The two Riders following Steve saw the tunnel he had entered by the field glowing inside it and continued down the main shaft. The five Flyers killed eighty five guards in less than twenty minutes. Higlon thought, Mraak, tell the workers to leave the mine and join those outside.
The workers slaving in the mine saw the guards burned. They looked at each other wondering what to do but then they heard in their minds, We have come to liberate you from those that invaded your world. We have removed your guards so it is now safe to leave the mine and join the others outside. Please take your time and dont allow harm to come to your fellow workers as you leave.
The workers looked at each other and wondered if what they heard could possibly be true. Then one by one at first and slowly the others put down their drills and started moving toward the surface. They exited the mine and heard the workers in the trees shouting at them. They ran and embraced their fellow captives in the forest and wondered if salvation was really happening.
Grace, weve only lost two Flyers. They were hit when they were firing their guns. The Capital is a different story. Those guards are dug in the Capital Building and are laying down a massive cover fire. Even sparks are being blasted out of the air.
Grace saw the forces in the Capital were using Scanner Guided Guns. Even though they couldnt see the flyers, the scanners did and directed heavy blaster beams at the Flyers. Eight had been killed when their force fields failed. Virze, I dont want to intervene in this fight. There will come a time when our ships are going to be fighting a space battle and we wont be able to help our flyers. They must learn how to overcome this type of engagement.
What if they cant?
Then well have to find better warriors than the flyers.
Higlon and Steve flew in to the capital and got a mental view of what was happening from their Flyers. Higlon looked at Steve and motioned him to join him on Mraak. Steve ran down the back of his Flyer and leaped on to Mraaks back. Whats the plan?
Were going to come in at ground level and fire twenty exploding sparks at the first floors largest window. Then Greel is going to fly in over our head and hit the window feet first. Well then, like good neighbors, go in and introduce ourselves.
You know well probably be killed trying this, dont you.
Yeah, but what the hey, if we dont well remember today for the rest of our lives. Are you in?
Mraak said, If you two dont mind, Im going in while you make up your minds. I have some brothers being killed by those blasters on the roof.
Greel banked left, made a circle, and picked up speed. Higlon saw him coming and picked up both guns and aimed at the building. Steve smiled and loaded a full chamber of sparks. They came zooming in just off the pavement in the parking lot and aimed at the large armored window. Three hundred yards out they fired all thirty sparks at it.
The Heavy Blasters on the roof saw the two Zord zooming in but couldnt depress their barrels enough to aim at the street below. The troops watched as something on their scanners came in at high speed.
Mraak spilled the air from his wings and hit the ground running toward the building. They felt Greel pass over them so fast that the wind from his winds almost blew them off Mraak. Greel folded his wings at the last moment and his momentum carried him into the building hitting it on all four legs. The window imploded and took out fifty feet of the wall beside it. Greel shook his head and moved out of the opening. Higlon and Steve ran down Mraaks neck and into the demolished room. Higlon went right and Steve left. They each fired thirty blaster seeking sparks that started flying through the first floor. They were set to explode and any guard struck usually killed every other guard within a forty foot radius. The first floor of the huge building was having explosions in every room.
Twenty Flyers came screaming in and their Riders dismounted and followed the two that had breached the wall. Now they were in familiar territory. One Rider would explode a door and the other would fire ten sparks through it. The troops tried to hold them off but the sparks followed the blaster beams to their source and killed the weapon holder. The twenty two riders were joined by thirty others and in fifteen minutes had made it up twelve stories.
The General directing the fight was on the roof top watching the Scanner Directed Guns firing at an impossible rate. What were they seeing? Suddenly the armored door to the roof exploded outward and bright fireflies erupted out of the opening. He ran and jumped behind a heavy gun as a bright light passed him, turned, and zoomed back toward him. He knew he was dead and pushed the bulge in his front pocket.
Now the Flyers flew in and eliminated the troops still holding out on the ground around the building. Their cover fire was gone and there was nothing to protect them from the avenging Zord and their Riders.
Higlon and Steve looked over the roofs edge and jumped back as a blaster bolt sizzled up from the ground below. Mraak said, We have it under control. Take a break. I know that climb had to be tough.
Higlon sat down heavily and Steve joined him. The other flyers spread out and started sniping at targets on the ground. You were right. Higlon looked at Steve with a furrowed brow. I will remember today for the rest of my life. He leaned forward and shook his hand.
Thats when they felt the first explosive charge go off on the first floor. The last act of the General before he died was to press a self-destruct control. The building began exploding one floor at a time in rapid succession and it started tilting. Mraak and Greel lifted and flapped their wings as hard as they could and flew toward the tilting building. They saw Higlon and Steve jump off the roof at the last moment as the building collapsed. They came close but the two Riders were falling too fast and died as they hit the pavement. Mraak and Greel screamed their agony. All twenty two riders on the roof along with thirty more inside were killed in the falling building.
The Zord that lost their Riders turned and flew toward the ground looking for Neriff troops. Thirty of the Zord were killed but more than six hundred troops were torn apart by claws or bitten in half. Mraak and Greel joined Higlon and Steve in death as they screamed their anguish at the loss of their Riders.
Many of the Neriff troops tried to surrender but the rage of the Flyers at their losses was too much. Sparks flew by the thousands and within ten hours the fight was over. The local population began coming out to find that there were no Neriff left alive on the planet. The celebrations began but the Flyers had teleported out to mourn the loss of their comrades.
Grace, if we had stayed at the Capital instead of going around the planet we could have saved those Riders.
I know. I shouldnt have delayed assisting them.
No, WE shouldnt have delayed. Im also accountable for this.
I keep seeing those two heroes falling to their death.
What have we learned?
Its time to do away with the Zeckas.
What!
Ill discuss this with Emperor Robbins.
Discuss what, Grace?