Way of the ans Field Captain Strechen stood next to the Dra.Falten she had co to think of as 'her charge', one Rifleman Tawtchee. To her left stood the scientist Hrekkel and 'Call
Leeu'. On her right was the Captain and the First Officer, both of the females reaching up to nervously comb at the hair at the back of their heads repeatedly.
While the big ships were ornate, the dropship that Strechen could see on terminal maneuvers, controlled by the ship's docking computer, was lean and an looking. Greenish-black tal with a hint of blue, black material where windows should be, wings with additional thrusters that folded inward, and a set of four engines in the back.
"Combat craft," Tawtchee said, standing up on his toes to speak softly in Strechen's ear. "See the bay doors on the side? That's for power armor or other infantry dismount as well as door gunners. See the bubbles with the strip cut into them? Those are firing blisters, crew or passengers can push the barrel of their weapon through and still maintain atmosphere. See those outlines? So of those are compartnts holding weaponry so that the craft can maintain its flight and sensor profile."
Strechen just nodded. She'd known it was a combat craft, but Tawtchee had pointed out things she didn't know about.
"Battlescreen projectors, about four tis what we have as far as visible emitters. Point defense bubbles, probably lasers with a spinning mirror," Tawtchee said softly. "Capable of in and out of atmosphere as well as deep space work. Be careful, Field Captain, what we see in their shuttlecraft may be a reflection of how dangerous they are as a people," he touched her lower back, almost making her jump from startlent. "These are a people ready for a fight. What they did to those 'Mar-gite' they could easily do to the Empire."
Strechen just nodded slightly. She glanced over and saw that Leeu had her hand on Hrekkel's shoulder, almost as if she was restraining the obviously excited male.
A glance showed the Captain and her recently promoted Executive Officer looked almost sick as the ship thumped into place with the feeling of a great weight nudging the Dra.Falten ship.
The airlock pressurized and the lights went orange to signify that it was safe.
"They did not transmit any atmospheric requirents," the XO said nervously.
Tawtchee looked over at her. "Anything we can survive they can breathe."
The XO started to open her mouth to retort angrily, saw Strechen's expression, and shut her mouth, facing forward with her back and ears going rigid.
The light went red to warn that the inner airlock was going to open and Strechen found herself tensing.
She rembered the Terrors from the Path of the Traveler and the eting after the nightmare inducing teleportation system. Despite everything, Magnus and his sister Surscee had been polite, almost friendly (if you discount the Sorceresses pants-wetting self-introduction she had perford) when Strechen had watched the video. The one they had t behind the desk had seed only as malevolent as any other bureaucrat. She knew that whatever was going to co through that door was not going to be like any others.
The airlock door irised open, decontaminate mist shin high flowing out.
There were four of them. Three males and a female, the males arranged two behind the female and one male at the back. They wore no weapons, just a boots, belts, and comfortable looking gray and black camouflage uniforms. They had atmo-tanks at their waists, with masks hanging off of them.
They were also massive.
Strechen knew she shouldn't be shocked. She'd seen that Tawtchee only ca up to halfway up Magnus's chest, slightly below Surscee's mammaries.
But the four Terrors in the airlock gave the impression of large, immovable, and powerful beings just standing in the airlock. The males were almost as tall as the airlock, their shoulders wide enough that they could only fit two abreast in a corridor ant for power armor troops to pass easily through.
"May we co in?" the female asked, her Dra.Falten perfect.
"Permission to board granted," the Captain said, stepping forward.
The female gave a closed mouth 'smile' that Strechen had learned was an expression of pleasure, happiness, joy, and, in rare cases, danger.
The male's expressions didn't change from stern blankness, although Strechen could see their eyes looking around the bay.
She took two steps forward and stopped, looking at each person.
Strechen realized that she had grass green eyes, with a faint hint of amber in the depths.
"I am Specialist Grade-Nine Caoimhe," she said. "Representing High Lord Captain High Lord Knight of Aesir O’Byrne, in command of Task Force Niamhchloch, which has been nad Task Force Warhamr for your ease of speech."
Strechen noted it sounded like KEE-va and her implant translated it to aning "kind
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