An hour later Solinar stood in a richly furnished office and Tsartharus sat behind a heavy wooden desk before him. Perched precariously on his nose was a pair of gold rimmed spectacles. He was reading a lengthy report detailing the mission.
Tsartharus flipped the last page closed and removed his glasses. He looked up to Solinar and took a deep breath. "It looks like we have a serious problem on our hands. I will relay this information to Wing Master Nientriar. Have you been checked by the healers yet?"
Solinar shook his head. "No sir."
"Report to the healing ward at once. Have them examine you thoroughly to ensure that there are no long term effects induced by the disrupter. I will have new orders for you later on. Dismissed."
Tsartharus lifted himself from a plush leather chair and saluted. Solinar returned the salute and left the lavishly decorated office.
Nientriar sat in his chair looking into the Aethyr. His thin brows were furrowed with worry. On his right Tsartharus stood by anxiously. In Nientriar's lap rested Solinar's report.
With a leaden voice Nientriar spoke to Tsartharus. "This is grave news. Can the pride handle the threat? Will we last long enough for the reinforcements to arrive?"
Tsartharus shook his head. "I don't know. We have never come across anything like this before. As long as they can disrupt the Aethyr, nothing is for certain."
"How about a plan to disable the disrupter."
"I have an idea in mind but I don't know if it . . . "
Master Salieanar snapped around in her seat and interrupted the conversation. "Wing Master Nientriar! The battle group is bearing down on us."
Nientriar swore then asked. "How long will it take them to reach us?"
Master Salieanar glanced down to the purple crystal and placed her hands on it. "They should arrive in about four hours sir."
Nientriar returned his attention to Tsartharus. "You have four hours to put your plan into action. Dismissed." Tsartharus returned Nientriar's salute and then left the bridge.
Nientriar turned to a hefty elf sitting in the far corner of the bridge. "Master Toliear, connect me to Gultegra." The elf acknowledged Nientriar's orders and set himself to the task.
An hour later Solinar waited with nineteen other pack leaders in the briefing room. Tension was high and fear was predominant. Once again the rumor mill had done its malicious job. News about the new weapon was out and everyone was on edge.
Tsartharus walked into the briefing room and anxious faces turned toward him for a solution. To himself he thought. By the Aethyr how am I going to tell them they're about to face their doom.
Tsartharus stepped behind a podium standing in the front of the room and placed a folder on it. He took a single deep breath then began. "I have some grave news. A Battle Group is heading for us and preparing an assault."
Tsartharus paused a second to muster his courage then plunged on. "They carry a new weapon that disrupts the Aethyr in such a way that it becomes harmful to us." Gasps of surprise and groans of dismay filled the room.
The noise quieted and Tsartharus continued. "We know very little about this new weapon. It was just discovered in our last reconnaissance mission."
An elf in the back of the room raised his hand and asked. "How are we supposed to fight the humans if our only weapon is taken from us sir?" Nervous glances passed through the crowd. Tension grew tangible.
Keeping a firm grip on his crew Tsartharus continued. "You will have to resort to your training from the academy. Since the reliability of the Aethyr will be questionable, you will have to rely on your steeds as weapons."
The room began to fill with agitated voices but Tsartharus silenced it. "The rest of the pride has been called in to help us. However they have been ordered to hold on alert until we terminate the weapon. I have formulated a plan that will make this happen. Unfortunately we will be subjected to its power."
Murmuring began to fill the room once again and Tsartharus silenced it. He opened the folder and read from it. "Packs two through five and seven you will be defense. If that disrupter hits the Glory, she'll be dead in the Aethyr. It will be up to you to keep her safe."
"Packs ten through seventeen you are offense. Decide amongst yourselves what positions to hold. You'll receive the brunt of the disrupter's blast. So be prepared."
"Packs six and eight, gate the second you drop out of the ship. You'll have to be behind the destroyers before they disrupt the Aethyr. When the disrupter strikes it causes the Aethyr in an unknown area to be displaced to another region. If you gate before the blast, you should be able to maintain control of the Aethyr. Being behind the destroyers should keep you safe. If you're hit before you gate you'll aid the frontal assault.
Finally Packs eighteen, nineteen, and one, wait behind once the meeting convenes."
The elves once again began to stir but Tsartharus stopped it before it got out of hand. "You have all been trained to combat human space craft. The only difference in the procedure is the disrupter. If you get hit by them fall back on the Dragon Fighting you learned in the Academy."
The elves began to stir again and Tsartharus stifled it. "When struck you will feel severe pain. When it comes on you, do not panic, it's just the shock of the Aethyr's disruption. The dragons will be unaffected by the weapon. Allow them to take over the mission."
Tsartharus paused for another breath. "Do you have any questions for me?"
An elf in the third row raised his hand. "Do we have a chance sir?" Several nodded fearing the same thing the speaking elf mentioned.
Tsartharus gripped the edge of the podium fiercely enough to turn his knuckles white. He fought down his temper and tried to sympathize with the frightened elf. "We'll win our way out of this, as long as every elf fights with all the heart his heritage is known for." The questioning elf lowered his hand silently but doubts remained.
Tsartharus lifted his gaze and scanned the room. "Anyone else?" Another hand in the rear of the room went up.
Tsartharus granted the elf permission to speak. "Sir will the disrupter rays kill us?" Tsartharus smiled then said. "Only if you let it." Silence filled the room and no more hands were raised. "If there are no more questions then this meeting is adjourned. Be ready to scramble. Dismissed!"
The room filled once again with noise but Tsartharus did nothing to stop it. He watched the elves file out of the room giving each a word of encouragement as they passed. Once the last elf had left Tsartharus closed the door and turned to the remaining three.
He stepped forward and took a seat in the front row next to them. "For you three I have a special mission and some bad news. There are three destroyers. One has been positively identified as carrying the weapon. The other two may carry it as well. You must penetrate the defenses and destroy every disrupter carried. You must do this before the reinforcements arrive."
Solinar raised his hand to make a comment, "Sir, are their reinforcements?"
Tsartharus let out a sigh, "They will take about an hour to arrive. At the moment the Glory is all that stands between the humans and the outer sector."
No elf made a single comment.
Tsartharus studied the expressions of each elf. Even with the knowledge of being alone against all those humans they still showed no fear. A warm glow filled his heart. "If you can defeat those disrupters, we can defeat the humans. I'm placing Pack Leader Solinar in charge of the operation. He has been close to the destroyers and he'll have all the up to date knowledge about them. Heed him well, you're the only thing standing between us and defeat." Tsartharus returned to his feet and saluted the trio. They returned it and he dismissed them.
Tsartharus walked out of the room and Solinar turned to the small group. "This will not be easy. If you get hit by the disrupter ray, you'll be helpless. The pain of having the Aethyr disrupted is excruciating."
Pack Leader Torisars, a tall dark haired elf asked. "Can we actually defeat this thing?"
Solinar shrugged his shoulders. "By the Aethyr we're going to try."
Pack Leader Talikar, a broad shouldered and fair-haired elf grew excited. "You have a plan?"
Solinar nodded. "A sketchy one that might just work."
Captain Adrius sat in his chair looking out the forward window. Off in the distance empty Aethyr sparkled with stars. The Captain smiled. Soon the fun will begin.
"Captain Adrius we will be in range of the carrier in about an hour sir."
Adrius turned to the officer that addressed him and nodded. "Charge up the oscillators." The officer acknowledged the Captain and set about his task.
Deep in the belly of the ship massive reactors throbbed to life.
Adrius turned to another officer sitting behind him. "Pass word to the other two destroyers to do the same."
Nientriar sat staring out the forward window. Off in the distance he could see a glint of steel. "May the Aethyr be with us." Nientriar raised his voice so it was heard by the window. "Master Salieanar how long."
The elf looked up from the crystal and replied. "One hour Wing Master."
Nientriar swiveled his chair around. "Master Aluminar, reduce speed for optimal maneuverability."
The elf addressed looked up with both hands on the red glowing crystals and replied, "Aye sir. Reducing speed now."
Not waiting for the shift in Aethyr to flow across the bridge Nientriar swiveled his chair to face another elf on his left side. "Go to condition red and engage the globe."
The elf acknowledged the order and placed his hand over a red crystal. She opened her mind to the crew and spoke to them all. Condition Red! I repeat condition red! All hands to your battle stations.
She then placed her hands over a crystal globe on her right side and channeled Aethyr into it. The globe flared brilliantly and another breeze crossed the bridge.
Nientriar swiveled his chair forward and addressed a bald brawny elf sitting at a panel on Master Salieanar's right side. "Prepare the Mage Stormer for full assault."
In a gruff voice the elf replied, "Aye sir." His hands flew into a flurry of motion over the many crystals set into his console.
Nientriar swiveled to the right. "Wing Master Tsartharus have all packs invisible and ready for battle!"
Adrius stared into the empty Aethyr trying with sheer will to make the Glory visible. "How much longer Ensign Samuel."
"About half an hour sir."
The Captain nodded. "Excellent. Engage shields! Call General Quarters! Drop the disrupter dishes! Scramble the fighters!"
Samuel flipped a number of switches. A dull hum followed by a loud click filled the bridge.
Behind the Captain another Ensign flipped a number of switches and spoke into a microphone. "General Quarters! General Quarters! All hands man your battle stations!" Ship lights dimmed to red and people scrambled everywhere.
Next to Adrius, Adrian spoke into a mike of his own. "Squadrons scramble for operation Dragon Dance! I repeat, scramble for Operation Dragon Dance!"
The Captain chuckled to himself while still staring into the Aethyr as it filled with a stream of star fighters pouring from his ship. "No sense in hiding elves. Your magic will do you no good."
Spreading from the Glory's belly, sheltered by her wings was a step pyramid consisting of four levels. Out of the bay poured four waves of invisible dragons bent on victory for the Elven empire. Solinar's team filed out in the lead wave and he cursed his luck as his team made for the oncoming battalion of destroyers.
Adrius turned to Samuel and asked. "Are we in range?" Samuel nodded and Adrius smiled. He flipped a clear shield off the red switch it was protecting. "Are the reactors at peak power?"
Samuel looked down at a row of gauges in his console, "Yes sir."
Adrius' finger itched with anticipation. "Are the transmitters in position?"
The officer looked at a row of lights on his console. "Yes sir."
Adrius smiled maliciously. "Let's see what these elves can do without their magic!" The captain flipped the switch and a low throbbing hum filled the bridge. Shortly after a loud scream followed as the massive reactors discharged their load of power.
Solinar cursed aloud. "By the Aethyr! Here it comes!"
He notified the packs. (Dragon Packs beware! The enemy is upon us!)
Nientriar glared out the window with cold eyes and watched a shimmering wave of disrupted Aethyr roll toward the Glory. With a tone as calm as empty space he ordered, "Fire!"
The elf placed a hand over a blue crystal imbedded into his console and channeled Aethyr into it. A warm breeze blew across the bridge and a massive blue crystal protruding from below it flared up with a brilliant azure flash. Raw Aethyr poured from the crystal like a silent wave of black water.
In a span of vacant Aethyr the two waves met silently and coalesced into a massive globe of light that spread out in all directions. The Aethyr's twilight was banished to broad daylight for as far as the eye could see.
Nientriar watched in horror as the two waves collided into the globe of fire. "By the Aethyr, what did I just do!" His shock only lasted an instant and he was back in control again, "Master Parliear, blacken the shield! Master Salieanar can we gate?"
"Aye, aye sir!" Replied Master Parliear as her hands moved rapidly over the crystals before her.
"No sir." Replied Master Saliear. "We'd need to drop the shield to do so."
As the swarthy elf spoke, Nientriar watched the globe of fire swell toward the ship. "Damn! Then turn us about with all possible haste!"
"Already doing it sir!" Master Saliear's hands flew over his own panel in blurring motion.
The view outside the window turned black as the dome became opaque. Thariear grabbed the arm of his chair as the Glory listed sharply to the right.
Horror crossed Adrius' face as the two waves collided. The first rank of fighters to come within range of the globe was vaporized instantly. The remaining fighters opened fire on the globe and no harm came to it.
A sudden pang of panic rose as the globe of fire expanded. "What the hell is that! Blast shield down! Full power to shields! All hands brace for shock!"
A steel plate dropped closed dividing the bridge from the window. As it clanged shut, the globe washed over the ship. Tossing it back like a toy. Captain Adrius gripped the arm of his chair as the deck heeled sharply upwards. "Engage stabilizers to full power!"
Solinar howled with seared lungs as fire washed down on him. His skin darkened and peeled into carbon sheets. Warped Aethyr blasted through his shielded channels and the sun's fire coarsed through his veins.
A tremendous concussion followed the heat with equal ferocity. Solinar's ear drums burst from the sound and both he and Thorak were hurled bodily into open Aethyr.
Darkness closed on Solinar like a vice burying his pain in its impregnable depths.
The black globe protecting the Glory paled under the heat and shattered. White fire crashed down on her like a wave and submerged her in fire. A part of the hull busted outwards sending blackened splinters into open Aethyr. From the jagged breach shot a massive column of fire. Following the fire's path a wave of kinetic force slammed into the Glory broadside. A thunderous clap ricocheted off the hull and the Glory was hurled into empty Aethyr like a wind tossed leaf.
White hot light poured into the bridge blinding Nientriar with its white hot fire. The deck shuddered and tormented bodies floated weightlessly from the deck as gravity fled the Glory with her magic.
Fire coarsed through Nientriar's body like blood. White light burned tears from his eyes. Instinctively he curled up into a ball, and painless darkness washed over him. The Glory spun out of control and Nientriar joined other motionless elves caught by a trailing wall.
Captain Adrius' ship ceased listing and the deck leveled off. Adrius released the grip on his chair and addressed the Defense Officer. "Status Ensign Samuel."
The officer Adrius addressed sat right behind him listening to an ear piece. He looked up at the sound of his name. "The wave has passed sir. Shields are down and unoperational."
"What's the status of the other two destroyers?"
An officer by the blast shield replied, "Both ships are sound sir."
"Open the blast shield." The first Ensign Adrius addressed flipped a switch on his console. A low hum grew to a soft whine and the metal plate slid back into the overhead.
Sightless, without hearing, and delirious Solinar wandered aimlessly through emptiness driven by a terrible lust for some unknown thing. Black empty silence surrounded him on all sides. Like rain, spears of white light fell around him terrifying him to the bone.
Crack! A spear strikes, burning Solinar's eyes with white light. Mind numbing pain sets every nerve on fire. His hoarse voice strained from ceaseless cries for help echoes all around.
"Ahhhhhhhhh . . . It huuuurtssss . . . Ahhhhhhhh . . . " Writhing with agony Solinar drops to nothing and curls up into a tight ball of misery.
The pain recedes and lust drives him to wander once more.
Crack! Crack, crack, crack, crack. Bolt after bolt fall around Solinar burning his eyes with their terrible white light. Heartsick with fear he jumps back and collapses into a trembling ball.
After several terrifying moments pain and fears recede enough to return limited sense to Solinar. Shaking all over he straightens himself out. The light fades and his smoldering eyes readjusted to a soft glowing light as it grows before him. Where the spears strike the light, darkness is ruptured.
From the jagged hole a familiar growling voice rises like an invisible specter. "Solinar. Remember the discipline. Come back!"
Solinar stands rigid staring into the light. "Is this it? Is this what I'm looking for? . . ."
Emptiness begins to swirl. A soft feminine voice filled with love and compassion replaces the silence. Darkness wanes as the spectral image of a delicate Elven maiden with long flowing blond hair fills it. "The discipline my love. Remember the discipline. Use it my love, and return to me. . ."
Solinar's eyes grow heavy. "Soliara? Is that you?" No answer comes. He curls into a ball and soothing darkness rolls over him and takes the pain away.
Captain Adrius gazed at a screen displaying the Glory tumbling through the Aethyr and shook his head in wonder. He turned to the window and found nothing but star fighters patrolling the Aethyr. "What the hell just happened?"
The balding officer turned to Adrius and replied, "The displacer field and the power from the enemy's cannon clashed in a way we never anticipated. The explosion crippled the dragon carrier and annihilated the dragons."
"Why are we still here?"
"The energy output of the explosion affected the Aethyr exclusively. Since we have no link to the wave washed over us harmlessly."
"Commander Zachariah what is the status of the star fighters?"
The Battalion Commander was relaying orders to the fighters. He lifted his eyes from a monitor attached to the arm of his chair. "All fighters have reported in. Not a single casualty among them. I've ordered them to sweep the area for any trace of the dragons."
Adrius nodded. "What have they found thus far.?"
Commander Zachariah shook his head. "There is no trace of them or elf anywhere."
"Excellent! They must have been destroyed. What about the Dragon Carrier?"
Solinar slowly opened his eyes to darkness. His entire body was senseless and his heart pounded in the grip of panic. "By the Aethyr I'm still trapped!"
(Solinar!) Growled Thorak. (Your back! How do you feel?)
"I'm blind!"
(No, you're not. We're just encased in a shield that doesn't allow light to pass. Is there anything else wrong?)
Solinar shook his head in the darkness. "My whole body is numb. However, I have enough mobility to keep from being a hindrance."
(I'm glad your back.)
"Not more than I am Thorak. What in the name of the Aethyr happened!"
(The Aethyr was violently warped.)
"By the Aethyr." Gasped Solinar. "We should be dead."
(Indeed we should.)
"How did we survive?"
(I practiced some magic I haven't used since the day of my hatching.)
"What kind of magic fends off that kind of power!" Croaked Solinar looking around blindly.
Darkness swirled around Nientriar and pain screamed in every nerve. His head started to swim and only with the greatest effort he could muster was able to fend off unconsciousness. Using a discipline taught to him at the academy, Nientriar forced the pain to the back of his mind.
Nientriar's vision cleared and the stars glittered into view like tiny chips of diamond. His body was immobile and something damp and warm trickled down his back. Still unable to move Nientriar watched the stars swirl around in rapidly spinning white spiral. Sluggishly his body began to respond to his mind's commands.
Using the Aethyr he lit the bridge with a globe of light and probed his body for any remaining damage. Satisfied, he looked around the bridge. The place was in shambles. Equipment and bodies were all haphazardly piled together in a jumbled mass of flesh and wood against the same bulkhead as Nientriar. The bodies that were not pinned against the bulkhead were caught haphazardly on what little stationary equipment remained.
With one hand on the bulkhead Nientriar pulled himself from the pile. He slowly turned around to what the source of the dampness was and found Parliear's corpse with his skull crushed and its contents spattered against the wall. His stomach heaved and only with the greatest effort of control was he able to keep the contents of his stomach in place.
Grimly Nientriar lifted the corpse and tossed it aside. The body floated freely to the middle of the bridge only to be caught again by the same wall.
Beneath the corpse Nientriar found Tsartharus. The broad shouldered elf's normally dark face was a pale mask of death. His chest however, rose and fell weakly.
Nientriar entered Tsartharus' mind and called to him. (Wing Master Tsartharus can you hear me?)
Tsartharus' groaned and his violet eyes flickered open. "Wing Master what happened?"
"Thank the Aethyr you're alive." Exclaimed Nientriar as he helped Tsartharus into a sitting position.
(It's a shell that protected us as hatchlings from the White Hole's violent surges of Aethyr.)
Solinar rubbed Thorak's shaggy mane. "If the white hole created you why do you need protection from its' energies?"
(The White Hole is a powerful confluence of power. The four original elements are warped within its core and forced into the one force we know as Aethyr. The power required to do this is so intense that we would have burned up before ever taking our first breath of Aethyr. If it wasn't for this shell, no dragon would ever live after conception.)
"Wow." Commented Solinar. "This shell can withstand that much power?"
(Yes. It's similar to the egg shells of old world dragons. Without it I would be dead before I had a chance to live. The very thing that gives me my strength would have destroyed me.)
"Does it block manipulation of the Aethyr?"
(Only if you try to send a manipulation outside the shell.)
"Then I can cast a light spell and it will work?"
(If you have the strength, it will.)
Solinar opened his mind to the Aethyr and found a small strand surrounding him. In dismay he ceased his manipulation and said, "I still haven't the strength to mend myself and generate light. The way I feel it's a wonder how I was able to manage mending myself. How did I manage to do it?"
(I filtered enough Aethyr through to provide you what you needed.)
"Can you tell me what the Wing's condition is?"
(It's not good. We lost half the Wing in that blast.)
"By the Aethyr that's one hundred ninety dragons!"
(I know I feel the loss of everyone. . .)
Solinar paused for a long moment then continued. "Of the survivors how many are fit for battle?"
(It's hard to tell, of the survivors only forty elves are conscious.)
Solinar paused for another moment afraid to hear the answer to his next question. "What about the Glory?"
(She took a beating as well. When I found her, she was dead.)
"What do you mean by dead?"
(There was no life in her, Aethyr or otherwise. I've been trying to contact Wing Master Tsartharus but so far I've had no luck. I fear she may have been destroyed. The blast was powerful enough to Aethyrize the Glory.)
"You can talk to others through the shell?"
(Yes I can, however you will not be able to.)
"In the name of the Aethyr!" Cursed Solinar. "Who's in charge?"
(I was until you woke up. You are until the others recover.)
Solinar cursed again, "How long will it take for the others to recover?"
(About an hour.)
Solinar scratched Thorak's head. "How long was I out?"
(For nearly the same.)
"In the name of the Aethyr! What are the humans doing?"
(They're confused. They can't find us and probably think we're all dead. They've been scouring this sector trying to find us.)
"What about the Glory? Have they found her?"
(I don't think so. We don't even know where she is. They probably think the same as we.)
"Hopefully they won't find her if she did survive. I'm sure Wing Master Nientriar will have his hands full as it is."
(What do you propose to do?)
"We need to make some plans to salvage what's left. We still have a Battle Group to destroy. Where are the survivors?"
(They're scattered all over.)
"Where are they in relation to the Battle Group?"
(The bulk of the survivors are on our side. . .)
"Which is?"
(We're aft of the Battle group. A few elves are between the Battle Group and the Glory.).
"Tell the wing to remain hidden, and tell those on our side of the Battle Group to gather around us."
(What would you like me to tell those between the Battle Group and the Glory?)
"Tell them to hold tight until further notice."
Thorak snorted. (You have a plan?)
Solinar shook his head. "No, but hopefully I'll have one once we regroup and everybody has recovered."
Commander Zachariah lifted his eyes from the screen and moved the mouth piece from his face. "Captain the star fighters have completed their search. The dragons are gone."
Captain Adrius was idly watching the Glory tumble through the Aethyr. "Order them to regroup around the destroyers. Send out a scouting party to patrol the perimeter. Plot a course to intercept the Dragon Carrier and engage when ready."
With help from Tsartharus and the other survivors Nientriar managed to sort out the living from the dead. While sorting out those on the bridge, Nientriar received messages from other elves throughout the ship doing the same thing. Of the thirty elves that manned the bridge before the explosion only eight remained. From the surviving crew Nientriar recruited new elves to fill the gaps.
Nientriar had the crew on the bridge gathered around him. "What's the status of the power crystal Master Aluminar?"
"It's gone, Wing Master." Replied the Power Mage. "The warped Aethyr broke the crystal down and destroyed it. The hull was breached by the explosion."
Nientriar cursed, "We have no power at all?"
"None Wing Master."
"We need to stabilize this ship. If we don't, we'll end up falling into dead space."
"I've been thinking about that." Commented Master Aluminar. "I have an idea that might work."
(Solinar the dragons have gathered. What is our next step?) Inquired Thorak.
"How many pack leaders are conscious?"
(Torisars, Talikar and Somtaris.)
"Are any of their packs whole?"
(No, too many elves are still unconscious.)
"Tell Torisars to gather a make shift pack from the fit survivors, and begin searching for the Glory. They are to remain invisible and report as soon as they find her."
(I'll relay the message.) A few seconds passed and Thorak's mind voice returned. (They have left.)
"Have more elves recovered?"
(The remaining . . . What's that? Are you sure? In the name of the Aethyr!)
"What's going on Thorak?" Asked Solinar anxiously.
(The elves you sent after the Glory found her. They're some distance from her but they have visual contact. From what they say she is in really bad shape. On top of that the humans have found her.)
"How close are we?"
(About forty Aethyrical Leagues.)
"And the humans?"
(They're about twenty Aethyrical leagues from us.)
"Order the others to target on the scouts and Gate there."
(We'll have to drop our shells.) Commented Thorak.
"Is the Aethyr clear?"
(Yes.)
"So then we will be safe."
(Yes, but as soon as we drop the shells, the humans will detect us. They could get another shot in with their weapon. If they use it against the Glory, I fear there will be nothing left saving.)
"Valid point. Hmm . . . " Solinar paused to think of another alternative. A couple minutes passed and an evil gleam lit Solinar's blue eyes. "I've got it! Tell Talikar to gather all the wounded around himself and drop their shells. Tell the rest of elves to remain invisible. Signal Talisar and have him take the scout withing striking range of the Battle Group. They will cover the aft end. Send a message to the dragons between the Glory and the battle group to gather into a barricade between the two. On my order those of us that can fight on this side will Gate into the ranks of the scouts. Tell the others that are between the Glory and the battle group to remain invisible but ready for battle."
(What are you proposing to do?)
"I'm hoping to turn the battle group around and keep their cursed technology pointed away from the Glory."
