Koban: The Mark of Koban by Stephen W Bennett Read Free Book Online Page A

humans. At least they matched the
general description.
    These animals were running towards an exit on the far side
of the bubble. The warriors had simply torn their way through the transparent
soft bubble to make an entry, and outrushing air was starting to deflate the
soft dome.
    Sixty or seventy Krall, all wanting the first kill, began
firing at the two figures on the far side of the large dome. The distance was
too far for good pistol accuracy, even with Krall eyesight and steady hands,
but several hundred rounds of explosive and armor piercing rocket propelled
ammunition managed to hit both targets multiple times. More warriors were
entering as the first arrivals were racing to claim credit for the two kills.
They all continued firing as they ran, so that when they reached the red smears
that had been two humans, there wasn’t much left for over a hundred warriors to
divide kill credits.
    Grodol arrived as the dome roof settled over the internal
structures and meat animals that were frightened by the noise and strange scent
of the Krall. The roof also settled on almost a hundred of his novices, who now
had to cut and tear their way out through the collapsed material.
    When the Krall commander heard that at most there had been only
two humans killed, for all this time on the planet, and so much ammunition
used, he was enraged and humiliated. His command would prove to be ineffective
and wasteful if they did not find many more humans to kill, and do it soon.
    The sounds of possible human animal calls, similar to a
language, and the noise of machinery came from the direction of the glow of the
rest of the human compound. The dome had seemed a likely center of human occupation
before landing, but that wasn’t the case. They should have landed on this other
side.
    Grodol ordered his warriors to resume their rush to reach
these humans before they could escape. It was obvious they were not going to
attack the warriors. That was why the commander had closed the Clanship and
permitted the K’Tal pilot to hunt with him. Humans were weak and helpless, and
so far had made no effort to resist his warriors.
    Finally, they found their prey in quantity, fleeing in small
four wheeled transports, in wide lanes between what could only be individual
nests for producing their smelly cubs. Only there were few cubs. Humans here
didn’t seem to be hatching as many young as their vast numbers elsewhere
suggested.
    Regardless of the lack of human cubs to mutilate for the
atrocities Telour had ordered, the warriors found multiple mature targets for
their weapons and knives. The transports were easily destroyed, and the humans
inside, if not killed, leaped out and made loud noises in the Krall’s lower
auditory range. Warriors pounced on the helpless prey, mostly shooting them,
clubbing or tearing open some with taloned hands, or carving up a few with
short swords or knives. They intercepted hundreds in the paved lanes dividing
the compound into rectangles.
    Because of the wanton firing before they even reached the
population center, the ammunition the warriors carried on their utility belts
was running low. There was no one now at the Clanship to transport fresh
supplies, using the shuttle housed inside. This was another unfavorable
reflection on their inexperienced leader, Grodol.
    The alternative was still pleasurable, but the rate of
killing switched from a high numbers game to one of close up and personal
pleasure. It was more satisfying but considerably slower. Many of the animals
in the vanguard of the exodus poured out of the other side of the open compound.
    The raid leader had ample time to eradicate every member of
this small cluster in the two days allowed. They could move the Clanship closer
to where these mindless animals were fleeing to hide. Destroying all of the
humans here would soften the reports of how poorly organized the initial assault
had been. There was always tomorrow.
     
    ****
     
    “There’s no tomorrow,” Sanji