Chapter 6: Attack and fade away

I had just reached the undamaged forest when a shuttle shrieked down to crash through the brush behind me. I turned to watch as Cariss in battle suits burst out and spun to start running. They fired into the forest but the trees and brush stopped anything from reaching me. I slowed and started walking as I changed direction slightly. It was a little later that I heard them still following.

They must be using a sniffer to follow my scent. I glanced around and moved through the brush into an open area. I smiled as I carefully crossed the vine heavy clearing with the chameleon tree looming above. I slipped into the bushes on the far side and headed for a tall ladder tree. I climbed halfway up the tree before looking back at the chameleon tree.

I shifted around to the far side and lifted the rifle to aim into the clearing. It was only moments before the Cariss crashed through into the clearing and started across. I recognized their leader as he looked into a devise that must be their sniffer. Two of the Cariss cried out when they became stuck to vines. While everyone was looking at them, I shot the leader.

The patrol reacted by throwing themselves down and waving weapons around. Unfortunately for them several more had landed on vines. I stayed behind the trunk of the tree, glancing around it to watch as they tried to organize themselves. What they did not do was look up. When the descending vines finally reached the trapped Cariss that was when the screaming started.

I climbed down out of the ladder tree and headed off. I knew they would follow and started looking for things they would walk into. The tiny hissing sound of an Antasurus hive drew me closer. I was very careful as I quickly crossed and ran to a nearby hanging branch. I jumped and swung up before glancing down at the small army of lizards.

I moved higher before heading to the trunk and then around and out another limb. I made my way down and checked to make sure the hive was not there before dropping to the ground almost twenty meters from where I went up. I jogged away before any stray hive member saw me. It was a half hour before I heard the screams. I changed directions as the shots rang out and then explosions.

I knew the Cariss would be calling for more troops and moved to a low bluff. I could see back the way I had come and saw a huge cloud of smoke. I shook my head, “Wrong thing to do.”

An approaching shuttle fired missiles to one side of the smoke. The forest shuddered as it was ripped apart by explosions. I waited until the shuttle was on the ground and turned on my rifle sight. I took a breath and calmly aimed at the distant back of the shuttle. The back ramp dropped and a cloud of smoke obscured my vision. When it cleared, I fired into the distant shuttle at the exposed fuel cell and watched it explode.

I pulled back as the other Caress started firing at me. I stayed under heavier cover as I began to circle around. When the first shadow drifted over me, I glanced up at a large Drakonus that glided past watching the forest below. It was not long before more began arriving. I turned to head for a distant river and glanced at the sky as dozens of shuttles flew over headed for the distant colony.

I cursed and kept moving as I heard the shots behind me. When I reached the large clearing with the mound in the center at the river’s edge I hesitated. My eyes scanned everything, from the mound to the far treeline with small Grecal eating the freshly piled up dead brush. I started across at a run, I had only taken a few steps when I heard the Alliefish as they broke the surface of the river.

I went up and over the mound before heading for the far treeline. I did not even slow when I hit the brush. I ducked and dove through as I continued to run ignoring the sounds of the Alliefish as they came out of the river. I kept going and changed directions until I had reached a low bluff where a fire had burned part of the forest a few years before.