Chapter 492 (2/2)
WE WHO GRAZE DEFIANTLY ARE HERE
HEAVY METAL CRUSHES ALL
Sma'akamo'o felt a touch on his shoulder and looked down. The Welkret female, a typist only a few hours ago, looked up at him, her face hidden by the too big helmet, the commo pack on her back.
”Dropship coming in, Most High,” she said. ”Reports of the Mad Lemurs of Terra landing all over the planet and ignoring our forces. They're attacking the bioweapons. Their commanders are on their way, they want to interlock warplans.”
Sma'akamo'o nodded, feeling relief at knowing he would 'only' be facing the bioweapons instead of the Mad Lemurs of Terra.
”The building has been swept, combat teams report the building is now secure,” the Welkret said.
”Thank you, faithful one,” Sma'akamo'o said. He activated his com-link. ”Su'uprmo'o, we have incoming lemurs and their allies. They are on our side.”
”Then we should meet them,” Su'uprmo'o said, moving over next to Sma'akamo'o, watching the pink and white Terran females with two of his eyes.
The Neko-Marines had not only stopped the flood of creatures, but were advancing into them with interlocked fire, plasma enhanced flamethrowers, rockets, and chainswords. Their marrow chilling warcry of ”DOKI DOKI DOKI” was being screeched from a thousand throats.
Another flicker of the beacons in the parking lot, which was now clear, and more Terrans appeared. These ones were in all black armor, lots of spikes, skull-like faceplates, and heavy kinetic weapons. Nearly a fifth of them immediately jumped up into the air, deployed wings, and took to the sky to engage the flying creatures.
”FOR THE SOLARIAN TECHNOCRACY!” was roared out.
”Let us withdraw,” Su'uprmo'o said.
Sma'akamo'o nodded.
”Several of facilities have made landfall,” the Welkret said, her hand pressed to one side of her helmet. ”They're already deploying,” she looked up. ”Six overall, already deploying infantry and heavy defenses.”
Sma'aka'mo'o nodded. He looked at Su'uprmo'o. ”The planet is lost. By the time we could mount any kind of defense against the lemurs, those six bases would own the entire world.”
”Then let us hope the lemurs do not come to destroy,” Su'uprmo'o said.
The doors were gone, blown away by the heavy fighting. Sma'akamo'o felt exhausted, but knew it was better than feeling the doctor's hands inside of him to remove shrapnel. The two Lanaktallan moved through the Welkret coming with them.
”Orbital command reports that the lemurs have done a combat entry to the station and are attacking the bioweapons that have boarded the station. Fighting is heavy and the lemurs evacuated the atmosphere,” the Welkret said.
”They are seizing control of the system,” Su'uprmo'o mused.
”Weather control states they have lost control of the system to lemur digital warfare. The weather control is reporting air pressure and humidity increases with temperature drops in bioweapon held areas,” the Welkret said. ”Orbital drops are commencing in those areas.”
Su'uprmo'o felt anxiety at how fast the Terran lemurs were invading the planet. It had been very little time since the Terran lemurs had arrived in the system and already they were landing in force on the planet.
”Is this how it is facing the Mad Lemurs of Terra?” Spy'inmo'o asked, trotting up. His speech was slurred and lisping with the damage to his face.
”Yes,” Sma'akamo'o said simply as they moved to the elevator. They readied their weapons, but the doors opened to reveal and empty elevator, just purple blood spatter showing anything had been in there.
”My words were spoken in ignorance and disbelief,” Spy'inmo'o said as they got into the elevator. He checked the charge on his ion pistol, and then wiped the barrel on his sash, leaving behind streaks of carbon.
”Until you witness them, you cannot understand,” Sma'akamo'o said. ”Until you face them in battle, or, as I hope we will do, fight beside them, you cannot understand why none can face them. Not even the Devourers.”
”Who called them in? I will torture them to death with a toothpick and a lamp cord with the ends stripped from the copper,” Spy'inmo'o snarled. He spat blood on the floor.
”They are not devourers, although the Devourers are probably moving to join them,” Su'uprmo'o said. ”I have only seen video of them, however, so I could be wrong.”
The elevator slowed and all three Lanaktallan and the Welkret readied their weapons.
The roof was windswept, two hundred stories up. Hastily built fighting positions hammered at the flying Devourers, neo-sapients rushed from fighting position to fighting position. As Sma'akamo'o watched a Welkret dragged an acid wounded Telkan to cover, the Telkan still firing her weapon even though she was blind, most of the flesh of her face eaten away.
The Welkret sprayed fire extinguishing foam on the wound, having discovered it neutralized the acid.
The shuttle was escorted by dozens of combat craft and what Sma'akamo'o estimated to be nearly two hundred air mobile power armors that immediately engaged the flying Devourers. The shuttle hit the ground and troops poured out, many carrying heavy weapons, rocket launchers, MANPADS, missile launchers, and more. They ran over to the fighting positions as six lemurs and two Lanaktallan trotted down the ramp. Two Telkan exited next, one in heavy power armor, the other a female with a black veil concealing her features as she moved in such a way that her dress hem did not move, almost as if she was floating along.
Part of Sma'akamo'o was offended and outraged that the two Lanaktallan wore body armor obviously manufactured by the Mad Lemurs of Terra, but he was mollified by the fact they wore Great Herd livery. Two of the lemurs were wearing ornate and heavy power armor, one was wearing formal wear, one was obviously one of the big combat cyborgs, the other two were wearing that damnable 'adaptive camouflage'.
The lead came up. The visor of the helmet went transparent and Sma'akamo'o realized he was staring at a female lemur.
”Admiral Smith, Task Force Ragnarok, Commanding,” she said.
One of the Lanaktallan moved forward. His visor too went clear. ”Great Grand Most High Cu'udchu'ar, commander of Task Force Reaper, under Admiral Smith,” he stated.
Part of Sma'akamo'o was outraged that the Lanaktallan was taking orders from the Mad Lemur of Terra, but then he remembered that it involved warfare.
And the Mad Lemurs of Terra were forged for war by a hateful universe.
”I am Most High Sma'akamo'o,” he said. He motioned at the elevator. ”We have much to discuss.”
”More than you know,” the Lanaktallan who had not cleared their visor stated, their voice low and steady.
The elevator was crowded, and Sma'akamo'o saw the Telkan in armor roughly shove one of the huge armored Terrans who got too close to the veiled female.
”Respect the Void Captain,” the armored Telkan snarled. ”Intrude not upon her eternal grief.”
”Apologies, Ultion Knight,” the Terran said, shifting slightly.
Sma'akamo'o had the feeling that there was much more going on than he knew.
”I will treat the injury to that one's face when we arrive,” the 'Void Captain' said, her voice heavily synthesized.
”I will be honored,” Spy'inmo'o said, not willing to offend the obviously foul tempered Telkan male.
Sma'akamo'o willed himself to relax as the elevator kept moving down.
'No basements. If we have to, we'll pitch a holoemitter on the back lawn. I'm not digging my way out of bedrock if the shaft collapses,” one of the big armored ones growled.
Sma'akamo'o hit the button for the ground floor and the elevator shuddered to a stop. The doors opened and Sma'akamo'o moved first, the Welkret following him. ”If the battle will not be a distraction.”
”Better to see the battle than be unaware of imminent defeat,” the Ultion Knight stated.
Sma'akamo'o just nodded, and trotted out into the sunlight in time to see another group of pink and white power armored troops appear in the parking lot, only to sprint off to join the fighting.
”Let us discuss the situation,” Sma'akamo'o said.
If I can save the people of this world, I'll kneel down right here and let one of the insane Neko-Marines hack off my head with her chainsword, he thought to himself.