Free Theodore by Marcus LaGrone

call: I need to
get a hold of the Secretary of the Foreign Office.  Yes, I know he is a busy
man.  He's going to be even busier if we can't safely get these two kids
off-world and back home!  If this was easy, I wouldn't be talking to
you!”
    Theodore grasped for anything to change the subject so he
turned to Anna and fired off in the Old Tongue, “So how much of this language
did you manage to squeak in?”
    Anna laughed as she carefully threaded back, “I can handle
simple cases and conjugation.  Still trying to keep track of all the case based
mutations and for heaven sake, don't ask me how to form,” she paused as she
shifted languages “gerunds!”
    Theodore laughed and continued in the Old Tongue, “It sounds
like you made a quick study!”
    Anna nodded and smiled, obviously enjoying the opportunity
to show off what she had learned, “Languages flow well for me.  Not as well as
my mother; she is an extreme polyglot!  Mom said I could visit when your
semester was over, so that meant I had nine to ten weeks.  Your First Mother did invite me out, if you recall.”
    “For six weeks of study, you are doing amazingly well!”
grinned Theodore.  “I prided myself on how quickly I picked up human languages,
but that was in months not weeks!  And yes, I do recall my First Mother
inviting you out.  For the whole summer as I recall.”
    “Excuse me,” interjected Agent Telmark with a broad grin,
“you were quite right, young lady, your mother did agree to let you go to
Afon.  You are required to write home once a week, she says.”
    Anna laughed, “That's my mom!  I'm just curious how long it
takes to post a letter...”
    “What about transportation?” asked Theodore.  “I take it I'm
not going on the ship you had scheduled earlier.”
    “No,” grinned Agent Telmark, “the Foreign Office has
arranged transport for the pair of you on a Shukurae Dreadnaught.  Let these
punks try to get past their security!  You two leave in three hours.” 
    “That sounds like wicked fun!” grinned Anna.
    “Speaking of fun,” replied Theodore in Old Tongue.  “Yes.
Yes, I did enjoy the view.”
    Anna turned a deep shade of red and doubled over laughing.
     
    Three hours later the pair found themselves tensely waiting
for their shuttle to the ship far overhead.  Anna had briefly distracted
herself as she purchased a new blouse and a change of clothes, but that
distraction was short lived compared to the apprehension that weighed
overhead.  It was painfully obvious to all parties present that this hand off
was going to be the most dangerous part.  Between safely making it onto the
shuttle and then up to orbit without some miscreant trying to shoot them down,
things were... edgy.  Fortunately, edgy was how the Shukurae lived.  Well, that
and they never ever believed in a fair fight if it was even remotely
possible to bring more firepower to the table.  And firepower... well,
firepower arrived!
    The entire traffic at the port, terrestrial or orbital was
shut down as the Shukurae arrived: three heavy assault gunships loitered high
overhead and quickly terminated a few stray avians in the area.  Five light
assault gunships then descended with one touching down just long enough to
lower its ramp and have the pair run aboard before blasting back into the sky. 
They were shepherded to their seats by a pair of massive Shukurae, their pale
blinkless eyes seemed to glow in the interior lights.  The flash of light off
of their crisp triangular teeth and jutting tusks rounded out their imposing
forms.  Theodore knew they were in good company, but that didn't make his first
encounter with them any less intimidating!  Theodore laughed at his own
apprehension as he noticed Anna grinning broadly at the Shukurae's imposing
form.
    “They are massive!” she half whispered to Theodore.  “Did
you know that their bones go through a secondary solidification process as
young adults?  Boron carbide infuses their teeth