Chapter Ninety-Four (2/2)
The leading units of the Enemy's second wave are only an hour out.
We are the Dinochrome Brigade. Whatever the Enemy throws at us does not matter.
They are the Enemy. They only exist to be destroyed.
I am JAWS-ANDREA as we will not fail.
-----------
Colonel Harvey watched Brentili'ik pace back and forth across the 'office' in the shelter. She kept stalking around the holodisplay of the entire planet as if she could change what was being displayed through determination while doing laps. Her fists were against he sides, her eyes wide, and her ears perked up. Harvey had noticed that she had a habit of tapping herself between her shoulderblades with her own tail when she was stressed or agitated and right now it looked like she was trying to transmit Morse Code versions of the last State of the Confederacy Address.
”How can you just sit there eating?” Brentili'ik asked, suddenly stopping.
Harvey knew she was still angry. When the signal had come for all command staff to retreat to the bunkers she had refused.
So Harvey had ordered one of the warborgs to physically pick her up and carry her.
She'd bit the warborg once before realizing that warsteel was tougher than her teeth.
”Because, Madame Director, I am hungry,” Colonel Harvey told the small Telkan. ”I cannot do anything at this moment, so I am going to eat and take a nap with my datalink set to awaken me if I am needed.”
Brentili'ik glared at the human, her eyes opened wide and her ears tilted forward. ”You can sleep at a time like this?”
”Madame Director, I have learned to sleep whenever the opportunity presents itself. I gained that skill during the Clownface Nebula War, where my unit was under enemy artillery for sixty-eight days, sustained heavily enough that the bedrock was cracked by the guns of the enemy,” Harvey said. He took another bite and chewed it, staring at the small Telkan.
Brentili'ik scowled, slapping her tail against her back twice. ”It just feels so...” She couldn't find the words and began stalking around the holodisplay again.
Harvey knew the best thing to do was to let the Telkan work it out for herself. She had no idea, but Harvey had been impressed with just how far a former janitor had progressed in barely over a year. Education for the broodcarriers, taking over the responsibility for millions of her fellow Telkans, coordinating the massive social upheavals her people were dealing with.
”I feel useless!” Brentili'ik snarled, slapping the floor with the tip of her tail.
”Yup. Feel the same way,” Harvey said. He ripped another big bite of his sandwich off and stared at Bentili'ik as he chewed. When he swallowed he continued. ”I'd prefer to be in a GypsyRose model, hell, even an Akira Model mech out there fighting, but what is there to fight yet? Nanospores? Biomass cellular attacks?” he shrugged. ”Right fight for the right tool.”
He tapped his desk with a finger them used his thumb to swipe up the little bit of sauce.
”If everything goes well, we won't have to do anything more than sit in this shelter and stare at each other. If everything goes horribly wrong we'll be trying to evacuate what little of your people we can get off the planet, watching the casualty count rise and the refugee count drop, with the refugee ships ripped apart even as they flee,” Harvey said. ”Trust me, Madame Director, the more boring it is for us, the better.”
Brentili'ik's eyes narrowed in shock. ”You mean, we could lose?”
”We have no idea of the enemy's goals or capabilities. That puts the battle in doubt. I don't like a battle in doubt,” Harvey said.
Brentili'ik moved over to her data terminal and began typing. ”I must draw up an evacuation plan.”
Harvey cut off her data access with a twitch of his datalink.
”No, Madame Director, you need to eat and rest. You have been awake for over a full day of local time. You will start making errors soon, critical errors that you would have never made,” Harvey said.
Brentili'ik glared at him and Harvey shrugged.
”Eat. Take a nap. Your datalink will wake you up if you're needed,” Harvey said. He used his thumb to wipe sauce from one corner of his mouth. ”That's an order from military authority, Madame Director.”
Her back and tail stiff Brentili'ik stomped away into her small cubicle.
Harvey dipped a corner of his sandwich in his sauce and kept one eye on the holodisplay.
--------------------
Vuxten watched the air defense and point defense weapons switch through their firing order. They were firing in a staggered pattern, letting their weapons cool off. It was impressive, he had to admit. He had heard that they were tied into the planetary defense net with the massive BOLO tanks so the seeming random fire was actually pinpoint calibrated fire.
After a few moments of watching the fire light up the night sky Vuxten went back over to the hole in the Precursor machine he was standing on, jumping through the hole. His suit flared energy at his feet as he landed softly after a thirty meter drop.
Walking around, Vuxten ensured his two squads were resting. The fight was still in the air, still in atmosphere. There wasn't much his men could currently do.
The Lieutenant requested his hourly update and Vuxten was pleased that his men were just fine. Once he checked on everything he sat down, leaned against a generator that had failed as soon as it had been hooked up, and closed his eyes.
The Precursor War had taught him to sleep when he could.
Outside the weapons still roared.
-----------
Ekret stood next to Trucker, watching the holodisplay.
The Telkan worlds were still 129 hours out, and once they dropped in system it could be several hours until V Corps (Mixed Metal) could made planetfall. 1st Armored Recon (Speed Metal) was currently being loaded into drop ship cradles.
”I still think that we'll be landing into enemy forces and not even know it,” Trucker mused.
”BOLOs are on the ground. I'm sure they can keep landing areas open,” Major Engram stated.
Trucker shook his head. ”There's 28 BOLOs on the surface. Even with total interlock, they're not going to knock down everything. If this organism swarm has encountered and defeated technological enemies before than things will get through.”
”We should double-check the protective systems. Maybe go to Type-III biofilters?” Ekret suggested.
Trucker nodde then look up. ”Configure your CBRAN (Chemical Biological Radiation Atomic Nanite) systems for nanite and biological weapons. I've got a feeling this is going to be a multi-vector attack.”
Ekret just nodded along with the rest of the group.
”I'll go talk to Ol' Smokey No, get his opinion when he's done talking to the other admirals,” Trucker said. He spit into the bottle and looked around. ”Let's get it done.”
----------------
V CORPS (MIXED METAL)
System arrival in 131 hours.
Will adjust planning according to local data.
---------NOTHING FOLLOWS------
TELNAK GESTALT
OK. Thanks. Please be safe.
-------NOTHING FOLLOWS-------
MANTID FREE WORLDS
You don't have to answer those ones, dear one. He's probably not even listening anyway. Most of those Metal guys are deaf anyway from all the gunfire. Unless you're yelling artillery impact gird coordinates he probably wouldn't understand you anyway.
-------NOTHING FOLLOWS------
V CORPS (MIXED METAL)
Hardy fucking har har.
------NOTHING FOLLOWS-----
>Mantid Free Worlds whistles innocently and looks out the window