Echoes of the Past

Chapter Thirty Eight - Part Two

Chapter Thirty Eight - Offense and Defense - Part Two

Sam dropped to the ground and made a run towards the nearest of the transport ships. Engines had fired up from one of them; a deep rumbling sound that shook the ground. He didn't have long before the first ship took off.

A guard in silver and blue Sacre armour charged directly towards Sam. He had the bulbous head, long pointed chin, and pink spotted skin of an Udron, the highly disciplined aquatic race. The Udron shouted a war cry, his short chin tentacles shaking with anger, and raised his sword.

Sam blocked and parried a series of powerful attacks, flipped away from a heavy strike that cracked the ground, and then jumped back to give himself more ground. The Udron was good. Sam dove straight through the air and twisted his body as he came to him, swiping once and then spinning with a second attack that caught the Udron across his stomach. The Udron staggered back with a hand to his torso and fell to a knee.

Across the battlefield, James blocked shots with his Light Shield and cut down a guard, as he tried to make his way to the nearest of the transport ships, whose engines had grown to a loud roar. Despite their circumstances, Sam felt a welling of pride at seeing a glimpse of the man he once knew, as if he were watching a memory.

"I'm going for the ship," James shouted out to Sam.

"Right with you," Sam called back. The Udron was on his feet again. Sam needed to deal with him quickly.

He faced the enemy and sheathed his sword. He had an old move in mind. The Udron charged at him.

Sam weaved in close, grabbed hold of the man and jumped up, sending them straight up into the air. He held on as they soared higher. The Udron struggled against the hold but the suddenness of being in the open air clearly surprised him, his chin tentacles fluttering. At the apex of the jump, around forty feet, Sam pressed his feet against the man's torso and kicked out with great force. The Udron shot through the air, flailing until he crashed into the wall of the main tower. Sam allowed himself to drop and deftly landed.

The Udron collapsed onto a walkway below him and lay there without moving. Sam scanned the battlefield and quickly saw a clear path to the ships. There looked to be only a few more soldiers on the field. Evan battled Jaxx's Firion bodyguard, with two other guards charging at him. Jaxx was still nowhere in sight, but was likely on one of the ships.

As Sam headed for the ships, he couldn't deny the thrill coursing through him. He almost felt like his old self again. More so than he had felt in a long time. Having spent so long being afraid of exposing himself as an Oneron to their enemies - afraid to be himself again - he realised that none of that mattered now. He had no more cause for restraint. A part of him wished he had his grapple hook in the fight.

Guards shot down at him from the main tower. Sam charged Light into his palm – a sensation he had not felt in a long time – and unleashed the power on them. A ball of glowing white light struck the guards and threw them back, some falling over the railing.

A heavyset guard came at him but Sam landed a spinning kick as he ran, knocking the man down. Something small hit the ground near him, and in a moment of panic, he saw it was a grenade. He launched himself into the air as a powerful explosion erupted behind him, throwing him further into the air with a hot blast. He braced himself and slammed into the side of the tunnel between the towers, then fell back to the ground.

He collected himself, shaking the dizziness from his head, and got unsteadily to his feet. A guard nearby fired a stream of electric bolts at him, but he ducked and weaved around them as he came closer to the rifleman. Sweat poured down Sam's face, along with blood from a few stinging scrapes. He brought his Light Shield up to block a final shot before he sliced his sword across the man's shins, and continued running for the ships. His muscles burned and fatigue began to pound in his head, but he pushed himself on.