As bold morning light swept over Tallas, the trio looked to make their leave on the main road while adorned in Planetary Defence Force lilac and black. Eoli, Zaae, Brashlo, and of course, Pogorie, were there for the send-off.

"You remembered what we talked about last night?" Teinova brought Pogorie back to that moment.

"Mm mm." Stuck on her forehead was a pink bow.

"Will you always keep it in your heart?"

"Mmmmm mmmmm."

"Give me a touch, then."

Index finger and hook touched to establish a friendly bond.

"Can we join?" Durin asked Pogorie on behalf of him and Zazavin.

"Yeah. I don't mind." Elongated finger and tongue joined diagonally parallel to Teinova, further strengthening the connection made.

Zazavin turned to Eoli while keeping the connection and asked, "Where are the others from last night to send us off?"

"Modue still angry with you three, Yoskoe didn't feel to come, and I honestly don't know where Ragga be. Probably with her mate or picking flowers or something." The beings Eoli listed showed the contempt most of Tallas had for them.

"That's it?" Zazavin should've known better. Who would care for beings you barely knew?

"Yes. That's all."

She moved to Brashlo while still in sleepwear to inquire if the vehicle she tasked them to create was ready.

"It's done." He leaned his tanned, slender frame against the garage. "We swoop in and take what we can after a major battle a few months ago in the grasslands. That how we get a totalled Bayamesa Bayamo terrain vehicle engine. The hull is comprised of the remnants of a Fait L'Union tank. Also..."

Durin zoned out. His eyes went downwards and started muttering the arrangement of numbers at the upper left side of the uniform with a finger moving to each one. "1...88...0...8...2..."

With Brashlo enamoured in the explanation of the various scrap parts making up the vehicle, a quizzed Durin placed a question to him, "What are these numbers and lines? Never seen anything like this before."

"It's a Bar Code Identification Number to keep track of the soldiers they have and to see whether they alive or not."

Or not? Teinova held that statement for a few seconds. "They're from dead beings, aren't they?"

"Come nah, at least we clean the clothes in the electrostatic hygiene zone. We's vultures. It normal for any struggling village here."

"I'm surprised she got this uniform to fit me. I usually spray paint my clothes." Durin pinched his uniform. The feeling of cotton against his frame, or any cloth, was peculiar. He usually sprayed on himself a buttoned shirt and moderate-length pants, but actual clothes were on another level.

"That be Marama. She work quick to refit them uniform for you."

"What about the teleporting pistols and blasters the villagers had?" Zazavin inquired.

"Sorry, can't answer that. We does keep that kinda thing a secret."

Eoli pulled out three sticks from a sack with an opening laced with string. "Here is your energy hooks. You just have to apply pressure to the black handle."

Teinova adjusted her headscarf wrap and gripped the firm nano polymer handle with the name 'X12 Long-Range Energy Hook' branded upon it to shoot a mass of energy that swirled above.

"Seems simple enough." Her fingers and palm eased to allow it to reel back in from slender tail to large head.

Brashlo bawled out to Zaae to bring out their latest creation as soon as they were done trying out the energy hooks.

"Yeah, Brashlo. I coming through now with the levitation platform." The vehicle gradually permeated through the opaque force field lining the entrance for garage vehicles until its full structure was exposed.

A composition of hastily welded guardrails, a dented, circular platform with weathered chromatic paint to cover the spreading rust, and a faded levitation spike at the base was one of Brashlo's and Zaae's better works.

"Not bad for one night." Zazavin threw a compliment their way.

"Thanks there, dawg." Brashlo took what he said as confirmation of a job well done.

Zaae and Veil switched places through the thin but sturdy ramp at the rear. Unfamiliar with how to operate it, Teinova called for assistance.

Brashlo heard them and noted his mistake of not informing them of the controls before he left. After several minutes of instructional trial and error, the functions became clear to them.

With their newfound comprehension, Teinova took charge of the holographic controls. As she did so, the ramp folded itself into a fraction of its size to discretely hang from the edge. Once this was done, several triangular sheets made of smaller, individual pieces shot from the rim just beyond the rails and came together to cast them in darkness. The hologram became the sole light source inside the newly created dome. Teinova used this to twist a dial to prompt a view of the outside world.

"I would like to highlight that the visual plating has protective purposes as well." Zaae gave some handy information that should serve them in the future. To go against the Defence Force meant their vehicle had to be resilient.

"Nice to know considering what we're going to face," Zazavin noted this and anything else he said. Being aware of all, or at least as many of its functions as possible, was key to their success.
Zaae left the platform once more to allow their departure. It began to proceed up the steep incline as Eoli and others said their goodbyes.

"Bye-Bye." Pogorie waved with one of her tubes. The others shouted 'Good Luck', 'Laters' and 'Goodbye' by Eoli, Brashlo and Zaae respectively.

Perched on the peak of Tallas Hill, Teinova tried to bring down the dome so Eoli and the others could see their goodbyes.

"Where's the switch to bring down the dome?" She gave a hard stare at the controls comprised of numerous labels and symbols.

"Don't know." Zazavin was as lost as her. "There's too much going on for a simple vehicle."

"I'm trying to look for the switch to remove the plating so we can wave goodbye with them seeing us."

"Hurry up and find it. We're wasting time standing here."

"Don't worry. I'll find it."

Her search for it failed.

Fed up with her incompetence, Zazavin wanted to intervene but his nostrils were quite pushy.

"ACHOO!" The force of his sneeze changed the perspective of the plating.

"Come on, that's disgusting. You could've at least turned away." She wiped her left hand against her clothes to get rid of the wet, nasty feeling.

"Sorry. It just came over me."

"Whatever, just be more careful next time."

That's strange. I wonder if it's the cotton fabric of the uniforms or the dust from the wind gusts causing me to sneeze. Meh, I'll figure it out. He began to sniffle after this.

"Guys, look at the plating. I can see us." Durin pointed at themselves as each movement matched the plating.

Teinova wondered if they could see them as well.

"Yeah, we can see you," Zaae answered Teinova's question.

"And we can hear you too," Eoli added to his response.

They took advantage of this error by making their short goodbyes.

Afterwards, Teinova asked, with their conversation on full display, "Which of the controls did you sneeze on for this to happen, Zazavin?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe this one." His tongue pointed at the likely button.

"No. It was the one next to it." Durin directed her.

"Are you sure, Durin?"

"I'm confident."

Teinova pressed the control to revert the dome to its original viewing. She did so multiple times to reaffirm that this control served this function.

"Zaae, what going on with the plating?" Eoli believed it was malfunctioning.

"I don't know why it behaving so. Those scrap parts more worthless than I thought."

"You and Brashlo try see what wrong with them, nah."

As Brashlo and Zaae commenced walking, it tipped over the summit.

"Well, it look like we avoid some work there." They returned to their garage confident of their work.

"Don't you feel concern about the craft?" Pogorie wasn't satisfied with their laissez-faire reaction.

"Pogorie, watch me good. Do you hear metal creaking?"

"No."

"That mean they fine." He went inside for some unsweetened whole rose water.

* * *

Exiting Corbin Trace were two children that sought to meet Veil before their departure.

"Dawg... the foreign... beings... gone... boi." Topa Top, a Chesadee youth, had worn himself out in the wee hours of the morning.

Yan disappointed himself. They were too late. "Is best I... go home. All... of them... gone."

"Dawg,... look Pogorie... there."

"I see... Pogorie. She must... have see them... leave."

They gave themselves a moment to normalise their breaths. To talk before this almost hurt.

"You going to ask she now about them?"

"Nah, I'll do that later. I wake up from my sleep real early to try to see them."

"You going to take a nap like me?" Yan yawned while staring at Topa Top.

"Yeah boi. Is best I do that. The sun not even hot yet."

Pogorie didn't notice Yan or Topa Top. She just hoped the trio from space was all right.

THANK YOU FOR READING IF YOU REACHED THIS FAR. IF YOU LIKE THIS AND OTHER CHAPTERS, FOLLOW, LIKE, SHARE, COMMENT, AND ADD THIS BOOK TO YOUR LIBRARY FOR MORE BATTLES BEYOND. MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER STORIES AS WELL.