Sang the Setari

32. Perspective

I wiped the moisture from my forehead and attempted to smooth back the loose tendrils of hair that now clung to my skin. My breathe see-sawed harshly in and out as I approached the end of the track, my muscles protesting the breakneck pace that Tsee Blackbourne had set for our training today. 

"I think...he's trying...to kill...me," Gabriel gasped out, as he kept pace beside me.

"Tset Coleman, if you can speak you're not working hard enough...five more laps," Tsee Blackbourne ordered in an even tone as he passed us on the left.

"Shit!" Gabriel exclaimed, stumbling half a step. He recovered and whispered to me, "I didn't even hear him come up behind us!"

Several meters ahead of already, Tsee Blackbourne called out, "Make it seven more."

Gabriel flashed me wide, pitiful eyes. I smiled apologetically, but wisely kept my own mouth shut. Actually, as worn as I felt, I appreciated the distraction that these workouts were providing.  After training days like this, I was too tired to think about things like Hidden War episodes which portrayed me as equal parts stereotypical Stray and some sort of saint-like figure.  The episode featuring my time with Lents family was peppered with Fake-Sang using broken Taren that translated to accidentally witty phrases.  After the first couple of episodes, I started avoiding looking at the comments on Setari Watchsites.  People had some very strong opinions about me, mostly positive.  I wasn't sure how to feel about it all. Although, I jokingly made North promise to let me know if anyone was threatening to eat my liver.

The other plus side to the fitness training was my progress in strength and endurance. When I first started I could never keep up with any of the guys. Now, I was holding a steady pace with Gabriel.

I was about to send Gabriel an Interface Channel invite, so we wouldn't get any more laps, when an emergency message flashed across the Interface causing all of us to freeze in place.

Aquatic Massive detected at Deep Sea Gate. Threat Level Five. All Setari reroute and report to Gorra for air transport to Dohl Array.

"Fourth Squad!" Tsee Blackbourne called out,  "Hydrate, gear up, and assemble at the Gate Lock. We, Seventh, and Eleventh Squad will travel through Maze Rotation Spaces to a Gorra Gate and rendezvous with the other Squads." He, Kota and North, who were closest to the training room exit, bolted out the doors with the rest of us following.

Silas waited for me to catch up, then scooped me up. Before I could protest, he said, "You need to conserve any energy you have left, Aggele mou. Eat as many energy bars as you can. We will need you more than ever to defeat whatever this thing is. The last time an all-call went out like this, it was..." His voice caught, cutting off.

The others grew silent around us as we moved through the halls as quickly as possible. 

"It was bad...really bad," Luke filled in, his distraught voice and expression underscoring the seriousness of the situation.

*******
When we reached Gorra three tanz were already prepped for transport.  Although these were different from tanz I had flown in before.

"Shipping barges," Kota explained as he buckled me into a seat. "We will use the open flat surfaces to base the operation from. The hovering barges will allow us to get close enough yet also provide rapid retreat if necessary. You will stay on this one with Tsee Blackbourne and Ista Green. Here, drink this." He handed me another energy drink. At my  wrinkled nose, he said, "I know you already had one and ate two bars, so just sip on this, but you really need it."

All around me the Setari were quiet and serious as they took their seats and gulped down and the same sickly sweet energy drinks.  Mixed in among them were purple-suit field medics.  It was an ominous indicator that KOTIS was expecting the need for emergency care.  Sean buckled in next to me.

"Tsen Sorenson," Sean said, in full Ista Green-mission-mode," I will keep checking your vitals, but I may be distracted as injured or fatigued Setari come in. You need to alert us immediately when you feel the strain of enhancing. Don't hesitate. Do you understand? "

"Yes," I gulped.  His voice lacked any note of its usual teasing.  I pressed my finger to my lip as I felt my nervousness build further. No one said anything for the rest of the flight, most likely caught up in memories of the last massive attack of this magnitude when three Setari had been killed.

A quarter kasse later the barge tanzes slowed to a stop and orders started being issued. I followed the others topside and looked out across the ocean.  Waves rolled gently towards a smaller island that houses the Dohl Array processing. The farm itself was all underwater. It could have been counted as one of Tare's best weather days.  However, what rose up and breached the surface in the distance had my heart icing over in terror.  It was simply huge...bigger than anything I'd ever scene or imagined. And I knew, without a doubt, that it was utterly deadly.

"Deep breathes, Tsen Sorenson," Tsee Karen Newton said coming up behind me.  She and Seventh Squad, as an aquatic specialty team, were going to be leading the mission.

"Have you ever encountered anything like that?" I asked her.

She grimaced before answering, "Not this size...but yes, I think so.  In one of the new flooded Spaces.  We'll need Sights to let us know if this massive has the same defenses and attack abilities as the smaller Ionoth we fought before. It might be completely different.  Are you ready, Tsee Blackbourne?"

He turned to Karen, "I reviewed your analysis report and footage of the Ionoth type.  You determined that enticing it to the surface and then attacking with elementals was most effective, correct?"

She nodded, adding, "We will have to hit hard and fast. If it gets the chance to retreat, it will dive deeper than we can follow and we may have an even harder battle when it resurfaces.  This weather won't hold out.  KOTIS is already tracking a storm headed this way."

A yell went up from those at the head of the tanz. My attention snapped back to the direction of the Massive. It had breached again, but this time it was so close it was within the boundaries of the array. How had it travelled so fast?!

"Shit! I think that thing can teleport!" I heard someone cry out.

"That's impossible!" Someone else shouted back.

Tsee Blackbourne standing tense and fierce grey eyes trained ahead said in that steel voice, "No. It is just that fast. We do this now." His command galvanized the Setari around me into action. Squads formed up, enhancement rotations were assigned, and an attack plan was set out. They were ready for battle. It was what they trained for....prepared to die for....and I was in the center of it all...feeling small and unsure that we could make it through this unscathed.