Homefront: Ursus, #5

By Amado Olivera

Max and Naïa must rally their band to face their greatest challenge. With the Vestar War intensifying, they must coordinate a daring plan to surprise their powerful adversaries. They can no longer hide in the dark skies and must redirect their efforts to charge into enemy territory. They will face their greatest fears whilst trying to keep their wary crew together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amado Olivera
• Release date: Sep 5, 2025
• ISBN: 9798232142926

Amado Olivera

Amado Olivera always dreamt of being a writer. Though he pursued a career in Finance and Accounting, he always had the desire to write stories.  Amado studied at Montana State University for his bachelor's degree in Accounting and obtained his Master's in Finance and Accounting from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. After traveling to many countries, he finally decided to pursue his passion for writing. He hopes that his stories will make the reader smile,  cry, and reflect on the wonders and mysteries of life. He hopes to inspire others to follow their dreams.

Book preview

Chapter 1

They did not have time to celebrate. They had no time to waste. Velal, Parem Rekat, and Jarok had to inform Galtal. Velal knew there would be problems. How were they to hide the Karilians? The Karilians were more than they, four Rumalions amid a crowd of desperate and terrified Karilians, unsure of what would happen next. He was himself unsure. The air in the cave was thick with the acrid smell of fear, a stifling reminder of the children's silent cries and the adults' worried glances. He made a fateful decision he knew he already regretted. Killing them was the easier choice. But his conscience would not let him do it. The image of a Karilian child, eyes wide with fear, flashed before him. Sure, he had killed many times without thinking much about it. But slaughtering children was a step too far for him. His colleagues were not happy with his decision. If he were not careful, they'd be the ones to stab him in the back. All their troubles would not go unpunished. The hatred between the Karilians and Rumalions was deep. What was he trying to accomplish? He was delusional to think he could force his will on the flowing tide. Finding their way back to inform the others had its risks. Keeping the Karilians in check was another problem he brought on them. The Karilians could betray them at any moment. Children did what they had to. They cried. Perhaps letting them go was the answer. But his colleagues feared they'd inform others of their location, and their plans would come crashing down. For better or worse, their fates were intertwined. It was not a good prospect.

Karilian, what is your name?

Tara Rakalen.

Let me make this clear. I despise you and your kind. I know for a fact you despise us with equal measure. But I want to live as much as you do. Our lives depend on us working together. The Rok Matars will not hesitate to slaughter all of us. For your children and your good, you must work with us.

We are desperate to live. And you said one true thing. We despise you. You and humans conspired to destroy us.

Wow! The oppressors make believe they are victims. I do not care to listen to your pathetic lies. Let me stop you before you come to regret what I do next. We already agreed we despise each other. But for now, we must set aside our differences to escape. Is that something you can discuss and agree on?

I will speak with the others. But there is nothing to discuss. We are in no position to set the terms. You can kill us despite being fewer. You can get others to help you, and they’d gladly do what you cowered to do.

You seem desperate to die.

I merely speak my thoughts openly. That is the Karilian way. Why pretend and speak with deceptive tongues?

Listen. This place is a starting point. We must continue farther away, deep into the forested areas. We want to travel for two days to give us distance from our enemy. But more importantly, we seek a proper hiding place to host many.

Isn’t escaping first better? Once freed, you run fast and far?

No, that will not do. We must have somewhere to go. Scattering away will ensure many more die from exposure. Our escape has to be planned and executed with precision. Two days will give us a better idea of what lies ahead. When we return to get the others, we will move with speed, not trying to figure things out as we go.

We are weak. If we make it far enough will be a miracle.

Karilian, I have argued with my colleagues. Obviously, we intend to save Rumalions. But is there a possibility Karilians could set aside their hatred and help us live?

She stared at him. Uncomfortable silence was her response. He knew he was crazy. He had unconventional ideas. Galtal did not agree. But he understood one thing: they had to get off the planet or hide until the war ended. That would be years. And if the Vestars won the war, they’d never be able to emerge out of hiding. But his idea of them working together was insanity, disguised as dreaming. This was no time to pay court to such ludicrous ideas. Compassion would be his undoing.

They will reward your kindness with death—no, not any death, painful and violent—something you should avoid. She stood motionless, looking at him, bewildered, her face pale and frightened, her breathing uneven, an audible mixture of fear and confusion. Still confused but calmer...less frightened, of course, she mentioned something that gave Velal reason to smile.

I know where we could find a small cargo ship, possibly a few fighters as well.

Why should I believe you, and why would you tell me?

Because I want my son to live. They want their children to live. If we help you on the condition you let us live, perhaps with our help, we can make it.

They had trekked for hours. They had to stop. A Karilian collapsed from exhaustion. His colleagues were tired as well. It served no good pressing forward. They had to rest. Though they could continue, Velal sat next to the Karilian. She was breathlessly clinging to her child. He stared at the sky. It was clouded, and rain would soon fall. That would make their travel harder. It rained hard when it did. They would have to find somewhere to take cover. Torrential rains washed away many fools. Exhausted females and children were at greater risk. He and his colleagues would be wise not to take unnecessary risks.

The harsh wet pounded his face. The rain had arrived. He stared at Tara Rakalen. She winced at the sudden downpour. Clutching her infant, she sought refuge under a shade tree with thick leaves. She stared away, avoiding eye contact...staring in disbelief, in shock and horror. She pointed. Above, a tubular craft flew. Velal wondered if they had discovered their absence. More likely, they had discovered the dead Rok Matars and were searching for them. It was not good. The Rok Matars were cruel and swift to retaliate. They’d kill many to satiate their anger.

Rain pattered hard. It was unwelcome. Small streams became rivers, and the sloping mountain was unsafe. They huddled, clinging to the trees and rocks or anything that could withstand the torrential rains. Tara Rakalen stared at him. The link of hostile silence was broken. She gripped his attention, her mask of a face a mixture of controlled anxiety and despair. What do you hope to achieve?

We want to live. Don’t you?

Yes, but by helping us. Why do it? I can’t understand your reasons. I struggle with it.

I don’t know why I do it. Perhaps I long for sanity. Too much killing, too much bloodshed. I am fed up.

She whispered, The odds are stacked against us. The Vestars are winning the war. The last report sent out was devastating. They had attacked the Praying Mantises and the Tao-Hus. And if that was not terrible enough, the Talurians sided with them and dealt the Tao-Hus a devastating blow. They, like us, have been wiped out. Let’s say they joined the club.

How do you know these things?

That is not important. What I say is the truth. We have nowhere to go.

Are you saying we should give up?

No, I merely tell you what is out there. That craft is but one in thousands. There is no way we will get off this planet.

We got out of the mines. Who would have thought we’d dare, much less succeed?

That was easier. But the moment everyone disappears as you intend, they’d come with ruthless force to kill us all. There is no way the Rok Matars will let it stand. They will find us to save face. Besides, the consequences for them will be immediate. Failure to them is death. Heck. Victory is death. How do we win against creatures that live to die?

I don’t know unless we give them reasons to live.

She screamed. Her terror rocked everyone. Velal flew across the mountainside as the Rok Matar struck him. She flailed away as she clutched her son. The Rok Matar lurched towards Velal. Velal rolled in time to avoid getting pummeled. The slippery slope made his escape difficult. But it served no favors for his foe. The Rok Matar slipped and sank deep. But as powerful as its large feet and great claws were, it jumped and continued its attack. Parem Rekat, Kabath Taibak, and Jarok came to his rescue, more precisely, to receive their share of the blows. Jarok tumbled down. Kabath Taibak crashed into a tree. The loud thud horrified Velal. But Parem Rekat charged against the Rok Matar, who was unbalanced. They both tumbled down the mountainside. The sheer force and the breaking of branches and subsequent fall down a cliff saved them. Unfortunately, not everyone survived. Kabath Taibak and Parem Rekat did not make it. Jarok and Velal were the only ones who survived. Water sloshed over the cliff like a waterfall. His eyes and throat burned. Velal held his side. The blow hurt him. And his feet wobbled as he collapsed.

Velal. Velal. Tara called his name. The visceral pain was unbearable. Echoes erupted into bangs of an ear-piercing roar. And with each crack, more pain pierced him. His body and mind recoiled with the intensity. Velal, Velal. Wake up. The darkness had claimed him, and the strong wind and intense rain were eager to do their part. Explosions rocked. But the reverberating sounds grew louder as he opened his eyes. Owl eyes bored into him. Tara Rakalen stood above him. He lay on the mud-filled ground. There was nothing she could do about the rain. He struggled to sit upright. But a glance showed he was no longer in the same place. She had dragged him. That accounted for his severe pain in his back. And his head hurt on account of her dropping him many times as she struggled to drag him up to a safe place.

What happened?

Another Rok Matar attacked your friend. He saved our lives by running and screaming.

Did he kill the Rok Matar?

She went silent. No, it tore him apart. It was horrible.

How did it not kill you and the others?

There are no others, only you and me.

The children, the other females...they are dead?

She sobbed uncontrollably, clasping her mouth. Velal did not know, and could not know, the creature was nearby searching for them.

I sent them to hide. I don’t know if they are alive or not. I had to save you.

Why did you? That was your chance to get rid of me. The Rok Matars would have finished the job. You would have been free to forge your path.

I don’t know how to fly a cargo vessel. Others are skilled at such things. I am not. I can tell you’d know something about it.

Yes, I do. But it doesn’t explain why you risked your life to save mine.

I suppose I owe you for saving our lives.

I guess we are even. That means you and I and whoever escaped is all that’s left.

What do we do?

We wait. Letting it discover our location would be our deaths. The rain is our ally. It washed away our scents. So long as we stay put, it cannot find us. Let’s hope the others wisely do the same.

Velal leaned against the rock. The cavern provided them with more than protection from the rain. It was the perfect hiding place. Shrubs obscured its location. He kept trembling. He had to stop the trembling. He was drenched and soaked in pain. He had to clear his mind. The truth stood beside him. Life wanted to teach him and her a lesson. They were all they had.

Tara Rakalen was rigid. We must find the others. I have to find my son.

Why did you leave your son to save me?

I told you. We can’t survive without your help. I spoke with the females. Most are used to a life of luxury. Being here in the wild under the rain terrifies them. We would not last a week on our own. We’d not know where to go.

Trust me when I say this. I am no explorer. But if anything I do know is I will find a way for us to stay alive. We need the rain to stop, so we search for the others. Hopefully, they are safe. If they are, we will make it.

The harsh rain spread at the cavern’s entrance. Velal focused on the downpour that he didn’t see the Rok Matar until it was almost near the entrance. He signaled for Tara Rakalen to be silent and not move. Any deep breaths or sudden movements could make the creature discover their location. Her hair was wet, hanging in deep-dark ropes over her shoulders, framing the ridges of her forehead. Her cheeks were harsh, taut, and hid a grimace as she pressed against the wall, not moving, not wanting to die. Her eyes were honey-colored with the strong features of a determined Karilian desperate to stay alive.

Chapter 2

The stingrays flew . They had joined with the squadron Kravalus-Tax had previously sent. They were a larger group of ten Karilian fighters. It was all Kravalus-Tax could afford to send out. Their mission was to hunt and kill Kraxtus and those who helped destroy the Karilian Empire. They had travelled with constant stops across rocks, moons, and planets. They came across many enemy fighters along their way. They wanted to destroy the Rok Matar vessels. But that was not their mission. Finding the starship was their only objective. It was an unenviable challenge. With so many vessels scurrying through, it was nearly impossible. But they understood one thing: they desired vengeance and would stop at nothing until they got it. So they pressed on. For days, they had to keep hiding. They were fearful of being discovered as a group of Rok Matars prowled. But their surprise came when the Rok Matars came under attack. It shocked Rukat-Jax. The Rok Matars were escaping, not praying mantises or Faran-Jars, but a Rok Matar battle cruiser with squadrons of fighters. They heard of a band of rebels, but no one believed it was possible. But the explosions and the fierce fighting were no lie. They kept hidden, observing at a safe distance. And to their amazement, they noticed the battle cruiser encountered another starship. It was the one they were after. And they would have charged to attack, but with so many enemy fighters, they stayed out, hoping the Rok Matars would finish the job. And inexplicably, the rebellious Rok Matars and the Alliance starship joined forces to destroy their common foe. Their small squadron was no match for two battle-tested starships with their many fighters. So Rukat-Jax observed and determined to follow the starship. They would deal them a fatal blow when they least expected it. They had good news to send back. They had located the starship everyone wanted to destroy. Revenge was their mission, and they’d strike them at a time of their choosing.

A’Ress Mvian sent more vessels to contain the situation. They had failed to push out the Faran-Jars. Quite the opposite, the Faran-Jars had dug deep and expanded their zone of control. She spoke with the Axiars seeking their support. But they were reluctant to enter directly into the war. They committed to provide support but not forces. They were not eager to confront the Faran-Jars. They made it abundantly clear they were no match for the Faran-Jars. Unlike the Karilians, whom they could intimidate into doing their bidding, the Vestars did not have that ability with the