Chapter 336 (1/2)

Mana'aktoo disliked the fact that he was locked away in a high security bunker beneath his palatial estate, but it had to do with the oncoming threat, which meant that Kulamu'u, the Most High of System Military Forces, gave the orders.

True, he had planned, even theorized being relegated to his private bunker. It was one of the many outcomes of his planned war against the Unified Council, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

Of course, the fact he was escorted everywhere by a duo of Terran Army warborgs had not been part of his estimations.

Mana'aktoo heard his door chime and waved his hand, dismissing the data from the battlefield. While he had little input on the situation, he was still kept informed.

He turned around just in time for his mother to come into the room. She saw the standby image on the holotank and brightened at the flowered bush with the Terran fae swirling around it. She trotted up to Mana'aktoo, her jewelry sparkling in the lights of the conference room.

”There you are, Manny,” she said, expressing pleasure at seeing her son. She held out her arms and Mana'aktoo leaned into the embrace, letting her hug him with all four arms. When the embrace broke she looked around, seeing the Terran warborgs and trembling a bit. She leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially in Mana'aktoo's ear.

”There are metal Terrans in here,” she whispered loudly.

”Yes, mother. They are here to ensure our safety,” Mana'aktoo said, trying to soothe his mother's anxiety. ”There is no reason to be frightened of them.”

His mother nodded, turning around and looking at one. ”They're made of all metal?”

”Yes, mother. For the most part.”

”Are they robots?” she asked, moving up and looking at one. She reached up and tapped its forehead. ”They are quite fierce looking.”

Mana'aktoo felt a slight flush of embarrassment as his mother tried to look inside the Terran warborg's skull. ”No, mother, there's a Terran in there.”

”Really? I thought Terrans were bigger than that. To pilot this, they would have to be very tiny,” she said, looking over the warborg again.

Mana'aktoo avoided laughing, moving up and taking his mother's hand. ”Is there anything you wanted?”

His mother turned away from the warborg, her curiosity forgotten. ”Yes. I wanted to remind you to eat. I worry about you when you work too hard.”

”I will, mother,” Mana'aktoo said gently. ”How is father?”

”He is worried about you. He fears this unpleasantness may age you prematurely,” his mother said.

”I appreciate father's concern,” Mana'aktoo said.

”And we wanted to know if you would be present at dinner,” his mother said.

”Of course,” Mana'aktoo said. ”I look forward to dinner with my family.”

”OK,” she said. She leaned forward and hugged him again. ”I love you, Manny. You're a good boy. A bit too clever, but still a good boy,” she said. She let him go and trotted out of the room.

Mana'aktoo closed his eyes, clenching his fists and trembling, his crests inflating and his tendrils curling as he clenched his jaw as hard as he could. He could see red in his vision, feel his pulse pound at his temples.

After a few moments the rage cooled back down and Mana'aktoo set it aside.

”Please, do not judge my mother harshly,” Mana'aktoo said to the left hand warborg, opening and closing his hands.

”She is a gentle and emotional person. Why would I judge her harshly when it obvious she loves you?” the warborg asked.

Mana'aktoo heaved a deep breath, a habit he'd picked up from the humans. It helped push the anger away even further. ”She was once not as she is now. When I was a child, she taught me many subjects, educated me beyond what our poor household could afford. She was intelligent and taught me to value my own intellect.”

”Was it an injury? Some kind of accident?” the warborg asked.

Mana'aktoo shook his head. ”No. When I achieved the rank of Fifth Most High my mother and sisters were sent to mandatory schooling so that they would be able to function in Lanaktallan high society.”

”And they damaged her brain. Purposefully,” the warborg guessed.

”Yes. They took three intelligent and studious fillys and stunted their minds, made them only care about parties, social standing, etiquette, and proper dress,” Mana'aktoo said. ”The very people who educated me beyond what the system gave me, and the system destroyed their minds.”

There was silence for a long moment.

”I will never forgive them for that,” Mana'aktoo said, turning toward the tank.

”Neither would I, Most High,” the warborg said.

Mana'aktoo looked at the right hand warborg. ”What are your thoughts? How would you feel?”

The warborg didn't say anything. The panel on the right forearm slid open and some type of heavy gun emerged. It gave a pumping motion with the arm and the whine of high density capacitors charging filled the room.

Mana'aktoo nodded as he turned away.

”I agree,” he said.

The warborg understood his wrath.

TWENTY FIVE HOURS REMAINING

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”Take five,” the Terran said.

Palgret sighed and sat down on the chunk of concrete. He was panting inside his armor, his shoulders, back, and hips aching. He had been helping unload hover-trucks for nearly three hours and he was close to exhaustion.

The garage was beneath a skyraker. Massive pillars bore the weight of the four hundred story building, the roof was thick ferrocrete, and the basement had been a large empty area three hours ago.

Now, Terrans were running welders, affixing braces and structural supports to the massive pillars, adding more pillars, reinforcing the ceiling. The garage was full of crates, boxes, and armored metal cargo boxes that were being pushed together and refit into structures.

The Terran that had been supervising Palgret's work crew was being helped by two other Terrans, lifting a heavy endosteel girder into place. They worked silently as Palgret watched them shift the three ton girder into place.

”They're like machines,” Stungut said, sitting down next to Palgret. He undid the collar on his armor and pulled off his helmet, taking a deep breath of the chilly air of the parking garage.

Palgret nodded then removed his helmet. The air was almost uncomfortable, the chill in the air must different from the hot stuffiness inside his armor.

A set of integrity fields crackled to life on the wall to the left, shimmering for a moment before sinking into the ferrocrete to increase its tensile strength a hundred fold.

”They are planning on the building collapsing,” Calnvut said, sitting down next to Palgret. He had his helmet off, his fur slicked with sweat. ”Their planning assumes the enemy will stymie them at every turn.”

”Except they don't lose,” Stungut pointed out.

”Others are worried that this battle will be terrible,” Calnvut said.

”War is terrible,” Palgret quoted.

That brought silence as they watched the Terrans work. Several more heavy hover trucks moved into the parking garage, maneuvering through the now heavily reinforced entryways and into the short tunnels. One of them had a red crescent and a red cross on the sides. Humans jumped out, all in grey armor with the same markings.

Everyone stared as a small group of russet colored mantids, carrying heavy packs, got out of the vehicle and headed toward one of the groupings of reinforced Conexes. One of the russet mantids, escorted by a green one, headed toward Palgret's little group. Two black mantids scuttled up, falling into step with her.

The practiced look of the whole thing made Palgret's blood run cold.

The Mantid stopped and stared for a moment. She made a motion. ”338, check their armor,” the russet colored one ordered. The translation program used a female voice for her. She looked at the gathered Maktanan. ”I am Major Holds Back the Shinigami, you may call me Major Holds,” she said. ”I'm a Terran Army doctor, but I've been educated on your species physiology.”

Palgret joined the others in starting to get up. The Mantid waved her arm. ”Sit down so 338 can check your armor.”