Two weeks later, Aubrey found herself again anxiously pacing. The quiet before the storm.

Twiki had defeated Mardon in the second battle, though her victory was hard won. Two of Mardon’s teammates had been critically injured, but with a few days in a kyphosis chamber they had made a full recovery.

Aubrey burned to fight Twiki. She knew her team felt the same way. To wipe that smug smile off Twiki’s face would mean so much more than winning the final tournament.

Her team sat wordlessly behind her. The doors stretched open.

They ascended the stairs to their platform where Archon waited. Aubrey wished they’d had time to adjust Archon so Amur could pilot it. Though her team disagreed with her analysis, she felt quite certain he was the better pilot, and would be more effective against the speed and strength of Ork, the gorilla-like Jugger that Twiki would personally operate.

Once on the platform, James, Ado, and Paltit furiously coded. Aubrey and her team surveyed the terrain. The ground was more open than their first battlefield. Giant loping hills covered in thick grasses, with the occasional crystal stream and accompanying copse of trees cutting through it.

On the western side, a flat forest grew. A towering, verdant trees stretched and bent in the breeze. Behind it, along the edge of the battlefield, a black swamp festered, pestilent and wet, its sparse trees clawing at the sky liked boned fingers stripped of flesh.

Having their Command Pod mobile would be an advantage. With such an open area of combat, Sentinel would ensure they stayed away from long range missiles as long as possible.

Aubrey and her team again watched in silence as Twiki and her team prepared. They were frantically preparing their two small Juggers, one that walked on four legs like a dog, the other similar to Kaiser. Both were packed with heavy firepower. The extra weight would make them slow, but dangerous.

Jon laughed.

“Look!” he typed, pointing to the dog-shaped Jugger. Twiki’s team were struggling to load missiles into its launch bays. The Jugger twitched and jumped erratically, opening and closing its weapon doors at random. Aubrey could hear the faint sounds of shouting as Twiki’s team argued and barked at each other.

“James, your virus worked!” he said aloud.

James looked up briefly, and seeing the chaos ensue on Twiki’s platform, flashed his crooked smiled before returning to his work.

“I guess that’ll teach them to try and hack our tech,” Nube said.

“Quiet, please,” Paltit said without looking up, a twinge of annoyance in her voice.

Ork had been outfitted with several high capacity laser cannons on each of its four long forearms. The hands themselves were outfitted with long, jagged claws made of Baldric. Aubrey didn’t have to guess at what would happen if Twiki got close.

Several of Twiki’s soldiers were unpacking large crates which contained strange, spider-shaped mechanisms.

“They’ve got Hylden suits!” Jon wrote.

“What are those?” Aubrey asked.

“Exoskeleton war suits used by ground troops,” Shamesh answered, swiping a diagram to Aubrey.

She watched as the soldiers placed the spider’s body on their chest. The eight metal legs wrapped around their torsos, twining down their legs and arms. Thousands of small metal plates extended from the mechanical limbs, covering their body in a gleaming protective suit of scaled silver armor.

“I guess she’s not as worried about keeping her team alive.” Nube wrote as the armored soldiers pulled Cabotin Launchers out of another crate, shoulder-mounted weapons that launched various colored energy orbs at the enemy.

Aubrey bit her lip. It was going to be a lot harder to avoid casualties in this fight.

“What do we have to counter them?” She asked.

“Giant missiles,” Shamesh replied.

“Non-lethal,” Aubrey wrote back.

“We’ve got a malapert rifle that we could mount on Kaiser,” Eshcol answered. “A direct hit will scramble the electrical impulses within their body, disrupting neural activity.”

“Will it kill them?”

“No, but it’ll hurt like hell.”

“I’m okay with that.”

Once on the ground, her team again exploded into action. James managed to complete the software much faster this time, the terrain was far less complicated. The software had already been uploaded to the Juggers and Command Pod before the welding had been completed.

Aubrey pulled up her map. “Sentinel, I want you to move to the swamp along the western border. That’ll be the last place they look for you, and if you squat in one of the thickets it should give you visual cover.”

“On it,” Jon answered as he moved the Jugger away.

“We’ll try to draw them to the eastern side of the map, but make sure you stay out of range of their missiles. A couple of direct hits from those nasty big ones, and we’re done for”

“Understood,” Jon answered as he moved away, disappearing behind one of the massive hillocks that wobbled the landscape.

Aubrey and Amur moved east, following the northern edge of the arena. Twiki would most certainly play aggressively, as she had in the game of Obloquy, moving directly for the kill. Aubrey guessed she planned on engaging Archon with Ork, while the combined firepower of the two smaller Juggers and ground forces attacked from a distance.

From their visual analysis, Twiki had firepower at her fingertips equal to Mastiff, but with greater flexibility and maneuverability. It was no wonder she had defeated poor Mardon, whose combat style did not match the sluggish, lumbering Jugger he had been assigned.

As they rounded a large slope, Aubrey’s scanners howled. A volley of missiles, ten of the largest in Twiki’s arsenal, screamed through the sky, leaving smoke trails behind them as they rained down on their command pod’s original position.

Even at this distance, the impact of the explosion was tremendous. Had their base been stationary, everyone inside would have been killed. Aubrey’s mouth grew tight.

“Sentinel, are you okay?” she commed.

“We’re fine,” Jon replied. “She’s not messing around.”

“Keep moving, stay out of range,” Aubrey responded. Her hands twitched as she commanded her A.I. to backtrack the missile trails to their source. Twiki might have her beat in raw firepower, but she just gave away her position.

Aubrey had been correct, Twiki had made straight for where she assumed their Command Pod would be located. She was six picosecs southwest of Aubrey’s position.

“Amur,” Aubrey said. “I want you to swing further out east. Try to get around their position.”

“Are you sure we should split up?”

“No. But I’m guessing they’re leading their search with Ork. If you can get behind their forces, you might be able to disable the ground troops before they can engage.”

Without another word, Amur followed her orders, slinking east behind another of the green knolls. Aubrey followed his position on her map, providing guidance as the two slowly drew closer to where she presumed the enemy was.

Their long range scanners finally picked up on Ork. Aubrey was right, Ork lead the search, with the dog-shaped Jugger a half picosec to Ork’s left. The ground troops trailed behind, while the third Jugger functioned as rear guard.

Only they weren’t moving the direction Aubrey had anticipated. They were moving directly west, towards Sentinel as it plodded through the swamp.

“Sentinel, they’re moving towards your position,” Aubrey commed.

“How do they know where we are?” Jon asked.

“I don’t know,“ Aubrey answered, genuinely puzzled. “You’ll need to shift further south.”

“That’s going to be a bit of a problem. We’re kind of… stuck.”

“Stuck?”

“Yeah, the swamp is, well, muddy, and with the extra weight of the Command Pod, Sentinel is sinking pretty deep.”

Stupid girl! Aubrey thought. How could you make such an obvious mistake?

“Can you shift back north?”

“I don’t think we’re going to move much of anywhere,” he answered glumly. “We’ve been trying to pull ourselves out of this muck, but our left leg is stuck pretty tight. I burned through one of the ancillary gears in the right arm trying to dislodge it.”

Aubrey pulled up her long range scanners. She flipped through her scan settings, looking for various gases and heat signatures. After flipping through twenty, she found it. A thin trail of carbon dioxide wafting like a beacon from the center of the swamp.

“She’s tracking the fumes from your burnout,” Aubrey said. “You need to cut all power to that limb.”

“Got it, flushing some coolant in there as well,” Jon replied.

She compared their locations. Ork would be within firing distance of the pod in no time at all. Aubrey didn’t relish the thought of engaging Ork on even ground. She had hoped to plan another ambush. But she was left with few options.

“Amur, I’m moving to engage. Hold back until you see the firefight begin, then strike hard and fast against the rear Jugger and disable the ground forces.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Amur replied. Aubrey watched his map marker change direction, heading straight for the rear flank.

From Ork’s movement, it was clear Twike thought the trail of carbon dioxide was coming from Archon. Her team was so focused on her target, no one noticed Aubrey creeping up on their position from the north. Ork moved cautiously, slower than her top speed, allowing Aubrey to close the distance between them.

“Zimri, are you ready?” she asked.

She felt a shudder on her right shoulder as the A.I. missile revved its rockets.

“There is nothing I would love more, than to rain down death and destruction upon your enemies,” it growled.

Zimri came in low and fast, barely an inch above the grass that rippled like water as it sped toward its target. Ork turned just in time to watch a battery of missile fire slam into her chest. Her enormous arms bent back, bracing against the ground as the force shoved her back. Her torso twisted, and Ork bounded towards Aubrey as the Zimri missiles continued to find their target.

“Amur, begin your attack on my mark.”

Aubrey backpedaled, concentrating her fire on Ork as it tore the ground to close the gap, firing rapid laser blasts as it ran. Behind it, the ground forces mounted their Cabotin Launchers, each soldier dropping to a knee to brace themselves.

Seven green glowing spheres launched towards Archon. The plasma energy crackling as it cut through the air, making a haunting sizzle sound as they drew closer to Archon.

Aubrey dove out of the way as the plasma balls exploded, burning into the ground around her with a sputtering thump. She could dodge the projectiles all day as another volley rent the air. But they weren’t meant to hit her. They were stymieing her progress away from Ork, allowing Twiki to inch closer.

Amur came tearing over a hill behind the ground troops, firing his Malapert rifle at the group of kneeling soldiers. They jerked and shuddered as the red electricity ran up and down their armor, before they fell twitching and drooling to the ground. A rapid succession of laser fire from Amur’s shoulder cannon targeted the weapons the soldiers had dropped, melting the firing mechanism.

Amur then slammed his shoulder into the dog-shaped Jugger, knocking it off balance.

“Great work, Amur,” Aubrey said. She watched as the third Jugger which had been pursuing Aubrey peeled off and moved to attack Amur. Twiki likely assumed the two could make quick work of of her teammate, and rejoin the main fight.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Aubrey grinned, wishing she could see stunned expressions on the other two pilot’s faces as they engaged Amur. She almost felt sorry for them. Almost.

“Amur, break contact if you are overwhelmed. Otherwise, give ‘em hell.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Amur shouted as he slid under the dog shaped Jugger, firing cannon shots up into its torso.

Aubrey focused on Ork who continued to close the gap with Aubrey. She’d have to engage Ork eventually; if she kept dancing and drawing Twiki away, she might move too far and be unable to catch Ork if she put together what she had picked up on her scanners.

Aubrey heard the loud click of her missile battery as it emptied the last of her supply.

“What’s the matter, Aubrey, out of missiles already?” Twiki’s voice cut in on a general broadcast signal. “Here, you can have some of mine.”

Ork unleashed hell, a mass of missiles so thick Alzar had trouble tracking them all, much less shooting them down with their particle beam. Aubrey moved as fast as she could, but was tossed like a rag doll by the missiles that slipped through her defenses. She crashed head long across the ocean of grass, rolling heavily to the ground.

Ork fired another volley, this time aimed at the sloping hill above Aubrey. The explosions bounced her like a soccer ball. Rattled, Aubrey turned to see Ork firing a spear from a grav launcher that had appeared from its rounded back. She twisted just in time to avoid the Baldric blade tearing through her chest, but her left arm was not so lucky.

The projectile shredded her armored plating. The nasty, barbed spear had a thick rounded base, which pinned her arm to the ground.

Aubrey yanked hard, but failed to free herself. Ork continued to pound her with laser fire, but slowed her approach. She turned to watch as Amur danced around his two attackers. The dog Jugger's rear leg was all but useless, the other Jugger was now missing its right arm, while Amur was unscathed.

“Don’t go anywhere,” Twiki said.

Aubrey watched as Ork bounded towards Amur.

“Amur, you’ve got to fall back, she’s coming for you!”

Amur tried to backpedal, but was too late. Ork pounced on him in an instant, her vicious claws tore through his shielding.

Aubrey yanked on her arm again, but it was stuck fast. Left with little recourse, she transformed her right arm into the Eroteme blade, and amputated the pinned limb at the shoulder. Her senses screamed out at the sudden loss of an arm. Aubrey inhaled sharply, focusing her mind on the task at hand.

She pushed herself to her feet, and charged after Ork.

Amur had managed to slip from Ork’s grasp, and was now limping feebly away from the beast. He concentrated his weapons on Ork’s face, hoping to disrupt Twiki’s sensors long enough to put some distance between them.

Several of the ground troops were climbing to their feet, groggily shaking their heads.

“Aubrey, some focused laser fire just above their position will pin those soldiers to the ground” Paltit chimed in.

Aubrey let Alzar do the calculations using the terrain software, and fired some quick bursts. An avalanche of rubble washed over the soldiers. Aubrey watched in horror as a large stone shook loose and smashed into one of the students. Blood exploded out from Sar’s chest and face as the force of the boulder slammed him to the ground, pinning him.

Aubrey charged forward, but her sensors told her she was too late. Sar’s injuries were fatal.

The dog-shaped Jugger dragged itself towards her and emptied its missile bays. The missiles however, went wild, their targeting controls malfunctioning as the malware Twiki had unwittingly installed took effect.

One of the missiles flew straight up, spinning as it went, leaving a soupy spiral of smoke in its wake. Aubrey watched in horror as Alzar showed the projected impact point of the uncontrolled weapon. It would land squarely on the remaining six ground troops, now pinned helplessly underneath rubble and dirt.

Aubrey reacted on instinct; diving forward, she swung her blade in a wide arc. Her weapon intercepted the missile, exploding it in the air. The force of the explosion threw her backwards, and she felt a piece of her chest armor dent inward.

Aubrey jumped to her feet faster than Ork’s gunfire could follow. Her face as savage as flame, Aubrey screamed as she cut down hard, her blade slicing the dog Jugger in half. Its mechanical guts spilled onto the ground in a shower of sparks.

Amur rejoined the fray, tackling the remaining smaller Jugger to the ground as Aubrey turned to face Ork. Her right arm leaked fluid as several small repair bots scrambled along her body attempting to plug holes and contain her vital fluids.

Aubrey checked her weapons systems. She was low on everything; even fuel for her laser cannons was minimal.

But Ork’s weapons systems were just as depleted. Her missile batteries were empty, and she had stopped firing her main ion cannons.

The two foes stood, circling each other.

“I’m going to break every bone in that beautiful little body of yours,” Twiki hissed.

“Come get some.” Aubrey answered through gritted teeth, quoting her father’s favorite movie, which he had watched with her late one night after a promise to never tell her mother.

Instead, Ork turned and charged in the opposite direction. Aubrey paused for a moment, puzzled, until she realized Ork was heading straight for Sentinel.

“Jon!” she shouted as she charged after Twiki. “She figured it out. She’s heading to your position.”

“Swell,” Jon replied.

“As soon as she’s in range, open up with everything you’ve got.”

“It’s not much. We cut out most of the weapon systems to make room for the Command Pod.”

“Just do what you can. Amur, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’ve got a handle on this last Jugger, but I won’t be of much use when I’m done. My left leg is broken.”

“You’ve done great, Amur, just keep those ground forces in check. I’ll handle Ork.”

Aubrey pushed forward as fast as she could; Archon limped along. She watched the gap creep wider as Ork outdistanced her.

“I’ve got to hand it to you,” Twiki said. “A mobile Command Pod - pretty ingenious. Too bad it won’t-“

Twiki’s voice cut out as a volley of missiles slammed into Ork, pushing it backwards.

“I’m sorry, were you saying something?” Jon chimed in.

Aubrey grinned as she pressed forward. The unexpected, ferocious assault from Sentinel had put Ork on the defensive. Aubrey watched the distance between Archon and Twiki narrow as Ork moved south. Ork attempted to take cover behind a thicket of trees, which exploded as a zipper of bullets tore through the dried wood, sending splinters in every direction.

The gunfire from Sentinel stopped. “Sorry, Aubrey, I’m empty,” Jon said.

Aubrey stepped between Ork and Sentinel, her blade at her side, poised to strike. The stump of her other arm dripped oil and fluids into the swampy water below.

“You did great, all of you. I’ve got it from here.”

Ork stood, black water and muck dripped from her long, clawed arms. She had taken some heavy damage to her left shoulder. Sparks sputtered and smoked as Twiki flexed her four arms, testing their range of motion.

Aubrey’s heart sank as she saw that Ork, while damaged, was still fully functional.

“Aubrey, we should just concede defeat,” Nube said over the coms. “You can’t win. She’ll kill you.”

Aubrey gritted her teeth. “We all fail sooner or later. Courage is found in the attempt.”

She dug her blade into the ground and fired up the gravity controls.

“If I go down, immediately concede,” she said, before turning and charging at Ork.

“You stupid girl,” Twiki said. “Can’t you see you’ve already lost?”

Ork leapt in the air, its four monstrous arms outstretched, its wicked claws gleaming in the artificial sunlight.

As Aubrey ran, she dragged the tip of her sword through the mud and dirt, the gravity waves pulling more and more of the material to the blade, a wave of heavy muck and several dead trees followed in her wake her as she ran.

Aubrey swung the weapon over her head, releasing the gravitational pull as she did. A shower of mud and stout trunks slammed into Ork, who swung blindly at Aubrey.

Her team watched, astonished, as Aubrey dodged and ducked the rapid blows. Archon bent back as one of Ork’s claws barely scratched the face of her spinner, showering sparks into the brackish swamp below.

Aubrey reversed the gravity pulse in her weapon, and swung low at Ork’s left leg, throwing Twiki off balance as she jumped to avoid the blade. Aubrey twisted her arm, and swung her sword straight up, catching one of Ork’s right hands, severing it. It crashed heavily into the ground, sending a tsunami of mud into the air.

Aubrey’s team cheered. Their revelry was cut short as Twiki’s right knee came straight up, catching Archon under the chin. Aubrey’s head rocked back. Ork’s three remaining arms slashed and cut at Aubrey. The two Juggers became a blur of motion as they rolled and roiled through the mire.

Aubrey twisted and spun, her blade bit deep into Twiki’s already damaged left shoulder. Ork’s highest left arm twitched and convulsed, then hung useless at her side.

Aubrey smiled through the sweat that poured down her face. Her damp hair stuck to her neck and cheek. Two arms down, two to go.

Aubrey yanked her blade free in time to dodge one of Ork’s remaining claws, but the other caught the left side of Aubrey’s spinner, where she had taken damage from the errant missile.

The claw dug deep, penetrating into the chamber where Aubrey sat. Her spinner flooded with the musty smells of the swamp. Black muck splashed on the floor as Ork tore a hunk of the spinner free.

Chunks of metal sprayed across the room, cutting Aubrey’s left cheek and scalp. She felt the warm blood drip down her face and hair, mingling with the sweat.

Aubrey swung her blade wildly, half blinded as her sensors sputtered. Her visual input flickered as she watched Ork’s claws pummel her damaged chest and neck.

Aubrey plunged forward blindly, and smiled in satisfaction as her blade bit deep into Twiki’s right leg. She twisted the blade, and activated the grav controls. Ork’s thigh exploded into a cloud of shrapnel.

“Just go DOWN!” Twiki shouted as she jumped forward on her one good leg, pouncing on Archon’s chest. Aubrey fell onto her back. Ork tore at Archon like a wounded animal, ferocious and fast. Its wicked claws rent Archon’s damaged armor. Twisted metal pulled free.

Aubrey tried feebly to swing her blade, but with the spurting fuel and hydraulic fluid, the strength of her blows waned.

Again and again Twiki’s fists came down on Archon, exposing the wired guts to the air as fluids mingled with the fetid swamp water.

“Stop, you’re going to kill her!” Nube shouted. “We concede.”

“Only the commander can concede defeat,” Twiki laughed as she continued her gruesome work.

“Aubrey, you’ve got to concede!” Nube shouted at her.

Ork froze, mid strike. Aubrey blinked heavily. She tried to swing her arm, but found her Jugger paralyzed.

Nam Rood’s thunderous voice cut through their coms. “This battle has been canceled. All students are ordered to exit the battlefield immediately. Follow the indicators on your HUD.”

Twiki shouted in frustration. “I was about to win!”

“Exit the battlefield at once. That is an order! Anyone who disobeys will be tried and executed for treason.” Nam Rood replied, before switching his coms off.

Aubrey released herself from the horribly damaged spinner. She was met by her teammates who had piled out of Sentinel.

“What is going on?” Nube asked.

“No clue,” Aubrey said. “Let’s go find Amur, and head in. Everyone stick together.”

They clambered through the muck and mud, making their way to Amur, who sat exhausted on the ground. Next to him lay the twisted, broken form of Sar. Amur had carefully removed the rubble from the boy as best he could. Bright blue liquid leaked from between his now cracked and broken shell.

Sar coughed, and screamed loudly at the pain. Aubrey grabbed Mamre, and ran towards him.

“I don’t know Jayakara physiology, is there anything we can do?”

Mamre examined Sar, gingerly touching his chest. The heavy plated armor was now a soft mush. She looked up at Aubrey, and grimly shook her head.

Aubrey knelt down next to Sar and took his hand. He looked up at her, his breathing rapid and ragged.

“I don’t want to die here,” he said, panic in his voice. “I… I want to go home.”

Aubrey brushed her hand against his slug-like cheek. The silver starlight in his skin twinkled. “It’s going to be okay, Sar. Death is not the end. It is the beginning of another path.”

He gripped her hand and wheezed. She squeezed back as he convulsed. She leaned in close, kissing him on the forehead. Her friends, along with the other soldiers from Twiki’s army, stood in a somber circle and watched.

“It will be over soon. Close your eyes, and picture something wonderful,” Aubrey whispered, her face wet with sorrow.

Sar’s breathing relaxed, his chest raised and lowered slower. “Don’t leave me,” he begged. “Stay with me, please.”

Aubrey wiped the tears from her eyes as she waited, her hand stroking his forehead until he exhaled a last, long rasp, and was still.

Still she gripped his hand. “Some people might say you got what you deserved,” she said, tears flowing freely. “But they’d be wrong. No one deserves this.” She stood. “I’m sorry.”

She heard a familiar derisive snort behind her. She turned and swung her balled fist, catching Twiki square in the jaw. Nube stepped between them, grabbing Aubrey.

“Not now, Aubrey. Not now.”

Twiki held her jaw, spitting black blood as she grinned. “Who would have thought the mighty Aubrey was such a poor loser.”

Aubrey charged towards her, her eyes wild with rage, but Nube and Mamre held her back.

“You got him killed!” Aubrey screamed. “You failed him as a commander!”

Twiki pulled herself to her feet as more students moved between the two combatants. “Funny, I thought it was you who killed him, not me.” She spat again. “Besides, he was just a street kid from Kr’Ellal. No family, no friends. No one to miss him.” Twiki sneered at Sar’s body. “If he had been a better soldier, he would have survived. He was always weak and afraid.” She looked up at Aubrey. “In a way, you did me a favor. So thanks.”

“You’re a monster,” Aubrey hissed.

“War makes monsters of us all.” Twiki answered, wiping the blood and spittle that leaked down her chin. With one last glance at Sar, she turned and walked away. Her soldier’s quietly followed.

Aubrey fell to her knees, her fists balled at her stomach, her face twisted by sorrow.

“What happened?” she asked softly. “James, what happened with the software?”

James looked down. “We programmed it in about fifteen minutes. There were bound to be glitches.”

She glanced up at James, Ado, and Paltit. Tears rimmed the eyes of Ado and James. But Paltit… Aubrey could have sworn she was suppressing a smile. She watched her for another moment before climbing to her feet. She stooped down low and grabbed Sar’s left shoulder.

Without a word, Mamre, Eshcol, and Nube helped her pick the boy’s body up. The rest of her team joined her, and together, they carried the corpse towards the main entrance to the Etemenak.

Enos’ harsh face greeted them, taping her foot impatiently.

“What is taking so long?” she demanding. “I’ve been waiting here-“

She stopped short as she saw Sar’s body. Her face softened for a moment as she watched Aubrey lead her soldiers through the giant gate. They were met by a platoon of guards who gingerly took Sar’s body from the group. They placed him on a floating platform, and Aubrey watched as they took him away.

Enos put her hand on Aubrey’s shoulder as she finally spoke. “We need to get moving.”

Aubrey pulled free of her grip. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain once you’ve joined the others.”

Enos hurried them through the maze of hallways until they came to a large set of bulky blast doors. Enos waved her hand, and the doors retracted silently into the floor. They descended a long staircase, deep into the belly of Bavel. At the bottom was a long hallway, with another series of colossal, re-enforced doors on both sides.

Enos opened the third door on the left. Inside were the rest of the students from their class; Mardon and his team, Twiki and hers. Aubrey’s group joined them, Aubrey pointedly standing as far from Twiki as she could.

“What is going on?” Twiki demanded.

Enos glared at her for a moment before speaking. “Bavel is under attack.”

A murmur rippled through the students.

“We’re not certain how, but the Azrael ascertained the location of the school, and have sent a fleet our way. High Commander Nam Rood is personally seeing to the defenses of our school, and has ordered all first and second year students to remain here in the protective bunkers until the fight is over.”

She waved her hand against the wall, which rippled and transformed into a three dimensional hologram, showing several soldiers prepping Juggers. Others climbed into Jackanape fighters, small single pilot ships that gleamed a bright ocean green.

“We will provide a live feed of the battle here. You are to observe and learn as much as you can. I recommend you pay close attention.”

“Shouldn’t we be helping?” Mardon asked.

Enos shook her head. “While I appreciate the sentiment, this is no drill. The Azrael are a vicious, merciless foe. Most of you would die.”

“What if they find us?” one student shouted.

“I heard the Ralyians will eat you alive,” another added.

A murmur of panic rippled through the students.

Enos’ face softened. “It will not come to that. The school is under the command of the greatest warrior the Alliance has even known. In his fifty years as soldier, High Commander Nam Rood has only ever lost a single battle.” Her eyes locked with Aubrey’s for a moment.

“It is true,” she continued, “we are outnumbered, and outgunned. But we don’t need to defeat the enemy. Simply outlast them until re-enforcements arrive.”

An explosion echoed dully through the room as the floor vibrated. Enos looked up at the ceiling.

“It has begun,” she said. “I must go.” She turned to the door, but stopped at the opening. “Under no circumstances are you to exit this room until you receive the all clear. Understood?”

The children sat in terrified silence.

“Understood?” Enos said, more firmly.

“Yes, ma’am,” the students snapped in response.

“May the Five protect you,” she said as she exited the room. “May the Five protect us all,” Aubrey heard her mutter under her breath as the door snapped shut behind her.