Altiris Knights:Civil War

Book 1:Chapter 2:The Rescue

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When they got there, they couldn't believe their eyes. The ship was a blazing wreck, and several bodies lay around it. Jokkar and Rita among them. "Looks like we are trapped here" said Judeor. "Damn it. The whole thing was a trap" cursed Renlas. "Perhaps. But that matters little. We must find shelter before nightfall" said Akala.

"Hold on. I thought I heard something" said Lorya, motioning for them to be silent. A few seconds later, the noise came again. She rushed to the sound, and found the source, a somehow working com link. Static ringed out of it, and then, they heard a voice. "This is Admiral Virsol! Can anyone hear me?"

"This is Lorya Kaires! Our ship was destroyed, Rita and Jokkar are dead, but our mission is complete! We have no way off! Please, help us!" said Lorya, her heart racing. The static came again. "We are sending out a battle group to your aid. Meet us at the Venros Plateau. And hurry, too" the admiral replied. "So?" asked Renlas. "Perhaps we shall get off this rock after all" she said. "Good. The Venros Plateau is about two days' march from here. We should be there after tomorrow. Come on" said Judeor. The four Altiris Knights rushed to the meeting place.

Exeroz watched them go. They had escaped this time, but not again. "What should we do?" asked Gyros. "Gather the remaining soldiers, and go. You will reach the plateau in a few hours. I shall join you tomorrow" Exeroz replied. Gyros nodded. He, Oteara and Deraal hopped on their speeders and rushed to intercept the Altiris Knights.

Exeroz hopped on his speeder and took off after the Knights.

...

"I have a bad feeling about this" said Renlas. "Aye. Ain't too comfortable here either" Judeor replied. They have been running for a few hours now, but they were still relatively fresh, a product of the exceptionally difficult training at the Altiris Academy, and the previous four years of war, where they had to run for several days without rest or sustenance, and through quite hostile environments, sometimes in full gear. This was child 's play in comparison. They kept moving, never stopping or slowing down, and sometimes even speeding up.

They reached the plateau by sundown. "Something is wrong here" said Judeor. As if on cue, a large fleet appeared. "Those are not Alliance ships" said Lorya. "They knew we were coming here" said Akala. "Now what?" asked Renlas. "Now we wait" said Judeor, and motioned for them to sit down. He passed out a few pieces of bread and meat, and they washed down the meager meal with a few gulps of water. "Renlas, you take first watch. Wake us up if anything interesting happens" said Judeor. Renlas nodded and lay down, his eyes on the Legion fleet above them.

"Admiral, there is a large Legion fleet gathered over Ilmaer. What should we do?" "No backing down now. We arrive, pick them up, and get the hell outta here" ordered Virsol. "Yes sir!" The admiral looked out into the windows, his eyes focused on the plateau below them.

Renlas saw another fleet appear. He quickly woke the others. They watched as the Alliance star fighters and capital ships engaged the larger Legion fleet, and as several of them separated from the main group and flew towards them. They were quickly intercepted and shot down. "Damn it" cursed Renlas. "And that's not our only problem" said Lorya. Indeed, Gyros, Oteara, Deraal and Exeroz, along with a few dozen Legion troopers rushed forward, aiming their weapons at them.

"Long time no see, Judeor. I shall enjoy ending you here and now" said Exeroz. "Come on, then" said Judeor, and brandished his saber staff. His foe attacked, his double bladed energy sword aimed at the Knight's chest. Judeor deflected the green blade and struck back, nearly catching his foe by the neck.

Exeroz evaded and landed a shallow cut on his leg. Judeor ignored the flash of pain and retaliated, kicking his foe in the gut and delivered an elbow strike to his temple and a punch to his abdomen. Judeor blocked his next strike and swung, aiming at his foe's shoulder. Exeroz blocked, but the power behind Judeor's attack sent shock waves through his arms, and the next few strikes knocked the energy staff out of his hands, and another cleaved through his shoulder and rib. He retaliated with an air wave, pushing Judeor back.

"You want to play? Come on then" he taunted, and unleashed a torrent of gold lightning, which his foe deflected with his energy blade. Judeor sent out an air wave, staggering his foe and attacked again, slicing off his hand and slashing him across the chest. Exeroz crumpled to the ground, seemingly dead.

Lorya and Renlas held off the troopers, while Akala battled Deraal, Gyros and Oteara. Judeor rushed to her side, surprising Gyros and killing him with a burst of lightning. Akala attacked with her energy whip, but Deraal recovered and evaded it, retaliating with a burst of water. Akala stopped it with an earth wall and encased her opponent in an earth ball, and pelted him with earth attacks and her energy whip.

Deraal deflected her whip and created a water shield around him, pelting her with ice balls and ice daggers. She disintegrated them all with her energy whip and attacked again. And thus, they were locked in a stalemate.

Oteara pressured Judeor, unleashing air wave after air wave, making it impossible for him to close the distance. She stopped his lightning with rocks and other debris, never letting him go on the counteroffensive. He knew she would eventually overwhelm him, but there was nothing he could do. Just as she was about to take him down, several Alliance ships broke through to the surface and fired on the plateau, taking out the remaining Legion troops and distracting the enemy. Lorya, Judeor, Akala and Renlas got on one of them, and they returned to the Alliance battle group. Most of it had been destroyed, only a few ships and 3 squadrons of star fighters remaining. Two more ships were destroyed, but the rest broke out of the Legion encirclement, and reverted to lightspeed, arriving to the Alliance base on Vanraael.

The Legion admiral looked out to the space. "Pick them up, and let us go" he ordered. Deraal, Oteara, and the gravely wounded Exeroz boarded one of the Legion ships and the fleet jumped back to base.