In her senior year of high school, Natalie Hope reunites with her friends, Adam and Barbara, at the funeral of the fourth member of their once-close gang, Jake. They remember the made-up superhero game they played as kids called "the Astronites," wh...
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News of the Astronites' arrival in the Heltest Eye ominously hung over Endgon's meeting of the generals in his conference center aboard the Heltest Eye. The idea that the Astronites could be anywhere, perhaps listening in on their conversation, made the generals timid and mindful of how precarious their march on Elem remained. Their nervous behavior betrayed their calm faces. Only Archas and Aptras, who lied next to Endgon's feet, tearing away at a shared piece of horse meat, seemed unbothered.
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"The Astronites were expected," Endgon said aloud to assuage their fears. "Their intrusion was accounted for, and their capture is imminent. The Heltest Eye will perform as expected."
General Ripheart, seated next to Endgon, beamed with confidence.
"However," Endgon continued, "the Heltest Eye will not be the deciding factor between victory and defeat. The people of Elem will be. It's the UEF that must perish, not the Elemites. Our strategy depends on the people's indifference towards the UEF. A rush to destroy Command Castle may cause needless Mandata deaths. Needless deaths wake needless enemies. Therefore, we shall pursue the blockade strategy as put forth by General Wrothor. Understood?"
General Wrothor, who was on the Crusaderand participating via computer, nodded.
Vice rose out of his seat and walked over to Endgon's side. "My Xemplar," he whispered, "we've just received sightings of the Astronites on Route Seventy-Three traveling eastward. The Predatoris in pursuit. Here is its live footage."
He handed Endgon his tablet. It showed a roof-less truck speeding away from a warship.
"Make it public," Endgon ordered. "I want every Mandata to see this."
Vice took back the tablet, pressed several buttons, and then peered up at the monitors around the Heltest Eye's bridge. They instantly changed over to the Predator's broadcast. Mandata officers stopped working and tuned into the chase.
Endgon pressed a button on the underside of his table, and the conference center's walls descended into the floor. General Wrothor and the other virtual participants in the meeting curiously watched the Predator's broadcast appear on their monitors. Archas and Aptras turned their attention away from their whittled bone to the television screens.
