that no matter how much High Command tried to keep it under wraps, Morwe would figure out that they had a Level 1 Source. Speaking of, where had Kaede gotten to? She turned, and realized it was Kaede who had grabbed hold of her arm.
"They know," Kaede said, and Mari nodded.
"Then it won't matter if we reveal ourselves."
Mari nodded again, and without another word, they ran.
Mari hadn't been expecting someone so tiny to be able to keep pace with her, especially with Mari's long legs, but Kaede sprinted alongside her without a problem. She didn't have time to wonder. They slammed through the door to the stairs and pounded down them, not risking the elevator with the explosions still going off around the base.
The night was alight with the flare of explosions, and the scream of rockets overhead was piercing. The ground shook beneath their feet, but neither of them broke stride. Several of the docking bays were aflame, and the maintenance crew fighting to put the fires out were backlit with vermillion smoke.
Mari's ear crackled, and a faint buzz turned to sharp static. Her teeth stung oddly, and she pressed her finger to the corner of her ear, trying to get her comm unit back online.
"Ishhhhh ..."
"Hello?" she snapped, still running. "Anyone there?"
"Ishigaki?"
"Yes, it's me."
"Where is your current location?"
"Nomura and I are on our way to docking bay," she said, shooting a glance at Kaede. Kaede nodded sharply, indicating she heard what was going on.
"ETA?"
"Two minutes."
"The lift is safe to use. It will be waiting for you on your arrival."
"Ishigaki out."
"Are you sure the lift will be safe?" Kaede asked as they rounded the last bend.
"There's no other way. Stairs would take too long. The battle would be over by the time we got down."
The metal shack was right ahead of them, backlit by flames and crimson light. They pounded towards it, and the ground continued to rumble. An nearby explosion threw them to the ground, and a concussive shockwave sent a spray of dirt and gravel over their prone forms. Kaede coughed next to her ear, and Mari struggled to her feet, pulling at Kaede's wrist.
Another row of explosions started up behind them, and Mari bolted, Kaede on her heels. The spouts of fire were getting closer; it was a race to see whether they would both go up in flame before they reached the sanctuary of the machine.
They were moving so fast that they almost slammed into the door. Mari yanked on the handle, pulling the door outward, but in the face of the oncoming explosions, no matter how quickly she moved, her brain screamed Too slow! Too slow!
Kaede was in first, hand pounding the lift button urgently. It was still moving too slowly, the lights coming on above the door to indicate the elevator coming towards them seemed excessively sedate. The doors slid open with a ping, and Mari shoved them both through, pressing frantically at the close-door button, only thinking to pick a level as an afterthought.
The door slid shut just as the world outside dissolved into fire and intense heat, a blast of hot air and embers managing to sneak in the narrow gap right before the doors sealed.
"We made it," Mari panted, hands on her knees and head hanging low.
"Barely," gasped Kaede beside her.
They were silent for a moment, just breathing in the cool air of the ventilated elevator and waiting to arrive at the right level.
The moment of rest didn't last long, and soon they were racing down the empty, white, curved halls to the docking bay. Kaede jammed her hand down on the door button and leapt forward as it whirred open. Just as she began to hurtle out into empty air, Mari threw herself forward and wrapped a desperate arm around Kaede's waist, suddenly glad she was so small. She threw her weight backwards and they tumbled to the ground in a heap.
The space in front of the loading platform was only empty darkness. Kaede panted, her wheezing high and panicked in Mari's ear. Mari looked out into the surrounding
"They know," Kaede said, and Mari nodded.
"Then it won't matter if we reveal ourselves."
Mari nodded again, and without another word, they ran.
Mari hadn't been expecting someone so tiny to be able to keep pace with her, especially with Mari's long legs, but Kaede sprinted alongside her without a problem. She didn't have time to wonder. They slammed through the door to the stairs and pounded down them, not risking the elevator with the explosions still going off around the base.
The night was alight with the flare of explosions, and the scream of rockets overhead was piercing. The ground shook beneath their feet, but neither of them broke stride. Several of the docking bays were aflame, and the maintenance crew fighting to put the fires out were backlit with vermillion smoke.
Mari's ear crackled, and a faint buzz turned to sharp static. Her teeth stung oddly, and she pressed her finger to the corner of her ear, trying to get her comm unit back online.
"Ishhhhh ..."
"Hello?" she snapped, still running. "Anyone there?"
"Ishigaki?"
"Yes, it's me."
"Where is your current location?"
"Nomura and I are on our way to docking bay," she said, shooting a glance at Kaede. Kaede nodded sharply, indicating she heard what was going on.
"ETA?"
"Two minutes."
"The lift is safe to use. It will be waiting for you on your arrival."
"Ishigaki out."
"Are you sure the lift will be safe?" Kaede asked as they rounded the last bend.
"There's no other way. Stairs would take too long. The battle would be over by the time we got down."
The metal shack was right ahead of them, backlit by flames and crimson light. They pounded towards it, and the ground continued to rumble. An nearby explosion threw them to the ground, and a concussive shockwave sent a spray of dirt and gravel over their prone forms. Kaede coughed next to her ear, and Mari struggled to her feet, pulling at Kaede's wrist.
Another row of explosions started up behind them, and Mari bolted, Kaede on her heels. The spouts of fire were getting closer; it was a race to see whether they would both go up in flame before they reached the sanctuary of the machine.
They were moving so fast that they almost slammed into the door. Mari yanked on the handle, pulling the door outward, but in the face of the oncoming explosions, no matter how quickly she moved, her brain screamed Too slow! Too slow!
Kaede was in first, hand pounding the lift button urgently. It was still moving too slowly, the lights coming on above the door to indicate the elevator coming towards them seemed excessively sedate. The doors slid open with a ping, and Mari shoved them both through, pressing frantically at the close-door button, only thinking to pick a level as an afterthought.
The door slid shut just as the world outside dissolved into fire and intense heat, a blast of hot air and embers managing to sneak in the narrow gap right before the doors sealed.
"We made it," Mari panted, hands on her knees and head hanging low.
"Barely," gasped Kaede beside her.
They were silent for a moment, just breathing in the cool air of the ventilated elevator and waiting to arrive at the right level.
The moment of rest didn't last long, and soon they were racing down the empty, white, curved halls to the docking bay. Kaede jammed her hand down on the door button and leapt forward as it whirred open. Just as she began to hurtle out into empty air, Mari threw herself forward and wrapped a desperate arm around Kaede's waist, suddenly glad she was so small. She threw her weight backwards and they tumbled to the ground in a heap.
The space in front of the loading platform was only empty darkness. Kaede panted, her wheezing high and panicked in Mari's ear. Mari looked out into the surrounding
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