Commander

Commander, also called Parran Revirik Saves the Day and Instills Hope in the Army, is the eighteenth volume of Attack on To'kustar. It is the second volume of Attack on Teviv, the fifth chapter of the series.

Plot
[A few clouds dot the late morning skies between the cities of Arbrook and Sprinet. Red smoke from a flare dissipates into the air as Douglas Kay and Wynne Holst ride across the green, rolling hills, with only a few sparse trees to be seen. They are not riding towards the flare or away from it, rather continuing in the direction they were headed before it shot up into the sky. The thunderous booms of running To'kustars can be heard but not seen as the two members of Squad EV11 decide what to do.]

[Douglas]: First the two black flares and now the red one? Between the flares and the lightning, something must have gone horribly wrong.

[Wynne]: The pounding must be a To'kustar, or perhaps multiple... It's getting louder.

[She turns to her left as a 40 foot tall To'kustar, this one colored black and red. It runs quickly towards Douglas and Wynne, though its target is probably the source of the flare.]

[Wynne]: Do we approach it?

[Douglas]: One of us needs to find Captain Turner.

[He stops the horse in its place, turns it towards the To'kustar, and then turns his own body towards Wynne.]

[Douglas]: I'll distract it.

[Wynne]: Got it. I'll head for the flare, that may be where he is.

[She rides off as Douglas steps up onto his horse, draws swords from the Skywings hidden under his cloak, and then jumps up and boosts forward, towards the To'kustar. As he flies towards it, the To'kustar seems to notice him, but it continues to run forward. He dives down underneath the range of the To'kustars arm and then spins around it on the left. It runs past him, ignoring his presence, so he is forced to quickly slow down, turn around, and boost back in the other direction to chase after it. He prepares a slash and then drives into the alien's lower back, sending out a large gush of blood, but otherwise not injuring it. He doubles back and strikes a bit higher on the back, causing another stream of blood to erupt from the creature's back. He zooms up and over the To'kustar, stabbing a sword into it's right shoulder. His sword breaks, but he quickly draws another one from the Skywings and prepares a similar blow to the left shoulder.]

[Douglas]: You things are pathetic creatures... Ya'll should just go back to the hell from where you came.

[He speeds at the To'kustar's right shoulder, but as he gets close to it, the alien moves its shoulder backward, smacking Douglas backwards and sending him tumbling to the ground. He rolls over several times and eventually stops on the ground, where he remains for several moments. The To'kustar slides to a halt in the other direction and then turns around, for some reason now directly targeting Douglas instead of running towards the flare. It simply stands watching him as Douglas stands up and turns towards the To'kustar.]

[Douglas]: BASTARDS!

[He jumps up again to rush at the To'kustar. It stands up straight and moves its right arm parallel to the ground as it moves its left arm perpendicular to its right arm with its fingers extended out, pointing towards the sky. Douglas rushes forwards, but the To'kustar fires a white beam of pure energy out of its left fingers, directed right at him. Before he can react, he is engulfed by the beam, which vaporizes him into nothingness, killing him. The beam dissipates, the To'kustar relaxes its position, turns around, gets in a position as if preparing to start running, and then dashes off, towards where the flare was fired from. A distance ahead of it, Wynne continues to ride on her horse; she looks back, having watched Douglas be vaporized. She looks forward, towards the source of the flare, a grim having overtaken her face.]

[Theme Song]

[Troy Dieter stands where the red flare was fired from. Lauren Haber floats on her Skywings, still holding the flare gun that was used to fire the flare, and Aaron cross is standing a little bit behind her. Richard Turner stands near Lauren, and Krista Renth lies on the ground near Troy; both of them are concerned with the multiple flashes of red lightning that happened after the flare was fired. Three To'kustars run towards the group from the northeast, northwest, and southwest respectively, with the one from the southeast, the one who killed Douglas, not visible yet. As the To'kustars approach, Richard draws a sword and runs towards Troy.]

[Richard]: Whatever it is you're doing, you've underestimated the army's capabilities.

[Troy]: Have I?

[Troy blocks a slash from Richard with a sword of his own.]

[Troy]: I think you're the ones who underestimate us. We capture your cities, infiltrate your squad, disrupt your mission, and yet we're the ones who underestimated the other side? Denial!

[Troy slashes at Richard, who blocks with his sword. He counter with a sword in his other hand, but Aaron runs over to intervene. He slices Richard in the arm, but then gets knocked back by Krista. She slashes repeatedly at him, but he backs up to avoid the barrage. Lauren swoops down and slashes at Krista, causing her to falter. She lands on the ground next to Aaron and then rushes forward, slashing again at Krista, who this times blocks and then counters, knocking Lauren back. Meanwhile, Troy and Richard continue to interchange attacks and defenses with their swords.]

[Richard]: You have no idea what you're doing, attempting to control the To'kustars. You may think you can control them, but you won't be able to. Last time they were around, millions died. It took a massive resistance to fend them off for long enough to build Wall Via, but the point is that if you threaten humanity, humanity fights back. You can't beat us, so don't even try.

[Troy]: Say that to these three.

[The three To'kustars that were running towards the group have gotten a lot closer, meaning that soon Richard and Krista will have to deal with them. Richard floats up on his Skywings and looks around, noticing that a fourth To'kustar is approaching from the southeast as well.]

[Richard]: Well then...

[He rushes at one of the To'kustars as Krista continues her fight with Aaron and Lauren. He holds a sword in each hand and then begins to spin as he flies towards the To'kustar, acting like a drill. He shreds through one of the alien's hands, causing it to explode in a fury of blood. He hurries for the frill and then stabs a sword into it, leaving it in as he flies by. The To'kustar stops moving and then falls onto its back. He draws another sword as he approaches another To'kustar.]

[Richard]: A little help here?

[Krista, from the ground]: A little busy!

[She blocks a slash from Aaron and then from Lauren. She continuously blocks slashes from the two Knights, giving her no time to counterattack either of them. She blocks again from Aaron and then jumps up, causing Lauren to slash at Aaron, but the latter dodges. Krista drops down and kicks Lauren in the face, knocking her to the ground. She spins and slashes Aaron, knocking him back as well. She turns to Troy, but then decides to fly after the To'kustar that Richard is currently fighting. As she flies towards it, he spins around its back and slashes the nape of its neck. It swings its arm to try and hit Richard, but Krista zooms in and slashes its frill, killing it. Like the previous one, it falls on its back. Troy flies up and attacks Krista right at she turns to the other To'kustar. He slashes at her, but she flies up to avoid. Richard meanwhile flies to the third To'kustar as the fourth continues to get closer.]

[Troy]: The To'kustars aren't even the final act.

[Krista]: For you they will be.

[She stops flies upwards and then turns down and drops down towards Troy, slashing at him on the way down, he blocks but gets knocked back in the air. Krista turns upwards and flies at the third To'kustar. Richard has already begun work on it, slashing repeatedly at its arms. He attacks it shoulder just as Krista arrives and stabs both of her swords into the other shoulder. Richard jumps up and then slashes the frill, killing it. Just like the other two, it falls on its back. The two soldiers then turn to the fourth To'kustar just as Troy arrives.]

[Troy, chuckling]: Watch out for this one...

[Richard zooms at Troy, punching him in the gut before he can react. He then zooms at the fourth To'kustar, as Krista follows. Just before they reach the To'kustar, they notice Wynne riding on her horse towards them. They drop to the ground in front of Wynne as she slows down at hops off her horse.]

[Krista]: Thank goodness you're okay.

[Wynne, worried]: It's not safe here, that To'kustar is...

[She turns around just as the fourth To'kustar slides to a halt. It prepares it arms to fire the beam again.]

[Wynne]: RUN!

[The To'kustar fires the white energy beam, causing the three soldiers to scatter. The To'kustar aims the beam to follow Krista, so she flies back and fourth to avoid it. On the To'kustars other side, Wynne and Richard fly up the right side. Wynne slices the To'kustar's side, and then Richard flies up and heads for the frill. He rises above it and then rushes down towards it, but just before he can slash it, the To'kustar cuts off its beam and moves his hand to smack Richard out of the way. He tumbles to the ground, but manages to regain his balance. Wynne zooms up and slashes the To'kustar's left hand, knocking out its beam. It swings at her with its right hand, but she slashes it, causing blood to erupt from it. Krista zooms at the To'kustar, but then floats back out of its range. The To'kustar lets out a roar.]

[Krista]: Come on, we can finish it!

[She zooms at it again, attacking its left shoulder. Wynne zooms at its right shoulder, slicing that. With both arms disabled, the To'kustar is unable to prevent Richard from flying towards its frill. He prepares to stab a sword into the frill, but a flash of red lightning bursts down from the cloudless sky, striking the To'kustar and causing it to disappear in a cloud of smoke. The disappearing To'kustar acts like an explosion, knocking Richard far away in the air. Krista and Wynne stare at the cloud of smoke as it disperses, revealing a floating Knight where the To'kustar once was. His cloak covers his face as he floats away; moments later, he turns around and rapidly flies off.]

[Krista]: Coward.

[Wynne]: We need to make sure there aren't any more To'kustars.

[Krista]: I'm afraid there will be more. The Knights have created some sort of device that turns people into To'kustars, that's why I warned about the red lightning. Now come on, we need to find Douglas and...

[Wynne]: Krista... That To'kustar killed Douglas...

[She stops in place and just stares into the sky.]

[Krista]: These bastards are going to pay one day. Both the To'kustars and the Knights. We'll get them all.

[Wynne]: I'm sure we will, but...

[She stops and turns around as the sound of hundreds of horses can heard coming from the southwest. The camera pans, showing a large squadron of Knights approaching from Sprinet.]

[Wynne]: For now we've got more immediate problems.

The military classifies soldiers of different levels using a ranking system. Soldiers undergoing training are classified as Cadets; after graduation, the order goes Officer, Sergeant, Colonel, Lieutenant Captain, Captain, Sub-Commander, and Supreme Commander. The Forever Knights also use a similar ranking system, though they use different classifications. New members start as Recruits, before ranking up as Specialists, Brigadiers, Magisters, and finally Proctors.

[The camera shows Teviv; it is starting to get into the early afternoon, and more clouds can be seen covering the city. It is mostly silent, particularly around the police station, where the officers, soldiers, and trainees inside are still reeling from the events of the previous day, that being the explosion at the tavern in the city's central market. Inside the station, Aterian police chief Lawrence Carter and Tevivite police chief Ryan Thames put on their Skywings. Connor Yan, the leader of Squad SV12, walks into the room just as Lawrence and Ryan are about to leave.]

[Lawrence]: Any leads?

[Connor]: No, sadly. I have a feeling Penny may know where he is, but she hasn't said a word.

[Lawrence]: I'll see if I can talk to her when we get back.

[Connor]: Where are you headed?

[Ryan]: To great the group of Explorer Division forces on their way here. Squad 11 and Captain Turner are escorting them here; they should arrive within the hour.

[Connor]: Mind if I tag along? My hand's healed so I can finally get back in action.

[Lawrence]: I don't see why not.

[The camera cuts to show Logan Fitzpatrick eavesdropping on their conversation from the other side of the room. He leaves before anyone notices him and walks down the hallway to a common area. Sven Schmidt, Arik Iverson, Michael James, Teru Hikami, Noelle Williams, and Lily Scott sit waiting for Logan, and Samuel Wright stands in the room as well, off to the side of the Aterian children.]

[Samuel]: Well?

[Logan]: They're looking for Nathan, but no leads.

[Teru]: They're doing it being our backs, and that makes me mad.

[Arik]: I don't blame them, honestly. Obviously they have no idea what they're dealing with. Still, there's no reason not to tell us, we're just as knowledgeable as they are.

[Logan]: I did overhear that someone named Penny may know where Nathan is.

[Sven]: Penny Blair? She's the Knight of Percival. She's been in town for a like a week, I thought you had met.

[Logan]: Guess not.

[Michael]: Is she the one who flew after Nathan when he ran away?

[Samuel]: Yeah, that was her. The man who ran after her was Trevor Faraday.

[Noelle]: Faraday? Is that Sophia's father?

[Logan]: Yes, which is why I asked only the Aterian children to be present, so that we could exclude her without looking suspicious.

[Lily]: Yeah, but you also excluded Hadria.

[Logan]: She's the one who's suspicious. Have you seen how much she follows Nathan around? Something is not right with that girl.

[Teru]: Don't let Lawrence hear you say that.

[Logan]: Watch it, kid.

[Lily]: Now you're acting like Wayne.

[Samuel laughs. No one else in the room responds, as no one else in the room knows that she is talking about Wayne Holcomb, an Ateria police officer.]

[Logan, confused]: Right... So anyway, we've got five suspicious individuals to keep an eye on. Some of them we may not see regularly, but for the ones that we do, just be cautious around them, and we'll figure this out.

[Samuel nods his head. The camera cuts back to the area outside Sprinet. Richard, Krista, and Wynne are flying on the Skywings very close to Sprinet; a few hundred yards behind them, Troy, Aaron, and Lauren are in hot pursuit. Beneath them, hundreds of Forever Knights ride on horses, having turned around on their way from Sprinet to Arbrook. The three soldiers fly past Sprinet on their way to Teviv, now just hoping that most of the Explorer Division soldiers were able to make it to that city.]

[Wynne]: And if they're all dead?

[Richard]: Then we've failed. We'll start over. We'll think of something. We won't let the Knights win, not when there's so much at stake.

[Krista looks behind her. The three flying Knights are still quite a distance behind them.]

[Krista]: But their army is chasing after us. If we head to Teviv, they'll just barrage the city.

[Richard, passionate]: We don't have a choice Krista. They'll attack Teviv even if we don't head there.

[Krista]: Of course, but...

[Richard]: But what?

[Krista]: Nothing, sir.

[As the three soldiers fly along, they start to hear the sounds of another large group approaching from the other direction, putting it on a collision course with the other group of Knights.]

[Wynne]: We're about to be surrounded...

[Richard]: Then be prepared for the worst...

[They fly over a hill, allowing them to see the other group of soldiers. After a few moments, the three flying soldiers realize that the new group is not Forever Knights, rather a group of Explorer Division soldiers.]

[Krista]: How is this possible?

[Richard]: I think I know.

[He looks carefully down to the group of soldiers below them. The man leading them is none other than World Army Supreme Commander Parran Revirik. The latter notices the three flying soldiers above, hops off of his horse, and floats up on his Skywings to great them, as the legion of soldiers continue forwards do battle with the Knights.]

[Parran, floating up]: Captain...

[Richard]: How'd you round up all of these troops so quickly.

[Parran]: I found a lot of them on my way here. I didn't want to use a flare after I had previously seen several of them, plus the element of surprise is always beneficial.

[He stops and turns to Krista and Wynne.]

[Parran]: I take it you lost your squad member?

[Wynne, sadly]: Yes, sir, indeed we did.

[Parran]: He will be replaced in due time. Douglas was a good man, a lifelong fighter for humanity.

[He looks down at the army crashing into the group of Forever Knights, beginning a large battle. The four soldier continue to fly towards Teviv as the three Knights who were following them drop down to help the outnumbered Knights.]

[Richard]: You're not going to stay here and help them.

[Parran]: They have their orders: defeat the Knights and then head to Teviv. I'm a Commander, not a babysitter.

[Richard]: You always amuse me, sir.

[Parran]: Yes, well, I'm known for that.

[Krista]: So we're just heading back to Teviv?

[Parran]: Yes, and then we'll be on the verge of making history.

[The camera cuts ahead to the four soldiers getting closer to Teviv. As they fly forwards on their Skywings, Richard notices three figures flying at them from the other direction.]

[Richard]: Oh great, a welcoming committee.

[Parran]: It's not ironic, Captain.

[As the two groups get closer, the second group can be seen to be Lawrence, Ryan, and Connor. They slow down as the two groups stop in place a short distance from the city.]

[Connor]: Commander Revirik.

[He salutes from midair. Parran salutes back.]

[Parran]: At ease, Yan.

[Lawrence]: Commander Revirik? It's an honor to meet you.

[Parran]: Yes, well, the circumstances demanded it.

[Lawrence]: I didn't realize that you were helping Squad 11 escort the Explorer Division. Speaking of that, where are they?

[Parran]: They had a little run in with the Forever Knights, but they'll be on their way.

[Ryan]: You abandoned them.

[Parran]: They're in good hands, so they'll probably be here in a few hours. Now if you excuse me, I'm exhausted. The journey from Plutonon is several days so I haven't had much sleep.

[Lawrence]: Of course, we'll bring you to the station.

[Lawrence and Ryan fly towards the city with Parran and Richard as Connor stays back with Krista and Wynne. Eventually, the three soldiers start to head back to Teviv as well.]

[Connor]: So where's Douglas?

[Wynne]: Dead. That's the second time I've had to...

[Connor]: No, I understand. The To'kustars are coldblooded killers, and the worst part is we have no idea why.

[Wynne]: Yeah, and apparently we have no idea what they're capable of either; first the energy beam and now the transforming To'kustars? This really is a nightmare.

[Krista]: We'll get them, Wynne, don't worry. It may not be today, or any time soon, but we'll get them, and until then, with all the forces we have, we'll be safe in Teviv.

[Wynne]: I hope you're right.

[The soldiers continue towards Teviv silently, watching the four ahead of them. The camera cuts to early that night, at the wall surrounding Teviv. The sun has set, and the only light comes from the moon and the torches that light up the city at night. From the top of the wall, Richard looks outside the city at the Explorer Division squad arriving at the city. One person in the group fires a green flare signaling their arrival, and moments later, Richard fires another green flare, signaling that he saw the first flare. The second flare also serves as a cue for the northern gate of the city to be opened. A few moments later, the soldiers of the Explorer Division start to ride into the city. They continue once in side on a path towards the police station. They are led by Lieutenant Captain John Ziegler, who was the one who fired the first green flare. He rides in front as the camera cuts to the squad arriving at the police station. Tobias Clay is standing outside the station, in the front of a line of soldiers including Connor, Krista, Wynne, Kathryn Wesley, and Penny Blair. The five Regional Squad Corps members stand saluting. John hops off of his horse as it comes to a stop and then faces Tobias and salutes. The Explorer Division Captain salutes, letting all the other soldiers relax.]

[John]: Captain Clay, the Explorer Division 1st Expedition Regiment.

[Tobias]: Well done, though we can't stand here and not thank the members of Squad 11 as well as Captain Turner for their hard work in helping you get here. For those who hadn't heard, Douglas Kay, a member of Squad 11, was killed in action by a To'kustar today. I know this may fear some of you, but...

[He fades out as some of the members of the Explorer Division stop paying attention. Clay turns to his side as Parran walks out of the station. Many of the soldiers start to salute him, but Parran raises his hand, letting them know they don't have to.]

[Parran]: Yes, the death of a soldier at the hands of a To'kustar may strike fear into your hearts. I say let it, let the fear get to you, and use it to drive you to do your duty. Do not let the To'kustars win. The fact that we are still here means that we are fighting, the fact that you may it here today, after a long journey, means that you have proven that you will not give up. Do not let one death try to convince you otherwise. Humanity will fight, and humanity will win.

[The soldiers start cheering. Parran stands to face them for a moment before walking back into the station. Richard lands next to Clay, having flown back from the wall where the Explorer Division when arrived.]

[Richard]: You're going to let him steal your thunder like that?

[Clay, laughing]: I don't really have a choice, I guess.

[Richard]: I wish you would take these things seriously. You know that we were attacked today. One of my squad members died.

[Clay]: You need to learn that humor and seriousness aren't mutually exclusive. Just relax, you're not the one who'd going to be leaving the walls soon.

[Richard ironically laughs himself, just moments after telling Tobias not to.]

[Richard]: I wish I could come.

[Clay]: I'm scared, Dick. We really had no idea what's out there, and with the To'kustars around...

[Richard]: Toby... Just relax.

[Tobias smiles. The camera cuts to the rooftops above where all of the soldiers are standing. Maxwell Wagner is standing on the top of one of the buildings, looking down at the soldiers below him. He specifically looks down and notices the carriages towards the back of the Explorer Division Regiment, and grins at the sight of them.]

[Max]: Perfect.

[To Be Continued]