The Hour of Final Judgment

Chapter 14: The Hour of Final Judgment

Above the planet, a huge warship hung weightless, her sleek and enormous structure eclipsing everything else beneath her. Down below, in the command room, it was quiet except for the hum of active technology; a tall, imposing figure of a woman stood in front, cold, calculating eyes transfixed on the view screen in front as chaos seemed to erupt on the surface.

He approached her with urgency in his voice: "Commander, we have to move fast. Students are getting overwhelmed, and unless a rescue mission is mounted on time, we stand losing all of them."

It never changed on the commander's face. She crossed her arms, looking to the battlefield beneath them where the students were fighting hard against the Proximars. "They will survive," she said in a low tone, yet firm. "This test is meant to forge strong soldiers for humanity. If they can't handle this, then they don't belong in the military."

"I'm afraid, Commander, the situation down there is deteriorating," the vice insisted. "We've already lost contact with several of the squads down there. If we wait any longer.

"No," she cut him off, her response steely, with no room for argument. "The test will finish in a few hours. We will not interfere before it does. These soldiers need to prove their worth and capability. We can't keep investing in meat bags."

The vice slightly hesitated; frustration danced in his eyes, but he said nothing more. The mind of the commander was already set.

Barely had the ground crew had time to catch their breath when the sounds of far-off roars and screeches filled the air: the Proximars didn't seem to stop teeming, their fight far from over. Caden swiped off the sweat beading his brow, while muscle aches went down his muscles from the battle with the big Proximar, but his mind was still sharp enough to check the next danger on the horizon.

"How much longer are we meant to keep them off out here?" Mira grumbled, straining as she worked the blood from her hands. "Like they don't stop coming on and on."

"Stay in there," Caden said calmly, clear. "Nearly. A couple more hours at the most."

Darius just made a guttural sound with no real prettier meaning: exhaustion. "Aye, the next hours should just prove such fun.

"We didn't have a choice," Ava replied softly, the sky growing a darker hue the longer she watched it. "Whenever the sun disappeared, we really became sitting targets. We had to prepare against them."

Sure enough, the rumbling of the ground on which they had been standing rocked them to the cores. Caden's eyes narrowed. "They're drawing closer."

Just as he was going to say anything, a voice he knew all too well sounded from behind them. "Well, well, look who managed to survive."

Caden turned, his eyes locking with Ryan, his rival on Earth. Ryan stood with his arms crossed, his smug expression not to be missed.

"Ryan," Caden said, an edge of sarcasm dripping into his voice. "Glad you finally made it. I was starting to think the Proximars ate you first."

Ryan's eyes narrowed. "Don't think I'm impressed by your little victory earlier. You might have killed one big Proximar, but that doesn't mean you're invincible."

"Just stay out of our way," Caden replied, the playful tone now completely gone. "We've got enough problems to deal with without you throwing in your stupid problems."

Ryan snorted, "You really think I'm here to help you? I'm here to survive like the rest of us. You are just so lucky this has been a cakewalk for you so far."

Caden smiled, having his unfazed nature with a cold smile that was calming. "Well, don't get too cocky. The night's still young, and I can show you who's really made for this."

There was a flash in Ryan's eyes, and before he was done with what to say, a more violent shiver appeared on the ground. Instinctively, they heaved their guns ready for the oncoming attack.

"We need to get to high ground," Caden, still back to Ryan now, instructed, "Mira, Ava-with me. Darius, you've got rear watch."

He didn't wait for an answer but took off, sprinting ahead as his team fell into formation moving towards a cluster of rocks that loomed ahead on the horizon. Behind them, Ryan followed, his pride still wounded so that he would not team up directly with them.

The dark clouds, churning above with malevolent intentions, darkened much more swiftly the higher they climbed. The time was running out.

On board the warship, in its command room, the clock reached at the midnight end of the week of the military test. The woman stood, hard eyes fixed with an un-blinking stare at the time now. The vice finally stepped forward and, for a final time, made an appeal for sense.

"Commander, please," he said in a quiet manner. "It is time to act. Without an action,,.

"Nothing changes," the commander exclaimed sharply, slicing through the room. "They've managed to make it this far. This is a golden opportunity to let us know just who among them has the strength to defend humanity. Let the test run its course. Whoever is destined to become a soldier will survive. The rest will not.

He did not say more, though great was his concern. The last moments of the test were getting narrower; as the clock started to tick down, so was the fate of the students.

The team reached the top of the stony hill, breathing hard, looking down below. The moon above them was casting a soft glow upon the battlefield as, from a distance, silhouettes of swarming Proximars were viewed in perspective.

"We're exposed up here," Mira said quietly. Her eyes tightened as it tracked over terrain, fingers giving just a light flicker, tensing and flexing as if preparing any minute for action through the use of her powers.

"It's better than being cornered down there," he countered - and did not give anything. To Ava, he said, "Can you tell if anything peculiar?

Ava closed her eyes for a moment, the furrows in her brow deepening. "There's a larger group heading this way. fast. Each proximar is as big as the one we just fought."

Darius cursed under his breath. "Fantastic. Just what we needed more rocky giant bugs to ruin our night.

Ryan heaved himself up behind them, taking care to move slowly, keeping a certain measured distance between him and the rest of the group. "You'd think by now you'd have figured out that whining doesn't help," he said with some mockery.

"Not aware you were here to give pep talks, Cyan," he spat from between his teeth.

"It's Ryan you fool" Ryan said exasperated "Understood Cyan" Darius said, with a grin showing, and Ryan stamped forward furiously to hit Darius.

"Enough," Caden said, his voice cut through tension. He stepped forward, his eyes fixed upon the swarm, now closing in, away at a distance. "If Ava's right-and she always is-then we've got to act fast. We don't have time for petty arguments."

Ryan merely smiled wryly and remained silent, not wanting to press the issue further. Caden continued, his voice unwavering. "Mira, try and slow them down. Ava, keep their movements in line of sight and alert us if they change direction. Darius, stay near Ava. Ryan…" He paused, his eyes flicking to his rival. "Try not to get yourself killed."

Ryan snorted, lifting his spear. "I'll be just fine without your concern.

As Mira focused her energy, the earth shook a little farther outwards. The swarm was derailed, their flight disrupted by the stronger gravitational pull. "This won't hold them for long," she said, the strain in her voice.

"It doesn't have to," Caden replied. "Just enough to give us a chance to see what we are up against."

Suddenly, a deafening roar resounded across the battlefield as the earth violently shook beneath their feet. Caden's eyes had widened in shock as some huge figure emerged out of the shadows. It was similar to the Proximar they fought earlier but twice as big as the rest, with jagged, armored plates covering its body and red, glowing eyes that seemed to pierce through the darkness.

"What in the hell does this monster want?" Darius muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Something we're not ready to give to it," Caden said, clenching his weapon tightly. He glanced at the others. "Stay sharp. This isn't going to be like the others. I currently haven't recovered my energy, and there are no stars here to help me recover."

It charged toward them with another bone-rattling roar, its huge claws tearing through the rock. Mira strained to increase the gravitational pull around it, but it only barely slowed it, and with its sheer size and strength, it overpowered her ability.

"It's not working!" Mira yelled, fear edging into her tone.

"Ava!" Caden called, urgent. "Can you stop it?"

Ava's eyes flickered weakly as she extended her mind and strove to pin the beast in place. For a heartbeat, it stumbled, twitchy and jerky, but that wasn't enough-the beast roared and shattered the tenuous hold she'd managed to gain as it continued to charge.

"Fall back!" Caden shouted, gesturing to the others. They scrabbled down the rocky slope with the massive Proximar hard on their heels.

They ran as Ryan's voice cut through the chaos. "This is insane! We can't take that thing down with what we've got!"

"Just keep running!" Caden shot back, sharp. "We'll figure something out once I figure out how to get back my full strength, but we're not dying here!"

The group ran across the uneven landscape, the creature's steps getting louder behind them. Caden was thinking fast; any weak point would do. He suddenly spotted a small ravine ahead and pointed toward it. "There! If we can get it to follow us, it might get stuck!"

"That's your plan?" Ryan snapped. "Lead it into an obviously weak trap and hope for the best?"

"Unless you've got a better idea, shut up and run!" Caden barked.

The team sprinted for the ravine, the beast closing in with every step. At its edge, he skidded to a stop, turning to face the creature. "Everyone, get across! Now!"

For a moment, nobody else moved, but the urgency in his voice sent them into action. They began jumping over the gap one by one, each of them barely making it across. Caden was still on that side; he had picked up Mira's weapon and was firing at the approaching monster, trying to draw its attention.

"Come on, you overgrown cockroach," he whispered, "and let's hope you are as stupid as you appear.

It let out a deafening howl and flew straight at him. At the last second, Caden dove to the side, rolling on the ground until, unable to stay the momentum of its great weight, it flew over him forward. The earth beneath yielded to it, and in a crashing manner, it rolled deep down into the abyss.

Caden struggled to his feet, panting, and watched as the dust settled. The Proximar was thrashing at the bottom of the ravine, its roars echoing through the night, but it was stuck.

Ryan loomed up, his face not so easy to read. "Lucky move."

Caden let out a grin as he brushed the dust off his clothes. "Luck's got nothing to do with it."

The striking of the midnight chime by the warship's clock was far away, yet clearly audible, as the team reassembled, and the last test hour was over.

The dust had settled in the night air, tucking its writhing figure down within the bottom of the ravine. Weary but alive, Caden was standing at the edge with his companions, heavy with deep breaths, minds whirring. The full moon was hanging above the battlefield, casting an eerie glow high above them.

A low hum filled the space, which turned loud with the cacophony of roaring engines springing to life. The huge warship fell from above, sleek forms a mess of blinking lights. Tension in the air relaxed as finally, for once, the test was over.

A hologram flickered on above the whole planet and cast the tall figure of the female commander into the night. Her sharp eyes scanned the survivors, cold and calculating. Beside her, the vice stood silent, his concern hidden under a grim mask of seriousness.

"Congratulations," the commander said, her voice carried along by the hologram. "The test is done. You lived, and to that, you have gained a right to decide your own fate."

Out of all others around him, Caden's eyes never once shied away from hers. His teammates straightened beside him; their fatigue suddenly forgotten. Even Ryan held his breath as he stood a little apart from the others.

"You now have two options," said the commander, with no real warmth in her voice, though tinged with approval. "Option number one: get back to base, and be inducted into the military, with official Recruit status, and then to be forwarded to other trainings for service to the call of being human soldiers."

Others looked at each other, as a mixture of relief and hesitation danced on each of their faces.

"Option two," she said, her voice falling a trifle, "stay here. Join the front lines of the war against the Proximars. Prove yourselves in true combat, and you will be able to miss out on the Cadet rank completely. You are going to become Junior Operative, two ranks from a Recruit, and well on a way up inside the military at incredible speed."

There was a silence born in that group while her words digested.

First to move, Ryan had a smirk trace his face, resolve hardening on it. "I'm staying," he crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't come all the way here just so you sent me off to some camp to do squat thrusts 'cause I know basic training. Proved I was better than this.

Mira turned to him, her face ashen from weariness and determination. "What do we do?" she asked quietly.

"We stay," he replied with no hesitation. His tone was clear and steady; his eyes unflinchingly firm, leaving no room for doubt. "It isn't about survival anymore. It's about showing them we're ready for what's up ahead, and perhaps, maybe, we could say our cause caught the Commander's eye.

Ava just nodded. Her quiet strength was there for all to see. "I'm with you."

Darius groaned and grinned. "Guess I don't have a choice. Someone's gotta keep you all alive."

The hologram flickered slightly as the commander regarded them. "I guess you all have made your choices," she said. "Those staying behind, report to the warship at dawn. Prepare for immediate deployment. The fight you have so far is nothing compared to what awaits you beyond your planet.

Her hologram flickered out, and the group fell silent. The soft hum of the ship above started to recede, leaving the night eerily quiet once more.

Caden turned to face his team, his face stern but composed. "We made it through this. We'll make it through what's next. Together."

Ryan snorted, the venom in his voice less this time. "Don't think this makes us friends, Steele."

"Wouldn't dream of it, and also my name is Caden" Caden replied with an imperceptible smile.

As the first ray of dawn reached the horizon, the team groomed themselves for the coming wat. They had chosen their paths by then and beyond that lay no retreat; the war had just started, and they were ready to face it with the spirit of a true soldier.

Meanwhile, the mountains of Proxima rumbled everywhere as the Proximars came out into daylight, roaring. They were grains of sand, ready for anything.

A/N: Well, we have to stop here now; drop a comment, review, or a powerstone that would keep motivating me to write more; and if you haven't, add it to your library, thank you.