Nightmares: True form

"Peace, tranquillity, Heaven. I didn't think there were any places like this on Ekuler anymore!" sighed Lander staring at the sky, lifting his hand to reach for a passing butterfly "I haven't seen you in a long time, Peppy".

There was a time when lying in the grass would leave you sleeping for hours with only the wind that passed your ear to wake you. That was once the real Ekuler, now only found in dreams or delusions of the Ektirens who remember those times. Now Ekuler is a nightmare. Ravaged by war and the hate from the bugs that attacked this world.

"Lander! Snap out of it! There's still more bugs to kill" Yelled a voice to the left of Lander "Lt Brighteye he's hurt pretty bad"

"Doc look cant you see… the flowers so beautiful" said Lander pulling Doc down showing him some dirt he thinks is a flower "See!"

Doc pulled himself away and shot his way to Lt Brighteye "Sir if we don't get Evac soon Lander will die!" Doc explained

"Well Doc as you can see were pretty much surrounded by these bugs, if we could get an Evac there be no place for them to land." Brighteye shouted, angrily shooting at any bugs that came close "besides the communication equipment is over there!" he pointed over where the bug hole was they exited previously.

"Maybe Sergeant Quickston could do it she's faster than anyone here!" Doc questioned, joining in with the shooting.

"You're right! She should be helping Spindle and Ashcroft setting up a defensive gun with the remaining mech peaces!" Brighteye confirmed, "Now go! This maybe the only chance we got in getting it back! Take this with you" he passed Doc a grenade attachment for his gun.

The sky was raining blood that day there was only 23 Ektirens left in the 1st defence strike force there seemed no stop to the waves of bugs that came over the hills, but the Ektirens were determined to defend the world they once loved.

As Doc made it to the front of the line where Quickston was located the gun had just come online.

"Spindle! Where's Ashcraft and Quickston?" shouted Doc over the noise of the defensive guns roaring power "SPINDLE!"

"Ashcroft is manning the weapon! It's his mech peaces that made it only he knows how to work it…. Quickston? I haven't seen in a while…. She said something about revenge!" Spindle whaled "you don't think she's gunna kill someone other than the bugs"

Doc thought hard who would Quickston want revenge on "Wait! Wasn't the communications operator Pt Cirana? Then she's after Lander! When he used Cirana as a shield to dodge the acid toxin the vile bugs fire! We must hurry!" Doc said worryingly running back into the group.

As the battle raged many more Ektirens fell, but not without taking there fair share of bugs along with them.

"Look how the mighty have fallen A? Lander…" Quickston said slowly leaning over Lander "Look at me when I'm talking to you! Asshole!"

Lander smiled and shook his head "The sky, I have never seen it so blue!" he looked into Quickston's eyes and stared to cry "Don't you remember us as kids all playing in this field… such a lovely one too"

Quickston shed a tear and pulled a knife out of her pocket and placed it to Lander's chest "You poor fool… The toxins got you good" she lifted the knife "I don't do this to you for the one I loved that you killed, but in pity for you… may the wind carry your soul!" Quickston cried bringing down the knife.

"Nooooo!" Doc Yelled. Running towards them. "STOP!"

As Quickston descended with the knife a shudder in the ground paused her for a second just enough time for Doc to bring her to the ground.

Doc and Quickston struggled for a while fighting over the knife when they heard a giant roar in the distance and all the bugs began to retreated, they both looked up and instantly knew that it was something bad.

"Mortar Bug!" They both yelled "Everyone! Take cover!" Doc said picking up Lander.

The remaining 14 Ektriens took cover underneath the bodies of their fallen Ektriens and the traitorous bugs that killed them. Plasma feel from the sky like tears from an angle of death, luckily for the Ektriens, Mortar bugs were bad shots however the vast number of them firing at once didn't matter how bad they were. But this was the Ektriens lucky day as one of the final Mortar bugs moved into position the cliff they were perched on gave way and the collapse caused them to fire on the bugs front line. The crashing and grinding of the cliff the Mortar bugs were perched on became silent and no screech from a bug, no gunfire from an Ektrien Ripsaw was heard and the songs of a chirping bird rang through the air.

Doc looked up to see where the noise was located when he noticed a path to the COM system back at the cave. "Sergeant Quickston!" he yelled looking around only to see that she was already running towards the COM, "What is she doing?" Doc turned to Lander "Now you don't go anyway you hear me," he said to try and lighten the mood.

"The grass is wet today… must have been raining last night…" Lander said softy towards Doc. Landers eyes were sad he knew that what he was see was not real but the poison from the bugs made it hard to stay sane.

Doc knelled down and cleans the dirt from Landers face. "I'll get you back alive… besides you owe me a drink"

"Doc get your ass after Quickston! We're not at a tea party here!" shouted Brighteye who was one of the only ones firing on the bugs after the mortar bug had stopped. Doc nodded and darted after Sergeant Quickston, she was in trouble, the bugs had come round and started to charge at them again.

As Quickston and Doc charged into the bugs to get the COM, Spindle had emerged from underneath the rubble of the destroyed Mech he heard a cry of pain.

"Ahh! Someone help! Get this thing off me!"

Spindle pushed past a few dead bodies to find Ashcroft being crushed by the gun. "Ashcroft!" he yelled running over trying to lift the gun "I knew this gun would be nothing but trouble!"

"Ahh! Its cause you're a crap engineer, Ahh!" Ashcroft said in pain, after one last push Ashcroft was able to get free. "Thanks man!'

"Next time don't stay on the gun when the mortar bugs are firing" said Spindle laughing.

Neither of them noticed the two bugs coming from behind. A wail from the bugs rang through their ears. Ashcroft and spindle were to slow to react and the bug's jaws came down like gelatine. They both closed their eyes in fear of what was going to happen when the sound of gunfire and the screech of bugs that were being made into Swiss cheese.

"Ashcroft! Spindle! Stop lying on the job and kill some bugs!" Yelled Brighteye, pushing the bugs caucus over and looks over towards them seeing them both laid over each other like if they were set for a main course. "Or were you planning to be lunch"

Ashcroft and spindle both got up and retrieved their Ripsaws and began to first on the bugs again.

"Were down to 9 men if Doc and Quickston don't get back soon were not getting out of here alive" Brighteye said angrily thrusting a dagger into a bug that got to close.

"Sir! If we don't get the defensive gun up and running again, you can already assume that there dead!" stated Ashcroft picking up the parts that were needed for the gun.

Brighteye sighed "Alright I'll cover you two! And if you don't start that thing up again ill kill you myself"

Ashcroft and Spindle began work of fixing the Gun. Meanwhile Doc and Quickston had arrived at the cave opening. Lucky they hadn't been spotted by the main attack force of the bugs, they seemed to be more focused on the group, like if there was something there that was drawing them. The recently dead Pvt Cirana was still holding onto the COM it looked like that in here last breath he had called for a pick up. Quickston Smiled and moved him into a position that was more respectable for death. A voice responded out of the COM acknowledging on their position and a pick up was on the way.

Doc was randomly shooting at bugs that come close.

"Doc come on the drop ship is on the way lets get back to the others" Quickston Shouted

Doc nodded 'I can see how Landers is doing' he thought

They charged in the bugs screaming but something was weird it was as if the bugs were letting them pass

"QUICKSTON! DOC! Over here" Brighteye shouted "Good job on getting that Retrieval Ship its almost here almost here"

"It wasn't us sir, Pvt Cirana did" Quickston said with a smile

Doc had ignored commander Brighteyes orders and went to help Lander. Doc kneeled down and put his hands under Landers head A tear ran down his cheek.

"Lander! Please DON'T die" Doc cried holding Lander closer to his chest "Noooooo!"

Doc's wail got the attention of the rest of the group that were flagging down the ship

"Doc what are you doing he's dead!" Quickston said unable to get to him thought the bugs.

Doc froze "we can't just leave him here to be eaten" he said holding Lander closer "And he still Bleah! " Doc felt a large pain go through his body he looked down and saw that there was a spike going through His body. "A a a a Bug!"

"Your always thinking of your own selfish needs maybe I want to stay here" Lander Looked up and retracted his hand that now was the spike "You think you hide your fondness for me well but everyone knew, they didn't mind but me in not one to fall for a medic Especially a male!" He thrusts his hand through Docs body for the final blow. "Maybe this was the real penetration you need"

Quickston became enraged and tried to get to Doc and Lander but it was no good the Squad had taken hold of her and throw her on to the retrieval ship. Quickston growled as the ship flew away, she looked out the window seeing Lander staring back licking the blood off his hand, laughing has the bugs stopped around him.

"It's no good Saphire, it's Doc's own fault for disobeying orders" Spindle said putting his hand on her shoulder, "He knew that there was no saving Lander from the venom, just I didn't expect it to mutate him so fast."

Quickston shrugged off Spindle's hand "He has killed, my love and a friend, and the Lander I know has gone, and this Lander NO! Bug will pay for what he's done!"