Free Koban: The Mark of Koban by Stephen W Bennett

an ugly premonition. He recalled the canyon
ambush that he had only heard about. His premonition proved exceedingly
accurate.
     
    ****
     
    Will, a remote control unit for a Big Dump still on his lap,
was looking at a video image from the first truck’s cab roof camera. “I think
all of them are next to the ship now Sir, unloading ammunition.”
    “Good!” Sanji had wanted all the rats in the trap. He
pressed the radio detonator.
    All three trucks simultaneously vanished in a splatter of
large heavy metal fragments that cut down anything the three immense explosions
did not destroy directly. The rocks covering the explosive pallets blasted out
of the concave truck beds as if from a shaped charge. Two of the trucks had backed
up to the ship, and their boulders struck it squarely.
    The rocks and truck beds acted much like giant pellets from
immense claymore mines. The high velocity stones and fragments tore through the
heavy hull plates. The Clanship now resembled a sieve more than a Jump ship. Every
Krall in sight had shredded or vaporized in the triple balls of flames and
debris.
    Except for eradicating the handful of injured or pinned
Krall in the canyon, the people of Gem Town, what was left of it, had
exterminated these particular vermin. At a terrible personal cost, however. After
a rough head count at the Pipe, they knew these monsters had slaughtered probably
fifteen thousand of their people. Moreover, there were fifteen other cities and
towns still under attack on the Nook. There was no sign they planned to leave,
and no way to make them.
     
    ****
     
    A day later, Telour calculated that his raiders had killed
perhaps two million humans. The despicable creatures had proven adept at
distractions, misdirection, creative ways of hiding, and in a limited number of
cases, a startling ability to strike back.
    Other than the destruction of a Clanship, the counterattacks
were trivial. That one anomaly was largely due to an incompetent commander, who
was replaced in the field after excessive blunders left the ship vulnerable. Telour
had randomly selected him from a pool of equal status sub leaders. He would not
make that error again, no matter how much of a rush he was in to form a raiding
party.
    Humans had only killed six hands of warriors on the rest of
the entire planet. He had lost more warriors from recklessness, being careless,
or simply stupid. They improved the Krall gene pool simply by their loss.
    They extracted nearly on schedule, although shuttles had to
make numerous pickups of warriors too far from their Clanships to return
quickly. Telour had been tempted to leave them to their fate. He was convinced
otherwise when several ship commanders noted that the late returns were the
warriors with the highest kill ratios.
    Overall, the raid accomplished what the clan had wanted, and
the atrocities he had requested were common enough to spur the passive humans
into greater preparations when they raided the next planet. Humans would have
to be pushed hard and often, to make them increase their warrior kill ratios if
they were to match Krall expectations.
    His report to the clan leaders noted that novice warriors
would have to learn to fight smarter against humans. This was a different
direction than had been the norm, where outright strength and speed were the
only criterion for status increases, and proving breeding potential. It would
take time. Something the Krall had in abundance.

4. Hub City (Koban)
     
    “You don’t really have the time to do this, Tet.” Maggi
repeated for the nth time.
    “Besides, going to meet Governor Cahill on her own turf
is a mistake. That egotistical hack had the hubris to push her supporters into
giving her that grandiose title. It’s a deliberate attempt to make her appear your
superior.” This was another of Maggi’s pet peeves that Mirikami had heard
repeatedly.
    “I’m not a politician Maggi,” Tet replied yet again, with a
sigh. “I never will be. I’m uncomfortable