“That is not--” Khalzin replied, grinning.
The light tormenting kept them all at ease in this strange situation. Stron was ready to argue with Khalzin, but was cut off by Fiviel who looked like he wanted to march across the landing zone.
“Where are they going?” Fiviel asked, his voice carrying over the others. “Do we not get to select our females?” He glared at Khalzin. “Did you cause a problem already?”
“Well, that solves our dilemma of whether we have to go through with this,” Dhomhes said.
“Why do you say that? Don't you want to be here?” Janae asked.
“We are here because we choose to be.” Fiviel glared at Dhomhes.
Stron hit Dhomhes in the arm. He was only making the situation worse, the female's face marred with worry.
“Oh, there are plenty,” she said. “They decided to separate us into smaller groups. Not to overwhelm you, I suppose.” She stared at the ship and was lost in thought before she spoke again. “I hope not,” she muttered to herself.
“What do you hope not?” Khalzin asked.
“My friend who was in a different group. I wondered how she was going to wear her hair.”
She spoke softly to Khalzin about her friend and her hair. He wondered if her friend was as attractive as she was.
Just for reference, of course, he asked. “Who is your friend? Was she in your group?” He would be sure to greet her if he met her. For Janae's sake, it was the polite thing to do.
Stron was very good at being polite to females.
She shook her head. “Adryel has bright hair. You cannot miss her.”
They all turned to the ship again, and down the ramp came another group of females. In the middle was a female with bright orange-red hair. Immediately, Stron felt a draw to her, whether or not because she was Janae’s friend, he wasn’t sure. The way she walked, it was different. Like she was protecting herself.
He wondered if she'd ever had anyone protect her before.
“It is my cue, I think.” Stron started to walk across the landing platform.
A few steps, and his armor started to engage. His armor only did that when he was in trouble, or something was about to happen, but he could feel it extending and wrapping around his--
An explosion shook the entire landing platform.
Stron fell forward, toward the ship.
The platform started to crack, and the half where he’d just been dropped away as its side started to collapse. He leaped onto the side that was still level and ran for the Galactic Alliance's ship.
He glanced back. Fiviel had Janae, and the others were getting their footings.
Silence filled the air for a moment. Even the wildlife went deathly still. Debris and dust filled the air, like a fog had descended. Then a single female voice cried out. And another, and then another, until the females were crying and screaming.
He felt the platform shift again.
The sensation shot him forward toward the females.
“Run! Get inside the ship!” He waved his arms, trying to get them to move.
They ran back toward the lowered ramp. On the edge of the ramp stood the one with the bright hair, motioning everyone inside.
“Come on, get in there,” she cried out to her companions. “Let's go. Come on!” She kept turning and scanning for others.
He had to get there, get across the platform--
The platform lurched again, and she crashed into the side of the ship, and onto the ground. The echo of her hitting the ship's hull stabbed at him like a blade through his heart. He had never even met her, but he knew he had to get to her as fast as he could.
