Starting Over

A Thursday Prompt story
© 2019 by Walter Reimer


Thumbnail art by  technicolor_pie


Prompt: defect


Commander Sirivati blinked awake, stretching against the mattress’ resistance before relaxing back into the soft firmness. “Hello again, Colonel.”

Garqar k’Nedhe smiled in human fashion and took a seat in a chair beside the bed. “Hello, Commander. I am told that you wanted to talk to me.”

“Yes,” the wolfess said. Her fur was still growing back, covering the long ropy scars that currently marred her skin. A morphosurgeon was studying her injuries, along with those sustained by the other Terrans. “I want to thank you, and all of your assistants, for the care that I and the rest of the crew have received.” She plucked at the coverlet before adding, “I also want to thank you for not asking about any classified information.”

K’Nedhe smiled again, this time like the kam he was. “We do not torture, Commander, and we assumed that you had destroyed anything of a sensitive nature before entering our space.” The Terran looked relieved, and k’Nedhe refrained from adding that technical teams were still dissecting the cruiser’s computers. “Is that all you wished to speak with me about?” he asked.

“No,” Sirivati replied. She took a breath. “What is to become of me and my crew? You’ve been very hospitable, but the fact remains that we have asked for safe haven against our own government.”

“Aka, I had wondered if anyone was going to ask,” the Colonel said. “During your last wave of colonization, several ships made it past our border to settle on planets that are favorable for your biochemistry. The inhabitants are citizens of the Empire, and trade with Kashlanin worlds.”

“I hadn’t heard of that.”

“It’s not a secret. I can have several of their administrators come here to talk with you; however I must caution you that none of them speak Terran.”

Sirivati smiled like a shlan, the corners of her mouth drawing down. “I believe that we’ll have to learn quickly then.”

K’Nedhe returned the smile, and turned the conversation toward the wolfess’ healing injuries. The Political Monitors and the Governors of the subject planets were coordinating how best to incorporate the crewmembers into the societies, while the Foreign Ministry was dealing with the Confederate government.

The information released by the Terran newsnets had been disquieting, blaming the Ichoniik for the deaths of the crew and the destruction of the ship.