I stood in the same spot as before when I first decided to enter this planet. The vast purple planet is right before my very eyes. I decided to go back to Khan after watching Kirin Solana destroy one of the outposts. There, I think of my next plan. "Hrm..." My next move is a bit extreme, but this should work out fine if I pull it right. My next move is...
"Karuga" A voice called out from behind, it was Lurza'Far. Just like last time, I turned my head to see her. She wears a smile, perhaps eager to see me once again? "How's Kryok?" She asked, still wearing that smile. I shrugged. "I'm still thinking" My response changed her expression. "Thinking? You had all the chances to engage Kirin Solana though?" I quickly turned to her, all surprised. That made her curious even further.
"Karuga?" She called me, begging for answers. "Sorry, but were you watching me?" I asked and she nodded. "Since we're doing missions both from Kryok and Zatorna, Lord Kantala had the other Loyalists on standby. I decided to watch over you" She proceeded to speak. "What you did in the past days had me confused, Karuga. You personally went down to face Kirin Solana, but spared them. You stood by and watched her destroy Van, and you had your Devoted chase after her and spared her again, costing you a cloaking spacecraft" She paused to sigh.
"I'm sorry, but I don't understand whatever you're planning. Care to explain?" She raised a brow, waiting for my response. I took a deep breath. "I'm sizing her up" I tried to give a different answer but she wasn't convinced. "You never do that" She said. I hated the fact that she knows me very well, in and out of combat. I continue to insist and fight her persistence. "This is their planet, I can't be reckless" Again, she didn't believe it. "Since when did you think of being... reckless?" Apparently, my answer just rose up her curiosity. I quickly grew tired of her questioning.
"As I said, this is enemy territory. I can't act like you think I would, Lurza'Far" I looked at her as I said that. "Besides, that would anger the Arkulans and break the current ceasefire. Who knows what will happen next" I shrugged. Lurza'Far stared at me in silence for a few seconds before forming a smile.
"You never cared about any ceasefire" I slightly gasped at her response. "We break ceasefires very often, you and I" She slightly tilted her head. "From the moment you see arrogance from the other side, you're just gonna go after their throats and everything will break loose" She slightly sighed. "Everything you did and the words you're saying don't compare to the Karuga I know" Her expression looked concerned.
She's getting the idea that I have something else in mind. How could I not see this coming? I've known her for the longest time and I knew she has the knack of seeing through people. I have to change our subject of conversation right now before she can push me to the edge.
I looked away from her and sighed. "Anyway. I know a way to attack them, indirectly" My words got her attention. "And what would that be?" She asked full of curiosity. "I plan to... aggravate the Zakana hidden under the sands" I told her how I would do my next move and what I will achieve from it. So far, she just nods and agrees. "I see..." She glanced at me and then quickly looked through the glass.
"And what would the Zakana do to help us fight the Arkula?" She began to question me again. "We both know those aliens will just stand in our way, so why this plan?" She crossed her arms and looked at me. "I have plans, alright?" I turned to her. "Since when you started doubting me?" I asked with slight anger in my tone. That should make her stop pushing her way to me.
"Since you started showing questionable behavior" She smiled at me. She might have noticed far better than anyone else. This shouldn't be possible in the first place. I still have my chance to turn this around. "Then tell me this 'questionable' behavior of mine" We stared at each other for a few seconds. We both know I'm losing this conversation, I couldn't keep myself composed any longer and she knows it.
"Do you want me to start from the beginning?" She asked with a slightly lowered voice, then chuckled. "You're not going to fool me, Karuga. We've been together for eternity. I know every bit of your personality" She smiled. "Just tell me what's in that head of yours" She pointed at my head.
I sighed deeply. "What's in my head is that I'm attacking Kryok right now and you're strangely questioning me about things I don't understand" My response made her giggle. "You're really getting me all angry now. If you want a duel, just say so. Otherwise, get out of my ship" That final response got her surprised. "Now that's something Karuga would say" She smiled. I can sense relief in her expression. "If you need assistance, just let me know alright? You know I'll always be by your side" She said before leaving.
I sighed deeply. That was the first time I ever felt so scared. I couldn't think better to sway her off me. I glanced back behind me and gasped. For the slightest second, I saw Lurza'Far doing the same. She has her eyes on me before turning away as I look behind. That's unusual behavior. I thought I was able to finally avoid her suspicions, but that glance changed all that. She hasn't still believed me.
I couldn't focus on my thoughts after a few minutes she left my room, but after a while, I was able to collect myself together.
What I told Lurza'Far is that I would use stolen Field Attractors from Arkula. Field Attractor is a small remote equipment that stands with four legs, an imitation of an arachnid. These little bugs are developed by the Arkulans, and presumably with the help of the Krygstek. Its name is straightforward to its purpose, it digs itself underground and attracts anything over a radius of a hundred kilometers with vast and intense vibration. So much power from a little bug. While they work on concretes, they are mostly used on soils or any soft surface of a planet to lure out the Zakana from hiding underneath the surface. Though, the Krygstek had once tricked us with the bugs into thinking a huge horde of Zakana was traveling below our army and disrupted our march. They made it an insult to us.
I will task my warriors to deploy several of them on the sands surrounding the territory of the Arkulan base. I told a lie to Lurza'Far that this plan is to weaken the Arkulans before I decide to end Kirin Solana's life which of course she didn't believe. This plan involves me going down there, to test her, if she truly wants to stand beside us. I won't be convinced by words alone, I wanted to see it happen.
That's why I said it's going to be extreme. The Zakana's assault will be devastating on both sides. If Kirin Solana truly wishes to side with us, she will convince her allies to stand with us against these aliens. I sighed at the thought.
This is going to be big, surely the others will know of this, I have to think of things to say to conceal my true intentions behind all this. I need to make sure I can say it truly like I meant it. That conversation with Lurza'Far, I felt very uncomfortable. I can never allow myself to be like that again when facing the Lord or any Loyalists.
I stood there, staring at Kryok for a good hour before moving on.
Later, I had Ladrak summoned. After a few moments, he appeared in my room and kneeled down. "I have arrived, my Lord" He bowed his head first before raising his head back up to look at me. "Tell me the kinds of Zakana living beneath the sands of this planet" I wanted to identify the Zakana present on this planet. This will help me control the situation in any case. "We have information about the Zakana present to this planet, my Lord. But I have yet to collect them" So he tells me that he still hasn't gathered the information our warriors have recorded for this planet.
I sent him away so he can gather the information I need. The moment he stepped out of the room, I heard him greet Lurza'Far. I looked back, curious. I watched her enter and close the door behind her. She has an apologetic smile on her. "Back so soon?" I'm having some thoughts about her second appearance.
"Well, you see. We are on standby and I have nothing else to do" She said as she comes near me. The whole time, the Narukh'za has always been busy. There was never a time for a rest, we kept following orders and moving every day. Right now, we're literally on an enemy planet, Lord Kantala has ordered the Loyalists to wait for further orders. Now that I think about it, It felt a bit odd seeing us both without doing anything.
"Well, what do you want?" I looked at her and asked. She shrugged. "Kill some Arkulans, maybe?" An expected answer, though it wasn't the right answer to my question. "I mean, what do you want from me?" I asked her again and she looked at me all puzzled. "I'm just here to talk to you" She looked confused as she answers. "Don't you have anything else to do?" I asked.
"As I said, no" She firmly stated. There's no getting her out of my sight. I had no reasons either, this is bothersome. "I have missions to do, Lurza'Far. I have a lot to think about and no time for idle conversation" When I said that to her, she looked at me with an impassive expression on her. Her eyes looked as if she was analyzing me, then quickly broke them with a smile. "Well, maybe you can involve me with that plan of yours" The moment she asked that, I knew she was still trying to pry at my decisions.
I can't keep trying to drive her away as I will get more suspicious. "For now, there's nothing you could do. I'm waiting for Ladrak to return with the recordings of the Zakana inhabiting this planet" I said to her and she gave no response. I glanced over out of curiosity and found her staring. She quickly perks up and smiled. "Why don't you just bring out the Zakana on them like we used to?" She asked. Again... with these questions to try to catch me off guard.
"Why don't you just believe me?" I replied and I saw her eyes slightly widen. "I told you I have a plan" I was able to say that in the most natural way. I almost defeated her judging by her reaction, but she refused to give in. Though she let go of the topic and just took a seat behind my desk. "Must be annoying to sit here and have every Loyalist report to you in this very spot" She smiled as she imagined herself in my position.
The First Loyalist is obviously acting like the right hand of Lord Kantala. They would lead campaigns and missions ordered directly by her. It's the position I've wanted, but I got stuck on the second rank. Being the Second Loyalist, I'm tasked to watch over the rest of the Loyalists below me. If I'm not on the ground for missions, I'm here in that seat receiving reports and debriefing Loyalists and their warriors. I would report their successes and losses either back to Lurza'Far or to Lord Kantala herself. It's such a pitiful position for any Narukh'za, but I couldn't be bothered to think much about it.