Read Online Kif Strike Back by C. J. Cherryh - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: C. J. Cherryh
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Ehrran looked at Jik, deliberately and exclusively at Jik, past Pyanfar.
"We'll manage," Pyanfar said in Jik's silence, and Rhif Ehrran turned her head with just enough slowness.
"I hope so."
There was no profit in argument. The Immune was only collecting complaints on Chanur clan dealings. Even yet. The list was already long.
"We go," Jik said. "Maybe time we talk be already long! time the way this human reckon, a? Want him back. Val-u-able, a?"
"We just walk in there."
"Won't be a problem," Pyanfar said. Deliberately she settled on the arm of Tirun's vacant chair, informal as Jik, leaving the Immune and her crew standing. "We just walked in, walked out. Kif s real friendly."
The han deputy turned, her be-ringed ears flattening. "You want to walk in and do it again, Chanur? Maybe you can finish the job this time."
"Fine. It'll be just fine. You're delegating to Chanur, are you?"
Jik stood up, abruptly, with a rattle of his weaponry. "No joke," he said, moving into the midst. "Got number one serious problem. Not got time hani quarrel. Got one human got bad trouble. Got damn bad mess, kif got station, got plenty scared people, got long time not hear from mahen authority this station. You got way get in there, a, friend Pyanfar?"
"Sure. Ask. That kif let us in number one quick. It's getting out again I can't vouch for."
"How many kif?"
"Last time, maybe a hundred, maybe more. That I saw in that room. Up and down that dock, you're talking-oh, maybe four, five thousand. Maybe worse.. You got current stats on Mkks?"
"It's crazy to go in there," Rhif Ehrran said.
"Got idea?" Jik asked.
"I had the idea," Rhif Ehrran said, "that coming into dock with all three ships was crazy in the first place, but you had other opinions."
"What you want? Shoot up dock? Got cit-i-zen here."
-"Captain." Haral spun her chair about. "I got a blip."
Pyanfar's eye was already moving, already taking in the scanimage that flashed to main-screen above all the seats.
Every eye was. Crew dived for posts without an order. Pyanfar did, abandoning Jik and Rhif Ehrran and her lot to their own devices.
"Get ID, gods rot it, what's the output?" She spun her chair about and felt the press of a large weight on the shoulder of her chair. Jik, getting view of the screens: she made no objection, too busy to take account of distractions.
"That's stsho output!" Hilfy exclaimed.
"We gods-blasted hope it is," Tirun said. "Kif could've-"
"Send to station," Pyanfar said. "Query."
A light on com-output lit: confirmation of the outgoing message. "This is The Pride of Chanur," Khym's deep voice rumbled, while other lights signaled activity from other crew. "What's that ship doing out there?"
Not proper com-etiquette, gods knew, but direct.
"Khym, give me the response," Pyanfar said, and as Rhif Ehrran moved up close and offered some advice: "Get clear. We're working, rot it."
"-of the hakkikt, Pride of Chanur, this information is private."
"Give me output!" Pyanfar said; and it arrived. "Kif compliments of Pyanfar Chanur, you by the gods lay a hand on that stsho we'll yank loose and take your wall out! What's going on over there?"
Prolonged silence.
"Give me that contact," Rhif Ehrran said, and leaned on her chair back.
"Not on my bridge."
"Stsho's pulling out," Haral said. "That's outbound, vectored nadir. ..."
Better news.
-"the hakkikt, Pride of Chanur, the stsho undocked without clearance Or docking assist. This is not an attack. This was not authorized. It was unprovoked."
"Got station damage, central?"
Silence a moment. "We are authorized to report so."
"Got a problem, don't you, kif?"
Silence.
"Don't provoke it," Rhif Ehrran said. "Chanur, give me that."
"Hhhhuh." From Jik. "Let be. Get ship code. No contact."
"That's Nsthenishi," Hilfy reported. "Comp says Rlen
"We'll manage," Pyanfar said in Jik's silence, and Rhif Ehrran turned her head with just enough slowness.
"I hope so."
There was no profit in argument. The Immune was only collecting complaints on Chanur clan dealings. Even yet. The list was already long.
"We go," Jik said. "Maybe time we talk be already long! time the way this human reckon, a? Want him back. Val-u-able, a?"
"We just walk in there."
"Won't be a problem," Pyanfar said. Deliberately she settled on the arm of Tirun's vacant chair, informal as Jik, leaving the Immune and her crew standing. "We just walked in, walked out. Kif s real friendly."
The han deputy turned, her be-ringed ears flattening. "You want to walk in and do it again, Chanur? Maybe you can finish the job this time."
"Fine. It'll be just fine. You're delegating to Chanur, are you?"
Jik stood up, abruptly, with a rattle of his weaponry. "No joke," he said, moving into the midst. "Got number one serious problem. Not got time hani quarrel. Got one human got bad trouble. Got damn bad mess, kif got station, got plenty scared people, got long time not hear from mahen authority this station. You got way get in there, a, friend Pyanfar?"
"Sure. Ask. That kif let us in number one quick. It's getting out again I can't vouch for."
"How many kif?"
"Last time, maybe a hundred, maybe more. That I saw in that room. Up and down that dock, you're talking-oh, maybe four, five thousand. Maybe worse.. You got current stats on Mkks?"
"It's crazy to go in there," Rhif Ehrran said.
"Got idea?" Jik asked.
"I had the idea," Rhif Ehrran said, "that coming into dock with all three ships was crazy in the first place, but you had other opinions."
"What you want? Shoot up dock? Got cit-i-zen here."
-"Captain." Haral spun her chair about. "I got a blip."
Pyanfar's eye was already moving, already taking in the scanimage that flashed to main-screen above all the seats.
Every eye was. Crew dived for posts without an order. Pyanfar did, abandoning Jik and Rhif Ehrran and her lot to their own devices.
"Get ID, gods rot it, what's the output?" She spun her chair about and felt the press of a large weight on the shoulder of her chair. Jik, getting view of the screens: she made no objection, too busy to take account of distractions.
"That's stsho output!" Hilfy exclaimed.
"We gods-blasted hope it is," Tirun said. "Kif could've-"
"Send to station," Pyanfar said. "Query."
A light on com-output lit: confirmation of the outgoing message. "This is The Pride of Chanur," Khym's deep voice rumbled, while other lights signaled activity from other crew. "What's that ship doing out there?"
Not proper com-etiquette, gods knew, but direct.
"Khym, give me the response," Pyanfar said, and as Rhif Ehrran moved up close and offered some advice: "Get clear. We're working, rot it."
"-of the hakkikt, Pride of Chanur, this information is private."
"Give me output!" Pyanfar said; and it arrived. "Kif compliments of Pyanfar Chanur, you by the gods lay a hand on that stsho we'll yank loose and take your wall out! What's going on over there?"
Prolonged silence.
"Give me that contact," Rhif Ehrran said, and leaned on her chair back.
"Not on my bridge."
"Stsho's pulling out," Haral said. "That's outbound, vectored nadir. ..."
Better news.
-"the hakkikt, Pride of Chanur, the stsho undocked without clearance Or docking assist. This is not an attack. This was not authorized. It was unprovoked."
"Got station damage, central?"
Silence a moment. "We are authorized to report so."
"Got a problem, don't you, kif?"
Silence.
"Don't provoke it," Rhif Ehrran said. "Chanur, give me that."
"Hhhhuh." From Jik. "Let be. Get ship code. No contact."
"That's Nsthenishi," Hilfy reported. "Comp says Rlen
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