Storm Warning
Without warning a massive explosion shook the carrier.
"What the frak was that ensign?" The captain regained his posture after being thrown to the ground.
"Dreelarni Interceptor has struck us a mid-ships; we're venting atmosphere and the engines are down…", there was a pause as the ensign quickly moved to another terminal, "…our orbit around Genesis IV is deteriorating, we're going down!"
"Just do the best to keep us in one piece", the captain returned calmly.
"Aye, Sir"
The carrier creaked under the tension as the gravity of the planet below slowly began to drag them through the exosphere.
"Descent trajectory is too steep. We're burning up!"
"Ensign!" The Captain was losing his cool, "I asked you to take us down and I'm SURE I wanted to be able to walk away from this."
An electrical storm was tormenting Genesis IV, rain dashed against the carrier with a force that sounded like 21st century gun fire. The carrier sliced through the cloud line and continued an erratic path down to the surface of the planet. The carrier dipped violently, then made a sharp climb before once again dropping, cutting through a half mile of forest before attempting to land. The carrier smashed down into the mud hard, and came to an abrupt stop at the base of a valley. Inside the craft, tiny red lights flickered and warning sirens screamed out desperately seeking help.
20 minutes had passed before Captain Bridges awoke. His environmental armour had protected him from most of the impact but he had been knocked unconscious. He struggled back to his feet and approached the ensign's chair.
"Ensign Rush - Are you - ok?" No response. He pulled at the chair and the ensign swung round. He was unconscious. The captain gently slapped the ensign's face, his eyes opened quickly and he flinched in his seat.
"Easy - Are you ok?"
"Ehh, I - I think so, sir"
"Good landing son, assess the damage I'll check on the other marine's"
Captain Bridges staggered to the back of the flight cabin and hit the door release. The door slid open half way; the captain peered in, and then fell backwards in horror.
"Sir, what's happened?"
"The galley… it's gone!"
"Sir?" the ensign was confused.
"The rest of the carrier - it must have broken away during the descent."
"So, we're all that's left?"
The captain could only muster a nod.
"Communications are down; we'll need to get to higher ground before we can send a distress signal to the fleet."
"How long are these storms going to go on for?" questioned Captain Bridges.
"At least another year, the eco-acceleration is entering the final stage. A provoked electrical storm that lasts 2 years jump starts the ecosystem and the rain adds the required water table, converting the planet from desert rock to a tropical paradise suitable for colonisation."
"Thank you Ensign Rush, but I didn't ask for the planet's life story." The captain was a soldier through and through, and didn't really care for the science.
"Sorry Cap..." An intense scream filled the sky interrupting the ensign. The Dreelarni had arrived.
Little was known of the Dreelarni, but one thing was certain; from all the fights that Earth had experienced with them they had never once allowed a human to live, they always investigated the crippled ships, the devastated out-posts and the annihilated colonies just to be sure there had been no survivors, and now they would do the same for Captain Bridges and the ensign.
"We have to get out of here!" yelled Captain Bridges, who then helped Ensign Rush to his feet, grabbed a weapon, and fled out of the carrier. The rain outside was hammering down with such intensity that it was making impressions in the ground and its density made the air so thick that the ensign, who didn't have environmental armour, was struggling to breath. The ground was badly sodden and their boots cut huge depressions in the mud as they walked.
The Dreelarni interceptor swooped majestically down towards the remains of the carrier and fired, cascades of fire bloomed high into the sky for mere seconds before the rain extinguished them. The carrier had been destroyed. A blue light emitted from the Dreelarni craft and panned across the surrounding area.
"What… gasp… are they doing?"
"I don't know, my guess is they're searching for survivors."
The beam approached the trees where the soldiers were hiding, it stopped and then vanished. The craft lurched up and prepared to land, but just as its landing support lowered a series of violent lightning strikes struck the rear of the craft. Deep red explosions ripped through the back of the ship and another loud scream echoed through the rain before it arched violently away from the soldiers and crashed in the distance.
"Wait here", the captain had to check it out, no one had ever seen a Dreelarni in the flesh before and he was dying to be the first. He moved slowly through the trees, flicking his head from side to side every few seconds, trying to dispel the rain on his visor that was obscuring his vision.
In the distance he could see the downed interceptor. A hatch opened. The captain leant forward trying to get a better look. Through the rain he could just about make out a large figure, its skin a deep orange and it was wearing minimal armour that reflected the surroundings in a way rather reminiscent of chrome. The alien moved nimbly in the mud, drew a device from his belt and held it up in the air. Another blue beam emanated from the device which swept 360 degrees through the landscape, and then stopped, pointing directly at the captain.
Captain Bridges turned and ran. His boots slipped in the mud but he did not fall and he did not stop. As he fled the alien screamed an incomprehensible language at him before beginning its pursuit of the captain.
The captain sprinted back to Ensign Rush and grabbed him, "Time to go ensign", the ensign clambered to his feet, and the captain quickly grabbed a communication device from his backpack and transferred a recording of the Dreelarni's ranting to it.
"The Dreelarni. It spoke! - I've managed to record it; hopefully this communicator will be able to translate it."
The soldiers continued to race through the forest, the rain blinding the captain and nearly drowning the ensign.
"Ensign!"
"Sir?"
"This rain is messing with my sight; if you can guide us to the valleys edge I'll try and keep both of us alive."
"Deal", agreed the ensign, "this way"
Bolts of blue light zipped past their heads, and exploded against the trees almost cutting them in two.
"Frak!" yelled the ensign, "Did you see that? It near cut the tree down!"
"Pull yourself together ensign", shouted the captain.
They changed direction trying to keep out of the firing line of the Dreelarni. The rain still hammered down and the ground was flooding. Before long it would be knee deep. They had to get to higher ground soon.
The Dreelarni fired another round at the soldiers; again the bolts cut vast chunks out of the trees they hit.
"Wait - I have an idea", the captain slowed, drew his weapon, aimed it at one of the wounded trees and fired. Yellow energy bolts whizzed through the sky cutting through the rain and dispersed against the tree.
"Come on, damn you!" shouted the captain trying to influence the tree to fall. He fired again. The Dreelarni was almost upon them. Once more he fired and finally the tree began to topple. With an almighty cracking sound the tree crashed down, striking against other trees in its decent starting a chain reaction of devastation. The Dreelarni stopped in his tracks and stared at the trees, it was too late. One of the trees collapsed onto the alien forcing him to the ground producing a six foot high spray of mud and water.
"Gotcha, you bastard!"
"Nice shot sir", complimented the ensign.
"Let's get out of here."
The edge of the valley was an almost vertical wall of rock; it would be a difficult climb in the down pour especially for Ensign Rush, who was still gagging on the rain. Slowly they climbed, their gloves and boots slipping on the rocks as the rain continued to blight their fight for freedom.
"Almost there", announced the ensign.
The summit was in sight, only a few more feet and they would be able to contact the fleet. The ensign suddenly halted his ascent, his hands frozen on the rocks and his face looking straight up at the captain.
"Ensign?"
The ensign's mouth opened and rain poured in, and a wash of blood flowed across his face.
"Ensign!" the captain moved closer, a blue bolt zipped past. "The Dreelarni!"
The ensign had taken a direct hit to the back, a large gapping hole now oozed blood, and as a third bolt flashed by the captain the body of the ensign slipped off the cliff and fell out of sight to the flooded valley below.
The captain gritted his teeth and continued his ascent. He clambered onto the top of the cliff, grabbed his communicator and transmitted a distress signal. He peered over the ledge; the Dreelarni was almost at the top. The Captain once again drew his weapon, pointed it at the alien and pulled the trigger. Nothing.
"Damn it!" the gun's charge was exhausted. All he could do now was to stand and fight. He glanced back up into the sky hoping that a rescue ship was approaching. He turned to check on the Dreelarni and was immediately thrown 20 feet through the air. The Dreelarni was already on the top.
The captain picked him self up, and stood staring directly at the alien warrior. It was enormous, standing nearly 8 feet tall, slender, but extremely muscular. Its triple jointed legs straightened giving it even more height, towering above Captain Bridges. Lightening flashed behind the Dreelarni, this surely was Death incarnate, but the captain was not going to give in easily.
"Translation completed, commencing playback", interrupted the captain's communicator. The warriors lunged at each other, fists clashing, their bodies twisting and turning trying desperately to overcome each other. They both pushed away and stood facing each other again.
"The Dreelarni Third Destiny…" continued the communicator.
They charged again, the captain slipped in the mud and they both wrestled in the sodden grass. Captain Bridges twisted quickly in the rain and managed to climb on top of the Dreelarni, he grabbed the aliens wrists in an attempt to over power the creature. The Dreelarni pivoted his legs around in an inhuman manner and they came crashing back down on the captain. He released his grip on the Dreelarni and slid away.
"Nice trick", the captain once again pounced on to the Dreelarni, this time he placed both hands on the aliens head and pushed it deep into the mud. The Dreelarni gasped desperately for some air.
"…will purge the galaxy…"
The alien in a final act wriggled and writhed furiously. The captain once again lost his grip in the mud. The Dreelarni using all his might pushed down with his legs and sprung back into the air throwing the captain close to the cliffs edge. The Dreelarni solider began a final charge, this time the captain would fail. The alien leapt into the air and just as it began to drop down on the captain a bolt of energy struck it in the back and it instantly turned to dust. The captain raised his head; the rescue ship had arrived.
"…of the virus that is Human kind. There is no place for you in this universe. There is no place for you to hide."
"Take us back to the fight lieutenant", ordered the captain.
"Aye, captain, on our way"
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