Meeting of Minds

© 2019 by Walter Reimer



Thumbnail art by  ahro



Jemel sat with the two midshift engineers, Elroy and Ginny, and watched the view from the starboard airlock imagers as the Imperial bendār crept up to the freighter. The atmosphere-capable shuttle closed to within two meters, oriented itself, and eased up to the Kiss Me in the Dark. There was a gentle tremor through the hull and the computer reported that the locks had engaged.

The wolf touched a finger to his headset. “Captain? They’re at the lock. Integrity check shows green, and pressure’s equalizing.”

“Thanks, Jemel. Elroy?”

The beagle glanced at his screen. “Field’s holding, Boss – so far.”

“Right.” The Kiss Me in the Dark’s artigrav network was new, but none of the crew had adjusted it away from Terran standard since Transcosm had paid to have it installed. Resetting it to 0.76g – in other words, one Kashlanin standard gravity – was a bit tricky; the smaller the ship, the more delicate the balance between the artigrav generators and the waveguide network.

Still, it would hold long enough, hopefully, until the Kashlani left.

Meredith kept one paw on the bulkhead as the pressure equalized and the inner door opened, revealing Captain k’Jen. He was stooping only slightly to prevent his ears from brushing the door frame.

Varan was behind him, along with an armed enlisted crewmember; being viri, they had to stoop a bit further.

Meredith kept her attention on her lover’s commanding officer. “Narchak, Gartabin,” the mare said.

“Narchak, Gartabin,” the kam replied in a gruff tone. “Bartō sīnten norin zā mōshāf.”

The mare paused a moment as she briefly debated whether to salute. She settled for a curt nod and stepping back and to one side of the lock. “Permission granted,” she said in Kashlanin. “Thank you for agreeing to talk with me, Captain.”

K’Jen stepped into the corridor and his ears perked in surprise. “Thank you for accommodating us, Captain Destkort. I will say that your message made me doubt your sanity,” he said as he and the other shlani followed the Terran mare to the ship’s dining hall. K’Jen and Varan took seats, looking slightly uncomfortable at the unfamiliar design, while the rating took up a guard position beside the door.

Meredith sat facing the kam. “It got your attention, didn’t it?” she asked. “Of course, equipping a freighter with a gravity mine does have some risks – “

“A freighter may not be able to outrun it,” k’Jen pointed out.

“That’s true, but there are civilian ships that are capable of being outside the weapon’s effective range when it explodes,” Meredith said, “at least, from what I know of Terran designs. At some point, Captain k’Jen, the Confed’s going to make a full effort to isolate the colony worlds from each other, forcing the Imperial Fleet to commit larger forces to maintain its hold on the parts of the Terran Sphere it now occupies.”

“Threats and Assessments are already considering options,” the kam said. “Have you transmitted your thoughts to the Colonial leadership?”

“After I sent you the messages, yes. The Kith was closer.”

K’Jen leaned back in his chair, a bit tentatively as if he was testing the construction. “You knew when you sent the message that I do not have the authority to arm your ship.”

“True, sir,” Meredith admitted, “but I felt that I had to do something to get people talking. Not just the staff of the Kirfrelyatz and the Colonial leaders, but the people who will be most directly affected by the Confed’s actions – me, and you.”

The kam gazed at her for several moments before getting to his feet. “Then I thank you, for giving me something to think about.” Varan gave her a smile as she stood, and her superior said, “Please escort us, Captain, back to our shuttle.”