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And there was so much more in that answer than it said. Handling it meant killing one’s partner, making sure that they didn’t spread the disease, or get taken to a Hive. Jace so wanted to stay by Khoth’s side, but the Khul were spread out and they couldn’t take on one group at a time. It had to be all at once.

Jace landed and Davies got off. He checked his weaponry with that same expert efficiency that he’d shown in the Compound.

I’ve sent the group you need to handle to your comm, Davies, Jace told him. A group of them are in the sewers, trying to find a way to access the Compound underground. You can access the sewer through this building.

A map appeared on Davies’ comm as well, showing him the easiest way to meet up with the three Khul.

Be quick. Be quiet. Go for the head, Jace told him.

Davies gave a brief nod. “It will be done, Pilot.”

Then without any hesitation, he sprinted off. Khoth and Typhon watched him go.

“They show no fear,” Typhon remarked as Jace started to fly to the next location.

Merely because we have emotions, Typhon, doesn’t mean we’re ruled by them. At least, not all the time, Jace said.

Jace landed three streets over, but not on the ground. He clung to the side of the building and used a laser to melt the glass of the window on the fourth floor. Typhon swung himself off onto the open floor. He was already reviewing the material that Jace had sent him on the comm.

There’s a group on the far side of this building. They are setting up jamming technology. They hope to interfere with the shield, Jace explained.

“Are you able to understand their communications?” Typhon asked even as he unslung his draagves.

To an extent. But these are educated guesses, Jace admitted.

“And where will you and Khoth go?” Typhon asked.

We’re going to be taken on the main horde, Jace explained. The biggest group are clustered under that overpass near the southern flank of the compound. It just looked like an overpass to Jace, because it had that familiar sweeping pattern of many highways, but this was an overpass of trees and other vegetation that wound its way throughout the city. It wasn’t for cars. All of those flew. They're trying to use some kind of goo to short out the forcefield and blast through the wall.

“Goo?” Typhon lifted an eyebrow.

Ah, it’s something they secrete from… Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s goo.

Typhon simply nodded.

Khul technology is mostly, well, biological. The goo is produced and pumped into canisters about a foot long. See? Jace explained and sent an image of an octagonal container that had crystalline sides and solid tops to both Typhon and Khoth. The goo glowed a neon green. If the shields hadn’t been fully up to snuff on the Compound, that stuff would have been eating through the wall now.

“I am more grateful to you than I can say,” Typhon pronounced with a bow.

I don’t know about that. They only came here because of me, Jace admitted.

“They could have wiped us out at any time,” Typhon said. “You just ripped away the illusion of safety.”

And then he was running down the hallway and Jace pushed them off of the wall.

I’m going to set you down behind them, Khoth, and I will then draw their attention. Up close and personal, Jace explained. While they’re focused on me--

“I will bring death upon them,” Khoth stated.

Exactly, Jace said.

They were nearly at the landing spot. Jace grew more and more tense as he thought of letting Khoth off and watching the Thaf’ell Commander walk away from him and towards danger. Maybe they should stay together. Or, better yet, maybe Khoth should hang back while Jace took out all of the Khul. It wasn’t like he could get hurt as a mech, right? So it would make more sense for Khoth to stay out of the fray until he was absolutely needed!

“Your thoughts are appearing on my comm,” Khoth said softly.

What? No! That’s not… shit, Jace groaned. I’m in so many places at once, I didn’t realize that my thoughts were being recorded somewhere.

“You told me that you didn’t think we could defeat the Khul without me,” Khoth said carefully as Jace zoomed around a building’s edge.