The Sonoitii homeworld orbited a F7 star, larger and hotter than old Earth’s Sol. Its vast oceans gave the planet a deep blue-green hue, along with hints of magenta that suggested just how alien it truly was. A single large continent dominated the seascape, while a handful of smaller masses and volcanic archipelagos rounded out the surface. Storms raged in the southern hemisphere as the shuttle detached from Fiddlers’ Green, entering the atmosphere and following the flight path given to them by the Sonoitii themselves, under the watchful eyes of its oversized twin moons.
The shuttle set down on a wide sandy beach above the high tide mark as the Security detail got to work, uncrating the rigid inflatable boats they’d carried with them from the ship itself. The coordinates for the meeting were several kilometers offshore of the largest landmass, in deep water, and since floating the shuttle itself was not an option, they required alternative methods. Thankfully transporting the boats to the water and assembling them in situ was a straightforward task, one they trained for, and after launching them in the gentle surf they were motoring out to the rendezvous.
“You doing okay there, Arthur?” Doc Svoboda asked their newest squad member, who managed a thumbs-up despite his greenish pallor. Waterborne Ops were a rarity for the Valkyries, and not everyone had their sea legs, forcing their medic to break out a hypospray. So far, he was keeping his lunch down, but the battle was far from over.
Kai and his team scanned the horizon for threats, while Rúna and her people searched closer in. Somehow... she suspected Captain Inaba had pulled a few strings... they had assigned 1st Squad as Colonel Holme’s protective detail for the interview. It was an honor to be sure, a symbol of trust, but the inherent dangers of a first meeting between mercenary and client were impossible to ignore. She held her weapon at low port, one leg wrapped around a handy stanchion for support as she kept watch.
Eventually the ship’s handler throttled back, double-checking their position before killing the engine completely. The tiny craft bobbed on the ocean’s swells as the Colonel and his staff waited for their hosts to arrive.
“Anything?” Kai said in her ear, transmitted from his location on the other boat.
“Not yet,” she answered. They’d juggled their respective teams, swapping out bodies for the introduction, and she could tell it had them both off-balance. “The Colonel sent the signal, but it could be a while before…”
The rest of the sentence died in her throat, as the water surrounding them began to churn. Roiling bubbles rose from the depths and burst, filling their nostrils with a thick alien scent as she reached out to steady Arthur as he stared wide-eyed at the scene. The boiling grew more energetic as the cerulean water frothed...as three massive heads rose from the surface, gazing down at them. Rúna’s jaw dropped as she stared at them in wonder.
The Sonoitii were water dragons.
Their heads were enormous, easily large enough to swallow a human whole, pointed and streamlined for speed. Long purple tendrils trailed behind their skulls, each one barbed as they writhed and pulsed. Their serpentine bodies coiled and twisted as they rested on the surface, as their reptilian eyes took in the human arrivals.
“... I am Bidras’nassa, Overseer of The Time,” the center dragon intoned, the words emanating from a brass-colored torc clasped around its throat. “Who among you leads?”
The battalion commander stepped forward. “I do, honored host,” he said with a bow “My name is Colonel Elias Holme, senior authority of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Regiment of the Valkyries. We are grateful for this chance to speak.”
The three serpents turned to one another, obviously communicating somehow, exchanging some vital piece of information before returning their attention to the humans. “Know this, Colonel Elias Holme, that you were not our first choice for this mission. Nor were you the second. You were merely available.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement, Rúna thought to herself, as she noticed Yendrick gripping his rifle hard enough to whiten his knuckles. A nudge of her elbow and a pointed look forced him to relax, as she turned her attention back to the scene playing out before them.
“However we came to be considered, we are grateful for this opportunity,” he said easily, sidestepping the insult. “How may the Valkyries assist the Sonoitii?”
Another brief sidebar, as the trio conferred. Whatever their concerns regarding humanity were, Bidras’nassa soon overruled them.
“You have inspected the documents we transmitted?” it asked.
“We have,” the colonel responded, “and we agree to your terms. All discussions are to be kept strictly confidential, even if no contract for employment is signed. All information we gather here, even imagery of the planet itself, is to be considered proprietary, and protected under interstellar law.”
The Sonoitii seemed to confer for a moment, perhaps even examining the documents themselves somehow, before they finally relented, and broke apart once more.
“The Time rapidly approaches, and we must look to our future,” the dragon vocalized. “We have used others such as yourselves in the past; sell swords and free lances, and we have found all to be wanting. We imagine you will be no different.”
“With all due respect, honored Bidras’nassa,” the colonel spoke up, “I would ask you not to judge us based solely on the actions of others in our profession. The Valkyries will give you their best effort, should you decide to engage us.”
“We shall see,” the dragon said dubiously.
“May I inquire as to the nature of the contract?” he continued, as Rúna contemplated just how smooth a sales agent he was. Her interactions with the colonel were few, and she’d never seen this side of him before, though given their business she understood why he’d honed those skills.
“The Time approaches,” it repeated, getting down to business. “Soon we will be drawn to the shallows, to begin the life cycle anew. Once that occurs, our spawn will be vulnerable, until they hatch and venture toward deeper waters. It has been thus since the beginning.”
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Those within earshot looked at one another in surprise. “You want us to protect your children?” the colonel said carefully, only barely concealing his astonishment.
“... Yes,” the Sonoitii representative agreed, though even she could sense his reluctance. “In ancient times, the Elders of our race would guard access to the shallows, defending our young from seaborne predators. We continue to do so, even now.” Bidras’nassa drew itself up to its full height, towering over the boats. “But we cannot shield them from those that approach by land.”
No, of course they can’t, Rúna realized, not built like that. She imagined even getting to the shallows to mate took careful timing and preparation.
“Are there terrestrial creatures native to your world that prey upon your young?” the colonel asked.
Bidras’nassa sunk back into the water, drawing close to the boat carrying Colonel Holme, close enough that he could have reached out and touched the serpent, had he wished to... or close enough for the Sonoitii Elder to avail himself of an impromptu snack. She had to give the old man credit; he didn’t flinch.
“No,” the massive creature rumbled, “not native.”
“Then I don’t understand,” he told the creature, after taking a moment to consider its response. “Who would harm your young?”
Suddenly all three Sonoitii grew agitated, those barbed tendrils flailing about in what had to be a threat display. It was effective as hell, and she saw more than one of the group take a step back.
“Beings like you,” it snarled, “Land creatures. We have dealt with your kind for centuries, and we have learned we can trust none of you.” Holme started to speak, but the alien would have none of it. “When others first appeared in our skies, they bargained with us to harvest the riches of this world, ores and minerals we could not access. In return, they would act as our agents, helping us to secure goods and supplies that were needed. It seemed to be a fair arrangement for both parties.” Bidras’nassa’s head loomed close once more. “Can you guess what happened next?”
“I would assume they did not honor the agreement,” the colonel said evenly.
“You assume correctly, land creature,” it scowled. “Not only were we cheated of that which we were due, in their haste to enrich themselves they poisoned our world, leaving vast ranges of our oceans lifeless and barren.” It regarded the colonel for a moment, and then slowly backed off. To his credit, he didn’t breathe a sigh of relief.
“But it was those who came after that showed us just how monstrous your kind could be,” it continued, “... when they harvested our eggs for their ‘research’.” Despite speaking through a voder, Rúna could feel the anger in Bidras’nassa’s voice, not that she blamed it. “It would seem that our eggs have within them an enzyme, one with unique properties. It allows organs from incompatible races to merge, to function as one. With it, one could remove your beating heart, implant in my chest... and have it continue to function.” In an instant the colossal head returned, mere centimeters away. “Can you imagine the value of that, to those like you?” it hissed dangerously.
And once again, Colonel Holme stood his ground. “Yes... I can,” he answered. “All too well, I regret to say.”
Jesus... the Proteans, her mind whispered. Had they been stealing Sonoitii eggs all this time, to create agents like Samara? No wonder they hate us.
The two watched one another, Sonoitii and human, each waiting to see the other’s reaction. Finally, their host relented slightly. “Since that day, The Time has become a season of danger, of sorrow, of tears. Again and again we have struggled to drive them off, to little avail. Year after year we have hired those like you, only to watch them succumb to greed, stealing for themselves what they swore to defend. Yet we have no choice if we are to survive.” Its eyes narrowed as it gazed at the colonel. “And so here we are again... with you.”
Rúna had to hand it to the old dragon; its tirade had left the colonel at a loss for words. But the man was nothing if not a survivor, and he bounced back quickly.
“There is no doubt you have ample cause to distrust us,” he said at last, “and I won’t pretend there aren’t Terrans guilty of these crimes.” The Sonoitii cocked its head, waiting.
“But by the same token, I know you have not contracted with the Valkyries before. Our own records show that. We’re not perfect, lord knows, and we have our flaws. But I promise you this, honored Bidras’nassa; that we will protect your offspring as if they were our very own.”
Glancing over at the other boat, Rúna found Kai staring back at her, just as shocked as she was. The colonel was making one hell of a promise, with no guarantee he could deliver. Protecting them like they were human children? There wasn’t a Valkyrie born that wouldn’t fight to the death to protect a child, because that was buried deep within their DNA. They’d stack their own bodies up like cordwood if that’s what it took... but for an alien?
That was asking a lot... maybe too much. Mercenary outfits survived by knowing when to run and cut one’s losses, living to fight another day. They weren’t heroes, and they weren’t saviors. They fought for pay and killed who they were told. That’s all. People depended on them to find contracts and fulfill them; those too young, too old, too infirm to fight themselves.
Only now it looked like Colonel Holme had decided to make his stand here, on this alien world, fighting for a cause not his own. What the hell was he thinking?
Maybe he’s thinking like you were after Dzan, Rúna realized. Maybe he’s tired of always being the thug, too. It wasn’t good guys that hired mercenaries; either they saw no need, or they couldn’t afford them. Their job was cracking skulls and filling coffins, and they were good at it; after all, they’d had plenty of practice. They put down honest rebellions against corrupt regimes, helped greedy consortiums suppress the weak to steal all they owned, and enabled little tin gods to conquer their neighbors.
... and she was sick of it. Maybe the colonel was, too. Maybe once, just once...he’d like to fight on the side of the angels.
“Words are easy, human,” Bidras’nassa said dismissively, interrupting her thoughts, “for it is actions that speak true. We shall see.” The Sonoitii glanced at his partners, perhaps looking for dissent, but seemed to find none.
“We will transmit to you the locations of the shallows,” it continued, “and all that we have learned from our previous engagements. When both moons are full, high in the sky, that will be the sign. From that moment, our eggs will require sixty days to hatch, though it may be slightly sooner or later, depending on various conditions. Those that would steal our young will wait until the egg cases begin to ripen, filling with the enzyme they so greatly desire.” It fixed the colonel in its gaze. “You will have thirty days to prepare. After that, you must protect them for thirty more... and those that will come will be relentless. Do you understand?”
“Yes... we understand,” Colonel Holme said quietly.
The Sonoitii seemed to wait for something, or maybe that was just her imagination. Then, with a flick of their massive tails, they slipped beneath the waves, disappearing without a trace.
Everyone turned to the colonel. He stared off in the distance, lost for a moment in his reveries, and then turned to face the others.
“Take us back to shore,” he ordered, “and then set up base camp. We’ve got a lot of planning to do.”
The engines roared to life as they turned the boats around, while Rúna tried to make sense of what had just happened. Were they crazy?
Maybe we are, she mused. Maybe we need to be. But it was still just flat-out insane that they were risking everything for a race they’d just met.
... or maybe it wasn’t, she realized with a start. After all... didn’t their ancestors believe dragons were ancient creatures, that taught Man wisdom?