The sky was crimson, the land grayish-brown. In the distance, twisted rock pillars and bottomless ravines were visible.
"Approaching Forward Base Three." The pilot's voice came through the comms channel. "Detecting Energy Fluctuation below. Could be alien insect activity."
Xu Wuyi rose and walked over to the viewport.
Below, in a relatively flat valley, a cluster of the Federation's silver-gray buildings was clearly visible.
That was Forward Base Three, its perimeter enveloped by an Energy Shield. Outside the shield, a dense mass of grayish-brown figures writhed.
Alien Insects.
There were at least a thousand of them. They used their sharp, jointed limbs to tear at the ground, attempting to tunnel toward the base.
The Defense Cannon Platforms fired ceaselessly, beams of energy sweeping across the swarm and splattering viscous fluids everywhere. Yet more insects surged forward to replace the fallen.
