Interstellar

✯ 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕏𝕏𝕏𝕀𝕍 ✯

Year 3828 — Eclipse Headquarters — Section Epta

Astraea's eyes widened in shock as she watched an Auraform close its mouth around Azzara's left side. The creature pulled back, ripping her arm and pieces of her side with it.

"AZZARA!" Izmeria shrieked loudly, running in the direction of the girl.

Astraea too snapped out of her gaze and sprinted towards them.

"Azzara! Azzara!" Izmeria continued to repeat as she crouched down to examine her friend. Her side was completely torn off, her neck barely balancing on its right side.

"I—Iz—"

"It's okay, it's going to be okay." Izmeria reassured herself more than her friend. She pressed a healing stone to her side hoping that by some miracle it would completely heal. "Come on. Come on! Please work!"

Azzara didn't say anything as her eyes stilled.

"Get up!" Izmeria heard behind her.

Astraea barreled into the Auraform that was just about to snap its red teeth around Izmeria. Her energy covered fist smashed into the Auraform, spilling its blood all over her and the ground.

The Auraform collapsed. Dead.

"Don't stand there! Get up before you're next!" Astraea pulled Izmeria's arm.

"She's—she's..." Izmeria couldn't form her sentence.

"We can't save her, she's already gone. If we don't want to be in the same situation we have to fight!" Astraea told her as more Auraforms began to appear around her.

Astraea knew that she was being harsh but there really was no time to think when they could be the next ones bleeding out on the floor.

She wasn't close to Azzara but even she wasn't deserving of this kind of death.

"Sauda, let's go!" Astraea yanked at her arm again, her other one bearing her gun at the Auraforms that smelled blood.

Izmeria slowly got up, her legs slightly shaking, but thankfully there were no tears. Tears that would hinder her eyesight.

As Astraea continued to shot at the Auraforms, she realized that they were cornered.

"Sauda, this would be a good time to pop out that shield!" Astraea advised but Izmeria wasn't listening.

Just as an Auraform was about to leap at them, a sword cut through its neck. The sword then swerved and did the same to the rest of the Auraforms around them.

Turning in the direction of where the sword came from, Astraea connected her relieved eyes to Zeph's focused ones.

"What are you still doing here?" He stormed towards her, not paying any mind to Izmeria who looked about to throw up.

"We can't leave," Astraea explained. "Our ship's core is gone."

"Yours too?" Zeph made a displeased expression. Some of the ships were missing cores, like someone purposely knew that their base would be attacked. "Then you should head back into the base. It's safer in there than out here."

"No," she refused. "I'm a Striker, I fight. You need the most help you can get. My squad is doing just that." She stance held power, unyielding under his gaze. "And besides, you've gotten hurt more than I did." She motioned with her eyes at the wound on his arm.

Zeph scanned her unwavering look before letting out a sigh. "Fine, but stay by me. I can't afford for you to..." his eyes slid to Azzara's still bleeding body.