The Awaited One

1

His power pervaded the Realm and he placed only loyal Creods in positions below his status. With the new Mantari campaign he risked defense of the home planet as well as the surrounding defensive outposts. The Ta-Buhn-Shar would face every azicar, freight barge, scanner, constructor craevic azicars, and moveable vessel of the Realm. He emerged quickly from the thacin. " Hueta, when will we reach Karbla speed? Sard wishes the Aragosta to lead this amperge."

" Karbla speed in two desaks, Vargut Emnas."

" Good." He studied the forward tacticals from the upper iacin. The Vastak, now commanded by Roik, paralleled the Aragosta within a mass of assorted azicars. The Humea, depicted in a brilliant purple light was dissected by Tark's diminishing yellow dotted signal. " What do you think, Elkan?"

Elkan was now seated in Sard's command chair. The new Vargut Gamun's matrixes swung toward Sard. " I have a new thought about your brother's signals."

" Sard wishes to hear your thoughts."

" My rucapens have proposed a juxtaposed communications signal due to power intensity at the center of the Humea. I think Tark's signal may have originated in another location than is indicated."

" What do you suggest to Sard?"

" Send smaller pzicars at a faster speed around the Humea center to check the contact's place of origin. Before the entire amperge travels in an irrelevant direction."

" Sard will consider your request. He must find this Mantari-Earth. Prepare battle generated images and we will be ready for the Ta-Buhn-Shar. Hueta, how many waskams have we produced?"

Hueta displayed the long cluster azicars with four green side traction wheels. Sard modified the design after Golga, providing a quicker side motion and greater shooter power while hovering off the ground. " Five thousand, two hundred and fifty."

" Instruct the craevic azicar that Sard demands six thousand before he reaches Mantari-Earth!"

" It will be done, Vargut Emnas."

" And every azicar will provide Sard with detailed provision lists. All three million sevelts will be equipped properly."

" Yes, Vargut Emnas."

Sard turned as Anka, covered with a warming fabric and seated in a transport rester, entered the iacin. His voice was weakened by disease contracted on the home urkam. " Are you ready for the Ta-Buhn-Shar?"

" In the generated images," said Sard. " Are you able to accompany Sard to the battle azicar?"

" In younger reifts, this illness would have been fought and conquered. Now it lingers with my age. But I will watch the battle on my osil nakitam."

Sard sat in a station rester across from his old friend. " Sard must be prepared. The final battle with the Ta-Buhn-Shar is the only important battle. Sard now understands how to combat them. From Mantari-Earth he will find this pequa passageway his brother speaks of. Tark will lead us to their home urkam and we will bring our entire amperge to crush them."

" Such words must be grounded in realistic truth, Sard. Bringing the amperge into this passageway may be beyond our capacity."

Sard's matrixes dimmed. " If Sard is able to accomplish this with the help of his brother, he will arrive unnoticed and surprise the Ta-Buhn-Shar with all his power. And then their urkam will be his."

* * *

The stars surrounded his azicar. As he swung out over the Aragosta's rusty hull, red cruising lights blinked and the massive shooter batteries glowed an eerie green against the darkness of space. His nakitam showed the vast amperge's disposition. He peered out the span and thought how the Aragosta had faced the Ta-Buhn-Shar in the past. The white cylinders containing the generated battle images floated parallel to the Aragosta in the gray starlight. Constant training was the only way to prepare his sevelts for ground combat.

He quickly docked the azicar at the top portal and lowered the outside ramp. Sevelts fell as he marched into the thacin. He remained confident as he moved upward. Tark's messages convinced him he would finally locate the Ta-Buhn-Shar. Within a short time he emerged on the iacin. Generated battles raged on the many wide nakitams surrounding the circular vargut iacin. Cluster waskams hovered and maneuvered across a seemingly real landscape as energy bursts destroyed enemy positions.

" This battle has flaws," said Sard, scanning the tacticals. " A scampal accuracy rating."

" An improvement," said Elkan.

Sard slowly scanned his matrixes toward Elkan. " To fight the Ta-Buhn-Shar, Sard needs perfection."

" It will be done, Vargut Emnas."

" What is the status of Sard's order concerning the passageway from Mantari-Earth?"

Elkan stepped down to the tactical. " The rucapens tell me inflated barges might work. But we are unsure of the passageway's composition. We can successfully float our sevelts and equipment, but there are many unknowns. How do we gain exit and entry? How do we move on this passageway?"

" Sard's brother has spent many reifts alone on the inferior urkam. Sard is convinced he knows the answers to questions about the passageway."

" You may be correct, Sard. Your brother's standing as a rucapen is unchallenged."

" Sard longs to see him again&ldots; Sard will go below now and join the battle."

* * *

Sard placed the image helmet over his head and the ground battle formed around him. He strapped a large shooter over his shoulder and crossed the hardened soil as the smoke of battle drifted through the stuffy air. The cluster waskam's sliver rods spread and he moved inside. He positioned himself in the center rester and checked his shooter panels. " Display inferior positions."

The forward nakitam was overlapped with a full color terrain map, designed to simulate the fortifications on the Olcluys Ridges during the battle of Golga. The high ridges and sloping hill were packed with inferiors inside sunken bunkers.

" Battle Proaska, this is Sevine."

" Sevine, proceed to fourth battle area. Merge with second battle group."

" It will be done, Battle Proaska." Sard gripped the controls with anonymity, condensed the tactical and shut down the interior lights. He used the instruction he had received as a youth and wove erratically across the rock-strewn slope. A few shooter bursts impacted behind him. He located the source, a placement midway up the ridge. The entrenchment was clear when he magnified the placements on the tactical. Without use of the internal systems, he aligned his red beam pointers and fired. The explosion ripped apart the rocks and killed all sixty-two Mantari.

" Sevine, what is the meaning of your actions?" asked the Battle Proaska.

Sard quickly brought his waskam into position with the group on the slope. " Sevine was responding to enemy fire."

" Into line and await disposition!"

Sard's fangs moved downward. He would have replaced the Battle Proaska had he not showed his anger. " Your orders, Battle Proaska."

More inferior energy bursts dug up the slope. One waskam was hit. " You will begin a circular assault on the main fortification. Let us see if your battle courage continues. Join the others in firing at the Mantari secondary defenses."

" Sevine wishes an alternate plan."

" Are you challenging me, Sevine?"

" Waskams should only be used as cover in this operation. Send your main assault force up the slope with mobile launched bursters."

After a short silence, the Battle Proaska's voice shot through the helmet.

" Perhaps, you would like to lead such a force. Leave the protection of your waskam and show your courage as a Creod!"

Sard's lip quivered as he immediately opened the waskam wall. He stepped into the dimly lit, rocky slope. " Let the ground assault begin!"

" Have it your way, Sevine. I will give you twenty-five sevelts for your bold plan. And if you fail, you will be held liable and subject to Yestik punishment."

Sard did not answer as he peered through his visor. The silver uniformed sevelts appeared through the hazy darkness across the plain. He activated the helmet tactical. The inferiors were directing most of their fire toward the main Creod waskam group across the plains. He turned as the sevelts marched up the hill.

" Separate into three groups. Our mission is to destroy the main pequa batteries on the ridge."

" We understand, Sevine," said the leader of the sevelts.

Sard looked back toward the hovering waskams, positioned on the plains.

" Battle Proaska, have your waskams attack enemy positions as cover, but maintain your distance for your own protection."

" You will be judged on your plan," answered the Battle Proaska.

The waskams rose upward, remaining secure in their position, and sprayed the ridge with green shooter bursts. Sard faced the sevelts and waved them up the slope. " Arm your shooters. We will destroy this inferior position!"

Bursts from the ridge were directed at the waskams as Sard moved up the rocks ahead of the sevelts. The images of the inferiors along the ridge seemed real. He longed to fight these inferiors with his own graspers. " Battle Proaska, you will now bring your waskams over the ridge."

" Your orders, Sevine?" asked the sevelt leader.

Sard stared down the slope, wondering if the Battle Proaska would comply with his request. Then he scanned back to the sevelts. " When the waskams rise over the ridge, we will take the center inferior position!"

The waskams passed overhead and Sard ordered the sevelts up the slope. Pequa bursts continued from the Mantari position, but the waskams returned the fire as Sard moved ahead of the sevelts over the rocks. Some sevelts hesitated, but most followed.

He counted three shooter batteries from his position behind the rocks. As he turned to his sevelts a strong shooter burst knocked him from the rocks. He steadied himself and shouted into his helmet. " Prepare yourself for the inferiors. Glory to the Realm!"

With his fangs exposed Sard removed his westik and charged the Mantari inside the thick bunker walls. Several inferiors fell back as he vaulted the heavy surface and thrust his westik through an inferior's midsection. The red saurine ignited his hatred further and as his sevelts joined him at the wall. Sard unleashed a brutal westik demonstration upon the inferiors. Body parts splattered across the wall and dirt floor.

" Shooters deployed!" The resulting pequa bursts sent the inferiors scurrying down the tunnel. A cheer sounded among the sevelts and Sard smacked his tactical button. " This is Sard."

His contact with the Battle Proaska was at first met with silence.

" Sevine, your tactical assault was lacking in planning."

" And you have failed to take aggressive action! You will face the Yestiks on the Aragosta's iacin!"

The frequency was open for some time. " Vagut Emnas?"

" Inferiors must never be given the opportunity to attack. You will report to the iacin at once and receive you humiliation."

" It will be done, Vargut Emnas."

" Sard," said Elkan, overriding the frequency.

" Did you witness Sard's attack, Elkan?"

" I did. You aggression is unmatched ... But I have news."

Sard removed his helmet and stood alone in the imaging room. " What news do you have for Sard?"

" Your brother Tark. He has contacted us with a second and third message from Mantari-Earth."

" Sard will return to the Aragosta. This is a glorious day for the Realm. Let us cross the Humea to Mantari-Earth."

Copyright c 2000
by Robert P. Fitton