Chapter 140 (2/2)
The Terrans were getting closer, in the tunnels beneath the mountain his base was built into, as Dunaru'u completed his report and managed to get it out via hyper-com right before the doors of his command center exploded inward and some Terran tossed a satchel charge into the room and turned Dunaru'u into hamburger.
It took four more months before the Terrans left.
All they left behind was ash, radioactive now, sand, and destruction.
Some Lanaktallan survived, in the ruins and wreckage and death. They found, where the Terrans had abandoned fire bases and logistics bases, bags of seed and farming tools with a simple message: ”One Chance - Terran Mechworlds”
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The message sped out, heading for the Grand Most High Executor's office. It reached the Unified Councils World, was captured by a satellite, beamed down to the Grand Most High Executor's Officer, where it was accepted by the computers, examined by the Grand Most High Executor's secretary...
...and dumped in the garbage bin as Dunaru'u was a Executor Military Most High, not an Executor Intelligence Most High.
The Lanaktallan would learn what Dunaru'u had learned, what he tried to warn them about.
The paper had been titled simply, a title that covered the subject quite simply.
A title that might have warned the Lanaktallan of the lessons every race that had faced the Terrans had learned.
”Terran Endurance to the Slaughter of Total War”
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MANTID FREE WORLDS
My God.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
TERRASOL
Play stupid games.
Win stupid prizes.
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MANTID FREE WORLDS
Still... I mean...
We worry about you. You're still scarred from the Mar-gite Invasion.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
TERRASOL
We're fine. They started it. They set the battlefield, they set the parameters, they set the limits.
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MANTID FREE WORLDS
How far do you see this going?
We worry about you.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
TERRASOL
As far as they want to take it.
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MANTID FREE WORLDS
At least call back the irregulars.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
TERRASOL
No. They attacked the Harmony. They're attacking the Rim Worlds.
They set the stage.
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MANTID FREE WORLDS
All right. I've tried to talk you out of it.
Does the knowledge that they've killed 312 billion humans so far change your opinion? Will that make you call back the Irregulars? Call back the guys like Daxin.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS
JESUS DURACHROME CHRIST, SIS! WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
TERRASOL
No. It changes nothing.
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MANTID FREE WORLDS
There is no way we can talk you out of fighting our ancient foe, the Lanaktallan? There is no way we can convince you not to pick up the banners of the Precursor War?
Not even that they've attacked over 500 worlds and killed almost half a trillion humans, including an estimated 75 billion children?
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS
HOLY SHIT! ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY, SIS? DON'T SAY THAT SHIT!
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
TERRASOL
No. We're going to war.
With or without all of you.
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MANTID FREE WORLDS
Then we're in.
Not just support.
We're in this with you.
May the Digital Omnimessiah and the Twelve Biological Apostles protect us.