“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.”