Chapter Twenty: Alien Prisoners of War

To avoid radiation from their home star and to protect the pyramid under construction, the Tal garrison remained concentrated on the far side of Proxima B, their forces on standby. Mr. M from Military Intelligence informed the Tal defenders that a small enemy force had already landed on the near side of the neighboring star B, and would soon launch an attack on Proxima B’s far side, targeting the Tal garrison. He ordered all troops to prepare for combat.

The sudden news threw the lightly armed Tal garrison into disarray, especially since their large task force had been lured away from Proxima B by the enemy. Soon, enemy commandos piloting flying tanks appeared overhead, and several Tal small ships were destroyed on the ground before they could take off by the enemy’s space tanks. The enemy's tactics were exceptionally novel: after their large interstellar carrier fleet deployed low-altitude, short-range space tanks to Proxima B’s near side, the carrier fleet returned to the opposite side of the home star, using the red dwarf as cover, waiting for the Tal task force’s return to engage in a decisive battle.

The Tal task force, recently deceived and sent away, was speeding back under Mr. M’s orders. The garrison left on Proxima B’s surface had lost all advantages and was struggling to resist the enemy’s low-altitude flying tanks. At an altitude of a thousand meters, the enemy air tanks attacked a Tal weapons depot with positron bombs, destroying large quantities of plasma shells and launchers; only a few Tal small ships managed to take off, engaging in fierce dogfights with enemy air tanks overhead. The enemy’s sudden strike and destruction of Tal armories crippled the ground anti-air firepower, allowing the enemy tanks to dominate the skies, shooting down Tal ships one after another.

From Proxima C, Commander M urged the task force to accelerate their return and encouraged the troops on Proxima B, rallying them to resist bravely. The entire army impatiently awaited the task force’s arrival. There was a crucial secret, fortunately kept from the enemy: the underground pyramid on Proxima B was still under construction, a half-finished project, lacking the ability to protect Tal forces or disrupt enemy equipment with sensitive technology. Luckily, the enemy was unaware; if they knew, a few small enemy warships could easily destroy the unfinished pyramid.

The disciplined Quatpa people remained calm despite their small victory; their commander did not let success cloud his judgment nor rush to attack Earth from the other side of the home star. Instead, they waited for the Tal task force to return, knowing only by eliminating it could they ensure the destruction of Earth and the security of their own home planet.

Commander M, anxious, finally saw the task force return, reaching the range to strike the enemy’s flying tanks over Proxima B. Without hesitation, he ordered the fleet commander to use sufficient firepower to shoot down all enemy tanks. Since Tal ships were locked in dogfights with enemy tanks, the returning fleet needed precise targeting to avoid friendly fire. Suddenly, the worst happened: the enemy’s large carrier fleet appeared directly ahead, bypassing the home star, targeting the returning Tal task force. The battle now split into two theaters: the smaller, a thousand meters above Proxima B’s surface where Tal ships fought enemy tanks; the larger, ten light-seconds from Proxima B, as the two fleets prepared for a decisive clash.

Facing the enemy’s carrier fleet, Tal forces felt immense psychological pressure. Previously, Tal commandos ambushed enemy scouts; now, the situation was reversed. Though Tal’s task force was ready to attack, they knew little about the opposing fleet, while the enemy knew them well and carried specialized weapons. Both sides tried using fast, long-range zero-mass energy weapons, but as before, neither could harm the other. Thus, the battle would come down to close-range combat with one-mass particle weapons.

The enemy, using prior intelligence, quickly identified the Tal fleet’s command ship and coordinate. A group of small space tanks launched from a carrier, rapidly closing on the Tal command ship, aiming to destroy the command center. Tal immediately deployed their own small ships to intercept. In this clash, the enemy tanks, faster and more maneuverable, suppressed Tal plasma beams with positron streams, destroying several Tal ships in quick succession.

From Proxima C, Commander M realized the enemy was well prepared, while Tal lacked understanding of their tactics. He judged a decisive battle now would be unwise, given the disparity of forces, and ordered the task force to retreat 150 million kilometers—a position of absolute safety.

Tal’s retreat confused the enemy. Their intelligence had concluded that Tal’s ultimate goal was to protect Earth, so Tal’s withdrawal seemed counterintuitive. If the enemy advanced on the solar system now, attacking Earth would be effortless. Yet, the Quatpa people, with superior logical reasoning and extensive war experience, would not act rashly in the face of the unknown. After Tal’s retreat, their carrier fleet commander ordered no pursuit, maintaining a blockade position.

The enemy commander decided only after annihilating the Tal garrison on Proxima B, their task force, and the pyramid, could they proceed to the solar system.

Both fleets avoided direct confrontation momentarily, but the war was just beginning. Over Proxima B, Tal’s small ships were nearly all shot down by enemy tanks. An enemy major ordered all tanks to land on Proxima B, aiming to destroy the pyramid and eradicate the Tal garrison.

Tal’s task force was far away, their small ships depleted, leaving only ground troops on Proxima B. Without air cover or anti-air weapons, the Tal ground force faced annihilation. The garrison hurried to help engineers finish the half-built pyramid, knowing without its special functions, victory would be impossible even if the task force returned.

Now, the enemy prepared to land and engage at closer range. Their positron weapons were nearly spent, so all tanks retreated to a safe distance to await resupply, giving Tal precious time. Day and night, Tal soldiers and engineers rushed to complete the pyramid—a simplified military version, but enough to pose difficulties for the enemy and boost Tal morale.

Tal and Quatpa had identical vision principles, seeing objects via visible light. On Proxima B’s dark, cold far side, both needed equipment to see each other. Tal soldiers wore infrared goggles, spotting the enemy via thermal imaging. Their bulletproof vests were made of a special gaseous substance, containing oxygen for breathing, resembling flies within soap bubbles. This material prevented heat emission, making Tal invisible to enemy thermal sensors, absorbing and blocking zero-mass microwave weapons, though offering no protection against one-mass particle weapons.

Enemy commandos, unable to resupply or update gear, could not use thermal imaging to find Tal, relying on artificial visible light. After their tanks landed, they lost their advantage, as their crocodile-like skin required stellar radiation for warmth, but on Proxima B’s cold, dark far side, they needed artificial light-heat sources for metabolism.

In the underground pyramid, Tal officers discussed strategy. A sentinel rushed in: “Major, enemy tanks have landed near our camp. They’re parked together, and the soldiers, armed with various weapons, are advancing rapidly on foot toward our position. They’ll attack soon.”

The major ordered a Tal sergeant to lead a special forces team to intercept. Tal’s gaseous vests prevented heat emission, making them invisible to enemy sensors, who marched with artificial visible light.

The sergeant sent scouts ahead. In a hilly area, they spotted a cluster of flickering lights—enemy ground forces. Using anti-gravity devices, the scouts moved swiftly, approaching under cover of hills for close reconnaissance. They found enemy tanks neatly parked beneath a hill, while soldiers marched in traditional formation toward Tal’s position, reporting back immediately.

For the Quatpa, fighting on Proxima B’s cold, dark far side posed many challenges. Their food—special liquid from their home planet—was limited. After consumption, they needed special spectral irradiation for photosynthesis to aid digestion and metabolism, keeping anti-gravity devices constantly active, as they were unaccustomed to gravity. If Tal damaged their devices during combat, the average 500-kilogram, four-legged Quatpa would become very clumsy.

A Tal sergeant led a hundred commandos toward the enemy. With their small ships destroyed, they used lightweight single-person pyramid-shaped motorcycles, equipped with anti-gravity devices for rapid ground movement. Once the enemy tank coordinates were confirmed, the sergeant ordered ten motorcycle troops to attack, aiming to destroy the tanks before enemy carriers could respond, thus gaining ground superiority. To remain undetected, each motorcycle was fitted with the same gaseous protective layer as the soldiers. The pyramid motorcycles were unique: one wheel, a tetrahedral shape, with the wheel adjusting to whichever face touched the ground. Their topology ensured secure, efficient information transmission—integrated reconnaissance and attack vehicles.

The ten motorcycle troops quickly approached the enemy tanks, noting no guards were left. Two Tal soldiers, familiar with Quatpa civilization and language, decided to investigate. Inside, they found advanced technology and easily unlocked the tanks. In the co-pilot seat sat a translucent device resembling a candle—identified as the Quatpa tankers’ instant, long-range communication tool to their fleet and command. With the captain’s approval, they dismantled all such devices, using them to mislead the enemy command. At a signal, the tanks were destroyed, and the infantry was notified: the enemy ground troops could now be attacked.

On the cold, dark far side of Proxima B, the armies of two galactic civilizations clashed in close combat—not a showcase of high technology, but a return to primitive ground fighting. The Quatpa, heavier, faced the more agile Tal, both wielding secret weapons. The enemy, reliant on visible light, was quickly exposed. A Tal sergeant ordered a change in formation, dispersing troops and using the uneven terrain for ambush. Each Quatpa soldier carried multiple light sources, making them visible to Tal via infrared and visible light, while the enemy could not see Tal.

Having captured enemy communication devices, Tal commandos sent false reports to mislead the enemy command, obscuring the true situation on Proxima B. The greatest fear was enemy air support, so the Tal sergeant seized this opportunity to eliminate the landed enemy forces before their command noticed.

The enemy ground troops, using visible light tools and detectors, were exposed within Tal’s attack range, unaware their tanks had been destroyed. Their goal was to find and destroy the Tal underground pyramid, a symbol and technological pinnacle of Tal civilization. Yet, their special gaseous vests rendered Tal invisible, so the enemy did not realize they were within Tal’s attack range.

The front-line enemy soldiers’ light tools served as both illumination and weapons, their most powerful laser beams capable of penetrating most positive matter layers, being zero-mass. When their lasers scanned Tal soldiers, the gaseous vests absorbed the energy completely. Though unseen, the enemy sensed something was wrong. The commander quickly ordered all lights off. The Tal sergeant, decisive, ordered an attack: using thermal imaging to target, streams of plasma were fired, catching the enemy off guard. The front ranks were incinerated instantly, while those behind hurriedly activated shields to block the plasma, but most died before they could defend themselves. Only a few managed to block the attack.

Seeing the remaining enemy effectively using shields, the Tal sergeant ordered his troops to cease fire and capture the survivors.

On command, Tal soldiers spread out, encircling