Bajes had at last returned to his post. His nearest comrades and confidants, with the unwavering backing of his spouse, had insisted he take time to recuperate and replenish his strength. Yet all respites must eventually cease, and he had fully resumed his responsibilities. He arranged a conference with them, needing to issue directives and share news of an impending familial visit. Ultimately, he received word that the crown prince - his own brother - would personally descend to the surface in order to honor those who had partaken in the recent battle.
Striding into the command center, Bajes approached Maria and declared, "Maria, the moment has arrived. We need to delegate temporary authority and get moving; the others are already gathered." Maria's brow furrowed as she promptly initiated the protocol for handing over command to her successor. As they exited the room, she voiced her irritation, "You didn't have to show up in person for this. What on earth is going through your mind?" Bajes acknowledged her sentiment with a nod before responding, "It's because you're stepping up in rank; you'll be a one-star general soon. This is my way of honoring the respect you've earned."
Maria stood still, her voice trembling slightly, "But why? I don't want to leave this fleet. A promotion would mean commanding my own fleet." Bajes responded with a nod of understanding, "Indeed, that's usually the case. But your situation is unique. You're not going to be separated from me. Unless you wish to, of course."
Maria quickly interjected, "I have no desire for that. If I did, the humans would pounce on me in an instant. I'd rather not get entangled with our misguided kin." Bajes let out a soft chuckle at her words.
His fondness for Maria stemmed from a deep-seated trust in her. She held the same distaste for their species as he did and up until now, he had used his influence to shield her from their machinations. She was aware of his protective actions and reciprocated with unwavering loyalty. He knew without a doubt that he could entrust his life to her.
The assembly had convened in the meeting chamber: Da'Lana, Maria, Bajes, Lithugaraha, and the newest member of their inner circle, Gargerala. The group exchanged greetings. Like Lithugaraha, Gargerala was a Varkarian - a testament to her endurance as she had weathered numerous brutal trials under Lithugaraha's watchful eye until her loyalty was beyond dispute. This marked her inaugural participation in an intimate circle meeting; if she harbored any nerves, they were invisible to Bajes. Her physique leaned towards the muscular side – a trait common to both genders among the Varkarians and a unique characteristic within the cosmos. As introductions commenced, her yellow eyes flickered with an almost luminescent glow under the shadowy light. Her skin bore a dark hue akin to blackened metal.
Once everyone was comfortably seated around the grand circular table, Bajes initiated his psi-link. Subsequently, in the heart of the table a hologram flickered to life, projecting a message from his brother. "I'll be arriving soon to personally bestow several promotions, my brother. You are set to become the official overseer of our military research system. This position requires an elevated rank and necessitates the appointment of several generals who can exercise authority during your absence. You will now command two fleets which implies you need a general for planetary operations, another for the first fleet and yet another for the second fleet. I've given your recommendations due consideration and thus Da’Lana, Maria and Lithugaraha will receive their promotions. Pass along my congratulations to them, Ta’Bajes. I'll personally conduct the promotion ceremony in a week's time. You're aware of your responsibilities; until we meet again."
The news seemed to catch everyone off guard, with the exception of Da’Lana. Bajes voiced their thoughts aloud, "I understand your surprise. It may appear as if I'm being manipulated into some political game unbeknownst to me." He then proceeded to lay out his thought process behind his decisions. His explanation was lengthy and punctuated by occasional queries from the group. It was expected; this marked a significant shift in all their lives.
As the discussion wound down, Bajes summarized his plan, "Da’Lana, you will oversee the system and its planets. Our children will relocate here as well. Maria will remain on the primary fleet with me and Gargerala. Lithugaraha will command the secondary fleet."
He continued with a note of caution, "Each of you must gather individuals around you that you can trust implicitly. Be extremely cautious during these initial months."
Bajes sighed heavily before adding, "Regrettably, I will need to extend our circle further due to pressure from the council to incorporate a member from the Arachnex race into our ranks. My efforts in this regard have been fruitless thus far; finding someone trustworthy among them is proving challenging - they're not dissimilar to humans in that aspect."
Undeniably, it was common knowledge that locating someone of trustworthiness posed a significant challenge. The perpetual dance of politics only exacerbated the issue. Primarily, an individual's loyalty to their own race exerted immense pressure on them. Following closely behind was the influence wielded by the council, who were invariably guided by their own objectives. Navigating these treacherous waters without ostracization while simultaneously placating the council was a task fraught with difficulty. Then there were other independent factions, each with their unique agendas – few in number they may be, but now Bajes was set to join their ranks. He would be tasked with safeguarding his solar system while concurrently satisfying both council and empress demands. It promised to be an arduous journey indeed.
As the discourse drew to a close, Maria introduced a fresh subject. "Bajes," she queried, "Could you illuminate us about the events following your handover of command to me during the onslaught? If it's not too much trouble..." Bajes' eyes landed on Maria, his mind whirling with curiosity about her interest in that particular incident. As he was mulling over a response, Da’Lana interjected, "Yes, do share. I'm eager to comprehend how the mightiest man in the universe could end up as battered as you were." Lithugaraha turned towards Da’Lana and countered, "Da’Lana, I've seen what remained of that chamber. It resembled a tomb more than anything else. I'm rather intrigued how one man could wreak such havoc in so little time..." All gazes returned to Bajes once again. He let out an audible sigh before responding, "Fine. I will interface and project it onto the hologram - but only because Da’Lana requested it."
Da'Lana let out a soft laugh, her gaze affectionately resting on her husband. Over the years, she had grown adept at navigating his moods and nuances. Her curiosity was piqued; she couldn't feel his torment herself, but she yearned to comprehend it. Undoubtedly, the incident that haunted him must have been a nightmare. Meanwhile, Bajes engaged his psi link—not through his arm as usual—but directly to his head. The hologram flickered to life, resuming somewhere midway through the unfolding events.
An event akin to a seismic tremor was unfolding. The command center was engulfed in chaos. The bombardment of the evacuated zone had reverberated, affecting even the area under the protection of the psi shield. Bajes had just issued an order to relocate the planet-to-space weaponry to this affected region. The Achilles' heel of the psi shield is its bidirectional nature; it prevents firing from within its confines. This necessitates that they deactivate the shields for a counteroffensive to take place. Consequently, he commanded an evacuation of two non-military zones and directed for the weapons to be transferred there. His instruction was straightforward yet fraught with difficulty: evacuate, transfer, and then fire. Why was it challenging? Because once initiated, their entire fleet in orbit would instantly target those areas, obliterating anything on that surface—signifying he'd dispatched his soldiers into a situation from which there was no return.
Regardless, he would make the same choice again. The transport vessels and carriers had to be annihilated; they were continuously launching fresh troops to the planet's surface. If they didn't alleviate the onslaught on the ground, they'd crumble. Another pressing issue was exhaustion. They were into their second day of the planetary blockade, with sleep being a foreign concept since its commencement. Every crew member was under the influence of stimulants, pushing their physical and mental capacities to their extremes. There was no respite for anyone. The stimulants were far from beneficial to health, but everyone knew that a laser blast was even more detrimental. Yet, despite their efforts, the enemy kept sending relentless waves of troops, leaving their soldiers in better condition than those under Bajes's command.
Amidst the tranquil exterior, pandemonium reigned within the command center. Bajes found himself at the helm of a stormy sea of network communications. Maria, linked directly to him, broke through the tumultuous current with her words, "We are ready sir." Without missing a beat, Bajes responded by reaching out to his crew via the interlinked network. His orders were simple and stark: "Disengage the shields and open fire!"
As he issued this command, a visual representation of the enemy fleet materialized on the right side of his vision. A formidable array of ships were scattered across space like deadly stars in a hostile constellation. In any other scenario, their sheer number would spell certain doom. However, planet sieges had their own set of rules.
Their defenses boasted eight planet-to-space cannons capable of decimating large ships and inflicting serious damage on even massive vessels. As Bajes surveyed this daunting tableau, he held onto one sliver of hope - that Lithugaraha would recognize this unfolding situation and make his move accordingly.
Bajes felt a wave of relief as Lithugaraha did not rush to join the fray as soon as the conflict ignited. He was nestled in the shadows cast by one of the moons circling this world, biding his time until it was right to intervene. As anticipated, Lithugaraha didn't let him down. The artillery roared into life, sinking six vessels – a decent number, but not remarkable. Simultaneously, Bajes' mothership, which he typically commanded, emerged from the shadows and began its assault on the enemy fleet alongside several large ships. They weren’t focusing their firepower on the massive enemy vessels; instead they were providing support to alleviate pressure on the besieged planet.
Bajes found himself mentally ticking off each ship as they succumbed to their assault: 11...15... But he knew that their efforts were still insufficient. His silent plea was for Lithugaraha to retreat and summon backup forces. The enemy had enforced a communication blockade on the planet which meant they couldn't send out distress signals and under normal circumstances it would take a week or two before any scout ships from across the galaxy would arrive to investigate.
Once again, Bajes found himself swelling with pride. Lithugara wasn't rushing headlong into the enemy, instead he was widening the gap between them. He moved to a strategic point and initiated a mass warp. Bajes surveyed the remaining enemies; their numbers were still too great. They could hold out for a day or two at most, but after that, fatigue would start to take its toll on his troops. If they had to endure more than another day of this relentless battle, psychosis would begin to set in among the soldiers. Bajes understood this all too well - he was not immune to it either. The human brain simply wasn't designed to withstand such prolonged periods of stress and wakefulness. Their only respite came when their body temperature spiked due to overuse of the psi link; otherwise, they were locked in constant combat.
In an instant, the command room was buzzing with frenzied communication. Many misunderstood Lithugaraha's actions, assuming he had abandoned them in a losing battle and escaped to save himself. Without hesitation, Bajes initiated a broadcast call, "Lithugaraha did what was necessary," he asserted. "By targeting enemy ships with soldiers descending onto our planet, he has alleviated the pressure of our siege and set off to summon reinforcements."
Without these additional forces, they would be left unchecked for at least a week. "We can expect backup within a day and a half," Bajes continued. He refrained from stating it would likely take two days because anything beyond one more day suggested desperate circumstances. He needed to maintain morale to some extent but harbored doubts that anyone would arrive earlier than two days.
By then, they'd be mere remnants of their former selves. The planet would fall into enemy hands, leaving only local resistance as the last line of defense. Nevertheless, this could still be considered a victory of sorts because the reinforcements would decimate the enemy forces and vindicate everyone who fell defending their home.
Trapped on the planet with no escape route, while the enemy might win this battle, they'd ultimately lose the war.
Bajes' words seemed to bring an element of calm amongst the others. Maria once again relayed a situation report, "Sir, we have multiple enemy transport ships descending, with smaller airships providing landing security." Bajes inquired, "What are the numbers?" Maria forwarded a link and Bajes accessed it. Instead of seeing fleets encircling the planet, he was met with footage... 50... it was an overwhelming number and rather than dispersing across a wide area, they had chosen to concentrate their forces in one location, leveraging their numerical superiority and fresh state. After some contemplation, Bajes surmised aloud, "They're undoubtedly targeting either the research facility or the temple." He issued his orders promptly: "Set up mines around the research area and evacuate all personnel. Soldiers stationed there should join the battle as reinforcements. Once evacuation is complete, detonate the mines when enemies infiltrate." He directed at Maria: "Ensure you time it effectively."
Maria grasped the situation swiftly, immediately barking out commands. Bajes had no doubt that she would execute them flawlessly. Yet, something gnawed at him - a nagging sense of having missed an important detail. There was surely more to this than met the eye, but what? Bajes began to sift through the recent records of the ongoing battle. His gut instinct rarely steered him wrong, yet he needed to piece together the puzzle to see the full picture.
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As he revisited maps and scrutinized visual reports, a thought nudged his consciousness - Videos… The idea irked him; watching videos in the heat of battle seemed like an inefficient use of time. Nevertheless, he shut his eyes for better concentration and summoned multiple video feeds into view. Minutes ticked by without any significant discovery catching his attention.
Just as Bajes was on the brink of surrender, his eyes caught a faint silhouette in a zone where presence was unexpected. Without wasting a moment, he activated the holographic map displaying the interconnected pathways of the area and there it was - the clue he had been chasing. A compact group appeared to be diverging from the main flow of enemy movement. He magnified their location and noticed they were armed with gear far superior to that of average rebel soldiers. Their movements were coordinated, their equipment cutting-edge. They must belong to an elite squad, he deduced, and their objective would match their status - likely the true focus of this all-encompassing siege. As Bajes kept his attention fixed on their progress, he left Maria in charge of issuing orders and maintaining command.
The stealthy unit moved with such finesse that they were practically undetectable to the naked eye, making it a challenge for the cameras to keep up. They had evidently come prepared for this mission. After approximately half an hour of observation, Bajes discerned their target - the temple. They intended to infiltrate it. Bajes was also aware of what equipment they carried and their planned route. A formidable wall of stone, roughly 100 meters in length, connected directly to the entrance hall of the temple. Their strategy was clear: bore through the rock and make a sidelong entry into the temple. Laser technology wasn't an option due to its conspicuous nature; any use would instantly alert others to their presence. So they opted for a more traditional method instead. Fast forwarding time, Bajes laid his eyes on the tunneling device they planned to use.
Rising to his feet, Bajes once more transmitted his directive, "Colonel Swarna is assuming full control. I'm moving to reinforce our defenses on the front lines." The room fell into a stunned silence. Bajes wasn't surprised by their reaction; his role was one of leadership, not direct combat. However, he had no additional personnel to dispatch to the critical area. In fact, he was so short-handed that any attempt at reassigning troops wouldn't make a difference in time. The command center's proximity to the temple made it one of the safest locations, hence why its staff was kept lean and already deployed for defense. Undeterred by their shock, Bajes reiterated his decision while Maria promptly initiated a private channel with him, her voice laced with concern as she asked, "What exactly are you hoping to accomplish?"
Bajes was aware of Maria's intelligence, and he saw no point in deceiving her. He laid bare his plans before her, supplementing his explanation with video evidence. Maria voiced her worries, emphasizing that his life held more worth than any temple. Yet Bajes promptly reassured her, asserting that his decision was irrevocable. "Maria," he pleaded, "Stand by me in this. Retrieve me when the time comes..." His voice trailed off momentarily before he found the strength to continue, "...Or recover what's left of me once reinforcements get here." He added a message for Da'Lana, apologizing for his stubbornness.
Maria visibly grappled with the situation but eventually squared her shoulders and saluted him before abruptly ending their conversation. She wasted no time in issuing orders to the troops who were clearly uncomfortable with the unfolding events. Her stern words about duty and military obedience echoed through the air as she made it clear that there would be no room for dissent or disobedience on her watch.
Severing his connection, Bajes moved to prepare himself. He navigated towards his quarters and donned his battle-ready armor, grasping the psi batons and securing two formidable sigma weapons. His calculations indicated he would reach the location a good thirty minutes prior to the enemy's infiltration, providing him with an advantageous position and a shot at victory. With time on his side, Bajes proceeded unhurriedly to his destination.
Simultaneously, he initiated a communication link with Maria. "I've relayed the coordinates to you," he informed her, "I'm also in possession of a mine. My plan is to detonate it at the temple's entrance once I engage in combat. This will ensure they won't breach our defenses, even if I don't make it." Maria responded with a curt nod before terminating their connection abruptly.
Bajes couldn't help but muse over her reaction. "She must be really cross with me," he thought to himself.
Thus, Bajes strategically positioned a psi mine and retreated to the threshold of the entrance hall, linking the detonator to his psi interface. He was confident that as some adversaries would inevitably approach him, others would be drawn towards the mine. When they were within range, he planned to trigger the explosion and incapacitate a few. Seated on the cold floor in anticipation of his opponents, he commenced powering up his two sigma weapons.
The temple's wall began to shudder ominously, and Bajes knew it was only a matter of minutes before the device would puncture through its ancient barrier. His intuition had grown so acute that he could even predict the exact point of penetration. He aimed his sigma weapon at the predicted breach point, his grip firm and unyielding.
As the seconds ticked away into a minute, hairline fractures began spider-webbing across the wall's surface. Another minute passed, and then suddenly, like an unwanted guest forcing entry, the head of the device broke through. That was Bajes's cue to unleash his weapon.
With a thunderous release of energy, he fired. The sigma weapon's beam obliterated the mining device in an instant, piercing straight through it and continuing down the corridor beyond. Unfortunate soldiers who had been standing behind it in anticipation were caught off guard, their lives extinguished in an instant.
A momentary chaos ensued as comrades fell around them but soon enough, order was restored among the enemy ranks. They retaliated with a hailstorm of firepower directed at Bajes who now found himself without his shield for protection. With no other option left to him, he made a tactical decision to seek cover.
A group of soldiers stormed into the room, their intent to secure the perimeter clear. Bajes materialized from the shadows, discharging his second sigma weapon into the tunnel where reinforcements were pouring in. This time, its potency was diminished due to tunnel not being full of soldiers, but it still managed to claim at least a tenth of them. Out of an estimated hundred, close to half had already been felled. Yet, disturbingly for Bajes, this loss didn't seem to dampen his adversaries' resolve. They were seasoned warriors; no strangers to witnessing comrades fall in battle. A harsh reality that worked against Bajes' strategy of undermining their morale.
Without a moment's hesitation, Bajes called upon his psi shield and lunged towards the enemy combatants. As they retaliated with a laser shots while simultaneously attempting to retreat, Bajes demonstrated his agility. He brandished a pair of psi batons in his hands, swiftly closing the gap between him and two soldiers. The ensuing melee drew the attention of their comrades, who ceased their fire and rushed to join the brawl. Any ordinary soldier could have easily been overwhelmed in such circumstances, but then again, Bajes was far from ordinary.
Before the enemy could encircle him, Bajes had already dispatched two soldiers. The newly arrived combatants found themselves with no choice but to plunge into hand-to-hand combat with him. They sought to hem him in, yet Bajes consistently shattered their attempts by breaking away from his current opponent and unpredictably shifting his focus to a new target. The enemy struggled to anticipate his movements, prompting them to alter their strategy.
Suddenly, three of them were engaging him simultaneously, forcing Bajes onto the defensive for the first time. He grappled one soldier, snapping his neck with a swift motion. Yet amidst the chaos, another soldier managed to land a powerful kick that sent Bajes soaring through the air.
Bajes barely registered the pain due to his psi skelet buffering the impact. Nevertheless, he was propelled away regardless. As soon as there was distance between him and his adversaries, they hastily drew their laser weapons and opened fire.
Unfortunate as it was for Bajes, his adversaries were no amateurs. Even the most seasoned warrior would begin to feel the thermal strain of a psi link at this juncture. However, Bajes was unfazed, with only a negligible half-degree temperature rise thus far. His attention was split between evading attacks and engaging in sporadic hand-to-hand combat.
Meanwhile, numerous soldiers brushed past the skirmish, their focus solely on reaching the entrance. They moved as one cohesive unit. Bajes had an eye on them through a concealed camera; thankfully, his mine remained well-camouflaged. If things kept progressing at this rate, he might find himself pitted against a formidable number of foes.
Gradually closing the distance between himself and the temple-bound soldiers, Bajes selected a sigma weapon from his arsenal and initiated its charge cycle. He sought temporary refuge behind a pillar but found it rapidly crumbling under relentless enemy fire. The chase was on - he felt like prey being pursued relentlessly by predators.
The situation grew increasingly challenging; however, he noticed that no more enemies were emerging from the hole in the entrance hall. It seemed all adversaries were now present on-site: 63 in total. Of those, 37 were making their way towards the temple, exuding confidence in their combat skills—a confidence that wasn't entirely misplaced.
The energy weapon had reached its peak charge, necessitating a brief deactivation of his protective shield. Bajes executed a swift leap, discharging the lethal force of his sigma weapon towards the enemy contingent, who were similarly armed with their own sigma artillery. Both sides unleashed their weaponry in a coordinated onslaught. Yet Bajes, displaying remarkable agility, performed an aerial pirouette that narrowly evaded the incoming energy beam. His leg bore the brunt of a near miss; the psi exoskeleton he wore was unmistakably compromised, revealing a seared patch on his leg. Remarkably, there was no blood; the intense heat from the near-hit had instantaneously cauterized the wound.
A massive detonation erupted just as Bajes descended, setting off the mine he had planted. His strategy was to utilize the shockwave as a catapult, propelling him into the midst of enemy forces. Mid-flight, he re-engaged his psi shield. The adversaries were momentarily thrown into chaos, providing Bajes with an opportunity to eliminate another five soldiers - that was all he could manage before they regrouped. 21 adversaries remained and Bajes quickly scanned his health report. Despite being under the influence of pain-dulling psychotics and not feeling any physical discomfort or heat, his psi link was flashing warning signals. He decided it was time to ease the strain on his body and sought protection behind another pillar.
However, the enemy gave him no respite and unleashed a barrage of fire in his direction. Noticing some soldiers beginning to retreat - their mission evidently failed - Bajes charged at them, using his shield to deflect incoming laser fire. Once again, he found himself engaged in hand-to-hand combat against highly skilled opponents.
To his disbelief, Bajes realized he was losing ground in close quarters combat; these soldiers were superior martial artists compared to him. His only advantage lay in his more advanced psi link technology. Despite his best efforts, several soldiers managed to escape leaving only ten who continued fighting against him. To make matters worse, these remaining warriors were perfectly coordinated and combined melee attacks with supporting fire.
Bajes' system signaled critical condition – a dire situation indeed. And as if things weren't bad enough already, the enemy began charging their sigma weapons; they were determined to take him out.
In this grim reality slowly sinking in, Bajes parried one attack and dodged another from behind only to be struck by a third opponent's blow. With nothing left to lose, he changed tactics abruptly; instead of blocking an incoming combo attack from an enemy soldier, he took the hit but retaliated with a powerful counterstrike. His suit screamed warnings, but his opponent fell. This unexpected move disrupted the enemy's coordinated assault and allowed Bajes to close in on another soldier. The adversary parried Bajes' attack and dodged his baton swing, but Bajes' true intent was not to strike him with the baton; instead, he used the momentum from his missed swing for a spinning kick.
With all his strength, he kicked the enemy soldier who was sent soaring into a wall. Before he could even slide down onto the ground, Bajes hurled one of his psi batons at him. The airborne soldier was finished off by Bajes' psi baton before he could recover from the impact.
In that instant, Bajes understood his limitations. The enemy was charging their sigma weapons and letting loose a barrage of energy. Uncertainty gripped him; his protective shield wouldn't withstand two direct hits. As resignation began to seep in, an unexpected surge of adrenaline propelled him into action, his body moved on his own. His shield deactivated, and he found himself vaulting acrobatically through the air, narrowly evading the lethal beams of the sigma rays which grazed his back.
Pain erupted like a supernova across his body as the metal components of his suit melted under the intense heat, causing him to cry out involuntarily within the confines of his helmet. His vision blurred with agony, yet his body continued its relentless assault on the enemy. Unshielded, he charged at an enemy soldier, expertly dodging incoming laser fire while managing to take down two more adversaries.
This left six enemies standing; three chose discretion over valor and retreated while three remained steadfastly in place. Regaining control over his body momentarily, Bajes sought refuge behind a pillar but quickly dismissed resting against it due to the searing pain radiating from his burned back.
The remaining soldiers appeared uncertain about their next course of action and opted for retreat only to find their exit blocked by falling debris – they were trapped with Bajes. An unfortunate predicament for both sides as Bajes would have preferred to let them leave peacefully instead of being forced into a fight to death. Their sudden change in demeanor confirmed this imminent battle.
One soldier provided cover fire while two engaged Bajes in hand-to-hand combat. These adversaries were not as skilled as their predecessors but given Bajes’s deteriorating condition - system failure warnings flashing urgently - they posed significant threat nevertheless.
Bajes felt light-headed as one soldier collapsed from overheating while he teetered dangerously close to succumbing himself. Despite this, he resolved to drag them down with him if necessary. He allowed an enemy soldier to strike him, seized the offending arm, and initiated a brutal brawl unlike any he had ever experienced. They traded headbutts and punches with their free hands.
Suddenly, the soldier executed a swift maneuver that resulted in a sickening crack. Bajes’s shoulder was dislocated as he was forcefully pushed to the ground. In retaliation, Bajes delivered a swift low kick that brought his opponent down before landing a final blow to the soldier's helmet. The enemy lay motionless.
Exhausted and immobilized, Bajes noticed another enemy but couldn't discern his actions. He glanced around, realizing too late that the soldier was charging a sigma weapon. His body refused to obey his commands; he could neither move nor think coherently as his world began to fade out.
Bajes locked eyes with the soldier, who was taking aim with a lethal weapon and priming it for discharge. The soldier, likely suffering from overheating like Bajes, struggled to hold his weapon steady. Nearby, Bajes spotted a discarded laser weapon within his grasp. He attempted to reach for it with one arm but found it unresponsive; it took him precious seconds to comprehend that the limb was broken and entirely numb.
What was his next move? His thoughts were interrupted by the memory of his wife. It was enough to anchor him back into the harsh reality of his situation. With sheer determination, he managed to grab the weapon with his other hand and fired. In that moment, his adversary also released a shot but it was too late - Bajes' laser had already connected with its target, causing the enemy's shot to miss its mark as he collapsed.
The recoil sent Bajes sprawling onto his back where he felt searing pain as skin peeled away from burn wounds. He was immobilized by agony when suddenly a portion of the wall disintegrated under the impact of a stray sigma ray. Debris rained down on him, including a large rock that landed on his chest. His psi skelet could do nothing to shift its weight and he felt ribs crack under pressure. A metallic taste filled his mouth and an ominous realization dawned on him: death was imminent.
His psi skelet had been designed to save him but instead it seemed more like an instrument of torture now. No ordinary human could survive at 42 degrees Celsius while performing physically demanding tasks; yet here he was being slowly cooked alive because of damage sustained by the suit's cooling system.
As he lay there in tatters, Bajes accessed damage reports: internal bleeding, shattered ribs, arm status unknown, renal hemorrhage... As darkness threatened to claim him, an urgent voice broke through: "Bajes! Hold on! We're on our way! Reinforcements are here and the enemy is retreating!" Maria, his second in command, was calling out to him but he could not muster a response. Pain had stolen his strength.
His fever hadn't subsided; in fact, it seemed to have increased. He began to hallucinate, seeing his friend Abdul floating above him, urging him not to follow him into death - a classic move from his old friend. Bajes wanted to laugh at the absurdity but found himself incapable of even that.
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the area. Amidst the ensuing chaos, he thought he heard Maria's voice again: "Hurry! I'll have your heads if he dies!" And then, like a mirage in this desert of despair, appeared his wife...