<[Enough! I will speak with this one. Know your place.]> he growled in his
native tounge. While she could understand him, the exact dialect sounded
more
like a very ancient Caitian language than anything else.
'Who were these people?' she wondered. 'Did the Preservers come to our
world
to get them? They sound like us, not Kzinti. She would send the
transcripts
to Cait, to the University of Burrok Institute of Ancient Languages. They
had
databases of all the ancient clan languages and dialects. Could they be a
lost clan?
She turned to the security officers and had them prepare to bring him out.
"Let him come out on his own," she instructed, "but make surrre none of his
frrriends come with him. And set up a rrrecorrding of this - Captains Black
and Polath will want to see this. I can trrranslate if the univerrrsal
trrranslatorr can't decipherrr it."
"Yes, sir." was the response from the officer at the main station.
The field came down with a trip of security folks aiming phaser rifles at
the big, caged cats. The "officer" exited, withoug giving any indication of
a fight or that he would challange the prey animals.
Once he was out, she took in his scent and the feel of his presence.
He was male. A strong male at that. From his scent she could tell that
he was middle aged, with plenty of fight in him. From the scars on him she
could tell that he was battle hardened. If the way that he carried himself
was any indication, he was a rather high ranking officer. Probably
equiliviant to a Major or Col.
He walked up to Kitanya, sizing her up again. Trying to intimidate as he
would within his clan trying for a higher position. Customary for felinids.
While he may not have been able to take her out right, it would have been a
good show.
<[Come with me,]> she said - not an order, but not something he could say no
to, either. She walked down the corridor (with security entourage, of
course)
into one of the interrogation rooms and offered him a seat. <[Would you
like
food? Water?]> she offered politely. She wondered how taking him away from
his 'pack' would affect him.
He followed, still with the air of authority. How he left was less
important then how he returned.
<[Water.]> was his simple reply.
{response}
