LEGACY OF THE ANARI

by Ashleigh Blayze

Chapter 5

There are some things in a modern technological society will generally be detected. The colony on Yasm was relatively young and lacked the very latest equipment, but the low orbit satellites that served as its combined geological survey, weather system and communications network was more than adequate to detect a sudden energy bloom. The large energy spike was in the foothills of a towering range of mountains. Seen from the colony's main port and original founding Talont, and daily bathed in the setting sun the Korkari settlers called them the Sunset range, and then ignored them.

The energy spike was gone as fast as it appeared and the satellite only logged its approximate location, not having adequate resolution to get an accurate positional fix, and downloaded the data to Security at the port in Talont. The colony’s threat level was still high after the Dtilla raiders had finally been driven off planet 2 days previously, and the information flashed in front of the gaze of the Korcari watch commander. He demanded more detail and not getting any swore briefly and shunted the data over to his terminal to examine more closely.

“Katx! This energy spike where is it?”

His Sergeant grunted, checked his map data and replied. “It’s about 220 klicks from the Mining town Phifthar (translated as Rocky Money).”

“Didn't they get hit by those Dtilla scum?”

“Yes Sir quite badly. They lost a lot of gear, half a season’s ore and took over 50 casualties with a load more wounded. You think those pirate shits left some stragglers?”

“Dunno Katx but there isn't supposed to be anything out that way. The closest place was Rijkards Hold, on the other side of the range, but the Dtilla completely scragged it. Killed everyone.

“We have anyone at Phifthar that can have a look?”

Katx scrolled through the available roster, grimacing in disgust at the lack of resources.

“No Korcari troops but we asked some of the mercs from the port to provide additional security and assistance to the settlers there for a few days till we get them back under the defence grid.”

“Hmmm, okay check which merc unit, then give them a call and tell them I want a recon.”

“Yes Sir.”

***

When the symbiont Armour's warp core awoke and linked, several things happened. The energy link first bent and then broke the space time continuum for the 4th Plane and held one end of portal open from the 4th Plane into the warp between the Planes. Then it cast its portal out and up the energy gradient of the warp searching and grasping to the furthest extent that it could whilst also searching instinctively for a particular energy signature detectable from the warp, before plunging the other end of the portal tube back into spacetime.

The far end of portal opened and held, forming an energy sink in the Spacetime of the 5th Plane. Energy and matter flooded through the portal, transmuting instantaneously into raw warp energy as it fell down the energy gradient to the 4th Plane. The armour instinctively sought the largest and most powerful source of power that it could, and when the link opened, it did so to the fiery nuclear inferno of the core of a star. A class M star, very active with a lifespan of a several billion years to go, but without life in its system of rocky planetoids, and gas giants. As Key struggled to get control of the portal to reduce the flood of ravening warp energy to a mere trickle the warp flooded through Rin before being restrained.

***

There are observers of the 4th plane that play the games of deities and demagogues, power and control, in an endless struggle for domination, war, peace, chaos and order, as well as more inscrutable motives. Mostly these observers are from the 5th plane. They vie for superiority, many seeking to manipulate the 4th plane of existence to increase their power in the 5th. The goal is survival, supremacy and the ability to rise higher up the plane. Power begets power. There are also those who observe from the 6th. Their motives can be beyond comprehension. Occasionally however they are simple.

One observer from the 6th Plane watched the 4th Plane, also paying close attention to those of the 5th Plane who felt themselves entitled to take an interest in proceedings, or even an active hand. It's not a simple matter to directly affect matters in a lower plane, it requires patience, planning and generally believers. There is some truth in belief equalling power. For a being of the 6th plane to affect proceedings on the 4th should be extremely difficult. They are too far removed from the actions they wish to influence.

The being that watched now had seen its plans for this particular galaxy corrupted over the last few millions of years. It found this irksome as it was quite fond of this galaxy, indeed it felt that it had managed a rare balancing act in the formation of the galaxy itself, its rules were elegant. It had taken steps millions of years previously, an appreciable passage of time even for one such as this, when it could be bothered to allow time to affect it. Those steps had resulted in the ascension from the 4th Plane of a species that now served well on the 5th Plane. The Baughtmach were a bulwark against the madness that infected the 5th plane and which sought to rise higher. It had hoped that in time the legacy left behind would be reused and it could acquire more allies but this had not happened.

The formation of a point singularity went almost unnoticed, save by the lone observer from the 6th. Deep within a giant star power began to pour down the energy gradient, a flood that almost vanished to a trickle and then stabilised, gradually feeding warp energy into the 4th Plane. It knew this galaxy intimately, knew that the power loss was of no importance to the star itself, recognised the portal as an event it had seen once before, although in recent times it had noticed similar but lower tubes for a blink in the galactic history. It would pay more attention, it decided, the 4th plane might yet prove interesting again.

***

The mercenaries that had been asked to give the small mining settlement of Phifthar, some additional sense of security was little more than a detachment, from Narwhat's Fourth. The Fourth, a mixed brigade was stationed on Celus I, a little more than 40 light years from Yasm. Having just finished a deployment against Phrangian regular forces on Celus Secundus, the Fourth was on R&R. For the enlisted it meant Rest and Relaxation, for Narwhat and his officers it meant Refit and Recruitment. They had taken casualties during the fighting on Secundus, before a political settlement between the Phrangians and their employers, Celus I's government had brought an end to the fighting, for now at least, and the contract. Narwhat was just happy that it was over.

It was a fornicating damn mess from start to finish, once it became obvious that the rival factions in Celus's administration were preventing the Celusian forces from completing an otherwise very achievable victory over the Phrangian interlopers. If there was one thing Narwhat couldn't stand it was religion and religious fanatics, they messed every damn thing up. Phrangian cultists had successfully pressurized the Celusian administration, effectively hamstring their military forces. So now while the unit stood down he had dispatched a recruiting team to Yasm. The Korcari made fairly decent heavy weapons guys given the time to train them properly, and the slums in Taront produced a real mixture of all walks of life looking for a fighting chance. Still Narwhat was hoping to get more than just a few Korkari.

The Korcari had also taken human refugees with them when they founded the colony, and although they had no home system, the humans could be found on a hundred worlds now in greater or lesser numbers. They bred like vermin but damn they could fight as well, especially if gene modified or equipped with heavy equipment. So damn adaptable it made you sick. Uppity though. So Narwhat dispatched his human Lt Resnij and expected he would bring him back a mixture of recruits. Then he could get them trained up or shipped out if they didn’t fit in his mixed species mixed speciality brigade.

****

Lt Resnij was tired, covered in damn awful mine dust, and thirsty for a drink. Right now he would trade a promotion for a cold beer. Phifthar was a piss poor excuse for a town, and if wasn't for the fucking Dtilla, there would never have been any chance in a million years of getting him there. Yes the miners had gotten hit pretty hard when the pirate scum landed their shuttles, but the Dtilla had been driven off Yasm days ago, and wouldn't be coming back anytime soon. He didn't want or need to be stuck in this shit hole. The quicker the Korcari Security Bureau got its defence grid back on line, the sooner Resnij could take his Fourth detachment back to the Port and get his damn job done. They’d barely arrived before the raids began. The pirates knew enough not to take on Talont's defences but they had been able to knock out big chunks of the periphery grid with kinetic strikes from low orbit before dropping the damn lizard raiders all over the shop.

The predictable result was the reactive Korcari buttoned up and the pirate scum had time to cause chaos in the outlying regions. It wasn't politic to talk about it but he reckoned their Administration had fucked it up big time. They should have gone out and tanked the fucking Dtilla. So now his 15 man troop was playing fucking nursemaid.

It was a mess, and Resnij was eager to help when the Security chief's request for a flypast over grid coordinates for a power surge was relayed. Anything to get out of this shit hole town. He had to leave a minimum to babysit so taking half the squad, Resnij piled into one of the flyers that Korcari Sec had helpfully provided and they took to the air. Flying low over Yasm's strange forest, and plains the demi squad went to investigate.

***

Rin wake up please. It’s all over. You’re okay.

Key’s voice was calm and reassuring in Rin's head. He remembered the sudden intense pain burning, like acid eating every nerve ending in his body all at once. Then everything had gone black. Gradually, consciousness returned, and eventually he forced himself to open his eyes. He was curled up like a baby, lying in a crater, and his body felt...different.

Rin knew what the difference was, but that didn’t stop him cataloguing the sensations and feelings of his new body. Fingers and toes check.

I can wiggle them, great not paralysed then. Hands and feet checked as well, flexing fingers made Rin conscious of how soft the skin on his fingers felt. In his mind he already knew that if he was alive then he was now a she, a girl even, as he had been told it would happen. Lying there on the floor Rin gave himself a mental oh boy, and sat up. Everything was the same and oh Gods so different also.

“Key” It was a young woman's voice, a little husky but sweet as well. Surprised, she raised a small hand to her throat.

You don’t need to speak Rin. Key's voice echoed in her mind.

“I know Key, just an excuse. Oh Gods Key, I have breasts.” Rin could feel his, her she corrected herself, her breasts moving as she sat up. Looking down they seemed huge. She closed her eyes and looked away.

And now moving quickly on. Rin looked around, everything seemed bigger.

“I shrank?”

Yes Rin, you are now 1m 74cm tall. Currently you mass 122.7kg. Your overall density has significantly increased.

“Crap, I liked being tall. How the hells can I weigh 122.7kg?”

Your body is significantly reinforced and armoured internally Rin, your musculature is denser as well.

“Well I don't feel heavier, I feel lighter than ever.”

That is the result of your increased strength Rin, you will not notice the extra weight at all, but be aware that your body has a lot more mass than is apparent.

Rin shrugged, wincing mentally at the jiggling and swaying that motion caused, deciding weighing 122.7kg wasn't relevant when her body looked like it couldn't weigh more than 60kg. Doing her best to ignore her breasts for now she continued taking stock of her new form. Her arms seemed so much more slender than before, her hands slim, long fingered and dexterous. Her legs looked, well fantastic really, they seemed so long. She felt like she was sitting on a pillow though. Standing up she absent mindedly crossed her arms under her breasts shivering at the sensitivity and gazed around at the destruction in the lab, mouth dropping open as she noticed the perfect sphere carved around her through anything and everything.

“Vault, report please.” There was silence.

“What the fuck happened Key?”

The sensors in this location were destroyed by the energy surge that caused this damage. Vault can’t hear you at this time. However I can sense droids at the airlock, and they should have entry in a few minutes. How do you feel Rin?

“Hmm well actually I feel pretty awesome considering.”

She realised it was true as she thought it. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so energised, so light, so fit and healthy.

“Although I guess I don't feel like a Rin any more. I feel great.”

A lock of hair fell in front of her face and she brushed it away.

Oh Gods I've gone blonde as well, I think I need a mirror, actually I think I need some clothes.

“Did everything go okay Key?”

Actually yes, despite the damage around you. The optimal mix of Rin and Yeshi’s genetic structure was achieved, your augmentation went very well, and you will be at least as capable as any previous prime. Your armour symbiont has integrated successfully as well, although not without some difficulty. The energy surge was due to the symbiont linking to the warp higher than expected on the energy gradient, but that will wait for later. When the surge happened, it forced the extremely rapid maturation of your Symbiont, so right now it’s adult and completely interfaced with you.

Currently the armour is in a passive mode, which is why you notice no difference. Your body has also rapidly matured from the adolescence you were at prior to the symbiont link, to your near physical maturity now. Physically you are now aged approx 23, and will have matured to your optimal state within a few more days, although the changes now would be very small. You are a completely healthy female and essentially complete adult Avatar now. We will talk later about what that means. Vault has almost achieved entry via the airlock.

“Okay.” Rin agreed despite wanting to know more.

***

There was a hissing sound, and the sudden brilliant flare of a plasma cutter burned through the airlock, before rapidly cutting an entry way into the laboratory. The slab of metal fell inwards with a clang and before the droids could enter, Rin was out, aware of the heat from molten metal but not feeling it.

“Vault, do you hear me now?”

“Yes Rin, I have you on sensors now, I am…glad you are well Rin. There was a surge of energy, which destroyed all sensors and droids within the laboratory. This was unexpected although there are records of similar experimental results in the past. My core functions are unimpaired. The size of the energy burst may have been detectable, but due to lack of external communications or sensors it is not possible to say.”

“What do you recommend if the facility is discovered?”

“It would not be advisable to have symbiont technology revealed as this currently represents your only asset. While I detect no more Keys within this facility, my data records do indicate possible locations where Keys may have been located off world. The remaining Symbiont units are all inferior to yours which is the most current generation, however when you leave I would advise that the remaining units be recycled and the vault secured.”

“When I leave?” Rin asked.

“This would be the most practical solution to your needs as my programming does not extend to training. In addition this facility is not defensible at this time. For you to get the experience and skills you need to be a successful Prime, you will require assistance and resources. If the vault remains undetected and can be brought to fully operational status in the future then it will be a useful strategic asset.”

“Vault, all this has happened because I couldn't get that ring off my finger. Being a bison herder wasn’t great, but what if I don't want to be Prime?”

There was a slight hesitation before the AI responded. “You are the Prime now Rin, you are defined as such by your key, armour symbiont and genetic legacy. What you do with that is up to you, what you make that mean is up to you, but it will not change regardless of your wishes. All remaining Anari technological devices that are functional will recognise you as Prime. This facility is code locked to you. Essentially it is yours to do with as you please. If the Anari's enemies become aware of your existence they will definitely respond as though you are Prime. To be able to defend yourself you need to be who you are now.”

Rin was suddenly very aware that her life was going to be different now, as she carried on walking to the recovery lounge, the unfamiliar sway of her hips and movement of her new breasts reminding her that nothing was the same. The thought made her want to cry and giggle at the same time, she opted for giggle.

Oh Gods I just giggled, this is going to take some getting used to.

Overwhelmed she started to cry. Emotions in turmoil the young woman headed for a shower.

It will be all right Rin.

The wave of reassurance from Key was comforting.

Vault is correct about the need to move. This place may well have been detected. We should leave soon.

“Okay, I’m going to get washed. Vault, I need some clothes so get the droids to find me something please, and bring my clothes and the gear that I had when I arrived to the recovery lounge. Then we can work out what happens next.”

Rin was surprised to find she was suddenly feeling confident and in control despite all the weirdness, which seemed very bizarre but rationalising it to herself with a laugh as good genes, she decided to just carry on in the same vein.

***

A short while later, Rin sat perched on the bed, looking at the her equipment and the clothes the droids had been able to provide. Her old utility trousers would have been the most practical but they wouldn't fit now. The battered gloves that had served her so well in the caves were now a bit big as well. At least her warm hooded herder's jacket was only a bit big around the shoulders but otherwise not too bad. She was amazed at the differences in her new body. She had been slightly built with a runners' frame as a guy, but now, even though she was denser than before and therefore heavier, she had a slender well muscled but curvy body, and none of her old clothing was right.

There was a mirror in the wash facility and seeing a gorgeous young woman, with a flawless complexion and skin a creamy olive hue with a mane of luxuriant blonde hair, then realising it was her had been an experience. Rin grinned while she studied the clothes, not as much of an experience as the shower itself.

Oh Gods, my body is sooo sensitive now!

There was a pair of armoured boots that fit her, they looked similar to the ones she remembered seeing in the entry to the facility, could even be the same pair for all she knew. The clothing the droids had found was limited to gym style gear from the recovery room's lockers.

Rin you don’t need to worry about clothing, your armour can clothe you.

“Huh?”

The symbiont is designed to be able to take the shape of clothing in texture and colour, you can’t take it off, you reabsorb it, but to all intents and purposes you are clothed, and it allows the armour to function more actively as defence. All you need to do is instruct it, and it will do its best to meet your needs. The longer you are together the better it will be able to serve you but for now clothing will be possible. It has some default settings for clothing as well.

“Such as?”

For now as we need to leave soon, I would suggest the basic combat suit. This provides you a comfortable body suit that serves as low to medium grade armour while being functional. You can then customise the appearance if necessary.

“Okay so what do I do Key?”

Think about your armour, focus on it and it will communicate with you. It’s not fully aware, but is intelligent to a limited degree. Let it know that you want to get dressed and tell it default combat suit. It will communicate with you in feelings, or pictures. It might feel odd when it forms on you but don’t worry about it. Your symbiont will never do anything to hurt you. Okay?

“Sure, I guess.”

Slightly bemused and a little scared, Rin closed her eyes and tried to focus on her symbiont to get its attention. She was trying to visualise it but struggling when suddenly she felt bathed in a torrent of emotions from within her. Love, affection, the need to protect, and be close, complete loyalty, devotion and the desire to do what she wanted. In a flash Rin realised that her Symbiont felt like a faithful wolfenhound, bonded to its mistress, boundless enthusiasm, energy and love rolled into one, and that would be how she treated it. Rin sent a mental well done and the sense of an affectionate ear scratch to it and the symbiont seemed delighted. Laughing now, and no longer even slightly worried, Rin sent it her need to be dressed in her combat suit. She felt a small pulse of energy within her and the armour began to form.

The sensations were strange but Rin was more fascinated than freaked out. In seconds what seemed like a black oily substance began to ooze from her pores, clinging to her skin. Spreading rapidly it covered her naked body completely from her neck to her toes. Then it thickened becoming more substantial and changing texture to form a matt black body suit, which seemed to be made of an armoured fabric that stretched to her body. Moving to the mirror in the washroom, she felt the armour cupping and supporting her breasts. Her jaw dropped in surprise at her reflection.

“Key? You neglected to mention the default combat suit looks pretty damn sexy as well. I look hot, dangerous and hot. Damn.”

Wait until you start customising it! Some of the guardians and Primes have been just scandalous.
Key was laughing. Try changing the colour if you want. Just tell Hound what you want.

The next minutes were taken up by Rin gazing fascinated in the mirror as the armour changed from colour to colour picking up one Rin's wishes more and more rapidly. In short order the bodysuit went from black to crimson, jade, scarlet, blues and purples, camouflage hues, yellows and browns, while changing in textures from armoured fabric to buttery smooth leathers, to silky via synthetic armour plate. She was delighted and could have spent an age exploring what Hound could do.

At a gentle mental nudge from Key she settled on a look she found she loved, turning the suit into an armoured fabric that looked like leather and felt like silk, in a matt black , with flashes of deep purple. Grabbing her old jacket and pulling on her newly acquired boots, Rin found herself satisfied at the look, and a little surprised at her sense of pride at looking good, and her attention to it. Key picked up on her feelings.

It’s perfectly normal to want to look good and feel good about yourself when you do. It’s even more normal for you to take pride in being a sexy young woman. It's just a part of being female. That’s what you are now. It’ll take you some time to adjust, but you’ll be fine. Enjoy it and have fun. But we do need to leave here so if you are ready? Oh and Rin it is time for you to think of a name for yourself, Rin is not really appropriate anymore, don't you think?

“No I agree I’m definitely not Rin anymore. I’ll think about it for a while Key, I want a name I like. Okay let's go.”

She took a last look in the mirror and then paused.

“No this isn’t going to work, I look too good, no way I would believe that a girl as hot as me is a herder. Maybe a herder's girlfriend? Or a family friend visiting the Rijkards? I know they had some family in the trade quarter in Talont. I don't look like I’ve spent days on the run in caves, my old jacket is beat up enough but now I’m in this body suit I’m just too clean.”

Even as she thought it the body suit began to look worn and aged before her eyes, acquiring wear on the elbows and knees, some dirt stains, what looked like an old blood stain that just seemed visible on the black fabric of her arm.

“Wow, that’s perfect. I look like I’ve been wearing the same bodysuit for days. Well done Hound.”

The symbiont pulsed with satisfaction.

Taking a shoelace from her old boots, she tied her long hair back, before securing her utility belt around her waist, absently noting the adjustment she made to the belt proved that she now had an hourglass figure. Finally satisfied, she gathered together the remainder of her gear, not really surprised that she didn't even notice the weight of the pack, heavy hunting rifle, or flechette gun.

“Vault what can you tell me about the condition of the creche facility? Are there likely to be any useful supplies up there?”

“My sensors are almost all degraded from the attack, but what is available to me shows that the elements have been able to gain access to the facility. Not unexpected given the heavy damage that occurred. It is highly unlikely that there is anything left that has not rotted away. I would suggest leaving by the back entrance you arrived at, this way if the facility has been detected you will not walk out the front door.”

She blanched, “Oh shit, that’s exactly what I was about to do, I have a lot to learn about thinking ahead. Okay Vault can you get me back to the back exit and I will leave from there. I’ll go back to the stream I saw and find a route from there.”

“The stream you mention is in a cavern you arrive at soon after leaving?”

“Yes.”

“Follow it downstream. It used to come out at a lake approximately five klicks from here. That should be far enough for safety.”

“Okay Vault that sounds good.” She headed for the door only to be stopped by a droid carrying a small box.”

"What's this?"

“With no external communication links I will be unable to assist you Prime. Within the box is an Anari data core with a reader and a hand communicator. I cannot physically accompany you but on the core I have downloaded my data files with all the information I have on this planet, Anari culture, history, technology, schematics for this facility and others I have data on, as well as what kinds of training a Prime would likely get from her tutors. The core also contains a copy of my AI logic program. If you can obtain access to a high capacity and powerful enough comp system this will allow you to awaken a version of myself. Its capability will depend on the system you are able to obtain. If the system is not powerful enough then you will still retain manual access to the data. It may help you plan, and is stored on this data clip. Its reader will allow you to access or upload the files. Once you have left I will secure the Vault again, and begin making what repairs I can with the Vault maintenance droids. If possible I will try and restore external communications. I have included Anari data codes so that if you can gain access to a transmitter I will recognise your transmissions once I have restored communications. Currently however without additional resources that will take almost a year to achieve. Should you return you will be able to gain access.”

“Oh. Okay. Thank you Vault.” Rin was stunned by the lengths the AI was going to to try and assist her. “I hope I'll be able to come back some day and see a working facility.”

Rin slipped the small box into the pocket of her herders coat, before pulling it on. Her smaller body meant the coat now came down to just above her knees. After Slinging her pack on and checking for anything forgotten she head out of the recovery lounge and followed the light bead back to the atrium then out of the vault itself, before following it through the ruined creche facility to the back door, realising as she did so that the damage had indeed been extensive. She doubted that she would be back.

****

There was something odd about the landscape that the flyer was skimming over, but Lt Resnij hadn't quite figured it out yet. It was heavily forested, forest that looked like it had been there since time began but it was different some how. He checked their distance to target on the flyer's HUD. Just under 5km. The valley they were flying down led almost all the way to the coordinates which according to the low resolution imagery a passing survey sat had done turned off to the left up ahead about 3km before gradually petering out as it moved into the more rocky terrain of the foothills of the mountains.

“Hold us up here for a moment.”

“What's up Lt?”

“Dunno, but this valley is...wrong. Take us up to 1000m passive sensors minimum power.”

The mercenaries’ troop flyer began to brake before climbing in a spiral manoeuvre to 1000m, and circling. No trooper likes being up high and a sitting duck for anti air weaponry, so the half squad of mercs was now nervous and all of them were scanning for threats. When nothing happened to shoot them down the tension level faded but still they remained alert.

“Lt?”

“Yes?”

“No one’s been here yeah, since the Korcari colonised this planet?”

“That’s what I was told. Why?”

“Well you tell me Lt, but doesn't that look like a block layout with roads and crap?”

And that was what was wrong Resnij realised. There was an old forest below them. That was fine, the fact that said forest was sitting on top of the regular artificial lines of old ruins was less so. Now that his mind was noticing it he could see the signs of habitation under the primary forest or jungle below, stretching all the way along the valley they were flying down.

“Well boys, now this is definitely news for someone. Someone else used to own this world. But this shit below us is way old so I reckon we can forget about them. Get us to those coordinates, Banks, no more low level lets just go and overfly and see what the hell is there.”

Banks banked the flyer and headed direct for the coordinates. As Banks flew, the troops began pointing out craters, the evidence of their existence bowl like depressions in the forest. There were several, ranging in size from large, Lt Resnij guessed at around 150m diameter through to quite seriously large. Ahead of the flyer there was crater almost 600m across, straddling the broken ridge where they overflew the valley walls.

“Damn. There was a big assed fight here sometime, those have to be kinetic strikes or something similar, any rads Banks?”

“Neg, Lt the sensors are clear. No nukes used here.”

“Ok, just record everything okay.”

“Gotya.”

As they approached the target coordinates the signs of ancient devastation got even worse, the landscape devastated and scarred with the remains of cliffsides, tumbled down into the end of the valley, more hidden craters, layered over one another. The flyer was circling the coordinates now, still recording. This valley ran into a line of hills and then mountains that had plains beyond them according to their survey images. From their altitude you could clearly see where craters were punched into the line of hills. As Lt Risnij had begun to expect the coordinates matched the main concentration of the devastation to the landscape, but there were no clearings, no evidence of a downed lander from the pirates or anything except ancient forest overgrowing everything.

“Okay Banks you got anything on passive?”

“Neg, no radiation, lots of thermal but just routine wildlife.”

“All right give me an active sensor burst and see what we got.”

Seconds later and the flyer gave them more detailed imagery of the battlefield below, but still didn't reveal any signs of current activity, only the ruins of buildings below, hidden in the trees. Nothing worth landing for.

“Huh, nothing here but ancient history, well an overfly they wanted, an overfly they got, get us back to town Banks.”

“Roj, on the way.” The flyer banked and began accelerating away towards Phifthar.