"Unknown. I can see brush moving, but that's all."

"All members pull back to the fortification!" I beamed. "Mahz!"

"Here, Commander."

"Anything on the network to the Southeast?"

"No, Commander."

The team was assembling now, Zur hastily assigning them positions with gestures and telepathy.

"I can see it now, Commander," came Mahz's voice.

"It's Kor!"

"Kor?" I echoed.

It was Kor. We watched her final painful approach, Zur moving to help her. She was badly mangled and missing one arm.

"Hold your position," I beamed to the rest of the team.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Zur assisted Kor to a position behind our defensive line and eased her to the ground near the base of the fortification.

"Permission to leave formation, Commander?" called Zome softly.

"Reason?"

"To bring medical supplies and administer-"

"No!" Kor's voice interrupted, firm, and surprisingly calm.

"Kor!" Zur admonished.

"I must report first...important."

"Commander, she'll die if I don't-"

"They are going to attack...the Ants...They'll try to stop the information from reaching the Empire..."

"Commander!" Zome was insistent.

I made my decision.

"We'll hear her report. Zur, I want you to rearrange the defenses. I want you, Zome, and the ranking Technician...Ihr, stationed near enough to hear this report, but I want you all facing outward to watch for attack."

"Yes, Commander," and he was moving, acting instantly to carry out the order.

"Thank you, Commander," whispered Kor weakly.

I ignored her.

"Mahz!" I beamed.

"Yes, Commander!"

"Put on a booster band and contact the transport immediately. Tell them we need the shuttlecraft down here as soon as they can manage it."

"Yes, Commander."

"Ready, Commander." Zur was back.

"Very well, Kor, proceed with your report."

"They have machines...They...they're studying us...using data to plan tactics-"

"What kind of machines?" interrupted Ihr.

"How are they studying us?" asked Zome.

"Ihr, Zome, I will say this once. We will not tolerate interruptions to this report. Kor! You are of the Warrior caste. You therefore know how to report in a concise orderly fashion. Cease this undisciplined babbling and report properly!"

The rebuff seemed to calm her.

"Yes, Commander. We were captured...all three of us..." She paused as if trying to organize her thoughts. I waited patiently, wondering about the fate of the other two captives.

"Some sort of stun ray...carry it slung under their bodies... Maximum range unknown...trigger mechanism unknown. We were hit at about fifty meters...They struck Vahr and me first, possibly because of our weapons, then took Tzu...Only saw two weapons. So they can be fired at least twice without recharge or reloading...Effect is immediate...full loss of motor nerve control and partial loss of mental faculties..."

She was weakening. I noticed the wound from her missing arm was still bleeding. Using my hand, I tried to pinch off the arteries. I was not wholly successful, but at least now she was losing blood at a slower rate.

"The Ants were both swift and organized in their movements...We were stripped completely, weapons, harness, even booster bands before we could think clearly enough to try to send a message."

"We were then carried back to the anthill and inside...We could see and think, but couldn't move...dim lighting...dumped on floor..."

She stopped and stretched her head back. I realized she was suffering from the pain of her wounds. I waited.

"Dumped on floor in room with dim lighting... We were examined...probed by their antennae...checked for sex...Knew what they were looking for...then piled together...Examining Ants withdrew...replaced by six guards...larger, heavier mandibles..."

"Finally gained control of motor nerves...Effects of stun beam wear off eventually...Examined chamber...Tzu said it was specifically a chamber for captives...one entrance, water supply...Particularly noted lighting...came from luminous rocks...not a natural formation...brought in...changed occasionally by guards... Light not necessary for Ants; must be for prisoners..."

"Examining Ants returned once we were conscious... Crowded first Tzu, then me toward Vahr...Tzu deduced they wanted us to breed...Vahr and I complied, Tzu would not... Warm-bloods brought and given to Vahr and me... Tzu prevented from eating...Pattern continued... Laid eggs, but would not let Ants near them... They did not insist... Suggested Tzu also comply...refused...Would not help Enemy learn about Tzen... "

"Began planning escape... Could approach entrance, but guards would not let us leave chamber...From entrance we could see another chamber across the tunnel...machines..."

"Commander!" came Mahz's voice into my mind.

"Rahm here."

"I have a report on the shuttlecraft "

"Delay report."

I focused my attention on Kor as she continued.

"Could not see entire chamber... There was a kind of View Screen...not full image like ours...stick figures on glowing screen... Display showed our fortification and the anthill...stick figures of Tzen around fortification... Number of Tzen changed from time to time...assumed showing defenses and patrols... Could not see controls or operators.

"Planned escape... Had noted speed of Ants while being carried on surface...used estimated speed and memorized turns taken carried in dark...Thought we could find our way out...Decided not to carry glow rocks...would pinpoint position... Vahr and I would provide fighting cover for Tzu's escape...get Scientist out..."

"Commander," came Mahz's voice again.

"Rahm here. "

"Intruders in the Network, Southeast."

"Identify. "

"Leapers. Twenty of them."

"Movement?"

"Holding position at seventy-five meters."

"Attack Alert," I called to the team. "Leapers massing. Seventy-five meters, Southeast."

I turned back to Kor.

"Continue your report."

"We made our escape attempt...Vahr began to act erratically...running back and forth...falling on floor...Finally ran to eggs and began smashing them with his feet."

"Three guards moved to subdue him... He fought... They seemed unwilling to hurt him... Killed one...Tzu and I made no move to escape...two of the remaining guards moved to assist...only one guard left on entrance..."

"There were several rocks in chamber...same size as my steel balls... Used one to kill entrance guard... We ran... Vahr broke loose and took position at entrance to slow pursuit..."

"Running blind in dark...Hit walls...Tunnels not patrolled...Ran into an Ant from behind...killed it... Ran into one head-on...caught me by arm... Tzu continued alone...Killed the Ant but lost the arm...kept running."

"Message beamed from Tzu...Encountered large number of Ants...blocking tunnel to surface... She ran down another tunnel...led them off..."

"I got to the surface without encountering another Ant...headed for fortification... Several Ants emerged and started after me, then turned back..."

"Commander!" came Mahz's voice, "More Leapers north, accompanied by several Ants!"

"Confirmed," I beamed.

"That concludes my report." Kor's voice was suddenly coherent again. "Special commendation recommended for Tzu. She died like a-"

Her body spasmed, and was still.

"Mahz," I beamed, "status report"

"No visual contact, but instruments still show the two groups. No activity since the last report. They seem to be waiting for something."

"Estimated arrival of shuttlecraft?"

"The transport is in a bad orbital position. If they send it out it won't have enough power to lift off again. Earliest possible arrival is just after sunset"