Forward to the Stars Ch. 16

All comments are welcome and wanted, though the more constructive are more so!! Though if you won't comment at least vote that way I get SOME response.

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"I SAID NO LARIA!" Brian snarled at a pouty Laria. "And DON'T think that since we're separated by a few thousand miles and a view screen you can get away with what you're about to do."

"And what is it that I'm about to do?" Laria pouted, acting innocent enough to give someone diabetes.

"Laria, you just said that you all just saved some people from a wreck that in all likelihood someone wasn't supposed to walk away from and you act like I don't know what you're about to do?" Brain groaned. "Okay Laria. "He sighed. "So what if they're supposed to be dead, they aren't, YOU saw to that! DON'T let me find out that you've gone and ran wild with the mod pods,.I've got to go get ready for our run-in with the Palaricilon, Ciao." And with that he headed off the bridge. "Hey Atherian, how close to overloaded is this transport?" Brian asked as he barely squeezed through a gap in the equipment as he neared the armory.

"The transport is at it's maximum weight limit BUT, it is riding high and smooth all the same Captain." Atherian said as Brian reached the door to the armory and it slid open revealing a normally spacious area filled to bursting with weapons, armor and the wide array of armaments that normally wouldn't be exist much less in an occupied transport.

"Also there ARE enough battery packs and ammo canisters to allow us to make use of Tiff's Flechette Cannon more than once aren't there?" Brian asked as the suit was sealed around the squirrel's body who started chittering when she saw the helmet that would seal her in the metal coffin. "Easy big girl, we have NO IDEA what those bugs are going to do or throw at us so we ALL are going to be in-cased in these things. You're just going to be packing more hardware than most of us will be." He said as he leaned down and kissed her nose.

"Theoretically we SHOULD have enough battery packs and ammo packs. We have also taken the initiative and also created a number of canisters that will deliver a number of small but powerful charges. They should be helpful in eliminating or at the very least slowing down a large number of following adversaries, opening or closing doorways or just saying 'Hi, how WAS it going?' to the Queen's chambers or any of the possible hatcheries that we may come across." Said the animorphic deer that had been helping Tiffany into her armor.

"Better safe than sorry, even though I WOULD prefer to come to a mutually beneficial agreement with the bugs." Brian said as his own armor was pulled from underneath a pile.

"That wish might be a prime example of what is referred to as a 'Pipe Dream' Captain." Atherian advised him. "Though onto things that are very much not Pipe Dreams, we have started 'REEDUCATING' some of the so called 'Warlords' or whatever they're referred to in the Congolese Republic. A large enough contingent of the chosen leader's palisade should be 'willing' to help with the subjugation of Africa by the time you have made up your mind on what to do with the Palaricilon. As it is, you are there!"

"Oh doody, fun in the sun and sand. Granted the suits are meant for just about everything in this quadrant but how well do the sims run with sand?" Brian asked as he slid his helmet on and locked it into place. "And remember, no turning Kilimanjaro into a base! Granted that mountain would work but it's a symbol of a continent and it would get most of the world turned against us if we messed with that."

"It would be inadvisable to rely to heavily on the shields or cloak with the technology that we have at the present time." Atherian advised him as the transport landed at the base that had been setup within fifty feet of the pit that had been dug down to the Palaricilon tunnels. "Anyway, it was only a suggestion to use that mountain as a base."

"About time you got here." Athena laughed as Brian slipped out of the ship. "We've ascertained that were dealing with a downed star-craft. PRESUMABLY Palaricilon but we'll have to wait until we get inside and access a data-port to find out for certain."

"Excellent, most excellent indeed! So, how far down does the pit go and what do we have to deal with the hive if we're allowed down to the core with their intent on us to be turned into queen chow?" Brian asked as he turned to give a hand with the unloading. "Out of curiosity, just HOW do we get IN?"

"Hatch. We got lucky and hit an edge to one." An animorph said excitedly. "We're in the process of fixing up a external barrier, that way we can move all the stuff that's to be taken in and and maintain a barrier between atmospheres. As to the backup safeguard, we decided on Clartarium explosives since that will also detonate the battery packs and flooding the tunnels with an agent that that gunk known as VX Gas wants to go up into."

"How are the plans for the matter boosters?" Brian asked as another case of battery packs was unloaded. "It'll help relocating all that tonnage."

"Are you SURE that you want to feed the Palaricilon unpoisoned fruits and vegetables?" Atherian asked exasperatedly.

"Considering that we're TRYING to get them to JOIN us, yes. IF we were going to eradicate them, there are much safer, EASIER ways to go about it than go down in their own tunnels WITH them." Brian said with a smile. "There IS strawberry rhubarb pie in the replicators isn't there?" Brian couldn't help but laugh at the stunned silence that his question immediately caused. "WHAT? I like that stuff."

"How can you so totally go off subject like that?" Atherian asked. "I have NEVER been around ANY commander that could do that as easily as you seem able to."

"Momma's boy." Brian laughed. "It takes skill not to get whiplash doing that let me tell you."

"I'll take your word on that." Atherian said. "And yes, there is that strawberry rhubarb pie in the banks. You spent nearly three hundred dollars getting pie after pie to find the one you wanted in the replicator food bank, remember? As to the matter of the transport boosters that you wanted to take down, it will take some experimenting and tinkering with them but they should work."

"You weren't to bad on THAT course change Atherian." An animorph laughed moving to Brian's side. "We should be about ready to move the barrier into place in about three hours. The Sentinels that were sent with the first wave have sensed that the Palaricilon have stopped using the tunnels in the immediate area so it's a safe bet that they KNOW we are here and that they're about to have company."

"DAMN! I had HOPED that we'd be in the tunnels before we were noticed, EVERYONE that's going down is bonded with a blade aren't they?"

"Yes, and I'm not the only one who doesn't fully understand why, since you want a peaceful agreement with the Palaricilon." Athena said.

"Simple, they AREN'T going down with us! They'll be up here where it's safe and if ANYTHING goes wrong and our bodies are destroyed hopefully by our own hands and not the bugs. They'll rip our minds free through the link and place them into the replicators control systems which will then create new bodies for us around our minds. Theoretically, saving us from my stupidity."

"No matter what my arguments are Captain, stupidity DOESN'T include the attempt at peaceful contact with sentient beings. It does though include ignoring RECORDED past events." Atherian said as a contingent of heavy battle droids filed out of the open cargo bay. "The power systems on all the battle droids that you wished here, have been modified to run off of multiple styles of energy fields as well as radiation leaving the actual battery packs at maximum charge for combat or other necessary functions."

"Excellent! Let's get a move on, I want to be ready for them before they're ready for us and start moving up here!"

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Thirty six hours later.

"Are you sure that you don't want to knock first?" Atherian asked hopefully.

"Atherian PLEASE! Just seal the barrier and watch the door, would you?" Brian groaned as they finally set off down the tunnels. "I KNOW how you feel about this attempt but we need to at least get access to their history files! If there is one anthill you can ALWAYS count on there being OTHERS, so even if peace isn't a possibility we STILL come out ahead by knowing about the others, am I wrong?"

"Following that logic, this attempt is justifiable! Very ill-advised but justifiable." Atherian said before falling silent.

"He IS right you know." Athena said softly looking down the dark tunnel. "It's a good thing that we were able to modify all our equipment to draw off the excess energy that the Palaricilon's power jell produces."

"I'm just happy that Tamara is going to be okay, it was a seriously lucky break that she was in her suit when she took that electrical arc when she found that opened that juncture panel." Said an animorph behind Brian.

"No truer words, no truer words." Brian said with sigh. "Considering the state of the power system, this solar system is lucky the power grid hasn't degraded any farther than it has."

"Peaceful conclusion to all of this or not, we CAN'T allow this much jell to be used in such a degraded power grid." Athena growled looking around her. "While the night vision settings on our helmets allow us to see, I'd still like to know how this place really looks."

"Well we CAN'T take our helmets off in this place!! It'd be safer to take a swim in one of those vats of toxic waste in one of those Sci-Fi movies where earthworms or something takes a bath in the stuff and comes out a monster and tries to destroy the world!" Brian sighed. "Everyone DID leave DNA samples up top, didn't they?"

"Yes My Lord Remaker we did." Tiffany laughed. "You shouldn't need to be repeating these questions all the time, you were there when we all gave samples since you also gave one."

"About TIME you started talking." Brian couldn't help but laugh.

"Why should I start talking? You knew what I wanted or needed and YOU are the only one that matters." Tiffany said. "Anyway all this talking is going to distract us from paying attention to motion detectors and other instruments."

"Got a point." Came a laugh from the back of the column. "Luckily nothing happening back here and everything seems to still be good with the relays."

"Okay then, pipe down unless necessary, people. Let's get this over with." Brian said as he hefted his pack and kept walking.

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"Base camp you there? This is Captain, come in." Brian called over the com. "YO, ANYONE MINDING THE STORE??"

"Indeed there is! How may I be of service." Came a laugh from the other end of the com.

"By answering the phone next time." Grumbled Athena. "That first void on the scans turns out to be what appears to be a food storage area, either long vacant or recently cleared out."

"Noted in the log. Any contact to report?" Came the reply.

"Not that we know of. Haven't gained any bodies or droids so I guess we're doing okay." Brian said smiling.

"Yeah I guess that can count as coming out on top, for now anyway." Came the reply. "Anything else to report?"

"Not for now, we'll be in touch." Brian said as he turned to the rest of the group. "Well fifty feet farther there's a three-way, suggestions on which way to go?"

"Well right is the one closest to the outer walls or whatever, left goes through the heart of the place and straight is more or less down." Said one of the Sentinels that was along for the extra fighter.

"Yeah, so which way? This is beginning to get heavy even if the suit is taking the weight of the cannon." Tiffany complained.

"She makes a good point." Brian said as he looked around the storage area. "Do another scan of this warehouse, I want all in and outs mapped. IF there's another way in or out I want to know about it! If there isn't, is there a tunnel close by that we can get into quickly and easily while sealing the way behind us."

"Rest stop?" Tiffany asked hopefully something others were anxious to hear about as well.

"Good as any isn't it? Who knows when the NEXT defensible cubby is going to be found. Anyway it's been four hours walking, no time like the present for a rest." Brian said as the equipment was again positioned to scan the immediate area.

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"DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN!!!! MASTER WAKE UP, THEY'RE COMING FOR US!!!!!" Screamed the animorph that was on watch. "I SAID WAKE UP YOU GOD DAMNED STUPID SON OF A BITCH!" She screeched as she kicked him in the head while looking at the screen of her motion detector.

"Well mom always did say she was a bitch so I guess the observation IS accurate enough." Brian laughed as he and the rest of the group woke up. "So what's it look like?" He asked as he peered over the animorphs shoulder and looked at the screen. "Ashilon, Icialan you two seeing THIS??"

"Indeed we are!" Ashilon said as he gave a nervous chuckle. "I hate to have to say this but I am SO glad I am not down there right now!!" He said as the screen on the motion detector turned more and more dark red where the corridors outside the warehouse were.

"How are the Claymore style antipersonnel weapons doing?" Brian asked as he grabbed and started flipping the safeties on his weapons off. "They still operational?"

"They are but they've been found and most have been moved or repositioned." Said the animorph sounding thoroughly confused. "With the way they're being moved and positioned they'll all but clear the halls when they're activated."

"And WHY were they not set for motion activation in the FIRST place?" Athena snarled, justifiably ticked off.

"Deal with THIS now, THAT later!" Brain said as the droids started to switch to battery packs and weapons started being brought to bare. "NO ONE goes outside this room! They want a fight, let them come to US! We'll have taken out hundreds before they are finally in a position to pry us out of here! Sarem is that back hallway clear? If it is, get ready to make an improvised doorway."

"It is but I don't understand why. They have GOT to know that we'd open up the back wall and get out of here." Sarem said as he readied the explosives.

"Maybe, maybe not. Give me a few minutes to try and scout the bug mind set. Everyone else get ready to squash bugs if they start to move before I get back." Brian said as he settled himself against a pile of spare battery packs before reaching out with his mind and try to find out what and what the bugs were not about to do.

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"Mistress, what do you thinks about to happen?" One of the animorphs asked Athena as the column of bugs stopped going by the entrance of warehouse in a single file hugging the far wall.

"Simple, we're about to have company." Brian said calmly as he stretched and yawned as his helmet would allow him. "Okay no matter what else happens today, someone take a note about altering helmets so you can stretch your jaw as large as needed to yawn comfortably. I nearly got a muscle cramp." He said doing his best to rub his jaw.

"Define 'company'." Athena asked him as he started to get up.

"Why explain when you'll see in a minute. Battle droids, in seconds there will be a single bug about walk to the middle of the hall on the far wall. He will then walk slowly towards the door, let him pass."

"WHAT??!" Screeched Atherian over the com making them all jump.

"Well hail and well met." Brian laughed as he rubbed his ears as best he could. "No, I'm not crazy! Believe it or not the strongest feeling I got from them is fear, dread and apprehension. While that makes them unpredictable and trigger-happy, they won't be the one to make the first move. Also, you update all our translators yet?"

"I have uploaded the quote end quote language that you had Ashilon give me into the computer banks. Your translators are being updated now, I will send it along to all instillations at a later time." Atherian said as the droids started to move so that the approaching bug could pass but still be turned into mush if it made any hostile movements.

"Good, now if you'll excuse me I'm trying to be nice to potential ally." Brian said as the bug stopped in the middle of the warehouse. "Oh for crying out load." He grumbled as he hit the side of his helmet as the bug started speaking in a series of grating hisses and clicks and what sounded like tongue clicks. "Hello, sorry to barge in without an invitation but we needed to make personal contact as soon as possible." He said hoping what he said came across better than what the bug had said. "Atherian, we need those translators updated NOW!" He snarled into his com after the Palaricilon had jerked like he had gotten a serious jolt of electricity to his balls and after several seconds of what appeared to be pondering something tried speaking again.

"I am sorry Captain but I HAVE, whether you believe it or not, downloaded the language I was given." Atherian said defensively. "If you can keep it speaking the translators will eventually unravel the language enough that all concerned will be able to understand what is said."

"DAMN IT!" Brian snarled as his arms twitched. "No no sorry, I'm not pissed at you!" Brian started yelping as the Palaricilon reacted to the floor around Brian suddenly freezing over and promptly bursting into flame.

"Remaker, I must advise you to get your temper in check. The temperature is dropping dramatically in here!" One of the animorphs hollered to him as the Palaricilon backed towards the doorway.

"Alright, alright." He grumbled as he sat down in the middle of the flames. As the flames died down and the temperature began to rise again the Palaricilon slowly began to move back towards the middle of the room. As the Palaricilon returned to where it had stood before, the cloak that Brian had activated to hide his suit failed revealing the battle suit that he wore. As the Palaricilon took in this new development it began to speak again this time in what amounted low almost awed tone. "To hell with THIS!" Brian snarled as he mentally lifted himself straight up off the floor and stretched his legs underneath him. As he took a step towards the Palaricilon, the Palaricilon seemed to take a deep breath and matched his step forward.

"Well isn't THAT interesting!" Athena said as the Palaricilon lowered its head when Brian and the Palaricilon were close enough for them to touch. "Be CAREFUL!" She hissed when Brian reached up and touched the Palaricilon's head. "Brian??" She hissed when the Palaricilon jerked when Brian lightly touched its head but after a moment it firmly pushed its head back into Brian's palm."So, what now?" She asked when Brian finally lowered his hand from the Palaricilon's head.

"Shall we try this again?" Brian asked after several minutes had passed.

"Can you humans not even let us die in peace?" Came husky growl over the translators. "You must even hunt us when our species is all but extinct?"

"Well with ANY luck we can keep that from happening." Brian said as he took a step back. "While what little we know of the conflict between the Palaricilon and Humanity says we aren't the ones who started the war, I would very much like too know what your records say about the matter."

"Most of the records that our computers contained have been either corrupted or destroyed as our power grid has steadily degraded over the passing millennia of being underground. What little we have been able to save of our computer files are just glimpses and garbled words. All that we have left of our civilization are ancient records that were inscribed with our most ancient prophecies." The Palaricilon said as it looked around itself.

"DAMN! I had hoped too be able to find out for certain if we were to blame for the hostility between our peoples." Brian said dejectedly. "Okay, listen I know we came down here equipped for a fight and I'm pretty sure you Palaricilon were expecting a fight BUT why really we came down here for is to see if you Palaricilon would be willing to join us. Humanity has been exiled on this rock for about eighteen thousand years, your people have been down here much longer. I and those that follow me whether they be human or otherwise are about to return to the stars, would you be willing to join us?"