Return to Atlantis

Chapter 31 - The invitation

The three pilots slammed their speeding ships to an abrupt halt as they took in the uncanny scene all around them, their vessels shifting to its humanoid form as they did, but watched as Ava's ship sped its way to the fortress.

Then they looked up as the swarm of ships above them began to break up and dislodge in a downward motion as the Zhinras advanced swiftly to intercept them from below.

The three men quickly realised they are witnesses to an unprecedented war erupting.

Firepower flared from each of the clashing side. To the young men, never has the silence of space been so deafening in a scene so violent and aggressive. They have fought the Zhinras before -- but not like this. In the initial few seconds of the clash, a number of ships, possibly a hundred, had already gone into flames or decapitated - most of which are numbers from the new arrivals.

The Zhinras, as the men could see, were strangely on the defensive side and are heavily outnumbered - a role Earth forces had always played. However they are essentially more sophisticated vessels compared to the millions around them. They couldn't help but notice that a legion of ships looked very primitive - almost like they are just made of sticks and stones, and then there's the jellyfish like ones, and metallic ones, among many other kinds.

A few of the jellies and the metallics broke its way through the blanket of Zhinra defenders, diving towards Ava's direction and started firing at her tail. This seemingly sudden attack took hold of Alec. 'She's under attack!' he thought in alarmed. At this, he fired up the boosters under his heels and lunge himself forward. He pulled up his robotic arm with the embedded gun, took aim to take out the onslaughters when all of a sudden those jellies and metallics exploded before him. He halted in the air and look up to find that the firepower came from some Zhinras. But before he could think whether to thank them or not for saving Ava's life, those Zhinras got annihilated in a split second by trailing non-Zhinras. That left Ava open again as the non-Zhinras quickly gain up on her.

"Oh no, you don't!" Alec blurted. His thrusters flared up again and in Swift motion gain up on the new attackers. He fired on his left, right, and middle in successive motions decapitating them, as he had done so watched Ava gained some distance. 

A volley of light shot past him to his right, jolting him in fright. As he quickly turned to see, he found himself staring at death - a few more non-Zhinras are quickly approaching - their noses flared like disco lights as they open fire on him...

Phil and Sanders had stood rooted in space - unsure of what is happening, unsure of what to do.

"Lieutenant, I know I said I've never felt so insignificant in my life a couple of minutes ago, but scratch that. That statement applies now," Sanders is telling Phil. 

With the skirmish all around, they seemed to be invisible to anyone. No one, not even the Zhinras are paying them any regard.

Phil is thoughtful. 'Whatever this is, this seemed to be strictly between the Zhinras and..."

"The rest of the universe?" filled in Sanders.

Phil could only nod to that.

"Then we have the opportune time to finally make a decision of whether we escape all this or head on back, Lieutenant!" cried Sanders. "What are we waiting for? Oh, where's Alec?"

When Phil didn't respond, Sanders shifted his mechanised body towards the direction Phil was facing solemnly. From afar, they could see Alec's mecha beginning to lunge in pursuit of Ava as aliens fought their way through the thick blanket of Zhinra line to trail behind her...

Alec Archer quickly toggled a switch that generated a wall of light in front of him as a volley of firepowered hammered into it just in time - saving his life, but only for a few seconds. He knew that this electromagnetic barrier generated by his mecha is not design to be invincible. It can only take so much - that is, not a lot. It is simply an escape stop-gap in dire situations.

In that few seconds he managed to look up to take in at least some of his attackers - human looking folks in a seahorsey contraption wrapped in what appears to be a bubble. He could see the pilots' faces - young looking male and female aliens - different looking but humanoid nonetheless. 

Alex wondered if he should close his eyes before dying. Suddenly, his attackers began to disperse in different directions, some got shot out of the sky...er...space, ending his fight for life for now. Then he saw his comrades' mechas come through... boy is he glad to see them!

"You must thought you were a goner there, buddy!" Sanders quipped at him.

Alex heaved a sigh of relief. "Ah...y-yeah...thanks,"  Then he jolted up and spun around. "Ava!"

"It's fine. She's a fair bit now," Phil told him.

"And she is being escorted ," Sanders pointed out to which Alec can see - a band of Zhinras have found their way to and around her.

"I supposed a u-turn is no longer an option now huh, lieutenant?" Alec heard Sanders on the comms as he watched Ava continue on her way.

"Not even an escape," Sanders went on.

Alex shifted his orientation to face his comrades. It was then he saw what they were looking at.

A few more, no...a hundred, onslaughters have broken thru the Zhinra defense line and they have the 3 human flyboys in their target line of sight.

"I supposed you don't feel so insignificant anymore, huh, Private Sanders?" Phil quipped, his eyes not shifting from the sight of the attackers.

"We have joined their war," Sanders replied.

"We have indeed," Phil second.

"Now what, lieutenant?" asked Sanders.

"Why I believe we have an invitation to the fortress..."