Chapter 266: Karashel and Veeka, an Uncomfortable Feast Part One

Chapter 266: Karashel and Veeka, an Uncomfortable Feast Part One

Veeka paused before crossing the street and changed her clothing’s setting from “optically adaptive” to “solid color: purple”.

Karashel’s assassins (or whatever those things were) had already seen her dressed in near-perfect camo, but the people in the park had not.

As she reached the gate, the Rill guards nodded respectfully.

“Councilor,” one of them hiss-buzzed.

“Good afternoon,” she said pleasantly, “How is the day treating you?”

“Quite well, ma’am.”

“I couldn’t help but notice your weapon,” she said, “It’s beautiful.”This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.

“Thank you!” the Rill buzzed as their hood expanded to its fullest, resembling a cobra.

“May I scan it?”

“Of course!” the Rill clicked proudly. “The stock and action are of a classic Kev~# design chambered in 3%lk using our propellant and projectile. It has been adapted to use a detachable box magazine, but other than that, it is free from (scoff) Terran influence. It utilizes the force from the equal and opposite reaction to...”

Veeka listened intently as she scanned what appeared to be a simple and elegant weapon specifically designed by and for the species using it. While bearing many similarities to Terran arms, it was definitely NOT one.

For one thing, this weapon was crafted with great care and was a joy to behold, something that she would happily purchase as an art piece, with an intricately carved and inlaid stock and wonderfully compelling engravings on most exposed metal surfaces.

“Oh, that is lovely,” Veeka said sincerely. “I would have been very happy to carry something like that back in the day... a bit smaller, of course.”

“You, bore steel?” The Rill clicked.

“You sound surprised,” Veeka chuckled, “But in my youth, I was a very different and somewhat more trim creature. In my people, service in our SDF is the best way both into higher education and into the public sector. It is also expected from certain families, such as my own.”

“Rilllllll-Rillllshak!” the Rill leader exclaimed. “And how did you bear your steel?”

“The polite term for it is ‘Reconnaissance Vanguard’,” Veeka replied proudly. “I will leave it to your judgment as to what that actually means.”

“Rilllllll-Rillllshak’sha!” the Rill leader trilled as they all stamped their feet. “Here.”

The leader offered his weapon to Veeka.

“S(click)sharra,” Veeka said solemnly as she accepted the rifle.

She grunted a little.

“Oof... heavy.”

She held the weapon admiringly and, with a little effort, managed to shoulder it... sort of, roughly taking aim at a safely abandoned building, much to the amusement of the soldiers.

“If you fancy it,” the leader clicked, “I am certain you could commission something more suitable from Rill. There is quite a waiting list, but I’m certain that status and money... and the challenge of such a piece... could secure you an advantage.”

“An advantage I would not seek to claim,” Veeka replied as she returned the rifle. “I suspect your craftsmen are quite busy these days.”

“Are not your own?”

Veeka huffed with annoyance.

“Not nearly as busy as they should be... not that we have them anymore. Aside from a few historians and hobbyists, nothing remains. My people are entirely too... secure... in their beliefs, preferring to sleep soundly under the comfort of our SDF. That’s not entirely unjustified. Our SDF is quite substantial, and their weapons, while nowhere near as beautiful as yours, are quite suitable.”

“Of that,” the leader replied, “we have little doubt. The K(click)eep are quite well known... though more for your navy.”

“It’s what catches the eye,” Veeka replied and then added with a little smirk, “as it should. One shouldn’t see what lurks in the trees until it decides to present itself.”

The Rill all clicked darkly with laughter.

Veeka smiled inwardly and for more than one reason. This was becoming quite informative, and it felt nice to be able to connect with both real soldiers and that part of her again.

“Forgive me for asking,” Veeka said as she peered at the masterpiece, “But was this weapon manufactured with those carvings?”

“I wish!” the Rill buzzed as his companions clicked their mandibles in what passed for a laugh among their people. “It was not without cost, even if it was done by machine. I’ve commissioned a properly made one, but it will take well over a year for it to be delivered. It cost me dearly, but it will be worth it.”

“You paid for your weapon?”

“I chose to,” the Rill replied, “It’s a Rill thing.”

“We’re not levies,” another Rill chimed in, “with bare steel. We are—”

Another Rill headbutted him.

“Embassy staff!” the headbutted Rill exclaimed, “Yep. Juuuust embassy staffers...”

Veeka couldn’t help but snicker as the Rill all clicked with amusement.

“Pull my tail,” Veeka snarked, “It shoots out sprinkles. We’ve been adding ‘embassy staff’ ourselves. If you are anything like our new mail clerks, then you are among the best’ mail clerks’ your people have.”

More clicking.

Veeka leaned in and quietly asked, “What is the deal with those Baleel?”

“You mean the creepy ones that busted you?”

“Yeah, those,” Veeka winced.

“They say they are ‘nature buddies’,” the Rill’s leader replied, “Which is some sort of park ranger or something. But you know Baleel. Anything they say can mean anything. We have no idea. All we know is that they answer to Her Pinkness, and there’s always one of them around whether you can see them or not... which you won’t.”

“Lovely,” Veeka said.

“You’ll have to ask Her Pinkness if you want to know more,” the leader said.

He leaned in towards Veeka.

“And if you find out, ma’am, let us know. Those things creep us the void out.”

***

Escorted by one of the surprisingly friendly and relaxed Rill, Veeka was led through the expansive park and toward a rather lovely and freshly built pavilion on the site.

“Thank you, RillRillll,” Veeka said, calling the soldier by name. “And thank you for sharing about your military. I must say you are quite knowledgeable for a simple embassy staffer.”

The Rill clicked with amusement.

“Likewise, Councilor,” the Rill buzzed, “the similarity and differences are quite interesting.”

“Perhaps I shall visit again,” Veeka replied.

“You shall always be welcome at our post,” the Rill replied as they curled their body and extended their hood. “Rilllllll-Rillllshak!”

Veeka snapped to attention and thumped her tail.

“S(click)sharra!”

Her smile faded.

“I see ‘Her Pinkness’ has noticed me,” she said as her least favorite lifeform in the galaxy bobbed and wiggled happily.

“Care to exchange duties?” Veeka asked the soldier, who just clicked loudly.

“No, thank you,” the Rill clicked with amusement, “Enjoy your lunch, Councilor.”

***

“Hi, there!” Karashel said brightly as Veeka approached. “I love your outfit! So versatile!”

“So, what sorts of weapons do they use?”

“Oh, you know, regular stuff,” Karashel replied, “Stunners and junk like that when possible, but that’s not really how we Baleel fight. We do things a little differently.”

“Different how?”

“Oh, just differently,” Karashel replied.

Veeka just looked at her silently.

“Okay, fine,” Karashel replied with a damp huff, “You’ll find out anyway. We don’t engage in shootouts like the Terrans or these other guys. In fact, many of our historic battles (not that we had very many at all) were so quiet you might not even know they were happening... If you weren’t a Baleel. We creep and hide and lay traps and snares. We poison and smother. Our ‘guns’ are sniper rifles... or just a range finder or other targeting device.”

“Artillery?” Veeka asked.

Or missiles... she silently added.

“When our technology reached that point,” Karashel replied, “and then airstrikes and ballistic missiles... but like I said, we hardly ever had any wars. We aren’t like that. We honestly do prefer compromise and will tolerate a lot to simply live in peace.”

Veeka scoffed.

“No, it’s true,” Karashel replied, “We were perfectly happy to be our bloc’s doormat and be poor stupid peasant farmers... until they tried to shove our breath holes into the mire and smother our people. It was only then that we decided to do something about it.”

She looked Veeka at her with those alien soulless eyes.

“I’ll have some of our history, both ancient and recent, sent by. You can see what I mean.”

“You mean like the bible you sent your ‘customer’?”

“Yeah, stuff like that!” Karashel chirped. “You will see the same trend over and over. We compromise. We back down. We retire. We compromise again. We give up more... all for the sake of peace... and then when we can back down no further...”

“Genocide,” Veeka said accusingly.

“You have studied us!” Karashel replied happily. “As such, I can understand the Besl’s treatment of their customer, but...”

“You still disagree with it.”

“Yes,” Karashel replied. “It is very counterproductive to not only the party’s interests but also my interests and ultimately even the Besl’s. They aren’t doing the sensible thing of making a threat go away. That makes sense. They are punishing those poor people, causing them to suffer needlessly because of their very justified anger and pain... and their greed. It is understandable, but it is not the same thing at all.”

Laek~Vet just shrugged.

“Not my concern,” he said. “Not my call, either.”

He smiled evilly.

“It’s not my problem that they are unable to manage their affairs properly. They brought this upon themselves. My noble race, and the Federation, are not obligated to coddle those who cannot pay their debts nor carry their burdens.”

Veeka winced. She knew exactly who he was quoting, the same shattered creature now wandering the council chambers with a broken soul and grief-filled eyes, desperately trying to appeal to beings that once pretended to be his friends and now didn’t even reply to their email.

“As I said,” Karashel said, “understandable, perhaps even justified, but certainly not something of which I approve. In fact, I am very put out over the whole situation.”

She looked at the Besl.

“I was led to believe that things would proceed differently,” Karashel said with just a little edge to her voice, “They say that a plan never survives contact with the enemy. Mine did. Unfortunately, it did not survive my friends, did it?”

“Oh?” Veeka asked. “I’m surprised you are so forthcoming about such things.”

“No reason not to be,” Karashel replied as she ate another cav$sk fruit and quivered with pleasure. “I have too much on my plate, both literally and figuratively, to waste effort trying to conceal that which cannot be hidden. It simply has to be apparent that our happy little band is well... less than entirely convivial.”

Karashel sipped a tall glass of Aat sre water.

“That is why you were hiding across the street, correct? You wanted to find out how much of it was true and if there was anything you could use. Kudos and respect for doing it yourself, by the way.”

Karashel made a happy little noise as she set down the glass.

“You simply have to try some sre water!” she enthused, “The Aat really have it going on. So... What do you want to know?”

Veeka paused while she savored some of her stew and took advantage of the delay to compose herself. She was unused to such candor, but that was one of that pink monster’s weapons. She attacked your footing. If you weren’t very careful, you would wind up “slipping”.

In some ways, she already had. She had absolutely no intention of confronting any of them directly at this point and was not prepared to be sucked into that confrontation, no matter how pleasantly it was presented, in the very heart of their operation.

The slightest misstep would be recorded on the dozens of concealed sensors watching her every molecule at the moment.

She was already starting to slip, and she knew it.

She should just keep quiet, enjoy her meal, and get the void out of there.

She chewed the stew as long as possible and then took a sip of her beverage. It wasn’t horrible but a bit too bitter for her tastes.

She had delayed as long as she could.

“It was more curiosity in general that had me come out here,” Veeka said pleasantly, “I had heard that you had outgrown Aspiration Park, and I wanted to see for myself.”

“Not a bad setup, eh?” Karashel said proudly. “This place is perhaps the one thing we can all agree upon.”

Karashel bubbled happily.

“It’s truly wonderful what even the slightest effort can achieve,” she said, “This entire endeavor costs hardly anything. We could have afforded it even before our sudden change in circumstances.”

“It is certainly impressive,” Veeka said diplomatically as she ate a bit more quickly than she usually would.

She could feel Karashel’s eyes on her... waiting...

“And the best part,” Karashel said, “is that everyone is welcome here, regardless of status or affiliation, even you. You don’t even have to say hello. You can just drop by, grab some food, hang out, and enjoy some fresh air.”

And have my every move, word, and breath recorded...

“How gracious,” Veeka said, “I just may.”

“Please do,” Karashel said, “This is actually a pretty good place to find some truly wonderful food and some fun company. You got on well with the Rill out front. I’m sure you would love meeting the other soldiers as well. Did they answer all of your questions okay? Rillrill here would probably be more than happy to fill in any gaps.”

“I would prefer it if you either used my proper name or none at all,” The Rill councilor buzzed. “But, of course, you already know that,” it added with good humor. “But Her Pinkness is correct,” they said as they turned to Veeka, “I will be happy to answer any questions.”

“They were very professional,” Veeka said, “Your people have impressive ‘embassy staff’, Rillrillrillrill.”

“Who know exactly what they can and cannot say,” the Rill buzzed. “They did not betray anything they should not have. In case you are wondering, they are members of our Rapid Scythe, one of what you would consider our special forces units, not unlike the unit in which you once served.”

“Your candor is refreshing, Rillrillrillrill. I am also gratified that you would place me among them.”

“Your people’s elite units are on par with any in the galaxy, Veeka,” the Rill buzzed respectfully.

“You should check out the Loo Longcoats or the Yuii Twilight Fangs!” Karashel enthused. “They are awesome!”

“Your Nature Buddies also impressed, Councilor.”

“Oh, you’re just being nice,” Karashel giggled, “but thank you.”

Karashel bounced happily.

“Now I just know you are dying to ask us some stuff!” she burbled. “Come on! Spill! I promise no tricks this time... honest...”

I’m actually impressed she was able to say that with such an honest demeanor, Veeka thought wryly.

“My curiosity is quite satisfied, actually,” Veeka said, painfully aware of how much stew she still had and the fact that she was not savoring such a lovely meal.

“Well, I suppose I will have to guess what else you wish to discover and just start talking, then.”

Karashel’s eyes sparkled with a slimy gleam.

“I would hate it if you came all this way for nothing.”

Fuck...