The moment seemed to last a long time. But when Aija calmed the people again, only ten minutes had passed. "Men and brethren a wonderful thing has happened to you in turning to Elithias," Aija said. "For all of you that have committed yourselves to the Eternal One, the promise of eternal life is now yours. But the time is still upon us for judgment. Now, go and seek your refuge in the mountains and do not delay for the fallen one has come."
The thunderous roar of a starship's engines howled throughout the small city. People began to scream as they rushed for the building's exits. Tiet and the others made their way out of the meeting hall in turn and saw a building crumble under fire from a Vorn warship coming close overhead. They followed the flow of screaming attendees as they ran toward the base of the mountain that hung over the Great Hall.
A natural alcove in the rock provided extra protection to the building and provided the citizens with a quick way out in case of attack. Tiet saw Aija directing people into the tunnel carved through the face of the rock. Wynn and Grod brought up the rear of their group as they tried to stay together among the throng of people evacuating the provincial town.
Blasts rang out behind them as the first cruiser was joined by others appearing over the horizon. Tiet recognized them as the ships that had been part of their Castillian fleet. The only explanation appeared to be that the symbytes had now decided to use them to launch an attack on this planet. They had left Castai. The thought of other planets being overcome by the Symbytes made his flesh crawl.
Smaller craft streamed out of the fighter bays at the rear of the warships. They swept through the city, tearing through buildings and people who tried to flee toward the mountains.
The approached the entrance to the mountain tunnel, but the prophet Aija was no where to be found now. Behind them, speeder pods closed in. The small one-man vehicles had been built for high velocity ground warfare. They sped across the terrain-their turbines howling with the intake of wind. Blaster cannons on the front of the pods sprayed the Guniran evacuees as they fled for the mountain tunnel. Tiet's group kept up the pace, making their way into the tunnel as the pods approached.