Day was just breaking over the land, the light of the sun washing a basin between two mountain chains with a warm glow that helped to drive off the chill of an autumn's night. Along the mountains that loomed to the west, faint fingers of fog rose as frost at higher elevations was instantly sublimated by the native sun of Bowman's Planet, and for the moment, they were the only clouds in the sky.

It's pretty enough to be a painting commissioned from a gatón artist, thought Kaeno Acryu, a lupar militiaman for the town of Kaytor. Well, except for you know what. He added the mental caveat as he turned around at his guard position and glanced behind him towards the town.

It looked like any lupar town, situated along a river as most towns and cities were in this part of the continent. The buildings generally rose to about two stories, though many were single-story constructions, the exceptions proving to be the town temple and the objects of Acryu's attention this day. Standing just taller than the natives' buildings were six bipedal war machines painted in the favored white scheme of the Word of Blake Militia.

Acryu, of course, didn't know the names of the machines, or the proper name of the invaders or even that they naturally preferred white. All he knew was that they had kept his town under an iron hand for months now, their great metal monstrosities only leaving occasionally for raids to gather supplies from nearby lupar and gatón villages that didn't merit a permanent presence.

Always, though, they leave others behind, Acryu remembered as he turned back to stare out and to the south of the small watchtower that had served his town for generations. Always, they stay here, taking our food, killing any who resist… He shook his head. I shouldn't be dwelling on this; it will just make me more resentful and cause me nothing but grief. He sighed and looked out over the southern approaches again, seeing clear out to the horizon as the Tanzano Plains narrowed into the Keyaro Basin. A forest, though, blocked off some of the view, spilling as it did over the western mountains as if it were a green flood frozen in time. Already, some men were walking out to that forest to cut up some wood to replenish their households' stockpiles. As well they should, the guard thought. It feels like it's going to be a cold winter this year.

Noise from below caused Acryu to turn and look at the wooden floor of the tower's watch area. A trapdoor in the middle of the floor opened up slowly, and another lupar poked his head up through the opening, and he looked around until he saw Acryu standing with his sword drawn and pointed at the newcomer's head.

Acryu sighed in relief as he recognized the other lupar. "Hurg, don't scare me like that," he said as he re-sheathed his short sword. "You know you're supposed to give the signal before climbing up the ladder."

The one called Hurg shrugged a bit as he climbed into the small watch area. "I'm sorry, Kaeno, I just felt like I should come and take a look around."

Acryu frowned a bit. "Don't tell me you have another one of your 'feelings' again?"

Hurg peered out over the southern fields. "Yes, Kaeno, as much as you're annoyed by them, you can't deny that they've been right."

"Only because you have them so often," Kaeno countered. "You have a 'feeling' every day. As far as I can remember, you've only been right twice." The first guard smirked. "That's not exactly a definitive record."

Hurg's ears went back a bit in embarrassment. "Okay, so I'm not always right, but still… This time feels different. Almost like the time the Invaders came…"

Acryu involuntarily shuddered a bit at the tone and content of Hurg's voice. "Don't talk like that. The last thing we need is for you to tempt fate."

"I don't think fate needs any tempting to bring new problems upon us," Hurg countered as he looked towards the forest. "And besides… I feel like we're being watched."

Acryu snorted. "Of course we are," he said and angrily gestured towards the area of the town that the Blakests had taken over. "They keep a solid eye on us all the time."

"No, not them, I'm used to that feeling," Hurg countered and turned to look at Acryu. "This is different… Like someone's walking over my grave."

Acryu frowned. "Don't be bringing up any of that. You know it's bad luck."

Hurg shrugged. "Well, it feels strange… A lot stranger than usual."

Acryu shook his head. I'd better change the subject before we spend all day on this, he thought, remembering similar circumstances in happier times. "I think you just wanted to sit and loaf off talking of strange feelings instead of watching the river," he said to Hurg with a small smile.

Hurg razzed his friend and comrade. "Mock me all you want, but I'll swear that something's about to happen."

"Something is always about to happen," Acryu replied with a smirk. "Otherwise, we'd be dead."

"Now look who's bringing up bad luck?" Hurg asked, causing Acryu to blush. The former simply smiled at his friend's discomfort. "In any case, Kaeno, I guess you're right; I should get back to watching the river," he said with a final look around. "Still… What with all those lights and noise last week…"

Acryu suppressed another shudder. "The invaders said it was our gods, angry at us for working against them."

Hurg snorted. "Don't tell me you believe them about our gods?"

"No, of course not," Acryu replied quickly. "It's just… It was so strange…" He felt his hackles rise at the memory. "Perhaps you're not so wrong with that feeling of yours after all, Hurg."

The other lupar let out an amused noise. "Now you're listening to me?" He asked with a smirk. "Perhaps you need to see the doctor?"

Acryu gave his friend a rude gesture. "Just go watch the river, and I'll make sure none of your ghosts come up from the plains."

Nearly two kilometers away, sitting on the side of a forested hill and camouflaged under ghillie suits, lay two troopers from the 3rd Infantry Platoon (Armored), 5th Marauder Regiment (Desert Thunder), 7th Division (The Left Hand of Doom). Each were from Gamma squad, their Ranger configuration chosen as the best for the mission at hand.

Not like there's much to do on this one, Private Fredericks thought grumpily. More sitting on my ass instead of goin' out and killin' some bastards. He fought to stifle a sigh at his train of thought. Come on, Bobby; just keep your eyes on the prize.

In this case, the 'prize' was Kaytor, sitting to the north and east of the foothill that the two armored troopers were using to observe the Blakest detachment. Alongside Fredericks was the squad's sniper, Private First Class Linda MacDonald, and she had, typically, her sniper rifle mounted in the Marauder suit's light weapons hard point, taking the place of the Heavy Gyrojet Gun that usually occupied the mount in the Ranger configuration. At the moment, this deadly weapon was aimed straight towards the southern watchtower.

"Well, they're chewin' the fat, so I don't think they saw anything," MacDonald spoke quietly over the low-power AM comms that the Republic used for stealthy close-range voice communications. Her words let Fredericks relax a bit, as they had both worried that the new guard had hurried to the tower for some relay of orders. The fact that they're relaxed and talkin' things over means that they're not too jumpy, Fredericks thought. Good. So long as they won't alert the Wobbies, we don't have to worry about them.

"Well, the new guy's leavin' the south tower," MacDonald commented without emotion in her voice. It was a voice that many a trooper recognized as the cold, detached tenor of the Sniper. The Voice that can take away lives, Fredericks mused in a moment of poetic thought. "So, they still lookin' like they're not expectin' us?" He asked aloud to clear his mind.

"Doubtful," MacDonald replied. "Still… With all that's happened, they'd be damned idiots if they weren't prepared somehow." She shifted her right arm a bit, which was, for her, an expression of extreme discomfort over the situation. "I don't like this, it's too inviting."

Fredericks nodded inside his helmet for a second before he remembered that MacDonald couldn't see it. Suit radios make it feel like we've got nuttin' between us but air, he thought sheepishly as he cleared his throat. "I agree. The Young's bombardment alone should be making them crazy. Hell, it only impacted eleven klicks south of here."

MacDonald suppressed a shudder at the scene of the ridge that the Republic corvette had attacked from orbit. Tanaka's force had passed the smashed and broken rise of land the day before, and the sight of where the terrible force was unleashed upon was enough to give any sane man or woman pause. "Yeah… So you want to call this in while I keep the place under watch?"

"Yeah," Fredericks said as he slowly began to move, slipping away from the position. "I'll be right back." MacDonald didn't reply, save to shift her aim a bit so that her rifle moved to look over a different area. Fredericks took that as his cue, and he slipped away as quietly as any man could move while encased in a ton of ferro-fibrous armor and myomer.

Nevertheless, he did move quietly, and soon was on the other side of the hill's crest. There he was shielded from any Blakest eavesdroppers, and he quickly set up a satcom link. "This is Red Dog One Six to Romeo Base, come in Romeo."

To the credit of Republic efficiency, Fredericks soon heard a response. "Red Dog One Six, this is Romeo Base. Authenticate."

"Authentication Red Delta," he said, using the new coded term. "Reciprocate please."

"Authentication Black Rain," the female voice said, and Fredericks released a small breath as she continued. "What have you got?"

"Sending images on sub-channel three," Fredericks replied as he triggered the data dump that would zip-squeal the relevant portions of his mission recorder's log. "Target location appears to be unawares, but situation seems too ideal. No major patrols seen, and opfor seems to be in a stand-down mode. We have not been spotted, as far as we can tell." He cut off his terse words then as he finished his brief report.

Fredericks then took a look around his area. Can't be too careful, the thought, beaten into his head by training and fighting against Clan Star Adder told him to be wary of his surroundings. He didn't see anything suspicious, though he continued to survey the area as he thought.

Captain Tanaka and the rest of our little band are over the next ridge line, so we're not too far away from help, he remembered, trying to calm nerves worked up over the revealing nature of his broadcast. Revealing to anyone with a good radio ear and who has a decent line of sight, Fredericks thought darkly. I could be dead before I could even call for help…

A sudden burst of static and a new voice came over the comm, bringing the private's thoughts from their deepening paranoia. "Red Dog One Six, this is Oni One," Tanaka's voice came in over the frequency, and Fredericks figured that she had to be in her 'mech so early in the morning to be able to reply so quickly. "I got your report. Now I need to ask you: How does it feel?"

Fredericks frowned, as he was not used to superior officers asking him what the feel of the situation was. "Oni One, I can't say for certain what it is, but something 'bout the place gives me the crawls… Hell, I feel naked just talkin' to ya right now," he said half-jokingly. But only half, he knew. What is it 'bout this place that bugs me?

"I copy that, One Six," Tanaka responded after a few moments. "We'll think of somethin.' Right now, break contact and move back to rally point beta. Red Dog Two and I want to talk to ya 'bout this in person."

Fredericks nodded unconsciously. "Roger that, Oni One. Red Dog One Six out."

Mikula awoke from another nap, and again he found himself staring into the HUD of a 'mech's cockpit. He blinked his eyes clear and stifled a yawn while he tried to figure out what had changed to make him wake up. Then he felt the 'mech's footfalls come faster and faster, and he realized that Nguyen was pushing the Hellbringer II up to its maximum speed.

A chill swept over the lupar as he looked out and into the dimly lit forest. Unlike the night before, beams of sunlight pressed through the canopy, providing a peaceful, almost serene appearance. Unfortunately, however, the scene lose some of its luster from the cockpit of a 65-ton bipedal war machine hurtling itself forward at better than eighty kilometers per hour.

"Is something wrong?" Mikula asked from his jump seat, though his voice sounded a bit shaken, given the fact that his whole body was.

"Whiskey Three ran into a Wobbie patrol," Nguyen replied in clipped tones. "He's jamming them, but they won't stay that way forever." He paused in his speech to concentrate at maneuvering his 'mech around a particularly large old-growth tree. "Fortunately, we're in good position to ambush 'em. So hang on and don't move."

"I don't plan to," Mikula said quietly, barely loud enough to be heard over the trembling footfalls and rumbling engine of the Hellbringer II.

The next few moments seemed to take forever to Mikula, stretched out as they were by the prospect of mortal danger, yet without any of the busying tasks one would normally do at such a time to prepare. Anticipation is worse than actual combat, he remembered the idiom from his training in the Tanzano army. And The Republican trainers agreed with the sentiment. So that's why I feel like I want to gnaw my arm off, he tried to joke mentally.

Through the canopy, Mikula noticed that the light seemed brighter up ahead. Then with an apparent burst of light, they were through the tree line and into open terrain.

Mikula blinked his eyes several times to let them readjust from the darkness of the forest. Thanks to the polarizing glass and HUD filters, though, he could quickly look out and see that Nguyen was bringing the 'mech to a slow stop along another road. Unlike many others that Mikula had seen before, this one was barely a trail that cut through the forest and up the slope of one of the foothills the lance had been moving through since leaving Shunyo Tala. Nothing was in sight as of yet, save trees and a bend in the road some distance down the slope.

Nguyen squinted his eyes as he surveyed the area. "Whiskey Two is in position. Holding eight hundred meters upslope." He then tilted his head as he heard a reply to his radio transmission.

Mikula was reminded of his own helmet radio that he had turned off to save battery power, and now he reached up and turned it on to hear what was happening. He heard it synchronize with the Hellbringer II's comm suite just in time to catch the tail end of another transmission.

"-Ucky little bastards. I didn't see 'em 'til they ran like a mech marten from a magma wolf." Mikula easily recognized the voice of Whiskey Three, Fred Jeffries. "They ran upslope, left behind a trailer too."

"Cut the chatter, Three," Williams' voice cut through the channel then. "Two, watch for native infantry. I saw a couple of them sittin' on top of the tank."

Mikula felt his guts tighten. Calm down, they're probably not anyone you know… Probably… He then had an idea, and he cleared his throat. "Whiskey One, Firefly One. If I may add something?"

"If you make it march, boy. Thirty seconds until you have contact."

Mikula nodded automatically, despite the lack of visual communication. "It's possible that the natives may be coerced like the army that attacked Hercor. I'd like to be able to ask for their surrender first."

The radio was silent for a bit before Williams spoke again. "What do you think, Whiskey Two?"

Nguyen sighed briefly. "I agree, One. We oughta give even the Blakests a chance to surrender."

"Well, it's your asses on the line, so do what you think you need to do," Williams replied quickly. "Twenty seconds. The rest of the lance'll be right behind the bogeys, so watch your fire. Whiskey One out."

Nguyen didn't reply to that, and instead he killed his comm. "So, you think they'll surrender?" He asked his passenger.

"I honestly don't know," Mikula said truthfully and with a hint of sadness. "But I don't want them killed out of hand."

"Nor do I," Nguyen replied quietly. "Now get ready to talk. They're just around the bend."

The lupar soldier gripped on for dear life as the strange metal wagon he rode on bucked underneath him. The soldier, known as Heyver Tagurk, didn't know what had prompted the sudden and haphazard flight. Frankly, I don't want to know, he managed to think as the craft's tires spun out a bit as they bit into the dirt for traction. Anything that can scare these people I don't want to see!

The craft - known in human circles as a 'Chevalier' light tank - lurched again as it bumped over a tree that had fallen in the road. Up ahead, the path twisted again to the right, where it would lead up the small mountain where the drivers hoped to loose their pursuers. Tagurk gripped harder on the small handholds that he and three other lupar soldiers from the city of Renku had used to ride on the invaders' machine for the last two weeks as the latter went along, exacting tribute from smaller villages and towns along the west side of the Great Terna Mountains. Now, however, these same handholds were being used by the four lupar to keep from being flung off as the light tank rumbled along at over ninety-seven kilometers per hour.

I never thought anything could go this fast before! Tagurk marveled. What could have scared them so? They didn't even try to save the hitched wagon full of tribute! The trailer that had been attached to the Chevalier had broken away at the first hard turn they had taken at full speed, and the single human who was visible from the tank's turret at the time had only glanced back once to make sure that the noise wasn't from whatever was chasing them.

Then the tank slowed a bit, and Tagurk heard some of the invaders' language, which he had bothered to learn some of, coming from the open hatch in the turret. He didn't understand all of it, but he gathered that something was still upsetting them, despite the fact that they hadn't seen whatever had spooked them in the last few minutes. They speak of something keeping them from communicating… But they seem to talk fine. Perhaps they mean that strange talking box of theirs?

The tank took the hard turn in the road and then came to a screeching halt as its driver slammed on the breaks. Tagurk stared in open-mouthed awe at the metal giant that stood before them. He had, of course, seen the invaders' own versions, but this one was painted in a black that bespoke of death incarnate, a black broken only by small insignia that were indistinct at this distance, and were the only color on the giant. Also unlike the invaders' own, this one was angular, more machine-like. And yet, look at the way its arms track us, Tagurk thought as he noted how the hexagonal arms had fluidly moved with the tank before it had stopped. Almost as if a man was wearing a suit of armor.

Silence reigned over the outside scene for a moment, and the tank below Tagurk remained still, its inhabitants arguing about whether to run one way or the other. Or so the lupar guessed from what little he understood. Then a voice cleared its throat, and Tagurk was surprised to hear it come from the metal giant standing before them.

"Attention," it said first in the invaders' tongue, which Tagurk understood. Then, much to his surprise, the word was echoed in Lupari by a different voice. What is going on?

"You cannot escape. You cannot defeat us in battle," the strange voices spoke on. "We are not a merciless people, even after what you've done." Tagurk frowned at that, wondering what it was that he had done to annoy this new giant, but he voices went on and he didn't dwell on it. "So we are giving you this chance to surrender, now, which we guarantee shall spare your lives."

The voice speaking Lupari then added in something extra. "To you lupar, you will not be harmed if you jump off the craft and head into the woods. Our problem is with the invaders, not you. We promise that you will not be harmed so long as you do not attempt to attack us."

Tagurk froze for a few moments to think about it. These invaders hold our city hostage; can we really desert them without affecting our families? "Chaytu, what do you think?" Tagurk decided to ask his friend in the small native squad, turning his head to look at Chaytu as he did so.

"I think I'm getting the Hell off of this thing," a lupar riding on the back of the craft said as he jumped down and ran into the woods. The other two lupar followed likewise, and after a split second of hesitation, so did Tagurk.

In seconds, he joined his comrades a few meters into the forest off to the tank's left side, and their position on the slope let them see the scene below well enough. Tagurk still stared at the now-obscured giant as it took a step forward. "Surrender, now!" The strange voice said again, much louder this time. Tagurk sensed that, somehow, the departure of the lupar from the vehicle had removed some barrier that now let the metal giant become more threatening in its manner. He saw it hunch down slightly, as if bracing for an attack, which that craft can provide. Tagurk had seen it destroy a house to prove a point, and now he wondered if the invaders would try to fight.

A moment passed, and then the metal giant took another step forward. "I will not ask again!" The voice said, and as if to punctuate the words, muted thumping came from down the path. Fro their vantage point, the native soldiers could see down the way they had come, and Tagurk was astounded to see more of the angular war machines moving up the path.

"By the Gods, what is going on?" Asked a lupar named Fegey of no one in particular. Tagurk heard fear in the lupar's voice, and he had to admit that he felt the same way. What is going on? Who are these people? Certainly, they're not with the Invaders…

"Look!" Chaytu quietly exclaimed and pointed to the Chevalier. The four lupar watched as first one, then the other invader climbed out of the craft slowly and then raise their hands.

"They… They surrendered," Tagurk spoke quietly. The people who made our army look like cubs, and they surrender!

"Heyver," Chaytu said quietly, bringing his friend's head around to see the other lupar looking at him. "You're the oldest here, what do you think we should do?"

Tagurk frowned and his ears went down a bit in confusion. "Do? Do about what?"

"Should we run now, and head back to Renku? Or should we wait until they leave?" Fegey asked, indicating the scene below.

"I say we should leave now," the fourth lupar, Reyn, added in. "There's no telling what kind of people these are. They could be worse than the invaders."

Tagurk turned his head and looked back down on the scene below. The two invaders now kneeled in the road in front of their tank, hands folded on top of their heads in a position that even a lupar could recognize as a symbol of submission. The three new metal giants now approached them and circled around them and the tank, while the one that had stood in the way moved forward at an almost leisurely pace.

"No," he said quietly. "No, I don't think these new people are like the invaders…" Tagurk then stood and began to walk towards the road below.

"What are you doing?" Chaytu hissed and then grabbed Tagurk's left arm to keep him from moving. "Don't you remember what happened when the invaders came in their giants? How they flattened buildings?"

"I do," Tagurk replied flatly. "And I also see that these new people are not doing the same to the invaders." He then gestured down below, causing the others to look at the two invaders, who kneeled in the road still. Around them, the metal giants had stopped moving, save one, which by far was the most strange as it had backward canted legs that resembled a bird's. Then all four watched quietly as hatches opened on the backs of the stopped giants' heads, and out from them came three figures, one from each giant.

"Is that…?" Fegey started quietly. "Is that a lupar coming from the one in the road?" They all looked, and indeed, saw a small, gray figure climb down along the back of the 'mech.

Mikula grunted slightly as he dropped the last half-meter to the ground to avoid getting too close to the ankle joint on the Hellbringer II. After he was down, though, he quickly brought up his assault rifle to bear on the two Wobbies kneeling in front of the Chevalier. To either flank of them came Jeffries and Ferguson, both wielding their personal sidearms. All three soldiers converged on the pair of Blakests, who mainly stared at Mikula, surprised, apparently, that any native would be given such a weapon.

Let the bastards be confused, Mikula thought, stifling a grin. He moved and covered the two with his gun while Ferguson and Jeffries each brought out the small plastic ties that the Republic used for the quick detainment of a person in the field. After a few terse commands, the Blakests were lying down in the road, their arms tied behind their backs, and their ankles secured similarly. The whole scene took barely two minutes, which Mikula felt some pride at. We did it so quickly that I doubt those two even had the time to think about trying something.

"Firefly One, this is Whiskey One," Williams voice came over the helmet radio. "Can you handle those two without Whiskey Three and Four?"

Mikula glanced towards the Lieutenant's Timber Wolf and gave it a quick nod before he returned his attention to the captured Blakests. "Yes sir," he said, triggering his helmet mike. "I doubt that these two will want to be doing anything stupid anytime soon," he added the last in a loud enough voice to ensure that the Wobbies heard it.

"Glad to hear it, boy," Williams replied. "I already called the transport. The Seabees are gonna send one of their Karnovs to haul the tank away, and they'll have some troopers from the Grenadiers to escort these dumbasses to their internment. Now send those two slackers back to their 'mechs if you would be so kind."

Mikula nodded absentmindedly. "Sounds like a plan," he said casually. Then he glanced at Jeffries and Ferguson. "The lieutenant wants you guys back into your 'mechs."

Jeffries looked at Mikula then. "You'll be okay by yourself?"

Mikula nodded again. "Yeah, these guys don't want any trouble." He said, and then made sure to click the selector switch to burst mode to illustrate the point.

Ferguson chuckled at the noise. "Sounds like you got it under control then." He then holstered his nasty-looking Sternsacht Heavy Pistol and turned around and headed for his 'mech, an action mimicked by Jeffries, who nodded to Mikula as he did so.

Mikula let out a small, quiet sigh. Now, we just wait, he thought as he lowered his gun a bit, holding it alongside his hip, which at this range still afforded him a decent aim at the captured Blakests. There he stood while the Republic MechWarriors went back to their 'mechs, and in only a few minutes, Williams, Jeffries and Ferguson were moving off through the forest to make sure that the area was clear of patrols, leaving only Nguyen and Mikula standing over the captured Wobbies.

Tagurk inched through the forest, his friend Chaytu right behind him. Though it's only him, Tagurk thought disgustedly. Fegey and Reyn are hiding back where we were until they see us not killed on sight. Although he was a bit angered over their willingness to simply hang back and let him take all the risks, Tagurk couldn't really blame them. Not with all the strangeness going on lately…

His thoughts stopped drifting as he reached the last tree standing between him and the road. It was a wide, old tree, and so Tagurk used its girth to hide from the newcomers even as he slowly inched around to tree to get a look at the scene.

The strange new lupar who had climbed down from the metal giant had apparently been trusted to watch the invaders, the other two people with him – who were also the same species as the invaders, as Tagurk had seen – had gone back to their own giants and now those had walked off into the woods. Tagurk couldn't help but understand the purpose. To keep a watch around the area while they wait… Though what are they waiting for

"Heyver?" Chaytu's hushed voice came from behind the tree. "What do you see?"

"They're just standing there," Tagurk replied in a whisper. "That new lupar is just standing near the invaders, watching them, and the last giant is simply standing still." He then paused while the stranger lupar raised a hand to the side of his head. Odd, that's just like how the invaders act when they're listening to one of those devices they were in their helmets to talk-

Too late, the idea that he might have been found popped into Tagurk's head even as the new lupar turned slowly, bringing his weapon up to point in his general direction. "Come out with your hands up," he called in a voice that was both commanding and yet somehow non-threatening. "I know you're out there."

He sounds tired, Tagurk thought, realizing what made the strange lupar's voice sound unintimidating. It's like he's seen this before.

"Heyver, what's going on?" Chaytu asked in an urgent whisper. "How did they see us? Should we run?" He sounded more and more panicked with each word. Yet, Tagurk didn't feel the same way. His curiosity overrode most of his fear, and he thought hard on what he was going to do. Then, with a gulp, he made his decision and started to walk slowly forward.

"Heyver!" Chaytu hissed from behind the tree, but Tagurk was already too far away to grab, and so the second Renku native simply took up Tagurk's old position and watched in rapt attention as Tagurk walked forward slowly, his hands raised.

Mikula saw one of the lupar soldiers walk out from the trees, his hands raised a bit in the universal gesture of surrender. When he saw that the former tank rider had nothing more than a short sword and a dagger, Mikula let out a breath and lowered his gun, though he kept it again at his hip so that he could re-aim it quickly. "Well, who do we have here?" He asked loud enough to be heard by the other lupar.

The local soldier stopped and lowered his arms at that. "My name is Heyver Tagurk. I was riding on that… Thing." He gestured towards the Chevalier slowly. "I… Just wanted to find out what is going on."

Mikula managed a bit of a grin. "Well, isn't it obvious? We don't like these people." He gestured to the Blakests at the last.

"I can see that…" Tagurk said haltingly. "But- What I mean is-" He paused and let out a frustrated sigh. "Why? Where did you and your comrades come from? Why do you hate the invaders?"

"Isn't that obvious as well?" Mikula asked back, his grin disappearing. "Or are you so ingratiated with them that you don't feel their heel?" His voice took on a dangerous timbre then, and his gun arm tensed a bit.

Tagurk blanched a bit at Mikula's tone, but his ears went back in anger. "Ingratiated? With those bastards?" He growled back. "I'd sooner slice off my own tail than to willingly serve them."

Mikula twitched an ear down. "So I take it that they've been as heavy-handed with your town as with mine?"

"City, actually," Tagurk added in. "Renku, to the north of here."

Mikula nodded. "I've heard of it. Your city is supposed to be home to one of the oldest temples."

Tagurk snorted. "Fat lot of good it does us. The invaders took it over and use it to garrison their troops. Curse their furless hides." He spat on the ground after the last comment.

Mikula tilted his head a bit as he reappraised the other lupar. That emotion certainly seems genuine… Pity I can't really feel it myself. His family hadn't exactly been in line with the mainstream religion, and so he didn't have quite the same outrage. Still, it angers me when the Republic doesn't even believe in our Gods, and yet they don't even think of touching a temple, but the Blakests destroy everything they touch. He then cleared his throat. "So, I take it that you're not adverse to seeing these invaders like this?" He asked, gesturing to the facedown Blakests, who shifted a bit.

"Not at all," Tagurk said, and then turned his head and sneered at one of the humans who had managed to raise his head up and glare at the two natives. "You see, Initiate?" He asked of the Wobbie, using the human title, which surprised Mikula a bit. "How does it feel to be on the other side?"

Mikula smirked and looked at the Wobbie. "Ah, so this one knows Lupari?"

"Filthy dogs," the Blakest snarled at the two natives in a manner that reminded Mikula of a particular army trainer in Tanzano. "You have damned yourselves because of this!" Although he spoke in English, Mikula saw Tagurk flinch a bit.

"Mikula," Nguyen's voice came form his 'mech. "Could you tell that twisted spawn of an Amaris to go suck a lemon?"

Mikula chuckled as he Blakest fumed, his face turning beet red before he turned away. With that, Mikula returned his attention to Tagurk. "So, are your friends going to come down, or did they want to walk to the nearest town?"

Tagurk blinked a bit in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that when some friends of ours come to take these back to someplace where they can be kept," he paused to gesture to the two Wobbies. "They can also give you a ride to a safe place where you can wait out the war. A place that the invaders cannot touch."

Tagurk frowned a bit. "Can there ever be such a place? The invaders seem to be everywhere, and I've yet to see anything that has stood up to them."

Mikula nodded his head towards Nguyen's 'mech. "You just saw us stand up to them."

"Yes, but you had numbers and good position. The invaders have more of their metal giants than I see here." Mikula chuckled a bit at that, and Tagurk looked puzzled. "What is so funny?"

"I said we had more friends coming, didn't I?" Mikula asked back. "Don't you think we've more forces than just a small patrol?"

Tagurk blinked. "I… I guess I didn't think," he said, and then blushed. "So, you could take us someplace safe?" He waited for Mikula to nod before going on. "But what about our families? Our city, which lies still under the invaders' grip?"

Mikula sighed. "I'm afraid that there's nothing we can do, at least, not at the moment." He shook his head, and then looked over at the Wobbies. "Right now, those invaders do outnumber us… But our weapons and armor are better. We can old them, we're attacking them… But for the moment, we cannot be everywhere at once." He shrugged.

"For now, you said," Tagurk said and took a step forward. "But more of your friends are coming?"

Mikula nodded. "Yes. Not too long from now, and we'll have enough force to make these Wobbies regret coming here." He turned to look at the captured Blakests then, making sure that at least the one who understood some Lupari could hear. "And when that day comes, then we'll see to helping your city."

Alexis walked forward through the fading light of twilight, carefully picking her way through the paths in the woods that the lumberjacks from Kaytor used to get into the forest. Although she wasn't trying to be stealthy, her padded feet and the loose, native-woven clothing she wore tended to deaden any noise she was making. The result of which made the falling night seem even more oppressive.

Calm down, Alexis, she thought to herself as she picked her way over discarded branches and piles of rough wood chips. There's nothing in the night that can hurt you. The night is your friend; it covers you from prying eyes in case things should go wrong. She sighed then, trying to get the tension to leave her muscles. Although if the plan fails, I don't think that darkness will be much of any help.

Her reservations weren't founded only in paranoia, as the plan called for her to take some big risks, risks so large that Tanaka initially turned down the plan proposed by Lieutenant Peterson until Alexis talked her into it.

Though now I do believe I'm regretting it, she mused darkly as she moved down the gentle slope and finally began to approach the edge of the forest. 'I'll be fine' I said. 'If anything happens I can run away,' I said. She suppressed a snort at her own willingness to be put in such a situation. Sometimes I wonder if I don't have a death wish?

She shook her head to clear it. Come on, you know you aren't some self-cursing person. You know that this plan will give good intelligence and help us free the town with less death. Alexis took in a deep breath as she went over the plan again in her head.

First, I get into town. Find a good spot, and then report in after some reconnaissance. Then wait until the others come. At this, she reached around and patted the crude backpack that she wore. It and the clothes she wore were all flown in via Ferret scout VTOL from Shulana earlier in the day, and they formed her disguise. Hopefully, that and the story we thought up will let me get into town.

Alexis then passed the last tree, and she was in the open grassland that lay between the forest and the edges of the town's farms. She forced herself not to pause, as that might giver herself away as something other than a lost gatón. Instead, she continued forward at a pace that she judged would be adequate for someone who was tired from walking a long distance.

The light from the sun had faded well now, and the entire area was lit only by the dim refractions of light from the upper atmosphere, in what the humans termed 'Nautical Twilight;' the period of some light before total darkness. Ahead of Alexis, the town showed many dim lights from lanterns or outside cooking fires, though a portion to the northeast was light up much more. Several buildings had a white light coming from their windows, and there were several long bars of illumination near those buildings.

That light is too harsh to be from fire, Alexis knew. Close to the 'mechs, too. Can the Blakests be that obvious? She found it rather suspicious that the Blakests were making themselves such an easy target. Almost as if they want to be attacked… The same idea had, of course, been mentioned in the planning session that Tanaka had had earlier in the day, and every Republic officer had agreed; the situation was too inviting.

That's why I'm going in, Alexis reminded herself. Although not an officer, she had been privy to the meeting due to her unique perspective, being a native and all. The military officers were naturally suspicious of Blakest tricks, especially when non-combatants were so near. Thus, while the Republic forces would move into position along the foothills, they wouldn't come too close until information could be gathered.

Alexis mused over all of this as she walked, wondering again why she had volunteered so easily, even pushed for herself to take on such risk. I suppose it's just my nature to go and help people. And I am helping my friends and these strangers in the town by risking my life this way… Though, may Sheyana help me in the times ahead.

Acryu walked along the path, heading for his family's home after finishing up his daylong stint in the guard tower. Gods, this job is so tiring, he mentally grumbled as he passed the first houses along the southern edge of town. I know I don't do as much as the farmers, but at least they work in teams and can take breaks.

He sighed as he rounded a corner of the narrow, dirt street and saw his house down the row. Ah, well, time for dinner and rest now. He smiled a bit as he started down the street, his mouth beginning to drool a bit in anticipation of the evening meal. I only a small snack in the tower today, and I'm famished.

"Kaeno!" A familiar voice came from behind him, and Acryu halted and cringed at his name being called. By Grakia, not more of his crap! Grudgingly, Acryu turned around and saw Eiger Tangee, the new, invader-appointed commander of the town's militia. Slimy bastard, always fluffing the invaders' tails… Well, they don't have tails, but he still obeys them like a trained danier.

"Glad I caught you," Tangee said as he strode up to Acryu, an arrogant tone in his voice. "I've word from our leaders that there is someone approaching the town from the forest, so I want you to go out there with Hurg and Pago and bring the person in."

Acryu frowned, and he felt his ears lay back in anger over the way Tangee spoke. 'Our leaders,' bah! Invaders is what they are, no matter how long they claim to be our masters. Aloud, though, he said "But I only just now got off of duty in the southern watchtower… Commander." He added in the last word after a pause just long enough to show his distaste without being completely disrespectful.

Tangee narrowed his eyes a bit at the pause, but he simply continued on. "Be that as it may, we need to keep the guards on duty where they are at. You and the others are free for other assignments, and so I want you to go."

Acryu continued frowning at Tangee. You want me to go because you know I and my friends would like to beat you upside the head, he thought, but he nodded his head anyway. "Very well, commander. Where shall I join the others?"

Tangee gestured back the way they had both come. "The stranger approaches from the forest, so the other guards are waiting by the south end of the main street. Join them, go get the stranger, and bring him to the jail. I will await you all there."

Acryu nodded, and without any other words, he moved off, walking past Tangee and walked quickly down the street. Then Tangee's voice followed him. "And one more thing, Kaeno…" Acryu halted in his tracks, but he didn't turn around as Tangee continued with only a tiny pause. "Take your time, for I will be eating dinner." With that, Acryu heard Tangee turn and walk away.

That arrogant son of a zugert! Acryu had easily heard the taunting tone in Tangee's voice. He knows damn well how hungry I am, and he rubs it in. Acryu started off then, walking rapidly to work off the anger that Tangee's comments had raised in him.

After a few minutes, he reached the place where the houses ended, and there Hurg and Pago were waiting, just as Tangee had said. The former waved at his friend as Acryu walked up. "I see the tail-fluffer caught up to you too, eh?" He asked in a sardonic tone.

Acryu couldn't help but smirk a bit at his friend's wry humor. "Indeed. Well, let's go get whoever was stupid enough to come back this late and take him in." With that, the trio set off and walked along the path that would lead them to the forest if they went far enough.

Alexis saw the approaching lupar by the way they let themselves become silhouetted by the town's few open-air lanterns. Sloppy, she thought. But I suppose when your worst enemy is behind you, you don't think about not showing yourself to others.

She continued on, a bit slower now so that she would encounter the guards some distance still from the town. And I know they're guards, she thought, nervously flexing her clawed fingers. They may have silhouetted themselves, but they're walking in formation. Not to mention, their body posture indicates that they're too confident of themselves to be just a group of friends walking into the night for some mischievous deed.

Alexis made herself continue on and not hide alongside the path in some of the outermost crop fields she was now passing. Stick to the plan. I'm lost, a poor little lost gatón who doesn't know where she's at because of a storm. She hoped that the guards wouldn't ask too much about where she was from, since no one on her side knew too much about the area. Tanzano always concentrated to the west and east, so Mikula and his brothers don't know anything specific about the area, save that the lupar and gatón here aren't as hostile to each other. She hoped that the rumor would be true enough so that the guards wouldn't try to do anything untoward to her. Because then I'll kick their asses, which means that I blow my cover and have to get the Hell out of here.

She sighed and tried to mentally prepare herself for her performance. Remember, you have to seem like you're tired and lost and frightened… Though the last part shouldn't be too hard. Alexis continued forward, until she and the approaching guards reached a point where she figured a distracted person like her would finally stop and notice the men. 'Who's there?" She called out gently in Gatonese.

The three guards froze, crouching down a bit. Apparently my language surprised them, she thought as she heard indistinct whispers passing between the three. They must have not been expecting a gatón.

After a moment, the guard to the right side of the path (as she saw it) stood and cleared his throat. "Identify yourself," he called out in Lupari.

Alexis wondered for a moment if she should feign total ignorance of the language. Then she shook her head slightly. No, stick to the plan; you know Lupari, only not much of it. With that, she thought quickly for a way to make her voice a bit more accented in the tongue. "Who you? Lupar?"

The guards, she noticed, looked at each other in apparent surprise. Then the one in the center spoke up. "Yes, we're lupar. Come closer."

Alexis thought for a second, trying to get into the mind of someone who was lost. Then she walked forward slowly, pulling the cowl of the small traveling cloak she wore up to cover her head, leaving only her face to be seen. Here goes nothing, she thought, borrowing the humans' phrase.

Acryu drew his sword as the figure came near. In the light coming from the stars above and from the town behind him, he saw the diminutive figure approach slowly, eventually halting about two meters away.

"It's a gatón," Hurg breathed beside him. "What's he doing out here?"

"That's a she, Hurg," Acryu said, noticing the curves underneath newcomer's baggy clothing.

"Really?" Hurg asked, and he peered at the gatón with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, now." He paused to take a breath. "Come closer yet. We won't harm you."

The figure seemed to shift a bit, as if considering her options, but then she soon walked forward until she was just out of arm's reach. "Please, I am lost," she said in halting Lupari. "No food."

Acryu frowned a bit, wondering just what the Hell he was going to do about this. "Are you hurt? Where are you from?"

"I no hurt. From Danadom I come," Alexis said, trying to mix her phrasing up just enough so that she wouldn't be too bad or too good. Not like they would know where Danadom is, anyway, she hoped. "Please, need help."

Acryu shifted uncomfortably. What the Hell am I supposed to do He wondered as he raised himself to an upright position and sheathed his sword.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Pago asked from his left. "She could be one of those assassins you hear about in fireside tales."

Hurg laughed at that, and Acryu snorted. "You need to stop listening to those, Pago," the latter said. "I mean, she's only a woman, it's not like she has that much strength."

Pago looked unsure, but he sheathed his sword as well. "I suppose you're right…"

"In any case," Acryu said, trying to get them back on track. "We need to take her to the jail. That's what the tail-fluffer said, so I'd like to get this done and eat some dinner."

"I go where?" Alexis asked, trying to keep her anger at the sexist comments out of her voice and mannerisms. 'Just a woman?' I'd like to show you… But not now…

"You come with us," Acryu said, pointing to the gatón to emphasize. "To town. You will not be harmed," he said, pointing to the town. The gatón nodded, and she haltingly started forward, moving carefully past the three guards and down the path.

They walked that way, gatón in front of the lupar, all the way to town. At the outskirts, Acryu called for her to halt, and he took the lead and he led the others to the jail. Along the way, people who had come out after their dinners to enjoy the cooler air outside stared or asked questions. Acryu ignored them, though his fellow militiamen would answer one or two.

'Yes, she's lost.' 'No, we don't know where she's from.' Bah, people need to stop being so impatient. Acryu was annoyed more and more, mainly because he still was hungry, and also because how foolish he felt, being one of three guards to escort a single, lost gatón. As if she could be any threat to a lupar.

Finally, though, they reached the jail. It was an older building in the town, placed near the center. Only a single story, and made out of stone rather than wood to keep prisoners from escaping by burning the building down, it was a squat and ugly structure. The blank front was only broken by a door and a single open window covered with a blanket for privacy.

Acryu walked up to the door and pushed it open without knocking. Inside, the jail was one big open room, divided only by the supporting beams for the roof and by one large holding area along the back formed by iron bars set into the floor and ceiling. In the holding area, Acryu saw five lupar, only one of whom truly deserved to be in there. The others just complained about the invaders.

"That was quick," Tangee said from the side, and Acryu turned to see the other lupar sitting behind a desk, a decent meal of a stew and bread sitting half eaten. Acryu felt his stomach rumble at the sight of the food, but he ignored it as the gatón walked in behind him, followed by both Hurg and Pago.

"Well, what do we have here?" Tangee asked as he put down a spoon and wiped is muzzle off on his left sleeve.

Acryu frowned a bit, but he ignored the other's poor manners. "The person our… 'Leaders'" - he spoke the last word with a hint of sarcasm - "sent us to get was this gatón. She knows a little Lupari, and from what she's said so far, she got lost some time ago and only stumbled across our town."

Tangee stood and looked Alexis over. "Hmm, well, I suppose we can't be much threatened by her," he said. "Take her to the temple, see if the priests will take in a stray for the night while I go ask our leaders just what they want to do with her."

Alexis suppressed a shudder at the idea of the Wobbies deciding what to do with her. Though I dislike the look of this lupar almost as much, she thought, noting how the man's eyes seemed to linger over certain areas. A lecherous sort, I'd imagine. I'll have to be careful.