Read Online Guerilla by Mel Odom - Free Book Online

screens.
    â€œAttention,” the boat commander called out. He stood in the middle of the control center and swayed easily on his feet. “Captain Zhoh, you will want to make certain you’re buckled in. We have attracted the attention of a jasulild .”
    Zhoh recognized the creature from the studies he oversaw at his assigned project. The jasulild was equivalent to a Phrenorian muyec , except that the Makaum creature was not so dangerous. On Phrenoria, warriors braved the depths of the seas to dive into the fanged mouth of a muyec and eat their way free of the creature. Zhoh had done it the first time before he was old enough to be trained as a warrior.
    â€œIs this a problem?” Zhoh asked.
    â€œWe’re not going to allow it to become one.” The commander’s voice turned steely. “Pilot, course correct eight degrees to starboard and accelerate.”
    â€œYes.” The pilot made the adjustments.
    The swift acceleration pushed Zhoh back into his seat. As he watched, the jasulild filled the navigation screen. The creature was round and huge, far larger than anything Zhoh had seen on Makaum. Purple-­blue scales, the coveted hues for a Phrenorian warrior, covered the jasulild . Its mouth opened wide enough to engulf the submersible and only blackness appeared on the other side of the rows of sharp teeth. Zhoh had a new respect for the Makaum fishermen who brought jasulild meat back to the sprawl for vendors to sell.
    With a flick of its tail, the jasulild course corrected as well, easily approaching the submersible in a smooth, effortlessly glide.
    â€œCaptain Zhoh,” Lieutenant Mato said over the private comm link.
    â€œGive me a moment. It appears we are under attack.” With danger so imminent, Zhoh felt excitement thrill through him.
    â€œSir?”
    Zhoh sat forward in his seat and thought about his chances of surviving in the river if the submersible was destroyed. Even though Phrenorians had come from the seas, they were no longer at their best in that element. His primary lesser hand curled around the hilt of the patimong while two lesser hands on his left side prepared to release the seat restraints. His segmented tail coiled restlessly around the seat’s legs.
    â€œCommander, there are three other creatures nearby,” the navigator called out. “We have their attention now too.”
    If the commander was worried, he didn’t show it. He remained standing. “Copilot, make a note. We need to find out why these things are massing here.”
    â€œThey’re spawning,” Zhoh said.
    The commander looked at him. “How do you know this?”
    â€œI can’t tell you that.”
    The Phrenorian Command kept units separate, compartmentalizing all war efforts so they couldn’t be easily compromised. Zhoh’s current assignment was with the biological weaponization effort. His teams learned the flora and fauna of Makaum so they could use the information against the Terrans and the local inhabitants. They were currently stockpiling a strain of Makaum virus that looked surprisingly lethal. They’d also started inoculating Phrenorian warriors against it so the virus wouldn’t affect them when it was released.
    â€œIf you want to clear the river of them, you’ll need to seed the riverbed with byryj .”
    â€œWhat is that?”
    â€œA type of aquatic kelp. It renders jasulild eggs sterile, as well as other freshwater species. Jasulild and others of their kind can sense byryj and stay away from it during their spawning cycle.”
    â€œYou can get this for me?”
    â€œI can.”
    The commander nodded. “I would appreciate that.”
    â€œOf course.” The task was small and easily done, and Zhoh knew the favor could pay off in the future. On the viewscreens, the jasulild grew hugely as it came closer, and the thing opened its mouth still wider.
    â€œWeapons officer,” the commander