"I can't help you Raymond. Well, besides protecting you from the Zykra." Selene said, leaning her back against the door.
He shrugged; "The colonies defenses protected us just fine before you all arrived..."
The idiot had no idea. A few automated turrets against the Zykra would be like spritzing a bear with water. The only reason they haven't swarmed over the colony was probably because there was more biological matter below the surface of the planet than above it.
"I don't have time to explain how stupid you are. Just tell me what you want? Do you want a cat?"—she had a particular tabby whom she is at her wits end with.
Raymond gave her a confused.
"..No? I want to join the IBT. I saw you on the news, you're helping reclaim the colony. I want to do that."
He seemed to have other ulterior motives but she ignored it. It was besides the point.
"You seriously over-estimate my authority, I'm just a grunt. I don't have the power to put you on the IBT, and furthermore- just enlist yourself. The DF is always recruiting."
"The odds of me being put in the IBT then would be 1 in a million—come on Selene, you wouldn't be here if I didn't distract that guard for you! I got in trouble for that you know?"
'Don't remind me...' she thought to herself. Maybe if she just stayed in containment she would still be with her family, and the IBT would still be doing what the IBT does. Only without her.
She let out an exasperated sigh.
"I'll mention it to the major, okay? Also- how'd you know it was me anyways? I'm covered up in enforcer armor."
"No reason. Lucky guess." he said instantly, looking away.
Emitting embarrassed vibes.
Now, being a telepath wasn't something she could turn off. It was stronger or weaker at times depending on how she was feeling, but she didn't have that degree of control yet.
Anyone could get an idea about how people felt about them. From body language and other things. And some people were better at that than others.
But for her it was more like a physical sensation. Which was much more verifiable than a 'hunch'. The loving vibes she felt from her pets for example was like a weighted blanket. Warm and smothering.
What she felt from other IBT members was different. Creepy, flattering, annoying—all that depended on how she felt about the person sending the vibes.
It was just like the emotions themselves—but there was an 'other' aspect to them. Like they existed apart from her. She still felt a small sliver of them. Distant from the real thing. Like a flavor or sensation you remembered.
So every time someone felt attraction to her—she felt that same attraction to a degree. From the third person.
Selene was still figuring herself out in other ways. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to be with anyone—men or women.
Telepaths lived short, hard lives. How'd he react to her waking up with night terrors, when she was irritable because of the symptoms? Or the affects of her abilities? He could never lie to her. Little human imperfections stood out to her. Relationships were different for telepaths in countless ways.
Selene realized she was staring off into the distance when Raymond leaned into her view. He seemed to of have a habit of that.
...She'd have to let him down easy. In more ways than one.
"I'll put in a word with the major, but I can't—"
There were a few knocks at the door then. "Get out here Selene. We gotta get ready."
Raymond gave her a pleading look before they turned to leave.
The lobby was much emptier than before.
All the chairs and tables were pushed against the walls—and most of the people were upstairs. Only a handful of the more gungho colonists were there.
"I'm picking up thermal signatures on the perimeter. They're scoping us out." Darude said. He was leaned up against a window. A shutter was cracked and he was peaking out it.
"How are the colonies defenses?" Luan asked.
A heavy-set woman in overalls sat nearby. She shrugged; "I haven't test fired them in years. This is a fuel refinery. Not really a lucrative target for pirates or rebels... So I didn't see a point."
"Seems like you really take pride in your work." Selene said as she took her place next to Luan. Raymond stood near the other colonists.
"Should we give them our sidearms?" Cass asked. He was sitting on a chair now. His foot was gone and what was left was tied up in bandages.
"No. We're much more effective with them than they are. They'll have to make due with what they have on hand. Engineer—if the turrets do work, how many do you have and where are they?"
"I'd say about a dozen. At least half of 'em will probably work. For awhile. They're positioned in a circle around the colony. Some are in cheeky positions. 'Kill tunnels' I call 'em. Certain alleyways and such."
"Draw me a map. I'll coordinate our defenses around them." Sergeant Luan said.
Cob raised his hand. "Sarge-should we change location? Maybe herd everybody up into the center of the colony? Probably the best use of the turrets that way."
Luan shook her head.
"This is the largest building in the colony. I'd rather be in here with fewer turrets than in a tiny box waiting to be shredded by munlocs... No, the best option we have is to holdup here. Remember the alamo?"
"Of course. Ancient history is a hobby of mine... But the Zykra will turn this place to swizz cheese pretty quick too. How are we on reinforcements?" Cob asked.
"They're far out. The IBT wasn't built to fight a war, and that's what this is shaping up to be. We've engaged the Zykra all over the planet in situations just like this. Until someone pushes them back to their burrows we shouldn't expect any backup. The DZ is also overrun, but at least they have the shuttle turrets to fall back on."
"Lucky them." Selene said, leveraging a baleful glance at the engineer. Who flipped her the bird.
"How are we doing on grenades?" Luan asked.
She looked to each of the operatives. A look of disbelief crossed her face.
"...Really?"
"No one likes carrying grenades." Selene defended them. It was true. Carrying ordinance like that was scary.
The engineer waved a finger then; "I might be able to help with that. We need something to go boom? I have a few ideas. This is a refinery after all." she disappeared for a moment into a back room. Then reappeared with what looked to be a fuel canister. A steel frame held a metallic sphere within. It had glass windows with swirling cyan gas inside.
"This would make your grenades look like firecrackers with the right alterations. Would only take a second and we have like four of them in this building alone. I could probably get as many as we need from the other trailers if we have time."
Luan took a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, now that's something. We don't have a second to waste. Okay—time for orders. Form up." Luan said. They all lined up ahead of her. Apart from Cass.
"Darude and Cob—I want you to take some of the colonists and go around the colony to round up the rest. Evacuate every other building and send 'em here. Cass, I want you on the second floor windows. Stockpile whatever ammo you can and help me get this place ready to defend. Selene will take her friend there and the engineer- and go setup the explosives. Brett too."
They all gave salutes and set out to their specific tasks.
They all road in a 4x4 pickup truck with a dozen volatile cubes of Laz-gas outside the colony.
"Why'd they send the private on the most important mission?" Betty asked from the drivers seat.
"What? ...I have special skills.." Selene grumbled.
"And don't forget me!" Brett said from the bed of the pickup truck with the canisters. Raymond was sitting across from him on one of them.
They hit a steep dune of sand and everything bucked for a second.
"Hey! Easy!" Raymond called out.
Betty grinned.
They stopped every thirty meters or so and wedged a canister down into the sand.
Selene would get out each time and prop her carbine up on the hood of the truck whenever they stopped. With the colony at her back she felt confident she could take out whatever came at them.
She adjusted the scope on her carbine to the maximum range until it was practically a sniper.
There were heat signatures on the horizon but the Zykra were keeping their distance. They were mostly at the crags at the edge of the sand fields.
Sneaky bastards.
"So what's the story with you and romeo?" Betty asked. She was cycling through folksy songs on the radio.
While Brett and Raymond were digging a small pit to jam a canister in a dozen yards away.
"No story. Just from the same colony. Barely know the guy." Selene said.
"Huh." she scoffed a bit.
"...What?"
"Oh nothing... Guess you have fans. Must be nice. That boy looks at you like he'd been surviving in the desert for a couple days and you're a tall glass of water."
"I know. I'm not interested." Selene said.
Brett was currently explaining to Raymond that you had to move the sand further away from the hole so that it didn't slide back in. Raymond was arguing that it depended on each spot they dug.
"Men are chasers. And that boy is chasing like I ain't never seen chased before."
"Sounds sexist." Selene muttered. As if she was some kind of prize to be won over. An archaic idea back when humanity was a one-planet species. Earlier even. If she got with someone it would be a mutual and natural thing. The idea that someone would change themselves or her to make it work was the least romantic idea possible.
Selene strapped her carbine back over her shoulder and left the hood.
Betty shrugged. "Maybe. But that's just my experience."
Selene glanced at her as she saddled back into the passenger seat of the truck. "You don't say." she rolled her eyes.
Brett jumped over the side of the truck and slapped the top of it.
Raymond went on the other side.
"Ready to go!"
Selene looked into the rearview mirror and Raymond looked away.
'This guys as bad as the Zykra.' she thought to herself.
Betty was right about one thing. If he ended up in the IBT then she'd never be free of him.
"We should probably check on a few turrets before we head back to the saloon. Just giving 'em a once over would do a world of good." Betty said.
"I don't know if we have time. I sense something. They're going to attack soon."
"What, like intuition or something?" Betty asked. "...Or something."
"Damn. Why are these things here anyways? You'd think bugs would know better to run towards humanity and all our guns."
"I'd wager they like their odds." Brett said.
Raymond glanced towards the rearview mirror again; "Do you think we'll survive?"
Brett nodded; "Sure we will.." he reached over and patted his shoulder. "—Backup is coming soon. Bugs won't know what hit 'em when the DF gets serious. And after today, the DF will be."
They hurried inside the fortified saloon.
"Here kid." Betty said, handing Raymond a double barrel shotgun. It had a rugged appearance. It was clearly made from scrape parts. There were vents along the back and circular holes along the length of the barrel.
"Thanks." he said, feeling the weight of it in his hands.
She dropped a box of shells on the table; "Don't thank me. Just make good use of it." then she went around distributing other homemade weapons to colonists. Then made her way to Luan.
"This will detonate the Laz-gas. Careful, a bit of a hair trigger. And once it goes off you'll hear it from here to the core worlds." Betty chuckled. She handed the detonator to her. Who nodded and held it close.
"They're coming." Selene said. Which drew the gazes of everyone in the saloon. Oh yeah, they didn't know she was a telepath.
Luan nodded and the other operatives started loading their weapons. It was almost somber. The calm before the storm. But Selene could feel the vibes on the air. The Zykra were already here in a way. Hating them. Hunting them. Their will to do so was all around them.
The first wave was a dust storm on the horizon. They couldn't see the Zykra themselves until they changed to thermal overlays. And by now the sand they tossed up was so warm they were still partly obscured.
"Wait to shoot until they pass the Laz-gas. And try not to hit the canisters themselves." Luan said. About two dozen barrels of weapons were pointed through various shutters in the saloon. Mostly on the second level.
Selene, Darude, Raymond, Brett, Cob, Betty and Luan were all on the lower level with some other colonists. The rest were up top with Cass.
'Whew...' Selene let out a slow breath and looked through her scope. She'd aim for munlocs like before.
A low rumble of the approaching swarm began to be audible in the distance. There must've been thousands coming from the crags. Emptying out the subterranean caverns below.
A kid started crying somewhere in the saloon.
"Let's show these bugs what happens when they mess with the IBT!" Luan ordered.
A massive shadow began to sweep over the battlefield ahead of them. Only this planet didn't have clouds.
"Reinforcements!" Cass called out from above.
"No fucking way... Talk about timing." Brett said.
Selene couldn't believe it, so she looked up through the shutters. And her face drained of color when she saw it.
The shape of a giant crustacean-shaped Zykra floating in the atmosphere. It was like a crab with it's legs tucked in. A cloud of flying Zykra emitting from it.