How could it have come to this? They were inferior! They were beaten! Where did they get such spirit? Their morale had been broken, their forces driven back, hunted down, obliterated… Yet still they came, roaring of their righteous glory and bringing retribution by fire for their fallen kin. Any other enemy would have lain down their arms and grovelled before the might of the Tedi military, but these squirrels… They were stubborn, they were numerous, they were…

Von Gulag waited in the shadows casting such thoughts from his mind. He could hear footsteps coming down the corridor above the sound of distant gunfire. The enemy was here, but he was waiting and ready…

"Heads down, boys!"

The squad of squirrels lowered their heads to their chests as an explosion split the air. Dirt and rubble plummeted passed them, down the cliff face, tumbling to oblivion.

Sarge looked up at the ragged wall of stone. He and his squad had another twenty feet of near vertical rock to scale before they were amongst the main tower's defences. Sounds of bitter fire-fighting floated down from on high.

"Come on!" he growled, lunging upwards and dragging himself up to the next ledge. Gritting buck teeth his troops followed him. There were fifteen in all. Mostly grunts, a few long rangers, even a demolisher. They had climbed up the east face of the mountain as the main force carried on up the pass. A second squad, led by Captain Rodgers, were making their way up the west face. The idea was to get in amongst the Tediz defences while the main force engaged them in a more direct fashion.

"Nearly there, guys! Bit more and we can join up with the Captain!"

He could see Castle Teddistein's upper parapets above him. They were nearly there. With another stretch he hooked an arm over the lip of the final ledge. Slowly he peeked over the top, looking around. Holding a finger to his lips Sarge beckoned his squad to ascend the last few feet in silence.

One by one the soldiers dropped onto the weathered flagstones of a small courtyard. To one side Castle Teddistein's ancient walls towered above them. In front of them, arrayed along a parapet, were Tedi troops, far too busy blasting away at targets below them to realise they had been outflanked. A Tedi machine gun nest was nearby, their six barrelled death machine laying down a wasting hail of fire. The roar of the cannon had nicely covered any noise the squad of squirrels were making.

Sarge didn't need to give a command. His squad spread out as he himself unhooked a grenade from his gear. They all hunkered down behind buttresses, pillars and crates. There would be only one chance to surprise the Tediz and Sarge wanted to make it count. Big time! He got a nod from his Corporal and then he tossed the grenade.

The dull clink as it hit the ground caused only one Tedi grunt to quickly look over his shoulder before he turned back to firing wildly over the battlement. However a moment later he obviously thought something he had only vaguely noticed first time around deserved a second glance. It was the longest glance of the Tedi's life.

"Bugga-aaaAAAAH!"

The explosion threw the Tedi troops into immediate disarray. Most that weren't immediately turned into shreds of fur were blown screaming over the high castle walls. Several were bowled over by the force of the explosion, one or two seemed to escape unscathed. The crew of the machine gun post tried to rotate the weapon to face their new attackers. That was until Sarge ordered his troops to open fire. The defenders, on this part of the wall at least, were wiped out to the last Tedi.

"Onto the wall, lads! Let's see if we can give the boys below some covering fire! You two, get onto that cannon!"

"Yes, sir!"
The squad advanced taking up positions along the now damaged ramparts. However instead of immediately opening fire the squad, to a squirrel, were stunned into inactivity by what they saw.

The troops that had continued up the mountain had seized a secondary part of the fortress built on a lower, smaller outcrop of the mountain's peak. A cable car system connected this with the main stronghold. The majority of the SHC forces were using this hazardous method of transport to try and storm the castle's main tower. Explosions rocked the cars as Tediz and squirrels exchanged fire. One squad made it to the landing intact before an incendiary grenade exploded amongst them. Those that didn't fall to their deaths were gunned down. But still more squads followed, and inch by inch. They were making a foothold. But at what a cost, thought Sarge.

"Don't just stand there!" he roared, gathering his wits. "Keep firing. Don't stop while a Tedi lives!"

The squad as one let rip at whatever they could see sporting the red, white and black symbol of the Tediz. The Sarge took aim and gunned down a nest of snipers who, until now, enjoyed easy pickings on the cable cars. The demolisher blew the top off a smaller tower below that had been hiding another Tedi machine gun post. The squad's captured cannon also took its toll on the defenders, raking their positions, chewing up fur and stone alike.

For a moment the Tedi guns seemed to stutter as the forces were suddenly attacked from this new direction. It took only that moment to the Tediz to reorganise and continue their barrage on the cable cars as well as return fire on Sarge's position. Further along the parapet the corporal took a round in the eye.

"Keep firing, keep firing!" commanded Sarge. The press of squirrels on the landing forced its way to the gates. Squirrel demolishers began laying charges. A few frantic moments later an explosion sent a shudder through the ancient stronghold. Sarge watched as Tediz began abandoning positions, retreating deeper into the castle.

"Sir, look!"

Sarge peered into the distance, following the pointing finger of the Long Ranger, Hatchworth. At the far cable car landing, below an SHC flag that had replaced the Tediz standard, a light flashed a coded message.

"Landing seized. Continue into castle. Good work," translated the Hatchworth before turning his sights back to the walls below.

"Did we do it, Sarge?" a grunt asked earnestly.

"We completed this part of our mission, boys," Sarge said gravely. "Now it's time for a good old fashioned storming of the castle. Come on!"

Abandoning their posts the squirrels sought a way into the Tedi's stronghold.

The greasy-wet stones of the corridor were illuminated by muzzle flash.

"Keep up the pressure on that left tunnel. Hatchworth, see if you can spot their damn sniper!"

"Sir!" said the Hatchworth, raising himself slightly from his crouch, his eyes probing the shadows of distant corridors. Sarge turned around and yelled down the tunnel behind them.

"Any progress, boys?"

"That's a negative, sir," came the slightly echoing reply. "Another dead end."

"Damn!" Sarge cursed.

One of the grunts started muttering as he fired, baring buck teeth as he absorbed the recoil of his rifle.

"I knew we shoulda taken that left turn at Alber…"

He stopped abruptly as another squirrel clouted him on his helmeted head.

"Shaddup!"

Sarge weighed up the situation. They were making slow progress through the passageways of the castle. Every turn seemed to conceal Tedi defenders who had resigned themselves to sitting tight and waiting in ambush. Right now they were firing on a complicated intersection of tunnels guarded by some well dug-in troops. They could keep trying to force them back… Or go down another floor.

"Okay boys. Hatchworth! You, Gordon, Smiley and Leggs stay here and keep those Tediz occupied. The rest of you, with me. We're going back to the stairs!"

There was a muted chorus of disapproval from the squad beneath the continuing gunfire.

"You want to try storming that position?"
There was a great deal less enthusiasm from the squirrels this time.

"Right!" said Sarge, his point made. He turned back to Hatchworth. "Distract them for one minute, then grenade them and high tail it down to the next level.

"Okay Sarge."
"This way guys!" roared Sarge, beckoning bon his squad. "Pick it, Drebbles," he said to a diminutive grunt as they fumbled their rifle.

The squad made their way back to the spiralling staircase. Two squirrels were waiting there guarding the staircase.

"Any trouble?" Sarge asked.

Both shook their heads.

"Going down?" one asked.

"Why break the habit of a lifetime," replied Drebbles, being careful to avoid Sarge's glare that he knew would follow.

The two guards spun around. They knew the drill by now. They had already returned to this staircase three times now. The squirrel on point first glanced left, down the stairs, then right, before turning left again and beginning his decent.

"Clear!" the second soldier shouted over his shoulder as he took up position facing up the stairs. The rest of the squad piled down the stairway, being careful not to trip over each other on the narrow steps.

When Sarge reached the next landing down his squad had already taken up positions covering a long wide hallway. Alcoves were spread along the entire length of the tunnel until it ended at a large double door. All was still and silent until an explosion from the floor above shook dust free from the ceiling. Sarge spat into the nearest alcove to his left.

"As soon as Hatchworth and the others get down here we'll start along this corridor, understand?"

There were various nods and grunts of affirmation. One 'yeah' was particularly raspy.

"Is that you again, Drebbles? You swallowed a cobweb?"

"Not me, Sarge," came the slightly nasal, but perfectly clear reply.

"Then what…?"

Sarge trailed off as he felt fear twist in his stomach. He turned to the nearby alcove and saw a glint of steel in amongst the shadows. He turned dumbly, body not heeding desperate signals from his brain. Something whirled through the air close to his head, but Sarge was concentrating on the shape in the darkness. It was already moving… The face of a Tedi, garbed in a long black coat, slipped from the shadowed tunnel, sword in hand. His squad were only now just realising something was amiss, Sarge could almost see what was about to happen, and was powerless. The anger and frustration quickly turned to confusion as the Tedi seeker slumped forward onto the floor.

"Huh?" said one of the squad.

"Where did he…?" said another.

Sarge said nothing. He had noticed the throwing knife sticking out of the Tedi's chest. He turned back to the stairs as another shape stepped into the light of the hallway from the floor below. It was a squirrel seeker.

"Lieutenant!" hissed Sarge, but he had nothing else to say. The Seeker just grinned.

"You're welcome. He was waiting to take your head off. Come on… this way!"

The Lieutenant jogged off down the tunnel, her feet making no sound on the rough concrete.

With a clatter of boots and rattle of equipment Hatchworth and the other squirrels arrived from the floor above.

"Everything okay, Sarge?" he asked.

"Dandy!" was the terse reply. Then, without another word, Sarge beckoned his squad onwards. They followed, variously grinning at Sarge or looking with disgust at the dead Tedi.

"Not gonna be shown up by a bloody red-headded…" his grumbling trailed off as the squad advanced. They kept close to the walls before assembling into a defensive position next to the large double doors. The Lieutenant was already working on the lock.

"So…" Sarge began. He was looking back down the tunnel, eyes probing the shadows for more Tediz trying to sneak up on them.

"So," repeated the Lieutenant in far more matter-of-fact tones.

"You know where we're going?" he asked again.

"Yep," the seeker replied.

"Care to share that with me and the rest of the boys?" said Sarge, sweeping his hand in a wide arc to indicate the squad. In answer the Lieutenant straightened up and grinned.

"We're going through the door."

She winked and gave the doors a hard shove. They creaked open on hinges that were desperately thirsty for oil. There was a mad scrambling from the assembled squad as they manoeuvred to train weapons on this new path of attack.

"Why you stupid, bloody-minded…" the Sarge began fuming. However the Lieutenant silenced him by putting a hand beneath his chin and holding his mouth shut.

"Relax… I knew there was no-one on the other side of the door. While you were asking silly questions I was listening to what was on the other side." She smiled every-so-sweetly and padded off through door and round a bend in the tunnel.

The squad as one edged a little away from Sarge as a vein began to throb on his forehead. All that is except one soldier.

"Huh-huh…" someone laughed dumbly, though stopped abruptly when Sarge whirled around to face them.

"Right, Drebbles. You just volunteered to go on point! Now MOVE IT!"

The squirrel grunt's legs whirled in the air for a moment before finding grip on the flagstones. He shot up to the corner of the tunnel and peeped around.

"All clear!" the Lieutenant's voice called back. Drebbles turned an apologetic expression back on his leader.

With a face like thunder Sarge led the squad forward.

The tunnel, after a short walk, ended at an entrance to a small open-air courtyard. It was quite obvious that they were not the first to arrive. One of the shattered walls was evidence of the Captain's spectacular entrance. The bodies of both squirrels and Tediz that littered the cobbles were proof that the defenders had not been taken totally by surprise.

"Holy-moley!" said Drebbles and Hatchworth answered with a whistle. All were looking at the scene of devastation with a morbid awe.

"That gate," the Lieutenant said to Sarge indicating a huge set of wooden doors that stood open on the right of the courtyard. There was no more tone of playful banter. This was business now. This is what they were looking for.

"Right," Sarge whispered and turned to his squad.

"This is it boys! Our objective. Two groups, one on either side of the doorway. Cover each other as we move up. You all know what to do."

There were a series of grim faced nods before the squirrels spread throughout the courtyard. They stayed low, expecting shouts and gunfire from Tediz waiting for squirrel reinforcements. No such calls came. The squad took up their positions unmolested.

"Okay…" muttered Sarge and risked a peek in through the doorway. The Lieutenant, on the opposite side of the doorway, risked a glance too.

Inside was large chamber stretching good way back, thick pillars supporting the high vaulted roof. There was a platform roughly in the centre of the hall, on which was an upright ring of riveted metal, standing three or four times taller than even Hatchworth. Thick bundles of cables led from the ring to complex machinery that crackled with green lightening. In some far-away part of his mind, Sarge acknowledged that this was the SHC's objective. They had been sent hear to destroy it… 'The Machine'. However what held the Sarge's attention were the dozens of mangled bodies of Tediz and SHC troops alike, littering the chambers floor. His eyes followed the rough path of devastation that led to one corpse in particular. Amongst the piled dead, on the dais before the metal ring of the Machine he could see the Captain. He was limply hanging in the grip of a Tedi. This was a Tedi that Sarge recognised, or at least had been described to him.

"Von Gulag…" he heard the Lieutenant whisper. The Tedi, obviously hearing even this little sound, looked up.

"Shit!"

The Sarge glanced around at Hatchworth's breathless exclamation. His squad had arrayed themselves so they could all get a view of what was inside. The Tedi Von Gulag grinned.

"Too late, squirrlies," he rasped. Immediately the Machine behind him began to crackle with energy. Green light filled the chamber as well as an acrid burning smell.

"Well don't just stand there, fire!" cried the Lieutenant. As one the squirrels opened fire. Von Gulag darted away, behind a pillar and out of sight, leaving the hail of bullets to hit the Machine itself. Some ricocheted off the steel halo; others disappeared into the green glow that was forming at its centre. Without a target the squad ceased fire.

"Move in!" ordered Sarge and squirrels piled into the room, finding whatever cover they could. Now they came under fire. A few Tediz had obviously been waiting and now opened up on the squirrels as the darted through the door. Sarge heard a cry from behind him as he returned fire, forcing the Tedi grunts back down behind the platform. The squad quickly found itself embroiled in a bitter fire-fight. The SHC troops lucky enough to find themselves in some kind of cover dived to the floor, guns rattling as they laid down fire on the Tediz, trying to keep the enemy pinned down while their squad mates found refuge from the maelstrom of battle. Many weren't fast enough.

"What now, Sarge?" asked Drebbles. The Sarge turned to face the soldier in time to see the back half of his head explode outwards. Drebbles' body slumped onto the floor as, from the back of the hall, a Tedi sniper cackled.

"Goddam you!" wailed Sarge and fired randomly, hoping to hit something through sheer quantity of bullets. A missile from the demolisher screamed by overhead and lit the other end of the hall in explosive Fury.

"The Machine!" Sarge yelled at his missile wielding comrade. "Aim for the Machine!"

Reaching down Sarge pulled a grenade from his belt and flung it at the green glow that now filled the space at the centre of the metal ring. Like a deadly shadow the Von Gulag appeared and struck the grenade in midair, batting it away from the contraption. Almost immediately the Lieutenant was on him, weaving through the hail of bullets to get to grips with her own personal objective. The two seekers locked swords, bullets sparking off stone and metal around them. Above the grenade exploded high against the ceiling, bringing a rain of debris down on the battle. Squirrel and Tedi, locked in combat, dodging and feinting in desperate struggle. The lieutenant landed a kick on Von Gulag and he toppled backwards, off the dais. Leaping after him the Lieutenant disappeared back into the shadows at the side of the hall to pursue for foe.

Sarge readied another grenade and tried once again to blow their objective to kingdom come. The projectile soared through the air but just as it neared the green light it bounced, rebounding back into the hallway to explode against one of the thick pillars. The Sarge watched disbelieving as a shadow appeared amongst the green light. Slowly it coalesced into the towering form of a Tedi, though it didn't wear a Tedi uniform like the others. Its body was covered in battered red armour plating and it held a gun the likes of which Sarge had never seen before, though it reminded him of the sort found bolted to the top of heavily armoured vehicles. One of the Tedi's eyes glowed red as it let out a deep, grating laugh. It raised its cannon, pointing it directly at Sarge.

"Bring him down!" Sarge screamed before the future-Tedi's shell exploded right in front of him.

Von Gulag looked up, still holding the squirrel seeker's dripping head in one hand. He saw the future Tedi lumber through the portal, a monstrous creature of fur and machine. Leaving the dead seeker he poked his head around a pillar in time to see an explosion tear through several squirrel troops. One landed nearby, trailing missing limbs, and began soaking the floor with thick, dark red. Von Gulag spared a quick glance at the tattered body of the squirrel's Sergeant before turning back to the battle. A rocket struck the future-Tedi square in the chest. It still stood! Its fur was singed, armour dented, but it still stood its ground and even unslung a massive six barrelled gattling gun. Von Gulag watched in amazement as it hefted the weapon with ease and began to tear the squirrels apart with shells. What a marvel these future Tediz were, how right their Leader had been to risk this venture. With these new allies, the Tediz would march unopposed across time and space.

A movement distracted Von Gulag. Looking down he noticed the SHC sergeant's corpse was pointing a gun at him with its one remaining arm.

"Eat lead asshole!" the squirrel gurgled and fired. The aim was poor, but it caught Von Gulag in the shoulder. He staggered backwards onto the dais clutching at the ragged rent in his coat as it began to disgorge blood. He regained his feet in time to see the remaining SHC troops training weapons on him. The future Tedi stuck out an armour-plated arm, trying to shield Von Gulag from the fire. It was not enough.

He felt the bullets hit him, the sickening sensation as they slipped through his body. He saw one of his swords fall to the floor and held up a shattered hand, fingers dangling from ragged stumps. One of the last shots went straight between his eyes.

"Uh… dam… squ…" he mumbled. The blood in his mouth was making it hard to speak. It bubbled as he tried to cough it out of his lungs. Slowly the Tedi Commander began to collapse backwards. Green light engulfed him…

I suppose death finds us all. I was so close… So close…

He was distantly aware of voices. Several of them talking all around him… He could only listen…

"Should tha' be tha' coluh?"

"Nah… Take it away."

"Loze thu arm? Oh… lost thu arm… well nevva mind. I'm sure we can find 'im anuvva one."

"What about duh eye?"

"We go' eneh in stock?"

"Naaaah… Jus' lots uv earz…"

"Hmmm… I wonda…"

"Soddit, we'll leave it."

"Why' is tha' doin' tha'?"

"Wha?"

"Makin' thu littl' 'nip 'nip' noises?"

"No idea. Rip it owt!"

"Oooh! Lookit I founded!

"Wha'? AH! Put tha' down! He needs tha'!"

"Is ee awake?"

"Hit duh button, jus' in case!"

Slowly the voices faded away again…

"Towers one and two and under heavy attack, sir!"
"Goddam it, where are our reinforcements?"

"I've lost contact with the SHC ship in orbit sir, the Tediz have jammed our signal."

"Damn!"

"Troops in the field are requesting orders, sir."

The SHC commander pounded the control panel with a gloved fist, shattering a holographic display. He looked through the window at the valley below and the distant sister towers of his own command post. Explosions lit the twilight gloom as Tedi forces surrounded and engulfed the defenders. He had beaten back the Tedi onslaught on three different planets, had saved his crew if not his ship during a vicious boarding action… However here he seemed defeated. Something about the cyborg Tediz here… There was a zeal they didn't have before. A focus to their bloodthirsty rage…

"Is there anything we can do, sir?"

The Commander turned to his deck officer.

"Issue battle armour to all non-combat staff and deploy whatever troops we do have to defend the tower..."

"But, sir…"

"Do as I say!" snapped the commander.

"Sir!"

The officer had gone two steps when there was a rending explosion from the door of the control room. All squirrels present dived to the floor as smoke and debris flew in all directions.

The commander looked up to see a gang of future Tediz standing in the gaping chasm of twisted metal. At their fore was a seeker. In one hand he held an energy sword, like those carried bay all Tedi covert operatives. In the other construction of metal that had been riveted to his shoulder he held a high powered sharpshooter rifle. His eyes narrowed; one was pulsing red, the other was clouded white.

Beneath his breathing mask Gulag grinned.

I was close, very close. I have no doubt that death will find me… But not yet! Not yet…