First Contact

Chapter 769: The Inheritor's War

"We were born of the War in Heaven. Forged our Souls on the anvils of Heaven and Hell. Felt the loving embrace of our Ladies as each awoke, surrounded by the destruction. We do not bend, we do not yield. The enemy is before us and the enemy only exists to be destroyed." Caseys the Younger.

"We are a martial people." Casey the Elder.

"But you are still people." - Specialist Peel

"There are some things you just make time for, no matter what is happening." - Her Grace Lady Khoonkeenadee, the Arch-Duchess of Carnage, Lady of Magic and Beauty, the Arcane Will of Lost Anguta, She Who has Birthed a Hundred

The printout felt heavy in her pocket even though it should not have.

It was from CONFEDMEDCOM and she had printed it out so that it would serve as a touchstone for herself, even though she knew that all parties involved would be overjoyed by the news and not ask for proof.

It was folded neatly in the pocket of her businesslike dress, with a slightly puffy dark blue blouse.

It felt weird to wear it, even though she had been wearing such attire for almost five years.

Just as strange as the fact she had won re-election by a 60% margin.

On either side of her were a pair of Ultion Knights as well as a pair of Tukna'rn power armor infantry and a quartet of black mantid that all looked terribly professional with all of their gear.

Part of her hated it. Her life was so complicated now. She couldn't even go to the store without the store being cleared, her security following her through the aisles even as they spread out through the building.

And part of her was almost needfully grateful.

After what had happened in the House of Government, where the majority of her staff and the staff of the building has been slaughtered by assailants unknown and only saved through what was known as 'The Grey Girls' when they had...

had

had

...she didn't like to think about that too deeply.

The day was warm, sunny, with a light breeze. She could hear weapon fire off in the distance. Heavy military vehicles moved down the street, engines roaring even though they should have been perfectly silent.

We Terrans feel better if a machine makes noise. A silent machine is either broken, not running, or secretly plotting against you, she heard a voice in her mind tell her. She knew that more than a few vehicles had added sound effects.

Riding in her grav-limo, which was completely silent, always felt strange after riding in military vehicle or a heavy armored security vehicle.

She stood outside the heavy blocky looking building. They were unlike the buildings that she had seen in old videos of the Unified Military Council. Sure, there were a few bushes to try to smooth the appearance, but the military buildings had more in common with the old hab-blocks than the overly decorated Unified Military Council buildings.

She knew the one in front of her was rated to take a 250kt bunker buster straight to the frame without collapsing.

In a way, it's strange, she mused, staring at the building, which was painted a dull white. It's comforting that the building seems to say That's right, I can take whatever gets thrown at me with a smile unlike my former manor.

She sighed, then moved up to the steps, slowly moving up them. One of the black mantids moved ahead of her and opened the door, another one disappearing into the building before she could get to it. When she came through all three Telkan behind the desk were standing rigid at attention.

"Madame Director," the highest ranking one said.

She was familiar with military rank. More familiar than she wanted to be.

"Staff Sergeant," she nodded. "I'm here to see the Company Commander."

"Right these way, Madame Director," the Staff Sergeant said, motioning for her to follow.

The walk wasn't far. Just down a set of stairs, a short hallway, and through a large room where Telkan were busy filing paperwork.

The Staff Sergeant stopped in front of the desk where an Ikeekik was busy typing, militantly ignoring everything until the Staff Sergeant cleared his throat.

"Yes, Staff Sergeant?" She asked, looking up and removing her fingertips from the keyboard.

"Madame Director is here to see Captain Hwargar," the Staff Sergeant said.

"One moment," the Ikeekik said, standing up. She moved to one of the doors and knocked three times. Spaced, sharp knocks.

"Enter," came from inside.

The Ikeekik vanished inside then returned a moment later. "Captain Hwargar will see you now."

She knew that more than a few officials would be offended that every being present acted as if she was an interloper of little interest, but she had been around the military enough, through her husband's duties, to know that in a strange way this was the Captain's domain and she was a supplicant.

The military protocol was rigid, and oddly comforting to her.

She moved into the room, two black mantid going first. The Tukna'rn and the Ultion Knights following.

There was a Rigellian Saurian female behind the desk, who stood up and held out her hand. A Centemarian was standing next to a chair and she recognized the rank as a First Sergeant and knew that the saurian was the ranking Senior NCO. A scar faced Telkan was standing next to the Rigellian female with the rank of First Lieutenant and she knew he was the Executive Officer, the second in command.

"My apologies for my escort," she said.

"We all know about the attempt on your life, Madame Director," the Captain said, her voice musical. She pointed at the Telkan. "That's First Sergeant Vrek'mrkra," she pointed at the Telkan. "Lieutenant Dektrup, my XO."

Both Telkan Marines nodded.

She went over and sat down one on of the chairs as her escort took protective positions.

Before an unknown entity had slated her for death and attacked her office she would have scoffed at the idea of needing armed guards.

Now she knew better.

"How may Alpha Company, Thirteenth Recon Battalion help you, Madame Director?" the Rigellian asked, even though she knew that the Rigellian female knew perfectly well why she was here.

She explained and the others nodded along.

------

Her escort had protested, but she had put her foot down.

She would be safe where she was going.

The quartet she was leading would have to be torn apart to fail to protect her.

She felt safer, moving through the thick forest, than she had felt since her husband had left.

Twice she had seen an elf. She had waved and they had waved back.

She could see her goal. A tent made of skinned taka-deer, decorated with savage looking rawhide lace, stitched cloth, and a banner snapping on the end of a pole at one end of the tent.

The tent was in the forest, among the ferns. It was only five miles from a lavish hotel, but the occupant of the tent, who lived in the clearing, preferred to live out among nature.

She led the four Marines through the ferns, following the smell of cooking meat.

A broodcarrier popped up out of the ferns, almost making her scream.

'hello' the broodcarrier said. 'why?'

"I am her to see Her Ladyship," she said.

The broodcarrier nodded and vanished back into the ferns, but not before she had seen three little podlings being hidden behind the fluffy tail, watching with bright curious eyes.

A large Terran male stood up, waving his arm before sitting back down.

"They're there. They're really there," one of the four Marines said, their voice choked with emotion.

"Steady, Sergeant," another said, his voice tight with stress.

She led them through the ferns to the clearing, stepping out of the ferns as two broodcarriers stood up next to her. The moved next to her, podlings holding tight and peeking past the fluffy tail.

The two adult humans in the clearing were sitting down. One, the woman, had rich brown skin, the other, the male's skin was whitish pink. There was a pair of sleeping slings supported by Y-shaped branches carefully speared into the dirt that held two little brown skinned infants that stared with wide eyes.

She could feel the anticipation, the eagerness, the raw need from the four she was escorting.

The man and the woman stood up, staring at the ones she had brought.

"They live. They really really live," the man breathed, blinking.

The woman smiled wide, her eyes full of unshed tears. "My loves, oh, my loves, you have returned to us."

The discipline of the four with her broke and they bounded forward. Not quite regressing to running on all fours, but still running forward. Each human had two of them grab on and hold tight, even as the humans wrapped their arms around who she had brought.

Brentili'ik stood at the edge of the ferns, watching as the two K9 Troops and the two Feline Troops were hugged by the two humans. There was laughter mixed with sobs and tears mixed with smiles as they held each other.

"But... but how?" the male asked.

"A great titan named Legion restored us," one of the K9 Troops said. "We were all sick, put in stasis, and he healed us."

"He cured the plague," one of the feline troops said, rubbing his face on the human's chest. "Oh, oh, we were told you were all dead."

"We remain," the woman, Her Grace Lady Khoonkeenadee, the Arch-Duchess of Carnage, Lady of Magic and Beauty, the Arcane Will of Lost Anguta, She Who has Birthed a Hundred (at least) said softly, holding tight to a K9 Trooper and a Feline Trooper as she rocked them back and forth. The Feline Trooper's tail was a question mark, the K9 Trooper's tail furiously wagged back and forth.

"I'm tough to kill," the male, one Major Achaya said, rubbing the head of the Feline Trooper rubbing his head on his chest.

Brentili'ik stood there, feeling slightly out of place, as the hugging went on for a long time, finally winding down to Lady Keena pointing at the logs.

"If you sit down, you can each take turns holding one of the babies while I get you some meat and salt and a beer," Lady Keena said.

"Want me to dish?" Achaya asked.

Brentili'ik tried not to stare at the human male. She'd heard the stories, how he'd returned to life twice. How he'd died once on a hill providing distraction so that podlings and broodcarriers could escape during the worst part of the war. Had died a second time during the Terran Xenocide Event but had been brought back to life by Lady Keena.

Brentili'ik had even heard the other story from her husband.

That his cybernetics had been replaced by living flesh by the touch of the Digital Omnimessiah after the War in Heaven and the Assault on Hell.

Brentili'ik moved forward at Lady Keena's wave, sitting down on the rough log. She watched as the Earthlings reaquainted themselves with those they had thought they had lost.

The K9 Troopers eyes were wide and soft as they each took a turn sniffing and holding one of Lady's Keena's twins. The Feline Troopers crooned to them and nuzzled them.

Brentili'ik noted how they seemed loathe to hand over the infants, even when salted meat and beer were offered.

Broodcarriers sat on either side of her. She had her arms full of podlings as two broodcarriers curled up at her feet.

She just watched as they talked, often leaning forward to touch or hug one another.

She could see ancient bonds being reformed with such depth and strength that it took her breath away and awed her.

"Why do you live out here?" Lieutenant Checkers asked, looking around.

"I am uncomfortable around modern living," Lady Keena smiled. "I prefer the life of muscle and steel. This is more luxurious to me than any five star hotel."

"I'm learning to live in a human body after about six hundred years as a full conversion cyborg," Major Achaya said.

All four of the uplifted nodded.

Brentili'ik sat, silently, the fire shining in her eyes, until late in the night.

As she led the four back, ignoring her own fatigue, she felt odd. It wasn't that she had been excluded from conversation, but the connection between the lemurs, the canines, and the felines had been so deep, so complete.

Pack bonding, she thought to herself, pushing through the ferns. She could see the lights of the grav-lifter only a little ways away. They have been with each other since they huddled inside the cave afraid of the lightning of the storm outside.

For a second, she remembered what a Terran had told her once.

When we lost them, we knew nothing but rage, the big Imperium power armor troop had said, his voice full of an agonized wounding she couldn't understand.

She felt like she could now.

-----

Her sister, She'ishlos came in, dressed in normal clothing rather than the all black widow's clothing she had worn since she had seen her homeworld in another dimension destroyed. She'islos stopped, cocking her head, putting her hands on the back of the chair, and stared at her twin sister.

Brentili'ik looked up from where she had been staring at the glass of Telkan whiskey, watching the ice cubes melt in the harsh liquor.

"Are you discomfited, sister my heart?" She'islos asked.

"I witnessed something today," Brentili'ik said softly. "Something... I don't know, something."

She'islos moved around the table, sitting down next to her twin sister and putting her arm around Brentili'ik, pulling her tight. With her other hand she took Brentili'ik's hand.

"Tell me, Brennie," she said softly.

"I saw six friends, separated for almost ten thousand years, reunited. They never knew each other before seeing each other, but they were friends so deep I could tell they would give their lives for one another," Brentili'ik said softly.

"The Earthlings."

Brentili'ik nodded. She reached out, picked up the glass, and took a sip off the alcohol, her ears going flat at the harshness of it. She laid her head on her sister's shoulder.

"Can we just sit here, like when we were children, and you can hold me?" Brentili'ik asked softly.

She'islos reached up and stroked her sister's head.

"Always."

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