Just a few minutes ago, Ida, Derek, Vain, and I were returning to the base after finding my journals at my step-father's home. It was a mess and everything but I suppose I won't think about that. The journals are safe. Actually, they're right next to me at the moment. So is Ida but yeah, she's not a journal. We found out that Base 6 was being attacked by the Imperial Forces. How the hell did they find us?
Derek and Vain went off to the control centre - I see them on a screen in front of a lady right now. (Hi!!) Anyway, Prince Erik (can I really just call him Erik? He seems fine with it but I don't know...) just asked - or ordered - me to write down what happens, since I have some magic powers to set things in stone, unlike Thandisry, who goes out of his way to change it for his greedy plans.
I'm still having a hard time believing that magic exists. There hasn't been any real evidence that I could SEE rather than just assume.
Me. Little old me, stopping a civil war? Gosh, I hope I don't start another world war instead. Stars and planets know that we've already had way too many of those...and I just realised that I shouldn't waste my strength on writing down my thoughts. Okay. WHOOOOOSH... I'll stop for now.
"You're rather expressive in writing," Ida commented.
Neesha jerked back and closed the book. "Hey! Don't look over my shoulder."
Ida raised both hands in defeat. "I'll be out of your hair."
Ida just left the desk to bug the cute guy controlling the hologram of the base. Stars, I shouldn't have said that. They're reading this, aren't they? (Sorry, I'll stick "professional" from now on.)
Maybe not. Erik said to do what I usually do so you know what? I think I will.
Ben's squad successfully retreated and shut down the doors, trapping the men they were fighting in that hallway. I don't even know who Ben was but good job. He was great. I can finally understand what they're doing even though the enemy doesn't. They just think that our guys are retreating because there's nothing they can do. But the enemy's actually going to be getting a face full of Action 3 soon. What's Action 1 and 2 then?
Apparently everyone who had made it past the Action Point (new term I picked up from Ida) stations themselves around any entrances and readies themselves for something bad to go wrong. Apparently, that way you'll be prepared for anything.
Terry and Haley's squads have also sealed off the intruders, but Terry has a broken arm and Haley lost two guys. And all the intruders who made it past the Action Point were dealt with.
This sucks.
Whoa, the garage crew that made up the 6th squad returned and I just found out that they were busy attaching bombs to the Imperial Forces' crafts...as well as bugs and everything. Gotta give them credit for that.
Wouldn't they rather take apart the crafts and use the parts themselves? Rather than blowing them up?
I asked Ida. She says if they do run away, we'll have them bugged AND ready for bombing, so if we ever meet again on the field we'd have an advantage. If we don't meet in the field, we could still listen in on their plans through the bugs, unless they find out where the bugs are.
Two more squads are still battling for ground on the second basement level. One of the squads is defending the control centre, where Derek fought.
Vain's squad was on the opposite end. It was lucky too, because Derek's squad was in a tight spot. They had the most intruders to fend off and they were outnumbered about three to one. Their weapons were almost used up but the bad guys kept advancing. They were down to using their hand guns. If that wore out, the knives would be out.
Derek shouted into his communicator for someone named Veera and more ammunition.
I didn't know who he was talking to until Vain tagged her second and left the woman in charge. She jogged toward Derek's squad, which was not far away - just the other end of the floor which was a five minute sprint. Next to her was a huge metal crate that seemed to be speeding toward their destination on auto pilot.
Someone in our room demanded to know who was in charge of supplying the weapons and no one had an answer. Vain - or Veera, which I guess is her real name - almost didn't make it in time. But she did.
Her face is taking up one of the monitors right now. She looked fierce and beautiful. I can see why Derek has a thing for her
The crate halted next to Derek's crew and opened itself to reveal spare weapons. I saw that the crate Derek's team possessed was already open and empty.
Vain was only a second behind and she dropped her weapons to have them hang from her shoulders by the straps. She had a grenade in each hand. Using her thumb, she flipped open the cap and pressed down on the pin for the five seconds.
During that time, half of Derek's squad armed themselves again. When five seconds past, the grenades started beeping, telling Vain that they were activated and ready for some action. She lobbed them at their enemies and shouted at the squad. They retreated just as the shock wave hit the intruders. Those who didn't back away in time were killed by it.
Vain's own squad had finally pushed the enemies back and retreated themselves.
When the last of our people ran past the Action Point, a man in the meeting room (seems more like a war room) said to shut the gates. They did, and the final intruders were finally sealed off from our core.
"Commence Action 3," someone said.
"Action 3 commencing," another replied.
Monitors began to be filled with a green smoke screen but a moment later they were cleared by a filter of some sort and we were able to see the outlines of the invaders. Those who were able to run ran and those who couldn't collapsed in a coughing fit.
They cleared out in fifteen minutes, which was way longer than I thought it would take. Apparently they were too injured to run any faster. I don't know if the gas has anything else in it, but it seemed like it was affecting their judgement and memory as well. Or that could be a side effect of lacking oxygen too. I was never good with biology.
They cleared out. All of those who were left were either dead or close to dead.
I asked Ida if that was the end and yes, she said we were finished and that we had beaten them.
Those in the squads that weren't injured were regrouped and put on their face masks. The gates opened again and they entered to gather the dead invaders. Those who weren't dead were captured. Those who were dead would be cremated, just as how our own would be.
Another hour past as they cleaned up and the gas was filtered out of the hallways. I would never be able to walk through them without looking at those vents, wondering if Action 3 would ever accidentally commence with me still there.
Reading back, it didn't take as much time as I thought it did - I'm going to stop writing now, unless something else comes up.
"How did it go?" Ida asked Neesha.
Neesha flexed her right hand and gave the woman a smile. "Good. Just like always."
Ida ventured a question. "May I see it?" She watched the girl hesitate and didn't understand why. Neesha told her that she didn't like people reading what she wrote, but Ida thought it would resemble a report. "This would be more like a report than a journal. Like an essay. Haven you not handed in essays to teachers before?"
"Yes," Neesha said. "You can read it. It's just that my own thoughts trickle in sometimes."
"That will not be an issue," Ida said reassuringly and accepted the notebook. "I will return this to you after going over it. I might want you to add some things that I believe are important."
Neesha sighed. "That's what I'm worried about. What if I missed all the crucial points?"
"That is something you will have to learn as you grow."
"Ida," someone from across the room waved her over.
"Excuse me."
Neesha leaned back and continued to wiggle her fingers. She felt exhilarated to have possibly helped Erik gain an edge in this revolution. Thandisry won't be winning for as long as she had hands to write with.
"Neesha?"
She dropped her feet to the ground and waited for her blood to reach her feet again before standing. "What is it?" she asked Ida.
"You look dead on your feet. Go find something to eat and get rested."
Neesha rubbed her face, realising just how tired she had become after the entire operation was over. She saluted mutely and headed for the cafeteria, where men and women she witnessed fighting from the monitors also congregated.
"There she is!" Vain yelled and hugged Neesha from behind. "Did you see that? I had to save Derek's sorry star-ridden back."
"I saw that alright," Neesha said and raised her eyebrows at Derek, who was approaching them at a reasonable pace. "I wrote it down," she whispered.
Vain beamed at her and they shared a laugh. They stopped when Derek was a few feet in front of them.
"You're talking about me."
"Are we?" Neesha asked Vain.
"Sure we are," Vain said readily.
"Care to share?"
"No," she replied with a wicked grin.
"Evil. She's evil, I'm telling you," Derek said with serious eyes directed at Neesha who couldn't help but laugh.
"I'm glad you're both alright," she said.
"Of course we'd be fine. We're too tough to kill - aren't we, Derek?"
"Death would spit us back out."
Vain finally released her and she had a good look at the two soldiers. There weren't any significant injuries on them but their uniform showed some burns from where the lasers almost hit them. Derek's cheek had a vertical burn that might have scarred if he didn't have the healing paste smeared over it.
"This fight was considered a clean one," Vain told Neesha as they lined up for their food. "There was barely any body contact, so you won't see many cuts or bruises on us. Most of the injuries are burns from the laser weapons."
"Unless they used old school grenades, which spit out deadly shards that seriously disfigure a person," Derek pointed out.
"What do you mean?" Neesha asked.
"You know, those grenades that have a pin that you have to pull out?"
"But the pin's the button you hold down for five seconds."
"The pin used to be an actual pin," Derek explained as he filled his tray with food. "It was later that they developed the grenades we use now."
Vain laughed. "Don't give her a history lesson when her brain's approaching shut down! Look at her."
Derek peered into Neesha's eyes. "I'm fine," she said. "I'll just eat something and go to my room."
"You do that," Derek said. "You need the rest after everything we did today. Mental exhaustion could be an ass."
Neesha nodded and followed them to a table, where she mechanically spooned food into her mouth and only heard half of of Vain and Derek's conversation.
She stacked her tray and headed to her room. She past by other soldiers who gave her smiles. Everyone was happy to come out of it alive, if not uninjured. Another battle was won. Who knew how many more were to come? They didn't care about that now.
They were living in the moment.
END701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ81WFmHtsk
