A muscular octoling captain was surveying a map spread out in front of him. There were stones placed in specific locations baring labels such as "Inkling Splatoon A, 11H00, Today" and "Inkling Splatoon B, 13H00, Yesterday". He counted, measured, scribbled on a notepad and drew a line on the map as his powerful Octarian brain analyzed patterns in the enemy's movements. He made a few more calculations and drew another line which crossed with his first one. When the third line crossed in exactly the same place he began to smirk, and when the fourth one did the same he put a tack into the exact spot with an ominous, low chuckle.
"Captain Kaharoa, sir." A lower ranking soldier saluted at the entrance to his tent.
"Yes?" the captain looked up.
"Captain Octavio here to see you, sir." The soldier announced.
"Very good. Show him in." Kaharoa said with a wave of his hand and another Octoling ducked under the tent's low entrance.
"I hear you were AWOL this morning," Kaharoa began, "What will you tell the superiors if word gets to them?"
"The truth," Octavio defended, "That I went out to terminate the captain of the Squidbeak Splatoon. I got him alone and unarmed, too, but a second inkling came out of nowhere and interrupted me."
"You've really impressed the people upstairs," Kaharoa had decided to change the subject. "I hear they have started work on an extra special Octoweapon just for you."
"Is that right?" Octavio enquired, eager to hear more.
"It will be unlike any of the others," Kaharoa explained. "They may even invent a whole new rank just for its pilot. You've come a long way, Octavio," he continued. "You're not the frightened child who marched out beside me a year ago."
"Good news is welcome today," Octavio remarked with traces of a grin.
"Then how about this?" Kaharoa bragged "I found the location of the Inkling stronghold. We can deploy the octoweapons immediately"
The two octolings stood up and walked through the tent doorway where the soldier was still stationed and Kaharoa gave him an order: "I'm escorting the captain back to his camp and then I'm going to oversee the deployment of the secret weapons. Make sure no-one slacks while I'm away."
"Sir." The private saluted and walked off.
"Can't stay out too long, though." he added to his fellow captain. "I need to be back here to get the power going once the big guys are rigged up."
The Squidbeak Splatoon was treading along their footpath when Judd froze in place. His whiskers twitched as he sniffed the air.
Cap'n Cuttlefish leaned closer. "What ya got there, Bucko?" he whispered.
"Ink. Octarian ink," the cat replied. "And a lot of it." He gave two more short sniffs. "It's close, but not headed for us," He said with some relief but then remarked: "I've never picked up such a large amount in one place."
"Like… a large army of Octolings?" Sepius asked. Since ink was not mass produced, the concept of transporting a massive amount of ink in one vessel did not occur to anyone naturally.
"More like an ink tank the size of a 100-year-old zapfish!"
Captain Kaharoa marveled at the octoweapons as a crowd of octotroopers pulled them across the grassy floors of the forest.
"Simply beautiful," he said uncharacteristically dreamily "How much ink do you think these things take?" he asked himself rhetorically.
"More than I would dare to guess, sir," a nearby trooper remarked as he handed him the extension cord that housed each weapon's plug.
"Go raid an enemy home or something." The captain dismissed the trooper so he wouldn't be compelled to say "thank you" or make conversation about ink capacity. As Kaharoa jogged back to camp he unrolled the cord as far as he went. This was the type of menial labour a lower ranking troop would normally have done, but the octoling's enthusiasm for the octoweapons made him want to see to their setting up personally.
Meanwhile the Squidbeak Splatoon had already arrived at the octarian camp and set their infiltration plan into motion. Cap'n Cuttlefish took out two guards and Judd was the first over the fence. As he guided his allies deep into the camp along the path where the scent of ink was faintest they reached its hub within no more than a few seconds. This was also roughly how long it took for the guards to recover and sound the intruder alert. The Splatoon bravely held their ground as three Bamboolzlers and a Dynamo Roller razed octarians as quickly as they showed up. As the troops' numbers began to dwindle Cap'n Cuttlefish's radio faintly relayed the sound of a desperate Inkling voice.
"This is Inkling Stronghold calling Squidbeak Splatoon! Cap'n Cuttlefish, do you copy?!"
"This is Cuttlefish, standing by!" the captain said into his radio as he continued to splat octarians by shooting with one hand.
Judd could not hear everything the voice on the other side was saying, but it was obvious something bad was happening at their stronghold. He shuddered as he thought back to the massive amounts of ink he sensed earlier. In his gut he knew he was about to find out where it came from.
"Get to the stronghold! I'll go get my friend!" Agent 5 (As they had decided to codename Callie-Marie) urged.
Cap'n Cuttlefish handed her his weapon, "So your friend has something to shoot his way out with," he explained and assured her: "Ammoni can give me another one on the way over". He then tipped his hat at the young woman and they were out of the camp by the same way they came in.
As they sped through the trees Judd became increasingly aware of the overwhelming scent of ink from earlier growing stronger and stronger the closer they came to the stronghold.
"Cap'n?" he panted as they ran.
"What is it, sport?" the captain asked.
"The ink I picked up a while ago… We're about to find out what it's being used for. I suggest we ready ourselves for anything."
"Right you are," he responded "Men, you heard him! Be on guard!" he said to the Splatoon as Ammoni tossed him a spare Splattershot.
Judd's superior feline hearing was the first to pick up the explosions as their desination drew near. Four gargantuan machines were laying waste to the stronghold: Crushing, spraying, steamrolling and chewing everything in sight. Soldiers were being swept in scores as they fled helplessly, their ammunition seemingly doing little more than bounce off the mechanical monsters.
"They're being swatted like flies!" Cap'n Cuttlefish said with horror clearly audible in his voice.
"It doesn't look like we can beat those… things!" Sepius pointed out.
"All the more reason to give it everything we have!" the captain said, straightening his hat before the Splatoon stormed the battlefield with all the courage they were famous for.