13y 8m AV
Room 2A, Rent-a-Space, Folctha, Cimbrean, the Far Reaches
Champion, Stud-Prime, & Sergeant Daar (Tigger) of Clan Stoneback
Meetings between Champions were always fraught with social and political symbolism. Daar understood it and loved bein’ the best and livin’ the role but even still, he sure wished it could be easier to meet with his Friend. And he wasn’t just any ‘ol Friend. He was the Champion of Clan Whitecrest, one of Stoneback’s strongest and most important allies, and Daar could think of no other Champion (besides himself) who was so completely a walking, talking example of his Clan. He admired Genshi: handsome and strong, really smart, super clever, modest and quiet and maybe a little too civilized…
…and definitely one of the deadliest Gaoians any male might ever run across. Daar considered most of the other, weaker Champions to be pushovers. Their strengths were in different things and he cheerily accepted that was the way of their Clans, but as the Stoneback he couldn’t wrap his brain around a life spent studying. Daar would rather see and do and feel than spend all day thinking about what all those things were like. He just didn’t understand ‘em.
To be fair, the smaller Civilized Champions prol’ly felt the same way about Daar. He could destroy them without much effort and they all knew it, and that did give him respectable advantage in negotiations; Stonebacks knew that Gaoians weren’t so civilized at all. Strength mattered. The will to use it mattered a lot.
Not that he would ever even hint at that, of course; the respect he got from not picking fights was pretty darn useful. And anyway, threatening the weak was so disgusting to Stonebacks that, as Champion, he’d be quite literally torn into pieces for doing such a thing.
And even if he wanted to, it wasn’t like the Civilized Champions would even understand the message! Well, some of ‘em. Clans like Longear had really smart and clever Champions who still knew how ‘ta fight; Daar even lost the occasional friendly scuffle with Meereo! But, say, Wozni of Clan Shortstride? Nice guy but he just did not get it. A subtle threat to him would prol’ly go unnoticed! If it ever came down to open threats—Daar hoped it never would—that missing Warrior code meant he couldn’t gently make a point about intent, or maybe threaten with a quiet little hint. It’d be straight-up violence, first to his unfortunate enemy, then to Daar himself by his Clan’s own claws.
In Daar’s view that was a weakness of all the Gao and he’d been trying his entire adult life to correct it. Too many Clans had forgotten what their ancestors had taught them…but the Clanless remembered. The Traditional Clans remembered too. Way too many of the Civilized spent so much time learning how to Do they’d forgotten how to Be.
That left physical vigor an afterthought in some Clan breeding programs and that was just wrong in Daar’s view. They didn’t know what it meant to work, and work hard, with not much thanks and only simple rewards. They’d never felt the little joys of growing food, of hammering home the last nail, or of hanging the last durasteel beam in a new building. They’d forgotten what it was like to exercise and run and pounce just ‘cuz it felt good and they didn’t understand how amazing it felt to grow stronger or revel in their bodies.
And they didn’t know what it felt like to pad into any situation and know you could kill them all without even breaking a pant. Stonebacks knew. Daar knew that about himself so deeply, so utterly, that even with the Humans and their incredible abilities, and all they’d taught each other, he was confident. If it ever came to it, he could make Warhorse or Righteous pay dearly. Maybe he wouldn’t win or even live, but he’d make it hurt.
He knew he was big and bad, and so did the Whitecrests about themselves. Sure, their work was more tricky and more crafty, but a smart Stoneback had deep respect for that. Skill and strength went paw-in-paw, always and forever. Some Jobs needed a big brute to smash, but other Jobs needed clever hands and careful words. A smart Stoneback always reached for the proper Tool.
The proper tool for this problem was Champion Genshi. It was one of those tricky problems involving Clan politics and maybe a lotta change in Gaoian society and it needed to be thought through very carefully, ‘cuz there were prolly all sorts of little problems Daar hadn’t thought of just yet. Subtle ones, he just knew it. He wasn’t very good at those kinds of things. But he was good at other things and Genshi owed him a Really Big Favor. He knew Genshi would find a way to turn Daar’s problem—well, okay, Gao’s problem—into some amazing solution, and to Daar, trusting your Friends and allies was Important.
Daar plotted his Favor. What he was noodling on (Firth’s word, not his) was a BIG deal. He didn’t have an easy answer but he had a big answer and he could define the problem and it was…the Most Biggest Problem. Like, not even a little bit small. And it needed the Biggest Secrecy, too, and that was also a problem. One of the most singularly (Daar’s new favorite word!) annoying things about being a Champion was how every little thing he did with the other Clans was watched like a Human hunting a deer. And that was no small thing to Daar. He’d gone on such a trip with Firth, just the once, during one of the long weekend breaks from the Partnership Engineering Exchange.
It was eye-opening. Firth, being who he was, swore off a rifle and went hunting with bow and arrow. Daar tagged along with his claws and teeth, intent on proving to Firth what a Gaoian could do. But first they spent two days camping in the Kentucky Appalachia. Nothing but talking, drinking, laughing, and exploring the land to get the forest “used to them.”
For Firth, it was a nice, long weekend out with a friend. But Daar had never experienced anything quite as intense. The smells! The life in the forest, so much of it! Daar wallowed in the adventure; it was almost cripplingly pleasurable to be surrounded by such riches, so completely decadent, that Daar finally understood Regaari’s endless poetic speech about the Badlands.
Even knowing the dangers, “Deathworld” seemed such a bad title for Earth. The whole world was practically exploding with life! Messier 24 had nothing that compared. The Humans, Daar realized, were truly blessed—a word that could not easily be translated into Gaori. It was humbling, and it was amazing.
Firth was far less lyrical about it. “Mother Nature’s good for you! Just make sure you don’t jam your nose in a flowerbed or anything.” Only later did Daar realize that Firth did not let the big Gaoian out of his sight for even a heartbeat while they tromped through the forest, carefully smelling the wind and steering a wide berth from anything they didn’t already know.
Firth approved. “See, I told the fellas you were smarter than the average bear!”
It was a gentle, teasing compliment, but more importantly it was a subtle reminder to Daar of where he was. He needed to be paranoid and trust Firth, because of course Earth was a Deathworld, a beautiful garden that could kill an unwary Gaoian like Biggest Baddest Daar; even Humans could be caught unprepared and every year many paid with their lives. He was nothing but respectful of Mother Nature. His time in the Missouri woods, the almost-deadly incident with his paw…Earth was not a place to let one’s guard down.
At least he wasn’t allergic to the pollen. Blood testing had been developed in advance of Daar’s extended visit and, as it turned out, a Gaoian was either not much bothered by most Earth pollens or…quickly and fatally allergic.
Lucking out on allergies meant Daar could pad about without his protective field activated. But that in turn mandated daily penicillin prophylaxis, nightly decontamination in his portable biofield, a full checkup by Firth…
And then they got to sleep sealed up in the tent to keep things clean. Nice and cozy, and Firth was the biggest, strongest snuggler! Really stinky, though. Oh well. Daar would make sure to tell everyone in SOR when he got the chance.
All of that was good fun but it wasn’t without reason. “Camping’s important before this kinda hunt. Helps open my nose and ears up,” Firth had said. Daar wasn’t exactly sure what that meant at first, but maybe it had something to do with how Firth…changed. Daar couldn’t really describe it, only that Firth seemed…more aware, quicker, lighter on his feet. And quiet. How a man as big and heavy as Firth—he weighed as much as a small car—could stalk through the forest without a sound, even in those “moccasins” of his…
That was when Daar realized something: a Human was a terrifying hunter. Firth found the almost invisible sign of the “buck” and tracked it for the first half of the day, and he did so with utter quiet and total concentration. It took all of Daar’s skills to follow along with the same stealth. He wasn’t an experienced hunter but he did have the instincts and the natural tools, which on first sniff Humans seemed to lack. But Firth proved that wasn’t necessarily the case. His nose noticed scents and he pointed them out as they went. Daar’s was way better, but Firth knew what he was smelling, and that mattered a lot. That, along with his almost magically acute vision, proved just how capable of a hunter a human could be. They slowly circled downwind, then Firth climbed a very sturdy tree, wrapped his legs firmly around the trunk, locked his ankles, and settled in.
Then they waited. For hours. During the entire time, Firth didn’t make a noise louder than a shallow breath or a movement faster than a slow, almost undetectable motion. The anticipation was torturous. But at last, Daar sniffed the deer approaching. He was about to say something when Firth saw it too, nodded his awareness, and pointed at the buck with his eyes. Daar had earlier climbed down—even with his claws and remarkable grip, he couldn’t hold on forever and would be useless up there anyway—and was waiting in the bush below, well offside so Firth could have a clear shot. Slowly, carefully, cautiously, the deer approached. It was the very same buck Firth had tracked from the beginning along with a “doe” who seemed interested in a mate. Both were impressive animals and they had a license for each. Good.
Daar looked back up at Firth. He acknowledged with a simple blink, and like a stone statue, slowly brought up his massive bow and carefully pulled it taut. It wasn’t one of the fancy compound bows Daar had seen at the sporting goods shop. It was a custom made traditional-style weapon, one made for Firth by a very good friend, and it needed over four hundred pounds of draw. Daar could pull it and fire. But pulling it hurt, needing all his strength, and holding it taut for more than a few moments wasn’t something Daar could do.
Firth barely seemed to strain. The huge man held it taut as if it wasn’t even the slightest effort. The minutes ticked by and his breathing remained level. They were waiting for something, but Daar didn’t know what. He only knew he was not to pounce until Firth had taken his shot. So Daar waited. And waited. And waited. And then, suddenly, without any warning, Firth took his shot. The arrow slammed into the buck so hard it knocked the deer clean off its hooves, lodged itself completely in the buck’s chest, and killed it instantly. It happened so fast the doe hardly had time to notice before Daar pounced.
There was a chase. A glorious chase, one so good Daar couldn’t think through the pounding of his heart or the haze in his mind. He pounced. He caught it! Daar killed. Then Daar rested for a while. When he came down from his predatory high and had some wind back in his lungs, he bit down on the doe’s neck and dragged it back to Firth, who was still high up on the tree, watching Daar’s chase. Their eyes met, and while Daar dragged his doe back to the tree, Firth lightly leapt down from the commanding height and had his buck gutted, beheaded and almost packed up just as Daar returned. Firth looked up from his work and gave a grin so savage that Daar knew, without any question, he was in the presence of someone truly dangerous and primal.
And friendly. “Good job, buddy! You drop her quick?”
Daar puzzled for a moment. “…yeah? It’s kinda…blurry in my head.”
“Heh, hunts are like that. C’mon, let’s gut ‘er and go back.”
Daar’s communicator beeped, reminding him it was time to head to his meeting. He chirred to himself, storing the happy memories away to enjoy another time. Now he must appear in public with another Champion.
There he would be the metaphorically Hunted but the hunters would be his fellow Gaoians. And they could be just as viciously predatory as a Human. Any mistake in decorum, posturing, or words could seriously jeopardize Clan relations. A risk, to be sure, but no meeting between Champions could be held in secret. They were too well-watched.
Oh well. Sometimes the Job had a cost.
Champion Genshi of Clan Whitecrest
Daar wasn’t one to request meetings on short notice. That was concerning, but Genshi detected no signs of stress, worry, or alarm, and that made the meeting’s purpose an interesting problem to solve. Daar seemed more…annoyed, really. Annoyed and almost apologetic. No negativity, though; he was his usual irrepressibly upbeat self and while the video message only showed Daar’s head, he was clearly, as always, in truly excellent health.
His intelligent eyes were wide and clear as glacial melt, and his thick and impressive fur was just beginning to grow out. It managed the trick of both displaying his body and emphasizing his incredible vitality. It was a good look for him and Genshi wondered why Daar didn’t always wear his coat like that. Daar’s attitude matched, too. His manner seemed…energetic. Youthful, even.
Genshi couldn’t blame the brute; Daar had a lot to show off. It was obvious he’d experienced a recent growth spurt and Genshi could tell that even through the video! Whatever the Humans were doing with Daar was clearly benefiting him. The rougher coat served to emphasize everything; even his jawline seemed even stronger and more brutally perfect than Genshi remembered.
All of that was good. Daar was a friend and Genshi wished him well, and he had no doubt the Stonebacks would soon take what he had learned and spread that knowledge through the Gao, be it through through their workhouses, their hosted sporting events, Stoneback’s network of fitness centers, or through their public service and recruiting efforts. Like all good Clans, the Stonebacks didn’t work merely for themselves, they also worked for all of the Gao. After all, what better way could there be to improve the available recruiting stock?
None of which answered Genshi’s immediate question. What did Daar need? They’d gone back and forth a few times to discuss the public meeting, of course, since everything Champions did was on a stage and one could never step off. Daar suggested their meeting be “boisterous.”
Daar was unabashedly proud he’d used that word, too, and Genshi found himself readily agreeing to the meeting because of Daar’s naked and contagious enthusiasm for everything. His was not a sophisticated delight, it must be said; many would write him off as an unlearned fourpaw beast—and they’d be right, in a sense—but they would be fools to think him stupid or unintelligent. He was a careful and cunning brute who learned from the best.
That pleased Genshi; clearly, some of the better Whitecrest habits had rubbed off on the thundering monster, whether through Regaari’s faithful friendship or recent developments. And having hand-picked and kept in touch with the Whitecrest team assigned to “Clan SOR,” it was obvious the influence was mutual. Daar was teaching them the meaning and spirit of his world and the benefits were clear and obvious. Clan SOR were without any question the finest combat forces that either Earth and Gao had to offer. A delightful arrangement, really; allies in a beneficial relationship, and all with minimal cost.
Genshi’s careful, subtle nudging over the years was finally bearing fruit. Accidental and terrible circumstance aside, he was well-pleased that his long work left his favorite Brother in position to take advantage. Regaari didn’t disappoint. And with some gentle maneuvering…neither did Daar. Genshi wondered if the biggest Stoneback had ever deduced the true nature of his mission amongst the pirates or his opportunities with the Humans. He hoped so. There was so much potential in Daar that could be put to clever use.
Anyway. He had a meeting to attend. He took one last look at himself, straightened out his fur, and walked to the park.
Daar (Tigger) of Clan Stoneback
Daar didn’t need to wait long. Genshi showed up right on time like always and damn, was he magnificent! Daar was maybe a little jealous; he’d never admit it out loud but the right kind of civilized Gaoian could cut a very impressive profile. Genshi was the most Civilized. He moved like water flowing over rocks even when walking on his rear legs. Daar couldn’t do that. Like all well-bred Stonebacks he had a longer torso than most Gaoians and that meant his bipedal motion was more utilitarian than graceful; for any genuine physical performance, he was far more comfortable moving about on all fours.
Oh well. Genshi arrived at the park, instantly and discreetly drew all attention to himself like they’d planned, and waited while Daar pretended not to immediately notice. But Daar wasn’t much of an actor, really. Little plays like that worked best when Daar could be honest, and Daar was honestly happy to see his friend! Very happy. Happy enough to pounce.
Let’s see how you handle this, snowtop!
He yipped a greeting across the park, caught everyone’s attention, sank to all fours, crouched down and wagged his tail in a friendly gesture, then charged forward with all his speed and strength.
Genshi of Clan Whitecrest
…Damn.
Daar was no young cub anymore, but that apparently did not mean he was finished growing. Genshi betrayed no reaction but inwardly boggled at how much of a specimen Daar proved he could be. The friendly oaf was always extremely impressive but now, with the Humans training him? Whatever Clan Stoneback had missed, the Humans found, and it made an immense difference. The transformation was as impressive as Regaari’s! Daar was much more massive than before and his muscles had filled out, leaned out, and hardened to the point that his amazing body would put the legendary heroes of Gao’s ancient stories to shame.
Maybe the Keeda tales weren’t entirely silly after all…
At that moment Daar noticed Genshi, grinned, and charged on fourpaw with that same speed the Whitecrest always found impressive and alarming.
But he’d quickly recovered. Because anything that heavy moving that fast had a lot of kinetic energy. It was time to put some of his Gung-fu to the test.
Sister Myun of the Clan of Females
The Gaoian section of the Alien Park was just entering full bloom. The environment on Cimbrean was, by happy chance, in many ways like Gao and the Mothers decided to take full advantage. The gravity, day-length, and orbital period were very similar, and that let the Sisters—with assistance from many in Folctha, Humans and Gaoian males alike—plant a quite spectacular garden. Its vibrant colors and subtle scents were a comfort under alien skies and amongst the potent, raucous, almost brutal scents of human life. Myun walked through the garden and drank in the flavor of it all, on break from lessons with the newest Cubs. Some fresh air and sunshine would do her good and of course, she could maybe practice her forms.
She scanned for threats amongst the people out of long habit and perked up; Champion Genshi was admiring the park, seemingly alone. He didn’t usually appear alone in public and that was surprising all by itself. It was almost as surprising as their martial arts contract some years back! Her ego was punctured a bit by his existing skills and his ability to learn; he was an excellent student. She was about to walk over and say hello but he was up to something. He caught her eye and warned her off with a subtle look of mischief.
Myun chittered fondly. He’d expressed a mating interest during their training but she had been recovering from her first cub and hadn’t felt ready. He was a perfect gentleman about it, too. Why had she never followed up? Oh well. He was the only male who had ever defeated her, and that was pride enough.
The Whitecrest Champion!
And then she noticed Daar was also in the park. She couldn’t help but sigh happily at his mere presence: two Champions in the park and three were on Cimbrean! It was a good sign and that meant the Gao’s interest in effectively the “third” Gaoian colony would only grow. The local Gaoian community was still quite small but that kind of exposure? Awesome. Too bad Myun had never met the massive Stoneback Champion. Both of them seemed very busy and there was just never time to say hi! Oh well. One day…
She watched as Daar ambled around the park. He suddenly noticed Genshi and the happiest expression spread across his face and ears. They’re friends! He play-bowed and sprang forward with so much speed and power he was almost a blur. She thrilled, both from the excitement of males at play and the worry that Genshi may be hurt from the impact. She watched. Genshi didn’t budge. At the last moment he gave a vicious little grin, they collided—
And somehow, it was over in only a few seconds. They tumbled end-over-end in the grass, there was a pair of incredibly primal snarls, and suddenly Daar was back on his paws with Genshi standing right alongside of him looking none the worse for wear. He wore an expression that was somehow serene, smug, friendly, and dominant all at the same time. But above it all, he wore an expression of fondness.
And to Daar’s immense credit he didn’t seem to mind at all. His expression was one of shock, and then delight at his Friend’s victory, and then perhaps rueful acceptance of his defeat. Very few males were so sure of themselves they could let such a sting to their pride go without blood and fur flying. But Daar? He just smiled. That tussle, along with the Champions’ attitudes, virtually guaranteed mating access for both of them with the Cimbrean females. Impressive!
But even with Daar’s good attitude, to Myun it was obvious he’d barely but definitively lost the fight. Most of the onlookers were quietly and confusedly debating the outcome, clearly unsure of themselves. Myun couldn’t blame them. The fight had been almost too quick for her to follow. Meanwhile, the supreme males of their Clans exchanged friendly greetings and nipped at each other like the oldest of Friends. They play-fought back and forth in the luxuriant Earth grass, that time gently and with obvious good humor, and Daar even gave a massive hug that lifted Genshi completely off his feet…there was absolutely no bad blood between them.
That was good. That was how males should play. If only all of them were so friendly with each other!
They chatted briefly with each other, then greeted the few males brave enough to approach them. It was pleasant but the two clearly had business and were keen to conduct it. They playfully tussled one last time—again with no obvious victor—detangled, and stood to leave. As they turned to depart, Genshi looked her dead in the eyes and winked—a very Human expression—and they set off at a brisk pace, Genshi proper and Civilized on his legs and Daar on all fours.
But Genshi didn’t escape with his pride entirely intact. He took one confident step forward and winced, favoring his left leg. Everyone noticed as he walked away with a very slight limp but he smiled and accepted it. Perhaps Daar hadn’t lost their opening bout after all…
It was an incredible impact and a graceful dodge, an artful display of power and skill. That either of the Champions could play so hard and escape with so little injury…they were perfectly matched, both Champion and Clan. Myun purred happily. Daar was no simple brute! Genshi, meanwhile, gave her a coy little flick of his ears, admitting to his minor defeat…
But he slyly did not admit that to Daar, who didn’t seem to notice his companion’s limp. His mind was naturally on food and adventure. The humans had little stands near the park selling things the Gaoians could eat and far and away the most popular item was the “corn dog.” Deep-fried and breaded meat on a stick? Best snack ever!
With the rare spectacle of two allied Champions playing in a park over and past, the on-lookers began to disperse. The first to leave were two One-Fang males, who left quickly with with an aggressive set to their ears. Myun would report that to security when she got back; one could never be too careful, and she knew the One-Fangs and the Stonebacks were anything but allies.
She lingered until the park had returned to normal, decided things were safely status quo, then stood up to leave. But right as she did she glanced at the corn dog stand, where Daar stood towering above Genshi who was carefully examining his snack. She watched for a moment but Daar noticed, and while Genshi was taking his first tentative bite, Daar looked her dead in the eyes and smile-panted with his ears forward, as if to say “Did you like the show?”
She had to admit…she did.