Chapter Four: "Skirmish in the Eye of Zarcaan"
One thousand Horde Troops marched through the Eye of Zarcaan, the mid-point between Avion and Insectia. Weapons charged, orders given, and prepared for battle, the Horde Troopers were now five hours way from Insectia. Though traveling by foot, their march was fast as they left the fortifications near Avion.
These Horde Troops would serve as the first wave of attacks against Insectia. It would be difficult, of course, to fight against the Insectoids. Their home was a range of mountains, composed of huge series of nests and hives that stood both into the sky and deep beneath the ground.
As the first of the Horde Troopers exited the canyon system known as the Eye of Zarcaan, a low buzzing echoed out from above. A fleet of Insectoid Bees came flowing from the blue sky, axes and picks readied. They came upon the Horde Troopers just as the robots began to open fire.
Laser beams sliced through the air as the Insectoid Bees sliced through the center of the Horde Troops lines. The Insectoid Bees moved in waves - surging downward in the center, shooting up, then flying downward again in a circular pattern. While it worked rather well, the Horde Troopers were bringing down many of Insectoid Bees.
But they were not alone.
The ground rumbled and split. Insectoid Beetles, standing eight feet tall, all brown with broad chests, segmented eyes, and large limps. They bounded forward, smashing into the Horde Troopers. Armor shattered, weapons demolished.
Signaling themselves on an encoded frequency, the Horde Troopers began to regroup at one of the canyon walls. As they grouped together, weapons blaring in the afternoon air, there was a mass movement from along the canyon wall.
Insectoid Moths, who looked much like the Insectoid Bees, came flying from their camouflaged hiding position and went down upon the Horde Troopers. Explosions echoed throughout the canyons as Horde Troopers were taken to their deaths.
Cries of death and agony joined the explosions as Insectoids crumbled to the ground. This was a battle the Insectoids would win. But it would cost them greatly.
"You have done well, General Stingrad," the Queen Andora, Queen Bee.
Stingrad, the tall and lanky leader of the military, bowed before his queen and the leader of all Insectia. By his side were the generals of the Insectoid Moths, Beetles, and the Ants. The last was rarely ever seen while Insectoid Bees were the most social of them all.
"Many thanks, Queen Bee."
"I will be addressing King Randor in quarter hour. I would like you to be with me when I do."
"Of course, Queen Bee."
King Randor leaned back in his throne and listened with silent joy as General Stingrad told him of the battle with the Horde Troops in the Eye of Zarcaan.
"A success, then," Randor stated at the end of the narrative.
"Yes sire."
"Any victory is a good victory, General. Your success in the Eye of Zarcaan secures the eastern corridor of the Mystic Mountains. It will be a while before Hordak sends more Horde Troops your way. When can we expect you to go on the offensive?"
Queen Andora appeared on the holo-screen before him. "Not for a while, King Randor. Without Avion, the war here in the Mystic Mountains is difficult to wage. Until a plan is made to secure Avion, we must consolidate our power here."
Randor nodded with both understanding and fatigue. "Understood. However, I believe that wrestling back the Horde from Avion is only going to have to be a joint operation."
"Agreed. How long until the force field falls?"
"We're not sure. Communications from Avion are sketchy. It's been working non-stop for two weeks. Best we can determine is a week, maybe more, maybe less."
"We do not have much time, then. King Randor, there is also another problem."
"What is that?"
A second holo-screen appeared, this time of images of the southern most region of the Mystic Mountain. A huge base sat atop of massive mountain with evidence of smaller bases lining the area in smaller holo-screens.
"Where is this at?"
"Kreyf."
Randor nearly choked. "Kreyf? How did they build a base there without us knowing?"
"I do not know."
The King studied the holo-screens a little more closely. "This will take a major commitment of forces. And we can not afford not to destroy it. Queen Andora . . . you must hold as much as your land as you can. Destroy anything that comes near you. We're not going to be able to do much of anything with this base sitting here."
"We understand, King Randor."
"We'll in touch. Eternos out."
The one holo-screen vanished, but the second and its smaller ones remained. He leaned in close and studied them, eyeing the images that remained before him. After a few moments, he pressed down on a computer panel next to his throne. The images faded and were transferred and then saved into the Situation Room. He pressed another button on the panel and was in contact with Man-At-Arms.
"Rohad, I need you."
As dusk came upon Avion, Stratos did a patrol of city. The bombings would begin in a few minutes and he wanted to make sure everyone was ready. It had become a bit of a ritual, now, and he hated it. He hated every single moment of this isolation.
However . . . what he did see made him smile. As every night following the first night of the bombings, Avions lit candles and placed them on their windowsills. By the time the first explosions blasted against the still-strong but slowly growing weaker force field, the each and every window had a small flame dancing in it.
The land around Avion was heavily fortified by the Horde, filled to the brim with tents for the Ilkorts and the Bats. Rudimentary bunkers housed weapons and tanks, and the Horde Troopers themselves. A cold wind from the north had struck the region.
Winter was coming, Stratos realized. One more week and it would be December. The snow, though never very much, was hard for Avions to handle. They would have to strike back and soon. It was going to be a long, cold winter . . .
Moonlight drifted in through the window of Teelana's chambers at the Hall of Wisdom. She sat on the bed, alone, rubbing her belly that was now well distended from its normal form. Across from, facing her from a very comfy chair was Duncan, armor sitting next to him.
"How long?" she asked softly.
"I don't know," he replied. "I'm to meet with Captain Dekker tomorrow morning and the army of North Eternos. The base . . . the base is huge."
Teelana closed her eyes and nodded. "I would ask you not to go. To stay here, with me, with our unborn child."
"I know."
"I love you."
"I know. And I love you too."
Teelana nodded. "Eternia needs you."
"Yes."
She looked up at him, eyes pleading. "Stay with me tonight. Love me tonight."
"That I will."
He laid next to her and the two kissed passionately. In moments, they made love and Teelana fell asleep naked in his arms. As she did, Duncan thought of their future and was shocked at how dimmed it looked. The war was settling in and there was no way he would be able to stay with her for so long as he was soldier. And he could not abandon his post at a time such as this.
He pressed his hands on her growing belly and felt a sudden kick. Their son was going to be very strong. A doubt filled his mind suddenly. Teelana would be returning to Castle Grayskull not long after the boy's birth. He would be a single father. The thought terrified him. He would have to do his best, though, because he loved them both with all his heart.
Morning came and Duncan bid a stirring farewell to his love. He rode Rusher away from the Hall of Wisdom and made west. At 10 Bells in the Morning, he came to a large army consisting of eight hundred Royal Soldiers.
"Captain Dekker," he greeted on horseback. "Good to see you've made a strong recovery."
Dekker bowed slightly to Commander Duncan, the eyepatch now a new feature on his dark face. "Consider it payback for the eye," he stated cleanly. "How is the lady and the child?"
"Both are well, though Teelana is worried about this battle."
"I'll make sure you get back to her in one piece."
Duncan smiled and dismounted. Rusher was given to one of the stewards to be taken back to Eternos.
"This is going to be a hard battle," Duncan told Dekker.
"Well aware of it, Commander. However, we'll do the best we can. We have to."
Duncan smiled a little in pride. Dekker pulled out a map and laid it on the front of a Battle Tank. "We've plotted out the fastest route to Kreyf. It'll take two days to cross into the Evergreen Forest and another one to come to our camp."
"Three days. All right. What's the current plan beyond that?"
"Two squadrons of Battle Hawks will be laying down some serious fire the night before we arrive. We set-up camp, send a few scouts out to see what good the Battle Hawks did. Depending on that, we attack either that night or early the next morning."
"How far away is the camp from the Kreyf?"
"Eight miles."
"Walk in the park, then."
"Yeah. After that, it's just facing down a few thousand Horde Troops, tanks, and Bat-Mechs and destroying a base that spans three mountains."
"Nothing we can't handle."