Eastwood Forest was a spurt of olive against the Great Desert's white sands. Running along the edge of the forest were several lonely trees, forming a scattered pattern in the desert floor. The forest was large - large enough that it covered most of the horizon.

The gunship that carried Aegis Team hovered past the lone trees and settled just inside the forest. It was far enough to avoid detection from the Wobeck, but it was still hidden from view. Maeyune and her team, along with the newly acquired Jaysek and Deric, disembarked.

As they collected themselves at one side of the gunship, Meera took in a deep, audible breath and glanced at their surroundings.

"Reminds me of home," the water celestial observed, smiling at the memory.

Indeed, seeing trees again reminded Maeyune of the Ursan moon temple and the forest that encompassed it. The environment always brought a sense of escape from the everyday routine of the concrete and steel celestial base. The smell of foliage was a relief to her - the scent of nature a temporary reprieve from their dire task.

Desert shrubbery grew in clumps across the forest floor, but they were not thick enough to hinder passage. Maeyune caught sight of a few brown-feathered birds nestled atop several branches, their heads twitching to the side as their little eyes speculated the visitors. One of them twittered to the other, his voice meshing with the song of wind and leaves.

Maeyune closed her eyes for a moment and pondered on the life beyond the base, beyond fighting, beyond war.

Unbidden, an image of Reo flashed in her head, and her eyes snapped open. Startled, she compelled the vision away. But despite her attempt to ignore it, her mind clung onto the visual remnant of the sun warrior's dark features and the familiar faint smile on his lips. Her heart struck a clean note inside her chest.

Reo had not been smiling at her when she had left the celestial base, so from where had this memory emerged?

Nearby, she heard Clover murmur, "So, the Overlord is somewhere in here, huh?"

Maeyune's thoughts returned to the present.

She had already informed her friends of the mission - the information having been quick and absolute. They were to meet the Beran recon team, who had discovered the Wobeck leader and now had orders to assist Aegis Team in his capture.

Maeyune inhaled another gulp of fresh air, allowing her mind to breathe for a few more seconds, before she turned and acknowledged the gunship pilots waiting for her. She gave them a firm nod.

Once the Overlord was captured and the area cleared for safe rendezvous, the pilots would receive instruction to gather them at the predetermined location.

Maeyune activated the device band that wrapped snug against her left forearm. She had grabbed it moments before leaving the base to help her team navigate Eastwood Forest. Its thin panel illuminated a dim hologram, revealing to her the linear terrain of the forest and a small blue dot inside the landscape. The blue dot belonged to the Beran forest recon team.

She turned off the tracker and thrust her chin north, ordering, "Let's go."

Their trek went unnoticed, save for the various small creatures who darted off to watch them from safety. About twenty yards ahead of the group, Aerylis took point. Her head turned every so often as she listened to the breeze that carried the voices of the forest. Occasionally, Maeyune heard the wind celestial's thoughts, and every single time, it was, Clear.

When an hour had passed, Maeyune heard small talk whispered between Jaysek and Deric. Behind them and bringing up the rear was Clover, who trained his eyes on every shadow.

Meera, succumbing to boredom, moved her way closer to Maeyune. She was silent for a long while as she walked at Maeyune's side.

With her mind concentrated on the mission to avoid any other visions of the sun warrior, Maeyune did not give her friend a second regard.

"Something happened between you and Prince Sunshine," Meera murmured.

Maeyune's lips almost twitched into a smile at the epithet. Eyes forward and straining to show disinterest, she asked nonchalantly, "What makes you think that?"

Meera cocked her head as she observed Maeyune. "I've known you practically my entire life, Mae," Meera panned, eyes narrowing. "You're the older sister I never wanted. What, did you already forget how well I know you?"

When Maeyune did not answer, the water celestial continued, "Anyway, I've never seen you nervous like this before."

Maeyune sought a quick response. "We are on our way to capture the Wobeck leader and end this war, Meera. It is something to be nervous about."

Meera snorted, the sound anything but ladylike. "Oh, that must explain why Reo stares at you so longingly."

Maeyune nearly tripped as she walked. "He does not-" she began to dispute, but her words caught in her throat. "What are you talking about?"

Meera snickered and lifted her shoulders in a dramatic show of confusion. "I'm not sure. What am I talking about?"

They both stopped as a shaggy-tailed rabbit sprung forth from a nearby brush. Maeyune watched it scurry off, and her shaky focus remembered the mission. Sending a brief telepathic signal, she asked Aerylis for a quick report on their surroundings.

Clear, the wind celestial answered, although Maeyune caught a sliver of disapproval in Aerylis's thoughts. But it was not a disapproval held for their surroundings, but rather for the conversation between Maeyune and Meera.

Of course, Aerylis had taken an interest in their conversation. Though, unlike Meera, she did not seem to bear much fondness for the sun warrior, even less so than Clover.

He's rude, Aerylis explained pointedly, and Maeyune could not have agreed more.

Although, Maeyune had to admit: she had seen less of Reo's arrogance as of late.

Much to Maeyune's discomfort, Meera did not relinquish the subject of Reo.

"He's not too bad when you get to know him," the water celestial carried on, expression thoughtful. "He can be a decent leader. In fact, he sometimes reminds me of you, all business and responsibility. Only, he's much more fun."

Maeyune cast her friend a dubious frown. "I can be fun," she argued, then realized at the last second how ridiculous she sounded.

With a grin, Meera half-skipped away to join Aerylis's side, muttering over her shoulder, "Uh huh."

Maeyune stared after her, astounded.

"Maeyune," Jaysek said, trudging to her side. He gave her a smile, but his calm expression indicated an obliviousness to her and Meera's debate.

Of all the men Maeyune had come to know - especially going from the unemotional Deiyu to the irresolute Reo - Jaysek was the only one who made her feel...what was it, desirable? Aside from the amorous Nomenian captain who had insisted on calling her princess, Jaysek showed her steady interest. He was perhaps a little too flirtatious for her liking, but she was sure that he genuinely liked her.

It was nice to feel wanted, not as a warrior or a pawn who was needed to accomplish a task, but as a human being.

Heavens, she thought to herself. Why am I even considering this? I don't need a man.

"Do you think they've started the battle by now?" Jaysek asked her, moving closer.

That's right, she thought immediately. The battle in Pride Canyon.

She activated her arm band, taking note of the time that had already passed. It had been almost two hours since they had departed from the Beran facility. They were to maintain radio silence, but at any time now, the sun warrior and the rest of the Beran army would be on their way to face the Wobeck ships in the canyon.

"They will soon," Maeyune answered. She swiped a finger across her armband device, and the hologram slid into the view of the terrain, revealing the distance between them and the recon team's blue dot.

Aerylis confirmed the distance a few seconds later. She halted, holding her hand in the air for all of them to stop.

Then, she said, Half a mile out.

With grim expressions, they continued their march forward. Meera fell back, now silent as the mission hung over them.

It was not too long when Aerylis stopped them again. Maeyune went to stand by her side, just as two dark figures clad in forest green emerged from the shrubbery. As soon as Maeyune and the others came into sight, the two men lowered their plasma rifles.

Maeyune saw the insignia of the Beran rising sun on their left chests. With fists over their hearts, the two soldiers saluted her.

"Captain Morin, ma'am," greeted the taller of the two - a stocky male with skin as dark as the forest shadows.

Maeyune nodded. "Where is the rest of your team, Captain?"

"Just up ahead, ma'am," he replied. "The Overlord and his guard haven't moved since this morning."

The second soldier, a thinner young man with tanned skin and wild dark hair underneath his soldier's helmet, offered Maeyune a wide smile. There was a pale emerald glow around his body. He was a land celestial, she realized, dressed in non-celestial uniform.

"We're happy you could join us, Miss Ereni," the land celestial gushed, his body still rigid in salute.

Maeyune returned his smile. "Lead the way, gentlemen."

They all huddled behind a growth of bushes, next to the three other soldiers of the captain's group. Maeyune peered out between leafless branches at four ominous figures in a large forest clearing. Their armored shapes created dark blemishes against the grass.

Their ship, with its pointed nose and wings, sat at the very edge of the circumference of trees. Maeyune observed its mostly ovular shape. Underneath the ship, she discerned cone-like structures that appeared similar to nozzles.

This ship was too large to be one of their single-piloted aircrafts, and it was too small to be one of their mother ships that carried those aircrafts. This ship was the Overlord's personal transport.

Maeyune watched as the Wobeck reemerged from their ship, carrying large, black capsules that she found disturbingly familiar. With the Beran captain's twin scopes in her hands, Maeyune zoomed the focus on the collection of alien capsules that the Wobeck placed on the grass. There were no violet bubbles shielding these new capsules, and they appeared empty.

Empty for now anyway, Maeyune thought.

Those capsules were used to carry Vaius's life force energy. But how were the Wobeck going to extract energy from the planet?

From the ship's arched door, a fifth Wobeck stepped out onto the grassy plain. Like the hologram where she had first seen him, he was armored in sapphire, its deep blue a mystifying color against the rest of nature's hues.

The Overlord.

His guard, as the Beran captain had called them, wore the usual black that Maeyune was used to seeing. Even though their armor paled in comparison to their Overlord's, they were still a sinister sight.

Given their similarity in chest and shoulder breadth to the human man, she could only assume that these Wobeck were male. Were they like the human race, with both male and female sexes that contributed to the growth of their species?

After another moment of observation, Maeyune returned the captain's binoculars. "Are there only five?"

She asked this question to both the captain and Aerylis. Both gave their confirmation.

"They are the only ones we've seen all day," affirmed the captain.

They all watched as the dark figures in the clearing turned to face their blue superior, accepting some new, inaudible charge. Then, the Overlord returned to the ship.

Beside Maeyune, the Beran captain pressed his rifle closer against his chest. "On your command, ma'am," he spoke.

As they waited behind the thicket for her orders, Maeyune sifted through their options.

With only five of the enemy, she and both teams outnumbered them. Considering the aid of the celestials and the elements, the Wobeck stood no chance. Through care and swift action, this mission would be over with soon.

They could either charge in, guns and magic blazing, or, they could go the smarter route and use stealth as a means of attack.

She was prepared to push them forward, to carry out the mission with diligence, when there was a high-pitched wail from the ship. Its engines activated, and the dirt and grass underneath the plane's nozzles swirled into the air.

The enemy was leaving.

With her body tensing, Maeyune's options instantly cut down to one.

"Move!" Maeyune hissed. "We need to stop that ship before they leave!"

Without a moment's hesitation, both teams leapt to their feet and darted through the trees, following her lead. They skirted the grassy clearing, keeping to the forest's shadows as they sprinted their way toward the Wobeck ship.

As they neared the enemy, Maeyune watched as the rest of the Wobeck made their way back into the ship through its arched door. Their collection of capsules remained in the grassy clearing, abandoned.

Something had pulled them from their task. Had Reo and the Beran army begun their attack? She doubted the Overlord was leaving to assist in the battle, given the immense size of the human forces. But then again, that was still an option. Or, was he escaping to find hiding again?

She would not allow that to happen. He was not going to slip from her grasp. With every second he was on Vaius, he posed a threat.

When Maeyune finally reached an opportune range, she broke free from the forest and into the clearing. The ship rose several feet into the air, its nozzles discharging a dim, violet hue as the engines pushed for liftoff.

Gritting her teeth, Maeyune came to a complete stop and drew her energy. Taking aid from her moon bracelet, her strength accumulated into her palms, and she released her power.

A bright beam rocketed from her hands toward the ship. It hit its mark, tearing through the alien metal and fracturing its wing. With flames bleeding from its side, the damaged ship descended to the ground again.

Maeyune zipped across the clearing in a flash of silver and was at the ship within seconds. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that both wind celestials - Aerylis and Jaysek - had followed closely behind. The rest of her friends and the recon team were making their way toward them.

Standing beside the ship's mass, Maeyune briefly ran her eyes over its smooth, black surface. She found the arched door, nearly indiscernible against the rest of the ship, and summoned her sword. And with several clean slashes of her blade, she tore into the metal.

But the effort proved unnecessary. The door slid open, rising to reveal two towering Wobeck armed with rifles. They fired immediately, their purple plasma spraying against the energy shield that Maeyune forged.

Bringing down both creatures took two simple swings of her celestial blade. When she pulled back her sword, she saw their blood that coated her steel. It was a dark and strange, navy-colored substance - unlike anything she had ever seen before.

Their bodies crumpled to the floor, and she moved forward again, unchallenged. But as she took another step to venture her way through the ship's arched halls, the door behind her slammed shut.

She and the wind celestials spun. They froze, temporarily perplexed as they stood inside the entrance. Then, without warning, Aerylis slammed her body against the door. She struck her fists against the metal in a violent, unexpected fury. Her face blanched, and Maeyune saw the frantic glimmer in her friend's wide eyes.

It's an ambush! Aerylis's mind screamed.

That was when Maeyune felt the alarm from the rest of her friends and the recon team - all of them trapped outside on the other side of the door. Through Aerylis's mind, Maeyune heard metal slots burst open in the ship's side. She heard Meera's shriek as shouts and plasma fire sounded from outside.

Dread drove daggers down Maeyune's spine.

Finding Meera's mind, Maeyune saw the scene unfold before the water celestial's very eyes. The slots in the side of the ship had uncovered a multitude of Wobeck who had been hidden away. Their masses leapt onto the ground and charged.

But it was not the new Wobeck that had inspired terror in the minds of her friends and the Beran soldiers. When Maeyune grasped the rest of their heads, their thoughts were all focused on one thing.

Through their eyes, Maeyune saw the massive mother ship sleeping on the plain, having unveiled itself from its silent, invisible cloak.