Page 64 of Uprooted
Aro
As I suspected, she declined my link. And I deserve it. I was horrible and she is completely justified in never wanting to speak with me again.
Suddenly our room feels suffocating and I need to get out. Somewhere I can think about anything else. I head back to central command. The mission briefing will be starting soon. I might as well get there early.
I’m hardly paying attention while Rialto and Petrok go through the procedure. Our sentinels have detected the Atorum presence approaching our base. We’re preparing for the worst.
“The Atorum have adapted to our defenses. Each time they have attacked, they have learned our methods, making each following assault that much more difficult for us to fend off.”
“We stay on the defensive this time. Crews are erecting battlements as we speak. Our only objective is to survive,” Petrok says gravely.
I go through the motions of what is required of me. None of it feels real. It’s not enough to stay busy. My thoughts always return to her. I’ve given up on summoning my battleform. It’s a small comfort that Elowen is safe, but it also means there is no hope in me shifting again.
Tai hasn’t given up. He keeps sending me messages trying to get me to train with him one last time. I ignore all his attempts at reaching me.
* * *
The alarm blares, warning of the Atorum's arrival. It’s time. They’re here. I make my way to the battlement hoping the necessary adrenaline shows up. If I can’t summon my battleform, I’ll at least need that rush to keep me fighting.
The defensive structures are impressive. Plasma cannons have been mounted along the entire wall, ready for an attack from any direction. I take my place, closest to where they will attack.
The swarm of Atorum creeps out of the forest, heading straight for us. That all-too-familiar shriek pieces our ears.
They writhe and shift as they stack up on each other. Some climb up the shielded walls. Plasma cannons fire off, blasting them apart. When one group explodes into pieces, more bugs pour in to replace them. They just keep coming.
Their attack on Tauros has taught them well. Glittering cracks form along the barrier shield. They breach the shield faster than I thought possible. Cannons fire off in rapid succession aimed at where they make progress. I ready myself to fight.
The cracks in the shield splinter out. One deep crack spikes its way across the entire length of the shield.
It’s enough for an Atorum to squeeze through.
The first is killed instantly, followed by a trickle of them squirming through the crack.
The break widens and the Atorum pour in.
We can’t keep up with the relentless onslaught.
An Atorum drops down and lands on the battlement not far from me. I rush at it and blast it apart easily. Three more take its place. I’m quick with the blaster and destroy those three as well. The base is covered in black sludge, and every Tilak is fighting these monstrous creatures.
I watch one Tilak be overtaken by a horde of bugs. He’s dragged down as they swarm over him. I charge at the pile and reload my blaster canister while I pull the bugs off the fallen Tilak. He’s covered in mire, which holds him down to the ground.
I try one last time to summon my battleform. A ripple of power runs through my veins, but it’s not enough to bring about the change.
A sonic boom waves over the base. The ground surrounding us buckles from the pressure. Where did that come from? I search for the source of the noise. Atorum all around us shudder to the ground and curl up on their backs, dead .
I run back up the battlement, desperate to see what happened. A second blast echoes through the base. The Atorum that survived the first blast fall to the ground.
A sleek Na'Lorskan warship slowly passes over, temporarily blocking out the sun before it lowers to the ground in front of the base.
I race down the stairs and hit the ground running for the gate. Using all my strength I push open the gate, slowly at first then gaining momentum. I squeeze through the opening as soon as I can.
A short Na’Lorskan female walks down a gangplank towards me. She smiles as I skid to a stop in front of her.
“You must be Aro,” she says, a wide toothy smile across her tiny mouth.