{"id":2838,"date":"2025-12-28T09:58:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T16:58:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2838"},"modified":"2025-12-28T09:58:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T16:58:26","slug":"370-92","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/28\/370-92\/","title":{"rendered":"370-92"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Write a story in which something doesn\u2019t go according to plan.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is better to make no plan than to rely on the faithless and fickle. \u2014 Ch\u2019tinga Book of the Holy, Chapter 370, Verse 92 \u2014 commonly quoted by Ch\u2019tinga people<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The poor, deluded monks and scribes that wrote The Book had no concept of reality. Need to include the faithless or fickle in your plan? Make \u2019em faithful and reliable; grab hold of their tender bits and squeeze until they get the message. As long as you have \u2019em in your grasp, they\u2019ll follow you anywhere. \u2014 Master General Ikthan K\u2019ch\u2019tua, Andim War \u2014 commonly quoted by armchair generals and \u2018edgy\u2019 Ch\u2019tinga in response to the previous<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pair of figures in exo-suits stood in the vast, empty hangar. The taller of the two, Ikthan Ach\u2019tar, turned to the shorter. \u201cI hate this high gravity, but it is a good idea. The cargo will be easier to manage. It\u2019s the only part of this plan I like. 370-92 and all.\u201d She turned back to watch for the arrival of the cargo ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nantan Tak\u2019cha waved his tail in dismissal. \u201cAch\u2019tar, you worry too much. And this is more General Ikthan than The Book.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRemind me, Nantan Tak\u2019cha, how you have them by the gonads? I mean, you hired pirates<\/em> to bring our cargo. How can I not be worried?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo need to be formal, Ach, we\u2019re still friends, right?\u201d His tail curled up in a question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her tail swished in dismissal. \u201cYou\u2019re right, Tak, I\u2019m just nervous. There\u2019re so many ways this could go wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why we padded all our nests. We paid them enough to not care what the cargo is, and to not go looking for answers to questions they know not to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd if they still figure it out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tak\u2019cha let out a snort of laughter. \u201cWhat are they going to do? Turn themselves in to the Enforcers? \u2018Hey, we\u2019re wanted pirates, but we have something you should see.\u2019 I don\u2019t think so. That\u2019s why we hired pirates instead of smugglers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat difference does that make?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPirates are looking at a minimum sentence of half their natural life, while smugglers get a fine and maybe lose their ship. The risk of becoming known to the Enforcers is a lot higher for pirates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ach\u2019tar turned around to face him again. \u201cAnd if they find a better offer for the cargo? We\u2019ll be left to pay off the clan, when we spent the last of our money on this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tak\u2019cha laughed again. \u201cThat would never happen. They would have to pay<\/em> anyone they could contact to take the cargo. No one outside the clan has a use for one Anigroo, let alone twenty.\u201d He motioned with his tail toward the large hangar door. \u201cSpeaking of clan, here they come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pair stood straight, tucking their tails along their right rear leg. The approaching group of thirty were Ch\u2019tinga like Ach\u2019tar and Tak\u2019cha. Two powerful arms with dexterous hands, a sloping spine with a long torso, long forelegs and shorter hind legs. A not-quite prehensile, but mobile tail that almost reached the ground when relaxed. This, they carried in an erect position as they marched in covered in power armor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exception was the smaller male at their center. He wore an ornate robe, that no doubt covered an exo-suit so he could move freely in the high gravity. The others stopped in a defensive formation and the robed male stepped forward. \u201cWhere is the cargo?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHonored Anathan, the ship should be here any moment,\u201d Tak\u2019cha said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No sooner had he said that, than the awaited ship descended, setting down just outside the hangar. It detached the cargo container from beneath and took off again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI like when others don\u2019t tangle their tails in my business,\u201d the robed male said. \u201cIt seems you have chosen wisely. Check my merchandise,\u201d he ordered one of the armored gang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The armored Ch\u2019tinga approached the container and pointed a scanner at it. \u201cTwenty, but they look a little short for Anigroo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fine, as long as they meet the requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ach\u2019tar leaned over and whispered to Tak\u2019cha, \u201cWhat are<\/em> the requirements, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He whispered back, \u201cThey just have to fit in the pressure suits so they can work in the asteroid mines. Small is fine, too big isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The robed male turned away from the container. \u201cHow are they holding up under the gravity?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey aren\u2019t moving around. They\u2019re spread out along the walls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood. They\u2019re tired. Open it up and load them on my ship,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d He pushed the button on the scanner, but the door remained shut. He pushed it again, growing agitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The four walls of the container fell outward, revealing twenty humans, armed with combat rifles and wearing armor. A warning shot came from the humans before aiming at the robed figure and all the ones around him, as one of  the humans called out, \u201cDrop your weapons and get down on the ground!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the armored Ch\u2019tinga tried to raise a weapon and was shot, dropping to the ground. The human that fired said, \u201cShit, that was center mass, hope I didn\u2019t hit anything vital.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same voice that had called out the first time yelled, \u201cThis is your last warning! Drop your weapons and get on the ground!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before another Ch\u2019tinga could pluck up the courage to try something, the pirate ship returned, followed by an Enforcer vessel. The Enforcer ship set down just past the cargo container and a mixed group of creatures in combat uniforms swarmed out. Most were human, some were the tall, thin Anigroo, a few were Ch\u2019tinga, and others were crab-like creatures that neither Ach\u2019tar nor Tak\u2019cha could identify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Except for the humans, they all wore exo-suits to adapt for the gravity. The human commander of the Enforcer vessel stepped out. \u201cYou are all under arrest for illegal slave trade. If you do not disarm yourself immediately, I will give the order for the assault team to fire for effect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She waited for only a second. \u201cThat means I\u2019ll order them to shoot you dead! Get it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a clatter of weapons hitting the ground as all the fight went out of the Ch\u2019tinga. The assault team paired up with others from the vessel and kept the detainees at gunpoint while their exo-suits were powered down, their hands cuffed, and their legs hobbled such that they could only shuffle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medic team rushed to shot individual and began administering aid, even as he was loaded onto a gurney and rushed to the ship. Two of the crab-like creatures were picking up the discarded weapons and putting them in a basket attached to their exo-suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pirate Tak\u2019cha had made the deal with left his ship to talk to the Enforcer commander. \u201cPirates don\u2019t want to be known to the Enforcers?\u201d Ach\u2019tar asked. \u201cIt looks like those two are pretty friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tak\u2019cha didn\u2019t answer any more than a grunt. The gravity was already making it hard for him to move, and being hobbled didn\u2019t help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pirate led the commander to where the pair waited to be led into the ship. He pointed at Tak\u2019cha. \u201cThat\u2019s the fellow that hired me, and I\u2019d bet she\u2019s the money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ach\u2019tar looked at Tak\u2019cha with equal measures of rage and incredulity. \u201cYou hired a human<\/em> pirate to smuggle slaves?! Have you lost your brain?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the difference?\u201d Tak\u2019cha asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Enforcer commander didn\u2019t give her a chance to answer. She got in Tak\u2019cha\u2019s face. \u201cThe difference is, humans find it ridiculous that there is such a thing as \u2018legal slave trade\u2019 in the galaxy, and we can only get you for the illegal stuff. If we had our way, all the slavers would go where you\u2019re going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere are we going?\u201d Ach\u2019tar asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is Ch\u2019tinga space, but you hired a human vessel. Therefore, you\u2019re going to Earth. We have jurisdiction for the conspiracy portion of your charges, and for attempted trafficking. The Anigroo government has ceded jurisdiction to Earth for the kidnapping, imprisonment, and illegal slave taking charges, while the Ch\u2019tinga government has decided to wash its hands of the Anathan clan and are letting us try the illegal slave trading charges as well.\u201d She did some calculation on her fingers. \u201cYou\u2019re all looking at a minimum of thirty or so years \u2026 per victim. So, might as well call if life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut, what about the pirate?\u201d Tak\u2019cha asked. \u201cAren\u2019t you going to arrest him as well?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pirate gave him a predatory smile and pulled something out of an inner pocket. He showed them both. It was an Enforcer badge. \u201cSergeant Hanlon, slavery interdiction unit. You kids should really read your holy book, it\u2019s got some good advice. \u2018Better to make no plan,\u2019 etcetera.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c370-92,\u201d Tak\u2019cha said, defeated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ach\u2019tar blew out an annoyed huff. \u201cTold you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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