Chanur's homecoming by C. J. Cherryh

Author:C. J. Cherryh [Cherryh, C. J.]
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science fiction, General, Fiction, American Science Fiction And Fantasy, Fiction - General
ISBN: 9780932096425
Publisher: Phantasia Press
Published: 2010-01-21T16:06:27+00:00

Chapter Eight

“Go,” she said to Skkukuk outside the airlock. “If you want to get to quarters for any reason, get to it. You’re going to be standing watch out by the ramp in ten minutes. We got too much traffic coming in here to take any chances. And be polite! Hear?”

“Yes, hakt’!”

“Get!”

He ran, a flurry of black robes and rattle of weapons, down the corridor toward his own quarters.

That left her and Tully; and Tirun coming to meet them, welcome sight. “You all right, captain?”

“We got Tauran coming in, we got nowhere to put them, we got data up to our ears to process into nav, but things could be worse-“ Another figure turned the corner, tall and wide-shouldered and hani: her husband was coming her way in a hurry, and she flinched to the very bones. “Haral, you listening up there?”

“Aye, captain.”

“Lay us course for Urtur on our old capacity: we got some slower ships to take with us. Have Hilfy line up our direct transmission with Aja Jin, we got specifics to get. Then relay the result to Tahar. Have Aja Jin run our backup check.”

“Won’t take long; I got us course plot already on our present cap. I got their caps. We got this fancy mahen computer and I figured we were going somewhere. We doing the sequencing for the whole convoy?”

“You got it.” Miracles from the harried bridge. She did not even question them. “Do it, cousin. And get kif stats out of Harukk, we got an escort.”

Khym intercepted them and fell in to walk with her and Tirun and Tully. “You all right?” he asked. That was all.

“I’m a whole lot better.” She discovered she could breathe again. The tightness in her chest let up a bit, and a sneeze startled her. “Gods-be kif.” Her eyes watered. She wiped her nose. “Khym, you and Tully want to go up there and get us some sandwiches and get us rigged for a run? We’re getting out of here.”

“They’re letting us go?” Khym asked, ears half-back. Worried-looking.

“You’re right, .we got troubles. Even the kif are worried. We got to get through Urtur, remember? We got to get past Akkhtimakt to get home. Got to clear out the opposition all the way to Anuurn, that’s what we’ve got. Go do the galley. And give Tully a chance to get off his feet, he’s exhausted.”

Me, I got to take this ship through jump. We got to move, I got no time to be resting-

“Tully,” Khym said. “Galley.”

“Aye,” Tully said, and quickened his pace and got through to join him; the two of them went off up ahead at a fair walk, Tully staggering a little as he went, muscles undone by fatigue and exertion and cold. Her own felt like rubber.

“Tirun, we got seven of Tauran clan coming in. We got to bed ‘em somewhere. Run protocols for me. My brain’s mush. Got to figure out where to put Tully and their captain. No, b’gods, put Sirany Tauran in Jik’s cabin.

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