The command room became alive as new orders were issued, and Ryan raced around all the screens hoping to see any other incoming force on the video surveillance systems. He found nothing at any other zone, but stopped at one, focusing on zone three.

'You,' he said to the male operator, 'zoom in on that.' He pointed to a white dot in the centre of the screen.

The operator zoomed the camera in as far as possible, revealing the white dot to be a Daijuarn sentinel with shadowed blonde hair and his arms exposed.

Ryan remained staring unsurely for several long seconds, and then he mouthed simply, 'No. What is he doing out there?'

Without waiting for an answer, Ryan exited the command room to find the other Daijuar.

Jaden had felt them coming through the ground. He knew the Alliance was planning an attack here in the northwest, where there were no defences to keep them from entering the city. That is why he had chosen to make his stand here, to confront those that had taken his home and family from him. He had left Raquel the same night she had sat with him, deciding she was of no help to him anymore. He had yelled at her, telling her that she was to blame for all that had happened, from keeping him from Alyssa and allowing her to be harmed. He had accused her of being no better than the Daijuar, the ones who manipulated him through Alyssa to get him to do their bidding.

He knew he couldn't trust anyone anymore. They only helped him for their own gain.

He had wanted to take his anger out on them, but after weeks of thought, he realised that he could not punish anyone for the accident that had claimed Alyssa's memory. Even if he had been there, there was no way to guarantee he could have stopped Alyssa from falling. But the reason the people from Ceahlin and Waikor had fled, the reason that there had been commotion at all and a need to travel was directly in the hands of the Alliance. It was by their threat that the people had needed to leave. It was by their attack that he had lost his home. It was because of them that Alyssa had fallen. She no longer remembered him because they had attacked.

If anyone deserved to be punished, it was the Alliance.

As the Alliance military unit formed a line in front of Jaden, time seemed to slow until seconds kept in beat with his heart. Only the wind seemed to be making a sound, all else was still in the standoff. The Alliance force recognised what was confronting them in Jaden and seemed to be hesitating, deciding how best to operate with him being in their way.

Jaden raised his right hand, his movements precise in the slowness. A giant wall of blue light then formed that stretched across the entire field and up to the sky. Two Alliance fighter jets about to turn and dive toward him crashed into the wall and exploded on impact, the burning debris falling down at the northern cliff face.

The clouds parted a little as gusts of wind began to blow strongly around the almost barren field of dying grasses. Although it was approaching midnight, the sky was still alight, orange now as the rings were revealed as a thin band almost directly above Jaden. He was facing southwest, the Resistance defence systems behind him and the Alliance coming out from the destroyed mountain ridge in front. Seeing their two fallen jets caused them to fire upon him, and his right hand came back down to meet with his left to form a shield around himself.

He jumped and flipped backward with a missile that was fired at him, and then jumped forward again, somersaulting with the force of the explosion to land ten yards closer to the Alliance. He remained crouched on the ground for a moment before turning to his left, igniting another shield to this time disintegrate a second missile, and then another to his right. Alliance bullets had little effect on the shield around him, making it seem as nothing more than a pond with pebbles being thrown into it before being repelled a second later. For all his anger at Raquel, he training had helped him for this moment.

The Alliance ceased firing when they realised their weapons were of no use. Jaden remained facing them, but his eyes were diverted to the ground as he took in deep breaths. He was sensing the land, feeling all that was upon it. The Alliance was bringing something forward, but before he could understand what it was, he was forced to defend against more missiles and gunfire. He jumped from left to right with almost lightning speed, dodging some while blocking others before they hit the ground at his feet. The Alliance was trying to take away his footing, in hope that without anything to stand on, he would no longer be able to defend against them. But he knew this was a distraction.

The fire ceased again soon after, and Jaden faced the military unit ahead once more. Whatever they had brought out was now pointed directly at him. It took him a moment to realise what it was that they had brought forward, but soon recognised it as a much larger version of the weapon from Callibra. The plasma cannon, as Alkon had called it.

Alkon had mentioned in their talks that it had been made to kill the Daijuar, and had almost succeeded at Waikor, two sentinels almost falling at its mercy. Jaden smiled to himself. It had been made to kill the Daijuar, but he was not Daijuarn. The Alliance would try and fail. He could have ended it now by moving out of the way, but he decided he would humour them a little more.

The weapon lit up as more missiles were launched at him, as if they were still trying to hide the weapon from him. Jaden blocked each missile effortlessly, but as a red dot found its mark on his chest, he began to feel a fever. He was heating up, burning all over. His head began to spin as he became dizzy, and he could no longer remember where he was. He felt it then, the familiar force from the ground pulling him downward. Like two giant claws from beneath grabbing at his entire body, it encircled him and felt to be dragging him beneath the earth as the spiralling spears enclosed around him. He fell to one knee, trying to resist it while still defending against the Alliance attacks.

'Not now,' he said.

He opened his eyes to see the weapon flash, and then with a sound like a jet engine there came a blast of purple, white and yellow light. Jaden forced all of his energy into his shield, and the ground shook as the two powers collided. He tried desperately to keep his eyes open, but had to close them again as the heat became too intense and his concentration wavered. The force from beneath the ground continued to threaten to take him from his body as the colours of fire exploded around him, but he held strong, even as the pain began to tear at his sanity.

He felt like giving up-to let the ground swallow him whole. But he could not let the Alliance believe that they had won. He could not let the Resistance think that he had fallen to this weapon. He had to stand strong, no matter what.

As he fought on, he felt he was gaining the upper hand. He managed to stand again, even with the invisible claws around him, and he pushed the power of the weapon back several yards. But he was soon to question his ability, as he felt the presence of a second weapon being brought out. Its mark was upon him, but it was lost in the light.

Behind him he could sense three Daijuarn sentinels standing nearby and one man slowly walking toward him behind them. They were coming to help him defend against the second weapon, but he didn't want their help. They had caused enough trouble in his life already. But the truth was that he didn't know what was happening. He felt scared. He wanted them to save him from the invisible claws. He feared that this was impossible. But what he feared most was that if they came to him now, they would die with him as the ground opened wide and took them all beneath the surface.

The second weapon flashed as it fired.

Jaden felt his body shake all over as the second burst of power hit his shield. Beads of sweat ran down his brow as his shield began to fade and his limbs went limp. There was a high-pitched ringing in the roar as all disappeared before him, and all he could see was white. He felt the power of the weapons strike him, shooting a hole into his chest, but he didn't cry out in pain, for no pain could match the agony being inflicted upon him by the force in the ground.

With a final whisper, he sent his love to Alyssa, and gave himself back to the earth from which he had come, sacrificing himself in hope of saving all those around him; the men and women of Corsec fighting against the Alliance, the Daijuar racing toward him, and the many civilians still underground. Tears streamed down his cheeks in the final moments as his body resisted the forces no more.

There was nothing more he could do now.

It had come.

The land groaned a terrible tone, as if the plates beneath the continents were shifting as Jaden stood against the Equan Plasma Cannons. There came a ferocious wind, so strong that it moved even the Alliance vehicles toward him, and hundreds of soldiers lost their footing and were sent hurtling across the ground. The rings in the sky flashed with the intensity of the sun, making it seem brighter than day over Corsec and Jaden shouted to those behind him to get back.

The three Daijuar, Adonis, Blair and Dahla, heeded his warning, immediately turning to run away as the wind began to turn upward, creating a wall of dark red dust between them and Jaden as it tore up the land beneath. The Daijuar had to jump to keep ahead of the falling earth, but stopped and ignited shields to try to protect those underneath the ground when it had reached too far inward. Two other Daijuar joined them in trying, and together they managed to slow the power a little, but feared the worst for those trapped beneath.

Within seconds, the wall spanned the entire length of zone three and beyond and rose one hundred feet in the air. Lightning began to strike violently within the cataclysmic entity as it began to mimic the rings above, becoming lit with fire as it continued to gain in strength, rising another two hundred feet.

Jaden was the only one able to remain on the ground as the wall built up behind him. There was a silent moment as the wall stopped growing, and then with a scream so loud it could be heard across the entire battlefield, Jaden threw his arms forward. The wall of dust and fire became a wave of violent energy as it rushed toward the Alliance troops. Like a million ravenous monsters with giant claws ripping and teeth gnashing, it picked up everything in its path; soldiers, tanks, rocks, nothing was safe from its power. It took it all up into it and smashed it against Mount Tibain with a mighty explosion that made even the most powerful weapons being used in the battle seem like a whisper.

The wave disappeared against the mountainside as the wind quieted, and the rings returned to a dull fiery glow. The entire zone had been swept clean, without a soldier or Alliance vehicle in sight. Jaden stood shakily for a moment, looking at everything ahead. He then looked down at his hands to see his skin blistering. The gold of the endobraces had melted underneath and the Daijuarn garments appeared to have suffered the same fate. And then he collapsed unconscious on the field, where only dust remained. He had failed to save even the grasses beneath his feet.

Ryan tried to race forward to go help his brother, but was stopped by powerful hands.

'No,' said Vennoss, holding Ryan back. 'There is nothing you can do.'

'What happened?' he asked.

'Your brother did something I wish he had not.'

'We have to help him,' said Ryan desperately.

'No, it's too dangerous. Leave it to the Daijuar.'

'They're not doing anything!' argued Ryan, pointing at the five fallen bodies in white ahead.

'I will go,' said Vennoss, and he walked briskly down the slope of the mound they were standing upon, breaking into a slow run when he reached the bottom.

But there was one other already making his way to Jaden. A large man with dark skin, dressed in the navy blue overalls of a mining truck driver reached Jaden first, scooping him up effortlessly in big hands and placed him over his wide shoulder.

Some Alliance soldiers made their appearance on the field, pushing the dead soldiers and the burned-out vehicles from the tunnel out into the open. They were visibly stunned, still in shock from what they had witnessed, but unlike their brethren, they had survived by being under the mountain. Some took aim and began firing upon the large man carrying Jaden, but he quickly erected a shield to protect them both.

The Alliance gave up trying to attack them soon after, allowing them safe passage back to the city, while they followed orders to take on their primary objective-the northern cliff defence systems. The battle between those already at the defence systems and the Alliance was swift, the Alliance able to take control easily with a force that was still five thousand strong, and they quickly turned the defence systems to aim them at the Diadon ships far below.

Ryan immediately ordered the power to be shut down on the defences and an attack force to recapture them, but the damage had already been done. The Diadon ships began to move away from Corsec on both sides of the continental land-bridge and the Alliance forces from the continent of Tiquan emerged. They attacked as many vessels as they could on their way, the Diadon ships returning fire at every opportunity. Several smaller vessels sank under fire from the Alliance, which then began launching torpedoes from the shoreline at the larger ships. Few made it close, but one managed to catch a medium-sized ship on the hull, sending it down into the depths.

'Sir,' called a soldier from behind Ryan.

'What?'

'The Diadon fleets are leaving us, sir.'

Ryan's eyes flared as he grabbed the radio device from the soldier. 'This is General Ryan Daiyus, Resistance Commander,' he said. 'Our defences were momentarily captured. Please return to defend the bridge.'

There was no reply.

'The great nation of Diada, respond to me please.'

'Our apologies, Commander, but our terms were made clear. We agreed to defend the bridge only as long as no vessel was lost.'

'But if we fail, they will come after you!'

'That is a risk we are willing to take. We are stronger at home than we are here.'

'This is madness!' called Ryan into the radio device. 'Do you understand what you are doing? You are dooming us all!'

'We are allied with the nations of the east, General. Our agreement has been broken. You are on your own.'

Ryan had to stop himself from throwing the radio device back at the soldier out of anger, and instead, handed it to him carefully. He activated his own headset then and began to advise his troops of his new orders.

'Quartun Bridge no longer secure. Attack imminent. All available personnel proceed to the northern zones. Those in the south, continue with plans, make sure the Alliance do not return. Send air strikes to zone one. The defence systems of zone one have been lost. Repeat, the defence systems of zone one have been lost.'

When all acknowledgements had been returned, Ryan raced down to where Vennoss was standing among the five fallen Daijuar, who were now sitting up and breathing to regain their strength. The large dark-skinned man soon approached them, laying Jaden's body down before them.

'Medic!' called out Ryan, seeing the state of Jaden's arms. A man carrying a case joined him soon after and began tending to Jaden's wounds.

Vennoss approached the dark man curiously. 'Who are you?' he asked.

'I am Oldenwa,' said the large man with a broad smile. 'What service do you require?'

'None,' said Vennoss. 'Your efforts have already been more than sufficient. Where have you learned your power?'

Oldenwa shrugged. 'One day, it came. That is all I know.'

'You are not Daijuarn,' observed Vennoss.

'No,' said Oldenwa.

Vennoss paused. 'Well, thank you. We are in your debt.'

Oldenwa smiled. 'I require no payment.'

Jaden was carried away on a stretcher, Ryan taking hold of one side and helping to lift him into the back of a vehicle waiting for them. Jaden was then taken to a medical unit in the east, where he would receive the care he needed.

Ryan returned to his grandfather and the big man.

'Thank you,' he said to Oldenwa, who bowed slightly. 'If you are ever in need of anything, please, do not hesitate to ask.'

'The same to you, General.'

Ryan acknowledged the offer with a nod. 'Come, it is not safe to stand here. The Alliance forces are massing at the other side of the Quartun Bridge. In the next hours, we're going to have about two hundred thousand of their soldiers coming up here. I have ordered my forces to join us here in the fight. Can the Daijuar help?'

'We need rest, but we will manage,' said Blair, joining them.

'Good,' said Ryan, and he turned back to Oldenwa. 'And you?'

'I will do what I can.'

'You all have more experience with the Alliance than I do,' said Ryan to the Daijuar. 'I will leave it with you to decide where you should be.'

'That is wise, Ryan,' said Vennoss.

Both bowed to one another as Ryan walked to the closet command room on site. Lendon Ode met with him inside.

'My people are coming to defend here,' said Lendon.

'We need all the help we can get,' acknowledged Ryan.

'Yes,' said Lendon, 'but I believe we have lost this war. Perhaps it is time to start an evacuation.'

Ryan almost shuddered. 'I do not wish to leave this city.'

'There might not be a choice soon,' said Lendon grimly. 'At least if we leave now, we will have more time to get away.'

'I will consider your proposal,' said Ryan, and he walked to the screens to begin issuing further orders.

As Ryan expected, the coming hours brought a force of enormous proportions across from the Quartun Bridge, with hundreds of thousands of troops occupying its full length. The defence systems taken by the Alliance at zone one were soon recaptured, enabling the Resistance to attack them as they came. But those closest to the bridge were bombarded by Alliance air strikes, causing the Resistance to retaliate with their own air offensive. The battles in the sky and on the ground continued for several hours, forcing Ryan to call for more troops from the south to help in the north. He knew this would allow the Alliance from the south to come back into the city, but an extra ten thousand Alliance troops were the least of his worries, as close to one hundred thousand were making their way up the natural dirt ramp. Many perished on the way, the Resistance defences pounding the Alliance forces from above. But the sheer number was too great, and all but a few of the Resistance defences fell within the first hour of the Alliance ascent.

When there was little else that he could think to do and the other two commanders of the Resistance had become silent over the radio, he asked them if it were time to abandon the city. When both reluctantly agreed, Ryan sent word to all zones to retreat to zone six in the east, telling them that the Daijuar would protect their escape from there on.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians made their way east first, most using the underground tunnels set up to get beyond the concrete wall guarding their escape route, followed by the first retreating zones from the south. The northern zones remained fighting alongside the Daijuarn shields that had been erected, and were the last line of defence between the Alliance and absolute victory.

Soon, all ten Daijuar present, including Multias and Quian from Waikor, were blocking the Alliance from the north and south, with Oldenwa helping at the back and making sure no stray missiles hit any civilians. Their shields held strong, even with the improved weaponry of the Alliance, and Dahla was thankful that no weapon like the one she had faced at Waikor was present.

When the last of the civilians and most of his soldiers were safely evacuated, Ryan left with the other commanders, through the tunnel and out beyond the concrete wall. He jumped up on the back of a jeep with Lendon, and watched the lights as they played out ahead. The sounds of explosions on the Daijuarn shields and gunfire was soon too far in the distance to be heard any longer, and Ryan bowed his head, as much from the shame and disappointment of leaving his city to be destroyed as from tiredness.

'It's over,' he said.

'For now,' said Lendon. 'But we live to fight again.'

'How long must we do this?' asked Ryan, now finding himself wishing he was still back at home in Callibra, and that he had never needed to leave at all.

'For as long as we can,' said Lendon simply, and they both sat in silence, watching as the rings faded back to a calm blue, and then directing their attention to the magnificent displays of the Daijuarn shields.

A deafening roar above woke them from their sombre daze, and they looked up to see a blue-flamed aircraft shoot past. It was accompanied soon after by close to one hundred more, all flying in the direction of Corsec.

'What are those?' asked Ryan.

'I don't know,' said Lendon.

'Do we fire upon them?'