The Moonpetal Wars - Ch 35

The stair finally ended in a small hallway that opened up into a large chamber, where very large metal doors dominated their view.

"Great... Now all we need is some explosives..."

"No." Anya said simply as she continued to walk right up to the doors.

Once she was right in front of them, she began to knock on the door in a special series of bangs and taps. The rest of the group watched her work.

Slowly, the doors slid back creating a gap big enough for only one person to squeeze through. However, the gap was enough to see a glimpse of the enormously of the room beyond the doors before a gun pointed directly at Anya.

"Quay, put down the gun or else." She smiled sweetly, "I do have my katana tonight."

"Holy crap..." Quay said. He lowered the gun and started to push the door open some more.

"Thank you." She moved past him.

He looked at the rest of the group and motioned for them to come in.

"ANYA!” Anya looked to the left and then engulfed in long, black hair. "Oh my gods! YOU CAME!"

"Syshelle! Get off!" Anya struggled to get the clinging princess off her.

"But you came! I was losing hope you'll make it... or that your system will get all pushy and not let you come."

Anya sighed, "I'll probably be in trouble, but I was with Orlyn and he didn't want to see your people suffer either."

Syshelle let go of Anya to locate Orlyn and then she pounced, "Orlyn!"

"ACK!" the Takerdean cried. He almost fell over when she did. He laughed a little. "Good to see you too!"

Syshelle looked at the other two and smiled before hugging both of them after pushing Orlyn away, "People I don't know!"

Anya shook her head. Xiea was looking at the princess as if she was some sort of lunatic.

Mick just grunted and leaned against a wall. "Anyone got a light?"

"My mom says I am a light of life... does that count?" Syshelle released everyone and then took one arm of Orlyn's and one of Anya's. "So how are YOU two doing?"

"At war," Orlyn replied.

The human princess pouted, "You have to get all serious all the time, huh?"

"He has a point. Right now we have a group of mercenaries cleaning out the Throne Room, they might need some assistance." Anya cleared her throat, "Like now.

With a sigh, Syshelle let go of their arms, "Alright, alright."

The princess stretched a little then cleared her throat, "ALL SOILDERS PREPARE FOR BATTLE!"

"Yes, princess!" someone shouted. There was the sound of weapons being cocked and ready.

Syshelle pushed past her two friends, and began throwing out orders to the soldiers who began to quickly line up before her. "Now, a small force will be sent through the Throne Room path to assist the mercenaries taking out Keyin above. Clear the throne room hex and secure it. Another fresh force will then push into and clear the Temple and ballroom from their respective paths."

Anya blinked, "There are more ways in this place?"

Syshelle turned to her with a smile, "Well yeah, but I only knew one, daddy and mom each know one that the other doesn't. There is only one guardian per entrance at all times. There are probably more we just don't know of."

"Go figure," Orlyn said. "This whole system was here when I first came. Just updated it."

Syshelle gave him a look, "Really? How'd you get in here?"

He looked at Anya.

"The Takerde know of the catacombs, and so do the Quaya... they just don't know the exact entrances." Anya sighed, "Quayan slaves built the tombs and the bunkers, when this planet was a Takerdean colony."

"Daylight's wastin' people!" Mick shouted. "We gonna do anything other than talk?"

"Oh yeah..." Syshelle turned to the soldiers, "You heard the man, head out!"

The soldiers started to file out of the underground bunker, ready to take back the palace from Keyin's forces.

Anya began to follow the soldiers until Syshelle held out an arm to stop her, "Ah... where are you going?"

"Well I am-"

"You can't fight."

Anya raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

"Well... you are a Quayan Princess now."

"That doesn't mean anything. I'm going." Anya tries to go around her but the human continues to block her. The blonde let out a slight growl, "Syshelle... I can fight and fight better than most of your soldiers-"

"Still, can't go."

"You comin' or not, Anya?" Mick asked, having come back after filing out with the rest of the soldiers.

Syshelle and Anya looked over at Orlyn, "Tell her." They looked back at each other once they spoke in unison.

"You're not coming, Syshelle," Orlyn said. "It is far too dangerous. They've got advanced battle armor and high-megahertz energy weapons."

Syshelle gave him a look, "I was talking about Anya fighting, not me."

Anya rolled her eyes, "I know what I am doing-"

“So do I, because you taught me, remember? That is not the point!"

Anya crossed her arms, "Well what IS the point?"

"The point is now you're the next in line to a throne, if anything happens to you your people will be lost." Syshelle turned towards Orlyn, "And that means you too, buddy."

"Syshelle, you're being ridiculous-"

Orlyn sighed. "Look. Anya I have seen in combat. She is QUITE capable of taking care of herself on the battlefield. As for me, I am a soldier. I was trained and have been one since I was in my twenties. I know what I am doing as well. So, please, I am not questioning your skill, but if I have to I will sedate you to keep you here..."

Syshelle's eyes narrowed and mumbled something under her breath and then turned, "Try it."

Syshelle began to walk away and Anya was about to follow her as she hit some sort of barrier and stepped back. "Syshelle!"

"Nope, you can't absorb or teleport out of it."

Orlyn put a hand against the barrier. He pressed against it, focusing his energies into it. Within moments, the barrier she had put up was gone. "C'mon. We'll get her."

Anya nods and tried to go after her only to hit another barrier. Orlyn again put his hand on the barrier and, after sending a mental ripple through it, it vanished too.

In that split-second after he had removed it, he teleported, ending up right behind Syshelle. He put a hand on her head. Orlyn looked at Anya. Keep her occupied... This shouldn't take long.

Who?

Syshelle...

She just left...

"DAMNNIT!" He sighed and quickly looked around. Xiea! We're trapped down here. I need you to locate Syshelle, appear right behind her and make her unconscious. That should cut off the spell that is containing us.

She is human... that won't work... this should.

Orlyn disappeared in front of Anya. Anya's jaw dropped, "Hey!"

Orlyn appeared in front of Xiea. She used a barrier to block an attack that was going to hit them. "Well, you're here."

He sighed and closed his eyes. In a flash, Anya was there beside him too. He turned and raised his weapon at Keyin's soldiers. A blast of energy ripped through the ground, sending one of the Lailule soldiers flying into a wall. Bullets ricocheted off the soldier's armor. Orlyn raised his concision rifle and fired. Blasts of ionized air tore the arm of the soldier clean off. The staccato voice screamed at the loss of his appendage.

Anya blinked. "You could've warned me first..."

"Couldn't we keep her in there?" Xiea mumbled bitterly.

"No," Orlyn said firmly. Vega's marines filed past them, along with the Lailule soldiers.

"C'mon! Let's move!" a marine shouted. They turned a corner and again, gunfire erupted in the palace.

Anya's katana was in her hands and she gave Orlyn a quick smile followed by a wink, "Showtime."

He nodded as they turned the corner. There were four of Keyin's soldiers, in full armor there. Blasts of energy flew from the arm-mounted guns at them. Three marines and two of Lalilue’s fighters fell in the process. Anya teleported behind the soldiers and began to cutting off limbs and heads. Sparks, blood and oil flowed from the carnage she had caused. As soon as it was destroyed, the marines and soldiers advanced, Orlyn and Xiea leading the way. A radio cracked.

"My men have surrounded the throne room, Orlyn!" Vega said. "And the skies are clear! All of Keyin's ships have been destroyed."

"Good!" he replied. "Let's get moving!"

Anya nodded with a smile and walked beside Orlyn as they advanced.

"Orlyn, we got a problem!" Mick said via radio. There was a scream heard from someone else caught in the transmission as well. "Assault walkers."

"Great... How many?" he asked. "Two. They're..." A nearby explosion cut off his voice, as a bipedal war machine blew the wall in front of them to shreds. It was just tall enough to barely fit in the hallway and had a pair of massive guns for arms. A beam of energy streaked from one of them, blowing a hole clean through a line of soldiers and marines. They quickly scattered, as it traced the beam around. Orlyn raised a barrier quickly, stopping the beam from hitting him and his friends.

"Crap... " Anya looked over at Orlyn. “ How do you suppose we take on that thing?"

"Very carefully!" It started for them, crushing the marble floor beneath its feet. Orlyn took aim and fired at an arm. A bolt of ionized air struck it, but did not do much. He fired repeatedly, finally blowing a panel off it. It took aim at him then.

Anya created a barrier and shot a ball of fire towards the opening the panel made. As it made impact, the arm exploded. Sparks and metal clattered on the ground and smoke billowed from the damage. Orlyn took aim and started firing again.

"Enough air and the plating comes off!" He laughed and started blasting the thing's right knee. It swept its beam around, slicing through some soldiers, almost getting Orlyn as well. Another blast and the armor came off. "Anya! Now!"

Anya did not hesitate as the whole thing burst into flame. Even though the fire did not do much to the armor, it had the desired effect. The flames hit the exposed knee joint, frying the circuits there. Its right leg shook with spasms, before it collapsed forward.

Anya kissed Orlyn's cheek as she passed by, "Good work."

"Thanks. There's another though, so we should keep our eyes peeled."

Xiea kept walking with a slight sneer to her face. I hate that female...

Orlyn sighed. What do you have against her?

Xiea just looked at him and then continued without another word or thought.

"Sorry I asked..." he muttered as he flattened himself against a wall. He peered around the corner, seeing the soldiers and marines now talking to a few others. They were almost to the throne room, and ending this fight.

"We all ready here?" Orlyn asked a marine who looked in charge.

"Yeah. Charges set and all."

"Let's make an entrance then."

"ALRIGHT! BLOW IT!" Charges exploded around the door hinges and they fell away. Soldiers and marines entered, weapons raised and ready.

"Hey... don't destroy my palace." Syshelle stood there holding the arms of the machine in her hands. She was alone in the room, except for the plates and the rest of the parts spread around her.

"Hold fire!" a marine sergeant shouted.

Orlyn pushed his way to the front, not looking very happy. "Where's the commanding officer?" he demanded.

Syshelle pointed up. Orlyn looked up. On the ceiling hung the commanding officer pined by his clothes with the plates of the last walker. He was still alive.

"Get him down! He's under arrest."

Syshelle mumbled something quickly and the man fell to the ground. There was a sickening crack as his leg twisted unnaturally to the side. The man screamed, crying.

Anya watched Syshelle in awe. "You did that, by yourself?"

Syshelle just smiled. "I am not all talk sometimes."

Orlyn sighed and knelt down to the officer. He pulled a radio from his vest and examined it before speaking. "Attention occupational forces. Your leader has been captured. You will all cease hostile actions at once!"

"Hmm... I forgot there was another Takerdean to get you out..." Syshelle looked over at a still very unhappy Xiea.

"That is typical..." Xiea replied in monotone.

Anya smacked Syshelle's wrist, "Never dare do that again..."

The human rubbed her hand and pouted, "Hey... that hurt."

Orlyn tossed the radio away and turned his on his own. "Mick, you guys alright?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Lost a fair few, but we're okay now. They're laying down their arms."

The Quayan narrowed her eyes, "Be lucky that is all your punishment entails..."

The Human sighed, "Well I was hoping you two would take advantage of the situation... but I forgot fighting is like your two's sex."

Anya blinked, "Huh?"

Orlyn glanced over as well, a surprised look on his face. The Human sighed again. "Children..."

She began playing with the arms some more and giggling, "I have robot arms."

Anya just stood there with a very confused look on her face. Orlyn shook his head and turned to the rest of the soldiers. "That's it people. Go help round up the prisoners."

"Yes sir!" they saluted and went to do as they were told.

Anya left Syshelle to her new toy that she was trying to poke Xiea with. Orlyn looked at Anya. "You okay?"

"Yeah," She smiled, "Syshelle fried my brain just now, I guess."

"Get away from me you annoying human!" a noticeable vein popped up on the Takerdean female’s forehead.

"It's okay... She did the same thing..." Orlyn’s attention quickly drew away from Anya.

"That is Royal Highness annoying human to you." She poked Xiea again with the arms.

Xiea left and Syshelle pouted, "Hey... come back..."

The princess dropped the arms and followed Xiea. Orlyn watched the two depart. He glanced at Anya for a second. "You want to go after them?"

"Not really..."

"I didn't think so."

*****