Heritage (Under Revision)

Chapter 22 - Elena

“Your father is right Leon, it’s not safe for you and Stella here! Now go, the both of you,” I say to Leon, trying to get them to safety while he and Stella look on concernedly at myself and Ethan.

Just five minutes ago, Ethan and I were standing in the Grand Hall, jokingly discussing the whereabouts of our only son and Stella. Ethan made a few sexual innuendos, earning him a hard slap on the arm.

Ethan had requested our song and halfway through it, the warning sirens and lights started going crazy, throwing the entire party of guests into an instant panic.

Ethan and I immediately ran out of the hall, racing to the control room as fast as we could, hoping beyond hope that all of the Cadets would make it to the escape pods before the Sekrid troops came aboard and started their killing spree.

“Leon, wait...” Ethan says, stopping Leon before he and Stella leave the control room.

“Take this, just in case,” he says to our son, removing his old pistol from the first war from its holster and handing it to him.

Just as Leon takes the pistol in his hands, the central monitor screen in front of me shows a massive explosion located in the East Wing of the ship, destroying most of it in the process.

“Are...are you sure you want me to have this dad?” Leon asks.

“Yes, you’ll have better use of it then I will right now. Now go, get off this ship!” Ethan exclaims.

Leon nods and grabs Stella’s hand, shoving the gun in his own holster before bolting out of the control room door at top speed.

I can’t help but to stare at the door as they go, my heart bursting with pain as my son leaves our protection. I can’t help but to think the worst, as any mother would.

Ethan spots my worried expression apparently because he turns to me with a hard, blazing look in his eyes. The same look of determination he had during our time amongst the Zeus.

“Listen to me, Elena...” Ethan says, removing his uniform jacket and draping it over my bare shoulders. “Leon and Stella are the brightest, most talented Cadets on this damn ship, they will be fine! Trust Leon, trust them both,” Ethan exclaims, pulling my face to his and kissing me with as much passion as he can exude.

Just as we’re pulling apart, two more explosions go off in the distance. We both turn immediately to the monitors, which are currently showing the East Wing being blown to pieces.

Ethan turns to pick up his TAPs, assumingly to contact the various squad leaders and Colonel Morgan to make a plan of attack.

“General Blake here, Colonel Morgan, we need to organize the troo—”

BAM!

The control room doors are blown completely off the hinges, sending Ethan and I both flying into a nearby wall made entirely of monitor screens. Shards of glass and broken electronics rain down on our heads and Ethan throws his torso over me, shielding me from the falling debris.

Looking up from under the piled rubble, I see two Sekrid commandos kicking their way across the room, their orange eyes glowing fiercely. Ethan heaves a huge control panel from his back, tossing it to the side.

As we both stand up, Ethan shoves me behind his body, protecting me from the quickly-approaching Sekrids.

The deep rasping voices of the two hulking mutants gurgle to each other in their own unknown language, before they turn simultaneously towards Ethan and I.

Ethan’s hands snake around my waist, gripping my forearms slowly and leading them to the secondary holster on his belt. My chest is pressed securely against his back and it’s a moment before I realize what he’s doing.

He wants me to shoot them.

You can do this, Elena.

Grab the gun and shoot!

I time my attack just right, waiting until the two commandos turn to each other, apparently gauging the situation and deciding what to do with us both. That’s when I grab Ethan s M1911 pistol from his holster in a flash, flicking the silencer on quickly and aiming it directly at the Sekrid to the right and shooting twice.

The commando falls instantly, a hole in the side of his disfigured head pouring electric blue blood onto the debris-strewn floor of the control room. His comrade lets out a blood-curdling scream, charging at us as I aim the gun at his face again.

Before I have a chance to shoot, Ethan and I are knocked backwards, slumping down the wall with a hard thud. Ethan scrambles to his feet, grabbing a large chunk of broken glass from the floor and stabbing it into the reptilian flesh of the Sekrid’s shoulder blade.

He yells out again and raises a massive fist, knocking Ethan to the ground roughly as he grabs my forearm, dragging me across the floor over fallen glass.

Ethan struggles to his feet, clutching his chest and trying to regain his breath, limping after us as fast as he possibly can, but before Ethan can make it out the door, he collapses to the ground.

“Ethan!” I scream, trying to release the Sekrid’s hold on me by any means necessary.

He grips my shoulder tighter and I can feel his yellowed fingernails piercing my skin as I kick and flail my legs, trying to free myself.

“Elena...” Ethan coughs out, attempting to drag himself after me and my captor.

I continue my kicking and screaming, twisting his enormous arm in an effort to free myself. None of my attempts, however, are making a difference and as he reaches the end of an empty corridor, he opens a utility closet and tosses me onto the floor, locking it behind him.

I can hear his heavy boots stamping forcefully back up the hallway and all I can do is scream out for Ethan while tears stream down my face. I clutch Ethan’s jacket tighter around myself as I feel around in the pitch-black closet, looking for anything that will help me escape.

My thoughts are cut off, however, by the sound of the door opening. The bright lights of the corridor beyond momentarily stun my eyes and it’s a few seconds before I realize who the Sekrid commandos are dragging in to join me.

Stella...

Don t let them know that you know her, Elena!

She must’ve gotten separated from Leon during their escape. Her dress is torn up the side and she appears to have blood dried on her face. I stay silent as they bring her in, a thick rope coiled around the Sekrid soldier s shoulder.

The gurgling language ensues again between the two mutants as they each grab Stella and I, forcing us to the floor back-to-back. The larger of the two wraps the rope around both of us, securing it tightly around us before signaling to the other.

“Let’s go,” he says gruffly.

They both stomp audibly from the tiny closet, slamming the door and clicking the lock into place. I wait a moment until hearing their footsteps fading into the distance before I speak.

“Stella!” I whisper.

“Elena, is that you? Thank God! I got separated from Leon! Where is Ethan?” she replies in a panicked voice.

“They captured me while we were in the control room, Ethan tried so hard to save me but they knocked the wind out of him. He collapsed before the Sekrid got me out of the room.”

“Elena, what are we going to do!? The ship is being completely taken over, we have to find Leon and Ethan before it’s too late!”

“Stella, Leon and Ethan will be fine, but you’re right, we need to get out of here. OH!” I gasp.

“What, what’s wrong!?” Stella exclaims nervously.

“Nothing, but I think I found our way out! My hands are bound, but I’m wearing Ethan s jacket!”

“So, what does that—”

“In the pocket is Leon’s birthday gift. It’s a plasma cutter. If you can reach into the right pocket - my right, your left - and get the box out. It’s all wrapped up and in a case. We don t have much time, Stella!”

I can feel Stella’s shaking hands fumbling with the thick ropes binding our hands. She finally is able to grasp the jacket, slipping the long, rectangular box from the pocket.

“Got it!” she exclaims.

“Ok, now drop the box behind us and we’ll both get the wrappings off quicker if we do it together,” I say to her. She does so and our fingers collide several times while we work the thick paper from the box.

“I always wanted to work with you, Elena, but I never thought it’d be like this,” Stella says, a hint of sadness in her voice.

“Don’t worry, Stella. We’ll work together someday. This is just practice for the future. Besides, I refuse to die before I see you and Leon walk down the aisle.”

My words must’ve impacted Stella even more, because in one swift movement, the paper falls away from the gift box and I hear the hinge click open.

“Good job, Stells! Now be very careful, one slip and you’ll toast our backsides! Watch your fingers now.”

“Elena, are you sure you don t want—”

“I trust you, get us out of here, Stella.”

A moment later, a faint blue light appears between our bound bodies and I can hear Stella take a deep breath, presumably concentrating hard.

I hear a soft buzzing noise issuing from the device and a second later my hands are free.

“Stella you’re amazing! I swear if my son wasn’t dating you, I’d date you myself!” I exclaim.

She grins up at me from her position on the floor and I untangle myself from the ropes, standing up and using the plasma cutter to free her as well.

I slip the cutter into the pocket of Ethan’s jacket and grip the skirts of my gown, ripping them horizontally and tossing them to the side.

“I have a feeling we’re going to be doing a lot of running, you might want to do the same,” I say to Stella.

She does the same with her dress, ripping another strip off and approaching me quickly.

“You’re bleeding, this will staunch it before it gets too bad,” she whispers, tying the strip of shimmering blue fabric around the deep gash in my shoulder.

“Thank you, Stella. Now, let’s get the fuck out of here and find our men.”