Legacy Read Online Free Page A

associates said.
     
    A partially bald man stepped into the doorway, looking really no different than any of us. I had almost expected to see a blue-skinned monster with four arms and six legs. I looked to my father and realized that I wasn’t the only one taken aback by the appearance of this Ronnan.
     
    “ Thank you for your message of invitation. We come to you in peace from a planet we call Earth,” the alien said, raising his hands to the sky in an odd gesture.
     
    Planet, Earth, and thank you were all the words I fully comprehended from the speedy blurb he’d spoken to us. His speech was very fast and besides there were a couple words I’d never heard of, but I can honestly say that I caught the general essence of his greeting. It was a greeting of friendship from some planet he called Earth – perhaps the same planet we called Ronna.
     
    “ Hello and welcome,” my father said, stepping bravely forward, “Welcome to Legacy.”
     
    The bald man progressed down the stairway, followed by two people who looked very similar to him in appearance. The third man carried a black object that looked to be a longer version of the RD-10s that our own Guard carried. I had almost a second to process the image of that sleek-looking weapon before a flaming rocket blew past my shoulder from behind and into the doorway of the Earth vessel. It exploded inside the metal behemoth, blasting a yellow-orange fireball from the doorway and launching the three Earthians onto the grass outside the vessel.
     
    “ What the-” my father shouted, running toward the fallen aliens.
     
    I think my dad and I were both feeling the same amount of frustration in that moment. I couldn’t believe the stupidity of our Guard and I had half a notion to grab that Earthian rifle and shoot back at my own people. I rushed toward my father who was now knelt next to one of the prostrate Earthians. That particular Earthian was crying out in pain now as my dad searched frantically for a way to help him.
     
    “ Braxton, go run back to the Med Facility,” he shouted to me, “Get some doctors over here.”
     
    I knew in that moment that things were getting really bad. These Earthians were probably thinking we were a bunch of ignorant savages now. I nodded an acknowledgement to my dad, then turned back toward the woods. Suddenly, another rocket blurred past me, leaving a perfect line of smoke pointing to the villain in the woods. I turned just in time to see the rocket explode harmlessly on the side of the Earthian vessel. I noticed in that moment that two more doors had opened on the side of the vessel and perched at both doors were armed Earthians. I was now standing directly in the middle of what could very well be the first battle between Earth and Legacy. I was wide open with no weapons.
     
    But if I had a weapon, who would I shoot? Yes, this particular thought truly entered my mind just a second before the whipping started. I don’t know any other way to explain the sound of the Earthian rifles other than to compare it to the sound a whipping branch makes as it slices through the air. Their rifles whipped rapidly, probably twenty invisible rockets in the same amount of time it took my heart to beat twice.
     
    I turned to the woods in time to see fire starting on the bottoms of three large trees. I have no doubt that those aliens hit their intended targets and personally, I didn’t blame them for retaliating. I turned back to the ship in time to see one of the Earthians in the doorway aiming his rifle at my father.
     
    “ No!” I shouted, “He’s trying to help!”
     
    The Earthian looked at me, standing with both my arms in the air, then looked back down at my father. He fired three times at my father’s back, dropping him to the ground like a lifeless rag. Then to my shock, he fired several more rounds into the three Earthians who were already lying dead or injured on the ground.
     
    I screamed. But I didn’t just scream. My whole