Robert Asprin - The Bug Wars

"Reserves standing by, Commander."

I had not observed Zur's entrance, but he was at my side again.

"Acknowledged."

"Another view-input malfunction?" he asked, noticing the second blank View Screen.

"Flyer down," I said. "Unconfirmed mechanical failure.

As I spoke, another View Screen went blank.

"Zah-Rah, Commander. Flyer down."

"Report!"

"Reason unknown, Commander. Situation similar to first incident."

Two flyers down at the same anthill!

"There is something wrong, Commander," Zur interrupted. "It-is illogical that two flyers would suffer mechanical failure in the same area."

Something in his assertion prompted a question in my mind.

"Zah-Rah. Was the second flyer downed in the same area as the first?"

There was a pause before the response came. Zah-Rah was with one of the Borer units, so the question and reply had to be relayed to the remaining flyers.

"Affirmative, Commander. Second flyer went down after attempting a drop run over the same area as the first."

"Instruct flyers to avoid that area. Order a high-altitude sound scan of that area and report results to me immediately."

"Acknowledged, Commander."

I stared suspiciously at the View Screens for the other anthills, but no similar crashes occurred.

"Raht, Commander. My section is in the tunnels and has collapsed the designated portion behind us. We are continuing toward the egg chamber. Forty-three percent casualties so far."

"Acknowledged."

"Kah-Tu, Commander. Surface access has been collapsed as ordered. Surface resistance weakening."

"Acknowledged."

I started for the View Screens to confirm the claim. "Zah-Rah, Commander. Sound scan reports evidence of machinery in designated area. No visual confirmation."

"Acknowledged."

My worst fears were realized.

"Rahm to all strike teams," I beamed. "Suspected cold-beam activity from Enemy. Possible firing on flyers. All units report full current status on my command. Zah-Rah!"

"First anthill. Borer units extended or extending. One egg chamber breached. Fifty-seven percent casualties so far. Possible ground fire on flyers."

"Raht!"

There was no reply.

"Kah-Tu!"

"Third anthill. Borer units extended. Two egg chambers and queen's chamber breached. Cold-beam attacks reported on tubes, but they have ceased with no damage inflicted. Seventy-seven percent casualties so far."

"Tur-Kam!"

There was no reply.

"Heem!"

"Fifth anthill. Borer units extended or extending. Queen's chamber breached. Sixty-seven percent casualties so far."

"Raht, second call."

"Second anthill. Borer units extended. Queen's chamber and one egg chamber breached. Fifty-four percent casualties so far."

"Tur-Kam, second call!"

There was no reply.

"Rahm to fourth anthill flyer leader."

"Here, Commander."

"Status report on your strike force."

There was a pause before the reply came.

"Unknown, Commander. We have not been contacted by our leader since the Borer units landed and are currently unable to establish communication."

"Acknowledged."

I turned to Zur.

"Your target is the fourth anthill. Brief your team as they drop."

"In what force shall we attack, Commander?"

"Full force. Anticipated resistance is unknown."

"At once, Commander."

I returned to the View Screens without watching him depart.

"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.