by LARDLAD (ANTHONY E. TAYLOR)
The following morning a loud claxon rudely awakened those slumbering in the underground stronghold. The time was here!
As Cham finished getting his gear together, he took a moment to speak to his friend. "Jal," Cham began, "in case I don't make it back I wanted you to know how wonderful it's been to be your friend these past few days!"
Jalarl hugged him, restraining tears. "Don't even think it, Cham," he said over Cham's shoulder. "You're coming back!"
"Of course I will," Cham comforted, "but I had to say it just in case." He broke the embrace. "I've gotta go now, Jal. But I just wanted you to know that in just these few short days, I consider you to be among only a handful of really special friends in my life. There's basically Lyle, Jecka, Ayla...and you!"
"I'm honored Cham, but it's you who taught me what friendship really was in the first place!"
With that the two hugged again. Cham broke the hug and headed out. "Later?" he said.
"Definitely!" was the answer, and Cham flashed Jalarl one of his trademark big smiles and a wink in response.
After his friend left, Jalarl quickly pulled out a knapsack he had prepared and mumbled, "sooner than you think, Cham." Jalarl took the knapsack and began to execute his unauthorized travel plans.
After marching for hours, the assembled squad of Rinaxlian freedom fighters emerged from a hidden exit aboveground. The assembled soldiers had to shield their eyes from the blinding light of the sun. Living underground tends to have that effect. The freedom fighters really could empathise with earth's opossums! The light was in reality pretty dim as it was near the day's end. The march began at dawn, but it took nearly the entire daytime to reach this outlet closest to the testing site.
This was all part of Zil's plan. A comparatively under-manned and armed attack force like theirs needed the added stealth and confusion a night strike would bring.
The plan itself was relatively uncomplicated. Three teams would have specific tasks. Team One would provide a distraction at the north side of the base with a full-out assault. Team Two would wait until the Khund forces were fully engaged before creating an entrance to the facility on what was a tactically-determined weak spot along the south wall. Upon gaining entrance through heavy artillery, Team Two would split in two: half would support Team One and half would support Team Three. Team Three was the commando unit assigned to destroy the prototype weapon. Chameleon, Zil and a handful of others comprised Team Three.
So the freedom fighters waited for the last light to fade and a couple hours beyond that to deploy the teams. Team One started things off by charging the facility's front gates and using crude catapult devices to launch explosives.
The attack drew an immediate Khundish response as alarms wailed and soldiers scurried in response. In truth the Khunds relished the opportunity. Few races in the galaxy thirsted for battle like the Khunds. A surprise it was, but not an unwelcome one for the hawkish race.
The freedom fighters of Team One managed to break the outer gate. This was advantageous as the Khunds could not use long distance weapons on them without damaging their own facilities and killing their own soldiers. Soon, good, old-fashioned hand-to-hand combat was afoot.
About thirty minutes to an hour after Team One's part began, Team Two had already set up their heavy cannons at the vulnerable area of the south wall. Firing commenced, and sure enough the wall began to show signs of breakage. Then, the freedom fighters' lone vehicle, a heavily armored tank aquired from the Khunds, charged between the cannons and rammed into the wall. The weakened wall shattered, and the tank plowed through.
As the tank came to a stop within the Khundish facility, the hatch promptly popped open. Out popped Cham, Zil and a dozen or so other Rinaxlians. Behind the tank half of Team Two poured into the breach it created. The rest of Team Two had already headed to the north face to assist that conflict.
Zil pointed to a map he held, "the weapon is in the very middle of the complex...here! We need to go down this corridor." He gestured to the Team Two members behind them, "you know what to do...fan out and create as much havoc as you can! After we reach the agreed-upon time table, evacuate! Now, go, go, go!"
Immediately the backup fanned out and their guns were blazing. Then Zil's team headed down the specified corridor. Cham took the point as a Zzlathian blimwath. He chose this beast for its armored skin that could withstand most weapon blasts. Its size would also make for a good shield of his fellows.
Meanwhile in the remains of the tank, someone stirred. It was Jalarl who'd been hiding in an unused weapons locker. He peeked out of the tank's opening and saw that the action was moving outward. He saw Cham's team head down a corridor and ran to it. A stray blast just barely missed him as he cleared the corner.
Things for Team One were not going very well. The sheer numbers of their enemy and their ferocity were beginning to take their toll. Commander Lasym of Team One prayed that reinforcements of Team Two would arrive shortly, or they might have to pull out prematurely. Luckily, those reinforcements did arrive, and things once again looked more optimistic.
Team Three encountered strong resistance as they drew nearer to the facility's center. Despite Cham's shielding two members of the team had been picked off. But the backup team was doing a good job of keeping the Khunds away from their backside.
Jalarl was still behind Team Three, keeping his distance so as not to distract his friends. He wasn't sure at this point what he was going to do to help, but Jalarl was sure he would help somehow. At one point he kneeled beside one of the fallen freedom fighters and reverently picked up the weapon clutched in his dead hands. Jalarl noted that this was the father and husband of the family he'd been so moved by the previous day. Tears wanted to come, but Jalarl's resolve stifled them and prompted him to move on.
Soon Team Three arrived at the heavily armored door to the room containing the prototype. Cham and Zil placed four explosives on the door as the rest of their team provided backup. On Zil's signal the squad ran backward until ordered to stop. Cham then transformed his body into a shield and covered them all. As soon as he'd done this, a tremendous explosion boomed through the complex. Jalarl, still behind the others, ducked into an alcove. A spout of flame rushed over the shielded squad and past Jalarl. The heat was tremendous.
Moments later, Cham retracted himself and the squad emerged poised for the next step. Several Khunds lay dead or unconscious in the vicinity. No conscious Khunds were in sight. Cham quietly took a moment to mourn his part in the deaths. He hardened as he remembered all the Khundish atrocities he'd seen and experienced.
Before Team Three lay a huge hole where the door had been. They immediately began to file inside, weapons drawn. Jalarl cautiously began to sneak towards the outer opening outside the door.
Inside was a terrible shock! About twenty five Khund soldiers were waiting for them. Team Three was outnumbered and surrounded two to one with no place to hide. The entrance they'd created was blocked as Khunds flanked it. Blasters began to rain deadly fire on the freedom fighters. Cham tried to shield everyone, but the fighters were dropping like flies.
Jalarl saw this, took a big gulp for courage and started blasting at the Khunds who had their backs to the door. Before they could react, four Khunds went down. "Jalarl!" Cham yelled. Then, with one side no longer needing defense, Cham reconfigured his body to shield about 270 degrees. Jalarl leapt in with the five survivors and helped them pick off Khunds. They were still outnumbered though, and two more Rinaxlians dropped.
Then reinforcements arrived as five members of Team Two charged in. This turned the tide, and when the smoke cleared, four freedom fighters were standing but no Khunds.
Jalarl looked around and saw Zil was among those on the ground, but he was still breathing. For the moment. Zil had a huge hole in his chest and was fading. Jalarl kneeled beside only the second friend he'd ever made. "Z-zil?" Jalarl managed.
"Jalarl, I t-told you to stay," Zil said weakly. "But you f-followed your heart. You did good. If you hadn't...bought us some time, we'd never've made it. Now, we'll destroy that horrible weapon. It's a...g-good thing to die for!"
"Zil, you can't go...what will the resistance do without you?"
"They'll d-do...just fine...they have heart...and they h-have you! L-live u-up to your name...be an insp-spiration to them...like you were to me..."
With that Zil's eyes lost their life's spark. Jalarl gently closed them. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Cham.
"Jal, the charges are set. We have to go now."
"Okay, Cham." He glanced at Zil. "Sleep, Zil. You've earned it." Then the four headed out.
On the other front Rinaxlian freedom fighters began to retreat. Many bodies lay lifeless on the grounds. But a precise count would reveal significantly more Khund bodies than Rinaxlians. The Khund base disappeared in an enormous blaze of fiery retribution.
Two days later a mass funeral service was held for those who didn't make it. A special place was set up to commemorate Zil. Lasym presided over the services as the new leader of the freedom fighters. They had much reason to mourn, but at the same time, this was the greatest victory they'd ever achieved.
The next day Cham prepared to leave. He'd acquired a small cruiser as he left the base. A part of him wanted to stay, but he knew that ultimately this was Rinaxl's fight. He'd do whatever he could to increase awareness in the U.P. and hopefully bring aid. That would be more beneficial than his individual soldiering ever could. He had to tell himself this often.
As he implemented final pre-takeoff routines, Cham was joined by Jalarl. "Ready to go?" He glanced at his friend. "Where are your things?"
Solemnly, Jalarl broke the news. "Cham...I'm not going."
"Not going?" Cham felt his heart sink.
"No. I belong here, fighting alongside my people. Cham, I have to!" Jalarl shivered as tears rained down his cheeks.
"I-I understand very well, my friend. Very well."
The two embraced one final time. The two had shared virtually a lifetime the past week, and now they might never see each other again.
"Goodbye, Cham," Jalarl said, "you're MY inspiration! Do you think we'll ever see each other again?"
"I sure hope so...yes! I think we will!"
"Promise?"
"Promise!"
Hesitantly, Cham boarded the cruiser and closed the hatch. The two friends maintained eye contact until the hatch completely closed. Cham engaged the vertical take-off thrusters and raised the cruiser up. Through the cockpit he watched as Jalarl became smaller and smaller until he disappeared. After he escaped the atmosphere, Cham completely broke down. He knew his friend would have a hard, possibly short, road ahead. But he admired him, all the same. What a brave, young soul he'd met. He would never forget him.
Epilogue
Later at the Legion Outpost, Chameleon finally arrived after being away almost two months. He was greeted ny his three dear friends, Lyle (Invisible Kid), Jeka (Sensor) and Ayla (Spark). Despite the sorrow that weighed on his heart, Cham managed a great, big smile for these three he'd missed so much.
Lyle said, "You're back! Grife, we were afraid you were dead! Did you accomplish your mission?"
"That and more, my friends!" Cham exclaimed. Then he put his arms over Lyle's and Ayla's shoulders and said, "now, give us a hug, and let me tell you about a boy named Inspiration..."
THE END