The ground passed swiftly beneath him like a sheet of green and brown marble as UpLink soared fast and low over the landscape, heading toward Checkpoint Alpha. He had left the Blood Jihad naval fleet in good hands with Captain Zeller commanding, one of the few veterans of the Jihad left after Op: Phoenix. He may be the Fleet Admiral, but UpLink knew his experience with commanding troops was minimal, and for all concerned, it was best that he watch and learn from those with more time under their belts.
Scanning ahead, his Armour's sensors caught the traces of spent jet fuel and fusion engine emissions. He was approaching the area where the first attack wave had engaged the Luv Fighters, and several moments later he passed over the wreckage that had been left behind. Continuing forward, he monitored the comm channels, and learned that Arsenal and his Covert Operations team were attempting to penetrate an energy field surrounding the Lyran Base at San Carlos.
His Armour's on-board system began pinging, alerting him to the fact that he was now within 50 miles of Checkpoint Alpha. Slowing down, he brought his Armour to a standing position and initiated the mechamorphosis. Like all Excaliburs, the Pittsburg Special could shift from an armour to a motorcycle form. Unlike most Excaliburs, however, UpLink's had been modified to interface with a suit of Skyjack Combat Armour. As the Armour changed, the Skyjack thruster-pack/wing assembly folded up over the rear of the cycle, the wings folding down to form side shields.
The Armour completed its transformation as it struck ground, and the shaft driven wheels took over propulsion from the thrusters.
General Keili of the Blood Jihad Army/Air Force took in the view of the plains beneath her as she stood on a rise. The grasslands that stretched out before her were lush and full of the small forms of grazing llamas and other hills and plains creatures in the distance. She thought to herself of the what the HellWyrm would do if It were permitted to seize uncontested sovereignty of this beautiful country. That, she told herself, must not be allowed to happen.
Her revery was interupted by a young courrier, calling her attention to the report that he had been sent with.
"Ma'am, all planes have landed except for a patrol group. Other than the Lyran base, there's no sign of any enemy activity. Also, a communique has been recieved from Fleet Admiral UpLink. He'll be arriving within the next few minutes."
As the courrier returned to the camp, Keili wondered why the admiral was coming to the airstrip. She had learned from Blood Jihad records that UpLink was involved with an interstellar corporation, and had friends in high places among that corporation's trade worlds. Although the Jihad had managed to rebuild most of their forces, any other help would be gratefully accepted.
Taking a final glance at the panoramic vista of Argentina's countryside, she returned to the camp to see what UpLink was coming for.
"The entire First Corporate Fleet?" she asked, barely able to contain her surprise. "Just how big a fleet is it?"
"The last page is a roster of the ships," UpLink replied. "In all, the First Fleet is 110 ships strong, plus the War Dome as it's command center. Most of the ships are already in-system, and Mike's got them running standard patrols, the other 37 should be arriving in about 3 weeks. Before I forget, I have your security pass for the War Dome."
Keili accepted the credit card-sized pass, looking it over. It was marked with her full name, a list of identifying markers, and a serial number.
"I can see why you brought this in person. Arsenal'll be absolutely ecstatic when he reads this."
"Right. Also, I came out this way to check on things before heading north. I'll be meeting up with a phalanx of our Marines, and some combined Will/Dorsh-Bahlaki forces just a little south of San Salvador de Jujuy. We're going to sweep the Pampas to roust out anything that might be hiding in wait. Probably we'll cut straight east once we're in line with the Buenos Aires city proper. Make sure Arsenal gets all this. I'll see you on the field."
With that, the two Joint Chiefs rose and went out to the airfield.
"I'll be certain he gets this report," Keili said as her Marine counterpart mounted his Excalibur. Saluting, he tore off down the runway, shifting into Armour-mode and lifting into the air seconds later, heading north.
"You are granted audience, "a disembodied voice floated almost imperceptibly to him.
Bowing his head, he turned the door's knob and entered. Gone were the furnishings of a typical administrator's workplace, the room being almost completely bare, except for a low ornate table in it's center. Upon the table rested several relics of power, and behind it sat Kho'tok, Mage of the Fifth Circle.
"My lord, "V'zathrol intoned. "I bear ill tidings. Our spells of scrying are stymied, and we cannot seem to re-establish..."
Kho'tok raised a single hand, and his underling fell silent.
"I know of the apparent loss of sight we have used to spy on the human resistance fighters who dare move against us, and the Jihaddi scum who gather on the very threshold of our territory. This is most disquieting, it has never before happened. You will find the source of this disturbance, and bring it to me for study. If you are not able to do so, destroy it. Go."
Bowing low, V'zathrol exitted the room, and retreated back down the hall to relay the orders to his peers.
Colonel James Pertwee looked up from the map spread across the table he was leaning over. It was a topographical out-lay of the city they had targetted, San Salvador de Jujuy, and its surrounding area. Several entry points were pencilled in in red, blue, and green in order of priority and strategic layout.
"Has the Admiral been informed?" he enquired.
"Yessir. He's with them now. Sir, Those Cats have the wierdest language. Sounds like they're trying to throw up or something."
"So I've heard, " the colonel muttered, heading out of the command tent to meet the aliens.
As he approached the two hundred Bahlaki shock troopers, he couldn't help but make certain that his standard issue blaster was secure in its holster. The Cats were huge, the tallest standing at no less than seven and a half feet. They appeared bulky and slow, but he had been warned not to let a Bahlaki's deliberately slow movements fool him. They were quite capable of lashing out like lightning if it ever came to the defence of friend or ally. "Like a lion before a hunt, " he had been told. "They'll not do anything excessive until they catch the scent of prey."
He was no more than fifteen feet from the nearest Bahlaki, when it turned toward him and spoke in broken, extremely gutteral English.
"Kh'mahndrr-h'mnnn. Kh'mahndrr-Bahlaki K'shtrahl aw'haatss hyu. Khamm w'th mhh."
Pausing for only a moment, Colonel Pertwee fell in, and followed the alien to his commander's tent. If nothing else, he knew, the addition of Bahlaki troopers to his Marines would make their offensive all the more likely of victory. All the same, he could not shake the feeling that something would go terribly wrong.