Pryle Weaver lifted his leg from resting on the pile of insectoid flesh that lie before him. As his left foot found it's natural place next to it's right twin, he lifted his 8mm C-14 Impaler Gauss Rifle with both hands and nonchalantly fired another burst of bullet-spikes at the chest of the abomination on the floor. It let out it's last, but still shrill shriek. Pryle looked right into it's eyes and held the creature's glare as it's eyes finally glazed over.
Game over.
He hadn't see the spikes penetrate the creature's chest plates because, he knew, they travelled at hypersonic speeds. He also knew it was his first few, well-aimed shots that had taken the beast down. He could see the blood-filled gapes in his foe's side and chest, including the new ones he had just inflicted. He probably hadn't needed to shoot again, but you could never be sure here. With an enemy that managed to hyper-evolve, not just physically to any weapon you brought against it, but also strategically to any tactic you used against it, you could never really be sure.
This one had almost killed him. Almost.
Thank the stars for whatever dumbass managed to pull off the invention of stimpacks.
He fought back the craving that crept through his mind after every battle won, every enemy struck down. He wanted firmly to lift the helmet on his thick, heavy body armour and smell the horrendous, yet vindicating odour of another hydralisk dead. It was such an enticing offer. He had but to simply push a trigger that would expose himself to the atmosphere outside. The action would kill him surely, for Jotis was not a planet that supported human life. He would suffocate, but his last breath would be rich in the vengeance he had just extracted.
"Pryle, are you alright?" The voice broke his dangerous reverie. It was light and had a melody of it's own. He had not realized that she was so near now. She was alone, standing a few feet behind him. It hardly mattered though, because he would have heard her even if she were snuggled in her standard quarters miles above, in the battlecrusier that they couldn't see but knew orbited overhead. Her communication frequency, indeed everyone's in his company, stretched across the size of the small planet they were on.
"I'm fine, Cherish."
"It all happened so quickly. As soon as we killed the other two, we noticed you were missing. I had to break communication silence to ask the Hoenir to establish a geographical lock on your locati…" Pryle had to shut her out. He was never one for the unnecessary, and this was indeed just that. He understood perfectly well the mechanics behind finding a fellow marine's location via asking the behemoth cruiser above to pinpoint the locater fixed in his suit.
"We should rejoin the company now Cherish." He cut her off, but it was necessary. "We have to reach the extraction point by the anointed time or we'll be left behind."
Cherish's eyes betrayed the temporary verbal stumble she felt when she was cut off. But the look lasted but half a second. Now that she had her orders, she replaced the surprise in her eyes with ambition. "Right, sir. Dropships wait for no man." She repeated the old Dominion proverb that was drilled into the thoughts of any new marine. "Or woman. I'll lead the way, sir."
She turned on her heels gracefully, or as much so as was possible in a heavy body armour suit. She began to run that gait that was so characteristic of Terran marines everywhere. Pryle followed, forced to slow down his normal pace.
Jotis was a world almost not worthy of any mention or visit. It was a small world of a methane liquid ocean and a single archipelago that stretched across it's equator. It was upon the outside perimeter of one of those islands that Pryle and Cherish now ran. Though the historical report of Jotis mentioned a great diversity of flora that flourished on it's islands, the two marines ran on sand that would have been more typical of a desert planet. A mile to their right, with nothing between to obstruct the view, spanned the toxic ocean of Jotis that covered ninety percent of it's surface. To their left, the sand underneath them stretched itself miles into the distance. Other than the random patch of creep that covered parts of the ground, the only break in scenery was a cluster of building remnants that dotted the horizon. Pryle knew it was what was left of the small base and mining operation stationed here before the Zerg had suddenly come down on the planet, like an iron fist. No survivors were found, circumstances very similar to…
No. He did not have the luxury of remembrance. He had a mission. He had a goal. He had a new purpose now. He felt a slight tingle in his head. The implant. He knew it was in response to the increase of certain hormones due to the stimuli of his memories. He needed to distract himself. He focused his gaze ahead. Admire the view, old man. But alas, only more desert sand along the shoreline. His thoughts settled on the body running in front of him instead.
She was new to the company and a novice marine fresh out of re-education. Not many women became marines. Not only was the overwhelming majority of criminals male, but those females who did cross Dominion law usually were not mentally conditioned and re-educated. It was not so much that the Dominion, though abundant with discrimination, was sexist. It was rather that the drugs used during the process usually didn't mix well with the hormones present in large quantities in females. The process also included brain surgery in which implants were made that helped to curve criminal behaviour, the kind that instigated rebellion. Those implants didn't have as strong an impact on the unique structure of the female brain as it had on the brains of men. Female marines were dangerous therefore, deemed the emperor. Mengsk and his Dominion feared them.
It was a tribute to her abilities that Cherish managed to get a spot in this company while so green. Pryle knew she must be invaluable on the hunt. She must be a fearless predator. That, or the higher-ups wanted her to be in good company should the drugs or implant fail.
In the horizon, Pryle could make out the shape of a dropship anchored on land. They weren't far now. That was well, for twilight had started to settle. The only thing worse than dodging the poisonous darts that hydralisks delighted in shooting at marines was trying to do the same in relative darkness.
The two marines gradually tugged along. At some point, thought the monotonous environment made it difficult to discern distance, they passed the lifeless forms of two hydralisks. One was laying across the other.
Pryle tried to catch a glimpse of Cherish's face, but couldn't. He only saw part, though he could have sworn it appeared a smile had dawned on her lips.
She was a predator.
He would not complain. He nursed a special hatred in his heart for the Zerg. They had taken everything from him. When those hydralisks had jumped them just shortly before, Pryle was ecstatic to notice one of the three breaking away. It ran, though he had never seen a Zerg do so before, and so he had followed. He had acted as his own personal vigilante.
They broke their gait and slowed to a walk now that they were merely half a mile or so from the dropship. The figure of a lone marine stood between them and the ship.
"Well, damned Tarsonis. It's about time." The marine spoke as they drew closer. "I just about thought we was gonna need to break out a few vultures and see what Zerg finally managed to kill the commander."
"It's good to see you too, Byte." Pryle smiled as he spoke to the marine. Byte was not the brightest of the company, but he was twice the size of most marines and had the loyalty of a golden retriever. "I'm glad you didn't leave without us."
Pryle knew the others in the company were inside, most likely strapped in and ready to go. Byte flashed his crooked smile at Pryle's last comment, and swung his colossal body around. Pryle and Cherish followed Byte and started for the lowered walkway.
"I want to thank you sir." started Cherish. "I appreciate the level of confidence you showed in me by allowing me to accompany you on this missi…."
Pryle hadn't heard the warning spoken by the communications officer on the Hoenir. He could blame the inexperienced Cherish for bursting into another monologue, but he didn't.
He didn't notice, until too late, the burr of some flying creature smash into the right side of the dropship. He could blame the blanket of twilight that had hug itself in the air, but he didn't.
He hadn't seen the explosion until a force had already sent him flying. He could blame Byte's size that had shielded his vision from the blast, but he didn't.
He wouldn't. A good leader never would.
The explosion shook Pryle to his core. Every inch of his body was trembling uncontrollably. Suddenly, he found himself flying from the force of the blast.
This wasn't the first time an explosion had given him wings.
He had landed on his side. He was sure he heard the cracks of bones snapping. Everything in his line of vision was spinning in a vortex of blur. Pryle knew he must get up. Assess the situation. Save anyone in the company who hadn't perished. He struggled to push his body off the ground, but just as he began to gain some height, darkness consumed his vision. He fell and allowed himself the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.