Ryan ignored all calls for his return as he made his way up through the mound to a balcony high above the field. The wind blew his hair around erratically, making it harder to see through the dust and smoke ahead. The battlefield was miles long, with little to be seen, but he could not risk being completely sightless inside the command room. From here, he called out his commands and ordered soldiers to take positions further forward on the field. He wanted to keep the Alliance as far back as possible until aid arrived.
He called for his troops to return as eleven Resistance fighter jets crossed over his head. Lendon joined him on the balcony, pleading with him to come back down for his own safety as both were forced to take cover behind the pillars. Bullets hit all around them, and Ryan simply waved his hand over what was before them in answer to Lendon, as if it were all he needed to make his point. Reports of success came back from the Resistance jets through the radio, the strikes on the incoming Alliance aircraft had brought down their targets.
Ryan had turned to Lendon with a smile when the Kayde of Ceahlin called out, ‘Incoming!’
Both jumped back toward the opening of the balcony, but a missile was taking a deadly course directly toward them. At the last second a figure dressed in white jumped past them and stood in front of it, igniting a white energy shield to absorb and deflect as much of the explosion as possible. Fire moved inward and then curved out and away from the balcony, only its heat reaching Ryan and Lendon as they lay on the floor. When the heat had disappeared, both painfully got up, somewhat dazed.
‘Who are you?’ asked Ryan as the man faced them.
‘Quian Adarzun,’ said the Daijuarn sentinel.
‘He’s from Waikor,’ added Lendon, recognising the right hand of Multias Waidusk. ‘Welcome to the fight, I did not think you were still alive.’
‘I don’t understand,’ said Ryan.
Lendon nodded to Quian. ‘He was one of the Daijuar that remained at Waikor to allow us safe passage here. I had assumed they were sacrificing their lives for us. Apparently not so.’
Quian smiled but said nothing.
‘How many others are here?’ asked Ryan.
‘Five in the south, five in the north,’ said Quian.
‘Will you protect us?’
‘Not here,’ said Quian, glancing behind him. ‘This area is lost. We will cover your retreat.’
‘I can’t make that call,’ protested Ryan.
‘Then we will not offer you any protection. Look for yourself, General, your people are dying.’
Quian brought Ryan closer to the edge of the balcony. Through the clutter in the air, he was able to glimpse the bodies of soldiers lying everywhere, as well as machinery overturned and burned out. After the attacks of the bombers, the battle had turned in the favour of the Alliance.
‘There are more coming this way,’ explained Quian. ‘Call for the retreat now while you still can.’
After a reluctant moment of disbelief, Ryan nodded and quickly raced back down to the command room with Lendon and Quian following closely behind. When he arrived, he called for an overriding radio set to an exclusive Resistance frequency, so that all in Corsec would hear him.
‘Allies of Corsec,’ he said grimly, ‘this is General Ryan Daiyus. I speak to you now as we face the greatest threat to this city and the Resistance in years. I want to remind you that you are not alone out there, and we are doing all we can for you.
‘The Alliance has taken the outer zones. I urge you all to pull back now—this is a retreat, but do not abandon hope. I know many of you by now have lost the will to fight and I thank you for being here, even as those around you lose their lives. This is the ugliness of war that we must endure. You might ask why you should risk your lives for this city. I understand. Like many of you, I was not born here, and there is little reason to personally remain when such a threat exists. But my place of birth is no more, because of this very force. I have lost my family, as I know many of you have, and for this we are bound with few other places to go.
‘In my village, it was taught that to love your home was to love your way of life. It was a mark of freedom, to be able to live as you wished. In this sense, home is wherever you find this freedom, and so even as our places of birth range across continents, we can call Corsec our home. Whether you have been here for years or days, this city has become our refuge, and one of the last places that can offer protection against the Alliance. Do not let them take this from you. They have shown you no mercy in their attacks, so you must show them none in your defence.
‘Allies, when you sight your enemy this day, I want you to remember what you have lost in these wars. I want you to think of what it means to have your freedom and home taken from you. This is what you fight for. Will you run and give these things away, or will you stand your ground and refuse to have them taken from you again?