Human Coalition | Site A | written by: Tom

Johnny Silvini

"Bwah, this is literally the crappiest job I've ever signed up for" Silvini muttered to himself as he slogged through the sewage "All this for a stinkin' Druze? He better be worth it"

"Helloooooo? Mister Dro-ooze? Are you in this gross leaky pipe? Nope....Next!"

Silvini motioned to the Sarge across the other side of the river of goop, waving him forward to check the next pipe then moved to wipe his hands on the back of the timid Alguacile behind him, watching the way they came when gunfire began to echo throughout the sewers, the sounds bouncing off the walls and making it impossible to tell what direction it was coming from.

He turned around just in time to see the Sarge being riddled with combi rifle fire and slump quietly into the muck "Nooooooooooooo! Not again!!!! I have the worst luck when it comes to superior officers" Johnny charged round the corner with his rifle already blazing away indiscriminately when he heard a battle cry from up ahead which brought him up short.

"Did that monkey just yell 'Gungo Boom Boom' at me? That's amazing" Was the only thing he had time to think before a bullet slammed through his shoulder and sent him flying into the river of waste, landing facedown with a large splash and then starting to drift along with the tide.

Combined Army | Site A | written by: Kris

Gungo Boom

<< NO DEBRIEFING FILED >>

Human Coalition | Site B | written by: Dan

Agent Meyers

The soundless vacuum provided by Meyers vac-suit was a stark contrast to the scene in front of him as he bounded towards the airlock. Everywhere to his left was mayhem, explosions sending debris spinning off endlessly into the black and tracer fire lighting up the plating of the stations hull in an eery gravelight. Two more slow leaps brought him down safely beneath the overhang of the airlock.

He could see figures through the thick blast glass as he approached, so he knew he had a few moments while the airlock cycled them through. As Meyers drew nearer he could make out more detail and recognized The Bagh-Marie assault team led by Lieutenant Rao. The broad shouldered officer and his retainers were waiting for the inner door to open so they could storm the hallway, but Rao spared the time to give Meyers a narrow eyed look of suspicion before raising his assault pistol to the ready postion and facing the hallway. Meyers tapped on his wrist interface, bringing up the diagram of the implants location - based on latest intel anyway... This was not exactly the type of operation he wanted to perform under fire, but he also wasn't the type to back down from a challenge, and that's what this mission was.

He heard the inner door cycle open and looked up just in time to see the Bagh-Maries advance in a disciplined fire pattern, efficiently dropping two of the rogue scientists on the way in. Perfect, Meyers thought, let's just hope at least one of them is still breathing. He closed the screen and strode over to the airlock, tapping the cycle button and glancing over his shoulder to make sure this area was still safe. Lietenant Rao and his men disappeared around the corner as the inner door closed and there was a loud klaxon warning Meyers only a second before the outer door rolled open, releasing the pressurized air in a visible wave. He floated into the airlock and hit the cycle button once more, unslinging his combi rifle as the door rolled shut. His ears popped painfully as the chamber repressurized and he began to unseal his vacsuit. By now the hallway outside was full of smoke and debris, so he would have to be careful once the doors opened.

When they did he stalked silently out into the stations hallway, combi rifle at the ready and eyes moving. There was a downed scientist at the first corner but his chest was a mess of bullet impacts and the odds of an intact implant were slim to none so Meyers moved on. Poking his head around the next corner he could see Rao and one of his Bagh-Maries exchanging fire with someone - or something - further down the hall. The air was a haze of smoke, lit up here and there by the scattered bursts of gunfire, but the immediate area looked clear. That was handy, because there was another rogue scientist on the floor only a few feet away, and he appeared to be breathing.

Meyers slid to his knees beside the wounded man and rolled him over, pleased to see the gentle rise and fall of life in his chest. He unsheathed his combat knife and used it to open the shirt up so he could get at the implant. A terrifyingly inhuman screech froze his hands for a moment and he spared a glance down the hallway. The Bagh-Maries were unleashing short bursts at a loping, spindle legged monster with what looked like scythes for arms. It was taking hits but all of them were glancing blows as it used it's speed and agility to close the gap. Finally the Magh-Marie on the left, bearing paramedic markings, caught it with two solid shots in the sternum and sent in tumbling. He looked over at Rao for a moment and missed the second alien coming out of the smoke to disembowel him. As Lieutenant Rao put it down with his assault pistol several more screams could be heard from the smoke, and Meyers bent back to his task with a will.

He forced his hands to stop shaking as he heard Rao opening up again with the pistol and more inhuman shrieks and screams. The scientists sternum was a mess of experimental implants and technologies, but the one Meyers was looking for had distinct markings and he wasn't seeing it. He glanced up quickly and saw the Rao was backing slowly toward him, keeping two of the loping creatures at bay with discplined bursts from his combi rifle. Faster man, faster! Meyers frantically searched with his fingers, a small flashlight gripped between his teeth. A louder screech and a longer burst of fire made him look up again to see Rao take down another alien and then click dry. The big man was dropping his rifle to draw his assault pistol but Meyers could tell he would not be fast enough.

Indigo agent Meyers snatched up his own rifle with a practiced ease and snapped off three shots, taking the creature apart at the knees before it's scything arms could reach Lieutenant Rao. He dropped the rifle once more and bent to the task, pulling a strange alien organ free of the scientist and flinging it away with disgust. Stephen Rao blinked at him for a moment and then began reloading his combi rifle. Meyers finally found what he was looking for, pulling the implant free and sealing it in a vac bag, trying not to get too much blood on it. He turned to place the bag in a pouch on his belt and then bent to retrieve his combi rifle.

The last creature was smarter than it's predecessors. It had been creeping silently through the smoke intent on catching the bigger man unawares and disemboweling him, but a piece of bent steel slid beneath it's alien claws and gave it away only feet from it's target. It's scream of rage turned the heads of both men.

Meyers immediately noticed something different about this creature. It had some kind of modification to it's left arm. It looked like a chain rifle. Then everything was light and pain.

~ ~ ~

The next time agent Meyers opened his eyes the light was still there and the pain was nearly as bad, but he could tell he was no longer aboard the space station. The light was cleaner and whiter, and the acrid smells of smoke and cordite had been replaced by cleaners and disinfectants. He was in a hospital ward, or a sick bay. His wounds had been tended to, his tactical gear and weapons had been removed, and he had been cuffed to his hospital bed.

He lifted his head slightly, shaking off the pain and stiffness, to look around the room. There was a nurse standing close to him and looking somewhat awkward, and another figure further away in one of the chairs near the sick bay door. The second figure was wreathed in smoke, and Meyers found it hard to focus on him. The figure rose and moved towards him, the tip of a cigar glowing to life as he puffed on it idly. Meyers recognized the Akalis Sergeant, Kirpal Singh. The man had a sharky smile around the cigar, and stopped a few feet away from the bed. He wore his dress uniform and a black silk turban with a golden pin, immaculate from head to toe.

"Mr. Meyers," he rumbled in a low voice coloured with his punjab accent. He casually reached up and withdrew the cigar from his mouth, glancing at it introspectively and saying, "you and I need to have a talk." The fierce little Sikh looked up at Meyers with a fire in his eyes that questioned his playful grin. He reached behind his back and withdrew a medical sample tube, which appeared to contain the experimental implant that Meyers had worked so hard to obtain. Singh held it up in front of him and observed it intently, then resumed smiling and looking at the recumbent agent. "So go ahead my friend...talk."

Meyers closed his eyes and let his head fall back on the pillow. It was time to make a very important decision.

Combined Army | Site B | written by: Derrick

Shivra Cahst

Shivra glanced to her right at the hulking mass beside her briefly wondering what the biosynthesized lifeform was thinking. Shivering she thought maybe not, those things were the next thing to a robot. All ability no…. life. Glancing left she looked at the 3 Pretas and 4 Gakis, the complete opposite to the stoic Chronatid. These thing were bursting with energy and life skittering along the hull of the station chittering amongst themselves. “I hope they understand they are not to eat the damn scientists on this station she needed to get the information.” Swinging her Helmet yet again she eyed up the Skiavoros leading the operation she smiled “Which should be easy with his Sepsitor.” She was so glad she asked that the eerie creature to join and equally glad that it was on their side. This alien construct was really only understood by the EI,but that sepsitor it was understood by all.

Completing her task should be easy, given the intelligence provided was straight. Get into the station grab as many rogue scientist guys as possible and get out. Checking her scanner she noted both the remotes were in place. The Imetrons were in holding stations on either side of the shuttle and the Kurgat engineer was between the station and the shuttle watching for any incoming shuttles. That autocannon of his should make them think twice about attempting to dock while they were inside.

All was in place she just had to open the door and start the mission. Grabbing her hacking device she started to interface with the station when hell broke loose, like all good plans do when the enemy is encountered, when the Hungries are nearby or in this instance both. The Hungeries lurched forward rushing the door and were met with a hail of gunfire from the stations far Station keeping engince. One floated into oblivion dead, one will carring a scar for a long time but the rest made it to the door. Glancing at the Skiavoros, Elshiv-ra could almost see him recalculating at this minor annoyance. Quickly he spat out new orders. The hungries were going in first there was no stopping that. The Chronatid was tasked with the sniper the the Kurgat couldn’t see from his position. Thankfully the sniper couldn’t see the Imetrons that were relaying all this information to the comms equipment.

The Chronatid beside her broke out his hacking device and attempted to blind the sniper’s MSV device by hacking into it and was rewarded with a round bouncing off the side of his helmet. Calmly he crouched lower and did it again this time there wasn’t any answering shot. With him maintaining the white noise on the sniper she was free to open the door the Hungeries who were almost on top of it and it appeared they were willing to eat their way through if required.

“Kimnp!” she swore. “58 there has been a breach into the station already at the next access point near the sniper, we are not alone nor are we the first here. It looks like they just breached not even a minute ago.” she reported to the Skaivoros. He nodded quickly and turned to the opening door reading his sepsitor as he so movement on the far side of the airlocks inner door, the Hungeries quickly followed him through.

“Kimnp!” She wore again and mumbled “can’t those damn Shavestii ever get their intel right, easy in out job nothing but scientist, take the Hungeries they need to practice space walking, dont worry it will all be fine” The hulking form beside her looked down at her.

“What” she fired at him “You were thinking it to”

It shrugged and moved towards the door. The silence of space was here only companion now as the hulking form left her to cover the door. Looking at here scanner she redeployed the M-Drone to her right up into the nacelle of the station keeping engine to see if it could find another access point to the station if needed.she used the white noise as cover for its movement. being unsure what else lay down that way.

Long moments later her comms again lit up with the command to enter the station. she looked towards the Chronatid and glanced the direction of the sniper. he nodded in understanding and pick up his hacking device again putting up a field of white noise to blind the sniper as she pushed off the station and aimed her trajectory at the station doors.

Inside she saw the Skiavoros was functional but damaged significantly as he pointed to the several Human Beings nearby. “They are with us find out the information you need” his metalic voice prompted. Down the hallway she could here the screams of dieing Hungeries firing off their chain rifles..

As she began walking to the scientist to talk to the the hulking form of the Chorantid, but this time it appeared different blurry some how like it was trying to appear different smaller even while reading its Plasma Rifle. Seconds later she realized it had used it Hacking Device to appear as a human on their sensors and comms equipment. Her equipment was getting the right friend or foe information but it was also receiving some of the shadowed FoF from the program. “This should be cleaned up fast “ she said half to the scientists in front of her half to no one in particular”.

“Now then Dr. …” She prompted the first of four scientist.

“Lee, I am Dr. Lee, and this is Dr. Charif, Dr. Dworsynski, and Dr. Spudinski” replied the Sepsorized Dr. Lee “ We are here to serve”

“Of Course you are” Shivra sighed” no matter what you will serrve. Now this serum you have? Where is it?”

“We all have a vial of it as well as some in our systems as we doesed ourselves thinking we needed to defend against you. Foolish I know given that we are friends. But there is no way we could fight and armed force without its help.”

“Perfect” Shivra replied “please follow me to the air lock we have to get you out before the others break through our defenses. Maybe I should carry the vials for safe keeping”

“Of course” Replied all the scientist as happily gave her the vials and approached the airlock.

“There are not enough Vac-suits here for all of us to walk to the shuttle mam” Noted Dr. Spudinski.

“You will not need them” She replied, “ we must save the serum in your bodies as the fastest way to do that is to flash freeze you. You do understand don’t you?” She loved this part of Sepsoritized beings.

“Completely” They all replied without a any hint of self preservation.

She lead them to the airlock as the Chronatid provided rearguard by impersonating the attacking force. The havok provided made it easy to exit the station in an orderly manner

Human Coalition | Site D | written by: Brad

Brother Roderick

<< NO DEBRIEFING FILED >>

Combined Army | Site D | written by: Ben

El-Shiva-Ra

'What thing would murder young and helpless regardless of species?' thought Agent El-Shiva-ra as the Shasvasti Commando unit raced to save the nursery of infantile seeds. Before she even saw the inbound drop ships she new the answer. Religious fanatics!

The PanO drop craft lowered their assault ramps and a dozen armoured knights rushed out. They quickly spread into the streets and began to clear each building.

The Corax Agent hated the foolishness of religion. How with so many 'gods' among the humans could they believe the deceitful filth of their governments that an altruistic omni-potent being existed. Certainly not one that would require the death of so many. Even now with the appearance of so many foreign star crossing speices they did not doubt that their 'God' existed. Not one custom or belief among the Tohaa, Morats, Shasvasti or dozen other extraterrestrial creatures the humans had encountered had any similarity to an earth religion.

Humanity would be better off worshiping their Artifical Intelligence as the combined did the Evolved Intelligence.

Each Shasvasti nest was protected by The Hungries; carnivorous creatures of chitin and death. Their simple minds were being over whelmed by the fear pheromones leaking from the Shasvasti as they scrambled to evacuate the young seedlings. The Hungries soon turned on their masters. The Shasvasti were a dying race and could not lose the hidden nurseries.

The Mistress of Lies separated from her bonded team. It was agreed she would contain The Hungries while Agents Sheskin and Agent Hasht would confront the Knights.

Agent Sheskin was the best of them. Leading a team of seed soldiers she and Agent Hasht quickly decimated the PanO Templars. A series of back alley brawls and ad-hoc traps utilizing the maddening Hungries cut the knights apart. Even the sudden emergence of a technological camouflaged sniper for PanO made no difference. Agent Sheskin simply destroyed them; they were nothing to her.

'Now there's a Goddess' Agent El-Shiva-ra thought as she watched Sheskins momentum build.

The Cadmus Agent Sheskin entered the final nursery and a fluke shotgun blast tore her head in half; obliterating her cube. The Templar who had fired the shot paused as if stunned at his fortune for a moment and whispered a silent prayer. Agent Hasht answered. The Templar was struck with such fire power that he simply eased to exist. Such was the force of his immediate destruction that Agent Hasht imagined he had killed the knights very soul; if such a thing exsisted.

The Mistress of Lies let a single PanO special operative flee the field of battle. The rest would make a sufficient protein base for the younglings to induce maturity.

Best one be able to tell the rest of humanity what was coming; perhaps they would see the reason and join the Evolved Intelligence. A kernal of hate flamed inside Agent El-Shiva-ra. She would welcome Humanities futile resistance. She would murder until glutted on revenge for Agent Sheskin...

Human Coalition | Site E | written by: Cam

Sister Katherine

"Agent Pulaski. Please, sit down."

Administrator Jayanti ushered the Spec Ops agent into a small debriefing room aboard the Pan-O frigate Esperito de Aconticimento. "While we are grateful that your team managed to evacuate Governor Prescott and despatch the enemy agent, we require more information. Recordings of the scrum are partially obscured and there remain several...ambiguities, to resolve."

Agent Pulaski sighed. "Administrator, I assume full responsibility for letting that damn dirty ape get as close as he did. My Swiss Guard were positioned to cover all angles of approach, the Governor was quite literally surrounded by my best soldiers, I believed all contingencies to be reasonably covered, with the resources in place to control those that I failed to anticipate."

Jayanti nodded. "And then, Agent?"

Katherine became visiby agitated, "Then as we began to move, I heard what sounded like a crazed roar. A cloud of that damn Morat smoke appeared and then everything went to hell."

"Please agent, I need you to describe what occured as precisely as you can possibly recall."

"It was insane, Administrator. He was using an undetermined device to confuse our sensors. There was no pretense of stealth, no thought given to self-preservation. This deranged ape just appeared next to the Governor...", Katherine paused, turning a vibrant shade of red, "...with this enormous...erection, roaring all the while, and tried to impale him with an arm-mounted blade. He was unsuccessful, and after the moment of shock passed we clubbed the brute to death with our rifles. The rest of the evac was uneventful."

"The Morat have a name for what you witnessed, Agent Pulaski. It translates roughly to 'Rock out with your cock out', a final act of defiance when death is inevitable. The arm blade you described, did it appear solid, or perhaps hollow"?

Agent Pulaski sighed with exasperation. "Administrator, I honestly didn't have time to assess the weapon. There was very little left of the assailant when it was over."

Administrator Jaylanti turned off her dataslate. "Agent, this enemy is unlike anything you have ever imagined, let alone faced. Every piece of information we fail to secure will haunt us in the months to come. The Governor owes you his life, and for that we are grateful. Just remember what you witnessed when you face the enemy again. One momentary lapse is sometimes all it takes. You're dismissed."

Combined Army | Site E | written by: Kyle

Treitak Goran

Aboard the Morat Command ship, Treitak Goran was mulling over the mission debrief to the EI Command. It seems they were pleased with his “initiative” in the last assault. Looking over the comms history, his hails to Morat Commander Dustinok have gone unanswered. It seems he would not be joining the campaign after all...

A notification icon blipped in his new HUD implant - he was receiving an encrypted message from the EI Agent who dispatched the last assault. “What now?” barked the Treitak. A data stream hit him in the neural network like a freight skiff to the groin. A new mission had been downloaded to his Cube and he was headed down the corridor to the armoury before he was fully aware of what he was doing.

After picking up some choice gear from lockup, Goran headed to the launch bay.

After making planet-fall, Goran had acquired the target site of the human Governor. After injecting himself with various combat stimulants, it was time to begin his assault (or as he liked to call it, Morat Stealth Mode). After placing the tracking beacon on the human ship, he made it straight for the elected Official. Using the advanced holo-field, Goran was able to walk right up to the target and successfully deliver the Sepsitor, in the middle of his entire security force. “I guess this is where the Morat version of Stealth comes in” thought Goran, as the guards closed in and surrounded him. He knew he wasn’t going to make it out of this one, and began his Cube transmission sequence.

Some time Later...

Gasping for air, Goran awoke in a vat of liquid. He hated the reincarnation process. Having undergone it 17 times previously, it never seemed to get easier. Per usual, a 3 cycle visit to his favourite brothel would surly cure the headaches. He always thanked his doctor for that treatment letter when he filled out his medical expenses. With a Smirk, Goran exited the sonic shower and got dressed.