This was a race of its own accord, and I didn’t lose. Ever.
“Jade, can you and R11 reach the exit? Luther and I can keep an eye on the Squids. Make sure no one messes with you. Right, Luther?” I asked the big security man.
“You bet, Captain.” I could almost hear his smile in the words.
“Be careful. We’ll do what we can with the transports,” Jade said. “Come on, R11. Let’s gather our tools.”
They ran from the cockpit, and I checked the distance to the nearest enemy. “Seventy klicks,” I told Luther.
“I know I shouldn’t say this, but I’m kind of enjoying all the excitement.” Luther moved the targeting around, searching for localized flyers.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t too,” I admitted. “I wish there was a solution to stop them from destroying Refuge. These people built a life here. If we give up on Refuge, it feels like we’re doing the same to Earth. Even before the Velibar return.”
“I know what you mean. These guys don’t know our tricks, Hawk. What if we drop them off and go to the city? Give the Squids a piece of our mind,” Luther suggested.
“Let me think about it.” The terrain came up quickly, and we darted over the fields. The farmland stretched forever in three directions from the city. I slowed to match the Darlors’ pace and lowered toward the parked transports. A hundred or so people lingered outside in the daylight, anxious to be exiting Refuge upon arrival of the Squids. Even from this distance, the shapes of the enemy were visible in the clear sky. They were two giant monsters hell-bent on the destruction of everything the Darlor had spent countless years building. It was horrendous.
I set down between the carriers, leaving the Racer powered on.
“We’re off.” I watched Jade run in front of the Racer, along with R11, Trid, and Zonrial. They stopped at the second transport’s rear thrusters, and entered behind through an open hatch.
The ground trembled, and I peered toward the city. It was under assault. “Come on, Luther. Let’s go say hello.”
Twenty of the Stin craft arrived, holding position over the gathered Darlor people. They all stared at the destruction before them. I couldn’t imagine what they were feeling, watching their home be obliterated by this alien enemy.
The Racer lifted from the shaking ground, and I thrust Pilgrim forward, speeding for the metropolis.
“There are people caught in the crossfire,” Luther told me. “I can see them.”
“Damn it. I thought they’d shuttle everyone to the transport site.” I spied a steady stream of the Darlor leaving their homes, walking in a lengthy line. “There have to be thousands remaining.”
“I think the Squid’s spotted them too.”
Luther was right. The two behemoths were pounding the structures with everything they had. Red beams lashed from their rigid tentacles, crushing skyscrapers, knocking them over like bowling pins.
I lowered, racing through the city’s buildings, and cringed as I watched the Squids tearing it apart. This could have been Earth, that was how similar it felt. Was this going to happen to my home as well? Fire raged behind the Velibar pulses. Wherever they went, annihilation ensued.
“Arlo, there’s more people!” Luther shouted.
I saw the influx trying to escape the buildings. I jabbed the Racer sharply to the left and cut across a short block before returning to a direct path toward the closer Squid. Its partner was a couple of kilometers away, battering the downtown core.
A white light blinked from the underside of the Squid. “Something bad is about to happen.” A bright beam bolted from the enemy, sending a shockwave throughout the region. It struck my Racer and hurled me into a tailspin. The straps cut into my shoulders, and my vision went black, but I clutched the controls and managed to regain balance. My wing clipped a structure, shattering glass, but I stayed level, and once again, raced for the Velibar. “Luther! You okay?”
“Just shaken up. You?”
“I’ll be better when they’re dead.” I made my decision. “They won’t stop until that happens.”
“You’re one hundred percent correct. It’s up to us.” Luther’s voice was steady.
“Come in, Stin.” I used the local frequency, uncaring if the Velibar knew my location now.
“We are Stin,” the response came.
“At least they’re not speaking binary to you,” Luther joked.
“We’re in the city, and evacuees are present. Unless we stop the threat, the Darlor will be killed,” I told the computer on the other end of the communication.
“Analysis complete. We concur. Sending thirty Stin to join your fight.” The call ended.
“At least they listened.” They were already on their way, dropping like stones from high above. Without worrying about organic matter on board, they were reckless. Being an AI ship had its advantages. I still preferred having a body.
Pilgrim was a red and black blur in the air. Luther was already firing at the Squid, using the reverse polarity option. The pulses did as we’d hoped, disabling the shields. Tiny explosions erupted over the hull, but the tentacles continued to rain down hell on the streets below it.
Another flash spread from the lowest weapon, barreling into the ground. Instead of bracing for the shockwave, I tilted the nose up and gunned it, avoiding the blast entirely. I sped past a descending Stin and flipped around, returning to attack the Squid from the far side. Luther was all over it, giving the exterior everything he had.
Half of the Stin had departed the vicinity, off to fight the second enemy, who was obliterating another section of the Darlor capital. These ones moved like bees, targeting the tentacles.
Someone was trying to speak into the comm link, but the voice was garbled. “Luther, any idea who’s sending this?”
“I’m a little busy, Arlo.” Luther’s response was strained.
“Let’s bomb them,” I ordered.
“You have to get too close. I don’t think we should risk it.”
“Risk be damned. We’re going
