Awakening the Lightforged

Uuchantuu looked down at the platform, then between the cars. Her eyes grew wide and she grinned, then activated her radio. "Jaran, how's your team doing?"

"All good, Uuchantuu," he said. "Had a close call with the guards, but we’re all back on the transport. Nothing Edendo and I can't do as long as we're working together."

Uuchantuu smiled at that.

"Great. Head back to base. Have Edendo radio Luuhuuta and tell her to do the same."

"What about you?"

"I've got a ride."

"Got it. See you tonight, Squad Leader."

Uuchantuu shut off her radio and looked to Araana and Oka'ada.

The Natari man looked between her and Araana. "I take it that means you have a plan?"

Uuchantuu nodded. "You two, get your team back on the transport with one of those hoses, but tell Muuzuuri to stay in the area. Once everyone and everything is on board, come to Naruuna and I at the cars."

Araana frowned, but nodded, and all three climbed back up to the roof of the cars. Uuchantuu waited for Araana to go first so the woman could talk to her squad, then followed her down and crouched next to Naruuna.

"I have a plan," she shouted over the wind, "but it's not going to be fun."

Naruuna turned her masked face to Uuchantuu, nearly hitting her with one of her antlers, "Let's do it!"

"Uuchantuu?"

Uuchantuu blinked at Luuhuuta's voice over the radio.

"Luuhuuta? What is it?"

"You've got about two minutes before we get dangerously close to the next Imaia checkpoint. Whatever you're gonna do, do it now."

Uuchantuu gritted her teeth. She'd forgotten about that.

"Got it. You get out of here."

A moment later, Araana thumped down on the platform beside her.

"What's the plan?"

"Is everyone on the transport?"

Araana nodded. "They're about to be. I told Muuzuuri to hang around for us."

Uuchantuu took a deep breath, then looked between the two of them. "Do you trust me?"

Naruuna nodded immediately. Araana hesitated but, after a moment, gave a curt nod.

Uuchantuu looked to Naruuna. "Can you unhitch this?"

Naruuna cocked her head. "Yes, but—"

"Do it!" Uuchantuu ordered.

She hopped over to the other platform, then helped Naruuna and Araana over.

"Do you need any help?" she asked as the Samjati woman crouched down, reaching between the cars.

Naruuna shook her head. "Just hold me tight so I don't fall off."

Uuchantuu looked to Araana, and they each took hold of the ladder with one hand and Naruuna with the other, crouching on the platform.

A few seconds passed and Uuchantuu's stomach grew tight.

She looked to Araana. "You can brake the cars once we're free right?"

Araana nodded. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Uuchantuu took a deep breath.

So do I.

"Naruuna?" Uuchantuu asked. "How much—?"

"Six seconds!" she shouted. "Four, three, two—"

"Brake!” Uuchantuu shouted, gripping the ladder with white knuckles.

The cars shook as the coupling came undone and Naruuna lurched forward.

Uuchantuu yanked back on the woman's lightcover, then conjured a hardlight brace to push them back against the car for good measure.

She looked to Araana to find the woman holding one hand out before her. Uuchantuu knew it wasn't necessary, but gestures like that helped even her direct her abilities.

After thirty-seven seconds they came to a stop, the cars shaking as they hovered above the tracks. Before them, the train sped off poleward toward one of the Imaia’s desert checkpoints.

"Ha!" Uuchantuu cried, jumping to her feet. "We did it!"

She grinned as she looked between Araana and Naruuna. The Samjati woman wobbled her head, and Araana actually smiled for a moment before scowling and looking around. "What do we—"

Araana cut off, shaking her head, then lowered her voice. "What do we do now? I can get us off the tracks, but I hope you don't expect me to push these things all the way back to Wolfden."

Uuchantuu grinned, shaking her head. Before she could explain, though, Bavlos and Induu pulled up on either side of the tracks on their speeders.

"I'm hoping this was part of the plan," Induu said, taking off his helmet.

Uuchantuu nodded and turned on her radio. "Luuhuuta, Muuzuuri, Edendo?"

"Yes?" they answered one after another.

"I need you to drop the supplies and our teams off at a safe spot where they can either sit tight or start back toward Wolfden, then get back here as soon as possible. Instead of water jugs, we have three water cars."

"I can see that," Muuzuuri said over Luuhuuta's "What?"

"How do you plan on getting those back to base?" Muuzuuri asked.

Uuchantuu grinned, looking around at her companions.

Naruuna straightened, then wobbled her head. “Oh! Are you doing what I think you’re doing?”

Uuchantuu nodded. “We're going to help Araana get these off the track and flip them over. Then while Bavlos and Induu scout around to make sure no Imaia are coming after us, Naruuna and I are going to reverse the polarity of the georaurals that keep these cars off the ground and allow them to move so fast."

"I thought that was magnets," Araana said.

Naruuna shook her head, and Uuchantuu smiled at the Samjati woman.

"Only part of it is," Uuchantuu said, pointing to the track. "Look at the obsidian plates."

Araana frowned, then her eyes went wide as Induu started laughing. "Darkness, that's incredible! Why didn't we think of that before?"

"Think of what?" Edendo asked over the radio.

Araana spoke before Uuchantuu could, a bit of awe in her voice. “We can get the cars to attach themselves to the obsidian on the bottom of the transports. We can carry the entire car back with one of the transports."

Uuchantuu nodded, and Araana shot her a wide grin.

"Vittuu Darkness," Edendo breathed.

"Drop everyone off and get here fast," Uuchantuu said. "We may not have an opportunity like this again. Let's not let the Imaia take it from us."