Out over across the horizon, four separate columns of black smoke rose up into the air, making the sky cloudy with soot and ash, blurring out the moon. Each had to be a few miles apart, the flames below lighting up the bottom side of the clouds in the dark night. Everywhere, a low wail could be heard, the emergency sirens sounding over every little comm. speaker in every office and home in the colony. It had taken them some time to decide which siren to use, apparantly, because it had only just started. They decided first that they should use the high-pitched bleeping of the alarm signalling natural disaster, but then it switched to this constant siren, for invasion. It wouldn't matter one bit where everyone was. Be they indoors, outdoors, or twenty miles underground, they would hear it.
"But what good does that do us?" Lai murmered.
"Pardon me, sir?"
Lai snapped out of his thoughts on hearing the new voice, and turned slowly to look across the office at the yellow-haired Captain. He noticed that her uniform was a little askew, some buttons not quite polished, some of her hair was out of its bun, some of the wrinkles not quite ironed out, some of -- he stopped analyzing her clothing with a small shake of his head, and brushed back a bit of his hair with a slightly shakey hand.
"Ah, nothing, Captain," he answered finally, a little surprised that his voice didn't mimic his shaking limbs. He put his hands in the pockets of his trousers, with little care that it was improper ettiquette, especially with someone else in the room. He looked back out towards the horizon through the floor-to-cieling windows on the wall of his office. A fifth fire had started, and the smoke was rising rapidly, drifting towards the west.
"We have reports on who is attacking, but the information is very vague. Captain Roert is assessing the damage so far, and Fliers are being deployed in every sector." She paused, and he turned his head slightly, to appear that he was listening. When he said nothing, she continued. "First Captain Soren is gathering together Specials, to go in and get a visual on the fires. Master Zek is already out in a Flier with his team, waiting for further orders." Lai nodded. They were already gathering Specials, the elite soldiers, and they already had Zek's team in the air. They were a team all on their own, in some ways better than Specials, but in other ways, a little less effective.
He looked out again, unable to see the winged vehicles in the dark sky, although he wished he could. That may have made him feel better. Although, not by much. He didn't have much hope. He'd lost it at the first sign of the smoke out over the tall buildings. He lost it the moment he saw three angelic figures hovering over the damage in the fading evening light. He lost it more, still, as each fire started, sending its smoke out over the colony.
"Sir?"
Lai looked over at her again. "Yes?"
"I asked you what your orders were, sir." Lai sighed softly, not loud enough to let her hear, not big enough to let her see his shoulders rise and fall. He looked out once more.
"Deploy all ground units and Fliers," he said, turning away from the window.
"But sir, is that necessary for such a small attack? We don't even see any invading soldiers, there can't be that many out there. Why not just send out the Specials?"
"I said to send them all out," he said harshly, sitting in his seat behind his desk. She stood up straighter at his voice, detecting the anger coming with them.
"Yes sir." She gave him a brief salute that he hardly noticed, turning on her heels and stepping out of the office, shutting the door after her. Lai folded his hands under his nose, staring down at the desktop. He couldn't understand why this was happening.

Because you and your colony stepped too close to Our realm, M'te.

He sat up straighter, looking around, frowning. He hadn't thought there was anyone else in there. But he couldn't tell where the voice had come from. His eyes stopped when he saw a flicker of light bouncing off a smooth red surface, deep in the shadows of one of the corners.

Because you, and your people, disturbed Our Sleep.

Lai stood, cursing, as the tall man stepped out into the light coming in the windows. Feathery wings, like an angel from legends, poked up over his shoulders. His mouth and left eye were covered by white bandage. White hair fell over his uncovered eye, black as the smoke outside. The red was the flat jewels on the ends of each black pantleg, resting lightly on the top of each bare foot. Bandages all over his bare arms, and his chest, covered only by that and the sleeveless black and white jacket that hung to his knees.
The man stepped towards Lai, and as he 'spoke', his face did not change. He didn't move his lips, caught behind those bandages. The voice did not appear to come from him, sounding in Lai's head instead as he walked backwards away from the 'angel'.

Because you, M'te, are too close to finding Our home, and destroying it, like you destroy everything.

Lai hit the other wall, pressing his back against it as the creature continued to walk towards him. He tried to say something, but his voice just wouldn't come. He couldn't get his mouth to open to say anything. Yell, call for an Officer.

Because you, M'te...

He reached out as he came to Lai, wrapping his hand around Lai's neck, his half-covered face coming uncomfortably close. His eye was blank, void of any emotion, just as flat and expressionless as his 'voice'.

You, and all of your people are falling, just as We did.

Lai lifted his hands, and clawed at the man's arm, gasping for breath as he squeezed around his neck. His feet wouldn't move, and he still couldn't say a damned word. Who was this guy? Was he one of those things he saw before? Was he the reason his hope completely left him when he saw them hovering over the destruction?

You humans will be taken, just as We were. Taken to the other Realms. And you will destroy it. You will destroy everything We have built over the centuries. Because that is what you do, and We will not allow it. Leave this world, before it falls into Our Realm.

Lai shut his eyes as everything went dark. Why wouldn't he let go? His hands slipped off of his, and Lai knew nothing else.