Okay, so I previously posted this a couple of months back as "Missions and Recons" but then my mother's computer got stolen and the files were on there and so I got the files off Wattpad a while ago and the previous chapter 8 was pretty pathetic so I re-wrote the part about Valerie. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 8: Taking Control
"Zane, you've got to pay attention. The humans, they won't so easy on you. Zane? Zanerious!"
"What?" Zane yelled back, coming out of his sleepy daze.
"Zane," Zane's instructor, and grandpa, Garo sighed. "You can not afford to act so... so childish. You're getting sent out into the heart of the battle."
"Yes, but I'm being sent to try and change the humans' minds, am I not?"
"Yes, but what if they won't listen? You're going to fight at some stage. You know how the humans are," Garo, whose face had paled from the tan, bronze skin tone it had once held. His hair had changed from a light, gold to a dark, dried out yellow. The only thing that remained was his dark, blue and emerald green eyes, in which, the colours were constantly swimming.
The swimming eye colour was only one of the many things that set them and the humans apart. There were many differences, the Zachoria were stronger, faster and had many 'supernatural' powers. The Zachoria were taller, with larger eyes. They also had a larger colour range for their eyes, hair and skin tone.
Garo saw a younger image of himself in Zane. He did not encourage violence, and he knew his grandson felt the same, but their family had talent. Zane could have been the most promising fighter, if only he weren't such a dreamer.
Garo worried for his grandson, he hoped that his inability to concentrate and his complete and utter stubbornness would not get him killed.
"Zane," Garo said, interrupting their practice.
"Yes, master?" Zane asked, coming out of the defensive fighting stance he had previously held.
Garo smiled at the familiar name. "Whatever happens, just promise me that you'll be safe. Don't be reckless and take care of yourself and remember the eye sees but the heart knows."
It was now Zane's turn to smile. "Your words of wisdom make little sense but thank you for them all the same."
Garo laughed, "One day, son, you will learn and you will understand. Now come, we need to practice. Form your stance and then I want you to attack me."
After a while of training in which Garo would move swiftly out of the way of Zane's half hearted attacks, the great meshed doors that lead to the courtyard in which they stood swung open to reveal three army escorts dressed in loose navy overalls and combat boots. The one in the middle had three shiny silver medals hanging from the right side of his chest.
"Zanerious Bria," the middle army escort bellowed in a rough voice.
Zane and Garo turned their full attention to the army men. They bowed before Garo, a great, retired army general.
It was then that Garo turned to his grandson and grabbed him into a caring embrace, slipping something into his pocket.
Zane gave his grandfather a questioning look.
"It's for you," Garo whispered, "It'll bring you good luck."
Zane nodded before he joined the escort and carried on through their great home and out into the dry and barren land. They headed out, into the dying land of Ordox.
***
"I think that you'll find that our arrangements are sufficient for the need of the Zachorian people. I'm sure you'll understand that even a little bloodshed is to be expected," The General sneered in his head at the ignorance of his "Princess" who was sitting on a thrown in the centre of the room with the General a little in front discussing the tactics for battle that would soon commence.
"That may well be true but just remember that I will not have the unnecessary unmerciful bloodshed that I have watched over and over again. My parents may no longer be alive and my older brother may or may not have been taken hostage by the humans but that does not mean I will tolerate any rash or over aggressive behaviour. Do you understand me, General?" Princess Naelene said, with a passion in her voice that would one day make her a great queen.
"Of course, Princess" the General said, bowing so that the Princess and her court could not see the evil glint that touched his eyes. "Of course."
"Now, let them in. Let me inspect and give my wishes to the new warriors who have been given this great task while many others are foolishly mislead to fight and kill in unnecessary battles," Princess Naelene said, her eyes flickering and narrowing towards the General for just a moment.
"As you wish," the General repeated, bowing once again before momentarily leaving the room before returning with twelve men and women flanking behind.
Each one bowed in turn to the Princess.
The Princess returned this with a nod as the four women and seven men each nodded in turn until her eyes came to rest on the young man who had remained in the middle of the room and the only one remaining to be greeted.
Naelene smiled, lifting her body gracefully as she strolled across the room, her long, black hair up in intricate plaits flowed behind her. Once she having reached the silhouette she retained a serious matter before looking the soldier, dressed in black, in the eye before speaking. "Zane," she gushed, a huge green breaking out as she reached out, bringing the soldier closer to herself in a friendly hug.
"Nae," he breathed, holding tightly on to her. "I've missed you."
She released, holding him away at arm's length, looking straight into his dark blue and emerald eyes, her face the picture of happiness. "And I you."
"How are you old friend?" Zane asked, interest flaring in those eyes that always held some type of passion.
"How is anyone in a time of struggle such as this?" She replied.
Zane nodded, understanding.
"Now," Nae said, turning to the room to speak. "I think I am safe to assume that you all know why you are here..." Nae trailed but Zane was only half listening.
He was saddened to see how much she had changed since he had seen her last but she'd had to take on a lot so it was understandable.
Her parents, the King and Queen of the Zachoria, had been unfortunate enough to be riding in the spacecraft that was to be the peace treaty between two worlds. The Zachoria and the Humans. However, the humans had installed fear into their own hearts and, fearing an attack, had destroyed of the craft and all its contents... That was when the war began, when everything in the Zachorian nature stopped making sense.
"So that's the plan. Good luck and don't be stupid... You've been entrusted with this mission. Please don't turn like one of those rogues whose only intention is to kill. It is unnecessary and, if caught, will mean that you will be detained," Naelene finished with a sigh before turning once again to Zanerious who had long since awoken from his reverie. "Be careful, I can't lose another person who's so important and close to me."
"I bet you say that to everyone," Zane joked, his smile only half reaching his eyes.
Nae smiled, shook her head a little sadly before reaching toward Zane for a goodbye hug. "Goodbye," she whispered. "Stay safe... Help me win this war."
When Zane pulled back, he met her gaze, nodding once but solemnly. For Naelene he would try. He then stepped back and bowed to Naelene in respect and admiration... The others in the room soon followed.
***
Valèrie stared ahead of her, her grip hard on the gears. The buttons and lights on the touch sensitive keypad blinked and beeped distractingly around her. She attempted to breathe slowly but, once again, fear shot through her. She gulped in air, unprepared for what was happening. Even after years of drills and hard-core training, nothing could compare to this as she and Carina hovered above the ground, suspended at an altitude that was too high to be able to breathe in. The clouds drifted far below them, the dark sky expanding into forever above them.
Valèrie took in two more gulps of compressed air.
“I know it seems scary,” Carina called from her seat, high up behind her. “You don’t need to worry, it’s like that for everyone. You kind of feel like ‘What were those years of training for?’ but if you just breathe and listen to me, you’ll be fine,” She pauses before continuing. “Okay, so listen, the aliens in those robots that the rest of the crew are fighting, they’re rogues – which basically means they’re inexperienced, Neanderthal aliens who think they have what it takes to break off from the rest of the alien weirdoes and come after us. Believe me when I say,, they are hardly a threat, more like unwanted labour.
“So what you’ve got to do is trust your instincts, the fighting impulse and tactics were programmed into your brain when you graduated via the Trajo machine. So listen to what your head is telling you. Remember that the first thing you need to do is connect with the Elite, no connection equals sitting duck. Trying to sync with my Elite, Azura, will be difficult since she’s programmed to respond to my DNA and not yours but this will be a test to show just how skilled at flying an Elite you are. You’re Elite will obviously be easier to control but now you must attempt to make contact with someone else’s Elite. Now close your eyes and concentrate. You’re not in control, it’s no longer just you. The Elite is now, temporarily at least, a part of you.”
Valèrie squeezed her eyes shut, hoping with every second that passed that the Elite would not suddenly stop hovering in mid-air, causing them to spiral down towards Rio’s surface.
At first she felt nothing but then, after a moment of concentration and a while of desperate hope to discover something, she began to hear the sounds of a dull, melodic buzz. Valèrie thought she was imagining it, and that it was nothing more than a noise coming from the Elite’s control board, but then she realized that the clicks and beeps of the control board that had been there a few seconds before had begun to fade until they were no longer audible.
The buzzing grew louder until her head was filled with the sensation of a million, little, winged creatures flying around in her head. And then she saw it. Out of the pitch black darkness that was created when she closed her eyes, appeared a thin, white light. It vibrated and moved, creating a small, circular motion. It felt as if Valèrie was walking through a long tunnel, and, as she pushed onward, the sound grew stronger and the light bigger and more constant, less instable.
Valèrie drew closer and, as she did, she begun to feel something new, something different.
It felt like a whole other being, a new presence that had begun to cloak and consume her mind.
As Valèrie was about to reach the light, she was so close that she felt as if she could touch it, she was thrown back, suddenly, as if she had been a rubber band which had been stretched and stretched until it was past its limit, causing her to snap back. It was as if the pull from the other side had stopped pulling, as though it was teasing her, allowing her mock entrance into the place at the end of the tunnel.
Valèrie felt anger begin to build up inside her. She felt as if she’d worked too hard to never reach what was at the end of the tunnel. So, after blinking a few times, Valèrie squeezed her eyelids tight and attempted to concentrate, harder than before.
This time, instead of ‘walking’ along the tunnel, Valèrie ran, pushing against the boundaries and barricades that threatened to get in her way. She pushed on, raw determination flinging her forward, until the light had consumed her and the strange buzzing had encircled all around her.
Valèrie once again felt the spidery feeling etching across her mind, though the second time it was stronger. Valèrie gritted her teeth against an uncomfortable, bitter sensation and gasped when she realized she was no longer struggling, but she was surrounded by something more. With her senses sharpened, she felt like she could hear the stagnant air rattling against the metal of the Elite and felt as if she could feel that crisp, cold air.
Valèrie slowly opened her eyes, cautious and unsettled, and lost all her breath when she realized what she was seeing. She no longer saw the control panel with the blinking, clicking lights, nor could she see the clear glass window.
No, what she saw now was raw scenery. Valèrie felt as if she was no longer inside, seated comfortably on the Carpeleniame-leather seat. Now, she wasn’t that body. She was the Elite.