General Adkins P.O.V.
My special forces army is assembled in front of me. The brave Numirian men and women who underwent all the experiments of the cure, all of them have honed their unique abilities and stand before me with their heads held high.
Their eyes are focused and their jaws are clenched shut. None of them move an inch, you would think this was just an army of statues. My soldiers are ready to fight and finally put an end to this nightmare.
This is about more than helping another defenseless planet, this is revenge. Revenge for the ones we have lost due to Solarious and his attacks. This is our turn to bring the fight to him and make him suffer and pay for his crimes.
Just the mere thought of holding his head in my hands and raising it in the air for all to see that he had been vanquished. The crowds cheering and calling out my name. I can't help the satisfied smile that spreads across my lips.
"My brave soldiers, as you all know the reptilian warlord Solarious has made a move toward Caspia, seeking to take over the Galactic system. Our great Elders have called upon you to aid them, and to help me stop Solarious once and for all. Do you accept the call to arms?!"
My voice carries loud and confident, the voice of a leader without fear, the voice of a leader who will die alongside them if need be, anything at all to kill Solarious.
My soldiers raise their closed fists in the air and call out with their battle cries. There may be only a few hundred of them, but their war cry carries the spirit of thousands.
"Soldiers, board your ships, we leave in ten minutes," I reply.
Each of my soldiers gives a salute and row by row they all board their assigned ships. Their boots clamoring against the metal floor beneath their feet. I suck in a breath, easing my nerves. The nerves of a man who had lost so much and now finally had a chance to serve justice for his people.
*** Three hours before deployment.****
Z P.O.V.
General Adkins had summoned us all to the courtyard close by everyone's sleeping quarters. In my gut I feel he is about to deliver some news we don't want to hear. This uneasy feeling of dread and despair won't leave me and it has my mind wandering while he talks. Well, that is until I catch the words "Solarious and Caspia."
I snap to focusing on the movement of his mouth and the following sentences that leave it. I can't believe the words that leave his lips. Solarious is actually making a move, months after his failed attack on Numir.
" The Elders of Numir have requested your assistance with this matter. While our special forces are brave and mighty, your more keen knowledge with his right hand man Neese and some insight into Specimen X would give us a great advantage over him." His eyes are pleading and hopeful.
Placing a hand on his shoulder I give it a reassuring squeeze.
"You don't have to ask twice, it would be our pleasure to help take down that bastard once and for all."
We all nod our heads simultaneously in agreement. After all that is why we had come here in the first place to seek out help where others have failed to follow through. Or the surprise that Neese had the F.O.G. in his pocket.
"Is Wharton going to be coming as well?" Emily asks, breaking the brief silence.
"Yes, he is leading the second squadron, I am leading the first. You all will be boarding with me. Our squad will be making first contact, the plan is to hopefully neutralize Solarious and his forces before they release specimen X. "
"And if we fail?" Nicole asks.
" Worse case we lose a lot of civilians and manpower." General Adkins replies with a hint of worry in his voice.
We all take a minute to contemplate the outcome of this failing. Those that would suffer, the consequences that would affect everyone. But, as the certainty of it all falls in place, none of us are ready to back down.
"In that case we deploy in a few hours, gather what you need in that time. Then join me at the hangar " He shakes my hand and leaves.
We gather together in our own small three person circle. I want to tell Emily to stay behind so that she would be safe here on Numir away from battle. However, if the past few months have shown me anything it is that number one she wouldn't listen to me and go anyways. Number two for being a human with incell DNA and immortality she is very strong in spirit.
"We will travel lightly, gather any spare clothes and a few of our own weapons. When we have packed we will rendezvous with General Adkins and the other soldiers."
I look at my love and our friend. Nicole has a sad look upon her face. One that shows she is having a mental war going on within herself. I can see while she wants to go and aid in the fight at the same time she still has her sister in a coma. The want of fighting and the want of being with her sister at the same time have her at odds with herself. A feeling I know all too well.
"Nicole," I say softly.
She lifts her eyes to meet mine, but she doesn't say anything. Instead I go ahead and continue what I was going to say.
" If you would like, you can stay here with your sister. I know what it's like to be torn in two different directions. No one will blame you for staying with her. That is your family after all and no one can expect you to put her aside for something else."
Her conflicting gaze falls and her shoulders slump. I can see how badly she wishes that it were possible to be in two places at once. Clearly she won't make a decision, so I will make it for her.
" Nicole, I want you to stay here with your sister and the rest of Numir. If a surprise attack befalls here, at least they will have the strength of a droid to aid them." My tone is firm, this isn't a request, it is an order and I know that she knows it.
With a grateful smile and a farewell hug, Emily and I leave for the hanger. There isn't any time to lose, the quicker we leave the quicker we can intercept Solarious before he reaches Caspia.
" Ya know, I am actually in shock," Emily beams, taking my hand in hers.
Quirking an eyebrow I turn my head slightly to look at her.
"Oh?" I reply, trying to fight back the smirk that threatens to surface.
"I half expected you to try and talk me out of going, and yet you didn't, so yes I am shocked."
Her focus turns to the path ahead of us, the calmness of our surroundings. The air kisses our bodies with a gentle breeze, causing the grass and tree branches to sway.
"There was no need to tell you to." I responded.
She pauses mid step and looks at me, her whole body turned to me.
"Why not?," she beckons.
With a deep breath, I shake my head and smile.
"Because, I know you well enough, that even if I was to tell you to stay, you wouldn't, you would have gone regardless of my wishes. Therefore, I had no need to ask you to stay."
Emily contemplates my reasoning, choosing silence over offering another word. She grasps my hand again and we continue walking towards the hangar. Sometimes this human can truly make my head spin. The way she chooses her words and then chooses to stay silent drives me insane.
I crave to know what goes on in that beautiful mind of hers. I wish to know how she feels. What she is thinking. I wish to know all of her and yet, I never will. It is a sad fact of life that no one alive will ever truly know every detail about another being. Despite how much time they have.
Emily P.O.V.
Our walk seems to end just as quickly as it began. The hangar comes into full view. The chrome building with curved edges shines with the way the light from the suns reflects off of it. Off in the distance the special forces march row by row into the hangar and soon out of sight.
The closer we get the more noise that invades my ears, and the peace and quiet thunders away. The thrusters from the ships are roaring with life, vibrating the ground around them. With both ships up and going the ground feels as if it is being shaken by an earthquake.
We find General Adkins on the ramp of his ship. He stands along the edge watching as his soldiers make their way in. He has always been the type of leader that would be last to board and first to unboard. He cares about the people under his command and cares deeply about protecting Numir with all his might.
He greets us with a nod as we board the ship. Taking our seats next to each other, the soldiers sit in one solid row on either side. None of them are talking, their large weapons rest on their laps and their helmets placed on their left knee. It's clear they are focused and ready for a fight.
As the last of the remaining troops file in, the doors close behind them locking tight as the released air pressure hisses. I should be nervous, I should be scared of the battle that is to come, but I'm not. Far from it actually, if anyone can believe that. This will be my chance to finally do some good and be of use to others instead of a burden. My DNA helped to create a type of cure and this large squadron of special forces. That much I can be proud of. But, until I actually prove myself in battle I am still nothing but a mere weak human who just got lucky.
"Emily, are you alright?" Z nudges my shoulder with her arm.
Startled from my thoughts, I look up at her and just shake my head 'yes'. That doesn't seem to suffice with Z. Tilting her head slightly to the right she eyes me. Not even bothering to blink.
" I'm fine Z, don't worry. Just off in my own little world for a moment." I reply with a bit of sarcasm in my tone.
"And that is what worries me, when you zone out like that, you end up dwelling on something or stay distracted. That will get you hurt or killed in battle. Emily, it's not too late to change your-"
I glare right at her, causing Z to stop mid sentence. If daggers could shoot from my eyes they would be right now. I knew eventually she would try to get me to back down and stay away. So, this really shouldn't upset me that much, but it is. By now, I would think Z would have more faith in myself and my abilities. Hmph what a dumb thing to assume.
I turn my head away from her and fold my arms tightly. Looking away and ignoring her presence as she sits silently next to me. The air fills with the tension I radiate. Z doesn't shift away from me, hell she doesn't move an inch, instead she lets out a small sigh.
I waited a little longer before deciding that I was ready to address her and let her know just how pissed off I am.
" You know, if you were just going to talk me out of coming in the first place, you should have before we packed up and left, I even told you how surprised I was you didn't and yet-"
"I know," She says almost in a whisper like she was telling me a secret.
Z doesn't look at me, all shebdoes is lean her head back against the wall of the ship and close her eyes. I know she is thinking, trying to find the right words to say. Z is conflicted and in my small little fit I failed to see it at least until now.
"ETA ten minutes before we jump " General Adkins calls out.
That only means after the jump we will be within minutes of intercepting Solarious. Our only hope is that we reach them in time.
"Are you ready?" Z asks.
"More than ever," I reply.
Z smirks at me, I think we both had come to the silent conclusion that we will let the earlier matter rest for now. Right now I need to focus on the mission at hand. Petty feelings and squabbles can wait till after the fight.
A red light glows and turns the whole area into a deep red shadow. Strapping ourselves in we feel our bodies get pressed into our seats. The pull of the gravity shifting and the sudden jerk of jumping leave us being tossed forward and backward. Within minutes the sensation drifts away from our bodies and our muscles relax.
The white LED resumes its rightful place as the calming glow, all the redness fades out, as if it was never even there. I feel Z looking at me, I try not to pay any mind to it. But I can feel myself shrink underneath her gaze.
" You're staring again." I finally tell her, still not looking at her.
"I know," she replies.
A typical two word response. I really should be used to it by now, well at least one would think that I would be. I shake my head and sigh. It's annoying, yes, but at the same time I can't help the smile that betrays me.
"There's a smile I haven't seen in a while." Z nudges me and wraps her arm around me.
Her warmth radiates to my shoulders and across the middle of my back. I sink into it trying to get as close to her as possible. I don't want this feeling to cease. She has me, all of me.
" Everyone gear up!" General Adkins orders.
His troops immediately unbuckle and begin to straighten out their gear and make sure their weapons are loaded. There is a simultaneous 'click' sound as each gun is locked and loaded.
" Approaching enemy ship," The Captain addresses over the intercom.
"Alright, once we manage to divert fire from the other squad, we will dock Solarious ship. There is no need to tell you how risky this mission is. He will be ready, and so will his troops. Once those doors open, everyone needs to be ready to fire."
"Yes, General," his troops responded.
The ship shakes as it becomes thrashed by laser fire. The Captain maneuvers left and right, swaying us like ragdolls. I hold on to the leather handle that dangles just above my head, trying to keep my footing. Just as quickly as the fire came, it ended.
" It vanished." The Captain comes over the intercom.
Confused and alarmed General Adkins scrunches his face and presses the button to the intercom.
" What do you mean it vanished Captain?"
Another brief silence. And then a beep as the Captain replies.
" Solarious sir, his ship just vanished." The Captain is in total shock. His voice cracks across the intercom.
Everyone stands in stunned silence. Our whole plan was on intercepting Solarious and stopping him once and for all. And in the blink of an eye that plan has now shattered. General Adkins looks across the room at all the men and women who follow him without a hint of hesitation. I wonder what he is thinking as he looks from one to the next.
General Adkin P.O.V.
" It vanished." My Captain says over the intercom.
I hear the words and as I work to comprehend just what it means, I try to keep my face from falling. My soldiers look to me for confidence, courage, and knowing that I have their backs. Showing fear and doubt will lead to their own fears and doubts, which will get us all killed before the battle even actually starts.
Pulling myself out of my head I manage to finally respond to him.
" What do you mean it vanished Captain?"
There's a brief silence and an ominous feeling that washes over me like a cool wave on a beach. Then the intercom beeps and comes to life as the Captain addresses my question.
" Solarious sir, his ship just vanished." The Captain is in total shock. His voice cracks across the intercom. And I can tell my troops are beginning to carry the same stunned feeling themselves.
I look at each of them. Their faces are trying to remain absolute, but no matter how hard they try, that feeling of doubt and fear betrays them. Given away by the light that shines in their eyes and the thin lines of their lips.
I see Emily looking at me, I know she is waiting for me to speak. She is trying to read my own thoughts and wonders how I feel about the downfall of our whole plan. Truth be told there really isn't much to do, but to continue on to Caspia and join the other squadron on the field.
We got too cocky for our own good and thought a direct attack with a minor diversion would be enough. I can't help but laugh at myself for my own ignorance, of course the Reptilian overlord who has killed millions would take off and hide until the prime moment to attack and claim the planet for himself.
"I know our plan has crumbled, and just as I can't hide it, neither can any of you. The doubt and fear that you all feel, I feel it too. I won't lie to you and say I don't harbor any hesitation because I do."
They all gaze upon me and I straighten myself up and begin to pace in front of them to the left and right, one foot in front of the other.
" The only course of action I have now is joining the second squadron with Warren on the battlefield and fending off the enemy attacks. Maybe with enough push we can get them to retreat and save Caspia. But, be warned, with the surprise of Solaris just vanishing doesn't mean he won't come back with another assault."
I pause waiting for anyone tonreapond. They all just stand at attention. Silent.
"General, if I may" A young woman raises her hand.
Her eyes are a deep violet and her brunette hair is pulled back into a ponytail. She is one of the tallest women soldiers we have on Numir. Her power of levitation was gifted to her after the trials we did on a cure for specimen X.
" You may speak freely Sola," I gestured for her to come and stand next to me.
" General, would it be possible to split our squadron in two, half to join the forces on the ground and the other half to remain here on the ship, in case Solarious does come back for another attack.With his focus on the ground he won't suspect that we left any troops in orbit around Caspia."
I take a minute to ponder her suggested plan. It may sound risky to split up what little troops we do have. But on the other hand it is just as risky deploying us all to the battlefield. Weighing the pros and cons, it does seem like an option that gives us the most advantage.
" I agree Sola, we will go with your plan. Half will stay on board the ship, be ready to fight when he does decide to show himself, because he will." I command.
"Yes General!" They shout unanimously.
" The rest of us along with Z and Emily will join the ground forces. Good luck my soldiers and may the Elders forever shine upon you."
My troops salute me and we all begin to separate and make our way to the escape pods. Z and Emily ride together in the pilot and co pilot pod whilst the rest of us squeeze in the best we can. I only hope we are enough to stop Solarious and save Caspia from a disastrous fate.