Sharon took heavy fire from her position. But she kept pushing forward, forcing her enemy back. She and a group of fifty rebels were attacking the Kintari Karagath Command Centre from the south. The sun embraced them with its warmth, but her team barely felt it, all focused on a single mission to keep moving forward.
"Keep moving," Sharon shouted to her team.
Bursts of deadly light rained down on them.
Jax counterattacked from his position covering the north of the base, another group of rebels, commanded by Roberto, the boy who had rescued Jane and Joey when they arrived from space, attacked from the west, joined by fifty more rebels.
Commander Varg Kor'thul, gritting her teeth, slammed her fist on the table where she was giving orders. She had been too confident in her belief that a small group of insurgents wished to perish before the magnificence of the Kintari stormtroopers.
"Commander, it's the Imperial Corvette Kor'Zhan, coming from the east," reported the communications officer in the command center.
Varg relaxed her face.
"Now they will see the power of the Kintari Empire."
"Ensign," the commander shouted, "issue an order to the Corvette to sweep all the insubordinate"
"Aye, Commander!" replied the officer.
"Let's show them how futile their attempt to revolt against the Kintari forces is"
The ensign relayed the orders but got no response. An emergency signal went off on the officer's console.
His wide eyes looked up at the commander.
"It's attacking us, Commander."
"Impossible!" replied Commander Varg.
Had the rebels stolen a Kintari ship? Had she underestimated the humans? Beads of sweat ran down his brow.
"Activate ground attack colossi." At once, the communications officer relayed the order. The engines of the armored vehicles roared, their massive, thickly armored tracks shredding the ground with every step, leaving deep marks in the ground as they went.
Sharon felt the ground tremble, she cast a furtive glance from her position, and her green eyes widened.
"Take cover!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, throwing herself to the ground.
A loud detonation hit close to her, deafening her. Huge clouds of dust overlapped the sunlight.
"Take all the time you want, Tak," Sharon whispered, biting the dust.
The big Kintari war tank, aimed its main gun at Captain Sharon, as it continued its heavy, steady gait. She, stunned, was still lying on the ground.
Unexpectedly, the great titan stopped a few meters away from her. Sharon sighed in relief.
From all four flanks of the base, the fire had ceased.
The Kintari soldiers had not only stopped the fire, they were engrossed in the transmissions they were receiving on their scopes and screens.
Tak and Sharon had planned the attack on the Kintari Karagath base a few days earlier. Its strategic position was perfect for the effective counterattack Sharon had designed. In addition, Tak knew the commander-in-chief, Varg Kor'thul. Her arrogance and imposing nature would be her weakness. The infiltration was precise and swift, demonstrating her tactical ability without causing unnecessary casualties. Tak managed to reach the Command Center undetected and took control without giving time for retaliation. She ordered a ceasefire and began transmitting the videos recorded during the festivities she had witnessed. The music of the instruments, the firelight dances, and the plays left the Kintari soldiers perplexed. At the end of the video, Sharon and Tak emerged holding hands, affirming that life should not only be a battle to be won but also an experience of creative exhilaration.
The surviving soldiers had laid down their weapons and were lining up in the training hangar; they awaited orders from the new commanding officer Tak'Koth Gra'Thal. Despite their customs, they were forbidden to take their own lives. Hidden among them were the infiltrating Corvette soldiers, those who had previously participated in the humans' festive activities. The wait went on forever. Soon the silence was broken, and a familiar tune began to swarm in the soldiers' ears, the same tune they had heard during the battle. One of the Corvette's soldiers was playing Queen's Under Pressure song and tapping the floor with the tip of his foot. Suddenly, others began to imitate him, caught up in the rhythm of the song. Curious, a female soldier decided to break formation and cautiously approach the soldier who was executing movements overflowing with vitality while appreciating the music playing.
"What are you doing?"
"Dancing!"
The girl wrinkled her brow
"It's a form of entertainment that humans practice to amuse themselves and pass the time."
The girl tilted her head to the side and rolled her eyes.
"Close your eyes and try it."
The song ended and a new one began to play.
Without realizing it, the girl soldier was moving her bone structure to the musical notes of Cher's Believe.
Soon there were over a hundred soldiers crammed in trying to watch the music videos played on the infiltrator's little device. They wanted to feel the same thrill the latter soldier was enjoying.
"What's that?" one soldier asked curiously, pointing to the mugs of beer being carried by the humans in the holiday video.
"It's a fermented grain liquid," another soldier replied.
"Humans call it beer, it produces a very delicious intoxicating effect and uninhibits your repressed desires. Zorlax knows a human who smuggles beer for 100 krets a dozen."
They all looked towards another soldier who had not yet broken formation. He glanced at them. Two dozen soldiers drew their MoDACs simultaneously, raising them above their heads. Zorlax's lips curved and his eyes lit up.
Sharon's plan was running like a well-oiled mechanism.
Commander Varg, meanwhile, was waiting to be executed as her kind would normally execute their prisoners. However, Sharon requested that she be locked up in the base prison, then her fate would be decided.
Commander Tak entered the hangar and everyone returned to formation. She ordered the soldiers to join forces with a group of humans for a series of competitive military exercises. These exercises included mock battles and strategic challenges to test both physical strength and tactical intelligence. Thus, the weeks of training slipped away. At first, some soldiers were reluctant to team up with the humans. However, the humans proved their combat skills and earned the respect of their Kintari counterparts.
Soon, the rebel humans in combination with the expertise of the Kintari soldiers would not only master the handling of the ships and battle vehicles but also assimilate their technology, paving the way for the third phase of Sharon's plan.
Zorlax finally brought the beers, thanks to Jax's help. Just in time for the festive evening, the Kintari soldiers had been looking forward to. Sharon had managed to get some entertaining movies and new music tracks. All the Kintari soldiers knew the meaning of the words entertainment and fun. Some danced, some drank and some were just content to appreciate the stories they played about samurai warriors.
Sharon and Jax finally managed to make out a small cavity between two huge blocks of ice, but the brutal weather conditions made it difficult to reach the coordinates indicated. Joey had managed to make contact with another group of survivors with the communication system he had fabricated from damaged ship parts and spares. Tak had suggested that they use the Corvette to reach the destination, but Sharon refused. The sighting of a Kintari vessel in the frigid lands of Antarctica would make the encounter suspicious and possibly draw the attention of other enemy ships. Tak reluctantly agreed, but still provided a pair of communicators to maintain contact.
Suddenly, the howl of blizzards was overshadowed by the familiar roar of plasma engines. Two interceptors had appeared in the vicinity. Jax activated his photon rifle. Sharon gritted her teeth as she watched with her binoculars for the enemy ships circling closer and closer. The heat detectors on the fighters would soon be on them. Unexpectedly, Sharon's transmitter activated.
"I'm detecting two interceptor fighters in the vicinity," Tak reported. Sharon pursed her lips
"Damn it! Hold your position!"
Sharon turned off the communicator and looked at Jax.
Both ships hovered in front of the cavern entrance, detecting the comm, a shiver ran through Sharon's body. She remembered her first encounter with Tak.
"Come out both of you with your hands up," one of the fighters communicated.
Sharon stood up and shook the ice off her thermal coverall.
"I'm not going to be caught without a fight," Jax said with a glance.
He picked up his rifle and aimed it at one of the fighters. To his surprise, Sharon placed her hand on the barrel of the rifle. She shook her head and then walked out of the cave with her hands in the air.
"The anointed one," they replied from the nearest ship.
Sharon relaxed her shoulders and smiled, lowering her hands. It was amazing that even in Antarctica she was called that.
Jax approached cautiously without taking his eyes off the fighters and his fingers off the trigger.
"Relax. They've said the operative word. Apparently, we're not the only ones with Kintari friends."
The fighters' alarms went off.
"Proximity alert," warned the voice from the consoles inside the interceptor fighters.
Tak's Imperial Corvette appeared behind them, and both ships turned around, targeting the Corvette protecting the humans. Immediately, Sharon picked up her communicator
"Stand down. I repeat, stand down. They are friendly."
It came as a surprise to everyone to learn that the rebels were well-prepared for the end of the world. The shelter, where they dwelt, was a small city buried underground; the place had been carefully designed and built to house a population. Built with thick reinforced concrete walls, it was protected with motion detection systems and monitored with security cameras. Unlike the one Joey had described when he first met the refugees, far from being a simple cave with rudimentary homes, the place had systems in place to ensure the shelter's self-sufficiency.
Both humans and Kintari resided within the shelter, after a warm welcome. The visitors met with the local leadership and requested support for a plan to attack the Kintari forces. However, the meeting dragged on with no sign of agreement.
Sharon was unwilling to give up.
"Gentlemen, we have gathered a large group of Kintari soldiers who have agreed to join our cause. They have come to understand more about our way of life; like the Kintari who live with you, they disagree with your empire's policy of war and oppression. This particular group has had the opportunity to learn about Earth's life and culture, and now they wish to live in peace with us."
At that moment, Commander Tak stepped up and took the floor.
"That is true. Some of us Kintari have learned to accept and respect those of your race," she cast a furtive glance at Sharon, "We have seen the beauty and joy of human culture, and we long to create an alliance with you. We believe there is a chance to stop the Imperial regime".
The leaders exchanged looks of surprise and hope. Their stony faces relaxed.
One leader, more relieved, commented.
"That's encouraging news. Maybe there is a chance to end this conflict".
One of the leaders, crossing his arms, asked.
"And how can we seize that opportunity? Our combined forces are still too weak to take on the Kintari army directly."
"Precisely. With the strategic assistance of the Kintari and the rebel allies, we have devised a bold plan. Together, we can seize a Kintari Imperial Class Star Destroyer."
Another of the leaders widened his eyes in surprise.
"A Star Destroyer? Do you think we can maintain control of a ship of that magnitude?"
"I know, it's a risk we have to take, but it's our best chance. Once we have control of the Destroyer, we can use it to attack and destroy the Star Dreadnought Executor, the flagship of the Kintari Empire."
"If we can take the Star Destroyer, we can inflict a decisive blow to the power of the Kintari Empire," Tak commented with determination.
The third leader had been silent, scratching his chin in thought.
"That would be a decisive blow. If we succeed in eliminating the Dreadnought, the Kintari forces will lose their main source of power and control over the planet."
"Exactly. With the Star Destroyer and the help of our rebel allies and the dissident Kintari faction, we have a real chance of defeating the occupation forces and freeing the planet from Imperial tyranny," Sharon interjected.
"I also have an additional plan to destabilize the Kintari forces' attack. We have videos showing members of the dissident faction living and sharing festivities with the humans. We can use these videos to weaken the empire's position and convince more Kintari to join our cause and avoid losses."
"Yes, these videos will be a powerful tool. They will show that peace and cooperation between our peoples is possible," Tak said, raising the volume of his voice.
The first leader, sighing deeply
"It's a bold plan, but given the desperate situation, it's worth a try. You have our support, Captain Sharon."
"Then we will prepare everything to carry out this operation as soon as possible. Together, with the help of our rebel allies and the dissident Kintari faction, we will achieve victory and free the planet from imperial tyranny," concluded Sharon.
The leaders nodded with determination, now seeing a glimmer of hope in Captain Sharon's plan.
The Star Destroyer was taken by surprise. The sky was filled with hundreds of Interceptor Fighters attacking from all sides, sublimating its communications and movements. Soon, a large group of enemy fighters emerged from the Destroyer in response to the attack. Both sides opened fire immediately, and phosphorescent bursts exploded, decorating the earth's sky with a myriad of colors. Although the enemy ships outnumbered their allies, they unexpectedly began to lose control, suffering communications system problems. Joey had managed to flood the channels with music, colors, art, and videos of the hundreds of Kintari having fun with the humans. The pilots were stunned to see their comrades, having fun and laughing with the humans, living peacefully together. A feeling of joy was on the faces of the aliens living with the humans, a feeling that was not born out of the success of exterminating an adversary.
Sharon and Tak were again under heavy fire. An infantry of soldiers was rounding up the small group of rebels who had managed to infiltrate inside the Star Destroyer, they were carrying a device that would disable the ship's defense and weapons systems. The goal was to reach the engineering hangar, where the warp core was located.
Jax was firing his plasma rifle furiously, holding back the enemy soldiers.
"The road is blocked!" shouted Sharon.
"I know a way to get to engineering," said Astra, a dissident Kintari warrior from Antarctica. The girl ran down a corridor, behind her was Sharon and Tak. Jax and the others took a different course to split up the infantry forces.
Astra led them through a maze of corridors until they reached the engineering room. The girl punched in a few digits on the entry console and the door hissed. Tak was concentrating her fire on the dozen Kintari soldiers at their heels. Sharon was looking towards Tak when she heard Astra shout.
"Get in now!"
Sharon entered pointing her weapon everywhere looking for enemies waiting inside the engineering room. Suddenly she heard the door hiss behind her. Sharon's eyes widened wildly as she felt the cold metal blade piercing her body. Astra's face had hardened.
"Long live the Empire," she whispered in Sharon's ear.
The faces of the MorningStar's crew flashed across Sharon's eyes. Joey, Jane, Petra, Mike. Tears blurred her vision, her hand reaching for the Kintari soldier's complexion, giving her a sweet caress that shook Astra's body. There was no trace of frustration or hatred in Sharon's eyes. The beautiful golden eyes of her executor were etched in her mind and in her last breath she blurted out.
"I'm afraid to leave you."
Sharon's body collapsed lifelessly in a pool of blood.
In the distance, Sharon watched as a version of Tak, howling with rage, shredded and fried Astra's body with the electrical energy that emanated from her hands.
Tak fell to her knees and scooped Sharon's body into her arms. Her screams of pain overshadowed the purring of the warp core.
"I can't do this without you," her tears continued to soak her face.
Sharon was screaming at the top of her lungs from where she stood trying to get her attention. The stage was dimming in the intense light that made it impossible to see what was going on.
Suddenly, a cool breeze caressed her face.
"What is this?"
She stood at the foot of a hill, it was daylight, and a pair of moons contrasted in the blue sky. Sharon's eyes were fixed on a group of small insects gnawing on the purple leaves of a plant a few steps away from her. Her mind recalled the infantry of soldiers chasing her, but it was a distant memory. She gasped as she sensed that she was not alone. A stranger waited patiently at her side. He glanced at the insects and sighed.
"The Kintari are one of the many races that inhabit the Nethraverse." Sharon furrowed her brow. "You've barely glimpsed a small part of it."
Despite being an outsider, Sharon felt a certain familiarity with him.
"What is the Nethraverse?"
"That's how we refer to what you call the universe," he explained. "However, I could complement it as the macrocosm where metaphysics and technology vie for supremacy combined with mortal implications."
"Metaphysics?"
"Yes. You'll find it hard to understand, but there are fickle deities who dwell outside the ordinary world you know and who decide the balance of power in the universe at their whim."
"Nethraverse," Sharon corrected. The stranger smiled back.
"Your planet," the stranger continued, picking up a tiny grain of earth, "is but an insignificant particle in the vast, infinite space. Yet," he said as he dropped the tiny grain on the insects, who immediately stopped gnawing at the plant and ran around in a stampede, "it is formidable, as you humans will influence in many ways all life forms that make up the Nethraverse. Your effort to rid your species of the Kintari threat, though small, will reverberate throughout the galaxy."
The strange being was a tall gentleman, with short dark hair and ghostly white skin, with deep black eyes. He commanded an air of respect.
"What is this place called?"
"This is Gaia. In the not-too-distant future, it will be your new home."
Sharon raised her eyebrows. Hundreds of questions flooded her mind. She didn't know which one to start with, She looked down at the gnawed plant again, the insects had disappeared. She scratched the back of her neck. It was inevitable not to ask the most important question.
"Am I dead?"
The stranger shook his head. He was silent as he examined a device he carried with him.
"Your task is not finished. Here," he said handing the device into her hands.
Sharon opened her eyes a little wider to recognize the device.
"Isn't this the device we were going to use to neutralize the Star Destroyer?"
"I've upgraded it," the stranger replied, "the previous one was to activate the Destroyer's self-destruct sequence."
Sharon narrowed her eyes
"Astra."
"That's right, it was a covert Kintari agent. Ironic," the stranger added, "in her last minutes of life, your touch so disturbed her that she began to doubt her convictions and her having done to you what she did to you"
"I remember, caressing her cheek."
"So it was."
Sharon was thoughtful.
"Alright," said the stranger with a smile, "Enough for the moment, it's time for you to go back... Mom."
"What?"
Suddenly Sharon felt Tak's tight embrace suffocating her. Her tear-filled eyes could hardly believe her eyes, yet she continued to smile, thanking Sharon's God for bringing her back.
Sharon felt the cold, hard floor on her back; the hum and warmth of the warp reactor brought her back to reality. She could still remember how welcoming the place she had visited was. Sharon wiped the tears that escaped Tak's eyes.
"You're beautiful," Sharon said.
"So are you."
Sharon stood up with Tak's help and hurried to install the neutralizing device.
"You shouldn't do that," Tak cautioned, "we don't know if the spy tampered with the mechanism."
"Relax. I know what I'm doing," Sharon said full of confidence.
She installed the device and turned it on, squeezing her eyes shut.
The destroyer lowered its shields and the alarm that flooded the corridors stopped sounding. Soon the resistance scientists took control of the Destroyer and disabled the soldiers' weapons. Finally, they had captured the Star Destroyer.
Commander Tak ordered a ceasefire. The soldiers, recognizing the commander's command, immediately laid down their weapons. There were about three thousand soldiers inside the Destroyer. It was an arduous task to change their mindset but Commander Tak knew how to do it.
While the allies were fighting to capture the Star Destroyer, at the same time an unexpected counter-attack was occurring, led by a group of rebels under the leadership of Roberto and joined by Jane, Petra Kirillov, and Mike Thomson, the MorningStar's astrophysicist and mechanical engineer. They had been recruited by Sharon to carry out a critical mission, to locate the nuclear weaponry that the resistance leaders were keeping secret in order to put an end to the Kintari invasion once and for all, regardless of the destruction of the planet.
Despite having demonstrated that it was possible to achieve an alliance with a faction of Kintari warriors to defend the humans from the Empire's attacks, the leaders of the surviving groups from the first attack, due to their hatred and desire for revenge, did not share Sharon's ideals of finding a peaceful solution between the two species. Finally, they refused to accept any kind of agreement or cooperation with the alien invaders.
These rebels had barricaded themselves in a former Russian facility, where missiles with nuclear warheads were being manufactured. Petra and Mike had received the alarming information from their captain Sharon and had volunteered to stop this group at all costs and prevent a catastrophe.
As they approached the installation, the troops deployed, and behind them, Petra and Mike could see the signs of activity and preparations for war. The rebels did not expect to be attacked by their kind, which allowed them to enter the facility without arousing suspicion of their intentions.
Not missing a beat, Roberto began to attack the facility from the inside. The group of rebels armed themselves, ready to defend the complex, but they had lost their advantage. A quick engagement took place; Petra and Mike took advantage of the confusion to get to the missile hangar; they used their expertise to work quickly and accurately, analyzing the nuclear detonation systems and finding a way to neutralize the explosive charges before it was too late.
The battle was over sooner than expected; thanks to the joint training received by the Kintari troops, the humans had learned effective military strategy and were able to defeat the rebels, ensuring that they no longer posed a threat. With control of the complex, Petra and Mike focused on the most important task: transporting the nukes to a strategic and secure location.
The warnings of revolt came late to the Stellar Dreadnought Executor, they soon had a large army in front of them. Despite the large number of allies gained, they were outnumbered 5 to 1 by their enemies. The final battle began, like a swarm of bees, hundreds of Interceptor Fighters along with dozens of Corvettes emerged from the Battleship.
Joey had managed to understand the workings of the Kintari communications system, which allowed them to play and broadcast on a large scale again the videos showing the Kintari race side by side with their antagonist, the human race; executing military maneuvers as well as enjoying and celebrating the entertainment activities the earthlings were having. Each enemy ship began to receive the transmission on their consoles without being able to cancel it.
The strategic formation that the Kintari soldiers had initially formed fell apart.
At the end of the recorded broadcast, a new live broadcast began: Sharon and Tak appeared ordering a cessation of hostilities and requesting mediation to achieve peace between the two species.
"Our species can live together in peace," they said in unison. Both holding hands, in front of the camera and front of the eyes of all beings on the planet, including their enemies. They smiled and intertwined their fingers and held them up as a symbol of the union between the two races.
All enemy ships ceased their attack in confusion and expectation.
Soon the large Stellar Dreadnought Executor appeared on the planet's horizon, the leaders of the enemy General Command saw the danger posed by the images and video they were witnessing. Images that could not reach the Kintari star system. They immediately decided to give the order for total extermination and annihilation, alien or not.
Faced with the expectation, the captain, in a last peaceful attempt, let go of her partner's hand and took her face, placing a kiss on her lips. After a few seconds, it was reciprocated by her counterpart.
The Stellar Dreadnought came to a halt, giving enough time for the fighters and other rebel ships to open fire on it, weakening its force field.
"Heresy!" shouted the enemy high command council. At that moment they gave a master order and the ship began to open a gigantic door beneath it. The main weapon would activate, just as Commander Tak had predicted.
"Collision imminent in 30 seconds," the Dreadnought's bridge staff reported in surprise. The MorningStar had appeared from an unknown area and was heading straight for them, carrying all the warheads taken from the Earth resistance leaders inside it, armed.
Captain Sharon and Commander Tak were driving the MorningStar. As a meteor hit the Dreadnought, the great explosion dulled the sunlight for a few seconds, splitting the Battleship in two, and obliterating much of the planet in its fall.
Twenty-four hours later, Sharon awoke restlessly looking for the MorningStar's controls but found herself in an unfamiliar room. Jane was sitting near her, waiting for her to wake up.
"What happened?" asked the anxious captain.
"We won," was all Jane could answer.
Tears welled up in Sharon's eyes, and her hand went straight to her chest in search of her crucifix, but she couldn't find it. At that moment she asked again.
"Tak?"
Jane hesitated to answer. She knew the captain felt much more than friendship towards the commander. After a few seconds, she explained that Tak was the one who had knocked her unconscious, to put her in an escape pod so she wouldn't die during the collision with the enemy ship.
"We all agreed with her," Jane finished.
New tears welled up in her eyes, Sharon didn't know what to feel knowing that her partner offered her life to defend an alien planet against her race and find all their programming.
Jane left the room.
There was a small player on the table next to their bed as well as a framed photo of all of them: Sharon and Tak along with Jax, Jane, and Joey, during their first-holiday reunion.
Sharon took a deep breath before turning on the player. It was Tak's voice.
"Thank you for giving new meaning to my life. This will be the first time I do something for the right reason and not because of an order from a high command. I cannot allow humanity to be left alone, the presence of a leader is necessary to keep the course of the new society that will emerge from both species. I can imagine no one better than you to take command. Don't be sad, I won't be alone, your Earth friend will be with me.
Sharon touched her chest again.
She took another deep breath and dipped into the memories in her mind, seeing how joyful those people looked in the picture. Her tears kept falling on the photo.
Moments later, she came out of the room. She was surprised to realize she was inside the Star Destroyer. A platoon stood at attention in her presence. An officer approached her and saluted.
"Captain, we await your orders."
The planet was uninhabitable after the last battle. Five years later, a command of spaceships led by Sharon, now an admiral, headed for the distant Kintari star system. Thus began the era of the great Terran exodus.
Part One
https://app.t2.world/article/clww0bt5m89662320mcqw7i9ywp
Part Two
https://app.t2.world/article/clx6045n92967920mce0m7hfrd
