Chla’Tl
Location: Skraz-Skrrz
Time: 0756, 5-36 GM, 1335 A.C.
The quills along her spine rose on end and quivered gently, showing the Skrrz’s displeasure as she stalked down the palace corridor. To either side of her drones worked at the walls, hewing away at the raw stone with laser tools, causing the normally sickly green glow of the palace to be tinged red.
Chla’Tl hated lasers. No doubt they were useful, but she hated the burning, untouchable light.
Her displeasure was noted by the drones, who did not outwardly react except to fold their own spinal quills against their backs in meek deference, a silent apology for disturbing the Magistrum.
Despite her surfacing hatred, Chla’Tl did not hasten along to get away from the construction. After all, even the mindless of the Skrrz would notice such things, and then there was the danger that someone thinking would...
The guards to either side of the door bowed deeply as she strode by, the doors swinging open hard enough to cause dust to stir in the corridor. She didn’t turn her head, but her numerous eyes made note of their appearance. Some dust had settled, normally a gross infraction of their code, but understandable given the circumstances. Otherwise: perfection. Their armor gleamed, and the shot-slingers they carried were held alertly in their arms. Harmless for the moment, but ready for any trouble. Both Soldiers were the epitome of what all of their breed should aspire to be: pure, durable, strong.
The Magistrum turned her attention back into the room, which was rounded, built of the same grey stone as the corridor. Here, however, the room was already completed, the stone smooth, bronze mosaics covering half the walls that reached high up over their heads. This was the first room of the palace’s inner sanctum, the place that only the Magistra were allowed.
Most everyone was here now. Three other Magistrums, all, of course, female, sat at the far side of the rounded stone table, their dendrites twitching silently as they conversed. One was clad in blue, another brown, and another orange.
“Magistra,” Chla’tl said as she sat. The other three broke off their conversation, turning to bow their heads towards her, mandibles clicking as they acknowledged her Mind.
“Magistrum Chla’tl,” the one garbed in blue silks, Magistrum Cha’tu, said. “We are still waiting on two more of our Magistra. There has been a movement.”
The way Magistrum Cha’tu said ‘movement’ cause Chla’tl to click her own mandibles in feigned confusion. “Movement?”
The brown-robed Magistrum was about to answer when the doors opened again, and the last two Magistrum walked in, one in robes of purple and the other in a color that stands outside what most species can comprehend, but to Chla’tl’s eyes appears to be a mix of sea-green and magenta.
As one, all six of of the Magistra bowed their heads, the last two taking their seats. As they did fiber optics inlaid in the stone table lit up, forming a hexagon with each Magistrum having an edge. Inside the hexagon a hologram slowly rose from the table, displaying the Skrrz Collective’s heraldry, along with their three primary planets. After a few seconds the heraldry faded, to be replaced by a representation of a portion of the galaxy.
Chla’tl recognized it immediately: The known planets of the aliens’ collective their Soldiers had been engaged with for several cycles now.
If nothing else, Skrrz meetings were very down to business affairs. The magenta-green Magistrum spoke first, her voice filling the chamber.
“Chla’tl, you have been instructed to build a proper Soldier fleet to deal with these vermin once and for all.”
Once more Chla’tl felt the quills on her spine to stand up. She looked across at Cha’tu. “The ‘movement’ you spoke of.”
Cha’tu’s dendrites moved away from the center of her body, indicating the affirmative to Chla’tl.
The magenta-green robed Magistrum ignored this. “Their forces have proven more resilient than most. The Collective is calling on you to break them.”
Chla’tl turned her attention back to the magenta-green Magistrum. “Tell me, how are they not crushed yet already? They are but beasts of simple flesh and small minds. A few synapse clan should be more than enough to overrun them entirely.”
Magenta-green’s mandibles clicked, her spines shaking in mild anger, but not at Chla’tl. “It has been seen that they augment themselves with technology. One of their soldiers has proven to be capable of killing dozens of ours before falling. They are made of dozens of species, making their ranks even more impure. I have seen it.”
Chla’tl’s spinal quills only didn’t stand on end as she took in how serious it must be if a Magistrum was using first-person pronouns. Instead she hissed. “Then it shall be a glorious extermination indeed.”
“You are being given full control of their eradication,” Magenta-green said. “Deal with them however you see fit. The Magistra are to assist you if need be.”
“I will need access to at least three Forge worlds,” Chla’tl said, her conscious already reaching out. One of the drones outside shook his head as another consciousness crept into its brain. Chla’tl leaned back in her chair as she set about using it to her tasks. The brain was dumb, empty of mind, but even simple brains were good for something.
“You will have twelve.”
Both her current brains came to a halt at that. Instead of staring at Magenta-green, however, Chla’tl focused her attention on the hologram. “... That will suffice.”
“It should. May your cleansing be swift. You are relieved from your normal duties. Leave us, and go with a clear mind.”
Chla’tu stood, her presence at the meeting no longer necessary, and inclined her head. “May your minds be clear, Magistra.”
Outside the drone’s brain worked, calculating sums, totals necessary to build the fleet Chla’tl would need to crush the aliens.
Chla’tl’s mind, however, worked on slightly different matters. It was time to design anew.
