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“They launch,” Three said unnecessarily. All of the trium could see the Close Combat force departing the sphincters created to external access, streaming out of the holes like the insects they resembled departing a hive.
This similarity was not lost on them, but was so routine as to be completely unremarkable, even for Meme bored with their own duties. Of course everything they dealt with resembled living forms. Mostly, they were living forms.
Pride swelled in One at the impressive display of force. Avarice, or perhaps lust, filled him as well, thinking about the Humans just waiting helplessly to be captured there. Of course, they would have some of their own close combat troops, such as overwhelmed their old Survey craft so recently, but in fairness, such ships had very little defensive capability. This time would be different.
One wished for a moment that he could accompany the Close Combat force, or that he had been placed in charge of that section. Perhaps in the future, his trium would rise so high. He would have to content himself with watching from a distance. At least they had access to hundreds of individual bioradio feeds. He could not issue commands, but he and the others could listen and watch.
It made for a pleasant diversion.
A certain amount of trepidation entered his mind when the admittedly potent ground weapons ringing the moon’s base fired thousands of kinetic projectiles at the Close Combat force, as well as targeting them with directed energy weapons, but as the grouping of ships aimed at a point tangent to the moon rather than directly at it, and they retained the tremendous speed of the Destroyer itself, only a few craft were lost. The Human fire control systems remained inferior to those of the Empire. Their only advantage was that of numbers.
Even so, One felt relief when the Close Combat force dropped below the moon’s horizon, out of line of sight of the enemy magnetic launchers and energy projectors. Slingshotting around the planetoid and approaching from the other side would allow them time to decelerate, and also reduce any more potential losses.
Close Combat trium is clever, and competent, One said grudgingly to himself. If we are fortunate, they will achieve their objectives, then become casualties in the main battle for the Human planet. Fortunately they are less well protected than we, of necessity located nearer the surface, with their Pureling forces.
One could always hope.
