LUCIN stood in the desolate streets of Sector city. Nearby were the pods that he had sent to bring back the pilots of the troop transport that had killed quite a few of his soldiers three hours earlier. The ship was found demolished in the street a few blocks away, but no blood or bodies were found.
Several of his men were running back out of the building in front of the abandoned pods, toward him. A few of the men were deathly pale and two more were leaning against the devastated building vomiting into the street.
"Well, Lieutenant?"
"They're-they're all dead, sir," he said gasping for breath. "Some sort of flying reptiles. It looks like they stumbled into a nest of them. Some of the creatures are dead inside and all of our people are scattered in pieces everywhere."
Lucin did not pretend to feel any loss for his human soldiers. They were completely dispensable as far as he was concerned. "And what about the pilots of that ship, are they among the dead?"
"It's difficult to say, but I don't think so-only our men, sir."
"Then they are still alive," he said as he began to pace. "I want them found, immediately."
"We'll begin a search of the surrounding area, sir."
"The entire city will be searched if need be, Lieutenant. I want them. No one is going to be allowed to insult me this way." He turned and looked back at his Lieutenant. "Is that clear?"
"Crystal, sir," said the Lieutenant and then he spoke into his communication link, barking orders for the deployment of more troops. "I want pod squadrons ready in ten minutes. I want continuous sweeps of the city by section until the pilots of that transport ship are found."
Lucin scanned the skyline. Something moved on a high building ledge a block away-it was watching them. He called out mentally to the creature and it perceived his call-the creature leapt away from its perch into a dive toward the pavement. As the reptilian sailed toward their group, gun bolts began to lock into place."
"What is it?!" asked one.
"It's one of those things that killed our men!" said another.
"Hold your fire," commanded Lucin.
The beast landed fifty feet away and stood still, glaring at them as Lucin calmly approached without fear or reservation. It screeched into the air, but as he got nearer to it, the creature began to lower its head in submission as though a lapdog returning to its master.
Lucin extended his hand and touched it; stroking it like a long lost pet. He and his astounded soldiers heard others screeching and looked up to see more of the beasts perched on the edges of the rooftops around them.
"There, now. You know who I am, don't you? What is it that you have been up to today?" Lucin asked the creature, with more affection than he had ever shown toward his troops. "Have you been chasing after our prey?"
The great beast, easily three times his size, seemed to acknowledge his words with understanding-it bellowed out a low moan. Lucin's troops lowered their weapons, but despite his influence on their minds, they were still in awe of his power and fearful of the beasts.
Lucin appeared to be in a deeper communication with the creature as he pressed his hands around its great head as though searching its primitive thoughts. The other reptiles remained upon their perches, watching without any perceivable malice toward what normally would have been a smorgasbord.
"They've gone," Lucin said to his Lieutenant as he broke off from his mental probing of the aerogore. "They are not here, at least not where we can get to them."
"Shall I stay our squadrons then?"
"No. Have them move throughout the city and secure its perimeters. We will move our legions out of the plains though. And we will move all of the cruisers away from the area except one. We wouldn't want to intimidate our prey too much. They won't poke their heads out from their holes if we standby guarding them."