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Dhaval's expression mirrored that of his peer. He was viewing the other mountains in the range across the valley. Once lush, they were now completely bare. A thick, black line encroached on the remaining foliage below. It was slowly spreading out, leaving nothing in the wake behind it.
"What is that?" Dhaval reiterated Toq's question, gasping in horror.
The three other Romulans exchanged glances. Tokath, being the leader, answered. "Soldier ants, we called them. We encountered them over twenty years ago," he explained, "shortly after we founded this place. They live partially dormant in the ground for an undetermined number of years. And then, for no apparent reason, they go on the move."
"They will devour everything. Nothing can stand in their path," Valdus added, "They'll pick your bones clean in a matter of minutes. That's what happened to old Ch'tang."
Dhaval's blood ran cold. The thought of dying in that humiliating manner, of insects savagely feeding on his flesh, terrified him. To be killed in a battle, as undesirable as that was, was one thing; this was an entirely different matter.
"So, it is as I feared…" Tokath uttered to himself.
Toq slammed his hand down on the ground, capturing a crawling creature. He opened his hand to reveal a black ant the size of his smallest finger. Holding one of its legs so as to prevent it from escaping, he glanced up at the others. "Is this one of them?" he asked.
"Yes," Eviess confirmed, "A scout."
Before Toq could say another word, the creature slashed a gash into his hand with its powerful mandibles. Hissing in pain, the Klingon dropped it, and blood rushed from his wound. The ant scurried away, disappearing into a nearby bush.
"Is everything on this planet so vicious?" Dhaval asked in disgust.
"Not everything," replied Toq, licking his hand, "but many things are."
Tokath took another gander at the main body. "At the rate they're moving," he said, shading his eyes from the setting sun with his hand, "it looks like they will reach the compound in about a week," he said grimly.
"Agreed," said Valdus.
"How do we fight them, Commander?" asked Dhaval in alarm. As long as there was still breath in him, he was determined not to give up.
"It will be difficult," said Tokath, "Last time they very nearly defeated us, and their force was much smaller back then." There was a definite sense of dread in the older Romulan's voice.
"But there must be some chance, sir!" insisted the young sub-lieutenant. By this point, his thoughts had turned to his Anne. He firmly pushed away the unwanted mental image of those vermin swarming all over her, of her screaming as they devoured her pretty form. The thought made his guts twist up inside him.
But he couldn't permit that distraction. Otherwise, he wouldn't be at the top of his game, and might fail to protect her as a result. He would be no good to her if he was not completely focused on the goal.
Tokath's tone became slightly more optimistic. "There is always a chance, Dhaval," he concurred.
It was then that Toq started to chuckle. His companions turned to him, in awe that he could laugh at a time like that. "Of course this will delay my marriage to Ba'el," he said wryly, "but what else is new, right?"
The party made their way back to the compound, as silent as the jungle they were traversing through. Tokath had decided to go back to the compound immediately rather than waste time by camping for the night. He wasn't met with any disapproval. All of them had misgivings about going to sleep in the jungle after what they had seen. If they went to sleep, they all worried that they might not wake back up before being eaten alive.
Eviess didn't want to think about the ants. She and the other elders always knew that they could have come back again. But twenty years was a long time. And time often has a way of making one forget bad experiences. She had certainly forgotten about it up to that point.
She focused instead on what she had learned from Dhaval and Toq. Could it really be the truth? The part about that fool H'dean always mumbling to himself was true enough. It was a ridiculously strange habit he possessed. She had never really listened to his babbling while on patrol, because she had always assumed it was more of the same nonsense he uttered audibly.
Between "us men"? Bah! she thought angrily. Dhaval had another thing coming if he thought she was going to tolerate that kind of chauvinism from some delusional adolescent! He hadn't been married to his demure human wife for very long, but clearly it had already gone to his head. What was worse was that she could actually picture H'dean standing there and agreeing with Dhaval and Toq. He was so egotistic. Eviess was certain his wife wouldn't have put up with that if she were still alive.
She then wondered how long that boor must have been ogling her, and surmised that he had probably been voicing his observations to Toq and Dhaval the entire time! She imagined the three of them must have been comparing "their" women. It made her blood boil. As if she would even consider a cur like him!
Ba'el sat outside in the darkness. An eerie fog had descended upon the area. Spring had arrived, yet it didn't feel at all like spring. Since the jungle outside the walls was uncharacteristically voiceless, it was easy to hear her mother inside the house, tending to the fire. In the same vein, H'dean's patrolling footsteps could be heard as he approached.
The elder Romulan hesitated when he saw her sitting there, and Ba'el knew exactly why. He was remembering what she and Anne had been talking about the previous night. She smirked, for she knew he couldn't see her face yet. She and Anne had been wicked.
"Good evening, Ba'el," he greeted her.
"Good evening," she replied. Soon, his footsteps were too far away to pick up. She laughed quietly.
Ba'el wasn't usually one to go for Dhaval's mischief, but in this case she welcomed the distraction. At least she wouldn't be worried all the time.
It was getting late, but she knew she probably wouldn't sleep very well again that night. Her mother wouldn't go to bed. Instead, she would meticulously clean the house all night, insisting to her daughter that it had to be spotless for when her husband came home. But it was already spotless; her mother had done the same thing the night before. Clearly, Gi'ral was a vast deal more concerned this time about Tokath leaving home than she had ever been. More than anything else, that in itself told Ba'el that something was wrong.
Toq and father will be back before we know it, she assured herself. She imagined Anne was probably in her bed, weeping all over Dhaval's pillow.
The girl sighed. That was enough. She got up and went into the house. Gi'ral was busy sweeping away imagined dust.
"Mother," Ba'el ventured, "don't you think it's time for you to tell me what's going on?"
"I don't know anymore than anyone else," her mother answered evenly.
"I'm not a child anymore, mother!" Ba'el insisted. "I'm a woman, and soon I'll be a married woman."
Gi'ral met her daughter's eyes. She knew that Ba'el was right. She had faced death once before without hesitation. Clearly, she was ready for the truth. So they sat down and she told Ba'el of the elders' suspicions, about the return of the black menace from the colony's earliest days. They stayed up long into the night, and she told her daughter everything, including other details of that time.
"That was also when your father first told me how he felt," the older woman said, blushing. "After seeing his courage, I realized that I loved him, too. It wasn't easy to admit it," she explained, "We were still working out our differences with the Romulans then. But we could not deny what was in our hearts."
Dawn's rosy rays were beginning to stream through the window. The guard announced that Tokath and the others had returned. Ba'el and Gi'ral smiled to each other and went outside.
Anne was already out, rushing over to her husband's arms. Dhaval kissed her eagerly, as though he had been gone for months instead of only two days.
Toq approached Ba'el more slowly, but with no less ardor. "I love you, my par'mach'kai," he said as he rapturously embraced her. Ba'el felt her heart soar. Her mate-to-be was more reserved than Dhaval was, however. Tokath had shot a "you're not married yet" look at him earlier. It wasn't easy being in love with the commander's only daughter.
From over Toq's shoulder, Ba'el saw H'dean and Eviess assess each other. H'dean flashed a foxy, debonair smile at her. She smiled sweetly back, and strolled seductively toward him. H'dean had not expected this, but he seemed to decide that he didn't have any objections. In fact, he made it clear in no uncertain terms that he welcomed her advances. He pursed his lips together in anticipation, waiting to see her next move.
It was not what he thought it would be. Without warning, Eviess' eyes flashed with fury, and she socked him hard, right on the mouth. She then stormed off, not saying a word.
H'dean's eyes were wide in shock, and olive-colored fluid began to ooze from his lip. It took him a few seconds to process what had just occurred. But then a grimace slowly formed on his face. He wiped the blood away with his hand and chuckled, leering at her all the while as she angrily marched toward the barracks.
Ba'el suddenly realized that H'dean was easily developing feelings for Eviess. And he simply thought she was deliberately playing hard to get. This was not at all what she pictured. Maybe she had made a mistake in going along with the scheme. She saw Dhaval and Toq smirk at each other. They obviously had no scruples.
"Listen, everyone," Tokath announced. Ba'el gave her father her attention. Her second guesses would have to wait. "We're in danger," he said, "but we will be saved if we continue to work together. There is much to be done. We will hold a council in an hour."