M'tak Ka'fek (The T'aafhal Inheritance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

the squad, motioning the embattled Marines forward with a wave of his armored arm. The two battle bots and several of the armored space Marines moved down slope along the refugees' flanks, laying down a murderous wave of fire to cover the extraction.
    “Thank you,” Dirk said, hanging his head and sighing in relief. “Thank you.”
    * * * * *
    The rescued Marine battalion was delivered to Farside Base 12 hours later, where the survivors were fed and bedded down after the welcome luxury of a long hot shower. The penitent LtCol Westfield was debriefed by Commander Curtis and Captain Rodriguez. In the end, Dirk volunteered for duty with the space Marines, even though that meant starting out as a new second lieutenant.
    Privately, Capt Rodriguez was happy to gain a battle seasoned field grade officer like the former Lieutenant Colonel. It slowly became clear that he was not the total asshole or mindless martinet that their previous interaction suggested. Jennifer had still not fully forgiven him for how his men had treated her squad, but having him as a subordinate was definitely helping the healing process.
    If having to call Jennifer “Ma'am” grated on the ex-colonel he did not show it. Instead, he threw himself into learning the new equipment and tactics required to wage infantry warfare in space. His success in that endeavor was indicated by his promotion to first lieutenant and position leading the second shuttle of boarders in the upcoming action.
    Now they were all Peggy Sue's Marines, awaiting the order to board the landing shuttles—56 men, women and polar bears all in space armor and heavily armed. No one knew what to expect when they boarded the alien spacecraft, or even if they would be called on to attempt an assault. For now, all they could do was watch as the Navy engaged the enemy.
     
    Bridge, Destroyer of Worlds
    The Captain of the People's ship Destroyer of Worlds watched the alien ships approaching. They are much faster and more maneuverable than we are, he thought, no chance of out running them. Bowing to the inevitable the Captain issued commands to his crew. 
    “Fire debris into the path of the incoming enemy ships, and mix in a few mines as well,” he snapped, perhaps that will slow them down some. “Eject a messenger pod to the aliens' blind side and launch the auxiliaries. Have them concentrate on the large enemy.” 
    They had done grievous damage to the third planet's ecosystem, large impactors obliterating all the major inhabited coastal regions. Most of the warm life vermin must have been eradicated. Those that did not die directly from the attack would surely perish from lack of food and exposure as their civilization came crashing down around them.
    Strange, he thought, life struggles to raise itself out of the primordial ooze, eventually creating a technological civilization without ever appreciating how dependent a species becomes on its own machines and gadgets. Technology makes proliferation possible and a species seemingly secure.  
    In reality, technology makes those who depend on it vulnerable to any major disruption. Technology, industries and orders of magnitude more individuals than a planet could ever support in a primitive state all woven together in a web of interdependence—a web that is surprisingly fragile and easy to break. And once broken, such civilizations are not just reduced or diminished, they implode. They collapse into ruin, carrying their creators to extinction. Yet these creatures stubbornly refuse to die.
    “Captain, the auxiliaries are away and a wave of detritus has been sent toward the incoming enemy ships,” confirmed one of his lieutenants.
    “Very good, Number Two.” It was just luck that the ship now chasing his had been out of the system when they started their attack on the infested planet. Now it would be much more difficult to complete their mission—they might even fail.
    For the Destroyer of Worlds ' crew the possibility of surrender did