A week has transpired since the entries training and the preparations for the impending battle on Molorx. As Navar and Miri lie in their hotel beds, a loud noise emanates from their pagers, rousing them from their sleep. Miri stretches her limbs as she wakes and then nudges Navar to wake him up. "Come on, Navar, wake up."
Navar stretches his arms wide, feeling his muscles loosen up as he yawns. He rubs his eyes, then blinks a few times to adjust to the bright light. "What's goin' on?"
Miri presents the message to Navar. "499 summoned us at noon to Meeting Room A on The Ark. Let's get moving so we can get a good seat on the bus."
"Ok," Navar and Miri freshen up in the hotel bathroom, don their warrior armor, and head out.
As they stroll down Evac-12's streets, a vibration emanates from their waistbands, causing them to stop. Navar and Miri's eyes widen feverishly upon receiving a message from Jax on their pagers. "I'm awake now."
"Let's go see him!" says Navar
"You bet!" says Miri.
Navar and Miri walk into Jax's Evac 12 Hospital room, and they see him propped up in bed, looking much better than they had expected. "It's about time you two made it here," Jax grins broadly, his lips curling upward in a welcoming smirk.
Navar and Miri rush over to Jax, throwing their arms around him in a tight embrace. "I'm just glad you're ok!" says Navar.
"It's been a long while since we've seen you!" says Miri.
Jax squirms in discomfort as Navar and Miri hug him. "You guys are kinda huggin' me too hard," Jax lets out a strained chuckle.
"Oh, sorry," Navar and Miri release Jax from their embrace. Miri gazes over at a compact maroon-colored hard-backed book with yellow wording on the front of it saying "Academy Strategies". "So they're having you read this boring crap now?"
"Yeah, I just started readin' a couple hours ago, and I stopped after 3 hours. If I read anymore, I'm sure my eyes would have popped out of my eye sockets."
"I don't blame you. That seems like too much of a chore to read."
"It sure is. So why are you guys in your Warrior armor? I thought we all weren't being deployed in battle?"
"There was a change of plan. Rai recommended we go since we know the layout of the base."
"So you guys were summoned by 499 to go to The Ark later on today?"
"Yeah, that's correct. Do you think The Academy will have you fly during the battle?"
Jax's face falls as he folds his arms in disappointment. "I doubt it. Unlike 499 and Bushiyon, Bartholomew didn't buy into lettin' the Cadets off easy. He's makin' us read up on these strategies, and then he's makin' us give an oral speech afterward."
"Ugh, that's so unfair of him, that green-haired jerk! And what does oral mean?" asks Navar.
"Just know it sucks," says Jax.
Miri and Jax exchange a knowing look before breaking out into a snicker. Navar tilts his head to the side, trying to understand the joke as his eyebrows knit together. "What the hell is so funny?"
"Oh, nothin'. It just means you have to go in front of the class and give a presentation, that's all."
"Oh, ok! Do you need help, Jax?" asks Navar.
"Nah, I got it. I appreciate you askin', though."
Miri stares over at her watch, which reads 10:35. "I'd love to reconnect with you more, Jax, but we gotta go."
"Ok, Don't let me hold you guys up any longer. You go ahead to your mission."
"Ok, Jax, see ya later!" says Navar.
Navar and Miri leave the hospital and take Evac-12's Space bus to The Ark. They enter a room with Astran, Seiju, Juyon, Denkei, Nozomi, and 499 standing inside. "All of you made it on time. Good job. Now I can get into the briefing," says 499.
"You're all about to be deployed into battle alongside me and a battalion of soldiers. During the week of your training, The Goblin army raided one of our planets and gathered an apocalyptic weapon. Since you all explored and gathered somewhat of a layout of the base, you'll go in there and search for it while we fight the rest of their forces. We'll also have Pikati accompany you since his far-sight abilities can be of great use for you guys for recon. To conclude with a probable problematic scenario, the three super specimens might be within the base waiting for you all. If you are to encounter them, do not engage. Page Bushiyon, and he will send a high-ranking warrior to assist you. Any more questions before we board the ship?"
"…"
"Good, come aboard," The rookies, 499, and multiple battalions of soldiers board a legion of transport spaceships and set a course for Molorx. After seven long hours of flight, they arrive within Molorx's orbit, which appears defenseless with no ships or planetary defenses. "Why don't they have a blockade set up?" asks Juyon.
"While you were training, Admiral Bartholomew led an assault on the blockade. To reduce the number of casualties to their army, the Goblins decided it was best to send the rest of their forces to Molorx."
"Are you sure we're not being led into a trap?"
"I doubt it. They don't have enough forces to spare to perform such a maneuver."
"We're entering the atmosphere. You guys get back into your seats! To prevent injury from turbulence," says a pilot over the P. A.
With a roar, the spaceships pierce through Molorx's atmosphere, and the pilot of 499's spaceship presses buttons on the control board. "Gathering coordinates for the base," he says over a radio.
"Roger that. We're following right behind you!" says the pilots of the other ships. The transport ships maintain a close-knit formation as they glide through the sky.
Suddenly, a multitude of rocks on fire whiz through the air after being launched by catapults, and they head straight for the spaceships. "Look out!" says the pilot over the speaker. Every spaceship is bombarded by the raining fire rocks, causing the crew to brace themselves against the jolts of impact. "We're crashing! Everyone deploy parachutes!" says a pilot over comms.
499 walks over to the resting bay. "Everyone, grab a parachute. We're going to have to walk the rest of the way to the base," With their parachutes fastened, the group leaps from the plane and floats through the air until they reach an open-fielded area of Molorx. "How far are we from the base?" asks 499
The pilot enters the coordinates onto his wristwatch. "We're 15 miles north of it."
"Got it. Follow me. Enemies could be anywhere around here," As they walk toward The Goblin Base, the sweltering heat beats down on them during their long stroll. 499 presses his pager. "Is anyone out there?" The radio crackles with static, with no sound or anything coming through. "Still no signal."
Navar wipes the significant amount of trickling sweat shimmering down his forehead. "It's so hot out here, too."
"We'll be there shortly. We only have one mile to go."
A sigh of relief escapes Navar's lips. "Good. Once we get there, we should take a break."
"Agreed," says everyone else in unison.
They make it to the bottom of the steep hill, the top of it only a few meters from them. "We will be able to see the base from overtop this hill," says the pilot.
As Pikati looks ahead with his Farsight, he sees a large group of armed enemies, and his eyes widen in alarm. "Wait! An entire army of Goblins and Elves is on standby at the base!"
"Let's get a better look at what we're dealing with," says 499. They stroll up the hill's peak and see The Goblin Army's ground unit armed, numbering in the thousands, as far as the eye can see.
Seiju lets out a loud groan of frustration. "Dealing with?! Oh, you've got to be kidding me! Don't tell me we're about to fight an entire army?!"
"There they are, armed and all. This will not be easy," says Juyon.
The black hilt of 499's Katana glints as he unsheathes it from his sheath. "You all stay back.... I'll create a path for you all to enter the base..."