CHAPTER 52
Kana
by Douglas DD
"Permission to come aboard, Sir," Captain Parrish said.
"Permission granted," Douglas replied. This formality made it clear to all the boys that Douglas was indeed the Captain of the "Paxton" in the mind of Captain Parrish.
The captain and his group came aboard the "Paxton." Amahl saw the group of naked boys greeting them, and much to his surprise found himself getting hard. This was the group he wanted to meet ever since the first radio broadcast. He was waiting for a group of big tall heroes, and instead he was face to face with a group of skinny naked boys, some of them shorter than he was.
Then he started looking closely and began to first to notice a few things. Like some of the boys were holding hands. He noticed hidden in the group of naked boys were two thin boys with beautiful pointed ears and golden manes down their necks to their backs. Amahl had already noticed the boys before the formalities between the two Captains took place, but their presence still awed him. He was looking at alien boys. Extraterrestrial Alien Life Forms. He stared at them and couldn't take his eyes off them. He couldn't believe he was looking at intelligent life from another planet. He couldn't believe how human they looked. He wasn't sure what he expected, but not something so human looking. Not only were they human looking, but much to his surprise he found them sexy too. The ears and the mane gave them an exotic look that let him know they weren't from Earth.
Captain Parrish was just as surprised as he noticed the two Hakaanen boys. He knew the boys had made First Contact with an alien, but to actually see them...well it was so incredible it sent chills going down his spine.
Throughout his whole life he had read books saying other intelligent life probably didn't exist in the galaxy. Ever since he learned over the radio that that was wrong he couldn't wait to meet this intelligent life. And there it was. But they were boys. Well, I shouldn't be surprised, he thought.
Douglas started introducing everyone on the "Paxton". Captain Parrish introduced Amahl (more than one boy thought Amahl was very cute), Dr. Rashad, and Lieutenant Shrader.
After all of the introductions Douglas, Alex, Scooter, and Mike met with Captain Parrish's group in a meeting room. Brett helped Mike bring some yasho, a Hakaan tea-like drink. The boys were used to drinking it, but the Captain's group all had to catch their breath because of the strong taste.
"Do you need sugar, Captain?" Mike asked, with a slight smirk on his face. Captain Parrish looked at him, wondering how serious he was.
"Well, it is different tasting. It looks like you boys are used to it." He paused for a moment, cleared his throat. "I notice that you boys...um....er...well...that you....don't"
"That we don't have any clothes on?" Scooter asked.
"Well...yes," the Captain said, trying to keep from smiling.
"It's the Hakaan way. You noticed the two boys. They were naked. The Hakaan wear clothes only to keep warm or for ceremonies. We've all grown to like it."
The Captain cleared his throat again. He knew, as he saw Douglas and Scooter, and Mike and Alex holding hands, that there was more going on than boys being naked. Douglas saw him staring at them and suddenly figured out what was bothering the Captain. Holding hands with Scooter had become so natural, he didn't even give it a thought. He kept Scooter's hand in his and waited for the Captain to say something.
"Is it the...um...Hakaan way of life to ...well....for boys to...." It was obvious that Captain Parrish was embarrassed.
"Hakaan boys do more than hold hands, Captain. Their way of life is much different from ours. And it is a way of life all of us have come to love." He didn't mention to the Captain that almost all of them had been attracted to the Hakaan way of life before they had ever met any Hakaanen.
"Captain," Douglas said, "one of the reasons we survived is because we love each other. Each of us here has a friend. No, that's not right. He is more than a friend. Someone we would die for." Douglas was at a loss for words.
"What he's trying to say is," Alex said, "is we each have a lover. We each have a boy we are in love with."
Captain Parrish sat quietly for a few moments taking all of that in. Then he said, "I congratulate you all. On surviving. On loving. On finding what it takes to live. I said earlier I was honored to be on your ship. What you just told me hasn't changed that. I respect each one of you for what you have and for who you are."
The boys let out a spontaneous sigh of relief. They would have to talk about all of this again when they returned to Earth. But for now, the fact that Captain Parrish accepted them, was important. They would take things one step at a time. Captain Parrish had also drawn the same conclusion the boys had. They had not reverted to savagery and had been able to survive because of the strong love they had for each other. He thought it ironic that the two boys who didn't survive were the two who did not feel that love, or that the one boy who stayed behind felt it for an alien.
They spent the some time discussing what was going to happen next. They agreed the boys would return to Earth on the "Starfinder" and that they would leave the "Paxton" behind. It was the only starship the Hakaan had left. Captain Parrish said the boys would get 3 rooms to share. Space was limited on the "Starfinder." They asked if they would be taking a room from Amahl. The Captain looked surprised.
"One of the rooms was empty. One belongs to a couple of scientists who can double up with somebody else. And one was Amahl's, who will move in with his father. We will move some cots into the rooms. And it kind of looks like you boys have no problem being crowded in with each other," he added with a laugh. The boys laughed with him.
Next they talked about the Hakaanen and about the making of first official contact. Douglas and Endron had been talking a lot the last week, and they had devised a plan. Douglas was ready to present it to Captain Parrish.
He explained about the plague, and the Ancients, and how the Ancients took away Hakaan technology. He told how the machinery and electronics on Inferno were getting old, and how they were hoping for help from Hakaan. But that help wasn't going to come, because the Ancients forced the Hakaanen to abandon their technology and way of life.
Douglas explained how more and more people on Hakaan were unhappy with the Ancients. They were tired of being afraid and wanted their lives to move forward again. He told about Endron, who was one of the leaders of that group, and how he felt it was time for the Hakaanen to have a free election.
"That's all very interesting, Douglas, but I don't think we should be interfering with their government. We don't really have any rules about contact with alien cultures, because ,to be honest, we never really thought we would find any. At least nothing humanoid like us. So, I guess I have to be the one to set the rules," Captain Parrish said.
"But you won't have to get involved. That's what makes this plan so cool," Douglas said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you do plan on making contact, right?"
"Yes. Of course. I'm just now sure how yet."
"Well, that's what the plan is about."
"You want me to make contact with your friend Enron? I'm afraid I can't do that, it would...."
"Endron," Douglas interrupted, "and no that's not," but he saw the glare coming from the Captain's eyes. "Sorry, sir, I didn't mean to interrupt." Douglas realized suddenly that this was the first time since leaving the "Starkeeper" that he had to defer to an adult. He didn't care for the feeling.
"I'm afraid I can't make first contact with Endron," he went on like nothing had happened. "I have to make first contact with the legal government of the planet, no matter how much you might not like them."
"Captain, I'm sorry I interrupted." Damn, why did I apologize again? Douglas thought. I'm his equal, and I'm acting like a scared kid. "But, you have it all wrong. The plan is for you to make contact with the Ancients. We know it has to be done that way."
"I'm afraid I don't understand. Maybe I'm the one who should start listening."
"It's kind of like this. Hakaan is going backwards. The plague made them afraid of their technology and knowledge. The Ancients derived their power from that fear. Now things are better. A lot of people miss their way of life. But the Ancients have all the technology that works. Or they think they do. They use what they have to keep them in power."
The Captain looked at Douglas with new respect. He somehow still wanted to see the boy in front of him as some wild naked savage. But here was a boy speaking with intelligence about the government of an alien planet like he'd grown up there.
"Go on," Captain Parrish said.
"The way it works is this. You contact the Hakaan government. Arrange to land in their capital city where everybody can see you. Leave them no choice. On top of everything else you bring Dralkan and Trundall back with you. Let them know where that first shuttle came from. A shuttle that was a Hakaan shuttle. Now they know there has been contact even before yours."
The Captain nodded, listening carefully, waiting for Douglas to continue.
Douglas thought about his long talks over the radio with Endron. Endron wanted the Earth shuttle to land at the village he was hiding in. Then he would use the landing to announce that it was time to overthrow the Ancients and have an election. But the boys had a different plan, and Douglas persuaded Endron to go for it.
"See, now the Ancients have a problem. Your shuttle lands. Contact has already been made. Earth has all this technology at the same time Hakaan has lost its own. People are going to be afraid in a different way. They are going to want Hakaan to get back what it lost so it can be equal with the aliens from Earth who have landed on their planet."
"So you're saying that by us landing people will want an election to bring back the old way of life. To bring back their technology so they can be on an equal footing with us."
"Exactly. And you are doing just what you are supposed to, contacting the government. Whatever happens after that is what happens. It's not in your control. I mean, nothing might happen, but I don't think so. Endron is going to use your landing as a reason to demand that elections be held."
"You've put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?"
"Yes, Sir."
"And the whole idea might not work, you know,"
"I know that, Sir. But it's about the only way to do it so that you don't get involved in Hakaan politics, but still have a chance to help my friends."
"You friends? You're a remarkable young man. You've made friends with an alien culture on two different planets. You've represented your planet well."
"Thank you, Sir."
"And one other thing. We're both Captains. Call me Captain, or Captain Parrish. But not Sir. As far as I'm concerned we are equal in rank."
Douglas smiled. "Thank you, S...er, Captain."
"When are we going to make this landing?"
"You're asking me?"
"Yes, I'm asking you. This is your mission."
Douglas remembered their first talk over the radio when he had to demand the Captain's respect. Now he knew he had it. He had earned that respect and he was getting it.
"Let me talk to Endron. But, I think tomorrow morning should work. I mean why wait, right?"
The Captain got up and ruffled Douglas's hair. "Exactly. Why wait."
Douglas cringed at the ruffled hair. One minute he was a respected Captain and equal, and the next he was a boy getting his hair ruffled. He wondered if Captain Parrish would ever get it figured out.
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Endron agreed with Douglas the next morning would be great. He and his followers were ready. They were connected into the broadcast radio system. Only the government could broadcast, but Endron had long ago found a way to break into the system. Now it was time to put his plans to work.
Captain Parrish said he was going to return to the "Starfinder" to prepare the "Atlantis" for the landing. Before landing he would return to pick up the two Hakaan boys.
Douglas was ready to ask if some of his crew could go. But he caught himself. Instead he said, "Captain, I would like to have some of my crew members to on the mission. I think they can help you a lot. Scooter knows the language almost perfectly, and we all have a basic understanding of Hakaan culture."
Captain Parrish was ready to say it was too dangerous to take kids, but he caught himself too. Once again he almost forgot that these weren't ordinary kids, that these kids had done more than most starship crews ever would. "I should have room for four of your crew, Captain Daniels. Have them prepared to join us tomorrow."
When they got to the airlock, Amahl was waiting for them along with his dad and Lieutenant Shrader.
"Father, can I spend the night here?" Amahl asked. He hadn't seen anybody his own age for six weeks. He had gotten a tour of the ship and heard some of the boys' stories while he waited for the meeting to end. He had been so looking forward to meeting the boys since they had been discovered. They seemed so special to him. He was not disappointed.
Douglas heard how Amahl addressed his dad as father. Pretty formal, he thought. He figured he know already what Amahl's dad would say.
Amahl's dad stared at him.
"Please?" Amahl begged.
Dr. Rashad thought about the naked boys on the "Paxton", and thought about the things he found out those boys liked to do with each other. He called Amahl aside.
"Son, I think you know what these boys have been doing with each other."
"Yes. Having an adventure. Surviving."
"No, I meant something different." The topic was starting to embarrass Dr. Rashad. Especially since he could remember doing some of the same things when he was his son's age. He wasn't sure if he wanted his son having the same experiences.
"If you mean the sex," Amahl said, boldly, "I know what it is they do. And I don't care. But if you let me stay, I promise I won't do that if it displeases you, Father. I just want to be with them. I've already started making friends. Please, Father. I won't do anything you don't want me to, I promise."
Dr. Rashad gave his son a warm smile. Thoughts of Khalil entered his head. Of those four wonderful years between 13 and 16 when they did so much together. He shook his head to clear it. "Have fun, son. Do whatever you like. I'll see you in the morning."
Amahl smiled back. If he heard his father right, and he was sure he did, he was just told that it was okay for him to mess around. And he sure didn't plan on asking his father what he meant. All he knew was, his father hadn't said no. Which was as good as a yes.
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Douglas had everyone scheduled to get up early. He crawled over Amahl and his feet hit the carpet. Amahl yawned, looked at Douglas, and smiled. Douglas smiled back. Amahl had learned a lot the night before. He was inexperienced but willing to learn. He and Scooter had taught Amahl as much as they could in one night, which turned out to be a lot. Amahl still had the taste of cum in his mouth, and his butt was a little sore. All three boys were tired. They had stayed up very late.
After the "Atlantis" docked with the "Paxton", Dralkan, Trundall, and four Earth boys got on board. Amahl would wait for it to return. He was disappointed, but he knew the "Atlantis" was not a large shuttle and only had limited room. It was for exploring, not transporting passengers.
Douglas thought about how he had chosen the four boys. First, while he knew it was selfish in some ways, he chose himself. He knew the Hakaan and their culture as well as anybody. He knew Captain Parrish respected his opinions and listened to him. He wanted to be there to give advice against making what might be a dumb decision. He wasn't sure if the Captain would listen to anybody else as seriously.
The second boy was Scooter. That was an obvious choice, and not just because Scooter was his lover and soulmate. Scooter knew the Hakaan language better than any of them because of the telepathic skills he had and he was going to be very important as a translator.
The third one was Mike. Mike was important to him. He was his second in command and his best friend. He was the one who stayed calm when it all hit the fan. Big, strong, quiet, calm, Mike. He had to go.
The fourth one he picked for a totally different reason. Someone who got left behind most of the time because he so often couldn't keep up, but was someone who had shown insight. Someone who stayed in the background, but more than one time had come up with a good idea or suggestion. As far as Douglas was concerned, Brett had earned the right to go on a mission.
The boys boarded the "Atlantis" along with Dralkan and Trundall. The shuttle released itself from the "Paxton" and started towards Hakaan. The "Atlantis" carried the four Earth boys, the two Hakaan boys, Captain Parrish, Lieutenant Shrader, and the pilots, Lieutenant Commander John Woods and Ensign Conrad Drabowski.
When the shuttle entered the atmosphere, Thraller noticed it on his scanner. So, he thought, the shuttle was returning. And if they returned, Endron would be there to meet it. There was only one place to land the shuttle and he had the runway cleared for landing. He was going to be there to meet it right along with the rebels. He couldn't believe the rebels were so bold as to think they could just land the shuttle again and get away with it. But apparently they were. The proof was on his scanner. He called for the flyer. It was manned and ready to go at any time.
Thraller ran out of the building and to the flyer. It quickly taxied down the short runway and took off, heading for the old space port. While the flyer was heading to the space port, the shuttle was aiming for the capital city of Kana. Captain Parrish wanted to land right at the small runway in the city that the boys had seen on their landing, but had ignored because it was too short to land a Hakaan shuttle on. Since the "Atlantis" could land vertically, it didn't matter how long the runway was.
The flyer landed at the spaceport. Thraller was sure the shuttle was about ten minutes away from landing. While he wasn't sure why it was now returning, he had had a feeling it was going to come back. Nobody could stay up in space forever, and he was a very patient man. He was ready to wait for however long it took for it to return.
He had his radio scanning. It picked something up from the shuttle. It was the voice of a boy again. He recognized the answering voice. It was Endron. He was going to leave in his stolen flyer. And it was going to land right here with the shuttle. He had his own flyer hidden in the big underground hanger he had discovered. He was ready. Whatever plan Endron had going was ending today. Endron is acting like I'm stupid, Thraller thought, and he's not going to get away with it.
He no longer had his tracking scope. It was at the compound. But he had calcutlated very carefully the shuttle's point of entry and how long it would take for it to get to the spaceport.
He stood out on the terminal's balcony, checking the skies. He wondered if the shuttle or Endron would arrive first.
He heard a boom to the west. He knew it was a sonic boom from the shuttle and that it would be slowing soon to land at the spaceport. He wondered if Endron and whoever was on the shuttle knew that he had control of the spaceport. Well, it didn't make a difference, he thought. There was no other place to land.
Lieutenant Commander Woods was slowing the shuttle down below the speed of sound. He could see the spaceport ahead and below. He glided right over it as he lowered is flaps and slowed the shuttle more.
Thraller watched as the shuttle zipped over the spaceport, slowing to land. It was not the shuttle that had landed a few weeks before. In fact it didn't look like any kind of shuttle he had ever seen before. "Where is he going?" he asked the soldier next to him. "The only place to land is here!" He didn't expect an answer, and he didn't get one.
Then Thraller saw a dot off on the horizon. He picked up his binoculars and trained them on the dot. It was a flyer. It had to be Endron's. It wasn't heading to the spaceport, it was heading towards Kana. He trained the glasses on the shuttle and saw that it was heading for Kana as well.
In the capital compound in the middle of Kana the Ancients were having a meeting. Thraller had radioed them that the shuttle was returning and he was going to meet it. They wanted to get whatever colonists were on it captured and find out why they returned and why the colony sent boys and not men. They wanted to make sure no shuttle will ever return again. The coming of the shuttle had caused a lot of problems. People were restless. They were wondering why one of the colonies could go into space. They were wondering why the Ancients still had technology. They were wondering why their standard of living was getting worse and worse. The Ancients knew that the only way they could prove their power was to completely humiliate whoever was flying the shuttle. The best thing would be to shoot it down, but they didn't have the weapons to do it. So they would just have to capture the crew and destroy the shuttle after it landed.
Thraller's voice came over the radio. "The shuttle went past the spaceport. It looks like it's heading for Kana."
"Why?" the leader of the Ancients asked.
"I don't know. But you should be seeing it now. There is one thing you should know."
"What is that?"
"The shuttle isn't from a Hakaan colony."
"What do you mean? Where else could it come from? It certainly didn't come from here."
"That's right," was all Thraller said. But the meaning of it made the leader of the Ancients turn pale with fright. He went through the large glass doors of the meeting room onto the balcony. He saw the mysterious shuttle approach the city. It appeared to be heading right toward the compound. Well, it's just going to fly over us, he thought. The runway isn't long enough for an aircraft that big to land on.
The shuttle approached the small runway. Suddenly the swept wings expanded and faced out. The shuttle almost stopped. Thrusters were holding it above the ground. The landing gear was lowered and the shuttle eased down towards the runway.
The leader turned to the other Ancients. "Great Jeswa above, it is landing! Right here in the compound!" He felt his hands shake. He sensed that the mystery shuttle somehow meant the end of their power over the Hakaan civilization.
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John Woods brought the "Atlantis" down for a soft landing. Douglas barely felt it touch the ground. Alex had been good, but untrained. Douglas just got a demonstration of what a skilled, trained pilot could do with a shuttle.
Right away the shuttle was surrounded by armed guards. Captain Parrish had already decided that they would gamble and leave the shuttle unarmed. It was important that the Hakaanen saw the they arrived in peace.
Scooter was on the radio talking to Endron. Endron's flyer was approaching the compound and soon landed next to the shuttle. He told Scooter how to connect into the radio in the Ancient's conference room.
Endron was broadcasting the whole thing on radio and on vid. While only select public places had them, he knew that word would spread fast when people started seeing what was happening in the capital. Already the citizens of Kana were heading to the compound and gathering outside the walls. Everyone sensed that something big was happening.
Scooter stepped to the open door of the shuttle. He stood proudly in the doorway, naked, except for his Hakaan shoulder and waist belts.His blond hair and tan skin glowed in the sunlight. Endron trained the video camera on them, and Scooter spoke into a cordless microphone.. He spoke nearly perfect Hakaan, and his words were heard and seen in the main conference room of the Ancients, almost every radio and vid on the planet Hakaan. It was the voice of a young teen, but the words were spoken with the confidence of a man.
"This is Scott Starr of the Earth starship 'U.S.S Starfinder'. We come to Hakaan in peace."
And with those words the dark reign of the Ancients over the planet Hakaan started to come to an end.
NEXT CHAPTER 53 EARTH