by Edward Lake
“I’m fine. Just thinking.”
Thereafter, we found Zena and separated from the others. We talked in low voices and tried to act as if we were having a normal conversation, not debating a way to escape.
“I know the right thing to do is to try and save the people of Agholor. But we can’t stop this from happening. All we can do now is try to save ourselves, so that we can find a way to fight back against these wicked thugs,” I said.
Taft grunted. “If Master defeats the Holy Empire, he’ll rule the galaxy. Think about how bad things could get with a godless madman in charge.” He found Jax and stared at him. “And that lunatic as his number two.”
Zena crossed her arms. “You’re right, my friend. It’s all bad. Maybe we should just steal a ship and travel to Sodus.”
I shook my head at her idea. “That won’t work, Zena. If we leave now, the rebels will come after us. Even if we somehow made it to Sodus, we’d be heavily outnumbered by Holy Army ships.”
She blew out a frustrated sigh and threw her arms down. “Fine. Then we go along with Master’s plan. We help them destroy Agholor. It’s our only path to Sodus.”
Taft glanced at me, then her, his eyes intense. “This isn’t going to end well for us. I can feel it. Whoever is behind that mask has already won. We’re just pawns in his crusade.”
Zena set her hands on her hips. “Listen, I should get back to Ada. She already suspects that the three of us are plotting against the rebels.” She turned her head and found Ada standing with Jax. “She’s not like Jax and Master. Maybe I can get her to join us.” She looked back at Taft and me. “We’re going to need all the help we can get.”
Since Jax put Zena and Ada together, I had worried they may get too close. I hadn’t been around her as much as she had, but I strongly doubted Ada would betray Jax or Master to help us.
“Zena…I can see that Ada has a fondness for you, but don’t let that get into your head. She’s pure evil, like them. A God-hating woman who plans to slaughter innocent people.”
She put her hand up, staring at me. “I know what she is. If I can’t save her from them, so be it. But we need allies, Evander. I should at least try.”
I wagged a finger at her. “Do what you want. Just be careful, my friend.”
She gave us a nod. “Always.” She turned around and went back to Ada and Jax.
I folded my arms and watched as she conversed with them. “I’m worried about her.”
“So am I. She should know that Ada can’t be saved.”
I feared Zena’s kindness would lead to her undoing. There was no middle ground in war. No hope for wisdom. All around me, I saw anarchy. The orgins of a godless society. They had to be destroyed. All of them. Including Ada.
Once the war ended, I vowed to find a way out of this darkness Master had spawned. I planned to go on for as long as I could, fighting in the name of God. I prayed Zena and Taft would be with me, and maybe, together, we could create a new, peaceful spiritual order for all.
14
Zena
At sundown, I paced around Ada’s ship, anxious, wondering if I was mentally ready for battle. I wasn’t afraid of failure. I had come too far. I had survived enough to know that I could make it to Sodus and save my family. Still, strolling from place to place, I realized our impending clash with the Holy Army could be my end.
“Ada, can I ask you something?” I stopped and turned to her.
She was sitting on a bench, preparing her weapons. She looked up and stared at me, sharpening a blade with a tool I had never seen before. “Sure.”
“Do you ever think about dying?” I walked over to her. “I mean…are you afraid to die?”
She sat up straight and let the question linger for a few seconds. “No.”
I stood there, looking down at her, curious, studying the scars on her face. It was as if the pain she had endured had driven her to a dark, cold place that made her fearless. “Tell me why.”
She looked down at my boots, then her eyes slowly came up to my face. “Because death is for the weak. The ones who never risk their skin. The ones who hide and wait for someone to save them.” She stood and walked up to me. “I don’t fear death. Because there is no weakness in my blood.”
It was sad to see her respond with such bitterness. I knew she had a weakness. Everyone did. I believed there was an emptiness inside her, a desire to be loved again. Staring back at her, I wished I had more time to show her another way, hoping to be a friend to her someday.
“So we win the war, then what? What’s next for you?”
“Freedom.” She turned her back to me and went to the cockpit. “That’s what I’m fighting for.”
On the control panel, a message from Jax came over the radio. “The Serpent Army will be arriving soon. When they do, we head out. Attack with everything you have! When you shoot, don’t miss!”
“Copy that, Jax. We’ll be ready.”
My mindset shifted immediately. I focused on the task in front of me, reminding myself to be alert and prepared for anything. I didn’t have much skill, but I had the heart of a giant. No matter the odds, I was ready to give everything I had to survive and make it to Sodus.
Moments later, Jax got the call that the Serpent Army had arrived. Ada and I quickly got strapped into our seats. She reminded me to pay close attention as she prepared the ship for takeoff. Her hands zipped from place to place, like it was second nature to her. She had us in the air and out of the tunnel in no time.
Ada flew high and zigzagged around a few tall buildings. “The Serpents are set to strike first.” She pointed at a cluster of black ships hovering over a never-ending forest bordering the main city.
I watched closely as the Serpents turned on their boosters and blasted into the skyscrapers. They opened fire on anything in their path. Huge chunks of rock and metal flew up into the air as they zoomed past us.
Ada pushed down on the throttle and activated the cannons. She grabbed the trigger and fired away, eyeing the screen that showed the black dots. Using the red dot, she tracked the black spots and pulled the trigger. The cannon on her side fired rapid lasers at the enemy ships. I followed along and blasted away at them, my eyes jumping from black dot to black dot.
Ultrabright lasers whizzed past the front view glass, blinding me for a moment. I closed my eyes for a few seconds to let them heal.
“Zena! Keep shooting!”
I opened my eyes and took a deep breath. I couldn’t think, and my eyes were still in pain. Calm down. Just breathe and calm down. I quickly refocused on the targets and rocked the nearest Holy Army ship with a swarm of laser blasts. Several Serpent ships and other rebel ships locked in on the same ship. The deflector shield went down in a hurry, then the ship spun out of control and crashed into a tree.
Taking that ship down sparked an overwhelming sensation throughout my body. It was a small taste of the power I had yearned for all my life—a feeling of invincibility that made me crave more.
However, sadly, I caught a glimpse of a few citizens scrambling to safety in the streets. I’m sorry, Agholor. Save yourselves if you can. It was utterly heartbreaking to see mothers and fathers running for safety with their children dangling in their arms. I prayed for them, hoping God would hear me and end this war. So many had suffered and died. So many more would have to suffer and die for it to finally be over.
Unexpectedly, Ada sped up and flew high over the battle. She targeted the enemy ships from a distance, blasting lasers at their shields, using incredible speed, timing her shots perfectly.
“You need to be faster, Zena! Our shield is taking a lot of hits. Increase your firing speed! Keep those lasers off my ship!”
I exhaled and wiped a few droplets of sweat from my eyes. “Okay.” I focused harder on the screen and fired at a faster pace. I kept shooting until my trigger finger hurt. The pain got worse as the battle raged on. But I blocked it out as best I could.
“Maintain pressure on the Holy Army!” Jax buzzed o
ver the radio. “I want them dead! Every single one of those holys!”
The Serpents were doing their part, too. They attacked the enemy ships relentlessly, nonstop, racking up kills faster than the rebels.
Clouds of black smoke spread across the once clear blue sky. Booms rang in my ears at every turn. Exploding fires blazed across the air, creating a massive inferno that took down a few ships.
My hands swelled from the constant shooting. I panted heavily as I tracked the black dots on the screen. By now, Ada and I had helped take down a few more ships. But the Holy Army was well trained. They had taken down several rebel ships, keeping pace with us and our allies.
Ada flew through a cloud of smoke and dodged a burning building. Then, without warning, a swarm of missiles emerged from the shadows, tracking our ship.
“Cursed holys! They’ve targeted us with hyper missiles!” She tried to speed up and avoid the missiles, but it was too late. “Zena! Brace for impact!”
They hit the side of the ship, jolting our heads backwards and rocking our bodies. The deflector shield went down, and the ship buzzed with warnings from the automated system. “Abort, shield has been deactivated. I repeat, abort, shield has been deactivated.”
Ada tried to fly us to safety, but she was still reeling from the blast. The enemy ships swarmed us like a pack of rabid animals.
“Jax! We need help!” she radioed, wheezing.
Red, flashing warning lights came on, and an earsplitting alarm went off as Ada flew us down.
“We have to eject from the ship!” She put the ship on autopilot and grabbed her gun off the floor. “Take your weapon and follow me!” She unbuckled her seat and ran to the far end of the ship.
I undid the straps on my seat, snatched my gun and ran after her.
Ada stopped at the transparent plastic tube-shaped escape pods that were attached to the wall. “Remember these?” She pointed out a button at the center of the tube. “Press this button here and hop in. Once you get inside, close it and press the eject button at the center of the pod. Hurry!”
I went to the other escape pod and hurried inside. I closed it and pressed the eject button. I dropped out of the ship and landed on a pile of rubble. I opened the pod and crawled out. My thoughts were racing faster than my heart. Everything on my body hurt, and the cloud of smoke blinded me as I stood up.
Thunderous explosions attacked my ears as I stumbled to safety. I ducked behind a splintered boulder and scanned the area. Ada was nowhere in sight. My hands shaking, I pressed the call button on my radio. “Ada! Where are you!”
She didn’t respond. I ducked low and ran to a wrecked ship. Bright red lasers zipped past my head. Then a few hit the ground, nearly hitting me. I moved ahead, my gun aimed, ready to shoot.
From behind, something hit my leg. I lost my balance and dropped to a knee. Enemy ground troops found me and put their targeting beams on my head. I dropped to the ground and rolled down a hill of crumbled stone and burning debris.
The enemy soldiers shot at me but missed. I found another large boulder to hide behind. Seemed like Ada and I were the only ones on the ground. I needed backup, and fast. Without hesitation, I pressed the call button on my radio.
“Jax! It’s Zena. Please help me. I’m hiding behind a large stone.”
“Copy that, Zena. I’m sending help to you now.”
The Holy Army troops got to me before the help did. They aimed at my head again. But before they could get a shot off, rapid lasers from the ground fired back at them. I looked behind me and saw Ada shooting, covering me.
“Run, Zena!” she yelled.
I got to my feet and shot at them, too. At last, they scattered and took cover, giving me a second to regroup. Ada was a great shooter, beating them to the blast every time. She got closer and ripped those men to shreds with her superior shooting skills. I was impressed. Even shocked a bit. I had never seen someone shoot with such rage, precision and anticipation. It was like she could see their moves before they made them.
I came up behind her and checked the bodies. They were all dead, steam fizzling from the large holes in their armor.
“How did you learn to shoot like that?”
She glanced at me. “Years of anger built up inside me.” She turned her head and stared at me. “That’s how you kill, Zena. By taking all the hate in your heart and using it against your enemies.” She reached out and touched my face. “I know you hate these men.” She rubbed my shaved head. “Don’t hold anything back. Let it all out.”
I nodded. “Okay. I will.” The look in her eyes terrified me. I feared I would end up like her someday, scarred, deadly and deranged, wondering why I chose a life of war.
Moments later, she led me to a wrecked building on the other side of the battlefield. “Duck down and keep your eyes open.”
I followed her instructions and scanned the area. There were plenty of enemy ships flying past us but no ground troops in sight. Curious, I checked Ada to see how she was doing. Her eyes were laser sharp, ready to destroy anyone who crossed her path. She breathed at a steady pace, carefully watching the battleground, her gun aimed and ready.
Up ahead, I saw a few Serpents chasing down a group of Holy Army troops. “Our allies are in pursuit of enemy soldiers. Should we help?”
“No. They can handle themselves.”
Out of nowhere, a burning ship crashed into the building we were hiding in. Heavy rocks came raining down on us. The walls around Ada began to cave in.
“Move!” I hollered.
She tripped and lost her balance. With seconds to spare, I leaped to her and shoved her through the large split in the wall. I made it through the jagged opening and landed on top of her. Ada wrapped her arms around me and rolled us both to safety as more and more rubble came crashing down.
Enemy ships spotted Ada and me and blasted at us. We staggered to our feet and ran as fast as we could. But we weren’t faster than the ships or the lasers. Missing us by inches, a huge blast knocked us both off our feet. Then, a rebel ship blazed into action and deflected the enemy fire.
“Run, Ada! This holy is going down,” Jax said to her over the radio.
She jumped to her feet and helped me up. “I can see the ancient temples up ahead. The Holy Army won’t attack us there. Come on, hurry!”
I followed her, running faster than before. When we got to the temples, I briefly checked the historic structures. They were tall pillars, carved with passages from The Teachings of Our Lord. Each pillar had a wide, pebbly pathway between it, marked with carvings from former priests. At the center of all the pillars stood a large sculpture of the Holy Star Symbol, surrounded by beautiful flowers.
Enemy soldiers emerged from one of the pathways. They shot at us as we took cover behind the nearest pillar.
“You said this would be a safe place to hide,” I grumbled, glancing at her.
“It is.” She spun to the other side of the pillar, where there was no shooting from the enemy. She fired back at them, then quickly took cover again. “We can handle a few ground troops. It’s the battleships that worry me.”
I ducked my head low and peeked around the edge of the pillar. I aimed at one of the soldiers and shot at him, flashes of my father fighting in a death match appearing before my eyes. I screamed and focused my fire on the same spot. I blasted the man relentlessly until I saw his body drop. Finally, I took cover and let out a deep breath.
I could feel the rage. The anger. The hatred for what the Holy Empire had done to my family. All those years of watching my mother and father suffer. I saw Declan and Grandma. I saw the little ones and screamed again. Ada was right. My pain was a weapon. It gave me strength when I needed it most.
I got in position and attacked the next soldier. He was smarter than his comrade. The more I shot at him, the more he hid. But there was no escape from me. I wanted him dead. I wanted them all dead. Saros. The brainless soldiers who followed him. The GGC.
At last, when I caught the soldier, I gasped a
nd hid behind the pillar again. Ada had already taken care of the others.
“Very good, Zena. Your skills are improving nicely.”
“Thank you,” I huffed, still trying to catch my breath.
She looked up and squinted her eyes. Then she looked ahead and smiled. “We’re advancing.” She waved me forward. “Come on, let’s move out. This battle has only begun.”
15
Zena
The main city of Agholor was now a demolished pit of black smoke and simmering fires. The Holy Army seemed unprepared and mystified by the sudden betrayal of the slave soldiers they had recruited from the North Star. Oh, the irony. They had drafted slaves to destroy the rebels. Now the slaves had joined the rebels and sought to destroy the Holy Empire. It was exactly what they deserved.
Ada and I had a few ground troops with us now. We moved into the housing area of the city, and my crew shot anyone they saw. I kept my fire away from the citizens as they tried to evacuate. Hurry! Find safety! Find peace.
The streets were swarming with enemy troops. Our unit moved as one, spread out, attacking at a steady pace.
Ada led the group as we marched ahead. “Stay low and keep the pressure on them!”
On the rooftops of the homes, Serpents stalked the men, lashing their wicked tongues and aiming their guns. Before we collided with the enemy, the Serpents swooped down and thrashed the soldiers. I could see why the rebels became allies with the scaly-skinned beasts. They were incredibly strong and faster than any creature I had ever seen.
When our unit got closer to the enemy, a laser grazed Ada’s arm. She screeched as she sank to the ground and rolled to cover, hiding behind the steps of one of the nearby homes. I ran to the steps and covered her as she gathered herself.
She let out an agonized scream as she struggled back to her feet; a deep wound gaped on her arm. She grimaced as she moved forward, blasting the soldiers, her eyes red and glazed over.