Chapter 1265: Revenge and Refuel
Rivers of white-hot gold poured through the cracks, melting steel and incinerating wood. The unthinking roots were becoming victims of their gluttony, unable to adapt to the overloaded Stellar Extractor. Them pouring into the endless starlight like moths to the flame provided a much-needed respite.
"Just a little bit more, we're almost there!" Catheya urged, floating just above the ground.
The small expenditure of flight was a cost she could ill afford, but she had no choice. Her left leg was encased in ice to prevent the embedded saplings from sprouting, and even more of her body was frozen to hold together her wounds and accelerate her recovery. She couldn't run even if she wanted, and Kruta was in no state to carry her.
The orc was an arrow at the end of its flight after having displayed a tenacity and ferocity that would make his ancestors proud. It was almost a miracle he managed to put one leg before the other. He'd taken the vanguard throughout their protracted battle, unleashing wave after wave of cutting flames to keep the wilderness at bay. Kruta distractedly grunted, his mind focused on keeping himself moving.
Catheya's promise wasn't an empty reassurance. Zac's short telepathic message had come at the right time. The shakes had begun just moments later, and the whole station was already about to go supernova. If they hadn't gotten the route to the emergency chamber at the end of the corridor, they'd be done for.
The doors to the teleportation chamber slid up without complaint, and Catheya almost cried with relief upon seeing an active gate waiting for them. Catheya had no idea if it was correctly calibrated. She didn't care. The streaks of starlight had already joined into a rising tide that was rapidly catching up.
Kruta's cloudy eyes regained their sharpness upon seeing the gate and the two drew upon their reserves for a final spurt. A painful constriction tried to tear Catheya apart as the world flickered in black and gold. The next moment, she felt solid ground beneath her feet. More importantly, the intense starlight's poisonous radiation was gone.
Catheya slumped onto the ground, unable to muster so much as a thought. Thankfully, the swarm of sparkling roots right on their heels was dealt with by the gate itself as it turned off. Most likely, it had been overloaded by the starlight.
"Finally," Kruta gasped as he lay to her side. "Never doing weed duty again."