Chapter Thirty-Three: The King's Premonition

The Tark Alliance inflicted heavy losses on the Qua army with their Black String weapons, forcing the Qua forces to make a tactical retreat from the battlefield. Commander E of the Tal army directed the Tark Alliance to seize the opportunity to approach the Solar System and rendezvous with the Tal garrison stationed at its edge.

After suffering a fierce blow from the Tark Alliance, Qua planet leader Abbott convened his military commander Sade and wartime intelligence chief Yanan to discuss countermeasures.

Abbott spoke, “As far as I know, we currently lack effective means to counter the ‘Black String’. What solutions do you two propose for our present situation?”

Commander Sade replied, “Planet Leader, you need not worry. Our forces have withdrawn from the danger zone. We can temporarily halt all military operations in the Solar System. During the battle at Proxima Centauri, the Tal forces violated the most basic morals and abandoned the minimum interstellar ethical standards—destroying a transport ship belonging to the newborn administration of Qua, which resulted in our fallen heroes’ bodies being utterly annihilated, preventing rebirth and consigning them to true death, forever lost to the universe. As retribution, we can now launch a special military operation against Tal’s home planet, showing them that attacking the bodies of Qua soldiers is unacceptable and will come at a price. If successful, the Tal king may abandon the defense of Earth and recall his forces from the Solar System back to Tal’s home planet. Even if we do not continue the assault, we could still deliver a fatal strike as their troops withdraw.”

Abbott said, “I agree with the commander’s decision. It is time to teach the Tal people a lesson and prevent their forces from repeating such vile acts on the battlefield. We must also avenge our heroes, as the destruction of our rebirth transport ship and the loss of many heroic bodies has enraged the Qua populace. As the planet leader, it is my duty to calm the people. Commander, I wish to know the specific methods you intend to employ in attacking Tal’s home planet.”

Sade replied, “On the battlefield, the Tal forces have disregarded the basic principles of interstellar ethics, attacking our soldiers’ bodies. The Tal understand fully that once our bodies are damaged or contaminated, rebirth is impossible. Their malicious intent is clear. To prevent recurrence, we too can temporarily set aside traditional moral constraints and decisively retaliate against Tal’s home planet. Destroying just one of their infant incubation centers would suffice to deter them from repeating their actions.”

After hearing Sade’s words, both Abbott and Chief Yanan lowered their heads, eyes fixed on the ground, neither responding immediately—seeming hesitant or disapproving.

Sade understood their expressions and began to explain, “Honored planet leader, dear Chief Yanan, I only considered such measures out of necessity, after much deliberation. As Qua’s supreme military commander, I am responsible for our soldiers. Facing such an evil species as the Tal, our virtues become our weaknesses, our mercy a hidden danger to ourselves. It was the Tal who violated the Quatal Treaty and conducted secret operations on Earth. It was the Tal who ignored the treaty and engaged in cross-species genetic combinations (note: this is a Qua misunderstanding regarding the unusual appearance of Neanderthals). Who can guarantee the Tal won’t commit even more cruel acts?”

Abbott said, “The commander’s reasoning is sound. I approve his strategy, but it must be restrained. When striking Tal’s home planet, we must declare our position: apart from this act of retaliation, we will not pursue further military action against Tal’s home planet. The attack on their infant incubation center is solely to show the Tal king that if they continue to attack Qua soldiers’ bodies, we will reciprocate. This should compel the Tal king to strictly control his forces’ conduct on the battlefield. If the Tal king withdraws his troops from the Solar System due to an attack on his home planet, our chances of achieving our military objectives increase.”

“As you command,” Sade replied.

After a long silence, Yanan finally spoke, “I also support the commander’s proposal for retaliation. If we launch a military operation on Tal’s home planet, it may indeed shake the Tark Alliance’s deployment in the Solar System. Moreover, the Tark Alliance cannot fight a prolonged war: the Tal and Celts are highly similar species, requiring the same food and dependent on oxygen. Their two large supply ships have already been destroyed by us. The Tark Alliance actually wishes for a swift victory, since prolonged conflict is disadvantageous to them. At that point, we might only need to send a small special forces team, leveraging our ships’ speed advantage, to swiftly reach the Solar System and easily destroy Earth, completing our mission.”

Having persuaded both Abbott and Chief Yanan, Sade’s plan was set—Tal’s home planet would inevitably suffer military strikes...

At noon on Tal’s planet, the pale red light of the mother star filtered through the dense jungle, providing excellent ground visibility. The surface temperature here hovered at twenty degrees. Amidst the beautiful and comfortable forest, the Tal king, accompanied by Intelligence Chief Mr. G and Commander E, leisurely enjoyed the natural surroundings—not merely chatting idly.

The Tal king asked, “Though the Qua forces have temporarily withdrawn, they still operate near the Solar System. Can our Tark Alliance effectively block the enemy in the vast space outside the Solar System? What if the Qua army, using their ships’ superior speed, bypasses our defenses and launches an attack on Earth?”

Commander E replied, “Rest assured, Your Majesty. We and our allies are positioned closer to the Solar System. The pyramid on Europa is far more powerful than the one at Proxima Centauri B. By combining the Celt allies’ ‘Black String’ weapon with our pyramid’s unique functions, we have forged an offensive and defensive system that is unbreakable. The Qua army now fears our pyramid and even more so the Black String of our Celt allies.”

The Tal king said, “Our two large supply ships have been destroyed by the enemy, and the adversary refuses to engage. Our ships are slower than theirs, making it hard to take the initiative. The Qua army still holds the upper hand. Clearly, they intend to fight a war of attrition. What strategies do you propose?”

Commander E responded, “Europa has ample water for drinking and generating the oxygen we need. Food shortages can easily be resolved by harvesting from Earth. The enemy’s plans for a war of attrition are impractical. I will work with Chief G to strategize—we do indeed need a swift victory.”

The king nodded reluctantly, appearing somewhat helpless. Though his commander recognized the need for swift action, no concrete plan was yet presented.

Chief G said, “Qua’s large interstellar carrier fleet still operates near the Solar System. According to the latest intelligence from my team, the defeat at the front may cause Qua planet leader Abbott to abandon his previous promise not to attack Tal’s home planet and possibly launch an assault against us…”

Hearing this report, the king’s eyes fixed on the commander, as if about to ask something. Before he could speak, Commander E said, “Our defense line on Europa prevents the Qua forces from breaking through. Should they come to Tal’s home planet, it would be suicide…”

Both the king and Chief G doubted Commander E’s optimism but had no better ideas. The atmosphere of this meeting was markedly different, especially for the king himself. Despite learning that the enemy had been routed by the Celt allies’ Black String weapon, he could not rejoice. A strange and ominous premonition hung over him.

Commander E, perceiving the king’s anxiety and lack of confidence, addressed him, “As I cannot guarantee the absolute safety of Tal’s home planet, I will immediately activate all our defensive forces, mobilizing every military pyramid and raising our combat readiness. I will do my utmost to eliminate the lingering Qua forces near the Solar System.”

To ease the king’s worries, Chief G added, “To defeat the Qua army swiftly, resolve the crisis in the Solar System, and protect Tal’s home planet, I will lead my team to provide Commander E with complete intelligence support.”

The king sighed, his voice low, “When the army is in the field, orders are not always obeyed. I now grant you greater authority, including whether to launch a preemptive strike against Qua’s home planet—it is entirely up to you both. All tactics, strategies, and deployments need not pass through me for approval. As king, I will reveal my trump card to you: even if we lose, I will not hold you accountable; even if I die, I must die alongside you.”

On the surface, the Tal king’s attitude seemed tougher than before, but this resolve masked deep anxiety and insecurity. Although the Tal king and his senior staff had yet to receive intelligence on Qua’s planned assault against Tal’s home planet, Qua Commander Sade had already convinced Planet Leader Abbott, and the operation was underway. Whether it would succeed remained unknown. Let us now turn to the actions of the Qua army.