particles were joined just as they were combined to produce propulsive power. But the black beam that had killed two Swarmer nests was something he’d never seen. Was this the moment to challenge Hunter One?
“Hunter Seven!” cried the Servant who studied distant sky lights and radiations from the cold darkness of space. “That black beam kills the way some distant sky lights die!”
New pheromones filled the Flight Chamber as signals arrived from Hunter One’s flying nest. They spoke of aggregation and release and a new direction for all Swarmer nests to fly.
“Propulsive Servant, move our nest upward and away from the largest Soft Skin flying nest,” he ordered in a mix of release and trail pheromones. “Join our other nests in flying beyond the reach of this new stinger. Stinger Servant, focus your sky light and sky bolt weapons on the front end of the large Soft Skin nest. Destroy the spot that emits this new beam!”
Eager pheromones of aggregation and compliance came to him from the seven Servants in front of him. Like most Swarmer castes, they responded well when given direction by a Hunter or senior caste leader.
He would put off challenging Hunter One. This moment of immense danger put his own flying nest at risk. Already the hard shell of his nest had been struck three times by sky light beams from the Soft Skin nests. Only the thickness and density of the minerals used to build Swarmer flying nest shell skins had prevented the beams from hurting those inside. Waiting was hard for any Hunter. But it was the flight path of wisdom and survival for now. He chose to fly that path, hoping for a later chance to show the superiority of his leadership.
♦ ♦ ♦
Hunter felt surprise at the death of two more Swarmer flying nests, then intense anger. He had begun this attack certain of their victory over the Soft Skins. But now, somehow, the Soft Skins had found enough Fighter Leaders to fight back, even to advance on the Swarm! Such could not be permitted. His three small eyes fixed on a perception imager that gave distances between the flying nests. His remaining eight nests were approaching the sky line at which they would be safe from the black beam of total annihilation. And his nest would soon come within its range. Which, he was pleased to see, was motivating his Stinger Servant to order the sky light and sky bolt Fighters in other chambers of his nest to focus their beams on the front end of the largest Soft Skin nest. The beam had come from a spot on the upper head of the enemy. A spot that would lie just above the three small eyes that lay between the two major eyes of every Swarmer. The Stinger Servants on his other flying nests saw what his Fighters were doing and now joined in. In less than four wing beats every Swarmer flying nest was firing at the same spot on the Soft Skin flying nest, even as eight of them fled outward.
“Alarm!” scent cast the elderly female Servant who monitored external space and the actions of the Soft Skin flying nests. “The largest Soft Skin flying nest is lifting its head! It presents the hard shell of its abdomen to the flames of our sky lights and sky bolts!”
“Stinger Servant,” Hunter scent cast to the young female in charge of sending orders to the Fighter Leaders and Fighters in other chambers of his nest. “Concentrate our sky light and sky bolt weapons on the next largest Soft Skin nest!” What else must he scent? “Speaker To All, signal to our Support Hunters that each nest must fire at the same Soft Skin nest. That was how the Soft Skins killed the nest Bright Day . Let us do the same and claim a Soft Skin nest!”
Those two Servants did as he ordered. A pheromone of approval came from the Matron behind him. The older male Servant who handled the propulsive devices that moved his flying nest also sent aggregation and trail pheromones as a sign all Servants should follow the leadership of Hunter One.
The elder’s helpful scent
“Hunter Seven!” cried the Servant who studied distant sky lights and radiations from the cold darkness of space. “That black beam kills the way some distant sky lights die!”
New pheromones filled the Flight Chamber as signals arrived from Hunter One’s flying nest. They spoke of aggregation and release and a new direction for all Swarmer nests to fly.
“Propulsive Servant, move our nest upward and away from the largest Soft Skin flying nest,” he ordered in a mix of release and trail pheromones. “Join our other nests in flying beyond the reach of this new stinger. Stinger Servant, focus your sky light and sky bolt weapons on the front end of the large Soft Skin nest. Destroy the spot that emits this new beam!”
Eager pheromones of aggregation and compliance came to him from the seven Servants in front of him. Like most Swarmer castes, they responded well when given direction by a Hunter or senior caste leader.
He would put off challenging Hunter One. This moment of immense danger put his own flying nest at risk. Already the hard shell of his nest had been struck three times by sky light beams from the Soft Skin nests. Only the thickness and density of the minerals used to build Swarmer flying nest shell skins had prevented the beams from hurting those inside. Waiting was hard for any Hunter. But it was the flight path of wisdom and survival for now. He chose to fly that path, hoping for a later chance to show the superiority of his leadership.
♦ ♦ ♦
Hunter felt surprise at the death of two more Swarmer flying nests, then intense anger. He had begun this attack certain of their victory over the Soft Skins. But now, somehow, the Soft Skins had found enough Fighter Leaders to fight back, even to advance on the Swarm! Such could not be permitted. His three small eyes fixed on a perception imager that gave distances between the flying nests. His remaining eight nests were approaching the sky line at which they would be safe from the black beam of total annihilation. And his nest would soon come within its range. Which, he was pleased to see, was motivating his Stinger Servant to order the sky light and sky bolt Fighters in other chambers of his nest to focus their beams on the front end of the largest Soft Skin nest. The beam had come from a spot on the upper head of the enemy. A spot that would lie just above the three small eyes that lay between the two major eyes of every Swarmer. The Stinger Servants on his other flying nests saw what his Fighters were doing and now joined in. In less than four wing beats every Swarmer flying nest was firing at the same spot on the Soft Skin flying nest, even as eight of them fled outward.
“Alarm!” scent cast the elderly female Servant who monitored external space and the actions of the Soft Skin flying nests. “The largest Soft Skin flying nest is lifting its head! It presents the hard shell of its abdomen to the flames of our sky lights and sky bolts!”
“Stinger Servant,” Hunter scent cast to the young female in charge of sending orders to the Fighter Leaders and Fighters in other chambers of his nest. “Concentrate our sky light and sky bolt weapons on the next largest Soft Skin nest!” What else must he scent? “Speaker To All, signal to our Support Hunters that each nest must fire at the same Soft Skin nest. That was how the Soft Skins killed the nest Bright Day . Let us do the same and claim a Soft Skin nest!”
Those two Servants did as he ordered. A pheromone of approval came from the Matron behind him. The older male Servant who handled the propulsive devices that moved his flying nest also sent aggregation and trail pheromones as a sign all Servants should follow the leadership of Hunter One.
The elder’s helpful scent
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