providing more than enough visibility for the a’sankhii while the darkness concealed their presence. Lifting his hand, he signaled his directions to do a wide sweep as they approached the outer edge of the colony. The a’sankhii males followed his simple gestures as droids zipped overhead, scanning the area around them while relaying data instantly to the palace.
Their orders from the king were simple. Once the science advisors understood that the humans were digging in the plains not for food but for deposits of precious and highly dangerous ore buried deep within Inara Tahli, there was no question about what had to be done. Although the Tak’sinii used small amounts of it sparingly in some of their most complex technology, such as in the construction of the eminit, the power generators, and most importantly in the incarnation pod, it was highly dangerous and used with the utmost care, even among their scientists.
It could not be risked in the hands of a human government that so easily sacrificed its own people. It was with a heavy heart that King Fa’suh’teln broadcast his decision not only to their city, but to their allied cities: the leveling of the human colony at the edge of their territory.
At first, there was some concern that the humans would intercept it until Er’k, having benefited from the download of their language by uplinking to the core orb of Emsha’fa’teln, informed them that whatever broadcasts and communications the Tak’sinii were using weren’t on a frequency that humans could detect. With his orders, he added extra stipulations when it came to the humans themselves—and that was mercy to those who surrendered and agreed to live under Tak’sinii law. Refugees would be welcome, but whatever experiments they had begun with the ore were to be wiped from the face of Inara Tahli.
It was now with these orders that Rhyst stood outside of the colony once again, scanning it for any sign of weakness in an entry point that the contingent under his command could take advantage of. To his displeasure, the colony was just as fortified as he remembered. As he stared at the barrier around the colony, Rhyst frowned, attempting to work out exactly how they were going to penetrate it.
Er’k stood beside him, his weapon at the ready. Most of the humans had not been in any condition to do much but rest and heal, but Erik had insisted on accompanying him so that he could assist in destroying the labs. Unsurprisingly, Er’k had been an invaluable source of information due to the “snooping” he had engaged in when the situation at the colony grew worse. Rhyst had attempted to convince the male that he had done more than enough to assist and had earned his rest, but Er’k would not listen.
Er’k was the sole human in a gathering force hiding among the shadows, but most of the males treated him respectfully, each of them aware of what he had sacrificed to go against his own people to help theirs.
“Fuck,” Er’k mumbled, shifting his weight casually on one leg. “Right about now, it would be helpful to have someone on the inside. That's how we got you out. Mia had access codes to the gates, but I doubt those will be any good since she was imprisoned. They would have changed her codes a long time ago.”
Rhyst rumbled in agreement as a young male, Jask, drew up beside them. Although the male had only been among their ranks for five solars, he was one of the more cunning of males and vicious of fighters when necessary. Jask gave the dome a disgusted look.
“How do we enter?”
“It is sealed, so we watch and wait,” Rhyst said solemnly.
“Well, sooner or later someone will have to come out. From what I’ve seen, it will be a guard taking a piss or sneaking a drink of something they aren’t supposed to have on duty. We can sneak in then, I would wager,” Erik replied.
Someone snorted humorlessly, and a few of the males chuckled. Nonetheless, they waited, looking for any opening that would grant them passage and access into the dome.
They waited and watched for an entire night before pulling back. To enter the colony, they would have to take it by surprise before they could activate their defenses. That meant that a nighttime attack was their only real recourse to minimize casualties. So they retreated into the shelter of the hills where they rested and waited for nightfall.
Although they hid deep