Minerva checked her orders again. These were the right quarters, this is where her new partner is located. It seemed odd to be assigned to someone as notorious as Kariktul. Maybe the ADD like to keep their 'reformed' criminials in one unit to easily keep tabs on them. Still the Commander had mentioned that Minerva would learn alot from this agent.

Minerva took a second to check out her outfit out. She was wearing the standard ADD uniform, except she substituted a short pink skirt instead of the standard skirt. It complemented her hair much better.

Minerva breathed out as she got ready to meet the experienced agent. She knocked on the door. The report gave little of agent's personality. And as she had learned at Northwestern, a report was poor substitute for meeting someone in person.

The door... I huffed at the sound and gently winced at the current of electricity it sent through me.

"Ja krik tek la nei humeons ne!"

I cursed of course in english it was much more simple 'fucking humans' was a good enough translation of it. I lept down from the pipe I had been doing pull ups on and turned to the sealed door. they kept me sealed in here since my last partner had... well suffice it to say she was being mercilessly fucked by several kiroan drug smugglers right now somewhere.

I pushed the button beside the door and it; finally, opened.

"So they finally trust me enough again to give another agent the button huh?"

All I wore was a little black dress and an open white jacket. My purple eyes looked over the Agent in her full uniform.

"Yep another damned human too. Why the fuck won't they let me work with one of the SFA division... least I wouldn't have to deal with the stench..."

After I finished cursing the brass I looked her over again.

"So what did you want? they sending us to your inevitable enslavement or what?"

Minerva was surprised at the hostility her new partner. No, I am your new partner, the Commander sent me here to learn from you. And for your information I don't stink. She was surprised that such anger could come from such a small package.

Kariktul had to be at least half a foot shorter than her and except for her anger, she didn't look threating. Still, you can't judge a book by it covers. Minerva sighed, this is going to be a tough assignment.

"Are you a human?"

I didn't wait for her to respond.

"You are, all humans stink, you just can't smell it because you were raised on a planet full of moderately evolved stink apes if you could your entire speices would have killed itself off by now to get out of the funk."

Then it registered in my head that something off had been said.

"the commander told you to learn... from me?!"

At this I couldn't contain my laughter i almost started to cry I was laughing so hard at that.

"he wants you, an obvious rookie, to learn from the galaxy's former greatest solo slaver... Really? the one that hates humans and is on their word the reason twelve of their top agents are now cum guzzling sluts in whore houses around the outer arms of the galaxy?"

I shook my head a little glancing behind her through her sides before shrugging and looking at my odd gauntlet and the odd displays that were obviously not in any human language.

"Ja Well, you're not bugged so it's not some dumb ass scheme to get me to reveal something that doesn't exist, so you might as well come in and have a seat ne. ja you got my respect at least enough for not trying to punch me yet ne."

This wasn't going well at all. Kariktul didn't seem to even want to be in the same space station with Minerva, let alone the same room. Still the at least she made her laugh and not shut the door in Minerva's face. And at least she respected Minerva enough to let her into the room. Time for a different approach.

Thanks, I have been taught not to punch my superiors in the face even if I wanted to. And besides your records seem to indicate you would skilled enough to dodge it anyways. Minerva took a seat in a chair in the room. I'm not sure why the Commander wants me here either, maybe he just wants his 'undesireables' in the same place where its easier to keep an eye on them.

That was something I hadn't expected. I cocked a brow looking at Minerva wondering how such a simple sweet looking human that would probably fetch the price of a planet in just the collectables market not to even mention the sex market, could be an 'undesireable'

"Ja undesireable you say ne? Ja do explain Minerva I'd quite like to know why they don't like you, I do mean you are still on the station and accept missions and you aren't naked and chained with your legs spread as a belt around some alien pelvis ne."

Of course I seemed much more polite though my words still were spoken with a level of distaste and malice, that was the Kali way of course ja ne was all one needed to show respect and interest in a person the rest was usually for the benifit of other species, a form of tact I had yet to learn properly.

I am here against my will. I found out about Shokushu and what I represented and was caught before I could spill the beans. They gave me a choice, either be dumped on Vanejin VI or join the ADD. Well, on the Vanejin VI I would had to fend for myself. At least in the ADD, I could try to one day rescue my sister assuming she was ever taken away from Shokushu. In the meanwhile, I can at least protect her from the rest of the galaxy.

Minerva could still here the malice in her voice but at least the insults had dropped off quite a bit.

I paused for a moment at the mention of a sister. My human sister had starved to death in 1933 or so I'd been told. Beyond that My Kali sister had vanished... more than likely becoming an exotic slave somewhere. I nodded.

"Ja At least we share that in common... a respect for family and being here against our will ne."

I took my breath looking to the ground before I sat on my 'bed' which was little more than a sheet on a steel table.

"Ja. Minerva... do feel free to call me lily... You humans seem to have difficulty saying my kaltek name properly ne."

Thank you, Lily. I had to admit I have trouble speaking Earth languages. I probably would just screw up calling you by kaltek name. She watched as Kariktul sat down on the steel table that seemed to serve as her bed. She couldn't believe that anyone would sleep on that and be comfortable.

I notice that you say, Ja and ne like it makes the beginning and end of a statement. Is that something common to the kaltek tongue. Minerva was a bit curious about learning about her partner and it seemed she was slowly getting slightly more polite.

I nodded to my new partner. She seemed unique compared to most humans on this base, there was one other human she got along with but, that girl had been from a few hundred years in the future.

"Ja yes they are. not using them is a sign of mass disrespect ne. Ja of course there are other ways to show respect and disrespect this is just the most important ne."

I did my best to explain it to her and I hoped she'd understand well enough.

"Ja forgive me for how I spoke before... I just dislike the fact I share genetics with a failure of a weak species like humans ne."

Ah I see. So Lily, would you feel more comfortable if I started using Ja and ne when talking to you? Or would that just make things more awkward since I may not fully comprehend the full meaning. I would like to make sure I show the proper respect for my new partner.

She thought about Kariktul second comment. This subject was going to be difficult to approach properly. So why do you feel the humans are a weak species?

A smile passed my expression. This girl was rather accommodating, something few of the other agents I'd have met were. I had a feeling this girl wasn't going to end up on the slave trade at least not if I had anything to do with it. My expression shifted as I thought about the weakness of humans.

"Ja Oh no, you don't have to though nice of you to offer ne. Ja as for the weakness of humans, They're easily manipulated and broken, they kill themselves when there are far worse threats, they're extremely xenophobic and egotistical, they almost seem like smart Kinahei ne..."

I paused realizing I'd probably have to explain what that was.

"Ja so you know A kinahei on kali prime was a creature bred only to be used for labor then die ne. Ja much of the galaxy tends to use us the same I guess ne."

It was rare that this happened... that I admitted the fact I was human despite not being an earthling like most humans were. as I did this my expression shifted to the door and a passing agent. I threw an iron ball at her and it smashed into her head... it was too light to do much more than make her forget that she had just heard me admit that. I stood and went to close the door so no one else would pass by and hear our little chat in here.

Minerva saw a smile appear on Kariktul for a second. Well, I am making progress at any rate.

Well, not all of us fit your description of humans. You definitely do not seem to fit that description. And I would like to think I would not fit that description. Minerva's face became a bit stern as if to accentuate her next point. Ja I am a soldier, I will not be the galaxy's kinahei to be discarded when no longer needed ne. Of course she hoped she was using the terminology and phonetics properly, else she was just making an ass of herself.

Minerva saw the iron ball get thrown out the door and heard a yelp, just before Kariktul shut door. Minerva would have to speak to Kariktul about her social skills later.

I chuckled a little as she used the kali and kaltek in her sentence. she used them right though not with the right emotion.

"Ja Have to say Ja and Ne with a little more confidence than that or it's just being sarcastic and can be considered more impolite than not using them at all ne."

I told her smiling.

"Ja as for me not fitting that description... I'm a human from almost two hundred years ago, I had a lot of time to learn and mature, comparatively I'm like nineteen you know ne. Ja as for you..."

I paused looking at the gauntlet on my wrist before nodding to her.

"hmm, as for you you're just a unique woman all around ne."

The laughter was a bit of relief for Minerva. Kariktul smiled as she corrected Minerva on her the tone of her speech.

Then Kariktul dropped the bomb shell. Although she was appeared to be in her late teens, she was two hundred years old. Minerva's eyes went wide with surprise when she realized this was someone around the time of the Titanic and World War I.

Minerva let out a whistle. Wow, then you have seen alot of things in your time. That is pretty impressive. Of course then she thought about the last statement. So Lily, what do you see in me that makes me unique?