Attack on Phoenix Read Online Free

our people from invasion.”
    Whispers spread through the mess. The dragzhi were ruthless killers, bent on destroying the humans. He didn't want Leila sent out on the front lines.
    Commander Bartok held up both hands this time, urging calm. "You misunderstand. We are not sending any of you out to fight the dragzhi. That will fall to our most seasoned warriors. What we need is a group willing to do another task, one so important we will only send our best defenders. Because we need something more than guns. We must renew our search for the Key.”
    Shock held the room silent prisoners. Torsten knew all about the Key. It was one of his favorite mysteries to research.
    When the humans crashed on Phoenix, a name they gave the planet to signal their new beginning, a small group discovered tablets speaking of a race called the Menelewen Dored. Their translators decoded the text, part writing and part pictographs, giving rise to a religion that gave hope to those who believed they were marooned on Phoenix. Yes, the ancient texts spoke of great power. They spoke of an all-powerful Key. Yet the Key had never been found. They weren’t even sure it existed.
    What it really told Torsten was their military had given up all hope of winning in battle. They needed the Key, if it even existed, to bolster morale. The texts said the Key kept the greatest power in existence locked away, to protect it from those who might misuse it. It was a child's tale. A thing of legend. Torsten knew it was a fool's errand.
    Torsten's hands shook as the commander began calling names. Mellok. Andessa. Leila. He watched his sister jump out of her seat, pumping hands with the others at her table who'd been chosen. She turned to Mellok last, her hand lingering in his for just a moment longer than the others. They filed up to the dais, standing next to Commander Bartok.
    Of course Leila would think this was an amazing honor, rather than a meaningless mission with no chance of success. She wouldn't believe him, even if he told her. In her mind, whatever the commanders said was true. If they told her to catch a five-legged bort from Pantalis, she'd cut off one of their six legs to complete her mission.
    "I have only one more name to announce. The leader of this expedition. We debated for a long time on this, needing to choose the very best candidate. We require someone with knowledge of the Key, otherwise our recruits won't know where to look. After all, people on Phoenix had spent their lives searching for the Key. We require something to help us hold dominion over our planet. Perhaps the Key, as it is spoken of in the ancient texts, can bring power to us. We won't know until we find it."
    Torsten sat on his hands to keep from drumming on the table. So his sister wouldn't be sent into battle in space. She'd be sent underground, away from all civilization, searching for a relic that probably wasn't even real.
    "We've chosen our leader based on the library records. The person who has read the most about the ancient religion, who knows more than anyone else in this room," Commander Bartok continued, her eyes combing the room again. They stopped on Torsten's table. "Torsten Vikker. You are the final recruit to join, and leader of the group."
    All eyes turned to Torsten. He swallowed the lump in his throat, then stood.
    Torsten was a recruit. A deeply indebted one. He couldn't refuse for fear of being dishonorably discharged from the military. Then he would never pay his parents' debts. Leila would be in danger of enslavement. His legs feeling like the gelatinous mystery meat on his tray, Torsten made his way to the front of the room to stand next to his sister.
    Leila's grin faded for only a moment. She pulled her gaze away from Torsten, plastering on a fake smile.
    Torsten tried to put on a happy face as he glanced back at his table where his half-eaten dinner sat. The girl had gone back to her book. But the guy at his table had turned around, now facing the front. His