Aliens Vs. Humans (Aliens Series Book 4) Read Online Free
Author: T. Jackson King
the Great Dark ever wishes to be visited by the Arbitors.”
Hilok’s son Sator now came up to stand beside his father, watching the AV imagery of the neutrino call. Hilok turned away from the holo and faced Jack.
“Pack Leader Jack of the Human species, you must travel to meet this Arbitor,” the Nasen grunted in a deep bass. Hilok touched the holo knob, causing the imagery to disappear. “When you meet this Arbitor, answer truthfully its questions. Accept whatever judgment it renders. Obey whatever commands it gives you.”
“Fuck,” muttered Maureen from behind him. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this Arbitor creature.”
Jack leaned forward. “Hilok, what is this Arbitor that you show it such . . . obedience? Its species is not one I have ever encountered. Nor is it listed among the Hunter species on Nalik’s star map of predator Home stars and Hunt territories in the Orion Arm.”
Both Sator and Nalik lowered their heads and gave a full body shiver that made the color bands on their hides move like something alive. Hilok reached out one flexarm to pat the back of Sator’s head while laying his white-tufted tail across the back of Nalik. The Nasen blinked slowly.
“Their home system is unknown. Little is known of the Arbitors. What is known is fearful.” The Alien paused, touched his chest strap knob, waited for the AV to reappear, and gestured to the image of the Arbitor spaceship. “When disagreements happen between Hunters of the Great Dark, one party can call upon the Arbitors to come, attend, hear the issue and make a judgment. Compliance with the judgment of the Arbitor means you never again see this starship. Oppose that judgment and your star system is put into Isolation by such a ship.”
“But, but, the call to this Arbitor person was made by a Boolean ship captain who was mad at us for taking over his subject people in the 55 Cancri system,” Jack said. “Which as you heard is not a matter that concerns this Arbitor. And why does everyone obey? It’s just a single ship. Even if this Alien can call in a fleet, you have heard about the power of our fleet. We have weapons which no other Hunter of the Great Dark possesses.”
“It matters not,” Hilok said in a low snarl. “My daughter can tell you why. Nalik?”
The smaller Nasen looked up. She looked past Jack. “Nikola, lifemate of Pack Leader Jack and honored Stellar Authority, did you not wonder why there are only 113 Hunters who claim Hunt territories in the vastness of the Orion Arm?”
Nikola came up to stand beside Jack. “Yes, I did wonder why there were so few Hunters when there are 14,317 juvenile species who have not yet reached the outermost planet of their home star system. It seems more Hunters could be supported by the unclaimed star systems.”
Nalik nodded sharply, her furry ears flaring back. “Exactly so. While there are hundreds of subject people species in the Hunt territories of we Hunters, and thousands of juvenile species known to us, there are so few Hunters of the Great Dark for several reasons.” The female Nasen held up a four-fingered hand. She lifted one claw-finger. “First, Some Hunter societies collapse due to the strain of supervising strange peoples in distant star systems.” Another claw-finger lifted. “Second, some Hunter systems are conquered by other Hunters, as you Humans defeated the HikHikSot Hunters.” Three claw-fingers were now raised. “But the main reason there are so few known Hunters is due to these Arbitors. Disobey any order of the Arbitors and your Home star system is put into Isolation.”
Jack did not like what he was hearing. “What is this Isolation you speak of?”
“Just what the word suggests,” Nalik whinnied in a tone that sounded sorrowful. “One Arbitor ship is all it takes. A ship like the one waiting outside Tau Ceti can enter a star system, plant an Isolation Globe next to your star, then exit. After which the probe activates. Once it does, no
Hilok’s son Sator now came up to stand beside his father, watching the AV imagery of the neutrino call. Hilok turned away from the holo and faced Jack.
“Pack Leader Jack of the Human species, you must travel to meet this Arbitor,” the Nasen grunted in a deep bass. Hilok touched the holo knob, causing the imagery to disappear. “When you meet this Arbitor, answer truthfully its questions. Accept whatever judgment it renders. Obey whatever commands it gives you.”
“Fuck,” muttered Maureen from behind him. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this Arbitor creature.”
Jack leaned forward. “Hilok, what is this Arbitor that you show it such . . . obedience? Its species is not one I have ever encountered. Nor is it listed among the Hunter species on Nalik’s star map of predator Home stars and Hunt territories in the Orion Arm.”
Both Sator and Nalik lowered their heads and gave a full body shiver that made the color bands on their hides move like something alive. Hilok reached out one flexarm to pat the back of Sator’s head while laying his white-tufted tail across the back of Nalik. The Nasen blinked slowly.
“Their home system is unknown. Little is known of the Arbitors. What is known is fearful.” The Alien paused, touched his chest strap knob, waited for the AV to reappear, and gestured to the image of the Arbitor spaceship. “When disagreements happen between Hunters of the Great Dark, one party can call upon the Arbitors to come, attend, hear the issue and make a judgment. Compliance with the judgment of the Arbitor means you never again see this starship. Oppose that judgment and your star system is put into Isolation by such a ship.”
“But, but, the call to this Arbitor person was made by a Boolean ship captain who was mad at us for taking over his subject people in the 55 Cancri system,” Jack said. “Which as you heard is not a matter that concerns this Arbitor. And why does everyone obey? It’s just a single ship. Even if this Alien can call in a fleet, you have heard about the power of our fleet. We have weapons which no other Hunter of the Great Dark possesses.”
“It matters not,” Hilok said in a low snarl. “My daughter can tell you why. Nalik?”
The smaller Nasen looked up. She looked past Jack. “Nikola, lifemate of Pack Leader Jack and honored Stellar Authority, did you not wonder why there are only 113 Hunters who claim Hunt territories in the vastness of the Orion Arm?”
Nikola came up to stand beside Jack. “Yes, I did wonder why there were so few Hunters when there are 14,317 juvenile species who have not yet reached the outermost planet of their home star system. It seems more Hunters could be supported by the unclaimed star systems.”
Nalik nodded sharply, her furry ears flaring back. “Exactly so. While there are hundreds of subject people species in the Hunt territories of we Hunters, and thousands of juvenile species known to us, there are so few Hunters of the Great Dark for several reasons.” The female Nasen held up a four-fingered hand. She lifted one claw-finger. “First, Some Hunter societies collapse due to the strain of supervising strange peoples in distant star systems.” Another claw-finger lifted. “Second, some Hunter systems are conquered by other Hunters, as you Humans defeated the HikHikSot Hunters.” Three claw-fingers were now raised. “But the main reason there are so few known Hunters is due to these Arbitors. Disobey any order of the Arbitors and your Home star system is put into Isolation.”
Jack did not like what he was hearing. “What is this Isolation you speak of?”
“Just what the word suggests,” Nalik whinnied in a tone that sounded sorrowful. “One Arbitor ship is all it takes. A ship like the one waiting outside Tau Ceti can enter a star system, plant an Isolation Globe next to your star, then exit. After which the probe activates. Once it does, no
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