The Colonel looked at the man who had appeared in front of him. "What a surprise... Abraham, the new minister of defense" he laughed. "Or rather, a security guard playing minister of defense. But I imagine that being close to the president has the advantages of her "

Abe didn't give in to the provocation. "It's over, McCullough!" he said. "You have already lost. We know all about your plan and all the intrigues the NMWA has set up. Let's avoid further bloodshed. Give up now and cooperate, and maybe the law will be kind to you"

"Tsk!" The Colonel wasn't intimidated. "Do you think I'm falling for it? I have studied my strategy for a long time. You may know something, but it is impossible for you to know everything. And even if that were the case, you can't hope to stop us. You are too few and we have the best weapons"

"Even if you manage to reach the Eternal Palace, how do you think you can rule the nation? With the support of the NMWA?" Abe asked. "Stupid! You'll just be their puppet, McCullough. They will use you to turn this country into a battlefield and then throw you away as soon as they no longer need you! Do you really think they care about this country, or about you? You will be nothing but cannon fodder for them! "

The Colonel dropped his smile and took on an aggressive frown. "Shut up! I have no intention of being taught by a traitor of humanity like you. Will the NMWA exploit me and will I just be their puppet? What if it will? You and your president proclaim yourselves defenders of peace, but in reality you are putting yourself at the service of those monsters! Dinosaurs run this country now, not Jocelyne Jersey! She is the puppet, not me!"

"You are wrong. Everything the president has done, she has done of her will of her. Dinosaurs didn't interfere in our politics in the slightest. They could have done it, indeed, they could even have conquered us at any moment, but they don't care. It is not in their interest to govern us. They don't see us as an enemy to be crushed, as you see them! They just want to be left alone and live with us on this planet, as we should have done from the beginning!"

"All lies! What living creature once discovered the power wants nothing more? You can say what you want, nobody will fall for it. We know that you are nothing but the dinosaurs' servants and we know that you cannot win this battle! You fight because forced, we fight for freedom! You have bad guns, we have the best guns on the market! And while you are alone, we have the whole of humanity supporting us!"

The Colonel's followers burst into cheers. McCullough smiled wryly as he saw Abe's frowning face. He was happy; he had shown the fool that no one would buy his lies. But suddenly there was a series of thuds, and then a voice boomed: "They aren't alone"

Under the shocked gaze of all, a large giganotosaurus covered by a thick armor appeared from behind a building, showing itself in all its monstrosity. His eyes rested on the Colonel and in them McCullough could read the challenge. "They too have the support of someone powerful!" he growled, making the air tremble slightly in front of his mouth.

The Colonel wrinkled his nose. "Do you still deny that you sold yourself to dinosaurs, Abraham?" he asked him. "Apparently one of them came here on purpose to eliminate us"

"No sale and no submission" corrected the giganotosaurus. "My name is Snock, and I didn't come here to control or subjugate anyone. It was President Jersey who asked our pack leader for help, and he sent me to stop this madness"

"That's what a boss does! He sends aid to support his puppet government!"

"That's what an ally does. It sends aid to support a government legitimately voted by its own people" corrected Snock. "President Jersey was democratically elected and without any electoral fraud, and since she has been in power she has worked hard to improve conditions in this country. On the contrary, you, 'Colonel', not only committed treason but also sold your own country to foreigners. You have allowed them to land and occupy your territory and put the safety of your citizens at risk. From my point of view, President Jersey is a pack leader who has done everything to protect her pack and who hasn't hesitated to ask a friend for help in times of need; on the contrary you, McCullough, are a false pack leader who has convinced your followers with vain promises and who will allow another pack to occupy your territory and exploit your people as they please"

Silence fell on the street. For the first time, the Colonel seemed to have lost the use of the word. The giganotosaurus words were so harsh and his tone so severe that no one seemed to be able to react.

Abe took advantage of the moment to speak again. "I appeal to all of you! Give up. Don't throw your lives away so ignominiously. There is no reason to shed blood today!"

Some of the rebels finally seemed to give signs of rethinking. But the Colonel was not prepared to let it go. He had come too far now: he had to finish the job: "Fuck! You can have all the allies you want, you won't stop us! Today we will get this country back on its right path and you can't do anything to stop us! Whether they are dinosaurs or humans, you will not be able to block our advance!" and having said this he raised his machine gun: "Today I will hang a giganotosaurus head on my wall!"

And having said that he fired. With his infallible aim, the Colonel was able to hit Snock in the places where the armor exposed the skin underneath. The bullets bounced off thanks to [Reinforced skin], but Snock was still a little annoyed and stepped back slightly.

This was enough to rekindle courage in the rebels. Seeing the giganotosaurus retreat, they screamed and rushed forward. The Colonel let out a war cry, ready to lead his soldiers to victory.

But they had underestimated their opponents. While they were still approaching, a barrage of bullets rained down from the sky. It was totally unexpected and at least two hundred rebels fell to the ground lifeless. The Colonel looked up and saw dozens, perhaps even hundreds of snipers stationed above the buildings. He panicked: 'How did they set up a trap so quickly? Unless... did they really know everything? '

He did not have time to think further: the soldiers of the Beleriard army opened fire in turn. The rebels protected themselves with riot shields, but several grenades were thrown into their midst. The Colonel noticed that hidden behind the enemy front line were several soldiers armed with grenade launchers. How was this possible? Odaria's army had lost virtually all of their heavy weapons... unbeknownst to him, the ones the humans were using were part of those returned to Abe by the dinosaurs.

But the Colonel kept his cool. The rebels also had grenade launchers; they could fight back! But before he could give the order, two triceratops appeared on the rebel line. Not only did they wear armor, but on their backs there was a massive cannon similar to that of a tank! When they fired, the Colonel could see that it was not like that of a tank: it WAS that of a tank!

The instant the giant bullets exploded in their midst, the number of rebels dropped dramatically. Within minutes, more than five hundred rebels had died, while the enemy had not yet suffered a single loss.

The Colonel could not understand what was happening. How could he have failed? He fought for humanity, for the salvation of his species! With his death, humanity would have lost! But he couldn't feel sorry for himself or feel sorry for himself; as the rebels began to retreat in disorder, Snock ran to the enemy line and opened his jaws, and sliced him in two in an instant. And so he met the death J. Wesley McCullough. Seeing that their commander was dead, the remaining rebels immediately surrendered and were arrested by the army and taken away.

"Good. The first battle ended well" Abe said. "Now everyone to the port! Let's get ready for the Commission's attack!"

**********

Colonel Wainfleet was waiting in his submarine off the coast of Beleriard, when finally one of his soldiers came to warn him: "Sir, our ally has carried out the coup successfully"

"Great" Wainfleet said. "Go to the port and get ready to disembark! As soon as McCullough makes the proclamation of him where he will allow us to set foot on national soil, we will finally be able to occupy the Beleriard"

"He's already doing it, sir"

Wainfleet looked at the screen pointed to him by the second of him. On it you could see the face of the Colonel with behind what was left of the presidential hall of the Eternal Palace. "Today we triumph!" he was screaming at the top of his voice. "We, the true protectors of humanity! We, who do not bow to dinosaurs or any other invaders! We, who are not afraid to face the enemy! And that is why I officially reopen the ports to our true ally, the NMWA, which like us fights for humanity!"

"Well... he may be a fanatic, but he certainly knows how to speak" laughed Wainfleet. "Come on, let's disembark!"

**********

Jocelyne was amazed. "That… it looked like the Colonel! It was identical! How did you do that?"

Blue shrugged. "Easy. I used a bit of computer graphics: I had an actor play this part, then I replaced the image of him with that of the Colonel and I modified the voice to make it more like him. Then I interfered with the electromagnetic radiation to ensure that this video was picked up by the submarines of the NMWA as if it came from the national network"

"I doubt it was that simple"

"I simplified the explanation as much as possible to make it understandable"

Jocelyne bit her lip. That velociraptor was bluntly a genius, and she didn't criticize Sobek's decision to put her in charge of the dinosaur science staff. She was amazing how she was able to understand human technology in such a short time that she could create such a perfect fake video.

She shook her head. "Very good. Now it's time for the last phase of the plan" she murmured, and then went into another room where an entire film crew was already stationed. Al was there too, lying behind a desk. Jocelyne sat down and looked towards the camera. The man she was recording raised her arm: "Three... two... one... we're on the line!"

Jocelyne folded her arms in front of him. She knew that at that moment the whole nation was watching her, so she had to look as respectable and confident as possible. "Good morning, people of the Beleriard. I apologize for the constant emergency calls that were made today, but they were made for a good cause. A terrible plot has been carried out against our nation. Two are responsible: the first is Colonel McCullough, who today attempted a coup against us. But the real mind behind this criminal act is only one: the NMWA!"

Jocelyne talked for nearly twenty minutes, while she explained sentence by sentence all the deceptions, plots, crimes and plans carried out by the NMWA on the soil of Beleriard. He did not miss a single detail and presented all the evidence he had gathered against the international organization, showing how much it had tried to destabilize the government and put a puppet at the head of the nation so as to turn it into their outpost and start a war against the dinosaurs, effectively endangering the lives of the millions of people who lived there.

If Jocelyne had had the gift of clairvoyance, she could have seen that in all the homes of the nation people were attached to television, and those who did not have run to friends or to public places. The more she talked, the more indignant expression was painted on the faces of all of them: even those who were against Jocelyne's peace policies could not justify the NMWA's actions. We were talking about invasion and coups d'etat; in any order, this was a beautiful and good act of war! Those who claimed to be the defenders of humanity had deliberately put the lives of millions of people at risk and actively interfered in the affairs of a free nation. It was unacceptable!

Jocelyne obviously did not disclose the dinosaurs' involvement in the investigation; if she had done so, surely someone would have accused her of allowing them to spy on citizens. She passed off the discovery of the plot as an act of Beleriard's counterintelligence. However, the merit of the dinosaurs was not forgotten: Jocelyne told how to avoid the coup and the invasion she had asked Sobek for help in great secrecy and he had generously decided to lend him part of his troops even though the dinosaurs were also in a emergency situation. Jocelyne explained how it was only thanks to those troops that the army was able to avert the Colonel's coup without death. Basically, the dinosaurs were the heroes who helped save Beleriard.

"At the moment, Colonel McCullough has been stopped, but the real enemy is coming" Jocelyne finally said. "Our radars have signaled the arrival of the NMWA submarines that will soon land on our territory. The Defense Department and I have already put a defense plan in place, so I beg you to remain calm and not to abandon your homes or the building you are currently in. Our soldiers are already in place and will have the support of our dinosaur allies. And in this regard, the dinosaur negotiator here present, lord Al, would like to say a few words"

The allosaurus moved its head slightly to get a better picture. He didn't seem to be very comfortable with him, and Jocelyne couldn't blame him. However, there was a clear resolve in his eyes. "Thank you, president Jocelyne. I have one thing to say to our soldiers who are currently preparing for a bloody battle, and by 'our soldiers' I mean everyone, whether they are humans, dinosaurs, pterosaurs or marine reptiles. Today, regardless of our ideas, we are one front, because no living being with reason will ever accept such a crime. I know we are outnumbered, and I know many of you are afraid, but I ask you to chase it away! The NMWA may send soldiers armed with rifles and machine guns, but we are armed with the knowledge that we are right. They will be stronger, but we know the territory better than them! They will have submarines and torpedoes, but we have the sea that offers us cover and we know how to use the situation to our advantage! They will also be armed, but they are fighting only for profit; we, on the other hand, fight because we cannot tolerate such a despicable act! Here is what I want to ask you, soldiers at the front, of whatever kind you are: do not give in to fear but be courageous, and I can assure you that no one will be able to defeat you! The day will come when we will abandon friends and break all bonds of brotherhood, but this is not the day! The day will come when the strong can afford to abuse the weak, but this is not the day! There will be a day when such criminal acts will be tolerated and indeed those who perpetuate them will be called heroes of the homeland, but this is not the day! Today we will fight, and we will show the NMWA that this is not a weak country, much less one that tolerates being abused in this way, and that they will never be able to break us up or divide us! For all that you hold dear on this beautiful land, I invite you to resist!"

Far from the Eternal Palace, along the coast, the Beleriard army led by Abe was awaiting the arrival of the enemy. They weren't alone: Snock and the other dinosaurs were there as well. The two groups had remained divided the whole time: even though they were on the same front, the humans did not feel comfortable being next to the dinosaurs. However, when Abe announced that the president was about to give a speech, all the soldiers had abandoned whatever they were doing and used their communication devices to follow the speech in real time. In a short time they were so enraptured by the words of Jocelyne and Al that they had not even noticed that the dinosaurs, intrigued, had approached and that in turn they could not take their eyes off the screen.

When she was sure that Al had nothing more to say, Jocelyne stood up and spoke one last time, and in her eyes everyone could see an extraordinary determination; even though she looked like a fifteen-year-old girl with an angelic and kind face, at that moment she looked like a goddess of war in all respects and people felt their hearts warm to see her so sure of herself. "Thank you, lord Al. I also ask all the soldiers at the front to fight without fear. Because today there are no barriers, there are no differences, there are no prejudices! Whoever you are, of any species, race, ideology or religion, today you are brothers who fight to defend the homeland! Stand up like a wall and block the commission! Save your country, save your people, save the peace! Today, humans and dinosaurs, for the first time in history, will fight together! And may the whole world understand that ours is not a nation that yields to the invader! LET THOSE BASTARDS UNDERSTAND THAT BELERIARD IS NOT CONQUERABLE!"

"YES, FUCK THEM!" The soldiers at the camp exploded in a war cry. Many cheered and screamed even more with all the breath they had in their lungs.

"THEY MUST UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT AN EASY PREY!"

"SHOW THEM WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO GO AGAINST US!"

"FUCK THE NMWA! WE ARE THE BELERIARD!"

It was amazing what effect a good speech could have on people. All the human soldiers felt their hearts beating madly and their blood became hot. If before many of them were afraid, now there was no trace of terror in their hearts. No one, from first to last, would have hesitated to stop the invader!

It was then that the soldiers noticed how close the dinosaurs had come and that they were watching the live broadcast too. The dinosaurs were clearly excited too, but they were holding back to avoid scaring their allies.

The situation stalled for a few seconds. Then one of the soldiers stepped forward and went before a utahraptor, to whom he raised his hand. The dinosaur looked at him amazed, but the man smiled at him: "So... brothers, for today?"

The utahraptor made his feathers quiver, then shook his hand. "Brothers for today!" he replied.

It was a moment: both humans and dinosaurs exploded in a cacophony of screams and roars. The celebrations resumed with even more enthusiasm than before. Dinosaurs, formerly separated from humans, now mingled with each other; even though the humans still kept at least two meters away, they no longer treated them like plague victims. Because that day no one was anyone's enemy: now, the only opponent was the one who was coming!

"LET THOSE BASTARDS SEE IT!"

"THE NMWA TO DEATH!"

"WANT TO TAKE THIS COUNTRY? LET THEM BLOOD FOR EVERY CENTIMETER!"

The cheering choruses resumed, but this time they were ten times more intense because the dinosaurs had joined them. Anyone who passed by would have seen a show that defied the imagination. It was as if the year-long rivalry between humans and dinosaurs had never existed.

Snock roared to the sky, overcoming all other shouts, and this intensified the courage and will to fight of all the soldiers. Abe too was in the fever of the moment. When the lookouts began to see the water rippling in the distance, everyone was ready to draw their weapons and fight to the death. "Are you ready, companion?" the new defense minister asked the giganotosaurus.

Snock nodded. "Let's kick their asses"