Kaedin Marsh

Quenin stalks down the path leading up to my house and I watch her leave. I tell myself she deserved what I told her. She killed all those people with her selfishness… right? Deep down, I feel a twinge of regret, but I ignore it and instead go inside and bandage the cut Quenin slashed on my arm in her anger. The anger I provoked. All because I was upset about my father and Opez's deaths and was looking for someone to take it out on, and she was there. I deserve it, but I'm not going to apologize for it. I'm not about to grovel at her feet because of a little argument.

Leaving all my weapons but one gun on the kitchen table, I leave the house and walk down the streets, not sure where I'm headed. People bustle around, carrying medical supplies, the injured, weapons, tools, and mechanics. Some of the injured who can't move lie on mats in the streets, the buildings available for makeshift hospitals too full.

I pass a young woman with nothing below the knees but bandaged stumps that are stained blue, a young child with a bleeding hole instead of an eye, a middle-aged man with a hole in his side that is gushing blue blood who is breathing unevenly and heavily, and so many more. Injuries that shouldn't be in a town like ours. Rubble is being cleared from the streets and piled against buildings with nowhere else to put it and not enough time to use it for something else.

Shouts ring out as some of the people in the streets point at a sleek black airship rocketing toward the town. It slows down enough to give the Shield Operators time to confirm the ship and let them in. The airship heads to the hangars and I run towards them to see what's going on, ignoring my stiff, screaming muscles. Those are our scouting airships, designed by Quenin.

By the time I reach the hangar where the airship docked it is crowded with anyone who is high-ranking, waiting to hear what news the pilot has to say. The airship's pilot looks scared and on edge. I get closer to try and hear him speak, worming my way through the crowd.

"-so many battleships, at least twenty, and more are coming. There are enough troops in those to completely wipe us out easily. The Earth humans want something from us, and they want it bad enough that they're willing to bring an entire army to take it from us."

Silence follows the pilot's statement as the warriors in the room process what he said. I can't even imagine what the Earth humans want so badly, other than maybe our tech.

The silence breaks as Quenin sprints into the hangar, bloody clothes and all, Ahji close behind her.

"I know what to do!" she yells. Everyone immediately turns their attention to her. She earned their respect a long time ago. "Well, I have a theory, at least." she stops in the center of the group. "The Shield. I can alter it to charge any projectile shot at it with energy that will direct it back on the exact path it came on. There's a lot of technical things that I won't explain here, partly 'cause I don't have time, partly 'cause I doubt you would understand it." they also learned how to put up with her snide remarks a long time ago.

Tahun nods thoughtfully. "It's a good idea. How fast can you get it working?"

"Faster than you," is all she says. "And the sooner I can get out of here and start working, the sooner it can be finished. Hopefully."

Before anyone can say or do anything, she runs out again, leaving the rest of us wondering what the heck is going on.