Chapter 25 – Planning the Likely to Fail

Baby: 1.1 week; 8 days
ETA Irk: 1 day

Zim listened with growing concern as Lard Nar and Dib took turns explain everything that had happened after Kam had nearly fried him. They had turned the ship to head towards the Irken home world. For now they couldn't get any closer without being spotted by the planet's main defense fleet. Lard Nar showed them scans with the locations of squads in the fleet. There were only a few breaks where a ship could fly in between them without being seen. The scanners would still find them but hopefully a team could make it onto the planet before that happened.

The real problem was that the main fleet had made a V-line for Irk within the past week. They would arrive in less than a day. The Resisty got information on the main fleet from a spy that was being kept as a slave on the Massive. Their source had told them that the fight between the Tallests had gotten worse. While before they were just contradicting each other, now they were splitting the fleet. Many Irkens were sure one of them would be knocked down from their position, and the soldiers were becoming quick to side with the one they thought would win. Fights were breaking out all over the Massive.

Zim closed his eyes trying to think. He couldn't imagine those two fighting. Red was the most responsible, he would never let personal matters put the empire at risk. Purple was always easy going. He pretty much went along with whatever Red was doing, and made it fun for both of them. While Red had excelled in strategizing Purple had been best with direct combat. They were an unbeatable team…. Yet somehow they couldn't stop him from destroying half the planet… Ironic wasn't it?

Zim leaned back in his chair and sighed. Getting onto the planet wouldn't be hard. His PAK would still be recognized by the defense grid, even if it did set off a red flag afterwards they would still make it onto the planet without being destroyed. Once they were on the planet though every Irken authority would be after them.

Even if he weren't traveling with beings of different species, his new height would make him stick out like a sore antenna. It would be hard enough to get through the main city, let alone trying to get up to where the Control Brains were; which, in the end, was what everything came down to. He would have to get the Control Brains to accept his new height into the records. They could worry about getting to the Tallests after that.

Dib's PoV: Everyone had been silent for a long time before Zim finally felt like speaking. "This won't be easy. But it is possible." Everyone leaned forward eager to know the plan. Zim extended a cord from his pack to put out a projection on the table where everyone could see it. "This is Capital City. It's the most heavily guarded area on the planet and we'll need to get to the middle of it." He pointed to a tall tower at the city's center. "This is where the Control Brains are.

"Because I was officially banished to a non-controlled planet, the Brains would have cut all connection with my PAK. They can't completely wipe me from the system, they tried once and failed, but they can turn off my PAK's automated updates. I'll have to go to them first to have my height re-established with the empire." Dib noticed that Zim looked nervous as he said this.

"Ok so how do we get there?" Dib asked, "you said the city is guarded, but by what?" He watched as the hologram zoomed out to one of the edges of the city. The picture stopped on a gateway with a simple image of an Irken standing next to it.

"To get into the city you have to walk through one of these gates. All ships flying into the area are shot down. Not that anyone ever breaks that rule; it's mostly for weeding out… for weeding out Defectives that can't follow orders."

The image of the Irken walked through the gate and displayed a happy thumbs up, which Dib thought was unnecessary. Next up, came a miniature that he was sure was Zim messing with him. It had glasses a black coat and a really big head. This too walked through the gate. But instead of looking happy it grabbed its head which exploded a second later.

"This is what happens if an inferior species tries to enter the city. Even if they were disguised…" The same large headed guy popped up, this time with added antennae on its head. It walked through the gate again and its head exploded again. "…The gates can tell by the genetics."

"Did you really have to use me for those examples…?" Dib mumbled. Zim ignored him.

"The gate could be deactivated but it would only stay off for a minute at most. And security would be there faster than a meat-thirsty Hogulis."

"A distraction elsewhere would keep security away long enough for a small team to get inside." Lard Nar pointed out. Zim nodded. Wow. Dib was wondering where all this calm well thought out strategy was back when Zim was trying to destroy the earth. Glad I'm not the one going against him now.

"Assuming we make it through the gate we'll have to head north through the city to reach the tower. If no one sees me going through the gate I'll be able to get into the tower."

"Is there security here like that other one?" Kam asked. Zim shook his head.

"It's not needed. No aliens would be within the city anyway." The image shifted over to the tower. "There will be soldiers there but with my height they'll know exactly why I'm there. With the current Tallests fighting I wouldn't be surprised if they let us in 'no questions asked.' We can bring some weapons with just in case though."

A thought occurred to Dib, "They wouldn't contact the current Tallest to tell them about you would they?"

Zim stared at the hologram. "There's a good chance they would. Normally there wouldn't be a new tall Irken unless the Control Brains determined the current Tallest was incapable or dead. But Red and Purple haven't been fighting long enough for a verdict to be made. They won't be expecting me."

GIR ran into the room carrying 20 plates of waffles. They decided to eat while they worked out the details on the plan. But with everyone eating waffles there was no one to notice that a small irken vessel was floating alongside the Vort ship, eavesdropping on their talks.

It had taken Tak a while to locate Zim's PAK since he wasn't linked to the Irken servers anymore; but with everything she had just heard, it was definitely worth it.

And you thought I would just let this plan run along smoothly? HA! Nothing ever works out as it should in the Invader Zim Universe! Plans were made to be broken!