Leaving Pelros in charge of ensuring the humans were corralled into the coliseum, Athos ordered his other commanders to get the rest of the soldiers up into the seating where they could shoot down at the enemy. Pushing his way toward the massive round building, he recalled the nightmare he’d had where he’d watched his beloved nephew die in the hands of the human slaves. It had happened in the coliseum, and he prayed to the gods that the dream was brought on by stress and not some terrible premonition.
“Hurry,” he shouted, seeing the green wall press in on his people. “Into the coliseum. The only chance we have at survival is to kill the humans.”
This strange enemy clearly had a twisted sense of humor, making them have their final showdown with the humans in the building where the Anunnaki had made sport of pitting lesser species against each other. With the predators they’d moved to the coliseum and the Anunnaki shooting down on the humans from the seats above, he doubted they’d survive for long. What would the green entity do once Athos had destroyed the humans it had sent to attack his people? He feared it may decide to exterminate the Anunnaki anyway and still hadn’t figured out a way to stop it. For now, he needed his people to believe they had a chance; he needed them to fight for their lives.
On all sides of the coliseum, citizens, sailors, and soldiers pressed against each other, trying to get through the arched openings and away from the green wall. Their eyes showed panic, but they behaved admirably, not descending into anarchy and trampling each other to escape death. He followed the last soldier in, glaring back at the green wall that crossed the plaza surrounding the round building.
“You may herd us like animals,” he said, hoping the green entity could hear him, “but you’ll not cause us to behave as such.”
Athos climbed the steps to the first level of seats, and his soldiers stepped aside so he could get to the arena wall. He looked down at the sandy floor just as a handful of humans entered, clad in Anunnaki armor. He heard the secondary gate drop, locking them in the arena.
“Those plasma rifles will give them the advantage,” a lieutenant standing next to him said, sounding concerned.
“I don’t think it’ll be enough to keep them alive,” Athos replied. “Release the predators,” he shouted.
The order was repeated around the first row of seats and passed down to the soldiers who manually operated doors that held the beasts in their cages. His pulse raced when he saw the animals come out, the thrill of the games getting to him even though he knew the stakes were much higher than the monetary bets that were usually placed between spectators.
The humans fired their weapons at the predators when they charged, and the animals were no match for the bolts of plasma. Athos knew he had to take advantage of their distraction to find another way to kill them.
The podium at the edge of the wall was detached from the building, able to float the aristocrats out over the arena floor when the ship had power. If they could move it, he knew it had enough mass to crush the humans, even with the armor they wore. It had rollers underneath, so there was a good chance they could push it out so it would fall to the arena floor.
“Kill the humans,” Athos shouted. “Shoot them.”
The Anunnaki aimed their primitive guns at the humans and fired. Bullets rained down into the arena floor. He doubted they’d have much effect against the armor, but he hoped it would keep them distracted.
“Push the podium into the arena,” he shouted, ushering the Anunnaki off and behind the large block of metal and stone.
They rushed to the back of the podium and leaned into it. At first the massive block didn’t move, but more citizens and soldiers joined, apparently comprehending his intention. The podium moved.
“Yes, that’s it,” he shouted.
The massive block advanced slowly at first, but once they got a piece of it over the edge, it became easier.
“Push,” Athos urged the people on.
The podium slid out over the arena until most of its mass was over the edge, and then it flipped as it fell toward the humans.
The boom resonated against the coliseum, and the sand rose in a white cloud. Athos rushed to the edge and looked down, waiting for the dust to dissipate so he could see if the humans had been crushed.
The air cleared, and Athos saw only half the humans remained. They looked at each other, seeming stunned. Turning their plasma rifles upward, they began firing into the stands, killing his soldiers.
“Stay low,” he ordered. “Keep shooting at them.”
He hoped the metal bullets would break down the armor if enough of them found their target. The humans rushed for cover next to the fallen podium and returned fire. Athos was pushed from behind and almost fell over the edge. He looked back and saw the green wall pressing down the rows of seating, incinerating his people. The discipline they’d maintained to this point eroded, being burned from one side and shot from the other too much for them.
“Stop,” Athos shouted desperately. “Stand your ground.”
He knew they couldn’t; they’d be burned if they did. Death awaited them if they fell over the wall to the coliseum floor. They ignored him, rushing down until they pressed together so tightly the people along the wall began toppling over. Athos dropped into a control box at the edge of the arena wall, saving himself just before they pushed him off.
Athos’ soldiers and the citizens he’d sworn to protect spilled over the edge, dropping to the coliseum floor, and there was nothing he could do to stop them. Between the leaping people, he could see the green wall coming closer, burning those who didn’t move fast enough. When it was two rows of seats away and there was no one left between him and the green flames, Athos rolled out of the control box and stood on the edge of the arena wall.
The humans were backed to the center of the arena. The bodies of the Anunnaki piled up around the walls, forming a soft landing for those last few who continued to leap to escape the green fire. Plasma bolts hit many of them before they had a chance to jump, their limp bodies bouncing and then rolling down the hill of corpses.
He looked over his shoulder and saw the green wall right behind. Athos held his weapon across his chest and jumped. He hit the soft bodies of his dead and dying people and rolled down the pile. Coming to his feet, he rushed to the edge of the fallen platform for cover and aimed at the humans. He fired his weapon, pumping bullets into the helmet of the closest one. The human turned and fired back, and Athos leaped out of the way, taking cover behind the platform.
“Uncle,” Pelros said, grabbing his arm and pulling him to his feet.
“Commander, thank the gods you’re still alive,” Athos replied, holding his nephew’s shoulders.
“Yes, sir,” Pelros said. “And I’ve got this.”
Pelros held up an earth gun with a large pipe for a barrel.
“What is it?” Athos asked.
“It fires explosives,” Pelros replied. “But I’ve only got six rounds.”
“We’d better make them count,” Athos said, taking the belt of fist-sized projectiles from Pelros and following him to the corner of the platform.