Chapter Nineteen: Luring the Tiger from the Mountain

On the surface of Proxima Centauri B, the soldiers of the Tal Army were on high alert. Meanwhile, on Proxima Centauri C, the Tal Army’s supreme commander, Mr. M, received an intelligence report from Chief of Intelligence, Mr. G: “A large Quar fleet of interstellar carriers is advancing at great speed toward the Centaurus sector.” Seasoned by countless battles, Mr. M did not hesitate for a moment upon receiving this information. He resolved to do everything possible to intercept the enemy far from Proxima Centauri B, for the Tal Army’s pyramid on the planet was still under construction—an incomplete project. The army had always relied on the pyramid’s special functions to defend against the enemy’s various massless wave-type energy weapons and to disrupt the application core of the enemy’s weapon systems. Should the Quar forces launch a large-scale aerial assault at this moment, the Tal Army would be left without any air defense.

With a single command from Mr. M, the Tal Army’s special fleet stationed on Proxima Centauri B launched its major warships to meet the threat, leaving only a small garrison to protect the unfinished underground pyramid. For the Tal Army, aside from confronting the enemy head-on, they needed to work overtime to complete the pyramid as quickly as possible. Otherwise, they would be doomed to sit and await destruction.

At the forefront of the Quar fleet, which was traveling at a speed far exceeding that of light, a lead ship used quantum-state communication to transmit a confidential order to the other captains: “Captains, our plan is working. Most of the Tal Army warships have taken off and are advancing rapidly in our direction. You may now alter your course and bypass. I will continue to pilot this ship to lure the Tal Army’s main fleet.”

In truth, the grand advance of the Quar’s interstellar carrier fleet toward the Solar System was but a ruse, meant to mislead the Tal Army into dispatching its main warships away from Proxima Centauri B. The real strategy was to send Quar special forces to attack the Tal garrison on the planet’s surface, intent on destroying the underground pyramid under construction.

Mr. M, the supreme commander, having returned to Proxima Centauri C with two deputies, received another intelligence update from Mr. G: “The Quar’s large interstellar carrier fleet has suddenly vanished; no trace can be detected. The commander must analyze and judge the Quar’s intentions and next actions.” This left Mr. M and his deputies at a loss. After careful discussion, they concluded that the Quar fleet had activated its cloaking systems to avoid revealing their position. Thus, they agreed to order the frontline captains to proceed as planned, striving to keep the enemy farther from Proxima Centauri B before launching decisive strikes.

In reality, the Quar fleet, which had vanished from the Tal Army’s surveillance systems, had bypassed the Celtic System, using the outer gas clouds for concealment and thereby evading Tal reconnaissance. This maneuver also avoided threats from the Celtic forces and further confused Tal’s intelligence. The Quar’s strategy thus served two purposes: misleading the Tal Army and enabling a stealth approach to Proxima Centauri B from an unexpected direction. Meanwhile, the lead Quar decoy ship continued on its original course, drawing the Tal Army’s main force further away.

With the Tal Army’s surveillance evaded, a group of Quar scouts managed to sneak near Proxima Centauri B to gather intelligence on the ground. Unaware, Commander M was still directing his special fleet to engage the supposed Quar fleet. When the Tal fleet drew close enough to attack the solitary Quar carrier, the enemy ship suddenly launched ten small space tanks, forming a “V” formation in space to confront the Tal fleet. The commander of a Tal light warship decisively ordered an attack, releasing thirty small craft from his ship to join the battle. After several exchanges of fire, the Tal’s small craft, being both slower and less maneuverable than the Quar tanks, suffered losses. However, due to their superior numbers, the Quar’s large battleship was gradually forced to retreat, and all its tanks began to flee with the mothership. The Tal fleet, seizing the advantage, gave chase; during the pursuit, they found that the Quar tanks’ speed suddenly matched that of their own craft, allowing them to destroy several tanks and even capture one.

As the Quar battleship abandoned its tanks and accelerated away, the Tal ships attempted to pursue, but their slower speed made it impossible to catch the fleeing Quar vessel. The Tal major immediately reported the situation to Commander M, who, far away on Proxima Centauri C, found it all highly suspicious but could offer no reasonable explanation.

In the mobile pyramid command center on Proxima Centauri C, Commander M and his deputies were still analyzing the frontline battle, receiving repeated reports of victories and the destruction of many Quar tanks during the retreat. Pleased, the three officers proudly reported their successes to the King of Tal. Perhaps this self-satisfaction was a flaw of the Tal.

Only after dismantling the captured Quar tank did the Tal Army discover that it was nothing but a crude shell housing only an engine. Upon learning this, Commander M realized they had been deceived. He immediately ordered the fleet to cease pursuit and return to Proxima Centauri B at once to protect the pyramid under construction. He also warned all frontline units to destroy the captured Quar tank immediately, for M knew the Quar’s habits well—a fake tank was likely a spy device. Any contact with such Quar devices, even the bioelectric waves generated by soldiers’ thoughts, could be intercepted. If the Quar succeeded in capturing the brainwaves of Tal officers and soldiers, they could replicate their thoughts and memories, potentially exposing all Tal military secrets.

Commander M turned to his deputies and asked, “Could it be that the Quar simply wanted to deplete our weapons?”

“I don’t think so,” one deputy replied. “Because the enemy ships are faster than ours, they might try to attack us from the rear as we head back.”

Commander M responded, “That’s almost impossible. The Quar wouldn’t go to such trouble just to lure us with a single ship.”

A series of questions left the three commanders bewildered. Just then, an urgent field report arrived from a scout on Proxima Centauri B: “A small Quar special forces unit has landed on the planet’s surface.”

Upon seeing this message, the three commanders were struck as if by lightning. They finally understood why the pyramid had been rushed day and night—to prevent just such an attack. And now, with their main fleet far from Proxima Centauri B, even the fastest return would be too late. All three officers realized they had fallen for the Quar’s classic “lure the tiger from the mountain” stratagem.

Now the Tal garrison on Proxima Centauri B, the pyramid under frantic construction, and even the safety of Earth itself were in grave peril. The Quar invasion of Earth was imminent! How would the Tal Army respond? Would the god worshipped by the Tal people intervene to aid them in their hour of need? Let us turn our attention to the defensive strategies and tactics of the Tal garrison stationed on Proxima Centauri B.