I had the Suzuki motorcycle on full throttle. I was swerving to make Itzak and myself a harder target to hit. I could still hear the gunshots. The track we were riding on were rough; I could feel the vibrations of the seat. Our pursuers were getting closer and closer. I swore I could feel the bullets whiz right by my head.

I had to keep going. I could not even pay attention to the bike's fuel gauge. I would rather escape than fight, especially as Itzak was with me.

I could rear our pursuers approach closer and closer. I glanced to my right and saw a motorcycle right next to me; its rider pointing a weapon.

I squeezed the brake handles and heard a shot less than a second later. The other bike went ahead of me.

And then it somehow shifted, like it changed shape, surrounding the rider.

It looked like it turned into a suit of armor. I came to a stop.

It did not seem that there was a way to outshoot this guy.

There was neither cover nor concealment around.

I could feel my heart racing.

I heard some shots, sounding like really loud firecrackers.

I turned my head and saw someone else wearing similar armor.

My pursuer then turned on the other person.

I immediately got on the bike, making sure Itzak was holding on. I could feel the wind blowing against me.

I turned the throttle and headed out. I glanced in the rear view mirror, and someone was chasing me.

I had to find cover.

I saw a grove of trees to my left, so I slowed down and steered. Itzak and I got off the bike. I scanned my surroundings for anything that can be used for concealment.

"There," whispered Itzak.

I saw he was pointing at a bush, so we went and hid behind there. I had to keep my eyes and ears open.

"Be quiet," I said to Itzak. I looked around. I could see the outline of trees, hear the various noises made by the native fauna.

I heard footsteps. Was it a wild animal?

I saw a human-shaped silhouette.

But was he friend or foe?

I held the barrel and grip of the submachinegun. I looked at the figure.

"Identify yourself," I said. "I mean no harm."

Maybe we could get talking, like I did with those militiamen from Itzak's village.

Instead, he raased the barrel of his weapon.

I ran even as he opened fire. I could hear the impact of weapons.

I used the trees as cover. I glanced and saw Itzak, out in the open.

My heart raced.

"Take cover!" I yelled.

He threw something at the armored man; I heard something crack. He stumbled back. Itzak kept throwing two more things at him.

I ran in, and fired the submachinegun at his face. The armored man finally stumbled down.

I walked up to him and glanced down. His face was a red ruin.

I took a look at our attacker. Wearing that armor, he appeared to be perhaps a little over two meters in height. The armor appeared to be made of some sort of metal.

The most obvious feature I saw were two rubber tires mounted on the shoulders

This was a Cyclone veritech motorcycle. "We have ourselves a Cyclone," I said. "This will definitely help us."

I had known what these were. A veritech machine that can transform between a motorcycle and power armor. The United Earth Forces first put them into use maybe twelve years ago.

I did wonder where this guy got a Cyclone. They had been developed just before the Invid Invasion.

Then I remember about something I heard in the news when I first started in the Aerospace Academy, four years ago. There had been a failed attempt to take Earth from the Invid. The Robotech Expeditionary Force's 10th Space Fleet Division was lost.

Could this have belonged to one of the Space Marines that had landed on the planet? Could some of them be stranded on Earth, like I was?

The man who tried to kill me and Itzak may have taken this from a dead Space Marine.

Or he could have been a Space Marine who went native after the failed counterinvasion and became the unlucky sap who got killed.

By me.

I never thought I would have to kill a human.

But there was no time to dwell on these thoughts. We had to relocate.

I took a small flashlight from the side pack. I knew there had to be some sort of switch that would allow this suit of armor to transform into motorcycle mode. I checked the interior. I did see the speedometer and engine gauges.

Then I saw it, right near where one of the handlebars folded into.

"Here it goes," I said.

I toggled the switch.

The Cyclone underwent this transformation. Mechanical parts shifted around. It then had the form of a motorcycle; its dead rider fell out.

I noticed the rider had been wearing some sort of body armor. With a few tugs, I managed to remove it. I then wore it over my torso.

"Okay," I said to Itzak. "Let's go."

I hopped on the Cyclone and rode out; we picked up Itzak's bike along the way.

Ooooooooo

The Cyclone is a bit clunkier than most motorcycles, about as clunky as the heaviest model of Harley Davidson. I rode along the rough road, making sure Itzak, riding on his father's motorcycle, was visible in the mirror.

We arrived at a bushy area. There should sufficient concealment.

We took some sleeping bags from the compartment of the motorcycle. The bags were sturdy and they had this camouflage pattern. We would be difficult to see at night.

I also used some camouflage cover to conceal both the Cyclone and the Suzuki. I had to admit, Ebrahim was well-prepared.

I looked and saw Itzak sleeping soundly. I stared up at the night sky. There were few clouds; I can see the stars as they would appear from Earth's surface.

I thought about the human I killed.

I did not know if he was a bad guy or a villain. For all I knew, he was a soldier fighting under the laws of war. He might have had hopes and dreams, like Itzak.

And yet, we may have been thrust into conflict because of a fight over territory.

A conflict I found myself in because I was an engineer on a ship that hunted the Invid. The crew of that ship must have killed dozens of Invid during their hunts for protoculture. Did Invid have hopes and dreams?

These thoughts kept running as I drifted off to sleep.