The Cycles of Revelation Series
Artifact of the Dawn: Attack (A Queer Sci-Fi Adventure)
Episode 35: While Takyra tries to reason with the attacking horde of Aria’asharra, surprise visitors disrupt the proceedings.
Takyra stepped forward. “My name is Takyra. You do not know me, but I am the Chief Technician of the Rahn’naa. That is the name of the ship that carried our people across the stars. Your ancestors betrayed our people twelve hundred years ago and left us to slumber between life and death. That is the truth!”
The gathered crowd let out a collective gasp at that news while Druyndar seethed. “More lies! Do not listen to this traitor!”
“I assure you, I am no traitor,” Takyra continued, looking directly at Druyndar. “Your ancestors betrayed us — ”
Before Takyra could continue, Jevan heard a strange sound in the distance and saw several of the Athla’naa outside the forcefield look up and point at the sky. Turning around, he saw a strange object flying through the mountain pass behind the tower. “Takyra, look!”
They all turned to see, and Takyra immediately turned on her communicator. “Aerys! There’s an aircraft approaching from the northeast. Are you picking it up on external sensors?”
“Yes,” Aerys replied before a brief pause. “Scans of the craft show it’s nearly out of fuel and will need to land.”
“Athla’naa!” Takyra cried out. “Please, I beg you, lay down your arms. We need to lower the forcefield for the approaching aircraft. We do not mean you any harm. Please, do not attack!”
“Do you know who is approaching?” Jevan asked.
“No,” Takyra replied. “You said there were other Medellans on the far continent? They may have come from there. Either way, we cannot let them die. Security techs, set your rahn’ora to stun and prepare to defend us as they lower the forcefield!”
Jevan watched the aircraft as it flew closer and security techs surrounded them, drawing their weapons. Once they were in place, Takyra spoke into her communicator again. “Aerys, lower the forcefield so they can land safely!”
The aircraft circled around the tower and made its approach, coming in low towards their left. It was coming in for a landing on the strip of meadow between them and where the forcefield had held back the gathered Athla’naa. As it touched down, it sped past them, slowing and coming to a stop on the uphill rise to the right of the observation tower.
They were about to run toward the craft to greet the newcomers when Jevan heard a roar as the attacking force of Athla’naa realized the forcefield was down. At first, Jevan expected the forces to come at them in a rush, but in the distance, they could hear Druyndar caution them. “Stay back! It’s more of their insidious technology. They have corrupted the very air. Archers, attack!”
“No!” Ardyn cried out, even as Jevan saw him pull out his rahn’ora, stepping in front of his elders to protect them.
Jevan followed suit, pulling out his weapon and standing next to Ardyn while pushing Mathias behind him. A volley of arrows rained down and the security techs that stood in front of them took the brunt of the attack, a half dozen falling, wounded or dead.
“Those blasted…” Takyra muttered in frustration before shouting. “Activate your personal shields!”
Once activated, the next volley of arrows bounced off them, and the security techs fired at the arrows, disintegrating them. “Get into tiered formation,” Takyra ordered. “Bottom tier, stun the archers. Top tier, widen your beams and stop those arrows!”
The rest of the group drew back to a safer distance, while the security techs changed formation. Some focused their fire entirely on the arrows, with a wider, more deadly beam. The others had their rahn’ora set to stun, firing at their attackers. One by one the Athla’naa fell, as they were stunned unconscious. This seemed to anger their attackers, as they did not understand that their friends and neighbors were not being killed.
A larger group of security techs poured out of the tower behind them, spreading out and taking a similar formation to the ones already protecting them. As the attackers fell in greater numbers, Aelrynd tried once again to make them listen, to no avail. “Athla’naa! Please cease this pointless attack. These weapons are not killing anyone. Those who have fallen are merely unconscious. Check for yourselves!”
“Your weapons are the only ones causing harm,” Taeglyn said, pointing to the techs who had fallen. “You have killed several of our kin.”
Jevan saw a few Athla’naa stop their attacks and kneel to check those stunned around them, but too many were attacking in a frenzied rage. “Should we take cover inside the tower?” he asked Takyra.
“No! We can’t leave those in the aircraft out here to fend for themselves,” Takyra replied. “This stand-off has to end.”
Nodding, Jevan turned back to the fight. They did their best to shield Aelrynd, Taeglyn, and Mathias. Occasionally, an arrow whizzed past their heads, far too close for comfort. Then Jevan saw one coming straight for Ardyn. He pushed his friend to one side, just as the arrow narrowly grazed Ardyn’s arm, slicing through his skin. He cried out but kept firing his weapon, trying to knock out as many of their attackers as he could.
“Are you alright?” Jevan asked.
Ardyn nodded and gave Jevan a thankful smile before turning his attention back to the battle. Jevan tried not to worry as he saw purple blood soak Ardyn’s sleeve.
“Try to target Druyndar,” Takyra ordered. “Once he falls, it may be easier to convince the rest to cease this madness.”
Unfortunately, once the Athla’naa around Druyndar saw what the rahn’ora could do, they surrounded their leader to protect him. Eventually, the security forces gained the upper hand, as they felled more of the attackers.
When a lull in the battle happened, Aelrynd once again pled with her people. “Please, you must stop this foolishness. Can you not see that their technology is superior? They could have killed you all by now, but they have not. Look at those felled at the start of the battle! They are already beginning to revive. We need to end this conflict before more are hurt. You cannot possibly breach their defenses, so please lay down your arms!”
Many of them hesitated, already weary of the battle, and likely realizing that Aelrynd was right. Their people had not engaged in any protracted battles since the treaty seven hundred years earlier. Some threw down their bows and spears, refusing to continue the onslaught against their own people. Eventually, only a few dozen Athla’naa that surrounded Druyndar were still following his orders. The rest had opted to toss aside their weapons and sit down.
Druyndar seemed to realize he was defeated and called for a retreat. When Takyra saw this, she ordered the security techs forward. “Take out Druyndar and any of those who remain loyal to him. We cannot let them get away and bring back reinforcements from other settlements.”
The security techs ran after the retreating Athla’naa, stunning them as fast as they could.
“Thank you for ceasing the attack,” Takyra addressed those who had put down their weapons. “Let us take some time to treat our wounded, and then we need to talk.”
Putting away her amplifier, she called Aerys. “Bring a team of medical techs up here to treat the stunned and wounded.” Then she turned to face the aircraft that sat at the far end of the meadow. “While the medical techs make their way up here, let’s go see who our new arrivals are.”
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