Book #1 Covenant

Chapter 3: The War of Arcathin

Aiden opened his eyes. His face was in the dirt, bleeding and sore. Using what little strength he had, he lifted himself up against the object before him, which felt like metal. "What is this?" He asked himself. His vision was blurry and his ears were ringing and barely able to make out any noise, only muffled explosions and occasionally someone yelling. He reached up and grabbed part of the metal object above him, pulling himself up. Closing his eyes, he tried to remember. How did he get here and what was going on? He looked down and saw his helmet lying on the ground a few feet away. Slowly he walked over and picked it up, placing it on his head. The red lights on his suit flickered, then activated. His helmet clicked, assuring him that he had a solid connection between his suit and the helmet. As he sat back, trying to make sense of his situation, his vision and hearing started to come back.

*****

General Niko, followed by the five soldiers, flew through the battle above Arcathin. They saw the ship get hit and fall towards the planet, crashing in dust, smoke, and fire. He had failed to reach it in time due to some resistance from the Galkara drones. His team had made quick work of them using their laser weapons, now strapped to their backs. "You see that up ahead?!" Yelled General Niko. "Yes, Sir. Is that the control ship?" Replied one if the soldiers. "It sure is! And I think I know how to end this battle sooner rather than later. Stay close and try not to fall behind or else you're as good as dead."

They flew through the city below, dodging laser beams, explosions, and Galkara drones. "Land on that building over there!" Yelled General Niko. The building was about a mile away from their final destination: the command ship of the Galkara. Niko knew that if they could take out the ship, it would end the battle raging on above the city. The command ship controlled almost all of the drones and attack ships, giving them power to operate. General Niko and the five reached the building as explosions filled the space around them. This was going to be a long day.

*****

Samuel opened his eyes. Someone stood in front of him. He tried to move his hands and feet, but found them tied up. He looked around. It looked like he was in some sort of vehicle. In front of him were his captors. Starting to panic, Samuel thought, "Signal emitter...I need to get my emitter!" He started to move around, trying desperately to push the button on the side of his arm, but his movement alerted the Galkara trooper standing in front of him. He walked over to Samuel and punched him on the side of his head. Everything began to spin; Samuel felt sick. Right before he blacked out, he rolled over, pressing his emitter.

*****

Aiden jerked up. Through the viewfinder on his helmet, he saw a map of the city with a small red dot moving pretty fast along a street. It was an alert signal from one of the SNF units. He stood up and looked around. Behind him, he saw a smoldering SNF ship that had crashed into the planet. The door had burst in the back and the windshield was shattered. Blood was splattered upon the control board and more dripped down the helmet of the person inside. Anger and sadness filled him, as he recognized a soldier with whom he had known through many battles. Aiden walked over, putting his hand on the soldiers chest. "You were a great soldier" he said. "You will be remembered." He bowed his head then he felt something - a pulse! He pulled off the helmet and looked the soldier in the face. He was badly hurt, but alive. He needed medical attention, and quickly. Aiden reached for his alert signal, pushed it, and waited.

Soon, a medical ship flew down next to the crash sight and started looking for fallen troops. Knowing this soldier would be in good hands, Aiden went on his way. The medics moving in, flying them back to New Earth where they would recover and be kept safe from the battle.

****

"We're all out of fusion charge, General, what do we do next?" Asked one of the five. General Niko turned and looked at the five standing before him. "You do not have to follow me; you can return to the front and help there. It's up to you. This mission..." One of the soldiers walked forward and put his hand on the General's shoulder. "Don't worry General, we all know what could happen and we're all with you to the end." The rest of the soldiers nodded their heads in reply. The General smiled, something he hadn't done in a while. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's save Arcathin!" They walked to the door leading down from the roof, opened it and walked down to the closest floor. Galkara troops were already inside. "Alright everyone, listen up. We will need to be quiet in taking out the Galkara in here. Otherwise, we'll be in the fight of our lives." Said General Niko.