Chronicles of Terrus Chapter 7: Serious Competition

I left the now quiet controller lying where he was. Regrettably, I left Eliza where she was. I advanced across the battlefield, always staying behind the barriers. Where was Serri? Where were the other three enemies? Now behind the last row of barriers infront of the enemy facility, I calmed myself and tried to plan. Two dracon cannons mere feet away from me. It will be tough to take them out at this close range. Three enemies running around, either hunting me and Serri, wherever he is! Or liesurly strolling into our base behind me and taking the stupid sphere. Or both! Either way we lose the first round horribly! I suddenly felt a claw on my shoulder, I turned and brought my dracon beam up to fire. Recognizing who it was, I lowered my weapon and smiled.

"Serri! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN YOU DARKAP?" He glared at me and whispered furiously "Yes it's me keep your voice down! Where have I been? I've been trying to find you! At the beggining of the round I decided to stay out of sight and watch our foes. I snuck back to our facility and found Heyo and Eliza down. On my way back over this way I ran into one of the Zani twins and took him out."

Wonderful. Me and Serri still active on our team, Desha and Kamia still active on theirs. I felt a bit hopeful. Maybe we could still be victorious. I whispered back "I only have one working arm right now. Don't worry, I have a plan-" He interrupted and said "Terrus wait. This plan of yours doesn't involve me being cannon bait does it? I saw what it did to Heyo which didn't look very fun. Also, Desha is a cruel sadistic freak. She slashed Kamia up pretty badly when he told her he couldn't find me or you."

I flinched at the cruel and sadistic comment. "Nevermind that. Let's just get these cannons down, get that shield generator down, get inside the base and take the stupid sphere from them. You stick an arm out, let the cannons target it and I'll take quick shots at their disable points, and before you say, oh well why can't you do that miss? I'm going to say this, I already have one none functioning arm you darkap. This way between the two of us we'll have two working arms," I grinned "Except your arm is going to hurt alot more than mine does."

He glared and then shoved me against the barrier and held me there. He leaned in close and said "I'll go through more than a little pain to win. We ARE going to win, no matter what."

I stayed where I was and said calmly "I don't think Eliza would-" He pulled me forward and then slammed me back against the barrier. I was more shocked than hurt. I was also confused. Do I REALLY not want to do everything and anything to win? This isn't even about winning anyway it's about seeing how well we function as a team, winning is just a focus point! "If you're thinking we're going to win no matter what then I suppose Desha and her team are too." I gave him a grin and asked "Have you ever noticed how much time you spend with your claws on me?"

A soft and quiet voice coming not from behind Serri or me, but from ABOVE US said "Do you two ever realize how much time you spend talking?" Serri and I looked up and saw Desha standing atop the barrier. I hadn't even heard her get up there! In that second, she jumped down, I pushed Serri back as well as threw myself to the side simultaniously. I held on tightly to my dracon beam. I heard her blades clash with the metal floor, I glanced at Serri and saw him on his feet, blades raised, ready to fight. In that same split instant I realized something: I was lying on my RIGHT side, not behind the barrier, and the infantry dracon cannons were still functional!

I heard the whirring sound of the cannons swivelling to target me and saw Serri and Desha charge each other. I scrambled to my feet as the cannons began firing and dive rolled towards the closest one, then brought my dracon beam up and fired at the disable point.

I crouched behind the disabled cannon and waited three seconds. Cannon number two went back to stand by, as it had lost its' target. I quickly vaulted over my offline cannon and lazily fired off a shot at cannon number two, shutting it down before it even fired. My arm still oustretched, I looked over to my right and saw Serri and Desha in a furious blade fight, moving out from behind the barriers.

I lowered my arm, started over to them and felt a sudden crushing pressure on my tail. I whipped my head around and saw an unarmed Hork Bajir controller who could only be Kamia, and he was standing on my tail! "Bad move on your part Kamia. Off the tail and I'll show you mercy." He took another step forward on my tail and said furiously "Show me mercy? Like you showed Zani mercy?" Take another step you darkap. Take one more step..

Out loud I replied quietly "Exactly like that..." Final step. I twisted completely around and jerked my tail out from under him, causing him to fall. He slashed at my legs as he went down. I took three quick steps back and just watched him as he got up. He shook his head and said "Basic trick. I fell for it." I grinned and replied "I'm afraid you just aren't up to the Vissers expectations. Or mine." He grinned back and threw a glance at Serri and Desha as their fight brought them ever closer to us."Allow me to change that." He said as he brought his arms up in the typical combat-ready stance.

I laughed and dropped my dracon beam, then raised my right arm and held it, blades outward, across my torso. "Be my guest." he swung in from the left, I blocked easily and shoved him back a few steps. I grabbed his right arm as he slashed, he went to cut my arm off with his left wrist blades but I twisted myself around him, bringing his arm around with me. Instead of moving his body around and slashing again like I'd expected him to, he took a couple steps back, I resisted but he just kept moving with me and slammed us both backwards against a cannon, jarring me loose. I stood there stupidly, dazed from the impact. So he doesn't just have strength, he also knows how to use it!

Free of me now, he rushed forward to get my weapon still laying on the ground. Move Terrus! MOVE! He reached the dracon beam, I still couldn't move! What is going on? Kamia leveled the dracon beam at me. I heard a voice in my head, one I hadn't heard in a long long time scream ‹GAFERACH YEERK!› My senses regained, and my control, I felt something from this Hork-Bajir. Hope. I let it know I was "back" and poured a stream of violent memories at it. I pushed its' mind down.

I saw Desha slash both Serris legs, blood poured out and she shot him as he went down. Kamia fired at me, I was still too disturbed by what had just happened to move. I didn't even notice I was down until my..the Hork Bajirs..head hit the ground. Again, the Hork-Bajir rose up in my mind and said happily ‹Gafrash. Message. Time soon Yeerk. HRUTHIN. HRUTHIN KILL YEERKS. BRING MORE HRUTHIN. KILL ALL YEERKS. SOON›

I heard the Vissers voice ring out across the floor. "Round one over."