people. But among the stars are strange people that can talk but will not listen. Will not see proud feathers or loud crows. They come to planets and take trees and metals that are not theirs. Even the air and the water of a world they take. I have seen this sight with my own eyes.” Here Kris gestured at her eyes with two fingers. “Here I will show to your eyes what I have seen with my eyes.”
Behind Kris, the screens came to life showing the plundered world they had found. First was a vast expanse of land covered with tree stumps. The Alwans loved their trees. Then the scene switched to show hills bulldozed into valleys. Then the view panned over fields and fields of the bleached carapaces of the murdered natives.
Straight Tongue made a sound that Kris took for a gasp.
I ’VE NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE, Granny Rita provided on net.
Kris went on. “We carried our own air to breathe because the air was stolen.” The scene switched to show humans walking around in space suits. “We carried our own water because it was stolen.” Now the screen showed the pod of whalelike creatures half-buried by the blowing sand.
“The blood drinkers and flesh tearers brought their starships to Alwa. I, War leader of the Heavy People, strutted and flashed my feathers before those who would drink the blood and tear the flesh of my people and The People. They would not watch but reached to wring my neck. I destroyed the nest of the blood drinkers.” Kris felt guilty taking all the credit for something so many good men and women had died for, but Granny said the Alwans had little or no concept of leadership or command. One of them did the crowing and strutting. The others submitted and followed.
The Alwans have a lot to learn.
Now Nelly switched the screen to show the huge alien base ship, whole and looming. A second later, Hellburners, lasers, and antimatter torpedoes ripped into it. Nelly let the film run while we were still winning, but cut it off before our own battleships began to blow up in the background.
She switched to the cold, dead hulk tumbling in space as it had appeared to the Alwan delegation.
“This sight Alwans have seen with their eyes. Alwans can say that what you see here is true. This is a sight no one can say is not true.”
Kris paused to let that sink in. Granny said the Alwans almost never went back to a feast but left the remains for others to scavenge. Kris needed to explain why she went back to the battle. “We went to see this so that we could learn about those who are so empty of right thinking as to ignore feathers and crow but instead try to drink blood of The People and Heavy People. To know your enemy is to have them half-defeated.”
T HAT WON’T TRANSLATE, Nelly said.
I T’S BEYOND ME, TOO , Granny Rita said.
T HEY ARE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN SOME NEW WORDS , Kris said.
Kris took another deep breath and went on. “While eyes from the Association of Associations went to see how I and my people had displayed our feathers, strutted our walk, and crowed, more drinkers of blood came to scavenge from the wreck what they could use to pick our bones clean.”
Nelly continued her translation, as she showed three ships from the perspective of the wreck. Straight Tongue and the camera operator made the sound Kris took for a gasp.
“By your custom, we crowed to them.”
Nelly ran the short-lived warning message their decoy had sent and showed the three ships shooting the decoy out of space.
“Because they would not submit to our display, I wrung the necks of all three starships of the blood drinkers.” In quick succession, Nelly ran pictures of all three blowing up. From the video it looked a whole lot easier than it had been.
“Now The People and The Heavy People must choose a path to walk. Do we move now to wring the necks of the blood drinkers or do we surrender, stand in a line for them to wring our necks? I am a war leader. I pick the bones of those who would strip the flesh of my
Behind Kris, the screens came to life showing the plundered world they had found. First was a vast expanse of land covered with tree stumps. The Alwans loved their trees. Then the scene switched to show hills bulldozed into valleys. Then the view panned over fields and fields of the bleached carapaces of the murdered natives.
Straight Tongue made a sound that Kris took for a gasp.
I ’VE NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE, Granny Rita provided on net.
Kris went on. “We carried our own air to breathe because the air was stolen.” The scene switched to show humans walking around in space suits. “We carried our own water because it was stolen.” Now the screen showed the pod of whalelike creatures half-buried by the blowing sand.
“The blood drinkers and flesh tearers brought their starships to Alwa. I, War leader of the Heavy People, strutted and flashed my feathers before those who would drink the blood and tear the flesh of my people and The People. They would not watch but reached to wring my neck. I destroyed the nest of the blood drinkers.” Kris felt guilty taking all the credit for something so many good men and women had died for, but Granny said the Alwans had little or no concept of leadership or command. One of them did the crowing and strutting. The others submitted and followed.
The Alwans have a lot to learn.
Now Nelly switched the screen to show the huge alien base ship, whole and looming. A second later, Hellburners, lasers, and antimatter torpedoes ripped into it. Nelly let the film run while we were still winning, but cut it off before our own battleships began to blow up in the background.
She switched to the cold, dead hulk tumbling in space as it had appeared to the Alwan delegation.
“This sight Alwans have seen with their eyes. Alwans can say that what you see here is true. This is a sight no one can say is not true.”
Kris paused to let that sink in. Granny said the Alwans almost never went back to a feast but left the remains for others to scavenge. Kris needed to explain why she went back to the battle. “We went to see this so that we could learn about those who are so empty of right thinking as to ignore feathers and crow but instead try to drink blood of The People and Heavy People. To know your enemy is to have them half-defeated.”
T HAT WON’T TRANSLATE, Nelly said.
I T’S BEYOND ME, TOO , Granny Rita said.
T HEY ARE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN SOME NEW WORDS , Kris said.
Kris took another deep breath and went on. “While eyes from the Association of Associations went to see how I and my people had displayed our feathers, strutted our walk, and crowed, more drinkers of blood came to scavenge from the wreck what they could use to pick our bones clean.”
Nelly continued her translation, as she showed three ships from the perspective of the wreck. Straight Tongue and the camera operator made the sound Kris took for a gasp.
“By your custom, we crowed to them.”
Nelly ran the short-lived warning message their decoy had sent and showed the three ships shooting the decoy out of space.
“Because they would not submit to our display, I wrung the necks of all three starships of the blood drinkers.” In quick succession, Nelly ran pictures of all three blowing up. From the video it looked a whole lot easier than it had been.
“Now The People and The Heavy People must choose a path to walk. Do we move now to wring the necks of the blood drinkers or do we surrender, stand in a line for them to wring our necks? I am a war leader. I pick the bones of those who would strip the flesh of my
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