grey smoke floated in the air.
A large tank-like vehicle rolled down the middle of the street, the alien metal reflecting the sun like polished silver. It was flanked on either side by foot soldiers armed with energy rifles, firing indiscriminately at everything, both animate and inanimate. Atop the shining war machine was what must have been a Gamma class Tenachai. Lacy’s description hadn’t done it justice. It was a huge, wrinkly, yellow, worm-like creature. The huge head and torso with tiny arms and legs would have seemed comical in a less dire situation. It could have been Jabba the Hut’s cousin.
The Gamma warmonger scowled, staring ahead with huge green eyeballs that blinked with wrinkled leathery lids so thin that they were almost transparent. Its mouth was a large open circle rimmed with razor sharp teeth like a great white shark. Its throat muscles convulsed inside its maw, uttering loud groans either meant as commands or just to intimidate the human ants fleeing for cover ahead of his death squad. A large sonic cannon stood next to the tank, looking just as I had imagined it from Lacy’s description. One blast from that and some of our comrades would become our enemies.
Alvarez was already returning fire while the rest of us tried to find protection from the advancing war machine. Earl, Lacy, Braden, and I huddled for cover under some nearby shrubs. Alvarez released another volley of gunfire before tucking into a military roll toward the rest of our group in our futile green sanctuary.
That’s when the air was split with a scream. Wendy was standing in the middle of the street, dirty and confused, and separated from her mother by the chaos.
Alvarez and I looked at each other in instant understanding. He pulled a gun from his belt and handed it to Earl. I pulled a Glock from one of my weapons pouches and handed it to Braden. I pulled a Beretta from one of my shoulder holsters and looked into Lacy’s dark eyes. I didn’t know if I really, REALLY, trusted her, but I didn’t have time to debate it with myself now. I would have to take the risk. I reluctantly placed the deadly weapon in her hands. She accepted the weapon in a reassuringly somber way, before exchanging looks with the entire group.
We moved into the street in unison. A squad with a sample mission -- create cover fire long enough to save Wendy, if nothing else. We opened fire on the mob of armoured aliens as their weapons continued to disintegrate the world around us.
As if to crush our foolish glimmer of hope, a platoon of fifty host drone soldiers poured into the battle zone from the side streets, increasing the flanks around the gamma.
The house next to us exploded, and the entire exterior wall collapsed toward us. Alvarez and Earl disappeared in a pile of brick rubble and a cloud of mortar dust.
I felt the bitter realization of defeat in the pit of my gut. All seemed to be lost.
And then I saw Braden. He was out of ammo, face to face with an angry host soldier. The young man fought with the spirit of a demon. He smashed in the face of the soldier in front of him with a loose brick and ran toward Wendy. He scooped her up, wrapping his arms around her, and ran for dear life toward the patch of brush nearby. The same one that Alvarez and I had used for cover on the way here.
Lacy and I released a volley of gunfire with renewed vigor. We managed to take out several more drones and foot soldiers.
An energy rifle once held by a deceased foot soldier lay in the middle of the street, ignored by both the Tenachai soldiers and the Gamma who commanded them. The tank moved forward, rolling on until the weapon lay directly in its path. The sonic cannon began to glow with a charge, and the Gamma excitedly prepared to turn its enemies into allies.
Through the fog of smoke and dust, a lone combatant strode forward, kneeling and wrapping his hand around the gun. With mild interest the Gamma looked
A large tank-like vehicle rolled down the middle of the street, the alien metal reflecting the sun like polished silver. It was flanked on either side by foot soldiers armed with energy rifles, firing indiscriminately at everything, both animate and inanimate. Atop the shining war machine was what must have been a Gamma class Tenachai. Lacy’s description hadn’t done it justice. It was a huge, wrinkly, yellow, worm-like creature. The huge head and torso with tiny arms and legs would have seemed comical in a less dire situation. It could have been Jabba the Hut’s cousin.
The Gamma warmonger scowled, staring ahead with huge green eyeballs that blinked with wrinkled leathery lids so thin that they were almost transparent. Its mouth was a large open circle rimmed with razor sharp teeth like a great white shark. Its throat muscles convulsed inside its maw, uttering loud groans either meant as commands or just to intimidate the human ants fleeing for cover ahead of his death squad. A large sonic cannon stood next to the tank, looking just as I had imagined it from Lacy’s description. One blast from that and some of our comrades would become our enemies.
Alvarez was already returning fire while the rest of us tried to find protection from the advancing war machine. Earl, Lacy, Braden, and I huddled for cover under some nearby shrubs. Alvarez released another volley of gunfire before tucking into a military roll toward the rest of our group in our futile green sanctuary.
That’s when the air was split with a scream. Wendy was standing in the middle of the street, dirty and confused, and separated from her mother by the chaos.
Alvarez and I looked at each other in instant understanding. He pulled a gun from his belt and handed it to Earl. I pulled a Glock from one of my weapons pouches and handed it to Braden. I pulled a Beretta from one of my shoulder holsters and looked into Lacy’s dark eyes. I didn’t know if I really, REALLY, trusted her, but I didn’t have time to debate it with myself now. I would have to take the risk. I reluctantly placed the deadly weapon in her hands. She accepted the weapon in a reassuringly somber way, before exchanging looks with the entire group.
We moved into the street in unison. A squad with a sample mission -- create cover fire long enough to save Wendy, if nothing else. We opened fire on the mob of armoured aliens as their weapons continued to disintegrate the world around us.
As if to crush our foolish glimmer of hope, a platoon of fifty host drone soldiers poured into the battle zone from the side streets, increasing the flanks around the gamma.
The house next to us exploded, and the entire exterior wall collapsed toward us. Alvarez and Earl disappeared in a pile of brick rubble and a cloud of mortar dust.
I felt the bitter realization of defeat in the pit of my gut. All seemed to be lost.
And then I saw Braden. He was out of ammo, face to face with an angry host soldier. The young man fought with the spirit of a demon. He smashed in the face of the soldier in front of him with a loose brick and ran toward Wendy. He scooped her up, wrapping his arms around her, and ran for dear life toward the patch of brush nearby. The same one that Alvarez and I had used for cover on the way here.
Lacy and I released a volley of gunfire with renewed vigor. We managed to take out several more drones and foot soldiers.
An energy rifle once held by a deceased foot soldier lay in the middle of the street, ignored by both the Tenachai soldiers and the Gamma who commanded them. The tank moved forward, rolling on until the weapon lay directly in its path. The sonic cannon began to glow with a charge, and the Gamma excitedly prepared to turn its enemies into allies.
Through the fog of smoke and dust, a lone combatant strode forward, kneeling and wrapping his hand around the gun. With mild interest the Gamma looked
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