I went back up front to join Uncle Press and the others. A formidable force was gathering. I could only imagine what the Ravinians were thinking. I hoped they were scared.
I wondered where Saint Dane was. He had to know that a storm was brewing. Was he ready? Or was he on Eelong, frantically trying to rally the dado army? Had he envisioned something like this happening? Saint Dane always thought four steps ahead. There was every possibility that he had something planned for us once we got inside. That was the scariest thought of all.
Our mission from this point on was straightforward. Control the Conclave of Ravinia. To do that, we had to eliminate every last dado. Once that was accomplished, we would gather every resource possible and defend the conclave against the dado army that was sure to return. I was confident that we outnumbered the Ravinian security force a hundred times over. My fear was what the human Ravinians might do. If they got into the fight, it would be a bloodbath. On both sides.
Looking back at our gathering forces, I felt as if we had waited long enough. Aron came forward and explained to me the logistics of the assault they had worked out during their march from downtown.
“We have four waves,” he explained. “The first will bring the radio cannons to neutralize the dados. They’ll also have shields and rifles. Their job is to pave the way for the following waves to enter the conclave.”
“They’re going to take the brunt of it,” Uncle Press said gravely.
The concept made sense. The job of the first wave was critical. They would be charging into the strength of the
Ravinians’ defense. The grim reality was that these brave people would take the heaviest losses.
Uncle Press continued, “I think the Travelers, Aron, and Boon should be in the second wave. We will need them once we get inside.”
“I will attack with the first wave,” Loor said. It was a flat-out statement. There was no arguing with her. She wasn’t going to hide behind anybody.
“As will I,” Alder said.
“What about me?” Spader chimed in. “I think I’d like first crack at these wogglies. We earned it, didn’t we?” “Me too,” Siry chimed in. “And me,” Boon said.
Uncle Press looked to Aron. Aron shrugged. “It is not the time to be cautious.”
Uncle Press shook his head and sighed. “Fine. Who picked you people anyway?”
“That would be you, mate,” Spader said. “And you made some fine choices, I have to say.”
I said, “Mark, you’ve got to hang back.”
“Not a chance!” he shouted.
“You have to. You’re the only one who can coordinate the rebels. We have no idea what’s going to get thrown at us. If you go down, we’re done.”
He wanted to argue. Instead he offered a compromise. “I’ll be in the second wave.”
I didn’t fight him. “Courtney, stay with him.”
“I’ll watch his back,” she said in her typical bold way. “Just watch your own.”
“I’ve got plenty of people watching my back,” I assured her.
“You’re not going,” Uncle Press said to me.
I snapped a surprised look to him. “The hell I’m not!”
“It can’t end for you here, Bobby. Not like this.”
“No way. I’m not asking anybody to do anything I wouldn’t do myself.”
“You have to. There’s more to this battle than claiming the Ravinian conclave. We could get inside and take over the fortress and even turn back the dado army, but that isn’t what this is about. It’s about the return of the spirit of Halla. It’s about taking back what was meant to be and ending the dark cloud that has altered events throughout time and space. Like I said, there’s only one way that can happen. For that, we will look to you.”
I didn’t understand what he meant at first. What kind of double-talk was this? There was no way he was talking me out of this fight. I looked to the other Travelers for support, but they seemed to know what Uncle Press meant.
Alder was the one who put it into words. “What Press means is, you have a bigger task ahead.”
My anger slipped away as the realization hit me. It was true. I couldn’t risk falling during the attack. My destiny went beyond the storming of the conclave. If we were to triumph, once and forever, Saint Dane had to be ended.
That job was mine.
“I want to be there with you all,” I said. “You will be,” Alder said.
“You have always been with us,” Loor added. “Your spirit was our guide from the beginning. Today is no different.”
I believe that was the highest compliment I’d ever been paid. I hoped it was true. I hoped I could live up to it.
“Boon, stay back with me,” I said. “We’ll fly in over the top.”
“Yes, sir!” Boon said eagerly, and jumped to my side.
I took one last look at my Traveler friends. Alder, Spader, Siry, Kasha, and my uncle. Press Tilton. The Traveler from Second Earth before me. Each carried a silver shield, except for Loor, who had her wooden stave out and ready.
‘And so we go,” I said.
Uncle Press nodded to Aron. Aron brought out his link radio cube.
“First wave at the ready,” he said into the glowing cube.
Instantly the first line of warriors tensed up. Boon, Mark, Courtney, and I got out of the way. We quickly made our way through the mass of people, headed for the gig that was waiting near the river.
Suddenly I heard what I thought was a huge cheer. It wasn’t. It was a battle cry. I turned back to see the first wave of exiles and gars running for the conclave. The assault was under way. Just like that. My stomach turned over. Such brave people, all willing to give their lives for a better world. Or rather, for the better world that used to be. They charged across the open field with nothing to protect them but those tiny shields. There were thousands in that first wave. I wondered how many would be left standing when it was complete.
I wondered what would happen to the Travelers,
The dados didn’t wait for the assault to get too close before they began shooting. The steady paf paf paf of their weapons echoed across the battlefield. Several of our people were hit, and turned to ash instantly. The result of getting hit by a charge from one of those weapons had the same effect as what we’d seen when the Ravinian guards had executed that poor guy inside the conclave. Instant incineration. I hoped it wasn’t painful. Adding to the sound of the weapons firing was a constant metallic pinging sound.
“What is that?” I asked.
“Those silver shields repel the charge from those guns,” Mark explained. “We stole them from the Ravinians a long time ago. Never thought we’d have to use them.”
It gave me a little bit of hope that at least they had some protection. But there looked to be hundreds of dados on top of the wall, the high ground, firing down. No matter where they shot, they were sure to hit one of our people. That’s how many of us there were. A couple of gars dropped to their knees with their radio cannons and started firing back. One by one, dados were knocked backward off the wall, never to be seen again. It looked like a shooting gallery.
Boon ran for the gig and started powering up.
“I gotta go,” I said to Mark and Courtney.
“We’ll see you inside,” Courtney replied.
There was a quick group hug.
“Get us home, Bobby,” Mark whispered.
I pulled away and looked into the faces of my two best friends. We were no longer the little kids who’d grown up together in Stony Brook. Yet we were. Who could have foreseen the people we would become? I was proud of who we were and what we had done, but this was not the way it was meant to be. It made me sad, and a little angry.
“I love you guys” was all I said, and ran for the gig. I had to get out of there. I didn’t want to let my emotions take over by even thinking of the possibility that I would never see them again.
The gig’s rotors were up to speed. I jumped in next to Boon and strapped in.