Allied Forces Vs. Platonians (9.1)

ESCRIB AND NEB MARCHED DOWN THE HALLWAYS inside the Platonian base on Platonia. They threw open the door to Jean McClain's room. Jean sat up in her bed, startled before she recognized one of the two aliens standing in her doorway.

"Hi Neb, what's up?" Jean asked still rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"You have failed us!" Escrib barked. "The humans are not giving up, we will have to destroy them. We will attack the colony on Exandra and make sure there is nothing left."

He motioned two guards into the room. They took hold of Jean and marched her out of the room and down the hallway. Half pushing, half dragging her, through the base they reached a cell drearier than the one she left behind. There was no window, no bed, no table; a dirt floor instead of smooth stone. Shoving her into the tiny space, they slammed the door and locked it.

Jean, sitting on the floor in the dark, her shoulders sagging, felt her uneasiness bloom to full worry. What have I done? I haven't protected anyone, I've given them information that will help them destroy the colonists.

*****

Knowing that the Laskonian spies had said that the snowstorm had originated over the mountain region east of the Human Colony, Trib decided to go and investigate. After securing a single pilot excursion ship at the space port, Trib left Lask to investigate. He landed next to an unnaturally craggy mountain.

He checked his ships scanners before leaving his ship.

Well, not only is this mountain unnatural in formation, there is signal traffic that just shouldn't be here.

Exiting the ship, he began to climb the steep, rocky terrain. His climb took him to a ledge protecting a view of a cave entrance from casual discovery.

He quickly hid himself behind a ledge; Platonian guards heavily guarded the entrance.

This is where their local base is. No wonder they can control the weather so precisely, Trib thought to himself, I must go tell the others... but first…

Trib looked all around him; on the face of the mountain a little farther below him, he saw a hole that appeared to be an air shaft. He climbed down to it and dropped inside the mountain.

There's a whole city in here!

Doing his best to avoid detection, he kept to the shadows, creeping further into the base.

On the inner walls of the mountain, many suspended bridge-ways and corridors cut deeper into the sides. There were also many different rooms cut into the interior walls, each brightly lit and filled with activity. Trib, keeping to the shadows, crept along the many corridors traveling deeper and further down into the cavernous depths. There was very little activity along the corridors. The windows of the rooms were tinted, making it difficult to see Trib from inside, even if he had not been taking advantage of every hiding space.

Where are all the Platonian soldiers? Trib worried.

Hearing someone coming down the hall, Trib squeezed himself behind a large cargo box. He listened to their conversation as they passed.

"I was actually starting to think that the Lesirqur plan, using that snowstorm technology, was going to work."

"What I want to know is, who came up with that stupid code name?"

"Probably one of Escrib's aides. Klect always said they had black holes for brains! Hey, do you think this new plan we have been hearing about will scare those new beings out of Exandra?"

"I hope so! Then with them out of the way, we can wipe those vermin off of Lask."

Trib rolled his eyes at the insult.

"What do you think Escrib will do if this plan fails, too?"

"I know what I would do. I would go on an all-out war against them and wipe them out. No more of this sneaking around business. They can't possibly beat us if we attack in full force!"

The conversation faded out of hearing as the two Platonians rounded a corner farther down the corridor. After he was sure they were far enough away, Trib snuck out from behind the cargo box and continued his journey deeper into the mountain. Feeling protected by the shadows, Trib risked a look over the corridor railing.

Thousands of Platonians were lined up hundreds of feet below him in parade formation. A voice spoke from an intercom system.

"Men, 'Lesirqur' has failed. As many of you have already heard, humans still pollute Exandra. We will waste no more time. We launch an all-out war against them and the Laskonians in two weeks! For now, we will focus on wiping out those ECOPs so they do not interfere again!"

The walls of the mountain echoed with a terrifying sound as the Platonians shook their fists in the air and stomped their feet. Trib quickly ran back along the corridors staying in the shadows. Finding the air shaft, he hurriedly regained the surface and climbed back down the mountain. Trib ran to his transport ship and flew off toward Lask, wasting no time to notify Admiral Lenoir.

Laurie and Chris were playing chess outside on the grass in front of the Kingston's house. The EOE team had decided to forestall any future excursions until they better understood the Platonian threat. Things settled into a new routine while the colony waited for news from Trib.

"Checkmate! Hey, do you hear that?" Laurie asked.

"Huh! Oh yeah, I guess it is checkmate‒ what is that noise?"

"It sounds like a steady whirring."

"It's probably a siren; your mom might know what it is about."

"Let's go ask," Laurie agreed.

The two children quickly picked up their game and ran into Laurie's house.

"Mom, do you hear that noise? What is it?" Laurie franticly asked her mother who was rolling out piecrusts.

"I don't hear anything," Dr. Kingston replied laughing, "You should calm down Laurie; you'll give yourself hiccups."

Chris' face brightened with understanding. He grabbed Laurie by the elbow and led her back outside.

"The ECOPs signal!" He suggested, pulling his collapsed staff from its clip on his belt

Laurie's eyes widened, "They must be calling us; it sounds like it is coming from the south side of Dirin City."

She took her own staff from her belt and extended it. They spun the staffs above their heads to generate the response signal. Both children took off running down the rows of houses and streets towards the city's edge, letting the signal guide them.

*****

Trib flew into Lask at top speed, totally ignoring the Laskonian capital city's airport and carefully landing right in front of the Laskonian governmental building. Ducking and covering their heads, Laskonians and a few humans scurried out of the way as Trib landed. Climbing out of the ship, he ran up the main steps two at a time. When he reached the polished marble reception hall, he ran, ignoring protocol and the agitated receptionist. Trib burst into the barely furnished throne room and crossed quickly to the Admiral's office. Trib stopped dead in his tracks. Admiral Lenoir was not in the room.

Bewildered and filled with anxiety, Trib ran back to the reception desk.

"Where is Admiral Lenoir?" Trib demanded; his exasperation and anxiety apparent.

Annoyed by all the commotion, the receptionist snapped back in response.

"If you had come to me before you so rudely barged into the empty throne room I could have told you that Admiral Lenoir is in a meeting at the moment and is not to be disturbed."

Trib sighed.

"All right, I'm sorry, but I have some information that needs to be given to Admiral Lenoir right now; it's about a Platonian attack on Lask, the humans in Dirin City, and the ECOP forces."

The receptionist blanched white and muttered hurriedly, "Straight down the hall turn left, ten doors down, please knock before entering."

"Thank you," Trib smiling in appreciation as he turned and hurried back down the hall.

Following the receptionist's instructions he quickly found the room and knocked.

"Enter," a voice beckoned.

Trib entered, hurriedly bowed, and foregoing all other traditional protocols, spat out his information before five of the security officers of Lask and the Admiral. Even though he knew that he was interrupting an important meeting, Trib took the time to relay the details of his trip into the Platonians' mountain hideout. With wide eyes and solemn faces, his audience listened silently. Admiral Lenoir was lost in thought. Trib knew that look, he was already planning an offensive. When Trib had finished his report, the Admiral spoke.

"As I see it, the Platonians plan to attack us, the Earthlings and the ECOPs one at a time; beginning with the ECOPs. Our best course of action is to unite with our friends and establish a counter offensive against the Platonians."

His officers nodded their approval.

"I know our people do not choose to fight. I know our tradition is to foster peace. The time has finally come, as I thought it might, when we have to stand up to our enemies. Especially if we wish to survive and provide a peaceful future for Lask and Exandra!"

Hearing no objections, the Admiral continued, "We must begin immediately to organize those among us fit for battle. Be sure you inform your troops of the situation but beware, there may be spies among us."

Trib quietly left the room, knowing he was no longer needed here. As soon as the door closed behind him, he dashed down the hall in renewed urgency once more blasting past the receptionist without so much as a nod.

*****