It was a warm, balmy night on the planet of Brunnin, second homeworld of the Brunnen-G. As Kai followed his friend Tarn up the hill, he paused for a moment to look back at the city. Despite the lateness of the hour, the streets were still ablaze with light and they echoed with the sounds of laughter, music and celebration.
The annual Festival of the Crossing was a great event in Brunnen-G life. It marked the journey made by their ancestors through the Fractal Core into the Light Zone, leaving the dying world of Brunnis behind them. In addition it symbolised the transition from childhood, when Brunnen-G teenagers had completed their training as artisans, warriors or wherever they and their teachers felt their talents could serve best. Then they would be officially recognised at the Festival as adults, ready to continue life's journey down the path they had chosen.
It had been a few years since Kai's Festival, when he finally achieved the rank of warrior. Even now, he could remember the excitement and pride he felt, standing before the crowds in his uniform amongst the others. That day he felt there was nothing he couldn't do and he fervently hoped that he would soon have the opportunity to prove himself. In part Kai's decision to become a warrior had been fired by the glorious tales of the Brunnen-G's victory against the Insect Civilisation over a millennia ago. It had been something of a disappointment then, when he learned that the most he could expect were small skirmishes with the occasional group of raiders, testing the security of their borders. However he soon realised that this was better than being dragged into a bloody war, where the names of heroes were remembered throughout history, but the greater amount of innocent lives lost would be reduced to just a number and a vague sense of regret. His duty was to defend his people a!nd to fail any of them would be unforgivable.
He finally reached the top of the hill and flopped down beside Tarn, his best friend since childhood, right through their training together as warriors. Very few people understood why the pair were so inseparable, for at first glance they seemed to have very little in common. Kai had been a quiet, seemingly serious boy, while the more mischievous Tarn was forever getting them both into trouble. What they didn't realise was that Tarn's wickedest pranks usually started as suggestions from Kai, who had his own dry sense of humour and would happily go along with Tarn's plans and take his share of the blame afterwards. Tarn would galvanise Kai into action, taking risks he might not have considered, while Kai would prevent Tarn from doing anything too foolhardy. They would have done well without each other perhaps, but together they had achieved much more. And had more fun doing it.
They sat together in companionable silence, as Kai quietly gazed up at the stars, recalling his astronomy lessons from school. Tarn had already began draining the pile of cabu flowers they'd brought with them, large trumpet-shaped blossoms with a sweet intoxicating nectar that you sucked out through the central stamen. Every year they would come to this spot as the Festival began winding down, to reminisce and talk about life, the future, and any nonsense that came into their heads. It would end in the usual way, with Tarn getting completely smashed on cabu nectar and it would be down to Kai (who wouldn't be too sober himself) to get them back to their respective homes. At least now he didn't have to worry about dodging Tarn's parents - just his girlfriend Kemi, who took a dim view of some of her beloved's more extravagant quirks.
As if on cue, Tarn tossed his third (fourth?) flower aside, sighing happily. "Aaaaahh! Now THAT'S what I call good cabu! Mind you, this year's Festival was nowhere near as good as ours - I swear they get duller every time." "So you said last year... and the year before... AND the year before that," Kai snorted. "You're just annoyed that it's not you up there, being the centre of attention for once." He selected a flower for himself, relishing its sharp-sweet taste.
"Yeah, well if I remember right, you were the one getting more attention than most," Tarn retorted. "All those girls, practically throwing themselves at you... none of us even got a look-in. I wouldn't mind, but some them were real beauties - and you still ended up sleeping alone that night!"
Kai flushed and shifted irritably. "Don't start on about that again. I don't do that unless it's someone I feel something for... something special... otherwise it's just taking advantage. Anyway, if I had, you never would have made it home - not without breaking your neck or something."
"I don't get drunk every year! Well, not that drunk anyway," Tarn amended. "Besides some girls like being taken advantage of..."
"Like Kemi?"
"You tell her I said that, and you're a dead man! Honestly though, you take your work too seriously, especially since they made you leader of our Wave. Don't get me wrong," Tarn said, shifting over to look at him directly, "it's not like you didn't more than earn it. I never would have made it through my training without you to help me out." He waved aside Kai's protests and went on, "but it's time you relaxed a bit, started having a life outside of your duty. Look what happened to you and Amira. It's a bit much when an idiot like me can keep a relationship going longer than you - no offence."
"I know," Kai said and sighed softly. Amira had been one of the beauties Tarn had grumbled so good-naturedly about, who had attracted Kai with her lively intelligence and sense of humour. Unfortunately Kai became too wrapped up in his duties as Wave leader and by the time he realised he was neglecting her, it was already too late. She'd exploded furiously at him one night, claiming the only way she'd get his attention would be to join the troops under his command and despite his attempts to patch things up, they ended up drifting apart. "I never meant to treat her badly," he went on. "It's just that being Wave leader is important to me. I never expected to come this far so soon. I want to show that I'm worthy of the position and that they made the right choice."
"Of course they did, you idiot!" Tarn exclaimed. "You don't think the Armsmaster would have chosen you just for the hell of it, do you? That old bastard practically broke our backs in training - he was only happy when you got it a hundred per cent perfect every time. You've nothing to prove with your track record, so stop worrying about it. Have some fun, live a little. The world won't end if you're not at attention all the time... What's wrong?"
Kai had stiffened at Tarn's last words and now shivered slightly. "Sorry. It's nothing - you just reminded me of a dream I had last night. One that felt too real..." Tarn glanced over at him towards him looking surprised. "I thought you didn't believe in dreams foretelling the future."
"I don't... I mean, I've never had dreams that made sense, or seemed significant before. But this one was different." Kai shifted uncomfortably, feeling that what had seemed so disturbing last night was going to sound foolish now. "I was standing up here on the hill, looking down on the city. It was daylight, but there was something moving in front of the sun, blocking out the light. This huge shadow started spreading across the ground, but it was more than that... it was a complete void, swallowing up everything in its path. It began to cover the city and I saw buildings being crushed and people running away only for it to catch up with them. The way it cut off their screams was horrible." Kai swallowed, his throat suddenly dry and tight. "I started to run towards the city. I thought if I could get to at least one of them, drag them to safety... But the shadow moved too fast, they were all gone... and then it caught up with me. I couldn't move. I just stood there, completely !
helpless, unable to get away. It came nearer and nearer until I could see nothing, everything was black... then I woke up." He paused, remembering his panic as he jack-knifed up in bed, feeling as if the darkness was pressing down and suffocating him. He'd sat there in a tangle of sheets, his heart pounding, and it took him a while to get back to sleep again.
His reverie was rudely broken by Tarn punching his arm. "See what I mean!" he crowed. "All this doom and gloom - we need to find you a girl, fast! Don't worry about it - like you say, dreams don't mean anything, right?"
Kai winced and then smiled, rubbing his shoulder. For once he was grateful for once that Tarn couldn't take anything seriously if he tried. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Still, if that one wasn't to your taste, you might like the dream I had afterwards. This time, I was standing on the bridge of some weird ship. It was like our Insect fighters, but huge, and there were two other people with me. I was wearing my uniform, only it was all black for some reason... anyway there was a man in orange overalls and a girl..."
"A girl?!"
"'Thought that would get your attention. The man seemed to be the captain of the ship, because he was standing on this central..."
"Never mind him, what about the girl?!" Tarn was almost bouncing with impatience, his eyes gleaming. "What was she like? Was she pretty?" Kai thought for a moment, then smiled softly. "She was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen - especially when she smiled. Her eyes and hair were as blue as the sky... yes, blue hair... I never said she was Brunnen-G. No, I'd never seen her before... I'd remember if I had. What? Oh, a little blue dress I think... yes, very little if you must know." Kai shot Tarn a wry glance. "You just have to take the romance out of everything, don't you?"
"Hey, I like romance as much as the next guy, but it don't keep you warm at night by itself!" Tarn flopped back against the grass and sighed lustily. "Honestly, two dreams in one night and you're worrying about the one that didn't have the girl in it... there's just no hope for you, friend."
"Nice to see you've got your priorities straight."
"Absolutely," Tarn grinned, rolling over and fixing Kai with an evil leer. "So anyway, this girl... when she smiled at you, did you just smile back, or did you reach straight out and..."
He broke off, spluttering and laughing as a drained cabu flower hit him in the face.
Where am I? I'm in... some sort of glass box? How did I get here? It's all misted up with frost... must be freezing... but I don't feel cold. Who's that? There's someone outside... can't see a damn thing through this stuff... wait, they've got their hand on the lid and it's melting some of the ice away...
It's her! The girl from my dream before... but she was smiling then... happy... why does she look so sad now? So lonely.... what's wrong? Is there anything I can do....? Why doesn't she answer?
Ah... I don't think she can hear me. If I can just get the lid open.... I can't move! What the hell's going on? I feel numb... I can't feel anything at all, what's happened to me? It's this box... if she'd just open it up... Please, don't look at me like that. I do want to help... it's just that I can't m... wait! Don't go! Come back, let me help you... please... don't leave me here alone....
Kai awoke with a start, then collapsed groaning against the pillows, feeling as if his head was going to explode. The trouble with cabu flowers was that their effects tended to sneak up on you and by the time you realised you'd overdone it, it was way too late. Kai's only consolation, as he struggled up painfully from the bed was that Tarn would be in even worse shape - assuming he'd even regained consciousness yet. The bastard had really outdone himself that night, coming over all patriotic and singing the war song in the city centre at the top of his voice. Unfortunately the night watch and those trying to sleep were highly unimpressed and they'd only just avoided getting caught. "Next year I'll leave him up that bloody hill," Kai muttered vengefully and staggered towards the shower.
The cold water soon shocked him awake, reminding him unpleasantly of his latest dream. Shivering, Kai turned the temperature up, then stood silently under the jet, feeling the water soak into his hair and stream down his body. Despite what Tarn had said, he couldn't help feeling that something terrible was going to happen and he would be powerless to prevent it. "It's just imagination," he told himself firmly, and concentrated on getting dried, dressed and fastening his hair up again.
As Kai walked out of his quarters, he heard someone shout his name. Turning he recognised one of the other Wave leaders, looking considerably out of breath. "Emergency meeting called - everyone's to assemble at the training ground in one hour," he gasped. Then he ran on before Kai could ask why, hailing another warrior up ahead. Kai stared after him for a moment, feeling an unpleasant chill in spite the sun blazing down. Then he turned and started to run towards Tarn's quarters.
An hour later, all the warriors had arrived and were talking at once, intrigued and alarmed by this mysterious summons. Kai's attention was divided between snatches of conversation and trying to keep Tarn from collapsing asleep on the floor, but it seemed that no-one knew what was going on. Suddenly the noise died down, and everyone stood to attention as the Armsmaster of Brunnin entered and quietly surveyed his troops. Everyone was shocked by the look on his face; he'd always appeared younger than his sixty years, but today he seemed to have aged tremendously, as though time had caught him up with a vengeance. Kai stood there and waited for him to speak with dread.
"As you are aware, last year the Brunnin council were involved in talks with the League of 20,000 Planets, regarding our world coming under the... protection... of His Divine Shadow." The Armsmaster's lip curled, his tone expressing what he really thought this arrangement would entail. "We refused their offer, wishing to retain our independence and at the time it seemed they had accepted our decision without argument. Recently however, reports have been coming in of other worlds, who also refused to join the League, being attacked and destroyed by His Shadow. All of these were military outposts and the League claimed that they had declared war upon the Divine Order, requiring extreme force to prevent other worlds being involved. Though we did not believe this, the Ruling Council felt that we wouldn't be considered a threat due to our diminished military capabilities. They thought we would have enough time to prepare ourselves... but..."
He stared quietly at the ground for a moment, then continued, his voice dull and resigned. "Today the League officially declared war on Brunnin, on the grounds that those who stand apart from the Divine Order can only wish its destruction. The Mega-Shadow has already left the Cluster and is estimated to arrive here within two days."
There was absolute silence at his words hit home. Even Tarn straightened up and stared at him, suddenly and horribly sober. Kai felt numb, as though he had become detached from what was going on around him and was merely observing from the outside. He heard the Armsmaster speak again as if from a great distance and slowly lifted his head.
"As you know, we have limited resources at our disposal, particularly ships and weaponry. Only a certain amount is operating at full capacity, enough to equip one Wave at most. Our plan is to mount an open attack with what we have. It's the last thing they'll expect from us and the advantage of surprise may enable us to take the Mega-Shadow out. I don't have to tell you that the margin of success is small, but its the only chance we have. Who will volunteer for this mission?"
As the assembled warriors digested this information, Kai stepped forward, looking directly at the Armsmaster who nodded approvingly. "Thank you, Kai. You are one of our most competent leaders and your Wave has distinguished itself many times in battle. You will lead the defence of our planet when the Mega-Shadow crosses our borders. Who else will join him?"
He'd barely finished speaking before Tarn stepped forward, followed immediately by the rest of Kai's Wave. Other warriors began to move, but the Armsmaster raised his hand, forestalling them. "That's enough - we don't have enough Insect fighters to equip any more pilots. We will begin our preparations at 0700 hours tomorrow, so until then you are all dismissed. May our ancestors go with you."
Later that afternoon, the news was officially announced to the public. The general reaction as expected, was one of stunned disbelief, followed by anger, panic and despair. Some blamed the Ruling Council for not having foreseen the threat and the law had to step in to break up a impending riot. The temples were filled to bursting with people desperate for spiritual comfort and reassurance. Others flocked to the memory chambers to record their life experiences - a practice linked to an ancient ritual, pre-Crossing, that was now all but forgotten.
By dusk, much of the initial hysteria had died down and the city was relatively quiet. Kai walked through the silent streets, deserted except for the occasional patrol on alert for trouble-makers. He had just left his parents' home, having gone straight there after the public announcement to offer what reassurance he could. His sister Liana was watching for him through the window and dashed out to fling herself into his arms. She was crying and asking over and over, "Is it true Kai? Say it isn't, please say it isn't!" Then their mother came out and helped him lead the sobbing girl inside, quietly asking the same question as she did so. He could only nod in silence and her eyes filled with despairing tears, made worse because he knew they were for him. She knew that it was a suicide mission whatever the outcome and even if Kai did somehow save his home, there was no way he would return to it.
His father, never the most openly demonstrative person, had little to say yet Kai knew he was as distressed as they were. His attempts to put the best face possible on the situation sounded hollow, even to his ears and he was frustrated that he could offer his family no tangible hope. As he wandered aimlessly through the city, he noticed that the decorations and litter from the Festival had yet to be cleared away. Banners hung folornly from the buildings and paper confetti lay strewn across the pavement. Was it only yesterday that everyone had been so happy, partying without a care in the world? It felt like years, rather than hours had passed since then. A stray balloon drifted towards him and he paused, remembering how he'd loved playing with them as a child. Then he kicked it aside and continued on his way.
Eventually he found himself walking up the hill once again to find Tarn sitting there alone, a pile of cabu flowers at his side. He was staring out into the night, arms wrapped round his knees and merely glanced at Kai briefly as he sat down beside him. For a moment, there was silence.
"How many of those have you had?" Kai asked softly. Tarn glanced at the cabu and paused as if calculating an immense number. "None," he said finally and grinned weakly. "I was planning to drink myself into a coma, but once I got up here, I couldn't be bothered. I must be coming down with something, huh?" Kai nodded and tried to smile, wishing they could just laugh it all away like they had in the past.
"How the hell could we let this happen?" Tarn whispered. "How could we just bury our heads in the ground and ignore what was going on? Did we really think that nothing could touch us, that if we ignored everything outside, it would ignore us back?" He shook his head, angry now and disgusted. "We've screwed ourselves ever since the Insect Wars, not wanting to get our hands dirty - and now look at us. I had ancestors who died fighting the Insects. I doubt they'd think it was worth it if they knew how it's going to end!"
Kai said nothing. What could he say, Tarn was right after all. The Brunnen-G had indeed triumphed over the Insects, but it had cost them dearly, with many lives lost. It seemed only natural that afterwards they would seek consolation in beauty, rebuilding their shattered culture with an emphasis on art, music and poetry. Such was their success, they became known throughout the Light Zone as a race of romantic dreamers, a term that was not entirely complimentary. For over a millennia now, they had turned their gaze inwards, oblivious to what did not immediately concern them, growing more and more complacent in the years of peace. Even the warriors' training was more about the art of war, while the production of arms and ships dwindled in favour of other causes. The fighter craft foundered especially, as they still used organic technology created by their ancestors, using the bodies of Insects cloned especially for the purpose. This had enabled the Brunnen-G to use the enemy against itself and win the war, but now it was evidence of a chapter in history that many would rather forget. Though no-one quite dared to suggest they get rid of them altogether, the Armsmaster's frequent requests for more had been brushed aside and production was sluggish at best. Now the dreamers had been forced to wake up, to do what little they could, too late.
"How's Kemi?" Kai asked, grasping at straws to fill the silence somehow. It wasn't meant as a criticism, but Tarn bridled anyway. "I've been with her all afternoon; you think I'd just ignore her at a time like this?!" Then he sighed wearily and dropped his hand on Kai's shoulder. "Sorry, I didn't mean to take it out on you. Kemi's bearing up pretty well, but then she's got to - her mother just about fell apart with hysterics. In the end they had to give her something to quieten her down. I offered to stay and help, but Kemi told me to go home and rest, not that I could sleep now. How about your family?"
"The same - just about holding on. Poor Liana, she was crying her eyes out when I came round. Now she's desperately trying be brave, because she thinks she'll be a burden to Maia (mother) otherwise." Kai closed his eyes tightly, a lump forming in his throat. "It would have been her Festival next year Tarn, her training as a seamstress is almost finished. You should see the wall hanging she's been working on for the last month. From a distance it looks like a painting, it's so good. She's so young... her whole life ahead of her... so young..."
Tarn nodded silently, his face bleak. "Well, I guess I owe you an apology now." Kai stared at him blankly, wondering what he meant. "That dream of yours you told me about last night... the one that had you so spooked. I guess I shouldn't have been so quick to laugh it off... not that it would've done us any good. Hey, where are you going?"
Kai stared at him for a moment, eyes widening, then rose swiftly and began walking down the hill. "The Time Prophet," he called back over his shoulder. "Maybe she can help me understand my dreams better, give me some answers. At least she might be able to tell me if we stand a chance or not."
"You're wasting your time Kai," Tarn replied. As his friend halted, he went on, "Everyone's had the same idea; didn't you see the queues outside her temple? The Time Prophet's closed the doors on everyone and the guards won't let anyone past." Tarn picked up a cabu flower and twirled it round in his hands. "Pretty sensible really. Things are bound to get nasty, with some idiots thinking they're more worthy to see her than others. Then of course you've got the ones who'd want to blame her, saying she should have seen it coming and warned them. Maybe she did... and kept quiet, knowing there was nothing we could do. Sometimes I think ignorance really is bliss... you're better off not knowing what's to come...
Ten minutes later, Kai was back in the city, heading for the Time Prophet's temple. Despite what Tarn had said, he was determined to try and see her, reasoning that he might have more luck being alone. That hope began to dwindle as he reached the steps and saw the four guards flanking the doorway, but since he'd come this far anyway, he went up towards them. They shifted their hands to their tasers as he approached, not exactly threatening, but making it clear they were ready for any trouble. Kai bowed to them politely, spreading his hands in a gesture of goodwill that also revealed he was unarmed and not looking for a fight.
"Good evening," he said softly, "I wish to request an audience with the Time Prophet. I know it's late," he went on quickly as one the guards started to speak, "and that she has turned everyone else away. But if you could tell her that I'm here... and ask whether she would agree to see me..." He faltered, suddenly feeling foolish. Why should the Time Prophet see him, in preference to anyone else? This had been a waste of time, as Tarn said.
The guard glanced at his companions and then stepped forward, returning Kai's bow in deference to his rank. "I regret to inform you that the Time Prophet has given us specific orders. No-one is to be admitted, no matter what their status or their reasons." Despite his respectful words, something about his tone brooked no argument. Kai suspected that he'd been less polite to the others who had been here earlier, and that insistence wouldn't cut much ice with him. Well, that was that. With a sigh, Kai nodded and turned, preparing to descend the steps again... and froze.
"...Kai...."
The voice whispered eerily from the doorway, which had somehow opened without anyone noticing. Kai stared at the guards, who were obviously taken aback at this summons and uncertain what to do. As they all hesitated, the whisper came again, clearly and distinctly, "Kai... come to me, Kai..." The guards made up their minds and stepped back either side of the doorway, bowing silently. Kai paused for a moment, then made up his mind and walked in.
He looked up at the Time Prophet standing above him on the ornate dais, resplendent in her robes and surrounded by an aura of light. Holographic imagery transformed the interior of the temple into an arid desert landscape, representing Brunnis when the original Time Prophet had foreseen the planet's approaching demise. This mysterious figure invited much rumour and speculation; some whispered that there had only ever been one Time Prophet, kept ageless by some ancient technology or even her own gift. Others thought it more likely that there had been several descended from the same bloodline, each taking up the mantle as the previous one finally passed on. Either way, she inspired respect, awe and even a little fear, but never envy. Her ability to see into the future was considered a blessing and a curse, for as Tarn said, she must see things that people were better off not knowing and have to decide whether to reveal it or not. And then she would have to carry the burden of that knowledge herself, including the when and the how of her own death...
Kai stepped forward, wondering, like so many before him, just how old she really was. "Prophet!" he said. "I have come to you because the forces of His Shadow grow stronger and we no longer have the weapons to combat them."
The Time Prophet looked down upon him, exactly as she had seen herself do in the future-past, gazing into the old cycles of time. "I have the strength to answer one question," she replied. "Say to me your question."
"Will the forces of His Shadow destroy us?"
Once again the prophet felt herself sliding into her appointed place within the cycle, like automatically walking down a familiar, well trodden path. Some might have felt anger or despair, knowing that their every action was simply a repetition of what had gone before; that no matter what you did to influence future events, there were never any real choices at all. If the Time Prophet felt such emotions, no sign of it showed on her face. Silently she gazed ahead, just around the corner of the future...
And then she told him everything.
The final day dawned, bright and clear. Kai carefully adjusted his uniform and left his quarters for the last time, heading for the military enclosure. As he walked down the main street with the other warriors, they were met with cheers from the crowds lined up either side. They acknowledged this with only slight smiles and nods of the head as they marched on; a Brunnen-G warrior remained stoic and in control at all times. As he walked past the throng, Kai could see that while most of them were almost desperately optimistic, others seemed to have realised the futility of it all and accepted their fate. He didn't know which was worse as he remembered the Time Prophet's words...
"...the Brunnen-G, the great victor in the war against the Insect Civilisation, shall be destroyed at the hands of His Shadow. But after His Shadow leaves the Cluster, they will be destroyed at the hands of the Brunnen-G."
How is that possible? Kai thought. How are we supposed to strike back from the grave after His Shadow has reduced us to dust? The Time Prophet had admitted that her visions were not always clear, yet she seemed positive that what she had seen would happen. Would it really all be for nothing, merely a gesture of empty defiance before the end?
He entered the military enclosure, marching through into the launch bay. The Insect fighter craft were swarming with technicians, ensuring that everything was functioning at peak capacity. The Armsmaster had allowed the warriors' loved ones inside to make their final farewells and there was much hugging, tears and promises to return. As Kai walked towards his own family, he saw Tarn being embraced fiercely by Kemi, who looked as if she would never let him go. Liana smiled bravely at him as he approached, determined not to cry this time, but her bottom lip was already trembling when he reached her. Kai pulled her close and stroked her hair comfortingly, feeling her body shake with muffled sobs as she buried her face in his chest. When she finally stepped back, her eyes were dry and she held up her head proudly, calm and in control again.
His parents came forward and he embraced them both, closing his eyes and recalling a thousand memories from childhood, when they'd always been there for him. Drawing back, he gazed into their faces and decided that, prophecy or no, he would succeed in destroying His Shadow that day. Even if it cost him his own life.
He felt a tug on his sleeve and turned to see Kemi at his side, Tarn hovering near. She flung her arms round his neck and, as she always did whenever they went on a mission, whispered, "Take care of him Kai... don't let him do anything stupid, will you?" He nodded silently and she went back to Tarn, who exchanged a sympathetic glance with him over her head. Kai had deliberately avoided seeing him that night after his visit to the Time Prophet. He didn't want to tell him her bleak prediction, but if Tarn had asked, he wouldn't have been able to lie to him.
Suddenly klaxons blared out and shouts of alarm came from those monitoring Brunnin's space. The Mega-Shadow had arrived earlier than predicted and was now within their borders preparing to fire on their planet. Suddenly Kai felt very afraid as the realisation finally hit him; today he was going to die...
His mother pressed her hand against his cheek, unable now to hold back her tears. He clasped it gently against his face for a moment, feeling the softness of her skin against his, then sadly drew back and whispered a final farewell. Turning, he ran to his fighter without daring to look back, strapping himself into the cockpit as the technicians sealed it shut. On his left, Tarn was doing the same, pausing only to give him a thumbs-up sign, smiling grimly. In half an hour, he would be the last to be shot down before Kai's fateful crash into the Mega-Shadow's cockpit, as their world burned behind them.
The technicians finally stepped back and Kai switched on his intercom, giving the command to launch. As the Mega-Shadow prepared to strike the first blow, the Insect fighters rose into the sky and the warriors began to sing...
"...I am Kai, last of the Brunnen-G. A millennia ago, the Brunnen-G led humanity to victory in the war against the Insect Civilisation. The Time Prophet predicted that I would be the one to destroy the Divine Order and the League of 20,000 Planets. Someday that will happen. But not today, as today is my day of death... the day our story begins..."
Get your own Free Home Page