Chapter 28: The Commander of the Tower Army Commits Suicide After Defeat

Commander-in-Chief M of the Taal forces could not comprehend why the Kwa army failed to press their advantage. Yet, seizing upon the enemy's momentary pause, M acted with resolute decisiveness, taking a step that caught everyone by surprise. With his two deputies, he continued to oversee military affairs from the mobile command center on Proxima Centauri C.

"My dear comrades, my brothers-in-arms, which of you is willing to assume my rank?" M addressed his two deputies.

One deputy stammered, "General, what is the matter? There’s no need for this, especially at such a critical juncture. Now is the time for mutual support and encouragement. No matter how the situation develops, we will steadfastly obey your every order."

M fixed his gaze on the deputy who spoke and declared with unwavering conviction, "Precisely, this is a critical moment. Since you are determined to obey my every command, I now order you: take my seat at once and temporarily handle all military affairs in my stead." As soon as he finished, M stood up and reached out to pull the deputy by the arm, commanding, "This is a military order."

The other deputy stared at M with a crestfallen expression, as if he wished to say something. Sensing this, M cut him off, "Assist him well, just as you have always assisted me."

With that, M left the mobile command cabin. He then turned back and said to the two, "I need to step out for a while. Neither of you is to follow me—this, too, is an order."

Commander-in-Chief M walked alone out of the mobile command ship, onto a surface shrouded in dim visibility—on Proxima Centauri C, the mother planet’s light was especially faint. He sat heavily on a bare rock, head bowed, his thoughts known only to himself. After a time, he produced from his pocket a device that closely resembled a tablet computer used by Earthlings. Activating a specialized light source, he established an instantaneous, long-distance link with the royal communications center on Taal. At that moment, the King of Taal and Intelligence Chief G were deep in military discussion, both using holographic video links, ensuring smooth, lag-free communication.

M spoke first. "Your Majesty, esteemed Chief G, you are both well aware of all that has transpired at the front. As Supreme Commander of the Taal military, as the officer in charge, as one who has witnessed events firsthand, I have no wish to explain myself, to conceal anything, or to defend my actions. First, I thank Your Majesty for not dismissing or punishing me under these circumstances. I remain the Supreme Commander, and hence, I bear the responsibility, the duty, and the right to issue these orders: First, please immediately appoint a new commander—I am no longer fit to hold any military authority. Second, deploy greater forces to defend the Solar System; the Kwa army will soon advance there, and our Earth brothers are in imminent peril."

With these words, M stood, saluted the King and G through the video, and abruptly switched off the device. The King and Chief G had no chance to respond.

After shutting down the communicator, illuminated by the dim red glow of his home star, M’s figure, faintly visible through his gaseous spacesuit, stood silently upon the surface. Raising his head, he gazed toward the coordinates of the Taal star system, though, like Earthlings, his eyes could not perceive his distant homeworld with the naked eye. M knew all too well that his defeat owed to underestimating the enemy and inadequate preparations. The pyramid constructed on Proxima Centauri B was a mere makeshift, its functions limited, its completion delayed, and the military deployments were flawed. His own caution and hesitation in battle had nearly led his task fleet to annihilation.

Wracked by guilt, M looked up at the sky for a moment. Then, reaching into his pocket, he drew a dagger whose handle lacked a blade. Pressing a button like a small disc with his thumb, a beam of energy, seven centimeters in length, shot forth—a standard Taal military plasma dagger. With it, he drew a line from his head to his chest; in that instant, his entire body turned to vapor and vanished into Proxima Centauri C’s thin atmosphere.

This general, once a hero of the Taal civilization, who had led many campaigns against alien invaders and remained undefeated, had now been overcome by the superior Kwa army in the defense of Earth, and chose suicide out of remorse.

With the Supreme Commander dead by his own hand after defeat, the Kwa army could destroy Earth with ease. How lamentable! And yet the ignorant people of Earth remained oblivious to their brush with annihilation. Unaware of their origins or their predicament, commoners brawled drunkenly in the streets, while political leaders clamored to unleash nuclear weapons upon their own kind. Given their flaws, their moral failings, their innate selfishness, even if the Kwa army were to show mercy, Earthlings would bring about their own ruin.

On Taal, the King and Chief G, having witnessed what transpired, understood all too well what had befallen M. Both were deeply dejected, their eyes fixed on the ornate floor.

"It was not M’s incompetence, but the strength of our enemy," the King said. "Were I at the front, I could not have acted more wisely than M."

Chief G raised his head, glanced at the King, then looked down again, speaking with remorse and sorrow. "The greatest fault lies with me. What haunts me is my failure to provide reliable and accurate intelligence to the front, both before and during the war."

The King approached G, clasping his left hand in both of his own. With uncommon gentleness, he said, "The MG plan you and M devised was implemented only after my personal review and revision. M bears no guilt, nor do you. Let me repeat: it is not our incompetence, but the enemy’s power. We must turn our grief into resolve and take immediate action. I will revise the MG plan you and M proposed: I will grant the military greater autonomy, including, if necessary, preemptive strikes against the Kwa—up to and including their homeworld."

Though the Supreme Commander had chosen death, this did not mark the end of Taal civilization or its military, nor did it mean Taal would abandon Earth or surrender to the Kwa. The battle would continue. In fact, even before M’s suicide, the King had begun assembling a more powerful interstellar fleet, ready to defend the Solar System. The King would not forsake the protection of Earth or the great migration project, for defending Earth was a Taal religious tenet, and migration stemmed from the desperate survival instincts of a people facing the demise of their homeworld. But the Taal military could not remain headless in battle; the King would immediately appoint a new Supreme Commander to lead the fight.

"From this moment, you are the Supreme Commander of Taal. All our forces, myself included, are under your command," the King announced to Military Advisor E.

"Thank you for your trust and confidence, Your Majesty. I pledge my life’s work to the military cause of our civilization," E replied.

"M delegated all duties to his deputy before his death," the King continued. "I will contact him to transfer all files to you. Assuming such a great responsibility will bring pressure, but you are not alone—I have already initiated a diplomatic plan."

With those words, the King instructed his tall and beautiful secretary to hand a confidential royal document to Chief G. Upon reading it, G understood: even before M’s suicide, the King had begun his new strategic deployment. This time, G was to undertake a diplomatic mission to the planet Kelt. The King hoped that through G’s efforts, Taal and Kelt could form an alliance against the Kwa, promising that, should Kelt intervene and help defeat the Kwa, Uranus, Neptune, and all their moons would be ceded to the Kelts as reward.

Despite the recent defeat and the loss of their Supreme Commander, the Taal, under their King’s leadership, would not yield to the overwhelming power of the Kwa. The King adopted a strategy of "allying with the distant to strike the near," ordering E to recruit and mobilize forces for renewed war, while sending Chief G on a grand diplomatic mission to draw the Kelt civilization into their sphere.

Will the visionary King of Taal succeed in protecting Earth and relocating his people? Let us wait and see.