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‘Because I doubt you’ve been trained on our laser meta tech. And because weapons invite fire. You should know that. The last thing I need is you attracting any rogue crat sniper.’
‘I appreciate the care and concern,’ she said drily.
‘Anytime. Let’s go.’
They stepped into the rapidly closing airlock above the throbbing drive core of Mirage’s reactor.
Kainan tapped a small imperceptible power button on her suit and did the same to him. She felt a lift from her maglev boots just as Mirage’s outer door slid open, and Dunia’s rage lashed out at them.
Kainan’s thick forearm hooked into her own, and then he flung them out of the gunship’s airlock into thin air. They twisted mid-air and sped forward towards the angry jungle below. Rain was sheeting down over their helmets, but inside, the external camera’s feed gave her a panoramic view of their re-entry, free of rain and static.
Branches and debris flew towards them, and Selene drew in her breath, ducking her head and bracing herself for impact.
‘Excellency, relax,’ Mirage said into her ear. ‘I’m in control.’
There was no impact. Mirage worked the suits’ highly sensitive full-body force-feedback interface, making fast manoeuvres that dodged the waving ganglia, the excessively vast slabs of rock and the wildly flying debris coming their way.
Selene turned her head to glance at Kainan’s hulking armour. He’d since let go of her arm, yet he remained close to her side, almost touching her as they flew in tandem. She could hear his steady breathing in her HUD speakers, which calmed her wildly beating heart.
They dove and weaved past a furious clade of trees, narrowly escaped a giant boulder flying through the air and dove through a swarm of livid giant bees that screeched past them, attacking with enormous proboscis and extended claws.
However, they couldn’t escape the hail. It battered their suits, and Selene looked on in awe as the outer plates absorbed the damage and reknit themselves without her feeling anything.
Mirage’s piloting, however, ensured they dodged the more significant obstacles the planet was sending their way, and soon enough, Selene relaxed into the flight. With Kainan flying beside her, It seemed that they were dancing through the skies, and Selene fleetingly enjoyed the contradictory beauty of the moment.
Then they were past the tree line, coasting towards the gates of Zulu One. The Enclave was sheltered ironically by the large trees that had just been attacking them. They bent their wide branches around the perimeter of the garrison, stopping the barrage of nature from getting through.
The worst of the storm surge and the blast of the strong wind, hail and lightning was behind them.
Selene felt the suit decelerate, using its nano thrusters to slow down until she and Kainan landed with a gentle bump of compressed air.
‘Thanks, Mirage,’ Selene muttered in relief, even as the sound of the driving hail and rain clattered against her helmet.
They’d landed just outside the gates to Zulu One, which were now sliding open to reveal the anxious faces of the Free Dunia Council, led by Rina. Mirage had comm’d ahead, and they now all stood awaiting the new arrivals under the broad awning of the gate, safe from the pouring rain.
Selene was overwhelmed with sudden emotion and whipped off her helmet, running towards her best friend.
‘You made it!’ Rina breathed, awkwardly folding Selene and her armoured suit into a hug.
‘So good to be here,’ Selene whispered into her friend’s ear.
‘That bad?’ Rina asked with a raised eyebrow.
‘Tell you later,’ Selene replied, jerking when Kainan’s hulking physique appeared beside her.
Rina quickly tagged Selene’s narrow-eyed expression, sliding keen eyes to the giant warrior beside her best friend. She raised her eyebrows even further, and Selene shook her head.
‘OK, let’s get to business,’ Rina said, snapping to attention.
‘Your Excellency, good to have you back.’ The speaker was Ines Motho, the Dunian Education Minister, a short, stout, dark-skinned woman with pretty features and a sharp mind.
‘It’s good to be back,’ Selene said, pointing to the hulking man beside her, shaking his long hair free of his helmet. ‘You remember Kainan Sable.’
‘Of course,’ Ines simpered, a slight blush appearing on her plump cheeks as she stared at the towering Edenite as he removed his headgear. Then she snapped back to professionalism. ‘We thank The Sable Group for their immense help in our time of need. We just got the word you were arriving, but we’ve had no context yet. Maybe you can tell us why hasn’t the ground assault begun.’
‘Apologies, Minister, we’ve had no time to brief you,’ Selene replied. ‘The thing is, our corvettes can’t land. The planet is fighting them.’
The Council members shared glances.
