A/N: Hey everyone. So sorry for the delay. Life really got in the way and I've been exhausted (working full-time this summer). I also needed to take some time to think about the scope of the story because there is so much to explore in this crossover. Anyway, hopefully, the long chapter makes up for it. Here we go!
"We should fall back, sir!" Jackson screamed over the noise of bullets and machine gun rounds.
"Not an option. If we don't stop this thing, it'll head straight for NLA!" Dunban shouted over his shoulder as he discharged his assault rifle, sending a shower of bullets towards the giant Cinicula. The sound was deafening; his ears rang. He clenched his jaw as pain exploding through his head, the cacophonous sound filling his mind, disrupting his concentration, but he pulled the trigger, again and again, aiming at the creature's head.
The bullets landed, lodging themselves into the Cinicula's tough skin. It screeched and swung its head to the left, sending a male BLADE flying backward onto a hill. Enraged, the Cinicula reigned up on its legs, shrieking once more. The high pitch was ear-splitting. Dunban cringed the assault on his ears heavier, making his head swim.
"What are your orders, sir?" Jackson yelled.
The Cinicula dropped back to the ground on all fours, roaring at the humans scattered in a semi-circle around it. It pawed at the ground like a horse. It was ready to charge.
There was no time for an elaborate plan; he'd make it up as they went along. Dunban tapped on his earpiece, eyes laser-focused on the enemy. "Roger and Charles: flank its right! Veronica and Eddie: focus on the tail! Shoot him with everything you have," he commanded. Snapping his head towards Jackson, Dunban could see the young man quaking in his boots, eyes wide with fear. The young man's hand tapped the trigger of his gun rhythmically. He could hit anything at any second.
This was no place for him. A new recruit to BLADE, Jackson wasn't ready for combat, even though he'd passed his field test. Dunban could see it clear as day. Internally, he swore. This was not the time to be down one man. But it'd be easier to have him out of the way than worry about him in the middle of the battle.
"Take the speeder to the nearest Base Camp. Call for backup."
Tossing the keys to him, Dunban watched as Jackson race towards the transport a hundred feet away. A raspy bellow snapped his attention back to the to the hulking monster. With another grunt, it lowered its head, and charged, straight in his direction.
He cursed and backpedaled. Feet pounding the dirt, Dunban tore his gaze to the right and caught sight of his team following orders, surrounding the giant beetle-like animal. The sounds of gunfire filled the air once more as they kept pace with the galloping monster, shooting at the exposed, vulnerable parts of its body. Splotches of purple liquid splattered onto the ground as bullets punctured its body. But the Cinicula showed no signs of stopping. Rather, the violence made it angrier, and the monster howled, swerving its large head back and forth, hitting Roger and Charles and sending them hundreds of yards away.
The tyrant refocused on Dunban, chittering as it resumed its pursuit, and the man dashed forward across the grassy plain. Eyes darted left and right, trying to find something, anything that would help him defeat the creature. In his periphery, he saw a rock formation: gray and brown boulders stacked haphazardly on top of one another. He raced towards it and the earth shook as the lumbering of the monster closed the distance between himself and it. As he reached the boulders, Dunban pulled himself up, climbing as fast as he could muster, his upper body muscles squeezing out every shred of energy left in his body. He didn't need to reach the top. He only needed to be high enough to tower over the Cinicula.
Twisting his neck, Dunban saw the creature gaining. He had half a minute to get in position. He scurried up another boulder, then reached for the next. It was just out of reach. Desperately, he tried to grab for a hand-hold, but his fingers couldn't find one, and scraped at the stone, cutting at his finger pads. He slipped and scrambled to steady himself and not fall off the edge. Heart pounding in his chest, Dunban dared a glance at the creature: it was closing in. Swearing, he turned back. Narrowing his eyes, he bent his knees as best he could without falling. Closing his eyes, he took a breath and jumped, hand barely catching the ledge above. Dunban groaned as pulled himself up one more boulder. Heaving, he stood up. No time for a breather.
Whipping around, he pulled his rifle from his shoulder. The Cinicula was fifty feet away, stomping the ground, blind with rage despite its bleeding wounds across its body.
"Five." He whispered.
The monster sprinted forward.
"Four."
Dunban rushed to pull out a new clip for the gun from his belt.
"Three."
The boulder shook from the Cinicula's stampede as it neared.
"Two."
Dunban's hands fumbled with the clip.
"One."
The monster lowered its head, ready to slam into the rocks.
Dunban locked it in and pulled the trigger. Bullets flew, sailing through the air and piercing into the monster's eyes. It screamed in pain, staggering and swaying from side to side, its back spikes spasming. Dunban's soldiers attacked, unloading every last bullet they had into the Cincula's body.
Growling, it pulled itself back, then slugged forward, determined, smashing straight into the rock formation.
The shock forced him off-balance. His knees wobbled and he swore, throwing his gun over his back. As the boulders collapsed under him, he swallowed and jumped, flying through the air, towards the Cinicula. His body screamed in protest as the Cinicula began to open its jaws, but it was too late; he prayed to God that this would work. Otherwise, he was dead.
Blood roared in his ears as he drew his longsword. Hollering, Dunban raised the swords high, and as he began to descend, sliced downward, cutting into the Cinicula's nose. Purple sprayed over him as the beast snapped its jaws closed and shook its head from side to side furiously, knocking Dunban to the ground. Dunban rolled away as the monster attempted to stomp on him, blood pouring down its face. The ground rattled with each pound, but the pain from its wounds was too much for the creature. The bleeding continued to flow across the Cinicula's body. Slowly, the monster crumpled to the ground, its cries of pain splitting the air.
Panting, Dunban rolled onto his stomach, listening as his team continued its onslaught against the monster. He turned his face towards the tyrant. It whimpered, its eye watching him. The pupil contracted, thendilatedd, its life force fading away.
Finally, it stilled.
Silence.
Hoots and hollers filled the air. Grunting, Dunban stood, brushing himself off. Blinking, he rubbed his temples. The faint sound of ringing still echoed in his ears. Shaking his head, he grabbed his longsword from the ground. Purple trails curled down his blades and he wiped them off on the dirt and grass. Looking up, Dunban gazed at the animal. Ignoring the celebrations of his team, the man remained silent, staring at the open eye, now blank, the soul inside the creature gone to whatever afterlife existed — if there even was one.
Though his face betrayed no emotion, sadness crept inside Dunban's heart. Had humanity never come to this planet, this creature, like many others, would not have died in such a way. The man knew that they'd had no choice in the matter to land here for protection, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were disrupting the life that had already thrived on the planet. Survival of the fittest was a part of nature, but he couldn't shake the guilt.
A sweeping rage thundered inside of him as he recalled the forces who had led them here. If he were to ever find out who they were—
"Captain! You did it!"
Charles, a blond young man, rushed over to Dunban, the others in tow, all grinning from ear to ear. Most were bruised, but their shining eyes indicated that they were anything but worse for wear. Inside, Dunban's anger receded as quickly as it came, back to the corner of his heart where it rested, invisible to all except himself.
"That was amazing, sir!" Veronica chimed in, her cheeks red from the exertion. "The way you lept through the air and took down the monster! How did you know it would work?"
"I didn't." Dunban shrugged, "But it was a necessary risk."
"You are so cool!" Roger gaped, oblivious that his face and uniform were covered in grass and dirt stains.
Dunban plastered on a smile. "It was a team effort. You should all be proud."
"No way. It was all you, captain," Eddie congratulated. "Drinks are on me tonight!"
The BLADES chorused in agreement though Dunban remained silent. The older man watched them in their exuberance. A wave of relief overtook him. None of them had been lethally hurt. Despite the odds, he had protected them and NLA. Any day with no casualties was a good day.
The embers of the earlier rage threatened to spark, but Dunban stamped them out. If he allowed them to burn, he would be consumed by anger, unable to do what he knew he must. There was no time to be angry. There was no time to mourn. Right now, he had to carry out his mission. He had to protect the people he loved. He had to protect the last of humanity.
And there was no room for anything else.
"It's been two months since we landed on this blasted planet. We gotta get things rolling." Commander Vandham grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest as he chomped away on a toothpick.
Dunban glanced at him, narrowing his eyes in mild disapproval, then shifting his gaze away, focusing on the view outside the far window. The sun hovered just over the horizon, ready to dive into its darkness and rest for the remainder of the day. Though its descent was imminent, the heat from the sun had the senior BLADE officers and the interim President of NLA testy. Dunban could tell.
The meeting's purpose was simple: to strategize humanity's next move given the unexpected landing on the planet Mira (the name that they had given it, or rather, Maurice had given). However, given the dynamic between the meeting's participants, Dunban could tell this conversation would be more of a power struggle than a productive session.
He stood apart from the group, leaning against the wall, silently observing the scene unfolding in front of him. He knew Vandham was itching to get scouts out into their new world, beyond the fifty-mile radius surrounding NLA. However, Nagi and Elma wanted to be methodical about the process, ensuring the safety of all BLADE officers (with this position he agreed). And Maurice...well, Dunban still hadn't entirely figured out his motivations, other than that he wanted power (he had, after all, appointed himself president given all other politicians on the White Whale had died, were stored in the Lifehold, or were on other arks that did not make the journey to Mira — how convenient). At the very least, Dunban knew Maurice couldn't be trusted to look out for anything but his own interests.
That made everything more precarious.
"Setting up NLA was a necessary task." Defense Secretary Nagi countered, pressing a few keys on the dashboard of the holodesk situated in the middle of the conference room. "Without any organization, it would be impossible for us to survive on Mira."
"Every day is just another chance that those aliens come and find us. We gotta figure out how to defend ourselves." Vandham shot back.
"That's what we're trying to do, Commander." A warning emanated from Nagi's eyes. "If you're done, we can discuss our next steps."
Vandham frowned but said nothing, turning away to look out the window, avoiding the eyes of the others.
The meeting was held on the top floor of the BLADE headquarters, far from prying eyes and eager ears. Privacy was important given not only the content of the meeting but also the reality of the various, opposing viewpoints. If the rest of NLA's population knew of the internal fighting in their government, there could be greater problems. No one wanted to deal with those.
"The lifehold must be the first priority," Nagi remarked as a holographic map of Mira appeared and spun in the air above the desk. Glowing pixels illuminated the shapes of the five continents, their outlines wavering as the images buffered. "If we don't find it soon, it will lose power and all the passengers will die."
"We don't know anything about this planet," Vera piped up. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, a concerned expression spreading over her porcelain face and into her purple eyes. "Where do we even start?"
Vera was a new addition to the group of senior officials. Nagi thought it prudent to bring in an outsider's perspective; someone with the expertise to calculate risks based on her knowledge of the physical sciences (she had degrees in biology, chemistry, and physics — a certified genius). However, all she had proved to be so far was overly cautious. Not exactly what they needed at this point in time. At least, in Dunban's opinion.
But no one was asking for it.
"The Pathfinders have already begun mapping Primordia." Elma touched the image of the land mass surrounding the bright blue circle that indicated NLA. The image enlargened, and several dots sparkled throughout the continent's image, indicating the various probes that had been planted across the vast area.
"That leaves four other continents," Maurice interjected, crossing his arms over his chest.
"We will tackle them in due time," Nagi answered, his tone firm.
"That's not an option. The lifehold could be on one of these other continents. What happens if we miss it before it's too late? We can't just focus our efforts on just one area."
"We don't have enough resources to mount that kind of expedition," Elma responded as she pulled the map back to illustrate the largeness of Mira. Dunban flicked his eyes over the holographic map: it was large, even on such a small scale.
"What about all of the scouts that you recovered in your last trip?"
"They're still acclimating."
"Now is not the time! They need to be suited up and ready to go."
"Joining BLADE is supposed to be voluntary," Elma narrowed her eyes, her voice dropping an octave.
"Not when the human race is at stake. Everyone must do their part. Otherwise, there will be consequences."
"Consequences?"
"Refusing your responsibility to your brothers and sisters could be considered an act of treason."
Silence flooded the room. The threat in the words was undeniable. Dunban felt his heart quicken. All hands on deck was one thing, but forcing people into conscription was another. Dunban didn't want a team of Jacksons out in the wilderness. They would die without guidance and there were only so many senior officers that could watch over new cadets. And the mention of treason...Maurice was angling for control beyond what his interim position described. Dunban felt his stomach turn. There was no way would he allow for this man to become a dictator. Luckily, Maurice couldn't simply make laws. A majority vote amongst the senior officers would decide such things. And the man could guarantee that no one would vote for voluntary conscription.
However, as much as Dunban hated to admit it, Maurice was right: moving continent by continent until each was meticulously mapped would be too slow.
The seconds floated by and turned into minute upon minute. The tension grew thick in the air, threatening to choke someone out of silence, just to break the ice.
The fledglings of a solution whispered in his ears and an idea crept into Dunban's head. He considered it, turning it over and rotating it around in his mind, filling out details, searching for holes in logic. Finally, he knew he couldn't keep it to himself anymore. Someone needed to resume the conversation and sow the seeds of compromise.
Clearing his throat, Dunban stood away from the wall and ambled over to console. All eyes turned on him.
"The lifehold needs to be found. That we can all agree upon," Dunban said, passing his eyes over each member of the group before continuing. "But we can't leave NLA defenseless. As Vandham pointed out, the beings who shot us down on this planet could be searching for us right now."
"Do you have a proposition? Or are you just stating the obvious?" A miffed Maurice glowered.
Dunban clenched his jaw, but continued in a calm, monotone: "We send a team to each of the remaining continents. A team of five or six, each including a pathfinder, a harrier, a prospector, and at least one senior officer. Ideally two teams, resources pending, that can cover ground quickly and efficiently."
"A single team? How will that help at all?" Vandham questioned.
"It's better than nothing, right?"
His question was met with equal silence. Elma provided him with a small smile of thanks and he returned with a slight nod. It wasn't much, but possibly enough to satisfy Maurice as well as give them an advantage. In this case, there wouldn't be a strain on personnel, even though it would be slower in terms of covering ground. But at least ground would be covered.
"Who are these team leaders then?" Maurice frowned, the stern lines in his face deepening around his eyes and in his forehead.
"Dunban here could do it. Hell, we're all alive 'cause of this guy," Vandham threw his arms out wide, a grin spreading from ear to ear as he winked in the man's direction.
Shaking his head, Dunban said nothing. This was not ideal, but not unexpected. While what Vandham said was true — and not that Dunban bragged about the battle at all — he hadn't escaped from the encounter unscathed. Grimacing, he flexed his right arm. Even now, after a month, it still ached. The bones had healed, but he'd never have his original strength, even with a few pins and needles inside the bones.
"Alright. Dunban will go to Noctilum. Elma to Oblivia." Nagi pronounced, shutting off the holodesk and wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.
"Probably could send Alexa out to Sylvalum and HB to Cauldros too," Vandham suggested.
"Lao will also lead a team to Cauldros."
"Do we get a say in this?" Elma joked, looking over at Dunban. He gave her a shrug. They both knew that they would have volunteered regardless of being assigned. It was in their natures.
"Be careful out there. We don't know the landscape, nor what lies in wait," Nagi cautioned, "You will radio back to NLA at the end of each day with a full report on what you have mapped out."
"I don't think this is wise," Vera interjected. She toyed with her black braid that fell over her left shoulder.
"It's not up for discussion," Maurice responded.
"But we don't know if they could contract a disease and bring it back to NLA—"
"I think the team leaders will have enough sense to not infect the little humanity that remains alive." Vandham sniffed.
"I'm not saying they don't..." Vera trailed off, both cowed and irritated.
"Vera, they know what they're doing," Nagi said, trying to be gentle, but it came out a mix between frustrated and soft.
Looking away, the young woman nodded, tucking her hands in her pockets. Dunban inwardly sighed. It had not been a good idea introducing her to their group. It wasn't her fault. She simply wasn't a soldier.
Clearing her throat, Elma turned to Maurice, face neutral as she crossed her arms behind her back. Dunban recognized the stance: a soldier giving deference to their commanding officer. He knew for a fact that she did not care for Maurice (though she would never admit it). What was she going to ask?
"What is the protocol if we encounter native inhabitants of the planet?"
Dunban could feel the undercurrent of disgust, though he imagined Maurice wouldn't even know it was there.
"Avoid contact with all other xenoforms no matter what," Maurice snapped. "We don't want anyone to learn about our existence here."
"What? Why?" Dunban demanded. "What if they're allies?"
"Given all of our interactions with aliens, we need to be cautious," Maurice looked at Elma knowingly. "Present company excluded."
Although Dunban knew it was best to be cautious, this was wrong. Dunban eyed Maurice disdainfully. The entire reason humanity still existed was because of Elma, a different lifeform. Dunban had hoped they had left racism on Earth. It appeared otherwise.
"We increase our chances of survival by befriending the natives if any exist," Dunban answered, eyes locked on Maurice's.
"If you encounter them, do not engage. If that cannot be avoided, shoot on sight." Maurice marched towards him, stopping mere inches from him. His brown eyes stared into Dunban's, unrelenting. "Is that understood?"
Dunban said nothing, knowing any words that surpassed his lips would only result in further argument and possibly a court-martial, which he could not afford. There was to be no debate with Maurice; he was a bigoted individual that was blind to everything but his own wants and desires. That would have to be dealt with soon.
But not today.
"Vandham will assign your subordinates. Meeting adjourned," Nagi stated.
By the time Dunban left the shooting range that evening, the moon was high in the sky. Hours had passed — they seemed to go by in the blink of an eye during target practice, although his aim was still off in his left arm — and Dunban was ready to head back to the barracks for some well-deserved sleep. However, fate mocked him as he exited the range, turned the corner, and ran straight into Vandham.
"Sorry—" Dunban began before looking up at who it was. "Oh. Well, only half sorry."
"You think you're so funny." Vandham rolled his eyes and pushed him, which was actually more like a shove given Vandham's weight and stature. "I've been lookin' fer ya."
"What do I owe the pleasure?" Dunban asked, regaining his footing.
"Here is your team," Vandham handed Dunban a tablet. He scanned the names on the screen and recognized only one. His sister Fiora. Good, Vandham had listened to his request. He'd be able to keep an eye on her.
"Tell me about the rest of them."
Vandham pulled out a cigarette from his shirt pocket and lit it. "Sharla Watanabe. Served as an army medic for four years before we left Earth. She's equipped for the field, so you won't have to worry about her. Reyn and Shulk are newbies, though Shulk is apparently some master genius with tech. Like Lin."
Dunban nodded as he slid his finger across the tablet's screen, looking at Shulk and Reyn's profiles. Two fresh faces stared at it, physical stats lining the sides of the screen. Wouldn't be the first time he worked with new soldiers. Dunban actually liked working with new recruits. They always had an optimism and excitement that was fresh and reminded him of why he was a soldier: to protect and serve. However, on the other hand, new recruits needed hand-holding. He hoped they wouldn't be as terrified of combat as Jackson.
"Have they passed their basic field tests?"
"Yeah," Vandham said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"And...?"
"Look, they seem ta be ok, alright? Just let it go."
"How's Jackson?"
Once Dunban and his team and returned to NLA after the battle earlier in the day, the man had heard Jackson had quit BLADE. This was exactly the problem he feared if Maurice made good on his threat. Forcing people into BLADE would be disastrous.
Vandham glowered. "Look, ya made yer point. I swear to ya that neither of these kids is like that one."
Dunban shrugged. "Your word."
"They'll be meetin' ya tomorrow at 0800 hours at Blade HQ. Told 'em to pack their bags."
"Thanks."
"I gotta go share the news with Doug and Vanea. See ya around, hero. Good luck out there." Vandham slapped him on the back and walked away.
Sighing, Dunban flipped through the rest of the document, reading the basics of the mission. It was as they had discussed: to survey Noctilum, plant as many probes as possible, and report back in three weeks. However, there was one stipulation. Dunban narrowed his eyes as he read the bold print towards the bottom of the memo:
"DO NOT ENGAGE WITH OTHER LIFE FORMS. TREAT ALL XENOFORMS AS HOSTILES."
Of course, Maurice refused to listen. Dunban frowned. This was a surefire way of alienating themselves on this foreign planet. They needed allies, not enemies.
"DUNBAN!" a voice hollered.
He dragged his gaze from his reading to see a young woman, nine years his junior, stomping toward him, her light brown hair flying in the slight breeze. She wore a new BLADE uniform and an unmistakable scowl. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation.
"Fiora. How was your day?" He asked, shutting off the tablet to give her his full attention.
"Did you request me?" She demanded, anger flowing through her eyes as she stopped right in front of him.
"What do you mean?"
"For your team. Did you request me?"
"Fiora—"
"Can you just let me take care of myself? I'm not a baby anymore, Dunban!" She stressed, flinging her arms out in frustration.
Dunban narrowed his eyes, though kept his voice calm. "We are on a foreign planet. We don't know what's out there. You are a new recruit to BLADE and it is my duty as your senior officer to watch out for you. And as your brother, it's my responsibility to keep you safe."
"I don't need you to protect me!"
"Fiora, you may have passed your field tests, but that doesn't mean you're combat-ready."
"I'm an adult. I make my own choices."
"Right now, you're acting like a child."
"No, I'm reacting to your idiotic behavior!" She balled her hands into fists.
"It is not idiotic. But your reaction is the definition of a tantrum." Dunban crossed his arms over his chest, resolute.
"I am not! And I still can't believe you did this!"
He opened his mouth to respond, but Fiora pivoted and marched away, cursing. He sighed. Being her brother had never been easy given their parents had died when she was a child. He had to be both sibling and parent, which created a strange dynamic to their relationship, one he had never been able to master. And one that had only been strained since landing upon Mira.
Tucking the tablet into his back pocket, Dunban headed for the barracks. After the drama of the day, he needed a warm shower. Sleep was in order as well, especially with the upcoming trip. Glancing up at the night sky, the man wondered what they would find out in the wilderness. He hoped answers. Or at least, some kind of hope.
The crisp morning air sent a shiver down Dunban's spine as he leaned against the landspeeder, watching BLADE officers move this way and that across the concourse. Excitement filled the atmosphere of the western quadrant of NLA. Now that there was a solid direction, it appeared the members of BLADE were hopeful for the future. Such emotion was necessary, given the timetable they were all on. Three months. Dunban had not forgotten the ticking clock that was the Lifehold Core. These missions needed to succeed in order to rescue what could be the last of humanity.
Sipping his steaming cup of coffee, Dunban caught sight of a young, blond man walking towards him, backpack strapped on like a parachute, an eager grin on the young man's lips. This was no doubt Shulk Howden.
"Captain Dunban! It's really great to meet you. I'm looking forward to working with you." Shulk stuck his hand out. Dunban took it with a firm handshake
"I hear you're a tech genius."
"I wouldn't go that far, sir."
"But you have been making many of the weapon advancements in the lab?" Dunban questioned.
Shulk ran a hand through his blond hair self-consciously. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. I just like working with machines."
"Oy!"
A bulky, young man trudged up to them, duffle bag slung over his shoulder. His BLADE uniform stretched across his muscular form like plastic wrap, as though his body were ready to burst from it at any moment. He nudged Shulk, a frown growing on his tan face.
"You said you were gonna wait for me," Reyn complained.
"That was before you slept in for twenty minutes," Shulk countered, then raised his eyebrows and flicked his eyes at Dunban — the most conspicuous expression of non-verbal communication if he'd ever seen one.
Amused, Dunban sipped his coffee.
Reyn did a double take, then dropped his bag, mouth open. "Cap'n! Sorry, I'm late. Won't happen again, sir." He jumped to a salute position.
"At ease. You must be Reyn."
"The one and only." He grinned with a thumbs up, then picked up his duffle bag and tossed it into the trunk of the land speeder with ease. It landed with a clunk. "So, we're goin' to Noctilum? Where is that?"
"Reyn, I showed you a map last night," Shulk grumbled.
"I was tired, dude."
"To the west." Dunban cut in, pulling the map of Mira up on his tablet. It glowed blue and green, entrancing. He handed the device to Reyn to examine. "It's mostly rainforest, though I'm told that our scanners have picked up some mountainous terrain and beaches."
"Beaches? You think we can stop by one?"
"It's not a vacation, Reyn." Shulk cut in, still annoyed, looking over Reyn's shoulder. The screen reflected in his blue eyes.
"I didn't say it was. It would just be nice to feel the sand between my toes." Reyn crossed his arms behind his head and sighed. "It's been a while."
"Did you live by the ocean before?" Dunban asked as he took the tablet back from the younger man and pocketed it.
"Oh yeah. I'm from Venice. California. I was a fitness instructor before joining the Coast Guard. It's how I put myself through the first couple years of college." Reyn put his hands on his hips. "Did a lot of bodybuilding on the beach. And surfing."
"I used to surf myself." Dunban mused. "Though, not seriously. Just every now and then."
"No way! We should try and hit some waves at some point," Reyn exclaimed. "I know there are some beaches not far from here."
"Am I the last one?" A feminine voice interrupted.
The trio turned their eyes to a woman a couple of inches taller than Shulk with long dark hair that matched her dark eyes. It didn't escape Dunban's notice that she had a nice figure (the BLADE uniform conformed to her like a second skin), and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that it didn't escape Reyn and Shulk either.
"Sharla Watanabe." Sharla smiled as she stuck her hand out to Dunban.
He took it with a nod. "Dunban."
Grinning, Reyn stepped toward her and offered his own hand. "I'm Reyn. I can help you with your bag if you want."
"Nice to meet you, but I'm fine." She hauled her duffle to the land speeder, hoisted it up, and dropped it in the trunk. As she wiped her hands against one another, she asked, "Are we waiting for anyone else?"
"Just one more," Dunban said, sipping his coffee. He knew Fiora would show up last; another chance to illustrate her anger at her assignment to Dunban's team. He just hoped it wouldn't hold them up for too long, otherwise, he would have to personally drag her from the barracks. Neither of them wanted that, he could guarantee.
"So you were in the army reserve?" Dunban focused on Sharla, looking to fill the time while they awaited Fiora's arrival.
"Four years. I was in combat for two of those years."
"Where?"
"Sudan."
"Whoa. That's intense!" Reyn said, leaning forward to hear more. "Four years. What was it like?"
"Hot. And violent."
Reyn closed his mouth, surprised. Not the answer he was expecting, Dunban could see. Dunban flicked his eyes to Sharla, who appeared not to notice Reyn's withdrawal. She wasn't one to beat around the bush. That was good.
"Sorry, I'm late!" A voice cut through the awkward pause in the conversation. The captain looked up, meeting the eyes of his sister. There was a resentment boiling the green irises, but her voice gave no indication of this. Rather, she sounded chipper.
That meant he needed to be on his guard.
"My alarm didn't go off."
"Me either!" Reyn raised his hand for a high-five. Fiora looked at it skeptically while Shulk stifled a laugh. She noticed the other young man and her eyes widened. Casually, she patted down her hair and adjusted her uniform, attempting to smooth out the wrinkles. Dunban smirked inwardly. Fiora might be more amiable to the arrangement after all.
"Now that we're all here, I can brief you on the mission. We're heading to Noctilum for a survey. We'll be the first team on the ground. Fiora, as our resident pathfinder, you will be assigned to mapping our progress and sending daily reports back to NLA."
"This is gonna be awesome." Reyn grinned. "First out there." He elbowed Shulk, who elbowed back.
"I'm looking forward to testing the speeder out," Shulk commented. "It's been in the lab for the past two weeks. It's definitely ready for a test drive."
"Did you build this?" Sharla pointed to the vehicle behind them. She began to circle it, inspecting it with what seemed a practiced eye.
"It was a team effort."
"Shulk's just being modest." Reyn clapped a hand on his best friend's back. "He did it all from sketching to the building."
"I definitely had help building."
"But you came up with it in the first place!"
"You must be really smart," Fiora marveled, looking between him and the speeder.
"Nah. Just trying to do my part." Shulk blushed. "We've been trying to make something that is durable for land exploration but still has the speed of a sports car. I like to think of it as a cross between the Batmobile and the cruiser from Star Wars."
"Awesome." Reyn pumped his fists in the air.
"Alright, let's load up. We don't want to waste any more daylight. We've got a long trek ahead." Dunban stated.
After a few minutes of stuffing the trunk with their gear and extra supplies, they all climbed into the speeder. Dunban took the seat next to Shulk in the front, and the rest piled in the back. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Fiora and Sharla in the next row, and Reyn spreading out in the back. Reyn had already put his sunglasses on and hung his head back as if he were ready to sleep.
Shulk input a few commands on the touchscreen dashboard. "Ready?"
Dunban nodded and he gunned the engine. The older man raised an eyebrow, skeptical. Shulk shrunk in his seat, embarrassed, but Dunban chuckled and smirked. "Drive on, Shulk."
Shulk grinned, stepped on the gas, and they zoomed out of the west gate, into the Miran wilderness.
It was about 1800 when they reached the base camp on the border between Primordia and Noctilum. After a quick stop to check in and radio NLA, they zipped across the imaginary boundary between the two continents and drove forward into the rainforest. As they left the crisp breeze of Primordia behind and passed under the canopy, Dunban could feel the air blanket his skin, damp and cloying. His eyes swept the landscape as the speeder darted forward; on the left and right, the greenery went on for miles and miles. Nothing but trees, tall trunks, and various flora could be seen through the dense foliage.
From the back of the speeder, he could hear "oohs" and "awws" from Reyn and Fiora. He couldn't blame them. It was as though they had passed into a completely different world. Briefly, the man wondered if this landscape was similar to the Amazon rainforests. A pang of regret ran through him: he'd only been once and not for long. He'd promised himself to go back and visit, taking the time to explore the vast ecosystem, but he never made it. And now he never would.
"It'll be dark soon. We'll set up camp for the night and start scouting tomorrow." Dunban said over the hum of the engines. "Let's find some ground cover."
The sun began to set; orange rays of sunlight filtered through the crevices and arbitrary openings in the forest's canopy, lighting the speeder's path. Shulk tapped the dashboard as the speeder kept its course, dimming the headlights in order to not attract undue attention from any predators that lay in wait. As the vehicle turned with the natural curve of the vegetation, moving through dense brush, bright lights bled through the cracks up ahead.
"Stop," Dunban commanded with a whisper. Shulk obeyed, easing the speeder to a slow pace, then finally to a full stop.
"What is it?" Reyn asked, leaning his head to the side, trying to see the origin of the lights.
The speeder's engine hummed and Dunban motioned to Shulk to shut it off. As the young man did, Dunban undid his seatbelt and hopped out of the vehicle. He made a gesture for the team to remain by the car and turned back towards the lights. Cautiously, he crept through the foliage, careful to keep any noise to a minimum. As he neared the source, he heard voices. The man paused and knelt behind a nearby tree trunk, listening.
"Put 'em in here." A voice growled.
"Can't we just eat him tonight?" Came another gravelly voice, this one impatient.
Peering around the trunk, Dunban surveyed the scene. Up ahead was a clearing, a perfectly cleared circle situated in the middle of the rainforest. No doubt it was cleared by these visitors and not a natural occurrence. In the center was a campsite containing two large tents, a box-like structure about four feet long, eight feet high, and six feet wide, a jeep-like cruiser, and a twelve-foot pillar atop which were fluorescent lights that blared down. Trying to get a better view of the speakers, Dunban inched forward on his knees.
"Boss'll wanna see this 'lil guy when he gets in tomorrow. Just wait 'til then."
"But—"
"I said quit yer yappin'!"
A thunk. Then a howl.
Dunban crawled along a fallen branch, shielded from view, straining to hear. As he circled towards the right, his eyes adjusted to the nearly-blinding white light, catching sight of a figure rubbing its head in pain, while another stomped away, into the darkness.
A minute passed, and the hurt figure continued to glower, a half-grumbling half-wail emitting from it. Alert, Dunban watched the figure mutter and turn halfway, the light from above cascading onto him. Dunban squinted: he could tell it was humanoid with gray skin and pig-like facial features, armed with what looked to be a machine gun. The alien rubbed its chin, frustrated, and stomped over to a line of barrels set up against the wall of the squarish building. With effort, he pulled the lid off of one with a popping sound, and a score of wailing pierced the air.
The alien plunged its arm into the barrel and pulled something out. Dunban tried to see what the alien was holding, but its back blocked Dunban's view. There was no way to know.
"Shuddap you terd!" The alien scowled.
"Let go of Riki ugly pig beast! Riki beat you to pulp."
"Oh yeah? Well, how ya gettin' out of this?"
As the alien pulled his right arm back, hand balling into a fist, a cloud of purple exploded in the air around its face. The alien screamed. His right hand clutched his eyes as he swayed left and right, the other hand gripping what Dunban could only make out as a spherical-type creature. The alien moaned, and the creature shouted, trying to attack but unable to do so due to the alien's vice grip. Grabbing at the handle of his longsword, Dunban prepared to charge forward. However, footfalls pounding the grass reached his ears and he paused, his grip loosening on the handle. The other alien shot out from the darkness, racing towards his companion.
"I told you!" He grabbed the creature from his comrade and stuffed it back in the barrel, slamming the lid down. The barrel rocked back and forth with cries of protest, and the alien kicked the barrel's side.
"DO YA WANNA GET EATEN NOW?"
Silence. The barrel ceased to move.
"That's what I thought." The alien turned to its partner, who continued to whimper in pain. "Get. Inside."
Without responding, it limped into the tent. The other alien followed, shaking its head in exasperation.
Taking a breath, Dunban looked around, noticing the sun had disappeared and the evening darkness had descended around him during his surveillance. Mind reeling, he backtracked behind the tree trunk, considering the situation. If he were to follow Maruice's commands, he would send the coordinates of these xenoforms to NLA, then evacuate his team. In short, he would essentially let whatever creature that was stored in the barrel die.
That wasn't going to happen.
Taking care, Dunban snuck back towards the speeder, where his team awaited.
"Dunban! You were gone for so long. Are you okay?" Fiora quipped as she took a step towards him, then paused, attempting to veil her concern.
"I'm fine," he responded, giving her a quick nod instead of a comforting hand on the shoulder, which he knew she would not appreciate in front of her new comrades.
"What did you see?" Sharla asked as the group created an informal semi-circle around their captain.
"It looks like a camp of xenoforms," Dunban replied.
"Whoa. Friendlies?" Reyn put his hands on his hips.
Dunban shook his head. "It doesn't appear so. They have a prisoner."
"Then we gotta rescue him."
"But we don't know the circumstances." Sharla pointed out. "Perhaps the prisoner is more dangerous than the ones keeping it captive.
"Come on. These guys have a prisoner. That seems pretty bad to me."
"From what I observed, the prisoner is far smaller than its captors and has far less strength. It seems they plan to eat it as well," Dunban explained.
"Oh no!" Fiora gasped.
"So we are going to rescue it, right?" Shulk interjected.
"Where is the prisoner?" Sharla questioned. "And how many guards?" Her eyes narrowed.
Dunban understood her hesitancy. He felt cautious as well. But that didn't change his feelings on the subject: they needed to rescue the creature from what was obviously imminent death.
"I counted two. And the jailers put it in a barrel. I think we'll be alright."
"In a barrel?! That's inhumane! We have to save him," Fiora declared.
Shulk watched her, then nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. Definitely. Let's go save the little guy."
Inwardly, Dunban rolled his eyes. An indirect courtship was already starting. Though, he wondered how long it would take for either of them to notice that they were interested in one another.
"Suit up. There may be more than two, though one is injured." Dunban warned as he began pulling weapons and tactical gear from the trunk of the landspeeder.
"Dunban," Sharla said in a low voice, gesturing with her head to a spot a few feet away from everyone. Nodding, the man followed her, so they were just out of earshot of the others. "This could be a mistake."
"You're worried about their lack of experience."
"No. Well, yes, but that's not what concerns me primarily." She ran a hand through her thick black hair and continued, "What if these aliens radio for help and bring a whole squadron down on us?"
"That is a valid concern. One I've considered."
"And?"
"Sharla. You and I both know the dangers of this mission. This world is foreign to us, which makes all of our assumptions null and void. I agree that caution must be taken in all matters. But my instinct tells me that that prisoner, whatever it is, has information which could be useful. I don't want to pass up this chance, especially if it means we won't be going into this forest blind."
Reluctant, Sharla nodded and walked back to the group. Following, Dunban grabbed his gun from the open trunk and slung it over his shoulder. He glanced over at Fiora, who struggled to put on her vest. He strode over and held it in place as she tightened the straps across her chest.
She looked up at him, a shadow of fear in her eyes. Brushing a piece of hair behind her ears, she whispered, "It's gonna be okay, right?"
"Nothing to worry about. It's only two of them. And I'll be there the whole time."
Fiora gave him a small smile, though he could see it waver. His mind searched for more comforting words to impart, but none came. Instead, he squeezed her shoulder then turned to face his team, who stood at the ready.
"Let's head out."
Together, they moved into the darkness, the light from up ahead guiding them. Silent, Dunban glided through the trees, motioning for them to follow, then eventually moved to his hands and knees, beginning a crawl. Turning his eyes over his shoulder, he observed how each member copied his actions without question. As his eyes roamed over each face, he could see the same emotion: fear. Painful memories threatened to flood his mind, but he pushed them away. This was not the time to reminisce, though he remembered he'd felt the exact same way on his first mission. Now, it was his responsibility to protect these recruits.
Bringing his attention forward, Dunban neared the camp and signaled them to stop. Cautiously, the captain gestured for them to line up beside him. With care, each member took a spot on either side of him and peered forward towards the harsh light that blazed down onto the base camp.
Crickets chirped. The buzzing of the fluorescents hummed in their ears. Neither of the aliens was visible; presumably, they were inside the tent still. Either way, they were out of sight.
And yet...something felt off. Dunban could feel eyes on him; someone was watching his team's movement. Cautiously, he turned his head, eyes sweeping around their vicinity, but saw nothing in the trees. Goosebumps popped up on his arms and a trail of sweat ran down the back of his neck. A flicker of fear froze inside of him, but Dunban remained calm. Was another one of the aliens watching them? Or someone entirely different?
But nothing emerged from the rainforest. Only the darkness greeted his unsaid questions. With no answer, he turned back towards the campsite, trying to shake off the unsettling feelings. He'd have to be extra careful in initiating the attack.
Removing a pair of binoculars from his utility belt, Dunban held them to his eyes and surveyed the landscape. Because of the lights, there would be no way for them to sneak in. Not ideal, especially for their first tactical mission together.
He flicked his eyes to either side, motioning for attention. "The element of surprise is not on our side, but we'll do our best. Sharla, you take Shulk and Reyn to the back of the camp. Fiora will come with me and we'll go in from the right. We'll try and rescue the prisoner without detection. If the two guards appear, you will attack while we take cover. Understood?"
The team nodded. Dunban pointed away from the group, and he and Fiora crept towards the right side of the camp. As they slithered through the brush, Dunban could hear Fiora's breath quicken. His heartbeat hastened, though he kept his expression neutral. He didn't know what to expect from these aliens. But he would keep Fiora safe, no matter what.
A few moments passed and Dunban stopped, finding the optimal spot through which they would enter the clearing. He rotated to face Fiora, who swallowed, eyes glued to the quiet campsite.
"Fiora."
Silent, the young woman moved her eyes to his.
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"I'll be right beside you. I won't let anything happen to you."
She inhaled, held it, then exhaled. "Okay."
"Are you ready?"
With a hesitant nod, she whispered, "Yes."
Unsheathing his longsword, Dunban cautiously emerged, eyes sweeping the area to certify the campsite was devoid of life. Although he knew Sharla and the others lay in wait, prepared to provide combat support, a shiver of fear echoed down his spine. There was no telling what type of weaponry these beings had, much less their combat training. Or there could be more than just the two that he saw earlier. It was a gamble, sure, but one he had to take.
Quietly, he hurried towards the barrels, casting a look over his shoulder to see how Fiora fared. She followed him timidly, gripping the hilt of her knife tightly, her knuckles turning white. Adrenaline rushing through his veins, he turned back to the containers. Placing his hand on the lid of the barrel, he began to turn it, forcing up on the lock. It gave out a loud screech, then a pop as it finally released.
"Do you see it?" Fiora whispered.
Dunban peered down into the darkness.
"No, I—"
"HYYYYYYAHHHH!"
The creature launched upward, pummeling Dunban's face with its knobby, tan paws. The man grabbed at it as it tried to scratch him, prying it off and holding it away at arm's length. He inspected it as it wriggled in his grip: it was a round-shaped creature, no bigger than a beach ball with almond eyes and soft tan fur with a plume of hair rising from the top of its head like a feather.
"Let go of Riki!" It squirmed.
Dunban slapped a hand over the creature's mouth. "We are trying to rescue you," he hissed.
The creature replied unintelligibly, but its movements slowed and stopped. Clearly, it understood. Why or how Dunban did not know, but that was a question for another time.
"Dunban!" Fiora gasped, pointing behind him.
He whipped around to see the two, pig-like aliens exit the structure. They stared at the scene for a split second before grabbing their guns at their waists. Dunban dashed towards Fiora, still holding onto the creature, ready to shield her.
"HEY BLOCKHEADS! OVER HERE!"
The aliens swiveled to see Reyn, Sharla, and Shulk blasting out of the forest and racing towards them. Sharla and Shulk opened fire as Reyn lept through the air, pulling out his javelin and dropping down, aiming at the enemies. The aliens dove for cover, the previously injured one skidding into the tent, while the other rolled away. It pulled out his pistol and fired, but Reyn dodged, driving his javelin down into the creature's stomach. It shrieked as green blood burst from the wound and seeped down its sides. Struggling, it pointed its gun at Reyn, who froze.
Dunban dropped the creature and lunged, knocking Reyn to the ground as a shot exploded from the gun. Rolling onto his knees, Dunban grabbed his dagger from his shoe and flicked it at the alien's neck as it trained its gun on him. The alien's eyes widened as green liquid bubbled at the wound and began to trickle down its white skin in small rivers. It gasped, trying to speak, but fell to the ground and stilled.
"Are you hurt?" Dunban jerked his head to Reyn.
"No, I'm alright." There was a tremble in his voice.
"Dunban!"
He jumped up and rushed into the tent, where he saw Sharla aiming her psycho launcher at the other enemy, who held a device in its hand.
"Put it down, now," Sharla ordered.
The alien sniffed. "You have no idea what you're dealing with, puny human."
"Drop it or I'll shoot."
The alien sneered and looked between Dunban and Sharla. Opening his mouth, he called, "THIS IS BASE CAMP 045. WE ARE BEING ATTACKE—"
A shot. Dunban watched as the bullet drilled into its forehead. It fell backward with a thump.
"Dammit." He looked over at Sharla, who lowered her weapon, eyes narrowed.
"We need to move, now."
"Agreed."
He stepped out of the tent, hoisting his gun over his shoulder, Sharla following. Shulk, Reyn, and Fiora stood silent, scattered around the tent. The creature sat inches away, observing.
Clearing his throat, Dunban announced, "We have a problem."
"What?" Fiora worried, eyes wide.
"The alien radio'ed for backup. We have to leave before reinforcements come."
"Should we...look through their stuff?" Shulk motioned to the structure, uncomfortable as if the idea caused him pain.
"Ideally, we would, but we don't know how close their troops can be." Dunban pulled his dagger from the alien corpse and wiped it on the bottom of his shoe.
"What about this thing?" Reyn asked, pointing at the small creature, who now had some sort of stick in its hand.
"Riki no thing! Riki is Riki!" It exclaimed, jumping up and down with a glare.
"You're Riki?" Shulk asked.
Riki beamed. "Riki happy Hom Hom save Riki from nasty Prone piggies."
Dunban raised an eyebrow. "Prone?"
Riki pointed to the dead alien. "Prone invading Nopon land. Prone is enemy."
"As they are ours."
"We should get going," Sharla urged, already heading back towards the rainforest.
As the team hustled away from the encampment, Dunban glanced between his subordinates, all who were silent. The jovial accord generated during the ride to Noctilum had evaporated. The tension was thick, and fear was plentiful. Frowning, the man knew that battle would impact the new recruits. The reality of their situation and the possibility of death was always an eye-opener, even when one had been told the risks. Cognitively understanding and emotionally understanding were two separate things. He'd have to speak to them each individually to make sure they were alright and well enough to continue once they had found an adequate hiding place for the night.
As they arrived at the speeder, Dunban turned his attention to Riki, who seemed to bounce instead of run.
"Riki, would you like to travel with us? If you wish to return home, we understand, but we would appreciate your guidance as we navigate this forest."
Riki eyed him suspiciously. "Does Hom Hom want to eat Riki?"
Sharla smiled and shook her head. "We have no intention of eating you. We have food and would be happy to share it with you."
"Wha?!" Reyn exclaimed. Sharla narrowed her eyes and Reyn went silent.
"As I said, you're free to go, Riki. We won't keep you." Dunban reiterated to the Nopon.
Riki stopped bouncing and looked at Dunban solemnly. "Why are Hom Hom here?"
"Honestly, by accident. Our ship was shot down. We had no choice but to land on this planet."
"Prone piggies shot Hom Hom?"
"It's possible. We don't know." Dunban tucked his hands into his pockets. "They destroyed our home."
A pang of rage jolted in his gut but he checked it and pushed it down.
Riki gasped. "Hom Hom have no home?"
"No," Fiora whispered. Riki rotated to look up at the young woman, whose sad eyes shimmered.
"Riki, do you know a place where we can hide? From the Prone?" Dunban asked.
Determined, Riki met Dunban's eyes. After a quiet moment, Riki folded his arms and nodded. "Riki take Hom Hom to Nopon home as token of gratitude for saving Riki."
"Where is home?" Sharla inquired.
Riki clapped his paws together and smiled. "Frontier Village!"
