Battles Beyond (Book 1: The Fleeing Saga)

Carbon Net Positive (9)

"Like they reach, boi." uttered the big, blue, and round Hahbou who pacified the hooded stranger.

She and some Defence Force troops occupied a massive hovercar. They filled every seat around him while travelling along the petal connector bridge. It was the product of a two-metre white machine with a polished sixty-four-sided crystal floating over it called the Architect of Roses.

Random petals would hang in the sky until it was activated. They flew in from all directions until a bridge was formed.

However, an Architect from a neighbouring petal would have to be activated to establish the bridge.

Several soldiers didn't like to ride the hoverbus. Unfortunately, they had to. None of the hovercars, particularly the fast ones, were functioning.

The wrinkly, yellow-skinned driver wasn't bothered by this. He expected nothing less from a warzone. Things just didn't work. That was their reality.

* * *

"...It was hit and run tactics the being with the yellow hood use with the dense terrain in Swampy Swampy. He framed it to make it look like a bunch of animals from the mangroves did it." Cascachu broke down what the stranger did as his wounds were being treated in one of Zartzs' front carriages with Cassadon nearby.

Guys! Nem's facial visualization shield identified him through the glass of the hovercar. It was transparent, rested in front of her face with a band around her head, and had a small, lightweight processor that revealed obscured beings or objects. His external structure was quite distinct in the minimalistic heads-up display. I see a Inganop! The youth in the hood and jeans.

Cassadon and Cascachu pondered on the fact he was an Inganop. They were rare in this part of the galaxy.

That youth the one who do you wrong, Cascachu?

Yes. He was soft-spoken with his answer.

Cassadon took note of this and said, "Cascachu, you can't do it alone. We're going take him out together."

We have to take out his accomplices and them as well. Nem slid in her suggestion.

No problem. We's a team.

Their superior honked in great pleasure.

The starcraft Ral piloted came into the literal tracks of the War Troupe. She got the glass covering to levitate for Supreme General Ippe of the Defence Force to freely stand on his seat.

His equivalent, Top Commander Zartzs of the Balmi War Troup, responded by halting on the self-generated track.

"Hello, Zartzs." He raised his arm to welcome her with a wave.

"Hello, Ippe."

"Is this a part of your new invasion plan?" He folded his arms. "If so, you can do better."

"You know if it was me, I would've come up with something more comprehensive." At the very least, she, Cassadon, and Nem would not arrive so late to an invasion of the enemy headquarters, and they certainly wouldn't let Cascachu lead such a thing, especially with the elevated risk of doing this.

Cascachu knew she wouldn't be that dumb. "Those random lifeforms in Defence Force uniforms must be coming to take back their starcraft."

"I'm surprise that don't happen more often, you know."

"Yeah. I thought the same, honestly." He grinned. Cascachu had a new trick for all to see.

"Let's see it then." Nem's curiosity got to her.