Page 5 of Devin (Warriors of Etlon #5)
Devin
I t was not an easy thing, to build a city from scratch.
Sure, the machines would do most of the work, but first they had to refine the terrain mapping, decide where to put the wells, ground pipes and tunnels, and analyze the structure of the mountain to make sure the rock could hold the stress that Devin planned to put upon it.
He learned quickly that Kave was not a detail-oriented Mahdfel.
He wasn't much for looking at plans and making extensive lists of all the minute things that had to be done.
He was, however, a people person. All of the incoming Mahdfel took to him right away.
It rather astounded Devin to watch the warlord gather his new clan from the new and the old and begin to integrate them into one group.
Devin was not one to participate in groups. He also had little tolerance for picking up the slack for others.
Today, it was Haxit. He was not a good fit for the project.
Haxit was built as a brawler, pure and simple.
He had more sheer strength and bulk than any other Mahdfel in the group.
Put to security, or smashing Suhlik heads, and he’d be right in his element.
But here, among the sensitive equipment and the intricate city plans, he was a boulder among paper lanterns.
He was well-intentioned, but Devin had little use for him.
“I need someone who can manage complex calculations on the spot,” Devin explained.
“Let him be. We need him here,” Kave said and shrugged.
Despite his laid back attitude, the warlord was such a Mahdfel.
Devin suspected he was probably one of the most adept and calculating warriors on the planet.
He hatched plans of unmatched creativity knowing full well they could backfire spectacularly.
“To do what exactly?” Devin asked. There were only so many security runs he could send the warrior on.
“Because his mate is disruptive to the main camp. And Jane needs to keep an eye on her,” Kave said with a shrug.
Devin blinked at his warlord. Was he really being controlled by the little Terrans and their petty needs?
Kave must have sensed his line of thought.
“When you have a mate, you will understand.” Kave shrugged again.
“I shall not have a mate for many years, and I do not understand now.”
“Whatever,” Kave said, waving him off with a hand.
Haxit chose that moment to report to duty. He was only a few minutes late, but he was out of breath as if he’d been running for miles.
Devin tried to mask his disapproval and handed the data pad over to the winded warrior. “I need this set of calculations finished by the end of the day.”
Haxit nodded and exited quickly, seemingly relieved that he wasn’t to receive any more punishment than a harsh glare.
Devin would need to spend precious time double checking all of Haxit’s calculations.
He looked at the schedule and embedded a time slot to do just that.
That he had to pre-schedule time to correct Haxit made Devin want to punch something.
He stepped outside the com center. There were only eight other buildings in this camp.
Six were quarters for the Mahdfel and their mates, one was the med bay and the other was a storage room.
There were nearly fifty temporary buildings at the main camp, and plenty of competent engineers, but Devin had not gotten to build his team.
It was dictated to him by Kave who seemingly spent more time deciding how to make the Terran mates happy than he did for the actual job of building a functioning city.
Goru was fine. Though more of a chemist than an engineer, he at least had a head for geometry and his calculations could be relied on.
Zenik was quiet, but he at least had a command of flying the small craft around and taking the necessary surveys.
His mate, Jane, was the least annoying Terran Devin had ever met.
She was clear and concise, a sharp contrast to Goru’s mate who tended to rattle on ad nauseum about the most irrelevant things.
But all three of the mates were pregnant and it was clear that Kave and the others were distracted by that fact. Devin had suggested twice that they all take a six months duty leave and be replaced with other Mahdfel who perhaps had no mates and could focus on the work.
Kave had laughed at him, and then proceeded to tell him that he was the only unmated Mahdfel on the planet, that it was he that was the odd one out. He would feel differently once he had a mate of his own.
Kave was relentless, but he wasn’t going to change Devin’s mind.
Noven 90 was Devin’s chance to work with a blank slate, to truly bring his vision to life in a living, breathing city that was entirely his, and if he had to work single-handedly to fulfill his dream, he’d build this city block by block by himself, if necessary. He didn’t need anyone else.