These and many other members of animal tribes all over Exandra, along with the humans, the ECOPs, and the Laskonians all met at sunrise (48 hours after the conference) on the hills just southeast of the Platonian mountain base. For the Exandrian historians' benefit, this place was dubbed for posterity as Fortress Hills.
"Is everyone here?" Captain Mitchell asked as Trib and all the rest of the leaders met to join forces.
"All present and accounted for," ECOP leader Whirlp answered.
"We are still greatly outnumbered," Admiral Lenoir noted.
"We ought review our strategy," suggested Trib.
Captain Mitchell responded, "The high range fighters‒ ones with arrows, slings, and guns‒ should stay at the top of the hill, while the rest of us make the initial ambush, then draw the enemy into the valley. After that, we work towards driving them towards the marshes."
"Our vast systems of traps in the marshlands will have the Platonians leaving here as fast as they can!" the Squirrel leader exclaimed.
"Exactly my thoughts, sir, but let's not celebrate too early," Captain Mitchell warned.
"Right then, let's form ranks and prepare to charge!" the ECOP leader commanded.
The ECOPs were the first to charge down the hill toward the Platonian mountain base, followed by the humans, Laskonians, the raccoons and the rest of the creatures that had short trajectory weapons. The ECOPs rushed forward, their spinning tegars making a noise only they could hear; Chris and Laurie were in the middle of the fray. The confused Platonians quickly mustered themselves for the fight, pouring out of their mountain base, and both sides clashed into battle.
The Allied forces were given the call for retreat. They ran into the valley below the hidden forces just beyond the crest of the hill as planned. The Platonians, tasting a quick victory, followed in quick pursuit. At the prearranged signal, the hill defenders crested the hills and began firing. Bullets, rocks, arrows, javelins, and jets of high-pressure water began beating down on the Platonians. Hand to hand combat was occurring throughout the valley, but little progress was made. Even though many Platonians were falling, many more were still pouring out of the base. Suddenly, the Platonian leader called a retreat, but veered off toward the marshlands rather than towards their mountain fortress. The Allied forces pushed them harder towards the marshes in the west—suddenly the tables were turned.
In anticipation of their own offensive, the Platonians had dug trenches earlier. Now they dropped down and hid inside of them. Quickly ensconced, they began firing small balls of light into the air. Once the balls made contact, the target fell over as if struck by a huge boulder.
It was clear that in the present situation, the Allied forces were not going to make much headway. They had lost the advantage of surprise. Many were injured, some critically. If things continued as they were, the allies would certainly lose their will, and all that they had fought for would be lost. Whirlp and the other leaders, conferred and determined it was best to call a retreat in order to regroup.
Whirlp raised his tegar and spun it while yelling the call for total retreat back to Dirin City. As they ran back to safety, many were supporting or carrying the injured members of the alliance. The Platonians didn't follow the Allied forces. No one believed they would wait long for retaliation.
Inside Central Station, the leaders and key members of the Allied groups met in the conference room.
"We've got to come up with a new plan," Trib advised, shutting the door behind him.
"What should we do?" Admiral Lenoir asked. "They are too strong."
"Wait a minute," said Laurie. "Surely, many of you must have come up against them before?"
"Yes, Laurie," answered Whirlp, "but only on defensive terms."
"Well obviously that is where our problem lies," Captain Mitchell explained as the exhausted and discouraged leaders slumped around the table. "We are more suited for defensive purposes; that is why only a few of the Platonians fell. We need different weapons, and we need a change in perspective—and a new plan!"
Chris sat in a chair in the corner of the room, deep in thought.
"The Platonians' skin armor is thick; we'd have to come up with some type of weapon to penetrate the armor." the Squirrel leader replied.
"I'll agree with you on that one," the Raccoon leader replied, rubbing his sore fist.
Laurie cast a glance at Chris, sitting quietly in the chair beside her. His features suddenly brightened.
"That's it!" Chris exclaimed.
"What's it?" Captain Mitchell asked.
"The Platonians… The Aquarians were perfect marksmen and every enemy they hit was killed," he blurted out, hoping the others would see.
Too discouraged to think straight, they all seemed more confused than informed. Then Laurie started to understand.
"They were liquefied!" she exclaimed, looking at Chris.
The Aquarian leader was the first to see the light.
"Are you saying, young ECOP, that the Platonians are‒that their weakness is water?!"
"Yes," he said. "I watched once as one of your jets of water hit its mark, and the Platonian melted into a puddle on the spot, his comrades backed away as quickly as they could as if afraid to touch him!"
"There's only one problem, young one: our ancestors were the ones who created our guns. The understanding of how to create them has been lost to us for quite some time," The Aquarian sighed with regret.
"Even if we knew how, we do not have the time or the resources to create enough water guns to supply the whole army," Captain Mitchell added.
At that moment Bushwacker ran into the room.
"The Platonians are mobilizing, they are headed this way!" Everyone jumped up at once as the sound of horrified people and a charging army came to their ears.
Captain Mitchell led the exit from the room as they all ran outside, shouting for the Allied army to re-gather their weapons and defend the city walls. Laurie and Chris helped get all of the Dirin City civilian bystanders to safety inside Central Station.
Once the station was secure, Laurie allowed herself to ponder the problem. It wasn't long before the solution occurred to her.
"What about Earth?" Laurie suggested to Chris, tugging on his arm to keep him from running to join the defenders. "Water guns are a classic summer toy on Earth."
"It would take too long to get from here to Earth and back again with enough water guns to supply the whole army, never mind getting permission and a crew to get them. By the time the water guns get here, the Platonians will probably have destroyed the city," Chris said in an anxious voice.
Laurie thought for a moment, and then she ran back inside, with Chris chasing after her in confusion.
"We could use the transporter," Laurie yelled to Chris as they ran through the crowd of people in the main hall, many of whom were talking in worried-sounding tones about the approaching battle. The Platonian army could be seen approaching, they would be at the city by nightfall.
Once inside the Transporter Room, Laurie set her MTD on the Transporter Control desk and used it to try and establish a link with EASA on Earth. They were transferred to the man who was head of all the Exandra Colony research.
"Hello?" The man asked from Laurie's MTD screen.
Chris turned his back to the screen, looking at Laurie and rolling his eyes. He could tell by the man's untucked shirt, the messy hair, and the way he lounged back in his chair that this guy was the only one in the lab this evening and in no hurry to do anything.
"This is Laurie Kingston and Chris Hagan from the Exandra Colony- Dirin City; we have called to ask for some assistance."
"You two are children. Where are all the adults?" The man said casually glancing at something more interesting on a second screen.
"Most are outside preparing to defend the city against a ferocious species called the Platonians." Laurie explained.
This news startled the man who fumbled around his desk for something to take notes on, knocking his coffee over in the process and swearing under his breath.
"We are greatly outnumbered and in a word, "out-gunned". We found out that their weakness is water. We need you to gather as many water guns as you can so we can teleport them to Exandra," Laurie continued, her words tumbling over one another.
"But I cannot allow such a large order to be filled without Captain Mitchell or majority consent."
At this, Chris took off running out of the room.