|
The ‘Babe corporate’ had tried to establish contact with their ‘Trundles’ with no success.
A whole group, of five of them? Finally conceding, that something, was seriously wrong, they contacted their own militia. 
Ident signals, were NO longer showing the whereabouts of the crew. All traces of them having been there appear to have vanished.
Wiped from existence?
They sent in a C924, to await the arrival of the militia.
A military clone, capable of some epic destruction if required to protect its chosen OR itself.
As Casper would have said, they were known to be hardy b’stards. Strong, VERY strong and more than capable adversary.
He liked them in his batallion. Unfortunately he had been left
since his transfer with only ONE.
Their numerical sequences was always the same for each batch.
C924 would soon meet up, with the two Baby Corp Militia commanders, K132 and K138 Both experienced battle commanders.
There was, he had to tell them a rogue unknown element who had landed a while before, the ‘Trundles’. They, were NOT of this planet.
Unknown but highly likely, given the odds, were NOT, in THEIR favour, that they, were, responsible, directly or indirectly; for the deaths of the ‘Trundles’?
Usually and, the two commanders knew all too well, C924 was seldom wrong. Thus they, had to give serious thought, to finding out more, as to WHO ‘THEY’ were?
Some others, from the space station, had alsoi just landed, not far from this position. It, might ,be prudent, to remain ouf ot sight until they, were identified, as friend or foe?
Ten, of their militia, went to take cover along with K132. The others, headed over, under the command of K138, towards the known or suspected, position re the other strangers?
Meanwhile BJ with her party, had already, crossed the river, into the area recorded as the last place, before the signal vanished re their own?
Once, they had stopped, to refresh themselves and attend to their necessary ablutions it was time, to divide forming up, into two groups.
BJ was with Digger and Ishu with Birket. NOT moving off too far from each other as they moved forwards into the woods.
C924 had noted the transmission from BJ to the space station,
A familiar codex indicating they were NOT hostiles.
It was NOT 100% aware of their reasons for being here but they certainly did not pose a threat to them.
The others, on the planet? K132 on advisement from him decided to make herself and the others known to them.
A reception of some surprises but also some relief.
Whoever the ones were, that C924 had discovered by chance, were clearly, using a form, of VERY high tech communication jamming.
In hiding, right under their noses BUT, who were they and WHY were they keeping everything so secret? Moving to join the others,
was delayed, by the sudden appearance of some wild Boe (Boar to us).
Aboard the space station, fresh meat, was not easily available, so, killing one of them, was irksome but, quick and soon, sent to the transport site. A craft would be sent down, specifically, to collect and take it, to the station to butcher,
The 2nd Boe, had been a nuisance, to decide, what to do with. The arrival, of two, what they deemed to be ‘locals’. Tji and Ly as the were called, were VERY surprised to see them all. They, were reassured by Digger that they had nothng to fear from them.
Some intrepidation, might have been evident, but in fairness, kind of understood? BJ was too weird and somewhat bizzare to them. YET, Lyca, could touch her and, it did amuse BJ, but, she too could understand that their choosing an alternative lifestyle was. 
“You can have this. Some help in transporting it to their Vae, to unload it, for a group of ‘locals’ to gather around.
Pleased, very pleased at the easy slaughter of one of them. They were NOT easy for them to catch. Injuries and death was not uncommon.
Primitive weapons, did not help, but any attempt, to offer them, some alternatives were not welcomed.
“If one has, one will attempt to subvert, dominate the others.
We don’t want a domineering, overbearing naffu taking power. As is, all is equal. We, don’t see, disagreements and worse, because we ALL, rely on each other, on an EQUAL basis.
Respecting their wishes, they took food and drink before talking to some who were a gift sent from the Gods. What they had uncovered was deeply disturbing for them. to be respected.
Digger was liking Lyca for her clothing, her dresss in particular? Hand made and yes they did have traders land neaby to sell then goods often with Gru (grains) traded as well,. Their range of seeds and NUTS as we would know them was astonishing.
Digger had never eaten ‘peanuts’? Shelling them was with some grinning from Tij who was scolded by Lyca. Some of the locals had joined them to be supping some ale as they continued truing some of the nuts and seeds on offer.
The overall population, was about 200. Not much, not much at all. YET they were organized, worked well as one group AND even the Kets / Ketlets / Ketlevlings were one big FAMILY. The arrival of the other strangers was not welcomed.
It caused unnecessary stress. The arrival of the space station had been unwelcomed. Babe Corp was not known to them BUT when discovering they were the ones who had created the space station? Some animosity.
Time it was decided, for them to leave.
Mapping and other data, had been recorded by C924,
The ‘THING’ whatever it was, did not worry them after, they had talked and IT, was very knowledgeable,
Problems with mould, on some of the seed spores, had been nightmare. The addition, of some wild root crushed and put into a container in the same place and heated to give off a fine mist?
Where they stored, the seeds, that now stopped the mould. Cleansed, the entire area. 
The harvested seeds and grain, were saved.
That meant thanks and thanks, was the gift temporarily, to them, of one of their ‘Sages’ Mxi.
An ‘off worlder’, brought in by traders having hitched a ride on their craft, she had some good skills. Burning the root stubs of the grain after it had been harvested could be long drawn out and protracted hassle.
One wave, of her staff and, the firestorm, in its wake, scorched the earth, burning off, the root stubs, to perfection.
When some of them, had been attacked by some of the strangers, she, had protected them, with a shield, that made them, invulnerable,
Whoever the unwanted were, they had gotten very nervous, when they saw, how powerful she was. Run for the hills might be appropriate as an understanding of what had taken place.
The new arrivals, had taken over a sizable area, close to the mountain range; East of here. A lot of noise, dust, craft coming and going mostly when it got dark. NO lights or illumination but, the shadowy outlines, in the sky, were clearly visible.
Pym had appeared overhead, Caution, as she, approached the mountain range AND, the plateau that lay beyond it? Eyes watching her disappear in the distance,
The plasma lightning flashes, as whoever lay beyond reacted to Pym?
It was some time before she appeared again. Stumbling into view, to drop a short distance from them.
Injured? Let us remember, that she was; a Morphic. The damage originally caused was soon repaired.
Early transformation had been to one of a smaller finer form.
Any plasma bolts, had merely, as we might say, grazed her, nothing more, nothing less. BUT!
What she had discovered, was about, to be revealed to them, as they, were joined, by the others, who had gone ahead earlier, with K138.
The complex, behind the mountain AND, the plateau, had been turned into, a massive mining operation. HUGE!
Sophisticated and, with no doubts at all, technologically beyond even her comprehension. Protection, was clearly evident and, designed to protect their site not forgetting those working, the equipment used for ?
A night time sorte, would have to be carried out, using those, who could become invisible or ‘Transparent’?“We need Kisan.” “Who?” “Princess Kisan from Eloia worlds,”
“Never heard of her.” She’s a morphic the same as Pym but genetically engineered, to be able to do far more than even I can.” BJ paused to make a trans call via C924 secured networking.
The reply surprised them. Aboard the space station, Booby had met her and escorted her to Naomi. She, knew more, than she was letting on.
On the planet, she would advise them, to move some distance away, from the site beyond the mountain.Closer to the Vae and the locals. The breaking dawn would see the sky light up.
As they took her advice and, moved towards the Vae? Two massive, space craft
appearing overhead.? Galacia Federa?
A threat to the invaders below?
A warning.
IT had been observed AND, they were now ready for?
|
