“Uhhh, you take the knight I’ll take the--” I tried to say, but a loud whirring of propellers interrupted me as a sapphire blue drone buzzed over my head and spun its triangular barrel.

Then it ignited the rank of hunters in a blaze of laser fire.

“Or I’ll just help you with the knight instead,” I finished lamely, as I saw Blue Bitch decimate the heads of the hunters with near perfect precision.

The spear-knight’s helm twisted to watch the drone, but it made no move to engage it. Instead it simply turned back to us. I saw the dull purple light of its eyes ignite and smoulder as the inner glow erupted fiercely out of its helm. Thin wisps of purple energy streamed out its eye sockets and I could only suspect that this was somehow connected to the purple lance of light we’d seen.

I snapped my rifle up to take a shot, but the knight closed the distance in a single blink. Leaping across the fifteen feet between us. I ducked aside as it stabbed for me and managed to fire off a single round, but it bounced off its chitinous plating harmlessly. Then it snap-kicked it legs out and the blow slugged me in the stomach and sent me tumbling across the floor.

I heard Blue Bitch’s gatling laser thrum as it erupted and spat beams across the last three hunters weaving out of its way.

Climbing to my feet and wincing I looked up to see Nikhara engaging with the knight, her sword weaving green arcs of energy as she flowed more fluidly with the blade. The spear knight danced with her. Its precise thrusts and redirection of Nikhara’s strike were just enough to keep it from receiving a green arc of energy.

It was time for me to play the distraction.

I brought my gun up and it barked a series of rounds without hesitation. I had timed my moment just right. As Nikhara and the knight separated my shots domed off the side of it helm and threw the knight off balance.

Then Nikhara swept in, her sword weaving through its defences as she shot her foot and clipped the knight’s inner thigh, keeping it from regaining its balance.

Her gleaming silvery white bone sword sliced down in an overhead strike that cut through the knights spear shaft and dug deeply into its right shoulder.

Then my rifle punched several rounds into the upper portion of its helm and splintered the black chitinous bone helmet.

Nikhara drove her head forward and smashed her helmet into the knights skull helm. It crunch under the blow and the knight staggered about, but Nikhara’s sword in his shoulder kept him from stumbling away.

The sealed mouth of the helm’s skeletal jaw, split wide open and vat of purple flame roiled within.

“Fuck,” I cursed and watched as Nikhara let go of her sword and back flipped away with an agility I’d never seen before from her. The knight breathed a spout of purple fire across the metal floor, and I heard the sound of distant screaming.

I was uncertain if it was Sidney who was still hiding, or if Nikhara had been hit, or if it was this fuckers soul howling for release.

My gun bucked in my hands, as fire and berinium rounds roared from the barrel and sprayed across the knight. The shots only drew its attention to me though, and I found it difficult to see through the glare of the purple spewing flame.

Faster than I realised, the fire erupted around me and flicks of pale green flame seemed to combat the roaring the blaze as it encroached.

Through it I saw Nikhara pounced on the knights back and pound him into the floor. Her sword dislodged and scattered across the ground towards me. Its skull helm twisted to spray the gout over its shoulder but Nikhara held it firmly still with her hands.

“Marcus! the sword!” Nikhara shouted and I stumbled up from my crouch as the flickering pale green flames diminished silently. I half stumble – ran and skidded on my knees to grab the blades handle. I expected it to weigh as heavy as before. But as I stood with a sway the sword easily rose in my hand.

I jogged to where Nikhara had the knight pinned and slammed the tip of the blade through the side of its helm and out the other side to penetrate the metal floor.

The intense roar of purple fire coughed and sputtered, and turned a pale green before dying out. The sword in my hands thrummed intensely, and the green veins seemed to drink the unnatural life out of the knight.

It pulsed and throbbed with an uncontrolled hum of energy and I took a step back as Nikhara rose to her feet. and grabbed the swords handle.

Then she drew it and with a flick of her wrist decapitated the knight’s head completely off.

“That was one helluva of a fight,” Nikhara breathed excitedly through her suits external speakers.

“Yeah. That was fucking terrifying,” I agreed and panted.

“Now you sound like Andrea,” Nikhara said and I could hear the smirk in her tone. “How did you survive the fire it shot at you?” her question caught me off guard a little and I shrugged.

“I’m not sure,” I answered after a moment spent considering the green flicks of flame as they formed and combatted against the overwhelming purple flamethrower. “Just lucky I guess.”

I glanced over my shoulder to see the charred outline in the floor. The half-crescent moon of burning metal that showed where the fire enveloped around me. I had been on the other side of that. I shook my head as my life seemed to grow more confusing by the hour.

“Lets’ move. I don’t like the fact that there were more of these fuckers around.”

“Yes. I’m worried that we’re simply thinning the herd,” Nikhara agreed with me. We raced off, Blue Bitch -Mk1 leading the way as it whirred ahead of us.

We ran through the facility, crossing several research labs and rooms dedicated to examining a black gooey membrane. More labs, more bodies, and research tables. One studying a large bone white husk of a cocoon. Like a bone with the marrow hollowed out of its centre.

The display behind showed several documents and notes, as well as an origin planet that I recognised. Another lab with even more dead bodies strewn across its floor had a frame with several clamps holding up a long sheet of dry black bark. Its texture and appearance reminding me of the massive roots in my dream that connected the breach in the sky and the dying landscape.

Then we were through the research portion of the facility and onto the living quarters, lounges and mess hall and were met with more xeno’s.

A knight wielding two sabers, the edges of which gleamed a slivery purple glow. Fanning out behind him were four hunters. I immediately skidded onto a knee and took aim passed the knight.

“Nikhara, tell Andii to position BB in the mess hall. She can cover us from there,” I shouted to the orc-dryad, as the drone whirred loudly behind me.

The mess hall was the communal nexus of this quarter of the facility. The large open hall had several windows looking onto the corridors that passed around it.

Then my gun spat smoke and fire as I shot, feathering the trigger action on my rifle. Nikhara charged down the corridor to meet the knight head-on and I had to be careful to not shoot my wife in the back.

They clashed in the middle of the corridor, as Nikhara swept her sword in an overhead diagonal strike. The knight dodged the attack, but the green arc of energy that swept from her blade decapitated a hunter behind it.

Then she had to weave away and defend as the knights sabers struck and jabbed out at her. Meanwhile my weapon barked annoyingly as I kept the three remain hunters back. But my ammo was spending fast. I sent seven rounds fanning across the faces of hunters.

The first gained a few extra eye sockets from my barrage, but the second lost an ear and a deep gash as one of my bullet scraped along the side of its head.

It twisted away with a yowl, as the third charged passed where Nikhara and the knight fought. And just behind them the corridor suddenly lit up with a cacophony of laser beams lancing through to tear the second hunter apart.

My rifle clicked empty as I aimed at the third hunter springing down the corridor for me. Sighing I climbed to my feet and pressed myself against the wall near me. Then as the hunter was two metres it leapt in a pounce and sprung to claw at my face and neck.

I ducked down quickly and pushed off the wall with my right shoulder to roll over my left and spring nimbly onto my feet. Then I swung my weapon out like a bat, and struck a wide horizontal arch that smacked the hunter in the side of its face.

It twisted with the blow, and spun about to drive its claws, slicing across my chest. I felt the long-bladed fingernails cut cleanly through my armour and flesh. Gritting my teeth in pain, I backed away and fumbled to bring my rifle around to bat the hunter once again.

But it darted in too quickly and ran its claw across the back my left knee. My leg quickly gave out and I stumbled to a crouch as my rifle tumbled from my hands. I hissed with the pain. The hunter rose to stand before me like some proud avenger. Remembering the fight’s with the knights, and how each of my physical blows seem to form cracks and chinks in the armour.

I snapped my fist out and punched my knuckles square into the side of the hunters right kneecap. The limb snapped and bent precariously inwards. The hunter yowled in pain and I smashed my right fist into the side of its other leg and saw, heard, and felt the joint crunch under my single blow.

It flopped to the ground roaring in agony as it twisted pitifully in pain. I winced and climbed to my feet, just managing to shuffle away from the hunters swiping claws. Grabbing my rifle, I swung it overhead and brought it crashing down on the hunters skull.

It popped wetly and dark brain matter spewed out the top of its scattered head.

I leaned against the wall for support as my regenerative ability worked overtime to try and fix my wounds. I could heal small wounds, but if the damage I had taken proved too difficult the ability would cease its work. Looking down the corridor I saw Nikhara struggling with the twin sabers darting out at her from the knight.

I could tell that Nikhara had some measure of sword training, but the knight moved so fluidly and unnaturally that I guessed it meant that whatever empowered them previously, had grown stronger.

Reaching for my holstered revolver I pulled it out and fanned my webbing rig for the clip I kept my last few rounds in. I had six shots left. But my wife’s life was on the line, and the bullets meant fucking nothing compared to her.

So I fumbled out a round and slid it into the cylinder. A few counter-clockwise turns brought the round to chamber and I thumbed back the hammer. Raising the gun in my right hand I breathed out slowly as I aimed down the corridor. Arcs of pale green energy whipped about as Nikhara ducked and dodged away, just managing to the keep the knight away.

Then as the knight reared back to scissor his blades across Nikhara’s exposed armoured throat. My revolver boomed and smoke, fire, and a thumb-size bullet spat down the range to clip the left shoulder of the knight.

The shot spun the knight around like a top and it wobbled. Nikhara’s diagonal slash from bottom right to high left, parted the knight’s body in two, as she yelled a fierce cry of effort.

A wave of pale green energy erupted in a tight arch out the other side of the knight. And once again I saw the green veins in her blade pulse as they seemingly drank of the skull knight’s dying purple light.

“I’m- agh fuck, out of ammo,” I called to Nikhara and winced as I felt the flesh and tendons in the back of my leg reknit. My orc-dryad wife was bent over slightly, and I imagined it had something to do with the few gashes and dents around her armour.

She look worn and ragged.

“I’ve got… spare mags,” she panted through her external speakers. Damn, we really need to sort out some new and improved armour and coms-system.

I stumbled down the corridor to stand beside her as she leaned against the opposite wall from me. Behind me in the mess hall, Andrea’ drone whirred its propellers as it scanned the other corridors.

“Here,” Nikhara grunted and stabbed her sword through the metal and carpeted floor. She twisted and fumbled at her webbing to remove three extra magazines. Then the orc-dryad threw them over to me and I caught two as the third fell by my feet.

Nodding my thanks to my wife, I loaded the fresh magazine and stored the other two in my webbing. I was undoubtedly going to need them. My role was simple. I would cover and support Nikhara, as Blue Bitch suppressed or flanked.

“Let’s keep going,” I grunted, and her helmeted head nodded tiredly. She propped her sword on her shoulder and walked behind me as I moved ahead slowly.

It was a few minutes later when we exited the living quarters, Andrea’s drone buzzed as it ascended high up in the cavern. “Andrea said, we’re getting close to the central lab.”

By central lab, I guessed Andrea meant the laboratory at the centre of the crater. Where I assumed this seed was housed.

“Does Andii see any more xeno’s?”

“No. She said there aren’t any within our immediate vicinity, they’re all guarding the bridge down towards the central lab. Marcus?”

“Yeah,” I replied and turned to Nikhara at her questioning tone.

“Are they xeno’s though?” she asked me quizzically.

“What do you mean?”

“Well the hunter we did an autopsy on. Was once human. The clothes these hunters are wearing are either civilian or naval uniform. The faces beneath some of these ‘knights’ as you refer to them, are human-like as well. So are they actually classified as alien?”

“I… I don’t know. I feel like whatever they were before is either long gone, or trapped somehow. That whatever did this to them…” I waved my hand vaguely around as if encompass everything. “Is alien. Something most definitely not of our world.”

My dream revisited me.

The alien and desolate skeletal landscape. The colossal two headed monster. The roots arching up into the sky, feeding something.

Then the man: Rokkaia. His present there, and the colossal monsters’ roar of anger and fear. How I had known that it feared that man?

“Well, let’s hope we can stop it,” Nikhara said quietly, and I nodded absently.

“We’ll try at least,” I amended. It took us another five minutes to wander our way through the facility grounds to spot the bridge leading down towards the central laboratory.

Five knights and about ten hunters were dotted about, each monitoring for any activity. The central lab from where we viewed it, looked like a partially closed eye, at the centre of which was a vertical pupil.

The bridge was more a long set of descending steps and walkway leading to the lab. There were no breaks, platforms, or branching paths to divert too or take cover behind.

“Okay, I think I have a plan.”

“A plan?” Nikhara asked me and I nodded.

“What are the advantages we have that they don’t have?”

“Hmm, the bridge is a good choke point.”

“Exactly. And we have range on our side, as well as a drone capable of flanking them and firing from any position. The knights are too well armoured, but the bridge is only wide enough for two people to stand abreast of one another. The hunters will likely charge ahead to meet us. Blue Bitch and I can take them at range, then we’ll support you as you engage the knights.”

“Okay…” Nikhara replied and her voice trailed off. I could practically see the worry trailing off her like an aura of grey smoke.

“If the fights become too much, retreat. I don’t want you getting tired or injured, if we can avoid it. Okay?” I told her and cocked an eyebrow.

I heard a sigh hiss through the external speakers of her helmet before she nodded her acquiescence.

“Good. Now, let’s go fuck them up. You try the green energy slashes you were doing before,” I suggested and glanced at her gleaming silvery white bone blade. The sword’s blade seemed thicker and wider on the tang somehow. It now looked completely unwieldly to me. Yet the orc-dryad simply grunted and heaved the weapon up with minimum effort.

Casting another out at the bridge ahead and the numbers we faced. I once again reaffirmed myself of the plan and then nodded reluctantly.

It was time to begin.

“Nikhara, have Andrea position Blue Bitch at about ninety degrees parallel the pathway. She needs to draw their attention first so have her release some laser fire, and pin a few. While they’re distraction, you and I will rush the bridge. Do you have a magazine loaded in your rifle?” I asked her, and my eyes darted to the unused weapon on her back.

“Yes. You told me to bring spare mags, so I did,” she replied, she’d just brought more than me. An error I shouldn’t made. But we were up against unknown odds right now. Yes the hunters weren’t immune to head shots. But the knights were almost so.

Next time, I would bring a bigger-fucking-gun.

“Alright, we engage at range first. I want clean shots, so no wasting and running head-in first bellowing like a berserker,” I grinned at her. I knew by all accounts that Nikhara was somewhat embarrassed by her people’s warlike nature. They were violent and true to themselves and held no inhibitions about their way’s.

Nikhara was only a half-blood orc though, so she viewed her race from the position of an outsider.

The three F’s I remembered her calling High Orc law. Fuck, fight, feast. I found it hard to imagine that every single orc-clan only wanted to fight and fuck, so they could feast.

I shook my head and reeled my thoughts away from the tangent roll they were going on.

Andrea’s drone buzzed and whirred its propellers loudly as it shot off to follow my instructions. Hopefully the xeno’s didn’t wise up and throw a chair at it or something.

A low growl hissed through the air, and I knew that the hunters had spotted the drone. It was hard to tell if the knights had noticed or not, as they made no sound.

Then I heard the brief spin of the drones barrel as lances of laser fire streamed out and decorated the hunters in neatly charred holes. Then the firing stopped, and Blue Bitch reserved her propellers and whirred back towards our side of the bridge.

Without command or thought, the hunters pursued the drone. They lumbered across the bridge, sprinting at full speed. Their hissing growls and bared fang-filled maws sped closer. I nodded at Nikhara and the two of us sprinted for the threshold on our side of the bridge.

Skidding onto my knees I twisted and leaned into my rifle as I fanned the trigger across the hunters running straight for us. Nikhara did the same, though I noticed she was a lot more reserved with her trigger pulls.

So focused on the drone, the hunters hadn’t spotted us until we had opened fire on them. I counted eight and realised Andrea’s opening light display had killed two of the fuckers.

My shots whizzed past the fore ranks of the hunters. Those shot’s I missed simply took out those in the rear. My weapon barked irritably in my hands and I felt it buck against my hold. More went down under berinium bullet fire. I heard Nikhara’s gun click empty as I saw a shot of hers stream past the ranks of hunters to clip an axe-wielding knight who had just stepped onto the bridge.

Blue Bitch, buzzed in and streamed past the front flank of the remaining hunters as they came within ten feet of us. My gun clicked, and I unloaded the magazine and retrieved a fresh one.

The drone’s barrel spun, and orange streams of angry molten laser blurred through the front three of the hunters. Then the last two remaining hurled over the dead bodies and sprang to attack us.

This novel is the work of Rhys Thomas. If you are reading this and it has not been published by Rhys Thomas, then this work has been stolen. Please report this to Amazon and me at email: [email protected]