EMIL helped Mirah to get Ramah situated in the single patient bed in the Equinox's med-bay. They strapped her in securely as the rumble of the engines increased in intensity-they were taking off.
"I'd better get up front and help Kale," said Emil.
"Do you have to go right now?" asked Ramah, half dazed from her medications.
"You'll be fine now," he said. "You've got a great doctor looking out for you."
He smiled and acknowledged Mirah and then turned to head up to the bridge.
"Emil?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks for saving my life."
"You're very welcome," he replied, smiling again.
Emil headed on through the main corridor quickly as pounding noises began to resonate through the hull. When he reached the bridge, Merab and Jael were with Kale as he brought the ship up off of the tarmac.
"Let's get those shields up!" he shouted. "We've got some of them on the hull!"
"I've got it!" said Merab.
Beyond the main bridge window, he could see hundreds of ships clamoring into the air trying to get away from the aerogores. They were raining fire down upon the smaller ships that were vulnerable to such an attack and others were almost completely covered by the beasts as they tried to rip through the hull armaments to get at the people inside. The larger ships, some that were much bigger than the Equinox, were shielded and impervious to the creature's attacks. Nevertheless, evacuation was still necessary.
Emil took a seat at the communication and science station next to Kale. "Let's see who's leading this parade."
He tapped into the rebel's coded frequency, still in the computer's memory from recent communications, and found one particular ship, the Maelstrom, apparently leading the others out.
"It looks like the lead ship has opened whatever gateway is up ahead in the huge escape tunnel down at southern end."
"They must have had power feeding it from another source," said Jael.
Some of the smaller ships were colliding in the low light conditions and aerogore fire and smoke from some of the wreckage on the tarmac wasn't helping the mess.
"We've got a long line to get out that way," said Merab. "The smaller ships are getting bogged down behind those bigger vessels."
"What about the transgate?" asked Emil.
A moment of epiphany swept the bridge as they all remembered the special capabilities of their ship.
"Do it," said Kale. "Just put us above ground inside the city; we don't want to leave the main group."
"Calculating," said Emil as he worked the controls frantically. "I've got it! I'm engaging transgate."
Everything around the ship flashed. In a moment the murky scene of torn transports, fire and smoke was replaced by the brightness of day above ground. The sudden transport into sunshine was a little painful to the eyes, but still a welcome sight.
They could see that many of the ships were already on the surface, but there seemed to be no direction as to the intended destination for the group. Aerogores still mingled among them-the foul creatures weren't giving up their prey so easily.
Suddenly, a massive burst of energy impacted with the side of a building near the place where the ships were emerging from the underground hangar. It shattered the old dilapidated structure to pieces.
"What is that?!" shouted Merab.
"My guess is that those Vorn cruisers are firing on us from the plains beyond the city," said Emil.
"I'm picking up something else," said Merab as he surveyed his scan readouts. "It looks like several hundred pods are heading this way from the same area beyond the city."
"I'm taking us in," said Kale. "Let's see if we can provide some cover fire until everyone can get above ground."