Cyrus wondered what was happening in the silence while he waited for Jence to return. A messenger had reported movement around the perimeter of Jence's position, but it could have been anything from a nervous guard jumping a shadows to only scouting force easily dealt with. In the back of Cyrus' mind was the unwanted realization that the movement detected could be a full attack force about to exterminate the first ally Cyrus had found since the war had blasted civilization to pieces.

Wanting to take steps to avoid the possible destruction of an ally, Cyrus used the control panel in front of him to amplify the built in system of his suit and speak to his strike force.

"Secure the area and report to the Hawk," Cyrus ordered. "We have an emergency situation on our hands. I'll explain when we're in the air."

No sooner had Cyrus alerted his people did Jence start transmitting again.

"Stefan said you had a ship," Jence said through the comm device speaker. "We're about to be hit from at least two directions. We could certainly use all the help you can provide."

"We're prepping for liftoff," Cyrus said. "How long can you hold?"

A heavy silence filled the room before the grim response came.

"You had better hurry."

***

Cyrus marched into the landing bay to meet with his strike team. The aircraft waiting in the center of the massive chamber never ceased to impress him. Shaped like a bird, the outstretched wings had glowing, neon orange optical lights set flush into the black metal to create the outline of feathers. The four engines were carefully concealed under each wing and along the fuselage. Jutting outward and down from the nose of the aircraft, a hooked beak finished the illusion, transforming the aircraft into a mighty bird of prey. Cyrus hoped it would be enough to save Jence and his people.

Ducking under the wing, he entered the aerial vehicle where his squad of five warriors were waiting. Glancing toward the cockpit, he found Deborah already sitting behind the controls and running through the preflight startup sequence. Even with her helmet on, Cyrus still knew it was her because Deborah was the best pilot they had.

"We've made contact with a group of warriors," Cyrus explained to the troops.

"Warriors like us?" asked one of the squad.

"I don't know," Cyrus admitted. "Since they seemed surprised about the outpost being pre-war, we can assume their level of tech isn't as great as ours."

"If they've been able to last this long without the tech, they're impressive," another warrior commented.

"Let's hope they're impressive enough to stay alive until we get there," Cyrus responded. He turned his attention toward his wife in the pilot's seat. "Are we ready to go?"

"Ready," she answered while putting a hand on the thruster controls. "Everyone hang on."

Cyrus and his team locked themselves into specially designed harnesses along the walls. Metal swing arms descended and took hold of their powered armor to secure them in place.

Pushing the levers forward gently, Deborah caused the Hawk to lift off the ground and float steadily upward.

"Deploying the chimney," Deborah stated, flipping a toggle switch on the panel to her left.

Similar to the airlock the strike team had use to exit the dome, a sleeve of black material rose from the walls of the landing bay and redirected the energy of the shield around it to create a clear path for them to depart.

Once the Hawk was above the edge of the chimney, Deborah flipped the control switch back again to retract the chimney and make the dome seamless once again. She advanced the thrust levers gradually until they were at their maximum limit. The Hawk increased in speed, soaring away from the outpost and toward the besieged base where Jence and his people were fighting for their lives.

"Hang on, Jence," Cyrus whispered. "We're coming."

***

"Approaching target location," Deborah related to the warriors in the rear cabin. She flipped a switch on a control panel above her head. "Deactivating wing lights for stealth approach."

Cyrus left his position and entered the cockpit, leaning on the back of Deborah's pilot seat and looking at the scene below. In the darkness of night, it was difficult to see anything until Deborah activated image enhancement filters. Colors amplified and brightened as a hologram overlaid on the cockpit windows, illuminating everything as if it were noontime.

Gathered inside the hull of a crashed airplane, a few warriors battled against overwhelming numbers of attackers pressing them on all sides.

"No place to land," Cyrus observed. "Take us in low, then bring us around for an aerial deployment."

"Got it," Deborah acknowledged. She pushed the controls forward and nosedived the Hawk, causing the aircraft to scream by just over the heads of the combatants and kick up clouds of dust in passing. Completing a graceful turn, she came back over the base at a higher altitude. "Go!"

Cyrus ran with pounding steps of his armor back to the tail of the Hawk, signaling with his hands for his troops to follow. Without slowing, Cyrus lunged out of the aircraft and hurled himself into the open sky. On his helmet's tactical display, he saw indicators flare to life as his squad joined him in the air.

The ground surged upward to meet him, and Cyrus bent his knees upon landing. Kinetic absorption gear built into the boots and leg armor lessened the violent impact, transforming the kinetic energy into electrical power. Artificially created lighting surged up from his boots to cocoon Cyrus in a shell of energy before it was release in a spherical shockwave. Enemy combatants nearby were jolted hard enough to send them flying.

As his warriors landed around him, triggering electrical explosions of their own, Cyrus drew his massive sword and ignited the artificial lightning across the blade.  Because of the stun effect of their landing, Cyrus and his forces had no trouble cutting through the enemy ranks with devastating results. Those opponents not already on the ground were swiftly put there, never to rise again. The warriors swept through the ranks virtually unopposed.

Cyrus spun around as he approached one of the savages, holding his sword outward as he turned. When he completed the spin and faced the enemy again, the centripetal force he'd built up pointed his sword toward his foe. Pressing a button on the hilt, Cyrus released the energy from his weapon to strike the fiend full in the chest with a bolt of lightning, flinging the raider backwards and into several of his comrades.

As the tide turned sharply against the raiders, they seemed to realize they had no chance of defeating Cyrus and his people, withdrawing as fast as they could from the battle.

Cheers rose from the surrounded warriors taking shelter in the hull of the old plane as their certain death turned into a tremendous victory. Cyrus approached them.

"Which one of you is Jence?" Cyrus asked, his robotically amplified voice projecting out over the crowd.

"I am," answered a man on the front lines. His black hair was parted left to right, but everything on the left side had been shaved down to almost nothing, leaving the scar across his temple plainly visible. Unlike Cyrus, Jence wore only simple leathers with plates of dusty gray metal on top. "Who might you be?"

Sheathing his sword, Cyrus reached up and unlocked the seals before removing his helmet.

"I'm Cyrus," he announced. "Can we be of assistance?"

"I think you just were," Jence admitted.

Cyrus had urged caution, and he noticed Jence still had a hold of his sword; Cyrus respected him for it. With all the backstabbing and lying in the world, trust would have to be earned with time and experience. The first steps toward an alliance had been taken, but Cyrus knew he'd have to prove himself if it were to hold.

"We can do more," Cyrus promised. "We've brought weapons, what food and medical supplies we can spare, and a shield generator."

"You're very generous," Jence said. "What might you be wanting in exchange for all these things?"

"An ally against the insanity consuming our world," Cyrus answered, trying to allay potential fears. "Although we've been able to hold our own, even a little more, there aren't many of us. If there is to be a future for humanity, we need more people committed to the cause of honor."

"If you need people, we know of a city controlled by brain chips and guarded by robots," Jence stated. "We've only been able to liberate a few like myself from their imposed order. We've never had the resources to save them all and provide for them afterwards."

"Sounds interesting," Cyrus acknowledged. Jence's concern for people technologically enslaved showed his character to Cyrus as the man's focus was on those other than himself. "We might be able to do something."

Jence released a hand from his sword and reached out to him. Cyrus took Jence's offered hand in a firm grip of metal.

"I think an alliance between our peoples will work," Jence told him.

"Indeed," Cyrus agreed.

All around the two men, warriors from both groups cheered and shouted. Their dark world seemed a little brighter for neither side was alone any longer. The alliance between the warriors also brought back something long thought to be lost, hope.