February 21, 2106 (military calendar)Iv'Lux(transted) 40, 1(Tukyarid calendar)Klicks I watched the video footage of the humans nding with the local queen. “I admit I was afraid these humans would not discriminate between us and those vermin but they show incredible discipline” she states.

  I notice something and point at it. It’s a group of humans and Tukyarid. One has some device strapped to him but he seems to be with the humans willingly.

  The queen gasps “It’s the captain of the explorer sent to the human system” I look again then search my memories and realize she’s right.

  Movement catches my attention “Look they seem to be leaving the star port” Three rge groups begin to leave while some stay behind presumably to guard it.

  There is also a lot of activity around the port like they are building something. Are they expanding it? If so just how much are they going to bring down?

  Resolute in what I must do I straighten up “I must make contact with them” I decre. The local queen objects of course. I let her rant for a while watching the map the whole time. It seems a group is coming for this city.

  “Prepare our kin for battle let’s focus on not getting in their way” The queen seems confused for a second “The humans are coming this way. I suspect only rubble will remain. As the proxy of hive queen Bellum, I will go and meet them”

  She relents finally “Take some guards at least” Now that we are not focused entirely on hiding we can spare weapons. We’ve also gotten many more due to the fighting.

  Myself and two rger Tukyarid scuddle through hidden tunnels known only to us as we were the sve bor that built them. According to my two escorts, we should exit outside the city.

  It takes us several hours to get through the tunnel but as promised we emerge outside the city.

  We get out and seal the entrance and take a moment to make sure it’s hidden. Once done I consult my map then lead us towards the human army. They should be half a day away but hopefully, with them moving closer it won’t take that long.

  We begin our trek with equal parts excitement and trepidation. We bounce our hopes and worries off one another. Will they be willing to talk? Can they even speak to us properly? They should be able to as they seem to talk to the captain.

  More nuanced concerns are raised “Will they ensve us once they are finished” one asks. I rub my wings “It doesn’t matter plus I doubt they’d go through all this for that”

  I start to ignore how much time has passed as I can’t forget but a dust cloud snaps my full attention back. I reach into my pack and retrieve a magnifier to take a look.

  At first, I can’t make anything out with reasonable confidence until I see one of the rge human bipedal war machines. They are in sight.

  “Behind us, we’ve been followed” one of my escorts shouts. Their panic reverberated in a small corner of my mind but I ignored it.

  “We need to move and make it to the humans first” Both my escorts turn to face our oppressors instead “No we'll buy you time shed your gear so you can fly our life’s mean nothing to the greater hive”

  Their resolve repces that earlier panic. I empty out my water and food. Our home world has a higher gravity than this backwater I should be light enough now.

  I stretch out my wings and take off. Moments ter gunfire erupts. I look back for the sole purpose of remembering their st moments for the hive. I’ll make sure it was worth it.

  I get close enough to see vehicles and people just for a searing pain to erupt from my wing and I feel myself plummeting.

  I hit the ground hard but don’t feel anything else break. Strange roaring becomes noticeable combined with other noises. Several rge booms sound out and for a moment I think maybe something is wrong.

  The roar turns out to be one of the humans transports. Two in fact. One stops right by me and two people get out and crouch next to me. The other stops a little further away and has a figure standing on the back operating a rge weapon.

  The two next to me are motionless for a few moments, and then one starts to inspect parts of me. Crucial areas I realize. Spinal cord limbs and other injuries that could prevent me from being moved.

  How do they know what to check? They finally seem satisfied and gently pick me up and I see one of the rge bipedal machines march right over us.

  Its arms spitting out rounds endlessly and I finally find the source of the booms. The rge cannon on its back rocks it back half a step.

  I’m set in the back of the closet vehicle and both race back deeper into the human lines. The once-organized march has become chaotic as the humans race around seemingly with purpose.

  They must be fighting the oppressors. I try to look back and see if my escorts would be saved but even with not being able to see through the dust I know they must be dead. Why else would I have been shot?

  I’m brought to a still section of the humans and in the daze that’s slowly enveloping me I spot the captain kheks.

  He scuddles over followed by a group of humans. Some seem focused on me but most of them seem to have their guard up watching for something.

  One of the smaller humans says something to kheks and holds out several objects. He points to a few and they proceed to inject them into me.

  My pain goes away and I’m being pulled into unconsciousness. That is until they inject another substance and I’m wide awake and alert.

  As I look around no longer dazed I take the time to fully take in and appreciate the humans equipment. While I don't know what everything does I know nothing is without purpose.

  The one who injected me with those substances inspects my wing with kheks and another rger human. I force out a question “Did they ensve you” kheks looks at me. But my answer comes from an important-looking human.

  The reply is sympathetic but it seems they do in fact have a way to communicate with us. An unknown weight is lifted knowing that.

  “We didn’t ensve him or his crew. We are here both at his request and for our own reasons… who are you and why were you out here in such a small group”

  My wings droop. “I am the proxy of hive queen Bellum. We were here to talk to you humans directly but got ambushed”

  I start to feel some cloth wrap around my stump wing. Seems kheks told them how to treat us. The human replies “I see do you have a name”

  Kheks turns his head to look at me. No doubt intrigued as Bellum was not was not born yet when he left and a queen proxy is also new.

  “I am known as klicks” the human bobs their head “I am General Rex. Now I have some questions that I believe you’d be able to answer. Namely, why have your people been acting strange the second we arrived”

  I tilt my head “That’s because we wish to aid you but did not know if you'd also fire upon us” a human to the side who had their leg armor painted red says something to this Rex.

  Thunderous booms shake the ground and I see huge plumes of dirt and sand falling down. “Seems Coles aim is perfect as ever”

  Suddenly I lose consciousness. Did I get that overwhelmed?

  SilverTen minutes before Klicks colpsed I admire the huge pile I gathered. Every st ounce of coke in old Columbia. Now to dispose of it all like Sif asked.

  I stare at it trying to decide how. Well, there really is only one way is there. I open a rift underneath the pile sending the several tons of coke into my secret storage that conveniently feeds a device in my major artery giving me a constant supply.

  The feeling is as immediate as it is incredible. Within moments I can see sounds and taste colors. Sif would maybe disapprove but then again she did assign me to this so…

  My hud beeps and I see live footage of the saint about to enter combat. Normally I’d just watch a fellow battle junkie as Sif has had me busy but now…

  In the old universe, she'd probably have been a fellow Valkyrie. Oh well times change let's go pay her a visit.

  I open a rift to an out of eyesight location near her and step through. I keep my armor's cloaking on until I’m close to her then I drop it.

  She immediately notices the sudden appearance of silver armor. Very dutifully polished silver armor. I wait impatiently for her to finish up her conversation.

  A click of my coms indicates she wants to talk now. Interesting that she did that before walking over. “Silver, Sherman’s gift says you're a sentinel”

  A small smile spreads “Indeed though until recently I’ve been busy elsewhere” Apparently she was still actively in her meeting because she waves and the group disperses allowing her to walk over.

  “While I don’t mind a sentinel dropping in I’d like an expnation at least. And I’d like to know what your specialty is Bear and Sherman are obvious”

  I shrug “I’m here because I thought it would be interesting to see the saint in person” Tanya shakes her head “Could be a worse reason I guess”

  I nod “As for my specialty…” I shrink back into myself to speed up my thoughts and scan her forces until I find a good reference “I guess I usually function like your special forces squads but solo”

  She nods I think in approval. “I see. I assume you have your entire kit”

  I shrug. “More or less. What I’m allowed to bring” I’d prefer to have my wings even the mechanical ones originally made for Spero and adapted for the rest of us.

  I do at least have an upgraded version of the standard mobility unit and thanks to some sneaky sentinel upgrades I’ll never run out of fuel or ammo.

  I make note that with the exception of the special forces everyone has one weapon on their backpack. The special forces sometimes have two and I’m here with three.

  I might stand out. Then again to the current public eye the sentinels are the absolute best of the best so it might not be too strange.

  A sudden commotion draws our attention and I watch some of the locals separate their group. Two trying to hold off the rge force Tanya was preparing to engage. The third flies toward us.

  KlicksAll around me is darkness but I feel like I’m awake. I try to move around but everything feels too heavy to move.

  What’s going on? Did the humans do this to me? To further add to my confusion I hear a voice coming from nowhere and everywhere.

  “Be at ease little one I merely wanted to have a chat” I look around but still can’t see anything “Who are you” I try to say but no sound is formed.

  The voice hears me anyway “I guess that would be your first question. I created you. Well not you but your species. I have to say I am so proud of what you all have accomplished”

  I begin to feel well and truly overwhelmed “You created us? If you did that why didn’t you protect us” I shout the st part.

  The voice sounds a little disappointed “The easy answer is there are rules and I couldn’t intervene directly yet here help is now. As for the real reason… it would be insulting to your people”

  I tilt my head confused “Think about it everything your people have done was all you. You traveled the stars by your own will and ingenuity alone and when met with the possibility of destruction you quickly came up with a pn to overcome it”

  It’s words… feel right. In a way, I can’t describe. “So if you wanted us to grow by ourselves why are you here now” the entity ughs sounding like a Tukyarid and a thousand different creatures simultaneously.

  “I figured it was time to enable a feature I had put in you but left dormant until now. It will feel weird but you will find it most useful”

  I feel a shift inside me. More specifically where the hive mind connects. I feel around with it but only find one solid point to tch on to.

  “Klicks? How?” I feel my queen bellum in my mind and become just as confused as her. I’m light years away and have never been able to express words.

  “My queen” I ask “How is this possible” We both ruminate for a moment. “Klicks let’s not dwell on this development too long quietly tell me what’s happening there”

  I realize she’s going to take full advantage of this strange situation and I agree that that would be the best use. I recount what’s happened and that kheks is alive.

  Once I finish she decres “I give you full authority to negotiate with these humans on behalf of the hive. If this strange yet convenient situation isn’t a one-time occurrence I’d like to be kept up to date”

  The connection fizzles a little and I’m awake again. Actually awake. That was strange.

  I look around and see the humans are all busy but kheks is sitting near me. He brushes past me being unconscious “Here put this on it’ll help you talk to the humans”

  He hands over a device identical to the one he’s wearing. I put it on and after some adjustments, the humans speech is transted.

  We watch a group finish talking and gesture at us then walk over. One with red legs speaks “you're from that city right”

  I reply in the affirmative and he continues “Would you be up for escorting us and being our guide kheks needs to stay here”

  I check myself over and While I’ll never fly again I’m perfectly fine. “What are you looking for precisely” the human seems to be thinking “Choke points unusual activity. Heavy concentrations of the enemy”

  I understand now it should have been obvious but while the Bellum hive is likely the best at warfare we simply do not have as much history as the humans do. They live and breathe it.

  “I see… how big of a group will we be moving in” With the slightest of pauses he states “ including you it’ll be seven. Set whatever pace you want we’ll be able to keep it and not get spotted”

  That’s a bold statement seeing as my group of three was found but I guess once again these humans must practice moving unseen more than us.

  “There are secret tunnels that will help us move. One is nearby retively speaking so you can get in the city undetected”

  The human nods “Barbosa you're the baby sitter seeing as he is still injured… silver I’ll trust your experience bounce around where you need to be”

  After a little more preparation we set off back to the entrance to the secret tunnels.