The Alien fell to the floor after Naomi unleashed the light from her rifle. Naomi hoped that she did not hit the poor thing, but she had to wait to check on it. The Alien, a strange metal being, was in much better shape than the Skiritix she saw before her. Skiritix, it was what her people called the vile abomination that stood in a charred mess before her. She checked the creature, making sure that the one vital thing attached was also gone. She pushed the carcass over, revealing the monster’s back. On the base of the spine she saw what she was searching for. A long metallic green bug laid nestled into the back, digging its jagged legs inside to prevent itself from being dislodged. She drew her side arm, a less powerful version of her rifle, and planted against the bug, releasing the charge. The creature squirmed under the heat from the blast, but inevitably died. Satisfied, Naomi turned to the Alien. It laid exhausted, breathing softly as if it were only napping.
From what she could tell, the creature was a youngling no more than fourteen years. She smiled at it, for it reminded her of her younger sisters back home. Softly she spoke their names, praying to Seta for their safety.
Gathering herself, she reached down to grasp the Alien. The tendril that emerged from his carapace motioned towards her, moving inches away from her with its blade. It hummed shortly, but fell in a heap as the strange light faded from it. She sighed in relief, making sure she tied the two tendrils together. She lifted the Alien, and made her way out of the temple.
The feline played through her journey in her head, making sure she had every detail ready for her pride commander back at the hold. She noticed the strange light from the outside that hummed with the bluish red light the Alien seemed to generate. As she did, she entered the Temple to the Cheruv to find the source, she mistakenly opened it for the Skiritix to follow her in. Readying for the beast she ran to the room she had spotted and hid inside awaiting the Skiritix to follow her scent. She then noticed the Alien, the strange bed it rose from as it began taking in it’s surroundings. She planted the All-speak upon it and it conversed with her. She regaled the rest of the details in her head, moving swiftly to the nearest cropping of Terrotes that burst from the ground in metallic awe. They seemed to vibrate with her coming, shifting themselves so as to not impede her. She thanked Seta silently again for her blessings, pushing herself to her vehicle where her pride awaited.
Three of her pack runners guarded their escape, each fitted with the best weapons the pride could supply. It was their spear of light against the monsters, but the Touak back in her pride called it the Light Array Cannon, or some such nonsense. Clearly the thought to create such a weapon was from something dviine, but the scientists would talk in circles about the origins. Nevertheless, it was a fearsome weapon, melting the Skiritix and their host larva with radiant sun energy. She pushed through her troop grounds, carrying the Alien being to the Hellcat. The vehicle was another beast made by the Touak, a flying vessel made to jump and glide. With its four wings and jump jets, it would launch into the air and use its momentum to steer the vessel, allowing flight without a long start up time. As she loaded the Alien onto the Hellcat, her second in command approached her, her weapon humming with brilliant light.
“My pack leader, the enemies have been harrying us for three days now. We need to leave this desolate place before we are consumed ourselves.”
“Patience Marumba, we came to scout the enemies and their forces and we have. We leave in the hour, gather the runners.”
“Aye pack leader, it shall be as you say.”
The feline pushed herself on to the flying machine and went to the gunner seat. Aiming it towards the clearing, she waited for her people to return.
Minutes ticked by, but her pack runners did not approach. She eyed the clearing, her vision adjusting to the night as it approached. She caught the figures of her runners, but something was wrong. There was so few, and hours ago there was more than fifteen. She readied her cannon as her comrades returned. Her second was among them.
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“Pack leader the border scouts have been unresponsive, I fear they have been taken. We searched for signs, but a group of Tunnelers assaulted our vehicles. We’ve had to hike most of the way back, and we lost four of the sisters out there already.”
“What do you recommend Marumba?”
“It pains me, but I believe we must go, before the fallen alert the enemy of our presence any further.”
“I know your pain Marumba, and you are right. Alert the pilot, I want this place to our backs now.”
“As you wish, Pack leader.”
Her second moved to obey, but just as she turned to face the clearing the ground began to quake. It was the sign of their coming, the earth itself could not stand between them and their lust for the fallen. She aimed the cannon, readying herself once again.
They burst from the ground thirty yards away, the hardened carapace of the Skiritix and their Tunnelers, writhing with the fresh dirt as they screeched. She recognized one of her scouts, Mira, as she moved her beading black eyes at her. She hesitated for a moment. What made the Skiritix such a horrifying enemy was not their ravenous hordes or their numbers, but their tactics. There was nothing harder than having to fire at a person you once called friend. Steeling herself she opened fire and light upon the beasts, drowning out their screams of pain with rage. Mira fell before her and the second monstrosity had received a brunt of the blast, singeing off his right legs. She felt more tremors, revealing three more in the clearing. She discharged another blast at the beasts, dragging the beam in an arc. Most of the beasts were stunned by the blow, but one broke through the rest, charging straight for her and the Hellcat. She focused her blast on it, but the beast shrugged them off. It was made of solid metal, she realized. And the beams that she fired merely bounced off its incandescent hide. She screamed at the pilot to lift off as she readied another blast. The beast was five yards and closing quick, but the feline had a plan. Using the light cannon, she scorched the metal under the giant, melting the gem-riddled ground with ease. The beast stepped into the boiling minerals. The beast screeched at her, as the gems began to explode, cracking it’s shell-like body with ease. She sighed with relief, pushing the gun to the side as she helped the last of the pack runners on. Strapping into the vehicle, she braced as the pilot told them to hold onto something.
Naomi always loved the takeoff. Unlike a traditional aircraft like the ones the Touak always used, the Hellcat did not fly, but rather floated and glided. The big hunk of metal shot out of the ground with its thrusters, hoping into the air, then using its momentum, could float amongst the clouds, slowing dropping down to the ground where another jump could be taken place. It was faster and safer, for the Skiritix would normally destroy their vehicles as quickly as they could to prevent any escapes. The Hellcat didn’t give them a chance to get close enough to damage any systems vital to flight.
“Brace for it!” the pilot screamed as the Hellcat began to jump.
The force of the jump blasted the sound from the room, and a feeling of weightlessness washed over Naomi as she smiled. It felt like running across an open field full speed, but with more excitement and terror than any hunt she had ever experienced. The G-force normally took out most soldiers quickly because of the sudden rush of blood from the brain. Naomi never felt more alive. The Hellcat began to move to the side, its wings pushing out and the hum of the engines began to dim as it switched to glide. Laying down with her hands on her head, the feline stretched and pushed herself out of her harness. She had to make sure the Alien was alright. Remembering the power the creature held, she could only imagine what being in a floating metal box would do to the little one. She went to the lower level of the craft, taking care not to make too much noise.
It laid there lazily; a harness strapped across its small form. It looked almost like a cub, Naomi though, holding to the harness so tightly. Naomi moved to check the restraints she placed on the tendrils and arms, carefully checking each support. They held without fail, and she was satisfied. Sitting next to the creature, she looked carefully at the being, noticing the strange markings that seemed to dance on the Alien’s form. The lights of blue and red made strange symbols, a language that she knew only the Touak would know. Yet the cub, it was strange calling him Alien, was not even old enough to hunt for what she could tell. How could such a thing defeat a Skiritix? She knew she had helped, but what if she had not? The creature-boy was formidable, there was no doubts there.
To think, such a small thing destroyed that beast with ease. Could he be the answer I was looking for?