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Release

Chapter Two

“Kill the heretic!”

Eve and Alpha Party jumped behind a tree for cover as the Purple dropship plowed through the trees while a trigger happy gunner grunt started laying down a suppressive fire with its plasma cannon. She felt herself involuntarily twitch as she watched Vecr take three bolts to his left shoulder while he dove behind a boulder across the stream. Seven grunts and a golden clad brute jumped from the Phantom as it continued to pin Alpha Party down. Eve held her M6G close as a grunt pattered closer to her position. She could hear its short wheezing breaths as it labored through the thick foliage.

She heard a squeal of fright as Vecr stepped from behind his cover and calmly fired two shots at the gunner grunt overhead. One green shot impacted on the grunts plasma cannon, fazing it slightly, while the second slammed into the grunts large forehead. The corpse fell from the Phantom as the dropship rose up and out of the trees, it landing on a grunt below sending the grey creature into a senseless panic.

“Cowardly fool!”

The golden armored brute grabbed the fleeing grunts body and pulled a plasma grenade from its belt. It primed the grenade and placed it on the grunts chest while throwing the doomed alien towards Vecr. He retreated behind the rock again as the grunt exploded midair.

“The next coward to run will suffer the same fate!”

Even while the brute finished its sentence Eve and Paul jumped from behind the trees and returned fire on the advancing Loyalists. Eve fired three shots from her M6G while Paul got off two bursts from his battle rifle behind her. A round, she couldn’t tell from who, collided with the skull of an advancing grunt killing it instantly. She spun back behind her tree again as the brute retaliated with its grenade launcher. The round projectiles zipped passed her, doing no real harm. Almost.

Paul was not so lucky. He was sent flying back as one of the shots exploded on his chest, throwing his body against a nearby tree. The brute gave a sick guttural laugh as Paul’s dead body fell into a crumpled heap on the jungle floor. Even as Paul’s corpse touched the ground, Eve watched Vecr jump onto the boulder protecting him and leapt over the approaching Covenant. Eve stared, amazed as the white clad elite descended upon the Loyalists like an angel of retribution. Vecr fired three green shots into the mass of grunts, killing two outright and sending a third into panic. Eve forsook her cover and watched as Vecr brought his diving elbow onto the brute Captains face.

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The Jiralhanae recoiled in astonishment as the blow drained some energy from its shielding. It roared in anger as teal plasma vapor began steaming from the joints in its golden armor.

“OWWW!”

The foul beast fired a round from its projectile weapon that Vecr deftly stepped away from.

“Damn you, you’re DOOMED!”

The enraged ape gripped the barrel of its weapon and swung the bladed end about like a club. It struck Vecr with a sweeping blow to the neck, draining his own shielding by a full three quarters charge. Vecr staggered from the ferocity of the attack and attempted to regain balance as the brute raised its blade high overhead.

“So is the Heretic smote!”

The Unggoy stood motionless as the Captain Major prepared to deliver the killing blow. Then, two shots clapped loud in the thick air, striking the poised Jiralhanae in the helmet. Its taxed shields collapsed in a explosion of teal steam and the golden armor fell from the brutes body, leaving the ape bare of protection. Vecr took advantage of the distraction and swung his carbines barrel under the Jiralhanaes chin.

“So is the blind follower silenced.”

One radioactive round punched through the unprotected face of the unsuspecting Jiralhanae. Blood and brains discharged above the brutes skull fountaining into the air. The attack came so suddenly that the ape fired two rounds from its weapon during its final death throes, killing two Unggoy behind it. Of the remaining four, three began running erratically in circles. One however, tossed its plasma pistol into the stream and gripped two plasma grenades from its belt. Priming them and holding them aloft, the Unggoy waddled as fast as it could towards Vecr.

“WITNESS MY BELIEF!!”

He rolled out of the way as the suicidal Unggoys hands grew brighter. The dual grenades boomed in unison, completely disintegrating the fanatical Unggoy. The explosion collapsed his shielding and sent Vecr flying into a tree, grunting as his back impacted against the tree Eve stood by. She and the other two humans charged the regrouping Unggoy. Eve placed a round in ones face while the other two were mangled by the marines withering fire. Vecr raised his battered body from the foliage as the three humans ran back up the stream and his shields recharged with a long soft beep.

“Hurry! The Covenant are going to send reinforcements soon!” the female shouted.

Vecr raced after the humans as they sprinted back up the peacefully flowing river. And though they were far ahead, Vecr overtook them in only four strides. He zoomed past them and skidded to a halt holding his aching back. Thankfully, he thought, his spine had impacted the tree where armor was present.

“Make haste humans! The outpost is not far!”

They came to the glade within a few minutes, though Vecr knew he could have arrived faster had he not had to stop for the humans every now and then. Vecr rounded the boulder first and yelled back to the humans,

“There is the outpost! Quickly, before the window of escape is closed!”

As Vecr finished these words another shadow engulfed the sparsely sunlit glade. A Phantom lowered itself from above the trees and hovered beside the ledge leading to the outpost. Vecr pushed the three humans back as a Jiralhanae in violet armor brought a mounted plasma cannons barrel in their direction. Blue-white plasma rained down on their position as two groups of Loyalists disembarked, one through the Phantoms exit ramps, and the other through its gravity lift. Ten Unggoy and a violet clad Jiralhanae Half-Commander now stood in their way.

Vecr thought quickly as plasma splashed against the boulder they crouched behind. The three humans waited on their haunches as Unggoy yapped in anticipation. Vecr looked to the humans belts and spied two round objects on each. He pointed to one.

“Are those explosives?”

Eve looked down at her belt then back a Vecr.

“Ya, you want us to use them?”

More plasma impacted on the half melted boulder.

“Would you kindly?”

The female nodded and turned around to explain to the others. Vecr had more pressing concerns. The Jiralhanae Half-Commander still fired the Phantoms plasma cannon completely oblivious as Vecr crawled to the boulders top.
Disgusting beast!
It simply blasted away at anything that moved and yet it was too dimwitted to even fire upon him. Vecr primed a plasma grenade and threw it at the unknowing brute. The Jiralhanae paused as the burning grenade adhered itself to the brutes face. The ensuing explosion consumed the Jiralhanaes head and sent it flying to the ground below.

“NOW!!”

The three humans each threw a grenade over the boulder. The black, round objects whizzed past Vecrs head, leaving a trail of smoke as they sailed directly amongst the Loyalists in the glade below. One of the Unggoy screamed as a black grenade bounced into its face. Unggoy were sent flying in every direction as the surprisingly effective grenades detonated and rained the vicinity with shrapnel.

Vecr heard a whoop as one of the humans shouted in joy. But the Loyalists had not been defeated, for amongst the Unggoy corpses stood the brute. It screamed random gibberish as the maddened beast threw down its weapon and charged towards the boulder. The humans began to come around the half melted boulder, unaware that the berserk Jiralhanae was rushing towards them.

Vecr reacted without thinking. He leaped from the rock as the humans walked right into the brutes path. The crazed beast brought its hands up and over its head, preparing to strike down the female human in front. Eves smile faded away as the brute snarled in contempt, swinging its arms down in an arc. The apes fists were only a few inches away from her helmeted skull when Vecr slammed into the Jiralhanae, throwing both into the stream. The reckless attack drained his shields by a full quarter.

He shook off the cold water on his hands and knees, feeling the ice-cold water flow through the breaks in his armor. While rising, the Jiralhanae savagely struck Vecr in the face with its knee, draining his shielding completely. As Vecr attempted to regain balance, the brute angrily punched him in the mandibles, sending thick purple blood spraying into the flowing stream and dribbling from Vecrs face. As he recoiled, the beast kicked him in an unarmored portion of his combat harness, sending him face first into the stream with a splash. The brute then jumped high in the air, fists prepared to deliver the killing blow. Vecr turned to face the falling monster, water falling from his face and his shield generators blaring.

As the Jiralhanae swooped down to end Vecr, a shot rang in the morning air and a plume of dark blood erupted from the side of the brutes head. The lifeless corpse splashed into the stream beside Vecr, the Jiralhanaes blood mingling with the clear water. Vecr looked to his left as his shields recharged and saw the female standing straight and tall. And in her hand was a smoking pistol.

“The water feel good?”

Vecr stood dripping, his booted feet sinking into the mud.

“It is quite… invigorating.”

That made the humans laugh. It was then, Vecr noticed that the Phantom was gone. Instead up on the ledge stood a Jiralhanae Captain, with the human Sergeant in its grip.

“Disgusting whelp! My patience is wearing thin, now tell me, where is the Demon landing!”

The Sergeant struggled as the brute squeezed his throat tighter, causing the human to wheeze from the pain.

“Fuck. You.”

The Jiralhanae roared in anger, swinging the human over its head. The annoyed brute gripped one of the humans legs and brought the squirming human down on its knee. A loud crack emanated through the jungle as the humans spine snapped with ease.

Vecr heard a shout and turned to see one of the marines running past him with its rifle blazing. The Jiralhanae took notice as the metal projectiles simply bounced of its shielding and brought its own weapon to bear. As the marine entered the clearing, the ape tossed two orange grenades that sailed through the air. Vecr ran ahead but one landed before him and erupted into powerful flames. Even as he stood near the fire Vecrs shielding indicated damage being taken. The other grenade landed across the stream, barring any effective way to cross without moving through the now boiling water.

The Jiralhanae took pleasure as the human realized it had no escape and jumped down from the ledge. It stood before the marine, sunlight glinting off its golden armor, pheromones wafting from its thick fur. The marine emptied half a clip directly into the brutes face before it decided to swing the bladed end of its weapon around. The extremely sharp knife tore through the marines arm sending it, and the rifle being held, soaring into the jungle. The Jiralhanae then knocked the poor soldier to the ground with its fist and placed an armored foot upon the humans chest. Vecr fired his carbine as much as he could but it did not deter the brute from its prey. Even as its shielding failed and its armor fell, the Jiralhanae held the blade high above its head and let out a howl. The marine cried back in defiance as the brute slammed its blade down, decapitating the unfortunate human.

Vecr roared as the brute looked up, satisfied with its butchery.

“Ahh, Heretic! I think I will mount you on my wall!”

Vecr looked down the carbines length and leveled it with the Jiralhanaes head.

“I would say the same for you, but your face is far to ugly to do so!”

He fired once.

The Jiralhanae jolted as the radioactive round broke through its skull, spraying dark red blood, and bits of what little brains the brute had, onto the jungle floor. As the flames caused by the brutes grenades died down, the human female stood beside him.

“They kill without mercy…”

Vecr looked down to her while she looked up at him.

“It is in their nature. But soon, very soon, they will all be punished!”

The three survivors ran up the natural ramp back up to the outpost. Vecr arrived first and looked into the bunkers shadowy depths. He turned away in disgust and stood motionless as the two humans approached him.

“What’s wrong?”

Vecr looked into the females eyes. He saw confusion, fear, and pain. Yet behind all these things, he found hope.

“It is a slaughterhouse.”

She was about to step inside when Vecr placed his hand on her chest, stopping her from entering.

“There is nothing within worth retrieving.”

Vecr then proceeded to the ledge and sat down, feet dangling over the carnage. He heard the male human radio for transport while boots treaded softly towards him.

“Why did you come to Earth?”

Vecr looked up at the female human. Her cool blue eyes searched his own for any hint of emotion. He looked back down at the flowing stream.

“I came because I wished to exact vengeance on the Jiralhanae. I wanted to murder them for what they did to my people, make them suffer for the transgressions they unwittingly commit just as my kind did. I know, someway, I will make them pay!”

Eve looked down, confused by what Vecr had said.

“Transgressions? What transgressions?”

He was about to speak when there was a wet smack and a short gurgling sound. Vecr and Eve both turned to see Adam with two blades poking from atop his helmet. His eyes rolled back as the blades were removed and his body slumped forward. And where Adam had once been, a brute with grey armor stood.

It bore an odd helmet that covered its eyes and produced a single red light from its center. It brandished an unusual rifle from which the two blades stretched from. And most astounding of all, was that it began to fade away. Eve fired three rounds at where its had had once been and the Jiralhanae began to appear. She stopped to reload as the brute rushed forward firing its weapon. Vecr jumped between her and the fire as spikes punctured his shields. They did not pierce flesh, but they did come uncomfortably close.

Vecr fired seven rounds from his carbine, emptying his current cartridge. The round magazine flew out of the carbine as it waited to be refilled. The Jiralhanae rushed towards the pair, continuing its withering fire. As it came within a unit of the two, Vecrs shields had been drained to a quarter charge. Vecr jumped forward and smacked the charging brute with his rifle, knocking off its flimsy armor. As the beast recoiled, Vecr struck the Jiralhanae again, knocking it against the cement bunker.

As Vecrs breathing returned to normal, a shadow engulfed the glade. Expecting another Phantom, Vecr gripped a spare cartridge from his mag-belt and placed it within the carbine. He looked up at the approaching craft and was pleasantly surprised to see it was an olive green rather than violet blue.

“White Noise survivors we are here for pickup.”

The Pelican turned about revealing its entrance and lowered the ramp. Vecr watched as Eve began walking to the ship and was about to follow when he heard a soft grunt. He spun quickly and saw the Jiralhanae presumed dead, lift its arm back and prepare to toss a spike studded stick. Vecr leveled his carbine as fast as he could to end the beast.
He fired to late.
The brutes hand fell limp to the ground but the grenade was not present. Instead, the spiked explosive went whooping over head, straight towards Eve. The grenade could easily kill the fairly unarmored human, so Vecr did the only thing he thought to do.

He jumped.

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She was heading for the Pelicans open doors when Eve felt arms embrace her tightly. The arms were fierce and strong, holding her gently yet firmly. They felt protective and caring, as a lovers embrace would be. And despite the fact that the hands only possessed four fingers, she almost enjoyed it. But now was not the time. Or so she thought.

“What the hell are you doing!?”

Eve looked up behind her shoulder and saw the elites face. Dark orange eyes stared at her own with some sort of emotion. Was it anger? Was it envy? Or was it something else…? All she received for an answer was a sharp,

“Unghh.”

As a loud pop came from behind the elite, followed by high-pitched buzzing sounds. Eve stared blankly as the elite let her go and turned around. She noticed nothing wrong at first, but when the elite fell flat on his face, she saw three glowing spikes sticking out from his back.

“Oh…”

Eve ran over to the unconscious body and tried to lift the alien. He was much heavier than he looked. Instead, she grabbed one of his arms and dragged him into the waiting Pelican. Eve propped the alien against the Pelicans troop seats and burst into the cockpit.

“Get us out of here now!”

The pilot looked at her for a moment before guiding the Pelican out over the canopy.

“Get us to the stronghold as fast as you can!”

The pilot nodded as Eve rejoined the half-alive alien. She grabbed a med-kit from the overhanging nets and proceeded to remove the still burning spikes.

Description
Release

Chapter Two

“Kill the heretic!”

Eve and Alpha Party jumped behind a tree for cover as the Purple dropship plowed through the trees while a trigger happy gunner grunt started laying down a suppressive fire with its plasma cannon. She felt herself involuntarily twitch as she watched Vecr take three bolts to his left shoulder while he dove behind a boulder across the stream. Seven grunts and a golden clad brute jumped from the Phantom as it continued to pin Alpha Party down. Eve held her M6G close as a grunt pattered closer to her position. She could hear its short wheezing breaths as it labored through the thick foliage.

She heard a squeal of fright as Vecr stepped from behind his cover and calmly fired two shots at the gunner grunt overhead. One green shot impacted on the grunts plasma cannon, fazing it slightly, while the second slammed into the grunts large forehead. The corpse fell from the Phantom as the dropship rose up and out of the trees, it landing on a grunt below sending the grey creature into a senseless panic.

“Cowardly fool!”

The golden armored brute grabbed the fleeing grunts body and pulled a plasma grenade from its belt. It primed the grenade and placed it on the grunts chest while throwing the doomed alien towards Vecr. He retreated behind the rock again as the grunt exploded midair.

“The next coward to run will suffer the same fate!”

Even while the brute finished its sentence Eve and Paul jumped from behind the trees and returned fire on the advancing Loyalists. Eve fired three shots from her M6G while Paul got off two bursts from his battle rifle behind her. A round, she couldn’t tell from who, collided with the skull of an advancing grunt killing it instantly. She spun back behind her tree again as the brute retaliated with its grenade launcher. The round projectiles zipped passed her, doing no real harm. Almost.

Paul was not so lucky. He was sent flying back as one of the shots exploded on his chest, throwing his body against a nearby tree. The brute gave a sick guttural laugh as Paul’s dead body fell into a crumpled heap on the jungle floor. Even as Paul’s corpse touched the ground, Eve watched Vecr jump onto the boulder protecting him and leapt over the approaching Covenant. Eve stared, amazed as the white clad elite descended upon the Loyalists like an angel of retribution. Vecr fired three green shots into the mass of grunts, killing two outright and sending a third into panic. Eve forsook her cover and watched as Vecr brought his diving elbow onto the brute Captains face.

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The Jiralhanae recoiled in astonishment as the blow drained some energy from its shielding. It roared in anger as teal plasma vapor began steaming from the joints in its golden armor.

“OWWW!”

The foul beast fired a round from its projectile weapon that Vecr deftly stepped away from.

“Damn you, you’re DOOMED!”

The enraged ape gripped the barrel of its weapon and swung the bladed end about like a club. It struck Vecr with a sweeping blow to the neck, draining his own shielding by a full three quarters charge. Vecr staggered from the ferocity of the attack and attempted to regain balance as the brute raised its blade high overhead.

“So is the Heretic smote!”

The Unggoy stood motionless as the Captain Major prepared to deliver the killing blow. Then, two shots clapped loud in the thick air, striking the poised Jiralhanae in the helmet. Its taxed shields collapsed in a explosion of teal steam and the golden armor fell from the brutes body, leaving the ape bare of protection. Vecr took advantage of the distraction and swung his carbines barrel under the Jiralhanaes chin.

“So is the blind follower silenced.”

One radioactive round punched through the unprotected face of the unsuspecting Jiralhanae. Blood and brains discharged above the brutes skull fountaining into the air. The attack came so suddenly that the ape fired two rounds from its weapon during its final death throes, killing two Unggoy behind it. Of the remaining four, three began running erratically in circles. One however, tossed its plasma pistol into the stream and gripped two plasma grenades from its belt. Priming them and holding them aloft, the Unggoy waddled as fast as it could towards Vecr.

“WITNESS MY BELIEF!!”

He rolled out of the way as the suicidal Unggoys hands grew brighter. The dual grenades boomed in unison, completely disintegrating the fanatical Unggoy. The explosion collapsed his shielding and sent Vecr flying into a tree, grunting as his back impacted against the tree Eve stood by. She and the other two humans charged the regrouping Unggoy. Eve placed a round in ones face while the other two were mangled by the marines withering fire. Vecr raised his battered body from the foliage as the three humans ran back up the stream and his shields recharged with a long soft beep.

“Hurry! The Covenant are going to send reinforcements soon!” the female shouted.

Vecr raced after the humans as they sprinted back up the peacefully flowing river. And though they were far ahead, Vecr overtook them in only four strides. He zoomed past them and skidded to a halt holding his aching back. Thankfully, he thought, his spine had impacted the tree where armor was present.

“Make haste humans! The outpost is not far!”

They came to the glade within a few minutes, though Vecr knew he could have arrived faster had he not had to stop for the humans every now and then. Vecr rounded the boulder first and yelled back to the humans,

“There is the outpost! Quickly, before the window of escape is closed!”

As Vecr finished these words another shadow engulfed the sparsely sunlit glade. A Phantom lowered itself from above the trees and hovered beside the ledge leading to the outpost. Vecr pushed the three humans back as a Jiralhanae in violet armor brought a mounted plasma cannons barrel in their direction. Blue-white plasma rained down on their position as two groups of Loyalists disembarked, one through the Phantoms exit ramps, and the other through its gravity lift. Ten Unggoy and a violet clad Jiralhanae Half-Commander now stood in their way.

Vecr thought quickly as plasma splashed against the boulder they crouched behind. The three humans waited on their haunches as Unggoy yapped in anticipation. Vecr looked to the humans belts and spied two round objects on each. He pointed to one.

“Are those explosives?”

Eve looked down at her belt then back a Vecr.

“Ya, you want us to use them?”

More plasma impacted on the half melted boulder.

“Would you kindly?”

The female nodded and turned around to explain to the others. Vecr had more pressing concerns. The Jiralhanae Half-Commander still fired the Phantoms plasma cannon completely oblivious as Vecr crawled to the boulders top.
Disgusting beast!
It simply blasted away at anything that moved and yet it was too dimwitted to even fire upon him. Vecr primed a plasma grenade and threw it at the unknowing brute. The Jiralhanae paused as the burning grenade adhered itself to the brutes face. The ensuing explosion consumed the Jiralhanaes head and sent it flying to the ground below.

“NOW!!”

The three humans each threw a grenade over the boulder. The black, round objects whizzed past Vecrs head, leaving a trail of smoke as they sailed directly amongst the Loyalists in the glade below. One of the Unggoy screamed as a black grenade bounced into its face. Unggoy were sent flying in every direction as the surprisingly effective grenades detonated and rained the vicinity with shrapnel.

Vecr heard a whoop as one of the humans shouted in joy. But the Loyalists had not been defeated, for amongst the Unggoy corpses stood the brute. It screamed random gibberish as the maddened beast threw down its weapon and charged towards the boulder. The humans began to come around the half melted boulder, unaware that the berserk Jiralhanae was rushing towards them.

Vecr reacted without thinking. He leaped from the rock as the humans walked right into the brutes path. The crazed beast brought its hands up and over its head, preparing to strike down the female human in front. Eves smile faded away as the brute snarled in contempt, swinging its arms down in an arc. The apes fists were only a few inches away from her helmeted skull when Vecr slammed into the Jiralhanae, throwing both into the stream. The reckless attack drained his shields by a full quarter.

He shook off the cold water on his hands and knees, feeling the ice-cold water flow through the breaks in his armor. While rising, the Jiralhanae savagely struck Vecr in the face with its knee, draining his shielding completely. As Vecr attempted to regain balance, the brute angrily punched him in the mandibles, sending thick purple blood spraying into the flowing stream and dribbling from Vecrs face. As he recoiled, the beast kicked him in an unarmored portion of his combat harness, sending him face first into the stream with a splash. The brute then jumped high in the air, fists prepared to deliver the killing blow. Vecr turned to face the falling monster, water falling from his face and his shield generators blaring.

As the Jiralhanae swooped down to end Vecr, a shot rang in the morning air and a plume of dark blood erupted from the side of the brutes head. The lifeless corpse splashed into the stream beside Vecr, the Jiralhanaes blood mingling with the clear water. Vecr looked to his left as his shields recharged and saw the female standing straight and tall. And in her hand was a smoking pistol.

“The water feel good?”

Vecr stood dripping, his booted feet sinking into the mud.

“It is quite… invigorating.”

That made the humans laugh. It was then, Vecr noticed that the Phantom was gone. Instead up on the ledge stood a Jiralhanae Captain, with the human Sergeant in its grip.

“Disgusting whelp! My patience is wearing thin, now tell me, where is the Demon landing!”

The Sergeant struggled as the brute squeezed his throat tighter, causing the human to wheeze from the pain.

“Fuck. You.”

The Jiralhanae roared in anger, swinging the human over its head. The annoyed brute gripped one of the humans legs and brought the squirming human down on its knee. A loud crack emanated through the jungle as the humans spine snapped with ease.

Vecr heard a shout and turned to see one of the marines running past him with its rifle blazing. The Jiralhanae took notice as the metal projectiles simply bounced of its shielding and brought its own weapon to bear. As the marine entered the clearing, the ape tossed two orange grenades that sailed through the air. Vecr ran ahead but one landed before him and erupted into powerful flames. Even as he stood near the fire Vecrs shielding indicated damage being taken. The other grenade landed across the stream, barring any effective way to cross without moving through the now boiling water.

The Jiralhanae took pleasure as the human realized it had no escape and jumped down from the ledge. It stood before the marine, sunlight glinting off its golden armor, pheromones wafting from its thick fur. The marine emptied half a clip directly into the brutes face before it decided to swing the bladed end of its weapon around. The extremely sharp knife tore through the marines arm sending it, and the rifle being held, soaring into the jungle. The Jiralhanae then knocked the poor soldier to the ground with its fist and placed an armored foot upon the humans chest. Vecr fired his carbine as much as he could but it did not deter the brute from its prey. Even as its shielding failed and its armor fell, the Jiralhanae held the blade high above its head and let out a howl. The marine cried back in defiance as the brute slammed its blade down, decapitating the unfortunate human.

Vecr roared as the brute looked up, satisfied with its butchery.

“Ahh, Heretic! I think I will mount you on my wall!”

Vecr looked down the carbines length and leveled it with the Jiralhanaes head.

“I would say the same for you, but your face is far to ugly to do so!”

He fired once.

The Jiralhanae jolted as the radioactive round broke through its skull, spraying dark red blood, and bits of what little brains the brute had, onto the jungle floor. As the flames caused by the brutes grenades died down, the human female stood beside him.

“They kill without mercy…”

Vecr looked down to her while she looked up at him.

“It is in their nature. But soon, very soon, they will all be punished!”

The three survivors ran up the natural ramp back up to the outpost. Vecr arrived first and looked into the bunkers shadowy depths. He turned away in disgust and stood motionless as the two humans approached him.

“What’s wrong?”

Vecr looked into the females eyes. He saw confusion, fear, and pain. Yet behind all these things, he found hope.

“It is a slaughterhouse.”

She was about to step inside when Vecr placed his hand on her chest, stopping her from entering.

“There is nothing within worth retrieving.”

Vecr then proceeded to the ledge and sat down, feet dangling over the carnage. He heard the male human radio for transport while boots treaded softly towards him.

“Why did you come to Earth?”

Vecr looked up at the female human. Her cool blue eyes searched his own for any hint of emotion. He looked back down at the flowing stream.

“I came because I wished to exact vengeance on the Jiralhanae. I wanted to murder them for what they did to my people, make them suffer for the transgressions they unwittingly commit just as my kind did. I know, someway, I will make them pay!”

Eve looked down, confused by what Vecr had said.

“Transgressions? What transgressions?”

He was about to speak when there was a wet smack and a short gurgling sound. Vecr and Eve both turned to see Adam with two blades poking from atop his helmet. His eyes rolled back as the blades were removed and his body slumped forward. And where Adam had once been, a brute with grey armor stood.

It bore an odd helmet that covered its eyes and produced a single red light from its center. It brandished an unusual rifle from which the two blades stretched from. And most astounding of all, was that it began to fade away. Eve fired three rounds at where its had had once been and the Jiralhanae began to appear. She stopped to reload as the brute rushed forward firing its weapon. Vecr jumped between her and the fire as spikes punctured his shields. They did not pierce flesh, but they did come uncomfortably close.

Vecr fired seven rounds from his carbine, emptying his current cartridge. The round magazine flew out of the carbine as it waited to be refilled. The Jiralhanae rushed towards the pair, continuing its withering fire. As it came within a unit of the two, Vecrs shields had been drained to a quarter charge. Vecr jumped forward and smacked the charging brute with his rifle, knocking off its flimsy armor. As the beast recoiled, Vecr struck the Jiralhanae again, knocking it against the cement bunker.

As Vecrs breathing returned to normal, a shadow engulfed the glade. Expecting another Phantom, Vecr gripped a spare cartridge from his mag-belt and placed it within the carbine. He looked up at the approaching craft and was pleasantly surprised to see it was an olive green rather than violet blue.

“White Noise survivors we are here for pickup.”

The Pelican turned about revealing its entrance and lowered the ramp. Vecr watched as Eve began walking to the ship and was about to follow when he heard a soft grunt. He spun quickly and saw the Jiralhanae presumed dead, lift its arm back and prepare to toss a spike studded stick. Vecr leveled his carbine as fast as he could to end the beast.
He fired to late.
The brutes hand fell limp to the ground but the grenade was not present. Instead, the spiked explosive went whooping over head, straight towards Eve. The grenade could easily kill the fairly unarmored human, so Vecr did the only thing he thought to do.

He jumped.

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She was heading for the Pelicans open doors when Eve felt arms embrace her tightly. The arms were fierce and strong, holding her gently yet firmly. They felt protective and caring, as a lovers embrace would be. And despite the fact that the hands only possessed four fingers, she almost enjoyed it. But now was not the time. Or so she thought.

“What the hell are you doing!?”

Eve looked up behind her shoulder and saw the elites face. Dark orange eyes stared at her own with some sort of emotion. Was it anger? Was it envy? Or was it something else…? All she received for an answer was a sharp,

“Unghh.”

As a loud pop came from behind the elite, followed by high-pitched buzzing sounds. Eve stared blankly as the elite let her go and turned around. She noticed nothing wrong at first, but when the elite fell flat on his face, she saw three glowing spikes sticking out from his back.

“Oh…”

Eve ran over to the unconscious body and tried to lift the alien. He was much heavier than he looked. Instead, she grabbed one of his arms and dragged him into the waiting Pelican. Eve propped the alien against the Pelicans troop seats and burst into the cockpit.

“Get us out of here now!”

The pilot looked at her for a moment before guiding the Pelican out over the canopy.

“Get us to the stronghold as fast as you can!”

The pilot nodded as Eve rejoined the half-alive alien. She grabbed a med-kit from the overhanging nets and proceeded to remove the still burning spikes.