Free Galactic Battle by Zac Harrison Page A

noticed,” he mused.
    They met the rest of the team in the Sonic Sports Hall ( It will certainly deserve that name today, John thought), which had been reconfigured to a new shape.
    Instead of yesterday’s wide-open arena, it was now a long, narrow hallway. At the far end loomed the shapes of six Defendroids, but these ones weren’t made from metal. They were flat, plastic-looking targets, with little point values marked on their body parts in glowing numerals, like archery targets.
    John saw a row of SonicArrows lined up in a rack on the wall. Obviously Zepp had arranged the room for them before they even got here. Monix and the others were looking warily at the SonicArrows, clearly unsure what to make of them.
    I guess I better give them a demonstration, John thought.
    â€œMorning, team!” he said. “As you can see, we’ll be using SonicArrows today. You’re probably wondering how they work.”
    Feeling confident, John grabbed one of the slender shafts. It felt as light as a soap bubble and as flexible as a length of bamboo. “It’s very simple. All you have to do is pick one up, take aim, and throw!”
    He flung the SonicArrow as hard as he could. As it left his hand, it wobbled.
    An ear-piercing shriek rang out from the flying arrow. The members of the Galactic Battle team covered their ears and made pained faces.
    John’s arrow thwacked into the wall, a good ten feet away from the target he’d meant to hit, before falling with a clatter.
    â€œ. . . being careful not to do that, of course.” He tried to laugh it off. “As you’ve just seen, you have to throw a SonicArrow just right, or it’ll wobble around and make a horrible noise. Here, watch how I do it this time.”
    He went and fetched the SonicArrow, took a deep breath, and aimed. He flung it. And again, the same awful noise tore through the air. Again, he missed the target completely.
    â€œThanks, John. I think we all know how not to do it by now,” Monix said coldly.
    John shrugged while going to collect the SonicArrow. “Just because I’m team leader doesn’t mean I’m perfect!”
    â€œYou can say that again,” muttered Monix.
    â€œOkay, why doesn’t someone else have a go?” John said. “How about you, Kritta?”
    â€œI thought you’d never ask.” She smiled.
    Kritta gently took the SonicArrow from John’s hand, then spun on the spot and threw it with blinding speed, straight at the target.
    The arrow struck home, quivering in the Defendroid target’s head. Its entire flight had been totally silent and so fast it almost seemed to teleport there.
    â€œWow,” John said, impressed. “You’re a natural!”
    â€œI was the champion under-twelves’ Stingshot thrower back on Hive-Seventeen,” Kritta admitted. “SonicArrows are a lot like Stingshots. Except less venomous. And more sonic.”
    â€œOkay, team, change of plan. Kritta’s going to teach you all how to throw a SonicArrow! Is that okay with you, Kritta?”
    â€œIt’ll be my pleasure,” she said, batting her multifaceted eyes at him. Kaal shot John a jealous look.
    â€œIt’s not my fault,” John whispered to him as the rest of the team lined up. “I haven’t done anything to encourage her!”
    â€œI know,” Kaal sighed. “I just wish she’d look at me like that, that’s all. Just once . . .”
    â€œAll right, listen up!” Kritta yelled. “We’re going to start with the throwing stance. Hold your SonicArrow like this . . .”
    * * *
    Half an hour later, John was wishing he’d popped to the Junkyard to borrow some ear protectors. Hardly any member of the team could get the knack of throwing a SonicArrow properly. The noise was ear-splitting. Screeches, squeals, and screams echoed off the walls as arrow after arrow wobbled through the air. A rare few struck their