AN: Hi. Well, seeing the comments of the previous chapters, it looks like I didn't do a good job with Lien Qui. Let's put him aside for now then.
Ah, I forgot. Italics is for alien language and bold is for telepatic communication
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On this year 2486, a few things happened. But those seemingly little events would have a huge impact on the future of the whole Korpulu Sector and its surroundings.
On that year, on the planet Azuke in the Terran Confederacy, a 6 year old boy finally got the first steps necessary to start his rebel group. On a remote planet, at the edge of the human territory, the Terran Confederacy discovered a zerg infection.
At another remote corner of the Terran Confederacy, a cloaked organic spaceship silently made its appearance. On board were many members of a young alien race, and 5 members of the human race. The crew was observing the surface and surroundings of the planet with their sensors. They focused on the few and small settlements and installations, and their inhabitants.
“It match wih our informations. Captain Volkstaf, we found them. The humans.”
Volkstaf was one of the first vahnar to appear on Frozen Eden. He was first trained as a soldier, pilot, then spacecraft operative like the rest of his crew. As the best of his group, he was chosen as the captain of Kharima, the exploration leviathan scheduled to scout the human territory.
“Good!” “Doctor Ken'Sha, wake up the G-squad.”
“Yes captain.”
On board of Kharima was a group of people who, despite not being of the xergan race, were well respected by the xergans. They were a group of humans raised by the leader of xergan race, Zal'Rus. They were the first instructors of the humanoid branch of the xergans, and they also instructed the first vahnas.
Zal'Rus wanted them to infiltrate a few humans colonies to gather intelligence. After all, everything they knew about the Terran Confederacy was half a century old. The frontier colonies would have the least amount of security. Though they would also have a low amount of informations, at least they wouldn't be as old as what he had.
“Officer Ranna, send the preliminary report home.”
“Arn.”
Arn, was a term Zal'Rus introduced to the vocabulary of his armed forces, a small word to indicate that the order has been received and is going to be executed. It was the xergan version of 'aye aye' or 'roger'. The opposite word was 'yern'. During battle, the simplicity of the word could make one gain a full second. And one second on the battlefield could mean anything.
As for the message they sent back to Frozen Eden, it was just to announce the discovery of the human territories and their location. Along the way, they had left several communication relays. To avoid detection, they used tight beam emiters and receptors, and they were not placed in a straight line leading to Frozen Eden.
Doctor Ken'Sha was the medical officer assigned to Kharima, a male vahnar. All officers aboard the leviathan were vahnar. The rest of the crew were solchys and techys, along with a few nest drones, rockons and overlords. Ken'Sha went into a special room in the medical bay and pressed a few switches on a panel.
The 5 capsules that were faintly humming in the room started to make more noise. After nearly half an hour, the noise started to receed, and the capsules slowly went from a horizontal position to a diagonal one. Their cover slid open, revealing 5 naked humans, 3 women and 2 men of mature age.
Beta, a 43 year old woman raised to be a battle specialist. Gamma, a 42 years old woman raised to be a research and management specialist. Delta, a 36 year old man raised to be a frontline soldier. Zeta, a 34 years old man raised to be a support soldier. Epsylon, a 34 year old woman raised to be an infiltration specialist. Technically, they should be 10 years older than that, but Zal'Rus put them in cryo-sleep, so they would keep their physical fitness for the infiltration of the Terran Confederacy.
“Commander Beta?” asked the doctor. “Are you awake?”
“... I am” replied the woman in a tired voice. Anyone getting out of cryo-sleep would be weakened for a bit. “Have we reached our objective?”
“Yes commander.”
Beta slowly exited the capsule with the help of the doctor. He helped her to the side of the room where she could sit, and helped the other out of their capsules.
“Commander, sirs. We are now in year 2486 according to the human calendar, and we have just reached a frontier colony of the Terran Confederacy. At the moment, the captain must be searching for a good place to drop you down. Meanwhile, I will help you get back into shape. It shouldn't take more than a day or two.”
“Understood.”
After greeting the other officer of the ship, the 5 members of the G-squad, named as such by Zal'Rus because they were the most successful subjects among the gipsi, trained for 2 days to get rid of the post cryo-sleep weakness. During that time, the captain Volkstaf was monitoring the little amount of communications in the system and on the planet. Once the G-squad got done with their rehabilitation, they had a meeting with the captain Volkstaf.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“This small colony seem to be called Nergan. From what we could tell through our observations, they can't really be associated with the Terran Confederacy as there seem to be little contact with them. As sovereign Zal'Rus expected, you will have to get down on the ground to get significant informations.”
“It will be troublesome” said Epsylon. “In such a remote place, they probably know everyone well. A group of strangers like us, or even one person, can't just pop out of nowhere. We will be very suspicious if we show ourselves. Recluse people can get really hostile with suspicious foreigners.”
“Then we won't show ourselves” replied Beta. “We will steal informations from their databanks and steal one of their spaceship. There must still be a functional one. If not, one we can repair. We will use that ship to move further into terran territory.”
“We could act as settlers tired of the recluse life style of the frontier world” added Epsylon. “We would be able to enter the confederacy as group of mercenaries. If possible, we could enter through dark channels.”
“About dark channels, the Sovereign gave us some materials to trade if money was to become an issue. So the use of those channels shouldn't be a problem.” said Volkstaf.
“For the time being, let's get some basic informations on the ground” ordered Beta. “We can discuss our following course of action later. Did you find a good place for us to land?”
“Yes, I found a spot not far from the main settlement. The colony is seriously lacking in defense and surveillance systems, and the place we choose is in a blind spot. From there, it should take you 4 hours to reach the main settlement.”
“Then we will drop down there at dusk, and reach the settlement when most people will be sleeping” said Beta. “Gamma, make preparations to leave. The rest of you, get ready.”
““““Arn, commander!””””
The preparations didn't take much time. From the moment they started their trip, all the necessary equipment was prepared, and even before that they had made. All they had to do was make a quick review and inspection, and they were ready to go.
The cargo bay of Kharima opened, and a dark ovale vehicle flew out and sped toward the planet. It was made like the leviatthan, based on the overlords. Because overlords could enter the atmosphere of a planet at slow speed, there would be no emission of light or heat due to air friction. With the camouflage, it could enter the atmosphere almost undetected.
They reached the ground about 1 hour after sunset, then set off toward the main settlement. The planet seemed to be relatively poor, a somewhat aride world that would probably make Zal'Rus think of the system Sara. It was incredibly dark, with no moon, but the equipment the G-squad possessed allowed them to move without problem.
The settlement looked more like an industrial one than an agricultural one. While being wary of any kind of surveillance and security systems, as well as occasional passerbys, they moved toward what seemed to be the administrative building.
Thoug the xergan was a young race, Zal'Rus stole technology from the terran and continued to developp it. That included informatic systems. The xergans informatic system had become very complex and advanced. Especially since it had to take into account organic brains part of the network. Zal'Rus was certain that the xergans had reached a higher level than the terran in computing.
Epsylon, as the infiltration expert, had no trouble hacking into the building system and allowing entry to the team. Under her guidance, they quickly reached the archives and server room. They scanned and downloaded as much informations as they could. About the map of the Terran Confederacy, the origin of the settlers and the conditions of their previous home.
That colony was young, barely 10 years old, and had cut nearly all contact with the confederacy. The colony was made of religious groups that weren't welcomed in the confederacy and tried to make their own utopia. Many of the vessels they came with had been dismantled, but there were a few still operational just in case.
With all the informations the G-squad gathered, it wouldn't be too hard to enter the confederacy territory and set hidden bases on 3 major locations. The system Sara, the system Antigus, and finally, Tarsonis.
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AN: See ya!