Fire fight

On the surface princess Nina along with prince Paiz and a few Plaskarite warriors were engaged in a brutal battle. Surrounded by raging flames with the aliens leaping at them from all sides through the curtain of raging flames from the burning fur of their fallen comrades. The Plaskarite warriors drawn up into a star in four V battle formations facing different cardinal directions were firing rapidly without a pause into the flames. More alien bodies were falling cut down by the relentless pace of the Plaskarites continuous firing adding fuel to the fire.

Yet even that was not enough to stop the alien troopers tightening noose getting ever closer to the plaskarites. It was just a matter of time before they would be overwhelmed by the advancing waves of aliens, inspite of putting up a spirited fight.

High in the sky above, the scout ship was met with more wedge shaped alien fighter craft. Takunda fired a fierce barrage of rockets at the alien starships. Ship's senses picked up activity on the surface, Takunda watching on the scout ship's monitor zoomed in on the bright flashes below and was surprised to see humans, energy weapons drawn fighting a desperate action.

The dazzling bright flashes of laser bolts whizzed between the space separating the two parties, setting the vegetation on fire.

Alien troopers cut down by the fierce volley of lasers fuelling the fire even more as their fur caught alight.

Takunda made a low altitude pass over the scene the scout ship's cannons firing furiously . The scout ship's lasers hit several aliens at once mowing them down. On his second low altitude pass, Takunda strategically positioned the scout ship to shield the humans from the attacking aliens. The ship's cannons fired continuously sweeping the entire area with a hail of laser fire.

Takunda opened the entrance and the ramp automatically slid down to the ground, running to the open hatch and standing at the top of the ramp he gestured with a sense of urgency, to the humans to quickly come inside.

Initially the Plaskarites seemed too surprised to acted. Then Prince Paiz called out as laser bolts fired by the aliens from a relatively safer distance from the scout ship whizzed angrily passed them. "Quick everyone get inside". There was no time for introductions as it was not safe to stick around. Wedge shaped alien star ships were approaching.

Remaining on the surface would make the scout ship a sitting duck for aerial attack. Takunda was already at the ship's control console as soon as the entrance hatch closed.

Panting with exhaustion from the battle they had just emerged from, the Plaskarites crowded around Takunda in the cock pit. The scout ship rose vertically in the plaskarite sky. Princess Nina patted Takunda on the shoulder to draw his attention and pointed in the direction of the people's palace.