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CHAPTER 65 Bittersweet victory

When would the overpowering feeling of dismay go away? The sense of victory was short lived in the colossal hangar of Canis Major. They had successfully repelled the first wave of the machine invasion, but as Alpha predicted, that was only the beginning.

Minutes ago, a second wave of machines mercilessly rampaged through the hole that their breaching ship had drilled in the main hangar gate, once again violating the purity of the Evocanis' space colony. The battle was slowly shifting against the Evos and the Retcan defense team, as the enemy numbers increased. A rampaging cluster of machines gained entrance in Canis Major at the pace of a deadly river of blades.

"They are too many of them, Alpha!" One of the Retcans next to Alpha said. Both fought within the deadly mass of Assassin Types along with their brothers and also many Evocanis. "We have to fall back. They are gaining advantage!" The male Retcan once again said as he blocked a deadly strike from one of those monsters, immediately counterattacking with a fierce strike of his two-handed blade that dismembered the machine. A quick blow to the head of the monster ended its artificial life. He couldn't take a breath before he was blocking yet another killing attempt from another one of those monsters.

"No!" A voice was heard next to them. Alpha kept fighting a long his brother until they heard the voice again. "We are not letting those things inside Canis Major again!"

After slicing through one of those monsters, Alpha could see who talked to him. Next to them stood an Evocanis that looked so strong that he could probably destroy a machine with his bare hand-paws, and next to him, holding two short blades, a very small Evo also fought bravely. Alpha was surprised to know that the strong voice came from the small Evocanis rather than the big one.

"You know what these things did to our ship thirteen years go. You were witness of the destruction and death they brought upon us!" Laser, the small grey Chihuahua and his friend Ben the Saint Bernard Evo were fighting fiercely blade to blade against the machines.

"These monsters took away from me my son, my daughter and my friend who with much love we brought those puppies to life." Laser continued as he got ready to spring against a machine that more than doubled its size. "I am not letting that happen to any other of my brothers again!"

The speed in which the small Evo moved was unbelievable. His small body might've looked fragile, but the way he used his small mass in his advantage was beyond impressive. There was no way that machine could predict the swift movements of Laser. With the same fury in which he moved, he also struck. Every time Laser evaded an attack from the machine, he swiftly counterattacked, slicing the machine's limbs one by one. It didn't take long until the machine's limbless torso fell on the ground. A merciless strike from the infuriated Evo ended yet another artificial life.

Unfortunately, there was very little advantage that the Evos could gain just by their spirit of fighting against these monsters. The machine's numbers were growing exponentially after every minute that went by.

Some Evos became overwhelmed by the machines. The armored Retcans did what they could to protect them, but keeping up with the machines was starting to be an impossible task.

Slowly, the Retcan army placed themselves between the Evos and their attackers, knowing that it was just a matter of time before someone got distracted and could receive a deadly blow by those monsters. Being armored, they knew they could sustain more damage. The Evos, although proving to be fearsome warriors, they had nothing that could really protect them, other than elemental resistant Engineer Suits.

Convincing the Evos to retreat was not an option. Their fighting spirit was unbreakable at that moment. Instead, the Retcans decided to slowly push the Evos toward the entrance of the Hangar. There could be a way that the hundreds of Evos fighting could be slowly pushed inside Canis Major.

Retcans knew that they were less against this horde, but they were better equipped. They could somehow hold until they got assistance from their brothers outside Canis Major. All the Retcans wanted to avoid were losses. True; losing one of their brothers or sisters was not a choice, but because how vulnerable Evos were at that moment, due to their lack of equipment, they had priority.

"What are we doing?!" A fearsome Rottweiler Evo yelled at a Retcan warrior. He bled from various wounds. His suit was torn, but there was no sign that he had lost one drop of determination even though his body had clear signs of exhaustion.

"We have to fall back, Evo!" The Retcan warrior responded. "You were the one rescued from the Hive. You shouldn't even be here! Your body is in no condition!"

"My body will stop living the day that Canis Major is destroyed. And that won't happen!!" He responded with pride. It was Panzerfaust; one of the Evos rescued from the Hive. How he was fighting after what he went through for thirteen years was a mystery.

A machine jumped at him, but he managed to dodge it. "No! We have to keep pushing!" The powerful Rottweiler yelled back. He ducked just in time to dodge a kick from the machine. A brutal counterattack from a huge wrench that he wielded literally broke the machine into pieces.

"My father is right!" Schwartz said. He fought with some sort of plasma cutters that he had improvised as swords. "The last thing we want is for those things to get inside the ship."

"We are just trying to help you. Evos!" The Retcan replied frustrated.

"Help us by fighting by our side; not by denying us the right to defend our home!" Dodging another attack from yet another machine, Panzerfaust spun gracefully around the machine, hitting it with the large wrench. The machine lost its balance, just to land in front of Schwartz, who awaited it with his plasma cutters. The machines arms were severed, followed by its head.

But the Retcans were determined to help their friends. There wasn't much they could do anyway. The machine horde was such, that they were indeed being pushed back by it. Retcans soon noticed this with fear. They soon realized that their idea of backing up wasn't really a good choice. If that horde of thousands of machines got into Canis Major, those events might repeat themselves once more. The Evos were right this time.

The situation got worse when the scent of blood was soon felt in the air. The yelping of Evos and Retcans was indicative that the battle was being lost.

Before they knew it, they were pinned down against the main entrance that led to Canis Major. The row of gates that extended for almost one hundred meters was shut close after the order was given by some of the Evos. The situation couldn't get any worse.

"We have to open the gate!" Alpha yelled.

"No! Nothing goes in Canis Major. We have to keep fighting!" Laser yelled back at him.

"We are loosing, Laser! We have no choice. We can manage to get in and repel the machines until we get assistance!"

"My friend is right! We won't let these things get into Canis Major. We will avoid at all costs that these machines destroy our home again!" Ben the Saint Bernard supported his friend.

Alpha didn't know how to respond. The Evos were right, but at the same time, if they stayed there, those things would kill everyone at the hangar. Choices were very limited.

Finally without space to move, the Evos and Retcans had reached a critical point. From that far point of the hangar, Alpha realized how horrible the situation really was. The machines were too many. If they let them inside Canis Major, it would be the death of many who weren't prepared. Frustration grew bigger by the second.

"What do we do, Major?!" Retcans asked their leader. He had no response. The situation had gotten out of hand.

Time had run out. The scent of blood got sharper, the yelping more constant.

"Alpha!"

What would it be; death for all of them at the hangar, or the possible death of many inside Canis Major?

Alpha had lost control. He let out a yell of frustration as many machines surrounded him.

But after he had lost the capability to take a decision, the sound of gates opening behind them brought him back to reality. Before three machines almost impaled him with their blades, he ducked and evaded them. Taking one after the swift maneuver, the other two fell thanks to the quick reflexes of his brothers than never took an eye from him.

"No! Close the gates!!" Laser yelled furious.

It all suddenly seemed like a bad idea.

"He's right! Close those gates! Anyone who has control over them, close them!" Alpha yelled though the earpiece of his ComPod. He had realized that the Evos were right. They couldn't take this battle inside Canis Major. That could be the death of many.

"No one has opened them, Major!" Alpha thought he heard. "They are being opened from the inside!" One of his partners that had made it to the hangar control room confirmed.

Alpha, Laser and other Evos saw with horror how Canis Major was being opened to the machines. If maintaining control over them at the hangar was next to impossible, inside Canis Major, with all its corridors and kilometers of sectors, the machines would have many places to spread their destruction.

What started as a controlled battle could now turn into the events that almost destroyed Canis Major twice in the past.

As they continued fighting, they hopelessly felt how the gates kept on opening, exposing the peaceful and vulnerable Canis Major inside.

The soothing, soft and chilly breeze from inside washed away the dense, hot and smoky atmosphere that the hangar was now filled in; that cold, yet very gentle air that gave Evos peace was about to be violated again. The purity of the Evo's home was to be tainted by evil once again.

But something happened that they didn't expect. Behind them they could hear growling. There was a furious growling that came from inside the beautiful and silent Canis Major. What could this be?

"Brothers..." Laser gasped.

"We shall fight together then. All of us." Ben said. He had a proud smile in his muzzle, as well as a tear rolled out his brown eyes.

It was impossible to determine the number of Evos standing furious behind that gate. It could be very well the whole population that had arrive at the hangar to defend their home. Thousands of Evos stood behind the gates furious; some of them wore nothing but their soft PX clothes. Most of them ready to fight with nothing but their claws and fangs.

This is something the machines had probably never anticipated. The Evos were not those gentle creatures that they attacked years ago. They were now proud warriors defending their home; fearless of death itself.

The gate didn't even reach half way opened when this massive pack of infuriated Evos rampaged to the hangar; eyes glaring, fangs shining and claws ready to shred apart their enemy. They ran towards their enemy without fear, some of them in their four limbs, pouncing furiously at the machines.

Something happened with the hundreds of Evos that already fought at the hangar. Seeing the anger of their kin gave them an extra edge on battle. These peaceful creatures were now fearless beasts, fighting flesh against metal with a fury that not even the most experienced Retcan warrior ever expected to see from their gentle friends.

No one could've expected that Evos could be so strong, and so fit for battle. Yes, twice they had defended Canis Major fearlessly, but back then they lacked the experience. All these years of learning the fighting arts of the Retcan warriors had now awakened the true nature of the Evocanis. The gentle, innocent and peaceful creatures had tuned into complete killing machines.

The adrenaline flowing on their bloodstream, and the combat high that both species were going through made the endless minutes feel like seconds. The mass amount of machines seemed to have diminished and the Retcans and Evocanis had a clear advantage now. It didn't take long until the furred aliens pushed forward. They were making it. They were wining this battle.

"They are different! They are weaker!" Laser yelled as he sliced another machine.

It was no illusion. It was not only their unbeatable fighting spirit, but it was also something that affected the machines. Their movements were erratic, unbalanced, uncoordinated. Even the ballistic droids seemed to be aiming at nothing, often aiming at the ceiling or failing to hit anything at all.

"Don't get too confident!" A familiar voice spoke.

Behind Laser, the limbs a machine fell motionless. The sound of a blade or a tool hitting metal was immediately followed by the limbless machine falling dead on the ground. Turning around, he saw who had saved him from being sneaked on by one of those monsters.

"You! I know you!" Laser said surprised.

"Hello, brother!" A female Dalmatian said.

"I never thought the day would come when we actually fought together as a team; as the D.E1 Squad." A Border Collie, standing back to back with the Dalmatian added.

"Spot, Nanook! What are you doing here?" Laser asked. He knew the answer already, but he was still surprised to see these two fighting. Of all his teammates he met in the D.E training, through his eyes, these two Evo girls were probably the least fitted for batter.

"We are all here to fight. As a team, brother." A very soft voice next to him said. An elegant female Doberman Evocanis held a Lanthracit blade on her hand-paw. She used a metal plate as a shield.

"Ace!" Laser said surprised.

It was not only Ace, Nanook and Spot. At a distance she noticed Hemi, Kala and Zulu fighting together as well. Very young Evocanis they all were. Most of them ignorant to the experience that older generation Evos went through during the first two attacks. But their fighting spirit was at its peak at that moment. No matter the generation, together they were invincible.

Laser never questioned them. They were not only his D.E1 teammates, but also his Evo brothers. A slight smirk went across his face. It was pride for his race as he had never felt before. The small Evocanis gripped his dual blades stronger than ever and jumped into the heart of the battle. He knew that day; Canis Major would come out victorious.

The fight in Canis Major was not the only one on which Retcan and Evocanis were gaining an advantage. In space, Zonda and his team had managed to finally gain the upper hand on the machine fleet. The damage caused by Silver and her small team had taken a harder toll than they had expected. The machines were now incredibly fragile.

A well placed E.M.P shot was enough to disrupt the shields of the enemy ship locked in his sights. A very short burst of rounds stopped the machine fighter ship permanently. Zonda couldn't believe how easy it was now. After all they went through; they had righteously earned this victory.

Enemy fighters fell by the dozen now that the mother ship had no control over them. All coordination was lost as well as the energy provided by their main computer. As much as they outnumbered the Retcan fleet, they were absolutely no match for the furred warriors of Lusceonis.

"I need a small team to head to the D.E cruiser now!" Zonda barked through the Com systems. He had been informed about the ship's presence in the battlefield, and how it was overwhelmed by the machines. He just hoped that whoever were inside were okay.

"Aye general!" Many Retcans volunteered now that the situation was almost under their control.

"General!" Another Retcan informed. "The machine's main fleet is fleeing from the battle! We won!"

"Calm yourself down, brother!" Zonda harshly replied. He knew it wouldn't be over until the last ship was destroyed. And that included the three massive currier ships that escorted the mother ship.

"I need to know if Silver and her team made it out of the main ship!" He demanded. It didn't take long until he got a response.

"Affirmative, General! They are out. Storm and the two S Series that escorts them are surrounding the battlefield to avoid the machine fighters. They are on their way to R105!"

"Excellent..." Zonda replied. His glare went directly towards the location of the three main enemy ships. "We won't let those ships escape. I can assure you that."

Zonda immediately communicated with R105. He knew that his fleet wouldn't be a match for those gigantic ships, but there was a ship capable of doing the job.

"This is Zonda speaking. Can you hear me, R105?"

"Loud and clear, Zonda." A brown Retcan appeared in his screen. "What's the situation?"

"We have this battle won. Whatever Silver and Titan did, it worked. I just had a word that they are on their way to R105 as we speak."

"Indeed. I just spoke with them. They have saved us, my boy." Shadow replied relieved and with a huge sense of pride.

"However... this won't end until every last machine is destroyed; until the very last of their ships blazes through the dark veil of space." Zonda was furious. He knew what their next move would be to give those monsters a clear message that no matter what they tried, victory would always belong to Evocanis and Retcans.

"Shadow. You have the coordinates of the machine's main fleet. They are trying to flee. Destroy them at all costs!" Zonda yelled through the com systems.

"Rage of Lusceonis is recharging. It will take us a minute. We just destroyed the second machine cannon. Don't worry, my boy; those three ships will be destroyed." Shadow confirmed.

"I'll wait anxiously."

It was just minutes before the machines would be completely destroyed. Soon, Evos and Retcans would finally be able to lick their wounds, rebuild and celebrate their victory together as one.

However...

Far in the crumbling D.E Cruiser, still unaware of the turn of events, Hasky and Kalem were in an extremely precarious situation. Husky, Fx and Anubis did a great job at repelling the wave of fighters that had overwhelmed the D.E cruiser, but it had been just a matter of minutes before a larger wave attacked them. The D.E Cruiser had terminal damage now and it had become completely inoperative.

Deep in the armory room, surrounded by floating debris, collapsed walls and ceiling panels, Hasky and Kalem still breathed. Curled in a corner, they wondered how much longer it would take until their life slipped away from them.

The ship was in complete silence, with the occasional tremor that shook everything. But it could not be heard, as the ship had lost atmosphere completely. The ship was now a wrecked labyrinth of twisted metal.

Terminal damage to air recirculation system. Switch to emergency O2 tank immediately. Hasky read in the HUD of the pressurized armor's helmet. Caution: CO2 levels above critical. Her air was running out due to the recycler being heavily damaged. But she knew that her emergency O2 tank was as well compromised, after a strong explosion had nearly killed both of them not a few minutes ago.

The female Evo felt how her life was slowly being taken away from her. Next to her, Kalem cried inconsolably. He knew it was his fault. There was nothing that he could do.

"I owe it to you, Hasky!" He yelled. There were no spare armors that they could use. He tried to deactivate his armor and sacrifice himself in order for Hasky to live, but Hasky wouldn't permit it.

Both Evos were in a dilemma. None of them would let the other die. However, even if Kalem managed to take off his armor, he knew that there was no way Hasky would survive if she took hers off. The ship was now in full vacuum. No living organism could withstand that for more than just a couple of seconds before all their air would be violently sucked out, or they would simply freeze to death in a matter of seconds.

"No, Kalem... It would be pointless..." Hasky muttered.

"Don't talk, Hasky!" Kalem quickly silenced his friend, knowing that every breath, every word would cost her valuable minutes of air. "They are on their way. We will make it alive. Just close your eyes and breathe slowly, my friend." Kalem held Hasky close to him. The thought of her dying on his arms was unbearable. And not only would he live with the guilt of Hasky dying, but also knowing that her sons and also Andy were sent to their deaths because of him.

Something was definitely going on when Kalem felt a vibration on the floor of the ship. The darkness engulfing the corridor outside the armory room was suddenly interrupted by a faint glare. Could this be an explosion, or was it a Retcan team sent to their rescue?

"I'm sure those are our Retcan friends, Hasky! I'll let them know we're here. Stay put and don't move, my friend." Kalem said nervously as he came out of their hiding spot. "Everything is going to be alright, beautiful. You'll see." Voice trembling, it was obvious that Kalem was not okay. It could've been that his oxygen was failing, or that the situation had blinded his judgment.

Floating across the pitch black room, illuminating his path as he evaded debris, Kalem hurried to exit the room and meet the Retcan team that had come to aid them.

"Over here!" He faintly yelled; his voice trembling. It was obvious now that Kalem was not doing okay, as he didn't even activated his Com System.

Stumbling by the difficulty of floating on zero gravity, he finally made it out the door. Peeking left outside the room towards the corridor that took to both elevators, he didn't see anyone. But in his mind, he was sure they were there.

Kalem laboriously floated outside the room through the corridor.

"This is... Captain K9. We are over here, Retcan brothers!" He continued talking to himself.

Exhausted due to the stress of the situation, added to the wounds he suffered, Kalem was deeply dazed. He continued until reaching the junction that let to both elevators and got ready to meet with the Retcan team.

"My friend. She needs help!" He yelled as he turned around the corner.

Only Kalem knew how he felt that moment. Finally facing the source of the commotion, he floated thee for a second not understanding what he saw.

From the access elevator that went to the hangar, four figures crawled not only on the ground, but on the walls and ceiling. It was dark, but their glowing red eyes broke the dense obscurity that had swallowed the D.E Cruiser.

"No..." Kalem muttered. "Leave us alone!" He now yelled in desperation.

The four pairs of red eyes charged at him through the corridor. Kalem was trembling. The guilt had consumed all his fighting spirit.

The ghastly figures swirled in the darkness, rampaging towards the distraught Evocanis. So close now... The blank mask of death was now visible through Kalem's eyes. His brain and instinct told him to fight back, guiding his hand-paw within reach of his E.M.P pistol. But his heart was overflowing in guilt and denied him from taking grasp of the instrument that could save his life.

"I'm sorry brothers... Please forgive me, Jake; please forgive me Hemi..." Closing his eyes as he uttered these words, Kalem was beaten by his overwhelming feeling of remorse. He awaited the fate he had unfairly dictated on himself.

In a flash, it was all over for the Evocanis that had dedicated all his life to the protection of his own kind. In those last seconds he meditated on how he had let his fear and traumas drive him to commit grave mistakes. He just hoped that another Evocanis worthy of taking his place would learn from these mistakes and make Canis Major a safer place for those who lived there, and those who sworn to protect it with their lives.

Sensing an impact in front of him, he knew that the machine had pierced his environmental armor, impaling him in the process. If that didn't kill him, the withdrawal of the blade would decompress his suit and that would be enough to end his life in seconds.

"Kalem..." He heard. There was no pain.

"Kalem!" That voice again. This time it made him react.

Opening his eyes, he saw the machine floating not inches from him; its head blown apart by a powerful plasma round.

"Look out!" The voice warned him. Looking at his right, way down the corridor, his helmet's HUD indicated the position of an ally. On top of the marker, 'Hasky' could be read.

Turning back to where his enemies were, Kalem witnessed how the other two machines came after him. For a second, he left behind the overwhelming guilt that gnawed his heart and his survival instinct kicked in. He drew his E.M.P and shot at his attackers as they charged at him.

Staggered by the pulse, the machines lost focus and that gave Kalem the opportunity to finish them off with his Lanthracit blade. The four machines now floated dead in the corridors of what once was the beautiful D.E Cruiser.

Kalem immediately came back to his senses. "Hasky!" He floated back to aid his friend who was in the verge of suffocating to death in the armor that was once created to sustain her life.

"They got in..." Hasky barely managed to say while gasping for air.

"Hasky, I told you to stay put!" Kalem scolded her, extremely worried by how much oxygen that effort had taken from his friend.

"They..." Hasky said with much difficulty. "We would have to fight them eventually..."

"Don't talk, Hasky!" Kalem yelled at Hasky, worried of how every word, every breath was precious seconds subtracted from her life. "We have to get out of here..." He said, thinking out loud while he examined the area, searching the slightest opportunity that could save their lives.

"I just wish Anubis and my puppies make it back alive..." Hasky whispered before taking a huge gasp. Her time had come to an end.

"No, Hasky!" Kalem yelled at her. "Hasky!!" It was useless. There was no response from Hasky. The brave husky Evocanis that had sacrificed her safety for her kind was now limp. Her sky blue eyes slowly faded away into eternal slumber. The heat of her once warm body escaped while his friend held her. No matter how much Kalem tried to awaken her, there was nothing that brought her back to life.

If Kalem felt guilt for his mistakes, he had now another life under his responsibility to account for. Crying desperately, Kalem wished that all that was a bad dream...

The fault was of no Evocanis or Retcan. The fault fell on those vicious monsters that again decided to destroy the lives of the pure furred creatures that drifted peacefully across galaxies.

Retcans and Evocanis had done a valiant effort to banish that evil from their lives once again, and because of that they deserved that victory. But with a victory that came at great sacrifices, this was surely a bittersweet one...