The remaining Dialorian shoved the princess into the orb in front of them. She sent helpless wails into a silent void.
"Shut up, Sariah."
Anniston's body felt numb. The wails drowned every other sound.
An image appeared in her mind. She saw herself in a shining white chamber, reaching for the princess.
"It will be okay, Sariah," she told the little girl.
Her voice reverberated through the chamber.
"I can adopt you," she told a trembling Sariah. "I know you don't know me very well, but I can give you a safe place."
"I want my mama," Sariah said, "but I'll live with you."
Reality returned, and Anniston blinked away the white chamber. No time remained to question why a white chamber, and where did the name Sariah come from? They had arrived at the transport, and Raylay had already enabled the door. They hovered idle. The girls ducked under the ceiling and jumped in two by two. Anniston offered Annika a hand up and hoisted her in. Anniston stole one final peek through the passenger cabin window as the ship that carried Sariah ascended into the atmosphere. The door secured into place, and the ground receded. The orbs ascended too, in a vertical line, and maintained the same elevation.
"What was her name?" Anniston mumbled.
"Sariah, I think," Anthem replied.
The touch devices flashed, and the transport pulsed.
"We've got company," Raylay announced, studying the rear view cam.
"Put on the energy shield," Ty screamed.
Beyond them, the orbs had shifted. The vertical line became a semicircle. One filled the front view.
"On a scale of one to ten, how strong is this shield?" Annika demanded.
"I'm doubting it too," Raylay admitted. "And he's too close for the cannons."
"Then for the love of everything sanctified, go up faster!" Annika screamed.
Raylay opened a window in the ceiling and shifted the rear view cam upward. Space above them was clear. At least, for now.