Page 37 of Cops in Space
A long tentacle shot from Nix. He jerked the bottle out of my hand and ate it too.
“Spit! It’s for washing not eating.”Nix gave me a toothy grin and little tentacles danced over his skin.“Dammit, yucky. Spit them out.”
Kaelen plucked Nix off my shoulder.“I do not think the Katanic people bathe with water.”
“We do not,”Qa’a said as he strolled into the shower room.
Ugh, how did I put this politely?“Okay. So, how do you ah… remove blood and stuff? Cause the little guy is kinda grody.”
Qa’a examined the showers.“There is a volcanic region on our home world we use when we become kinda grody.”
“Oh, like a steam bath?”
“No, we immerse ourselves in boiling mud,”Qa’a corrected.
Dad walked in with more soap and shampoo.“Bog Hot Springs might work.”
“Good idea and it’s not that far away.”I flashed Qa’a a mental image of the boiling mud.“Will that do?”
“It will. Two Tai-Kok slaughter ships have entered your solar system.”
My shoulders slumped. I was really looking forward to a nice hot shower and a burger.“It’ll take me about five minutes to change.”
“I have summoned my Executioners, and we will deal with them. You need to feed and rest.”
I frowned.“You’re sure?”
“I am. The Tai-Kok think the Katanic people are harmless. It is time they learned the truth, and I must teach Nix how to hunt our enemies.”
The menace in Qa’a’s voice made the hair on the back of my neck rise. He was beyond furious.“Do you need anything?”
“I will take several of your bombs,”Qa’a replied.
Dad’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.“I’ll get them for you.”He hurried off.
“Just a heads up, but Commander Zot’s soldiers think that since the Katanic people have no ships or weapon systems, you will be easy to defeat,”I said.
Qa’a smiled. A horrific smile that made me want to run screaming from the room.“They are about to learn otherwise.”A tentacle shot out and snagged Nix.“Come youngling. We hunt.”
“But he’s just a baby and he’s been through so much already,”I protested.
“The Katanic people are ancient beyond your understanding. When a Katanic is born, they inherit the genetic memory of our race. All our knowledge, our history becomes theirs. Some use this information wisely. Some do not.
“Like Ziyn?”
“Yes. Nix is aware of her betrayal and knows what must be done,”
I held out a jerky stick.“In case you get hungry.”
Nix carefully took the jerky. Gone was the mischievous child and in his place was an ancient being.“I give you the title of Mother, and the ones lost to us will be avenged.”
“Thank you. Be safe and know this. You will always have a home with us.”I chewed on my lower lip.“I do have a question for you, Qa’a. Do all the Katanic people now know about me and mine?”
A vortex formed on the shower wall.
“Yes, you have been added to our memory.”
“Oh.”Swell, more unexpected guests to prepare for.
