I’ve seen the battles of a thousand worlds. Starlight dance over a twilight moon, blood spilt upon a hundred sands. I’ve felt, dreamed, loved, wondered, aspired, and wept to the tears of the stars. I’ve seen blades clash and fleets crumble, people rise and fall like leaves in a summers wind. Will all of that be for nothing? Will all of that be forgotten? Let me recall one last time, remember one more soul before I die.

  The end of time draws near, as it withers, slows to begin, the god of honour waits it’s coming death. The stars watch one last time before the fade, as one last story has begun. A tale of the swirling sun.

  Requiem for honour is a series of action and adventure tales that span a thousand worlds all witnessed by the god of honour before it died and focusing upon one thing, the most noble quest a warrior can partake. The pursuit of honour.

  A sea of stars cascaded across the expanse infront, sparks maring the thick glass as the pod entered the musty surface of Dukar. They twinkled in the still air, magnificent ghosts looking down from the heavens. A gloved hand placed itself against the glass. Mere inches of plastic separated it from the grasp of the cold expanse. Frost built up upon the exterior as eyes stared down from the heavens to the orange sands of the planet below.

  Thick clouds swirled overhead, tiny wisps stretching leagues across the orange marble. Small in size, the planet of Dukar was a mining outpost known for one thing, the churning fire within it’s endless forge. Industrial factories pillared smoke into the skies above as its rocky uninhabited landscape sat dormant and foreboding. Its jagged rocky surface was populated by mountains and valleys, plains littered with wrinkled stone as far as the eye could see. Rock spired into the clouds as the planet’s entire surface was slowly being chipped by the ragged hands of the workers guild. Hundreds toiled day and night for the precious ore within, carving away at the centuries of dust to reveal the treasures of creation hidden beneath the ancient sands.

  The craft shuttered as it entered the atmosphere and a satellite drifted by. Like a single protruding rock in an endless sea, it stood firm against the endless void, a beacon of civilization in the clutches of the uncharted. A single scrap of metal orbiting an isolated world, tranquillity etched into its path.

  The glow of the master alarm beeped slowly as red light flashed overhead. The sound pierced the air, startling all to attention. Alistair sat, hands clenched upon the handrail. Beads of sweat built upon his brow as he slicked back his jet-black short hair. The marine crest on his shoulder shone brightly in the electric light.

  A rifle sat in his right hand, the metal energy weapon leaning against the pod's steel plating. A magazine was fed into its sleek and polished body. A pampered weapon for a hardened veteran. A pistol was strapped to his foot, the weapon dangling loosely in his holster. The Marine raised his exoskeleton hand and causing his buzz-cut hair to cascade against pale skin and green eyes.

  A buzz of static pierced the radio causing all four marines in the craft to stir to life, the craft was small, a circle of seats stretching around a cylindrical metal and plexiglass tube. The ship was none other than a drop pod, a small vessel used by the military to land on uncharted and hostile territory. Nearby, a console with rudimentary controls including thrust and communications whirred. Hologram projections and data swirled through the air as the commander watched unrelented. Blue rays danced in the light. Her orange-plated exoskeleton had gilded crests upon the shoulders, her breastplate reading in black bold letters Luitenant Lamprey. Murky grey hair waved neatly wrapped as her brown eyes scanned the surroundings, a tinge of fear slicking through her determined sneer.

  “Status report?” She inquired, hands clasped upon a datapad.

  The room fell silent for a moment.

  “Granted we already read the mission brief on the flight in, the colonist distress signal was picked up thirteen hours ago, rudimentary scans of the surface indicate multiple life forms but one-tenth the original amount”

  A Sargent breathed, his eyes were thin and sharp, calculating every word. His purple armour read in neatly printed writing, Wild. You could tell by the way his eyes shifted he had seen combat before.

  The commander swiped on her pad a few times, signing a document.

  Alister interjected, questions stirring in his mind.

  “Any threats?” he breathed.

  The soldier paused.

  “Negative, this is a half-dead world, no life signs apart from ours and the satellite did not report any forms of traffic for the past three days,” she replied.

  “Then what the hell happened to them” Alister inquired.

  The Luitenant kept on swiping her pad.

  “We must keep into account the thickness of the mine’s rock, it’s possible the Intrepid’s sensors were blocked.”

  Wild interrupted, voice quavering as they spoke.

  “Here, let’s listen to the recording again, from what command could discern it sounded like combat.”

  He pressed a button on a nearby pad and caused a screen to erect infront. There was no video, only audio.

  “This is Dakar-1, …………. ……. …….. Orchram……. Surrender….. Walls……. Creatures……The outpost is under attack, I repeat the outpost is under attack, multiple casualties reported from ……. were dropping like flies here, it’s killing us…… disruptor beware.., we need …… backup. I repeat immediate …… A group of survivors are held up in the deepest part of the mine’s ………..the armoured doors seem to provide protection but I'm not sure how long they'll last, help us if anyone is …… help ….., please! Oh god, it’s in, there inside……….” The feed cut, static crackling throughout.

  Wild coughed, his eyes fixed upon the device infront.

  “Whatever the hell is going on it isn’t good” Alistar spoke.

  “Relax Wild, we always take precautions” Lamprey smiled while fondling her rifle.

  They agreed at the notion, nodding heads as the craft continued to plummet, this time thrusts kicked in to slow their descent. All grasped onto the handrails as the blue sky pierced into view.

  “I hate travelling by drop” Alistar muttered.

  The ship juddered again, it had been a long time since they left the safety and sanctimonious harbour of the mighty Intrepid.

  “The mission is simple, investigate the cause, aid the workers and have the mine running within the hour. Orchus demands no profits be sparred, this outpost may be far but its production rate is immense. We rendezvous with the Intrepid and the Captain in ten hours. If however things turn sour, we must secure all assets and evacuate the colony immediately”

  “No need for the brief Lamprey, we’ve been doing the job for years” one soldier scoffed, his purple armour displaying that of a scientist, a medkit and scanner was clutched firmly in his hands yet a pistol was still strapped to his side. His armour was dented, scrapes and scratches were plastered throughout its mesh of conjoined plates.

  “This isn’t for you Wild” She responded laughing.

  They were in the final stage of controlled descent, craft spewing dust into the air as it slowly approached a crumbling concrete landing pad.

  Alister turned to face his comrades.

  “No, it’s not, it’s for shiny over here” He smirked patting the soldier beside him roughly on the shoulder. Metal clanged as the gauntlet struck the steel.

  His fellow marines found this hilarious, even their leader smirking, yet the soldier remained firm, a statue looming over all.

  “Hey slimeball, this is your first mission you scared?”

  The man seated across kept his gaze firm, brown eyes fixed upon the planet’s surface.

  “I don’t know why we let them go, it doesn't make sense, I mean look at him” Alister scoffed. He spat at the man infront, saliva flying through the air to land on the metal grating infront. It sat there, the liquid slowly dripping down the deck.

  “You know you look a little familiar Con” Wild stated.

  His mind raced as he looked at the prisoner, curiosity spreading yet it eventually faltered.

  The man looked away from the frosted window. His sleek aristocratic features glinted in the light. Brown tormented eyes slithered upon Alister, deep pits seeping into the man's soul.

  He wore the same armour as the marine, a steel gilded exoskeleton. Contrary to the others however it was smooth and clean, interlocking steel and alluminum framing with not a single dent to mar its perfection. The colour was different, a thin murky grey. Like one would expect from a river of churning mud, tepid and murky in it’s aura. On the breastplate, however, instead of a rank etched into the metal, beside the honoured crest was a single word. C-block. It looked welded in but was written in sprawling text almost as if a child had scratched it with a knife into the flaked steel.

  The purple-plated soldier shifted in his seat, muttering to himself.

  “You gonna speak? You know you always speak in the end?” Alistar asked, laughing.

  The prisoner grimaced, scars flowing from his chin to cheek, deep and red lashes streaking deep into his flesh.

  “His kind don’t speak they don’t have names, I really don’t know why they let him out of prison” Wild breathed. Anger was etched into his voice as he spoke. You could tell this was a personal remark.

  “They don’t let them out of prison Wild” Lamprey responded, her voice cool and calm.

  The prisoner lifted his hulking arm, exoskeleton churning as the gigantic plated hand swung through the air, on the side of his armour it was revealed the extent of his torture, the hell in which he lived his every day. The standard marine armour, no matter how beautiful, how honourable had been modified to an extent. Nuts and screws lined the seams where normally a release spring would be, his helmet lay clasped in his second hand, yet this was the only part he could remove. Its cloudy visor was wiped clean and cared for to an exquisite extent. Each and every inch of metal was grafted onto his skin. Titanium infused with his very being. His flesh intertwined in a mesh of wires and steel that deprived him of his humanity, his freedom, and his soul. For every second he drew breath, every moment his weathered fingers wrapped upon the exoskeleton's inner controls. He would know the truth pertaining to his liberty. He would feel the cold hard steel rub against his flesh and stare, blindly glazing into the horror that was his fate. The suit of armour which enveloped him neck to toe was more than just armour. It had become a second skin.

  “They let this one take their prison with them” She muttered.

  The room fell silent and for a few moments only the wind spoke, a ferocious howl as the craft jutted and creaked. Embers formed on the heatshield as the craft hurdled through the atmosphere, the bottom portion began to rotate, sharp drill-like structure twisting in the wind. Soon all grasped for handles as the ground trembled beneath their feet. The pod had touched down upon the sandy surface. Orange dust spewed like a fountain into the musty air and the drop pod’s door began to churn open. The sound of metal locks slowly twisting cascaded through the hall as vapours swirled at their feet. A Cadet tossed a rifle and pistol into the prisoner's arms, the energy weapon pulsing in his gauntleted hands.

  “Here’s your time to earn your reduced sentence Con, you know the deal” He muttered.

  The prisoner looked down upon the weapon, a smile glinting in his haunted eyes. He picked up the revolver, opening it’s cylinder to count the bullets inside as his finger slowly caresses it’s hilt. The weapon felt so light as it flickerted between his metal fingers, a feather in the open wind. He twirled the pistol stopping it with his forfinger as the others watched in shock. Placing the gun in a holster at his thigh, he picked up the rifle and readied it in his grasp, eyes scouring the landscape. The leader of the expedition motioned to Wild who tossed four crates of supplies from the pod’s hatches. The grey boxes hit the ground with a clasp, startling sand into the air. Sun beat down upon their necks as they wind-whipped throughout. The atmosphere was breathable, yet they weren’t taking chances. The vessel began to swirl as it dug itself into the concrete landing pad, mortar cracking as it re-enforced its position.

  Wild stuck a relay post into the sand, the tiny device spurred to life, light blinking from its glass top. He sighed as he worked, the exoskeleton helmet providing a holographic display of the surroundings. Thin blue lines stretched over the augmented landscape, every Bending over Lamprey pressed her gloved hand against the powered-off skeleton of a drone, the creature began to fly, scouting the perimeter and hovering overhead. Looking at the computer built into the exoskeleton, the prisoner saw the bird's eye view it provided of the compound. Four structures, one a huge building resembling the main complex could be seen surrounded by a thick wall and dug into the rocky cliff face. No creatures walked among its hollow grounds. Sand had already swept through the paved ground, the desert reclaiming its own.

  Alistar pulled out the largest crate and began to meticulously disassemble its contents. Tubes and various devices were assembled with the help of the prisoner and once constructed he pressed his hand and flicked a switch. An engine hummed to life as twin barrels rose from the sands. The sentry turret scanned the area, its robotic mind analyzing the three as friends with a familiar green tint. Capable of firing ten thousand projectiles a second, it was a potent weapon and vital to protect the drop pod, their only contact with the outside world. The prisoner twisted his head to see a nearby spacecraft landing strip beside their pod. It was dormant and isolated, a fueling wire could be seen still attached to a small desert skiffs hull. The sleek grey frame glinted in the sun as Alistar scanned it with her thermal vision to have nothing show back. The two other ships registered in the colony's log were missing. There was no sign of struggle. The sun glared upon their glinting suits, however, inter air conditioning whirred inside.

  Supplies now loaded onto a floating dock, Wild and the three others approached the steel walls, a burnt-out industrial loader stood along their path, the robot’s thick metal arms waving in the air as it stood dormant. Two mining trucks were seen outside the compound's thick blast doors. Their tires were stretched and melted from the sun. Otherwise, no sign of struggle could be perceived.

  Tire tracks and signs pointed to various other dig sights as harvester machines worked throughout the landscape. The towers of metal slowly ground the surface to a pulp. A few pillars of smoke rose from an industrial tower, whips filling the scorched sky above.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “Well, the plant is still working” Alistar mumbled.

  Stumbling along the concrete road, the team approached the compound's tall and reinforced mortar walls. Synthetically created to endure the toughest of sandstorms and protect the main mine from harm. Then the team saw a sight which would instill fear into their hearts until the day they died.

  Blast doors, bent like rubber in the hot sun///////////////, twisted and tarnished metal had been strewn throughout the sandy floor leaving the compound to lie open in its wake. Something had cracked that titanium door opens like a tin can, something big.

  Bullet holes and spent casings lined the floor and walls, an automated turret was smouldering infront, wires twisted and the gun cracked in half. Ash rained through the air as it landed on the ground infront. Blood stains were smeared accross the sun-scorched rock, red paint sticking out from the sea of brown yet no corpses were in sight. Not even a single flicker of flesh.

  “Contact Intrepid, tell them we landed Wild, inform them of the situation” Lamprey muttered.

  She beckoned for them to advance as the scientist retreated and into the compound they marched. Metal boots crushed into the sand-blanketed concrete. They walked through and over the blanket of withered steel. Structures glinted in the sun as they muttered from behind their exoskeleton’s thick visors.

  The wind howled overhead as they approached the main building. Still bodies were in sight, the entire premises erringly quiet. The dwelling was a gigantic rectangle, with windows and steel doors completely shut. Various tools, equipment and articles were cast across the ground. Helmets, pickaxes, drills, even a boot which had been chewed through.

  “Hello does anyone hear me? Is anyone here?” Lamprey shouted through her comm system.

  No response came.

  The perimeter turrets were all destroyed, the thick barreled guns twisted and bent into submission. A few of them had overheated, their own actions causing their demise. Drills and tool sheds were cast throughout the walled area, but the only building of interest was the living quarters, office and entrance to the mine, a cohesive unit dropped from orbit.

  “Luitenant, the door to the main structure and mine is that way” The prisoner shouted, his voice rough but firm.

  “So it speaks” She laughed.

  She leaned her rifle against the wall to examine a series of scorch marks that littered the ground, taking photos with her suit’s helmet camera.

  “You two come here, do you see this”

  They stumbled to Lamprey’s location to find a crater sitting infront. It was still smouldering, flames coming from an explosion site.

  “This is corporate explosive, it has to be planted and fused, why on earth would they try to blow up the ground?”

  The two stood dumbstruck, unable to understand what they saw before them.

  “Alistar, Prisoner Jameson enter the building”

  Jameson in his brown suit of armour, quickened his pace and clenched his rifle firmly. His eyes wandered across the landscape before he approached the door. The sunlit peaks glinted in his eyes. The two walked up the steel ramp, and entered the shielded door, the overhang provided some escape from the sun and the prisoner sighed in relief. The air conditioning in his exoskeleton was worse than the soldiers. He banged his hand against the wall to reveal a panel caked in dust. The entire entrance was blanketed in thin orange powder, and the steel and glass door partly cracked.

  Just as his gauntleted hand latched itself onto the door’s dust-covered panel, a shrill voice echoed across the comm system.

  “Marines?..... Thank god you are here, this is…. Tannatt director of operations… you have to go quick.. The creatures… they’re still here, they're always been here, they were watching us, watching us from the start” A voice coughed.

  Jameson instantly recognized it, it was the same as the distress beacon.

  He flicked on his radio with the controls at his wrist and firmly grasped his rifle.

  “Who? Are you alright? Where are the survivors? Repeat who attacked you?”

  Jameson barked. Lamprey, Wild and Alistar all heard this, eager to find some response.

  The lieutenant joined in.

  “Tannatt, respond, I repeat respond”

  The electronic steel door slid open to crash partway. The glass had been bent to a point of sheer destruction causing it to not open. Alistar stood next to Jameson and used the butt of his rifle to break through, completely shredding the steel in one blow. The two then entered the compound.

  Electric light, blared overhead as they walked past a bloodstained reception desk and a series of grey lockers pinned to the wall. The airlock was safe, but the power cut unevenly. A smear of blood was streaked across the wall leading to the only corpse in view. A miner could be seen, orange vest and safety hat pinned against the wall. The body was slumped over but seemed fresh. It was still warm according to Jameson’s sensors. Heat exuded from its skin to dissipate into the world around it. The most horrifying part was its head, the entire miner's skull was caved in, almost as if it had been pounded by rock.

  “Alistar, you sweep the top, I’ll sweep the bottom”

  “Hey you don’t command me” He shouted.

  “Just do it” Jameson replied grunting.

  Alistar paused and then complied.

  Suddenly a second pitch sounded on the radio.

  “Survivors are located on the tenth floor below, the main control room for the Orcham mining, take the main elevator to the right, you can’t miss it, I’ll have to guide you through the service corridors, however watch out their crawling with them”

  Lamprey smiled.

  “Where are you?” Jameson asked.

  “In the communication office right in front of you, don’t worry it’s barricaded I’m safe, I’ll leave in the final moments, god i’m so glad your here”

  “How many are down there?” Lamprey asked.

  “Thirty maybe forty, the majority of us made it after their attack”

  “What attacked you?” Jameson inquired.

  “Prisoner I’m handling comms” Lamprey shouted.

  She cast a glare into his eyes, a mixture of hate and admiration.

  “....A..ck…..ound” The mysterious voice resounded.

  “Tannatt? Tannatt?” The two screamed.

  Suddenly an alert blared on Jameson’s main screen. A flash of red blared through his eyes. He blinked in succession causing the visor to be alerted of his command.

  “Multiple targets, inbound, drone picked them up on sensors” Wild cried.

  A roar echoed across the landscape, guttural and screaming which sent shivers down the expedition's spines.

  Jameson spun around, boots clanging on the steel hull to see the floor beneath his feet give way. Steel grating jutted about as both he and Alistar plummeted into the depths. Grasping at the tarnished metal infront he clutched the floor with all of his suit’s might. A sinkhole emerged below the reception room. Sand flowed like a river of gold, grinding against Jameson’s arm yet he held firm. The exoskeleton latched with all its might. Alistar did not have the same luck, he fell straight through landing on the bottom to have his rifle disappear into the mulch. The metal gun sunk fast as he stood at the bottom of the ever-deepening hole. He could feel the ground beneath his feet tremble, as if the very surface has begun to crack.

  Lamprey ran forward, metal grinding as she ran. She stuck her hand out for Jameson but he shouted back.

  “Alistar, save Alistar!” he roared.

  She grabbed one hand upon a piece of twisted rebar and the next onto Marine’s shoulder plate hoisting him onto a piece of stable floor. Dust spewed into the air as Wild screamed over the comms. His shrieks were however ignored for the time being, mere howls in the passing wind.

  Jameson slowly lifted himself upward. Using the weight of his armour he expertly swung himself to his feet before raising his rifle, bloodshot eyes glaring down at the sights.

  However his concentration wasn’t enough, a rock hit his side, denting the plating. The metal flaked away, scraps blowing in the hot wind. Suddenly more glams pierced the horizon. More and more threw themselves at Jameson beaks glistening in the sun. The exoskeleton held firm but the prisoner reacted quickly, blasting the third mid-air. The ray of energy struck like an arrow through the rock, embers churning as it unleashed hell upon it’s enemy. Then he noticed something, the rocks weren't flying, they were jumping.

  He swung sideways to have a sound of horror fill his ears, a click like no other piercing through the gusting breeze. The moment his finger squeezed the trigger, adrenaline coursing through his twisted veins, nothing happened.

  Magazine empty. No time to react he tossed the weapon like a disguarded rag and reached for the revolver hanging loosely at his thigh. The hit felt cool and smooth in his palm , the suit’s sensors perfectly replicating the combat environment. With one quick motion he unleashing countless bullets into the air, the scurry causing four more of the creatures to fall into ash. He spun the cylinder as he walked, fumbling as he fed more bullets slowly into the chamber.

  Terror struck inside his heart as anothing boulder flung itself against his leg, attempting to smash the metal into oblivion. Jameson whacked it with the hilt of his revolver causing the gun to split in half. Cursing he punched the beast to see it crumble. Lamprey was knocked off her feet. Hundreds of the little creatures scuttled beneath her and dragged her from the entrance and into the main courtyard of the complex. Bullets flew as she screamed, leaving a trail of dirt wreckage in her wake. Squirts of blood were exiting her suit, trickling on the ground below. In the distance, Jameson could hear the sentry turret going off in the distance, the potent weapon pounding the sky with whisps of smoke. He scrambled the ground for his rifle, feeling the familair barrel as he jammed in another magazine from his waist. Gun in hand he blasted the two infront, protecting Alistar from contact. Then stepping forward he grabbed the rock mid-air and crushed it beneath the weight of his hand. Fine dust crumbled from his palm sifting to the ground below. He smiled as he walked, a cold cruel twitch consuming his lips. Alistar drew his own pistol, letting loose a slurry of bullets from the now smoking revolver. He caused two creatures to crumble into the ground. With each blast, they split, reducing to dust. Their spindly nervous systems sat as smouldering crisps of skin, root-like structures rotting in the hot sun.

  “The Luitenant” Jameson cried.

  He sprinted forward, blasting two more rocks and butting another with his rifle as the sands beneath his feet swam with the enemy.

  Alistar stayed back, a rock hit his arm knocking him into the wall. Jameson doubled back to help him as three more of the creatures bashed against his shoulder plates, splitting the armour in two. The prisoner punched the first rock and kicked the second before helping Alistar to his feet.

  A glam charged in his direction, the thick boulder glinting in the sun as Jameson readied his stance, parying its thick beak with his hand as it jutted through the sands. The creature jumped again, viscous uncontrollable movements driving it’s lust to kill. Jameson swung and missed, then swung again having the full force of his foot pry into the stone.

  A river of dust was strewn before his feet, hundreds leaping onto his armour, trying to knock him off his feet and be consumed by the torrential current. Jameson planted his feet and held firm, exoskeleton carving into the thick meshy ground. Using the internal targeting computer his reflexes amplified allowing him to punching them as they soared through the air.

  Almost completely submerged by rocks Lamprey was now screaming, her exoskeleton hardly bearing its weight. The metal bent and twisted, inner wiring fraying in the hot wind. Thinking fast, Jameson scrambled forward, punching another one of the rock creatures and letting its grimey claws scratch against his breastplate. The thing jumped at his visor, cracking the glass. He hugged it with all his might, turning it into the sand. Then he danced among the enemy, slaughtering and killing in an ecstasy of horror. A blur of knives, guns and mele one by one he conquered the horde. With every swipe, he faced his resilience increased tenfold. Every folacile of dust strewn upon the ground to float about the tepid air caused his face to twitch with delight. Through articulate skill and precision, he lashed back against the enemy. Hatred glinted in his bloodshot eyes as Fury coarsed through his veins. Picking up the industrial dynamite from the miner's supplies, he lit the fuse by blasting it with his energy pistol and tossed it at the pile surrounding Lampray. She had taken out her energy knife and was swiping at the air, scathing those who tried to pin down her arms.

  Streaking across the sandwhipped clouds the bomb landed on the pile and detonated. In an instant, every rock was vaporized. Dust pillared into the air as a concussed Lamprey lay, suit cracked yet still intact. Ears ringing Jameson still fought, grabbing another rock off the ground and pounding it to dust. This time Alistar saved him, shooting a creature an inch away from the prisoner's skin. Dust spewed everywhere as the remaining hoard of rock creatures dispersed, seemingly disappearing into the sandy ground.

  He grabbed his pistol, steadying a squirming glam as he discharged four bullets into its spindly head.

  Jameson grabbed another creature punching it into the wall. Then with catlike reflexes, he stomped on another, crushing it beneath the exoskeleton’s massive foot.

  A second roar echoed across the horizon as more of them streamed forward. The two threw more of the dynamite into the air, causing explosions to riddle through the air. Eventually what few remained fled into the blistering sun.

  Jameson panted as he rushed to the Luitenant’s aid, the gun still smoking in his metallic hand.

  “You alright?” He breathed.

  She looked up, a mixture of bewilderment and fear instilled into her eyes.

  “How did you do that?” the commander shouted.

  Alistar stumbled by, his arm was badly mangled by the creatures, wires protruding from the exoskeleton joints and metal peeled back to reveal bloody flesh.

  “Shit, I’m hit” He cried.

  Tears streaked down his face as he collapsed into the sand. His armour crunched down, like wet paper. Jameson dragged the lieutenant and propped her against the wall. Blood seeped from her lips and smeared into the concrete as she plunged an antiseptic needle into her arm. Fumbling for the medkit at her waist Jameson applied pressure to the wound. Bandage twisting on his fingers he slowly and meticulously took off her leg plating and dressed the wound.

  “Jameson, how? You killed them, so fast” Her eyes met his, shock imbued into every word.

  Alistar began to heal himself, slowly freeing his bloodied limb from the discarded exoskeleton husk.

  “You’re not a marine, you’re a prisoner” Alistar coughed.

  He shuffled slowly and raised himself to the wall.

  “But you saved my life, I don’t understand”

  Jameson cast a glance and dragged Alistar’s blue splintered exoskeleton to lean beside the officer. Both stared in a mixture of shock and anguish, waves of emotions dancing upon their lips. Waiting for something to snap them out of the dream that lay before.

  Clutching her waist and prying her body from the smoking husk, Lamprey pulled out her pistol and stared into the waste infront. The synthetic medicine was working, the cut’s on her arm slowly healing from a casing of repercussive foam. She struggled to stand but bit the pain. Tears watering her eyes.

  “Glam’s, I didn’t know they were native to this planet. But what the hell could have caused them to attack in that number? They're not packed animals it doesn’t make any sense” Jameson muttered.

  His hand examined the corpse of one of the creatures. Gently caressing its lifeless body to reveal a spindly nervous system fashioned for each section of the rock. Like puppet strings they allowed glams to manipulate their environment. Take the hardest objects in the environment and forge a body to suit a thin meshy creature. Both fascinating and deadly. It was lucky none of them attached to the miner’s equipment. That would have created a horror beyond control.

  “They’re are still people in that mine, we have to do something about it” Alistar moaned as he tried to get up. His legs wavered and he soon collapsed exhausted.

  “This heat isn’t good for wounds, I suggest you two stay undercover”

  “You’ve seen combat before Jameson, I don’t want to know where, but god it saved us today”

  “What campaign did you serve?” Alistar coughed. Blood spewed through his teeth but the needle was working, his cells slowly being brought back to life.

  “You know they’d kill me if I said”

  His eyes like daggers, stared into the clouds, hate brewing in the pearly brown. His prisoner numbers bore like scars on his back.

  “Let’s just say I got around” Jameson smiled. A cold smile danced on his lips.

  He heaved the rifle above his head, cocking the barrel. It glinted in the midday sun.

  “I understand” Lamprey stated.

  You could tell there was something different in her eyes as she spoke. She was no longer screeching orders to a welt on the back of the Imperial war machine. She was talking to a soldier. A combat veteran who had seen the fires of a thousand worlds. A marine of the finest core to ever curse the stars.

  “Find Wild and try to contact the Intrepid, we need immediate backup and I don’t think me or Alistar can help”

  “You’ll survive, but Alistar, your hand is not good”

  Jameson jammed a fresh magazine into the rifle and nodded. He placed the fractured helmet back onto his head. His eyes were exposed from one side. He trudged to the drop pod’s location. Every ounce of his body was tense and awaiting another one of the native’s attacks.

  Climbing over the corpses of more glams, he saw the ill fate of the pod. Rocks were strewn throughout as only husks of the dead remained. The sentry had survived, smoke billowing from its barrel as shattered metal complimented it’s light framework. It cast its mechanical glance out into the windswept clouds, red light blaring overhead. Electricity crackled from the pod. The prisoner turned his head to see his internal display light up. Wild’s corpse was strewn inside the craft's door. It looked like he had tried to close the hatch but got it stuck on a glam corpse.

  He had put up a good fight, some twenty bodies littered like carrion on the battlefield. Blood was smeared on the entrance where he had crawled his way through, a trail stained into the dirt. His purple armour was completely smashed. His white hair and twisted head parted from the metal. Jameson raised his rifle as he saw a glam feeding upon Wild’s arm. Its rocky outside had peeled back to reveal a thick black beak pulsating within the pool of blood. With a single pull of the trigger, it lay dead. Green liquid oozed from its rotting mesh. The sentry buzzed once more to reveal a green light. The area was clear.

  Jameson pulled open the plexiglass door with his gauntleted hand and approached Wild. The transmitter lay perched in his bloody grasp. Tearing the device from his cold clutch the prisoner lifted the scientist's head. Wild’s left hand still grasped a pistol. It’s battery pack had exploded from overuse. He gingerly felt for his neck and wrapped his metallic hand around Wild’s dog tags. Jameson cast a glance at the blood stricken corpse. An emotioned spread accross his face, one he had not felt in a long time. Sorrow.

  “You served me a long time ago Wild, you may not remember but today you met an honourable end, I could not have asked for more” The prisoner muttered.

  He seemed to think as he spoke, haunted eyes wandering infront. His face went pale, whiter than snow as he relived the ghosts of his past.

  He then saluted Wild. Closing his eyes the old soldier before picking up the radio oncemore and spoke into it’s thick static.

  “This is drop 1, Intrepid we are reporting two injured one dead, Colony is under apparent glam infestation, request immediate assistance medical assistance and military aid over”

  He waited it to clear and saw the message was received.

  “Command? Do you read, multiple marine’s down, requesting Exfil”

  He cursed as spit flew into his helmet’s visor.

  “Hello Jameson, do you remember me?” A voice buzzed overhead.

  Shivers went down his spine. The prisoner looked at the radio as if it were a horror of the night.

  “So the devil speaks?” Jameson.