“Hot damn, that’s a lot of bacon,” Chu muttered.

“Don’t say that,” Maya replied. “They’re literally farm pigs that evolved into living beings. They’ve got a lot of issues with that part of their past.”

“Got it,” Chu said. “But still, you think this is a good idea? Not just arming these people, but also giving them levels, making them strong enough to fight off humans. Folks like your dad.”

Maya watched as the Orcs marched into the Cage, there were thousands of them. It was an odd thing, she had seen plenty of aliens since Integration, but the Orcs and Crows were Earth creatures. They were familiar, but also completely alien. To the point where her brain was slightly confused about what to think of them.

But they were here to fight, for her and for what she could do for them. Give them weapons, give them levels, save their mage babies.

“I am Whitestripe of the Combined Tribe,” a massive boar announced. He stood six feet tall and wore ragged armor of leather and metal plates. At his side he carried a long axe that looked to be a chunk of metal ground down to make a blade.

“I am Ironbeak of the Combined Tribe,” the Crow beside him stated. He was short, no bigger than Yosi, but he had an air of dangerousness about him. The Crow carried a crossbow and small throwing daggers.

“I am Sow of the Ok’oma Tribe,” a massive sow stated. She stood a good hand taller than Whitestripe and was nearly as massive. At her side she carried a long spear and wore the same ragged armor as Whitestripe, leather and bits of steel pieces attached to it. The sight that gave Maya pause were the tuffs of human hair attached to her waist.

Scalps. Maya held back the shudder she felt. Spying on the Orcs and Crows turned out to be fairly easy, the satellites George controlled were fine tuned and able to detect, track, and identify a lot of what was going on in the local area around Denison, Texas.

It had been a hard choice to not stop everything and just watch what her parents had been up to. She knew they were suffering, everyone in the world was suffering, but the multiverse wasn’t going to stop its continual march just for her. Hopefully Marcus wouldn’t get too pissed if he ended up staying in Denison.

The war between the Orc/Crow tribes and her parents and other humans was a bitter one. Both sides were on a march toward genocide if things weren’t calmed down between them. It wasn’t just due to the need for more bodies to fight for her that Maya had pushed ahead to recruit the tribes, it was to also stop the mass killings this war was causing.

They were already hunting one another, they were already taking trophies from their kills, and most horrifyingly of all, they were eating one another. The war between the two groups had already spiraled out of control, there was no mercy between them, just hatred and the lust for vengeance.

There would not be any peace negotiations between the two groups, things had gone too far for there to be any peace between them. All Maya could do was remove one group from the equation, the group that could offer her what she needed most.

It was a pragmatic approach. She needed something and these people could provide it, she would also be improving their lives and helping the genetic defect that was afflicting their mana users.

“I am Merchant Maya Sullivan of House Sullivan. I welcome you all to the Cage,” Maya said, pushing a little formality into her greeting. “You’ll be provided food, shelter, and in a few hours, we’ll begin arming and sorting out what your tribes need.”

“The gilts,” the big boar said, Whitestripe.

“Hello,” Nan greeted them. “I am Nanaseto, a medical AI. I will be the one determining if there is a cure or therapy to alleviate your mana users affliction. It is not uncommon for mana channels in uplifted species to suffer some defects.”

“We are not defective,” the Crow stated.

“No, you are not,” Nan replied. “I was merely stating that the influx of massive amounts of mana during Integration can have some side effects. Take Merchant Sullivan as an example. She has lost her ability to channel mana and cannot use most skills a normal person would.”

“Damn it, Nan,” Maya hissed. “That’s personal information.”

“Pardon me,” Nan replied.

“Our deal only works if you can heal the children,” the Crow said. “No heal, no deal.”

“I understand,” Maya replied. She watched as the thousands of Orcs and Crows crowded the room. Instead of just bringing their soldiers and warriors, they had brought everyone. It made things easier when she would suggest they move to a different location other than Texas. “We will begin treatment and see what is the issue. But there is no need to delay things until a cure is found, if you’re willing, we can begin setting your people up into accommodations and giving them food and water. We’re a bit stressed for resources now, but we’ve created some ration bars that will be digestible by both Orc and Crow.”

The Sow let out a snort. “You give food freely, human?”

“Yeah. Even if we can’t help your gilts, I will still give you some supplies, although with your combined numbers, it’s not going to be all that much. I am hoping this is not a one time thing, if I and my people survive this attack, then I’d like to have future interactions with your people. With tools, knowledge, and weapons, it gives us all a better chance of surviving.”

“It is our strength and blood you need,” the Crow stated.

“For now, but if we win; then there is a future to talk about. One that I would hope will allow me to open trade with your peoples.”

“For credits,” the Sow said.

“Yes for credits. Although we do accept trade in resources. If your people have gained the skill to determine the mana trace on plants and other things, we have an alchemist who can give you a price list on what certain traces will get in terms of credits.”

“This is acceptable,” the Sow stated. “We shall fight for you, Merchant, if you can heal the gilts. If we survive this fight, then we shall trade with you.”

“You are human and still seek to kill us,” the Crow said. “Only you hope others will kill us for you, but at least you give us weapons and armor to make it a fair fight.” The Crow cackled and Maya heard the big boar give a chuckle, even the Sow seemed amused.

Alien humor, Maya guessed.

“If you would come this way,” Yosi said. “I’ll show you to your mustering area.”

***

The room was tense as Maya entered it. She sipped at a cup of coffee and wished for the days when all she needed was a caffeine pickup while studying for a final.

The war room was packed with people. There were all the various leaders from different settlements who had joined, there were other mercenary leaders of groups who had signed up for the weapons and experience shards, there were the various governmental soldiers and their leaders, her own mercenary and penal brigade leaders, and then there were the Orcs, Crows, the Tarvana, and Unionists.

The non-humans were outnumbered in terms of leaders, but the five non-humans made up the bulk of her forces. Everyone knew it and that knowledge was causing a lot of tensions.

Xenophobia was rearing its ugly head, especially when Asoltolia’s forces out leveled most humans and the Orcs, Crows, and Tarvana outnumbered all humans. With the addition of experience shards, the human segment was becoming a bit more leery at just how small they were looking. It did not help that the job of saving humanity and Earth was relying upon the strength of non-humans.

“Hey, y’all,” Maya said as she flopped down into a chair. There were nearly sixty people in the room, with her new additions being separated from the group. Although they were outsiders, they still kept their distance from one another.

Maya would have sighed, but she had been doing that too much. It would be nice if all the species were walking about hand in hand, but simple decency and not killing one another until this fight was over would suffice. How her expectations of mankind and SIL in general had fallen.

“We’re lacking supplies,” Marco Alvarez said. He was one of the mercenaries Maya had picked up from Cuba. He didn’t represent the Cuban government, that honor belonged to Francisco Castile. Alvarez only commanded about a hundred men, but Yosi had said he was one of the bigger complainers of the bunch.

“I’ll have Yosi look into it,” Maya said diplomatically.

“How can you expect us to fight if you’re holding back necessary resources,” Marco continued.

“If you are given too much equipment, how will you run away?” Castile, the Cuban representative, said. From what Maya understood, they hated one another. She wasn’t involved in the politics behind it, but it seemed Alvarez had done some less than savory things after Integration.

“We shall provide what is needed and what each group’s levels are able to handle,” Maya said. “But for now, we’re not discussing equipment, we are about three hours away from the meeting with the High General Deathblade.”

“That’s a stupid name,” someone stated.

“You’ve all been given your assignments and positions,” Maya said ignoring the comment. Perhaps she should introduce more formality to the meetings, as it was random people were chiming in with their non-productive comments.

Then again one of those random comments might spark something. Chu was good at that, maybe there was something to be had in cultivating a free form discussion.

“I will not fight alongside pigs,” a man announced.

Or maybe not.

Salman Farran lead a contingent of soldiers from Egypt. They were mercenaries of the same calibre as Alvarez. “They are filthy creatures.”

“Your forces and fighting style compliments the Orc’s own,” Maya stated. “Your ranged attacks and ability to create temporary shields will back up the Orcs heavy infantry tactics. You’re needed in that spot.”

“We request a different one,” the man continued. “Pigs are disgusting creatures.”

“You have all agreed to the terms of service,” Maya said staring down the man. “Deal with it. I have been upfront about what is going down, people. I have not held back anything, no lies, no massaging the truth. We are facing a numerous enemy with who knows what abilities. We are not a cohesive unit nor do most of us have any kind of military training.

“We have all survived this Integration. We have survived when so many billions have not. I don’t question your abilities or your will to fight, but I cannot have you second guessing me. I am a merchant and I can’t have potential customers die on me, now can I?” Maya gave a half hearted smile and received only a few chuckles in response. “This fight doesn’t just mean I will live to see another day, it also means that every SIL on Earth will survive another day. The Cage is the key to keeping everyone alive and supplied, it is the lifeline for our planet and home.

“I don’t expect heroism from any of you, but I do expect you to do your job. Your job is to give those invading Tarvana hell. Your job is to kill as many of them as possible, so that they’ll realize they shouldn’t fuck with this place ever again.”

“You have all survived the horrors of a Tier 2 planet. Something that not many in the Multiverse at Large can even say. You have all dragged yourselves up from nothing, with little training, with little skills, you have all risen to the spot you are in now. When billions have died, your will to fight pushed you onward.”

“Now imagine what you can do, with the right armor, with the right weapons, with a supply network that will ensure that you’ll never run out of bullets, mana batteries; that any injury you suffer will be healed by the best medical AI known to mankind. Not just simple wounds either, we can regrow limbs and make sure you’re better than before.”

That last statement caused a murmur.

“That all depends on if we survive this. If we manage to push back this Flesh Army, then we’ll be set. Like I said, I don’t want heroes. I want people who will do the job and do it right.”

The room went silent as the gathered people thought over her words.

Maya cleared her throat. “Alright, let’s go over the plan one more time.”

***

“Nervous?” Hanna asked as Maya and she walked down a corridor.

“Nope.”

“Bullshit.”

“Okay, I’m utterly nervous. It’s like going to prom, but not just the prom part, but the after prom part,” Maya said.

“Well, there’s a first time for everything.”

“I’ve met higher leveled people. Hell, I’ve killed higher leveled people. But they didn’t have an army behind them, nor did they have what amounts to an entire nation backing them. It’s a lot to get a handle on. What if I mess up?”

Hanna laughed. “What’s the worst that could happen? They’ll declare war on us? They’ll send an army against us?”

“Off to get back stabbed and betrayed under the parley flag?” Chu asked, as he rounded a corner. He was in full armor, one of the ‘uniformed’ armor that her mercenary force wore. It was low-grade and pretty cheap, cost wise, but it provided more protection than anything humanity could produce currently.

“I’m surrounded by pessimists,” Maya said.

“We learned it from you!” Hanna and Chu cried together.

“Jesus.” Maya shook her head.

“But seriously, they’re gonna try to fuck you,” Chu said. “Like my mama always said, never trust cannibals.”

“You know the drill,” Maya said. “We got this covered.”

“Yeah, well, a bunch of half baked, half crazed folks who barely know the bad end of a pistol are what’s gonna hold back an army of cannibals,” Chu said. “I’m glad you’ve even the numbers up a bit, but only Anisa and her crew are the closest thing we got to mid-grade warriors. Even Asoltolia’s peeps are mostly low-grade.”

“We’ve got Yosi and the Cage to even things out, plus all the surprises we’ve been making.”

“Pre-killing jitters,” Chu said. “Makes me a worry-wort.”

Maya only nodded in response. She too felt the pre-battle jitters. It was a good thing, she thought, that she was so damn busy and stressed that she hadn’t had much time to dwell on all the things that could go wrong with their plan.

The Tarvana were up to something. They hadn’t given them a two day grace period for nothing. Whatever Deathblade and his goons were doing, they’d try to spring the trap on Maya and the Cage once she met with them. It was obvious and everyone knew it was going to happen, but they had to go through the motions of the charade.

It was that tiny bit of hope that kept Maya from throwing everything she could at the Flesh Army. Maybe, just maybe, common sense and peace would prevail. She had much to offer the Flesh Mother, just as she had much to offer the people of Earth and the Multiverse; if she could just get it across to them and make them understand…

If wishes were horses, she wouldn’t have to import so much biomass.

“We give them a chance to see reason; if they don’t, then we blast them to their version of hell,” Maya said.

“I can get behind that,” Chu said.

Everything was as ready as she could make it. War was coming and she wasn’t expecting the Flesh Army to give peace a chance. But she had to try. She had to see if it was possible.

They the a vast receiving area of the Cage. Although she could create a threshold anywhere, she wasn’t controlling the threshold this time. Yosi and a gaggle of men and women stood around as she entered. They all turned as one to watch her approach them.

“We’re ready,” Yosi said.

“Good, good,” Maya replied.

“We’ll keep the door open and the porch light on,” Chu added.

“If it gets hairy, I’ll expect you to all come and rescue me,” Maya said. “I’ll not end up in someone’s soup.”

“All that stress has made your meat stringy,” Hanna replied.

Maya grinned and looked at everyone. It felt as if it were a farewell. She looked at Tender, the tall four armed rogue AI.

“Let’s roll, Red, we got some fast talking and deals to make.”

“On it, boss.”

Maya took a deep breath and headed for the threshold. Beyond it lay the rainbow sky hellscape and an army of cannibals.