"Secondly, they are apparently unable to modify equipment." Her voice was strengthening as she continued. "The fact that our teammates could observe the screen from a distance would imply it was a light display. This feature is probably unnecessary to the dark-dwelling Ants. The fact they have not modified this to their own use, despite the fact they have had access to the First Ones' technology longer than we have, indicates a low technical ability."
"Could it be," I interrupted, "that they did not anticipate another species penetrating that far into their nests? That would make a modification for an unlighted display an unnecessary expenditure of time."
"Being familiar with the design of View Screens, I can definitely state that visual light displays are more difficult to build and operate. To a being with technical knowledge, an unlit display would be a simple modification, and one which would ease both construction and operation. As they have not made that modification, I feel it indicates they do not fully understand the principle of the machinery they are operating, and are simply imitating what has been done before."
"Understood. Proceed."
"The stun rays are another example of faulty technology. There are far more effective methods for an Insect to employ a weapon than slinging it under its body. Used in the current manner, it would be extremely difficult to aim on uneven terrain. What is more, to use it when firing from cover would mean the Ant would have to expose itself completely to the Enemy before its weapon could be brought into play."
"How would you explain the fact that they have a weapon not currently in our arsenal?"
"You would have to ask the Scientists, Commander. To the best of my knowledge, however, the Technicians have never been asked to construct one."
"Zome! Your comments and analyses?"
"Kor is dead, Commander."
"Yes, I assumed as much. Now your analysis."
"None of her injuries seem to be caused by any mechanical weapon. From this we can assume that unless specifically prepared for combat, the Ants rely upon their natural weapons."
"As to the stun ray, while the Scientists are not currently aware of such a weapon, it is logically a device such as would have been employed by the First Ones. It could have been passed over in their notes as being unsuitable to our purposes. Tzen will usually either kill an organism or leave it alone."
"It would be useful on missions such as this, when we are assigned to capture live specimens," I commented.
"That is true, Commander, but investigative expeditions such as this are a relatively new venture. Stun rays could have been discarded and forgotten before the need for these missions was known."
"Possibly. Proceed with your report."
"The examination described by Kor indicates prior knowledge of Tzen anatomy. This means the Ants have either obtained data from our earlier campaigns here, or that we have finally discovered what happened to Sirk. In either case, it shows the Ants are also capable of investigative study. They are both aware of the Tzen, and eager for additional data. This last is demonstrated by the fact they were willing to risk attempting to capture live and armed Tzen to obtain subjects for study. We will have to assume if they are intelligent enough to do that, they are intelligent enough to use what they learn."
I waited for a moment to be sure he had completed. his report.
"Mahz!" I beamed.
"Here, Commander."
"Resume reporting updates directly to me."
"Confirmed, Commander."
"Zur, report and analyze."
"There are currently three groups of Insects in the immediate vicinity. From their position and actions, they are all aware of our presence, and preparing for attack. There are two groups of Leapers, apparently under the command of Ants, located southeast and north of the fortification. There is another group, composed entirely of Ants, directly west of us. All groups are currently stationary, apparently waiting for some signal or occurrence before they begin their attack.
"The shuttlecraft will not arrive until after sundown. It would be optimistic to assume they will not attack until then, so we must plan our defense.
"We will assume all three groups will attack simultaneously, though possibly the group of Ants to the west will delay their attack, hoping the other two groups will cause us to shift our positions. If there are weapons used in this attack, they will probably be with that group.
"There are several points in our favor in the upcoming battle. First, the Enemy is apparently still unaware of our Defense Net, which is currently pinpointing their positions and movements. Second, as we killed the spider with hand weapons only, they are not aware of our hot-beams or their effect."
"It is doubtful the stun beams described by Kor are effective beyond fifty meters. If nothing else, it would be next to impossible to use them accurately at a greater range. The range of our hand blasters and particularly the turret gun greatly exceed that.
"Unfortunately, the turret gun can only fire in one direction at a time."
"Our strategy will be to deal with the Enemy at maximum distance. The turret gun will concentrate its fire on the group of Ants to the west, as that is the most potentially dangerous. The rest of us must deal with the groups to the North and Southeast."
"Zur!" I interrupted. "Is it not true that the swivel guns on the skimmers have a greater range than our hand blasters?"
"That is correct, Commander."
"Then if we array the skimmers..."
"Commander!" Mahz's voice came to me.
"Rahm here."
"Instruments indicate digging. There is a tunnel in progress to the Southwest."
CHAPTER TWELVE
"Request, Commander."
"Yes, Zur?" I beamed back.
"If opportunity presents itself, I would like your permission to dispose of Kor's body personally."
"What method would you propose?"
"I would use my hand blaster to obliterate her body."
"Explain."
"She was an exceptional Warrior. She deserves a better end than serving as Ant food."
"Permission granted...providing opportunity presents itself. We do not want to prematurely display the power of our weapons."
"Of course, Commander."
Trust Zur to think of details like that under the most adverse situations. Then again, Kor's body was on his side of the fortification. He and Krah would have little to do but stare at it as we waited for the attack.
Our position was tenuous at best. The tunneling from the Southwest had stopped about thirty meters out. The other three groups of Insects had not moved, though another pack of Leapers had joined the group to the Southeast.
We had opened the top of the base disc of the fortification, giving us a circular trench from which to operate. Our force was split into three two-Tzen teams: Zur and Krahn covering the group to the Southeast, Hif and Zome covering the north, and Ihr and I covering the all-Ant group to the west. Mahz at turret gun was assigned to watch for the tunnel opening when it appeared, and cover anything that emerged with his superior firepower.
I scanned the terrain to the west of our position, but could see nothing, even using far-focus. A thick stand of trees fifty meters distant obscured my view. If it were not for our Defense Network, I would be unaware of the Enemy lurking there.
I wondered what the Insects were waiting for. It was almost sunset. Perhaps they were planning a night attack. I discarded the idea. That would be too much to hope for. Besides, the Leapers were not that effective as night fighters.
"Commander." It was Mahz's voice.
"Rahm here," I beamed back.
"More Ants arriving to the west. They're moving slowly, apparently dragging something."
"Identify."
"Unknown, Commander. Large and bulky, possibly mechanical."
I didn't like the implications of that. I shot a glance at the cages of warm-bloods, still stacked in place beside the fortification. They alone seemed unmoved by the situation.
"Shutt
lecraft status report?" I beamed.
"Still has not departed... Attack Alert, groups from North and Southeast closing."
"Attack Alert!" I relayed, but it was unnecessary.
The sounds of the hot-beams were deadly soft as the other two teams opened fire on the advancing Enemy. The sound was soon lost in the shriek of dying Leapers.
"Zur," I beamed, "the hot-beams are effective against the Ants?"
"Most satisfactory, Commander," came the reply.
"West group is closing, Commander," Mahz beamed. "Moving slowly."
"Confirmed," I replied.
"Enemy incoming," I said to Ihr softly.
"Ready, Commander." Ihr's voice was tight.
I reminded myself she was a Technician and as such unused to combat.
"West status report?" I beamed to Mahz.
"I can't see anything," Ihr complained, glaring through the gathering twilight shadows.
I ignored her.
"Still closing, Commander," came Mahz's report.
"They're out there," I informed Ihr.
"Then let's see them."
Before I realized what she was doing, she rose and fired blindly to the West. Her hot-beam immediately touched off a small brushfire. In its light, I could see a small group of Ants gathered behind a large piece of machinery.
"Ihr..." I began, but too late.
A ray lanced out from the Ant's machine, cutting her in half at the torso. So much for the self-styled Warrior-Technician. The beam shot out again, opening a gash in the fortification dome behind me.
"Cold-beam!" I broadcast to the other teams, kicking Ihr's body to one side.
"Shall I try for it, Commander?" came Mahz's hail.
"No! Continue watching for the tunnel."
I did not want to disclose the turret gun's presence until absolutely necessary, particularly not with cold-beams around.
I moved along the trench to my left, then cautiously raised my head for a look.
"It seems to be a large, bulky mechanism," I beamed to the force at the fortification. "Any indication of similar devices in the area?"
"Nothing on the Network," reported Mahz.
"No visual contact to the Southeast," Zur beamed.
"Nothing to the North," came Hif's voice.
The Ants were close now. I raised my hand-blaster, aimed carefully, and fired. I was rewarded by seeing the machine collapse and smoke as the attending Ants abandoned it. Then the advancing Ants were on me.
I burned two to my right, then spun and got another as it tumbled into the trench behind me. I backpedaled, burning another, not realizing until later that it had some mechanism attached to its underside, presumably a stun ray.
Such weapons might be effective to ambush patrols, but not in open combat against a Tzen of the Warrior caste. I was constantly moving, presenting an ever-shifting target to the Enemy. Twice I abandoned the trench, clearing a space in the swarm with my blaster before rolling back to relative safety.
My wedge-sword was out now, and I used it freely on living and dead foes alike as the trench became more congested with bodies. I crawled sometimes over, sometimes under the smoldering corpses of Ants in my frantic evade-and-attack pattern.
Suddenly, the flow ebbed. I realized it was dark; the scene was lit by scattered fires touched off by our hot-beams. A beam hissed out from above me, scoring heavily in the ranks of the Ants. It was Mahz, giving me cover fire from the turret gun.
"Mahz! I ordered you to cover the tunnel!"
"I stopped that thrust, Commander. They broke off the attack after I burned the first ten as they emerged."
I burned another Ant.
"Cover it anyway."
The Ants had spent a lot of time building that tunnel. I couldn't believe they would abandon it so easily. Too many battles had been lost by assuming a retreat.
"Incoming from your right, Commander," came Hif's voice, and a moment later she appeared.
"The north group?" I queried, blasting at a group of Ants by the burning tree stand.
"Eliminated. Apparently it was only a feint"
"Zome?"
"Helping Zur and Krahn," she replied.
"Change places with Krahn," I ordered.
"But, Commander..."
"I need a Technician over here." I gestured at the tree stand. "Their extinguishers are putting out the fires we need for light."
"Understood, Commander."
She moved off. I glared at the fires as they flickered out. We'd just have to rely on the firebreak to prevent widespread ecological damage. Right now we needed that light.
"Status report on the shuttlecraft?" I beamed to Mahz.
"On the way, Commander."
"Incoming from your right, Commander! and Krahn appeared. She was wobbly, but apparently taking to combat better than Ihr had.
"Do you know the exact location of the extinguishers you planted to the West?" I asked, sweep-burning three Ants that were attempting to flank us.
"Yes, Commander."
"Start burning them out with your blaster. We need those fires."
"Commander! came Mahz's voice.
"Rahm here."
"Strange readings on the tunnel. The hollow indicator shows it's lengthening, heading for the fortification, but there are no digging sounds. "
"Cold-beam! Cold-beam in the tunnel!" I broadcast.
"I'll handle it, Commander," came Hif's voice.
"Shuttlecraft is down, Commander. Twenty meters due south. "
"Evacuate at once!"
The shuttlecraft was unarmed, and I did not want it overrun.
As one, Krahn and I left the trench and began sprinting for the shuttlecraft, burning Ants as we ran.
I saw Hif by the tunnel opening. She dropped a minigrenade down the opening, stepped back to avoid the explosion, then jumped in herself, blaster at ready. She knew as well as we did there would be no returning from the tunnel, but now our withdrawal was covered from that direction.
Zur and Zome were waiting by the shuttlecraft, pouring fire into a group of Ants pressing them hard from the Southeast. Apparently the Ants had taken up the bulk of the battle after the Leapers had been eliminated.
"Where's Mahz?" I asked, turning to train my weapons on the Ants pursuing us from the West.
"Still in the gun turret, providing cover fire as ordered," replied Zur.
That had not been my intention.
"Mahz!" I beamed.
"Here, Commander."
"Set the destruct mechanism on the fortification, then put the turret gun on auto-target and withdraw."
"Confirmed, Commander."
"Shuttle pilot!" I beamed.
"Here, Commander." I was surprised to hear Horc's voice.
"Stand by for immediate takeoff when our last member reaches us."
There was a hesitation before he replied.
"Confirmed, Commander."
I realized he had been expecting to pick up a larger force than was currently in evidence.
"Concentrate cover fire for Mahz's withdrawal," I called to the rest of the team.
We could tell when the turret gun went on autotarget: It began swiveling randomly back and forth, choosing its targets by Network-triggered priority.
Mahz appeared a moment later. He had to blast his way through several Ants who apparently realized a lone Tzen was an easier target than our group by the shuttlecraft.
We concentrated our fire on the other Ants moving to block his retreat, but as so often happens with uncoordinated group fire, we missed one:
The Network was set to ignore Tzen, and it did. The turret gun swiveled and fired on the remaining Ant, coldly unheeding of the fact that Mahz was in its line of fire as it triggered the beam.
BOOK THREE
CHAPTER ONE
I paced restlessly around the confines of my private quarters. Though theoretically solitude was supposed to aid the thought process, I found it disquieting.
I was not accustomed to solitude. I
n my entire career, from early training into my combat experiences, I had been surrounded by other Tzen. Even in deep sleep I had shared a rack or a bay with other Warriors. Any moment alone had been both fleeting and coincidental.
Now I and all the other Candidates on the colony ship had been assigned private quarters until we had completed our analysis. Although it was a direct order from the High Command and doubtless for the best, it made me feel uncomfortable.
My tail thumped against the wall, and I realized it was beginning to lash uncontrollably. This would not do. Mental agitation was acceptable only if it did not adversely affect my performance. It was time to curb my wandering thoughts.
I considered eating, but rejected the thought. I was not really hungry, and an intake of food at this time would only make me sluggish.
Sleep was another possibility. We were now required to devote a certain percentage of our time to sleep, whether in regular small allotments or in periodic long slumbers. I also rejected this thought. I had not progressed sufficiently with the analysis for my satisfaction. The sooner I completed my task, the sooner I could leave the isolation of private quarters. I would sleep while my analysis was being reviewed.
Clearly, the best plan of action was to return to my work. I turned once more to my work station, viewing it with mild distaste. There were several racks of data tapes as well as multi-screen viewer, which crowded the small confines of the room.
The tapes were sorted into five groups. The first group was the accumulated data on the Ants, both confirmed and speculative, though carefully labeled to distinguish between the two. The second group contained the Technicians' report on the equipment that would be available for this campaign. The last three groups dealt with specific data on three different Ant-held planets.
The task confronting me and the other Candidates was to devise battle plans for assaulting each of the planets. The High Command's review of these plan would determine which of us would be assigned as Planetary Commanders in the upcoming campaign. There are no guaranteed assignments in the Warriors. Many of my fellow Candidates in this exercise had been Planetary Commanders in the last campaign. They would have to reprove their analytic abilities if they were to retain their rank for this campaign. Also, it was common knowledge that there were many Warriors who had previously been Planetary Commanders who were not included in the current list of Candidates.
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