Contest entry:Ijen's Wait

Ijen watched the night sky change from blue to ethereal gray over the spaceport.  She wondered where her brother Otom was. He had joined the Ibrioth war eight months ago, and she hadn’t heard from him for a while. 

    The Ibrioth came in their mega-ships to conquer and enslave the inhabitants of Earth.  They were surprised by the humans’ fortitude and were rebuffed immediately.  The Ibrioth were not easily dissuaded from their mission, however.  The world had recruited millions to fight off the invaders, and everyone else was doing his part to support the war.  By some accounts they were winning, but not by much.  The Ibrioth had superior weaponry and a longer history of technology. 

    Ijen sighed as the rain fell steadily as it came across the plain. Another wet and soggy day.  She thought as she rose from the window seat.  She squinted then stared at what appeared in the sky above the port.  An Ibrioth ship was lurching toward the port, and made a messy landing, nearly crashing.

    She ran outside to get a better look and was amazed.  Her brother, Otom, and others were filing out of the ship.  There were no Ibrioth that she could see.  She ran down to the field and met her brother.

    “Otom!  It’s so good to see you!  What is happening?  She cried as she hugged him.

    “It’s all over, Sis.  It was monsoon season where we were and apparently the Ibrioth can’t take rain,”  He smiled and shrugged.  “All the ones exposed to the rain were burned as if they’d been doused with acid.  We took this ship, but the outlying ships have gone.”  They can’t use us.  We have too much rain.  Good thing they don’t know it’s seasonal.” Otom laughed and hugged Ijen again. “Let’s go home.”