Earth Song: Etude to War

by Mark Wandrey

  Minu aimed her PCR at the portal and had begun the programing sequence when the Ranger held up a hand. Minu stopped on the last key stroke.

  “What do you have, Fuller?” asked Selain.

  “There’s a lot of clutter outside, but a couple signals just resolved a short distance away.”

  “Let me see,” Minu said and stepped closer to see the screen. The instrument was designed to pick up electromagnetic interference that might be caused by a listening device. However it picked up almost any kind of electrical device. The reading was large and pulsating on the screen, and the way it read made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She’d seen this once before. Then she remembered, and the memory made the blood drain from her face.

  “Shields!” she screamed and slapped the control her equipment belt, a half second before the building exploded.

  * * *

  Minu came to her senses under the leaning remnants of a filthy pile of animal skins. Her vision was blurred and all she could hear was a dull roaring sound that reminded her of a charging kloth. But, she was alive. The questions was, were any of the others as well? It felt like the explosion hit a fraction of a second after her hand had slapped the touch plate on her personal shield, no more. How many times can you dodge death and keep winning?, she asked herself.

  She tried to get out from under the stinking animal skins and realized she was pinned by something heavier. She tried to roll, no luck either. Her right hand was under her body so she overrode the safety and pulled… hard.

  She felt some delicate flesh on her hip give against her wrist chronometer, and then pull free. She bit her lip and kept quiet even as she wiped blood from her nose and felt more coming from her left ear that trickled down the side of her head.

  No sooner had she freed her hand then she heard movement in the debris. Training taught her to stay quiet and listen, which she struggled to do with her damaged hearing. It seemed to be getting better, the sounds now were like at the bottom of a deep well. There came distant mewing and hissing snaps.

  Minu reached down for her shock rifle but couldn’t get a grip on it. Her miniature beamcaster pistol was under her right side, and even if undamaged it would be painful if not impossible to extract. Instead she contorted her shoulder until she could reach the small of her back and grasp a handle.

  A pair of powerful clawed legs stepped less than a meter from her head, one in front of the other. Another step closer and Minu cocked her arm and swung.

  The angle was terrible, but it didn’t matter. The dualloy combat knife was sharpened almost to a mono-molecular edge, and propelled by her cybernetic arm it cut through flesh and bone like tissue paper. It severed the leg in a gout of blood and sent the Tanam thrashing and yowling to the floor.

  She swept the blade down along her body, dangerously close to her body, pushing her artificial arm for all it was worth. With a squeal and a shower of spark she cut the rack in half, steel supports and all. She hunched onto all fours and using augmented legs and cybernetic arm, pushed up and freed herself. The rack fell into two halves, instantly absorbing one beamcaster round that was aimed at her.

  Minu deftly flipped the knife to her left hand and speed-drew the beamcaster with her right. Thrusting the pistol out she fired three times in the direction the shot had come from. She didn’t expect to hit, though one of the beams scored on the shield of the cat, spoiling its aim.

  The Tanam’s weapon was heavier, and her shield was spent saving her from the blast Minu dropped the beamcaster pistol and flipped the knife from her left hand, snatching it out of the air with her right, she threw the blade with a feral snarl, sending it sailing like a scythe. The enemy warrior’s eyes caught the movement and she tried to move sideways, but a remnant of the wall blocked her. The blade passed through the shield, not meant to affect physical attacks, and through her thin neck before lodging in a dualloy column, pinning her in place to bleed out.

  Minu finished extracting herself from the mess, switched the pistol to her right hand and found her shock rifle (amazingly undamaged) nearby and retrieved it just as four more Tanam rushed the shattered wall where their dead sister’s body slumped.

  She rolled behind the body of the first Tanam, trashing on the floor and bleeding out from two severed limbs. A pair of beamcaster bolts splashed against the fallen warrior’s shield, protecting Minu as well. However she was a soft target next to even a wounded four hundred kilo cat, so she pressed the beamcaster pistol against the alien’s head and it exploded across the room.

  Minu popped up for a quick look, two more beams turning the small personal shield yellow then angry blue. She was about to return fire when all four fell under a fusillade of shock rifle fire, literally torn to pieces. Her hearing was recovered enough to hear even more firing outside the building. The survivors of her detachment had rallied. She found her feet and half staggered, half walked to the hole in the wall. “It’s me,” she called out before looking around the corner.

  Four of Selain’s men knelt there, shock rifles at their shoulders watching through the holographic scopes as two more Rangers raced towards a corner a block away. The sergeant had a hand to his ear, speaking to the running men over their radio link. Traaga were jumping over buildings, scrambling up walls, and generally freaking out in every direction. Several young hung from an overhead power cable and flung garbage at the Rangers, obviously unaware that they were in mortal danger.

  The squad medic immediately left two men he’d been tending, who were lying on ground, to see to her. She waved them off. “I’m fine, Private, see to those men. Sergeant, situation?”

  “We’ve thrown back the attack, commander. I have two men injured and down, and I’ve sent a team to peruse.”

  “Call off the pursuit, this city is a death trap.”

  “Yes ma’am, but— ”

  “No buts, Sarge. I won’t risk more men.”

  “But ma’am…”

  “Out with it.” She looked around for Aaron.

  “They took your husband, commander.”

  Chapter 70

  Julast 3rd, 534 AE

  Planet Coorson, Traaga Leasehold

  Minu took a precious minute to get briefed on what happened. The signal she’d remembered was that of a bot with a high explosive on a suicide mission. They’d played with them at the HERT a few years ago. One of Ted’s ideas, but it had lacked luster because bots were expensive. Not so much to the cats.

  The Tanam had sent in a crab bot with a high explosive bomb as soon as they’d found out humans were there. It was a well-orchestrated attack. Only they hadn’t counted on Minu figuring it out at the last second. All of them had managed to activate their shields in the nick of time.

  The blast had blown half the Rangers out of one wall, their armor and shields protecting them. Aaron had been propelled out the main doorway, now substantially larger. When Selain got his men organized and came around to engage the Tanam, a pair was already in control of Aaron.

  The Rangers had executed an ambush and killed most of the enemy, but were unable to stop them from taking her husband when they retreated. Firing on them would risk his life.

  “You did the right thing,” Minu told the sergeant. “Get the wounded stabilized and prepare to evacuate through the portal.”

  “But ma’am…”

  “Do it, Sergeant.”

  Minu was facing down the avenue now teaming with Traaga all running back and forth, swinging from overhead cables they used for roads as well, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. She turned her head and Selain saw the look of pain and resolve. They didn’t know how many more Tanam or other enemies were nearby. The Tanam were everywhere and their duplicity in the ambush was unknown.

  “Understood, ma’am.”

  Behind her the two seriously-injured Rangers were placed on quickly assembled field stretchers and everyone moved into the remains of the portal building. Selain came over and touched her on the shoulder when they were ready. She hadn’t
moved, standing there with her shock rifle propped on her hip and watching the avenue.

  “We’re ready.”

  She nodded and turned to follow him. “Hang on, husband,” she thought as she took out her PCR and send the stored program to the portal.

  It was night on Jumpoff. Snow could be seen swirling around the ancient evergreen trees that somehow managed to survive the perpetual winter.

  The sergeant nodded to one corporal who went through, weapons ready. Minu always went first. This time she waited for them all to go, including the four men carrying their wounded. At last it was only Selain and Minu waiting. He turned to her.

  “I know what you’re thinking, ma’am.”

  She chuckled. “Do you, now?”

  “Yes, and I’ll go with you if you want. Do some cat hunting and bring him home.”

  “Gregg chose my guardian well.” She glanced at the portal where the Rangers were waiting attentively, the senior corporal looking concerned. Had Selain talked about this? “I could just order you through.”

  “And I could just ignore that order. Whatever you do, I’m going with you.”

  “That was Gregg’s order?”

  “That is my decision. As I see it, you and Aaron earned my loyalty way past my oath to the Chosen. And you’ve repaid it a dozen times over when you risked your life, and your family’s lives to come for us on Planet K.”

  “I see.” She lowered her head and turned to the portal. “Let’s go home, Sarge, and we’ll figure out what to do after we get a thousand or so cold Rangers back to their homes as well.”

  * * *

  Once the humans were gone, Traaga began to investigate the carnage. In only minutes, hundreds were pouring over the wreckage, poking their heads under overturned equipment, and stealing everything that wasn’t nailed down.

  When the Tanam strike team arrived, the Traaga scattered in a screaming wave of multi-legged madness. Several were killed in the rout and the Tanam scouts paused to snack on the bodies until their commander arrived. When she did, she was not happy.

  “How did they get away?!” she screeched, her partially mechanical voice a terror to the scouts.

  “They detected the attack somehow,” the surviving scout leader said. “They had personal shields and their new rifles. We lost two scout teams.”

  “Do I look like I care about the scouts?” Veka rounded on the scout leader, two sets of claws flashed out and raked the lower ranking warrior. The armor absorbed most of the damage but blood and fur still flew from the other Tanam’s face. She took the blow without flinching.

  Veka stared her down, watching for any sign of weakness. Despite the scout’s usefulness, Veka would have killed her where she stood if the warrior had so much as flinched. “How is the prisoner?”

  “Alive,” the scout replied.

  Veka nodded, her flexible neck surveying the carnage. A small cost to exact some revenge. It was the human leader who’d ripped her tongue out, she was all but certain. Humans didn’t often have red hair. Veka scratched a facial tattoo with a long dualloy coated claw and considered. “The prisoner may be of some rank.”

  “They did not attempt a rescue.”

  “This human leader is wise, she realized her position was not secure.” Veka regretted that, her ambush a half kilometer away would have been flawless. Two hundred warriors, heavy beamcasters, suicide bots, and waiting death. Damn this human.

  “Secure the warriors and prepare to withdraw home.” The scout leader bowed and left.

  Veka entered the building she'd taken has her HQ for the Coorson operation, the warriors guarding the doorways bowed and carefully stayed out of claw range until she was passed. It was obvious to all their highborn leader was in a mood.

  Inside was an equipment storage and maintenance area, sleeping quarters, food preparation and consuming (no local foods, thank the matriarch), and the cell. She moved to the heavily reinforced door and gestured for the guard to open the door. Inside lay the prisoner.

  “Your people have abandoned you,” she hissed to the human squatting on the floor. He stood up to his full height and looker her in the eyes, headless of how disrespectful such a gesture was among the Tanam, especially by a prisoner. He listened to his translator, the only piece of technology he had left, before responding.

  “They followed orders. One person is not worth the entire team.”

  “And what were you doing on Coorson? Why such a small combat unit? These Rangers as you call them are not like human Chosen, they operate in large numbers and never venture out in small groups.”

  Aaron did not reply.

  “You will answer my questions and know your status.”

  “We are aware of our status as a people, noble being. But I will not answer any questions I do not choose to.”

  Veka snorted and walked around the human. Wearing only his camouflage uniform, you could still see how well muscled he was. The almost complete lack of fur was somehow repugnant to her, just like the strange monkey scent they all gave off. There was a bloody bandage on his head that he'd been allowed to treat himself with after capture.

  “We have your equipment, it will teach us much. The weapon in particular we've been most curious to study. Where in the galaxy did you find it? Some abandoned junk pile that the scurrying little species overlooked? You humans have a modicum of creativity, we will grant you that.”

  You have no idea, Aaron thought to say. Instead he just shrugged, not really caring if the cat would understand the gesture.

  “We consider you might be of some worth to us.”

  “I will not cooperate.”

  “Don't underestimate my ability to negotiate,” Veka said and stopped behind him.

  She moved closer, her head a half meter above his. The massive predator’s hot breath on his shoulder made him tense slightly, but he did not react.

  “You are brave, human.” She sniffed at his exposed neck. “I have wondered for some time what hominid flesh tastes like.”

  Aaron waited for the jaws to close on his neck, to feel her black teeth rip the life from him. But the attack never came.

  “Hope your leaders find some use in you,” she told him and walked back towards the door. “Your leader may be willing to bargain.”

  “She remembers your last attempt at bargaining,” Aaron said.

  “Her blood was on my claws, I wager she does.”

  “Not as much as you do, I suspect.”

  Veka stopped and turned halfway, her second set of eyes telling her he was still standing perfectly still. Who was this human?

  “What's wrong,” Aaron asked. “Human got your tongue?”

  Veka snarled and spun, her massive paw sweeping out with all her force. She only managed to retract her claws at the last instant through a sheer act of will. The blow caught Aaron on the side of the chest and sent him spinning across the room.

  “Do not play with me!” she roared.

  Despite the suddenness and ferocity of the attack, he managed to get his legs under him and cushion the impact against the far wall, though he collapsed to the floor after arresting his motion and lay there gasping and holding his ribs. Veka cursed herself for the rash action. It was more akin to the things Kelaa had been known for. That was until the red haired human female killed her, right before she had ripped out Veka's tongue in hand to hand combat.

  “Do you require medical attention?”

  “No,” he gasped, “noble being.” It was meant as an insult, and it moved up Veka's opinion of the humans. Annoying chattering monkeys they might be, but they had heart. She vowed to taste that spirit soon.

  “You will be moved soon. Fail to act according to the law, and you will be served to my kittens.” And with that she left.

  At the far end of the equipment storage room worked their only male, a technician who maintained their weaponry. He had the human’s main gun, a shock rifle they called it, laid out on a workbench and was examining it with instruments.

  “Tell m
e of this,” she demanded as she came closer.

  “It is singularly unique,” he said without looking up or bowing. Typical of his caste, too busy with machines to pay attention to protocol.

  “Not that unique, the humans have thousands of them. And this is the first one we have captured, so I want to know about it. Now.”

  “No, not in that way, I mean unique in that no-one in the Concordia is using anything close to its design.”

  The male took a tablet and tapped with a blunt claw. A holographic display came to life showing a schematic of the weapon. She understood enough of the armorer’s trade to recognize much of what she saw, including that a lot of the functions were not detailed. “Look at this, it is essentially a plasma weapon!”

  “Plasma weapons are impractical in portable guns,” Veka responded from the book. “They are too hard to aim and tend to use too much power.”

  “Yes, that is a common criticism. The humans appear to have married them to a laser generator, though I am unsure how this does anything to help the function of the gun.” He scratched at himself and shook his head.

  “Understand it,” she ordered.

  He looked about to complain, then glanced at her and noticed who he was talking to. “Highborn, it is unique because it has never existed.”

  “Craziness.”

  “No, I am certain.”

  The computer display ran a dizzying comparison of weapons across the Concordia before ending with a null match.

  “Nothing like it in memory. And look,” he said and pointed to the display, “this computer is freshly manufactured and configured only to act as a control for the firing mechanisms.”

  He scratched again, temporarily losing his train of thought. Veka snarled and he jumped, coming back to himself. “Other parts are salvage, clearly.”