18

18

After several days in the prison on the Adican space ship they arrived at the capitol and were marched through the city until they arrived at the Empress’s building and were marched inside the large building where the Empress sat in her thrown with several guards surrounding her.

“Finally”  The Empress said to Rilfor,  “You found them.  I was giving up on you Rilfor.”

“We found them on the Rapirian homeworld.”  RIlfor told the Empress.  “Our soldiers have control of the capitol building and are waiting on your orders.”

“Excellent” The Empress said,  “We’ll take control of the planet and cripple the Rapirian Republic.  As for you,”  The Empress turned towards Spencer and his friends,  “If you thought you could save your friends I’m sorry.  Ships have already been sent on a course to destroy your planet.  You pose a security threat.”

“Wait,”  Spencer said.  “We had a deal.”

“I could care less,”  The Empress replied to Spencer, she then turned to Rilfor and said “Take them to prison where they’ll wait to be tried for war crimes.”

Rilfor nodded and marched the humans out of the building back into the city and told them to walk.

“How could you do this to us?”  Spencer asked Rilfor as they walked.  “You promised us!”

“It’s not my decision,”  Rilfor said to Spencer.

“But it could be!”  Shouted Spencer.  “You know you’re in the wrong here Rilfor.  Let us go and help us make things right.  Help us cleanse this world of a dictator.”

“Stop saying that!”  Rilfor shouted.  “It isn’t my decision!”  Rilfor hit Spencer in the back with the butt of his rifle sending Spencer stumbling forward and falling to his knees. “It isn’t my decision.”

“Please Rilfor,”  Spencer said getting back up.  “You don’t have to do this.”

They had arrived at the prison and Rilfor looked like he was about to explode.  Spencer looked into Rilfor’s eyes and thought he could see that something had changed but he wasn’t quite sure what it was.

Rilfor led them into the prison and two armed guards followed them.  Partway into the prison Rilfor ordered a halt and the guards and the humans stopped in the middle of the hallway.  Spencer watched as Rilfor took a deep breath then suddenly Rilfor pulled out his sidearm and Spencer crouched down attempting to defend himself.

Spencer crouched there in the hallway with his eyes closed and heard two shots ring throughout the hallway.  When the noise cleared he heard Rilfor shouting at him.

“Get up!”  Rilfor said.  “We need to move now!”

Spencer stood up to see Rilfor holding a smoking sidearm in his hand and two dead Adican guards on the floor.

“Let’s go,” Rilfor said.  “If we’re going to end the Empress’s reign lets not get caught in the first five minutes.”

Spencer quickly got to his feet and nodded at Rilfor who threw the two guards guns to them and Spencer and Colby quickly picked them up.

The group started running out of the building and towards the military base.  As soon as they left the front door sirens started blaring and they knew they wouldn’t have long to do something.

“In here!” Rilfor shouted pointing to an armored vehicle at the edge of the premises.  Rilfor climbed into the driver's seat with Jensen, Grace, and Lily in the back seat.  Spencer and Colby climber in the opened trunk of the vehicle guns pointed.

Rilfor revved the engine as four guards burst out the front door.

“There they are!” One guard shouted and tried to fire at them but they sped away quickly.

The plan was to get to the military base to disable the ship's heading towards Earth, then grab a ship at the base to escape but hopefully be able to destroy the base at the same time so they weren't shot down trying to leave the planet.

The car passed an intersection and another car pulled up behind them and the passenger opened fire causing Spencer and Colby to duck behind some barrels.  When the guard stopped firing Colby quickly jumped up and shot a burst of bullets killing the passenger.  With the gunner dead the driver turned away from them but was quickly replaced by two more humvees.

“This just gets better and better!”  Colby shouted.

The humvees kept firing bursts of bullets not allowing either Spencer or Colby to get a shot.

They were getting closer to the base and Spencer noticed several containers of oil as they drove past.  Spencer took a deep breath and shot a single bullet at the barrels as the enemy cars drove by.

Woosh! The oil exploded and went up in flames engulfing the cars with it.

The base was in view now and a helicopter rose up firing its lasers, growing nearer and nearer.

“Trust me” Rilfor shouted as he drove the car off a cliff into the ocean.

In mid air RIlfor clicked a button to blow out all the doors and told everyone to jump.  The ocean was growing nearer and nearer and Spencer didn’t have time to think so he just jumped out of the car and hit the water with with jarring force.

He surfaced and was relieved to find that everyone had made it.

“We’re sitting ducks out here.”  Rilfor told them, “Swim under water with me.  I know a secret military entrance.”

Spencer followed Rilfor underwater and opened his eyes to green murky water that he could just make out Rilfor in the distance.

Spencer followed Rilfor until they abruptly came to a wall.  Spencer desperately wanted air and hoped Rilfor would hurry.  RIlfor tapped several stones on the wall and a door opened where the group quickly swam inside and gasped for air.

“Well,”  Rilfor said “We’re just getting started.”