Robert Asprin - The Bug Wars

This was Raht, the last of our five strike team leaders. Her tardiness was acceptable, as there was valid reason for its occurrence. She had just returned from assignment, leading a flight of scout flyers on a mission over one of the Ant-held Planets. She had accepted her current position in our force while en route back to the colony ship.

"Are you capable of participating in our briefing, Raht?" I asked.

"In a moment, Commander," she replied unhesitatingly. "As soon as I refresh myself with a drink of water."

We waited as she stepped to the water dispenser and drank deeply. It was not uncommon for a Tzen to experience a dehydration from space travel.

Raht was another valuable member of our team. Her work as a scout meant she was familiar with all the latest equipment available and had firsthand knowledge of the inevitable difficulties and idiosyncrasies inherent therein. What was more, she doubtless had additional knowledge of the Ants that was even now being studied by the Scientists and High Command prior to general release.

"Ready, Commander," Raht stated, taking her data pack from Zur. I was impressed by her perseverance. Most Warriors would have requested reorientation time between combat assignments. I wondered if her attitude could be at all traced to her longevity. For the last three Hatchings, the policy of assigning two-syllable names had been in effect. Thus her name, like those of Zur, Heem, and myself marked her as a survivor of an earlier era of the Empire.

"Before we begin," I said, "there is one point of clarification which should be communicated to you. It has now been confirmed that due to transportation timing, any Warrior accepting assignment on this Force will be exempt from the final mission against the Leapers. By the time that strike force has completed its mission and returned to the colony ship, our own force will have finished its preparations for the upcoming campaign and be well on its way to its Target Planet. If any of you wish to withdraw your acceptance of position in this strike force so that you might be included in the final Leaper assault, you should do so at this time. Even though your participation in that assault would negate your rejoining our specific strike force, there would be positions available in the Planetary strike forces which would be forming and training after our departure."

I paused to give them opportunity to speak.

The five team leaders waited impassively for me to continue. Zur was right again. I had been sure we would lose at least one to the final Leaper assault.

"Very well," I said at last. "I, Rahm, as Planetary Commander duly confirmed and authorized by the High Command, formally confirm the acceptance of appointment to the position of strike team Commander of Heem, Tur-Kam, Zah-Rah, Kah-Tu, and Raht."

As I spoke, the team leaders looked at each other in mild appraisal. This was the first time they had heard the names of their fellow staff members.

"Zur has accepted appointment as my second-in-command and Commander of the reserve force," I continued. "In event of my absence or incapacitation, he will assume full command of the force until the High Command appoints a successor."

The formalities over, I nodded to Zur, who turned on the row of view tables, Immediately, tri-D projections of the five anthills appeared, one over each table.

"These are our targets," I said. "As you can see, we have been assigned one of the more formidable planets, one having five rather than the average two or three anthills. The mission of this campaign is to destroy the queens and the egg beds of the Ants."

I turned from the tables to address them directly.

"Each of you will command a team assaulting one of those anthills. The specific data and plans pertaining to your anthill are contained in the data pack you have been issued. You are to review that data immediately and inform Zur or myself of any proposed changes in the battle plan or support requirements. You will also prepare and present for the entire staff a summary of the battle plan for your specific anthill."

I paused and reviewed my words thus far for omissions before turning to the next subject.

"As we are one of the first wave of Planetary strike forces, you will have a wide choice of Warriors to build your specific teams from. I would caution you, however, not to take an excessive amount of time in submitting requests for specific team members. The longer it takes to form your team, the less time they will have to train. If I feel you are taking too long to name your preferences, I will give you one time warning. If after that you are still unable to make a decision, your force will simply be assigned to you.

"The quartering assignments for your teams and the tentative training schedules are included in your data packs. If you would propose any changes to that schedule, discuss them with either Zur or me immediately. I would anticipate one question, and point out that if the training period seems both long and intense, remember the nature of our mission will require that much of the combat be done in the tunnels of the anthills. As the Warriors are unaccustomed to fighting in complete darkness, maximum time must be allowed for familiarization with the new equipment if they are to perform at peak efficiency."

I faced them squarely for my closing comments.

"You will all be quartered here with Zur and me. Once your teams are formed, you will be on call to me at all times. If I call a staff meeting, I will expect to see you, not your second-in-commands. Serious illness or injury will be the only excuse for nonattendance, and if your impairment is serious, we will not expect you to recover and will seek a replacement. I mention this so you will not overextend yourselves between sleep periods. Do not allow yourself to become fatigued to the brink of exhaustion, for your planned sleep may be interrupted."

"As we are one of the first strikes forces to be sent out, we will have to adapt to any new developments or equipment in minimum time, or not at all. Are there questions?"

The team leaders were silent for several moments as they digested the briefing.

I waited.

"Question, Commander!"

"Yes, Tur-Kam?"

"Would you clarify the necessity for destroying the egg beds as well as the queens?"

I turned to Zur and nodded for him to reply.

"It has been discovered," he began, "that in event of a queen's death, the Ants are able to inject additives to certain eggs to produce a new queen. Therefore, if we are to succeed in exterminating the Ants as a continuing species, we must destroy the eggs as well as the queens."

"Commander?"

"Yes, Raht?"

"In our selection of specific Warriors, particularly our second-in-commands, are there any Warriors you would deem unacceptable?'

"While you will be expected to review your choices with Zur or myself prior to acting on them, we currently have no prejudices against any individual, Hatching, or ability group which would result in an immediate veto."

"Question, Commander."

"Yes, Kah-Tu?"

"What are your anticipated casualties on this mission?"

"If the assault proceeds according to plan without unanticipated resistance, we expect to survive the mission with no more than seventy percent casualties." No one said anything else.

Zur accompanied me as I rode the shuttle flyer to the Technicians' portion of the colony ship. Actually, I realized, the term "colony ship" was a misnomer. The reality of the situation was that the colony was actually a collection of smaller ships traveling in close alignment without any physical connection between them. Although they theoretically could be joined together to form one massive unit, and each new module was designed with that purpose in mind, the fact of the matter. was that they had not been so arranged since shortly after the Empire relocated its population into them. Each massive module was a self-contained, stand-alone unit. When it was necessary to form a new colony ship, orders were simply issued for certain modules to set a new course, and there would be two colony ships where before there had been-only one. How many such colony ships there were currently in the Empire I neither knew nor cared.