Chapter 651: The Spoked Offensive (1/2)
”It ain't about how hard you can hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and still keep moving forward.” - Unknown Terran Gladiator, Pre-Glassing
”One step at a time, one punch at a time, one blade at a time, one bullet at a time, one enemy at a time, one battle at a time, one war at a time. One life.” - Engraved on the wall of the P'Thok Advanced Warfare School, Fort Erwin, Hamburger Kingdom.
Captain Cyba'armo'o stood with his men, all of them looking like normal Lanaktallans, wearing only standard shipboard armor, carrying light magac weapons with standard frangible ball rounds. They watched the battered dropship sitting in the middle of the deck with expressionless eyes.
Despite their appearance, Cyba'armo'o and his men were much different than the average Lanaktallan trooper.
They were 90% Terran Confederacy cybernetics. Full conversion cyborgs.
More Lanaktallan than Lanaktallan.
He scanned the dropship again, thinking to his briefing.
The dropship was listed as ”lost in action” five years ago on a far away planet that had been assaulted by what was later determined to be Atrekna autonomous war machines. It was battered, had nose art from the XIIth Rifle Guards Orbital Assault Force, and most of its munitions were expended.
The passengers had to rely on the Indomitable Will of the Herd's tractor beams and two aerospace recovery ships to bring it in. According to communications it carried three passengers, a Tukna'rn, a Puntimat, and, unbelievably, a Terran who claimed to have been from San Angelos, Hamburger Kingdom.
Cyba'armo'o waited, watching closely. He could see the tattered remains of Atrekna phasic energy swirl on the dropship's warsteel armor, thanks to the phasic coprocessor systems he had built in to effectively fight the Atrekna.
The ship's side door cracked and slid open.
Alarm went off, flashing and whirling red lights. Cyba'armo'o felt his phasic/psychic shielding lock down around his head, down his spine, shooting down his flankspine to protect his biological parts.
The Puntimat was rippling with phasic energy, radiating out from the middle of her chest, flowing down her arms, and her hands with bright yellow levels of energy. The Tukna'rn had the same, with his arms and forearm rippling with orange levels.
It was the Terran, Cyba'armo'o knew, that had caused the complete lockdown.
Phasic levels were purple, from bright purple to dark purple, completely through the lemur's body. As Cyba'armo'o watched, the Terran seemed to have spikes of phasic energy suddenly stab out from his body then slowly withdraw.
The lemur looked around. ”Uh, this isn't about little ol' me, is it?”
Captain Cyba'armo'o stepped forward. ”The ship's VI detected heavy phasic levels. It is nothing to be alarmed about,” he said.
”Damn, you're a hell of thing,” the lemur said. He squinted. ”Full conversion, huh?”
Cyba'armo'o nodded. ”Yes.”
”Can smell the gear oil, hear the micromotors and flatware gearing running, see your eyes,” the lemur shrugged. ”You're not as bulky as the heavy hitters but I guess that was a long time ago.”
Cyba'armo'o motioned to his men despite the fact he just could have used his cyberware comlink. ”Escort them to inprocessing,” he said. He moved forward, holding out manacles. ”It's for your own safety.”
The lemur suddenly got a wide grin and the phasic levels suddenly went purplish white.
”You wanna put them on me you better have been feeding a lot of jarheads a lot of crayons and you better not care too much about them,” the lemur said, moving his hands slowly as his feet slid apart. His grin got wider. ”I'll rip this whole ship down around your ears,” he said, then spit rapidly in Treana'ad, ”Strike hard, strike true.”
The Tukna'rn shifted, feet shoulder-width apart and planted solidly. He curled his arms slightly, putting his fists below his waist, and flexed his muscles.
His phasic levels went from yellow to bright red.
The Puntimat crouched slightly, her hands coming up, moving in small circles, her elbows tucked tight and her wrists flexed. Her levels went from yellow to bright red.
She reminded him of a mean feline he'd seen on a video.
”There is no such thing as only Tukna'rn,” the Tukna'rn rumbled.
”Or only Puntimat,” the female said.
The comlink clinked.
”Stand down,” he heard the Chief Security Officer order.
Cyba'armo'o stepped back, motioning to his men.
A Treana'ad hustled out of the side door. ”Where did a Terran learn Warrior Caste speak?” it asked loudly, still using clicks and pops.
”P'Thok Military Academy, Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer's Course” the Terran said, still speaking Treana'ad. ”Class Number 22.”
The Treana'ad stopped. ”Prove it.”
Cyba'armo'o heard the Terran make clicks and pops, buzzing noises. The translator didn't quite catch it.
”Victory through innovation, adaptation, agility,” the Terran finished with.
The Treana'ad gave a slow nod.
”It had the best ice cream on any military base in...”
”DO NOT!” the Treana'ad snapped.
The lemur jerked back.
”Say... Hamburger Kingdom,” the Treana'ad warned. He motioned. ”Follow me, and I shall explain.”
The lemur nodded. ”Perhaps,” he turned and looked at the Puntimat and the Tukna'rn. ”They go with me.”
The Treana'ad nodded, crossing his bladearms behind his back, which looked very formal to Cyba'armo'o. ”Of course. I understand.”
The Treana'ad turned to Cyba'armo'o. ”They will be coming with me.”
Cyba'armo'o nodded and watched the Treana'ad, Major H'voktik lead the three out.
-----
The gathered officers stared at the recording, shaking their heads.
”Look at the phasic levels,” Captain Through the Looking Glass said softly. She shook her head. ”By the Digital Omnimessiah and Bellona's Hundred Cursed Ships, look at the way it flows.”
Commander G'vrawk nodded. ”I've never seen anything like it.”
”Attended the P'Thok Aye-Knock course,” Commodore Julius Shawrawrkat said, the Kobold tapping his tail on the floor. ”Destroyed during the Mantid Invasion of Fort Erwin, Hamburger Kingdom, six months Pee-Gee.”
”How did he react to seeing Technical Sergeant Three 917?” Captain Glass asked.
”No prejudice,” Commander G'vrawk said.