To be announced

I woke up in field hospital with my vision obstructed. "You sure as hell are stupid," I recognized the voice as Zeogure. I opened my eyes and saw his brown eyes staring down at me. His broad face was easily recognized by his squinty eyes that were pushed together and the blunt squat nose that sat upon his face. Thick, robe like tendons bulge from his neck and connect to fat face. "The type of stupid we need."

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'Yeah, its something my mom always said." I choked out a horse laugh. "Your too stupid for your own good. You'll never be anything. But luck seems to always be on your side."

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"I have to say I agree," he replies giving a amused smile.

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What of Kekitsune, Vhorys, Hughes, zack?

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Kekitsune is the worst. The blast punctured his lungs, liver, and shredded his body. Five broken bones, fractured skull, dislocated arm, and he has a concussion.

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Vhory has third-degree burns but otherwise is fighting shape. Hughes has minor injuries. Zack has two broken ribs, broken collarbone, fractured eye socket, Two superficial bullet wounds. Least superficial by Terran standards.

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The squad is done then

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The few remaining survivors fight on, Zeogur assured him.

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A new voice spoke behind Zeogur, deep, harsh, and with a icy edge. I could already tell I didn't trust him. "Of course not. The squad is still intact; though weakened. So how would you like to command a squad?

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Sorry officer, but I'm a farmer from backwater planet. I'm not command material."

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If your farmer than I'm a saint. The officer steps into sight. He had a chest full of bronze, gold, and silver medals. there was enough metal pin to his chest to build a class IV assault vehicle. A cloak billows behind the officer. I've seen how you fight. You destroyed an enemy mobile defense platform single handily and you don't seem to fear death. I think your perfect.

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I had all attention of turning him down, but officer refused to take no as a acceptable answer. You lead your sqaud against city 125 Zulu. expect heavy resistance at the best of times. We shook hands. See you on the front lines.

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Zeogure traded looks with me until I threw my hands up, don't look at me. Not my idea

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He didn't say much after that. But we ended up parting shortly after anyway.

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It was weeks before I was the loose definition of recovered. I found myself on armored transport weeks later with other broken soldiers. What they described as a city was maze of harden bunker complexes; some going twenty meters straight down. The armored transport came to a stop and first thing. I notice is the lack of resistance and dead silence. My heart was the loudest thing in twenty meters. I stepped out of vehicle and stillness hit me like the cold. No signs of life, bo birds, no animals, even insects were dead silent. Something wasn't right. You guys here that

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Sir, I don't hear anything

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No yiu don't I told him while uneasyness creeped into my voise. I felt myself speeding up, my movement were frantic and erratic. "There's no noise, no nothing. Intel put this place as heavily guarded. Set up two Mg postion." I pointed out the postions. Five of you and two veterans follow me." I walked past hill that slopes down into concrete enbakement next to concrete loading zone. The loading bay connect to a series of tunnels running into more trenches. I followed the trenches looking over my shoulder to make sure we didn't get separated. The group hung low to avoid enemy fire. I didn't even tell them that, somethings were just instincts.

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We were in the bunker complex. Something finally clicked in my brain. I wasn't xeno biologist, I didn't study cultures, human or otherwise. So how could these creatures function as a society. It finally made sense. They developed their culture around their barbaric nature. Amongst the bunkers were shops and stall and restaurants seamlessly integrated. Signs advertising goods and services were everywhere. Many remind me of the ones back on earth. What passed as beautiful woman on this world, were on display to attract males shoppers and infuriate females with impossible beauty standards that could never could be met.

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From the size of the shops, some multistory buildings are as large as several city blocks, the city should have hundreds of thousands of people if not more. But this place was deserted. "Something doesn't feel right. Look at this place, there should be hundreds if not millions of non combatants

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Maybe they were killed by or evacuated from the orbital bombardment?" I remember turning to look at the soldier.

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No, I said shifting my gaze towards the eviorment. There is no damage to the structure and there is no way to evacuate through the orbital bombardment.

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Behind me Hughes speaks up. "no, if they have concrete tunnels, they could've easily survived the bombardment."

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"So where are the guards, Vhory rebuttals. They have shown no sign of retreat. Nor do they care about civilians like we do."

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"I don't know," Hughes says back. "Why build the shop inside protected bunkers if you don't care."

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Zeogur added, "If the business are owned by the elite or influential, they could've pulled strings."

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"I agree with Zeogur," I said. We all stopped once we entered the central plaza bunker that acted like a hub connecting to the rest of the complex. Are jaws are dropped, eyes wide with shock. At least two dozen enemy combatants lay slain; torn to pieces and left in a heap. There was signs of significant fighting from the blast marks, shell casing, and blood. "They weren't killed by Terran soldiers.

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"Then by what?" I looked closely at the tracks left behind. Nothing came to mind.

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"I've seen nothing like it before. There was chorus of similar statements from the squad.

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I've been on many different world and haven't seen track like that before.

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Well there not the footprints of the aliens.

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So what then,?I glance over at zack who spoke.

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Now we call headquarters and declare the campaign a success. Who the fuck cares who killed them. I switch on the external link to the orbital fleet. "J-5-H-M squad objectives completed successfully, no casualties ..."

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Clicking of something hard hitting concrete. Sounds of foot falls. "Wind in the canyon, stillness trembles."

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Are eyes wide, back against the canyon. The squad said in unison, forming up in a tight circle, and crouching down.

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My eyes twitch for just seconds. I saw a blur move across the room and I couldn't be certain if my eyes were playing a trick on me. Suddenly one of my men was pinned down by what I could only describe as a ape-like monster. They had the stance of a great ape, a gray hairless skin beast with a elongated skull and protruding jaw. Before I could even process what I was seeing, much less do something about it, two men fired at the creature.

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It leaped and vanished into the darkness of the tombs. There was that blur again. The sweat was getting into my eyes. I reach for cloth in my sack ... the blur is heading for me. I reaction fire and the blur becomes one of the creatures. But luckily, one of the dead ones. It had been hit between the collarbone and neck. Strangely bright blood is oozing from the wound. I notice it had no eyes just this fleshy patch on its head. "Aim for the blurs." Some confusion but rifle sprang to life, taking action lead to multiple kills at a high cost of ammo.

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"We're leaving," I roared over gunfire and thrusted my finger toward the exit. "Grab the wounded." As soon as we were leaving, I heard the sound things following us. I turned and covered my men. The wounded were slowing us down. I had to buy them time. I stayed back covering them until they could reach the surface. I tell you I should have died that day. Once I heard they were safe, I ran for it.

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I was met by an officer, a commodore. His fingers was already accusingly pointing at me. "How dare you abandon your objectives during the line of duty ..." One minute the officer was there in his prestigious pompous glory, the next he was gone. The officer throat was torn out. The squad coming up behind him in tow opened fired on his position. The offending creature vaporized under the volley. Zack, in his usual swagger that reeked of arrogance, walks over hefting up the officer sword.

You know how to use that thing?

"i was once an officer."

"How the hell did you end up here?" I said taken back. Officer were such dainty creatures that thought being pedicured at the academy gave them them leadership potential. All it did is make them potential targets for enemy and friends alike.

"That's a story for another day, preferably in more friendly place." His saddened and painful voice told me everything. He wasn't angry over what happened, he was hurt. The transport roared overhead louder than a thunderstorm and more ferocious than a tornado; dust and debris blown everywhere. Me and my squad dusted off from the planet. I watched the other squad descend into the catacombs as we climbed ever higher into the atmosphere.

I can't remember any signs of the terran ship Evangelic Fury being damaged before we boarded. But the ship had gone dark, only the emergency power was running.

Zeogur steps out first but I would come to be intimately familiar with the carnage as well. The the flight deck was trashed, a crashed shuttle with a massive hole torn in it's stern. A half gutted man laying in the opening. There were dead soldiers everywhere. Zeogur Screams pushing and shoving the crowd back, but the crowd could be resisted. "No, no, no get back on the ship." I pushed through the crowd. "Why? Whats up?" I saw the state of the ship.

"Pilot emergency dust off." The pilot acknowledged. "Alright, move damn it. Everyone get the fuck on the ship."

We're all crammed into passanger compartment with our gear and supplies taking up the little remaining space.

I heard the pilot say over both the intercom and my headset, "The manifold engine is reveaving up. We can't take off during warp."

Something struck the hull. "Sir, we're under attack, but there is nothing out there. Sir, my sensors are still showing nothing out there. The right wall is torn open by an unseen force, men were screaming, panic swept through the transport. Men began pouring out of the breach only to be hack down, someone attempted to drop the main hatch. The hatched dropped with echoing thud and more men are ripped apart.

I fought my way through the crowd of dead and dying soldiers. Something collided with me. I looked up with wide eyes, my life flashing before me, a flood of blury horrifying images. I was right back in my nightmare. I instictuly grabbed first thing my hands could reach: my utility knife and I rammed the blade into its neck. The creature wasn't killed but the attack spooked it. I lost my rifle but I had my sidearm. I fired and the creature dropped. My gunshot wasn't the only one. All you could hear is the cacophony of gunfire and screaming.

I stumbled into the hallway escaping the hellish situation and I was alone. Darkness greeted me and my thoughts turn to home. Today, today is the day I die ...

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