"Emergency Red Alert! Emergency Red Alert!" The robotic voice echoed throughout the metal corridors of the space station. The blaring red emergency lights bounced off the glass doors. Even so, it was pointless. Anyone could see the Alien Dreadnought orbiting outside. Enormous fighters blasted through the space station windows, and only Captain Pierce remained on deck. He had issued an evacuation order for the other crew members. That was an hour ago. As he stared at the metallic beast, he gripped his chair tightly.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
Love of my life. Pierce's hand trembled as he read the name. His vision began to blur as he dreaded the conversation. No. Get a grip. This is a blessing. A blessing from the Maker to make peace.
"HI, Honey. You're not calling about the broken door again, right? " He chuckled, but his joke didn't lighten the mood at all.
"Henry! Jonathan! Pierce! Where are you, now!? Don't you dare leave me alone! You can't leave me!" A teary Anthian woman huffed. Her dogs ears drooped to match her expression. She was broken as steaming hot tears streamed across her cheeks. The middle-aged captain felt his heart break as he saw how shattered the love of his life appeared on his screen.
"My dear. I'm sorry. I didn't I... I just - Sorry." Pierce finally coughed out as he felt his throat tighten. The gray metal walls start to morph into the inside of a coffin. He was not coming home, and he could not change that.
"Please. Henry. Please! Don't leave me. I need you. I love you." His wife begged, and all he could do was watch with regret.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't want to end like this. I wanted us to live so many more years together. So much I wanted to show you. I wish -" Pierce abruptly stopped as something flickered past his mind. He let out a heavy sigh. "Honey, are my kids there? I need to talk to them."
His wife felt sorrowful, but she began to realize what was going to happen. There was no more debate. Time was running out. All that mattered was their family and their future. She called her kids, and they walked behind her. One was a young human barely older than a high schooler. The other was a little Anthian girl.
"Hello, Baby pup. Hi, Son." The father began.
Mrs. Pierce wanted to hear the last words of her husband, but her thought was immediately cut off as a military officer and an old family friend entered the house.
"Cyn! I'm here to escort you! We gotta leave." The Sergeant shouted as he looked in the different wooden rooms. The walls were eggshell white with pictures of the family lined meticulously on every side.
The sergeant finally entered the bedroom where he saw the wife and kids all broken as his oldest best friend appeared on the tiny screen. The military man wanted to give them adequate time to mourn, but it's too late.
A huge enemy spacecraft entered the planet's orbital defensive area. They had no time to waste.
"Hey, Pierce. Sorry to cut your family meeting short. But I gluh-" the Sergeant was at a loss for words.
"The old Maxwell. Loss for words, ehh buddy? Maybe pigs will start flying," Pierce joked. That brought a small smile from everyone in the room. Nevertheless, they were still grieving.
"Old friend. Please protect my family." Pierce begged.
Maxwell simply nodded. "On my honor as a Cub Scout."
"Pfft. And not the honor of an ATG Marine officer?" Pierce snorted
"No way. That Maxwell does mess up stuff." Maxwell joked back. Pierce's mouth was left hanging before he laughed back.
"Ok, cub scout. Keep them safe."
The two men stared at each other. Brothers in arms. "You have my word," the Captain looked like he was about to say more. However, the entire screen flashed red. Looking behind him, Pierce walked towards the window, just as a giant carrier appeared. The family watched as hundreds of mini-star crafts were unleashed, all heading to the planet below the planet where Pierce's family was currently living.
"Dear God," Pierce whispered to himself.
"We have to go. Now." Maxwell said gravely.
Cynia nodded her head, but she couldn't take her eyes off the screen. Her darling husband was running back and forth, doing everything he could to slow the foreign threat. It broke her heart as she saw him manning the cannons all by himself.
"You can do it, Henry. I know you can," she said with determination. She could watch for hours as her husband was fighting valiantly. But that would be selfish. Her family needed her, and they needed to escape. Her long, feminine fingers held the screen and finally closed it.
The son and the daughter broke down as that was the last thing for them to see. They cried and cried until Maxwell grabbed the oldest's shoulder. "I'm sorry, kid. Your father was a good man. But he wouldn't want ya to cry. He wants you and your sister to live."
The boy screamed angrily, but his puffed eyes were replaced with fierce determination.
"I refuse - I refuse to let my dad die in vain. I'm not going to die here."
The family entered the shuttle craft, heading straight for the nearest city.
"Shouldn't we go to the base? You and my husband have clearance."
"That wouldn't be a bad idea if the base wasn't on a lockdown. They'll be too distracted dealing with the incoming attack to help." Maxwell explained, navigating the chaotic streets. "That's why I am heading for Celestial Lines Space Port. They're a cruiser waiting for us."
"Ok," Cynia said, clutching her bag tightly.
"We are going to make it. I promise. You know I won't let you or your husband down." Maxwell said as he swerved to dodge a broken-down gravitational automobile. Cynianodded quietly as she looked at the review mirror. There, she saw her oldest son comforting her baby girl.
"It's going to be OK, honey," the mother said warmly as she faced her children. Her soft hand gently rubbed her daughter's legs. The little girl whimpered as she buried her head deeper into her brother's arms.
"Oh, baby girl. I'm so -"
Boom!
A huge blue explosion of light blasted right in front of their vehicle. Thankfully, Maxwell's training allowed him to avoid the attack. However, they weren't out of the fire just yet. Looking up, scores of metallic beetle-like aircraft were breaking through the atmosphere. Half of them were destroyed by the energy planetary shield. But some did slip through. One of them shot a pitch black missile.
Like a falling black star, the family watched as the missile made contact.
"What in the world is that?" A young boy asked.
"Nothing good," Maxwell responded now, gunning for the city center.
As the grizzled soldier drove, the young teenager did not take his sight off the black missile. The worst part was that it was completely still, not moving.
"It's not doing anything. Why's not doing anything?!" The young boy was on the verge of uncontrollable panic.
"Boy, keep your eyes forward. We are almost at the space port. Focus on that."
Unknown to the family, the missile was doing something as a hatch opened from the side. Jumping out of the craft were quad-pedal deformed alien creatures that resembled something like bugs. Bugs that have been tortured and deformed, now weapons of war. One of them let out an ungodly shriek a swarm charged the nearest city.
The family finally arrived at the spaceport. At the center, the entire planet poured into a singular mainstream. That wasn't good. Maxwell was getting nervous. The people were not going to care about authority or civil decorum. No! Everyone was in the same boat. Live or die.
The crowds tried to enter a small military compound, where a few escaped shuttles docked. Thousands upon thousands of people were pulling and begging to get on the ship. Maxwell looked back as he saw his friend's daughter cower into her mother's arms.
"I won't let them down. I gave my word as a Cub Scout!" He screamed internally. He pushed the small family through the chaotic streets. However, the place went quiet as a loud rumbling noise pulled their attention. On the other side of the dock was a huge metal man. His arms were covered with heavy equipment, and giant engines were attached to its back. The giant lifted his gun towards the civilians. If the people weren't in a panic, now everyone was hysteria. The people pushed each other harder, shoving Ms. Pierce to the ground.
"Cyn!" Maxwell shouted. As he and the young boy shielded the two girls on the ground. Suddenly, a shrieking noise broke through the sound barrier.
Turning back, a small powered suit flew straight towards the behemoth. The two collided, shaking the planet below.
"Come on, we gotta move," Maxwell shouted as Maxwell grabbed one of the children's hands. They were escaping to the underground subway until black giant bugs blocked their exit. From Cub Scout to Marine, Maxwell didn't hesitate even for a moment. Taking out an army knife, he stabbed the serrated blade into them. Like a bear, he crushed them with brutish force. One bug pounced for his head, forcing him to block with his arm. The bug nipped and nipped, pushing him back. However, regaining his foothold, Maxwell stabbed the blade into its jaw and then tore open its mouth. The last bug's head split into two. Maxwell motioned for the family to follow him.
"Where are we going?" Cyniaasked.
"We have to find another way off planet. The army has a few mechs and power armors. But that thing was humongous. Haven't seen anything like that since I enlisted. We need to head to the next city. Hopefully, they have a spaceport there."
"I don't think that's smart. Those things are going to attack major cities." Cynia pointed out as she kept close to the soldier.
"Then what do you suggest?"
"News station." A soft voice spoke up. Looking down, the baby girl bashfully looked at her knees, thinking she may have misspoke.
"What are you talking about, sweety?" The mother knelt down to be eye level with her daughter.

"The News station has a personal spacecraft to do news reports on space events. We had a school trip." The young Anthian girl explained.
Maxwell considered his options. If they stayed here too long, they would soon be overrun by enemy combatants. And if the giant bugs were any indication, their enemy was not beyond doing some messed-up things. The news station was close, but so was their enemy. They had no time to waste.
"Thank you for telling us, Las. Ok, let's go. And stay close. We are going to borrow the News' personal shuttle."