Chapter 101: Make A Good Rug
"But he is well known, and there is no record of him being an arms dealer," interjected Jun Li.
"Just because there isn’t a record doesn’t make it untrue. Either do better research or make sure that we have a few exits once we reach the coordinates he gave us," I said as Night crawled up the bed and laid down on my chest. He seemed to like the fur as much as I did. "I am going to get some sleep. Wake me up in a couple of hours or right before we get there."
"Bai Mei Xing?" said Jun Li hesitantly, and I immediately opened my eyes.
"Yeah?"
"If we have to shoot our way out, what are we going to do?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, not understanding what his concern was. If it came down to shooting illegal weapons or dying, I knew which camp I was firmly in.
"I mean, I don’t want to be hunted by the Saalistaja," answered Jun Li, and if I didn’t know better, I would swear I heard a bit of fear in his voice. But that was impossible, right?
"How are you guys able to tell what ships belong to what species?" I asked, my brain quickly coming up with a plan.
"There are a few different ways," replied Jun Li. "Signals, how we look, that sort of thing."
"And you look Sisalik?" I asked.
"I do," he confirmed.
"Can you make any changes that would ensure that everyone thought that you were Sisalik? That there would be no hesitation?" I pressed.
"Yes, there are many things I can do to ensure that my identity is Sisalik," he said, sounding much more confident.
"Then, if it comes down to them or us, we blow any threat out of the sky. And when we do, we will just make sure that we are flying the Sisalik flag. If the Saalistaja finds out, then they will turn to the Sisalik for answers first."
"And when that doesn’t work forever? I mean, the Saalistaja are smart; they will know. What do we do then?" asked Jun Li.
"I have a few ideas," I reassured him. I just didn’t know if they were more science fiction, fantasy, or reality, given my current circumstances. But that was a problem for another day. "Now, I am going to sleep. Call me if you need me."
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Au’dtair watched his pet settle down on what looked like a sleeping surface for... humans. He had managed to learn a lot about their species. For example, in addition to the mane on their head, they had patches of fur on other parts of their body. However, his pet didn’t seem to like the fur on herself and removed it all off inside the shower, leaving only her mane.
He also discovered how pale and smooth her skin was compared to his own. He wanted to reach out and feel it, but that would alert her to the fact that he was there. He was also concerned that his hands would be too rough for her flesh, and he didn’t want to take the chance that he injured her.
This was also the first time that he had seen the original pet of the L-Series outside of stills. He would fully admit that Ye’tab’s information was correct when it came to that human, but he could also see how disdainful his pet was to the human’s leader. Then again, he couldn’t stomach a leader like that, either. His pet had the right idea wanting nothing to do with her or the Alliance.
Au’dtair went to one of the corners of the room where he would be able to watch his pet the best, no matter where she was. Jumping up, he sunk his claws and feet into the place where the walls met the ceiling. Making sure that his camouflage was firmly in place, he slowed down his hearts and breathing.
The fact that the Alliance had plans for his pet’s species made him more than a little angry. The Saalistaja didn’t care enough about the Alliance to really look into them; however, if this was what they were doing, maybe the Elders should.
Now, the idea that humans were a universal breeder was something that he never saw coming. There was only one species a long time ago that could mate with other species and produce viable offspring, but they were believed to have been wiped out millions of years ago.
Unless could humans be the long-lost descendants of the Ethawainians? It wouldn’t be that far-fetched of a theory considering that they seeded almost all of the known galaxies and were universal breeders.
Au’dtair wanted to send out a message to Ye’tab letting him know some of what he found out, or at least enough to have him looking in the other end of the universe for... Jun Li. However, he didn’t want to take the chance that the AI would be able to decrypt the message and let his pet know that there was an intruder on board.
On the other hand, he was more than willing to accept the consequences of blowing up the vasfuggony if he dared try and harm his pet. And that would be nothing compared to what he would do to the Njeriuujk. That species was not under the protection of the Alliance simply because they preferred to have more freedom. There was one head Ujk that ruled the whole planet, and the idea of submitting to something like an Alliance rubbed him the wrong way.
It wasn’t like the Alliance simply accepted the fact that the Njeriuujk didn’t want anything to do with them. However, defeat after defeat convinced the Alliance that it would be better for the Njeriuujk to remain neutral rather than hostile.
The Njeriuujk might be formable opponents, but that was because they had never gone against the Saalistaja. Au’dtair knew he could make short work of the Ujk. Midnight’s hide would look nice at the foot of Mei Xing’s bed to be walked all over every day.
And that was nothing compared to what he would do to the Alliance if they looked too long at his pet.
