Supernova Blitz

Chapter 23: Yukonja

Baskylla Jardzen Dzor watches the human female Captain let herself into his cell. Once more, she is carrying the chess set she insists on playing. She mocks him with it. Every game they play ends differently. Sometimes they draw, sometimes she wins, and other times he wins.

Clearly, she is controlling the outcome. She knows the game's every possible pattern and just toys with him. That's all it is. A game meant for children is nothing in comparison to true combat. Dzor has conquered worlds. He's faced off against dangerous odds. He's lead ground battles. This game is not strategy. It is a puzzle. A simple puzzle with a finite number of solutions which can be memorized. One day, he will smash it to bits before her eyes.

The comparatively tiny human greets him, "Good afternoon, Yarjen. Did you miss me?"

The grodrrn grunts, "No."

She smiles though, accusing, "Liar."

Dzor growls as angrily as he can, but this only amuses her more. Wretched human. As if he could feel anything but contempt for his captor. If he were to miss her, it would only be because he is ready to kill her, and she is not present.

Then again, why DOESN'T he feel the urge to kill her now? She is insolent and arrogant to think she is his equal. The primitives may have defeated him and captured him, but they are NOT his equals.

Perhaps this is part of her strategy, though. She extends friendship to attempt to erode Dzor's guard. He's certainly learned a lot about the humans and one of their highest leaders of her own choice.

He is not ready to free himself, though. He grows even closer, but his secret techniques take time.

Long sets the chess board up, placing the pieces. He watches closely. Every now and then, she attempts to cheat by swapping piece positions.

Today is one such day. Dzor growls, and she looks up at him. She asks with her quaint smile, "Oh? What is it, now?"

Dzor grunts, "Beeshop and rock."

The human looks directly at the two pieces in question without scanning. It was CLEARLY deliberate. She cannot fool him.

Long corrects their positions, saying brightly, "Silly me. My mistake."

Dzor accuses, "Eet wozz deleeborate. {It was deliberate.}"

This only makes her smile more, and she teases, "I thought you didn't care about this game."

Dzor glares at her. She dares assume he cares about this pathetic game? Never. He retorts, "Ai do not. Boot, eef we arr tuu ply, Ai weel NOT be cheat. {I do not. But, if we are to play, I will NOT be cheat(ed).}"

She replies simply, "Very well." She then adds, "You're first today."

Dzor studies the board. Surely, if she has memorized the strategies, then there must be those that are harder to remember. Perhaps he can attempt a game of attrition, to draw out as many moves as possible. He starts by moving his king's pawn one space forward.

Long thinks for a moment. She remarks as she does, "We discovered a new sentient race. Or rather, the last member of a sentient race."

Dzor grunts out as she too moves a pawn, but her king's rook's pawn one space, "Lost mimbor eez rarlih lost. {Last member is rarely last.}" There are always hold outs on a world. Many Grodrrns have fallen for that line from nearly-extinct worlds or newly colonized ones. With colonies comes a retaliatory force.

But, Long remarks as Dzor moves another pawn, "We're pretty sure she is. At least, until some of her eggs hatch. We can't find ANY other life on the world."