight, she easily is on the same skill level than our Vant-Kath. When they spar, many secretly watch with awe.”

“My son was the Champion of Thana Shoo and he has grown since I know of no Than that can stand against him and the Daiyee is easily on his level. If the decision comes down to the traditional duel, we will have a new Patri-Tar. It is going to be a non-Dai female.”

Again Ure-Hi responded.

“You made her Than and Hi. You ordered many reforms and changes and we killed many Han-Man. Is this the direction the Dai will go?”

Eve-Hi shrugged.

“The vast majority of the younger clans applaud and welcome your open changes. There are some who did no longer heed the call to Thana Shoo, but there are the old ones.”

Bas-Co said with slowly measured words.

“What does this mean? Will you take steps to prevent that? Will you ask us to prevent this?”

The Tar looked to the door as if he wanted to be sure, there was no one else.

I had dressed how Har-Hi wanted me to. I did wear my own leather suit, mostly because I did not think Union uniform was appropriate and Nilfeheim leathers and furs too old fashioned. The other reason was the Ultronit micromesh. There were an awful lot of Dai Than with pointy and sharp things and I had the feeling I was going to cross blades with one or the other before this affair was over.”

But in addition to my usual rig holding whip and blaster. I wore a genuine Dai Than harness with the Hi glyph and all five knives along with the fake Mördaren.

He came in carrying a beautiful case of polished dark wood. It was quite big and it had gorgeous inlay work depicting the Olafson wolf logo. I was quite surprised, only the most expensive things were kept in real wood cases.

He gave me a deep smile.

“Dai always like to carry lots of weapons and traditionally across their back. Your Mördaren is simply not meant to be worn that way, it is too heavy and too long. My father wanted you to wear Dai blades. I know you don’t care much for them, so I thought you might want to carry one of your own weapons there.

The case is hand made by Specialist Warner who takes great pride in his hobby and his woodworking skills. He wanted to give it to your naming day anniversary, but our vacation made our planned surprise party a mood point.”