Chapter 10: The Battle of the North Part 1

All was quiet in the cold, frozen landscape. New, fresh snowflakes rained down from the sky. There was still good daylight, but it was well past midday. The lone great tank resided in the middle of nowhere, with only a small T’rintar APC hover vehicle parked near its front.

Tahir stood outside, fully clothed, staring towards the north. He fought the cold that bore down on his body.

He reminisced about the recent news. The man knew that nothing could be done about it. Once again, the great tank would be called into battle, and, once again, everyone’s lives would be at stake.

The man said nothing and only stared toward the north. From the sky, planes could be flying overhead. More and more forces were gathering for the great battles that lay ahead. Everything was getting ready. The Shal’rein hadn’t given up.

Tahir got on his knees, pressing his pants against the snow before he leaned toward the direction of the lit sun above him. He began to recite a prayer.

“Allah,” he said. “I know that I’ve not always been your greatest follower, but I need your help more than ever. Everything is in danger ... my life ... my wives ... my son. Spare them all. Allow us to explore all the good you’ve made.”

He bent forward and pressed his hands together, pressing his hat and forehead briefly to the snow before pulling himself up again. He stood up and took a deep breath.

It was all that he could do. He noticed the presence of Tr’ina, Br’ina, and Sr’ina, all fully clothed and walking through the snow. They stood not far behind him.

“Praying?” Tr’ina asked.

“For our survival,” he told her. “All of us, including We’kal.”

“We’ll be fine,” Sr’ina replied, waving her hand.

Tahir noticed that Tr’ina was holding their newborn. Eatrian was completely wrapped in a fresh new towel, bundled up heavily to protect him under the cold weather. Tahir could only see the tiny snout poking through the fabric held close to her mother’s chest.

“No ... I make my prayers, too,” Tr’ina added. “Good to pray.”

Tahir stepped toward the three small alien women before turning around and placing his arms around Tr’ina and Br’ina’s shoulders. He stood proudly overlooking them towards the cold countryside. A single T’rintar soldier resided near her hover vehicle. She quickly climbed inside of it, ready to depart.

“You finished speaking with them?” Tr’ina asked.

“Yeah,” Tahir replied. “Not much they can really do with the bit of time available. No ammunition to replace what was used up. I’m surprised they even bothered to show up at all.”

“At least they gave us a little bit more supplies. We have enough food for a week.”

“Maybe they really anticipate the possibility of an everlasting fight. Please, don’t let it end that way. Another fight is one thing, but we won’t last days of fighting.”

“ ... One more fight,” Tr’ina said. “One day at a time.”

“One day at a time,” Tahir replied.

Reality was setting in. Above, a green T’rintar and gray UHN aircraft flew low overhead, doing a flyby of the great tank underneath. Their engines were on full burn as they continued flying, quickly disappearing into the northern skies.

The small hover APC’s side engines activated. It grew loud before it lifted off from the ground. It quickly turned around, tossing snow about, almost knocking off the paleontologist’s hat before it sputtered away. Its speed was incredible, capable of reaching over 200 kilometers an hour in less than five seconds. Its destination was almost due north, also disappearing into the haze of snow particles that hovered in the air.

Tahir sighed. The cold was getting to him. Finally, he had to admit defeat and let go of the Itrean women, turning around to head back to the tank behind him.

“I wish I had your cold blood,” he told them. “But, enough is enough. The Lifen is going to pick us up in a few more minutes. Let’s head in.”

The man couldn’t believe what he had just said. He felt like he was practically barking orders to a group of women like he was some military commander, let alone the fact that one was caring for his son.

But little could be done about it. The man reached the door when the tank’s main door dropped open, plopping hard onto the snowy ground below. The other Itrean women were not far behind him as they all climbed back in. The moment the last Itrean stepped inside, the tank doors began to close automatically.

“I think We’kal is really getting used to us,” he said.

“You think he likes us?” Tr’ina asked.

“I don’t know if ‘like’ is the right word to use,” he paused. “Well, we all know our stations. Tr’ina, you sure you can handle operating a tank with Eatrian in tow?”

Tr’ina’s response was silence. She handed the bundled baby to the man before taking the blue tunic she wore and moving it on her body. It took a few seconds, but when she was done, she retrieved the baby and placed him in a small makeshift sling. Her own clothing would keep his son held close to her chest.

“There,” she said with a hint of pride.

Tr’ina and Br’ina both began to head to the front cockpit. Tahir’s hand brushed against Br’ina’s shoulder to let her know that he hadn’t forgotten about her. He turned to look at Sr’ina, who was still standing, looking up at him. Her scaly finger was tapping her arm.

“Sr’ina,” the man bent his knee to the deck to be closer to her level.

“It’s time for me to head back up there,” she replied with a hint of annoyance.

“You want to be in the front. I know.”

“No, I want you to be behind me, playing with my ass. Of course, I want to be in the cockpit, playing with your joystick.”

“I know you do.”

She looked at him. A hint of a smile appeared on her face.

“You liked knocking me up?” she asked.

“Seeing Eatrian alive and well, what happened up there is beyond special.”

“You sure you can’t handle a quickie?”

“Come on,” he said, standing up. He gently took her shoulders, turned her around, and gave her a tap on the ass to send her forward.

“Heh,” she made a light chuckle. “You know Ko’min traditions very well. Thank you, mate.” She walked over to the elevator door and turned her horned head to look at him.

“You stay safe up there, alright?” he told her.

“ ... I will,” she replied.

“Besides, we’re going on vacation after all this. What do you think?”

“Cebravis,” she said, tapping the button on the panel. “I heard they have nude beaches, maybe even Ko’layie’Krea’das. The people there know how to party. And I have first rights to ravage you. A pregnant Ko’min is a hungry Ko’min.”

“The only person I heard say that is you.”

“It should be a saying then...” She gave a sly smile and waved with her fingertips to him.

Tahir gave an affirmative nod and turned toward the cockpit. Upon stepping into the cockpit, the man could see that both women already climbed into their respective seats.

His chair was almost like a throne, waiting for him to take control of the tank once again. There was no trepidation. Everything felt entirely natural for him by now. Only the mild hint of an impending battle ahead was anything that gloomed over the horizon.

The sounds of an approaching ship overhead could be heard. The Lifen had arrived and was already closing in on the great tank. The man quickly got on the center seat and began to get himself comfortable.

“Doctor Tahir, do you read?” Javier’s voice could be heard from the intercom.

The paleontologist sat down on the chair and pulled the console up to him before tapping a button. “Yes, I hear you,” he responded on the comms.

“I know you already got the word. We’re taking you to the Valle del Bosque del Norte. It’s a northern flatland region. You’ll be dropped off to be placed under the command of Colonel Eladio’s marine detachment. Eladio is well-experienced and already briefed on the upcoming battle. We’ve given the rest of the mission perimeters and briefings to your computer databanks.”

“Alright,” Tahir remarked. “Am I expecting the same type of fight as before?”

“From what I know, not really. You’re fighting in the wide open with probably a few of the snow trees to help provide cover but nothing more. This is going to be a much larger operation, with more forces and about equal numbers on both sides. But, when fighting against the Shal’rein clan in the open, don’t expect it to be a fair fight.”

Tahir could feel and hear the Lifen’s grappling arms lower down and clamp onto the tank.

“You’re making this sound pretty grim,” Tahir said.

“I’m not going to lie, Doctor,” Javier replied. “But, right now, the entire ground campaign is about to go head-to-head with everything we got. We need a win now more than ever. You, your wives, and that tank of yours really helped everyone out in that last battle. Another victory like that might bring an end to Lea’pre’s campaign to conquer Palora. But everything I just said are ‘ifs.’ You and the MMACC crawlers are going to be big targets. The good news is that we had a little bit more reinforcements arrive. The Helera’kun are also going to help you out as well, along with the T’rintar ground forces. You won’t be alone out there, but it’s going to depend on what the Shal’rein commanders are going to do when they encounter the allied assault. You might be the first thing they target when the shooting starts.”

“ ... That’s ... assuring ... is there anything you can recommend to a civilian from somebody that’s military?”

The entire tank was beginning to lift from the ground.

“You’re already doing a lot for us, Doctor,” Javier explained. “There’s other civilians working for us even as we speak, but your role is probably the biggest of them all. I don’t know how used you are to taking orders, but if you managed to obey Master Sergeant Stone, then I know you can handle Colonel Eladio. I’ve relayed all your contributions to the Admiralty on what you’ve been doing. The one thing that you have an advantage in is that you are a civilian. You know yourself, everyone there, and your tank’s limits. Listen to your needs, follow your heart, but listen to what Colonel Eladio has to say. If you can keep a good balance on all of that, then you probably have a better chance to save not only yourself but everyone’s skins down there...”

Tahir nodded. “You’re right.”

“We’ll reach the drop-off point in a few minutes. Refer to your tank’s computer databanks for help. You, Eladio, and a few others know the major details of the operation. We’re keeping it that way so Lea’pre’s forces don’t catch the hint at what’s going to happen. Hopefully, if it works, then it might make the fight a little easier for you.”

“‘If’ it works...”

“The ‘big if’ ... good luck out there, Tahir. To Tr’ina, Br’ina, and Sr’ina, all of you, make it back in one piece.”

“Thank you...”

The comm-link came to an end as the great tank was airborne, being ferried to a new destination point once again. A part of Tahir hoped it would be for the last time. He slapped the button to shut off the comm-link. Then, he pulled in the rest of the controls to be close to his lap. The periscope was already lowered in anticipation of the upcoming battle.

“I’m ready,” Sr’ina said.

“Ready,” Tr’ina added.

Both women put their hands on the console panels. Tahir turned to the right to see Br’ina was about to do the same. However, he could see hesitation in her posture. She looked over to see that Tahir was looking at her.

“We’ll be fine,” he told her.

She was watching him. Finally, the man lowered his right hand onto the panel the moment Br’ina did the same.

The paleontologist’s arm glowed blue. Suddenly, everything changed the moment Tahir blinked.

Once again, the environment completely changed. He was back in the void. He was fully clothed and stood on top of a gray platform leading to a white background. He already knew what We’kal was going to say. The dark silhouette of an Alara’jal stood before him.

“You plan on briefing me with the mission, right?” Tahir asked him.

The silhouette remained quiet, saying nothing to him. It caused the man to give a confused look.

“Hello? We’kal? You brought me here ... maybe I brought us here. I don’t know...”

“Data received on the upcoming operation to attack northern Shal’rein army,” the silhouette’s deep voice replied.

“ ... And?” he asked.

We’kal remained silent. The entire scene changed some. Hints of flashing stars could be seen all around him. The paleontologist was waiting for a response.

“Data processing complete,” We’kal replied. “Attempts to probe into your mind are failing. Yet, the mind probe scanner is operating at improved efficiencies of 70%.”

“You already know me, though,” Tahir said. “What, I’m thinking about and who I am...”

“No, this tank’s operational efficiency in the upcoming battle will be paramount to its survival.”

“You’re really obsessed with that, aren’t you? We did better in that last fight. You’re worrying about the relationship with my wives. None of that matters. Everything is alright, ok?”

“Your statement is not completely valid. Your romantic interests and sexual intercourse with your mates are not in question.”

“ ... You ... saw all that?”

“Correct. It is required by this matrix to observe and note any important changes that can alter the operation of this tank.”

Tahir sighed. “Well, I would call you for spying, but a computer with little emotion is difficult to say...”

“Operational efficiency of this tank can be further improved. A weakness has been noted since the beginning of this tank’s reactivation.”

“Again?”

“It was reported earlier but deprioritized in favor of you and Sr’ina’s relationship. Now that it has improved and verified in the prior battle, the first anomaly is being reanalyzed again.”

“Well, what is it?”

“I am asking you what that anomaly is.”

“You don’t know what it is?”

“Correct. You’re blocking my access...”

Tahir could sense what it was that We’kal was trying to do. There was a pause as the scan phase tried to pierce into him, but he cleared of any thoughts. The matrix system reacted. The dark silhouette stepped toward him, almost with a hint of anger.

“And,” Tahir remarked. “You can’t sense it from the others as well.”

“Also correct,” the dark silhouette replied. “An effort is being made as to my inquiry, yet it is being blocked. Additional processing is required ... accessing...”

Once again, the environment momentarily intensified all around Tahir. His head gave a hint of pain as if something was trying to tear into his mind, but he gritted his teeth and pushed back against it. It proved to work.

“You are resisting the mind probe scanner...,” We’kal stated.

“I’m not telling you what it is,” he replied. “It’s a secret ... something that can’t be discussed.”

“Operational efficiency of this tank is required to be at peak performance. Reprocessing data acquired including observations of the operator and additional passengers ... processing.”

Tahir could sense that the attempt to probe into his mind wasn’t working. The matrix system had given up on this, but this only worried the man in turn. An entire computer network was working for itself.

“Data processing...,” We’kal stated. “Anomaly is being narrowed down to one individual connected to the mainframe, Br’ina. Processing recorded data observed. Noting behavior and personality traits ... noting reactionary, personality traits of others toward her ... processing.”

The paleontologist was doing his best to try to pull out. He would close his mind and focus, thinking about the real world, but We’kal was stopping it. The man was trapped in this alternate reality, stuck with a computer that was hellbent on improving something that he felt was unnecessary.

“I want out of this,” Tahir said, frustrated. “Put me in the real world.”

“Access denied,” We’kal stated. “Operational efficiency is paramount.”

“It’s good enough! Am I scared that I’m about to be thrown back into a battle? Yeah, but I think we can handle it. You’re worried about nothing...”

“Processing...,” there was another pause. “Br’ina remains silent ... Tr’ina and Sr’ina speak for her...”

“So? She’s shy, that’s all.”

“Insufficient response. In an earlier statement of interaction, Sr’ina stated that ‘because she’s a... ‘ statement cutoff detected in referral to her sister, Br’ina. All attempts are made to probe into their minds. Your personality shows that you hold care toward the weak and vulnerable.”

“I’m not telling you what it is, and that’s that.”

“Insufficient response. Tests need to be verified on the Itreans. Testing commencing...”

Tahir turned around and could see three consoles appear. The represented stations of operation were laid bare. Tr’ina, Br’ina, and Sr’ina, each sat behind one of them, connected to their station. Their eyes gave a blank stare into the void, almost like they were hollowed statues.

A flashing light erupted from each of the consoles, causing their eyes to look in unison toward the lights. However, they came to a quick close. The matrix was studying them up close.

A small jolt of power registered into the three women, all warranting a response. Tahir knew that the tank had sent a small electric shock to test out their pain receptors. All reacted accordingly.

“Stop this,” Tahir demanded.

The next test was a pulse of sound. It erupted on each side of their heads, most likely a sound in their respective compartments in the real world.

Tr’ina and Sr’ina reacted to the sound, but Br’ina did not. Another set of sounds also caused the two women to also give a light form of reaction, but Br’ina remained still. Her attention, only remained on the console.

“Data processing complete...,” We’kal’s voice almost grew sinister. Tahir turned to look at him. “Verified, Br’ina is ‘deaf’ in your human terms.”

Tahir knew that the machine had finally uncovered the truth; what he had kept hidden from anyone was finally revealed.

“ ... And?” Tahir asked with some concern.

“You have brought a Golarren onto this vehicle,” the matrix replied back to him with a hint of anger. “She has been in partial operation for all this time.”

“So? She can’t hear. Why does it matter to you?”

“Birth defects warrant immediate termination as worded by Lord Alarew.”

“It isn’t a birth defect!”

“Lie detected. Itrean regeneration renders hearing damage injuries an improbable excuse. Even Captain Shira’s excuse for her partial blindness was only made valid due to the weaponized disease she was inflicted with. You not only failed to seek medical attention for this implied excuse but have kept this secret from me as I would likely respond with Br’ina’s termination.”

Tahir’s breathing picked up as he looked back at Br’ina. Not only was her life at stake, but his unborn child was in danger. He quickly turned back to look at the towering dinosaur overlooking him. The Alara’jal began to lift his hand.

“Don’t do this,” he told it. “She’s my wife ... pregnant.”

“You were aware of the potential consequences of bringing a Golarren to this vehicle. Even most Itrean laws dictate the immediate termination of all birth defects.”

Tahir’s adrenaline surged. In mere seconds, We’kal was going to kill Br’ina. The man’s teeth gritted as he faced the towering giant. The palm of the scaly hand was almost facing Br’ina.

“NOOO!” Tahir yelled.

Suddenly, the man threw his hands forward in the direction of We’kal. Powerful crashes and hard bangs erupted, filling the void. It was like the sounds of lightning going off. Everything momentarily went dark, as if someone had shut off the lights, but they quickly lit back on.

“ARRAGH!” We’kal grunted. The silhouette recoiled back in pain. It actually caused the giant to fall to the ground.

The man was amazed, but he couldn’t hold back. By sheer force of will, he managed to down the silhouette bringing harm to the central matrix. If it got back up, it would only try again to hurt Br’ina. This realization was something he had to capitalize on in order to continue. Tahir kept his hands held up and walked up to it.

“You leave her alone!” the man yelled at her.

“ ... Termination ... required...”

Tahir palmed his one hand, causing the entire void to spark again. The sounds of metal grinding metal could be heard. His mind remained in focus. The look of sheer determination remained. The dark silhouette only continued to show pain, unable to move from its downed position.

“You...” Tahir tried to say. “You underestimated humans. You think we’re weak, but I know better. Every Itrean that steps into these types of vehicles have to ... maintain control over its matrix core. If you disobey the thoughts of the Itreans, then they can put you down ... put you under their control...”

“Araaggh,” the silhouette replied in pain. Finally, Tahir eased up his thoughts, giving enough room for the matrix system to start moving again. It remained on the ground. The hint of glowing red eyes could be seen. However, Tahir maintained complete control.

“You listen to me,” Tahir said. “You choose me to operate this tank ... you choose them to help me. You only have yourself to blame for letting a ... Golaren work with you. The T’rintar clan might have changed some in their prejudice. They might not help her, but I’m never letting her go, no matter what T’rintar Doctor fails to do, what my father says, anybody. I don’t care what sort of program is there, what every Itrean law is in existence. This is my world. I control you. If you make any attempt to bring harm to her, I will tear every ounce of your existence, rip out every component there is in this tank, and tell the Shal’rein to gut you.”

“ ... Your statement is of pure emotion,” the silhouette replied.

“You better believe it.”

“You would allow the enemy to destroy us rather than allow me to terminate your mate. Is that correct?”

“Scan my mind. You have my permission.”

There was a pause as the dark silhouette’s eyes grew from bright red to bright white. Finally, it summoned the will to stand back up, facing down at the small human before it.

“You are correct with that statement,” We’kal replied. “A most curious reaction indeed, especially from an alien creature.”

“I love her, We’kal,” he explained. “You know from my mind that she’s precious to me.”

“Yet, you care for the weak. She clearly has a disadvantage when compared to other Itreans of her type.”

“What about Shira?”

“Shira carries a strong mind, logical and intelligent, even for a Shal’rein. Even then, the disease she was struck with prevents her eye from regenerating. However, it was concluded that her positive traits outweighed any negative traits she carried in turn.”

Tahir nodded and began to pace around some. “What does We’kal think, though? Not you, but his memories ... what can you conclude about everything that just happened?”

“Processing...,” there was a considerable pause. “Alara’jal tradition, among other Itrean cultures dictate that children born with any possible defects are to be terminated.”

“What about We’kal?”

“The chances of encountering a Golarren are rare, approximately 1 in 500,000, according to most data reports.”

“Not true,” Tahir replied. “It happens more than you know. Your entire society is based on a misconception, a belief that even the smallest of defects is an impediment. At the same time, you place such a high priority on perfecting your gene pool. Yet, your people are bombarded by war, engage in incestuous relationships, and inflicted with every pathogen in the known galaxy. I’ve spent time with the T’rintar clan. There’s a growing awareness of Golarrens and their contribution to society. The Aksren, Shal’rein, and Alara’jal might engage in regular infanticide, but the T’rintar are starting to turn around on this. Discrimination still exists for them, but some parents choose to raise their children regardless. Br’ina is an example of this. Her sisters protect her just as much as I do. I love her and I’m proud that she’s carrying my future daughter.”

There was another pause. “ ... Do the T’rintar consider the children of human/Itrean pairings as Golarren?”

“No. I know that the term extends to anything besides just birth defects. There are children born from different intermixing with Itrean parents. But, I think with the fact that the T’rintar are so desperate to overcome Zilik’s Disease, they refuse to call children born from humans and Itreans as Golarren.”

“ ... Very well. Due to changing ideologies and your declaration to bring harm to this vehicle, it has been determined that Br’ina will not be subject to termination. Your mate’s life will be spared.”

“I don’t think you’re in much room to do it anyway, but, thank you.”

“ ... We’kal would accept these changes...”

Tahir seemed curious. “Really?”

“Yes. His memories indicate that he would follow the rules of Lord Alarew, but the idea of engaging in this practice would not be one that would be easy to obey. His emotions would be considered irrelevant. It is the rule that the weak must obey the strong. You have proven to be the stronger.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” he told him. “I think deep down, you’re more influenced by We’kal’s memories than you think. That’s why you chose me to pilot this vehicle. I need your help if we’re going to survive.”

“You will have my obedience without question. My database and all information are at your disposal.”

“My threat remains. Do I have your word that you won’t hurt Br’ina or any of my wives?”

“You will have my obedience without question,” he repeated. “You have my promise that I will bear no harm to any of them.”

The man nodded. “I’ll take that. Tell me everything we need to do for this upcoming fight.”

“Processing...,” We’kal replied. “In total, it will be over four divisions engaging in an almost complete open terrain. The previous two battles featured an advantage in the attacking army engaging in limited numbers against all the resources of the defending army. Shal’rein clan’s marksmanship will prove devastating in the fight. Even in equal numbers, the Shal’rein will carry a tactical advantage. The UHN fleets and T’rintar ground assault vessels will not be adequate enough to warrant victory.”

“But they must have a plan, right?”

“Correct. The access to this data is limited not only due to fear of the Shal’rein acquiring this data but also because it requires us to participate in its operation.”

“What do you mean?”

“Accessing all briefing reports ... This is what is recommended in the impending battle...”

A few minutes had passed. The northern icy fields of the great valley were grandiose and practically endless. To the right were the barely visible mountains. It wasn’t easy to see them due to the continuous barrage of cold weather that perforated the region. Exposure to these elements was more than enough to induce hypothermia and shut down the unprotected human body.

Yet, the flatlands were not completely isolated. Sets of the great ice trees resided there. Their gargantuan size created snowy treetops that measured over 300 meters in diameter. The base of the tree was enormous, larger than even the great sequoias of former Earth or the massive trees of Cebravis. The thick cold continually hounded the branches and the bark of the tree, yet it continued to grow. Blue veins protruded from the wood that slowly moved water through them. It was a continuous tug of war in which the tree struggled to live in a region that it shouldn’t, defying the laws of Palora’s harsh nature.

It only took a simple trip, diving through the snow and into the frozen tundra. Through the dirt, the bedrock could be seen thicker and harder than ever before. The tree’s root structures were long, larger than any tree on Earth, where the seeds would originally sprout and grow to utilize the waters from which it was born.

Eventually, a single sight could be held in the dark bedrock. A massive underground lakebed could be seen through the elongated ice sheets, stone, and dirt. Liquid water flowed through these regions, a sign that even the frozen nature itself still carried life through the warm waters underneath it. It was enormous, measuring beyond the sight from which one could see. The single great tree’s root structure began here, warming it and heating the entire base, providing life-sustaining energy that flowed upward, keeping the tree alive...

However, there is reverberation. It is coming from above. Bouncing through the massive ice sheets and frozen lakes were the sounds of multiple vehicles. The ice above easily held firm, handling whatever was pushing down upon it.

Upon returning to the surface, an enormous task force of dark purple vehicles drove through the frozen landscape without knowledge or care. They moved quickly. The Shal’rein tanks and APCS, while large, were still in a hurry, pushing through in hopes of reaching the final three cities of Palora.