The battle began almost immediately. Energy blasts and bullets filled the air. Luckily, the ships' crewmen that the teens brought quickly discovered J'orda and his guards were on their side and focused their fire on the scavengers and Siert'a's guards. The guards loyal to Siert'a, as well as the scavengers, were firing on each of the other groups besides their own.
Combatants from all sides of the 3-way battle began to fall, either stunned by energy rifles or wounded by well-placed gunshots from the crewmen. After a few loud clinks of bullets ricocheting off armor, they managed to locate small weak points that weren't covered and thus began to target them.
The teens, who had originally come unarmed, grabbed weapons, with Jonny and Hadji getting energy rifles from fallen guards and Jessie taking a sidearm from a sailor who'd been hit. At some point, J'orda and Siert'a seemed to forget about everyone else and focused on each other from opposite ends of the rather large room.
Jonny, Jessie, and Hadji were all firing on the opposing forces from several positions they rotated between, based on which was safest at the moment: just outside the doorway, behind an overturned table, and behind a pillar inside the room. On multiple instances, enemy fire from the scavengers and guards came close to hitting them. Once, Jessie was trying to get a clear shot at Captain Newman and had moved a few feet into the open. Jonny glanced around and realized she was being targeted by at least 1 guard. He reached out and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her behind the safety of the pillar just as multiple energy blasts hit the wall behind where she was standing. These seemed to be higher-powered, as they caused noticeable laser burns.
"Watch it, Ace!" Jonny admonished her as he resumed firing his energy rifle.
"Sorry, Hotshot. Guess you're rubbing off on me," she replied with a sideways smile.
During this time, Bandit was staying with the teens, periodically sticking his head out to bark at their enemies. After an energy blast narrowly missed him, however, he decided it would be better to stay hidden behind the table.
Eventually, the sailors and J'orda's guards were able to pin Siert'a's forces down. At this point, each of them knelt to the ground and surrendered their rifles to J'orda's guards as the sailors kept them covered, just to be safe. The scavengers had all been stunned by this point and would be out for a few hours.
However, J'orda and Siert'a were still fighting. The charge on their energy rifles had ran down, and the pair were now fighting each other hand-to-hand. Jonny started to interfere, but was stopped by two of J'orda's guards.
"They must deal with this themselves," one guard explained.
It was an exciting fight, as both appeared to be in similar conditioning, despite J'orda being noticeably older than Siert'a. It continued on for several minutes, as each threw punches and kicks at the other, some landing, but others missing their mark.
At one point, Siert'a was knocked into his former superior's desk. He reached around and grabbed some sort of small, but heavy-looking ornamental object to use as a weapon. J'orda dropped back a couple of times, before catching Siert'a's wrist after a swing and miss, and then disarming him. Finally, after the leader connected on a few more hits, Siert'a announced as he lowered his head, "I...yield."
J'orda walked over to his former friend, after the guards had seized him, and asked, "Why? You were my second-in-command and head of security. Why would you do this?"
"Because," Siert'a sneered, "for years you have been too lenient on the other Akierans. As leaders of Atlantis, we wield great power and should use it. Additionally, we hold technology far beyond that of the inhabitants of this world and, instead of studying them, should be developing weapons for conquest."
"My friend, we have always been a peaceful race, devoted to science-"
"And that is what makes us weak!" Siert'a interrupted, "We have sacrificed countless opportunities to exert our influence over inferior beings, who could have easily been made to serve us!"
J'orda shook his head sadly, "You have always been more combative than most of our race, Siert'a, and I had hoped that time on Earth on a peaceful scientific mission would change you, but I see I was wrong." Looking toward his guards, he then ordered matter-of-factly, "Take Siert'a, his guards, and the humans that did not come with our guests away and place them into detention cells. I will see to them later."
The leader of Atlantis then walked over to Quest Team. Just as he approached, one of Siert'a's guards who had come to, but was pretending to still be down, raised his energy rifle toward J'orda. Jonny noticed at the last second and dove toward the leader, shouting, "Watch it!" as he pushed their ally out of the way, narrowly avoiding being hit, himself. Before they even hit the ground, one of J'orda's guards fired on the enemy, quickly taking him out of the way once again.
"Jonny, you have saved my life," he said, somewhat astonished.
"It's no big deal."
"Yes, it is. Not only did you save my life this time, but your friends and family likely saved it, and the entire city, by foiling Siert'a's plans. If you had not been here, he might have easily succeeded. How can I repay you?" After a brief pause, he answered his own question, "I know. Let us discuss returning you home."