9/5/17 The Outer Rim. Salin, NeoTarran Moon
The USM Hudson kept her lonely vigil over the purple marble that was Salin. Several decades ago, it had been the site of the genetically engineered humanoids? great uprising. Throughout the galaxy, the massive, powerful laborers were inspired to remove their shackles and fight back against their creators. In a brutal war that spanned over 15 years, the Neos taking colony after colony in the Outer Rim territories. It hadn?t been until their hostile takeover of Vergus Station, an important spaceport, when the Guild finally took notice.
When the USM Battleship Regent arrived on the scene, negotiations began with the surprisingly thoughtful NeoTarran leaders. In the end, after the bloodshed and horror of war, it was decided that the NeoTarran people were to be granted their rights as sentient creatures and given their own colony to rule. In the 87 years since that day, they remained a rare sight in the universe, preferring to live, work, and thrive on their home planet.
The Hudson was stationed in orbit to make sure that peace was maintained, protecting the NeoTarrans should any attack occur upon the moon from raiders, pirates, or extremist groups.
Captain Seneca Arlo walked along the bridge of his ship. At this hour, a skeleton crew was all that was necessary in their constant vigil. When he was first given his orders, he?d resented being assigned to babysit a moon where nothing happened. But over time, he?d grown to enjoy it. He had forged a good relationship with the NeoTarran leadership. He?d go so far as to call Gallaus, the chosen figurehead of their government, a friend.
?What?s the story, Ensign Stills? What you hear?? he asked the woman seated at the Comms station.
Abigail Stills looked bored, a book pulled up on her datapad. ?Same as usual, sir.?
?All nestled and snug in their beds?? He asked.
?Nothin? but sugar plums, sir.? she responded with a grin.
Arlo was a fan of Earth customs, primitive as they could be. He?d made frequent trips to Rhy?Din before being given his current assignment. Some day, he?d make it back there, but for now...this was where he belonged.
The Captain gave her chair a pat and moved back toward the doorway. Suddenly the entire bridge was plunged into darkness, Arlo stopping dead in his tracks. Stills dropped her datapad and sat up straight.
?What the hell??Arlo said in a hushed tone, just before, once again, the lights and systems came back on. ?Stills, status report.?
Stills? fingers moved over her interface, her eyes darting over the information. ?All systems are up and functioning.?
?Well, what the hell just happened?? He pressed.
?I have no idea...wait.? She said, her brow furrowed. ?Sir..every door of the crew deck just opened.?
Arlo came up behind her, looking down at the screen. The pair sharing a worried glance. It was then that the warning klaxon began to sound. The airlock doors on every section were going open.
Stills? eyes went wide. ?Oh my Gods??
?Override it!? Arlo commanded.
Stills was working like mad, but it wasn?t working.
?I said-?
?Sir, I can?t! It?s not responding to my commands!? She said.
The computer?s feminine voice began. ?Emergency Venting process commencing in 5.?
Some of the men and women had begun to step out of their quarters, confused. Was this some sort of drill.
?4.?
?Stills! Do something!?
?3.?
Stills was panicking, trying every trick she knew to no avail. ?Sir, the ship is redirecting toward Salin.?
?2.?
?Weapons systems activating!? Stills cried out in horror. Arlo stared ahead, helpless to do anything about what was happening.
?Emergency Venting commencing.?
Arlo watched as the video feed showed the airlocks opening all at once, the entire crew being thrown, violently through the halls, banking off bulkheads and doorways as the explosive decompression ripped them out, and sent them drifting off into the infinite cold black. Arlo and Stills were spared only by the security protocols that prohibited a breached command center from functioning.
Arlo stood, numbly watching as his ship turned about, venting her crew and coming to bear on the moon before them. Their weapons were about to unleash an orbital bombardment so complete, it would burn the surface of Salin to glass. And Arlo could do nothing to stop it.
Stills spoke with a shaky voice. ?Weapons...armed.?
?Gods forgive us.? Arlo said quietly. The dull thudding of their weapons opening fire rumbled through the ship, sending blue plasma blast after blast raining down over the unsuspecting NeoTarran?s below. They watched as the surface glowed blue for a long moment, and then was overtaken in a red blaze that swept across the face of the moon of Salin until it resembled a dying sun. They watched as every last trace of life was extinguished.
Tears rolled down Still?s cheeks as she stood, her mouth agape in disbelief. Arlo just stood in silence. The only sound to be heard was the steadily repeating klaxxon overhead. The only thought in Arlo?s head was that they had not only lost their crew, but witnessed the genocide of the very people they were there to protect.
?Security protocol override.? The computer system said. Stills was trembling as she looked up, unbridled terror in her eyes as she looked up to her captain. Arlo just looked defeated. ?Emergency Ventilation of bridge in 5??
The pair of them embraced, clutching to one another tightly.
?4.?
Arlo shut his eyes tightly, firmly something HAD to come along at the last minute. He couldn?t die here. Not like this.
?3.?
Stills thought of nothing but home. Her family. Her pretty, red haired mother sitting in the kitchen on late nights, working on cases for her law firm. She thought of her father, and his dumb jokes. Even her stupid little brother and how the last time she?d seen him, he was too busy playing a game on a datapad to say a proper goodbye. She thought of the times they?d played in the fields by their grandparents place. How they would tell each other scary stories around a campfire. She thought of home.
?2.?
Their grips tightened until the pair felt like they might crush each other?s bones if they gripped any harder. As the blast door pulled them out, they still clung hard, locked in an embrace they would never be able to escape. They floated through the endless abyss, clinging to each other, frozen in their last moments forever.

One hour later, they were standing at a cemetery. The face of Dr. Lia Clarke upon a placard, surrounded by flowers. Lillies. Her favorite, Loren remembered.

She?d slipped away in her sleep earlier in the week, the news devastating the retired Major. Going back decades, Lia had been Loren?s closest friend and confidant. For the past few days, it had felt like a piece of her had gone, leaving a gaping hole in her soul. Lanning?s words echoed in her head. The old guard was dying out.

Now, she stood there at the podium looking out over a sea of uniforms and mourners. Many of the higher ranking officials of the USM were present, a testament to the woman herself. Loren would be lying if she said it didn?t sting a little to be trotted out in front of the people who had put her in her current position and forced the make a speech. But today was not about her. It was about her friend. She sucked it up and spoke.

?Ladies and Gentlemen. Representatives of the Admiralty Board. I thank you for attending today. Looking out in this sea of faces, I see a lot of well known people. Power, Grace. Prestige. The stuff great stories are made of. But, with due respect, they pale in comparison to the life and achievements of my friend, Dr. Lia Clarke. Lia was brilliant scientist, psychologist, and a fierce, fierce friend.?

She looked out across the faces, and in her mind, felt resentment. Few, if any of them truly knew Lia. None of them had laughed with her, cried with her, shared a drink with her. When she?d been condemned to this living hell, the only visits or calls she received were from Lia. Yet these phonies wanted to come and offer their condolences like they gave a damn about her in life. How many of them would be at HER funeral, Loren wondered? Two faced cowards who damned her and turned their backs in life, posturing and pretending to mourn and celebrate her in death.

?With all of her accomplishments in life, it is difficult to choose what she should be remembered for. Her work counseling veterans? Sure. A worthy cause. Her help in advancing more radical and impressive special projects than I am legally allowed to mention here? Nice, but no. The most outstanding thing about Dr. Lia Clarke was this: She was loyal.? Loren fought hard to disguise the spite in her voice. ?When the chips were down and no one else was there, you could always depend on Lia. That?s what I?ll remember most. When nobody stood beside me, she rose. Even if it was unpopular, even if-?

Loren caught herself. Her voice had begun to raise and her ability to hide her disdain faltered. ?I will remember, who she was. And what she meant. Not just to me, but to us all. I was lucky to know her. I was lucky to call her my friend.?

With one last barely concealed glare over the crowd, Loren took her leave, taking a seat beside Lanning, the old man giving her arm a squeeze. ?That was close.? he said so only she could hear.

?Screw them.? She said covertly.

Lanning couldn?t suppress the grin on his face. The old man peered up at something in the sky, his grin fading and brow furrowing. ?What the hell is that.?

Loren glanced up spotting the craft in the distance. It was well below the no-fly zone...and she recognized the ship. A K-22 Razor Gunship. A devastating piece of machinery, capable of reducing a fortified bunker to a pile of smoldering rubble. ?He?s flying low. Did they schedule a flyby for this??

Before Lanning could respond the rapid fire repeaters went live. Dirt went flying up into the air in a trail heading toward the congregation as the fire ripped up through the ground and graves. Loren reacted immediately, tackling Lanning to one side and out of the path of the gunfire as it cut through the gathered mourners, spraying mists of red up with their screams and ripping apart the small stage they had been standing on. The honor guard moved to into the crowd after the gunship had passed and tried to move survivors, their rifles in-hand.

?What in the blue **** was that?!? Lanning snarled, looking after the ship.
Loren?s hair had come loose from it?s bun, that alert, wide eyed intensity returning to her. The soldier was back. ?I?m not waiting to find out. We?re getting you out of here!? She grabbed him by the arm and pulled the old man to his feet.

?They?re coming back!? She heard yelled behind her.

?Move!? She ordered :Lanning, moving him as fast as he could go toward one of the vehicles. The honor guard opened up with their rifles on the gunship, knowing full well they couldn?t pierce the armor. Once again, those guns lit up, raining death down on the guard and the fleeing survivors.

Loren practically shoved Lanning into the hover car and climbed into the driver?s seat. They were lucky the Admiralty had been there or it might have been unarmored. Still, it wouldn?t stand a chance against the gunship. They had to run.

?Hold on!? Loren shouted and hit the accelerator.

The machines were rampaging, leaping off of buildings, cars like an army of metallic apes. Loren?s eyes traded attention between the mirror, the road and Lanning. The old man was fading fast, The jacket at his belly was rapidly absorbing the life leaving him. Loren could hear his breathing take on a rattle that did not at all sit well with her.
?Talk to me, Sir. Stay awake.? She said, maneuvering around another machine. Lanning glanced her way, a grim smirk on his face. The car broke out of the confines of the city, Winfield Air Base just across the plains.
?And what are we talking about?? He asked weakly.
?Anything. Tell me about your family.? She said.
?Never...never had one.? He wheezed. ?Was?.was an only child. Never married??
?Come on?? Loren tried to affect a teasing tone. ?Handsome buck like you? I bet you drove them all crazy.?
A laugh escaped the Admiral, followed by a wince. ?Not...not as much as...as you?d think. Gangly...awkward kid with a mind for tactics and not much else? Not the biggest selling point for the girls in my day.?

?With respect, sir, sounds like the women in your day missed out.? She said, narrowly avoiding hitting another robot. Lanning shook his head.
?No...no. Led my life...the...the way I wanted. The fleet??He wheezed. ?The fleet was...was family.? His head lolled her way. ?My children.?
Something inside of her ached then. She turned to him a moment, locking eyes. He was the closest thing she?d had to a father since her own had died when she was ten. She wanted to reach out and hug the old man...but now was not the time. His eyes began to slide shut, but she grabbed him with one hand and shook him.
?Hey! None of that! You stay awake! You hear me, Godsdammit?? She chided him.
Lanning?s eyes flickered back to life and he grunted and nodded. ?Roger...roger that.?
She could see the Air Base ahead...but they were heavily fortified and in lockdown. She pulled up the vehicles comms system. ?This is Loren Metcalfe. I am inbound with Admiral Lanning. We have hostiles on our six. Over.?

?Submit security clearance or stand down.? the voice came back.
?I don?t think you heard me, grunt. I?ve got the Fleet Admiral in the vehicle with me. Now open the ****ing gates!? She snarled.
?I repeat. Submit security clearance or we will be forced to fire upon you!?
?What the **** is this guy?s malfunction?? She said.
?He?s doing his job.? Lanning managed. ?This is Lanning. Security Clearance Code Delta-One-Nine-Zero-Seven-Alpha-Two-Three-Bravo. Over.?
After a moment the voice returned. ?Roger that, Fleet Admiral. Making a hole.?
It was not a moment too soon, the doors began to slide open. The army of machines were still behind them, moving as fast as they could, a relentless tide of metal. The moment Loren passed the threshold of the base walls, the defensive weapons opened up on the mob.
The gate shut behind them. Loren and Lanning were safe.

Another day, another seedy den of ill repute. Ketbrae Station was a spaceport somewhere around the ass-end of nowhere. The ramp of the Dragon?s Tooth lowered to the deck, revealing the crew of the Dragon?s Tooth Kaila and Ian. Former Praetorian child warriors, genetically modified into the perfect killing machines given a second chance at a normal life. Nara, former bounty hunter. As ruthless as she was beautiful. Annikah, the spunky, sarcastic mechanic. And Garrick Page. Outlaw. Smuggler. Dashing scoundrel. They descended looking every bit the swaggering, heroic crew of mercenaries they were...until a sudden burst of steam from a blown line completely threw Page off his cool and had him stumbling into the hulking Praetorian man to his left.

?Oh, great.? Annikah sighed. ?Another blown line.? She wasted no time in getting back to work.

?I thought you fixed that thing!? Page said, straightening himself out.

?No, you TOLD me to fix this thing, but you refuse to buy me new parts, you cheap-ass.? Annikah corrected him, with a glare over her shoulder.
Nara, crossed in between them. ?Just patch it for now. We might need a quick exit.?

Page started to walk away, but Annikah grabbed him by the shirt. ?Wait, wait.? She said, pulling him close. Her lips made contact with his, a long, warm kiss melted into him. They parted, but remained close, her eyes turned up at his. ?Be careful.?

?Hey. It?s me.? He said.

?Exactly.?

The team moved out into the bustling main streets of the spaceport. Vendors hawked their wares from stalls, humans and aliens of all stretches were all about, going about their daily lives. Robots moved down the streets, focused on their programmed tasks. The scent of various types of food filled the air as hover cars passed by overhead. This sort of place was home for Page.

?Alright?? Nara said, glancing at her datapad. ?Secara is meeting us in Hold 537. According to manifests, he showed up an hour ago...Not alone.?

?Good.? Page said. ?I?m not alone either.?

?Yeah, well, let?s try to get out of this one without a fight for a change.? Nara chided him.

?They don?t *always* end in fights.? Page dismissed her.

?Ehhh?.? Kaila said.

?I liked you better when you were robotic.? He said, dejected.

The girl and Ian smirked to each other as they moved through the crowd. Nara glanced over to Page.

?Alright. I?ll cover you guys from above. See you there.? she said with a nod before breaking off from the group and disappearing into the crowd.

The crew stepped through to doors to the massive cargo hold. They moved in through the stacks of crates and there they found their target.

Irvas Secara, local low-level D?niri dirtbag and smuggler stood across from them, chewing away at a toothpick as bulbous, violet eyes flicked from to the man before him, little hairs along his neck twitching in annoyance. His own muscle was standing with him, some big Buldari bastards, all tatted and armored up.

Kaila stepped up beside him, the towering, youthful girl eyeing their contact. ?It looks like someone came ready for a fight.? she said. Her tight, brown bun had been given up in favor of a shoulder length cut. Something less rigid and severe. Though, those unnaturally blue eyes were impossible to miss.

?That makes two of us.? Ian, the male Praetorian said, glancing to her with a smirk. For the first time in his life, he was out of military control. He?d even chanced growing a beard, for all the good it did.

?Kids?? Page said taking on a tone of parental warning. ?Play nice. Until he gives us a reason not to.?

?Over-under on the likelihood this guy tries to screw us?? Annikah chimed in on their private comm channel.

?Don?t worry, Annie.? He heard Nara?s voice in his earpiece. ?Anybody gets fussy with your boyfriend, I?ll send ?em to sleepy town.? The bounty hunter was stationed somewhere up in the rafters, out of sight with a sniper rifle trained below.

?Does nobody have faith that I can take care of myself?? Page muttered.

?No.? They all chimed in at once.

Page glanced around him. ?Friends like these....? He grumbled and continued toward Secara. ?Irvas!? He called out with open arms. ?Long time no see!?

The D?niri smuggler cocked his head. ?Garrick Page. You look spry for a washed up old cheat.?

Page put on a show of being offended. ?Hey now. No need to get nasty. I?m in my prime.? That lopsided smirk crossed his lips.

?That why you brought the freak show??

?Watch it, pal. They?re my crew. And they?re not as sweet and cuddly as I am.? Page warned. His eyes flicked to the men flanking the D?niri smuggler. ?You got my stuff??

Secara snapped his long, clawed fingers and another pair of Buldari rounded the corner pushing a huge crate on a hover cart. Ian and Kaila shared a wary look.

?You got anymore linebackers hiding out around here I should know about, Irv?? Page asked, his gun hand drifting subtly near his holster.

?I come prepared.?

?Seems to me you?re a touch paranoid. And when my associates hide their thugs, that makes me a little jumpy. I don?t like feeling jumpy.? Page eyed him waiting for the slightest indication something was about to go down.

?Yeah, we don?t like people who hide things.? Nara?s voice chirped in his ear. Page suppressed an urge to grin and kept focus on Irvas.

The alien?s hairs twitched in annoyance. ?That?s the last of them.?

?He?s lying.? Nara reported. ?I?ve got eyes on five more. Play it cool. They move and I drop them all.?

Page smirked and glanced back and up to the immense, blonde wall of a man behind him. Ian unhooked the bag from his person and tossed it toward Irvas.

The D?niri smuggler nodded, two of his goons moving forward to collect the bag of money. He and Page eyed each other like chess opponents, waiting for one another to make a move. One of the Buldari glanced back and nodded.

The corner of Page?s mouth upturned in cocky grin. ?We good??

Those hairs twitched again. ?Where?s the rest??

?There is no rest.? Page said firmly. ?The agreement was 17.?

?Yeah. It *was*. That was before you had me dragging this junk through Guild space.? Irvas said. ?You have any idea the kind of **** that could have been brought down on my head over transporting unregistered livestock? New price is 25.?

Page dropped the grin. ?My ass, it?s 25.? His voice dropped ominously. ?We had a deal. And you?re gonna honor it.?

?My men-?

?Your men are professionals and this ain?t your first rodeo with the Guild. You knew what you were doing when you took the job.? Page locked eyes. ?So, I?ll say it again. We had a deal. Now give me what I came for.?

?You talk very tough for a man with no cards on the table.? Irvas said, those eyes narrowing.

?And you talk pretty tough for a man who?s starin? death in the face.? Page countered.
?I?m the one staring death in the face? *I?M* the one?!? Irvas let out a whistle and rest of his men came out, armed to the teeth.

All at once, everyone drew their weapons, and the shouting began. Kaila, Ian and Page formed a triangle, shoulders to shoulders. ?Great plan, boss. Real smooth.? Kaila said through a clenched jaw.

?I am not going to say this again, Irvas. Lower your gods damned weapons!? Page stared down the sight of his pistol, sharp blue eyes narrowed.

?Yeah, you JUST said that..?

?Well...I- this time I mean it!? He stammered and tried to ignore the sigh that came from Kaila?s direction.

?You are out numbered. Out gunned. And you...are absolutely...out cl-?

Suddenly, there was a loud boom, and the entire station lurched. It was as if the world began to shift around them. It was one of the Buldari who fired first. A shot that went wide and missed any possible targets.

As the room around them continued its wild shifting, Page stumbled, letting off a wild shot into nothing and the Buldari and Praetorian charged each other. To the aliens? surprise, the kids were tougher than they looked. Ian grappled with one of them, wheeling him around and throwing him damn near through the side of steel shipping container.

Kaila planted a foot and took the charging beast full force? and barely budged. The alien looked up in surprise, just to get an uppercut to its chin, sending him up through the air.

Page hit the ground and took aim, finally getting his bearings. Irvas was making a run for the door but the constant shifting wasn?t making it easy.

?PAGE!? He heard Kaila shout. His eyes flicked over to her and then up. A bunch of containers were beginning to tilt his way...and they were about to come down.

?Oh.? He muttered and immediately started scrambling away. The first container slammed to the ground mere feet behind him. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, one after another the huge metal crates hitting, closer and closer as they tumbled to the deck. He knew if he didn?t do something drastic, the next would surely crush him. With every bit of a his might, he leapt forward, the container missing him by inches.

Page hit the ground rolling. For the moment he lay there panting. ?I?m alive?? He gasped. ?I?M ALIVE!?

Click.

Irvas stood over him with a pistol and sneer.

?Oh...COME ON!?

Before Irvas could even toss out a clip, one of the Buldari came sailing through the air, slamming into him and pancaking the D?niri smuggler against the wall. Ian stepped up and offered a hand down to him.

?Thanks for the assist.? Page smirked as he was pulled to his feet. ?Where?s Delta??

?Busy.?

Kaila was taking on two at once, one of the Buldari in a headlock and the other recovering from being thrown into a wall and drawing his firearm. She locked eyes, released the thug from her hold and leapt, spiralling in mid air as he fired, barely missing her. Even as she hit the floor, she was on the move, rising up toward the shooter, backhanding him across the face. Meanwhile the Buldari she?d released was charging for her. She went right for him, dropping under his grasp and hammering him in the groin with a vicious punch. Her body, however didn?t stop moving. She leapt upward, right fist cocking back and then, coming down in mid-air, bashing against the neck plate of the alien?s natural armor cracking the surface and sending him stumbling forth slightly. He whipped around just in time for her foot to connect with his chest, sending the Buldari flying into a wall and out of commission.

The shooter was getting up, shakily, but Kaila?s back was to him. He rose his weapon and aimed it at her. She heard the click, and whipped around, but the alien stood frozen, a hole in his head the edges glowing orange.

?Alright, boys and girls. Fun?s over, let?s get the hell out of here!? Nara?s voice came over their headsets.

Page looked around. ?Not until we have what we came for.?

?Page, this isn?t the time. This station?s going bat****. We need to go NOW.? Nara told him.

?I didn?t come here to leave empty handed.? He said.

?Get to the ship! NOW!? Annikah?s voice burst through.

The Praetorian gathered the Buldari thugs? weapons. Page hated leaving a job undone. But if the entire station took a hit, it might not be long before it went completely up. He grit his teeth. ?God damn it?? He cursed to himself. ?On our way.?

Things slowly came into focus. Flames spread across the room, it was like waking up in Hell, he thought. Kaila was banged up, bloodied, but for the most part, okay. Her hair hung, stringy and wet with sweat and blood as she fired upon the machines. He couldn?t quite make out what she was shouting with the ringing in his ears.

He took stock of his situation. Nothing felt broken or too badly damaged, aside from the dull ache in his head and the general soreness all over. Behind him the ship awaited...and before him was that raging fire. Beyond that, he saw the form of a person lying upon the ground that could only be Ian. He was firing like a madman, annihilating all in his path as the machines surged into the room. It slowly dawned on the old smuggler...Ian was cut off.

He tried to drag himself forward, but two arms wrapped around him from behind and dragged him back. ?No??he muttered. ?No!?

Annikah wouldn?t let go. She kept dragging the wounded man back up the ramp and into the ship. From there, he could see better. Ian?s leg was badly wounded. The former Praetorian screaming and fighting with everything he had left.

There was a sudden, clang as a vent grating slammed to the ground. Intermittent light from blasterfire flickered within until Nara sprang out, free falling on top of a crate and rolling off to fall to the ground as an explosion blew the ventilation pipe and the pursuing machines apart. The retired bounty hunter got up, holding her arm and wincing. Those brilliant eyes sweeping over the scene before her and her heart sinking. Time was up. They had to leave NOW.

Kaila was desperate, taking time in between shots to search for a way around the raging fire separating her and the only person in the universe who understood her. The only person who knew, first hand what she?d been through. She would not let him go without a fight.

Ian dropped another rampaging droid with a well placed shot that blew it apart at the chest. No time to celebrate. Eyes forward. Next target. He lined up his shot and pulled the trigger.

Nothing.

He pulled it again.

Again. Nothing.

The power pack had been drained. But still, they came. WIth a grit of his teeth, he forced himself up to one knee and gripped his rifle by the barrel. The first robot to come close was bashed across the face, it?s head knocked clear from its body. The next was hammered into the ground.

Nara rushed to Kaila?s side, picking off more and more of them as they entered the room and giving Ian a fighting chance...but then she saw more vent grates fall. They were surrounding them. Her gaze swept from them to Ian...and it slowly dawned on her what had to be done.

?Kaila?? she said too quietly. ?Kaila.? Louder. ?Kaila!?

But the woman seemed deaf to her calls. Nara grabbed the girl and yanked. ?DELTA!?

The young woman?s eyes were wild, alert, and panicked. The use of her former codename snapped her back to reality. Nara stared her in the face a long moment, she truly felt for the girl.

?I?m sorry.? Nara said. ?We need to go.??

?No.? Kaila said stubbornly.

?We need to go or we ALL die!? Nara insisted.

Kaila looked out as Ian caught one of them in mid air and used it?s body as a shield, lunging forth toward the docking tube. He batted another way with the robot?s body and then ripped it in half. Three more landed upon him...and another three...he fell back to his knees as the pounded away at him, tearing at his clothes and flesh. He looked up at Kaila with those wild, warrior?s eyes. With a grimace, he bellowed and threw them all aside and reached in one of his belt pouches, producing a metallic cylinder.

He panted and stared her in the eyes and said one, simple word.

?Go.?

Nara?s eyes went wide. ?Kaila?.come on! Let?s go! Let?s go!?

The woman formerly known as Delta was reluctant but retreated up the ramp and into the ship.

?Annie, Get this bucket airborne and get us the **** outta here!? Nara shouted.

Delta stood at the edge of the ramp as it slowly rose, eyes locked on Ian through the flames. The machines closed around him as a smile crossed his lips, his face lit red in the glow of his explosive. It would be the last she?d ever see of him. Victorious, proud. A warrior?s death.

The ship rocked as the dull WHOOM of the explosion went off and the engines went live. Ian was gone. Delta was alone. She was now, truly, the last of her kind. The last of the Praetorian.

Loren stared out into the vast blackness of the cosmos, her mind racing over everything that had happened in the past 24 hours. Lanning, Boros...in a moment, everything had changed. If the old soldier had thought the future looked bleak before, now it was a chaotic nightmare of uncertainty.

?Major.? A woman in corporal?s stripes greeted her. Loren turned her eyes up to her, studying the young soldier. The calm, collected military bravado nowhere to be seen. Her eyes were red from tears, bags under eyes showing the cracks of stress within her. Her brows seemed permanently knit in concern. Not surprising, Loren thought. The girl had probably just lost her homeworld.

?Retired.? Loren said, her voice hoarse.

The corporal hesitated before speaking again. ?Of course. Ma?am, we?re making our approach upon the Mjolnir.?

?Why are you telling me?? Loren thought to herself before offering a curt nod.

The corporal turned and started away before stopping in her tracks. She turned and looked back to Loren. ?Ma?am??

Loren?s eyes flicked down to the nametape. ?Finch? it read. Loren?s gaze redirected to the nervous young woman?s eyes. ?Yes, Corporal Finch??

?Ma?am...what are we going to do? I mean..where do we go from here?? She asked, the barely-contained panic making her voice shake.

?We survive.? Loren said and rose from her seat, making her way into the cockpit, taking in the massive battleship. Loren had helped in certain stages of its development, but never thought to see the thing actually complete. It was an impressive marriage of technology and weaponry, developed and built entirely in-house by the USM Special Projects.

?Roger that, Mjolnir. Docking Bay 94. Icarus inbound.? The pilot said into the comms.

The dropship ambled onward upon its trajectory, merging with a few other ships as they made their way to the docking bay. One of which, Loren recognized.

?Pilot.? She said. ?Can you get me a readout on that ship??

?Major.? the pilot nodded, getting to work. ?LT-500 Mid-bulk Transport. Registered as ?Dragon?s Tooth? under Captain Nara Rey.?

Loren?s jaw tightened visibly. Delta and Gulf would be on that ship. The former Major had never thought to see them again, but fate, it seemed had other plans. The dropship passed through the forcefield and settled down upon the deck. Ships of all makes and models were spread throughout the massive space, USM personnel were moving all about the place trying, in vain, to keep the chaos reigned in.

She stood at the edge of the loading platform and waited as it lowered. Little by little, a chorus of voices filtered into the craft until they were booming. Loren descended the ramp, the crew at her back, She glanced out of the corner of her eye, catching sight of the Dragon?s Tooth as a heavily armed guard moved up into the ship?s hold. There was no mistaking the tall, youthful female they led out first. Her hair was longer, her clothing civilian, but it was unequivocally Delta. The others followed, but none of them was the towering mass of Gulf.

Something inside of her ached. For all the trouble, all the grief, she had felt a sort of maternal responsibility for the Praetorian. Now they were all almost completely gone.

There wasn?t much time to dwell as an armed guard approached, surrounding a familiar face. That perfectly shaved head, neatly trimmed beard, handsome face, and sharp, crisp uniform noticeable even in such a packed room.

?Operative Briggs.? She said icily to the man who had ended her career. ?Never thought our paths would cross again.?

?Major Metcalfe. Pleasantly surprised to see you again.? He said with that disarming smile. ?I?m sorry to hear about Admiral Lanning. He was a good man.?

?Great.? She corrected him. ?He was a great man.?

Briggs nodded, maintaining that friendly exterior. ?That he was.?

Loren looked around her at the refugees all around them. Families cling to each other, captains argued with security and each other. She heard a woman screaming at her husband.

?You left her! You just left our baby!?

Loren turned slowly to the grim looking Briggs. ?Sir.? She said. ?What in the hell happened??

Briggs? eyes lowered a bit, but before he could speak, the other security detachment came up with the crew of the Dragon?s Tooth. Loren didn?t hear what was said, she just locked eyes with Delta. She barely recognized them, though they were the same. There was so much more behind them. So much life, emotion...and pain.

Seeing her again brought out those old regrets. The failure that was entirely Loren?s came roaring back, though this time, it carried with it something else.

Guilt.

Samara stood in her place in the dropship, encased in her exosuit. The HUDs constant scroll of information as it ran diagnostics was distracting so she switched it off for the time being. Merichak was hunched down, looking in on Stick and Deadlift. Tey’lani moved down the aisle between the massively armored team, making sure everyone was rigged correctly.

The blue Iridian stepped up to Samara, standing on her suit’s feet.

“Excited?” Tey’lani asked, as she checked over the new soldier’s rigging and turned her violet eyes up to her, a tight grin forming.

Samara smiled down, jostled in her suit as they hit a bit of chop. “Yeah. Excited. Let’s go with that.”

Tey’lani locked down the last bit of rigging with a smirk before she turned those brilliant violet eyes to her friend. “Look after these losers, will ya?”

Samara smiled back to her. “You know I will.”

Few words were said up to that point. When they’d gotten word of an attack there wasn’t much to say. Everyone was scared, everyone wanted to contact loved ones, if they could, but there was a job to do. Boros would be phase one.

Their mission was simple: find and extract any survivors, especially military personnel and, if possible, find the source of the attack. A “leisurely night on the town”, as Duster so succinctly put it. Samara had a feeling it wouldn’t be quite so easy as that.

“About to break atmo. Hold on tight back there, kids.” Stick announced.

Merichak turned around in his suit, the heavy metal feet clanging against the floor grates. “This is it, folks. This is our time to shine. For some of us this is home. For the rest of us it is the birthplace of our beloved USM. This is our pride, our history, our legacy. Some sorry sons of bitches made the grave mistake of attacking us. Today we will make them bleed. Today we make ‘me hurt, hoo-uh?”

“HOO-UH!” The team responded in unison, the entire cabin shaking as they went soaring through into the atmosphere.

“I want you frosty, I want you focused, I want you mean!” Merichak shouted, earning some boots and hollers.

“Marauders!” The heavy blaster rotated into tactical position upon his exosuit’s arm. “Let’s bring the thunder.”

Merichak stepped back into his station amid the cheers of his team. Their weapons platforms whirred to life as they quickly checked diagnostics and made last minute preps.

“Approaching DZ! Get ready!” Stick shouted back.

“Hey, Stick!” Duster called up.

“Kinda busy, D.”

“You remember to record my stories before we left?”

“Ah, ****. Knew I forgot somethin’.”

“If I miss Belinda and Monty’s big wedding surprise, it’s your ass, brother.” Duster called up with a grin.

“Oh man. I’m gonna watch that **** while you’re runnin’ around playing hide and seek down there and spoil the **** out of it when you get back.”

Gabby “Deadlift” Walden glanced over to her copilot with a bemused smirk. “Eyes on the prize. Boys.” She said. “Besides. His twin shows up and ruins the whole thing anyway.”

“AWWWWW!” They said in unison, theatrically.

“Heartless witch…” Duster muttered.

“Only rhymes with witch, Duster.” she smirked to herself.

“Cut the grab-ass.” Jin “Titan” Wei barked over the noise, though she was doing her level best to hide the smirk threatening to sneak out.

The dropship cut through the clouds and finally, Century City was spread out beneath them....and it was burning. Smoke rose from buildings all over the sprawling metropolis, some of them shattered and missing like broken teeth. The usually crowded skyways were empty, leaving the entire city looking lifeless and grey.

Thomas “Tyke” Serles, the youngest and one of the newest members of the team, stared out of the cockpit window from his station, horror and sadness on his face. Duster and his brother, Eaton “Axios” Callix shared a glance, noting the young man’s expression.

“Hey. Tyke.” Eaton said. Serles slowly turned his attention to the older soldier. Eaton looked him in the eye. “We’ll get it back. We’ll get them all back.”

Serles swallowed hard and nodded, taking one last look. “This was home.”

The moment was interrupted by the scream of a klaxxon. Merichak locked into place, and checked drop harness. “This is it! Remember your training! I’ll see you on the ground.”

Walden’s voice came over their comm system. “Prepare to drop in five. Four. Three. Two. One.”

Samara’s eyes shut as took in a deep breath.

“Mark.”

They came from all sides, all angles. A torrential downpour of metal, sweeping towards them. Weapons blazed, reducing the robots to shrapnel.

Serles was like a man possessed. Running on pure rage and vengeance, he brought his weapons to bear on anything that hove into his line of sight. But soon it became obvious that fire would not be enough. They were just too many.

The young warrior grabbed them two at a time, wielding their bodies as melee weapons and slamming them into their comrades.

“Stay together!” Merichak called out, grabbing one out of the sky and spiking it into the pavement.

“This is Stick. Guys, I don’t know what you did, but it looks like you woke up the whole damn city. I’ve got movement all over the place converging on your location.”

Tank was covered in attackers, but just switched between a melee attack and firing explosive heavy ordinance into crowds of robots, sending bits of them flying all over the place. “We must retreat.” He rumbled.

“What?” Duster said, ducking a leaping droid and turning to blast it with the massive shotgun attached to his arm. “You gettin’ tired, big guy?”

Wei’s lightblade glowed in its ragged white arc. Her movements were precise, fast, deadly, cleaving her attackers apart with swift strokes. She glanced back at Merichak, concern growing on her face, “We can’t take them all…”

The old man knew it. They’d severely underestimated the situation, and if they didn’t get out of there soon, they never would. He grimaced and blasted away at a few more before putting the call through. “Stick, I need immediate evac.”

“Roger that, Top. Six-Four inbound.” Stick’s voice crackled.

Samara did everything she could to keep them off Serles. He was fighting with wild abandon, almost no concern for his own life. They were going to chew his ass out when they got back, she knew. But first thing was first. She had to get him back in the first place.

They came running at him and he charged forth tackling them to the ground. He was making full use of his suit’s strength, beating them into scrap like he was in a bar brawl. As he went to push himself off the ground, one landed on the back of his ExoSuit. And then another. They were pounding against the metal plating, denting it with their strong, metallic fists. Serles tried to roll over, but another slammed into him, knocking him onto his back.

Panic filled him as his helmet closed down over his face and they began viciously bashing at him, trying to break through that armor. His HUD showed that the armor’s integrity was getting lower and lower with every vicious blow. The helmet obscured his vision, though all he’d be able to see anyway was the raging automatons trying like hell to kill him. His arms flailed, trying desperately to grab at one of them, any of them. He didn’t need to hear the alarms to know it was hopeless. Any moment they would break through and tear him apart. He would die on the planet of his birth with the rest of his people. He only hoped the others would fare better.

Suddenly, some of the pounding stopped and he felt lighter. Then more. Then it stopped completely. With a thought, that helmet slipped back to find Tank standing over him, his grenade launcher expended and a massive hammer clutched in his hands. He hefted it against his shoulder and offered a hand down to him.

Serles gripped that three-fingered hand and was pulled to his feet. The team surrounded them, keeping him safe and blasting in every direction. The suit’s right leg was badly damaged and movement was restricted. Breaches and plating damage were all over, but he was alive. “Th-thank you.” he stammered.

Tank nodded and went back to work.

“Top, Stick here. We’ve got an assault craft headed your way…” He said.

“Good.” Merichak responded. “We could use the back up.”

“Yeah...about that…” the pilot said. “Reports came in from Major Metcalfe...one of those things attacked her and the Admiral. Stay on your toes, We’re on our way.”

The team remained pinned down, fighting off a growing mountain of mechanical wreckage. Samara knew they wouldn’t last much longer. Serles being injured left them a man down, though he tried to get in a shot or two as Tank protected him fiercely.

“Incoming Gunship!” Titan cried out.

“Buckets on !!” Merichack ordered, his helmet clamping down into place, the old warrior getting low, bringing his suits weaponry to bear on the ship and opening fire with everything he had.

The gunship unloaded on them, ripping up the ground as it cut a path to their position, tearing apart a few attacking robots as it did. They tried to make a hole, but there was only so much space. Laserfire caught Tank’s heavily armored right side as he crouched over Serles to provide cover., the huge Buldari buckling and almost dropping with a loud groan.

“Tank!” Samara shouted and rushed to him, blasting away at the attackers converging on him and Tyke. The massive alien was injured, that much was obvious.

“Form up on Tank!” Merichack called out, the team circling their wounded comrade.

“Hey, Stick?” Duster said. “Not to rush you or anything, but we’d REALLY like to get the hell outta here, brother.”

“Gunship’s coming around for another pass!” his brother, Axios informed them. “Protect Tank and Serles. Bring that mother ****er down!”

Their weapons cut into the ship but still it came, it’s blasters tearing the hell out of the street, cutting a deadly path that threatened to do the same. “Come on! Die!” Samara thought, trying to will her weapon to shoot faster, harder. But even if they took it down, they would still be ripped apart by its raging, heavy cannons.

Samara braced herself for the inevitable...right before the gunship exploded in a massive fireball of flying metal. For a moment, she didn’t know what to think. She wasn’t dead...that was a plus. But why wasn’t she dead?

The dropship flew through the flames of the explosion with a roar, Duster letting out an overjoyed scream.

“Somebody call a cab?” Stick’s voice crackled in their ears.

“Damn good to see you, brother!” Duster bellowed joyfully.

The dropship’s weapons went live, spraying the surrounding area, taking some of the heat off the team. “Stick, we’ve got wounded. Set down and let’s get the hell out of here.” Merichak ordered.

As Axios and Duster helped Tank, Wei was getting Serles up onto his feet, helping the hobbled young soldier into the dropship. Samara and Merichak flanked them,, blasting anything that came their way with Gabby’s assistance.

“We’ve got more bombers incoming. Let’s get the lead out, people.” Stick said.

Merichak and Samara exchanged glances, the older man nodding as they fell back, stepping backwards onto the ship. The blastbolts poured out of the ship at their attackers, Gabby firing like a madwoman.

“We’re on! Go!” Merichak called out.

Stick hit the thrusters the dropship raising off the ground and redirecting skyward. “This is Foxhound Six Four. We’re coming home.”

Samara and Merichak watched out the back as the ramp rose. Below the bombs hit and an entire city block burst into a sea of fire, the sound muffled to a dull thud. Samara had never seen such an impressive display of destructive power. It left her chilled. Horrified.

“Master Sergeant Merichak. This is Andoran Actual. What’s your status. Over.” A voice crackled into their ears.

“Master Sergeant Merichak, copy. All present and accounted for, but I have wounded. Over.”

“What is the status of your mission? Over.”

Merichak glanced over to his team. Serles stared ahead blankly, eyes devoid of hope. Tey’lani attempted to help Tank, but the Buldari shoved her aside as Wei and Eaton moved in to help dress his wounds.

“Repeat, What is the status of your mission? Over.”

Samara saw the defeat in the old man’s eyes. His voice was weak when he responded. “Mission failure. “ He said.

The ramp closed with a clank, the burning city left far below.

“Boros is lost.”

Serles chestplate clanged upon the deck loudly, the young man letting out a yelp as he was brought out of the suit, too much weight put on his leg. The medics were trying to be as careful as possible, lowering him down onto a gurney.

"Be careful!" Wei shouted to them. "I don't want this stupid son of a bitch dying before I get my hands on him."

Serles looked up at her, pain on his face that had nothing to do with his leg. "I'm sorry." he managed.

She narrowed her eyes, looking like she might just spit at him. "You godsdamned better be. You broke rank and almost got everyone killed. You're lucky we don't ship your ass down washout lane!"

Serles was silent as they rolled him off. Wei was fuming. She didn't notice the figure behind her as he approached.

"Little rough on the kid, don't you think?"

Wei whipped around ready for a fight, but the wind immediately left her sails. Instantly, she straightened up. "He broke rank, Sir. He put the team's life in danger."

"Not excusing that." Merichak said. "But, the kid saw his homeworld in shambles. The streets he grew up on...everything and everyone he knew back there was gone. You tell me how cool you'd stay if that was you."

Wei's eyes lowered. She knew he had a point. It didn't excuse what the kid did, but she could understand why he did it. With a slow nod, she glanced back up at her C.O. "I'm going to go check on him."

"You do that." Merichak nodded, watching the woman walk off.

Samara winced as the link between herself and the suit cut loose. She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to it. Her boots clanged on the ground as she headed right for Merichak. All around them were wounded from separate engagements all over the planet. Some people, and in a couple cases, an entire company were flat-out missing.

"They set a trap for us." Samara said to the older man. He glanced sidelong to her, silent for a moment before nodding.

"They knew we'd be coming." he said.

It was a terrifying prospect: Machines that could think, could plan. It was made even more terrifying by the fact that these machines could apparently hate. The three laws were supposed to prevent anything like this. How could it have all gone so wrong?

Samara let out a sigh, taking it all in. "Is Tyke okay?" she asked.

Merichak turned to her. "He will be. Kid's stronger than he looks."

"Something like that's bound to shake anyone." She said. "Did anyone find survivors?"

"I haven't heard anything...but it's not looking good." It was a grim prognosis, but one they would have to come to terms with. Boros was a dead rock. The only life on that planet was metal.

"Tom's mother was down there." Samara said, a touch of pain in her voice.

"I know." Merichak said. "USM R&D department."

"I suppose there's not much hope for any word about her." Samara said.

Merichak was silent, the twinge of pain behind his eyes giving away that there was something he wasn't saying. Samara didn't like it.

"Sir?" She said. "What is it?"

Merichak turned to her, the weight of it all seeming to drag him down. "R&D were one of the first hit. The Citadel is a crater. There were no survivors."

Samara went numb. She barely heard him excuse himself and walk away to assist with some wounded. She wasn't sure why the man had decided to share with her. Maybe he trusted her. Maybe he just didn't want to carry the load alone. Now, the burden was her's.

Thomas was her friend. If someone was going to break the bad news, it should come from a friend. It was her first time. It would not be her last.