The Bug Wars by Robert Asprin

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.”