pNPC Kol'Mana Zorn - A Trap
Jamie LeBlanc
( Northern Hemisphere - Collecting spot seven aka Geyser valley )
Alarmed at hearing of the altercation between her companion and the creature-people, Kol’Mana’s immediate instinct was to go on the defensive. Retreat to the machinery that hid their precious and carefully cultivated plants, those that would bring relief to her peoples and save lives.
Her second instinct was to attack, for a dead threat was no longer a threat.
But her companion was of a cooler head so she went with her first instinct.
Kol’Mana: We must protect our operations here. Our people need the medicine we grow in this life giving soil. I will not allow creature people to endanger that!
As a proud and well-born Zinera she flushed with a golden amber color, her entire body seemed to flare out and warm.
Utan: We can get some samples to another zone to preserve them in case the rest is damaged or stolen.
She gazed at zim, wondering if ze could ever understand the deep-set desire to protect, not only as a Zinera, but as a mother. Kol’Mana had not yet bonded and produced offspring, but within ten cycles she would, if the deities were amenable. But she was fire and ze was stone.
Fire does not burn stone.
Kol'Mana: We have a kilpronta of Hranya, in two days ready to be moved back to the homesworlds, this will medicate thousands and save so many lives of our children. We are so close, to delay mean more will get sick! More will die! We must protect our medicine at any cost.
Her temper was like a burning ember, not quite flaring out of control, but burning hot. Ready to catch flame with a provocation. But her companion, once again, counseled the moderate approach.
Utan: A direct confrontation isn't wise... survival instinct asks for a different approach.
Kol’Mana was young. You enough to believe herself invincible against these Alien creature-people. She was a warrior, armed with the weapons of her people. They were soft and curious and without visible teeth.
But as the lorata predator, sometimes the most dangerous animal was the one where you never saw the teeth until they struck. Utan seemed to catch this far before Kol’Mana.
Kol'Mana: If not a sharp fight and a quick death which is honorable under Zinera’s warmth, then what do you propose?
Utan: Either hide from them... or subdue them. Maybe a trap where we can capture them.
She wrinkled her nose and her skintone faded into a ruddy color. Her expression flashed one of disgust for a moment. Hide. She was no klabbin running to the brush to hide from the lorata. She was a warrior.
Kol'Mana: If we capture them we could lock them away, Keep them from our shipment. The planet itself would deal with them.
It wasn’t direct violence, but indirect. She didn’t pretend otherwise.
Utan: No, we need to know who they, how many and what they want.
A sigh. Talking was not her strong suit.
Kol'Mana: Must we? We have already dealt with those ‘Pak-led’ peoples and they were as slow as a slime-krnol. These creature-people head back to their metal wedge, hopefully to leave. We could scare them and make them leave.
Utan: ?
She supposed ze was right and they were not nearly lucky enough to just have curious creature-people leave. With a huff she turned back to the original idea.
Kol’Mana: Then a trap. I have the snares we use for catching chron-tak. If we set them by the geyers, the natural energy flow will enhance the strength and range of the field.
She held up one of the shiny metal discs she kept in her pack. When put together in a formation the discs would form an energy ‘cage’ to contain the prey.
Of course Kol’Mana’s looked like they were comprised of flame, but they did not burn unless you touched the bars.
Utan: ?
Kol’Mana: If they retreat I will set up the trap. We can lure them to the correct spot.
Utan: ?
Kol’Mana: No, once they are caged you should talk. I care not what the reasons for the creature-people to come here. They are here where our territory is already marked. They are invaders.
Her thinking was rigid, formed by her years of training as a warrior. It would be hard to get her to shift her mind.
Utan: ?
~*~
Kol’Mana Zorn Zinera
Warrior
Kameryan Expeditionary Unit
~Julian Beck
E239010ST0