The Privateer

The most frightening creature Mynil had ever encountered stood calmly, drinking tea. The human possessed neither fang nor claw. He was not overly large, but muscles played under his skin as he sipped. He had been unfailingly polite, almost friendly, in his dealings with Security. Mynil was not fooled. He had seen Mr. Sato break a Vrrl with his bare hands. He had watched him pluck out the creature's eye. Seen him eat it.

Mr. Sato gave a small bow. "I am pleased you accepted my invitation. Please, make yourselves at home."

Mr. Sato's apartment was small, as was common on Tenril Station. It was modestly decorated. Papers that had squiggly lines drawn on them. A figurine of an overweight human. A plant. A large portion of the space was taken up by two large clear tanks. The tanks were full of water and contained vegetation that was native to Mynil's homeworld. Mynil imagined it would have taken a fair amount of effort for the human to acquire and set up the Okulen equivalent of chairs.

Mynil's eyestalks swiveled to Kelsor. His partner met his gaze with quiet amusement. She had seen what he had, but she seemed at ease with the human. Mynil did not understand, but he had learned to trust her judgement. They eased into their separate tanks.

The temperature was perfect. The splik vines had infused the water with their soothing medicine. Like the rest of his species, Mynil could function perfectly well on land or in the dry confines of a space station, but he was still a creature of the swamps. He rarely got to indulge in immersion outside the confines of his quarters.

Mr. Sato walked into the kitchen area. He returned a moment later. "It would be customary to offer you tea," he said, "but i know your kind cannot drink it. May I offer you a cup of slal, instead?"

"That would be lovely," Kelsor told him. He gifted her one of the cups he'd been carrying. Mynil accepted the other. He was surprised at the quality of the slal. It had been prepared perfectly. Mynil knew the human must have spent significant effort to create such hospitality for his Oluken guests. Instead of putting Mynil at ease, the thought made him suspicious.

"This is good slal," Kelsor remarked. "Did you make it yourself?"

"I did," said the human. "Slal is very similar to tea, though its gleefa is as poisonous to me as caffeine would be to you."

"It's... very nice..." Mynil wanted to ask the human to get to the point, but he was far too nervous. Logically, the chances of being attacked were low. Mynil and Kelsor were members of Security, and it would be foolish to attack them even if the frightening biped had motive to do so. Mr. Sato had no such motive, as far as Mynil knew. All the same, the human's graceful motions and serene demeanor put him on edge. He had looked just as serene the day he'd beaten an apex predator half to death with his bare hands.

Mynil wished this was not a social call. If it was official business, he could have brought his stunwhip.

Sensing her partner's nerves, Kelsor took the lead. "So tell us, Mr. Sato. Why have you invited us here?" She gestured with around the room. "You've certainly gone to a lot of trouble to make us feel comfortable."

Mr. Sato moved to an elevated mat. Folding his legs under himself, he sat down. Mynil suspected he usually sat on the floor, but had made arrangements to be on the same elevation as his guests. "No trouble, Ms. Kelsor. Guests should be treated with hospitality." He sipped his tea, then continued, "As for why I've invited you here, there has been a development regarding the incident several months ago."

Neither Mynil nor Kelsor needed to guess which incident he was referring to. Kelsor bobbed her eyestalks. "Go on."

"As you are no doubt aware," said the human. "The Vrrl consider themselves the Apex predators of the galaxy. The defeat of one of their number by an unarmed human has disturbed them greatly. They have issued a challenge to the Martial Arts Community."

"We will brook no further violence on Tenril Station, Mr. Sato," Kelsor warned.

"There will be none," Mr. Sato assured her. "The challenge will take place in Vrrl space."

"What challenge?" Mynil asked.

"The Vrrl wish to know if humans are truly capable of hunting them," Mr. Sato explained. "They have asked that we 'prove our predation.' They have asked for twenty one of our best fighters to face the strongest of their kind." He sipped his tea, then continued. "Single combat. No weapons. To the death."

Kelsor raised one eyestalk and lowered the other, signaling confusion. "And your government has allowed this?"

Mr. Sato shrugged. "I doubt they approve, but they do not interfere. The Terran Federation allows its citizens a great deal of freedom, provided they do not cause unnecessary harm." He sipped his tea, thoughtful. "I believe the Vrrl initially demanded proof from the government, but were refused. I suspect that is why they have challenged us directly."

Kelsor finished her slal, thinking. She said, "That's very interesting, Mr Sato, but I do not see what it has to do with us."

The human smiled, gesturing at his holoprojecter. "The first match is in a few minutes. I thought you might like to watch."

After refilling his tea, and making a second cup for Kelsor (Mynil had politely declined) Mr. Sato used his wrist console to activate the holoprojector. Mynil had used similar devices in his Security duties, but he was startled by the clarity and quality the Terran version offered. The projector showed a room, on either a ship or a space station. Metal floor and metal walls, with light strips at regular intervals providing illumination. The room was empty, but Mr. Sato had assured them the fighters would enter in a few minutes.

"You know," Kelsor remarked. "I did some sifting after your altercation with Third Hsst Kthat. You're on the Federation's payroll."

"Oh?" The human calmly sipped his tea.

"The human government pays you to be here," Security Officer Kelsor continued. "Pays all the members of your dojo, if I'm not mistaken." Her frills raised slightly, denoting her seriousness without quite making a threat display. "You know that employing your own Security forces on an Oluken station is a gross violation of our treaty, yes?"

"We are not a security force," said Mr. Sato. "We will act rightly if the need arises, but that is not why we are here."

"Then why are you here?" Kelsor pressed.

"To teach," said Mr. Sato. "And to learn."

"Then why is the Federation government paying you?"

"Our government provides a stipend to all its citizens." Mr. Sato's brow furrowed slightly. "Does yours not?"

"What? No." Kelsor lowered her frills. "Why would it?"

"Interesting." Mr. Sato. sipped his tea. "Technology and automation allow us to produce far more than we need with less than a tenth of one percent of our labor force. Rather than force citizens to scramble for employment, the government gives each of us a generous stipend and allows us to pursue our own projects. Some find work, some commit themselves to learning and experimentation, others devote themselves to the arts. Some," he gave a small smile, "move to a far away station and open a dojo."

"So..." Mynil raised one eyestalk and lowered the other. "Your government gives you money, and then you just... do what you want?"

"Yes."

Before Mynil could think of a reply, two doors opened in the room on the holodisplay. Through one of the doors came a human. Female. Not large. The female wore shorts and a cloth binding to cover her...Mynil didn't know the word. Bazongas? Mammaries? The pair of organs humans use to feed their young. She moved with the same grace Mr. Sato carried himself with. Her muscles were not as large as Mr. Sato's, but they were clearly defined and rippled in a similar fashion when she moved. The sides of the female's head were shaved, and her remaining hair, brown in color, had been tied into a short braid that just barely reached her shoulders. Pictures adorned her skin. A large blue three in a circle on her back, a black fist on her calf. Two long scaled creatures were depicted twining their way down the human's arm.

"Hmm..." Mr. Sato hmmed. "Grandmaster Leah herself has chosen to participate."

Through the other door came a Vrrl. Male. Quite large. The creature stood well over two meters in height, perhaps even two and a half. Tan fur covered his body. He wore a loincloth made out of human skin. His mane was black. His three eyes were green. His body was laden with muscle, his lower set of arms nearly as big around as the human's legs. The top set of longer, heavier arms neared the size of her waist. Each of its four hands was tipped with cruel, wicked claws. The Vrrl's lip curled, revealing fangs. Upon seeing the human, the Vrrl warrior released a single, coughing roar.

"Doesn't she seem a bit..." Mynil cut himself off. He had been about to say that the human looked too young to be a grandmaster of anything, and certainly too young to be participating in a death battle. He was glad he'd stopped himself before he said something so foolish. Mynil knew perfectly well that the main export of his species was medical technology. Technology that, among other things, could reverse the aging process and return sapients to their physical prime. This technology was so valuable and difficult to reverse engineer that even the Vrrl Starfang Empire had signed a treaty with them and maintained cordial relations, though part of that might simply be that the Oluken were poisonous, and listed as inedible on the Vrrl's Predation index. "Never mind."

This Grandmaster Leah might be over a hundred years old. For that matter, so might Mr. Sato.

The human walked forward. The Vrrl charged to meet her. When they were within meters of each other, the Vrrl leapt. It was their preferred method of attack. The Vrrl would grasp the human with all four of his hands and use his fangs to pierce her skull.

The human was already moving. Grandmaster Leah fell backwards. Her hands shot out and caught the Vrrl's lower pair of wrists. They reached the floor with the human on her back, one foot pressed against the hunter's abdomen. She continued the motion, pulling with her hands and thrusting with her foot to launch the Vrrl behind her. She was on her feet before he finished crashing into the wall.

The Vrrl didn't bother to stand. Quick as a filva, he twisted to set his feet under him and leapt a second time. The female slipped backwards, narrowly avoiding his claws. Her hand flashed out, loose fingers flicking into two of his eyes. The hunter reared back, startled, and the human darted in. Her other hand snapped forward, fingers and thumb pressing into an odd position that encompassed the center two thirds of the hunter's throat. They squeezed together, then the human leapt backwards again, receiving a set of lacerations on her abdomen for her trouble.

The Vrrl did not leap a third time. Instead he rushed forward, swiping with his claws. The human danced back, then her upper body snapped back further. Her leg whipped out, striking the Vrrl just above the knee with the center of her lower leg part. She made as if to kick again, waited a tenth of a second for the hunter to try to intercept her leg with his claws, then struck his leg in the same place a second time. The Vrrl fell. The human took another pair of steps back.

The male was making a strange wheezing sound. One of his great clawed hands went to his throat. He tried to rise, but his leg wouldn't to support him.

"Why is he making that noise?" asked Kelsor.

"The Grandmaster has collapsed his windpipe," Mr. Sato explained.

One hand still clutching his throat, the hunter swarmed forward, using his other hands and working leg to swiftly close the distance on his belly. Mynil realized the Vrrl could still win, if he could get a hand on the human. His strength and claws would be more than enough to tear her apart if he could get a solid grasp. The Grandmaster danced out of his reach. The Vrrl scrambled after her.

"How long can a Vrrl go without breathing?" Mynil wondered.

"I don't know," said Mr. Sato.

The Vrrl became more desperate. It crawled faster, but the Grandmaster stayed out of reach, moving in circles to prevent the hunter from cornering her. After several seconds, the male realized his leg would support him again. He surged to his feet in a rush.

The Grandmaster was ready. As before she seemed to start moving before the Vrrl did. She shot forward, turning her body and twisting sideways. The bottom of her foot speared into the Vrrl's abdomen with such force Mynil thought it would punch through him, striking the center of his abdomen just below his ribs and launching the Vrrl backwards.

The Vrrl convulsed on his back. The wheezing had stopped. Still unable to breathe, the mighty hunter forced himself to calm down, locking his gaze on the Grandmaster. If he killed her, the match would end. If he killed her, he would live. Once more, the Vrrl rose.

Once more, the Grandmaster was waiting. She darted forward. The Vrrl was prepared this time. Claws swept out to meet her. Rather than putting everything into a single strike, the hunter alternated hands in a flurry of claws. The human had no choice but to retreat, and quickly. The Vrrl surged after her, bloodying her arms as she blocked what strikes she could.

Three seconds later, the Grandmaster stopped retreating. She darted in close, catching two sets of claws on her left arm as she twisted her body. Her right arm mimicked the circle made by her hips, hand extended. The edge of her hand struck the side of the Vrrl's neck with all the force the female could muster. Mynil wouldn't have thought it was that much compared to the large predator, but the Vrrl dropped like a stone.

The Grandmaster was on the Vrrl's back before he finished hitting the ground. She gripped his head with both hands and gave a savage jerk. The popping noise made Mynil feel sick. The Vrrl stopped moving. The human pressed two fingers to the side of his throat.

"She's checking for a pulse," Mr. Sato informed his guests.

After a few seconds, the human stood. She was losing blood from over a dozen lacerations, but Mynil saw no hint that she was bothered by the wounds. Grandmaster Leah walked calmly to the door she'd used to enter the room. The door opened. She walked out.

"Glivna's tendrils," Kelsor swore. "I've never seen anything like that."

Mynil was about to agree with his partner, but he realized that was not true. "I have," Mynil replied. He swiveled his eyestalks to Mr. Sato. "Once."

The area around the human's eyes tightened for a moment. He began to speak, thought better of it, and finished his tea. Then he said, "If you do not wish to see anymore, I will understand."

"Are you crazy?" Kelsor exclaimed. "That's the greatest thing I've ever seen!"

Mynil wasn't so sure about that, but he wasn't going to dry away his partner's enthusiasm. "We will stay," he said. After a brief hesitation, he added. "Erm... do you suppose you could make another cup of slal?"

The next human was very large. Mr. Sato told Kelsor he was a boxer. He fought solely by striking with his arms. Mynil was sure he would die, but the human succeeded in knocking his opponent unconscious. The human then straddled the creature and punched until he was sure the Vrrl was dead. This human finished in much worse condition than the Grandmaster, barely able to leave the room under his own power. Mynil hoped they could get him into a medpod soon.

The third human practiced something called the "gentle way." Mynil could see why they called it that. After wrapping his body around the Vrrl's, the human was unable to deal with all four of the hunter's clawed arms. That human was killed and eaten.

Mynil had been shocked the first time he witnessed human violence. Shocked and frightened. He'd known the vicious terror of the Vrrl, but he'd never imagined the fangless humans could show such brutality. Justified Mr. Sato may have been, but Mynil had looked down on him as cruel and savage. He had been disappointed by how excited Kelsor had been to see it. He had been shocked again to see such barbarism play out on the human's holodisplay. As he watched human and Vrrl clash again and again, Mynil slowly began to understand.

Human violence was the most graceful, terrifying, and exciting spectacle Mynil had ever experienced. They were born with no weapons, so they made weapons out of their bodies. Weapons so dangerous they could face the Apex of all sapient predators. The Vrrl had always terrified Mynil. Seeing a species stand up to them without claws or poison was... impressive.

The fights did not last very long. The Olukens and Mr. Sato spent just under an hour watching them play out. Six humans died. The remaining fifteen were victorious. Only two of the fifteen were uninjured.

Mr. Sato brewed a third round of tea and slal as the surviving humans gathered in another room. A contingent of Vrrl gathered across from them. For a minute, Mynil expected the two groups to fight, but they stood calmly, each pretending not to be bothered by the presence of the other.

One of the largest of the Vrrl stepped forward. Nearly three meters tall, clad in black leather with a cape made of scalps. His fur was white. His mane was red. Four scars traced their way from just above his right eye to the bottom of his muzzle. "I am Screll Scathach," said the Vrrl. "First Hsst of the Priderender, Third Warmaster of the Vrrl Starfang Empire. I have hunted my away across the cosmos. I have killed and eaten thousands of your kind, hunted creatures even other Vrrl know to fear. I have killed every being that challenged me, and I have never bared my belly to anyone."

The Warmaster placed his top two hands behind his head. His other two hands raised his leather vest, showing his abdomen. He pressed his belly forward. "Until now."

Screll Skathatch let his vest fall back into place. He folded his hands behind his back. "We called you softpaws. Helpless prey. Barely worthy of the hunt. We raided you when it suited us. We warred with you when you would not learn your place. You had powerful technology, but without your weapons we knew you to be weak. We considered you beneath us." The Warmaster gave a low, rumbling growl. "Never have we been more wrong."

"Humans are not softpaws. You are Scargivers. Dangerous prey. Lethal and cunning, worthy to be hunted only by our best. We have wronged you, and you have responded with death. You have given proof of predation."

The Warmaster unclasped his hands. He held out one massive paw, and one of his subordinates handed him a computer console. The Warmaster typed for a moment, then said, "The Predation Index has been updated. You're species is now listed as Apex. Near equals to the Vrrl." He handed the console back. "As for you hunters, you will receive the respect that is your due. Step forward."

Grandmaster Leah was the first to approach. Warmaster Scathach raised a hand. "Do not seek medical treatment for this, human. Your enemies will see this scar, and know that you are worthy." The claws decended, carving four lines down the right side of the human's face. The Grandmaster stepped away, allowing the boxer to approach.

As Mynil watched the ceremony, a thought occurred to him. A strange thought, one that came with an odd yearning. He turned to his host. "Mr. Sato, could you... could you teach me to fight? In the way of your species?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Mynil," said his partner. "We're Oluken. Our bodies aren't built the way humans are."

Mr. Sato sipped his tea. "Kelsor is correct. Your body is too different to use our martial arts."

Of course. Mynil lowered his eyestalks. It was a silly idea, anyway.

"We will have to develop an art of our own," Mr. Sato continued. "The Way of the Tendril. Come to the dojo tomorrow. Together we will discover what the body of an Oluken can do."

Mynil perked up. "Really?"

"That is why I am here," said Mr. Sato. His face scrunched, and he quickly sipped his tea. Mynil suspected the human was trying to hide his excitement. "To teach, and to learn."