“Do not think it,” Hu’urs Khraam warned. “The Dornaani are not so degenerate as you suppose, and they will separate our actions into two categories: what we decided to do, and how we went about doing it. Valid, or at least reasonable, political arguments can be adduced to explain the decision to invade human space. But if we conduct ourselves viciously in the course of that action, this will constitute a second, and perhaps greater crime in their eyes.”
“But their eyes are not here to see, nor their ears here to listen.”
“So you think. I have reason, and counsel, that prompts me to think otherwise. But enough. Do you have another plan that remains within the constraints of our rules of engagement?”
At first, Darzhee Kut thought that First Voice was going to evert his claws in frustration and turn his back on the Arat Kur leader, but instead, the Hkh’Rkh lowered his head in thought. He can tell that Hu’urs Khraam wishes to find an efficacious alternative, even given the constraints. First Voice will push the limits of the law, now.
The Hkh’Rkh leader’s head rose. “Hunter-killer teams.”
“I do not understand.”
“At present, we have a standoff in the perimeter we are attempting to establish. We clear the humans that attempt to stand against us. They infiltrate back into the area because we do not have the forces to secure so large and porous a perimeter. We have emergency response teams that react specifically to these infiltrators. But since the humans feel confident reentering the area again, this method is insufficient.”
“Go on.”
“So we do to them what they have been doing to us. We do not try to engage them conventionally, but rather, send out many small teams charged with only one objective: seek and kill humans. Any and all that appear within one kilometer of this compound.”
“And this achieves what?” asked Urzueth Ragh.
Yaargraukh pony-nodded his support of First Voice’s idea. “It achieves a balance of terror. We cannot hold the one-kilometer perimeter because we are trying to hold territory rather than destroy the enemy. And while moving from flashpoint to flashpoint, our troops must worry about what lies behind every window, every door, in every building. Now, we shall use the humans’ own tactics against them: hunt and ambush them indiscriminately throughout the zone. Then the humans will have reason to fear every door and window. Only the most resolute opponents will stand against our trained warriors for very long, and those few we can surround and destroy. However, it will require a great many of our best troopers to accomplish this task.”
Graagkhruud came to stand by First Voice. “This plan has another benefit. In those sectors where we have lost most of our clearing units, this gives us a new means of scouting and preempting any assault forces the humans might be gathering there. We will need five hundred additional warriors for these squad-sized hunter-killer teams.”
Yaargraukh studied the city map. “We will need fifteen hundred.”
Graagkhruud sneered. “Again, your admiration of the humans makes you truly their best Advocate.”
“This time, I admire the clock, First Fist. We will need a round-the-clock action cycle. That means at least three shifts of five hundred Warriors. And even if we split each shift into two four-hour patrols, such unrelenting pursuit and combat will drain our troops quickly. As it stands, we do not have enough troops to sustain so extensive an operation, not while maintaining a full defensive force here.”
Graagkhruud swept that objection aside with a careless claw. “We will draw additional troops from internal security.”
Yaargraukh looked at First Fist. “That is a dangerous step, First Fist.”
“Were you not thought by so many to be brave, I would say your prudence could be heard as cowardice, Advocate for s’fet.”
Yaargraukh was very quiet. As Darzhee Kut understood it, Graagkhruud had almost uttered a Challenge insult—but not quite. The Advocate turned back to the map. “We seem to have little choice but to do as you recommend, First Fist. In addition, I would also suggest we start making use of the humans’ weapons.”
“In the field?”
“For softer, easier targets, yes. And for suppressive fire, most certainly. Our own ammunition expenditure is alarming. However, if we relegate secondary-fire missions to captured human weapons, we will be able to extend our own stocks of ammunition by using them only in those engagements where their superior killing power and range matter most.”
“The weapons you refer to, the AKs, are like children’s toys. We cannot hold them properly.”
“I have studied these rifles, First Fist. They will be serviceable if the technical support troops cut away the hand-grips and trigger guards.”
First Voice nodded at Yaargraukh then at Graagkhruud. “Together, your points are sound. See to their implementation and then return here. Yaargraukh, honor us by personally overseeing the technical logistics of your recommendations.”
“First Voice speaks and I obey.” As Yaargraukh exited, he and Caine pointedly did not look at each other. But Darzhee Kut sensed their mutual avoidance was motivated by a desire to protect each other, rather than antipathy.
Urzueth Ragh edged closer to Hu’urs Khraam, who noticed. “You have news?”
“We shall soon defeat the humans’ electronic warfare efforts. However, Tuxae Skhaas aboard the flagship Greatvein points out that for the next several minutes, with all the human chaff and image-makers that are still operating, our sensors are still badly cluttered with false images. We could overlook genuine targets.”
“We know this well. We also retain sufficient means to deal with any especially ominous aerial attacks. Why does the Greatvein’s master sing so repetitive a refrain?”
“Hu’urs Khraam, this report was not sent at the behest of Fleetmaster R’sudkaat. It is relayed by Sensor Coordinator Tuxae Skhaas on his own initiative. And he is not worried about what we are seeing, but what we are not seeing. Specifically, he is concerned that we have seen no activity involving the human submarines.”
“And why would we?” The First Delegate flexed his claws testily. “For hundreds of kilometers in every direction, we seeded the depths of these waters with station-keeping marine sensors.”
“True, Esteemed Hu’urs Khraam, but there has been increasing question regarding their reliability.”
“I have read these speculations and can find no reason to give them credence. Do you really think that the humans could send individual divers out to so many separate units and disable them?”
“Not disable them, Hu’urs Khraam, but rewire a select number of them to continuously report ‘all clear.’”
“And how would they begin to know how to rewire our systems?”
“We did lose several of the sensors in the first week of our operations.”
“Yes, we were bound to have some defective units. They were an entirely new technology for an entirely new domain of warfare.”
“What if they were not defective? What if we lost them because the humans isolated, deactivated, and then examined those sensors with the intent of learning how to electronically trick them? And they need not trick many sensors. Only those few monitoring the areas that they planned on using for submarine infiltration.”
First Voice waggled his neck. “The humans have not built any new submarines in almost thirty years. Most are old and hard to maintain. Had they been deemed a threat, we could have brought our own submarines as a counterforce.”