Briefing

The sky was an eerie shade of orange, the sun rested behind the mountains on the horizon. The plains were filled with blood thirsty humans and zelkins like enraged ants on a stepped ant hill. The fields were so dusty that you could barely see out half a mile. The humans have been fighting the lizard-men species called the zelkin for years and years. It's been so long since the war started that the reason for fighting has turned into a vague memory by both the old, bed ridden, dying leaders of the armies.

Explosions went off almost every second from the plasma grenades that emitted a blue and purple flame. Screams and the zelkin language flooded the air of the rocky battlefield. Cold, green, and hot red blood stained the ground.

Four hover ships slowly lowered from the sky, carrying a company of human soldiers ready to defend their planet of Kalham. In one of the hover ships was a calm soldier sitting in his seat, (which hung off the wall of the ship) with his head down and his hands gripped on his rifle. His green and black metal power suit grew heavier the closer they got to the ground. This was his fourth time fighting in the war and it doesn't seem to get any easier. He looked around at the other nervous soldiers with their dark green metal torsos and black leggings. They all had the blast shields down on their helmets, trying to block themselves from the outside world. He was the only soldier sitting. “Sgt. Redman.” an officer called as he approached the sitting soldier. “Sgt. Cil Redman,” he called again. “on your feet soldier. We're on the ground in two.”

Cil put his blast shield on his helmet down. At first it was all black and dark then it turned on, not only giving him vision but enhanced vision at that. He stood up and looked around the ship. All the soldiers were illuminated blue. He could now see past their black blast shields and see every one of their nervous faces. The ship's tail slowly opened, a wave of dust and sand entered the ship.

The platoon leader stepped in front of the group of soldiers as they landed. “You will all fight.” he said quietly. He didn't need to yell over the jets of the ships, or sounds of the battle. Their helmets had built in microphones and speakers so they can talk without their throats getting raspy. “You will all fight,” he repeated. “you will all kill, you will all be heroes. But I cannot say you will all return. Some of you, or perhaps all of you will die.”

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Afterword: This is episode one of my series Rogue Valor. You will be able to read the entire series here:
http://sgtjake95.blogspot.com/p/rogue-valor.html