Chrysalis

Damn termites. What the hell are those ka'armodo doing over there? They seem to pop out reinforcements just as fast as we kill them. I refuse to believe they can spit out tier four and five monsters so quickly without incurring some kind of cost. After all, the Colony has been doing this for months and have honed the process to be as efficient as possible. We have an entire caste of dedicated teachers, an academy with a constantly adjusted curriculum and Queens with the most beneficial mutations for mass producing the highest quality individuals.

It's just not possible that they are better at it than we are!

And in truth, they aren't. Our enemies may be a higher tier than would normally be expected from their numbers, but their cores remain weak. The question is how the lizards managed to maintain the quality of their insect troops, or in fact raise it, whilst creating increased production to such a ludicrous degree. If they'd been able to produce these sorts of numbers from the beginning, I don't think the Mother Tree would have been able to hold out as long as she did, not while withholding the bruan'chii from assisting her.

"Eldest, welcome back."

"Good to see you, Eldest!"

"Work hard!"

"I will. Make sure you take an appropriate break though!"

who called out to me so cheerfully a moment ago hesitate in their stride at my mention of taking a break before they continue on their way. The fear of the torpor enforcers continues to apply even here during this desperate, ongoing battle. Tired soldiers are sloppy soldiers and sloppy soldiers get their own allies killed. Personally

first to admit that those standards have

in here!" I see Advant calling me over with a wave of her antennae and follow her into the prepared chamber in the Colony's main staging ground. Inside I find the usual carved table - I really have to find out who makes these damn things, they are spectacular - along with each member of the

Advant, Bella, Burke and Wills, Victor, Leeroy, Mendant, Cobalt, Propellant and Coolant are all in attendance. Only the Queens

comes time to establish our own mountain nest in this stratum, I can't wait to see the mighty Queen's and powerful brood that

the table I glance at the others and I'm not surprised to see them looking fatigued. It's been two weeks since my rescue of Vibrant from the ka'armodo trap, and there has been near constant fighting since then. Whatever the big lizards are doing back at that mountain, they've been moving quickly, ramping up the production of their proxy soldiers and making modifications to the templates within the queens to better

Mother Tree, but any less and we run the risk of getting overrun. Fighting for the sake of someone not in the Colony

reports I have, the lines appear to be holding well, despite some back and forth movement on both sides," Victor leads the conversation as the resident general. "Our biggest issue has been adjusting our defensive strategy to meet with the new reality of the foe. With the Ka'armodo involved, the termites move completely differently to how they did before. Our plan to

"Reallywellactuallythehitnandrunissofun-funandwelovemovingreallyfastsowhenthetermitescomewechompthemandrunawaybeforeweruninandchompthemagainit'sfunnyactuallybecausetheycan'tmovefastenoughtokeepupsotheyjustlooksosillydon'tyouthink?!"

do you

able to damage the enemy and

succeeding then. What

their attention and high expectations through the Vestibule. Don't turn those shining eyes filled with respect toward me! I made you smart for the express purpose of doing