Chapter 4 #2
However, when their Dominani had been captured by a group ratchi, he had killed the males for that crime, as well as for abducting the human females from their homeworld.
That was how he had met them. When he returned, more males from the clavas had tracked them down – led here by the traitorous former First Scholar – and they had tried to take Adassani in revenge.
They had failed and the cost had been their lives.
Romival wasn't at all surprised to hear that the rest of the clavas had heard of their demise and were coming for vengeance. The pack bond between ratchi meant that they had little choice. Their bodies would burn with rage until they felt their pack had been avenged.
Dominani knew that very well. It was why he had First Voice speaking with the leader of the ratchi to make sure that the clavas wouldn't do exactly what they were doing.
The males that attacked Adassani were honorless, and their bodies had been burned, their ashes scattered in disgrace.
But they had no fight with the rest of their clavas.
Apparently, however, their clavas had a fight with them.
It was worrying, but not surprising. Romival quickly became absorbed in the packet of information that Survii had sent along.
He suddenly had a vested interest in making sure the human females were kept safe.
***
The grand council chamber was a meeting place for the First Council.
It was a large room with multiple, spacious alcoves – basically rooms in their own right – that each served a different function.
It wasn't the first time Romival had been in the chamber, even before he had become a First himself, but the majesty and power of the space never failed to take his breath away.
The massive glass ceiling would normally fill this room with light but today it was dark from the clouds hanging overhead.
The rainy season was here and, though the skies hadn't opened yet, it wouldn't be long now.
The meteorologists at the academy were reporting that the first of the rains would begin falling tomorrow morning.
Which made this cloudy, dreary day the last of the dry season, and not another day would pass without rain until the cold season came.
Since there was no natural light this morning, the room was illuminated by artificial torches designed to mimic the torches their ancestors would have used lighting their dens.
The First Council was an ancient tradition and, before joining the universe at large, it had been the sole ruling body of Turv.
The Dominani had only been named in modern times, revived from an even older tradition, when they needed to pick a leader to represent the planet as a whole.
Today, the chamber was full. Atem was in the far alcove opposite the door, sitting at his wide desk, adding his DNA signature to a series of digital documents.
In one of the alcoves to the left, First Guardian Havali was working on his own projects, but he was surrounded by his own council of guardians as well as First Warrior Tuvo.
As Romival passed, he could hear them talking about the security of Turv as a whole and Calvitorum specifically.
Technically, guarding the planet and its citizens was one of the jobs First Guardian was responsible for on his own.
First Warrior was in charge of the military – both on and off planet.
However, it was well known that Atem trusted Tuvo more than anyone, including First Guardian Havali.
When it came to the safety of his mate and pups, Atem would only trust Tuvo.
Which was why the massive, scarred male was speaking with Havali and his council.
Romival walked past them and headed directly towards Atem. His Dominani did not look up from his desk as he approached, his three eyes rapidly moving across the holodocs, but Romival had no doubt he knew he was there.
Three more signed documents later, Atem swiped the holos away and finally focused on him with a hard expression.
“What have you learned?” He asked without preamble.
Romival didn't need to ask him to clarify. He had just gotten First Voice's message yesterday and had then spent the night reading what information Survii had sent as well as doing his own research.
“The clavas name is Hassrana.” Romival lifted his combot so he could transfer all the information he had gathered to Atem, as well as the summary he had made so his Dominani wouldn't have to read through all of it.
“They're an officially registered clavas only two generations old.
By ratchi standards, that's very young. They have only seventeen registered members.
Of those, you killed six on the ship that you brought back here.
Vi Adassani killed that one in the market.
Then, you killed three in the desert. Of the seven left of their clan, there are only females.
“The clavas leader is this female.” He brought her image up on the holo that moved across Atem's desk as he sat back in his chair, watching with an impassive expression.
“Sizuka Hassrana. Age: one-hundred forty standard years. Not yet an elder by their standards, but close. She is considered a fierce female and has a record of unexcused violence against other females.”
“Unexcused?” Atem interrupted to ask.
“Law is such on Hr'ssri that all violent offenses must first be designated as unexcused in order to be prosecuted. Combat is used as a method of vigilante justice and is fully condoned.”
Atem snarled in disgust. And Romival understood the sentiment.
His people enjoyed fighting for the sake of the battle.
For the honor. As a method of bonding and teaching and a safe way to expel aggression.
It wasn't used to punish. Attacking with the intent to hurt or kill was illegal unless in defense.
And vigilante justice was only allowed in the specific case of a guardian defending their family from an immediate threat.
“Female Sizuka Hassrana got in trouble a great deal for unexcused fighting.
Violent outbursts. Angry retaliation for slights that weren't deemed worthy of such a response.
She hasn't been charged with anything in at least twenty standard years, but it seems that the males of her clavas have taken up the mantle for her.”
Atem smirked wickedly. “They had,” he corrected.
Romival joined in his mirth. “By their own laws, we did no wrong.
However, it's also not considered wrong for them to seek to harm us in retaliation for the deaths of their clavas. However, that also means that they have no protection from their government if they are killed in their attempt at revenge.”
“So, I need not concern myself with an intergalactic incident.” Atem reclined back in his chair. “I do not care if those attempting to harm her are females, if anyone threatens vi Peony, they will die without a chance to explain themselves.”
Romival grunted in agreement before continuing.
“The clavas has, aside from the clipper class ship you stole from them, a single fluyt class ship registered in their name.
I attempted to trace it so I could find them, but it was sold quite recently to a re-seller.
I can't find anything they might have bought to replace it, but that only means that they might not have registered it.”
Atem nodded in agreement. “I don't think they'd want to make it easier for us to track them.”
“Challenge is the source of growth,” Romival quoted from the Omoni Otorsi.
“So it is.” Atem stood. “You've done good work, Romival. Send the image of this female and the rest of the clavas to Havali and Tuvo.”
“Already done, vi Dominani.”
“Good. I find myself needing to check on my female.”
Romival smiled in understanding. Normally, a male's nesting instincts wouldn't begin until after his female began showing her pregnancy.
However, the danger Adassani had been in prompted the instincts to rise early in Atem.
If she wasn't with him – as made necessary by her pregnancy but sometimes impossible by his duties – he had to check on her constantly.
This early, it probably wasn't necessity that drove Atem from her side. Peony was probably still asleep, and Atem hadn't wanted to disturb her. A whelping female needed her rest, after all.
“Have you already interviewed the other females?” Atem asked as he was coming around his desk.
“I've scheduled a meeting with Holly in a few days, vi Dominani.”
Atem looked surprised. “With Holly? She agreed to that?”
“Should she not have?”
His Dominani grunted a sound that could be yes or no.
“I don't mind which of my sisters you interview.
I'm only surprised that it was Holly that agreed to do it.
Be conscious of yourself when you talk to her.
She's a nervous sort. Easily startled and frightened.
I expect you to treat her with the utmost consideration.
Romival saluted him, fist to his chest, over his heart. “I would never do anything to dishonor myself in the presence of your family, vi Dominani. I shall be careful.”
Atem grunted in agreement. “By the way, you haven't spoken to them much, so I should tell you. They depend on non-verbal cues that we don't have for a great deal of their speech. If she bobs her head up and down, it means 'vas'; if she shakes it side to side, it means 'tor'.”
“I shall remember,” Romival promised. That explained what she and Hattie had been doing when they had been moving their heads so often while speaking to each other in the market. It was just one of many things that he had seen he had wondered about.
Domini had non-verbal signals for affirmation and denial as well, but they were hand movements. The sort of signals that could be seen across battlefields. That was how a great deal of their non-verbal communication had come about, actually.