original

Eodem: a Rifle and Sword Adventure

Chapitre 1: Planetfall

For Lieutenant Samantha Rose, today was the culmination of a childhood dream, to breathe fresh clean oxygen and to be like those great pioneers of the Old World coming across the seas to discover sights unseen. Hovering above the Space Ship she was a passenger of was her destination, a blue planet below her with its green continents and azure oceans. A youthful excitement filled her veins as Samantha's eyes feasted in awe over its arcadian surface. She couldn't wait to be off this sanitized floating hunk of metal and finally stretch her legs on solid ground.

It may not be Earth but the Probe did say it couldn't see the difference between it.

Samantha could hear the excited squeals of the first wave colonists behind her who too joined in her elation at looking down upon the planet. To these people, it was not just a lone blue planet in the cold vacuum of space but a new hope, new dawn, a new home.

Upon the edges of the explored frontiers of space, the Star System of Benham orbited an Earth-like planet. One virginal of the old world's consumption, innocent of its devastations and untamed of its wealth.

A whole new world, lands of untapped potential for some, a new beginning for others await those intrepid explorers and colonists onboard the Colony Ship, the Eodem lay before them like a wrapped present underneath a child's feet. All they needed to do now, is to prepare the Colony Ship for Planetfall and set forth the Seven-Ringed Flower of the United Federation of Earth atop of its soil.

'There it is, my first tour of duty' Samantha smiled. Remembering her mission's assignment, for she didn't travel across the stellar highways to go sightseeing. She was bound by oath by the state to be in Benham-3.

Checking her dress uniform for any last-second adjustments, Samantha looked down on her single silver bar Lieutenant insignia and neatly tidied its placement atop of her uniform. Having freshly graduated and immediately deployed to her first Tour straight from West Point Military Academy.

"Lieutenant Samantha Rose?" A rough cockney-accented voice approached behind her.

The Lieutenant, fresh out of West Point, turned around to meet an imposing man that easily towered over her by about two feet wearing what she could identify as the high-end Militech Hercules Exo-suit standing in attention to her. Examining by the insignia that hung by his shoulders, the man is a Sergeant.

"Yes?" she turned around. The armored man greeted her with a salute and was promptly saluted in return by her.

"I am Sergeant Lewis Crocker of Stryder Group, squad automatic rifleman and your Second-in-Command. Welcome to the Colonial Militia ma'am." the man replied with a seasoned composure. "Colonel Polonsky assigned you to become the C.O. of the Studies and Observations group, callsign Stryder. I am here to take you to meet him by the bridge." The Sargent explained.

"Affirmative, take me to them," Samantha nodded.

The two soldiers walked across the Eodem towards the captain's deck of the ship. On the way, Samantha noticed many of the colonists were peering just like her at the planet's orbit looking just as excitedly as she was. Many of the colonists had families with them and their previous lives career paths of carpenters, hunters, soldiers, scientists, and farmers will complement to make another successful colony of the UFE. When humanity finally had the ability and technology to make a new home outside of their crowded planet of Earth, they started with Mars. After their Red Planet neighbor, they began to colonize a moon at Alpha Centauri, then another one and another one until the UFE has now successfully expanded to over 26 planets in over 9 Star Systems with the new planet, named "Benham-3" being the newly inducted planet number 27 designated for surface colonization.

"So, tell me something about yourself Lieutenant?" Crocker asked her. "You're pretty young for someone taking command of a squad."

"I am from Quebec Prefecture, an Earthborn." Samantha answered. "Joined the Officer's Corp through West Point. Graduated under Thayer's and here I am."

"Thayer's? The Honor Program? How did you do it?" the Sergeant asked.

"Well I…" Samantha was about to explain her history when suddenly they were alerted to a commotion happening by the Storage bay. Their vigilance training automatically kicking their legs to assist in the disaster.

"Help! Somebody!" a frantic cargo worker ran out and cried.

Moving into the scene, the Lieutenant quickly scanned her surroundings. There was an unmanned cargo hauling drone. As its namesake, its meant to automate the logistical heavy lifting of standardized cargo boxes. The wheeled machine was running amok by itself madly, its contents spilling over and threatening to run over anything and anyone in its cybernetic tantrum. Meanwhile a safe distance away, two men argued.

"What kind of Programmer are you?!" yelled a hard-headed man in yellow with the word 'Foreman' written at the back of his jumpsuit.

"I didn't know you were still using the last update of the drone's custom coding Files!" cried squeamishly his feeble subordinate.

"Well whatever damn thing you typed on the Drone has turned it into a bull in a china shop! The Colony's supplies are going to be destroyed! Your---" the Foreman was about to angrily discharge the blunderous computer jockey when Samantha physically intervened.

"Gentlemen! Let's be reasonable here!" The Lieutenant pleaded for amity.

"This idiot is going to ruin the Colony's supplies!" the Foreman flailed his body.

"He said it was a mistake! He didn't mean to bug the Drone. Calm down!" Samantha defended the Computer Technician. "You need to listen to your colleague. You're a Foreman after all! He's saying he didn't know the Coding was all different!" she pleaded. This was not how people should resolve problems.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Crocker assisted the Lieutenant by keeping the angered Foreman away whilst Samantha consoled with the Technician. "Now is not the time to blame each other! We have to stop that bot!" she rectified to the Foreman.

Arguing over spilled milk as they say back in West Point Academy only leads to indolence. One must think then act.

By separating the two discordants, the ardor of both men tempered down.

"F-fine! But what about the Drone?" the Foreman gritted himself as he finally was given space to think.

Lieutenant Rose re-examined the room once again. There is no way this rogue robot should be aloud to run amok any longer. The Cargo bay housed many items, from other drones, cargo boxes of the Colony's supplies and several other supporting equipment. One such item caught her eye, an old fashioned Maximov Cargo Jack. Much larger and heavier than the nimbler Autonomous Cargo Drone throwing a coding-induced cyber tantrum. But most important, manual driving controls. She has a rather unconventional plan in mind.

Samantha ran towards the Cargo Jack and brushed off the dust off of its dashboard, coughing slightly as she looked for the ignition. Frantically her hand landed on the key slot, but it was empty and neither a swift search for the Keycard across the driver's table could it be found.

"I need the Key!" Samantha cried.

"Ah… There!" the Foreman pointed to a nearby work bench. Sergeant Crocker rushed towards it and found the gold-colored key card needed to awaken the Cargo Jack.

"Catch!" Lewis yelled as he threw the Key card towards her that the Lieutenant managed to catch.

Returning back to the driver's seat. Samantha inserted the Key Card onto the Cargo Jack's ignition slot and the Maximov Industrial Lifter stirred itself to life.

"Show me… show me…" Samantha focused her eyes onto the rogue Cargo Drone now. She needed to time her move just right if she has any chance of putting a stop to this menace.

Studying the mathematical patterns of speed the berserk robot drift aimlessly around and familiarizing the top speed of her Cargo Jack, Lieutenant Rose thrust the Industrial Lifter forward valiantly charging head first towards the Cargo Drone. The robot struck to a dead stop by the Cargo Jack's heavier frame causing bits of robotic sparks, metal and its cargo of several construction supplies to spill unto the Cargo Bay floor.

Shaken but still concious, the Lieutenant climbed out of the now totaled Cargo Jack as Crocker and the Cargo Workers gathered around her.

"You did it ma'am!" the Foreman cheered.

"Sorry… about your stuff though…" Samantha groaned.

"Ah it's okay. Nothing me and the other workers can fix. Its better we lose one Drone that risk it smashing anything else." The Foreman nodded.

"And the IT Guy? What about him?" Samantha asked him.

The Foreman sighed, he had to admit he was too harsh on the Computer Technician. "He made an honest mistake… it… it was my fault." He confessed.

"Good… get this clean up before someone else notices." The Lieutenant turned around and left the Foreman and his colleagues in accordance.

The Cargo Workers congratulated the young officer with an spirited ovation as she returned to Sergeant Crocker.

"Well I can see why you got'erself in the first place, because Jesus f'ocking Christ! I haven't seen shit like that since my Tour at Mars." Crocker applauded. "Well, I hope your first tour with me and Stryder Group will go well fo'ya. They say the first tours for the greenbloods are the ones that stick'it the most fo'em." Crocker smiled. "Let's keep moving, the rest of the Squad shoul'be aroun' dis corner by the Engineering Bay."

Taking one deep inhalation of breath, Samantha straightened her back and followed the Sergeant once again.

Crocker opened the door towards the Engineering Bay and lead his heroic Commanding Officer inside.

There, sitting at a bunch of boxes tinkering with their weapons and robotic equipment sat two men. One young African male who wore his hair buzzed shortly atop whose fingers dexterously navigated the inner workings of those complex machines and in contrast a bearded and very messily-haired Caucasian man with wrinkled skin on his forehead who was cleaning several UFE Rifles. The former was professionally dressed in UFEAF Uniform whilst the latter was still in his civilian garments.

"Atten-shun!" the black-skinned induced the bearded man to follow his lead and together they saluted.

"State your rank and specialization," Samantha ordered the two.

"Private First Class Kayin Mudwin. I am a combat engineer specializing in drone operations and sapping." the African answered in a thick Nigerian accent.

"I...I... Obediah Root... ehm... Private, I think? Sniper... I mean Marksman ma'am." the old man stuttered.

"You must be the recruit that Crocker has mentioned. How did you learn your Marksmanship skills, to begin with?" Samantha asked.

"I am a member of the Interplanetary Hunter's Association. I am sort of a mid-tier member of the group, but I have shot about 1000 or so animals on record. From predators to invasive species, I know how to survive in a forest just like I know my animal's ma'am." Obediah explained.

"That's pretty incredible of you Obediah. I do hope we will work together quite well." Samantha nodded. "I am Lieutenant Samantha Rose; I will be your Commanding Officer for Stryder Group." she introduced herself.

"Oh... a girl? I-- I--- didn't know" Obediah stuttered. He observed the Lieutenant and her figure with an astonishment which slighted Samantha with a brief stint of annoyance but she caught herself before her nerves could act out on impulse to the undisciplined man, he was just hastily signed recruit and she cannot be choosy of those who would her squad mates be at this time.

"Ah... don't get the wrong idea. If you are a Lieutenant, you gotta be pretty gutsy 'en smart about it... like my Daughter... Sorry... not quite used to the military slang yet..." he apologized.

"It's called 'terminology' and none has taken Mister Root. It is in my best hopes that you, Kayin, Crocker and I will work together well for the duration of our Service here in Benham-3." She smiled with a forgiving tone.

"Yes ma'am!" Obediah and Kayin saluted in unison

"So, Mister Root, you will be the Squad's Marksman, right? Kayin told me your handy with a rifle and have a good eye despite your… advanced age." Crocker asked him.

"I'm not old! I am experienced!" he protested. He was quickly butted on his back by Kayin as the recruit chocked on himself for a brief second before regaining his poise. "Anyways, here are my Volunteer Papers." Obed said as he passed off a few pieces of paper, signed, sealed, and approved by the Recruitment Officer to Samantha.

"I see, so tell me more about yourselves," Samantha asked them further.

Obediah dropped his bag and brought out two unusual items from his bag. First was a long bolt action hunting rifle from his bag.

"This is my Ruger .308 Rifle 'Leah', after my wife. Although not up to par with the latest tech in sniper rifles there's a reason this why it's still in production and popular for hunters looking for a great value. But wait… that's my primary, this is my beauty." Obediah demonstrated his rifle to the squad then proceeded to grab the show his next weapon.

He showed them a silvery hand cannon which looked like it could house large rounds and cause serious damage whether near or far.

"An 'Elephant Killer' I presume? Damn you must be eager to shoot some big game huh?" Kayin chuckled.

"That's right isn't she nice? I call her 'April', after my daughter. I built her myself." Obed smiled.

"Those are all outside the regulations of standard issued weaponry." Sam reprimanded, she crossed her arms to express her disdain. However, Lewis placed his hand over her shoulder.

"At this stage right now, we need all the muscle we can work with. There's a reason why I asked him to join us. Besides based on my experience, the farther you are from the Core Worlds of UFE the laxer we are about some rules. The Militia can get away with certain stuff as long as they don't put other men at risk. Trust me you'll get used to this with time." Crocker explained. "Plus, he's an American and they love their guns." he further added.

Samantha sighed and gestured to Crocker to move on. She was not used to such informality to be done during her first tour as a full-fledged UFEAF Soldier.

"And you Private Mudwin?" Samantha turned to the African.

"Myself?" Kayin asked.

"Like what are you outside of being a soldier?" Samantha asked her, wanting to break the ice at the moment to get to know her team more.

"Well sometimes I listen to audiobooks and I tend to be quite handy when it comes to building things like camp, equipment, and our guns. I always try to keep everything for myself and the squad tidy and orderly." Kayin answered.

"He's also a bit of an early riser too," Crocker added.

"That sounds great. You look to be quite capable enough. It is an honor to meet you." Samantha smiled.

"So when do we start?" Obediah asked.

"Tomorrow, when we disembark the Engineers to start building up the first vital structures of the new Colony we are on protection duty and also on hauling off some of the supplies and equipment too," Sam said.

"Lieutenant, you forgot our Orientation with the Colonel and the other SOG Groups?" Crocker reminded her.

Samantha mentally cursed herself for her failure to remember the meeting. She gnashed her teeth as she took a deep breath.

"Oh, where is the meeting?" Samantha asked the Sargeant.

"Follow me, we must not be late." Crocker ushered.

The squad embarked, hastily arriving at the Captain's Deck where Stryder Group alongside such other personnel of the Benham-3 Colonial Militia is to meet with their superiors. They entered the room together to see that the colonial leaders were expectantly waiting for them while behind a large holographic table that displayed a hologram of the planet 'Benham-3'.

"Everyone, grab a mission folder with your squad's name on it please take a seat." Colonel Polonsky instructed.

Stryder Group walked up to a table where several classified Folders were stacked neatly together in a pile with their squad's name written atop of the cover. They each grabbed one before proceeding to sit down together about three rows away from the front where Colonel Polonsky briefs them. Lieutenant Rose gulped nervously as she observed her first real mission briefing. It was exciting for her but also nerve-wracking now that she is finally in the big leagues, the same leagues as her late father was. She looked over the other SOG Groups who were either attentively listening to the Colonel's speech or quietly studiously reading their mission folders. Compared to everyone else she was the odd one out due to her green-blooded nervousness that made her shrink below in shyness as she read her folder.

"Alright men, within 24 hours we will be touching down on Benham-3 at the prearranged coordinates and begin the construction of our colony. Your job is to establish a perimeter around the initial construction site and scan and neutralize any threats from God the only one knows what kind of creepy crawlies might be out there. I know that some of you had just been transferred from other places or were just fresh out of the academy but I can assure you that if we follow the plan, things should run smoothly for about… Uhm at least a year and six months minimum. Governor Jeremy White will be our Commander-in-Chief for this operation." Polonsky briefed.

The man, as Samantha can remember reading from her folder is a Ph.D. in Agricultural Developments. Jeremy White is assigned to handle the civilian aspect of the colony's well-being but he also is involved in the colony's defense since he is effective thanks to his governorship giving him the ability to command the Colonial Militia. Although he does let Polonsky from time to time make most of the military decisions, he is a very cautious man who prefers to know everything that is needed to be known of a problem, a scenario, and/or a task for his decision-making process.

"So far we are currently undermanned in our Militia than what is supposed to be our minimum. We lack about 47 personnel out of 100 and we needed volunteers yesterday so we are forced to draft some men in to fill up the gaps. " Colonel Polonsky said.

Samantha continued to read her briefing folder Meanwhile, the Colonel began to talk down with the other SOG Groups about their objectives and responsibilities upon landing at Benham-3. From her point of view, the Colonel used more informal wordings than her Instructors and Professors would speak like back in West Point.

"So Stryder Group's job is Reconnaissance and Collection missions... all exploring the wilderness the old-fashioned way as I read..." Samantha nodded her head approvingly while her eyes browsed the file studiously.

"Indeed, although you and each and everyone of you in this room will have to be vigilant for any signs of danger once you start running about all over the planet on your Land Cruisers. You could also be called in to assist in peacekeeping within the Colony we will be setting up soon upon my call. At this stage, the biggest danger could be more Pirate Attacks from above rather than the planet. Therefore you will all be equipped with Radar sensors and your Land Cruiser's some SAM Launchers to shoot down any pests that you come across." Polonsky concurred.

Samantha continued to read her file, her eyes curiously looking at her squad's badge. It was showcasing a flying crane, a symbol of freedom, and intrepid journeying with a set of binoculars signifying the Squad's function as a Reconnaissance team.

"Anyway, back to the Planet itself, unfortunately, we are undermanned for several of our squads due to several unexpected bureaucratic adjustments from the higher-ups. For those who are in short supply of men, you will need to round up some volunteers from the current batch of Colonists we have to join the Colonial Militia at least until the Second Wave Colonists touches down." Polonsky added.

"Bureaucratic adjustments? E-explain Colonel?" Samantha raised her hand.

"When we lost the Probe several weeks ago, the Higher-ups wanted us to extend the Studies and Observation's Groups two-fold. I did try to warn Governor White we don't have the people to do so but he insists that we increase our Eyes and Ears around the colony upon touch down." Polonsky explained. "Your squad... Stryder Group is it not? You lack...eh... a rifleman, a lifesaver, a radioman, and a grenadier? I think you can explore the stock of Colonists who can fill up those rolls nicely for the former two." he pointed out.

"I see... I will search for candidates." Samantha saluted.

"And you are... Lieutenant Samantha Rose? As in... the Rose?" the Colonel asked her.

"My Father, Captain Desmond Rose is my Father." She said. "The Hero of Bel-Taviv and Medal of Honor recipient," she said.

"You have some big shoes to fill in Lieutenant Rose. But it is an honor to have the child of the Hero of Bel-Taviv following in the footsteps of their father to be under my command." he solemnly cracked a heartfelt smile.

"Yes... I hope I can be like him one day." Samantha smiled.

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The very next day, with all systems check for the first landing of the UFE into the new world complete, the Eodem sets her feet down on Benham-3's soil. The activity inside was lit abuzz at the loading bay as people scrambled to get everything that is needed to build the colony out of the ship and onto the ground immediately.

"Alright steady… steady! Go!" Kayin signaled a large truck to safely descend from the colony ship's rampart.

"Good that's the last one now," Samantha said.

The Eodem deployed the Engineers that she held as soon as it a touchdown on the green fertile plain it has set foot on. The soon-to-be-established colony was surrounded on its south a small lake that will act as its freshwater source while on its north and eastern directions was a dense forest that will soon be cleared off to add more room. By the west is by far the only unchallenged approach of their surroundings with a clearing that leads to the great unknown. Foundation digging and the moving out of the colony's supplies are being implemented as the makeshift Colonial Defense force began their routine patrols.

Stryder group, consisting of Samantha, Crocker, Kayin, and Obediah moved around near the ship's docking bay as they overview the dozens of people leaving the ship to taste the fresh air of the new world. One of those people was a middle-aged-looking man with a thick black beard who approached them. He carried a large bag behind him that looked like it came straight from a department store's camping section.

Sam shrugged and let go of her grievance with the American marksman. She looked back onto the ramp and then noticed that a man was being escorted by two armed guards. He was wearing a brightly colored neon jumpsuit with a serial number behind his back and a name tag on his left breast that said 'Diaz'.

"Hey don't push me, let gravity do its work." The prisoner said.

"Shut up you scum! You are needed as manual labor by the construction zone right now so make your thieving ass useful!" said one of the guards.

"I didn't know that we have penal colonists with us." Said Samantha.

"Yeah from what I have heard from the guards he was a bank robber who worked for the Romero Mob before he got unlucky," Lewis added.

"Hey, to be fair I wasn't even they intended target of that sting op I got caught in. It was the fencer was the real target." The prisoner turned around to face the squad.

"Hey! No stopping! Off you go!" the guard said as he was lifted by his two escorts and was dragged away to his fate.

"Please, I hear you are conscripting people or something. Please take me with you! I hate these two guys here and they call me the meanest things!" the prisoner yelled while being carried away. He was kicking and struggling to be free but the two guards simply overpowered him.

"Like I would…" Samantha thought to herself with a snickering feeling of elitism and moral superiority over a criminal scum like that 'Diaz' fellow.

The rest of the day went up with nothing else unusual for the squad other than the occasional lost child looking for his missing parents and a few radio calls from HQ back in the colony ship. By nightfall, the prefabricated houses that will serve as temporary housing for the construction crew and the security team were built alongside a storage house for the building materials and food that will be cooked in a mess tent that was built adjacent. The rest of the colonists retreated to Eodem because of the comfortable air-conditioning provided compared to the cool light breeze that was washed to the outdoor camp.

Samantha settled into her bed which will be her new sleeping abode for the next weeks until a real house can be built for her and the rest of the Defense Force.

For the rest of the day, Stryder group help coordinated the Engineering and Labor effort of the construction of the first Benham-3 Colony.

Little did they all know, underneath the foliage of the bushes surrounding the Eodem Colony Ship, a pair of eyes observed them quietly. With a sinister cackle, the figure retreated to the darkness of the forest.

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Another day has passed for Samantha's first tour of duty. It was all surprisingly quiet for her. She was expecting to be bombarded by hoards of paperwork, assignments or other missions but the Colonial Defenses' High Command was acting very conservatively as of late.

As for her second in command however, if Lewis knew anything from his 20 years of service it's that something doesn't feel right about this place. He felt like he was having another sleepless night in the middle of a warzone where he is always alert at his surroundings in case an enemy tried a midnight attack on him and his brother-in-arms, a real fear when in the field. His eyes reddened with exhaustion and sand as he prematurely rose from his bunk bed. His squadmate Kayin took the top part of the bed while the new guy Obediah slept at the bed adjacent to his left. For the women like Samantha, she was in a separate barrack tent for the women members of the militia.

"Ah… fuck… another sleepless night again…" Lewis rubbed his eyes.

Walking out of the door of the barracks he noticed judging from the faint glow of the tent's clock that shone with glow in the dark paint on its hands and hour signs that it was around 4 am. Even though many of the planets that the UFE has expanded upon, scientifically speaking, planets have a different means of rotation around their axis and to spin itself around 360 degrees of itself the Earthlings are so used to the standard 24 hours a day, 7 Days a Week and 365 Days a year plus one extra day for every four years that they have still maintained the standard 12 hour or military hour clocks and the Gregorian Calendar despite the actual 'time' on the planets to say something different otherwise.

He can recall during his tours of duty that there were several planets where the sun stays up in the sky much longer than back at Earth that it was normal to sleep for 6 hours during 'a clear day in the sun' or the other way around where it is pitch black as night but his watch would always say that its only noon.

'Might as well just sneak off a bit and enjoy the peaceful air. It's beautiful out here compared to the last ones.' He spoke to himself.

Compared to all the other places he has been and serviced, Benham-3 was like a trip to a Nature Preserve. He was tired of the many 'Shithole' places he had to call his office space from desert wastelands to Wintery Mining Colonies on the verge of socio-political collapses so he, with a few back-scratching and kiss-assing to his commanders he was transferred to the quieter job of being part of an expedition to the lush continental world of Benham-3.

Walking out of the barracks he quietly strolled around the camp. He envisioned that the on-going construction that was quietly sitting idle at the dug-up land to rise to a peaceful community. 'Peace' a word that he finds an elusive luxury to him. Perhaps after he finishes this tour of duty he will retire from active service and might even buy a piece of land here and settle down to live on the rest of his days quietly. But that kind of tranquility has today evaded him again as he noticed a suspicious smoke cloud rising above the construction yard.

'Smoke? There's fire!?!' Lewis internally exclaimed.

He stopped his strolling and began to job forward to the seen. Something has gone wrong if a fire accident of some sort happened THIS early during the colonization period. Running past the tents, the sleeping Construction Workers he reached the source of the smoke…

It was the storage tent where they keep a good chunk of their starting food supplies ranging from soup cans, luncheon meats, instant drinks and even a huge box of Grandma Curly's Italian Spaghetti Sauce which is the love of many children and soft-hearted manly men everywhere were on fire. Razed in flames and smoke towering above it, Crocker watched in horror and micro-flashbacks of his previous tours that flooded his mind for a moment.

His psychodrama was halted when he hears incoherent screaming and yelling coming closer to him. Large humanoid figures in what looked like they were wearing cloaks and some crude looking leather ware emerged from the smoke. To his shock, the cloaked figures had faces of real and normal flesh and blood humans and their said faces had a sociopathic glee painted on their heads. They were wielding an assortment of weapons of what Lewis can remember were commonly used during the Late Medieval Ages such as swords, axes, and maces. He counted about ten figures walking closer to him as he noticed that they began to laugh and tease him as if he was some sort of prey. One such figure held a wooden crossbow by his hand and began to aim at…

"FUCK!" Lewis exclaimed as he reflexively ducked and turned tail and ran. Normally he would fire back and seek cover at a similar situation back at his previous campaigns but he was essentially naked with only the clothes on his back and his skin.

'I need to wake everyone up!' Lewis instinctively told himself.

With the concerns and lives of dozens of people weighing him. He ran around through the colony camp towards his barracks while crying out to the civilians and any Militia member of the horrible changed of events.

"We are under attack! Attack! We are being attacked!" He cried into the night. Several soldiers and civilian engineers were aroused by his shouts until they realize what was happening.

Lewis continued to run, his heart racing and adrenaline pumping through him. This was the same surge of power he had felt in all of his long career of combat duty. Yet Lewis couldn't believe what he had just seen. Men in Late Medieval Wear and Arms? Is this a dreamlike sort of crazy Stuck-in-another world show where the hero from a cosmopolitan modern background has found himself in the middle of a fantasy world filled with danger and monsters at every corner?

Then a loud neighing of what would come from a horse followed by an even louder sound of a horn going off was heard. At first, Lewis thought it was the Hazard Alert Siren that would warn colonists of an incoming natural hazard is approaching but the pitch was too low for it to be the real siren, plus the noise was coming from the direction away from the ship where the siren would be. Turning around to the direction of the sound he saw a man wearing similar clothes from the same earlier intruders on a horse. To his realized horror, the expedition didn't bring any horses…

"Hiya!" said the strange cloaked figure on the horse with an open iron sword unsheathed on the man's hand. His steed raised itself and stood upward on its hind legs and charged towards him.

Crocker's instincts and body memory kicking into the old soldier. He rolled sideways and narrowly dodged a saber's slash from the horseman. Quickly standing up, he saw the horseman turn around to make another charging run to cut down and trample his quarry. As the intruder charged again towards him, Lewis bent his legs in anticipation. At the last possible moment, he dodged the blade of the intruder again. The horseman yelled in frustration as he harmlessly cantered past Lewis and turned around again, more determined to kill Lewis than before.

"Enough of this shit," Lewis cursed.

Setting one left foot forward and his right foot back in a 'get-set' position like in a grade school relay race, he set his sights on the center mass of the charging horseman closing in towards him. With a loud and mighty roar that was passed down from his Maori heritage from his mother's side, he charged aiming straight at the center breast of the horse and with a great big leap he tackled down the horse alongside its rider with it. Climbing out of the body pile with a sore shoulder he walked over the knocked down horse and over to the rider whose pelvis was crushed by the weight of the horse. Lewis knelt down and repeatedly punched him in the face until he was sure the man was not going to wake up from that anytime soon. He began to pant heavily after his repeated pummeling of the poor man until his hands felt sore. If he was wearing his Exo-suit he wouldn't even feel that much soreness from his shoulders nor the aching of his unprotected knuckles from the repeated ground and pounding he delivered. Standing up and grabbing the sword of the unconscious rider in case he encounters another of these… intruders… or more like bandits seeking to plunder a defenseless camp of people. Reasoning that thought earlier made Lewis blood boil again.

'Barracks… Barracks!' Lewis suddenly remembered what he was supposed to do and dashed towards his objective.

The once serene and sleepy environment was turned into a nightmare vision straight from the scenes of a terrorist attack at a refugee camp in the news as bandits flooded by foot and by hoof at the camp. Tents were set on fire and belongings were stolen. Lewis soon saw one such enemy bandit in front of him with a sword in hand and tensed into a defensive position. With all of his strength and adrenaline, Lewis charged and buried his sword down at the bandit easily penetrating his parrying stance and killing him outright. However, the sword was buried so deep into the hostile human that the soldier struggled to set it free. With a strong pull powered by his legs to his arms, he pulled out its sword only for the blade snap of the sword handle. Dropping the broken weapon to the ground, Lewis ran again this time to not get distracted by the horrors he is witnessing around him.

Dashing and strafing away from any of these hostile bandits he made it safely to his barracks which was still unscathed from the bandit's hands. He could also hear the loud blaring of the alarm siren coming from the Eodem in the distance noticing now that the higher-ups have noticed the chaos from outside their ship.

Quickly opening the door, closing and locking it behind him. He yelled at his fellow soldiers who were just rudely awakened from their slumber by the sound of the alarm siren rather than the barrack's alarm clock that goes off at 5:30 AM.

"Wake up! We are under attack! Grab the guns!"