Meet the Umbara

[Col. C.E. Harper 0]

Meet the Umbara

Station Commander's Office

 

"Admiral?" Captain Uualha poked her head around the doorframe of the station commander's office. "You wanted a word?"

 

Aianei looked over a feathered shoulder from the data storage device on his asymmetrically shaped desk, his beak opening slightly as he regarded her. "Indeed. Please, come in."

 

She strode into the room, three-toed claws digging firmly into the deep pile of the carpet. Cocking her head slightly to one side, she regarded the smaller male. "What is this about?"

 

"It is my understanding," he started, looking back down at his data-store, "that we have some visitors."

 

"Indeed.” Her body-feathers ruffled slightly, an indication of upset or displeasure. "Mammalian, bipedal... no species I recognize, though."

 

"No matches in our database... do you have any images of their vessel? Or vessels?"

 

"There should be one on file.” The wattles at her throat quivered. "It looks rather like an oversized beak."

 

"A beak? And they're mammalian?” He made a slightly bemused choking sound. "Intriguing. And any analyses of their technology?"

 

Uualha waved a wing-claw idly. "About the same as ours, at first peck."

 

"Let's get a second peck at them; take a closer dive at them. Feel them out and at least see if they're friendly or not."

 

"They claim to come in peace," she answered. "And they can't be the Enemy."

 

"No. But that isn't enough."

 

"I'll take the Dawn's Grace back out to have another scratch at them. But they're pretty clawed up."

 

"Clawed? Can we determine what from?"

 

Again that off-hand wave. "Looks like carbon-scoring, energy discharge. Could be anything from weapons fire to a plasma storm."

 

He considered for a second, feathers ruffling. "It's the former I'm worried about."

 

Her head tilted to one side, Uualha enquired, "What is it you're thinking?"

 

"I'm not certain. But... perhaps our Enemy is theirs as well..."

 

"Or they might have had a run-in with our own people," she pointed out.

 

"In which case, what did they do to bring down an attack? Who was the initiator of the provocation?"

 

"Get in contact with all of our units in the area; see if they know anything about an unknown vessel drawing fire."

 

"Yes, Admiral." The captain's head bobbed once on its long neck. "And in the meantime...?"

 

"In the meantime, Dawn's Grace will initiate contact."

 

"They will want to make repairs. They have already asked our assistance."

 

"And we will offer it until we are proven to be dealing with our enemy."

 

"You will meet with them?"

 

Beak opening slightly in a smile, he shook his head. "That will fall under your command, Uualha."

 

"Very well.” Her feathers ruffled, then settled neatly into place. "Probably for the best, anyway."

 

"You always were the diplomatic one," he chirped, offering an avian chortle. "You are dismissed, Captain."