The human ship blew up, and the explosion was impressive. Dozens of drones were gathered, and Preston saw an influx of spacecraft entering the region. Liberty had arrived. They were all here, making it show time.
Preston almost reconsidered. If he just told Arlo and the Board what was really happening, they could stop the gateway and subsequent invasion, but word would get out to the other Regals. They would keep coming at Earth until it was destroyed. Preston wasn’t going to give them a chance. It would be better for the Velibar to set a foothold under his own leadership, than any other alternative.
When the human Defenders began their attack, Preston watched as their attempts were fruitless against the Barge. The shields were programmed to defend against their energy patterns. The adjustment had been simple.
A Racer erupted from the pack, firing at will. The blasts came from the number eleven SeaTech Racer, and he smiled as Arlo’s ship was the first to overtake the Barge. The rest of the fleet joined him, and he held his breath while the Ruler’s ship was being destroyed.
A strange allegiance to the man gripped his heart, but he quickly rejected it. The old Velibar had always wanted to secure Earth for himself. Preston had only been a pawn in his game.
His crew ignored the pleas of help from the Barge, and Preston heard the Ruler’s very own private line reaching out for him. Preston didn’t accept it.
A flash later, the Barge exploded.
Now was the moment. Preston activated the urgent message for Arlo, hoping his crew didn’t pick up on it.
Preston rose and dimmed the bridge’s lights. He walked to the center of the screen, making sure he was covered by shadows, and powered the communication up. The message would be broadcast to all of the localized vessels.
“Who speaks for Earth?” he asked, voice booming with power. When no one responded, he asked again. “I said, who speaks for Earth?”
____________
Now
The Velibars’ First Ruler was dead. This was staggering news.
“If he’s dead, why did you continue the charade?” Luther asked my grandfather.
Preston glanced at me, then to Luther. “The Velibar are rooted in tradition. Their Word grants them excuses for much of what they do. It works in my favor, since they believe me the one prophesied in their lore. I was planning on using this to replace the First Ruler.”
Aster was unable to stifle a laugh. “You, a human, intended to lead the Velibar?”
“It is completely within my rights as one of the four First Regals, though I assumed it would be an uphill battle. I hate to admit this, but I was hoping that Garret Breaker wouldn’t survive the trip to Refuge,” Preston said.
“You knew about the raid?” I was trying to get a feel for my grandfather. It seemed like him, but with a few minor differences. His words were slightly accented, almost fake, like he rarely spoke our language. His fingers twitched more than before, maybe a constant nervousness he’d never felt while on Earth.
“The First Ruler ordered the First Regal of Tarre to send a regiment to Refuge. We had no idea you’d be present, Arlo.”
Alarms rang in the corridor outside the room, and the Velibar woman returned, disrupting our meeting. She spoke to Preston in hushed tones. “It’s time to leave. The battle grows closer.”
I desperately wanted to talk to my grandfather, but now wasn’t ideal.
A few minutes passed and we were back into the storm. The Velibar were absent from the streets, replaced by large robotic soldiers. Twenty of the smaller Squids were visible in the sky, blanketing all sides of the city. Explosions rocked the ground from somewhere nearby.
One of the Kvan ships lowered, directly above the lake, and a hatch opened on the belly of the huge transport.
“If the Kvan weren’t planning a rescue with those things, what’s inside them?” Luther pointed at the mantis-like alien vessel.
“I’m not sticking around to find out.” Our Racer was still parked in the center of the road, and I ran for the ramp, opening it with my PersaTab before arriving. R11 went up first, and Jade stayed behind, gawking at the Kvan craft.
“Arlo, they’re releasing drones,” she said.
I rushed to see what she was talking about. Hundreds of insect-shaped drones flew through the skies, and the Velibar robot soldiers began firing at them. One impacted the wing, and it crashed a few meters from us. That was my sign to vanish.
The street rocked as a bomb went off, and I spotted a hovering bike racing toward us. It was Zonrial.
Aster dropped to one knee, holding her Widowmaker up. Rain pelted the woman’s mohawk, flattening it, but she remained focused.
I watched in slow motion as the bike sped for us, and Aster’s finger lingered beside the trigger. She tapped it.
The Widowmaker’s blast struck the bike, sending it spinning end over end. Zonrial was thrown from the vehicle and landed half a block away. Aster was already moving, and Luther accompanied her, protecting his counterpart.
Hundreds of small drones were buzzing through the air, and Luther turned, firing at one of them. It hurtled to the ground.
The Velibar robots were even larger up close. One of them bounded from sidewalk to sidewalk, cracking the road as it landed. It shot at a second hovering bike, tossing the Darlor rider off. It didn’t wait to strike again. The next bullet reached the target, killing the man.
Aster slowed as she neared Zonrial, and I heard shouting but couldn’t make out the words over the loud thunder and gunfire. A ship rose from the water, and I assumed it was Preston Lewis and his team, leaving the heart of the fight.
Luther kicked a gun from the Hidan woman, and Aster hauled her to her feet. She shoved the blue-skinned woman toward my Racer.
“What the hell am I supposed to do with her?” I asked,
