Planet Xemos
City of Verran Prime
The ground shook as artillery fire landed somewhere in the distance. The streets of Verran Prime were already gone — turned into trenches, rubble, and burning wrecks of what used to be homes.
"Move! Move! Keep your heads down!"
Captain Marcus Hale ran across what used to be an avenue, his squad following close behind. They took cover behind the wreck of a transport truck, bullets and plasma rounds hammering the walls around them.
Private Emmanuel Okafor slammed his rifle onto the truck hood and fired into the smoke. "They're pushing hard on the left side!" he shouted.
"I see it!" Marcus snapped back. He leaned out, firing a burst. One of the Ascendancy soldiers went down — alien armor cracked open, its body twisting unnaturally as it fell. But more were coming. Always more.
"Where's Ramirez?" someone yelled.
"Here!" Corporal Diego Ramirez stumbled into cover, dragging a wounded soldier with him. Blood poured from the man's chest plate. "He's hit bad!"
"Get him down! Bennett, patch him up!"
The medic, Jessica Bennett, dropped beside the soldier, tearing open her kit. Her hands shook, but she worked fast. "I need quiet!" she snapped, voice tight.
A sudden flash — a blur moved through the smoke. Private Chen barely had time to turn before something invisible slammed into him. He screamed once, then was dragged into the street and cut in half by a blade no one saw coming.
"Chen's gone!" Ramirez shouted.
"Eyes up! They've got speed users in the field!" Marcus barked.
---
Control Tower – Verran Prime Defense Command
Inside the tower, the command deck was filled with shouting officers. Maps updated in real time, showing the Dominion defense zones shrinking block by block.
Colonel Sarah Whitaker stood at the center, headset pressed to her ear. "Report!"
"Unit Forty-Three is engaged near the central district," a young officer said. "Forty-Two's been wiped out."
Whitaker's jaw tightened. "And reinforcements?"
"Fleet Aegis is still four hours out, ma'am."
"We won't hold four hours," another officer muttered.
"Then we hold anyway," Whitaker said coldly. "Patch me into the ground units."
---
Back in the Streets – Unit Forty-Three
"Captain!" Okafor yelled. "We're getting cut apart here!"
Marcus fired again, ducked back down. "We don't retreat unless command says so!"
A voice cut through their comms, calm but firm. "This is Colonel Whitaker. Reinforcements are en route. Hold your positions. Repeat — hold."
The squad traded looks. Ramirez spat into the dirt. "Reinforcements my ass. We're screwed."
"Shut it," Marcus said, though his own voice wavered.
Another explosion tore the barricade apart. Shrapnel ripped through two soldiers — one fell silent instantly, the other screamed until Bennett shoved a syringe into his neck.
Then, suddenly, a figure lifted into the air — Captain Marcus. His feet kicked, his arms flailed as if gripped by invisible hands. His squad froze, staring.
"Captain!" Okafor shouted.
Marcus gasped, choking. "Don't stop! Keep—" His voice cut off in a wet crunch. His body twisted, bones breaking. Blood sprayed across the rubble as he was crushed like a doll, then flung aside.
Silence.
Even the gunfire seemed to pause.
Then the aliens moved in again.
"Fall back!" Ramirez screamed.
---
Control Tower
"Captain Hale confirmed KIA," the officer said quietly.
Colonel Whitaker closed her eyes for half a second. When she opened them, her face was like stone.
"Patch me back in," she said.
The comm officer hesitated. "What do you want me to tell them?"
Whitaker looked at the holomap. Unit Forty-Three's beacon was flashing red, cut off and surrounded.
"Tell them," she said slowly, "that reinforcements are twenty minutes out."
The officer blinked. "Ma'am, that's—"
"Do it," Whitaker snapped.
Because if she told them the truth — four hours — there wouldn't be anyone left to receive the fleet.
---
To be continued...