The Martian council had received the news of their defeat at the front lines.

"Council general, the enemy had stopped advancing after conquering the outer cities," A G'arrunn reported the observations made by the Scouts. "They seem to be busy doing something"

"What are they up to now?" Council General questioned, frustration taking over. "Now only we lost the first confrontation but also our elite soldiers."

"Sir..." The G'arrunn called with nervousness in his voice.

"What is it?" Council General asked with a bark.

G'arrunn suppressed his nervousness and answered, "Sir, the mutation of our planet had extended to past the outer cities. They are transforming Mars as they march and we have little information of our enemy."

Council General felt his head throb. This war was something they were never prepared for. They were indolent, idle at their own superiority. How could they not? They were a race of telepaths with powers of shape-shifting, super-strength and speed. They were superior in everything compared to their neighbors.

"You can leave, I will relay the report," The council general instructed.

The Martians bowed and left to attend to his duties.

Council General left his commanding station and moved to the War room where many council members were discussing about how to win this war. They were using all their experience to come up with a strategy, but multiple conflicting views only slowed them.

The room silenced for a moment as the council general enter. They Martians gazed t him fro the report. Council general relayed the news with ease, he was used to this.

"The enemies had stopped advancing. They seem to be planning something," He relayed. "and the black plague had already infected the outer cities. Your guest is really terraforming our planet."

The king looked at the council general, they were acquaintance for a long time now, and clearly sense the blame in his tone. "We have already gone over this.

The decision was made after the council read his memory. I also took many factors into account before allowing him. We have already let the humans explore the surface—maybe it was my greed to see M'arzz flourish."

"Yet we are at war, my king," council general answered.

~BEEEEEEP BOOOOP BEEEEP BOOOP~

The alarms blared in the war room signifying that they were under attack and a message from the outside confirmed their suspicions.

"Sir, we are under attack on the south of the city," A martian relayed the news through the psychic link.

"WHat happened?" The king questioend.

"The enemy had dug though earth using a giant worm and the enemies are rushing in," The Martian relayed in panic. "Sir, we need back up immediately."

"Fight to the last breath, try to stall the enemy. The back up would is deployed," Council general gave the ordered as he turned to his king. "We can't win in a head on confrontation, we are outnumbered."

"We got to strike the enemy's leader," King commented, looking ot his council for other strategy.

The council didn't reject the idea as it was the only feasible solution now that their capital was being attacked.

"General V'orakka V'orrunn, prepare an elite team to strike at the enemies stronghold. General X'araa X'elthar, take command to face the enemies at the fronts. General N'irra N'orren, prepare the bio-ships to escort the strike team," The king quickly gave orders to his general, while keeping the rest with him to command the army.

The council members swiftly dispersed to execute their assigned tasks. Urgent messages and commands echoed through the communication channels, creating a symphony of organized chaos.

***

The chose spread through the psychic hive mind. The martian citizens were panicked at the sudden attack from the enemies who burst thought the cavern walls with a giant wrym. They were never expecting to be attacked at their home.

The M'hontrrs who were on duty were quick to react and deployed measures to slow the enemy down until back up arrived. They collapsed building, dropped boulders, threw fists and ripped them with telekinesis.

The Martians did everything to take down the enemy.

But the immortal Mechmophs just tanked the attack. Their fluidity let them negate most of the attacks that were thrown at them. They just turned to puddle and solidified again. The martians felt fear at the sheer atrocities of the Mechmorophs, who just shrugged of their attacks.

The martians arrived and got the loosing battle into a standstill.

They should their enemies with their strongest blasters, but did nothing to the enemies. What frightened them more was the fact that the Mechmorphs did nothing but march form the turnnel they carved.

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And with the ever increasing number of Mechmorphs, they felt true desperation. They felt fear that were lost. Those who survived the last war was feeling the shellshock. They felt dread seeping out of their bones.

***

J'emm received the news of the enemies attack, his heart raced in nervousness. He knew that he would be protected if he were to stay in the castle but he felt shame even at the thought of hiding.

He couldn't do much of anything in the fight against Zion, but he would not run from this war. He would protect those he loved.

J'emm quickly flew out of the castle using the spreading panic as a distraction. He need to find S'yraa S'mitt and take her to the castle for her protection. He would not lose her in this war, at least, he wanted to protect her to the best of his ability.

J'emm saw the panicked Martians as they rushed around like headless chickens. The older Martians were clam but nervous, the young who had not seen war were frightened. The old had seen war, they were survivors, they knew of horrors unspoken.

The psychic hive mind was filled with commands and sound of panic.

The cavern war filled with the sound of blasters.

The cries of frightened children.

Yes, they were truly in war.

J'emm didn't know what to think of such things, He was not taught nor had he experienced something of his caliber. He was just a young prince of a peaceful nation. He didn't know how to clam his panicked citizens nor did he know how to win this war.

But he not care for it now, for he need to find his love.

J'emm tracked S'yraa's psychic signature to a cave where she learns to control her magic. He didn't think much as he rushed to the cave, not caring for the formalities as he or anyother was not allowed to enter a Y'ellonn training cave.

It didn't take J'emm to cross the city, he rushed through the cave system, tracking S'yraa's signature. He impatiently arrived at the cave's entrance only to be stopped by a Y'ellonn wearing his priest attire.

"Let me in, I need to take S'yraa to safety," J'emm said impatiently to the Y'ellonn.

The Y'ellonn looked at J'emm calmly, with tranquility of a monk, which he was. "You cannot intervene in her meditation. It would not only harm her but also you."

"We are at war, I need to take to safety," J'emm was getting more impatient as he conversed.

"Maybe we are at war, But are you ready to face the consequences prince J'emm?" The priest questioned, he was one of the oldest of priest.

"I am," J'emm answered instantly, not thinking much to the priests words.

"Are you sure?" The priest questioned him calmly, "Are your prepared for the criticism? Judgment? Pressure? Isolation? It will not be only you who face such consequences. S'yraa would be also forced into this due to your decision."

J'emm froze at the priests question. He didn't need to think to know his answers, after all he got advice from a tyrant. "I will face it myself, I will convince them." J'emm answered with resolution.

The priest saw the resolution in J'emm. He was one of the strongest priest and he knew that the path Martians walk will never be the same after this war and J'emm was chosen to do his duty.

"Wait here," The priest instructed J'emm and moved to the cave.

J'emm obeyed and waited patiently outside of the cave. He moved about in nervousness. After what felt like hours, S'yraa walked out with the priest. She looked confused of the situation after just reestablishing her connection to the psychic cloud.

J'emm quickly moved to S'yraa and took her hand. "I do not have the time to explain. We need to leave now."

S'yraa was taken back taken aback. She couldn't believe that J'emm would take her home. She wasn't really ready to meet the parents. "J'emm, I am not ready to meet your parents."

"It will be okay," J'emm assured.

"But-

"Leave child," The priest instructed.

S'yraa was confused, but bowed to the priest respectfully, followed by J;emm, and left the cave. They flew across the city, where the south of it was smocking, its building crumbled and flashed of blaster echoed.

J'emm and S'yraa felt their hearts tighten at the sight. With their supervision, they were clearly able to that the Martians were struggling to push the enemy back.

~BOOM BOOM BOOM~

Three more explosion rung in the other three directions. One near the east caves used by the priest and the other two from the west and the north.

J'emm snapped his head in the direction of the explosion to only feel fear. A large head climbed through the explosion and slithered out. Followed by its gigantic structure was Mechmoprhs marching out like thousand ants.

Cries of panic filled the cavern that even people with ears could hear it. The panic of the Martians city was not unwarranted as theses Mechmorphs didn't march idle, they aimed their blasters. The sound of energy collision and matter disintegrating into a cube filled the cavern.

"It's horroble," S'yraa mutter.

She turned her head to look at the caver to sense a massive Magik fluctuation. The priests were gearing up for some magic battle but Mechmorphs were immune to them too(as in they would not die). The massive mana gather and struck down like lightning stunning the Mechmorphs.

The message quickly spread through the psychic link that the Mechmorphs are weakened by high voltage of electricity and the problem was that they were out of their home ground, it was like fish out of water, their were stunned.

"We need to get to the palace faster," J'emm tugged at S'yraa and increased his flight speed.

***

The Martians were being pushed back in all fronts.

The Y'ellonn were able to take down the Mechmorphs that flooded through the tunnel made by the Wrym, but the sheer number and thousand blaster dwindled the Y'ellonns. They changed their tactics to adjust.

The other fronts were much worse as it was getting hard for them to even get to the Mechmorphs. Only Martians with the ability to density-shift were able to attack the Mechmorphs up close. While some who were with high reflex dodged the bullets and threw hands with Mechmorphs, well he got blasted in the face after a long fight.

Some Martians, G'arrunn and A'ashenn, joined forces and took down the Wrym. The battle was hard fought.

While the intelligent ones used their telekinesis to use the Mechmorphs as their sheild and clubs. It was effective until Mechmorphs started friendly fire. They didn't care for their brethren and blasted everything that obstructed them.

This pushed the Martians to the brink, moving them into the city more and more. The building were even getting cubed as the time passed, and whole outer ring was cleared. The Martians felt true fear facing an army that only marched forward without backing down.

They were not even given time to process the information that they were at war where they would lose everything. The sudden turn of events only shocked the Martians even more.

Let's not even talk about the teenagers, they were near shitting themselves. Some impulsive idots wants to fight the enemy themselves. While the others were trying to push the blame of A'ashenn for doing this.

All stupid shit was happening.

...

"Sir, what do we do?" A A'ashenn asked his commander. "If this goes like this we would lose the capital."

The commander who turned to look at his subordinate, froze for a moment. He then looked at his subordinate, "R'yaan R'okk, You know how to density shift?"

"No sir," He answered.

The commander didn't asked more and relayed the orders from the council through the psychic cloud. "All those that know how to density-shift, meet General V'orakka V'orrunn at the palace. He would give you your next orders.

Other, do your best to by time."

"How much, sir?"

"As much as we could."