Thread:FleetCaptainT/@comment-27324808-20170424151932

Thirty-nine

  After successfully disabling the rest of the Pirate Ships, Intrepid and Red ran to the Avant Gardens launcher where Luke, Mara, and Shira, Jay and Katie, and Rover, Cyclone, and Kate were loading the last segments of their supplies. “Fast!” Intrepid panted before he dropped to his knees, howling.

  Cyclone cocked his head. “Fast what?”

  “He means we need to get off this rock fast.” Shira translated gruffly and with a tremendous heave shoved the last box of Armor Shine into Rover’s Pod Rocket. “I’ll take this if you don’t mind,” she asked of nobody before swinging into the cockpit and blasting into the sky.

  Rover blinked. “She took my rocket. Anyway, we need everyone out of here now.”

  “And fast.” Intrepid rolled into a sitting position and grimaced. “I think I sprained myself landing on that last Pirate Ship.”

  No one wasted time to ask what he was doing on a Pirate Ship. A shadow passed over the launch area, a shadow with wings. The first of the Maelstrom Dragon wing swung around and swooped down to attack. In its dive it rolled over, revealing the Stromling-manned machine guns, four of them, on its back. A bomb clutched in the dragon’s claws was aimed right at the launcher.

  “Everyone out!” Rover shouted. The others were already running for the bunker with the underground hanger. They intended to launch from there. Meanwhile machine gun fire strafed the ground around them and took off armor points. The dragon was about to drop its bomb when suddenly its neck was cut off. Rocket fired laser beams pierced its scales and the neutralized dragon parts, its crew, and its bomb fell over the Block Yard’s edge harmlessly. Cailan and Crimson’s rocket streaked by.

  “They’re useful for once.” Intrepid commented. Jay and Katie reached the cellar doors first and held them open, then Intrepid and Rover.

  “Make yourself useful and check the other bunkers for stragglers.” Rover suggested.

  Intrepid reached for his Unverse Manipulator but dropped his hand when Red, running with the othres disappeared from view. She was already on it. Cyclone, Kate, Luke, and Mara had taken time to exchange weapons fire with the approaching rest of the dragons. Gripping each others hands, Cyclone and Kate dashed in and the Figdroids looked anxious to shut the doors.

  Then the bombs began to fall.

  Intrepid shouted for Luke and Mara to run faster. He would whisk them in if recent maneuvers hadn’t depleted his manipulator’s already limited energy. So he could do nothing as target reticles created a minefield between his two companions and safety, and all around them. The first explosions began to send dirt flying from orange bursts of flame and their flashes grew brighter as they neared. Intrepid saw Luke throw Mara and then dive after her but a flash from the nearest explosion blinded Intrepid. Dirt rained down and he heard Jay and Katie slam the doors shut.

  He also heard screaming.

  When his eyes resumed working, Intrepid’s heart almost stopped. Mara had made it in, and so had Luke but not in one piece. The color drained from Intrepid’s face, but not as much as the energy that drained from Luke where he'd been injured from the blast. He was partially smashed and his legs were gone.  “Oh-”god. Intrepid wanted to move or do something to help the blond boy but his own legs had gone numb. Luke coughed in a way that suggested additional injury.

  “Stay with us, Luke.” Mara had ran to Luke’s side. She grabbed his hand and locked eyes. “Stay with me,” she repeated as his breathing became labored.

  So much loss.

  Intrepid was dimly aware of people moving around him. They could try to save Luke. Intrepid couldn’t even turn away. When he shut his eyes he saw memories.

  So many people smashed…

  Luke took a shuddering breath.

  Some were killed before they could smash.

  “Noooooo…” Mara began to wail.

  Smashed or not, there was nothing he could do to help them.

  He slumped to the ground while Mara buried her face in Luke’s shoulder, and Intrepid blacked out.

...

  Cyclone put his hand on the girl’s shoulder. “He’s gone.” he said softly.

  “He’s not.” Mara shook him loose.

  Cyclone glanced at Rover. “We have to go.” Cyclone repeated, and crouched next to the garnet-haired girl. “Mara-”

  “NO!” she whirled on him with such a ferocity it made Cyclone step back. Her eyes were glossed and her face burned with flush. “We’re all we have left!” She choked on a sob. “Luke is, was all I have left.” she repeated, crestfallen. “Now-”

  “You have us.” Cyclone said firmly.

  Unexpectedly Mara flung her arms around Cyclone and nearly knocked him over from the sudden embrace. She sobbed bitterly, her tears dampened his shoulder. After a moment, he gripped her back.

  There was a gasp from next to them and Cyclone stared saucer-eyed over Mara’s shoulder as Luke’s chest heaved with an intake of breath. Then he was knocked down when Mara pushed off him and grabbed Luke’s arms. She hauled him to his feet.

  His feet. Mara pulled Luke into a tight standing hug that the boy took without toppling. He looked in perfect health.

  Cyclone’s eyes shifted to Kate, crouched next to where Luke had laid, and leaning on the wall. Her eyes were closed and her hair floated as if flowing with electricity. Stray Imagination energy discolored the wall behind her back and cloudy wisps of it still drifted from her open hands. When her eyes opened they glowed a shining blue that slowly faded to normal white. Her hair lost its shine and drooped back down and Kate drew a ragged breath. She tried to stand, but then she collapsed - into Cyclone’s arms.

  “I’m alive.” Luke gasped, looking down at himself and his uninjured body, as much as he could with Mara clinging to him, and then at Kate. “You saved me.”

  “You saved him?” Cyclone echoed, bewildered. Leaning against him for support, Kate nodded weakly. “You can save people from dying?”

  “We… can.” Kate sighed. Then her eyes shut from exhaustion.

  Now Cyclone felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Rover, and behind him stood Red with Allison and Ben. Edgar and Evelyne were fetched as well. Intrepid, who was still out cold, was draped in Edgar’s arms and Evelyne stroked his face.

  “Ray, Jonna, Crimson and Cailan, Skilled Honored Ninja, Strange Odd Shadow, and Shira are already in rockets.” Red reported.

  “Then there’s the rest of us.” Rover said. Dust fell from the ceiling as another bombardment began above that shook the walls. “We should really be going now.”

  “We’ll need to use two-seaters.” Cyclone said.

  “We have them.” Mara affirmed.

  “Then let’s get out of here.” Rover proclaimed.

<ac_metadata title="Sots Chapter 39"> </ac_metadata>