The Bug Wars

CHAPTER NINE

"Kah-Tu, Commander. Rain commencing at third anthill."

"Acknowledged."

We had known of the potential bad weather conditions when we commenced the assaults, but we were required to proceed to insure coordination with the other Planetary assaults. If anything, we were fortunate to only experience adverse weather at one of the five anthills. Rain would severely limit the effectiveness of the flyer support and could make the eventual withdrawal and pickup more hazardous.

"Mir-Zat, Commander. Assuming command at first anthill."

"Acknowledged."

First anthill! Zah-Rah was dead. The first...no possibly the second casualty among the strike team leaders.

"Zur!"

"Yes, Commander."

"Status report!"

"Fourth anthill, Commander. Ordered flyers to drop all Surface Thumpers in an effort to maximize disruption of defenses."

"Evidence of original strike force?"

"Negative, Commander. We will be in the Borer units shortly. Will report findings at that time."

"Acknowledged."

"Raht, Commander. Target egg chamber for our section defended by cold-beams. Suffering heavy casualties."

"Will you be able to carry the objective?"

"Affirmative, Commander."

"Acknowledged."

Cold-beams again! There was a pattern forming here, but I wasn't allowed time to analyze it.

"Heem, Commander. Have received reports of Ants moving eggs from one of the egg chambers as it was destroyed."

"Order immediate pursuit. Find the new egg catch and destroy it."

"Acknowledged, Commander."

The collapsed tunnels were supposed to keep the Ants from moving the eggs. Apparently it wasn't working at the fifth anthill. If the Ants succeeded in their gambit, if they saved some eggs from our attack, the species would survive and the campaign would have failed.

"Zur, Commander. We are in the Borer units and proceeding with the assignment against minimal resistance. Have discovered original strike force."

"Report."

"Strike force rendered helpless by stun rays. Borer units breached manually-by Ants. No survivors of the original strike force. We have cleared the Borer units of Ants. The units are still functional, and we are proceeding with the mission."

"Were the members of the original strike force wearing the antistun plates?"

"Affirmative, Commander. Apparently the Ants have either modified their stun ray, or have in their possession a weapon we are yet unfamiliar with. Our reserve force, however, has encountered no difficulties such as those apparently encountered by the original strike force. Perhaps the Energy-Drain units have successfully stopped the weapon's functioning."

"Acknowledged," I replied.

That was it! I had the answer to the vague pattern I had been sensing. The Energy-Drainers had been effective, but each anthill had a reserve energy unit. Apparently the Communication Disrupters had prevented coordinated effort between the anthills, so each anthill had utilized the reserve unit in their own way before it too was drained of energy.

The first anthill had used their energy to attack the flyers, while the second anthill had used cold-beams in an effort to defend one egg chamber. Cold-beams had been used, too, at the third anthill, whereas the fourth anthill had successfully employed a modified stun ray to wipe out that strike force. That left...

"Heem, Commander! Urgent! Fifth anthill is launching spacecraft!"

"Acknowledged."

Now we knew what the fifth anthill was using their energy for.

"Rahm to space-shuttle pilots! Launch your craft immediately! Take position over fifth anthill."

I waited impatiently through their ripple of acknowledgments.

"Heem!"

"Yes, Commander!"

"Report."

"We investigated the tunnel through which the Ants had been evacuating eggs. This is a new tunnel, apparently constructed since we began our attack. The tunnel led to a chamber housing spacecraft. It was heavily defended, and we were unable to prevent launching. "

"How many spacecraft were launched?"

"Only one, Commander."

"Proceed with your withdrawal."

"Acknowledged, Commander."

"Rahm to space-shuttle Leader. Your target is one, repeat one spacecraft. Stop it at all costs!"

"Acknowledged, Commander."

If that ship escaped with a cargo of eggs, we would have failed and the Empire would be in grave jeopardy.

"Ar-Tac, Commander. Assuming command of second anthill."

I forced my mind away from the escaping spacecraft. Raht was dead.

"Can you confirm completion of Raht's mission?"

"Affirmative, Commander. Flyers report water level in lake dropping rapidly, indicating egg chamber successfully destroyed. Are commencing our withdrawal."

"Casualty report."

"Seventy-two percent so far, Commander."

"Acknowledged. "

"Kah-Tu, Commander. All targets in third anthill have been destroyed. Eighty-seven percent casualties so far. We are encountering strong resistance on our withdrawal attempts. Remaining force is insufficient to regain the surface. Request reinforcements."

I was afraid of this. The weather conditions were having their expected effect on the retreat.

"Reserve force has been totally committed. No reinforcements are available."

There was a pause before the reply came.

"I understand, Commander. Request permission to release our flyers to rendezvous with transport."

"Permission granted."

"Acknowledged, Commander."

Kah-Tu was dead. She acknowledged this and was attempting to salvage part of her strike force.

"Space-shuttle Leader, Commander. We have encountered the Ant spacecraft and destroyed it."

"Report."

"Spacecraft was apparently unprepared for combat. By going into low orbit, we were able to intercept it before it had an opportunity to change course from launch pattern. Cold-beams were effective in completely destroying the craft."

"Return to transports."

"Acknowledged, Commander."

It was reassuring to know some phase of this assault had been executed without difficulty.

"Mir-Zat, Commander. All targets in the first anthill have been destroyed. We are commencing our withdrawal. Sixty-eight percent casualties so far."

"Acknowledged."

"Flyer Leader from third anthill to Commander. Request permission to land flyers and assist in strike team's withdrawal."

That gave me pause. Apparently the flyers from Kah-Tu's force were refusing her order to rendezvous with the transports, asking instead to try to rescue the stranded ground force.

"Permission granted. Land your flyers out of range of the auto-weapon scanners."

"Acknowledged. Our gratitude, Commander."

If there was a chance to save the stranded force, it should be pursued. While I would not have ordered Warriors into such a precarious position, I would not deny them their request for such action.

"Second transport pilot to Commander. Urgent! We are going down."

"Report!"

"Apparent maneuvering malfunction of space shuttle when attempting to dock with our transport. Damage severe and irreparable. We are losing orbital pattern and anticipate burn entry to planet's atmosphere."

"Acknowledged!"

One transport! Gone! This possibility had never entered into my plans.

"Rahm to space shuttle. Do not, repeat, do not attempt to dock with transports. Undetermined malfunction of your vehicles has caused destruction of Transport Two. Attempt to land in vicinity of anthills and regroup with strike teams for pickup."

I ignored their acknowledgments. The shuttle pilots knew as well as I that their vehicles were not designed to survive a planet landing. My order was only an acceptable alternative to waiting in space until their air supply ran out.

"Zur, Commander. All targets in the fourth anthill have been destroyed, commencing withdrawal. Fifty-nine percent casualties so far."

"Acknowledged."

All anthills were accounted for now, except one.

"Rahm to Kah-Tu. What is your status?"

There was no reply.

"Rahm to third anthill flyer Leader. Report your status."

There was no reply.

"Rahm to any Warrior in the third anthill strike force. What is your status?"

There was no reply.

The attempt to rescue the stranded force in the third anthill had failed.