"According to Cela, there's one enemy boat still afloat, and I really hope there are no more assault gliders," Chanaia added breathlessly.
"No, there aren't," Chanon assured, and after a short pause for reflection, her brother continued: "We need to take care of the second boat before the barrier falls. The bionic weapons won't be able to do much until the protection falls, but Zenon has limited firepower through the barrier. And Keniak…"
As if summoned, Kenyak protested next to Chanon:
"I'll have to close the opening for Zenon's cannons. In my current condition, I can't concentrate on leaving a gap for him and holding the barrier at the same time."
"Okay, just hold it for three more minutes, will you?"
"I think so…" Keniak replied, but after a hard look from his captain, he added: "Three minutes, I'll do it."
"Good." Then, turning to his sister, Chanon added, "Let Zenon keep shooting at them; if he stops, the enemy can get suspicious."
Then Chanon glanced at his sister before jumping over the side of the ship into the water. Chanaia saw Keniak turn pale, but the son of the desert quickly recovered with an expression of pure ferocity.
Chanaia already knew that Chanon had jumped into the water to try to shoot down the second boat and that he was improvising. Only he knew what he could do. Chanaia trembled with worry.
Two minutes had passed when Cela shouted, almost piercing Chanaia's eardrum, as she held the receiver in her ear: "Second boat located, Astro at Five-Ten!"
"You never cease to amaze me..." Chanaia said to herself before shouting shrilly: "Zenon! Target at Astro, five ten!"
"Target in sight!" Was the reply.
Well, that would surely inflate her brother's ego, Chanaia thought, weighing the weapon in her hands. Then an explosion announced the success of Chanon's plan. The other enemy boat had indeed been shot down. So Chanaia wasted no time and soon finished distributing the weapons among her comrades. Then she heard Keniak exhale with a hiss. The barrier was definitely going to fall. Chanaia stood on guard and, leaning over the side, aimed for one of the places where the energy trench had sputtered earlier. The waters looked eerily dark, and a few meters beyond the Seeker, nothing could be made out. Vaguely, she wondered about Chanon's whereabouts as she listened to the noise in the tower. Zenon was probably swapping the cannons for short-range artillery, and a feeling of sadness washed over her, thinking that the ship would soon suffer serious damage. Then, seeing Keniak wield his weapon, she braced herself; everything had fallen silent, and only the sound of the now calmer waves could be heard. However, this only made the sea seem more sinister and disturbing.
How much had the world changed for a group of young adults to fight for their lives in the middle of the ocean against mercenaries? Chanaia wondered sadly. At first, Chanaia had thought she would never lose her fear of fighting, the terrifying feeling of killing, and the possibility of being seriously injured or killed. Likewise, the fear of pain and the loss of loved ones was a constant. She and Chanon had made their debut as children. And now, after years of fighting, she had grown somehow confident. She trusted the team and, above all, she trusted her brother. Yes, Chanaia trusted in Chanon; in his strength, his wit, and his courage. Suddenly, a mass of metal fell with a crash right in front of her. Rolling to the side, Chanaia opened fire, supported by Keniak. Their bullets made a dent in the mercenary's metal surface, but they didn't penetrate his armour, and he grimaced with laughter. Out of the corner of her eyes, Chanaia saw two more falling a little further away, threatening to crack the Seeker's surface. Then the two sides stood motionless, studying each other for a brief moment as if gauging their strengths until one of the bionic weapons, to Chanaia's right, let out a roar and lunged at Armin and Mak.